Five Towns Jewish Home 8.24.23

Dear Readers,

Last week, I thought I was organized. I printed out all the school supply lists and school calendars sent by all my kids’ schools. But that’s where my organizational prowess stalled. After starting to pencil in all the important dates into my calendar, I got busy with more pressing items on my agenda and stopped midway. Now, those school calendars sit on my desk, reminding me that the new school year is just days away.

It’s also a reminder that I need to start on school supply buying, which has gotten easier over the years. And even though I promise myself each year that I will look through the school supplies we have in the basement closet before we start buying new supplies, I know that I’ll end up overbuying glues and pencils and folders, only to add them to the growing school supply stash we have downstairs. For kids starting a new year, a fresh binder in the perfect color and pencils sharpened to the perfect point add to the excitement and anticipation of a brandnew start. And for each kid, it’s a different item that will make them more comfortable in their renewed role as a student. I never knew there were so many different types of pencils, and each kid has their preference. Whatever happened to the standard No. 2 pencil that worked just fine years ago?

This time of year sometimes feels like a noman’s land in between camp and school. For some, school has already started, and for others, there are two more weeks to go. I wonder:

is there a way to hold onto summer while we launch into the structure of a school schedule? The relaxing and carefree mindset that comes with summer is so healthy and nourishing. And yet, I know how important school learning is. Can we bottle those senses of summer and bring that balm with us after the sands of summer formally drift away? I’d love to take out those feelings from the cupboard in the frigid months of winter, breathe them in, and take my family on a mini vacation in our living room as the cold winds swirl outside.

Perhaps, one day, as technology advances, we’ll be able to do something like that. Stranger things have come true. Did any of our grandparents think there would come a time when they could write a letter to someone, and it would get there mere seconds after they hit send? Or order groceries from a computer or phone? And they didn’t even have computers or cellphones. Just yesterday, my son asked me if his grandchildren would see him as a blast from the past if he would tell them that he used to ride in cars on a road instead of in flying cars, as his grandchildren may end up utilizing.

For now, I’m going to help my children hold onto those summer feelings as they try on their uniforms and pack up their backpacks. According to them, a few trips to the ice cream store may be critical to accomplish this task.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy

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Friday, August 25

Parshas Ki Seitzei

Candle Lighting: 7:20 pm

Shabbos Ends: 8:20 pm

Rabbeinu Tam: 8:49 pm

Shabbos Zemanim

Dear Editor,

My sister and I eagerly anticipate the Navidaters’ publication every week, as it has become the highlight of our Shabbos morning routine. However, as we delved into the August 10th Dating Dialogue, we were taken aback. This does not sound like a red flag to us! Frankly, the guy sounds like he diffuses an awkward situation and is trying to make the girl feel more comfortable.

The Single responded appropriately saying that they did not know enough about the situation to respond appropriately. The remaining panelists surprised us with their strong emphasis on what they interpreted as abusive behavior.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

A Single and A Married

Dear Editor,

I saw a letter in the August 10th issue of TJH from “Disappointed” which addressed the issue of bullying that occurs among children. The point made is a valid point that must be addressed, however, I feel that the blame was misplaced. “Disappointed” writes: “Sadly, the yeshivos turn a blind eye to this. they are busy with another Gemara or a longer skirt and fundraising. There are no lessons on middos or just being a mensch and treating others as you would want to be treated.” This is just one example of many letters I’ve seen saying that yeshivos don’t teach middos or menschlichkeit and I don’t blame this letter writer or anyone who says that, since it’s a common misunderstanding that most people have.

Being in yeshiva myself, I could tell you what goes on there. My yeshiva, as

well as many other yeshivos that I know of, have a serious mussar seder every day (and that doesn’t mean that we just read the Mesilas Yesharim for fifteen minutes). There are also many shmuzen in yeshivos about how to act and how you should treat your friends, etc. I fully agree with “Disappointed” that bullying is a serious issue and that we must pay more attention to it – sinas chinam is not okay – but in my opinion this is not a problem with the yeshivos, they definitely do their part in teaching middos.

An Inside View

Dear Editor,

There are many intersections in our community that are plagued with constant congestion and traffic. There is one intersection in specific that suffers greatly, the Washington Avenue entrance to Municipal field 1 or the Washington Ave. entrance to the Gourmet Glatt parking lot. This particular intersection frequently comes to a standstill due the many people coming in and out of the parking lot onto a relatively narrow street. However, this intersection could benefit from having a traffic circle installed there to ease the traffic flow and make it easier to navigate.

Zach Hawk

Dear Editor,

Toras Avigdor is exploding throughout the world. Weekly pamphlets of the recorded Torah of Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l can be found in shuls throughout the U.S., Israel and elsewhere. This proves that his words are true and timeless as his Torah is reverberating and remains alive. It’s from the great ones that you could Continued on page 10

Continued from page 8

read anything or listen to something of theirs and you will be changed forever. In one example, in reading a piece from him recently, he emphasized one thing: do things leshem Shamayim. In other words, in any act you engage in, whether eating, sleeping or any act, just add that one thought to it. Having this kavana will make everything you do holy. He notes that doing so takes a second and yet it will bring G-d great pleasure.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor,

It seems that Cedarhurst, and to a lesser extent, Lawrence, are not disability-friendly. Central Ave. and a few side streets have some of the meanest meters in the country. It snaps your car’s picture as soon as you arrive at the meter and gives you five minutes to pay. If you arrive after the time expires, it is equally unforgiving. For those that have severe mobility problems, it is difficult enough to find a spot near the store or doctor’s office, to start. For some people, especially those that have to assemble a wheelchair or maneuver out of the car, it may take take longer than five minutes to exit the car. Even when someone else is the driver, the driver is focusing on helping the disabled person so that they are on the street and don’t fall; they are not focused on paying a meter within five minutes.

If the disabled person is at the doctor, why should he need to worry about arriving at the meter on time? Doctors run late, or that person may require extra time at the doctor. This is insane! Why can’t the town better accommodate disabled people and be kinder? To whom should we complain other than, perhaps, file a class-action lawsuit or take some other legal action?

Daniel Feldman

Dear Editor,

The paper reprinted an article which appeared in the New York Times, “Surprise primary in Argentina.”

The candidate Javier Milei as a farright Libertarian.

I know libertarians are not far-right wingers but freedom-loving people.

So I looked in the dictionary the de-

scription of a Libertarian: “An advocate or supporter of a political philosophy that advocates only minimal state intervention in the free market and the private lives of citizens.”

Far cry from a far-right candidate. Another lie by the state media.

Alan Ernst Cedarhurst, NY

Dear Editor,

It’s amazing what decent, law-abiding, and productive citizens allow our local politicians to implement to our own detriment. Years ago, we all sat back and allowed the installation of obscene parking meters that take photos of our license plates and automatically generate a ticket for committing the horrific crime of sitting in a car. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough to satisfy our presumed need for self-inflicted pain, so we begged our local politicians to find additional ways to fine us. Thankfully, they answered our call and installed cameras on school buses under the guise of “child safety,” the magical mic drop phrase that is used to silence all who disagree. Imagine the gall that people have driving to work or running errands when there are school buses out and about. Don’t you care about child safety? The children, the children. So now we’re in a world where vehicles traveling three lanes away in the opposite direction are smacked with a punitive $250 fine.

I hope we all keep this in mind come election time, but sadly it is human nature to grow numb at the abuse. Just like those that voted for the meters are still around and come to our shul dinners, the ones that implemented the school bus camera disgrace will be safe. $250 is an outrageous, heartless punishment. Imagine a working-class family trying to make ends meet. A $250 fine takes away a summer getaway, a night out, even a doctor’s visit. But as usual, the initial outrage passes, and we accept it as another nuisance in our everyday life. It’s ironic this easily happens to a community where so many are glued to Fox News where the notion of your “freedom” being taken away by the government is constantly blared through the screen, yet we all sit here like sheep and let it happen.

G. Orwell

Spain Wins Women’s World Cup

Spain’s greatest ever athlete, posted an Instagram story saying, “Let’s goooooo!!!! Congratulations, WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!”

This year has not been a smooth one for the team. For months, a large number of the squad’s leading players have been at loggerheads with head coach Jorge Vilda and Spain’s soccer federation (RFEF), a dispute that led to a number of La Roja’s star names missing this World Cup.

Nonetheless, the 42-year-old Vilda said that he was filled with “immense joy and pride” at his team’s World Cup-winning performance.

“We’ve shown how we can play; we’ve shown that we know how to suffer,” he said. “This team believed, and we’re world champions. Go and celebrate! The only thing left to do is celebrate. I can imagine what Spain is like at the moment.”

It was a euphoric moment on Sunday when Spain won its first ever Women’s World Cup in Stadium Australia. Players collapsed in excitement and fans jumped for joy holding Spanish flags and the red and yellow colors of the winning team in their victory over England 1-0.

It was a moment of pure celebration – the “best feeling” she had ever experienced in her life, Spain’s record goal-scorer Jennifer Hermoso said afterwards.

“We’ve spent a lot of days trying to imagine this, but I don’t think it’s sunk in that we’re champions of the … world,” Hermoso told Spanish national broadcaster RTVE. “This is the best feeling I’ve ever experienced in football, in my life. We dedicate this to all of our families and all the people who came from Spain.”

Midfielder Teresa Abelleira told reporters it was “indescribable.”

“What we’ve achieved is incredible,” she said. “I still don’t think what we’ve just achieved has really sunk in. We’re super happy.”

Abelleira also paid tribute to Spain’s first international female footballers “who started in the national team without any resources when nobody believed in them and they fought so we could be here today.”

Other sports stars from Spain joined in the celebration.

Gerard Pique, a men’s World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, wrote: “Congratulations! You have made history! World Champions. What pride!”

Rafael Nadal, the 22-time tennis grand slam winner and arguably

S. Korea and Japan at Camp David

On Friday, the United States and two of its closest allies in Asia announced renewed commitments in a show of solidarity and force in the face of an ascendant China. The leaders of the United States, South Korea, and Japan met at Camp David to forge ties as the region deals with provocative behavior from North Korea and a belligerent Beijing.

President Joe Biden’s summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol came away with new military exercises and a three-way hotline for crisis communications.

Biden has sought to deepen ties with allies in the Indo-Pacific amid concerns about Beijing, and thanked his counterparts for their participation, offering effusive praise for the “political courage” on display.

While Biden stressed that the summit was not about China, the talks may stoke tensions with Beijing. On Friday, when asked about the trilateral meeting, Chinese Ministry of Foreign

Affairs

spokesman Wang Wenbin said, “No country should seek its own security at the expense of other countries’ security interests and regional peace and stability,” adding the Asia-Pacific region shouldn’t be “turned into a wrestling ground for geopolitical competition.”

In a statement released after the summit’s conclusion, the three leaders announced a new “commitment to consult,” a three-way hotline, a commitment to conduct annual military exercises and share intelligence, and a new annual trilateral summit.

The gathering marks the first time Biden hosted foreign leaders at the Camp David retreat, a site of historic diplomatic negotiations for past presidents.

The prospect of trilateral progress among the countries was not always a given. The relationship between Seoul and Tokyo is trailed by decades of tension and mistrust, including a dispute over forced labor by Japan during its occupation of Korea.

But in the face of persistent missile threats from North Korea and China’s military maneuvering in the region, Kishida and Yoon have gone to great lengths to put aside those differenc -

es, including hosting a fence-mending summit in March, the first of its kind in 12 years. U.S. officials have credited that work as a key step in cementing the trilateral partnership once thought unimaginable.

“China’s entire strategy is based on the premise that America’s number one and number two ally in the region can’t get together and get on the same page,” Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, noted at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday.

“This summit was not about China. That was not the purpose of the meeting, but … China obviously came up,” Biden said, adding that he hopes to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping this fall. “Not to say we don’t share concerns about the economic coercion, or heightened tensions caused by China, but this summit was really about our relationship with each other, and deepening cooperation across an entire range of issues that went well beyond just the immediate issues we raised.”

Biden said that “quite frankly,” a more peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region would “benefit everyone living there and around the world if we get it right.”

Elections in Guatemala

far since democracy was restored in the country in 1985 after over three decades of military rule.

Drawing much of its support from voters in cities, Arévalo’s campaign stood in contrast to his rival’s, who focused largely on crime and vowed to emulate in Guatemala the crackdown on gangs by Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s conservative president. Torres also highlighted social issues and supported increasing food assistance and cash payments to the poor.

(© The New York Times)

An anti-corruption crusader won a runoff election for Guatemala’s presidency Sunday, handing a stunning rebuke to the conservative political establishment in Central America’s most populous nation.

Bernardo Arévalo, a polyglot sociologist from an upstart party made up largely of urban professionals, took 58% of the vote with 98% of votes counted Sunday, the electoral authority said. His opponent, Sandra Torres, a former first lady, got 37%.

Alejandro Giammattei, the current president, who is prohibited by law from seeking reelection, congratulated Arévalo and extended an invitation to organize an “orderly” transition of power.

Full official results are expected within the coming days.

Arévalo’s win marks a watershed moment in Guatemala, both a leading source of migration to the United States and one of Washington’s longtime allies in the region. Until he squeaked into the runoff with a surprise showing in the first round in June, it was the barring by judicial leaders of several other candidates viewed as threats to the country’s ruling elites that was shaping the tumultuous campaigning.

Arévalo made fighting graft the centerpiece of his campaign, focusing scrutiny on how Guatemala’s fragile democracy, repeatedly plagued with governments engulfed in scandal, has gone from pioneering anti-corruption strategies to shutting down such efforts and forcing judges and prosecutors to flee the country.

One voter, Mauricio Armas, 47, said he had cast a ballot for a candidate he believed in for the first time in decades. Arévalo and his party, Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement), “seem like people who are not connected to criminal activity,” said Armas, a house painter and actor in the capital, Guatemala City.

Arévalo, 64, a moderate who criticizes leftist governments such as that of Nicaragua, is nevertheless viewed in Guatemala’s conservative political landscape as the most progressive candidate to get this

Canada Wildfire Evacuations

Over 230 wildfires are threatening the Northwest Territories of Canada, forcing evacuations en masse.

The 20,000 people who live in the area’s capital, Yellowknife, have been ordered to leave the city immediately. Residents of several other parts of the Northwest Territories have been given similar instructions.

“Residents living along the Ingraham Trail, in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and Engle Business District, are currently at highest risk and should evacuate as soon as possible. Other residents have until noon on Friday, August 18, 2023 to evacuate,” Northwest Territories officials said in a statement.

Communications manager Mike Gibbins, who works at the Municipal Affairs Minister’s office, has said that just one of the fires approaching Yellowknife is over 600 square miles, or about 165,000 hectares (approx. 407,723 acres).

“This has been the worst wildfire season in NWT (Northwest Territories) history,” said Gibbins. In fact, about 65% of NWT residents have been forced to evacuate at some point during this wildfire season, added Gibbins.

Those who are unable to evacuate by road will be able to do so by air. Additionally, those leaving the South Slave region have been directed to go to St. Albert, a city in Alberta, Canada.

A fire safety crew from Alberta has been sent to the Hay River area, one of the towns in the Northwest Territories, in

order to implement fire retardants in hopes of stopping the wildfires from spreading further, said a government agency known as the Northwest Territories Fire.

“Sprinklers and structure protections are in place and turned on. Other operations will continue work when conditions allow,” the fire protection agency added.

“We’re all tired of the world ‘unprecedented,’ yet there is no other way to describe this situation in the Northwest Territories,” Caroline Cochrane, the premier of NWT, said. “If you are able to evacuate by road, obey all warning signs, emergency management officials, traffic control devices and posted speed limits. Do not make any rash decisions that can put other people in danger.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been in contact with Cochrane about the situation.

“To the people of the Northwest Territories: We’re here for you. We’ve mobilized Canadian Armed Forces members, and we’ll continue to provide whatever resources are needed. I spoke about that with Premier Caroline Cochrane today –and reaffirmed our commitment to assisting however we can,” Trudeau posted on social media platform X, which is formerly known as Twitter.

Churches Attacked In Pakistan

The prime minister has “strongly condemned the reprehensible incident that took place in Faisalabad yesterday where churches were targeted,” said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the day after the attacks. “These acts are illegal and unconstitutional. As a country of law and constitution, Pakistan cannot accept such intolerant and violent acts.”

years prior, Asia Bibi, a Christian Pakistani, was sentenced to the death penalty for blaspheming the Islamic religion, although the conviction was overturned in 2018.

1 Million Displaced in Sudan Civil War

Last week, eight churches were set ablaze in the Pakistani province of Punjab, with at least nine other Christian places of worship having been attacked as well. Since then, over 100 people have been arrested in connection with these crimes.

These attacks against Pakistani Christians, who are a minority in the Islamic country, were done as an act of retaliation against a Christian man who allegedly blasphemed the Quran.

Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws, making it that a criticizer of Islam, the Quran, or Mohammed can be given the death penalty. Nevertheless, several Pakistani officials have spoken out against these recent crimes against the Christian religion.

“Individuals belonging to religious minorities are equal citizens of the state. As a multicultural and multifaith country, Pakistan is fully determined to protect and promote their constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms and to foster social harmony, tolerance and mutual respect,” added Baloch.

A group of over 5,000 Pakistanis planned on attacking even more churches, but police stopped them from doing so, said a spokesperson representing the Punjab government, adding that the police are actively investigating the situation.

This isn’t the first time Christians have been persecuted in Pakistan. In 2013, a young Christian man allegedly spoke out against the Islamic Prophet Mohammed. In response, the man was arrested and a group of Muslims burned down over one hundred Christian homes. Only a few

According to the United Nations, over one million people have left Sudan as a result of the Northeast African country’s civil war, finding refuge in nearby countries, such as Ethiopia, Libya, Chad, and Egypt.

An additional 3.4 million residents of Sudan have lost their homes due to the war, said the International Organization for Migration last Tuesday.

In mid-April, the army of Sudan and militia group Rapid Support Forces

22 (RSF) began fighting against each other. The series of violent conflicts that have ensued since then have forced countless people to flee the country in fear of the armed rebel group responsible for mass murder, assault, and robbery. Several organizations have even accused the RSF of committing crimes against humanity.

“It is time for a reset. We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The people of Sudan need peace and equitable access to humanitarian relief. And the international community must step up today, engage at all levels, and act to put Sudan back on track and end the war,” UN agencies asserted on Tuesday. “Time is running out for farmers to plant the crops that will feed them and their neighbors. Medical supplies are scarce. The situation is spiraling out of control.”

The UN estimates that there have been over 4,000 casualties since April.

Additionally, the UN has reported a 50% increase in gender-based violence in Sudan since the war began.

To make matters worse, around 260,000 Sudanese women are pregnant, 100,000 of whom are likely to be giving birth in the next three months. However, due to the war, hospitals are now, for the most part, unavailable, making it that the lives of these women “and those of their

children and babies that are going to be the future generation are severely at risk,” noted Laila Baker, the regional director of the UN Population Fund.

Still, many are hoping that there is an end in sight.

“At the end of the day, the war will eventually stop at the negotiating table,” said Malik Agar, the second-in-command of Sudan’s military.

Drug Threatens Europe

addition to delusions and feelings of invincibility.

According to the U.S. State Department and the UK’s Foreign Office, the production and trafficking of captagon is connected to Bashar Al-Assad, the president of Syria, as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah, a terrorist organization which is connected to Assad.

According to two New Lines Institute researchers, the drug has generated about $10 billion in revenue over the last three years, with Assad and his allies benefiting the most from the earnings. Assad has denied any involvement with the proliferation of captagon.

Salzburg, Austria, which is said to have been sending captagon to Saudi Arabia hidden within pizza ovens and washing machines.

As of now, the drug is not a real issue in Europe, according to an official with knowledge of the matter. However, with captagon’s recent increase in popularity, the whole world needs to be on guard. As for the U.S., where captagon is also not yet significantly problematic, the Biden administration has announced a prevention plan in order to “disrupt, degrade, and dismantle the illicit captagon networks linked to the Assad regime.”

An inexpensive drug known as captagon has taken the drug world by storm.

Commonly known as “poor man’s cocaine,” each tablet of the drug costs $3 to $25 and is easy to produce. According to reports, users of the drug experience increased motivation, alertness, and joy, in

This drug, which was born sixty years ago as a German-made pharmaceutical, has swept through the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia where many teenagers have overdosed on the drug and others have moved on to more dangerous stimulants such as crystal meth. The Kingdom’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has declared a war on drugs in hopes of defeating captagon.

Now, Europe and the U.S. are doing what they can to prevent the drug from spreading. In 2020, authorities confiscated over 14 tons of captagon in Italy. The following year, Austrian officials busted a drug ring based out of a pizza shop in

Russia-Iran Drone Collaboration

In January, the Mossad allegedly launched a drone attack on a drone factory in Tehran, the capital of Iran, although

it remains unconfirmed whether the Israeli intelligence agency was actually responsible for the strike.

The Iranian Defense Ministry stated that three drones were directed at the building, two of which were neutralized. The third, the ministry continued, hit the facility, resulting only in “minor damage” to the roof, with no injuries or fatalities. According to eyewitness reports by Iran International, an anti-Tehran news outlet based in London, the factory sustained three or four explosions.

As part of Russia’s involvement in the production of Iranian drones, several employees from Alabuga, a special zone where drones are manufactured in Russia, were sent to Iran for training purposes. According to new reports, many Russian trainees evacuated drone-making plants following the attack and stayed in an Iranian hotel as a precautionary measure in the event of further strikes.

According to documents released by an individual who used to work at a Russian drone-manufacturing plant, Moscow is working on creating an enhanced model of Iran’s attack drone with which they could attack Ukraine. The person who exposed these internal documents did so because they feel that the project, which includes the building of 6,000 drones by

the summer of 2025, has “gone too far.”

“This was the only thing I could do to at least stop and maybe create some obstacles to the implementation of this project,” the anonymous person added.

The report, released Thursday, also reveals that Russia is facing several obstacles in this project, including an employee shortage; many want to resign from the project, but cannot since their passports have been confiscated by the government. Additionally, Russia does not have enough workers with knowledge in “key and highly complex areas of drone development.”

Former PM Returns to Thailand

Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted fugitive former prime minister of Thailand, returned to the country on Tuesday for the first time after more than 15 years in self-exile.

Thaksin, the head of a famed political dynasty and a former owner of Manchester City Football Club, was prime minister from 2001 until he was ousted in a military coup in 2006 while in New York attending a UN meeting. He re -

turned to Thailand briefly but then fled the country in 2008 over a corruption conviction. It’s possible he could face up to 10 years in prison now that he is back in town.

of millions of Thais who voted overwhelmingly for progressive parties in the May election, delivering a powerful rebuke to the country’s military-backed establishment that has ruled Thailand since the coup.

Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew said in a statement Monday that the coalition would not include Move Forward Party, which won the most votes in the election.

Thaksin’s return after so many years coincides with an expected parliamentary vote for a new prime minister, with lawmakers hoping to break a political deadlock more than three months after elections were won by a popular progressive party that has been stymied by the kingdom’s political elites.

For weeks, Thaksin, 74, has hinted at his homecoming but the first real sign came Tuesday morning when videos showed his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who also lives in self-exile, hugging her brother before he boarded a plane in Singapore.

Thousands of people tracked his flight as Thaksin’s private jet landed at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport at 9 a.m. local time. He exited the airport’s private jet terminal some 90 minutes later alongside his children and greeted a crowd of supporters before bowing to a portrait of Thailand’s king.

With his populist policies that appealed to Thailand’s rural and working class, Thaksin created a political juggernaut that has dominated Thai politics in some form for the past 20 years.

The Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party, which came second in the May election, will nominate its choice for the country’s next leader Tuesday: real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin.

In a stunning about-face, Pheu Thai on Monday struck a deal with its former military rivals in a bid to secure enough parliamentary votes to form a government.

Though its election campaign included keeping the military out of power, its 11-party alliance includes military-backed parties Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation Party. Both those parties are affiliated with coup leader and outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha and linked to the military junta that toppled a democratically elected government headed by Thaksin’s sister Yingluck.

The move also subverts the will

A telecommunications billionaire, Thaksin rose to power after a landslide election win in 2001. He grew hugely popular with the rural poor thanks to his offers of affordable medical care, debt relief and his anti-establishment stance – and eventually businesses warmed to him too, largely due to his trademark “Thaksinomics” that ushered in an era of economic success.

The policies, which included loans and debt moratoriums for farmers as well as subsidized fuel prices and greater access to healthcare and education were aimed at rural Thais, who make up the majority of the country’s population – but they were anathema to the country’s rich elites and conservatives who accused Thaksin of being a dangerous and corrupt populist.

Despite Thaksin’s physical absence, he has retained an outsized influence on Thai politics. Until this year, political parties allied to Thaksin had won the most seats in every election since 2001 but have struggled to hold on to power due to the military exerting its influence, whether through coups or other means.

Thailand’s military has a long track record of seizing power with more than a dozen successful coups since 1932.

Moon Crash Landing

Russia’s first attempt in decades at landing a spacecraft on the moon crashed on Saturday around 2:57 p.m., Moscow time.

The incident, a blow to Russia’s space ambitions, happened after communication with the Luna 25 spacecraft was interrupted.

“The measures taken on August 19 and 20 to search for the device and get into contact with it did not yield any results,” Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, reported.

According to a “preliminary analysis,” Luna 25 “switched to an off-design orbit” before the collision, Roscosmos added.

The news comes a day after the spacecraft reported an “emergency situation” as it was trying to enter a pre-landing orbit.

The spacecraft was meant to complete Russia’s first lunar landing mission in 47 years. The country’s last lunar lander, Luna 24, landed on the surface of the moon on August 18, 1976.

The Luna 25 probe launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Amur Oblast on August 10, setting the vehicle on a swift trip to the moon.

Luna 25’s trajectory allowed it to surpass India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, which launched in mid-July, on the way to the lunar surface. Both spacecraft were headed to the moon’s south pole region.

Also called the Luna-Glob-Lander, Luna 25 was on a journey to study the composition of the moon’s soil and the very thin lunar exosphere, or the moon’s scant atmosphere, for one year.

Chandrayaan-3’s landing could mark the first successful lunar touchdown for the country. India’s most recent attempt ended in failure when Chandrayaan-2 crash-landed in September 2019. Chandrayaan-3 is slated to attempt its landing as soon as Wednesday, August 23.

Guards in Saudi Arabia Fired on Ethiopians

reports of attacks by troops and images that showed dead bodies and burial sites on migrant routes, saying the death toll could even be “possibly thousands.”

The United Nations has already questioned Saudi Arabia about its troops opening fire on the migrants in an escalating pattern of attacks along its southern border with war-torn Yemen.

More than 750,000 Ethiopians live in Saudi Arabia, with as many as 450,000 likely having entered the kingdom without authorization, according to 2022 statistics from the International Organization for Migration. The two-year civil war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region displaced tens of thousands of people.

Saudi Arabia, struggling with youth unemployment, has been sending thousands back to Ethiopia in cooperation from Addis Abba.

Human Rights Watch says it looked at 350 videos and photographs on social media and from other sources, along with satellite imagery.

“These show dead and wounded migrants on the trails, in camps and in medical facilities, how burial sites near the migrant camps grew in size, the expanding Saudi Arabian border security infrastructure, and the routes currently used by the migrants to attempt border crossings,” the report said.

Migrants from Ethiopia have found themselves detained, abused and even killed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the war between these two nation. But in recent months, there has been growing concern from the UN human rights body about Saudi forces attacking migrants coming in from Yemen.

An October 3, 2022, letter to the kingdom from the UN said its investigators “received concerning allegations of cross-border artillery shelling and small arms fire allegedly by Saudi security forces causing the deaths of up to 430 and injuring 650 migrants.”

It continues, “If migrants are captured, they are reportedly oftentimes subjected to torture by being lined up and shot through the side of the leg to see how far the bullet will go or asked if they prefer to be shot in the hand or the leg,” the letter from the UN reads. “Survivors of such attacks reported having to ‘play dead’ for a period of time in order to escape.”

According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, border guards in Saudi Arabia have fired machine guns and launched mortars at Ethiopians trying to cross into the kingdom from Yemen, likely killing hundreds of the unarmed migrants in recent years.

The rights group cited eyewitness

A letter sent by Saudi Arabia’s mission to the UN in Geneva in March said that it “categorically refutes” allegations that the kingdom carries out any “systematic” killings on the border. However, it also said the UN provided “limited information” so it could not “confirm or substantiate the allegations.”

Batsheva Nigri, Hy”d

car while driving on the Route 60 highway, close to the Beit Hagai junction, south of Chevron. At least 22 bullets hit the car.

Batsheva and her daughter had been hitching a ride from Aryeh Leib, a man in his 40s, who had also been heading to the Jerusalem area from the southern West Bank. Leib was seriously wounded in the attack and was rushed to Beersheba’s Soroka Hospital where he was stabilized after undergoing surgery. Leib is a father of six who had been en route to buy books for his children.

Shirel, Batsheva’s 12-year-old daughter, was in the backseat of the car during the terrorist attack.

“Today we went out for shopping in Jerusalem,” Shirel said at the funeral, “and suddenly we heard gunshots. The windows were broken, and you were no longer awake.

sion has 13 battalions. Over the past 18 months, that number has fluctuated amid an increase in Palestinian terror attacks, reaching a high of 26 battalions in October 2022. Following Monday’s deployment, there will be 23 battalions in the West Bank.

On Tuesday, the IDF said that they had apprehended the two terrorists who killed Batsheva. The suspects, named as Mohammed and Sarker Shantir, were captured in Hebron, along with the M-16 rifle believed to have been used in the attack.

Uruguay Mission in Jerusalem

On Monday morning, Batsheva Nigri, a mother of three, was killed by a terrorist in a shooting attack near Chevron. Batsheva was 42 years old. On Monday evening, hundreds gathered in Gush Etzion Regional Cemetery to bring this pure soul to her final resting place.

In her eulogy, Batsheva’s sister, Eliya, said she was “the most special sister I could have.”

“You were all light and a pure heart, you were a true inspiration. I miss you and am crushed,” she said. “All your life, you overcame every difficulty and proved how much strength you have.

“Everywhere you went, you lit up the place. You were contagious with your energy and joy for life,” she went on, promising to “stay strong and take care of mom, Eli [Batsheva’s spouse] and your sweet children.”

Batsheva was killed when a vehicle she was in with her 12-year-old daughter — who was unharmed in the attack — and a driver came under fire from a passing

“Mom, I want to give you a hug one last time. I miss you. You were the happiest person I know. I ask that you watch over us and don’t leave me. My children will know what an amazing mother I had.”

Batsheva and her husband also served as foster parents to two young children. Batsheva was a kindergarten teacher in Efrat.

The attack came two days after a Palestinian terrorist killed two Israeli men, a father and son, while they were doing errands in the northern West Bank town of Huwara. Shay Silas Nigreker, 60, and his 28-year-old son Aviad Nir were shot to death at a carwash on Saturday afternoon.

The IDF said Monday it was bolstering security in the West Bank with an additional infantry battalion and two companies, following the two recent deadly terror attacks.

Typically, the IDF’s West Bank divi-

According to Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Uruguay will open a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem.

The mission will not be an embassy. Rather, it will be an office aimed at boosting cooperation “in the innovation arena,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The announcement came after Cohen met with his Uruguayan counterpart Francisco Bustillo and President Luis Lacalle Pou in Uruguay. Cohen said he invited Lacalle Pou to Jerusalem to inaugurate the new office.

“We’re continuing to strengthen the international status of Israel’s capital. Uruguay is one of Israel’s most important friends in Latin America, and the president’s decision to open an innovation office in Jerusalem will advance economic and trade ties between us,” Cohen said in a statement.

The move did not appear to mark a shift in Uruguay’s stance on Jerusalem where it maintained an embassy until 1980 when it moved the mission out of the capital to Herzliya north of Tel Aviv. That move came shortly after Israel formally annexed East Jerusalem.

When U.S. President Donald Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in 2017, Uruguay’s government, which had been leftist at the time, criticized the move and summoned Israel’s ambassador to Montevideo after the latter criticized Uruguay’s foreign minister for calling Tel Aviv the Jewish state’s capital.

Before visiting Uruguay on Wednesday last week, Cohen went to Paraguay. That country said that it would reopen its embassy in Jerusalem, ostensibly bringing an end to a rift sparked five years earlier. Israel will also reopen its embassy in Asunción.

Cohen attend the swearing-in of Paraguay’s new president Santiago Peña, whose country would become the fifth with an embassy in Jerusalem if he follows through on his campaign pledge.

In 2018, Paraguay’s outgoing president Horacio Cartes announced that his country would open an embassy in Jerusalem, following similar moves by the U.S. and Guatemala. But the embassy was moved back to Tel Aviv after just five months by Cartes’s successor Abdo Benitez, who said he hadn’t been consulted in the original decision and indicated that it harmed efforts to maintain a more neutral approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then moved to have Israel’s embassy in Asunción closed in retaliation.

Father, Son Killed in Huwara Terror Act

Shay Silas Nigreker, 60, a native of India, and his 28-year-old son Aviad Nir were killed on Saturday in a terror attack in Huwara, a Palestinian town in the West Bank.

The two men had gone into the town for errands, getting a haircut, fixing their car’s air conditioning, and then getting a car wash. They were shot dead at the carwash, with a terrorist approaching on foot and then killing them with a handgun.

“He would go to Huwara all the time. He was not afraid, and he would say, ‘Those are my friends there,’” recounted Shay’s wife, Rina, at the funeral on Sunday, according to Army Radio. “I still can’t believe it. Next week was supposed to be our 20th anniversary. He loved to help people.”

Aviad’s aunt, Dorit Yifrah, said that “we still can’t believe you are not with us. You were murdered by animals, a killer who attacked you from behind… Aviad,

you were a wonderful father and a loving husband.”

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel and Ashdod Mayor Yehiel Lasry were among the hundreds of mourners who turned out to pay their final respects to the victims.

“The entire city is in mourning, together with the nation of Israel we are shocked and in pain,” said Lasry at the funeral. “In life and death, they did not part… Shay Silas was warm-hearted, happy, with a sense of humor and a huge heart, and his son Aviad inherited his personality traits and his values and was a good person who was always ready to help.”

On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences to the family of the victims “whose lives were cut short in such a cruel and criminal way over Shabbat.”

President Isaac Herzog lamented “a sad Saturday that ended with great pain,” while adding that “we must not allow terror to win.”

Huwara has long been a flashpoint in the West Bank, as there is a main thoroughfare running through the town upon which Israelis need to travel through.

The IDF generally does not maintain as significant of a presence in Huwara on Saturdays, as the vast majority of Jews in the area are observant Jews and do not drive on Shabbos. Troops are usually bolstered on Saturday night when Israelis travel to and from the settlements in the area.

As of Tuesday, the terrorist had not yet been apprehended.

This isn’t the first fatal terrorist attack to have happened recently in Huwara; just last February, two Israeli brothers, Hallel and Yagel Yaniv, ages 21 and 19 respectively, were shot and killed in the same town.

Tel Aviv Light Rail Opens

The rail system’s first section, which is known as the Red Line, was opened to the public on the following day. The line spans more than thirty-four stations, going from Bat Yam to Petah Tikva.

Riders will have to pay 5 shekels (approx. $1.30) for travel within the city, with out-of-city trips costing about 12 shekels (a bit more than $3).

As part of the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister cut the ribbon in Petah Tikva, and several Israeli officials, Netanyahu included, spoke at the event. Earlier that day, the PM and his wife rode the light rail as a test run.

“This line will serve everyone — those who support us and those who oppose us. This is a festive day for Israel,” Bibi said in his speech.

“There are always obstacles. They have to be overcome. When people, some of them behind us here, told us not to open up the economy, we opened it and succeeded,” Netanyahu said, likely in reference to demonstrators protesting against Israel’s recent judicial reform controversy. “They told us not to extract gas from the sea. We extracted it and succeeded. They told us not to build the Egyptian border fence. We built it and saved the country. They told us it is impossible to achieve peace with Arab states without solving the Palestinians [issue]. We did it and we’ll solve the Palestinian issue. That too,” he continued.

During the ceremony, hundreds of protestors gathered to demonstrate against the government, directing their jeers at the premier. Prior to the event, many protestors sent formal requests to the police as well as the High Court of Justice, asking them to prevent road blockages that would be put in place due to the PM’s test ride, although none of the appeals were answered. Additionally, there were even some plans of blocking the new light rail’s route.

An official noticeably missing from the event was Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who refused to attend the ceremony because he is against banning public transportation on Shabbos.

“This is my protest,” Huldai stated while on video. “The light rail must also operate and serve the public on weekends, as in fitting in a liberal and democratic country.”

On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a ceremony in celebration of the opening of the Tel Aviv light rail.

Police Target Criminals in Arab Communities

On Thursday, Israel Police conducted a raid in the Arab community of Lod, arresting 85 people and apprehending 48 others for interrogation. Additionally, eighteen pistols, two airsoft guns, three M16 rifles, an explosive, ammunition, and NIS 1.5 million ($400,000) were confiscated. The operation lasted twenty-four hours.

These efforts have been made in an attempt to stop the violence that has been hurting Arabs in the area for the past few years. In 2023 alone, 146 people in the Israeli-Arab community were murdered, which is over double the amount in 2022, according to statistics provided by the Abraham Initiatives, an organization aimed at alerting authorities of violence. Several leaders in the community have

attributed the rise in crime to the police’s supposed failure in treating the situation seriously.

“The Israel Police will continue its uncompromising fight against the main crime perpetrators in order to strengthen the public’s sense of security,” said Shmuel Sharvit, a senior official of the Israel Police Intelligence Department.

Thousands of police officers and border police officials were involved in the raid. Kobi Shabtai, who has been serving as Israel’s police commissioner since 2021, also took part in the operation.

East Jerusalem Development Plans

The Israeli cabinet authorized a fiveyear development plan in East Jerusalem on Sunday. In all, the plan is worth almost 3.2 billion shekels ($843 million), which will be used for infrastructure development, education, healthcare, public transportation, housing, and other projects as well.

Most importantly, Israeli officials say that this move will unite Jerusalem.

“This decision will change the face of Jerusalem,” Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu said in a statement. “We are uniting Jerusalem.”

Tropical Storm Hilary

“A united Jerusalem is not just a slogan; it is a responsibility,” said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionist party, adding that it is “a responsibility to every resident, a responsibility for the development and prosperity of Jerusalem as our eternal capital.”

Initially, the plan was going to be worth 2.5 billion shekels ($680 million), but it was temporarily stopped by Smotrich who disapproved of the deal on the basis that it would provide funding for educational programs for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Arab students, who, according to the finance minister, could be a part of “radical Islamic cells.”

Currently, Smotrich is still against providing NIS 200 million ($55 million) in order to help fight against crime, support the economy, and further development in Arab towns in Israel, thus prompting Arab municipal workers to go on strike. Netanyahu has since announced that the funding will go through, along with government oversight in order to prevent the money from going into the wrong hands.

“Arab citizens of Israel deserve what all citizens deserve, and I am committed to that. This is my demand of all government ministries, and it will be done after a check that ensures the money indeed reaches its destination – Arab citizens of Israel,” the prime minister stated.

Smotrich has said that he believes that Arab-Israelis are “an integral part” of the country and that he is “committed to all Israelis” regardless of their religion, race, or political views.

“This is, first of all, in your interest,” Smotrich said in a statement directed towards the Arab community, asserting that the funding, if it falls into the wrong hands, would only help support organized crime, thus making conditions in Arab communities even worse.

“Despite all the pressure and the false campaign, I announce here that I will not allow the transfer of these funds without clear mechanisms that will ensure they reach their destination and not crime organizations, and without it being clear if they are being budgeted for incitement and encouragement to terror,” Smotrich added.

Although Hilary is now weakening to a post-tropical cyclone, the storm has triggered deadly flooding, deluges of rain, and stormy gusts of wind across parts of the southwest of the United States and Mexico.

The storm hit Mexico on Sunday and caused the death of one person there. After slamming Southern California on Sunday as a tropical storm – the state’s first since 1997 – Hilary headed into Nevada as its first-ever recorded tropical storm. As Hilary moves across the southwest, the storm has brought power outages, life-threatening flooding, and calls for residents to evacuate or shelter in place.

The storm broke rainfall records across Southern California: Palm Springs got nearly a year’s worth of rain with 4.3 inches in 24 hours, one of its rainiest days ever. Death Valley nearly set a record with 1.68 inches, and the Furnace Creek area, which usually gets about two-tenths of an inch in August, got 0.63 inches.

And the storm is the rainiest tropical storm system in Nevada’s history, nearly doubling the state’s 116-year-old all-time record, according to preliminary data from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. Hilary has released 8.7 inches of rain on Lee Canyon, Nevada, drowning the previous record of 4.36 inches in 1906.

Roads have been shut down due to the mounds of mud that have been left behind by floodwaters. Schools in San Diego and Los Angeles were closed on Monday in anticipation of the storm.

The Nye County School District in Nevada also canceled classes Monday, with plans to reopen Tuesday.

Workers Demand Higher Wages

the average full-time offer up to $69,475, a 14% surge in the past year. The actual expected annual salary rose to $67,416, a gain of more than $7,000 from a year ago and also a new high.

Though there was a gap between the wage workers wanted and what was offered, satisfaction with compensation and upward mobility increased across the board.

A Subsidized Internet

Looking for a new employee? Better start shelling out the cash. According to the latest New York Federal Reserve employment survey released this week, the average “reservation wage,” or the minimum acceptable salary offer to switch jobs, rose to $78,645 during the second quarter of 2023.

That’s an increase of about 8% from just a year ago and is the highest level ever in a data series that goes back to the beginning of 2014. Over the past three years, the level has risen more than 22%.

That number is significant in that wages increasingly have been recognized as a driving force in inflation.

Employers have been trying to keep pace with the wage demands, pushing

At least 20 million households in the United States are now receiving discounts on their internet service. The program is part of a federal initiative to close the digital divide between the classes.

The milestone highlights the cost of

reliable internet service for low-income families, an issue that the government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) seeks to address by providing $30-a-month subsidies to eligible U.S. households. Recipients living on tribal lands can receive even more, up to $75 per month, to help cover internet access costs.

U.S. residents can qualify for the program if they meet certain eligibility requirements, such as participating in other government assistance programs including SNAP or Medicaid, if their income is below a certain level, or if they have recently received federal Pell grants.

The FCC announcement comes nearly two years after the bipartisan infrastructure law first set up the program, replacing an earlier pandemic-era aid initiative.

In early 2022, just months after the infrastructure bill became law, the FCC said more than 10 million households had signed up for the ACP.

In February of this year, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the figure had grown to more than 16 million households saving a total of $500 million a month on internet service.

The program has continued to gain more than half a million new households a month since then.

“For a long time, closing the digital divide focused on one part of the equation—the lack of physical infrastructure to get online,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. “But we know that for many people, even when there was technically access, the cost to get online was too high.”

The ACP isn’t the only way the U.S. government has recently moved to expand internet access. Billions of dollars in infrastructure funding are set to flow to states in the coming months as part of a separate initiative to encourage broadband buildouts.

Smoke Blankets the Northwest

Thick smoke blanketed much of the Pacific Northwest on Monday as numerous wildfires in Canada, Washington and Oregon continued to burn, killing at least one person, destroying scores of buildings, and threatening dozens more.

At least six large fires were burning in Washington, including the Gray fire, which was discovered about noon Friday and was only 10% contained as of Mon-

day morning, and the Oregon Road fire, which had burned more than 10,000 acres and was also only 10% contained, according to a state fire tracking agency. In Oregon, four large fires were burning, three of which were just outside of Eugene.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources said at least one person had died in the Gray fire and another death in connection with the Oregon Road fire was under investigation but that the cause had not been determined. At least 265 structures were destroyed by the Gray and Oregon Road fires.

As the sun rose in Seattle, the Space Needle’s web camera captured a city under a gray, purplish haze. The air quality index, which measures the density of major pollutants in the air, reached 178 as an air quality alert remained in place through Monday afternoon. The air in Issaquah, about 17 miles east of Seattle, registered 182. An index number above 200 is considered “very unhealthy.”

But by Monday afternoon, air quality was beginning to improve thanks to an onshore flow that was pushing smoke out of the area. The air quality index measured 95, a moderate risk level, and the quality was expected to continue to improve through the evening and into Tuesday morning, said Maddie Kristell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Kristell said the smoky air was the result of an accumulation of multiple fires in the area, including the Gray and Oregon Road fires, as well as the Sourdough fire, about 125 miles northeast of Seattle.

“We’ve gotten a little bit of everybody’s smoke,” she said.

Much of it has come from across the Canadian border in British Columbia, where 35,000 people were under evacuation alerts and 27,000 people were under evacuation orders as the province’s premier, David Eby, declared a state of emergency and restricted travel. Parts of southern British Columbia face “very high” health risks because of poor air quality. (© The New York Times)

Keep Little Ones

Off Screens

ciation and not necessarily a causation. That pattern could well be explained by the value of face-to-face time for young children. When children have face-toface interaction with adults, children receive valuable information such as understanding facial expressions, receiving feedback, and absorbing tone in conversation.

Boston, Dallas, are Safest

likely to be considered safe than in 2006: New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. At the same time, Americans are significantly less likely than they were in 2006 to say Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Seattle are safe.

For those who haven’t yet gotten the memo, children, especially little ones, should be kept off screens. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, 1-year-olds exposed to more than four hours of screen time a day experienced developmental delays in communication and problem-solving skills at ages 2 and 4.

The research also found that 1-yearolds who were exposed to more screen time than their peers showed delays at age 2 in the development of fine motor and personal and social skills. Thankfully, these delays appeared to dissipate by age 4.

Experts were quick to point out that the delays and screen time were an asso-

The findings, conducted by scholars in Japan, were drawn from questionnaires about development and screen time, which were given to parents of nearly 8,000 young children. In general, babies exposed to higher levels of screen time were found to be the children of first-time mothers who were younger, and with lower incomes and household education levels, and those suffering postpartum depression. (Only 4 percent of babies were reported to be exposed to screens for four or more hours a day, while 18 percent had two to less than four hours of screen time a day and a majority had less than two hours.)

The study noted a “dose-response association” between screen time and developmental delays: The more screen time babies were given, the more likely they were to show developmental delays.

Biden Tours Maui

Of 16 large cities in the United States, Americans say that Dallas and Boston are the safest cities to live in or visit. On the other hand, they consider Detroit and Chicago to be the least safe of those 16 cities.

In addition to the nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults who think Dallas (74%) and Boston (72%) are safe, majorities ranging from 52% to 63% rate nine other cities as safe: Seattle, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

But if you’re looking to travel, hold onto your wallets in Detroit and Chicago, cities that only 26% and 27%, respectively, view as safe. Other cities receiving less-than-stellar grades in safety? Less than half of Americans say Philadelphia (47%), New York (41%) and Los Angeles (41%) are safe.

Politics plays a large part in people’s view of safety. With the exception of Dallas and Miami, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are substantially more likely than Republicans and Republican-leaning independents to perceive each city as safe. On average, the party gap today across the 16 cities is 29 percentage points, much greater than the two-point gap in the 2006 poll.

Majorities of Democrats consider all but two of the cities – Chicago and Detroit – to be safe places to live in or visit. In contrast, majorities of Republicans view just five cities as safe – Las Vegas, Miami, Dallas, Boston and Houston. Democrats are most likely to perceive Seattle and Boston as safe, while Boston and Dallas top the list among Republicans.

The latest poll marks the seventh time that Gallup has gauged Americans’ views of the safety of 14 of the 16 cities since 1990. Las Vegas and New Orleans were only included once before – in 2006, the last time all of the cities were measured. In 2006, nine of the cities were considered safe by majorities of Americans, and 11 hold that distinction today.

Several cities are now much more

President Joe Biden on Monday toured the scorched remains of Lahaina, a coastal town on the Hawaiian island of Maui, in his first visit since deadly wildfires killed more than 100 people.

Biden, who broke away from his summer vacation on Lake Tahoe in Nevada, met with survivors of the fires and with emergency workers and state and local officials. The president hugged Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, and walked arm in arm with him to Marine One for a 20-minute aerial tour of the wreckage.

“The devastation is overwhelming,” Biden said as he stood near a 150-yearold banyan tree, a cherished landmark in Lahaina. He said the tree symbolized the resilience of the Maui community.

The president, who was joined by first lady Jill Biden, also sought to assure residents of Maui that they would be involved in the recovery process. “We will be respectful of the sacred grounds and the traditions,” he said.

The president has come under criticism from Republicans for not saying enough publicly in their view about the fires that turned Lahaina into an inferno on Aug. 8. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser warned that “a warm welcome may not be assured for Biden in some circles on Maui” because of frustrations over applying for aid and cultural sensitivities involving Native Hawaiians.

Local congressional leaders have said billions of dollars are needed to help Maui recover.

White House officials have rejected the criticism, saying that the president has kept in close touch with the governor and Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Federal officials had searched about 85% of the area affected by the fire for

victims, Criswell said. The remaining portion of the island includes many more buildings with multiple stories, making search and rescue operations difficult. She said officials were estimating that the search could take another two weeks.

FEMA has encouraged survivors to register with the government to receive assistance, including an immediate payment of $700 to cover food and water. By the end of last week, more than 5,000 people had registered.

But lawmakers, including Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said long-term federal assistance would be needed for Maui’s recovery.

“But we want the country to know this isn’t a matter of sending an online contribution and throwing up a hashtag — we’re going to need an enormous amount of resources for the foreseeable future,” he said. (© The New York Times)

Maui Death Toll

As of August 19, over 114 people have died as a result of the wildfires that have consumed the island of Maui, making these blazes the deadliest wildfires the U.S. has seen in the last century.

However, over 1,000 people are still

likely missing, said Hawaii governor Josh Green on Wednesday. Additionally, 55% of the area has yet to be searched, according to the mayor of Maui County. As such, it is likely that the death toll will rise further as more remains are discovered. Still, officials with about forty canine helpers continue to search the area.

other utilities, there could be paints, thinners, hazardous materials that were used in the construction of the building that is now been consumed by fire,” noted Brig. Gen. Stephen Logan.

In light of these devastating events, Herman Andaya, the head of Maui’s Emergency Management Agency, has resigned after being heavily criticized for not sounding the alarm and siren system in order to warn people of the wildfires. Andaya attributed his resignation to personal health concerns, according to Maui County.

golden retriever decided that maybe she doesn’t want us to go away to get married, so she hopped up on the counter and decided my passport was a nice new toy to play with,” Frattaroli told the Boston Herald.

Although their excuse that the dog ate it sounds quite cute, that wouldn’t fly with immigration officials. Frattaroli quickly contacted their state reps, who helped him to get a new passport with an emergency appointment at the Boston Passport Office.

As of Sunday, 27 victims have been identified. Many of the bodies are charred beyond recognition, and so authorities are using DNA to help identify them.

After the search is done, authorities will have to ensure that each affected area is safe before survivors settle back in. Since the fires hit homes and places of work, there may be several potential hazards scattered throughout the impacted areas.

“Each one may have some type of propane tank, there could be some type of live electricity rolling through, some

When asked if, in retrospect, he feels that he should have activated the sirens, Andaya said, “I do not.” He then went on to explain that if alarms went off, people would’ve panicked and ran “into the fire.”

Angus McKelvey, a member of the Hawaii State Senate who represents Lahaina and is among the many who have lost their homes in the fire, called Andaya’s answer “insulting.”

“I’ve heard the line that ‘people would have panicked and ran up to the mountains because it’s a tsunami siren.’ … It’s insulting to think that people would be that clueless, that they wouldn’t know that sirens blasting was because of the fire,” McKelvey said. “These are not tsunami sirens. They’re disaster sirens.”

The Dog Ate It

“The most important day of my life is coming up. I’ve got to make sure I’m there for it. It’s almost like the ‘dog ate my homework’ excuse but with slightly bigger ramifications,” he said.

After the passport appointment, Frattaroli confirmed on Facebook that the situation was “all worked out.” For better or for worse.

Ironman

Donato Frattaroli and Magda Mazri, residents of Boston, were planning on getting married in Italy next week. But they had one problem: what to do if the groom can’t attend the big event?

You see, Frattaroli was all set to head to Italy. But last week, when the couple went to Boston City Hall to fill out their marriage forms ahead of their trip, they came home to a big surprise.

Their dog, Chickie, also known as Chicken Cutlet, seemed to have gotten hungry and got his paws on Frattaroli’s passport, chewing up the legal travel document with just days to their flight.

“Our extremely cute 1.5-year-old

Lino Tomasen is pretty strong, and he’s ready to prove it. In fact, just last week, the “Ironman” from Havana, Cuba, stood in a square in the city and beat himself with a sledgehammer in front of enthralled onlookers. As the crowd watched, Tomasen beat his wrists, elbows, and forearms with the iron tool – but never seemed to get hurt.

According to Reuters, Tomasen said he once aspired to be the next Mike Tyson, training to become a professional boxer by subjecting himself to millions of blows with the hammer, and eventually moving from the Caribbean island to fight in Mexico City.

“I had 27 matches won by knockout, but I retired because in the last of them I fractured the skull (of my opponent) and he died instantly,” the stocky Tomasen recalled in an interview with Reuters in Havana.

“I gave away all the money I made in my fights to his family,” he said, estimat-

ing the sum to be over $100,000, a huge amount of money for most residents of Cuba. “I vowed never to fight again.”

Now, he earns his money by showing off his skills to onlookers during impromptu shows in Havana and in beach communities.

On a recent sweaty summer morning, the 32-year-old chewed on a half-smoked cigar and wowed a crowd by doing pushups on his bent wrists with a full-grown man on his back. Then he returned to beating himself with his sledgehammer, studiously pounding every joint in his arm to the winces of onlookers.

“They have offered me thousands, millions of dollars to get back into it, because they know my potential that I have, and I have always said no,” he said.

“I want to be remembered as someone who pushed the limits of what was possible.”

Sounds memorable.

Lights Out

A week after many homes near Staten Island lost power, officials have found the cause of the cut to electricity: a floppy fish. Workers found the dead aquatic animal on a transformer.

“We are guessing a bird dropped it as it flew over,” police said on Facebook.

Making light of the victim’s fate, they called him “a hard-working family man” and a “father to thousands.”

Flying High

after her husband had a serious accident, but she resumed her old passion after his death in 2003.

“I have a choice of watching TV or sitting in front of a computer, or going out and jumping and traveling across the country,” she told the Longmont Times-Call.

In 2013, Knor was inducted into the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame.

The suspect, they said, “was last seen flying south” and “may still be very dangerous.”

Chris Hoenig, a spokesperson for electricity provider Jersey Central Power and Light Company, said an osprey, a common bird in the area, could have been responsible.

According to Hoenig, ospreys are a common cause of power outages in another way, as they often make nests on power lines and other equipment. Sounds like this victim was sleeping with the fishes.

I want to have Kim Knor’s energy when I am 84. The Colorado woman is now approaching her 600th time skydiving – and she’s not done. Her goal is to reach a lifetime total of 1,000.

The octogenarian started skydiving at age 20 in 1959, and in 1962, she became a member of the inaugural U.S. Women’s Parachute Team.

Skydiving is not just fun for her; she said her passion for skydiving is how she met her husband.

“When I got a job in Washington, the guy that defected my ‘chute in 1962 was from Yugoslavia and a friend of ours in Washington got us back together, and we got married in three months,” Knor told CBS News.

Knor stopped skydiving for 37 years

Last weekend, Knor’s grandson, John Norsen, accompanied his grandmother and went skydiving for the first time.

“I’m just following tradition of everyone in our family jumping with her for the first time,” Norsen said.

Knor said she hopes to inspire more women to try skydiving.

“I keep encouraging them to at least go out and try it; and if it’s your thing, you might end up getting a job at a drop zone and be around these people all the time,” Knor said. “At most drop zones, everybody’s on a high, because they’re so happy to go up and jump.”

She’s certainly high as a kite.

Around the Community

The Avnet ’23 Experience: Making Memories & Friends

Every summer at Avnet Country Day School starts with the same message at staff orientation, “the best thing about memories is making them.” It sets the tone for camp and is a reminder that eight weeks can have a tremendous impact on every child. The summer of ’23 featured many incredible highlights. It was a whirlwind of activity from the moment the buses arrived with eager campers ready for their daily adventures. There were encouraging lessons in the pools, endless excitement on the sports fields, and creative opportunities at a variety of specialties. A petting zoo, game truck, carnival, laser tag and even a circus came to “town.” Trips to Broadway shows, sports games, Adventureland, Hershey Park, Club Getaway and Camp Mesorah enhanced the fun. Campers demonstrated their acting skills in Drama and critical thinking in STEM. There were Torah-oriented discussions in Chinuch and tremendous achdus shown by bunks when working together to earn SPARRK points. Color War brought the summer to a close with respectful competition.

Since everyone has their own definition of fun, I visited camp to ask some campers about their favorite aspects of Avnet. It’s no surprise that friendship topped the list. On the girls’ side, Kaylee Orlofsky in G7/8 explained, “I loved hanging out with my friends without having to do schoolwork. My counselors were also amazing. I was a Color War camper captain, and even though my team didn’t win, it was still great!” Aliza Reich, Rachel Berger, Lily Epstein, and Ella Grosman in G4A couldn’t wait to chat. Aliza said, “I loved everything about Avnet –my friends, counselors, Resin, Art and SPARRK points. Swimming made my summer special. I learned how to flip in the pool!” Rachel shared, “Resin and Zumba were the best. This was my third

summer at Avnet, and I came back because I like the people here. My favorite thing was going on the Mesorah Experience with my counselors and friends.”

Lily said, “I loved climbing rock walls at High Exposure. Being with friends made every activity the best one.” Ella added, “When we saw ‘The Play That Goes Wrong,’ it inspired us to put on our own show. My favorite thing was meeting new people. I had friends going into camp, but Avnet brought everyone together.”

The boys had plenty to say as well. Zach Amrani in B5B mentioned, “Being with friends was the best part of the summer. I love sports and I really enjoyed the softball leagues.” Jacob Swedarsky in B3A said, “I loved playing kickball and baseball because I’m good at them. I also liked seeing my friends and making new friends. My friends were the greatest thing at Avnet.” Evan Kosoff in B3B added, “Avnet is special because the people are nice, and you learn sportsmanship.” Robert Morochnick and Josh Bienstock in B4A also weighed in. Swimming was Robert’s favorite activity, while Josh liked the basketball leagues. Launch was Josh’s most memorable trip, while Robert loved the rides at Hershey Park. Robert enjoyed making pizza in Country Cooking, and baking pretzels was Robert’s first choice. They agreed that “having great counselors made us feel comfortable at camp.”

Libby Stricker in G7/8 summed it up, “This is my 10th or 11th summer at Avnet, and I don’t want to go anywhere else. Avnet is not an average day camp. There are such amazing activities and sports. Everyone is so nice here. I have a lot of friends. There aren’t any cliques, and we all hang out.”

Planning is already underway to make new memories at Avnet in summer ’24. The Avnet team wishes everyone a Shana Tova and an enjoyable year at school.

FIT KIDS: Where Fitness, Dance and Fun Collide Unleashing Young Talent Through Dynamic Classes

By Atara Cohen

People often say that to be successful in a business, you need to believe in your product.

Well, I definitely do, and it’s based on my life experience.

My childhood was amazing, but it was mostly because I had a mother who made sure I was thriving. Not all of us are students, and I was NOT a student. I could not sit in a classroom. Studying was actually painful. I had tutors helping me with homework for years. Once I studied for hours for a test and got a 60. My tutor looked at me and said, “That’s great! 60 is more than half. That means you knew more than half of the material!”

While moments like those kept me afloat, and eventually helped me to become a better student, I know I would not be the person I am today had I not done extracurricular activities.

My dance and art lessons were what kept me going. School can seem never-ending. For kids who are not naturally academic or good at sitting, without having outside activities, they can feel like they’re drowning with no escape.

But kids need an escape when they feel that way.

School was always important, but my mother would stop me from studying and say, “It’s time for dance lessons, and dance lessons are also important.”

Dance was taken seriously as a FUN activity. I was not training to become a professional dancer. Dance was a time for

me to work on my skills, gain confidence and release endorphins. It was really my escape from the everyday sitting and studying that the school year inevitably is.

Those lessons truly helped me identify who I was and gave me confidence that I never could have gotten in a school environment.

Looking back on my life, most people probably know me as a “dancer” or an “artist,” and I’m so thankful to my mom who made sure that I thrived every year by making sure I had lessons.

This school year, do not let your kids have a break from school by throwing them a tablet. Give your kids confidence and physical and mental good health by sending them to lessons.

So ,if I may, I’d like to introduce one of the amazing programs in your own backyard. FIT KIDS is located in the heart of Cedarhurst, right off of Central Ave (located in FIT).

We offer a range of diverse and professional classes, for all ages, led by exceptional instructors.

The schedule at FIT KIDS features Hip Hop, Boxing and Acro, Ballet, Breakdancing, Cheerleading and Yoga, just to name a few.

Our breakdancing class is led by none other than “Spidey,” the talented breakdancer who graces the Brooklyn Nets’ halftime show. In this class, kids are learning the basics and beyond when it comes to the art of breakdancing. Gaining skills, letting loose and spinning on your head are all part of the fun in this exciting

class!

“Hip Hop” welcomes Adee Black, dancer for the “Nitrogen” Company, as the lead instructor for Jr. High and High School girls. Each week, the choreography will include intricate combinations, having the girls learn new moves and styles, expanding the girls’ dancing abilities.

Yasin Johnson, instructor of “Boxing and Acro,” has experience as a boxer, gymnast, fitness trainer and even dancer. You may recognize his name, as he works as a top gymnastics coach at Powerhouse and, before then, as a beloved coach at LIGA. His years working with kids makes him incredible at understanding how to push them to their potential while still having fun.

“Boxing and Acro” will involve learning boxing techniques, working on their ability to act with quick reflexes and mastering the art of parkour.

“Hebrew Hip Hop” has been an extremely popular class at our gym. Girls will learn the newest, on-trend dance moves to “kosher” music. Over the semester, they will cover a number of dances to different songs. Shira Frechter, who teaches some of these classes, has been a choreographer and Jr. Director of “Harmony,” a popular show in our community. She, as well as our other seasoned

Did you know?

instructors, are not only amazing dancers but beautiful role models for the girls.

Through the amazing care and warmth of Sheri Katz, our yoga instructor, the children do not only learn poses, become more flexible, and learn breathing techniques, they also learn how to be more calm, thankful, present and happy. This class exercises the mind and body and will truly help each child on the inside and out.

One word to describe “Girls Night Out” is “FUN.” This class runs longer than our other classes, and includes a hip hop class, pizza dinner and ends with sports and games. FIT KIDS will not only be a “class” for these girls, but a place they feel they can relax, gain skills and make friends.

Grab your pom-poms! In Cheerleading, the girls will learn basic moves and jumps, and sing chants and cheers, with teamwork and team spirit.

This is just a glimpse of the awesome classes happening this Fall at FIT KIDS. Please check out our website to see the full schedule of classes we have to offer. Registration is now open. We’d love to have you be a part of the FIT KIDS family.

Atara Cohen is the director of FIT KIDS.

Tigers have striped skin –not just striped fur.

JCCRP’s Successful 2023 Rosh Hashana Distribution for Holocaust Survivors

On August 16, Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula (JCCRP) distributed Rosh Hashana food packages to 300 local Holocaust survivors. Preparation for the event began on August 15, as 30 volunteers and JCCRP employees worked together to package the food boxes at JCCRP headquarters. On the day of the event, eight volunteers and JCCRP staff

members distributed boxes of carefully prepared holiday foods to Holocaust survivors with a smile. The Holocaust survivors greatly appreciated the food packages and thanked the volunteers profusely for them. Elected officials, including NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer-Amato, Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers, and District Leader Frank Gallucio, took

part in the JCCRP distribution and visited Holocaust survivors.

The volunteers greatly appreciated the opportunity to participate in the distribution. Volunteer Ernesto from LEV NYU said, “This was a very meaningful experience for me; I appreciated interacting with Holocaust survivors and being able to give back to my community in such a tangible way.”

Thank you to our funders and community members for making this distribution such a success, including UJA-Federation of NY. If you are interested in volunteering at our next Holocaust Survivor event, please email volunteer@jccrp.org.

Amidst Rapid Expansion, Bnei Akiva Announces New Chief Growth Officer

Bnei Akiva of the U.S. & Canada, the leading North American religious Zionist youth movement, announced the addition of Rabbi Dr. Noam Weinberg to the executive team as Chief Growth Officer. With over 25 years of leadership and high-level involvement in Jewish education, Rabbi Dr. Weinberg brings a wealth of knowledge to the executive team. Rabbi Weinberg served as the principal of the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School for 13 years, and most recently was a founding director of JOLT Israel for the past eight years. He has vast experience in formal and informal education as an educator, principal and director, in addition to his laudable list of multiple Masters degrees, certificates and a Doctorate. His main mission is to drive growth, innovation and streamline programmatic success for Bnei Akiva of the US & Canada increasing the fast-growing participant membership and community programming across the continent.

Did you know?

Rabbi Dr. Weinberg’s appointment comes on the heels of a five-year-long roadmap of an internal restructure, administrative and professional development, and an integrated marketing and communications strategy developed for Bnei Akiva after a year-long strategic audit by AJ O’Connor Associates. With the growth of the movement, having opened six new day camps, expanded the Mach Hach BaAretz teen summer Israel tour, opened new community chapters and heading into the 10th year of Bnei Akiva’s Midreshet & Yeshivat Torah V’Avodah with a high-level Kollel and newly approved Hesder program, a Chief Growth Officer was an essential component to propel the future and continued success of Bnei Akiva summer and year-round programs.

“Rabbi Weinberg is not only a distinguished educator with close to three decades of experience leading growth-focused schools and organizations in both the informal and formal education

The Eiffel Tower gets taller in the summer.

sectors, but he is a leader who exudes warmth and authenticity,” shared Rabbi Shaul Feldman, executive director of Bnei Akiva of the U.S. & Canada. “This role is essential to driving the movement forward and a role we’ve wanted to fill for some time. We were waiting on the perfect candidate, and Rabbi Weinberg fits the bill both in respect to his extensive skillset and experience, as well as his mission-driven focus.”

Rabbi Dr. Weinberg’s focus will be multi-faceted, including: bringing Bnei Akiva year-round programming to new communities with strong Bnei Akiva summer presence, supporting the entire Shlichut process, and youth leadership training. Additionally, he will be charged with culture building and inspiring the next generation in all aspects of religious Zionism and a love for Am, Eretz & Torat, Israel – through innovative, out-of-thebox programming. Rabbi Weinberg’s varied background with a masters in family therapy, as a certified coach in adolescent religious development, as well as holding a graduate certification in not-for-profit management from Columbia University Business School will no doubt support his long-term goals for Bnei Akiva.

“Bnei Akiva is at the forefront of the revolutionary change in how today’s

North American youth interact with Israel, leadership opportunities, and informal education. I’m delighted to be a member of such an innovative and community-focused team.” said Rabbi Dr. Noam Weinberg. “Bnei Akiva has ambitious plans for the year ahead. I’m excited to make an impact and help achieve those goals, especially within a movement that was integral in laying the foundation to help me realize my own dream of making Aliyah and living in Israel.”

Rabbi Dr. Weinberg is a boger (alumnus) of Moshava IO where he went on Machal and then worked for two years. He was also part of the 1993-1994 cohort of Bnei Akiva’s Midrash U’maaseh.

Under the guidance of our special events coordinator, Gari Ann Harris, campers in grades three to seven at Hillel Day Camp participated in a camp-wide act of chesed. The campers enthusiastically created havdalah boxes for the Bikur Cholim room at South Nassau Hospital.

With a collective effort, the campers thoughtfully prepared these boxes, pouring their creativity into each one, adorning them with unique decorations. Each box was filled with a set of electric tea lights, a kiddush cup, and an accompanying plate, all coming together to en-

able patients and their families to make Havdalah. The most captivating element of the boxes was the beautifully aromatic blend of besamim, lovingly prepared by the campers themselves, a true testament to their heartfelt dedication.

This past week, our Counselors-in-Training (CITs), under the guidance of CIT Director Shimmie Dreyfuss, delivered these tokens of warmth and care. Their journey led them to the hospital’s compassionate social worker, Chana Braverman, with whom they collaboratively arranged and adorned the Bikur Cholim room. The gesture not only

Hillel Day Camp Acts of Chesed An Epic Summer at Hillel Day Camp

After an epic color war and a very fun final two days at camp, it is time to say goodbye to Hillel Day Camp 2023. As we reflect back on the summer that was, it is really hard to believe that all the fun that we had, all the memories we created, and all the friendships that we made happened in just

eight short weeks!

We went swimming each day. We played sports games, leagues and clinics run by professional coaches. We participated in myriad special activities like Survival, Stem, 7 Flags, Dance, Baking, Drama, Art, and Yoga. We had off-campus activities at Make It, Fit Kids, and

brightened the environment but also added an essence of spirituality, foster-

ing a sense of connection and well-being within the hospital.

Warren Levi. We went on some incredible trips including an overnight to Club Getaway and a very late night to Six Flags. We also enjoyed some special events like Minute to Win It, Ice Skating in the gym, the Hillel Olympics and a Color War for the ages!

Of course, what really made this sum-

mer such a success was the dedicated staff at Hillel Day Camp that worked tirelessly each day to give our campers such a wonderful and memorable summer. Thank you for spending your summer with us, and we wish you all an amazing year! We can’t wait for Hillel Day Camp 2024!

Orthodox Union Holds Immersive Kashrus Experience for Women

Afew weeks ago, Rivki Lemmer of Brooklyn, N.Y., didn’t know that lab-grown meat existed. Now, after attending a week-long course run through the Orthodox Union (OU), she feels well-versed in the controversies and intricacies around its kashrus status.

“The topics covered were interesting and really touched on everything,” Rivki said. “Each seminar and field visit throughout the week was organized and well-run.”

The ASK (Advanced Seminars in Kashrus) OU kashrus experience and the ASK OU kashrus education program are offered to women and men in alternate years, respectively. This was the third cohort of women. The program offers participants an in-depth look into the laws of kosher.

This year’s program drew in 100 applicants to fill 40 spots. It primarily took place at the Orthodox Union’s headquarters in Manhattan, with educational field

visits around the New York area. Participants visited a David’s Cookies factory in Fairfield, N.J., the Hilton Meadowlands Hotel’s kitchen in East Rutherford, N.J., Aisle One Supermarket in the Brook Haven mall in Passaic, N.J., and the Metropolitan Ballroom in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Seminars included topics such as “Red Flag Ingredients,” “Understanding Dairy Equipment,” “Not Your Mother’s Cuisinart: Modern Food Technology” and “Securing the Kosher Supply Chain.”

Rabbi Eli Eleff, OU Kosher managing director of community relations, oversees the program. He said, “It’s a great privilege to run ASK OU. By nature, the program attracts curious, intellectually-inclined participants who are eager to learn as much about kashrus as possible. We’re happy to provide education to klal yisroel on topics that impact their daily lives.”

Participants traveled from as near as New York and New Jersey, and as far as Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Many of these motivated individuals took a week off from their jobs to take part in the program, which was full-time for its duration. Participants ranged in life stage and background, with a broad age range from about 18 to 75.

OU rabbis taught about concepts in kashrus such as bedikas toyalim and yoshon, as well as topics like Pesach production kosherization and understand-

Did you know?

ing dairy equipment certification.

For ASK OU participant Rivka Fulda from Baltimore, M.D., the experience was eye-opening.

“I had no idea what went on behind the scenes,” she said. “Technology has transformed drastically these past few years. The industrialization of the food industry means that the world of kashrus has changed. I decided that a refresher course was in order, and I came out with a new appreciation and understanding of the kosher landscape today.”

Rena Greer of Waterbury, C.T., felt similarly.

“The work that goes into kosher certification is monumental,” she said. “People should be diligent, pay attention, and appreciate the effort that goes into being able to eat a kosher meal at your table.”

OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack said, “The feedback we received was unbelievable. Not only were participants amazed by the level of proficiency of our staff, but they found everything so engaging.”

OU Kosher Chief Operating Officer and Executive Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Moshe Elefant said, “ASK OU continues to be a trailblazer in experiential Jewish education. Participants don’t just learn about kashrus; they become a part of it.”

ASK OU has more than 1,000 alumni.

A sloth can hold its breath for 40 minutes.

YI of Far Rockaway Anniversary Brunch

The Young Israel of Far Rockaway has been a cornerstone of our community for the last 60 years. Under the leadership of our amazing rabbi and our beautiful kehilla, we have instituted many programs for children and adults, soulful davening, Shabbos Kid-

dush, inspiring lectures and much more.

On Sunday, September 10 ,2023 at 10:30 AM, we will iy”H celebrate our 60th glorious anniversary year with a Gala Brunch at our Shul, 716 Beach 9th Street, Far Rockaway, NY . We cordially invite the entire Far Rockaway and Five

Mishna Yomi Certificates

There are many daily learning programs that have proliferated in the past few years. It seems that one of the more popular ones is Mishna Yomi, a beautiful idea of learning two Mishnayos a day culminating in the completion of Shas Mishnayos in just six years. Like many of the other “a day” programs, there are several prerecorded shiurim from world renowned rabbanim and smaller chaburah popping up too. But what makes this limud a little dif-

ferent is the way it speaks to the younger generation. Children of all ages have also joined this incredible endeavor.

To enhance the younger Mishnayos Yomi participants, a small but impactful idea was born by a program called Touch of Torah. At the completion of each mesechta, a certificate will be made up with your son’s/student’s name. The child’s name needs to be emailed to mishnayomisiyum@gmail.com by the day the last perek of that given mesechta begins

The Young Israel of Woodmere partnered with the UJA- federation to host a Supplies for Success event this week. On Tuesday, families came to the Young Israel of Woodmere to pack knapsacks for over 200 local children in need of school supplies, for children whose families cannot afford them for the upcoming school year. The knapsacks will be distributed through the S.H.O.P at the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC and Mark Ramer Chesed Center, which are partners of UJA.

Towns community to join in the festivities. There will be a delicious brunch, a PowerPoint presentation featuring people and activities that have taken place during our 60 year history, and many other surprises at this special commemorative event for our incredible shul!

For further information, please call Deborah Addi 718-354-6855 or email to yifr 2013@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

We eagerly look forward to seeing you there!

(Sep 10 - Taanis, Sep 25 - Megillah, Oct 8 - Moed Katan, Oct 20 - Taanis). For mesechta Rosh Hashana, we will extend the deadline to the end of the mesechta, Sunday, August 27. The certificates will be printed and waiting (in alphabetical order) for you at Print On Point. Just come in and pick yours up! Special arrangements can be made for chaburahs or rebbeim.

Sponsorships available as well!

Jewish Community Outreach Initiative

Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, Northwell Health launched their Jewish community outreach initiative on Tuesday morning, August 15. Rabbis and other religious leaders gathered to discuss how to best address the needs of Jewish patients and their families.

The group, composed of both men and women, joined an equal number of hospital professionals to voice their concerns. Ms. Lissa Nelson, Director of Customer and Patient Experience, and Chaplain Ellen Cohn from Pastoral Care organized the event. Participants hailed from West Hempstead and the Five Towns and included representatives from both Ortho -

dox and Conservative congregations. Additionally, members from Hatzalah and Achiezer attended.

LIJ-Valley Stream Hospital, Northwell was represented by Dr. Hsiang-chi (Angel) Meng, DO, Medical Director, and Dr. Salvatore Pardo, MD, Director of the Emergency Room. Other medical professionals included Dr. Jonathan Garellek, Assistant Director of Infectious Diseases, and Orthopedic Physician Assistant Ms. Shoshana Gerlitz. Additionally, we were joined by the new Executive Director of Orzac Center for Rehabilitation, Christopher Lynch and Orzac Recreation Therapist, Julie Berger. We were honored to have Melinda Nasti, Senior Director of

Spiritual Health, representing Northwell Health’s Corporate office in attendance.

The Jewish leaders suggested programs that they believed would benefit their respective communities, such as providing a respite room with kosher snacks, expanded volunteer opportunities for both youth and adults, tastier kosher meals, and improved communication between Hatzalah and the Emergency Department.

Dr. Garellek, Assistant Director of Infectious Diseases, beautifully summarized the gathering by sharing how he had been attracted to the hospital due to its commitment of improving their medical services. Indeed, upon arrival, he had

found abundant opportunity for professional growth in his new position. However, one day he was wandering around the hospital and encountered an Orthodox patient from the Five Towns. The patient exclaimed that he had chosen the hospital randomly but had been given extraordinary care. However, he continued, few Jews in his community knew about the hospital nor its excellence.

To learn more about Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Northwell Hospital’s outreach to Jewish patients or to become involved, please contact Chaplain Ellen Cohn at ecohn1@Northwell.edu, or call (516) 256-6050.

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato visited Camp HASC this summer

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin assisted Michael Kaplan of Hewlett during the Town of Hempstead E-Cycle and Shredding Program on August 5 at Town of Hempstead Parking Field 2 in Levittown

New Amud HaYomi Program to Begin on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

By Chaim Gold

Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 5784/October 15, 2023, will be a date that will go down in history as a day that transformed Klal Yisroel. It is the day when the new Amud HaYomi will begin Masechta Brachos. One hundred years ago, this month, Daf HaYomi was established and changed Klal Yisroel. The new Amud HaYomi will almost certainly have a similar impact.

When the senior members of Dirshu’s hanhala led by its Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, told HaGaon HaRav Berel Povarsky, shlita, senior Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, about the idea at his home in Bnei Brak, the smile that wreathed his face from ear to ear said it more than anything else. “Moredig, gevaldig, gevaldig!” he exclaimed. “An excellent idea! Amud HaYomi is something that each person can learn in accordance with his own level of learning.”

HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mesivta of Lakewood, greeted the news with great simcha. He said, “HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Be’er Yaakov, would often bemoan the fact that avreichim do not have a wide ranging bekius in Shas. He would advise avreichim to take time during bein hasedarim or night seder to learn an amud yomi. My father, Rav Boruch Sorotzkin, zt”l, also had an amud yomi seder every afternoon. I think it is a wonderful idea and will meet a need for those who find that an amud yomi works better for them. It is a wonderful idea whose time has come!”

HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Tiferes Yerachmiel in Lakewood, displayed great simcha when he heard about the new Amud HaYomi program. His primary joy was aroused by the realization that this program would increase limud haTorah and the numbers of lomdei Torah.

“The Torah needs yodei Torah, people who don’t just learn Torah but understand and know what they learned. I think therefore that the Torah is makir tov to you. The Torah wants people to be busy with learning Torah, to encourage limud haTorah. I think that, without a doubt, you Rav Hofstedter and Dirshu are shelucha d’rachmana, emissaries of

Hashem to ensure that the Torah always has customers…”

Why Amud HaYomi?

Why Amud HaYomi? Isn’t there already Daf HaYomi? The answer is twofold. Firstly, Amud HaYomi and Daf HaYomi are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, in many ways Amud HaYomi complements the Daf HaYomi. The Daf HaYomi is now approaching the milestone of completing half of Shas. Many lomdei Daf HaYomi would benefit from a daily chazarah of what they have learned thus far. Amud HaYomi will enable Daf HaYomi learners to incorporate an amud of chazarah into their daily schedules thereby affording them a better retention of Shas, locking it in, in a much more comprehensive way. Thus, as they continue learning the Daf HaYomi they will not neglect chazarah on what they learned previously.

In addition, there are many people who cannot learn the Daf HaYomi. For some, the pace is too quick; for others, it is too much information to absorb at once. Yet others like to have a bit more time to look at meforshim.

For this reason, the Amud HaYomi can become a true gamechanger both for those that are already learning the Daf HaYomi, and for those whom Daf HaYomi does not work.

Historic Launch One Hundred Years Later

The official launch of the Amud HaYomi will take place motzoei Shabbos Bereishis, at the historic Sofiensäle Hall in Vienna, the same concert hall where, during the month of Elul one-hundred years ago, the groundbreaking, world-changing concept of the Daf HaYomi was proposed at the first Knessiah Gedolah. The launch will be held in conjunction with a siyum on seder Nashim and half of Shas in the Daf HaYomi machzor and will be graced by leading Gedolei Yisrael from America, Eretz Yisrael and Europe.

HaGaon HaRav Hillel David, shlita, Yoshev Rosh of the Vaad Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Umesorah, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and rav of Kehillas Yeshiva Shaarei Torah, will lead the delegation of rabbanim coming from America.

The very distinguished delegation of Gedolei Yisrael from Eretz Yisrael

who will be participating in the historic launch will include HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron; HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Meir Stern, shlita, talmid muvhak of Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Wosner and one of Eretz Yisrael’s leading poskim and dayanim; HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita; and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Peretz Berman, shlita, a Rosh Yeshiva at the Ponevezh Yeshiva. The European delegation will be led by HaGaon HaRav Gavriel Knopfler, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Manchester. The group of Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbanim is still in formation and numerous others will be joining.

One hundred years ago, the Daf HaYomi completely changed Klal Yisrael. It was instrumental in making limud haTorah a central part of the day for hundreds of thousands of Yidden the world over. Now, one hundred years later, the new Amud HaYomi, with the same relentless, seven day a week schedule, 354 days a year, promises to have a transformative impact on the limud haTorah of Klal Yisrael.

How Does it Work?

The new Amud HaYomi machzor will begin daf beis amud aleph in Masechta Brachos on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, October 15, 2023.

There will be four tracks: A track of Gemara with Rashi, another with Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos, and within those two tracks, there will be two separate tracks.

Dirshu will also be publishing a remarkable kuntress called Iyun Ha’Amud compiled by phenomenal talmidei chachomim. The kuntress will be distributed among the lomdim of the Amud Hayomi throughout the world. The kuntress is intended to assist the lomdim of Amud HaYomi with their learning and it includes the pages of the Gemara, explanations and supplements, marei mekomos and practical applications of the halachah Lomdei Amud HaYomi will be able to

take monthly tests on one of any of the four tracks and be rewarded handsome stipends for excellent results.

Track 1 of the Gemara with Rashi will consist of tests on just Gemara and Rashi. In Track 3 of the Gemara with Rashi, the lomdim will learn and be tested on Gemara, Rashi and the kuntress Iyun Ha’Amud.

The Gemara with Rashi and Tosafos, Track 2, will feature learning and testing of just Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos while Track 4 will feature testing on Gemara, Rashi, Tosafos and kuntress Iyun Ha’amud

Every test in Tracks 2 and 4 will feature 23 questions on the Gemara, Rashi/ Tosafos and seven questions on Iyun Ha’amud.

This Program is Tailormade For You!

Since last week’s unveiling of the new program, an avid interest has been aroused among lomdei Torah

There is no location more appropriate to launch the new program as the same venue where the original Daf HaYomi was launched 100 years ago! Indeed, Amud HaYomi, promises to be a program that will, bez ”H, enrich the limud haTorah of untold numbers of Yidden in the next 100 years and beyond.

If you want to learn Shas methodically and clearly, with a plan, in a way that you can truly acquire what you learn; if you want to join with klal Yisrael in an exciting new venture through Shas; if you have already learned with Daf HaYomi and are seeking a structured daily chazarah of an amud per day…then this program is tailormade for you!

Now is the time to join the Amud HaYomi program and take your limud haTorah to the next level!

What are you waiting for?

For further information or to join, please contact Dirshu at 1-888-5-Dirshu or e-mail, Info@kollelDirshu.org.

HaRav Hillel David addressing the recent Dirshu Kinyan Halacha Siyum in Boro Park

Rav Dovid Hofstedter discussing the Dirshu Amud HaYomi Program with HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal

Make Hazorfim Part of Your Story – From Generation to Generation

With a rich heritage spanning over seven illustrious decades, Hazorfim stands as the uncontested leader of international Judaica and silver art. We are thrilled to present the Legacy Collection, an exquisite array of masterpieces, redesigned and celebrated as our iconic bestsellers. Each uniquely numbered Legacy piece showcases the distinguished signature of Yakov Merdinger, Hazorfim’s master silversmith – a mark of unparalleled craftsmanship honed through years of tradition.

Create your own family heirloom with magnificent pieces from the Hazorfim Legacy collection: candlesticks, kiddush cups, menorahs, candelabras, esrog boxes, trays, honey dishes, wine decanters, challah knives, and more. Enrich your

family traditions with works of art that you will delight in today – and tomorrow.

The Legacy Collection is in a class of its own, featuring intricate, unique silver art pieces, some incorporating gold.

Each Hazorfim piece is accompanied by an original ISI certificate, a testament to the uncompromising quality and authenticity that has set us apart for over 70 years. And to keep your silver beautiful and tarnish-free effortlessly, discover Hazorfim’s exclusive Silver Lacquering, available for all new and used items.

We invite you to browse all our collections at Hazorfim’s branch in Williamsburg at 67 Lee Ave.

For your convenience, visit www. hazorfim.com or purchase by phone/ WhatsApp and have it delivered to your door. Just call 1-800-551-8068.

Can You Rely on Legal Insurance for Your Estate Plan?

By Monet Binder, Esq.

As the need for affordable legal services becomes more important in today’s world, group legal insurance offered through workplace benefits is becoming more common. These group insurance plans provide free legal assistance from law firms that have contracted with the insurance company to provide legal work.

While group legal insurance might seem like an easy option to save on your family’s legal needs, it’s often inadequate for creating the kind of estate plan you really need to protect your assets, your choices, and your loved ones. In fact, the

type of estate plan, will, or trust created through legal insurance programs could leave your family with a big mess.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: When it comes to estate planning, if you have people you love and assets you care about, there is no such thing as a onesize-fits-all plan that works for you and your family. Four key documents in most estate plans include a will, trust, health care directive, and power of attorney, which must be tailored for your unique family needs. Then, additional planning, depending on the specifics of your family dynamics and nature of your assets need to be prepared to ensure your plan will actually work when your family needs it.

The type of cookie-cutter estate plan you are likely to receive through your group legal insurance simply won’t include the kind of comprehensive considerations and counseling necessary to deliver a plan that will serve you and your loved ones in the way you would want while keeping your family out of court and conflict.

Legal Insurance Nickel and Dimes: Many group legal insurance plans boast free legal services after your deductible is paid, but what isn’t revealed is the limit of the coverage that’s covered for free. The kind of plan you will receive is a mere set of documents, similar to what you could create yourself online, and not a customized, well-counseled plan that will be sure to work when your family needs it.

Estate planning isn’t something you do once, as your life will change, your assets will change, and the law will change. A legal insurance covered plan will not keep up with those changes. It’s crucial to coordinate your estate plan with the

Did you know?

circumstances of your loved ones so that your wishes are honored and your assets are protected no matter how their situation changes over time.

Our holistic approach to serving you includes working closely with you and your family to understand what matters to you, your family’s dynamics and values, and your aspirations as a whole. If you want to make sure your loved ones are always cared for no matter what the future holds, call 718.514.7575 to schedule your Planning Session today.

Monet Binder, Esq., has a practice in Lakewood, Queens and Brooklyn areas, dedicated to protecting families, their legacies and values. All halachic documents are approved by the Bais Havaad Halacha Center in Lakewood, under the direction of Rabbi Dovid Grossman and the guidance of Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky, shlita, as well as other leading halachic authorities.

Owning one guinea pig in Switzerland is illegal and considered animal abuse because guinea pigs are social creatures.

14th Annual Cross River Classic To Benefit Madraigos

On Monday, August 14, Cross River held its 14th Annual Cross River Classic to benefit Madraigos at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York. Known for its beautiful golf course and expansive clubhouse, it proved to be the perfect backdrop for a day of golf, tennis, pickleball and networking.

Madraigos was thrilled to be chosen once again by Cross River and its Board of Directors as the sole beneficiary of this most successful outing. Madraigos owes a sincere debt of gratitude to Cross River for their extreme generosity and genuine vote of confidence.

“We are proud to have partnered with many of our friends and stakeholders to support Madraigos and their lifesaving work,” said Gilles Gade, CEO of Cross River. “In its 14th edition, the Cross River Classic golf and tennis event garnered in excess of $1 million to assist Madraigos in serving the teens and young adults with challenges population, giving them a path to a better tomorrow.”

Major event sponsors included SR-X/ USI as a Sapphire Level Sponsor and Upgrade, Performline, Visa, and Tierpoint as Platinum Level Sponsors. Best Egg,

Deloitte, Sunlight Financial, Federman, The Triple Net Group, Goldman Sachs, Winston and Strawn and Upstart, to name a few, were very generous top sponsors as well.

For the premium giveaway, golf, pickleball and tennis players were treated to an extra special experience where they received an Ooni Pizza Oven, sponsored by Tierpoint.

Additional giveaways included G/ Fore Hats, sponsored by Checkout.com and custom-fit leather golf gloves, thanks to sponsor Winston Strawn. Swag bags were given to each player, generously sponsored by Visa.

Following a lavish breakfast sponsored by Wachtel Missry, the foursomes prepared for a competitive day of golf, refreshments, and top-notch networking. This year, VIP Sponsors groups were joined by a Golf Pro for some time on the course.

In addition to golf, a tennis round robin tournament was sponsored by Centurion Anesthesia and a pickleball tournament was sponsored by Modern Treasury. Tennis pros and courtside specialty beverages and snacks, sponsored by Laser Properte, enhanced the games for all

players. In recognition of great play, trophies were given to the talented 1st place and 2nd place winners, sponsored by JR Bruno, Kashable, Protel, and BRG.

The BBQ lunch, sponsored by Deloitte, featured gourmet fare enjoyed by all. Outdoor entertainment and amenities provided by Cross River enriched the experience including a beer tasting sponsored by Insperex.

The grand finale was the “Network for A Cause” reception sponsored by SR-X/ USI. Over 200 friends and supporters of Cross River and Madraigos joined and networked with fellow professionals and business leaders. Phil Goldfeder, CEO, American Fintech Council, former NYS Assemblyman, and long-time friend of Madraigos, emceed the short program, awards presentation, and raffle drawing featuring three premium prizes: Jura Coffee Machine, Apple Vision Pro, and Hydrow Wave Rower.

For sweet and safe travels and appreciation for fourteen years of dedicated support, attendees were treated to goodbye treats sponsored by Whitestone Branding.

Rabbi Dov Silver, founder, and Executive Vice President, Madraigos, said,

“We are grateful beyond words to Cross River and its Board of Directors for the tremendous constant flow of generosity and commitment, enabling Madraigos to serve the community that needs our resources and services. We are also thankful for all the organizations and companies that sponsored this year’s event.”

“We graciously acknowledge Cross River’s generosity which makes it possible for us to serve the community on many levels. Our gratitude extends to the many loyal sponsors, participants, and friends who believe in our mission and support our work,” commented Sharon Gross, Executive Director, Madraigos.

Funds raised at the event will assist Madraigos in providing valuable prevention and intervention services to the Five Towns/Queens community and beyond, including a Support Line, Community Education, Crisis Intervention, Case Management, Assessments and Referrals, School-Based Services and Mental Health Awareness Program (MAP), The Lounge, Camp Ignight, Parenting Matters, Shabbatonim, Support Groups, and yom tov retreats, including this year’s inspirational Rosh Hashana program, which will take place in Westchester, NY.

GENESIS Fertility - Reproductive Medicine Receives Accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP)

The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) awarded accreditation to the laboratory at GENESIS Fertility & Reproductive Medicine based on results of a recent on-site inspection conducted by CAP inspectors. The inspection team included practicing pathology and laboratory medicine professionals. Recognized for rigorous and robust standards, CAP accreditation elevates quality and mitigates risk, an important way that laboratories can contribute to improved patient outcomes.

The CAP advised Alka Goyal, PhD HCLD/CC, the Laboratory Director at GENESIS, of this global recognition and congratulated the laboratory for its excellence in the services being provided. GENESIS is one of more than 8,000 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.

“The IVF lab at GENESIS stands proud as a beacon of excellence passing the CAP inspection with flying colors and no deficiencies. We are committed

to providing the highest standard of care helping dreams take shape, one miracle at a time.” said Dr. Goyal.

Upon learning of the laboratory’s accreditation, Katherine Melzer Ross, MD, FACOG, the Director of ART Services at GENESIS, said: “Being a CAP-accredited lab is a great accomplishment and a sign that our lab holds itself to a rigorous set of standards. We are proud to be the only CAP-accredited lab in Brooklyn.”

During the CAP accreditation process, designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management. These reviews help verify activities reflect the most recent best practices.

With over 23,000 laboratory participants, in addition to accreditation, the CAP offers proficiency testing/external

quality assessment (PT/EQA) programs, quality improvement tools, and protocols and guidelines to ensure excellence in all areas across the laboratory. Built on a foundation of pathologist expertise, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) partners with laboratories worldwide to elevate the quality of laboratory medicine with best-in-class solutions designed to drive operational excellence, achieve diagnostic confidence, and ensure the best patient care.

Congratulations to the pathology and laboratory medicine team for this significant accomplishment that further demonstrates our commitment to high-quality patient care at GENESIS.

About the College of American Pathologists

As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and

advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. For more information, read the CAP Annual Report at cap.org.

About GENESIS Fertility & Reproductive Medicine

GENESIS is a nationally recognized center of excellence for the treatment of infertility and serves as the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Maimonides Medical Center. For over 35 years, our mission is to help patients realize the dream of parenthood. We deliver state-of-the-art, comprehensive care for infertility in an environment that addresses the personal needs and privacy of every patient. Castle Connolly and New York Magazine have consistently recognized the physicians at GENESIS as among America’s Top Doctors and New York Super Doctors. GENESIS has five locations, including two offices in Brooklyn, and offices in Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island. genesismarketing6010@gmail.com. 718-436-3747; 6010 Bay Parkway, Suite 501, Brooklyn, NY 11204; https://www.genesisfertility.com/

Camp Dora Golding: Going the Extra Mile for Torah Learning

by Rabbi Avromi Mostofsky

Everyone has their favorite camp memories, and most will insist their camp had the best sports or the best trips. It’s an age-old debate, with biases abound. And while Camp Dora Golding boasts excellent sports (in this author’s biased opinion), it’s their learning program that is without compare.

Initiated by Rabbi Pinchas Idstein, the current learning director, Rabbi Noach Sauber, has elevated the Miles Learning program to unparalleled heights. The concept is straightforward: attending learning groups earns you one thousand miles. Learning for three hours on Shabbos—before lunch and two after—results in triple miles, totaling nine thousand. Each thousand miles earns a ticket for the Miles Chinese auction.

Before explaining the auction, let’s understand Camp Dora Golding’s commitment to learning. Active participants in learning groups receive Mega Masmid scratch-off tickets daily, offering the

chance to win substantial prizes. This culture of learning and rewards, as Rabbi Sauber aptly puts it, “You learned it, you earned it” is central to the learning program’s success. Yet Mega Masmid is just one facet of the program’s comprehensive approach.

Perhaps part of what sets the program apart is Rabbi Sauber’s innate ability to expand the program when needed, at times, with minimal preparation.

In 2014, after days of Klal Yisrael davening, we were heartbroken to receive news of the murder of Eyal, Gilad, and Naftali H”yd — three Israeli teens who had been kidnapped. Rabbi Yechiel Spero – a division head that summer –mentioned that in his prior camp, they used to have thirty minutes of learning before Shabbos. The reaction was unimaginable. L’zecher nishmas these three kedoshim, the camp started the ESPN (Enter Shabbos Properly Now) program. Walking into the shul before Kabbalas Shabbos, hundreds of children are sitting dressed for Shabbos, learning in memory of the kedoshim.

Then, in 2021, the world was shaken by the tragic loss of 45 of our brethren in Meron. The CDG family was devastated by the news that one of them was our very own brother, Donny Morris. Immediately, Rabbi Sauber knew he had to do something, and so, with the family’s blessing, the Just Do it Like Donny initiative was born. Campers do good deeds, just like Donny, and fill a chart with thousands of such deeds by the summer’s end. A fitting tribute for such a special neshama.

These programs are themselves all amazing, but the ultimate accomplishment is the auction and the Max Miles BBQ. The auction began as a small affair, with a few prizes, including a bike and basketball hoop as the grand prizes. As a camper in the Teenage division, I actually won the bike. While I still have the bike, what I cherish most is the two sedarim of Mishnayos I finished with my brother in camp.

Although the program was already a success, Rabbi Sauber realized that there were a select few who managed to achieve “max miles,” learning at all groups, and missing no more than one hour of Shab -

bos learning all summer. He believed they deserved recognition beyond tickets to an auction. And so, the Max Miles BBQ was born.

Initially, the BBQ was such a small event that it barely had a minyan of campers. One of those first years, some boys came over to Rabbi Sauber at the end of the BBQ to let him know they had not gotten any food. Somehow, he had miscalculated! Rabbi Sauber, being the man he is, had the boys follow him to his bungalow.

Earlier that evening, the rebbeim had put together some money as a small token of their appreciation for Rabbi Sauber. Those who know him know his greatness is matched only by his humility. He pulled out the envelope and gave each boy ten dollars to compensate, instantly giving away the entirety of its contents. Looking at us rebbeim, he said, “See, it had a purpose.”

His entire focus is on what he can do for the campers and the growth of the program. Although he claims that once he leaves camp, he focuses only on his role as principal of JEC, those who know him are aware that he constantly prepares for the summer. He collects prizes all year, which is as much a testament to his dedication as it is to his rebbetzin’s amazing support.

In the ensuing years, the program has grown at an astounding pace. Today, it is easier to count the number of campers not in attendance than those who are. It is an event that is truly not to be missed. Indeed, it’s so successful that now it has spurred a new event, a mega siyum. So many mesechtas of Mishnayos are finished over the summer Shabbosim that campers who complete a mesechta can now attend a beautiful siyum celebrating

Rabbi Shloimie Katz, with his talmid, holding up part of the Talmid Chacham package he won

HaRav Noach Sauber, shlita, with the winner of the junior division ‘nosh package’

Donny Book, sponsor of the Larry Bird jersey, with the winner

their accomplishment.

All of this leads up to the penultimate event of the summer, which is when being “max miles” really pays off. Members of the alumni association come together in support of the program, sponsoring tens of thousands of dollars towards prizes each year. Added to this, some current staff members, having themselves gone through the “system,” contribute as well.

Initially starting with basically just two top prizes—the bike and hoop—the auction now operates on three levels, each with greater value. Over time, it expanded to feature yearly additions like each newly released iPad.

Today, the top tier boasts an array of coveted prizes, including a PS5, Switch, Xbox, and a $1,000 Amazon shopping spree. These valuable prizes are complemented by an array of signed sports memorabilia. This summer’s collection even boasted standout items like signed jerseys from basketball legend Larry Bird and baseball star Shohei Ohtani, the latter valued at over two thousand dollars!

I had the privilege of representing the alumni at last week’s auction. Each winning ticket was drawn, and Alex Gold, the executive director, had the honor of announcing the names, while the entire camp sat together in the theater. The excitement in the room was palpable. Suddenly, as Simchas Torah music blared, the bleachers cleared, and the staff stormed the stage. What a sight! The staff danced in a growing circle across the stage. Below, campers sought out their rebbeim, joining in the dance and song. Just a little while earlier, the league champions had received their trophies, yet the real celebration was happening now.

For those unfamiliar with CDG, all this may sound nice, but after all, it’s just

camp. How much can actually be accomplished?

At a staff appreciation kiddush the last Shabbos of camp, Alex shared an email he had just received from a father. His son had returned home from the first trip and on Shabbos afternoon said, “Dad, can you learn Mishnayos with me? I learned it every Shabbos in camp and really enjoyed it.” The father told Alex, “You have to understand, I haven’t opened a Mishnayos in almost twenty years, and thanks to your learning program, I’m now learning with my son!”

Additionally, it would take one person, learning around the clock, nonstop for over a year, to equal just the “max miles” campers. In other words, if one were to look for the ultimate Yissachar/ Zevulun partnership, this would be it. Those of us from the alumni fortunate enough to partner in this endeavor wouldn’t trade it for anything.

In 1925, together with her sisterin-law and a few friends, Dora Golding founded an Orthodox camp for students of Yeshiva RJJ. One can only imagine how proud she must be, two years away from the camp’s historic 100th anniversary, looking down on her “children.” She aimed to create a haven for religious boys to have fun, in a Torah-true way. Today, thanks to Rabbi Sauber’s learning program initiatives, it is clear that Torah and middos are thriving in the Poconos.

Rabbi Mostofsky has been the director of the Camp Dora Golding Alumni Association for the past decade. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children. If you would like to learn more about the program and how to get involved, or are an alumnus, you can contact him at alumni@campdoragolding.com.

1,000 Donations; An Immeasurable Impact

By Shmuli Spirgel

On August 21, 4 Menachem Av, Renewal celebrated the 1,000th kidney transplant since its founding in 2006 It is an incredible accomplishment to celebrate. Aside from celebrating this momentous milestone, it offers us an opportunity to reflect and contemplate upon the tremendous impact these transplants continue to make.

There are 1,000 lives that have been saved from the torture of years spent leashed to a dialysis machine or worse. Similarly, there are 1,000 lives that have been enriched because of the selfless chesed performed for a stranger. These achievements are, of course, worth celebrating and the stories remain as inspiring as the first time we heard them. Upon further introspection, though, the accomplishments are much deeper and far reaching.

When I discussed the upcoming milestone with my family, one of my children remarked that it is 1,000 transplants, but it is probably tens of thousands of lives that have been impacted by these transplants. There are spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, and others that have directly benefitted and continue to benefit from the

chesed demonstrated by each and every kidney donor. Grandparents have danced at grandchildren’s weddings; mothers were able to be at their son’s bar mitzvahs untethered to a dialysis unit. The hours of Talmud Torah, learning and chesed that have been added through these transplants is astronomical. It is not humanly possible to calculate the bracha, simcha, and nachas that these 1,000 kidney transplants have created and will IY”H continue to create.

I was moved to tears hearing a recipient detail his struggle with kidney failure. As his condition worsened, he was faced with the eventuality of beginning dialysis. The vibrant life he and his wife had would be reduced to visits to and from the dialysis center. There would be no vacations without first researching to see if the destination had a dialysis center. The torment and worry that he would not be there for his grandchildren’s weddings and family simchas was devastating. He explained the sense of despair and desperation increasing with every day that passed without a donor to save him from the agony that awaited him. It was only the hope of a live kidney donor that motivated him to continue. Ultimately, Renewal was able

to match him with a donor, and the transplant was successful. The sheer delight and relief that he described was palpable. Pure simcha radiated from his smile as he explained that a kidney donor made sure that he would be able to dance at his granddaughter’s wedding!

Renewal, through the untiring efforts of its staff, make kidney donation a regular occurrence. Renewal is there from the first swab to the pre-op hospital visits to post-surgical recovery. An angel from the Renewal team is there to accompany you on this miraculous journey.

In fact, kidney donation has become a regular occurrence through Renewal’s unwavering commitment to helping patients in need of healthy kidneys. Presently, there are days with multiple transplants in hospitals across the United States all facilitated by Renewal! Regardless of where in the United States you may find yourself, a kidney donor is close by. I am zocheh to daven in a shul where I am one of four kidney donors. Whether you are in Arizona, Los Angeles, Lakewood, Five Towns, Kiryas Joel, Boca Raton, Chicago, Tampa, Teaneck/Bergenfield, Monroe, and all points in between, you will find kidney

donors. There are also those kidney donors who continue to remain anonymous. Their donation is no less appreciated and applauded. Renewal is there raising awareness, coordinating swab events, and facilitating a kidney transplant.

At a recent Renewal function, I was overwhelmed by the personal accounts recounted by other donors. I spoke with a donor who told me she donated her kidney to her sister; a wife who donated to her husband! There is a mother who is zocheh to have four sons that have donated kidneys! There are now 1,000 unique and incredible stories attached to each donation.

Many, if not all, donors consider it a zechus to have had the opportunity to give.

The overwhelming majority of kidney donors would jump at the opportunity to do it again if it was possible. So long as there is a need for kidney donors, Renewal will be there to lead the way!

If you are interested in or are considering kidney donation, please contact Renewal at info@renewal.org

Shmuli Spirgel lives in Woodmere with his wife and children. He donated a kidney in October 2020.

L to R: David Schischa, Director of Development at Renewal; Shmuli Spirgel, kidney donor; Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, Kehilas Aish Kodesh; and Rabbi Josh Sturm, Renewal Director of Outreach, at a Renewal event in the Five Towns

Signs That Summer is Fading Away

UYou cut down on your iced coffee consumption – now you only have two 64-ounce cups of iced coffee a day instead of four.

UYou decide that you will just clean your garage next summer.

UYou watch a YouTube video to remember how to button a shirt.

UYou book three trips to Florida for the coming winter.

UYou stop using your driveway to scramble eggs.

UYou only have 52 mosquito bites instead of 100.

UYou create an ambitious summer bucket list, which includes seeing the beach at least one time before the summer is over and going swimming at least once.

UYou finally figure out how to pick a good watermelon…and now they are out of season.

UYou stop barbequing everything you eat, including your breakfast cereal.

UYou are starting to think about what you will serve at your Chanukah party.

Riddle Me This

What’s a very, very quiet laugh in Hawaii?

Answer: A low ha.

You Gotta be Kidding Me!

A tourist in Hawaii is amazed at how healthy and invigorated he feels after just a few days into visiting the islands. He strikes up a conversation with one of the locals while they are wading out into the crystal clear, warm surf on yet another perfect island day.

“I just can’t get over how beautiful this place is,” the tourist enthuses. “I feel great! I haven’t felt this young and healthy in years! Island life is fantastic!”

The local says, “I know what you mean! Take me, for instance. When I came here, I was totally bald, didn’t have any teeth and I couldn’t even walk…and look at me now!”

The tourist looks at him and says, “Wow, that’s amazing! How long have you been here?”

The local says, “Oh, I was born here.”

Hawaii Trivia

1. On August 18, Hawaii celebrates Admission Day. What does that holiday commemorate?

a. The day the school year starts

b. The day Hawaii became a state

c. The Polynesian custom to admit to loved ones the things that you have done wrong

d. Hawaii’s state tax due date

2. Which of the following is the Hawaiian state fish?

a. Red-lipped batfish

b. Largetooth sawfish

c. Leafy Sea Dragon

d. Humuhumunukunukuāpua'a

3. Which of the following is an automatic zoning/building violation in Kauai?

a. Having less than 5 bathrooms per floor in any commercial structure

b. Using any wood on the exterior of any structures

c. Using colors other than tropical colors

d. Building any structure that is taller than a palm tree

4. How far from Mainland U.S.A. is Hawaii?

a. 300 miles

b. 700 miles

c. 2,400 miles

d. 6,000 miles

5. Hawaii is made up of how many islands in total?

a. 7

b. 137

c. 264

d. 1,295

6. If you are in Hawaii and want to mail a coconut home, how would the local post office have you do that?

a. You need to fill out a U.S. customs form indicating the source of the coconut and you ship it in any container that you want

b. You need to ship it in a clear coconut container which costs around $7

c. It is illegal to mail coconuts out of Hawaii (they are about to indict Trump for that)

d. You simply scratch out the address on the coconut itself and pay the post office a fee that is based on the coconut’s weight…no need to put it in a box or anything!

7. How do you say hello in Hawaiian?

a. Aloha

b. Haole

c. Hans Hou

d. Hula

8. How do you say goodbye in Hawaiian?

a. Aloha

b. Haole

c. Hans Hou

d. Hula

Answers:

Wisdom key:

7-8 correct: What’s your address? I want to mail you a coconut!

3-6 correct: Not bad…Aloha, aloha…hi, bye!

0-2 correct: Your brain has too many humuhumunukunukuāpua'a swimming in it!

Parshas Ki Teitzei

By Rabbi Berel Wein

The idea of the necessity of a fence on one’s roof and exposed staircases and high landings is a very logical and realistic one. The Torah itself advances this simple reasoning by stating that otherwise one may fall from that exposed area with painful if not tragic consequences. Halacha and practicality indicate that not everyone is obligated in this mitzvah and that there are physical instances where such a fence is impossible to construct or is even unnecessary.

The moral imperative that drives the mitzvah seems to be always operative. A house, a home, a family always needs to be protected, both physically and morally. Just as negligence in failing to erect a fence around one’s exposed roof is a cause for monetary and even criminal liability, so, too, negligence in failing to construct the moral fence to protect our home and family from the ravages of a rather depraved society is seen to be a serious transgression.

In raising children, as well as in governing society generally, there can be no doubt that fences have to be fashioned and protected. The rub always is as to how many fences and where they are to be placed and how high the actual fence should be. When it comes to the issue of the physical fences around our rooftops, halacha answers all these questions for us. But when the issue is regarding the moral fence that we must construct for

structed too high and is too constrictive as to impede and prevent healthy individual development and constructive discovery and innovation. It is obvious that knowing where, when, and how to create this moral fence that will safeguard the Jewish home is the main challenge of parenting and family dynamics.

The Torah in this week’s parsha speaks of ben sorer u’moreh – a rebellious, undisciplined youth – who will grow to be

our family and ourselves, there we find minimal guidance. Just as every physical fence must be constructed to conform to the dimensions of the roof it protects – a circular fence will not completely protect a rectangular roof – so too there is no one-size-fits-all moral fence that is appropriate for every home and family. Tragically, in today’s Jewish world, there are many homes that have no moral fence at all protecting the house and family. In some societies, everyone is allowed to live a life without limits, restraints or moral discipline. And at the other end of the spectrum of Jewish society, there are homes where the fence has been con-

a very destructive force in society. Such a child in most cases represents the failure in the family in erecting and enforcing the proper moral fence in the house. That negligence of safeguarding the home spiritually, emotionally and morally will invariably come back to haunt that family and all society generally. There are no magical ways to build these necessary fences. Every family and home is different and unique and there is only the common necessity for all families to erect the proper and fitting fences within their family. Patience, wisdom, restraint, and prayer are key ingredients in accomplishing this vital task.

A house, a home, a family always needs to be protected, both physically and morally.

Parshas Ki Seitzei Beyond Black Fire

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

The Torah, in this week’s parsha, lays out the punishment of one who violates one of the prohibitions in the Torah (Devarim 25:1): “You shall lash him 40 times, do not add...” The Mishnah (Makos 22a), however, explains the Torah as follows: “How many times do we lash him? Forty minus one, as the Torah says (Devarim 25:2-3), ‘in number forty...’ – i.e., a number that is close to forty.” Rashi explains that this means the “calculation which completes the total of forty, which causes it to reach forty, i.e., thirty-nine.”

The Gemara (Makos 22b) makes a remarkable comment about this derivation regarding the number of lashes given to a sinner: “Rava says, how foolish are those people who stand up before a sefer Torah but do not stand up before a great man. With regard to a sefer Torah, it says ‘forty,’ but the rabbis came and subtracted one.” In other words, the Torah, on a simple level says one thing. But the great men of Chazal are so brilliant and so great that they demonstrate an understanding of the Torah even deeper than its simple meaning, an understanding that yields a number of lashes one less than the perscribed count in the plain meaning of the Torah’s text. How can one stand up for the Torah without standing up for those who demonstrate a brilliance even more profound than the simple understanding of the Torah?!

Rav Pinchas Friedman connects this Gemara to well-known Midrash (Devarim Rabah 3:12): “Reish Lakish said, ‘The Torah given to Moshe is parchment of white fire on which is written black fire.” This is similar to the Yerushalmi (Shkalim 16b) which says, “The Torah which Hashem gave to Moshe was giv-

en to him as white fire imprinted with black fire.” We see from these teachings of Chazal that the black ink of the letters we are able to read in the Torah are compared to black fire and the white parchment in the background is compared to white fire.

Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, zy”a , explains this idea in Kedushas Levi (Likutim, d’h “B’maseches Megilah”). He quotes Chazal’s explanation (Vayikra Rabah 13:3) of the pasuk (Yeshayahu 51:4), “For Torah will go out from Me” to mean that “the Holy One said, ‘[In Moshiach’s times,] a new Torah will go out from Me, a renewal of Torah will go out from Me.” He points out that this Midrash is extremely disconcerting in light of the fact that one of the fundamentals of our faith is that

the Torah we have today will never be exchanged or changed even iota. What, then, do Chazal mean that when Moshiach comes there will be a new Torah?

The Berditchiver explains that the black letters, the black fire of the Torah, is accessible to everyone. It understandable to everyone on its simplest level, “black on white.” On the other hand, the white parchment, the letters made of white fire, are the embodiment of the hidden aspect of the Torah, the aspect of the mind and intentions of G-d, so to speak, which cannot be expressed in finite words. The letters of white fire are only accessible to great people, those who have purified their thoughts, words, and actions to such an extent that they are able to look beneath the surface of the black letters of

the Torah and into the white parchment below. The true hidden meaning of the Torah, the white fire on which the black fire of the letters of the Torah are written, is the “new Torah” that will be fully revealed at the time of the redemption.

In the fourth chapter of Tanya, the Alter Rebbe, zy”a, explains that just as G-d is infinite, so, too, His wisdom is infinite. Yet in His mercy, He constricted this infinite wisdom into the finite and comprehensible letters of the Torah. The color white corresponds to chessed, kindness, which is expansive and infinite. And the color black corresponds to justice and constriction. In Hashem’s kindness, He created the black letters of the Torah to constrict His wisdom to enable us as finite beings to grasp this constricted light of His wisdom. While a deeper revelation of Hashem’s wisdom, the white fire of the Torah, will be accessible to us in the World to Come, Hashem has given a taste of that light to the Sages of each generation who know how to look beyond the black letters of the Torah into the primordial parchment from which they were drawn – a taste of G-d’s infinite wisdom preceding its constriction.

We can now understand the Gemara’s statement, “How foolish are those people who stand up before a sefer Torah but do not stand up before a great man. With regard to a sefer Torah, it says ‘forty,’ but the rabbis came and subtracted one.” The black letters, the black fire of the Torah, seem to require “forty” lashes. But the Sages are so great that they can access the wisdom of the white fire, the deeper essence of Hashem’s will hidden in the white parchment. If one stands for the simple meaning of the

black letters of the sefer Torah, how much more so must one stand for the people we depend on to access the deeper essence of G-d’s will!

But why does the Torah use the way Chazal explain the punishment of a sinner as the paradigmatic example of the depth of a “great man”? Why not something more pleasant? What do we learn from the fact that the greatness of the talmidei chachamim is demonstrated through the fact that they lessen the number of lashes given to one who intentionally violates the Torah?

One of the greatest leaders of his generation was Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, zt”l , of Vilna. His brilliance was beyond expression. It has been recounted that eyewitnesses saw Rav Chaim Ozer simultaneously writing a letter, responding to a halachic question, and correcting his wife’s retelling of a newspaper article from the kitchen. It happened one summer that Rav Chaim Ozer met Rav Meir Yechiel Ostrovtzer, zy”a, a tzaddik and talmid chacham from the chassidic movement. Rav Chaim was extremely pleased with the opportunity to “talk in learning” with the Ostrovtzer because he had heard extensively of his

brilliance in Torah.

Rav Chaim Ozer was hoping that the Ostrovtzer would share a novel Torah idea with him. In order to elicit one, the Rav began sharing his own Torah insights, hoping to spark a satisfying debate. The Rebbe, however, was extremely humble. Whatever the Rav said, the Rebbe simply nodded, “Yes, a beautiful idea.” After several minutes of this, the Rav said in frustration, “Didn’t I hear about you that you are a great man?!”

The Ostrovtzer then responded,

“What does the Gemara call a ‘great man’? One who can turn forty lashes into thirty-nine. Why does the Gemara demonstrate a Chazal’s greatness using such a morbid topic? It could have demonstrated this by showing how they took the fifty days counted between Pe -

even a sinner, and does what he can to remove even a little bit of his pain. Brilliance in Torah is profound and critical to the Jewish people. But we chassidim define a great man not as a leading scholar, but as one who looks beneath the surface of a wicked man’s life in order to show him compassion.”

An average Jew may only be able to read the black letters of the Torah, whether the surface life of another comports with the simple directives of the Torah. But the sign of a great man is that he knows how to read the white fire below the black text. He knows how to see below the black surface of a sinner’s life to the pain beneath.

May all of us merit to taste greatness while still in this world and witness the full revelation of the white fire of G-d’s wisdom with the coming of Moshiach and the complete redemption soon in our days!

sach and Shavuos and made them forty-nine, a much more pleasant subject.” Rav Chaim agreed that this was a good question. The Ostrovtzer continued, “We see that the Gemara defines a great man as one who sees a Jew suffering,

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

Hashem has given a taste of that light to the Sages of each generation who know how to look beyond the black letters of the Torah into the primordial parchment from which they were drawn – a taste of G-d’s infinite wisdom preceding its constriction.

Of Giving and Receiving

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Occasionally, it happens that a child may give someone mishloach manos and not receive anything in return. This may be because the intended recipient isn’t home, or they ran out of mishloach manos, or for some other reason. The child fulfilled the mitzvah in the choicest manner; he didn’t receive anything in return, yet he still fulfilled the mitzvah.

Still, the child feels cheated. He worked so hard filling a bag with nosh that his parents bought with their hardearned money. The child resolves that the next house he goes to he will give his mishloach manos using the halachic principle of “matanah al menas l’hachzir.” He will give his friend a bag of nosh on the condition that the friend returns it.

The child’s father may tell him, “That’s ridiculous.” The child may counter, “I overheard you learning daf yomi. Rava says in Kiddushin (6b) that ‘matanah al menas l’hachzir ’ is considered a bona fide present. The present is given wholeheartedly; the recipient only has to fulfill one minor stipulation: he must return the present.”

The child will argue further: “I have heard you use this same trick twice. The first was on the first day of Sukkos. We know that the Torah says you can fulfill the mitzvah of lulav and esrog only with your own set. You gave our neighbor your lulav and esrog as a present on the condition that he return it.

“Then, this past Shabbos, we had a guest who left his tallis at home. He wanted to make a bracha on a tallis, but he was upset that he couldn’t recite a blessing over one that was borrowed. So you told him that you would give him your weekday tallis as a present, with the stipulation that he must return it.”

The father will respond, “That’s different! Let me tell you a story. In Camp Romimu, the first summer it opened, Rabbi Shimon Eider, zt”l, was the mara

d’asra. The camp was renting campgrounds in Livingston Manor. It wasn’t financially feasible to improve the property, as it was only a one-year rental. However, there was a problem. The back sections of the bunks which contained cubbies and sinks also contained the commodes. Boys wanted to eat nosh, take drinks, and recite al netilas yadayim in the backs of the bunkhouses. What separated the commodes from the rest of the back section of the bunk were partitions that did not come all the way to the ground. Hence, Rav Eider said that these floating walls did not qualify as a halachic separation. Rav Eider therefore ruled that one should not recite brachos in the entire back section of the bunk, since the entire area may halachically be considered a bathroom.

“Rabbi Eider had a novel solution. They would construct a tzuras ha’pesach , a halachic doorframe, to separate the commodes from the rest of the bunk. These halachic doorframes would partition off the commodes. A tzuras ha’pesach is what most eiruvin are com-

posed of: two side posts with a string on top connecting the two. Rav Eider reasoned that if a tzuras ha’pesach can halachically create a private domain on Shabbos to permit carrying, why can’t it wall off a bathroom?

“Now, dear son, someone asked Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, the following question: He had a flat roof that could only be accessed by adults. It was used occasionally. He knew he had a biblical obligation to build a fence–a ma’akeh–around the roof. Wanting to save some money, he asked Rav Moshe, zt”l, if perhaps he could build a tzuras ha’pesach instead of a physical wall. He would construct poles at the corners of the roof and attach them at the top with string. Would he fulfill his mitzvah of ma’akeh? Rav Moshe, zt”l, probably struggling to keep a straight face, replied, ‘Absolutely not. A tzuras ha’pesach won’t prevent you from falling!’”

The father noted, “The moral of the story is that just because you find a halachic concept somewhere doesn’t mean it applies everywhere!

“If you give your friend mishloach manos using matanah al menas l’hachzir, you have not increased friendship. Your friend can’t use the items at his seudah! You certainly may not use that ‘halachic trick’ to fulfill mishloach manos. It defeats the purpose.”

However, the child will not relent. “OK, I will give my friend mishloach manos and even allow him to keep it. However, I will add one little stipulation; he must return the favor. That would be OK, right? After all, the Shulchan Aruch (695:4) writes that poor people can trade their meal portions with each other and fulfill mishloach manos. It’s pretty obvious that the poor person intends to receive the recipient’s meal portion in return.”

The father will answer, “Yes, that is a wise point. However, the Kaf HaChaim writes that trading meal portions in such a manner is b’di’eved–one shouldn’t do it unless one has to. (cf. the Yafeh Lev. In his community it was standard practice for everyone to do that, in order not to embarrass people who couldn’t afford to give mishloach manos.) Secondly, Rav Shlomo Zalman, zt”l, writes that if someone actually stipulated the condition that he is giving mishloach manos only if his friend will return the favor, he has certainly not fulfilled the mitzvah of mishloach manos.”

If the child still doesn’t get the point, then perhaps the parent can suggest that in the future, all his birthday presents will be given to him as a matanah al menas l’hachzir.

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail.com.

From Tattoos to Tefillin

A story told over by Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, zt”l Prepared for print by Daniel Agalar

Ihad the privilege of serving as a rebbi in a kiruv yeshiva in Crown Heights for over four decades. It was a unique institution, catering to boys who came from non-religious backgrounds. Among the students was a young man named Rafi, who had endured the tragic loss of his mother and was going through a particularly challenging phase in his life. I remember him well.

Rafi had faced numerous setbacks and had been expelled from several yeshivas before finally graduating from the yeshiva where I taught. After he completed his studies, our paths diverged, and I lost touch with him. However, destiny had an intriguing plan in store for us.

A few years later, I received a wedding invitation in the mail. It was for the wedding of Rafi’s sister. Curiosity piqued, I attended the joyous occasion and, upon arriving, noticed an imposing Harley Davidson motorcycle parked outside the wedding hall. To my surprise, standing beside it was Rafi himself, transformed into a true biker. His appearance was striking, with a long ponytail, chains, and a leather jacket adorned with various insignias.

Rafi approached me with a sense of urgency, eager to show me something. With a flourish, he removed his jacket, revealing his heavily tattooed body. However, there was one noticeable exception—his right hand remained bare, devoid of any ink. Perplexed, I awaited his explanation.

In a heartfelt manner, Rafi recounted a particular lesson I had taught the class on the significance of tefillin. He vividly remembered the discussion we had about the sanctity of wrapping the holy phylacteries around one’s arm. As he contemplated getting tattoos, the thought of

area code. Intrigued, I answered, only to be greeted by the voice of Rafi’s sister on the other end of the line. She shared joyous news—Rafi had married a year earlier, established a thriving Jewish community, and had just celebrated the bris of his newborn child that very morning.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I promptly dialed Rafi’s number, needing to express my utmost delight and admiration. As we spoke, he revealed that he had named his precious baby Zecharia, in honor of our unyielding bond and the unwavering support I had provided him throughout his journey.

The news of Rafi’s transformation and his commitment to building a vibrant Jewish life filled my heart with immeasurable joy. It was a testament to the power of resilience, faith, and the enduring impact that a dedicated teacher can have on a student’s life.

placing tefillin on top of the inked skin deeply troubled him. In a moment of clarity and reverence for Hashem and his late grandfather, Rafi decided to leave his right arm unadorned, a sacred space reserved for tefillin. Despite the potential ridicule he faced from his friends for having a fully tattooed body with one empty arm, he remained steadfast in his commitment.

Not long ago, my phone rang, displaying a Florida

Daniel Agalar is the founder of Stories to Inspire, an organization dedicated to sharing curated inspirational stories from renowned rabbanim. With a widely popular podcast that has surpassed 4 million downloads, Daniel’s passion for spreading positivity shines through. Join the daily WhatsApp broadcast by messaging 310-210-1205 or explore over 4,300 stories on his website at www.storiestoinspire.org. The stories can also be accessed on the hotline at 718-400-7145.

As he contemplated getting tattoos, the thought of placing tefillin on top of the inked skin deeply troubled him.

Headlines Halacha Can a Terrorist Be Killed?

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

On Tuesday morning, it has been cleared for publication in Eretz Yisroel that two Palestinian Arab, residents of Hebron and their relatives were apprehended for the shooting attack near Hebron on Monday, in which Batsheva Nigri, Hy”d, was killed and an additional Israeli civilian was injured.

Although in this case it took a day to apprehend them, the question generally arises: What should citizens do immediately after they have stopped or shot someone who had stabbed and killed Israeli citizens just moments beforehand? Is it immoral to kill them? Are they not still a future threat?

It must be understood that any time that there is any doubt whatsoever as to whether there still remains a threat, one must be stringent and ensure that the terrorist is eliminated. The stabbing in Geulah is a case in point. After the terrorist was shot a few times, he continued to get up and remained a threat. Thus, if there is any doubt whatsoever, halachically, one must keep shooting. The question we are dealing with is if it is certain that the terrorist has been neutralized.

Legality

In most civilized societies, the law clearly states that a person is allowed to use only as much deadly force as is necessary to neutralize that threat, and no more. If it takes five shots to do that but six are fired, that sixth round is excessive force and is not viewed as self-defense. For the first five, you are safe. The sixth gets you a murder conviction.

Notwithstanding the illegality of it, that sixth shot does occasionally happen. In the United States, the sixth shot is to avoid lawsuits; in Israel, however, it may be to avoid future murders by the stabber in question.

Rabbi David Stav’s View

Rabbi David Stav, the chairman of the Tzohar association of national-religious rabbis, once wrote that killing the stabber who has been neutralized is a “moral break down.” He wrote, “People who are not involved in murderous activities and those who no longer pose a danger must not be harmed…. It’s important to maintain our moral superiority: To avoid

harming a person who is uninvolved in murderous activity, and to avoid harming those who have already been neutralized and no longer pose a danger.. We will not stoop down to our enemies’ despicableness, and we will not contaminate ourselves with a moral breakdown.”

Rav Moshe Feinstein’s View

I would like to suggest that although illegal, it may, in fact, not be considered a “moral breakdown.” In 1982, I posed a similar question in writing to Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l.

The question was whether to be halachically branded a rodeif, does the person have to be imminently pursuing killing someone? Or does a past history of doing so combined with current statements also render him a rodeif ?

Rav Feinstein’s written response to my question was that technically he would be considered a rodeif but there are three caveats: 1) One may not violate Dina D’Malchusa Dina, the law of the land; 2) No harm, or possibility of harm, can come to other citizens as a result of that course

of action; and a third caveat as well. Rav Feinstein concluded that since it was impossible to fulfill these three caveats, it makes no difference practically whether they are officially branded a rodeif or not.

I would suggest that based upon this letter, Rav Moshe is not in agreement with Rabbi Stav ylctv – that it is considered a moral breakdown. Rav Feinstein did, however, forbid it upon other grounds.

Sanhedrin Gemara

There is further indication that it is not a moral breakdown from the Gemara in Sanhedrin (74a): “Haba lehorgecha hashkaim l’hargo – One who comes to kill you – arise earlier and kill him.”

This passage in Sanhedrin, however, begs a number of questions:

• Is this dictum considered to be halacha? Or is it merely good advice?

• Is it obligatory or is it optional?

• Is there a difference between this concept and the concept of a rodeif – a pursuer?

• Also, what is the exact source for this dictum? Usually, the Talmud appends a

verse to a dictum such as this one, and yet here there isn’t one.

The Midrash Tanchuma (Parshas Pinchas 3) indicates that the source of Haba lehorgecha comes from the verse in Bamidbar (25:17) regarding the Midianites where it says, “Tzror es haMidyanim vehikisem osam – Afflict the Midianites and strike them.” It seems from the Midrash Tanchuma that this is obligatory and not voluntary, since it is a verse in the Torah.

Obligatory or Not?

Rav Yitzchok Halperin (Maaseh Choshaiv Vol. III p.141) writes that it is not obligatory but optional. He does not mention Tzror es HaMidyanim as a source, however.

The author of Assei Lecha Rav (Vol. IV p.35) follows the view that it is obligatory but qualifies the idea of it as only when there is certainty that the enemy will attack. He distinguishes between the obligation of seeing a rodeif in pursuit of victims and the law of “one who comes to kill you.”

His distinction is that the latter only applies when it is definite that he will try to kill you. In such an instance, there would be an obligation to kill him.

Question From Shmuel Aleph

We do find, however, that in Shmuel I (Chapter 24), King Shaul was in pursuit of the future King Dovid and would have killed him. Dovid, however, spared Shaul – only cutting his clothing. Certainly, Shaul would have killed him – why then did Dovid spare him, according to the

ping him in some other manner, and you are completely exempt. The law of rodeif, however, limits an observer in killing the pursuer in a number of ways. If he could have stopped him in some other way, then he might, in fact, be liable.

The Minchas Asher (Shmos #39), in trying to resolve the question on Dovid

thus never be practically relevant according to the Minchas Asher.

A New Resolution

This author suggests an altogether different caveat. The laws of “waking up early to kill him” might be limited by another factor. That factor is the following question: What are the ultimate repercussions of killing this person? If Dovid Hamelech killed Shaul the King, the repercussions would reverberate in Jewish history for thousands of years. That being the case, it would not be obligatory but would be optional.

Assei Lecha Rav? He should have been obligated to kill him!

HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky, zt”l, (Shiurim on Sanhedrin) cites the Gemara in Sanhedrin (74a) that the law in regard to a rodeif is only if it is impossible to stop him in another manner. There is therefore an essential difference between the law of rodeif and the law of HaBa L’horgecha. If someone is coming to kill you, then you may kill him without worry about stop -

Hamelech suggests another limitation of Haba lehargecha, even according to the opinion that it is obligatory. Namely, it is only obligatory to kill him during the actual time when he is trying to kill you. If it is not during this time, then this is optional. The suggestion is somewhat perplexing because all cases of “waking up early to kill him” perforce deal with a case where it is not during the actual time. The “obligatory” nature of it would

Our question might be limited by this factor, too. What are the ultimate repercussions of killing this stabber? If it may be too devastating, then the normally obligatory nature of “arise early and kill him:” changes and becomes optional, or in our case, forbidden because of the Law of the Land is the Law.

May Hashem remove the rotzchim and bring us yeshuos and nechamos!

The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.

“We will not stoop down to our enemies’ despicableness, and we will not contaminate ourselves with a moral breakdown.”

The Ben Ish Hai’s Legacy on his 114th Hillula

By Yali (Menashe) Werzberger

The 114th yahrtzeit of Hakham Yosef Hayyim of Baghdad, the Ben Ish Hai, a”h, is on the 13th of Elul. The Ben Ish Hai lived from 1832-1909. It is auspicious to light a candle in his honor on this day, as it is for all great and holy souls, and to learn some of his teachings for him to intercede on our behalf and on the behalf of the entire Jewish people.

The Ben Ish Hai, known as “Il Hakham” (the Hakham; implying that although Baghdad had many rabbanim, the Ben Ish Hai was the Hakham, as were his father and grandfather before him) was the preeminent halachic authority in Iraq, India, Iran, China, Morocco, and many other Sephardi lands. His halacha and Torah were also greatly respected among the Ashkenazi communities.

The Ben Ish Hai came from an illustrious family of Hakhamim. His grandfather, Hakham Moshe Hayyim, a”h, was very scholarly and erudite. He was also very shy, and once had a disagreement with the Rosh Av Bet Din of Baghdad and went to the Nasi (president) of the community to discuss the matter with him. The Nasi disagreed with Hakham Moshe Hayyim, who

then left Baghdad for Basra (another city in Iraq). A few years later, a serious question about an agunah came to the dayanim of Baghdad. When Hakham Moshe heard about the case, he wrote a long ruling about what should be done, sending it to the rabbis in Israel, who were impressed with his ruling and agreed with him. When the Hakahmim in Baghdad heard this and became aware of his greatness in Torah, they brought Hakham Moshe back with a lot of honor. He was then the rabbi of Baghdad for another fifty years, continuing to lead with humility, and continued to do what was right, not bending because someone was influential.

It is interesting to note that only three of Hakham Moshe Hayyim’s responsas are printed. In one of these responses, he discusses the importance of the Jews in his city following the opinion of the Hida (Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azoulay).

Hakham Moshe Hayyim’s son, Hakham Eliyahu Hayyim, a”h, took on the role of Il Hakham after his father’s passing. Hakham Eliyahu was renowned for his knowledge in both the simple, revealed understanding of Torah, as well as

Kabbalah. Whenever Hakham Eliyahu heard that someone was struggling financially, he would go to their house at night, leaving a sack full of money outside their door. For years, no one knew that Hakham Eliyahu was behind these gifts, and only after his passing did people find his books, which listed the amount of money he left to different people.

Hakham Eliyahu Hayyim and his wife did not have sons for many years. His wife traveled to Morocco to receive a blessing from the Abir Yaakov, who wrote a note back to Hakham Eliyahu Hayyim, saying that within a year they would have a son who would be holy from the womb and will light the eyes of the Jewish people. Indeed, Hakham Yosef Hayyim, a”h, who was born soon after, was extremely bright and noble from a young age and dedicated his existence to Torah. At the age of fourteen, a letter with a question came to his father from the rabbanim in Israel. Hakaham Yosef Hayyim researched the matter and sent his response to the rabbanim. They received the letter, and shortly after, received a second response from Hakham Eliyahu Hayyim. The rabbanim in Israel

told Hakham Eliyahu that his son already responded and gave the exact same answer as his father.

When the Ben Ish Hai was twenty-six years old, his father, Hakham Eliyahu, passed away. The entire city mourned, and all the Jewish businesses closed for the entire week, and the community spent the week in the Great Synagogue of Baghdad, listening to hespedim. When the Ben Ish Hai gave his hesped, the community was awed and stunned, and all the great Hakhamim, including Hakham Abdallah Somekh, who was the Ben Ish Hai’s teacher, appointed the Ben Ish Hai as the head of all the rabbis in Baghdad.

The Ben Ish Hai was able to blend the Sod (Kabbalah) and Peshat, and many of his rulings are based on this. What is also clearly evident in his rulings is his deep love for the Jewish people. The Ben Ish Hai also had a great love for the land of Israel. Indeed, he printed most of his works in Jerusalem, and the manuscripts would come to Israel by Ottoman mail, taking forty days via camel. At the age of 35, the Ben Ish Hai went on a trip to visit the Land of Israel, accompanied by many people.

During the journey, the Ben Ish Hai spent the entire day studying Torah, would wake up at midnight for Tikkun Chatzot, and then study again until the morning.

An Arab camel driver was leading the group to the Land of Israel, and the Ben Ish Hai explained to him in advance that they would have to stop traveling on Shabbat. Shortly before Shabbat, however, the Arab refused to stop, citing danger. The Ben Ish Hai and everyone who was with him explained that they were dismounting. The Arab leader said he was leaving, but instead, hid and watched what was happening. He saw a band of robbers enter the Ben Ish Hai’s tent, with the leader of the robbers coming face to face with the Ben Ish Hai, and then run out of the tent, with the rest of the thieves following him. Some say the robber saw the light shining from the Ben Ish Hai’s face, saw his holiness, and ran away, while others say the robber recognized the Ben Ish Hai from a court case where the Ben ish Hai helped him, when another individual owed him money. The camel driver then begged forgiveness from the Ben Ish Hai for not stopping for his group for Shabbat.

When in Israel, the Ben Ish Hai visited many holy graves. When standing next to the grave of Benayahu ben Yehoyada, many Torah secrets came to the Ben Ish Hai and he realized that he was a spark (nitzutz) of the soul of Benayahu ben Yehoyada. The Ben Ish Hai named one of his works Benayahu, and many other works are named after other phrases in the pasuk in Sefer Shmuel that discussed Benayahu ben Yehoyada.

As Il Hakham, there were four Shabbatot in the year when the Ben Ish Hai would be the only one giving a drasha in the entire city of Baghdad. As many as ten thousand people attended to hear his words of Torah, and everyone could hear him. When his son spoke in the same place after the Ben Ish Hai’s passing, not everyone was able to hear him, and his son ex-

plained that it was because the Shechina spoke from the throat of the Ben Ish Hai, enabling everyone to hear.

The Ben Ish Hai’s Shabbat drashot were extremely popular. He writes in the introduction to the Sefer Ben Ish Hai that when giving a sermon to the people on Shabbat, it is not enough to just speak about the parsha and Midrashim, but that the people must also be taught the halachot (laws) so that they can follow the Torah of Hashem. However, he says that if he were to only teach them halachot, he would lose people’s interest and concentration. Therefore, he would expound on the parsha with all sorts of Torah gems and

ly was studying with Eliyahu Hanavi, and sent Hakham Yehoshua Salboni, one of the Ben Ish Hai’s beloved talmidim, to run up to the attic, and barge in, under the pretense of having an important question that needed to be asked. When he was halfway up the stairs, the Ben Ish Hai opened the door, sending Hakham Yehoshua back.

It is clear that the Ben Ish Hai’s neshama was one that was on a very high level. Hakham Yehuda Fetaya explained that the Ben Ish Hai’s soul was that of a Tanna; that he was supposed to live during the time of the Mishnah, but his generation needed him and subsequent generations would need his teachings. As a result, Hashem

of Elul. His body was immediately brought back to Baghdad on what was a two-day journey, arriving at the graveyard of Baghdad on the 15th of Elul at night. Thousands and thousands of Jews, Christians, and Moslems came, with some estimates of 150,000 people at the funeral, including babies brought by their mothers. Again, shops and businesses were all closed, with people hearing hespedim. Hakham Shemuel Agassi explained that Hakham Yosef Hayyim, a”h, was the shoresh (root) of the soul of Yosef Hatzaddik, and like Yosef, he had to be born in one place and die in another.

stories that were easy and pleasing to listen to, while tying in halachot, so that the people would also know what they were and were not permitted to do. This offers a glimpse into the tremendous greatness of Hakham Yosef Hayyim, a”h. Although he was the greatest, most exalted person in Baghdad, he also knew how to speak to the simplest of people, keeping them following the way of the Torah.

The Ben Ish Hai would study Torah in his attic every Motzei Shabbat, and it was thought that he was learning Torah with Eliyahu Hanavi then. Indeed, he would ask his servant to bring two cups of wine to his attic and would later leave with two empty cups. The Ben Ish Hai’s students wanted to ascertain whether the Ben Ish Hai real-

held back the soul of the Ben Ish Hai, until later generations.

The Ben Ish Hai was revered by Jews and non-Jews alike. A story is told, where a young Jewish boy saw a Moslem woman walk to the Ben Ish Hai’s home, kiss the mezuzah, and pray for her son to be healed. She vowed that if her son would be healed, as happened to her neighbor’s son, she would take kosher meals to the Jewish orphans at a school. When she saw the young Jewish boy, she told him, “When you walk by this house, make sure to kiss the mezuzah every day, because great blessings will come to you.”

In 5669 (1909), the Ben Ish Hai visited the grave of Yechezkel Hanavi. The Ben Ish Hai got sick and passed away on the 13th

On a personal note, much of the material here is taken from speeches my father, Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe, a”h (who founded the multifaceted organization, Midrash Ben Ish Hai, along with my mother, Rabbanith Ruth Menashe, a”h), gave on the life and legacy of the Ben Ish Hai. My father would often share how his father, Rabbi Albert Manasseh a”h, would speak about, study, and quote the Ben Ish Hai and how everything in his home was done in accordance with the Ben Ish Hai’s rulings. My siblings and I say the same thing about the home where we grew up. We grew up with the meshalim (parables) and drashot of the Ben Ish Hai and lived our lives in accordance with the rulings of the Ben Ish Hai. At times, we wondered why the halachot we followed were different from what others did, and later understood that it was because we followed the Ben Ish Hai in all aspects of our lives. We lived our lives in the way our grandfather, and great-grandfather did, by following and speaking about the words of the Ben Ish Hai.

This article was written with information found on midrash.org; Ben Ish Hai – The Life and Times of Hakham Yosef Hayyim by Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe; Azoulay, Yehuda. The Life and Times of Hacham Yosef Haim. Israel Bookshop, 2011.

Although he was the greatest, most exalted person in Baghdad, he also knew how to speak to the simplest of people, keeping them following the way of the Torah.

The Great Synagogue of Baghdad

The Wandering Jew Montana, Idaho, & Wyoming

Part I

By Hershel Lieber

It was the summer of 2021, and we were just coming out of the most difficult phases of the Covid pandemic. The previous two years we experienced different stages of a lockdown while processing the tragedies that people were going through. Of course we did not travel during that period –we barely left our home. At the first opportunity of seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, we made plans to visit the only two states that we had not yet seen in the continental United States: Montana and Idaho. We dedicated the last week of June and the first week of July for this purpose and were quite excited about the impending journey.

A two-week journey requires a lot of planning. I write out a detailed itinerary which takes in account the driving time between places and the various attractions that we want to see and experience.

I enjoy the planning, but it really is a major undertaking. Aside from airline reservations, hotel accommodations have to be

made according to the various cities that are part of the itinerary – and in our case we needed ten separate reservations. Our original plan to fly into Bozeman, Montana, was nixed when we realized the exorbitant price of car rentals in that city. Instead, we flew into Helena, which was only a hundred miles away and where the price for a car rental was less than half. Concerning food, other than what one can buy in a supermarket, we usually bring along canned tuna and salmon, hard cheeses, pareve crackers and cookies, and for supper an assortment of Amazing Meals by Meal Mart which are quite good. We try to connect with the local Chabad for davening and Shabbos seudos, and they always come through. For this trip, I called and later met with Rabbi Chaim Bruk at a chasuna in Ellenville, NY, about two weeks before our trip. He invited us for all the seudos for the two Shabbosim that we would be in Montana.

We left Lakewood on Wednesday,

June 24 to Newark airport. About ten minutes before leaving the house, my dental bridge fell out, leaving a four-tooth gap in my mouth. That I experience a dental emergency during a trip is almost a given. I had dental work done in about a dozen cities in Europe and the States. After this dental emergency occurred, I immediately called Rabbi Bruk, and he arranged for a dentist to see me the next day in Bozeman.

Before leaving Helena on Thursday, we took a trolley tour of the city, which gave us a complete historical picture of Montana’s state capital. We also toured the State Capitol Building and the Montana Museum. We drove two hours to Bozeman and went directly to the dentist where he re-glued my “fallen bridge.” Pesi was also complaining about swollen cheeks, and he prescribed some antibiotics for her.

From there, we drove to Main Street where we rented an Airbnb apartment for the next three nights in a turn-of-

the-century building. Our room was on the second floor, and we had two heavy suitcases and some wheelies to carry up a fire escape staircase in the back of the building. As we were pondering how we would be able to do that, an older man came down the stairs and understood our dilemma. Without asking us, he lifted our suitcase on his shoulder and marched up

At the State Capitol in Helena

Glacier National Park

the stairs. He made two more trips until all our luggage was near our room. Our protests did not help; he saw our problem and came to our rescue. There really are good people out there!

Our room was not bad, but it was not what we expected. There was one air conditioning unit to cool the two rooms, and it made a lot of noise. The only place to sit were two high stools around a tall table. It was so difficult to mount the stools, and they were not cushioned. We were terribly disappointed. The way the apartment appeared in the advertisement was a far cry from its actual look and discomfort. In addition, our walk to Chabad on Shabbos could be more than an hour, and in the hot sun. That was my mistake. When I had googled the time it would take to get from the apartment to Chabad, the time given was twenty minutes. I had forgotten that it was giving me driving time, not walking time! Again, Rabbi Chaim Bruk came to the rescue. He arranged for us to stay on Shabbos at one his students and member of his shul named Robin.

On Friday, we walked Main Street and its local flavor shops. We also went to Rocky Mountain Museum which specializes in dinosaur skeletons that were found in nearby excavations. We were surprised that this exhibition was actually interesting enough for us. They also had a special exhibit on Viking artifacts which was beautifully presented. We continued on to the planetarium, where we watched the night sky in all its glory. We returned to our Airbnb to get ready for Shabbos and headed to Robin’s house.

We were not alone in Robin’s house. Our friends, Matys and Miriam Weiser, were there for the same Shabbos. I knew they were planning to go on a trip to Montana but was not sure that our trips would coincide. I know Matys still from Poland where we spent time together in the Lauder Summer Retreat. I also met him in his hometown Wroclaw. When he arrived to live in the States, we continued our relationship. Being together for Shabbos was

was well made up in quality. The seudos, the delicious food, and the divrei Torah, in the company of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Bruk and some of their children added to the Shabbosdik atmosphere that permeated around the table. After Shalosh Seudos and havdalah, we said “gut voch” but not “goodbye.” We were planning to come back again for the next Shabbos.

Sunday, early in the morning, we began a six-day journey which would take us

Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They never found one, because there isn’t any.

Later that day, we headed toward Glacier National Park. Glacier, Yellowstone, Arches, and a few other National Parks are so popular that tourists need to make reservations months before – just to drive through them. I did not know that. Rabbi Bruk was able to help us get a pass, but not until the following day, Tuesday. Nevertheless, we headed in that direction and made plans to travel outside the perimeter of the park. We were well rewarded as this road was trafficless and quiet. We had great views of the ice-topped mountains as well being able to relax alongside the adjoining riverbank. We retired early that evening in anticipation of the next morning’s early outing to Glacier. We wanted to be there before the crowds, so I set my alarm for a four a.m. wakeup. It was a long but gratifying day, and we fell asleep instantly.

an extra bonus. We enjoyed excellent accommodations at Robin’s house. Her home is so lovely and spacious. From the rear, we were treated to a grand view of the grassy plains and far-off snowcapped mountains. Besides the Weisers and Robin, we shared the house with Daisy, her friendly dog.

We davened at Rabbi Bruk’s shul, which was then located adjacent to his home. Friday night we did not have a minyan but the atmosphere at the Shabbos table was so uplifting and the guests were inspiring as well. We were just one person short for the next morning’s davening but what was lacking in quantity

to Glacier National Park and back to Bozeman via Idaho. We had many stops and sights to see along the way with a total of twenty-five hours of driving time. Our first stop was in Great Falls. The Missouri River cuts through the city and drops 500 feet in a series of rapids and waterfalls. Aside from enjoying the river views, we went to the C.M. Russel Museum to see an excellent collection of Western paintings by the famed artist. The next morning, we visited The Lewis & Clark Center which focuses on the arduous eighteen-mile portage that these explorers had to endure in order to bypass the Falls in their quest to find a Northwest passage between the

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.

Artwork by C.M. Russel

R-L: Rabbi Chaim Bruk, myself, Pesi, Miriam, and Matys

Off the road leading to Glacier National Park

Great Falls Park

A view of the Missouri River in Great Falls

Glacier, Yellowstone, Arches, and a few other National Parks are so popular that tourists need to make reservations months before – just to drive through them.

Transforming the Lives of Elderly Israelis Through Empathy and Compassion

By Raphael Poch

The Ten Kavod project is a remarkable initiative established by United Hatzalah in 2012 with a powerful mission: to prevent the deterioration of medical health among senior citizens in Israel, regardless of their religious affiliation, race, or gender. Through the Ten Kavod program, volunteers offer unwavering support and care to elderly individuals like Gila Par, making a profound difference in their lives.

Gila’s journey is a testament to the power of human connection and the importance of maintaining the well-being of senior citizens. Born into a small family of Holocaust survivors, Gila faced the challenges of severe arthritis that confined her to a wheelchair. With her physical health deteriorating, Gila also experienced deep bouts of depression and loneliness that magnified her struggles.

However, Gila’s life took a turn for the better when she reached out for help during a medical emergency. That’s when Meir Hayon, a volunteer EMT with United Hatzalah and the coordinator for the organization’s Ten Kavod (Giving Honor) program in Tiberias, became her first responder. Not only did Meir attend to Gila’s immediate medical needs, he also noticed

her tears and took the time to truly understand her situation.

Gila was initially hesitant, having been promised assistance before, only to be left feeling alone. But Meir’s commitment was different. Within a few days, he returned to Gila’s house, asking about her needs.

transpired was beyond his expectations. He discovered that Gila’s husband was actually his former metalsmith teacher from high school, and this realization deepened their connection.

The impact of Aviel’s presence in Gila’s life extends far beyond their weekly meet-

Aviel and the Ten Kavod program also recently fulfilled one of Gila’s wishes—and brought the elderly woman, who is normally home-bound, to see the Kinneret. United Hatzalah arranged for an ambulance to take her to a picturesque spot so that she could enjoy the sun and the sea. Overcoming her initial apprehension, Gila boarded a boat on the Kinneret, bursting with joy and even serenading the group with a cherished song. The day ended with a visit to a restaurant, providing Gila with an unforgettable experience, which most people in her condition are no longer able to enjoy.

Gila expressed her desire for companionship, and that’s when Meir introduced her to Aviel Levi, a volunteer with the Ten Kavod project.

Aviel, a 26-year-old education student and firefighter, became more than just a companion for Gila. Their bond grew into a profound friendship filled with meaningful conversations and shared experiences. Aviel’s initial intention was to assist Gila with errands, but what

ings. Together, they celebrate Jewish holidays as well as birthdays and other joyous occasions. Last Chanukah, Aviel arranged for firefighters from his station to come to Gila’s home and celebrate the holiday by lighting the first candle and having an impromptu party, which brought a lot of joy to Gila. What started as a small gesture became a heartwarming moment with a group of many firefighters, leaving Gila speechless with gratitude.

“Gila’s story intertwined with Ten Kavod’s mission showcases the resilience and compassion that can be found within our community,” explained Aviel. “Through connections like the one that I developed with Gila, I bore witness to the transformative power of empathy, and I have gained a lot myself from the experiences that we share. With every moment of joy that I help bring to Gila and other volunteers around the country create for the seniors whom they visit, no matter how small, the Ten Kavod program succeeds at making a profound difference and spreads love and hope along the way.

“I am proud to be a part of that.”

What started as a small gesture became a heartwarming moment with a group of many firefighters, leaving Gila speechless with gratitude.

The Shmulie Tree

By Barbara Deutsch

When our friends Phil and Phyllis’s son Shmulie married his wife Randi almost 20 years ago, the centerpieces for the tables were these amazing trees that fragrantly enhanced the tables; the trees were simple and leafy. Not being someone who allows for waste of any kind, we lugged home two of the specimens that were left behind on the table.

When we got home, we brought the small trees into the house, and that’s when we began to wonder what to do with them; they did not exactly fit into our vision of a living room.

We decided that planting the trees in our front garden would be best.

One of the trees, the one we planted along the front of our house, immediately withered and died. The second one we planted in the driveway next to our “Dov” tree. This tree was purchased to replace the beautiful tree we had planted in honor

In the beginning, the “Shmulie tree” struggled to survive in its new home. It may be because it did not get too much attention or care. We did look at it on our way to the cars parked in the driveway but did not do much more than that.

The years passed, and “Shmulie” slowly inched its way into becoming a real tree. We tracked its progress with pictures sent to our friends who had used it as a centerpiece at their son’s wedding.

More years passed, and we noticed that the roots were uprooting the bricks that paved our walkway to the house and tripping people as they walked by.

The “Shmulie” tree was making its mark!

We fixed the bricks without having to cut the imposing roots. We love the tree, and we’re loathe to hurt it.

As I pulled out of my driveway after a long absence from our trees, my neighbor asked me if her husband could use the

friend Phyllis, half kiddingly asked me if we could give it back to her when we sell our house.

Of course!

Trees and children have a lot in common. Both grow slowly and then very fast. Some need a lot of attention, while others grow and develop seemingly on their own. As educators and parents, we have to be patient and wait for the glory days of the berries to come.

As educators, we need to dig deeper and harder to get children engaged and believe in their ability to blossom. We have to do all in our power to support them even when they disrupt their own pathways to success.

It is important to partner with col-

leagues and parents to bring out the best in our children.

The tree is now crowned with berries, and as it stands in its magnificence next to its older sibling, the “Dov” tree, they both bring me joy. Together, they enhance my living space and the beauty that I am fortunate to have surround me.

of our son’s bar mitzvah. We had to leave that tree behind when we left Brooklyn and moved to Cedarhurst.

We loved that tree and raising our children in Brooklyn. The tree had beautiful white blossoms that bloomed each May on Dov’s birthday. Sadly, the new Cedarhurst tree never achieved the glory of the one we left behind in Brooklyn.

Now the “Dov” tree would have a little buddy; the “Shmulie” tree was planted alongside him.

We name our trees.

berries from the “Shmulie” tree to make berry jam. Berries, are there berries on the “Shmulie” tree? There have never been berries in all of its growing-up years.

I got out of my car and looked closely, and yes, the tree is loaded with black and red berries; it turns out that they are chokeberries, bitter to the taste, but edible (drinkable) when mixed with sugary lemonade.

The “Shmulie” tree has grown into a tall, graceful tree filled with berries. It’s magnificent. And it’s grandmother, our

As educators and parents, we have to be patient and wait for the glory days of the berries to come.

Mrs. Barbara Deutsch is currently the associate principal at HANC 609 and a longtime reflective educator, parent, grandparent, and new great-grandparent. Even after all these years, she still loves what she does and looks forward to working with kids every single day.

It’s Time to Say, “Good ShabboS”

Rabbi Warren Goldstein Talks about the 10 Years Since the Shabbos Project Began

By Brendy J. Siev

The Shabbos Project began in 2013 during a conversation between South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein and his wife, Gina. Shabbos, they felt, cannot be described. Like a beautiful color, it must be seen and experienced. What if…? they said. What if we could get all South African Jews to celebrate one Shabbos together? How would that look? How would everyone feel?

Initially, they had a date and a slogan: Keeping It Together. Then a major South African Jewish pop star and a beloved South African Jewish comedian decided to join and spread the word. Rabbi and Rebbetzin Goldstein created eight rules for the event and Gina’s “Un-

official Guide to Keeping It Together.” That Shabbos was widely kept and wildly successful. Word spread throughout the continent and globe and took on a life of its own.

With that, Rabbi Goldstein and his wife saw what became the Shabbos Project unfurl across 1,500 cities in 100 countries. They witnessed the tremendous power and energy of Shabbos observed across the spectrum of affiliation. And they watched in awe as they saw how compelling and inspiring Shabbos is, beyond being a day of rest.

As a chief rabbi, Rabbi Goldstein, of course, had known about Shabbos and how to observe it. This was part of his yeshiva training and certainly part and parcel of his position. But he now looked for more.

He embarked on his personal Shabbos journey, studying Shabbos from a halachic and spiritual perspective. He perused seforim, studying Tanach, Gemara, midrashim, rishonim, and acharonim on Shabbos. This learning formed the basis for his shared vision of the project, Shabbos: a Day to Create Yourself, published now in time for the tenth anniversary of the Shabbos Project.

Rabbi Goldstein’s opening sentence, “The secret to uncovering the essence of Shabbat begins with how we define work, productivity – and creativity,” sets the book’s foundation. Rabbi Goldstein then defines work beyond the 39 Melachos as about “the work of becoming a better person.” On Shabbos, we “focus exclusively on creating ourselves… It’s not just that we live as a shadow in G-d’s cycle of creativity – we are His ‘partners in creation’... We create ourselves.”

The book’s overarching framework is informed by this idea of Jew-as-creator of the self, coupled with the Ramban’s approach to mitzvos. The Ramban considers the mitzvos to be tools from Hashem for personal transformation. If we see the world this way, the mitzvos are not simply a gateway to a spiritual, Olam Habah future, but a formula for Olam Hazeh and happiness in this world, too. They provide a hashkafic outlook to life and a gateway to personal development and growth. (Readers from Great Neck, NY, would be familiar with this concept through Mrs. Esse Chasin’s, a”h, La’Asot program.)

Hashem, according to the midrash, says to Moshe that He has a precious

gift in His treasure house, His geniza, that He wants to share with His people. This gift is Shabbos.

“Shabbos is the shared heritage of every Jew,” says Rabbi Goldstein. “It’s Hashem’s gift to all of us.”

This act of giving and generosity from Hashem has been a priceless treasure for Jews for millennia. Our “payment” for this, says Rabbi Goldstein, is to share this gift with other Jews, those who have not experienced Shabbos before.

This is the premise and the vision of the Shabbos Project, a project that Rabbi Goldstein characterizes as a movement, not an organization. The book, in a sense Shabbos Project 2.0, is in keeping with this movement, providing people with a platform to go deeper into their Shabbos learning and understanding and utilize Shabbos as a way “to create the best version of ourselves, our family, and our world…to shape our perspectives” and delve into themselves and their goals.

The book is divided into sections. The first, aptly called “Foundations,” provides the basis for reading the text and understanding Shabbos. The next

sections delve into the foundational ideas and provide practical understanding of utilizing Shabbos to develop “Character,” “Perspectives,” “Happiness,” and “Impact.”

“Character” takes different character traits, or middot, our personal measure. Rabbi Goldstein writes how “what we do, how we engage with others, how we react to situations…are our dimensions as people.” This section talks about 11 character traits that are cultivated by shemiras Shabbos, including generosity, humility, stillness, and idealism. “Perspectives” explores the “philosophical foundations of who we are, why we exist, and what we are here to do.” “Happiness” describes how “Shabbat teaches us a number of life lessons…for finding happiness,” including freeing oneself, nurturing relationships, rest, and making life whole. Finally, “Impact” explores how Shabbos influences us more when it is most immersive.

Movements are driven by people, not by leadership at the top of an organizational pyramid. True to this, since the publication of the text, learning groups have spontaneously gathered to study the book. In the three months since it hit the shelves, more than 200 learning groups have developed, and more than 4,000 books are in circulation. The book has been translated into Hebrew, Spanish, and French, and is on its second print run in the United States. It has taken the energy of the Shabbos Project to a reflective place during the workweek.

This is understandable. Like Shabbos itself, the book is written to be a timeless distillation of sources in a platform that leads to easy discussion. The book is in many ways perfect for group learning – each chapter is clear and guid book is geared to all Jews of all affiliations and upbringings.

Those who have been keeping Shabbos their whole lives may already understand all the halachic aspects of the day. Other readers come to the text without background. This book is for both ends of the spectrum and everyone in between.

“The message of the book is to have a look at the values and vision of Shabbos connected to halachah,” Rabbi Goldstein says.

purpose we need” for ourselves and our nation’s longevity.

Shabbos, Rabbi Goldstein declares, “must be at the center of the Jewish world and our center. It gives the ‘why’ of why we’re Jewish. It’s the ultimate response to assimilation.” For example, “kiddush is the mission statement to Jewish people.” It answers questions of “quality of life, Jewish identity, assimilation, and the inspiration of the Jewish state.”

has been coordinated by Kesher Yehudi; Nefesh Yehudi, on Israeli college campuses, has been distributing books as well.

This is true of teens and young adults all over the world. We need “not only to disconnect from the stream of digital stimulation, but we need to fill that space that’s been emptied.”

Rabbi Goldstein wants to encourage Jews from all over the world to start learning groups, or to reach out to join those that have already been formed. Those interested in learning more can contact Robin Meyerson, at robin@ chiefrabbi.co.za. A generous sponsor will also send copies of the books to learning group participants.

The book opens with a variety of approbations from rabbanim and Jewish thinkers and leaders across the spectrum, including R’ Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, Israel Chief Rabbi David Lau, R’ Herschel Schachter, and Israel President Isaac Herzog, as well as actress Dr. Mayim Bialik, former Senator Joseph Lieberman, and Natan Sharansky. It ends with a comprehensive bibliography, citing more than 200 sources.

This is intentional. In order to ensure that the book flows well for all audiences, the sources are cited using endnotes at the finish of each chapter, and the reader who wants to delve further into the source material can do so. The book’s afterword includes inspirational stories from the Shabbos Project and how Shabbos has changed people’s outlook and practice.

But in the final chapter of the book, Rabbi Goldstein appeals to the reader, and all Jews, about how Shabbos is critical for those of us living in this 21st century world, “as a matter of personal renewal and national survival – and as the blueprint for a brighter future.” The

cophony of confident voices…make our world feel more unstable than ever….

Shabbat is the voice of clarity and

In its transcendence, Rabbi Goldstein visited the Knesset and gave a copy of the book in Hebrew and English to President Herzog and to 15 Chevrei Knesset. Shabbos is beyond politics and “of national value, the national treasure of the Jewish people.”

This is underscored by the thousands of Israeli soldiers and yeshiva bochurim who are learning the book in pairs. This

“Be a leader,” says Rabbi Goldstein. “You can start a group, you can start a chavrusa, and you can see how learning about Shabbos with others changes our own Shabbos. It transforms us.

“Take the inspiration of Shabbos and run with it. Integrate it with your day-to-day life. The most important thing is that Shabbos is not a matter of doing. Space must be filled with love and connection and Hashem. It’s about the framing of Shabbos, a day to create yourself.”

“It’s about the framing of Shabbos, a day to create yourself.”

What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

I lost my husband five years ago. He passed away after a long battle with cancer. We had a wonderful, loving relationship, although the last few years were very hard. My husband was very sick, and I became his caregiver. I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t easy. It was very hard. We had tons of doctors’ appointments all the time, and he was in a lot of pain. The stress was very intense, and he was in a lot of pain. I took care of him for many months when things got really bad. After he was gone, I missed him so much. He was a special man. But in a way, I was also very relieved because I had been working so hard for so long. Now, time has passed, and I feel like I would like to have someone in my life now. I have two questions for you.

First of all, although my kids have hinted to me to date again, I have no clue how to start over. I am in my seventies. I am not young. And I haven’t dated in a very long time. I would appreciate some tips or pointers that I can use in this new dating scene. Also, how do I go out and get dates? I have no interest in using technology like dating apps to do so.

Second of all, I was my husband’s caregiver for a long time. I do not want to get married just to become someone else’s caregiver. I want to enjoy my life with someone now and travel or shep nachas with them by my side. What can I do so I don’t become someone else’s nurse?

I appreciate your advice.

Sarah*

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

The Panel

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Most people remarry later in life for companionship. Remarriage is a very legitimate alternative to loneliness at home and using one’s remaining time for enjoyable adventure, stimulation, and travel. I once heard in the name of Rav Pam, zt”l, that middos are the primary consideration in a second marriage when children are not involved. Cultural differences matter less than being good and pleasant to one another and having the self-control to be giving. Often, people just want to be taken care of. This is not a strong basis for remarriage as it is coming from a position of taking.

Networking is probably the most effective way to find a spouse a second time around. Telling one’s friends and family that one is ready to remarry is

a start. Being proactive with others you trust and respect is a second step. Reaching out to people who know others in varied communities will help, as well.

Dating tips for the second time around, dating in one’s seventies? I suggest that you ask people who have dated after being widowed. I believe that the Samcheinu group for women who are widowed has some recordings of workshops and talks on this topic.

It is certainly legitimate to be concerned about becoming a caregiver when one approaches marriage in their seventies. Obviously, you are going to look for someone healthy who invests in his health by watching what he eats, exercises, and tries to be active. Furthermore, it is important to openly discuss the matter of illness and caregiving before committing to a marriage.

Most partners in a second marriage late in life make an arrangement that if one becomes infirm/ill, the children of

the individual will step in and take care of their parent. This needs to be articulated to the adult children before the marriage as well. I know of situations wherein the stepchildren took care of their mother’s husband even though there were local children. They are kind, good people and stepped in as they were very active visitors in the home. They bore resentment and felt it was not right or fair to be taken advantage of in this way. Communication is key and communication before commitment is important. Just like people make financial arrangements before a second marriage (including changing wills, insurance policies, and more), care arrangements must be put on the table.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

You sound like an incredible woman who’s been on the giving end for many years. You deserve to trust your gut in terms of the next steps you would like to take to gain love and companionship. In my opinion, you do not need to jump in with marriage in the forefront of your mind. Start with building a friendship with a nice man. Organically grow within the friendship and see if things progress. Listen to your gut. Is this someone who is healthy (physically/emotionally)? Is this someone who has good middos and will treat me and my married kids well? Do we respect each other? Do we share interests and hobbies? If it feels right, do what feels right. It is important to note that nobody can predict if you will become a caregiver again. Only Hashem knows a person’s life prognosis!

The best advice I could give you to meet new people is to network. Every person you know is a potential “shadchan” for you, even if they’re not a shadchan. When meeting new families, catching up with old friends, or talking to neighbors, make sure to sneak into the conversation, “I’m looking to meet an amazing man, if you happen to know of someone!”

When someone loses a spouse, people walk on eggshells over whether to bring up shidduch ideas. If you make it clear

that you are looking, people can hit the ground running with ideas.

One more thing, for those who help you, and do their hishtadlus for you, it is very important to show appreciation.

The Single

Tzipora Grodko

Dear Sara,

Grief is so, so difficult, and I send much warmth and support your way. Truly.

It’s comforting to know that G-d is always directing us exactly where we need to go, at the exact time that we need to be there. Have no fear about matchmakers and steps needed to take to “meet the right one” as nobody can interfere with the tailor-made plan that G-d has in store for you. With that being said, I encourage you to live your best life NOW instead of waiting for a new partner to do it with. See if you can travel with one of your grandchildren, maybe a child or a friend. Explore the world in the way that you’ve dreamed of doing and don’t let anyone or anything hold you back. You can meet a spouse anywhere, and I can’t think of greater hishtadlut than investing in your happiness and self-development. G-d loves you and knows what’s in your heart and prayers. He is the best Shadchan there is. :)

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

You have enjoyed a wonderful marriage, endured some very challenging times, and are now ready to consid-

Every person you know is a potential “shadchan” for you, even if they’re not a shadchan.

er a new, long-term relationship. I have three thoughts to share with you.

First, it is not easy for widows in their seventies to meet eligible widowers. The demographics are difficult, because there are a lot more widowed women than men. According to the United States Census Bureau, for folks in their 70s, the ratio of single women to single men is approximately 4-to-1.

Here’s what you might consider. Speak to your core group of family and close friends and spread the word that you’d like to start dating. Someone in your network might be able to recommend somebody suitable.

In addition, it would be a good idea for you to become active in local community activities. Becoming a familiar figure can be helpful not only for finding a possible dating partner but also for en-

hancing your quality of life with healthy social interactions.

You can socialize and meet new acquaintances by joining committees in your shul, by volunteering in local hospitals and museums, and by meeting like-minded individuals in various hobby clubs.

Second, you are certainly justified in wishing to avoid once again becoming a caregiver. Unfortunately, it would be a bit awkward to demand that potential dates volunteer for comprehensive medical exams and disclose their medical records.

But, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the two most important predictors for longevity and health are by having favorable genetics and by not smoking. Therefore, you may

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for writing to us!

Firstly, I am so sorry for your loss. You enjoyed a beautiful marriage to a wonderful man. The last years of your union took a toll upon you both when he fell ill and you became your husband’s caregiver. A sick spouse suffers. And so does the caregiving spouse. Though the suffering is very different and not a contest, oftentimes, the caregiving spouse experiences a constellation of emotions including but not limited to guilt, anger, sadness, rage, anxiety and depression. Often, caregivers are no longer getting any of their needs met by a spouse and carry around guilt for

noticing these feelings within themselves. While doctors and family now focus exclu - sively on the sick family member or patient, the caregiving spouse is often forgotten. There are wonderful support groups for caregivers, and if you needed it then, I hope you found the help and support.

You now find yourself ready to meet a new man and you’d like some dating tips as well as some advice about how to avoid becoming someone else’s “nurse.” Here goes nothin’...

I suggest opening up every possible avenue to allow your next companion/

wish to avoid dating men whose parents were short-lived and avoid dating men who are smokers. Seek partners who have healthy lifestyles and who eat and exercise sensibly.

Third, according to psychologists, the biggest strain in second marriages, and the most important reason that second marriages fail, is financial stress.

In online websites discussing this issue, you will find very sound financial advice like:

“Talk about all expectations and hide nothing. Make sure you’re both on the same page with financial issues.”

“You should have candid discussions about who pays for what, will you merge finances, etc. Hoping things will ‘work out’ on their own is not a sound basis to begin a life together.”

“Talk about financial issues ahead of time to make sure you have the same views and goals financially.”

“I didn’t bring up the money stuff because I thought it would hurt our relationship before we married. Boy, was I wrong. We had big disagreements later.” Good luck to you, and may your next decades be filled with good health, love, and gratification.

husband to enter your life. This means speaking with your children and their friends, shadchanim, friends and family and shul members and letting everyone know that you are dating and that you’d like to be set up with any of their divorced, widowed, or single male friends. This will look like lots of phone calls, emails, and lunch dates to spread the word. I understand that you’d prefer to stay off the apps. Have you thought about having a child or grandchild help you with the apps? I’ve seen wonderful postings in different groups written by a child or grandchild trying to set up their parent/grandparent. Enlist everyone you know to get the word out. Pick a few fabulous photos of yourself and write your bio (can we replace “resume” with “bio” please? It has such a nicer ring to it, I think). Go to every shul function and singles event and let this be your year of “yes.”

With regards to not becoming someone else’s “nurse...”

I haven’t figured out a way for you to avoid meeting someone who may down the line develop a condition that would require help. This is an unavoidable fact of life for everyone. What you can do is work on taking better care of yourself so that you don’t lose yourself should that happen. Maybe that would look like hiring an aide, getting out more, and having a plan in place between you and your future hubby should this situation arise. Whatever the issue, getting involved in a new relationship is always a risk. Always. There are no guarantees. If you aren’t already, you may want to consider speaking with a therapist to process your feelings and help support you through this leg of your journey.

Wishing you all the best, Jennifer

You can meet a spouse anywhere, and I can’t think of greater hishtadlut than investing in your happiness and self-development.

Photographing Memories

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Looking at family photos from trips, you often hear the question, “Where is Mommy/Daddy? Did they come?” For some reason, there’s usually one family member who is never present in pictures – because they’re the photographer! You can go through tons of photos and never see the parents or one particular person because they’re always remaining behind the camera. In our family, that’s usually me. You could go through hundreds of pictures without seeing me there. You’d think they left me behind when my whole family went to the zoo.

After last week’s article about the opportunities of family vacations, a reader mentioned that she appreciated my comment about parents getting into the photo alongside their child. Clearly, this seemingly minor point is speaking to others, too.

Whether or not you like being in pictures is a personal preference – some people love it and others hate it. There are those that feel an event hasn’t happened without photos to prove it, while others prefer to not stand behind a camera.

I enjoy seeing photos of entire families together. With an outsider taking the picture, one can forever remember how beautiful their family looked together. My siblings make a point of doing this, and I value the memories they’re creating.

Personally, I dislike being in pictures and used to avoid them whenever possible. I joked that it was a gift to my chosson that I allowed a photographer at our wedding. Despite my aversion to being photographed, I have made a point of being in pictures with my children. Photography, too, can be a useful tool in our parenting.

Today’s Photographed Child

Photography today is completely different than it was when we were children. Digital photography was unheard of, with rolls of film needing to be sent in and developed before a single photo could be viewed. It wasn’t uncommon to take multiple shots with the hope one would be decent. Sometimes, the pictures would come back all distorted after the film had been exposed or

some other damage occurred. At times, you even forgot to get the pictures developed and they sat sadly in your dresser until you remembered they existed. At least the hard, plastic case the roll came in was good for holding quarters – you needed them for the payphone!

Yes, some people were very into photography, but there was no immediate gratification and there was a limit as to how many photos you could reasonably take. It was less convenient and more expensive, leaving picture-taking for more meaningful events. Also, you needed a camera since, unlike today, phones didn’t come with one built in.

As photography became digital and attached to each phone, the average citizen could capture more pictures than before. When my older children were little, the picture quality was poor and the device’s memory capacity was limited. While I enjoyed the extra convenience this allowed, it still limited the quantity and quality of photos.

The ease and quality of digital photography has drastically improved over the years. Now, few of us own cameras. Anything and everything is photographed, recorded, and then shared with millions of people. Our children today are growing up in a very different world than we did, and taking pictures is a daily part of their life. They can snap as many shots as they want and view them immediately. With

the tap of a screen, they can pass them on to doting grandparents or eager friends. Only hours later, when you scroll your saved photos, do you realize how many potential angles there are to view your preschooler’s nostrils.

While completely anecdotal, it’s my experience that today’s child sees photography as a way to bond with others and experience the world in ways we never did. As parents, we can harness this opportunity and use pictures as another way to connect with our child. No, we don’t need to photograph our toast and eggs each morning to show them we love them, but we can photograph them and take pictures together as another means to show how much we value them.

Selfies

Selfies are an interesting modern invention. Previously, the idea of photographing yourself was unthinkable since it was impractical. Today, people take selfies wherever they are and with whatever they’re viewing. Sadly, some people have died trying to capture the perfect selfie in an unsafe location, such as the edge of a cliff.

In my experience, kids like selfies. They can take hundreds of pictures of themselves staring weirdly at the camera. Then your child wonders how you knew who it was that was playing with your phone. Those photos sure make a statement in the family album!

It’s so easy to get into the frame and smile with your child. Usually, their grin gets that much bigger when they see us next to them. It’s such an easy way to create a meaningful moment they can (and will) look back on repeatedly. Adults can have fun acting a little silly or whatever meets the child’s mood.

Another Perspective

As mentioned above, I used to intentionally avoid pictures, but my perspective eventually changed. I read somewhere that after a person is gone, nobody will care if they were thin/heavy, fashionable or smiling weirdly in the picture; their loved ones will just want to see them. As morbid as the thought was, I had to agree with it. Taking that one step further, why wait till a person is gone to value seeing them? We can appreciate each other today.

We don’t look at pictures of those we love and judge their outfits, looks, or anything else superficial – we’re just happy to see them. When our kids look at photos, they want to see us. They want to remember us standing next to them and enjoying the family outing together. This is enough of a reason to want to be in pictures. Years later, they can look back and remember the memories we created together with them, not standing alone next to a tree or an exhibit.

Married couples, too, should make a point of being photographed together. Children can appreciate seeing their parents together and knowing the adults in their life love each other, along with the feelings of security this brings them.

Pictures are fun, and we can turn that happiness into meaningful moments to connect and bond with our photo-adoring children. With the permanence of photography, we can create memories now that will last for decades to come. Smile!

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at Rayvych Homeschool@gmail.com.

Eat Well For Healthier, Stronger Bones

By Tehila Levine-Soskel, RDN, CDN

Maintaining healthy bones is crucial for our health, and it is therefore essential to consume a balanced diet to help support bone health. A balanced diet which includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and protein helps ensure you are getting the majority of nutrients needed for healthy bones. However, as we get older, it is essential to make sure we are eating a balanced diet that helps support bone health to help prevent conditions like osteoporosis. Including the right food and nutrients into your diet can help maintain stronger bones and a healthier life. Let’s discuss some minerals that play an important role in bone health.

Calcium

One of the key ingredients of bones is calcium as it is responsible for strength and bone structure. Calcium comes from dietary sources or supplements as we do not make it on our own. Lack of calcium in the bloodstream leads to thinning of the bones. Milk, yogurt, cheese, beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables like leafy greens, artichoke, and squash are all rich sources of calcium. The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of calcium for individuals 51 years and older is 1,200 mg per day for women and 1,000-1,200 mg per day for men.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is just as crucial as it helps our bodies absorb calcium as well as regulating levels of calcium and phosphorus, all needed to help build bones. We can get vitamin D from exposure to sunlight but be sure to apply sunscreen if you are going to be spending time outdoors. Fatty fish like salmon, egg yolks, and fortified milk can help provide adequate vitamin D intake.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays many roles in the body such as regulating blood sugar levels and muscle and nerve function, as well as making bone, protein, and DNA. According

to the American Bone Health, people with higher intakes of magnesium have a higher bone mineral density, which is important to help reduce the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. There are groups of people that are more likely to not get enough magnesium such as individuals with Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, type 2 diabetes, and older people. Food sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, legumes, milk, yogurt, chocolate, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, and is sometimes added to fortified cereals.

Phosphorus

Many foods contain phosphorus such as dairy products, cereals, fish, meat, eggs, legumes, nuts, grains, potatoes, and asparagus. Phosphorus is found in the cells of our body with most of it found in our bones and teeth. It is essential that we have enough phosphorus for our body to make energy and for many chemical processes to take place.

Potassium

Potassium plays numerous roles in our bodies such as maintaining proper kidney and heart function, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction. Too little potassium in your body may increase your blood

pressure and deplete your bones of calcium. According to American Bone Health, many people’s diets in the U.S. do not contain enough potassium. Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and those who use laxatives or certain diuretics may not be meeting their potassium needs. Those with certain medical conditions like kidney disease need to be aware of their potassium levels. Food sources of potassium are avocados, beans, bananas, broccoli, cereals, lentils, milk, yogurt, nuts, prunes, raisins, spinach, and tomatoes.

Protein

Protein is known as the building blocks for our health. They have many roles such as helping with cell structure and building and repairing skin, muscle, and bones. Protein helps with bone formation and makes up most of the volume and mass. Including healthy protein sources, like lean protein, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, into your diet can have a positive effect on bone health.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods like salmon and sardines and are anti-inflammatory which helps support bone health. Foods with omega-3 fatty acids

can help reduce the risks of fractures and osteoporosis. Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables like berries, oranges, and bell peppers also help with bone health by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Omega-3 fatty acids are a key nutrient to help support bone health.

Water

Water is essential for our bodies to function. Our bones need proper hydration in order to stay healthy. Did you know that water makes up around 60% of our body weight? Regulating our body temperature and lubricating our body and joints are just two of the many functions of water in our body. Unfortunately, dehydration can lead to osteoporosis and many other musculoskeletal conditions. Common symptoms of dehydration are constipation, headaches, muscle cramps, dry eyes and mouth, and decreased urine output. Be mindful to drink enough water.

Reducing your salt intake and alcohol may be recommended as they may lead to calcium loss and weakened bones. Smoking is another factor that also negatively affects bone health by reducing bone density and increasing the risk of fractures. Proper weight bearing exercises are essential for helping maintain bone strength and density.

Focusing on a balanced diet including a variety of nutrient-rich foods and drinking enough water is imperative to supporting bone health and a healthier life.

Reach out to a healthcare professional or registered dietitian for a personalized plan for you based on your individual needs.

Tehila Soskel is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a private practice in the Five Towns. She sees clients for weight loss, diabetes, and other various diseases. Appointments can be made for in-person or virtual sessions: 516-457-8558, tehilasoskelrd@gmail.com, tehilasoskelnutrition.com.

In The K tchen

Salmon Dumplings

By Naomi Nachman

The last few months, I have become obsessed with dumplings. When I see them on menus in restaurants, I order a double batch. I decided to make my own using salmon. You can also try the recipe using leftover chicken from the soup.

Ingredients

◦ 1 pound skinless salmon, minced

◦ ½ cup finely shredded carrot

◦ ¼ cup finely chopped water chestnuts

◦ ¼ cup finely chopped bamboo shoots

◦ ¼ cup finely chopped chives

◦ 2 cloves garlic, minced

◦ 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

◦ ½ teaspoon sesame oil

◦ ¼ teaspoon salt

◦ 2 cups water

◦ 1 package round wonton wrappers

Preparation

Prepare the salmon and vegetables: Toss salmon and vegetables with remaining ingredients and seasonings, aside from the wonton wrappers. Place one tablespoon of the mixture in the middle of each wonton wrapper. Lift the edges of the circle and pinch the top together. (You may want to use a cornstarch/water mixture to make sure it sticks.)

Gently lower the dumplings into a medium-size pot filled with boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. The dumplings are done when the skins become clear

and they have been floating on the top for 3 minutes. Remove each carefully with a slotted spoon.

Cook’s note: You can also pan-fry the dumplings a few minutes on each side in a sauté pan. Alternately, you can steam them in a bamboo steam basket. Serve the dumplings with dipping sauce or soy sauce mixed with minced ginger.

Dipping Sauce

Yields 1/3 cup

Ingredients

◦ 4 tablespoons soy sauce

◦ 1 tablespoon honey

◦ 1 teaspoon sesame oil

◦ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

◦ 2 teaspoons ginger, minced

◦ 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix together well. For best results, blend ahead of time to allow all flavors to blend. Store in a sealed container.

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.

Mind Y ur Business

Dean Harder: Ready, Set, Go

This column features business insights from a recent “Mind Your Business with Yitzchok Saftlas” radio show. The weekly “Mind Your Business” show –broadcasting since 2015 – features interviews with Fortune 500 executives, business leaders and marketing gurus. Prominent guests include John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy; and Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; among over 400+ senior-level executives and business celebrities. Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts the weekly “Mind Your Business” show, which airs at 10pm every Sunday night on 710 WOR and throughout America on the iHeartRadio Network.

On a recent 710 WOR “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas (YS), spoke with guest Dean Harder, founder of H. * * *

YS: You have a concept called, “Attract, Engage, Compel.” Could you break down those steps?

DH: So often, what happens in the world of sales, is a salesperson starts from what they do and the services they provide. They start from the inside and work outward. But I’ve learned through my years of doing this that it’s better to start from the outside and work back in. The outside is what the prospect wants,

what they’re after. So, if you’re a prospective client, in order for us to ever get to a point in the conversation where we’re syncing up on something that matters to you, you first have to be attracted in to even wanting to have a conversation with me. So, “Attract” really starts by understanding what it is you want. Once you lean in and go, “Wow, I had no idea about the things you’re telling me about,” that’s the tip that you’re ready to “Engage.” If you were a single person who wanted to meet someone and get married, you wouldn’t walk up to somebody and say, “Hey, you want to get married?” Instead, you would first say, “Hey, I’d love to buy you a cup of coffee or go to dinner sometime.” That’s the attraction part. And in

the sales world, if we don’t first Attract and go right to Engage, it’s as though we’re asking somebody to marry us right when we meet them. That’s one of the basic missteps in the world of sales.

The Attract and the Engage are my responsibility as a salesperson. That begs the question of who’s responsible for the “Compel”? If you look at the synonyms for compel, they’re actually negative words, like persuade or coerce. I don’t want to persuade or coerce you. However, I want you to become compelled to take action that makes transformational changes in your life, regarding the products or services that we talk about. So, it’s not my job to literally compel you, it’s my job to help you see things that you don’t see.

Why is asking for permission such an important part of developing a meaningful relationship and building the sales process?

One of the techniques that we teach is called, “Ready, Set, Go.” It’s something we use the very first time we ever interact with someone. The Ready portion is no more than saying, “Hey, do you mind if we jump in?” Every conversation begins with small talk. But we agreed to have this conversation on the basis of “big talk,” which is just a way to label the sales part of the conversation. So, you would say, “Sure, let’s go ahead and jump in.” The Set is, “Before we jump in, I’m just curious, what were you expecting today?” And you’ll typically say you don’t

have any expectations. To which I would respond, “Well, if you recall, when we agreed to get together, we simply wanted to get acquainted with each other. And I’d love to take just a few minutes to show you how we help people. Are you cool if that’s what we do?” We just synced up, because you’re nodding, “Sure, that sounds great.” I’m not assuming that you even remember that conversation.

The Go is a question that we ask to make sure we clearly understand your want or desire. For example, I’m involved in helping people spend and enjoy their money, as well as share their wealth. And so, the third question I ask, before we ever really dive into any conversation is, “I’m just curious if you want to retire someday?” And there are three ways that you’ll respond. One, you’ll very quickly say, “Yes, of course,” which how the vast majority of people respond. Two, they’ll say, “no,” which is rare, but it’s important because it tells me they’re not interested. Three, they’ll say, “You know, I’m not sure.” And I’ve just simply learned to respond, “Are you suggesting that you’re not sure you want to retire, or you’re not sure you can retire?” I’ve been asking that question for over 15 years, and every single time I ask it, they respond, “I’m not sure I can.” So, immediately without even going into any business interaction, I’m learning from somebody what they want.

Ready, Set, Go. It’s that simple.

What does T.I.D.A.D.S. stand for?

T.I.D.A.D.S. is a big picture framework that you can use to create one-onone conversations. It stands for Topic, Idea, Desired Action, Dialogue, and Stuff. So, starting with the T, Topic. That topic could be financial services, real estate, flooring, or anything else. But within that topic, you have to pick an idea, and even go so far as to determine what the leading idea within that topic is that you want to talk about. I mentioned earlier that in the very first interaction with a client I will ask the question, “I’m curious if you want to retire someday.” And when they say, “Yes, I can’t wait,” they’ve identified that want, that you just referred back to. That brings us to I, Idea. The leading idea, in the very first conversation, is an idea that disrupts their belief that they actually can retire. I’m not suggesting that they can’t retire. I’m just bringing them information or a thought that no one’s ever brought to them. That thought disrupts their thinking, which allows me to be confident that they will

want to have another conversation. That’s the second D, the Desired Action. So, if you and I have a conversation for 15-20 minutes, and you lean in and go, “Dean, I had no idea that that’s how this worked,” I will say, “Well, I know we only said we’re going to chat for 15 -20 minutes. So, I’m just curious, can you think of any reason why you wouldn’t want to see the rest of the story? I don’t want to leave you hanging here.” I just asked you to say no, because we’re preconditioned to say no. But that’s the affirmative response. “No, I can’t think of any reason

because it doesn’t happen every day. Future gratification is a horrible motivator. People don’t tend to be motivated very much by future gratification, nor do they get motivated by future pain. So, all the different frameworks that I share are built around bringing future pain into the present. When you bring that future pain in and get somebody to see it today, they then realize that they are standing in a fork in the road. That fork in the road isn’t 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, it’s really now. That is all built around developing the right conversa -

we want, a cup of coffee, gas, a carwash, dry cleaning, etc. We don’t do that just because we want to blow money; we do that because we want the outcome those things give us. When it comes to the world of sales, especially when it comes to building relationships, we become the conduit to help that person get to a point where they can recognize, first and foremost, that they need to change course to reach those outcomes.

What is P.P.A.S.S.?

We’re often taught that the first step in problem solving is identifying the problem. I was taught that my entire life. But one day, I was challenged by someone, who said that’s not the first step. They said that you first have to identify the purpose, before you can determine what the problem is. So, P.P.A.S.S. stands for Purpose, Problem, Attempted Solution, and Solution.

why I wouldn’t want to see how you can resolve this.” That’s the desired action. The dialogue is just the interaction that we play out together.

All of my conversations have a script. That doesn’t mean I don’t free flow, but it’s no different than going to a Broadway show. Every actor on that stage started by reading a script, memorizing the lines, and learning the character. And we do the same in sales. The reason we use scripting is not to manipulate the conversation, it’s so I don’t have to think about what I should say next. It’s the roadmap. So, we finish with S, Stuff. When I’m in-person, having that first conversation, that conversation will require different items. For example, I might want a neutral setting, a coffee, and a sketch pad. It all depends on the conversation.

Could you explain you concept of “the fork in the road in sales”?

Every conversation has a fork in the road. In other words, as a prospect in a sales conversation, you would not want to get together to see the solutions that I have to share until you felt compelled yourself. I didn’t compel you. You felt compelled to want to see it. That’s a fork in the road. Here’s the key to the fork in the road concept. There are four motivators that cause us to take action: instant gratification, instant pain, future gratification, and future pain. If we put our hand on a hot stove, that’s instant pain. Instant gratification would be deciding that you’re not going to study tonight so that you can watch the World Series,

tions, so that people compel themselves to take these micro-action steps.

A sales pitch is much more than the words used. Can you tell us how elements like vocabulary, whitespace, pacing, tone, and energy are all so important for sales?

It all goes back to the importance of scripting and knowing what you’re going to say. In the world of sales, there’s such a negative connotation with scripting. And yet, all of my career, every sale has been scripted. But it’s not manipulative scripted. What I’m trying to do, more than anything, and the reason why the tone, the whitespace, vocabulary, and all those elements matter, is I want you to recognize that I’m on your side of the table. I’m not here trying to force a sale on you. I’m not trying to hit some kind of a sales quota. I’m here to help you get something you want. And if you come to realize that what you’re doing is not going to provide the outcome that you’re after, I’m not convincing you or persuading you, you’re compelling yourself to go, “Holy cow, I’m standing in the fork of the road, and if I stay on the path I’m on, I’m not going to experience what I want. So, Dean, what else could I do?” So, we don’t pitch people, we have conversations. When somebody comes to a point where they want to own something, or they want to implement something, and it just so happens that we can help them do that, they’re not being sold something, they’re choosing to buy. We go out, every single day, buying things that

If I use my own world of helping people retire for example, the Purpose of saving money is not to have it for retirement, but to create income with it, so you can walk away from your job. The Problem people face the day they retire is the inability to answer two questions. How long will you live, and how will your investments perform, now that you’re using it as an income tool? The Attempted Solution is, “Let’s just take out as little as possible, so we don’t run out of money.” Well, the unintended consequence is, most people are not in a position to build a big enough pile of wealth to be able to live on that Attempted Solution. So, the Solution has to resolve both the Problem, as well as the unintended consequences.

“It’s my job to help you see things that you don’t see.”

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, what it’s like to lose a home. Years ago — now 15 years ago — I was in Washington doing “Meet the Press.” It was a sunny Sunday, and lightning struck at home on a little lake that’s outside of our home — not a lake, a big pond — and hit a wire and came up underneath our home into the heating ducts — the air conditioning ducts. To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my ‘67 Corvette, and my cat.

- Pres. Joe Biden in Maui where at least 115 people were killed and 850 people are still missing due to a fire that destroyed entire towns

You’re so out of touch with the common man, you don’t even know how to speak to them. The only way you think you can establish commonality with them is to lie, “The same thing happened to you no matter what the tragedy is.” Your house didn’t burn down. Your children weren’t burned to death.

We have a strand in our party that views supporting Trump as whether you are a RINO or not. So you could be the most conservative person since sliced bread, unless you [all in for Trump] they will somehow call you a RINO [Republican in Name Only].

-

Gov.

Ron DeSantis

If all we are is listless vessels that are just supposed to follow whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, that’s not going to be a durable movement.

- Ibid.

All they seem to do is want to investigate this, that, and the other thing.

- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on MSNBC when asked about Republicans investigating Biden corruption

These investigations don’t matter to the average American people.

- Ibid.

- Social media post by a citizen, in response

You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man.

- Pres. Joe Biden while pointing to a first responder’s “cool boots” and urging cameramen to check them out

President Joe Biden announced his administration would send relief payments to the tune of $700 per household to Hawaiians whose homes, communities, and loved ones were tragically lost in a sudden blaze last week that devastated the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. Those checks, however, won’t even cover each household’s portion of the $113 billion in aid packages the United States has billed taxpayers for the war in Ukraine, which averages almost $900 per household.

- Elle Purnell, The Federalist

A friend sat with me and explained that she had just recovered from an episode of extreme climate grief brought about by studying rapidly changing terrestrial ecosystems. She had started taking weekends off (many of us work seven days a week) and encouraged me to do so, as well. After we talked, I walked around the parking area for a while, listening to the birds and watching the midday light filter through the diverse trees in downtown Santa Barbara. I breathed the ocean air and grounded myself in the present, where the air was cool and the birds were singing.

It is unthinkable that we should go out of our way to host tens of thousands of Israelis in Uman, with high security risks and huge logistic efforts and at the same time the Israeli government is mistreating our citizens arriving in Israel based on the treaty between the two countries. If Israel wants its citizens to arrive in Israel as tourists, including Uman, I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu must personally intervene in finding a solution to the present situation.

- Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniachu, threatening to stop all visitors to Um an because a minuscule percentage of Ukrainians are denied entry into Israel

The failed District Attorney of Fulton County (Atlanta), Fani Willis, insisted on a $200,000 Bond from me. I assume, therefore, that she thought I was a “flight” risk – I’d fly far away, maybe to Russia, Russia, Russia, share a gold domed suite with Vladimir, never to be seen or heard from again. Would I be able to take my very “understated” airplane with the gold TRUMP affixed for all to see. Probably not, I’d be much better off flying commercial – I’m sure nobody would recognize me!

- Climate scientist Kimberley R. Miner, writing about how she copes with extreme climate grief, in Nature magazine

- Social media post by Donald Trump

If we want public office to have integrity, we might be better off eliminating elections altogether.

-

From a New York Times op-ed titled, “Elections are Bad for Democracy”

Look at the information, it’s not complicated. Joe Biden is a crook. His family are crooked. They run – it’s ironic that Donald Trump is being charged under RICO while Joe Biden has been running an organized crime operation. I think if watch “The Sopranos,” take out the murders, and watch the rest of “The Sopranos,” you’ll understand the Bidens.

– Newt Gingrich, on Fox News

Since I’m blackballed from the @NBA, should I put on a wig, identify as a woman and start dominating the @WNBA? Is that when the outrage will begin? Is that fair to all the women who spent their whole life chasing their goals? Where are all the Women Rights Activists and Feminists?!

- Tweet by former NBA player Enes Freedom Kantor

A lot of people have those insecurities. Actually, studies point that most people lie on their resumes.

– Rep. George Santos (R-NY), when questioned in a Fox 5 interview about lying about his businesses

Republicans Aim to Regain What Used to Be Their California Stronghold

By George F. Will

In the 1960s, Orange County south of Los Angeles fascinated social scientists who, like anthropologists studying primitives, considered its residents exotic. The county gave Barry Goldwater 56 percent of its votes in the 1964 presidential election while he was winning just 38.5 percent nationally. In 1966, 72 percent of Orange County embraced a novice gubernatorial candidate, Ronald Reagan.

In 1967, James Q. Wilson, the nation’s preeminent political scientist (a Southern Californian, then at Harvard) explained in an essay for Commentary magazine, “A Guide to Reagan Country: The Political Culture of Southern California,” why Reaganism “will be with us for a long time.” The region’s single-family dwellings (few apartments) and car culture (negligible public transportation) produced a property-centered, aspirational, individualistic orientation of life with “intensely middle-class values.”

Times change, and Orange County certainly has. But Scott Baugh, the Republicans’ probable congressional candidate in the 47th District, thinks a GOP revival will send him to Washington. National Republicans consider the 47th one of the most promising districts to flip from Democratic control. It is currently held by Democrat Katie Porter, who is running to replace Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Baugh, 61, was born on a Fourth of July, a good career move for a future state legislator, Republican Party official and perhaps congressman. With his granular knowledge of local demographics, he understands how Goldwater country evolved to elect the hyper-progressive Porter.

Baugh says the two parties’ registration percentages were about equal

in 1978, but during Reagan’s presidency “you couldn’t print registration forms fast enough to register Republicans.” Baugh says Orange County’s Republican registration reached high tide in 1991, with 55.6 percent of registered voters. The next year, Ross Perot’s third-party presidential candidacy, an early symptom of coming populist fevers, won 23.9 percent of the county’s votes. Today Orange is 33 percent Republican, 37.5 percent Democratic.

In 1980, the county was 78.2 percent White (not counting people who declared mixed-race), 14.8 percent Hispanic, 4.1 percent Asian and 1.2 percent Black. Today it is 38 percent White and 23.3 percent Asian – partly the result of Vietnamese fleeing to America in the aftermath of a lost war. The 47th lost many Vietnamese when the district was reconfigured after the 2020 Census, but Baugh says it retains 31,223, plus 62,070 Chinese and 22,212 Koreans.

The county’s most politically portentous change – one replicated around the nation – is the growth of the city of Irvine, driven by the University of California campus there, and the biotech and other industries that cluster around research universities. The city’s population has grown from 60,600 in 1980, to 141,200 in 2000, to 310,250 in 2022. In 2000, Republican registration in Irvine was 36,823 and in 2022 was 37,487, an increase of just 664 while the city’s population was doubling, and Democratic registration increased 41,386.

Recently, Politico reported that since 2000, of 171 communities designated “college towns,” 38 have transformed from red to blue: “Name the flagship university – Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, among others – the story tends to be the same. If the surrounding county was a reliable source of Democratic votes in the past, it’s a landslide

county now.” Porter came to UC-Irvine to teach law, and seven years later ran for Congress.

Democrats have mastered the use of “motor voter” (voter registration of people acquiring driver’s licenses) and universal mail voting to engage “low propensity” voters (who usually vote only in presidential years) and 0-for-4 voters (who have not voted in four consecutive elections).

Orange County reflects not only the nation’s dramatically increased diversity since the 1960s, but also today’s crime issue, which might now be as salient as it was in the 1960s, when “law and order,” even more than the Vietnam War, propelled Richard M. Nixon into the presidency. Progressive reforms in California have reduced many felonies to misdemeanors, new bail policies require judges to release many of the accused, and the legislature has declared California a “sanctuary state,” so sheriffs cannot notify federal authorities when they release immigrants who are suspected felons. In Orange County’s most affluent communities, Baugh says, law enforcement is instructing homeowners how to prevent burglars from disabling alarm systems by disabling a home’s WiFi.

Baugh, who lost to Porter by 3.4 percentage points in 2022, when he was outspent about 9 to 1, knows the GOP won’t let such a spending disparity occur next year. Any margin of victory is apt to be close because this area is not exotic but normal, closely divided and reflecting the nation’s political geology of fault lines along educational and cultural differences.

Raising Children To Kill — Then and Now

By Rafael Medoff

The news that Palestinian Authority summer camps are training children to use weapons and glorify terrorists is a troubling reminder that some regimes view children as little more than tools to be exploited. Hundreds of thousands of children have been used as soldiers in various international conflicts in recent decades, according to human rights groups.

The Ugandan rebel group known as the “Lord’s Resistance Army” has made the abduction and enslavement of children “its main method of recruitment,” experts say.

In Bolivia, an estimated 40% of the army consists of teenagers who were forcibly conscripted.

The participation of Palestinian Arab children in terrorism against Israelis has become so commonplace that it has attracted the attention of Palestinian advocates in the United States. They’ve persuaded a handful of members of Congress to introduce legislation to restrict U.S. aid to Israel if the Israeli military detains minors who engage in violence.

A Nazi Version of Cinderella

Dictators in previous generations likewise prioritized training children to hate and kill. Adolf Hitler, for example, viewed Germany’s schools as a breeding ground for raising an entire generation of Nazis.

Following Hitler’s rise to power, German school curricula were radically revised to reflect Nazi ideas, and traditional textbooks were replaced with Nazi versions. Biology texts now advocated the theory of “Aryan” racial superiority. Atlases focused on the alleged danger to Germany posed by surrounding nations and the supposed theft from Germany of various territories. History books presented justifications for renewed German militarism. The Nazis even concocted their own version of Cinderella, with

the prince choosing a racially pure young heroine and rebuffing her racially alien stepmother.

At a press conference in September 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt expressed concern that the German government seemed to be preparing young people for war with Germany’s neighbors. He related a story he heard from an American tourist in Germany, about an eight-year-old German boy who in his bedtime prayers each night would say, “Dear G-d, please permit it that I shall die with a French bullet in my heart.”

Unfortunately, that did not change FDR’s policy of maintaining friendly diplomatic and trade relations with Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Disney Exposes the Nazis

During World War II, Disney created a series of short cartoon films to support the American war effort and expose the nature of Nazism. They were shown in movie theaters, prior to the main feature. One especially striking nine-minute film was called “Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi.”

The storyline follows a German child, Hans, as the Nazi school system turns him into a worshipper of Hitler. When Hans’s teacher shows the pupils a fox capturing and eating a rabbit, Hans makes the innocent mistake of expressing sympathy for “the poor rabbit.” As punishment, he has to put on a dunce camp and sit in a corner, while another student gives the “correct” answer: “The world belongs to the strong... The rabbit is a coward and deserves to die.”

Finally surrendering to peer pressure, Hans agrees that the rabbit was “a weakling” who got what it deserved. The teacher then provides the moral of the story: The German people are “an unconquerable super race” who will “destroy all weak and cowardly nations.”

The Disney narrator describes how Hans’s upbringing then proceeds with endless “marching and ‘Heil’-ing, ‘Heil’ing and marching.” The little boy becomes almost a robot, blindly heeding the Nazi Party’s orders to “trample on the rights of others.” The narrator concludes: “For now his education is complete – his education for death.”

Nazi-educated German children filled

the ranks of the Hitler Youth movement. Its members took part in numerous atrocities, from forcing Vienna’s Jews to scrub the streets with toothbrushes in 1938, to the mass shooting of Jews swimming from sinking boats in the German harbor of Lubeck, just before Germany’s surrender in 1945.

In addition, many of those who graduated from Hitler Youth joined the Gestapo and participated in the mass murder of European Jewry. While other branches of the Nazi apparatus collapsed or surrendered in the waning days of World War II, Hitler Youth remained fanatically loyal to their Fuhrer to the very end, which is why they are often mentioned in accounts of atrocities that were perpetrated in the spring of 1945 Menachem Weinryb, an Auschwitz survivor who was forced to take part in a death march from Poland to Germany, later recalled how when the prisoners reached the Belsen area on April 1945 ,13, the German guards went to a nearby town “and returned with a lot of young people from the Hitler Youth [and local policemen].... They chased us all into a large barn...we were five to six thousand people.... [They] poured out petrol and set the barn on fire. Several thousand people were burned alive.”

Raising children to kill, whether in Nazi Germany in the 1930s or in the Middle East today, always has deadly consequences.

Dr. Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and author of more than 20 books about Jewish history and the Holocaust. His latest is America and the Holocaust: A Documentary History, published by the Jewish Publication Society & University of Nebraska Press.

Flying Forgotten Heroes

By Avi Heiligman

Military aviation was born soon after the Wright brothers flew the first airplane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903. World War I was a testing ground for new airplanes, techniques and pilots as world powers saw the advantage of possessing air superiority. Soon, large air battles were taking place over the trenches as control over the airspace was better for the troops on the ground. Aircraft during World War II took on additional roles such as long-range bombing and reconnaissance missions and search and rescues, while militaries were producing much more durable and efficient planes. Jet aircraft started rolling off the production lines towards the end of the war, and soon jets dominated the skies in roles during the Cold War and beyond. Some exploits of daring and successful pilots have made front page news stories, while others don’t get quite the media coverage. Here are some air heroes from World War I.

Eddie Rickenbacker was the highest-scoring American ace from World War I with 26 aerial victories in 1918 while earning the Medal of Honor. His exploits are famous, but the second-highest scoring American ace is barely talked about in the media today probably because he didn’t fly for the U.S. Francis Warrington Gillet was born in Baltimore and graduated

from the University of Virginia before joining the Air Service in 1917. He was honorable discharged later in the year because he was deemed too young for a commission. Still wanting to fly, he went to Canada to join the Royal Flying Corps and received his pilot’s certificate in December 1917.

After training in England, “Razors” Gillet, as he was known to his friends, was sent to France with the No. 79 Squadron flying the Sopwith Dolphin biplane. A few days later, the Royal Air Force was founded. It was in the Sopwith Dolphin that Gillet scored his 20 aerial victories even though he hadn’t flown it before arriving in France. While three of his victories were against military balloons, fourteen of his kills were against the formidable Fokker D.VII biplane.

Towards the end of the war, on one particular mission, Gillet was attacked by three Fokker D.VII fighters and managed to shoot one down with about fifty bullets. Then he followed the other two, but they ducked into a cloud. When he emerged, Gillet saw that the two planes had collided with each other and were falling to the ground. For his exploits, he was awarded British and Belgian medals and returned to Baltimore after the war. His British Distinguished Flying Cross reads: “When attacking a kite balloon, a two-seater guarding it

advanced to engage him; Lieut. Gillet shot the machine down, and, turning to the balloon, which was being rapidly hauled down, he dropped two bombs at the winch and fired a drum into the balloon, which deflated but did not catch fire. In addition to this two-seater, this officer has accounted for two other machines and a kite balloon.”

Being that the United States did not enter the war until 1917, many American pilots and aspiring fliers chose to join foreign Allied air services. Even after the U.S. did join the effort against Germany, their air power was lagging behind other countries which gave even more reason for pilots to fly for other nations. Kenneth Russell Unger was a pilot from Newark, New Jersey, who went to Canada before joining the No. 10 Squadron in England with the Royal Air Force. He flew the Sop Camel, and his first four aerial victories all came on June 26, 1918. Two of the planes were D.VII, and one was flown by a German naval ace. Altogether, he shot down fourteen aircraft (thirteen planes and one observation balloon) and earned the British Distinguished Flying Cross.

Several American Jewish pilots were noted for heroism during the war. First Lieutenant Louis Bernheimer from New York was a reconnaissance pilot with the 88 th Aero Squadron. On August 11, 1918, he was with several other Ameri-

can planes including three fighters on a mission to photograph enemy lines near the River Aisne. They were successful in their mission but were attacked by twelve enemy planes. Skillfully, Bernheimer piloted his plane while his backseater, John Jordan, shot at the enemy with their machine gun. Jordan was wounded in the shoulder but managed to ward off the German planes. Bernheimer flew the plane back to friendly lines and delivered 36 valuable photographs of the enemy formations. The Jewish pilot was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for this mission. He earned an Oak Leaf Cluster instead of a second Distinguished Service Cross for actions in November when they flew a dangerous reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines without being asked and took pictures of enemy activity near bridges over the Meuse River.

These are just a few of the flying heroes from World War I that are rarely talked about even in history books. In future articles, we’ll talk about Flying Forgotten Heroes from other wars.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, Ace of Aces

Francis Gillet

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WOODMERE

New to Market! Newly Renovated Balcony Split Located In The Heart of Woodmere! Spacious Layout

Featuring 6 Bedrooms & 3 Full Baths. This Stunning Home Has Everything You Want. This Gorgeous Open Floor Plan, Offers New Roof, New Electric, New Plumbing, Gas Home. Don’t Miss This Opportunity For A Gracious, Airy, Open Layout. Close to All. A Must See!!! Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

New to the market. 3 bedroom 2 full bathrooms with a full basement. Ranch home in the heart of Woodmere, SD#15, on a lot sized 90x118, gas heat, garage.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HOUSES FOR SALE

WOODMERE

New to the market. 4 bedroom, center hall, colonial in SD#15, plus a full finished basement, 2 car garage. Gas, heat, central a/c, kitchen with stainless stell appliances. Granite countertops, formal living room and dining room, main floor den with fireplace, hardwood floors and so much more.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Dream waterfront house. New to the market! Double lot 100 X 155.

Taxes only $14,414

Completely renovated 5 BDRS, 3.5

Bath with expansive gourmet kitchen with state of the art appliances, radiated heated floor and MUCH MORE....

Don’t miss your chance to claim this exceptional water view property and create a lifetime of cherished memories in a place you will proudly call home. Act swiftly and seize this once in a lifetime opportunity!

FOR PRIVATE SHOWING CALL ALEXANDRA AT REALTY CONNECT USA AT 1516 784 0856

WEST HEMPSTEAD

Introducing a stunning new construction home. Nestled in a picturesque neighborhood. Large windows, open-concept layout that merges the various living spaces. The expansive living room is bathed in natural light, thanks to the windows that offer great views of the surrounding area. Gourmet kitchen with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, sleek cabinetry, expansive center island with a breakfast bar. Ample counter space and a welldesigned layout. Wonderful dining area providing. Large glass doors, spacious patio. Luxurious master suite with a spacious bedroom, a lavish ensuite bathroom and a large walk-in closet. Additional bedrooms. High-end finishes, premium flooring, and custom details throughout. Call for pricing Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Spectacular 5 bedroom, 5 bath renovated home in SD#14 with in-ground pool & pool house, lot size 111 x 107. Formal living room & dining room, magnificent kitchen with SS appliances, tremendous den with fireplace and 4 skylights, vaulted ceiling, LED lighting, master suite, new CAC, new roof. Outside totally redone with Stone and Stucco. Backyard with new pavers, park-like property, sandbox, great home for entertaining. Close to all. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HOUSES FOR SALE

WOODMERE

Spacious home within school district 14 with exquisite upgrades and central air conditioning, splendid kitchen with dual sinks, five bedrooms. Main level encompasses a spacious great room, office space, complementing the formal living and dining areas. Unfinished basement, detached garage. Expansive lot, measuring 80 x 100. Conveniently located near shopping, railroad, restaurants and places of worship. OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY AUGUST 27 11:30-4:00PM

223 HICKOX AVENUE Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-2988457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Woodmere 1st Showing

Introducing a stunning 14-side hall colonial home in the Hewlett Woodmere School District. Formal living room, formal dining room, den with a skylight. Eat in Kitchen, two sinks, a double oven, a warming draw and a microwave. First floor bedroom, a full bathroom and laundry room. Two-car garage. Upper level has four bedrooms, two full bathrooms. Finished basement with playroom, storage and utilities. Well-groomed exterior with porch adjoining the master bedroom. Hardwood floors and back patio. Central air conditioning, inground sprinkler system, alarm system. Close proximity to schools, shopping centers, restaurants, and transportation options Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

VALLEY STREAM

Meticulously cared-for high ranch with four bedrooms and two full baths. Expansive dimensions, measuring 58 x 133. Two-zone, gas-heated system, central airconditioning, and an inground sprinkler system. The upper-level features three inviting bedrooms, accompanied by a full bathroom. The well-appointed living room, elegant dining room, and an eatin kitchen complete this level. On the ground floor, you’ll find an additional bedroom and bathroom, a spacious den with sliding doors that lead to the backyard, convenient washer and dryer facilities, and an attached garage. Great access to schools, shops, restaurants, and public transportation. OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY AUGUST 27 • 11:30-1:30PM

13 DAWSON DR. • Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway

Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

Classifieds

HOUSE FOR RENT APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

WOODMERE

Just listed - House Rental 6 bedroom residence. Living room with soaring vaulted ceilings and fireplace. Oversized den with fireplace. Family room. Central air conditioning. Five bedrooms on a single level. Close proximity to the railroad, shopping destinations, and houses of worship. Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

SHORT TERM RENTAL

WOODMERE

Prime location.short terms. 2 bd apartment (hotel style) furnished, fridge, micro coffee stand. $150 a night. Pls call/text 917-600-1983

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

LAWRENCE

One Bedroom Renovated Apartment

In Prime Lawrence. Efficiency Kitchen, Renovated Bathroom. Sunken LR, Dining Room, Close to All, Transportation, Shopping, Worship. $275k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

FAR ROCKAWAY

Beautiful 2 nd floor Condo on Reads Lane, in Far Rockaway Center hall, 1 bedroom, full den, 2 full baths, washer dryer room, total open floor plan of the living room, dining room and kitchen. Floor to ceiling windows. Deck off the kitchen. Phenomenal location, with beautiful view. Asking $599,000. Please email all inquiries to: Shira@bestdevco.com for more details

WOODMERE

Exquisite and expansive 1 Bedroom co-op in Heathcote. Recently renovated. Large foyer, vast Eat-InKitchen. Classic pre-war building with elevator. Private storage room. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the perfect combination of space, style, and convenience in the most desirable location. Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

HEWLETT

Totally renovated 1 and 2 Bedroom, Apartments with washer/dryer, kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances. Recessed lighting, hardwood floors, storage in basement. Close to RR, shopping, and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

1 bedroom apartment, elevator building, eat-in kitchen, full bath, hardwood floors, plenty of closet space. Ceiling fan in bedroom & kitchen, laundry room in the basement. Close to the railroad, shopping, and houses of worship

$179k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST

1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, totally renovated private entrance , central air conditioning, hardwood floors, washer/dryer, garage parking, dishwasher, recessed lighting, private playground, close to railroad, park, shopping and houses of worship. Call for more details

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457  mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST

Rental Just listed 3 bedroom, 2 full bathroom apartment with spacious rooms, central air conditioning, underground parking, washer/dryer, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, kitchen with refrigerator , microwave, stove and dishwasher, minutes from shopping, transportation restaurants and houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

SALE

Spacious 2BR, 2 Full Bath Apt with an enclosed terrace in the heart of Lawrence. Well maintained & manicured building. New hardwood floors, updated Eat-in Kitchen with gas stove. warming draw, dishwasher & microwave. New windows on the enclosed terrace & one of the bedrooms. 3 New A/C Units & New Refrigerator. Close to shopping, transportation, library, schools, and houses of worship. $339K Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Well maintained 1 Bedroom apartment. Elevator Building. Pet Friendly, SD#14, Corner Unit, Bright + Sunny, Hardwood Floors, Eat-in Kitchen, Full Bathroom, 3 Closets, 2 Ceiling Fans, 1 A/C Unit, Full Time Super on Premises. Minutes from the Railroad, Shopping, Houses of Worship, and Laundry Room on Premises. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-$175K

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

LAWRENCE JUST LISTED

This amazing two-bedroom two full bathroom condo Features a luxurious lifestyle in the beautiful city of Lawrence. What more could you ask for? The building has a 24-hour doorman and elevator access, with a social room, library, washer/dryer inside the unit, and terrace. Plus, the added benefit of having a live-in super to ensure maximum safety and security! And don’t forget about your new kitchen complete with a gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, and even two dishwashers! The living room and dining room are spacious and have recessed lighting installed throughout. Both bedrooms feature lots of closet space for storage. To top it off, there’s even garage parking available to make your life just that much easier! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity. Please call for a private showing Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 • mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

SALE

LAWRENCE

New to the market Jr. 4 apartment in an elevator building with a terrace and underground parking, laundry on premises. Kitchen with granite countertops, 2 sinks, ss appliances, spacious step down living room with high ceilings, guest room/ office, spacious primary bedroom with 3 closets, full bathroom with full vanity, medicine cabinet, toilet and lighting, custom blinds, near the railroad, shopping and houses of worship.$289K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Spacious and Sundrenched 1st Floor 2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath Unit In The Incredibly Maintained Garden Town. Updated kitchen with Granite Countertops and Gleaming Hardwood Floors Throughout With A Private Washer/Dryer. Best Views from Every Window And The Large Terrace Facing The Beautifully Landscaped Courtyard. Indoor Parking Available As Well And An I Adjacent Municipal Lot. Convenient To The LIRR, Shops & Restaurants. Maintenance includes all your taxes, heat and water. No more shoveling or gardening for you reduced to $185k Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Totally renovated bright and sunny 1 bedroom corner unit apartment with a washer/dryer. Features quartz countertops, ss appliances, recessed lighting, bathroom with chrome fixtures, close to the railroads, shopping and houses of worship. Call for details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

New to the market Generously sized 1 bedroom 1.5 bathroom coop in an elevator building, with a 24 hour doorman, underground parking, double terrace, central air conditioning, washer/dryer and storage on the floor, eat-in-kitchen, living room and dining room, no steps into the building or to the apartment, minutes from shopping, park, transportation, and houses of worship. $479,000 Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

ISRAEL REAL ESTATE

RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH G1

*Available this summer in RBSG1* 5 bedroom/4 bathroom (3 full- 1 half) 1st floor • Building w/ an elevator

Quiet street • Close to bussing (local and to Yerushalayim)

Across the street from a few different Shuls

Walking to G1 Mercaz

Available July 12 - Aug 9 with flexibility

For more info WhatsApp 347-831-5128 or call 053-412-7194

Bais Yaakov in Far Rockaway seeking 7th grade Math and Science Teacher and Assistant Teachers for Preschool and Elementary. Please email teachingpositions1@gmail.com

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

JOIN OUR TEAM!

ABA company located in the 5 Towns looking to fill multiple full-time administrative positions

Knowledge of Central Reach a plus, but will train the right candidate Great work environment

Call 516-670-5374 or Email your resume to: Careers@supportivecareaba.com

SEEKING ELA TEACHER

Teaching position for Gr. 6. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Great salary, warm, supportive environment. Training in our curriculum is provided. Teachersearch11@gmail.com

5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA

Seeking Elem Gen Ed Teachers

Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com

IMMEDIATE OPENING

ELA teaching position for Gr. 5. Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment. Teachersearch11@gmail.com

SHEVACH HIGH SCHOOL, the Bais Yaakov High School of Queens, seeks a dynamic, warm, and experienced Limudei Kodesh teacher for Chumash and additional subjects. Full morning hours, Monday through Friday. Please send resume to rwittenstein@shevachhs.org.

YESHIVA OF SOUTH SHORE

Seeking the following positions: Assistant teachers

Learning Center Teacher for ELA and Math, MS Science Teacher

Please send resume to: monika@yoss.org

GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL IN QUEENS

seeks a full time, experienced clinician (school psychologist, LCSW, LMHC, etc.) to work in conjunction with current school psychologist. Salary commensurate with experience. Please send resumes to rwittenstein@shevachhs.org

A YESHIVA IN QUEENS is looking for an experienced part/ full time secretary, 2-year-old morah, kindergarten morah, kindergarten morah assistant and Pre-1A English teacher for the 2022-2023 school year. Nice and timely pay. Please email resume to mshelt613@gmail. com or call/text 718-971-9799.

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

MDS REGIONAL NURSE

5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office.

Must be an RN. Regional experience preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience with good computer skills required. Position is Full Time but Part Time can be considered. Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well. Email: officejob2019@gmail.com

SHEVACH HIGH SCHOOL

in Queens is seeking dynamic teachers for the 2023-2024 school year in the General Studies department in English, Maths, and Sciences, some positions will require Masters’ degrees (positions are all in the afternoon).

There are a limited number of openings in the Limudei Kodesh department. Salary commensurate with experience. Resumes welcome. Please send resumes to rwittenstein@shevachhs.org

ESHET CHAYIL BOUTIQUE

Is looking to hire a full time sales lady!  504 Central Ave, Cedarhurst, NY. 10am-6pm Sundays-Thursdays

Please call: 516-612-2797

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Local school looking to hire a capable administrative assistant.  Job responsibilities include data entry, database management, assisting the administrator in his daily tasks.   Candidates must be detail-oriented, organized, and have the ability to multi-task.  Prefer full-time but would consider part-time for the right individual. Proficiency in Microsoft Office required.

Enjoyable working environment, personal, sick, vacation days offered, Yom Tovim and certain legal holidays off. Salary commensurate with experience.

Please email resume to admin@ shoryoshuv.org

DELIVERY PERSON NEEDED to deliver Newspaper every Thursday morning to locations in Brooklyn. Must have Minivan or SUV and availability to work consistently every week! Please e-mail gabe@fivetownsjewishhome.com or call (917) 299-8082

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER HEAD

& Assistant Teachers Needed in Lawrence for Fall, 2023

The Gural JCC Early Childhood Center is hiring Head Teachers and Assistant Teachers for the 2023-2024 school year. 12 month employment is also available. Competitive pay, benefits and pension available to those who qualify. Please send resumes to JCC.Nursery@guraljcc.org or call (516) 239-1354

GROWING YESHIVA IN QUEENS

Seeking: 1st Grade Boys General Studies Teacher, Pre1A Girls Morah for Limudei Kodesh, Pre1A Girls General Studies Teacher, Preschool Assistants Secretary Positions part/full time Great pay-on time! Please email resume and references to staffing@ ybtschools.org

MISC.

SHMIRAS HALASHON

Text 516-303-3868 with a time slot of your choice to be careful on lashon hara. Be a part of the 1,000 people for klal yisroel!

SEEKING TO RENT

Any Property with Option to buy. Good credit. Cash. Terms$$$$. 212-470-1708

Notebooks, and Knapsacks, and Knickknacks, Oh My!

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

Summer 2023 has been a long one for millions of parents across America. Record-high temperatures have kept kids indoors. Some camps had to close due to the extreme heat. And that left armies of sweaty little malcontents barking like circus seals for ice cream and shade. The only good news is that schools start earlier than they did a generation ago, meaning now the kids can whine to their teachers instead of Mom and Dad.

Now is also the time of year for states across the country to roll out back-toschool sales tax holidays. Generally, this means that for a single weekend, they’ll waive sales tax on specified backto-school items. In Ohio, for example, last weekend, there was no tax on items of clothing priced at $75 or less, items of school supplies priced at $20 or less, and items of school instructional materials priced at $20 or less. (Woe to the overachiever needing to pick up a $130 TI-84 Plus graphing calculator for AP Calculus!)

Barron’s estimates the average family will fill their shopping carts with $890 of back-to-school stuff. Multiply that by a 7% sales tax, and you’ve got $62 tax savings. (Of course, your mileage will vary according to where you live.) That’s nothing for the average family to sneeze at. But it won’t make anyone rich, either. And taxpayers only get the full benefit if someone in the family (cough, cough, Mom) is organized enough to cram all that shopping into the single appropriate weekend. At least the rules extend to national retailers, meaning you can take advantage of the same break if you order from Amazon.

Some states offer different sales tax holidays to encourage residents to buy different items. Alabama and Texas have served up holidays to buy emergency power generators and disaster preparedness supplies. Florida, Maryland, Missouri, and Texas have waived taxes on Energy Star appliances. Massachusetts offered a one-weekend general amnesty on all tangible property up to $2,500,

except for vehicles, food, alcohol, gas, certain utilities, tobacco, and marijuana. And Tennessee offered a year-long holiday for gun safes and safety devices, with no maximum price.

What do sales tax holidays say about tax policy? Nothing good. Think of a word that starts with “g” and rhymes with “mimic.” The nonpartisan Tax Foundation dismisses them as political stunts “that distract from genuine, permanent tax relief” and adds that “if a state must offer a ‘holiday’ from its tax system, it is an implicit recognition that the tax system is uncompetitive.” Calling a sales tax break a “holiday” is kind of like calling Arbor Day a holiday. It’s just. . . meh.

The irony here is that today’s pointof-sale technology would make it child’s play to adjust sales tax rates for all sorts of items all year long. We’re all used to seven different tax brackets climbing from 10% to 37% on income. States could do the same thing for sales taxes. For example, the dentist buying a

$100,000 new Mercedes could pay twice the percentage as the college kid buying a used Toyota. Now, you may think that extending progressive rates to sales taxes is an awful idea. You may even be right! But at least it would be easy to implement, even at a national level.

Planning to take advantage of sales tax holidays is elementary. Just show up at Target with your shopping list on the right morning, before the other parents clean out the store, and you’re done. Planning to save on income tax is harder. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it yourself. We got gold stars and smiley faces on all our tax homework. So call us for some real savings—then enjoy the AC once you get your little darlings out of the house!

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.

There Yet?!

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Back in the car. Help!

The crying, the screaming, the fighting.

The sticky fingers, the bathroom stops.

The traffic, the missed exits, the nausea.

Do I need to elaborate any more? Or do you know exactly what I’m talking about?

Yes. That wonderful family trip time that we planned out with such gusto, in order to fill the lazy crazy days between camp and school.

We load up the car, the kids, and, if we are smart, the patience.

Because, as much fun as we planned

a red car. Which is a less common site, so it keeps kids absorbed…somewhat!

Or they sing songs.

Tell stories.

Play I Spy, though how much is in one single car to spy? And everything else passes by way too fast to choose.

Or they can kvetch.

And they can often resort to an old favorite: eating and eating and eating!

Wow, thank goodness for all these ideas.

Yay, now you’ve killed 15 minutes. Good luck to you! Only three hours to go.

And the drive continues….

Are we there yet?!

How much longer?!

I have to go to the bathroom.

We love these trips. Good, old-fashioned family bonding. We are creating

great memories! Can’t wait for the next one between school and camp.

to have, the long hours in the car battle against it pretty well.

Sure, some people use the TV screens in the car or iPads to entertain their kids. But many opt for the old-fashioned route: keep the family busy while bonding. Basically, gluttons for punishment.

They play road games, such as: find

Tell him to stop. She started it.

I’m hungry.

How much longer?!

Are we there yet?!

Are we there yet?!!

ARE WE THERE YET?!

Then there are more fights and more questions and more kvetching.

We load up the car, the kids, and, if we are smart, the patience.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.