Five Towns Jewish Home 9.28.23

Dear Readers,

IIf we’d like to talk about the topic of joy and happiness, you would think that Chanukah would be the more appropriate yom tov to learn about those emotions. For children, for eight nights, they delight in the presents they receive and the chocolate and doughnuts that they enjoy. We’re trained by secular society to believe that the more things one has, the more presents one receives, and the more possessions one has, the happier that person is.

But we all know how wrong that is. We all know how some people, with their bulging bank accounts and gargantuan homes, can be miserable shells of a human being, shriveled and shrunken in their misery.

We’re told that Sukkos is Zman Simchaseinu – a time ripe for happiness, a period that should bring us joy. So what secrets does Sukkos hold that can bring us to that exalted, joyous state?

When I think of Sukkos, I envision cozy autumn nights. I see walls around me that sway in gusts of wind and the slight drizzle that at times may or may not send us indoors. I feel connected to those around me, my closest friends and family who join me in the yom tov spirit. I feel settled and safe, cocooned in the security of feeling close to the Source.

On Sukkos, surrounded by those four (or three!) rickety walls, we are shown that happiness does not come from brick and mortar. Happiness comes from the security felt in the connections we have with our closest friends and family and with the One Above. The more secure our connection is with ourselves and our Creator, the happier we will be.

Sukkos demonstrates that happiness does not come from being the most comfortable or the most pampered. Indeed, in some areas, Sukkos is sweltering hot; fans ineffectively endeavor to move the arid air. In other places, people slurp their soup while wearing mittens on Sukkos nights. But still, we’re

happy. It’s yom tov, and we’re connecting to the One Above. It’s not about having the most perfect car or shoes or carpets on your floors. Happiness is a state of being that can occur anywhere – regardless of your surroundings.

Some people think that someday, some time, they’ll achieve happiness. They spend all their time and efforts attempting to reach that elusive goal. One day, they tell themselves, I’ll complete my degree or make my first $10 million or get that corner office. But then, once they get there, they look around, and they’re no happier than when they started.

Happiness is not a destination. It’s a feeling that you need to incorporate into your journey. What better time to learn about that than on Sukkos? The first sukkos that the Jews ever entered were in the desert. They were in no-man’s land, on the way to Eretz Yisroel. They hadn’t yet reached their destination. And yet, every year, we’re reminded of their journey and the love and kindness Hashem showed to them along the way. When you’re living in the embrace of the Holy One, happiness is a feeling that imbues your every day.

Happiness is a very personal emotion. What makes one person happy won’t necessarily bring joy to another. And that is why Sukkos is such a wonderful holiday. Because we are commanded to be happy on yom tov, every person can experience the chag in their own way. The sukkah, a minimal, simplistic structure, is the perfect setting for our happiness. We are able to connect with what brings us joy on a deeper, more profound level because we’re not distracted by the mundane, clamoring interference that so often vies for our attention.

May this Sukkos be one filled with joy for you and your family as you celebrate and connect in your own way.

Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Friday, September 29

Candle Lighting: 6:22 pm

Shabbos, September 30

Candle Lighting: 7:20 pm

First Days of Sukkos Ends: 7:19 pm

Rabbeinu Tam: 7:51 pm

Sukkos Zemanim

Dear Editor,

The article by Susan Schwamm about Uri Kaufman’s book on the Yom Kippur War and its past and future ramifications was informative. Much like a childhood trauma, the meaning and ramifications of the Yom Kippur War revisits us every year. With ten thousand casualties and a military victory, along with a political loss of the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for cold peace with Egypt, the ramifications are less than clear.

What was clear is that the war that appeared to come unexpectedly to the public was, in fact, the product of many errors and disastrous decisions made by the IDF. The Military Intelligence failures in detecting that a war was imminent, and their refusal to believe that Egypt would attack on a limited fashion, is in hindsight difficult to fathom. The refusal to authorize a first strike, which could have at its initiation changed the tide of the war and saved hundreds of lives, was another significant failure. The failure of the Israeli Air Force to prioritize bombing sorties in assistance of the ground troops, left the soldiers, many of whom were Hesder students in the North alone in fighting a bare-knuckled battle with overwhelming Syrian forces, as they desperately worked to hold the line.

In the South, the failure of the Air Force to assist meant that the Bar Lev fortifications on the Suez Canal were overrun and were left alone to defend the Canal in a manner that was never envisioned. Those fortifications then became killing fields as hastily improvised Israeli tank forces lacking necessary artillery and air cover came to assist, only to be wiped out by Egyptian forces with the new Sagger Missiles who had studied IDF war doctrine and were prepared for the

counterattack.

There is much to learn from the war, and perhaps a full reckoning and a full declassification of all documentation on the war would be helpful. In the end, the miracle was that despite the failures of their leadership, individual soldiers gave all that they had and held the line until the reservists were able to assist. What we have is due to their sacrifice.

Jacob Silver Woodmere, NY

Dear Editor,

It is sad when we only recall the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in the Yom Kippur War fifty years after it took place. Why don’t we remember these heroes – and all the others who died fighting for Israel and our brothers and sisters –all year long? They paid the ultimate price so we can enjoy our “trips” to the Holy Land and can daven at kivrei tzaddikim and at the Kotel. It is only because they suffered and sacrificed that we can stroll into the airport and tour the Land. Laya H.

Dear Editor,

Did you ever encounter someone who had to respond to 12,000 emails? I discovered this person recently upon sending him an email. After answering my questions, I had one more follow-up, to which he responded that he gets 200 emails a day and still has 12,000 awaiting a response. This is Rabbi YY Jacobson who is shouldering the burdens of the klal. After listening to a specific shiur of his, I realized why he is this person. He said that at the root of the word rachamim, you find the word rechem, a womb. He said we must be a womb to others and open our

Continued on page 12

hearts to their problems. He said that instead of placing blame and expecting perfection from our spouses, children and friends, we should realize that everyone has problems and vulnerabilities, but it’s through being vulnerable with ourselves and others that many of today’s problems can be solved.

The sukkah is an incredible phenomenon that holds many under a temporary roof, symbolizing our time is limited but also a structure that indicates that we must open our spaces to others. We ask for David’s Sukkah to rebuilt for when that occurs, there will be total peace among ourselves and with others, but to get there, we must fill the open spaces with empathy and the volition to feel the problems of others.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor,

In my letter on September 5, I reported how Mayor Eric Adams of NYC welcomed the illegals who came from the State of Texas. Standing next to the bus, he handed out welcome packages including clothing, food, money, and free housing in better NYC hotels. After the ongoing influx, he re-allocated the illegals to the suburbs and set up, among other locations, huge tents at Creedmoor in Queens and Randall’s Island, a former playground for NYC kids.

Now, just a year later, he is starting to panic. He is looking for a way out and pointing fingers at everybody besides himself, the main culprit. He places particular blame on Governor Abbott of Texas whom he calls a madman, Governor Hochul of New York State, and President Biden.

During a recent community meeting at PS91 at the Westside, he called out his frustration by stating, “Never in my life I had a problem that I didn’t see an ending to. I don’t see an ending to this more than 100,000 migrants last year. This issue will destroy NYC. The influx of 10,000 migrants per month will impact all communities. Overall, it will create a 12 billion dollar deficit.”

Next to Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta – all run by Democratic mayors – it is New York City that people are reluctant to visit, work, and live anymore. The only one to blame for this mess in NYC is you, Mr. Mayor. You were supposed to run the city, but you turned it into a ghost town.

Eliminate the status “sanctuary city.” It doesn’t work! Stop the continuing influx of illegals!

I can only reinforce Judge Jeanine saying at The Five recent Fox show: “Roll up your sleeves and start dealing with reality.”

Heinz Mayer

Dear Editor,

There is no cause for celebration by President Biden and Congress now that our national debt exceeds $33 trillion. This averages $98,616 per citizen or $255,253 per taxpayer. (Source: September 22, 2023 National Debt Clock).

There are thousands of employees who are familiar with the details of our federal budget. How difficult can it be to find billions in savings? This could assist in reducing our periodic raising of the debt ceiling.

Millions of Americans cut their household budgets to make ends meet. It is time for Washington to live within its available existing revenues without excessive borrowing, just like millions of ordinary citizens. We should return to pre COVID-19 spending levels of $1.47 trillion annually.

The President and Congress have forgotten the old saying: a penny saved is a penny earned. Americans should send both of them a penny to remind them that it is not a sin to save. Unless we change our ways, America is on the road to losing our status as the world’s No. 1 superpower to China. Just like mighty ancient Rome before the collapse, we are going down the path to become the world’s super-debtor.

Sincerely,

Larry Penner Great Neck, NY

Armenians Flee NagornoKarabakh

Biden Meets with Pacific Nations

Thousands of people are fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia, days after Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive and said it had taken back full control of the breakaway region, sparking a mass exodus of the region’s 120,000 ethnic Armenians.

More than 13,500 people had arrived in Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh by Tuesday, according to the Armenian foreign ministry.

As many more were attempting to flee the enclave on Monday evening, a powerful explosion ripped through a gas station near Stepanakert, where people had been attempting to get fuel before driving to Armenia. At least 20 people were killed and 290 were wounded in the blast.

Azerbaijan’s brief but bloody offensive last week killed more than 200 people and injured many more, before Karabakh officials consented to a Russia-brokered ceasefire in which they agreed to dissolve their armed forces. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Baku had restored its sovereignty over the enclave “with an iron fist.”

The Karabakh presidency said that the majority of Karabakh Armenians did not want to live in Azerbaijan and that they would leave for Armenia. Azerbaijan has said it will guarantee the rights of those living in the region, but Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and international experts have repeatedly warned of the risk of ethnic cleansing of Armenians in the enclave.

Azerbaijan has long been clear about the choice that confronts Karabakh Armenians. Those who choose to remain must accept Azerbaijani citizenship. Those who do not must leave.

The Pacific Island state of Niue is one of the world’s tiniest. Covering just over 100 square miles and with a population of about 1,700, it has no military, is not a member of the United Nations, and was not recognized as a sovereign nation by the United States until last year.

But President Joe Biden was talking about Niue on Monday at the White House, when he hosted the leaders of 18 Pacific Island nations, the second gathering of its kind in a year and the latest illustration of a regional competition for influence between the United States and China.

Among Biden’s announcements at the event was that the United States would, for the first time, establish formal diplomatic relations with Niue and the Cook Islands, a nearby haven for snorkelers.

Speaking to the leaders at the White House on Monday, Biden invoked America’s World War II campaign against Japan in the region and, without naming China, implied that another kind of battle was now underway.

“Like our forebears during World War II, we know that a great deal of the history of the world will be written across the Pacific over the coming years,” Biden said. “And like them, we owe it to the next generation to write that story together.” Officials said Biden spent more than 2½ hours with the group.

Biden’s second U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit, as the White House calls the event, is part of a larger Biden administration effort to deepen ties with a string of islands in the South Pacific, where officials say Beijing hopes to project military power.

The event, reprising one from last September, was mainly designed to strengthen and spotlight ties after what officials concede were years of bipartisan neglect. But Biden also announced he was working with Congress to invest $40 million in infrastructure spending for the islands, among other initiatives.

Blinken was also scheduled to host the leaders at a State Department dinner

Monday night. They were set to join a business roundtable Tuesday with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and to meet with Biden’s special envoy for climate, John Kerry. (© The New York Times)

Mafia Boss Dies in Custody

boss of the Sicilian Mafia had been a fugitive since 1993 and was considered by Europol one of the most wanted men in Europe. He had been given several life sentences in absentia for many of his crimes, including his involvement in the murders of anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

The mobster received his most recent life sentence in 2020 for fatal bombings in Milan, Florence, and Rome in the late 1990s, and for the murder and torture of the 11-year-old son of an enemy who gave evidence against the Cosa Nostra.

Messina Denaro continued to deny any involvement in the Cosa Nostra, despite the convictions.

announced this week.

“U.S. Central Command forces successfully conducted a helicopter raid in northern Syria, September 23, 2023. Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, an ISIS Syria Operational and Facilitation official, was captured during the raid,” the CENTCOM release said. “Al-Fad’ani was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region.”

operatives were detained and an eighth was killed. In Iraq, 18 operatives were detained and six were killed throughout operations in August.

Another ISIS operative — Hudayfah al Yemeni, an “ISIS attack facilitator” — and two of his associates were captured in a helicopter raid in Syria in April.

The U.S. has roughly 900 troops in Syria as part of the ongoing mission to defeat ISIS.

Matteo Messina Denaro spent almost three decades running from law enforcement. This week, the notorious Mafia boss died in custody while receiving medical treatment for cancer.

Messina Denaro, who is thought to have ordered dozens of Mafia-related murders for the Cosa Nostra crime group, died at the San Salvatore hospital in L’Aquila, central Italy.

Before his arrest at a private health clinic in Palermo in January, the former

Messina Denaro – known as Diabolik – is regarded as one of the successors of Bernardo Provenzano, who was famously arrested while in hiding in a farmhouse outside Corleone, Sicily, in April 2006.

ISIS Terrorist Nabbed in Syrian Raid

The U.S. military captured an ISIS official in a helicopter raid in northern Syria on Saturday, U.S. Central Command

Ukraine Hits Russian Fleet Headquarters

No civilians were killed or hurt in the raid.

“The capture of ISIS officials like alFad’ani increases our ability to locate, target, and remove terrorists from the battlefield,” CENTCOM spokesperson Lt. Col. Troy Garlock said in the release. “USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS.”

In August, CENTCOM forces and coalition partners conducted eight partner operations in Syria, in which seven ISIS

On Friday, Russia’s navy headquarters was hit by a Ukrainian missile, resulting in six injuries and one death, thus far. The struck building is located in Sevastopol, a

city in Crimea, and is home to the Kremlin’s Black Sea fleet, which is responsible for much of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.

According to reports, the weapon, which is known as the Storm Shadow missile, that was used in the attack was supplied to Ukraine by either Britain or France. The Russian defense ministry said that five missiles were intercepted, while one hit the building. One person, who worked in the headquarters, is missing.

Mikhail Razvozhaev, the governor of Sevastopol, claimed that “another attack was possible” and warned locals to evacuate if the siren is activated.

“We promised ‘there will be more,’” wrote Mukola Oleshchuk, Ukraine’s Air Force commander, confirming that his country launched the strike. “So, while the occupiers are recovering in Melitopol, and in Sevastopol, the air alarm signals are still sounding. Once again, I thank the pilots of the Air Force.”

Twenty-five ambulances were sent to the site of the attack, while firefighters were deployed to handle the fire that burned through the headquarters after the strike.

As of late, Ukraine has been stepping up on its offensive against Russia. In fact, this was the third Ukrainian strike on the

fleet headquarters since July 2022. Two weeks ago, Ukraine hit a Russian submarine near naval docks in Sevastopol, which marked the first attack of this sort on a Russian submarine since World War II. The invaded country has also been targeting Russia’s air force, with Ukraine allegedly attacking two planes, a helicopter, and the Chkalovsky Air Base on September 20.

India Pauses Canadian Visas

rial separation from India.

Nijjar was killed on June 18, in Surrey, a city in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He was fatally shot near a Sikh house of worship. While India had called him a terrorist – an assertion Nijjar had long rejected – the South Asian country denies any involvement in the man’s assassination and has criticized Canada for making such accusations, adding that no evidence has been presented to support such claims.

effect from 21 Sept. Indian visa services have been suspended [until] further notice,” Canada’s BLS Indian Visa Application Center announced. The agency did not provide any more details.

Additionally, the High Commission of Canada noted that it would be making certain temporary staff presence changes at its Indian consulates, as “some diplomats … [have] received threats on various social media platforms.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of playing a part in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh who advocated for the creation of an independent country known as Khalistan for people of the Sikh religion, which would entail territo-

“If we’re talking about reputational damage, if there is one country that needs to look at this, I think it is Canada, and its growing reputation as a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and for organized crime,” said Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for India’s External Affairs Ministry. “I think that’s the country that needs to worry about its international reputation.” According to the spokesperson, Canada hosts twenty to twenty-five criminals whom India would like to arrest, and yet the North American country has thus far not been complying with India’s requests for extradition.

On Thursday, India paused the processing of Canadian visas amid rising tensions between the two countries.

“Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with

“In the context of respect for obligations under the Vienna conventions, we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here,” the commission added.

India is a popular destination for Canadian tourists, with an estimated 80,000 Canadians having visited India in 2021.

Canada Honors Nazi Vet

On Friday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Canada’s Parliament, the House Speaker noted that there was a hero in the chamber.

“We have here in the chamber

today a Ukrainian-Canadian veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today, even at his age of 98,” Anthony Rota said, followed by a lengthy round of applause and a wave by Zelensky. “He’s a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service. Thank you.”

Yaroslav Hunka stood and saluted from the public gallery.

But Hunka is not exactly a hero. Jewish advocacy groups the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and B’nai Brith Canada condemned the honor to Hunka as disturbing and “beyond outrageous” because he fought with the First Ukrainian Division — also known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, which served under command of the Nazis.

After that information became known, Rota issued an apology.

“I wish to make clear that no one, in-

cluding fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them,” he said. “This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention.”

and demanded Trudeau apologize and refrain from “passing the blame to others as he always does.”

Conservative opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre called it an “appalling error of judgment” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, since his office would have approved inviting and honoring Hunka,

A statement from the prime minister’s office said it was not given any advance notice about the recognition or invitation from the speaker’s office, which acts independently from the prime minister.

The Russian embassy in Canada posted on social media that it was an “insult to the memory of Canada’s sons and daughters who fought Nazism in WWII.”

On Tuesday, Rota resigned from his position.

Uyghur Scholar Imprisoned in China

She was a trailblazing professor and ethnographer from the Uyghur ethnic group in far-western China who documented the religious and cultural traditions of her people. She was at the height of a career that the Chinese government had once recognized with awards and research grants. But it was not enough to keep her safe.

Rahile Dawut, who nurtured a generation of academics and scholars, disappeared in 2017, along with other prominent intellectuals and academics targeted by the Chinese government in its campaign to crush the Uyghur cultural identity. Details about her case were shrouded in secrecy for years, leaving her family and friends to wonder about her fate.

On Thursday, the Dui Hua Foundation, a group that campaigns on behalf of political prisoners held in China, said that it had seen a document written by a senior Chinese official stating that Rahile Dawut had been sentenced to life in prison on charges of endangering national security.

“For the Chinese government to strike her is really to strike at the heart of Uyghur culture,” John Kamm, the group’s founder and chairman, said. “It’s appalling.”

Kamm added that the official also wrote that Rahile Dawut had attempted to appeal her sentence after she was first tried in 2018, but that her appeal was rejected. The Chinese government has applied a sweeping definition of “endangering national security” to detain and often imprison Uyghurs deemed to oppose or even question official policies.

Born in 1966 to a family of intellectuals in Urumqi, Rahile Dawut studied folklore at Beijing Normal University and was one of the first Uyghur women to earn a doctorate.

At Xinjiang University, Rahile Dawut was a fulcrum of intellectual and social exchange, reaching out to anthropology departments in the United States and Britain to broaden her knowledge of interview techniques.

Over the years, the Chinese had funded her research. But in 2017, when China erected internment camps to stamp out what it described as religious extremism in Xinjiang, the authorities also began erasing signs of Uyghur heritage.

They came for her that December.

More than 100 Uyghur academics, intellectuals and writers disappeared into detention during that time.

China’s State Council Information Office did not respond to a request for comment, and faxes to the Xinjiang government’s propaganda department did not go through. (© The New York Times)

Explosion Near Iran’s Missiles

silos, where former President Mohammad Khatami ordered the production of Shahab-3 medium-range missiles — new variants of which have a range of 2,000 kilometers and are thought to be capable of hitting Israel and of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The loud noises and tremors in part of Khorramabad were heard on Monday night and caused a panic.

Some observers, such as U.S.-based Iranian-American Middle East researcher Erfan Fard of the Counter-Terrorism Center, suggested the incident could have been a successful operation by Israel’s Mossad spy agency. It is surmised that the operation could have been conducted using drones.

peace with the greater Muslim world,” the foreign minister declared. Not only that, but peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia would also bring about peace between Jews and Muslims, Cohen said.

In his address to the UN’s General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared his hopes for a future “new Middle East” in which Israel and Saudi Arabia would have a diplomatic relationship with one another.

A suspected explosion rocked the area of the Iranian city of Khorramabad on Monday evening, with some unofficial reports speculating it could have been a sabotage operation on a nearby underground ballistic missile base.

The Imam Ali base is located around 22 miles from Khorramabad. The base is one of Iran’s two underground missile

Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and has repeatedly threatened to take military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking such weapons and has vowed a harsh response to any Israeli aggression.

Peace in the Middle East?

Cohen has not mentioned specific countries by name, although he made it clear that he is not speaking of Libya, a country whose foreign minister was fired from her job and had to escape when her meeting with Cohen was prematurely announced. Since then, Abdulhamid alDbeibeh, the Prime Minister of Libya, has remained steadfast in his commitment to not having a relationship with the Jewish state.

The Israeli Foreign Minister added that while he isn’t in direct contact with some of the Islamic countries interested in peace with Israel, he has insisted that “more countries will join… [Israel’s] peace circle.”

Selling Arrow 3 to Germany

As a peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia becomes more and more possible with each passing day, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has announced that an additional seven Islamic nations have expressed interest in making peace with Israel — if the Saudi agreement works out.

“There are at least another six or seven countries that I have met with – significant Muslim countries with which we do not have relations – that are interested [in peace],” Cohen said.

“Peace with Saudi Arabia means

On Thursday, Israel is set to sign a letter of commitment to sell $3.5 billion worth of the Arrow 3 air defense system to Germany. It is the largest-ever single defense contract.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will fly to Berlin for a two-day visit in order to ink the deal for the Defense Ministry, which developed the system in cooperation with the United States. The U.S. gave its blessing to the sale in August. While in Berlin, Gallant will also meet with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, who is hosting the Israeli defense delegation. The

two will issue a joint declaration on cooperation between the respective defense establishments.

The sale would also make Germany the second country, after the U.S., to obtain the Arrow from Israel, a decision that a Defense Ministry official called significant.

Arrow 3 is considered to be one of the most advanced air defense systems of its kind, crafted to intercept ballistic missiles while they pass through space, beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The system is designed to destroy projectiles and their nuclear, biological, chemical or conventional warheads close to their launch sites, from a distance of up to 2,400 kilometers (1,490 miles). It is Israel’s topmost layer of air defense, complementing the shorter-range David Sling and Iron Dome systems.

Selling the system to Germany points to the high degree of trust between Jerusalem and Berlin, and highlights their close defense ties, an Israeli Defense Ministry official said.

As Germany is part of NATO, the sale of Arrow 3 to Germany will be significant for NATO members who are wary of what is going on in Ukraine. The German government has led a push to bolster NATO’s air defenses in Europe after seeing Rus-

sia’s relentless missile strikes on Ukraine, urging allies to buy deterrence systems together. More than a dozen European countries have so far signed up to the socalled European Sky Shield initiative.

Berlin expects the Arrow 3 system to be delivered in the final quarter of 2025.

Israel-Mexico Direct Flights

City for two days in the coming week in order to discuss plans with Mexican officials. If a deal is met, the option of direct flights between Israel and Mexico would be made available towards the beginning of 2024.

An additional consideration which will likely be touched upon during such a meeting is the topic of driver’s licenses. In specific terms, Regev will, according to reports, try to reach an agreement which would render Mexican driver’s licenses valid in Israel and Israeli driver’s licenses valid in Mexico, without forcing tourists to hold international driver’s licenses.

Saudi Delegation to Visit West Bank

According to reports, Israel and Mexico are working to enable citizens to fly directly between Israel and Mexico. Up until now, Israeli tourists have been forced to first arrive somewhere in the United States or Europe before being able to travel to Mexico, thus making for what could be a seventeen-hour trip.

Miri Regev, Israel’s Transportation Minister, will reportedly go to Mexico

Mexico is a desirable destination for Israeli tourists, as many enjoy the wellknown Mexican city of Cancun. With the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, many Israelis are looking forward to traveling to Mexico in order to watch the soccer games.

The transportation minister will also seek to work out a deal in which Israel and Mexico would share transportation-related data with one another, including information relevant to each respective country’s railways system.

Regev is expected to visit the Mexican Jewish community on her trip.

In the coming days, a Saudi delegation will meet with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in the West Bank, according to reports.

Nayef al-Sudairi, a Saudi Arabian ambassador to Jordan, as well as Saudi’s first non-resident ambassador to the PA and non-resident consul general to Jerusalem, will serve as the head of the delegation.

“We welcome His Excellency the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the State of Palestine, who will present his official credentials to His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas within a few days,” Hussein al-Sheikh, one of the leading members of the Palestinian government, said, adding that the meeting will take place in Ramallah, a city under the

control of the Palestinian Authority.

Last Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said that with each passing day, Saudi Arabia gets closer to making peace with Israel. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has similarly spoken highly of the future relationship he hopes the Jewish state will have with Riyadh, as well as the rest of the Middle East.

Still, it is unclear if, as part of such a deal, the Kingdom would insist on a solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, as it has claimed it would. Currently, the U.S. is working on arranging a peace agreement which would not include the creation of a Palestinian state.

“Security in the Middle East region requires the acceleration of…a just, comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue; the solution must be based on resolutions in the international arena and must bring about a peace that allows [the] Palestinian people to have an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, has said.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia spoke out against the many Jews who prayed on Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, on the holy day of Yom Kippur, calling such people “extremists.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the repeated provocative practices carried out by a group of extremists at al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces,” Riyadh said, with many other Muslim countries releasing similar statements.

Dallas Mayor Now Republican

can, saying that leaders in the Democratic Party had focused on “virtue signaling” and had not done enough to help residents of the nation’s cities.

The decision was surprising for its timing: Johnson was reelected to a second term last year after running unopposed, and cannot run for a third. But the move appeared in line with how he had increasingly been positioning himself politically: At his second inauguration, Johnson was joined by Texas’ two Republican U.S. senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.

Technically, the position of mayor in Texas is nonpartisan. But Johnson served in the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat before he ran for mayor and was long aligned with the party’s moderate wing. He pushed for major tax cuts in the city’s latest budget, and he has criticized Democrats in recent years for seeking to curtail police funding.

With his announcement, Johnson becomes one of the nation’s few big-city Republican mayors, and the only one to lead one of the 10 largest cities. He will have company nearby: Mattie Parker, the mayor of Fort Worth, is a Republican.

ing his party switch.

“Too often, local tax dollars are spent on policies that exacerbate homelessness, coddle criminals and make it harder for ordinary people to make a living,” he wrote. “And too many local Democrats insist on virtue signaling.”

Many Republicans said that they were willing to welcome the mayor. Matt Rinaldi, chair of the Republican Party of Texas, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “thrilled” at the news of the switch. “We look forward to working with him to make Dallas better,” Rinaldi wrote.

In his essay, Johnson said he would remain in office as mayor through the end of his current term in 2027.

Johnson’s party switch “is an insult to the very voters who have gotten him to this point,” said Kardal Coleman, chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party. “This is really a bait-and-switch.” (© The New York Times)

Mayor Eric Johnson of Dallas announced on Friday that he had switched his party affiliation to become a Republi-

“American cities need Republicans — and Republicans need American cities,” Johnson wrote in an opinion essay in The Wall Street Journal on Friday, announc-

Biden, Trump and Auto Strikers

Former President Trump is set to skip the second Republican debate this week

bile industry. And I think that now that the industry is roaring back, they should participate in the benefit of that.

“If you take a look at the significant increase in salaries for executives, growth in the industry, they should benefit from it. So, yes, I support – I’ve always supported the UAW.”

WISHING EVERYONE A CHAG SAMEACH!

Many presidents, including Biden himself, previously have declined to wade into union disputes to avoid the perception of taking sides on issues in which the negotiating parties are often engaged in litigation. The National Labor Relations Board, whose members are appointed by the president but expected to function independently, has 28 pending cases that were filed by the United Auto Workers. UAW has yet to offer an endorsement of Biden for 2024. Union members used to be solidly Democrat; now, many of the workers are leaning more Republican.

7 Take Stage for GOP Debate

and instead will deliver a prime-time speech to an audience of current and former union members, including from the United Auto Workers, whose members are on strike. Not to be outdone, current President Joe Biden joined members of UAW on Tuesday who are walking the picket line.

Facing a dismal economic outlook and with polling numbers plunging, Biden is hoping that the UAW strike doesn’t drag out too long. It also helps that Biden is

visiting the workers in Michigan, a key battleground state.

Trump has slammed Biden for the visit, claiming that the president “had no intention” of walking the picket line until Trump said he would make a speech in Michigan. Perhaps Trump’s assertions are true, as plans of Biden visiting the workers were finalized, then scrapped, and rearranged.

Amid mounting political pressure to ramp up his public support, Biden

is expressing solidarity with the union members, who are striking against the Big Three automakers – General Motors, Ford and Stellantis – for a second week.

“I think the UAW gave up an incredible amount back when the automobile industry was going under,” Biden said Monday during a meeting with his HBCU advisory board when asked whether he supports the UAW’s asks in the negotiations. “They gave everything, from their pensions on. And they saved the automo-

Sevent contenders will take the stage on Wednesday night for the GOP’s second primary debate. Most notably missing is former President Trump, although he also bowed out of the first GOP debate. Additionally, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who appeared in the first Republican presidential primary debate, did not meet the RNC’s polling and fundraising standards for the debate.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will battle it out at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in

Assemblywoman

Stacey Pheffer

Amato

Valley, California.

On Monday, Trump called the Republican primary debates “stupid.”

“Basically, it’s a job interview. You look at the debates, it’s a job interview, and so far, I’m not too interested,” Trump said during a stop at a campaign field office in Summerville, South Carolina, ahead of a rally in the area.

Far from California, President Joe Biden visited Michigan on Tuesday to join the picket line with striking auto union workers. Trump is set travel to Michigan on Wednesday for a primetime Detroit-area speech at which auto workers are expected to be among those in attendance.

New polls released over the weekend from NBC News and The Washington Post/ABC News found Trump with a clear nationwide lead in the GOP primary. NBC showed the former president with 59% support, ahead of DeSantis at 16%, Haley at 7%, Pence and Christie at 4% each, Scott at 3% and Ramaswamy at 2%. The Post/ABC poll put Trump’s support at 54% support to DeSantis’ 15%, with Haley receiving 7%, Pence 6%, Scott 4%, and Christie and Ramaswamy at 3% each.

Ramaswamy was a dominant figure at the first debate, engaging in memorable clashes with Pence, Christie and Haley.

His exchange with Haley over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in which the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations advocated a strong U.S. role on the international stage, proved to be a key moment that injected new momentum into Haley’s campaign.

Christie – whose campaign has largely revolved around his opposition to Trump as the GOP’s leader – has ramped up his public criticism of Ramaswamy since the pair engaged in contentious exchanges at the first debate. But he denied that his jabs at Ramaswamy were part of any larger strategy, telling reporters, “It’s just that he’s too easy to go after.”

In a pre-debate memo to donors and supporters, DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier framed the Florida governor as “the only candidate that can beat both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.”

FDNY 9/11 Related Deaths

The number of first responders from the New York City Fire Department who have died from 9/11-related illnesses has reached 343. That number is a tragic count in the FDNY, as it’s the number of

those in the NYC Fire Department who lost their lives on the day of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Two more members of the FDNY died this September from 9/11-related illnesses, shortly after the 22nd anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, according to a statement on social media from the fire department.

our legacy. This is our promise,” she said.

In addition to the rise in the number of firefighters and first responders who died following rescue operations at ground zero, the number of diseases connected to the World Trade Center attacks continues to grow as well.

According to the fire department, 11,000 firefighters suffer from World Trade Center-related diseases, including 3,500 who have cancer. Exposure to the toxic materials in the aftermath of the disaster has been linked to heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, and other diseases.

Hilda Vannata, an emergency medical technician for the fire department, died on September 20 from cancer. She had joined the fire department in 1988 and served as an EMT for 26 years. Retired firefighter Robert Fulco died Saturday morning from pulmonary fibrosis.

“We have long known this day was coming, yet its reality is astounding just the same,” said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh in a statement. “343 of our heroes lost in one day, and today, 343 more. The FDNY will never forget them. This is

“So many of our members showed up for us that fateful day, and so many were lost. The legacy we create for them is one of honor and one of promise,” said Kavanagh.

Returning After the Fires in Maui

More than a month after catastrophic flames raced across Lahaina, annihilating most of the historic town and killing 97 people in Maui, some residents were finally able to return to the charred remains of their homes this week.

Residents in what has been designated Zone 1C were able to go to their properties in western Lahaina on Monday.

“I think we need this day,” Tawni Smith Katayama said before she and her grandmother went to see what remained of their home. “I think we need just a little bit of, not just closure, but it’s so unreal to see. And you know we’ve driven past it and we’ve seen it on the news, but I think really you need to just see, we need to see it in person. We need to go and stand on our property and see, you know, what’s left and process that.”

combustion and other chemicals.

Residents should be aware of the health risks of trying to “clean up” their burned properties, as doing so could make the situation worse, county officials said. Improperly handling debris and ash could spread dangerous material if it becomes airborne.

It could take three months before Lahaina is fully cleared for reentry, Governor Josh Green said.

The Maui wildfires damaged or destroyed about 3,000 homes and businesses and caused an estimated $4 billion to $6 billion worth of destruction.

The disaster area has been split into zones, which will be gradually reopened to residents as they are inspected and deemed safe to reenter, Maui officials said.

The state plans to reopen West Maui to visitors on October 8 and is trying to transition more than 7,400 displaced people from hotels to long-term housing, the governor has said.

looks banks, credit unions, and the like, is currently considering enacting new rules which would make medical debt have no impact on a person’s credit score. The bureau will likely make a final decision on the matter in 2024, before which they will seek the input of small businesses in order to determine what sort of effects such a rule would have in practice.

into paying bills they may not even owe.”

Not only is medical debt a poor method of determining one’s eligibility for a loan, Chopra asserted, but medical bills are also often hard to pay because they are all too often “confusing and error-ridden.”

“These bills, even ones where the patient doesn’t owe anything further, can end up being reported on the patient’s credit report,” Chopra added.

In the event that such a rule is passed, medical debt would have zero effect on one’s credit score, and creditors wouldn’t be able to take into account unpaid medical bills when considering giving a person loans.

One additional deceased victim – Lahaina resident Matsuyuki Osato, 83 – was also identified by the county on Monday.

Maui County has warned that “many dangers remain,” as burn sites could still be covered with hazardous materials like ash and other debris, such as asbestos, heavy metals, byproducts of plastic

Medical Debt Credit Scores

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a government agency which over-

A report released from the agency in 2022 revealed that about 20% of U.S. citizens have admitted to having medical debt.

“Research shows that medical bills have little predictive value in credit decisions, yet tens of millions of American households are dealing with medical debt on their credit reports,” said Rohit Chopra, the director of the CFPB. “When someone gets sick, they should be able to focus on getting better, rather than fighting debt collectors trying to extort them

In 2022, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, the three biggest credit reporting agencies, said that they would eliminate 70% of medical debt from consumer credit reports, and will also not factor in any medical bills that were paid. Furthermore, medical bills won’t affect any of those agencies’ credit reports until the debt has existed for over a year. Additionally, any debt which does not exceed $500 will not affect Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion credit reports.

Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken in support of the CFPB’s proposal to eliminate medical debt from credit scores.

“We know credit scores determine whether a person can have economic health and well-being, much less the ability to grow their wealth,” Harris said. “Today, we are offering a solution to fix this problem … Together, these measures will improve the credit scores of millions of Americans so that they will better be able to invest in their future.”

Writer Strike

On Sunday, after five months on a strike, the major film and television studios and striking writers reached a tentative agreement after days of marathon negotiating sessions, the Writers Guild of America said, paving a path forward to end the historic work stoppage that has frozen production and much of Hollywood.

“What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2 – is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” the WGA said in an email to members on Sunday. “It is the leverage generated by your strike, in concert with the extraordinary support of our union siblings, that finally brought the companies back to the

table to make a deal.”

While the agreement still needs to be ratified by members of WGA, which represents more than 11,000 writers, this marks a significant turning point in the nearly five-month-long strike. The current walkout came close to beating the longest strike in WGA history, a 1988 strike that lasted 154 days.

President Joe Biden hailed the tentative agreement on Monday and called on employers to fairly compensate workers.

Although there’s an agreement in place, the deal does not immediately end the strike.

“To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then,” the WGA wrote. “But we are, as of today, suspending WGA picketing.” The Guild encouraged members to join the picket line for the actors’ strike instead this week.

Writers were set to go back to work on Wednesday.

The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, has also been on strike since mid-July; SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 actors.

Both Hollywood strikes have been drawn-out and costly, with the nationwide economic impact of more than $5 billion, according to economists. Industries like restaurants, service firms and prop shops have also felt the ripple effects from the ongoing disputes and have had to cut staffing as a result. In New York, disruption of 11 major productions resulted in a loss of $1.3 billion and 17,000 jobs, according to Empire State Development.

Why The Migrant Influx?

More and more migrants are entering the U.S. through the border it shares with

40 Mexico each day. There are a few reasons why this is happening, according to Ariel Ruiz Soto, the Migration Policy Institute’s senior policy analyst.

The first reason for why there is an influx of migrants, Ruiz says, is because, since 2015, chaos in Venezuela has influenced about one in four people to leave the South American country. These migrants are forced to go through the Darien Gap, an extremely dangerous path that spans Panama and Colombia through which Venezuelans can reach the U.S.-Mexican border, for a chance to make it to the States.

“No matter what the U.S. does today, in five weeks or so, we’re likely going to see the number of migrants from Venezuela rising in the same or higher numbers,” explained Ruiz, “unless Mexico increases enforcement or something else happens in the region.”

Another explanation mentioned by Ruiz is that up until this point, many have been waiting for the opportune time to finally cross the border – a time which many migrants see as now.

A lot of migrants have been waiting “to understand … the policies of the Biden administration post-Title 42,” he said. Smugglers have been doing the same, as they have been waiting to determine their

best chance of entry – whether that be by bringing a family along with them or by passing through a specific area in the border where others have previously passed without issue.

Another explanation is that additionally, Mexicans have been motivated to leave due to ever-rising cases of violence in their country, with many migrants viewing the U.S. as a place of refuge. In July 2022, 4,000 Mexican families were spotted at the border, while in the following year, 22,000 Mexican families were found crossing.

“These are the three levers that are in play right now.… And regardless of what the Biden administration does today or tomorrow,” Ruiz concluded, “the people that are on the way already are going to continue, unless something else happens in the region.”

Sen. Menendez Indicted

Bob Menendez, the 69-year-old Democrat who has been serving as the U.S. senator of New Jersey since 2006, has been charged in New York, alongside his wife Nadline, on three counts: on con-

spiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Three others, who are allegedly connected to the crimes Menendez has been accused of, have been charged with bribery and honest services fraud.

additionally is said to have convinced President Biden to nominate Phillip Selinger as the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, because Menendez believed that he could influence Selinger to help out Fred Daibes, one of the indicted businessmen whom Menendez allegedly used his political power to help. Daibes, at the time, was indicted on banking crimes, charges which he later pleaded guilty to. The other two defendants are Wael Hana and Jose Uribe.

The indictment alleges that Hana was the link between Menendez and the Egyptian officials who bribed the senator.

The indictment alleges that Menendez used his political power in order to benefit three businessmen, as well as the government of Egypt, in exchange for about half a million dollars in cash, 81.5 ounces of gold bars (valued at approx. $155,000), and a Mercedes-Benz, among other things which were acquired from 2018 (or earlier) to 2022.

According to the indictment, Menendez used his power as the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to sway the president and his cabinet to help and buy military equipment from Egypt. He

In accordance to Democratic Caucus rules, Menendez has temporarily stepped down from his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as those charged with felonies are barred from holding such positions until the charges are dropped. Menendez, who is running for reelection in 2024, has denied all these accusations and has pledged to continue doing his job as senator.

In 2017, he was indicted on similar bribery charges for allegedly receiving expensive presents from Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist who was convicted of Medicare fraud, after Menendez convinced former President Donald Trump to lessen Melgen’s sentence. The

2017 charges were dropped after the jury failed to agree on a verdict.

Murdoch Steps Down

Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old conservative billionaire best known for founding the Fox News Channel, is stepping down from his position as chairman of his two companies: Fox Corp,

which produces Fox News, Sports, and Entertainment, and the News Corp, which owns the Times, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, and more. His son, Lachlan, will succeed him as chairman of News Corp. and will continue serving as Fox Corp’s CEO.

Murdoch will continue on as chairman emeritus and has made it clear that he will still be actively involved in the running of the corporations.

“I can guarantee you that I will be in-

volved every day in the contest of ideas,” Murdoch said. “Our companies are communities, and I will be an active member of our community. I will be watching our broadcasts with a critical eye, reading our newspapers and websites and books with much interest.”

While Fox News has become more popular than CNN and MSNBC and is still well-liked among conservatives, 2023 has not been very kind to the network. For instance, the lawsuit filed against it with

regard to the 2020 election has left Fox no choice but to pay up $787 million. This year also saw the firing of Tucker Carlson, who ran what many consider to be Fox’s best show.

Many are in shock over Murdoch’s departure. Those who admire his work fear that his successor will ruin Fox, while those who view him in a negative light — as someone who has propagated so-called politically incorrect ideas — are glad to see him go.

“His contributions to the news industry across several continents have been enormous, helping to ensure a balanced and truly free media,” Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Fox competitor Newsmax, said in praise of the man.

According to Michael Wolff, the author of Murdoch’s biography, once the man passes away, the Fox Corp. will be passed on to his four children – James, Lachlan, Elisabeth, and Prudence – who will each have an equal share in the company. Many have said that Fox’s future will be in question once that happens, as the inheritors differ politically, and it’s doubtful that anyone will be able to lead Fox in the way Rupert Murdoch has for so many years.

California Gun Ban

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez ruled that California’s current gun restrictions are unconstitutional.

Since 2016, California has generally banned firearms containing more than ten rounds. In 2016, the Supreme Court ruled that all gun laws must refrain from infringing upon the rights which the Second Amendment grants to all Americans and additionally must be “consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition.”

On Friday, Judge Benitez ruled that

California’s gun restrictions fail to meet the standards set by the Supreme Court. Furthermore, he added, “there is no national tradition of prohibiting or regulating firearms based on firing capacity or ammunition capacity.”

Rather, California’s enactment is merely a “government solution to a few mad men with guns … makes into criminals responsible, law-abiding people wanting larger magazines simply to protect themselves,” the judge continued.

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the ruling, asserting that the decision was politically driven. Rob Bonta, the Attorney General of California, will similarly fight to keep the ban in place in order to “keep Californians safe from weapon enhancements designed to cause mass casualties,” he said.

The case was originally brought to court by the California Rifle and Pistol Association, along with many private gun owners. The group’s president, Chuck Michel, hailed the decision, and said that “the clock is ticking” on “absurdly restrictive laws.”

After ten days without these regulations, the court will reconsider the case.

Big Bucks

a press release. “The $10,000 trails only the $100,000 gold certificate issued in 1934, and of the 18 examples graded by PMG, this example is tied for the highest-graded.”

The most a 1934 $10,000 bill had sold for previously was $384,000 in September 2020.

The $10,000 bill was the highest denomination note to ever circulate publicly — with the $100,000 bill only used to transfer funds between Federal Reserve banks. This particular note that was auctioned was never in circulation, according to Heritage Auctions.

create works of art for the museum. But Haaning took the money and gave the institution blank canvases.

Now, after almost two years of litigation, a Copenhagen court ruled on Monday that the artist must return nearly all of the cash.

Sometimes, money is just worth more than it is.

Last week, a rare $10,000 bill dating back to the Great Depression sold for a whopping $480,000 at auction.

The note was issued in 1934 and features the face of President Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase. The price set the record for the most a bill of that value ever sold.

“Large denomination notes always have drawn the interest of collectors of all levels,” noted Dustin Johnston, vice president of currency at Heritage Auctions, in

Due to lack of use, currency notes in denominations of $500 or higher were discontinued in 1969. Now, the highest denomination note issued by the U.S. is the $100 bill.

Talk about big bucks.

Take the Money and Run

Speaking of money, what happens when someone just takes the money and runs? That’s what happened when a Danish museum gave artist Jens Haaning 530,000 Danish krone ($76,000) to

Haaning had previously created two other works of art for the museum: frames filled with banknotes depicting the average annual salaries of an Austrian and a Dane for an exhibition on the future of labor. In 2021, the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art gave him money to create updated versions of those pieces. But Haaning had an expensive trick up his sleeve: he sent the museum two empty frames entitled “Take the Money and Run,” saying he had created new, “better” pieces to fit the exhibition’s theme.

According to Haaning, the piece was a commentary on low wages and that his

breach of contract was part of the work.

At the time, he said, “I saw, from my artistic point of view, that I could create a much better piece for them than what they could imagine.”

He added: “I don’t see that I have stolen money… I have created an art piece, which is maybe 10 or 100 times better than what we had planned. What is the problem?”

Haaning said the new artwork invited people to reflect on social structures and institutions like religion and marriage. “And if needed…take the money and run,” he added.

Kunsten Museum of Modern Art exhibited Haaning’s empty canvases alongside a print-out of an email in which he explained his actions.

Haaning is not the only artist to call laziness a work of art. Maurizio Cattelan is famous for taping a banana to a wall and calling it art. Banksy has shredded his paintings at auction. In 1958, conceptual artist Yves Klein exhibited an empty room to thousands of people.

Still, the court was not pleased with Haaning’s creativity, ruling that he was “obliged” to return the loaned money, minus 40,000 krone ($5,730) in artist and display fees.

Sounds like he drew a blank with this piece.

It’s a Mouthful

whiskey-flavored tubes in rye, scotch and bourbon varieties. He said the novelty toothpastes, manufactured by Don Poynter in the 1950s, contain 3% alcohol.

Kolpakov said he also has a wasabi-flavored toothpaste, but he has no plans to try it.

“As you can imagine, it might not be for weak people,” he said.

A dentist from Georgia has now earned the Guinness World Record for the largest toothpaste collection.

Dr. Val Kolpakov is the proud owner of 2,037 different toothpaste tubes. These are not your average Crest or Colgate versions. Some of his toothpastes are wasabi- or whiskey-flavored and hail from Japan, Korea, India and Russia.

“I started my collection in 2001 to learn more as a dentist about all available toothpastes on the market,” Kolpakov told Guinness World Records. “Soon I realized that this is a very interesting hobby and tried to collect some old toothpastes and tubes from other countries.”

Kolpakov said some of the most unusual tubes displayed at his dental practice’s “mini museum” include a trio of

Other unusual entries in his collection include a tube of Doramad toothpaste containing the radioactive compound thorium and a tube of Brenner’s toothpaste made specifically as a prop for a TV series.

“It’s lots of fun collecting, and I’m always looking for new toothpastes that come out. There are different trends, like right now there are lots of toothpastes they’re making with charcoal,” Kolpakov said.

A million dollar smile.

Message in a Bottle

The caretakers of a historic Michigan lighthouse are offering free stays at the landmark in an unusual contest involving messages in bottles tossed into the Great Lakes.

The White Shoal Light Historical Preservation Society announced the “message in a bottle contest” as part of the lighthouse’s 113th anniversary celebrations.

Each of the four messages in bottles, which were dropped into Lake Michigan on September 4, contains a message from one of four descendants of longtime lightkeeper George Keller. The messages feature various offers for a free three-night stay for one, two, or up to five people.

The message in a bottle contest pays tribute to the Armistice Day Blizzard of November 1940, in which Keller and a colleague threw a message in a bottle into the water in case they did not survive the storm. The men survived the storm, and their message was found a few weeks later by fisherman near Gros Cap, Michigan.

The lighthouse is booked for the rest of the year, but three nights in the twin room is worth $1,500 and three nights in one queen room is worth $3,000. We’re “shore” you’re going to love staying here!

The offshore lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

Around the Community

STEM at HALB

Middle School STEM at HALB is off to a great start this year! Sixth graders learned about LEDs and made their own glow sticks. They were also challenged to build a tower of spaghetti that could hold a marshmallow on top. The tallest

tower wins! In seventh grade, students had to design and build a case using minimal materials that would protect a balloon from popping when dropped from a high window. Looks like we have some future engineers here at HALB!

Your Place in Our Home: Bnos Bais Yaakov Launches Monumental Campus Expansion

More than 1,500 students and almost 900 day campers enrolled on campus. This epic growth calls for an epic expansion!

Bnos Bais Yaakov has announced its plan to build new, state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate its ever-growing student body. The current building was designed to house less than half its present enrollment. The new plans include adding a 57,000-square-foot high school building and a 51,000-square-foot early childhood center. This reimagined campus will also include two expansive auditoriums, two brand-new gyms, and 40 new classrooms, all for top-tier academic and social development.

BBY is more than a school. It is a year-round center of vibrant growth and endless opportunity, staffed by warm and caring educators who work tirelessly to facilitate the development of their students into well-rounded and confident Bnos Yisroel.

Rabbi Ephraim Blumenkrantz, Ex-

ecutive Director stated: “Confident, yet modest. Respectful. Eager to learn. A BBY student stands out. She is the reason behind everything we do. She is our past, our present, and our future. Our reimagined campus will accommodate our exponential growth and offer even greater opportunities for BBY/TMM students to achieve their greatest potential.”

Four thriving divisions currently operate under its institutional umbrella: An Early Childhood Center, an Elementary

School, Tichon Meir Moshe High School (TMM), and three successful summer camps – Orah, Temima, and Rena.

It’s been a journey of more than three decades, paved by the founding principles of Bnos Bais Yaakov, building each child through: outstanding chinuch, stellar academics, and the genuine ruach that emanates from its corridors.

The new, expanded campus will open the doors for unlimited growth. It will provide space to broaden horizons and

reach new heights. It will cement BBY’s frontline role in the development of our future generations.

This is a campaign that will expand walls and minds, turning today’s talmidos into tomorrow’s matriarchs of our mesorah.

For dedication opportunities and further information about Bnos Bais Yaakov, please call: Rabbi Ephraim Blumenkrantz: (718) 337-6000 x141

Around the Community

Central Clubs Get Students to Shine

Ask any Central student practicing scales by the piano or doing after-hours research for a debate match: extracurriculars are vital to the Central experience, an aspect of student life that transcends the classroom and contributes to Central’s identity. The excitement starts in mid-September with the school’s annual Club Fair, which gives new and returning students alike a chance to get involved in Wildcat life after tenth period. Competitive clubs such as Torah Bowl, College Bowl, and the Debate Team recruit new members, while publications such as Central’s yearbook and the school’s longtime newspaper, The Central Courier, canvass for new contributors. For students interested in the performing arts, the Drama Club, spearheaded by new director Ms. Mackie Saylor of the Envision Theater, as well as the Central Choir and the Dance Team, offer opportunities to discover new talents or refine old ones. Central’s dynamic Envision Shakespeare troupe will locate new actors for this year’s chosen scene from The Merchant of Venice.

“I am the club head for two perform-

ing arts organizations, Envision Shakespeare and the spring musical,” said senior Chani Weinberger. “I am excited to start practicing for Envision Shakespeare. There are no props or costumes allowed, so the competition forces you to use your acting skills to convey most of the scene.” The troupe will eventually take their interpretation of the excerpt to the citywide competition in the spring. “I am excited for us to find our own take on the scene, and eventually see others’ takes on competition day,” she continued.

The faculty advisor to the new iteration of the Art Club, Mr. Joel Golombeck, spoke to the importance of extracurriculars to the student experience. “Art Club is an exciting opportunity for students who aren’t necessarily taking art class, but who have a love for art, to explore it in a group of like-minded fellow students.”

Mrs. Saritte Wolkenstein, faculty advisor for Central’s Mock Trial team, agrees that clubs offer a unique opportunity to learn outside the classroom.

“Mock Trial is not just for students who plan to become lawyers,” she said. “It’s a

chance for all students to improve public speaking and debate skills, and do so in a fun, exciting setting with their peers.”

Model UN and Model Congress also offer students interested in civic engagement an opportunity to learn and travel. Central also offers over ten Chesed clubs and a wide array of “Fun Clubs” which are run completely by students. Fun clubs include NCSY 4G, Track, Shesh Besh, and so many more! This year, organizational efforts are facilitated by a new platform, Club Hub, which will enable those involved in Central clubs to schedule meetings, plan events, and execute tryouts. Upcoming tryouts include those for this

year’s much-anticipated spring musical, The Wizard of Oz. Central is a place where every student can shine!

YOSS First Grade Kriyah Program

YOSS is so very proud of all the incoming second grade boys who completed their summer review program. Over half the grade worked extremely diligently, displaying determination and persistence, by making it through this review. They kept their skills sharp over the summer and their

minds engaged. A hearty yasher koach to all of the boys, as well as to their parents, for enabling them to achieve. A special thanks to Rabbi Henach Gewirtz for organizing this program.

May we all continue to share in their successes and have continued Yiddishe nachas from these wonderful talmidim.

Assemblymember Sam Berger (Queens, 27th Assembly District) was officially sworn into office last week

Yamim Noraim in Full Swing at BY5T

The Aseres Yimei Teshuva was an exciting and meaningful time at BY5T, with the girls learning interactively about connecting with Hash-

em through teshuva, tefilla and tzedaka. The girls were treated to a special shofar presentation by Chaim Leibowitz, the baal tokeah at Kehilas Ahavas Yis -

rael. They created beautiful Yom Tov Machzorim and had a special live kapparos experience with their wonderful morahs. The girls are excited for the up -

coming Chag HaSukkos and the school year ahead!

YOSS 3rd Grade Custom

Esrog Boxes

In preparation for Sukkos, Rabbi Heimlich’s and Rabbi Gardenswartz’s 3rd grade classes at Yeshiva of South Shore designed beautiful esrog boxes. They set up outside and glued decorations onto the boxes, after which each boy painted his box and allowed them

MTA Opening Mishmar Madness

to dry in the sun. They had a wonderful time working on this fun and useful project! Im Yirtzeh Hashem they will use their esrog boxes they built themselves for many years; even better, if next year they use them in Yerushalayim!

Is there anything better than MTA Mishmar Madness? This past week, the yeshiva held its first of these highly anticipated events, which extend the regular Thursday night mishmar program through inspiring shiurim, beautiful singing, great food, and amazing activities.

Having the opening Mishmar Madness precede Shabbos Shuva made the event that much more impactful. The talmidim benefited from a round robin rotation of shiurim from their rebbeim, focused on helping talmidim with their approach to Yom Kippur. The lights-out kumzitz that followed, led by new singing sensation Meir Solomon, not only brought the Yomim Noraim niggunim out in full force, but it was considered by many talmidim to be the best in recent memory. It was the perfect segue into MTA’s first mini Shabbaton of the year that took place the next day in Bergen County, which included a yeshiva-wide

tish and two Shabbos Shuva Shalosh Seudos programs. Seeing so many MTA talmidim come together for these two incredible events was truly inspirational. The year is just getting started, and there is so much more to come! Stay tuned…

17,000 Adirei HaTorah Heroines Honored at BMG Evening of Inspiration

Asea of women filled the N’Shei Adirei HaTorah gathering last week, in a splendiferous tribute to the women standing beside their husbands steeped in Torah.

The attendees were not accessories to the peaceful warriors that grace the confines of the bais medrash, but rather the backbone of their limud haTorah – the n’shei chayil without whom their learn-

ing would be impossible.

Throngs of these heroines attended the event – 17,000 strong, including 7,000 from 25 BMG kollelim across the world.

The event was headlined by the BMG roshei yeshiva, Rav Nochum Binder, and Rav Aharon Schustal, along with Dayan Aharon Dovid Dunner, who flew in from London to address the momentous gath-

ering in person.

Speakers included Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Aharon Dovid Dunner, and video messages from Rav Reuven Feinstein, Rav Elya Brudny, Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, and Rav Yisroel Neuman.

A gorgeous musical video tribute was shown, with a song composed by Chayala Neuhaus and sung by Shmueli Ungar.

Musical accompaniment was performed at the gathering by the Yiddishe Nachas Choir and the Berko brothers.

The evening was filled with inspiration and tributes to the devoted bnos Yisroel whose days are spent immersed in the yam haTalmud, leaving all in attendance with a newfound appreciation not only for their husband’s work, but indeed, their own.

Using a multi-sensory approach, the banot at Shulamith ECC prepare for Chag Ha’Sukkot

Rabbi Greenberg’s shiur at YOSS measuring amos as they learn about hilchos sukkah

Funding For Non-Public Schools Rolls Out Thanks To Pheffer Amato

As students return to school, funding that Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato successfully allocated for non-public schools to use for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the 2023 New York State fiscal budget is in the process of being distributed. Through a strong partnership with TeachNYS, the Assemblywoman has been responsible for securing millions of dollars for non-public schools for STEM education. The money being allocated ensures that schools can hire and pay for qualified STEM education teachers in non-public schools, while also reimbursing non-public schools for other expenses related to STEM education.

Since the start of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato’s tenure, she has taken the lead in providing funding for these types of programs and has worked to grant

over $250 million in STEM funding for non-public schools.

“With this funding, non-public school students can secure a well-rounded foundation in education. This will help guarantee that students can compete in an ever-changing and competitive world for generations to come. It is my priority to ensure that each and every child is armed with a cutting-edge, multifaceted, and quality education that develops their skills and prepares them for the future,” said Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato.

In addition to funding, Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato has for years been praised for being the strongest elected official to advocate for Yeshivas in the New York State Government. She is known for publicly going up against the NYS Department of Education and defending yeshivas.

YOSS Tech-in-Check Superstars celebrated with a sweet treat

YCQ Students Prepare for Chagim

Junior High School boys at YCQ had the special opportunity to visit esteemed rabbanim from various local institutions. Each shiur heard words of inspiration to enhance their Yom Kippur experience and received a bracha for success in their learning. thank you to all of our own rebbeim for coordinating and special thank you to the following rabbanim for the inspiring words and their gracious hosting: Rabbi Yehuda Davis, Rabbi Ben Tzion Chait, Rabbi Herschel Welcher, Rabbi Moshe Bamburger, Rabbi Shmuel Marcus, Rabbi Doniel Lander, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Greenberg, and Rabbi Yosef Singer.

Later in the week, the entire Junior High had the zechut to hear from Rabbi Mordechai Finkelman, Mashgiach Ruchani of Yeshivas Ohr HaChaim. He spoke to the students about teshuvah. He described the unbelievable opportunity that Yom Kippur provides us to improve ourselves and get closer to Hashem. He told incredible Dvrei Torah, stories, and anecdotes in order to inspire the entire audience. After the shmooze, Rabbi Fin-

kelman remained in the shul, giving each student a special bracha and wishing them a wonderful new year.

The preparations for the new year continued with the girls in Grades 5-8 girls performing Tashlich at the lake in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Rabbi Joshua Rohr and Rabbi Stephen Knapp, alongside their Morot, beautifully explained the meaning behind this long-standing tradition.

Earlier in the month, students in Grades 5-8 and their families heard inspiring words of Torah from Rabbi Shmuel Marcus, rav of Young Israel of Queens Valley, and beautiful selichot led by Rabbi Ophie Nat at a Family Selichot event at YCQ on Motzei Shabbat, September 9.

The walls of the classrooms from Nursery all the way through Grade 8 have also been filled with learning all about the chagim. Students have been making special art projects, learning about the various tefillot and halachot, and helping create an atmosphere of teshuva and growth for all.

Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Far Rockaway, speaking at the Philadelphia Community Kollel and visiting Harav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita

Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato

Wishes Dr. Lightman Happy Birthday

Dr. Hylton Lightman recently celebrated a “milestone” birthday, and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato made sure to be there to celebrate! The Assemblywoman presented Dr. Lightman with an official NYS Assembly Proclamation, expounding on

his many significant contributions to the Five Towns and Far Rockaway community. Did you know that Dr. Lightman is serving the 4th generation of some families?! Happy Birthday Dr. Lightman, and wishing you many more happy and healthy years!

Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam talmidos getting ready for Sukkos

Shevach High School Internalizes the Message of “Melech Chofetz B’Chaim”

Shevach High School brought in Aseres Yemei Teshuva with an inspiring and motivating Yom Iyun. Mrs. Shulamith Insel, Menaheles, opened the program by stressing that during the yamim noraaim, Hashem is not only our Judge, but He is our greatest Advocate as well. “Melech Chafetz B’Chaim,” He wants us to merit life. He wants us to succeed.

This thought, Mrs. Insel went on to explain, should give us much comfort and encouragement. She shared the Chazal which states that Hashem wants us to make an opening for Him the size of the eye of a needle, to do even one small kabbalah. Hashem promises that in turn He will make an opening for us as large as the entrance to an entire hall. He will guarantee our success.

The program was dedicated to expounding upon the theme of “Melech Chofetz B’Chaim.” Spearheaded by Mrs. Bayla Tropper and the senior Yom Iyun heads; Adina Davidov, Yael Goldfarb, Maya Harpaz, Rivky Jakubovics, Naomi Miller, Avital Pleshtiyev, and Shifra Yusupov, the morning was replete with a special guest speaker, an original theme song, a beautiful banner and a thought-provoking publication.

The students were addressed by Rabbi Eliezer Feuer, rav of Shaar Hashamayim in Bayswater, N. Y. He described the challenging times in which we live. Our emotions should center around the ability of each one of us to transform ourselves at this time. Each of us has a golden opportunity and the responsibility to take small steps to become what we can be.

During the rest of the year, we are “regular,” but during Elul and Tishrei

we strive to achieve more and be more. Greatness lies deep within us and is ready to be awakened during these awesome days. We can find this greatness with small changes. These small changes are represented by the blowing of the shofar. There is one sustained blast, but there are also three shorter ones, and nine shorter ones still. But the blowing of the shofar ends with the tekiah gedolah, the one great blast.

Rabbi Feuer emphasized that at this time of year, most of us need to change where we are heading. He peppered his talk with inspirational stories and left the students with the message that life is an upward journey. Both he and Mrs. Insel confirmed that Hashem is our greatest advocate and greatest support.

Senior students Devorah Loiterman, Aliza Taub, and Yael Zimmerman then presented a beautiful banner depicting a father lifting up his son kissing a mezuzah, an action the child could not do without his father’s help, conveying the message of Hashem’s drive for our success. The seniors followed with a well-choreographed choir and an original theme song composed by Shayna Hoch and Devorah Lind. A video, arranged by Yael Goldfarb, was presented with applicable stories and words of Chazal that truly drove the message home in a creative and visual manner.

The senior class took the lead in giving over the commitment to take the lessons of the program and act upon them in the coming year. It was a morning that is sure to make a difference in the lives of the Shevach students.

Yeshivas Nishmas Hatorah parent Dr. Stuart Veiselberg gave a presentation on daled minim to the Yeshiva

Names, Not Numbers Kickoff Event Camp S’dei Chemed International Proudly Congratulates This Year’s Middos Awardees

HALB eighth graders had their first Names, Not Numbers session last week where they got an introduction to interviewing Holocaust survivors and creating their documen-

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tary. They learned about the Holocaust and how the work they will do this year, preserving firsthand stories, will have a great impact on the future of the Jewish people.

Big Ben’s clock stopped at 10:07 p.m. on May 27, 2005.

Since its inception over 50 years ago, under the leadership of Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum, zt”l, Camp S’dei Chemed has put great emphasis on good middos and character development. We were very fortunate to have had a wonderful group of campers this summer. Our campers come from diverse backgrounds and learn from one another with mutual

respect and love. Our winners this summer displayed extraordinary amounts of kindness and sensitivity to others. We salute them for their exemplary middos, unsurpassed derech eretz, and the great kiddush Hashem they made wherever we traveled. May they be role models for all others to follow.

(L-R) Dovid Teitelbaum, Shmaryahu Jacobs, Chanaya Hass, Gavriel Greenspan, Shmuel Osina, Akiva Brumer, Rabbi Weberman, and Gavriel Guttman

Yeshiva Har Torah’s 8th Grade Girls’ Challah Bake

Yeshiva Har Torah’s 8th grade girls participated in a communal challah bake, coordinated by their Director of Student Activities, Mr. Rafi Allman, and hosted by their dedicated teacher, Morah Tzippy Erblich, during the sacred week leading up to Yom Kippur, known as Aseret Yimei Teshuva. The event offered these young students the opportunity not only to acquire knowledge but also to immerse themselves in the hands-on practice of the mitzvah of making and separating challah.

Morah Tzippy Erlbich started the program by teaching the students about a woman’s mitzvah to separate challah, the importance of it and where it originated from. When it comes to who separates the challah dough, a woman takes priority over a man as it is preferred that she perform this mitzvah.

When teaching about this mitzvah to her students, Morah Tzippy stressed the importance of a woman’s mitzvah to make and separate challah and what it

symbolizes. She stated that “this time of year is an auspicious time to daven and ask for things from Hashem, so there is no better time than now to teach them about this.” She helped students understand the opportunity to bond when making challah, whether it’s with a mother, sister, cousin or aunt. After her presentation, one student remarked while braiding the challah that it reminds her of “arms intertwining around each other, similar to the Shabbat table.” This remark reflects Morah Tzippy’s message of a woman’s power and ability to empower in their home perfectly. Morah Erblich believes a woman’s capability in creating and fostering a loving atmosphere in her home is one of the most important things a woman can do.

Morah Erblich’s dedication to imparting these values and teachings to her students is a testament to the importance of passing on traditions that connect generations and strengthen the bonds of the Jewish community.

The yeladim in HANC’s Early Childhood Center in West Hempstead were busy this past week preparing for Sukkot and Simchat Torah

Students at Lev Chana students are very busy making projects for Sukkot

Teshuva Week at SHS

By Ahuva Davidson

As we returned from Rosh Hashana to a full week of school, this year’s calendar allowed for a packed schedule of Torah and inspiration throughout Aseret Yimei Teshuva at Shulamith High School.

Starting off the week on Tzom Gedalia, we heard from our very own Principal Munk who spoke on the topic of bein adam lachaveiro during the time of Gedalia. After that inspiring start, our week continued with a launch of our Aseret Yimeh Teshuvah kindness campaign. Based on the mitzvah “v’halachta b’drachav,” emulating Hashem, we worked on capturing Hashem’s middah of kindness through everyday chessed towards each other. The kindness campaign began with a name drop where students were randomly assigned a girl in their grade, and each wrote a compliment to anonymously put in her locker – making her day. The second initiative of the campaign was a shmiras halashon program, students voluntarily committing to watching their speech during des-

ignated hours. We finished the day with more inspiration at our Mishimar launch with Rabbi Aryeh Cohen. Rabbi Cohen inspired students by showing the value of having compassion and helping other Jews out of the kindness of your heart.

SHS had much more in store, and on Wednesday, we continued the teshuva journey connecting through song, during a heartfelt and meaningful kumzits with Esther Freeman. The power of the whole school singing as one was electrifying. Girls from every grade united no matter who they were – we were all singing the same song and the same words. Together our voices were extremely powerful; they echoed through the walls of the school.

On Thursday, we were privileged to hear from Mrs. Maya Namdar who spoke to us about “Feeling Hashem’s Love.”

Mrs. Namdar’s story touched every student at SHS. She spoke about how Liel, a’’h, always acted with love and kindness towards anyone she met and those who met her truly felt as though they were best friends. She shared the idea of “pulling a Liel” by looking around and trying to include everyone always. Liel always went

out of her way to be the person to include those on the sidelines and we should all strive to “pull a Liel.” Mrs. Namdar spoke about Yom Kippur and the power of tefillot. She shared Liel’s goals and how she strived to always set aside time for Mincha. Mrs. Namdar’s story and message was extremely powerful and touched every heart and soul in the room.

We concluded the teshuva week with our early morning annual Sunrise Shacharit program. The majority of SHS students all voluntarily woke up at 5:30 a.m. to daven through sunrise on the Atlantic Beach boardwalk. Personally, as I davened Shacharit, I thought about the sunrise in particular, the concept that Hashem created every color in the sunrise and how perfectly this event happens

day after day. After davening Shacharit, we were also given the opportunity to say Tashlich. The scene was truly out of this world, and although it was a little chilly, the warmth of the SHS kumzits at the boardwalk afterward truly warmed our hearts.

Following the program and as an end to our Aseret Yemei Teshuva week, we had a wonderful Yom Kippur Yom Iyun. As soon as we got back from the beach, we had a delicious breakfast set up to enjoy, followed by words from our very own Mrs. Gerstley. We then ended off the day with workshops given by our amazing teachers who prepared their own classes of inspiration and chizuk to give over to conclude our amazing week of teshuvah here at Shulamith High School.

Talmidim of Siach Yitzchok reciting Tashlich and preparing for Sukkos in a kosher sukkah

Rep. Meng Announces Nearly $1.7 Million To Help Enhance Security At Jewish Facilities In Queens

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), New York’s senior member of the House Appropriations Committee – which funds the activities of the federal government – announced this week that nearly $1.7 million in federal funding for security improvements has been awarded to 11 Jewish facilities in Queens.

The money is allocated through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It provides houses of worship and nonprofit entities with federal funds to enhance the safety and security of their properties so that they can guard against threats and attacks. The funds cover target-hardening and other physical security enhancements such as barriers, gates, safety gear, surveillance equipment and other safety measures.

Queens facilities receiving the funds include local synagogues, educational

institutions and other nonprofits, and all obtained the maximum grant amount of $150,000. They include:

1. B’Above Worldwide Institute in Elmhurst

2. Chabad Lubavitch Community Center of Northeast Queens in Bayside

3. Congregation Etz Hayim at Hollis Hills Bayside in Hollis Hills

4. Jewish Institute of Queens in Elmhurst

5. Kehilat Sephardim of Ahavat Achim in Kew Gardens Hills

6. Queens Jewish Center and Talmud Torah in Forest Hills

7. Utopia Jewish Center in Fresh Meadows

8. Yeshiva Ketana of Queens in Kew Gardens Hills

9. Yeshiva Tifereth Moshe in Kew Gardens

10. Young Israel of Hillcrest

11. Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills

In December, Meng announced that she helped secure an unprecedented

$305 million for this year’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, an increase of $55 million from the amount she helped obtain last year.

“The safety and security of my constituents will always be my number one priority, and this funding from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program will provide local synagogues, schools and other nonprofits with more protection as our efforts to combat the increase in hate and antisemitism continues,” said Congress-

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woman Meng. “I’m proud to have again championed this crucial funding and I will continue fighting for money to help improve safety in our borough.”

Earlier this year, the Congresswoman encouraged local houses of worship and nonprofit organizations to seek funding from the program after she held a workshop in February to help them learn more about the initiative and how they can obtain money.

The letter J was the last letter to be added to the alphabet, in the year 1524.

Diving Into the High Holidays at Mercaz Academy

With the Yamim Noraim beginning just a week and a half after school started, Mercaz Academy in Plainview jumped directly into preparing their students for the holidays.

Mercaz grandparent Rabbi Dr. Elliot Grossman presented the Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur installment of his annual series on these holidays to sixth graders, offering an inside look at sources for the mitzvah of blowing the shofar. Rabbi Grossman began with Torah sources for shofar and continued on to the text of the Talmud Yerushalmi for more detailed information. Students finished with a close examination of the famous midrash explaining the source for the custom to blow 100 shofar blasts on Rosh Hashanah by tracing it back to its origin in Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer.

In the younger grades at the elementary school, students focused on the concept of teshuvah. First graders learned about the custom of kapparot with chickens and money. Fourth graders have connected a recent lesson about Yosef in Sefer Bereishit to the phrase dan l’kaf zechut, the charge to judge others as positively as possible, and analyzed the steps of teshuvah as delineated by the Rambam. Second graders paid particular attention to the step of Vidui, confession, and wrote their own personal

Vidui books. They also wrote things they wished they hadn’t done on water soluble paper and watched it dissolve completely, a hands-on example of the way Hashem washes away our sins after we do teshuvah.

Students in the Early Childhood Center at Mercaz learned the laws and customs of Yom Kippur through craft projects and songs, with several adorable projects on Sefer Yonah. Kindergartners made their own non-leather slippers out of foam sheets, while Nursery Aleph added a component that employed their fine motor skills by making a lacing card shaped like a sneaker.

Schoolwide, students asked each other for forgiveness and thought about how to achieve it and davened for us all to be signed and sealed for a good new year.

Learning About the Moroccan Heritage in HANC

Every Friday morning, the students and staff in HANC’s Elementary School in West Hempstead gather together to sing, dance and welcome Shabbat. This past week’s Rabbi Kelemer Shabbat Assembly, falling between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, took on a higher purpose as it focused on tefilla, tzedaka and teshuva. Since the catastrophic earthquake occurred in Morocco, the strong concern for the Jewish community there motivated the administration to find a way to help. For Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Head of HANC’s West Hempstead campuses, this was very personal, since his parents were born in Morocco and he grew up in a home steeped in Moroccan Jewish tradition.

“Each of us has a spark inside of us,” he told the crowd. “All of the sparks in the world come together and light one fire. We are one People. When the Jewish Community is affected anywhere in the world, we must do what we can to help them. This year, the tzedaka money that we are collecting for kapparot will be donated to United Hatzalah, an orga-

nization that arrived in Morocco shortly after a devastating earthquake struck. Hatzalah volunteers have been providing food, medicine, and have helped to rescue people trapped in their homes. Each one of us can do our part to help them with the dollars that you have brought in to donate to this important cause. That is how we use our spark to light up the darkness in the world. Our brothers and sisters in Morocco will feel our light from West Hempstead!”

Rabbi Hazan took the opportunity to educate the students about Moroccan Jewish history, food and traditions. He told the story of the King of Morocco who refused to “give up” his Jewish citizens when the Nazis asked him to identify them, saying, “I don’t have any Jews; I only have Moroccan citizens!” consequently saving numerous lives. He spoke about the rich cultural life of the Jewish community there, and even wore a traditional fez cap and “Jelabah” (long white robe) as he spoke. Displayed on a table in the front of the room were items typically found in Moroccan Jewish

homes, including pillows, drums, and a shofar. The students also watched a film clip of a traditional Moroccan wedding, and the children were fascinated by the way the bride and groom were adorned and carried into the celebration of their wedding. In addition, two Limudei Kodesh teachers, Morah Vered Sharoni and Morah Silvie Ouaknine, also spoke about their experiences growing up in Moroccan Jewish homes. Rabbi Hazan then demonstrated how to play the various drums that were on display. He concluded the event with the blowing of the

shofar. The children were fascinated by what they heard, as well as by the beautiful gowns and outfits that their Moroccan teachers were wearing.

Participating in this meaningful tzedakah project was an experience the children will not soon forget. They learned that even young children can do their part to help fellow Jews around the world in their time of need. Let’s hope that the Jewish community of Morocco will be able to rebuild their homes and lives in the near future.

The Ribnitzer

A conversation with Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman about the new bestselling biography

The Ribnitzer Rebbe’s avodas Hashem was unique. He lived his life on an extraordinarily lofty plane, reaching levels of mesirus nefesh and deveikus that seem almost unbelievable in our modern world.

Yet, as elevated as his own life was, there are lessons to be learned from him, even for Jews like us, who can hardly envision the manner in which the Ribnitzer served Hashem and His people.

Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, the beloved rav of Migdal HaEmek and subject of the bestselling book Living Legend, felt a special bond with the Ribnitzer, Rav Chaim Zanvil Rabinowitz, and had several memorable encounters with him that are discussed in the brand new ArtScroll biography, The Ribnitzer, authored by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer. We asked him questions about the Ribnitzer, especially about how we can take the life and lessons of the Rebbe and relate it to our own lives.

In this book, we read about the Rebbe’s incredible avodah, particularly his fasting and his immersions in the mikveh. This kind of avodah is out of reach for almost all of today’s readers. So what can we learn from his avodah to make our own avodas Hashem better?

What can we learn from his unbelievable avodah, his fasting and his constant immersions? Just touch them lightly. It is written, “[Every person should ask himself:] When will my deeds yagiu (reach) [the level of] the deeds of my fathers?” On which the Baal Shem Tov’s students said, “’Yagiu’—as in ‘negiah’ (to touch).”

You can’t do what the Ribnitzer did. You have no conception of what he did. But you can give a little of yourself, do a little of what you can, dedicate a little of your time, your life, your money, your pleasures, and sanctify them for Hakadosh Boruch Hu, whether it be through Torah, tefillah or good deeds. That’s what we have to learn. Is ruach hakodesh possible in our generation? Did the Rebbe have ruach hakodesh?

There’s no doubt about the Ribnitzer

Rebbe having ruach hakodesh. There’s no doubt about it. We saw it with our own eyes. In our generation, we merited having tzaddikim—very few, it’s true, as it says, “Hashem planted a few tzaddikim in every generation.” But there’s no doubt that there is ruach hakodesh. We saw it with our own eyes by the Ribnitzer, almost every day.

Can the Rav describe his relationship with the Rebbe?

My connection with the Ribnitzer was Heaven-sent. I got a message on Erev Shabbos Kodesh that the Ribnitzer Rebbe is coming to me for Shabbos. It was indescribable. He came on Erev Shabbos. He davened Mincha. He began his preparations for Shabbos. He stood there for six hours and a little longer in his tallis. That was just his preparation for welcoming Shabbos.

Shabbos was impossible to describe.

At the time, I was called “the Disco Rabbi,” because all the youth who hung out at discos came to my house. They came on Motzoei Shabbos, during melava malka. The Rebbe was still conducting his shalosh seudos meal far into the night of Motzoei Shabbos. Meanwhile, they came and saw a Rebbe. Not a lot of people—he didn’t want a lot of people.

One of the boys sat down opposite him. That boy had a craziness, let’s call it, that he had hair down to his waist. From the age of fifteen, he never cut his hair. The Rebbe was sitting and suddenly became startled. I understood that he thought that the boy was a girl.

I said, “Rebbe, it’s not a girl. It’s a boy.”

He says to me, “How much would he want to sell me his hair for?”

This boy’s name was Uzi. He was epileptic. He took eighteen pills a day, and he still had several seizures in our home. I stood up and said to him, “Uzi, the Rebbe wants to know how much you would want to sell him your hair. Take my advice. It’s the best advice you’re ever going to get. Tell him you’ll sell it in exchange for a complete recovery [from your epilepsy].”

“Agreed.”

I went to Rebbe and said to him, in Yiddish, “Rebbe, he says he’ll sell you his hair in exchange for a refuah sheleimah (complete recovery).”

He says to me, “What does he suffer from?”

I told him, “He suffers from epilepsy.” So he told me, “Of course he collapses.

With that much weight on his head, he falls. Let him take off the weight, keep Shabbos, and he’ll stop falling.”

We gave him a haircut, and from that moment, the disease left him.

Half a year later, it was summer, and his friends convinced him, “Let’s go to the beach.” The moment he put his foot in the car to drive to the beach on Shabbos, he had a seizure.

At that moment, the boy changed. He raised a beautiful family, and his sons are talmidei chachomim and chassidim. He’s very active in bringing Jews back to Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Now I understood why the Ribnitzer came to me for Shabbos — it seems, to save that neshama.

In addition, I went to him from the time we developed a connection. I once went to him on Lag Ba’omer. He honored me with singing the song “Bar Yochai.” After the tish, he asked me to come to his house, to his room. I went in and he asked the gabbai to go out. He sat and asked me, heatedly, “What do you say about this?” I didn’t know what he wanted. Then he asked a second time, “What do you say about this?”

I said, “What?”

“There are those who don’t want children and Hashem forces children onto them, and I have avreichim who have no children and I can’t get children for them. What do you say about this?”

I didn’t answer.

He turned all colors and said, “If He won’t help me, I’ll turn over all the worlds.” He did some action because he wanted to get children for those who have no children. You could see his G-dliness at that moment.

How can we explain the fact that young people so tenuously connected to avodas Hashem were drawn to him?

He was magnetic. He had chein. He looked at someone and drew him close. Davka those who were new, davka those without a background, felt in a second that he was like their father. It’s hard to explain. They connected to him heart and soul. He had something within him that attracted Jewish souls.

The book mentions that you

Did you know?

have a photo of the Ribnitzer in a place of honor in your house. In what way was the Rebbe different from so many of the other gedolim you’ve been in contact with?

I’ve known many tzaddikim. I had the zechus to be close to the Baba Sali, the Rebbe of Lelov…many, many tzaddikim. The uniqueness of the Ribnitzer was that his avodas Hashem that we saw was awesome.

Reb Mendel Futerfas told me that he was with the Ribnitzer in the Soviet Union, and it was fifty degrees below zero. There were one hundred stairs down to the river. He went down with him. They broke the ice. The Ribnitzer immersed 310 times, al pi Kabbolah. Reb Mendel told me that he cried to him, “Chaim Zanvil! Chaim Zanvil!” because he was blue. He saw him come out of the river alive. He couldn’t believe it. He got dressed, they went up the hundred steps, and there, up above, on the sidewalk, a non-Jewish woman passed by within four amos. The Ribnitzer turned around, went down the hundred steps again, went into the ice again, and immersed again, 310 times. It was totally above nature.

The Ribnitzer’s type of avodas Hashem, his mesirus nefesh to do bris milah on children in Russia…l’maaseh, he gave over his body completely to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. This is unique, something we don’t see every day.

The Spanish national anthem has no words.

5 Towns Flag Football

What a week it was in the 5 Towns FM Home Loans Flag Football League! In week number two, there was so much fun and excitement. Let’s talk about it.

In the youngest division, the Pre-1A boys had so much fun playing football with their friends under the leadership of Rabbi Fine. In the first grade division, the boys are really learning to become great football players and how to catch the ball. In the second grade division, the Patriots beat the Giants, and the Jets beat the Broncos with some great plays by Ariel Fleksher. In the third and fourth grade division, the Seahawks tied the Broncos, the Panthers and Saints tied in an amazing game, the tough Falcons beat the Raiders, the Jets beat the Giants, the mighty Packers beat the Patriots, and the Dolphins beat the Patriots with some

Hatzioni at MTA

great flag pulls by Jacob Fox. In the fifth and the sixth grade division, the Patriots beat the Packers, the Saints beat the Panthers, the Seahawks and the Broncos tied, the Jets beat the Giants, the Raiders beat the Falcons, and the Dolphins beat the Steelers with a last-second, game winning touchdown by Moshe Austin. In the seventh and eighth grade division, the Giants beat the Jets, the Vikings beat the Broncos, the Texans beat the Patriots, and the Commanders beat the Eagles with some amazing catches by Aaron Pahl.

Here are the winners of the new Sportsmanship of the Week Award: Pre1A: AJ Greenwald; 1st: Benjamin Davis; 2nd: Avi Genachowski; 3rd and 4th: Zevi Brand; 5th and 6th: Isac Padeh; 7th and 8th: Sammy Mansdorf.

Hatzioni, MTA’s Israel club and publication, held their opening meeting of the 23-24 school year last week. The talmidim were privileged to hear from Rabbi Joel Cohn (Class of ‘73) about his experiences during the Yom Kippur War. Rabbi Cohn, speaking from Israel via Zoom, reviewed the history of the war and shared what it was like to be learning in Yeshivat Shaalvim at

the time. Rabbi Cohn ended the program with a charge to the talmidim to daven hard this Yom Kippur that it should be a year of peace for the IDF and all the citizens of Israel.

The Hatzioni Club is geared up for a busy year of programming – with plans to bring in more speakers to discuss Israel and participate in Israel Advocacy events!

An Epic Meeting

Shown with the Ambassador, before the meeting: R-L Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, executive vice president, Agudath Israel of America; Israel Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Gilad Erdan; and Rabbi Pesach Lerner, chairman, the Eretz HaKodesh party in the WZO of Israel and president emeritus of the Coalition for Jewish Values

Israel Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu met with “leaders” of the American Jewish community, on Friday afternoon, September 22, after the Prime Minister’s speech at the United

Nations in New York. The meeting took place at the offices of the Israeli Consulate, hosted by Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Gilad Erdan.

Rabbi Usher Anshil Jungreis, son of the Niklesburg Rebbe who took over his father’s class as the new rebbe in Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, with his Pre-1A class last week performing the mitzvah of Tashlich

Whether you live in a HUT or a HOUSE , disaster can still strike!

Historic Launch of Amud HaYomi Program in the Same Hall that the Original Daf HaYomi was Introduced 100 Years Ago

By Chaim Gold

“Maalin bakodesh,” were the words of the Skverer Rebbe, shlita, when he was informed about the new Amud HaYomi program that promises to have a transformative impact on Klal Yisrael. “Torah ohr, Torah is fire, it is like a flame,” the Rebbe continued, “it spreads and spreads. What you are doing is spreading Torah in an unprecedented way.” The Rebbe’s warm words to the visiting Dirshu delegation were immediately backed up with action as three new Amud HaYomi shiurim were announced in Shikun Skver, one in the early morning, one in the late afternoon when people return from work, and a third at night after Maariv.

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 wideranging 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!”

The new Amud HaYomi program that will begin its first machzor this coming Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan/October 16, will gift Klal Yisrael with a unique opportunity to learn an amud every single day, seven days a week. This will enable those who do not learn the Daf HaYomi to participate in a limud that will enable them to complete Shas in fifteen years while learning at a slower pace and with more depth. For those currently learning the Daf HaYomi, it will serve as an amazing chazarah tool to review what they have learned during the last three years since the beginning of the current machzor of Daf HaYomi. Lomdei Amud HaYomi will also have the opportunity to take tests on what they have learned and receive stipends for excellent results.

The inspiring, grand launch of the program will take place at the same historic hall, the Sofiensale Hall in Vienna, where the original Daf HaYomi was launched

one-hundred years ago by Rav Meir Shapiro at the first Knessiah Gedolah. It is scheduled to take place on motzoei Shabbos Parshas Bereishis in conjunction with a siyum marking the completion of half of Shas in the current Daf HaYomi machzor.

Leading Gedolei Yisrael to Grace Event

The melave malka will be graced by leading Gedolei Yisrael from all over the world including 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; HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Eretz Yisrael; HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita,; HaGaon HaRav Messoud Ben Shimon, shlita, Sephardic Rav of Bnei Brak and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ohr Elitzur; HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Salim, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Meor Torah and member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah; HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Eisenberger, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Telshe; HaGaon HaRav Binyomin Finkel, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Mir; and HaGaon HaRav Nissan Kaplan, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Daas Aharon, amongst others.

Multiple Shiurim, Multiple Sources of Joy!

Skver is just one of over 100 of new shiurim that have already been announced with hundreds more in formation.

“There is a tremendous amount of excitement among the public and also among the many talmidei chachamim who have committed to delivering a daily shiur. Multiple shiurim will be starting in Lakewood, Boro Park, Monsey, Williamsburg, and Flatbush. In addition, new shiurim will be opening in Toronto, Philadelphia, Miami Beach, Jackson, Toms River, Staten Island, Chicago and Los An-

geles,” said Rabbi Moshe Fisher, Dirshu’s North American Co-Director.

Among the many maggidei shiur are HaRav Yitzchok Zalman Gips, shlita, Rav of Khal Birkas Avrohom of Boro Park; HaRav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi of Dirshu, in Toronto; HaRav Shmiel Duvid Friedman, author of the Sdei Tzofim; HaRav Ephraim Greenbaum, shlita, R”M in New Square; and HaRav Herzka Greenfeld, shlita, of Staten Island. There will also be options to listen to shiurim on the phone or view shiurim online. There will be options to hear shiurim in English, Yiddish and Lashon Kodesh. In addition, there will be hundreds of new shiurim being given across the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael. There will be many new shiurim opening in Europe and worldwide.

A comprehensive and marvelous kuntress called Iyun Ha’Amud, compiled by great talmidei chachomim, will be published and disseminated among the lomdim of Amud HaYomi throughout the world. The kuntress, which includes the pages of the Gemara, explanations and supplements, marei mekomos and practical applications of the halachah, is intended to assist the lomdim of Amud HaYomi with their learning and it will be part of the curriculum for the advanced tracks.

“The fact that I can embark on a plan to learn the entire Shas, at a pace and with the comprehensiveness and ability to find time for chazarah is extremely exciting!” exclaimed Rabbi Moshe B. from Lakewood.

Empowering Individuals to Learn “L’fi Tivo”

The idea to establish a worldwide Amud HaYomi program was discussed by Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu with HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l. Rav Hofstedter expressed apprehension that an Amud HaYomi program might discourage those who are capable

of learning the Daf HaYomi from learning more. Rav Gershon, however, waved away his concern saying, “Every neshama finds its place in learning. Ish l’fi tivo, each person will choose a limud that fits his own nature.”

Indeed, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Tiferes Yerachmiel in Lakewood, echoed those thoughts. When he heard about the new Amud HaYomi program, he displayed great simcha. His primary joy was aroused by the realization that this program would increase limud haTorah and the numbers of lomdei Torah. “I heard from Rav Berel Soloveichik, zt”l,” he explained, “that his grandfather, Rav Chaim Brisker said, ‘The Torah wants there to be people who learn Torah.’ Rav Chaim continued, ‘The Torah says, “I want people to learn me.”’”

The Amud HaYomi program will undoubtedly fill a great void and enable so many more people to learn Torah l’fi tivam, in accordance with their nature.

“Yungeleit in the Workforce Learning 8 Hours a Sunday!!!”

Similarly, last week, when a delegation from Dirshu came to tell the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, shlita, about the establishment of the Amud HaYomi, his face lit up. He too was excited that so much more Torah will be learned, and he related how his father, the previous Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, demanded that his Chassidim come into him every month with a completed card showing how many hours they learned every day. The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, who has maintained that custom, exclaimed, “There are yungeleit in the workforce who come to me, and I see that they have learned eight hours on a Sunday. Eight hours! Why? Because they were preparing for a Dirshu test! The ol Torah, the yoke of Torah, the fact that there will be multiple testing options increases the dedication and hours of learning thereby empowering each lomeid to have a true chibur, connection to the Torah.”

The historic launch of the Amud HaYomi is almost upon us. Now is the time to make a kabbalah to join. You won’t regret it!

For more information or to establish or access a shiur in your community please contact Dirshu at er@dirshunj.org or 732-987-3948 x 106.

HaRav Nissan Kaplan addressing a previous Dirshu World Siyum

HaRav Lipa Geldwerth addressing the Dirshu International Convention, 2019

SnacKracter Traits

In 2000, Dr. Alan Hirsch, MD, a researcher at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, conducted a study of snack foods in which he matched popular snacks with different personalities. See if you can match the food with the character traits.

SNACK

(1) Potato chips

(2) Tortilla chips

(3) Snack crackers

(4) Pretzels

(5) Cheese curls

(6) Meat snacks

CHARACTER TRAIT

A. Perfectionists in regards to their own actions and to the community at large; humanitarians who are often distressed by the inequities and injustices of society.

B. Lively and energetic; seek novelty and thrive in the world of abstract concepts; they often lose interest in mundane, day-to-day routines

C. Gregarious, social and often the life of the party; they are loyal and true friends who can always be trusted.

D. Successful, high achievers who enjoy the rewards and trimmings of their success—both in business and in family life.

E. Formal, conscientious and always proper; they will always maintain moral high ground with their family, work and spouses.

F. Contemplative and thoughtful; base their decisions on logic rather than emotions.

Riddle Me This

1. What goes up and down stairs without moving?

2. The more there is, the less you see. What is it?

Answers: : 1-D; 2-A; 3-F; 4- B; 5- E; 6-C

3. What kind of rooms have no windows or doors?

4. What has to be broken before it can be used?

5. David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle and _____ ?

Answers: 1. Carpet; 2.Darkness; 3. Mushroom; 4. Egg; 5. David

Body Language Trivia*

1. When someone smiles but their eyes don’t crinkle, it indicates that the person is:

a. Tired

b. Hiding something

c. Faking

d. Excited

2. Raised eyebrows are a sign of:

a. Discomfort

b. Genuine concern

c. Thinking about something else

d. Happiness

3. It is generally accepted that there are 6 universal facial expressions. Which one of the following is not one of them?

a. Happiness

b. Sadness

c. Nervousness

d. Fear

e. Disgust

f. Surprise

g. Anger

4. When someone shakes your

*Dear Centerfold Readers,

hand with their palm down, what does that likely indicate?

a. They are dominating.

b. They are seeking to convey trust.

c. They are relaxed.

d. They are enthusiastic.

5. Making eye contact for too long may be a sign of lying:

a. True

b. False

6. If a person is rubbing their chin, this would typically mean:

a. They like what you have to say.

b. They are thinking.

c. They are signaling they are in control.

d. They are ready to leave.

7. What is the average blinking rate of a person who is in a relaxed state?

a. 2-4 blinks per minute

b. 6-8 blinks per minute

c. 14-18 blinks per minute

d. 24-27 blinks per minute

Answers: 1-C

2-A

3-C

4-A

5-A- Studies show that when people lie they may seek to overcompensate by making excessive eye contact rather than the more natural tendency for someone who is lying to avert eye contact.

6-B

7-B

Wisdom key:

6-7 Correct: You can work for the FBI. (Good job with the Hunter investigation!)

3-5 Correct: My lips are turned downwards (like a wide “n”) and my head is swaying back and forth like a row boat in choppy water… “Not bad.”

0-2 correct: You are brilliant…. Wink! Wink!

This trivia is based on various common beliefs about body language, but it is based on generalizations and not conclusive. All I need is for you to throw a kugel in your brother’s face when you misinterpret his body language.

You Gotta be Kidding Me!

Moishe decides one day to face his issues and finally goes to therapy. The therapist turns to him and says, “So, what can I help you with?”

Moishe replies, “Well, I have a hard time making friends. You think you can help me out, you lazy piece of garbage?”

Sukkot

By Rabbi Berel Wein

All of us sense a feeling of spiritual deflation immediately after the exalted atmosphere of Yom Kippur. To have to plunge immediately and directly into the icy waters of everyday life is much too challenging a task. We have just been given an entire day to nurture our souls and to exist as angels without the necessity of fulfilling the requirements of our bodies. So the L-rd, so to speak, allows us a more gradual descent into our physical, ev-

eryday lives. We are asked to forego the comforts and solidness of our homes for a period of time, to dwell in a sukkah, exposed to the heavens and to the natural world.

It is again, like Yom Kippur itself, a place of the soul and not of the body, for the sukkah, no matter how elaborate and luxurious we attempt to make it, remains a temporary and exposed environment. The body is aware of this situation and is somewhat discomforted by it. The soul revels in it. Thus the soul hangs on to the last vestiges of Yom Kippur through Hoshana Rabbah, before our bodies return to complete dominion over our lives.

Perhaps that is also one of the reasons that the day of Hoshana Rabbah is considered as being a High Holy Day

It is the ability to fulfill the will of G-d through an esrog – itself a gift of G-d’s bounty that makes it so valuable…as to be almost priceless.

All of the physical instruments that we use throughout our lives are the means through which our souls remain connected to our Creator. Just as the

and not only as an intermediate day of Sukkot. Though none of the restrictions of Yom Kippur are present on that festival day or throughout any of the joyous days of Sukkot, the spiritual atmosphere of Yom Kippur is still present, for we are living amongst holy clouds and not in physically strong structures.

Jews the world over are willing to spend sizeable amounts of money in the fulfillment of the commandments of the holiday of Sukkot. We are all aware that the price of a lemon or of an orange or any citrus fruit at the local green grocer is rather negligible. Not so the price of an esrog! It is not the fruit itself that makes it so valuable to so many.

value of an esrog lies in what lies behind the esrog – in what it represents and Who ordained its use on the holiday of Sukkot – we should view everything in life, all of our goods and possessions, friends and families and our society generally, with such a perspective.

In essence, that is the basis of Jewish thought and the moral code of the Torah. On Yom Kippur, it is realized and confirmed for us on Sukkot. And it is that spirit of understanding our role in this world of eternal values that truly occasions within us the joy and happiness that radiates from the holiday of Sukkot.

Chag sameach.

We are living amongst holy clouds and not in physically strong structures.

Shabbos Chol Hamoed Sukkos

The Joyous Autumn of Life

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin

Wolf

The Midrash (Shir Hashirim Raba 1:10) quotes a dispute regarding the order in which Shlomo Hamelech wrote the seforim of Shir Hashirim, Mishlei, and Koheles. The Midrash notes, however, that everyone agrees he wrote Koheles last, in his old age. A person only begins to realize that all of the dreams and delusions he clung to during his life were just “vanity of vanities” as he approaches the end. This is the normal way of life. A person chases after so many things throughout his life, whether it is honor, authority, a position, clothing, furniture, fancy “toys” and gadgets, or physical pleasures. But he does not begin to realize how empty all of those things are until he has attained them, that instead of fulfilling him and making him happy, he finds that they do not fill him up at all. Every time he reaches one goal, he immediately begins looking forward to the next step on the ladder. At the end of it all, he achieves his goals and finally asks himself, “This isn’t it? Is this all? What was all of this for? What was the point of everything?” A person looks at everything of this world he worked for and hoped for and finally says (Koheles 1:14) “Everything is vanity and frustration.” He asks, “Is that what I have been living for?”

We read Koheles on Shabbos Chol Hamoed Sukkos. And in terms of a calendar year, Sukkos is at the end of the year, at the end of the agricultural process, the time of harvest. The pasuk (Shmos 34:22) calls Sukkos “the festival of gathering, the strength of the year.” If it is at the end of the year, why is called the “strength of the year”?

We can look at the year as a microcosm of a person’s life. The first yom tov of the year is Pesach, in the spring, when life and strength abound. It cor -

responds to a person’s youth, when he is full of strength. He does everything he can to escape from the limitations of the body, the physical world. Then, as he gets older, he slowly works on himself and his middos during the days of sefira, and then, when he gets to middle age, he reaches a level of maturity. That is when he truly begins to accept the Torah and we have the yom tov of Shavuos. Then, as the year progresses, things begin to dry up and the leaves turn brown and begin falling. Fall has arrived, and winter is on its way. In a person’s life, this is the period of old age, when things don’t work as well as they used to. One has less energy, weaker desires, and the body generally has less to offer but has less of a grip on the person as well.

Seemingly ironically, the Torah calls Sukkos, the holiday which corresponds to old age, the “time of our joy.” In terms of physical vitality and joy, it should be just the opposite! A person’s main joy in

life is his youth. As the pasuk (Koheles 11:9) says, “Rejoice o youth in your childhood and let your heart bring you joy in the days of your youth.” That is the time of life when one’s desire for and ability to enjoy the physical pleasures of this world are at their height. In contrast, when a person gets old, it takes great effort even to climb a few stairs. Medical problems, doctor visits, frailty, and the like take over, and he can no longer enjoy the pleasures of this world. Shlomo Hamelech even says, (Id. at 12:1) “Remember you Creator in the days of your youth before the bad days come and the years arrive about which you will say, ‘I have no desire for these.’” Ostensibly, the time of the year compared to old age should not be the “time of our joy!”

The explanation must be that when a person’s body and soul disengages from one another as he grows older, it is a source of joy for a person who has been consistently working to grow in his ser-

vice of Hashem. Such a person has been working to identify his “I” as his soul and recognize that his body is merely a garment for the soul. In his youth, when the body’s strength and desires were strong, the body and the physical world presented a difficult challenge, always trying to pull him away from G-dliness and confuse him with their illusory goals, pleasures, and priorities. When Hashem formed man, the pasuk says, “And He formed” with two yuds, which the Midrash teaches means that Hashem created man partly in this world and partly in the World To Come (Bereishis Raba 14:4).

As long as a spiritually growing person lives, he struggles to strengthen his connection to the upper world and weaken this world’s hold on him. When a spiritually growing person like this begins to reach old age, when his body begins to weaken, when his appetite for physical pleasures wanes, he is happy! He rejoices that the arduous battles for the supremacy of the spirit may finally be behind him as he begins to get a foothold in the next world and maintains less of a commanding presence in this world. He is so grateful that his body no longer masks his search for the Divine like it used to.

This is the beauty of an elderly talmid chacham. He begins to feel the holiness of Shabbos and Torah like never before because his body is not in the way like it used to be. While the slowness, impairments, and pains of the body may be bothersome, it is a small price to pay to finally be able to more fully enjoy the life of the spirit that had been so much more of a challenge until that point. In the Sukkos of his life, the later part of his days, he is finally achieving everything he had been working for his entire life! This is why the word sukkah comes from the root word meaning “to look,” as the Gemara (Sanhedrin 69b)

says, “Looking with Divine inspiration.” Sukkos is the yom tov on which we draw down Divine inspiration (Yerushalmi Sukkah 5:1). The joy and strength of the spirit is revealed on Sukkos, at the time of old age for the spiritual worker, the elderly talmid chacham.

This is in contrast to the unrefined old man. He spent his entire life running after the pleasures and achievements of this world. As he reaches the wintertime of his life, he can no longer enjoy the physical world. He cannot even climb a set of stairs without incident, much less enjoy almost anything else. He sits around with his friends either reminiscing about the pleasures of his youth or frittering away the hours discussing diagnoses, symptoms, medications, and doctors’ appointments. He laments the fact that he no longer has the appetite to even enjoy a pastrami sandwich anymore. He pinned his hopes on the physical world, but it left him behind. He looks ridiculous trying to dress like a young man, and his wife looks equally if not more absurd trying to recapture her lost youth. He looks back on a life of empty dreams and sums it up by saying “vanity of vanities, it is all vanity.”

One year, the chassidim of the Bobover Rebbe, Rav Shlomo, zy”a , found what everyone agreed was the perfect esrog. None of the chassidim had ever seen such an esrog. Its color, shape, and bumpiness were perfect. It was free of any type of blemish of any color. It was the perfect esrog. The chassidim were very excited to give it to the Rebbe and looked forward to personally doing the mitzvah with that esrog as well. The custom was that after the Rebbe took his lulav and esrog, all of the chassidim lined up and did the mitzvah with the same lulav and esrog used by the Rebbe.

Much to everyone’s surprise, on the first morning of Sukkos that year, the Rebbe came to shul with a different, much simpler, esrog. Not really understanding why the Rebbe switched esrogim, the chassidim lined up as usual to fulfill their mitzvah with the lulav and esrog used by the Rebbe. Meanwhile, one enterprising young bochur was determined not to miss the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah with the most beautiful, most “mehudar” esrog anyone had ever seen. He snuck into the Rebbe’s house and nervously picked up the esrog, unwrapping it from its stringy protective packaging. He was so nervous, in fact, that he fumbled and dropped the esrog on the floor, pitom first, though fortunately it did not break off. Afraid for his

life, the bochur quickly re-wrapped the esrog and fled.

Later on, after davening, the Rebbe returned and went to look at his “perfect” esrog. Noticing that the wrapping was not in the same condition in which he left it, the Rebbe took a closer look.

the morning. The first unusual aspect of this job was that the Rebbe invited him into his dining room to have breakfast, which the Rebbetzin brought to him. He was impressed and moved that they were so concerned that he was eating properly, unlike any of his other clients, until the

stressed. If there’s a little imperfection here or there, don’t worry about it. No one and nothing in this world is perfect. I know you’re good at what you do, so I’m happy with however it is.”

Gary had never heard anyone tell him that something in this world “doesn’t have to be perfect.”

Sukkos, the autumn of life, is the time of joy for the elderly talmid chacham. The body does not conceal the soul like it used to, so it is easier for him to enjoy Torah, mitzvos, davening, and a niggun – the things which give life meaning. Tzaddikim like the Bobover Rebbe understand that nothing in this physical world is perfect and are relieved to relinquish the stresses of this world felt by those who feel that this world is an end unto itself.

Upon inspection, he realized that while the pitom was not detached, it was partially dislodged and someone, presumably the distributor, original seller, or farmer, had placed a pin in the esrog to hold the pitom down. Not only was the esrog not the “perfect” esrog, but it was completely disqualified for use in the mitzvah of lulav and esrog.

Knowing that the chassidim would begin talking about his “ruach hakodesh,” Divine inspiration, the Rebbe told a few people that he did not have any knowledge of the esrog’s status before discovering the pin. He had decided not to use it based only on a hunch. He explained that he had lived a long time, including through the war, and he knew that nothing in this world is perfect. Therefore, when he was presented with the “perfect” esrog, it just felt wrong. He just did not trust that esrog.

Along similar lines, it is told that there was a non-Jewish, African-American painter who worked in Boro Park named Gary. This man did a lot of work for Jews and therefore lived a very difficult, stressed life. Everyone was very demanding and inspected every detail of his work, withholding payment or making deductions from the agreed-upon price unless they were absolutely satisfied with his work. When the Bobover Rebbe passed on into the next world, some chassidim noticed that Gary was there and crying like a baby. When he was asked why he was crying, he told them that Reb Shlomo Bobover was “my rabbi.”

How did the Bobover Rebbe become his rabbi? Gary explained that he was once hired to paint the Bobover Rebbe’s house. He arrived the first day, early in

Rebbe sat down, saying he wanted to talk. “Oh no,” Gary thought, “here it comes: ‘Everything has to be exactly right. You won’t get all of the money until we are totally satisfied,’ etc. etc. etc.” But to his surprise, the Rebbe told him, “Gary, listen, I’ve been around in this world long enough to understand that nothing in this physical world is perfect. So don’t be

May we recognize how physical life is just a temporary dwelling and work to identify with and reveal our true identity, our soul, so that when we reach the Sukkos of our lives, it will be “the time of our joy” and not the opposite.

He rejoices that the arduous battles for the supremacy of the spirit may finally be behind him as he begins to get a foothold in the next world and maintains less of a commanding presence in this world.

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.

Torah Thought

The True Sukkos Miracle

By Rabbi Yaakov Feitman

What exactly is the miracle of Sukkos? We know that on Pesach we celebrate our miraculous exodus from Mitzrayim. The Ten Maskos and the splitting of the Yam Suf were all open miracles which saved our lives. Chanukah and Purim, too, represented lifesaving and life-changing nissim. However, Sukkos is not as clear. We know that there is a disagreement in the Gemara (Sukkah 11b) between Rebbe Eliezer and Rebbe Akiva about the nature of the sukkos – the actual domiciles – we are commemorating. Rebbe Eliezer states that they were the Clouds of Glory which enveloped us in the desert. However, Rebbe Akiva says that they were regular “booths,” like the miniature houses we all build for Sukkos.

The question has been raised that if we follow Rebbe Eliezer, the Sukkos miracle was similar to the others in our history, which were supernatural and obviously could only come from the Creator. However, according to Rebbe Akiva, what precisely are we celebrating? Where was the miracle?

A number of answers have been offered by our commentators. The Korban Aharon (commentary to Toras Kohanim) suggests a parable. Someone who escapes from prison will seek a secure place to hide where he will be safe. He certainly won’t languish in a flimsy hut which is easy to penetrate or destroy. However, when we left Egypt, we had full bitachon and emunah that Hashem will take care of us. We therefore didn’t worry at all about our safety and “moved into” sukkos, which required the constant protection of Hashem. We remember this bitachon and Hashem’s providence on the yom tov of Sukkos.

The Imrei Emes of Gur sees a miracle even inside Rebbe Akiva’s view of what we built. He asks, “Where did Bnei Yisrael obtain wood to build sukkos in the desert? We left Mitzrayim in a rush, barely taking any food, so we certainly didn’t have any building materials. Yet, suddenly, there were lodgings and a habitat for at least three million people. That was the first Sukkos miracle. According to the Imrei Emes, just as Rebbe Eliezer understands the Ananei

Hakovod came down from heaven, so did the rudimentary sukkos descend from Shomayim as well.

The Chasam Sofer suggests an original explanation for what we are celebrating. He notes that we were supposed to be slaves in Egypt for four hundred years. In reality, we left after two hundred and ten, leaving one hundred and ninety years of exile. Klal Yisrael asked Hashem to let us out early but promised that we would fulfill the edict of the Bris Bein Ha’bisarim by living a nomadic life of galus to make up for the early liberation. This is one of the reasons that Sukkos comes immediately after Yom Kippur as opposed to right after Pesach, which is when we entered the Midbar. We were unsure whether or not we had been forgiven for our sins by Hashem or not. Therefore, we promised that we would readily endure wandering in the desert rather than suffer any more slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. We, too, go “into galus” right after Yom Kippur to recall our exodus and entry into the sukkos of our ancestors.

Perhaps the most profound answer may be based upon a well-known statement made by Rav Yaakov Emden in the introduction to his commentary on the Siddur. If someone were to ask, “What was the greatest miracle of Jewish history?” many answers have been suggested. One is Krias Yam Suf; another is Purim, when the lives of all of Klal Yisrael were saved.

The Kuzari teaches that it was the falling of the maan because it lasted for almost 40 years on a daily basis. Each week, for five days, there were regular portions of food for all. On Friday, a double amount fell for all the millions of Jew,s and on Shabbos, the heavens themselves rested. Rav Yehudah Halevi is of the opinion that a miracle which replicates itself daily for that long is greater than all the others which only lasted for a few days.

However, Rav Yaakov Emden himself teaches that the greatest miracle of Jewish history is simply our survival. As is wellknown, even a gentile such as Mark Twain marveled at the miraculous nature of all of Jewish history, where, in the words of Rav Emden, “a tiny, persecuted minority, having suffered from Crusades, Inquisitions [and today we must add the Holocaust, intifadas, and various other murderous onslaughts], survived for millennia, while so many other disappeared.” But where and when is this miracle celebrated? The answer is Sukkos.

Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch (Devarim 4:34) explains that Sukkos represents Hashem’s guardianship of Am Yisrael. My own rebbe, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, pointed out that we recite in davening (Shabbos Shacharis “Rannenu”) that “He spoke, and it came to be, He commanded, and it stood firm.” Everything in the world requires an original creation and then maintenance

or to be guarded. Pesach is our creation, Shavuos our definition, and Sukkos is the time when we were given the protection which has sustained us through the centuries. On Pesach, Hashem is the Goel Yisrael; Shavuos, the Melamed Torah; and on Sukkos, Hashem appears as the Shomer Yisrael. That shemirah is, as Rav Yaakov Emden wrote, the power of Am Yisrael to survive where the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Hittites and the Aztecs and the Phonecians have disappeared from history. Furthermore, and most important of all, even those who have survived at all aren’t the same as their ancient forbearers. Only we are the same nation with the same Torah, the same 613 commandments, and baruch Hashem are flourishing and growing. Indeed, Rabbeinu Avrohom, the son of the Gra, quotes from his father that this is why we recite in the chapter of Tehillim known as L’Dovid that “He will hide me in His Sukkah on the day of evil.” This pasuk justifies our recitation of L’Dovid throughout Sukkos. But it also helps us define this yom tov as the time when Hashem established His eternal preservation and safekeeping of Klal Yisrael. Every child knows that ideally one should be able to see the stars though the s’chach of our sukkah. This is actually the ruling of the Mahari Bruna, as cited by many poskim. The reason for this has been explained along the lines of our definition of the miracle of Sukkos. No one builds a roof with the ability to see through it to the sky unless it is a skylight with that purpose. However, in the case of our sukkah, it is a reminder that it is only Hashem Who has taken care of us and continues to be the Guardian of Israel.

For this reason as well, this miracle is the culmination of all three of the yomim tovim. Once we have been created, given our mission and purpose, the final step is that we are ensured of our survival so that we can fulfill our destiny and divine mission. May Hashem continue to protect and guide us until the ultimate redemption b’meheirah b’yameinu.

Rav Yaakov Feitman is the rav of Kehillas Bias Yehudah Tzvi in Cedarhurst, NY.

The Sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash in the Sukkah

By RaBBi Daniel Glatstein

Analyzing the pesukim regarding the Moadim, we encounter an anomaly that warrants exploration. Regarding Pesach, the verse states, “You shall slaughter the Pesach-offering to Hashem, your G-d … in the place where Hashem will choose to rest His Name” (Devarim 16:2). The Torah tells us here that the Beis HaMikdash served as a place for the Shechinah, the Presence of Hashem, to rest.

The Torah continues, commenting about the yom tov of Shavuos: “You shall rejoice before Hashem, your G-d…in the place that Hashem, your G-d, will choose to rest His Name” (ibid., 16:11). Again, the Torah is telling us that the Beis HaMikdash is the location that Hashem selected for hashra’as HaShechinah. Finally, we come to the commandment regarding the yom tov of Sukkos, which states, “A seven-day period shall you celebrate to Hashem, your G-d, in the place that Hashem, your G-d, will choose, for Hashem will have blessed you in all your crop and in all your handiwork, and you will be completely joyous” (ibid., 16:15). The Meshech Chochmah points out that while here the Torah identifies the Beis HaMikdash as “the place that Hashem … will choose,” the pasuk does not mention that the Beis HaMikdash serves as the resting place of the Shechinah. The words “l’shachem shemo sham” are conspicuously absent.

Why does the Torah deviate from the terminology established in the verses regarding Pesach and Shavuos?

Partnering with Hashem

The Mahari Vayil writes that one who fulfills the mitzvah of Sukkah becomes Hashem’s partner in the creation of the world. How is the yom tov of Sukkos connected to Maaseh Bereishis, the Creation of the world? Why does the mitzvah of Sukkah render us Hashem’s partners in Creation?

The Gemara records another means whereby a person can be a partner with Hashem in Maaseh Bereishis. Rav Hamnuna states that one who recites the pesukim of Vayechulu on Friday evening is considered to be Hashem’s partner in Creation. The Maharsha explains that unless people affirm that Hashem created the world, mankind would not be aware that Hashem did so. Therefore, reciting Vayechulu testifies that Hashem

created the world, publicizing that Hashem did, in fact, do so. In performing this significant ritual, one becomes Hashem’s partner in Creation. In addition, says the Maharsha, Hashem created the world with speech; as the pasuk says, “By the word of Hashem the heavens were made” (Tehillim 33:6). But Hashem’s declaration serves as only one witness, and we know that we need at least two witnesses for testimony to be accepted by beis din Therefore, by reciting Vayechulu one serves as the required second witness.

We can understand, then, how reciting Vayechulu elevates one to the level of a partner with Hashem. But how does fulfilling the mitzvah of Sukkah render one a partner of Hashem in Creation?

Guard Your Tongue

The Mishnah Berurah states that since the kedushah in the sukkah is exceptionally glorious, it behooves us to limit the mundane conversations we have in the sukkah. We should try to speak only divrei Torah and other divrei kedushah. We should certainly be extremely careful not to speak lashon hara, rechilus, or any other form of forbidden speech within the walls of the sukkah

Although we know that one should also minimize speaking divrei chol while wearing tefillin, only transgressing the laws of speech in the sukkah is mentioned in the Mishnah Berurah . Why is the sukkah specifically singled out to admonish us from discussing divrei chol in it?

The Shaarei Tzion states that the Mishnah Berurah’s source is found in the Shelah HaKadosh, who writes that his father’s custom was to speak only divrei Torah in the sukkah. The Shelah explains that the sukkah has extraordinary kedushah, as evidenced by the fact that the wood used for the sukkah (e.g., the schach) is prohibited from being used for a mundane purpose all seven days of Sukkos. The sanctity of the material components of the sukkah is not derived from their being used for the mitzvah. Rather, the kedushah is an intrinsic part of the sukkah during the days of Sukkos, even when no one is in the sukkah The Gemara teaches that the source of this kedushah is the pasuk, “You shall make the festival of Sukkos for a seven-day period” (Devarim 16:13).

The rationale and understanding behind the inherent kedushah of the sukkah are interesting. We know that there is a difference between tashmishei mitzvah, items such as tzitzis or a shofar that are used in the performance of a mitzvah, and tashmishei kedushah, items such as a Sefer Torah or tefillin that have inherent kedushah, even when not in use. Tashmishei mitzvah are articles that provide us with a medium through which we can perform a mitzvah, but they do not have any inherent kedushah. For example, m’ikar hadin, halachically, a pair of tzitzis and a shofar can be disposed of in any way one chooses; they do not require burial. During the seven days of yom tov, even when the sukkah is not in use, the sukkah structure itself is conceptually different from a shofar or a tallis.

Rav Yerucham Olshin, Rosh Yeshivah of Lakewood, brings a beautiful array of sources to illuminate this subject. He cites the incredible explanation that is brought in the sefer Chessed L’Avraham and in the Sfas Emes. The halacha taught in the Mishnah in Sukkah that the minimum height of a sukkah is ten tefachim, handbreadths, is predicated on the teaching of the Gemara that the Shechinah never descends within ten tefachim from the ground. Thus, the sukka h has this height requirement so that the Shechinah may attach itself to it. This is the deeper explanation for what the Gemara teaches us, that just as the Shem Shamayim attaches itself to the korban chagigah, it likewise does to the sukkah.

This facet of the mitzvah of Sukkah requires further analysis. There is no other mitzvah d’Oraisa that must be performed at a height of at least ten tefachim from the ground so that the Shechinah can rest on the mitzvah item. Let us determine why this cheftzah shel mitzvah, the sukkah, is specifically intended to be the resting place of the Shechinah

On Sukkos, we recite an additional HaRachaman in Birchas HaMazon, asking Hashem to rebuild Sukkas David hanofeles, the fallen Sukkah of David HaMelech, a reference to the Beis HaMikdash. Why is this added to the bentching on Sukkos? There is no obvious connection between the yom tov of Sukkos and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. The HaRachaman we add on Shabbos is most appropriate because Shabbos is considered me’ein Olam Haba, a semblance of the World to

Come. We therefore add the request that Hashem bequeath to us the day that is totally Shabbos and peace forever, referring to Olam Haba. The HaRachamans that are added on yom tov, Rosh Chodesh, and Rosh Hashanah are all m’inyanei d’yoma, requests that reflect the characteristic of the day. On Sukkos, however, this request for the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash does not seem to be connected to the essence of the yom tov.

To explain this difficulty as well as to illuminate the unique spiritual quality of Sukkos, the Shem MiShmuel introduces us to a concept that is fundamental to our understanding of this yom tov. The sukkah, he writes, is a dugmah, model, of the Beis HaMikdash. This small structure that we construct outside of our homes is itself a microcosm of the Mishkan and the Beis HaMikdash.

A Microcosm of the Mishkan and the Mikdash

The Beis HaMikdash is referred to as the chadar, chamber, of the King, as the pasuk states, “The King has brought me into His chambers; we will rejoice and be glad in You” (Shir HaShirim 1:4). Therefore, the sukkah, a microcosm of the Beis HaMikdash, is likewise rendered the chadar of the Melech, King. This gives us a new insight into why Sukkos is Zman Simchaseinu, as entering the King’s chadar brings intense joy.

The Sfas Emes adds that the pasuk states, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the House of Hashem’” (Tehillim 122:1). The sukkah is a spark, a glimmer, of the Beis HaMikdash upon which the Shechinah rests; therefore, it is especially fitting for Sukkos to be called Zman Simchaseinu.

This dimension of the mitzvah of sukkah can help explain a difficult halachah. The halachah is that one can fulfill the mitzvah of shofar even with a stolen shofar, and yet a stolen sukkah is pasul. The Shem MiShmuel elucidates that since we know that stolen items could not be used in the building of the Beis HaMikdash, as the Shechinah will not reside in a home constructed with stolen materials, the sukkah, which is a dugmah of the Beis HaMikdash, is pasul if it is built with stolen materials, and the Shechinah will not dwell there.

The mukabalim teach that the concept that the sukkah is a dugmah of the Beis HaMikdash has practical ramifications as well. The Arizal writes that a table used in the sukkah should have four legs (and a bed should also be placed in the sukkah). The furniture in the sukkah should be arranged with the table to the south and the lamp, the menorah, in the north. The reason is that one is supposed to arrange the sukkah in a fashion reminiscent of how the keilim were arranged in the Beis HaMikdash, with a four-legged table in the south and the candelabra in the north. Once again, we see that the sukkah is in the likeness of the Beis HaMikdash.

Taking Leave of the Sukkah

This concept, that the sukkah is a microcosm of the Beis HaMikdash, will help us understand a beautiful minhag that has been codified by the Rama. It is minhag Yisrael that when the mitzvah of sukkah has been completed, we don’t simply stop sitting in the sukkah; we actually say goodbye to the sukkah, offering a prayer that was codified by the Rama, “ May it be Your will that

just as I have fulfilled [the mitzvah] and dwelled in this sukkah, so may I merit in the coming year to dwell in the sukkah of the skin of Livyason.”

The question is, why do we have to say goodbye to the sukkah? When we finish blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, we don’t say goodbye to the shofar; we just put it away until the next year. Likewise, when Sukkos is over, we don’t take leave of the lulav and esrog. Says Rav Hutner, in the times of the Beis HaMikdash, there was a mitzvah of linah, that is, sleeping in Yerushalayim after the Shalosh Regalim, taking leave of the Beis HaMikdash, as it were, to show that we find it difficult to part with it. Likewise, since the sukkah is a microcosm of the Beis HaMikdash, we have the custom of not simply exiting the sukkah but we take leave of it and we pray that it be the will of Hashem that we will sit in the shade of the Livyason

From Yom Kippur to Sukkos

On Yom Kippur, we fervently pray for the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. Rav Shlomo Kluger writes that by giving us the yom tov of Sukkos, Hashem tests

Thus, the sukkah, in addition to being a tashmishei mitzvah, is also a dugmah a microcosm, of the Beis HaMikdash. The Shechinah therefore rests on the sukkah, giving its structure inherent kedushah and necessitating that it be at least ten tefachim in height.

The True Objective of Sukkos

Let us explore the source of the concept that the s ukkah is a microcosm of the Beis HaMikdash and discover the basis for this comparison. Having established that the kedushah of the sukkah is a paradigm of the sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash, let us probe further to discover why indeed the sukkah has this sanctity. As we learned in the previous essay, the Vilna Gaon teaches us that the objective of the yom tov of Sukkos must be to celebrate something in addition to the miracle of the Ananei HaKavod. We celebrate Sukkos, as the Vilna Gaon explains, to commemorate the reinstatement of the Ananei HaKavod, which had no longer afforded protection after the sin of the Eigel HaZahav. On Rosh Chodesh Elul, Moshe Rabbeinu ascended to Shamayim for the third time, where he davened to Hashem to forgive Bnei Yisrael for the Cheit HaEigel, and on Yom Kippur, Hashem said, “Salachti k’dvarecha, I have forgiven because of your words” (Bamidbar 14:20). Although Hashem forgave Bnei Yisrael, they were still deprived of the Ananei HaKavod, and they therefore felt that forgiveness alone did not suffice. They wanted more than to be forgiven, they wanted ritzui, to know that their relationship had been restored to what it had been prior to the Sin. It was only when the construction of the Mishkan had begun that Hashem openly demonstrated His love for us by again providing us with the Ananei HaKavod. This ritzui took place on the fifteenth day of Tishrei. Thus, we can understand why the sukkah has the sanctity of the Beis HaMikdash, as it commemorates the return of the Ananei HaKavod and the resting of the Shechinah upon the Mishkan at this very time of the year.

us to see if our Yom Kippur davening for the Beis HaMikdash was genuine, which is demonstrated when we reside in the sukkah. If one performs the mitzvah of sukkah properly, then Hashem considers his tefillos for the Beis HaMikdash as sincere and without ulterior motive. However, if one does not fulfill the mitzvah of this dugmah of the Beis HaMikdash properly, then it is clear that he is not truly yearning for the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.

Sanctity of a Beis HaKnesses in the Sukkah

There is yet another dimension of the mitzvah of sukkah , which is understood in light of what we have learned. The Pele Yo’etz writes that the kedushah of a sukkah is analogous to the sanctity ascribed to a shul. Therefore, one must be very careful to conduct himself with proper dignity and decorum in the sukkah The poskim teach that just as with a beis haknesses, one is not permitted to use a sukkah as a shortcut. This concept is understood in light of the fact that the sukkah, like the shul, is a mikdash me’at, miniature Beis HaMikdash.

Thus, the sukkah, in which we sit on the anniversary of the date the Shechinah came down to join Klal Yisrael, is considered a mikdash me’at. The schach must be at a height at which the Shechinah can come to dwell on the sukkah; i.e., no less than ten tefachim from the ground. This, then, is the ultimate commemoration of what took place on that date so many years ago.

Buy Arba Minim Now, but Wait to Build the Sukkah!

Our insight into the sanctity of the sukkah helps us resolve an apparent discrepancy in the halachah. The Mateh Ephraim writes that one should purchase the Arba Minim before Yom Kippur, as doing so enables one to amass more zechusim prior to the Yom HaDin. However, elsewhere, the Mateh Ephraim writes that one should build his sukkah immediately after Yom Kippur— beginning on Motza’ei Yom Kippur — so as to go mei’chayil el chayil, from strength to strength. Building the sukkah right after Yom Kippur allows one to transition from one mitzvah to another. But why not reverse the order? Build the sukkah prior to Yom Kippur, since that will increase zechusim as we head into Yom Kippur, and then demonstrate going from one mitzvah to another by purchasing

a s we build our sukkah, a microcosm of the Mishkan, we reinforce the stability of all of creation.

the Arba Minim right after Yom Kippur?

According to the insights of the Vilna Gaon cited above, though, we can understand the Mateh Ephraim. True, we try to collect as many zechusim as possible prior to Yom Kippur so as to increase our chances for a favorable outcome in din; therefore, we seek to purchase the Arba Minim prior to Yom Kippur. However, the mitzvah of sukkah is an exception to the objective of collecting zechusim prior to Yom Kippur. It must wait, because the tzivui, command, of “v’asu li mikdash” was said only after Bnei Yisrael had received mechilah, immediately after Yom Kippur.

Since the sukkah symbolically reenacts the fulfillment of “v’asu li mikdash,” we follow the same timeline, with Yom Kippur and mechilah first, followed by construction of our mikdash me’at. Only after mechilah can we expect to experience the reenactment of the next part of the pasuk — “v’shachanti b’socham” — the ritzui seen as the Shechinah joins us in the sukkah. It was only after Yom Kippur that Hashem’s desire for us returned to its previous level, as represented by the return of the Ananei HaKavod. Thus, it is most appropriate to build the sukkah, which is a dugmah of the Mishkan, after Yom Kippur.

The World: A Prototype of the Mishkan

The Midrash is bothered by the wording used in the pasuk that states, “Va’yehi b’yom kalos Moshe l’hakim es ha’Mishkan, And it was on the day that Moshe finished erecting the Mishkan” (Bamidbar 7:1). Why does the Torah write, “l’hakim es ha’Mishkan,” when it would have sufficed to have written “l’hakim Mishkan”? What is the word es coming to include? The Midrash explains that it includes another “Mishkan” that was completed at the same time.

The Midrash tells us that until the Mishkan was erected, the world was unstable, and the Mishkan served to provide a solid base and foundation for the world. Thus, the Mishkan lent stability to the entire world, and it is the entire world that is included in the pasuk as having been erected at the same time as the Mishkan. The Midrash then expounds upon this concept and demonstrates numerous ways in which the Mishkan is comparable to the world.

1) Both the Mishkan and the entire world are referred to as an Ohel, since they both are covered with yerios, curtains. The world has yerios on it; as the pasuk says, “S tretching out the heavens like a curtain” (Tehillim 104: 2); so, too, the Mishkan had yerios on it, as the pasuk states, “You shall make curtains of goat hair or a Tent over the Mishkan” (Shemos 26:7).

2) Just as the Shamayim is mavdil, separates, so, too, the Paroches, Partition, in the Mishkan was mavdil; it provided separation.

3) On the third day of Cre -

ation, the waters no longer covered the whole world, instead gathering together in the oceans. Similarly, in the Mishkan, the Kiyor constituted the gathering of the water into one place.

4) There are luminaries in the sky that provide light. Similarly, the Mishkan’s Menorah provided light.

5) The world has birds that spread their wings to fly; so, too, the Mishkan housed Keruvim, Cherubim, whose wings were spread wide.

6) The terminology used at the completion of the Creation of the World (“Va’yichal Elokim, Hashem completed” [Bereishis 2:1]) is the same as that used when the Mishkan was completed (“Va’yichal Moshe, Moshe completed” [Shemos 40:22]).

7) Just as when Creation was completed Hashem offered a blessing, so too, Moshe offered a blessing upon the completion of the Mishkan.

Becoming a Partner in Creation

The Mishkan thus serves as a prototype of the entire world. The Gemara says that Betzalel knew how to combine the letters that were used to create the world.

On the Yamim Noraim, there are many instances where we ask Hashem to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. We mention that when this happens, “And the tzaddikim will see the Beis HaMikdash and they will rejoice .” We also say, “ We will see its construction and we will rejoice in its establishment .” We can perhaps suggest that Hashem answers our tefillos; even though we have not yet been zocheh to the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, Hashem gives us the mitzvah of sukkah, a dugmah of the Beis HaMikdash. By sitting in our sukkos and rejoicing in the happiness of the yom tov, on some level this is a fulfillment of the tefillah, “U’vechein tzaddikim yiru v’yismachu.”

Yaakov Avinu Is the Counterpart of Sukkos

The Tur writes a fascinating comment in the name of his brother, stating that Avraham Avinu is kneged Pesach, as he hosted the malachim on Pesach. Yitzchak Avinu is kneged Shavuos, as the shofar of Har Sinai came from the ram of Yitzchak. Yaakov Avinu is kneged Sukkos.

The Belzer Rebbe explains that Yaakov Avinu symbolizes Sukkos because he was the only person who was able to achieve kedushas Beis HaMikdash in a location other than the Har HaBayis. When Yaakov went to sleep, the Makom HaMikdash came to him and he achieved kedushas haMikdash shelo b’mikomo. This is exactly what the sukkah is: Kedushas Mikdash in a location other than the Har HaBayis.

The Torah tells us this to indicate the connection between the world and the Mishkan. Since the building of the Mishkan gave the world a more stable foundation, it was not enough for Betzalel to know only the skills needed to make the Mishkan itself, but he also had to know how to combine the letters that were utilized in the creation of the world. To make the Mishkan, he also had to know how to build a world. The Mishkan and Mikdash give the world its stability and strengthen its foundation. As we build our sukkah, a microcosm of the Mishkan, we reinforce the stability of all of creation; thus, we become a partner with Hashem in Maaseh Bereishis, the Creation of the world.

Utilizing this new perspective of the Sukkah , Rav Yitzchak Hutner and Rav Yerucham Olshin answer the question of the Meshech Chochmah that we asked above. Why, when teaching us about Pesach and Shavuos, does the Torah tell us that the Beis HaMikdash serves “l’shachem shemo sham, so that Hashem can dwell there,” while in the discussion of Sukkos this phrase is omitted? It is because on Sukkos, the Mikdash is not a requirement for hashra’as haShechinah, because the Shechinah is present in our own sukkah! The sukkah is a dugmah of the Mikdash, and therefore l’shachem shemo sham applies to our own sukkah! As long as the sukkah is kosher and the schach is no less than ten tefachim from the ground, then the Shechinah rests in the sukkah. We still go to the Mikdash for the mitzvah of aliyah l’regel and to bring korbanos, but the l’shachem shemo sham does not apply to Sukkos, since that can be achieved at home, in our very own sukkah .

With this understanding, it is clear why the most appropriate tefillah on Sukkos is that Hashem should build succas David hanofeles. We were zocheh to build a mikdash me’at, the sukka h in which Hashem dwells and which is a dugmah of the Mikdash. We daven that in the zechus of our efforts, the Ribbono shel Olam should bless us to see the restoration of the ultimate Mikdash, the Third Beis HaMikdash , b’mheira b’yameinu, Amen.

This article has been excerpted from The Mystery and The Majesty by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein, ArtScroll Publications.

venues.

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein is the Mara D’asra of Kehilas Tiferes Mordechai in Cedarhurst, NY, and author of numerous seforim in Lashon Hakodesh and in English for ArtScroll. He is an international lecturer and maggid shiur. His thousands of recorded shiurim are available on Torahanytime.com, podcast, his website rabbidg.com, and other

if one performs the mitzvah of sukkah properly, then Hashem considers his tefillos for the Beis HaMikdash as sincere and without ulterior motive.

A Year of Sukkah Building

By Rabbi Yaakov Klein

After having merited to clarify our national mission statement of universal Divine-consciousness on Rosh Hashana and experienced the ethereal realm of spirituality on Yom Kippur, Sukkos is the final step in a glorious process of helping us clarify our objective before crossing the threshold into a new year of living.

With Sukkos, we find ourselves back in Olam Hazeh, facing the realities of the world around us. We leave the inner sanctum of the “home” – the spiritual clarity of Yom Kippur, and we journey into the cold, dark outdoors – the harsh realities of the physical realm. However, guided by the echo of the shofar and the crystal-clear vision expressed in the Rosh Hashana tefillos, we feel empowered to engage in carrying out the mission we were sent here for: to build a sukkah, to conquer this world and transform it into a dwelling place for the Shechinah.

But as we begin a new year of attempting to live consciously, with awareness of this “sukkah-building” mission of bringing Hashem into each and every facet of our lives, we soon find that the process can be arduous. Living with an abiding sense of emunah – overwhelming wakefulness to Hashem’s Presence – is not easily attained. As the lopsided wagon of our mundane experiences jolts and bounces over the unpaved roads of an uncertain future, it’s so easy to lose touch with this clarity, to sink into the slumber of the everyday. We know the goal – even from afar we are blinded by its brilliant light – but the process… the process is something else entirely. The growing frustration intensified by setback after setback can soon cause us to give up entirely. What is the point of working toward constructing the palace of our emunah if the walls keep falling over? How long will it take until our sukkah is finally complete and the Presence of Hashem can rest over our lives in a perceivable way?

The tzaddikim teach that the esrog embodies the encouragement and perspective necessary for us to carry the message of Sukkos into the year. In the beginning of Creation, Hashem intended for the bark of the trees to share the taste of the fruit they produced. In the first deviation from Hashem’s Will in creation, the trees did not obey. While the fruit they produced was delicious and sweet, the bark remained bitter and repugnant.

On a deeper level, the trees and their fruits are a metaphor for processes and objectives. Initially, Hashem intended for every step of a process toward a goal to share in the sweetness of that goal – for a person to be totally conscious of how incredibly meaningful every small effort and contribution is toward the manifestation of the larger picture. But when the trees deviated, this meant that while the accomplishment of great goals, the fruits, would be wonderfully sweet, the process would be dark and bitter, filled with brokenness and frustration. Remarkably, there is one tree whose bark does indeed taste like the fruits it produces, and that is the esrog tree. The esrog gifts us with this elevated, pre-sin awareness that every step toward a meaningful goal is saturated with value, that no matter how long and difficult a process may be, we can already experience celebration and rejoicing on account of being among those who are journeying meaningfully. It wasn’t the hearts of those who had found Hashem that David described as being filled with joy but those who

were seeking Him; “Yismach lev mevakshei Hashem.” The chag of Sukkos prepares us for marching into a year of taking every driveway, deck, or stretch of backyard we encounter throughout the multifarious experiences of our humanity and covering them over with “tzila d’m’heminusa,” the shade of faith. And with our esrog

in hand, despite the challenging nature of the journey, despite our limitations and the crippled nature of our efforts, we can appreciate each and every step along the way, knowing that we are doing what Hashem created us to do – the very best we can.

Rabbi Yaakov Klein is an author, lecturer, and the founding director of Eilecha, a UK-based organization focused on creating opportunities for spiritual growth and experiential education in the local community and beyond. Through classes, content, events, trips, and experiences, Eilecha aims to foster an authentic Jewish experience that is deep, passionate, sincere, joyous, healthy, and eminently relevant, charting a course “Eilecha”, toward a vibrant life lived in the warmth of Hashem’s embrace.

The esrog gifts us with this elevated, pre-sin awareness that every step toward a meaningful goal is saturated with value.

Filling the Empty Spaces A Testament of Faith

By Rabbi Benny Berlin

The Mishnayos and Gemara talk about the types of sukkahs we don’t have. Our rabbis discuss sukkahs aboveground, of unusual shapes, and most notably where the walls and angles seem to defy the concepts of engineering. My sukkah is simple and straightforward, with four solid walls where the schach meets these walls, requiring less creativity. My guess is that yours is, too. However, the Gemara introduces ideas that are part of the Halachah L’Moshe M’Sinai – which means these unusual building concepts for sukkah are part of the Torah’s definition of a sukkah, which allows for not only incredible flexibility but a deeper message about the holiday as well.

Among the unusual building considerations, a fairly well-known one is the concept of “lavud.” When we think of a wall, we envision a solid surface that is not penetrable. However, in halachic definitions, you can consider a surface a halachic wall even with empty spaces, as long as these spaces don’t exceed three tephachim (about a foot of empty space). There is also the concept of “gud asik .” The walls are supposed to reach the schach, but if they don’t, yet they’re under the schach, there’s a concept of considering these empty spaces as if they were filled. And, there is another concept of “dofen akuma”: If you have schach adjacent to the wall that is not kosher – schach pasul – we are allowed to imagine the wall is bent and becoming part of the schach itself, overlooking a potential disqualification and considering it kosher.

We see that the halachos pertaining to sukkos allow for flexibility and imagination. However, with that in mind, think now about Pesach, exactly six months from Sukkos day. Can you look at chametz and matzah with the same flexibility? Absolutely not. Pesach is “seder,” it has to be

done in an ordered way. But this begs the question of why is there a fundamental difference between the way we observe Pesach and Sukkos.

Let us go back a step to the underpinnings of the holiday – Pesach is a time to celebrate G-d’s revelation. It was a mo -

raculous sukkos we lived in while in the Midbar. Rabbi Eliezer disagrees, saying instead that our sukkahs are supposed to remind us of the divine Clouds of Glory that led us in the desert. However, both of these answers have a common thread: emunah. Both were

see. There is a force beyond us connecting the dots. Some of us have expectations in life that Hashem will always provide for us the way we expect, like having four solid walls. The wall reaches the floor and connects to the ceiling, which is solid. If our expectation in life is that everything is symmetrical and perfect, it’s an obstruction to developing a sense of emunah and will ultimately lead us to disappointment when things don’t turn out exactly how we envision the ideal.

Pesach is the holiday of seder and exactitude. Pesach offers clarity in all aspects of yom tov – how to prepare, when to prepare, everything from dos and don’ts, when to sit, when to stand, when to sing – there is a seder, where there is absolute revelation.

But not moments of faith. Moments of faith have empty spaces – holes, gaps, things are bent. Sukkos halacha says that if an area is transparent and you can stick your hand through it, there’s air, but if you can view it, it’s connected, and it’s considered one. This attitude is the foundation of emunah.

It would seem to me that we have never needed to integrate this idea, this message, more deeply and meaningfully than we do now.

ment of tremendous clarity, and there was no question G-d existed and had dominion over nature. G-d was involved in every step of our national destiny.

The underpinning of Sukkos is a bit more up for debate. There’s a machlokes between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva, where Rabbi Akiva says the sukkah’s purpose is to remind us of the actual mi-

miraculous revelations of Hashem’s protection and guidance when we were vulnerable. Therefore, it could be that the construction of the sukkah has so much halachic flexibility because the essence of the entire yom tov of Sukkos is about emunah, faith.

At its essence, emunah helps us recognize that reality exists beyond what we

The yom tov of Sukkos is inspiring in that it helps us not concentrate on all that is missing – the bent walls, those things that are not just right. It teaches us to have simple faith that there is a full picture beyond what we see and allows us to use this concept to experience true joy: Z’man Simchaseinu.

Rabbi Benny Berlin is the rabbi of BACH Jewish Center located in Long Beach, New York. For more information, visit: https://www. bachlongbeach.com/.

Both were miraculous revelations of Hashem’s protection and guidance when we were vulnerable.

Kiddushin Conundrum

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

At a typical wedding, there can be no doubt who the kallah is. But hundreds of years ago, a chassan got himself into a jam due to a lack of specificity. Tosfos (Kiddushin 52a) recount a fascinating story that occurred with Rav Oshaya HaLevi’s son. Details are somewhat sketchy, but the following may be what occurred.

There was a wealthy individual with several daughters. Someone suggested that Rav Oshaya’s son might be a good match for one of the daughters. Rav Oshaya’s son checked out the family and thought that one of the wealthy man’s daughters would make a good shidduch. It seems that the father specifically agreed to allow the prospective chassan to marry his oldest daughter. However, it is unclear if there ever was a formal agreement. The wealthy man was authorized to act as an agent on behalf of his daughters to accept kiddushin. In other words, his future sons-in-law were expected to give the wedding bands to him instead of to their kallos directly. Rav Oshaya’s son followed this procedure, handing the wealthy man a ring and declaring: “Your daughter is betrothed to me.” He failed to specify the daughter he intended to marry. Which daughter is he married to?

This incident caused quite an uproar. A well-respected sage declared that the poor chassan is, in a way, possibly married to all of the man’s daughters. Therefore, he can marry none of them. The sage ruled that all of the man’s daughters require a get from this poor bachur. Furthermore, even after he gives the gittin, he is not allowed to marry any of them. The sage reasoned that neither the boy nor the father verbalized at the time of kiddushin which daughter was getting married. One of the daughters is, in fact, married to him, and the remaining girls are forbidden to the chassan because they are his wife’s sisters. Since we cannot go back in time and clarify which daughter was intended, sadly, he may not marry any of them.

Rabbeinu Tam disagreed for a num-

ber of reasons. Perhaps the most interesting reason he supplied was based on a quote from Lavan, of all people. When Yaakov asked Lavan why he had tricked him, Lavan replied, “This is not done in our place–to give the younger daughter before the elder daughter” (Bereishis 29:26). Rabbeinu Tam therefore reasoned

Tosfos. However, some commentators wonder why Tosfos quote Lavan to bolster his point about not allowing a younger daughter to get married before an older daughter. Was Lavan such a great posek that we should follow his ruling? Perhaps we don’t hold like Lavan. Yaakov Avinu apparently didn’t!

father would accept kiddushin for his older daughter first even if one daughter is a minor!

It must be, Rav Moshe concludes, that Rabbeinu Tam was simply saying that there was a custom in his town to marry off the older daughters first. It is not a halacha. Rabbeinu Tam was not learning a halacha from Lavan’s words; he was merely pointing out that even in the Torah we find that Lavan said such a custom existed in Padan Aram to marry off the older daughters first. Therefore, since the custom in the locale of the Tosafists was to marry off one’s oldest daughter first, it can be assumed that she is the daughter for whom the kiddushin was intended. (For a more elaborate discussion on the halachic rulings of this issue, one can search for Rabbi Yair Hoffman’s well-researched article entitled “Waiting for a Sibling.”)

There is a well-known Yerushalmi family that had a 28-year-old unmarried son. His 21-year-old brother wanted to start dating; however, he was reluctant to do so since his older sibling was still unmarried. He asked Rav Shmuel Auerbach, zt”l, for guidance. Rav Shmuel advised him that he certainly shouldn’t delay looking for a zivug. He pointed out that when the extended family got bigger upon his marriage, there would likely be more shidduchim suggestions for the older brother.

that it is obvious that the father intended to marry off his oldest daughter first. The father wouldn’t want to violate a pasuk in the Torah! However, Rabbeinu Tam later retracted his ruling, and the incident had an unfortunate ending. The bachur couldn’t marry any of the daughters, and all the daughters had to receive a get.

The Chasam Sofer advised against a proposed shidduch for a younger daughter when an older daughter wasn’t married. This would seemingly be in line with

Furthermore, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, points out that the Gemara (Kiddushin 51b) discusses a situation where a man has a minor and an adult daughter. The Gemara suggests that when it is unclear which daughter the father accepted kiddushin for, we can assume it was for the younger daughter who is still a minor. Rav Moshe asks, how can the Gemara make such an assumption? If it is an aveirah to marry off a younger daughter before an older daughter, certainly the

The young man found his zivug rather quickly. He married the daughter of a well-known American author now living in Israel. The next yom tov, the new kallah received a visit from an older friend from the United States. Her inlaws were quite impressed with this fine girl. The rest is history.

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.

A well-respected sage declared that the poor chassan is, in a way, possibly married to all of the man’s daughters.

Greeting One’s Rebbe

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

It is a little known fact, but Rav Aharon Kotler, zt”l, did not just learn under the Alter, zt”l, and Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, zt”l, in Slabodka. He also learned under Rav Boruch Ber Leibowit,z zt”l.

The Talmud tells us that there is an obligation to greet one’s rebbe on Yom Tov (Rosh haShana 16b).

Rav Yitzchok said: A person is obligated to visit his Master on the holiday as it is stated (Malachim II 4:23 – regarding the Shunamite woman when her husband asked her): “Why will you go to him today; it is neither the New Moon nor Shabbos?” (II Kings 4:23). [Shabbos in this context means a day of rest Yom Tov].

Left Out Of Shulchan Aruch

Strangely, enough, however, the obligation is not cited in the Shulchan Aruch. It is cited by the Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 5:7) and also in the Mogen Avrohom (301:7 and 554:12).

What is the reason for its omission?

The Noda BiYehudah (MT OC Siman 94) explains that since there is no obligation of aliyah l’regel in modern times because there is no Beis HaMikdash – it should not be that the honor due to flesh and blood is greater than the honor due to Kavod Shamayim. This is how he explains why the author of the Shulchan Aruch left out this halacha.

Rav Moshe Shternbuch, shlita, however, cites the Yaaros Dvash (Vol. I #12) that the fact that there is no Beis haMikdash would make it even more obligatory – not less. After posing a number of questions on this, Rav Shternbuch suggests (Likutei Teshuvos v’hanhagos p. 234) that the reason for the omission is that it is only an ethical obligation and not a full blown one.

Nature Of Obligation

What is the nature of the obligation? Does it benefit the student or is it to extend honor to the Rebbe?

The Nodah BiYehudah writes that it can influence the student positively because the Rebbe has Tosefes Kedusha on a Yom Tov. The Divrei Malkiel (Vol. II # 75), however, writes that it is on account of the obligation to extend honor to one’s rebbe. The Ramban in Parshas Yisro writes that it is for the benefit of the student. In Yisa Yoseph (Vol. I Siman 126), Rav Elyashiv, zt”l, is cited as ruling that one only need to go see him alone in order to fulfill the mitzvah. There is no need to spend time there.

The Pnei Yehoshua (Rosh HaShana 16b) writes that it does not have to be his own rebbe per se – one fulfills the mitzvah by seeing the Gadol haDor as well. Some say, however, that it is not a full obligation, but all agree that if one does so he has fulfilled a mitzvah.

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

The Israel Gold Rush of 2023

By Gedaliah Borvick

Let me introduce four clients and their Jerusalem real estate goals: Ariel, an Israeli living abroad for the next 8 years, wants to move into a modern 3-bedroom apartment upon his return to Israel. Batsheva lives in Israel and her goal is to move into a 4-bedroom apartment in 15 years. Chava lives overseas and would love to move into a 3-bedroom apartment when she retires and makes aliyah in ten years. Finally, David wants to buy an investment with strong upside potential but limited downside risk.

The clients’ commonalities were (1) a long-term horizon of at least 8 years and (2) a desire to buy in central Jerusalem, but (3) an inability to afford apartments based on today’s market values. Despite the budgetary limitations, our clients’ timing flexibility empowered us to think creatively, and we focused on Pinuy Binuy urban renewal projects.

Pinuy Binuy means to evacuate ( pinuy) and tear down older buildings and construct (binuy) new ones. When the older, smaller buildings are replaced with higher density housing, the original owners trade in their apartments for a new, often significantly larger, apartment – plus the developer covers their relocation costs during construction. Accordingly, astute buyers are purchasing

apartments in buildings slated for Pinuy Binuy redevelopment, with the long-term goal of exchanging them for brand-new apartments at no additional cost.

Keep in mind a few important points: Just because a building is dilapidated and should be torn down does not mean that it will. As not all older buildings will end up being razed and rebuilt, one must do thorough research to ensure that they are choosing their purchase wisely. Furthermore, Pinuy Binuy is a drawn-out

ters because it is a “win-win-win” situation1) :) the existing apartment owners receive new units; (2) the local government provides a solution to the pent-up demand for additional housing while also replacing older, unsafe buildings; and (3) the developers profit by selling apartments.

Our four clients embraced Pinuy Binuy, as it afforded them the opportunity to buy an existing unit which down the road will be replaced with a new apart-

that location is worth over 4.5m NIS. As you can see, the upside is massive, which is why Ariel urged me to write this article – he named it “The Gold Rush of 2023” –so that others can take advantage of this opportunity.

Batsheva bought an 87 sqm 3-bedroom unit in the same complex, and will receive a 124 sqm 4-bedroom apartment upon project completion. Chava, like Ariel, bought a 65 sqm unit and will receive a 103 sqm 3-bedroom unit. Finally, David the investor bought a 65 sqm 2-bedroom unit in Armon Hanatziv, a neighborhood next to Arnona that is about to undergo major gentrification thanks to Pinuy Binuy. David paid 1.8m NIS and in 8 to 10 years will receive a 100 sqm unit, which is worth 3.5m NIS in today’s market.

process. Between getting existing apartment owners to approve the project, enduring a lengthy administrative process, emptying out the buildings, and then finally constructing new towers, a project can sometimes take upwards of ten years to complete.

Pinuy Binuy has become extremely popular in Israel’s major population cen-

ment that addresses their needs. Ariel bought a 65 sqm apartment in a great Katamon location, where a Pinuy Binuy plan has been in the works for the past few years. The apartment, purchased for 2.5m NIS, will be replaced with a 103 sqm 3-bedroom apartment upon project completion in about eight years. In today’s market, the value of a 103 sqm unit in

Pinuy Binuy is understandably not for everyone. However, for investors and families with a long-term real estate horizon, buying an apartment with Pinuy Binuy potential can be a golden opportunity.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

Just because a building is dilapidated and should be torn down does not mean that it will.

The Wandering Jew The Synagogues Of Our Journeys Part II

By Hershel Lieber

Avery important feature of our journeys in Europe was visiting synagogues in the countries that we traveled to. In most cities, we had the opportunity to actually daven in those shuls. Sometimes, we were only able to see them during times that services were not being conducted. Occasionally, those edifices lost their original purpose and were turned into museums which showcased their former functions. In every case, we were intrigued by the historical significance of these holy buildings and their contributing role to the Jewish communities of those places.

I hope that by presenting a photo album of these remarkable sanctuaries my readers will be able to take an armchair tour of our heritage throughout the European continent. The photographs are almost entirely from professional photo collections. The synagogues are labeled by city and country. In many cases, I included a personal or historical note that I wanted to share.

WARSAW, POLAND: NOZYK SYNAGOGUE

I have been to Warsaw over eighty times from 1979 and on – most times with Pesi but many times alone. I have written a number of articles about some of these trips, and they always included the Nozyk Shul. I was the baal tefillah there in 1979, and since 1989, I have come to lead the davening almost every year. When I started, there were only older congregants with a sprinkling of five or six children. Over the years, the ages of the daveners changed dramatically and presently most people are a lot younger. Theshul is under the auspices of Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich who has accomplished so much on behalf of Polish Jewry in every realm. Rabbi Schudrich is a dear friend whom I know from when he was the director of the Ronald Lauder Foundation in Poland since the early 1990s. We shared a lot of times together both at the Lauder Camp and at the Nozyk Synagogue.

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA: CHORAL SYNAGOGUE

Although I davened in this synagogue during all the six times I was in this city, my most memorable experience occurred in 1982. The city was then called Leningrad and was the second most important city in the Soviet Union. It was Shabbos Chanukah, and I was davening in the smaller Beis Medrash adjacent to the large synagogue chamber. The more observant Jews and some of the refuseniks made this smaller shul their home. I was approached by the Rosh Hakahal who asked me to daven Shacharis and Hallel in the big shul. I agreed and walked with him into main chamber. I was shocked that a microphone was being used and told him that I could not daven like that. He told me that a non-Jew turns it on in the morning and off after services. Still, I was adamant that was am not comfortable davening in this situation. Before I knew it, someone approached the Amud and closed the microphone. At that point, I agreed to go up. I was ready to begin, when out of the rafters four burly men appeared and stood in front of the Amud facing me. As soon as I started, they began to hum along, and I realized that they were my choir. I had no idea how to coordinate my davening with a choir but they surely did. A “Koussevitsky” I wasn’t, but the davening actually came out pretty good!

RIGA, LATVIA: PEITAV SYNAGOGUE

I met Rabbi Gershon Gurevitch in this shul when we travelled there in the winter of 1982 during the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel’s first mission to the Soviet Union. I also remember him teaching Mishnayos Seder Taharos between Mincha and Maariv in Yiddish interspersed with some Russian. There were a few younger refuseniks listening in at the time. I asked him afterwards if it would be advisable to teach the sections of Mishnayos of Moed or Brochos, which would have a more practical value. He replied rather curtly, “We are learning in a certain order, and this is where I am up to.” I felt that he was actually afraid to teach the younger people, especially the refuseniks.

LANCUT, POLAND SYNAGOGUE

This shul has a special meaning to me. In the late eighties, I once arrived to Lancut and went to see the shul. It was closed for renovation. I noticed a door slightly ajar, and I entered. The whole inside was surrounded by scaffolding, and it was noticeable that work was being done to restore the elaborate wall and bimah decorations. I heard someone from above call down to me to wait. The restorer came down and asked me if I could help him with the Hebrew writings on the wall, many of which were completely obliterated. I explained that this was not something that could be done immediately as the amount of tefillos on the wall numbered well more than twenty. I offered that he take photos and then send them to me, and I would send him photocopies from a siddur which he could use as a reference when he paints in the verses. I did that, and when I visited the Lancut Shul the next time, I marveled at his beautiful work in which I had played an important role.

PARIS, FRANCE: AGOUDAS HAKEHILOS SYNAGOGUE

It was in 2015 when we first spent a Shabbos in The City of Lights. It was during my year of aveilus after my mother a”h passed away. This shul on the Rue de la Pavee was my second home as I needed to say kaddish and daven by the amud daily. Rav Mordechai Rottenberg, the chief rabbi of the Chareidi Kehillos, invited us for both Shabbos seudos and asked me to address the shul during Shalosh Seudos.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA: STADTTEMPEL

Vienna is a city that we love to visit. It is beautiful and has all the amenities that an Orthodox Jewish traveler needs to make for an easy trip. I also have relatives living there. The Stadttempel is the most renown and the seat of Austria’s Chief Rabbi. Although we usually daven in the Chassidishe shteiblech of the Zweite Bezirk, we have davened there twice in 2003 and 2010. They have a chazzan and choir which I do appreciate.

VILNA, LITHUANIA: CHORAL SYNAGOGUE

My trips to Vilna are truly memorable. On the first one in February of 1982, we went with the Neustadts on behalf of the Vaad. We were able to get into the Ohel of the Vina Gaon which was sealed shut for countless years. In December of the same year, I went with Zolly Tropper to teach Torah to newly observant refuseniks, and we had the distinction of having our night shiur broken up by the KGB. They facetiously apologized by saying that they felt that we should leave and go to bed early so that we save our energy for the next morning’s tour of Vilnius.

SOFIA, BULGARIA SYNAGOGUE

Europe’s third largest synagogue was opened in 1909. We visited this imposing edifice and its elaborate interior in 2003. The next morning, we returned to the Sofia Synagogue. I was asked to daven musaf. I used my own Nussach but uttered the words with a Sephardic accent. After Chazaras Hashatz, I was handed a paper with the words of Ein K’Eloheinu in Ladino and was told to lead the tzibbur in singing. I improvised a tune and was told afterwards that my pronunciation was actually pretty good.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA: CHORAL SYNAGOGUE

Our first visit to Moscow’s Choral Synagogue in 1979 was during the dark days of the Communist regime. I remember well how people approached me on Shabbos giving me notes with names of family members who had emigrated to the States whom I should contact on their behalf. I recall how the shul authorities pulled me away from conversing with them and sat me way up front so that I shouldn’t connect with anyone. On Motzei Shabbos, the former Chief Rabbi Yakov Fishman offered that his chauffeur would drive us to our hotel when he saw how we were surrounded by mispalellim that were eager to speak to us. We told him we would walk but he insisted that we be driven back.

KRAKOW, POLAND: OLD SYNAGOGUE

KRAKOW, POLAND: REMUH SYNAGOGUE

LANCUT, POLAND SYNAGOGUE

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA SYNAGOGUE

PRAGUE, CZECHIA: ALNEUSHUL SOFIA, BULGARIA SYNAGOGUE

A Mother of 12 in the Halls of Power

Rivka Ravitz Talks About Meeting the Pope, Bathing Her Kids, and Needing to Eat Apples All Week Long

By Malkie SchulMan

‘‘There was a point in my career where juggling home and work felt too difficult, and I was seriously thinking of leaving my job, “shares Rivka Ravitz, former chief of staff for former President of Israel Reuven Rivlin. But at that point, Rivka continues, she realized that the job had become bigger than her. “It was no longer about me and my family. I represented someone more than Mrs. Rivka Ravitz, charedi mom of 12 and wife of the deputy mayor of Beitar, Yitzchak Ravitz. Young charedi women were looking at me. They wanted to see how and if I could handle my family and my high-profile, demanding career. I knew I couldn’t let them down. I needed to show them that it was possible to juggle both.”

Rivka also recognized that as a charedi woman in the government, she was uniquely poised to help her community. The charedi community had needs, and she was right there in the room, so to speak – in the Knesset – where big decisions were constantly being made. Besides, she explains, “as a charedi mother, I was able to explain our needs the most effectively. For example, when the discussion was about raising the price of fruits and vegetables, I was there to explain what that means to a family of 12. Most of the individuals involved in the discussion were young professionals with not even one child to feed.” Although that’s not why Rivka was hired, Knesset members got the benefit (as, of course, did she) of the point of view of a charedi mom.

Not a Coffee Maker

Rivka began her career in politics quite unromantically. She was married at age 18½ to a kollel yungerman, and she needed a job. So, Rivka went into the “family business.” Her father-in-law, Avrohom Ravitz, was then a member of the Knesset for the Charedi Degel HaTorah party, and he hired her to work in his office.

“I was still in seminary in the morning, but in the afternoon, I’d work for my father-in-law,” Rivka recalls.

After she left seminary, Rivka became the financial

advisor for the finance committee of the Knesset.

“Financial advisor is an important position in Israel,” shares Rivka, “I learned a lot. I had to work with the army budget as well as health and education finances.”

In 2000, Rivka was forced out of her father-in-law’s office by a new law that stated that first-degree relatives couldn’t work together in the same party. She started working for then-MK Ruvi (Reuven) Rivlin of the Likud party, who soon afterwards became Minister of Communications. At age 23, Rivka became the head of his office which, until that time, had never had a charedi staff member – let alone a charedi female staff member running the office, Rivka points out.

After that, from 2003-2006, Rivlin was elected speaker of the Knesset and then was re-elected again in 2009.

“I had lots of campaigns I was running for him,” shares Rivka. “In fact, it was Rivlin’s idea that Arik Sharon run for prime minister, so I ran that campaign for him as well.”

On a sad side note, the Gush Katif tragedy essentially orchestrated by Arik Sharon was where Rivlin and Sharon made their split.

“That’s when I clearly saw the truth of the Torah saying, ‘Lev mlochim b’yad Hashem,’” says Rivka. “Sharon had built those settlements and now it was like a dybbuk was in him, pushing him to destroy them. Those days were difficult for all of us.”

“In those years,” continues Rivka, “not only was there no other charedi woman working in politic,s but there were no women at all.” Not because of prejudice, she explains, but just because Knesset hours are not suited for a typical working mom. A normal workday in the Knesset begins at 8 am and finishes at 7 pm. And that doesn’t take into account the days when Knesset members and their staff pull overnighters because there are major items that need to be voted on.

Perhaps because there were no women working there, and certainly not in senior positions, Rivka recalls in her first few years on the job, whenever older Knesset mem-

Accompanying President Rivlin and Prince William on a visit to Jerusalem in 2018

bers saw her, they’d ask her to bring them a cup of coffee. “I’d say, ‘There’s a coffee urn at the end of the hall.’ They thought I was the coffee girl. They didn’t know I was the advisor of the financial committee.” It came to a point, Rivka says, that instead of having to constantly tell them who she was (or who she wasn’t) that she just removed the urn from her room. “Ever since then,” she adds, with a laugh, “I don’t drink coffee anymore, only water. “

Older Knesset members’ faulty perceptions notwithstanding, at age 28, Rivka found herself chief of staff for the Speaker of the Knesset overseeing a staff of 400.

“My job included overseeing the management of various committees, organizing the budget, running Rivlin’s various campaigns which typically included PR work, managing the advertising, strategizing, and working out the budget.”

By the time Rivlin was Speaker of the Knesset for the second time, Rivka had just given birth to twins – her 8th and 9th children.

“I got a lot of help and support from my mother, my sisters and especially my husband,” maintains Rivka. “Sometimes, I’d come home so discouraged, and my husband would say, ‘You can do it, Rivka, go for it. You’re smarter than them.” The truth is, Rivka admits, “I always enjoyed my job. I just didn’t like the politics part of it that much.”

Of course, leaving family was never easy. “I remember when I went to India. This was when Rivlin was president, and we did a lot of traveling. As a rule, we usually were home for Shabbos, but this time, we were away for ten days. I missed my son’s birthday party. I remember crying and feeling so miserable.”

A Charedi in a Non-Charedi World

When Rivka switched to work for the non-religious Likud party, that’s when her situation became more complicated. Although, of course, the non-religious MKs and their staff were familiar with the concept of Shabbos, most of them had no idea that meant that she couldn’t answer her phone for 26 hours. Some people got annoyed; some religious people even said it was pikuach nefesh and she could answer the phone on Shabbos. Most people, however, were understanding.

The truth is, Rivka says, “Rivlin was nice and understanding about pretty much everything. He was a very pleasant person to work for. You can tell by the fact that he always had a small staff turnover rate in his office. We all enjoyed working for him, so we stayed. We felt like family.”

Rivka particularly appreciates Rivlin’s consideration for her “special needs” – like taking maternity leave every other year. Not that she ever took the typical maternity leave that moms in other professions take. “Especially if there were primary elections, budget, or other important issues coming up, I needed to come back really fast, like in a matter of weeks,” Rivka says.

And yes, sometimes people would make snide comments, like when she’d arrive at the office in maternity clothes, a colleague might tease that she was having so many children in order to get more Bituach Leumi (national insurance). “I can’t say I always appreciated their jokes,” she admits. In general, however, maintains Rivka, she never felt personally attacked because of her

religious beliefs. “I didn’t work on Chol hamoed, Purim, Tisha B’Av either, and although I know there were colleagues who weren’t thrilled about it, we always maintained a respectful relationship.”

As far as hot topics like conversion issues and the army draft, Rivka says, “I tried to steer clear of those conversations. It’s one thing as a philosophical debate, that I could handle.” But if someone would start to lambast charedim as a group, Rivka would avoid the conversation altogether or if she couldn’t avoid it, she might say something like, “What would you say if a German said such a thing about a Jew; would you like to hear that?” That would usually be effective in shutting down negativity.

Interestingly, Rivka says that the animosity you read about in the papers between Knesset members is not always accurate. Aryeh Deri is good friends with Avigdor Lieberman, she says. “I’m friends with Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid and his wife. We go out for coffee every few weeks. It can look really bad on TV, but if you go into the ‘miznon Knesset ’ (Knesset dining room), you see those who were recently virulently attacking each other on the Knesset floor laughing together in the dining room.”

Family Considerations

While the Knesset staff were generally respectful of Rivka’s time away from work, the same couldn’t always be said of Rivka’s children’s feelings about her time away from home.

“We’d pass by the Knesset or the President’s house in the car on the way to a park and one kid would turn to the other and say, ‘Uch, don’t look, that’s where Mommy works.’ Also, we’d often find notes around the house before I left for a job-related trip saying, ‘Mommy, don’t go.’ The truth is,” shares Rivka, “it was a sacrifice on everybody’s part. I missed some important milestones in my children’s lives. My mother who was babysitting would call and tell me that my child’s first tooth came out or share that my baby took his first steps that day. It was hard not being there then. But as much as my children complained about my absence, if something was in the newspaper about me, they would cut it out and show it to their friends. They were proud of the work I was doing, and they always wanted me to share stories about what happened.”

Nevertheless, Rivka makes sure that home time is sacred.

“I will put my phone away when I’m home. I make sure to look into my children’s eyes when I speak to them and really listen to them.”

Rivka also makes sure that she and her husband have time alone together every week. “Usually, on Friday, my husband and I will go away for a few hours, maybe out to eat or for a walk.”

When phone calls do come through when she’s at home, Rivka will do her best to either not take the call at all or minimize time spent on the phone. She humorously recalls the time when, in the middle of bathing her children, she received a phone call from then-Prime Minister Arik Sharon. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I’ll call you back later.’”

Rivka strongly believes that her work in the Knesset benefited the charedi population. When she worked

Meeting with the Pope

She humorously recalls the time when, in the middle of bathing her children, she received a phone call from then-Prime Minister Arik Sharon. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized.

“I’ll call you back later.’”

with her father-in-law, there were laws the nonreligious parties were trying to pass against the charedi community. “We worked hard to prevent them from drafting yeshiva students into the army, for example.” It’s a difficult situation, admits Rivka, especially when trying to explain the issue to a nonreligious Israeli mother of a soldier. “Non-religious Israelis have no concept of the holiness of learning Torah, of why we believe that the learning of our boys is as important to the safety of our country as sending their boys to fight. To them, it’s ‘we endanger our lives and you sit in the beis midrash.’ It’s almost impossible to expect someone not raised charedi to understand the tremendous value of learning Torah.”

The only thing that has been somewhat helpful in bridging the divide is when Rivka tries to get the other side to see that we’re operating from a different point of view. If the other side can’t understand that from our point of view, Torah learning is vital and that the only reason the world is still existing is because of Torah study, then they can’t begin to understand why their son is on the border while my son is safe in his bed, she says. If they can begin to understand the importance to us, then possibly they can begin to understand why we are against drafting yeshiva bochurim into the army.

Meeting the Rich and Powerful

In 2014, when Rivlin became President of Israel, he offered Rivka her position of choice in his office. For the next seven years, she was his chief of staff, planning, arranging and traveling everywhere with him.

“I was 37 when I became the president’s chief of staff. The political advisor under me was a 60-year-old ambassador and my attaché was also a 60-year-old male who was head of the famed Special Tactics Rescue Unit 669, the Israel Defense Forces heliborne Combat Search and Rescue extraction unit. In the beginning, it was awkward,” admits Rivka.

The job of the Israeli presidency is largely a ceremonial role which includes meeting world leaders and dignitaries, to keep relations with Israel and the rest of the world on good terms. Part of a president’s job also includes visiting wounded soldiers and terror victims and attending (lo aleynu) funerals of soldiers and victims of terror. Although it was easier than the daily pressure of being on the Knesset floor, working for the president included a lot of PR work both in Israel and around the world. This meant lots of traveling.

“I traveled with President Rivlin everywhere,” shares Rivka, “which means I had the opportunity and sometimes, the honor to meet many world leaders.” The list includes (but is not limited to) four U.S. presidents –Clinton, Obama, Trump and Biden – Russian Prime Minister Putin, Former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, President of France Emmanuel Macron, and Pope Francis. Rivka admits to being impressed by Obama, especially his speaking skills.

“I was arranging Shimon Peres’ funeral and having a difficult time getting all the state leaders to attend in a day and a half,” shares Rivka. “President Obama was not planning on attending. At the last minute, however, he changed his mind. So, his speech was impromptu. This is not typical. Every president/state leader has a speechwriter, and if something goes wrong, they get all

nervous and the speech suffers. Obama came straight from the airport after a long flight, and he spoke well without even notes or prompts.” He was also courteous to Rivka and her staff, which impressed her.

Rivka met President Trump when he came to Jerusalem to open the U.S. Embassy. “I remember wondering if maybe he was Jewish, he was so friendly to us and so pro-Israel. I also appreciated how Trump included everyone in the conversation, instead of just speaking to the other president.”

Working on the inside and meeting some of the most powerful political figures of our time, I wonder what Rivka can tell me about some of these individuals.

“Over the years, I’ve met kings, queens, political and religious leaders, and I’ve learned that, at the end of the day, they’re regular people,” maintains Rivka. “They have egos, they have tempers, and they sometimes talk badly about others. It’s not always so impressive to see them up close – they may act nicely on TV, but it’s not necessarily a pleasant experience with them privately. They may be brilliant but if they don’t have yirat Shomayim (fear of Heaven) or good middot (character traits), then there’s nothing special about them.”

Character traits notwithstanding, world leaders do have more power than your average Joe, many holding the fate of millions of people in their hands. Perhaps because of this, Rivka realizes the importance of making a kiddush Hashem with everyone she meets.

In her travels, Rivka contends, kashrut is usually not a problem.

“I bring tuna and crackers wherever I go, and there’s always a Chabad house somewhere,” she says. One time, however, she left for a trip to Russia right after Sukkos and didn’t have a chance to go shopping. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the Chabad house until Shabbos. All I ate for the week were the apples and bananas I got from the hotel. I was starving by the time Shabbos came around!”

“When I started meeting world leaders,” continues Rivka, “my husband asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, regarding my requirement to recite the blessing upon meeting a king. In all instances that we asked him, we were told that I should recite the blessing without G-d’s name except for when we asked about Putin. Since Putin has the power to put people to death, Rabbi Kanievsky said that in front of him, I should recite the full blessing using G-d’s name.”

Mentioning Putin, Rivka is reminded of a story he shared with her when they met.

“He invited a small group of us for dinner, and apparently, he’d heard a member of our group was Orthodox because everything was kosher. At one point during the meal, he turned to us and said, ‘I want to tell you a childhood story.’” He revealed that as a young boy, he’d often come home after school to an empty house because his parents worked all day. He’d spend his afternoons with the friendly neighbors down the hall, a family of four children (a rarity in Russia). Interestingly, the mother would light candles every Friday evening and the family would then sit down to a festive meal. As an adult, Putin realized they were a Jewish family. Because of their kindness to him, Putin, as political leader, behaved kindlier to Jews.

Rivka thought the fact that Putin chose to relate this

President Joe Biden bowing for the mother of 12

“Over the years, I’ve met kings, queens, political and religious leaders, and I’ve learned that, at the end of the day, they’re regular people.”

story to her was fascinating but wondered if it was even true because she wasn’t under the impression that he was particularly kind to Jews. Subsequently, however, she asked Rabbi Berel Lazar, the chief rabbi of Russia, about it, and he said he believes Putin is supportive of the Jewish community and yes, probably because of this childhood experience.

Then, of course, there’s the famous story of Rivka’s meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Rivka relates that she was excited about the upcoming meeting with the president. This was the fourth American president she’d be meeting, and this time it was to take place in the Oval Office with Rivlin in what was usually a private tete-a-tete meeting between two world leaders.

“It was the beginning of Biden’s presidency term, and I’d been warned that Biden was anti-Israel. But it wasn’t true,” relates Rivka. “He and Rivlin hugged warmly, and he spoke very well of Israel.” Then Rivlin introduced Rivka as his chief of Staff, adding, “And you won’t believe how many children she has! 12!”

Biden was astounded. “I come from a Christian family, he said. “My mother would’ve loved to meet you,” Then in an unanticipated and unprecedented gesture, he kneeled before her and said, “I have to go down on my knee to honor you for having 12 children.”

“It was a good thing there was a photographer in the room,” says Rivka with a laugh. “Otherwise, I don’t think anybody would’ve believed me.”

Rivka observes the Jewish law of negiah forbidding physical contact with males outside her immediate family circle. This has sometimes presented a challenge when meeting with secular or non-Jewish male leaders. To this end, Rivka always tries to plan in advance.

“If I know I will be meeting with a leader, I send a message to the staff to alert the leader of my halachic restrictions so that when we meet, there is no embarrassing moment. This works well most times. We will nod our heads politely instead of the customary shaking hands.” If she doesn’t know enough in advance to alert anybody, Rivka says she will try to have a book or a computer to hold with both hands or she will put her hands behind her back. It will always be accompanied by an explanation that as a charedi Jewish woman, she doesn’t shake men’s hands. “Most people are fine with it, although Israelis will sometimes be cynical and make some kind of joke. I find the non-Jews very respectful,” says Rivka. For example, when President Biden attempted to shake Rivka’s hands, Rivlin was in the room and quickly explained the prohibition. The president was totally respectful of it, she says.

Another well-publicized experience involves Rivka’s meeting with the Pope. This was a very important meeting, shares Rivka.

“The Vatican had strong influential connections with the Palestinians. Our government attached tremendous importance to our meeting with the Pope. We had dozens of meetings rehearsing with us exactly how to behave. In Israel, we met with various government ministers, including the Prime Minister, and in Rome, we had a special meeting with the Israeli ambassador to the Vatican who explained the protocol,” she recalls.

When Rivka heard that part of the protocol involved shaking the Pope’s hand, she immediately explained

why she couldn’t. No problem, she was told, a message will be sent beforehand, and you can simply bow your head to him. When Rivka explained she couldn’t do that either because of the cross the Pope wore, once again, the ambassador said, “Don’t worry, I’ll let the Pope know in advance.”

Unfortunately, however, Rivka discovered on the way to the Vatican that the ambassador had indeed forgotten to notify the Pope. As a result, for the entire car ride and subsequent long walk down the halls of the Vatican accompanied by a sea of cardinals, Rivka was a nervous wreck. Her colleagues at her side kept reassuring her that her rabbi would allow her to shake his hand in this case since it was so important to be in the Pope’s good graces. But, as she said, “In all my life, I had never shaken hands of another man other than my husband. It wasn’t something I was prepared to do.” All she could do at that point was pray. Nevertheless, she says, “I was sure I was going to ruin everything, and my colleagues would be so angry at me.”

Despite all the pressure, Rivka held fast to her principles. As the Pope extended his hand, Rivka began to explain her position, President Rivlin picking up her thread and continuing for her. In the end, it turns out the Pope was so impressed that she stood up for her values that he bowed to her.

Besides the handshaking incident, Rivka had to prepare in other ways for her Vatican trip. She knew she would be entering the buildings of the Vatican where there were crosses all around. Before the trip, she asked a rav and was told it was OK to walk through rooms hung with crosses as long as they were not rooms used for prayer.

Rivka has even met famous Hollywood actors, not that she watches movies and has any idea who these people are. But she shares a funny story that happened when she was in Los Angeles for a conference with President Rivlin.

“When I arrived in L.A. for the conference,” Rivka shares, “I got an email from someone named Gal Gadot inviting me to the premier of her movie called Justice League. I asked my colleagues who she was. My friends were so excited for me and told me to make sure to take a selfie with her. The funny thing is that when I went backstage to meet her, she said to me, ‘You’re the real wonder woman!’”

Life Post-Politics

President Rivlin retired in 2021, at which point Rivka also left the government.

“Incoming President Herzog asked me to join his office as Advisor for the Diaspora, but after over 24 years in politics, I needed a break,” shares Rivka.

Today, Rivka works in bilateral relations for a cybersecurity company and is a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) involved in a research study on charedi women in the workplace.

Does Rivka feel like she’s finished with politics? Not quite. Currently, charedi parties don’t recognize women as potential MK candidates. However, Rivka believes this will change, and when it does, she knows that with her 25 years of experience, she will be a pretty qualified candidate.

Surveying Israel's northern border in a helicopter with President Rivlin

“Since Putin has the power to put people to death, Rabbi Kanievsky said that in front of him, I should recite the full blessing using G-d’s name.”

a hero rises from a Burning Tank

The Story of Brigadier-General Avigdor Kahalani

By Daniel StieBel

The well-aimed Syrian anti-tank shell sped towards its target. It pierced the armor of the Israeli tank and exploded, setting it on fire. The flaming vehicle belched clouds of black smoke as its fuel tank caught fire and the heat exploded its remaining ammunition. A green-clad figure desperately tried to leap out of the once-protective steel box that was fast turning into a crematorium.

From his own nearby tank, Brigadier-General Avigdor Kahalani watched, transfixed and horrified, as the young tank commander struggled for his life. There was nothing Kahalani could do to help him. In that burning soldier, Kahalani saw his younger self. He was there again, taken back six years and 150 miles. He was no longer fighting on the Syrian front in the 1973 Yom Kippur war

– he was back in the Egyptian-controlled Gaza Strip, and it was the night of June 5, 1967. Kahalani forced himself out of the paralysis which that terrible memory had momentarily plunged him into. He had a job to do.

The war Kahalani was fighting would produce few popular heroes. Israel’s most senior military and political leadership, still high on the fumes of the victory in the Six Day War, drove the country, open-eyed but unseeing, into the tsunami of Egypt and Syria’s coordinated offensives. Field commanders like Kahalani found themselves with the unenviable task of stemming the tide of invasion with an outnumbered, outgunned force, which they were sometimes forced to cobble together from the broken or scattered remains of original IDF units.

Kahalani’s actions during the Yom Kippur War would cast him as a figure of legend; a man who was destined to personify the IDF’s Armored Corps. Kahalani himself feels that his long, illustrious career in the Armored Corps was almost pre-ordained. It definitely wasn’t the career he envisioned for himself. In fact, Kahalani never wanted to serve in a tank, he never wanted to become a career officer, and his superiors at Officer Candidate School (OCS) did their best to fail him. But, as Kahalani told me in his wry, deliberate style, sometimes you turn right and G-d takes you left.

Pressed Into the Armored Corps

Kahalani had detested tanks ever since he was a child. He grew up listening to his father’s descriptions of his

own military service spent salvaging the burnt-out shells of tanks. Those stories instilled in the young Kahalani a deep fear of ending up like the poor souls from the tanks his father salvaged, roasted to death in the steel cage that was designed to protect them.

Biology and military bureaucracy combined to thwart Kahalani. Although the IDF initially planned to train Kahalani as a pilot, his commanders changed their mind when they discovered that he was deaf in one ear. Kahalani then volunteered to join the Paratrooper brigade, but his flat feet got him booted out. Sent back to the IDF Entrance Processing Station, Kahalani begged to serve anywhere but the Armored Corps. The recruiting officer was unmoved by the young man’s pleas – and sent him straight to the tanks.

Kahalani’s initial dismay did not stop him from excelling. His commanders soon decided that he was cut out to be an officer and sent him to Officer Candidate School (OCS.)

OCS was a rollercoaster. But when Kahalani describes his experiences there, he does it in his usual calm, slow, almost unemotional style. He refuses to go into the uglier details. Kahalani’s loyalty to the military seems to prevent him from delving into the gory details of what army politics looked like nearly sixty years ago. He contents himself with saying that the commanders at OCS did their best to fail him. Despite Kahalani’s receiving top grades, they succeeded in tossing him out after a month.

Their reasoning? Kahalani “lacked leadership ability.”

For the first time in our conversation, I detect the hint of a smile in Kahalani’s voice. The irony isn’t lost on him either. In the following ten years, Kahalani would receive both the Medal of Valor and the Distinguished Service Medal, Israel’s highest and third-highest military awards, for showing exceptional leadership.

But in the meantime, Kahalani was discovering that politics could give as well as take: the commander of the Armored Corps, David Eliezer, intervened and forced OCS to re-admit Kahalani. Not that Eliezer cared about Kahalani personally. Eliezer’s problem with OCS was that it had culled so many of his cadets that he feared an officer shortage. Kahalani returned to OCS and went on to graduate at the top of his class. However, his unwholesome experience with inter-army politics was not over. Kahalani’s promotion was withheld for nine months, during which he found himself in the ridiculous position of an acting platoon commander, issuing orders to

men who officially outranked him.

Kahalani’s eventual promotion was not enough to persuade him to become a career officer. He still planned on leaving the army as soon as his term of mandatory service expired. He looked forward to his next job: running his father’s automobile repair shop. Then, just two weeks before his term of service was due to expire, Kahalani received an offer he couldn’t resist.

Germany would have thoroughly shocked and enraged most Israelis.

The same was true for many of the soldiers on the expedition. Their parents had suffered through the Holocaust. Their extended families had all been murdered by the Nazis. Some of those officers had grown up speaking Yiddish and were culturally and emotionally grounded in the still-smoking ashes of European Jewry. For them, every interaction with soldiers

of Patton tanks. On June 5, 1967, those newly-acquired tanks saw action for the first time.

Six Days Long

History remembers the Six Day War as a swift, brilliant Israeli victory. But for Kahalani, the war lasted much longer, beginning three weeks before the first shot was even fired.

During those tense weeks, Kahalani’s fourteen Pattons were stationed on the border of the Egyptian-held Gaza Strip, tensely waiting for war to break out at any moment. Israel’s political leaders spent those weeks trying to ward off the inevitable conflict. On the home front, civilians prepared for a lifeand-death struggle: bomb shelters were prepared, and plans were made to transform public parks into mass graveyards. However, on the border, Kahalani and his tank crews just had to wait. There was nothing they could do to take their minds off the tension, which mounted with each passing day.

Top Secret Training

Armor Command was about to receive a shipment of new Patton tanks, but there was one problem: Israeli soldiers did not know how to operate those advanced American weapons. So, Armor Command would send its best officers to a special training camp in West Germany, and Kahalani was invited. But there was a catch: Armored Command didn’t want to expend its limited resources on officers who were about to quit the force, so Kahalani had to sign on for an extra two years.

He signed.

The expedition was top-secret, and not just for military reasons. The Holocaust had ended only twenty years earlier. The pain was still raw. No matter how useful, any form of cooperation with

from the Wehrmacht’s successor-army was a nauseating emotional rollercoaster.

Kahalani had a slightly easier time; born to a Yemenite family, he didn’t lose any of his close relatives to the Holocaust, so the pain wasn’t as personal.

Because anything to do with Germany was so emotionally loaded, there was a real risk of the expedition turning into a complete disaster. There was always a chance that angry IDF officers might pick a fight with the Germans or that news of the expedition would leak out. The IDF was taking no risks: it ordered the delegation to limit communication with the Germans to a bare minimum. Any “unnecessary activity,” even the renting of cars, was strictly forbidden.

Upon returning to Israel, Kahalani was given command of a company

That tension exploded when Israel finally launched its preemptive strike. Kahalani’s tank was the first to roll across the border, its crew propelled by weeks of fear and anguish. That tank was soon immobilized by an Egyptian shell. Kahalani immediately transferred into a second tank. When that second tank was hit, he moved into a third – always fighting on the front line, always pushing forward. Kahalani’s run ended that evening, when his tank drove straight into an Egyptian ambush near the town of Rafah, on the southern tip of the Gaza Strip. Kahalani’s tank was hit once again. Engulfed in flames, its four crew members desperately struggled to escape. Kahalani was one of the three who succeeded, but not before he was burned all over. His childhood nightmare had materialized.

In his tank during the Yom Kippur War Destroyed Syrian tanks

He almost relishes the chance to voice his deepest fears – it is his way of confronting and overcoming an otherwise-unbearable pain.

“The Bravest Decision I Ever Made”

Seven long hours passed before Kahalani arrived at the hospital. He was severely wounded – sixty percent of his body was covered in third-degree burns. The hospital discharged him after a year, but Kahalani was far from cured. He was physically disabled and suffering from what he would later identify as post-traumatic stress disorder. As people who have suffered through horrors similar to his know, PTSD is incurable. The smell of steak sizzling on the grill, the sudden cough of a car’s exhaust pipe, or even just a bad dream might be all it takes to trigger a flashback. The post-traumatic victim is suddenly no longer the master of his emotions: he is suddenly reliving the horror that scarred him for life; sweat pours down his forehead, he feels the debilitating pain, the choking fear, that terrible paralyzing feeling of helplessness. He often becomes a wreck, both physically and emotionally.

That’s how the army saw Kahalani: a wreck whose useful days were past. Friends and family agreed that Kahalani should retire from military service; he had been through enough. Yet Kahalani was not willing to go just yet. Retiring would have meant admitting that he was a victim, forced by circumstances to give up on the life he had chosen for himself. Besides, Kahalani realized that he had grown to love the Armored Corps, and he didn’t want to lose the sense of purpose that his service gave him. He decided to return to the Corps.

Kahalani knew that entering the cramped, confined interior of a tank after being burned alive the last time he sat in one would be terrifying, and it was. As he puts it, rejoining the corps “was the bravest decision I have ever made.”

Kahalani doesn’t seem to mind when I ask him to elaborate on the most pain-

ful moment of his life. As far as he sees it, I am not asking him to re-open old wounds; he knows that he cannot escape those terrible memories. So he almost relishes the chance to voice his deepest fears – it is his way of confronting and overcoming an otherwise-unbearable pain.

It took years, but the army eventually rewarded Kahalani’s perseverance by giving him command of the 77 th bat-

of Egypt’s former president Nasser. However, Israel didn’t know what to make of Marwan and his tip-offs. The Mossad trusted him, but military intelligence saw Marwan as a backstabbing double agent whom the Egyptians were using to mislead Israel. To this day, it is unclear whether Marwan was an Egyptian plant. His mysterious death, just over fifteen years ago, did nothing to clear the mys-

Hussein’s warning was unreliable. What was reliable, they thought, was a recent report by Israeli academics. It concluded that the Arab countries were too cowed by their defeat in the Six Day War to try again. The academics argued that even if the Arabs were stupid enough to attack, so much the better. Israel would just thrash them for a second time.

That optimistic opinion was all too easy for Israel’s political leaders to adopt. Preparing for a potential war would mean mobilizing the country’s reservists, which would harm the economy. Wreaking economic havoc in order to ward off an attack that might never come, a month before a general election, was too risky for the ruling party.

talion, part of the Sinai-based Seventh Armored Brigade.

Sleepwalking into a Nightmare

The tranquility Kahalani enjoyed in Sinai was misleading. Egypt and Syria, two of the big losers of the Six Day War, were busy preparing their revenge tour. They wanted to prove to themselves and to the whole Arab world that the Six Day War was nothing more than a temporary setback, a shameful blot on Arab pride that future victories would scrub off the history books. Time and treasure was expended on re-armament, military reforms, and complex invasion plans.

Israeli intelligence wasn’t wholly ignorant of the coming attacks. The Mossad received regular tip-offs from none other than Ashraf Marwan, a son-in-law

tery. The assassins who pushed Marwan off his fifth-floor balcony probably knew what his game was, but they are keeping quiet.

Marwan was not the only Arab who warned Israel of the coming war. On September 25, 1973, King Hussein of Jordan secretly flew to Tel Aviv to deliver his own personal warning. Hussein’s motives are easier to understand than Marwan’s: Hussein viewed the upcoming war as an existential threat to Jordan. As the biggest loser of the Six Day war, Hussein was worried of getting sucked into a similar disaster. He wanted to make it clear to the Israelis that he was not their enemy and that they should therefore not retaliate too harshly if Arab public opinion eventually forced Jordan to join Egypt and Syria.

Again, military intelligence thought

However, unlike politicians and military intelligence, Northern Command couldn’t afford to ignore the mounting evidence. The Syrians were massing in overwhelming numbers just across the border – not the typical reaction of a cowed or fearful army. And so, despite the General Staff’s assurances, Northern Command demanded reinforcements. On October 26, the eve of Rosh Hashana, the General Staff gave in and sent Kahalani’s 77 th Armored Battalion from the Sinai to the Golan Heights. Other units of the 7 th Brigade followed a few days later.

The 7 th Armored Brigade, trained to fight in the sandy, flattish Sinai desert, found the rocky, broken terrain of the Golan Heights unfamiliar and perhaps even disconcerting. Kahalani and his fellow officers, believing that they had to prepare for upcoming border clashes, scrambled to study the new terrain and the unfamiliar enemy. It wasn’t easy, but those ten days of preparation would prove invaluable.

The officers at Northern Command’s intelligence department anticipated more than the limited border clashes that Kahalani and his fellow officers ex-

Israeli troops fighting off Syrian soldiers in the Golan Heights

Israeli tanks in position in the Sinai on October 6, 1973

kahalani knew that entering the cramped, confined interior of a tank after being burned alive the last time he sat in one would be terrifying – and it was.

The terrain in the Golan was far from smooth

pected. They believed that a full-blown war was imminent, and they persuaded Northern Command to prepare accordingly. Those intelligence officers were lucky. Their unfortunate colleagues from the Military Intelligence Directorate who agreed with their assessment could do nothing to convince their superiors of the impending danger. Relegated to the unenviable Role of Cassandra, they could only watch helplessly as the disaster they tried to avert finally materialized, shaking Israeli society to its core. The price they paid for being right was a terrible mental anguish that eventually drove at least one of those officers temporarily insane.

The Valley of Tears

On October 4, 1973, the eve of Yom Kippur, Ashraf Marwan issued his final unheeded warning: Egypt and Syria would attack at sunset the next day.

Marwan was wrong. The Syrians attacked not at sunset, but at two o’clock in the afternoon. The plan was simple: one division would break through from the south, while a second would simultaneously break through from the north. Together, the two divisions were to trap and envelop the Israeli forces in a powerful pincer move. The southern prong of the pincer largely achieved its objective, overrunning the Israeli positions in less than twenty-four hours. However, the northern arm of the pincer ran into stiff resistance. In what became known to history as the Valley of Tears battle, the Syrian Seventh Division spent four days attempting to break through the Israeli defenses. The officers of the 7 th Armored Brigade made the most of their freshly-acquired knowledge of the broken terrain to trap and ambush advancing Syrian columns. Although Kahalani’s 77 th battalion started the battle in reserve, it soon found itself fighting on the frontlines. With the Syrian tanks outnumbering the Israelis

five-to-one, the 77 th was just too precious to be kept in reserve for long. The Israeli gunners made good use of their longer firing range and their rapid rate of fire –a typical Israeli gunner fired more than twice as fast as his Syrian counterpart – to check the Syrian advance less than three miles from the border. However, those advantages only lasted during the daytime. Once night fell, the Syrians’ su-

ly wasn’t willing to lose the battle.

After three days of desperate fighting, the Israelis were hanging on by a thread, but the general outlook had become much more favorable. Miles away, in the Southern Golan, the IDF had counter-attacked and was steadily rolling the enemy back. The Syrians were running out of time to save their offensive. More pertinently for Kahalani, the Syrians on his front were

the valley into a death trap. The Syrian offensive was over.

The war officially ended two weeks later, and Israel slowly came to terms with its terrible human cost. Kahalani had lost a brother, a brother-in-law, and many comrades-in-arms. What made the loss even more painful was the fact that it was partly avoidable: a little less complacency from the national leadership and a little more night-vision equipment could have made a huge difference.

Despite his anger and the grief, Kahalani refused to participate in the post-war protests that eventually forced the government’s collapse. Kahalani was still a soldier, and soldiers are not supposed to play politics.

perior night-vision equipment gave them a huge advantage.

The lack of decent night-vision equipment infuriated Kahalani. The IDF did, in fact, own some, but army quartermasters considered it too precious to “waste” on frontline units like Kahalani’s. He and his men were forced to expose themselves needlessly because of the higher-ups’ penny-pinching. Kahalani felt betrayed.

But Kahalani wasn’t fighting for politicians or higher-ups. He was fighting for his comrades-in-arms. As a commander, he felt the need to lead his men and demonstrate that he was in control of the situation, which he knew to be desperate. Kahalani saw nearby tanks hit, he saw his comrades fall, he suffered flashbacks from his own near-death experience in Rafah. But Kahalani still believed that the Israelis could win, and he knew that his men were looking up to him. He didn’t want to let his men down, he didn’t want to lose control of his unit, and he definite -

leaderless. Their dynamic commander, Brigadier-General Omar al-Abrash, was dead; probably assassinated by his own superiors for criticizing their plans.

The next morning, the Syrians made one final attempt to break through. Even without their commander, they almost made it. The Israelis were worn out, and their ammunition was nearly exhausted. The situation was so dire that one commander requested permission to withdraw. He had done his best, but his tanks were no longer capable of fighting – they had only two shells remaining apiece. He was ordered to hold on for another ten minutes.

In the meantime, Kahalani counter-attacked. Leading his own battered 7 th Brigade, he rallied around him the tattered remnants of other brigades of the 7 th battalion and cleared the Syrians from a nearby hill which overlooked the Valley of Tears. His tanks then directed their fire on the Syrian armor below, turning

although Kahalani retired from the army sixteen years after the war, he remains closely involved with the IDF to this day. He continues educating Israelis about the Armored Corps and sharing his own personal experiences.

Was Kahalani’s generation unique in its willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for the country? Kahalani thinks not. His experience with young Israelis has persuaded him that they are just as patriotic as their predecessors.

However, Kahalani notes that there has been a major change from his time in the army. Bad commanders can no longer abuse their power unchecked.

Today’s soldiers are more aware of their rights than any previous generation; they know that if the army fails to take their grievances seriously, their parents would just take their stories to the press.

The result, according to Kahalani, is that soldiers are no longer willing to blindly follow bad commanders. The onus is now on the leadership to hold itself to a higher standard than ever and to lead by example – as Kahalani himself did in the Valley of Tears.

Kahalani receiving a Medal of Valor for his service in the Yom Kippur War

Kahalani, with the beard, with his crew in 1973

a s far as he sees it, i am not asking him

to re-open old wounds; he knows that he cannot escape those terrible memories.

Zoos and Farms

Queens County Farm Museum

73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11004 718-347-3276

White Post Farms

250 Old County Road, Melville, NY 11747 631-351-9373

Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center 431 East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901 631-208-9200

New York Aquarium

Surf Avenue & West 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11224 718-265-FISH

Prospect Park Zoo

450 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225 718-399-7339

Queens Zoo

53-51 111th Street, Flushing, NY 11368 718-271-1500

Central Park Zoo

64th Street & 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10065 212-861-6030

Chol Hamoed

Places to Go, Things to Do

With the weather bringing in blazing heat and some days filled with sheets of rain, we hope that the sun will smile kindly upon us as we go on chol hamoed outings as a family this Sukkos. If we’re lucky enough to get balmy weather, we can take advantage of the wonderful experiences available outdoors. And if gimshei bracha shower upon us, there are interesting trips to go on indoors as well – so take your pick! Spending time with the family is the goal, wherever the day may take you.

TJH has compiled a list of ideas, activities, and places to go for you to enjoy. Make sure to pack enough food, a portable sukkah, and music for the road and have fun!

Green Meadows Farm Brooklyn At the Aviator Sports Center 3159 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234 718-470-0278

Bronx Zoo 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10460 718-220-5103

Long Island Game Farm 489 Chapman Boulevard, Manorville, NY 11949 631-873-6644

Schmitt’s Family Farm 26 Pinelawn Road, Melville, NY 11747 631-271-3276

Union Square Greenmarket Union Square West, New York, NY 10003 212-788-7476

Scenic Attractions

Central Park

Boating, biking, the Great Lawn, model-boat sailing, carriage rides, carousel Between 5th & 8th Avenues and 59th & 106th Streets, New York, NY 212-360-3444

Bryant Park

6th Avenue, between W 40-42 Street, New York, NY 10018 212-768-4242

New York Highline

Gansevoort St. to West 30 St. between Washington St. and 11 Ave., New York, NY 212-500-6035

Brooklyn Bridge Park

1 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 718-222-9939

Little Island Floating Park

Pier 55 in Hudson River Park West 13 Street, New York, NY 10014

Fort Tyron Park

Riverside Drive to Broadway, W 192 Street to Dyckman Street, New York, NY

New York Circle Line

Pier 83, West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036

Pier 16, South Street Seaport, New York, NY 10038 212-563-3200

Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island

Ferries from Battery Park, NY

1 Battery Place, New York, NY 10004 212-363-3200

Old Westbury Gardens

71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY  11568 516-333-0048

Sagamore Hill

20 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771 516-922-4788

Sands Point Preserve 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, New York 11050   516-571-7901

Great Neck Steppingstone Park 38 Stepping Stone Lane, Great Neck, NY 11021 516-487-9228

South Street Seaport 89 South St., New York, NY 10038 212-732-7678

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens 900 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225 718-623-7200

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Downtown Brooklyn— Remsen Street to Orange Street along the East River

The New York Botanical Garden

2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458 718-817-8700

Wave Hill Public Gardens

675 W 252 St, Bronx, NY 10471 718-549-3200

Roosevelt Island Tramway 300 E Main St, New York, NY 10044 212-756-7476

Museum of Ice Cream 558 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 866-665-1018

Union Square Greenmarket Union Square West, New York, NY 10003 212-788-7476

Historic Richmond Town

441 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10306 718-351-1611

Bear Mountain State Park Route 9W North, Bear Mountain, NY 10911 845-786-2701

The Amish Village 199 Hartman Bridge Road, Ronks, PA 17572 717-687-8511

Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic, CT 06355 888-973-2767

Amusement Parks

Adventureland 2245 Broad Hollow Road (RT 110), Farmingdale, NY 11735 631-694-6868

Adventurer’s 1824 Shore Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11214 718-975-2748

Luna Park Coney Island 1000 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224 718-373-5862

Bayville Adventure Park

8 Bayville Ave, Bayville, NY 11709 516-624-7433

Sahara Sam’s Oasis and Water Park & Diggerland 535 N Route 73, West Berlin, NJ 08091 856-767-7580

Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure Climb and Zipline Bronx River Parkway at Boston Road, Bronx, NY 10460 347-308-9028

Indoor Fun Parks

Legoland Discovery Center Westchester 39 Fitzgerald Street, Yonkers, NY 10701 844-740-9223

Fun Station USA

3555 Victory Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10314 718-370-0077

Laser Bounce

80-28 Cooper Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385 347-599-1919

Laser Bounce 2710 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown, NY 11756 516-342-1330

RPM Raceway Go-Karting 40 Daniel St, Farmingdale, NY 11735 631-752-7223

RPM Raceway Go-Karting 99 Caven Point Rd, Jersey City, NJ 07305 201-333-7223

One World Observatory One World Trade Center, 117 West Street, New York, NY 10007 844-OWO-1776

Chelsea Piers

Hudson River—Piers 59-62—New York, NY 212-336-6800

Edge at Hudson Yards 30 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001 332-204-8500

Woodmere Lanes 948 Broadway, Woodmere, NY 11598 516-374-9870

Funfest Bowling 6161 Strickland Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234 718-763-6800

Chuck E. Cheese 162 Fulton Avenue, Hempstead, NY 11550 516-483-3166

Kids N Shape 162-26 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach, NY 11414 866-567-1989

MetroRock Brooklyn 321 Starr Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237 929-500-7625

High Exposure Rock Climbing 266 Union St, Northvale, NJ 07647 201-768-8600

Thrillz High Flying Adventure Park 5 Prindle Ln, Danbury, CT 06811 203-942-2585

Thrillz High Flying Adventure Park 555 South Henderson Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406 484-235-5555

Long Island Adventure Park 75 Colonial Springs Rd, Gate #3, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798 631-983-3844

Flight Adventure Park 1850 Lakeland Avenue, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 631-619-6000

Trapeze School NY 467 Marcy Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206 212-242-8769

Trapeze School NY 353 West St, New York, NY  10014 212-242-8769

Air Trampoline Sports 1850 Lakeland Avenue, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 631-619-6000

Urban Air 69 Wesley St, South Hackensack, NJ 07606 201-212-6454

Skyzone Trampoline Park 33 Lecount Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801 914-740-8272

Skyzone Trampoline Park 111 Rodeo Drive, Deer Park, NY 11717 631-392-2600

Skyzone Trampoline Park 241 Market Street, Yonkers, NY 10710 914-510-9119

Rockin’ Jump Trampoline 77 Willowbrook Blvd, Wayne, NJ 07470 973-302-3340

Launch Trampoline Park 163-50 Cross Bay Blvd, Howard Beach, NY 11414 718-593-4204

iFLY 849 Ridge Hill Blvd, Yonkers, NY 10710 914-449-4359

Glow Golf Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden City, NY 11530 516-747-3682

Smith Point Archery 215 E Main Street, Patchogue, NY 11772 631-289-3399

Dave & Busters

1 Sunrise Mall, Massapequa, NY 11758 516-809-8514

Dave & Busters

1504 Old Country Road, Westbury, NY 11590 516-542-85011504

Dave & Busters

4661 Palisades Center Dr, West Nyack, NY 10994 845-353-1555

Beat the Bomb 255 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 917-983-1115

Iceland Long Island

3345 Hillside Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 516-746-1100

City Ice Pavilion 47-32 32 Place, Long Island City, NY 11101 718-706-6667

Long Beach Ice Arena 150 W Bay Dr, Long Beach, NY 11561 516-705-7385

Lefrak Center Ice Skating 171 East Drive, Brooklyn, NY 11225 718-462-0010

Something Different

Puppetworks

338 Sixth Avenue, Park Slope, NY 11215 718-965-3391

Make It Too 86 Cedarhurst Ave, Cedarhurst, NY 11516 516-341-7660

Build a Bear Roosevelt Field Mall 630 Old Country Road, Garden City, NY 11530 516-248-0027

Build a Bear

9015 Queens Blvd, Elmhurst, NY 11373 718-289-7135

Artrageous Studio 5 N Village Ave, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 516-255-5255

Sloomoo Institute: Slime Museum 475 Broadway, New York, NY 10013 Sloomooinstitute.com

Once Upon a Dish 659 Franklin Ave, Garden City, NY 11530 516-742-6030

Brooklyn Clay Industries 63 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205 301-395-0143

Color Me Mine 123 Baxter St, New York, NY 10013 212-374-1710

Color Me Mine

177 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10023 212-877-0007

La Mano Pottery 110 West 26 Street, New York, NY 10001 212-627-9450

Casa de Spin

81 Grand Avenue, Massapequa, NY 11758 516-654-7746

Taro’s Origami Studio 95 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11215 718-360-5435

Bury the Hatchet

25 Noble Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222 917-243-9696

2BA Pilot Flight Lessons

9100 Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY 11735 516-662-8887

Classic Harbor Line Sailing

Chelsea Piers, Pier 62, New York, NY North Cove Marina, Battery Park, New York, NY 212-627-1825

The Beast Speedboating W. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036 212-563-200

Jamaica Bay Riding Academy 7000 Shore Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11234 718-531-8949

Museums

Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

Pier 86, 12th Avenue and 46th Street 212-245-0072

9/11 Memorial and Museum 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10006 212-266-5211

Jewish Museum

1109 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10128 212-423-3200

Museum of Jewish Heritage 36 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10280 646-437-4202

Living Torah Museum 1603 41 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11218 718-851-3215

Long Island Children’s Museum

11 Davis Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530 516-224-5800

Skyscape 928 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 212-549-1941

Museum of Illusions

77 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10014 212-645-3230

National Museum of Mathematics

11 East 26 Street, New York, NY 10010 212-542-0566

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213 718-735-4400

Jewish Children’s Museum

792 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213 718-467-0600

Children’s Museum of Manhattan

212 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024 212-721-1234

NYC Fire Museum

278 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013 212-691-1303

American Museum of Natural History

Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 212-769-5100

Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028 800-662-3397

Madame Tussaud’s New York 234 W 42 Street, New York, NY 10036 212-512-9600

Vanderbilt Museum & Planetarium 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, NY 11721 631-854-5579

Liberty Science Center Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305 201-200-1000

Crayola Experience 30 Centre Square, Easton, PA 18042 1-866-875-5263

The Franklin Institute  222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-448-1200

Please Touch Museum 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131 215-581-3181

Imagine That! Children’s Museum 4 Vreeland Road, Florham Park, N.J. 07932 973-966-8000

TJH assumes no responsibility for the kashrus, atmosphere, safety, or accuracy of any event or attraction listed here. Due to some Covid restrictions still in place, it’s suggested to call before heading out. Have a great time!

Frick Collection

1 E 70 St., New York, NY 10021 212-288-0700

Lower East Side Tenement Museum 103 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002 877-975-3786

The Skyscraper Museum 39 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10280 212-945-6324

CitiField Non-Game Day Tours 41 Seaver Wy, Queens, NY 11368 718-803-4097

Yankee Stadium Tours

1 E 161 Street, Bronx, NY 10451 646-977-8687

Madame Tussaud’s New York 234 W 42 Street, New York, NY 10036 212-512-9600

Vanderbilt Museum & Planetarium

180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, NY 11721 631-854-5579

Liberty Science Center

Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305 201-200-1000

Crayola Experience

30 Centre Square, Easton, PA 18042 1-866-875-5263

The Franklin Institute  222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-448-1200

Please Touch Museum 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131 215-581-3181

Imagine That! Children’s Museum

4 Vreeland Road, Florham Park, N.J. 07932 973-966-8000

TJH assumes no responsibility for the kashrus, atmosphere, safety, or accuracy of any event or attraction listed here. Due to some Covid restrictions still in place, it’s suggested to call before heading out. Have a great time!

What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

Hi. I am 23 years old and date in the “yeshiva” world. There is one guy who a few people suggested to me. Another person told me about him over Rosh Hashana. In general, he checks all the boxes that I want. He is learning now, for a few years, and is then going into his father’s business. I am told he has a good personality and is a nice guy. We are on the same level frumkeit-wise. He is friends with some of my friends’ husbands. There is one thing that is holding me back from dating him. He was engaged before – around a year ago – and then the engagement was broken off six weeks before the wedding. I am told that it was “her side’s fault.”

I am very unsure about going out with someone with a broken engagement. First of all, how do I know that it isn’t his problem that the engagement was broken? Second of all, I am concerned that if things progress with us, I will be insecure about the relationship since I know he came to that point with someone else and said all those things to her and wanted to marry her as well.

I am really not comfortable with dating someone like that but so many people have suggested the shidduch that I am really torn. Do you have any ideas for me?

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Broken engagements are not considered impediments these days. What with the short dating span, especially in the yeshiva world, it makes sense. However, it’s your feelings that count, and you are nervous. I would suggest dating this fellow but opening up about your concerns early on in the relationship. Talk things out if this begins to get serious. Get some professional help, perhaps. There may be some other concerns you may have, and of course, you may both need more time. Don’t rush things and keep listening to your heart and head.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Thank you for writing into our panel.

I understand your concern, but you must understand that broken engagements are extremely common these days. There are many reasons for engagements to be broken when it is not either side’s “fault”; rather, it was just a matter of the two getting engaged at a time when the two were not ready.

Go into this shidduch with an open mind just as you would any other shidduch. If it truly makes sense, go for it!

I would just like to point out that based on your letter, something tells me you’re an overthinker. Be aware of this

while you are dating and make sure you don’t make assumptions or jump the gun to give a “no” based on things that may not have a basis. You must give a person a chance to show you who they really are without assumptions or impulses getting in the way.

Have an amazing Sukkos and hatzlacha with the shidduch!

The Zaidy

Dr.

Jeffrey Galler

Idoubt if anyone in our Orthodox world keeps statistics about how many engagements end in a breakup, but, empirically, it seems to be happening more frequently lately.

The same uncertainty seems to be true in the secular world. In an article about Who Keeps the Engagement Ring, the University of Virginia Law school reported, “No one knows for sure how many engagements end in a breakup, although there are estimates that roughly 1 in 5 do so.”

Why do post-engagement, pre-wedding breakups occur in our community?

Only you know what you can handle, what you want to handle, and what you want to deal with.

Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as

couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. To set up a consultation or to

Some folks suggest that couples do not spend enough time dating and getting to really know each other. Some suggest that young people mistakenly give more weight to the opinions of their shadchanim, teachers, and parents, rather than to their own good judgement and instincts. Some breakups seem to occur when both sets of parents cannot agree on matters like wedding arrangements or financial agreements. In any event, given our

current system of dating through shadchanim and third-party recommendations, do not say “No” to this date simply because the guy experienced a broken engagement.

We are taught to be dan l’kaf z’chus, to judge someone favorably, to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the breakup was simply that the couple had felt attracted to each other but had never seriously discussed important issues, like

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Thank you for writing into the panel. I appreciate the situation in which you find yourself. And, as I say in all of these columns, ultimately, you will have to trust your gut instinct on this. I read the responses of the panelists, and I believe there is a lot of merit to the opinion that engagements are broken all the time and that if this is a fine young man, he should not be passed up because he potentially had the seichel to break off an engagement that would have culminated in an unsatisfying marriage. However, I do need to bring to your attention a “condition” I recently learned about called retroactive jealousy.

Retroactive jealousy refers to the distress of perceived threat a person feels about their partner’s past romantic relationships. This can occur even if their partner is no longer in contact with their exes and the ex-partners have moved on and they are not interfering with the current relationship. It is a preoccupation of sorts. While some jealousy or preoccupation is normal and can even enhance a relationship, intense retroactive jealousy

can lead to marital discord down the line because a partner is held accountable and responsible for something that is not his fault. And make no mistake: the fact that this man had a woman in his life before you were there is not his fault. According to the research, retroactive jealousy has nothing to do with the partner’s current behaviors; it is more often about an insecurity that makes them feel not good enough. Some research shows that an intense case of retroactive jealousy may have an OCD component.

I am in no way suggesting you are struggling with retroactive jealousy. I understand that you are not in a relationship with this guy....yet, you’re worried something along these lines may happen. Ultimately, you are the only one who can make this decision. While broken engagements are definitely common, as are earlier on break ups and divorces, and the fact that some people you date may have had feelings for another woman before you came along is completely healthy and for some,

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

where they would live and how they would raise their children.

The good news is that they realized their mistake and broke up before the wedding, rather than after the wedding.

Nonetheless, you certainly won’t go wrong by agreeing to go on a date with the young man. If the two of you do feel a connection after one or two dates, you will then have a very full, meaningful discussion about his previous misadventure.

a normal part of the life course, only you know what you can handle, what you want to handle, and what you want to deal with. The more people I work with and meet who winded up divorced, the more I hear the following: I wish I listened to my gut! I knew! But So-and-So pushed and insisted and told me things would be fine. Always, always, always listen to your intuition!

Perhaps for you, a horrible case of retro-

active jealousy would kick in. And perhaps it wouldn’t, and this is your bashert. The thing is we have no way of knowing unless you go out on a date with him. How would you feel about going out on a date or two and paying close attention to your feelings? Date, and see what happens to this concern of yours. Let yourself be your own guide.

All the best, Jennifer

You must give a person a chance to show you who they really are without assumptions or impulses getting in the way.

Simchas Torah with Joy

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Simchas Torah, with its singing, dancing and abundance of sugar, is easily a childhood favorite. Riding on shoulders, being thrown in the air, and an extra dose of chaos round out the fun. I’ve seen otherwise quiet men get onto chairs and sing, inspired by the festivities.

Beyond the merriment is a meaningful celebration of Torah accomplishment. Torah is meant to be learned with joy and love, both of which are reflected in the way we mark this occasion. Rather than being a somber event, it sounds like a stampede as the men pound their feet into the shaking floors.

Even those that are normally shy will step beyond their comfort zone, and it’s inspirational to see how lovingly and joyously the bachurim clutch the sifrei Torah. Simchas Torah brings out a unique aspect in all of us, and kids are no exception. Waving their flags and swinging their treats, they want to be a part of every moment. This yom tov is a meaningful way to give over the beauty of the Torah and the joy in our heritage.

Tinokes Shel Beis Rabban

Children and teens of all ages should value their learning and Torah growth. My son was so excited when he found out that learning alef beis was beginning real Torah study because the Torah is written in those osiyos.

Many people don’t appreciate the important foundational skills that go into serious Torah learning. Yes, we know to respect Gemara learning and the unique challenge it provides. But we also need to value the building blocks that led to that moment. Children learn to say “ Torah tziva lanu Moshe ” and the Shema. They progress to reading and Lech Lecha. Rashi is written in a different script – they had different fonts back then, too

– and that must also be mastered. Especially for predominantly English speakers, beginning to learn another language is no easy feat. Each of these milestones should be celebrated and recognized as Torah accomplishments.

Whether it’s a learning disability or some other reason, many children are not on the same schedule as their peers. These students may be “behind” children of the same age, and they often have to work that much harder to reach each step. Rather than feel inferior, they should be recognized for their serious efforts and major accomplishments. Torah, unlike other studies, is based on the efforts and not only the results.

Kids and teens don’t need to feel removed from the festivities or as if they’re celebrating someone else’s simcha. They should be encouraged to find their own accomplishments meaningful and worth celebrating. When the kehilla dances, we are dancing for our children, too, and they should have that awareness.

For Every Dancer

The dancing can get lively and wild – adults jumping like kids, many inebriated. Some children can’t imagine Simchas Torah without the noise, chaos, and everyone bumping into each other. For those kids, please bring them to the liveliest hakafos you can find.

For a variety of reasons, many children and teens don’t tolerate noise or crowds. Some individuals have sensory issues and can’t handle the overload. Other children are shy in crowds or uncomfortable being bumped and jostled. We may think every child will enjoy the liveliest of hakafos and busiest of celebrations, but there are many children that will be overwhelmed or panic. Bringing these children into a rowdy hakafos can be a disaster. There

are many shuls and batei medrash with more open space and calmer dancing that could be a better fit for your child.

Basic Safety

Safety is important on yom tov, too. Know where your child is, who they’re with and what they’re doing at all times. You don’t need to stand over them or “chip” them, but basic awareness is crucial. Our children are too valuable to ever be hefker, and our supervision is no less needed as the party happens.

You’ll have a tough time convincing children there is no mitzvah to eat candy on Simchas Torah, and most parents allow the children to (over)indulge on this special day. Other than kiddush, there is certainly no requirement to drink alcohol, beer or hard drinks. Do not offer these to other people’s teens (or children) and watch your own carefully. Even without driving, drinking can be dangerous, and Hatzalah has far too many stories. Ensure that whoever is watching your child will remain sober.

Smoking is a dangerous, addictive habit. Please don’t give out cigarettes (or worse) to minors, even if you think it’ll make things more “leibedi’k”. The true simcha of Torah isn’t from these substances. Not everyone will reach the madreiga where Torah alone gives them that thrill, but, even then, we don’t need to artificially enhance it for them.

Many places restrict what food may be brought. It’s prudent to find out the rules in advance so everything you send

with your child will be appropriate. Many shuls restrict certain foods that children can be dangerously allergic to. The rav knows his mispallelim well, and if there are children (or adults) that are at-risk from an otherwise benign treat. No matter how careful your child is, please don’t send those snacks. Many parents of allergic children count on these locations as being safe for their child.

On Simchas Torah, children eat their snacks as they constantly move. It’s worthwhile to be extra careful to not give choking hazards to young children or those with an increased risk of choking.

Some kehillos specify which hechsherim they permit. Even if another hechsher is well respected, it’s still inappropriate to bring it there. We are an amazing and mutually respectful community. This is just one more way we can continue that wonderful trend.

As the children prepare their flags and the teens discuss their dancing schedules, there’s excitement in the air. Simchas Torah is truly a special way to complete the intense period of yomim noraim. I wish all of our readers a joyous yom tov and a year of learning Torah in joy. Chag sameach!

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.

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Dear Editor, I have never sent a letter to an editor before, however, your article in this past week’s paper, “School Of Thought,” was so destructive to our yeshiva system that I was compelled to point out how jarring the advice really was. Etti Siegel answered the concern of a parent sending her child to school to be taught by a teacher with no degree. Mrs. Siegel answered by saying that a degree doesn’t make a good teacher, a good teacher is one that has a “love of teaching” and “cares about the children.”

While I mean no disrespect, in one fell swoop, Mrs. Siegel pinpointed, magnified, and exacerbated the problems that we have in our yeshiva schools. The teacher in question does not even have a degree, let alone a degree in education. To those that are in the classroom teaching is our profession. Just like I would not go to a lawyer that has a “love of law” but no law degree, or a doctor that has a passion for medicine but no medical degree, we should expect no less of our teachers teaching our children in the classroom. Allowing our children to be taught by educators that do not hold credentials diminishes the respect for those teachers that do. It creates an atmosphere where our expertise is not expected and our jobs are not taken seriously. This type of attitude has a trickle down effect in schools where parents have hesitated to partner with teachers, living wages are not considered mandatory, and a host of other problems including teacher shortages.

While Mrs. Siegel’s comments were not wrong, I am curious why she thinks we can’t have both a passionate teacher that also has a degree. Why does it have to be one or the other? Higher education by default is theoretical (in any field). She quotes articles that note that a teaching degree does not make you a good teacher, but that is not really the point. Higher education gives you a framework for your profession. It shows you best practices and provides a deeper understanding of how to work in your field. We would all love to be working with professionals that are passionate about what they do but that is not always the case. I

may not love my doctor’s bedside manner, but I would trust their sound advice if they had a medical degree from Harvard.

My advice to that thoughtful parent is to find a school that hires teachers that are properly trained with credentials. Where the administrators vet the teachers by watching them interact with students during model lessons, and respect and value the teaching profession. This will ensure that she gets a teacher that is both a professional that has a love of teaching.

Sincerely,

A teacher with a masters teaching in a yeshiva

Etti Responds:

Dear Teacher with a Master’s Degree, Thank you for writing in. I apologize for any disrespect you felt towards teachers with degrees! I have a degree and I value it, and as I stated in my response, I teach in a master’s degree program!

While having a degree is praiseworthy, my article was meant to remind everyone that there is more to a devoted teacher than a piece of paper.

It goes without saying that one wants a dedicated and knowledgeable teacher for their children. I have met many highly degreed educators who have taught me so much just by being in their presence! But I also have been in classrooms that had me spellbound and in awe, run by teachers without degrees. In my letter to the concerned parent, what I actually wrote was who else I see in my daily travels from school to

school: “I have met teachers who graduated from very elite colleges who lack basic classroom management skills and therefore could not teach their wonderfully prepared lessons. I have met teachers who have no degree at all, who run their classrooms in a manner that would make you wish all your child’s teachers could be so proficient and warm. I have worked with teachers with excellent credentialing who made embarrassing mistakes as they gave their lessons, teaching the information so incorrectly it was disconcerting to watch. I have worked with first-year teachers who were attending college at night, overloaded with assignments and college-level papers, who still came in each day and taught with clarity and patience, and their classes scored well on all tests and loved being in school.”

You mention that “to those that are in the classroom, teaching is our profession” and then equate teachers with lawyers and doctors. I respectfully disagree. The teacher with a degree should be paid more for her commitment to furthering her education but having a degree does not automatically bestow the bearer great teaching ability.

One cannot make comparisons to lawyers and doctors for many reasons, the most important being that a doctor and a lawyer cannot practice unless they have vast technical knowledge of their field. If they have a poor bedside manner, they can still be effective in their professions if they are current in their field of study. It does not necessarily matter if one knows the latest trends in education to be a master teacher. A teacher’s “bedside manner” is actually more important than much of the academia she learns in college. How

The teacher with a degree should be paid more for her commitment to furthering her education but having a degree does not automatically bestow the bearer great teaching ability.

she gives over the information, how she differentiates between her students, and how she forms connections with her pupils often are a determination of how much the class will learn that year.

Chaia Frishman, friend, writer, and master teacher for over 30 years, says that teaching is an art. You can take all the art classes in the world and get the top marks for knowledge in the subject but some people are just not meant to be artists. There is so much intuition that goes into dealing with students each day. While I agree it is an art, I humbly think that much can be taught, and I work hard to help teachers master the unwritten curriculum of the classroom (classroom management, pacing well, engaging children, and checking for understanding among a long list of other skills and strategies).

If, as a community, we decide to only hire teachers with degrees in all of our schools, our children will be left without teachers. This is not just a problem in the Jewish education system. There are municipalities that are figuring out how to have bus drivers and custodians teach so that every class will have a teacher (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/08/07/solving-teacher-shortage-homegrown-candidates/70501878007/). These are serious times and need serious introspection and reflection.

You question why we can’t have both a passionate teacher who also has a degree. Of course, that is ideal! It would be wonderful if we could always have such a combination. Reality is different, however, and schools have to meet this reality. Schools should (and often do)

hire coaches, have workshops, and train teachers who are interested and willing to teach, even if they do not have a degree.

There is a severe doctor shortage, and think tanks are convening to figure out what to do. (Should PAs and NPs be given even more autonomy? How will needs be met?)

There is a severe teacher shortage, but we have the answers. Salaries have been raised in most schools, teachers are being given perks to make them want to stay on the job, and schools are bringing in professionals who can help those who need help. Requiring degrees will leave the pool a lot smaller and deprive our children of the positive experience and education they deserve.

You write, “My advice to that thoughtful parent is to find a school that hires teachers that are properly trained with credentials. Where the administrators vet the teachers by watching them interact with students during model lessons, and respect and value the teaching profession. This will ensure that she gets a teacher that is both a professional that has a love of teaching.”

I wonder if you are not giving the amazing principals I see and work with enough credit. Administrators hiring teachers without credentials are still watching them interact with students during model lessons and demand respect for the teaching profession by insisting they attend training and courses.

Aviva Stern, literacy coach, and teacher mentor for Catapult Learning and Curriculum Coordinator at Bais

Yaakov Ateres Miriam, sums up your letter and my letter with a big thumbs-up. “ The point is you both agree teachers need skills! You just want to point out that we can make sure teachers have skills through different means, not exclusively a college degree.”

I think she is right. We both passionately believe in education!

May your year be a happy and successful one, for you and for your students.

Thank you for taking the time to write, allowing me to clarify what might have been misunderstood.

Gmar chasima tova, Etti

Mrs. Etti Siegel holds an MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 35 years of teaching and administrative experience. She is an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Shenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning, is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country, and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to Hamechanech Magazine and The Journal for Jewish Day School leaders. She will be answering your education-based questions and writing articles weekly for The Jewish Home. Mrs. Siegel can be reached at ettisiegel@gmail.com.

Keys to a Happy Home

How to infuse your home with genuine joy

By Slovie JungreiS-Wolff

Awoman approached me after a recent parenting lecture. “I own three houses, but I don’t have any place that I can really call home. Everyone in my family is unhappy, and it’s miserable for us to spend time together.” Without joy, even the most beautiful surroundings can feel dark and uninviting. How can we help build an atmosphere of happiness in our homes?

Happy Families Take Work

Looking at everyone else’s photos and social media posts can make some people feel as if all other families, except their own, are experiencing bliss. It’s as if you are going through your daily grind while others are dancing through life. Scenes of smiling kids, loving couples, and exotic vacations … Don’t fall into this “happiness trap.” No photo ever gives you the

on a smile for the camera. Every family struggles with moods, dynamics, and challenges. True happiness takes work. There is never a home where it is “all fun, all the time.”

Working on creating an atmosphere of joy means that you value your family’s privacy. You do not gripe about your spouse or kids to others, nor do you disparage them. You strive to protect your relationships so that a feeling of trust grows between family members. When there is trust in a home, confidence, hope, and stability flourish. There is a reason that we wish a newlywed couple the beautiful bracha of building a bayis ne’eman b’Yisrael, a home based on ne’emanus, trust and faithfulness, is a home that stands.

As a sense of security is cultivated, parents and children feel happy that they can depend on one another. Instead of comparing your life with others or spending time discussing grievances with friends, make a decision to put energy into nourishing your family unit. Resolve to build rapport between parents and kids as well as siblings.

Strive to see your spouse and children through an ayin tovah, in a positive light, with a good eye, by focusing on their good character traits.

If you have spent your time seeing the negative, this will take a lot of effort, but understand that everyone has good that lies within and learning to see it takes constant practice.

Happy Families Know How To Listen

Good communication is not only about talking, it’s also about listening.

Knowing that we are being heard and understood makes us feel happy.

Are you a good listener?

Here are some tips to reflect upon:

• At times, simply listening is an adequate response to show that you care.

• Be careful not to interrupt.

• Don’t always try to offer solutions to fix the situation.

• Give undivided attention and don’t check texts and emails while listening.

• Listen without being judgmental or saying things like, “You did what?!” “How could you?” or “What were you thinking?”

Happy Families Communicate Respect

Parents set the tone in the home. Children who observe their mother and father treating each other respectfully know that their home is a safe haven. Of course, there are times that parents disagree, are stressed, or are under pressure. But realizing that even while strained, dignity is being maintained, helps create a sense of peace. Children in such a home know that once they walk through that door, they leave the chaos and craziness of the world behind.

When children grow up in a hostile environment, the foundation of the home is shaken. Some children feel re -

sponsible and try to pitifully fix their parents’ conflict. Others grow fearful of what may come, and, with time, their pain turns into anger. The joy of family life becomes threatened.

When you disagree or are shouldering a burden, be mindful of your tone and words. Our children learn from us. If it becomes acceptable for parents to put one another down, yell, or be sarcastic, the kids will certainly follow our lead. What a powerful lesson it is for our children to observe that even when parents are stressed, they do not resort to hurting others. We do not stoop to meanness. Instead, we contemplate our words and make a choice to control our temper.

The success of our children’s future relationships may depend on the attitude and behavior that they observe at home. We need to model and live the behavior that we hope to instill in our children.

Decide to work on eliminating patterns of disrespect in your home. This includes yelling, put-downs, rolling eyes, sarcastic remarks, laughing at mistakes, and personal attacks. Clearly, physical aggression is never acceptable. Respect translates into an atmosphere where we value the people in our lives and treat each other with honor.

Happy Families Share

online world, families have stopped spending time together. Happy families don’t communicate while looking down. Look around. Whether in a restaurant, on a sidewalk pushing a baby stroller, or in your home, most parents are looking at their devices. Our children are growing up thinking that this is the normal way to communicate. You can speak to someone while looking at your phone. You can have a conversation while texting. Dinner time is food with phones on the table.

Watch teens get together. They sit on the couch, phones in hand. Besides the occasional comment about what they are seeing, no one’s talking. Kids are missing the opportunity to converse, make eye contact, and connect face-to-face.

This type of social interaction leads to a new type of loneliness. We are “alone but together.” We can be texting, in touch with a circle of friends, even sitting beside one another, but we are lonely. Human contact and feeling the physical and emotional presence of others in your life is a sacred gift that can never be replaced by screen time or emojis.

How unimportant do you feel when the person right across from you would rather look at his screen than at you?

It is time for us to say, “Enough.”

Let’s put down our phones, stop interrupting family time as we take photos and share, and really be in the moment.

know that family comes first. It is the time together, laughter, family trips, adventures, singing in the rain, and experiences in which we participate that

a child, her husband was never shown any physical affection. His mother never once said, “I love you,” though she is a lovely woman when you meet her. She simply did not know how to express her love. This husband carries the hurt and unhappiness of his childhood, but he won’t admit it. As a result, she and their children suffer.

Children who grow up in a home where spouses put each other first, give kindly without resentment, and speak lovingly enjoy being home.

Whether it is having dinner or breakfast, eat together.

Studies show that families that share meals together are stronger and more connected. Our Shabbos and Yom Tov tables, too, become a crucial time for family bonding.

Smart parents know that to keep the connection alive we must be present in our children’s lives. They create sacred times and spaces so that their children

strengthen our family. There is no substitute for our presence.

Happy Families See Love

Love provides children with a sense of belonging. Homes filled with words of affection, smiles, hugs, and kisses show children that we are happy to be a part of this family.

I met a woman who told me that as

Sons and daughters who feel cherished know that they are valued. Love translates into living a committed life and knowing which priorities are most important. Family and marriage must come first. While words are crucial, it is not enough; show that you love and always be generous with your heart.

There are no perfect families that are happy all the time, but we can try to infuse our homes with joy so that we create light, maintain a sense of security, and build a foundation of love.

This article has been excerpted from The Soul of Parenting by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff.

Children who grow up in a home where spouses put each other first, give kindly without resentment, and speak lovingly enjoy being home.

Staying Strong Over Sukkos

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

The chagim are a wonderful time of year to recharge, reflect, and spend quality time with both family and friends. Food plays an important role, with large meal gatherings and new, exciting recipes. Afterwards, we are often left with magical memories – and many extra pounds. Let’s explore some tried and true tips and tricks to help us navigate these celebrations, without sacrificing our health goals in the process.

• Sourdough vs. Challah: Sourdough wins, hands down. Challah is almost identical to cake, consisting of flour, sugar, eggs, and oil. Sourdough is made from just flour, water, salt and yeast. Utilizing a whole grain flour for the sourdough would increase its fiber content and leave you feeling more satiated.

• Minimize Red Meat: Red meat (such as beef, lamb, and veal) has double, sometimes triple, the amount of calories when compared to chicken. Red meat also contains more saturated fat than chicken. While a holiday table looks incomplete without a meat, there are usually other protein options as well. Minimize your meat consumption to no more than once a day, and choose chicken, turkey, or fish at the other meal.

• Selective Sides: If you are washing on some type of bread at each yom tov meal, the bulk of your sides dishes should consist of roasted veggies, a healthy veggie kugel, and salads. Consume your healthy carby sides, such as brown rice and sweet potatoes, in moderation.

• Walking Weather: This time of year, the weather is typically conducive for walking. As tempting as just eating and sleeping for 48 hours sounds, it’s not healthy or helpful for weight maintenance. Take a 30-minute walk every day of the chag; it will be good for you physically and mentally.

• Delectable Desserts: My motto has, and always will be, moderation not deprivation. Desserts should be a treat, not a staple at each and every meal. Mindfully indulge no more than once a day on

the yom tov days, and the earlier in the day the better.

• Chol Hamoed Trips: When taking family trips during chol hamoed, preparation will lead to success. Bring along all of your food for the day, unless you know you will have access to healthy options. Even with good access to heathy food, it is still prudent to bring some nutritious snack options such as apples, freeze dried fruit bags like Crispy Fruit, cut up veggies, baby carrots, 100 calorie bags of nuts, and little containers of hummus. When eating dinner in family-friendly or fast-food type of establishments, there is not an overwhelming number of clean options, but there is almost always some kind of grilled chicken option. Choose veggie sides even if they are super oily looking; they are still better than the fries or mashed potatoes!

• Israel Edition: Families traveling to Israel fall into two camps: those that stay in apartments and those that stay in hotels. For the families that stay in apartments, treat this as if you are in your own home. Plan and cook meals that include an abundance of healthy options.

For those fortunate enough to stay in hotels, know that you have excellent options as well! Many fear the hotel breakfast, but it is, in fact, loaded with clean nutritious proteins, veggies, fruits, and carbs. For example, there is someone making omelets every morning (except Shabbos); take advantage of this luxury! Add in a variety of fresh veggies to your eggs and pair them with some whole grain toast and a side of fresh fruit; this a filling, nutritious and delicious meal.

Israel is known for their salads and vegetables, and they appear on almost every restaurant menu. Walking up and down hills will definitely burn off any extra indulgences and is just an added healthy benefit to an already beautiful yom tov.

• Work on your Water: Ideally, one should be consuming half of their weight in water. For example, if someone is 150 pounds, they should consume about 75 ounces of water or over 9 cups daily. Diet tip: if you’re feeling hungry, first drink a cup of water and then see how you feel. If you still feel hungry, then eat something, but very often we think that we feel hun-

ger when the body is actually trying to tell us that it is thirsty. One component of the macrobiotic diet is for patients to drink one to two cups of water before each meal; this usually leads to smaller portions/less eating at the meals.

• Plated Portions: Some people are very healthy eaters but simply consume too large portions of good nutritious foods. Even extra healthy foods, like chicken and quinoa, will result in weight gain if it is in excess of what the body needs. In order to maintain your healthy weight, try sticking to one plate meals and avoid second or third helpings unless you are truly hungry. Remember, eat until you feel satisfied, not until you feel full. If you have a feeling of fullness (or feel stuffed), that means you ate too much.

Sukkos is a special chag that should be enjoyed with family and friends. Don’t stress about potential weight gain from meals that are heavier/later than the norm, because this week is not the norm and that’s perfectly OK. Preparation will be your key to success, and plan to include healthy options at every meal. Maintaining adequate hydration and physical activity will help keep those extra, unnecessary pounds at bay.

Approach yom tov with the best of intentions. However, if plans get derailed, and you find that you did indeed consume too much sugar, fat, etc., don’t despair! Just get back on track with your normal nutritious routine, and you will return to your healthy weight again. Don’t look back, just look forward to the new year, filled, iy”H, with only good health and much success!

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer

A Simply Sukkos

By Rivky k leiman

Lamb Torpedoes

With their herby vibe and mouthwatering aiolis, you won’t be able to stop eating these. Be sure to double the aioli sauces. They are so good that you’ll want to use them on everything.

IngredIents

›› 2 lb ground lamb

›› 1 egg

›› ¼ cup grated onion

›› 3 cloves garlic, crushed

›› 1 tsp dried parsley flakes

›› 1 tsp sumac, optional

›› ¾- 1 tsp dried oregano

›› 1 tsp kosher salt

›› ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

›› pinch cayenne pepper

›› 3 Tbsp extra light olive oil

Creamy Lemon-Garlic Aioli

›› ½ cup mayonnaise

›› 2 cloves garlic, crushed

›› 2 Tbsp lemon juice

›› 4 tsp olive oil

›› 1 tsp lemon zest

Horseradish Aioli

›› ½ cup mayonnaise

›› 2 Tbsp prepared white horseradish

›› 1 Tbsp lemon juice

›› ½ tsp smoked paprika

Special Equipment

›› 16 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20-30 minutes

PreParat Ion

Preheat oven to 400°F. l ine a baking sheet with parchment paper. in a large bowl, combine lamb, egg, onion, garlic, parsley, sumac (if using), oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Form mixture into 16 torpedoes; thread onto soaked skewers. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Brush torpedoes with oil; bake until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes, turning torpedoes after 10 minutes. alternatively, grill torpedoes. Heat grill; grill torpedoes for 3 minutes. Flip; grill for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Prepare the aiolis: i n a small bowl, whisk together all creamy lemongarlic aioli ingredients. in a second bowl, whisk together all horseradish aioli ingredients.

Serve torpedoes warm or at room temperature, accompanied by the aioli dipping sauces.

VarI at Ion a ny ground meat can be subbed in for the lamb.

Meaty Mushroom Barley Soup

With beef, barley, and vegetables, this soup is hearty enough to be a full meal. There’s nothing more satisfying than a big, steaming bowl on a cold winter day.

IngredIents

›› 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

›› 1 lb. gourmet flanken on the bone

›› 1 Tbsp kosher salt + more to taste

›› Black pepper, to taste

›› 1 large onion, diced

›› 2 cloves garlic, crushed

›› 1 rib celery, diced

›› 24 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced

›› 4 Tbsp sherry cooking wine

›› ½ cup barley, rinsed

›› 7 cups water

›› 2 bay leaves

›› 4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

›› 1 tsp umami powder, optional

PreParat Ion

Heat an 8-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. add 2 tablespoons oil. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear meat until well browned on all sides (about 15 minutes). Transfer to a platter; set aside.

l ower heat to medium. add remaining tablespoon olive oil, onion, garlic, and celery to the pot; sauté until tender (about 10 minutes). add mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, until mushrooms are soft. add sherry wine, raise heat, and cook until liquid reduces.

Return meat to the pot. a dd water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover; cook for 1½ hours, until meat is tender.

a dd barley, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and umami powder, if using. Continue to simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes.

Remove meat and bay leaves from the soup. Discard bay leaves. Cut meat from the bone, dice, and return to soup. i f desired, season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

tIP

if reheating soup, you may need to add water, since the barley tends to absorb lots of liquid.

Braised Bourbon Ribs

no need to worry; although there is actual bourbon in the recipe, the alcohol has plenty of time to burn off during the slow cooking process. What’s left is a slightly smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with all the other ingredients. Get ready to use your hands when you dig into these soft, succulent ribs.

IngredIents

›› 10 spare ribs

›› Spice Rub

›› 3 Tbsp dark brown sugar

›› 1 Tbsp garlic powder

›› 1 Tbsp chili powder

›› 1 tsp ground mustard

›› 1 tsp smoked paprika

›› ½ Tbsp kosher salt

›› ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

›› ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Bourbon Glaze

›› ½ cup bourbon

›› ½ cup dark brown sugar

›› ¼ cup pure maple syrup

›› ¼ cup prepared white horseradish

›› ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

›› 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

›› 2 Tbsp fish-free Worcestershire sauce

PreParat Ion

Prepare the spice rub: in a small bowl, combine spice rub ingredients.

Place ribs into a 9x13-inch pan. Season with spice rub.

Prepare the bourbon glaze: in a small bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients.

Pour glaze over the ribs. Cover pan tightly with foil; marinate overnight in the fridge. ( i f pressed for time, marinate for at least 30 minutes on the counter.)

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Bake, covered, for 2½-3 hours.

Blueberry Plum Cobbler

a sweet and tart mixture of fresh blueberries and plums, under a crisp, never-fail cobbler topping.

IngredIents

Crumble

›› ½ cup old-fashioned oats

›› ½ cup flour

›› ½ cup tea biscuit crumbs (about 11 tea biscuits, crushed)

›› ½ cup light brown sugar

›› 4 Tbsp canola oil

Filling

›› 6 plums, sliced ¼-inch-thick

›› 1½ cups blueberries

›› 3 Tbsp sugar

›› 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar

›› 1 Tbsp cornstarch

›› 1 Tbsp lemon juice

PreParat Ion

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch oven-to-table baking dish with cooking spray.

Prepare the crumble: in a medium bowl, combine crumble ingredients. Set aside.

in a large bowl, combine filling ingredients.

Transfer filling into prepared baking dish. Top with crumble mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes on center rack.

tIP

To avoid a mess in the oven, place the baking dish onto a baking sheet before placing it in the oven; this will catch any overflow of fruit juices.

VarI at Ion

a lternatively, divide crumble and filling between ramekins (as pictured). Reduce baking time to 30-35 minutes.

In The K tchen

Sukkos Soup

By Naomi Nachman

Ingredients

◦ 2 tablespoons canola oil

◦ 2 strips flanken

◦ 2 medium onions, diced

◦ 2 cloves garlic, minced

◦ 4 stalks celery, diced

◦ 2 large carrots, diced

◦ 2 medium zucchini, diced

◦ 2 can chickpeas, drained

◦ 1½ lbs. (24 oz.) frozen broccoli cuts

◦ 1½ lbs. (24 oz.) frozen cauliflower cuts

◦ 8 cups vegetable broth or water

◦ 1 tablespoon kosher salt

◦ Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Sear flanken for about 5 minutes per side, or until the meat releases itself. Remove meat and set aside.

In the same pot, add onion and sauté till translucent. Add in garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low, add celery, carrots, zucchini chickpeas, broccoli and cauliflower.

Place the meat back into the pot and add the broth, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring mixture to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for two hours.

Remove meat and shred off the bones and return the meat to the pot.

Cook’s note: Add broth or water till just below the top of the vegetables. Too much water will make a thin soup.

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.

I wrote this recipe a few years back with Sukkot in mind. I was looking to create a soup that would stick to our bones while eating outdoors on a cool Sukkot evening. My family and guests absolutely loved it! This recipe makes a big batch and freezes really well.

5 Business Lessons from the Israeli Air Force

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 spoke with guest Kobi Regev, founder and CEO of The Squadron. * * *

Throughout the interview, Regev shared his insights on how he applies the skills and lessons he learned leading a squadron of F-16 pilots in the Israeli Air Force to the corporate world.

Here are five key lessons that Regev highlighted during the interview:

1. Work as a team

Teamwork is the foundation of everything in the Israeli Air Force. It offers an environment that encourages constant

learning and teamwork. When you put on your flight suit, you immediately feel like you are part of the team. It lowers your ego and enables you to create a structure in which people feel comfortable communicating and learning from one another. Team building is an essential first step for any organization that wants to achieve excellence.

2. Cultivate a strong culture

In order for an employee to remain happy in the workplace and not experience burnout, they need to feel as though they are considered important within the company. They need to feel like they are part of something big. When an employee sees that their company is investing a lot of resources in them, it has a tremendous impact on their outlook. Much like in the Israeli Air Force, a strong company culture provides tools for employes to become better versions of themselves.

3. Strive for continuous improvement

To always strive for excellence is one of the most important things you learn in the Israeli Air Force. Excellence needs to be what is constantly driving and motivating us to be better. If your company is good, you must strive to be very good. If your company is very good, you must strive to be excellent. This pursuit of excellence will drive passion within you and

your team. Just remember that everyone has their own skills and areas that they need to improve on. The key is for you and your employees not to get caught up comparing yourselves to each other, but to instead strive to become better versions of yourselves.

4. Always debrief

One of the most valuable practices one can take away from the Israeli Air Force is regularly debriefing. Debriefing is a process of analyzing one’s performance after every mission or task, identifying what went well and what went wrong, and drawing lessons for improvement. When we began building a new site for The Squadron in Israel, every morning we held a short 5–10-minute debriefing session for the construction workers. At first, they told me, “Kobi, you’re crazy. What are we doing? We’re not used to working this way.” After two weeks, they wouldn’t start the day without a debriefing session. This is the only way that you can create such a complex and incredible project on time and on budget. It also helps ensure that your team knows that it’s OK to make a mistake, as long as it plays a part in the learning process and the drive to become better and better.

5. Keep moving forward

When you’re flying an F-16 at 600 knots and 300 meters per second, it

doesn’t stop. You’re continuously flying, and you’ll have to make quick, dynamic decisions. You have to be ready to change the plan at any moment. You have to be reactive and robust. This is also how I see businesses today, especially when the markets are unstable. Everything is dynamic. This is exactly how businesses should run. It can never stop. It can always be better. Just like an F-16, if you are not moving forward, your business will decline.

When I commanded an F-16 squadron for the Israeli Air Force, people would always ask me, “Kobi, what do you think makes the Israeli Air Force one of the leading air forces in the world?” I would always respond, “It’s not the technology or the aircraft. It’s the people. The people are what make the difference. And what makes the people excellent is the environment and culture that they are living in.”

The Israeli Air Force doesn’t do everything perfectly. But what they do very well is to take their human resources and elevate them. Everything depends on how you work as a team, strive for improvement, overcome failure, lead, plan, and execute. This is exactly what makes the Israeli Air Force One of the best. I founded The Squadron because I realized that we could instill those same lessons into corporate environments. There are a lot of similarities between commanding an F-16 squadron and managing a business.

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

Puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol, even at the 78th U.N. General Assembly, malignantly slandered the relations between [North Korea] and Russia. It’s self-evident that such a guy with a trashlike brain cannot understand the profound and enormous meaning of the development of [North Korea]-Russia friendly relations. No one in the world would lend an ear to the hysteric fit of puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol.

- North Korea’s official News Agency criticizing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for warning the U.N. General Assembly about North Korea’s deepening military ties with Russia

Representing the groundbreaking legacy of hip hop in America, LL J Cool J. By the way, that boy’s got – that man’s got biceps bigger than my thighs.

My question is, are they doing it not because they think she’s incompetent, but because they know her potential and they’re afraid of her?

You know, with the way Biden butchered LL Cool J’s name, I wonder if Cornpop’s name was actually Steve.

– Greg Gutfeld, Fox News

He doesn’t know who LL Cool J is. He probably thinks that he’s a brand of air conditioners.

– Comedian Jim Floratine on “Gutfeld”

For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba. This may seem oldfashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years. I look forward to addressing other issues at trial.

– Pres. Joe Biden during Black Caucus Foundation’s annual Legislative Conference at which rapper LL Cool J was honored

- Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) addressing his recent federal indictment and trying to explain why he had $480,000 in cash in his house

- MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart theorizing that criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris is based on her being an incredible politician

Hydroxychloroquine may also be used to treat coronavirus (COVID-19) in certain hospitalized patients.

- From the Mayo Clinic’s website acknowledging now that hydroxy may be an effective Covid treatment, despite the fact that during Covid anyone who promoted hydroxy was considered to be a conspiracy theorist

Mayo Clinic quietly updates website to say Hydroxychloroquine can be used to treat Covid patients. Doctors were fired and censored for saying this. Media smeared it. All because Big Pharma couldn’t have any therapeutic drugs available in order to make billions from vaccine – Tweet by Rogan

O’Handley

At the White House, I had a million tablets of hydroxy that could have saved thousands of lives but @cnn crusaded against it to beat @ realDonaldTrump. Negligent homicide at a minimum. @fda was also implicated in hydroxy suppression.

– Tweet by Trump’s White House advisor Peter Navarro

Basically, every fan thinks of themselves as the owner/general manager.

- Knicks and Rangers owner James Dolan explaining to The New York Times why he doesn’t really enjoy being a sports team owner

Being a professional sports owner in New York, you’re not beloved until you’re dead.

- Ibid.

Have you had personal contact with anyone at FBI headquarters about the Hunter Biden investigation?

- Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) questioning Attorney General Merrick Garland over his alleged involvement in the investigation into Hunter Biden during a House Judiciary Committee hearing

Uh, I don’t recollect the answer to that question.

- Garland’s response…under oath

You don’t recollect whether you talked to anyone at FBI headquarters about an investigation into the President’s son?!

- Rep. Johnson in response

We will block this attempt on the life of Israel’s democracy, and we will win. It might take time, ups and downs, some people might lose their lives along the way. I told the people we will have to face toil, sweat, and tears, hopefully no blood, but there might be some violence.

- Former Israeli prime minister and leader of the anti-judicial overhaul movement Ehud Barak, in an interview with CBS

The extreme leftists of the “protest” (funded by billions and foreign countries) flew to the UN rally to demonstrate. Not in front of the Palestinian Chief Abu Mazen, who in his speech justified the Nazis’ actions, and not in front of the president of Iran, who calls for our destruction.

- Yair Netanyahu, in a Facebook post

[California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, a guy who hates fossil fuels but could still bring down the price of gas by wringing out his hair, once proclaimed that his state would be a sanctuary to all who seek it. Then people actually came, tons of them moving faster than a mob of Walgreens shoplifters. So last week, Newsom said he hopes the conservative Supreme Court will overturn the current law that bans his state from removing out-of-control homeless encampments. Imagine that. Well, what did you expect, Gavin? That the sanctuary seekers were going to show up in Winnebagos? Once again, another example of a high-profile lib using his big mouth to write a check …[he] can’t cash.

- Greg Gutfeld, Fox News

They have canceled the elections. What kind of democracy has no election? So next year, Zelensky said he is not going to have an election because it would be inconvenient and expensive during the war. Well, the thing is, if you don’t have elections, why will the world be supporting a country that is not a democracy?

- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), explaining on Fox News why he won’t approve any short-term spending bill that includes funding for Ukraine

They have banned political parties, they’ve invaded churches, they’ve arrested priests, so no, it isn’t a democracy, it’s a corrupt regime. Are the Russians better? No, the Russians are worse. At the same time, we don’t always have to pick some side to be on.

- Ibid.

Over the last three months, we’ve accumulated almost a trillion dollars in three months, the total is $33 trillion. So we don’t have an extra rainy day fund we can send them, we have to borrow money from China to send to the Ukraine.

– Ibid.

Oh, I certainly agree…. I really guess that five years from now, we’re going to find out that between the Clintons and a number of American private equity firms and other hyper-global corporations that, you’re going to find a lot of people have gotten rich from [funding Ukraine].

- Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH)

The money wasn’t ever the issue since our financial security has never been threatened, but I was so distracted I wasn’t able to be present with the ones I love and caused a lot of harm. This lack of presence has been so hurtful. “You’re here but you’re not with us” is something I’ve been told often throughout my addiction. It affected those I care about in ways I wasn’t aware or could fully understand.

This football season and beyond, enjoy yourself with moderation so it doesn’t detract from your ability to be present. In my experience, the moments with the ones you love will be far more remembered than any bet you win or fantasy league triumph.

- Ibid.

- Professional golfer Phil Mickelson writing on social media about his recovery from a gambling addiction that cost him an estimated $100 million, to date

Probably Haunted.

- A sign posted outside of a funeral home for sale in Massachusetts

New York’s Rent Laws are a Gross Violation of Property Rights

By George F. Will

It started, as much mischief does, with government augmenting its power by declaring an “emergency.” It continued despite the predictable fact that the “emergency” measures made matters worse. It might end, as some but not enough mischief does, with the Supreme Court declaring the policy unconstitutional. New York City’s breathtakingly aggressive rent “stabilization” regime illustrates this paradox: Sometimes the more comprehensively a bad policy is, the better, because it provokes a strong reaction.

The Constitution says private property shall not “be taken for public use without just compensation.” New York City politicians say the Constitution has its opinion, but we have ours. The Supreme Court, at its Tuesday conference, should say: We’ll just see about that. It can begin by agreeing to hear the case challenging the city’s Rent Stabilization Law (RSL).

To normal people, “emergency” implies “temporary.” In government’s parlance, a declared “emergency” can be renewed in perpetuity – exacerbating the problem that supposedly justified the declaration.

The city’s first housing “emergency” was declared 103 years ago because World War I had curtailed construction, causing rents to rise. For 10 years, rent increases and evictions were limited. Federal World War II “emergency” legislation freezing New York rents at 1943 levels came and went, then Congress authorized states to regulate rents, and in 1969, amid another “emergency,” New York City’s RSL regime began. It covers approximately 1 million units, half the city’s rental units. Under the “emergency,” which had been redeclared every three years for half a century, ownership of RSL-covered apartments has become

attenuated to the point of nonexistence: Government-approved rents increase at only half the rate of owners’ increased costs. Owners must renew tenants’ leases forever, except under a few conditions, such as a tenant refuses to pay even the artificially low rent, violates the lease, becomes a nuisance or uses the apartment for unlawful purposes.

Furthermore, tenants’ rights can be inherited by any member of the tenant’s family who has been living in the apartment for two years – or one year, if the family member is elderly or disabled. And “tenant’s family” is defined to include grandparents, grandchildren and in-laws. And a renter’s rights can be inherited by anyone living in an apartment who has an “emotional and financial commitment and interdependence” with the tenant. And sometimes an owner who demonstrates “an immediate and

compelling necessity” for resuming control of a unit must pay the costs of finding the tenant an equivalent unit with an identical controlled rent.

The city says this thicket of restrictions on apartment owners’ property rights constitutes mere “regulation” of, not a physical “taking” of, property. The Supreme Court, echoing two luminaries of jurisprudence, has already said otherwise.

William Blackstone (1723-1780), the British jurist whose thinking informed that of America’s Founders, said “the right of property” is “the right to exclude.” It is the “dominion” that an individual exercises “in total exclusion of the right of any other individual.” Thomas Merrill, a professor at Columbia Law School, says, “Exclusion lies at the root of property because the institution of property is dependent on possession, and

exclusion lies at the root of possession.”

In an amicus brief challenging the RSL, the Manhattan Institute and Cato Institute note that New York City’s micromanaging of rental property degrades owners’ rights “to a far greater degree” than did a 1975 California “emergency” law that the court struck down in 2021. This law compelled owners of agricultural properties to permit labor unions, four times a year, 30-day periods of access, for up to three hours a day, for the purpose of soliciting the support of employees. The court affirmed the owner’s property right to exclude.

With policies like those under RSL, politicians can affect indirect wealth transfers without directly voting for them. As Justice Antonin Scalia said of many such transfers, they are “achieved ‘off budget,’ with relative invisibility and thus relative immunity from normal democratic processes.” Such “off budget” financing of public policy is disguised taxation. And it is the taking of private property, which constitutionally requires “just compensation.”

An Institute for Justice amicus brief in the New York City case notes an unsurprising fact: “Rent-control laws have been shown to reduce a city’s housing supply by double-digit percentages.” Artificially suppressing monetary demands for something, and thereby decreasing the incentive to provide that something, is a recipe for getting less of it.

The economic illiteracy of politicians who defend New York City’s RSL regime is an affliction that city voters should correct. Stopping the regime’s gross violation of property rights – affirming the Constitution’s taking clause – is the Supreme Court’s duty.

Gen. Milley’s Resignation Leaves Behind Big Shoes to Fill

By David Ignatius

Gen. Mark A. Milley’s last overseas trip as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was all about the war in Ukraine – a cause he passionately supported even as he sought to prevent it from expanding into a direct conflict between the United States and Russia.

Milley had a farewell meeting last weekend with NATO allies in Oslo and then traveled to Germany on Tuesday to join Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in meeting the Western “contact group” that is supplying an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons to Kyiv – “for as long as it takes,” Milley said, to expel Russian troops from Ukraine or force Moscow to the bargaining table.

Milley’s stint as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, which ends this month, was as bold and sometimes as noisy as an artillery barrage. But the portrait that emerges from observing him over the past four years reveals a complex and sometimes surprising figure, in some ways the opposite of his public image.

Milley seems at first glance a modern-day George Patton, barrel-chested and often profane in private, with an ex-hockey player’s sense of leadership as a contact sport. But he is a Princeton graduate with an encyclopedic knowledge of military history and a familiarity with arcane nuclear theorists such as Thomas C. Schelling.

Despite Milley’s bravado, “his constant concern as chairman was to avoid great-power conflict,” said Col. David Butler, his spokesman. That meant carefully weighing risks of Russian escalation in Ukraine and avoiding needlessly provocative military exercises or saber-rattling in the South China Sea.

Milley’s view of war was conditioned by seeing battle up close in Iraq. As a

colonel commanding a combat brigade in Baghdad in 2005, he scrambled across a minefield to stop an Abrams tank that was about to detonate the explosives, according to an account published this spring by the military publication Task and Purpose.

He never forgot the grim warning given to him in 2019 by a World War II veteran at a commemoration of the D-Day assault. When Milley asked the paratrooper for advice, the veteran said with a tear in his eye: “Don’t let it happen again.” For all his outward bluster, Milly tried to follow that admonition.

After Trump’s departure, Milley became a close and trusted adviser to President Biden, reinforcing the White House’s twin goals of supporting Ukraine and avoiding war with Russia. His baseline advice was that the United States should concentrate on what he described as “line-drive singles,” rather than swing for flashier but higher-risk home runs.

That middle course suited Biden. Milley’s twin poles in assessing Ukraine were captured in two quotations he shared with me early on. The brave defiance of Zelensky and the Ukrainian people reminded him of Napoleon’s remark that, “In war, the moral is to the physical as three is to one.” To support Zelensky’s courageous defiance, he rushed weapons to Ukraine – though always weighing the danger that it might provoke Russian retaliation against NATO.

In assessing the danger of escalation, Milley recalled a phrase attributed to Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping: “We are crossing the river by feeling the stones” – meaning, one wrong step might bring disaster.

The tensest time for Milley in the Ukraine war might have been last fall, when Kyiv broke through Russian lines and seized Kharkiv and Kherson – and U.S. intelligence warned that Russia

might use tactical nuclear weapons to prevent a general collapse of its forces. To contain what he believed was the greatest risk of nuclear war since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Milley contacted Gerasimov and queried him on Russian doctrine on tactical nukes. That call, and similar contacts by Austin and other top officials with their Russian counterparts, reduced their concern about escalation but didn’t extinguish it.

Milley’s most important but least recognized contribution to the military might have been his advocacy of new technology. Starting when he became Army chief of staff in 2015, he sought out tech leaders such as Elon Musk and pressed for ideas that could modernize Army logistics and weapons. He used the 18th Airborne Corps, headed at the time by Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla and Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue, as a test bed for new technology. Those two officers and many dozens of others have become advocates of preparing for digital warfare.

The Army had modern tools ready to help Ukraine identify and target attackers when Russian invaded, in what I described in December as “algorithmic warfare.” Milley hopes this technological edge will deter China from attacking Taiwan and ensure a pulverizing defeat of any attempted Chinese invasion of the island.

One of Milley’s favorite military aphorisms is from Chinese strategist Sun Tzu. “See yourself, see your enemy, win a thousand battles.” Milley did the first two, but as he made his last visit to Germany as chairman of the Joint Chiefs to urge support for Ukraine, victory was still an uncertain and probably distant vision.

Azerbaijan Waited For Its Opening on Nagorno-Karabakh. It Found It.

By David Ignatius

It was Mao Zedong who said that “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” That harsh lesson certainly applies to the long-running battle between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the contested territory known as Nagorno-Karabakh – where Azerbaijan last week imposed its sovereignty by force of arms.

For Armenians, who live in the long shadow of the 1915 Ottoman genocide, the plight of an estimated 120,000 ethnic Armenians in Karabakh has been haunting. Lacking the military power to rival Azerbaijan – and without protection from Russia, the United States or even Armenia itself – the Karabakh Armenians were forced to surrender in two days.

Representatives of the Armenian government that had been running Karabakh met Thursday with Azerbaijani representatives for what officials in Baku said were “constructive” talks. The meeting was evidence that Azerbaijan was reestablishing authority over territory it had controlled legally, but not in fact, and that Karabakh Armenians were submitting to the new political reality they had long hoped to avoid.

At least 200 Karabakh Armenians died in the fighting that began Tuesday, according to local reports, as Azerbaijani artillery pounded Karabakh’s small military force and Baku’s commandos seized strategic high ground. Armenian social media carried wrenching stories about families searching for missing children and thousands gathered at the airport in Stepanakert, the region’s de facto capital, hoping to flee.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made a televised address Wednesday night that seemed intended to stem a flight of Armenian residents who fear that Baku plans to “ethnically cleanse” the territory. He said that Armenian residents would be treated as “citizens” and that Baku would pursue only “criminal” separatists.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s decision to stay out of the conflict has brought intense criticism inside Armenia from those who feel Pashinyan abandoned his ethnic brethren. Even some of those critics conceded in interviews Thursday that Yerevan lacked the firepower to combat Aliyev’s takeover. Armenia was badly outgunned in the 2020 war that reversed nearly three decades of Armenian control of the region, and this mismatch has only grown worse.

Global power politics overlay this week’s dramatic events. The Karabakh turmoil results in part from the vacuum in the region caused by Russia’s preoccupation with Ukraine. Moscow had a small, 2,000-member peacekeeping force in Karabakh that was supposed to prevent conflict. The Russians proved powerless, and Russia said some of its soldiers were killed by Azerbaijani fire this week.

Armenia, which has relied for a century on Russian protection, had begun doubting Moscow and started pivoting to the West this year, hoping for more reliable allies. The Biden administration offered diplomatic help in trying to broker a settlement between Baku and Yerevan, but without effect. The Pentagon this

month sent roughly 100 U.S. soldiers to Armenia to train its military, nominally for peacekeeping operations, but they departed on schedule as the assault on Karabakh was underway.

Armenia’s pivot West was probably badly timed. It alienated the Russians without bringing reliable Western help. The Armenians, especially in Karabakh, were isolated and vulnerable – waiting for foreign deliverance that never came. In that respect, it was a cruel recapitulation of modern Armenian history.

The Biden administration has tried for the past two years to prevent a violent resolution of the Karabakh problem by seeking a durable peace deal between Baku and Yerevan. That effort seemed to be progressing, but in the end, Baku decided to gain sovereignty by force rather than negotiation. After the assault began, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Aliyev and urged a ceasefire, which followed soon after.

The armed takeover of Karabakh has been coming in slow motion since Azerbaijan won a 2020 war for control, reversing the breakaway status Armenian troops had won in battle in 1994. Armenians in the enclave had hoped for

some form of independence rather than a compromise deal with Baku, which retained authority under international law. It never came. Azerbaijan, flush with oil wealth, grew stronger year by year. Eventually, the hammer fell.

Azerbaijan began a slow strangulation of Karabakh in December, when a government-backed organization closed the road to Armenia, known as the “Lachin Corridor.” Karabakh was gradually starved of food and fuel – and by this month, basic supplies of flour and other essentials were said to be exhausted. That’s when Aliyev struck militarily.

The Biden administration’s policy now is to prevent the ethnic cleansing that Armenians fear. Blinken is said to have urged Aliyev to grant what amounts to amnesty to the Karabakh Armenians and provide reliable guarantees for their security. The United States also hopes that a lasting accord between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be possible now that the Karabakh issue has been resolved at gunpoint. But that overlooks the deep mistrust and anxiety felt by Armenians, which will only increase after last week’s armed takeover.

Karabakh lies at one of the world’s most dangerous intersections, where the ghosts of the past stalk every living resident. An example of this bloodknot is the 1937 novel “Ali and Nino,” set partly in the mountain forests of Nagorno-Karabakh. It opens with a professor in Baku asking his students whether the surrounding region “should belong to progressive Europe or reactionary Asia.” A charming Azerbaijani prince who is one of the heroes of the story opts for Asia and forms a love match with a Georgian princess. It’s a love story, but it’s animated by the conflict between East and West. The darkest passages of the book take place in the “black garden” of Karabakh.

The Battle at Mitla Pass

By Avi Heiligman

In the years following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the IDF grew in size and capabilities. Paratroop units were formed and were mainly tasked with reprisal raids against Arab attacks. In 1956, an international crisis was brewing between Egypt and Western allies as the new Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalized the Suez Canal. Israel was also alarmed by the large amount of weapons and arms Egypt had received from the USSR via Czechoslovakia. France and England wanted Israel to get involved so they could attack Egypt. The first troops in the area were paratroopers, who had early success but ran into stiff resistance in an area called Mitla Pass.

Like the Golan Heights, the Mitla Pass in the Sinai Peninsula is a strategic area that militaries used for their advantage. It was the site of battles in the 1956 Suez Crisis, the Six Day War, and the Yom Kippur War. In 1956, paratroopers were used to secure other areas in the Peninsula, but their commander wanted the Pass in Israeli hands.

In 1949, non-Jewish Machal veteran Tom Derek Bowden, who was born in Britain, was tasked by Chaim Lasker, future chief of staff for the IDF, to create a paratrooper school. He did so and wrote a training manual. Soon, the school grew, and by 1956, the paratroopers were an experienced unit ready for battle in the Sinai Peninsula. Raful Eitan jumped with his paratroopers deep behind the front lines while Ariel Sharon crossed the border. The paratroopers soon linked up as their objectives were secured. However, Sharon wanted the Mitla Pass so he could be the first one to reach the Suez Canal.

Sharon was twice denied permission to attack the Pass, which was a winding mountainous road. However, he soon was given the opportunity to send a patrol to scout out the defenses. Several half tracks and a large group of paratroopers were part of this patrol under the command of Motta Gur. Right away, they fell into the ambush that the dug-in Egyptians had prepared in the Pass. The Egyptian defenses were three-tiered, and during the battle, it was difficult for the Israelis to pinpoint where the enemy was entrenched. The rest of the paratroopers were sent in to rescue the patrol, but they too were met with heavy fire. A volunteer was needed to scout out and locate the enemy positions. Even though he knew he was going to draw enemy fire, Yehuda KenDror immediately volunteered. Ken-Dror drove his jeep towards the enemy positions, and the Egyptians hiding in the ridges shot and mortally wounded the paratrooper. He died two months later and was awarded the Medal of Valor posthumously for his sacrifice.

Finally, the Israelis managed to locate the Egyptian

positions, but the fighting wasn’t over. Two Israeli tanks blasted away many enemy positions, and the paratroopers were able to use machine guns against the Egyptians who were now dislodged from their hideouts. Two more paratrooper companies came from the far end of the Pass to mop up more Egyptian positions, and by nightfall, fifty paratroopers scaled the hills. The fighting continued as the Israelis sought to completely annihilate all enemy resistance. The Egyptians fought a desperate battle as they were trapped, but ultimately, the Israelis were in complete control of the Mitla Pass.

Control of the Pass came at a steep cost. Forty Israelis were killed and 120 more were wounded as the brave paratroopers inflicted over 200 Egyptian casualties. As for the bigger picture of the Suez Crisis, the Egyptians made a fatal error when they thought the paratroopers were just part of a small-scale raid and not a full invasion. They were taken by surprise, and the Israelis quickly achieved their initial objectives near the Mitla Pass.

British paratroopers landed along the Canal on November 5 followed by a commando invasion in the key canal port of Port Said. French paratroopers soon joined them, and they were given air cover by the air forces and navies of all three nations. While the forces were winning the war on the battlefield, the politicians were losing it on the home front. It was an unpopular war, and soon all gains in the Sinai Desert had to be abandoned as they buckled under political pressure. The Egyptians won the political battle, even though they suffered heavy losses. The Canal Zone was closed for commercial shipping until March 1957. Even though the Israelis had to give up the Sinai, they were now able to use the Straits of Tiran for shipping which had previously been closed since 1951. They had also won the sympathy from the U.S. since Eisenhower regretted forcing the Israelis to withdraw their troops.

Historians debate whether or not the battle was necessary, and Ariel Sharon received a lot of criticism for his actions of sending the troops into the Pass altogether. Still, it showed that the paratroopers under Sharon were able to fight against a well-entrenched enemy and that the IDF doesn’t give up or leave soldiers abandoned on the battlefield. The Forgotten Heroes at the Battle of the Mitla Pass is history to be remembered.

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.

French soldiers guarding Egyptian prisoners during the Suez crisis

Ariel Sharon with paratroopers before entering Mitla Pass, 1956

Ships blocking the Suez Canal, 1956

French paratroopers at the Suez Canal, 1956

Mitla Pass

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SHOMER SHABBOS DRIVERS

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HOUSES FOR SALE

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WOODMERE

Introducing a desirable colonial located in the heart of Old Woodmere, situated on an oversized lot. This charming home boasts 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths, along with a full finished basement. The first floor features a formal living room, dining room, kitchen with a breakfast room, and a spacious den. It is conveniently located in School District #14. Don’t miss out on this must-see property! Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT

Exquisitely renovated and modernized residence situated on a picturesque 50x200 lot. 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms. First floor features dining area, huge living room, expansive kitchen with modern cabinetry, two sinks, two ovens, and two islands. Second floor features 4 bedrooms, a nursery, primary suite with WIC. Private backyard with 400 square foot inground pool house/ guest house, cabana with a kitchen and grill, playground, basketball court. Fully paid solar panels. A fully renovated basement featuring a wet bar, separate outside entrance. Close to all houses of worship. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

LAWRENCE

Stunning One of a Kind Mid Century Modern 6 Bedroom, 6.5 Bath, Contemporary Ranch. Resort Style Home on Over an Acre of Property in Back Lawrence. Incredible Views, Regulation Size Tennis Court - Deco Turf. IG-Gunite Pool, Low Taxes, 5318 sq. ft. of Main Floor Living Space. Plus 5000 sq. ft. Basement With Very High Ceilings. Call Mark 516-298-8457 for more details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457  mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Beautiful, brick, colonial boasting 5 bdr 3.5 Bth in pristine condition. Excellent location, near all! Move right in! RCUSA 516-512-9626

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

CEDARHURST JUST LISTED

Magnificent renovated 4 bedroom 3 bathroom in SD#15, new roof, windows, plumbing + electric, gas cooking, new marble bathrooms, marble kitchen with stainless steel appliances, LED lighting, security cameras and speakers throughout the home, custom closets, outdoor patio, 1 car garage, near all. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

NORTH WOODMERE

Stunning Split , 5 Bedrooms With 3 Full Baths. Custom Features Throughout. Well Maintained Home. Hardwood Floors, Granite Counters in kitchen, Formal Living Room and Dining Room, Den, Full Finished Basement. Relax in the Private Backyard With Inground Pool. SD#14. A must see! Close To All Houses of Worship Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES? MORTGAGE?

Must sell for any reason? Call for FREE Consultation. Call now 212-470-3856 Cash buyers available!

WOODMERE

Charming Colonial on beautiful tree lined street in the heart of Old Woodmere. Home features 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, kitchen, dining area, living room, full basement. Relatively new heating system + hot water tank. Large & beautiful backyard. Great for entertaining. Close to all. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODSBURGH

HOUSES FOR SALE HOUSES FOR SALE

CEDARHURST

Move Right into This Very Spacious & Renovated 6 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, Colonial on a Lovely Quiet Street. 5 Very Large Bedrooms All on 2nd Floor. Beautiful Den W/Fireplace & Playroom; Both on 1st Floor.

Gorgeous Hardwood & Granite Floors, New Wood & Granite Kitchen With Stainless Steel Appliances. Great Backyard For Entertaining! Very Low Taxes. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

FAR ROCKAWAY

Price reduced. Built 2006, original owner, 3,000 sf, 4 br (easily 5), 2.5 bth, playroom, tons of storage, MBR with en-suite bath and 3 walk-in closets; gourmet kosher kitchen, 2-zone HVAC, deck with sukkah pergola, 2 add’l balconies, 2-car garage + 2 parking spots, fenced side yard, many extras. 889k.  917-882-6438

CEDARHURST

Open house on Sunday 12 - 2 !!

Completely renovated 5 bdrs, 3.5 bath in the heart of Cedarhurst. High end kitchen, radiant heated floor, fire place, low taxes and much more. Just turn the key and move. 322 Madison Avenue for private showings call Alexandra at Realty connect usa at 516-784-0856

HEWLETT

Lovely & Spacious 2 Bedrooms, 2 Updated Baths Unit on First Floor with Wonderful Terrace to Enjoy The Outdoors. Formal Dining Room

Leads to Large Living Room, Granite Countertops in Kitchen. Prime Location. Steps Away From LIRR, Parking, Shopping, Restaurants + More! Don’t Miss Out! Must See!!! Mark Lipner Associate Broker

Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Woodmere just listed 3 bedroom 2 full bathroom hi-ranch in sd #15 with central air-conditioning , gas heat, 2 car garage, eat-in-kitchen, l/r, d/r, den, hardwood floors, minutes to transportation , shopping, and houses of worship Mark Lipner Associate

Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

Welcome to this stunning residence situated on a tranquil residential street in Lawrence SD#15. This spacious and flawlessly maintained home boasts 4 to 5 bedrooms. Bright, airy living room with vaulted ceilings, skylights and wet bar. Central air conditioning, elegant quartz countertops, eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, main floor den with fireplace, master bedroom with bathroom snd dressing room, Jacuzzi tub, three other bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Inground sprinklers, lush landscaping, alarm system. Spacious playroom. Two-car garage. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516298-8457 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

NEW TO THE MARKET

4 bedroom 3 full bathroom home features living room with a fireplace, formal dining room leading out to the deck, eat-in-kitchen with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, 2 dishwashers, double oven, new microwave, primary bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, plus 3 additional bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, large family room, central air conditioning, gas heat, in-ground sprinklers, hardwood floors, modern high hat lighting, custom window treatments, driveway has recently been done, 2 car garage, beautifully landscaped plus so much more. 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

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

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. Mark Lipner

Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE

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, in-ground 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

HOUSES FOR SALE

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 eat-in 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. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

North Woodmere

New to Market. Split Level; 4BR; Low Taxes; Priced to Sell; Solar Panels; Walk to All; SD# 14. Vaulted Ceilings. Central A/C;  Tel 516/808-9610; No Brokers

ISRAEL REAL ESTATE

UNIQUE APARTMENT

In the old city of Jerusalem, one of a kind! Inside private and quiet courtyard, features living/dining room, kitchen with high quality built in wood cabinets in excellent condition, three bedrooms, high quality built in wood closets, two bathrooms, 135 meters, including two sun balconies, newly built from the foundation up (early 80’s, very few such apartments in the old city), located on Chabad Street. $2.9M (negotiable) Contact Yukie at 1-760 227-0287 (US), +972 50 850-1400 (IL)

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

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

5 TOWNS – PARKING LOT FOR LEASE Great Location

For 10-20 Vehicles. ~4000SF Call/Text/WA Owner: 516-206-1100

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

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

WOODMERE

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

WOODMERE

Welcome to this exquisite and expansive 1 Bedroom co-op in the highly sought-after and prestigious Heathcote. Recently renovated, generously sized foyer. Vasr Eat-InKitchen. Situated in a classic pre-war building, this residence features 9-foot ceilings that add an air of elegance and sophistication. The convenience of an elevator ensures easy access to all levels, making everyday living a breeze. Private storage room. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516298-8457 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

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE 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

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

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

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

WOODMERE

Generously proportioned, first-floor apartment in an elevator-equipped building in the heart of Woodmere. This Co-op boasts three bedrooms, two full bathrooms. Lofty ceilings, spacious foyer, formal living area and dining space. Expansive kitchen with gas stove, microwave, dishwasher, washer-dryer. Hardwood floors provide an elegant touch, and the comfort of five air-conditioning units ensures year-round climate control. Three bedrooms, with the primary bedroom having en-suite full bathroom. Dedicated storage. Near shopping centers, railroad, dining and places of worship. 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

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

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE HELP WANTED

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 516-298-8457 • $175K

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

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

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

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com

HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

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

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 detailoriented, 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

BOOKKEEPER

Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com

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.

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

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!

KOLLEL IN 5 TOWNS UNDER

R’ Y. Kalish - Limited slots available  Option for 1 or 2 sedarim Competitive compensation

Call/Text (718) 207-1050

The weather is cooling and the rain has started to pour, and that means Official Tax Planning Season™ is in full swing. But instead of thinking about savings, millions of taxpayers are celebrating something else. No, it’s not pumpkin spice. It’s football! High schools play on Friday nights. Colleges play on Saturdays. And the pros play whenever they can find someone to pony up for broadcast rights, which means that pretty soon you’ll be able to spend every single night watching burly men collide into each other as team doctors huddle nervously on sidelines watching for concussions. Free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed for 75 $ million in guaranteed earnings to play for the Jets – and his season ended after just four plays.

The Cincinnati Bengals have had two great seasons since signing Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. Earlier this month, the usually frugal team set a new league record, re-signing Burrow to a $275 million contract that makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history. Naturally, that got us wondering: how much of that bounty will he actually keep?

NFL salaries start at $750,000, spread out over 18 weeks of the regular season. Quarterbacks average $4.8

Penalty on the Field

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

million per year. And while you might think QBs are the highest-paid players, that honor actually goes to left tackles at $8.9 million. Those numbers are high enough that the IRS intercepts the maximum 40.8% in income and payroll taxes for at least part of nearly everyone’s pay.

But players face a defensive line of state and local taxes depending on

year, Burrow gets sacked for a 5.75% Maryland rate for a game against the Ravens and a 13.3% California rate for a game against the 49ers.

The real winners are the players with no home state income tax at all: the Titans in tax-free Tennessee (say that five times fast), the Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Jaguars in Florida, the Cowboys

London, England. Whole ‘nother country. American-style football may or may not take off in the birthplace of soccer hooliganism. But King Charles III will surely appreciate his chance to extract some taxes. Hopefully, he won’t abuse that privilege like the last King Charles!

In 2019, an economist named Erik Hembre used data from football, baseball, basketball, and hockey to investigate whether state taxes affect win rates. He found that “higher income tax rates lower team performance, with a percentage point increase in state income tax rates decreasing team win percentage between 0.77 to 0.86 points.” So, in plain English, yes, they do.

where they play each game. So, Burrow plays half of his games this season in Cincinnati, where he gets sacked for 3.99% in state income tax and 2.1% in city payroll tax. That’s far less than players in high-tax states like California, where they can face a 13.3% rate, or New Jersey, where the Jets and Giants pay as much as 10.75%.

What about away games? Most cities and states levy “jock taxes” to collect the same rates from visitors as locals. This

and Texans in Texas, the Raiders (now) in tax-free Nevada, and the Seahawks in Washington. None of them are favored to come home with Super Bowl rings this particular season. But that’s OK because the unburdened players can buy their own with the money they save by not paying state governments on top of Uncle Sam.

Finally, five teams face a special hurdle this season. The Falcons, Jaguars, Bills, Ravens, and Titans all play in

Here’s the final score for this week’s story. Sometimes, where you make your money matters just as much as how you make it and how much of it you make. So call us before playoff season to make sure you’re paying as little as possible!

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.

And while you might think QBs are the highest-paid players, that honor actually goes to left tackles at $8.9 million.

Sukkos from Dor to Dor

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Iam soaked. And Sukkos hasn’t even started. That’s from the sweating and hard work!

But what about the times when we go out and we go in? We go out and we go in. The clouds look ominous. The thunder hints great warning signs. And then a sudden downpour follows!

But, just as suddenly, the sun comes out.

We wipe the table. We wipe the chairs. We even get smartand tilt the chairs. Yay! Finally everything’s dry. And then we realize the schach is still drip-drip-dripping.

That’s not the only Sukkos challenge.

We get those lopsided signs all around. The ones we hung perfectly straight, but with time and the outside elements around, they tilt in every which direction.

We are tortured not knowing if we can adjust them on the holiday or must leave them askew. So we are now seeing the Kotel vertically. And the ushpizin where Yosef seems to proceed Avraham or is it just upside down?

And worst of all, there is a picture that has the honey spilling over the apple instead of the other way around. This traumatizing the new generation of tots who come prepared with that cute, and yes

somewhat irritating song, “Dip the apple in the honey.” They are wondering: Why is the honey pouring itself over the apple? Then, we also get that one visitor who says, “Is that tree branch hanging a little bit too far over your sukkah?”

And you’re thinking, “Did I even invite that guy? Who asked him to look up any-

bered a bag. And maybe even a muzzle. Because, those kids are going to be sooo hyper tonight.

We can’t forget to address the challenge of space. Getting everyone in is the first challenge. And then getting around the table to sit or serve or even exit at all. Especially, once everyone’s seated.

the whole neighborhood all year round, and that’s how he put up his sukkah. Door connected to door. How anyone figured out which one was the one that opened as the entrance was a real mystery to all us. But once we got in, we loved being together.

My grandmother would hand the food out her back bedroom window, and we somehow would get it into the sukkah that way and enjoy a feast.

These are some of our best family memories.

Now, of course, they make more sophisticated sukkahs with only one or two doors to get in and out. I guess you could say – when one door (dor) closes another one opens!

way? Don’t I have enough delicious stuff on the table for him to have kiddush and go sukkah hopping some more. Now, I have to feel all nervous I messed up on my sukkah spot when I can’t do anything about it anymore.”

And speaking of “sukkah hops.” Those, at least, are always such fun and a giant blast…

For the kids, though!

You’re shlepping behind, juggling the baby, the junk, and wishing you’d remem-

Also, how close or how far did you put the sukkah from your kitchen where all the food originates from? That’s always another fun detail to figure out when putting up a sukkah!

So is it all worth it?

Yes, you bet!

Life is boring without the challenges. And the best memories come from our sukkah experiences.

We, in our family, all remember that my grandfather collected discarded doors from

Enjoy your family, your company, and your recognition that it’s not our homes that protect us but what’s in heaven above, and feast on the wonderful memories you will be making this Sukkos.

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 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

My

grandfather collected discarded doors from

the whole neighborhood all year round, and that’s how he put up his sukkah.