Five Towns Jewish Home - 3-17-22

March 17, 2022

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Widows, orphans, and poor families have serious hang-ups about Purim. Everyone around them is getting ready to celebrate, but they’re afraid they won’t be part of the fun. Many will celebrate their first Purim alone, hashing and rehashing memories of last Purim, when COVID lurked beneath the joy.

Now they’re left with huge, aching gaps – in their fridges, around their tables, and in their broken hearts.

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Send matanos l’evyonim to Ezras Yisroel, and fill their fridges, closets and homes with joy.

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

S

ome of you may be reading this as you sit amongst ribbons and cellophane, preparing mounds of mishloach manos for an ever-growing list of friends, family, and acquaintances. Still, some of you may be reading this as you sit, a day or two later, amongst empty bags and torn ribbons, sifting through the piles of candy and cookies that made their way to your door during the simcha that Purim brings each year.

We prepare so much for Purim, and then it’s gone in a flash.

But just as the Oodles and Presidors don’t seem to disappear that easily (aren’t you always finding a box or two of them crammed in the back of a cabinet right before Pesach?), we shouldn’t let the Purim spirit dissipate as quickly as the sounds of the gragger after Haman’s name.

With Purim comes simcha. And when one is truly happy, their simcha overflows from their heart. The room is filled with the joy that they feel. Their face is shining with happiness. It’s impossible to be in the same room as someone who is overjoyed and not share in their delight.

But on Purim, we don’t just share our feelings; we reach out to others with gifts and extend our friendship and connection with them through baskets of

food. The chocolate and wine that we’re gifting our friends and family aren’t given merely to fill their stomachs; they’re given to fill their hearts and souls with our love and friendship for them.

Yom Kippur and Purim are parallel yomim tovim in many ways. On Yom Kippur, we reach out to our friends and ask them for forgiveness. On Purim, we reach out to our friends and show them how much we care.

But caring and extending ourselves to our fellow Jews isn’t something that should be relegated to just one day a year. If we continue to reach out to others in friendship when our megillahs and oversized glasses are already put away, we will be infusing our days with Purim spirit throughout the year.

Wishing you a freilechen Purim!

Shoshana P.S. Another way to extend the Purim spirit is by sending in your Purim pictures to TJH! Be included in the TJH Purim Photo Album by sending your Purim pics (Where’s Waldo?, Dorothy, The Man with the Yellow Hat – you name it!) to me at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

Send them in soon! We need them by Monday at 5pm. Can’t wait to see them!

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

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Shabbos Zemanim

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Contents Letters to the Editor

8

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

8

Community Happenings

40

NEWS Global

12

National

30

That’s Odd

36

ISRAEL

102

Israel News

28

How the War in Ukraine is Affecting the Jewish State

98

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

82

Able-Bodied Jews by Rav Moshe Weinberger

84

Haman and Today’s Battle Against Amalek

by Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

86

Holding Onto the Waves of Purim by Rabbi Benny Berlin

88

Delving into the Daf by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

90

PEOPLE Cracked Eggs, Burning Curtains, and French Fries: TJH Speaks with Rabbi Yitzy Haber & Donny Weinraub of The Shnitzel Guys

98

A Frum Guy in the House: TJH Speaks with Gabi Grossbard

102

Beijing Olympics Recap by Avi Heiligman

132

HEALTH & FITNESS G-d’s Hiddenness in Purim Reflects Ours by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

112

National Nutrition Month by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN

114

FOOD & LEISURE Liver Mousse, Bison Sliders, and Tagine: A Taste of the KFWE Experience

122

The Aussie Gourmet: Overnight Potato Kugel

125

LIFESTYLES Teen Talk

Dear Editor, I was getting my regular haircut with my usual barber. As we always do, we discussed politics, family, and new happenings. The politics discussion, obviously, went straight to the Russia- Ukraine “incursion.”

We couldn’t help but play out the nuclear scenario: who would push the buttons first and which countries would get involved. He then said to me, but you know you need not worry because the verse (Zechariah 13:8) says: “Throughout the land, declares the L-ord, two-thirds shall perish, shall die, and one-third of it shall survive,” and one commentator says the survival refers to the tzaddikim. I was a bit concerned with the word tzaddik, for how many people can really claim such a title?

A fellow barber started humming the word “tzaddik” and then referenced that in Egypt one-fifth of the population survived. (I posed the fraction discrepancy to Rabbi Kalman Topp, and he beautifully said the numbers show our progress.)

My barber then quickly changed the conversation as I’m assuming he wanted to move onto some lighter things.

I heard a shiur later that day which pronounced the “obvious but elusive” principle enunciated in Mesilat Yesharim that everything is a test. The speaker continued to say every second is a test. What will you do the next moment? Will it pass muster? Is it the right thing to do? Will you continually try to

watch your eyes, be pleasant with non-Jews, and avoid slander? When you learn, how much time will actually be apportioned to learning and how much to talking? Will you hold back from a moment of anger and run from a moment of pride?

And perhaps, most importantly, will you continuously battle against those negative traits that you easily fall prey to? The list goes on. Rabbi Frand notes that our battles should be hidden without seeking fanfare, after all, G-d has created a hidden paradigm, so we should be like Him. As Purim approaches, we can hope for revelation. This second by second test is weighty, but just might be the antidote for today’s times.

Steven Genack Dear Editor, This is response to Daniel Feldman’s letter to the editor last week with regards to emunas chachamim.

Yes, we are told to follow our rabbanim. After all, they are daas Torah. But not everyone is on the level of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l, a rabbi he mentioned, or the other rabbanim who have led our generations. When one comes to a gadol hador, their advice should be followed without a doubt.

But this man was writing into the dating column about his son’s rebbe, and he had concerns about a shidduch. First and foremost, is the rebbi on the level of a gadol hador whom we follow without question?

Continued on page 10

106

Dating Dialogue, Moderated

by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 108

114

Parenting Pearls

118

JWOW!

120

Your Money

140

Paw Patrol and Purim by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

142

HUMOR Centerfold

80

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

126

Biden Hides Behind Ukraine’s Suffering by Marc A. Thiessen

130

CLASSIFIEDS

134

Do you eat a proper breakfast on Purim?

57

%

Yes

43

%

No

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Be included in the TJH Purim Photo Album We love how you look in that banana costume! And your brother looks even better in his Waldo-at-the-Siyum-Hashas outfit.

Send in your Purim photos to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Deadline: Monday, March 21, at 5pm Continued from page 8

Perhaps this father, concerned for his child, is wondering if the rebbi was given the full picture about the shidduch. Even more than that, I find it concerning that the rebbi refuses to give an explanation about what happened with the shidduch.

He is just nixing it after the boy has gone out with the girl and seems to be fond of her. Summarily dismissing the shidduch without any explanation will force the boy to walk away without any closure on the shidduch.

Parents want what is best for their child, especially when it comes to life-altering decisions such as

shidduchim. They should not be completely closed out of the process (unless in extreme circumstances).

A rebbi who cannot connect with a talmid’s parents perhaps is not seeing a full picture of what is going on.

Sincerely, Reva Cohen Dear Editor, As usual, your annual “Purim News” section did not disappoint.

You guys are masters at providing enjoyable entertainment for a whole family.

I have one question: what is with you and Seasons Express, Ruben’s barbershop, and Amazon? They seem to make an appearance every

year.

Perhaps Jeff Bezos is setting his sights on debuting Amazon drone delivery for Slushies in the Five Towns. Buy 5 Slushies, get a free haircut.

Not bad for someone who doesn’t even have hair, huh?

Sincerely, A CF Commissioner Wannabe Dear Editor, This week’s Teen Talk I’m sure spoke to a lot of boys who have trouble getting up early in the morning.

Some people are not just morning people, and the early mornings are really hard.

I heard of one rebbi who heard

that his talmid couldn’t get out of bed in the morning. He was a good boy, but perhaps not so motivated.

This rebbi, for a few days, came to the boy’s house in the morning and drove him to school. Those few mornings in the car together gave the boy the drive to get up the rest of the year on time for Shacharis.

Not every rebbi can do that. But if a rebbi shows interest in a boy and works with him, hopefully they can find a way to get this boy to school on time – most days.

Thank you for a great column and a great newspaper!

Yedidya Goldschein

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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The numbers just keeping rising.

As of Monday, the amount of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine since the February 24th invasion has topped 2.8 million.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said 2,808,792 refugees had now left the country – up another 110,512 from Sunday – making it the largest refugee exodus in Europe since World War II. UNICEF said more than one million children had fled Ukraine in search of safety and protection.

“They need peace NOW,” the UN children’s agency emphasized.

The UNHCR initially estimated that up to four million people could leave, but last week admitted that figure may end up ballooning.

Before the conflict, Ukraine had a population of 37 million in the regions under government control, excluding Russia-annexed Crimea and the pro-Russian separatist regions in the east.

Many refugees who make it to Ukraine’s seven neighboring countries travel onwards to other states, particularly in western Europe.

More than six in 10 of the Ukrainian refugees are being hosted

by Poland, with 1,720,227 now in the country, according to the UNHCR. Tens of thousands of people are also entering Ukraine from Poland – mostly those returning to fight but also others seeking to care for elderly relatives or returning to bring their families out to Poland.

Before the crisis, around 1.5 million Ukrainians lived in Poland, the vast majority working in the EU nation.

Up to the end of Friday, 304,156 of those who had fled Ukraine had

moved beyond neighboring states to other European countries, according to the UNHCR. A total of 255,291 are now on Hungarian soil.

Hungary has five border posts with Ukraine and several frontier towns, including Zahony, where local authorities have turned public buildings into emergency centers for refugees.

Some 204,862 refugees are now in Slovakia. Another 8,882 people crossed Ukraine’s shortest border on Sunday, officials said.

More than 131,365 refugees have sought shelter in Russia.

In addition, UNHCR said 96,000 people had crossed into Russia from the pro-Russian Donetsk and Lugansk regions of eastern Ukraine between February 18 and 23.

Many Ukrainians fleeing the fighting transit through Moldova, a small nation of 2.6 million people and one of the poorest in Europe, on route westwards to Romania and on to Hungary. The UNHCR says 106,994 are currently in Moldova. It is the closest border to the major port city of Odessa.

The non-EU state said Monday that 297,728 people in total had crossed over from Ukraine.

Bucharest said on Monday that 412,017 people had fled across the border, the vast majority of whom have moved on to other European countries. Another 14,475 Ukrainians entered on Sunday, including 6,612 directly from Ukraine.

At least 1,226 refugees have made it to Belarus.

Former Reporter Killed in Ukraine

Brent Renaud, an award-winning American journalist and former New York Times contributor, has reportedly been killed in Ukraine.

Renaud, 50, was one of three people shot by Russian soldiers in Irpin on Sunday.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, confirmed Renaud’s death.

Gerashchenko said Renaud “paid with his life for attempting to expose the insidiousness, cruelty, and ruthlessness of the aggressor.”

Renaud was not on assignment for the Times in Ukraine when he died; his last assignment for the outlet was in 2015, the Times said.

Fellow U.S. journalist Juan Arredondo was also shot during the attack. In a video shared on Twitter, Arredondo told an Italian reporter at a hospital that he was with Renaud when the gunfire began.

“We were across one of the first bridges in Irpin, we were going to film other refugees leaving, and we got into a car,” he told the Internazionale journalist in the clip. “Somebody offered to take us to the other bridge, and we crossed a checkpoint, and they start shooting at us.

“So the driver turned around, and they kept shooting,” Arredondo continued, before noting Renaud had “been shot and left behind.” He added, “I saw him being shot in the neck and we got split.”

After the shooting, Andrew Nebytov, the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv Region, shared

photos on Facebook allegedly showing Renaud in possession of his press badge, located inside a U.S. peacekeeper holder, in addition to his U.S. passport.

“The invaders cynically kill even international media journalists who are trying to show the truth about the atrocities of Russian troops in Ukraine,” Nebytov wrote on Facebook.

Renaud, who frequently worked with his brother Craig Renaud, was well-known for his video projects highlighting “humanistic vérité stories” in some of the world’s most conflict-affected areas. In 2014, the veteran reporters won a Peabody award for their Vice News documentary about Chicago schools.

“If, in fact, an American journalist was killed, it is a shocking and horrifying event,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on CNN’s State of the Union. “It is one more example of the brutality of Vladimir Putin and his forces as they’ve targeted schools and mosques and hospitals and journalists. And it is why we are working so hard to impose severe consequences on him and to try to help the Ukrainians with every form of military assistance we can muster.”

Maternity Ward Bombed

A pregnant woman and her baby died after Russia bombed the maternity hospital in Mariupol where she was meant to give birth last week.

Images of the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher had circled the world, epitomizing the horror of an attack on humanity’s most innocent.

Videos and photos of the bloodied woman were broadcast around the world. It was among the most brutal moments so far in Russia’s now 19-day-old war on Ukraine.

The woman was rushed to another hospital, where doctors labored to keep her alive. Her unborn baby died in the attack.

Accused of war crimes, Russian officials claimed the maternity hospital had been taken over by Ukrainian

TRAVELING THIS PESACH?

extremists to use as a base and that no patients or medics were left inside. Russia’s ambassador to the UN and the Russian Embassy in London called the images “fake news.”

In a city that’s been without food supplies, water, power or heat for more than a week, electricity from emergency generators is reserved for operating rooms.

Report: Russian Federal Agency Hacked

The Ukrainian Anonymous hacker group hacked Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal agency responsible for monitoring and censoring media.

In the hack, the group successfully released 360,000 files, the hacker group tweeted on Thursday.

In a tweet, the hacker group

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wrote, “JUST IN: #Anonymous has successfully breached and leaked the database of Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal executive agency responsible for monitoring, controlling and censoring #Russian mass media, releasing to the public over 360K files. #OpRussia.”

Last month, media company Beczka tweeted, “Someone hacked into Russian state TV channels. They feature Ukrainian music and national symbols.

“Internet users suspect that this may be another action by the hacker group #Anonymous, which declared a cyber war to (sic) Russia in connection with the attack on #Ukraine.”

UK Sanctions Russian Billionaires

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The United Kingdom announced last week that it will sanction Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch and the owner of Chelsea FC. Six others will be blacklisted as well.

The sanctions are an attempt to isolate Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Under the new sanctions, Abramovich’s assets will be frozen and “transactions with UK individuals and businesses” will be banned.

Chelsea will be granted a special license to “fulfill its fixtures and carry out football business,” but will not be allowed to buy and sell new players or sell tickets for games beyond those already sold.

On Friday, following the UK’s lead, Canada announced that it would sanction Abramovich.

According to Forbes, Abramovich’s net worth was $12.9 billion in 2019, making him the second-richest person in Israel, the eleventh-richest in Russia, and the richest person in Portugal (accounting for his citizenship in each country).

Abramovich is Jewish. He is the Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia and a trustee of the Moscow Jewish Museum.

25K Russians Flee Country

Over 25,000 Russians have fled to Georgia since their country invaded Ukraine late last month.

Though the European Union, U.S., UK, and Canada have all closed their skies to Russian airlines, Russians are still allowed to enter various other countries, such as Turkey, Armenia, Central Asia, Georgia, and the South Caucasus.

One Russian economist estimated that possibly 200,000 Russians have left their country’s borders since the war began.

A similar trend can be seen in Belarus, as well. That country has also been sanctioned by the West for collaborating with Russia.

Meanwhile, a recent survey showed that 87% of Georgians view the Russia-Ukraine war as their own war against Russia.

According to BBC, many of the new emigrants are in the tech industry and can work remotely. At the same time, the site cited “numerous reports” of Russian and Belarusian citizens being refused Airbnb rentals.

18M+ May Have Died of Covid

An estimated 18.2 million people around the world may have died of COVID-19 by the end of 2021, according to a new study.

The study, published by a team of researchers from University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), is the first peer-reviewed study examining excess death estimates on a global scale.

According to the research, published Thursday in The Lancet, the true count may be over three times

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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higher than the 5.9 million who were officially reported as having died from COVID-19.

Lead author Dr. Haidong Wang, an associate professor at the University of Washington, said, “Understanding the true death toll from the pandemic is vital for effective public health decision-making.”

He added, “We currently don’t have enough evidence for most locations. Further research will help to reveal how many deaths were caused directly by COVID-19, and how many occurred as an indirect result of the pandemic.”

The study included weekly or monthly data from 74 countries and 266 states or provinces, using government websites from 2020 and 2021, and comparing it with the death rate going back 11 years.

Countries with fewer or no excess deaths used lockdowns, mask mandates, and aggressive testing, experts say, as well as rigorous vaccination campaigns.

Although the U.S. officially has not yet reached one million official COVID-19 deaths, the study estimated that 1.1 million had already died of the virus in the U.S. by the end of 2021. The United States is among the seven countries with the high-

est numbers of deaths. The other six were: India, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

According to senior author and IHME director Dr. Chris Murray, “There are a number of places that end up looking like they’ve done well. And if you look region by region, there are neighboring countries that are very different so, it speaks to how countries have managed the pandemic.”

He added that there is a need for more data but said that his study’s findings are the best estimates to date.

Iran Targets Israel and U.S. in Iraq

A missile barrage that struck near a sprawling U.S. consulate complex in northern Iraq on Sunday was the target of Iran’s ire. Tehran says the

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attack was in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard last week.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest the attack, calling it a flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty.

No injuries were reported in Sunday’s attack on the city of Irbil, which marked a significant escalation between the U.S. and Iran. Hostility between the longtime foes has often played out in Iraq, whose government is allied with both countries.

The attack drew harsh condemnation from the Iraqi government, which called it a “violation of international law and norms” and demanded an explanation from the Iranian leadership.

“The strikes were an outrageous violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. No U.S. facilities were damaged or personnel injured, and we have no indications the attack was directed at the United States,” U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price explained.

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard said on its website that it attacked what it described as an Israeli spy center in Irbil. The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted an un-

named source as saying Iran fired 10 Fateh missiles, including several Fateh-110 missiles, which have a range of about 300 kilometers (186 miles).

The missile barrage coincided with regional tensions. Negotiations in Vienna over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal stalled over Russian demands about sanctions targeting Moscow for its war on Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Iran suspended its secret Baghdad-brokered talks aimed at defusing years-long tensions with regional rival Saudi Arabia, after Saudi Arabia carried out its largest known mass execution in its modern history with over three dozen Shiites killed.

Biden: Russia Will Pay if Chemical Weapons Used U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday warned Russia against using chemical weapons in Ukraine.

In his warning, Biden promised that Russia will pay a “severe price” for such actions.

Earlier that morning, Russia

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called a United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting to discuss “military biological activities of the U.S.” in Ukrainian territory.

Olivia Dalton, spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, told CBS News, “This is exactly the kind of false flag effort we have warned Russia might initiate to justify a biological or chemical weapons attack.”

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield claimed Russia asked for the council meeting “for the sole purpose of lying and spreading disinformation.”

She added, “I will say this once: Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program, and there are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the United States – not near Russia’s borders, not anywhere.”

Meanwhile Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry insisted that the

before

Ukrainian groups controlled by “representatives of American special services have prepared several potential scenarios of the use of toxic chemicals in order to carry out various types of provocations.”

Head of NATO Jens Stoltenberg noted, “Now that these false claims have been made, we must remain vigilant because it is possible that Russia itself could plan operations with chemical weapons under this fabrication of lies,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag, a German newspaper. “That would be a war crime.”

Will Russia Nationalize U.S. Companies?

The Russian Federation is considering nationalizing 59 companies.

According to Oleg Pavlov, head of the Public Consumer Initiative organization, McDonald’s, IKEA, and Apple are on the list, along with dozens of others.

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According to Pavlov, “A list of foreign companies has been sent to the government and the Prosecutor General’s Office that can be nationalized due to the cessation of their work in Russia.

“So far, there are 59 companies on the list, but it will expand depending on new statements from foreign businesses. Among those who have already found themselves in the document: Volkswagen, Apple, IKEA, Microsoft, IBM, Shell, McDonald’s, Porsche, Toyota, H&M and others.”

The list is not yet final, and administrative, criminal and judicial procedures will be applied to the companies, Pavlov added, noting that multiple government bodies are working together on the list.

According to him, “The total amount of obligations of these companies to citizens, the state and counterparties are more than 6 trillion rubles. This is precisely the amount of their revenue in Russia over the past three years.”

He continued, “Being on the anti-sanction blacklist means, for the violating company and its management, the following risks: arresting of its accounts and assets, the introduction of external management to replace the current one, and the nationalization of property.

“Additionally, the management of these enterprises will be held criminally responsible for deliberate bankruptcy and fraud on an especially large scale.”

806 Career Goals Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 806th career goal in Old Trafford on Saturday, breaking FIFA’s all-time record for most goals in competitive matches in men’s soccer history.

It was the second of three goals the Portuguese attacker scored during the game, leading United to a 3-2 victory over Tottenham and fin-

ishing the day with 807 total career goals. The previous FIFA goal record was held by Josef Bican, with 805 goals.

“Superhuman,” Manchester United wrote on Twitter after the match.

Saturday marked Ronaldo’s second career hat-trick in the English Premier League and the 59th of his career.

“Nothing beats the feeling of being back on the pitch and help the team with goals and effort,” he wrote on Instagram after the game. “We’ve proven once again that we can beat any team in any given day, as long as we work hard and stand together as one.”

Ronaldo, 37, holds the all-time records for most Champions League goals (140) and most international goals in men’s world soccer (115).

With Saturday’s victory, United secured three points and a move into the top four of the league table.

The top four teams in the English Premier League secure a Champions League berth.

Covid Symptoms Can Linger for Months

Nearly one-third of people infected with COVID-19 report at least one ongoing symptom between 6-12 months after their initial infection, a Danish survey showed recently.

The survey, which included 152,000 people in Denmark, tracked one of the largest-yet groups of people who were not hospitalized with COVID-19 and followed them for longer than other major studies, the researchers from Denmark’s State Serum Institute (SSI) said.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

Maran Sar HaTorah HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit”a, contributing to Kupat Ha’ir on Purim day immediately after Krias Hamegillah

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Former Zambian Pres. Dies

Dr. Adam Zeitlin, Medical Director Matthew Ostreicher, Director of Operations For further information please contact Moshe Davidowitz, Administrator 78-10 164TH STREET FRESH MEADOWS, NEW YORK

The study was conducted between September 2020 and April 2021 and included responses from 61,002 people who tested positive either six, nine, or twelve months before the survey. These were compared to a control group of 91,878 people who had tested negative.

Among those who had tested positive, 29.6% reported at least one ongoing symptom 6-12 months after infection, compared to just

Former Zambian President Rupiah Banda died after a battle with colon cancer on Friday. Banda was 85 at the time of his death.

“He died around 1900 hours today,” Andrew, Rupiah’s second-eldest child, said.

Rupiah, Zambia’s fourth president, served in the position between 2008-2011. He assumed the presidency after the death of the then-incumbent Levy Mwanawasa and led the southern African nation until 2011 when he lost elections to Michael Sata, the leader of the Patriotic Front.

He was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and had been undergoing treatment.

In 2013, Zambia’s parliament stripped him of his parliamentary immunity, and Rupiah was accused of abuse of office, corrupt acquisition of public property, and misappropriating over $11 million of public funds during his term as president. Rupiah was never convicted, however, and did not serve any time in prison.

Zambia is located in south-central Africa.

The territory of Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia from 1911 to 1964. It was renamed Zambia in October 1964 upon its independence from British rule. The name Zambia derives from the Zambezi River.

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13% in the control group. And while 53.1% of those who had tested positive experienced physical or mental exhaustion, sleep problems, or cognitive problems within 6-12 months after infection, just 11.5% of those in the control group reported the same.

The most common long-term symptoms were found to be changes in taste and smell, as well as fatigue, the study found. Also common among the group which tested posi-

tive were new diagnoses of anxiety and depression.

The study has not yet been peer-reviewed.

Study author Anders Peter Hviid, an epidemiology professor at SSI, emphasized that more studies are needed, adding, “It’s something you should take into account when you are weighing up the risks and benefits of...the interventions you are making and vaccinations.”

S. Korea New Pres: I’ll Rebuild

South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday – hours

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after winning the election – said he plans to solidify his nation’s alliance with the U.S. and take a harsher stance against North Korea.

During his campaign, Yoon accused outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae-in of turning the country away from the United States and towards China and North Korea. Along with his promise to build a better military, Yoon emphasized the importance of repairing the relationship between his country and Japan.

Yoon will begin his five-year term in May. In a televised news conference, Yoon said, “I’ll rebuild the South Korea-U.S. alliance. I’ll [make] it a strategic comprehensive alliance while sharing key values like liberal democracy, a market economy and human rights.”

He continued, “I’ll establish a strong military capacity to completely deter any provocation. I’ll firmly deal with illicit, unreasonable behavior by North Korea in a principled manner, though I’ll always leave open the door for South-North talks.”

Following Yoon’s election, he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden.

The American leader expressed his

congratulations and underlined the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also expressed a desire to communicate with Yoon and improve ties. For his part, Yoon said, “The focus in South Korea-Japan relations should be finding future paths that would benefit the people of both countries.”

Ukraine Victorious at Paralympics

Despite the turmoil swirling in their home country, Paralympians from Ukraine sailed to victory at the 2022 Winter Paralympics.

The Games wrapped in Beijing, China on Sunday, with Ukraine win-

ning a total of 29 medals in the biathlon and cross-country skiing events, the only two sports it entered. With athletes earning 11 gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals, the performance marked the nation’s best-ever performance at the Winter Paralympics, NBC Olympics reported.

Despite the awards, Ukrainian cross-country skier and biathlete Dmytro Suiarko admitted he had a hard time focusing because of the turmoil in his homeland.

“Very hard concentration is needed in biathlon, and I missed twice because yesterday my house where I live, it was bombed and destroyed,” said Suiarko, 25. Even so, Suiarko won one gold and one bronze medal for cross-country skiing, as well as two bronzes in the biathlon.

Even before the Games began, there was skepticism about whether Ukraine would compete amid the ongoing conflict. Athletes faced “logistical challenges” due to the war and were the last team to arrive in Beijing.

Valerii Sushkevych, president of the Ukrainian Paralympic delegation, told reporters that his country’s attendance at the event was “a miracle” in itself.

Persevering to not only perform, but dominate, Sushkevych stressed, “Not coming here would have been taking the easy option. Our presence at the Paralympics is a sign that Ukraine is and will remain a country.”

China came in first place in the overall medal count at the 2022 Winter Paralympics with 61 medals including 18 golds, according to the final results. Ukraine came in second.

Canada followed in third place with 25 medals, and the U.S. took fourth with 20 medals total.

Famine Conditions in Yemen

Tens of thousands of people are suffering from famine-like conditions

in war-torn Yemen. That number is expected to climb to 161,000 people this year, UN agencies warned.

Over 30,000 people are already struggling in famine conditions, a joint statement by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN children’s fund UNICEF, and the World Food Programme (WFP) said.

Calling the sharp rise “extremely worrying,” the joint UN statement comes two days ahead of a high-level conference to raise aid for Yemen, as fears mount that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens global food supplies.

“These harrowing figures confirm that we are on a countdown to catastrophe in Yemen and we are almost out of time to avoid it,” WFP chief David Beasley said, warning of “mass starvation and famine” should donors not offer aid to avert it.

Yemen depends almost entirely on food imports, with nearly a third of wheat supplies coming from Ukraine.

War in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion “is likely to lead to significant import shocks, further driving food prices,” the UN said.

UN-backed assessments use a ranking called the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which rates hunger levels from one to five. Under the IPC system, level five is classified as “catastrophe,” and when it applies to 20 percent of the population is deemed a famine.

IPC results on Monday showed 17.4 million people out of Yemen’s 29 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, the total likely to increase this year to 19 million.

“An extremely worrying new data point is that the number of people experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger ... is projected to increase five-fold, from 31,000 currently to 161,000 people over the second half of 2022,” the UN statement read.

The report said 2.2 million children are acutely malnourished in Yemen, including “nearly more than half a million children facing severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition.”

Yemen has been devastated by a seven-year-long civil war between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the internationally recognized government, supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed directly and indirectly in the war, and millions have been displaced.

The UN has repeatedly warned that aid agencies are running out of

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funds, forcing them to slash “life-saving” programs. Last year, the UN pleaded for $3.85 billion for aid but raised just $1.7 billion.

81 People Executed in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia executed 81 criminals for terror-related crimes, the government said on Saturday.

That number is the biggest mass execution in decades. In fact, 67 people were executed in 2021; twenty-seven were killed in 2020.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), all of those executed had been “found guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes.” Some of the criminals had connections to ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Houthi rebels, or other terrorist organizations.

SPA added that those convicted had been planning attacks on important sites, had smuggled weapons into the country, or had targeted or killed members of the Saudi security forces.

Seventy-three of the group were Saudi citizens, while seven more were Yemeni and one was a Syrian national.

According to SPA, “The accused were provided with the right to an attorney and were guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process, which found them guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes that left a large number of civilians and law enforcement officers dead.

“The kingdom will continue to take a strict and unwavering stance against terrorism and extremist ideologies that threaten the stability of the entire world.”

Rights groups have accused Saudi Arabia of enforcing restrictive laws on political and religious expression and criticized it for using the death penalty, including for defendants arrested when they were minors.

Saudi Arabia denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security according to its laws.

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Turkey to Return Hebrew Inscription Herzog: Erdogan “Open to True Dialogue”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed interested in repairing relations between the two countries after meeting with him last week.

In a briefing to Israeli reporters, Herzog said Erdogan has been “open to true dialogue on numerous and varied issues, and we got down to details on matters of importance for both sides,” and added that the new dialogue between Israel and Turkey is being carried out “under no illusions but reflects bilateral interests.”

He added that his meetings were being carried out with “eyes open and in full coordination with all cabinet ministries and other parties.”

Israel should establish a “mechanism” to prevent future crises with Turkey,” Herzog urged, noting that there are mutual interests which are not political.

During his visit to Turkey, Herzog also visited Istanbul’s Neve Shalom synagogue and met with the local community.

After asking them to pray for the Jews of Ukraine, Herzog noted that Turkish Jews “have had a huge role in writing the history of the Jewish people,” with “a long line of rabbis, poets, wise men, traders, entrepreneurs and leaders” coming from the country.

He added, “You are a symbol of solidarity, of tradition, of community that faces up to all the challenges.

I know that the Jewish community here in Turkey and also this synagogue, Neve Shalom, has experienced severe terrorist attacks. To my great regret, around the world Jewish schools, synagogues, supermarkets and Jewish businesses were and still are the target of haters.”

Turkey has agreed to return an ancient Hebrew inscription from Jerusalem to Israel, an Israeli official said.

The Siloam Inscription, currently housed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, is considered to be one of the most important ancient Hebrew inscriptions in existence.

The artifact is thousands of years old. Its six lines of ancient Hebrew text provides concrete historical support for the construction of a tunnel bringing water to the City of David during King Hezekiah’s reign.

According to the official, in return, Israel offered to send Turkey a valuable and historically and religiously significant item currently in an Israeli museum.

The exchange was not discussed during talks between Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Instead, the agreement was reached by senior officials from both countries.

The inscription, which Turkey until now insisted was sovereign Ottoman property, reads, “This is the story of the tunnel, while [the hewers lifted] their axes toward their counterparts, and while three cubits more were to (be hewn?), was heard the voice of a man calling to his counterpart, (for) there was [a crack?] in the rock, on the right and on the left. And on the day of [the final barrier’s] piercing, the stonecutters struck each man towards his counterpart, ax against ax and water flowed from the source to the pool for 1,200 cubits and 100 cubits was the height of the rock, over the head of the stonecutters …”

Bennett, Zelensky Speak Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky held a lengthy phone

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call on Saturday evening.

During the conversation, which lasted over an hour, the two also discussed possible options for ending the fighting in Ukraine, as well as Israel’s efforts on the matter.

On Friday, reports claimed Bennett had pushed Zelensky to surrender the war to Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the time, however, Bennett’s office denied the report.

On Saturday, more details were revealed, and a senior official in the Ukrainian government told Israel’s Walla! news site that Bennett told Zelensky, “If I were in your place, I would think about the lives of my people and take the offer.”

According to a Ukrainian government official, however, Bennett is not brokering negotiations but rather acting as a “mailbox” between the two sides.

“We do not need a mailbox. We have enough of those,” the government official said.

Israel: No Sanctions for Russia

tions will not be imposed. Rather, as Lapid suggested, the State of Israel will maintain open lines of communication with both Moscow and Kyiv while showing support for Western positions without necessarily joining them.

Moreover, Israel cannot bar Israeli citizens like Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch who has been sanctioned by Western countries, from entering the country if there is no arrest warrant out for them, nor can it legally confiscate property in Israel.

Abramovich was spotted at Ben Gurion Airport’s VIP terminal on Monday evening, leaving Israel for Russia after apparently spending less than 24 hours in the country. A Twitter account that tracks the movement of Abramovich’s six aircraft showed that a Gulfstream G650 belonging to Abramovich landed in Tel Aviv at around 9 p.m. local time Sunday, having taken off from Moscow.

Jerusalem said that is focusing its efforts on ensuring that Russian individuals and banks don’t use Israel as a means to bypass Western sanctions.

“We are putting in place measures that will make sure this can’t be a place where people can basically find their way around,” said a senior official. “You won’t be able to cheat sanctions.”

One example is that Russians won’t be able to park their private jets in Israel indefinitely to keep them from being seized elsewhere.

Banks in Israel also understand quite clearly that they are putting themselves at risk if they allow themselves to be used to circumvent sanctions.

Cyberattack Crashes Gov’t Website For now, Israel is not preparing sanctions on Moscow or Russian oligarchs. This revelation came just a day after Foreign Minister Yair Lapid declared in Slovakia that “Israel will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other Western countries.”

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted after his remarks that she welcomes “news from @YairLapid that Israel will support sanctions against Russia.”

Still, Israel is clear that sanc-

Israeli government websites were down for over an hour due to a major cyberattack on Monday evening, officials said.

Communications Minister Yoaz

Hendel held an assessment with officials due to the “broad cyberattack” on government websites. Users attempting to enter sites with gov.il extensions were unable to for at least an hour, before the sites slowly began to come back online.

“Operations have been carried out by communications companies in order to return the service as soon as possible, and the service is gradually returning,” the Communications Ministry said. “The ministry will continue to monitor [the situation] until full restoration.”

An official said the National Cyber Directorate declared a state of emergency in order to study the extent of the damage caused by the “massive” cyberattack.

According to assessments, the Israeli sites were taken down via a denial-of-service attack, which bombards websites with junk traffic to render them unreachable, although this remained unconfirmed.

For now, there is no clarity as to which group caused the attack.

Amazon Relocates Due to Violence

Amazon office workers that were working in downtown Seattle are now being relocated.

The company announced last week that it has decided to move the staff due to an uptick in violent crime in the area. Other companies in the area are opting for their workers to work remotely because of the violence.

The location that office workers are being moved from employs around 1,800 people. However, it is currently unclear how many are being relocated as many have continued to work remotely since the start of the pandemic two years ago.

The spike in the city’s violent crime hit a new peak on March 2, when 15-year-old Michael del Bianco was shot and killed at the intersection where Amazon’s office building is located. In order to address the issues plaguing the area, the Seattle Police Department set up a mobile precinct at the intersection and increased its number of patrolling bike cops.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office said in a statement that the mayor “is working every day to make downtown a safe and thriving neighborhood for residents, workers, and businesses.”

Numerous other businesses have closed due to the recent spike in crime, including Qumulo, a cloud technology firm, and Piroshky Piroshky, a popular Russian bakery. McDonald’s also confirmed the closure of its downtown Seattle locations, citing an inability to keep its workers safe.

4th Dose Needed?

According to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, people will need a fourth dose of vaccine to help fend off another wave of COVID-19.

“Many variants are coming, and Omicron was the first one that was able to evade – in a skillful way – the immune protection that we’re giving,” Bourla told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“The protection we are getting from the third (dose) it is good enough – actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths,” Bourla said.

But protection after three doses is “not that good against infections” and “doesn’t last very long” when faced with a variant like Omicron, he admitted.

“It is necessary, a fourth (dose) for right now,” Bourla told CBS. Currently, anyone ages 12 and up who got a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least five months ago can get a third dose.

Anyone ages 18 and up who got the two-dose Moderna vaccine should get a booster shot six months after the second dose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Anyone who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster shot after two months, the CDC said.

Some moderately or severely immunocompromised people who have had three doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines can already get a fourth dose of vaccine, according to the CDC. But it’s not clear if or when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration might authorize a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for healthy teens and adults.

“We are just submitting those data to the FDA, and then we’ll see what the experts also would say outside Pfizer,” Bourla told CBS. Currently, children ages 5 to 11 are eligible for two pediatric doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine but are not yet eligible for a booster. Pfizer is testing a third dose in that age group now.

Kids under age 5 are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine – although that could change this spring, Bourla said.

Bourla said Pfizer is also hoping to make a vaccine that will protect against Omicron and all other variants of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19.

The goal is to create “something that can protect for at least a year,” Bourla told CBS on Sunday.

“And if we are able to achieve that, then I think it is very easy to follow and remember so that we can go back to really the way (we) used to live,” he said.

Brady Un-Retires

Tom Brady has changed his mind.

The GOAT took to Twitter on Sunday night to announce his un-retirement, saying he’ll be back for his 23rd season. There is “unfinished business” to be completed, said the football great. He realized that “my place is still on the field and not in the stands.”

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady said.

“That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it

all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG.” Anyone paying attention to the NFL offseason can’t be that surprised Brady is coming back.

After all, speculation began almost as soon as he announced he was stepping away, and he didn’t exactly do much to silence it when he went on his Let’s Go! podcast and said, “You never say never,” when discussing a potential return.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also reported in February, “There’s a definite and palpable sense that he will play again; some in league circles already believe he could be back by July. Of this year.”

Part of the assumption that Brady would come back even though he will be 45 years old in August is the reality that age didn’t seem to matter for him at all.

All he did in 2021 was lead the league with 5,316 passing yards and

43 touchdown passes while leading the Buccaneers to the NFC South crown and No. 2 NFC playoff seed.

While they lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, it was still a brilliant showing from the best quarterback in history.

Brady also just so happened to lead Tampa Bay to the Lombardi Trophy the previous season.

This is clearly welcome news for the Buccaneers just ahead of the start

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of free agency.

Brady has seven Super Bowl rings, five Super Bowl MVPs, three league MVPs and 15 Pro Bowl nods on his resume. His legacy was already etched in stone after 22 brilliant years with the New England Patriots and Buccaneers, and nobody could blame him for walking away even after he was excellent this past season.

Turns out, he still isn’t done adding to that legacy.

Alabama Nixes Concealed Carry Permits

Gov. Ivey’s office, the change will take effect in January next year.

In a statement, Gov. Ivey said, “Unlike most states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law abiding citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights. I have always stood up for the rights of law abiding gunowners, and I am proud to do that again.”

Last year, six states passed bills bypassing the permit process for some firearms. Georgia’s House and Senate passed a similar bill to Alabama’s earlier this week.

According to the Pew Research Organization, Alabama is the 22nd state to take that step.

NY Marijuana Licenses to Go to Convicts Alabama residents will no longer be required to hold a permit to conceal and carry a handgun in the state.

On Thursday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) signed a bill anchoring the change into law.

According to a press release from

It pays to be convicted of a crime in New York. According to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, when licenses will be handed out to newly legalized marijuana retail outlets in the Empire State, the first of them will go to those who have been con-

victed of marijuana-related crimes.

The policy, approved by the state’s Cannabis Control Board, is intended to give people penalized by the industry prohibition the first chance to benefit from legalization of the drug, ahead of the U.S. corporations planning to capitalize on a valuable new retail market.

In voting to legalize marijuana in March 2021, some lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled state legislature noted that laws banning the possession and sale of marijuana had disproportionately targeted Black and Latino users, even though white New Yorkers used marijuana at similar rates.

Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement the policy was “righting the wrongs of the past.”

New York is the largest U.S. state after California to legalize marijuana for adults over 21 years old. Sixteen other states have legalized recreational marijuana, all in defiance of federal law, which still prohibits marijuana use.

New York’s first 100 to 200 marijuana retail licenses will be reserved for “social equity” applicants, namely New York residents with marijuana-related convictions, or their immediate family, who can show they have experience running a business.

The licenses will allow them to sell marijuana products from New York farmers in stores slated to open by the end of the year.

Nearly a million people were arrested in New York over the last 20 years for marijuana offenses. Almost 90 percent of those arrests were for lower-level offenses.

Philly: City of Brotherly Deaths?

Philadelphia is now king of killings. The City of Brotherly Love has topped 100 homicides in 2022 so far, outpacing the number of killings this time last year, which ended as the deadliest in the city’s recorded history.

The 100th victim was a 28-yearold man who was shot multiple times shortly before 11 p.m. last Thursday.

By March 10 last year, Philadelphia had 92 homicides. The city had a total of 562 homicides in 2021, breaking the previous record of 500 killings reported in 1990.

To put this into perspective, New York City, with five times as many people, had 488 homicides for all of last year. As of last weekend, the Big Apple reported 67 killings so far in 2022.

Chicago this week also reached 100 homicides for the year, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

In the last two years, gun violence and homicide numbers have soared in many cities across the nation.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw posted a statement to Twitter on Friday morning acknowledging the city’s somber milestone.

“We are devastated that 100 people have been murdered this year.

PPD will continue to utilize every resource we have to stem this tide of violence and will not rest until we bring to justice those who seek to cause harm ... to our city and its people; it is our #1 priority,” she wrote.

Mayor Jim Kenney also issued a statement and said that his administration “continues to work relentlessly to reduce violence.”

“The fact that our city has lost 100 souls already this year pains me to my core,” he said. “As mayor, my number one priority is to keep people safe and protect our residents.

The surge in gun violence that we’ve seen across the nation — and here in Philadelphia — is heartbreaking, it’s maddening, and it makes me as outraged as everyone else.”

Smollett Sentenced Actor Jussie Smollett on Thursday was sentenced to 150 days in prison for lying to police. The 39-year-old had lied to police about a racist attack he had orchestrated in 2019.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Cook County Judge James Linn described Smollett’s crime as “a crime of opportunity” and a “crime of premeditation.” Linn also sentenced Smollett to 30 months of felony probation, ordering him to pay over $120,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago, as well as a maximum fine of $25,000.

Smollett will, however, be allowed to travel during his probation and report by phone and will not be required to live in Illinois during that period.

Smollett, for his part, yelled repeatedly, “I am not suicidal, and I am innocent. If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans in this country for over 400 years.

“Your Honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this. And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself, and

you must all know that.”

Linn told Smollett, “You’re just a charlatan pretending to be a victim to a hate crime, and that’s shameful.”

Smollett was convicted in December in Chicago on charges that he staged a racist attack on himself and then lied to police about it. Smollett himself has denied the charges, insisting in court that “there was no hoax.” He was found guilty on five of six counts of disorderly conduct, as well as one count for each time he allegedly lied to the police. He was acquitted of a sixth count.

The assailants, brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, said Smollett, who one of the brothers knew from work, had paid them $3,500 to attack him.

Smollett remained free until Thursday’s sentencing.

Yellen Predicts “Uncomfortably High” Inflation U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has predicted high inflation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Speaking to CNBC on Thursday, she said, “We’ve seen a very meaningful increase in gas prices, and my guess is that next month we’ll see further evidence of an impact on U.S. inflation of Putin’s war on Ukraine.

I think there’s a lot of uncertainty that is related to what’s going on with Russia in Ukraine. I do think it’s exacerbating inflation.”

Yellen added that she does not believe a U.S. recession is in the cards, since the U.S. labor market remains strong and that households are in “good financial shape.”

Though she would not attempt to predict the second half of 2022, Yellen said she believes the Federal Reserve will be able to make a “meaningful difference going forward” to help keep inflation down.

She added, “I don’t want to make a prediction exactly as to what’s going to happen in the second half of the year. You know, we’re likely to see another year in which 12-month inflation numbers remain very uncomfortably high.”

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden responded to the soaring February inflation report by saying, “As I have said from the start, there will be costs at home as we impose crippling sanctions in response to Putin’s unprovoked war, but Americans can know this: The costs we are imposing on Putin and his cronies are far more devastating than the costs we are facing.”

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According to the report, Yellen said, “You know, we’re likely to see another year in which 12-month inflation numbers remain very uncomfortably high.”

Immigration enforcement arrests and deportations decreased drastically in 2021 in comparison to 2020.

The Biden administration’s policies focusing on violent and danger-

ous offenders led to a 51% increase in arrests of aggravated felons, a new report from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) showed.

The U.S. deported 59,011 noncitizens, the lowest number in the agency’s history, in 2021.

In 2021, a total of 74,082 “administrative arrests” of noncitizens took place, compared to 103,603 reported in ICE’s year-end report for 2020.

In a statement preceding the report, ICE Acting Director Tae Johnson explained that, in 2021, several executive orders from Biden “refocused the agency’s civil immigration enforcement efforts on the greatest threats to national security, public safety, and border security, while empowering career law enforcement officials in the field to make discretionary decisions about which noncitizens to arrest, detain, and remove.”

Getting Oil from Other Sources

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is continuing its search for new oil supplies as it shuns Russia.

In the quest to bring down rising oil prices and make up the current shortage, the White House is turning to sources in the Middle East, including those under U.S. sanctions. Meanwhile, politicians from both sides of the aisle have criticized the attempt to reach out to Iran and Venezuela.

Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, noted, “The White House has embarked on the oil equivalent of a scavenger hunt. Given the potential magnitude of the Russian losses, the White House will need something akin to a straight flush to pull it off.”

The White House, meanwhile, did not reveal how much oil it is seeking or the talks it is in with other nations.

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According to Rystad Energy, over 4% of the world’s supply of oil is provided by Russia, and sanctions on Russian oil may bring crude oil prices to above $200 per barrel within the year.

On Wednesday, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told a room full of energy company executives at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, “The question for us all, I think, is, ‘What else can we do in this fight?’ We are on war footing.

We are in an emergency. And we have to responsibly increase short-term supply where we can right now to stabilize the market and to minimize harm to American families.”

In an interview, Granholm said she is meeting with BP PLC, Shell PLC and Chevron Corp., among others.

Speaking to a full conference room, she said, “I am here to extend a hand for partnership, because we’re only going to be able to meet these challenges – the challenges of oil and gas supply and the challenges of climate change – by working together.”

Meanwhile, some Democrats are pressuring Biden to suspend the federal gasoline tax in order to help keep prices down.

Senate Passes $13.6M in Aid

The U.S. Congress on Thursday night took the final step in approving $13.6 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

The bill now goes to U.S. President Joe Biden for his signature. It includes money to help Ukraine defend itself, including against cyberattacks. It also offers new support for federal programs allowing the U.S. to respond to food insecurity, help refugees resettle, and address other humanitarian issues, as well as enforce the sanctions on Russia.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said, “This is an area where the American people overwhelmingly support the people

of Ukraine. This is not a Democratic and a Republican issue. This is a human rights issue.”

At the same time, U.S. lawmakers did not succeed in providing $15 billion for the battle against COVID-19.

That money had been intended for testing initiatives, as well as therapeutics and vaccines. It was dropped at the last minute due to questions of how to pay for it.

Prior to the vote, Senate Majority Leader Charles. E. Schumer (D-NY) emphasized, “We must, we absolutely must, secure more Covid money.

We’re going to keep working on this.

It’s too important to ignore.”

High Time for Tea

When climbing Mount Everest it’s best to keep your priorities straight: make sure to take time out from your summit-scaling to drink some tea.

That’s what Andrew Hughes did last year – and he’s now earning accolades for his tea-riffic idea.

The endurance athlete and adventurer from Seattle officially hosted the world’s highest tea party when he and his team sat down for hot beverages at a height of 21,312 feet above sea level on Mount Everest on May 5, 2021.

The idea came to Hughes when he was preparing to scale the Nepal mountain during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hughes, who successfully reached the summit on May 23, 2021, served tea to team members Ronan Murphy, Kristin Bennett, Garrett Madison, Sid Pattison, Robert Smith, Art Muir, Helen Cokie Berenyi, Krisli Melesk, Ben Veres, Kevin Walsh, Kristin Harila, Mark Pattison, Rick Irvine, and James Walker.

But you can’t just have a tea party with just tea. Of course, cookies need to be served. And for that, Hughes

lugged a selection of Girl Scout Cookies from the States so fellow climbers could enjoy a taste of home so high up in the clouds.

That’s one smart cookie.

Parrot Picasso

Who says that painters need to have fingers to paint? A few feathers could be just perfect.

That’s what the Maryland Zoo has discovered. An African grey parrot named Echo at the zoo is being taught how to paint.

“Will she be the next bird-casso?” the zoo quipped. “Our Embassy care team is training African grey parrot Echo to paint. Painting is a great enrichment activity that keeps Echo mentally stimulated and allows her to use her natural adaptations. She sure is creating quite a masterpiece!”

Echo paints by grabbing a sponge dipped in paint with her beak. She then takes the sponge to a sheet of paper and moves it in all directions.

Echo also receives treats for taking part in the activity.

“Painting is a great enrichment activity that keeps Echo mentally stimulated and allows her to use her natural adaptations. She sure is creating quite a masterpiece!” the zoo continued.

Sounds like she’s taking to it like a duck to water.

If I Only Had a Heart

A California-based auction house said it is selling a rare piece of memorabilia: the Tin Man’s oil can from The Wizard of Oz. The oil can, one of five used

during filming of the 1939 movie, was presented to Tin Man actor Jack Haley after the film wrapped.

“This piece has excellent investment potential, as items from or made for this legendary film almost never surface, including the Tin Man costume which is said to be lost,” the auction listing states.

Bidding starts at $50,000 but is expected to soar to $200,000.

The oil can was a pivotal prop in the beloved movie, used as a centerpiece just before the Tin Man’s introductory song “If I Only Had A Heart.” It gave him the vital oil he needed to free his body and joints from the rusted state in which he was found by Dorothy in Oz. Last year, one of the classic blue gingham dresses that Dorothy wore in the movie was found after years of having been missing. The dress was accidentally found when someone saw a garbage bag at the top of a closet in the drama department of Catholic University and decided to look inside.

“I was curious what was inside and opened the trash bag and inside was a shoebox and inside the shoe box was the dress! I couldn’t believe it,” Matt Ripa, who found the missing dress, explained.

Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.

World’s Longest Car

Think there were too many long vehicles blocking the roads this Purim? Be happy that Jay Ohrberg didn’t bring his super limousine to the Five Towns.

Ohrberg, a car customizer, built the “American Dream” car in 1986.

At the time, it measured 60 feet long. But then, Ohrberg went for broke. He restored the vehicle, and it now measures a whopping 100 feet and 1.5 inches long, nabbing the Guinness World Record for the longest car.

For several years, the world’s longest car appeared in several films and then ended up in a New Jersey warehouse. Recently, Michael Man-

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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ning, owner of the Autoseum technical teaching museum, decided to take on the monumental task of restoring the American Dream, which had rusted during its time in storage to the point where many of its components were unsalvageable.

“I first found the car at an autobody show in New Jersey and it was garbage. It was covered in graffiti, the windows were broken, the tires were flat, but I fell in love with it anyway. I said, ‘I’m going to get this car and I’m going to bring it back and restore it,’” Manning said.

But Manning encountered many problems with the restoration. Eventually, he ended up listing the car on eBay, where it was purchased in 2019 by Michael Dezer, owner of the Dezerland Park Car Museum and Tourist Attractions in Orlando, Florida.

The restored American Dream features a helipad, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a putting green, and a large waterbed. The car is being displayed at the Dezerland Park Car Museum.

“You really couldn’t put it on the road because it’s too long,” Manning said. “It was built to be put on display.”

Manning says that around 75 people can fit into the car. In terms

of how much it weighs, well, it was never officially weighed but he guesses it’s around 25,000 pounds.

It took him around 2 ½ years to restore the vehicle.

“People said we were crazy. But we did it,” he shrugs.

“And we’re going to redo it, we’re going to make it longer. The sky’s the limit. I mean, the road’s the limit.”

Think about all that traffic.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

California for decades. On Friday, the bell was ceremoniously brought to the Paul Revere Heritage Site in Canton, just south of Boston.

Jeannene Shanks became owner of the bell in 1984 when she helped to broker the sale of a church in Ohio to a fitness center. The gym didn’t need the bell and Shanks felt an obligation to take care of it. A $1,000 donation cemented the ownership, and Shanks became the owner of Revere’s bell. When she retired and moved to California, she brought the bell with her.

“It became the joke of the family,” said Shanks’ daughter, Amy Miller, 66. “They’d open the doors to the garage and ring the bell every Fourth

of July. People would look at it and say, ‘What is that?’”

After their parents’ deaths, Miller and her 69-year-old brother moved the bell to Miller’s garage, where it’s sat since 2009.

Finally, Miller discovered where the bell was forged and decided to bring it to its rightful home.

“I don’t need a bell in my garage, and this bell has a story of its own,” she said. “It represents what our history and our country are all about.

I wanted it to go beyond us — to go back to where it started. We’re the keepers of our history.”

One if by land, and two if by sea...

Did you know?

Paul Revere is famous for his rocky ride throughout the Colonies warning that the British are coming. Now, a bronze bell that was cast in 1834 by Revere’s son has finally come home.

The 1,000-pound bell had been hauled by oxcart to churches in Ohio and then languished in a garage in

Haman’s son Parshandasa had gifted his father a beam from Noach’s teivah, which Haman used to build his house. It was that beam that ultimately became the gallows for Haman

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The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Around the

Community Yeshiva Darchei Torah 3rd Graders Embark on Rashi + Mishnayos Journeys

A

ll the third grade talmidim of Yeshiva Darchei Torah celebrated their commencement of the limud of Rashi al HaTorah, as well as Mishnayos, at a special event attended by parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents.

The boys sat together on stage in the Diamond Beis Medrash but were separated into smaller, distinct groups, each with its own brilliant

costumes. In a synchronized, melodious fashion, the groups sang the first Mishnah in Berachos and its translation, in addition to songs about Rashi HaKadosh and the beauty of Torah.

Each boy received a brand-new Mishnayos. The Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender, and one of the menahelim, Rav Avrohom Bender, addressed the august assemblage.

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The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Around the Community

59 Years and Still Growing…

T

hose who were privileged to attend the Annual TAG Dinner this past Wednesday experienced a truly moving and memorable evening. It was uplifting to celebrate a TAG “family” simcha which marked 59 years of commitment and consistency in chinuch habanos. When you include such worthy honorees such as the Guests of Honor, Mr. Ari & Mrs. Daphna Biderman, Mr. Shmuli & Mrs. Ariella Flegmann, the recipients of the Rabbi Moshe Weitman z”l Memorial Award, and Mechanchim of the Year Awardees, Rabbi Elchonon & Morah Maya Kuritsky, you know you have found couples who exemplify the ideals and goals of TAG. The large crowd was testimony not only to the honorees but to the hanhala, moros, and teachers of TAG who give of themselves unstintingly to make our school such a vital resource for our community.

TAG is extremely grateful to the many nedivim who gave so generously to ensure the financial success of the evening. A special gift, the latest Shimiras Halashon sefer, was presented to them and took on added significance since it was dedicated by Rabbi and Mrs. Berish Fuchs in memory of Leil Namdar, a”h, a young Machon Sarah talmidah who impacted so many in her young life.

This year’s dinner chairmen, Akiva Glatzer and Moshie Horn,

A beautiful silver seder plate being presented to the Guests of Honor, Mr. Ari & Mrs. Daphna Biderman.

L-R: Dinner chairmen Moshie Horn, Akiva Glatzer, Rabbi Baruch Lovett, Director of Development, Rabbi Meyer Weitman, Dean, Mr. Ari Biderman, and Dr. Shmuel Reisbaum, Executive Director.

along with the Journal Chairmen, Dovid Gamzeh and Yitzi Gross, and their committee did an outstanding job and the results of their efforts were evident in making this one of the most successful dinner campaigns. Of course, much appreciation and thanks were given to all those in the administration who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the evening. A huge

Presentation to the recipients of the Rabbi Moshe Weitman z”l, Memorial Award, Mr. Shmuli & Mrs. Ariella Flegmann. L-R: Moshie Horn, Rabbi Baruch Lovett, Rabbi Meyer Weitman, Mr. Shmuli Flegmann, Dr. Shmuel Reisbaum, and Akiva Glatzer

amount of credit goes to Rabbi Baruch Lovett, Dr. Shmuel Reisbaum, Rabbi Moshe Zimberg, Mrs. Malky Klein, Mrs. Rahel Hardoon, Mrs. Soshie Hirth, and our office staff, Mrs. Vicki Hirth, Mrs. Sima Greenbaum, Mrs. Tzippy Rhodes, and Ahuva Schiffenbauer who always lend a hand when needed.

After the many guests enjoyed the delicious meal catered by Mi-

chael Schick and the video presentations were viewed, the guests left armed with desserts in their specially-designed TAG bags, filled with pride and appreciation for the school that, with Hashem’s help, will continue to provide consistency and commitment to chinuch habanos for many years to come.

Presentation to the Mechanchim of the Year Awardees, Rabbi Elchonon & Mrs. Maya Kuritsky. Seated, Rabbi Yosef Gelman, Dr. Moshe Katz, President of TAG, standing L-R: Moshie Horn, Rabbi Baruch Lovett, Rabbi Elchonon Kuritsky, Rabbi Meyer Weitman, Dr. Shmuel Reisbaum, and Akiva Glatzer

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

Those who know, know.

Get fitted now to have your suit in time for Pesach.

Andrew Lock | 516.619.6264 @theandrewlock | nybespoke.com

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

‫ככוכבים בלילה‬

Lighting Up the Night 225 Boys Thrive at Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Middle School Night Seder Across Town

BAIS TEFILA OF INWOOD

AGUDAS YISROEL OF BAYSWATER

DAVID BENOLIEL

KHAL BAIS SHMUEL ABBA, FAR ROCKAWAY

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

Every weeknight finds sixth through eighth grade talmidim of Yeshiva Darchei Torah continuing their learning – eagerly and voluntarily – at these local shuls across the Rockaways and the Five Towns. With Darchei Torah rabbeim supervising and encouraging them with various forms of prizes and incentives, the boys study and thrive in a positive atmosphere.

BAIS MEDRASH ISHEI YISROEL, WOODMERE

CONG. SHAARAY TEFILA, LAWRENCE

For more information or sponsorship opportunities please contact Rav Dovid Frischman: 718.868.2300 ext. 262 or dfrischman@darchei.org Special thanks to Rav Mottel Katz shlita of Khal Bais Shmuel Abba for his early and vigorous backing, and to R’ Tzvi Medetsky, R’ Yakov Skolnick, R’ Yitzchok Spiegel and R’ Aaron Wahl for their constant and unwavering dedication to the success of the Night Seder program.

Photos by Naftoli Goldgrab & Yechiel M. Ungar

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Gesher celebrated Rosh Chodesh Adar Beis with a hilarious presentation by the Small Wonder Puppet Theatre. The children got to see the Purim story acted out right before their eyes with all of its excitement and drama. They also dressed up in silly costumes in order to get into the spirit of Purim. We really feel the excitement in the air as Purim approaches!

The Pi’s the Limit at YOSS

Camp Areivim and Areivos Mishloach Manos

T

W

e love to celebrate at Yeshiva of South Shore!

This year has been a year full of special days. We have been counting each day and gathering unique facts about every single one.

Recently we saluted a double celebration of TWOsday, once on 2/2/22 and then again on 2/22/22.That was immediately followed by our 100th Day of school this year. To round it out, preparing for Pi Day, 3.14 which is Albert Einstein’s birthday. Coincidence?

Pi is a Greek letter that is used to find the circumference of a circle.

First, we generated a list of things that are circles and drew circles. We learned how to make a circle with a pencil and piece of string. Next, we used cans (cylinders) to locate their center, diameter, and radius. Final-

ly, we measured the diameters of cans and calculated the circumference using pi. After that, we created a graph using the digits of pi.

As Mrs. Berenholz read to us, Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi,

by Cindy Neuschwander. the children were amused at the characters’ names, Lady Di of Ameter, Geo of Metry, Sym Metry and a boy named Radius. This funny and thrilling adventure all about the circle taught the students the relationship between diameter and circumference.

The class measured the diameters of various cylinders and then “guess”timated the circumference by adding the diameter three times plus a bit more. The class enjoyed this enriching math activity as they felt like math pros ready for the next challenge.

his past Sunday, Camp Areivim and Camp Areivos held their annual Mishloach Manos Purim Swag Bag distribution. With head staff in attendance, all enrolled summer 2022 campers arrived at either Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island or the Brandeis Campus to receive their new camp bag, water bottle, and nosh. Greeted by their head counselors and division heads, campers were super excited to get their first taste of summer 2022, smiling ear to ear as they pulled up to balloons, music, dancing, and the ruach of Purim!

Did you know?

The name of Haman’s daughter who threw garbage on her father’s head was Shaknehaz

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

To learn more about Tamar’s journey visit touro.edu/more

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

HAFTR HS Experience for Class of 2026

By Rachel Czeisler

H

AFTR High School hosted the HAFTR Experience, an event for the incoming freshman class of 2026, a few weeks ago. This program gave prospective students a glimpse into what high school life is like here at HAFTR. On Wednesday, February 23, students and faculty welcomed eighth grade students from many different schools and backgrounds and introduced them to the daily routine of HAFTR High School students.

The morning began with opening remarks from our principal, Ms. Naomi Lippman, who welcomed the eighth graders and spoke to them about the many unique qualities that HAFTR has to offer. Ms. Lippman spoke of the warm, inclusive environment and the high level of academic excellence of our students. Ms. Lippman highlighted the long-lasting and meaningful friendships that students have with each other, as well as the connections between students and teachers. Following Ms. Lippman’s words were speeches from our Associate Principal, Dr. Josh Wyner, and Dean of Judaic Studies, Rabbi Riselsheimer. The incoming freshmen were then placed into groups, and each was assigned to a designated high school student and teacher to lead them through the

rest of the program. The groups circulated around the school and participated in mini-lessons presented

by Limudei Kodesh and Humanities teachers, which helped them get a feel of the daily high school schedule. There were also many fun activities that gave students a sense of HAFTR’s energized spirit. The girls had the opportunity to create vision boards in the auditorium, while the boys engaged in a team-building exercise in the gym. Through the rest of the day, the eighth graders had the chance to get to know many high school teachers and students, and experience the welcoming environment that permeates HAFTR High School.

While walking through the halls, there was a palpable buzz among students and faculty alike. High school students proudly showed eighth graders the highlights of the building and introduced them to many of their

future upperclassmen. Julian Schneider, Shiri Cohen, and Eric Garbulsky, all students from different elementary schools planning to attend HAFTR next year, shared their thoughts of the day. Julian Schneider, who enjoyed roaming the halls of his future school, said, “Everything was so well organized, and the school was really well prepared.” Shiri Cohen, who especially enjoyed the vision board ac-

tivity, said, “I had so much fun making vision boards and playing sports in the gym!” A lasting thought from Eric Garbulsky: “I really enjoyed being able to get a preview of what my next four years are going to look like.”

Everyone here at HAFTR took tremendous pride in welcoming these students, and we all look forward to seeing them next year!

Chai Lifeline Offers Support and Resources to Those Impacted by Ukraine War

W

hile the practical and medical needs of the refugees from the Ukrainian war have elicited a massive international response, the emotional and mental toll the crisis is taking on refugees—as well as the global community at large—is getting far less attention. In recent days, Chai Lifeline has been working to fill that gap by providing training and resources to Jewish communities and organizations to help people deal with the immense mental traumas that can come with such crises.

The Chai Lifeline response has been multifaceted and far-reaching. Upon the immediate news of the Russian invasion, Chai Lifeline re-

leased guidelines on talking to children about war that are available in both English and Russian and have been distributed to tens of thousands. Chai Lifeline has also offered numerous trainings to organizations and those in the field, as well as community leaders and caregivers in cities around the world as they prepare to welcome evacuees from Ukraine into their homes and communities.

“The mental health support and tools we have received from Chai Lifeline have been invaluable as we prepare for an influx of refugees here in our community,” said Rabbi Akiva Adlerstein, part of the Ukraine relief effort of Kahal Adass Jisroel in Berlin, Germany. “Their guidance

has empowered us and given us encouragement during these extremely challenging times.”

For rebbeim, educators, and parents, Chai Lifeline presents a webinar on “Ukraine in the Classroom,” featuring remarks by Rabbi Lipa Geldwerth, rav of Khal Kol Torah; Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox, director of Chai Lifeline crisis services; and Rabbi Simcha Scholar, Chai Lifeline CEO. The presentation offers hashkafic and psychological guidance geared toward mechanchim and is available online at www.chailifeline.org/ ukraine or by phone at 917-994-9200.

“Perhaps not since the Holocaust has the Western world seen a humanitarian crisis of this scope

where millions of people are being ripped from their homes, that were thriving and safe places to live in just two weeks ago, amidst a fierce war of death and destruction,” said Rabbi Scholar. “On top of the actual crisis on the ground in Ukraine is the fact that nearly the entire world is experiencing this trauma via our newspapers and other news sources. We can’t hide from the trauma, but we have a responsibility to ourselves and our children to know how to deal with it.”

Chai Lifeline crisis services are available to all in need of support. Contact the Crisis Helpline at 855-3-CRISIS or email crisis@chailifeline.org.

4.5” x 11.25” The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

Around the Community

Tehillim Kollel is on its way to

Rav Yitzchok Kolodetsky, shlita, visited Mesivta Shaarei Chaim last week

Lizensk, Again!

to daven for Klal Yisrael on the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Reb Elimelech, zy”a '‫כ“א אדר ב‬ Send along your name and requests and see your yeshuah soon

Deadline Thursday Morning · 11:00 · ‫כ‘‘א אדר‬

718.705.7174 www.TehillimKollel.org Info@TehillimKollel.org

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Around the Community

Central Goes Bananas for Kiwis and Papayas The boys in Morah Leah Ross’s first and second grade CAHAL class at Yeshiva Darchei Torah enjoyed a fun day to celebrate 100 days of learning and growing

This Purim, Be Smart, Be Safe, Be Vigilant

By Shabsie Saphirstein

C

haverim of Queens, founded in memory of world-renowned philanthropist, Mr. Jack Friedman, a”h, started with just ten volunteers. That was 14 years ago when calls were dispatched to volunteers via beepers. Today, Chaverim of Queens has over 100 volunteers who respond to calls rapidly via an app.

The acts of chesed that the volunteers of Chaverim do daily does not go unnoticed by those who have benefited from the assistance provided. The resilience of our community postCOVID has been remarkable and the sense of comradery is noteworthy.

Now in its thirteenth consecutive year operating an anti-drinking and driving campaign, Chaverim of Queens is spreading awareness and asking the community to please be safe over Purim.

We are unfortunately aware of the excessive drinking that takes place within our communities during the joyous holiday. This year’s celebrations will once again see congregations and institutions rejoicing and unifying in-person. Chaverim stands ready to assist offering its transport services as necessary. While it is almost impossible to prevent people from partaking in such behavior, there is a solution to keep friends and family safe.

The Chaverim of Queens Purim “Don’t Drink and Drive campaign,” which pioneered Purim of 2009, was founded to prevent the likelihood that someone will be tempted to drive while under the influence on this festive day. To prevent those who may be unfit to drive on Purim, Chaverim

has “Volunteer Designated Drivers” available in Queens throughout Purim. This service can be requested by calling the Chaverim’s 24-hour hotline number: 718-441-0505.

The reality is that even one drink may impair your driving capabilities, even if you believe you are able to drive. Do not suffer the consequences of cloudy judgement. If you are an adult in the company of minors, act responsiblly when handling alcohol. Children are not accustomed to drinking, and the smallest amount consumed may result in unforeseen illness.

The Chaverim of Queens Purim “Don’t Drink & Drive” program is generously sponsored by Outsource USA, Crypnologic.com, PEYD, Kamin Health, Elite Care, Mobile Vascular Physicians, and The Newman Foundation. It is donations like these that have a deep lasting impact.

While we hope that no one needs our unique service, please save our hotline number as a phone contact, as the life you save may very well be your own! May we all be blessed with a happy, healthy, and most of all, safe Purim!

Chaverim is seeking and recruiting additional volunteers – for Purim as well as year-round. Please contact Chaverim for more information regarding dedication and sponsorship opportunities at chaverimofqueens@yahoo,com.

Donations accepted online at ChaverimOfQueens.org/Donate.

Chaverim of Queens is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and all donations are tax deductible.

H

ands-on laboratory experience is a significant part of our science curriculum at Central. Over the past few weeks, two Central science courses, AP Biology, taught by Mrs. Ruth Fried, and Forensics, taught by Mrs. Shulamith Biderman, have engaged in biotechnology laboratory experiments during two full-day visits to the Dolan DNA Learning Center in Cold Spring Harbor.

“These labs bring what we teach in the classroom to life,” said Mrs. Biderman. “These hands-on experiences are crucial.”

During their first visit on February 23, both classes completed rounds of restriction enzyme analysis and bacterial transformation.

Restriction enzyme analysis, a technique for comparing differently-sized particles of DNA, was used to separate DNA fragments based on size and electrical charge. Bacterial Transformation is a technique by which students insert a novel piece of DNA into a bacteria, enabling it to synthesize new proteins. For their particular lab, our students inserted an antibiotic resistance gene for ampicillin, tagged with a green fluorescent protein gene from a jellyfish, to develop transformed bacteria that could grow on an ampicillin-laced medium while glowing fluorescent green.

On March 2, students returned to the Dolan DNA Learning Center, where each section performed a DNA Fingerprinting lab specific

to the focus of its curriculum. Forensics students examined a highly variable tandem repeat polymorphism, like the ones used by the FBI for DNA fingerprinting.

AP Biology students examined a transposon, a “jumping gene” that is unique in its presence for each individual. Under the supervision of Research Methodology instructor, Dr. Jason Williams, both groups of students prepared a sample of their own DNA from cells obtained by a technique using saline mouthwash.

Their samples were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then analyzed using gel electrophoresis and DNA chip analyzers.

Students then compared their own personal DNA results to a broad genetics bank, using computer bioinformatics analysis in the computer lab of the DNALC. The AP Biology class also performed an accompanying experiment in which students barcoded the DNA of various fruits, including papaya, green and golden kiwis, and bananas. “These fruits have similar enzymes, and people who have an allergy to one tend to have allergies to the others,” said senior Dara Khaimov of Woodmere. “Our goal is to sequence the DNA to see if there is an evolutionary relationship between the fruits.”

The experiment, titled “Go Bananas for Kiwis and Papayas,” will be presented by Central students at a symposium at the end of May.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

BUILDING BLOCKS OF ETERNITY Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s new capital project will encompass a Mesivta Beis Medrash and its first-ever Residence Hall.

BEIS MEDRASH + CLASSROOM BUILDING Will serve 500 talmidim in grades 8-11 34,200 Total square feet 4 Stories 5200 sq. feet Beis Hamedrash for Mesivta 12 Classrooms

RESIDENCE HALL Will serve 271 talmidim in Mesivta & Yeshiva Gedolah 43,000 Total square feet 4 Stories 68 Dormitory Rooms 271 Beds 4 Student Lounges

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The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

T H E S E V I S I O N A R I E S H AV E A L R E A DY S T E P P E D F O R WA R D. W I L L YO U J O I N T H E M ?

MR. & MRS. BERISH & HANNAH FUCHS

THE BIVETSKY FAMILY SHAAR HATORAH

MR. & MRS. YUSSIE & SUSAN OSTREICHER

RESIDENCE HALL AND TORAH CENTER

‫ה ליב ע”ה‬-‫לע”נ שלום ראובן בן ארי‬

MESIVTA BEIS MEDRASH BUILDING

MESIVTA BEIS MEDRASH

ANONYMOUS

Entranceway to Mesivta Beis Medrash Building

Camp Oraysa Sports Complex

ANONYMOUS Residence Hall Cornerstone

ANONYMOUS

‫לע”נ נחמן יהודה בן יעקב דוד ע”ה‬ ‫ואשתו לאה בת יהודה אשר ע”ה‬ ‫ולע”נ יעקב ליב בן שלמה ע”ה‬

Dedication of Rosh Kollel’s Office

MR. & MRS. MOTTY & HADASSA JACOBOWITZ Promenade Vestibule

‫לע”נ הרה”ג ר‘ דוד בן הרב אברהם בנדר זצ”ל‬ ‫והרבנית בתיה חיה בת הרב יעקב הלוי ז”ל‬ ‫לע”נ זעליג בן מרדכי ע”ה‬ ‫לע”נ משה אלעזר בן נטע שלום ע”ה‬ ‫לע”נ דוד בן משה ע”ה‬ ‫הר‘ משה נתן בן יחזקאל ע”ה‬ ‫וישראל בן אברהם ע”ה‬ ‫ לע”נ‬The children, bochurim,

and all 45 neshamos of the Miron tragedy, Lag Baomer 5781

Dedicated by Mr. & Mrs. Yaakov & Rivky Jacobovitch

MR. & MRS. CHAIM & BRACHA SCHULHOF MR. & MRS. NISSAN & SARAH GITTY PROFESORSKE

‫לע”נ ישראל הלוי לעווין ע”ה‬ ‫ואלישבע בתיה קפלן ע”ה‬ Beis Medrash Vestibule Entrance

MR. & MRS. URI & ESTHER KAUFMAN

‫לע”נ חוה בת דב ע”ה‬

THE BLOOM FAMILY

‫לע”נ ר‘ ישראל‬ ‫בן ר‘ בנימין הכהן ע”ה‬

MR. & MRS. CHAIM SHOLOM & RIVKY LEIBOWITZ Associate Dean’s Office

MR. & MRS. SHMULI & MIRIAM MENDEL Sha’ar of New Beis Medrash

Ner Tamid

Mr. & Mrs. Barry & Paula Bokow

Dedication Wall Mesivta Beis Medrash Building

MR. & MRS. NASSAN & DEVORAH TREITEL

Gymnasium Wing

Preschool Cornerstone

Basketball Court in Elementary School Gym

MR. & MRS. ALON & CHANIE GOLDBERGER

MR. & MRS. NACHMAN & ESTHER GOODMAN

Sha’ar of New Beis Medrash

MR. & MRS. SHIA & ELANA OSTREICHER Beis Medrash Building Vestibule

Mr. & Mrs. Samuel & Beverly Goldberger Mr. & Mrs. Tzali & Chana Shira Gutman Mr. & Mrs. Ari & Aliza Haas Mr. & Mrs. Berel & Sherry Daskal Mr. & Mrs. Shlomo & Kayla Horowitz Mr. & Mrs. Binyomin & Leah Einhorn Mr. & Mrs. Menachem & Elisheva Jacobowitz Mr. & Mrs. Naftoli & Chani Einhorn Mr. & Mrs. Mordechai & Shana Jacobs Mr. & Mrs. Michael & Mimi Fragin Mr. & Mrs. Jeff & Tamar Landy Mr. & Mrs. Evan & Chaya Sara Genack Mr. & Mrs. Yosef & Vivi Moskowitz Rabbi & Rebbetzen Chaim Aryeh Zev & Avigail Ginzberg Mr. & Mrs. Yitzy & Rivky Orbach Mr. & Mrs. Simcha & Shani Applegrad

NAYMAN FAMILY

MR. & MRS. CHAIM & ROCHELLA TREITEL

MR. & MRS. NACHUM & HENNY FUTERSAK

MR. & MRS. MENASH & MIMI ORATZ

DEDICATED ANONYMOUSLY

In Memory of Mrs. Marta Schron ‫ע” ה‬

Lobby, Mesivta Beis Medrash Building

Cornerstone, Mesivta Beis Medrash Building

MR. & MRS. URI & DEVORAH DREIFUS

DEDICATION OF CAMP ORAYSA CAMPUS

MR. & MRS. MOTTY & HADASA MENDELSOHN

DR. & MRS. YOSSI & ZIVIA SCHWARTZ

MESIVTA OTZAR HASEFORIM

THE SCHRON FAMILY

MEMORIAL EXHIBIT TO THE YESHIVOS OF PREWAR EUROPE

GYMNASIUM WING

MR. & MRS. BENZION & MIRIAM HEITNER

MR. & MRS. DOVID & LEAH BRECHER

MR. & MRS. BENJAMIN & JUDY LANDA

MR. & MRS. YITZCHOK & SHOSHANA GANGER

Entrance of Beis Medrash Building

Plumbing Training Center Dedicated

‫לע”נ אברהם שלמה בן יחיאל מיכל הכהן ז”ל‬ ‫לע”נ הר‘ אברהם בן הר‘ חיים מנחם בן ציון זצ”ל‬ ALL BORO CONSTRUCTION

Mr. & Mrs. Ephram & Ilana Ostreicher Mr. & Mrs. Mutty & Bracha Ribowsky Mr. & Mrs. David & Sima Rosenfeld Mr. & Mrs. Dovid & Chani Roll Dr. & Mrs. Zvi & Dina Schreiber Mr. & Mrs. Andrew & Stephani Serotta Mr. & Mrs. Marvin & Judy Sigler Mr. & Mrs. Morris & Devora Smith Mr. & Mrs. Yehuda & Mindy Zachter

Get in on the ground floor of this monumental project.

To choose from a wide selection of sponsorships at all levels, please contact: Rabbi Zev Bald 718.868.2300 ext. 232 zbald@darchei.org Rabbi Baruch Rothman 718.868.2300 ext. 406 brothman@darchei.org

darchei.org

‫לע”נ מוהר”ר יחיאל מיכל‬ ‫בן ישראל יהודה ע”ה‬

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Ivrit at HALB

O

n Monday/Tuesday March 7-8, the Hebrew teaching faculty at HALB invested two days in professional development with Mr. Blaine Ray, the creator of a unique language acquisition strategy known as TPRS (teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling).

Mr. Ray’s strategies are used in schools from K-12 as well as universities and colleges worldwide, but only in the last four years have they been incorporated into Hebrew instruction. HALB is an early adopter of TPRS among Jewish day schools.

Says Mr. Richard Altabe, HALB’s lower school principal, “TPRS has enabled us to transition from traditional grammar/translation methods – which clearly haven’t worked as well as we had hoped – to a more dynamic, relevant, and meaningful approach that students find more engaging and more retaining. In two words, it’s comprehensible interaction.”

Mr. Ray, a veteran Spanish teacher for over 25 years, visited classes, observed teachers, and offered tailored insights for upgrading and enhancing students’ proficiency, especially in speaking. He noted that “with TPRS our public school students accomplish in two years what others don’t achieve in four or

ing services; dinat r o o It’s not about c c eal impa t. r g n it’s about creati Join Comfort Health as an HCBS coordinator and help children acquire the services they need to gain daily living and coping skills; while ensuring their ongoing success.

Requirements: Organizational Skills Communication and Interpersonal Skills No degree required

Why you’ll love it here: Seamless training process Multiple growth opportunities Fast-paced, supportive environment

Ready to make a difference?

Email your resume to: Williamsburg positions: stessler@comforthealthny.org Boro Park positions: cgreenfeld@comforthealthny.org Five Towns positions: Claufer@hamaspikkings.org

more years of traditional language instruction. We see students passing the AP with scores well in the midto high 90’s.”

SKA Hebrew instructor Gavriel Sanders has been shepherding the HALB Ivrit teachers in incorporating TPRS into the curriculum. He says, “By doing more interaction

with carefully bounded content, we actually see a longer term gain in student confidence and net language retention. TPRS, when done well, feels fun, is easier on the brain, and accumulates better when the focus is on high frequency terms and structures delivered in a context of relevance and creativity.”

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Around the Community

Working to Represent Jews Everywhere

By Arye Zacks

W

hen Gabi Grossbard moved from Israel to New York in 1994, he never imagined he would run for Congress in Michigan. This former IDF soldier and Far Rockaway resident recognized the need for religious Jews to stand up in defense of all American Jews and began his political campaign.

Grossbard has been involved in the grassroots movement of the Republican party and was recently endorsed by ambassador David Freidman and other local Michigan political leaders. He is determined to counterbalance democratic congresswomen like Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in standing up for American Jewry and Israel, and his opponent, Democrat incumbent Andy Levin, is a vocal critic of Israel.

Grossbard has spent years involved in public service, working tirelessly as the president of Ahavas Olam, the community’s Torah Center. He has invested time in building up the Detroit Jewish community and views his candidacy as one where he represents Jews from all states.

A family man and business owner, Grossbard has been married to Milaine since 1993. They have six children, including two with special needs, and four grandchildren.

To learn more and support the campaign, visit votegabi.com.

With former Ambassador David Friedman

Please join us for an evening supporting REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE

GABI GROSSBARD

AT THE HOME OF YAACOV & SURI LEWIS 356 DERBY AVE MARCH WOODMERE SUNDAY, MARCH 20TH 7 PM RSVP CALL/TEXT (516) 987-0798

20

CONTRIBUTE AT VOTEGABI.COM OR MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO VOTE GABI (NO CORPORATE CHECKS)

VOTEGABI.COM @VOTEGABI

PAID FOR BY VOTE GABI

"The way to fix our broken political system is for representation to go back to the way it was meant to be.

Everyday Americans taking time from their regular life, run for office to represent their constituents then go back to civilian life."

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

The Music is Back at the Gural JCC

T

he sounds of music were heard again at the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC last week as the Golden Notes senior choir reunited after two years of isolating and sheltering at home during the pandemic. You would have thought it was a roomful of teenagers from the sounds of a dozen choir members greeting each other with excitement and laughter. Some of the members had been in touch occasionally over the phone, but none had seen each for nearly twenty-four months. It was a difficult time for this dynamic group of seniors who had been meeting together weekly for over 11 years before Covid hit. There were wide grins, big hugs, lots of kibbitzing, and true joy when long-time choir leader Zvi Klein walked into the room to join them. For years, the JCC staff hummed along the hallways every Tuesday as the Golden Notes choir regularly practiced their numbers. It was truly heartwarming and reassuring to hear those beautiful sounds in our building once again.

Just a few days after the reunion, the Golden Notes were already in demand. The Chaverim program for our beloved Holocaust survivors, which also recently returned to in-person programming at our JCC, was looking for entertainment, and our senior choir stepped up to the plate. After two years of separation and only a couple of hours of practice, they stood before our Chaverim group in strong harmony, melodious solos, with humor, fun props and an incredibly upbeat attitude.

They opened the show with “Put on

a Happy Face,” which our survivors immediately did, and literally proceeded to “spread sunshine all over the place.” For a full hour the music played, and the audience was captivated. The tunes of Dodi Li, Erev Shel Shoshanim, Mi Ha’ish, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, Al Kol Ele, a medley of Purim songs and more, encouraged clapping of hands and the swaying of shoulders among singers, survivors and staff alike.

The Golden Notes choir is just one example of the many worthwhile and enjoyable initiatives the Marion

and Aaron Gural JCC has offered our community for over forty years. The Holocaust survivor program is yet another example of the essential and targeted services we continually and compassionately provide to the Five Towns and neighboring areas.

If you would like to find out more about these or any of our other projects, contact the JCC at (516)5696733 or visit www.guraljcc.org.

The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC is a proud non-profit partner of UJA-Federation New York.

HANC HS Advances in Mock Trial

By: Ori Baer

O

n Wednesday, March 2, after a hard-fought match, the HANC Mock trial team defeated JFK High School to move on to Round 4 of the Nassau County Division Mock Trial Tournament!

After dozens of hours spent in and out of school prepping for every aspect of the trial, the hard work and planning paid off as a team of freshmen, juniors, and seniors took the roles of lawyers and witnesses in a reality-based case of Stock Fraud.

After a short party of little bites and Twizzlers, the lawyers and witnesses now find themselves back to the drawing board in preparation for Round 4 against Massapequa High School.

Congratulations to the entire team, and in particular to the Lawyers: Ori Baer, Yoni Levy, and Avi Brandler, and to the Witnesses: Nava Talitian, Grace Herschberg, and Elana Max. Thank you to Coach Mr. Reuvan Bauman and to Faculty Advisor Ms. Brienne Schiano for their support.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Around the Community

Rabbi and Rebbetzin Polakoff Honored

C

ongregation Bais Tefilah of Woodmere held its 32nd Annual dinner on Sunday evening, March 6 at the Woodmere Club. The Guests of Honor were the beloved Morah D’Asrah Rabbi Ephraim and Rebbetzin Tova Polakoff. Rabbi Polakoff has led the shul since September 2015.

Congregants, family, and friends came out to show their appreciation to the Polakoffs for all they do for the shul and community. Besides his congregational duties, Rabbi Polakoff is a rebbe at DRS and teaches at SKA. Rebbetzin Polakoff is a valued staff member at Tichon Meir Moshe, Bnos Bais Yaakov High School in Far Rockaway. In the summer, Rebbetzin Pola-

koff is Girls’ Head Counselor at Camp Kaylie.

Rabbi Polakoff is always available to any congregant in need and has shared in the congregation’s simchas and sorrows. Additionally, Rebbetzin Polakoff shares her many talents with the women of the shul, giving shiurim, assisting Sisterhood, and opening her home on numerous occasions.

Paying tribute to Rabbi Polakoff was Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky, Menahel at DRS, followed by Rabbi Dale Polakoff, rabbi of the Great Neck Synagogue and distinguished father of our honoree.

The Polakoffs are the proud parents of Yisroel Meir, Zevi, Gavriel, Aharon, Asher, Yaffa and Devorah.

The adorable Polakoff children also paid tribute to their parents by reciting a poem. We wish the Polakoffs continued nachas from their beautiful mishpacha.

The shul is located at 409 Edward Avenue in Woodmere. We have a var-

ied membership of older and younger families and Shabbos morning youth groups. It is a warm and inviting shul where everyone can make a difference. We invite you to join us for davening and see for yourself.

including those in Rabbi Cooper’s class at DRS; Rabbi Shulman’s class at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov; and Rabbi Eisikovic’s class in Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island; did a great job.

Questions? Email outloudbrachos@ gmail.com. Charts are available at www.meahbrachos.com

Meah Brachos Project

D

uring the reign of Dovid HaMelech, a terrible plague, raged killing 100 people a day from unnatural causes. It was revealed through Ruach Hakodesh that if the people would take care to recite 100 brachos a day the plague would be mitigated. Since then, we have followed the halacha to recite 100 brachos a day. We hope that in this merit we will saved again from the ravages that afflict our people today.

The students in the Meah Brachos program kept track for two weeks of the daily 100 brachos they recited.

During the week, a person can get 90 brachos from Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv and needs 10 more from other activities during the day. On

Shabbos, a person can get 80 brachos between all the davening and all three meals, and needs 20 more to complete 100.

The students who participated,

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Pre-Purim fun at Lev Chana

HAFTR Lower School Marks Milestones

I

t was with great excitement that HAFTR Lower School welcomed back parents and grandparents to join in celebrating the First Grade Chagigat Siddur. For most guests, this was their return to the campus after two years.

No longer covered by masks, parents, students, and faculty wore huge smiles throughout the program. Students sang a beautiful selection of songs and then continued on to activity centers. They created siddur covers, marked the tefillot that are

said daily with simaniot, decorated picture frames and played a tefillah matching game on Quizlet.

Everyone enjoyed their special cupcakes and captured the moment by taking pictures at the photo booth.

The milestone will be etched in the minds and hearts of all those who attended for years to come.

Hidden Sparks Parent Education Center Expands Service Area

H

idden Sparks, a nonprofit focused on providing teachers and parents with the tools to support struggling students in mainstream Jewish day schools, is expanding the service area for its Parent Education Center (PEC) to include all five New York City boroughs. This growth in services, which were previously focused on Queens, is in response to the rising out-of-borough requests since the PEC’s opening at the beginning of the current school year.

The Hidden Sparks PEC is funded by the City’s Department of Education, and thus provides services at no cost. While some of the center’s services, including one-on-one sessions, are limited only to parents of students who receive DOE services through the federal Title 1 program, other workshops are opened to par-

ents of all types of learners.

As part of the latest expansion of services, parents from all five boroughs will be able to tap into the Hidden Sparks center to learn strategies for bolstering their children’s literacy, math, organizational, and executive functioning skills from licensed education specialists. Topics covered include a broad range such as homework help and time management as well as self-regulation and anti-bullying strategies. The center has held over 200 of these sessions over the last six months. In addition, the new Parent Sparks program offers a live conversation in a virtual meeting space where parents can convene to hear about and share valuable parenting tips and strategies.

“Nurturing children’s educational and emotional development requires a robust toolkit of strategies

at a parent’s disposal,” said Hidden Sparks Executive Director Debbie Niderberg. “Having access to a very compassionate and skilled practitioner with deep expertise in understanding and teaching to diverse students and years of experience working with parents in Jewish day schools is an enormous gift to parents and the community, especially during these times. Under Ethel’s leadership and through this Parent Education Center, parents have access to a tremendous resource to help them and their children.”

“Since the PEC first opened its doors to the Queens community, parents from all over have come forward requesting the use of our services,” said Ethel Salomon, the director of the center. “Today we are pleased to be meeting this strong demand, having ramped up our capacity in order

to partner with parents from all five boroughs, providing them with the support to foster their children’s futures.”

Founded in 2006, Hidden Sparks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping teachers and schools educate struggling learners. Through professional development programs and on-site coaching for teachers, it helps educators deepen their understanding of learning and approaches for teaching all kinds of learners, particularly those who struggle. With 110 participating day schools and a total of 3,875 educators trained by the Hidden Sparks curriculum, the organization has impacted a total of 47,450 students since its inception.

For more information please visit: www.hiddensparks.org.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Students in Staten Island presented ‘mishloach manos’ food baskets to the NYPD in appreciation for all that they do for the community

SKA MACS Program: Fashion That Reflects the Real You

J

uniors and seniors of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls spent a fascinating and illuminating morning on Thursday, March 10, contemplating what goes into dressing modestly. Sponsored

by SKA’s MACS (Modesty Awareness Committee by Students), part of the school’s LEV (Living Enhanced by Values) initiative, the program was a resounding success in many ways.

The SKA students were privileged to hear from Liza Sakhaie and Danielle Immerman, founders of the website the-reflective.com, an online curated marketplace that seeks to make modesty mainstream. In a session moderated by Mrs. Sara (Bienenstock) Ghouri, the two women answered questions about how they came to dress modestly on their journey to Orthodoxy, sharing their struggles as newcomers who wanted to be fashionable while maintaining tzniut standards. With professional

expertise from their work in marketing and business strategy, they created a marketplace for women of all religions to dress modestly and stylishly.

Oohs and aahs filled the SKA auditorium as several students walked the “runway” dressed in lovely tzanuah outfits coordinated by Liza and Danielle. Showcasing brands and trends, the innovators noted that sometimes it takes creativity to make an immodest outfit into a modest one, but it can certainly be done.

It was the introspection behind the women’s decision to become religious and modest that really captivated the students’ attention. Augmenting the morning session, the students attended small MACS workshops to discuss the presentation and the messages they heard, especially Liza’s who said, “Clothing can and should be an expression of who that soul is on the inside.”

CARE Purim Carnival

C

.A.R.E.’s (Community. Advocacy. Resources. Encouragement.) Annual Purim Carnival was held on Sunday, March 6 at Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn.

C.A.R.E. provides services and support for children with special needs as well as for their siblings and parents. Over 600 participants enjoyed the free carnival which included an array of rides, arts and crafts, hands-on activities, and lunch. This event is the largest and most joyful celebration for the community of CARE families. With games, treats, and prizes, it is the most anticipated event for CARE families of the year.

C.A.R.E., founded by Meyer and Victoria Safdieh, would like to give specials thanks to the sponsors and volunteers who helped make this year’s carnival a huge success including Harry Adjmi, Michael Whaba, IG Gindi, Chaby Orfali, David Levy, NYPD Honorary Surgeon Dr. Jack husney, NYPD Clergy Liasion and C.A.R.E. Board Member David Heskiel, Assemblyman Simcha Eichens-

tien, and MDY Principal Rabbi Ezra Cohen Saban.

Special thank you to NYPD Inspector Richie Taylor, Commanding Officer of Community Affairs Outreach, for participating and being a great, supportive friend to C.A.R.E. throughout the years.

May all who helped and participated in this incredible and heartwarming event be blessed to go from strength to strength.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Around the Community The Ganger Early Childhood Center at TAG introduced a new program as part of the schoolwide “Bilvavi” theme.

The talmidos are collecting “Emotion Commotion” cards for recognizing negative emotions and then calming themselves, using tools they learned with with Morah Aviva Esses

I Can Fight Cancer

I

n collaboration with Sharsheret, HAFTR Middle School recently hosted its first annual Women’s Night. Planned and executed

by HAFTR Middle School Chesed U coordinator Mrs. Ashley Alibayof and Director of Student Life, Ms. Ariana Wolfson, women of the HAFTR family came together for a beautiful night that focused on the importance of community, the lessons we can learn from women of Jewish history, empowerment, and resilience.

Special guest speaker Avital Friedman courageously shared her story and how Sharsheret supported her, as the audience listened in awe of her bravery. Director of Guidance and Pupil Personnel Dr. Yali Werzberger discussed the importance of resilience. Coordinator of Juda-

ic Studies Mrs. Nechama Landau shared insightful lessons that can be learned from each of the sheva neviot (seven prophetesses). Eighth grader Lily Golombeck shared about her experience on the Ohr L’Olam Task Force at HAFTR Middle School and the impact the Force has been able to make on the community and the school.

Long Island Program Coordinator at Sharsheret Mrs. Nancy Cohen provided encouragement and support planning the event. Special thanks goes to the HAFTR Middle School community. Thanks to the generous sponsorships, we were able to present Sharsheret with a wonderful donation. The HAFTR Middle School Family looks forward to many more wonderful events in the future.

SKA Senior Named National Merit Scholar Finalist

C

ongratulations to SKA 12th grader Aviva Klahr!

The National Merit Scholarship Program has determined which of the 16,000 Semifinalists named this September has met all the requirements to advance to Fi-

nalist standing in the competition.

Mazal tov to SKA senior Aviva Klahr who has been named a Finalist in this coveted program.

We wish her luck in the next round!

Last Sunday, Rabbi Joel Kaplan, executive director of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, surprised Yossi Green, the distinguished composer and proud Darchei grandfather, with a token of the Yeshiva’s appreciation: a painting of Rav Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar, zt”l. Yossi graciously invested his considerable time, energy, and talents in the creation of the Yeshiva’s recent and highly successful evening of celebration (which is viewable in full at Darchei.org).

Sold-Out Performances of TMM’s “Morning Star”

L

ast week, TMM once again blew away the crowd with their dazzling performance of “The Morning Star.” All three performances sold out – the Motzei Shabbos production almost as soon as tickets became available. Many people wished they could attend more than once!

Through music, dance, drama and song performed against stunning sets and in charming costumes – most made in-house – the play told the true story of Esther, the daughter of the Shach, who becomes lost in the forest. Found and adopted by the King of Poland at the tender age of eight, Esther clings tenaciously to her Yiddishkeit, ultimately avoiding a terrible fate by escaping through a window and later using her royal connections to save her community from a devastating decree.

Like all TMM plays, “The Morn-

ing Star” carried a message for us all, that no matter how dark the night, Hashem’s salvation will ultimately come. Congratulations to play director Mrs. Dvory Heller, music coordinator Miss Chayala Mendlowitz, technical head Miss Ayala Klein, and the entire student body of TMM on a spectacular job!

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Sulitza Bais Medrash 71st Annual Melave Malka

The Rebbe, shlita, speaking

Rabbi Reisman presenting the Guest of Honor Mr. & Mrs. David Greenbaum

Mr. Chesky Rosenberg Shem Tov Award

Mr. Shlomo Giberstein - Eitz Chaim Award

Gad Elbaz Features YCQ Students in New Music Video

I

nternational singing sensation Gad Elbaz surprised the Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) Junior High School (JHS) students with an epic surprise experience. On Tuesday, March 1, JHS students were asked to assemble in the gym, dressed in festive Purim costume, for a mystery activity. The students did not know what was planned and were shocked and thrilled to find out that they were to be included in international singing sensation Gad Elbaz’s new Purim video. Entitled “Purim Crashers,” it is scheduled to release this week.

There was tremendous excitement and spirit, and Mishenichmas Adar Marbim B’Simcha was at an all-time high. The entire JHS, including faculty and staff, sang and danced for hours. The students were thankful for the incredible opportunity to be a part of the video production and can’t wait to see the final product. Said Rabbi Mark Landsman, YCQ principal, “It was very special for me to see the incredible ruach that was generated.”

Gad Elbaz is an Israeli singer and is currently the most recognized name and face in Jewish music worldwide. With millions of hits on his YouTube music videos, Gad is a top recording artist, whose songs are played and covered around the globe.

Through his soulful and contemporary sound, Gad has brought Jewish music to a new level, and continues to serve as a role model to his many fans.

Mrs. Victoria Zirkiev, CEO of HOSHEN Productions and VZ Productions, stated, “Bringing this project to YCQ was very exciting, because we are a YCQ family. Our children are students at the school, and my husband Shalom and I are very proud YCQ parents. The level of enthusiasm during the filming was amazing. It’s very special to know that we’ve created a wonderful project together that will last

forever, especially with a superstar like Gad Elbaz.”

Thank you, Mr. Gad Elbaz, Mrs. Victoria Zirkiev, Rabbi Mark Landsman, Rabbi Moshe Hamel, Bodi Music, Tzvi Simon Productions, Hoshen Productions, VZ Productions, and Ahava Productions for creating and including YCQ JHS in this incredible Purim adventure.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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n one enthralling story after another, Rabbi Yechiel Spero enlightens us, touching our hearts, opening our eyes, invigorating our neshamos. He finds untold determination in the steaming buildings of wartime Shanghai and breathtaking hashgachah pratis on a Haifa street.

In these pages you will meet amazing people and read about fascinating and unexpected events. And as you finish reading each tale, you’ll feel proud to be a Yid and wowed by the love of a Heavenly Father for His children.

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Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at www.artscroll.com • 1-800-MESORAH (637-6724)

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

JSL Hosts Jr. Knicks Clinic

L

ast Tuesday, the NY Knicks conducted a clinic for JSL members. Ex-Knicks player John Wallace and Knicks staff ran the clinic, and each boy got a Jr. Knicks shirt and John Wallace graciously autographed them! The JSL have officially been recognized as a Jr. Knicks affiliate.

The clinic was two action-packed hours of basketball fun. First, John Wallace told the boys about his journey to the NBA and all the difficulties he encountered to finally play in the NBA with Patrick Ewing. Wallace then answered questions from the boys. John Wallace also dunked for the boys.

The Jr. Knicks coaching staff then had the JSL participants run drills that the Knicks run every day in practice – they did high kicks and duck taps. The boys then rotated at different stations – learning proper pass-

ing, shooting, dribbling, and dribbling techniques. The event was capped off with a shootout with the boys split up

into groups of 10. The first team to hit 10 shots was the winner. JSL will be able to hold future events with the

Knicks, including possibly playing on the court at MSG one day!

From Teverya to Today: The Journey of Talmud Yerushalmi

T

he Mesorah Heritage Foundation is celebrating the completion of the Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud Yerushalmi in English, a truly historic accomplishment in the Jewish world.

Talmud Yerushalmi is exceedingly difficult, and despite its great significance, it has been a closed book

to all but select, elite scholars – until now.

Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, zt”l, legendary founder of ArtScroll/Mesorah, remarked that, in his view, “history will show that the crown jewel of our accomplishments will be our opening the Talmud Yerushalmi to all of Klal Yisrael.”

The “Talmud Yerushalmi Challenge” IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT ways, Talmud Yerushalmi places greater demands upon the student than does Talmud Bavli. The text of the Yerushalmi is generally more terse than that of the Bavli, making it much more difficult to understand and distill the underlying logic and concepts of a given issue or dispute. To further complicate matters, the correct reading of many passages is open to question, and the printed texts are often clearly deficient.

The great commentators who illuminated the Talmud Bavli for us, and their hundreds and thousands of colleagues and disciples who joined them in poring over the texts, and in pouring their hearts and souls and genius into analyzing them, left us little written record of their understanding of Talmud Yerushalmi. No absence was more keenly felt than that of Rashi. It may perhaps be said that until one studies Yerushalmi, one cannot fully appreciate how masterful and indispensable Rashi’s commentary to Bavli truly is.

All of this and so much more were the challenges faced by the scholars of the Mesorah Heritage Foundation who undertook what many thought would never be possible.

And thankfully they did so, because the result is nothing short of breathtaking.

Talmud Yerushalmi is the source for countless halachos. Classic Rishonim and Acharonim cite it extensively and comment on individual passages, but there is no definitive commentary on this Talmud. That is one major reason that this project, the Schottenstein Edition Talmud Yerushalami, was so important to undertake, for it would unseal the gates of one of the most vital portions of the Oral Torah.

In addition, unlike the Babylonian Talmud, the Yerushalmi has Gemara on Seder Zeraim, the laws of agriculture, the mitzvos hateluyos ba’aretz that apply uniquely to Eretz Yisrael and are applicable constantly. Thus, the teachings and rulings of Yerushalmi are part of the everyday fabric of life in the Land of Israel. As a result, the Seder Zeraim portion of this undertaking is essential to understand and clarify these laws, After consultation with gedolei Yisroel in Israel and America, the elucidation of the Talmud Yerushalmi was undertaken thanks to the vision and generosity of Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein and their family, who recognized how important this project was. The Schottensteins were

joined by other visionary dedicators who recognized the importance of this task. So it is that the historic 51-volume Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud Yerushalmi – a 16-year project – came about. The Jewish people will forever be enriched by this Torah masterpiece.

Now, in honor of this historic achievement, the Mesorah Heritage Foundation has released a brandnew video presentation, titled “The World of Talmud Yerushalmi – The Journey of Talmud Yerushalmi from Teverya to Today.” This presentation, which was filmed in various cities on two continents, takes us through the history of Talmud Yerushalmi, from the very place where it was first written in Eretz Yisroel to the offices of the writers and editors who created this masterpiece and the factory where the volumes are produced.

This documentary is as fascinating as it is important, telling the story of one of the most significant literary achievements in the Torah world in recent memory.

The video presentation can be viewed at Artscroll.com/Yerushalmi. Watch, be inspired, and gain an appreciation of this monumental accomplishment.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Magic by Syltig brings V’nahapoch Hu and the Purim spirit to BYAM

Orthodox Jewish Chamber Creates First Emergency Evacuation Fleet in Ukraine

D

ue to the massive number of people requiring urgent evacuation and lacking the means to do so, the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, along with its partners in Ukraine, have created the very first emergency evacuation fleet transporting people under fire from the front lines of fighting in Ukraine.

As opposed to other evacuation efforts which operate at specific scheduled times, the evacuation fleet, consisting of two coach buses, a sprinter, and two ambulances to help evacuate the sick and elderly and infirm, are manned around the clock

by Ukraine Hatzolah volunteers and rapidly respond to people living under fire. The uniqueness of this fleet allows constant deployments to areas of need of evacuation vehicles to those most urgently in need and with no alternative to escape.

“This is literally saving lives,”

Shloimy R. of Ukraine Hatzolah said.

“When there is an immediate need for a vehicle to get someone out of an area, we know where to turn to – the Chamber’s fleet.”

More than $500,000 was raised by the Chamber’s founder Duvi Honig to facilitate the creation of this life-saving fleet of buses and ambulances, which was then transferred directly to the relevant activists on the ground with the profoundly appreciated assistance of cryptocurrency legend Brock Pierce of the Bitcoin Foundation. Mr. Pierce was instrumental in getting the funds to where they had to go, as financial dealings in Ukraine have become exceedingly difficult.

Philanthropists across the world have been part and parcel of this effort. Several major donors have sponsored the prohibitive costs of the buses and sprinters, while a grassroots effort from listeners of Yitzchok Shlomo Dresdner on Kol Mevaser raised

Did you know?

Haman was 95 years old when he was hanged from the gallows

the funds necessary for the purchase of two ambulances after an appearance on the show by Duvi Honig.

“Despite the difficulty of finding suitable evacuation vehicles, our extensive network in Ukraine and across Europe is paying off,” Chamber CEO Duvi Honig said. “We are equipped to evacuate people day and night. The Chamber and its partners are sparing no effort and leaving nobody behind.”

The fleet and the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce have been helping people from the first moment of their evacuation, all the way through until they reach shelter and safety in another country.

Besides for assisting in their evacuation, the Chamber facilitates their safe and expedient processing at the border and has ensured shelter and staples for them as they cross to refuge in other countries.

“They held my hand every step of the way. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. Perhaps I wouldn’t even be alive,” a refugee who escaped to Israel recounted.

As the Chamber’s evacuation fleet continues to save people from the inferno of Ukraine, there is a lot more work to do. There are currently an additional three ambulances and a sprinter vehicle that have been inspected and are available to be purchased to facilitate even more evacuations and save more lives, but they must be bought in cash, and soon.

We are calling on philanthropists to take part in the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce’s life saving work and assist in the rescue of thousands of innocent civilians. Please contact Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce CEO Duvi Honig by emailing Duvi@OJChamber.com.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Two Decades of Chanting The “Gantze Megillah”

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his year would have been the 50th Jubilee year of Dr. Paul Brody of Great Neck chanting Megillat Esther and 20 years of Dr. Brody instructing students of the North Shore Hebrew Academy (NSHA) Middle School in Great Neck, in a program he instituted in 2002 when he observed that almost no young people knew how to read the Megillah. But things took on a strange “twist” when Dr. Brody unfortunately took a slip on an icy patch a few months ago, landing him in extended rehabilitation after complex surgery.

School of Jewish Music, of Yeshiva University, from Rabbi Solomon Berl, z”l. Dr. Brody and his wife Drora donated the “Megillah Reader” portion of a stained-glass window at the Great Neck Synagogue, where he has chanted the Megillah for the past 25 years, to show hakarat hatov to his zayde. Dr. Brody wears his grandfather’s century-old tallit when he chants the Megillah, and so do his Ashkenazic students.

(Sephardic students wear their own prayer shawls even before they are married.) The Megillah Scroll that the students read from has special significance, as it was presented to Dr. Brody

years.

Rabbi Greenfeld reminisced, “It was twenty years ago when Dr. Paul Brody, a most devoted NSHA parent and a devout community member, approached Rabbi Reichel and myself with an inspiring Purim Megillah Reading project, volunteering to teach our middle school students to read the Megillah at a special minyan, turning this one of the five Purim mitzvot into a very exciting spiritual and learning experience. Due to Dr. Brody’s initiative, students – along with their siblings, parents and grandparents, and even faculty members – have been

Dr. Brody with some of his students in 2020

Dr. Brody has instructed approximately 400 seventh and eighth graders, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, who have chanted Megillat Esther (the Book of Esther) in a unique student-led service for their schoolmates, faculty and families, on Purim Day, even if Purim landed on a Sunday! COVID-19 stalled the 20th Anniversary of this unique Yeshiva program last year.

Fortunately, Dr. Brody’s “break” occurred after the “Yeshiva Break” week, on February 1, and he was able to conduct “probers” for the eligible students – which included a high of 36 students this year – make the recordings of the individual parts for the Ashkenazic students, and arrange for Rabbi Adam Acobas, Middle School principal, to make the Sephardic recordings. Dr. Brody began listening to, guiding and fine-tuning each student in their Megillah portion. Rabbi Acobas and Chazzan Yitzy Spinner of the Great Neck Synagogue are completing the task.

Dr. Brody’s maternal grandfather, Rabbi Jacob Brown, zt”l, convinced him to read the “gantze [entire] Megillah,” after Brody learned the initial Megillah trope at the Cantorial Training Institute (CTI), now the Belz

and his wife by a renowned holy rabbi of Migdal Ha’Emek, in the Northern Galil in Israel, Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Grossman, recipient of the prestigious “Israel Prize,” whose organization Migdal Ohr nurtures many thousands of disadvantaged children. Dr. Brody is one of four members of Migdal Ohr’s Founders’ Board.

The program was introduced by Brody, a dermatologist by profession, in 2002. He often “davened” with the NSHA Middle School students, where his daughters attended, and realized that none of the young men had any knowledge of how to chant Megillat Esther. Dr. Brody broached the idea that he would volunteer to instruct the students how to chant the Megillah with Rabbi Dr. Michael Reichel, then-principal of the Middle School, and Executive Director Arnie Flatow, who heartily acquiesced, with the approbation of now Dean Emeritus, Rabbi Yeshayahu Greenfeld. It has since become integral in NSHA’s curriculum – and unique among Yeshivot –even gracefully conducted when Purim Day falls out on a Sunday. Students are enabled to read the Megillah at various Synagogues, hospitals, nursing homes and private homes, for those unable to attend public readings – especially relevant in the past few

reporting to the Academy’s Cherry Lane Synagogue for the past two decades to enjoy a meaningful and most inspiring Purim Day.” Rabbi Dr. Kobrin exclaimed, “This wonderful tradition, established at the North Shore Hebrew Academy twenty years ago under Dr. Brody’s expert tutelage, has enabled generations of our students to learn a life skill: they will be able to perform the mitzvah of reading the Megillah for years to come.”

“Dr. Brody is a teacher committed to his craft and holds his students to a consistently high standard. That’s a very important lesson, and one our kids don’t quickly forget,” said Rabbi Acobas.

Brody has read the Megillah for almost 50 years. He first chanted it in 1973 at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills (YIKGH), in Queens, under the tutelage of Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld, zt”l, reading it there and at Kehillas Aderes Eliyahu (shul of Rabbi Teitz, zt”l) through 1993, when he and his family moved to Great Neck.

He has chanted Megillat Esther at the Great Neck Synagogue ever since.

Two extraordinary experiences stand out in Dr. Brody’s mind. On Purim day 2011, several of his former students read for him and his family

Dr. Brody, holding his megillah, with his daughter in front of the stained glass window that their family sponsored

at St. Francis Hospital in Port Washington, LI. “This was the first and only time in the hospital’s long history that it granted a large meeting room for a Megillah reading. All of the room’s religious articles at the Catholic Hospital were covered over,” according to Cardiology Vice Chairman, Dr. Meyer Abittan, Dr. Brody’s cardiologist and close friend, who arranged the room for this special reading the day before Brody underwent successful by-pass surgery. It was very emotional for Dr. Brody and his family to have several of his former students chant the Megillah for him. Brody was strong enough to fill in for some of the chapters, and even lained the “Gantze Megillah” the night before for several inpatients!

Dr. Brody in the Great Synagogue of Leningrad

The most exciting, but dangerous, Megillah reading experience of all for Dr. Brody occurred during a three-person mission in 1985 to smuggle in Judaica objects and meet with many Refuseniks in Russia. Brody chanted the Megillah illegally in the majestic Great Synagogue of Leningrad, which was prohibited by the Communist Soviet government. He was told that several of the “Gabbaim” were actually members of the KGB. “Better read than dead!” Brody figured.

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Gov. Hochul Visits Far Rockaway

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ozens of Jewish leaders from the Five Towns and Far Rockaway endorsed Governor Kathy Hochul for a full term last week.

The endorsers include Rabbi Baruch Rothman, former Assemblymember Phil Goldfeder, and community leaders Cal Nathan and Jonathan Katz.

“I’m so grateful to be endorsed by this dynamic group of Jewish leaders who represent the voices of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway community,” said Governor Kathy Hochul.

“Since taking office, I’ve made it a top priority to address the rise in hate crimes against the Jewish community by strengthening public safety initiatives and investing in preparedness efforts of nonprofit organizations. As

governor, I will always be an ally to the Jewish community and will work tirelessly to deliver results to families of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway.”

Rabbi Baruch Rothman said, “Governor Hochul is the right person to lead this state and a leader who truly listens to the concerns of our community. I’m endorsing Governor Hochul because she shares our Jewish values of promoting equality and civil rights as well as standing up for what is right. I look forward to working with Governor Hochul to promote the ideals of the Jewish community in the years to come.”

“As a former Member of the Assembly who represented Southern Queens and Rockaway, I’m proud to

support Governor Hochul, who is laser focused on improving the lives of every community across the state,” said former Assemblymember Phil Goldfeder. Governor Hochul is a ded-

icated and pragmatic leader who understands the diverse needs of our neighborhoods and will continue to fight for all our families.”

HAFTR Hosts Yeshiva League Model Congress Tournament By: Deborah Becker

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AFTR High School hosted its annual Yeshiva League Model Congress (YLMC), welcoming 162 delegates from sixteen schools from New York, New Jersey and Florida, on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. The tournament was held over Zoom and included over 220 students, judges and presiding officers. We also want to

thank Elijah Gurvich, HAFTR alumnus, a former president of the YLMC and keynote speaker, who joined remotely to judge while serving in the IDF inside the Gush.

Abby Rabinowitz, co-president of the HAFTR YLMC team and HAFTR senior, opened the tournament with welcoming remarks.

She told students how Model Congress has enhanced her high school experience, and

she offered participants encouragement and some sage words of advice to help them in this competition. Abby was followed by HAFTR High School Principal Ms. Naomi Lippman. Ms. Lippman applauded students on their hard work and commended their participation in the tournament. She thanked Ms. Sydney Altfield, director of Grassroots Engagement at Teach Coalition, for serving as keynote speaker for the congress. Ms. Atfield talked to the delegates about getting engaged in their communities and how they can make a difference. Finally, YLMC Director, Mr. Alex Libkind, reviewed tournament rules, offered some tips, and opened the 19 committee break-out rooms for the students.

In preparation for the tournament, students submitted bills and resolutions

on topics related to their committees, covering a broad range of issues both foreign and domestic. Inside each committee, students argued vehemently about the pros and cons of their resolutions, giving impassioned three-minute speeches followed by two minutes of questions. Each committee also dealt with a crisis such as a potential invasion of Taiwan by China or a Freedom Convoy in the US snarling the supply chain.

After two rounds of competition were concluded, the results were tallied, and winners were announced.

The following students were singled out for special recognition: Sarah Nordlicht from Ma’ayanot (Housing) and Robyn Beyda from Flatbush (Small Business) tied for first place overall; Benjamin Cohen from Katz (Armed Ser-

vices), Lulu Morse from HAFTR (Healthcare), Dasi Well from HAFTR (Environment), and David Engelsohn from Rambam (Foreign Relations) tied for second place overall; and Marc Lessler from Flatbush (Intelligence) and Eitan Zomberg (MTA) tied for third place overall. Additionally, each committee had first and second place winners.

Congratulations to SKA for having seven winning delegates, HAFTR for posting six winning delegates, and Central, MTA and SAR for earning five winning delegates each.

HAFTR wants to extend our appreciation and gratitude to all the judges, presiding officers, participating schools, and especially to Mr. Alex Libkind, HAFTR coach, for organizing and spearheading this tournament.

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The students in HANC’s Early Childhood Center prepared with excited anticipation for the upcoming chag of Purim.JPG

Names, Not Numbers at HANC

Craig Resmovits, a member of the hit acapella group 613, visited Morah Allison’s class at Gan Amy in West Hempstead last week. In the spirit of Adar, he sang many Purim songs with the students. The yeladim were singing, dancing and having the best time to all of Craig’s hit songs.

Local Bake Sale Benefits Ukraine

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hat do you do if you’re a fifth grade boy on a sunny Sunday afternoon? Most kids would be eager to play sports or ride bikes, but Yitzi Nadata and Momo Shetrit had another idea. The boys set up a bake sale on their Hewlett corner to benefit the Jewish communities in Ukraine.

“We’ve been following the news, and we wanted to help the Jews in Ukraine by raising some tzedakah,” Yitzi said.

The boys are no strangers to utilizing their salesmanship for tze-

dakah. Over the summer, their first bake sale enabled them to present a check to Mount Sinai South Nassau.

Yitzi and Momo prepared an assortment of tasty treats and delectable drinks this Sunday and quickly sold out their display. The boys delivered $145 to their rabbeim at Yeshiva of South Shore the next day, who in turn made sure it was included in a larger campaign.

“It was great to deliver the tzedakah to our school and we hope it helps the Jews in Ukraine as soon as possible,” Momo said.

he eighth grade at HANC had an amazing experience this week. The grade was divided up into groups and had the opportunity to interview Holocaust survivors. The students prepared extensively for these interviews. The students studied their survivor’s bio and used it to prepare questions which would discuss the survivors’ memories from before, during, and after the war.

The experience was one the students will never forget. As each survivor entered the building or came on the screen via Zoom, he/she was greeted by our students. The interactions were wonderful. One of the highlights of the program was the intergenerational component. Seeing the faces of the survivors light up and seeing the students’ faces respond in kind was nothing short of magical.

The survivor was escorted to the Beit Medrash, which was turned into a real set complete with video, sound,

and light equipment. Each student took turns in the roles of interviewer, sound, video, and observer. The students were trained and directed by the Names, Not Numbers production crew.

One of the highlights of the week was hearing from HANC High School Rebbe, Rabbi Tsvi Selengut, who discussed the importance of emunah as it relates to the Holocaust. The students were mesmerized by Rabbi Selengut’s stories and insights into this topic.

We thank Michael Puro for all of his hard work with the project. The interviews themselves were most memorable. There were so many poignant moments. I do not want to play the role of spoiler, so everyone will have to wait until the movie comes out with the interviews.

Special hakarat hatov to Mr. Dov Rosenberg and Mrs. Tova Rosenberg for all of their help in making this week so special for the students.

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MTA’s Memorable Experience at Montage Mountain

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ith just a few more months to go until graduation, MTA isn’t wasting any time making sure that seniors have plenty of opportunities to create incredible memories. The yeshiva’s Senior Ski Trip was no exception!

Seniors had a blast skiing and snowboarding at Montage Mountain in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, March 9. Seniors even helped each other out, as first-time skiers were given lessons by their fellow classmates who are experienced skiers. It was the perfect way for talmidim to spend quality time with friends and rebbeim and continue to build lifelong friendships that will last far beyond graduation.

Carry On Project

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n Thursday evening, March 10, friends of Binyamin Zwickler, z”l, and enthusiastic participants of The Carry On Project came together at The Oak by Saffron Culinary for a pre-Purim Farbreng. The event, featuring Yankeloo, celebrated the debut of a new single, “Mi Ha’Ish,” composed by Binyamin. Similar to his other songs on the original Carry On album, “Mi Ha’Ish” embodies Binyamin’s deep spirituality, positivity, and endless hope.

Produced last year, the album, Carry On, is based on the theme song by the same name. The “Carry On” theme song, written as a real conversation between Binyamin and his father, a’h, was recorded by Eli Levin and Eli Dachs. Songs in the album were privately composed and recorded by Binyamin before he passed away in 2017.

Menachem Katz, Binyamin’s close friend, aims to expand the Carry On Project to create not only a living legacy for Binyamin Zwickler, a”h, but also a vibrant, supportive community resource for those who face challenges. Katz, who is the driving force behind its collaboration with Madraigos, commented, “Another amazing turnout for The Carry On Project event. The support and excitement for the cause and music of Binyamin Zwickler, a”h, is incredible. We’re very

excited to be working with Madraigos on The Carry On Project music workshops for teens in the community.”

Aligned with Madraigos’ mission to serve the needs of youth, Madraigos has run Open Mic Night programs for men and boys. These forums have been well-received as it provides a unique opportunity for spiritual self-expression in a fun and positive environment. New developments reaching other local groups are underway with more exciting programs planned for the near future.

Rabbi Dov Silver commented, “We appreciate the extraordinary efforts of Menachem Katz and his dedicated friends who work tirelessly to bring the message, life, and legacy of Binyamin Zwickler, a”h, to the community, and we are honored to be a part of it.”

Aryeh Kunstler, who was originally engaged to produce the Carry On album, also recorded “Mi Ha Ish.” Kunstler said, “The Carry On Project is an extremely special project that started as a tribute to a special friend, who I had the privilege of knowing and recording in my studio, turned into something far greater – that is supporting a very special organization, Madraigos. The event was a gathering of some amazing people. I’m looking

forward to being a part of the newest music release as well as future events.”

The concept and mission has touched many people worldwide who have generously supported the expansion of The Carry On Project with Madraigos. It is the fervent prayer of all who contributed to the success of The Carry On Project that the music of Binyamin Zwickler, a”h, will strike an emotional chord with the listener and inspire him/her to live a life of positivity and purpose despite challenges they may face.

To learn more about the Carry On Project, please visit Instagram @thecarryonproject_ and Youtube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6HleQMPSvk4.

The Carry On album is available on all streaming platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ album/3gsC8nsDARNatPJ6INPgiV, Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/carry-on/1565783913, iTunes: Carry On by Various Artists - h t t p s ://m u s i c . a p p l e . c o m /u s/a l b u m /c a r ry-on/1565783913 or further information about the Open Mic Program, please contact Mindi Werblowsky, LCSW, Clinical Director, at 516-371-3250 x 112 or mwerblowsky@madraigos.org.

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JSL Sports Corner: Week 9 Recap

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n Sunday, the playoff semi-finals featured some incredible games! Even the youngest divisions had some exciting, close games.

In the youngest division, K/P, Camp Funshine and KolSave beat Simcha Day Camp and the Rebbe’s Choice 2-1 in soccer.

In 1st/2nd Football, the Designer’s Group beat Krauss Dentistry 8-5.

PIP Printing defeated the Rebbe’s Choice 5-3.

In 2nd/3rd Soccer, Maidenbaum held off Krauss Dentistry 4-3 while Home and Stone squeezed past John’s Automotive 3-2 behind Shlomo Helmreich’s game winning goal.

The Championships will be next week between Maidenbaum and Home and Stone.

In 3rd/4th Basketball, the 1-seed RestoMax beat the 4 seed PEYD. Maidenbaum, the 3 seed, held on and won a defensive thriller 15-12.

Eli Katz iced the game with 2 free throws.

In 5th Basketball, the top two seeds won. Triple Net Group beat AutoClick 32-15 and Wisnicki-Neuhauser defeated 5Towns Central 32-18.

In middle school basketball, the top-seeded Gourmet Glatt scraped by a feisty John-s Automotive team, 40-37. Eli Davidowitz was the game MVP as he hit two huge “and-1s” in the final 2 minutes. Home and Stone won big, 56-28, over JRM Development.

In Hockey, Believe and Achieve beat Alpert Financial 5-1. Executive Dry Cleaners pulled off an overtime upset 4-3 over CNSLT. MVPs Moshe Zev Deiner Yitzi Balter Ari Salomon Moshe Braunstein Shlomo Helmreich Yosef Babayev Moshe Ackerman Avi Gordon Eliezer Zachter Dovid Balter Eli Davidowitz Chezkel Solomon

Rabbi Singer’s YOSS Mechina Shiur recently visited the Living Torah Museum in connection with Sefer Shmuel

Men’s Recap This was the penultimate game of the Men’s basketball regular season, and the playoff picture fell into focus. Island Roofing remained undefeated by beating PIP Printing 79-51. Hewlett Auto Body held off Built by Nate 61-59. Executive Dry Cleaning ended with the same margin in a tight 60-58 win over Maidenbaum. Alpert Financial blew out Home and Stone 68-34. Rentastic beat RestoMax 54-41. Island Roofing is 8-0 and Executive Dry Cleaning is 7-1. They enter the playoffs as clear favorites with a bunch of teams clustered in middle of the standings with 4 or 5 victories.

Game of the Week CNSLT was the 2 seed. Executive Dry Cleaners was the 3 seed. Executive Dry Cleaners raced out to a 2-0 lead but CNSLT tied it. Executive scored a 3rd goal but CNSLT tied it late again. The game entered overtime at 3-3. The goalies for both teams proceeded to make incredible save after incredible save. Finally, Yaakov Kopelowitz snuck a shot past the goalie to win it in dramatic fashion!

Basketball Fun Fact John Wallace, the former Knicks player who ran the JSL clinic, was a local NY fan favorite. He was born in Rochester, played for Syracuse in college, and then was drafted by the Knicks with the 18th pick in 1996. He stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall. He played 2 different stints for the Knicks. John Wallace now works for the Knicks as a team ambassador.

Students in Mrs. Korman’s YOSS Mechina class presented the bridges they built to the class last week

Purim Chagiga in IVDU LI

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o get everyone in the Purim spirit, the students and staff of IVDU LI were treated to a special Pre-Purim Chagiga with amazing music and dancing! Special thank you to DJ Ezra Eliyahu and singers David and Yisrael for providing the best entertainment. The students have been hard at work learning all about the mitzvos and halachos of Purim, including making their own beautiful Megillas with Rabbi Peretz Lipka. The boys in Mrs. Karr and Rabbi Lipka’s class joined students in Rabbi Hildesheim’s 4th grade class at Yeshiva Darchei Torah and made beautiful Mishloach Manot to give each other.

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The Sounds of Purim

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hhh! Do you hear it? Purim is here at the Shulamith Early Childhood Center!

Sound plays a very important role in a child’s Purim celebrations. Children need to be

very quiet when the Megillah is read and very noisy when they hear Haman’s name!

There is singing and dancing and lots of laughter. As they prepared for Purim, our banot had a wonderful time

studying sound and learning so much in every important curriculum area.

The children began by listening carefully to the sounds in their environment.

It is amazing how many sounds there are when you really listen for them. Some of the kindergarten children made an audio recording of various sounds around the building and then created a sound guessing game for their friends. It is not as easy to identify familiar sounds as you may think!

Our young scientists enjoyed testing various small objects in sound testing containers and classifying them as loud or soft. The Pre1-Aers used their budding writing skills to create personal sound graphs. They were then able to read their graphs to determine what materials to use to fill their ra’ashanim. After testing so many objects, they were

ready to be challenged with a sound matching game where they tried to find the sound matches and write down what they thought was in each container. So much fun!

The children further honed their knowledge with many books and games and songs about sound. They used their Ivrit skills to play “Tuk Tuk Mi Ani?” They discussed sounds they could make with their bodies, sounds they could make with things around the classroom, and sound patterns. They even discussed how vocal cords help our bodies produce sound. A Purim

Parade complete with musical instruments was a joyous explosion of sound.

Our sound unit culminated with the visit of Mr. Tuchman who brought a real Megillah to school and lained some of it for the ECC children. The children quietly held the unique ra’ashanim they had created and vigorously shook them every time they heard the name of the wicked Haman. We are happy to report that they did an excellent job of producing very loud sounds!

Shulamith ECC wishes you a chag Purim sameach filled with the sound of joy.

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Dirshu Shabbos Offered a Taste of Olam Habaa, in This World New Dirshu “Chaburas HaShas Iyun” Program Announced at Melava Malka Siyum on Seder Moed

By Chaim Gold

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ou think you are in Stamford, Connecticut, but you are not! There is a law that an embassy of a country is considered that country’s sovereign territory. For example, if you are in the British Embassy in Washington, you are not in Washington. By law, it is considered as if you are in Britain. We may think we are in Stamford, Connecticut, but really, we are in Dirshu! Dirshu is a different planet, a different atmosphere. If there is anything that I learned this Shabbos, it is that being in Dirshu is something not in this world. It is a hechere velt, an elevated world of Torah and a world of simcha that is indescribable.”

These were the words said at shalosh seudos by Rav Moshe Benzion Weinberger, R”M at Mesivta Shalom Shachne and rav of the Agudas Yisroel of Flatbush, at the Dirshu Shabbos of Chizuk on Shabbos Parshas Pikudei. Indeed, it is difficult to describe the unique atmosphere of the “Dirshu Embassy” for someone who did not experience it. It is a hallowed atmosphere that combines a tremendous drive to learn and know Torah with an awe inspiring simchas chaim that permeates both the lomdei Dirshu and their distinguished wives; an inner simcha and tranquility that can only come from a life devoted to limud haTorah and achieving goals in Torah that bring profound sipuk hanefesh.

On motzoei Shabbos, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, shared a wonderous encounter that he had over Shabbos.

“I met a yungerman and, after asking his name, realized that I knew his father. I asked how he was doing and where he lives. His answer said with temimus and truth was so inspiring. He said, ‘I live in Dirshu.’ That is his life. His limud with Dirshu, the learning, the chazara the test taking is where he really lives. The gashmiyus geography of where his house is located is peripheral.”

This was the feeling that permeated the atmosphere at the Dirshu Shabbos Shel Chizuk held on Shabbos Parshas Pekudei at the Armon Hotel and

other hotels in Stamford that accommodated the overflow.

A major highlight of the siyum was the announcement by Dirshu’s Nasi Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, of a new Dirshu program entitled “Chabruas Hashas,” that is sure to have a transformative impact on Klal Yisrael.

Calling the motzoei Shabbos melava malka by the title “Siyum on Seder Moed” is a misnomer.

It was far more than a siyum. It was a demonstration! It was a demonstration that yedias haTorah at a high level is possible for anyone who really wants to achieve a goal. It was a demonstration that yedias haTorah, becoming a Shas Yid is more of a “mindset” than a question of whether you are a genius or not, a kollel yungerman or a baal habayis.

HaGaon HaRav Dovid Goldberg, Shlita: Lomdei Torah are the Ones Who Have the REAL Olam Hazeh!”

HaGaon HaRav Aharon Dovid Goldberg, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Telshe, related that once in a hesped on the Brisker Rav, a talmid recalled a comment made by the Brisker Rav after he delivered one of his brilliant and clear chiddushim. The Rav remarked, “I don’t know if I will merit to receive sechar in Olam Habaah one day, but one thing is sure, I certainly merited sechar in Olam Hazeh after feeling and hearing the sweetness and beauty of that chiddush.”

Rav Goldberg went on to say that the time period during which seder Moed was started, learned, and completed is a sign that Hashem is talking to us.

“We started Moed right at the beginning of the gezeirah of Covid 19. Now, as we complete it, the world is once again in turmoil as Hashem has brought milchama, war to the world. Hashem is talking to us!

Hashem wants to hear from us!

“What does he want?” asked the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva. “He wants us to learn His Torah and learn His mitzvos and be truly connected to Him. Hashem took away our shuls and our yeshivos because He desires that every single individual have a connection to Him as a yachid. This is the purpose of Dirshu too.

To connect every Yid to Hashem!”

HaGaon HaRav Nissan Kaplan, Shlita: We Can ALL Be Rabi Akiva The melava malka featured beautiful renditions of zemiros from an orchestra led by Reb Mona Rosenblum and from a group of talented menagnim led by Zavnil Weinberger, Motti Steinmetz, ad Aharle Samet. Their beautiful music in between the drashos added incredible ruach to the evening.

Nevertheless, nothing could inject ruach into the evening in the way that the powerful, enthusiastic drasha of HaGaon HaRav Nissan Kaplan was able to.

The way he opened his drasha sent chills up the spine. He got up and said, “Birshus the Beis Yosef!

Birshus the Ramah! Birshus the Chofetz Chaim!”

The message was clear. The lomdei Dirshu, by learning the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, were undoubtedly giving such a nachas ruach to those who wrote the Shulchan Aruch and Mishnah Berurah that they were together with us on that evening.

Rav Kaplan went on to address the commonly held mistake that people make when they say, “Yes, I would like to learn and I would like to review to the extent that I can take tests on Shas but it is just too much for me, to hard for me, I don’t have the time…”

Rav Kaplan explained how all those excuses and feelings of despair are really the yetzer hara trying to dissuade a person from making goals when it comes to Torah.

He pointed out that the tanna Rabi Akiva also had every excuse not to learn. Nothing went into his head. He couldn’t learn. When he was forty years old, he saw water making a hole in a rock. That is what turned him on. Did he not know before that water could penetrate a rock if it is constantly dripping?

That dripping water finally gave him the chizuk that his Torah could similarly penetrate his own mind.

It went from just outer knowledge that water makes a hole to a lesson for life that he could actually do something.

“The lesson for us,” Rav Kaplan stressed, “is that we can ALL be Rabi Akiva. We should not be discouraged by difficulties. On the contrary, it is the difficulties that build us!”

Rav Dovid Hofstedter Launches “Chaburas Ha-

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Around the Community

shas” Iyun Program The highlight of the evening was Rav Dovid Hofstedter’s comprehensive Torah address which culminated in the dramatic announcement of a new Dirshu program.

“After much consultation with numerous Roshei Yeshiva and with the bracha of the Gedolei Hador, the consensus is that we need to start a new program, a program of limud haShas b’iyun. It has been our minhag to announce new Dirshu programs at the culminating melava malka of a unique Dirshu Shabbos. Tonight, we are, be’ezras Hashem launching the new Dirshu Chaburas HaShas Initiative! The basic structure of the two-track program will be Track 1 Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos. Track II Gemara, Rashi and Tosafos with ikker Rishonim and Acharonim.

The program will require learning one amud a day, five days a week with Friday and Shabbos consecrated for chazarah. Of course, there will be monthly tests on all material learned.”

Rav Dovid concluded that more details would be released soon and that the new program is slated to start on this upcoming Rosh Chodesh Iyar!

The news of this new, challenging program has already sent ripples of excitement and anticipation through the olam haTorah and especially among lomdei Dirshu who are accustomed to seeking new goals no matter how challenging!

HaGaon HaRav Asher Anshel Katz, Shlita: A New Level of Gratitude The siyum on seder Moed concluded with a riveting drasha given by the Vienner Rav, HaGaon HaRav Asher Anshel Katz, shlita. “When we all started learning with a Dirshu program we were happy to be starting a learning program and hoped it would be good for us. Now, however, that we are making a siyum and we see what a transformative impact Dirshu has had on our lives, on the lives of our wives and our children, the way Dirshu has changed the entire home, we have a totally new appreciation and gratitude for what Dirshu has done for us.”

The next part of the melava malka cannot be described in an article. One can give over the main message of drasha in an article, but one simply cannot, with dry ink and paper, describe the dancing after the melava malka. The thousands who danced with such elevation, such dveikus, that lasted into the wee hours of the morning; the way they came to dance with Rav Dovid Hofstedter, the simcha that

emanated from them and the contagious enthusiasm that permeated the hall was indescribable. It was a dancing of simcha, of dveikus and of deep hakaras hatov to Dirshu and for what it has done to their lives.

A Shabbos that was a Taste of Olam Habaah The Shabbos that preceded the melava malka siyum was a Shabbos that was mei’ein Olam Habaah.

It was not only the amazing program that Dirshu has put together with some of the most inspiring drashos from Gedolei Yisrael from across the spectrum, nor the attention to detail that the Shabbos should feature every hiddur in ruchniyus and gashmiyus possible. What was equally impressive were the spontaneous comments and enthusiasm of the “poshute” Dirshu Yidden who are truly not “poshut” at all. During the meals, the discussions revolved around the intricacies of the masechta or the way one Yid said so matter-of-factly that he did not even think it was remarkable but all of his mechutanim know that he does not schedule a chasunah of one of his children for the week of a Dirshu test because then there would be one night when he would not be able to attend sheva brachos… The Dirshu test comes before everything!

The personal stories spontaneously shared by lomdim about what Dirshu had done for them, their wives, and families were more than inspiring. They often brought tears to the eyes.

It was a great privilege to be in the presence of a Gadol Hador of the stature of Hagaon HaRav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, for the entire Shabbos. An absolutely eye-opening shailos and teshuvos forum was held with the Rosh Yeshiva.

Perhaps the drasha that set the tone for the Shabbos, however, was that of HaGaon HaRav Nissan Kaplan, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Daas Aharon, who came especially from Eretz Yisrael to attend the event.

“Not long after I arrived, I went down to the lobby to participate in a bit of toameha. Round tables were set up with people sitting around the tables. I too sat at a table. Turning to the Yid next to me whom I didn’t know, I said, ‘Shalom aleichem.’ We got to talking about learning and I realized that this Yid had been tested on all of Shas! ‘Wow!’ I thought, ‘I wish I had learned all of Shas!’ Then I began to speak to the person on the other side of me and found out that he had been tested on all of Shas with Tosafos!

“The person across from me had been taking

monthly tests on Mishnah Berurah for fourteen years and had already completed the Mishnah Berurah twice! I must admit, I felt like a nothing… I came here to this convention to give chizuk and I found that the ‘simple yungeleit’ siting around the table with me and eating kugel are gedolei Torah and they don’t even realize how great they are! This is what being part of Dirshu is!”

One of the unique features of the Dirshu convention are the iyun shiurim held on Shabbos. The very well attended shiurim and the rischa d’Oraisah, the fiery debate of Torah learning that takes place really encapsulates what Dirshu is all about.

This year, two iyun shiurim were given, one by the Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood, Rav Dovid Schustal, and the other by Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter. There was also a Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiur given by the distinguished Skverer Dayan of Lakewood, Hagaon HaRav Avrohom Spitzer, shlita.

Undoubtedly, the climax of the Shabbos was the shalosh seudos when Dirshu lomdim representing all the various shevatim of Klal Yisrael gathered k’ish echad in the largest ballroom to eat with achdus and listen to divrei Elokim chaim delivered in English and Yiddish by Gedolei Yisrael.

Rav Zev Smith opened the shalosh seudos. He was followed by Rav Dovid Breslauer, Rosh Kollel of South Fallsburg and Rav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz.

The final speaker of the shalosh seudos was Rav Moshe Bentzion Weinberger.

Rav Weinberger echoed the thoughts of so many.

He said, “After spending a Shabbos of such aliya, a Shabbos spent among so many bnei aliya who are so immersed in Torah, we all feel such chizuk!

Our task is to take that chizuk with us, inject it into our homes, our children, our extended family and friends and continue to strive to come closer to Hashem by continuing to learn and chazer His Torah.”

Indeed as the fire of the havdalah licht was extinguished and flickered out, the fire inside the Dirshu Yidden who had spent a Shabbos of Chizuk together was ignited with a holy flame and a desire to add more ol Torah and to spread the message that there is no one happier, there is no family, no wife, no children happier and and more satisfied in Olam Hazeh than a Yid and his family whose every day is highlighted by the ol Torah from learning, chazering, and ultimately absorbing the Torah into their very essence.

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TJH

*

Hi again, Underlings, For every Purim picture that comes into TJH because of me, I get $10,000.

That means that if one hundred underlings send in pictures, I make a cool million dollars. The truth is, I don’t even need the money (I make around $40,000,000 annually on endorsements) and will be donating it to the Bill Gates Foundation, so it’s not really about what I make. Regardless, remember to send your Purim pictures to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. In the subject line write “Purim Pics.” Don’t be late! Deadline is Monday, March 21 at 2pm.

Get it? Got it? Good!

Your truly,

Centerfold Riddle Me This?

After having almost been poisoned, King Achashveirosh decided to inoculate himself from being poisoned again. He knew that in Paras, if you drank poison, the only way to save yourself is to drink a stronger poison, which neutralizes the weaker poison. So King Achashveirosh wanted to make sure that he possesses the strongest poison in the kingdom, in order to ensure his survival, in any situation.

He called the kingdom’s pharmacist and the kingdom’s treasurer, and he gave each a week to make the strongest poison. Then, each would drink the other one’s poison, then his own, and the one that will survive will be the one that had the stronger poison.

The pharmacist went straight to work, but the treasurer knew he had no chance, for the pharmacist was much more experienced in this field, so instead, he made up a plan to survive and make sure the pharmacist dies. On the last day, the pharmacist suddenly realized that the treasurer would know he had no chance, so he must have a plan as well. After a little thought, the pharmacist realized what the treasurer’s plan must be, and so he concocted a counter-plan, to make sure he survives and the treasurer dies.

When the time came, the king summoned both of them. They drank the poisons as planned, and the treasurer died, the pharmacist survived, and the king didn’t get what he wanted.

What exactly happened there?

CFC When the pharmacist figured out this plan, he decided to bring water as well.

So the treasurer who drank poison earlier drank the pharmacist’s water, then his own water, and died of the poison he drank before. The pharmacist drank only water, so nothing happened to him. And because both of them brought King Achashveirosh water, he didn’t get a strong poison like he wanted.

Answer: The treasurer’s plan was to drink a weak poison prior to the meeting with King Achashveirosh, and then he would drink the pharmacist’s strong poison, which would neutralize the weak poison. As his own poison, he would bring water, which will have no effect on him, but the pharmacist who would drink the water and then his poison would surely die.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

CANDY, CANDY, CANDY TRIVIA 1. How long are standard size Twizzlers? a. 5 inches b. 6 inches c. 8 ¼ inches d. 12 inches 2. Who invented cotton candy? a. A carnival clown b. A candy store owner c. An ice cream shop owner d. A dentist 3. What is the most popular candy in the U.S.? a. Hershey Kisses b. Mike & Ikes c. M&Ms d. Twizzlers 4. How many quarts of popcorn are eaten annually in the U.S.? a. 500 million

Answers: 1. C- Standard size is 8 ¼ inches (Now they have all of these different sizes, “but ven I vas a kid ve only had von size. Ve were not spoiled like de kids today!”)

2 . D- William James Mor r ison, from Nashville, Tennessee, was an avid inventor. He created the first cotton candy machine (which he called “Fairy Floss”) and introduced it at the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis.

3. C- 340 million M&Ms are produced every day.

4. D 5. A- In 1930, Ruth Wakefield was mixing a batch of cookies for her roadside inn

b. 2 billion c. 4 billion d. 16 billion 5. Ruth Wakefield, of Massachusetts, created the chocolate chip cookie in 1930. When her invention instantly gained popularity, she reached an agreement with Nestle Chocolate for her recipe to be written on its packaging. What did she get in return? a. She was given a lifelong supply of Nestle Chocolate b. She was paid 10% of the increase in net revenue that Nestle made after putting her recipes on its packaging c. She was paid $5,000 d. She was paid $250,000 6. Place the following drinks in the correct order, according

guests when she discovered that she was out of baker’s chocolate. She substituted broken pieces of Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate, expecting it to absorb into the dough to create chocolate cookies. When she removed the pan from the oven, Wakefield realized that the chocolate did not spread to the rest of the cookie but stayed in chunks.

Guests at the inn quickly gobbled up her “chocolate chip cookies.”

6. D, Coke; B, Diet Coke; C, Pepsi; F, Mountain Dew; E, Dr. Pepper; A, Sprite 7. C- In 1853, Crum was a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, NY. French fries were popular at the restaurant, and one day a diner complained

to their popularity in the U.S.: a. Sprite b. Diet Coke c. Pepsi d. Coca Cola e. Dr. Pepper f. Mountain Dew 7. Potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs in 1853 by chef George Crum. Why did he create this crunchy treat? a. He realized that packaged snacks were becoming popular, so he invented them b. He worked at an old age home, and he realized that they were a good alternative to cookies c. A frustrated customer thought his French fries were too thick and repeatedly requested that they be made thinner d. There was an excessive amount of potatoes in his storage room, and he needed to figure out what to do with them

that the fries were too thick. Although Crum made a thinner batch, the customer was still unsatisfied. Crum finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork, hoping to annoy the extremely fussy customer. The customer, surprisingly enough, was happy – and potato chips were invented!

Wisdom Key: 5-7 correct: Congratulations! You have earned 8 cavities! (Yeah, I know, you probably had them already.) correct: You are on a Tootsie roll—you’re good but not great.

0-2 correct: Don’t worry—cucumbers are also fun.

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Torah Thought

Parshas Tzav

By Rabbi Berel Wein

T

he Torah reading of this week concerns itself with the tasks of the Priests in the Temple, regarding the sacrifices which were the centerpiece of the entire Temple service. The instructions that are given to the Priests are exact and detailed. In fact, the Hebrew word tzav, which appears at the beginning of the reading and is where the parsha gets its name, indicates a command.

The strength of the word is that it is not a matter of negotiation, suggestion, or persuasion. It is simply a command that must be heeded and fulfilled. Part of the problem that al-

ways exists regarding religious worship service is that there is little room left for changing times and society that might influence the structure of the command itself.

To a great extent, for instance, Jewish prayer service, which inherited aspects of the sacrifices in the Temple, has basically remained the same from the time of Ezra to our day. Naturally, it has been tweaked and adjusted, and prayers have been added and deleted as per the custom of the different Jewish communities scattered throughout the exile. However, it is the consistency of the prayer

service itself, and the retention of its basic structure by all communities and groups, that Jewish life survived over the long centuries of persecution, and exile.

It is not that innovation is necessarily contrary to established prayer service. It is, rather, that over the centuries, very few innovations have been able to attract more worshipers or more Jews to be of true spiritual value and of lasting quality and interest.

The problem with innovation, as with all things modern and current and

However, any objective observer of these changes can testify that all the innovation: guitars, women cantors, political quotations, and other innovations that are part of modernistic local prayer services, have proven to be unable to attract worshipers to the synagogue and to any form of intense and meaningful prayer.

Tampering with the old and creating the new has, in effect, destroyed the true concept of Jewish prayer and the spiritual satisfaction that one can gain only with the authentic words of

Judaism is always built for the long run and not for the short moments of seeming pleasure or current correctness.

up-to-date, is that in a society dedicated to the new and to innovation almost automatically introduces ideas and practices that become obsolete in a very short period of time. They do not have staying power, and Judaism is always built for the long run and not for the short moments of seeming pleasure or current correctness.

Traditional Jewish prayer has often been accused by the modernists as being too rigid and without proper flash and excitement. Non-Orthodox movements constantly change their prayer books to reflect current events over the years and decades that are the here and now of that society.

prayer, that have been part of Jewish life for thousands of years. This is the essence of being commanded. It tolerates no major deviations, and by its consistency and historic resonance, creates spiritual connection and the pursuit of holiness. Couple this with the fact that Hebrew as a language does not easily translate into other languages, and that all sense of nuance is usually lost, no matter how good the translation may be, one can understand why Judaism insists on prayer in its original language and in its original formal form and substance.

Shabbat shalom.

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From the Fire Parshas Tzav

Able-Bodied Jews

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

T

he parshah begins with a mitzvah that the kohanim clean out the ashes left over after the burning of the elevation offering, trumas hadeshen. Hashem told Moshe (Vayikra 6:2), “Command, tzav, Aharon and his sons...” Rashi explains, “The expression ‘command – tzav’ only denotes prompt and alacritous fulfillment.”

This is difficult to understand.

Although Rashi sees the expense of the offering as a challenge that makes such a command necessary, the Torah is actually discussing this particular aspect of the service – the trumas hadeshen. Why would the mitzvah of trumas hadeshen, which involves merely sweeping up ashes and moving them, require such encouragement? It seems to be such an easy mitzvah. Why would the kohanim be hesitant to fulfill such a simple mitzvah?

The truth is that the ease or difficulty in attaining a goal is sometimes a relative matter. The Gemara (Sukkah 52a) says, “In the future, the Holy One will bring the evil inclination out and slaughter it in front of the tzaddikim and in front of the wicked. It will appear to the tzaddikim like [the size of] a great mountain. And it will appear to the wicked like [the size of] a hair’s breadth...”

But this Gemara is difficult to understand. How big and strong is the evil inclination? The size of a mountain? A hair’s breadth? Something in-between? According to this Gemara, do the tzaddikim or the wicked people have the correct perception?

Rav Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam, the Klausenburger Rebbe, zy”a, explains that, in truth, the evil in-

clination is only the size of a hair’s breadth. How do we know this? When it comes to non-mitzvah activities, a person has tremendous power to work hard for long hours, to get up early, or stay up all night. This is within a person’s natural abilities. But when it comes to a mitzvah, suddenly people become weak, feeble, and afraid.

Almost anything can deter us from doing a mitzvah. Fulfilling a mitzvah is, in truth, completely within our grasp. But the evil inclination causes us to find a hundred reasons why we cannot do it, to the point that the mitzvah feels virtually impossible to accomplish under any circumstances.

Why did the kohanim need to be coaxed to perform trumas hadeshen without being coaxed? The heaviness of their evil inclinations told them, “Don’t run to do that mitzvah. Your hands might get dirty!” “Perhaps you will get burned if the ashes are still warm.” The evil inclination is quite adept at filling one’s head with excus-

es and rationalizations.

Using this idea, the Klausenburger Rebbe explains the words we say in the Haggadah, “This is the bread of poverty that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat. All who are needy, come and celebrate Pesach.” When do we eat matzah? If we are so hungry, we would eat anything, so we will also eat matzah. And if we are needy because we need to fulfill the mitzvah to eat matzah, then we eat it because we have no choice because of halacha.

But we daven to Hashem, “Next year may we be free men!” We daven to reach a time when we will not need to be starving or compelled by Divine decree to do a mitzvah. We ask Hashem to help us feel the sweetness in mitzvos so clearly that we will run after them to fulfill them because of an overwhelming feeling of desire and longing – out of our own free will. Not because we feel we have no choice.

We can understand this idea bet-

ter by considering another question on the beginning of this week’s parsha. Why do the words, “incurring guilt through it” (Vayikra 5:26) from last week’s parsha immediately precede the mitzvah of trumas hadeshen at the beginning of this week’s parsha? What is the connection between these words and the pasuk’s encouragement to the reluctant kohein?

The Klausenburger Rebbe explains that the word for “guilt” in the pasuk, “l’ashmah,” is connected to the word meaning barren or desolate – shomeimah. When a person’s head is empty and he does not personally know and sense the meaning and sweetness of the mitzvos, he requires great coaxing and encouragement just to induce him to fulfill an easy mitzvah. He feels no internal desire to serve Hashem.

But when a person’s head is not barren, but is full of knowledge, understanding, enthusiasm, and desire, the illusions of the evil inclination hold no sway over him. He wakes up early to arrive in shul before davening begins because he is full of the natural excitement for the sweetness of connecting with Hashem. He runs to begin cleaning for Pesach soon after Purim because he is filled with the light of Pesach, the light of redemption.

Unfortunately, so many of us are swayed by the feeble, hair’s breadthsized delusions of the evil inclination because our heads and hearts are empty of desire and understanding.

We search for any excuse not to clean for Pesach. We run away to hotels so we do not have to clean at all.

Or we run to hire additional help in the house to avoid lifting a finger to

clean the chometz out of our homes or our hearts. Chometz is emblematic of the evil inclination’s strategy of using laziness and heaviness to dissuade us from doing even easy mitzvos. We see this because bread rises when it sits idly for a time, doing nothing. That is when the impurity of chometz arises.

Matzah is the opposite. It must be made quickly and with alacrity. A Jew must burn the chometz in his life.

He must burn away the laziness and emptiness that provides such fertile ground for the evil inclination. One must fill his head with Torah, which the Navi (Yirmiyahu 23:29) compares to fire: “Are not My words like fire, says Hashem?” We must be matzah Jews, running to do mitzvos when we have the opportunity, spurning chometz. As the Midrash says (Mechilta, Bo 9), “When a mitzvah comes into your hand, do not let it become chometz.”

In the Kelm yeshiva before the War, the custom was that the yeshiva did not maintain a janitorial staff.

Instead, every year on Rosh Hashanah, 15-20 of the most elite bochurim would bid on the honors given during davening by taking on various tasks during the year like cleaning the

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the Kelm, he was the youngest there.

Nevertheless, he was hoping for one of the more prestigious positions, cleaning the toilets. But because he was so young, an older boy took

Unfortunately, so many of us are swayed by the feeble, hair’s breadth-sized delusions of the evil inclination because our heads and hearts are empty of desire and understanding.

bathrooms, mopping the floors, or taking out the garbage. These most sought-after jobs were taken by the best learners, the most prestigious bochurim.

When Rav Eliyahu Dessler, zt”l, was a bochur of thirteen years old in

this position, and he was relegated to the less glamorous job of going to the post office to pick up stamps for the yeshiva. Young Rav Dessler was disappointed because he got such an “unimportant job.”

Imagine what a yeshiva would

look like today if it were up to our able-bodied bochurim to clean it!

The trumas hadeshen jobs of the day, cleaning the floors and the bathrooms, were the most sought-after by bochurim of Kelm, whose heads were not empty, but were filled with longing and desire to connect to Hashem and His Torah.

Let us daven to Hashem that He take away our laziness and lack of motivation that causes us to feel that mitzvos are a heavy burden to be carried. Instead, may He cause us to feel the sweetness, meaning, and depth in our cleaning for Pesach, our modern-day trumas hadeshen, and all of the other mitzvos, such that we run to do them quickly and with great excitement.

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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Self-Mastery Academy

Haman and Today’s Battle Against Amalek

By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

A

fter an overwhelming week at work, Daniel decides to go on a nature hike to recharge.

Without letting anyone know of his plans, he heads off into the mountains. As he is enjoying the view and the peaceful quiet around him, he suddenly slips and tumbles off the edge of a cliff. He plunges downwards but somehow manages to grasp onto a branch jutting out of the cliff face.

He clings to the branch for dear life, trying not to look down at the ravine below.

As his life flashes before his eyes, he is struck by a disheartening thought: “I am alone. Nobody knows I am here, and I have no way of escaping. I am going to die.”

He begins to take stock of his life, thinking about the good times he’s had and what he has managed to accomplish in his short existence.

He thinks about his family and how much they are going to miss him.

Just then, a rope soars past his head, hanging directly in front of him. After a moment’s shock, he grabs the rope and holds on for dear life as someone on the other end begins to pull him up over the edge.

As Daniel reaches the top, he is still gasping and amazed at the fact that he just survived. He immediately asks the man who saved him, “How did you know that I was hanging off the edge of the cliff and needed rescuing?”

The man stares back at him blankly and says, “I didn’t. This

morning, I randomly decided to practice throwing ropes over cliffs.”

There are two reactions that Daniel can have to this series of events.

He can recognize the miracle that just occurred, thanking G-d for sending him salvation when all hope seemed lost. Or he can laugh at the unlikely coincidence that this man decided to practice rope-throwing the same exact day that he fell over a cliff face, thankful that he happened to get lucky this time.

rejects Hashem’s connection to this world or any connection between the spiritual and the physical. Essentially, Amalek denies Hashem’s control of this world and the ability for man to uplift himself to the level of the spiritual. Torah is the epitome of both of these principles, and it provides the guidelines for how to achieve this spiritual elevation. It is based on the axiom of Hashem’s connection with this world, and it is the means for elevating ourselves and all

Amalek rejects Hashem’s connection to this world or any connection between the spiritual and the physical.

This is the exact decision we face in every moment and aspect of life, and this theme runs through the entire Purim story.

Our Battle Against Amalek As we encounter Purim and our victory over Haman, let us delve deeper into the unique spiritual and existential battle that the Jewish People must continue to wage against the philosophy of Amalek. As a descendant of Amalek, Haman continued their legacy of Jewish obliteration.

As the Maharal explains, Amalek

of physicality to a higher purpose.

Amalek stands in direct opposition to this, and when they saw that the Jewish People were ready to adopt the Torah way of life, they had no choice but to attack.

Amalek’s entire existence is predicated on a lack of connection between Hashem and this world; therefore, an acceptance of that principle would mean the cessation of Amalek’s existence. Amalek therefore attacked the Jewish People in order to prevent Matan Torah — to stop the world from accepting Hashem’s To-

rah and the truth that lies within it.

Let us delve deeper into the spiritual nature of Haman in order to understand our battle against Amalek on an even deeper level.

“Ha’min Ha’eitz” — the Source of Haman The essence of Haman, the person who most potently expressed the characteristics and mission of Amalek, is revealed in a very strange discussion in the Gemara (Chullin 139b). The Gemara asks, “Where is Haman found in the Torah?”

Before we discuss the Gemara’s answer, it is essential that we fully understand the nature of this question. After all, Haman was a man, not a halachic principle, so why is it important to find a source for Haman in the Torah?

Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth; it is the blueprint and DNA of this physical world. In other words, our physical world is a projection and emanation of the deep spiritual reality described in the Torah. This is the meaning behind the famous Midrash that says, “Istakel b’Oraisa u’bara alma — [Hashem] looked into the Torah and used it to create the world” (Bereishis Rabbah 1:1). Torah is the blueprint of the world; the physical world is an emanation and expression of Torah, the spiritual root of existence.

To illustrate this concept, imagine a projector. The image that you see on the screen emanates from the film in

the projector so that everything you see on the screen is simply an expression of what is contained within the film. So, too, every single thing that we see and experience in the physical world stems from the spiritual world — the transcendent dimension of Torah. This is what the Gemara means by, “Where is Haman found in the Torah?” Haman’s spiritual root as well must be found within the Torah, and by understanding this source, we can understand his spiritual nature and purpose.

The Gemara answers: “Ha’min ha’eitz.” Ha’min shares the letters as Haman. Right after Adam and Chava sinned, they were embarrassed, so they hid behind a bush. Hashem then asks them, “Ha’min ha’eitz — Did you eat from the tree?” (Bereishis 3:11).

Let us try to understand the profound meaning of this Gemara.

Before Adam sinned, he was on an angelic level, almost perfect. He saw reality through a crystal-clear lens; his body itself was transcendent, and he lived in the spiritual realm of Gan Eden. However, once Adam sinned, his entire existence, his body, and the world itself fell to a lower, incomparably more physical level. The physical no longer revealed the spiritual; it now hid it instead. Once he ate from the Eitz HaDaas, his spiritual vision became distorted, and he became confused. At this point, he does the impossible: He hides from Hashem.

The problem is obvious: How can Adam expect to hide from Hashem?

He knows fully well that this is impossible, but he does so because he is confused. Evil and doubt have become mixed into his very self. While he knows this behavior is ridiculous, a small voice of doubt within him whispers, “Maybe it is possible to hide from Hashem.” In fact, it was the very shame and embarrassment of having eaten from the Eitz HaDaas that made him want to hide from Hashem.

He was hiding from the truth — from the consequences of his actions.

However, deep down, Adam hoped that Hashem would come and tell him that everything will be OK, that Adam would be able to recreate the closeness to Hashem that he previously possessed, and that everything would go back to the way it was.

This was the true pain of Hashem’s

response: “Ayekah — Where are you? ... Ha’min ha’eitz — [Did you eat] from the tree?” The moment Adam acts as if Hashem can’t see him, i.e., the moment he relates to Hashem with doubt and uncertainty, Hashem responds in kind. This is because Hashem relates to us in exactly the way we relate to Him. As the pasuk says, “Hashem tzilcha — Hashem is your shadow” (Tehillim 121:5). However you relate to Hashem, He will mirror (Nefesh Hachaim 1:7).

Ayekah, a question of doubt and uncertainty, would become the foundation for all of history. Ayekah has the same letters as “Eichah,” the Megillah we read describing the destruction of the Jewish People’s connection with Hashem. Our destruction is the direct result of denying Hashem’s connection to the world, acting as if He does not see what occurs here.

The question of “Ha’min ha’eitz” is the source of Haman, the source of Amalek, the source of all doubt and uncertainty in this world. Hashem asks, “Did you eat from the tree?” as if He does not know. It is this question itself that represents the gap between us and Hashem, a gap that Amalek battles to keep open, a gap that the Jewish People must forever strive to close.

Hashem is Hidden Megillas Esther is unique in that it is one of the only books in Tanach in which Hashem’s name is not mentioned. This is because Purim marks a transition in history, when our battle against Amalek manifested in a new form. Until Purim, history was permeated with consistent open miracles, nevuah was common, and Hashem was openly revealed in the world.

The second stage, ushered in by Purim, is characterized by hidden miracles. In our present world, Hashem is no longer openly manifest and clearly visible. In this stage, we must choose to see Hashem within the darkness — to peer past the façade of a meaningless world. It is in this stage that Amalek’s claims are all the more tempting to believe, as it is so easy to ignore Hashem’s involvement in this world. Our challenge is to see past the surface, to see the miraculous within the natural, the ethereal within the

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mundane, and the infinite within the finite.

Amalek fights for a God-less reality, devoid of spirituality and meaning; a world of Haman, of doubt, where a gap exists between us and Hashem. Only when you look closer, deepening your gaze, do you see the deeper layer of reality, the transcendent root. Hashem is Echad – one – and our goal is to see the spiritual

oneness inherent within every event and object in this world.

Amalek seeks to hide the truth, to disconnect us from our Source, and thus to strip all meaning from life.

Only when we see past the surface, when we trace everything that happens in this world back to Hashem, our spiritual Source, will we ultimately defeat Amalek and all that they stand for.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the author of the bestselling book, “The Journey to Your Ultimate Self,” which serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is an educator and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. He is also the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah.

After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago.

To invite Rabbi Reichman to speak in your community or to enjoy more of his deep and inspiring content, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

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Sparks of Light

Holding Onto the Waves of Purim

By Rabbi Benny Berlin

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urim is often synonymous with costumes, mishloach manot, the seudah, and other requirements. How often do we sit down and truly reflect on the opportunity that Purim presents to us? In Rav Hutner’s sefer Pachad Yizchak, section kuntrus reshimos, he details an idea that he shared at a Purim seudah. He explores an enigmatic pasuk, Tehillim 89:10: “You rule over the pride of the sea; when it raises its waves, You calm them.”

Rav Hutner expands on this to explore why the word “t’shabcheim” is translated here as “calm” when the word shevach literally means “praise.” In other words, why is the root term that usually refers to praise translated in this context to mean calm down?

He explains this with a beautiful concept – think about a wave building up steam as it races towards the shoreline. If a wave had a mind, it would understand that it was about to crash onto the beach, ending its glorious and grand existence. And yet, the wave rises and falls, again and again, each time crashing with the same force and bravado. And so, “t’shabcheim” involves both praises for the wave and calming of it as well! The praise of the wave is that it knows it is going to be decimated (its bravado calmed\humbled), and yet, the wave rises undeterred and gives its all.

On Purim, we feel connected, as if we are riding a wave of spirituality.

But what happens when Purim is ending, and we head straight towards the shore of chol (the regular week)? On all other holidays, we have something to take with us: On Rosh Hashana, we take yirah (fear of Hashem) with us. On Yom kippur, we take teshu-

vah with us. On Succos, simcha. On Pesach, a sense of refined freedom.

On Shavous, we take Torah with us.

But on Purim, we are not supposed to take befuddlement with us (ad d’lo yada\Nahafochu), which are the

people can be noticeably changed by an experience and that it is noticeable by how they act afterward. He brings an example from Parshat Va’yakhel where, after Bnai Yisrael encountered Moshe Rabbeinu, the Torah

We can tell what kind of Purim we have had by what we take with us after we leave the holiday and whether we are noticeably changed afterward.

themes of the day. Even though we ride that wave with gusto on Purim, we leave those within the confines of Purim to regain our senses back and engage in a thoughtful relationship with G-d once again.

While reflecting upon the piece in the Pachad Yizchak, I was also drawn to a piece by Rabbi Elya Lopian in his sefer, Lev Eliyahu. He writes that

comments, “The entire community departed from before Moses” Why does the Torah have to include the words “M’lifnai Moshe”? It could have just said that they left!

Rav Lopian says it is because they were walking away from that experience noticeably changed.

Similarly, it is true on Purim that we engage in a mindful connection to

Hashem, but we can tell what kind of Purim we have had, if we tapped into the kedushas haPurim, by what we take with us after we leave the holiday and whether we are noticeably changed afterward.

In other words, Purim does not just have to be about things like bilbul, silliness and drinking that we leave behind until next year. If we get in touch with a deep part of ourselves on Purim it would be chaval (a shame\waste) to leave that behind. If we have done Purim correctly, someone should be able to look at us after the holiday and say, “You are a little bit different.”

Wherever the stirrings of the simchas Purim lead you, it should help you find your next steps in your service of Hashem. If you had deep stirrings of prayer on Purim, let that lead you to focus on davening more. If you had a deep desire to learn more, go commit to attending more shiurim or taking on more learning projects.

If you realized there were areas you need to work on yourself, let it inspire teshuva.

Purim is a springboard that can lead to a lot of personal growth if we harness its power and let it lead us on a path out of its gate and not just ride its wave as it crashes us to the shore and leaves us grounded there until we ride its crest the next year. Whether we drink or introspect, the bilbul and simcha that is stirred up in us by the nahafochu of Purim can whisper to us how to grow in our next steps of avodas Hashem if we let it.

Rabbi Benny Berlin is the rabbi of the BACH Jewish Center in Long Beach.

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Delving into the Daf

Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, on Megillas Esther

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

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aRav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, typically answers questions in a short, concise fashion. HaRav Zev Aryeh Steiglitz, shlita, had the opportunity to ask him many questions about Megillas Esther. Below is an adaptation in English of a selection of the questions and answers HaRav Steiglitz recorded. Please attribute any errors to the English adaptation.

Q. Chazal tell us that Yishmael’s sins were forgiven on the day he married Machalas. Were Achashveirosh’s sins forgiven on the day he married Esther?

A. No. They say regarding Achashveirosh, “May his memory be blotted out.”

Q. The Medrshas states that “they did not allow” Achashveirosh

to sit on Shlomo’s throne. Who didn’t allow him? Wasn’t he the king?

The throne became animated and prevented him.

Q. The Gemara (Megilla 12a) states that Achashveirosh wore the bigdei kehuna. Rashi comments that he wore the garments of the Kohen Gadol. How did he know this?

A. The garments of a regular kohen aren’t exceptional. Presumably, Achashveirosh wanted to honor himself with the choicest clothing of the kohanim.

Q. Chazal tell us that Achashveirosh was punished for using utensils of the Beis Hamikdash at his party. Why wasn’t Achashveirosh punished for wearing the

sacred garments of the kohanim?

A. The punishment he received was for this as well.

Q. Why doesn’t the Megillah mention that there were musical instruments at the party?

A. The Megillah did not give an exhaustive list of all the details of the party. Presumably, there was music at the party.

Q. The Gemara (ibid.) states that Mordechai worked at Achashveirosh’s party. Wasn’t this misleading? Wouldn’t other Jews attend because they saw him attending?

A. No. He already warned them not to attend.

Q. Rav Chaim explained elsewhere that Mordechai attended

the party to watch the wine that Jews drank. However, the prohibition of Stam Yayin wasn’t instituted until much later in history.

A. Meticulous Jews kept the law anyway even before it was officially enacted.

Q. Why is Vashti sometimes referred to in the Megillah as “Queen Vashti” and other times as “Vashti the Queen”?

A. Sometimes she was honored because of who she herself was, and sometimes she was honored due to her current royal position.

Q. Can one use the horn that grew on Vashti’s head to fulfill the mitzvah of Tekias Shofar?

A. The Gemara does not say that she grew a horn, only a tail. In any event, it would be invalid for the

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mitzvah since it is not from a kosher animal. (There are some sources that suggest that she did grow a horn.)

Q. Why isn’t the death of Vashti mentioned in the Megillah?

A. The Megillah states that the king followed the advice of his advisers and that is tantamount to saying that she was killed.

Q. The Gemara states that Achashveirosh was punished for using the utensils of the Beis HaMikdash. He was punished with the death of Vashti. How is this a punishment for Achashveirosh?

A. He was punished by losing his wife. (Obviously, Vashti deserved to die as well. Her death simultaneously punished both of them.)

Q. Why is it relevant to the miracle of Purim that Esther was an orphan and raised by Mordechai?

A. That was the reason she listened to Mordechai’s instructions.

Q. Esther had seven maidens to keep track of the days of the week in order to know when Shabbos was. Wouldn’t Esther otherwise know when Shabbos was?

A. She was afraid she would lose track while in the palace.

Q. Chazal tell us that to each onlooker Esther appeared to be from their nation. Yet, the Yalkut suggests that Haman suspected that Esther was Jewish.

Why would he suspect that if she looked like someone from his nation?

A. He had an intense hatred for her. He thought that perhaps the reason for the intense hatred is that she was Jewish.

bow” in the past tense.

A. Mordechai did not bow and told everyone that he never will.

Q. The Malbim states that Haman purposely did not mention specifically the name of the nation he wished to destroy because he was afraid that Achashveirosh would not agree. Didn’t Achashveirosh hate the Jews more than Haman?

A. Yes, but he was afraid to start up with them.

Q. Haman told Achashveirosh that the Jews regard him as worse than a fly. If a fly lands in a cup of wine, they just discard the fly. But if Achashveirosh would touch the wine, they would spill the whole cup out. However, the prohibition of Stam Yayin wasn’t enacted yet (until the times of Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel).

A. (Same as the answer above.)

Even still, many Jews kept the halacha even before it was officially enacted.

Q. Haman claimed that Jews never work by offering excuses such as “It’s Shabbos today.” “It’s Pesach today.” Why didn’t Haman mention Sukkos?

A. He picked an example of a holiday.

Q. The Megillah says that Mordechai tore his “begadim.” By Yaakov Avinu, the Torah states that he tore “simlosav.” Why the discrepancy?

A. The pasuk says, “Lo silbash gever simlas isha,” and Yaakov lived before Matan Torah. (Rav Chaim has a sense of humor!)

Q. Why does the Gemara seek out a hint for Haman in the Torah? Don’t we say that the name of the wicked should rot?

A. Even still, there is nothing that is not hinted to in the Torah.

Q. Why didn’t Mordechai change out of his sackcloth so that he could come to the palace and talk directly with Esther without using an intermediary?

A. He didn’t want to stop his prayers for the salvation of Klal Yisrael.

Q. Why does the Megillah state that Mordechai “will not bow” to Haman in the future tense?

It should have said “he did not

Q. Chazal tell us that even a curse of tzaddik that is made conditionally still has some effect.

Mordechai told Esther that if she

doesn’t approach Achashveirosh, then she and her family will be destroyed, and salvation will arise from a different source. We don’t see this curse having any effect at all.

A. It did. The Gemara says that she was no longer allowed to live with Mordechai as husband and wife.

Q. Did Esther ask that the women should fast too?

A. Yes. Q. The Medrash says that the three-day fast was partially over Pesach. The Medrash in Koheles says further that Esther was busy with bedikas chametz. Why doesn’t the Medrash says that Mordechai was busy with Bedikas Chametz?

A. Mordechai had students to help him.

Q. Chazal tell us that due to the three-day fast, the Jews did not fulfill the mitzvah of oneg yom tov. Why doesn’t the Gemara also say that the Jews could not fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzah?

A. The Gemara’s statement was intended to include both mitzvos.

Q. The Gemara in Megilla says (15b) that as Esther was about to face Achashveirosh, she felt that the Shechina departed from her.

Esther said, “Perhaps it is because I called Achashveirosh a dog.” Does Hashem care about the honor of a wicked king like Achashveirosh?

A. Yes. You are supposed to pray for peace for the local kingdom.

Q. Why, by Bisyah Bas Paroh, did Hashem miraculously extend her hand to reach the basket and not by Esther? By Esther, Hashem miraculously extended the scepter.

A. It is less of a miracle to extend the scepter.

Q. How did Esther prepare the feast for Achashveirosh and Haman on yom tov? One is not allowed to cook on Yom Tov for someone who doesn’t keep yom tov.

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A. There was a danger to human life, so all prohibitions are waived.

Q. How did Esther prepare bread for the feast on Pesach? It’s chametz!

A. There was a danger to human life, so all prohibitions are waived Q. Why did Haman’s advisers suggest hanging Mordechai?

A. That would be a most public display.

Q. Why didn’t Haman kill himself rather than publicly degrade himself by parading Mordechai through the streets?

A. Haman thought he would get the last laugh by killing Mordechai.

Q. How was Mordechai allowed to take a haircut on the second day of Pesach? It’s yom tov.

A. He took a haircut with a non-Jewish barber, and it was permitted because of the honor of the king.

Q. Wasn’t Mordechai concerned that the king’s clothing contained shatnez?

A. Yes. He checked them before wearing them.

Q. Why didn’t Haman’s daughter recognize her father’s voice?

A. Rav Chaim: She was too far up to hear his voice.

B. (Other answers: 1. He was hoarse from yelling so much throughout the parade route. 2.

There were many other people shouting with Haman at the same time so she couldn’t hear her father’s voice. 3. Haman was imitating Mordechai’s voice. 4. She heard what she wanted to hear. 5. Haman’s voice changed out of anguish.)

Q. Why does the Megillah say that Haman entered his house in a state of mourning and that his head was covered? Chronologically, first his head was covered when his daughter threw refuse on him, and only afterward did he need to mourn his daughter.

A. The pasuk is discussing the perspective of the people in Haman’s house. They knew he would

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be in a state of mourning. When they saw him, they noticed his head was covered in refuse as well.

Q. The Megillah refers to the same people in the same pasuk (6:13) in different ways. First the pasuk calls these people Haman’s friends and then Haman’s counsel.

A. When they saw the start of his downfall, they didn’t want to be friends anymore.

Q. Why did Charvona say, “Here is the beam that Haman prepared for Mordechai who spoke well about the king”? Why didn’t Charvona say, “Mordechai who saved the king’s life”?

A. Charvona knew that Achashveirosh believed that he would have been saved regardless.

Q. The Medrash Shocher Tov states that a third of Haman’s estate was eventually used to build

the Second Beis Hamikdoah.

How could money that was used for idolatry be used for such a holy purpose?

A. Haman didn’t use the money on Avodah Zara, only on himself.

Q. Why did Esther ask that Haman’s ten sons be hung post-mortem?

A. She wanted the populace to fear the Jews and see what happens to their enemies.

Q. According to the Mechilta in Parshas Beshalach, all the money of Amalek must be destroyed.

How were Mordechai and Esther allowed to benefit from Haman’s estate? He was from Amalek.

A. Since Haman was executed, his estate became the property of the king. It was no longer considered Amalek’s wealth at that point.

Q. How did Mordechai decide which of Haman’s many sons to hang?

He picked the most important ones.

Q. According to the Targum Sheni, Mordechai wore his tefillin over his new crown. How was that permitted? Isn’t the crown a chatzitza between his head and the tefillin?

A. Mitzvasa b’kach. (It is unclear to me what Rav Chaim meant by that.)

Q. The Gemara states that the verse that states that all the nations saw “Our G-d’s salvation” refers to the miracle of Purim.

Rashi explains that the entire world knew about the miracle from the letters which were sent out. Didn’t the entire world also know about the Splitting of the Sea? Chazal tell us that all the waters in the world split at that time.

A. The population increased since the miracle of Kriyas Yam

Suf. (Therefore, the Purim miracle was known to more nations, so it was reasonable to Chazal to explain the verse as referring to the Purim miracle.)

Q. Mordechai stayed involved in royal affairs even after the Purim miracle and therefore was forced to devote less time to learning Torah. (Rashi on the Megilla 10:3) Why did the great Tzaddik Mordechai do this?

A. He thought that it was a matter of pikuach nefesh. (He would be in a position to forestall any future negative decrees. However, not all the sages of his time agreed with his decision.)

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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Cracked Eggs, Burning Curtains, and French Fries

Rabbi Yitzy Haber & Donny Weinraub of The Shnitzel Guys Share Their Trade Secrets TJH: Rabbi Haber, Donny, thank you for joining us just days before Purim. Can you let us know what you guys do, how you got into it, how you manage to be funny and keep a crowd laughing, and what you do best?

DW: Holy, cow! I’m already overwhelmed.

TJH: Oh, don’t be overwhelmed! Rabbi Haber, we know you from the neighborhood and from Machaneh Yisroel. Let’s start with you.

RYH: So we actually got into it together. I mean, as you know, I’m the owner and director of Machaneh Yisrael, and my job there really just stems from loving to work with kids. Truthfully, though, it probably all stems originally from the Shnitzel Guys.

TJH: So the Shnitzel Guys came first?

RYH: The Shnitzel Guys came first.

DW: The Shnitzel Guys have been around for 26 years.

TJH: Wow, that’s really old shnitzel.

RYH: Yes.

TJH: How do you keep the shnitzel fresh and sizzling?

RYH: Yeah, it gets better with age. People don’t know that.

DW: It’s like a good bottle of wine, you know what I mean?

TJH: A good bottle of shnitzel wine. That sounds great for Purim.

RYH: We have been

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friends since second grade. We both grew up in New Jersey. I lived in Teaneck, and Donny is from Passaic. As we grew up, we got very into magic tricks together. When we were in seventh, eighth grade, we used to hang out and do magic tricks under our desks when our teachers weren’t looking – or even when they were looking.

When we were in about 10th grade, one of our rebbeim felt really bad for us and hired us for his son’s birthday party.

It was big stuff. We practiced for hours and hours. We messed up royally but kept the kids happy, and we actually became the hottest birthday party entertainment in the North Jersey area. It also might have something to do with the fact that we charged $4 per show, but whatever.

Either way, we were hot.

DW: Also, it helped that there was no competition.

RYH: We actually ended up g o - ing a little bit away from the magic tricks, but we began doing a lot more “clowny” magic.

Even now, one of the shows that

we do is a clown comedy magic show.

It’s about getting the kids laughing more than the magic tricks.

We found that our kuntz is that it’s all about the audience participation and getting kids excited and pumped. A lot of it is about getting the kids motivated and getting them excited to be there and getting them screaming and yelling and into it. I just did a show today in Yeshiva of South Shore for first through third graders. Obviously, there was content to show – it was a magic show – but it was all about getting the kids pumped and excited and screaming. And the teachers told me that it was their best show ever.

TJH: How do you get the kids involved and excited, and not have it fall flat?

DW: How do we get people excited and pumped? High energy is a big piece of that. We’re very high energy – not right now when we haven’t slept in three days – but we’re v e r y high en-

ergy. We want to get the audience involved. Life is about watching screens these days. But we want our shows to be interactive. Even when it’s a smaller show, like a birthday party.

We want the kids jumping out of their seats. We have shtik and tactics and cheers to get them to do that.

TJH: How did you learn to create that high energy at your shows?

Did you watch videos? Did you have mentors who taught you these tricks?

RYH: That’s such a good question. And we actually even have the answer for that one. I feel like it was almost scripted, Donny, no?

I’m going to fill you in right now.

When we were in 11th to 12th grade, we got one of our “biggest breaks” at PIrchei in Teaneck, New Jersey. Another one of our rebbeim was running that and probably hired us as another nebach case. It was like our big show.

DW: No, not exactly. We were so nebach for that night.

RYH: It was going to be our big break. This wasn’t like a birthday party. This was going to be in front of 150 kids, and it was going to be the real deal. We had all our stuff and magic tricks and lines prepared – and we practiced for weeks.

We did this trick that used raw eggs – it was a little bit funny but a little entertaining – and we had all the ingredients and we were going to produce a dove at the end. But the problem was that our table was a little bit shaky. Actually, it was very shaky.

And it wasn’t even a table. It was the stand of an old drum set with a piece of wood on top.

Anyway, we started our show and began to do our tricks. But either I backed up or Donny backed up into the table and the eggs fell flat on the floor. Donny went to clean it up. I was trying to keep everything cool with the audience, but then I backed up again, and I slipped and I must have done one of those flips…

DW: This was like you don’t even understand. I’m cleaning up this mess on the floor. He’s buying time.

He backs up, takes a step, and it was straight out of the cartoons.

He flipped backwards in the air, right on the back. Now you have to understand something. We were very nervous about this show. This was our big show. And for us, it was a big deal.

We were used to doing birthday parties. All of a sudden, Yitzy slips on the

floor. I’m like, “Oh, my gosh.” We’re both so nervous. I go to pick him up, but before I pick him up, all of a sudden, he falls on the floor. The whole audience is cracking up. They’re laughing like crazy.

You have to understand, we were young guys when this happened.

First, we were embarrassed that we messed up. But then we kind of chapped. I go to Yitzy to pull him up, and he accidentally pulls me down. I slip on top of him. It was straight out of a cartoon, and it wasn’t rehearsed.

It was a total accident.

RYH: By this time, the kids were literally crying of laughter.

DW: They were rolling on the floor. They thought it was the best part of the whole show. The other part was OK, the magic, blah, blah, blah. But here these guys are falling.

And now you have to understand, that on the table, besides the eggs, we had baby powder, mustard, ketchup, and now everything was all over the place.

The table fell down. There’s a big mess. We’re covered in baby powder.

It was a disaster, but it was the best disaster that ever happened.

We both looked up and realized we’ve never got this much laughs and action in a show in our lives. This was an eye-opening experience.

That show was a big change for us.

It taught us that our shows should be about giving these kids a good time.

It’s not about impressive magic tricks.

We need the comedy. Once we started getting into that, it really became much more comfortable for us, and our personalities came into that. We began thinking: how are we going to make the next comedy scene? Let’s get comedy in there and create this crazy experience.

RYH: Years later, The Shnitzel Guys actually was also born out of accidents.

We were at a bar mitzvah as the counselors for Shabbos one time, and we had a lot of fun with the kids on Shabbos. On Motzei Shabbos, we decided we wanted to stay with the kids and dance with them just because we were there and we had a good time with them. We got into our clown outfits that we had from our magic shows and danced with the kids. Parents came running over to us and asked us if we had business cards and if we could do this professionally. And we were like, “Yeah!”

TJH: So this was 26 years ago.

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sang at the bar mitzvah?

“With these guys, they do not crack a smile. It’s like illegal. But he couldn’t stop laughing.”

That’s amazing! That first slapstick egg-on-your-face type of incident was a bracha, as you said, but you’re not going to always have that egg on your face. How do you just have that sort of thing going at every show?

DW: At this point, a lot of it comes with experience. When we come to a show or we come to a bar mitzvah or we come to any event, our eyes are very open for opportunities to do silly stuff or to create moments. Some of those moments are silly moments, laughter moments and fun moments like that. And some of them are more serious moments that are memorable forever – whether it’s bar mitzvah boys dancing with their friends and creating a moment on the dance or where there may be some “politics” in the class and we get the kids to dance together. We get very involved in what’s happening. We’re not just a couple of guys that come and dance at a bar mitzvah.

At every bar mitzvah, we are there to create moments that will last forever. We talk to the parents before to know about what’s going on and what’s important to them and to the bar mitzvah boy.

RYH: Remember, these boys are 13 years old, and it’s a big deal for them.

DW: We know that we have one mission for the next four hours, and that’s to give this kid a great time and give everybody a great time.

Even with the silly stuff, we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to create funny moments. Once you’ve done them so many times, you know what’s going to work. This only comes with experience. It’s not because we’re anything special or we went to school for this. We can feel when the stars will align, so to speak, in a certain way so that we can recreate a funny moment at another time.

It might not happen for 15 parties, but at the party that it will happen, boom!

It’ll be amazing.

RYH: We can do classic bar mitzvah shtik, but we do it our way – a little on steroids. We go above and beyond. We want the bar mitzvah boy to feel like “It’s my party!” He should feel like he’s worth a million dollars.

TJH: What are those specific things that bar mitzvah boys always request?

DW: Well, this lady asks good questions.

RYH: Yes, we should hire her, totally.

DW: We’ve done this interview many times. In fact, just in the last six months, a few times. And I’m telling you right now you ask really good questions. I’m impressed. Is this for The New York Times?

TJH: All the news that’s fit to print? No, no.

RYH: Of course, we have the classic games like Coke and Pepsi. In general, bar mitzvah boys want to feel special. You know, that’s true for most people – we all want to feel special.

That’s what we do in camp, Machaneh Yisroel. We want all the kids to feel special. So whether it’s in camp or in school or with The Shnitzel Guys, we’re successful not because we’re the best dancers – by far, we’re not the best dancers. We’ve met a lot of dancers that are much, much better than us. And we’re successful, not because we know how to sing because you probably don’t want to hear us.

DW: I would agree. Although, I actually like hearing you sing. When I heard you sing last night, it was really nice, actually.

RYH: I think he must have done something to the microphone.

DW: I think it was very nice. It was nostalgic, what you made at the bar mitzvah last night. It was his son’s bar mitzvah last night.

TJH: Oh, that’s so nice. So you

RYH: No, I sang at the chuppah.

Not by request. I just grabbed the microphone.

DW: He sang at the chuppah of his son’s bar mitzvah last night.

TJH: You guys have been working together for 26 years, how does it work? Do you each have some sort of job or role?

RYH: I think she’s asking about our finances, Donny.

DW: Very simple. Very simple.

RYH: Donny is the man. Donny is the man.

DW: Yitzy is the man in charge and basically whatever Yitzy says I just do, and I try to listen to him like a good son should listen to a father, you know what I’m saying? Once in a while, I’m not such a good boy. All the brains of the operation is Yitzy. All the action is Yitzy. I’m just his good worker. And Yitzy, you know when you find a good worker, you don’t leave your worker. So for 26 years, I’ve been a good worker, so that’s it.

TJH: It seems like you cleaned up the egg really well from the fl o o r years ago, and I think

that got you a lifetime position over there.

RYH: If you ever have the opportunity, if you’re free one day, go and meet Donny. He will go put a smile on your face. He could literally do it with anybody. I’ve never met a person like that in my life. He’s my brother from another mother, a totally different father, and our grandparents are not related. But he is really, really the man, and he just wants to make everybody smile, so he makes me smile.

DW: Let’s talk tachlis. Yitzy is the man. He’s my inspiration, so it’s a big plus for me to call him my brother and my partner and my friend and all those things.

RYH: Donny is so good at making people happy, he lives for it. He’s definitely going Gan Eden, that’s pashut; he just wants to make people smile.

He was at an airport recently on the way to a party. When we travel, we wear a lot of outfits – some hats, some clothes. Donny was trying to get this lady at the check-in counter to smile.

He went through everything and tried everything, and nothing seemed to be working. Finally, he took out our rubber schnitzel mascot – a rubber chicken – but no can do. Nothing was working. And so he sat down a bit defeated.

But soon he heard over the loudspeaker someone calling him to come to the counter. He went to the lady atthe counter, and she said, “Can I see your boarding pass?” She took it and ripped it in half. And then she printed a new one. She said, “I’m upgrading you to business class because I had the worst day that I ever had.

It was a terrible day.

Things were just not going right. But you were just putting some light into me, and you just were doing it not for any reason. You just totally wanted to get me to smile. And so I’m upgrading you to business class.”

That’s how Donny moves. It’s like

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“It was a disaster, but it was the best disaster that ever happened.” every single day.

And by the way, the next morning as he’s coming into the airport at 6 o’clock in the morning to get his return flight, he sees the lady at the counter again, and she’s holding the rubber chicken, and she’s like, “I still got him!” She still has the rubber chicken.

DW: It’s not even right to just say stories like that. So now I got to say a Yitzy story. I’m just his talmid. He’s my rebbi. You understand? He taught me everything I know.

This was years ago, but it’s a good one. Yitzy was traveling. And he was going through customs. And they’re not usually nice at customs. They’re all business. Anyway, Yitzy gave the agent his passport. But you know what he did before he gave him his passport? He took a piece off his red clown nose and used a sticky Mike & Ike to stick it onto his passport as his nose.

He gave the guy his passport, and the guy is looking at this red sponge stuck on. He’s not cracking a smile.

He’s looking at it, wondering what is going on. And while he’s looking at it, Yitzy puts on a red clown nose. So when the guy looks up, Yitzy is wearing a red clown nose. And the guy just started laughing. Burst out laughing.

With these guys, they do not crack a smile. It’s like illegal. But he couldn’t stop laughing.

TJH: Sometimes we’re not so much in the mood of smiling, and sometimes life sends us challenges. How do we keep smiling?

RYH: I think the answer is the reason that we smile is because at the end of the day, when you know what it feels like to make someone smile, it makes you feel so good. It’s such an adrenaline rush.

If you get somebody to smile it will change your day. We used to go through the tolls on the Garden State

Parkway when tolls were only $0.25.

And we would pay for the guy behind us, and we’d be dressed in our clown outfits on the way to a job. We would watch in our rearview mirror as the guy behind us would slow to pay and the tollbooth operator would say, “No, the guys ahead of you paid for you.”

And then they would try to see who we were and they would see two guys in clown outfits waving at them. It would make their day, and it would make our day.

DW: Just last week, I was chewing gum and blowing bubbles as I was sitting in traffic. I realized that the lady in the car next to me was watching me and laughing. You know, we have these polka-dotted cars. She sees a guy in a polka-dotted car, blowing huge bubbles. It was just awesome.

Going back to your question. So sometimes we’re not in the mood.

We’re human, too. It’s not like we’re all the time high energy and everything smiles all the time. But we have to pump ourselves up sometimes.

RYH: But when you look at the opportunities there, it gives you adrenaline to keep smiling. If you visit someone in the hospital and make them feel good, I’m amazed at the opportunity I can have to do that.

I sometimes walk away from that and say, “Wow, I’m not a tzaddik. I did it for me,” because it made me feel so good to be able to make someone happy.

DW: By the way, you were just mechavein to an amazing answer that I just realized. Going back to her original question, it’s brilliant. The mussar for us is that if you work on trying to make the other guy smile, you’re going to smile. Don’t worry about trying to make yourself smile.

Make other people smile and that’s the most amazing smile you’ll ever have. When he’s smiling, you’re going to feel so good. It feels so good to give.

It’s the same thing as tzedakah. When

you do it, it feels good.

Yesterday, I visited a friend of ours who is not doing well. His parents were there, and his wife, and his little child. And I came with all my stuff – I was coming from a birthday party.

His child was running around; his wife was overwhelmed; and he was sitting in his chair. And I knew that my job wasn’t to “catch up” or ask him how things were going. My job, at that moment, for those 20 minutes, was to make whoever was in that room forget all their pain and challenges. For those 20 minutes, I was taking them to Disney World, you know what I’m saying?

I brought my bird along to him.

For that time, his kid was playing with the bird and the kid was so excited. They forgot about his crisis for a short while. That’s our goal. That’s what we’re trying to do. Sometimes it’s a magic trick and sometimes it’s a balloon animal, and sometimes it’s dancing and sometimes it’s just talking about something unrelated like good schnitzel sandwiches.

TJH: Good schnitzel sandwiches. It sounds like you are always b’simcha throughout the year. What do you do in Adar to be marbim b’simcha?

DW: Who says that we were so good at the mitzvos?

Honestly, my goal for Adar is to eat more schnitzel because that really brings simcha to me on a whole other level.

RY H: We have a whole theor y about schnitzel in general. We think that it’s what the world needs.

Imagine t he whole thing in Russia.

You can imagine if Putin and Zelensky sat down before any t hing hap pened and enjoyed a schnitzel sandwich with all the toppings.

There would have been peace in

like five minutes.

TJH: Interesting peace strategy.

Chicken diplomacy. What’s the best toppings for the schnitzel?

What should Zelensky have put on his schnitzel sandwich?

DW: No, no. That’s already a personal question. Everyone has their flavors and things that they like. Like, what’s your favorite side dish with a schnitzel sandwich?

TJH: I’m probably an onion rings person. I like the batter-dipped ones from Traditions.

DW: That’s the real ones. I don’t mind the Kineret ones either. The frozen ones, they don’t even bother me.

TJH: You guys are schnitzel experts, so you could probably look at a person and say, “You know, that person’s a spicy mayo on his schnitzel sandwich or that person’s a garlic mayo with tomato.”

DW: Oh, can we do that?

RYH: I think we’re getting there. We’ve been

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trying this for years, but I think we’re getting there.

DW: One second. I love this idea.

She just gave us an amazing idea. We should revisit it because we haven’t even done the survey in a while. Maybe we should start doing this to see if we could guess what people are and do predictions on that.

This is brilliant. We’re going to try at the next party, bli neder. Right, Yitz? Maybe we should try that.

Do you know what the number one side dish was when we did our surveys? We asked more than 1,000 people, and you know what the number side dish was?

TJH: French fries or coleslaw.

DW: Yup, French fries is right. That was number one. And coleslaw is my favorite. But coleslaw was not even number three on our survey.

I’m all about

coleslaw. I like my cold with my hot.

I’m a texture food eater.

RYH: Just so you know, that was a hint for when you invite us over for schnitzel. We weren’t telling you that because we thought you wanted to know. It was just so that when we come over, you’ll know to offer those things on the side with the schnitzel s a nd -

wiches.

DW: It’s foreshadowing.

TJH: Or preempting. What’s the most surprising thing that ever happened to you guys at a bar mitzvah?

RYH: I would say the most surprising thing that’s ever happened to me, by the way, is the quality of these questions.

DW: Yeah, for sure.

And the most surprising thing was when that thing caught on fire.

They had this buffet with all these dishes around the room. And there were these long curtains in the ballroom. And one of the curtains caught on fire from one of the cooking stations that was around the room.

It was huge. There were like eight-foot flames. We were in middle of a dance. We’re rocking; it’s pumping.

Half the people didn’t even realize because the

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music is loud. So me and another guy grabbed some water from an urn at the washing station and threw it on the fire. And someone else came and helped us put it out.

RYH: I remember once the fire alarm went off in the middle of a party, and literally, the fire department came, and they cleared out the whole place. The poor kid, it’s his bar mitzvah, what could we do for him? But we all gathered in a circle around that fire truck. We ended up getting the kid on top of the fire truck on the ladder. It was awesome. Amazing memories.

DW: We had to do that one time with the snow. It was another place where they took everyone out. It was like 12 degrees outside. Everyone had to go out and we were dancing outside. And another time, I remember the power went out because of a crazy storm. But we put our speaker on battery and kept the party going by candlelight. It was awesome.

TJH: Wow. That’s what memories are made of.

DW: That’s what we’re here for. To make some ruckuses.

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Thousands of Refugees and Bennett Playing Mediator How the War in Ukraine is Affecting the Jewish State

T

BY SHAMMAI SISKIND

hroughout the millennium of warring empires and clashing world powers, the Jewish People, more often than not, seem to find themselves in the thick of the conflict.

This can be a hard issue to deal with, but alas, it seems to be our collective lot.

The implications of the war in Ukraine – a conflict that shocked war experts and defense analysts the world over – will be vast.

Relations between the “Eastern bloc” of Russia and China with the West, the EU’s role in international geopolitics, and even the future of global energy markets will all be impacted in profound ways.

There is much to unpack. But for Israelis, the main concern is how the war will influence their position on the world stage – as well as the many concrete ways in which the crisis is already hitting home.

A Country of Immigrants – and Refugees On May 1, thousands of Israelis across the country woke up to a very interesting text message.

While there were a few different versions of this circulating memo, all read something to the tune of: “In anticipation for the influx of thousands of

Ukrainian refugees being greeted at the airport in Israel

Ukrainian refugees, volunteer hosts are urgently needed. If you are able to provide temporary housing for a period of 2-3 weeks, please contact [fill in the blank], your local refugee affairs organizer.”

To be sure, these messages were not issued by a government agency. But they were certainly in line with what the Aliyah Affairs officials were telling the public.

Recently the Interior Ministry announced a loosening of foreign admissions protocol, allowing any Ukrainian, Jewish or not, to apply for temporary asylum for a period of at least three months, which would be extended if the conflict ensues. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked told the public that any Israeli citizen will be able to submit a request to host a Ukrainian family, and the Ministry would

pair asylum seekers with their hosts upon their arrival. Thousands of refugees have already arrived at Ben Gurion Airport with many more expected to arrive in the coming months.

For many Israelis, a massive influx of newcomers is something out of a history book. People who were alive in the early years of the State tell stories where Jerusalem households hosted multiple families for extended periods of time. There was simply nowhere to put the waves of European survivors and those banished from Arab lands in the wake of the War of Independence.

While Israel’s absorption capacity has certainly increased over the decades, as with any crisis, the current “shock-to-the-system” was bound to happen.

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Ukrainian President Zelensky at the Kotel in January 2020

A Ukrainian-born Israeli at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv as he prepares to go back to Ukraine to fight

Bennett in the air after meeting with Putin last weekend

Just to put things into perspective: immigration to Israel fluctuates from year to year, but averages between ten- to twenty-thousand annually.

In 2021, Israel welcomed 27,000 new olim. Now, consider this: due to the current situation, 25,000 Ukrainian refugees (mostly non-Jews) will be brought into Israel over the coming weeks. Another 100,000 permanent Jewish immigrants from both Russia and Ukraine are projected to arrive in the next several months.

Standing before this monumental challenge, the government has already made substantial progress. Many of the bureaucratic hurdles for temporary visitors have been smoothed out, and reported backlogs and general disorganization at Ben Gurion is being addressed. Of course, integrating these new arrivals, either for a temporary stay or for permanent naturalization, will present a whole other set of obstacles. But here as well, government agencies seem to have stepped up to the plate. Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton recently announced the country’s school system would absorb some 2,000 children in the coming days. Biton further related that a comprehensive plan to integrate students and their parents is being drawn up.

All in all, in the face of Europe’s fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II, Israel seems to be doing an admirable job.

“The sights of war in Ukraine and the suffering experienced by its citizens rattle the soul and don’t allow us to remain indifferent,” said Minister Ayelet Shaked in a press briefing last Tuesday. “Israeli citizens can be proud” of the efforts taken to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people, she said.

emerging crisis, or even help fight a local war. Indeed, due to his unique knowledge in the military application of explosives, the author of this article once received an offer to assist the Kurds in battling the Islamic State at the height of the Syrian Civil War – an opportunity he reluctantly had to decline (“You’re not going to Kurdistan to fight the ISIS people” … “Yes, Imma”).

This phenomenon has certainly not been absent in the current Ukraine crisis.

On March 9, the Ukrainian government announced that it was opening a “foreign legion” program to bolster its struggling military in the fight against Russia. According to a statement by First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin, the program would allow not only for the absorption and deployment of foreign fighters but would also offer volunteers special benefits. “If such foreign nationals are interested in obtaining Ukrainian citizenship, our legislation provides for them such

North America have already arrived in Ukraine.

But even before the official announcement of its army’s new volunteer branch, Kyiv was directly beseeching Israelis to join the fight.

“If you are prepared to help defend the sovereignty of Ukraine, send us a message,” read a post on the Ukrainian Embassy’s official Facebook page from February 26. “To all the children of our land [who are] Israeli citizens, and other foreign nationals who are currently residing in Israel: the embassy has begun forming a list of volunteers interested in joining the fight against the Russian aggression.”

Outside the black iron gates of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv, one can view a steady stream of Ukrainian immigrants who now reside in Israel.

Some are there for information about their hometown or the safety of relatives. But many are there to enlist.

“I love Israel. I’m a patriot,” said Yaroslav, a

The Volunteers The proficiency of Israel’s army has become a bit of a cliché – but it’s a cliché for a reason. There are more than a few defense-related domains – from search-and-rescue to urban combat tactics, to missile defense technology – where Israel is recognized as a global leader. That reputation tends to make its rounds.

Today, it’s not only government-level Israeli defense contracts that are sought after, but also the service of individual Israelis to assist in some

Today, if you have any concerns in Syria, either you’re cooperating with Russia or you’re at war with them. an opportunity,” Yenin was quoted as saying.

There have been mixed reactions to the country’s call for foreign help.

In a recent televised interview, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she supported British citizens who wanted to join Ukraine’s military.

“Absolutely, if that is what they want to do,” she said on BBC. The U.S. government, on the other hand, seems less than enthusiastic. When asked about Ukraine’s call for fighters, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a press briefing that “for those who want to help Ukraine and help its people, there are many ways to do that, including by supporting and helping the many NGOs that are working to provide humanitarian assistance.”

According to the latest information, several thousands of volunteers from Western Europe and

22-year-old Israeli who immigrated to Israel from Kharkiv, Ukraine, at age 12 with his parents. “But Ukraine is my birthplace; it’s my motherland. My best friend from childhood is now in the Ukrainian army. My grandmother is now hiding in her apartment in Kharkiv.”

Another Ukrainian-born Israeli, Anatoly, shared similar feelings. Having lived in Israel since the age of seven, he claims a strong affinity with his country of birth. “For me, this is personal. I haven’t slept in days. I’d rather be there fighting than here with no way to help.”

What’s even more astounding is that not all of Israel’s volunteers are of Ukrainian origin. Many of those offering to fight simply see the Ukrainian cause as one worth fighting for. One man spotted by journalists outside the Embassy was a 72-yearold Druze man, a retired IDF officer who drove

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hours from his village in northern Israel to sign up. “I want to fight. I’m a soldier!” Another is a former American paratrooper from Atlanta, Georgia.

After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, the man immigrated to Israel. For him, the reasons for volunteering are completely ideological. “When you have a chance to stand up to a bully in the world, you take it,” said the 35-year-old veteran.

According to Israeli media reports, by now, “several dozen” Israelis have already enlisted to the ranks of Ukrainian forces.

While there is no way of knowing how long this trend will continue, it seems the opportunities for Israelis to assist in Ukraine are only expanding.

Recently, several news outlets reported on a group of seven Israeli friends who came to the Ukrainian embassy to volunteer. Apparently, each had a different skill set acquired in either the army or civilian life that was invaluable for the war effort.

One woman from the group identified as a medic and was determined to “give any help” she could provide. Reportedly, the seven have already been deployed to a Ukrainian field camp.

A Diplomatic Balancing Act Aside from the effects that are already and will continue to be felt at home, Israel is simultaneously confronting serious political repercussions of the Ukraine war.

To put it bluntly, the current conflict has forced Israel to deal with one of the most delicate diplomatic situations in recent history.

Ties between Jerusalem and Kyiv have been strong in recent years. Since the early 2010s, Israel Foreign Trade Administration has operated an Economic & Trade Mission in Kyiv, coordinating investment and commerce between the two countries. Exports to Israel from Ukraine, consisting mostly of staples the likes of corn, barley, and wheat, valued $400 million on the eve of Russia’s invasion. At the leadership level, it’s difficult to overlook the fact that Ukraine’s government is headed by a Jewish descendant of Holocaust survivors.

However, it has been far from simple for Israel to take sides in this war, certainly not to the extent the rest of the free world has.

Israel has taken heat over the past weeks for not getting “fully on board” with the anti-Russia/ pro-Ukraine agenda. Earlier this month, the government announced that under no circumstances would it send weapons to assist Ukraine’s army.

This, despite strong indications from the U.S. that it would support such assistance.

The contrast here between Israel and many other countries is really quite remarkable. The United States and Britain, for example, are openly funneling serious military hardware to Kyiv at this very moment. Even the hyper-pacifist elites of Germany, burdened with their decades of war guilt, have begun shipping surface-to-air Stinger missiles to Ukraine in the thousands. According to a recent article in Forbes, the number of weapons and ammunition being sent to Ukraine by the

Ukrainian refugees reaching the Holy Land

West – primarily in the form of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles – is literally outstripping U.S. production capacity.

Israel, on the other hand, despite having formal defense cooperation ties with Ukraine, has completely removed the possibility of weapons sales from the table. Last week, Israeli media reported that shortly before the war broke out, an official delegation from Ukraine arrived in Israel for the explicit purpose of obtaining assistance for the looming conflict. Reportedly, while there was plen-

in Syria with close coordination with the Russians.

To be as clear as possible, Israel’s interest in Syria is not just the standard “being-mindful-of-a-potentially-hostile-neighbor” type of interest. Over the past decade, Syria has been transformed into a country-size, forward-operating base of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In recent years, Israel has conducted literally hundreds of missions in Syria, mostly to undermine IRGC operations, an effort it will have to continue for the foreseeable future.

“For me, this is personal. I haven’t slept in days. I’d rather be there fighting than here with no way to help.” ty of productive talk on medical and other humanitarian aid, weapons and war material was never brought up. Israel’s Defense Ministry refused to authorize the Ukrainians to even visit the headquarters of defense manufacturer Elbit in Haifa.

There are two reasons for Israel’s insistence on neutrality.

First and foremost is the very real reality of Russia’s foothold and control in Syria. Moscow skillfully maneuvered itself into being a power broker and major influencer during the years of civil war. Today, if you have any concerns in Syria, either you’re cooperating with Russia or you’re at war with them. And because Israel has no interest in the latter, it has been forced to conduct its affairs

Now, to be sure, Israel is not completely at the mercy of Russia in this regard. Moscow also has an interest in pushing back on militant entrenchment in the country (a trend which, incidentally, has dramatically increased since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan), and in many respects, Russia shares Israel’s security concerns. However, that is not to say Russia won’t use security coordination as leverage or find ways to make life difficult for the IDF – a move that would undermine the military’s efficacy and threaten the lives of Israelis.

With this understanding, there seems to be a consensus within the Israeli establishment as well as the general population: while Russia’s invasion is egregious, the good terms with Moscow cannot

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entire EU, the United States, and Britain all openly supporting one side in this war, there are very few options for those who can act as mediators.

This reality was spelled out more or less explicitly by Bennett early this month. In an interview with Channel 13, Bennett claimed that “various actors” wanted Israel to remain a neutral Russia-Ukraine broker. Who these “various actors” might be is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is if there is any hope that any progress can be obtained on the diplomacy end (and granted, that is

officials from the Ukrainian and Israeli foreign ministries, Ukraine announced that it was not under any expectation to receive direct military aid from Israel while at the same time Jerusalem was still providing many other forms of assistance.

“We completed discussions on emergency humanitarian aid,” said Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk in a speech from Tel Aviv. “We are speaking primarily about medical aid for hospitals. We are not talking about [sending] soldiers. You have your own security issues to

“The sights of war in Ukraine and the suffering experienced by its citizens rattle the soul and don’t allow us to remain indifferent.” a big if), there will have to be a credible and neutral third party to facilitate it. As of now, Israel is one on a very short list of countries that are even theoretically capable of helping on this front –the others being Turkey, China, and possibly France.

At the end of the day, even Ukraine has recognized that Israel’s hands are tied in the midst of this conflict, and it is doing the best it can, all things considered. After a recent meeting between

deal with, and we are smart enough to not bring that up.”

This candid recognition by Korniychuk really sums it all up quite well. Like all major international incidents tend to do, the war in Ukraine has impacted Israel in substantial ways and will continue to do so. For the small, albeit highly capable country that it is, Israel seems to be weathering the storm quite well.

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be risked by becoming an active participant in the war.

But beyond the very practical concerns of security coordination, many in the government see neutrality as a way of ensuring Israel can play a constructive role in addressing the crisis.

On March 9, Israeli outlet Ynet featured an article titled “Who are you, Naftali Bennett?”. The piece reported on a spike in Google searches for the Prime Minister. At the end of the first week of March, graphs on Google Trends showed a spike in searches for Bennett’s name reaching the maximum “interest rating” for global queries. The increase was, of course, a result of Bennett’s trip to Europe in an attempt to mediate between Ukraine and Russia. Of course, the cynicism in response to Bennett’s diplomacy attempt has been on full blast for over a week. The news piece with the caption, “You’re too small for this mission, Bennett” published by Maariv last week has been echoed several times by other newsrooms in recent days.

However, while the pessimists may have a point in bringing up Bennett’s lack of experience in this domain, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

The fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky both agreed to meet with Bennett is, in and of itself, quite impressive. No doubt Bennett was able to achieve those meetings by maintaining his current “neither-side” stance. Furthermore, with the

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

A FRUM GUY IN THE HOUSE Gabi Grossbard Talks About His Run for Congress

BY SUSAN SCHWAMM

Gabi, you are running for Congress in Michigan, but you lived in Far Rockaway for a while.

Yes. I was born and raised in Israel. I went to Sh’or Yoshuv in Far Rockaway, NY, for some of my teenage years, and then I went back to Israel and served in the Israeli Army.

When we lived in Far Rockaway, I worked ridiculous hours – like 14, 15 hours a day. We realized that for normalcy in our life the best thing to do is to move to Michigan, which we did. And I like it here. It’s a nice place to raise kids, and looking back, it was a good move.

What was your position there in the IDF? I was a sergeant when I was honorably discharged, but I was in an infantry unit for artillery. I served in some of the “funner” cities of Jenin and Jericho.

Is the Detroit community a growing frum community?

Yes.

Do you remember Reb Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l, from your years in Sh’or Yoshuv?

Yes. When they first started yeshiva, they would invite boys to the Friday night seudah. I was either the last or one of the very last who came to his house for a Friday night Shabbos meal. That was a really memorable experience for me.

I got married towards the end of my IDF service. My wife and I moved back to Far Rockaway for a few years and lived on Neilson Street. I shouldn’t have sold my house in Far Rockaway; I’ll tell you that. It’s worth so much more today.

We moved here to Michigan, to the suburbs of Detroit, in 1998. My wife is from here. And my father is from here as well, so we have a lot of relatives here.

Tell us why you decided to get into politics.

It’s relatively new for me. I decided to get into politics after the 2018 election when Michigan elected Representative Rashida Tlaib to go to Congress. She is of Palestinian background, and she’s a radical leftist who is constantly trashing Israel and playing the violin, if you will, for the Palestinians. I felt that the people of Michigan should have an opportunity to answer to that. I couldn’t think of a better answer than a conservative Republican who is an observant Jew who was born, raised, and served in the Israeli military as a counterweight to that.

I ran for Congress in 2020. I like to say that in 2020 I ran from scratch; this time, I’m running from experience. I learned a lot from my previous run.

The last time you ran in the 9th District, correct?

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Yes. But both in 2020 and now I am running against the Democrat incumbent, Andy Levin. He is Jewish.

Both his father and his uncle were lifelong politicians here in Michigan on the federal level. One was a state senator; one was a Representative.

But although Andy is Jewish, he is not good for us or our cause or our values or Israel. He’s a public critic of Israel. He’s a public critic of the Jewish people. He’s amongst the most radical leftist members of Congress.

I feel that he should be challenged every election cycle.

I ran against him last time. But I was fresh; I was new. I didn’t know that much. But I learned a lot. And I’ve decided to go for it again this time.

In 2020, I ran in the 9th District, which Andy was representing. But every ten years, there is redistricting.

And because of redistricting, Andy is running for re-election in the new 11th District.

They don’t make anything simple nowadays, do they?

No, with government, nothing is simple.

Did the redistricting help you?

Yes. I’m looking at the map at this new 11th Congressional District. It does lean blue, so I’m not a shoo-in, and I’m not a favorite to win the general election. However, I’m looking at this map, and with the demographic and with the way the map is set up, I really think that this map was drawn for me. I’m convinced that if I work hard, and I have support, and I’m able to get my message out, victory is achievable.

Why are you so confident?

I’m confident about that for a couple of reasons. First of all, the old 11th – which comprises about 44% of the new 11th – had a chunk of Wayne Country in it. Wayne County is the county that includes the city of Detroit. In 2020, in the old 11th, the Republican candidate beat incumbent Haley Stevens in the Oakland County portion. But then Wayne Country came in and swung the election her way. That part is not around anymore. So there is no part of Wayne County in the new 11th.

The other part about the new 11th that I like is the way it was drawn in Oakland County. It’s entirely in Oakland County. Oakland County has the vast majority of the at-large Jewish community in the entire Metro Detroit area. So especially if in the general, if it’s an election of Andy against me, there are about 70,000 residents who identify as Jewish who are vastly pro-Israel. They’re going to have a choice. They’re going to look at Andy Levin, who’s a vocal critic of Israel and a friend to Rashida Tlaib.

He stands right next to her and smiles and says, “Oh, what Tlaib and Omar are doing is not antisemitic, it’s not anti-Israel.” And we all know that it is. Or these Jewish voters could vote for a representative who was born and raised in Israel and served in the Israeli military and is clearly pro-Israel.

the district right here in Michigan.

I’m reaching out to Jewish people everywhere including New York and Five Towns where I think it would benefit all of them if I was a representative in Congress. Yes, it’ not in their district, but when it’s a federal seat, it affects you everywhere in the United States. Right now, our lives are completely affected by one congresswoman out of San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi.

She gets to make all of the decisions of the entire House. You can live in Nassau County and never have voted for Nancy Pelosi, but she is running the House of Representatives. What she does affects you wherever you are.

Similarly, if there is a frum representative from Michigan in the House, I can and will advocate for our way of life. Antisemitism is growing everywhere. We need someone in the

“WE NEED SOMEONE IN THE HOUSE, IN THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, WHO IS STANDING UP FOR US, WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT OUR LIFE IS LIKE.” I have a big chance to convert many of those voters to vote for me.

One of the things that will help me in that is that I recently received a big endorsement from Ambassador David Friedman, who was the architect of moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, the sovereignty recognition of the Golan Heights, and the Abraham Accords. His endorsement will play a big role for me with converting many of those moderate pro-Israel Democrats to my side.

How do you get people to actually go out and vote?

That is where campaigns, if they’re efficient and they have the money to get their message out, try to focus their message. Andy Levin has the Levin name. The Levin name has been winning in Michigan politics for decades, and he has that going for him. For me, for Gabi Grossbard, yes, I’ve been around for a couple of years, but I’m still an unknown newcomer, so I need support and funding, which is why I’m reaching out to beyond just

House, in the halls of Congress, who is standing up for us, who understands what our life is like.

What are you looking for from the communities outside of Michigan?

The main thing that I’m looking for is for contributions, for funding that would help me run an efficient, strong, and impressive campaign – a campaign that can win. That costs a lot of money. If I don’t get the funding, it’s essentially going to be a missed opportunity to unseat Andy Levin and to get a representative who can really do a lot of good with advocating for us and our values.

You’ve been meeting with prospective voters and with people in your district. What is primary on voters’ minds nowadays?

Well, out here in Michigan, there are a few things that are front and center. First of all is schools – although not in the traditional way where people are saying, “Oh, we need to improve education and we need to

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improve fundings for schools.” The issue with schools is for the parents.

Parents are being cut out of the process. As you know with COVID, parents got to learn a lot about what’s going on in public schools. And they came to realize that many of their kids are graduating without the ability to read, yet they’re being taught about gender starting in kindergarten. They are being taught about race. The little six-year-old boy who is white is being told he’s racist just because he is white. And the six-yearold black kid is being taught that he is oppressed just because he is black.

Parents don’t like that, and they don’t want that. Parents in Michigan are rising up, and it’s a very strong movement. There are a lot of grassroots organizations that are taking on schools. They’re recruiting people to run for school board and to effect that change in the schooling.

The other thing that is on people’s minds is inflation and the cost of living that’s rising. Gasoline is the thing that we see so clearly because what’s unique to the gasoline market is that they advertise to the penny. People will drive an extra block to save a penny, and that goes back years. It’s not something new to us, right? You say, “Oh, this place charges this much.

Down the street, they’re two cents less. I’m going go to go over there.” It’s the only industry that loses businesses over a couple of pennies. So people really pay attention to gas prices. And now, we’re going so high so fast. People are able to connect the dots, and they realize that it’s because of this administration and this administration’s policies that prices are rising.

But inflation is really everywhere.

You see it at the grocery store, you see it with your electric bill, you see it with everything you buy and pay for.

If your car lease is up and you need a new car, dealerships don’t even have cars, and if they do, the price is close to double what you paid for your current lease that’s maturing.

Inflation doesn’t just affect the rich or the middle class. Inflation really affects the most people who are on fixed incomes, seniors, people who are in public assistance, and even people who get food stamps. People really are feeling that squeeze on a daily basis.

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know the issues from your side of the table. I know the issues from my side of the table. There is no one better and more qualified to sit down and see how, from an American point of view, we can help and assist and work these types of things out.”

So it seems that schools and inflation are really on voters’ minds in Michigan.

People like to talk about more national stuff, but in our county specifically, we do not feel the rise in crime yet, and I hope it stays that way. We do not feel the major influx of the illegal immigration which exists, but it doesn’t affect us in our daily lives.

What about jobs in general? Isn’t Michigan a manufacturing state?

Michigan is a manufacturing state. It’s had its ups and downs like everything else.

Two years ago, when I was running, I was running on economy. We said we needed to bring back more manufacturing jobs. We needed to take them from China. We said that we can bring high-quality, good-paying jobs here to Michigan. But two years ago, there were plenty of opportunities, and business and the economy in general was clicking on all cylinders. Everyone was having a good life.

But now, two years later, companies can’t find employees to fill the jobs. There are so many businesses that have been shut down and are out of business. It’s really a strange situation where it’s a worker’s market. An employee can decide where they want to go work for what kind of money. So it’s not exactly a shortage of jobs because there are jobs, but they can’t fill them, and businesses don’t have business, so it’s a strange dynamic.

You ran in 2020 during a presidential election year. Did you feel that Trump running in 2020 was a help or a hindrance for you?

Well, in terms of issues, there were a lot of things different last time around. The economy was good and we were energy independent and we didn’t have such an influx of illegal immigration just pouring through the border. This was pre-COVID. We didn’t realize what the schools were teaching our kids; we only found out when schools went online.

Now, I’m talking about jobs in a horrible economy, in a stagnant economy, in an economy in which inflation is rising, and the stock market is dropping, and people don’t have business or employees.

Trump won Michigan in 2016 but lost it in 2020. Did you feel that running as a conservative Republican in Michigan in 2020 was an uphill battle?

Well, Trump was a president who had a lot of accomplishments.

If you look at the issues and what he succeeded to accomplish in his four years, they’re actually pretty impressive. There are many people – here in

run as a sort of a counterweight to Rashida Tlaib and Andy Levin who are anti-Israel. If you could debate Rashida Tlaib, what would be one question that you would pose to her or one thing that you would want to say to her directly?

Well, I’m specifically not running against her. And I also don’t want to fall into the trap of being a one-issue candidate. I’m clearly running to

“I GO TO PLACES WHERE THEY HAVEN’T SEEN A JEWISH GUY – LET ALONE A FRUM JEWISH GUY – IN THEIR LIFE, AND I’M WEARING A KIPPAH.” Michigan and here in the district – who love Trump. There are those who like everything he accomplished and don’t like him, and therefore, don’t like everything that he accomplished.

If you make a list of all his accomplishments and show it to voters without his name on top, more times than not, people will look at those accomplishments and point to them as those that they like. But as soon as you attach Trump’s name to those accomplishments, you get mixed reviews.

You mentioned that you wanted to

represent Americans, and life here in America. I’m familiar with all the issues, and I’m familiar with the life of everyday Americans. And that’s really what I’m campaigning on. Israel happens to be just another dynamic. So I don’t know that I would necessarily debate Rashida Tlaib, but I would hope that after I win my election in November, and assuming that she wins her re-election bid in November, once I’m in the House of Representatives, I will reach out to her and I would say, “Hey, Rashida, how about we establish a bipartisan caucus, a Middle East bipartisan caucus? You

I like that idea. When are the primaries being held?

Primaries are set to be held on August 2. Absentee ballots start in July, so we only have a few months until the primary.

I’d like the community in New York to know that, in a way, I’m still part New Yorker. I drive like a New Yorker. But the reality is that once I’m a U.S. representative, even if it’s out in Michigan, it could help and benefit all Jews in the country. I would like for the community in the Five Towns to hear about my campaign and learn about it. It will be great if they can support me and contribute to me, but just knowing about me is important.

What are certain challenges that you’ve met because of you are a frum Jew? I’ve seen that non-Jews find the rules of our religion strange, at first. But when they realize that it’s a real thing, and it’s not just a theory, they’re very accommodating, very understanding, and they even come around to respect it. I’ve been in the business world as a frum guy. I go to places where they haven’t seen a Jewish guy – let alone a frum Jewish guy – in their life, and I’m wearing a kippah. My kippah says “Vote Gabi” on it. I wear it everywhere, and people respect it. I don’t see it as an issue when I become a state representative.

Do you feel that religious Christians connect more with you because you are religious?

They do. And when they find out that I was born in Jerusalem on December 25, their eyes light up. But Republicans, in general, tend to be warm to that spiritual side. And I don’t travel in staunchly leftist Democrat circles, so I really don’t know what that would be like if I would be conversing with them.

For more information on Gabi Grossbard and his campaign for Congress, visit VoteGabi.com.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 29, 17, 2022 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 2015

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Teen Talk

By Mrs. C. Isbee

Dear Teen Talk, I am a senior in a Bais Yaakov high school. I am popular, active in all kinds of school activities, and take learning seriously. Now that it is the middle-end of the school year, you would think I’m happy to be finishing twelfth grade and excited to be starting a whole new venture. Actually, I’m really upset and currently questioning whether I am doing the right thing or not regarding post-high school plans.

I love my parents. They are sincere and good hard-working people. I know it’s difficult for them to make ends meet. They don’t complain about it, but I am aware that they struggle to pay tuition for my siblings and me. Doctors’ bills, insurance, mortgage, food, and other needs all cost, and I can tell that it’s difficult for them to cover everything.

I would love to go to Israel and learn in seminary there, however, I made the decision not to apply.

It is so expensive, and I could not dream of putting such a burden

Teen Talk , column in

a new

TJH, is geared to wards the teens in o ur commu nity.

Answered by a rotati ng roster of teachers, rebbeim, clinicians , an d peers (!), te ens will b e hearing answers to many que stions the had perco y lating in th eir minds wished th an d ey had th e answers for.

on my parents.

This topic was discussed often in my home. My parents are of the opinion that one can get a quality seminary education here.

By the time I started my senior year, I completely accepted the fact that seminary in Eretz Yisroel was not in the cards for me. Since it was already explored between me and my parents, I knew that it would be disrespectful of me to try to change their minds. Therefore, when my fellow students were sending out applications, I did not broach the topic any further with my parents. It was very hard at first, but I worked on my emunah and told myself I would experience a year of learning and growth by attending a local seminary. B”H, I was given a great “senior” job (head of production), and when the girls were applying to seminary earlier in the year, that was a good distraction and my “outlet.”

Now that my friends have gotten their responses (and production is over), the whole topic has become real. My friends

will all be leaving to study in Israel for the year. I am not worried that I will be dysfunctional without them, as I have a lot of self-confidence, and I make new friends easily.

I am worried that I will be judged (wrongly) by them and by my teachers for making this decision. Moreover, I am starting to question whether I did the right thing. Maybe I should have told my parents that I want to go! Perhaps, they could have borrowed money to fund the tuition from extended family.

What really triggered my frustration with my decision are the following happenings: I was sitting with my friends during break, when one of them asked me where I was going next year. I softly answered, “I’m going to seminary here.” The reason I answered softly is because there is so much hype about continu-

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

ing education in Israel, and little to no emphasis on pursuing seminary education here, that I became embarrassed to tell them I would be staying next year. Once I said that, one of my friends exclaimed, “You are not going to Eretz Yisroel? Why???”

Another friend answered for me saying, “Just because we’re all going doesn’t mean Atara has to go.” That made me feel a little better until she continued… “Not everyone has a need to continue their learning in higher institutions.

Some girls are OK with not going to Israel and getting a simpler edu-

Are you a teen with a question?

If you have a question or problem you’d like our columnists to address, email your question or insight to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com, subject line: Teen Talk.

The next day, as I was sitting around during a free period in the student lounge, I overheard other twelfth graders talking about the importance of going to Eretz Yisroel to learn post-high school because of the spiritual growth that takes place there. They all were very outspoken about the fact that this spiritual growth is best achieved by learning only in Israel. A tenth grader countered them and said that she feels people can grow in madreigah wherever they are. The

I thought my decision to forego seminary in Israel was the right thing to do. cation here. A lot of girls are happy to be done with high school and don’t want to work hard anymore.”

AS IF THIS WAS THE REASON I DID NOT PLAN ON GOING TO ISRAEL. I sat there speechless. I was totally misunderstood and misrepresented. I did not know what to say. I also felt uncomfortable disclosing the reason I wasn’t going. I believed they would not understand the sensitivity and sincerity of my decision.

group of twelfth graders, who are considered really good girls, told her, “You don’t understand. You have this opportunity. You take it. If you don’t, there’s no way you can develop and grow in America, the same way you can grow and develop in Israel. I feel bad for girls who decide not to go. But, I guess a year in Eretz Yisroel is not for everybody.” AS IF THIS WAS THE REASON I DID NOT PLAN ON GOING TO ISRAEL.

I am so mixed up. I know Kibbud Av V’em is supreme to Hashem. I thought my decision to forego seminary in Israel was the right thing to do. I got to a point where I was very much at peace with my decision. I know my parents are proud, too. Now, though, I am truly second-guessing myself. Maybe my thinking is cloudy. Maybe going to seminary in Israel should come before Kibbud Av V’Em. I don’t know how that can be, but perhaps you can clarify.

Also, since it is seen as the ultimate way to wrap up the high school years, I am scared that people will deem me inferior and it will affect my shidduch prospects.

Can you please give me the right hadracha regarding my situation?

Sincerely, Atara Normally, we would shorten a letter of this length, however, because of the relevancy of the topics raised in this girl’s question, we are publishing the letter in full.

Look for Mrs. Chayala Isbee’s answer to Atara in next week’s issue of TJH.

Mrs. Chayala Isbee is a long-time educator and school counselor at Bais Yaakov of Baltimore.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

My dream came true! My friend is dating my brother, and I even set them up! It’s my first shidduch, and I am so psyched that they’re almost

engaged. I worry, though, that I wasn’t 100% honest about him. He is a great guy now, but he’s kind of hard to deal with, that’s why I thought she would be a great girl for him. She has a thick shell and loves his sarcasm.

I heard a shiur recently that spoke about the importance of being completely honest with references and it got me thinking: what if I sugar-coated my brother to her? Did I coerce something? Does it sound to your panel like I was dishonest?

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

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. onsider tactfully encouraging them both to see each other’s weaknesses as well as strengths and to go into a commitment with self-knowledge and time on their side. You cannot discuss negative character traits at this point if they have come so far in their relationship.

Navigating inevitable disagreements in a healthy way and different love languages are key to a successful marriage. But they will have to develop those skills themselves. You cannot do that for them. There were reasons that prompted you to fix these two up. They have gotten to know each other and like

C

each other a lot. It’s up to them to be mature as they encounter the inevitable disappointments and differences that come with living with someone else. If problems develop at any stage in their relationship, it’s not your responsibility to fix them but to encourage them to go for appropriate help.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

K

udos on setting up your friend’s shidduch; it’s not easy!

The anxiety that comes with being a shadchan is real – hence all the “shidduch pounds” shadchanim mysteriously tend to put on after going from

dabbler to official. It’s as if, for every shidduch we make, Hashem rewards us with an extra five pounds as an extra “thanks.” Or perhaps the shidduch pounds come from all the chocolate consumed during late-night anxious snacking while waiting on the news about whether a “make it or break it” date was indeed a make it, or chas v’shalom, a break it.

In your case, the anxiety stems from whether you were fully transparent regarding your brother. Thankfully, it seems as if you worry about something that is quite obvious – your brother’s personality. If you were hiding a deep, dark secret such as a true addiction to…eating Gushers or watching Sesame Street in all of his free time, it would be a bigger problem. However, what you describe is a personality trait.

Try to get over how he made fun of your Barbie doll when you were six years old.

Your brother, akin to the neighborhood turtle, has a thick shell. If your friend is dating him and has not recognized this by now, she must don a shell of her own. Additionally, sarcasm is something very transparent and almost impossible to hide. Perhaps you, his little sister, found his sarcasm to be

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hurtful and hard to deal with. However, your friend who is dating him has surely seen his personality and has the ability to make this life-changing decision for herself.

It is not considered hiding information if, as a shadchan, you do not disclose obvious personality traits. A single I helped once described what she was looking for in one concise sentence: “Rather than a nice guy, I’d like a sarcastic, lumberjack doctor type.”

And guess what? She found him! Baruch Hashem!

There is a lid for every pot, even if that pot is a thick shell glazed in sarcasm. Your friend might just be his perfect match. Enjoy the simcha, and go enjoy some chocolate – a freilichin Purim!

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler ou are a hero and have done a great mitzvah, so keep smiling and keep those negative thoughts to yourself.

Consider the following: First, normal sibling rivalry can cause folks to be a bit too harsh in judging their own siblings. Trust those healthy instincts that initially prompted you to set up this shidduch. After all, you do report that “he’s a great guy now.” Try to get over how he made fun of your Barbie doll when you were six years old.

Second, they’ve been dating for a while. By now, they’ve gotten to know each other’s

Y

Pulling It All Together

strengths and weaknesses, and they still seem to like each other. Anything negative that you now report will not be taken well and might ruin your relationship with your brother and future sister-in-law.

Third, should we really be “completely honest” with references? Obviously, we shouldn’t hide serious issues like alcohol or drug problems, legal entanglements, or immorality. But, relatively minor, perceived slights and negatives, such as, “He was overly aggressive when we played basketball,” or, “She was jealous when I got better grades on tests” are best left unsaid.

Everyone has both good and bad qualities (except, of course, my wife, who is all good). It is a mitzvah to extoll the virtues of potential mates and encourage good people to date each other. If we discourage shidduchim by revealing every insignificant negative

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Hence all the “shidduch pounds” shadchanim mysteriously tend to put on after going from dabbler to official.

thought that comes to mind, the world would be overwhelmed with unmarried singles.

So, instead of dwelling on negatives, be happy for your friend and for your brother and start giving serious thought to your bridesmaid’s gown.

The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

T

hank you for writing into our panel. I think that many people may relate to your quandary, and I hope that your column will open up a broader conversation.

Firstly, let’s acknowledge how difficult of a position it is to have any sort of “difficult” family member (or friend, for that matter) in shidduchim. Many people, such as yourself, find themselves in impossible situations such as the following: - Friends who are asked to be references when they really don’t want to be references.

- Family members of someone with any form of untreated or out of control mental health issue or per-

sonality disorder.

-Having a sibling who is an overall great guy, with some “difficult” behaviors that (from your email) he seems to have possibly outgrown.

Are we supposed to warn others? And what is worthy of being “reported”? And, at what price does this warning come to your own self and the family member?

Many times, when a loved one gives a “warning,” it is very unwelcome and the person doing the “warning” seems “crazy.” And the warner risks losing the family member.

The broader topic of honesty and truth telling is very complicated and layered in this regard.

I think when it comes to shidduchim, it is best to speak your rabbinical authority on the matter.

I cannot tell you what to do. I don’t think this is a simple matter.

You feel as though you left out important information and wonder if you have coerced this relationship. You feel a sense of responsibility for this relationship, which is understandable since you set them up. Furthermore, you feel you left out possibly relevant information which might make you responsible should things, G-d forbid, turn sour. You didn’t mention anything specific about your brother’s unsavory behaviors for me to have an idea of whether or not you left out anything very important.

Let’s look at the reality of the situation for a moment. Your brother and your best friend are near engagement.

I hope this means that they are crazy about each other. If you make a move now (even the gentlest of moves) you risk upsetting your brother and your best friend and losing them. This may not be enough of a reason not to be completely forthcoming. If you will not be able to live with yourself, and will torture yourself about this for the rest of time, then you may find that you have no choice other than to come forward and speak to your friend.

This is a very delicate matter. If you are so inclined, I suggest speaking to a qualified rav who has vast experience in these sensitive matters related to shidduchim.

All the best, 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. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. 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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Dr. Deb

G-d’s Hiddenness in Purim Reflects Ours

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

W

e emulate G-d. Or we are supposed to. We do that in a big way on Purim: G-d is hidden in the story, and we are generally hidden in our own stories.

And when we hide from ourselves, we also have Hashem hidden, too.

See, Hashem is in us; He breathed into us and gave us our neshama. But if we have lost contact with who we are – with the neshama within us – then in that process, we’ve also lost contact with G-d.

That’s how we remain hidden from ourselves, and then G-d seems to have gone into hiding from us.

He didn’t, actually. The path back to Him has to begin with uncovering our neshama, discovering who we are.

I think that this is exactly why it says in Parshas Eikev, “Umaltem es orlas levovchem,” Circumcise the covering of your hearts. We can do it; but we definitely have no clue what the Torah is asking of us or how to even begin that process.

In fact, most of us generally believe we do know who we are and who our family and friends are. I hear this a lot: “He’s a narcissist.”

“She’s a bossy, controlling person.”

“I admit I am a perfectionist.”

“I have always been anxious.”

“I’m shy.”

“He’s a grump.”

“I am socially awkward.”

When you experience a personality trait within yourself or others so very often that you have trouble even recalling when it wasn’t there, you think it’s you. Except it really isn’t you at all. Or them.

How do I know that?

Because the neshama we were given is who we really are. And you know that when Hashem implanted it within us it was not a narcissist, bossy, perfectionistic, anxious, shy, grumpy or socially awkward. Those are not qualities of the neshama.

Those are qualities that we take on in life due to the demands of the context we are in.

Rabbi Avi Zakotishky just said that last Shabbos, Parshas Vayikra.

Why does it keep reminding us that when we were to give a korban, Hashem would enjoy its rayach, smell? The answer he said was that our pure neshama is undamaged, and we remind Hashem of that by referring to the one sense of ours that was not corrupted by Adam HaRishon. Our “sins,” he said, are mistakes, but not who we really are.

So when that happens, have we changed? Do we turn into something else than what we started out with the day we were born? I think not.

Because if we actually changed, G-d wouldn’t ask us to circumcise the cover on our hearts; it wouldn’t be possible.

So it must be that we actually are that bright, pure, golden, sparkling neshama that He first gave us. And it got hidden. So well hidden, in fact, that we don’t even know it’s there and wouldn’t recognize ourselves if we saw it.

Yet, we are asked to find it – literally do a surgery to remove what is covering it. So that must mean the process can’t be easy and it might even involve a little pain. (Although they say the drop of wine given to the baby helps a bunch with the pain.)

And if we don’t find it, if we don’t make some serious effort to search for it, we are faced with a potential holocaust. Because in Queen Esther’s day, the Jewish people were being set up for exactly that. It absolutely could have been the Moor Wars, the Spanish Inquisition, the Pogroms, or, indeed the Holocaust and terror attacks of our time. It wasn’t, but it could have been.

Why am I making such a connection?

When we Jews lose connection with who we are – which is how we lose connection with G-d –our downfall is immanent. Luckily, we

found ourselves when we were in the Purim happenings –just in the nick of time.

But us, today? How do we uncover the covering on our hearts?

How do we find out who our real Selves are if they aren’t actually a narcissist or a bipolar or a controlling person or any of the range of nasty labels that we put on ourselves and on our loved ones? How? And why does it matter, today, anyway?

It matters because the lack of being who we are is precisely what’s keeping us from having loving, giving, relaxed, and happy relationships. What we must do – and yes, we must – is go through the process of identifying our “coverings” for our heart, what I’ve been calling here in this column, our “parts” and distinguishing those from our true neshama.

Mind you, there is nothing wrong with having defenses. Our parts get us through meetings that we may find overwhelming at work, and they speak so intelligently for us, we’re surprised. Our parts get us up in the morning exactly on time, before the alarm goes off. Our parts tell us when someone’s behavior is not nice, and they may let us know of their anger.

There’s nothing wrong with knowing there’s something to be angry about, for instance.

But the trick is for our neshama, our higher Self, to use that information to settle the problem in a way that actually settles it instead of alienating the very people who we want to make changes.

When two people have discovered who they really are and what parts they each have, a so-called argument

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looks like this: Joe: When I called you yesterday, you didn’t seem to want to talk and a part of me felt rejected.

Jane: I didn’t want to talk to you!

There’s a real scared part of me that is afraid to start a conversation because it will most likely lead to an argument.

Joe: So that’s why you avoided the conversation?

Jane: Yes. Joe: But there’s that little boy inside me that was always feeling rejected and dismissed growing up that felt exactly that way again when you didn’t want to talk.

Jane: I see that now. Just getting this out on the table, I feel better.

Let’s talk!

Notice that Jane is ready to talk because – lo and behold! – there is no argument after all. This is a vastly different experience from how it might have gone had Joe and Jane not learned that they have parts and a Soul as well. In that version,

levovchem, their hearts, are so covered up by their defenses – their parts – that it cannot go well: Joe: You are just a rotten person, Jane! You have no time for me. You treat me like garbage.

Jane: Here we go again. Always finding fault. Always blaming. No

and time. How did you learn Hebrew? Or violin? Or Gemara? Not quick and easy. But eminently doable.

Here is an overview of the steps in this process: 1. Physiological calming so that we can think clearly and be hon-

Do we turn into something else than what we started out with the day we were born?

wonder we can’t talk.

See the difference? Which one does it look like in your house?

But let’s get back to the “how” of it all. How do we get to this place of recognition of the difference between Self and parts, first in ourselves and then in each other?

For starters, it takes work, effort,

est with ourselves. We do this with mindful meditation – and I have discovered the way to cut out all internal chatter.

2. Recognition of the “moods” we are in and what triggered them.

Some of them are our parts and some are our true Selves. We can make a list of them and easily separate out

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one from another just using Torah requirements of what it wants of us.

3. Spending very quiet time checking internally as to why we needed these parts in the first place, then making a deal with them to allow our Selves to take leadership over them. (Read Rabbi Dessler’s Search For Truth for how you can do this yourself.)

4. Starting to recognize, accept, and help our partner’s parts, too, as in the conversation above.

If you need help with this process, I’ve now got a top-notch Therapy Associate helper on my team, Tara Minshall. Reach out to me, and I will pass the contact information over to you.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

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Health & F tness

National Nutrition Month

By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

M

arch is National Nutrition Month.

Nat iona l Nut r it ion Month is a nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The campaign focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing good eating and physical activity habits. The theme for National Nutrition Month of 2022 is “Celebrate a World of Flavors.” This is meant to encourage everyone to take the time to enjoy cultural food traditions and appreciate the great flavors of food.

Experimenting with new flavors can have multiple benefits. Aside from introducing new foods to your menu (now with the new added flavor), many of the spices and herbs themselves offer nutritious benefits. Firstly, most of these spices and herbs contain little or no calories at all, making them “free” foods and allowing you to enjoy them limitlessly. In addition, adding spices and herbs can replace other added enhancements which contain calories, thereby making the food less calorically dense. And more, spices and herbs can be used to replace salt, thereby lowering your sodium intake and protecting your heart. Additionally, if the food becomes rich in flavor, chances are it will fill you up more, leaving less room for overeating.

Studies shows that regular consumption of spicy foods is linked to lower risk of death from certain diseases. Researchers uncovered the power of herbs and spices as weapons against diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. In countries like India, where spices are used by the handful, incidents of cancer and cardiovascular disease are very low compared to Westerners. Spices have been an integral part of culinary cultures around the world and have a long history of use for flavoring, coloring, and preserving food, as well as for medicinal purposes. The increased use of spices as flavorings

in foods is a major trend worldwide.

Now, instead of just enjoying the flavor, you can enjoy the many health benefits spices have to offer.

Consider the following additions of flavor to some favorite and common foods. A simple change in taste may make a big impact.

If you want to add some spice to your food, try using chili. The health benefits of chili can be credited to capsaicin and vitamin C, found in high amounts in chili. Capsaicin is the active ingredient, that makes you feel like your mouth is on fire when you take a bite into a chili pepper.

Research has found that capsaicin causes cancer cells to commit suicide, therefore helping treat cancer. Capsaicin has also been found to ease pain by depleting the pain-causing neurotransmitter substance P through its anti-inflammatory properties. A topical form of capsaicin is used to help treat osteoarthritis pain. Capsaicin has also been shown to relieve headaches and migraines and relieve sinus-related symptoms. Since it is so hot, capsaicin helps clear up mucus from the nose, reducing nasal congestion. Furthermore, capsaicin is a thermo-genic agent, which means it speeds up metabolism and is used as a fat burner. Many “fat burning supplements” contain capsaicin. Lastly, capsaicin has been shown to protect the heart by reducing cholesterol, tri-

glycerides, and platelet aggregation.

Another commonly eaten spice that has many health benefits is the sweet spice cinnamon. Cinnamon contains iron, calcium, manganese, and fiber and is loaded with health benefits. Cinnamon has been found to keep your arteries healthy, regulate blood sugar levels, and lower cholesterol. Cinnamon may be a diabetic’s new best friend. Studies have shown that cinnamon helps improve glycemic control and, if used early enough, can reverse prediabetes. Once a person develops diabetes, cinnamon helps regulate blood glucose levels.

Cinnamon has also been found to have anti-inflammatory effects and serve as an antioxidant. So be generous while sprinkling cinnamon to your coffee, oatmeal, yogurt, and other goodies.

Another spice that offers many health benefits is the bright yellow spice turmeric. Turmeric has been found to serve as an antioxidant and improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties and helps to treat inflammation related diseases.

In some studies, turmeric compared favorably to anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical drugs, yet without the side effects. Turmeric has a long list of health issues it is used to treat such as arthritis, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, intestinal gas, stomach bloat-

ing, loss of appetite, jaundice, liver problems and gallbladder disorders, headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fever, menstrual problems, and cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, water retention, worms, and kidney problems. Turmeric adds flavor and color to soups, chickens, meats, rice, and even chulent!

Another spice that is commonly used in almost all dishes is garlic.

Garlic is an herb that is best known for flavoring foods and its myth for keeping vampires away. Recently, garlic has been used as a medicine to treat diseases and various health conditions.

Studies show that garlic slows the hardening of arteries, thus preventing atherosclerosis, and regulates blood pressure, thus preventing hypertension. Garlic has also been used to treat certain cancers, diabetes, osteoarthritis, hay fever, high blood pressure late in pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), cold and flu. Garlic can be eaten raw, roasted, ground and minced. Garlic can be added to almost everything – chickens, meats, fish, salads, rice, pastas, and roasted vegetables.

These are just a few of many spices that you easily can add into your diet.

Consider using these flavors as well to add a kick to your favorite dish: lime, lemon, zaatar, mint, ginger, coconut, basil, oregano, shawarma spice, and cilantro.

Try any of the flavors mentioned above to widen your menu and switch things up. Open up your spice cabinet, pour generously, and enjoy the flavors and the many health benefits spices have to offer.

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a private nutritionist. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail. com or at 917-623-6237.

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Parenting Pearls

The Megillah and Nach

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

I

was talking to a sweet young man and asked him if he was learning Navi. He laughed and told me that Navi was for little kids. I was a bit surprised but not shocked. With so much to learn, Nach doesn’t get the same attention.

I recall learning that we actually had far more neviim and nevuos than those recorded. Additionally, only a select number of texts made it into Nach. Those that made the cut were ones that were seen as being relevant for generations to come, including our own.

There are two problems with leaving Nach exclusively to the little ones.

The first problem is that, in general, we tend to have too simplistic a view of Tanach, especially Nach, when we don’t delve into it after childhood. The second issue is that we miss out on so many lessons that can be gleaned from these holy seforim. These lessons can be used in our day-to-day lives to educate and inspire both us and our children.

I am not criticizing that Nach gets relegated to “secondary” status among the subjects because there is so much to learn and far too few hours to do it.

I remember in high school when the girls complained that the boys didn’t take some of the limudei kodesh subjects we did. I still remember the words of our rebbi when he said that truthfully the boys should be learning those extra subjects but they simply couldn’t cover all of that material and still gain the strong foundation needed in Gemara.

With Purim in the air, Megillas Esther readily comes to mind. We hear the story of the Megillah, carefully hearing each word, and then we step out into the party of Purim. The Purim story is actually rather intense. We tend to focus on the salvation at the end but avoid dwelling on the minute details that got us there. With a finetooth comb reading of the text we realize the magnitude of our ancestors’ situation and the many lessons con-

tained in this ancient text.

While today’s topic can be generalized to a good portion of Nach, I will mostly be using the Megillah for our examples. I’ve seen samples of the series “The Navi Journey” by Rabbi Ilan Ginian. It’s a wonderful resource for parents that want to have an easy way to access the books of Nach.

Childhood Learning There is so much importance to childhood learning, particularly when inculcating pure children with such holy words. It’s important that children learn Torah from a young age.

Whether they enjoy parsha stories or learning about chagim, it’s an important start to their neshama’s journey.

We want their learning to be not only informative but also enjoyable.

We’re setting the tone for their future perception of religious learning, and we want that attitude to be a sweet one. Games, skits, and storytelling all bring timeless lessons down to their level in a way they can appreciate and understand. Prizes and stickers are added to create lasting memories, long after they’ve been worn through or lost.

We want to fortify our youth with an appreciation for our mesora to last for decades to come. We want our children to feel inner excitement and joy when they think of Torah and Yid-

dishkeit. The rest of this article is not intended to diminish this early childhood experience in the least. I want to take this beginning cornerstone of learning to the next level.

More Than Childhood Storytelling Torah is more than just stories and cutesy tales. While we tell Parsha as animated stories for the littles and put on Purim plays, it’s not meant to end there. Torah is emes, and Tanach wasn’t written to provide merely kosher entertainment.

When young children are taught parsha and the Megillah, the midrashim are mixed in liberally. Midrashim add much to p’shat and there is a reason they’re included, but, what we end up having is teenagers (and adults) that can’t differentiate between the basic scriptural text and the added-in midrashim. It’s cute when children tell you about Vashti’s tail and spots but less so when an older person doesn’t realize the Megillah never mentions them. Many people have been embarrassed when they spoke of midrashim as if they were p’shat. It often takes learning on an adult level to differentiate and recognize the difference between the two.

Children are taught a very limited amount of the material. They don’t go into the full depths of the subject

because they are too young to understand it or because the material is too mature. Youngsters are taught that Rachav was simply an innkeeper.

Children may not appreciate her level of emunah in Hashem that she risked her life to protect the spies, knowing she faced certain death if discovered.

She wasn’t even Jewish, yet she knew Hashem was the Tuth. It takes a more mature mind to appreciate the power of teshuva that, according to some opinions, she could go on to become Yehoshua’s wife (Megilla 14b).

Little kids learn about Haman buying the privilege to destroy the Jews, chas v’shalom. It takes a more mature mind to understand the fact that Achashveiros didn’t actually accept the money. We tell kids that Hashem was hiding throughout the Megillah, which is true. As adults we can additionally recognize the precarious position the Jewish community was in at the time and couldn’t simply write what they wanted. The Megillah was an official document written somewhat contemporaneously and was visible to the Persians who wouldn’t want to see their king described negatively.

Most of the lessons are beyond their tender years but we want to give our children a foundation in what will become lifelong guidance. A foundation isn’t intended to be the end – it’s just the beginning. If we discourage in-depth learning after a certain age, then we deny our children the ability to learn the deeper, more profound lessons contained within.

Lessons for Today It’s important to learn lessons from the Torah. They shouldn’t remain as simply nice thoughts we’ve heard but then forgotten. These teachings are intended to be incorporated into our hearts, souls, and daily life.

We readily realize the lessons we can learn from the kedoshim of recent generations. As an example, it’s easier for me to handle less-than-ideal circumstances when I remember that

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my Bubby Bina was under such horrific circumstances during the Holocaust that she couldn’t even imagine the luxury of a simple pillow. If she couldn’t imagine surviving past the war, I certainly shouldn’t complain about hitting a red light. When my other grandmother mentioned the feelings of starvation brought on by the Great Depression, it made a breakfast of scrambled eggs taste luxurious.

Rather than focus on the obvious discomfort, she instead reminisced that she always had the good fortune to have an apple before bed. I can learn gratitude for my own blessings when recalling her attitude.

The people in Nach were real people that experienced difficult and trying circumstances. Many of them are our distant ancestors. They, too, can be a source of insight into what is an appropriate path for us. Just as we are moved by the circumstances of our grandparents, we can also gain that emotion from Torah she’bichsav.

We can be inspired by Mordachai’s

unfathomable insistence on doing the right thing, even at risk to his life. It’s easy to be embarrassed by keeping halacha in front of those that may not understand why we act differently from them. When boys are uncom-

greatest of heights and became Hashem’s shaliach in our salvation. When a child feels incapable of excelling, they can simply look towards an unlikely heroine to remember that we all have greatness within.

When a child feels incapable of excelling, they can simply look towards an unlikely heroine to remember that we all have greatness within.

fortable when someone stares at their yarmulkes, they can remember that Mordechai was unflinching and acted as a Yid at all times. He willingly wore sackcloth publicly to bring his generation towards teshuva.

Esther was unknown prior to being picked by the king yet she rose to the

There was a decree calling for death to every Jew, lo aleinu. According to the natural order, we shouldn’t have survived. Despite the odds against everything, our greatest scare became the source of our most joyous day. Our children can learn to never give up hope and that Hashem truly

can save us from anything, no matter how dire circumstances look.

Let’s not deny our children the strength of our heritage. We shouldn’t sound preachy, and we shouldn’t put children down for not living up to these high standards; neither of these will work. In fact, they’ll probably have the opposite effect. What we can do is use these stories as real-life examples of where their true potential lies. Our children have this capability, and they should recognize the power within themselves.

Enjoy the infinite depth of our holy scriptures. Appreciate the lessons and let’s pass them on to the next generation. Listen closely as the Megillah is read; there is so much to be learned.

Chag sameach!

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

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jewish women of wisdom

Come Meet My Dear Friends

By Miriam Liebermann, MSW

I

’ve always enjoyed having friends of different ages and varied backgrounds. Having lived most of my life on the West Side of Manhattan, I certainly had a most diversified population from which to draw my friends. Being drawn to the creative, artsy type, on the lookout always for fellow musicians, many of my close friends were newcomers to the community, baalei teshuva.

These lovely women enhanced our Shabbos table and, ultimately, became very dear to me. Sasha on the flute, Elizabeth on the cello, Stephanie and Daniella on the violin, Emily and Barbara on the piano – they took their place among my nearest and dearest.

These days, I find myself gravitating to those older than myself.

Seeking role models for those who are aging gracefully, I’m delighted to tell you that I’ve found quite a few, ka”h, all in their 90s, may they be healthy and well till 120! Rita just retired as the receptionist at a prominent Jewish communal organization at the age of 91. Ka”h, going strong, she’s up and beautifully dressed each morning, ready to par-

ticipate in shiurim and other communal activities. Chaya still runs her local library, reading each book before allowing it to be placed on the shelves. Machi welcomed me to her lovely beach home so graciously this summer, sharing with me her writings that have been published in

etry together. Listen to music. Enjoy family photos. Walk down memory lane together. After her passing, I intended to spend more time with my mother’s older sister who lived in my building. Sadly, she passed away soon after. I still recall, returning home from her levaya, I was

Buy those green bananas!

Keep moving.

several of our popular publications.

Eva welcomes me so beautifully to her home, sharing with me family photos and family lore. And Vivian keeps up with the New York Times, totally on top of current events, debating politics with the best of them.

My mother, a”h, was quite ill for close to a decade before her passing. Spending time with her was a major part of my daily routine. I would bring books and articles to share with her. We would read po-

in the car with one of my favorite neighborhood rebbetzins. I asked her, “Perhaps we can get together one afternoon? Maybe enjoy a cup of coffee together?”

She responded, “Miriam, I’d love to, but I’m too busy. I still head off to work every day.” That response certainly put me in my place!

It is a joy to see and most encouraging for me as I observe women in their 80s and 90s living full, vibrant lives. Sixty-five is still quite young!

Fifty even younger! Many more years up ahead. Let’s keep planning and dreaming and forging ahead.

My father would often quote his favorite poem written by Robert Frost: The woods are lovely dark and deep But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep With G-d’s help, we have many more healthy years ahead of us. Buy those green bananas! Keep moving.

Now’s the time to embark on new projects. Do you have free time? Go for it. There’s no time like the present!

And a word of advice, if I may: let’s surround ourselves with vibrant, active people. Let’s seek role models and mentors among the seniors in our circles. There is so much for us to learn from them. The fun has just begun!

JWOW! is a community for midlife Jewish women which can be accessed at www.jewishwomanof wisdom.org for conversation, articles, Zoom events, and more.

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L iver Mousse, Bison

Sliders, and Tagine A Taste of the KFWE Experience

BY NATI BURNSIDE

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The Kosher

Food & Wine Experience (K F WE)

returned on Tuesday, March 1, after a year off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the format was certainly very different from the 2021 version, the 2022 vintage wasn’t quite the same as the 2020 one, either.

In the past, the much-anticipated event had been held in New York and featured an extensive selection of restaurants and cuisines to pair with perhaps an even greater selection of wines and other alcoholic beverages. Last year, the pandemic caused the event to be relegated to an online stream and kits that were sent to people’s homes featuring several small bottles of wine with instructions on what to pair them with.

This year, the event moved to New Jersey, and the food was consolidated to four main stations with some dessert options for those with a sweet tooth. The sold-out ballroom at the Hilton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was packed with people trying to put the pandemic behind them and get back to the old days when KFWE was the pinnacle of the kosher food calendar every year.

K

FWE is the top kosher food and wine event in the world and usually takes place in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, and Israel on a yearly basis. With a fifteen-year history of great events, many were excited to see how the new format would compare to past events. There were also those who were rather indifferent to the changes and were there to just enjoy a great night out.

One of the biggest differences was the lack of the two-tiered system that defined the experience in past years. Previously, a VIP section would include some of the higher-end options at the event, and tickets would be limited and sold for a higher price. This year, KFWE made the decision to go with a single tier where everybody could feel like a VIP as some of the top chefs in the world would be responsible for a greater percentage of the food.

The event was also stretched to six hours in order to give people a wider range of times to attend.

Before the event, Royal Wine (the leading sponsor of KFWE) announced that they would be donating a minimum of $30,000 to Emergency Ukraine, a Canadian charity that has been helping the Jewish communities in several Ukrainian cities during their current conflict with Russia.

The donation will include all proceeds from Xdar, a Ukrainian vodka, and Lvov, a Polish vodka. Both of the brands included in the donation were featured at KFWE and are two of their top selling vodka brands.

The four food sections that were featured this year were inspired by Californian, French, Mediterranean, and Japanese cuisines. Each section provided attendees with a wide range of items to sample, from dishes that were appetizers to those that were scaled down versions of main entrees (to better allow everyone to try as many dishes as possible).

The Californian selection was orchestrated by Chef Gabe Garcia. As head chef at Tierra Sur, the restaurant located at the Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California, Garcia runs what is considered to be one of the top kosher restaurants in the world. His menu for this event was a diverse array of flavors that perfectly blended New American fare with a distinct taste of California.

Garcia said his favorite menu item was the Veal Carnitas. This amazing combination of flavors was made with slow-cooked pulled veal in a mini tortilla with pickled red onions, fresh radishes, an avocado salsa verde, and micro cilantro.

“You can really taste everything I’m trying to do in the carnitas,” Garcia said with a passion in his voice. “Those flavors remind me of home.”

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Some of the other most popular items from the California section included the Bison Slider (boondocks bourbon hickory glaze, onion strings, dijonnaise) and the Korean Fried Chicken (shaved cabbage, pickled daikon, kimchi mayo).

Michael Schick is a 25-year veteran of the catering business and oversaw the French cuisine at KFWE. His business, Catering by Michael Schick (based in Brooklyn) is well-known as a superior provider of unique cuisines with spectacular presentation. His additions to KFWE certainly did not disappoint.

When asked which dish was his favorite, Schick offered up perhaps the most interesting dish of the night, the Chicken Liver Mousse. Even those who might be familiar with the idea of mousse made

from chicken liver had likely never tasted it while using a chicken skin chicharon as a delivery method. That is, a deep-fried piece of chicken skin used kind of like a cracker to dip the mousse in.

“I think that chicken liver mousse is such a fun thing to make because it gets people to expand their palates,” Schick said with the sophistication of a professor. “It’s not something you can find everywhere, so I’m glad we have it here tonight.”

One other offering at the French counter that was a big hit with those in attendance was the Cassoulets, made with veal meatballs, duck sausage, tomato, and beans.

On the Mediterranean side of things, Chef Michael Solomonov was providing an interesting assortment of flavors from all types of cultures.

Solomonov has a preposterously long list of accomplishments that include four James Beard Awards in different categories and Bon Appetit’s “Dish of the Year” for his hummus. He is seen as an ambassador for modern Israeli cooking.

As his selection for his personal favorite bite of the night, he chose the Moroccan Tagine Chicken.

He used chicken thighs, apricots, potatoes, and olives to construct the dish that is traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot and remarked on how diverse the dish was.

“It’s my favorite because it’s great however you eat it,” he said before giving some examples. “It’s really good cold, which people might not expect.

Plus, you can take the leftovers and make them into an incredible sandwich the next day.”

Not to be overlooked, Solomonov also made an incredibly tender Yemenite Short Rib that was served over jeweled Persian rice. Guests were dazzled by the giant racks of ribs being shuttled into the station to make this dish possible, with many going back for multiple portions of the bite-size chunks of meat.

The sushi was provided by Sushi Tokyo, a chain of popular sushi restaurants that includes five locations spread across Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Long Island, and upstate New York. Owner Chaim Lipsitz was on-hand to manage the station and discuss some of his unique offerings with those in attendance.

Their buffet included more than just sushi, with other types of items from their extensive menu available to sample. But, in the end, Lipsitz said his favorite thing there was one of Sushi Tokyo’s classics.

“It’s the Tokyo Roll for me,” he said with pride.

“It’s got a little bit of everything going on packed inside one roll.”

He’s certainly right about that. The Tokyo Roll is a cooked salmon roll that features sweet potato and avocado on the inside, spicy tuna on the outside, and a topping of crunchy onions and a drizzle of Sushi Tokyo’s special sauce. There’s a lot going on, but it comes together well.

The Lawrence Roll was also hard to keep on the tray. A black pepper tuna roll with avocado and crunch on the inside, spicy salmon on the outside, and crunchy onions and sweet sauce drizzled on top, it seemed to be the other favorite at the buffet.

As if all these selections weren’t enough, there were also some dessert options for the attendees to peruse. Fruits by Pesha (based in Brooklyn) had a truly impressive display of dehydrated options that seemed to include pretty much every fruit imaginable, and Elegant Desserts NY had pareve ice cream popsicles with a buffet of coatings that you could add yourself. There was also a trio of cookie options that were packed to go for the crowd to take home.

The element of the evening that remained unchanged in comparison to non-2021 years past was the alcohol selections. The 63 different booths at the event featured offerings that included pretty much every wine you could think of, some hard liquor selections like bourbons and vodkas, and myriad interesting options like hard seltzers and alcohol-infused tubes of slush.

The crowd was invited to walk around with their KFWE-branded wine glasses and taste whatever they’d like, one ounce at a time. The glass was a souvenir for everyone to take home.

While nobody knows what the format will be for KFWE NY 2023, some participants could be heard speculating and giving their opinions on if they favored this year’s format or those of the past.

They say that if you have two Jews in a room, you have three opinions. In this case, there were hundreds of Jews, but they all agreed on one thing: people can’t wait to have more events like this once again.

Nati Burnside is a freelance writer living in Fair Lawn, NJ, and is a man of many interests. He can be reached at natiburnside@gmail.com.

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In The K

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tchen

Overnight Potato Kugel or Yapchik

By Naomi Nachman

Purim is now behind us, and we are going full force into Pesach. Here is one of my

favorite dishes to serve on Pesach instead of a cholent. This year, we have two Shabbosim on Pesach. This is cooked

overnight just like cholent and is the perfect Shabbat day comfort food.

Ingredients ◦ 2 strips of meaty flanken ◦ 8-10 large potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold) ◦ 1 large onion ◦ 4 eggs, large ◦ Salt and white pepper to taste ◦ 1 cup water or chicken soup

Preparation 1.

Place meat at the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan.

2. In a food processor, grate onion, potatoes, and eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over the meat.

3. Bake for 2 hours at 350°F and remove from oven.

4. Before Shabbat, add one cup of water on top of the kugel. Place a piece of parchment paper over the kugel, them some heavy duty aluminum foil over that, and cover well.

5. Place in a 200°F oven right before Shabbat. Take out the next day before serving.

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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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

We are opposed to the idea — and this, I think, is an existential part of the debate — that Israel should be preserved as a state for the Jewish people.

- Amnesty International U.S. Director Paul O’Brien at the Women’s National Democratic Club conference this week

If we say we are not going to send our hospitals [to help the Ukrainians], because their great-grandfathers [did horrible things to our great-grandparents], then we will have to stop our diplomatic relations with most of the world and think about how to build our past, not how to build our futures.

– Natan Sharansky in an interview with the Jerusalem Post

That’s right, gas prices were already on the rise, and with the decision to ban Russian oil, they’re higher than ever before. Gas prices are so high, the Indy 500 was just changed to the Indy 5.

McDonald’s…is cutting ties with Russia. Yeah, we don’t want their oil and they can’t have our grease.

We go to Europe, to France and Spain, and love to visit all those places for medieval history, and they [the locals] are proud to show various Crusader castles, and you understand that every square meter there is full of Jewish blood from the most horrible pogroms. But you don’t say, “OK, they deserve what happened to them under the Nazis.” If that would be our approach, then we would simply be obsessed with how to destroy the world, because we were victims practically everywhere.

— Jimmy Fallon

- Ibid

Within months, the planet’s average temperature would fall by more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit; some amount of this cooling would persist for more than a decade.

The irony is that Putin said the Ukrainians are not a nation, but now probably has done more than anyone in history to give them a sense of being a nation.

— Jimmy Fallon

But on the bright side, this is the perfect excuse to pretend you’re going to get back on the bike you bought mid-pandemic and rode twice.

— James Corden

– From an article in The Atlantic titled, “On Top of Everything Else, Nuclear War Would Be a Climate Problem”

As we told you yesterday, McDonald’s, Starbucks and now CocaCola have announced that they are suspending business in Russia.

Yes, which means the Russian people are going to be forced to develop diabetes on their own now.

— Trevor Noah

– Ibid.

It’s in my bio and has been for years. A couple 14 hour work days later, and I flipped NATO and UN. You will live.

– Tweet by a Hollywood actress after she was mocked for tweeting “Kick Russia out of NATO”

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I can’t even imagine how strange these [Russia and Ukraine] meetings must be. It’d be like trying to have a conversation with someone who’s actively setting your house on fire.

— James Corden

Do they get there and there’s small talk before they get into it: “Ah, yeah, that Russell Wilson trade is crazy. Anyway, we would love it if we could, you know, pump the brakes on the whole invasion thing.”

— James Corden

When we’re having this discussion, it’s important to dispel some of those who say, well, it’s the government spending. No, it isn’t. The government spending is doing the exact reverse, reducing the national debt. It is not inflationary.

- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at a press conference

In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service.

- Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in a message this week to mark Commonwealth Day

If Joe Biden is so confident that the rest of us don’t think he holds any blame here [for rising gas prices], then how about this one – why don’t we start putting ballot drop boxes at gas stations and start the early voting now? You want early voting? You want convenience? Let’s start voting at gas stations right now, Joe Biden. Let’s have the midterms start right now. Put drop boxes next to the pump and see who gets elected.

- SiriusXM talk show host Andrew Wilkow

Well, no. These are Feb #’s and only include small Russia effect. This is Biden’s inflation, and he needs to own it.

- Tweet by former Obama economic adviser Steven Rattner in response to President Biden blaming Putin for February’s record inflation numbers

As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as “death to the Russian invaders.” We still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians.

- Statement by Meta (Facebook)

These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business…

- Tweet by Tom Brady

Inflation is hitting everyone.… We took just a little bit out of the bag so we can give you the same price and you can keep enjoying your chips.

- A Frito-Lay representative telling Quartz that they are cutting the amount of chips per Doritos bag because of inflation

If that’s the hill they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship from the Communist Party of China? Because that’s what they do, and they make a fortune, and they don’t say a word about the really brutal practices that you see over there at the hands of the CCP. And so in Florida, our policies got to be based on the best interest of Florida citizens, not on the musing of woke corporations.

- Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) after signing a bill that prohibits teaching children in kindergarten through third grade about highly inappropriate things, responding to Disney’s condemnation of the new law which has drawn the ire of the radical left

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Our task is to show people that, in many ways, they got what they ordered. Right?

They said this is what they wanted. They stood in line. They took time from work.

It was difficult. And a lot of what they demanded, they got. So let’s get out there, as we do, and remind them of that. Because we know that they will show up again. They will say, “Yes, we must fight climate change.”

They will say, “Yes, I wanted and got and want more diversity on the Court.”

- Vice President Kamala Harris at the Democrats’ winter meeting

There is an impediment to production in the United States, and it’s called the bankers on the Wall Street. This crisis in another indication of why we need to get off dependency on fossil fuels.

- President Joe Biden at the Democrats’ winter meeting

We did so much people don’t even know what we did.

- Ibid.

For The past 5 years, I’ve been working out and staying ready in case an opportunity to play presented itself. I’m really grateful to my trainer, who I’ve been throwing to all this time. But man, do I miss throwing to professional route runners. Who’s working?? I will pull up – Tweet by Colin Kaepernick who, in a recent Netflix documentary, compared the NFL to a slave-trading organization

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5

Political Crossfire

Biden Hides Behind Ukraine’s Suffering

By Marc A. Thiessen

P

resident Joe Biden had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into banning Russian oil imports. Even then, he still fell short – imposing a “ban” that restricts U.S. imports, rather than “sanctions” to restrict Russian exports to the entire world. Big difference. And it came only after companies began self-sanctioning – divesting Russian energy. Biden simply made virtue out of necessity.

But as reluctant as he was to ban Russian oil, it took Biden no time at all to start blaming Russia for rising gasoline prices. “Since [Russian President Vladimir] Putin began his military buildup at Ukrainian borders…the price of gas at the pump in America went up 75 cents,” Biden said Tuesday in his announcement of the oil ban. When asked what he could do about rising prices, he replied, “Can’t do much right now. Russia is responsible.” The White House even came up with a slogan – “Putin price hike” – and tried to make it trend as a hashtag.

“This is the #PutinPriceHike in action,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield tweeted.

This is disgusting. Biden is refusing to send Polish MiG fighter jets to Ukraine to try to stop Russia from carrying out atrocities such as the bombing Wednesday of a maternity hospital. But he is willing to take political advantage of the suffering of the Ukrainian people and use it as political cover for his massive domestic policy failures.

Biden blames Russia for a 75-cent rise in gas prices. But the price has risen $1.85 since he took office. The week before Biden’s inauguration, the price of a gallon of regular gas in the United States was $2.46; at this writing it is $4.32. Before the war in

Ukraine, Biden presided over the largest year-over-year price rise in at least 30 years.

What drove those record price spikes? We can start with Biden’s war on fossil fuels. Upon taking office, Biden implemented a policy of energy disarmament. He rejoined the Paris climate agreement, canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, suspended all oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and began working on his pledge to ban all “new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters.” He came into office having promised that his administration would “end fossil fuel.” When you announce your intention to tax and regulate the fossil fuel industry out of existence, investors and workers listen. The results are less production – and higher prices.

Then there is his American Rescue Plan – the $1.9 trillion social spending boondoggle disguised as “pandemic relief.” It shoveled so much money into the economy that the demand

side overheated while the supply side could not keep up – unleashing a supply-chain crisis, the worst inflation in 40 years and a record labor shortage, with more than 11 million unfilled jobs. The economic headwinds Biden unleashed have hit the oil and gas industry as hard as every other business in America. It’s hard to drill for oil and gas when you can’t find workers.

Biden’s defenders say it is unfair to blame him because gas prices were artificially low when he took office last year because of the pandemic. Sorry, when the first confirmed Covid case hit our shores in January 2020, gas was $2.59 a gallon – not much more than when Biden took office. It never rose above $3.04 during all of Donald Trump’s presidency. Biden broke that threshold in four months – long before Putin invaded Ukraine.

So, the prewar rise in gas prices is the tax we pay for Biden’s disastrous climate and social welfare policies.

And the rest? Instead of the “Putin price hike,” his administration should

call it the “Biden weakness tax.” It is no coincidence that Putin invaded Ukraine just months after Biden’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which projected weakness on the world stage. Putin took his measure of Biden and did not believe his threats to impose severe consequences on Russia if it invaded Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that if we had imposed crippling sanctions earlier, Putin would not have invaded.

“If you had started sanctions months ago, there would not have been war,” he told members of Congress last week. Rising gas prices are the price we pay for a failure of deterrence – a failure driven by Biden’s weakness.

Biden has still not learned from his mistakes. Even Elon Musk – the founder of the world’s most famous electric car company – says we need to drill for more oil and gas at home.

But Biden has not announced any plan to increase domestic production. Instead, he is considering asking Iran, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to increase their production to replace Russian oil. Why would he want to give energy jobs to people in Iran, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia rather than workers in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alaska? Why would he replace our dependence on one rogue regime with dependence on two others (Iran and Venezuela)?

Biden needs to tell his party’s climate radicals that the war on fossil fuels will have to wait until we stop Putin’s war on Ukraine. Instead, he cynically is using Putin’s war, and Ukraine’s suffering, to deflect blame for his disastrous policies at home and abroad. That is a disgrace. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

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Love the Camp Orah family CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN P H O N E : 7 1 8 . 3 24 . 67 24 ( O R A H ) E M A I L : O R A H D AY C A M P @ G M A I L . C O M W E B S I T E : O R A H D AY C A M P. C O M

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

Olympics 2022

By Avi Heiligman

A

nother Olympics have come and gone, and as we have done with the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, we’ll do a recap from Beijing, China.

There were many news stories that started way before the Games began, and these will continue for the next several weeks at least and beyond. From Russia getting barred from the Olympics to the retirement of an American snowboarding legend to the Jamaican bobsled team, these Games had sports fans around the globe following many storylines.

So sit back and relax as we have fun going through the two head-shaking weeks of the Beijing Olympics.

Please note that there are so many topics to discuss that we’ll just pick a few of our favorites – some good, some bad and some ugly – very ugly.

Let’s start with an ugly news story that involves Russia but has nothing to do with the current conflict.

In 2019, due to repeated violations for systematic doping, the Russian Federation was barred from competing in international sporting events for four years. However, Russian athletes were allowed to compete under a neutral flag and designation. Yet, despite the ban and repeated warnings, Russian competitors were still suspected of taking banned substances. Figure skater Kamila Valieva tested poslitive for a banned substance and was given a provisional suspension.

She appealed and she was allowed to skate in the individual event but there is an ongoing investigation into her alleged cheating. The Russians weren’t the only the only ones caught cheating. An Iranian skier was disqualified for failing a drug test.

While on the topic of Russia, reports came out after the Games had concluded that the Chinese con-

Athletes were kept in a “closed bubble” during the Games

vinced them to delay their attack on Ukraine until the Olympics were officially over.

Covid was on the minds of the Chinese officials when planning the Games, and only a select few fans were allowed to watch the events live. Operating procedures for fans

empty seats at the stadium manifested itself into a ratings nightmare for the networks airing the Games. An average total audience was around 11.4 million viewers – a sharp decline from the 19.4 million from the 2018 Games.

Some athletes did test positive

A person walking on ice with a broomstick pushing a rock is just as exciting as watching paint dry.

were strict, and they were required to operate within a bubble. Many of the events were held in near empty stadiums, and those that did attend had to wear masks. Athletes already in the country were allowed to attend the events even if they weren’t competing in that particular event.

Interest in the Games was at an all-time low, and it seemed like the

for Covid and weren’t allowed to compete. American figure skater Vincent Zhou competed in the men’s free skate portion of the team event and took home a silver medal. However, before the individual men’s competition, he tested positive for Covid and was forced to withdraw.

In another head-scratching decision, he was not allowed to par-

ticipate in the closing ceremonies despite testing negative. Another American, Nathan Chen, performed brilliantly and took home the gold.

In recent Olympics, American speed skaters had been struggling to keep pace with their European counterparts. Erin Jackson was touted as one who could possibly get a gold medal but had placed 24th in the 500 meter event in 2018. For a speed skater who had put on skates for the first time in 2016, it was a very fast progression to become one of the fastest skaters in the world..

However, she slipped in qualifying for the 2022 Games and only made the team when teammate Brittney Bowe forfeited her spot. Bowe, an Olympic medalist herself, gave up her spot because she knew that Jackson could win the event, and she was right.

It was a bittersweet ending for several Olympic legends including snowboarder Shaun White. The fivetime Olympian and winner of three gold medals in the halfpipe, White announced the Beijing would be his final Olympics. He finished just outside the podium in 4th place with the gold going to Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano. There was a judging controversy in the event as Hirano preformed a “spectacular frontside triple cork to become the first person ever to land the trick at an Olympics,” according to the NBC announcer. Yet the judges scored it a 91.75 instead of the expected upper 90s. This left him in second place, but he was able to score a 96 on his third and final run to secure first place.

In total, the American contingent won a measly 25 medals, which paled in comparison to Norway’s 37 (Norway has a population of about 5 million compared to 330 million in the U.S.). Israel didn’t win any medals but did send six athletes to

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

American Vincent Zhou wasn’t able to attend the closing ceremony

the Games. Their best finisher was alpine skier Barnabas Szollos, who wound up in sixth place in the men’s combined downhill event. Jamaica, a Caribbean island with not much ice to speak of, managed to qualify three sleds for bobsled competitions. They didn’t place very high in

the final standings but, as in previous Olympics, were very popular among fans worldwide.

Well, there you have it. The author expects an email or two on “why didn’t you include this story or that medal,” but space and time are limited, and these stories are

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Ayumu Hirano, Shaun White, and Scotty James

the ones that we decided to cover.

Oh, and the reason we didn’t cover curling is because it isn’t a sport. A person walking on ice with a broomstick pushing a rock is just as exciting as watching paint dry.

That’s a wrap from Beijing! Next week we’ll be back to our regularly

scheduled “Forgotten Heroes” articles.

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.

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This home boasts 4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, Eat-in Kitchen, Formal Dining Room, Living Room, Fin-ished Basement and office.

Beautiful and spacious Backyard.

Great location, SD#14. Close to all & houses of worship. P.O.R. Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey Interna-tional 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST

Newly renovated 3 bedroom, 1 bath duplex.

Call Ludwing (516) 757-4570 $3,100/m

Price Reduced! 12 year old colonial on quiet street in Woodmere Park.

6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths.

Tamar (917) 902-0613 $1,999,999

Custom luxury offices built to suit on the border of Cedarhurst/ Woodmere.

Call Raizie (917) 903-1778

FAR ROCKAWAY

CEDARHURST

WOODMERE

Renovated 6 bedroom, 4 bath duplex w nice yard & private driveway. Call Malka (516) 967-1967 $979K

1 bedroom apartment in the heart of Cedarhurst.

Call Bryna (516) 322-4831 $1,895/m

New construction colonial home coming soon in ABC Streets in Woodmere! Call Avigail for details.

(516) 316-3452

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

HOUSES FOR SALE CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES? MORTGAGE? Must sell for any reason?

Call for FREE Consultation.

Call now 212-470-3856 Cash buyers available!

WOODMERE Magnificent Home in the Heart of Woodmere constructed in 2020, 5 Bedrooms, 3 Full Bathrooms, detailed moldings throughout, maple wood floors, Anderson windows + doors, custom closets, dimmers & timers, 2 zone CAC, EIK w/2 sinks, 2 dishwashers, 2 microwaves, double oven, Island, close to all. Sound system, camera system, 4 car driveway.

Call for details Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HOUSES FOR SALE

HOUSES FOR SALE

COOP FOR SALE

WOODMERE BRIGHT & SUNNY 3 bedroom 3 bathroom townhouse, central air conditioning, hard-wood floors, skylights, eat in kitchen, formal living room and dining room, finished basement, enjoy the community pool and tennis court, close to the railroad, shopping, and the houses of worship $719k 5 Clubside Dr Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey Inter-national 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

CEDARHURST Opportunity strikes!

4bdrm, 2.5bth, 1 fam home on 10,000sf property in grt cond.

C/A, generator, pvt drv + 2 story 2 car gar Brisman RE/Raizy 718-677-0988 or 917-975-8550

HEWLETT BRIGHT AND SUNNY 2 bedroom 2 bathroom co-op, elevator, doorman building, in ground pool storage, card room, indoor and outdoor parking, washer/dryer in the apartment, renovated kitchen with granite countertops, ss appliances, master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, formal living room and dining room, close to all $479k Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hatha-way Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

WOODMERE Beautiful & Spacious 2 Bedroom Apartment Across From The Golf Course. Ele-vator Building, Updated Kitchen, Gas Cooking, Granite Countertops, Washer/Dryer In Unit, High Ceilings, Great Closet Space, Storage in Basement, Close To RR, Shopping & Houses Of Worship.$349K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HEWLETT new to the market This home in SD#14, was expanded and completely renovated in 2008, with all the bathrooms redone in 2016. It consists of 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, fin-ished basement with separate rooms. Detached garage and park-like private backyard. Upgraded CAC, hardwood floors, hi-hats all around, ceiling fans in all the bedrooms,security system, inground sprinklers, new washer/ dryer, many closets, PV solar electric panels, and smart home features. 200 amp service, auto surround sound system. The kitchen has granite countertops and custom-built wood cabinets, top-line appliances. The Firstfloor bedroom has an adjacent full bathroom. Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom with radiant heat. Close to schools, shopping, and transportation.$799k Hewlett Avenue Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, MARCH 20 2:00-3:30PM 1589 HEWLETT AVENUE HEWLETT NEW TO THE MARKET 5 bedroom 3 bathroom colonial, open floor plan, large eat-in kitchen, formal living room and dining room, main floor den and playroom, master bedroom suite w/full bath& sitting room/nursery close to the schools, railroad, shopping and houses of worship $899K Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@ bhhslaffey.com OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, MARCH 20 11:30-1:30PM 1361 KEW AVENUE HEWLETT

WOODSBURGH Magnificent 2K sq. Ft. Co-Op. 3BR/2BTH, EIK, LR, DR, W/D in Unit, GAR, 2 STOR UNITS, ELEV, NEAR ALL$775K 516-846-1032 NO BROKERS HEWLETT TWO 3 BEDROOM 2 BATH CO-OPS with central air conditioning, terrace, washer/dryer, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, magnificent kitchens, ss appliances, l/r, d/r, close to the railroad, shopping, and houses of worship.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hathaway Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, MARCH 20 1201 EAST BROADWAY H-23 11:30-1:30PM 1215 EAST BROADWAY A-12 1:30-3:30PM

COMMERCIAL RE WOODSBURGH Magnificent 2K sq. Ft. Co-Op. 3br/2bth, eik, lr, dr, w/d in unit, gar, 2 stor units, elev, near all $775k 516-846-1032 no brokers

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COMMERCIAL RE

COMMERCIAL RE

APT FOR RENT

INDIVIDUAL OFFICE SPACES AVAILABLE IN GREAT LOCATION. Rental fee includes electricity, taxes, internet, cleaning and parking.

Large corner office $950 mo.

Smaller interior office $625 mo.

Please respond to 516-902-8006.

EAST ROCKAWAY: Retail Stores on Busy Corner, 1000SF& Up Available, Great High Visibility Location, For Lease…

Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698

INVESTORS WELCOME GREAT DEAL IN WOODMERE, amazing location, double lot, low taxes ,SD 14 Asking $599, won’t last 25 CONKLIN AVE, WOODMERE Call Alexandra at Realty Connect 1-516-784-0856

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 condi-tioning, 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

LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-7000 Square feet gorgeous office space with WATERVIEW in Inwood! Lots of options.

Tons of parking. Will divide and customize space for your needs!

Call 516-567-0100 SF MEDICAL OFFICE SPACE Available, Reception Area, Waiting Room, Kitchenette, 2 Consult, 4 Exam Rooms, 2 Bathrooms, 30 Car On-Site Parking, For Lease …Call Ian 516-295-3000 www.pugatch.com

APT FOR RENT

HEWLETT TOTALLY RENOVATED 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments with washer/dryer, kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances. Recessed lighting, hardwood floors, storage in basement. Close to RR, shopping, and houses of worship.

Mark Lipner Associate Broker Berkshire Hatha-way Laffey International 516-298-8457 mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

HELP WANTED

FAR ROCKAWAY: House For Rent. On Beach 12th.

3 1/2 bedrooms. Just renovated, Central HVAC,LR/DR, Finished basement.. $3300/m Call Raphael 917-822-1726

HELP WANTED Expanding Healthcare Company Seeking to fill full time positions in our Bookkeeping Dept ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND PAYROLL SUPERVISOR Must be detail oriented analytical, organized, outstanding communication & leadership skills Great Pay & Benefits.

Located near the 5 towns area.

Email resume: adass@carenetworkhealth.com

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ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT RE Management Office (Five Towns) seeks f/t admin to handle all aspects of office management.

Email resume and salary requirements to jordan@imc.net Gesher (located in Cedarhurst) is looking for a part-time Rebbe beginning in January for First Grade boys. · Approximately a half-hour a day, Monday through Friday · Small group lessons · The goal of the Rebbe is to provide faster paced exposure to higher level kriah and chumash skills · Curriculum support provided · One-on-one private pay tutoring opportunities may also be available. Please email your resume to jobs@gesher-ecc.org or contact (516) 730-7377 to set up an interview.

General Studies teaching positions for elementary grades available for '22-'23 school year, due to simchas/scheduling.

Mon.-Thurs., afternoon hours.

Far Rockaway/5T area.

Competitive salary, warm supportive environment.

Teachersearch11@gmail.com.

T

Under Contract! Magnificent 18,500 sq ft property in desirable “Tree Streets” location in Woodmere.

PRICE REDUCED!

Price Reduced! Charming colonial on an oversized lot in prime Woodmere location.

New kitchen, new bathrooms, CAC, IGS, beautiful block! $1.325M

Leah Scheininger Realty Connect USA Licensed Real Estate Salesperson (516) 884-6530 Lscheininger@realtyconnectusa.com @leahscheininger_realtor

New construction in Academy Area of Woodmere! Classic center hall colonial, 6 bedrooms/ 3 baths on 2nd fl oor, full finished basement. $1.95M

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Under Contract! 5 level split in Saddle Ridge in Woodmere! Gorgeous EIK & baths, large family room with radiant floors, great yard! $999K

Jordan Goldschmidt Guaranteed Rate Vice President of Mortgage Lending (516) 998-6201 Jordan.Goldschmidt@rate.com @Jordanthemortgageguy

NMLS 2012660 Licensed by The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. nlmsconsumeraccess.org 1400 Old Country Rd Suite 206N, Westbury, NY 11590, (212) 318-9432, Guaranteed Rate, Inc. NMLS 2611 3940 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 (866) 934-7283 • rate.com Equal Housing Lender www.rate.com/privacy

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

Yeled V`Yalda WIC Program Boro Park Location Seeking Full Time Nutritionist BS or MS from an accredited college

HELP WANTED

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

TEACHER ASSISTANTS CAHAL is seeking full time and part time TEACHER ASSISTANTS for young girls classes and for a 4th-5th grade boys AM Limudai Kodesh class for the current school year. Our classes are in the Five Towns and Far Rockaway.

We have supportive teaching environments, small classes, flexible hours and competitive salaries.

Email your resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666.

COM/HAB WORKERS: Cedarhurst : 12-year-old girl with an intellectual and developmental

Interest and experience with nursing.

Training will be provided.

disability, Evenings after school, Friday afternoons, shabbos and Sunday during the day.

Cedarhurst: 26-year-old boy with

Please submit resumes to:

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS CAHAL is seeking full time or part time SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS and TEACHER ASSISTANTS. We have supportive teaching environments, small classes and competitive salaries.

Email your resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666.

a mild intellectual disability for a

jobs@yeled.org Attention Nechama

HELP WANTED

SPECIAL CARE SEEKS

Full Time Participant Representative.

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few hours on shabbos afternoons Please contact: Pessy Lefkowitz: 718-252-3365 Ext 113,

YVY is an EOE

Pessyl@specialcarefor.com

Whether buying or selling real estate get...

Give me a call today!

516-298-8457 Licensed Associate Broker, G.R.I.

mlipner@bhhslaffey.com

I am proud to be recognized as a top Berkshire Hathaway network agent for 2021.

Top 1/2 of 1% of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network agents nationwide!

OPEN HOUSE SUN 3/20 - 11:30AM-1:30PM

OPEN HOUSE SUN 3/20 - 1:30-3:30PM

OPEN HOUSE SUN 3/20 - 11:30AM-1:30PM

OPEN HOUSE SUN 3/20 - 2:00-3:30PM

1215 EAST BROADWAY #A-12, HEWLETT

1201 EAST BROADWAY #H-23, HEWLETT

1589 HEWLETT AVE., HEWLETT

Move right in first floor, 3BR, 2Fbth, CAC, HW Floors, W/D, Kitchen with Granite Countertops, SS Appliances, Spectacular Moldings, Garage & Public Parking Close To All, $309,000

Totally renovated, 3BR, 2 Bath Co-op, Gorgeous Kitchen, 2 Sinks, SS Appliances, Quartz Countertops, CAC, New Floors, W/D, Terrace, Close to all $329,000

Co-Ops:

1361 KEW AVENUE, HEWLETT

5 CLUBSIDE DR., WOODMERE

5BR, 3Bath Colonial, Open Floor Plan, Large EIK, F L/R & D/R, Den, MBR Suite w/ Full Bath & Sitting Room/Nursery, Close to all. $899,000

3BR, 3 Bath Bright & Sunny Townhouse with a Finished Bsmt, Garage, MBR Suite, Formal L/R & D/R, EIK, CAC, Community Pool & Tennis Court.

Close To All. $719,000

WOODMERE

4BR, 3FBath Beautifully Maintained Split Level Home in the Heart of Woodmere, EIK, F D/R, L/R, Finished Bsmt., CAC, P.O.R.

Cedarhurst Cedarhurst Hewlett Hewlett Hewlett Hewlett Lawrence Lawrence Lawrence Woodmere Woodmere Woodmere

1589 Hewlett Ave, Hewlett 4BR, 3Bath & Finished Bsmt, Smart Home, CAC, IGS, Surround Sound System, Kitchen with Granite & More! $799,000

Homes: 2BR • 2BA 1BR • 1BA 2BR • 2BA 2BR • 2BA 2BR • 2BA 2BR • 2BA 2BR • 1BA 1BR • 1BA 3BR • 3BA 2BR • 1BA 2BR • 1BA 3BR • 3BA

$364k $219k $199k $309k $319k $479k $299K $325K $P.O.R. $199k $349k $769k

And many more...Call for details!

Atlantic Beach Lawrence

4BR • 4BA 8BR • 9BA

$1,695,000 $P.O.R.

Hewlett Harbor Inwood Woodmere Woodsburgh Woodmere Woodmere

7BR • 4BA 4BR • 3BA 4BR • 3BA 4BR • 4BA 4BR • 3BA 7BR • 6BA

$1,299,000 $599k $849k $P.O.R. $P.O.R. $P.O.R.

Hewlett

1BR • 1BA

$2,100/monthly

Cedarhurst

2BR • 2BA

Lawrence

5BR • 3BA

Rental:

Cedarhurst

3BR • 2BA

$3,195/monthly

$3,695/monthly

$8,200/monthly

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

TEACHERS AND ASSISTANTS FOR SEPT. 2022 CAHAL is seeking full time and part time Special Education TEACHERS and TEACHER ASSISTANTS for the 2022-2023 school year. We provide excellent support and have small classes and competitive salaries.

Email your resume to shira@cahal.org or call 516-295-3666.

Shulamith School for Girls in Cedarhurst, NY, is looking for teachers for the 2022-23 school year in elementary school, special education, and all middle school subjects. For Torah Studies and Lashon teachers, fluency in spoken and written Hebrew is required.

Also looking for bright, motivated assistant teachers to help classroom teachers by working with the students either directly or indirectly; some substitute teaching is involved. Looking for all grade levels. P/T - perfect for college students.

Salaries are competitive and commensurate with experience.

Please send resumes to tshapiro@shulamith.org

Shulamith Early Childhood Center in Woodmere is looking for lead teachers and assistants for the 22/23 school year. Warm, nurturing working environment with full support and guidance provided to new teachers.

Please send your resume to ekirschbaum@shulamith.org

Special Care seeks patient Male or female com/hab worker 5:30-7:30 P.M. for 7-year-old boy with autism in Bayswater, full or partial coverage.

718-252-3365 ext: 102 or renay@specialcarefor.com

General administrative support needed for busy Five Towns office.

Part Time, in-office position.

Flexible hours. Looking for someone who is detail-oriented and dedicated. Proficiency in Excel/Word a must.

Please send inquiry/resume to flexiblestaffpositions21 @gmail.com Job description: Great Opportunity. Fast growing. Amazing team and work environment. Must be organized, positive & comfortable on the phone. Flexible schedule.

Competitive compensation with room for growth.

516-430-5503 hello@goventright.com Seeking Asst. Editor New York-based publication seeking assistant editor. Strong administrative and organizational skills required as well as solid understanding of Orthodox Judaism. Ideal for student graduating in May with B.A. in journalism, English or related field. Copyediting, proofing and clerical du-ties.

Email renee@ou.org.

GIRLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE FIVE TOWNS is seeking warm, dynamic, experienced preschool teachers for the school year beginning September 2022. Competitive salaries and benefits.

Email resume to info@by5t.org 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

Experience in not-for-profit Jewish organizations is a plus.

Excellent part-time opportunity with competitive hourly compensation.

Candidate will work with the director in developing budget and fundraising initiatives and generating reports to present to our Board of Directors.

Resumes to info@legacy613.org Growing Back Office Accounting firm looking for experienced accountants and bookkeepers.

Please email us at jobs@riveredgeadvisors.com or call 516-548-1622 NEW YESHIVA IN QUEENS SEEKING SECRETARY Must be detail-oriented, have great organizational skills, able to multi-task. Experience in school programs a plus.

Send resume to: office@yeshivatbneitorah.org or call/text: 347-351-4573 Seeking a middle school STEM teacher for next year in a warm, supportive teaching environment. Excellent pay.

Call 917-742-8909 ISO a Pre1 A and Grade 3 teacher for the 2022-2023 School year.

Experience preferable but not a must.

Seeking a seventh grade math teacher from 3:15-4:50 four days a week. Fine salary.

SHULAMITH EARLY CHILDHOOD is looking to hire a full time teacher assistant for the current school year.

Please email resume to earlychildhood@shulamith.org

Junior Accountant/ Full Charge Bookkeeper RE Management Office (Five Towns) seeks junior accountant.

Hours 10-4 (Flexible).

Email resume and salary requirements to jordan@imc.net Girls elementary school in the five towns is seeking warm, dynamic, experienced preschool teachers for the school year beginning September 2022. Competitive salaries and benefits.

Please email resume to job. preschool.director@gmail.com Shulamith School for Girls in Cedarhurst, NY, is looking for a 7th and 8th grade math teacher to fill a leave replacement position beginning April 1, 2022 through the end of this school year.

It is an AFTERNOON position.

This placement could potentially lead to a permanent position at the school. We are looking for someone who is professional, dynamic, creative, highly skilled and nurturing with relevant degrees and teaching experience.

Please send resume to egross@shulamith.org 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

JOIN OUR TEAM! NurNursing Home Management Company in Brooklyn Looking to fill the following positions: Administrative Assistant MS office suite proficiency required Administrative Assistant experience required WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED FULL TIME BOOKKEEPER Excellent growth potential Frum environment Excellent salary & benefits Email resume to: resumetfs1@gmail.com Please put position title and FTJH in subject line

MISC Gemach Zichron Yehuda In memory of R’ Yehuda Aryeh Leib ben R’ Yisroel Dov We have a library of books on the subjects of loss, aveilus, grief, & kaddish. We have sets of ArtScroll Mishnayos to assist with finishing Shisha Sidrei Mishna for Shloshim or yahrtzeit.

Locations in Brooklyn, Far Rockaway, & Lakewood.

Email: zichronyehuda@yahoo.com ELDERLY GENTLEMAN WOULD LIKE TO BUY A USED DODGE DURANGO, Preferably a 1999, 2000, 2021, or a 2022 dents or body damage is ok.

Call Bruce 1-516 239-7444

Reach Your Target Market

Classifieds

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Your

Money

Cascading Consequences

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

V

ladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world and united the globe. In less than a week, Putin turned himself, his country, and the billionaire oligarchs who back him into international pariahs. Russia’s currency and economy has been destroyed.

Interestingly, the Russian legislature has made it a crime, punishable by 15 years in prison, for journalists to describe the whole unfolding disaster as a “war.” As Putin’s predecessor, Lenin, once said, “there are weeks where decades happen” – and the last week of February has been one of the biggest weeks since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Putin surely didn’t expect the West would turn against him this quickly and this decisively. Even his fellow authoritarians, Orban in Hungary and Erdogan in Turkey, have abandoned him. The consequences are reverberating throughout the worlds of diplomacy, trade, sports, and the arts. Those divorces will take all sorts of forms. Some will be easy, like the International Paralympics Committee’s decision to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from this year’s games. Others will be more complicated, like BP’s decision to divest their 19.75% stake in Russia’s

state-owned Rosneft petroleum company.

Tax collectors around the world are already anticipating how the fallout from the war will affect their revenues. Sanctions have begun shutting down commerce with Russia. Western companies are no longer selling luxury goods in Russian malls. Apple is no longer selling iPhones to Russian citizens. Facebook is no longer

pay tax on Russian equipment they seize: “Have you acquired a Russian tank or armored personnel carrier and are worried about how to declare it? Keep calm and continue to defend the Motherland! There is no need to declare the captured Russian tanks and other equipment, because the cost of this…does not exceed 100 living wages…”

How much could you get for a not-so-gently-used Russian T-14?

accepting advertising from Russian government outlets. Boeing and Airbus have stopped supplying parts and services for Russian airlines. All of these decisions will mean less income for those companies, which in turn will lead to less income for tax collectors.

But even in the midst of war, Ukrainian officials have offered citizens a break – on taxes, of all things.

Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention has announced that Ukrainian citizens don’t have to

“Speaking by the letter of the law, combat trophies are not subject to reflection in the declaration for the following reasons: they were acquired not as a result of the conclusion of any type of transaction, but in connection with the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation…”

“Thanks to the courage and victory of the defenders of the Ukrainian state, hostile military equipment, weapons, and other armor arrive as scrap. It is impossible to evaluate such objects in accor-

dance with the Law of Ukraine.”

This contrasts with the usual approach here in the United States.

American taxpayers owe tax on all income, from whatever source received, which essentially translates to “finders keepers, sure, but you owe tax on it.” The real challenge would be establishing fair market value for equipment, weapons, and other armor arriving “as scrap.” How much could you get for a not-so-gently-used Russian T-14? (Too bad you can’t just pay $39.99 for a TankFax.) Really, it’s better to just let it pass without comment.

On a more practical level, Americans have already begun organizing demonstrations to support the Ukrainian people and making generous charitable contributions to ease their burden. We’re here to help you make the most of those efforts – call us with your questions and let us know how we can help you play a part in the world’s efforts to beat back Putin’s sins.

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

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

Paw Patrol and Purim

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

I

’m confused!

So, you are dressing up so that I’ll know that we didn’t see G-d in the Purim story.

I don’t see how seeing Batman or Oprah or a whole family dressed as Paw Patrol is going to remind me of that. Oh yes, and add to that that I’ll be drunk when I’m supposed to figure that out.

I’m even more confused – why am I giving you treats and you’re giving me treats? Couldn’t we each just give ourselves treats and avoid the hustle and bustle and the traffic?!

And why are we hearing the story of what happened on Purim on Wednesday night and then immediately again on Thursday morning? Is everyone suffering with senior moment-itis?!

Also, why does the Talmud say that when this month comes in, joy comes in?

Look I get that snow comes in this month – I’ve seen it!

And cold comes around – I’ve felt it!

Even financial instability may show up – we may be seeing some of that right now.

But where’s the joy that’s being touted?

There are lots of mixed messages.

What’s going on?

I’m supposed to know that when you don’t look like you, I should be

reminded that things aren’t always as they seem.

Well, let’s think about that. Sometimes a brunette becomes a blonde or short person adds heels or a tired person coffees up – what are they demonstrating?

They are perhaps saying I may look brunette to you but inside I’m feeling blonde; or I may not look intimidating to you, but I feel I’m a person of stature; or I may seem tired physically, but really I’m raring to go – my body just hasn’t caught up. .

How do they do that?

Jews seemed doomed!

And Haman seemed at the top of his game!

But alas, everything changed. Because the King loved his bride! And I don’t mean Achashveirosh, the king of Persia, loved Esther, but rather the King of the universe, G-d, loved His bride, the Jewish people.

Suddenly, the King comes through on a whole other level. Haman found himself at the top of a tree rather than the world.

Whether you are a “witch” family or a “paw” one, we get reminded on

Finally, on Purim, we admit to our truly drunken perspective.

It seems it takes a little physical effort to change things!

On Purim, we are reminded that with a little “mental effort,” we can also see that things aren’t as stuck as they appear.

The story of Purim unmasked the giant secret that G-d is always there operating behind the scenes. One set of realities seemed at play: Esther seemed doomed; Mordechai seemed doomed; why name names? All the

the holiday of Purim that G-d can turn things around in a minute.

This is the joy in this month. The wake-up call to this reality.

We hear the story twice, because we can’t be reminded of that enough.

G-d can do anything, and anything that you think He’s doing you may not be seeing correctly. You only see the masked version, but unmasked we could see a whole different reality.

Because we live our daily lives like “drunks,” so to speak, thinking we are on sure footing. Finally, on Purim, we admit to our truly drunken perspective.

And why give each other treats?

Because we are celebrating friendship and connection! We are not just giving to the poor – that’s the charity piece. But we are also giving to friends and neighbors – that’s the clarity piece – where we support each other through the stumbling blocks of hidden truths and bolster the other for the journey. That’s why lots of sugar energies us up!

Now take that reality into your year.

When stuff seems tough, recall Rubble who gets rid of trouble. G-d’s Patrolling the area. He can Chase away the worst, and Marshal in change. You are safer than you think.

Just talk to the King. So much can be revealed and changed!

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail. com.

The Jewish Home | MARCH 17, 2022

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO

t h e Ai s h Ko d e s h 2 9 th a n n u a l d i n n e r MONDAY,

THE SELFLESS SERVICE OF OTHERS

THE TWENTY EIGHTH OF MARCH SIX THIRTY IN THE EVENING

AT THE WOODMERE CLUB 99 MEADOW DR WOODMERE, NY

GUESTS OF HONOR

DEBBIE

AND DAVID AIDELSON NAHUM GORDON, Z”L COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

NATALY AND EITAN MAGENDZO

YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARD

DANIELLA AND SAM SCHERTZ

$600/COUPLE R.S.V.P.

AISHKODESH.ORG/DINNER

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MARCH 17, 2022 | The Jewish Home

from your friends at Margaret Tietz!

Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Short-Term Care | Long-Term Care | Hospice Care

The Jewish Community’s Premier Rehab Center Currently with 0% COVID-19 recurrence rate, Margaret Tietz is proud to provide the Jewish community with the highest quality short-term and long-term Subacute Rehabilitation, Clinically Complex Care and a state-of-the-art virtual reality rehab system. Combined with a beautiful new Synagogue and renovated gym, cafe and recreation center, you’ll rehab comfortably and confidently in our five-star rated, fully Kosher facility. Quick recoveries - from a pandemic to your rehab - is where we excel. At Margaret Tietz, we will get you back on your feet... and back home quickly.

718-298-7806 • 164-11 Chapin Parkway, Jamaica Hills, NY 11432 • margarettietz.org/jewish