Five Towns Jewish Home - 12-7-17 by Yitzy Halpern

December 7, 2017

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44 “Today we finally acknowledge the obvious: Information, Inspiration and Empathy that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital”

at Achiezer Healthcare Conference & Expo

Flipping Flynn and the State of the Russia Investigation pg

Community Joins in Levi Yitzchak Library Annual Breakfast

Passover Vacation

TJH Chanukah Supplement Inside

GUIDE

Starts on page 113

Chanukah Contest

Page 87

Details on page 10 – See page 3

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

PASSOVER 2018 OUR 60th YEAR

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

dash, we journeyed to Yerushalayim, connecting with our Creator. And so, when the Jewish state was established years ago, the obvious capital was Jerusalem. But things are never easy in the Middle East. Despite Israel capturing Jerusalem in 1967 in a decisive victory after the Arabs pounced on the tiny state, the Palestinians have consistently maintained that Jerusalem will be the capital of their future state. Today’s announcement perhaps highlights the Palestinians’ folly – when a country wins a war and captures a territory after the war was instigated by the other side, the victor gets to bring home the spoils. Why, oh why, would Israel give the Palestinians this area, a place that was their capital since the time of King Solomon and was recaptured fifty years ago? President Trump has done many things since he’s come to office. His few months in the White House have been rocky, to say the least. But say what you want about the president, he faced critique from all sides of the aisle even before he entered the Oval and continues to do so. And I don’t think he cares. He is more concerned about getting things done than smoothing feathers in the United States and abroad. Perhaps that’s what Israel needed: a president who was audacious, brave and willing to make the move – literally – to stand by them. On a less political note, studies have consistently been coming out about how addictive our smartphones really are. But there is one really good use for them: taking pictures of your family on Chanukah to send to TJH. Send us your fun, cute, serious, over-the-top, or inspirational pictures, win a gift card to Berrylicious, and make it a “berry” good Chanukah with TJH. Can’t wait to see them!

year or so ago, I was listening to the radio while driving to a doctor’s appointment. The host was interviewing someone who wrote a book on President Truman. There was a lot going on during Truman’s presidency. Even before he became president, Truman served in World War I. After FDR’s demise, he took office and effectively ended World War II. He is known for establishing the Marshall Plan to help rebuild the economy of Western Europe, founding the United Nations, and fighting Communism. The author of the book told the host that Truman once said that the most important, most significant, and most agonizing decision he had to make during his entire presidency was recognizing the State of Israel. This statement was said by the president that instructed two nuclear bombs to be dropped on two cities, obliterating at least 129,000 people. Scores of others were maimed in the bombings; fetuses were deformed, and children were burned and suffered from radiation sickness. Recognizing Israel, against the wishes of his entire cabinet and the sentiments of almost all world leaders, was possibly the decision that made Truman lose the most sleep. I thought of Truman today when President Trump, wearing a white shirt and a blue tie, made history when he officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Undoubtedly, detractors around the world – within the Arab community and without – will call Trump’s decision a mistake. There will be riots; there will be anger; there will be outrage. As Jews, we know that Jerusalem is, and always was, the capital of Israel. For millennia, Jews around the world turned their bodies and their souls towards Jerusalem as they prayed. Three times a year, during the time of the Bais Hamik-

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

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Shoshana Soroka EDITOR

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Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classifieds: Deadline Mondays 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

Community Happenings

42 NEWS

S10

Global

National

Odd-but-True Stories

ISRAEL Israel News

My Israel Home

PEOPLE Remembering Mrs. Edith Lowinger, a”h Photographers and Journalists: Documenting the Civil War by Avi Heiligman

76 126

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

Yud Tes Kislev and Chanukah by Rav Moshe Weinberger

JEWISH THOUGHT Cheerleaders by Eytan Kobre

A Key Observation by Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe

No Offense by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

Shining the Light on “Self-Hating” Jews by Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

The Vanishing Flame by Yerachmiel Tilles

S12

HALACHA Al Hanissim on Chanukah

S10

HEALTH & FITNESS

Dear Editor, I really like reading your paper every week. I find it to be interesting and informative, and I think there is something there for every age group to enjoy. That being said, I am wondering why you feel the need to put in stories in your “Odd News” section about not kosher products. This week, you printed a story about bread being made with bugs and another story about a couple who named their daughter after a not kosher restaurant. You are a Jewish publication and I feel that you shouldn’t be writing about not kosher things. Thank you, Shalom Weingarten Dear Editor, George Will’s writing is great, although I have stopped reading him for some time since his views have been skewing a bit too liberal for my taste. The article by George Will you printed in this week’s issue of The Jewish Home was wonderful! He offered great insights into a world that’s become too sensitive and easily hurt. His great witticisms are what I’ve always loved about his articles. Noah Gallancz

Dear Editor, Rabbi YY Rubinstein’s article, “Practically Speaking,” was a great piece of mussar. I have some thoughts I’d like to share. Yes, perhaps we are all “phonies,” going around saying “im yirtzeh Hashem” and “b’ezras Hashem” when we don’t really, deep down, have full emunah. The words roll off our tongues without the proper feelings that should go along with them. But sometimes I think that if we train ourselves to say those expressions perhaps at some point we will actually come to believe in them. Perhaps we will find ourselves in a situation or two that requires an extra dose of emunah and our words will take on extra meaning as we connect to Hashem. I also see those expressions as a small tefilla. When I say “im yirtzeh Hashem,” I am asking Hashem to please make this event/thing, etc. happen. It’s my way of davening for that thing to take place. Also, I think that those expressions are symbolic of the way a Jew should speak. We should always Continued on page 10

Why We Don’t Love Ourselves by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn 102

S14

How You Can Add Years onto Your Life by 104 Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN Diet-Proofing Your Home by Malky Zimmerman-Kugel 109

Teens and Driving by Dr. Hylton I. Lightman

112

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Ricotta Cheese Waffle Latkes

114

Chanukah Delights from Real Life by Miriam Pascal

S14

LIFESTYLES Light up the Purple & Gold Nights: A Mock-abee Chanukah Party Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW Your Money

S20 98 128

There’s No Need to Pack Light by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS 134 HUMOR Centerfold

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

116

Flipping Flynn and the State of the Russia Investigation

Beware an Economic Boom! by Robert J. Samuelson

124

CLASSIFIEDS

129

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8

Chanukah Giveaway WIN A $10 BERRYLICIOUS GIFT CARD!

end us your photo(s) of what Chanukah means to you—it could be your family lighting candles, you and your siblings at your Chanukah party, Grandma playing dreidel or Grandpa eating a jelly doughnut (or two…or three). We want to see what makes Chanukah special to you. Make sure the photo includes the people you love most. Be one of the first 50 people to send in your photo(s) and we’ll send you a $10 Berrylicious gift card! V.I.I. (Very Important Information) • The contest starts Tuesday night, the first night of Chanukah, and ends Sunday night, December 17, at 11pm

have Hashem on our minds; we should always be thinking of Him as we go about our day and plan things for the future. L’havdil alfei havdolos, there are Muslims that are constantly spurting out the word, “inshallah,” which means that it should be G-d’s will. If they believe – or say that they believe – that G-d is intimately running the world, al achas kama v’kama, the Jewish nation, which is Hashem’s Chosen People, should spend their days with the firm belief in Hashem constantly on their tongues. Now that Chanukah is fast approaching, we can strengthen our

emunah by reading of the great miracles that took place thousands of years ago. Chanukah is not just a story. It’s history. We were really a small band of weak Jews who hid in caves and learned Torah and then were victorious over the Greeks. And we can look at our history and all the instances of the threat of utter destruction – until we were miraculously saved! You don’t have to look too far back. Look at the State of Israel and how we won those wars despite the long, impossible odds. Our existence is a miracle, and that fact can only strengthen our belief in Hashem. Sincerely, Avi Speyer

Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home. Please send all correspondence to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

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• Email the photos to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com with the word “contest” in the subject line • Include your name, age, and mailing address in the email (we have to mail you the card, right?!) • The photo(s) must have people in them • Photos may be printed in a future issue of TJH so make sure to smile big! • Only the first 50 people who send in their photo(s) will receive the gift card • One gift card per family 12/31/2017

Happy Chanukah!

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

The Week In News

Former Yemen Pres Killed

While on the run, Yemen’s former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed by Houthi rebels on Monday. He was fleeing the capital city of Sanaa following days of intense fighting between his forces and insurgents. On Tuesday, his son, Ahmed Ali Saleh, called for revenge against the armed Houthi movement. Sanaa is home to 5 million people. The last 24 hours of intense fighting left at least 125 people dead and another 238 injured, according to a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross. The UN Human Rights Office has documented more than 13,800 civilian casualties, including more than 5,000 people killed since fighting began. However, the numbers are believed to be a fraction of the actual overall death toll. Sanaa’s Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry announced the Yemeni leader’s death in a statement. “The militias of treason are finished and their leader has been killed,” the statement said. Saleh’s vehicle came under fire at a checkpoint south of rebel-held Sanaa, a senior Houthi commander said. Several of his senior aides were also killed. Saleh’s home in Sanaa had been under Houthi siege for more than 48 hours before he attempted to flee to his native town of Sanhan. His body was returned to the capital and was handed over to the leadership of his party, the General People’s Congress. Saleh rose to power as part of a military coup, becoming president

of North Yemen in 1978. After unification in 1990 he became president of all of Yemen. He resigned in 2012, less than a year after protests swept through Yemen. In recent years he re-emerged as a major political player. Yemen’s war, pitting the Iran-allied Houthis who control Sanaa against a Saudi-led military alliance backing a government based in the south, has led to what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The world body says millions of people may die in one of the worst famines of modern times, caused by warring parties blocking food supplies.

S. Korea & U.S. Begin Drills

It seems that the U.S. and South Korea are steadily gearing up for the worst case scenario. On Monday, the two allies began air force drills. According to some South Korean military officials, there are concrete plans to carry out simulated strikes on North Korean nuclear and missile testing sites. There will be 230 aircrafts involved in the drills, which will include some of the Pentagon’s most powerful fighter jets. These advances come a week after North Korea tested a missile that analysts said had the capability of reaching much of the continental United States. Officials insist, though, that the drills were part of an annual exercise that had been planned before North Korea conducted the missile test. The exercise is “aimed at enhancing the all-weather, day and night combined air power operation capabilities of South Korea and the U.S.,” South Korea’s defense ministry said. North Korea is disturbed by such drills. Its Central News Agency said

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

of corruption, nepotism, patronage, and money laundering. She linked Malta’s online gambling industry to organized crime and accused the government of the sale of passports and payments from the government of Azerbaijan. She accused Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of handing out major kickbacks to his inner circle from business deals and a controversial passports-for-investment scheme. Many were less than pleased with Galizia’s airing of dirty laundry.

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on Sunday that the latest exercises were pushing the Korean Peninsula “to the brink of nuclear war.” It warned that Pyongyang would “seriously consider” countermeasures against the drill and that the United States and South Korea would “pay dearly for their provocations.” Currently there are more than 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea who face possible danger. Many are residing there with their families. Senator Lindsey Gra-

ham of South Carolina urged the Pentagon on Sunday to transfer dependents of American service members out of South Korea because of the perceived threat of conflict. “It’s crazy to send spouses and children to South Korea, given the provocation of North Korea,” Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CBS in an interview. “I think it’s now time to start moving American dependents out of South Korea.”

Justice for Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, was a journalist from Malta, a small European island with a population of less than a half million. She made headlines when she ousted the crime and corruption that goes on in the small, economically stable Mediterranean island. Over the years on her blog, Galizia made accusations

On October 16, Galizia was suddenly killed in a car bomb that silenced her forever. There were many assumptions as to who was responsible for her death but last week there was an official breakthrough. Maltese authorities arrested ten people in connection to the murder. All those detained were citizens of Malta; some were previously known to police. Two of those arrested were brothers, Alfred and George Degiorgio. They are said to be members of a criminal gang. A statement said the suspects had been arrested on the basis of “reasonable suspicion in connection with involvement in the murder” of Caruana Galizia. A special force of police, military and security services made the arrests, and the FBI assisted the investigation. According to Maltese law, suspects can be interrogated for up to 48 hours before a decision must be made to prosecute or release them. Although Caruana Galizia was his biggest antagonist, Muscat has vowed to bring justice. “As I stated as soon as I learnt about this barbaric act, we will leave no stone unturned to get this case solved.” Muscat’s Labour Party government had offered a one million euro ($1.2 million) reward for information leading to a conviction of Caruana Galizia’s killers. She is survived by her sons, who denounced the reward. They labeled it a “publicity stunt” and demanded Muscat’s resignation for failing to protect their mother and his attempts to silence her through legal suits while she was alive.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

‫ונשמרתם מאד‬ .‫לנפשתיכם‬ Guard your health carefully. Devarim 4:15

Bone Pain

Easy Bruising

Nose Bleeds

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Gaucher disease can feel like this.

It’s no mitzvah to ignore your symptoms. In the Ashkenazi community, approximately 1 in 15 men and women are carriers for Gaucher disease, an inherited genetic condition that causes fatty lipid deposits to build up in certain organs and bones. Symptoms can mimic other diseases, many people are misdiagnosed or assume they were tested. Treatment options are available, including oral treatment.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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In her very last post on Running Commentary, the blog she had written since 2008, Caruana Galizia wrote, “There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate.” Authorities believe this post came minutes before the deadly attack.

Ethnic Cleansing in Myanmar

There is mass genocide taking place in Myanmar. The long-persecuted Muslim minority concentrated in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine, the Rohingya, are being exiled. The Rohingya have been deemed dangerous interlopers from neighboring Bangladesh by the Myanmar government. Most recently, the government attempted to deny their very existence. “There is no such thing as Rohingya,” said U Kyaw San Hla, an officer in Rakhine’s state security ministry. “It is fake news.” The groups are mostly wanderers at this point after being chased out of their home territories. There have been claims that since August more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims – about two-thirds of the population that lived in Myanmar in 2016 – have fled to Bangladesh, driven out by the military’s systematic campaign of massacre and arson in Rakhine. But there is strong evidence of the Rohingya’s history in Myanmar that dates back to centuries ago. In a report released in October, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that Myanmar’s security forces had worked to “effectively erase all signs of memorable landmarks in the geography of the Rohingya landscape and memory in such a way that a return to their lands would yield nothing but a desolate and un-

recognizable terrain.” “The Rohingya are finished in our country,” said Kyaw Min, who lives in Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar. “Soon we will all be dead or gone.” According to the United Nations, the systematic oppression against the Rohingya “targeted teachers, the cultural and religious leadership, and other people of influence in the Rohingya community in an effort to diminish Rohingya history, culture and knowledge.” “We are people with our own history and traditions,” said Kyaw Hla Aung, a Rohingya lawyer and former political prisoner, whose father served as a court clerk in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine. “How can they pretend we are nothing?” Kyaw Hla Aung has been jailed several times for his activism and is now being held captive in a Sittwe camp. He said his family does not have enough food because officials have prevented full distribution of international aid. This oppression began five years ago. Even those Rohingya who had citizenship have been confined to ghettoes, robbed of their livelihoods, and prevented from accessing proper schools or health care. They are forbidden from leaving the camps without official authorization. One prisoner said, “We have no rights as human beings.” He asked that the media not use his name for fear of persecution. He added, “This is state-run ethnic cleansing and nothing else.”

Former Romanian King Dies

Former Romanian King Michael I, who was forced to abdicate by the communists in the aftermath of World War II, died on Tuesday. He

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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President Harry S. Truman and was decorated with the Soviet Order of Victory by Joseph Stalin. Romania’s switch gave the Soviets the opportunity to advance into the country. After the war, Michael was little more than a figurehead as the Soviets installed a communist-led government and Romania became part of the Warsaw Pact. In 1947, Michael was summoned to the Elisabeth Palace in Bucharest and told to sign a pre-typed abdication or else 1,000 soldiers would be executed. The communist government abolished the monarchy on the day of his abdication. Romania was the last monarchy in the Warsaw Pact countries to fall. Michael was then stripped of his citizenship. After his abdication, Michael settled with his wife and five daughters in Switzerland and later Britain, where he worked as a test pilot and chicken farmer. In 1996, the Romanian government restored Michael’s citizenship, allowing him back into the country. On his 90th birthday in 2011, Michael addressed Parliament for the first time in 65 years and attacked the country’s post-communist leaders. “Tomorrow’s world cannot exist without morals, without faith and memory. Cynicism, narrow interests and cowardice mustn’t occupy our lives. They remind us too much of the years before 1989,” he said. Born October 25, 1921, Michael married Anne of Bourbon-Parme in 1948. She died in August 2016. They are survived by five daughters, the eldest of whom, Princess Margareta, will succeed him as head of the royal family. As the great-great-grandson of Britain’s Queen Victoria, Michael was also related to the Danish, Spanish, Norwegian and Swedish royal families.

Rabbi Avram Pollak, Rosh Mesivta • Rabbi Eli Zoldan, Menahel • Rabbi Nachum Dinowitz, Principal

was 96. His body will be flown to Romania, and he will lay in state for two days at the Royal Palace in Bucharest. Michael, who played a pivotal role in Romania’s switch to the Allied cause following a coup in 1944, spent decades in exile working as a chicken farmer and aircraft pilot. He finally got his citizenship back in 1997, eight years after the collapse of communism.

Michael’s death leaves only two people alive who headed their nations during the war: former King Simeon II of Bulgaria and the Dalai Lama of Tibet, both of whom were children at the time. Michael, a great-great grandson to Britain’s Queen Victoria, acceded to the throne in 1927 when he was six-years-old after his father, Carol II, abdicated the throne. After three years Carol returned to power and

29 Life Sentences 40 Years Later stayed there until abdicating again in 1940, and Michael became king for a second time. Michael reigned for seven years until he was forced to abdicate. Michael’s reign is best remembered for his coup on August 23, 1944 against pro-Nazi leader Marshal Ion Antonescu, which took Romania into the war on the side of the Allies. For this, he was awarded Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit by U.S.

Twenty-nine people in Argentina have been sentenced to life in prison in a trial involving over 800 counts

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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Rashi

Orchos Tzaddikim AUTHOR UNKNOWN

he “father of all Torah commentators” is Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105), known as Rashi, an acronym for his name. His indispensable annotations on Scripture and Talmud are clear and concise, and they speak to both erudite scholars as well as to novice students.

What merit did Rashi have to write this commentary that achieved such universal acclaim? Tradition attributes it to the merit of his pious parents, who had been childless for many years. Rashi’s father, R’ Yitzchak, once had a precious jewel and was approached by people who wished to buy it to adorn their idol. R’ Yitzchak agreed to travel by ship with them to their leader, but en route, he cast the gem into the sea. Afterward he was informed from on high that he would be rewarded with the birth of a precious son who would illuminate the world with his Torah knowledge.

section focuses on a different middah, and clearly describes the nature of the trait, combining various teachings of our Sages with

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maxims, and parables, giving the student an appreciation of what he must do to properly transform himself.

There is a legend that once, while Rashi’s mother was pregnant with him, she walked down one of the narrow lanes in the Jewish Quarter of Worms and an oncoming wagon careened toward her, threatening her and her unborn child. She pressed herself against a wall, which formed a niche and protected her. For centuries, Jews have pointed to the niche in the wall where this was said to have occurred, and it is visible even today. Rashi’s fame was so great — and this story was so well known — that although this miracle occurred in Germany, it is even recorded in Judeo-Arabic manuscipts written in Yemen during the Middle Ages.

The reconstructed niche in the wall in Worms where Rashi’s mother is said to have been miraculously saved

ne of the fundamental mussar classics, Orchos Tzaddikim (lit., The Ways of the Righteous), provides a precise system

for perfecting one’s character traits. Each

The author of this beloved sefer of ethics is unknown. What we do know is that the book was first published in a Yiddish translation in Krakow some 500 years ago, and its original Hebrew was first published in 1580 in Prague. Since then, over 80 editions have been printed. The author originally named his work Sefer HaMiddos

Rashi’s primary focus was to explain the peshuto shel mikra, the simple, plain meaning of the text (see, for example, Rashi to Genesis 3:8), though he frequently cites midrashim to provide a more comprehensive understanding.

(The Book of Traits), but it was renamed

In his humility, Rashi readily conceded that his commentary is not the only approach to a simple understanding of the text. His illustrious grandson, the Rashbam, also an exegete, in his commentary (Genesis 37:2) recounts, “[Rashi,] my mother’s father, the great light of the exile … devoted himself to explaining the plain meaning of the text. I, Shmuel, son of his son-in-law R’ Meir, of blessed memory, disagreed with him [about certain explanations] in his presence, and he acknowledged to me that, had he the time, he would write additional commentaries based on the ‘simple understandings’ that come to light each day.”

“This book is named The Book of Traits.

18 | Great Jewish ClassiCs

Orchos Tzaddikim by a later copyist. In the introduction, the author writes, I wrote it and sealed it with the seal of wisdom to instruct man with intelligence, for it to serve as a handbook — to be a tool by which he can correct his traits and actions. The artisan who has the proper equipment can do his work, but without the tools he needs, he can do Orchos Tzaddikim, Prague, 1580

nothing. Therefore, my son, listen to

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of kidnapping, torture, and murder. The offenses, which were attributed to individuals with nicknames such as “Blond Angel of Death” and “The Tiger,” took place during the dictatorship years of 1976-1983 in Argentina. The war crimes described in the court case were committed at the ESMA Naval Mechanics School, which was converted to a prison and torture center. The case saw the conviction of many who were already serving life sentences for other war crimes. Among those serving time are former Navy Captain Alfredo Astiz and Captain Jorge Acosta. One of the ways in which the murderers would kill the inmates were so-called “death flights.” The ESMA guards would drug the inmates with sedatives and then throw them into the River Plate. “Giving sedatives to our loved ones before or during the flight before throwing them in the river or the sea is unbelievable; it’s dismal,” said Lita Boitano, head of Relatives of the Disappeared and Detained for Political Reasons. It is estimated that the military government killed over 30,000 people during the dictatorship. Most of the bodies were never found. About 5,000 were held at EMSA, with only 200 people making it out alive. The trial that ended last week started in 2012. During its duration, 68 of the defendants died.

will make, as it is closing next month after 24 years. The 72-year-old was taken to the hospital after drinking from a flask while the ruling was being read against him. The ruling also convicted five other Bosnian Croat war criminals. “I just drank poison,” Praljak told the stunned court. “I am not a war criminal. I oppose this conviction.” According to a lawyer who was in the room, “Praljak drank a liquid in court and quickly fell ill.” Presiding Judge Carmel Agius quickly suspended the case, and the courtroom was declared a crime scene by Dutch investigators. The reading of the rest of the judgment was carried out two hours later in a different courtroom. The other defendants received sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years. Two other defendants awaiting similar trials by the ICTY have also committed suicide by hanging themselves in their UN cells. Slavko Dokmanovic died in 1998, and Milan Babic was found dead in his locked cell in 2006.

Obscene Film Made in Gas Chamber Bedouins Arrested in Murder of IDF Soldier

War Criminal Kills Himself in Court

A former Bosnian Croat military commander died after he swallowed poison in a UN war crimes courtroom in which he lost an appeal on his 20-year prison term sentence last week. Slobodan Praljak’s suicide was captured on courtroom video feed. The judgment rendered is the last that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

time at the Krakow Museum of Contemporary Art, but the shooting location was not revealed until recently. An Israeli lawyer compared the film’s footage to videos taken when England’s Prince William visited Stutthof this past year. The concentration camp was the site of the murder of 65,000 people during World War II, including 29,000 Jews. The Simon Wiesenthal Center and other similar organizations have filed letters of complaint with the Polish government. In 2015, when the film was first shown, the World Jewish Congress and Yad Vashem asked for the film to be removed from the museum’s display. The Krakow museum did not take down the film, instead, they provided more “context” for the film. The director of the museum said that the film was not meant to “offend” anyone who went through the Holocaust or make light of what happened, rather it was meant “to awaken [the] young generation’s empathy with the tragedy of the Holocaust by stirring their imagination.” The Holocaust was not – and should not – be seen as child’s play.

Stutthof concentration camp was used as a setting for a vulgar game of tag to make an “artistic point,” and Holocaust survivors and others around the world are horrified by the debasement of a sacred site. Artur Żmijewski, a Polish artist, filmed a group of unclothed people playing the children’s game inside a gas chamber. Groups representing Israeli Holocaust survivors are now calling on Polish President Andrzej Duda to explain exactly how the making of the movie was allowed and for him to condemn the obscene film. The four-minute video was exhibited two years ago for the first

have been arrested for the murder. Both suspects were arrested about 24 hours after the attack was carried out. The Shin Bet announced that their arrest was made after an intense intelligence investigation and a very extensive manhunt. While being investigated, one of the suspects implicated himself in the attack and informed his interrogators that he could lead them to the Tavor assault rifle that Kokia was holding when he was murdered. The murderers had stolen Kokia’s weapon during the attack. Hundreds of people came to the funeral for Sgt. Kokia on Sunday in Tel Aviv. “Go on your way, my son,” Kokia’s mother, Levana, said in front of some 500 friends and family. “Angels will welcome you, and floral tapestries will be laid before you. Go on your way into the arms of G-d.” “We have no words to describe how to continue living with the thought that you are not with us,” Kokia’s sister Shani said between sobs. “How were you there [in the bus station] all by yourself without us around to protect you? We so badly want to have been there during your last moments to hug you and not let go.” After the arrest of the murderers, Boaz Kokia, Ron’s father, praised IDF security forces for quickly arresting the suspects. “I am pleased that the security forces caught the murderer of my son. They updated us that there was a development in the investigation but I didn’t know they had been caught. I also didn’t know they found the gun. That means maybe they prevented another attack on Israeli civilians.”

Huge Anti-Corruption March

Last Thursday night, Sgt. Ron Yitzhak Kokia of Tel Aviv, Hy”d, was standing at a bus station in the southern city of Arad when he was murdered by two Bedouins. The 19-yearold Israeli soldier served in the Nahal Brigade, whose home base was located just outside Arad. He was stabbed to death while waiting for a ride. Two Bedouin Negev residents

Tel Aviv hosted tens of thousands of protestors this week who came out to rally against corruption as the government is trying to pass the “police recommendations bill.” Critics of the bill say it is meant to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from multiple bribery investigations. The protests, which were being called “The March of Shame,” were held near Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit’s home in Petach Tikva. Continued on page 24

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

“Today We Finally Acknowledge the Obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s Capital” pleted, will be a magnificent tribute to peace. In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear. This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal ing the exact same formula Thank you. When I came for the Israelis and a great into office, I promised to look would now produce a differdeal for the Palestinians. We at the world’s challenges with ent or better result. are not taking a position of Therefore, I have deteropen eyes and very fresh any final status issues includmined that it is time to offi- to Israel earlier this year. thinking. Jerusalem is not just the ing the specific boundaries We cannot solve our prob- cially recognize Jerusalem as heart of three great religions, of the Israeli sovereignty in lems by making the same the capital of Israel. While previous presidents but it is now also the heart Jerusalem or the resolution failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strate- have made this a major cam- of one of the most success- of contested borders. Those gies of the past. Old challeng- paign promise, they failed to ful democracies in the world. questions are up to the parties Over the past seven decades, involved. The United States deliver. es demand new approaches. Today, I am delivering. the Israeli people have built a remains deeply committed My announcement today marks the beginning of a new I’ve judged this course of ac- country where Jews, Muslims to helping facilitate a peace approach to conflict between tion to be in the best interests and Christians and people of agreement that is acceptable of the United States of Amer- all faiths are free to live and to both sides. I intend to do Israel and the Palestinians. In 1995, Congress adopt- ica and the pursuit of peace worship according to their everything in my power to ed the Jerusalem Embassy between Israel and the Pal- conscience and according to help forge such an agreement. Without question, JerusaAct urging the federal govern- estinians. This is a long over- their beliefs. Jerusalem is today and lem is one of the most sensiment to relocate the Amer- due step to advance the peace ican Embassy to Jerusalem process and to work towards must remain a place where tive issues in those talks. The Jews pray at the Western United States would support and to recognize that that a lasting agreement. Israel is a sovereign na- Wall, where Christians walk a two-state solution if agreed city, and so importantly, is Israel’s capital. This act passed tion with the right, like ev- the stations of the cross, and to by both sides. In the meanCongress by an overwhelm- ery other sovereign nation, where Muslims worship at time, I call on all parties to ing bipartisan majority. And to determine its own capi- Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, maintain the status quo at was reaffirmed by unanimous tal. Acknowledging this is a through all of these years, Jerusalem’s holy sites includvote of the Senate only six fact is a necessary condition presidents representing the ing the Temple Mount, also for achieving peace. It was United States have declined known as Haram al-Sharif. months ago. Yet, for over 20 years, ev- 70 years ago that the United to officially recognize Jerusa- Above all, our greatest hope is ery previous American presi- States under President Tru- lem as Israel’s capital. In fact, for peace, the universal yearndent has exercised the law’s man recognized the state of we have declined to acknowl- ing in every human soul. With today’s action, I rewaiver, refusing to move the Israel. Ever since then, Isra- edge any Israeli capital at all. But today we finally ac- affirm my administration’s U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem el has made its capital in the or to recognize Jerusalem city of Jerusalem, the capital knowledge the obvious. That longstanding commitment to as Israel’s capital city. Pres- the Jewish people established Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. a future of peace and securiidents issued these waivers in ancient times. Today, Je- This is nothing more or less ty for the region. There will, under the belief that delaying rusalem is the seat of the than a recognition of reality. of course, be disagreement the recognition of Jerusalem modern Israeli government. It is also the right thing to do. and dissent regarding this would advance the cause of It is the home of the Israeli It’s something that has to be announcement. But we are confident that ultimately, as peace. Some say they lacked Parliament, the Knesset, as done. That is why, consistent we work through these discourage but they made their well as the Israeli Supreme best judgments based on facts Court. It is the location of the with the Jerusalem Embas- agreements, we will arrive at as they understood them at official residence of the prime sy Act, I am also directing a peace and a place far greater the time. Nevertheless, the minister and the president. It the State Department to be- in understanding and cooperis the headquarters of many gin preparation to move the ation. This sacred city should record is in. After more than two de- government ministries. For American embassy from Tel call forth the best in humanicades of waivers, we are decades, visiting American Aviv to Jerusalem. This will ty, lifting our sights to what is no closer to a lasting peace presidents, secretaries of state immediately begin the pro- possible, not pulling us back agreement between Israel and military leaders have met cess of hiring architects, en- and down to the old fights and the Palestinians. It would their Israeli counterparts in gineers and planners so that that have become so totally be folly to assume that repeat- Jerusalem, as I did on my trip a new embassy, when com- predictable. On Wednesday, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing decades of American foreign policy. He also directed the State Department to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. At the same time, the president urged for restraint and calm from the Palestinians and reiterated his desire for peace in the region. The entirety of President Trump’s speech at the White House is printed below.

Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it. So today we call for calm, for moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate. Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts. I repeat the message I delivered at the historic and extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this year: The Middle East is a region rich with culture, spirit, and history. Its people are brilliant, proud and diverse, vibrant and strong. But the incredible future awaiting this region is held at bay by bloodshed, ignorance and terror. Vice President Pence will travel to the region in the coming days to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations. It is time for the many who desire peace to expel the extremists from their midsts. It is time for all civilized nations and people to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate, not violence. And it is time for young and moderate voices all across the Middle East to claim for themselves a bright and beautiful future. So today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual understanding and respect. Let us rethink old assumptions and open our hearts and minds to possible and possibilities. And finally, I ask the leaders of the region, political and religious, Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and Christian and Muslim, to join us in the noble quest for lasting peace. Thank you. G-d bless you. G-d bless Israel. G-d bless the Palestinians, and G-d bless the United States. Thank you very much. Thank you.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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The first estimates said the event was attended by 20,000 people, however, other media outlets put the actual numbers closer to 50,000. Marchers came out to protest legislation that would block police investigators from telling prosecutors whether they think there are grounds for indictment in a case and from leaking any information or conclusions to the public or the media.

Opposition party leader Isaac Herzog also came out against the proposed legislation. Herzog said that the protestors were motivated by a “strong sense of unfairness, from disgust with corruption and strong moral opposition to a law tailor-made for one man.” He also said that they should “lay siege” to the Knesset in order to block the bill’s passage. On Facebook, Labor party leader Avi Gabbay asked coalition heads to vote against the legislation. “The recommendations bill will determine what side of history you stand on: on the side of corruption or the side of the Israeli people,” said Gabbay. The controversial bill has already cleared an initial reading in the Knesset and is to be voted on in the very near future. Some of the original bill has been altered in order to make its passing more likely. New clauses would allow police to issue recommendations to prosecutors based on evidence, but not to call on prosecutors to indict. As Israeli law stands now, cops do not explicitly recommend indictment charges. Instead, Israeli police officers issue a summary outlining the evidential basis for charges. The new law would see one year of jail time for investigators that leak information from ongoing investigations. Netanyahu is currently under investigation for allegedly taking money in exchange for advancing the business interests of a couple of wealthy Israelis. Bibi denies all of

the allegations that have been levied against him.

UN Passes More Anti-Israel Resolutions

Six resolutions were passed by the UN’s General Assembly last week that are described by a watchdog group as being anti-Israel. The resolutions were brought forward on the 70th anniversary of the UN’s ruling on the partitioning of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, that never came to be. Approved in a 151-6 vote with nine abstentions, the General Assembly resolution stated that “any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever.” The measures passed are basically the same as those voted on yearly on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. One exception this year was Britain voting against one of the resolutions of which most of their European neighbors were supportive. The UK voted against the resolution calling for Israel to give the Golan Heights to Syria because it feels that would undermine the credibility of the UN, as Syria had proposed the measure. The resolution does “little to advance peace or mutual understanding,” explained the UK delegate, adding that “it is unnecessary and disproportionate.” “The Syrian regime’s intent is to use this additional resolution to deflect attention from its own criminal actions and indiscriminate slaughter of its own citizens,” he noted. “The duty of the General Assembly is to draw attention to international humanitarian law violations, wherever they occur. This resolution risks discrediting that vital responsibility.” One of the resolutions condemns

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

Israeli violence and “acts of terror” without making any mention of Palestinian aggression, terror attacks, and murder. The resolution expressed “grave concern also about all acts of violence, intimidation, and provocation by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, including children and properties” and condemned “acts of terror by several extremist Israeli settlers.” Critics also called out the UN for a resolution which only uses the Muslim name for the Temple Mount, “Haram al-Sharif.” “This rebrands Judaism’s holiest site as solely an Islamic one,” a B’nai B’rith organization explained in a statement that rejected the resolutions as part of an “anti-Israel narrative that is pervasive at the UN.”

Palestinian Killed in Rock Attack IDF investigators have determined that a group of three dozen children and two adults who were hiking near the village of Qusra were attacked by rock-throwing Palestinians before they opened fire and killed a Palestinian man last week. The army said that the IDF did not arrive on the scene for about 20 minutes to rescue the group because the location was difficult to find. The organizers of the hike were criticized for not coordinating their trip with the army, as is required in that area. All future visits to the area now have to be accompanied by a military escort. “The IDF has a system of coordinating trips that allows all hikers to be kept safe while in an area that requires security preparedness,” the military said in a statement. A spokesperson for the hikers said that the trip had been coordinated, and an email had been sent to the IDF regional headquarters. They went on to say that the army “was throwing sand in the eyes of the public” and that there was really no need for coordination in Area C, which is under full Israeli control. The IDF had originally detained the two Israeli hikers under suspicion of negligent manslaughter but then released them after their investigation. At least one of the men’s guns was confiscated after the incident.

The two men were taking the group of young teenagers on a tour of the area as part of a bar mitzvah. When they passed the village of Qusra, dozens of residents started throwing rocks at them. One of the guides opened fire and killed a 48-year-old Palestinian who was throwing rocks at the children. Both of the escorts were injured by the rock attack and were treated at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. Lawyers for the two hikers de-

nounced the police investigation as “outrageous.” “The children were saved only by the resourcefulness of these citizens, who rescued them from certain death,” said attorney Adi Keidar. A mother of one of the children on the trip spoke to reporters about the investigation as well. “It is a disgrace, a disgrace. I can only hug my son this morning because of these people,” she said.

Millennials are Pickiest Eaters When it comes to their food, millennials are the generation most likely to say “ew!” A study into people dining at

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

restaurants noted that millennials were almost twice as likely – 34 percent vs. 18 percent – to feel that a meal wasn’t up to their standards as compared to those over of the age of 55. The study took into account people’s expectations and patience levels in restaurants. The survey, commissioned by GoDaddy, showed that millennials are not only harder to please when it comes to the quality of service, but they’re also generally pickier about the restaurants they choose to eat at and how they make decisions about where to eat, including a business’ online presence and social media platforms.

When choosing a restaurant, millennials depends the most on the opinions of others and are the age group most likely to be swayed by a friend’s recommendation. They also read double the number of online reviews of any potential eatery than a boomer does before making a deci-

sion. And those reviews really make a difference to millennials – sixty percent decided against eating at a restaurant after reading bad online reviews, more than any other age group surveyed. Those on the West Coast really have it bad. They were more likely to rely on online reviews than any other region. Looking to attract millennials to your eatery? They love to scour the internet for photos and menus online, so make sure your food looks delectable on your Instagram account. Millennials were three times more likely to seek out photos of a restaurant and its dishes than the over 55’s. One in ten millennials even go as far as to judge a restaurant based solely on the content and quality of their website — compared to just one in 100 restaurant-goers over 55. The older generation instead places slightly more emphasis on the overall ambiance of the place once inside than their younger counterparts. Don’t have a website? That’s too bad. Millennials are also three times more likely to not eat at a restaurant because the business is lacking a website. Could be all that kale that’s been making them such discerning eaters.

Are you Addicted?

There is a growing epidemic of nomophobia and you may be one of the many already affected. “NO MObile PHOne phoBIA” is the modern term for the fear of not being able to use your cellphone or another smart device. Research shows that cellphone addiction is rapidly rising. A new study released last Thursday suggests that smartphone and internet addiction can be detrimental to the human mind. Symptoms of addiction include disinterest in socializing, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, depression, and anxiety. According to Caglar Yildirim, an assistant professor of human computer interaction who helped lead the research, said, “This might negatively

affect your social life and relationships with friends and family. There are studies that show those who score high on the test tend to avoid face-toface interactions, have high levels of social anxiety and maybe even depression. “It might affect your ability to work or study, because you want to be connected to your smartphone all the time,” he added. “So if any of this applies to you, then it’s time to start looking at your behavior and level of anxiety.” To gather research, participants were asked to complete a survey regarding their behaviors. SecurEnvoy, a two-factor authentication company, conducted research using a polling panel and discovered that 66% of people in the United Kingdom have some form of nomophobia. Forty one percent of those individuals said they had two or more phones to make sure they stayed connected. Surveys by the Pew Research Center showed that 95% of Americans own a cellphone; seventy-seven percent are smartphones, up from 35% in 2011. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of mobile phones is a huge contributor to distracted driving that

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kills an estimated nine people each day and injures more than 1,000. A 2010 study by the Pew Research Center concluded that nearly half of U.S. adults admit reading or sending a text message while driving. The news is worse for teens: nearly one in three 16- or 17-year-olds said they have texted while driving. While drivers definitely need to be more cautious, so do pedestrians. A study of pedestrians in midtown Manhattan found that 42% of those who entered traffic during a “Don’t Walk” signal were talking on a cellphone, wearing headphones, or looking down at an electronic device. Another common symptom of phone addiction is text neck, cramping or stabbing pain after spending an extended period of time looking down at your phone. Another common side effect is fatigue caused by the blue light emitted from smartphone screens. Researchers believe the light can disrupt melatonin production which affects sleep patterns. Experts are suggesting that if you or your loved one is noticing symptoms of smart device or internet addiction, it is important to address the problem. Therapists suggest starting with turning off your phone at certain times of the day, such as in meetings, having dinner, playing with your kids, or driving. Another suggestion is to remove social media apps which tend to be a constant distraction. Instead, social media users can decide to only check their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts from an actual computer, which would likely minimize the frequency. Another approach to limiting the dependency and stress that comes from smartphones is to limit time spent to 15 minute intervals at set times that won’t affect your work or family life. Researchers are urging smartphone users not to bring their cellphones to bed, plug it in to charge somewhere else, and rely on an old-fashioned alarm clock to wake them up in the morning. How many times did you look at your phone while you read this article?

Acquittal in Kate Steinle Case Kate Steinle, 33, had her whole life ahead of her. She was beauti-

ful, educated, and lived her life surrounded by friends and family until July 1, 2015, when she was randomly killed by illegal immigrant Jose Inez Garcia Zarate at Pier 14 in the Embarcadero district of San Francisco while taking a stroll with her father and a friend.

Zarate claimed it was an accident and that he had mysteriously discovered the handgun behind a bench he was sitting on just moments before the incident. He said he was aiming at a sea lion but the shot accidently ricocheted off the concrete deck of the pier. It then struck Steinle in the back; she died within two hours from her wounds. Aside from the obvious tragedy of the incident, the murder ignited a major debate in the media and amongst politicians. Garcia Zarate had previously been deported back to Mexico. He had previously served time in prison for drug charges. San Francisco is a sanctuary city, a city that elects to protect illegal immigrants. Therefore, they do not notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when an undocumented immigrant is detained. Zarate was in the country illegally; if he would not have been here Steinle would still be alive today. At the time of the murder, Trump was campaigning for his presidential seat. He used the incident on his campaign trail to highlight what he sees as the immigrant “problem.” He vowed to build a wall to keep illegals, like Zarate, out of the U.S. On Thursday, after a lengthy trial, Garcia Zarate was found not guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or even manslaughter. Instead, he was convicted of a felony in possession of a firearm, a much lesser charge. Shortly after the verdict was announced, Trump condemned the ruling on Twitter. He tweeted, “A disgraceful verdict in the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration.” Many people felt strongly about the acquittal, as well. Rep. Eric

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Swalwell, D-Calif., whose district includes parts of the Bay Area, also condemned the ruling. He tweeted, “I greatly respect our jury system, but I could not disagree more with this verdict. I pray for Kate’s family.” Steinle’s heartbroken family publicly said they were “saddened and shocked” by the verdict. “There’s no other way you can coin it,” said Steinle’s father, James Steinle. “Justice was rendered, but it was not served.”

who has not been identified. During Friday’s court session, Flynn was only required to answer yes or no to the judge’s questions. He told the judge he had not been coerced to plead guilty or been promised a specific sentence. Flynn faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines, however, the judge said that he could impose a harsher or lighter sentence.

Flynn Pleads Guilty Former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn is back in the headlines after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI last week. On Friday, Flynn admitted to having conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. He is fully participating with the ongoing investigation into Russian collusion led by special counsel Robert Mueller. The FBI statement revealed that Flynn communicated with the ambassador after being asked to do so by a senior Trump transition official,

In a statement, Flynn said he acknowledged that his actions “were wrong, and, through my faith in G-d, I am working to set things right.” He added, “My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s Office reflect a de-

cision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions,” he said. On Friday Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer, said in a statement that “nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn. The conclusion of this phase of the special counsel’s work demonstrates again that the special counsel is moving with all deliberate speed and clears the way for a prompt and reasonable conclusion,” This is the fourth individual connected to Trump’s campaign to be charged as part of Mueller’s investigation which is intended to determine if there was any untoward communication and collusion between Russia and the Trump team. Last month, Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were indicted on charges unrelated to President Trump; both pleaded not guilty. Campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty for making a false statement to the FBI over contacts with officials connected to the Russian government.

Fake News is Real

Last week, Brian Ross generated fake news – and it caused him to be suspended from his prestigious job as Chief Investigative Correspondent at ABC News. Early Friday, during a “special report,” Ross announced that former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn would testify that Donald Trump, while running for president, ordered him to make contact with Russians about foreign policy. Immediately, Trump haters called for an impeachment, which sent the stock market plummeting, causing many to lose millions. But later in the day ABC News issued a “clarification” to Ross’s re-

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the months after 9/11. Then-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer tweeted on Saturday that he “explicitly told ABC News not to go with the anthrax story because it was wrong.” Fleischer added, “Brian Ross went with it anyway – and one week later issued a murky, hard to understand correction.” Ross had similar episodes in 2006, 2010, and 2012. Ross tweeted about his suspension late Saturday, saying, “My job is to hold people accountable and that’s why I agree with being held accountable myself.” Ross will be suspended for four weeks without pay, effective immediately. Lesson learned: we ask you to report the facts, not what you hope to be factual.

Conyers Resigns

port, saying that Trump’s alleged directive came after he’d been elected president, a major game changer. The main issue being investigated is whether the Trump had contact with Russia before being elected, thereby affecting the outcome of the presidential race. Several hours later, Ross appeared on “World News Tonight” to clarify his “error” in person. In a statement, ABC News said Ross’ report “had not been fully vet-

ted through our editorial standards process.” “It is vital we get the story right and retain the trust we have built with our audience,” ABC’s statement added. “These are our core principles. We fell far short of that yesterday.” Trump tweeted, “Congratulations to @ABC News” for reprimanding Ross for what the president called “his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia,

Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. More Networks and ‘papers’ should do the same with their Fake News!” This isn’t Ross’s first time dishonestly reporting on the news; he’s been known to fudge facts and speak prematurely. Ross has been employed by ABC News since 1994 after spending nearly two decades at NBC. In 2001, Ross falsely reported that Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi dictatorship may have been responsible for anthrax attacks that terrorized the United States in

On Tuesday, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the longest serving member of the House of Representatives, said he was “retiring today” during a radio interview. “I’m in the process of putting my retirement plans together and I’ll have more of that very soon,” Conyers said. Of course, the decision to vacate his position would leave his seat, well, vacant. Conyers said that he wanted his son, John Conyers III, to replace him when he departs. But earlier in the morning, Conyers’ nephew, Ian Conyers, said that he would be seeking the seat. “I’m absolutely going to file for his seat,” Ian Conyers, a state senator, told The New York Times. “The work of our congressional district, where I come out of, has to continue.” The confusion over Conyer’s replacement reflects the frantic final chapter of the congressman’s storied-turned-controversial career. The House Ethics Committee announced last week that it had opened an investigation into Conyers. Dem-

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ocratic House leadership called for Conyers to leave office. “The allegations against Conyers, we have learned more since Sunday, are serious, disappointing and very credible,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said last week. “Congressman Conyers should resign.” Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) said that it would be in the “best interest” of Conyers and his colleagues for him to step down. Conyers is heralded as a civil rights hero, having introduced the first bill in Congress that honored Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday after his assassination in 1968. He has long been a proponent of a single-payer health care system, reintroducing the United States National Health Care Act each session since 2003. He has served in Congress since 1964 and co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969. On Tuesday, Conyers defended his legacy, saying it “can’t be compromised or diminished in any way by what we’re going through now.” He added, “This too shall pass.”

December 10, 2017

The Dallas Morning News attempted to make sense of the rules. The prison system’s logic can be confusing. Some books are banned by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice because officials fear heavy-duty bindings could be used to cache contraband. Content that describes how to make drugs, guns or explosives and how to escape detection for criminal activity are also a no-go. Atlases are banned because they could be used to plan an escape. Regardless of the stated rules, “many of TDCJ’s censorship decisions are bizarre,” and some are downright “insidious” and “unconstitutional,” noted a report by the Texas Civil Rights Project in 2011. Banned books include many that are critical of the Texas prison system, the report stated. As for Mein Kampf, it “doesn’t violate our rules,” TDCJ deputy chief of staff Jason Clark explained to the newspaper.

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The Texas prison system has banned certain books for its inmates. Even more concerning are the books still permitted for its 150,000 prisoners to read. The Color Purple by Alice Walker and a collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets are on the list of 10,000 books not allowed to be read by inmates. The collection by Shakespeare has pictures that are deemed inappropriate. Where’s Waldo is not allowed because it has stickers, and Freakonomics was banned because it may cause “offender disruption.” Mein Kampf, the anti-Semitic tome written by mass murderer Adolf Hitler, is on the list of OK books for prisoners to read, as is two books written by former KKK grand wizard David Duke. Nearly 250,000 titles are permitted within the prison system.

CVS, America’s favorite carpeted drugstore (with the longest receipts ever), is about to make a major business move. The pharmacy chain is poised to purchase Aetna for $69 billion, making it one of the largest healthcare mergers in history. It is very early to fully analyze the merger, but many experts are saying that this may be a rare case in which the consumer actually benefits from a health care sector merger. CVS has almost 10,000 stores across the country. The giant company also has hundreds of walk-in clinics and operates one of the largest specialty pharmacies, which dispenses high-priced drugs that need to be handled very carefully. Ten years ago, CVS spent $27 billion on the majority of shares of Caremark, which allowed CVS to enter the pharmacy benefits management business as well. The CVS-Aetna deal would be the latest in a recent string of high-level

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mergers in the healthcare industry. Insurers are now partnering with healthcare providers. Health systems are now offering insurance. Even Amazon has now entered the pharmacy market in some states. Some feel that the motivation for the merger is that now CVS will have access to a large customer base that might have looked online to fill their prescriptions. A supplier and its consumer joining forces makes sense on many levels.

The proposed merger will be evaluated either by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission or the Justice Department to ensure anti-trust regulations are not being violated. Although CVS and Aetna’s planned merger does not directly consolidate the health insurance or pharmaceutical industries, the U.S. Department of Justice has been taking a closer look at so-called vertical mergers, where the companies are not direct competitors.

Former CIA Agent “Wanted” by Turkey Former CIA officer Graham Fuller is wanted by Turkey. Turkey issued an arrest warrant last Friday for Fuller, accusing him of “attempting to overthrow its government.” According to Turkish media, Fuller is accused

of “obtaining state information that must be kept secret for political and military espionage purposes,” among other charges.

Many believe that there is no truth behind these accusations and that Turkey is attempting to take revenge on the U.S. for bringing a Turkish citizen to court. A Turkish banker is currently on trial in the U.S. for allegedly helping Iran launder money and violating U.S. sanctions. This week, Reza Zarrab, a key witness in the case, implicated Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claiming that he instructed Turkish banks to participate in the multi-million dollar laundering scheme. The ongoing case has created tension between the two countries. “This clearly seems to be a case of tit-for-tat – you come after our people, we’ll go after yours,” Chris Meserole, a Middle East expert at the Brookings Institution, told Newsweek. “The idea that a former high-ranking official would be involved in planning the Istanbul coup attempt strikes me as pretty outlandish. In light of the timing, the accusations against Fuller are almost certainly being driven by politics, not facts,” Meserole noted. In July 2016, Turkey’s military attempted and failed to overthrow Erdogan, an uprising that Turkey is claiming Fuller was involved in. Since the 2016 coup, the Turkish government has jailed over 50,000 individuals it suspected were involved in the coup, including journalists, politicians, and members of the military. Fuller has written numerous books on Turkey and the Middle East.

Tax Bill Passes through Senate The Senate passed a large-scale revision to the current U.S. tax code after months of negotiations and nail-biting, last-minute revisions. The bill includes $1.4 trillion in tax cuts and lowers corporate rates from 35% to 20%. It will also reshape international business tax rules and

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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“In the end, it all came together and we’re pretty excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish for the American people,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.). “We’ve got a corporate rate at 20% that we think makes us competitive in the world again and provided substantial middle-income tax relief.” The bill squeaked by with a vote of 51-49. The only Republican to not vote for the bill was Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who said he was worried it would expand budget deficits. The House and Senate still need to reconcile competing versions of the tax plan, something GOP leaders hope to do before the New Year. “The bills are not all that different,” McConnell said. “We tried to move ours somewhat in the House direction.” If the bill is ultimately passed, it would be a huge victory for President Trump, who has made a tax overhaul a large part of his economic agenda. He campaigned heavily on the fact that the current U.S. tax code makes it very difficult for American businesses to compete internationally. Democrats feel that the bill only helps the wealthy and corporations. The market did not feel that way as the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 673.60 points for the week after the announcement of the passage of the bill.

This month the military has identified 100 sailors and Marines killed when the USS Oklahoma capsized during the Japanese attack. Until now the victims have been classified as missing since World War II. Officials exhumed the bodies after determining that advances in forensic science and genealogical help from families made it possible to identify the men. Many of the newly identified have been returned to their families and have been buried in their hometowns. Two years ago, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency dug up nearly 400 sets of remains from a Hawaii cemetery. The agency has said it expects to identify about 80 percent of the battleship’s missing crew members by 2020. In the attack, twenty-three sets of brothers died. Only one set of brothers, Kenneth and Russell Warriner, survived the attack. The only father-and-son pair perished as well. It was common for family members to serve on the same ship before World War II. Since the attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941, U.S. officials have discouraged family members from serving together on the same ship, although no official regulations have been established. December 7, 2018 marked the 76th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

100 Bodies IDed from Pearl Harbor Attack

Somewhere over the Rainbow

It’s been almost eight decades since the attack on Pearl Harbor, when 2,403 Americans died and 1,178 were wounded in

For a record-breaking eight hours and 58 minutes Taiwan was treated to a dazzling sight. On Thursday, November 30, from 6:57am to 3:55pm,

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

a rainbow arched over northern Taiwan for almost nine hours, making it the longest lasting rainbow on record, according to students and staff of Chinese Culture University in Taipei’s mountains.

The long duration of the colorful arch shatters the previous world record set in Yorkshire, England, on March 14, 1994. The Yorkshire rainbow lasted six hours, according to the Guinness World Records. “It was amazing … It felt like a gift from the sky ... It’s so rare!” said Chou Kun-hsuan, a professor in the university’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences who helped lead the efforts to document the rainbow. After witnessing a nearly sixhour-long rainbow the week prior, Kun-hsuan vowed to be prepared when another one appeared. “After four hours, we mobilized all our students and began to notify everyone in the school to take pictures and send us pictures,” Kun-hsuan said. Chinese Culture University posted a bulletin on Thursday asking students and staff to send in any photos or videos they took of the rainbow to prove to the Guinness World Records that they had set a new world record. “We need ‘per second’ photos to support this record, no matter how many of them are available,” the school explained in an online statement. With the nearly 10,000 pictures taken in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences alone, and thousands of others taken by students and residents in the area, Kun-hsuan believes they’ll have enough to win the title. “I’m confident we can prove to Guinness second by second that this rainbow lasted for nine hours,” Kun-hsuan said. Rainbows typically last much less than an hour, according to Guinness World Records. But a seasonal northeast monsoon in the area trapped moisture in the air, forming clouds, sunlight and a relatively slow and steady wind speed of 5.5 to 11 miles per hour to create

the perfect atmospheric conditions to extend the length and appearance of this particular rainbow. These conditions are common in the winter in Taipei’s Yangmingshan mountain range, where the Chinese Culture University campus is located. That makes it an ideal place to spot long-lasting rainbows, Kun-hsuan said. In fact, the conditions are so perfect, Kun-hsuan said he intends to reach out to the city’s tourism department to tout the colorful views. “I plan to contact the Taipei City tourism department to promote this, ‘You can see a nine-hour rainbow in Taipei in the winter, it’s amazing! Come to Taipei!’” Kun-hsuan said. Seems like there’s a boost in spectators at the end of this rainbow.

Eat Like a President

It’s no secret that our president enjoys greasy food. According to an upcoming book by Corey Lewandowski and David N. Bossie – President Trump’s former campaign manager and former deputy campaign manager, respectively – the commander-in-chief has a thing for McDonald’s Big Macs and Filet-OFish sandwiches, along with other assorted junk foods and snacks. “On Trump Force One there were four major food groups: McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, pizza and Diet Coke,” wrote Lewandowski and Bossie in a passage from Let Trump Be Trump, a retrospective about their time on the campaign. The authors add that Air Force One was well-stocked with sealed packages of potato chips and Oreo cookies, as Trump would only eat from a fresh, unopened package of snacks. On the campaign trail, Trump’s

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

preferred order from Mickey Ds was “two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish and a chocolate malted,” a whopping 2,400 calories. Trump’s love of fast food hasn’t exactly been a well-kept secret. In May 2016, Trump celebrated winning the Republican nomination with a Big Mac and fries, and in August 2016 he shared a photo of himself enjoying KFC aboard his private jet. Politico reported that an aide also made frequent runs to a McDonald’s in NYC for Egg McMuffins at breakfast time – and two Quarter Pounders with fries at lunch – during the campaign. Before he entered office, Trump himself told Anderson Cooper that he prefers fast food over other types of restaurants, mostly for “cleanliness” reasons. “I’m a very clean person. I like cleanliness, and I think you’re better off going there than maybe someplace that you have no idea where the food’s coming from. It’s a certain standard,” he said in a 2016 interview. “I think the food’s good,” he added. I’m thinking of buying stock in McDonalds after reading this.

A Missing L and a Lot of Love

A typo recently led to a strong friendship across the ocean. When Montpellier Herault Sport Club in Montpellier, France, bought new jerseys for its team and supporters, they noticed that something didn’t look right. Sure enough, a patch on the shirts was missing an “L.” Instead of trashing the jerseys, Montpellier Mayor Philippe Saurel and the team offered to donate them to soccer teams across the ocean in Montpelier, Vermont, which conveniently is spelled with just one “L.” John Hollar, mayor of Vermont’s capital city, happily accepted the sports paraphaneilia and held a ceremony last week with students from

Montpelier schools to thank the donors. “It’s a happy mistake. It’s a small one, you have to look closely, but it wouldn’t have happened without it, so it’s a nice little coincidence and serendipitous for us,” Hollar said. The two mayors also chatted over Skype. One of the jerseys will be framed and displayed in the Montpelier High School, while the rest will be auctioned off to raise money for student athletics and other charity endeavors. See, sometimes it’s good to make mistakes.

on Facebook. After enjoying his creation, Alex “cleaned the grill, collected my ill-gotten sandwich and rolled on out.” He even returned later in the day to the Waffle House to pay for his midnight meal. Upon hearing the story, a Waffle House district manager reached out to Bowen, thanked him for pointing out a flaw in their business, and offered him a position as a Waffle House secret shopper. Alex credits his Waffle House prowess on his little friend: “I give all the credit to my old friend vodka,” he said. “I wouldn’t normally have done that.”

Self-Cook Waffle Miracle Baby— Times Two

When a craving for waffles hit Alex Bowen on November 30 he ran to the closest Waffle House to satisfy the urge. The hour was late and Alex was a bit inebriated but he really wanted his waffles. Turns out that getting waffles wasn’t easy. Alex waited at the counter for ten minutes for someone to take his order but it seems that no one was in the store to help. Instead of leaving, Alex did what most of us have wanted to do for a long time: he went into the back and fixed his own waffle for himself. Along the way he stumbled upon a sleeping employee who “didn’t wake up the entire time” Alex was in the restaurant. Alex, ever the chef, whipped himself up a “double Texas bacon cheesesteak melt with extra pickles,” he said. Of course, nothing really happens unless we take a picture, so he snapped a few photos of his wild Waffle House adventure and shared them

What goes around comes around. Dan Helsel was born in the back of an ambulance 42 years ago. “My mom always said I’ve been hearing sirens all my life,” Helsel recently said. He has since become an EMT in Maryland. This year, for the first time, Helsel worked on his birthday, which came out on Monday of this week. As luck would have it, Helsel helped a woman deliver her baby in the back of the ambulance, the same way he made his entrance into the world more than four decades ago. The baby, named Zoey, was born without complications and is said to be doing well. Perhaps she’ll grow up to be an EMT too.

I know someone who left out the ches on a candy she was giving out on Chanukah and her guests didn’t know what yom tov it was. How sad is that? Page S20

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Living Emunah Volume 3 Living Emunah’s short, accessible, and wise daily readings have become a vital part of people’s lives. They show us how emunah can change our response to something as small as a traffic jam on a busy day or as great as a major life challenge. Not everyone can be a gadol ha’dor, a great Torah sage, but anyone can become a “gadol b’emunah,” a giant in faith and trust, says Rabbi David Ashear, author of the Living Emunah books. Living Emunah 3 gives us the tools, the inspiration, and the understanding we need for the journey to emunah.

The Miller Family Edition

Living Emunah for Teens

Teens today have questions and problems and concerns all their own — and now they have a book that’s written just for them — Living Emunah for Teens, adapted by Chana Nestlebaum from Rabbi David Ashear’s bestselling Living Emunah. In realistic scenarios and true stories, teens will learn how emunah can change and enrich their lives. How it can free them from anger or jealousy. How they can find the good in everything and everyone — including themselves. Every segment also includes a “Make It Real” guide to help bring the lessons of emunah into their lives.

Living Emunah for Children

With its fun and kid-friendly stories adapted by Leah Sutton and illustrated with delightful pictures by Chani Judowitz, this charming book will do for our little ones what Living Emunah has done for us — lead them to better, happier lives.

Yosef look ed at his parents, 8:50. It was perplexed. at 8:30. I ‘‘No. The know beca make sure explosion use I had I had eno was not at just look ugh time and still ed at my to get off be at choi watch to the train r practice would not to buy a on time. be alive now cup of coff If I had not ee .’’ Now his gotten off father look the train ed confused I explosion happened . ‘‘But we hea at 8:50 rd Yosef look on the new .’’ ed at his s that the watch. He still said 8:30. He could not realized believe his would not that eyes if he had hav . The wat known it ch him, by mak e left the train. He had been understood ing his wat 8:50, he that Has ch stop wor hem had king. saved Later that day, he visi miraculous ted his Rav story. He , Rabbi Far was over hi, and told ‘‘Take a pict joyed. him this ure of this watch now ever wan ,’’ Rabbi t to be sure Farhi told Yosef. ‘‘If that look at you the picture Hashem runs this world, just remember.’’ of your watch. The n you will Hashem has man y way take care of us. Som s to etimes, we do not realize it right away, but He is with us every second of every day .

Time Will

Tell / 11

12 / LIVI

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

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community A Chumash Celebration

n Sunday, HAFTR’s second grade students received their first Chumashim. Almost one hundred students proudly performed songs that highlighted their love of Torah and their pride in becoming the next generation of talmidei chachomim. Students recited pesukim from Parshat Bereishit that they are sure to remember for years to come. The students were beaming with pride as they received their new sefer engraved with their name. Together students excitedly recited a shehechiyanu and held their Chumashim for all to see. The celebration continued as students and their families engaged in interactive activities set up by their creative teachers. The students personalized Chumash covers, decorated picture frames which had their professional photo inserted, sang songs, and recited brachot as they noshed on treats. They also played a Torah game using iPads, recorded in writing their thoughts about this special

day and looked inside a sefer Torah for the very first time. It was a heartfelt and festive occasion that will linger in the minds and hearts of our children and their families. Thank you to all the families who helped sponsor the event. May we contin-

ue to have nachat from our children and grandchildren. After returning to school on Monday, second grade students were treated to the Tzivos Hashem Sefer Torah Workshop. Students learned about the intricate process of writing

a sefer Torah. They helped sand the klaf and mix the special ink. Each student used a kolmus to write his or her name using ksav ashiris, which are the Torah letters. Students were impressed by their ability to write so beautifully.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community Sights and scenes from the Achiezer Healthcare Conference and Expo which took place this past Sunday at Citi FieldÂ With more than 70 vendor presentations, nearly 25 informative sessions, and attendees from the Five Towns, Brooklyn, Monsey, and towns across New Jersey, Baltimore, and even Cleveland, the event was truly memorable. A full recap including information on accessing audio links to all of the sessions will be published in the coming days.Â

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: MOSHE GERSHBAUM, BRILLIANT PHOTOGRAPHYÂ

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Camp Dina Reunion

inter may be approaching, but the Camp Dina summer spirit was more alive than ever this past Sunday afternoon at the amazing Camp Dina 2017 Reunion. Hundreds of campers and staff members united together at the Bnos Bais Yaakov Hall in Far Rockaway to catch up on happenings since they had last seen each other and to relive their wonderful camp memories. Campers and counselors joined together for an afternoon buffet, special Rita’s dessert, a dance party and, of course, the long-anticipated 2017 Summer Memories Video! The atmosphere was electric and the air was filled with exciting memories, as the beautiful video portrayed the unbelievable summer experience at Camp Dina. Camp was brought back to life,

leaving the hall buzzing with talk of the awesome sports program, unbelievable trips, trampoline park, color war, zip lining over the lake, and more. Smiles were in abundance, and even a few campers were teary eyed – it was reminiscing at its best! At the end of the reunion, the girls received their winter giveaway and even as the girls said their goodbyes plans are already in the works for summer 2018, iy”H, now less than 200 days away! Many of the campers expressed how they wish the school year would already be over so that they would be back in camp. It’s really no wonder, since Camp Dina provides the campers with an action-packed, magic-filled summer experience with memories that last a lifetime!

Documenting History

long-anticipated day came to Central last week when two Holocaust survivors arrived at Central to be interviewed by senior students for the Names Not Numbers project. The students involved in the project have been preparing for this day for a number of weeks. They were treated to workshops on interviewing and filmmaking, and also attended special after-school classes on the history of the Holocaust. The videos the students are making will be edited and screened at a special evening event towards the end of the school year. Leeba Sullivan, ‘18, reflected on her interviewing experience: “It was

incredible to listen to my survivor speak, and it ended up becoming very emotional as well. She started crying...then I started crying...I think it is also amazing that we are doing everything ourselves, from the background research to the filmmaking.” Ashira Farkash, ‘18, echoed the sentiment, adding that “tt is so important that we do this project while survivors are still alive. In ten years, the situation will be very different. The survivor I was speaking to was 92-years-old!” The filming at Central will continue throughout the next few weeks as five more survivors visit for their interviews.

zip-line, boating, archery, go-karts and swimming all made up the incredible summer of 2017. Following the video, prizes were given out and a special Rita’s dessert was served. Then, friends reluctantly

bid each other farewell, promising to stay in touch until camp begins next summer, reminding themselves that camp is less than eight months away. It was a special evening for everyone who attended.

Camp Dora Golding Reunion

his past Sunday evening, hundreds of campers and staff members from Camp Dora Golding gathered at BBY for their annual reunion. Boys from South Shore, Yeshiva Ketana and Darchei, as well as boys from Queens, Brooklyn, Monsey, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, joined together to relive their summer memories. As one boy remarked, “I’ve been waiting for this reunion since the last day of camp! It feels like I’m back in camp again!” Old friends were quickly united as campers gathered around their counselors to discuss everything from school to the World Series. Bunkmates sat together for a delicious BBQ dinner catered by their very own “Chef Yo,” Oldak Caterers. After the meal, everyone enjoyed the camp video, which

was a journey down memory lane. The sounds of laughter and excited applause could be heard as the campers watched themselves having the greatest summer of their lives. The nonstop sports, fantastic trips, color war,

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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Around the Community

Shevach Students Join National Bnos Convention

n the weekend of Parshas Chayei Sarah, Bnos Agudas Yisrael of America held a convention in Baltimore for Bnos leaders from all across the USA. Shevach students Chava Crystal, Haddassah Gottesman, Ettie Langer, Faiga Raubvogel and Rochel Wagner enjoyed, in their words, “a Shabbos full of chizuk. Together with over 400 girls the Bnos Convention taught us the purpose behind what we do every Shabbos.” One of the most impressionable moments of the convention was Friday night, when after the seudah, Rabbi Yitzchok Sanders, principal of Bais Yaakov of Baltimore Lower Elementary School, addressed the girls. He spoke about the strong role the Bnos leaders have in maintaining the link in our shalsheles, and relayed the following inspirational story. As a principal one of the questions Rabbi Sanders enjoys asking his students is “who is your favorite teacher and why?” After asking one young student of his this question she answered the “why?” with: “Because every day she wears a different colored pair of shoes.” The message of this story is integral to the role of a Bnos leader. If this young student noticed what pair of shoes her teacher was wearing, the Bnos girls also most probably notice what their leaders are wearing, and even more importantly, their actions. When the high school leaders act with middos tovos and behave in a way befitting of a bas Yisroel, this makes a huge impression on them. Shevach sophomore Faiga Raubvogel was happy to share her thoughts about the convention; “I realized just how important my job as a Bnos leader is. You may think that leading a Bnos group once a week would not have such a big impact. However, one of the ideas the convention really focused on was how as a Bnos leader I have such an important role in giving over our mesorah to these girls. “As Bnos leaders we are role models. When the young girls see their big Bnos leaders, they want to be just like them. And when we act with good middos and show a love for Yiddishkeit, the girls see it and it makes an impression on them. And being that Bnos is held in an out of the classroom setting, combined with the fact

that I am not their teacher but rather just an exciting high school girl, I am able to have a very special and unique part in their chinuch. “Although some weeks it may be snowing, and it may be raining, and I may be tired, and I may have tests

to study for, I need to remember that I have a special achrayus to each and every one of my Bnos girls. I have the ability to inspire them in a way no one else can, just by sharing part of my Shabbos with them every week.” All the Shevach representatives

returned Sunday afternoon with a newfound appreciation for the impact they are having on the next generation of Bnos Yisrael. Kudos to Bnos Agudas Yisrael and to Bais Yaakov of Baltimore for arranging this Shabbos of chizuk.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

Around the Community

Special HANC Shabbat in West Hempstead

ANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead welcomed its principal, Rabbi Yaakov Sadigh, to the community for Shabbat. This special Shabbat began with a meaningful drasha that Rabbi Sadigh gave during the davening at Congregation Eitz Chaim of Dogwood Park. He spoke about the value of the partnership between school and home. The celebration continued at the Friday night oneg at the Young Israel of West Hempstead. Over 200 people came to enjoy an evening full of fun, friendship, and lots of sweets and delicious treats, thanks to David Yitzhaky and his staff at I and D. As each family arrived, it was a wonderful sight to see the classmates of those children rush to the door to greet them and invite them to sit with their classmates at their table! In addition to Rabbi Sadigh’s drasha, the packed Kiddush Room was treated to a dvar Torah by Dani Meir, one of HANC’s sixth graders. Dani spoke about the importance of paying attention to the smaller things in life. Based on an opinion by Rabbi Kamenetsky he explained that Yaakov realized that he had forgotten some small jugs of oil. What can be learned from his actions is that doing little things like being encouraging to a friend or offering a friend a snack can improve another child’s day. His words inspired everyone at the oneg to reach out and help others.

Mueller’s flipping Flynn at best has the Trump administration reaching for the Pepto-Bismol and at worse has them picking out their prisoner wardrobes. Page 94

In addition to the words of Torah, the fourth grade boys sang their favorite Shabbat zemer, led by their rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Harris. Their excitement and ruach added so much joy to the program. HANC was thrilled to welcome Rabbi Josh

Goller, assistant rabbi of the Young Israel of West Hempstead, and Rabbi Efrem Schwalb, rabbi of Congregation Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park, who joined the HANC community at this special, community-wide oneg. On Shabbat morning, Rabbi

Sadigh gave the morning drasha at Anshei Shalom. As Shabbat drew to a close, Rabbi Sadigh spoke again between Mincha and Maariv at the Young Israel of West Hempstead. It was truly an inspiring Shabbat, demonstrating achdut in every way.

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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ceeded beyond their expectations, netting a profit of $800! The girls are thrilled that they’ll be sending a total of $1,000 in tzedaka money to the children of the Neve Michal home, proving that you’re never too young to show your concern for others!

SKA Holocaust Journal Wins Gold

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azel tov to the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls editors of the Holocaust Journal on receiving yet another Gold Medal from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. This publication, produced by last year’s freshmen, received special commendation from the CSPA: The magnitude of this catastrophic event in Jewish History transcends the meaning of words and defies understanding. The Holocaust Journal that the students at Stella K. Abraham High School created vividly preserves so many personal stories of relatives who survived and those

who did not. The works recount the resistance which was mounted in so many ways. The verbal and visual works capture the emotions, the legacy, the fight for survival and the indelible memory of the Holocaust. The Journal is a completely unique endeavor and one which makes an impression on every reader. Our sincere thanks go to Mrs. Sheila Leibtag and Mrs. Shira Manne, together with the assistance of Mrs. Arielle Parkoff and Ms. Elyssa Quinn, for their dedicated hard work in helping the students display their creativity in such meaningful ways that benefit our school community.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Worldwide Jewish Dating

Sephardic Congregation of Hewlett First Annual Dinner Celebration

PHOTO CREDIT: GABE SOLOMON LIFECAPTURE IMAGES

fter Five Towns resident Meir Jeret met his wife on social media, he decided to work with his business partner, Chaim Kiss, to give back to the community by connecting singles of all ages from around the world. Meir and Chaim started with a niche on Facebook that Meir had been working with for over five years called “Facebook Groups.” Aside from the other 100+ groups that they run with their business, Social Media Guru 365 LLC, the Worldwide Jewish Dating group has shown great success in connecting Jewish singles from around the world and coordinating fun singles events to help break up those awkward moments. They just hosted a Singles Casino Night last Saturday night, December 2, which brought over 400 attendees from across the tristate area and even some singles who came from abroad! People came from Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Five Towns, West Hempstead, the Bronx, Oceanside, Staten Island, Great Neck, Monsey,

New Jersey, Massachusetts, Miami, Toronto, and even Switzerland! Here is the age breakdown from the Worldwide Jewish Dating Group: 18-24 being 20%; 25-34 being 30%; 35-44 being 24%; 45-54 being 15%; 55-64 being 7%; and 65 being 4%. The group has been active for less than a year and already has over 1,000 members from the USA, 100+ from Israel, 45+ from Canada, 15+ from Mexico, 15+ from the United Kingdom, and 10+ from Australia, with more members joining every day. Worldwide Jewish Dating is all about diversity and in January 2018 they will be expanding their singles events to Canada and looking to coordinate further events around the world. To sponsor a Shabbaton or hear the latest about their group and upcoming events, contact info.worldwidejewishdating@gmail.com or visit socialmediaguru365.com.

14th Annual Charles Sidlow Memorial Lecture Program

leetwood Synagogue’s 14th Annual Charles Sidlow Memorial Lecture Program titled “Issues in Contemporary Society Through a Jewish Lens” will take place on Motzei Shabbos, January 6, at 7:30pm at 11 Broad St. E in Mount Vernon, NY.

Guest speakers will include Ms. Shul Taubes and Rabbi Jeremy Wieder. A dairy dinner will be served. Kindly RSVP to Rabbirosenfelt@fleetwoodsynagogue.org. The event is sponsored by Robert Sidlow, Richard Sidlow, and their families.

he Sephardic Congregation of Hewlett (“SCH”) recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of the minyan’s inception. The minyan started in a garage and eventually made its way to the home of Shmuel and Anita Koren. The first annual dinner took place at the Woodmere Firehouse Hall which was transformed into a ballroom. The event gave congregants and supporters of the minyan an opportunity to socialize, enjoy a beautiful dinner, and discuss the minyan’s amazing growth and plans for the future. What makes this minyan unique is its diversity. Sephardim of virtually every background along with Chassidim, Ashkenazim, Israelis, Americans, and Russians including secular, traditional, and religious affiliations, all pray, in harmony, under one roof. On a typical Shabbat, the minyan hosts congregants with black hats, blue jeans, and everything in between. It is this type of unity and respect for differing levels of observance and religious expression that is the hallmark

of Sephardic tradition. Rabbi Rafael Ribakoff, the spiritual leader of the community, discussed the importance of the minyan as there is no other Orthodox minyan within a mile and a half radius. He expressed his unrelenting dedication to ensuring the growth of SCH in its mission to provide a house of learning and prayer to all those who seek it. Other guests that evening included Eric & Mina Aminoff and Yossi & Orit Cohen, both of whom have allowed SCH to house their newly written sifrei Torah. Heshy & Esther Wein, along with Dr. Mordechai & Miriam Grossman, were also present to show their continuing support for the minyan as they routinely collaborate with SCH on further building the community. In keeping with Sephardic tradition, the evening culminated with Middle Eastern sweets and joyful dancing. For those interested in supporting this beautiful growing community, please call (516) 531 - 7212.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

HAFTR Ushers in Chanukah at Rock Hall Museum

hird grade HAFTR students were invited to sing at the community-wide pre-Chanukah celebration at the Rock Hall Museum. From the steps of the museum, student performed a repertoire of Chanukah songs that thrilled spectators. Music teacher Mrs. Janet Goldman introduced the Hebrew version of Judas Maccabeus, music written by composer Frideric Handel, a German composer who lived in England at the same time period that the museum was built. After the performance, families toured the historic 1767 home. Thank you Rock Hall Museum for this wonderful opportunity and for the delicious Chanukah chocolate gelt that you provided. Chanukah sameach!

Shulamith Learns About the Heroes of United Hatzalah By Tehila Ostroff, 8th Grade

n the USA, when anyone needs a quick reponse in an emergency, they call 911. In Israel, it’s United Hatzalah that comes to people’s rescue time and time again! On Wednesday, November 29, the Middle Division Students of Shulamith School for Girls gathered to hear Mr. Adir Cohen explain the important work that United Hatzalah does across our homeland. Thanks to the ambucycles that they use, the medics of United Hatzalah can arrive at the scene of an accident, medical emergency, or terrorist attack in under three minutes. We asked Bailey Schuckman, 8th grader, what she thought about the 3,500 volunteers across Israel, who are ready to drop everything and race to help others at the drop of a hat, and she replied, “I think it’s amazing how they save so many lives.” Mr. Cohen explained to the students that unlike Hatzalah in New York, United Hatzalah has volunteers from every segment of Israeli society; Jews, Arabs and Christians all serve together and rush to aid

anyone who needs their help. Fifth grader Gabi Moskowitz commented, “I think it’s cool because if an Arab is sick and sees a Jew coming to help them, they’ll think they’re nice, and it could bring peace.” In addition to the regular medics,

United Hatzalah has a separate psycho-trauma unit which was begun by Miriam Ballin, a frum mom of five children. Mrs. Ballin encourages women to become medics and brings her knowledge and expertise in treating emotional trauma suffered by by-

standers to communities around the world. Hearing about Mrs. Ballin’s accomplishments was especially empowering for the students to hear. United Hatzalah also exemplifies chessed in their unique Ten Kavod program. The medics in this program visit senior citizens and Holocaust survivors, checking in with them a few times a week. The medics make sure they have food in their refrigerators and that they have been taking their medication properly. If the elderly need any particular help with a situation, these volunteers will gladly assist. It’s hard to imagine medics doing this anywhere but in Israel! Mr. Cohen ended his edifying presentation by reminding the girls that everyone can be a hero. In an emergency, it’s important to stay calm and call 911 or Hatzalah. Mr. Cohen invited everyone to visit the dispatch unit for United Hatzalah the next time they’re in Israel. Having learned so much about this lifesaving group of heroes, it’s likely many of our students will be taking him up on the offer!

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

CBEY Celebrates Chanukas HaBayis

T Bais

his Sunday, December 10, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., Congregation Ephraim Yitzchok,

better known as CBEY or the Island Shul, celebrates the completion of its new building, Bais Medrash Ohr

HaChayim. The shul is under the leadership of Harav Zvi Ralbag and is located at 812 Peninsula Boulevard in Woodmere. Eighteen years ago, a small group of young families from various yeshiva backgrounds banded together to form what would become CBEY. This group shared a desire for serious and pragmatic davening in a reverent setting. So, while Island Shul members tend towards friendly and welcoming, there is no talking in shul during davening and leining. The shul’s namesake, Ephraim Spinner, embodied the ideals of CBEY’s first members. Mr. Spinner was born in the U.S., educated in Mir-Poland, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. As president of the Young Israel of Williamsburg and later

the Young Israel of Prospect Park, he cared deeply about tefillah and proper shul conduct. CBEY’s first home was a converted one-family home. But it long ago outgrew that space, necessitating the construction of its new building, which is being dedicated this Sunday in memory of Chayim Daskal. Reb Chayim – a spirited personality with boundless energy – lived a life of chessed, and used his gifts to educate, inspire, and bring joy to Jews of every background and every persuasion. Daf Yomi at CBEY is at 7:10 a.m. on Sundays, 6:10 a.m. on Mondays-Fridays, and 8:10 a.m. on Shabbos. Various other shiurim are given throughout the week and over Shabbos. Shacharis at CBEY is at 8:00 a.m. on Sundays, and 7:00 a.m.

Reb Chayim Daskal, ah

on Mondays-Fridays. On Shabbos, CBEY has three Shacharis minyanim. The Main Minyan begins at 9:00 a.m., the Hashkama Minyan starts at 7:15 a.m., and the Teen Minyan commences at 9:15 a.m. in the shul’s annex on Ibsen Street. There is also a Mincha-Maariv minyan every Sunday, and a Maariv minyan Mondays-Thursdays at 9:15 p.m.

The new aron kodesh

Chanukah at Siach Yitzchok

t Siach Yitzchok, the big dreidel has been hanging in the main hallway since Rosh Chodesh Kislev. The famous “Dreidel

drop” will be taking place on Chanukah for our Reishis Chochma through eighth grade classes. Walking through the halls, you’ll hear many classes

singing all different Chanukah niggunim. Rabbi Schechter, along with many other rabbeim, made beautiful Chanukah projects with their classes.

All the boys in the cheder are eagerly waiting for Chanukah to begin to light their own menorahs and have the big mesiba at Sh’or Yoshuv.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Levi Yitzchak Library Annual Breakfast

undreds of children run through the doors of Levi Yitzchak Library each week, joyously looking through books, finding a quiet spot on the Mitzvah Train or at the tables to read, color, or play with puzzles. They are also learning on the computers, participating in fun programs, or relaxing with their friends. In addition, hundreds of adults come looking for a book to read – be it inspirational or informative – or to attend programs. To show their support, many people came out this past Sunday morning to attend the Library’s Annual Breakfast. This incredible showing of hakaras hatov for the work the Library does is a great chizuk to those who run it and the funds raised are essential to ensure the Library’s doors can remain open and the facilities can remain in good condition. The event was chaired by Ben and Lynda Brafman who have been strong proponents of the Library since its inception. Their involve-

ment is especially apropos as Lynda was the librarian at HAFTR preschool for many years. A special tribute was made to Program Director Bracha Kramer Margolin who is leaving the Library to pursue the opening of a Chabad Center in Virginia Beach, Va, this winter. A beautiful drawing by children’s author and artist Rikki Benenfeld was pre-

sented to Morah Bracha as a keepsake to remind her how special she is to so many in the Levi Yitzchak Library family. Honored for their continued support and connection to the library were Library Ambassadors Avi & Danielle Aronovits, Alan & Helene Gerber, and Jamie & Rachel Stahler. These three extraordinary couples share an underlying theme – they personify what Chazal view as one of the most enviable traits, “Emor me’at v’aseh harbeh.” Each in their own special way has been instrumental in sharing the Library’s vision and garnering support from friends and family. The breakfast would not have been complete if not for the support of some very special people who generously give of their time and services to ensure that the atmo-

sphere in the library is beautiful and enjoyable. Special thank you to Jeff Neckenoff of Azamra DJ, Tziporah Sax for her decor talent, Jerusalem Florist, photographer Sorah Trachtenberg, and Qcumbers. Although the breakfast may be over, we still need your support to continue our vital mission and to honor these very special Library Ambassadors. Please remember the Library for your end of year donations or in honor of a simcha or other occasion. Remember the Library is your beautiful community resource and accordingly needs your support. Donations can be made at lylibrary.org or by calling the library at 516-374-2665

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Yeshiva Har Torah Gets a Safety Lesson

t was a special week dedicated to safety for the YHT kindergarten. A real ambulance came by with a special visitor to help teach the children about what to do in an emergency. Yakir Wachstock, who is a Hatzalah member and YHT parent, spoke to the children about Hatzalah and what to do in case someone is hurt and needs medical attention. The children had the op-

Camp Kaylie Reunion Concert

n Motzei Shabbos, December 1, the magic of Camp Kaylie was felt in Beth Shalom in Lawrence, NY, for a Kaylie Family Concert featuring Jewish music superstar Benny Friedman. Over 800 campers, Kaylie families and Kaylie alumni were dancing and singing along to all of their favorite camp songs. The amazing night was capped off with Rita’s ices and churros. Everyone went home with a Camp Kaylie winter hat. Rabbi Eli Brazil, Director of Camp Kaylie, said, “It was a really beautiful night where campers, alumni, board members and staff all came together.” We already can’t wait for Camp Kaylie Summer 2018! For more information on Camp Kaylie, go to CampKaylie.org.

portunity to go into the ambulance and see all the equipment and tools used to help people who are sick. It was a great lesson tied and perfectly timed to help the students learn the Hebrew letter hey for Hatzalah! Thank you to Mr. Moussaief who generously provided the ambulance from his company for this incredible experience.

Gesher: Small Changes Make Big Differences

hanukah is in the air, and the children of the Gesher Early Childhood Center are following in the footsteps of the Chashmonaim. One of the main themes of Chanukah is that small changes can make a big difference. The Yevanim allowed us to have a Beis Hamikdash, as long as it was tamei. And they served many idols, each representing a different facet of nature. But, as the Gesher children know, there is only one Hashem. The battle cry of the Chasmonaim was mi kamocha b’eilim Hashem, reminding us that we have to be ready to say mi l’Hashem ailai. Many of this week’s lesson took on the theme of subtle differences. The kindergarten reinforced their alephbeis progress by comparing and contrasting the almost identical letters tes

and mem. The mouth of the mem is on the bottom while the tippy top of the tes is open. Similarly the Pre-1A compared tzaddik and ayin, also almost identical letters, just that the tzaddik bends over. Learning about pey and phey re-

iterated the need to “pey” attention to detail. Pre-1A also focused on identifying subtle social cues and body language. The group awareness lesson was a strong reminder of the power of togetherness, one of the elements of the

Chashmonaim’s victory. The nursery was treated to a new pet, a rabbit. They used their new friend to examine how Hashem created every detail with a purpose. The fur, big ears, and whiskers are all specially designed for the world of the bunny.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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Around the Community

YOSS Siddur Celebration

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Smiles were in abundance as each boy was presented with their engraved siddur by Rabbi Herzberg, Menahel HaYeshiva, and Rabbi Robinson, Associate Menahel. The boys capped off the day with singing and dancing. Mazel tov!

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Keeping Warm with the Fire of Torah at Sh’eefa

aruch Hashem in our thirteenth year of inspiring women of all ages in our community, the warmth of Torah is felt at Sh’eefa even during these chilly months! The Sh’eefa women have taken the time to fuel their souls and feed their hearts and minds words of Torah by attending Sheefa’s live shiurim that take place in Aish Kodesh in Woodmere. This past month alone they have been privileged to hear and learn from world renowned speakers, including Rabbi Mordechai Burg, Rabbi Noam Fix, Mrs. Amit Yaghoubi, Mrs. Rivka Yudin and Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky. A special highlight was an event for the married Sh’eefa alumnae, boasting

over 100 women who gathered to hear from our guest speaker from Eretz Yisroel, Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker, speak on the topic of shalom bayis. To kick off the month of Kislev, the women celebrated Rosh Chodesh with a Morning of Inspiration with breakfast served and shiurim from Mrs. Shaindy Glickman, a Sh’eefa alumnus and speaker, and Rav Gav Friedman, lecturer at Aish HaTorah, Yerushalayim. The room was full to capacity of women who soaked up the words of inspiration from these amazing lecturers. In preparation for the yom tov of Chanukah, we look forward to hearing from Rabbi Benzion Klatzko and Ms.

Chevi Garfinkel, as well as many other wonderful speakers. To learn more about Sh’eefa’s programs and shiurim

please visit sheefa.org or follow us on Instagram @sheefawomensprogram.

Pittsburgher Rebbe, Shlita, Visits Long Beach

he Pittsburgher Rebbe, shlit”a, Rabbi Mordechai Yissochor Ber Leifer from Ashdod, spent Shabbos, Parshas Vayeitzei, December 1-2, in Long Beach. The Rebbe, together with an entourage of chassidim numbering well over a hundred individuals and their families, were warmly welcomed by the Young Israel of Long Beach membership and the community at large. The Rebbe conducted a spiritually elevated tisch on Friday night following kabbalas Shabbos and seudas Shabbos which included all the visitors and community participants. Many Long Beach residents came to bask in the holy company of the Rebbe. On Shabbos morning, the Rebbe davened Shacharis with a sweet and slowly-paced voice that resonated with each mispallel in attendance. Following the krias haTorah Rabbi

Chaim Wakslak, the rav of the shul, welcomed all the assembled. He delivered an eloquent drasha during which he related the personal impact of the current Rebbe’s father, Rebbe Avrohom Abba, z”l, had on his per-

sonal growth and development as a consequence of his growing up under the influence of the Rebbe in Newark, New Jersey. A special simcha was celebrated when Avraham Daniel Weber was

called to the Torah in celebration of his bar mitzvah which had taken place several weeks earlier. The Weber family, currently Pittsburgher chassidim, have their antecedents in Long Beach where the bar mitzvah bochur’s great-grandparents settled after coming to the United States following the Holocaust and where his grandmother and mother grew up. The family was long-time mispallelim at the Young Israel. A special kiddush was tendered in honor of the Rebbe’s visit and the bar mitzvah was followed by a seudas Shabbos, Mincha and shalosh seudos. The shalosh seudos lasted well past the zman with beautiful divrei Torah, zemiros and niggunim. The Shabbos was capped by havdalah and an overall atmosphere of friendship and warmth amongst everyone who was able to experience an exceptional Shabbos.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: SORAH TRACHTENBERG

Joe Bobker (left), author of the popular Torah With a Twist of Humor series, and Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetsky (right), rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of South Shore, at the Levi Yitzchak Library annual breakfast last Sunday. The breakfast was chaired by Benjamin and Lynda Brafman.

PHOTO CREDIT: NAFTALI BAK

Rabbi Deutsch giving a shmuz at Mesivta Shaarei Chaim in Far Rockaway

Felder Proposes Tax Credit that Shields New Yorkers

egislation proposed by Senator Simcha Felder (D-Midwood) aims to protect New York taxpayers by creating a tax credit equal to any federal tax increase caused by a Washington tax reform plan that eliminates state and local tax (SALT) deductions. “This bill would hold harmless New York taxpayers from any possible tax increases caused by federal tax reform,” said Senator Felder. “I’m not interested in whose fault it is; let the governor and the president fight that out. But we cannot stand by and force New Yorkers to become the collateral damage of tax reform.” With the elimination of the SALT deduction, New Yorkers would suddenly see the actual cost of state and local taxes on their federal tax bill.

The sharp increase would be an expensive, eye-opening lesson to middle class taxpayers in the actual financial toll of living in a high tax state. “As always, New York’s middle class bear the brunt of political maneuvering that isn’t their fault, but will soon be their problem,” said Senator Felder. “My legislation protects all hardworking New Yorkers from the uncertainty in Washington while saving their hard earned money and giving them peace of mind.” Felder’s bill would have no effect where a tax bill increases due to an increase in the taxpayer’s income. Also, due to its many variables, the full cost of the bill can only be determined once a final tax reform bill leaves Congress.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Spec ial C Supp HANUKA leme nt H

‫א‬ ‫פרייליכען‬ ‫חנוכה‬

4 8

Yud Tes Kislev and Chanukah Rav Moshe Weinberger

Shining the Light on “Self-Hating” Jews

Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

10 12

Al Hanissim on Chanukah Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits

The Vanishing Flame Yerachmiel Tilles

14 18

Chanukah Delights from Real Life Miriam Pascal

Light up the Purple & Gold Nights:

A Mock-abee Chanukah Party Susan Schwamm

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire

Parshas Vayeishev Yud Tes Kislev and Chanukah By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

want to talk about the connection between Chanukah and Yud Tes Kislev, the anniversary of the day Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Lubavitcher Rebbe (the Baal Hatanya), was released from prison. When the Baal HaTanya was arrested he was very upset that he was forced to discuss matters of G-dliness with the Russian authorities. At one point, they asked him if he was a follower of the Baal Shem Tov and his movement. He faced a horrible dilemma. If he answered that he was not a follower of the Baal Shem Tov, he would probably be liberated and out of danger. If he answered yes, his very life was at stake. However, he could bring himself to disavow his connection to the holy Baal Shem Tov and answered in the affirmative. Was it possible that the Baal HaTanya, who was a genius and well-versed in the laws of pikuach nefesh, did not know that he was permitted to disavow his connection to the Baal Shem Tov? Denial of Chassidic affiliation is not one of the cardinal sins! How could he give an answer that would most likely cause his own death? It must be that the Baal Hatanya’s connection to the Baal Shem Tov was part and parcel of his belief in Hashem. For him to deny the Baal Shem Tov as his master and teacher would have been like saying he does not believe in Hashem. This concept is very difficult to understand and almost smacks of heresy. How are we

to understand it? Chanukah is the holiday of ohr (light). It is the victory of light over darkness and the Jews over the Greeks. On Shabbos Chanukah, it is customary to greet each other with “a lichtegeh Shabbos” (“an illuminated Shabbos”) instead of the usual “Good Shabbos.” Chanukah brings with it a light that penetrates much deeper than any other yom tov. The light of Chanukah is an ohr penimi (“an internal light”). It is connected to the hidden light of Creation that goes much deeper than the eyes can see. We see this notion in marriage. I sometimes meet with a couple because they are having marital troubles. Oftentimes I ask the husband, “What is the matter?” He will answer that he does not know and add, “I take out the garbage, I change the light bulbs, I fix things around the house, etc.” All the while his wife is shaking her head at each statement. I then turn to her and she will say, “I did not marry a handyman.” The light of the marriage is missing. This light cannot be expressed in words. It is hidden from physical reality. You could not explain this “light” to someone. It is either felt or it is not. There is an old song, “I know a woman, became a wife, these are the very words she uses, to describe her life.” The light is now missing from her life; she has been reduced to a wife, no longer a woman permeated with the ohr penimi. When the light

of the marriage is missing, the people are merely a husband and a wife, trying their best to get along and make it through the daily grind. I was recently at a levaya, funeral, for an elderly woman. There is an interesting phenomenon that occurs at funerals. One of the children will get up to speak and talk about Mommy’s apple strudel. A grandchild will get up afterwards and describe how no one made stuffed cabbage like Bubby. People sitting and listening will wonder, all these years and all they have to talk about is Bubby’s yom tov menu? The truth is, however, that when her children and grandchildren tasted those foods, they could taste the sweetness of their Bubby that could not be explained in words. Every detail of her life, even the smallest, was infused with the ohr penimi, this internal light, which she invested in every piece of food she lovingly prepared. When we look at a child and we’re overwhelmed by his or her beauty we simply say, “He is shinning!” We’re not referring to a particular characteristic or feature of the child. We’re simply trying to describe his essence, who he is. In Parshas Yisro (20:1-2), the Aseres Hadibros, the Ten Commandments, begins, “And Hashem said all of these things saying. ‘I am Hashem your G-d…’” The Torah prefaces, “I am Hashem your G-d” with the seemingly superfluous phrase, “all of these things.” The Torah should

have said, “And Hashem said, ‘I am Hashem…’” In our relationship with Hashem, there are mitzvos, good deeds, and all of the other things. However, that is not the essence of our relationship with Hashem. Yiddishkeit is not just a to-do list. The essence of the relationship is between the lines, not visible to the eye. This is what we have to learn to “see” and feel. Chazal (Shabbos 105a) explain that “I, anochi,” stands for “Anah nafshi katvais ya’haveis, I have written and given myself into the Torah.” A deeper reality exists beyond the actions and conditions of a relationship. This point of the relationship cannot be expressed; it is an inherent connection. The specifics of the what we do is not the ohr penimi of the relationship. The “I am Hashem” is the ohr penimi of our relationship with Hashem, the light of Hashem that must be felt in everything we do. As the pasuk says, “With the light of His face, He gave to us…” The Torah consists of wisdom and light. It is made up of “things” and the “I am Hashem.” The Greeks were interested in the wisdom of the Torah but not the light of the Torah, not the ohr penimi. Moshe Rabbeinu transmitted this to Yehoshua. Chazal write (Avos 1:1) that “Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and transferred it to Yehoshua.” Rav Yosha Ber Soloveichik explained that Moshe did not just teach Yehoshua a lesson. He shined the light

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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of Torah into Yehoshua. He showed him the inner light of Yiddishkeit. Yehoshua’s face shone like the moon. The moon reflects the light of the sun. Yehoshua was shining with Moshe’s light, the light of Torah. Rav Avraham Tzvi Kluger explains that there was a time when Jews prayed without a set text. They used their own words to pray. Before the traditional kabbalas Shabbos that we know, we assume people went out into the fields. Lecha Dodi was only introduced in the 1500’s. Rav Kook explained that at that time, the relationship between Jews and Hashem was natural. We do not know much about this time, but we do know there was no blueprint for serving Hashem to guide people. The Vilna Gaon said that that Jews in his time (all the more so now) had no understanding of the exalted level of the simple Jews in the time of the Beis HaMikdash. The connection between a Jew and Hashem in those times was natural and felt. The ohr penimi was apparent. They understood the white parchment in between the black letters of the Torah. Prophets were everywhere, and Hashem’s words were heard loud and clear. The exile of Greece is characterized by “they darkened the eyes of the Jewish people.” The Greeks did not want to destroy the Torah. They did not burn it like they did in Paris. They coveted its wisdom but wanted no differentiation between Jew and non-Jew. According to the Midrash (Bereishis Raba 2:2), they decreed that every Jew “write on the horn of a ram that you have no portion in the G-d of Israel.” The word for horn, keren, also means a “ray,” as in a ray of light. The Greeks told the Jewish people that the light of Torah has no place in their lives. They tried to convince us that it does not exist because it cannot be seen. There is no “between the lines.” One time, when I was younger, my family was driving through a town during Chanukah. There were many plastic menorahs in the windows. I was going through a “frum” stage at the time and I said, “You cannot even be yotzei the mitzvah of lighting with these menorahs.” My father said to me, “How beautiful is it that there are Jews who still want people to know they are Jewish.”

The light of Chanukah is this hidden light, the inner light of Yiddishkeit that shouts, “I am Jewish!” The Greeks wanted to extinguish this light, to extinguish the internal flame of Yiddishkeit. This is why there is no Meseches Chanukah in Gemara or Mishna. The light of Chanukah is inexpressible. This is the inner meaning of Chazal’s statement (Shabbos 21b) that “the miracle of Chanukah cannot be written.” The light of Chanukah is the victory of the inner light of Torah over the Greek battle to destroy it. The ohr penimi of the Jewish people’s relationship with Hashem survived and continued. This miracle cannot be expressed or transcribed. At certain in times in history, when there existed an extraordinary darkness, Hashem sent into the

the light of the seven days of Creation, the Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh, into the world bring to G-dliness to the masses. He showed people the light in all of Creation. Whereas in the past, only a select few were privileged to understand this, the ohr penimi was now revealed to all. He was able to reveal the hidden light of Creation, the G-dliness within the soul, to the simplest Jew. He revealed the inner light of their relationship with Hashem to them. He taught them “to see” the light of Moshiach, the ohr penimi of Torah and mitzvos. Hashem was once again part of the daily lives of people. They were able to taste Hashem’s love for them in the apple strudel. When the Baal HaTanya was arrested, he managed to give a note to a chassid to bring to the Kedushas Levi, Reb Levi Yitzchak of Ber-

The light of Chanukah is this hidden light, the inner light of Yiddishkeit that shouts, “I am Jewish!”

world extraordinarily illuminated souls to save us. After Chazal instituted prayer and other fixed methods of worship, the service of Hashem became routine. People heeded the commandments of Chazal, but did not feel G-dliness in their service. Hashem therefore sent us our master, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, to illuminate the space between the lines of Yiddishkeit with the Zohar. He revealed the G-dliness inherent in everything. However, his circle was small, only consisting of a few people. Later, when Jewish law was beginning to be codified, and a similar state of stiffness was setting in, Hashem sent the Arizal into the world to illuminate the Zohar of all Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s teachings. The circle widened but was still small. Most people were practicing the rituals of Yiddishkeit but were not feeling Hashem in anything. In the 1600’s the Jews experienced a terrible state of darkness after the debacle of Shabtai Tzvi and the Frankists. Hashem therefore sent

ditchev. When the chassid arrived in Berditchev, he forgot the Baal HaTanya’s mother’s name. Reb Levi Yitzchak opened a Chumash and placed his finger on the page. The pasuk his finger was on was, “And Yaakov saw that there was sustenance, shever, in Egypt.” The word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, can also mean a situation of trouble or danger, as in, meitzarim, straits. In addition, the word for sustenance, shever, can also mean brokenness, as in shevira. Reb Levi Yitzchak said, “Shever: Shneur ben Rivkah (and Rivkah was actually the Baal Hatanya’s mother’s name) is in Mitzrayim, Egypt/straits. Hashem’s existence in this world had entered into the straits, into prison, with the Baal HaTanya. Only a tremendous light could save it. The Baal Hatanya’s name, Shneur, can be split into two words, shnei ohr, two lights.” He was a double-light to stand up to the double darkness of that time. The Baal Hatanya was carrying on the light of the Baal Shem Tov, which was the unity of the revealed and the

hidden light of Hashem. The “things” and the “I.” Now we can understand why the Baal HaTanya could not answer “no” when asked if he was a follower of the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov brought knowledge of Hashem back into the world. The ohr penimi that the Greeks wanted to extinguish was faced with extinction once more. Denying his connection to the Baal Shem Tov would have been tantamount to denying his connection to the ohr penimi. This light is needed for Moshiach to come. His connection to the Baal Shem Tov was an extension of his faith in Hashem. Even though his life was in danger, the ohr penimi of the world was in danger too. There is a poem from a woman named Ruth Lewis called “Concepts,” from her a wondrous book of poetry called, Memo to Self. In it, she is talking to a woman who does not have children.” What keeps you going? An unmarried friend once asked I said something about the children, about doing it all for them I see, she said. So, it is the concept of Children that gives you strength? I gave up trying to explain. The concept of children wouldn’t inspire me to lift a finger. No, it’s Aidey’s arms flung ‘round my neck; the pull of Feigy’s hair, tangled, on the comb; Nechamy’s soft cheek on mine; the baby’s little form, snug-fitting in my arm… It’s not the concept of children, but the solid reality of them that fills my days. Hashem Yisborach should help us that we merit to feel this ohr penimi in our own lives. May the lights of Chanukah open our eyes to what is between the lines. With this, may we merit to see the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days. Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and has served as Mashpia in Yeshiva University since 2013.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

A Fulfilled L fe

Shining the Light on “Self-Hating” Jews By Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

hroughout the recent explosion of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric all around the world the Jewish people have felt particularly vulnerable, isolated and hurt. Everyone of significance, it seemed, was against us. Countless politicians, UN delegates, celebrities, business magnates, academicians and many others lined up to censure Israel for its many grave injustices and alleged crimes against humanity. Yet, I suspect that the individuals whose anti-Israel stance bothers the Jewish people most are not those listed above. They are people like Gerald Kaufman, a British Labour Party politician who continually lambasts Israel for its Nazi-like (!) treatment of the Palestinian people, or Jon Stewart, the popular (former) political comedian who routinely blasts Israel for its harsh policies (to the point where even Hillary Clinton had to rush to its defense). Such people, we say, are “self-hating Jews,” individuals who are deeply conflicted by and largely troubled

with their Jewish identity. They are not at peace with themselves as members of the Abrahamic progeny and seek to unshackle their burdens of Jewish lineage by acting in a manner that is hurtful to their brethren. Leaving aside the terminology for now (it seems strange that we call such people “self-hating”; if anything, they may be religionor nation-hating), it is clear that “self-hating” Jews like these have existed throughout our nation’s history. Whether they attempted to mislead their brethren with false ideologies and a new moral standard or simply looked to ingratiate themselves with their antagonistic overlords by acting as informers and offering up their brethren instead, these Jews have been a collective thorn in our side for millennia. One historical chapter captures this tension particularly well. It is the period that witnessed the Chanukah miracle. Amongst the Jewish ranks at that time were Hellenists, people who were enamored with Hellenistic (Greek) culture and ideology and

sought to integrate such thinking and practice throughout the Jewish homeland. Things came to a head in 174 BCE, when the Seleucid monarch Antiochus IV accepted a sizable bribe from Jason, the Hellenized brother of the high priest Onias III, and proclaimed him the new high priest in Judah. Jason’s ultimate intention was to convert Jerusalem into a Greek polis to be named Antioch. This required that Greek political and cultural institutions be introduced into the city. He had a gymnasium erected near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, within direct sight of the Temple itself. This gymnasium would serve as a center of Hellenistic education and athletics, where nudity and immoral behavior was the norm. Pagan statues and altars were present as well; sacrifices were offered to Greek gods prior to the commencement of sporting events. These changes attracted many Jews, particularly Jewish youth. Many priests were also influenced by this new culture, neglecting their

sacrificial duties in favor of these new centers of diversion. Jason had no intention of financing his position from his own personal funds. Taxes were collected at an even higher rate to help pay for the high costs of Hellenization, not to mention the king’s military campaigns. Jason and other Hellenists thus became identified not only for their political and cultural changes, but for increased taxation as well. In an almost humorous twist, certain Hellenists accused Jason of not taking his reforms far enough. Three years after replacing Onias, in 171 BCE, he would also be removed from office. Menelaus, a non-priest, offered an even larger bribe to Antiochus and had himself appointed as the new high priest. In order to pay the enormous sum, he and his brother Lysimachus robbed the Temple and sold off many of its golden vessels. Onias was murdered when he protested this greedy behavior. Scores of Jews were killed in Jerusalem when Lysimachus and his soldiers, fearing an anticipated revolt,

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

fell upon the people. Lysimachus died in battle, but Menelaus was able to maintain his standing, which he used to further Hellenize the Jewish people. The “self-hatred” demonstrated by Jason, Menelaus and their Hellenistic ilk was not one of personal loathing. Rather, their hatred was directed at their religious brethren, upon whom they felt an obligation to enlighten to the ways of Greek thought, mannerisms and practice. In some basic ways they succeeded, at least at first. There is no question that Antiochus was bent on promoting increased Hellenization amongst his Jewish citizens. However, he never would have attempted such a sweeping and torturous campaign against the Jewish religion. Only after witnessing the strong assimilatory interests of Jason and his cohorts did he shift his Hellenizing efforts into high gear. The reason that we celebrate Chanukah is because a small band

of fiercely loyal, committed and satisfied Jews rose up in opposition to the Hellenists and the Seleucid occupiers. Though small in number, they understood that they must engage in a winner-takes-all battle for the

calling, purpose and uniqueness. It demands a connection that is so fundamental that one would be willing to give his life for it. In the end, it was this commitment that carried the day and delivered “the mighty into

We are at our best when we hunker down and reaffirm our own commitment to the identity, beliefs and values that we cherish and would give everything to maintain.

preservation of their Torah and its eternal values. Self-hatred speaks to an inner dissatisfaction with one’s nation and its values. Combating such thinking and action requires self-affection, a deep sense of appreciation for one’s

the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah” (Al Hanisim).

This Chanukah let us remember that our success in combating self-hatred and anti-Semitism has never emerged from our ability to win the political battles or convince others to our way of thinking. Rather, we are at our best when we hunker down and reaffirm our own commitment to the identity, beliefs and values that we cherish and would give everything to maintain. Let us hope that at this time of great national celebration and joy that the true light of truth and freedom will shine brightly throughout the world in a way that even our greatest enemies will be forced to acknowledge it.

Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is President of Impactful Coaching and Consulting. He can be reached at (212) 470-6139 or at nhoff@impactfulcoaching.com. Buy his new leadership book, “Becoming the New Boss,” on Amazon or at BecomingtheNewBoss.com/order.

Kitzur Halachos

Chanukah & PURIm

KITZUR HALACHOS: CHANUKAH & PURIM, prefaced by HAGAON HARAV BEREL POVARSKY shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivah of Ponevezh, contains a thorough examination of all the halachos of Chanukah and Purim, based on the rulings of the Mishnah Berurah, Shaar Hatzion, and Biur Halachah. The intricate and complex details of each halachah are brought out in a clear and comprehensive manner, making the sefer accessible for all levels. Authored by RAV ZEV HOFSTEDTER, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Acheinu L’Tzeirim, Kitzur Halachos clarifies hundreds of common and practical halachos in a clear and concise format.

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• The proper place to light the menorah – is it by the window, doorway, or entrance to a home or building? • How to arrange the Chanukah candles and the order of lighting • The halachos of hearing the Megillah and fulfilling the mitzvos of mishloach manos, matanos la’evyonim and seudas Purim • When does a person who travels to or from Yerushalayim fulfill the mitzvos of Purim? Available in Judaica stores nationwide or direct from the publisher, Israel Book Shop 888-536-7427

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Halachically

Speaking

Al Hanissim on Chanukah By Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits

n Chanukah, we insert Al Hanissim into our davening and benching. It is very practical for us to discuss all the halachos that apply to this. The Gemara suggests that since Chanukah is d’rabbanan in nature there is no need to mention Al Hanissim in benching (since there is no obligation to eat a meal on Chanukah, there is no obligation to recite Al Hanissim in bentching). The Gemara concludes that if one wishes to mention it he may do so in the bracha of thanks, which is Nodeh. Al Hanissim is recited in davening before V’al Kulam, which is the bracha of thanks. As mentioned above, we say Al Hanissim in davening before V’al Kulam, since Chanukah is all about thanks. This is mandatory, and there never was a question regarding this obligation. One reason is that since there is chazaras ha’shatz there is pirsumei nisa by saying Al Hanissim (it is said in tefillos without chazaras hashatz as well. We say Al Hanissim in Mussaf of Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh, even though there is no Mussaf the rest of Chanukah. However, if one forgot, there is no need to go back to the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei. There is no need to repeat Shemoneh Esrei if one forgot to say Al

Hanissim. Al Hanissim is recited on the first night of Chanukah, even if one davens Ma’ariv before he lights. One should not skip Al Hanissim in order to answer Kedushah with the shatz. It is permitted to say Al Hanissim on the last day of Chanukah, even if one davened Mincha after nightfall. This is also true if on the last day of Chanukah one said Al Hanissim in Ma’ariv.

IF YOU FORGET We mentioned above that if one forgot to mention Al Hanissim he does not have to go back. If he has not yet finished Shemoneh Esrei, the following rules apply: • Didn’t step back yet from Shemoneh Esrei – Some would say it then but the custom is not like this. • Didn’t finish bracha yet – You can say it then even if you said Baruch and not Atah at the end of the bracha. • Finished bracha – If one finished the bracha of V’al Kulam and he remembered that he did not say Al Hanissim he does not go back to say it. If one said Al Hanissim in Retzei it is not a hefsek and he does not have to

repeat it again. If one said Al Hanissim and confused Chanukah with Purim, he does not have to go back if he remembered after he finished the bracha of hatov shimcha.

BENCHING The custom is that we say Al Hanissim in the bracha of thanks (Nodeh), before V’al Hakol. The reason is that the theme of Chanukah is thanks. Tosafos says the reason for the uncertainty in the Gemara regarding Birkas Hamazon and Al Hanissim is that it is said in the privacy of one’s home and there is not as great of a pirsumei nisa as in shul. Based on the Gemara’s expression of “one wishes” it is apparent that there is no obligation to say Al Hanissim. If one forgot Al Hanissim in benching, he does not repeat benching. This is true even if one forgot Al Hanissim in benching on Shabbos where there is an obligation to eat, and if one misses out on a portion of benching he normally would have to repeat benching. Nevertheless, if one remembers before he finished benching and he is holding at the Harachamans he should (some mention he can) add the following: “Harachaman Hu ya’aseh nissim v’nifla’os k’shem she’asah l’avoseinu

bayamim hahem b’zman hazeh,” and then start B’yemei Mattisyahu, etc. Some maintain that one can say this when he forgets Al Hanissim in davening as well at the end of Shemoneh Esrei, before the first Yiheyu l’ratzon. If one started a meal on erev Chanukah and continued until nightfall he would say Al Hanissim in benching if he ate a kezayis of bread after nightfall.

M’EIN SHALOSH – AL HAMICHYAH When one recites Al Hamichyah during Chanukah one does not recite even a shorter version of Al Hanissim. Since there is no mention of thanks in Al Hamichyah, there is no need to recite Al Hanissim. Others explain that only yamim tovim mentioned in the Torah are mentioned in m’ein shalosh. Others mention a novel approach as to why there is no mention of Chanukah in Al Hamichyah. Generally, we are not allowed to pray for miracles (see below). Furthermore, we mentioned before that it is questionable whether to mention Al Hanissim during benching, as it does not generate a great deal of pirsumei nisa. There is some pirsumei nisa, since it is recited in public when people eat together. Foods that warrant m’ein shalosh are generally eaten in private where there

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

is no pirsumei nisa, so we don’t mention it.

NUSACH The custom of many is to say V’al Hanissim (with a vav); however, the overwhelming custom is not like this. The correct nusach is to say “b’zman hazeh.” Some maintain that in Al Hanissim one should say k’shem she’asisa – “so too, You should do nissim for us.” However, we are not allowed to make personal requests in the first and last three brachos of Shemoneh Esrei. Others permit it since it is a public need. Some explain that we are thanking Hashem for favors in the past, and saying k’shem is also for past occurrences. However, the custom is not to say it. Nevertheless, one may recite it if he wishes.

DAVENING IN A SIDDUR One should use a siddur at least the first time he recites Al Hanissim in davening since he is not used to saying it. Others are lenient and maintain that the additions for Chanukah are minute, and people remember them from year to year. Therefore, there is no special need for a siddur.

ANNOUNCING AL HANISSIM At Ma’ariv on the first night one should announce before Shemoneh Esrei to say Al Hanissim. Although one is not supposed to be mafsik then, this is considered a need for tefillah. Anyone can make the announcement, but it is not proper that many people do it since it will confuse people.

EREV SHABBOS/SHABBOS When the first night of Chanukah falls out on Shabbos and one lights Chanukah candles before Mincha, he does not say Al Hanissim in davening. When erev Chanukah falls out on Shabbos and one eats shalosh seudos after dark, he does not say Al Hanissim in benching. Rather, one only says Retzei, since the beginning of the meal was not on Chanukah. If one began eating on the last day of Chanukah, which was on Shabbos, and continued eating into the night, he says Al Hanissim and Retzei since we

go according to the beginning of the meal. If one forgot Retzei and mentioned Al Hanissim on Shabbos Chanukah, when he repeats benching since he missed Retzei, he should say Al Hanissim as well.

DAVENING FOR MIRACLES Earlier, we learned that if one forgot Al Hanissim in benching and he is up to the Harachamans he should add a Harachaman about Al Hanissim. The language indicates that we are davening for a miracle, which is generally not allowed. One of the reasons we do not ask for Hashem for miracles is that we don’t want to diminish our merits. We do find that Leah davened that her child be a daughter (Dinah) and Hashem answered her prayer. Some maintain that the Imahos are different. The Mishnah says if one is expecting a child he should not daven that it be a boy since this is a tefillah in vain. A number of answers are suggested for this. • Some explain that in the Harac-

al miracles, as long as he does not request specific things. This explains why the Harachaman on Chanukah uses a language of “make miracles.” Indeed, many people can say that they had a miracle happen to them as they davened for general miracles for themselves. • In the Harachaman we are asking for the world to be as it is supposed to be, the righteous over the wicked, so it is not a miracle we are asking for but for the nature of the world to go back to its correct manner. • One can daven for a miracle which is done in public since the miracle will bring a kiddush Hashem into the world. The Gemara says that if one has a sword on his throat he should not refrain from asking for mercy from Hashem. We see from here that when one is in danger he may daven for a miracle because he cannot be saved without it. Asking for a non-essential miracle, such as davening for a boy or girl after one’s wife is forty days into

The language indicates that we are davening for a miracle, which is generally not allowed.

haman we are asking on behalf of the public. • The war of the Chashmona’im was a natural occurrence, and the restriction is only to ask for unnatural events. (This answer is a bit difficult since the fact that we won the war was a huge miracle; therefore, some refer only to the first answer above.) • A tzaddik may daven for miracles. • The Greeks wanted to destroy our spirituality. The aspect of not davening for a miracle applies to physical miracles, not spiritual miracles. • One is allowed to ask for gener-

the pregnancy, is not allowed. After Avraham Avinu fought the kings, he was worried that his merits were depleted by the miracle of winning the war. Hashem assured him that his merits were intact. The Yehoshuas Yaakov derives from here that normally when a miracle happens to a person his merits are lessened. Here, this miracle brought about a kiddush Hashem, and one may ask for such a miracle.

BENEFITING FROM A MIRACLE It is not permitted to derive benefit from a miracle. One who does benefit from a miracle decreases his merits.

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It is brought down that the Jews got rich through the makkah of Dam while in Mitzrayim, as they sold water to the Egyptians. Some claim that all the water was blood and when a Jew took it, the blood turned into water. Since one should not benefit from a miracle, Hashem caused the miracle to occur in the hands of the Egyptians, when the blood turned into water for them after they bought the water from the Jews. Some also explain that the issue of benefiting from a miracle is for the one to whom the miracle happened, but the Jews gave the money to others and then they gave the money back to them. Others explain that when Hashem shows He wishes for one to have benefit from the miracle, it is allowed. Some mention that since the blood turned back to water for the Jews it was not a miracle; it was just the water returning back to its state, so it was not considered benefiting from a miracle. According to this, we can question how the Jews were allowed to benefit from the maan in the desert. Nevertheless, the Jews were allowed to eat the maan since the restriction is limited to an individual, not the public. Others suggest that they had nothing else to eat, so they were allowed to eat the mann. Some question how it was possible for the Bnei Yisrael to use the oil they found in the Beis Hamikdash to light for Chanukah, if the oil which lasted for eight days was miracle oil and we are not allowed to benefit from miracles.Since it was for the public, it was allowed. Others mention that the oil which was found in the Beis Hamikdash was the exact oil which lasted for the additional days and there was no new oil which was added to the existing oil. If one davens and what he wishes for comes through, it is not considering deriving benefit from a miracle.

Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits is a former chaver kollel of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and a musmach of Harav Yisroel Belsky shlita. Rabbi Lebovits currently works as the Rabbinical Administrator for the KOF-K Kosher Supervision.

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THE

Vanishing FLAME By Yerachmiel Tilles

t was the first night of Chanukah. Outside a snowstorm raged, but inside it was tranquil and warm. The Rebbe, Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuz, grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, stood in front of the menorah, surrounded by a crowd of his chassidim. He recited the blessings with great devotion, lit the single candle, placed the shammash in its designated place, and began to sing HaNairot Halalu. His face radiated holiness and joy; the awed chassidim stared intently at him. The flame of the candle was burning strongly. Rebbe and chassidim sat nearby and sang Maoz Tsur and other Chanukah songs. All of a sudden, the candle began to flicker and leap wildly, even though there wasn’t the slightest breeze in the house. It was as if it were dancing. Or struggling. And then, it disappeared! It didn’t blow out; there was no smoke; it just was not there anymore. It was as if it flew off somewhere else. The Rebbe himself seemed lost in thought. His attendant went over to re-light the wick, but the Rebbe waved him off. He motioned to the chassidim to

continue singing. Several times, between tunes, the Rebbe spoke words of Torah. The evening passed delightfully, and the chassidim present had all but forgotten about the disappearing Chanukah candle. It was nearly midnight when the harsh sound of carriage wheels grating on the snow and ice exploded the tranquility. The door burst open and in came a chassid who hailed from a distant village. His appearance was shocking. His clothes were ripped and filthy, and his face was puffy and bleeding. And yet, in stark contrast to his physical state, his eyes were sparkling and his features shone with joy. He sat down at the table, and with all eyes upon him, began to speak excitedly. “This isn’t the first time I came to Mezhibuz by the forest route, and I know the way very well. But there was a terrible snowstorm this week, which greatly slowed my advance. I began to worry that I wouldn’t get here in time to be with the Rebbe for the first night of Chanukah. The thought disturbed me so much, I decided not to wait out the storm, but to plod ahead and travel day and night, in the hope that I

could reach my destination on time. “That was a foolish idea, I must admit, but I didn’t realize that until too late. Last night, I ran into a gang of bandits, who were quite pleased to encounter me. They figured if I was out in this weather, at night, alone, I must be a wealthy merchant whose business could not brook delay. They demanded that I surrender to them all of my money. “I tried to explain, I pleaded with them, but they absolutely refused to believe I had no money. They seized the reins of my horses and leapt on my wagon. They sat themselves on either side of me to keep me under close surveillance, and then drove me and my wagon off to meet their chief to decide my fate. “While they waited for their chief to arrive, they questioned and cross-examined me in great detail, searched me and the wagon, and beat me, trying to elicit the secret of where I had hidden my money. I had nothing to tell them except the truth, and that they weren’t prepared to accept. “After hours of this torture, they bound me and threw me, injured and exhausted, into a dark cellar. I was

bleeding from the wounds they had inflicted, and my whole body ached in pain. I lay there until the evening, when the gang leader came to speak with me. “I tried to the best of my ability to describe to him the great joy of being in the Rebbe’s presence and how it was so important to me to get to the Rebbe by the start of the holiday that it was worth it to endanger myself by traveling at night. “It seems that my words made an impression on him, or else he was persuaded by my adamancy even under torture. But whichever it was, thank Gd, he released me from the handcuffs, saying: “‘I sense that your faith in Gd is strong and your longing to be with your Rebbe is genuine and intense. Now we shall see if this is the truth. I am going to let you go, but you should know that the way is extremely dangerous. Even the most rugged people never venture into the heart of the forest alone, only in groups, and especially not in a storm and at night. You can leave and try your luck. And I am telling you, if you get through the forest and the other terrible conditions

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safely, unharmed by the ferocious wild beasts or anything else, then I will break up my gang and reform my ways. “‘If you actually reach the outskirts of the city, then throw your handkerchief into the ditch next to the road, behind the signpost there. One of my men will be waiting, and that is how I will know that you made it.’ “I then became terrified all over again. The hardships I had already endured were seared into my soul, and now even more frightening nightmares awaited me. But when I thought about how wonderful it is to be with the Rebbe at the menorah lighting, I shook off all my apprehensions and resolved not to delay another moment. My horse and carriage were returned to me and I set off on my way. “There was total darkness all around. I could hear the cries of the forest animals, and they sounded close. I feared that I was surrounded

by a pack of vicious wolves. “I crouched down over my horse’s neck and spurred him on. He refused to move in the pitch blackness. I lashed him. He didn’t budge.

“We followed that flame all the way here. I kept my end of the bargain and threw my handkerchief at the designated place. Who knows? Perhaps those cruel bandits will

Rabbi Baruch was born in 1753 in Mezhibuz, the town from which his illustrious grandfather, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, led the chassidic movement which he founded. Rabbi Baruch was the son of the Baal Shem Tov’s daughter, Adel, and her husband, Rabbi Yechiel Ashkenazi. He was one of the pre-eminent Rebbe’s in the generation of the disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch and had thousands of chassidim.

And yet, in stark contrast to his physical state, his eyes were sparkling and his features shone with joy.

“I had no idea what to do. At that moment, a small light flickered in front of the carriage. The horse stepped eagerly towards it. The light advanced. The horse followed. All along the way, the wild animals fled from us, as if the tiny dancing flame was driving them away.

change their ways, all in the merit of that little light.” It was only then that the chassidim noticed that the Rebbe’s Chanukah light had returned. There it was, burning in the elaborate menorah, its flame strong and pure as if it had just been lit.

A master storyteller with hundreds of published stories to his credit, Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles is co-founder of Ascent of Safed, and managing editor of the Ascent and Kabbalah Online websites. This article has been reprinted with permission from Chabad.org.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Chanukah Delights FROM REAL LIFE By Miriam Pascal

Baked Mocha Doughnuts Dairy or Pareve Yield: 18 full-size or 54 mini doughnuts

Coffee and doughnuts are a natural pairing — so this recipe combines them into one delicious pastry that’s baked — not fried!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour ½ cup cocoa powder 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ²⁄3 cup oil 2 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water ½ cup milk or soy milk

GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 4 teaspoons hot water ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Chocolate sprinkles, optional, for topping

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a fullsize or mini nonstick doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Add eggs, vanilla, oil, coffee mixture, and milk. Whisk until a thick batter forms. Use a piping bag (or a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off) to pipe batter into prepared doughnut pan, filling each cavity ¾ full. Bake for 8 minutes for a full-size doughnut pan, or 5-6 minutes for a mini doughnut pan. Remove doughnuts; repeat with remaining batter, coating again with nonstick cooking spray between batches. Prepare the glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Dip cooled doughnuts into glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Top with sprinkles, if using. Variation: This recipe works in a doughnut machine as well. Simply prepare the batter and follow instructions for your machine. Plan Ahead: Doughnuts can be frozen in an airtight container. Store them between layers of parchment paper to protect the glaze.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Churros Waffles

WITH WARM CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE Pareve Yield: 8-10 waffles

To be honest, I struggled with the decision to place these in the breakfast chapter or the dessert chapter. Churros waffles are certainly great for dessert, but sometimes … you just need a real “special occasion” breakfast, and they are perfect for those times. Either way you serve them, they’re bound to be a big hit!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour ¹⁄3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup soy milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 eggs ¾ cup oil

COATING

½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon

WARM CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE

¾ cup nondairy whip, not whipped 2 (3.5-ounce) bars pareve dark chocolate, chopped

PREPARATION

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add milk, vanilla, eggs, and oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir until combined and batter is smooth. Cook according to waffle maker’s instructions, using ¼-½ cup batter per waffle. Prepare the coating: In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. As soon as you take the waffle out of the waffle maker, spray it with nonstick cooking spray (so the coating will adhere), then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the entire surface. Flip and repeat on the other side. Prepare the warm chocolate dipping sauce: Heat the whip in a small pot until it starts to bubble around the edges. Turn off heat; add chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted and sauce is totally smooth. Serve waffles warm, with chocolate sauce. Variation: To make the waffles dairy, replace soy milk with milk. To make the chocolate sauce dairy, replace pareve whip with heavy cream, and 1 bar of the dark chocolate with 1 bar of dairy chocolate. Plan Ahead: Prepare waffles and freeze them without the coating. Rewarm (uncovered); then spray and coat.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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DECEMBER29, 7, 2015 2017 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home OCTOBER

Trio of Wontons Meat or Pareve Yield: 30-40 wontons

This appetizer is one of my go-to options when I serve a special meal and want to impress my guests. I love that these wontons can be made ahead and frozen, and the assortment of flavors means there’s always something for everyone. That being said, feel free to make just one or two of the filling flavors; each filling recipe makes enough to fill 3040 wontons.

INGREDIENTS

30-40 wonton wrappers Filling of your choice Oil, for frying

BEEF FILLING

½ pound ground beef 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon dried minced onions ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon black pepper

THAI PEANUT CHICKEN FILLING

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon honey ½ pound ground chicken, preferably dark 2 scallions, thinly sliced

MUSHROOM FILLING

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 (10-14 ounce) boxes white button mushrooms, diced 2 Portobello mushroom caps, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION

Prepare the beef filling: Mix all beef filling ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside. Prepare the chicken filling: Whisk together peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, ground ginger, sesame oil, and honey until smooth. Add chicken and scallions; mix to combine. Set aside. Prepare the mushroom filling: Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté for 5-10 minutes, until translucent. Add remaining mushroom filling ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 15 minutes, but 30-40 minutes will make the flavor even richer. Assemble wontons: Place a small amount (about ¾-teaspoon, but no need to measure) of filling of your choice in the center of a wonton wrapper. Fold wrappers in half to encase the filling; seal the edges with a drop of water. Set aside. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. For best results, add a piece of carrot to the oil (to prevent the oil from burning). Fry a few wontons at a time for 2 minutes per side, until the wrapper is golden and the filling is cooked through. Serve warm, with dipping sauce, if desired. Plan Ahead: Raw wontons freeze well; store in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Freeze fully cooked wontons in an airtight container. Defrost uncooked wontons before frying fresh. Reheat cooked wontons, uncovered, in the oven at 350°F, until warmed through. Reproduced from Real Life Kosher Cooking by Miriam Pascal with permission from the copyright holders ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, LTD.

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Christmas Banner DECEMBER 7,2015 2017 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home OCTOBER 29,

LIGHT UP THE

Purple & Gold NIGHTS

A Mock-abee Chanukah Party By Susan Schwamm

ince Sukkos, the kids have been talking about the Chanukah party. Where will it be? On which night? Will Bubby give us presents or money? Will we play dreidel? Can we play that game again? You know, the one where Aunt Chani throws confetti in the air and we have to gather it all up? Will there be doughnuts? Will there be latkes? Can I have pizza and a bagel? Or a bagel and pizza? Can I have another doughnut? How come Bassy got an extra doughnut? Who took my present? Why did he get one big present and I got three small ones? How about French fries? Can I have French fries? Can we have spicy fries? When will the colored candles in the blue box be coming from Telz of Cleveland? It came? Where did you put it? How could you have forgotten?! So many questions and we haven’t even decided on the menu. You see, with Jews it’s always about questions. And even when we

have the answers, we still have questions. Consider the classic Chanukah conundrum: why do we celebrate for eight nights if the nes of the oil was only for seven nights? Good question! And here are twelve answers to answer that one question – and, oh wait, there’s even more answers if you have time. The Maccabees thousands of years ago were not ones to question. They were decisive and resolute. They had a plan of action and went for it. When planning a Chanukah party, keep these warriors in mind. Be decisive. Do not equivocate between milchig or fleishig. Do not vacillate between playing dreidel or pin the shamash on the menorah. Know your menu, know your entertainment, and definitely know your color scheme. Speaking of color schemes, I have a proposal. It may be shocking to most housewives and probably to all frum Jews. You see, I am proposing something that may be considered

blasphemous but hear me out, please. This year, let’s do away with the blue and white color scheme. I know, some of you have become fancy and have been adding silver to the mix. Stop. Just stop. It’s not a mitzvah to blanket your house in shades of blue and white, a cross between a beautiful sky and a street blanketed with snow. Are you dreaming of a White Chanukah? Leave the blue and white for Yom Ha’atzmaut. We all know you love Israel. Throw away your old Amazing Savings blue and white plates. Discard your blue and white tablecloths. Send your cloth napkins and stunning centerpieces to the thrift shop. Let this year be the year of something else, something different, something so magical you’ll be dreaming of it only once a year: purple and gold! There, I’ve said it. And you’ve survived. And I haven’t been thrown out of the Tribe just yet. Picture it: a purple and gold Cha-

nukah. Swirls of lilac and lavender with hints of violet and plum. Shimmering accents of gold and gilded plates and silver- (gold)ware. Ornate bouquets – better yet, make it arrangements – of purple-hued flowers in every room. Special couches – I’m sure you can buy them at Home Goods – just for Chanukah with wine-colored velvet pillows and flecks of gold. There’s no reason we only switch out all our dishes and everything in our homes just once a year for Pesach. Chanukah is just as long and all we do is bring out a menorah and a few plastic dreidels? A disgrace! A Jewish home should shout “Chanukah” when one walks in. And it’s easy. A gorgeous couch, some new throw cushions, a change of curtains, a new rug – instant fantabulous! And that’s what Chanukah is about. Changing the mundane into something sublime. The truth is, there are a few other things you may need to change. It does not behoove a Chanukah party

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

to have Costco chairs surrounding the table. There are wonderful businesses in our area (and gemachs too) that will supply the busy hostess with ghost chairs (you know, the clear ones) for the bash. For those of you who are not quick with the speed dial and weren’t able to get to the chair store in time, have no fear. Reupholstering your chairs is a cinch, says Martha Stewart. In fact, she’s done hundreds of them in one afternoon on her farm. A few yards of fabric from the fabric store – remember the color scheme! – a glue gun, a stapler, and voila! Royal seating for every guest. If you’re going to be reupholstering, I’ll give you a tip. I’ve done this at all my past parties, and my guests were amazed. Instead of seating cards, I had each guest’s name imprinted on his or her chair. This year, my chairs have been waiting for Chanukah since Shemini Atzeres (on Simchas Torah we all ate the kiddush standing up). I found the most gorgeous velvet and faux leather fabric and had each person’s name drawn in calligraphy by a renowned artist (sorry, I am not giving you her name) in gold. To top it all off (and do not steal this idea because I will come after you) I had peacock feathers added to the seats so each guest will have their very own crown (well, it’s not really a crown) of feathers as they sit down. It is going to be stuuunnning! Speaking of place cards, they really make the party. Without place cards, your guests will hang around feeling uncomfortable sitting down, not knowing if it’s family seating, or mechitza seating (that’s men on one side, women on the other), or adult vs. children seating, or women-inthe-kitchen seating. How terribly awkward and something that every hostess must – and I repeat MUST – avoid! So, place cards: tres important. For Chanukah, they truly have to be spectacular. Forget the names etched onto cardboard or names on a personalized cookie. Been there, done that. For Chanukah, I say let’s do dreidels. Yes, dreidels. What better object to symbolize Chanukah than a dreidel, which the Jews thousands of years used to play? And a dreidel is the perfect place for a name. Don’t you see those letters? Nun, gimmel, hey, shin? There’s no need for them.

When organizing a Chanukah party you should be in touch with your contacts in China. In fact, I think this warrants a trip to China to make sure they don’t make the dreidel upside down or something. Have your own personal Chinese factory produce a dreidel for your party. Now, remember your color scheme, and I’m not going to tell you what colors I chose, but it’s going to be ah-ma-zing! Each dreidel produced should have a different person’s name on it. Think of how ah-maz-ed your guests will be.

my menu for the Chanukah party since Pesach. I am not going to disclose what we’re serving this year. No, no, no. In fact, my assistant – I make every dish m-y-s-e-l-f, she just helps me – had to sign a nondisclosure agreement if she wanted to work with me on the menu this year. She was begging to help and I felt so bad to break her heart, so I said yes. But, buh-lieve me, if word gets out about what I’m serving I know it had to have come from her, and her head will be spinning like a dreidel – no special

I know someone who left out the ches on a candy she was giving out on Chanukah and her guests didn’t know what yom tov it was. How sad is that?

Their own name, on a dreidel! Have you ever seen that? No – and that’s why you are doing it. People have been asking me about

prosecutor needed. I know it’s hard coming up with a menu, so I’ll give you some ideas I’ve used in the past. Here’s something I

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did in 2014. It was so amazing that Shoshana, editor of TJH, begged me to put the idea in their Chanukah issue the next year, and I let them. I felt that it was a public service to help my neighbors in planning their next Chanukah. OK, so here goes. Everyone’s been doing a doughnut bar. You put out doughnuts, everyone decorates them, yadda, yadda, yadda. Yawn. Forget it. You are not doing that at your Chanukah party. Instead, I had doughnuts suspended from the ceiling (it took hours of time and I had to get my manicure redone three times!) with gold threads. And I had the icing and the toppings for the doughnuts in gold treasure boxes that landed by the guests’ seats when they pushed a button under their napkin. The guests were – what else? – ah-mazed and couldn’t stop talking about the presentation. Folks, it’s all about the presentation, I say. Speaking of presentation, you know how everyone has a candy bar at their parties? That’s nice. Kids love candy – and I am known to enjoy a banana Laffy Taffy or two, although don’t tell my nutritionist – she would go bonkers and so would my Pilates instructor. She is so against any sug-

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OCTOBER DECEMBER29, 7, 2015 2017 | The Jewish Home

ar. Anyway, last year, on AliExpress I got the best Lucite containers for candy. The holders extend from floor to ceiling – and I have high ceilings, I told Yaakov we need to have at least 12-feet ceilings or I would get claustrophobic – and are filled with candy going all the way down. We bought confections in purples and golds – it was kah-ray-zee but so worth it. I had Jordan almonds made especially for Chanukah – lilac with gold – and in tiny letters they put a small ches. Small touches, but so important when planning a party. You can’t lose sight of the small touches. I know someone who left out the ches on a candy she was giving out on Chanukah and her guests didn’t know what yom tov it was. How sad is that? Your guests should be immersed in Chanukah when coming to your party. They should live, eat and breathe Chanukah when at your bash. Speaking of the party atmosphere, last year I wanted the ambiance to ooze “Chanukah” (like jelly doughnuts) so I was thinking about having Yoily R. sing as part of our entertainment. (Don’t even ask what else we did that year but it involved elephants – think Greeks – and llamas.) But then I realized that ev-

eryone has a world renowned singer come to their family party. So I needed to get something a little more impressive. And then, something popped into my mind. Hashem is so ah-mazing when He gives me these ah-mazing ideas. I wanted each guest to feel like I really thought of them. So I had an eight singer (get it? eight!) a cappella group set up for

I called it a “bespoke band,” and I couldn’t believe how perfectly “Chanukah” it made the party. Another thing we did last year, which was so ah-mazing, was the Can You Guess Its Weight contest. It was totally my idea – I don’t think anyone in the WORLD ever did it – and I haven’t heard about someone copying me (if you do, please Facebook me, I must

It was so amazing that Shoshana, editor of TJH, begged me to put the idea in their Chanukah issue the next year, and I let them.

each guest behind his or her chair. This way, each person was able to personalize the music to their liking. You know how Achashveirosh had everyone’s food and drink prepared just for them? That’s what I did! I know, different yom tov and this is music, but isn’t that ah-mazing?

know). You know how everyone puts jelly beans in a jar and then asks their guests to guess the number of jelly beans? So lame. Instead, I had Yaakov bring home a diamond from his company, the biggest one they had. Anyway, so we had it on display and every guest had a chance to feel it and

guess its weight. Of course it was a little annoying because Yaakov insisted that Carlos come to be the security in case a guest thought it was a giveaway. But anyway, it was a riot! My great-uncle Louis got the weight right down to the last carat! Yaakov didn’t let him keep the diamond, though (eye roll), so I gave G.U. Louis some cash instead. He was so grateful you would think I gave him a Lamborghini. Anyway, enough about me, I know you can’t wait to hear more, but here’s some advice for you for the end of your party. When your guests leave make sure to send them home with a glorious take-home bag so they can continue to join in your bash for hours and hours. One year I sent home my guests with a violet Tory Burch tote. Another year, it was a gold Valentino (that company is just meant to do gold!) carryon. Whatever company you choose, make sure it’s classy. You want your guests to remember Chanukah throughout the year. And they can’t forget it if they are lugging around your gift on their way to Gourmet Glatt and pick-up at the JCC. Oh, and this year, I’m also going to be giving my guests a Lucite box with six compartments lined with faux leather and feathers in, of course, the purple and gold color scheme. I decided that since it’s Chanukah an assortment of oils would be so apropos. So Yaakov went to the Himalayas and he got me sea salt oil mixed with volcanic rock. OMG! I cannot wait to use it in my salad. And I’m also including crude oil (what is that?!), hempseed oil, and Oil of Olay. Four things, to keep it simple. Oh, and one another thing. Yaakov pointed out that our guests may want a nibble or two on the way home. So he suggested (he’s such a great help in these situations!) that I include something edible. Anyway, I racked my brain and I came up with the perfect doughnut that will keep Chanukah on their minds even as they brave the streets of the Five Towns to head back home. Ready? It’s a doughnut filled with sushi (jelly is so passé) and topped with candied facon, pulled beef, crispy quinoa, delicate macaron, and tahini. Ah-mazing! I am salivating just thinking about it. Aren’t you?

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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Around the Community

“Hey,” Look It’s Hatzalah!

hen the young ladies in the TAG kindergarten classes learn about letters of the aleph bais, they always make associations to things that begin with that letter. When our talmidos reached the letter “hay” they had an opportunity to come aboard a Hatzalah ambulance and see firsthand what happens when the amazing Hatzalah volunteers come to help people who need medical assistance. We thank Hatzalah for always being there for all the families in our community. Special thanks to Hatzalah member, Mr. Yosef Hillel Kanner, Mindy’s tatty, for bringing the ambulance to our school.

HANC Torah Bowl Victory

n Monday, November 20, the girls’ and boys’ Torah Bowl teams of HANC Middle School traveled to HALB to compete against many of our local schools. The teams spent weeks preparing Chumash and Rashi, and it clearly showed! The boys’ Torah Bowl team got off to an amazing start this season. In their first match they beat HALB, as they displayed their unbelievable knowledge on the parshiot of Bereishis, Noach, and Lech Lecha. Following this the team beat HAFTR 7-2, and then North Shore 8-3. In the final and thrilling game, the boys lost in overtime in a fantastic match, where they tied the game on the final question to send it into overtime.

The boys finished the day with a record of 3-1 and a share of first place in the league. The boys were led by the eighth grade captains of the team, Mor Sharoni and Avi Brandler. The girls won all five games they played beating HAFTR, HALB, North Shore, SHAGN and most impressively the school that has maintained an undefeatable title for many years, Shulamith! We were so proud of all the Torah we learned and all the questions we buzzed in correctly. Thank you Rabbi Harris and Morah Klein for coaching us and teaching us great Chumash and Torah Bowl skills. We look forward to continuing to master the Chumash as we move on to the next three parshiot in Sefer Bereishis.

Learn & Live

“cutting edge” presentation was given by R’ Avraham Russ at Learn & Live this past Sunday. The boys made their first hands-on project for this year, a model heichel of the Bais Hamikdash. This was connected to the melacha of m’chataich, cutting. This coming

Sunday, iy”H, will be “I Have a Little Dreidel.” For more information regarding L&L please email us at learnandlivefr@gmail.com or call our allnew L&L hotline, 641-715-3800 pin 932191#, for all the up-to-date L&L info.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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Around the Community

The Kindness Curriculum at BYAM

he Pre-1A classes at BYAM are in the midst of an amazing new curriculum led by our school social worker, Mrs. Yocheved Sprecher. They are learning about kindness in an innovative and hands-on way. The girls started with

a new word, mindfulness, and how they can pay attention in two ways: on the inside (to their own feelings, thoughts and sensations) and on the outside (to what is going on around them). They used pinwheels to help bring awareness to their breathing

and how they feel inside. They held their hands on their stomachs as they blew the pinwheels and focused on how they felt. The next week they worked on paying attention to the outside and started with following directions to make a plant. They are

aware that a plant needs love, care, and attention to grow. They built a kindness garden so that they can show others love, care and attention because that is what makes us grow too!

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

Around the Community

The Five Towns Far Rockaway Rosh Chodesh Lecture Series for Women held its monthly lecture at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence last week. The guest speaker was Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider, member of OU Speaker’s Bureau. His topic was “The Light That Unites: Enriching the Candle Lighting Experience.”

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his past Wednesday, November 29, Yeshiva of Central Queens opened its anti-bullying program with its first Mix It Up Club lunch program. The entire junior high school body had a Mix It Up lunch run and organized by the Mix It Up Club. Mix It Up is a program about anti-bullying and how to teach tolerance in school environments. The students sat at different tables than the ones they usually sit at. Candy was handed out, and each student had to sit at a special table according to the candy received. This enabled the students to “mix up” and sit in different seats than they usually would choose, so they can make new friends from other grades. Once students were seated and had lunch, they all participated in an icebreaker to get to know each other. Mrs. Melisa Maisel, grade 7 ELA

teacher and the advisor of the Mix It Up Club, said, “This program is about anti-bullying, and it’s very important because people can get very hurt by words.” She showed the students a video about a boy who gets cyber-bullied. As a result, the boy wanted to stop attending school. Later on in the video, the boy learns that the bullies want to be his friends. After the lunch was over, the JHS students had to sign their names on a No Place for Hate pledge through the Anti Defamation League agreeing to work on showing tolerance to others and that when they see bullying they should make the right choices to not get involved, try to stop it or get help from an adult. Everyone learned that bulling is unacceptable and that YCQ is an anti-bully zone and a No Place for Hate school, where no one should be scared or uncomfortable in their school environment because of bullying.

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Around the Community

Chanukah and Kollel Chatzos

he nights of Chanukah twinkle with a special glow. On eight otherwise-ordinary winter weeknights, you gather around the candles and sing and dance and infuse your nights with holiness and elevation. You gaze at those little flames, stretched upwards, seeming to implore, reach a little higher. And on

these sparkling nights, you’re inspired to do more, to be more. You long to make your every night become something more than the ordinary, to make every night glow like these Chanukah nights. And you think of those upstanding talmidei chachamim of Kollel Chatzos, who merit to imbue every night – not

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just the Chanukah nights – with aliya and Torah and kedusha. And you’re jealous, somewhat, of their ability to connect and to come close and to accomplish big things, night after night. But then you think of the message of Chanukah. That every Yid, in every galus, has the opportunity to join Hashem’s Chosen army and become a responder to the call of Mi laHashem eilay. And you decide, “I, too, want to have a part of this special zechus. I, too, want to partake in this momentous zechus of all-night limud haTorah.” You can do it. Kollel Chatzos invites Yidden, worldwide, to receive a share in the ohr haTorah of the Chanukah nights and partner with their limud haTorah. Kollel Chatzos knows that this yom tov of light sometimes highlights the dark difficulties of our realities. It sometimes underscores how desperately Yidden are waiting for yeshuos. And Kollel Chatzos realizes limud ha-

Torah’s tremendous ko’ach to bring forth yeshuos. Especially on Zos Chanuka, when the chasima is about to be finalized and Yidden have one last chance to inscribe themselves for yeshuos and brachos. So, on the night of Zos Chanukah, the talmidei chachamim will daven in eight mekomos of tefilla and pierce shaarei shamayim on behalf of the kollel partners who are waiting for a yeshua. These mekomos include the kever of the Chashmonaim in Modiin, Rabi Yonason ben Uziel in Amuka, Rabi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, and the Arizal in Tzfas. You can join them. While people are usually preoccupied during Chanukah with extra family obligations and gatherings, the Kollel Chatzos talmidei chachamim are awake throughout the Chanukah nights with the same commitment as usual. Actually, these nights are imbued with an extra fervor, in honor of the holy yom tov and the many esteemed partners.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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I N

M E M O R Y

Mrs. Edith Lowinger, a”h By the Lowinger Grandchildren

n 19 Cheshvan, Edith Lowinger, Minka bas R’ Moshe Shmuel, returned her lofty soul to its Creator. “Mama,” as she was affectionately called by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was the beloved matriarch of our family. While we are still reeling from the loss, it is not ours alone. The loss will be felt by the multitude of people whose lives were touched so deeply by Mama’s unassuming wisdom, love and generosity. The loss is that of the entire Jewish community, who has lost a precious link to the past. The past, with principles and codes she so fiercely adhered to, successfully balanced, and wove into her family’s new life post-World War II to create a magnificent tapestry. In order to gain some appreciation of who Mrs. Edith Lowinger was one needs to have an understanding of where she came from. Born in 1923 in Budapest, Hungary, to parents Moshe Shmuel and Tirtza Devorah Weiss, Mama grew up in a house of chessed. It was common to find distant relatives from the suburbs living at the Weiss home for months or years at a time. In the city they could find better education and employment opportunities, while in the Weiss home there was always food, warmth and strict adherence to Torah principles. Many of them met their spouses there and were married under their roof. On the community level, Mr. Weiss was keenly sensitive to the needs of his fellow Jews in the challenging times of the Depression and pre-war Europe. Seeing many young men pressured into working on Shabbos, he created a network for shomer Shabbos employees to find work with shomer Shabbos employ-

ers, known as the Szombat Almanac. He started a hachnosas kallah fund and, perhaps most importantly, a soup kitchen where the needy could eat a hot meal or pack up some food to go. This soup kitchen was later taken over by his son-in-law, Mr. Maurice Lowinger, a”h, and served

that he wished that he had more time to learn Torah. On her own, Mama woke up at 4:30 every morning so that she could work in her father’s bakery and allow him a few more hours to learn. It was Mama’s first foray into the business world, one where she learned firsthand from her

She said, “Apucam, if someone is drowning, do you ask or do you jump right in?” And this was the motto she lived by.

as a vital food source in the Budapest ghetto throughout the war. Mr. Weiss’s daughter and great admirer, Mrs. Edith Lowinger, inherited many of his qualities. Her acute sensitivity to the needs of others and her desire and capability to take action in time of need were some of her trademarks. At the age of ten, she once overheard her father saying

father not only how to run a business but how to give with an open heart and hand. During the war years, Mama met Mr. Maurice Lowinger (Meir Moshe), a man who she would quickly realize possessed similar qualities of kindness, courage, generosity and a no-nonsense way of doing what needed to be done. They were mar-

ried in 1944 in the Budapest ghetto, wearing the yellow star. Together, with Hashem’s help, they were instrumental in saving many of their brethren in the Budapest ghetto. In 1943, prior to their engagement, our grandfather, Meir Moshe, was taken to a labor camp. The only bit of information that Mama had was that he was taken to a place near Debrecen. Mama, at great risk to herself, boarded a train to find him and bring him some food. Upon her return, her father asked her how she dared go on this dangerous mission. Mama’s response was most telling. She said, “Apucam, if someone is drowning, do you ask or do you jump right in?” And this was the motto she lived by. After the ghetto was liberated, the Russians came in and continued to oppress the Jews. Our grandmother was taken prisoner and interrogated for days with the hope that she would incriminate a local Jewish doctor whom the Russians resented. Mama refused to give testimony against a fellow Jew and suffered in prison until her husband was able to secure her release. It was then that they realized they had to flee Hungary. Upon arrival in America, our grandparents had to start a new life, learn a new language, and try to make a living. At a time when it was not common for women to work outside the home, Mama was her husband’s partner in every endeavor. She traveled to Manhattan every day and was involved in every detail of the business until her last day. As times changed, she even learned to use an iPad, saying,”If you don’t move with the times, you get left behind.” Mama was known in the business world as being strong, fair, and

The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER DECEMBER 7,2015 2017 The 29,

respectful of each individual. Even when dealing with some uncouth merchants, she always spoke softly and gracefully to them. Soon they would mind their manners around her and behave the way she thought was worthy of every human being. At the same time as setting up their new home in America, our grandparents, Mama and Opapa, were busy ensuring that the generation that was lost was kept alive. When Mama’s mother, Mrs. Weiss, emigrated from Hungary, she moved into their home and so began a partnership that would last for the next forty years. Our great-grandmother stayed home and helped raise the children, and in turn, Mama made her feel like she was queen of the manor. We had the privilege of seeing the beautiful love and respect each had for the other. In their basement in Boro Park, they set up a shul where one could find the authentic niggunim and minhagim of Hungarian Jewry and the Chasam Sofer. The Erlau Rebbe, a descendent of the Chasam Sofer, would stay at their home on his yearly trips to America, and they maintained a close relationship of mutual respect and admiration for many decades. After Opapa’s petirah sixteen years ago, Mama insisted on keeping the shul active. She also set up a night kollel in his memory, and it would give her great pleasure to hear the sweet sounds of learning and davening. Mama was a true maamin and always trusted that everything came from Hashem. Every night she

would have a lengthy “one-sided” conversation with Hashem, asking Him to watch over “this beautiful generation.” During the month of Elul, Mama would tell her children, “Elul is like a pre-military exercise. It is the preparation month; a general would not bring his army to battle without preparation and we must do the same.” She was always grateful for all the brachos in

way of listening and offering advice that left a person feeling lighter and more focused on a solution. Mama valued every individual; she believed that everyone has a talent from Hashem, and if they could just recognize that gift, they would be happy and accomplish much. Mama’s generosity extended beyond her family to anyone in

When asked if she knew all of her grandchildren’s and greatgrandchildren’s names, she replied, “Their names? They each have their own personality!” her life, and even during her most trying times, we never heard Mama complain. Everyone in Mama’s family felt her unconditional love and at the same time knew that she held us to a very high moral standard. When asked if she knew all of her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s names, she replied, “Their names? They each have their own personality!” She knew their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. From a young age, Mama became the “unloading station,” a place where family could come to unburden themselves. She had a

need. During the shiva, a neighbor came with her young daughter. The girl shared that Mama regularly gave them funds to help meet their needs. On one occasion, Mama handed her mother an additional few hundred dollars. “Go buy your daughter a nice coat,” she said. Mama’s respect and concern for those seeking her assistance was similar to her mother, who would call a tzedaka collector an oray’ach, a guest. Mama called them her “customers,” recognizing the benefit she received as the giver. Mama passed away the week of Parshas Chaya Sara and, as

77 57

she used to say,“there are no coincidences.” The story of Avraham and Sara was one of nisyonos, many of which the Torah discusses in great detail. Perhaps the reason for this is that the mitzvos alone cannot get us to where we need to be. It is only through learning about the nisyonos that our Avos faced, and seeing how they handled them, that Klal Yisroel was able to become Hashem’s special nation. The story of Mama and Opapa and their entire generation is one of nisyonos. Out of the pain and suffering bloomed a generation that knew how to be strong, yet gentle; tough, yet soft; accomplished, yet never losing sight of what is most important. Yes, we have lost our precious Mama, and the effects of that loss will be felt by us all forever. Mama used to say, “Ours was a broken generation. The next generation also suffered from our experiences, but this generation is a beautiful one.” She believed that she survived the Holocaust not because she was special but in order to help build the next generations. Mama, your generation may have been a broken one, but the shards of glass that remained shined and glimmered. Its light reflected off so many different angles and illuminated generations to follow. Mama, you have left us an incredible legacy. We are so grateful and will try to live up to it. May the holy neshama of Minka bas Moshe Shmuel have an aliyah and may her memory be a blessing.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

TJH

Centerfold

Hey Underlings, The folks who handle the serious part of this magazine (boy, are they serious…if you only knew the grief I get from them) asked me to rev you guys up for the Chanukah Giveaway (funny how they come to the Centerfold Commissioner whenever they want to promote anything…at least they know who is really important). So, send in your Chanukah, Chanucka, Channnuka or even your Chanukcah pictures in order to win a gift certificate to Berrylicious! See details on the Letters to the Editor page (the place serious people air their grievances). Hey, do me a favor? Smile big in the pictures, no sour faces, OK? Happy Channuuukkkcckckhhaaa! Your Favorite Centerfold Commissioner

“You Say Donut, I Say Doughnut” Facts The most accepted spelling for the delicious round pastry is “doughnut.” However, according to Merriam-Webster, “donut” is also an acceptable spelling. (Just be consistent in your spelling when you write your novel about a donut heist gone bad) Krispy Kreme was founded in 1937. Dunkin’ Donuts started selling doughnuts in 1950, though it was known as Open Kettle for two years prior. (Would sound so much healthier if I told my wife every night, “I’ll be back soon, just running to Open Kettle.”) 10 billion doughnuts are eaten in the U.S. every year. (Sounds crazy? Ever see what goes on at the corner of Rockaway Turnpike and Burnside Avenue at all hours of the day?) The original name for doughnuts was “oily cakes.” (And that was when Israelis started selling Dead Sea Salt in the mall… “Selicha, em, you eat too much oily cakes! Put this salt on twice a day”) The original pastries, which didn’t have holes, were the size and shape of walnuts – thus the name. (Which begs the question— why the hole?)

Bakers started placing holes in doughnuts when they realized that it enabled the doughnuts to cook more evenly. (Now there’s an “aha moment”) The largest doughnut ever made was an American-style jelly doughnut weighing 1.7 tons, which was 16 feet in diameter and 16 inches high in the center. It was made in Utica, NY, in 1993. (Try that for a bean bag!) Eric “Badlands” Booker holds the Guinness World Record for eating 49 glazed doughnuts in eight minutes. (Badlands? Seriously? That’s a nickname for the guy who knocks off the wise guy, not the guy who eats glazed doughnuts for a living!) Per capita, Canada has more doughnut shops than any other country. (Hey, they have to excel at something!) According to studies, there is an eight day period in the winter, usually in December, during which if you eat a doughnut a day for eight days you won’t gain any weight from it. (OK, that was totally made up by me…but I know you totally believe it!)

1. B- Play-Doh was invented in 1965 for use as a wallpaper cleaner. Although Play-Doh’s exact makeup is a closely guarded secret, it is known to contain, among other things, wheat flour, water, salt, and some sort of petroleum distillate, so don’t eat it. 2. D 3. C- Erno Rubik, a Hungarian scientist obsessed with 3D geometry, first envisioned the Rubik’s Cube in 1974. It took him several years, however, to work out the complex interaction of the toy’s elements. And even after creating a working model, Rubik found it difficult to market his new toy due to the political and economic atmosphere – Hungary was deeply Communist at the time. Finally, in 1979, Rubik got the break he was looking for when the Rubik’s Cube was featured at the Nuremberg Toy Show. It captured the imagination of toy enthusiasts everywhere, and by 1982,

over 100 million cubes had been sold. To date, 350 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold worldwide – so many, in fact, that if all the cubes were placed on top of each other it would be enough to reach the North Pole from the South Pole! By the way, you know how many Rubik’s Cube combinations there are? 43,252,003,274,489,856,000. 4. B- Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, claims that three Barbie dolls are sold every second. Wouldn’t it be nice if we did a little more Rubik’s Cubes and a little less Barbie? Maybe we would get more people answering the Centerfold trivia correctly. 5. A- George Parker felt that Monopoly had three fundamental errors – it was too complex, took too long to play, and was based on concepts unfamiliar to most game players. The rest is history. (Don’t ask how many people doubted me, the Centerfold Commissioner – and the rest is history too. We legends

always face adversity.) 6. D 7. A- Mr. Potato Head was the first children’s toy advertised on television. From 1952 to 1963 parents had to supply real potatoes for the body of Mr. Potato Head, until 1964 when Hasboro introduced a hard plastic body. 8. B- The Teddy Bear was named after President Teddy Roosevelt after he came back from a Mississippi bear hunt with a wounded bear cub. The bear cub was popularized by cartoonist Clifford Berryman, and thus the Teddy Bear was born. 9. C- The Frisbie Pie Company (1871-1958) of Bridgeport, Connecticut, made pies that were sold to many New England colleges. Hungry college students soon discovered that the empty pie tins could be tossed and caught, providing endless hours of game and sport.

 Answers

1. Play-Doh was originally invented for what purpose? a. Cat repellant b. Wallpaper cleaner c. For troops in WWII to create instant boards in order to discuss tactics to penetrate enemy lines d. To stuff in car bumpers 2. How many ways can you put together six Lego bricks of the same color if each brick has eight studs? a. 48 b. 146 c. 260 d. 102,981,500 3. Which toy came on the market in 1979 and sold over 100,000,000 units within 3 years? a. Nintendo b. Mr. Potato Head c. Rubik’s Cube d. Etch A Sketch 4. How often are Barbie dolls sold throughout the world?

TOY TRIVIA

a. One a minute b. Three every second c. Every five minutes d. Every second 5. Parker Brothers originally rejected the following game because they thought it had fundamental errors which would prevent it from becoming successful. a. Monopoly b. Scrabble c. Battleship d. Risk 6. John Lloyd Wright, inventor of this toy, conceived the idea while traveling with his father in Tokyo. He was inspired by the construction techniques used in the Imperial Hotel, which his father designed. a. Lego b. Tinker Toys c. Lincoln Logs d. Cliks 7. What was the first toy to be advertised on TV?

0-3 correct: So, three of you are really sold every second. Fascinating! 4-7 correct: You know that Play-Doh is not edible, right? 8-9 correct: Mr. Rubik, we would expect no less from a man like you than to be an avid supporter of the TJH Centerfold.

 How well did you know your toys?

a. Mr. Potato Head b. Matchbox cars c. Wooden train sets d. Lego 8. The Teddy Bear is named after: a. Its inventor b. A president c. A World War II hero d. A 7-year-old boy who was the first to come up with the idea 9. How did Frisbees get their name? a. It is based on the sound they make when flying through the air b. Obviously the inventors name was John Frisbee (that’s a no brainer) c. It is named after a pie maker d. It is named after Frisbee bird, found in Africa, which flies in the same pattern as the sports projectile.

So, what’s the perfect Chanukah gift? Whether it is eight small ones or one large one, you gotta know the history of toys...it’s just really important. So get going and see what you know! The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayeishiv By Rabbi Berel Wein

ur father Abraham had to deal mainly with his son Isaac in order to continue the tradition of monotheism and humanity that he had begun. His other children were sent away from his home so that in effect all of his efforts were concentrated on his son Isaac. Isaac himself had two sons, Jacob and Esau. He attempted to divide his attention and share his legacy with both of them. The sons were of greatly different temperament and potential and Ja-

cob found it impossible to reconcile the two. Both would now be forced to go their separate ways in life and in history. It was recognized early on that the two personalities would never mesh and therefore only through Jacob would the legacy of Abraham and Isaac be fulfilled. Â Now we see that Jacob had 12 sons. Every father and mother knows that every child is different and the wise parent recognizes the subtleties of those differences and incorporates them into the parenting process.

Now, just imagine having to deal with 12 different sons â&#x20AC;&#x201C; each one of whom had a different personality, different talents, and different perspectives on life and the family. Jacob himself, in his final words to his sons at the end of this book, describes each of them in a different way, emphasizing their characteristics, talents and abilities. So, it shall not be surprising that sibling frictions abounded in his family. What is surprising is that apparently all of those frictions were channeled into the contest between Joseph and his ten brothers. That Joseph was the lightning rod for all of the differences in the family is clear from the description of the Torah in this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reading. The

of reconciling 12 different personalities, all of them strong and powerful, would now occupy the rest of the narrative of the Torah. The ability to live in peace and harmony, given the fact that there are always varied personalities, ideas and viewpoints, has remained the main challenge in Jewish life today. It would take a tortured and completely unpredictable path to reunite Joseph and his brothers and allow the people of Israel to be formed positively. At the end of the story the brothers are reconciled with Joseph but their different personalities still do not meld. Reconciliation in human terms is always a process and there is no magic bullet or instant formula that can accomplish it. It takes time and patience

The ability to live in peace and harmony, given the fact that there are always varied personalities, ideas and viewpoints, has remained the main challenge in Jewish life today.

Torah tells us that they could not speak peacefully one with another. The commentators over the centuries have provided various reasons for the behavior of both Jacob and Joseph as to why this family discord occurred. However, it is clear from the biblical narrative itself that Joseph was so special, both in his own mind and in the eyes of his father, and that the brothers felt threatened by the family situation that he created. The task

and changing circumstances and eventually the intervention of Heaven itself to bring about true family and national reconciliation. Hopefully we are in the midst of such a process, with all of its ups and downs, in our current struggles in the Jewish world. The story of Joseph and his brothers and their eventual reconciliation should provide us with hope and faith for our future as well. Shabbat shalom.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Between the Lines

Cheerleaders By Eytan Kobre

We rise by lifting others. -Robert G. Ingersoll

group of frogs was traveling through the woods when two of them fell into a pit. Peering in and seeing just how deep the pit was, the others yelled to their fallen comrades that escape was impossible and that they should just accept their doomed fate. Still, the fallen frogs tried desperately to escape. One eventually grew dispirited by all the discouraging words and quit and died. But the second frog kept jumping. The more his friends discouraged him, it seemed, the harder he climbed, until he finally managed to jump right out of the pit. The friends were amazed. “Didn’t you hear us yelling that you could never make it?” “I’m a bit hard of hearing,” replied the frog. “I thought you were cheering me on.” Languishing in an Egyptian jail, Yosef noticed that two of Paraoh’s officers (in for their own offenses) looked forlorn. “And Yosef came to them in the morning and he saw them and behold they were downcast. And he inquired of the officers of Paraoh who were with him in the prison of his master saying, ‘Why are your faces troubled today?’” (Bereishis 40:6-7). Now, these officers were the very ones who had conspired with Potiphar to imprison Yosef in the first place. Yosef hardly could be faulted were he to treat them with con-

tempt, much less turn a blind eye to their apparent despondency. But Yosef did the opposite. He saw their pain. He felt their pain. And he attempted to lift their spirits (Rabbeinu Bachaye, Bereishis 40:67). Putting aside his own troubles, Yosef empathized with the officers and sought to encourage them. And, in the end, Yosef was redeemed for his efforts – the officers learned of Yosef’s ability to interpret dreams and later recommended him to Paraoh (Emes L’Yaakov, Bereishis 40:6-7). Despite his own unkind fate, Yosef felt it his moral duty to encourage others in need – even those who had wronged him. Shortly before his passing, R’ Yechezkel Sarna, head of the Chevron Yeshiva, once pushed himself to join his students for Maariv, despite feeling ill and weak. Although he arrived after Maariv had concluded, he continued up the steps anyway. When asked why he bothered, R’ Chazkel explained, “Davening with ten Jews fulfills a rabbinic obligation, but offering them encouraging words fulfills the Torah command to ‘Love your neighbor.’” It isn’t just a nice gesture. “When you see that someone is sad, there is an obligation to try to console him; this is a fulfillment of the commandment to comfort mourners, which includes helping anyone overcome emotional suffering” (Ahavas Chesed 2:2; see Rambam, Avel 14:1-2; Rambam, Megilla 2:17). Under certain circumstances, it may even be permitted to lie to cheer up one who is despondent (Nedarim 50a; Niv Sefa-

sayim, pg. 76). And lifting spirits does not require profound insight into the human psyche or even a close relationship. It could be as simple as a friendly greeting. “Always be the first to greet every person” (Avos 4:20), a practice elevated to an art form by R’ Yochanan ben Zakai, who never failed to do so (Berachos 17a). Some even maintain that greeting others is a rabbinic commandment (Menoras HaMa’or 6:2:1-2; Tehillim 34:15; see also Ralbag, Bereishis 29:4). Given the benefits to the recipient, it’s easy to understand why. After R’ Shlomo Freifeld passed away, one of his students went to purchase a car, and the dealer asked about R’ Shlomo. “How is the rabbi from Far Rockaway?” “Which one?” the student asked. “The one from Central Avenue.” When the student replied that, regrettably, R’ Shlomo had passed away, the car dealer was visibly shaken. “That was my rabbi!” Apparently, the mechanic’s first job years earlier had been with a car dealership near the Sh’or Yoshuv yeshiva. One cold and dreary morning, the mechanic opened the shop early, miserable and lonely. “Then, I noticed the rabbi being pushed in his wheelchair toward the synagogue. He saw me standing in the doorway and smiled. ‘You have such a beautifully decorated window. It’s so colorful and inviting. Have a nice day.’ “With that, he continued on his way – and I felt like a person again.”

Encouraging others might even take the form of a mere smile, which is why we must greet others with joy – or at least with a cheerful countenance (Avos 1:15 and 3:12; Orchos Chaim 57). That is more valuable to the recipient than a gift (Kesubos 111b; Avos d’Rabi Nosson 13). Indeed, R’ Eliyahu Dessler once admonished a long-faced student, “You are like a thief! You have no right to deprive your friends of the pleasantness of a cheerful face.” R’ Samson Raphael Hirsch put it best, perhaps, when he explained the value of a smile. A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and is nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. While it requires little effort, there is ample reward for encouraging others. “One who gives a coin to the poor is blessed with six blessings, and one who offers words of comfort is blessed with eleven blessings”

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

(Bava Basra 9b; cf. Sukka 49b). In fact, it punches a relatively easy ticket to the World to Come. R’ Beroka once asked Eliyahu HaNavi to identify those worthy of a place in the World to Come (Taanis 22a). At first, Eliyahu could identify only one such person, but then two men entered the marketplace. “They,” Eliyahu said pointing to the two men, “also are worthy.” Curious to learn their secret, R’ Beroka approached the duo. “What is your occupation?” “We are clowns,” the men answered. “We cheer the disheartened.” R’ Beroka understood immediately that these were no ordinary clowns; the cheer they provided had earned them an exalted place for all eternity. But, in the end, the greatest reward for providing encouragement to others may be the enriched life earned by the benefactor. Philosopher Alexander Papaderos once ended a lecture asking whether

the audience had any questions. “Yes!” shouted a man from the back. “What is the meaning of life?” The audience chuckled and gathered their belongings to leave, when

shattered by a German motorcycle. After several fruitless attempts to piece the mirror back together, he discarded all but the largest piece. “This is the one,” he said, holding

“I realized that while I am not the source of light, I could reflect light onto others.” they heard Papaderos reply boldly, “I can answer your question.” The audience settled back into their seats, eager to hear how the meaning of life could be encapsulated in a brief, offthe-cuff response. Drawing from his pocket a small round mirror, Papaderos told how, growing up during World War II, his family was very poor and he had no toys. One day, he found a mirror

up the shard. “I made it round and played with it, fascinated by my newfound ability to reflect light into dark places – places where the sun never shines. It became an amusing challenge for me to get light into the most inaccessible places. “Well, I kept that little mirror and continued the challenge from time to time. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this wasn’t just

a childish game I’d invented, but a metaphor for life itself. I realized that while I am not the source of light, I could reflect light onto others.” Papaderos then tilted his little mirror to shine some light onto the face of the questioner in the back. “That,” Papaderos concluded, “is the meaning of life.” * * * There is no shortage of those in desperate need of succor. By encouraging them – through a positive word, a friendly greeting, or even just a smile – we emulate G-d Himself. “I abide in exaltedness and holiness, but I am with the despondent and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the downtrodden and to revive the heart of the despondent” (Yeshayahu 57:15). And that’s awfully good company. Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Rabbinical Reflecti ns

A Key Observation By Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe

t’s not unusual to think of a question about an incident in the Torah which we’ve reviewed scores of times and then wonder how we never thought of it before. I was recently thinking about the idea that Yaakov’s separation from his beloved Yosef for twenty-two years was a punishment, middah k’neged middah, for his own separation from Yitzchak. In actuality, Yaakov was separated from Yitzchak for thirty-six years, but he is not held accountable for the fourteen years he spent in the yeshiva of Ever because of the zechus of the Torah he learned there. What was Yaakov lacking that required he be punished for a period of twenty-two years? Rashi in Parshas Toldos tells us that he was punished for not having fulfilled the mitzvah of kibbud av, honoring his father, for the twenty-two years. As I learned this Rashi, I was struck by something that I don’t recall ever thinking or hearing about. It was really one of those “now wait a minute” moments! The Torah tells us explicitly, “Vayishma Yaakov el aviv v’el imo, vayelech Padena Aram, And Yaakov listened to his father and mother and went to Padam Aram.”

His separation from his parents occurred because he listened to them! What greater kibbud could he have demonstrated to them? How is it possible that he could have been punished for lacking in the fulfillment of this mitzvah? Moreover, what could he have possibly have done to extricate himself from this conundrum? It reminds me of the time I found myself caught in the middle of a Jewish joke. Once, my mother bought me two new shirts and in my desire to show her my appreciation, I immediately went upstairs and put one of them on. Upon my return, as I proudly displayed my appearance in it, she actually asked me, “You don’t like the other one?” You’d have thought we were in the Catskills, and not Southern Ontario. Had Yaakov not listened to his parents, he surely would have not been fulfilling their kibbud. But because he did listen to him, he is punished and Yosef is separated from him for this same extended period. How could this be a just punishment? A similar question can be asked about the peculiar case of the Yefas Toar. In Parshas Ki Seitzei, we are told that some men would go out to

battle and they would strongly desire to marry one of the enemy captives. Rather than forbid these unions and risk them happening anyway, the Torah permitted them with specific guidelines that might deter them. However, we are told in the Midrash Tanchuma that if the men ultimately did marry these women, eventually they would come to despise them and the outcome would be the Ben Sorer Umoreh, the rebellious son. How could that be fair? The Torah gives the prescription for marrying under these circumstances and then the soldiers are punished for following the Torah?! I believe there is a phenomenal fundamental paradigm at the core of this issue that can explain the questions that have been raised. In the second Parsha of Shema, we are told: “V’hayah im shamo’ah el mitzvosai ... v’nasati mitar artzechem b’ito yoreh u’malkosh v’asafta diganecha v’tiroshcha v’yitzharecha. V’nasati eisev b’sadcha livhemtecha v’achalta v’savata,” If we will heed the commandments of Hashem, we will reap a veritable cornucopia of material blessings that will satisfy all of our physical needs. While this sounds like an amazing deal, we are

confronted with what appears to be a direct contradiction to this. The Gemara tells us: Sechar mitzvah ba’hai alma lika (Kiddushin 39), there is no reward for any mitzvah in this world! How then, can it be that we receive the bounty of Hashem if we follow the Torah? The answer is that it is absolutely true that we receive no reward for mitzvah observance in this world. What we do receive, however, is a world that operates in synchrony with our actions, which in turn facilitates our further mitzvah observance. While this is an amazing response to our actions, it is not reward; it is the natural and logical consequence of our actions. This reminds me of an incident that occurred to me more than thirty years ago, when I first began teaching eighth grade. At our inaugural meeting of the year, I received a large manila envelope containing various papers that would guide me along the way, as well as the hallowed key to my classroom. I was duly informed by the terrifying senior secretary to guard it with my life, as I would be required to return it at the conclusion of the academic year. I will admit that to

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

this day it troubles me that I could be trusted with the lives of a whole class of adolescent boys but that a key was beyond my paygrade. Nevertheless, at the end of June, having misplaced neither child nor key, despite my misgivings I dutifully returned my key to the secretary. Imagine then my horror when I opened my envelope the following September, there was no key to be found. When I then asked the secretary for my key, she reproachingly responded: “Well, what did you do with it?” Dumbfounded, I replied that I had given it back to her. Dismissing me as an imbecile, she suggested that I speak to the principal. In my righteous indignation, I explained that I had done everything I was supposed to and that I had returned my key to the secretary as required but that I did not receive the key back. He looked perplexed and his subsequent reply taught me a valuable lesson that I have applied many times since. He told me, “You were supposed to give it back. That’s right. That’s what you are supposed to do.

But doing so was a mistake.” When the soldier returned from war with the yefas toar and was unable to overcome his desires, the Torah provided a permissible way

natural consequence of someone not controlling his desires and that this outcome should serve as a deterrent against taking such actions. In the case of the separation of

He told me, “You were supposed to give it back. That’s right. That’s what you are supposed to do. But doing so was a mistake.”

to marry her. It did not, however, endorse such a union; it merely facilitated a means for it to occur. The subsequent souring of the relationship and the eventual producing a son who would be a source of misery alone was not a punishment. The Medrash is telling us it was the

Yaakov from his father, he conducted himself properly in listening to his father’s directive. However, that obedience created a deficiency that could only be rectified by experiencing it from the perspective of a father. That was fulfilled when Yosef was torn from his loving embrace. It

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is absolutely true that he was caught in a situation that had negative repercussions regardless of his actions, and it is clear that it was part of Hashem’s Divine plan. Sometimes we just have to learn to live with situations in which we find ourselves and accept them, not as punishments, but as the natural and logical consequences of the sequence of our lives. In any event, I still can’t recall how I got into my classroom that year, but believe me, once I got that key back, I never let it go! Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe is the Rosh HaYeshiva of Ateres Yaakov, a local Mesivta (MAY) and Yeshiva Gedolah, with over 220 talmidim and the Rav of Kehillah Ateres Yaakov. Besides his decades as an experienced mechanech, Rabbi Yaffe holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and is licensed to practice in the State of New York. Any topics of interest, questions or comments can be sent to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Observant Jew

No Offense By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

hese days it’s too easy to offend people. People are offended by statues of people who are long dead and that have been standing since before the offended people were born. They get offended by statements or non-statements. Some people are offended simply by the existence of other people. The crazy world we live in validates these offenses and turns people into offenders even if they haven’t done anything. If someone doesn’t like what I said, I’m an offender. If someone takes issue with what I believe, I’m taken to task for having insensitive beliefs. But here’s the problem with that: I can’t really offend anyone. I can try to offend them, but I can’t actually do it because they need to actively be involved. “I’m offended” makes sense like: “I’m hungry.” It’s an internal feeling and I can share it with you by telling you how hungry I am. But what about, “You’re making me hungry!”? Can someone actually make you hungry? Well, if I haven’t eaten today and you suddenly appear with a dozen fresh doughnuts, sweetly fragrant and tantalizingly warm, I might say they made me hungry. It wouldn’t be nice for you to tease me with them and make me think I was getting one then refusing to give me, but it’s not really possible to “make me” hungry. What if just before they arrived I’d gotten my own fresh dozen doughnuts and by the time you sat down there was nothing left but a nice memory and a growing stomachache? Would I be tempted by the new batch? Not likely. But wait – you are trying to make me hungry! Nope.

Sorry. Not happening. The reason someone else can’t make me hungry is because they are not in control of my physiology. They can’t make my glands do this or my taste buds do that. If it’s something I dislike, they won’t get my mouth to water no matter how delectable they think it is. Now let’s go back to being offended. The reason we say someone “was offended” or “takes offense” is because they are in control of their own emotions. When they choose to take something in a negative way they feel

gan to hurl anti-Jewish insults at me. It didn’t bother me because I didn’t know him and I’m proud of my Judaism. Instead of getting angry and yelling back or crying that he insulted me, I silently blew him a kiss from about 30 feet away. This incensed him because I’d effectively deflected his hatred. Baruch Hashem we were getting off a ride and the park staff shooed him away towards the exit but it showed me that it was possible to block insults simply by choosing not to take offense. When people are mean to us or

Can someone actually make you hungry?

bad about it. But they did the active part, not the other person. There is no bracha on giving tzedaka. Do you know why? The reason is that the recipient might refuse to take it. Since it’s not in our hands to control or complete the mitzvah, we can’t make a blessing on the act despite our good intentions. In a similar vein, if I try to insult someone but he refuses to be insulted, I haven’t insulted him. I may be a jerk for acting that way, and may be sinning by doing so, but though I tried to hurt him I haven’t – because he used the most powerful defense mechanism: his free will to not take offense. As a youngster, I was once at an amusement park. An older teen be-

say things to hurt us, we can give in to their desires and feel hurt or we can remind ourselves that we should not give anyone control over our emotions. So how do we fight back? The basic method is simply to remind ourselves that what others say to us (for the most part) is merely their opinion. It may not even be their own but one they picked up from listening to someone else. I don’t have to accept it as truth, and even if I do, I don’t have to be hurt but can take it as constructive criticism. If I see a statue of a Confederate leader, I can choose what it means to me. The people who are offended because they think these statues glorify slavery are writing that story themselves. How do they know that at the

time it was erected the people weren’t proud of the person for standing up for liberty and their beliefs? Or for defending their homes from an attack either real or perceived? True, one key point of contention in the civil war was slavery but that doesn’t mean everyone was fighting for hate. Maybe they were just offended that people were telling them what to think, so they went to war and erected these statues as a monument to the right to individual thought. In that case, we should respect their offense and their right to be offended by keeping the statues standing. Except that they offend other people, and so it’s a cyclical argument. Because people tend to be very sensitive, and will take an innocent remark the wrong way, there is no simple answer to how to stop offending others. However, if we all sought to stop taking offense and feeling insulted we’d be fighting a lot less. So, instead of getting angry the next time someone says something inflammatory and rude followed by the phrase “no offense,” just smile, ignore the comment, and gently respond, “none taken.” Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker whose work has appeared in publications around the world. You can find him at www.facebook.com/ RabbiGewirtz, and follow him on Instagram @RabbiGewirtz or Twitter @ RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter. com and put Subscribe in the subject.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

‎My Israel Home

The Housing Lottery: Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be By Gedaliah Borvick

his past summer, my niece and nephew – along with a few thousand other families – entered a lottery to purchase an apartment “on paper” in a new project being developed through

Israel’s Mechir Le’mishtaken program. When they won the right to purchase an apartment at a subsidized price, they asked me whether they should buy.

BACKGROUND The Mechir Le’mishtaken buyer’s lottery program, created by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, offers subsidized pricing for couples, or singles over the age of 35, buying a first home. For each project in this program, the government sells the land at a highly discounted price through an auction. The developer who submits the proposal with the

noble cause, as it enables thousands of young couples currently renting apartments or living with their parents to purchase and move into a home of their own. Unfortunately, this utopian vision does not reflect reality. The Achilles heel of the program is that the purchasers are not required to live in these properties. Between 60% to 80% of the eligi-

The Achilles heel of the program is that the purchasers are not required to live in these properties.

lowest apartment prices wins the bid. We recently had a lively discussion with Tzvi Shapiro, co-founder of First Israel Mortgages, after Kahlon announced the extension of the lottery program through 2019. This article is a summation of our conversation.

CONCERNS On paper, the Mechir Le’mishtaken program sounds like a

ble purchasers entered lotteries for apartments in cities where they did not live. While many families intend to find new jobs and schools for their children close to their new subsidized apartments, most owners intend to rent out these units with the hope that the rental income will cover their mortgage payments. In addition, this program allows buyers to finance up to 90% of the price, compared to the 75% maximum mortgage ceiling for

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

Prepare for your future at Lander College of Arts and Sciences in Flatbush purchasers of a first home. These highly leveraged investments carry concomitant risk. Furthermore, we are concerned whether there will be sufficient demand for the thousands of apartments being developed in locations such as Ofakim and Kiryat Shmona, especially as these new neighborhoods being built in secondary locations currently lack buildings to house schools, shuls and kindergartens. Until these facilities are built, the lack of communal infrastructure may deter families from renting in these communities. If the thousands of young couples enrolled in this program cannot find renters, many of them will default on their mortgages, which can potentially cause irreparable damage to the real estate market.

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ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION We believe a wiser approach would be for the government to assist young couples who build homes which they will occupy, as opposed to creating an army of landlords speculating on the rental market in burgeoning communities. One option is to terminate the Mechir Le’mishtaken program and, in its place, provide first-time homebuyers up to 95% financing on condition that they occupy the apartment for a minimum of five years. With the roughly 2 billion NIS per year saved by scrapping this existing program, the government could provide guarantees to the banks for the extra 20% financing above the traditional 75% financing. Although this solution does not provide the deep discounts that the Mechir Le’mishtaken program offers, the 95% mortgage would allow first-time buyers to purchase apartments that they would otherwise not be able to afford. In addition, young purchasers seeking inexpensive apartments can choose to move to peripheral locations where housing prices are significantly lower. With the implementation of Israel’s upgraded highway and train system, many formerly remote locations are no longer considered “too far away,” and these cities provide young fam-

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ilies the opportunity to obtain lowpriced housing while still having access to the country’s large employment hubs. Returning to my niece and nephew’s dilemma, they won the right to purchase an apartment in a project located on the outskirts of a relatively large city. Accordingly, they decided that the risk of not renting out the apartment was rela-

tively small – compared to projects situated in tertiary locations – and they moved forward with their purchase. If you have mortgage-related questions, feel free to contact Tzvi Shapiro at tshapiro@firstisrael. com or at 052-824-5166. His company’s website is www.firstisrael. com.

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

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

FLIPPING FLYNN and the State of the Russia Investigation By Tzvi Dear

pecial Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation into President Donald Trump took a great leap forward last Friday when Michael T. Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI and agreed to cooperate with the special prosecution. Although Flynn has long been a target of Mueller and over the past month all signs indicated that there was going to be a plea deal in return for his cooperation, the news was treated by the media as a shocking development...drama queens being drama queens. In fact, as events unfolded, the headlines splashed across the world screamed that Flynn would testify that “candidate Donald Trump” directed him to communicate with Russia on his behalf – collusion in the truest form. The source of this information was ABC’s Brian Ross, who claimed to have that exclusive bombshell information from inside sources. But by late evening on Friday night – when most people tune

out the news for the weekend – ABC suspended Brian Ross without pay for misrepresenting the facts. What Ross was told was that “President-elect” Donald Trump directed Flynn – in his role as national security advisor – to communicate with Russia on matters such as fighting ISIS and other foreign policy issues...fake news being fake news. Despite the “gift” to President Trump by his mainstream media “fake news!” antagonizers, Mueller’s flipping Flynn at best has the Trump administration reaching for the Pepto-Bismol and at worse has them picking out their prisoner wardrobes. Michael Flynn was one of Trump’s earliest and most ardent supporters. During the campaign he was often given the prominent role of introducing candidate Trump at raucous rallies throughout the country. His passionate speeches – often interrupted by “Lock her up!” chants – bore the credibility of a decorated military champion who spent 33 years serv-

ing his country with distinction. The retired U.S. Army lieutenant general played a key role in helping dismantle insurgent networks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even more, he served for two years as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Obama before leaving due to conflicts with then-President Obama. He vehemently opposed Obama’s Iran deal and believed that Obama was too soft on radical Islamic terrorism. Throughout the presidential campaign, Flynn’s star steadily rose. When Mr. Trump stunningly defeated Hillary Clinton, Flynn was a no-brainer to fill the role as the incoming president’s national security advisor. His position was likely solidified when, in their initial meeting two days after the election, outgoing President Obama told President-elect Trump that Flynn is a bad seed and that Trump shouldn’t bring him onboard. Flynn was offered the national security advisor role several days

later. But things quickly unraveled and after only 23 days on the job, Flynn was abruptly fired. Aside for the “I had more people at my inauguration than Obama” scandal, this was truly the first scandal of the Trump White House. Ever since Trump defeated Hillary, the humiliated Democrats had been screaming that Russia interfered in the election. Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t, who knows? But the Russian drumbeat became all-consuming for the flat-footed Trump haters. When a report came out in early February that Michael Flynn had spoken to Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak during the transition period about easing sanctions on Russia once Trump took over the White House, Democrats and their media allies jumped on that as proof of collusion. (Yes, that conversation took place after Trump already won the election, but timelines tend to blur

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when the media talks about Trump and Russia contacts). Vice President Pence was peppered with questions about Flynn’s contact on television and denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyak. However, officials within the Justice Department informed the White House that Flynn had, in fact, discussed easing sanctions with the Russian ambassador. Not only had Flynn lied to Vice President Pence, but intelligence officials warned the White House that this fib opened Flynn up to blackmail by the Russians, who knew the truth of what was discussed. For his part, Flynn claimed that during that period of time – during the transition – he was speaking to many officials and simply didn’t remember that he discussed sanctions with Kislyak. Although that may be a plausible explanation, Flynn was caught in the Deep State’s net, and an embarrassed White House had no choice but to fire him. While Flynn’s sacking dominated the headlines, beneath the surface something more sinister was brewing: Flynn was taken down by very professional insiders. Yes, Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak, but how did Flynn’s private conversation with the Russian ambassador make its way to the cover of The New York Times and The Washington Post? Well, as it is known in the intelligence community, Flynn was “unmasked.” Americans whose communications are incidentally captured in surveillance of foreign persons are generally not named – they are “masked” – unless there is a specific request by an administration or intelligence official to name that person, i.e. to “unmask” the person. U.S. intelligence routinely monitored Kislyak’s conversations, and they monitored Flynn’s conversation with him as well. Flynn’s name, though, was originally masked. But, in the waning months of the Obama administration, during the transition period, outgoing National Security Advisor Susan Rice requested the “unmasking” of Flynn’s name. Although she initially denied unmasking Flynn’s name – and blamed the accusations against her on her race and gender – she eventually admitted to a Congressional Committee

that she was the one who unmasked Flynn. But even once Flynn was unmasked, someone had to take the illegal action of providing transcripts of those conversations to the media, essentially outing him. Rice denies being the person who did that.

Blood in the Water As part of their hysteria over “Russia,” the Democrats had been pushing for a special prosecutor since day one. Although there were several investigations underway into Russia – in the Senate, the House and the

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Russia so the decision was left to Rosenstein.) Trump-haters were gleeful and could now see blood in the water. In fact, Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by President Trump, testified to a Senate intelligence committee that he orchestrated leaks to the media of conversations that he had with President Trump (a possible crime) because he thought it might lead to the appointment of a special prosecutor to lead the Russia investigation. (His tactic worked because it was within days of those leaks

Mueller’s flipping Flynn at best has the Trump administration reaching for the Pepto-Bismol and at worse has them picking out their prisoner wardrobes.

FBI – the Democrats knew that having a special prosecutor appointed can inflict a mortal wound on their despised nemesis in the White House. Several months after Flynn’s firing, in May, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein bowed to pressure by the Democrats and appointed Robert Mueller as a special prosecutor to investigate whether there was “collusion” between the Trump campaign and Russia. (Attorney General Jeff Sessions had previously recused himself from all matters relating to

that Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein appointed Mueller.) Comey may be a flake, but he is nobody’s fool; he knew that nothing would rattle his arch-rival and former boss President Trump more than a special prosecutor. “But justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, Amos 5:24,” tweeted the petulant former FBI director after Flynn pleaded guilty last Friday. One need only look back to the havoc wreaked by special prosecutors on two of the last three administra-

tions to see how effective a political weapon they are. What started out in 1994 as a special prosecution to investigate “Whitewater” – Bill and Hillary Clinton pressuring a bank to provide an illegal loan for a real estate deal that they were involved in while Bill was governor of Arkansas – ended four years later with President Clinton’s impeachment for perjury and obstruction of justice relating to a totally different matter. Score one for Republicans. During George W. Bush’s presidency, a special prosecutor was appointed to investigate who in the administration was responsible for outing a CIA operative who crossed the administration. Nobody in the Bush administration was charged with outing the CIA operative, but Vice President Cheney’s chief of staff Scooter Libby was charged and convicted of lying to federal investigators during the course of their investigation. Score one for Democrats. Once a special prosecutor was appointed to investigate the Trump administration, the only thing Trump’s detractors had to do was pop the proverbial popcorn. This would surely be a fun spectacle. Maybe the “buttoned-up” and “measured” new president would even tweet about the investigation once or twice. There’s nothing like watching a victim adding twigs to his own political burning. Robert Mueller quickly assembled a team of experienced, and some say “vicious,” prosecutors. One of his top lieutenants, Andrew Weissmann, is known as a vindictive prosecutor who engages is heavy-handed antics to “flip” witnesses. Among those antics is conducting early morning SWAT team busts in which target’s homes are raided, in shock and awe style, while they are still in bed. Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort received this treatment in late October. One defense attorney who had dealings with Weissmann referred to the Manafort raid as “textbook Weissmann terrorism.” Weissmann is also known to bring criminal charges against relatives of those he is targeting in order to get them to flip. In 2004, Weissmann obtained

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

convictions against accounting firm Arthur Andersen, putting the company out of business and destroying 85,000 jobs. One year later the Supreme Court, in a 9-0 vote, overturned the Andersen conviction. The company remained out of business and the 85,000 jobs were still gone with the wind. Former federal prosecutor and attorney Sidney Powell, who had convictions of several Merrill Lynch managers prosecuted by Weissmann overturned based on his failure to disclose exculpatory evidence and who authored a book, titled Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice, opined about Weissmann’s role on Mueller’s Special Prosecution team: “We all lose from Weissmann’s involvement. First, the truth plays no role in Weissmann’s quest. Second, respect for the rule of law, simple decency and following the facts do not appear in Weissmann’s playbook.” Despite prosecutorial abuses by Weissmann, there is no recourse for his victims since prosecutors are generally entitled to absolute immunity, which means that they can’t be held civilly liable under federal law for their actions even if they violated the rights of criminal defendants. Weissmann is not the only shady character on Mueller’s team. It was recently disclosed that the top FBI investigator on Mueller’s team, FBI agent Peter Strzok, had to be removed from his post because he sent out several anti-Trump texts. Strzok was the FBI agent that interviewed Flynn back in January and is the agent that Flynn lied to in the early days of the Trump administration when he said that he did not discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador. Special prosecutors operate mostly in secrecy. As such, it’s hard to read where the investigation stands. Trump’s adversaries are reading the tealeaves and predicting that Mueller is just getting started. Trump’s team – at least publicly – is saying that Mueller and his team are wrapping up their investigation. They point to the fact that almost all of Trump administration officials have already been interviewed by Mueller’s team. Aside for the plea deals reached by the Special Prosecution, they have kept their

cards close. In a recent Washington Post articled, titled “Inside the secretive nerve center of the Mueller investigation,” one lawyer who was present with a client who was interviewed by Mueller’s team said that “these guys are confident, impressive, pretty friendly – joking a little, even.” The lawyer opined that when prosecutors strike that kind of tone, defense lawyers tend to think: “Uh oh, my guy is in a

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

the collusion with Russia, if it exists. In October he indicted Trump’s short-time campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business partner for tax fraud and money laundering. Although those charges were wholly unrelated to Donald Trump and were, in fact, actions that Manafort allegedly engaged in several years before he worked on the Trump campaign, it is within the norms of criminal investigations for a prosecutor to charge a

“When they were questioning me... I didn’t get the sense they had anything incriminating on the president.”

heap of trouble.” Another witness who was recently interviewed by Mueller’s team had a different impression and told the Washington Post, “When they were questioning me, it seemed like they were still trying to get a feel of the basic landscape of the place… I didn’t get the sense they had anything incriminating on the president.”

A Conclusion or Just the Beginning? All speculation aside, the public moves that Mueller has carried out gives the clear picture that he is building the machinery to locate

witness who has engaged in criminal activity in order to “get the goods” on another target. Mueller also reached an agreement with the Trump campaign’s foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos, in which Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia and agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s team. And, now, the biggest fish so far – Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty last Friday to lying to the FBI on January 24, 2017, two days after he was sworn in as national security advisor, when FBI agent Peter Storzk and others came

to the White House and asked him if he discussed sanctions with Ambassador Kislyak. He denied discussing sanctions at that time. According to court documents, Flynn had contacted Kislyak at the urging of two top transition officials in order to discuss sanctions and a UN Resolution condemning Israel for settlements. Speculation is that it was Jared Kushner who was the main Trump transition official who instructed Flynn to make that call. The call itself was perfectly legal. It’s Flynn’s denial of discussing sanctions during the call that is illegal because he lied to the FBI, which is a crime. It remains to be seen what Kushner told Mueller when he was interviewed by the special prosecutor’s team last month. Did he deny instructing Flynn to make the call? Well, if so, he may be on the hook for perjury as well (if he is, as speculated, the transition official who instructed Flynn to make the call). In the plea deal reached with Mueller, Flynn agreed to cooperate with the special prosecution and to even undergo polygraph tests. However, this development still does not bring this investigation anywhere approaching Russian collusion. In fact, according to famed attorney Alan Dershowitz, the fact that Mueller reeled-in Flynn for lying indicates that his investigation is faltering. “The last thing any prosecutor wants to do is to have to indict his primary witness for lying. Because if you indict your witness for lying, it really means he’s not useful as a witness, he has no credibility,” Dershowitz explained on Fox News. In a sense, the fact that Flynn pleaded guilty to lying makes it unlikely that others, such as Kushner, will be charged with perjury based solely on Flynn’s word because they have a golden defense: Flynn’s an admitted liar. But, on the other hand, if, in fact, there was any collusion with Russia, Flynn is primarily suited to guide Mueller to it and it would be ballgame over for the Trumpster and crew. At this point, Democrats continue to beat the Russian drum and Republicans continue to argue that it is sour grapes. And everyone continues downing bottles of Pepto-Bismol.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

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

Etty and I have been dating for several months. It’s going really well and we both have mutually strong feelings toward each other. After our fourth date, Etty told me that she needs me to know that she plans on eventually making aliyah. I think this fact probably should have come up sooner, but it didn’t. It seems that Etty’s parents plan on making aliyah down the road, maybe in five years or so, and when they move, she plans on moving as well. She has a married sister who already lives there and her other siblings also plan on making aliyah when their parents do. It’s a family plan. So Etty wanted to make it very clear to me that before we got any more serious, I needed to know that this fact was non-negotiable.

Dear Navidaters,

I love Israel, like everyone else, but I don’t see myself making aliyah. My entire family lives in the States and no one is talking about making aliyah anytime soon. The entire future that I am working toward and that I seem for myself enjoying revolves around living here. I’m feeling very conflicted about what to do. Someone whom I’ve always respected said to me, “Just go along to get along. Who knows what could happen in five years? Maybe Etty’s family will change their minds and not move to Israel. Or maybe during that time, you’ll have a change of heart and decide that you want to make aliyah.” Somehow, this advice didn’t sit right with me. I would never lead someone on, giving them the impression I’m willing to make aliyah, when I absolutely have no intention of doing so at this stage of my life. I’ve discussed this situation with my parents, who are super-honest. They feel that I need to break things off with Etty because it’s the honorable thing to do, under the circumstances. It feels like such a shame and I think I would be heartsick ending it with her. We really do have a great thing going on together. What are your words of wisdom in this regard? Do I end a perfectly wonderful, promising relationship because of what is supposed to happen in five years? Do I “go along to get along”? I would appreciate your points of view.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Panel The Rebbetzin

The Mother

The Shadchan

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. ou have dated for several months. You like Etty but the matter of aliyah is a deal breaker for her. It’s not something you want to do. You have had ample time to think about this and are not ready to commit to moving to Israel with a timeframe. Going along to get along is not an option on such an important decision. This matter also says something about the young lady. If Etty has not offered to negotiate this matter in all these months, then it is obvious that her commitment to the relationship is not significant. Not even to explore this subject means that from her end “it’s my way or the highway” on this matter. It may be so on other matters too. This is certainly not “a perfectly wonderful, promising relationship” and the fact that you characterize it as such is a real issue. Get out of this relationship with dignity and respect. And take some steps to learn more about yourself. Why did you allow yourself to continue this long with someone who doesn’t want to consider your feelings, plans and hesitations? Why were you so infatuated with Etty? Go into therapy and do the work to get some answers. Use this as a step toward growth, not self-recrimination.

Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. our query brings to mind the profound and heartfelt dilemma of R’ Yehuda Halevi, who opined, “My heart is in the East (in Eretz Yisrael). Alas, I dwell in the West.” I want to believe that Etty and you share “mutually strong feelings toward each other.” Etty’s non-negotiable stance on making aliyah indicates that her heart is skewed more toward the East (i.e., aliyah) than with you. It makes me wonder if her choice has more to do with following her family and clinging to their emotional support than her Love of Israel. If she felt so strongly about yishuv Eretz Yisrael, why isn’t she there now, dating an Israeli? Back to you. If your life trajectory does not include making aliyah be true to yourself and your plans – educational, professional and geographical. And to Etty, I say, it makes me sad to see a young woman who may have found her bashert abandon him for her idealized vision of settling in Israel. Can anybody predict what your desires and needs will be five years from now? By digging in your heels you are demonstrating an inability to compromise and “see it his way”; you are stating early on that your loyalty lies with a Dream over the Man-of-Your-Dreams. Maybe it’s time to stop dreaming.

Michelle Mond hink for a moment about this (fictitious) analogy. You just finished dental school and are job searching. You land an interview with a job that is seemingly perfect and they want you. The pay is twice as good as any offer you’ve been given, the benefits are great, the people who work there are so nice. You are blown away compared to other interviews and job offers you have gotten. There is only one catch. You are told that the practice is most likely moving to Israel in five years and when you sign on with them it is a lifelong commitment. This means, once you sign on with this practice, you will no longer be able to practice dentistry anywhere else but in this practice. Essentially, you would be tied down to moving to Israel if you want to still have a job and practice dentistry. What would you do? I venture to say you would move on, say it was too good to be true, and not look back. You would not rationalize by saying, “Well, maybe they won’t actually move their practice to Israel, so I will sign on,” because there is too much at stake. The difference in your scenario with Etty is that you are emotionally invested, so your heart is speaking stronger than you head. Moving from America to Israel is not like moving from New York to Baltimore. Israel is an incredible

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions.

You are stating early on that your loyalty lies with a Dream over the Man-of-YourDreams.

place – nobody is denying that – but you have to be ready and really want to make a move like that. You will be far from family, the culture is different, the language is different, the job market and economy is different, and education options for children is different. Making the commitment to be with Etty also must be a commitment to move there; you cannot expect anything to change. If you cannot see yourself moving there, then you will have to realize that this was just not meant to be.

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.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Single Tova Wein

he concept of loyalty often comes up in this column and I think your question, once again, taps into where a person’s loyalty should be. It sounds as though Etty’s family is super close-knit and their lives are so intertwined that they live their lives in unison. Where one man goes, the others must follow. We all know such families, and, in some ways, it could be a beautiful thing. Those families who all lives within a few block of one another, travel together, spend most Shabbos meals together, and are another’s not only family but

best friends. One downside to these close-connected families is that often it leaves little room for the “machatunim.” Those families become marginalized and often totally neglected. Not only the machatunim, but even spouses, take a secondary role when it comes to decision-making. I don’t know to what extent Etty and her family move as a pack. But it’s clear that what they want comes before what you want. By giving you this stipulation that within five years you two would be Israel-bound, she is plainly telling you that her family comes before you. That does not make for a healthy relationship between husband and wife because

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

one’s spouse should always come before one’s parents. Today the conversation is about Israel, tomorrow it might be where to rent your first apartment. Etty is clearly telling you that you will never be at the top of her pecking order. But if you want to make sure that you aren’t jumping to any conclusions, you could put forward the following answer to her. “Etty, as far as I know, aliyah is not on the horizon for me. Obviously, no one knows what can happen in five years, so I never say never. But if you want to continue dating, you have to be comfortable with the fact that very likely I’m not the man who will be following you to Israel in five years’ time.” Then you have

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She is plainly telling you that her family comes before you.

put the onus on Etty to either break up with you or think about what she is doing, looking a lot closer at her behavior. Let her decide who must come first in her life. If it’s her parents – it’s time to move on!

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

t wouldn’t be fair to either you or Etty to “go along to get along.” While a healthy dose of optimism and hopefulness is crucial to dating and relationships, making aliyah for someone, instead of a mutual decision made with someone may not bode well for your future. My crystal ball recently broke, so I genuinely have no way of knowing if this would or would not work out for you. No one can give you that information. From the outside looking in, I will just present you with some potential outcomes. 1. It all works out. You move to Israel with Etty and you realize that you were born to live in Israel. You fit right into Etty’s family, find your dream job, and raise a beautiful family together. (This is the option I wish I could promise to you!) 2. You move to Israel with Etty, and you do not feel fulfilled.

You miss your family and friends. You keep this to yourself because you do not want to hurt Etty. After all, she didn’t twist your arm. Knowing that she wanted to make aliyah four dates in, you had ample time to make this decision. You own the decision, but still live with regret. Sometimes you feel lonely. 3. You and Etty fight about the decision. You hold her accountable. You are truly unhappy and filled with regret. Here’s my best practical advice. You and Etty need to have a heartto-heart. You can further explore her reasons for wanting to make aliyah. I’d also like to see you have more an understanding (at least more than what was shared) of Etty’s relationship with her family.

I am a huge supporter of “family clans” living together in the same neighborhood. It could be the healthiest thing in the world. Everyone wins! However, in my experience, sometimes in certain families it signifies a true lack of independence on the part of the children. Parents are buying their children’s homes, are entitled to make decisions on behalf of the married couple and eventually one spouse (usually the in-law) begins to feel resentful. Sometimes the other spouse is understanding and an agreement can be reached. Other times the married child “sides” with her parents to the detriment of her spouse and her own marriage. This will sound entirely “corny,” but you need to follow your heart, your passions and your dreams. A marriage is a union of equals. Sure, there are times in a marriage when one partner drastically has to bend (one spouse quitting his/her job so the other can follow his/her dream or opportunity, and sometimes couples move across the country

or to Israel together). Bending in such an extreme fashion so early on gives me reason to pause. If you absolutely adore Etty and can’t bear to see this end and none of the “advice” in this column is doing it for you, I suggest you and Etty see a couples’ therapist or a therapist who specializes in premarital therapy. I wish you all the best. Sincerely, Jennifer Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@ gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Deb

Why We Don’t Love Ourselves By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

was working with a parent who was venting his frustrations at his child. (All stories are made up.) The “child” is an adult, and the venting went on for at least ten minutes before this individual came up for air. “She did this and she did this and this too!” he said, explaining all the “thises” in great detail. “How did you feel about that?” I asked, giving the old but wonderful and useful therapy question. “Frustrated and upset!” he replied immediately. I took out my handy-dandy floor model of a page of emoticons which came from the pre-computer days and which is somewhat warped from Hurricane Sandy. “Besides frustrated, which is a cover emotion, can you express the feelings you had that day more deeply?” I prompted. He gazed long and hard at the chart and finally said simply, “I was sad.” “Ah, you were sad,” I echoed. “Does she know that?” “Probably not,” he said honestly. “I told her how frustrated I am. Isn’t that good enough?” “No,” I answered, “because it doesn’t carry much information and it sounds blaming. When you blame someone, they stop listening. ‘Sad,’ on the other hand, is the soft, vulnerable part of you that was hurt and she might listen to that.” I guarantee you that if this father had not come to therapy and I was not

seeing his daughter also in therapy, the story would go down differently. He would vent his “frustration” which would make his daughter circle the wagons and neither would be listening to the other. She would probably say something back that was unkind and he could very well cut her off just to protect himself. A lifetime of this leads to a self-hating or other-hating adult.

OUR FEELINGS ABOUT OURSELVES COME FROM HOW WE WERE/ARE TREATED Here’s an example from the violence literature: Beaten women suffer from “battered wife syndrome.” It is a condition in which the woman has lost touch with who she really is because she’s been absorbing the venom dished out to her for so long that she has come to believe it. There is another example from the world of prisons and mental hospitals. It’s called “institutionalization.” Again, a person no longer feels as though he has agency or a voice because of the regimentation of such systems. He doesn’t want to find that voice, either; he’s scared to be on his own and making his own decisions after so long. In my work with people, though, I see far more ordinary reasons for people to not love or like themselves: divorce, parental conflict, conflict with the child, bullying

DIVORCE One of the unfortunate by-products of divorce is that parents, themselves, are experiencing a brand new and often not-so-good life. Women in our country are either left impoverished or busy working and educating themselves full-time to make ends meet. In her book, The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25-Year Landmark Study, Judith Wallerstein quotes from an interview she had with one, rather typical couple after their divorce. Before the divorce, the mom had spent a lot of time helping her child with homework and such. Before the divorce, her son “was at the top of his fourth-grade class…Other kids liked him.” After the divorce, she dropped her son and started dating. She complained, “I’ve devoted my life to this child…He has to realize that I need a life of my own!” (p. 227). This mom was not unusual. The stress of divorce takes its toll on the sense of lovability of the parents, so it makes sense that they would seek confirmation that they are still lovable by dating. After all, it is normal to pair up. In other cases, the mom must work full-time to pay the bills. Wallerstein’s research shows that dads who we call “deadbeat” literally do not feel connected to the family they have divorced from – including the children. They often want so badly to please their new

wives or girlfriends that they will treat that person’s children better than the biological ones they left behind. What is the child to believe about himself under that circumstance?

PARENTAL CONFLICT When the opposite happens – parents stay together, but fight – children are no better off. Aside from the fear that such conflict provokes in the child, the disagreements are often over childrearing! The child learns quickly which parent will give him what he wants and which one won’t. That’s a short-term gain. In the long run, the child ends up feeling insecure because the parent who is stricter seems to not “like” him. A young person doesn’t have the maturity to understand that strictness is all about teaching healthy limits. The child simply believes there is something wrong with him. In other cases, the conflict is still over the child but not because of limits and boundaries. Rather it appears to be over whether that child should ever have been born. For example, an overheard remark such as “if Robbie hadn’t been born, I could have reached so and so on the corporate ladder” could be devastating to a child. Even when the conflict appears to have nothing whatsoever to do with the child, the young person, frightened by it, lacks security. The parent who is under attack does not have the

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

wherewithal to say approving and affirming things to the child; the parent is already insecure himself. The parent who “starts” attacking is already disturbed by something and again doesn’t have the presence of mind or calmness of emotions to interact positively with the child. The lack of feedback telling a child “How am I doing?” leaves the child to his own conclusions, usually not good ones.

CONFLICT WITH THE CHILD In some families, one or both parents pick on one child or all of them. A constant stream of criticism and other brands of negativity undermine a child’s self-concept. It’s even more pronounced in a family where one child seems to the “the problem.” The child is who he is; he figures there must be something wrong with him if he’s always picked on. It never occurs to him that his parents are simply unaware of the effect of their behavior on him. I once read a book called Scapegoating in Families which I didn’t

like one bit. It bothered me that people could actually scapegoat their own children so I rejected the premise for some time – until I saw it for myself. How is it that one particular child will be the target? I’ve seen the scapegoated child to

BULLYING To this day, I hear the pain suffered by children decades ago at the hands of their peers. We should never take bullying lightly. It often starts with very young children who have either not been taught boundaries

To this day, I hear the pain suffered by children decades ago at the hands of their peers.

fall into one of two categories: Either the child is too weak and compliant to stand up for himself and this perceived weakness angers a parent who is looking at a reflection of a part of herself that she rejects, or the child is rebellious and this very quality torments a parent whose own lack of self-esteem is threatened by it.

and are simply extending their temper tantrums from home to school, or with children who are abused at home and cannot contain their anger. Sometimes the child is lonely and can draw a crowd of admirers if he puffs himself out a bit. The admirers themselves have a shaky self-image. These are a few of the origins of

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low self-love. A clue to improving the situation was given in the opening scenario. If you are frustrated – and you may very well have a right to be – instead of expressing that frustration directly, search inside yourself for the vulnerable feelings underneath and express those. This is one powerful step that can help turn things around. Doing this to your life partner will calm the household which will leave you more mental energy to say positive, constructive things to your children. And, of course, doing this to your children will teach them how to express their own feelings as well as humanize you in their eyes. It will not come out as a criticism. Finally, the same process ought to be tried on the bully. He or she needs as much help as the victim, if not more. Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached at 646-54-DRDEB or by writing drdeb@ drdeb.com.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

How You Can Add Years onto Your Life By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

ypertension is a growing problem among Americans. Many have tried lifestyle changes and failed, or some are just lazy and turn to medication to reduce blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends lifestyle modifications as a first line of treatment to lower blood pressure. Proper lifestyle changes can reduce your blood pressure significantly, cutting out the need for medication. (Of course, never stop taking any medications without consulting with your physician.) However, lifestyle modifications can be a very vague term. How exactly can one

lower their blood pressure and potentially add years to their life? 1. D iet changes. Recently we discussed that following the DASH diet can help prevent dementia. However, the main focus of the DASH diet is to lower blood pressure. Hence the name DASH: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is an ideal diet when initiating lifestyle diet changes. It is not a miracle diet and is also not a fad diet that can endanger your health while you magically lose weight. It encourages

healthy eating while controlling your blood pressure and incorporating essential nutrients. The DASH diet pushes low fat dairy and eggs as a protein source. Lean meats, fish, and poultry should be eaten daily as well. Consumption of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables should be increased. And, obviously, salt and saturated fat should be limited. The idea of the diet is to consume less sodium and more potassium to help regulate blood pressure. Eat plenty of potassium-rich foods

such as dried apricots, avocado, salmon, green leafy vegetables, and bananas. 2. Weight loss. Your blood pressure decreases along with your weight. The average American can expect a 1 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure for every 1 kilogram reduction in body weight. Weight loss improves blood pressure, overall health, and wellbeing. Set a numerical goal for yourself. The number does not have to be in the ideal body weight range (IBW), since that number

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

‫ר ח ל‬

‫ב א ר‬

M I K V A H ‫ב ָֹרְך‬B‫ל ְּת‬E‫ּבא ֶֹה‬Iָ ‫ׁים‬R‫ִמנָ ִש‬ R O C H E L We are honored to name the new Grove Street Mikvah Building as

BE’ER ROCHEL In memory of

MRS. RACHELA SCHEINER ‫ע"ה ז"ל‬ Beloved wife of

R’ SHLOMO SCHEINER ‫ע"ה ז"ל‬ The Mikvah building which will be a magnificent source of blessing for our entire community, is proudly dedicated by her daughter

MRS. BARBARA SILBER Whose vision and leadership in recognizing the need of the broader Five Towns communities, to initiate and champion the Be’er Rochel Mikvah project, which stands as an everlasting testimony to her selflessness and genuine concern for a fellow Jew. Her vision and support are what enabled this dream to become a reality. We express our heartfelt condolences to

SHERRY AND BARRY ISKOWITZ BELLA REICH BARBARA AND MENDY SILBER

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

is not realistic for everyone, including athletes and weight lifters. A good long term goal would be to fall within the normal range of BMI (body mass index); 18.5-24.9. Work slowly and aim for 1-4 pounds a week. Speak with your physician and a registered dietitian to help create an appropriate goal for yourself. 3. E xercise. One of the best ways to lose weight is through exercising. Aside from weight loss, exercise alone improves blood pressure. Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort, putting less pressure on your arteries, thus lowering your blood pressure. Exercising can reduce your blood pressure more effectively than

some medications. For those with a desirable blood pressure, less than 120/80 mm

months of regular exercise until you see results in your blood pressure. Plus, the

A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort, putting less pressure on your arteries, thus lowering your blood pressure.

Hg, exercise will still do you good. Exercise prevents your blood pressure from rising as you age and helps you maintain a healthy weight – which we already mentioned is another important way to control blood pressure. Keep in mind that it takes about 1-3

benefits only last as long as you continue to exercise. 4. Alcohol consumption. Limiting the amount of alcohol has a beneficial impact on your blood pressure. The AHA recommends that men drink less than or up to two drinks dai-

ly, and women only up to one drink daily. Incorporating these lifestyle modifications will help lower your blood pressure and hopefully add years onto your life. While the above recommendations can change blood pressure for many of those with hypertension, there are still millions of Americans for whom lifestyle modifications are not enough. Consult with your physician to see which intervention, medication or otherwise, is right for you. 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 dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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NOVEMBER 16, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Hours after the coup the country remained calm. Traffic was lighter than usual, but without chaos. Whatever the final outcome, the events could signal a once-in-a-generation change for the southern African nation, once a regional bread-basket, reduced to poverty by an economic crisis Mugabe’s opponents have long blamed on him. Even many of Mugabe’s most loyal supporters over the decades had come to oppose the rise of his wife, who courted the powerful youth wing of the ruling party but alienated the military, led by Mugabe’s former guerrilla comrades from the 1970s independence struggle. While most African states gained independence by the end of the 1960s, Zimbabwe remained one of the last European colonies on the continent, ruled by white settlers as Rhodesia until 1980. Mugabe took power after a long guerrilla struggle, and two decades later ordered the forcible seizure of white-owned farms. The fall in output that followed was one of the worst economic depressions of modern times. By 20072008 inflation topped out at 500 bil-

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lion percent. Mugabe blamed Britain and the United States for sabotaging the country. His followers used violence to suppress a growing domestic opposition he branded lackeys of former colonial powers. The economy briefly stabilized from 2010 to 2014, when Mugabe was forced to accept a power-sharing government with the opposition, but since then the recovery has unraveled. In the last year, a chronic shortage of dollars has led to long lines outside banks. Imported goods are running out and economists say that by some measures inflation is now at 50 percent a month. The economic implosion has destabilized the region, sending millions of poor laborers streaming out of the country, mostly to neighboring South Africa. The political crisis came to a head last week when Mugabe sacked his presumed heir, Vice President Emerson Mnangagwa, a long-serving former leader of the security forces nicknamed “the Crocodile” for his role as Mugabe’s enforcer over the decades.

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Health & F tness

Diet-Proofing Your Home By Malky Zimmerman-Kugel

ave you ever heard this expression before: “diet-proofing your home”? Chances are, you have not. Well, let’s think about the “proofing” you are familiar with. Take mice-proofing, for instance. The exterminator comes in, seals all holes, tells you not to leave food around, and maybe even recommends you get a cat. Congratulations, you have officially mice-proofed your home. Onto fireproofing. You install the best smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, implement a fire escape plan, light candles as far away from shades as possible, and teach little kids about the dangers of fire. Of course, you also make sure to have fire extinguishers, sprinklers, and ladders, should you, chas v’shalom, need them. Can mice or fire still come after you have taken these crucial steps? Sure. However, you can sit back and know that you have done your part and put in the effort required of you. Now I can finally explain what I mean by “diet-proofing.” Being that home is where you spend a large chunk of your time, what steps have you taken to ensure you will be successful on your weight loss journey even at home? Put simply, no matter how much willpower you have got, if your house is not well-equipped for your diet and fitness plan, it simply won’t work. Throughout my experience as a nutritionist, aerobics instructor, and personal trainer, I have seen many otherwise strong, determined, and full of willpower women struggle unnecessarily because they failed to take simple diet-proofing steps in the home.

I will share with you some ways to start the diet-proofing process. Remember that this is a new concept to you. Just like with anything else, proceed cautiously and do not attempt to do it all at once. Aiming to implement one strategy weekly or biweekly is a smart move. • Kitchen colors. Research has shown that eating in a room with warm colors such as reds

rant plates. • Music. Loud background music disables/limits your brain’s ability to send a message to you that you are full. Try eating with the radio or television off. The brain can only process so many senses at once so if your auditory sense is being used to its full capacity, you are not able to process being full.

Research has shown that eating from white plates increases your appetite and makes you feel as though you are not satisfied.

and oranges increases your appetite. It is no surprise that many restaurants choose this color scheme. However, if you can help it, avoid these colors in your dining room and kitchen. • Plate colors. The color of your plate also affects how much you eat. Research has shown that eating from white plates increases your appetite and makes you feel as though you are not satisfied. Hence, the color scheme of many restau-

• Plate size. Try eating from appetizer size plates as opposed to dinner size plates. Sometimes we just need to visually see our plate as full. Doing that with a smaller plate can help cut the calories and fat. • Stock up. Be fully stocked with fruits, vegetables, and ready-todrink water (or filtered water). If you know your schedule is busy, spend a little extra money and buy pre-cut fruits and veg-

etables. These need to be ready and available. • Whole grain versus white. Yes, it does matter. Whole grains provides fiber, a necessary nutrient and an important component for weight loss. Whenever possible choose brown rice over white and whole wheat pasta over white. • Make yourself a chart. It works wonders with kids, and even better with adults. For every week or month that you are “good,” reward yourself with a non-food item such as an outfit, vacation, or a new book. • Track it. Keep a log of every single thing you eat. Jot down your feelings and thoughts as well. This can be helpful when you are about to engage in non-hunger-related eating, such as emotional eating. • Treat yourself. Did we not just say that? This one is different. Here I am referring to a food item (gasp!). I tell my clients that they can have one treat up to a certain amount of calories (depending on their weight and age). This is important. By planning to “cheat” you are eliminating a feeling of deprivation. This planned treat puts you in control. • Plan ahead.

Take a minute

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

and plan out your entire menu for the next day. Think about where you will be and prepare accordingly. Will you have a long drive? Pack some healthy snacks along. Will you be stuck in the office past dinner? Pack a healthy dinner with you. This eliminates spontaneous eating due to excessive hunger. â&#x20AC;˘ Spice up your food life. In other words, make it exciting without making it fattening. Is that possible? Absolutely! Add healthy variety to your healthy foods. For example, pour some blueberries into your morning cereal or try a new interesting spice on your baked chicken. â&#x20AC;˘ Make it a family event. Involve your family members in your goals and plans. Let them know what you are trying to do and ask them for help. This could mean gentle reminders when

they see you eating something you should not be eating. It could also mean extra help in the kitchen chopping up vegetables for that healthy salad. You can even make it a family team effort and go walking or dance around the house together. Good luck on your diet-proofing journey. No proofing is ever foolproof but try your best and enjoy reaping the benefits of diet success! Malky Zimmerman-Kugel is a nutrition counselor at Nutrition by Tanya and is the manager of the Five Towns location. Nutrition by Tanya offers personalized and practical weight management and nutrition counseling for children, men and woman. Nutrition by Tanya has locations in Boro Park, Flatbush, Williamsburg, Monsey, Lakewood, the Five Towns, Crown Heights, Staten Island and Monroe. The office can be reached at 844-Tanya-Diet or info@nutritionbytanya.com. You can also visit Nutritionbytanya.com for more info, inspiring success stories, and photos.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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Health & F tness

Teens and Driving By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH, FAAP

y 17-year-old is driving. She’s our fifth driver and there are two more Lightmans not so far behind her who no doubt will be rushing to get their learner permits as soon as they turn 16-years-old. The statistics on drivers in this category are terrorizing. What wisdom as a pediatrician and a father may I impart on this topic? We know that teenagers are more at risk on the road because they tend to underestimate dangerous situations including the braking distance between their car and the one ahead. The good news: there are proven strategies to improve the driving of this age cohort on the road. Make sure your young driver is aware of the leading causes of car crashes on the road. These following are the causes together with what a parent can do to provide an antidote. 1. Driver inexperience – Crash risk is highest in the first year a teen has his license. Parents

should provide at least 30-50 hours of supervised driving over at least six months. Practice should take place over a variety of roads, at different times of day, and in varied weather and traffic conditions. My wife reminisces that her

bicyclists, and pedestrians. 2. Driving with teen passengers – The crash risk goes up when teens drive with other teen passengers in the car. As parents, you can limit the number of teen passengers your child can have in the car

My wife reminisces that her late father taught her how to drive on the narrow roads in the cemetery, saying that at least no one would be harmed there.

late father taught her how to drive on the narrow roads in the cemetery, saying that at least no one would be harmed there. In addition, emphasize the importance of continually scanning for potential hazards including other vehicles,

while driving to zero or one – definitely no more than two. Keep this rule in place for at least the first six months of driving. 3. Nighttime driving – For all ages, fatal crashes are more likely at night. For teens, this is espe-

cially true. Make sure your teen is off the road no later than 10pm for at least the first six months of driving. Practice nighttime driving with your teen when you think he or she is ready. I know. You, the parent, are not ready. Review safety techniques, including turning on headlights (an important step also during early morning driving), so you can see and be seen. 4. Not using seatbelts – The best way to lessen harm if there is a car crash, G-d forbid, is for the driver and all passengers to be buckled up. It’s that simple. You must require your teen to wear a safety belt every time he or she gets into the car. This is non-negotiable. This simple step can reduce your teen’s risk of dying or being badly injured in a crash by about half. 5. Distracted driving – Distractions increase your teen’s risk of being in a car crash. There are three main types of distractions: Visual, or taking your eyes off the road; manual, or taking your hands off the wheel; and cognitive,

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

Some parents may think about downloading the Parent-Teen Driving Agreement (https://

www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey/pdf/PATK_2014_TeenParent_Agreement_AAP-a.pdf), de-

veloped by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. It’s a good jumping off point for discussing this topic with your teens. A comment on our own neighborhood, Far Rockaway and the

us all. Also, please exercise more thought and caution when opening your car doors on Central Avenue. Remember, drivers have to pass. And as always, daven . Dr. Hylton Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@ totalfamilycaremd.com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.

Avi & Shneur Faskowitz

P o 2018 present

risky-driving/distracted-driving.

6. Drowsy driving – Again, this is an obvious one but must be said. Teens tend to underestimate whether they are drowsy and to what extent when they get behind the wheel of a car. Generally, they are at greatest risk for this in the early morning and in the evening. Parents should know their child’s schedule so they can help them to navigate when not to be driving. Perhaps having the keys to the car may be a bribe to get teens to sleep earlier at night. I’d appreciate your feedback on this one. 7. Reckless driving – Research shows that teens lack the experience, judgment, and maturity to assess risky situations. Make sure your teen follows the speed limit. If driving conditions necessitate lowering that limit, then make sure your teen adjusts and drives accordingly. Review the appropriate braking distance with your teen and that he or she should maintain enough space behind the vehicle ahead to avoid a crash in case of a sudden stop. And please, obey the speed limit. 8. Impaired driving – Even one drink can impair a teen’s (or any person’s) driving. Thank G-d, the statistics on teens and drinking has decreased by nearly 54% since 1991. Let’s aim for 100%. Again, parents, here’s your opportunity to role model excellent behavior. Please don’t drink and drive. Be sure to impart that message to your children.

Five Towns. The community has grown exponentially in recent years and it continues to grow. Yet nothing has changed with the infrastructure and we still have the same number of streets with no adjustments in the traffic patterns. Now we have more people, more cars and more traffic. Sometimes, patience is tested. Please stay calm. Let’s stop the U-turns on Central Avenue. They don’t help the situation, and they endanger

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or taking your mind off driving. These activities include but are not limited to texting while driving, talking on a cellphone, eating while driving, using a navigation system, etc. Two interesting facts: First, texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distractions. Second, sending or reading a text message takes your eyes off the road for about five seconds, long enough to cover a football field while driving at 55 mph. Parents: You must role model good behavior here. Also, you must not allow activities that may take your teen’s attention away from driving, such as talking on a cellphone, texting, eating, or playing with the radio. Educate yourselves and your teens about distracted driving by reading https://www.nhtsa.gov/

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Ricotta Cheese Waffle Latkes By Naomi Nachman

I love the idea of making waffles instead of latkes for this Chanukah. Waffles have been super trendy in the food world (and I don’t have to stand over a frying pan for hours). People have been pouring all kinds

of funky batters in their waffle makers such as red velvet cake batter, potato kugel, falafel batter, and even chocolate chip cookie batter. You can have so much fun experimenting with the batters and the toppings.

Ingredients

Preparation

1 ½ cups ricotta cheese ½ cup milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs, separated ¼ cup sugar

Place ricotta, milk, vanilla extract and egg yolks in a bowl and mix well. Stir in sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and oil, then mix gently until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks, the fold them into the cheese mixture. Pour enough batter to cook a waffle in your machine. Follow instructions to determine doneness. If you don’t have a waffle maker you can make them with pancakes in a frying pan. Heat oil in a 9-inch pan till oil is hot, drop 1/8 cup worth of batter into pan, lower heat to medium, and cook on both sides until brown, about 2 minutes per side.

1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder Pinch kosher salt 2 tsp canola oil

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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.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

They call me “the Lizard” because I recover so quickly from things. So hopefully it’s nothing too big. I’m going to get treatment, stay on top of this, and hopefully the Lizard can be ready for Sunday. - Kristaps Porzingis talking to reporters about an ankle injury he sustained

I dreamed about it all my life and here I am. This is a great privilege that has been placed in my lap – that I have been able to come and pray in the holiest place for the Jewish people. Until now, this place was known to me only from pictures I saw and from the television screen. And here I am, finally reaching this place by myself. - Holocaust survivor Avraham Takacz, 90, upon visiting the Kotel for the first time in his life, after migrating from the Ukraine to Israel

My hugging days (outside family and or close friends) are over… It might offend you that I will no longer participate in hugging you, but I have decided to discontinue receiving/ giving hugs from anyone outside of my family and close friends. I hope you understand. Thanks ... I’m from the old school but the time has come for me ... No more hugs. - Texas Sheriff Jim Kaelin, of Nueces County, writing that from now on he will only offer handshakes and knuckle bumps

I am rejecting your verdict with contempt. - The declaration a former Bosnian Croat general made just before he swallowed poison (dying hours later) as a judge at the Hague upheld his 20-year sentence for war crimes

An Ohio-based company made a cup holder for dip that attaches to a dashboard so you can eat chips and dip while you drive. I don’t have a joke about this, I just wanted to remind you we’re still the greatest country in the world. - Conan O’Brien

Ivanka Trump plagiarizes one of her own speeches in India. - Tweet by Newsweek, setting a new standard for plagiarism

If white people elect Roy Moore in Alabama, no decent human being should ever spend another dime in that state, unless it is with a blackowned business or the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum. If Moore wins, it’s time to destroy white Alabama like we should have 150 years ago. - Tweet by left-wing agitator Tim Wise

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

To all the “deplorables,” as you go into work today, just remember one thing: look at this economy. Look at what [Trump’s] done with ISIS. Look how he’s handling this crisis in the Gulf. Look how he’s handling the situation with China. If Barack Obama had gone to Riyadh and given that speech to the Muslim nations and destroyed the physical caliphate of ISIS, they would have given him a second Nobel Prize. Donald Trump did it, and they just dismiss him. - Steve Bannon

This economy, this is pure Trump economics. President Trump thought this through. He knew what he was doing. He says, “Hey, I want to get tough on trade. I want to get tough on illegal immigration. I want to show the nations of the world that they’ve got to start investing in the United States. They’ve got to start building plants and equipment here. We’ve got to start making stuff here. And then I’m going to have a massive tax cut to make sure that corporations are competitive globally.” You see what’s happening. If Barack Obama had done this, I mean the anemic growth he had, if he had done this, they would have given him a Nobel Prize in economics, not just in peace.… - Ibid.

I did a mistake, I confess. It’s not like I was looking for something or planning to do it. It was in front of me, and I didn’t do a good job, and I didn’t doublecheck things. - 28-year-old Bahtiyar Duysak, who works for Twitter, explaining to CNN what happened when he mistakenly shut down President Trump’s Twitter account for 11 minutes last month

During a live Special Report, ABC News reported that a confidant of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said Flynn was prepared to testify that then-candidate Donald Trump instructed him to contact Russian officials during the campaign. That source later clarified that during the campaign, Trump assigned Flynn and a small circle of other senior advisors to find ways to repair relations with Russia and other hot spots. It was shortly after the election that Presidentelect Trump directed Flynn to contact Russian officials on topics that included working jointly against ISIS. - ABC’s day-late-and-dollar short correction on Friday evening, after Brian Ross’s bombshell report earlier in the day that a reliable source told him that Flynn would testify that during the campaign Trump ordered Flynn to contact the Russians

President Trump commented on North Korea’s missile launch today, saying, quote, “We’ll take care of it.” That’s it? I have to say, I don’t find it comforting that the president talked about enemy missiles the same way a dermatologist talks about a weird mole. - Seth Myers

Rope. Tree. Journalist. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. - T-shirt pulled from Walmart.com, which was being sold by a third-party seller

A new study finds that men with thick biceps are more likely to live longer. The study also found that I died 10 years ago. - Conan O’Brien

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I have said that this was stiff competition by some of the other things they have put forth, is the worst bill in the history of the United States Congress.

- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) talking about the GOP tax proposal

I was taking drugs on top of drugs, just trying to kill the nerve pain. It was like someone hitting your body about 200 times a day. - Tiger Woods, talking about his recovery from back surgery

This morning, the Times editorial board is tweeting here to urge the Senate to reject a tax bill that hurts the middle class & the nation’s fiscal health.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Nobody should be evaluating each other’s mental health, particularly not people who are still struggling to accept reality a year after it happened - Mollie Hemingway on Fox News responding to claims that President Trump is insane

But justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, Amos 5:24 – Tweet by former FBI Director James Comey, after Michael Flynn pleaded guilty of lying to the FBI and agreed to cooperate with Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller

I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects. - Recently disclosed gushing email sent in January by Andrew Weissmann, Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s top lieutenant, to then- acting Attorney General Sally Yates upon her refusal to enforce President Trump’s travel ban

Safety alert! All automobile manufacturers say IT IS IMPERATIVE to perform a computerized SAFETY SCAN to diagnose trouble codes after ANY collision. Eliminating dashboard warning lights DOES NOT necessarily properly deal with control and safety issues! Some insurance companies are REFUSING to pay for this. Make sure that your repair facility has the proper equipment to perform these scans and challenges your insurance company to pay for this important safety issue or conducts this procedure as part of the repair process anyway.

Don’t gamble with your safety or risk your investment in your vehicle!

We work for YOU, not your insurance company. “Friends don’t let friends drive junk.”

Yehuda Krinsky • Yoel Schmell • Yussie Seif

10 Nassau Avenue • Inwood, NY 11096

516-371-1137

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline? (Hint: They all do.) Chai Lifeline is renowned for the care and love it bestows on children ﬁghting cancer. But that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline serves thousands of children with medical challenges that aren’t evident on the outside, everything from Crohns Disease to cystic ﬁbrosis to heart disease and illnesses so rare only a handful of children have been diagnosed. And still, that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline includes siblings and parents, too, with programs geared towards the entire family. We care for more than 5,000 children and their families around the world and across the street. Chances are, you know them. They just don’t look sick.

Whenever, wherever we’re needed, Chai Lifeline is there.

Chai Lifeline. Comprehensive, compassionate, professional assistance for families facing illness, loss or trauma. 151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001 I (877) CHAI-LIFE I (212) 465-1300 I www.chailifeline.org

Regional Offices: Greater New York I Southeast I West Coast I Midwest I Mid-Atlantic I New Jersey I Canada I England I Israel I Belgium Hospital Support: Meals | Transportation Assistance | Hospital Visits | Respite Children’s Programs: Arts and Recreational Activities | After-school programs | Sibling Programs | Educational Assistance in Limudei Kodesh Counseling for patients and siblings | Camp Simcha/Camp Simcha Special Family Programs: Advocacy and Information | Retreats | Insurance Advocacy | Family Recreation | Family Counseling | Bereavement Services Community Programs: Project CHAI, support for schools, camps, and communities facing crisis or trauma.

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

Beware an Economic Boom! By Robert J. Samuelson

e don’t need an economic boom, but that’s what we may be getting. Since the 2016 election, the stock market is up roughly 24 percent, reports Wilshire Associates. The price of the cybercurrency bitcoin soared more than 1,000 percent before retreating. The unemployment rate of

4.1 percent is the lowest since 2000. The economy’s growth has exceeded 3 percent for the past two quarters. Anyone familiar with the postWorld War II economy is bound to feel ambivalent about these dazzling developments. On the one hand, after so many years of disappointment following the Great Recession of

2007-09, it’s nice to see the economy outperforming. Since the low point in late 2009, non-farm jobs have increased by 17 million. On the other hand, extended booms give rise to long busts that have been hugely destructive in human terms -- meaning higher unemployment and lower incomes.

Since World War II, there have been two instances of these grand boom-bust cycles. The 106-month expansion in the 1960s was followed by more than a decade of economic turmoil: double-digit inflation, four recessions (unemployment peaked at 10.8 percent in late 1982) and a stagnant stock market corrected for

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

inflation. The second grand cycle started with the tech boom of the 1990s that lasted exactly a decade. It led to the economic carnage of the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession. The ultimate source of these boom-bust episodes is human nature. Although prosperity is a good thing, long stretches of good times can become self-destructive. People – consumers, business owners and managers, bankers, investors, entrepreneurs – become sloppy, over-confident and complacent. They become increasingly vulnerable to economic setbacks, but their careless behavior continues because it is crowd-driven. This history cautions prudence. We don’t know whether the economic recovery that began in mid-2009 will end in some sort of crack-up. But we should minimize the odds of this happening by avoiding policies that over-stimulate the economy when it doesn’t need more “stimulus.” In the present context, there are two implications. First, the Federal Reserve should continue raising short-term interest rates, which are still low. And second, the Republican tax legislation now being considered by Congress should not increase budget deficits by a penny. The various tax proposals are estimated to add from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion to deficits over a decade, depending on how the calculations are done. Lowering tax rates is good; borrowing to do so, as opposed to closing other tax breaks, is bad. What’s often overlooked is that even before the Republican tax proposals, projected budget deficits were sizable. The Congressional Budget Office estimates them at $10 trillion cumulatively from fiscal 2018 to 2027. Many mainstream economists have convinced themselves that the tax proposals won’t stimulate the economy or threaten the recovery. Here’s the conclusion of a study from Moody’s Analytics: “Neither the House or Senate [tax] plans would meaningfully improve economic growth. ... Growth would be stronger initially, since the deficit-financed tax cuts are a fiscal stimulus. But given that the economy is operating at full employment, stronger inflation and higher interest rates will result. The economic benefit of the lower tax rates on business investment is washed out by the higher interest rates.”

Maybe. But in practice, this view may be too sanguine. Suppose the strong demand of a boom economy

a destructive chain reaction. Higher inflation begets higher interest rates. (The Fed raises short-term

The ultimate source of these boom-bust episodes is human nature.

causes inflation to exceed expectations – say 4 percent instead of 2 percent. The increase could set off

rates; market pressures push up long-term rates on bonds and mortgages.) Higher interest rates dark-

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en the economic outlook, causing stocks to crash and confidence to slump. The truth is that we don’t fully understand the effects of budget deficits on the business cycle. On the other hand, we better understand history, and history suggests that the bigger the boom, the bigger the subsequent bust. A patient economy may ultimately be more rewarding and sustainable than its more spectacular counterpart. (c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

Photographers and Journalists Documenting the Civil War

A New York Herald Tribune wagon and its reporters in the field

By Avi Heiligman

student of warfare will notice that since the Middle Ages not only do the weapons and tactics greatly improve over short periods of time but civilian correspondence does as well. Printing capabilities and photography were greatly advanced during the middle of the 19th century, and that is reflected in the coverage of the American Civil War. It was one of the first major wars to be photographed, and the correspondence in general gave the folks at home a picture (pun intended) of what was hap-

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln (top) taken by Alexander Gardner (above) in February 1865

pening on the battlefield. Reporters, photographers and sketch artists were on the frontlines and lived with the soldiers as they fought the bloodiest war on American soil. Newspapers were the main sources of information for the civilian population. In the days before communication devices like the telephone and social media, newspapers were also the primary way soldiers on the field got news about how the war in general was going. Telegraph lines were used to send the reports back to journalists’ offices. The journalists had to pay the regular telegraph rates which increased by the word so the articles were concise and contained mainly facts, not speculation. When no telegraph lines were available couriers were used but the news story could take days if not weeks to be printed. There were less telegraph lines in the South during the war but more reporters due to the fact that most of the campaigns took place in Confederate territory. Often reporters took trains from one army camp to another and sent their stories from stops on the railway that had telegraph lines. Thousands of newspapers across both the North and South had reporters in the field. The New York Herald led the way with at least forty reporters at any given time sending back reports. Illustrators, such as the popular Harper’s Weekly’s Alfred Waud, became synonymous with the articles that were found alongside their drawings. Benjamin Cummings Truman from Rhode Island had worked in the media for about a decade before the war start-

ed in 1861. He had been a proofreader for The New York Times as well as a noted columnist. In 1862, Truman accepted a position in the Union Army to work as a staff aide to future President Andrew Johnson who was the military governor of Tennessee who had set up the defense of Nashville against Confederate raids. During his time in the army, Truman (no relation to Harry S, Truman) still churned out articles for The New York Times. From time to time he would join other generals who were out in the field during pitched battles. During the Battle of Franklin, Truman’s report reached The New York Times two days before the War Department heard of the Union victory. On a consistent basis Truman’s reports on battles were printed days before other newspapers carried the details. After Lincoln’s assassination and Johnson had been sworn in as president, Truman became a confidential secretary to the new president. The American Civil War ushered in a new type of photojournalism. One of the most popular photographers of the era was Mathew Brady. He not only led a group of photographers to take pictures of battle scenes but also took pictures of the soldiers and everyday military life. Eighteen presidents, from John Q. Adams to William McKinley, had their pictures taken by Brady. He also created portraits of many of the top commanders on both sides including Generals Grant, George Meade, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, to name a few. Brady first gained the public’s attention after his pictures of the First Bat-

tle of Bull Run became available for viewing. After the Battle of Antietam on September 19, 1862, the bloodiest day on American soil, he sent two of his photographers (one was Alexander Gardner – more on him later) to document the carnage and take pictures of the devastation. Brady displayed the pictures, and these are still some of the most well-known photographs of the war. One of the most studied photographs in the collection is the one of Lincoln right after he gave the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln spoke for only about two minutes, and Brady (or one of assistants) wasn’t able to set up in time. After the war, the public became disinterested in his photographs, and Brady faded into obscurity. Brady had several assistants who became prominent photographers in their own right. This group included a Scot named Alexander Gardner whose many photos have been misattributed to Brady. Gardner owned Glasgow’s second most popular newspaper when he became familiar with Brady’s work that was on display in 1851. At that time he became interested in photography and in 1856 moved to New York to become Brady’s assistant. As Brady’s eyesight declined, Gardner’s responsibilities increased. By the time the Civil War broke out in 1861 Gardner was sent to the frontlines and became one of the top photographers in the field. He was made an honorary captain and placed on the staff of Union commander General George McClellan. This put him in a great position to take pictures of the Battle of Antietam. Seventy of his

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

A newspaper vendor and cart in an army camp during the Civil War

pictures were placed in Brady’s collection but Gardner didn’t get any credit for his work until much later. Gardner also took pictures of the Battles of Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and the Siege of Petersburg as well as the last known photograph of Lincoln – just five days before his assassination. He photo-documented the funeral and

was the only photographer allowed at the hanging of the conspirators, most notably John Wilkes Booth. Reporters were privately hired by newspapers and periodicals. While they did have better living conditions than the soldiers, reporters set the standard for devotion to detail, speed at which the articles were delivered to

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General Robert E Lee, center, with his aides-de-camp in a photo taken by Brady on April 16, 1865

the editors at home, and the writing of actual facts. The armies didn’t want the all of the facts to be reported, and in some cases military secrets had been revealed, but the reporters still got the facts to their bosses. Throughout the war and across the thousands of miles that had to be crossed to get to all of the battlefields, reporters were there to

make sure the public received accurate information on the war that was tearing the country apart. 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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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Your

Money

Good Guys Share $ 175 Million Refund By Allan Rolnick, CPA

pril 15 hasn’t always been the national exercise in self-flagellation that it is today. Up until the 1940s, you could just waltz into your local IRS office and they would do your taxes for you. But those days have long since passed. You’re still welcome to do it yourself, if you need more stress in your life. But how will you know if you’re paying too much? Even software like TurboTax can’t guarantee you’ll get it right. If you don’t know how to use it, the program just helps you make the same expensive mistakes faster than when you made them with paper and pencils. If you’re like most Americans, you just throw up your hands and call a pro. That begs a new question: who to call? Certified Public Accountants and Enrolled Agents have traditionally dominated the field. But up until 2010, anyone with a pencil could call himself a tax preparer. (Most of them use computers now — but, surprisingly, not all. Hey, some people still carry flip phones, too.) That seems like an obvious vacuum in today’s regulatory environment, considering that in most places, you need a license just to catch a fish. And we all

know bureaucracy abhors a vacuum. In 2009, the IRS decided to do something. After a series of public forums and comments, they launched the Registered Tax Return Preparer (RTRP) program. The new rules required preparers to: 1) sign up for a Preparer Tax Identification Number, 2) pass a 2.5 hour test, and 3) complete 15 hours of continuing education per year. Naturally, the

dead horses). Preparers felt like they were being forced to take a test to prove they could do something they had done, in some cases, for decades. So three of them sued to shut down the program. And they won – the court agreed that the 1884 law didn’t give the IRS authority to regulate an industry that didn’t even exist when it was passed. (Oops.) The IRS suspended the RTRP

Everyone was happy with the RTRP, except the people subject to the new rules (and maybe those long-dead horses). IRS charged a fee for the program, which started at $64.25 per year. And they based their authority to do it all on an obscure 1884 law regulating representatives of Civil War soldiers looking for compensation for dead horses. Everyone was happy with the RTRP, except the people subject to the new rules (and maybe those long-

program. But they kept charging the PTIN fees, even though the program the fees were supposed to finance had ended. So, one year later, a different group of preparers filed another suit to recover those fees. Once again, the court ruled in their favor. This June, the court decided that PTINs aren’t a “service or thing of value” justifying a fee. The

IRS can’t charge fees for PTINs, “because this would be equivalent to imposing a regulatory licensing scheme and the IRS does not have such regulatory authority.” (Don’t hold your breath waiting for Congress to give it to them.) And yes, the IRS has to give back all the PTIN fees they’ve collected. That was $175 million when the plaintiffs filed their complaint; but it could be as high as $300 million now. Chalk one up for the good guys, right? Well, sure. But here’s the real lesson: most tax preparers, credentialed or not, focus on putting the “right” numbers in the “right” boxes on the “right” forms. They do a great job of telling you how much you owe – but nothing about how to pay less. And that has everything to do with attitude, not credentials. So make sure you have a plan when you’re ready to save — and remember, we’re here for your family, friends, and colleagues, too! Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 7, 2017

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 SERVICES

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Classifieds HOUSES FOR SALE

COMMERCIAL RE

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds COMMERCIAL RE

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

There’s No Need to Pack Light By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

id you ever notice that when you’re packing for a week trip to Israel you might as well be going on aliyah? You pack and pack... and pack. But why so much? Some may say there are weather concerns or you may need an extra outfit or two – you may even have decision issues. But, seriously, do you need that many choices for just one week?! And on top of that you take enough toiletries to singlehandedly open up a CVS pharmacy. What is it? Are you afraid that Israel needs another excavation just to unearth a little toothpaste or Advil for you to use?! Once you get to Israel, you then have some spiritual epiphanies that make you think and realize that maybe you should have left more stuff at home because you need to be a little less materialistic. Not that you have to feel that it’s incumbent upon you to separate from your material riches. What is good is to recognize is

that you can use all those accessories to connect to your higher purpose. So here’s what I mean: let’s say you are wearing designer shoes and walking the streets of Jerusalem, just think this way: only the best shoes should tread on these stones, and boom!

you get to Israel you start to pack in even more, believe it or not. You find yourself packing in more food than you ever thought you could digest – and more sites than you knew you wanted to see. And that’s before you start packing in all the gifts that you

Just think this way: only the best shoes should tread on these stones, and boom! You’ve elevated the mundane.

You’ve elevated the mundane. In fact, if you get used to thinking like that then the more you pack the better it is. Another wild thing is that when

just had to buy. So, what’s the compulsion to bring so much along with you when you are leaving home? Is it the desire to feel whole? Is

it that we don’t feel good if we can’t look good? This is a complex question, and I’m certain that it does not have a simple answer. The good thing is that it doesn’t require an answer. The great news is that El Al controls your ability to get totally carried away. And after that, who cares? You brought what you brought! Once you arrive in Israel, just pack in a great time. On top of that, you can unpack all that’s bothering you. Because this is the place where spirituality is magnified, and unloading it is a gift you can capitalize on so that no matter how much more stuff you have in your suitcase when you go home you can still feel a lot lighter. Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds. com

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DECEMBER 7, 2017 | The Jewish Home

THE VILLAGE FOR SHOPPING

D P I N O E H S 

Stroll

For the Holidays

DOES NOT INCLUDE METERED PARKING ON STREETS DOES NOT INCLUDE PERMIT PARKING IN LOTS