Baltimore Jewish Home - 3-26-15

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‫ ד׳ אייר‬- ‫ו׳ ניסן‬

mar. 26

- apr. 23 . vol 2, #6

Bais Yaakov Celebrates 73rd Annual Dinner

PAGE 12

IDF Presents Rabbi Elchonon Oberstein Award of Appreciation for Baltimore and Beyond for Ceramic Vest Purchases

PAGE 11

Over 950 Attend OCA Maccabeats Concert

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F O R M E N & W O M E N O F T H E G R E A T E R B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y

4th Annual Yom Iyun

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

A N

E V E N I N G

O F

L E A R N I N G

O H R S O M AYA C H I N T E R N AT I O N A L P R E S E N T S

Surviving an Insane World THE TORAH’S SANE APPROACH TO OUR UNIQUE TIMES Fe at ur in g

RABBI DOVID

Kaplan Raising Well-Adjusted Childen in an Insane Society

RABBI DR. YITZCHOK

R A B B I D R . A K I VA

How to Get Through the Yishmaelite Exile: The Struggle for Jerusalem & Us

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CONTENTS

COMMUNITY

Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

Purim Pictures from around the Community. . . . 14

JEWISH THOUGHT If You have a Jewish Heart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Choices & Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Kollel Chatzos Q & A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Mrs. Hebel’s Top Ten Tips For Involving Your Children In The Pesach Seder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 A Sea of Tears. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 An Open Invitation: Insights on the Pesach Haggadah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Rhyme Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

COVER STORY A Community of Chesed A Peek into Bikur Cholim of Baltimore. . . . . . . . . . . 36 BJH Speaks with Paula Shoyer, author of THE NEW PASSOVER MENU. . . . . . . . . . . 46 March of 1968 - Are European Jews Facing a Similar Exodus? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

LIFESTYLES 007 for a Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Stampede is On. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 16 Fire Safety Tips For Your Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 OP-ED: You Can Make A Difference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 In The Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Forgotten Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 My Israel Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Mouthwatering Meats for Yom Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Art & Soul in Jerusalem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

NEWS

Dear Readers, With Adar now behind us, the majestic feeling of the seder is starting to settle in. Sure there’s all the cleaning, scrubbing and nerves, but just beyond the horizon is the feeling of freedom that each of us will feel as we sit by the seder surrounded by family and guests recounting our humble origins, subsequent suffering, and finally, redemption. We will recount in great detail how Hakadosh Baruch Hu took us out of Egypt, made us a nation, and gave us the Torah and mitzvoth.

Many of us will probably discuss other parts of our mostly troubled history. The building of the Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem, its destruction, rebuilding, and destruction again, scattering us across the corners of the globe.

All this storytelling really causes our past to come alive. Indeed, beginning the first day of Nisan we remember the presents brought by the heads of the tribes in honor of the building of the Mishkan. Think about it: for thousands of years we have remembered what seems to be a one-time and obscure event, saying a special prayer and connecting with our ancestors back in the desert.

We are an eternal people with eternal traditions. We will protect our religion and it will protect us.

One cannot speak about Pesach without mentioning our origins as one nation. Our source is as one people. Yes there were 12 different tribes, but differences were there to complement each other. Today’s attitude of “Is he one of us?” or “Did you hear what they did?” is a cover up of the Jew inside and the collective soul we all come from. When we see

another Yid, we should reach into ourselves and find the point where they become our brother and part of our family. And just as a parent’s deepest joy is when the children are getting along, sharing and happy for each other.

So too our Father in Heaven’s greatest pleasure is when we accept each other, respect each other and -- shall I say -- even love each other.

We can then turn around to our Creator and ask, beseech and even demand that (as we say in the blessing over the second cup): “King of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt, and enabled us to attain this night to eat matzah and maror. So too, G-d, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, enable us to attain other holidays and festivals that will come to us in peace with happiness in the rebuilding of Your city, and with rejoicing in Your service [in the Bet Hamikdash]… and we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, G-d, who redeemed Israel.”

(Interestingly, there are many halachik authorities who are of the opinion that we will recite a similar blessing on the anniversary of our future redemption.)

May we merit the fulfilment of the statement in Rosh Hashanah 11a: “In [the month of] Nisan our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt and in [the month of] Nisan we will be redeemed in the future.”

With blessings for a happy, healthy and joyous Pesach!

Yaakov

Global News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 National News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ISRAEL Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The Baltimore Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces­sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Baltimore Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The BJH contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

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MARCH 26, 2015

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Around the

Community

Ner Tamid Cub Scouts Turned the Shul Social Hall into a Stadium Sunday March 15, 2015. That is the date that the Ner Tamid cub scouts turned the shul social hall into a stadium. There was a professional racing track, stadium seating, flags, racing cars and more. Each Cub Scout built their own car (with help from parents, who might have had to borrow some tools). Each car required sawing, sanding, painting, additional weight and whatever finishing touches would make their car the fastest. No car can weigh more

than 5 oz. It an experience making a regulation auto for the Pinewood derby competition.

For more information about joining Cub Scout pack 1299 at Ner Tamid go to http://troop1299.com/ v3/pack.html. The shul’s cub scouts are a shomer shabbos Pack for boys 1 - 5 grade. It is connected with our 6 - 12 grade troop (1299).

Our next major event is a camping trip on May 3 - 4, 2015.

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‫ היומי בהלכה‬‫ של ד‬‫ העולמי למחזור הראשו‬‫דרשו סיו‬

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

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WORLD SIYUM

‫ העולמי‬‫דרשו סיו‬ ‫ היומי בהלכה‬‫ של ד‬‫למחזור הראשו‬

‫ הלכה‬‫תהא שנת עיו‬

Dirshu WorldSiyum LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

HEED THE CALL OF OUR GEDOLIM! JOIN DAF HAYOMI B’HALACHA

MARCH 26, 2015

‘‘

Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Ponovezh

‘‘

“Bringing a topic to its Halachic conclusion is the goal. The Torah is our light. …it shows us where to go. One must learn Torah in order to know where to go. However, one can learn and learn and still not know the proper path - what does the light alone help? Learning Torah to a Halachic conclusion will guide you in this light…this is the ultimate purpose.”

ERLOI REBBE, SHLITA “Knowing and recognizing the programs of Dirshu…and the great success of the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, I say of them, there is no such thing as a “Siyum”– Completion.”

It always has a continuity, and an added new beginning. It is a great zechus, and one needs a great zechus to succeed in it.

May there be a blessing of hatzlacha in all the good activities of Dirshu, and a Yasher Koach on all its great matters.”

HAGAON HARAV DOVID COHEN, SHLITA Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Chevron

“The Dirshu organization has initiated a program to strengthen the study of Halacha in the Mishna Berurah, which is an obligation on every Jew. ... In this merit we will speedily see the complete redemption.”

‘‘

‘‘

SANZER REBBE, SHLITA “I reiterate...there should go out the call to strengthen the Dirshu organization’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, to make great effort in the daily study of halachos in the Sefer Mishnah Berurah...and especially at this time, that is an Eis Tzarah L’Yaakov especially in Eretz Yisrael...”

VIZHNITZER REBBE, SHLITA “Halacha is special. We find that, ‘Hashem loves the gates of halacha more than anything else…’ Halacha teaches a person how to conduct himself. The Torah was given to us so that we should fulfill it… This program gives every person the framework and ability to make a halacha seder each day and thereby merit Olam Habah. It is a tremendous zechus.”

Thousands worldwide are joined together and have benefitted from Daf HaYomi B’Halacha’s daily limud of Mishnah Berurah and Mussar from Sifrei Chofetz Chaim.

Gedolei Yisrael have endorsed and encouraged Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program’s unique retention and accountability methods, as a way to master Halacha.

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

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Around the

Community

Over 950 Attend OCA Maccabeats Concert On Sunday, March 8, Ohr Chadash Academy hosted the Maccabeats for its 4th annual concert. The concert was another huge success with over 950 people in attendance, filling up the Sagner Auditorium at Beth Tfiloh, where they honored Amian and Yossi Kelemer. Amian is the Chair of the Education Committee on the OCA Board of Directors for the past three years and her leadership has been instrumental in the educational initiatives of the school. Yossi and Amian’s deep passion for the Jewish people, combined with their commitment to ensure every child receives an education at the highest level, has played a major role in the growth of Ohr Chadash. Their commitment is clearly displayed through their volunteer work within the Baltimore community and Israel-related organizations.

Together, their values reinforce the vision of what OCA strives to instill in every student.

The event began with a VIP reception for donors that was beautifully arranged by O’Fishel, with delicious food by Bracha Shor from Sweet and Good Catering, and decorations

by Consider it Done by Laura (CIDBL)!. The theme of the reception was the Shivat Minim, Seven Species of Israel, which could be seen from the pomegranate centerpieces to the stuffed figs, olive tapenade on cherry tomatoes, couscous with dates and more. Ari Taragin, President of the Board, welcomed everyone and introduced the line of speakers who came to give greetings and commendations to the Kelemers including Josh Mauer, Vice President of FIDF Baltimore Chapter, Councilwoman Rikki Spector, Jonathan Schwartz, Senior Council Assistant to Vicki Almond, and Delegate Sheila Hettleman. Linda Hurwitz, chair of Planning and Allocations for The Associated, spoke about the importance of supporting the future, through educating the children, and she was so happy to see everyone come out in support of Ohr Chadash and all that it provides to the community.

And then the Orthobox took the

stage - if you weren’t at the concert, check out his videos on YouTube.

This is the best beatboxing you likely have ever seen. Fifteen minutes of amazing sounds and music, all done by his mouth, with no instruments.

The crowd was ready for the Maccabeats who eagerly took the stage, commenting that they get such great welcomes coming to Baltimore that it feels like home. They played familiar songs and many new ones from their new CD, “One More Day.” Children could not contain their excitement and many gathered in front of the stage to dance and sing along. The Maccabeats were humorous, engaging and had a great singing set, giving the audience lots of fun at a great event by Ohr Chadash.

Photo Credit: Eli Taragin

Around the

Community

BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

MARCH 26, 2015

This past Thursday, just one week ago, Shmuli, Yoni and I went to Caesarea for a reunion of the unit that Yoni served in during Tzuk Eitan. The men, their wives and a number of senior leaders of the army Rabbanut were there.

I was presented with this beautiful award.

Here is a loose translation: This sign of appreciation is presented to our brothers and sisters from Baltimore, Maryland and the entire United States who mobilized to ensure the safety of our soldiers and to protect them during their operations in Tzuk Eitan. Presented to them through Rabbi Elchonon Oberstein and his son Yonatan, a “locheim”(warrior) in our “gedud’ unit. It is signed by the heads of Yechidat Sirikat Rabbanut, (YS”R), the reconnaissance unit of the army rabbinate.

The Chief Rabbi of the IDF spoke and he looked at me and said, “we appreciate the vests, but even more, we appreciate your concern and love for us”. The Chief Rabbi of the Southern Division (Gaza) said to me when I shook his hand earlier, “I know who you are and I know what you did.” That “you” includes the many hundreds of donors to the vest campaign. I explained that the donors were average people who donated far beyond the norm to provide brand new ceramic bullet proof vests for our boys.

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

IDF Presents Rabbi Elchonon Oberstein Award of Appreciation for Baltimore and Beyond for Ceramic Vest Purchases

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Camp Koolanu Director Rabbi Chanina Szendro, Menahel of Yeshivas Toras Chaim

CAMP KOOLANU

MARCH 26, 2015

Around the

Photo credits: Kalman Feldman

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Community

Bais Yaakov Celebrates 73rd Annual Dinner

Around the

Community

An Exclusive Interview with Rabbi Kenneth Brander

By Penina Wolff

thought possible,” explains Brander.

“The CJF provides an invaluable service by creating training, outreach and programming opportunities for undergraduate students and a diverse range of Jewish communities. The speaker’s bureau sends professors and Rabbis to locations around the globe to work with its leaders and engage the communities, providing continuing education and any other form of assistance required.”

Reflecting on his successful visit to Baltimore, a city boasting hundreds of YU alumni, Rabbi Bander notes that one of the CJF’s most important functions is as a provider of resources to alumni, remaining active partners in their lives.

“YU alumni have gone on to become distinguished rabbis, world political leaders, business giants and philanthropists.

They have achieved impressive levels of academic and commercial success and made significant contributions to society.

But it is our job at Yeshiva to make sure that they always have the support and resources they require in order to serve and lead their respective communities. Our job is not over just because their time on campus has come to an end. Yeshiva University’s commitment to its students is a lifetime guarantee, no matter where our students’ lives may lead them.”

Rabbi Brander then went on to list the CJF’s wide-ranging community-focused offerings. They include programming for Genetic Jewish Health; ‘YUConnects,’ a project that fosters healthy meeting opportunities and relationships toward marriage, as well pre-marital and early marriage workshops and resources; the Kohelet Fellowships Program, an incentive-based Jewish learning experience for parents of Jewish day school students in which participants study Jewish texts in-depth in order to receive tuition grants for the schools attended by their children; the Community Leadership Initiative, a five-month certificate training program designed to identify aspiring lay leaders across the country

between the ages of 25-38 and train, inspire and empower them to promote positive change within their own synagogues, schools, organizations and communities; and a Speakers Bureau that offers more than 115 faculty from the University’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools and affiliates to serve as keynote speakers and panelists on over 150 areas for lectures, conferences and symposia at schools, community centers, civic organizations and synagogues throughout North America.

“We are especially proud of our Adult Education programming. More than 300 men and women from the New York metropolitan area regularly attend Kollel Yom Rishon each week and thousands from around the Jewish world download the lectures. They are drawn to the warm learning environment, cutting-edge topics of discussion and top-notch teachers,” notes Brander.

“We also offer a number of special holiday-themed Yemei Iyun (days of indepth learning) to the community on the Yeshiva University Wilf Campus in Washington Heights over the course of the academic year, distribute ‘YU Torah To-Go’ booklets before every Jewish holiday to communities around the world – from Baltimore to Bet Shemesh, and we make a concerted effort to keep the content on our hugely popular Torah website, YUTorah. org, fresh and easy-to-use, while partnering with shuls and organizations to power their own Torah Web sites with YU Torah Online technology.”

(It’s important to mention that YU Torah boasts well over 35,000 recorded lectures, classes and seminars from YU personalities. The website records an average of 375,000 monthly page views.)

CJF also offers programs for Rabbis and Rebbetzins around the world and is responsible for the placement of hundreds of Rabbis and educators in Jewish communities across the country.

After detailing the CJF’s robust of-

ferings for communities, Rabbi Brander requested that we take a step back. He explained that he felt as though he had “put the cart before the horse” by speaking so much about YU’s commitment to its alumni without first discussing programming for current students.

“Yeshiva University creates a wonderful environment for young people to grow in their own understanding and values, but it doesn’t exist within a bubble. In all undergraduate, graduate and rabbinical training programs, YU imparts a sense of responsibility to the greater Jewish community, empowering the students to develop the skills necessary to become true leaders and agents of change in the world,” says Rabbi Brander with a smile, clearly happy that we are ‘back on track.’

“But it’s important to understand that these aren’t just words, this isn’t just a canned mission statement. Armed with the knowledge that they are never alone, our students accomplish amazing things during their years on campus. For example, current undergraduate students have runs camps for underprivileged youth in Dimona, developed Jewish identity seminars in the Ukraine, and attended solidarity missions to Paris. And all this while excelling at their religious and secular studies.”

Rabbi Brander became increasingly passionate as he spoke. He had clearly hit a stride and was all-in to drive home his point.

“We are not interested in being just another university. We are an incubator for Jewish leadership and thought, and we provide our student body with the promise of a ‘forever relationship.’ We want to take care of students from Jewish communities around the country – Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angles, Detroit, and anywhere else that Torah U’maddah is valued – while they are living on campus, and then continue our relationships as active partners once they return home or move on to another community.

“As I see it, the important thing is that students and alumni view YU as a continuum, because we are ready and willing to provide whatever assistance necessary to help communities grow and develop, and we are uniquely qualified to do so. Regardless of how well-established a community may be, there are always resources needed to propel the community to the next level of Jewish connectivity and education. YU and the CJF are committed to remaining an integral part of the lives of every alumnus.

It’s a commitment we take very seriously.”

MARCH 26, 2015

From March 20-21, the Baltimore Jewish community was honored to host Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Vice President of University and Community Life at Yeshiva University, as its ‘Scholar in Residence.’

Over the course of Shabbat, Rabbi Brander engaged families at Congregation Shomrei Emunah and Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim in deep Torah-driven discussions, presenting a series of lectures on varied topics, including ‘Ethics in Philanthropy’ and ‘Infusing Jewish Life with Greater Passion and Spirituality.”

The thought-provoking and uplifting weekend also included a beautiful Friday night Oneg at the home of YU parents Dr. Elly and Shayndee Lasson and was capped off by a festive Yeshiva University Alumni Melave Malka hosted by Stern College for Women Board Member Anne Neuberger and her husband Yehuda.

The “Shabbat with Yeshiva University” program was organized by YU’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) – www. yu.edu/cjf – with the aim of sharing YU’s unique brand of Torah with the greater Baltimore Jewish community and re-introducing YU as not just a university but a toolkit for continued communal growth and enrichment.

The Baltimore Jewish Home caught up with Rabbi Brander during his visit to ask him about the CJF’s ongoing initiative to connect with Jewish communities across the country.

As Rabbi Emeritus of the Boca Raton Synagogue, Rabbi Brander is no stranger to the pulpit. And as the founding dean of the Boca Raton Community Kollel and founder of the Weinbaum Yeshiva High School of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, he has quite a bit to say about communal development. It was these experiences that, as the inaugural David Mitzner Dean, helped him transform the CJF into a multi-faceted Jewish educational and communal development powerhouse.

Rabbi Brander began with the basics.

“Founded on the principles of ‘Torah U’maddah,’ the fusion of Torah and secular knowledge, Yeshiva University boasts an unparalleled cast of educators who create an engaging and enriching space for their students to explore. Since its inception, the University has been committed to promoting academic excellence and developing programming to benefit the greater Jewish community. The establishment of the CJF has empowered us to utilize all that Yeshiva University has to offer to enrich and shape the Jewish community at large, often in ways we never before

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Yeshiva University’s ‘Forever Relationship’

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

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Gedolim Address First Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Siyum Dirshu Shabbos, A Shabbos Of Olam Habaah Chaim Gold

“A unique koach of Dirshu is that it not only gives a person Olam Habaah, it also gives a person phenomenal Olam Hazeh!” These were the powerful words of HaGaon HaRav Yechiel Michel Steinmetz, shlita, Skverer Dayan of Boro Park who encapsulated the feelings of the more than 1,000 participants at the Dirshu Convention celebrating the siyum on the machzor rishon of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha.

Indeed, the faces of the many men and women there – men, Lomdei Dirshu who spend hours and hours of every day learning and being tested on Shas, Mishnah Berurah, Shulchan Aruch b’iyun; and women, Nishei Lomdei Dirshu who seemingly ‘give up’ their husbands’ assistance on so many fronts – shone with a true, deeply rooted simchas chaim, an authentic joy that symbolizes the absolute best of Olam Hazeh! That simcha, a simcha that permeated every corner of the convention was rooted in the ol Torah, the yoke of Torah that both the men and the women have assumed. The truth of Chazal’s words, that there is no free man like one who is immersed in Torah, were on display throughout the Shabbos.

A Shabbos of kulo ruchniyus The siyum on motzaei Shabbos of the first machzor of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha was the culmination of a Shabbos that was, as Rav Steinmenz put it, ‘kulo ruchniyus.’

In Rav Steinmetz’s words, “Where else can you have a convention where after a moving oneg Shabbos, followed by going to sleep at 1:00 a.m., at 5:00 a.m. the next morning one hears a resounding kol Torah in the beis medrash?

Where do you have a convention where after the seudah on Shabbos afternoon, the ‘taanug’ of sleeping on Shabbos is replaced by the even greater pleasure of learning and chazering another blatt Gemara and another seif in Shulchan Aruch?!

The Highlight: Siyum on Motzaei Shabbos, A New Hadran!

The siyum, held in the main ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel of Stamford, Connecticut, was a memorable event. In addition to the more than 1,000 Lomdei Dirshu who were there for Shabbos, hundreds more joined on motzaei Shabbos to celebrate the siyum.

HaGaon HaRav Zev Smith, shlita, a Daf HaYomi B’Halacha maggid shiur chaired the event. Rav Yechiel Michel Steinmetz was honored with making the siyum on the six chalakim of the Mishnah Berurah. A thrill of excitement rippled through the crowd as Rav Steinmetz said a new, heretofore never heard Hadran, “Hadran Alach Shulchan Aruch, Aruch Chaim and Mishnah Berurah.” Then, he continued, “In the zechus of the poskim and the mechaber of the Mishnah Berurah, Rav Yisrael Meir ben Rav Aryeh Zev yaamod li l’zaari, ul’zerah zari – the Torah should never depart from us or our offspring!”

HaGaon HaRav Aharon Feldman, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisrael Baltimore was honored with saying the special Kaddish recited upon the completion of a masechta. As soon as he finished, the entire assemblage broke out into an ecstatic rikkud. The simcha was so palpable!

HaGaon HaRav Reuven Feinstein, Shlita: Importance of Practical Halacha Following the dancing, HaGaon

HaRav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Staten Island, was asked to start the second machzor of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha. Rav Reuven poignantly said that he is undertaking to begin the machzor and if Hashem grants him Siyatta Dishmaya he hopes to complete it together with all Lomdei Dirshu.

Rav Reuven spoke about the importance of internalizing one’s learning in a way that the learning becomes part of him and the halachos that he learns permeate his actions every minute of every day.

Rav Dovid Hofstedter: A New Daf Yomi in Klal Yisrael A major address of the evening was given by the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita. Rav Dovid began by citing Rav Elchonon Wasserman, “We are living in the era of ikvesa d’Mashicha, the “footsteps of Mashiach,” i.e. the very end of our long exile. The great Torah sages of this generation and the one before, have all taught us that this is the time of birur, “clarification.” This is the time when the absolute truth will be revealed, down to its finest details, and

all masks of falsehood will be torn away.

With profound emotion, Rav Dovid then exclaimed, “Every generation has its own challenge. The challenge of our generation is unbridled materialism and superficiality. We live in the most invasive society in the history of mankind.

No corner of the world is protected, nothing is safe, the ruach hatumah is everywhere. It encompasses every facet of our existence.

“Perhaps the great test of our days, is ensuring that our pnimiyus is in step with our outer Jewish appearance. We are being judged to determine whether it is only the clothes we wear and the language we speak that mark us as Jews, or whether we are retaining our Jewishness within our hearts as well.

“Our challenge is to maintain our clarity; to understand what it means to be true Yidden in this era of superficiality and materialism.

“We are here in a concentrated effort to serve Hashem. If, however, we don’t know what Hashem wants from us how can we say that we want to fulfill His ratzon?! Only when we will learn the halachos of everyday living every single day, can we know what Hashem wants of us!

“We talk about achdus, but how can we claim we want it if we don’t take the time to learn Chofetz Chaim, Shemiras Halashon and the other mussar seforim that teach us the laws of interpersonal conduct?”

With great feeling, Rav Dovid proposed the charge of the evening, “Morai v’rabbosai, let us all come together to create a new Iron Dome! A shield of chizuk and shemirah to fulfill the ratzon Hashem, an Iron Dome that will protect us from the invasion of the surrounding culture!

“We must come together k’ish echad b’lev echad and create a new Daf Yomi in Klal Yisrael, a Daf Yomi B’Halacha!”

HaGaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler, Shlita: Halacha Is Walking With Hashem Another major address was delivered by HaGaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood who came special on motzaei Shabbos to participate in Dirshu’s simchas haTorah. In his heart-

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

This Pesach, as you sing the ancient song of nighttime nissim, know that in our days too, miracles still happen.

MARCH 26, 2015

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Around the felt remarks, Rav Malkiel said, “The Gemara tells us that, ‘everyone who learns daily halacha is assured a place in Olam Habaah, as the passuk states, halichos olam...’”

The Rosh Yeshiva expounded, “When a person learns halacha daily his every halicha, his every step throughout the day, is done in accordance with the Torah. This is what assures him Olam Habaah.”

The Rosh Yeshiva added, “the ben Torah who truly strives to understand the halacha can find in the Mishnah Berurah, the depth and reasons behind each halacha as found in the Rishonim in the Gemara.”

The Rosh Yeshiva went on to express his deep admiration for Rav Dovid Hofstedter “for instituting the Daf Yomi B’Halacha program and all other Dirshu programs”.

A Piece of Olam Habah The sight from all balconies overlooking the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, was a sight that was a fitting commencement to a magnificent Shabbos.

Hundreds of twinkling lights surrounded by hundreds of Nishei Lomdei Dirshu representing Yidden from all walks of life and reflecting the achdus of Dirshu, all welcoming the Shabbos with heartfelt tefillos.

Before Mincha, HaGaon HaRav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, gave a comprehensive address on chinuch bringing many practical lessons from the halachos of Pesach.

After a heartwarming Kabbalas Shabbos led by the well-known baal menagen, Reb Isaac Honig, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe and Mesivta of Lakewood, gave a riveting address. He began with the Gemara that Hashem promised that Torah would not be forgotten from among Klal Yisrael. “Dirshu,” he exclaimed, “has been instrumental in fulfilling that Divine promise in our times.”

Rav Sorotzkin then spoke about how Dirshu wives have an equal part in their husband’s Torah accomplishments by giving up time and forgoing the help that they often need so that their husbands can dedicate themselves to learning.

Similarly, another speaker on Shabbos mentioned that the role of the women is even greater than that of the men because the men are filled with the spiritual delight of learning and knowing Torah while the women don’t feel that joy as easily in their supporting role.

After the Friday night seudah a fascinating sheilos and teshuvos session

Community

with the Skverer Dayan, Rav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, was held. His instant recall and ability to answer questions from the entire gamut of Halacha left every attendee awestruck. For example, ‘If one makes a siyum on Mishnah Berurah can that siyum be made by a bechor to exempt him from fasting on erev Pesach and/or to eat fleishigs during the Nine Days?’ The answer was a resounding yes.

ta, Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisrael of Baltimore, cited the well-known Gemara that Mashiach will not come on Sunday. The Gemara explains the reason is that Eliyahu Hanavi has to precede Mashiach and he cannot come on Shabbos.

“Why?” questioned Rav Aharon, “He cannot come on Shabbos because of an issur of techumim. Techumim is an issur derabbanan. That means Mashiach and the geulah can be delayed in order

A beautiful oneg Shabbos with zemiros and divrei Torah given by HaGaon Harav Shea Fuhrer, shlita, Rosh Kollel Bobov Toronto, was thoroughly enjoyed and extended to the wee hours of the morning.

Following Shacharis, an in-depth shiur was given by HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Miller, shlita, Rosh Kollel Avreichim of Toronto and Av Bais Din Bais Horaah of Lakewood. It was remarkable – hundreds of talmidei chachomim crowding around to edge as close as possible and absorb the chiddushim. Even more remarkable was the sight of the other gedolei Yisrael sitting right in front of Rav Miller, fully focused on every word. And the simchas haTorah radiating from Rav Miller as the chiddushim unfolded was truly a spiritual delight!

Inspiring Shalosh Seudos An extremely uplifting part of Shabbos was shalosh seudos as reflected by the messages of the gedolim who spoke.

HaGaon HaRav Aharon Feldman, shli-

to not transgress an issur derabbanan!

This shows the profound importance of having comprehensive knowledge of every Halacha so that one should not transgress any halacha even an issur derabbanan. Not knowing halacha,” concluded Rav Feldman, “is a churban!”

HaGaon HaRav Yeruchem Olshin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, related the Gemara that HaGaon HaRav Meir Shapiro cited when he instituted the Daf HaYomi. “A person nearly drowned. When asked how he was saved, he told people that he grabbed onto a daf shel sefinah, a plank from a boat. At that time (between the two World Wars), Rav Shapiro explained that Yidden were drowning in so many tzaros, they had to save themselves by grabbing onto the Daf of Torah, the daf Yomi. Today too,” thundered Rav Yeruchem, “Klal Yisrael is being buffeted by many tzaros. We see that we can’t rely on anybody, not even our ostensible friends. We need the hatzolah of

a Daf! And the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha is a gevaldige koach harabbim that has the power to immeasurably help Klal Yisrael!”

Rav Olshin could not contain the depth of his emotion in describing the absolute achdus that he had seen permeating the halls where the convention was being held. “Dirshu has clearly shown us that the ultimate me’ached is the Torah hakedosha!”

HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Choueka, shlita, Rav of Congregation Ohel Simha in Deal, New Jersey, said that every Jew has the ability to transform the impossible into something very possible! People constantly ask, ‘How is it possible to finish Shas, to complete Shulchan Aruch and be tested?’ The answer is that if one puts his full focus, if he is meyached his lev to achieve the will of Hashem, anything is possible!”

The final speaker at shalosh seudos was HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Zalman Gips, shlita, Rav of Kehal Birchas Avraham, Rosh Yeshivas Yeshiva Nehardaah, and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Maggid Shiur. Rav Gips cited the Gemara in Shabbos that states that Rav Zeira had to tell his talmidim to go and eat seudas Shabbos. Where today do we find that someone has to be told to eat seudas Shabbos?! Nobody needs to be told! The answer is that with lomdei Dirshu it happens all the time! They want to just finish… another Daf, another seif, another Mishnah Berurah…”

Kedushas habayis, Kedushas HaTorah and Dirshu On Shabbos, one of the lomdei Dirshu related the following story. His friend’s son became engaged and it was time to purchase a ring. When the chosson’s father was discussing it with his son, the chosson insisted that he wanted to pay for the ring himself. “From where do you have money?” the father asked astounded. “Totty,” the chosson explained, “I have been taking Dirshu tests for several years now. Every time I earned a stipend I put the money aside.

I would like to use that money to buy the ring because I want my new bayis to be built upon the foundation of the kedushas haTorah that I have worked so hard to attain.”

Indeed, that was the underlying foundation one felt throughout the Dirshu Shabbos. The kedushas habayis and shalom bayis of hundreds upon hundreds of families has been immeasurably impacted and often transformed by their connection with Dirshu.

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The Week 150 Killed as Plane Crashes into the Alps

conference hours after the crash that the pilot had more than 10 years’ experience and that the plane had been thoroughly inspected a day earlier.

“We will do everything possible the clarify the causes of the accident as quickly as possible,” Germanwings official Thomas Winkelmann said.

“We want to know what happened.

That is our obligation.” The pilot had 10 years’ experience and the plane was

thoroughly inspected the day before.

“We do not yet know what has happened to flight 4U 9525,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told Sky News.

“My deepest sympathy goes to the families and friends of our passengers and crew on 4U 9525. If our fears are confirmed, this is a dark day for Lufthansa. We hope to find survivors.”

MARCH 26, 2015

On Tuesday, search teams combed the French Alps searching for survivors from a Germanwings flight that crashed into the southern French Alps on Tuesday morning 50 minutes into its flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. Searchers, though, didn’t expect to locate any survivors from the 150 people who were onboard the plane.

Wreckage was spotted shortly after the crash in a snow-covered, remote area of the mountains at around 6,500 feet, France’s Interior Ministry told The Associated Press. Eric Ciotti, the head of the regional council, said search-and-rescue teams were headed to the crash site. The debris field, reportedly a two-hour hike from the nearest village, stretched for more than a mile.

“This is a mourning period that we need to overcome because it’s a tragedy that has occurred on our land,” French President Francois Hollande after hearing about the crash.

As of Tuesday morning, passenger names were not released, as the airline and authorities endeavored to contact the families of those who were flying.

It was reported that 16 from a German high school and two of their teachers were aboard, as well as two babies.

Less than an hour into the flight, the plane dropped from a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet to around 6,800 feet. The 10-minute descent was unusually rapid but it seemed controlled.

Even so, the plane was too low and not able to navigate the mountains.

The owner of a campground near the crash site, Pierre Polizzi, told The Associated Press he heard a noise from

the plane shortly before it crashed.

“I heard a series of loud noises in the air,” the owner of a campground near the crash site related. “There are often fighter jets flying over, so I thought it sounded just like that. I looked outside, but I couldn’t see any fighter planes.”

The plane was built in 1991 and had always been in Lufthansa’s fleet.

Winkelmann said at a Tuesday news

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The Week Indian Parents Caught Helping HighSchoolers Cheat Cheating in India’s high schools has become a national concern. This week, almost 600 high school students in eastern India were expelled for cheating on pressure-packed 10th grade examinations. The incident has received widespread attention after Indian television footage showed parents and friends of students climbing the outer walls of school buildings to pass cheat sheets to students inside taking exams.

More than 1.4 million 10th graders are taking the tests at more than 1,200 high schools across the state. They face tremendous pressure because they must pass the exams to continue

their education. Teachers and state education department officials supervising the examination caught hundreds of students who had smuggled in textbooks or scraps of paper for cheating.

“It’s virtually impossible to conduct fair examinations without the cooperation of parents,” P.K. Shahi, Bihar’s education minister, pointed out. He said it was not possible to monitor the six million parents and others who accompany the students to the examination centers. State authorities posted police at all schools where examinations were being held, “but we can’t use force to drive away the parents,” he said. Nearly two dozen parents were detained after they were caught helping their children, but were released after several hours.

On Friday, the high court in the state capital, Patna, ordered the Bihar police chief to ensure that examinations are conducted in a fair manner.

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In News State education authorities have since canceled examinations held at four centers after they received reports of large-scale cheating.

Bihar School Examination Board Secretary Sriniwas Tiwari said students caught cheating could be barred from taking the exam for up to three years, ordered to pay a fine or even sent to jail. Cheating seems to be particularly widespread in Bihar, although there have been no reports of anyone being sent to jail for the offense.

Tourists Targeted in Tunisian Museum Massacre

Tourists in Tunisia’s capital were terrorized when militants invaded a museum and began shooting at people randomly. Unfortunately, 23 people perished before the two gunmen were shot by security forces. The Wednesday attack marks the deadliest attack

on civilians in the North African country in 13 years.

The two murderers wore military-style uniforms and wielded assault rifles as they exited a vehicle and began shooting tourists as they descended a bus at the National Bardo Museum. The Bardo, a popular tourist attraction, houses one of the world’s largest collections of Roman mosaics among its 8,000 works. The duo then pushed their way inside the building in attempt to take hostages but they were killed in a fire exchange with security forces.

Prime Minister Habib Essid said that 19 tourists —from Japan, Italy, Colombia, Spain, Australia, Poland and France — were killed in the attack. The nationality of one dead foreigner was not released. Essid said two Tunisian nationals also were killed by the militants. Another 44 people were wounded.

“I want the people of Tunisia to understand firstly and lastly that we are in a war with terror, and these savage minority groups will not frighten us,” said newly elected President Beji Caid Essebsi in an address to the nation. “The fight against them will continue until they are exterminated.”

Essid identified the gunmen as Yassine Labidi and Saber Khachnaou.

Authorities are still looking for a third member involved in the attack; nine people have been arrested in connection with the attack.

Tunisians defeated their dictator in 2011 and started the Arab Spring that spread across the region. While the uprising built a new democracy, the country continued to struggle with economic difficulties and attacks by extremists.

Twitter accounts associated with the extremist Islamic State group based in Syria and Iraq were described as overjoyed at the attack, urging Tunisians to “follow their brothers,” according to Rita Katz of SITE, a U.S.-based organization that monitors militant groups.

“Each time a terrorist crime is committed, we are all concerned,” French President Francois Hollande said, speaking at the Louvre after he called Tunisia’s president to offer support and solidarity.

The Week

An unexploded German World War II bomb lay undisturbed underground in London for seven decades. This week, builders uncovered the bomb under a pensioners’ center, prompting the evacuation of two schools and hundreds of homes.

“Seems our OAPs [old age pensioners] are hard as nails, drinking tea on top of a 1,000lb bomb for 70 years,” Lucas Green, a councilor in the riverside London borough of Southwark, wrote on Twitter. He added that the bomb, which was 5 feet long, was buried two to three meters underground and still had its tail fin intact, and advised residents to open their windows and keep their curtains closed in case of a blast.

“It’s a World War II-era German bomb,” a spokeswoman for the Defence Ministry said, adding that bomb disposal experts were expected to continue working into Tuesday to make the area safe again. “It has certainly caused a lot of problems. It needs excavating... This is in a tricky location.”

The discovery of unexploded bombs is not uncommon in London, which was heavily bombarded by German forces between 1940 and 1941 in

South American Nazi Lair Discovered

A secret Nazi hideout has been uncovered by Argentinian archaeologists in one of the country’s remote jungles.

The country is known to have been a safe haven for Nazis after World War II. The outpost of three thick-walled lookouts discovered in the Teyu Cuare Park contained German coins dating from 1938 to 1944. There was also porcelain from the country created during the same time period.

“Apparently, halfway through World War II, the Nazis had a secret project to build shelters for top leaders in the event of defeat – inaccessible sites in the middle of deserts, in the mountains, on a cliff or in the middle of the jungle like this,” archaeologist team leader Daniel Schavelzon said.

Researchers believe the inaccessible lair, built just across the Rio Parana from Paraguay and not too much farther from the Brazilian border to the east, was just such an outpost.

They do not believe the structures were ever used by Nazis, though local legend has it that Martin Bormann, Hitler’s private secretary, built a different hideout somewhere in the Misiones region. Bormann never got the chance to use the shelter; he commit-

ted suicide as the Soviets closed in on Berlin in May 1945.

Argentina was one of several South American countries that took in Nazis fleeing prosecution in postwar Europe. Criminals like Dr. Josef Mengele and Adolf Eichmann found refuge in the country, where President Juan Domingo Peron allowed them to live with full citizenship, often under false names. Eichmann was captured in 1960 by Israel’s Mossad, the Nazi-hunting intelligence service, and hanged in Israel.

London Synagogue Harassed by Mob

Six men have been placed under arrest after a group of 20 or so tried to violently force their way into a London synagogue on Sunday. A video posted to YouTube on March 22 appears to show the incident. In it, members of the Ahavas Torah synagogue in Stamford Hill can be seen defending themselves with chairs and other objects amid loud cursing and an apparent assault by an unseen group just outside a pair of doors with broken windows.

Thankfully, only minor injuries were reported to have been sustained by those inside the shul. It is unclear what kicked off the incident, but police expressed doubt it was a planned attack. “The incident is being treated as an anti-Semitic incident, due to remarks made by one of the group,” London’s Metropolitan police said in a statement. “However, there is nothing to suggest it was a planned or targeted attack.”

“Again, Jews were murdered on European soil just because they were Jews,” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said after recent attacks on

Jews in Denmark. “This wave of attacks is expected to continue, as well as murderous anti-Semitic attacks.

Jews deserve security in every country, but we say to our Jewish brothers and sisters, Israel is your home.”

Netanyahu’s call has sparked a passionate debate about the safety of Jews in Europe amid a growing tide of anti-Semitism, as well as questions about whether officials there are doing everything they can to protect their Jewish populations.

Longtime Singapore Leader Dies Lee Kuan Yew, founder and 31year leader of modern Singapore, has died at the age of 91. Lee is heavily credited for turning the small citystate into one of the world’s richest nations. He was admired and feared worldwide.

The country’s first and longest-serving prime minister, Lee guided Singapore through a traumatic split with Malaysia in 1965 and led the transformation of what was then a sleepy port city into a global trade and finance center. Although he could have remained in office for much longer, he stepped aside and handed over leadership of the ruling party, and the country, to a younger generation in 1990. Still, he remained an influential behind-the-scenes figure for many more years until his health deteriorated.

“In the end, my greatest satisfaction in life comes from the fact that I have spent years gathering support, mustering the will to make this place meritocratic, corruption-free and equal for all races — and that it will

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Unexploded WWII Bomb Discovered in London

the campaign known as “the Blitz,” which killed tens of thousands of Londoners. The London Fire Brigade said seven unexploded bombs were discovered between 2009 and 2014, as well as five undetonated hand grenades.

“It’s an unusual atmosphere here: it’s a sunny day, and the roads are deserted. People don’t know what’s happening,” said Green. “They should just keep calm and carry on, as they would say in the Blitz.”

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On Thursday, in an audio message posted online, ISIS claimed responsibility for last Wednesday’s attack which it said targeted “crusaders and apostates” with “automatic weapons and hand grenades.” That bloodshed is “just the start,” the ISIS message warned.

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MARCH 26, 2015

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The Week endure beyond me, as it has,” Lee said in his 2013 book, One Man’s View of the World. Lee’s legacy includes an efficient government with little corruption, a successful public housing scheme, low tax rates to attract foreign investment, excellent schools, and clean and safe streets. Under his guidance, Singapore ranked consistently near the top of surveys of the most livable cities for expatriates.

Lee’s reign is hardly free of any tarnish. He faced criticism for using tough tactics to consolidate power. He jailed some political rivals without trial for decades and brought defamation lawsuits against journalists and opposition politicians, which had a chilling effect on dissent. Lee insisted that strict limits on free speech and public protest were necessary to maintain stability in a multiethnic and multi-religious country that witnessed race riots in the 1960s. That stability, he added, was needed to enable growth and raise living standards in a country with few natural resources.

One of his sons, Lee Hsien Loong, is Singapore’s current prime minister.

The government declared seven days of national mourning after his death and ordered flags to fly at half-staff on state buildings.

French Smog Prompts Car Ban

Smog is choking France.

French authorities scheduled an emergency traffic-limiting measure for Monday in Paris. The City of Light and much of northern France is suffering from a severe smog.

City Mayor Anne Hidalgo had asked authorities to prevent one in

every two cars from taking to the capital’s streets and make all public transport temporarily free in a bid to drive down pollution. “I am delighted the state has agreed to put in place a partial driving ban on Monday, which I have been requesting for several days,” she tweeted over the weekend.

On Monday, only vehicles with number plates ending in an odd number were allowed to drive. Taxis, electric cars, and ambulances were excluded from the ban. In order to offer commuters and residents another transportation option, all public transportation was completely free in Paris and its suburbs. Last year, similar emergency measures were implements on March 7 during another particularly bad smog streak.

On Saturday, air quality monitors predicted that concentrations of potentially dangerous particulates in the air could again go over the recommended maximum. In Paris, authorities measure the concentration of particulates with a diameter of less than 10 microns – so-called PM10 – in the air to determine pollution levels.

These particulates are created by vehicles, heating and heavy industry, and include the most dangerous particles that measure less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and the blood system and can cause cancer. The safe limit for PM10 is set at 80 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3).

According to a 2011 World Health Organization report, the planet’s most polluted city was Ahvaz in Iran with an average of 372 mcg/m3. Beijing had an average of 121 mcg/m3, while Paris was measured at 38 mcg/m3.

Medieval King Buried This Week Five centuries after he died in battle, tens of thousands lined the streets this week to see the coffin of England’s Richard III taken in procession to his final burial. The remains of the last English monarch to die in

In News battle were discovered buried under a municipal car park in 2012, almost 530 years after he was killed in 1485.

The medieval king was finally laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral, central England, in the presence of royalty in a service broadcast live on national television.

fittingly made the monarch’s English oak coffin. By coincidence, the remains were beneath a letter R indicating a reserved space in the parking lot.

Israel Yehuda Avner, Adviser and Ambassador, dies at 86

The Leicester county council said 35,000 people had lined the streets to watch the procession. The Bishop of Leicester, Tim Stevens, said Richard’s death marked an “extraordinary moment” in English history. “It was a change of dynasty, an end of a period of violent civil war, the beginning of the period in which Shakespeare was to write his great tragedies, including Richard III, and a different way of governing the country,” he said.

Richard, the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, ruled England from 1483 until he was killed near Leicester by soldiers loyal to Henry Tudor, later Henry VII. It was the last major conflict in the Wars of the Roses, and Richard’s defeat saw the crown pass from his House of York to the House of Tudor.

The slain 32-year-old was originally buried without fanfare at Greyfriars monastery, which was demolished in the 1530s during Tudor King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.

Richard’s remains were thought to have been lost. But members of the Richard III Society teamed up with Leicester University archaeologists to excavate the site, rightly predicting where in the old church he would have been buried.

The group found a skeleton consistent with contemporary descriptions of the king, notably his curved spine and battle injuries. Radiocarbon dating showed the man died between 1455 and 1540. Their discovery was confirmed by a DNA match with Richard’s closest living relative – Canadian carpenter Michael Ibsen, who

Read the book, The Prime Ministers, or see the film and you’ll come out experiencing the first 50 years of Israel’s history. Ambassador Yehuda Avner, author of the book, lived the first 50 years of Israel’s history and was privy to and helped influence some of Israel’s first leaders. Avner died on Tuesday in Jerusalem at the age of 86.

Interestingly, Avner only realized the remarkable view he had on Israel’s history when he penned his 2010 memoir. He was an ambassador and a close adviser to five prime ministers—and enjoyed a front-row seat and a behind-the-scenes peek into some of Israel’s most key moments.

“Only after I finished my book did I realize that I was living the first 50 years of Israeli history. I never set out to write a history. I set out to write a story to bring these people I worked for and with to life,” Avner told The Times of Israel in October 2013 upon the release of a documentary film based on his book.

“I didn’t have such clarity of mind at the time,” Avner recalled of the times when the events he recounted were actually unfolding. “It was all rather stressful and I was immersed in

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The Week In News

As the ambassador recounted in “The Prime Ministers,” he was present at and privy to some of the most decisive moments in Israeli military and diplomatic history, several of which come to life in the film version through a combination of Avner’s compelling narrative and rare archival footage unearthed by director Richard Trank.

Avner saved the confidential notes he took at all the high-level meetings he attended over the decades and made them the basis for his memoir.

He admitted that he had probably broken the law by stashing away all those notes, but figured he’d be let off the hook given the circumstances.

A Modern Orthodox Jew, Avner had immigrated to pre-state Israel in 1947 after completing high school in Manchester, England. He fought in the siege of Jerusalem in the 1948 War of Independence, and went on to help found Kibbutz Lavi, a religious kibbutz in Israel’s north, before moving temporarily back to the UK. Avner was articulate, speaking with his trademark Manchester accent despite his 68 years in Israel. Despite his way with words, he downplayed his abilities to capture an audience’s attention.

Israel Denies Spying on U.S. in Iran Talks On Tuesday morning, the Wall Street Journal published an article accusing Israel of spying on the U.S. negotiations with Iran. But immediately after that story became public, Israel emphatically denied the accusations, adding that the U.S. never came to them with any kind of claim.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon suggested that the accusation was raised because “someone is trying to stir a fight here.” “There is no way and there was no way that Israel spied on the Americans,” he said in a meeting with Likud activists. “This has been strictly forbidden by every Israeli government.”

“There is no damage to the security-intelligence relationship with the U.S.; someone is trying to stir a fight here,” the defense minister charged.

“It’s regretful that daylight is entering

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“Respite Care is Here!”

MARCH 26, 2015

Qith Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1980

“I’m actually a very soft-spoken guy,” Avner said, speaking about his appearance in the cinematic version of “The Prime Ministers.” “But I come across in the film as very passionate,” he admitted. He gave all the credit to Trank, saying it was the director’s skillful interviewing technique that prompted animated responses from him, and made him appear quite the storyteller.

Regardless of Avner’s reservations about his image as an on-screen talking head, there is no doubt that by virtue of his words, he gave voice to some of the greatest leaders of the State of Israel, and by extension to the country as a whole.

“He was a true servant of the Jewish people… In his role as adviser to the generation of legendary leaders of Israel he was never political, never took personal gain, never shied from conflict…with his bag always packed…he went,” his son-in-law wrote. “The consummate ambassador, he represented Israel during tumultuous times and was respected by friend and foe alike as he brought his skills to the corridors of power and the backrooms of deals.”

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the job I was there to do.”

His tenure included working as a secretary and speechwriter to Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir, and as an adviser to Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin and Shimon Peres. Later he represented Israel as a diplomat in New York and Washington, and eventually as Israeli ambassador to Great Britain and non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Ireland (1983-1988), and ambassador to Australia (1992-1995).

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The Week the secret channels in which we conduct this relationship.”

Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office earlier also characterized the allegations as “baseless, and meant to destabilize the strong ties and cooperation on security.”

Earlier, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman likewise denied that Israel had spied on the U.S. during the negotiations with Iran, but hinted it may have kept on eye on the Iranians instead. He added that although Israel has an interest in the outcome of the talks, Israeli intelligence services don’t spy on the U.S. “I think this report is not correct, not accurate,” he told Army Radio.

“Of course, Israel has a various security interests, and it is clear that we have good intelligence services. But we don’t spy on the United States.”

“There are enough participants involved [in the nuclear talks], such as the Iranians,” Liberman added, intimating that Jerusalem may have gleaned its information on the talks by spying on Iran or other parties to the negotiations. “We got our intelligence from other sources, not from the United States. The instruction has been clear for decades now: you don’t spy on the United States, directly or indirectly,” he asserted.

The US administration discovered the spying, according to the Wall Street Journal report, shortly after talks began between Tehran and the P5+1 powers, according to the report.

The intelligence-gathering was reportedly part of a broader Israeli effort to build a case against any emerging deal, and Jerusalem received information by listening in on the negotiations and confidential briefings, as well as speaking to informants and European diplomats, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Despite the accusations flung back and forth, it seems that the United States is unperturbed by spying. Their contention is with Israel using their intelligence to garner support with Congress. “It is one thing for the U.S. and Israel to spy on each other. It is another thing for Israel to steal U.S. secrets and play them back to U.S. legislators to undermine U.S. diplomacy,” a senior American official was quoted as saying.

Spying among friends is nothing new. The United States discovered the Israeli espionage by listening in on conversations between Israeli officials and determined that insider information could only have come from Israeli spying, the report said.

Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz also rejected the accusation of spying, claiming that was an attempt to undermine relations between the U.S. and Israel. “Israel does not spy on her allies and especially not on the United States,” Steinitz told Channel 2. “The aim of these statements is to damage the excellent cooperation that we have with the U.S., despite the differences of opinion on the Iranian matter.”

Senior Official: White House Tried to Unseat Netanyahu

On Tuesday, a senior Jerusalem official told The Times of Israel that the White House was directly involved in an attempt to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in last week’s general election. He said that “it’s no secret” that the Obama administration had attempted to influence the outcome of the election, having been partially motivated by a desire for

In News revenge over Netanyahu’s polarizing speech before Congress earlier this month, which sought to undermine the president’s key foreign policy initiative – a nuclear deal with Iran.

“The White House is driven by three main motives,” the senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “The first is revenge [over the Congress speech]. The second is frustration: It’s no secret that they were involved in an attempt to bring down the Netanyahu government – something that we have clear knowledge of – and failed. The third [motive] is the administration’s attempt to divert attention from the negotiations with Iran to the Palestinian issue.”

Netanyahu’s latest term in office has seen an unprecedented, unmasked animus seep into the relationship between the administration and his government, much of it over the emerging deal with Iran. On Monday the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had spied on the talks, an accusation firmly denied by senior Israeli ministers, and that Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman attributed to efforts to undermine ties between Jerusalem and Washington.

A series of tit-for-tat exchanges between the two allies in recent months culminated with Obama sternly rebuking Netanyahu last weekend over comments about Arabs heading out to vote that he had made in the lead-up to the vote.

Obama slammed Netanyahu’s comments as evidence of the “erosion” of Israeli democracy. The president also vowed to “reevaluate” bilateral ties between the two countries in the wake of the prime minister’s pre-vote rejection of Palestinian statehood — a stance he subsequently walked back.

Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren called Obama’s response “damaging” to bilateral ties and to Israel’s image.

The White House will attempt to “punish” Israel at the UN or the Security Council, the senior Israeli official said Tuesday, alluding to intimations

by U.S. officials to the effect that Washington could change its policy of vetoing anti-Israel measures and even pursue a unilateral Palestinian statehood initiative. Even so, the anony-

mous official said that he hopes Congress will then come to Israel’s aid.

Indeed, on Sunday, Republic Senator John McCain threatened to defund the UN should need be. “[Obama] continuously warns of a deteriorating state of chaos in the [Palestinian] territories, when he knows that the only place that truly manages to maintain stability in the Middle East right now is [Israel],” the official added.

“Netanyahu said there will no agreement [with the Palestinians] during his term in office.” A Palestinian state “won’t even happen in our generation. Everyone knows it.” He added, “They come and accuse us of torpedoing negotiations even though they know that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas himself said no [to a deal], twice — once to then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton in 2011, and once to Secretary of State John Kerry last year.”

Judge Rules Tourist Attack Anti-Semitic Four people have been charged by an Argentinian federal judge under an anti-discrimination law for a January attack on Israeli tourists. Four people were accused on March 17 in connection with the attack that he said was motivated by “hatred against a religion and against one nationality.”

Guido Otranto fined each of the four approximately $5,700 and required they report to the court monthly until their trial. The judge also imposed restraining orders to protect the hostel where the Israelis were staying when they were attacked.

Ten Israeli tourists were harmed in the January 19 attack in Lago Puelo, in the tourist region of Patagonia. The tourists were robbed and beaten in the attack and were the target of anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli slurs.

“You come here to steal our Patagonia”, the attackers reportedly shouted. They then cursed Israel and Jews in general.

The hostel where the tourists were staying has been owned by an Israeli since 2003. After the attack, it was shut down for a week. “It’s very important that our law protect minorities, Israelis or another,” the owner, Yoav Pollac, told JTA. “It’s very important

The Week

According to two main news outlets in Israel, Barack Obama’s supposed congratulatory call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was actually a bitter 30-minute conversation.

Quoting unnamed Israeli sources, they said the president made clear he didn’t believe Netanyahu was genuinely supportive of a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict, and that he indicated that the U.S. would no longer automatically support Israel at the United Nations.

The United States has actually spent the past four months considering a reevaluation of ties with Israel, including its automatic support for the Jewish state at the United Nations Security Council, according to an Israeli source. Although the White House claims the reassessment was prompted

by Netanyahu’s remarks last week in which he rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state (which he has since walked back after the elections), that is not the case, according to the officials.

Netanyahu backtracked on his no-to-Palestine remark saying he still supports a sustainable, peaceful twostate solution, but the White House

National Obama Learns About Science from 6-YearOlds The White House was filled with budding scientists on Monday. The 2015 White House Science Fair included exhibits showcasing a spinal implant, an automated page turner and a more efficient way to make energy from algae. These projects—and more—thoroughly engaged President Obama who had a chance to speak with the presenters on Monday.

“I want to thank you for inspiring me,” Obama said. “Keep exploring. Keep dreaming. Keep asking why. Don’t settle for what you already know. Never stop believing in the power of your ideas, your imagination, your hard work to change the world. ”

The president gave special notice to a group of 6-year-old Girl Scouts from Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest scientists of the day, who built a page-turning device out of Legos to help individuals who are paralyzed or have arthritis. He said the “Supergirls” stressed to him that the device is just a prototype.

About 20 young scientists were honored, including Sophia Sánchez-Maes of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a high school senior who has studied algae as a potential fuel source, and Harry Paul of Port Washington, New York, who is now in his first year at Tufts and designed a new type of spi-

nal implant after undergoing multiple surgeries for his own spine curvature.

Noting the diversity of those who presented their projects, Obama said, “We get the most out of all our nation’s talent – and that means reaching out to boys and girls, men and women of all races and all backgrounds.” He continued, “Science is for all of us. And we want our classrooms and labs and workplaces and media to reflect that.”

Family Rescued after Losing their Way on Mt.

This weekend, forest rangers were able to rescue a mother and two sons after the family got lost hiking in the Adirondacks. They were on their way down after reaching the summit of Mt. Marcy, the highest mountain in New York State.

Ning Cai, 39, and her two sons, 7 and 11, reached the summit of Mt. Marcy and began trekking down late Saturday afternoon when they lost their way. Cai then called 911 to ask for help and rangers worked all night in extreme cold and high winds to locate the family. Finally, a state police helicopter spotted the threesome near the summit around 11am on Sunday.

Forest rangers were hoisted down to rescue the mother and her boys. They were then transported to the hospital and are said to be in fair condition.

“We are all grateful that the family is now safe, thanks to the exceptional work of the Forest Rangers and State Police,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “Time and time again, DEC

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Bam Butts Heads with Bibi

swiftly dismissed his new, more moderate comments. When asked why the White House was not taking Netanyahu at his word, White House spokesman Josh Earnest retorted, “Well, I guess the question is: Which one?”

Earnest said the Obama administration did take Netanyahu at his word — and understood that the prime minister does not envision a Palestinian state being established during his term in office.

“The divergent comments of the prime minister legitimately call into question his commitment to this policy principle and his lack of commitment to what has been the foundation of our policy-making in the region,” Earnest said. When he was asked whether Obama got a better understanding of Netanyahu’s position on a Palestinian state after talking with him, Earnest also said “that was not the result of the call.”

Obama’s criticism was clearly evident during the Obama-Netanyahu conversation. The American president told Netanyahu the U.S. was reconsidering its policies because Netanyahu had changed his position on Palestinian statehood. The prime minister retorted that he hadn’t changed his position—he’s still supporting a two state solution—but that the Middle East realities had changed in recent years.

Obama responded that his clarification was insufficient, according to reports.

Netanyahu’s Likud party swept the national elections last week, taking nearly 25% of the vote, winning 30 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The landslide victory places Netanyahu in a secure position to form a governing coalition.

Ties between Netanyahu and Obama reached historic lows earlier this month with the Israeli prime minister’s speech before a joint session of Congress in Washington in which he criticized a developing nuclear deal with Iran. The address was coordinated over the head of the White House, based on an invitation from Speaker of the House John Boehner.

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that the judiciary acted proper and quickly.”

Last month, anti-Israel posters appeared in the Argentine tourist town of Bariloche, located in the foothills of the Andes, which is popular with Israeli backpackers. The posters, which read “Boycott Against Israeli Military Tourism,” were signed by the Palestine Solidarity Committee in Patagonia.

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The Week Forest Rangers, DEC Environmental Conservation Police and the New York State Police selflessly heed the call to help others in the most dire of situations to ensure the safety of the residents and visitors of New York State. I congratulate them all on a job well done.”

Ammunition Missing from U.S. Embassy in Yemen

After unrest in Yemen, the U.S. announced that for safety concerns the embassy in Sanaa will close. Now, according to the Washington Post, Pentagon officials are admitting that they’ve lost track of $500 million in military equipment, including helicopters, Humvees and ammunition that it donated to the country. U.S. officials told the newspaper that they fear the “small arms, ammunition, night-vision goggles, patrol boats, vehicles and other supplies” may have slipped into the hands of Iranianbacked rebels or al-Qaeda.

During the evacuation of the Sanaa embassy, U.S. Marines were instructed to destroy their weapons and depart the country unarmed — a move that sparked backlash among some who argued that service members are rightfully taught never to leave their weapons behind.

On Tuesday, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford testi-

fied on Capitol Hill, saying the decision was backed by the U.S. Central Command as well the Department of Defense in Washington.

Minnesota Republican Rep. John Kline fired back: “It is an intolerable position for people in uniform to be in a very dangerous situation and have to trust those who put us in that situation while we turn over all weapons.”

Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported that Houthi rebels seized “more than 25 official U.S. vehicles in the wake of the hasty departure of embassy staff.” “We have to assume it’s completely compromised and gone,” an unnamed legislative aide on Capitol Hill told The Washington Post.

In January, Yemen’s government and its U.S.-backed president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, were toppled by the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels who seized control of northern Yemeni military bases. In February, a military base in southern Yemen was overrun by militants linked to al-Qaeda.

“Yemen is collapsing before our eyes,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned during a February briefing. “We cannot stand by and watch.”

Among the missing items are 1,250,000 rounds of ammunition, 200 Glock 9mm pistols, 200 M-4 rifles, 4 Huey II helicopters, 160 Humvees and 300 sets of night-vision goggles.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on the record about the newspaper’s report. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the United States stopped shipments of $125 million in military hardware — “including unarmed ScanEagle drones, other types of aircraft and jeeps” — scheduled for delivery to Yemen this year.

Texas License Plate Ban Sparks 1st Amendment Debate Texas is unique in that it still commemorates the Confederacy in many

In News ways. Each year in January Texans celebrate Confederate Heroes Day and the state capital, Austin, boasts monuments of those heroes. Among the memorials is one that has stood for more than a century, bearing an image of the Confederate battle flag etched in marble. However, that same image is considered offensive if embellishing your license plate in the Lone Star State.

The Supreme Court will decide whether the state can legally refuse to issue a license plate featuring the battle flag without violating the free speech rights. The justices began hearing arguments on Monday in a challenge brought by the Texas division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group sued over the state’s decision not to authorize its proposed license plate with its logo bearing the battle flag, similar to plates issued by eight other states that were members of the Confederacy and Maryland. The First Amendment dispute has brought together some unlikely allies, including the American Civil Liberties Union, anti-abortion groups, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, civil libertarian Nat Hentoff and conservative satirist P.J. O’Rourke.

“In a free society, offensive speech should not just be tolerated; its regular presence should be celebrated as a symbol of democratic health — however odorous the products of a democracy may be,” Hentoff, O’Rourke and others said in a brief backing the group.

Specialty plates generate revenue for states, and Texas offers more than 350 varieties that raked in $17.6 million last year, according to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Some variations read, “Choose Life,” “G-d Bless Texas” and “Fight Terrorism,” as well as others in support of Dr.

Pepper, burrito and burger chains, Boy Scouts, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, blood donations, professional sports teams and colleges. However, a template with the Sons of Confederate Veterans was rejected since some view the flag as a racially charged symbol of repression. Nearly 877,000 vehicles among more than 19 million cars, pickup trucks and motorcycles registered in Texas carry a specialty plate, the department said.

A decision in Walker v. Sons of Confederate Veterans, 14-144, is expected by late June.

Cruz First to Announce Bid for Presidency Senator Ted Cruz of Texas officially announced his candidacy for president this week. He made his statement in a speech on Monday morning at a landmark of the American evangelical movement, Liberty University.

“Today, I am announcing that I am running for president of the United States,” Cruz said, about 20 minutes into a speech to students there. “Ted! Ted!” students yelled. Experts believe that Cruz strategically chose a college in an attempt to win the votes of young people. The crowd responded well to his big announcement, they were “woo-hooing” when Cruz mentioned their home states like Texas, California, Delaware, and Virginia, “It is the time for truth. It is the time for liberty. It is the time to reclaim the

The Week

In a final ruling of the case, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a federal judge, has instructed the United States to release photos showing the abuse of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan. The government has fought the release of the photos for close to a decade; they still have two months before the images, that are believed to be disturbing, are officially released. An appeal is expected.

The American Civil Liberties Union has been seeking to make the photos, including images from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, public in the name of holding government accountable. “The photos are

That’s Odd Around the World with 38 “I Do’s” Be happy that Cheetah Platt and Rhian Woodyard didn’t invite you to their wedding. That’s because you wouldn’t just need to get a babysitter for one night to attend their nuptials.

You’d need someone to watch your kids 38 times—and quite a few plane tickets—to see this excited couple tie the knot.

The Los Angeles-based couple are so happy to be getting married that they want the world to know. They plan on holding 38 unique wedding ceremonies in 11 countries—all in just 83 days. They are both trained acrobats, so you can imagine the crazy photos they’ll be taking!

“We live in California, which is a very expensive state,” Platt told The Huffington Post. “And weddings? Oh, they’re a lot of money. We didn’t want to spend a lot of money for a single day.”

So how are they going to get married so many times and do it without breaking the bank? Well, they’ll just have everyone else pay for their marriage. Simple, right?

“I really want people to know that this wedding, three months around the world with unbelievable adventures... is cheaper than throwing a good – not even a ‘great,’ not even an ‘epic’ – just a good wedding in California for one day,” Platt explained. Want to donate

to the cause? They have set up a donation page and are now just shy of a little over $1,000 from their original budget of $6,000.

“We’re lucky to already have a home full of everything we need, so please enjoy browsing our ‘alternative’ registry. Here you can contribute to our dream wedding AROUND THE WORLD and check out some of our crazy adventures!!” Platt and Woodyard write on Honeyfund.

The two professionally trained acrobats plan to “teach, train and perform” their skills all over the world as a way to share their passion and talents with others.

Prior to their multi-continent wedding, Woodyard had never been out of the country. “I have been to three states,” the bride admitted. “I have never traveled before at all, so something else that inspired this wedding was the fact that Cheetah could give me this amazing experience at the same time, and we could learn about each other.”

Now the new couple is in middle of their ceremony road trip that started on February 8. They’ve been married in front of the pyramids in Giza, the Ajanta Caves in Thana, India, a Masai village in Nairobi, Kenya, and a castle in Dublin, Ireland—along with many other global sites.

When they come back to Los Angeles on May 2, they plan on tying the knot in front of their family and friends.

Want to chip in for a new set of luggage for the new couple?

Going the Extra Mile He was a G-d-given gift, according to Asia Ford.

Ms. Ford, 35, lost 217 pounds in just two years after turning her life around in an effort to become healthier. The Louisville mother of three was running her second 10K over the weekend when she started experiencing problems.

Around mile four, she became “dizzy and sick” and told her son to call 911. EMS came, but she insisted

MARCH 26, 2015

U.S. Ordered to Release Photos of Detainee Abuse

crucial to the public record,” said Jameel Jaffer, ACLU deputy legal director. “They’re the best evidence of what took place in the military’s detention centers.”

The exact number of pictures is unknown but the government has said it has 29 relevant pictures from at least seven different sites in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it’s believed to have perhaps hundreds or thousands more, Hellerstein said in a ruling in August.

He said some photos he had seen “are relatively innocuous while others need more serious consideration,” and he has ruled that any images that would be released would be redacted to protect the identities of people in them.

The government feels strongly that releasing the photographs could potentially provoke attacks against U.S. forces and government personnel abroad—a risk believed to still be relevant even though there is little U.S. military role in Iraq and Afghanistan now.

Indeed, “the danger associated with release of these photographs is heightened now,” amid the rise of the Islamic State militant group, Navy Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris, the vice director for operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a December court filing. Islamic State, he said, “would use these photographs to further encourage its supporters and followers to attack U.S. military and government personnel.”

But the ACLU seems determined to make these photos public despite the risk to Americans’ lives. The group insists that not releasing the photographs gives the government a sort of censorial power. “To allow the government to suppress any image that might provoke someone, somewhere, to violence would be to give the government sweeping power to suppress evidence of its own agents’ misconduct,” Jaffer said.

During the lawsuit, Congress passed a 2009 law allowing the government to keep the photos secret if the secretary of defense certified that unveiling them would endanger U.S. citizens or government or military personnel.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Constitution of the United States,” the presidential hopeful announced.

Cruz, who has been in the Senate since 2013, is the first major presidential contender to formally declare himself a 2016 candidate.

The crowd booed when Cruz mentioned President Obama’s healthcare law, which celebrated its fifth anniversary that same day. Cruz spoke to the students urging them to “imagine” a world with no Obamacare and no Common Core education curriculum.

“Instead of a federal government that works to undermine our values, imagine a federal government that works to defend the sanctity of human life and to uphold the sacrament of marriage,” he said.

Analysts believe that Cruz’s strategy is to announce early so that he can monopolize the attention of Tea Party-aligned voters and big donors. This move automatically kicks the 2016 presidential election into full swing.

Cruz lives in Houston with his wife and two young daughters. His wife, Heidi, is a managing director at Goldman Sachs and will take a leave of absence to campaign with her husband.

In News

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

28

The Week

on going the distance.

“During mile five, I started crying because I knew my body was experiencing a shutdown,” she said. “I had one mile in front of me and said to my son, ‘It’s time to quit.’ I asked, ‘G-d, please let me take a few more steps.’

Right when I said that, G-d brought this man.”

The gift was Louisville Metropolitan Police Lt. Aubrey Gregory. He helped Ford reach a personal record of two hours and seven minutes, which is three minutes shorter than her time last year.

“He said, ‘I want you to look straight ahead of you. We have nothing but a mile ahead of you,’” Ford recalled.

Together, they both finished the race. A photo of the kind policeman helping the woman went viral—people loving the kindness that was shown.

“I just thank everyone for being so sweet and the kind words,” Ford said.

“It’s really been a blessing. My coach says, ‘Believe in yourself. You’re worth it.” Not only do I feed off G-d and my kids. I feed off of those words, because I know I’m worth it. So I pass on those words to everybody else.”

You know what they say about Fords—they’re built tough. Perhaps Ms. Ford is just as strong.

Catch that Cat

When a Florida woman looked under her bed for her lost cat, she found it—I mean him.

The 61-year-old reached under the

bed and “felt she had touched human skin.” It was then that the 25-year-old cat burglar bolted from the home. Police found him nearby and arrested the thief.

Well, folks, look what the cat dragged in. Meow.

Cycling up a Skyscraper

In News

ed Herba, who has climbed some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers.

Stress isn’t new to Herba. He’s a high school PE teacher and had prepared for the challenge for over six months by riding his bike repeatedly up a 17-story building in Rzeszow city in southeastern Poland.

On Sunday, he climbed 60 floors, then went down in an elevator to the ground floor before pedaling up to the 91st to reach his target of 3,100 steps – something he said was permitted under Guinness regulations.

IKE Andrews, the Great Artist

Like biking? I do too—especially on a beautiful spring day down a smooth, clear road.

Polish cyclist Krystian Herba likes things a little bumpier. The Guinness World Record holder cycled up 3,139 steps in the Taipei 101 tower, formerly the tallest building on the planet with a height of 500 meters, in an astonishing feat of endurance on Sunday. He pedaled up the Taiwan landmark in two hours and 13 minutes, aiming to smash his own record for scaling the most number of steps on a bike—and he did it. The 33-year-old bested his climb of 2,919 stairs in Melbourne in February.

“This was absolutely the most difficult challenge ever in my life, but definitely this is my biggest success,” he told reporters afterwards.

“The first 50 floors I did not feel strong enough, I felt stressed a little bit. But after that, I felt stronger,” add-

Need some art for your living room? Time to head to IKEA. Yes, I know, IKEA art is generally reserved for college dorms (at best) but some art experts have recently given the prints a thumbs-up.

Last week, footage on YouTube showed members of the Dutch “lifehunterstv” group placing an IKEA print in the Arnhem’s Museum for Modern Art. They claimed it was by the famous Swedish artist “IKE Andrews.” Presenter Boris Lange then asked 20 visitors how much they thought the work, which is available to buy from most of the company’s stores, was worth.

Seems like these people were fooled. Some believed it could fetch $1,000—one person even suggested it would sell for a whopping $2.6 mil-

lion at auction.

The piece itself was praised, called “modern” and “shocking.” One hailed its “constructiveness of things on top of each other, inside each other.” Another said that one can “clearly see that it concerns a form of symbolism.”

After they gave their views, the art fans were told the truth—that the print is worth just $10 and can be found at IKEA. Some laughed; others, devoid of a sense of humor, walked away in silence, furious with the hoax.

I wonder if they still have that print at the store…my walls seem pretty bare.

Hair we Go! Ikram Salhi uses her head. In fact, she is now the world’s “most talented” person after pulling a car weighing 1 ½ tons—with just her hair.

Representing her home country of Morocco for a new reality TV program, Ikram Salhi showcased her special talent when she dragged a Mercedes-Benz across 32 feet of flat road. She accomplished the amazing feat with the strength of her body after ropes were attached to her ponytail and the front end of the car.

Amazingly, in the video showcasing her prowess, Ikram assumes a crouching position and takes small steps as the crowd cheers. As the car starts to inch forward, Ikram stretches out her arms in front of her and picks up speed. Despite her slight build, the young girl increases her pace and surges forward with the car following obediently behind for 32 feet.

After the jaw dropping feat, Ikram related, “I don’t feel anything when pulling the car. It doesn’t hurt…I’m proud to honor the Moroccan women in my country, and I hope to be the strongest woman in Morocco.”

Ikram has been performing stunts of this caliber since the age of nine and says that the heaviest item she has ever pulled was a 4x4 Range Rover.

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Rabbi YY Rubenstein

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London, he lost four children in a fire. A year later he and his wife had a little girl. She passed away a few months later in her sleep.

Reb Binyomin said at the time, “I felt that Hashem was trying for some reason to push me away from Him and I kept telling him that He would not succeed.”

In my “Little Book,” I write about how you need to find someone with an “equivalence of suffering” when you are in pain. You need to feel that the person you are shedding tears with has shed those same tears too. You need to know they understand what you are going through.

But unless you have a heart of stone, unless you don’t have a Jewish heart at all... this awful event has touched all of us. It has certainly touched those of us in Flatbush, then larger Brooklyn, and the rest of the Jews of New York.

After that it has broken the hearts of all of klal Yisroel.

As I told that first lady who called, something that touches the hearts of the entire Jewish people was meant to affect the entire Jewish people.

Of course she then asked me what the affect was meant to be.

I have been given insight into this question from my teachers.

There was a time when we possessed Prophets who knew precisely what was the message of such catastrophes. They could instruct the Jewish people on how to react and what to improve.

We no longer have Prophets.

That vacuum is at least partially filled by the Greats of each generation. The burden of guiding klal Yisroel in good times or bad falls on their shoulders.

From Jews like me, for whom thinking about what the rest of the Sassoon family members are going through is too upsetting to contemplate, the reaction is meant to be different.

My first reaction has to be, what can I do to change myself? How can I improve? Then my wife and I should ask that question of each other. Lastly we should ask our children too.

What as a family could we do better...how could we be better?

What Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York and

But unless you have a heart of stone, unless you don't have a

Jewish heart at all...this tragedy has affected you as it has me. v’ra lo. Why did He let this terrible thing happen to the Sassoon family?

I wrote a book called, “The Little Book for Big Worries...dealing with serious illness.” I felt qualified to write that book. My first wife died of cancer after five years of illness. I have never (thank G-d) dealt with pain like this. I was simply not qualified to offer words of explanation or comfort to the lady who called or anyone else. But I do know of someone who is.

Rabbi Binyomin Moskovits shlita is the Rosh Yeshiva of Midrash Shmuel in Yerushalayim. While he and his wife were living in

MARCH 26, 2015

n Sunday I flew back from London. I had been speaking there for a week. I live in Flatbush and coming home after a busy schedule is always a nice feeling. It wasn’t this time.

I knew if my plane arrived on time, I would have to go to the levaya of seven sweet children.

Picturing that banished any nice feelings about returning to New York and I don’t even know the family. Thinking about what the surviving family members were going through was too upsetting to contemplate for even a moment.

My plane landed in Newark and of course that meant Staten Island’s traffic jams. I didn’t in the end get to Boro Park for the funeral.

It only took a few minutes after I set down my case for the first phone call from someone who was there. It was a lady who had stood in that large crowd of stunned, shocked and heartbroken Jews.

She wanted the answer to a question the Jewish people have been asking since Egypt.

Jewish children were forced into walls to punish parents who had failed to meet the production targets demanded of them. Moshe witnessed this and asked, “Why does HsShem let terrible things happen to wonderful people?” Tzaddik

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

If You have a Jewish Heart

29

the rest of klal Yisroel should do and how they should react lies with the Greats. Rashi says so in Matos, “The responsibility for the actions of klal Yisroel lies in the hands of the Greats who can make them change.”

The lady at the end of the phone call had one more question, “What about the poor parents?”

That is something that will be best answered by someone like Reb Binyomin Moskovits; someone who has an equivalence of suffering.

And yet, the question that haunted Moshe Rabbeinu still haunts us... Why do tzaddikim suffer?

A tzaddik sometimes suffers because he is a tzaddik. He goes through things we cannot imagine or will not allow ourselves to imagine, and then says things like, “I felt that Hashem was trying to push me away. I kept telling Him He would not succeed.”

I have not the slightest doubt that this tragedy has happened to tzaddikim. I don’t know why, I am not a Prophet. I am certainly not one of the Greats of the generation. I am happy to leave how Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York and klal Yisroel should react to them.

But unless you have a heart of stone, unless you don’t have a Jewish heart at all...this tragedy has affected you as it has me. This shocking, distressing and heartbreaking event has touched all of us.

I want this family of tzaddikim to know, I am determined to work on myself and become a better Jew because of their tragedy. If you have a Jewish heart, you will too.

Gila bas Frances Tzipporah and Tzipporah bas Gila should have a refuah sheleima. 

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

30

Parenting Pearls

77 Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW

Choices & Control My four year old is so strongminded. I cannot believe the power struggles I get into with this little girl almost every night. I can’t seem to figure out how to get her to comply without there being an explosive interaction. The strangest part is that she is a good listener and behaves well in school and outside home.

doing his grammar homework or math homework first, which chores she wants to do, and if bedtime should be when we ideally want it to be or a half

Granting a child a little control can often go a long way. creased control with time and they resent when control is cut back.

Many of us as parents grant our children almost unlimited freedom in their toddler years. Then, as our chil-

dren reach adolescence we try to pull back on the reins, as the infamous teenage battles ensue.

On the other hand, parents who grant their children increasing control as they mature find that their children are more satisfied and don’t struggle as much to “assert their turf” as they reach adolescence.

We need not give control over major issues. Every child on his/her age and level can be allowed to make small choices when appropriate. Our goal is to give away any control we don’t need. Doing so demonstrates that we trust the child’s judgment and that we are giving him/her the right to make their own decisions.

A young child can be allowed to decide things like whether he wants to wear gloves or mittens, drink water or juice, eat a vegetable or fruit, or go to sleep now or in five minutes.

An older child can decide about

hour earlier.

We never give choices about things that matter to us. For example, we don’t ask a child if he wants milk or soda. The choices are always about

things that don’t matter to us, but will empower the child who is able to make the decision.

The following five suggestions are helpful guidelines to bear in mind

when giving children choices: 1. Select choices that you are happy with 2. Allow the child to live with the decisions he/she makes 3. Never give choices when a child is in potential danger 4. Only give choices when you are willing to make a choice if the child does not choose within five seconds 5. Offer choices in a calm, nonobtrusive manner The greatest benefit of giving children choices rather than issuing commands is that it sends a message of mutual respect and communication. When children refuse to listen it may very well be their feeble attempt to exercise some level of control because they feel they have none. Granting a child a little control can often go a long way.

We want children to have lots of opportunities to make good choices when they are young, and the “price tag” for making bad decisions is relatively small. As we all know, as children grow the price tag associated with their choices grows exponentially.

Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, is the Rabbi of Kehillat New Hempstead. He is also fifth grade Rebbe and Guidance Counselor in ASHAR in Monsey, and Principal of Mesivta Ohr Naftoli of New Windsor, NY. Rabbi Staum offers parenting classes based on the acclaimed Love & Logic Program. He can be reached at stamtorah@gmail.com.

His website is www.stamtorah.info.

Voice Lessons

with Cantor Allan Berman

All Baalei Tefiloh, Singers, Teachers, Rebbeim...

Trouble with high notes? Hoarse?

Graphics by Leah Mostofsky

Rabbi Staum Responds: A great approach to dealing with children generally, especially with more challenging children, is to give as many choices as possible about issues we don’t care much about. Consider the following true anecdote: The entire kindergarten class was sitting around the table ready for lunch. All except for Dovid who was being his usual obstinate self. When the morah asked Dovid to join them at the table he responded with an emphatic and defiant “No” and continued playing by himself. The morah was exasperated with Dovid and she felt herself becoming increasingly angry. Just before she angrily demanded, “You get over here this minute…” she stopped herself. She knew that Dovid had plenty of negative interactions at home and she didn’t want to add insult to injury.

She took a deep breath. “Dovid,” she repeated sweetly, “which chair would you like to sit on, the blue one or the red one?” Dovid immediately got up and selected the red chair right next to her.

The morah explained, “I thought about what happened and I decided to try the same approach again later. Instead of ordering him to drink his milk, I asked Dovid if he wanted regular milk or chocolate milk. Since the chocolate milk was diluted with milk anyway it didn’t make much of a difference, but he had the choice.

“To say that giving choices transformed Dovid into a model child would be inaccurate. However, when I do give him a choice, whether it’s picking which book to read or which toy to play with, his reaction is far more docile and compliant.”

How much control should we give children? Psychologist Sylvia Rimm, PhD. notes that people naturally compare the amount of control they have

in a relationship with the amount of control that they used to have, not the amount of control that they feel they should have. People seek to garner in-

Learn to speak, sing , and daven correctly and with the correct Nusach and melodies!

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MARCH 26, 2015

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Indoor Family Fun!

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Directions From Baltimore & Owings Mills:

From Route 795, take Route 140 West toward Westminster (Exit 9B). Proceed approximately 10 miles and turn left at Route 97 South. Go to 2nd stop light and turn left onto Old Westminster Pike. Proceed approximately 150 yards and turn right at Players sign. Players will be at the end of the driveway.

For more information call 410-484-6600 ext. 314

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communitywide

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NOBODY SELLS MORE REAL ESTATE THAN RE/MAX.ÂŽ

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Newly renovated 4BR/3BA Cape Cod. Huge great room w/ porcelain tile flooring.

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Beautiful newly renovated 5BR/3BA detached home. Glemaing hardwood floors on main level. Gourmet kitchen with granite counters & stainless appliances. Upper level has a large master bedroom & master bath with whirlpool tub & separate area with 2 sinks. There is also a large bonus room on the upper level. Finished lower level with family room, 2 bedrooms & full bath.

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Move right into this beautiful 3BR/2.5BA townhome. Sunken living room with fireplace & sliders leading to fenced in patio area. Separate dining room. Modern kitchen with sliders leading to private patio. Master bedroom suite with walk-in closet & master bath with steam shower.

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3BR/1FB/2HB brick semi-detached home. Living room & dining room have hardwood floors. First floor powder room.

New carpeting in the bedrooms. Finished lower level has a family room, powder room & large laundry / utility room.

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Large 2BR/2BA + den unit. Spacious living room. Separate dining room with built-ins & sliders leading to the balcony.

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410.581.1000 1517 Reisterstown Road, Corner of Old Court Road • Baltimore, MD 21208

MARCH 26, 2015

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Barry Nabozny Broker/Realtor 410-977-7600

Pre-Pes ach To-D o List  Clean y our house a nd car

 Buy you r Matzos a nd Passove r foods  Sell you r Chometz  Prepare for Bedikas Chometz  Set up f or the Sede r

 Share yo ur goo

Passover Grocery Bag

o $25

Individual Seder Meal

Name ___________________________________________________________________________

o $36

Chol Hamoed Family Meal

Address/City/State/Zip _____________________________________________________________

o $100 Yom Tov Family Meal

Phone ___________________________________________________________________________

Mail to: Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund • 2723Woodcourt Road • Baltimore, MD 21209

o $250 Family Seder Sponsor o $500 Passover Family Sponsor

Rabbi boRuch bRull • 410-358-7975 • Brull@juno.com MRs. aviva isbee • 410-764-6020 • Isbee2@juno.com MR. eli W. schlossbeRg • 410-358-4464 • eli@ahavasyisrael.org

Donate Online: www.AhavasYisrael.org

Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund is a 501c3 yearly audited charity, based in Baltimore, benefitting the needy of the Greater Baltimore area Jewish Community

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I would like to donate $_______ toward the Passover Food Drive for the needy of our Baltimore Community.

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fortune wit h those in need by contributin g Maos Ch it tim to Ahavas Yisrael!

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MARCH 26, 2015

34

35

TRUSTEES

Rabbi boRuch bRull, ExEc. DiR. MRs. aviva isbEE 410-358-7975 410-764-6020 Brull@juno.com Isbee2@juno.com

MR. Eli W. schlossbERg 410-358-4464 eli@ahavasyisrael.org

__I would like to help the needy of our community with a financial contribution: $______ Name __________________________________________________________________________ Address/City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________

Phone ___________________________________________________________________

Donations may be sent to: Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund • 2723Woodcourt Road • Baltimore, MD 21209

Find Out More About Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund and Donate Online:

www.AhavasYisrael.org • eli@ahavasyisrael.org Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund is a 501c3 yearly audited charity, based in Baltimore, benefitting the needy of the Greater Baltimore area Jewish Community

Donate today online at: www.ahavasyisrael.org

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With your help and support, we will continue to help the less fortunate of our community.

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As you enjoy Pesach with family and friends, please think about those who can’t afford to, and give generously to Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund.

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In 2014, Ahavas Yisrael distributed over $2.3 million in food and basic needs to poor and needy right here in your community.

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For over 36 years, Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund, located right here in Baltimore, has very discreetly helped poor and needy persons and families. Our low profile helps ensure

With the exception of our dedicated Executive Director, Ahavas Yisrael is run entirely by hard working, devoted volunteers. Due to our very low overhead (food warehousing, postage, computers, printing, bank fees, audit expense), 92% goes directly to the poor.

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Due to unemployment, sickness or other adversities, some of our neighbors are impoverished. The needs of our community continue to increase, yet many suffer quietly, and no one is even aware of their great distress.

the dignity of our clients, leading Channel 45, The Owings Mills Times and the Baltimore Jewish Times have referred to us simply as the “stealth charity”.

MARCH 26, 2015

The face of need in Baltimore’s Jewish community can be surprising. It can look like your friend, your business associate, your brother or sister. And while we celebrate a holiday known for freedom, we must remember that there are those in our greater family whose lives feel dark indeed.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

wine? maror? matzah?

NONE OF THE ABOVE.

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

Cover Story

Sarah was a 14 year old heart transplant patient from Chicago.

When her doctors told her that the specialist she needed was in Baltimore’s famous Johns Hopkins Hospital, she was nervous at the prospect of spending so much time in a strange city during her difficult illness. Upon making a few inquiries, however, her worry dissipated. Renowned for its

not even close to the end of it. Upon her arrival to the hospital, the kindhearted volunteer directed her to the gorgeous, fully stocked Bikur Cholim hospitality room where plush couches and games sat side by side with fully stocked shelves of seforim and a kitchen with everything they could possibly want for their week-long hospital stay.

The Baltimore community enjoys

Rebbetzin Chana Weinberg a”h, wife of the late esteemed rosh yeshiva of Ner Yisroel, for support and guidance.

After garnering support from women in the community, the rebbetzin agreed wholeheartedly to take on the project, and Bikur Cholim of Baltimore was born.

The organization started modestly; the early years were devoted to

that it needed to expand in order to meet the growing needs of our burgeoning community. They realized that they required a fresh perspective on the needs that they sought to meet if they were going to continue to grow together with Baltimore. While building on the foundations created by Rebbetzin Weinberg, the next logical step at that time was to bring some new,

embracing kindness, Baltimore’s sterling reputation put her at ease.

And indeed she was not let down.

From the moment she contacted Bikur Cholim of Baltimore, she felt as if her case was top priority. The representatives understood her, and they assuaged her every fear about treatment out of town. Their expert grasp of the difficulties endured by a dislocated medical patient fortified her conviction that she had made the right choice by choosing Baltimore for her treatment. Meals were arranged, keys to the apartment were handed over, and transportation was provided. “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed when she saw the apartment, “This place is beautiful!” Tastefully decorated with every detail in mind, the volunteers behind setting up the apartment had clearly thought of everything. And that was

a worldwide reputation as a city of unparalleled chessed- and rightfully so. Who hasn’t heard of the unity and kindness displayed by our shuls and unique chessed organizations? Diverse in their purposes and the needs they fill, the many institutions dotting the map here in our community are quite impressive. Bikur Cholim of Baltimore is one of the community’s trailblazers, paving the way for tremendous works of chessed and filling a vital need.

In 1985, two forward-thinking women, Dr. Bertha Nelkin and Mrs. Gitty Katz, had a vision. They saw a hole to be filled with an organization to take on the needs of the community’s sick and care for them while they were hospitalized or homebound. Not satisfied to relegate this dream to the back of their mind, they approached

providing meals for hospital-bound patients and their families, one-on-one visitation to hospitals and homebound patients, and providing transportation to and from hospitals and medical appointments. The community was much smaller back then, and the needs of Baltimore’s sick were addressed more and more as the community grew. As the community expanded and other needs of the sick were recognized, the organization slowly grew as well. A ladies’ tehillim group was implemented to daven for local individuals in need of a refuah shelaimah. Medical equipment was obtained and a gemach was started, with the purpose of lending hard-to-find items for home care, and the organization acquired an apartment for out of town medical patients and their families.

In 2009, Bikur Cholim recognized

younger blood into the organization.

That was accomplished by creating Bikur Cholim’s board of directors.

The board determined that to expand properly, some larger steps were needed. First off was the acquisition of a second apartment in the Canterbury House on Park Heights Avenue. Together with the newly upgraded, original Bikur Cholim apartment, it would serve the needs of patients who travelled to Baltimore for treatment. Fully furnished and stocked, the apartments welcome patients of all types for stays of a few days up to a few months. “Bikur Cholim recognizes the challenges presented to a patient in an unfamiliar environment, and we strive to accommodate them and make them feel at home as much as possible,” says Mr. Aron Katz, president of the organization.

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Cover Story

Another step recently taken by the board was the hiring of Bikur Cholim’s first Coordinator of Family Services, Mrs. Bonnie Pollak. Mrs. Pollak oversees the organizations

The real question is: What is not available in the Bikur Cholim room? tionship, the pantries contain food and supplies necessary for the duration of a patient or Hatzalah member’s stay in the emergency room.

One frum therapist based in Sinai commented how awed she was at the thoughtfulness that goes into these rooms. “They thought of everything!” she gushed. “The real question is: What is not available in the Bikur Cholim room? Even the nurses and therapists use the room as a quite place to learn and daven while in the hospital. I’ve been at Sinai for over ten months, and I still cannot get over how awesome this room is.”

350 volunteers and is the first stop for anyone seeking the organization’s services. Such a large operation is the result of hundreds of hours of volunteer work, and Mrs. Pollak works tirelessly to maximize the volunteers’ efforts and streamline the procedures to ensure that every patient is cared for properly and efficiently.

Five transportation coordinators, all volunteers, rotate weekly to arrange the 30 to 40 weekly rides that Bikur Cholim volunteers provide to individuals who are not able to drive to their appointments. The transport team is headed by Mrs. Esti

MARCH 26, 2015

In addition, Sinai Hospital boasts two additional Bikur Cholim pantries in the emergency room. Accessible to Hatzalah volunteers, with whom Bikur Cholim enjoys a fantastic rela-

Hirschman, a longtime Bikur Cholim volunteer. Volunteer drivers selflessly give of their time to be available on the patients’ schedules, enabling them to receive the care they need.

Rides are even arranged for crucial appointments on shabbos and yom tov with non-Jewish drivers. On a recent three day yom tov, Bikur Cholim was proud to arrange transportation for six different chemotherapy and dialysis appointments. Many people do not realize how much time and effort goes into the coordination of Bikur Cholim’s rides. The coordinators give up huge portions of their weekends to expertly arrange the many facets of the seamless operation, and the drivers make themselves available at various hours of the day to meet the needs of the many recipients of this service.

Another vital service offered by Bikur Cholim, is that of kosher meal delivery for hospitals. Not all medical facilities provide quality kosher meals for their patients, and even those that do provide them do not include the patients’ families. It is a tremendous difficulty for the family members to procure kosher food while at the same time making themselves available to properly care for a sick loved one.

Bikur Cholim has over 100 volunteer cooks and 35 volunteers for delivery, all who happily make it their business to provide nutritious, hearty meals for the patients’ families every day throughout their entire hospital stay.

They offer home delivery as well for those recuperating or being cared for outside the confines of a hospital. For shabbos, the meal delivery program runs on high gear. Even in the hospitals which provide shabbos food for their patients, there is nothing that beats a delicious, homemade meal and it effects cannot be overlooked in the recovery process of a patient. Simply the knowledge that someone out there cares enough to provide them with food can lift a family’s spirits and help them endure such a difficult time.

On any given week, meals are delivered to up to seven different hospitals throughout the region. Bikur Cholim volunteers deliver a whopping 5,000 meals yearly. “Our mission,” says Mr. Katz, “is to ensure that patients in the

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

The next step was the planning and implementation of three hospitality rooms, one in each of the largest and most prestigious hospitals in the area frequented by the frum community. Sinai Hospital, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins are three top rated hospitals in the area, and Jews from all over the world visit Baltimore for treatment from their highly regarded medical staff. It is a huge burden taken off the families’ chests when they can count on Bikur Cholim’s presence within the walls of the facility for a quiet room to abscond into for some privacy amid the chaos of the hospital.

Situated in convenient areas in each of the hospitals, the rooms look just like a normal living room and kitchen. They are furnished and stocked with an abundance of food of all types, as well as various items that a patient or family might need throughout their stay but may forget to bring, such as havdalah supplies, phone chargers, snoods, z’manim charts, items for oral care, reading glasses, electric candles, and phonebooks. Two microwaves and a sink with hot water on tap allow for preparation of food. Seforim and Jewish books line the walls, and the latest periodicals are available for reading. Visitors are amazed at the thoughtfulness that goes into stocking the rooms, and many do not realize the dedication that keeps them running smoothly. They are the result of the unique relationship Bikur Cholim enjoys with each of the hospitals’ administrations, as well as much advocacy by the board. The room in Sinai, the busiest of the three, is visited daily by volunteers who shop for supplies, stock it, clean up, and perform maintenance tasks vital for its smooth operation and spotless appearance. The other two rooms are each visited a few times a week for the same purposes.

Pesach season presents a yearly challenge, and the tireless team of volunteers responds heartily. The room is cleaned and restocked with kosher for Pesach items so that no patient should have to be without Bikur Cholim’s services, especially during a hospital stay throughout Yom Tov, which can be particularly challenging.

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MARCH 26, 2015

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Cover Story hospital and home know that the community is there for them and never feel they are going through it alone.

Bikur Cholim arranges for hospital visitation as well, the largest weekly effort of its volunteers. There are currently 30 volunteers on the roster who visit the Jewish patients in many of Baltimore’s hospitals weekly. Visitors often bring presents to the patients and assist them in any way they can, or just stay for a while, making conversation and lifting the patient’s spirits.

The organization ensures that all Jewish patients are visited whether or not they identify with the frum community. Everyone receives the visitation and care typical of the Bikur Cholim volunteers.

The Kiddush Hashem created by these visits is enormous. Even the volunteers themselves don’t even realize the effect they have on the patients and the entire environment in the hospital.

Hospital staff members are amazed at the care and concern of the volunteers for patients they do not even know.

Upon arrival at each hospital, volunteers are provided with a list of that hospital’s Jewish patients, and they make their rounds, touching the life of each of them.

Other services provided by Bikur Cholim include patient advocacy, re-

ferrals, and respite services. Often patients do not have the necessary contacts to ensure quality care in their facility. Sometimes they need help locating and choosing the most qualified doctor for their condition. Bikur Cholim is once again there for them. Mr. Katz recalls a recent case in which a Levindale patient felt he was not receiving proper care from his nurses.

He reached out to Bikur Cholim, and they contacted the appropriate parties to make certain he received the attention he deserved.

Respite services include home care for children of parents in the hos-

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pital, babysitting for parents who stay with a child in the hospital, staying overnight with a hospitalized child to give the parents a break, and much more. During a recent Pesach season, a man was hospitalized for emergency surgery. Bikur Cholim volunteers accelerated their services, cleaning and kashering his home while he was away.

Bikur Cholim attends to the needs of many international guests as well.

“We have the opportunity to help yidden from all across the globe,” says Mrs. Pollak, Coordinator of Family Services. “Baltimore is fortunate to have several top-tier medical facilities which attract patients from all countries. We provide translation services and are there for their every need, alleviating the difficult time they may have adjusting to a strange place.”

While most of Bikur Cholim’s operations are volunteer work and its costs are minimal, there is always a need for fundraising. Under the direction of the current Chairman of the Board, Mr. Yaakov Feinstein, the organizations operations continue to improve and expand to meet the community’s needs. The yearly budget includes the apartments, their Coordinator of Family Services, as well as food and supplies for the apartments and Bikur Cholim rooms. Donations come from all across the Baltimore community and around the world.

The recent Biker Cholim bike-a-thon was a smashing success, and plans to continue it annually have already be-

gun. While the need for fundraising is constant, more pressing is the need for volunteers. Most people don’t realize how much work goes into the smooth operation and how imperative it is to have enough manpower to meet the needs of the community’s sick. “The goal of Bikur Cholim of Baltimore is to channel the chessed of the commu-

WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP YIDDEN FROM ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE

nity to support patients and their families dealing with medical challenges,” says Mr. Katz. “We are enormously grateful to our hundreds of volunteers, some of whom have been volunteering weekly for over three decades. Without the manpower necessary, we would not have the ability to help anyone, and we are always looking for more volunteers.”

Volunteers can make themselves available at their own convenience for an hour or two every few weeks, or more if their schedule allows. The satisfaction of seeing the glow of a patient’s face when he or she feels cared for is unmatched. By recognizing the importance of Bikur Cholim’s work, we support this vital organization and the needs of the sick patients throughout our entire community.

Your Money

Allan J. Rolnick, CPA

W

ments than they admit making!

So Greece is desperate to avoid going broke. The government wants to start narrowing the “tax gap” between what they should be getting and what they really get. Last week, finance minister Yanis Varoufakis begged Greeks to start finally paying their taxes, pretty please, because it’s their patriotic duty. But just in case that doesn’t work, he’s planning to recruit “casual” tax spies, like tourists, students, housekeepers, and

other nonprofessionals “to pose, after some basic training, as customers, on behalf of the tax authorities, while wired for sound and video.”

We’re not sure what sort of training you need to be a tax spy. The oldschool techniques like “brush passes” and “dead drops” they teach at the CIA probably won’t help as much as cybersleuthing and “social engineering.” We also don’t know how much the gig pays. (Our IRS cuts whistleblowers in for up to 30% of what they help collect.) Still, it’s a chance to play 007 for a day — who really cares what it pays?

So, Greeks who want to pay less have a simple plan — not telling the government how much they make!

Here in the United States, that works, too — except it doesn’t. (It’s also against the law.) So if you feel like you’re bailing out Uncle Sam with more than your fair share, make sure you have a plan. Let’s see if you can save enough for a Greek vacation that you don’t have to spy for!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

The Stampede is On

S

hould we talk about the elephant in the room?

It’s not as if it’s not there just because we are tiptoeing around it. It’s like 8 days and counting. There are endless things still to be done. I’m not in your home but I know this for certain. Whether it’s scrubbing, cleaning, cooking, shopping or packing—yes, even that is overwhelming—the hours and days are ticking down and you’ve still got tons to do.

Mostly, let’s not forget to do our searching!

It’s not because missing a little item truly ruins the validity of the cleanup. For instance, you’re still OK even if you didn’t get that one sticky lollipop surreptitiously stowed away under the cushion of the couch or if you missed that undetected potato kugel remnant, once a warm, delicious, taste of nirvana now metamorphosed into concrete. The essential thing is recognizing the importance of the cleanup.

Now here’s the deep thought. Picture this: The holiday starts. You’re wearing your perfectly tailored new suit. Or those gorgeous shoes you knew would be just perfect for that outfit. You walk into a room. People notice you! Everyone notices. You look amazing! Feels good huh?!

Well, guess what? That’s not you!

Surprised you, didn’t I? You are the sum total of all that pre-Pesach cleaning and searching that you did.

That’s the idea. See. I’ve got news for you. We all exist on a much deep-

er plane. The spiritual one. And that, my friends, is what we are searching through, over these next few days— how can we do better, be better, come out better.

We need to be ready to flatten ourselves into matzahs!

We need to be prepared to take all the fluff and puff out of us and be either the “crumby” person we have let ourselves sink to or the “crisp” one we work to be. Like a matzah, we can be the broken or breakable one or we can strive to be the solid and whole one.

We are prepping for the Exodus – make it an out-of-body experience.

It’s time to rise above our internal limitations and recognize we can be anything we want to be.

So, bend down, rip that lolly off the cushion, and while you’re doing that take a good long look inside your own furnishings and see what redecorating you can do there.

Yes, Pesach is that elephant in the room.

It’s there looming whether we discuss it or not. But chometz are the termites in your soul. Have an evaluation. They can be dealt with.

We need to be

prepared to take all the fluff and puff out of us.

The stampede is coming either way. But you can try and get rid of the infestation today. That way when the stampede arrives you’ll be one yummy matzah ready to enjoy your newly found freedom and your freshly liberated soul.

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach.

She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com

MARCH 26, 2015

ho hasn’t wanted to be a spy at some point or another? Boys see their first James Bond movie, and they don’t want to be like 007 — they want to be 007. Girls learn how Mata Hari put her charms to work as a lethal double agent and think they can show the boys a thing or two. But sooner or later, most of us abandon that dream.

And sadly, those job aptitude tests your high school guidance counselor makes you take rarely recommend “International Man of Mystery” as a career path.

But now, you’ve got the chance to finally realize that childhood fantasy.

You don’t even have to hide out in some third-world danger zone to do it. You can be a spy in a sun-splashed Mediterranean paradise full of friendly, welcoming people.

What’s not to love about that?

When you think of Greece, you probably think of Alexander the Great, the Acropolis, or the birthplace of democracy. But Greece is the national equivalent of the kid who peaked in high school, and Greek finances are a steaming pile of debt masquerading as a modern economy.

Imagine an entire government that rushes down to the payday loan office right before closing every Friday, praying this week’s installment won’t get eaten up by last week’s fees—and that’s Greece. Seriously, don’t be surprised if you fire up the news tomorrow and see they’re trying to pawn the Parthenon.

Tax collections are a big part of Greece’s problem. Greeks hate paying taxes, even more than we do. In fact, some Greek banks admit using “adaption formulas” to estimate how much their self-employed borrowers can really afford, simply because so few of them tell their government how much they really make. The average self-employed Greek spends 82% of their monthly reported income repaying their loans. But some groups, including doctors, lawyers, and even accountants (!) actually spend more on their mortgage pay-

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

007 for a Day

Life Coach

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MARCH 26, 2015

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Notable

Notable Quotes

Quotes

Compiled by Nate Davis Compiled by Nate Davis

“Say“Say What?” What?”

According to a professor at DePaul University, if a person randomly fills out his March Madness bracket, he has a one in 9.2 quintillion chance of getting it perfect. Or as gamblers put it, “So you’re saying I’ve got a chance!”

- Jimmy Fallon

Uncle Sam has long been in the grip of many addictions, such as muscle-flexing, preaching and borrowing, but there has turned out to be one more: kibitzing.

- China’s state media turning to Yiddish to criticize the United States meddling in the South China Sea issue

Mitt Romney announced he will fight former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a charity boxing match. You can tell that Romney is serious about it. Today, his butler gave him a piggyback ride up the steps of the Philadelphia art museum.

– Jimmy Fallon

I can fight anybody, so long as Candy Crowley isn’t the referee.

- Mitt Romney discussing his upcoming charity boxing match with Evander Holyfield and recalling CNN’s Candy Crowley’s interference on behalf of President Obama during a 2012 presidential debate

Remember evil Russian dictator Vladimir Putin? He vanished for 10 days. He had disappeared and there were a lot of rumors. One rumor was he had disappeared because he had himself executed.

– David Letterman

We are in Austin, Texas. I’ve been away from L.A. for five days. I’ve already forgotten what kale tastes like. I now eat my vegetables fried as G-d intended.

– Jimmy Kimmel

As I have gotten older, I have decided we really need camps for adults. And we need adult camps that you all run. Really. None of the serious stuff. None of the life-challenging stuff… more fun. I think we have a huge fun deficit in America. And we need to figure out how to fill that fun deficit, certainly for our kids but also for the rest of us. We need some fun from time to time, maybe some enrichment, certainly some time outdoors. Maybe actually spending time with people that we didn’t know before.

- Hillary Clinton, speaking at the American Camp Association in New Jersey

March Madness is officially underway and there have already been some major upsets. For instance, I told my wife I was going to watch basketball all weekend and she was really upset.

– Seth Myers

I’m going to take a little credit.

- President Obama discussing the improving economy at the City Club of Cleveland

Of course, yes, death to America.

– Ayatollah Khamenei at a rally in Tehran last week, when the crowd began chanting, “Death to America.”

During a speech yesterday, President Obama discussed the country’s successful economy and said, “I’m going to take a little credit.” Then the people at the rally said, “Dude, we’re all here in the middle of the day because we don’t have jobs. So stop talking about how good the economy is.”

– Jimmy Fallon Obama discussed the successful economy and said “I’m going to take a little credit.” Then the economy got bad again and he said, “Republicans did it.”

– Ibid

Mitt Romney, two-time Republican presidential candidate, is going to fight Evander Holyfield for charity. I hope they save some of that money for funeral expenses.

– David Letterman

An occupation that has lasted almost 50 years must end.

- White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough talking at the supposed “pro-Israel,” left- wing organization, J Street’s annual conference

Everything’s a crisis, everything is terrible, everything is doomsday, everything is – if it doesn’t get solved tomorrow, you know, your presidency is going off the rails. There must have been what, 15, 20 things that over the last seven years folks have said, “This is it. It’s over.” You know, we had the Gulf oil spill, worst environmental disaster in history. Everybody said, “Ah, he’s handling this terribly.” A year later, nobody was talking about it, and in retrospect, it turns out that we handled that as well as any environmental crisis has been handled.

– President Obama in an interview with the Huffington Post I think it’s hilarious and fantastic that Fox News is covering, you know, each hour that Obama had not — up until recently today, I guess — congratulated Bibi Netanyahu on his victory.

It’s like, you know, “Has John Hinckley called to congratulate Ronald Reagan yet?”

- Ann Coulter, on Fox News, referencing the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981

There wasn’t even a crash — if anything, it was just a lovetap to the gate of the White House.

- Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy testifying in front of Congress regarding a recent incident in which drunk Secret Service agents crashed their car at the White House during a bomb threat

MORE QUOTES

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Republican Ted Cruz announced that he will run for president in 2016. So finally, Carnival is no longer the most dangerous cruise in America.

– Ibid Texas senator and Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz announced he’s running for president. He pledged to lead America boldly forward into the 1950s.

– Conan O’Brien

While credible witnesses gave varying accounts of exactly what Brown was doing with his hands as he moved toward Wilson – i.e., balling them, holding them out, or pulling up his pants up – and varying accounts of how he was moving – i.e., “charging,” moving in “slow motion,” or “running” – they all establish that Brown was moving toward Wilson when Wilson shot him. Although some witnesses state that Brown held his hands up at shoulder level with his palms facing outward for a brief moment, these same witnesses describe Brown then dropping his hands and “charging” at Wilson.

– A portion of the recently released Dept. of Justice report, regarding what happened between Michael Brown and Police Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri [The Justice Department reports] have also forced me to deal with two uncomfortable truths: Brown never surrendered with his hands up, and Wilson was justified in shooting Brown.

– Jonathan Capehart, acknowledging in the Washington Post that he was wrong about the Ferguson, Missouri, situation

College kids now are so politically correct. I mean, to the point where — I’ll give you an example. We had interns at the show, college interns. Like, the last year of the show, one of the interns comes and says, “Mr. Leno, I’m getting lunch. What do you want?” I said, “I don’t know, where are you going?”

He said, “We’re getting Mexican.” I said, “I don’t really like Mexican.” He goes, “Whoa, that’s kind of racist.”

That’s not racist. No, being anti-guacamole is not racist, okay? You have no idea what racism is. That’s not racist, you idiot! You moron.

- Jay Leno in an interview with Seth Myers The president should get over it. Get over your temper tantrum, Mr. President, it’s time that we work together with our Israeli friends and try to stem this tide of ISIS and Iranian movement throughout the region, which is threatening the very fabric of the region. The least of your problems is what Bibi Netanyahu said during an election campaign.

- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) on CNN discussing President Obama’s overt disdain for Netanyahu

These are the same Democrats that voted against Condoleezza Rice when she was appointed to be Secretary of State, and second, these are the same Democrats that blocked Miguel Estrada from even getting a vote in United States Senate, a very highly qualified Hispanic candidate for the federal judiciary.

- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), responding to Sen. Durbin’s comments, on Fox News

Netanyahu can no longer be dismissed as a rogue. He has proved that his people stand behind him. They have given him more seats in parliament than he had before and a more hawkish coalition of ruling parties. We don’t have a Netanyahu problem anymore. We have an Israel problem.

- Liberal columnist William Saletan, Slate.com Sure, Iran’s top ally may be dropping chlorine gas on civilians, but the real problem in the Middle East is the Israel electorate. “The Price Israel Must Pay: We no longer have a Netanyahu problem.

We have an Israel problem”—not a Hamas problem, or Fatah problem, not a random-criminals-shooting-folks-in-markets problem, or a lack-of-a-civil-society-in-the-Middle-East problem, but an Israel problem.

- David Harsani, the Federalist.com, in response to Saletan’s article

A lot of people were angry at the way Netanyahu won this election. They said it was racist that he said, at the last minute, “Arab voters are coming out in droves to the polls”… I heard a lot of commentators here say, it would been as if Mitt Romney, in 2012, on the eve of the election said, “Black voters are coming out in droves to the polls.” But I don’t know if that’s really a great analogy. I think that would be a good analogy if America was a country that was surrounded by 12 or 13 completely black nations who had militarily attacked us many times, including as recently as last year.

Would we let them vote? I don’t know. When we were attacked by the Japanese, we didn’t just not let them vote, we rounded them up and put them in camps.

- Bill Maher

Arab voters are coming out in droves to the polls.

- Prime Minister Netanyahu on Election Day, urging his voters to get to the polls The United States and this administration is deeply concerned about rhetoric that seeks to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens.

– White House Spokesman Josh Earnest condemning Netanyahu for encouraging his base to vote by warning that the Arabs, who are part of the left-wing’s base, were all voting

I wouldn’t hire this administration to negotiate a one-month lease for me.

- Alan Dershowitz discussing the Obama administration’s negotiations with Iran

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MARCH 26, 2015

Ted Cruz released a presidential campaign video in Spanish. Cruz explained, “It’s important for me to reach out to the people I’m trying to deport.”

- Ibid

Loretta Lynch, the first African-American woman nominated to be attorney general, is asked to sit in the back of the bus when it comes to the Senate calendar. That is unfair. It’s unjust. It is beneath the decorum and dignity of the United States Senate.

- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) when Lynch’s confirmation hearing was delayed because of an unrelated procedural issue

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Texas Senator Ted Cruz officially announced that he’s running for president. Cruz said that after doing exhaustive research to see if he had a real chance to win, he said, “I’m gonna run anyway.”

– Jimmy Fallon

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MARCH 26, 2015

42 78

You Gotta be

Riddle!

The 11 players on an NCAA team were taking their team picture. Figure out who sat where for the picture. Remember that each player has a jersey on, numbered 0 to 10.

• Number 9 is exactly in the middle.

• Number 8 is right before 2 but after 10.

• Number 4 is the one before number 9 but right after number 2.

• Number 1 is behind 3 and 7 in that order.

• Number 6 is right behind 9 but right in front of 0.

• Number 10 is first and Number 1 is last.

• Number 5 is right before 8 and right after Number 10.

• Number 3 is right after 0.

Answer on next page

Kidding!

A graduate with a science degree asks, “Why does it work?”

A graduate with an engineering degree asks, “How does it work?”

A graduate with an accounting degree asks, “How much does it cost?”

A graduate with a liberal arts degree asks, “Do you want fries with that?”

You know You’re in College When... 

You know how late every fast food joint is opened, but have no clue what time the school library opens.

 

Anything can be cooked in a microwave.

   

Weekends start on Thursday.

  

You’ve paid bills over $5 … in coins.

 

Quarters are like gold.



You talk to your roommate via text even when you’re both in the dorm.

You press the automatic door opener instead of simply grabbing the handle when you approach a door.



People have to help you kick the vending machine just so you can get your 50 cent bag of chips.



There’s always a “question kid” in at least one of your classes, and you really wish someone would just tell him/her to be quiet… especially when there is three minutes left in class.

  

Laundry is an all-day event.

 

You open canned food and eat it … out of the can.



You finish reading this and wonder what you can procrastinate next.

Your trash is overflowing and your bank account isn’t.

You go to Target or Wal-Mart more than 3 times a week.

Your breakfast consists of a Coke and cereal bar on the way to class.

 

You sleep more in class than in your room.

     

When writing reports, you use words like “thus.”



Printers break down only when you desperately need them.

You pay $100 for a book you don’t read once, return it four months later, and get $7…and you are majoring in finance.

You skip one class to write a paper for another.

You’ve written a check for 45 cents.

You never realized so many people are smarter than you.

You never realized so many people are dumber than you.

Europe could be wiped out by a terrible plague and you’d never know, but you know exactly what happened in every sports game in the country.

You call restaurants that deliver more than you call your own family.

Your professors speak English … as a second language.

The elevators take forever but you’ll wait 10 minutes just so you don’t have to climb stairs.

You’ve eaten cereal out of a cup … with a fork.

You hang multiple shirts on the same hanger to save space/ money.

The food in your fridge may or may not be older than your little brother.

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

March Madness Trivia 5. In 1985 Villanova beat Georgetown 66-64 in the NCAA championship game. Who was the starting center for Georgetown? a. David Robinson b. Patrick Ewing c. Hakeem Olajuwon d. Shaq

1. What is NCAA an acronym for? a. National College Adventure Association b. National Collegiate Athletic Association c. National College Athletes Association d. Never Could Answer Anything [Correctly]

MARCH 26, 2015

6. How many teams are in the NCAA Tournament? a. 54 b. 64 c. 68 d. 72

2. Some teams who don’t make the NCAA Tournament are invited to this tournament, mercilessly known as the “Loser Tournament.” a. The Rider Cup b. National Invitational Tournament c. The Big Dance d. Westink Tournament

7. Which college won the most NCAA men’s basketball championships? a. UCLA b. Kentucky c. Duke d. Michigan State Answer:

3. Which team won the 2014 NCAA men’s basketball tournament? a. Butler b. Kentucky c. Duke d. UConn 4. Which team won the 2014 NCAA women’s basketball tournament? a. Butler b. Kentucky c. Duke d. UConn

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

B B D D B C A

Scoreboard: 5-6 correct: You are a March Madness Genius.

3-4 correct: You would make it to the NIT Tournament.

1-3 correct: You would make it to the Westink Tournament (maybe).

GO FUNNT Y?

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43

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o imo fivetow centreerjefowldis@hhome nsjewis hhome. .com com

ANSWER TO RIDDLE: The order is: #10, #5, #8, #2, #4, #9, #6, #0, #3, #7, #1

Real Estate

MARCH 26, 2015

16 Fire Safety Tips For Your Home

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

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Submitted by: Ben Schwartz | Founder VacancyFillers.com

General Tips: 1. Stay in the kitchen The most common fires occur from people leaving food on the stove unattended. Don’t leave the kitchen while you have things cooking. If you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the stove and take your pots and pans off the heat. This is equally important if you are broiling food in the oven - take the food out of the oven and turn off the broiler.

2. Watch your clothing and hair Long, flowing sleeves, large-fitting shirts and even aprons can catch fire.

When cooking, wear short or close-fitted sleeves and keep your baggy shirts tucked in or tied back with a well-fitted apron. Also watch that your hair is away from open flame 3. Be aware of the items around the stovetop Kitchen towels, oven mitts, appliance cords and even curtains can easily catch fire if set near a hot burner.

Always move flammable items away from your stovetop. Be careful when using towels to move a pot off the burner. Ideally, use an oven mitt, but if using a towel, be sure it doesn’t dangle down and touch the burner.

4. Keep a fire extinguisher in or near the kitchen In the case you do have a fire, a fire extinguisher can make the difference between an easy to clean up burned pan and a kitchen engulfed in flames.

Be sure you actually know how to use it, too.

5. Change the batteries in your smoke detector Chances are you have a smoke detector in the kitchen or in the room adjacent to the kitchen. It’s not enough to have a smoke detector – you need to make sure the smoke detector is operable. He recommends changing your smoke detector batteries every six months.

6. Never throw hot grease in the

garbage can First of all, know the smoke points of your oils and never subject an oil with a low smoke point to high heat cooking – it can catch fire. Second, never throw hot grease in the garbage can. Even if the grease isn’t on fire, it can cause something in the garbage to burn. Instead, let grease cool and dispose of it in an old coffee can.

Note A smoke point is the temperature at which an oil starts to break down.

In addition to being a potential fire

hazard, it can be damaging to your health. Fats that have gone past their smoke points are believed to contain large amounts of free radicals, which contribute to cancer 7. Be prepared to put out a fire Though you don’t want a fire to occur, be prepared in the case it does.

The best thing to do if you have a stovetop fire is to put a proper fitting lid over the pan or pot to smother it. Never use water and never pick a burning pan up and put it in the sink – you not only risk spreading the fire to the sink, you risk getting badly burned if the burning ingredients slosh out.

Another recommendation from: Don’t use flour to put out a fire – it can burn,

are in the kitchen, and be sure to pass the measures on to your kids.

too – and it makes a mess.

8. Have a fire escape plan Keep the fire department telephone number written and/or programmed on your telephone. Sit down with your family and have a fire escape plan that includes getting out of the house and

meeting outside in a designated area.

It’s important that your family – especially your kids – know what to do before a fire occurs. Practice your plan every month.

9. Stop, drop, roll In the event you do catch fire, follow the Stop, Drop, and Roll Principal. Don’t run if your clothing catches fire – stop where you are, drop to the ground, and roll. Then get to a hospital to get treatment for your burns.

10. Call the fire department Don’t ever hesitate to call your local fire department – even if you have successfully put out your fire. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Practice fire prevention measures every time you

Shabbos Tips: Candles 11. Candle placement Place candles on a sturdy heat resistant surface away from flammable materials including walls, curtains, cabinets, wooden and plastic tables, tablecloths, etc. Keep surfaces and surrounding areas clear of burned matches and other debris. Light candles out of children’s reach and where they cannot be knocked over.

12. Watch the candles Never leave Shabbos/ Yom Tov candles unattended or go to sleep while they are burning.

Use extra caution when lighting 24 hour yahrzeit candles, keep on a heat resistant surface away from flammable materials.

Cooking 13. Proper placement Set appliances (crock pot, hot plat, etc.) back on counter to avoid accidental burns and spills.

Position blech so heat can escape from all sides without heating walls, cabinets, and counters.

Never cover oven vents with aluminum foil. Keep pot handles turned inward and away from the edge of the stove.

14. Safe zone Designate ovens, stoves and heat containing appliances as a “NO GO ZONE” for children 15. Carrying food Use extra caution when carrying hot food around children. Don’t ever move pots of boiling hot liquids while uncovered!

16. Use electrical timers Use electrical timers for your hot plate and other necessary appliances but be sure not to overload electrical timers/ outlets and only use timers intended and rated for desired use.

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Op-Ed Rabbi Pesach Lerner

the WZO work against authentic Torah interests. According to the Reform movement, “a successful election... is the single most effective way for the Reform movement to influence policy and shape the society of Israel.” They go on:

Judaism, in many decades. The government radically decreased support for Torah, threatened imprisonment for young men who remain in yeshiva, and endangered both authentic Jewish standards and the offices that preserve them. On the oth-

In short, these elections are the strongest way for U.S. Reform Jews to promote and encourage the progressive ideals of social justice, equality and democracy in Israel itself and help build the kind of Jewish state we all know is possible. A Jewish state that holds true to the ideals of religious pluralism, the growth of Reform Judaism in Israel, women’s equality in all areas of life, democracy, a solution to the ongoing conflict and so much more.

Not to be outdone, the Mercaz organization, representing the American Conservative movement, plans to leverage a successful performance in this election to change the face of Israel. Given the opportunity, their representatives will demand full recognition of conversions according to their standards, of marriage and even (ch”v) divorces failing Halachic requirements, and to divert funding from shuls and yeshivos to build and support more Conservative synagogues.

Millions of dollars were distributed annually to support the Reform and Conservative movements’ agenda over the past several years, and they hope to receive a larger share of the pie should they win the majority of votes. This is a key moment for Orthodox participation. We can and must make a difference.

On the one hand, Israel recently suffered through one of its least friendly governments, in terms of its relationship to Torah study, Torah scholarship, and authentic

er, much of the agitation for these changes came from liberal American movements, ones which claim to represent the majority of American Jews but in actuality now face a lack of interest and involvement from their purported members – only 25% of American Jews are now members of their synagogues and temples, hardly the 90% they claim to represent.

It is precisely because these American movements are in decline and losing relevance, that they have taken their fight to Israel, hoping to regain recognition and legitimacy on holy ground.

We are all well aware that Orthodox Jewry is much younger, expanding rapidly, and that our typical family stays active and within Orthodoxy. Yet what is self-evident to us is unknown to the typical Israeli, the typical Member of Knesset, and even to many of those who represent the “Jewish establishment” here in America.

Now is the time for the Orthodox community to step forward, and show our strength and our commitment. Only 125,000 American Jews registered to vote in the last election, and only 75,000 actually voted.

In this election, due to a change in the guidelines, registration and voting are simultaneous. The Reform and Conservative movements are allocating serious financial and manpower resources to acquire votes.

The Orthodox community, which is both much more active and much more honest-

ly concerned for Torah and mitzvos, can easily match and exceed their efforts. Our success in turning out the vote will have a profound effect both in Israel and here in America.

Reform and Conservative leaders claim to represent the majority of American Jews. This has been taken as axiomatic for decades, meaning that everyone, including the Jewish and political establishment in both Israel and the United States, believe it to be true.

If and when the majority of votes in the WZO election’s American section come from the Orthodox, it will dramatically change this perception. Knesset members will recognize that the Orthodox community is the majority active community in the United States, the one that is deeply committed to the future of Judaism and the welfare of our brethren in the Holy Land. They will understand that the liberal movements are claiming members who are, sadly, disappearing from the Jewish community and losing interest in Israel.

Different Rabbinic leaders may have differing opinions about whether it is appropriate to vote in this election, which requires that one express support for the Religious Zionist slate (slate #10) and for the Jerusalem program, as described in the registration process.

HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh HaYeshiva of Slobodka in Bnei Brak and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Eretz Yisrael, told me that we must do everything we can to stop the American Reform movement from obtaining and maintaining a foothold in Eretz Yisrael.

And during a recent meeting with Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Dovid Lau, he told me that the Torah community’s vote in the WZO elections is extremely important.

One member of the Moetzes here in the US said that if he knew that we could take the majority of seats, he would support this effort. It is very possible that we can do so – the only question is whether we shall.

I ask you to vote for the Religious Zionist slate (slate #10) to preserve Torah standards and oppose the efforts of the liberal American movements. For every one of us that does not vote, it is their votes that will have greater influence, funding, and repercussions for our brethren in Israel and beyond.

Dialogue with your Rabbi and colleagues, with family and friends, and cast your ballot at www.myvoteourisrael.com.

Your voice will not only count today, but will have ramifications in Israel, and around the world, for years to come.

MARCH 26, 2015

It is common knowledge that in Israel today, there is an ongoing battle for the definition and future of Judaism in the Jewish state. Will Torah standards be preserved, and funding for Torah study be maintained or increased, or, ch”v, will the very meaning of the word “Judaism” – and critical matters such as conversion, marriage, divorce, Shabbos and Kashrus – be watered down to the most liberal of American definitions?

What is far less known is that in addition to increasing Tefillah/prayer and Torah study, there is a bit of hishtadlus activity, requiring little expense and effort, that each of us can do to help, to make a difference.

There is an organization today with direct impact upon the way both private donations and Israeli government funding are spent – hundreds of millions of dollars – on encouraging immigration, settlement in Israel, and Jewish services in Israel and abroad.

Its decisions affect whether the shlichim sent by the Israel Jewish Agency to communities around the world are observant or not, the type of conversion encouraged by those and other representatives of Israel, the nature of the “Jewish” education provided to thousands in the former Soviet Union, South America, and small communities in Europe, and many other areas of critical concern. Their decisions may even affect what the Kosel looks like in the near future.

More than this, the organization purports to represent the opinion of world Jewry, and has major influence with Knesset representatives and government officials. The representatives of this organization are understood to be representative percentages of World Jewry. The greater the Orthodox representation in that body, the greater our influence will be upon Knesset decisions affecting millions of Jews in Israel and beyond.

This body is the World Zionist Organization, the WZO – and you can help choose its new representatives.

This is not simply a situation in which a large sum of money can be spent on behalf of Torah, or spent on neutral activities that might or might not be beneficial. On the contrary, if the funds and influence are not used to invest in authentic Judaism and in Torah education, much of their resources will (ch”v) be spent trying to change Jewish tradition and the religious status quo in Israel.

To understand the importance of participation, one need look no further than the words of those who would like to see

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

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TJH Speaks with Paula Shoyer, B author of THE

NEW PASSOVER MENU

BY MALKY LOWINGER

Does the world really need another kosher for Passover cookbook? Paula Shoyer, kosher blogger and cookbook author, seems to think so. And so, apparently, do lots of other people who have purchased her cookbook, The New Passover Menu, making it the current #1 bestseller in Jewish Holiday Cooking on Amazon.

We spent a few moments speaking with Paula about her new Passover cookbook and what makes it unique. She also was generous enough to share some of her recipes with us here at The Jewish Home.

ML: Tell us a little about your background. How did you come to be a popular pastry chef and today a Passover cookbook author?

PS: I was born in Long Beach, NY. And while I always loved to bake, I somehow never thought it was an appropriate career path.

So I went to college to become a doctor and eventually ended up in law school. For a while, I lived in Geneva, Switzerland, and I decided to enroll in a pastry school in Paris just for fun. It turned into a passion.

People started to ask me to create desserts for them, and I also began to teach classes. When I got back to the U.S., I edited two cookbooks for Susie Fishbein and then I finally decided to write my own.

much of those all year round either.

So what are you offering us instead of potato kugel?

How about roasted eggplant with bell pepper vinaigrette or parsnip apple puree or roasted beet and squash salad? I’m all for tradition, but our community gets so bogged down with the heavy recipes that we’ve inherited from our grandmothers.

What I’m doing is updating the recipes with new techniques and flavors, while also simplifying them. We want recipes that remind us of our past, but are also healthy and new. Anything you put into your mouth from my cookbook will be delicious and totally worth the calories.

We want recipes that remind us of our past, but are also healthy and Speaking about your new cookbook—it’s truly beautiful. But there are so many others on the market today. What’s unique about this one?

A couple of things. My recipes are not heavy, they’re fresh and healthy. They’re also simple. In fact, once I started doing demonstrations I discovered that it wasn’t even necessary. These recipes are so simple, there’s not much to teach. I’m not re-inventing the wheel here. This is basically how I cook all year long.

Really? With kosher for Passover ingredients?

That’s my point! Focus on the many ingredients you can use, not on those you can’t. There’s such an abundance of what we can eat on Passover. There are wonderful fruits and vegetables that we can use. Do we really have to have that potato kugel if there are all those wonderful veggies for side dishes? And who cares if we can’t have bread and bagels? I don’t eat

What about those of us who want to bake?

I learned to bake in Paris where we used ground nuts all the time to create delicious desserts. Desserts made with nuts are healthier than those made with traditional cake meal as a substitute for flour.

Sounds intriguing. Do you have a favorite recipe?

Yes, quite a few of them. For starters, the Moroccan Short Ribs, the Lamb Stew, the Seared Tuna, and for dessert my Pistachio Roll with Strawberry Mousse.

Any recommendations for more traditional cooks?

The tzimmis is pretty classic.

Just plain tzimmis?

I do add fresh ginger to give it that extra oomph.

And for the more adventurous ones among us?

They should try the Gefilte Fish Loaf with Fresh Salmon or my Passover Waffles.

Sounds delicious. People say that publishing a book, after all the work is done, is like giving birth. Care to comment?

Absolutely. Actually, it’s more like when I gave

birth to twins! There’s so much effort involved, more than you can imagine. This particular book took five months to create. That’s because most of these recipes were in my head already, I just had to write them down. Like I said, it’s what I cook for my own family all year round.

Do you ever think about how the spiritual and gastronomic aspects of the chag blend together, especially on Pesach? How the foods we eat at the seder reflect the holiness of the night?

Yes, it’s totally true. The seder plate itself is a visual retelling of the Exodus. That’s why a created a Seder Plate Salad, sort of a modern version of connecting with the Haggadah. In general, Pesach foods are all about reminding us of who we are as a people – where we’ve been and where we’re going.

A Seder Plate Salad? Any other seder night surprises?

My banana charoset – Don’t knock it till you try it. It’s delicious.

Also, try giving every person their own individual seder plate. It saves lots of time. No need to pass the maror and charoset all around the table.

Thanks Paula. We can’t wait to try some of these recipes. Where will you be celebrating Pesach this year?

I’ll be in Boca for the sederim, and then back home to Maryland for chol hamoed and the last days. Wishing everybody a wonderful, healthy, and flavorful Pesach! 

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47

In The Kitchen

Paula Shoyer

PASSOVER MENU

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

The New

MARCH 26, 2015

Crunchy Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries Serves 6-8 Quinoa is the greatest new addition to the Passover pantry*. It finally received definitive rabbinic approval for Passover in 2014 after a rabbi was dispatched to Peru and Bolivia to see how quinoa is grown. He learned that quinoa grows at very high altitudes, while the grains that are prohibited on Passover are grown much farther below it. The authorities concluded that there was no risk of intermingling. My husband, Andy, eats quinoa for breakfast with blueberries all Passover long. This dish is a great combination of color and texture.

Ingredients: 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 1/3 cup dried cranberries 3 scallions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices To prepare the quinoa PREHEAT oven to 400째F. PLACE quinoa in a small saucepan with the water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the water has evaporated.

Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit, covered, for at least half an hour. The quinoa may be cooked 2 days in advance and stored covered in the fridge.

PLACE the sweet potato cubes in a roasting pan and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the cubes can be pierced with a fork. Set aside.

To prepare the dressing IN A SMALL BOWL, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons oil with the vinegar, honey, cumin,

cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

To assemble the dish USE a whisk to break apart any clumps of quinoa that may have formed as it cooled and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the dressing and whisk well. Add the sweet potatoes, pine nuts, cranberries, and scallions and mix gently. Serve at room temperature. *Please check with your rabbinical advisor as to the Passover status of quinoa.

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Peruvian Roasted Chicken with Salsa Verde

MARCH 26, 2015

Serves 4–6 For many years, our family has been blessed with Betty Supo, a wonderful doit-all nanny. Among her many talents, she is a terrific cook and has introduced our family to flavorful Peruvian dishes. Her best is Arroz con Pollo with Salsa Verde (chicken with rice and a luscious green chili sauce). Here is the version that Betty and I cooked up so the world could enjoy a taste of Peru during Passover. If you like really spicy food, include the jalapeño pepper seeds in the frying pan along with the peppers.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Ingredients: For the ROASTED CHICKEN 1 large whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 4 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 head garlic, cloves separated, not peeled For the SA LSA VERDE 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, cut in half 1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced 2 jalapeño peppers, halved (remove seeds for a mild flavor; keep seeds for more heat) Leaves from 1 large or 2 small bunches fresh cilantro 1/2 cup water 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt & Be w rit W or st q te e km ua n w a li qu ill n ty ot be sh es a ip by t 10 %

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To make the chicken PREHEAT oven to 400°F PLACE the chicken pieces in a large roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over the chicken and rub to coat.

Shake the spice mixture onto the chicken and rub all over.

PLACE the garlic cloves in a small bowl and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Scatter the garlic cloves and drizzle the oil over the chicken pieces.

Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until well browned and the juices run clear.

To make the salsa verde HEAT the oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or just until they soften. Add the jalapeño halves, open side down, and cook for 1 minute.

Turn over and cook for another 4 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the jalapeños are fork-tender.

LET COOL for 20 minutes. Place the jalapeño mixture in a food processor, add the cilantro leaves, water, and salt, and process until pureed and smooth. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Serve the chicken on a platter and the salsa verde in a bowl alongside.

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Opera Cake

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Serves 16 This is a famous French chocolate and coffee dessert that you will see in the windows of every pastry shop in France and Switzerland. My favorite Opera Cake memory is from attending the bar mitzvah of the son of my friend Cathy Lawi, in Geneva.

Movies were the theme of the bar mitzvah, and there was a huge cutout of the Titanic on one wall (with a Jewish star on it!). For dessert, a table was wheeled in with a 4-foot (1.25-m) replica of the Titanic, and on the decks were opera squares covered with sparklers. This dessert is usually made with French cooked buttercream and has four parts to it. I have spent years working on this recipe to streamline it and yet keep the tastes I love. This is a light hazelnut cake with deep coffee and chocolate flavors.

Ingredients: For the GANACHE 1 pound bittersweet chocolate 1 cup almond milk or whipping cream 3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee or espresso

MARCH 26, 2015

For the HAZELNUT CAKE 6 large eggs, separated 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar 1 1/3 cups ground hazelnuts 2/3 cup potato starch 4 teaspoons vegetable oil For the COFFEE SYRUP 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons strong coffee or espresso To make the ganache MAKE the ganache first so that it firms up a bit while the cake is baking. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt them either over a double boiler or in a microwave oven. Heat the almond milk until hot but not boiling. Add to the chocolate mixture a little at a time, whisking well after each addition. It will get very thick but will smooth out as you add more almond milk.

DIVIDE the ganache between two bowls, putting two-thirds into one bowl and one-third into the other. Cover and refrigerate the bowl containing one-third of the ganache. Into the second bowl, containing two-thirds of the ganache, add the coffee and whisk well. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the ganache thickens to a spreadable, not pourable, consistency. If the coffee-flavored ganache is not thick enough, when you are ready to assemble the cake put the bowl in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes and then whisk. If the ganache gets too hard, heat it in a microwave oven for a few seconds and whisk until smooth.

To make the cake PREHEAT oven to 375°F. TRIM a piece of parchment paper to fit perfectly flat in the bottom of a 12 x 16inch jelly roll pan.

IN A LARGE BOWL, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff. Reduce the speed to low, add the granulated sugar, and beat for another 30 seconds. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate medium bowl. Into the bowl you just used to beat the whites, place the confectioners’ sugar, ground hazelnuts, egg yolks, potato starch, and oil and beat for 1 minute on medium speed. (The mixture will be dry.) Add half of the beaten egg whites and mix well on medium speed for 30 seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Use a whisk to mix in the remaining whites in two parts.

POUR the batter into the prepared pan. Use a metal offset spatula or silicone spatula to spread the batter as evenly as possible in the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

To make the coffee syrup IN A SMALL SAUCEPAN, bring the sugar, water, and coffee to a boil and continue to boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup sit until ready for use.

May be made up to 5 days in advance and stored, covered, at room temperature.

To assemble the cake RUN a knife around the edges of the cake pan. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper and a cooling rack, and then flip the cake over onto the parchment and rack. Peel off the parchment on the bottom of the cake. Measure the midpoint on the long side of the cake and cut the cake in half to make two 6 x 8-inch rectangles.

Place one half on a small cookie sheet lined with parchment, with the bottom of the cake facing up. Use a pastry brush to moisten every part of the cake with the coffee syrup.

USE a spatula to spread the chocolate ganache evenly on top of the cake all the way to the edges. Place the other cake half on top. Brush with syrup. Spread the coffee-flavored ganache on top, reserving about 2 tablespoons to decorate the cakes later, if desired. Heat a metal spatula under boiling water. Dry the spatula and then use it to smooth the top of the cake. Place the cake in the freezer until ready to serve.

Put any extra ganache into a small bowl and refrigerate it until ready to decorate the slices.

To serve TRIM 1/4 inch from all sides of the cake to even them out. Eat the trimmings.

Heat a knife with hot water to cut the cake into rectangles. Clean and reheat the knife between slices to get perfect slices. Decorate the slices, if desired. Warm the reserved coffee ganache slightly to make it spreadable. Put it into a pastry bag with any shape tip you choose and pipe designs on top of each slice. You may add a coffee bean to the decor. If you do not have a pastry bag, to create some texture on the tops, heat the ganache to thin it, and then use a fork to drizzle chocolate lines or swirls over the slices. Store in the fridge.

Paula Shoyer, a former attorney, graduated from the Ritz Escoffier pastry program in Paris and now teaches French and Jewish baking classes in the DC area. Paula conducts large-scale baking demonstrations across the United States and Canada. She is the author of The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Dairy-Free Recipes from Traditional to Trendy (Brandeis) and is a contributing editor to several kosher websites such as kosherscoop.com, and magazines such as Joy of Kosher, Whisk, and Hadassah. Paula has appeared on Food Network’s Sweet Genius and is a frequent guest on television news shows. She has edited the popular cookbooks Kosher by Design Entertains and Kosher by Design Kids in the Kitchen (both Mesorah). Paula lives in Chevy Chase, MD. Reprinted with permission from New Passover Menu © 2015 by Paula Shoyer, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Michael Bennett Kress

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MARCH 26, 2015

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MARCH 26, 2015

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A Parsha Thought An Open Invitation: Insights on the Pesach Haggadah

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

Rabbi Shmuel Silber

Haayinu (we were servants to Pharaoh), and link this historical experience to our contemporary circumstances. By melding our past into our present we allow ourselves to re-experience the exalted feelings of emancipation and freedom.

Yet, at the very moment we are about to begin to relate the story of slavery and salvation we recite a fascinating paragraph – Ha Lachma Anya, this is the bread of affliction.

This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.

Let all who are hungry, come and eat.

Let all who are needy, come and celebrate Passover (partake of the Paschal lamb).

This year we are here - next year, may we be in the Land of Israel.

This year we are slaves - next year, may we be free.

Furthermore, if we are truly interested in inviting people, why make this declaration in front of the already invited guests? The people at the table already have a license to be present. If we are looking to invite those who may not have a Seder to attend, if we are looking to invite those who are in need, why not go to the door and extend a true and sincere invitation to those on the outside?”

What is the meaning and the message of this paragraph?

The Rav explains that this “invitation” is a symbolic manifestation of our new-found freedom. A slave does not have the ability to engage in the mitzvah of Hachnosas Orchim (hospitality) for one simple reason—the slave has no possessions. The slave has no rights of ownership. Everything he owns becomes the property of his master. FurThe Rav, Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi thermore, the slave is so focused on surSoloveitchik zt’l asks a simple question. vival and self-preservation that even if “Why are we “inviting” people to our he somehow manages to acquire someEven with this beautiful and holy Pesach Seder after the Seder has al- thing (and hide it from his master), he plethora of mitzvos, the main focus of ready commenced? After all, by the time hoards it for himself, worrying that if the sacred Seder night is the mitzvah of we issue this invitation we have already he shares it with others he will comproSippur Yetzias Mitzrayim, the retelling of drunk the first of the Four Cups (Kid- mise his own existence. In this section the Exodus narrative. We recite Avadaim dush) and the Seder is well underway. of Ha Lachma Anya we make two profound declarative statements. I am free and as such I can invite anyL I M I T E D T I M E O N L Y one and everyone I desire. I am free and I have the ability and inner strength to share with and SPECIAL FEATURES & AMENITIES UNIQUE OPTIONS • Hardwood floors • Elevator service care for the oth• Lots of windows • Reserved parking er. I am no lon• Unique floorplans • Soaking tubs • Marble foyers • Sunrooms and decks • Washer & dryer ger a slave who • Fireplaces • Electronic entrances • Full kitchen is solely focused • High ceilings • 24/7 emergency maintenance on survival; I am • Free storage • Inside the Eruv free and can look • Pet friendly out for the needs • 1,2 & 3 bedrooms of the other. “Let all who are in need, come and celebrate with me; I can think about and concern myself with the welfare of others. Whoever is hungry, come 7301 Park Heights Ave | Pikesville, MD 21208 | 877.684.9579 | ingrammanorapts.com and join - I can help - I am free.”

There are many mitzvos (commandments) we fulfill during the Pesach Seder. We consume Matzah as a reminder of both servitude and liberation; we drink the Four Cups as a behavioral demonstration of our freedom and we eat the Marror (bitter herbs) as a commemoration of the bitter and difficult circumstances we endured during 210 years of Egyptian servitude.

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Largest Apartments in the Eruv!

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in his commentary on the Haggadah (page 11) quotes from Auschwitz survivor, Primo Levi. “According to Levi, the worst time

of all was when the Nazis left in January 1945, fearing the Russian advance. All prisoners who could walk were taken on the brutal ‘death marches.’ The only people left in the camp were those who were too ill to move. For ten days they were left alone with only scraps of food and fuel. Levi describes how he worked through the night to light a fire and bring some warmth to his fellow prisoners, many of them dying. He then writes: ‘When the broken window was repaired and the stove began to spread its heat, something seemed to relax in everyone, and at that moment Towaroski (a Franco-Pole of twenty three, with typhus) proposed to the others that each of them offer a slice of bread to us three who had been working. And so it was agreed. Only a day before a similar event would have been inconceivable. The law of the Lager (concentration camp) said: eat your own bread and if you can, that of your neighbor – and left no room for gratitude. It really meant that the law of the Lager was dead. It was the first human gesture that occurred among us. I believe that that moment can be dated as the beginning of the change by which we who had not died slowly changed from Haftlinge (prisoners) to men again’.”

The precious words of the Rav and the moving personal account of Prima Levi teach us a profound lesson. Our first mandate on the Seder night is to establish for ourselves, our family and our people what freedom truly means.

Freedom is not simply the absence of an oppressive task-master or the ability to do as I choose. Freedom is the ability to do something meaningful with my life.

Freedom is the opportunity to harness my strengths, abilities and resources and find a way to make the world a little kinder. Freedom is the ability to impact those around me in a positive fashion.

Freedom is the ability to be attentive to the difficulties and challenges of the other and to do what is in within my power to mend the many broken hearts.

Let all who are hungry, come and eat. Let all who are needy, come and celebrate Pesach. Let all who are in need know that I am here and ready to help.

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My Israel Home

Gedaliah Borvick

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Vibrant Givat Shmuel

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to the east and north. It is flanked on all sides by highways that offer its residents excellent access to all regions in the country via public and private transportation. In addition, Givat Shmuel is only a fifteen minute car ride to Ben Gurion Airport.

Givat Shmuel is in expansion mode: it has a population of 24,000 and is expected to increase to 40,000 people within the next few years. Its residents live primarily in the following four neighborhoods: Ramat Ilan borders Bar Ilan University (which is officially part of Ramat Gan) and Kiryat Ono, and a vast majority of its population is Bar Ilan students. Schunat HaVatika is the city’s original neighborhood, and houses all the municipal buildings.

HaChadasha surrounds the mall, is a relatively short walk to Bar Ilan, and draws many students and young professionals. And the newest neighborhood is Ramat Hedekalim, which is located on the north side of the city.

In addition to being relatively close to Tel Aviv, where most of its residents work, and in close proximity to Bar Ilan University and a number of medical centers, Givat Shmuel is planning to construct several significant commerce parks, including an enormous hi-tech and bio-tech center in Ramat Hadekalim.

Givat Shmuel has an excellent socio-economic demography, due to its large percentage of high school and university graduates. In fact, the city has the second highest rate nationwide of matriculated high school graduates.

Reflecting this focus on education, the dropout rate in the city’s high schools over the past few years has been 0%. In

Residential Towers in Givat Shmuel

addition, the lower schools, over half of whom are religious, are also highly acclaimed for their high standards and achievements.

Givat Shmuel’s population is comprised of secular and religious – primarily Dati Leumi (national religious) and Chardal (acronym for charedi leumi, or charedi national) – residents. The city boasts over 30 synagogues, which cater to the religious and social needs and customs of the various ethnic com-

MARCH 26, 2015

ivat Shmuel is a city located in Israel’s “Mercaz” – or central district – and is the largest and fastest-growing community of English-speaking students, young professionals and newly-married olim.

By studying its history, location and dynamics, we can understand how Givat Shmuel has become a hub for this important demographic.

Founded in 1944, Givat Shmuel was named after Samuel Pineles, a Romanian Zionist leader who was influential in helping Romanian Jews emigrate and settle in Israel. The city is well-located, less than 20 kilometers from Tel Aviv, and is bordered by Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan to the west, Kiryat Ono to the south and Petach Tikvah

Ilan Ramon Park

munities. The town takes great pride in its tolerant environment and serves as a model of integration between the religious and secular residents who live side by side with mutual respect.

The city provides its residents many cultural, sports and entertainment opportunities. Its community centers run a rich schedule of enrichment and learning activities, and host youth movements such as Bnei Akiva.

In addition, the new cultural center houses a theater, community center, library, dance center and conservatory.

Also, a new sports complex has been created on 32 dunams (about 140 acres) which has tennis courts, swimming pools, exercise rooms and a rollerblading rink.

Thanks to its proximity to universities and employment hubs, coupled with its emphasis on education, strong sense of community and religious tolerance, we can well understand why Givat Shmuel has endeared itself to many young English-speaking families.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel.

To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

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Special Feature

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 26, 2015

Kollel Chatzos Q & A By: Shoshana Bernstein

Rabbi Nechemye Hoffman is the founder and Director of Kollel Chatzos. A young, married father of 3, he started the first kollel in 2011 with just 14 members and a dream. Four years later there are four locations and the power and zechus of supporting limud hatorah, especially at chatzos, is reverberating across the globe.

What is Kollel Chatzos?

Every night at a little past midnight, close to 100 young talmidei chachomim in Brooklyn, Monsey, Monroe and Meron, leave home to learn in Kollel throughout the night.

People are shocked when they see the yungerleit running in to shul at that time, with tallis and tefillin in hand. It’s inspiring to see such excitement for learning when everyone else is going to sleep!

Recently, a wealthy man happened to be standing outside the shul when one of the cars pulled up. He wondered out loud what they were doing and was so moved, he gave $50 to each kollel member right then and there.

What differentiates Kollel Chatzos from other organizations of the same name?

We are the only kollel in Eretz Yisroel with regular, young kollel members learning the standard range of Torah. Walk in to any of our locations at 3 am and you’ll think you stepped in to a normal, vibrant day kollel. In America we are the only Kollel Chatzos and the only kollel learning throughout the night.

Describe a night in Kollel Chatzos.

The members are picked up (since it is the middle of the night, we provide transportation) and Kollel begins promptly at 12:45 with Maariv. Then they settle in to learn. Some chazer what they learned during the day, some learn b’chavrusa.

Others participate in Dirshu; Maggidei Shiur prepare and there is a Dayan who reviews shailos and learns Shulchan Oruch.

Many say tikun chatzos.

Each member has a list of names specific to their kollel to keep in mind while they learn. At some point he takes out the paper and recites the names, often with tears. We keep the lists relatively small and these exemplary talmidei chachomim develop a strong spiritual connection to the names they daven for; if a name is taken off the list, they notice.

They learn until daybreak and daven Shacharis at netz. There is something very special about a davening that comes after an entire night of being immersed

in Torah! Then the members head home to eat breakfast and help with the family and sleep for a couple of hours. By ten o’clock am they are back in their regular day kollel.

So they learn day and night?!

Yes. They get home from day kollel, eat supper and help with the kids, go to sleep at about 8:30 pm for four hours and then wake up and head to Kollel Chatzos for the night. It is an intense way of life, but the kollel members who commit to it can’t imagine anything else. In fact, there’s a huge waiting list in each city.

Shavuos we give a bag filled with milchig items and a beautiful letter thanking the wives.

How did the Kollel get started?

When I was a bochur learning in the Mir I was zoche to get to know a tremendous talmid chochom and mechaber seforim who shared with me that it is a life changing experience to learn the Zohar. I went to Meron for Lag b’Omer and bought myself a small set of Zohar and found it very inspiring. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai states over and over that chatzos halaila is such a special time to learn, so I decided to try. I davened Maariv in the first minyan in yeshiva, went to sleep and woke up at 12 am. I had the key to a Bais Medrash in Meah Shearim; I let myself in and learned, alone, the whole night.

Then I got married and settled in Monroe with a regular day kollel schedule, but I really missed the chatzos halaila learning and always talked about it. About a year and a half after I got married, my wife urged me to use our chasunah savings to open a kollel. I went to various Gedolim for haskama and put a small ad in the classifieds. I started two weeks later with 14

signed up for the zechus of having the kollel learn throughout the night. It grew from there.

What do you think appeals to people most?

When people hear the power and zechus of supporting the kollel, and the yeshuos it brings, they realize that there is definitely a koach to supporting Torah being learned b’chatzos halailah. There have always been those who feel a deep connection to segulos and yeshuos. Now people across the board are recognizing the tremendous zechus in helping ensure there is never a moment without Torah being learned, especially during the night.

When you consider the time difference between the Kollel Chatzos locations in America and Eretz Yisroel, it means that in essence Torah is being learned non-stop from 6 pm to 6 am. Add this torah learning to the rest of torah being learned during the day throughout the world and Torah is being learned 24 hours a day.

You give people the opportunity to become a partner with Kollel Chatzos.

Where does the money go?

Exclusively to the kollel members and

What type of person signs up for Kollel Chatzos?

Yungerleit ages 25-30; deeply committed to learning Torah; they must be learning during the day as well. When someone applies we meet with him and ask: ‘What is your plan for learning and what is your plan for your home life? When will you sleep?’ They must be able to sleep for four hours before they come. When someone is accepted, he is committed for one zman. For most kollel members, there is definitely an adjustment period, but then it becomes a way of life.

What about the wives?

The application actually requires the wife’s signature stating that she agrees and supports this decision, just like for Hatzolah members. Some wives even add that it is a zechus and an honor. During the year we plan support groups for the women, and inspirational speakers; before Pesach we give out bonus coupons, and before

people.

How did one small kollel grow into four locations and a world renowned source for the zechusim of limud hatorah?

The kollel started after Pesach and by the summer, I was running out of money.

I happened to mention the kollel to a new father and he reached into his wallet and gave me $30. He told me, “I can’t stay up the whole night before the bris to learn.

Please have the kollel learn in zechus of my baby.”

The Rashash brings an incredible chiddush: if someone cannot stay up to learn the night of his baby’s vachnacht, he can ask someone else to learn on his behalf and it is as if he himself learned for his baby the entire night. I realized that this was a potential way to help support the kollel while providing new fathers an avenue to have a shmira and a zechus for their baby.

We started advertising and more people

administrative costs to help administer and raise funds for the kollelim. Without the money raised, we would not be able to pay the kollel members and the families would not have the ability to live this elevated and exceptional life of Torah. The more money raised, the more I can give each kollel member and the more locations I can open.

What is your vision for the future?

A kollel chatzos in every city with enough money to include as many kollel members as possible. And ultimately, that each kollel chatzos should be a full day kollel as well.

To contact Kollel Chatzos for more information please call Phone 1855-242-8967 (chatzos) Email: mail@kollelchatzos.com Mailing Address: 46 Main St. #104, Monsey NY, 10952 on the web at www.1855chatzos.org

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TIPS

2. Know your children. Every family is different and every child is too. Think about who will be at your seder and act accordingly. Enhance what will excite your children, and move quicker through what won’t. If there are parts of the seder that you want them to be more interested in, think about what you will need to do to make that happen – and it may be different per child. Don’t try to change who they are by just expecting them to be excited by what excites you.

It will create tension and it just won’t work.

3. Find kid-friendly motivators.

Depending on the ages of your children or their personalities, plan and prepare things that will motivate them. Toy frogs (the kind that jump when you press the back cost 5 cents each and are a big hit!), makkos masks and puppets, haggados with pictures, prizes for saying the mah nishtana (or better yet, for sitting through everyone else’s), or anything else that will grab them are easy ways to get your children excited.

4. Plan ahead. Take some time to strategize before the seder to create a childfriendly evening. Who will say divrei Torah at each meal, how many will be said, when will they be said? Take into account which children get offended if they cannot share what they learned

Mrs. Hebel’s Top Ten Tips FOR INVOLVING YOUR CHILDREN IN THE PESACH SEDER

right away, who can wait and how much the family can reasonably expect to sit through. You can certainly improvise during the seder as needed but the more of a game plan you have, the more likely it is to run well.

5. Use all of the parts of the seder smartly. Overflow of divrei Torah or the divrei Torah that only interest adults are good to be saved for the meal when the kids wander away. Consider asking your older children to let the younger ones take center stage during maggid, which is not easy for them to sit through, and instead to engage in their discussions during the meal. Give your insights during the karpas or any other point in the meal – not all during maggid. A rule of thumb to remember: anything that lasts too long will make your children fidgety.

6. Keep the seder moving. It is very disappointing when afikomen time comes and half the kids are asleep. All their learning and planning … and they miss their favorite part! There are eight days of Pesach (that’s 16 meals!) – not everything has to be shared at the seder.

Keep your eye on the clock and keep it moving!

7. Use smart seating. Keep kids who need help near adults or older siblings.

For some elementary-aged children, helping a younger sibling can be stimulating and a big self-esteem booster; that’s a real motivation to stay involved.

8. Get your children’s input. Ask the children what will make the seder exciting for them. Reflect with them on last year’s seder and work with their feedback.

9. Engage them! Every family has a different comfort level with the type of atmosphere they want at their seder and the balance they want to strike between engaging the children and maintaining a more serious decorum. There is no right way, but if you are ready to go a bit further, a whole assortment of interactive ideas for exciting the children are available online – you can see a few at www.aish.com/h/pes/f/g/48967161. html. If you are more comfortable keeping things simpler, your seder can be a positive and memorable experience without going overboard. Just keep talking to your children and continue to pay attention to them.

10. Relax and enjoy. At the end of the day, the best memories are built on good feelings and positive interactions.

Whatever happens, keep the feelings happy and positive. Don’t lose your cool if things don’t work out perfectly.

There’s always next year to make things better, but you can only enjoy this year once!

Mrs. Estee Hebel, MsED is the General Studies Principal of YBH (Yeshiva Beis Hillel)of Passaic, a preschool through eighth grade yeshiva day school, in Passaic, NJ. With over 17 years of experience in education and educational leadership, she is also a dynamic teacher trainer who has taught a graduate course in educational research and presents innovative, hands-on training workshops on a wide assortment of teaching methods, classroom management and motivational techniques and strategies for encouraging self-directed and higher-level learning. To learn more about her workshops or to schedule one, you can contact her at 732-779-1185 or thebel@yeshivanet.com.

MARCH 26, 2015

1. Keep your expectations realistic. You can’t do it all! After all the work that goes into preparing for Pesach it would be wonderful if everyone at the seder, from the youngest to the oldest, could be riveted, inspired, and engaged the entire time. How wonderful it would be if the high school children could join in stimulating discussion, the preschoolers could sing all their songs and the adults could kvell with nachas while enjoying a spiritual infusion. You may or may not be able to pull it off depending on the dynamic of your family, but one thing is certain. If your expectations are realistic, you will get the most out of your seder. If they are not, you and everyone else there will get very frustrated.

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Parenting

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Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky

A Sea of Tears I

don’t know why I open my email. I don’t know why I listen to the news. I don’t know why I had to even look at the pictures of the burned-out shell of the home that once sheltered seven pure, young, vibrant neshamos. I don’t know why I have to stare at the seven holy remnants of the corporeal holders of seven souls, wrapped in taleisim, settled on a floor in Eretz Yisrael, or in boxes in Brooklyn with thousands of people crying thousands of tears that will never wash away the collective pain of a community. Why do I look for a picture of a family of eight children, standing as one harmonious family unit with cherubic smiles on their

cry as we define, and categorize and bemoan the long exile and try to address every event that led us to living amongst the beasts that have painted their vitriolic graffiti with Jewish blood.

But we have earned by fire the capacity to understand villains and heroes, mesiras nefesh and kiddush Hashem. We survived Auschwitz, we persevered with six million questions about the hatred of our evil villains. In the relentless tragedies that have plagued us so often throughout recent history, we were able to delineate in our minds good and evil. A hero and a villain. A Yid and a rabid anti-Semite. A deranged murderer and an innocent child.

It’s difficult enough to bear tragedy that morbidly fits into, for lack of a better term, the normal pattern of our abnormal existence but when the magnitude of tragedy strikes so inversely proportionally to the sense of serenity and calm and peacefulness that is embodied by the warmth and tranquility of Shabbos in the heart of a thriving Jewish community, we are thrown into a despair that transcends any pattern of history. We can’t configure a point of reference, a comparison, an example to garner some strength by pointing to an incident and remembering how we survived that experience.

Just as I cannot begin to understand the tragedy itself, I cannot comprehend where the angelic faces? Why do I stare it at it and cry? Why can’t I just walk away?

I don’t understand why I force myself to confront the reminders of the churban of an entire family, tragedy, heaped upon tragedy, upon tragedy to a proportion so epic that it mirrors a mother and seven children whose test of faith reverberates throughout Jewish history as a symbol of unyielding faith and courage.

But I do not look away. I am drawn to it. And I look. I take a hard look. We must all look. A hard look.

We must feel the pain. Because this is not “their” tragedy. It is not a Flatbush tragedy, nor an Israeli tragedy nor a Sefardic tragedy. It is a dagger in the heart of the entire Klal Yisrael. It is our tragedy.

We shake our heads, the myriad questions pushing us in so many directions. Rudderless. We have nowhere to navigate the stormy sea of uncertainty. Indeed we are lost for answers. The echoes of Ahron HaKohen’s reaction reverberate thousands of years later more than threefold. The eternal response of B’krovei ekodeish is once again reiterated without hesitation. And that was only two children of Ahron. How can a parent find the strength to say it for seven children?

In so many past tragedies we somehow found a tiny bit of solace in the rationale of what has become conventional throughout the history of klal Yisrael. As tragic as so many recent incidents were, we knew that we were reliving the morbid repetitiveness of the bitter exile. The murders by the Crusaders, the Chmielnickis, the Inquisitors, the Nazis were once again repeating themselves in variant manifestations. And though the pain was often too hard to bear, they found their way into the myriad tragedies that we somehow have learned to bear. Yes. They pained us in Merkaz HaRav, in Har Nof, in Itamar, in Maalot, in Sbarros and the Sunflower Café, in Paris and across Europe repeating the endless dirge of golus’s bloody requiem. And we

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o where do we get the strength? Where do we find the courage?

It always seems that we bystanders, onlookers, who feel so distraught from someone else’s tragedy, can only garner strength from the response of those directly afflicted. Why is it that the consolation to klal Yisrael comes from the source of tragedy itself?

It comes from the mothers of the kidnapped boys and from the powerful words of total surrender from the lips of a father who can do nothing but stand and say kaddish for seven children.

Just as I cannot begin to understand the tragedy itself, I cannot comprehend where the strength to accept it comes from. But it is there. And it is there for all of us to see. To learn from, and yes to apply to our lives, to the more minor pains that we think are unbearable. It is there for us to remember just like we must look at those whose numbered arms that once carried the bodies of their friends or siblings also carried the sucklings of the future generation.

There are seminal moments of strength that bear witness to the words of the Navi, “Netzach Yisrael lo yishaker, The eternity of Israel shall not falter.” Indeed it is moments like these when our faith is shaken and the embers of emunah are threatened to rise and dissipate together with the smoldering ashes of tragedy, that a man or woman rises and accepts their fate and affirm their faith so powerfully and confidently that it is they who become the symbols of strength to a wondering

world, despite the inner emotions that have not even hit them fully as of yet.

There is a powerful force felt by every Jew who seeks it that despite tragedy of epic proportion, despite unanswerable and inexplicable tragedy, we somehow survive. In every generation they rise to destroy us.

Maybe in every generation there are epic questions as well. Perhaps the one who rises to destroy us may not be a man of flesh and blood. Maybe there are tragedies that rise to shake us – to destroy our sacred trust in an all compassionate Almighty who works in ways that leave us in trepidation.

But that is the promise. That the tragedies of Egypt, the thousands of babies buried in the sand, used as bricks and mortar, that the pure, angelic babies thrown in the Nile River, will not perish. They will stand with us as their parents did. They will have faith in the Al-mighty and despite every test placed in front of them, they shall endure. We enjoy focusing on the ten plagues that mercilessly beleaguered the Egyptians while we laughed at Pharaoh parading in pajamas in the middle of the night.

But we often forget the first part of the story. Indeed it is about the children, and we don’t dwell on the pain and suffering of 210 years of bitter slavery under the oppressive whips of Egyptian taskmasters. We forget the enduring pain and the tenacity despite all the torture.

We forget that generations of Jews were surely pondering: “Why do we, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph, suffer so badly in a land that they saved?” ”Why are the babies being thrown into the Nile?” Why are mothers and fathers being separated for no reason?” Maybe it was the answer of stoic acceptance and ultimate surrender that forged our faith and led to the redemption.

It was the faith of those who read Mizmor Shir L’Yom HaSHabbos weekly. It was the faith of those who read v’emunascha balailos. It was the faith of those who wondered why the heavenly Creator allows, “B’froach reshaim k’mo eisev, evil men to bloom like grass.”

In every generation there were those who wanted to destroy us, physically, spiritually, even emotionally.

They wanted to strip us of our Yiddishkeit and our humanity. And the story of our existence is the ability to stand strong and accept our fate and fortify it with the bricks and mortar that they used to wear us down.

And this year when I recite v’hee sheamdah, I will think of not only the manifestation of evil that appears in every generation trying to destroy us physically, but I will think of every incident that tries to shake our faith and rock the foundations of emunah that our fathers toiled so hard to found.

And when I stand saying v’hee sheamdah, I will think of people who, too, have stood in the face of tragedy, in the face of people asking, “How can you continue? How can you believe? How can you endure?”

And I will answer like them, that it is indeed the embrace of Hakadosh Boruch Hu – the total subservience, the total acceptance – that I saw in the response to this tragedy that indeed will save us from their hands. 

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of 1968

Are European Jews Facing a Similar Exodus?

BY YAAKOV WASILEWICZ

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he recent acts of terror in Europe caused many Jews to leave their homes, fleeing to Israel. At the same time, there are those who chose to stay where their families have lived for many generations. After the January attacks in France and the recent attack in Copenhagen, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Jews to come to Israel, saying Jews are not safe in Europe.

But Netanyahu’s statements were rejected by many. French President François Hollande insisted that he would not allow people to believe that “Jews no longer have a place in Europe.”

“Jews have their place in Europe and, in particular, in France,” he insisted. Jair Melchior, Chief Rabbi of Denmark, said he was disappointed by Netanyahu’s remarks. “Terror is not a reason to move to Israel,” he pointed out. “People from Denmark move to Israel because they love Israel because of Zionism, but not because of terrorism. If the way we deal with terror is to run somewhere else, we should all run to a deserted island.”

The sad situation for Europe’s Jews reminded me of a different exodus in recent Jewish history – the emigration of the Polish Jews in 1968.

right after the pogrom in Kielce. Within the year, about 70,000 Jews left Poland.

Jews fleeing from Europe to Palestine after the WWII was illegal. Nevertheless it was done with the help of the secret organization called “Bricha,” which in Hebrew means an “escape,” created in Europe by the Zionist movement.

Many of the Western countries in Europe created barriers that made it almost impossible for the Jews to leave.

Additionally, the emigration to Palestine was blocked by the colonial power controlling it during that time – Great Britain. Jews leaving Poland were put into DP camps in Germany, Austria, and Italy for many months or even for a few years. During the years of 1944-1947, about 140,000 Jews left Poland illegally. After the pogrom in Kielce, between July 1946 and February 1947, about l ve he emigration of the Pol92,000 Polish Jews fled Poland. tra A document of nd la Po e ish Jews started right after The rest of the Polish Jews av le to World War II, but the bigremained in Poland because Poland was gest wave of emigration started on July 4, 1946, still their country, their home, where their fami-

T

lies lived for hundreds of years. It was very hard to leave the place that was so familiar to them and to move to a foreign country—without the knowledge of the language and what awaits them there. Additionally, some of those Jews who stayed in Poland were Communists. Before the war they believed in Communism, and now, finally, after the war they had what they were waiting for, so they stayed.

For those who stayed in Poland after World War II, everything seemed okay – until the year of 1967. That’s when the problems started to appear. Israel won the famous Six Day War and Jews worldwide—including in Poland— were very happy. But happy Jews didn’t sit well with the government and that’s when the Polish government decided to get rid of the Jews. Jews, they said, needed to be loyal to one country—

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among the citizens of Poland. Since they were no longer Polish citizens, they were not given a passport but only a document of travel allowing them to travel out of Poland.

It was a specific document with the words “The owner of this document of travel is not a Polish citizen” emblazoned on it. Additionally, there were large fees to pay and the Jews needed a proof of an Israeli visa from the Israeli ish cemeteries which were previously Embassy in Holland in order to leave. uncared for. The Museum of the History Once they received permission to finally of the Polish Jews opened in Warsaw in October leave Poland, the Jews were understandably anx- 2014, a welcome change of tone towards Jews ious and concerned. They needed to leave within from the Poles. the month. They had to either sell or give away their belongings. And, of ecent events in Europe are frightening. course, they need to say Attacks, taunts, anti-Semitic rhetoric and their goodbyes to their anti-Israel culture are prevalent. People families and friends. choose to leave their countries hoping that they As such, the place and will be safe elsewhere, while others maintain travel is not a Polish citizen The owner of this document of symbol of the 1967 em- their everyday living, hoping that the change igration of Polish Jews became the will come very soon. left Poland. They didn’t want to stay in the train station in Warsaw called “Dworzec GdanThere is a famous quote from the musicountry where they were unwanted. Remember- ski.” This part of cal “The Fiddler on the Roof” when the Jews ing the horrors that began in 1938, people began Poland was the last of Anatevka are to wonder what would become of them if they place that they saw given an order would stay. Thousands fled. 28% headed to the before leaving Poto leave their Holy Land; the majority of Polish Jewry left to land for good. As homes. One Jew the United States. the train left the says to the other, This massive exodus of the Polish Jews was station, they knew “You know, our a catastrophe for the Jewish organizations and they were bidforefathers have institutions there. The Jewish schools closed ding farewell to been forced out down, the Jewish publishing company, “Yiddish their homes, their from many, many Buch,” stopped to function. country, and places in a moWhen they were leaving Poland, Jews were much of their ment’s notice.” given a “document of travel” which allowed identity.

The other responds, Wladyslaw Gomulka : Jews must be loyal them to leave. They also had to complete myrEvery few “Maybe that’s why to one country – Pol and iad forms. One such form stated that after they weeks, more we always wear our leave they were no longer considered and more people fled. hats,” because we Jewish communities became smaller and smaller are always on the run, always as news of other fami- ready to leave our “home.” lies leaving Poland beWe are all in an exile now, dispersed came more and more throughout the whole world. And in times like frequent. The actual this, when we experience anti-Semitism, we exodus of Polish Jewry realize that we are not really at home. Next took a few years but that week, sitting at the seder with our families, we period of time is known will say, “In each generation there is someone as March of 1968. that stands up against us, the Jewish Nation, Since then, many but Hashem is the One Who saves us from things have changed in them.” We hope and we pray that one day soon Poland. Many young Hashem will reunite us and bring us all from Polish people have now arba kanfos ha’aretz to our promised land, to started to learn about our true home with Moshiach tzidkeinu.  the Jewish culture and people and have started to be involved with help- Yaakov welcomes your questions and comments and ing to restore the Jew- can be reached at jakubwasilewicz@tlen.pl.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Poland.

On June 19, 1967, the first secretary, Wladyslaw Gomulka, said: “We didn’t stop the Polish Jews from immigrating to Israel, when they wanted that ... Every citizen of Poland must have only one fatherland—Poland.”

“It’s impossible to be loyal to socialist Poland and at the same time be loyal to the imperialistic Israel. If you want to leave Poland, you will be able to.” And so the Iron Curtain was temporarily lifted and the Polish Jews were allowed to leave Poland.

The government certainly despised the Jews—and so did the average Pole. Regular workers didn’t like the fact that their boss was Jewish and people weren’t happy that Jews held high positions in politics. Jews were summarily fired and were told they were dismissed because they were Zionists. Many had to leave their places of work. Jewish students were not allowed to graduate at universities.

Starting from 1968 until the late ‘70s, thousands of Polish Jews

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In The Kitchen

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Naomi Nachman

Mouthwatering Meats for Yom Tov

I

personally prefer meat over chicken any day of the week. (I wish we didn’t have to worry

about eating too much of it for health reasons!)

Being a personal chef, I have spent the last several weeks preparing delicious Pesach food for my clients, and my favorites are the meat dishes.

As a busy mum and chef during this time of the year, I have to be as efficient as possible. As such, I never make just one roast; I always make two at a time. One roast will be eaten right away and the other goes into the freezer – for the Second Days or for a chol hamoed dinner.

Shoulder Roast with Red Wine Ingredients 5 pound beef shoulder roast 1 large onion, sliced 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp kosher salt Crushed black pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cumin 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup ketchup 1 cup red wine Preparation Place onions on the bottom of a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, take garlic, oil and spices and mix them together to form a paste. Rub the paste all over the meat.

If you have time, let the meat stand at room temperature for a few hours to absorb some of the flavors.

In a separate bowl mix the wine and ketchup and pour over the meat right before placing in the

oven. Insert an oven probe into the thickest part of the meat and set the probe to 135°. This will be rare. You can always cook it longer when reheating after slicing the meat.

Set the oven temperature to 375° for 45 minutes to brown the meat, then lower it to 350° and cover the meat and let it cook until the probe hits 135° internally.

Below are some recipes I have gathered which are among my family’s favorite meat dishes. All of them are quick and easy to make; they also can be doubled and are freezer-friend-

BBQ Pepper Steak

ly – a huge help for those of us who need to ef-

Adapted from Leah Schapira’s “Fresh and Easy” Cookbook

ficiently manage our time.

Ingredients 2 tablespoons oil 2 pounds pepper steak 1 cup water ½ cup barbeque sauce 4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce ¼ cup ketchup 1 tablespoon lemon (1/2 fresh squeezed lemon) 2 tablespoons brown sugar ½ tablespoon paprika Salt and pepper Preparation In a large, deep sauté pan, heat the oil and brown the meat. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 1 ½ hours, then ½ hour uncovered.

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.

California Pot Roast

1061 1

Perfect for the seder

Melt-Away Spare Ribs Ingredients ½ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 4 cloves crushed garlic 3 cups ketchup ½ cup water 2 large onions cut into rings 2 pounds spare ribs Preparation Mix all ingredients except for the onions and spare ribs in a bowl. Place onions at the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Lay the meat on top of the onions and pour the marinade on top. Marinate for two hours.

Bake covered at 350° for two hours.

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Preparation Heat a pan, big enough to hold the roast with a snug fit, and add oil. Rub potato starch and spices around the roast and sear on all sides.

Place the roast in the pan and add the remaining ingredients; cover and simmer on low for 3 hours. The meat will be very tender.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Ingredients 4 pound California roast 2 tablespoons potato starch 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon oil 1 large onion, quartered 2 large loose carrots 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup red wine ½ cup ketchup ¼ cup barbeque sauce

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&

Art Soul

IN JERUSALEM

The

expression of creativity and dedication to G-d can be seen as an elusive combination. Artists are considered amongst the free-thinkers of the world and creative arts a form of personal expression, while observance requires a certain level of conformity. Yet art and observance have been beautifully intertwined throughout Jewish history. With biblical figures such as King David, whose poetry became our Tehillim, and Betzalel, the chief artisan charged with building the vessels of the Mishkan, we see the possibility to integrate these traits.

Yiddy Lebovits is an artist living and working in Jerusalem. He is also the son of the Nikolsburg Rabbi of Monsey, New York. Yiddy moved from Monsey to Jerusalem with his family in 2013 to fulfill his dream

of settling in Israel. As he explored the splendor of the Holy Land, he was taken by its beauty in all shapes and forms. From the sights and sounds of the Machane Yehuda Shuk to the convergence of the country’s diverse inhabitants, Yiddy began preserving these sensory experiences through his art.

Even with his devout background and rabbinic lineage, art was a strong part of his upbringing. His father, the Rebbe, would often draw for Yiddy and his siblings. His maternal grandfather was an artist and a rabbi. Yiddy remembers his first set of art supplies, purchased by his mother at the legendary Canal Street shop, Pearl Paint, when he was eight years old. She constantly encouraged him, even sending some of his work off to renowned art and auction house Sotheby’s, where they took the time to respond with a letter of encouragement.

Yiddy had no formal art training but read books to expand his skills. He was

Drawing soldiers alongside rabbis, he celebrates the “melting pot” of Israel.

BY TAMMY MARK

always creating art and experimenting with different mediums. “Whatever would leave a mark on a paper, I tried,” he recalls. He now works with a wide range of mediums including charcoal, pastels and digital. His online collection features his famous street scenes but also includes still life and portraits.

Yiddy studied graphic design and web design for close to 20 years ago and worked in that emerging field for many years. He then became a tutor, teaching English and Jewish studies, and giving art lessons to as many as 150 students. He instilled basic art skills so his students would be able to produce art on their own, encouraging them to infuse their artwork with their individual flavor. His art lessons ultimately flowed into life lessons, teaching children about having perspective and the ability to see the “big picture” without getting too distracted by details.

While

always a part of his life, Yiddy’s own artwork was not yet a source of income for him. Upon reaching Israel, he felt the ar-

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tistic spirit to be stronger in the Holy Land. Lebovits believes, “Freedom of thought comes out in Israel.”

That spirit, coupled with his passion for the Holy Land, evolved his lifelong interest into something more.

Yiddy had dreamt of moving to Israel for 12 years.

While some family members admired his passion, others thought it was a far-fetched fantasy. He spoke about fulfilling the mitzvah of settling Eretz Yisrael to his children and incorporated it with each weekly Torah reading. When the time finally came for the dream to materialize, his immediate family was ready and excited. Even his father knew he couldn’t hold him back and has visited twice so far.

Yiddy is extremely passionate in his love for Israel and feels profoundly privileged to finally live there.

He encourages everyone to visit Israel and has even persuaded many of his friends who had never thought of making the trip. On a recent visit to New York, he exhibited his artwork at an event called “Painting a Jewish future in the Holy Land” sponsored by Merom Yerushalyim, a residential complex in the heart of Je-

rusalem. Yiddy’s cousin, CEO Yossi Waldman, had seen his artwork a while back and asked him to join their event to showcase his Jerusalem street scenes.

While he enjoys his street scenes of Jerusalem the most, Yiddy’s art portrays many facets of Jewish life such as the shtetls of pre-war Europe and scenery of the Catskills bungalow colonies. Drawing soldiers alongside rabbis, he celebrates the “melting pot” of Israel. “The brotherhood really exists. There is an underlying way we relate to each other, even with all the politics.”

Yiddy has always been interested in history. He felt a deep connection to the culture of the Lower Manhattan – the stories, the shops and the people – and Jewish and American history in general. At this juncture in his life he looks fondly at those past eras of Jewish history, but in Israel he now feels he is living in the future. “We have to invest in the future and be a part of it,” he says.

Now

that Yiddy and his wife and children are fulfilling this vision, he also continues

to pass down his artistic legacy. His six children are all budding artists; his 14-year-old daughter showing abundant interest. The family is supportive of each other’s individual talents; Yiddy’s brother Yoeli is a popular Jewish comedian, a badchan. Their father, the Rebbe, enjoys and encourages his talents as well, as he believes that making somebody smile is one of the most important acts a person can do.

Yiddy shared a story of a photographer he met from Tsfat. He was a baal teshuva who stopped taking photos when he started learning Torah, believing it took away from his learning. After he learned about the importance of sharing the Torah one learns, he realized that G-d’s gifts are meant to be shared, and reincorporated his photography into his Torah life.

One of the lessons Lebovits always imparted to his art students was to appreciate and thank G-d for whatever quality or talent they may possess. He wanted them to understand that it’s okay to take a compliment.

His advice today is the same, “When G-d gives a talent it’s not meant to be hidden.” 