Five Towns Jewish Home 12.14.23

December 14, 2023

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40 Celebrating Chanukah Around Town

42 Chai Lifeline’s Evening of Unity

109 TJH Readers Light Up the Nights PAGE 55

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Dear Readers,

“I

t depends on the context” is going to become the new catchphrase for evasion of truth.

When Liz Magill, Claudine Gay, and Sally Kornbluth were asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik if calls for genocide of the Jewish people would be considered bullying and harassment on the campuses of their prestigious universities, the three presidents were evasive and unable to give a direct answer, asserting that it would “depend on the context.”

Their refusal to stand up for what’s moral and right is stomach-churning. When colleges profess to be the center of enlightenment for society, we would expect that their “enlightenment” would, indeed, bring clarity to certain issues. Sadly, in this woke environment, the opposite is true. The more “enlightened” and “progressive” one is, the less clarity and more confusion they spew.

We should have seen this coming, although we have been watching it unfold with eyes wide open. We watched in horror over the past few years as academia has become entrenched in the woke agenda. With a program intent on diminishing all clarity from this world, we were told that all our beliefs and ideals that we upheld were no longer sound. Is this person a man or a woman? Depends on the context. Is this act evil or good? Depends on the context. Is stealing or killing considered bad? Depends on the context. Should hard work be valued and appreciated? Depends on the context.

The revolting answers by the presidents who lead these “prized” schools show just how low

people can go when they think that truth is subjective. A moral compass should not be an indicator that fluctuates depending on a situation or on a whim. A moral compass should hold steady regardless of circumstances.

In today’s age, when academia tells us that everything is subjective – that there’s such a thing as “my truth” – we are seeing just how dangerous it is to put “truth” in people’s own hands. The end result is depravity and evil.

As I write this, it is still Chanukah, a yom tov in which we celebrate the supremacy of Torah over Greek wisdom. The philosophers of Greece were guilty of ignoring Truth when it wasn’t something they could come to understand with their own minds, and they wanted the Jews to join them in their rational-based thinking. But a society built on subjective truth cannot stand.

Eventually, it crumbles into dust. The Jews, clinging with steadfast belief in the One Above and to the Truth found in Torah ideals, were able to rise above the false philosophies of the Greek world and highlight the triumph of good vs. evil.

If one attempts to navigate society without a strong, unwavering Torah truth, they will eventually be washed away in the swirling subjectivity of society’s newest theories and dogmas. As Torah Jews, we are guided by a moral compass that has never wavered throughout the generations. Our beliefs are firm – regardless of the whims of society.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka, EDITOR

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Candle Lighting: 4:10 pm Shabbos Ends: 5:15 pm Rabbeinu Tam: 5:41 pm

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Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

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Community Happenings

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NEWS

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Global

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National

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That’s Odd

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ISRAEL Israel News

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Miracles by Barbara Deutsch

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Moshe Dov, Hy”d by Rafi Sackville

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JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

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What Do You Live For? by Rav Moshe Weinberger

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Delving into the Daf by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

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Headlines and Halacha by Rabbi Yair Hoffman

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PEOPLE The Wandering Jew

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Inspiration Nation

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Celebrated Heroes in the Yom Kippur War by Avi Heiligman

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HEALTH & FITNESS Dr. Marcy Forta Talks About Helping to Cultivate a Positive Body Image

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FOOD & LEISURE Food for Thought by Nati Burnside

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The Aussie Gourmet: Crockpot Onion and Flanken Soup

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LIFESTYLES

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Dating Dialogue, Moderated

by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

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Parenting Pearls

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School of Thought

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Tech Talk

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Mind Your Business

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The Messages and Miracles by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

your life depended on it. It just might.

Thomas Lax, Woodmere, NY Dear Editor, It’s interesting that we learn the idea that at a height of more than twenty amot the Chanukah candles can’t be lit from the idea that Reuven couldn’t see that there were snakes in the pit that Yosef was thrown, as it was more than twenty amot below (Shabbos 22a). Firstly, this implies an idea of darkness, of not seeing, when Yosef’s whole aura was light. Also, Shabbos represents the notion of great light and spirituality, yet this is learned from the Talmud in Shabbos. Lastly, Chanukah is all about light. Why would the Torah use an incident of darkness to be affiliated with a holiday of light?

Mitzrayim was the darkest of places spiritually, and the Greeks darkened the Jews as well. Yosef could never have risen so high but for the fact that he was in a society of extreme darkness. The Chashmonaim also couldn’t bring light to the world but for being exposed to a heretical society that denied G-d’s existence. Darkness allows the greatest of light to shine.

Rabbi Yaakov Harrari notes that Chanukah is relevant to these days as well, as every generation, and all the four exiles, had a society that created a reality of unholiness. One can only grow by knowing the unholiness and choosing the extreme opposite path. In the middah of chessed, instead of desire for promiscuity, put your desire into mitzvos and the love of G-d. In the middah of gevurah, instead of using strength to place your will on others, place it over conquering the yetzer hara, and in the middah of tiferet, use splendor to make truthful decisions and not deceitful ones.

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HUMOR Centerfold

Dear Editor, Now that Congressman George Santos is former Congressman George Santos, Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a special election for NY-3 on February 13, 2024. As of this writing, it is unclear who the candidates will be. All indications point to Democrats giving the nod to former Nassau County Executive, also the former occupant of this congressional seat, Tom Suozzi.

There are several Republicans in the running as well. If I were a resident of the 3rd District, my choice would be Great Neck Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip. While Tom Suozzi is a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish community, no quarrel there, in fact I laud and appreciate his strong support. Unfortunately, recent history has shown Democrats voting in lockstep with their party on most issues.

That does not portend well for our community or Jews in general. I was not a fan of George Santos the individual, but his voting record was spot on.

Under the current political climate in my humble opinion, a Jew voting for a Democrat is a willing participant in their own demise. Open your eyes and ears lift up your head from the hole you have it stuck in. Observe what is happening all around you. At elite universities, CUNY, NYU, Cooper Union and a myriad of other places of “education.” On the streets and bridges of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The threat to your family’s safety and security is not coming from the far right, despite what Joe Biden would have you believe.

Some of you may be reluctant to admit it even to yourself, but you know where it’s coming from.

February 13, 2024 is an important day. If you are a resident of the 3rd Congressional District, make a decision as if

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POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

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Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Ran Into a New Reality Of War

by David Ignatius

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Voters Say: It’s Time For Reagan’s Ideals by Marc A. Thiessen

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CLASSIFIEDS

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Would you rather have $3 million now or $5,000 a week for the rest of your life?

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$5,000 a week $3 million

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Continued from page 8

Reaching the greatest heights requires a battle with unholiness. Only unholiness can bring a reality of what direction and to what degree a pursuit must be applied. Every person with their strength must also purify it by seeing where societal unholiness lies and then cling to opposite realities.

Steven Genack Dear Editor, I can relate to the woman who wrote into the Dating Dialogue column this week. I experienced this same situation many years ago – when I was going on “shidduch” dates but would be asked out by guys who met me at work functions.

It’s very flattering to be asked out by someone when you just meet them. It means you are putting on a good impression and they are impressed by what they see. In my experience, none of the guys who asked me out were insulted when I told them that I generally go through a shadchan before going on a date with someone. Some of them actually ended up going through a shadchan and going on a date with me through them. I appreciated that they understood that that was what made me feel comfortable.

On a side note, this woman should make sure she is not using a shadchan or

her parents as a “crutch” when it comes to dating. At 26 years old, she should be able to make big decisions. If she’s hiding behind a shadchan or using her parents to act as a go-between in every aspect of her life, she should understand that perhaps she’s a bit too old to be doing that. With age should come maturity. She needs to make sure that she is mature enough to navigate this parsha – with the help of supportive family but not because she doesn’t want to face big decisions head-on.

Hatzlacha!

Tamara Lustig Dear Editor, I am appalled that the most “prestigious” university in our nation are led by people who, in the face of evil, will not admit to the depravity they are witnessing. Of course, their answers are only indicative of what society has become. Everything nowadays needs to be put into “context,” it seems.

I only hope that the sane people of the world will finally wake up and see how their “woke” agenda has created a society that condones and supports evil to proliferate.

Is this how the next generation is being brought up? Oy vey!

Sincerely, H. Goodman

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The Week In News

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U.S. Vetoes UN Ceasefire Vote

to keep civilians safe “despite attempts by their own leaders to deliberately sacrifice them as human shields.”

Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, told the council that approving the resolution — which was submitted by the United Arab Emirates — would only allow Hamas to regroup and plan more attacks on the Jewish state. He said Israel would “continue with its mission, the elimination of Hamas’ terror capability and the return of all of the hostages.” (© The New York Times)

Venezuela-Guyana Fight Over Region The United States on Friday vetoed a United Nations resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and most members of the Security Council had backed the measure, saying that the “humanitarian catastrophe” in the coastal enclave where 2.2 million Palestinians live could threaten world stability.

But the United States, which is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, blocked the resolution, arguing that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas attacks. The vote was 13-1, with Britain abstaining and some U.S. allies such as France voting for a cease-fire.

Robert Wood, who was representing the United States on the council, said after the veto that the resolution for an unconditional and immediate cease-fire “was not only unrealistic, but dangerous — it would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on Oct. 7.”

The failed resolution came as the United Nations reported that it was struggling to deliver essential goods including food, medicine and cooking gas to civilians who have packed into shelters and tent cities after two months of war.

“Civil order is breaking down,” Thomas White, the Gaza director of the U.N. relief agency for Palestinians, wrote on social media Friday.

Fighting has been raging in southern Gaza’s largest city, Khan Younis, and in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have focused on the Shajaiye neighborhood of Gaza City, and Jabalia, a densely populated neighborhood north of the city, where they say Hamas operatives continue to hide out.

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said Israel had been taking steps

Leaders from the South American countries of Venezuela and Guyana have decided to meet to discuss the Essequibo region, an area of land that both countries claim to be their own. As per an 1899 international court ruling, the disputed territory is recognized as Guyanese land.

Venezuela has, for quite some time, asserted that it is the rightful owner of the disputed area and has cited historical evidence to back up its claim. Just last week, the people of Venezuela voted that the Venezuelan government should begin annexing Essequibo, an oil-rich, forested region that is slightly smaller than the state of Florida and accounts for around two-thirds of Guyanese land.

Although a meeting date and location have yet to be determined, December 14 in St. Vincent and Grenadines is currently a consideration for a meeting place for both countries to discuss the issue. Along with President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and President Irfaan Ali of Guyana, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose country borders with Venezuela, Guyana, and Essequibo, will be given the opportunity to take part in the meeting, said St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a North American country whose leader has also been involved in the conflict.

“Venezuela expresses its satisfaction and accepts the call to meet with approval and commitment,” said Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry in a statement, affirming the “historical position on the unquestionable sovereign rights of Venezuela”

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over the area in question.

Ali’s decision to attend the meeting is not an indication that he is wavering in his commitment to keeping Essequibo Guyanese land. He has “reiterated that Guyana’s land boundary is not up for discussion, as it is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and, when adjudicated, will be fully respected by Guyana,” said the Guyanese government on social media.

Although Venezuela does not recognize the ICJ’s authority in this case, this coming spring, the court will hold a trial on the territorial dispute. The ICJ decided last month that “Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the two countries to keep the dispute peaceful, and St. Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has also stressed the importance of dealing with the situation “calmly, respectfully, and with patience, in order to avoid an escalation into threats or the use of force.”

Former Pres. of Peru Pardoned

Alberto Fujimori became the president of Peru in 1990 and stepped down ten years later after being accused of bribery. In 2009, he was sentenced to twenty-five years in jail for allowing a death squad, which killed several civilians, to function. Last week, he was released from prison due to serious medical issues.

Although he was initially pardoned in 2017 by Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who was the country’s president at the time, the Peruvian Supreme Court revoked the pardon a year later, after citizens staged two nights of rioting in Lima, the capital of Peru, in response to impending release.

At the time, Kuczynski said that Fujimori was to be released because he had “a

progressive, degenerative and incurable disease.”

“The news of the humanitarian pardon granted by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski surprised me at this intensive care unit,” Fujimori said from a hospital bed in a 2017 video, when he was 79 years old. “I am aware that the results during my government on one side were well received, but I recognize that I have also disappointed others, and I ask them to forgive me with all my heart.”

Last Tuesday, the 2017 pardon was restored, and Fujimori was released.

The son of Japanese immigrants, Fujimori was a controversial figure. On the one hand, he is credited with eliminating the Shining Path terrorists from Peru, and he was praised for dealing with the hyperinflation that plagued Peru. On the other hand, Fujimori was condemned for abusing and overexerting his power as president, and he was later found guilty of authorizing a death squad that led to the “extrajudicial execution of 15 people in the Barrios Altos district of Lima, the enforced disappearance and murder of nine students and a teacher from La Cantuta University, and two abductions,” said Human Rights Watch. He was also convicted of breaking into a former spy chief’s home, where he stole footage that

implicated him in certain crimes, as well as stealing from the government treasury to pay off the spy chief, ordering the implementation of illegal wiretaps, and more.

Where is Navalny?

Alexey Navalny, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opposers, has gone missing. Navalny was sentenced to 19 years in prison this past August, in addition to his current 11-and-a-half-year sentence, for his role in alleged extremist activities, and was incarcerated in a maximum-security exile colony around 150 miles from Moscow, from which he has seemingly vanished.

According to the 47-year-old’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh, his lawyers, upon trying to see Navalny, who had fallen ill in jail, were told that he was not in the IK-6

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or IK-7 penal colonies, where he had been imprisoned.

“He should be released immediately.

He should never have been jailed in the first place, and we’re going to work with our embassy in Moscow to see how much more we can find out,” said John Kirby, the spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council.

On Monday, Navalny was expected to stand trial on video call, said Yarmysh.

However, prison authorities said that he couldn’t make it due to an electricity problem in the jail.

“The fact that we cannot find Alexey is especially alarming because last week he became ill in his cell: he became dizzy and laid down on the floor. The colony staff immediately came running, lowered the bed, laid Alexey down, and put [him] on an IV,” said Yarmysh. “What it was, we don’t know, but given that he was deprived of food, kept in a punishment cell without ventilation, and had his walking time reduced to a minimum, it looked like a hungry faint.”

Navalny’s supporters have asserted that he was arrested as a means of silencing his condemnation of Putin, who has just announced that he will be running for president once again in the upcoming March 2024 election. Navalny was re-

sponsible for several anti-Kremlin street protests, and he used his blog and social media posts as a forum for criticizing the government. Critics of Moscow also claim that the government was responsible for Navalny’s Novichok poisoning in 2020, after which he was brought to a Berlin hospital while in a coma. Putin has denied the Russian security service’s involvement in Navalny’s poisoning, asserting that if they wanted Navalny dead, they “would have finished” him off. After his stay in the German hospital, in January 2021 Navalny was sent back to Russia, where he was imprisoned for allegedly going against the rules of his probation.

In August, when he was sentenced to 19 years in prison, Navalny said that “the number of years does not matter.”

“I perfectly understand that, like many political prisoners, I am sitting on a life sentence. Where life is measured by the term of my life or the term of life of this regime,” he added.

Immigration Bill Stalls in France President Emmanuel Macron of France suffered an unexpected setback

Monday as lawmakers brought his government’s immigration overhaul bill to a screeching halt, casting fresh doubts on his ability to get key legislation through parliament.

The bill, which tries to strike a balance between cracking down on illegal immigration and extending work opportunities for migrants with needed skills, had been in the making for more than a year.

The government struggled to find a mix of measures that would pass muster in the lower house, the National Assembly, where Macron’s centrist party and its allies do not hold an absolute majority.

But those hopes were dashed Monday when the lower house passed a motion to reject the bill without further discussion. The motion by the Green party, one of several left-wing opposition groups in parliament, received 270 votes in favor and 265 against. Parliamentary debate that was expected to last two weeks was

immediately cut short.

The rejection was a particularly stinging blow for Gérald Darmanin, Macron’s tough-talking interior minister, who had staked a lot of political capital on getting the bill passed without resorting to a constitutional tool known as the 49.3. The government used that tool, which allows certain bills to be passed without a vote, this year to ram through Macron’s unpopular pension reform.

Marine Le Pen, a far-right leader, said after the vote that Macron’s centrist alliance had “forgotten” how to govern without the 49.3.

“Contrary to what Mr. Darmanin had said, this law was a pro-immigration law,” Le Pen told reporters at the National Assembly, where she is the head lawmaker for her anti-immigration party, the National Rally. “That was out of the question.”

The outcome of the vote Monday was hard to predict because it required an ungainly alliance of opposition parties to approve the motion on diametrically opposite grounds. Left-wing parties complain that the bill is too harsh; the right and far right say it is too lenient.

The government’s bill would have created temporary residency permits for foreign workers in fields experiencing

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labor shortages, and it would enable asylum-seekers from high-risk countries to work immediately.

But it would also make it harder for foreigners to get residency papers, for instance by toughening French language requirements; it would speed up a sluggish deportation process; and it would restrict access to medical coverage for migrants in France illegally. (© The New York Times)

Turkey Cancels Soccer

On Monday night, during a Super Lig match in Turkey, MKE Ankaragucu President Faruk Koca attacked referee Halil Umut Meler after his team’s soccer match ended in a 1-1 draw against Caykur Rizespor. The referee fell to the ground and

was also kicked during the melee after fans also stormed the pitch.

In response, the Turkish Football Federation said that all soccer league games were to be suspended until an emergency meeting could be held to deal with what happened.

“This attack is unfortunate and shameful in the name of football,” Turkish Football Federation boss Mehmet Buyukeksi said. “We say enough is enough.

“Everyone who has targeted referees and encouraged them to commit crimes is complicit in this despicable attack. The irresponsible statements of club presidents, managers, coaches and television commentators targeting referees have opened the way for this attack.”

Meler was hospitalized with a slight fracture near his eye. Koca was considered to be at risk of a heart attack and was also hospitalized. Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that Koca was ordered to be arrested on charges of injuring a public official.

Koca denied causing injury, insisting he only slapped Meler, according to Turkish media. He reportedly blamed the incident on the referee and accused him of making “wrongful decisions.”

Myanmar Biggest Opium Producer

Move over, Afghanistan. Myanmar is now the world’s biggest opium producer.

The Southeast Asian country is battling a brutal civil war, but Afghanistan is taking a back seat in opium production due to the Taliban’s ban on the addictive poppies.

The ban has led to a 95% drop in the cultivation of opium poppies. Opium, the base from which morphine and heroin are produced, is harvested from poppy flowers.

From 2022 to 2023, Myanmar saw the estimated amount of land used to grow the illicit crop increase 18% to 47,100 hectares (116,400 acres), the new UNODC report said.

“Although the area under cultivation has not returned to historic peaks of near-

ly 58,000 ha (143,300 acres) cultivated in 2013, after three consecutive years of increases, poppy cultivation in Myanmar is expanding and becoming more productive,” it said.

It also noted that the estimated opium yield expanded by 16% to 22.9 kilograms per hectare (20.43 pounds per acre) — topping the previous record set in 2022.

It attributes that increase to “increasingly sophisticated means of cultivation, including increased plot density, improved organization of plants, and enhanced practices, such as the use of irrigation systems and potentially fertilizers.”

Additionally, the war has forced farmers to remote areas to produce opium to make a living. Opium growers are paid more for the addictive crop, with the average price increasing around 27% to around $161 per pound.

Northeastern Myanmar is part of the infamous “Golden Triangle,” where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet. The production of opium and heroin historically flourished there, largely because of the lawlessness in border areas where Myanmar’s central government has been able to exercise only minimum control over various ethnic minority militias, some of them partners in the drug trade.

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Will U.S. Support For The War Run Out?

The U.S. government has, until now, remained largely loyal to Israel in its war against the Hamas terrorist organization which invaded the Jewish state on October 7, murdering over 1,200 people, abducting 240 others, and maiming thousands more. However, the following question remains: how many more weeks of war will Washington tolerate before

its support for the Jewish state’s defense runs out?

A senior Israeli defense official has said that the IDF requires an additional three to four weeks until it’s finished with its offensive in Khan Younis, a major Gazan city which, according to Israel, is where much of the terror group is based, and another month or so to complete the first stage of the war. While the U.S. has yet to provide a specific deadline for when it expects Israel to withdraw from Gaza, the Israeli official has stated that the United States has indicated that it would like that time to be sooner rather than later.

“The American message is that they would like to see us finish the fighting sooner, with less harm to Palestinian civilians and more humanitarian assistance for Gaza. We would also like this to happen, but the enemy does not always agree,” said the official. “The Americans understand this, and we are working together. We need them and they need us.”

While, according to reports, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel may only have “weeks” to finish its military campaign in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson indicated otherwise: “These are Israeli military operations, and the Israelis will decide their

course. We will continue to support Israel’s efforts to defend itself from Hamas terrorists.” Jon Finer, the U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser, similarly expressed that Israel “has said that Hamas can no longer govern, can no longer be in charge of Gaza. We think that is a very legitimate objective, given what has happened on October 7 and since.”

On Friday, the U.S. stopped the United Nations from passing a resolution that demanded a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which the U.N. Secretary-General has called a “humanitarian nightmare.” Since Israel began its response to the October 7th attacks, the United States has urged the Jewish state to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and avoid civilian casualties. On Thursday, Blinken expressed disappointment at what he calls “a gap” between what Israel promised concerning saving civilian lives in Gaza and what has been accomplished, and he has insisted that it is “imperative” that Israel put more effort into avoiding civilian casualties.

Maor Meir Cohen and Gal Meir Eisenkot, HY”D:

On the Gazan battlefield, two Israeli soldiers were recently killed, both of whom were related to Minister Gadi Eisenkot, a former general and current war cabinet member.

The first was Eisenkot’s son, Gal Meir, who was killed on Thursday, December 7.

On Saturday, it was announced that the minister’s nephew, Maor Meir Cohen, had also tragically perished in combat.

Cohen was a regular duty service member. His parents were Sharon Eisenkot, the minister’s half-sister, and Michael Mishel Cohen. News of his death came one day after Gal’s funeral. The two fallen soldiers, who were cousins with one another, were both named after their grandfather, Meir.

Sergeant Major (Res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot was killed serving as a Battalion 699 reservist in northern Gaza, after a bomb exploded in a tunnel shaft near soldiers in the Jabaliya camp in northern Gaza. The sergeant’s funeral was held a day later and was attended by thousands. Gal was

buried at Herzliya military cemetery.

“Our young son Galush, your mother and I are here with a multitude to honor you one last time,” Minister Eisenkot said, eulogizing his son. “The State of Israel will remain strong, progressive, and just, as you always wished… We will remain a united, joyful family and honor the sacrifices made for the sake of our fellow soldiers and the entire Israeli people.”

He added, “Gal, I promise that we will continue the campaign [in Gaza], fighting to strengthen the state you so loved, and especially so that it will be strong, developed and just.”

So Many Fallen Soldiers

Since the start of Israel’s ground operation in Gaza, which aims at destroying Hamas, at least 104 soldiers have been killed in combat, seven of whom perished on Sunday, December 10, amid intense battling in Khan Younis, a city in Gaza.

The news of their deaths was announced by the Israel Defense Forces the following day.

Of the seven, all but two were from the 5th Brigade’s 8111st Battalion and were killed in an explosion near a Khan Younis school. The soldiers were shot at by terrorists who were in the school, the IDF said. The Hamas assailants responsible for the Sunday murders were killed, and the surrounding infrastructure was demolished, the military added.

The IDF named the five soldiers who were killed as Maj. (res.) Roman Bronshtein, a forty-six-year-old from Bat Yam; Cpt. (res.) Eliya Yanovsky, a twenty-four-year-old from Jerusalem; Master Sgt. (res.) Ari Yehiel Zenilman, a thirtytwo-year-old from Jerusalem; Sgt. Major (res.) Etay Perry, a thirty-six-year-old from Moddin; and Maj. (res.) Eviatar Cohen, a forty-two-year-old from Kfar Saba.

Four more soldiers were injured in this particular attack, one of whom was seriously wounded.

The sixth soldier, who passed away on Sunday while in Gaza, was Sgt. Major (res.) Gideon Ilani, a thirty-five-year-old belonging to the 55th Reserve Paratroop-

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ers Brigade’s 2855th Battalion, who lived in Asa’el, a community in the West Bank.

The seventh was Maj. Gal Becher, a thirty-four-year-old from Oranit of the 36th Division, who died from a southern Israel traffic collision that had connections to military activity.

On the morning of Monday, December 11, the IDF announced that it had delivered seven tons of equipment to the 98th Division’s Commando Brigade in Khan Younis, marking the first IDF airdrop to troops since 2006 during the Second Lebanon War. On the same day, the Israel Air Force killed dozens of Hamas targets in Gaza, the IDF said.

More Tears

On Wednesday, the IDF announced the tragic deaths of ten more soldiers who died in Gaza while defending the Jewish state, bringing the death toll in the ground offensive to 115.

Nine of the soldiers were killed in a battle in the heart of Shejaiya, one of the deadliest single encounters since troops pushed into the Strip.

The IDF named those killed in the battle in Shejaiya as Col. Itzhak Ben Basat, 44, head of the Golani Brigade’s commander’s team, from Sde Ya’akov; Lt. Col. Tomer Grinberg, 35, the commander of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, from Almog; Maj. Roei Meldasi, 23, a company commander in the 13th Battalion,

from Afula; Maj. Moshe Avram Bar On, 23, a company commander in the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, from Ra’anana; Cpt. Liel Hayo, 22, a platoon commander in the 51st Battalion, from Shoham; Sgt. Achia Daskal, 19, a soldier in the 51st Battalion, from Haifa; Sgt. Eran Aloni, 19, of the 51st Battalion, from Ofakim.

Maj. Ben Shelly, 26, a squad commander in the Israeli Air Force’s Unit 669, from Kidron; and Sgt. First Class Rom Hecht, 20, of Unit 669, from Givatayim.

Ben Basat is the most senior IDF officer to have been killed in the ground offensive against Hamas.

Staff Sgt. Oriya Yaakov, 19, of the Combat Engineering Corps’ 614th Battalion, from Ashkelon, was killed in a separate incident in northern Gaza. The army said another three soldiers were seriously wounded.

The nine soldiers were killed on Tuesday evening, as infantry soldiers from Golani Brigade were carrying out search and rescue operations in the heart of Shejaiya, which is seen as a stronghold for Hamas. Four soldiers entered a building that had been thought to have been empty. They found an entrance to a tunnel, but Hamas terrorists ambushed them, hurling grenades, detonating an explosive device, and opening fire on them.

The four soldiers were killed in the blast.

A second group of soldiers, attempting to reach them, were not able to make contact with them. They feared that the initial group had been captured, and others came to their assistance. Ben Bassat led the rescue operation; he was joined by Grinberg, of the 13th Battalion, and two other battalion commanders, who set up a perimeter to give the rescue force cover.

The soldiers attempting to rescue the first group came under fire from terrorists inside the other buildings. Two soldiers from the Air Force’s elite Unit 669

search and rescue team were killed as they tried to break into the compound.

Finally, the second group of soldiers reached the group of four soldiers, only to see that they had been killed.

At that stage, Grinberg’s force came under massive fire from a second building. Troops responded, including by firing a shoulder-launched missile into the building which apparently detonated several other explosives inside and blew up the entire building.

Ben Basat, who was in the middle of retiring from the IDF but decided to remain when the war broke out, is the most senior officer to have been killed in the ground offensive against Hamas. He previously served as head of the Yiftah Brigade, a reserve commando unit, and before that as the head of the Paran Regional Brigade.

Grinberg is the eighth IDF lieutenant colonel killed since the October 7 massacre, and Ben Basat is the fifth colonel.

The IDF has been experiencing heavy fighting in Jabalya and Shejaiya as well in Khan Younis. Despite the tragic losses, the military says that it is in the middle of annihilating Hamas from Shejaiya, an area where the terror group has a major force and is closest to the border with Israel.

This week, the IDF also said that troops had found the bodies of Eden Zacharia, 27, and IDF Warrant Officer Ziv Dado, 36, who had both been taken hostage on October 7. They were found deep in a tunnel near the home of Hamas’ former commander of its northern Gaza Brigade. Two soldiers – Master Sgt. (res.)

Gal Meir Eisenkot and Master Sgt. (res.)

Eyal Meir Berkowitz – were killed during the operation to retrieve the bodies.

It is believed that Hamas still has 135 hostages in its clutches, although not all of them are alive.

Qatar Sent Millions To Gaza

Since 2018, Qatar has been sending millions of dollars to Gaza. In the aftermath of the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack, many Israeli and American offi-

cials have placed blame upon the Arab state for funding the terror group that invaded southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and abducting more than 240. However, new reports allege that the Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, actually allowed Qatar to transfer funds to the Strip after the Gulf state held month-long negotiations with the Jewish state.

Investigations conducted by Shomrim, an Israeli watchdog group, reveal that Netanyahu permitted Qatar to send monthly payments to Gaza through Israeli land, even though the premier’s government warned him of the dangers of doing so.

While Qatar and Hamas insist that the funds have been solely used for humanitarian purposes, the Gulf Arab state has refused to discontinue the payments, even following the October 7th terrorist attack which was likely made possible with the Qatari funds in question.

“We’re not going to change our mandate. Our mandate is our continuous help and support for our brothers and sisters of Palestine. We will continue to do it systematically as we did it before,” asserted Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, the Qatari minister of state for foreign affairs.

The funding supposedly began to compensate Gazan government workers whose salaries were lowered by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2017, a government source said. At that time, the PA was strongly against such payments. In August 2018, in a security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu’s government approved the funding. While many, at the time, were critical of Netanyahu’s decision, with some asserting that he wasn’t being hard enough on the terrorist group, the premier claimed that the deal would have a positive impact on both Israel and the Gaza Strip.

According to former senior Israeli Defense Ministry official Major General Amos Gilad, Netanyahu approved the funding, but Israeli intelligence agencies were not involved. Gilad added that there was a thought that such a deal would “weaken Palestinian sovereignty,” and by the same token, it was also, unfortunately, believed that “if you fed them (Hamas) with money, they would be tamed.”

Coming to the prime minister’s defense, an Israeli official said that assertions that Netanyahu sought to keep Hamas “moderately weakened” are “utterly false.” Rather, the official added, the prime minister’s goal has been to diminish Hamas’ power “significantly.”

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“He led three powerful military operations against Hamas which killed thousands of terrorists and senior Hamas commanders,” said the official. “Successive Israeli governments before, during, and after Netanyahu’s governments enabled money to go to Gaza. Not in order to strengthen Hamas but to prevent a humanitarian crisis by supporting critical infrastructure, including water and sewage systems to prevent the spread of disease and enable daily life.”

Plans to Rebuild

Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday approved the outline for a strategic multi-year plan to rehabilitate and develop the Gaza Strip-adjacent “Tekuma” region and its population.

The plan constitutes a broad budgetary framework for five years (2024-2028)

of up to 18 billion shekels ($4.9 billion) intended to lead to the rehabilitation of the region.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “In the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip at the start of the war, we established the Tekuma Authority.” (Tekuma means “revival” in Hebrew.)

“We provided a massive budget to rebuild the communities and to ensure that nobody will be left behind,” he added.

The outline, formulated in cooperation with the local authorities and communities, is designed to lead to the renewal and development of the region with significant demographic growth.

The framework will make the region “a prosperous and attractive focus and magnet for economic resilience, quality education, investments, and advanced and innovative agriculture,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

With the framework’s approval, the Tekuma Authority will now produce a detailed multi-year, long-term plan to be published within 100 days.

Netanyahu said that Israel will ensure that the cities, rural communities, and various councils “will flourish and prosper for generations and surpass what was.

“We are committed to investing in education, employment, social services,

assistance for evacuees, agriculture, businesses and every field,” he said.

“I would like to commend all those who are engaged in this important work, which we will submit to the government today. The wheat is being sown in the kibbutzim in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip—and it will grow,” the prime minister said. (JNS)

Alex Jones Back on X

The move to reactivate Jones’ account could further alienate advertisers, who have abandoned the platform in droves over concerns that Musk’s lack of content moderation allowed their brands to appear alongside offensive content. At The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in November, Musk insulted advertisers using an expletive and told them not to spend on his platform.

Since then, X has pursued small businesses and sought their advertising dollars to replace the revenue it once counted on from major brands. “If you’re a small business and have a product idea for us or a new way we can help you out more, please share,” X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, posted Friday. (© The New York Times)

Fatal Tornado in TN

Elon Musk on Sunday allowed Alex Jones to return to social media platform X, which banned him more than five years ago for posting harassing messages.

Jones spent years promoting the claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 was a hoax. Last year, he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to the families of eight victims of the massacre for defamation.

Also banned by Facebook and YouTube, Jones had said he hoped Musk would reinstate his account on X, formerly Twitter. In an interview with Tucker Carlson that aired Thursday on X, Jones said users regularly called on Musk to bring him back to the platform.

“I trend all the time, ‘Hey, if you’re such an absolutist on free speech, bring back Alex Jones,’” Jones said. “I understand that he needs to go through a process before he does that.”

On Saturday, Musk responded to a user on X who said it was time for him to bring Jones back to the platform. “Ok,” Musk wrote.

Musk then started a poll, asking his 165 million followers if he should bring back Jones’ account. By early Sunday, an overwhelming majority of the nearly 2 million respondents voted in favor of reinstating Jones’ account. In the comments section of the poll, Musk signaled that he would do just that: “The people have spoken and so it shall be,” he wrote.

Musk restored the account Sunday morning, although Jones did not immediately post.

Strong tornadoes and thunderstorms hit Tennessee on Saturday, taking the lives of at least six people and causing serious damage to several parts of the state.

On Nesbitt Lake, in Madison, Tennessee, three people were killed by the severe weather, and in the city of Clarksville, which is in Montgomery County, three others died, including a child.

“At this time, we can confirm that three people are deceased, two adults and one child, as a result of the tornado that touched down this afternoon. Additionally, 23 people have been treated at the hospital,” the Montgomery County government stated, with county officials adding that they are currently in a “search and rescue phase” in order to assess whether more have been killed or hurt by the storm.

On Saturday night, the Clarksville city government declared a state of emergency, announced Mayor Joe Pitts. A 9 pm curfew on Saturdays and Sundays was also implemented.

“This is devastating news, and our hearts are broken for the families of those who lost loved ones. The City stands ready to help them in their time of grief,” said Pitts.

Gallatin and Hendersonville, both of which are cities in Sumner County, sustained “significant damage,” according to officials. As of now, no one in the county

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to Congress on Tuesday. On Saturday, Scott Bok, the chairman of the board, also stepped down.

“It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution,” Magill said. “It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to advance Penn’s vital missions.”

Magill, who was appointed as the Ivy League institution’s president twenty months ago, will continue to work as a tenured professor at the university’s law school. She will remain as interim president until someone else is chosen to take her place.

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has been killed or critically injured as a result of the storm, said Sumner County Emergency Medical Services.

“At this time, we are working to respond to multiple calls throughout the county and to establish Red Cross shelters in Gallatin and Hendersonville,” said a statement signed by the mayors of the two cities. “It is of paramount importance that citizens stay off of the roads and allow first responders and utility crews to respond.”

At least three people were hurt near

Dresden, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon. Northwest Tennessee officials have warned residents to avoid driving due to the storm.

As of Monday morning, more than 17,000 homes and businesses were without power. Temperatures were below freezing, and power companies said it may take days for the lights to turn back on. Officials have opened shelters to keep people warm, as thousands have been displaced due to the havoc wreaked by

the storm, their homes shredded by the winds and rain.

UPenn Pres.

Resigns University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill resigned from her position over the weekend after facing intense criticism for her hesitation in condemning campus antisemitism during her testimony

Along with the presidents of Harvard and MIT, Magill testified in front of Congress on Tuesday about the rise of campus antisemitism in the aftermath of the October 7th Hamas invasion of Israel. During the testimony, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik asked Magill if calls for Jewish genocide on campus would constitute bullying and harassment. The president had a difficult time answering the question, saying “it is a context-dependent decision,” thus triggering calls for her resignation from over seventy members of Congress, several donors, alumni, and others.

Bok came to the president’s defense, asserting that she had simply misspoken and had no antisemitic intention. Ross Stevens, one of the institution’s mega-donors, said he would rescind his $100 million-valued donation unless Magill resigns.

“Given this moment of crisis, we demand that your boards immediately remove each of these presidents from their positions and that you provide an actionable plan to ensure that Jewish and Israeli students, teachers, and faculty are safe on your campuses,” wrote over seventy members of Congress in a joint statement, insisting that the presidents of Penn, Harvard, and MIT be fired. “The university presidents’ responses to questions aimed at addressing the growing trend of antisemitism on college and university campuses were abhorrent.”

Magill came under fire in September for allowing antisemitic speakers to take part at her university’s on-campus “Palestine Writes Literature Festival.” She

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attempted to defend her decision, citing free speech, but only received more criticism, with thirty-six faculty members signing a letter condemning her response. When Hamas invaded Israel only a few weeks later, murdering over 1,200 innocent people, her failure to deal with the surge in campus antisemitism earned her the condemnation of the masses.

Once hailed as a successful academic, Magill was the University of Virginia’s provost before becoming the president of the University of Pennsylvania, which is frequently praised as one of the most prestigious institutions in the country.

“One down. Two to go,” Rep. Stefanik posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America.”

Gay Will Stay Claudine Gay will not step down from Harvard after the university’s board reaffirmed its support for the president of the university.

“As members of the Harvard Corporation, we today reaffirm our support

for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University,” the statement from the Harvard Corporation said. “Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing.”

The Harvard Corporation, the university’s top governance board, announced the decision Tuesday morning following the conclusion of the board’s meeting on Monday.

“In this tumultuous and difficult time, we unanimously stand in support of President Gay,” the Corporation added in its statement.

Still, Gay is under fire for her comments during a House committee a week ago in which she refused to condemn antisemitism on campus. Since then, politicians and alumni have

called for her ouster. UPenn President Liz Magill, who testified alongside Gay, resigned in the aftermath of the hearing.

At the December 5 hearing before a House committee, Gay struggled to answer questions about whether calls for genocide against Jews would violate Harvard’s code of conduct. She and other university presidents failed to explicitly say calls for genocide of Jewish people constituted bullying and harassment on campus. The exchanges went viral and prompted a flurry of business leaders, donors and politicians to demand Gay, Magill, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth step down.

The three presidents soon after attempted to clarify their testimony, publicly saying that they were giving academic answers to questions of safety, and they believe calls for genocide would violate school rules.

“One down. Two to go,” Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York wrote on X, after Magill stepped down Saturday, with “two” being a reference to Gay and Kornbluth. Stefanik was the House member who had asked the university presidents the probing questions. “In the case of @Harvard, President Gay was asked by me 17x whether calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard’s code of conduct. She spoke her truth 17x. And the world heard.”

Stefanik, along with a group of 71 bipartisan lawmakers, sent a letter to the governing boards of Harvard, Penn, and MIT last week urging them to remove their university leaders.

UNLV Shooting

Anthony Polito, a 67-year-old professor, entered the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Wednesday, December 6, and proceeded to kill three people with a pistol he legally bought eighteen months ago. Police were called at 11:45 a.m., and ten minutes later, Polito became engaged in a gunfight with the officers, resulting in the gunman’s death.

“If it hadn’t been for the heroic actions of one of those police officers who responded, there could have been countless additional lives taken,” noted Kevin

McMahill, the police sheriff of Las Vegas.

According to McMahill, Polito had sent 22 letters to UNLV faculty before the attack. Some envelopes contained within them a white powder, which city police have determined to be unharmful.

ChanJan “Jerry” Chang, 64, Patricia Navarro Velez, 39, and Naoko Takemaru, 69, were killed by Polito. Chang taught management information systems at the Lee Business School; Patricia Navarro-Velez was an assistant professor of accounting; Takemaru was an associate professor of Japanese studies at the college. Four others were injured in the attack.

A self-described “semi-retired university professor,” Polito was, until 2017, a professor at East Carolina University (ECA), where he taught business. According to some of his students, his class was easy and his lectures were filled with tangents and his life stories; some felt they weren’t learning anything, but the consensus seemed to be that he was a nice guy. He had an obsession with Las Vegas and an interest in conspiracy theories, some of which made antisemitic claims of Jewish world domination. According to officials, Polito was in a poor financial situation; when investigators searched his home, they found an eviction notice on his door. He had tried to find jobs but was rejected “numerous times” from the places he sought employment at. Investigators suspect that the job rejections served as his motive for the attack.

“Today is a tragic day for UNLV,” said Keith Whitfield, the president of the school. “We’re all still in shock as we process the unfathomable event.”

“I’m grieving for the victims of today’s senseless shooting, and my heart breaks for the many students, faculty, staff, parents, loved ones, and community members who suffered through hours of painful uncertainty while officers ensured that our campus was safe and secure again.”

President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of this attack and urged Republican lawmakers to help their Democrat colleagues ban assault weapons.

“Together, we must do more to prevent more families, and more communities like Austin, San Antonio, and Las Vegas, from being ripped apart by gun violence,” Biden said.

Hunter Biden Charged On Thursday, Hunter Biden’s past finally caught up with him. In the

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charges handed by special counsel David Weiss in Southern California, Biden is accused of engaging in a scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes on income and instead funding a lavish lifestyle of drugs and promiscuity.

is unlikely that the president’s son will spend any time in jail.

In June, he had agreed to a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid jailtime but a federal judge in Delaware refused to accept the deal, primarily because it was unclear if it would resolve the tax case.

Minnesota Needs a New Flag

Hunter is also facing three gun-related charges that were filed in September in December. The president’s son is accused of making false statements on a federal firearms form and obtaining a handgun and possessing it for 11 days in 2018 at a time when he was addicted to drugs.

Weiss argues that Biden continued to evade taxes into 2020, and in the indictment, he includes a chart of nearly $5 million in spending between 2016 and 2019. The 56-page indictment is detailed and complicated and documents millions in income and expenses, some of which Biden is accused of siphoning away from his companies.

According to the indictment, “Between 2016 and October 15, 2020, the Defendant spent this money on drugs… luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes.”

If convicted of all charges in the tax case, Hunter Biden could face up to 17 years in prison. If convicted on all charges in the gun case, he could face up to 25 years in prison. Of course, it

Ask Minnesotans about the state’s official flag, and prepare for a crush of critiques.

Start with legibility. Viewed from afar, it is difficult to make sense of the jumble of dates, stars and the state slogan, in French, which rings the centerpiece image.

Aesthetically, it is, well, not a marvel, many a Minnesotan will tell you, with Midwestern restraint.

Zoom in on the scene depicted at the core, which happens to be the state seal, to understand why a lawmaker who led the latest effort to retire the flag calls it “a cluttered genocidal mess.”

In the foreground is a pioneer using a plow next to a tree stump, which features a rifle and an ax. Behind him is a Native American man on horseback, spear in hand, riding beside a sunset.

“It’s literally a Native person being driven off their land,” said Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a Democrat, who is a member

of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and has refused, on principle, to use the state flag or seal in official correspondence and paperwork. “It’s horrific.”

Within months, it will likely become a relic.

A commission the state Legislature appointed this year to design a new flag recently unveiled six finalists after considering more than 2,100 submissions.

The commission also solicited sketches for a new seal, and this past week selected a finalist, which features a loon, the state bird.

The plan to replace the flag has faced a measure of resistance. Some lawmakers have asserted that the scene in the seal should not be construed as racist. Farmers have voiced concern that the new designs fail to pay homage to the state’s agriculture sector.

The State Emblems Redesign Commission provided detailed guidance for submissions. Entries needed to be simple, easy to recognize, free of lettering and “represent Minnesota’s enduring values and aspirations, emphasizing inclusivity and unity.”

Minnesotans, known for civic engagement, produced more than 2,600 submissions.

Since the finalists were unveiled last month, members of the flag redesign commission have received more than 15,000 comments, and debate about the designs has raged online. The commission must submit a finalist to the governor and Legislature by Jan. 1. The new flag is expected to make its debut May 11, Minnesota’s 166th birthday, unless state legislators object. (© The New York Times)

dent-elect Bernardo Arévalo from taking office in January.

The victory of Arévalo and his Seed Movement party is seen as a threat to those who have long wielded power in Guatemala. The anti-corruption crusader has been a target for months, with arrests of party members, raids and repeated requests to lift his immunity so prosecutors can investigate him directly.

The U.S. State Department in a statement condemned “ongoing anti-democratic actions” by prosecutors and other actors and noted “intent to delegitimize Guatemala’s free and fair elections and prevent the peaceful transition of power.”

In its statement, it said the individuals whose visa were restricted were “responsible for, or complicit in” political targeting of opposition, intimidation of peaceful protestors, raids, opening of ballot boxes and lifting of immunity of electoral magistrates who certified the election.

Last week, prosecutors alleged that minutes seized during a raid of electoral offices showed that results from the presidential runoff vote Arévalo won in August had irregularities and were therefore void.

Arévalo accused the prosecution of seeking to undermine his ability to govern and was quickly backed by a growing number of international entities such as the Organization of American States and the European Union, which had sent observers to monitor the election and confirmed that voting adhered to democratic standards.

$700 Million Baseball Contract

Visa Restrictions on Guatemalan Leaders

This week, the Biden administration announced that it is imposing visa restrictions on nearly 300 Guatemalan lawmakers, private sector leaders, and their families it accuses of “undermining democracy and the rule of law.”

Guatemala faces mounting criticism by world leaders and watchdogs accusing it of attempts to block progressive Presi-

Shohei Ohtani is now the proud recipient of the largest contract in baseball history, signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday for a cool 10-year, $700 million.

Ohtani announced his decision on Instagram, “To all the fans and everyone involved in the baseball world, I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” Ohtani wrote. “I have decided to choose the Dodgers as my next team.”

Ohtani’s contract tops the previous record by more than $250 million, towering over the 12-year, $426.5 million

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extension given in 2019 to Mike Trout, his now-former teammate with the Los Angeles Angels. It also easily topped the $450 million deal signed by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to become the largest in North American professional sports history. The $70 million average annual salary eclipses the previous Major League Baseball record of $43.3 million for Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and is more than the 2023 Opening Day payrolls of the Baltimore Orioles ($60.9 million) and Oakland Athletics ($56.9 million).

“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player,” Nez Balelo, Ohtani’s agent at CAA, said in a statement, adding: “Shohei is thrilled to be a part of the Dodgers organization. He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.”

Ohtani, 29, is the first player in baseball history to be named unanimous MVP on multiple occasions, an honor bestowed upon him twice over the past three years.

During that stretch, he defied conventionality by excelling as both a pitcher and a hitter, becoming MLB’s first two-way player since Babe Ruth dabbled in both roles more than a century ago.

In August of this year, Ohtani developed a tear in his elbow – his second such injury in five years. He underwent surgery on the ligament a month later.

Before Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, he was considering the Toronto Blue Jays, the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the Angels.

8 Years for Racial Slurs

Edward C. Mathews is going to jail for eight years after being caught on camera “harassing and using racial slurs against several of his neighbors,” according to a press release from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.

Mathews was sentenced on Friday after a police investigation that began in 2021 revealed “a pattern of abuse from Mathews against his neighbors that included leaving a threatening note on one of their vehicles,” the prosecutor’s office said.

Mathews, who is white, was captured on a neighbor’s doorbell camera making inappropriate motions and saying inappropriate comments to his neighbors, who are black.

One of his neighbors is a black woman who is on the homeowner’s association board (HOA) and told police Mathews called her racial slurs over the past few months.

In October, Mathews pleaded guilty to four counts of bias intimidation. He asked for leniency during his sentencing hearing and said he accepted responsibility and apologized to the victims for “my insensitive and disrespectful words in the past.”

But now, Mathews is going to jail and is required to sit in jail for four years before being eligible for parole.

Portland: Drugs Should be Illegal Again

After years of rising overdoses and an exodus of business from central Portland, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said Monday that state and city officials are proposing to roll back a portion of the nation’s most wide-ranging drug decriminalization law in a bid to revive the troubled city.

Under the plan brokered by Kotek, a Democrat, state lawmakers would be asked to consider a ban on public drug use and police would be given greater resources to deter the distribution of drugs. Kotek said officials hoped to restore a sense of safety for both visitors and workers in the city’s beleaguered urban core, which has seen an exodus of key retail outlets, including REI, an institution in the Pacific Northwest.

“When it comes to open-air drug use, nobody wants to see that,” Kotek said. “We need different tools to send the message that that is not acceptable behavior.”

Along with new drug use prohibitions and an expanded police presence, a task force led by the governor also proposed a moratorium on new taxes and other tax relief targeted at encouraging businesses to remain in the city. The group also called for increased services for homeless residents, including more shelter capacity, and emergency declarations at multiple levels of government to help open more services to people struggling with drug addiction.

Oregon voters in 2020 approved the nation’s first law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of hard drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamines.

The ballot measure sought to end the use of jail as a punishment for drug users and instead treat addiction as a health issue.

The effort was to be joined with major new investments in drug treatment, but those new systems have been slow to develop.

“Portland is changing,” Kotek said, adding that the new approach could be a model for other cities. Multnomah County, which includes Portland, has been approaching 500 overdose deaths a year, up from about 200 in 2019, and statewide deaths were up 28% over the past year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the second highest jump in the nation, behind Washington state.

Advocates for drug-policy reform expressed alarm about the proposal to bring back criminal penalties for drug use. Tera Hurst, the executive director of the nonprofit Health Justice Recovery Alliance, said the focus should be on providing people access to services. (© The New York Times)

Barely Legal

Peter Park passed the bar last year – and he wasn’t even old enough to vote.

Park was 17 when he managed to fly through the notoriously hard California Bar exam and passed the test on his first try. Now 18, he was sworn in as a practicing attorney this week.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s office announced the teen’s record-breaking achievement in a Facebook post, saying that it was a “legal history making moment.”

Park is used to doing things early. He enrolled in Northwestern California University School of Law when he was 13 and still in high school, taking advantage of a state bar rule that allows students to apply to law school after completing the College Level Proficiency Exams.

He graduated from high school in 2021.

He graduated from law school this year.

“It was not easy, but it was worth it. It required discipline and strategy to pass the Bar, and I made it in the end. I am extremely blessed to have discovered this path, and my hope is that more people will realize that alternative paths exist to becoming an attorney,” Park said.

As for his future plans, Park plans on putting the bad guys in jail.

“I aspire to become a prosecutor because I am driven by a moral obligation to uphold liberty, equality, and justice in society. I admire how prosecutors keep our community safe and bring closure to victims,” he said.

That’s tough stuff coming from someone who is just barely legal in California.

Mini Mensa

She’s six, and she’s really smart. Oh, and she wants to be a singer – or a fashion designer.

Declan Lopez has time to decide on what she wants to do when she grows up.

But she’s on her way to achieving great things. The kindergartner from New Jersey is a member of Mensa, an international society for people with high intelligence quotients.

Declan’s mother, Meachel Lopez, said that Declan knew how to roll over and hold her bottle really early. And then, “out of nowhere,” she began to speak Mandarin at the age of 18 months.

Meachel was curious about her daughter’s IQ, so she had the then five-year-old tested in February. Turns out that Declan’s IQ was determined to be 137, which is in the 99th percentile. That score led the kindergartner to be accepted into Mensa.

Declan said that when she learns something new, “it feels silly and exciting.”

She goes to school each day, but then continues learning even after she gets home.

This week, she learned about the periodic table of elements.

“She’s really interested in making sure she knows all about the atomic weights of the elements and she knows all the numbers and she knows all the symbols and she knows all the classifications,” Meachel said.

That’s more than I know.

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The Tomato Escape

For months, fellow astronauts thought that Frank Rubio had been the one to have eaten one of the first tomatoes harvested in space. This week, Frank was exonerated when the tiny tomato was found somewhere in the space station – eight months after Frank left back to Earth.

“Our good friend Frank Rubio, who headed home [already], has been blamed for quite a while for eating the tomato. But we can exonerate him. We found the tomato,” Jasmin Moghbeli, a fellow astronaut, said on a livestream celebrating the 25th anniversary of the space station.

Rubio, who returned to Earth in September, had been the target of joking accusations for months that he had eaten the space-grown fruit.

“I spent so many hours looking for that thing,” Frank said during a September space station livestream. “I’m sure the desiccated tomato will show up at some point and vindicate me, years in the future.”

And finally, here it is: the missing piece of the salad.

An Adorable Alligator

An unusual alligator was recently born at an alligator park in Florida. The little lizard is the first solid white leucistic alligator to be born at the facility.

Lest you wonder what a leucistic alligator is, have no fear. They were first discovered in Louisiana almost four decades ago. There are only seven known to still survive in the world; three are housed at Gatorland.

Leucism is a rare genetic condition in alligators. The condition “causes white coloration, but they often have patches or

splotches of normal coloration on their skin. Without the darker skin pigmentation, they can’t have direct sunlight for long periods of time because they sunburn easily,” Gatorland said.

They also have bright blue eyes. Albino alligators, on the other hand, lack pigment and have pink eyes.

“This is beyond rare; it is absolutely extraordinary,” the park said.

This is the first leucistic alligator to be born into human care.

For now, the baby will be off-limits to visitors. She will be on display next year.

See ya later, alligator.

Duped Diplomacy

This could have been a great Purim shpiel, but it really happened.

Arnaldo Chamorro, a senior official in Paraguay, was fired last week after signing a cooperation memorandum with a country he has since learned does not exist.

Chamorro was chief of staff to the agriculture minister. He had signed the document with purported officials from the “United States of Kailasa” — which he was told was a South American island.

“They came and expressed a wish to help Paraguay. They presented several projects, we listened to them and that was that,” he said, admitting to having been fooled.

The fake officials also met his minister, Carlos Gimenez.

In the document, complete with the ministry’s letterhead and official seal, Chamorro salutes “the honorable Nithyananda Paramashivam, sovereign of the United States of Kailasa,” and praises his “contributions to Hinduism, humanity and the Republic of Paraguay.”

The memorandum further recommends that the “government of Paraguay actively explore the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States of Kailasa and supports its admission as a sovereign state to various international organizations, including the United Nations.”

Officials in Paraguay are saying that the memorandums are not “considered official” since they were made under false pretenses.

Seems like anyone can be scammed.

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Community Light Up the Nights

E

ach night of Chanukah, Chabad hosts a Grand Menorah lighting at Cedarhurst Park.

The first night began with a Torch

of Life March for each hostage who is unable to light menorah this year. The Grand Menorah was lit by Ambassador David Freidman, honoring the families

of lone soldiers currently in the IDF. The event was in partnership with Chabad Five Towns, Gural JCC, Young Israel Lawrence, Cedarhurst and the entire

Five Towns community.

The third night included a musical Havdalah by Sruli Prero.

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Around the Community

Lighting The Way at the 9th Annual “Chanukah on The Park”

By Michael Perlman

“C

hanukah on The Park” and its symbolic 18-foot menorah continues to beam brighter each year in front of Yellowstone Park in Forest Hills as a multi-generational event that grows logistically and spiritually. On the fourth night of December 10, hundreds were ready to embrace the miracles of Chanukah.

This tradition originating in 2015 was founded by Rabbi Mendy Hecht and Rebbetzin Chaya Hecht of Chabad of Forest Hills North (CFHN), who also serve the community religiously and as humanitarians since 2012. The festival is another achievement that signifies how CFHN is a community beacon of light, continuing to spread the message behind Chanukah lights year-round. “Each night of Chanukah, we light another candle, as an eternal reminder that while darkness gradually fades, one small flame can create additional light, without losing any of its own brightness,” said Rabbi Mendy.

The ambiance feels traditional yet innovative. “Every year, we must light the 18-foot menorah, which is of #1 importance to spread the miracle of light, and we pursue it with our FDNY amazing

Rabbi Mendy & family, & NYPD in front of 18 ft menorah, Courtesy of Moishe Recheste Photography

team that comes to help light with a positive fire,” said Rabbi Mendy. A firefighter joins the rabbi to accomplish a noble endeavor from a cherry picker. The menorah is kindled with a torch, beginning with the shamash.

The famous DJ Jordan, known for his great Chanukah hits and Jewish-themed songs, made a comeback. He especially played Jewish and Israeli-themed songs in support of our brethren in Israel. “We change up the entertainment yearly, with something exciting and different that all ages love, so this year, we went even larger, bringing the world-famous ‘Flippenout Trampoline Show’ all the way from Utah,” said Rabbi Mendy. Acrobatic stunts in the air, off two trampolines and a wall, proved to be an attraction. A CFHN novelty was once again an over 30-foot-high Chanu-

kah Gelt drop off the FDNY fire truck that children especially anticipate.

Dreidel mascots and clowns choreographed their way between the crowd.

Every attendee received a traditional jelly donut. Known as sufganiyot, this symbolic treat recalls Chanukah’s miracle of the oil. This year’s agenda adds to the diverse history of past events, where highlights included a BMX bike show, an illusionist, a magician, a fire show, an escape artist, a puppet show, and a mad science show.

Newly introduced were commemorative Chanukah gold, copper, and silver coins. “The Jerusalem Mint” coins are heavily inscribed and feature menorahs and read “Light Unto The Nations” and “Maccabee Miracles, 165 BCE.” “A coin was gifted for at least $360 in donations (ten times, two times Chai as a biblical 18). Our coin features everything important in one, including a menorah, supporting Israel, terror victims, and Chabad,” said Rabbi Mendy.

Due to the October 7 attacks and antisemitism’s significant rise, attendees repeated passages of the Torah and Tehillim for the safety of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and worldwide.

Rabbi Mendy stated, “For all the hos-

tages and courageous Jewish men and women serving on military bases worldwide, we are the Chanukah flames and their light. The Lubavitcher Rebbe OBM taught us that Chanukah flames remind us that G-D is at our side, protecting us, guiding us, and bringing spiritual light to the darkness that swirls outside.”

He explained, “We choose to add more light in the world and do another mitzvah. We choose hope, belief, strength, and salvation. We choose to unite through light. Just as in the past we were victorious and light won, so today we’ll be victorious and light will win. In every single city, state and country, our nation is choosing to fight terror with light. Am Yisrael Chai!”

Rabbi Mendy extended a special thanks to the 112th Precinct, Parks Department, and FDNY Ladder 135. A significant storm was predicted, but another Chanukah miracle prevailed, in addition to being 60 degrees. “It was a festive, warm feeling and divine,” he said.

nities, schools, and organizations; establishing a dedicated 24-hour helpline to help those directly affected by the war; and ensuring medical care continues uninterrupted for families whose medical hardships are further complicated by the ongoing situation.

Chai Lifeline’s Evening of Unity paid tribute to the incredible dedication and efforts of the more than 200 dedicated volunteers worldwide who comprise Chai Lifeline’s Crisis and Trauma Services team, led by its director, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox. The organization also honored Congressman Ritchie Torres, U.S. representative for New York’s 15th congressional district, with the Champion of Israel award in recognition of his unwavering

support of Israel and the Jewish community, as well as his ongoing advocacy against antisemitism.

The program featured Israeli-themed cuisine and moving musical performances by Yishai Lapidot, Eitan Katz, and Yaakov Lemmer.

“During these darkest of times, we have witnessed the incredible resiliency and unity of our community,” said Rabbi Scholar. “The international response of so many good and kind-hearted people is a testament to the eternal power of giving and caring for others. This evening was a testament to that unity and support, as well as our commitment to continue to be there for our brother and sisters in need.”

To donate and participate in diverse pursuits, visit www.ChabadFHN. com, call 347-642-7166, or email info@ chabadfhn.com

Chai Lifeline’s Evening of Unity

C

hai Lifeline, the international support network, providing social, emotional, and practical assistance to children, families, and communities impacted by medical crises and trauma, hosted an “Evening of Unity” on December 4 at Pier 60 in New York City.

Since the outbreak of the war, Chai Lifeline has mobilized its global network of staff, volunteers, and trauma specialists to assist children and families in coping with an unprecedented array of challenges – both in Israel and in Jewish communities across the globe.

“While we never imagined we would be forced to contend with such a devastating and wide-ranging crisis, Chai Lifeline’s decades of experience dealing with all types of traumatic events gave us an

existing infrastructure to rely and build upon when it came to implementing a comprehensive response,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, Chai Lifeline CEO. “Over the past weeks and months, our focus has been on expanding our resources and services to meet the needs of the worldwide Jewish community as we all cope with the horrors of October 7.”

That response has included safely relocating Israeli families with children under active cancer treatment out of high-risk areas and providing them with counseling, programming, and support; distributing trauma resources in multiple languages and offering psychological guidance to hundreds of thousands; leading crisis interventions and consultations for thousands in global commu-

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Around the Community

Biography Reports at YOSS Building menorahs and memories at YOSS ECC-Pre 1A at the Grand-Father-Son Chanukah Workshop

M

r. Richter’s fifth grade English Language Arts class at YOSS had an amazing week presenting their Biography Book Reports!

The boys did a phenomenal job on their assignment. They learned about famous and interesting people such as Benjamin Franklin, Teddy Roosevelt, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and many others. Some boys chose to dress up as their subjects, which led to an unforgettable learning experience.

Chanukah at HAFTR EC

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AFTR Early Childhood embraced the joy of Chanukah with an abundance of spirit, welcoming friends and families to partake in festive activities.

The Toddlers, with creativity in full bloom, crafted delightful latke plates using tissue paper and adorned dreidel picture frames with sparkly stickers. Morah Miriam and Rabbi Ben led them in joyous Chanukah songs, creating a lively atmosphere filled with laughter and warmth.

The 3s class delved into the Chanukah spirit by creating bedazzled Menorahs, embellished with marbles and vibrant decals. As they indulged in Chanukah donuts and delicacies, the young ones reveled in the festive mood.

The Pre-K event featured a variety of engaging activities. Edible dreidels made with marshmallows, pretzels, and Hershey’s Kisses sparked both creativity and appetite. Vibrantly blue Chanukah bracelets adorned the students’ wrists, and colorful Chanukah cards became canvases for their artistic expression. The festivities concluded with a spirited song session led by Rabbi Ben, covering popu-

MTA Makes Chizuk Trip to Israel

E lar Chanukah tunes from “I Had A Little Dreidel” to “Oh Chanukah.” Each child took home their own menorah, marking the end of a wonderful Chanukah celebration at HAFTR Early Childhood.

The entire Early Childhood community at HAFTR enjoyed these enriching experiences, truly embracing the spirit of Chanukah.

Be Jewish! Be Loud! Be Proud!

J

oin us for our Community Wide Solidarity Rally in West Hempstead Date: Sunday, December 17, 2023 Time: 2pm-4pm Location: Our duck pond known as Hall’s Pond where Nassau Blvd and

Hempstead Ave converge Help us fight the bias incidents and antisemitism that have occurred in West Hempstead Support Israel and demand the release of the hostages.

ver since October 7, everyone at MTA’s thoughts and tefillos have been channeled towards Israel, as they daven that the hostages should be released, that the chayalim should be safe and successful in their missions, and that all of Klal Yisrael can unite to help each other. At MTA, everyone is giving special thought to the alumni who are currently serving in the IDF and to the former talmidim who are currently learning in yeshivos in Israel.

It is MTA’s tradition to send a few administrators and rebbeim over yeshiva break to visit recent alumni learning in Israel. This year, with the current situation, it was decided that another trip was called for. Rabbi Konigsberg, MTA’s Associate Principal, along with Rabbi Stone, the Director of Admissions, went on a whirlwind trip to visit as many yeshivos as possible. During their 48-hour trip, they visited alumni in HaKotel, Netiv Aryeh, Aish Gesher, Torat Shraga, Mevaseret, Yishrei Lev, Sha’alvim, Reishit, Lev HaTorah, Toras Chaim, Kerem B’Yavneh and Gush. In addition to giving chizuk to the boys, Rabbi Konigsberg and Rabbi Stone had the opportunity to learn with them and schmooze, hearing about their experiences, especially post-October 7.

A highlight of the very short trip was a “Grilling for IDF” BBQ that was made

by MTA alumni for soldiers on an army base in Ofra. A siyum was made, a delicious BBQ prepared by the alumni was served, and the mood was celebratory, as everyone benefited from the special event. Rabbi Konigsberg summed it up perfectly, saying: “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We went to give chizuk and succeeded beyond our dreams, yet somehow, we still received more chizuk than we provided.”

It is the hope of everyone at MTA that the chesed and achdus that has become more of the norm both here and in Eretz Yisrael continues, and that Klal Yisrael will be zoche to see the Geula Shleima speedily in our days.

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Around the Community

Warmth and Achdus Fill YSZ’s Chanukah Toy Drive

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nother Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion chesed mission was successfully completed! YSZ hosted a Chanukah toy drive where the selfless schoolchildren were joined in the spirit of giving! Each day, more students brought in brand-new toys to contribute. Their small acts of kindness resonated with the true essence of Chanukah, turning the school into a hub of joy and light. From

dolls to building blocks, the children’s generosity knew no bounds, as the tables filled to the top, creating an atmosphere of warmth and unity. The drive reminded everyone that Chanukah is not just a festival of lights but a celebration of selflessness and community spirit. Happy Chanukah from YSZ, where the glow of giving truly shines bright!

Chanukah Party For Widowed and Divorced Mothers and Their Children

Spreading the Light

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n December 11, Mayor Benjamin Weinstock, along with Village officials, religious leaders, and community members, gathered at Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst to mark the fifth night of Chanukah. Mayor Weinstock lit the menorah, illuminating the night with the warm and welcoming light of the holiday. The event was a symbol of unity, hope, and the spirit of Chanukah, with residents of all backgrounds coming together to commemorate this meaningful holiday.

In addition to lighting the menorah, Mayor Weinstock presented Rabbi Wolowik of the Five Towns Chabad Center with a citation in fulfillment of the Center’s tireless efforts to engage with and uplift the community year-round.

Under the dedicated leadership of Rabbi Zalman Wolowik and Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik, Chabad of the Five Towns has consistently reached out to every Jewish household and visited residents at local hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing and group homes, and has conducted public menorah lighting ceremonies that bring the community together.

Mayor Weinstock stated, “Chanukah is a time to celebrate the enduring values of faith, resilience, and unity. The

L-R: Nassau County 4th Precinct Officer Jess Destasio, Rabbi Zalman Wolowik, Cedarhurst Mayor Benjamin Weinstock, Cedarhurst Trustee Daniel Plaut, and Nassau County 4th Precinct Officer Jared Ruff

Chabad of the Five Towns, under the exceptional leadership of Rabbi Wolowik and Rebbetzin Wolowik, embodies these principles through their unwavering commitment to our community. They have made a profound impact by spreading light, warmth, and hope to Cedarhurst and beyond.”

YCQ Girls Night Sparkling Success

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n Thursday, The first night of Chanukah, about fifty families of widowed and divorced mothers with their children enjoyed a feast at Masbia of Boro Park.

The Chanukah event started with lighting of the menorah by the sponsor, Eric Miller, of Nature’s Own. He was flanked by his family who came to volunteer distribute the food at the event. The food was smorgasbord style of a dozen hot dishes including a latkes frying station by Masbia’s Chef Ruben Diaz. The pastry area had menorah and dreidel cookies and a variety of donuts. Salads and nosh were also available.

The dining room was beautifully decorated with helium balloons and all kinds of decorations on the walls and the tables. The Judaica company “Rite Lite” donated hundreds of dreidels and

Chanukah tchotchkes for the mothers and children to take home. They were all beautifully displayed next to the menorah right at the door. Between the tables were two clowns who crafted and sculptured balloons with all the children.

Before they left, all the families entered the food pantry area where they received raw foods to take home as well as one toy for each member in the family.

They also received some Chanuakh gelt as car fare so they can schlepp home all the good stuff.

Masbia is a not-for-profit charity soup kitchen and food pantry that operates out of three locations in New York City.

The first location opened over 18 years ago. Millions of meals and tens of millions of pounds of food have been given out to people in need since.

L

ed by Mrs. Lowinger, over 60 students at YCQ Junior High gathered on Monday, December 4 to bond with each other, decorate acrylic boxes with diamond sequins, and eat a delicious dinner. Students created beautiful Chanukah-themed designs and had a wonderful time together.

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Around the Community

Bach Jewish Community Shows Thanks To Long Beach Police

The fifth grade talmidim of Siach Yitzchok visited the Yazlovitz Rov, Harav Letterman, shlit”a, last week. They were farhered on five perakim of Mishnayos and then were handed their very first Gemara Bava Kama.

Zvi Lonner, a young volunteer for the Eretz Hakodesh organization, packs Chanukah packages for the children of soldiers whose fathers will not be home for Chanukah

Levi Yitzchak Library Auction

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mid a surge in antisemitic attacks in the U.S., the BACH Jewish Center recently brought breakfast to the headquarters of the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) in appreciation for the department’s efforts to provide for the safety and security needs of the local Jewish community.

Over fresh coffee, pastries, bagels and shmears, the BACH’s Rabbi Benny Berlin thanked the police department leadership and patrol officers for their increased efforts to keep the community safe, including providing increased security around prayer times, synagogue events and increasing their patrols.

“Long Beach is home to a thriving Jewish community, that like many around the country is anxiously watching in fear as growing antisemitic rhetoric translates into action across the

T country,” said Rabbi Berlin. “We are very fortunate to have an incredible police department here that has gone above and beyond to ensure that we are not only safe but also feel safe practicing our faith despite the turbulent times.”

“It was extremely heartwarming for each member of our department to see that our community appreciates the work we do to ensure a safe and secure Long Beach for all of our residents and visitors,” said Police Commissioner Ronald Walsh Jr. “We are thankful to have such a diverse city and to work with all of our faith-based communal partners.

Our team here is inspired by the support and appreciation the community shows to our officers, and it is a testament to the thriving partnership between the Long Beach Police Department and the Jewish community here.”

Did you know?

Panama hats were originally made in Ecuador, not Panama.

urn on the news, and you might find a lot of darkness; step inside of 564 Central Avenue in Cedarhurst, and you will find only light. The vision of Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik after the tragic loss of her son at 9 years old, the Levi Yitzchak Library has been spreading light for over 13 years. From giggles and clapping hands at “A Little Curious” to oohs and aahs at world renowned scholar-in-residence Rabbi Shais Taub’s classes, from an impromptu mommy puppet show to enjoying a bagel brunch at the weekly popular Smile on Seniors program and its offshoot, Seniors Game Time, the Levi Yitzchak Library fills a love of knowledge and community for over 6,000 members of the community each year.

The library houses over 6,098 books for adults and 7,203 books for children amidst bright murals, a puppet station, comfy couches, many accessible desks, and fan favorite: a model train that children can sit in with their books for private reading time.

To keep this vibrant atmosphere alive on trendy Central Avenue requires community support. The Library is running its eighth Annual Auction, featuring raffles with exclusive prizes. But this year,

it has a twist! “Double the light. Double the impact.” Instead of just one gesture of tzedakah, you have the opportunity to give twice: once to the Five Towns community and once to our brethren in Israel.

Rabbi Zalman and Chanie made the bold decision on that fateful day, 14 years ago, to move forward with the celebrations, even amidst tragedy. They need the community to make the bold decision to support the library even while we are supporting Israel in many ways.

The auction begins on the 20th of Kislev, the anniversary of the Levi Yitzchak Library opening which is also Levi’s birthday. The final drawing will take place on Sunday, December 17, following the week of Chanukah and completing the global celebration of light and victory.

Celebrate Levi’s legacy, and make your dreams a reality! By giving to the community, you have the chance to win a trip to Israel, thousands of dollars in cash, and more! At the same time, your prize will mean MORE prizes for victims of war in Israel.

One act. An endless effect. Chanukah 2023.

Buy a ticket today! LibraryAuction.org.

For more information, call 516-374BOOK (2665).

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Around the Community

HAFTR Student Festivities

The “Chanukker Rebbe” giving out gelt at Aish Kodesh

Grandparents Day at Central

H

AFTR Middle School students immersed themselves in the joy of Chanukah through vibrant celebrations hosted at the homes of their dedicated rebbeim and morot. The festive gatherings provided an opportunity for students to revel in the holiday spirit while enjoying quality time with their friends. The lively events featured laughter, camaraderie, and the warmth of the Chanukah lights, creating cher-

ished memories for all who participated.

As the Middle School community came together for these spirited parties, the joy of the season resonated through the homes, fostering a sense of unity and celebration.

HAFTR Middle School continues to create meaningful experiences, enhancing the connection between students, faculty, and the festive traditions that enrich the school community.

T

he Torah is imbued with the enduring principle of honoring and gaining wisdom from preceding generations. With this in mind, Central held its highly-anticipated Grandparent’s Day event on Thursday, December 14, the seventh day of Chanukah.

Central has a long history of paying tribute to intergenerational family relationships, and specifically the special bond between grandparent and grandchild, a tie between past, present, and future that contributes to every child’s education. The event has come to hold great significance for students.

“It’s always really cool meeting people’s family members and hearing about their experiences,” said junior Jo Schiffer.

The invitation to the event was extended to grandparents or special relatives who wanted to engage in a day of Torah learning with their Central student in the zechut of the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

“The goal of the day was to broaden our Central community,” said Central Dean of Students, Mrs. Aliza Gewirtz.

“We wanted to invite grandparents and other special family members to be a

part of the Central family, and give them a glimpse of the amazing faculty we have in our building, as well as the warmth and the ruach that exists every day in our building.”

This year’s event coincided with Central’s focus on the Power of Positivity, and over one hundred and fifty family members visited the Holliswood campus to embrace this message. Students were able to have breakfast and take photo booth shots with their special family members before enjoying a program with opening remarks by Central’s Mashgiach Ruchain, Rabbi Joshua Goller, followed by learning and a siyum Tanach led by Head of School, Ms. Bracha Rutner. Students and family members then attended classes on different topics related to Chanukah. The event is part of a dynamic week of events celebrating Chanukah at Central. Other events include a schoolwide trip to Chelsea Piers in Connecticut, a Chanukah Mesibah for each grade, Chanukah Swag Day, a staff-versus-students volleyball game, a special Central G.O.-hosted Olympics ceremony, and a school brachot party hosted by Central’s F.I.R.E Fellows.

Did you know?

A chef hat has 100 folds to represent 100 ways to cook an egg.

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DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

JULY 2 - JULY 26

JULY 29 - AUGUST 22

Around the Community

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

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At Chabad’s CTeen Chanukah party

NYC Council Chanukah Celebration

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n Monday, December 11, the New York City Council hosted a Chanukah celebration which was at-

tended by Israeli hostage families. Thirty families had come to New York City to draw attention to the 137 Israeli hostages

who still remain in Gaza.

Amit Shemtov, brother of Omer Shemtov who is still being held hostage by

ful and delicious spread of pastries, iced coffee, and drinks. Parents and students were able to meet their classmates’ moms and families, forming new friendships.

Everyone found a table and a canvas and got ready to create something amazing.

Shelley Wapniack, a local artist, led the crowd in drawing out a menorah and guided the women in painting in the colors to create an incredible Chanukah work of art. The room was full of smiles

and laughter as everyone had a blast expressing their artistic talents while hanging out with their friends and moms.

Everyone ended the night with a stunning work of art and new friends. The event not only showcased the artistic talents within the Ezra Academy community but also provided a unique opportunity for bonding between generations.

Hamas in Gaza, spoke at the celebration.

Photos courtesy of UJA-Federation of New York

Ezra Paint Night

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zra Academy hosted a special mother-daughter paint night this past week. The building was filled to capacity with students, moms, and the Ezra morahs. The evening began with a message from Rabbi Geller, the Mashgiach Ruchani, who spoke to the crowd about the value of love between parents and children and how much we need to value our special family relationships.

The attendees then enjoyed a beauti-

Mercaz Academy Puts Plainview on the Map

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lainview’s Mercaz Academy joined millions of people all over the world in Hour of Code, an event that celebrates Computer Science Education Week by challenging students to devote one hour to coding. The Mercaz Academy program, designed and implemented by Director of Educational Technology Mrs. Lynda Last, paired students from older grades with students from younger grades to encourage collaboration and mentoring.

Fourth grade students served as “navigators” for their first grade teammates as they rotated through three different tasks. These groups worked to program

Dash robots using Blockly, a programming app. Students drove the robot in different directions and patterns, spun it around, moved its “head,” and caused it to blink and change eye color. They also programmed Intelino “smart trains” by inserting small colored blocks into the track, as well as Indi cars, which are programmed by laying out colored mats that direct the car as it travels over them.

Fifth and sixth graders “navigated” for second and third grade students as each team chose one of four activities that interested them: sports, construction, animation, or augmented reality.

Teams that chose sports programmed

their own games, instructing the virtual foot or hockey stick towards the virtual flag or puck. The more art-inclined used Scratch to animate their own cartoons.

Students interested in augmented reality coded a model of the solar system, while

the rest embarked on a Minecraft Adventure.

The Hour of Code program was a great success at Mercaz and will no doubt lead our students to many more hours of coding in the future.

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AFTR Lower School students kicked off their joyful Chanukah festivities with hands-on projects and dynamic class activities. In art class, imaginative minds crafted paper Menorahs, while STEM brought the excitement of LEGO Menorah building.

Judaics class delved into the Torah and halachot of Chanukah, fostering a deep understanding of the holiday’s tradi-

tions. Tzvios Hashem added a cool touch with an olive oil press, teaching students the art of crafting quality oil for Chanukiyot. Kindergarten students embarked on an educational scavenger hunt field trip to Judaica Plus, exploring captivating Chanukah displays.

Stay tuned for the other exciting Chanukah events in next week’s edition.

MTA Talmidim Partner With Award-Winning Israeli Author

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TA’s “Meet The Israeli Author” elective course for juniors provides talmidim with the opportunity to work directly with an award-winning Israeli author via video-conference workshops conducted entirely in Hebrew. The course, created by Director of Hebrew Language Mrs. Rosenberg, is in its 14th year and is unique to MTA. This one-of-a-kind experience enables talmidim to not only develop their creative writing skills but also to cultivate their Hebrew language skills on a higher level. Under the mentorship of award-winning Hebrew Language Instructor Ms. Liora Haibi, talmidim

work on crafting short stories written exclusively in Hebrew and participate in monthly video-conference workshops with award-winning Israeli author Chana Bat Shachar.

Each workshop focuses on a different element of story writing development.

Talmidim come prepared to the workshops with segments of the stories they are writing that correspond with the monthly topic. Ms. Bat Shachar provides constructive critiques on each talmid’s work, allowing them to reshape their stories based on her expert feedback. The course culminates with the printing of the completed stories in a journal.

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HAFTR Does Chanukah

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Around the Community

Science Updates at Shulamith

Shulamith ECC brought Chanukah cheer to the residents at Esplanade with live music and a sing-along

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tudents in Mrs. Levine’s science class at Shulamith continued their study of matter and did experiments to understand the difference between physical and chemical changes.

The girls watched as yeast was activated in one bottle (chemical) and heated air expanded in another (physical), each causing a balloon to inflate! Though the

result looks the same, Shulamith Students now understand the difference between the reactions.

Students used chemical reactions to clean pennies, break down bread in a model of the digestive system, and dissolve sugar cubes! Other students observed physical changes as the carbon dioxide in seltzer made balloons inflate

and raisins “dance.” They also observed a physical reaction when they crushed sugar cubes using their textbooks, and a chemical reaction when alcohol dissolved the sugar cubes.

The Shulamith Girls love science and can’t wait to learn more!

Governor Hochul Chanukah Party

Rabbi Zalman Wolowik giving out Chanukah gelt at Chabad Hebrew School Chanukah Party

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his week, NY Governor Kathy Hochul hosted a Chanukah party in the Governor’s mansion in Albany, NY. The celebration was attended by a mother of one of the Israeli hostages being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

Square Mayor Spitzer, Rabbi Segedin from Kiryas Joel, Supreme Court Judge Ruchie Freier, and David Greenfield, CEO of MET Council, also attended the event.

Ensuring Dietary Laws at Correctional Facilities

T On Wednesday, December 6, the UJA, JEP, and three teachers met with Chancellor David Banks to discuss the concerning rise of antisemitism in NYC public schools.

Mr. Moshe Spern, principal at Yeshiva Tiferet Tzion in Queens, is seen here with Chancellor Banks

At the BJX Chanukah celebration this week

his week, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a new bill sponsored by Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, which will require state correctional facilities to provide kosher and halal food options at vending machines and commissary areas.

Until now, food options for purchase at vending machines and commissary areas often did not include selections for incarcerated individuals who require special religious dietary restrictions.

This new bill will amend the current law to include options which would satisfy the dietary needs of such individuals at prices comparable to other similar food items.

“I believe that recognizing an incarcerated person’s humanity is a key factor in their rehabilitation,” said Senator Jessica Ramos. “Denying Jewish people in prison access to kosher foods is an added and targeted punishment, one that Governor Hochul is helping to correct by

signing my bill with Assemblymember Eichenstein. I’d like to thank our local rabbis and faith leaders for their vocal and continued support of these efforts as we turn our attention to ensuring the same access is extended to public schools.”

“The State of New York is obligated to respect the religious dietary rights of its residents, even those who are incarcerated,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “These individuals will now be able to benefit from food purchased at visiting area vending machines or at the prison commissary. I thank Senator Ramos for sponsoring this important legislation

in the Senate and Governor Hochul for signing it into law. Now, the religious rights of incarcerated individuals in our state’s prison system will be properly recognized.”

“It’s incredible that this important legislation was signed into law on Chanukah, which celebrates religious liberty, a fundamental right upon which the United States is founded,” said Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, President of Tzedek Association. “Thank you Assemblyman Eichenstein and Senator Ramos for remembering the forgotten population, correcting an issue with this bill that frankly should have already been policy.”

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Around the Community

Flickers of Faith: Chanukah’s Defiance Against Darkness

by Linda Argalgi Sadacka In a world increasingly cloaked in the shadows of uncertainty and strife, the silent suffering of hostages and their families remains largely overlooked.

However, their unyielding endurance and faith amidst such turmoil epitomize a profound resilience, especially poignant during the Chanukah season.

Rabbi Aaron Konikov of Chabad of Roslyn organized a beautiful ceremony that transcends mere festivity. It emerges as a powerful symbol of hope and solidarity, illuminating the path for those trapped in the deepest recesses of despair and adversity. This deeply moving Chanukah candle lighting ceremony was arranged to support the families of the hostages.

Central to this event was the lighting of the largest menorahs in the world, symbolizing not just the festival’s traditional significance but also the immense collective hope and unity of the community.

In an emotionally charged moment, the mothers of two of the hostages joined Rabbi Konikov in lighting the candles, a gesture that underscored the personal impact of the crisis and the shared yearning for hope and resolution. In a show of solidarity, some hostage families were flown in to participate in this significant event on the first night of Chanukah. The Bouskila family, whose son is in captivity; the Ochana family, also with a son held captive; the Neutras family, whose son, an American citizen, is in captivity; the Hand family, whose mother was tragically murdered and whose daughter spent her birthday in captivity before being freed, was also present. The media’s presence underscored the ceremony’s importance.

Filled with emotion, world renowned Chazan Simcha Rothenberg and Chazan

Karovani sang soul-stirring songs that touched all attendees. They both also blessed the chayalim, invoking protection and success for them. A highlight was when hostage family members spoke to the crowd, sharing heartfelt pleas for prayers and the safe return of their loved ones. A poignant moment was when the Bouskila family, relatives of a hostage, spoke to the crowd. Mr. Bouskila asked for the klal to unite in achdus through prayers and continued recitation of Tehillim for the safe return of their loved one and all hostages.

Amidst these moving testimonies, Rabbi Aaron Konikov of Chabad of Roslyn’s insights deeply resonated with the attendees. He shared, “The essence of Hanukkah lies in the power of a small light to banish vast darkness. By lighting the Chanukah menorah and making its glow visible to all, we broadcast a message of resilience and hope. We choose to do this during the night’s darkest hours as a symbol of defiance against antisemitism. If we shrink away in fear, the shadows grow only deeper. But in proudly celebrating our Jewish heritage, we become beacons that scatter the darkness.”

This ceremony shone a light not just on the Chanukah candles, but also on the community’s resilience and unity amid adversity.

As we celebrate Chanukah, we recognize our true strength in faith and unity.

We pray with fervor, trusting in Hashems deliverance. May our prayers and actions bring miracles, as in the days of the Maccabees, leading us to a future of peace, understanding, and extraordinary miracles.

This meaningful event was generously sponsored by AEGIS Capital.

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Around the Community

Chanukah Light Museum at Gan Chamesh

A YOSS Chanukah to Remember

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he children at Gan Chamesh had an illuminating experience on Chanukah, as they explored a cre-

ative light museum and immersed themselves in unique and innovative lightbased activities.

his week, the talmidim at YOSS experienced a beautiful Chanukah Mesiba (and doughnuts, of course!) to mark this special yom tov. The music and singing were led beautifully

by Rabbi Drebin and Rabbi Wolf. All the boys sang along with so much energy and simcha. The ruach in the room could absolutely be felt! It was amazing to watch as they got into each song and sang magnificently.

Our Menahel, Rabbi Avraham Robinson, spoke divrei Torah and chizuk to the talmidim. In addition, we held many raffles for fantastic seforim and great prizes, including a gorgeous crystal menorah!

May we continue to get nachas from the talmidim’s accomplishments and growth as bnei Torah.

Wishing the YOSS family, and Klal Yisroel, a freilechen Chanukah!

Rebbi Meir Baal Haness and the Eternal Children of Hashem A Conversation with Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

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ashem’s love for our nation, and for each individual Jew, is beyond comprehension. Yet there was one sublime soul who helped uncover a layer of this mystery – Rebbi Meir Baal Haness.

In this groundbreaking work, Rabbi Daniel Glatstein brings you into Rebbi Meir’s world, a place where the eternally loving embrace of Hashem to His people is tangible. You will discover the power of the words “Elaka D’Meir Aneini” and its connection to the mitzvah of tzedakah.

You will learn how Rebbi Meir’s worldview is the very foundation of Torah.

Rav and mara d’asra of Kehilas Tiferes Mordechai and founder of Machon Maggid Harakiah in Cedarhurst, NY, Rabbi Glatstein is one of the Jewish world’s most popular speakers and respected maggidei shiur. His more than 10,000 recorded shiurim have garnered literally millions of views. This landmark work will uplift your heart even in the most trying times.

Here, we speak with Rabbi Glatstein

about his newest sefer.

••••• Rabbi Glatstein, the release of your new book, all about Hashem’s love for Klal Yisrael, comes at a time of great hester panim. Please tell us about Rebbi Meir and how much love Hashem has for us.

RDG: I’m moved to see the hashgachah of the timing. I wanted a Chanukah release because traditionally many associate Rebbi Meir with Chanukah. The tefillah he’s renowned for, Elaka D’Meir Aneini, is a specific reference to Chanukah: “Hashem, who illuminated our lives on Chanukah, should answer us.” Little did I know that the essential message of this book – that we are forever Hashem’s children – would be so timely. Now, more than ever, we have to appreciate that Hashem’s love for us has never wavered.

How can we bring Rebbi Meir’s optimistic and loving worldview into our own lives?

RDG: The ultimate defense of the Jewish people is: Look, at the end of the day, we’re Hashem’s children. It was

Rebbi Meir who insisted that we are His beloved children, even when we are behaving badly. He was the outstanding advocate for Klal Yisrael. We have to develop the habit of talking to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, advocating for the Jewish people, asking for rachamim because we are His children. Whatever shortcomings we have, Hashem, You are our Father.

These conversations that we have with Hashem, predicated on Rebbi Meir’s worldview that we are always children of Hashem, is powerful and effective.

There is a fascinating chapter about Rebbi Meir and the mitzvah of tzitzis.

In light of the astonishing demand for tzitzis among Israeli soldiers, can you briefly talk about their symbolism and importance?

RDG: The sefer has a whole chapter dedicated to this subject. The Ben Ish Chai teaches that the two tzitzis in the front represent when we’re headed in the right direction. The two tzitzis in the back reflect the times when we’re headed in the wrong direction. But it’s one entity, demonstrating that “bein kach ubein

kach kruim banim” – irrespective of our actions, we are the children of Hashem.

The total number of knots and strings equals 52, the gematria of “ben.” Rebbi Meir discusses the mitzvah of tzitzis in the Gemara, and they reflect this worldview. What could be a greater merit for our soldiers in battle than their tzitzis waving in the wind, declaring: Hashem, have rachamim on us because, as Rebbi Meir insisted, we are Hashem’s children, always and forever.

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Centerfold

Riddle Me This

You Gotta be Kidding!

In the supermarket, the aisles are numbered from one to six from the entrance.

Dishwashing liquid is next to bottles, and it is not the first item you see when you come into the store. You will see the meat aisle before the bread aisle. Tins are two aisles before bottles, and meat is four aisles after fruit.

Yankel wins the $ 10 million lottery.

HIis wife asks him,

A. What is the last aisle (aisle six)?

“Yankel, what

B. In which aisle can bottles be found?

are you going to do about

C. What is in the first aisle?

all the letters asking for tzedakah?”

D. In which aisle can tins be found?

Yankel replies, “What’s the problem? I’ll keep sending them; maybe someone will send me

B. Four A. Bread The aisle order is: 1. Fruit, 2. Tins, 3. Dishwashing liquid, 4. Bottles, 5. Meat, 6. Bread Answers:

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TJH

some money.”

C. Fruit

1. *

D. Two

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*

*

*

“I just won 10 million dollars from a lottery ticket. I decided to donate a quarter of it to charity. Those were the proudest 25 cents I ever donated.”

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Evelyn Adams won a total of $5.4 million in TWO

Last week, Wayne Murray won a $10 million in a lotto that he purchased at a Brooklyn gas sta-

lotteries, one in 1985 and then the next year…

She ended up gambling it all away in Atlantic City

tion…sixteen months after he won his first $10 million from a lotto game that he purchased from the

In 1998, Gerald Muswagon won

same gas station.

the $10 million in Canada. Within a few years, he was working as a farm day laborer. He died in pover-

Also Lucky…

Joan

ty.

Michael Carroll was 19 when

Ginther

he won $15 million in the

won $5.4 mil-

England jackpot in 2002. Within a

lion in the Texas

few years, he was broke and re-

lotto in 1993. In

turned to his job as a garbageman.

2005, she won $2 million in a lotto. In 2008, she won $3 million.

In 2010, she won $10

million. Think this may happen to you? Well, the odds of the same person winning 4 different lottos is 1 in 18 septillion (not a billion, trillion, quadrillion, quintillion or sextillion). But, keep dreaming! You know what they say: a dollar and a dream!

Not So Lucky…

Billy Bob Harrell Jr. hit the $31 million Texas jackpot in 1997. He quit his job at Home Depot and moved to Hawaii. He purchased seven homes and multiple cars. Within a few years, he was broke.

Shortly before his death by his own hand, he told a financial adviser that “winning the lottery is the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

Andrew “Jack” Whittaker Jr. won $315 million

William “Bud” Post won $16.2 million in the

Powerball jackpot in 2002. He flew off in a pri-

Pennsylvania lottery in 1988, but he was $1 mil-

vate jet with his family to appear on New York City

lion in debt within a year. “I wish it never happened,”

morning television shows after hitting the jackpot.

Post said. “It was totally a nightmare.”

Within a few years, his wife left him, he became an alcoholic and chronic gambler, and he was robbed,

Martyn Tott, 33, won a $5 million lottery in En-

assaulted, and arrested for drunk driving. He died

gland in 1998…but lost the winning ticket. After

broke in 2020. Shortly before he died, he wept while

that, he got divorced, quit his job, and joined a cult.

telling a reporter, “I wish I’d torn that ticket up.”

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Lucky…

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Torah Thought

Parshas Mikeitz

By Rabbi Berel Wein

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he dreamer is about to be saved by dreams, albeit not the ones that he dreamt but rather those dreamt by an unlikely stranger – the Pharaoh of Egypt himself. But dreams are dreams, and oftentimes, they do not coincide with human reality. What makes Yosef so extraordinary in the eyes of Pharaoh was his ability to, so to speak, dream along with Pharaoh, interpret his dreams, and translate them into practical life-saving action.

The Torah here teaches us an important lesson about life and events. Everyone has dreams, and again, so to speak, they are relatively easy to come by. Nevertheless, it is what follows the dream that counts most. The rabbis and the Talmud taught us that all dreams are judged and realized according to their interpretation. By this statement, they meant to teach us that what is actually done or accomplished with the dream becomes the lasting value of the dream itself. There

are many dreams that remain just that – dreams, unfulfilled reveries, good ideas and rosy predictions that somehow never come to action or fruition.

Yosef worked his entire life to make his dreams become real and true. He spared no effort to force his brothers to recognize him as their leader and to validate the dreams that he reported to them in his youth. And it was his administrative skill and foresight that made his interpretation of the dreams of the Pharaoh

mant for many centuries because no one acted upon it … more of a fantasy than a possible reality. But somehow, the Jewish people awoke from the slumber of the exile and over the past century has succeeded in bringing this dream to physical reality. It is difficult to assess why it was only in the recent past, historically speaking, that the practicality of the dream began to be emphasized and exploited.

There were many great people and great Jewish communities that existed

It is what follows the dream that counts most.

accurate, meaningful, and providential.

It is only the behavior and actions of humans after the dream that give the dream a challenging and meaningful purpose.

The Jewish people have long dreamt and prayed for their return to the Land of Israel and for the ingathering of the exiles to their homeland. Over the past century, in unlikely fits and starts, this dream has taken on reality and substance. And, it did so, certainly, with the help and guidance of Heaven, but just as importantly with the actions, achievements and sacrifices of real people and the Jewish world everywhere. This great dream lay dor-

before our time who perhaps would have been deemed more worthy to give flesh and bones to the great dream of Israel. Why did they not do so and why did Jews over the last century and a half devote themselves to the realization of this dream?

That will remain one of the many mysteries of G-d that surround us on a regular basis. But one thing is clear, that the fate of dreams, national and personal, depends upon our practical, human interpretation, and implementation of those dreams.

Shabbat shalom.

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From the Fire

Parshas Mikeitz What Do You Live For?

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

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he man in charge of Yosef’s house said something that serves as a critical reminder for every Jew. The brothers did not know how to react to the money they found returned to their bags when they left Egypt the first time.

So, at Yaakov’s suggestion, they brought the money back to Egypt and gave it to the man in charge of Yosef’s house. But the man told them (Bereishis 43:23), “Peace unto you. Do not be afraid. Your G-d and the G-d of your father placed a treasure in your bags….” The Pnei Menachem of Ger, zy”a, teaches that this treasure is a hint to a Jew’s G-dly soul. L us understand more about this treasure in the context of Chanukah.

Remarkably, the Bahag (Mitzva 139) counts the mitzvah to light Chanukah candles as one of the 613 mitzvos of the Torah. The Rambam, in Sefer Hamitzvos (Shoresh 1), asks the obvious question on the Bahag: How can Chanukah be a Torah mitzvah when it was instituted by the Sages in the time of the second Beis Hamikdash?

In defense of the Bahag, the Chasam Sofer suggests a Torah source for Chanukah (and Purim). We know that if one derives a halacha from a Torah law using the logical principle kal vachomer, or a fortiori, the resulting inference also has the status of a Torah law. Specifically, if the Torah commands the recitation of Hallel and the establishment of a holiday for our transition from slavery to freedom (Pesach), then kal vachomer, when the Jewish people face a decree of death and are then redeemed, they should certainly say Hallel and institute a holiday! He clarifies that once the events of Chanukah and Purim took place, a Torah obligation to establish a holiday with the recitation of Hallel took effect. The Sages simply decreed the specific form of the holiday; i.e., by instituting Megillah, gifts to the poor,

gifts to friends, and a feast, in the case of Purim, and Chanukah candles and Hallel in the case of Chanukah.

We can understand the Chasam Sofer’s kal vachomer with respect to Purim. There, there was a decree of death from which we were redeemed. But with respect to Chanukah, the Greeks never planned to wipe us out. In Al Hanisim, we say that they attempted “to cause them to forget Your Torah and to transgress the decrees of Your will.” But they did not attempt, as Haman did, to “destroy, kill, and exterminate all of the Jews, from young to old…” So how can we understand the Bahag with respect to the mitzvos of Chanukah as having a basis in Torah?

We can answer this question based on a teaching by the Satmar Rav which explains a dispute quoted in Yorah Deah 157. This dispute centers on whether a Jew is permitted to allow himself to be killed rather than transgress a mitzvah (other than one of the three cardinal sins outside of the context of forced conversions). The Rambam maintains that one

is not permitted to do so. After all, the Gemara (Yuma 85b) explains that the pasuk (Vayikra 18:5), “And you shall live by them,” implies, “And you shall not die by them.” Rabbeinu Yerucham, on the other hand, says that one is permitted to give up his life rather than transgress even the “smallest” mitzvah in the Torah. The Shach, in his commentary on Shulchan Aruch there (S’K 5), says that both the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yerucham agree that one who is great, pious, and fears Heaven may give up his life rather than transgress any mitzvah of the Torah.

How can the Shach say that the halacha should change for someone simply because they are great, pious, and G-d-fearing? To answer this question, the Satmar Rav quotes a teaching from his grandfather, the Yismach Moshe, zy”a, who explains that there are two types of people. For most people, “life” means eating, drinking, working, and sleeping.

For them, “And you shall live by them,” means that, except with respect to the three cardinal sins, they must transgress

a mitzvah in order to continue living life as they define it: worldly life. But for other people, those who are great, pious, and G-d-fearing, studying Torah and doing mitzvos is life; that is what they live for.

For such a person, a life of transgressing the Torah is not a life. For them, giving up life rather than sin is a fulfillment of “And you shall live by them.”

Indeed, the Satmar Rav fulfilled this ideal. For example, he would not shave off his beard during the Holocaust even to save his own life. It was only through countless miracles that he was able to survive the war. For him, it was not worth living if he would have compromised on even the smallest part of Yiddishkeit.

Using this principle, we can understand how the Chasam Sofer’s kal vachomer applies to Chanukah. The Chashmonayim, “Your holy kohanim” (Al Hanisim), were certainly great, pious, and G-d-fearing individuals. For them, a life without Torah, bris milah, and Rosh Chodesh was not a life. For them, the Greeks’ decrees were synonymous with death. Therefore, the redemption of Chanukah, just like Purim, was a reversal from death to life. That is why, according to the Bahag, the Torah obligated the Sages to establish a festival, including the recitation of Hallel, on Chanukah.

Rav Yerucham Levovitz, zt”l, explains that the citizens of a country and its soldiers have different perspectives on their respective roles. The citizens believe that their daily lives of work, travel, eating, recreation, and the like are the primary life of the country. But because the citizens cannot live securely without an army, the country recruits soldiers to protect them to allow them to live their lives. For them, the citizens’ lives are primary, and the soldiers live simply to support and protect citizen life.

Soldiers see it differently, though.

that we do indeed thank Hashem “for the wars.” It is an honor and a privilege to fight Hashem’s battles by doing the hard work to make Hashem’s existence and presence felt in every detail of life, down to the most mundane. We are honored and privileged for the treasure of our G-dly soul which enables us to live Jewish lives in which we fight Hashem’s battles.

The Ponevezher Rav, zt”l, after he reestablished the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak after the war, was known as having a keen insight into people. Someone told the Rav about a group of orphans who had survived the war. They were completely alone and had given into despair, unable to get up the morning or do anything to move their lives forward. They were completely broken. The Rav instructed that the group should be brought to his home, and he would be happy to speak with them.

When the young men and women arrived, the Rav told them the following story: There was a rav, a great scholar, in a certain town in Europe before the war.

Someone proposed a match, a wonderful young man, for his daughter. He agreed that the young man was great and would make a wonderful husband, but there was only one problem. The young man’s father was only marginally religious, did

not daven with a minyan, and even worked on Shabbos. The rav was torn and did not know what to do. But ultimately, he decided that because the young man was certainly worthy, he would agree to the match. The young couple got married, and the whole town rejoiced at the wedding.

The morning after the wedding, the boy’s father got up in the morning, picked up his tallis and tefillin, and began to leave for shul. His wife asked him, “What’s happening? You haven’t davened in shul in years? Why are you going now?” So he answered, “My son’s father-in-law is the great rav of the city. Considering my relationship to the rav, it is simply not proper for someone like me not to go to shul.”

And when Shabbos came, the man made kiddush on Friday night and stayed home from work Shabbos day. Not only that, he made kiddush for his family.

Bewildered, his wife asked him, “Why are you suddenly not working on Shabbos? Why are you making kiddush?” So he answered her, “It is just as I told you the other day. I am now related to the rav through my son’s marriage to his daughter. How can a close relative of the rav work on Shabbos? How can he not make kiddush on Shabbos?”

The Ponevezher Rav continued: “Pre-

cious sons and daughters, you are close relatives not just of the rav of a town. You are related to the King of Kings, the Holy One Blessed is He. You are connected to greatness. Each one of you over these past years made such sacrifices because of your relationship with the King, because you are Jews. And it is not fitting for great people to lie in bed, unable to get up, not to live their lives. You are connected to the King!”

One of the young men in that group recounted this story years later and said that the Rav’s words made such an impression on him that not only was he able to break out of his state of depression, sadness, and despair, but he began to long for greatness.

Hashem has placed a Jewish soul in each of us. That is our treasure. We are privileged to be Hashem’s nation for whom Torah and mitzvos are our life. Just like the Chashmonayim, may we merit to live for Torah and recognize that living without Torah and mitzvos is not life at all.

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.

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They look down on average citizens and their pedestrian existence. They cannot imagine how a life of simple work and idle entertainment can be considered a life.

A soldier’s life is filled with challenges.

They pass through fire and water, getting up early and challenging themselves on a daily basis to become better and fight for something greater than themselves: the national identity. For them, a soldier’s life, because of all of its difficulties and challenges, is truly called “life.” And citizens’ lives are a pale shadow of that, hardly worth being called life.

That is what we live for. Our daily challenge is to attain greater perfection and purification, to fight the evil inclination and understand the Torah more deeply. That is our battle. We are soldiers in Hashem’s cavalry. The battle inherent in a Torah life is truly called life. That is why, in Al Hanisim, we thank Hashem “for the wars.” Why do we thank Hashem for wars? Lest one explain that this expression actually refers to victory in war, not war itself, this cannot be. First, we already thank Hashem for victory in war in Al Hanisim when we thank Him “for the salvations.” In addition, if it meant victory in war, it should have said, “for the victories,” not “for the wars.” It must mean

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Delving into the Daf

It Looks Like Shabbos

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

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ne Shabbos, a woman was at her wit’s end when her baby refused to nurse. Looking for guidance, she went to see the Rogochover Gaon. The Rogochover looked up from his sefer and told her not to worry, “It’s a Yeushalmi.” He then continued learning. Somewhat relieved but totally perplexed, she exited the Gaon’s house. She met Rebbe Chizkiyahu Yosef Meishekovsky in the street and told him what transpired. He told her that he was on his way to the house of Rebbe Meir Simcha and suggested that she come along. She told Rebbe Meir Simcha about the Rogochover’s strange comment. At which point, Rebbe Meir Simcha asked her, “Do you wear a sheitel all week or only on Shabbos?” She said that she only wears a sheitel on Shabbos. She likewise stated that she only wears her jewelry on Shabbos as well. Rebbe Meir Simcha told the mother, “Your baby is bothered by your altered appearance.

Remove your jewelry and wig, and the baby will nurse.” The relieved mother went home, followed the directions, and her baby nursed.

Rebbe Meir Simcha then commented to Rebbe Meishekovsky that the Yerushalmi the Gaon is referring to is found in Tosfos Bava Kama (37a). The Mishna states that there can be an ox which only has a propensity to gore on Shabbos. The result would be that the owner of the ox would have to pay more in damages if it gores on Shabbos. Rashi explains that a Jewish-owned ox may be more likely to gore on Shabbos, because it has a day off. Yidden are prohibited from having their animals perform labor on Shabbos. Tosfos, though, quotes a Yerushalmi that the ox may be more likely to gore on Shabbos because every-

one appears to be a stranger since they are all wearing their Shabbos clothing in the street. This is the Yerushalmi the Rogochover was referring to. Just like the townspeople in the eyes of the animal, the mother in her wig and Shabbos jewelry may appear to be a stranger to her baby. That would explain why specifically on Shabbos the baby refused to nurse.

Rav Eliyahu Fisher, the author of Birchas Eliyahu, points to an anomaly that can be found in the Shulchan Aruch. The Shulchan Aruch writes (262:2), “A person should make a concerted effort that he should have nice clothes for Shabbos.” The Gra would

is no eiruv? This is especially troubling since the Rema’s comment is written in the very siman that details that one should not carry items in the street on Shabbos! Apparently, the Rema is advising one to wear Shabbos clothes. If so, why didn’t he write his comment earlier in Siman 262? Rav Fisher suggests that in Siman 262, the Shulchan Aruch was discussing the mitzvah of wearing clothes l’kavod Shabbos. In 301, the Rema is advising one to wear Shabbos clothes for a different reason; namely, to remind one that it is Shabbos.

What is the practical difference between the two reasons? Rav Fisher suggests that a professional who wears

Did the people look like strangers simply because they wore the same type of clothes they wore all week, only nicer?

change every article of clothing he wore during the week, even his belt, l’kavod Shabbos. The Chazon Ish was known to even change his yarmulke, l’kavod Shabbos. Yet in Siman 301, which deals with the laws of carrying on Shabbos, the Rema writes the following comment, “A person should not leave his house on Shabbos the same way he leaves during the week, without something that will remind him that it is Shabbos and he won’t desecrate it.” The Rema cannot be suggesting that someone carry a reminder that it is Shabbos. What if there

suits all week does not fulfill the dictum of the Rema by wearing a nicer suit for Shabbos. He does fulfill the mitzvah of kavod Shabbos by wearing a nicer suit, but Rav Fisher deems it unlikely that the fact that he is wearing a nicer suit will remind him that it is Shabbos. Does Rav Fisher advocate wearing jeans during the week? Hardly – he is the Rosh Kollel of a Gerrer Institution. His advice for a businessman who wears suits all week: wear a shtreimel on Shabbos! Or the individual who does not wear a hat during the week can wear a fedora on Shabbos.

He finds support for his conclusion from the very Yerushalmi quoted above. The ox gored on Shabbos because everyone looked like strangers. Did the people look like strangers simply because they wore the same type of clothes they wore all week, only nicer? That hardly seems feasible. They must have worn different types of clothes on Shabbos. (One can add that if everyone was wearing animal fur on their head, that could certainly incite an animal to gore.)

It seems clear, though, from the Rema that there is actually less of a reason to wear Shabbos clothes in shul than during a Shabbos afternoon walk.

While in shul on Shabbos, an individual will certainly remember that it is Shabbos. He wears Shabbos clothes simply for kavod Shabbos. However, while taking a leisurely stroll on Shabbos afternoon, one may forget that it is Shabbos.

That is when the Rema writes that he needs his shtreimel or Shabbos clothes to remind him.

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.

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Headlines

Halacha

When Asara B’Teves Falls On an Erev Shabbos

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

R

av Yoseph Karo (Bais Yoseph 550) cites the view of the Avudraham that the fast of Asara b’Teves is different than all of the other fasts. How so?

If Asarah b’Teves were to fall on Shabbos (which it doesn’t), it would not be pushed off to another day. It would have to be observed on the Shabbos itself!

Why would this be the case?

The Avudraham explains that it is on account of a verse found in Sefer Yechezkel (24:2), “On that very day...” which equates it to Yom Kippur. Rav Karo states that he does not know from where the Avudraham derived this. Rav Karo further notes that the tenth of Teves will at times fall on a Friday, but none of the other fasts ever do. In Shulchan Aruch itself (550), Rav Karo rules that none of the four fasts set aside Shabbos, but we will deal with the view of the Avudraham in this essay.

Understanding the Rationale We must also try to understand why it is, according to the Avudraham, that Asrah B’Teves is different than the other fasts, and why the Avudraham chose to state this difference regarding Shabbos

when he himself writes that it never actually falls on Shabbos!

Also, at the end of the day, the fast is a Rabbinic enactment. Oneg Shabbos, enjoying ourselves on the Shabbos, is according to most poskim, a Torah obligation! Why would Asarah b’Teves set Shabbos aside?

Yaaros Dvash Asarah B’Teves marks the siege on the holy city of Yerushalayim that ultimately led to its destruction, the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash and the exile of Klal Yisroel.

From the Yaaros Dvash (written by Rav Yonasan Eibeschutz in Volume I

The Chasam Sofer writes that Asarah b’Teves is the one fast that we have to help prevent a tragedy from occurring.

Four Possibilities A look at the great commentaries reveals that there are four approaches to understanding the Avudraham’s unique perspective on Asarah b’Teves. Not all of the commentaries were addressing the Avudraham himself, but they certainly did address the notion of how Asarah B’Teves may be unique.

Drush #2 for Tisha B’Av), we see that the seeds to three tragedies lie within Asarah B’Teves. Each of these different tragedies in and of themselves would be enough to mourn about. Imagine then – all three of them combined!

Bnai Yissaschar Beginnings are very stringent – even

more so than the end result. Aside from the fact that Asrah B’Teves is the seed to three tragedies, the fact that it is the beginning of the loss of the Bais HaMikdash is a reason to mourn.

The Bnai Yissaschar (14:1) proves this point from the fact that we mourn the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash on the ninth of Av – not the tenth of Av – even though the majority of it burned on the tenth.

Chasam Sofer Another explanation to the Avudraham is found in the Chasam Sofer (Toras Moshe on Zayin Adar). He writes that all the other fasts commemorate a terrible tragedy that the nation of Israel incurred. Not so the fast of the Asarah B’Teves.

The Chasam Sofer writes that Asarah b’Teves is the one fast that we have to help prevent a tragedy from occurring.

It gives us an opportunity to determine whether the state of being without the Bais HaMikdash will continue. This type of fast is actually a beneficial one – where we have within our hands to rectify an error. When we are given such

Minchas Chinuch and Rav Chaim Soloveitchik There is a third possibility in how to understand the Avudraham. Rav Yosef Babad (1801-1874), author of the Minchas Chinuch, explains (301:7) that the nature of all of the fasts is that they can be celebrated in the general month in which the fast had occurred.

We find this idea expressed even earlier by the Ritvah (Rosh HaShana 18b), that the Neviim were already aware of the future destruction that would happen a second time and therefore ordained the fasts as approximate – in other words they may be observed in other days of that month, such as the Sunday following Shabbos if need be.

While the Minchas Chinuch does not state this, the Avudraham may rule that this is not the case, in regard to Asarah B’Teves. Regarding Asarah b’Teves, the verse in Sefer Yechezkel (24:2), “On that very day…” changes it for Asarah B’Teves. Asarah b’Teves must remain on

the day that it was originally ordained.

Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, in fact, proposes this very understanding in the words of an earlier authority that he quotes (Chiddushei HaGraZ Stencils p. 27 #44). One can possibly attempt to place Rav Soloveitchik’s words in the Avudraham, but the actual reading may be somewhat difficult. Curiously, Rav Chaim writes that he is explaining the words of the BaHaG, but the BahaG does not actually discuss the issue at all.

According to both the Minchas Chinuch and Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, one can make the following observation: In general, fast days would normally not set aside Shabbos were it not for the fact that they could be celebrated on another day in that month.

Proof To the Avudraham Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (Ohr Sameach Hilchos Taanis 5:6) tries to bring proof to the position of the Avudraham from a passage in the Talmud tractate of Eiruvin 40b. The Talmud poses the question of whether someone who is observing a private fast on a Friday finishes the fast until the stars come out on Friday night well into Shabbos. Rav Meir Simcha points out that the Talmud

could have posed the same question in regard to a regular public fast. The only regular public fast that falls on a Friday is the 10th of Teves.

Yet, for some reason, the Talmud chose not to ask that question regarding the 10th of Teves. The answer must be, reasons Rav Meir Simcha, that it is too obvious that one would be obligated to complete the fast for the 10th of Teves.

Why? Because the 10th of Teves would even push aside Shabbos itself! It would thus certainly require the faster to complete the fast until the stars come out on Friday night of Shabbos!

Proof to Rav Meir Simcha Backing up Rav Meir Simcha is the notion that the Shulchan Aruch (OC 288:5) rules regarding when one fasts on account of a bad dream that one may fast on Shabbos. Thus, the Shulchan Aruch rules in (249:4) that one certainly does fast until the stars come out on Friday night – it is a kal vachomer argument!

Ultimately, of course, the halacha is not like the Avudraham. However, we can still derive remarkable insight and inspiration from all four of the explana-

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tions to his words. We should contemplate the words of the Yaaros Dvash that Asarah B’Teves encompasses all three tragedies.

We can be inspired from the fact that, according to both the Yaaros Dvash and the Bnei Yissasschar, beginnings do matter, and they matter tremendously. They carry within them messages of tremendous import.

The idea that the Chasam Sofer presents of Asarah B’Teives being unique in that it is an opportunity to change the course of our future is also something that should be welcomed. Finally, one can also learn much from the opinions of the Minchas Chinuch and Rav Soloveitchik that the fast days are indeed very weighty, and at least according to their view, they would even set aside the Shabbos itself were it not for other factors.

We should utilize all of these explanations to help add vitality to our observance of the fast days in general and Asarah B’Teves specifically.

This article should be viewed as a halachic discussion and not practical advice. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.

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an opportunity it is a joy, an oneg. That being the case, we can well understand why the Avudraham writes that if it were to fall on Shabbos we would still fast; it is a joy.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

The Wandering

Jew

Journey to Spain Part I

By Hershel Lieber

Gran Via Madrid’s most famous street

I

always had a yearning to see Spain.

The desire was based on reading about the glorious history that was associated with the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula. The Jewish presence in this part of the world began soon after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, first under the Visigoths, followed by the Moslem Moors, and later under the Catholic monarchs until their expulsion in year 1492. The great rabbis and personalities that made Sefard their home along with their contributions to keep Judaism viable during the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry (years 711-1147) always fascinated me. Rabbis Solomon ibn Gabirol, Yehudah Halevi, and Avraham ibn Ezra are some of the most famous ones of that era. The subsequent struggles that Jews endured to maintain their faith in the face of torture and death by the infamous Inquisition were horrendous. Their forced conversions and subsequent loss of over 200,000 Jews to Catholicism is a tragedy of untold dimensions that still re-

verberates to the present day. I knew that very little tangible evidence of the Jewish presence currently exists in Spain, but I was keenly interested in seeing and experiencing whatever still has a connection with the long-gone Sephardic community.

was heavily involved with the Yeshiva of Kishinev and was hoping that they would help me finance this project. They saw what we were achieving and stepped up to the plate by giving us significant contributions. It turned out that the touring

We could just imagine the mixed history that this synagogue witnessed from the glorious time of its construction to its conversion into a Catholic Church in 1492.

In 1999, Pesi and I took our dear friends Beryl Jachimowitz, Shlomo Stern and their wives, Esther and Miriam, on a trip to Europe. We visited Budapest, Lugano, and Venice. My main goal was to take them to Kishinev, Moldova, where I

portion of this trip was so enjoyable to my friends that they insisted that I organize and lead another trip to wherever I chose.

In effect, that 1999 trip was a harbinger to our subsequent trip to Spain.

We departed from New York and ar-

rived in Madrid on Thursday, November 2, 2000. Our plans were to stay there for five days with a Sunday day trip to Toledo.

We stayed at a hotel where each of us had a small apartment, except for Beryl’s, which had a large dining room where we could eat together. We all brought along some food from home and then discovered a department store/supermarket called Corte Ingles a block away, with a great selection of produce and some imported kosher products. This was an enormous help in enriching our meals and providing us with ample snacks.

The next morning, we headed to the Beth Yaakov Synagogue where we met Spain’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Bendahan. It was Friday, and we were limited in time, yet we took a two-hour bus tour that covered pretty much of Spain’s magnificent capital. The ornate buildings are mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, built under the reign of the Habsburgs, the Bourbons. I cannot begin to describe how overwhelmed we were with the elabo-

Rabbi Yitzchok Goldstein - Chabad Madrid

View of Toledo

Shlomo Stern, Heshy, Alex, Beryl Jachimowitz, Esther Jachimowitz, and Miriam Stern

Torah were meaningful. Add to that some great conversation, which transformed our tish into a true oneg Shabbos.

Shabbos morning, we walked over to the Beth Yaakov shul. We had a little problem getting in without showing our passports. For security reasons, everyone had to show identification documents. After some persuasive arguments, they acquiesced and let us in. Since my father’s yahrtzeit was during the coming week, I was given an aliyah. After davening, we went down for kiddush, and we were invited to join the Shabbos seudah at the home of Rabbi Yitzchok Goldstein, a”h, (who was niftar three months ago) the Chabad shaliach in Spain. Rav Yitzchok was one of the first shluchim that the Lubavitcher Rebbe sent to Europe in 1977. I knew his father, Rabbi Yosef Goldstein (Uncle Yossi), who was the assistant principal of Bais Yakov of Boro Park when I was a member of their Board of Directors. Rav Yitzchok’s Shabbos tish included many of

his children, and he related to us many of his experiences as the Rebbe’s Chabad emissary.

Later that day, we went back to shul for Mincha and Shalosh Seudos, where we were able to have a limited conversation with the mispallelim who knew English or Hebrew. Most of the congregants originally came from Morocco and could only communicate in Spanish or Arabic.

After Shabbos, we took a long walk to the Plaza de Espana along Calle de la Princesa, a main shopping street. In Madrid, “life” begins at night. Dinner starts anywhere after 9 PM, and most stores are open until then. The streets are jampacked with people. The cafes with their outdoor seating are crowded and lively. This is partially due to the fact that Spain still observes the tradition of “siesta,” which means that people go home from work from 2-5 PM for a traditional nap and return to their jobs until 8 PM. The exciting atmosphere on the streets

Toledo’s narrow alleys

was a form of entertainment for us. After walking the streets, we returned to our hotel, had a Melave Malk, and prepared for our Sunday sojourn to Toledo.

Toledo is an ancient walled city and is known for its Christian, Jewish and Muslim monuments and sites. The medieval layout of the city is still preserved, making a walk through its narrow winding cobblestoned streets, alleyways, curved archways alongside houses bedecked with flower boxes a must for any traveler. In addition, there are many historic buildings to visit.

We had met Alex, a tour guide, in shul on Friday, and it was he who drove us on Sunday to Toledo. The most significant sight that we saw was when we were still a few kilometers away and gazed at the entire city perched on a hill and surrounded by its stone walls. After entering the main gate, we walked over to the restored El Transito Synagogue, which was built in 1357. We could just imagine the mixed history that this synagogue witnessed from the glorious time of its construction to its conversion into a Catholic Church in 1492. It became a national monument in 1877 and that began its journey towards becoming the National Sephardic Museum. The outside of the building is nondescript, but when entering the edifice, the interior is awe-inspiring. The Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue was also converted into a church but is presently a museum as well. The interior of that building is an architectural gem without any religious characteristics. The horseshoe-shaped

Toledo Spain Synagogue del Transito

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rate architectural designs and decorative features of the buildings. At the end of our bus tour, we were dropped off at the three-century-old Royal Palace, the largest palace in Europe. It is the official residence of the royal family but is actually used only for ceremonial events. During our visit, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia were the ruling monarchs. We took a tour of the palace, which covered the grand interior of this majestic palace and then walked around the vast exterior grounds. We then rushed back to the hotel to get ready for Shabbos. We davened in our apartment and were delighted with the Shabbosdik atmosphere that permeated our seudah. The food was excellent, the zemiros were lively, and the divrei

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74

Pesi at Plaza Mayor

arches are supported by twenty-four ornamental columns. The focal point is scallop-shell-topped arch where the Aron Hakodesh used to stand. We spent most of our visit to Toledo in these two buildings, and we bought some souvenirs.

As we were leaving the city, Alex entered a narrow alleyway and could not maneuver his car in or out. It took a lot of effort and patience and help from passersby to extricate him without damaging his vehicle. We drove back to our hotel with a feeling of deep satisfaction from

our well-enriched journey to Toledo.

Before going on this trip with my friends, I formulated an understanding that some days we would not tour together as a group; rather, we would devote some periods where we could spend time alone with our wives. Monday after Shachris at the shul followed by a shared breakfast, Pesi and I took off to spend the day together. I don’t remember what our friends did, but we went to Zara and to another shop where Pesi bought a suit.

Shopping is a favorite activity for most women, and I was glad to accompany her.

The Royal Palace

Then we went to an important historic site called Plaza Mayor. This famous public square was a food market until the late 16th century and the site where royal celebrations and religious events took place.

It was also the location where the Inquisition’s Auto da Fe and other public executions took place. Presently, the square is home to many outdoor vendors and shops and is a major tourist attraction.

I then rushed back to shul since I had yahrtzeit that evening, and then we joined our friends for supper while all of us related our day’s activities.

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

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nspiration Nation

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

76

Inspector Richie Taylor The Kippah-Wearing Cop

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

W

e all want to achieve success and excellence in life, whether it be in our career, education, character, talents, or relationships; in body, mind, and soul.

But in the midst of invisible progress, many are left disheartened in the face of challenge. When one obstacle has been passed, another quickly takes its place in what seems to be a never-ending cycle of struggle and hardship.

Why must things be so hard for me?

Looking at those whom we admire, whom we wish to emulate, only seems to reinforce this notion that we’re just not fortunate enough to truly succeed in life. After all, if you peek into the life of a typical successful person, it would likely seem as though their success was sudden and miraculous; as if in the blink of an eye, the person suddenly achieved incredible things.

However, there’s nothing further from the truth. In reality, all tru-

In His Words… if someone takes the time to consider where they are in life, to realize that it wasn’t an accident – there are no accidents, there are no coincidences. Things happen for a reason.

”

Courtesy is contagious. happiness is contagious. spending a positive tone is contagious.

”

sometimes even a guiding hand, sometimes just a listening ear, or sometimes just a smile can really go far more than you can realize.

”

if you do the right thing, you never know how many people you can be a role model to.

”

ly accomplished individuals had to go through extraordinary struggles, overcoming obstacles perhaps greater than our own, to reach extraordinary heights. True success is not achieved despite challenge, but rather through challenge, as will become evident through the course of this article.

Let me introduce you to a man whom I believe embodies the true essence of success: Inspector Richie Taylor, who holds the title of NYPD Inspector – the highest rank in the whole police department, only beneath the police chief and commissioner in the chain of command.

As an inspector, he supervises deputy inspectors, police captains, lieutenants, sergeants, detectives, and police officers. And what’s more? Inspector Richie Taylor is an Orthodox Jew who wears his kippah proudly.

Having started as a patrol officer in 2005, Richie Taylor rose through the ranks at record speed. In 2010, he became a sergeant; in 2015, a lieutenant; and in 2016, the captain of his precinct.

He was appointed deputy inspector by the commissioner in 2020, and in 2021, he became a full-fledged inspector. Going from the bottom to the top of the police department in under twenty years, mind you before even turning forty, is nothing short of spectacular. But make no mistake: in order for him to have gotten to where he is today, he had to persevere through many challenges.

“From the outside, a person may look at someone who’s successful and say, ‘Wow, that was like an arrow that just shot from the very bottom to the very top’,” Inspector Richie Taylor noted. “But if you ask the successful person how they got there, they’d probably say anything but that.”

Richie Taylor grew up in a non-religious home, and with no father in his life, was forced to practically raise himself. While living in Manhattan Beach with his mother and younger sister, he attended public school, until one day, in the middle of fifth grade, he asked his mother to put him in yeshiva, where many of his religious neighbors went.

His mother, while surprised by the request, nevertheless agreed, and thus began Inspector Taylor’s life as a frum Jew. Fast forward a couple of years, and thirteen-year-old Richie Taylor’s admiration for the Hatzalah organization was born. While none of his neighbors were volunteers, Hatzalah members often went on calls in Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach because of the large elderly community present there.

The issue for Hatzalah members at the time was that many places in Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach were not on a map, and as such, it was incredibly challenging at times to find the person in distress. Considering the fact that, at the time, there was no GPS, no Waze, and no smartphones, it’s easy to under-

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Trade Center, not part of it, but they want to become part of it. They’re getting themselves involved, they’re getting themselves into the buildings to help,” Inspector Richie Taylor recalled. “It meant a lot to me, and just seeing that cemented why I joined Hatzalah, why I joined the auxiliary police department, and why I had this path that I chose for myself.”

Four years later, he graduated from the Police Academy and started as a patrol officer. Through struggle and sacrifice, he eventually rose to the top.

Now, Inspector Richie Taylor serves as the commanding officer of the NYPD’s Community Affairs Outreach. As part of his job, he supervises community affairs officers and spends a lot of time helping the community.

“I make sure that we have communication with community members, with civic organizations, elected officials, and community leaders,” Taylor said.

“Our clergy is big; we make sure that every house of worship gets visited by community affairs officers and that we have a relationship with stakeholders, whether it’s our business leaders or non-profits.”

Inspector Taylor often visits schools to teach children about stranger danger.

He speaks of the dangers of stranger impersonation; when speaking with Jewish children, he compares it to Purim: a person can dress up in a costume and claim to be something they’re not, such as a police officer or a parent’s friend, so it’s always important to be extremely careful.

Inspector Richie Taylor is a husband and a father of five. At age twenty, he got married to his wife, Miri, whose father is Akiva Klein, the Flatbush Hatzalah search and rescue supervisor and coordinator. Richie Taylor knew and ad-

This article is based on a podcast, “Inspiration For the Nation,” hosted

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

mired his in-laws long before he even met his wife and was inspired by their amazing acts of chessed, including running a store where Hatzalah members were able to get oxygen tanks.

“I think it helps a lot that my wife understands that the position I have now is a public service position,” Inspector Richie Taylor said. “It takes a lot of time out from being home, with the family, and with the kids. Even on Shabbos and yom tov, the phone doesn’t stop, and it does take a lot of sacrifice, but thank G-d, I have a wife that understands it, and I have kids that understand it.”

Even though he’s extremely busy, he tries to spend as much time as possible with his family. Every other week, he makes an effort to take his kids out to dinner individually so as to give each special attention, and he tries to let his family know what’s going on at work

by keeping them updated and allowing them to get involved in any way they can.

And while he never gets a break from his job, he finds it a little less overwhelming because he knows he isn’t alone. He has his family, friends, and fellow officers supporting him, but most of all, he finds comfort in trusting in Hashem.

Inspector Richie Taylor is not just an inspiration because of where he is; he’s an inspiration because of how he got there – how he had to raise himself and how his difficult upbringing shaped him into the humble, selfless person he is today. He doesn’t look at his challenges as having disadvantaged him; he looks at them as being the reason he is a major success. And indeed, as a husband and father, an observant Jew, and a leader who never gives up, Inspector Richie Taylor is a role model for us all.

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

stand why under the stress of a life-anddeath situation, the whole neighborhood seemed like a maze to members of Hatzalah.

Richie Taylor wanted to help, and while he was too young to become an EMT, he found his own way to save lives. When a Hatzalah ambulance would arrive in his neighborhood, he would hop on his bike, and while holding a flashlight, he would say, “Follow me!” Because he was familiar with the whole area, he was able to easily lead Hatzalah to the person who desperately needed help. At the time, Richie didn’t think what he was doing was such a big deal, but he later realized that in an emergency, every second counts, and by helping Hatzalah get to the patient as quickly as possible, he likely saved lives.

“It wasn’t a big deal to me, but just thinking about how much that meant to a patient, to the patient’s family members, just shows that in life, you don’t have to be the EMT, you don’t have to be the paramedic, you don’t have to be the doctor; you just have to do something,” Inspector Taylor said. “Just sometimes even a guiding hand, sometimes just a listening ear, or sometimes just a smile can really go far more than you can realize.”

By age 19, Inspector Richie Taylor had joined Hatzalah as an EMT and began serving as an auxiliary police officer. That was the same year that the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks happened.

Being in the city at the time and watching the tragedy unfold before his eyes, Richie Taylor felt incredibly inspired by the heroic efforts of police officers, firefighters, and Hatzalah members, who were rushing into danger, risking their lives to save others.

“You have people who are not in the

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78

School of

Thought

Miracles

By Barbara Deutsch

I

t’s Chanukah.

How do you spell Chanukah?

With a “Ch” or an “H”? Two “K”s or one? Ending with an “H” or not? When you transliterate a foreign word, Hebrew to English, there is really no equivalency. No right or wrong answer. Yet, there are some rules created by linguists or purists who quote clear guidelines.

I am not going there because I’m not a linguist, know enough about the Hebrew language, and don’t really care.

What is a universal truth is that Chanukah is a fun holiday that celebrates joy and light while highlighting heroism and miracles; boy, do we need that now even more than in a very long time.

Despite my herculean efforts to stay removed from the details of the massacre, the abundance of media surrounding this Gaza war makes it impossible.

There have been many horrors committed around the world, yet no war has the media scrutiny that this one has. And everyone has an opinion it seems; most of it skewed, misguided, wrong, and against Israel.

Plus, the denial? Why is it OK to defile women and children savagely, and this horror does not result in any outcry? These acts of brutality would not be tolerated for any other group of people; “Me too unless you are a Jew!” Why? Listening to the questioning of the college presidents, the university leaders of our most prestigious schools, MIT, Harvard and University of Pennsylvania (Penn), you could not help but cringe as these leaders, all women for some reason (made me so ashamed), fumbled and mumbled over whether or not “threatening statements of genocide” was OK as long as it’s not “actionable.”

Representative Stefansky, a female congressman (made me so proud), from upstate New York, ignited her career with her clear and direct manner asking probing questions when asking for

simple answers: “yes” or “no”?

Why couldn’t these so-called intellectuals, the “best” of the “best,” no more, answer questions directly? Why should we let our precious children be exposed to the antisemitism on the campuses disguised as “free speech” and therefore OK when those who set and make policy are misguided and prejudiced?

quietly as Qatar and like-minded bigots continue their path of focused manipulation and destruction on the minds of our vulnerable college students.

We cannot allow people to sit on the sidelines and support the idea that as long as “speech does not become conduct” it’s OK to create an unsafe environment for Jewish students as long as they are not being physically attacked;

We hope that for the coming generations, October 7, 25 Tishrei, will be commemorated as the miracle of eradicating Hamas.

I did not know that Qatar spends billions on universities in the United States, funding chairs and installing professors who reflect their hatred for our people and their homeland.

I know now, and I am not going to sit

this only seems to be OK for Jewish students and no one else.

It’s disgusting but not unprecedented.

I have always spelled Chanukah “Chanukah.” I’m okay with Hanukah or Hanukkah. It’s fun to play with words,

and it tickles my brain into thinking.

Brain stimulation is good for old people.

Lighting the menorah (with or without an “H”), spinning dreidels, eating doughnuts and latkes (a family favorite) are all part of the joy that makes this holiday so unique. I’m not a big fan of gifts every night; this year, we are paring it down to the great-grandkids, these wonderful babies who we are gifted with in this our senior cycle.

We hope that for the coming generations, October 7, 25 Tishrei, will be commemorated as the miracle of eradicating Hamas. It will be a day where we will honor the martyrs of this horrible war and dance and sing with joy that the miracle of peace in Israel was finally found.

Sadly, Jew Hate – fueled and somehow supported in the free thinking for everyone but Jews – in educational institutions seems to be a part of our destiny. Even if they remove these presidents, there somehow always seems to be a new crop of antisemitic leaders cropping up to take their place.

Antisemitism seems to be a blight that has followed our people since we left Egypt. There seems to be no solution. We must continue to wait for Moshiach (with an “A” or an “O”?) to get that to happen.

On Shabbos Chanukah, we celebrated with our American children and a bonus guest, our daughter Meredith here for the pidyon haben of our newest great-grandson Nachum Eliezer, and prayed for more miracles.

Let us wait together.

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

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Israel Today

Moshe Dov, Hy”d

By Rafi Sackville

S

quatting down on his haunches, his head covered by the hood of his winter jacket, little Ori Kogan listens as his mother Shaked speaks to the crowd of about one hundred who have come on this cool December morning that mark the shloshim since her husband’s death in Gaza. Ori occasionally lifts his head, glances at his father’s grave and those around him, but mostly he is locked away in his own small, confusing world.

As she did at the funeral, Shaked spoke poignantly, describing the wonderful eight years of her marriage. Several thousands had attended the funeral that had taken place in the middle of the night. Moshe Dov Kogan was well known to me. He grew up in Ma’alot.

His family’s seats were directly behind mine in shul. Moshe Dov’s father, Meir, passed away weeks after my father, and throughout the following year, Moshe Dov and I alternated as chazanim.

Like his father, Meir Shimon, Dovi was quietly spoken. He was the kind of man whose actions were more important to him than words. He led by example.

He was in an elite army corps. Judging by the words spoken by his commanders and fellow soldiers at the gravesite, he never spoke about any of his own accomplishments; that is not who he was.

Once Shaked had finished speaking about Moshe Dov, she turned to the soldiers standing at the gravesite. She was at pains to express her love for Israel and how Dovi died a hero defending our home. She is heartbroken but knows that his contribution is an important factor in our winning this war. She spoke of his belief in the unity of the country,

of our strength as an island in a sea of hate. There was such determination in her voice. Such strength.

Once the words of remembrance were completed and the gathered had begun saying Tehillim, little Ori became playful. He walked up to his mother, hugged her legs, and shed a tear. He picked up a small pebble and pressed it into the sand on his father’s grave. Then he took another and another, forming them into an indeterminate shape. He’d press each pebble deep into sand that will eventually be covered by Jerusalem stone.

Unlike the midnight funeral, I could see the faces of Moshe Dov’s family and friends. To me, they looked like we all have looked since October 7: distressed and concerned, but determined and resilient. Moshe Dov was only 32 years old.

He had a lifetime ahead of him. Next to him lies the remains of a soldier who was killed on October 8. He was 22 years old.

How we have sown the earth with our young and brave.

Only yards away from Har Herzl is Yad Sarah, the largest national volunteer organization in Israel. Family and friends later gathered to hear words of remembrance. On our way there, we passed Shaked and Ori. She stopped to thank us for attending. Her smile was radiant and sincere.

From what wellspring does she draw that sturdiness, that determination and strength? I came away feeling more in love with our country, our people, our madness, our grit. We have suffered terribly since October 7, and we might spend generations coming to grips with the tragedy, but we are here. We aren’t going anywhere. Free Palestine? Yes,

free of hatred, free of evil, free to all who want to experience our freedom. Dovi and Shaked Kogan have helped me become stronger in belief of that vision.

On the way back to Gonen in Jerusalem, where we are temporarily staying, I stopped at the local supermarket. In the parking lot, a bus was idling awaiting passengers. At the door stood an old acquaintance, Arnold Roth. His daughter, Malki, had been one of the many victims of the Sbarro Restaurant suicide bombing in August 2001.

Among the victims were Mordechai and Tzira Schijveschuurder, both children of Holocaust survivors, along with three of their children. Two other daughters, Leah, 11, and Chaya, 8, were critically injured.

I’d had the pleasure of doing miluim with Mordechai back in the late 1980s. While I milled around with others, Mordechai sat in a corner learning Mishnayot. We hardly spoke, but he left an indelible mark on me. As an aside, one of the terrorists who committed the bombing was released in return for Gilad Shalit.

I didn’t have to ask Arnold what he was doing there. My heart sank again. He was awaiting transportation to Har Herzl for the burial of his son-in-law, Naftali Yona Gordon, who had been killed in Gaza on Erev Shabbat.

I oftentimes think about the concept of six degrees of separation, which is the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other. This isn’t so in Israel. It is fair to say that, at most, there are only two degrees of separation in Israel; you either know someone, or you know someone who knows someone. This is why every tragedy here is experienced

personally by all Israelis; I know many people who have been evacuated; one whose house in Dovev in Northern Galil faces the first Hezbollah outpost; one of my colleagues at work whose son is still in captivity somewhere in Gaza.

Yes, we are brothers in sorrow, yet so too are we a band of collective spirit that pervades this wonderful land of ours, seeping into the pores of every element of society. Yes, we are torn over many issues that have divided us and brought us to the brink. Yes, we are a society of many strands and colors. Yes, we love to debate and argue. But we are also a country that has proven just how bonded we are in times of need.

I lift my head and gaze at the Jerusalem skyline in front of me. I can see Teddy Stadium, Bayit V’Gan, Shaarei Tzedek, and the building at the main bus station. The traffic on Begin Boulevard flows as it always does, and the construction of Israel Light Rail is still in progress. To think that 75 years ago they were hills upon which no houses stood.

We have not stopped moving forward, nor shall we. In another 75 years, these very hills will be transmogrified into even greater beauty.

As I complete this column, my mind turns again to little Ori Kogan whose playfulness at his father’s gravesite has left me heartbroken for the loss of his beautiful father and all the fathers and brothers and mothers and sisters who have lost their lives in the last two months.

Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

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Dating Dialogue

What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

My father is a very domineering man who makes it clear that my choices are always going to be scrutinized. I think it is because of this that every guy I go out with leads me to feel that the guy I am dating is not good enough. (For reference, I am 28, a lawyer, and very driven). I am constantly

wrestling with negative thoughts on dates. I scrutinize the guy after dates and very often find myself uninterested in going out again. I wish I was like my many friends who floated easily through dating and have settled down easily.

I work with a therapist, but this is more recent as I was brought up that therapy was for people with “real” problems.

Even now, I have to fight thoughts in my head that come up chastising myself for seeing a therapist. I guess you can say I am at the stage where I’m all ears to suggestions to help my dating life. I want to get married more than anything, but I feel like I’m getting nowhere. Any thoughts?

Thank you, Naami*

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

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The Panel

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

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aami, you are a smart girl. There are no shortcuts to this maze. You have to navigate the journey to find a mate, deal with the dead ends, and deal with yourself and your personal challenges.

This will take time and effort. The journey will enrich you; you will be a more developed person for having participated in the growth process that is therapy.

You will be more open to real connection when you view it this way and not as a zero-sum game.

You are definitely on your way because you are seeing a therapist. You are not merely learning about yourself and your cerebral and ruminative style. You are going to learn to trust yourself and open yourself up to following with your gut/heart after you lead with your head.

The primacy of the brain is your nature, but it should not end there. You will learn to allow yourself to feel and connect.

You are also struggling to deal with the possibility of therapy helping someone who is smart, accomplished, and not broken. Understand yourself. Go through the process of therapy with someone capable.

Whether it is cognitive behavioral therapy or other modalities, move on.

Own your feelings. Separate from your dad. And perhaps join a therapy group as well. You may need validation and input from others as well as individual therapy.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

T

hank you for writing into our column.

You are certainly on the right path towards finding your bashert and settling down.

My first piece of advice for you is to work through the pain and trauma you have pent up, which is causing this blockage on all of your dates. You seem to understand the root of where your blockage comes from, as you outline in your

The Single Tzipora Grodko

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i Naami, I’m so happy to hear that you’re in therapy. It’s really difficult to make healthy choices when we need to dismantle programmed habits and beliefs that no longer service us. The BEST answer is for you to continue attending therapy (at least on a weekly basis). The work takes time, so be patient and kind to yourself throughout the process.

Other than therapy, I would recommend trying to give each date more time before concerning yourself with a premature termination. It’s easy for me to tell you to “stay present” and simply “try to have fun without allowing racing thoughts to ambush you,” but I know it’s far from simple. Surround yourself with as much support as possible. A mentor or credible dating coach can be invaluable to you throughout your process as well. You WILL get through this!

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

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ow! There’s a lot to unpack here.

You’ve been raised by a domineering father who made you insecure about your choices.

You’re seeing a therapist, but your belief that therapy only helps folks with “real problems” makes successful intervention unlikely.

Your lawyerly experiences have driven you to scrutinize every flaw in everyone that you meet.

My good friend, Allen W., had this facetious, yet practical suggestion: “After you go on a date, sit down, and make one list of everything you like about him, and one list of everything you don’t like about him. Then, throw out the “bad” list, and keep the “good” list.”

So, may I respectfully suggest that the

The voice might never go away, but you can learn to overpower that voice with a strong-willed inner voice of your own.

next time you meet a guy, go out a few times despite any initial negative perceptions that you might have.

Then, consider shifting your focus from the end goal of getting married to the more short-term goal of getting to know the guy and to enjoying yourself on a date. Please date the guy a few times, get to know more about each other, allow yourself to enjoy yourself, and see what develops naturally.

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Rebbetzin

letter. Having your father’s voice in your head on every date is just shunning every possible suitable match right now. Take a break from dating while you go through these beginning stages of healing. You WILL come to a place where you will be ready. You will be ready for meeting men with a realistic understanding that people are multifaceted human beings with good qualities, flaws, positives and negatives.

I have another thought to share. In your mind, nobody will be perfect enough for your father, but think to yourself, is your mother “perfect”? Is your father “perfect”? Try to come to a place within yourself where you recognize that your father’s voice in your head is not a rational one. The voice might never go away, but you can learn to overpower that voice with a strong-willed inner voice of your own that drowns it out. Talk to yourself, inwardly: “I deserve to get married to an amazing man, he may not be perfect, but I want to and WILL get married.” This self-talk should help you build up the confidence to go rationally into dating, and iy”H settle down with a great guy soon.

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Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

D

ear Naami, Thank you for your email! Living under the scrutiny of a domineering parent is challenging at the least and fear-inducing at worst. I understand that you are now finding yourself not only scrutinizing the men you are dating but constantly scrutinizing yourself. Very often, people who are “hard” on others are the hardest on themselves.

I am happy to hear that you are in therapy, aware of the issue, and currently addressing it. I hope it is a fruitful experience for you and one that will help you offer yourself some relief from this

harsh inner critic you carr y.

There are so many wonderful forms of therapy to help you soothe and quiet these thoughts. Whether it is working to develop a healthier competing voice in cognitive behavioral therapy or creating a safe space for your inner child to feel safe and free and “play” (or any of the other wonderful techniques out there), therapy can be so helpful! I understand from your email that you just started therapy.

More often than not, there are no “quick fixes.” It takes time.

I do have a hunch that when you begin

to be able to have compassion for yourself and experience more joy and levity within yourself and fully accept all the parts of you, you likely will feel more present on dates and be able to take in more fully the person in front of you and connect with joy and fun and be more mindful within your own body and how you are feeling in the presence of this person, instead of being consumed by his idiosyncrasies and flaws.

Quirks and flaws and mistakes, a freckle on the nose, a crooked tooth, a roundabout path to the present, an “odd” family member, and a “sticky situation” are the things that make a good person beautiful. Somewhere along the way you learned that parts of you are not beautiful or worthy of love. This notion stems not from the truth but from your father’s issues and faulty perception. We are all

Our worthiness is not conditional.

inherently worthy of love and we are worthy “if and when.” Our worthiness is not conditional.

I hope that through therapy you begin to internalize this and really feel it. As a lovely complement to talk therapy, you can try somatic (body) work such a dance class or breath work to help your body physically process and release some of the ideas it is holding on to. Always be kind to and love yourself.

Sincerely, Jennifer

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

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Parenting Pearls

Recognizing Their True Selves

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

A

s parents, we know our child best and can appreciate the many aspects that make them who they are. It’s rather incredible that each baby has their own personality, even during pregnancy. We have learned to value each unique trait – no matter how quirky. Part of the enjoyment of parenthood is seeing that tiny baby develop into the amazing adult they will become. As they reach the next step, we see new parts of their personality emerge.

Parents are known for loving their child no matter the circumstances. It can be painful to see our children questioning their worth or talents. It’s devastating to think how many adults walk around doubting their abilities and self-worth. I’m often amazed when I hear such talented individuals are unaware of their capabilities.

For both good and bad, children are very much influenced by those around them. At some points, they value most what their parents think, while at other stages, it’s their peers that take first place. But we are the ones that help them create those first, precious impressions of themselves.

Hidden Messages Each of us – intentionally or not – gives off hidden messages as we speak. It may be from our tone, body language, or other less obvious means of communication. Smiling when we speak and showing interest give a different message than an impatient answer – even if the words are otherwise the same. Even sitting next to, or near our child, can show we are feeling close to them.

Unfortunately, the hidden messages we give off may be critical or negative. It may be a harsh tone or constantly correcting their every action; both show displeasure in them or lack of trust in their abilities.

Sometimes, the words make our message clear, but, at other times, our hidden message is the opposite of our spoken words. We may say “sure, you can help,” but

if we spend the entire time hovering and interfering, our hidden message is “I don’t really feel you’re capable of doing this.”

At times, we answer our children when we’re distracted or unfocused. This inadvertently gives the message that we don’t care about what they’re telling us or – even worse – that we don’t care about them. Taking the extra moment to look up, make eye contact, and focus shows we value them and their words. Those extra few seconds can make a major difference, because no matter how simple their question, we’ve shown they’re important to us.

We can always lovingly defer their question to a time when we can give their concerns the appropriate attention.

We want every part of our loving message to come across exactly as we intend. Our hidden message should include trust in our child and their capabilities, as appropriate.

We also can’t forget our job as role models. If our children see us speaking disparagingly about ourselves, they will think this is an appropriate way to act. Our actions and words should demonstrate the example we want our child to follow.

Multiple Gifts Children are multi-faceted and have many areas of interest and unique talent.

Inadvertently, we often focus on only one area. By narrowing our focus, we are unintentionally limiting their options. If we only praise their beautiful singing voice, we may completely neglect their quirky sense of humor.

Sometimes, we stress what is most obvious, such as physical appearance. It’s easy to say how cute they are, but there’s only so long they can appreciate being “cute.” Some children have such an obvious talent that it’s easy to overlook the rest of their personality.

It is very possible that what we focus on is not what is truly important to our child.

We may think their ability to be a human

calculator is amazing, but they are more impressed with their cartwheels.

Beyond their gifts and talents, we want them to see themselves as capable individuals. We want them to value their positive qualities and good middos. There is so much that creates an emotionally healthy individual, and we want our precious child to recognize their inherent worth.

More than just praising their inborn traits, we can also encourage children to appreciate that which they do to further their growth and development. Even more than what they have naturally, these are what they build from their own efforts. “It was great you tried something new.” “You really prioritized studying for that exam.” “I can see you worked hard on your project.”

Most importantly, each child should know they were created by Divine design and are here to accomplish a mission that only they are capable of doing. It doesn’t matter whether or not they possess any particular gift; they are still a crucial part of our nation.

Capable Beings There are many opportunities to help our child build a healthy self-image. Recognizing the many things they are capable of doing is one way to reinforce this.

We can use encouraging language. “I see you’ve got this covered.” “I trust you can work it out.”

We can encourage our child’s involvement in outside activities. Giving them the chance to succeed demonstrates another one of their gifts. There are many options, including those that are based in

the schools and shuls. The greater community and private individuals also offer everything from sports, dance, pottery or learning groups.

Every time we encourage a child to try something new, we also risk them not succeeding. This is an inherent risk each time any of us attempts to do anything. As a wise t-shirt once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take” (according to Google, this was first said by Wayne Gretzky). If we never try, we never accomplish.

Obviously, we shouldn’t set a child up for failure. We need not encourage – and certainly not pressure – a child to sign up for, or aim for something, they are bound to fail at. But, often, they don’t know until they try, and many children will surprise their parents with a previously unknown ability.

It’s important to remember there is nobody able to succeed at everything. This, too, is a crucial life skill that children need to learn. Resilience, getting up afterwards, and still recognizing self-worth are all gifts we can teach our child.

Having a healthy self-image is a basic foundation in creating an adult that recognizes their worth and feels ready to accomplish and contribute to the community around them. When Hashem gives us all so much to offer, it’s a true waste if we can’t even see it.

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.

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School of

Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:

Dear Etti, My child’s teacher seems concerned about my fourand-a-half-year-old’s inability to button her shirt, put on her socks and shoes, zip her coat, and a myriad of other such small tasks. She is the baby of the family and doesn’t get much opportunity to do these things. We all baby her so much! I am telling my family to stop coddling her, but the teacher makes it sound like it is indicative of a much larger issue. Should I be concerned?

-Worried

A:

Dear Worried, You don’t have to be worried yet. There are many reasons your daughter might not be performing the tasks mentioned. The fact that she is your youngest and you are all treating her like a baby could explain a lot.

But. Unlike at home where there are many different ages and stages, in school, the teacher is working with a group that is all the same age. The children are expected and encouraged to work independently and interdependently, pour drinks, serve food, zip and button their own coats, etc. The teacher is able to look at a group of children and clearly see who is ahead of the curve and who is falling behind.

I would take your teacher’s recommendations seriously but without panic. I would encourage your daughter to do “big girl” tasks and cheer her on at home when she acts independently.

I remember my oldest daughter bringing my granddaughter to playgroup on the first day of school and discovering that toddlers her age all were familiar with coloring on paper with crayons. She didn’t realize! Now all her children scribble from a young age. They even get to experiment with children’s scissors, watercolor paint, glue, and tape.

It would still be wise to also have her evaluated.

What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?

OT for children is a therbut she doesn’t like missing class. apy that focuses on how Should I insist? Should I allow The fact that she children are able to perform her not to go this year? I am torn. everyday functions. The OT’s Any advice? is your youngest list is long! They might work -Mom of Therapy-Adverse on crawling for left-right Child and you are all brain strengthening, handtreating her like writing, brushing teeth, or carrying items. They will ask Dear Mom, a baby could how the child is doing in and It is out of school and even find hard to be explain a lot. out what the child likes doing pulled out in their own time. of cla s s Children who have coorfor therapy. FOMO is a real issue dination issues, delayed mofor many children! For students tor skills, or seem sensitive to processing sound, light, with a legitimate need, therapy helps children mastouch, and other sensory stimuli benefit greatly from OT. ter skills they cannot do on their own, helping those A good therapist will work on self-help, independent who are falling behind their peers. Speech therapy, play, school readiness, sensory and motor skills, social physical therapy, occupational therapy, and reading skills, and cognitive development. They will work on zip- and literacy assistance are all given to children to help ping, buttoning, tying, putting on clothing, and all other them catch up, be excited about learning, and feel good necessary skills for dressing. about themselves.

There is research to suggest that difficulty with fine If your child was mandated services, she probably motor schools can actually be an early sign of reading needs them. Yes, as her parent, you can revoke consent issues. If someone in your family has dyslexia, there is whenever you want, but you might not be able to get the even a stronger reason to have your child tested. The services back if you realize that she needs them later. earlier your child gets the support and skills to master Why does your daughter not want to go? What class reading, the easier the process will be. events is she missing? Have a real talk with her. The Hatzlacha! situation might just need some tweaking. Maybe her -Etti teacher can do the class activity she misses at a time she is there. Maybe the therapy can be done at another time during school, during a specialty she doesn’t mind missing or with the other teacher. Maybe for this Dear Etti, My daughter does not year, your daughter can have the therapy after school want to go out to therapy hours.

Hatzlacha! in school. She desperately -Etti needs the help she is getting

A:

Q:

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.

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Towards a Healthier Self Dr. Marcy Forta Talks About Helping to Cultivate a Positive Body Image for Our Teens and Girls

Marcy FortaHs

journey may seem unusual to an outside observer, as she went from owning and operating her own clothing store to getting her EdD and starting a nonprofit called Atzmi, which is a Torah-based, empirically backed eating disorder prevention and self-worth program. But for Dr. Forta, it was precisely her experiences with the local frum women that inspired her trajectory.

As a store owner, she worked with women and girls daily. She saw young girl after young girl with the same frown as they looked at themselves in the mirror. The pattern was always the same – the mothers would come to Marcy asking her to help their daughters find something they liked and help them feel good. The mothers just didn’t know how to have these types of conversations with their daughters and support them. Marcy also noticed the struggle of young new mothers, who shortly after birth burst into tears in the dressing room, as well as older women walk out emptyhanded because they struggled with their changing body.

Originally, when Marcy opened her clothing store, the idea was to empower women to look and feel their best in tziniusdik, fashionable, and affordable clothing.

She wanted to bring joy and happiness to women, but what she ended up seeing was just how difficult clothing shopping can be for self and body image.

When Marcy sold the store, she took these encounters and the struggles the women faced with her. It affected her deeply, and she felt so strongly as she herself struggled with body image issues that led to an eating disorder as a teen.

“I consider myself very, very lucky to have gotten out of it,” says Dr. Forta of her experience. “Eating disorders are one of the hardest mental health issues to treat. It usually takes an average of six years to recover from one.”

Knowing how difficult eating disorders are to treat and recognizing that there are qualified professionals out there in the field helping people, Dr. Forta wanted to approach the issue from a different angle. Research shows that prevention works and that heading off an eating disorder is much easier than treating one. There are risk factors at the root of eating disorders Dr. Marcy Forta

that if addressed early, before a person has a diagnosable eating disorder, are much more likely to have a positive outcome.

Dr. Forta went back to school and got a doctorate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on behavioral health.

“I did my dissertation on the unique risk factors for eating disorders within the frum female adolescent community. I spoke to rabbanim, principals, teachers, doctors, and mental health professionals to understand our unique risk factors,” she shares.

Prevention for eating disorders works, but it needs to be targeted and it needs to take environmental concerns into consideration. Dr. Forta saw that using a secular curriculum wouldn’t do the trick in our classrooms.

And that’s how Atzmi was born.

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The Pressure to Be Perfect

Take food, for example, a wonderful bracha from Hashem that is both a promotion of health and a protection of life. Food plays a critical role in our oneg Shabbos and yom tov and in all our simchas. The sheer abundance of, and time spent in planning and preparation of, as well as the weekly occurrence of large and extensive meals, creates a paradox. On the one hand, cooking and making large meals is emphasized and expected, yet often the message given to women and girls is to be careful not to enjoy it too much. We should be able to cook and bake well – but not indulge ourselves.

In addition, food is found to be used as a control mechanism for those who feel, whether accurately or perceived, that they don’t have control over their own decisions and choices. Food is further complicated by the fact that it is something that we need on a daily basis.

When someone has an addiction to alcohol or drugs or gambling, the solution is to remove it from their lives completely, but this is not possible with food, making it more of a challenge.

Pressure is another large category of risk. Perfectionistic pressure, the need to be and exemplify perfection, is particularly damaging. Our expectations of perfection, to be and to accomplish certain things, leads to excessive pressure for us and can become crippling to those who feel as though they are falling short. Our overall mindset – that we should be able to do it all, to push through any setback or struggle and get the job done no matter what – places huge pressure on women and girls of all ages, wreaking havoc on our self-esteem and self-image, creating substantial risk for eating disorders.

Academic pressure is another area of considerable pressure. Girls are expected to be model students and get good grades. I’ve heard many stories of girls who are deeply distraught if they receive a B on their report card as they feel that anything less than an A is a complete failure. This is particularly hard for girls who struggle scholastically. The accompanying social pressure compounds this pressure as some girls want to associate

age. All of these and more burden our girls considerably. Pressure is a substantial, documented risk for increased vulnerability regarding disordered eating and eating disorders as well as for lower self-esteem and reduced body-image. Our community, with its additional unique pressures, experiences real and measurable risk.

A Healthier Image

only with those also on a high academic track. Further, there is substantial academic pressure to get into the “right” seminary in order to ensure the proper shidduch. There is an overarching subtle message that you have to do well in school in order to marry well.

This brings us to shidduch pressure, a multifaceted category of pressure. The pressure to be a desirable partner is created from a very young age. Girls as young as 8 or 9 are discussing the expectation to be thin and to be beautiful, warning that without those you may not get a good shidduch. While they are aware that shidduchim

Our expectations of perfection, to be and to accomplish certain things, leads to excessive pressure for us and can become crippling to those who feel as though they are falling short.

do not directly affect them currently, it is still front and center in their minds. Shadchanim have been known to tell girls that they have to lose weight in order to even get a date. Mothers, while screening prospects for their sons, will eliminate girls based on their or their mother’s dress size. This appearance focus pressure increases risk.

These young impressionable girls watch the struggles of their siblings, cousins, and older friends and know what is in store for them. There is a constant pressure to be ready and attractive for the shidduch, to ensure you have what you need on your resume, and that you conform to the requisite physical expectations.

There are other pressures as well – peer pressure, that need to be a part of and accepted by certain social groups, as well as a constant pressure generated by the implication that thin equals happy, and the pressure for our girls to grow up quickly, as they are expected to take on much responsibility and be ready to marry at a young

Where, then, do we go from here? How do we counteract these seemingly insurmountable challenges?

Having these important conversations is the vital first step. Educating ourselves about our unique risk factors and struggles creates awareness, and all knowledge is power. Eating disorder prevention programs are also imperative and have had measurable success in reducing overall risk as well as in supporting self-esteem and body image and are crucial to offsetting these devastating and difficult to treat disorders and fulfilling our chiyuv of v’nishmartem moed es nafshosaichem.

So, what are some practical and usable ideas that can help us move toward healthier mindsets, both for ourselves and for our children? With limited space, I’ll introduce five: Shifting the Focus: Very often, we are paralyzed by a number on the scale or by the numbers or sizes inside our clothing. We have to shift our focus and rethink our relationship with food. Food is nourishment. Food sustains us. We need food several times a day, each and every day. Food should not be used as a reward – not in school, not for losing weight, not for going to camp, not for anything. Likewise, food should also not be used as a punishment – you cannot eat this food or do this thing until you lose a certain amount of weight. Food needs to be used as a tool for our health, and it should be recognized as such.

The same is true of our children’s weight. Paying them or bribing them to lose a certain amount of weight is counterproductive and dangerous. We must be so careful in how we speak to our daughters about food, what they eat, how much they eat, and what they weigh.

Rethinking Priorities: We teach our children from a young age to focus on middos, internals, as that is what matters and is fundamental to our relationship with Hashem, but our behavior sometimes says the opposite. Often, we model and reinforce externality and physicality as things we aspire to – be beautiful and be thin in order to have real value. We praise people who lose weight and who are physically pleasing, highlighting how important these things really are to us. But, as Yidden, this is not who we are meant to be. We have to stop the excessive praise of people who lose weight or who we deem beautiful. That does not mean we cannot acknowledge them, but the emphasis must be redirected toward the middos and inner character traits of the person.

Stop Modeling Perfectionism: Our children must see us acknowledge that we are not perfect – and that that’s OK. We work so hard to be superwomen, having children and taking care of them, cooking elaborate meals, cleaning and taking care of the house, entertain-

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

“I wanted to give our girls the tools they need from a Torah, hashkafa, and empirically based perspective,” says Dr. Forta as she explains Atzmi’s goal.

The standards for Atzmi’s efficacy are very high. Dr. Forta continues to collect data from all her programs and analyzes it with the same rigor as she did while carrying out her doctoral research.

When asked about why rates of eating disorders are higher among the Jewish population, Dr. Forta has a wealth of insight. There is not a clear understanding as to why some people with similar risk factors will go on to develop eating disorders while others do not. What we do know is that there are numerous risk factors that contribute to eating disorder onset. General risk factors include genetics, family dynamics, societal expectations, personality, and psychological factors, among others. We, as frum Jews, have to contend with all of these, as well as some unique to our community.

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ing, learning, davening, and working.

If our children cannot see us acknowledge that we are not perfect, life is not perfect, and that we too sometimes get overwhelmed, then they do not have the tools to cope when they feel they have not lived up to our standards and expectations. They feel less than, and often don’t even know how to ask for help.

This can lead to all kinds of negative coping strategies that are detrimental both mentally and physically.

Reducing the Stigma: Often, there is shame and guilt associated with asking questions or needing help. If girls don’t see the adults in their lives model acceptance of needing help, then they feel that something is wrong with them, leading to feelings of shame and guilt. And while there have been inroads in our community regarding mental health intervention stigma, there is still a long way to go, even more so with eating disorders. We don’t judge those who need medical help for a physical disease or ailment; mental and emotional health must be treated equally, without judgment, bias, or labels.

Educating and Increasing Awareness: There is a need to understand how to develop an appropriately healthy relationship with food. This must start at a young age, as attitudes and perceptions that may ultimately contribute to disordered eating are developed in children as young as six. Parents, educators, and health professionals need to understand that our community has unique

Our children must see us acknowledge that we are not perfect – and that that’s OK.

eating habits, increase nutrition knowledge, and offer body-image and self-esteem support.

The workshops offered from Atzmi have been created with the frum girl in mind and are based on Torah and hashkafa. They are also empirically based to not only head off eating disorders but also to give the girls tools and outlets for their emotions, help them cultivate self-compassion, help them feel comfortable in their bodies, reduce the focus on outward appearance, and much more. Atzmi also offers a workshop for mothers to help them better understand body image, how it is created, and their role in helping their daughters with theirs, as well as a workshop for teachers that helps with recognizing eating disorders, helping their students, and creating safe classroom spaces free from weight bullying and stigma which we know is going on in younger grades each year.

Atzmi has also developed a program for women to who are struggling with food, body issues, and self -esteem.

Dr. Marcy Forta is a leading authority on eating disorders education, awareness, and prevention, the founder and creator

risk factors for disordered eating and eating disorders, as well as how to recognize the symptoms and signs that accompany them. Eating disorder prevention programs must also be instituted in schools so as to bolster healthy

of the non-profit Atzmi (Atzmi.org), an expert on body image, and provides support for loved ones of those struggling with an eating disorder. You can reach her at Atzmi.org/contact or at marcyforta.com.

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d for Thought

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Art of Grill

By Nati Burnside

S

ometimes you walk into a restaurant and feel like you’ve walked headfirst into another culture. The sights, the sounds, and the smells precede the tastes and textures you’re about to experience. It’s as if you’ve been transported to another place.

That’s certainly the case with Art of Grill in Queens. It’s almost hard to tell what the most striking thing is when you enter the place. With more and more kosher restaurants improving their ambiance these days, eateries are certainly nicer than they used to be. But there’s a reason the first word on this eatery’s signage is “art.”

The space is beautiful. And that’s not a word typically used in the culinary space department.

Everything from the wall art, to the regional artifacts hanging on the walls, to the canopies hanging from the ceiling, to the curtained booths will make going to dinner here a true experience. They even have some traditional garb (robes and hats) that you can wear for a photo if you want.

The live music that often ehances the vibe is just a garnish on what is a full platter of cultural immersion.

When I was invited to Art of Grill to check out their Bucharian cuisine, I started out by ordering some of my favorite staples. I like to start each meal in this genre with the classic pairing of a pastry and a bowl of soup. The Meat Samsa was made perfectly. The house-made dough was delightfully crispy on the outside, and the filling was my preference of a mixture of beef and lamb to go along with the mandatory onions. It is served with a traditional red dipping sauce that’s like tomato sauce with ten times the kick. I am happy to put that sauce on anything.

For the bowl of soup, I went with the Dumpling Lagman Soup. The hearty bowl of braised beef, daikon, bell pepper, celery, garlic, onions, napa cabbage, and string beans is enhanced by the meat dumplings.

Any winter day would be improved by gulp-

ing down the deep flavor of the broth alone, but all the different textures could almost make this a one pot meal if you were shortsighted enough to not want to explore the rest of the menu.

Honestly, the best way to experience this type of cuisine is to share dishes. So after you’ve had your personal starters, let’s move on to some shared plates. The PanFried Potatoes are a classic. These are almost like homemade potato chips, but they are served below a pile of sauteed mushrooms and onions with a generous sprinkling of dill. The crispiness of the potatoes (eat them right away) and the softness of the topping pair well, and the dill flavor really brings everything together. Think of this as the equivalent of ordering a plate of fries for the table.

One criticism I often hear about Bucharian restaurants is that most of the menus are the same; the only difference is how well it’s executed. That argument isn’t without merit, but you should know that Art of Grill is both right at the top of the best places to go and that one of their unique menu items is fantastic.

I’m talking about the Art of Grill Salad. This is kind of like a standard house salad, but with many elements shredded or cut into matchsticks. It’s then topped with shreds of beef, what is essentially house-made fresh fried potato sticks, and dressing. It’s like no other salad I’ve ever had, and I may go back to Art of Grill in the future just to get it. It’s almost like a slaw because of the way everything is cut, but slaws don’t often include beef and never include potatoes. However they invented it, it works. Don’t leave without it.

Perhaps the most well-known dish of the cuisine is Plov. Art of Grill makes it with chunks of both lamb and beef atop the classic rice, carrot, and onion mixture.

They also add some chickpeas, which offer a nice touch and a bit of variety. The rice is predictably amazing as you can taste the lamb fat that’s used to give it that slick

mouthfeel. I wish more restaurants would adopt the practice of mixing lamb and beef.

While typical in Bucharian places, other cuisines could benefit from adding that depth of flavor from the lamb while mostly maintaining the texture of beef.

If you happen to be at Art of Grill with somebody who isn’t as adventurous with ethnic cuisines, have them get a Spicy Chicken Sandwich. The restaurant actually has quite a few options for more conservative people, and this is one I can recommend. The chicken is double battered and fried before being served on a pretzel bun with tomato, onion, pickles, jalapeños, and chipotle mayo. Not Bucharian, but very tasty. The chicken has a great crunch, and the heat makes it something other than a one-note sandwich.

It’s almost impossible to have Bucharian food without eating some kind of meat that was cooked on a stick, so let’s talk kebabs. There are more than ten types on the menu, and you can probably order whatever meat or vegetable you are craving and be fine. That said, I’m still going to recommend a couple. For your more standard offering, the Chicken Kebab is great. The juicy dark meat chicken is a great choice for somebody who wants to know exactly what they are getting. It tastes like chicken.

Amazingly tender, lightly seasoned, slightly charred chicken, that is. If you’re looking to choose a more eccentric option, go with the

Lamb Rib Kebabs. You’ll be treated to four pieces of lamb ribs with the bone still intact. You have the option of cutting them off or eating it straight from the bone. Either way, the result is delicious. As they come in individual ribs, you can share this with somebody. But you could just as easily tell somebody to back off and order their own. I feel like you know which I’d suggest.

If you can’t make it to Central Asia, try making it to Rego Park. It might not be exactly like the old country, but you just have to walk through a door instead of a TSA metal detector.

And trust me, one of those doorways has great decor on the other side.

Meat - Bucharian Grill (718)-997-7779 ArtOfGrillSteakhouse.com 97-13 Queens Boulevard Rego Park, NY 11375 Vaad Harabonim of Queens (VHQ)

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

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In The K tchen

Crockpot Onion and Flanken Soup Meat / Yields about 8 servings

By Naomi Nachman

Who doesn’t love a big bowl of onion soup? However, making it can be annoying, as you have to sauté the onions for a long time while stirring them. This recipe allows you to skip the sautéing, as your crockpot does all the work for you. I have even made this Friday afternoon to serve for Shabbat lunch as a cholent alternative.

Just add an additional cup of water before candle lighting.

Ingredients

◦ 12 onions, cut into half-moons ◦ 1 tablespoon kosher salt ◦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ◦ ¼ cup oil ◦ 2 pounds bone-in flanken ◦ 4 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth

Preparation

1. Combine onions, salt, pepper, and oil in a crockpot; stir to combine.

2. Add flanken to the crockpot; cover with onion mixture. Cover; cook on high

for 4-5 hours, until onions are golden brown.

3. Add broth, wine, and miso paste; stir to combine. Cook for an additional hour. plate.

◦ ¾ cup red wine ◦ ¼ cup red miso paste

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.

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3D-Printed Phone Chargers for Military Vehicles in Israel

By Perly Dahan

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martphones have become indispensable tools for soldiers, serving not only as communication devices but also as documentation tools. Israeli soldiers rely on their phones to document crucial information, capture images, and record videos during missions. However, the challenges arise when these soldiers find themselves in the field, far from conventional power sources. In response to this predicament, a group of innovative engineers in Tel Aviv has developed a unique solution: 3D-printed phone charging adapters designed specifically for military vehicles.

In the unpredictable and challenging environments where Israeli soldiers often find themselves, maintaining communication and ensuring that smartphones remain charged can be a logistical challenge. The 3D-printed phone charging adapters present a practical and ingenious response to this challenge. These adapters are custom designed to seamlessly attach to military vehicles such as tanks or armored carriers, offering a tailored fit for specific vehicle models and phone types.

The connection is established with the vehicle’s power source, typically a robust battery. Consequently, as long as the military vehicle is in operation, the adapter functions as a mobile charging station, ensuring that soldiers can keep their phones charged even in remote areas.

The impact of these 3D-printed adapters on the lives of soldiers deployed on missions is profound. In the field, far from conventional power outlets, soldiers often experience challenges with keeping their smartphones charged.

The 3D-printed phone charging adapters change this dynamic by providing soldiers with a reliable solution to keep their devices powered. This newfound connectivity is not merely a matter of convenience; it is crucial for the safety

and efficiency of soldiers on their missions. A charged phone provides instant access to vital resources such as maps, mission updates, and other critical information. It serves as a multifunctional tool, acting as a GPS, a library, and a means of entertainment during moments of downtime, allowing soldiers to unwind and de-stress.

Recognizing the need for a collaborative effort to produce these adapters at scale, volunteers, including members of shuls, stepped in to support the initiative. The involvement of volunteers adds a layer of community support to the project, reflecting a collective commitment to aiding those serving on the front lines.

The engagement of local communities, including shuls, not only underscores the importance of the project but also demonstrates how grassroots efforts can contribute to addressing real-world challenges faced by soldiers.

In addition to providing a practical solution, the involvement of volunteers in the production of these 3D-printed

phone charging adapters showcases the power of community-driven initiatives.

Recognizing the significance of keeping soldiers connected and equipped with charged devices, volunteers from various backgrounds came together to contribute their time and resources. Shuls, as community hubs, played a vital role in mobilizing volunteers and fostering a sense of collective responsibility. This collaboration not only streamlined the production process but also fostered a strong sense of solidarity among community members.

The 3D-printed phone charging adapters created by engineers in Tel Aviv showcase the transformative potential of technology. The story transcends mere functionality; it represents the intersection of creativity, technological innovation, and a problem-solving mindset. In the context of military operations, these adapters exemplify how technology can enhance the lives and effectiveness of those serving in the armed forces. A seemingly simple device, enabled by the

power of 3D printing, can make a substantial difference in the daily lives of soldiers and their ability to carry out their duties with efficiency and connectivity.

In the broader scope of technological advancements, 3D printing has evolved into a tool for creating custom, innovative solutions. The 3D-printed phone charging adapters for military vehicles are a testament to the versatility and adaptability of this technology. The ability to create tailored solutions for specific challenges exemplifies the potential of 3D printing to address real-world issues in diverse fields. As technology continues to advance, its application in solving practical problems, such as those faced by soldiers in the field, becomes increasingly evident.

The development and deployment of 3D-printed phone charging adapters for military vehicles in Israel exemplify the power of innovation in addressing the unique challenges faced by soldiers.

From the initial need to document crucial information to the practical challenges of keeping smartphones charged in remote areas, these adapters provide a holistic solution. The involvement of volunteers, including members of shuls, highlights the community-driven support behind this initiative. In a broader context, this story illustrates how technology, particularly 3D printing, can be harnessed to create tailored solutions that significantly impact the lives and effectiveness of those serving on the front lines.

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

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Tech Talk

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

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Mind Y

ur Business

Succeeding in the Non-Profit World

T

his 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.

O

n a previous 710 WOR “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas spoke with guest Chief Executive Officer of Met Council, David G. Greenfield.

Greenfield shared his experience having moved from the corporate realm to the non-profit sector, going over some of the most important lessons that helped him succeed in the non-profit sector.

Non-profits and businesses may seem very separate. After all, the main goal of any business is generally seen as making a profit. But, there is actually a lot that that can be learned from the conventional business structure. The truth is, if you try to run your non-profit like a charity, you may have a hard time getting any-

where. Just like in a business, your organization needs to have a bottom line and it needs to have accountability. * * * Below, I’ve outlined some of the top lessons that I learned from the world of corporate business that you can use to help your organization grow and flourish.

Customer Focus When I first came to Met Council, I held a staff retreat to let everyone get to know each other and communicate our new vision. I told my staff, “The number one thing that we’re going to do is treat anyone who comes in looking for help as if they are at a restaurant and they’re coming in for service.” Afterward, one of the staff members came to me and said, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do here, but you know they’re not really our customers, right? They don’t pay for our services.” And I said, “No, you’re wrong. They don’t pay us directly for the services, because the rule of Met Council is that we don’t charge for any of our services. But, don’t forget that the community is paying for us. Our donors are paying so that these people get served. So, you’re wrong when you say that they’re not paying customers.”

It’s just like a gift certificate. If you walk into a restaurant with a gift certificate, you’re entitled to the exact same respect and service as someone who’s fully paid themselves. It’s that ethos that ensures that we always treat people

with empathy and professionalism, and that is what customer focus is all about.

Communicating Impact When you’re running a business, it’s essential that your employees see the impact that their work has on the company vision. This is even more true in the world of non-profit. We have thousands of volunteers coming in every year who are making such a profound difference in people’s lives, but that impact can get lost in the numbers. When I tell people that during COVID, we were doing a thousand emergency food deliveries to Holocaust survivors, it’s tough to really understand the scope of that.

But, let me tell you a story about just one of our volunteers. He delivered food to a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor. As he was leaving, she stopped the volunteer and told him how hard it was to be alone in quarantine at her age and just how much his visit had meant to her.

This is the kind of impact that you need to communicate to your volunteers. It’s these personal stories that remind you just how precious every individual life you help is. And this is not just true of your volunteers but even the staff of your organization. That’s why I require every member of my staff to volunteer, no matter what department they’re in, so that they can see the direct, meaningful impact that their work is having the rest of the year.

Embracing Pressure I think the best example of how to

deal with pressure is the process of weightlifting. When you start lifting weights, the first weight you pick up is 10 pounds. And then, you can work your way into picking up 15 pounds, then 20 pounds, then 25 pounds, until eventually, you’re able to lift 100 pounds. It’s an incremental process. I think that pressure is the same. People need to realize that functioning in a non-profit leadership role means dealing with intense amounts of pressure. The challenges you take on are going to be tremendous.

If you have not incrementally prepared yourself to deal with pressure throughout your life, you are going to crack the moment you take on the role. You can’t tell someone who’s lifting weights for the first time to try bench-pressing 200 pounds. They’re going to end up in the hospital.

It’s the same thing in terms of leadership and pressure. When you encounter challenges in your life, you might not appreciate them at the time, but they are setting you up to be more successful when the next challenge comes along.

This is true whether you’re dealing with the challenges of business, non-profit, or even everyday life. If you haven’t had challenges in your life and haven’t had the opportunity to overcome small hurdles, then you will never be able to overcome the big challenges. Just like you need to start bench-pressing with 10 pounds and incrementally move up, you need to take each small challenge as a chance to grow and prepare for when the bigger challenges arise.

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DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

X Post by Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman in response to the presidents of Harvard, MIT and Penn refusing to say that calling for the killing of Jews is harassment:

I learned from someone with first person knowledge of the @Harvard president search that the committee would not consider a candidate who did not meet the DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] office’s criteria.

The same was likely true for other elite universities doing searches at the same time, creating an even more limited universe of DEIeligible presidential candidates.

Shrinking the pool of candidates based on required race, gender…criteria is not the right approach to identifying the best leaders for our most prestigious universities.

It is not by chance that this [inauguration] takes place in the holiday of Hanukkah, the festival of light, and that the same celebrates the true essence of freedom. The war of the Maccabees is the symbol of the victory of the weak over the powerful, of the few over the many, of the light over darkness and overall of the truth over untruth.

- Argentina’s new president Javier Milei, who has a fascination with Judaism, at his inauguration

I remember when we did the piece [on the ranking of free speech at Ivy League institutions]. At the absolute bottom of the list...was Harvard, and right next to them was Penn. So these are two of the colleges who are now on Team Hamas.

- Bill Maher

For a long time, I said that antisemitism, particularly on the American left, was not as bad as people claimed. I’d like to just state that I was totally wrong. I still don’t understand it, really, or know what to do about it. But it is so [messed up].

- Tweet by OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman

And it is also not good for those awarded the office of president who find themselves in a role that they would likely not have obtained were it not for a fat finger on the scale.

I have been called brave for my tweets over the last few weeks. The same could be said for those called out Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare.

I don’t think it will be long before we look back on the last few years of free speech suppression and the repeated career-ending accusations of racist for those who questioned the DEI movement.

We are all shortly going to realize that the DEI era is the McCarthy era Part II. History rhymes, but it does not repeat.

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DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

102 Letter left by Sgt. Major (res.) Ben Zussman, Hy”D, who was killed in Gaza this week

I’m writing you this message on the way to the base. If you’re reading this, something must have happened to me. As you know me, there’s probably no one happier than me right now. It wasn’t just that I was on the verge of fulfilling my dream. I’m happy and grateful for the privilege I’ll have to defend Our beautiful country and the people of Israel.

Even if something happens to me, I ask you not sink into sadness. I had the privilege of fulfilling my dream and destiny and you can be certain that I am looking down on you and with a big smile.

I will probably sit next to Grandpa, and we will bridge some gaps, everyone will tell about their experiences and what has changed between the wars we were both in. Maybe we’ll also talk a little politics, and I will ask him what he thinks.

If G-d forbid you sit Shiva, make it a week of friends, family and fun. Let there be food, meat of course, beers, soft drinks, nuts and seeds, tea and, of course, Mommy’s cookies. Make jokes, hear stories, meet all my other friends you haven’t met yet. Actually! I am Jealous of you. I would like to sit there and see them all.

Another very, very important point. If G-d forbid, I fall into captivity, alive or dead. I will not allow even one soldier or citizen to be harmed because of some deal for my release. I forbid you to conduct a campaign or struggle or anything like that. I am not willing for terrorists to be released for me in no way, shape or transaction. Please don’t violate my request.

I’ll say it again, I left the house without even being called to the reserves. I am full of pride and a sense of mission, and I have always said that if I have to die I wish and hope that it will be in defense of others and the country. “Jerusalem, I have appointed guards”, one day will come and I will be one of them.

Hamas, Hamas deliberately slaughtered and murdered some 1,200 people on the seventh of October, and it seems like we’re all willing to forget that.

Deliberately! It was their intent. And to take hostages. They actually — that was the purpose of the whole thing on the seventh.

- White House NSC Advisor John Kirby shredding an Arab journalist who equated Israel with Hamas

We don’t want to see any more civilians harmed on this, but they have a right and responsibility to defend themselves against that very genocidal threat and it is not the Israeli Defense Forces’ strategy to kill innocent people. It’s happening. I admit that. Each one’s a tragedy, but it’s not like the Israelis are sitting around every morning and saying, “Hey, how many more civilians can we kill today? Let’s go bomb a school or a hospital or a residential building and just cause civilian casualties.

- Ibid.

They’re not doing that. They’re trying to go after Hamas, and it’s a very difficult when Hamas — oh, by the way, in addition to deliberately slaughtering people — is deliberately hiding themselves in residential buildings, in hospitals, in tunnels, making it — putting the innocent people of Gaza directly in the crossfire. Now, you tell me: Is that right?

- Ibid.

In the Chanukah story, the Jewish people were forced into hiding. No one thought they would survive or that the few drops of oil they had would last. But they survived, and the oil kept burning. During those eight days in hiding, they recited their prayers and continued their traditions.

- Douglas Emhoff, the Jewish husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in a social media post getting the Chanukah story wrong

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Think about the Palestinian side. It’s hard for the Palestinians. They’re being bombed.

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

- A Red Cross representative’s cold-hearted response at a meeting with a hostage’s parents who fruitlessly begged the useless organization to get their daughter medication that she needs to take daily

The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp on October 7th. And yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land and walk free into their lands that they were not allowed to walk in - Council on American-Islamic Relations co-founder and executive director Nihad Awad

We condemn these shocking, antisemitic statements in the strongest terms. The atrocities of that day shock the conscience, which is why we can never forget the pain Hamas has caused for so many innocent people.

- White House spokesman Andrew Bates responding to Awad’s comments

It was one of the most despicable moments in the history of U.S. academia.

- Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, tweeting about the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania refusing to say that calling for genocide of Jews is considered harassment

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

Political Crossfire

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Ran Into a New Reality Of War

By David Ignatius

A

s winter comes to Kyiv, Ukrainian and U.S. commanders are making cold and unsentimental assessments of the lessons of the summer’s failed counteroffensive against Russian forces.

The stalled counteroffensive was a signal that the war in Ukraine is deadlocked.

Drones and other high-tech weapons have made Ukrainian and Russian tanks largely obsolete. In this conflict, it’s now clear that defense beats offense: A Ukrainian armored assault meant to last four days stretched to an exhausting 12 weeks. The result is a deadly standoff.

“Just like in the first world war we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate,” Ukraine’s commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, said bluntly in an interview last month with the Economist.

“There will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough,” he said, in an epitaph for the counteroffensive.

“The simple fact is that we see everything the enemy is doing, and they see everything we are doing,” Zaluzhny explained. “The level of our technological development today has put both us and our enemies in a stupor.”

Zaluzhny said Ukraine needs tech breakthroughs, which he likened to China’s invention of gunpowder, to overcome this impasse. Otherwise, he said, “sooner or later we are going to find that we simply don’t have enough people to fight.” A deadlocked war of attrition could “drag on for years and wear down the Ukrainian state,” he said.

The basic dilemma for Kyiv is whether to keep fighting for a decisive victory. With more and better high-tech weapons from the United States and its allies, Ukraine could take another shot at cutting Russia’s supply lines to Crimea, as it attempted over the summer. That might force Moscow to bargain an end to the war on terms that would be favorable to Kyiv.

The bitter alternative is to play for

a draw. If the U.S. weapons pipeline is blocked – making a big new assault impossible – a fatigued, and increasingly fractious Ukraine might have little choice but to explore a settlement. Like the separation of North and South Korea, such a deal would leave Russia in control of territory it has seized since 2014 – but it could offer Kyiv the security of future membership in the European Union and NATO. William B. Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Kyiv, sees a fork ahead: Either NATO nations increase support for Ukraine to regain its territory or “Ukraine fights on with inadequate force” and might have to eventually accept a Korea-like partition.

The story of how and why Ukraine’s counteroffensive failed was explained this week in a superb two-part series by The Post. The articles described weeks of tabletop war games by U.S. and Ukrainian commanders that didn’t begin to capture the bloody reality ahead. Kyiv’s new mobile forces, staffed largely by untested recruits, were stopped cold by dense Russian minefields and savage drone attacks. “It was hellfire,” one Ukrainian platoon commander told The Post.

The most painful part of the Post series was its description of how top U.S. officials

anticipated that Ukraine probably would fail but still encouraged the campaign go forward. The CIA reckoned Ukraine had a 50-50 chance of success and an intelligence assessment predicted the Ukrainians would fall “well short” of their goals, The Post wrote.

CIA Director William J. Burns told The Post: “We could see [the Russians] building really quite formidable fixed defenses, hard to penetrate, really costly, really bloody for the Ukrainians.” But despite these obstacles, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: “My take is that they didn’t have a choice.”

Zaluzhny gave the Economist a shopping list of what he thinks he needs to win.

First, more drones, so that Ukraine can “conduct massive strikes using decoy and attack drones to overload Russia’s air-defense systems.” To counter Russian drone attacks, he wants hunter drones with nets and other more advanced systems.

The Ukrainian commander stressed that Ukraine also needs better electronic warfare tools to jam Russian communication and navigation. “EW is the key to victory in the drone war,” he said. He wants new counter-artillery systems that can hit Russian batteries despite their improved EW protection. He needs better high-tech

tools to breach the massive minefields Russia has laid along the southern front. And he needs more reserves to counter Russia’s decided advantage in manpower.

As always after military setbacks, the failed counteroffensive has brought some recriminations. The Post series included a compendium of second-guessing by Ukrainian and U.S. commanders, speaking anonymously, criticizing each other’s mistakes in planning and equipping the summer attack. U.S. generals wished the Ukrainians had concentrated their forces better for a breakthrough toward Melitopol, on the Sea of Azov. Ukrainians bemoaned the United States’ reluctance to supply fighter jets and long-range rockets.

Criticism and self-criticism are essential for military success. And the bracing comments by Zaluzhny to the Economist and by Burns, Austin and others to The Post are healthy. They demonstrate an effort to learn from mistakes and avoid repeating them.

The political divisions that have begun to surface inside Ukraine are more worrying. I heard an early version of them when I was in Kyiv in October. The internal sniping seems to be increasing, with rumors of growing friction between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his political rivals, and even with his much-admired commander, Zaluzhny.

As Ukraine heads into a cold winter, this backbiting will probably get worse.

Here’s the holiday present that Ukraine needs from the United States: Quick passage by the Senate and House of a generous military assistance package that can carry Kyiv through 2024. Ukraine suffered a severe setback this year, but its people are still in the fight. The least America can do is give them the weapons that would give them another chance at victory. (c) 2023, Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

Voters Say: It’s Time For Reagan’s Ideals

By Marc A. Thiessen

T

he new catchphrase on the populist right is “what time it is in America.” A conservative who does not know what time it is is supposedly one steeped in the ideological past and out of touch with the current moment in conservative politics – a believer in such antiquated ideals as limited government, strong national defense, and American leadership on the world stage.

Well, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute just asked the American people what time it is in America, and the answer was resoundingly clear: It’s time to return to the timeless principles of Ronald Reagan.

In conjunction with the Reagan National Defense Forum, the foundation recently released its annual survey of public opinion on defense and security issues, for which a bipartisan team of researchers interviewed more than 2,500 adults across the country. It found that our most popular president in the past 46 years is Reagan, with a 65 percent approval rating – far outpacing Donald Trump (47 percent) and Joe Biden (38 percent). Not only do Americans still long for Reagan’s infectious optimism and the twinkle in his eye; they also continue to support Reagan’s national security policies.

Solid bipartisan majorities support the “Reagan Doctrine” principle of helping friends and allies defend themselves – specifically, 71 percent support helping Israel, 67 percent support helping Ukraine and 65 percent support helping Taiwan. And an overwhelming 76 percent say it is important for the United States that Ukraine defeats Russia. Americans still agree, as Reagan put it in his 1985 State of the Union address, that “we must stand by all our democratic allies. And we must not break faith with those who are risking their lives – on every continent ... to defy ... aggression and secure

rights which have been ours from birth.”

Americans also support Reagan’s principle of “peace through strength.”

A 77 percent supermajority wants to increase defense spending. Indeed, more Americans support increased spending on defense than border security. Twothirds (67 percent) say they are concerned that budget cuts by Congress will reduce the military’s capabilities, and 69

respond to emerging threats, while just 28 percent want to reduce our overseas presence. And 79 percent are concerned about rising authoritarianism around the world.

“Forty years after his campaign for re-election,” the Institute points out, Reagan’s “ideas and principles have even greater popularity, and his defense and foreign policy worldview continues to re-

“We are the country of tomorrow. Our revolution did not end at Yorktown.”

percent are concerned we do not have the defense manufacturing capacity to produce weapons for our national defense.

Americans also want the U.S. military to stand watch on ramparts of freedom. Two-thirds (66 percent) support maintaining our military presence across the globe to deter attacks and

flect the views of most Americans today.”

What’s most encouraging is that Americans still support Reagan’s ideals despite the fact that few are making the case for them, while a vocal neo-isolationist minority on the right is arguing against them. Sadly, the Heritage Foundation, once keeper of the flame of the

Reagan Revolution, is actively opposing Reagan’s national security policies. The Reagan defense buildup? Kevin Roberts, Heritage’s president, recently declared that “defense and non-defense spending must both be on the table” for budget cuts and that “Congress needs to put away its kid gloves and put the Department of Defense and other agencies alike under the knife to excise wasteful spending.” The Reagan Doctrine? Heritage Action, the lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation, is counting a vote in favor of Ukraine aid against Republicans on its scorecard of conservative purity, while Roberts insists that “we have to take care of our interests at home before spending any more money on Ukraine” and mocks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for “his Vogue photo shoots & his Grammy appearances.” The Gipper must be rolling in his grave.

Instead of standing at the barricades defending Reagan’s principles, his favorite think tank is encouraging Republicans to abandon them – joining the siren song of populists who tell us that the world has changed since Reagan’s day, and that we need to learn what time it is. In his farewell address at the 1992 Republican Convention, Reagan cautioned us to reject that advice and those who “insist that our triumph is yesterday’s news, part of a past that holds no lessons for the future.” He added, “Emerson was right. We are the country of tomorrow.

Our revolution did not end at Yorktown.”

And the Reagan Revolution did not end with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Reagan understood that it is always time for American leadership. Unfortunately, some on the right have forgotten the lessons he taught us.

The good news is: The American people have not. (c) 2023, Washington Post Writers Group

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

What Time is It in America?

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

Forgotten Her es

Celebrated Heroes in the Yom Kippur War

By Avi Heiligman

Zevulun Orlev

S

ome comparisons have been made between the Yom Kippur War and the current war with Hamas. Both wars started with a surprise attack on a yom tov with the dates on the secular calendar being one day apart. Reservists on both occasions rushed to their bases, while those already on the front lines were pressed into battle almost immediately. Looking back fifty years, here are some noted battles from the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

Control over the airspace was a crucial part of the Yom Kippur War as Israel battled Egypt in the south and Syria in the north. The Ofira Air Battle took place on October 6, 1973 between two Israeli F-4 Phantom fighters and 28 Egyptian aircraft. At least seven Egyptian planes were shot down. Pilot Amir Nachumi was credited with four kills, and David Regev added three to his record. They both landed safely on the damaged runway at Ofir and prepared for another enemy attack which never materialized.

Units based in the Suez region bore the brunt of the Egyptian attack. Zevulun Orlev had distinguished himself while serving in the Paratroop Brigade

Avigdor Kahalani, with the beard, with his crew

during the capture of Jerusalem in the Six Day War. At the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, he was a reservist in the 16th Yerushalayim Brigade who were defending several outposts on the Bar Lev Line. His commander was injured, so Orlev took control of the soldiers and directed return fire on the advancing enemy. He also ordered artillery

tians had lost a major tank battle and had pulled back to defensive positions on the east side of the Suez Canal. The 55th Brigade, led by Danny Matt, crossed the Suez on the night of October 15, 1973. They established a bridgehead on the east side but had to endure a ferocious artillery barrage that killed dozens of Israeli paratroopers. Eventually,

Through sheer guts and military genius, for the first 50 hours of the war, he held back the Syrians in an area that became known as the Valley of Tears.

fire on Egyptian units and organized the orderly retreat of his men. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Distinguished Service.

The tide soon began to turn in the Israelis’ favor, and they were seizing opportunities to strike back. The Egyp-

they were able to surround the Egyptian 3rd Army and forced them to surrender.

In the north, the IDF suffered setbacks as the Syrians captured an army outpost on Mount Chermon. Thirty-one Israeli soldiers were captured in that battle, and sixteen were killed. Israel

was determined to regain the territory, but the attempt on October 8 was unsuccessful. Finally, on October 21, during Operation Desert, an IDF force under the overall command of Yekutiel Adam regained control of Mount Chermon.

On October 9, the fourth day of the war, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) decided to carry out an aerial strike on Syrian headquarters in response to a surface-to-surface missile strike at the Ramat David Air Base the day before.

The Israeli Air Force had suffered heavy losses in the first three days of the war, and this raid was designed to show the Syrians and the Jordanians that the IAF was still a very powerful force.

The tank battles of the Yom Kippur War were epic struggles, and it took days for reinforcements to reach the front lines on the Golan Heights. It was a bleak situation for the Barak 188th Armored Brigade as there were no natural barriers between them and the Syrian tanks. A minefield slowed the advance, but soon the brigade took heavy casualties. On the second day of the war, their commander, Colonel Shoham, was killed during a desperate push by the Syrians. Two other brigade officers

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were killed in the attack as well, but what they didn’t know was that the Syrians themselves were in disarray. One hundred twelve IDF soldiers belonging to the brigade were killed by war’s end.

Only one of six battalions in the brigade fought for the entire battle, and that was under Lt. Col. Yair Nafshi. His 36 Centurion tanks actually moved up to avoid Syrian artillery. After fending off several attacks, reinforcements arrived, and the Syrians were pushed back beyond their starting point.

Lt. Col. Avigdor Kahalani, commander of the 77 th Tank Battalion, was

Uriel Hefetz

up against an entire Syrian tank division in the Golan Heights. Through sheer guts and military genius, for the first 50 hours of the war, he held back the Syrians in an area that became known as the Valley of Tears. Close to 500 Syrian tanks and other vehicles penetrated the IDF lines, but after two days and nights of hard fighting, only a few Syrian vehicles made it back to their own lines.

The Golan Heights was a danger zone for three weeks and evacuating the wounded was not an easy task.

Coming to the rescue was Uriel Hefetz,

IDF tanks in the Golan Heights

who had previously served in the 1948 War of Independence and the 1956 Suez Campaign. Upon hearing of the breakout of the Yom Kippur War, the former engineer drove up to the Golan Heights and began rescuing wounded soldiers.

At one point, he came across a tank that had been damaged by Syrian fire. Peretz Titkin was still in the tank, and Hefetz pulled him out. Titkin was seriously wounded, and Hefetz transferred him to medical care to save his life.

Painful lessons were learned during the Yom Kippur War as Israel survived another powerful Arab attack. In the cur-

rent war with Hamas, there was an intelligence failure similar to the one made fifty years earlier. Israel is already implementing new plans to avoid another sneak attack, including a heightened preparedness at all times for troops stationed on the border and other key areas.

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.

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

IDF troops crossing the Suez Canal

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

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Here are some photos TJH readers sent in for our Chanukah contest, What Chanukah Means to You. Judging from the entries, family, doughnuts, menorahs and lots of joy saturate our homes on Chanukah!

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

Chanukah Lights, Sights & Delights

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Like New. High Ceilings, Chefs EIK, 5 a warming draw and a microwave.

Center Hall Colonial with Main Level+Den 3 BRs 23Bths Baths Lg Flr Fdnr Huge Den, EIK, Mudrm, 4 Bdrms onFinished Second Flr, and Bath, FLR, DenCooktop and Library and Close to Shops and Transportation.

Appliances, Dble FDR, Ovens EIK, , 6 Burner with Pot Filler, Bdrms.

Prime Woodmere location!

Basment Property BeautifulBeautiful Wrap Around Property, $1.690M 2 Dishwashers, and more.

Master Bdrm Suite with Luxurious Bath Finished Basement in Prime Location. $1.599M First floor bedroom, a full bathroom $1.659M $999K and Walk in closet,+4 Bdrms and 2 Beautiful Bths ,2nd Flr $1.39M Laundry Rm , Full Finished Basement with 10 ft Ceilings Huge and laundry room. Two-car garage.

Playrm 2 Bdrms and Bth laundry Rm storage, Beautiful WOODSBURGH CO-OPS/CONDOS Upper level has four bedrooms, two Manicured Garden.

CEDARHURST WOODMERE CO-OP WOODMERE WOODMERE CEDARHURST WOODMERE LAWRENCE full bathrooms.

Finished basement CEDARHURST WOODMERE LAWRENCE RENTAL LAWRENCE with playroom, storage and utilities.

261 Central Ave 1st Floor, Large Entry Foyer, Open Concept Kitchen.

Large LR/DR Overlooking the Courtyard $229K Well-groomed exterior with porch adjoining the master bedroom.

LAWRENCE 240 Central Avenue Hardwood floors and back patio.

Spacious 1 Bdrm 1 Bth Apt in Well Maintained Elevator Bldg Central air conditioning, inwith Terrace Overlooking Garden, Near All $229K ground sprinkler system, alarm FAR ROCKAWAY system. Close proximity to schools, 156 B 9th St Mint 2BR, 2 BTH Beachfront Condo This spacious s/h col , in the prestigious village of woodsburgh, shopping centers, restaurants, and with Wraparound Terrace, Magnificent sits on 1/2 acre property in a. most serene setting, with beautiful Sunrise & Sunset Quality New Construction!!! waterviews, and magnificent sunsets .

Flr banquet fdnr , transportation options.

COMMERCIAL RENTAL! NEW! 9In DrMost officePrestigious Suite, Located Spacious Line Expanded Ranch on $589K Stucco withCharming 2 Story EntryColonial 9 ft Ceilings, 14 Zone Heat which breakfastWide rm, main level den /fpl ,Room master bdrm suite with hisand New ToCol. Mkt. on Beautiful Tree Spacious Split Level Home Prestigious Academy New! Beautiful on Desirable De1 Bdrm Sac. 29 Woodmere BlvdSplanch Apt 2B Renovated, Mint, Cul Corner Spacious Split Level Home In Prestigious Academy inand theher Heart of Cedarhurst, Spacious waiting Reception Mark Lipner Associate Broker Serene Cul-de-Sac inbth Village of Lawrence ,room, Main Flrrenovated Master Bdrm with 9ft Ceilings. Spacious Eat In Kitchen, 2 Sinks, Granite closets and + 4 bdrms , new bths, newly includes Radiant Heat, Anderson Windows with Lots of Natural Area.

LgExam EIK, w/2 sinks, Attic, lvllvl Den Granit/Wood EIK, 4 Brms, 3 Bths, Spacious Den, lined Street, Features FLR FDR, EIK, Den and Library Area.

Lg EIK, w/2 sinks, FLR/FDR, Attic, Lower Area and Rooms, alllaundry onFLR/FDR, Main Floor.

Close toLower Public OPEN HOUSE 3:00-4:30 223Eik Hickox Avenue OPEN HOUSE 12:30-1:30 1068 Suite with Many Closets and Bthrm, Addional Main Flr highland BdrmDen & Bath, finished basement with rm, playrm, lots of storage, Counter tops and S.S. Appliances.Large Lvgrm/Dnr and Large Light Throughout, Flr Fdnr, Magnificent Chefs with High End Berkshire Hathaway Laffey Transportation Fin Bsmt, Playroom &&Main 22Mudrm, add’l rooms, Oversized Prop.

Finished Basement.

Totally renovated Colonial.

New. High Ceilings, Chefs Large Primary Basement Prime Center Hall Colonial with Level Den 3 BRs Baths many special details thruout $1.9M+ Lg Flr Fdnr Huge Den, EIK, +rooms, 4 Bdrms 23Bths onFinished Second Fin Bsmt, Playroom add’l Oversized Prop.Flr, Bdrm/BR with Lots of Windows Appliances, DbleSuite, Ovens Finished , 6Like Burner Cooktop within Pot Filler,EIK, 5 $6,000 Bdrms.

Prime Woodmere location!

Property $1.1M Beautiful $8,000 REDUCED $299K Beautiful Wrap Around Property, $1.690M International 516-298-8457 2 Dishwashers, and more.

Master Bdrm Suite with Luxurious Bath Basment Location $1.39M $1.1M $1.659M $999K and Walk in closet,+4 Bdrms and 2 Beautiful Bths ,2nd Flr mlipner@bhhslaffey.com Laundry Rm , Full Finished Basement with 10 ft Ceilings Huge

WOODSBURGH

Playrm 2 Bdrms and Bth laundry Rm storage, Beautiful

CO-OPS/CONDOS

DECEMBER 14, 2023 | The Jewish Home

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

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Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

APT./COOP/CONDO SALE

FOR RENT

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

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

5 TOWNS - Offices For Lease and large Parking LOT Utilities & Internet & Parking Included with some Various sizes - starting at $695.

No broker fee Kosher kitchen - Minyan Next to LIRR Call/text/Whatsapp: 516-206-1100

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 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 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

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 • $179K 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

FAR ROCKAWAY Over 2800 Square feet trailer available for rent, suitable for office or Yeshiva playgroup etc 718.327.8007

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 YESHIVA KETANA OF LONG ISLAND Seeks Full Time Administrative Assistant. 3 years experience required Great work environment Email Resume to office@ykli.org 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

WOODMERE New to the market studio co-op apartment, elevator building, high ceilings, low maintenance, laundry room on premises, minutes to the railroad, shopping, restaurants and houses of worship. $ 135K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.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

BENSONHURST 3 fam, 2nd fl, 3 bed, 2 bath, EIK, lg LR, lg DR, bonus area, front porch, backyard, renov, sunny, lg windows, $2900 347-598-9608

IMMEDIATE OPENING ELA teaching position for Gr. 5.

Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours. Far Rockaway/5T area. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment.

Teachersearch11@gmail.com

HELP WANTED TEACHER/TEACHER MENTOR Join our Collaborative Team at HASC. Looking for an experienced Teacher/Teacher Mentor to help with the administration of a SEIT Program.

Great Pay! Part-time!

Flexible hours!

Warm & Caring Environment.

SAS/SBL a plus Email resume: jobswd@hasc.net 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.

HEBREW ACADEMY OF LONG BEACH seeks a Full Time Middle School math teacher. Please go to the link Career Opportunities at halb.org BOOKKEEPER Excellent growth potential, Frum environment, Excellent salary & benefits. Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com 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

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!

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 14, 2023

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Life C ach

The Messages and Miracles of Chanukah

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

A

nother year, another menorah.

And the same old questions from everyone….

Do you place the candles in the menorah starting from right to left or left to right? And then, do you light the candles starting from right to left or left to right? And why does it matter anyway?

I thought the idea was to spread the light, not confusion!

Why are we dealing with direction anyway? Can’t we just use Waze like we do for everything else?

People also ask, “Why the gifts?”

I say, “Why not?!”

It’s never a bad time to give and let

give. Or is it live and let live. Oh well, both sound good to me!

And what is the miracle we are celebrating? Is it that the many lost the war to the few, or that a small jug of pure oil was unbelievably unearthed in the rubble, or that Dad got home early enough for candle lighting? Truth is, all miracles are up for grabs.

day holiday?!

More accurately, are we going to acknowledge the real reason there are so many different parties to go to?

Every side wants to have their own party, parents, and grandparents alike.

And of course, a few aunts and uncles thrown in, too.

And honestly, all the invitees are try-

The ultimate miracle is when we actually do recognize them.

The important concept is to realize that G-d sends us miracles every day in different ways. The ultimate miracle is when we actually do recognize them – both the big and the little ones constantly in our lives.

And why do we have all the Chanukah parties?

Are we honestly rejoicing and commemorating the holiday or just looking for ways to keep busy on this long eight-

ing, this once, to accommodate everyone in the family. On top of that, if they are successful at doing so, that truly is another Chanukah miracle!

Chanukah is a time of enlightenment.

A time to unabashedly yell from the rooftops – or more correctly, the windowsills – that we rededicate ourselves daily to being a light unto the nations. Now, if they would just stop trying to dim our lights that would definitely help.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

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