Five Towns Jewish Home - 11-25-21

November 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

I

sn’t it ironic that Chanukah, which is such a deep and mystical holiday, has become in so many ways so commercialized and superficial?

Most kids, when asked about their favorite part of Chanukah, will talk about the presents or the doughnuts or the latkes or the parties. Very few of them will share that the lighting of the menorah, with the singing and family time that goes along with it, is their favorite part of Chanukah.

Perhaps that’s part of our challenge on Chanukah. We need to highlight the purity and spirituality of the holiday for our families.

Now, I’m not advocating for doing away with presents – especially since some of my children may be reading this. We can keep the gifts and the doughnuts. Because, after all, when else would we eat jelly doughnuts during the rest of the year?

But what if we spent time after lighting the menorah speaking about the miracles that took place thousands of years ago? What if we spoke about the spiritual battles for which the Maccabim risked their lives and the values and ideals that threatened our nation – and even continue to endanger our standards today?

The Greek are renowned for their philosophers. They are known for their wise men who would pontificate about the purpose of our existence. They used their minds to extrapolate how people should act towards

their fellow beings. But minds are limited, and intellect can be flawed. As such, how much truth can be plumbed by using your intelligence to ponder your sense of being?

The Truth, as we know, comes from an ultimate Source. And He gifted us the Torah, the definitive voice of Truth. The Greeks demanded that we throw away the Torah, that we sever ourselves from the Source.

Today, we’re seeing those same insidious voices creeping into our world. No longer is there Truth; instead, people are redefining facts – they are saying that each person has their own “truth,” that truth can be determined based on your own set of realities.

And so, we are once again seeing a demise in the prevalence of Truth in the world.

But for us, for Jews who have endured thousands of years, we don’t waver in our adherence to the same Truth that we clung to millennia ago. That Truth – regardless of how thin and weak it may seem in a global context – will never cease.

It’s those sparks of Truth that we celebrate on Chanukah. It’s those glimmers of Truth that flicker in our windows for eight days.

And it’s those flashes of Truth that we need to nurture in our homes and celebrate with our families during the yom tov of Chanukah.

Wishing you a lichtige Chanukah, Shoshana

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Shabbos Zemanim

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Friday, November 26 Parshas Vayeishev Candle Lighting: 4:12 pm Shabbos Ends: 5:14 pm Rabbeinu Tam: 5:42 pm

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll Community Happenings NEWS Global National

126

That’s Odd ISRAEL Israel News

My Israel Home

104

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

86

Temporary Tranquility by Rav Moshe Weinberger

88

The Deeper Battle of Chanukah by Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

90

Chanukah and Yosef’s Dreams by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

94

The Eternal Victory of Chanukah by R’ Yaakov Klein

96

Chanukah by Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz

98

Halacha: Chanukah Lighting in Public Places

100

Delving into the Daf by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

103

PEOPLE Hidden Sparks of Light by Sara Lieberman

106

Noteworthy Medal of Honor Recipients by Avi Heiligman

142

HEALTH & FITNESS How Can I Feel Compassion When I Am Soooo Angry? by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

114

An En-Lightening Chanukah by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN

116

FOOD & LEISURE A Taste of Taste

118

126

Ice Cream Cheese Cake Party Pops 130 The Aussie Gourmet: Rivky’s Sesame Chicken

Dear Editor, The Gemara in Sukka (32b) brings down that there are two palm trees in a certain location in Israel, and between them lies the entrance to Gehinnom. The simple explanation is that palms and their fruit thereof are symbolic of physicality, a worthless pursuit. Perhaps it can be suggested that the Gemara is saying that if one wants the relaxation and calm associated with the tranquility of palm trees then he is headed to Gehinnom. Yaakov lived a life opposite of this, nevertheless, he still did desire another type of calm, the menuchas hanefesh of the Torah. After a life of toil and turbulence, he was ready to ponder the Torah in its full breadth and experience its serenity.

But G-d says no to this spiritual menucha, instead replacing it with the episode of Yosef.

Steven Genack Dear Editor, I enjoy your paper very much, and I especially like the Navidaters section. But...what about the November 18th letter has anything to do with dating?

Cover art by Gitty Fuchs Gitty’s artwork can be found at 925 Sterling, 572 Central Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY

It’s about people who are clueless and suggest or ask stupid things. No different than when a neighbor gets too nosy or a not-so-close acquaintance asks if you can bring Fruit Loops or tuna fish to their child in yeshiva in Israel.

I am sure the Navidaters receive lots of important questions, the answers to which actually help people.

The fact that someone suggested a single person go to a shiva in order to meet a shadchan is a huge chisaron in normalcy, but it is not a dating question.

Why waste space, time and brain power on narishkeit?

Chaim Waldman Dear Editor, There’s a pasuk in Tehillim Perek Mem, where Dovid Hamelech tells the need to publicize the chessed that Hashem has done for him. In that vein, I’d like to publicize every day stories that have happened to me. All in the name of Hashem’s “coincidental” (but not at all coincidental) ways.

Ten years ago, I bought an ArtScroll interlinear siddur. The burgundy one. I think you know which one I mean. I used it to daven for my shidduch (eventually my wife) at kevarim in Israel. I penned the names of cholim and older singles in the back flap.

Soon after I got married, I left it in a shul in Cedarhurst accidentally.

Anytime I went back, I wasn’t able to Continued on page 8

132

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

110

Parenting Pearls

118

JWOW! 120 Thanksgiving in the Holy Land

122

Your Money

148

Nighty Night by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

150

Does your family make latkes from scratch on Chanukah?

HUMOR Centerfold 84 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

134

What About a Manchin-Sinema 2024 Ticket? by Marc A. Thiessen

138

The U.S. is Warning Russia on Ukraine by David Ignatius

140

CLASSIFIEDS

144

69

%

Yes

31

%

No

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

ll the ardest not a

Continued from page 8

story That’s

hen it

n their g raw

nd jas lico-

e put news

Tuesday, November 30 at 5pm.

find it. I became “meyaesh.” People lose siddurim all the time. And with my ever-so-slight penchant for losing things (cough, cough), I chalked this up to another lost item in my personal black hole.

About two years ago, I decided to join a Smicha program. It’s through a chabad Rabbi named Rabbi Nachman Wilhelm who, at the time, was based in Minnesota. Smicha was something I’ve always wanted but never had the chance to pursue.

Two days after I registered for the program, I received a call from an unknown number. The fact that I picked up was itsself a neis! The man on the other line asked me if I ever lost a siddur with my name in it, an ArtScroll interlinear.

“Yes! 10 years ago!” I exclaimed.

“Where’d you find it?” I asked.

What he said shook me. “770 Chabad headquarters!” I have no idea how it got there. Nor did he.

But I reconnected with the siddur shortly after. And only two days after I joined a Chabad Smicha program, did I find out that my Siddur was at their headquarters!

This is 100 percent a true story. It happened to me. I’m sure we all have stories like this in our lives. I’d love to hear them from you, too!

“Rabbi Jay” Nathanson, LCSW RabbiJayLCSW@gmail.com Dear Editor, I think that the person who wrote in about Reb Moshe’s ruling was

definitely more well-versed in Reb Moshe’s teshuvos than I am. But I have an issue with his final comment: if one is old enough to drive, that means they’re old enough to get married.

Huh?! Are they comparing building a relationship with a lifelong partner to learning how to signal when you’re changing lanes or making a U-turn? One is a technical skill – maneuvering highways and physically helping to move a vehicle from point A to point B. Marriage demands a completely different skillset. The right marriage partner is someone who is constantly thinking of others; someone who is balanced in who they are as a person; someone who is giving and mature; someone who is willing to work on issues that may arise; someone who can anticipate someone else’s needs and prioritize their spouse’s needs over their own.

Not one of those skills is necessary or important in knowing how to drive.

How about this? Do you think that every Uber driver is marriage material? I would venture to say not.

So perhaps it’s not age – or driving ability – that determines one’s chance at being a successful and good spouse. Perhaps it’s a deep understanding of what life and marriage entails and determining if one has those integral characteristics.

Respectfully, Yossi Lederman

Make your voice heard!

Be part of TJH’s weekly poll.

• The contest ends on Tuesday night, November 30 at 5pm.

Email the editor to be included in the weekly poll at Editor@FiveTownsJewishHome.com

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.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Flooding Disrupts Canada

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Floods in the Canadian province of British Columbia have sent supply chains across western Canada into crisis.

The flooding stranded truck drivers, causing delays in deliveries to grocery stores and blocking access to Canada’s largest port. The crisis is liable to affect the U.S. as well.

The predicament was caused by unusually heavy rainfall, which caused flooding and mudslides, closing a regional oil pipeline, submerging railroad tracks, and collapsing highways.

Last Wednesday, authorities in British Columbia declared a state of emergency, but urged residents not to hoard fuel or food.

Darrell Jones, chief executive of the supermarket chain Save-onFoods, tweeted, “We understand that these are very uncertain times, and stressful times, and are asking our customers to maintain normal shopping habits.”

In a news conference on Thursday, provincial minister of transportation and infrastructure Rob Fleming said, “The message for today is: Conserve fuel wisely and other materials because there are interruptions in the supply chain for a number of things that are essential.”

Russia Among Worst for Religious Freedom The U.S. State Department recently announced a decision to add

In a press statement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “In far too many places around the world, we continue to see governments harass, arrest, threaten, jail, and kill individuals simply for seeking to live their lives in accordance with their beliefs.

“This Administration is committed to supporting every individual’s right to freedom of religion or belief, including by confronting and combating violators and abusers of this human right.”

On the list last year were Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, all of which will remain on the list this year as well. Nigeria, on last year’s list, was removed from this year’s list.

Blinken also said that the list of “Entities of Particular Concern” – similar to the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list but for groups instead of countries – includes al Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al Sham, the Houthis, the Islamic State (or ISIS), ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged Blinken and the State Department to add India, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam as CPCs, and said it is “disappointed” that Nigeria was removed from the list.

USCIRF Chairwoman Nadine Maenza emphasized, “While the State Department took steps forward on some designations, USCIRF is especially displeased with the removal of Nigeria from its CPC designation, where it was rightfully placed last year, as well as the omission of India, Syria, and Vietnam. We urge the State Department to reconsider its designations based on facts presented in its own reporting.”

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Searching for Wild Boars in Hong Kong

Authorities in Hong Kong are taking steps to rein in the wild boars in the region. Last week, officials launched a boar hunt, capturing and euthanizing seven wild boars in an area less than 30 minutes away from the city’s financial center.

Previously, policy had been to capture, neuter, and relocate the boars to more remote areas. That policy, Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement, had failed to “effectively control the wild pig nuisance.”

The number of incidents involving wild boars has increased; one of them knocked down and bit a police

officer last week.

The boars now often wander into urban areas in search of food, creating more of a potential for violent interactions with humans.

Animal rights groups have condemned the new plan to kill the wild animals.

According to government data, Hong Kong is home to approximately 3,000 wild boars, and the boars are not a protected species.

Last week, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warned at a news conference, “I understand that a lot of Hong Kong people love the wetlands and nature.

However, we also need to protect public safety.” She added that there have been approximately 30 cases of wild boars attacking humans, emphasizing, “We can’t simply sit on our hands while things deteriorate.”

45 Killed in Bus Crash A bus carrying passengers from Istanbul, Turkey, to North Macedonia crashed and caught fire in Bulgaria on Tuesday morning. At least 45 people are dead and seven injured in the crash.

Twelve children are among the dead. The cause of the accident has not been confirmed, however, it appears the bus hit a guardrail, causing it to crash and catch fire. It was one of four buses traveling together.

said.

Bulgaria had the second-highest national road fatality rate in 2019 among European Union nations with 89 victims per million people.

S. Korean Dictator Dies

Bulgarian Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov visited the site on Tuesday morning.

“The picture is horrifying, the people who were on the bus are turned to charcoal,” Rashkov said.

“It is impossible to say how many they were. There were four buses that traveled together, and it is possible that passengers changed buses during the stops.”

Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev also visited the site and called the incident a tragedy.

“Let’s hope we learn lessons from this tragic incident, and we can prevent such incidents in the future,” he

Chun Doo-hwan, a former dictator of South Korea who brutally crushed opponents until mass demonstrations forced him out, died on Tuesday. He was 90 years old.

A general in the South Korean military, Chun took power in a coup after the 1979 assassination of strongman Park Chung-hee. He was president from 1980 to 1988, ruling with an iron fist and brutally crushing his opponents.

Chun remains among South Korea’s most reviled figures. He is known as the “Butcher of Gwangju” for ordering his troops to put down

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

an uprising against his rule in the southwestern city.

In 1996, he was convicted of treason and condemned to death, in part over what happened at Gwangju, but his execution was commuted on appeal, and he was released following a presidential pardon.

The official toll for the dead or missing at Gwangju is around 200 people, but activists say it may have been three times as high.

Despite the carnage that Chun perpetrated against his people, Chun oversaw the country’s economic rise and secured the 1988 Olympics for Seoul. He was the first South Korean president to hand over power peacefully.

During his rule, Chun also survived an assassination attempt. On a state visit to Myanmar in 1983, North Korean agents tried to kill him by bombing a memorial ceremony.

In Greece, Aid Workers Face Charges of Spying

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Dozens of aid workers involved in rescuing refugees went on trial in Greece last week on charges of disclosing state secrets and spying. The twenty-four suspects affiliated with the Emergency Response Center International search-and-rescue nonprofit face up to eight years in prison. They also face charges of money laundering, people smuggling, and belonging to a criminal group, which carry quarter-century prison sentences.

Amnesty International’s European director Nils Muiznieks noted, “This emblematic case demonstrates how far the Greek authorities will go to deter people from helping refugees and migrants.”

According to Human Rights Watch, the trial is “politically motivated.”

One of the defendants is a Syrian refugee who saved 19 other refugees by pulling their sinking boat to shore for four hours in 2015. She was arrested in 2018 and spent 107 days

in prison, leaving Greece after her release. According to Reuters, she now lives in Germany and has been barred from re-entering Greece, including for her trial; instead, she will be represented by a lawyer.

Romania Mandates Holocaust Ed. in All High Schools

The Romanian Senate last week passed a law requiring a course on the history of the Holocaust and the Jewish People to be taught to all high school students and in all vocational schools.

The law passed 107-13, with one abstention.

The course will be taught beginning in 2023, and its syllabus will be decided by Romania’s Education Ministry in collaboration with the Elie Wiesel Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania.

AUR lawmaker Claudiu Tarziu claimed the law is unnecessary, since, in his belief, Romania hasn’t seen a single “serious anti-Semitic case” in the past 20 years. Tarziu also claimed that the law is “in contradiction” with Romanian and European Union laws and that it discriminates against “our fellow citizens who belong to other minorities.”

According to official statistics included in a report by the Elie Wiesel Institute, a total of 27 anti-Semitic incidents were reported to authorities in Romania in 2020.

China Cracks Down on Celebrities This week, China’s internet regulator announced a new blacklist mechanism targeting celebrities who promote “distorted values” by dressing funny or inducing idolization.

The latest crackdown follows a

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months-long purge since the summer to cure what a government newspaper called “the troubled parts of the entertainment industry.”

A new “negative list” announced by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) will further tighten regulations on online content in order to create a “positive and healthy” internet environment. Both celebrities and their fans could face indefinite bans if they fall within Beijing’s definition of toxic celebrity culture.

The blacklist will target celebrities who flaunt wealth or encourage fans and livestream viewers to offer financial support for their performances. Viral singers and others fan favorites could also face the chopping block if they are found to be promoting irregular aesthetics or if they embroil themselves in scandals

that negatively impact society.

According to Communist Party-run newspaper the Global Times, “content that induces fans to blindly idolize celebrities or that hypes the comeback of entertainers who have illegal and unethical records” all fall within the new category of illicit online information.

“Platforms should put celebrity-related accounts under hierarchical management and monitor and establish warning mechanisms for accounts with a certain amount of followers,” a Global Times report said on Tuesday. “Accounts that publish biased or confusing information that provokes confrontations and manipulates public opinions should be punished accordingly.”

Celebrities and their fans, therefore, must abide by both legal and moral obligations, as defined by Chinese regulators. The CAC blacklist could also be used to root out celebrities whose political views don’t align with Beijing’s own.

Also on Tuesday, the China Association of Performing Arts released its ninth list of celebrities – totaling 88 people – who are to be blacklisted for ethics violations. Pop singer Kris Wu – who was arrested in July – is also on the list, which current-

ly comprises 446 people designated persona non grata in China’s vast entertainment industry.

Sudan: PM Reinstated After Coup

Sudan’s military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Sunday reinstated the country’s prime minister after weeks of holding him in his home.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was ousted nearly one month prior in a military takeover, but on Sunday he appeared with Al-Burhan at a signing ceremony in the Presidential Palace, according to a live video broadcast on state television.

Included in the deal is the release of political detainees who were

jailed following the coup, said Mudawi Ibrahim, a prominent official in the National Forces Initiative (NFI), which helped mediate the negotiations.

Hamdok, who was released on Sunday from house arrest, now takes the leadership of the transitional government established in 2019. He and Al-Burhan have agreed on a power-sharing arrangement between civilian and military leadership.

Speaking on Monday, Ibrahim said that the agreement was humiliating but that it had been accepted “for the sake of the country. We did not broker a good agreement. This is very humiliating for the Prime Minister. There are so many people dying on the streets...so the Prime Minister had to take this step and accept the humiliation.”

He added: “But how can we remove the military? If there is a way to remove the military, we could have done this; we don’t have the power to remove the military, we don’t have arms, we don’t have tanks.”

Meanwhile, Sudan’s Forces of Freedom and Chance Coalition (FCC) have rejected the deal, asserting, “No negotiation, no partnership, nor legitimacy for the coup plotters.”

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American Held

by Extremists in Mali

The family of an American man believed to be held by extremists in Mali, Africa, is renewing their requests for help in securing his release.

Christian aid worker Jeff Woodke is believed to have been held captive

by Islamist extremists for over five years.

Els Woodke said she believes her husband has recently been transferred from ISIS terrorists in Mali to an al-Qaeda affiliate and that the new captors may be more willing to negotiate for his release.

Jeff Woodke disappeared in October 2016, after armed men appeared at his Abalak, Niger, home.

At the time of his disappearance, he had lived over 15 years in the coun-

try. The kidnappers killed Woodke’s guards and abducted him.

According to Els, “Until recently, the efforts to gain Jeff’s freedom were being undertaken quietly and out of the spotlight, so it didn’t make sense to generate a lot of publicity. But that situation has changed, and I’m now asking for help from my brothers and sisters … from the public, and from the governments of Mali and the United States.”

She added that the new captors seem interested in a multimillion-dollar ransom.

Turning to Iyad Ag Ghaly, leader of the Jamaa Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) group, she said, “You are the only one with the power to make that happen. Releasing Jeff will require compassion and mercy, but these are the characteristics of a strong and courageous leader.”

She also appealed to the Mali government to condition peace negotiations on her husband’s release and requested that the U.S. government pressure Mali into doing so.

Els noted that her family does not have the money to pay a ransom, so she is seeking help. She also said that she had received recent information that her husband is still alive.

In a statement, a spokesperson for

the U.S. State Department said, “It is United States policy to deny hostage-takers the benefits of ransom or other concessions. However, this policy does not preclude the United States government from helping hostage families with private efforts to communicate with hostage-takers.”

German Justice System “Contaminated”

by Nazis for Years

Germany’s judicial system was rife with former Nazis into the 1970s, according to a report released last week.

The 600-page collection of findings, titled “State Security in the Cold War” and compiled by historian Friedrich Kiessling and legal scholar Christoph Safferling, examines the

years between the early 1950s and 1974.

According to the findings, between 1953-1959, about three in four top officials at the federal prosecutor’s office – which commissioned the report – had belonged to the Nazi party, and over 80% had been employed by Adolf Hitler’s justice apparatus.

These former Nazis lost their majority only in 1972.

Presenting the report, German State Secretary at the Justice Ministry Margaretha Sudhof said, “On the face of it, they were highly competent lawyers…but that came against the backdrop of the death sentences and race laws in which they were involved. These are disturbing contradictions to which our country has long remained blind.”

It took until 1992 for the last prosecutor with a fascist background to leave office. Chief federal prosecutor Peter Frank had commissioned the study in 2017.

The authors concluded that “there was no break, let alone a conscious break, with the Nazi past.”

In 2016, a government report showed that 77% of senior Justice Ministry officials in 1957 had been members of the Nazi party.

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Eliyahu David Kay, HYD

Eliyahu David Kay, 26, was the victim of Sunday morning’s terror attack near the Kotel in Jerusalem.

A recent immigrant from South Africa, Kay lived in the central Israeli city of Modi’in and was employed by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation as a tour guide. Prior to his work in the Old City, he had volunteered in Kibbutz Nirim for a year, after completing service in the IDF as a lone soldier and a paratrooper.

Eliyahu was shot dead by a Hamas terrorist six months before his wedding to fiancée Jen Schiff.

In a statement, Schiff said, “Eli

loved this country. He fought for it.

He is the strongest person I have ever known, emotionally and physically.

He always treated everyone with love and respect.”

The attack occurred near the Chain Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Four other people were injured in the terror attack, one of them seriously.

Rabbi Zeev Katzenelnbogen, a 46-year-old father of eight, was wounded in the deadly shooting attack as he was returning home from morning prayers at the Kotel.

The others wounded in the attack were Rabbi Aaron Yehuda, who was hospitalized in serious condition at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, and a pair of police officers who were lightly hurt and received treatment at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem. They were both later released.

The terrorist, who was eliminated, has been named as an Arab Israeli from Jerusalem, who taught religion in Arab schools. Eli had been walking to work when the terrorist whipped out a sub-machine gun from under his robe and opened fire.

He had concealed more firearms and a knife ready to murder as many Jews as he could.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “I have di-

rected the security forces to prepare accordingly and be alert, including over concern for copycat attacks. We need to be on heightened alert and prevent future attacks.”

The planned massacre was abruptly halted after 32 seconds when two female Border Guards officers shot the terrorist dead.

Hamas claimed the attack is the “price” for Israel’s “actions” in Jerusalem.

Gantz Reveals Iranian Drone Bases

Recently, Defense Minister Benny Gantz revealed the locations of two Iranian drone bases that he said were used to conduct attacks against targets at sea in recent months.

According to Gantz, one of the sites is located in the area of Cha-

bahar and the other is situated on Qeshm Island, just off the coast of the Iranian mainland.

“I want to stress to you that unmanned aerial vehicles are a precision weapon, which can reach strategic targets throughout the world.

Most of the drone attacks that we’ve seen so far have been from southern and southeastern Iran against targets at sea,” Gantz said.

Over the past year, Israel and Iran have been engaged in something of a shadow war at sea, with Tehran allegedly conducting a number of attacks on Israeli-owned or Israeli-linked vessels sailing through the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, including one such strike in July on the Mercer Street, an oil tanker that was owned by an Israeli businessman, in which a British and a Romanian crew member were killed.

Gantz warned that Iran’s drone program was a threat to the entire region – not just the Jewish state.

“We have seen the attack on Aramco, the launching of drones from Syria, the attempts by Iran to build capabilities for Hezbollah to precisely launch explosive drones at Israel,” he said, referring to a massive attack on the Saudi petroleum company Aramco in 2019 with drones and cruise

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

missiles.

The defense minister’s remarks came less than a week before indirect talks are due to resume between Iran and the United States regarding a mutual return to the 2015 nuclear deal. Israel has staunchly advocated against an American return to the accord, which Jerusalem believes is far too weak and ultimately paves the way to an Iranian nuclear weapons.

Israeli officials have instead called for a different, harsher diplomatic approach, backed up by the credible threat of a military strike on Iran’s nuclear program.

The U.S. has reportedly rejected Israel’s activities against Iranian nuclear facilities, believing such actions to be ultimately unhelpful as they only serve to encourage Tehran to upgrade those facilities in response.

“There’s no doubt that a diplomatic solution is preferable, but alongside that we need to have on the table the use of force, which is diplomacy by other means,” Gantz said, referring to a famous quote from military strategist Carl von Clausewitz.

“Sometimes the use of force, and a demonstration of it, is able to prevent the need for a stronger use of force.

I thank our American allies for the sanctions and other actions they have taken recently on this front in order to reach our shared goal,” he said.

Gantz emphasized, “Iran must not go nuclear. This will lead to an unmitigated spread of its terror and will even lead to an arms race in the Middle East and beyond it.”

Gantz on Tuesday also revealed that a drone launched by Iran from Syria into Israeli airspace in 2018 had not been on a direct attack mission — as had been implied — but was instead being used to ferry TNT to terrorist operatives in the West Bank.

UK to Designate Hamas as Terror Org.

The United Kingdom on Friday designated the entirety of Hamas as a terror organization, banning support for the group.

According to Channel 13 News,

the ban may deal a major blow to Hamas’ pocketbook, since “significant fundraising” is carried out within the UK. Responding to the announcement, Hamas spokesman Hazim Qasim said the UK decision is “a new crime committed by Britain against our Palestinian people.”

In another statement, Hamas said, “Rather than apologizing and correcting its historical sins towards the Palestinian people – whether the shameful Balfour Declaration, or the British Mandate, that turned Palestinian land over to the Zionist movement – [Britain] supports the aggressors at the expense of the victims.”

The ban must still be approved

by Parliament. If it passes, violators would face a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

In a Friday tweet, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is in charge of domestic security, said that she had “acted to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.”

According to Patel, Hamas “has significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities.”

“We’ve taken the view that we can no longer disaggregate the sort of military and political side. It’s based upon a wide range of intelligence, information, and also links to terrorism. The severity of that speaks for itself,” The Guardian quoted her as saying.

In response to the designation, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted, “Hamas is a terror organization, plain and simple. The ‘political wing’ enables its military activity.

The same terrorists — only in suits.”

Arab Terrorist Stabs Elderly Israeli in Jaffa

An Arab terrorist on Sunday afternoon stabbed and moderately injured a 67-year-old Israeli man in the central city of Jaffa.

According to Israel Police, the 18-year-old Arab, from the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Jenin, was in Israel illegally. He has been arrested.

Initially, police estimated that the incident had been a robbery, but the indications that it was nationalist in nature later increased.

According to reports, the victim was stabbed in the back at least five times. A law enforcement official said that the terrorist had also attempted to stab the victim’s wife.

Magen David Adom (MDA) transferred the victim to Holon’s Wolfson Medical Center for treatment.

Gantz’s Home Cleaner Charged with Espionage

A cleaner who worked in the home of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) was arrested last week on suspicion of attempting

to spy for Iran.

During the course of the investigation, it became apparent that cleaner Omri Goren used the Telegram app to reach out to the Iranian-affiliated Black Shadow group, offering information in exchange for cash.

As proof that he worked in Gantz’s residence, Goren provided photos of various items in Gantz’s home and even promised that he could insert malware into Gantz’s computer.

Goren’s plan was foiled after he reached out to Black Shadow. No information had been exchanged.

In a statement, Shabak (Israel Security Agency) said, “This plan was thwarted due to the swift arrest of Goren which prevented him from actualizing his plans. During Goren’s interrogation, it also emerged that in order to prove his ability to do what he suggested and his serious intent, he photographed various items in various locations in the home of the Minister, which he sent to the aforementioned agent, including photographs of the Minister’s computers.”

Shabak also clarified that Goren did not have access to classified materials and that assessments will be made and steps taken to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

A Chanukah Miracle in Turkey

Mordy and Natali Oknin, the Israeli couple detained in Turkey for photographing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s palace, returned home last Thursday morning.

Speaking to Kan 11, Mordy said, “I received the news yesterday at seven in the evening when they opened the cell and told me I was free.”

Natali added, “We were afraid it would take longer, but it was fast.

We were afraid it might end badly.

All the same, we knew they would not abandon us; we knew they would do what they could to save us, we knew they would move mountains; that’s what kept me going.”

In an interview with Israel’s

Channel 12 News, she said, “I didn’t eat. I keep kosher, so all I had to eat were scraps of bread and water.”

Mordy noted that “everyone was filming” at the spot where they had taken the photos. He added that the couple is not thinking of returning to Turkey any time soon.

“It’s wonderful to be home, surrounded by people who care about us,” he said.

Natali added, “We are still traumatized, but time will heal things.

It’s been our personal miracle. Eight days, like the jug of oil.”

Shin Bet Nabs 50 Hamas Members

Israeli security forces arrested dozens of members of a Hamas cell that was in the advanced stages of planning major terror attacks in the

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West Bank and Israel, the Shin Bet security service said on Monday.

The effort to uncover the cell has been ongoing for several months, first coming to light with a round of arrest raids in September, including one in which two Israeli soldiers were seriously injured and several Palestinian suspects were killed in gunfights.

According to the Shin Bet, over 50 Hamas operatives were arrested across the West Bank for suspected involvement in the cell. Large quantities of weaponry were seized, including the materials needed to make at least four explosive belts for suicide attacks and an undisclosed sum of money.

“You thwarted a large infrastructure, some of which you know was ready to go with explosive belts… grenades and other explosives,” IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi told the military commanders whose units took part in the raids.

The Shin Bet’s announcement about the discovery of the Hamas cell came a day after a member of the terror group in Jerusalem carried out a shooting attack in the Old City, killing one man, Eli Kay, and injuring four people.

According to the Shin Bet, the Hamas cell was led from afar by Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of the terror group’s politburo, and Zacharia Najib, a member of the organization who was released from Israeli prison in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange, where he allegedly continues to operate on behalf of Hamas.

Both al-Arouri and Najib live in Turkey, which has long had a close relationship with Hamas, which is politically linked to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Najib, who took part in the kidnapping and killing of Israeli soldier Nachshon Wachsman in 1994, was allegedly involved in a failed Hamas plot to assassinate Israelis abroad in 2019.

The Shin Bet said al-Arouri invested hundreds of thousands of shekels in the cell’s activities and offered a prize of $1 million if the cell successfully carried out a kidnapping.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called on Ankara to close Hamas’s offices in Turkey and said countries around the world should designate all of Hamas – not only its military wing – as a terror group.

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during the middle of what should have been a celebration.”

“I’d liken it to a war zone,” Chief Steven Howard of the fire department said.

Carnage at Wisconsin Parade

A Waukesha, Wisconsin, holiday parade themed “Comfort and Joy” turned into a scene of tragedy when six people were killed and dozens more injured when a car plowed through parade marchers.

The city’s 58th holiday parade featured 67 bands and dance teams, Scouts, and sports teams.

At 4:39p.m. on Sunday, a red Ford Escape rushed along the right lane driving at least 40mph, mowing down sawhorses. A police car zipped after it, but the driver plowed into the crowd, causing injury and death.

Within minutes, what the mayor described as “a Norman Rockwell type of [holiday] parade” in suburban Milwaukee had become a mass casualty incident, with firefighters who were watching the parade with their families suddenly tending to the wounded on the street.

The six people who were killed include four women, one man, and an 8-year-old boy. According to eyewitnesses, over 60 people were slammed to the ground. The victims were taken to six hospitals.

According to police, the Escape’s driver was Darrell E. Brooks Jr., an African-American aged 39. Authorities said that he was fleeing from a knife flight when he deliberately mowed down the people. Earlier this month, he had been charged with domestic abuse, recklessly endangering safety, and battery. He had also intentionally ran over a woman with his car. He was out on a $1,000 bail after pleading not guilty.

Police have said they will recommend he be charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

“That parade became a nightmare,” Mayor Shawn Reilly said on Monday. “Last night, lives were lost

TX Deploys 10K Troopers to Border

Seeing the thousands of migrants heading to the Southern border of the United States, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent 10,000 state troopers and National Guard units to the U.S.-Mexico border. Some 3,000 migrants are making their way through Mexico to the U.S. The forces deployed by Abbott are part of “Operation Lone Star,” an effort his office describes as a unit focused on combating the “smuggling of people and drugs” into the state of Texas.

Abbott also instructed the state’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Military Department to line the border with steel shipping containers and barbed wire as a part of its supplementary “Operation Steel Curtain.”

“We continuously monitor the situation along the border in order to make real-time decisions and adjust our operations as necessary. DPS is working with federal, state and local partners on this mission, and we stand ready to protect the people and property of this state,” Texas Department of Public Safety Lieutenant Christopher Olivarez said.

The 3,000-person caravan headed by Center for Human Dignity leader Luis Garcia Villagran, which left Tapachula, Mexico, last week, intends to converge with a caravan that departed in late October led

by Arizona activist Irineo Mujica.

The Mujica was once 4,000 strong but has since dwindled to 1,400 migrants as people have split away from the larger group.

Even more are expected at the border. Garcia believes that a third group of roughly 6,000 people, most of whom come from Haiti, could soon be headed toward Eagles Pass

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Elon Musk’s one-year-old son, X AE A-Xii, joined him on a Zoom call this week

along the southwest border stretch of Texas.

In September, border authorities were sent to Del Rio, Texas where they were instructed to handle a caravan of some 15,000 migrants camped out under the Del Rio international bridge.

Rittenhouse Acquitted

A Wisconsin jury on Friday acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges in the killing of two men and wounding of a third last summer. The jury had deliberated for approximately 26 hours before handing down its verdict.

During a protest in the summer of 2020, Rittenhouse, 18, shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, fatally, in self-defense, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27.

Rittenhouse had pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. He admitted to shooting all three men with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle but said he had fired in self-defense.

“I didn’t intend to kill them. I intended to stop the people who were attacking me,” Rittenhouse said re-

peatedly during his trial. He also said that he had been at the scene of the riots in order to provide aid to those in need.

Rittenhouse is a nursing student and a former firefighter EMT cadet.

According to the defense attorney Mark Richards, since the verdict was announced Rittenhouse feels a “huge sense of relief” and “wishes none of this ever happened.”

“He has to get on with his life the best he can,” Richards said. “I think eventually some anonymity will come back to it. He’s had 24 hours security since this happened.”

In a statement, Huber’s parents, Karen Bloom and John Huber, said they are “heartbroken and angry.”

“Today’s verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son. It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street,” they said.

“No reasonable person viewing all of the evidence could conclude that Mr. Rittenhouse acted in self-defense. Mr. Rittenhouse came to Kenosha armed to kill. Kenosha police encouraged him to act violently, and our son is dead as a result.”

The pair also promised to “fight to hold those responsible for Anthony’s death accountable continues in full force. Neither Mr. Rittenhouse nor the Kenosha police who authorized his bloody rampage will escape justice.”

In a joint statement, attorneys for Rosenbaum and Grosskreutz said they are committed to “holding those responsible to account,” adding, “While today’s verdict may mean justice delayed, it will not

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mean justice denied.”

On Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden said, “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law.”

Subway’s Co-Founder Dies

Subway’s last surviving co-founder Peter Buck died on Thursday at Connecticut’s Danbury Hospital at the age of 90.

In a statement, Subway CEO John Chidsey said, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of Subway’s founders, Dr. Peter Buck. He was a shining example of a dedicated, hands-on leader, and an integral member of the Subway family.”

At the time of his death, Buck was worth $1.7 billion and was the seventh largest landowner in the U.S. Buck was a nuclear physicist when, at the age of 34, he gave Fred DeLuca, a 17-year-old family friend, the initial $1,000 to found a submarine sandwich shop.

According to Forbes, during a family picnic, Buck said, “At some point during the picnic, Fred asked me what he could do to make some money so he could go to college. I said, ‘Let’s open a submarine sandwich store.’”

The first restaurant opened in 1965 in Bridgewater, Connecticut, and was originally named “Pete’s Super Submarines.” By 1974, Buck and DeLuca had already opened over 16 additional sandwich shops in the Connecticut area and decided to begin franchising them.

According to the company’s site, Subway is now the world’s largest submarine sandwich chain, boasting 44,000 locations worldwide.

DeLuca died in 2015 at the age of 65.

Professor Charged with Setting CA fires

A former college professor on Thursday was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly igniting four wildfires in Northern California earlier this year. The flames threatened to trap firefighters as they worked to gain control of a massive fire nearby, federal prosecutors said.

In a statement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California said that Gary Stephen Maynard, 47, is facing up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of arson to federal property.

Court documents show that Maynard, a resident of San Jose, set fires in July and August behind crews fighting the Dixie Fire, which scorched over 1,500 square miles and destroyed over 1,000 structures.

According to federal prosecutors, Maynard set four fires: the Ranch and Conard Fires on August 7 and the Cascade and Everitt fires on July 20 and 21.

U.S. Forest Service agents began investigating Maynard on July 20, after the Cascade Fire broke out on Mount Shasta. A second fire broke out the next day, also on Mount Shasta, and investigators later discovered tire tracks similar to those made by Maynard’s Kia the previous day.

A tracking device placed under his vehicle after he was briefly stopped by police on August 3 linked him to the areas where the Ranch and Conard fires erupted as well.

Maynard has denied setting the fires. He is in custody pending trial.

Does Instagram “Wreak Havoc” on Teens?

A bipartisan coalition of U.S. state attorneys has opened an investigation into Facebook for promoting a product to children.

The investigation, which involves

‫בס״ד‬

NOVEMBER 2021

Stutter-Free Yonason* was a bright boy. He was like any other child – until he opened his mouth. You see, Yonason had a terrible stutter, and it affected every area of his young life.

Learning in cheder was a challenge, interacting with his peers was difficult and he could hardly communicate with the adults around him.

Yonason’s stutter was overshadowing his very existence. He was always uncomfortable.

His parents tried. They spend lots of time and money and tried every avenue. They tried various methods and ideas and consulted with doctors and professionals. Yet, the solution was elusive. It didn’t look like anything would improve anytime soon, and in the meantime, Yonason was suffering relentlessly.

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Improvement was noticeable rather soon.

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Interestingly, Yonason’s parents knew of others in a similar situation who tried this exact method with no results. “It is clear,” said his father, in a voice buzzing with emunah, “that it isn’t this method that made the difference – it is only Yiddishe tefillos! The heilige Tehillim warmly recited early every morning by Tehillim Kollel’s special minyan worked amazingly.”

And Yonason himself could say a clear “Thank you!”

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

at least eight states, examines Facebook’s promotion of Instagram to children, despite the company’s awareness of the potential harm involved.

The investigation will examine whether Facebook, now called Meta, violated consumer protection laws and put young people at risk. It will be led by a coalition of state attorneys from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, “For too long, Meta has ignored the havoc that Instagram is wreaking on the mental health and wellbeing of our children and teens.

Enough is enough. We’ve undertaken this nationwide investigation to get answers about Meta’s efforts to promote the use of this social media platform to young Californians – and to determine if, in doing so, Meta violated the law.”

Mass Looting in Nordstrom

Dozens of looters on Saturday night raided a Nordstrom store in Walnut Creek, California.

The raid on the Broadway Plaza store took less than one minute and included around 80 looters. The robbers were in the store for mere minutes before running out with thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.

According to a police spokesperson, one employee was pepper-sprayed and two others were punched and kicked. All three employees had their minor injuries treated at the scene.

It is not yet clear how much merchandise was stolen during the raid.

The store had been open at the time.

During the raid, about 25 cars

blocked the street, with the looters jumping back in and speeding off with the stolen goods seconds after they ran into the store.

According to police, three people have been arrested so far, including two who were arrested immediately and a third who was located shortly after the incident.

Fur-Wearing Protester Sentenced to Prison

Jacob Chansley, the January 6th protester famous for his horned fur hat, face paint, and bare chest, was sentenced last Wednesday to 41 months in prison for his part in the January 6 riot on the Capitol building.

Chansley pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding. He has acknowledged using a bullhorn to rile up the mob.

He was among the first rioters to enter the building.

Chansley is not accused of violence. Even so, prosecutors said that Chansley was the “public face of the Capitol riot,” went in with a weapon, and ignored repeated orders to leave the building, later gloating about his actions.

Prior to his sentencing, Chansley took responsibility for his actions, saying he has “no excuses whatsoever. My behavior is indefensible.”

U.S. Man Finally Escapes China

For four years, Daniel Hsu, a U.S. citizen, was stuck in China. The Seattle resident was barred from leaving, although he had not committed

any crime.

Earlier this month, four days before President Joe Biden met virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Hsu was told to prepare to go home.

He had less than 48 hours to get his affairs in order.

“It was a total rush,” he recalled.

Hsu was one of the bargaining chips being tossed back and forth between China and the U.S. as the countries attempt to dial back tensions. In a tit-for-tat, seven Chinese nationals who were convicted of crimes in the U.S. were sent back to China.

China’s ability to make deals by effectively taking people like Hsu hostage has raised concerns that Beijing may feel emboldened to double down on the practice, which has angered not only the U.S. but also Canada, Australia, and a number of European countries who say their citizens have also faced arbitrary detention in China.

“There’s no deterrent imposed on Beijing to doing it again,” noted Sophie Richardson, China Director at Human Rights Watch. “The problem is if you took the truly principled road, a lot of people would still be sitting in arbitrary detention in China.”

From August 2017 until February 2018, Hsu was held in solitary confinement in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province. The walls in his beige room were covered in rubber. The table was wrapped in soft, gray leather. White blinds covered two barred windows. There were no sharp edges.

Five surveillance cameras recorded his movements, and two guards kept constant, silent watch.

They followed Hsu to the shower and stood beside him at the toilet.

Lights blazed through the night.

If he rolled over on his mattress, guards woke him and made him turn his face toward a surveillance camera that recorded him as he slept.

When he was released from the so-called education center, he was subject to an exit ban and barred from leaving China. Under Chinese law, authorities have broad discretion to block both Chinese citizens and foreign nationals from leaving the country.

Hsu is not the first case of hostage diplomacy involving China.

In September, an agreement was reached to allow Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive at Chinese technology giant Huawei, to return home from Canada after a three-year dip-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

lomatic standoff. Meng had faced a U.S. extradition request on charges of fraud for allegedly misrepresenting the company’s business dealings with Iran.

Within hours of Meng’s release, Beijing freed two Canadians who had been detained in China on national security charges shortly after Meng’s arrest in Canada. China’s Foreign Ministry said at the time the Canadians were released for health reasons and downplayed any connection with Meng’s case. Canada has long maintained that the men are innocent.

The next day, two American siblings who, like Hsu, had been blocked from leaving China for years in an apparent effort to coerce their father to return to China, returned to the United States.

U.S. to Halt Sugar Merger The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to block a major U.S. sugar manufacturer from acquiring its rival, arguing that allowing the deal would harm com-

petition and consumers.

The suit was filed in federal court in Delaware. It comes about eight months after U.S. Sugar announced it reached an agreement to acquire the Imperial Sugar Company, one of the largest sugar refiners in the nation.

The lawsuit is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market. It comes months after President Joe Biden signed an executive order that called on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to vigorously enforce antitrust statutes and promote market competition.

“Robust antitrust enforcement is an essential pillar of the Justice

Department’s commitment to ensuring economic opportunity and fairness for all,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

“We will not hesitate to challenge anticompetitive mergers that would harm American consumers and businesses alike.”

The Justice Department argues that the proposed acquisition would “further consolidate an already concentrated market for refined sugar.”

It would cut down on competition, leaving only the new consolidated company and one other major sugar company selling a significant share of refined sugar in the southeastern U.S., the Justice Department contends.

The Justice Department says U.S. Sugar, which operates a large refinery in Florida, sells all of its sugar through a marketing cooperative known as the United Sugars Corporation. Imperial Sugar operates a refinery in Savannah, Georgia and a sugar transfer and liquidation facility in Ludlow, Kentucky.

Dollar Tree to Raise Prices

Dollar Tree will no longer be selling items for one dollar, as inflation is increasing prices everywhere – including the famous dollar store. On Tuesday, the Dollar Tree announced that it will be raising prices to $1.25.

“The company believes this is the appropriate time to shift away from the constraints of the $1.00 price point in order to continue offering extreme value to customers,” the company said in an earnings announcement.

“This decision is permanent and is not a reaction to short-term or transitory market conditions.”

The 25 percent price hike will be completed by next April. Dollar Tree said the increase would help it deal with “historically-high” costs increase in freight and employee salaries, among other expenses.

Pedaling Picasso

This guy doesn’t need a Peloton to have a picture-perfect bike ride.

Anthony Hoyte recently broke the Guinness World Record for the largest continuous GPS drawing by bicycle in 12 hours.

The Englishman has been named the “pedaling Picasso.” He covered a distance of 66.48 miles of the streets of London and used a GPS tracker to track his movements and create a massive image of a man with a mustache.

The image was in recognition of Movember, an annual event that encourages men to grow mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, including mental health issues.

Hoyte began his ride on November 13 and managed to complete it in 8.5 hours.

Of course, no bike ride is without its bumps in the road.

“Luckily, the key bits – the eyes, nose, mouth and ‘tache – went to plan,” Hoyte told Guinness. “There were a few more issues towards the end – including the crowds of Portobello Road Market – but I was less concerned about that as the shape of the hair isn’t critical.”

Some men, of course, would dispute Hoyte’s statement, but being that he wears a helmet while he bike rides, he doesn’t seem too concerned with the shape of his bangs.

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

want to shell out to own the world’s most expensive piece of jewelry.

“The World’s Fair Necklace,” unveiled in Dubai on Sunday by Tiffany & Co., features a stunning 180 carats of diamonds set in platinum. Its centerpiece is an 80-carat oval, flawless, D-color (highest grade and virtually colorless) “Empire Diamond,” named for the iconic jeweler’s hometown. The Empire Diamond was ethically sourced in Botswana, cut and polished in Israel, and set in Tiffany’s workshop in New York City.

According to Tiffany, the necklace is its most expensive piece ever created.

How expensive?

That’s a good question. The company has not yet put a price on The World’s Fair Necklace, but experts say it’s valued between $20 million and $30 million.

Tiffany’s famous 128.54 carat “Tiffany Diamond,” on the other hand, is priceless and not for purchase.

The design for The World’s Fair Necklace is inspired by a Tiffany necklace made for the 1939 World’s Fair held in Queens’ Flushing Meadow-Corona Park. That design featured a 200-carat aquamarine stone and more than 400 diamonds.

The reimagined World’s Fair necklace can be worn in an unexpected way: The wearer can carefully pop out the Empire Diamond and mount it onto a platinum ring, with the aid of a Tiffany jeweler who will be on call whenever that service is required.

And at that price, perhaps he can brew you a cup of coffee, too.

The Nerf King

Every middle school boy wants to be friends with Michael Pick. That’s because he is the proud builder of the world’s largest Nerf gun.

The software engineer from Alabama built a version of the Nerf N-Strike Elite Longshot CS-6 that measures 12 feet, 6 inches long – 300% larger than the original toy.

In order to qualify for the Guin-

ness World Record, Pick’s creation had to be a fully functioning Nerf gun larger than the 6-foot creation of previous record-holder Mark Rober.

“The most challenging part of this build would have to be making the air system fit into the shell of the Nerf gun,” Pick explained. “Since my supersized build had to be exactly scaled to the standard Nerf gun, the space I had to work with was very limited. Nevertheless, I found a way to make everything fit.”

Pick’s final creation launches darts made from PVC pipe, foam and 3D-printed caps. The 12-inch darts reach speeds of up to 50 mph and can travel a maximum distance of about 250 feet.

“It feels amazing! I’ve spent a lot of time and effort on this build, so earning a Guinness World Record title is a really nice way to end this project,” he said.

Well, now I know what I am not buying my son for Chanukah.

It’s a Shame For 16 years, no one in Wang’s family knew where he was. He had vanished into thin air. Now, Wang is reunited with his family after almost two decades of staying away.

In 2005, Wang failed out of university. Too ashamed to face his family after his failure, Wang simply cut off ties.

He had been a promising student but lost it all after succumbing to the allure of video games, which led to his failure in school. Flunking out of one’s studies in China is a big embarrassment, and Wang felt he couldn’t face his family with the burden of his failure.

Now 39 years old, Wang had been considered a missing person for 16 years. This year, he showed up at local government office to renew his ID. Government officials noticed that he was listed as a missing person and connected him with his family.

In a video of his reunion with his family, Wang is seeing hugging his mother, who saw him this week for the first time in 16 years.

Wang’s father said that for all these years he has been traveling to Xi’an at least twice a year to search for his son.

“Every time I came, I would stay for around a week. I’ve walked every street in Xi’an and gone to every internet cafe. It broke our hearts to not

be able to find him,” Wang’s father said.

Wang’s mother added that she had “prepared for the worst” and thought for years that her son was likely dead.

“We hadn’t heard from him for so long, and it made me unhappy every day to think about what could have happened to him,” Wang’s mother said. “But I don’t blame him. I am just happy to see him again.”

Hopefully Wang will realize that his family loves him regardless of what grades he gets in school.

uses a tray to take them all.”

Lest Kang feels singled out for eating too much, the restaurant is now banning all live-streamers at the eatery. It’s a move that is in line with a larger mandate in China to control an ongoing food shortage, one that could ban all eating influencer videos in the country.

And that’s a bitter pill to swallow.

PB&J Turkeys

Buffet Ban

When do you know you’re eating too much?

Perhaps when you’ve been banned from the all-you-can-eat buffet at your local restaurant.

A food live-streamer in China is now barred from Handadi Seafood BBQ Buffet for his limitless lunches.

Mr. Kang, though, has taken issue with the buffet ban.

“I can eat a lot – is that a fault?” he said.

But the restaurant says that Kang was a bit over-the-top gastronomically. According to the owner, Kang consumed 3.3 lbs. of pork trotters (pig’s feet) in one sitting and around 8.8 lbs. of prawns in another.

The owner shared that Kang’s insatiable appetite is costing him.

“Even when he drinks soy milk, he can drink 20 or 30 bottles,” the owner said. “When he eats the pork trotters, he consumes the whole tray of them. And for prawns, usually people use tongs to pick them up. He

Peanut Butter and Jelly are two lucky turkeys. The fowl won’t be heading to the chopping block on Friday; instead, they’ll be heading to the White House and meeting with the President.

The two birds were selected as National Thanksgiving Turkeys and will be pardoned by Biden at an annual ceremony in the White House’s Rose Garden.

Both turkeys have come a long way on the journey to Washington, D.C. as they both hail from Jasper, Indiana.

After the pardoning ceremony, Peanut Butter and Jelly will travel to Purdue University to live out the rest of their days in Purdue’s Animal Science Research and Education Center, where they’ll be given an enclosed, indoor space with access to a “shady, grassy area,” according to a press release from the university.

Once there, the turkeys will serve as an educational tool for students.

That’s not a bad gig considering the likely fates of their fellow feathered brethren: the centerpiece dish at a dinner table.

Gobble, gobble.

Did you know?

National Donut Day is on the first Friday of every June. National Doughnut Appreciation Day falls out on November 5

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

A Chanukah Tradition Since 1882

© 2021 Kraft Heinz

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community A Groundbreaking Day for Yeshiva of South Shore

O

n Sunday, November 21, another chapter in the rich history of Long Island Torah Jewry was written, especially in the Five Towns communities. Yeshiva of South Shore, the oldest all-boys yeshiva in Long Island, held a groundbreaking event for their new elementary school building in conjunction with a street renaming ceremony for the venerable Founding Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l.

Building on the traditions of their founder, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky, whose vision for Torah community in the Five Towns dates back past 67 years, and an eye on the future growth of the community, the Yeshiva of South Shore Louis and Gertrude Feil Torah Center broke ground on the Friedman Family elementary school building commemorating the commencement of construction of a beautiful new

two-story yeshiva building on their new campus to serve the needs of an expanding student population who deserve the large spacious classrooms and every state-of-the-art amenities to ensure the best education possible.

While true to the principles of a mesorah that dates back to the founding of Yeshiva Toras Chaim nearly 100 years ago, and the mesorah of Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky, zt”l, whose ideals and ideas were imbued in the fabric of yeshiva on Long Island, the Friedman Family building will contain 15 new classrooms, a large resource center with six classrooms, a spacious library, and a modern laboratory, in addition to a large gymnasium and auditorium.

Mr. Ari Goodman, event chairman, opened the event and spoke about his memories of the enduring chessed of Rav Binyamin, zt”l, and

what he stood for – always looking out for another Yid. That mantra still runs deep in the YOSS philosophy, as the boys live this lesson every day within the walls of YOSS. Mr. Binyamin Laufer, Building campaign chairman, gave a detailed description of the soon-to-be -constructed 30,000-sq.-foot facility, and thanked the members of the building and planning committees.

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Dean of the Yeshiva, spoke about the spirit of his father and the mesiras nefesh and love that still permeates the hallowed ground of William Street. But by the end of the ceremony, it would no longer be William Street, as the Town of Hempstead officially renamed it, “Rabbi Benjamin Kamenetzky Way” because the South Shore way was Rabbi Kamenetzky’s way.

As the main speaker, Rav Sholom

Kamenetsky, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Philadelphia Yeshiva, explained that the greatest tzedaka is when people contribute to a developing cause. He related a story with the great Gaon, Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Specktor, the Kovno Rav. As a young man, there were those who would not commit to support. Unfortunately, when he

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Around the Community

to the construction site by a festive atmosphere, with music, refreshments, and hot coffee for the adults and mimes, magicians, and jugglers for the children The YOSS 5th grader choir enhanced the event with a beautiful rendition of “Borei olam bekinyan” among other songs before the actual groundbreaking ceremony.

In addition, the 700 talmidim and their siblings who joined were all treated to delicious pecklach of goodies and many exciting giveaways arranged by the PTA. A

became renowned and they came to contribute to the publication of his seforim, he told them that they were too late and that he would only take tzedaka from those who had helped him from the very start.

The uplifting ceremony was attended by hundreds of community members, along with scores of rabbanim and roshei yeshiva from across the community. The event was graced by almost every rav, rosh yeshiva and executive director in the community, in recognition of the wonderful unity that exists due to the founder of the community, Rav Binyamin Kamenetzky.

The wide array of political dignitaries who attended the event was a testimony to the long-standing relationship of Rav Binyamin and the Yeshiva of South Shore with communal leadership.

The guests included many elected officials including Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald Clavin; Councilman Anthony D’Esposito; Nassau County District Attorney-Elect Anne Donnelly; Assemblywoman Missy Miller; County Legislators Denise Ford and Chaim Kopel; Mayors Ben Weinstock of Cedarhurst and Mayor Alex Adelman of Law-

rence; Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray and Assemblyman David Weprin of Queens. In addition, the event was graced with the presence of Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder as well as local Sanitation District Commissioners James Vallarde, Irving Kaminetsky, and Avi Fertig.

Highlighting the political relationships of Rabbi Kamenetzky, County Executive-elect Bruce Blakeman addressed the audience citing his long-term relationship with Rabbi Kamenetzky dating back to his father, Robert, who served in the New York State Assembly in the 1960s. He sprinkled his speech with personal anecdotes of how Rabbi Kamenetzky always chided him to “do better,” something he was proud to say he most definitely has done.

The ceremony ended with a “Rabbi Benjamin Kamenetzky Way” street sign presentation by Councilman Anthony D’Esposito to the Kamenetzky siblings who were present, and a first dig, with distinguished donors and community leaders with specially embossed shovels produced for the occasion .

As the guests gathered, they were greeted on the outdoor area adjacent

special area was designated for the talmidim who had the opportunity to “break ground” and help dig the new foundation of the new Friedman Family building as well!

The joyous atmosphere was contagious, as the crowd danced together in honor of the simcha, and the younger guests enjoyed clowns, magicians, and other entertainment.

Every guest left with a renewed feeling of the shared simcha of YOSS and its talmidim, and a fresh feeling of excitement for the new Friedman Family Building.

Happy Hanukkah!

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

My amazing professors at Touro undergrad prepared me for my dental admission test and for dental school. At Touro Dental, the professors give me the attention I need on an individual level.

Also, the students are really always there for each other. My experiences at Touro have only been positive and I’m looking forward to my future career…It makes me feel great to know that I’ll be making a difference in people’s health and overall lives.

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Around the Community

Hundreds Celebrate and Support Chai Lifeline at NYC Gala Inspiring program features Chef Wolfgang Puck and Musical Performance by Ishay Ribo

P

roviding further hope that the social world we once knew is returning to a degree of normalcy, one of the Jewish fundraising calendar’s most sought-after events took place last week as over 800 people gathered in support of the work of Chai Lifeline.

Held at Pier Sixty in New York, the evening featured a musical performance by Israeli singing sensation Ishay Ribo as well as a one-of-a-kind kosher culinary experience presented by internationally renowned chef Wolfgang Puck.

“Our annual Gala is an important opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate the important work of Chai Lifeline and show its support for the more than 6,000 children and families that rely on our services and programs,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline.

“From counseling and mental health support to emergency financial assistance, Chai Lifeline is there to help

alleviate the pain families face during the most challenging of times.”

The Maimonides Medical Achievement award was presented to Jorge Capote, Vice President of Patient Relations at Memorial Sloane Kettering.

The gala also saw the dedication of the

Dr. Leon and Frances Gerstein Z”L National Counseling Program and paid tribute on the occasion of the fifth-anniversary of the Evan Levy Z”L Fund established to provide direct financial support to families in medical crisis.

Each year, the network of financial, emotional, and practical support services provided by Chai Lifeline help over 6,000 children and families in need with regional offices around the world. To learn more, visit www. chailifeline.org.

ordering materials, they gathered together last Sunday to get down to work. It may have been cold and windy weather to work in, but they envisioned the happy smiles on the

girls’ faces when they would see the surprise waiting for them.

To quote one of our pre-1A girls, “This is my best day ever!”

The fourth grade wrote beau-

tiful thank you letters to those involved, and the girls are so happy and touched at the effort that was made for them.

This is our BYAM Family.

The BYAM Family

L

ast week, the girls at BYAM had a great surprise! They came out for recess and were greeted by a brightly colored yard, painted with activities for them to play.

As plans for a new playground are being worked on, a few staff members decided to create something else for the girls to play at recess in the interim. Over the last couple of weeks, these devoted staff members started planning an amazing transformation for our school yard. After researching, measuring, space planning and

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Giving Thanks

By Zvi Gluck

D

epending on who you ask, Thanksgiving can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. While historically Thanksgiving marks the first harvest feast shared by the colonial Pilgrims and Virginia’s Wampanoag tribe, after 400 years that particular aspect of the holiday has pretty much gotten lost in the shuffle. As a non-working day for many, Thanksgiving has

strayed somewhat from its origins and become synonymous with other things, like family time, the Macy’s parade, pro-football games and the kickoff of countless Black Friday sales. But whether you mark the day with a turkey and all the trimmings or not, there is no getting around the fact that the final Thursday in November is a national holiday built on a foundation of appreciation.

Gratitude isn’t always easy to muster for the many who face considerable difficulties in their day-to-day lives. COVID re-entry has been a trying experience, and acclimating to a new normal has presented challenges that are both unique and daunting. We see those realities reflected at Amudim, where our year-to-date case volume increased 28 percent over last year, with calls coming from pandemic-scarred individuals as well as from people who should have sought treatment years ago but haven’t felt comfortable reaching out for help until now.

Even as it has become clear that we have yet to flatten the curve of our ongoing mental health crisis, it is important to understand that that

upward trajectory stems from the fact that we are living in a time where people are no longer afraid to reach out for help. It is incredibly gratifying to see how people are taking positive steps to better their lives, that stigmas have been shattered and our communities are coming to understand that mental health challenges are real.

Taken from that perspective, its rising demand for mental health services is actually an encouraging phenomenon, and in addition to the gratitude component inherent in its name, Thanksgiving is also a reminder of our ongoing obligation to help others. In 2012, we saw people rushing to help Hurricane Sandy victims with their physical needs, but by the time the storm’s mental health component emerged months later, there were few who stepped up to answer the call. It is crucial that we take steps to ensure that that pattern doesn’t repeat itself now postCOVID, particularly given the pandemic’s global impact, with so many more people in need of assistance.

As you enjoy your Thanksgiving in whatever way most resonates with

you, invite someone who might be going through a tough time over to watch the Raiders and the Cowboys duke it out in Dallas or ask them to join you for whatever kind of dinner you happen to be serving. Send a care package to a person who lives alone or pick up the phone and call them to say hello and ask them how their day is going. Be that ray of sunshine in someone else’s life and encourage others to understand that issues like depression and anxiety are real and can’t just be wished away.

We are living in a time when there are so many who are hurting. This year, as you celebrate Thanksgiving, I ask you to be both thankful and a giver. I promise you – you’ll be glad you did.

took action when no one else would.

Upon reflection of Moshe’s circumstances, one very thoughtful student remarked, “Maybe true leadership is about stepping in to lead people that need it at that moment, and then you can go back to your normal life.”

The students then broke into small group discussions led by one of their teachers, and Rabbi Goller provided the topics for them to explore.

At the conclusion of the lively discussion period, the students were thrilled to receive a gift from the school – a personalized journal entitled “My Sixth Grade Leadership Journal.” The children recorded their

notes and reflections on the day’s discussions and with this journal they will be able to record their experiences and ideas about the process of becoming a leader. Looking ahead, the students will meet monthly with captains of industry, leaders in a variety of fields and role models for the Jewish people who will come and share their personal journeys with the sixth graders.

HANC wishes to thank Rabbi Goller for taking time out of his very busy day to meet in person with the students and provide his insights on leadership in the Jewish community.

Zvi Gluck is the CEO of Amudim, an organization dedicated to helping abuse victims and those suffering with addiction within the Jewish community and has been heavily involved in crisis intervention and management for the past 22 years.

For more information go to www. amudim.org.

Leadership at HANC

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ixth grade is a very special time in HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead.

In addition to finetuning their academic skills before they graduate and matriculate into the Middle School, HANC has inaugurated a sixth grade leadership training seminar that will convene monthly. This new initiative will expose the students to all varieties of leadership and will inspire them with personal stories and give them the opportunity to experience oneon-one time with various scholars and guest speakers.

Last week, Rabbi Joshua Goller, Morah D’Atra of the Young Israel of West Hempstead and a HANC alumna, honored the students by being the first presenter. Rabbi Goller regaled the children with interesting stories and amusing anecdotes from his time at HANC to his transition from assistant rabbi to his current position as rabbi of the Young Israel. He challenged the students to reflect on their view of the most important qualities that a Jewish communal leader

should possess. The students were very engaged, as robust discussions broke out weighing the merits of one quality over the other. Some of the qualities that were suggested included: confidence, humility, strong communication skills and being popular amongst their peers. Rabbi Goller challenged their views by asking them to consider the qualities in our most successful Jewish leader, Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe had a speech impediment, an intense desire to shy away from the limelight and did not seem like the ideal candidate to become a leader. Even so, Moshe was able to see the pain of his brethren and

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Rav Avraham Yaakov Klein’s third grade class at Yeshiva Darchei Torah celebrating their siyum on Parashas Vayishlach

Maccabee Learning at HAFTR

Am Mekadeshei Shevii at BBY

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n Sunday, HAFTR Early Childhood’s pre-kindergarten students welcomed their parents and grandparents to celebrate Chanukah! The HAFTR community is a special family and proudly acknowledged the many second and third generation HAFTR families in attendance. The in-person guests were thrilled to experience the wonderful performance by the children, and the event was also live-streamed to family members on three continents.

The day’s highlight was, of course, the outstanding performance

by the HAFTR students as they welcomed the holiday of Chanukah. The crowd rejoiced as the children recited the story of Chanukah through song and movement. The students’ final number was especially memorable, as the children waved flashlights in the air while singing that Jerusalem is the light of the world.

HAFTR recognizes that today’s students are our gift to the future. Just as the Maccabees miraculously kept Jewish practice alive, HAFTR supports Jewish learners who can build on our rich history and move us forward.

his year’s school-wide theme in Bnos Bais Yaakov is “Am Mekadeshei Shevii” in honor of Shemittah. Over the course of the year, while learning halachos and hashkafos about Shemittah, we will focus on applying the lessons of Shemittah to our daily lives.

The girls are focusing on seven concepts that relate to Shemittah, such as emunah, chibas ha’Aretz, and gevurah, to name a few. Every girl has received a package of “Am mikadeshei shevii” sticky notes.

They are encouraged to write down instances when they have displayed

one of the middos learned and stick them on the corresponding section of the “Am Mekadeshei Shevii” bulletin board. Every girl who submits a note is also entered into a raffle for a yummy prize.

Every Rosh Chodesh, an assembly is held in the Ateres Nechama Liba Simcha Hall, and a different class each month puts on a performance pertaining to the middah we will be focusing on that month. This month, we are focusing on emunah.

Our bulletin board is filling up quickly! Keep up the good work, girls!

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

CAHAL Chanukah Boutique

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n Sunday, November 14, CAHAL held its first Chanukah Boutique in West Hempstead. Thirty vendors participated in the event, and hundreds of community members came to shop in support of CAHAL. Shoppers also happily entered an incredible raffle with five package categories that were donated by community stores in the Five Towns and West Hempstead.

CAHAL would like to thank all the donors, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and the entire West Hempstead community for, what they hope to be, the first of many successful Chanukah Boutiques.

HANC Open House

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n Thursday evening, the administration and staff of HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead had the opportunity to take parents on a journey that told the story of HANC. As parents arrived, they were greeted at the door with personalized name cards and had time to greet other prospective parents in the lobby. To create a storybook theme, the classroom doorways were decorated with trees to invoke a forest-like feel, and each classroom represented a chapter in the story of HANC. Throughout the tour, the guests were able to see and experience the robust and creative curriculum that HANC provides its students.

Chapter One, entitled “New Beginnings,” began with a video of how children are nurtured in the kindergarten classes. The parents then witnessed a hands-on experience of HANC’s immersive Judaic Studies lessons, conducted completely in Hebrew. The General Studies teachers presented a literacy game and showed how children build words using Lego-style block letters. Chapter Two, entitled “Building a Strong Future,” focused on Judaic Studies instruction. The Chumash lesson that was presented demonstrated how the children learn to spot the prefixes, suffixes and shorashim and identify them using different color highlighter pens. A Hebrew lesson was also demonstrated, highlighting how successful an Ivrit b’Ivrit lesson can be.

Chapter Three, called “Experience and Explore,” demonstrated the HANC approach to General Studies subjects. In this chapter, following the overview video, the teachers shared a Thanksgiving-themed math lesson and an interdisciplinary literacy lesson about outer space. In Chapter Four, the parents were able to hear about learning opportunities that take place outside the main classrooms. Representing HANC’s STEM program, the science teacher presented projects that the children have been working on ex-

ploring buoyancy, helicopter seeds, and demonstrated an experiment that proves Sir Isaac Newton’s first law of motion. In engineering, the parents saw how the sixth graders make Lego robots, how they create projects with soldering, and develop their own creative video games.

In the fifth and final chapter, entitled “DREAM BIG,” Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Director of HANC’s West Hempstead Elementary School and Early Childhood Center, addressed the crowd and shared his message of growth, academic rigor, social/emo-

tional support, and encouragement for the students to be their greatest selves.

This year’s school theme, “DREAM BIG,” was prominently featured throughout the tour. As demonstrated by the teachers, the parents could see how teachers encourage the students to dream big and visualize their success. Following his remarks, Rabbi Hazan conducted a question and answer session with Associate Principal, Barbara Deutsch; Assistant Principal of Judaic Studies Mrs. Michal Wasser; as well as Mrs. Randi Silber, Director of Pupil Personnel Services; Mrs. Vered Sharoni, Hebrew Department Chair; Mrs. Dara Reiff, Literacy Department Chair; and Mrs. Sheera Beer, Math Department Chair.

Before sending the parents home with a HANC tote bag and a bag of treats for the following morning’s breakfast, Rabbi Hazan left the parents with an important message: “We want you to dream big about your own future, the future of your children, and how we can partner together as one HANC family.”

The successful open house was made possible by the tireless efforts of Mrs. Lisa Lowy, Director of Admissions, who worked closely with the administration and the staff members who presented demonstrations of their lessons to the crowd. HANC also wishes to thank the administrators from HANC’s other campuses, as well as the Board members who attended in show of their support of this important event.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

8th Graders Enjoy Unique MTA Experience Children at HANC ECC are busy preparing for Chanukah

Allergy Awareness at HANC

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ast week, HANC-Plainview celebrated their first “Food Allergy Awareness Week” program, thanks to a grant provided by The Jewish Education Project and the UJA Federation of New York. The Jewish Education Project is the only organization that works across the New York Jewish community across denominations and institutional settings to help educators develop new, innovative ways to engage and educate Jewish children, teens, and families. The grant was won by Mrs. Francie Goldberg, Director of Admissions and School librarian, a proud allergy mom who feels it so important to teach about allergy awareness.

On Monday, each student in Toddlers - 6th grade brought home a stuffed animal with a tag listing what food allergy (or allergies) it was “diagnosed with.” Each teddy bear came with a pen and notepad that was used as a food journal, to keep track of feeding the teddy bear three meals and two snacks a day.

On Tuesday, the students had the opportunity to hear from pediatric allergist Dr. Robyn Kreiner of Strauss Allergy and Asthma in Westbury. She kicked off her presentation with a reading of the book Nutley The Nut Free Squirrel by Stephanie Sorkin, and gave all of our students insight into what allergy reactions may look like, what the life-saving devices are for someone having an allergy attack and how to use them properly, as well as how to be a good friend to someone with food allergies. Additionally, she showed everyone how one might skin test to find out how allergic someone might be to a food, and how food allergies differ from other common allergies like animals, pollen, or medication.

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n Tuesday, November 16, MTA welcomed an incredible group of eighth graders from across the New York and New Jersey area for an exciting event featuring unique experiences that can only be found at MTA, including dinner from Golan, shiur with a Yeshiva University rebbe, and watch-

ing the YU Macs (ranked #2 nationally) win against Mt. St. Vincent in the Max Stern Athletic Center.

The eight graders also had a great time getting to know MTA’s talmidim, rebbeim, and faculty and experiencing what it feels like to be part of the special MTA community.

YI of Far Rockaway Carnival On Wednesday, the students in grades 1-6 heard from Mr. Jon Greenfield, owner of 5 local ShopRites who spoke about allergy awareness in a food store. He stressed the importance of reading labels when shopping, and what happens when a label is made incorrectly, and how the store will handle the situation. Mr. Greenfield then joined the students at the Shoprite of HANC-Plainview where students were given BINGO boards to read labels and spot which foods contain certain allergens. At the end of the experience, the students were gifted Shoprite shopping bags to take home!

On Thursday, our nursery and kindergarten classes took a walking tour of our Shoprite at HANC-Plainview and together looked at allergy labels and discussed if the foods were safe for their bears, their classmates with allergies, and if it can be sent in for a school party. Afterwards, all the classes got a special treat of their own: School Safe Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes!

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he Young Israel of Far Rockaway, which has been a staple of the Far Rockaway community for almost 50 years, is revitalizing its programing as the world settles back into a new normal following the difficult Covid closings of our schools and shuls not so long ago. Shiurim with the beloved Rabbi Shaul Chill are back on schedule, with a Friday night halacha shiur taking place weekly between Mincha and Maariv and a Chumash shiur over Zoom each Monday night at 7:00 p.m. Musical tefillot and Saturday nights with a kumzits are also on

the horizon.

Friday night, November 5, Shabbos was ushered in with a beautiful and inspirational Carlebach minyan.

With so much excitement happening, the weekly sisterhood meetings have brought about a renewed enthusiasm toward programming for women and children as well. To kick off this initiative, a family carnival will be taking place on Sunday, December 5, inside the shul’s social hall from 11:00am-2:00pm. For only $20 a family, everyone is invited to partake in games, inflatables, face painting and light refreshments.

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Emet Outreach Hosts Inaugural Couples Workshop in The Five Towns

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t was an evening of inspiration, connection, and companionship when Emet Outreach recently hosted their first couples workshop in the Five Towns community. Held at Congregation Shaare Emunah in Cedarhurst, the engaging topic was, “Creating the Marriage You Always Wanted.” Shay Yonaiev, Emet’s Couples and HR Director, hosted the event and served as MC. “We’re excited to bring Emet’s couple’s programming to the Five Towns,” Shay said. “Many of our Emet students from Queens have settled here and we look forward to meeting new couples as well.”

At the start of the evening, guests connected while enjoying a wine tasting and a delicious Chinese and sushi buffet. Shay presented the variety of resources and learning opportunities Emet offers, and then introduced Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg, Emet Co-Founder and Director. As a licensed clinical social worker with a specialty in couples counseling, Rabbi Rutenberg

has been instrumental in establishing these workshops to support Emet couples at every stage of marriage.

“The relationship between husband and wife is the foundation of the family, and setting a strong foundation takes work,” Rabbi Rutenberg said. “We’re here to provide our couples with the spiritual and emotional tools to help them build solid Jewish families.”

Rabbi Rutenberg opened the workshop with a d’var Torah. He said that couples often fall into a “Cold War” cycle where they are stuck waiting for their partner to show they care first so that they, in turn, can show that they care, as well. He used the ultimate metaphor to compare marriage to the relationship that Klal Yisroel has with Hashem. He cited the example of the prayer that precedes the Shema where we focus on Hashem’s love for Klal Yisroel before we talk about our relationship with Hashem.

Rabbi Rutenberg suggested that when thinking about their spouse, each

partner should concentrate on what their spouse has already done, rather than what they are waiting for, and that will inspire them to want to give back.

After getting the crowd motivated, Rabbi Rutenberg introduced the main moderator, Rabbi Doniel Frank, a marriage and family therapist, author and acclaimed lecturer. Rabbi Frank is the originator of the “M.A.P. Seminars” designed to help people set life goals. He elaborated on the importance of goal-setting and communication in marriage. Rabbi Frank literally had the couples take a handson approach by having them stand with their arms and feet extended.

This demonstrated that we can always stretch a little further when setting goals. He guided the couples in the main exercise, which was creating a personalized “Relationship Vision.”

Each couple received a worksheet where they listed and rated their relationship goals and standards. This served as a starting point for a deeper

discussion and each couple drafted “we” statements about what they want to accomplish in their marriage.

“The information provided at this workshop was incredible. Everyone participated and made the most of the exercise in goal-setting.” Shay said.

“We want these programs to be interactive experiences where our couples can learn from experts and network with one another instead of just listening to a lecture. We look forward to hosting a different workshop each month.”

Feedback from participants has been enthusiastic and validating.

“We were happy to be introduced to Emet and to attend our very first workshop,” said Moshe and Stephanie Mashiach. “The program gave us a chance to explore our relationship and taught us skills to improve our communication.”

For further information about Emet’s Couples Division contact, SYonaiev@ EmetOutreach.org or 718-938-0138.

Scores of boys joined in the Camp Lemala Junior division bowling event with Rabbi Rosen and Rabbi Soroka this week

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Around the Community

YOSS Wins Shomrei Halashon Prize

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In Morah Shani’s class at HANC ECC we are building special Velcro, non-fire lighting, child-safe menorahs. The children used their fine motor skills to paint, peel, Velcro and stick onto popsicle sticks. We then enjoyed patterning the colors of our “candles.” These are interactive menorahs that we are truly ready to enjoy “lighting” with our families on Chanukah.

he Chofetz Chaim Shomrei Halashon Program is a national program including yeshivos and schools across America.

Each boy who learns a halacha a day from the Shomrei Halashon Sefer gets a point for their class. Out of all the hundreds of schools and thousands of classes, 35 classes are chosen from a raffle as winners every cycle to receive a prize. This week, our very own Rabbi Adler’s 5th grade class won the raffle – a chocolate fondue fountain. Rabbi Adler then raffled off the prize in his class, and Meir Bernstein was the fortunate winner – an unbelievable amount of Hashgacha for him to win the prize!

Mazal tov to Rabbi Adler’s class and Meir Bernstein. May they be zoche to continue learning Torah

and the incredibly important halachos of Shmiras Halashon!

Confused about Medicare? JCCRP is Here to Help

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ore than 18 percent of Americans, almost 63 million people, are enrolled in Medicare in the United States. This means that almost 63 million people have to navigate the application process, decide how much coverage they need, and choose a plan that best fits their medical profile. This process can be very daunting, if not downright confusing. The Jewish Community Council (JCCRP) is here to take away the confusion and make the process as smooth and as financially sound as possible.

Adults who are nearing their 65th birthday are eligible to enroll for Medicare benefits. The enrollment begins with choosing which parts of Medicare are most beneficial for them. There are many questions that come up in the application process, like: What if I already have active medical coverage from my employer? How much will the plans cost me? Which drug plan is best for my medical needs? Would a supplemental plan be right for me? These are important questions that need to be addressed.

Additionally, until December 7, individuals already enrolled in Medicare are invited to make changes to their current plan for the upcoming

Temima Green LMSW & Elisheva Trachtenberg LMSW, JCCRP Medicare Team

year. Called Open Enrollment, this is an opportunity for people to review their current Medicare needs, and to make changes to their plans if necessary. Individuals can compare costs and benefits of the plan in which they are already enrolled to other plans to see if it would be beneficial for them to switch to a different plan or to leave it as is.

Whether someone is a new applicant to Medicare, or that person is already enrolled and is wondering if another plan would be a better fit for his or her needs, JCCRP can help with the entire process. Thanks to a generous grant from Community Service

Society (CSS), the trained, unbiased, caring professionals at JCCRP are here to assist. Free of charge, these in-house professionals help individuals navigate the entire Medicare process. They will answer all questions, help with the application, and provide information and guidance for the different plans and options. The JCCRP is one of the few Jewish organizations that have trained and sensitive experts who can help with anything Medicare related.

Another tremendous service the staff at the JCCRP provides for people on Medicare is their knowledge of programs that can reduce the cost of

health benefits for eligible individuals. Imagine the following common scenario: A very overwhelmed widow Mrs. “L” walks into the JCCRP office.

Living alone, Mrs. L receives $1,285 a month from Social Security, which she depends on to pay for rent and bills, and it is simply not enough. She currently pays $148.50 per month for Medicare, and she has high drug costs of $200 a month. The experts at the JCCRP recognize that Mrs. L is eligible for two programs which bring down her cost of medical coverage, including drugs, to $30 per month.

All this is done free of charge, with utmost sensitivity and care.

“We at the JCCRP are here to help with everything Medicare related.

Our trained experts have extensive knowledge of the Medicare process, including what benefits each plan provides, which doctors are in-network on the different plans and how to save the most money getting the best medical care you can. We take the confusion out of the process and take care of our communities’ needs at no cost,” commented Moshe Bransdorfer, Executive Director of the JCCRP. To make an appointment or for more information about Medicare assistance, call (718)327-7755 or email info@jccrp.org.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

JV Hockey at HAFTR

Chanukah At Gan Chamesh

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fter months of waiting for the thrill and energy of live games, HAFTR sports is finally back! The HAFTR boys JV hockey team played their first game since before the pandemic began. The team, led by captain and goalie Max Newmark, competed against DRS in an intense and close competition on Wednesday, November 10. After long hours of training and practicing, they played their hardest and showed commendable sportsmanship.

C

hanukah excitement is in the air at Gan Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center. Children are involved in pre-

Kriah at YOSS

paring for this special yom tov in a hands-on multi-sensory way. We can’t wait for Chanukah!

Central White Out Day

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any of the boys currently in 2nd grade at Yeshiva of South Shore worked very hard this past summer. Besides enjoying their time off, they kept their brains active and in the mode to start yeshiva anew in the 2nd grade by completing an extensive kriah packet. It involved four assignments a week, two of which were reading from a siddur and the others were worksheets involving all the rules of kriah.

Every boy who completed the packet was awarded an incredible prize they will treasure IY”H for the rest of their lives – a beautiful set of Chumashim! We are very proud of their dedication and determination displayed by this wonderful achievement! More than half the boys in the

2nd grade this year completed this program giving them a head start on what they are learning now. Mazal tov to: Zev Akerman, Ari Laufer, Yisroel Dov Meisner, Judah Miller, Aryeh Portal, Tzvi Rosenberg, Aaron Winograd, Noam Basch, JJ Fohrman, Avi Konigsberg, Abraham Morgulis, Dovi Saunders, Diggy Trachtenberg, Akiva Bollag, Menachem Burger, Yaakov Tzvi Farkas, Binyamin Dov Fridman, Yosef Glatt, Elisha Goldberg, Yoey Gornish, Rafi Greenstein, Eliezer Heimlich, Pinchas Hirschprung, Chaim Hoffman, Chaim Meltzer, Nossi Moskowitz, Daniel Munk, Aaron Rabin, Natanel Teller and Shai Well.

We wish them continued hatzlacha in their learning!

he Volleyball and Basketball seasons began last week, kicked off with the “Central White Out Day,” when students were encouraged to wear white in support of the Central Wildcats. There were wins for all of our teams: JV and Varsity Volleyball teams won their very first games of the season against North Shore, Varsity Basketball defeated North Shore, and JV Basketball was victorious over Flatbush on Wednesday!

Perri Bausk, a freshman from Woodmere, said, “Being on the JV Basketball team is so much fun. As a freshman on the team, it’s a great way to meet new people. Whether we win or lose, the team is always so supportive.”

After the long break in athletic programming, the Central Wildcats were hungry for competition, super high energy, and ready to play. Mr. Erez Bar-Levy, Athletic Director,

said, “It seemed like the athletes didn’t miss a beat since pre-COVID times. All of our teams played really well this week.”

Everyone, from family and friends, to faculty and administrators, were grateful that fans were allowed to attend the games. They showed so much school spirit and support for our Wildcats. We’re looking forward to a healthy, productive, and successful season!

Shira Rosoff, a junior from Kew Gardens Hills who is on the varsity volleyball team, said, “Being part of a team, especially after being so separate last year, is great. We also practice with the JV team, and we cheer for each other at games, so it’s a really nice way to connect with girls in other grades.”

To be a part of the incredible athletics at Central, apply today at yuhsg. org/apply.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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DRS Class of 2011 Reunion

A successful real estate developer.

A student at Harvard Business School.

A Data Analytics Professor.

A current rebbe at DRS.

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hese are just some of the impressive positions held by the members of DRS’s Class of 2011 who celebrated their 10-year reunion last Motzei Shabbos.

One of the hallmarks of DRS is its deep com-

mitment to keep in touch with its alumni base. At DRS, one’s relationship with his school lasts well beyond the four years of high school. DRS holds a 10-year reunion for every grade that passes through its halls. The reunion, which took place at Beth Sholom, reacquainted old friends with one another and the many rabbeim who attended the event.

Menahel Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky addressed the crowd of former students, urging them to keep in touch and stressing the fact that their former rab-

beim are always there for them, no matter when.

To express their hakarat hatov to the yeshiva, the Class of 2011 contributed a generous gift, and named the school’s Keter Shem Tov award in memory of Zachary Goldstein, a”h, a member of their graduating class. This award is given each year at graduation to a senior who exemplifies the best in middot tovot. Zachary’s stellar character will surely be remembered and memorialized at every DRS graduation.

QJCC Taps Mayer Waxman as New Executive Director

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he Queens Jewish Community Council, QJCC, has selected long time Jewish communal worker and Queens resident Mayer Waxman to serve as QJCC’s next executive director.

QJCC is the nonsectarian, non-denominational umbrella organization representing and uniting more than 130 Jewish organizations in Queens, which together serve hundreds of thousands of Jews. QJCC has been around for more than 50 years.

QJCC advocates with local as well as with city and state politicians to help assure that the needs of Queens Jews are met and that their concerns, including issues regarding Israel, are heard and addressed. QJCC’s annual legislative breakfast tends to attract all local politicians who want to express their relevant platforms to local Jewish leaders.

QJCC’s active and committed board of directors is made up of leaders from many of the diverse Jewish organizations that make up Queens’

variegated Jewish community. QJCC holds several Jewish cultural events throughout the year, together attracting thousands of Jewish and other community members of all ages.

Mayer Waxman, who will be only the fourth executive director in the agency’s five decades, has an impressive history of serving the Jewish community as well as in general social service, particularly in Queens.

Waxman is a licensed social worker and holds a second Masters in forensic psychology from City University’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He comes to QJCC after more than six years as the managing director at Selfhelp Community Services in charge of senior centers. All five of Selphelp’s senior centers are in Queens – two in Flushing, and one each in Bayside, Maspeth and (a kosher site) in Forest Hills – and together serve some 10,000 seniors a year; about 800 a day. Before that, Waxman ran Met Council’s FEMA funded Disaster Case Management program

to help victims of Superstorm Sandy, which included an office in Far Rockaway and a part-time site in Breezy Point. Waxman also worked in Kew Gardens for a short time with Rabbi Elchonon Zohn’s National Association of Chevra Kadisha and served as the Jewish Community liaison for Assemblyman David Weprin’s successful 2010 special election campaign to represent Assembly District 24.

Waxman, an ordained rabbi, spent 12 years at the Orthodox Union, most of which as the OU’s Director of Synagogue Services, creating and coordinating national programs and publications to support synagogues and Jewish communities across North America. More locally, for 20 years Rabbi Waxman has led an annex High Holiday service in the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, where he has also been running a Shabbat Daf Yomi group in the present cycle. Waxman, who minored in speech and drama, has also dabbled in the creative arts, playing two popular characters

on Jewish viral videos, and was a runner-up in a Funniest Rabbi competition at Stand Up New York.

“Waxman’s creativity, energy, knowledge of social services, of programming, of Jewish communal service agencies and of the unique and diverse Queens community makes him the perfect candidate for the role,” said Michael Nussbaum, the president of the QJCC.

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Rabbi Kalman Fogel to Lead Mercaz Academy

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ercaz Academy, the new Orthodox, co-educational elementary school in central Long Island, has taken a giant step forward with its announcement that Rabbi Kalman Fogel will lead the school when it opens its doors in September 2022. With Rabbi Fogel at the educational helm, the community is confident that Mercaz will realize its potential as the innovative center of academic excellence and a flourishing center for Jewish life in central Long Island. With enrollment now open, Mercaz continues to achieve significant milestones.

Since 2003, Rabbi Fogel has led the Plainview campus of HANC, which will transition to become Mercaz Academy, an independent elementary school at the same spacious campus. He has been pivotal in enhancing the signature “warm and welcoming” educational environment at the school, encouraging a broad range of Jewish families to engage in a vibrant Jewish educational experience.

Rabbi Fogel said, “We are building on a strong foundation, a beautiful campus and an outstanding community of caring teachers who engage, empower and educate, involved families, and students who really care about each other. I am excited to partner with the board of Mercaz Academy, leading our school forward to the next level, raising our expectations of ourselves, our teachers, our families and our students.”

Rabbi Fogel has led an outstanding faculty through a transformation to an environment of student-focused small group learning, while integrating technology to increase creativity, collaboration and learning.

“I take tremendous pride in the way our teachers empower their students to own their learning. Walk the halls and you will find engaged students working with each other and with their teachers, whether it’s mathematics or Talmud. Even during recess, students gather around their teachers to continue their conversations. How many schools can say that their students really enjoy coming to school?”

After learning at Yeshivat Shaalvim for two years, Rabbi Fogel received his undergraduate degree

from Yeshiva University, majoring in computers, with a minor in mathematics. He received smicha (rabbinic ordination) from Yeshiva University as well and studied at its prestigious Kollel Elyon. He later attended the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and participated in the Principals Academies at Harvard University, Columbia University, and Bar Ilan University. He is also a member of the board of the Torah Umesorah National Council of Yeshiva Principals.

A long-time resident of Woodmere, Rabbi Fogel and his wife Debbie have four children, two of whom reside in Israel along with their eight grandchildren.

has an extensive experience in informal education as well. His appreciation of the field grew through his work as both chapter advisor and regional administrator for Etz Chaim NCSY, and as youth director of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, NJ. Gary Katz, Chairman of Mercaz Academy, said, “We are very pleased to partner with Rabbi Fogel to begin Mercaz from a position of strength, with a leader who is philosophically aligned with our school’s mission and values and will lead us to new heights of educational excellence.

We look forward to building on our successes to create a dynamic new school for our communities.”

Parents have expressed their

His career has afforded him the opportunity to teach both mathematics and Judaic Studies, and he has taught at the fourth grade through college. Before serving in his current position as principal, he advanced from teacher in the Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva in Edison, NJ, to Director of Student Programs at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls, to assistant principal of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach.

A lifelong educator, Rabbi Fogel

enthusiastic support. Dr. Ethan and Rachel Brandler, an emergency room physician and teacher respectively, endorsed this significant step in establishing Mercaz as a premier school for children to begin their education. As Dr. Brandler said, “When we were looking to move to Long Island from Brooklyn, we wanted a school that would teach both Torah and general studies at a high level. We chose the Plainview campus To learn more about Mercaz Acadof HANC, led by Rabbi Fogel, and emy, please visit mercazacademy. couldn’t have made a better choice. org or call 516-696-4200.

Our sons are now in high school and have not only become b’nai Torah but have a great appreciation for the world around them and an excellent foundation for future growth.

That started with the school led by Rabbi Fogel. Our daughter is now in sixth grade in that same school and loves her teachers and classes. We are thrilled that Rabbi Fogel will be leading Mercaz and we know he will guide it to great success.”

News of Rabbi Fogel’s appointment has garnered cheers from both the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities in central Long Island. Yonni Akhavan, a leader of the Sephardi Synagogue of Plainview, said “We are very happy to know that Rabbi Fogel will lead Mercaz. He brings a commitment not only to educating students in knowledge of Torah and secular academic subjects, but he teaches middot to the children so they develop a strong character.”

How does Rabbi Fogel view the future of Mercaz? He sums it up this way: “It is fantastic working with a board made up of pioneers who are dedicated to our students’ and school’s growth. You can feel the excitement as everyone collaborates to bring our already excellent school to new levels. Mercaz donors have already invested in adding to our educational and social emotional support this year, even before Mercaz opens. Our teachers are piloting new programs in English/Language Arts and Math. After two years that have been difficult for everyone, we are now primed to move forward to offer curricular and academic excellence in all areas.”

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Rambam Alumni Shabbaton

“A

mazing!”

“Incredible!”

“Thanks so much!” were just some of the reactions to Rambam’s 21st annual Alumni Shabbaton in Israel.

Rabbi Friedman, who has been spearheading this trip every year since 1996 (except for the past two years due to COVID), said, “I don’t know who enjoys the Shabbaton

more, me or the boys. It is such a wonderful experience to see the boys grown up, involved in learning, davening and avodas Hashem.”

This year’s Shabbaton, hosted by Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush), included 46 alumni all learning in Eretz Yisrael. Also joining were a married Rambam alumnus and his wife, for whom Rabbi Friedman served as

Mesader Kiddushin at their wedding in May. As always, the Shabbaton featured divrei Torah, zemiros, shiurim, “catching up,” and schmoozing, whether over cholent and kugel at the Tisch, meals, kiddush, lunch or seuda shlishit!

During his week stay, Rabbi Friedman visited various yeshivas

including Yeshivat HaKotel, Har Etzion, and Migdal HaTorah and was invited to give shiurim. He also got together with older alumni who made aliyah and started families.

Rabbi Friedman was glad that he was able to make it to Israel after the Covid hiatus and looks forward to going again next year.

Yud Tes Kislev at Chabad of Far Rockaway

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onday night, Yud Tes Kislev, the annual Chabad of Far Rockaway Farbrengen commemorating the hilula of the Maggid of Mezritch, zt”l, the successor of the Baal Shem Tov, zt”l, and the liberation from czarist imprisonment of his student, the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, zt”l, author of Tanya and founder of Chabad chassidus, which took place at Beis

Medrash Ateres Yisroel.

The evening began with introductory remarks by Rabbi Pesach Schmerling and lively singing of the niggun on the verses “pada b’shalom nafshi” (Tehillim 55:19) amongst other niggunim. The crowd was then inspired by the warm words of hisorerus delivered by guest speaker Rabbi Nachman Yosef Twersky, shlita. Rabbi Twersky (son of pre-

vious Rachmastrivker Rebbe of Yerushalayim zt”l, and brother of the current Rachmastrivker Rebbe of Yerusholayim, shlita) is a maggid shiur for over four decades at Yeshivas Oholei Torah in Crown Heights.

Rabbi Twersky focused on the words of the Rebbe Rashab, zt”l, the fifth Rebbe of Chabad, that on Yud Tes Kislev we were endowed – via the teachings of Chassidus – with il-

lumination and liveliness for our souls. He explained from Tanya as well as teachings of Rabbi Twersky’s ancestor, Rebbe Nochum of Chernobyl, zt”l (student of the Baal Shem Tov), in his famous work Meor Einayim, along with inspiring anecdotes and stories, how a Jew unites with Hashem when learning Torah, and how with that illuminated view on Torah learning, a much greater and essential life force is brought to the fore, enabling us to serve Hashem with strength of unshakable fortitude. The crowd enjoyed the divrei hisorerus for over three hours interspersed with uplifting Chassidic niggunim.

The lavish fleishige seudah was sponsored by Russo’s Pharmacy. The farbrengen was also cosponsored by Mr. Yechiel Schwerd l’iluy nishmas his father, Reb Yissochor Dov ben Yitzchak Aizik, z”l, yahrtzeit on Yud Tes Kislev, as well as several other sponsors.

The many participants left inspired and uplifted with renewed vigor in serving Hashem and in learning the teachings of chassidus.

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63 ‫בס״ד‬

HONORING

Mr. & Mrs. Chaim & Bracha Schulhof Guests of Honor

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SKA Welcomes Stella Kares

By Elana Silvera Always seeking to promote emotional health, an incredible new student-initiated program was established this year at SKA. Stella Kares was introduced to the SKA student body by three seniors, Shira Jacobowitz, Batya Rogoff and Rivka Slomnicki, to help promote achdus and general thoughtfulness among their peers.

“Stella Kares helped me branch out and meet new people who aren’t necessarily in my classes,” said ninth grader Leora Herrmann.

Every student was paired with another student in her grade in order for everyone to have a buddy.

As a kickoff to the Stella Kares program, the students ate lunch with their buddy, along with two or three other pairs of buddies. When the students arrived in the auditorium, the tables were set up with candy and a card at each place, listing things they can do together and/or for each other. Some ideas listed were to share

notes with each other if one is absent, bring in something for a buddy on her birthday, sit with your buddy at lunch, and more!

Since the kickoff event, the freshmen had one more buddy lunch. The girls sat with their buddies and were randomly assigned to sit with other girls in the grade, in order to help mix them up socially. The freshmen had such a fun time eating with their new friends! SKA Social Worker Ms. Lisa Fogel and Dean of Students, Mrs. Shira Englander, together with Shira, Batya and Rivka, hope to imbed more programs like these throughout the year.

Stella Kares is a way to make sure everyone has someone their age they can talk to; it’s a great way for all girls to feel included and cared for.

“Stella Kares makes me feel comfortable reaching out to someone whenever I need help or just someone to talk to,” said ninth grader Sima Ross. “The Stella Kares program has really added to the warm and positive environment of the school!”

Ms. Fogel adds a reflective note about this innovative program: “One of the most powerful, yet simplistic, texts I have ever gotten was, ‘Hey, just checking in.’ Whether it was a good or bad day, these four words have the power to lift you up and remind you that people out there care about you. With the fast-paced world our teenagers are growing up in, we all tend to need a reminder to slow down, look around us and see how we can think and care for others. The Stella Kares program was born with the hope and intention of helping each other be kinder, more considerate, and better connected to each other.

“In the spirit of Kislev, I recently heard from an SKA alumna, Yehudis Herschberg, currently a Shana Bet student studying in Tiferet, who said in the name of one of her rabbeim, Rabbi Landau, that every month gives us a different gift. Kislev brings us the gift of light. In the spirit of Kislev and what we try to instill in our SKA students through-

out their four years, our hope is that with programs like Stella Kares, our girls will learn to recognize and develop their own light and spread it to others along the way.”

Chai Lifeline Families Set Sail into Chanukah Spirit

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hildren with serious illness and their families got into the Chanukah spirit with Chai Lifeline’s first-ever Simcha Cruise on Sunday night, November 21. More than 1,200 participants from across the tri-state area enjoyed delicious food, exciting games and activities, and breathtaking Hudson River views of the New York skyline and Statue of Liberty aboard the three-story luxury yacht. The Chanukah Party was sponsored by Cross River Bank.

“One of the messages of Chanukah is about bringing light to the

darkness,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “The mission of Chai Lifeline is help bring light to those that are in the darkness. To bring joy, happiness, and support to those who need it most.

This Chanukah party exemplifies all that our dedicated staff and volunteers do throughout the year on behalf of our families.”

Following a buffet dinner, children took part in arts and crafts, face painting, magic and bubble shows, prize giveaways, and more. Yitzy Haber of The Shnitzel Guys emceed the jam-packed party, which featured

a comedy stunt show by Wacky Chad and a rocking concert by Yoni Z. “We all had a great time!” said one Chai Lifeline mother. “The kids – and us – enjoyed the loads of entertainment. They were so happy with all you had in store for them.

There was something for everyone.

Our kids look forward to this all year. They may be little, but they are not too little to feel your love!”

“Not only did all my children have such a great time but they also came away from this with a more meaningful look on life,” said another mother. “Thank you for making

Chanukah so special for our entire family!”

Chanukah parties and events will take place across Chai Lifeline’s various U.S. and international regions and more than 50,000 toys will be distributed to children and families around the world this Chanukah season.

Chai Lifeline is a leading international children’s health support network, providing critical support to children with life-threatening and lifelong illnesses and their families.

To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.chailifeline.org.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

ORAH

my cup of tea..

Thoughts of you warm me

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A Meaningful Melava Malka

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n Motzei Shabbat, HAFTR fifth grade girls enjoyed a wonderful Melave Malka.

The girls and their mothers explored the theme of Hadlakat Nerot Shabbat. Morah Bashi Kutai facilitated the learning session which included the laws and customs of lighting the Shabbat candles. The inspiring divrei Torah, class video, decorative centerpieces, “tzupar” giveaway, and the beautiful table settings added to this meaningful event. A glow in the dark dance celebration with Lauren Balsam ignited the spirit of Chanukah. Moms and daughters danced in the dark, lit up by their glow and the dark accessories. Thank you to the

HAFTR PTA and to the numerous families for sponsoring the event.

YCQ Bar and Bat Mitzvah Workshops As the kindergarten boys at Siach Yitzchok learned the letter Hey, Mr. Brecher of the R-L Hatzalah, who has a son in the class, brought an ambulance to the Cheder for the boys the visualize the letter Hey

MTA Sophomore Honored at JLE Dinner

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TA is proud of sophomore Basil Edelstein, who was honored at the Jewish Learning Experience of Bergen County Dinner on Motzei Shabbos, November 13.

“JLE is a wonderful organization that provides spiritual educational support for those wishing for a deeper connection to Judaism,” shared Basil. “I have worked with JLE since 2017, helping to run their important programming, which includes Megillah reading, Tu B’Shvat Sedarim, and model Pesach Sedarim, both in-person and on Zoom during the pandemic. It’s a great opportunity for me to be involved in Jewish education. I am very fortunate to reside in a community that has ample Torah resources and it’s integral to share it with others who may come from different backgrounds.”

Basil was joined at the dinner by his supportive family and his MTA rebbeim, including Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Michael Taubes, his freshman rebbe Rabbi Netanel Danto, and his

Y sophomore rebbe Rabbi Shimon Kerner.

“Chessed and leadership are fundamental components of our yeshiva and Basil truly embodies what it means to give back to the community in a leadership capacity,” said MTA Head of School Rabbi Joshua Kahn.

“It’s particularly meaningful that he has chosen to get involved in Jewish education and we are grateful for his efforts in ensuring that those who are interested in connecting with Judaism have the opportunity to do so.”

CQ’s Grade 7 boys enjoyed a marvelous bar mitzvah workshop on Monday night, November 8. Rabbi Hamel, Assistant Principal of Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) Junior High School (JHS), reports, “When a child becomes a bar mitzvah, we make him a ceremony. This ceremony, even if made on a small scale, demonstrates to the child the significance of their new status in the Jewish nation. They are now privileged to be fully obligated in mitzvot and are entitled to reap the benefits of the Torah.”

Thank you, Rabbi Landsman, Rabbi Hamel, and Rabbi Bernstein, for organizing this faculty, family, and student event, and for making it fun and purposeful.

YCQ’s Grade 6 girls learned and celebrated together with faculty and family at a wonderful bat mitzvah workshop on Wednesday night, No-

vember 17. Thank you, Rabbi Landsman, Morah Bienenfeld, Morah Engelson, Rabbi Hamel, Mrs. EIana Joffe, Mrs. Jen Jaffe, and Morah Leemor Abraham for leading the event, and thank you to all the attendees that made this evening lively and meaningful.

YCQ bar and bat mitzvah workshops are exceptional. “We pride ourselves on establishing guidelines to ensure that the ceremony is appropriate, and inclusive of all the child’s friends,” Rabbi Hamel stated.

Rabbi Landsman, YCQ principal, added, “The bar and bat mitzvah events highlight the significance of celebrating the transmission of our heritage to the next generation. We cannot be prouder of our parents and students for their outstanding commitment to living a life of Torah and mitzvot.”

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Rav Zev Leff Graces YOSS Learning Program

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he Yeshiva of South Shore hosted Harav Zev Leff, shlita, the rav of Moshav Mattisyahu in Eretz Yisrael, at last week’s Motzai Shabbos Learning Program. There was an overflow crowd of over 250

boys and adults who came to learn Torah together and to be inspired by meeting and hearing divrei chizuk from Rav Leff.

Rabbi Leff inspired the crowd by telling them how moved he was when

upon entering the Bais Medrash.

He said that the sight and sounds of hundreds of tinokos shel beis rabban learning with geshmak inspired him and that he did not want to interrupt their learning with his drasha. He

spoke about how the “Chinuch Habayis” is the most essential chinuch of all, and that although our children have, Baruch Hashem, wonderful rabbiem in their Yeshivos, the primary mechanchim are the fathers and mothers. He felt that perhaps what makes Motzai Shabbos learning programs so special is that at the very first moments of chol, fathers sit and learn with their sons. Only then (on Sunday morning), do they send their sons off to Yeshiva to learn Torah from excellent rabbeim, however, these rabbeim are agents of the parents.

After Rav Leff spoke, he greeted each talmid personally and gave them a warm bracha. The participants of the YOSS Motzai Shabbos Learning Program left uplifted and inspired.

What’s more, each participant received a gift coupon for free pizza and soda. The program was sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Shmuely Selmar in honor of their son Avi’s bar mitzvah.

Col. Golan Vach at YI of Woodmere One Israel Fund Event

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n Sunday night, the Young Israel of Woodmere hosted Col. Golan Vach in a joint event with One Israel Fund. Col. Vach is the commander of the Israeli Defense Forces’ National Rescue Unit. Over the last 12 years, Vach and his team specialists have worked alongside emergency organizations dealing with natural disasters in Haiti, the Philippines, Nepal, Mexico, Brazil, Albania, Honduras, and the United States. Most recently, Colonel Vach and his team came to Florida to aid the search and rescue at the Surfside building collapse site. Golan shared numerous stories of the heroics of his unit around the world.

Rabbi Shalom Axelrod, mara d’atra of the Young Israel, began the evening by speaking

about the close partnership between the Young Israel and One Israel Fund. He also led the crowd in a chapter of Tehillim for those injured in the prior day’s terrorist attack in the Old City. In his introductory remarks, Scott M. Feltman, Executive Vice President of One Israel Fund, discussed the young reserve soldier, Eliyahu Kay, who was killed in that terrorist attack. Then, after briefly discussing the incredible work of One Israel Fund in providing aid in education, medical, preventive security, recreational and communal needs for the communities throughout Judea and Samaria, Scott introduced Col. Vach to the audience as a true hero of Israel who brings pride and respect to the Jewish People around the world.

Mixing Science and Chanukah

A

fter all our learning about the miracle of the little jug of oil found that lasted eight days, the young students at HAFTR took that oil and made a science experiment. We wanted to see if oil could be mixed with water to make more. We also played with color mixing at the same time.

First, we added some water into our bottles.

Then we added a few drops of two different colors of food dye to each bottle. One bottle had red and blue, which made purple, and in the other we added yellow and red, which gave us a nice orange

color. After tha,t we topped off the bottles with oil, screwed and sealed the tops back on tight, and shook them up. The oil and water mixture bubbled! We set the bottles down and watched.

After a short time without disturbing the bottles, we could see the oil rise back to the top and the colored water remained below.

We learned about the colors that mix to make other colors. We also learned that oil cannot be mixed with water to make more. The small jug of oil must have been a true Chanukah miracle!

Scott M. Feltman, Col. Golan Vach and Rabbi Shalom Axelrod

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

WWW.EITANKATZ.COM | 718.770.7973 | INFO@EITANKATZ.COM

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This turkey has been spotted on Linwood Ave, Park Ave, and Oakwood Ave in Cedarhurst over the last few weeks

YOSS Students Have an Attitude of Gratitude

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As we gear up for Thanksgiving, students at HALB’s Lev Chana discussed what they are thankful for: Mommy, Daddy, Morahs, Toys and much more! At HALB Elementary, students wrote thank you notes to the maintenance staff, lunch servers, and security guards. The notes were hung on a bulletin board and presented to the staff. Thank you for all you do every day for our school!

ratitude is the best attitude! Even though we thank Hashem each and every day through our brachos, tefillos and hakaras hatov, the theme of November at Yeshiva of South Shore is gratitude.

The YOSS third grade classes have been preparing for Thanksgiving through opinion writing, letter writing, journal entries and more. November is the ideal month to focus on what we’re thankful for. Several journal entries were dedicated to showing our appreciation towards different aspects of our lives. We are practicing the art of letter writing from thanking a veteran to thanking family members for all they have done and continue to do for us.

The students designed a unique zentangle turkey as a cover for their beautiful letters of appreciation to their family. “’Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving” by Dav Pilkey was the

perfect classic read aloud to segue into persuasive writing. The students filled out a graphic organizer persuading Farmer Mack Nuggett to save the turkeys from Thanksgiving dinner.

The students came up with clever reasons as to why Farmer Mack Nugget should break the classic Thanksgiving tradition and serve something else for Thanksgiving dinner. We think Farmer Mack Nuggett is convinced and the turkeys will be safe this year!

This week’s wordless short, “Color Your World with Kindness,” not only promoted doing acts of kindness, but also to appreciate those who show us kindness in our day-to-day lives.

Our students are learning that gratitude continues even after the fourth Thursday of November. Our boys will continue to express their appreciation on any occasion, no matter how big or small through showing that gratitude is THEIR attitude.

HANC Students Participate in Chessed Shel Emet

By Noam Traeger

D

uring the week of November 15, the boys at HANC High School participated in acts of chessed shel emet, true act of kindness with no benefit from their actions.

The boys traveled to Mount Richmond Cemetery on Staten Island, which is maintained by the Hebrew Free Burial Society. The 9th and 10th grade boys went on Tuesday, November 16, and the 11th and 12th grade boys went on Wednesday, November 17. The boys cleaned up the cemetery by raking leaves and picking up fallen branches.

Some families pay the society for ongoing care in order to clean the gravesites. However, some people do

not have family or their families are unable to pay for this. Keeping someone’s grave clean is a sign of deep respect. Cleaning up this cemetery was a true chessed shel emet.

“Just seeing all the bags of leaves and piles of branches truly made it feel as though we somehow helped someone we’ve never met. The fact that even the teachers joined in to

help out showed how this project really brought everyone together,” said Eli Hazan, ninth grader.

Although some of the students were initially feeling uneasy about going to a cemetery, by the end of the day, they truly understood the importance of partaking in these acts of chessed.

Before returning to school, students enjoyed a pizza lunch at Dairy Palace.

Thank you to Rabbi Mezei, Director of Student Life, for organizing the trip and to Rabbis Friedler, Weingot, and Mr. Bader for chaperoning the trip. Thank you to Rabbi Hulkower who spearheaded the chessed trip for our kohanim, participating in various community service activities in the Far Rockaway vicinity.

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Hundreds Join YSZ’s Chinuch & Shalom Bayit Series

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he first of Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion’s 8-Part Chinuch & Shalom Bayit Workshop Series was attended by close to 200 parents and community members last week. The event, which was open to the broader Jewish community of Queens, featured a fully catered dairy dinner and interactive workshops presented by renowned educators on topics of parenting and marital harmony.

On Motzei Shabbat, Rabbi Jonathan Rietti spoke on “Teaching Children Resilience in a Challenging World” and expounded on the topic with real-life examples and relatable anecdotes, leaving the audience with plenty of food for thought and powerful take-home points. On Sunday night, Rabbi Igal Haimoff spoke about the paramount importance of investing in one’s marriage and the tremendous blessings that come to one who actively pursues marital peace and harmony. “Creating Safety in Marriage - Expressing Feels Constructively” was the topic

of the class and included tips and tricks for how and when to express feelings to your spouse in a way that it will be well-received.

Participants at the event expressed a desire that the classes be

held “every week,” and many attendees said they were eagerly looking forward to the next part of the series which will take place, b’ezrat Hashem, next month. Email yszworkshops@yszqueens.org to inquire

about joining next month’s workshop/s or for sponsorship opportunities.

Stay tuned for more details on Part 2 of the series.

Opening Doors to Gratitude

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rom our first words spoken every morning, Modeh Ani, the focus of our day is gratitude for the limitless good in our lives. Yet we don’t always slow down enough to recognize and acknowledge all the moving parts that make up the tapestry of our lives. Every year, SHS devotes a week to ensure this most important middah is highlighted and that the message of gratitude is embedded in its students’ minds.

This year’s Week of Gratitude began on Monday with a show of recognition to the maintenance staff whose continual labor and dedication allow for all the opportunities that take place in our building.

The students and staff lined the hallway after davening for a school-wide clap-out in appreciation for all their hard work. Each member of the group was individually acknowledged and received a well-deserved gift, reminding our students that there’s an entire team behind every day of learning.

SHS pride took the spotlight on Tuesday, as students and staff came to school decked out in all their SHS apparel. Students walked the hallways immersed in a sea of school swag in an expression of appreciation to the administrators, teachers, and each other.

The apex of the week was the Day of Gratitude on Wednesday, concretizing the mindset of hakaras hatov before breaking for Thanksgiving weekend. The girls were inspired by Michah Kaufman, a survivor of a terrible car accident,

who is devoted to spreading the message of finding gratitude even when we’re hit with difficult circumstances. Students then each attended one of three sessions geared towards launching the messages they’d been internalizing all week into action: Increasing our Gratitude Through Spirituality and Connection with Menachem Poznanski, LCSW; Gratitude, Mindfulness and Your Brain with Esther Goldstein, LCSW; or Living Grateful Chesed Workshop with Yachad. Throughout the sessions, students opened their minds to the little things for which to be thankful and the beauty and variety of the world Hashem created.

The week culminated with our amazing Gratitude Cafe, where the girls engaged in activities designed to increase their gratitude for their peers while feasting on Thanksgiving themed cafe foods. The entire school then davened Mincha together, focusing on the bracha of Modim and the endless chessed Hashem does for us each day. As a final heartfelt touch, a few SHS girls surprised the audience by reading personal letters to someone to whom they feel particular hakaras hatov. We are so grateful to the students and faculty at SHS for making this incredible experience possible.

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HANC Students Participate in Chessed Shel Emet

By Noam Traeger

D

uring the week of November 15, the boys at HANC High School participated in acts of chessed shel emet, true act of kindness with no benefit from their actions.

The boys traveled to Mount Richmond Cemetery on Staten Island, which is maintained by the Hebrew Free Burial Society. The 9th and 10th grade boys went on Tuesday, November 16, and the 11th and 12th grade boys went on Wednesday, November 17. The boys cleaned up the cemetery by raking leaves and picking up fallen branches.

Some families pay the society for ongoing care in order to clean the gravesites. However, some people

do not have family or their families are unable to pay for this. Keeping someone’s grave clean is a sign of deep respect. Cleaning up this cemetery was a true chessed shel emet.

“Just seeing all the bags of leaves and piles of branches truly made it feel as though we somehow helped someone we’ve never met. The fact that even the teachers joined in to

help out showed how this project really brought everyone together,” said Eli Hazan, ninth grader.

Although some of the students were initially feeling uneasy about going to a cemetery, by the end of the day, they truly understood the importance of partaking in these acts of chessed. Before returning to school, students enjoyed a pizza lunch at Dairy Palace.

Thank you to Rabbi Mezei, Director of Student Life, for organizing the trip and to Rabbis Friedler, Weingot, and Mr. Bader for chaperoning the trip. Thank you to Rabbi Hulkower who spearheaded the chessed trip for our kohanim, participating in various community service activities in the Far Rockaway vicinity.

Enlightening Wines For Chanukah

By Gabriel Geller Royal Wine/Kedem

C

hanukah is the celebration of many miracles. The menorah and its candles symbolize these miracles and our desire and commitment to telling about them to the world.

They also remind us to keep our faith in Hashem watching over Am Yisrael even in the most difficult times. Chanukah should not merely be the holiday of lights but of the enlightenment. Watching the lit-up menorah is a great time to contemplate Hashem’s marvels. It is a good time to sip and enjoy some good wine. Not only wines that we often purchase for Shabbos, but to check out new and different wines, as well. While contemplating the burning candles, it is an opportunity to take careful note of a wine’s aromatic profile, and appreciate its texture and flavors.

Some wines are particularly enlightening. They can change our preconceptions about a particular region, style, or grape variety. Sophisticated wine drinkers often believe that flavorful and complex wines enough to be worthy of their consideration must cost a lot of money. The reality is that such wines can be found below $15/bottle.

The Baron Herzog Old Vines Zinfandel 2019, for example, features juicy red and black fruit aromas, with a deep flavor of strawberry jam and baking spices. Many consider red wines to be of superior quality than whites. Did you know that out of the top five most expensive wines in the world, two are white wines? Château Malartic-Lagravière in Bordeaux has produced several kosher wines since 2003. Their red wine from the 2018 vintage is truly excellent. However, they recently released for the first time a kosher production of their white wine

from the 2019 vintage that is stunning. While it is certainly not inexpensive, its remarkable complexity and cellaring potential prove that it is as good as its red counterpart.

The best Israeli wines usually are varietal Cabernet Sauvignon wines or Bordeaux-style blends.

Psagot Winery’s new flagship wine is called Psagot Jewel 2017. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. It is a richly aromatic wine, and it shows that unique Israeli wines can be rich, complex, and layered. If you insist on new recommendations for wines to pair with latkes and sour cream, get your hands on the Ramon Cardova Al-

bariño 2019. This delicious and affordable Spanish white combines lime, earthy mineral and saline notes, making it a natural choice with that Chanukah staple food. Beware, though. It goes so well together that you may want to indulge and enjoy it more often than just on Chanukah.

The Herzog Late Harvest Zinfandel is a classic.

The 2019 is a red dessert wine very much worth enjoying with jelly or chocolate-filled donuts. It is even brighter in taste than usual, with good acidity and amazing strawberry jam and vanilla notes. Let us celebrate Hashem’s great miracles with a great L’chaim!

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Good-Old Service and Heart in Hamaspik’s Newest Location Hamaspik expands to the Five Towns, filling a great need in the community

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or so many parents of children with special needs, getting services meant dealing with agencies from other communities who didn’t get our culture,” says Chava Laufer, OPWDD-HCBS regional manager in the Five Towns.

“We needed a local agency that can provide services catered to our every nuance. Hamaspik, ever on the lookout to service even more people even better, saw the opportunity to help people in the Five Towns.”

Leading the industry for over three decades, they endeavored to provide the signature Hamaspik services for the community, by the community.

Creating a local team of devoted coordinators and care managers, they’re ensuring that every person will feel right at home with every service, program, and worker. Indeed, Hamaspik is comprised of professionals that best understand the clients they serve.

But that’s not all. The state-of-theart office provides people with the convenience of simply walking in, asking questions, signing up for services, and gives easy access to meetings.

Hamaspik’s mission of providing services, support, and hope to people going through challenges so they can lead a fulfilling, productive life, directs their every action. Here, too, they’ve endeavored to truly service clients with the highest standard of care and can now give support and hope to clients and their families genuinely, as the employees from the community understand the culture and their needs thoroughly.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of the new location took

place this week, followed by the kvias mezuzah as the community toured the beautiful office. Right thereafter, they enjoyed a lavish meal celebrating the grand opening. Inspiring speeches and great entertainment followed, making it a beautiful evening for all.

Rabbi Josh Sturm, rav of Young Israel of Staten Island, who served as the emcee, started off the event with the history of Hamaspik and how vital their services are for the Five Towns community.

“Hamaspik is the pioneer in helping people going through challenges. For years now, they’ve been the front-runners in providing services with their signature compassion,” he said with feeling. “Now, they’re bringing it here for us to benefit from.”

Rabbi Asher Stern, rav of Kehilas Bais Avrohom Zev, moved everyone present as the keynote speaker. He extolled the virtues of the “malachim” at Hamaspik, referencing pesukim in that week’s parsha. His penetrating words left all inspired.

Next, Rav Sturm called up Mr. Hershel Wertheimer, Executive Director at Hamaspik of Kings County, exclaiming passionately, “Back in the day, children with special needs were

called ‘Closet Kids’ and for good reason. They were shunned and not cared for properly. Hamaspik mitigated the stigma for the special needs community and is well on their way to do the same with the mental health community.”

“We’re not just here providing services,” Mr. Wertheimer continued.

“We truly want to support and give hope to each and every client. Setting up a new location required months of work and tireless effort, but it all serves the Hamaspik promise of putting clients first. At this time, I’d like to extend my appreciation to Mrs. Chava Laufer, OPWDD HCBS Regional Manager, for all she’s done with ceaseless devotion. She gave it her all, to successfully set up our newest regional office in the Five Towns!”

Hamaspik’s Five Towns office is located at 76 Columbia Ave in Cedarhurst, NY.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Shulamith ECC learns about fire safety

BJX International Chanukah Project

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he Brooklyn Shabbos Project spearheaded by BJX was very successful. Over 1,100 Jews of all backgrounds united in celebration of Shabbos.

“We wondered how we can maintain the incredible momentum of the Shabbos Project and provide an easy yet impactful way for Jews to share a mitzvah with others without much time, preparation or the need to have sleepover guests,” explained Rabbi Moshe Fingerer, Menahel of Brooklyn Jewish Xperience.

Hence, the international Chanukah Project was born. It’s easy.

Unlike a Shabbos invitation, meals,

lodging and time off from work aren’t required. This Chanukah, simply invite a fellow Jew into your home to join you at your menorah, share a latke (or a doughnut); that’s it. Just share the light of Chanukah with another Jew. You can invite someone less affiliated, or someone who is living alone, a neighbor who needs some chizuk, or a struggling teenager.

Together, you and your guest will bask in the radiance of the Chanukah lights. You can sing a song, share a story, watch the flames, convey your gratitude, l’Hodos ul’Hallel. This Chanukah, you will ignite the pintele yid, the small flame within another

Jew. All that’s required is a phone call, text, or email.

Let your fellow Jew know how meaningful it will be for them to join you at your menorah. This Chanukah, transform your hadlakos neiros into something impactful and memorable. Choose from any of the eight nights of Chanukah and invite over a less affiliated Jew or someone in need of chizuk. You have over a week of opportunities to include another Jew in this meaningful and easy mitzvah.

Light up the night of Chanukah leshem ul’sifares. Spread ahavas Yisroel.

Bring another Jew into your home to share the light; ha’neros halalu ko-

desh heim.

“The kedusha of the neiros Chanukah coupled with your gracious invitation will b’ezras Hashem be a zechus for Klal Yisroel to speedily witness the brilliant neiros in the Beis HaMikdash”, said Rav Yitzchok Fingerer.

This Chanukah, let’s all join together and truly light up the night. Corporate sponsorship is available to spread the light around the world. For ideas, tips and suggestions email the BJX office at info@bjxcenter.com.

The International Chanukah Project has the enthusiastic support and brachos of HaRav Shmuel Kaminetzky, shlita.

Unity Pre-Chanukah Food Distribution Brings Joy to Many

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n Thursday, November 18, the Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island (COJO), the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island (JCC), and Project Hospitality teamed up, collaborated and partnered with Met Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) in creating a grand pre-Chanukah food distribution. The event was hosted by the JCC and took place at the parking lot of the Joan & Alan Bernikow complex of the Jewish Community Center located in the Seaview section of Staten Island.

Approximately, 800 Chanukah food packages were distributed consisting of chickens, turkeys, groceries, produce and other edible delights.

“The goal of this year’s pre-Chanukah food

giveaway was to create a spirit of harmony, unit,y and love by bringing the diverse communities of Staten Island together as one in focusing on a positive way to help as many families as we can to celebrate Chanukah with appropriate festive food items,” stressed Mendy Mirocznik, president,

COJO. This year marks the 46th year of COJO helping make sure that members of the Staten Island community can celebrate Chanukah in a dignified manner in accordance with Jewish traditions and customs.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Around the Community

Admorim and Rabbanim in Brooklyn Give Chizuk to Dirshu Yidden in Advance of Massive World Siyum of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha

By Chaim Gold

“W

hen we come upstairs after 120, we will be asked, ‘Where is the Shulchan Aruch, the Mishnah Berurah?!’

Dirshu empowers us to have and realize that dream of completing Shas and Shulchan Aruch!” exclaimed Rav Zev Smith, at a recent Dirshu gathering in Flatbush.

Later this winter, lomdei Dirshu will be celebrating a major milestone with the Dirshu World Siyum marking the completion of the second machzor of six chalakim of Sefer Mishnah Berurah in Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Program, where a page of Mishnah Berurah is learned daily with chazara on weekends and monthly tests.

In preparation for the upcoming World Siyum, a remarkable chizuk event was held earlier this month in Flatbush in the Beis Medrash of Kollel Dirshu led by Rav Shlomo Cynamon. Prominent Brooklyn rabbanim together with Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Maggidei Shiur joined to give chizuk to participants in the program and to celebrate the tremendous breakthrough that tens upon tens of thousands the world over are celebrating as they bring daily halachic observance into every aspect of their lives.

The event was addressed by Rav Shlomo Cynamon, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi Dirshu, Rav Moshe Weinberger, Rav of the Agudas Yisroel of Flatbush and R”M at Mesivta Shalom Shachne, and Rav Zev Smith, Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Maggid Shiur.

Dirshu Represents Achdus Through Torah In addition, Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, paid two special visits to prominent Admorim in Boro Park, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe, shlita, of Boro Park and the Kossover Rebbe, shlita, to personally invite them to the upcoming Dirshu World Siyum.

Rav Dovid was joined in both visits by Dirshu representatives of varied chassidishe communities in Brooklyn who have seen the transformative effect on their kehillos brought about by participation in Dirshu’s programs.

The first visit was to the Zekan Ha’Admorim, the elder Chasidishe Rebbe of Boro Park, the venerated Rachmastrivka Rebbe. The Rebbe received Rav

Hofstedter with great warmth and went out of his way to thank him. Why? Because several of his own grandsons are avid participants in Dirshu’s programs and take regular tests. In fact, one of the Rebbe’s grandsons has taken tests on the entire Shas!

A fascinating talk ensued wherein the Rebbe showed his deep admiration for Dirshu serving as an organization that reaches the entire cross-section of Torah Jewry with participants representing many different Chassidic groups, Litvish and yeshivish, American Yidden, Ashkenazim and Sefardim.

Rav Hofstedter then invited the Rebbe to the upcoming Dirshu World Siyum on the second machzor of the entire six chalakim of Mishnah Berurah in Dirshu’s popular Daf HaYomi B’Halacha daily halacha and mussar program that will be held on March 3, at the Cure Insurance Arena.

“It is Not a Segulah!”

Another fascinating, inspiring visit was that of the Dirshu leadership led by Rav Dovid Hofstedter to the Kossover Rebbe, Rav Shraga Hager, shlita.

Rav Hager, one of the distinguished Rebbes in Boro Park who deals with countless contemporary challenges in chinuch and shalom bayis in our communities, greeted Rav Hofstedter with tremendous joy and fondness. The Rebbe, with a warm smile, quipped to Rav Hofstedter, “You are putting me out of business!”

He then explained, “Sadly, much of my time is occupied with addressing shalom bayis issues between couples. I have found, however, that when a husband learns in a Dirshu program, it is a solution to any shalom bayis problems. You see,” the Rebbe continued, “it is not a segulah, rather it makes utmost sense logically. A yungerman who learns in Dirshu and takes the tests is part of a structured program, thereby bringing tremendous structure and discipline to his life and promoting a deep sense of respect between the two spouses.”

The meeting concluded with Rav Hofstedter inviting the Kossover Rebbe to attend both the major World Siyum event in New Jersey this coming March and the earlier European event in Radin where numerous Gedolim will visit the Chofetz Chaim’s kever and spend Shabbos in Vilna.

Rachmastrivka Rebbe meeting with Hanhalas Dirshu in his home

The Flatbush Asifa At the Flatbush event for rabbanim and maggidei shiur, Rav Shlomo Cynamon, the host rav, opened the event by highlighting the tremendous kiddush Hashem being made by Dirshu throughout the world. He noted Dirshu’s global reach and the fact that Torah observant Jews from all over are positively impacted by Dirshu’s programs. “Dirshu is truly a Klal Yisrael organization!”

Rav Cynamon then gave over a powerful message about the commitment and obligation to Torah learning and Torah knowledge afforded by participating in Dirshu’s programs. “...The secret of Dirshu’s success, the motif of Dirshu is commitment, not just to learn with a plan but to learn with a commitment, an obligation, a clearly defined plan. That obligation transforms a person and his family into a new metzius, creating simcha, hatzlacha and protection.”

Rav Hofstedter spoke about the importance of the upcoming siyum.

“The siyum is important not only because it will celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of lomdei Dirshu for completing the entire Mishnah Berurah through sustained daily learning, but also in the message that it sends to all of Klal Yisrael by expanding the borders of what it means to be a baal halacha and an ish halacha, for whom halacha observance permeates their very essence.”

Rav Hofstedter brought out a lesson from Avrohom Avinu highlighting how bringing halacha into our daily lives and not making a move without thinking of the halachos that one must observe, empower a person to bring the Shechinah into their daily lives. Halacha enables you to live with the Shechinah as Avrohom Avinu did. “Our entire life, our every action at every hour and every minute is dictated by halacha. If we

don’t learn halacha daily, we will not be able to live halacha daily.

“We must all strive to live with the Shechinah, to bring the Shechinah into our daily lives. Being part of the Dirshu worldwide movement and learning Daf HaYomi B’Halacha in the Mishnah Berurah and the Chofetz Chaim’s other seforim in the mussar portion of the program, is all part of that mission.”

Rav Moshe Weinberger, rav of the Agudas Yisroel shul of Flatbush, said, “There is nothing that gives a person more clarity in what he is learning than knowing that he must take a test on the material. To really know halacha, you must completely immerse yourself into it and take tests on it. It is such a chizuk to come to a Dirshu test and see so many who have learned with such clarity that they can take a test on what they learned! Rav Dovid,” Rav Weinberger concluded, “I want to give you a yasher koach on behalf of Klal Yisrael!”

The final address was given by Rav Zev Smith who shared with a personal story.

He was once compelled to take an unscheduled emergency trip to England. Jumping into a taxi, he dashed to the airport and made it to the counter with barely minutes to spare. The clerk asked for his passport, and it dawned on him – he had forgotten his passport at home! No describing how important his trip was could make the clerk change his mind. He would not be allowed on the flight without his passport.

“Shas and every halachah in Shulchan Aruch is our passport to Gan Eden!”

Rav Smith thundered. “Lomdei Dirshu are the ultimate manifestation of Ashrei Mi Shaba’ah l’Kan v’Talmudo B’yado. As we approach the siyum on the entire Mishnah Berurah, we must thank Dirshu and its Nasi for giving us the opportunity to reach this milestone!”

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Centerfold

Picture Perfect Trivia 1. Which of the following was the first advertising slogan used for a Kodak camera? a. You press the button, we do the rest b. Click it and it lasts forever c. Live for Kodak moments d. Record life 2. The word “camera” comes from the Latin “camera obscura.”

What does the Latin phrase mean? a. Instant image b. Perfect copy c. Here forever d. Dark chamber 3. What is the full name of the Kodak company? a. Kodak Camera Incorporated b. Eastman Kodak Company c. Kodak Electronic Corp. d. Kodak Cameral and Video Corp.

4. When was the first color photograph taken?

Answer Key: 1-A 2-D 3-B 4-B 5-C 6-A 7-C 8-D Snapshot: 6-8 correct: You are certainly an

a. b. c. d.

1796 1861 1898 1918

5. Why didn’t people smile in the early days of photographs? a. Because they had bad teeth b. Because photographs were taken to commemorate serious moments c. Because it took hours to take photos and the subjects of the photos would not have been able to keep their smile for that long d. Abel Lincoln set the trend in photos, and he never smiled in photos so nobody else did 6. In a camera, what is the main purpose of a lens? a. To bend light rays so the camera can record them b. To control the amount of light that enters the camera c. To keep dust from entering the camera body d. To illuminate the subject being recorded

expert when it comes to photos… Send in your Chanukah pictures!

3-5 correct: You are an OK photographer. Yet, you marvel at how amazing your pictures are, but let’s face it – it’s really your iPhone that is doing the heavy lifting. Anyways, you can send in your Chanukah photos, too. We’d

7. The below photo is the most viewed photo of all time. (If you don’t know why, you obviously haven’t turned your computer on lately.) It is a virtually unedited photograph taken by Charles O’Rear in 1996.

Microsoft purchased the photo from a stock photo site. Where was the photo taken?

a. b. c. d.

Governor’s Island, New York Catskill Mountains, New York California’s Wine Country Hot Springs, Arkansas

8. Approximately how many photos are uploaded a day to Facebook? a. 2 million b. 14 million c. 75 million d. 300 million

like to see them.

0-2 correct: Having a hard time getting your hands on film? If you manage to find some, snap a nice picture of the family and join the Chanukah Giveaway. (We will not develop the photo for you, though. So please don’t send in the negative.)

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 25, 29, 2021 2015 The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER

“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.)

10 billion donuts 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.”)

Bakers started placing holes in donuts when they realized that it enabled the donuts 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!)

Per capita, Canada has more doughnut shops than any other country. (Hey, they have to excel at something!)

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?)

According to studies, there is an 8-day period in the winter, usually in December, during which if you eat a doughnut a day for 8 days you won’t gain any weight from it. (OK, that was totally made up by me…but I know I had you there for a moment!)

Eric “Badlands” Booker holds the Guinness World Record for eating 49 glazed donuts in eight minutes. (“Badlands”…seriously? That’s a nickname for the guy who knocks off the wise guy, not the guy who eats glazed donuts for a living!)

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.”)

Hey Folks,

ry time you go out to takes a selfie with your food eve who ple peo se tho of one you So, are p ne ala vodka). Well, you can kee (You look great near that pen to see your Chanukah photos. those photos. However, we’d love nukcah ka, Channnuka or even your Cha Send in your Chanukah, Chanuc details on certificate to Berrylicious! See pictures in order to win a gift grievances). place serious people air their Letters to the Editor page (the OK? in the pictures, no sour faces, Hey, do me a favor? Smile big Happy Channuuukkkcckckhh

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3

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayeishev

By Rabbi Berel Wein

T

he story of Joseph and his brothers reveals both the strengths and weaknesses of mortal beings and a family structure. Parents, in a perfect world, do not have favorite children. All their children are their favorites, in their minds and hearts. However, in the imperfect world that we live in, favoritism within a family is a norm and not an exception. For whatever rea-

son – and it is usually an emotional and even irrational one – favoritism within a family is a fact of life and common in the human experience.

The issue is not the favoritism itself, but, rather, how the parents and the other members of the family deal with this situation. A great deal depends upon the attitude of the child that is being favored.

In this week’s Torah reading, Jo-

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seph flaunts his status as being the favored child of Jacob. It is not so much that the brothers resent the specialness displayed by Jacob as he relates to Joseph, for they realize that Joseph is a person of physical strength and attraction, filled with great spiritual and creative values. They even do not begrudge him his status as being the favorite of their father. What they do object to – and most vehemently react

of entitlement, but rather, as being G-d’s servant in bringing about salvation for all concerned. The brothers, for their part, will realize that their actions were unjustified and extreme regarding their treatment of their brother.

All parties concerned will be forced to take a step back and readjust their thinking as to their reaction regarding the favored status of Jo-

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One need not demean others to establish one’s own greatness and talents.

to – is the way Joseph chooses to publicly display his favored status in their faces and to their detriment.

One need not demean others to establish one’s own greatness and talents. Every person is entitled to great dreams but may not to use them publicly as a weapon against others. And it is this pattern of behavior exhibited

by Joseph that the brothers object to and eventually feel mortally threatened by.

At the end of this wondrous story related to us in the Torah, the brothers and Joseph will come to terms with his uniqueness and favorite position in the family. Joseph will wisely refrain from relating to them his dreams of success, nor attribute his position of power over them to that

seph. It will take decades and a great deal of pain and suffering on the part of all of Jacob’s sons to face up to the reality of their past behavior towards one another. But the greatness of our Forefathers, who created the tribes of Israel and the Jewish nation, lies in their honest assessment of their past behavior and their attempt to begin again with a new and different attitude towards each other.

There will be lingering doubts and fears, of course, for the past never disappears, but in the Torah readings during this coming month, the crucial moral lesson about being honest regarding our past, and being better people regarding our future, will be driven home to us.

Shabbat shalom.

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From the Fire Parshav Vayeishev

Temporary Tranquility

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

M

uch has been written about the name of the parsha, “Vayeishev,” which means to dwell peacefully. After many years of trouble and anguish, Rashi explains (commenting on Bereishis 37:2) that “Yaakov sought to enjoy some serenity, but the troubles of Yosef sprang upon him. Tzadikim seek to dwell in tranquility, but Hashem says, ‘Is that which is prepared for the tzaddikim in the world to come not enough for them?

Must they also seek to dwell peacefully in this world as well?’”

Yaakov did not seek physical tranquility. Rather, he sought a respite from all of the worries, stress, and danger with which he had been plagued for most of his life. He sought spiritual and emotional rest.

Yaakov’s experience is reflected in the Mishna (Avos 4:15), which says, “We cannot understand the tranquility of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous.” We may not understand why, but we see from Rashi’s commentary above and the

Mishna in Avos that, for whatever reason, it is the portion of the tzaddikim that they do not enjoy tranquility in this world. In addition, according to the Gemara (Brachos 64a),“Torah scholars have no rest either in this world or the next world, as it says (Tehilim 84:8), ‘They go from strength to strength.’” The lot of tzaddikim is that they have much reward but little rest. As the Gemara also says (Sanhedrin 72a), “Sleep and wine are good for the wicked and good for the world but for tzaddikim, they are bad for them and bad for the world.”

Rav Adin Even-Yisrael (Steinsaltz) explains that the world is filled with confusion now more than ever. Everyone seems to be desperately in need of some peace and tranquility. Many women enjoy a few days in a special home for postpartum recovery called a “recovery home.” It is difficult to go home to the “joys” of a lively home after such peace and quiet. People naturally want to leave the world of stress and

enter into a place of serenity.

Indeed, some people seek out religiosity because they believe it will bring them peace, safety, and tranquility, a break from the nonstop pressures of this world. There is some truth to this. One can only truly take a break from work, phone calls, emails, the Internet, and the like on Shabbos because it is simply forbidden to use these things.

Without the framework of religion, today’s modern gadgetry will pursue a person at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week, three-hundred-sixty-five days a year. Many people have told me that they became religious after spending Shabbos in a religious home and experiencing the peace of Shabbos. It is difficult for religious people to understand, as we watch our children bouncing off the walls on Shabbos, but our life contains tremendous peace and security relative to the outside world.

The world of halacha frees a person from many of the desires of this

world. For example, even those who are addicted to smoking are able to abstain from their habit for the twenty-five hours of Shabbos without any problem whatsoever. As the Ibn Ezra explained with respect to the prohibition of Lo Sachmod, not to covet one’s neighbor’s wife, house, or the like. Just like one does not covet a king’s wife because marrying her is completely outside of the world of possibility, so too, with the Torah’s prohibition against adultery, one will not even desire to marry another man’s wife in his heart (or any other prohibition for that matter), because the Torah’s prohibition puts such a possibility completely outside the realm of the reality of his life. The rules of religion therefore do create a certain type of peace by reducing the struggle from certain areas of life.

On a deeper level, though, Jews who live with faith, “ein la’hem menucha, have no rest.” The struggle of (Gittin 43a) “one can only understand the words of Torah if

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

one stumbles in them” is ongoing.

Growth involves ups and downs, successes and failures.

The larger the number of words for a concept in a given language reflects the importance and nuance of that concept in that culture. The more a people’s life revolves around a concept, the more subtle distinctions that culture will discern within that concept. Jews therefore have numerous words for “question.” Our people are connoisseurs of good questions. Questions mean seeing a problem and struggling with it, trying to reach the truth.

Many of us nevertheless have a tendency to seek the “peace” of living without questions, to avoid the struggle for the truth. Despite the fact that the tendency to ask a lot of questions defines our nation, there is a desire to slide into the apathy of a life without questions, without struggle.

Indeed, the Rambam sought to create absolute clarity by removing all questions from the Gemara and writing the Mishna Torah, which contains only the answers. Yet no book since the Talmud has engendered more debate than the Mishna Torah. To paraphrase Rashi’s commentary on Yaakov quoted above, “The Rambam sought to dwell in peace, but the troubles of the Ra’avad (author of a commentary questioning the Rambam’s conclusions) sprang upon him.” As we say in the Chanukah song Maoz Tzur, “Neither did I find rest there.”

It must be that the reality of the constant changes and turbulence experienced by tzaddikim, those of us who are trying to grow, is not b’di’eved, a less-than-ideal situation.

Rather, that reality is l’chatchila, the way it is supposed to be. Only people who aren’t growing have no questions, no challenges, and no turbulence. In truth, Hashem did not give us Torah and mitzvos to give us peace and rest. Just the opposite! If someone isn’t working, isn’t rising from level to level, isn’t facing challenges, it is a sign that he is not growing or moving forward and he is not a complete Jew. A peaceful life is more pleasant, but it is not a better life. A true Jewish life is a life of challenges and overcoming troubles.

Tz add i k i m c on st a nt ly go “mei’chayil el chayil,” from level to level, facing new questions and new challenges, attaining new levels of greatness at each stage. Overcoming obstacles to attain greatness is what Chanukah is about. The Jews

son, “We don’t always need to know what the dreidel lands on. The main thing is for a Jew to just keep on going.”

Being a Jew means that we have questions, and we don’t always have the answers. The main thing is to

Chanukah means not remaining complacent but continuing to fight for higher levels of holiness.

found that one jar of oil “sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol,” the great kohen. The Torah describes the Jewish nation as (Devarim 4:7) “goy gadol, a great nation,” and the miracle of Chanukah is called a “great miracle,” as it is written on the dreidel, “Nes gadol hayah sham, a great miracle happened there.”

Also, in the Al Hanisim prayer we say on Chanukah, we say, “And for your sake you made a great and holy name in your world.”

When we are not satisfied with the smallness of remaining at rest, we can access the greatness within Chanukah. The Hebrew word for miracle, neis, also means to be lifted up, l’hitnoses, because the miracle was meant to spur us on to challenge ourselves to grow bigger and bigger.

The Bobover Rebbe, Rav Bentziyon, was once playing dreidel with his grandson, Naftul’che, a short time before the war. Rav Bentziyon would not survive, though Naftul’che would go on to survive the war and become a future rebbe of Bobov.

As they were playing dreidel, Naftul’che rolled a “gimmel” and took all the gelt. After replenishing the “pot,” Naftul’che rolled again and got a “hei,” and took half the pot. Feeling good about how the game was going, he rolled again, but this time his grandfather, Rav Bentziyon, put his hand over the dreidel before Naftul’che could see what was the dreidel landed on. A very dark look came over the Rebbe’s face and he said to his grand-

keep moving forward and going to the next level, to never stop spinning and moving in our service of Hashem.

We know that Chanukah stands for “chanu chaf-hey, they rested on the twenty-fifth” of the Hebrew month of Kislev. Chanukah marks

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the date of the end of the war to drive the Syrian Greeks out of our land, when the Chashmonayim hoped to finally rest from the battle. But that date also marked the beginning of their efforts to purify the Beis Hamikdash from the Greek impurity and begin ascending the levels of holiness. So rather than being a time of “rest,” Chanukah means not remaining complacent but continuing to fight for higher levels of holiness. That is the meaning of Chanukah and what it means to be a Jew. May we merit to go mei’chayil el chayil, from strength to strength, continually growing and never resting in one place for too long.

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

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Self-Mastery Academy

The Deeper Battle of Chanukah

By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

T

here was once a public debate between a rabbi and an astrophysicist regarding the nature of our universe. The astrophysicist, representing the atheist perspective, confidently approached the podium and began addressing the audience: “I don’t know much about Judaism, but I believe I can sum it up in a few words: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” With that, he went on to detail how physicists could now adequately explain the nature of our universe, without the need for religion.

When he finished his speech, it was the rabbi’s turn to address the audience and represent the religious approach. With a sparkle in his eye, the rabbi turned to the crowd and said: “I don’t know much about astrophysics, but I believe I can sum it up in a few words: Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are.”

With that, he went on to deliver the rest of his speech.

The Age-Old Debate Spiritual debate has been a recurring phenomenon since the beginning of time. Chanukah is when we tap into the spiritual debate between the Jews and the Greeks, as the Greeks specifically attempted to destroy our spiritual way of life.

They aimed to cut off our connection with Hashem and replace it with the worship of the natural, physical world. Yavan, the Hebrew name for the Greeks, means “quicksand” (Tehillim 69:3) – the Greeks sought to “drown” us in their secular culture, replacing spirituality with atheism and hedonism.

The Midrash says that the Greeks attempted to darken our eyes: “hichshichah eineihem” (Bereishis Rabbah 2:4). Darkness represents a lack of clarity, the inability to per-

ceive true form. Physical darkness prevents physical clarity, spiritual darkness prevents spiritual clarity.

This was the Greek attack on the Jewish People: a distortion of truth, a darkening of knowledge and perception. For this reason, the Jewish People went to war against the mighty Greek army, and to this day we carry on that fight against Greek culture, a culture that we view as damaging and antithetical to Judaism.

However, if we take a deeper look into Jewish literature, we find a strikingly different picture of the Greek nation and their culture. In Parshas Noach, Noach blesses his two sons, Shem and Yefes, with a seemingly peculiar bracha: “Yaft Elokim l’Yefes, v’yishkon b’ohalei Shem,” Hashem will grant beauty to Yefes, and he (Yefes) will dwell within the tents of Shem. Yefes is the precursor to the Greeks, and Shem to the Jews. This seemingly paints the Greeks in a positive light, as a beautiful nation fitting to dwell within the framework and boundaries of Judaism.

In a similar vein, the Gemara (Megillah 9b) states that despite the general prohibition of translating the

Torah into different languages, it is permissible to translate the Torah into Greek due to the beauty of the language. According to both of these sources, it seems as though Greek culture does not contradict Judaism but is meant in some way to complement it, harmonizing with Jewish ideology. How can we understand this contradiction?

The Spiritual-Physical Relationship How do we understand and perceive Hashem? Is Hashem within time and space, limited to this world alone, as Pantheists believe? Or is Hashem completely transcendent, beyond time, space, and this physical world, as many of the ancient philosophers believed?

The Jewish approach, as explained by the Rambam, Maharal, Ramchal, and others, is a beautifully nuanced blend of these two approaches. Hashem is transcendent, completely beyond our physical world of time and space, and yet, He is also immanent, within our physical world. This principle applies to all spirituality; we believe that the spiritual and transcendent is deeply connected to the limited and physical

world. In other words, our physical world is a projection and emanation of a deeper, spiritual reality. This is the meaning behind the famous Midrash, “Istakel bi’Oraisa, u’bara alma,” Hashem looked into the Torah and created the world (Bereishis Rabbah 1:1). This means that the physical world is an emanation and expression of the Torah, the spiritual root of existence.

To give an analogy, imagine a projector: the image you see on the screen is emanating from the projector. The projector and film are the source; the image on the screen is the expression. Similarly, each and every one of us was once a zygote, half a male and half a female genetic code.

From that single cell, a fully developed and expressed human being ultimately manifested. The same is true regarding the physical world – it stems from a spiritual root, a transcendent dimension.

Thus, we are able to understand and experience the spiritual through the physical, as the two are intrinsically connected. If you’re wondering how to understand this concept, consider the way other human beings experience, relate to, and understand you. All they have ever seen is your physical body. They’ve never seen your thoughts, your consciousness, or your emotions. The only way they can understand you is by relating to how you express yourself and your internal world through your physical body. Through your words, actions, facial expressions, and body language, other people experience what’s going on inside of your body, inside of your head, inside of you.

The same is true regarding our experience of Hashem and the spiritual. We can’t see spirituality, only physicality. We must therefore use the physical to connect back to the spiritual root.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

The Battle of Chanukah The Greeks sought to uproot this Jewish perspective, to detach the physical world from its higher root. They claimed that human beings have no connection to anything higher than the physical world itself and that it’s therefore impossible to connect to Hashem. As the Ramban explains (Ramban Al Ha’Torah, Vayikra 16:8), the Greeks believed only that which the human intellect could grasp. Anything that requires spiritual sensitivity, that transcends rational proof alone, was dismissed as false. Even the Greeks gods were glorified humans – as anything that transcended the physical, human world was dismissed. In essence, the Greeks served themselves.

The Jewish approach is much more nuanced. We embrace human intellect and reason but are aware of a realm that transcends it. We recognize the wisdom of science, medicine, psychology, mathematics, and other forms of worldly wisdom but also recognize a higher form of wisdom, the Torah.

As the Vilna Gaon explains, where logic and human intellect ends, Jewish wisdom begins. The reasoning behind this principle is based on the aforementioned idea: the physical world is an expression of the spiritual world. Just as the physical world stems from a higher, spiritual realm, physical wisdom is an expression of a higher form of wisdom, the Torah. While the wisdom of the physical world is true, it stems from a higher truth, the Torah. Torah is the absolute foundation and root; all physical wisdom is its expression.

The Ideal Relationship The ideal is for the physical wisdom of the Greeks and Yefes to reside within the tent of Shem, for science and the wisdom of the world to be in harmony with Torah. The problem occurred only once the Greeks denied the existence of anything beyond their independent intellectual wisdom. This was the battle of Chanukah. The Greeks tried to destroy the Torah, which contradicted their ideology, and the Jews were forced to fight for their beliefs, to defend their spiritual connection with Hashem and the transcendent wisdom of Torah.

Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l, explains that Chanukah is the chag of Torah She’ba’al Peh, the Oral Torah.

Chanukah is the one holiday with no source in Torah She’biksav. Unlike Purim, it does not even have a Megillah; it is completely of rabbanic origin. Furthermore, it doesn’t even have

Every day, we get to choose whether we’ll become further entrenched in secular and Greek culture, or if we’ll build our connection to the infinite, the transcendent, and carry the message of Chanukah deep within our hearts. Our life is like building a personal Beis Hamik-

The Jews were forced to fight for their beliefs, to defend their spiritual connection with Hashem and the transcendent wisdom of Torah.

a Mishna; the only canonized source for Chanukah is a few Gemaras which mention Chanukah in an almost coincidental manner. Why is this so?

Chanukah represents the battle against the Greeks. The Greeks claimed that the only source of truth is the human intellect; nothing transcends human logic. The Jews not only showed that there is a transcendent source of truth but took it one step further. When done appropriately, with humility and proper recognition of the Torah’s transcendent root, the limited human being can actually use his human intellect to participate in the creation of Torah.

This is the unbelievable nature of Torah She’ba’al Peh: human beings are given the ability to participate and even create novel Torah ideas and insights. The greatest victory over the Greeks wasn’t to simply prove that transcendent Torah exists; it was to reveal that even the human intellect can connect to Torah, even limited human beings can connect to the infinite.

The Greeks tried to spiritually destroy our Beis Ha’Mikdash, the point of connection to the transcendent, where Hashem most intimately connects to this physical world. After our victory on Chanukah, we reignited the flame of that spiritual building, and every year since, we must reignite that same flame within our own homes, we must inaugurate our own personal Beis Hamikdash.

dash, building an ever-deeper and ever-closer relationship with Hashem. It’s the result of every brick we lay down; every day is like another brick, another opportunity to add to

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our eternal home, our eternal self, our eternal existence.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is an author, educator, speaker, and coach who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah, psychology, and leadership. He is the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course that is based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah.

After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University, he received semicha from RIETS, a Master’s degree in Jewish Education from Azrieli, and a Master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Revel. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago and has also spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Exchange Scholar.

To find more inspirational content from Rabbi Reichman, to contact him, or to learn more about Self-Mastery Academy, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

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Chanukah and Yosef’s Dreams The Amazing Allusion to the Forty-Four Candles

BY RABBI DANIEL GLATSTEIN

R

av Yosef Engel teaches an idea that is rooted in the Zohar, stating that all the bracha and happenings of a given week are latent in the koach, power, of the preceding Shabbos. Chanukah, therefore, draws its strength, kedusha, and bracha from the Shabbos immediately preceding it. This is usually the Shabbos on which we read Parshas Vayeishev.

We would then expect Parshas Vayeishev to contain some compelling allusions to Chanukah.

Let’s investigate Parshas Vayeishev and try to discover the remazim to Chanukah contained therein.

Yosef’s Dreams

The beginning of the parsha describes the dreams of Yosef HaTzaddik. In the first dream, he was in the field gathering bundles of grain, and his bundle was standing tall and erect. The bundles of his various family members bowed down to his bundle. Yosef then has a second dream in which the sun, the moon, and eleven stars all bow down to him.

While a cursory reading of the parsha seems to yield that Yosef had two dreams, a closer analysis of the pesukim reveals that, in fact, this is not the case.

The pasuk states, “Yosef dreamt a dream which he told to his brothers, and they hated him even more” (Bereishis 37:5). The next verse states that he told his brothers to listen to his dream, which he then describes to them. “Hear, if you please, this dream that I dreamt: Behold!

We were binding sheaves in the middle of the field, when, behold! — my sheaf arose and also remained standing; then behold! — your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf” (ibid. vs. 6-7).

The pesukim seem to indicate that there was an additional dream, the details of which are not revealed to us. If only one dream was being referred to, then the pasuk should have read, “And he told his brothers, saying,” as they would only begin to hate him once he shared the details of the dream.

From the fact that the Torah tells us, “Yosef dreamt a dream which he told to his brothers, and they hated him even more” and only then the Torah relates that Yosef said, “Hear, if you please, this dream…” it seems clear that the dream that the Torah enumerates is not the original dream that contributed to their dislike of him.

This idea is further supported by the fact that

the Torah continues, “And they hated even more — because of his dreams and because of his talk” (ibid. v. 8). This newfound hatred, this increase in their dislike, is prompted by his dreams – plural.

Yet, up to this point, the Torah had only related the details of one dream — that of the bundles. This is yet another inference that up to this point Yosef had, in fact, shared at least one additional dream.

Thus, after we read the details of his dream about the stars, we see that Yosef had three dreams.

The Missing Dream

These questions are raised by Rabbeinu Ovadiah M’Bartenura, and he answers by providing us with the details of the missing dream.

In Parshas Vayechi, we read that after Yaakov Avinu’s passing and subsequent burial in the Me’aras HaMachpelah, the brothers were very worried, as they thought that now that Yaakov was no longer alive, Yosef would seek to take his revenge for their having sold him as a slave.

Yosef is quick to comfort his brothers, and he offers them assurance that he will not seek to cause

them any harm at all, saying, “’So now, fear not — I will sustain you and your young ones.’ Thus, he comforted them and spoke to their heart” (Bereishis 50:21).

The Gemara informs us that Yosef consoled his brothers by advancing a kal vachomer, an a fortiori argument: “If ten flames could not extinguish one flame, then how could one single flame possibly extinguish ten others?” When Yosef — the one flame — was dominated by his brothers — the ten flames— they had sought to kill him but were unsuccessful. Now that they are all under Yosef’s domain, he, as a single flame, would definitely not be able to harm them. Rashi cites this Gemara to explain how Yosef consoled his brothers.

Yosef’s parable of candles is curious. Why flames? Why not any other example? Of all the myriad examples he could have used, he chose candles.

Why? The Bartenura explains that Yosef did not simply just choose a random parable. He was referring to his first dream — the dream referenced in Parshas Vayeishev, whose details are not specified

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in the Torah. In that dream, Yosef had visualized ten flames attempting unsuccessfully to extinguish one flame.

Herein, lies our first remez to Chanukah. The hinted-at but undisclosed dream about flames is an allusion to the neiros of Chanukah.

The Bartenura then explains why this dream is not discussed in the Torah. This dream displayed the hatred of the ten flames and their ineffectiveness to extinguish the light of the single flame, representing the hatred of the ten brothers and their futile attempts to harm him. However, as it did not allude to Yosef being victorious over them, as his other dreams indicated, there was no need to include it in the Torah. The Torah recorded for posterity only the dreams that bothered the brothers, the dreams that contributed to their course of action.

How Many Neiros Chanukah Are There?

There are two ways to calculate the total number of candles we light on Chanukah. If we do not include the shamash, we light thirty-six candles in all; if we do include the shamash that is lit each night, then the sum increases to forty-four.

Seudah and Simchah on Chanukah: Optional or Mitzvah?

The Matteh Moshe cites the Maharam M’Rottenberg, who ruled that seudos and parties made on Chanukah are not an important part of the yom tov; rather, they are deemed seudos reshus, discretionary meals that one is permitted to host. According to the Maharam, there is no basis for having a festive meal on Chanukah. Chanukah, after all, was established as days of hallel and hoda’ah, of praise and thanks toward Hashem.

The Matteh Moshe quotes his rebbi, the Maharshal, whose opinion differed from the Maharam and maintained that it is in fact a mitzvah to have a joyous seudah on Chanukah, hence its designation as a yom tov. Furthermore, the Rambam rules that there is a mitzvah of simchah on Chanukah.

The Hagahos Mordechai maintains likewise, and he brings a remez to the mitzvah of simchah on Chanukah.

In Parshas Mikeitz, the pasuk describing Yosef’s seudah with his brothers states, “Yosef saw Binyamin with them; so he said to the one in charge of his house, ‘Bring the men into the house. Have meat slaughtered, and prepare it, for with me will these men dine at noon’” (Bereishis 43:16). If the ches of the word tevach (slaughtered) is combined with the next word, v’hachein (and prepare), the letters form the word Chanukah. This is a remez to the seudos of Chanukah.

Furthermore, the ge-

matria of the words tevach u’tvo’ach is forty-four, an allusion to the forty-four candles we light on Chanukah. Hence, we see the number forty-four employed in a remez to Chanukah.

Another instance where the number forty-four is used as an allusion to Chanukah is brought by the Chida. “They shall take for you clear olive oil, crushed, for illumination, to kindle a lamp continually” (Shemos 27:20). Using the letters of the words of this phrase, this verse represents various halachos of Chanukah. The Chida’s allusion also utilizes the number forty-four as a reference to the number of candles we light on Chanukah.

Here is another instance. On Chanukah, we have the minhag to recite Chapter 30 of Tehillim, which begins, “Mizmor shir chanukah ha’bayis l’Dovid.” The roshei teivos, initial letters, of the first few words are mem, shin, ches, which stand

In that dream, Yosef had visualized ten flames attempting unsuccessfully to extinguish one flame. for milah, Shabbos, chodesh — the three mitzvos that the Yevanim declared illegal to perform. The word m’shach, which is formed from those three letters and which means to anoint, is yet another reference to the oil.

The Chida adds that the roshei teivos of the entire phrase “Mizmor shir chanukah ha’bayis l’Dovid” spells out the word l’simcha. It also the letters of the word la’chamisha, to five, as the neis took place with the five sons of Mattisyahu.

The Chida concludes that the final word of this pasuk alludes to forty-four neiros on Chanukah, as the gematria of l’Dovid is forty-four. Thus, it is an accurate calculation to include the shamash in the sum total of candles lit on Chanukah, yielding a total of forty-four.

Forty-Four in Vayeishev

Hashem illuminated my eyes to note that in Parshas Vayeishev there is yet another remez to the forty-four candles of Chanukah. Yosef, as we discussed above, had an undisclosed dream in which he visualized ten candles striving to extinguish the light of an eleventh candle. By Yosef’s re-

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lating this dream to his brothers, the total number of candles increases to twenty-two: eleven candles in the actual dream and another eleven in the repetition.

Then we come to Parshas Vayechi, when the Shevatim were concerned that Yosef might harm them once Yaakov Avinu passed away. In response, Yosef once again reiterated the dream of the candles as he reassured them that he would not harm them, saying, as noted above, “If ten candles could not extinguish one, how can one candle possibly extinguish ten?”

This retelling of the dream adds twenty-two additional candles, giving a total of forty-four candles related to this dream. Thus, the forty-four candles of Chanukah are alluded to in the dreams and consolation of Yosef.

Yaakov Avinu’s Death and Chanukah

Let us add why these candles are alluded to specifically after the burial of Yaakov Avinu. Yaakov Avinu was mourned for seventy days after his passing. The Torah tells us, “His forty-day term was completed, for such is the term of the embalmed; and Egypt bewailed him for seventy days (Bereishis 50:3). They spent forty days embalming Yaakov, and another thirty continuing to mourn him, for a total of seventy days of mourning.

Yaakov Avinu passed away on Sukkos, on the fifteenth day of Tishrei. Counting seventy days from his passing brings us to the twenty-fifth day of Kislev — the first day of Chanukah. This seventy-day period provides a bridge, a connection, between Sukkos and Chanukah.

Once the seventy days were over, and the period of mourning for Yaakov Avinu concluded, the Torah tells us, “They came to Goren HaAtad, which is across the Jordan, and there they held a very great and imposing eulogy; and he ordained a seven-day mourning period for his father” (ibid.

50:10).

The additional seven days of mourning brings us to the seventh day of Chanukah. Then we read, “His sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and they buried him in the cave of the Machpelah, the field that Avraham had bought as a burial estate from Ephron the Chittite, facing Mamrei” (Bereishis 50:13).

Immediately following these seven days, Yaakov was buried, indicating that he was buried on Zos Chanukah, on the last day of Chanukah.

After the burial, Yosef reassured his brothers: If ten can’t extinguish one, then one most definitely cannot extinguish ten!

Amazingly, the remez to the forty-four neiros starts in Parshas Vayeishev, the Shabbos before Chanukah when Yosef has the dream of the candles, and concludes on the final day of Chanukah, on Zos Chanukah, when Yosef once again refers to his dream.

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein is the Mora D’asra of Kehilas Tiferes Mordechai in Cedarhurst, NY. He is the author of Sifrei Maggid Harakiah on the Moadim in Lashon Kodesh and in English for Artscroll. This article was excerpted from his book, The Light and the Splendor, published by Artscroll.

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Eternal Victory of Chanukah

BY R’ YAAKOV KLEIN

One,

less than serious, answer to the question of why we eat an abundance of fried foods during the glorious days of Chanukah is that we do so to counter the Greeks and their worldview. Because the villains of the Chanukah story exalted the human body and the beauty of its form, we eat particularly fattening foods to demonstrate our lack of concern for physical appearance!

While meant as a joke, the premise of this response is a solid one. The Greeks did, in fact, glorify the human body, and the military victory of Chanukah which culminated in the miracle of the oil during the rededication of the Beis HaMikdash does embody a deeper triumph over the worldview the Hellenists sought to force upon the Jewish nation. Indeed, it is this underlying battle between the Jewish and Greek worldviews that transforms the Chanukah tale from a set of historical events into a living fountain of insight and relevance for our holy nation in every place and for all time. In order to appreciate the nature of this conflict and its meaning for us, today, it is important first to dig beyond the surface of the Greek fascination with the human body and its external appearance.

Our sages teach that the human being is a microcosm of the world. One implication of this foundational concept is that, just as the human being is a composite of body and soul, so too is the world similarly composed of two elements – an external layer of physicality, the world we can see, feel, hear, smell, touch, and thus comprehend, as well as an interior layer of spirituality, a fountain of ineffable essence from which all perceptible reality derives.

The tzaddikim explain that the Greek esteem for the strength and beauty of the human body was only the most specific expression of a more general worldview, one that denied the existence of a spiritual realm and recognized only the tangible, physical layer of reality. Whatever couldn’t be sensed, whatever couldn’t be explained or understood was flatly presumed not to exist, and a cultural senti-

ment echoed in every crevice of Greek life, “whatever there is to know, that we shall know someday.”

This perspective is, of course, absolutely antithetical to the fundamental foundations of the Torah. The same Torah that describes the first man as having both an earthly component, “afar min ha’adama,” as well as an animating spiritual essence rooted in the infinite Creator, “vayipach b’apo nishmas chayim” (Bereishis 2:7), goes on to outline a lifestyle that often frequently defies human comprehension and places on a pedestal those things which, to the Greek mind, seem absolutely pointless.

A prime example of this approach is the primacy of Torah study in the life of a Jew. Consider this

There is more to life, more to reality, more to the human being than what meets the eye or can be grasped by the mind. individual, slumped over an ancient text for hours on end, pondering hair-splitting dialectics which often carry no consequence even within the realm of Jewish observance. What is he accomplishing?

What did he create, invent, originate, produce?

How does this scholarship benefit the world? Even within our very own communities, there is often a sentiment of scorn; a feeling that those who have

devoted their lives to Torah study (within the parameters of reasonable responsibility, a subject beyond the scope of this article) are somehow less-than, that they do nothing all day and then rely on the financial success of those who actually accomplished something in the world for support.

The ancient Greeks may have been long defeated, but their influence lingers still – the common assumption that the value of a thing depends on its perceptibility, on the import of its functionality for the physical world.

To the Jewish mind, the exact opposite is true.

The soul’s invisibility does nothing to detract from the reality that it alone powers the body with all of its remarkable processes. On the contrary, this invisibility is an effect of the soul’s ability to animate – it derives from a realm beyond this world, a realm of life-force that transcends the physical reality around us. And the stronger the soul grows, the more vibrant the body will become, the more its capacity to function will increase. Similarly, while the effects of Torah study may not be readily perceivable in the physical realm, it is Torah study that keeps funds in the bank accounts of those who support yeshivos and kollelim, not the other way around. “Were it not for My covenant day and night, I would not maintain the strictures of heaven and earth.” (Yermiyahu 33:20) All lifeforce and vitality in the world, that then allows for development and accomplishment in the physical layer of reality, is a result of Torah study, not despite the fact that our eyes can’t see exactly how this works, but because of it.

The yom tov of Chanukah represents the rectification of the Greek perspective on existence and its residual impact on minds and hearts, even today. In Parshas Vayishlach, Yaakov Avinu battles the angel of Eisav, a battle from which he emerges victorious – but not before the angel succeeds in damaging Yaakov’s thigh. The Zohar HaKadosh (Vayishlach 171a) teaches that the thighs, which represent the traits of Netzach and Hod, are the

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place of the “Tamchin d’Oraysa,” those that support Torah study, which is rooted in the sefirah of Tiferes that sits above them. This blemish in the place of Netzach and Hod, referred to by the Gemara as “the shaky legs of the Talmidei Chachomim” (Berachos 6a), takes the form of the seductive Greek perspective that causes a weakening of our appreciation for Torah study, leading to a far lesser level of support for the proliferation of that which literally fortifies every particle of physicality that it deserves. However, the Arizal teaches that the days of Chanukah serve to rectify these traits of Netzach and Hod. These days fortify the Jewish perception of and reverence for the ineffable spiritual realm that underlies the physical dimension, our faith in that which transcends what our limited minds can grasp and the essence that fills all of physicality with meaning.

Fascinatingly, Chazal teach that the small jug of oil Yaakov Avinu crossed the Yabok River to retrieve was the very same jug of oil that would later last for eight nights in the miracle of Chanukah.

(Birchas Shemuel, parshas Mikeitz) “Hikdim refuah l’makah” (Megillah 13b) – the Greek influence of Hellenistic leanings inflicted upon the supporters of Torah by Eisav’s angel would be rectified by the very small jug that Yaakov had gone back for.

The light of miracles, eight nights that transcend the seven-ness of perceptible nature, connection to the soul of existence – this is the victory over the presence of the miniature Greek that abides within our hearts and minds each Chanukah anew.

This theme surfaces again in the actual Chanukah candles themselves. Unlike other candles used in our tradition – Shabbos candles, the candle for bedikas chometz, or the havdalah candle – the Chanukah candles are forbidden to be used. This seems strange. Of what function is the kindling of lights that serve no pragmatic purpose? Additionally, unlike the other candles mentioned above, it is only the Chanukah candles that are referred to as “holy.” Why is that?

Based on what we have learned, the answer to these questions should be fairly intuitive. The Chanukah candles encapsulate the essential message embodied in our victory over the Greeks and their culture, reminding us that the value of a thing is not limited to its functionality, how we can make use of it in the material world. There is more to life, more to reality, more to the human being than what meets the eye or can be grasped by the mind.

Therefore, the primary mitzvah of Chanukah involves the performance of an action whose apparent functionality is then specifically restricted, for the purpose of communicating this message, that there are things whose value is determined not by the tools of assessment in our physical world, but

by their meaning in the hidden realm, in terms that transcend the human mind’s capacity to comprehend. “Haneiros hallalu kodesh heim,” a shiver shakes our being when we stare into these eternal flames not because of their overt implications in our physical reality, but specifically because of their holiness, their separateness, the concealment of their true essence in the spiritual realm above.

In Rebbe Nachman’s seminal tale, “The Lost Princess,” we are told of a king who has six sons and one daughter. As we explore at great length in my explanation of this tale, The Story of Our Lives, the king’s children – six and one – represent contrasting elements; the six sons allude to the six days of the week, days of external action, accomplishment, and tangible success, while the princess alludes to Shabbos Malkesah, a day of soul, faith, and inwardness. As the story’s title suggests, this element of the princess frequently becomes lost along the personal and communal journey. We become obsessed with externalities, completely oblivious to the depth of life, to the spirituality that exists within everything – even within religious observance itself. This focus on the “six sons” of life to the detriment of the princess is the influence of Yavan, whose three Hebrew letters – Yud, Vav, and Nun – point progressively downward: away from the spiritual realm of concealment, of

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silence, and into the din of the revealed, tangible world below.

Chanukah allows us to regain a connection with the princess of youthful simplicity, wonder, vibrancy, and depth. When we kindle these flames in a low place, illuminating the cold darkness of winter, we are able to tap into the soul of reality, channeling a world of warmth and vitality, a world of miracles, down into the revealed mundanity of our everyday lives.

With Hashem’s help, may we merit for the dancing flames of our Chanukah candles to fortify our essential Jewishness, our faith in the spiritual realm and the unique ability of our holy nation to discover this energy, the presence of the Creator, from behind the veil of reality.

Wishing you ah lichtigen Chanukah!

R’ Yaakov Klein is an author, musician, and lecturer devoted to sharing the inner light of Torah through his books, music, and lectures. In May 2020, R’ Yaakov founded the Lost Princess Initiative, an innovative educational platform based on the primary messages of his bestselling book, The Story of Our Lives: An Epic Quest for the Soul of Our Tradition. Check out LPI’s life-changing resources at LPITORAH.org.

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Chanukah

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

BY RABBI DR. AKIVA TATZ

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hanukah was the showdown with Greece, the clash of cultures that would shape Western values until the end of history. The events of Chanukah took place when there were no longer prophets and therefore there is no book in Scripture that relates its events. In fact, Chanukah is so much part of the process of the Oral Law that it is not even mentioned in the Mishna; it is simply the subject of a discussion in the Gemara.1 Chanukah celebrates the breaking through of the miraculous into a non-miraculous world. Greece taught the world to see with material eyes only; it was concerned with stamping out the spiritual vision of Israel.

Greece made no attempt to annihilate the Jews; its quarrel was not with

Jews but with Judaism. The war with the Greeks was a war of ideology – Greece was concerned with foisting its worldview on reality for all time, and the heroes of the Chanukah revolt were ready to give their lives for a very different view of reality.

Chanukah celebrates the victory of their transcendent worldview. The battle between Greece and Israel was a cosmic battle between the natural and the supernatural. The last revealed miracle of history, the miracle of the oil, was a demonstration that the supernatural lives on.

Chanukah has no megilla, and although the miracle of Chanukah was an open miracle, it has features of the phase of the Oral Law. The miracle of the war, like the miracle of Purim, did not manifest open abrogations of na-

ture, and in fact required strenuous human effort – a bitter war fought against the Greek Empire that eventually dragged on for years, during which four of the five heroic sons of Mattityahu died. The victory was certainly miraculous: a small band of priests wrested victory from a mighty armed empire, but the war featured no overt change in nature and great human effort was required – these are features of the post-prophetic era.

The overtly supernatural miracle of the oil was private, in the inner precincts of the Temple, utterly unlike the public spectacle of Biblical miracles. It was not a miracle of salvation; it occurred after the main stage of the military victory, and it occurred with no prophet present – unlike Biblical miracles. This, the last2 miracle that

we witnessed, was transitional – overtly miraculous like the miracles of the Biblical phase, but its defining features were those of the post-Biblical type of miracle. Chanukah carries the flame of the memory of open revelation into the long darkness of hidden Providence.

It is not accidental that the protagonists of the Chanukah battle were kohanim (priests). Kohanim stand between two worlds; Maharal points out that the name “kohen” signifies the interface between physical and spiritual: kohen is equal to seventy-five in gematria; a hint at the midpoint between seven and eight, that is between the numbers that represent the natural and the transcendent. Kohanim stand between G-d and the people, representing

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each to the other – the Gemara (Yoma 19a) questions whether the kohanim are shluchei d’Rachmana (agents of G-d) or shluchei di’dan (agents of ours) – the question is whether they represent G-d to us, or us to G-d. In fact, they serve both functions (the debate is only which is primary). That is precisely the role of the kohanim: they are agents of connection to the spiritual. They serve in the Temple, the place of this world’s connection to a higher world. They bridge the gap, and it was kohanim who led the Chanukah revolt – Greece asserts that the gap is unbridgeable; G-d may have created the world, but He is now no longer in contact with it. The High Priests of the Chashmonaim demonstrated exactly that ongoing connection. Chanukah was the bridging event of history; it joins the previous miraculous era with the era of nature’s reluctance to reveal.

HEALING OF THE LEGS Purim and Chanukah straddle the divide. They are the bookends of the phase of transition – each has features of the revealed and the hidden: the Purim miracle occurred within the phase of the revealed but its nature was that of hidden miracles.

Prophets were present and Purim saved the Jewish people, these are features of the miracles of the prophetic era, but no supernatural event occurred. The miracle of the Chanukah oil occurred in the phase of the hidden but its nature was that of the revealed. No prophet was present, and it played no part in saving the Jewish people, but it was a supernatural event. Purim saw the last ebb of the first phase; Chanukah introduced the second.

Purim ends the phase of the Written Law, Chanukah begins the phase of the Oral Law. To g e t h e r they draw the Written into the Oral.

They are

the legs of Jewish history (Purim the right leg, Chanukah the left).3 Here the body ends: Purim and Chanukah do not have the sanctity of Biblical festivals with their prohibition of work; they are external, like the legs that are external to the body proper.

But like the legs, they are the agents that carry the body forward. Torah stands on them and walks on them – we move into the future in an ongoing creative process of Torah in the Oral Law that extends the Written.

Mattityahu the High Priest, who began the revolt against the Greeks that became the miracle of Chanukah, achieved a partial correction of a problem that had begun long before. Arizal

the Messianic era. Rome propagated Greek culture; it was not a culture unto itself so much as a power based solidly on Greek roots that spread those roots in the world. We are in the grip of Rome, but the driving culture behind Rome is Greece. Esau dominates us with his power and the ideology of Greece. When the Chashmonaim defeated the Greeks, the healing of Jacob’s thigh began. Torah was mortally threatened – Jews were defecting en masse to Greek culture, enthralled by the beauty and power of the Hellenistic ideal. Torah’s journey into the future faced a dire threat.

The Chashmonaim met that threat and overcame it – and healed the

Chanukah celebrates the breaking through of the miraculous

into a non-miraculous world. states that when Jacob fought with Esau’s angel and suffered an injury to his thigh, a weakness set into the Jewish people that would run through history.

That injury would remain with us as a vulnerability to Esau for centuries.

Chanukah effected something of a correction, a healing in the cosmic body of the Jewish people.

(The verse states: “Vayiga b’kaf yerecho vateka kaf yerech Yaakov – And he smote his thigh and the thigh of Yaakov was injured.” Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld noted that “vayiga – he smote” is equal to “Chanukah” in gematria, and “kaf yerecho – his thigh” is equal to “Purim.”)

Esau injures Jacob’s thigh; that gives Esau a particular power over us. Esau is the progenitor of Rome, the Empire that will dominate until

legs of Jewish history. We continue the journey; still lame, perhaps, but still walking.

The battle with Greece was the battle to assert the culture that would define mankind. Greece aimed to permanently sever any connection with a higher reality, to define the world forever as a system devoid of all relationship with the Absolute. A world formed in the Greek image would have been merely human; world culture would have included no opening to transcendence, no possibility of reaching beyond the boundaries of human philosophy or the finite dimensions of the material. Great and glorious to be sure; intellectually mighty, aesthetically inspired, encompassing all of science and technology and always expanding the

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boundaries of human knowledge – but always limited to the dimensions of the world, never reaching beyond it. And Greece could have done it: in the post-prophetic world the open evidence was all on their side, the tools they had for the job were exquisitely beautiful, and Jews were adopting them enthusiastically.

The Chashmonaim held back a colossal tide; with their self-sacrifice in a world that offered nothing to aid them they did battle with a mighty army and a mighty culture. Unexpectedly they were met by a miracle, a supernatural light that shone briefly in the natural world. But that was enough. Jews are here to declare that the material world is not the sum total of reality, and those heroes demonstrated that even in the post-prophetic darkness an avenue of access to a higher light can be found.

They revealed that the world is not disconnected. Faith lives on; the darkness may be almost overwhelming but as long as a small flame shines in a Jewish window at Chanukah the world remembers that the natural is not everything. A secular culture dominates, and it will dominate until the Messianic destiny is revealed.

But in that secular and materialistic reality another message can be heard, and it will continue until the end of history when it will be vindicated.

The section in the Talmud discussing the Chanukah lights is inserted in a discussion of Shabbat lights (Shabbat 21a). Shabbat represents a process that is entirely given from above, it is k’viya v’kayma – fixed and permanent (Pesachim 117b); in no way subject to human adjustment. Chanukah is entirely a process generated from below. Both light the world – together.

1

There was one revealed miracle after Chanukah: the dead of Beitar, who lay exposed due to a Roman edict prohibiting their burial, miraculously did not decompose and were eventually brought to burial. That last of all miracles was a premonition of the redemption, a hint from Above that the dead will ultimately be revived.

2

3 Arizal, Shaar HaKavanot; Meor Eynaim, Haazinu.

This article has been reprinted with permission from As Dawn Ends the Night by Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz.

Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz, South African born physician and author, lectures at the Jewish Learning Exchange in London and internationally on Jewish philosophy and medical ethics. His published work includes Anatomy of a Search, Worldmask, Living Inspired, The Thinking Jewish Teenager’s Guide to Life, Dangerous Disease & Dangerous Therapy in Jewish Medical Ethics, and Will, Freedom and Destiny. He is also co-author of Letters to a Buddhist Jew (with David Gottlieb) and Reb Simcha Speaks (with Yaakov Branfman). He is founder and director of the Jerusalem Medical Ethics Forum.

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Halachically

Speaking

Chanukah Lighting in Public Places

by Moishe Dovid Lebovits

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hanukah lights are kindled in most shuls. This has also expanded to public Chanukah lightings in many cities throughout the world. There is also a large Chanukah lighting in the White House, attended by many officials.

In addition, people light candles at Chanukah parties in halls and at weddings. In this article, we will discuss why there is a custom to light in shul and the halachos related to that practice, and then discuss public lightings.

Is there a source for it, and should a brachah be recited?

The Origin At the time of the miracle of Chanukah, there was no widespread custom to light the menorah, even in the home. Chanukah was established as days of joy and happiness, and candles were only lit in the Beis Hamikdash in front of the public. When the Jews were exiled, they enacted to light candles outside. Eventually, people lit inside their homes because of danger. It was instituted to light in shul, which is comparable to the lighting in the Beis Hamikdash.1

Lighting in Shul The requirement to light Chanu-

kah candles is limited to the home. If one does not have a home, there is no obligation to light. However, there is still a custom to light in shul, which is no one’s home.

The custom to light Chanukah lights in shul is not mentioned in the Gemara, although it is mentioned by Rishonim and many follow this custom. This also applies to a beis midrash designated for learning. of reasons given as to why we light Chanukah lights in shul.

1. It is for guests who do not have a home, just as Kiddush in shul on Friday night was enacted for guests.

2. It is in order to publicize the miracle of Chanukah, known as pirsumei nisa. The Gra compares it to the recital of Hallel at the Pesach Seder, which serves to publicize the miracle.

3. The candles are lit in shul in order to exempt those who lack the knowledge or motivation to light candles on their own. Some question this reasoning; why should we light for those not motivated? Guests can contribute to the lighting of the homeowner, and those who do not have a place to stay are exempt. In addition, perhaps that is what Chanukah is all about, to bring people closer to Judaism with the lighting.

4. Another reason given is a remembrance for the Beis Hamikdash.

A shul is like a small Beis Hamikdash, so we light Chanukah candles there as a remembrance of the lighting in the Beis Hamikdash.

5. The Rivash maintains that we light in shul because in our homes we light indoors (outside of Eretz Yisrael), which limits the extent of publicizing the miracle. Therefore, we light in shul to make up for this lack.

It seems that most poskim assume that the reason for the custom is to publicize the miracle.

Others say since we light in our homes there is no need to have lights in shul. However, this is not the overwhelming custom.

Some have the custom not to recite a bracha on the lighting in shul in Eretz Yisrael. Since the custom there is to place the Chanukah menorah outside, this obviates one of the main reasons for lighting in shul.

It is questionable if one should light in a hotel that is rented out for Chanukah and has a room reserved for davening.

Many poskim debate whether or not to recite a bracha on lighting in shul. Some question how we can make a bracha if it is not mentioned in the

Gemara.

Some argue that no bracha is recited on a custom, such as the custom of aravos on Hoshana Rabbah.

One response is that candle lighting in shul is like Hallel on Rosh Chodesh, which is a custom. The Ashkenazim still recite a bracha on Hallel.

However, the Sephardim do not recite a bracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh but still recite a bracha on Chanukah lighting. This is especially odd since the Shulchan Aruch himself rules that no bracha is recited on Hallel of Rosh Chodesh and a bracha is recited in shul on Chanukah.

One answer is that lighting in shul is not a separate custom but rather an extension of the main mitzvah. This logic also applies to the bracha on Hallel of Rosh Chodesh, since reciting Hallel is generally done for mitzvah purposes. This also explains how we say “v’tzivanu,” since we were commanded to perform the main mitzvah.

Others argue that the custom of Chanukah lighting in shul is different since it serves to publicize the miracle, as opposed to other customs.

As mentioned above, the Gra compares the bracha in shul to the bracha recited for Hallel in shul on the first

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two nights of Pesach. The same answer above regarding Hallel on Rosh Chodesh would apply to Hallel on Pesach night in shul.

The consensus is to recite a bracha.

When to Light The custom is to light the Chanukah menorah in shul between Mincha and Ma’ariv. This is when everyone is present, and if we would wait until after Ma’ariv, people would be delayed in getting home to light. Another reason is that since the menorah in the Beis Hamikdash was lit before sunset, we light then as well. The menorah was lit in the Beis Hamikdash after the korban shel ben ha’arbayim, which corresponds to Mincha. Therefore, we light after Mincha.

This applies even if one’s custom is to light at home after dark.

Another reason is that the crowd is considered a tzibbur when they gather to daven in shul. However, after Ma’ariv when they are leaving, they do not have a status of a tzibbur.

Based on this, if people stay between Mincha and Ma’ariv, the menorah should be lit then. However, if people leave after and then return later for Ma’ariv, the Chanukah menorah should be lit before Ma’ariv One only lights at the first minyan and not at subsequent minyanim.

By Day The practice exists to light the Chanukah lights in shul by day as well. None of the main sources mention this custom, and the reasons offered above only apply to night, not the morning. Some suggest that this is in remembrance of the Menorah in the Beis Hamikdash, which was lit by day. Others argue that this publicizes the miracle, as the light does not serve any practical purpose other than the mitzvah.

Another reason offered for lighting by day is that at night one generally does not have the candles lit for more than a half hour (see below). To make up for this, we relight candles in the morning.

In any case, the custom is that no bracha is recited in the morning.

Shabbos On Erev Shabbos, one should

make sure to light the Chanukah menorah in shul after everyone has arrived and davened Mincha. However, the custom is that there is no need to wait for a minyan to light, since people will eventually come. Therefore, we light before Mincha, especially if it is late.2 There is no concern of lighting for Shabbos followed by a weekday davening, as the lighting simply serves to publicize the miracle to the masses. Nonetheless, this should be avoided if possible.

The one who is lighting should have his back to the south and face to the north.

Some question why we don’t light the Chanukah candles either outside or at least inside near the window.

The answer is that the custom originated from the fact that we used to light outside but then started to light inside due to some external factors.

The lighting is for the people inside, and the same concept applies to the shul.

Although the custom is to light Chanukah candles in shul, one may not exempt his obligation to light at home with this lighting.

The above discussion is based on the opinion that a minyan is not required for the lighting. Those who do require a minyan would not allow the early lighting if no minyan is present.

Even if a shul is only open for Shabbos davening, the candles are lit there on Friday.

Shabbos On Motza’ei Shabbos one should make sure to have the Chanukah menorah lit before everyone leaves the shul (before havdalah, if havdalah is made in shul). The custom is to light it before reciting Aleinu. Some question what benefit it is to light on Motza’ei Shabbos since everyone leaves after Ma’ariv. However, since people can come back to shul when they want and see the candles, it is publicizing the miracle.

Where to Place It There are differing opinions as to where to place the menorah in shul. Some maintain to place it in the south, since that is where the Menorah was in the Beis Hamikdash. It can be placed on a table near the southern wall. The custom is to place the menorah to the right of the aron kodesh, and the candles are arranged from east to west.

Although the custom is to light Chanukah candles in shul, one may not exempt his obligation to light at home with this lighting. One reason is that the candles in shul are lit before the correct time. Some suggest that the congregants have in mind not to fulfill the obligation of lighting candles. The one who lights in shul can recite Shehecheyanu at home as well if he lights at home to exempt his household.

Who Lights?

The custom is that the shliach tzibbur lights at least one light on the menorah. If an avel davens Mincha on Erev Chanukah, then someone else should light since a Shehecheyanu is recited. However, an avel can light on the other nights when there is no Shehecheyanu recited.

Some question why a guest does not light since one of the reasons for lighting in shul is for guests. In addition, since one of the reasons for lighting is as a remembrance to the Beis Hamikdash, why doesn’t a kohen light?

Regardless, the custom seems that the shaliach tzibbur lights the menorah, or in some cases, the rav. Some maintain that the shaliach tzibbur lights, since he serves in place of the

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kohen who offered korbanos.

During the lighting, the congregants should stand next to the menorah.

The custom in most places is to use candles for lighting the menorah in shul.

Minyan The poskim mention that a minyan should be present when lighting the Chanukah menorah in shul. This is usually not an issue during the week since we light between Mincha and Ma’ariv. Those present do not have to actually be davening to be counted toward the ten people.

Women and children can count toward the minyan in relation to this.

The custom seems to be that we are not concerned about lighting only with a minyan.

How Long Does It Have to Last?

The reality is that the menorah is lit in shul between Mincha and Ma’ariv and then people leave. The question arises how long the lights should stay lit since it is not safe to leave the menorah unattended.

The candles should last for a half hour, and if there is a safety concern, then one may extinguish them after a half hour. Some base this on the reason that the candles are lit for guests who do not light; therefore, they must burn for a half hour. Some suggest that the lights stay lit until the last minyan for Ma’ariv has left, although this is not practiced.

However, the custom is that the candles can be extinguished after Ma’ariv since the main reason for lighting in shul is to publicize the miracle for those present. In a shtiebel where the rav lives upstairs, it usually is not extinguished since someone is around to check on the candles.

Shtiebel

It is common for a shtiebel to have many different rooms where minyanim take place. Some opine that every room which has an aron kodesh should make sure to have Chanukah lights lit. However, the custom is that only the main shul has the Chanukah lights lit.

Electric Lights One does not fulfill his obligation

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with electric lights. Therefore, one should use regular lights in shul (oil or wax).

Family Parties Many families attend Chanukah parties in a hall. Although some have the practice to recite a bracha on this lighting, it is frowned upon since the custom to light in shul was because it is a shul. This is particularly true according to the reasons that it is a remembrance of the Beis Hamikdash, and that it is like kiddush in shul.

The same concern is true for weddings.

Those who do recite a bracha at these parties follow the minority opinion that this is an act of publicizing the mitzvah as well, since many times people who come to these parties are not familiar with the mitz-

vah per se, and this is a chance to publicize the mitzvah. Nonetheless, it is preferable to daven Ma’ariv after the lighting at the party so it has a status of a quasi-shul, at least. Some permit it even if one does not daven there. Some maintain that even with davening no bracha should be recited.

Public Lightings It has become popular to stage public menorah lightings during Chanukah. This is mainly practiced

by Chabad.3 Many question doing this with a bracha since a bracha was only customarily said in a shul setting for reasons mentioned above. Even according to the Rivash that lighting in shul publicizes the miracle, we would not recite a bracha, as the shul lighting is supposed to replace the

outside lighting.

Perhaps the reason to motivate people to light candles would be a good reason for the public lightings (but this would not suffice for making a bracha at parties).

Those poskim who do not allow a bracha at a party would not allow it at a public lighting either.

Some explain that one can recite a bracha while lighting in a public area where thousands are present.

Chabad shluchim, who light in hundreds of locations, usually light with oil and then exchange it for an electric bulb with a candle to bulb converter.

Lighting a Chanukah menorah at the Kosel with a bracha is legitimate, since it is a place where davening is held.

If one has a daily minyan for Mincha and Ma’ariv at work, he can

light candles there as well, since it has a status of a set minyan even if it is not a shul.

1

Moadim U’zmanim 6:89. Also see Ohr

Yitzchak 1:226. Based on this, since it was an old custom done in the Beis Hamikdash, we can say a bracha on the lighting in shul (see below) (Moadim U’zmanim 6:89).

2

Magen Avraham 10; Chayei Adam 154:17;

Biur Halachah “v’yeish”; Mishnah Berurah 47; Yalkut Yosef, Chanukah page 204:18, footnote 44; Aruch Hashulchan 26. See Minchas Elazar 2:68; Nemukei Orach Chaim 671:4. How are the congregants fulfilling the mitzvah of lighting in shul if they are not there yet? It is possible since they chip in to pay for the use of the shul etc. it is their lights and the one lighting is their messenger (Moadim U’zmanim 6:89, page 146).

3

The first such lighting was done in Phil-

adelphia in 1974. The Lubavitcher Rebbe launched the project world over in 1987 Menorahs-Around-the-Globe.htm.

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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Delving into the Daf

Something Fishy

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

I

t is a staple at most Shabbos tables: fish. Gefilte fish is most popular, but other varieties persist as well. The prices of fish along with many other staples have risen modestly recently.

This shouldn’t crimp the Shabbos menu too much. Gefilte fish will still be the o-fish-al appetizer of Shabbos.

However, what if we would, heaven forbid, experience a sharp increase in the price of fish? Would it still be the sole of the Shabbos table? Should people extend themselves to obtain their carp, being at the mercy of fishmongers – hook, line, and sinker? Should they seek out a loan shark to borrow money? Also, what is the Talmud’s view on price regulation? Do we believe in laissez-faire, or is some oversight needed? Were the Sages concerned at all with food prices? Mullet over for a second, then read the rest.

The Gemara in Taanis (15) rules that we do not start a series of fasts due to lack of rain on a Thursday.

When people start buying food for Shabbos on Thursday and for the after fast dinner, this may cause a dramatic rise in prices. Merchants may wonder at the sudden and unexpected heavy demand on Thursday and assume there is a shortage coming. They will, in turn, raise prices. To prevent this, the series of necessary fasts for rain start on a Monday.

The sages were indeed concerned about food prices.

The Gemara relates an interesting incident (Bava Basra 96a). There was a time when birds used for korbanos became exceedingly expensive. Each pair of birds sold for a gold dinar. A gold dinar at that time represented

about a month’s salary for the average person. Women who had recently given birth could hardly afford to purchase them for the korbanos they were required to bring.

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel cried fowl and declared, “I will not go to sleep tonight until the price drops dramatically.” He went to the beis midrash and declared that any woman who hitherto would have brought five korbanos is now free as a bird to just bring one; she may bring the others if she so chooses. (This is a rather simplistic interpretation; see the Gemara for all the technical details.)

After Rabban Shimon’s declaration, the price of the birds swooned dramatically – to a hundredth of the original price. According to Rashi in Kerisus, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel instituted an emergency, limited-time measure to bring down the price of the birds. He felt that b’nos Yisrael were being taken advantage of financially and were not getting proper tweetment. Perhaps some would chicken out of buying their korbanos.

After the temporary measure, however, they were able to wing it. We can certainly conclude that the rabbis did, at times, see fit to intervene and lower the bill; they didn’t duck the issue.

However, was that measure only for the birds, or can it be applied to fish as well? The question was posed to the Tzemach Tzedek (the Rishon).

It seems that hundreds of years ago, the gentiles of that place knew that the Jews had the halibut of buying fish for Shabbos and cod raise the prices without suffering a drop-off in sales. When the prices increased dramatically, the Jews realized that

something was fishy. Some were in favor of instituting a temporary ban on the purchase of fish for Shabbos to cause the price to sink.

Others, however, referred to the Gemara in Beitzah (16a) that the money one spends on Shabbos and yom tov are not deducted from one’s yearly allotment. So, they reasoned, what difference does it make if the fish is expensive? Since they are buying it for Shabbos, their money will be returned to them in one way or another through Divine intervention and they will remain afloat.

The Tzemach Tzedek ruled that a boycott was in order. Just as Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel curtailed the offering of korbanos, we may temporarily curtail the mitzvah of oneg Shabbos. This would be true even if eating fish on Shabbos is a mitzvah d’Oraysa, as some argue (see the Shulchan Aruch HaRav). However, for halachah l’maaseh we hold that eating fish is just one manifestation of the mitzvah of oneg Shabbos. One can fulfill the biblical mitzvah of oneg Shabbos with other dishes as well. So a boycott is certainly in order to bring the price of fish down.

As to the argument that the money spent on Shabbos will be returned: The Tzemach Tzedek said that it is fine and well for people who have the money to lay out. However, a poor person who does not have the money to spend now will not be able to buy the fish, even though there is a guarantee that the money will be returned to him later. Since these poor people were floundering, a temporary ban on buying fish for Shabbos was proper.

One interesting point that can be

made from the above story is that the Tzemach Tzedek agreed that one should continue buying fancy food for Shabbos even if it is above one’s means. That money will be returned to him somehow that year.

I heard the following caveat from R’ Reuven Feinstein, shlita: One cannot buy a $1,000 bottle of wine and expect the money to be returned, if that is above one’s means. However, a food that is indeed within one’s means and suddenly becomes expensive may continue to be purchased without suffering any net loss in his income that year. This fits with the above story.

Apparently, the fish started out as affordable but was subject to the whims and manipulations of the gentile merchants.

Just one note: There is no way to tell how the Shabbos expenditures will be repaid to each individual. Perhaps the individual might be saved from losing his wallet. Perhaps there was a decree that he should sell six cars one week and now he will sell seven. But one way or the other, Hashem will pay him pack for the money he spends to honor Shabbos.

I’m sorry if I packed puns into this article like sardines. But it was done on porpoise for selfish reasons, to serve as a red herring to get all of my talmidim to read this article. (So please don’t carp about the puns.)

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

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My Israel Home

Chanukah Symbols – And One Resilient Flag

By Gedaliah Borvick

M

y colleague recently contacted me regarding a property for sale on Menorah Street in Herzliya. I did not find the property particularly interesting, but I was absolutely thrilled by the street name, as I sensed the makings of a Chanukah article.

The Menorah, a 7-branched candelabra used in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and later in the Temple’s permanent residence in Jerusalem, has been a Jewish symbol for over 3,000 years. Today, the Menorah, surrounded by olive branches, serves as the emblem of the State of Israel.

The olive branches hearken back to the Biblical story of Noah and the flood and are a symbol of peace. In addition, olives played a prominent role in the Chanukah story, as a jug of pure olive oil, barely sufficient to light the Menorah for one day, miraculously lasted for eight days. Dozens of streets across Israel are named HaZayit in honor of the venerated olive tree.

Outside of Israel, the 9-branched lantern kindled on Chanukah is also called a menorah. In Israel, it is

known as a Chanukiah.

In addition to Menorah, other streets related to Chanukah include Maccabeem, found in several Israeli cities, which is named for the Maccabean warriors who led the revolt against the Greek armies and the Hellenistic influence on Jewish life. Half a dozen cities have streets named for

Magen David, also known as the Star of David.

Magen David literally means David’s Shield because the star was similar to a design that was emblazoned on King David’s legendary shield. For many years, the 6-pointed star was primarily used as a Kabbalistic symbol. However, in 1354, King Charles

in 1354, King Charles IV of Bohemia presented the Prague Jewish community with a red flag with the Star of David.

Yehudah Hamaccabi, who led the Maccabean revolt. One of these cities is Modiin, which is named after Judah’s father, the priest and leader Matityahu.

The Menorah got me thinking about another street in Herzliya that is named in honor of an arguably more famous national symbol, the

IV of Bohemia presented the Prague Jewish community with a red flag with the Star of David. The Praguers became the first Jewish community to use the hexagram as their official crest, and this symbol slowly spread to other Jewish communities. By the 17th century, the Star of David’s use was so widespread that it became the

international symbol of Jewish houses of worship.

The Israeli flag proudly displays the Star of David flanked by two blue stripes, which were inspired by the stripes on the tallit. This design was originally adopted at the first Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, and over time became universally accepted as the emblem of the Zionist movement.

Ironically, in the 1930s, the Nazis took the Star of David’s symbol of strength and courage and cruelly transformed it into a badge of shame, dishonor, and death. Perhaps it was most fitting that the newly established Jewish state, which rose from the ashes of the Holocaust, used the selfsame Magen David to demonstrate the eternal and inextinguishable flame of the Jewish people.

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

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Hidden Sparks of Light

BY SARA LIEBERMAN

Like the hidden jug of oil the Maccabim found to light the Menorah thousands of years ago, here are three people from around the world who quietly light up the night with their initiatives and kindness.

A SCHOOL WITH A SOUL Chanie Siegel from Lakewood, NJ

It

was summertime, and my daughter was having a blast in camp. She had left all her worries from a difficult school year behind. Meanwhile, I was back at home in distress, knowing it was unlikely she’d have a school to return to in the fall. We were lucky to have found a hidden gem, Yotzer Ohr Miami, founded by Mrs. Neitza Benbenishti, for our daughter, and we loved it. It was a breath of fresh air, a place that truly uplifted their students. They didn’t have a dorm at the time and boarding wasn’t ideal for my daughter for a number of reasons. It looked like we were back to square one for a school for her, with no viable option.

One thing I knew was that we wanted her to stay in our hometown. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that she didn’t have a place to go to! So all summer, while I davened, made phone calls, researched and came up empty-handed, I said very little to my daughter. I mentioned vaguely that we were trying to find a way for her attend school locally. I didn’t want to totally shock her at summer’s end, so I didn’t let her know the extent of the situation. In reality, she had absolutely no school to attend come fall.

In the meantime, I knew about 15 more girls who also needed schools. Our town is blessed with many wonderful schools where

girls thrive, but there was no school suitable for these 15 girls. Desperate parents bombarded Neitza with calls until she finally called me and said, “I started a school in Miami for my own daughter when she had no place to go. Why don’t you do the same? I’ll guide you.”

My husband and I had spent time the past year speaking to Nietzah, sharing ideas and hashkafos, and she felt we could do this.

So with the help of Mrs. Benbenishti and another very dedicated parent, we founded Yotzer Ohr Lakewood. The other mother even singlehandedly took over while we waited for approval from our rav. Once we got the go-ahead, we were fully invested.

Never in a million years did I dream of opening a school. Three years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom, loving every minute of it. I loved taking care of my house, being available for my kids, and being in the background. I didn’t seek the spotlight. I never imagined starting a project of such magnitude, but the system was not working for my daughter and I had no choice but to try. The fact that it was the only option led me to a place of emunah and bitachon – we had to open a school. It was a bracha that the path was open before us; we had no room for doubts. It was clear to us that Hashem wanted this school to exist. My daughter

“WE SEE THE LIGHT AND SHINING POTENTIAL IN EVERY GIRL, AND WE FOCUS ON THAT SPARK”

- Chanie

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and her friends needed this school, and there was only one way forward. They were good, growing girls who didn’t fit into the typical system, girls who were slipping between the cracks and had nowhere to go.

If you look at the Jewish world, there are colorful people and different ways of serving Hashem and being a good Jew. Our community, at the time, didn’t offer a wide range of schools. Since we moved to Lakewood, my husband kept saying, “I want to open a school, I wish I could open a school. There has to be a place for everyone.” So when Hashem put us in this situation, it just clicked.

With Nietzah guiding us, Yotzer Ohr Lakewood opened up with hopes and prayers. The school stood up and ran with its own momentum; it became a living reality. Hashem guided us towards the right people. We found teachers who understood instantly what we were trying to achieve. They put their heart and soul into teaching our girls. The girls responded in kind and connected with the learning. They took initiative to ask questions – to reach out. Girls who previously felt misunderstood and alone slowly began to blossom and grow into the beautiful young women they were meant to be.

Our friends and neighbors gave us their support, financially and otherwise, when we needed it most.

The name Yotzer Ohr encapsulates our school. We see the light and shining potential in every girl, and we focus on that spark. We have a warm, welcoming atmosphere in our school.

We started our first year with six girls, which grew to 12 that year and then 14, and we have 16 girls now. We have graduated two 12th grade classes so far and are arranging seminary interviews for our current seniors. So far, we have seen tremendous siyata

dishmaya and success.

When a school isn’t the right fit, it can, chas v’shalom, become harmful for a girl to remain there. The pain of not belonging grows every day. Our girls deserve to feel wanted, to thrive, to feel safe and happy at school and to graduate with a diploma and acquire a solid education. Our mission is to meet that need and provide a healthy, nurturing environment where each girl can grow at her own pace and internalize Torah values. With Hashem’s help, we were able to create just that.

***

LEA S. IS A GRADUATE OF YOTZER OHR. SHE SHARES: “What made Yotzer Ohr special to me was the kind of growth I experienced there. True growth comes from within, when YOU decide you want more, not from pressure or force. While growth in that manner may seem slow and lacking in progress, those tiny drops in the bucket are the ones that end up staying with you in the long-run. Yotzer Ohr provided the freedom to choose the right choices on my own, to own my decisions, and feel like a genuine person.

“For example, we were encouraged to daven every day, but no one forced you to say anything you didn’t want to, when I decided to take on more tefillah, it felt real and connected and I was able to be consistent about it even outside school because it was my choice.

“The same with tznius. They never criticized our dress outside school, so when I decided to take on more, it was my own choice.”

EXPANDING THEIR FAMILY Laura Greer from Baltimore

I

glanced at the mitzvah note board and smiled. “Chani picked up delicious Chanukah doughnuts for the fam!

Thank you, hon!” the curly handwriting read. I stifled a chuckle, grabbed my lunch, and headed out to my office.

It really was fun and interesting living with boarders. This mitzvah note initiative changed the spirit in the house. We all went out of our way to acknowledge each other. At this point, we had three girls living downstairs who were attending the local frum college near us, Maalot. They were a lively and friendly bunch who brightened our lives. One of them, Shira, started posting “mitzvah notes” on the corkboard by the kitchen, and we all joined in. It all started about 19 years ago when I had a crew of little ones, and my husband was frequently out of town on business trips.

An acquaintance called me, “There’s this girl from out of town who’s attending Maalot this year, and she needs a place. Are you interested in having a boarder?”

At the time, I thought of it as company when my husband was out on business trips, extra help in the house so I could run to the grocery store without bringing five kids along. It turned out won-

derfully. She was a great role model and had great energy. I saw that it was good for our family.

One thing led to another. Other people heard about us, and we got phone calls about other girls who were looking to board. We feel like these opportunities to get to know these amazing young women was sent to us from Hashem. It enriched us to host these wonderful girls and be a part of their lives.

When we first consider a potential boarder, we meet to see if it’s a good fit both ways. “If you come here, know that we want you to be a part of our family. You don’t need to feel like you have to stay in your room all the time. Feel free to come out and join us!”

Invariably, they do become part of the family and each person adds so much.

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Hosting boarders helped us stretch and grow. We met girls from varied backgrounds and different levels of religious observance, and it helped us appreciate a wider range of challenges. We all learned more about getting along with people, having to make compromises and go out of our comfort zone.

There was a time when my own children may have resented time and attention spent on boarders. We had to work hard on that. It’s really like having any other family member. Everyone has different moods, needs, likes, dislikes, styles of eating and food preferences. You have to learn how to communicate and figure it out with each person.

We also had to choose what to focus on if any conflict came up. For example, we had a shopping list hanging on the refrigerator and anyone could add whatever food they wanted me to buy. One of our boarders had very discerning tastes, and she would specify brands of foods she wanted. I’m naturally a bargain shopper, and I usually delight in buying discounted and off-brand items. I struggled with myself. Is this worth a conversation and negotiation? I considered that these were her needs just like any other child in the family.

The girls enriched my life spiritually as well. I sometimes struggle with davening with kavana. When we had three boarders, and occasionally also their friends, almost every room I walked into, a girl was davening there. It was inspiring to me and had a direct effect on uplifting my own prayers. Everything you add to a home makes an impression, and these growing young women really affected the atmosphere positively. I love having a Shabbos table full of my children, guests, boarders, and their friends. They became like daughters to us.

Many of the girls dated from our house and came back with doubts, questions, and even tears. We sat up late discussing their concerns and offering them emotional support. Most of these girls were from out-of-town, and they needed extra support. Baruch Hashem, all of them got engaged, and we happily danced at their weddings. It even became a joke amongst their friends that living by the Greers was a segula to get engaged.

One time, we had two boarders living downstairs and I got a call asking to host another girl. “We are full, I’m sorry,” I replied.

Later that evening, my husband and I were talking it over in the basement. “I guess we can technically make a third bedroom down here with a curtain,” he said, gesturing to the expansive space in the basement. But three girls sharing a bathroom? Maybe it’s too much.

I wavered. In the end, we decided to try it out. All the girls became close, and it was even better than having two because everyone was in it together. There was giving, compromising, chessed, and respecting each other’s space.

When having boarders, you need to trust in the process. There is a risk that it won’t work out, but also there’s a chance that it might be incredible and life-altering in the most positive, spiritual and

“THAT’S WHAT KLAL YISROEL IS ABOUT; EVEN WHEN WE MEET AS STRANGERS INITIALLY, WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AND ARE FAMILY WITH EACH OTHER” - Laura miraculous way. It requires a leap of faith.

When we tested the waters and decided to go for it, it was wonderful, incredible and we gained tremendously.

In estimate, we had between 10-12 boarders. Our first boarder is now the mother of many children! We keep in touch with most of them and have even traveled around the world to be part of their simchas or to spend a Shabbos. We have visited our boarders in Toronto, Denver, Silver Spring, New Jersey, Monsey, Palm Springs, California, Virginia, Israel, and Seattle. We feel like we have family everywhere. It expanded our world. In addition to our own children and grandchildren, we now have surrogate kids all over the world. We’ve expanded the circle of people we keep in touch with and our sense of being part of klal Yisroel. They are all part of our family, and it brings to light the fact that we really are all family.

If one of my children was in a different city and there was another family that took them in, loved them, helped them and cared for them that would be so meaningful to me! That’s what klal Yisroel is about; even when we meet as strangers initially, we take care of each other and are family with each other.

***

DEVORA M., WHOSE FRIEND BOARDED AT THE GREERS, RECALLED: “My entire body breathed a sigh of relief as I walked into the Greers’ home. My friends lived there, and I came by a lot for Shabbos meals or just to hang out. I was going through a really hard time. My parents had recently divorced, and I was struggling with intense feelings of grief and depression.

“When I came to the Greers, their welcoming, cozy house with its warm earth colors embraced me. I felt like I could breathe, be myself and not be judged.

“They are such humble unassuming people who care about others. They brought out the best in me, even though most days I felt like a broken human held together by scotch tape. I’m grateful to the Greers for giving me a place where I felt accepted and appreciated and a chilled place to relax when my own home was disintegrating.

“Years later, they surprised me at my wedding. It was outof-town in the dead of winter, and not many people were able to come, but they showed up and joined in my simcha with great joy.”

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MEALS THAT CARE Chananya* from Beit Shemesh

I

checked my phone and sighed with relief as the rows of days almost filled up. Meal trains could be fast or slow, and this erev Rosh Hashana we needed to speed things up. Bing! A message popped on my WhatsApp. “We are arranging catering with Delux Delights for the last meal.” I grabbed my keys and hopped into my car, hurriedly jabbing addresses into Waze. A few of my volunteers didn’t have cars, so I was picking up and dropping off meals for the Sanders* family. Covid was a busy season of meal planning, and there was a recent wave that coincided with Rosh Hashana and Sukkos, leaving many families scrambling for help and meals. I reached out to my team of volunteers on WhatsApp, and baruch Hashem, with the help of these wonderful people, we were able to provide many families with warm homemade meals for chag. We help people with disabilities, medical needs, new mothers, new olim, and whoever needs extra support through meals.

Growing up in a home overflowing with chessed influenced me tremendously. My parents gave rides and cooked for extended family who require it, and both work in life-saving medical professions. In the small kollel community where I grew up, there was a strong feeling of belonging, mutual caring and responsibility for each other.

When I moved to Beit Shemesh, a neighbor sent me the links to local chessed WhatsApp groups. It was easy to get involved because I had some extra

“WARM MEALS AND WARM HEARTS ARE SO MEANINGFUL”

- Chanaya

time. After I organized a few meal trains, people contacted me for emergency situations, like families entering Shabbos with an empty fridge. When faced with these situations, I get this extra burst of urgency, alert the volunteer groups, and together we manage to arrange last-minute Shabbosim. I send WhatsApp messages, updates, and a bit of encouragement, and baruch Hashem, time and again, we accomplish what previously seemed impossible.

It’s been about four months since I began organizing meal trains, and it became a niche because there is a real need for it in our community. Frequently, waves of new olim come to Beit

Shemesh. Most Israeli apartments come without appliances, and the shipment container with all their belonging from overseas takes about 6-8 weeks to arrive. Getting set up in a new country often without family and friends is very daunting. Our olim are so touched and encouraged by the caring and meals we send that it sweetens the challenges of settling in.

Generally, I’m involved in behind-the-scenes coordination but occasionally get more involved if the situation is complex, like an extended sickness in the family. When many people shoulder the responsibility together, we can accomplish great feats easily. But when we have insufficient volunteers, the challenge of meeting the families’ needs is intensified.

Chessed can be a bit of a balancing act with the needs of my family. For example, many people in my area don’t have a car, so when I see people signaling for rides, I typically stop and offer rides. At one point, my children expressed their hesitation about it, and I heard them out.

At first, I considered it a teaching moment but began to appreciate that chessed starts at home. There is a time to focus on the needs of our loved ones, and there is a time to extend a helping hand to others.

In time, they will learn generosity and caring along the way.

One of the many benefits I gained was discovering a sub-community of special, warm people who genuinely care for others. Often, it’s the same volunteers who make meals and reach out, but they still consist of a percentage of the efforts.

Some have more resources, have been in a similar position, and most feel a strong sense of communal responsibility. Kol Yisroel areivim zeh la’zeh.

We have received feedback from those directly involved in occasional “emergency drives” that the families were just blown away with this show of support from the community. Warm meals and warm hearts are so meaningful to our recipients.

At times, if I post a message that no one responded or we are still short a few meals, I am usually inundated with an outpouring of replies. People realize it’s up to them to step up and make a difference, and I am repeatedly touched and inspired when we all unite to provide a family with meals. *This person is using a pseudonym

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

I was dating a great guy for a while, and it ended suddenly. (For the purpose of this letter, I will call him Moshe.) It was one of those cases where I simply did not understand the ins or outs of why he thought we were not shayach for each other, but I came to terms with it.

Over the past year since the breakup, I have realized more and

more how unhealthy this guy truly was. Being out of the relationship helped me pinpoint middos flaws, personality issues, and basic lack of menschlichkeit.

I was at a high-school reunion event the other day, and a girl – I will call her Shayna, a previous classmate – was talking with a bunch of friends about a guy she’s dating seriously, lauding his praises.

Apparently, she is dating Moshe (the Moshe I dated a year ago!). My heart sank, and I wanted to spill out all the unhealthy patterns I noticed in him. I stopped myself in the moment, but it has been a week since the event, and I keep finding myself typing to her on WhatsApp and then deleting it before I press send.

I can’t figure out what the right thing for me to do is. What do you advise?

Thank you, Shira*

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

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The Panel

The Rebbetzin

The Shadchan

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Michelle Mond

S

G

The Single Tziporah Klein

hira, consult your local Orthodox rabbi or a hilchos loshon hara expert. The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation has a hotline for these types of questions. You will receive clarity and criteria for sharing things you have learned through your dating that will be helpful now and in the future.

I believe that you will be told not to share your impressions. None of these meet the criteria for very serious disqualifying mental/medical issues which would cause someone to drop the other person should they learn about it.

The purpose of dating is to discover the other person – both strengths and weaknesses. Dating beyond determining superficial commonality and connection will clarify whether the person’s weaknesses are the kind you can deal with. It’s a discovery process that sharpens insight into another and into yourself and your capacities. People grow in understanding others and themselves over time, just as you understood the said young man better over the past months. Hopefully, your former classmate will get past the initial attraction and dig deeply into what he is all about along with her own competencies and needs.

ood for you for stopping yourself.

Just like mature people get married every day, immature people do as well. (Sorry, it’s true!) You have no idea what Shayna’s personality is like now, or what she’s up to these days. You don’t know about her middos or how she treats people. There are so many reasons you should not talk to her about your year-old impressions. Maybe they’re a perfect match for each other? Maybe her flaws complement his? She likely sees the exact same things that you saw, if she has dated him long enough. Your job is not to be a messenger owl; it is to be a supportive and mature person. Realize that people change in the span of a year.

In general, people tend to feel so responsible for conveying bad impressions but hold back on the good.

Additionally, anyone who goes through a bad breakup has understandably negative feelings towards the other. You are forgetting that this girl has her own daas Torah, her own right to gather information, and her own emotional intelligence.

Let her figure this one out on her own, and leave the rest to Hashem.

I wish both of you hatzlacha in finding your bashert.

TJH wishes RIVKA WEINBERG, previous columnist in the Navidaters column, a mazal tov on her recent engagement!

D

ear Shira, Before answering your immediate question, I want to celebrate your growth from your experience with Moshe. When one feels vulnerable (which often happens after a breakup), it’s natural to play the “blame game,” choosing to irrationally put down the other person and, often, putting down yourself. It sounds like you developed closure from insight, which is invaluable and something to celebrate!

Secondly, the reason why you

The purpose of dating is to discover the other person – both strengths and weaknesses.

feel so concerned right now is because you are taking responsibility for this girl’s decision. Give the responsibility over to a rabbi and ask for guidance. That way, you can

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know with full confidence that you were guided by the best source to make the best decision possible.

This is exactly why Pirkei Avos says, “Make for yourself a rav.” I find it incredibly valuable to have a personal rabbi to turn to who is accessible and can guide me with sensitivity and intelligence when I feel stuck or uncertain.

Hatzlacha rabba!

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

L

uckily for me, when my wife and I started dating fifty years ago, she didn’t listen to anything negative my old girlfriends may have

said about me.

You showed excellent judgement in pressing “DELETE” before sending that email to your friend.

Please consider the following: First, now, a year after your breakup with “Moshe,” you have very negative residual perceptions about his character and qualities.

However, your negative observations might be slanted because you, personally, experienced a sudden and inexplicable breakup with him.

Second, perhaps he has grown and matured, and he is now a much better person than he was a year ago.

Third, when folks are a good match, they often bring out the very best in each other. Perhaps your old classmate is Moshe’s true bashert, and she has succeeded in helping him become

a much better person.

Fourth, unless you have serious information about criminality, or immorality, or issues like drug abuse, it’s best to say nothing. Anything negative that you say will sound like bitterness, jealousy, and sour grapes and will reflect poorly upon you.

When I was in Brooklyn College, one of my best friends started dating a girl that I had once dated. The girl had many qualities that I found absolutely detestable, and I foolishly told my friend how I felt.

Now, many years later, they are still happily married to each other, but my friendship, alas, never survived my poor judgement. I should have kept my mouth shut.

There’s an appropriate Hebrew expression: Mei’olam lo hitz’ta’ar’ti, ahl davar she’lo amar-

Anything negative that you say will sound like bitterness, jealousy, and sour grapes and will reflect poorly upon you.

ti; you will never regret stifling the urge to say something that you never should have said.

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

D

ear Shira, Thank you for writing into the panel! I certainly understand your desire to save Shayna from marrying Moshe. And while there is no right answer here, I simply do not see your potential involvement with these two ending well for you.

Sometimes less is more.

Without having pointed to any thing specific in Moshe’s behavior and/or personality, it

makes it even more difficult to have an opinion about whether or not to get involved. If drugs, alcohol or any kind of abuse is involved, if there is any dark secret that you know of that would directly impact Shayna, then there is wiggle room to insert yourself. If not, I would stay away.

My concern for you is that if you call or WhatsApp Shayna, she will vilify you and you will quickly become the enemy as she protects her man and her relationship. This is what typically happens. She will most likely think you are jealous and/or completely inappropriate. There is a smaller chance that she will be grateful, listen to you and take action. If you do decide to reach out to her, do not put it in writing, as Shayna can simply copy and paste your warning to the entire world if she feels so inclined. This would have to be through a phone call, in my opinion.

Shayna is a big girl and is capable of coming to her own conclusions about Moshe. It is incumbent upon her to notice. If you absolutely feel like you must get involved or you are looking for an answer one way or another, consider speaking with your rav first. Please note that you are in a difficult situation. You are also not alone. There are so many people in your shoes who have dated or have been married to individuals with minor to serious personality issues. Typically, “exes” do not warn the new man/woman dating their formerly beloveds.

Good luck!

Sincerely, Jennifer

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

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Dr. Deb

How Can I Feel Compassion When I Am Soooo Angry?

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

A

nd – why should I anyway?

Did that awful human being who has been mean to me ever show me compassion?

Certainly not when he called me names, told me I’m ugly, left the house without so much as a word.

Well, last week’s article answered that question. Basically, it goes like this: You might not opt for divorce because you don’t want to break up your family or because you believe in marriage and want to keep your commitment. Or maybe because deep down inside, you sort of think this mean person you’re married to has a good heart. Underneath it all.

So then, if you want to keep the marriage, you surely want peace.

Fun would be nice, too, and so would kindness, courtesy, calmness, and yes, compassion. From the other guy, the one who starts trouble.

Now you may think that all that is impossible. But then you are in for more and more misery. So why not shoot for all of the above if it is possible? To do that, you need compassion for the person who has not had a drop

of compassion for you. Because over time, that actually might work to make them feel safe. And then they might actually be more committed to working on the marriage.

That was last week’s article, in a nutshell.

So let’s say you opt for the try-tomake-the-marriage-work option, except your spouse is not on board. Or maybe they are on board but you do not believe it will last because it never has.

So there is surely a part of you that has to keep your guard up and your hopes down.

That makes sense. But then, how in the world can you make this work?

To be compassionate, you need to feel it. And if you don’t feel it, pretending is out of the question.

But there is a way, and it’s kind of a funny thing, this way. It has to start with you, with your compassion for yourself.

Now, you might have thought that you do have compassion for yourself, and I believe it. Often, people feel like comforting themselves with going

over how badly they were treated.

After all, this method gives oneself self-validation for suffering.

But this backfires. Instead of being a balm for the soul, it feels like we are constantly re-victimizing ourselves by going over and over in our minds how badly we were treated.

I wouldn’t call that self-compassion.

It kind of does bear a resemblance to self-compassion when you’re commiserating with yourself over the injustices you’ve experienced. I get that.

Heck, if no one is going to validate your pain, at least you can count on yourself to do it.

That does make a lot of sense on an emotional level.

Except for one thing: It doesn’t work.

In the long term, it does not make you feel better. It actually makes you feel worse by reviewing and reviewing the pain you’ve experienced.

And yet, there’s a part of you that needs to hold onto that pain. Not just because going over it feels like self-validation, but also so that you don’t let

your guard down. Because if for one instant you drop your guard and feel warmly and kindly toward the person who hurt you, you open yourself up to being hurt again. No one should be vulnerable like that.

However, the problem here is that you remain hurting even if you keep your guard up.

So what’s the gain?

It seems like an impossible situation, doesn’t it? You can’t drop your guard and be vulnerable and you can’t feel compassion (so as to make your partner feel safe and ready to do their share of the work) when you’re so angry and hurt.

Here’s the way out of the impossible box: Start with compassion, real compassion for you.

What Does Self-Compassion Look Like?

Real compassion for yourself is true kindliness. So when you wake up in the morning and you say Modeh Ani, you’re recognizing that G-d has faith in you to live a good life today.

Well, if He does, then surely you must,

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too. That’s the beginning.

So now you have choices to make all day long. So the question is: Do you make them based on how much you want to send a message to your spouse about how hurt and angry you are? Maybe to punish them? Or show them how much you don’t care?

Or do you make those choices based on how kindly you want to be to yourself?

Notice in the first way, the “message” way, it’s all about them, not you.

Generally, people feel a more enduring sense of inner calm and even pleasure when they act in a way that is aligned with their own values. So if, say, you value generosity, and being cold, distant, and a bit nasty to someone you’re mad at is not aligned with your values, then you will really not be so happy with yourself.

Or perhaps you will be.

Maybe giving it back does feel good. I get that. It’s a human thing.

But how long does the pleasure of that last before the disconnect to your

values sets in and you feel crummy?

Not only that, here’s the other really wild result of all that nekama stuff: To be truly compassionate to yourself, you can’t allow yourself to be dominated by this other person who has been so mean. It is up to you to not allow them to control you.

Now, this is the wild part: When you make choices based on how you will pay them back, nekama, you’re actually allowing them to control you!

That’s because your choice was not independent; it was not based on your values. Instead, it was based on their behavior.

See, fighting connects. Payback connects. Calculating your behavior to teach a lesson connects.

And none of that is compassionate towards yourself. Compassion would give you some space, some separation from the ongoing war, some relief.

In fact, the Easterners who meditate are looking for that very space in their meditative practice just so that they can stay calm, centered, and

clearheaded. That’s why meditation releases thoughts, worries, and whathave-you. You present with an empty head in the practice in order to give yourself that very break from your anguish.

Now, when you do that, two things happen: First, you are finally, finally free. You’re still married, but you are not making choices based on the other person. You are giving yourself that respect and care that you need by making choices that are aligned with your deepest values. And that feels good.

Second, your spouse takes notice of all this. Yes, there is a loss of the connection that they had by this fighting game, but losing it is also freeing for them. They no longer need to act in whatever way to provoke you. They actually may try to provoke you more, at first, so as to regain the connection.

For some people, they do not know how to connect over love, only pain.

But over time, they are freed from the ugliness, too. And they come to see you acting independently of them.

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This does make them safer because they are not in the middle of an ugly war, but it also may make them uneasy because they have not learned to be compassionate to themselves (yet).

They do not know how to connect in healthy ways (yet).

But you have prepared them to start the self-work they need and do it with more sincerity. Maybe for the first time.

And you? Why, you are freer. Even under one roof. Self-compassion is big stuff.

Oh, yes, in answer to the original question, you end up brimming over with compassion when you’ve cultivated plenty for yourself. I know that sounds like a distant dream, but I’ve seen it work again and again.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

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Health & F tness

An En-Lightened Chanukah

By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

C

hanukah is a holiday that is loved by all. Whether it be the heat from the candles, the piping hot latkes, or the euphoria it brings us, Chanukah warms our hearts during the cold winter season.

However, along with the joy of Chanukah comes a staple of all Jewish holidays: food, food, and more food.

All the back-to-back Chanukah parties are bad news for the diet. Chanukah is the time to loosen our belts and make room for the latkes, doughnuts, and chocolate coins. Let’s attempt to embrace this Chanukah prepared with the right mindset and strategies in order to avoid all the unnecessary weight gain that usually occurs over the holiday.

Firstly, as embarrassing as it may be, pregame. Never go to a Chanukah party hungry. Hunger increases the likelihood that you will stuff your face and overeat all the enticing food in front of you. When you are hungry, chances are that your diet will go out the window along with your self-control. Showing up satiated to a party will help motivate you to maintain self-control and avoid overeating. In addition, try to socialize or focus on activities at the party instead of focusing on all the food.

If necessary, bring your own food to the party and only eat the food that

you brought along. Some individuals find it hard to say no to food even when they are not hungry. Bringing your own pre-planned healthy meal will decrease the chances of pigging out on all the party’s goodies.

If you’re unable to pregame and/ or bring your own food to the party, make sure you prep yourself to maintain utmost self-control when choosing food. Target the salads, fresh fruit, and low-fat foods. Try to steer clear of the fried foods such as latkes

sage to the brain that you are full, otherwise you can overeat until you are about to burst. So, start off with a small portion, wait, and then if you are still hungry, refill wisely. Don’t fall into the trap of “finish your plate syndrome.” You don’t have to finish everything on your plate. Once you are full, stop eating.

If hosting a party, you are at an advantage because you are creating the menu. Most Chanukah parties “require” latkes. Potato latkes are not

Try to socialize or focus on activities at the party instead of focusing on all the food.

and doughnuts. In addition, try to fill up on water throughout the party, so you will have less of a craving for all the other goodies.

When taking food, use a small plate instead of a big plate to portion out your food. Most people enter a party with big eyes and want to try everything. Start off with a small portion and then wait 15-20 minutes before refilling. Your stomach needs about 15-20 minutes to get the mes-

nutrient dense, since potatoes have little nutritional value to offer. Try substituting potatoes for zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes. These vegetables have the same consistency as potatoes when grated and are just as delicious. They are lower in calories than potatoes and have more nutritional value.

In addition, fry your latkes using minimal amounts of oil and try to absorb the excess oil using paper tow-

el after frying. Use avocado oil as a healthier option for frying as opposed to canola or vegetable oil. Olive oil is not recommended for frying due to its low smoking point. You can bake your latkes for a healthier touch. Or, better yet, thanks to today’s fancy technology, you can air-fry your latkes, cutting out the calories from the oil and still enjoy the fried texture.

The smaller you make your latkes, the better, so that you can better control your portion sizes.

The key to dieting is self-control. It is vital to enter a party with the right mindset and know that you do not have to consume everything in front of you! Don’t forget the true meaning of the holiday; Hashem performs miracles that seem impossible.

Hopefully, while keeping these tips in mind, Hashem will help you in performing the “miracle” of maintaining self-control at a Chanukah party!

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a private nutritionist.

She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com or at 917-623-6237.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Parenting Pearls

Keeping the Flame Alive

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

C

hanukah is such a fun, family-focused yom tov. There is so much to enjoy, and there is so much room for creative expression in how we celebrate. Add in doughnuts with chocolate coins, and you’ve got a kosher party waiting to happen.

The pure fun is actually a bit ironic since the initial events we commemorate are a bit more solemn.

The Syrian-Greek culture was trying to deny us our mesorah to the point that they brought avodah zarah into the Bais Hamikdash. There is plenty of seriousness behind the levity. We shouldn’t forget there was a deliberate attempt to remove us from our very source of existence as the Jewish nation – from the Torah. As we reflect on this history, it’s the perfect time to rededicate ourselves to passing on our mesorah in purity, reflecting on our values and recreating our mikdash miat.

Passing the Torch Chanukah was a time when we were able to live as a people but were denied our religious beliefs. Unlike Purim, when we risked physical annihilation, on Chanukah we faced spiritual decimation, chas v’shalom.

It’s important, as parents, that we recognize who we are and the beauty of our mesorah. Only by keeping that foremost in our consciousness can

we pass that beautiful torch on to the next generation.

We live in a time of acceptance and freedom. We live in a medina shel chessed, and we are so fortunate to have the rights and freedoms we do.

We have been blessed to be involved in every part of our society, from government to lay professions. It’s crucial that we always remember who we are and how we present ourselves in front of our children.

As we are given the opportunities to enjoy all this country has to offer us, we should simultaneously ensure our children, from the youngest of ages, don’t assimilate to the point of forgetting who they are. We are our children’s main role models, and we need to show them we are Jews in all we do – not a Jew only in only some situations. Halacha is all-encompassing, and we aren’t a Jew only at home or at shul; our actions should reflect our pride in who we are wherever we are.

Rededication As time goes on, we can easily lose sight of our initial ideals. There is so much that goes on in our day-to-day existence, and so much hecticness, that we can quickly forget those larger goals we had. As we began to build our families, we had certain principles that were important to us. It’s

normal that those high standards we once set can easily slide. Sometimes, it’s because we reevaluated and felt those initial standards were wrong, but oftentimes, it’s because we simply got bogged down by everything else around us.

Chanukah is a time of rededication. As we rejoice over rededicating the Bais Hamikdash, it’s an appropriate time to renew ourselves to our mikdash miat. This is the perfect time to rethink your values for the type of home you wanted, the standards you have for yourself, and the goals you set for your children.

Building a Mikdash Miat It might sound strange to ask what kind of home you want since houses and apartments are inanimate objects. The type of home you build is completely separate from how you’d describe your rooms and walls.

There is an atmosphere that exists in a home, and that’s fully disconnected from the physical structure.

You can have the fanciest exterior but lack warmth inside. I gained a new appreciation for this after speaking to a long-time family friend from my childhood. She told me how she always loved coming to my childhood home. She said that her home had fancy furnishings but lacked the love. My parents, she noted, kept the

interior design simpler (little kids and expensive decor don’t always mix), but that even at its busiest she could feel the love radiate in our comparably humbler abode.

A home can be a shelter from the outside stresses and influences. These fortresses can give children a place of comfort and security to grow. A home can be a place of moral fortitude in an ever increasingly immoral world.

As adults, we have the opportunity to set the tone and decide the home we will build for our children. Additionally, we choose the type of home we will make for ourselves. Now is the perfect time to decide what we’d like our child to feel when entering their home. Decide what you’d like them to experience and make even just one or two concrete steps towards that goal.

Reevaluating Our Goals We all have how we planned for our future selves to be and what we hoped for our children. Many of our former ideas may no longer be appropriate. Some may be unrealistic, while some may no longer fit you or your children and their needs. Alternatively, others may be important and something you’d like to incorporate into your life.

Carefully think of where you and your family are now. Honestly evaluate your former goals in light of your

current situation and needs. Don’t be afraid to toss out anything no longer relevant. Restate your principles and make sure your goals fit your current reality.

Be honest about where your children are currently holding and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

It’s crucial that you set realistic expectations for each person, including yourself. Sometimes we make unfair expectations for ourselves, and that’s not fair to us either. Parents are people, too.

our children the beauty and simcha inherent in our beliefs.

Chanukah is an easier time to make that happen. I’ll include a few ideas, but these are just a small sample of your options. You don’t need to do everything but simply implement

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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anything else. Give them whatever amount of you that you can. This is the greatest Chanukah gift. We’re all busy, and some adults will have more time than others. It’s never all or nothing. Just do your best and make whatever time you have together most

A home can be a place of moral fortitude in an ever increasingly immoral world.

Bringing It Together That was a very serious take on Chanukah. I don’t want you to think I forgot that Chanukah is also about light and joy. Both are something we need to include in our homes and family’s life. Life is serious but even being thoughtful and spiritually mindful should be done with joy and happiness. We have a beautiful lifestyle. The best, and most accurate, way to pass that torch on is to show

what you can. Make the menorah lighting family time. Sing and dance together after you light. Enjoy special meals or traditional foods together.

Play dreidel or any games together.

Make time for each other, as a group and/or individuals.

Your child wants you, and a bond with you, more than they want

meaningful. That may mean including a child in the kitchen when you cook or bringing a buddy to tag along when you do an errand.

Words of Caution I always have to ruin the fun with some warning – but that’s what parents are for. Kids get really excited by

the menorah, as they should. Please take the time to read over the warnings put out by our local community organizations to ensure your family’s menorah experience is a safe one.

The area where the menorah will be placed needs to be appropriately prepared in advance and watched for the duration of the flames burning. That entire area needs to be kept a kidfree zone. While the lighting should be leibedig, the festive atmosphere should be kept outside the fire zone.

Chanukah is both wonderful and meaningfully fun. Have a beautiful Chanukah together and enjoy every moment of passing on that torch.

May your family’s flame shine bright all year long.

Chag sameach!

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

jewish women of wisdom

Memoranda Musings

By Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz

W

e were passing the time as we waited in the conference hall for the next speaker to begin. She was another frum woman sitting alone, and I reached out. After we did the Jewish geography thing, I plunged right in.

“So, what’s your work?”

“I’ve been in architecture, and during covid, I switched. I’m starting a fashion line.”

“Impressive,” said I, and we chatted another few minutes before she trusted me with a comment.

“I didn’t get the memo,” she noted looking around at all the under-forties wearing tiered long floral dresses to the Shabbos morning session. She was wearing a sharp black and white suit. I quickly reassured her that the Between Carpools crowd had teenage daughters, and that it was a good example to wear this look that offset tznius issues.

My brain was definitely saying something else. If she is in the fashion business, why didn’t she know that the gypsy-styled tiered midi dress was this season’s silhouette?

She didn’t need a memo, but she didn’t think.

It is absolutely axiomatic for midlife parents not to tell their adult

children what to do and what not to do. The Yiddish expression about opening your purse and closing your mouth is apt.

Our kids are in the business of parenting, too. They are adults, but sometimes they need the memo with its explicit communication.

Here are a few memos I have drafted and actually sent:

Thou shalt pay a shiva call or acknowledge a loss of someone whom you have seen regularly for a period in your life. It’s not a comfortable thing to do for many young people, but it is the menchlich thing to do, not to mention the Jewish thing to do. Feeling uncomfortable is not to be avoided all the time but that’s a subject for another column. You can

Sometimes, things just have to be said in a straightforward fashion.

Thou shalt not take risky shortcuts when driving even if you are stressed. This means that you don’t make a U turn on Central Avenue in middle of the day. Life and limb hang in the balance.

Thou shalt not do inappropriate things for your children that you wouldn’t do for yourself “just because they want it.” If you can’t look someone in the eye when doing it for yourself, don’t do it for your child. Your judgment is key, not a child’s.

reassure them that they don’t have to say anything but sit for five to ten minutes, say Hamakom, and leave.

Or they can write a short note with trite lines. As they increasingly practice nichum aveilim, their comfort level will improve.

Sometimes, you can be more subtle. My late grandmother never admonished her progeny directly.

Instead, when she would observe behavior on the street, on the bus, and in the neighborhood (which was not a

Jewish ghetto), she’d point out. “Poor them. Nobody taught them. They were never told that you don’t do this because it’s…”.

Whether it was throwing a wrapper in the street, raucous laughing, or irresponsible biking on the sidewalk, she would never get angry but speak in her usual dignified tones. She also walked the talk. She would pick up wrappers on the street and more.

We can sometimes tell an adult child about what we observed in their peer group that was objectionable. A reminder can be useful. “Please remember to ______.” “I’m sure your aunt in Switzerland would appreciate receiving a mazel tov call on the occasion of her first grandson’s wedding.”

You can also tweak a more adult version of “it’s not OK to____.”

Sometimes, things just have to be said in a straightforward fashion.

This is my memorandum to mid-lifers. Send the select memo.

Be explicit. Our adult children want it and need it. Even if they are in the line. Yes, you can circulate copies.

Join the conversation and email list of JWOW! by writing to hello @jewishwomenofwisdom.org.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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23

When Plymouth Rock Meets the Western Wall For many American immigrants in Israel, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy turkey and pumpkin pie once a year

BY YITZCHAK GOLDBERG

Noah

Abramowitz immigrated to Israel from Baltimore, Maryland, several years ago at the age of 18. Yehuda Berlinger moved there from West Hempstead in 1989. Gail Danieli has lived in the country for over 40 years but is originally from Maine. Harel Rosenberg was born in Israel to an Israeli father and American mother.

The four are of different generations, have different life experiences, and live in different parts of the country.

But what the four have in common is that, although they live in Israel and are part of Israeli society, on the fourth Thursday in November or over the following weekend, they sit down with their respective families and friends to celebrate the very American holiday of Thanksgiving.

Noah, Yehuda, Gail, and Harel are not alone. Thanksgiving has continued to be popular among American immigrants in Israel who wish to hold onto something from the old country, where a majority of the local Jews celebrate the holiday.

“It is the only non-religious American holiday, and the only one we ever celebrated with the ‘American people.’ Honestly, it was the only holiday where we felt a part of and joined in

on the holiday spirit with the rest of the country and our friends and neighbors,” Gail explains.

Asking about their Thanksgiving traditions strikes a chord with these American Israelis. The second they begin, you can tell that they were just transported back to Thanksgivings past, sitting with friends and family at a table replete with turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and other Thanksgiving favorites. Each one recounted the evolution of their Thanksgiving traditions in great detail, from their first Thanksgiving in Israel to their current Thanksgiving traditions.

In the United States, you’ll be hard-pressed to find two families whose Thanksgiving traditions are identical; that rule applies even more so in Israel where making do with what you have and merging cultures is the name of the game.

Turkey and Torah For most of the years since he left the U.S., Noah Abramowitz’s Thanksgiving has centered around the same traditions: “Normally, I get together with friends who are also American in origin, and we sit down

for a meal of turkey, stuffing, winter soup, and such. We sometimes will put on football in the background because tradition is tradition. We then always do a trip around the table saying what we appreciate in our lives, what we normally take for granted,” Abramowitz, whose siblings also have since immigrated to the Holy Land, relates.

Noah adds that he and his friends have managed to find a way to enjoy the meal to the fullest whilst adhering to strict kashrus standards.

“We have the dairy parts of the meal at the beginning, and, after a short break, we eat the meat part of the meal. Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and buttered sweet potatoes first, and then spiced wine, soup, and turkey,” he explains. “There’s a lot of food factors.”

Not every year goes as planned, and when

there was a worldwide pandemic that made social events difficult and unsafe, tradition took a back seat to improvisation. Noah is one of the many who had to find other Thanksgiving arrangements due to Covid-19.

“Last year, for example, when there was still a lot of Corona restrictions, I made pumpkin pie and turkey soup, and ate it with my roommates, just to be yotzei (fulfill my obligation).”

Abramowitz took the opportunity of not having a big meal to teach some Torah instead.

“Last year, when I wasn’t having a big Thanksgiving meal anyway, I gave a shiur at Beit Prat about the machlokot between the American rabbis regarding the nature of Thanksgiving, which was given in a small forum,” he shared.

For Abramowitz, celebrating a traditional kosher Thanksgiving in Israel is easy, compared to doing so in Australia, where he spent a year as a shaliach.

“In Australia, you couldn’t get a kosher turkey,” he recalls, “so instead, we did the whole meal with dairy dishes, and I gave a shiur there as well on whether the holiday

24

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

At the Lone Soldiers 2019 Thanksgiving event

can or should be celebrated by Jews.”

Abramowitz sums up his typical Thanksgiving.

“It’s normally a lot of food, a lot of drinks, and we watch football, but I have friends who also insist on watching the Macy’s parade. I was also at a meal one year where we did a reenactment of the first Thanksgiving: one of the guys dressed up as a pilgrim, the other as a Native American, they exchanged ingredients of the meal (corn and pie), and it was really nice.”

Age-Old Traditions When Yehuda Berlinger came to Israel in 1989, he quickly fell in with a group of English-speakers that would hang out and play Ultimate Frisbee in Jerusalem’s Sacher Park. A number of the “chevrah,” as they were called, including him, his brother, and his then-wife, would meet to celebrate Thanksgiving every year. Those Thanksgivings were more than just food.

“We usually had a crowd of about 18,” he says, “and we would do all these things like laugh about the things that were good in America, something that we would do just that one day because we loved being in Israel but we would laugh at things like, ‘remember when two cars can drive on the same street or park on the same street?’ and ‘remember when stores had a whole department whose job was to give you your money back?’

We would play a folk song. It was

quite a traditional Thanksgiving.”

Over the years, the attendees at Berlinger’s Thanksgiving changed – some moved away, and some returned to the States. Yehuda himself divorced and remarried twice, moved to Raanana, and then back to Jerusalem, but he continued to be a mainstay at these dinners which were still attended by

she relates, “my American cousin wanted his Israeli friend to see what Thanksgiving is, so he asked me to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It was such a hit that my family – my three children and husband – wanted Thanksgiving every year.”

Gail, like many Americans in Israel who find it difficult to prepare a big meal on a workday, hosts her Thanksgiving feast on Friday night, as a Shabbos meal, or as some may call it “Shushan Thanksgiving.”

Gail’s Thanksgiving dinner has grown to be a large and highly anticipated event.

“Over the years, we have invited friends and family, but as the family is growing and my guests are also anxiously waiting for turkey, we have almost the same crowd every year.”

This includes Gail’s family – her husband, three children and their spouses, along with two grandchildren. Each of her children brings the same friends each year, which amounts to around ten to twelve extra guests. She also hosts her kibbutz family who adopted her when she made aliyah, which comes to an ad-

American Israelis are faced with their next challenge: fitting it in the oven, which, unless it was brought over from the States, isn’t built to fit a 14 lb. flightless bird. a few of the original “chevrah” until the mid-2010s.

Even so, he continued to host between 18-20 people for Thanksgiving until 2020, when Covid restrictions only allowed him to host his wife’s kids. Being that this year the restrictions have been lifted, he hopes to return to hosting a large meal with friends.

Shushan Thanksgiving For her first twenty or so years in Israel, Gail Danieli didn’t make a big Thanksgiving feast.

That changed one year when her cousin came to her with a request.

“About 20 years ago,”

ditional 18-22 guests, depending on who can show up.

With so many people around the table, there has to be enough food to pass around. So what is Gail serving that draws such a crowd?

“Pretty much the same food every year since my guests are waiting for their special foods,” she says. “At least one turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, applesauce, green beans, beet salad, a green salad usually with baked squash cubes, apple pie, pecan pie, brownies, peanut butter cookies, and carrot cake.”

That’s a mouthful.

For appetizers, Gail opts to serve more traditional Shabbat fare: deviled eggs, chopped liver, dips and crackers, and smoked salmon.

“We always have cocktails, apple

123

juice, and cranberry juice,” she makes sure to add. “Oh! There are always mashed potatoes.

“I have Thanksgiving decorations like napkins and stuff that I pick up when in the States. Oh! I also make an apple-cinnamon stuffed challah.”

Can’t forget that for a Shushan Thanksgiving meal.

The Third Generation As opposed to the other three Thanksgiving celebrants we met in this article, Harel Rosenberg’s story doesn’t begin in the United States, because he was born in Israel.

The university student is the third generation on his mother’s side to live in the country and has spent nearly all of his 25 years in the Holy Land, save for three-and-a-half of them, which he spent in Silver Spring, Maryland, when his parents temporarily relocated there. What’s interesting is, that in Silver Spring, the Rosenberg family did not have a Thanksgiving dinner – in Israel, they do.

Rosenberg’s maternal grandparents, who immigrated to Israel in 1973, celebrate their anniversary at the end of November. They use the joyous event as an excuse to host a family dinner at their home every year on the fourth Thursday in November.

Rosenberg admits that his family’s Thanksgiving-Anniversary hybrid isn’t the most traditional.

“We don’t have a turkey or most of the other traditional dishes,” he says, “but we almost always have a meat meal, and my grandmother always cooks at least one or two more traditional dishes. She also always decorates the table with seasonal decorations, and my brother and I generally get into a conversation about the Pilgrims and other explorers like Columbus.”

Although it lacks the traditional elements of a Thanksgiving feast, Rosenberg assures me that Thanksgiving takes center stage at his family gathering so much so that “there was a point in time that I pretty much forgot that it was my grandparents’ anniversary and thought that the annual party was only in honor of Thanksgiving.”

Lone, Not Lonely Possibly the biggest Thanksgiving event held in Israel over the past few years is the one held by the Lone Soldier Center in Memory

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

of Michael Levin. The Lone Soldier Center is dedicated to helping the approximately 7,000 soldiers that are serving in the Israel Defense Forces who don’t have immediate family in Israel. Of those lone soldiers, about 45% are new immigrants from North America.

One of the center’s missions is to help the soldiers feel at home. Eric Sirkin, chairman of the organization’s board, explains that Thanksgiving is seen as an especially important time to do so.

“In North America, Thanksgiving is a very special holiday celebrated by people of all faiths, and it’s a time when the family gets together, has a very special meal together, enjoys the company of each other, and gives thanks for everything that G-d has provided you until now. So, it’s a very special holiday, and soldiers from North America find that this is the time that they most miss their families.”

Sirkin notes, “Also, the nature of the holiday is giving thanks. It’s our way to give thanks to the lone soldiers by helping them through an emotionally difficult holiday when they’re without their family.”

Thanksgiving is also a great opportunity to hold a big event for soldiers since many of them go out on weekend leave on Thursday, and many Americans in the IDF even receive special leave for the holiday.

Every year, the Lone Soldier Center’s Thanksgiving event is bigger and more extravagant than the last.

The center’s 2019 event, which took place in a big tent in Jerusalem’s old train station, hosted upward of 1,000 soldiers, along with members of the U.S. Marine Corps and guest speakers including the then minister of defense (and current prime minister) Naftali Bennett, senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone and former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren.

This year, after a one-year hiatus due to Covid-19 (in 2020 the center distributed food packages to the soldiers instead), the center is gearing up for another big event, planned to take place on Thursday in a central Jerusalem guest house. Along with a rich menu of Thanksgiving fare, the soldiers will be entertained with music, a big screen playing the day’s traditional football games, and guest speakers including the Deputy Minister of Defense Alon Schuster,

the C.E.O. of the Jerusalem based investment platform OurCrowd Jon Medved, and the commercial attaché at the U.S. Embassy Robyn Kessler.

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At the Lone Soldiers 2019 Thanksgiving event

Turkey (and Cranberry Sauce, and Pumpkin Puree, and Pie Crust) Hunting in Israel One of the hardest parts of celebrating a holiday in a country where the majority doesn’t celebrate it may be finding the proper ingredients for the holiday staples and the correct tools to make them.

My first few years in Israel were spent about a quarter of a mile from a large turkey coop. Every morning, I woke up to the gobbling, and every night I went to sleep to the noxious smell. Turkey is everywhere in Israel, taking the form of hotdogs, meatballs, and cutlets. The one form that’s nearly impossible to find a turkey in is whole, posing a problem to those Americans who wish to grace their table with a whole bird. The only way to obtain a whole turkey is to find a butcher who would be willing to get one for you. Luckily, those butchers are becoming more widespread as Thanksgiving is becoming more wellknown, and carnivore culture grows in Israel.

Once they obtain a turkey, American Israelis are faced with their next challenge: fitting it in the oven, which, unless it was brought over from the States, isn’t built to fit a 14 lb. flightless bird. This step requires some creativity; until my parents bought an American oven second-hand, our Thanksgiving turkey was made on a gas grill.

Noah Abramowitz and his friends were even more innovative: “One year, when I was in the army, my friend built a smoker because otherwise, we didn’t have any means of cooking a whole turkey,” Noah shares.

As per sides, accouterments, and desserts, it depends on what you’re looking for; frozen string beans, potatoes, and sweet potatoes can be bought in every supermarket, but more specifically, American items can be more difficult to find if you don’t know where to look. Local groceries in areas with a large English-speaking population generally are a good bet.

After a quick walk through the local makolet in the Modiin suburb of Chashmonaim, I found a slew of imported Thanksgiving favorites

such as Karo corn syrup, both Ocean Spray and Gefen cranberry sauce, and Festal brand canned pumpkin puree.

Dudu Malka, the Israeli owner of the aptly named “Super-Chashmonaim,” told me that after buying the store a decade ago he began to slowly learn about the American customs and buying preferences.

“It took some time, but within a year or two, I got the hang of things.

Now I know that around the middle of November I need to make sure I’m stocked up on pie crust, and pumpkin puree, and cranberry sauce.”

Dudu adds that although there is a slight spike in sales around Thanksgiving, it doesn’t come close to sale spikes around any Jewish holiday.

“At the end of the day,” he notes, “we’re in Israel. Thanksgiving’s not our holiday. The Americans have a small celebration to hold onto an old tradition, but it’s not like the Jewish holidays.”

A Tradition, A Reason to Party, or Sincere Appreciation If the actual Thanksgiving celebrations differ one from another, the reasons for celebrating differ even more. For some, like Gail Danieli, it’s a way to connect to their history.

“Thanksgiving is probably the most prominent reminder that I grew up American. Celebrating Thanksgiving in Israel reminds me of who I am and allows me to share my roots with my family and friends,” she says.

For others, like Noah Abramowitz, it’s about having a distinct immi-

grant culture.

“The holiday is a tradition,” he says. “It’s definitely a cultural event and is very important to me. As such, I think the same way Moroccan Jews have Mimouna, American Jews have Thanksgiving. The customs remind me of family and good times.”

Others, like Yehuda Berlinger, feel connected to America so that celebrating Thanksgiving is not even a question.

“I’ve always continued to feel like an American. I work in English; I have American cultural tastes. In general, I appreciate certain American traditions,” he says.

Harel Rosenberg has an uplifting reason for celebrating Thanksgiving, one that is quite fitting for someone who was born and raised in Israel.

Harel asserts, “I celebrate Thanksgiving to show thanks to the United States of America, for sheltering my grandmother who escaped Nazi-occupied Europe, and for all the good that she’s done for the Jewish people and the State of Israel over the years.”

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

‫בס״ד‬

F I R S

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

A Taste of Taste POTATO DREIDEL STACKS Recipe by Shaindy Siff Styling and photography by Chay Berger

I love to get into the yom tov spirit! This is my spin on potato bourekas, Chanukah style.

Yield: 10 servings Pareve

Ingredients

Dreidels • 20 pastry dough squares • Oil spray Potato filling • 10 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered • Water • Salt • 2 frozen garlic cubes • ¾ stick margarine • Pepper Mushroom sauce • 16 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced • 1 large white onion, diced • 2 frozen garlic cubes • ½ Tbsp chicken soup mix • 2 Tbsp white cooking wine • 2 Tbsp oil • Salt to taste • Black pepper to taste • 1½ Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1½ Tbsp water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the dreidels: Using a dreidelshaped cookie cutter, cut a dreidel out of each pastry square. Using a fork, poke

some holes in the dough. Oil-spray each dreidel. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

3. Prepare the potatoes: Place potatoes in a pot and fill with water to cover. Add salt. Cook on medium-high for 20–30 minutes, until soft.

4. Once cooked, drain potatoes and pour them back into the pot. Add garlic, margarine, salt, and pepper. Using a fork or potato masher, mash until smooth.

Prepare the mushroom sauce: In a large

frying pan, combine mushrooms, onions, garlic, chicken soup mix, white wine, oil, salt, and pepper. Sauté on mediumlow for 15–20 minutes, until soft. Add cornstarch and bring to a boil. Once sauce has thickened, lower flame until ready to eat.

5. Assemble: Place one dreidel on a plate.

Using a piping bag, pipe potato mixture onto the dreidel. Place another dreidel on top. Pour mushrooms sauce on top.

Repeat with remaining dreidels.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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YAPCHIK LATKES

Recipe by Tova Lowenthal Styling and photography by Faigy Murray

Upgrade your standard potato latke to something truly special. Once you try this, you will have a hard time going back to your original recipe.

Yield: 12-15 latkes Meat

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes • 1 small onion • 2 eggs • 1 tsp salt • ¼ cup matzah meal • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise • 1½ Tbsp mustard • 6 Tbsp duck sauce • 9 oz pastrami or corned beef, cubed • Oil for frying

Preparation

1. In a food processor or in a bowl using a hand grater, shred potatoes and onion.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add salt and matzah meal. Add the grated potatoes and onion.

3. In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and duck sauce.

Add diced meat and mix well.

4. In a frying pan, heat oil over mediumhigh heat. Place an overflowing Tbsp of potato batter into the frying pan. Place a tablespoon of meat mixture above it.

Then place another tablespoon of potato batter to cover the meat mixture. Fry until the bottom is browned (about 4 minutes). Flip over and fry until the other side is also browned. Repeat for the rest of the latkes.

5. Line a plate with paper towels. Remove latkes from frying pan and place on the plate to drain.

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CROCK-POT CHUCK ROAST

Recipe by Chaya Ruchie Schwartz Styling and photography by Chay Berger

The quick prep makes this dish a perfect supper choice if you plan to be out all day.

Yield: 6 servings Meat

Ingredients

• 3 lb. chuck roast (in the net) • 1 tsp onion powder • 1 tsp paprika • ½ tsp salt • Dash black pepper • 1 bag colorful baby potatoes • 2 sweet potatoes, chunked • 3 stalks celery, sliced • 1 onion, chunked • 3 cloves garlic • 2⁄3 cup ketchup • 2 cups Coke

Preparation

1. Place meat in Crock-Pot and sprinkle with spices. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

2. Cook on low for 6–8 hours. Cool before slicing.

The Taste Cookbook was made with you in mind – the busy mother, the harried housewife, the woman who needs to get dinner on the table as quickly as she possibly can. The much-anticipated cookbook brings you a wide variety of recipes from creatives the world over. Your new best friend in the kitchen, it provides fresh inspiration for suppers, snacks and special occasions.

The Voice of Lakewood is a community magazine. Loved by locals, the publication shares news, photos, engaging serials and thought-provoking articles with its audience, and serves as a platform for Lakewood residents. Taste was born five years ago when the editors felt that a magazine recipe section would further connect, enrich and entertain readers. Nechama Norman managed the food section, introducing innovative columns and recruiting fabulously talented contributors. When she moved on, Faigy Murray, the current food editor, took over and brought Taste to a whole new level with mouthwatering photography and recipes in a wide variety of categories.

Recently, the Voice made the decision to share the beautiful, easy-to-make recipes with the world, and soon, a cookbook was created.

Feldheim publishers is excited to distribute Taste and the cookbook is now available at all Judaic stores, on Amazon, and at feldheim.com.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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White Chocolate and peanut butter drizzle, topped with peanut brittle and chocolate bar.

Strawberry chocolate with coconut flakes and fresh strawberries.

Dark chocolate with white chocolate drizzle, topped with pearl white sugar rods and edible gold dust.

Dark chocolate & white chocolate drizzle, topped with oreo cookies and oreo crunch.

Strawberry chocolate and white chocolate drizzle, topped with chocolate coins, white sugar rods and pomegranate arils.

White chocolate with lotus cream drizzle, topped with lotus crunch and cookie.

White chocolate with caramel drizzle, topped with wafers, klik chocolate balls and nuts crunch

Dark chocolate with white chocolate and caramel drizzle, topped with klik bars, edible gold pearls and hazelnut brittle.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

ice cream cheesecake

party pops

When you want to wo w them but you also wa nt some ice cream. and little toppings. whip cheesecake. and sweet up this exquisite desse rt that’ll spark imaginat tastebud with its sple ion and delight every ndid variety of flavors. personalize their desse have your guests join in the fun as they rt or simply surprise them with a delicious ly magnificent presenta tion.

Dough: 2 cups flour 1 cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup granulated wh ite sugar ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1¼ stick mehadrin bu tter, melted 1 tsp vanilla extrac t 1 egg

Cheesecake: 8 oz jj whipped crea m cheese ½ cup mehadrin sour cream ½ cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extrac t 2 egg yolks 1 tsp cornstarch, di luted in ¼ cup milk 2 cups mehadrin vani lla ice cream 1 cup mehadrin whip

ped cream

Directions:

preparing the cheeseca ke add cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, yolks, and co beat with a hand mixe rnstarch to a bowl. r until smooth.

2 add ice cream and whip. beat until combined.

3 pour th e ice cream mixture in to the prepared doug h and freeze. preparing the pops 1 once frozen, cut the cheese cake into 12 equal slice 2 stick s. release the springf a popsicle stick into orm pan. ea ch slice.

3 plac e them back into the freezer while you pr epare your toppings.

1

Toppings: Dip each sl ice into your favorit e melted chocolate an them with your choic d have fun topping e of sauces, candy bars , chocolate, cookies, nu ts, and fruit. what you’ll need:

Product of USA

Recipe Development, Styling, & Phot ography by Yossi and Malky Levine

preparing the dough 1 preheat th e oven to 350º f.

2 line the bo ttom of an 11 or 12-in ch springform pan wi 3 in a bowl th parchment paper. , add flour, sugars, ba ki ng soda, and salt. whisk 4 add the me with a fork until co lted butter, egg, and mbined. vanilla extract. beat 5 press th un ti l a dough is formed. e dough into the botto m an d ap pr oximately 1½ inches up springform pan. the sides of the 6 bake fo r 15 minutes. allow to cool.

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In The K

tchen

Rivky’s Sesame Chicken

By Naomi Nachman Naomi with Rivky Kle

iman

On my recent Kosher.com show, Sunny Side Up, I asked my friend, Rivky Kleiman, to join me and cook up something delicious for Chanukah. Rivky just released her brand-new

cookbook, Simply, and she recommended that we demonstrate how to prepare her Sesame Fried Chicken - as that would be a perfect fit for our Chanukah episode. Make sure you watch us cook up this delicious chicken on Kosher.com.

Ingredients ◦ 1½ pounds dark chicken tenders ◦ ¼ cup non-dairy milk such as Gefen Almond Milk ◦ 3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 3 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic ◦ 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes ◦ Canola oil, for frying ◦ 2 teaspoons sesame oil ◦ Chopped chives, for garnish Batter ◦ ½ cup Gefen Corn Starch ◦ ½ cup flour ◦ ½ cup cold seltzer ◦ 2 egg whites Sesame Sauce ◦ ¼ cup Gefen Honey ◦ ¼ cup ketchup ◦ 1 tablespoon Gefen Corn Starch

◦ 1/3 cup water

pan. Fry or two minutes, until lightly golden.

◦ 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Turn chicken, fry until lightly golden. Transfer

◦ 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more for

fried chicken to a paper towel-lined cooling rack

garnish ◦ ¼ cup Soy Sauce (low sodium) ◦ ¼ cup rice vinegar ◦ ¼ cup dark brown sugar

Preparation Prepare the Sesame Chicken 1. In a large resealable bag, combine non-dairy

milk, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add chicken tenders. Coat chicken tenders; marinate and soften for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine and whisk together batter ingredients. Add marinated chicken ten-

or pan. Repeat the process until all chicken is fried.

Prepare the Sesame Sauce In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

To Finish Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add sesame sauce.

Bring to a boil; cook until thickened, whisking occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add fried chicken; toss to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and chopped chives.

ders. Discard any remaining marinade. Mix to completely coat.

3. Heat three inches oil in a two- to three-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add a few pieces of

chicken at a time, taking care not to crowd the

Reproduced from Simply by Rivky Kleiman, with permission from the copyright holders ArtScroll/ Mesorah Publications, LTD

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 | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

The Rochel Baron A”H

Chanukah

In the z’chus of Milton Ostreicher. Menachem Avrohom ben Moshe Binyamin.

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Mr. President, if I could say one thing to you, I would urge you to go back and watch the trial and understand the facts before you make a statement.

- Kyle Rittenhouse, age 18, on Fox News, after his acquittal, responding to Pres. Biden having called him a “white supremacist” last year

It’s actual malice, defaming my character for him to say something like that. It’s actually quite hysterical how nobody can go back and look at the facts of the case.

“He crossed state lines” – false. “He’s a white supremacist” – false. None of that is true. And the lies that they can just get away with spreading is just sickening. And it’s a disgrace to this country.

- Ibid.

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers isn’t the only NFL quarterback who’s been holding out. Joe Flacco, of the New York Jets, revealed that he, too, is unvaccinated. Flacco told the media he doesn’t want to get into his reasoning because it would be a distraction to the team, and the most important thing is to focus on going out there and losing football games right now.

— Jimmy Kimmel

New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco announced he’s not vaccinated against the coronavirus. But don’t worry about his teammates — it’s rare for the Jets to catch anything.

— Seth Meyers

Why are they even having a bill-signing celebration? Passing laws is their job. Nobody else gets to do that at their job. Like, after you make photocopies for your boss at the office, you don’t get to pose for pictures while shaking hands… “I didn’t think you could get it double-sided. Well done, Billy. Well done.”

— Trevor Noah

The Mets are better off without Syndergaard. In case you haven’t noticed, they have been without him for years.

- Longtime WFAN host Mike Francesca, tweeting after Noah Syndergaard left the Mets for the Angels

…didn’t know you were still alive. Congrats - Syndergaard, in response

I competed every day for 35 years (and won) in my chosen profession in the greatest city in the world. Noah whined and ran away.

- Francesca’s reply

Only thing you’ve ever won is being a gasbag Mets-hating opportunist.

- Syndergaard in response

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021 The The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015

135 27

As gawkers tried to snap pictures of him indoors not wearing a mask, America’s doc would put it on and take it off depending on whom he was around.

- Politico reporting about a recent party attended by Dr. Fauci who was trying to avoid someone snapping a “gotcha moment” picture of him not wearing a mask

Starting [soon], Staples Center will be known as Crypto.com Arena, which doesn’t sound creepy at all.

— Jimmy Kimmel

But a lot of people around here don’t like the new name at all. You know you’re in a weird spot when fans are like, “We have to go back to when it was named after an office supply chain!”

— Ibid.

It’s not like Staples is a sacred name from the ancestors — it’s a store where you buy 50 packs of binders even though you only need one.

It was probably just self-defense #Wisconsin #KyleRittenhouse.

- Mary Lemanski, social media director of the Democratic Party of DuPage County, Illinois, posting on Twitter, moments after a recently-paroled felon intentionally ran over innocent people at the Waukesha holiday parade, killing at least six and injuring dozens more

Living in Wisconsin, he probably felt threatened. I’m sure he didn’t want to hurt anyone. He came to help people.

— Trevor Noah

- Ibid., continuing her demented rant moments after six innocent people were run down and countless more were transported to hospitals with serious injuries

In 2020, you wrote a paper called “The People’s Ledger,” where you said we need to abolish bank accounts and make everybody set up an account at the Fed where the federal government will have access to your data. In 2020, you wrote another paper called “The Climate Case for a National Investment Authority,” where you said what we need to do to the oil and gas industry is have the federal government bankrupt them so we can tackle climate change. In 2019, you joined the Facebook group, a Marxist Facebook group, to discuss socialist and anti-capitalist views. Now, that’s what I see from your record, and you have the right to believe every one of these things. You do; this is America. But I don’t mean any disrespect – I don’t know whether to call you professor or comrade.

I’m sad anytime anyone dies. I just believe in Karma, and this came around quick on the citizens of Wisconsin.

- Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) at the confirmation hearing for Pres. Biden’s nominee for comptroller of currency Saule Omarova

- Ibid.

MORE QUOTES

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The grim reality of the Nebraska Cornhuskers finishing yet another season with a losing record proved to be too much to bear for Milton Andrew Munson, who decided he’d seen enough of this world during the team’s recent bye week. The Huskers may not have sent him into the afterlife with a victory but at least they didn’t lose. And sometimes, that’s the best you can hope for.

- From the obituary of Nebraska resident and Cornhuskers fan Milton A. Munson Jr. , age 73

I continue to call on President Biden to responsibly increase energy production here at home and to reverse course to allow the Keystone XL pipeline to be built which would have provided our country with up to 900,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada, one of our closest allies.

Because of the actions we’ve taken, things have begun to change.

End of quote.

– Pres. Biden, reading the teleprompter instruction as well, while reading a speech from a teleprompter

- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)

FALSE: COVID-19 VACCINES CAUSE INFERTILITY. TRUE:

These claims have no scientific evidence supporting them. In fact, thousands of people have safely become pregnant after getting their COVID-19 vaccine. Doctors recommend that all people who are pregnant or may want to have a child in the future get a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 VACCINES SAVE LIVES. GET VACCINATED. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT NYC.GOV/COVIDVACCINE.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Political Crossfire

Biden and Harris’s Popularity is Plummeting What About a Manchin-Sinema 2024 Ticket?

By Marc A. Thiessen

I

t’s hard to screw up being vice president. George H.W. Bush famously said he attended so many funerals that the job description might as well be: “You die, I fly.” But after just 10 months in office, Kamala Harris has managed to make herself the least popular vice president at this point in at least 50 years.

President Joe Biden’s approval has plummeted to just 36% in the recent Quinnipiac poll – which puts his approval lower than Donald Trump’s all-time low in the RealClearPolitics average.

But Harris’s popularity is even worse. In a recent Suffolk University-USA Today poll that put Biden’s popularity at a measly 37.8%, Harris ran 10 points lower at 27.8%. Those are depths of unpopularity even Trump never plumbed.

Usually, a vice president’s poll numbers don’t matter that much. But with Biden struggling in the polls, Harris is supposed to be the Democrats’ backup plan for 2024. Already, nearly two-thirds of Americans, according to the Suffolk University-USA Today poll, say they don’t want Biden to run for a second term – and they increasingly believe he is not physically or mentally up to the job. A new Politico-Morning Consult poll finds half the country does not believe that Biden is in good health – a massive 29-point shift from October 2020, when voters believed he was healthy by a 19-point margin. And a 48% plurality say he is not mentally fit to be president. Last October, voters believed he was mentally fit by a 21-point margin. If this many Americans have lost confidence in

the president’s cognitive abilities after just 10 months of watching him in action, imagine what it will be like in three years when he has to stand for reelection?

So, the jockeying to replace Biden has already begun. And that means the knives have come out for Harris, with rivals and their supporters planting hit pieces on her in the media. CNN recently reported: “Worn out by what they see as entrenched dysfunction and lack of focus, key West Wing aides have largely thrown up their hands at Vice President Kamala Harris and her staff – deciding there simply isn’t time to deal with them right now.” Harris’s camp, in turn, is publicly grousing that she’s been set up for failure, assigned to manage Biden’s self-inflicted crisis at the southern border, and charged with passing a partisan federal election law that is highly popular with

the base but has zero chance of being enacted.

The problem for Democrats is there are no good alternatives to Biden. Ask yourself: Why did Democrats nominate Biden in the first place? He is the oldest man ever elected president – older on the day he took office than Ronald Reagan was on the day he left office. He won by hiding in his basement and ceding the public stage to Trump, who alienated enough Americans to give Democrats the White House.

Democrats spent the entire 2020 primary season searching for an acceptable alternative to Biden and could not find one. They ultimately settled on him because he was the “least bad” choice – an inoffensive, genial moderate who was least likely to drive away swing voters tired of Trump but wary of the Democrats’ leftward turn.

Well, less than a year into his presidency, Biden’s popularity is in free fall, his vice president and presumed heir is less popular than he is, and there are still no viable alternatives.

Most of the potential 2024 candidates being discussed are 2020 also-rans who failed to connect with voters in the Democratic primaries. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is trying to raise his profile by taking false credit for the Biden administration’s one popular achievement – passage of a bipartisan infrastructure bill. But Buttigieg had literally no role in negotiating the infrastructure bill. None.

He was absent on the job. And he has also presided over the worst supply chain crisis in memory. Grocery stores sold out of turkeys at Thanksgiving and empty store shelves [on the holidays] are not generally a winning path to the presidency.

But Buttigieg may be onto something. The bipartisan infrastructure bill is indeed popular – supported by 81% of Democrats, 63% of independents and 46% of Republicans, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. That’s because it represents exactly what Biden promised voters in 2020 but failed to deliver – normalcy, compromise, unity, and bipartisanship. If Democrats want to dig themselves out of the political hole they are in, maybe they should turn to the two leaders in their party who did not run in 2020 and are actually responsible for the bill’s passage?

Joe Manchin-Kyrsten Sinema 2024 – now that’s a Democratic ticket that would terrify the GOP. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

The U.S. is Warning Russia on Ukraine

By David Ignatius

T

he guns of November are locked and loaded, as Russia continues to defy U.S. and European pressure to withdraw its troops from the volatile Ukraine border.

The tense Ukraine standoff is a case study in diplomatic signaling that, thus far, hasn’t worked. For weeks, senior U.S. and European officials have warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull back what looks ominously like an invasion force – or face harsh consequences from a U.S.-led coalition.

The warning message hasn’t connected. Instead, Putin seems to be relishing the West’s anxiety. He claimed Thursday that the United States and its allies were ignoring Russia’s “red lines” and “escalating the situation” with shows of force. He said he hoped the recent “tension” in Western statements about Ukraine would “remain as long as possible,” so that Russia’s views would be taken seriously. Putin’s goal seems to be restoration of Moscow’s Soviet-era hegemony over Kyiv.

Nearly 100,000 Russian troops have massed along the border, according to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. This faceoff continued Thursday. U.S. officials didn’t detect any change in the Russian military presence, up or down.

There are nearly daily skirmishes in the contested Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. The conflict could escalate if Russia sends “humanitarian” aid convoys into the region under a decree issued Monday by Putin. Ukraine has recently augmented its defense of the Donbass, using Turkish drones to combat pro-Russian rebels – and drawing a protest from Moscow.

The Biden administration appears

caught between its desire to deter a Russian invasion and its hope for new talks with Putin about strategic stability and other topics. National security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Wednesday. The White House didn’t provide details, but a Russian spokesman said the topics included possible “top-level contact” soon between Putin and President Biden.

Washington’s most emphatic warning about the Russian buildup was a November 10 statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He cited “reports of unusual Russian military activity near Ukraine” and warned against “any escalatory or aggressive actions” by Russia. With Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba by his side, Blinken said America’s commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity was “ironclad,” but he avoided specifics about what the United States would do in the event of an invasion.

CIA Director William J. Burns had paid a quiet visit to Moscow earlier this month. He told Russian officials about U.S. concern over the Russian troop buildup and warned that an invasion

of Ukrainian would bring severe economic reprisals. Administration officials were disappointed that Burns’s cautionary message didn’t seem to register with the Kremlin.

To check Russia, the administration has tried to mobilize European allies, who are nearer to the firing line in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both spoken directly with Putin over the past two weeks. Britain’s defense secretary met his Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv.

And Sweden’s defense minister said he was ready to send Swedish troops to Ukraine to help train that country’s military.

The Biden administration has been making contingency plans with allies, in case Russia moves across the border. U.S. officials won’t discuss how they would respond, though they caution that, because Ukraine isn’t a NATO member, there’s no U.S. guarantee to protect Kyiv. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed the uncertainty shared by U.S. allies when he admitted Wednesday: “We’re not sure exactly what Mr. Putin is up to.”

The Kremlin seems increasingly determined to force Zelensky’s aggressively pro-western government into submission to Moscow. Putin this summer published a lengthy article explaining the historical roots of his view that, as he put it, Russians and Ukrainians represent “one people – a single whole.” He argued that “true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia.”

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and prime minister, followed Putin’s commentary with a blistering article in Kommersant, in October, titled “Why It Is Senseless to Deal with the Current Ukrainian Leadership.” He opened with a chilling bit of Ukrainian folk wisdom: “When the goat tangles with the wolf, only the skin will remain of the goat.”

But Ukraine is a goat with teeth. An investigation released this week by the British investigative group Bellingcat described an astonishingly bold sting operation by Zelensky’s intelligence operatives last year to capture dozens of Russian mercenaries who had fought in eastern Ukraine. Though it failed, that operation must have been galling for a former intelligence operative like Putin.

The Biden administration is right to seek a more stable and predictable relationship with Russia. But the Ukraine confrontation is a reminder of just how absent both conditions are now. The administration should follow its instinct to revive the Minsk Protocol to end the war in eastern Ukraine – even though tens of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian troops are blocking the exit ramp. Overcoming such obstacles is what American diplomacy, at its best, can accomplish. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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Forgotten Her es

Noteworthy Medal of Honor Recipients

By Avi Heiligman

Dr. Mary Walker

H

onoring bravery on the battlefield is a tradition that goes back to ancient times.

The Medal of Honor is the highest decoration for heroic acts for those serving in the military and dates back to the Civil War. In a previous article, we discussed some of the recipients of the acclaimed award from the Civil War. Here are a few more incredible stories of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and from later wars.

Of the 3,508 recipients of the Medal of Honor, only one was a woman, and her medal created quite a bit of controversy.

Dr. Mary Walker was born in Oswego, New York, and in 1855 graduated as a doctor from Syracuse Medical College. When her medical practice did not flourish, she went back to school and then volunteered for the army. The army did not accept her as a surgeon at first, and she served as a nurse. Walker was present at the First Battle of Bull Run and then at several other battles as an unpaid field surgeon. She set up an organization to help families visit their wounded relatives in hospitals.

In 1863, the army finally approved her as a paid surgeon, and Walker was appointed assistant surgeon to the 52nd Ohio Infantry.

Her work was very dangerous as she often crossed over to enemy lines to treat patients. In April 1864, after working with a Confederate doctor on an operation, she was captured and sent to prison in Virginia. A few months later, she was released as a part of a prisoner exchange involving other medical officers.

In November 1865, Walker was

awarded the Medal of Honor by President Andrew Johnson for her valuable service during the war.

However, since she was never a commissioned army officer and the medal was reserved for those actually in the service, her medal was rescinded two years before her death.

Nine-hundred-ten other recipients also had their medals taken away in 1917 for a variety of reasons. Efforts to restore Walker’s medal proved successful, and in 1977, Dr. Mary Walker’s Medal of Honor was reinstated.

Another civilian who had his medal taken away and later restored was the famous showman and cowboy William Frederick Cody. Known as Buffalo Bill, he served as a teamster in Company H, 7 th Kansas Cavalry during the Civil War. In 1872, while serving as a civilian scout with the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, Cody and five others were staking out the enemy during the Indian Plains Wars in Nebraska. Cody got within 50 yards of the Native American camp without being noticed, and with his skill and bravery was able to lead his unit to success. For his actions, he received the Medal of Honor, but the medal was stripped shortly after he died in 1917. Finally, in 1989, after much pressure from Cody’s grandson, his medal was restored along with several other civilian scouts who had their Medal of Honors taken away.

There were two sets of fathers and sons to have been awarded the Medal of Honor. We talked about the MacArthurs in a previous article.

The other pair was President Theodore Roosevelt and Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. The future

president was a colonel during the Spanish American War in 1898 and led the 1st U.S. Cavalry up San Juan Hill. Known as the Rough Riders, the men charged up the hill amid withering enemy gunfire, and Roosevelt was the first to reach enemy trenches. Since the charge that he led was against orders, some army officials did not want him honored and it took until 2001 for the medal to be awarded.

During World War II, the Allies’ main thrust into the mainland of Europe began on June 6, 1944.

Known as D-Day, there were five beaches on the coast of Normandy, France, that were assaulted, with the Americans landing on Omaha and Utah beaches. Utah Beach was the westernmost landing zone of the entire invasion and needed to be captured on D-Day to protect the Allies’ flank. The first wave of 32,000 American soldiers encountered only sporadic enemy fire but realized that they had landed over a mile off the intended target beach due to drifting of the landing craft. The highest-ranking officer on the beach, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., held a council of war in a bomb crater to discuss their options.

The 56-year-old cane-wielding son of the famous president supposedly said, “We’ll start the war from here!”

The landings continued without further confusion. With just his pistol and cane, the general led several groups of soldiers from the beach and over the seawall. He personally led the troops against the enemy and rallied his men in a feat rarely seen by generals during the 20th century. By the end of the day, the entire 4th Division had landed and

William Frederick Cody, also known as Buffalo Bill

Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. - “We’ll start the war from here”

Tibor Rubin, after being released from 30 months of captivity

was headed inland.

For his actions that day, Roosevelt was awarded the Medal of Honor and a month later was promoted to major general and the command of his own division. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack before he could take command.

Tibor Rubin was born in Hungary in 1929 and tried to escape the Nazis. However, he was captured and sent to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp until liberation in May 1945. Three years later, he immigrated to the U.S, where he was reunited with some of his siblings who had survived the war.

In 1949, he wanted to repay the United States for liberation but failed the English exam when trying to join the army. A year later, he was successful and became a private with the 8th Cavalry Regiment, First Cavalry Division. His mission to become a GI Joe was complete, but

soon he found himself on the front lines in Korea. An anti-Semitic sergeant always made Rubin go on the most dangerous missions, including single-handily defending a position for 24 hours. During the Battle of

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of war camp. The conditions there were terrible, with minimal food rations, forcing Rubin to sneak out of the camp to get food from enemy supply rations. He treated a fellow POW who was suffering from gan-

Of the 3,508 recipients of the Medal of Honor, only one was a woman.

Unsan, Rubin remained with his machine gun for hours under intense enemy attack until a grenade wounded him and put the gun out of commission. Rubin was captured by the Chinese and sent to a prisoner

grene and kept the spirits of three dozen POWs high until they were set free two and half years later.

Rubin eventually returned to the U.S. and was made a citizen in late 1953. His actions hadn’t gone un-

noticed but due to the anti-Semitic sergeant, his Medal of Honor papers were nowhere to be found. Finally, in 2005, Congress reviewed several cases of potential recipients, and Rubin was awarded the Medal of Honor by President George Bush.

The actions of recipients of the Medal of Honor are carefully reviewed and only those really deserving are given the prestigious award. In the 21st century, only 25 soldiers, sailors (including SEALs), airmen and marines have received the award, and while the media may focus on their heroics for a short period of time, most end up becoming forgotten heroes.

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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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

HELP WANTED

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ASSISTANT TEACHERS CAHAL is seeking Assistant Teachers. FT or PT, AM or PM. Flexible Hours. Work with skilled Rebbeim and Teachers in small Special Ed classes located in yeshivas in the Five Towns/Far Rockaway.

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Your

15

Money

Overachiever

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

T

o paraphrase Tolstoy, “All honest taxpayers are alike; every dishonest taxpayer is dishonest in his own way.” But what happens when a dishonest taxpayer is dishonest in every way?

Turn on your speakers and cue the theme from your favorite detective show while you enjoy this week’s story.

Philip Pesin earned a degree in finance from the University of Arizona and law degrees from Georgetown and the University of San Diego. He worked as an attorney for the Food & Drug Administration, helped manage a private-equity firm, and founded a pharmaceutical company called Auriga Laboratories, all by the age of 30. But Auriga’s products didn’t deliver like they claimed (paging Elizabeth Holmes), and in 2008 he was out, looking for his next act.

Eight years later, in 2016, Pesin was calling himself Philip Layfield (hmmm…) and working as a personal injury attorney and CPA in California. But it seemed he wanted more out of his career than his career was willing to deliver. And it was clear that the moral arc of his universe bends towards larceny.

That same year, he negotiated a

$3.9 million settlement for a client who was hit by a car while crossing the street. Instead of keeping 40%, as their engagement specified, he sent her $25,000 and kept all the rest.

To his credit, he used some of what he stole to repay previous clients he had stolen from. (Strictly speaking,

hearing. His CPA license expired a year later. By then, he had moved to Costa Rica, which is totally something an honest lawyer with no “consciousness of guilt” would do. Along the way, he scammed $700,000 from a business lender by providing false information. He used part

By then, he had moved to Costa Rica, which is totally something an honest lawyer with no “consciousness of guilt” would do.

this form of embezzling from Peter to pay Paul isn’t a Ponzi scheme, per se, because there’s no “investment.”)

And he failed to file a tax return reporting his $3 million of income for the year — ironic, since Uncle Sam’s 37% cut was less than his own 40%.

Eventually, the California Bar Association caught up with Layfield.

They disbarred him in 2018 after he ghosted them for his disciplinary

of that money to buy horses and ship them to Costa Rica, too.

Oh, and he was a seriously lousy guy to work for. Several of his employees posted scathing reviews on Glassdoor.com, which is basically Yelp for bosses. (“Working here is psychological torture.”) Layfield fired back with a defamation claim, stating, “Unfortunately, most of those people are unwilling to rec-

ognize their shortcomings, and they turn to anonymous blogs to spit their venom. The reality is that they should be upset with their parents for raising lazy and incompetent young adults, but they choose to spew false information on blogs such as Glassdoor.”

Agents finally arrested Layfield on a trip home to New Jersey. (He might have even advised himself of his own rights.) Two months ago, after a 13-day trial, a jury found him “guilty as sin”: 19 counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of tax evasion, one count of failure to collect and send payroll taxes, and one count of failing to file a tax return.

This week’s “moral” is so obvious we’re not even going to say it. America is still a land of opportunity, and we’re minting new millionaires every day. Do it right, and you’ll even get to keep your name and your freedom, too.

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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NOVEMBER 25, 2021 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

Nighty Night

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

P

utting a kid to sleep?

Famous last thought.

You climb into bed with them, hoping beyond hope it will be a short stint. And nine times out of 10 it winds up being them putting you to sleep!

How exactly does that happen?

Well, first they get you to tell them a story. You talk and talk and talk, and they remain wide awake just waiting for more. Clearly, they have nowhere to go. You literally drain your brain of all energy just to come up with an interesting enough storyline to keep them involved.

Then you go for the surprise ending…except that the only one surprised is you, as your mate rocks you awake and asks if you want to help him re-round up the kids for bed!

Other times, you wind up listening to some insane non-sequiturs.

And you’re thinking, “Who is rambling on in that unintelligible language?” But then you realize your kids are giggling away. And as you

ly blessed among us. After all, how many people have a kid who goes off to sleep just for the asking? That’s what you’d call a “dream come true,” but more realistically, most bedtimes are a “nightmare!”

If you’ve never been party to this experience, trust me, it’s no party!

But, embrace it anyway, if you can, because one day, they just won’t need you anymore. And then, as

That’s what you’d call a “dream come true,” but more realistically, most bedtimes are a “nightmare!”

start actually tuning in more, you notice that the voice sharing the wacky tale is yours.

Exhaustion has overtaken you, and you have become a sleep talker!

Sure, you could go a different route and grab an actual book and read them a story from there. But you need to recognize that this means you’ll need to keep a light burning. Which raises the concern that if it’s so hard to get a kid to sleep in the dark, good luck seeing them nod off with the spotlight.

Then again, you could just send them off to bed on their own. Of course, that obviously means you’re either delusional or one of the tru-

happy as this may make you, there certainly is something bittersweet about it.

So nighty night, wherever you are. And however, you are going off to sleep, sweet dreams!

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@ gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 25, 2021

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