Five Towns Jewish Home - 5-18-17 by The Jewish Home

May 18, 2017

Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn

Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper

Sidney Rabinovich Pages 9, 10, 11, 13 & 51

Around the

Community

An American Veteran Who Fought for Israel’s Independence

THIS SHABBOS

68-69 Shabbos Campaign to Open New Five Towns Mikvah

Comey’s Firing

A Political Ax Murder

Celebrating Generations at HALB Dor L’Dor Event

Are You Gaining Weight from Protein Bars?

Page 34

46 Lag B’Omer Festivities Around Town

– See page 3

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

U.S. official’s comment this week was jarring to anyone who is familiar with the State of Israel. When speaking about President Trump’s upcoming visit to Israel, the prime minister’s office asked if Netanyahu could accompany the president on his visit to the Kotel. The request was denied, and when they further asked if a camera crew could continue filming when Trump is there the official shot back, “What are you talking about? It’s none of your business. It’s not even part of your responsibility. It’s not your territory. It’s part of the West Bank.” To say that David Berns, the political counselor at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, does not have the warmest and fuzziest feelings toward the Israelis would be an understatement. Every visit we take to Israel centers around the Kotel. In fact, when U.S. Ambassador David Friedman first came to Israel this week, the first stop he made was to the Kotel. It’s the magnet that draws us to the Land, it’s the place we feel most connected. To say that it’s not ours is unsettling – and unbelievable. Israel is our second home. It’s the place that – regardless of how many years you’ve been away – welcomes you with open arms. You walk the streets and know that it is part of you; you automatically feel connected to the crowds of people surrounding you. Our feature story this week demonstrates this feeling of absolute love. Sidney Rabinovich, who is now ka”h 95-years-old, felt the pull to his Land 70 years ago. He and a group of volunteers made their way to Israel to help fight for its independence. This was not a war

that Israel wished to fight. When the United Nations proposed the Partition Plan for Palestine, the Israelis agreed to the plan – despite its limitations. The Arab nations, though, rejected the plan and began to issue calls for jihad and annihilation. Despite the huge armies and the throngs of people fighting for the Arabs, it was the small, ragtag band of Jews that managed to succeed. How did this group of survivors pull off such a decisive victory? They had no weapons, they didn’t all speak the same language, and many of them were just emerging from the horrors of the Nazi inferno. But the Jews had two things on their side: they had their G-d, Who openly guided the group with His mighty hand; and they had their love for the Land of Israel, which was given to them by G-d thousands of years ago. You can’t love an object or a person you’re not connected to. You don’t love a random child walking down the street in France; you love the child you gave birth to and guide every day. These men and women who fought for the State of Israel were victorious because of the connection they had with the Land. Their love was strong and their determination to succeed was powerful because they were Am Yisroel fighting for Eretz Yisroel. Back to Mr. Berns and his snippy comments to Israeli officials: this is our Land; it is our business; and it is our responsibility. And, Mr. Berns, it has been that way for thousands of years. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

Community Happenings

NEWS

106

Global

National

Odd-but-True Stories

ISRAEL Israel News

Reunited by Rafi Sackville

PEOPLE Stories of Inspiration: An Unusual Torah Scholar

Sidney Rabinovich: An American Veteran Who Fought for Israel’s Independence 90 Civil War Heroes and Medals of Honor by Avi Heiligman

118

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

Free Birds by Rav Moshe Weinberger

JEWISH THOUGHT No Good Deed Goes Unpunished by Eytan Kobre

More than Meets the Eye by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

JEWISH HISTORY Memoirs of a Forgotten Rabbi: The Troubled Life of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber by Rav Pini Dunner 84 HEALTH & FITNESS Doing Time by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn Gaining Weight from Protein Bars? by Aliza Beer, MS RD

98 102

What You Need to Know about Zika 2017 by Dr. Hylton I Lightman 104

Dear Editor, An open letter of gratitude. This past week our daughter was involved in a severe car accident. According to all of the professional personnel on the scene, what turned out to be a few minor scratches could have easily been a different outcome. We thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu for His tremendous kindness sparing our family from a harsh decree. We should all feel the need to thank Hashem on a daily basis, but sometimes thanking Hashem becomes crystal clear. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the wonderful volunteers and professionals who arrived at the scene within seconds and worked together in unity to help us through this difficult day. There are too many people to mention by name but I would like to mention the organizations involved: Hatzala, Achiezer, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Fire Department, Northwell Health system at North Shore University Hospital. It is a tremendous comfort that in times like this we have such wonderful people and organizations taking care of our community. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts, Dov and Michal Silver Dear Editor, Today I forgot my baby in the car here in Ramat Beit Shemesh. It was only 10 minutes. It was b”H at night.

I FORGOT MY BABY!! As soon as I realized I had forgotten him, I ran back hysterically to my car where I found a huge crowd gathered around. A girl had spotted the baby in the car from her balcony, alerted her parents who came down, smashed the window and took the baby out. Everyone wanted to see the mother who forgot the baby. Hatzalah came. The police came. It was a huge scene. I deserved the humiliation because I FORGOT MY BABY!! In 15 minutes, a car in the sun on an 80 degree day can get over 100 degrees. In the amount of time it takes to do a 30 minute errand, it could get up to 120 degrees! I know you all probably think I am a horrible mom and right now I think so too, but that is OK if it stops this from happening to someone else. Everyone thinks there must be something the parent did wrong when this happens, they must be negligent parents, this doesn’t happen to good responsible parents. It does. It can happen to anyone. I was stressed out, the baby was sleeping, I forgot. I could have prevented it. From now on, my purse is going on the backseat next to the car seat. Maybe my left shoe. Then I am forced to turn around and retrieve it before leaving the car. Please, please, please know this can happen to anyone no matter how careful you try to be. Please keep this Continued on page 12

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Tom Kha Kai

102

106

LIFESTYLES Quit Complaining and Start Changing by Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff 122

Changes to the Common Core by Chaim Homnick Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

124 94

Your Money

132

It’s Playtime by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

133

HUMOR Centerfold

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

108

A Political Ax Murder by Charles Krauthammer

116

CLASSIFIEDS

126

Would you rather be the best player on a horrible team or the worst player on a great team?

The Best Player

The Worst Player

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Sale Dates: May 21st - 26th 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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Continued from 8

in your mind and think about always leaving something you need on the backseat. B”H my baby was 100% fine. It was a miracle. Please don’t rely on miracles. Don’t let this happen to you. Have a safe summer, A Ramat Beit Shemesh mother Dear Editor, Every one of Mr. Joe Bobker’s articles are masterpieces and I always come away learning something new. This week’s Lag B’Omer piece was no different. Yasher koach, Mr. Bobker. May you continue to have the zechus to educate and elucidate. Chaim B.

Chazzan S. Lemmer

Chaim Kiss

845.794.6000 DESTINATIONS613@YAHOO.COM 845-794-6000 Destination613@yahoo.com WWW.DESTINATIONS613.COM www.destinations613.com

Dear Editor, I voted for Trump. Yes, it was a weird election year and I may have been inclined to vote for another candidate, but Trump was definitely the better of the two this time around. Since he’s come to office, though, I have had to do a lot of explaining – to myself. You see, I was brought up to believe that there are two sides to every story. I was brought up to give people the benefitRabbi of the doubt. So when the media says that Trump did steinmetz

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@rockawaynassau

that, or did that, or Trump tweets something that’s not very pleasant, my mind jumps through hoops to try to make it seem right. But now it’s only May – just a few months since inauguration. My mind is tiring. It’s 3running 2 Night, Night out of excuses and explanations. & 5 Night Please, Mr. Presi(Shabbos) dent, can you please let us like you? Options Can you please not fight back with everyone on Twitter and lay low for a few days? Can you please do things that everyone will agree is right? I am still rooting for you but you have to give me something to root for. A Reader

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 @fivetowns jewishhome.com.

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The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

The Week In News

WannaCrypt Made Millions Cry

On Friday, the world experienced the wrath of a well-coordinated ransomware attack known as WannaCrypt. The attack caused Britain’s NHS to cancel surgeries, a wide array of Russian and Chinese private and public institutions to be crippled most of the day, and the rest of the world to recoil in shock. The ransomware spread quickly, worming its way from machine to machine by exploiting a vulnerability that Microsoft actually patched back in February. At the time, Microsoft updated their Windows system to ensure that a virus wouldn’t be able to spread. But not all users update their systems, those using pirated versions have no way to update their systems, and in some companies, updates aren’t installed for a very long time. When users clicked on the link that came from the virus on Friday, their computers froze and a message came up demanding bitcoin currency – between $300-$600 – for their machine’s freedom. Thankfully, a British researcher – known as MalwareTech – located the kill switch on the ransomware and managed to implement it relatively quickly. In short, he located the domain name that was programed to be the kill switch and then bought the name for a mere $10.69. Incredibly, that domain name stopped the virus. Interestingly, the NSA knew about this vulnerability at Microsoft. In April, the malware stored by the NSA for WannaCrypt was stolen. A breach of this kind, says Microsoft president Brad Smith, was like “the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen.” The company is placing a lot of the blame for this malware attack on the NSA, although many are saying the virus came from North Korea.

China Kicks Off Global Initiative

Putting his money where his mouth is, President Xi Jinping of China pledged more than $100 billion while promoting his Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at closer cooperation between Asian and European nations. Xi wishes to bring together 65 countries in a wide array of areas including anti-terrorism, port and railway construction, and far-reaching economic investment. While many countries welcomed China’s initiative, others, including Russia, India, and the United States, expressed their unease at China’s increase in political stature brought on by the global movement. Addressing those concerns while speaking in front of representatives of 29 countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi said that China has “no desire to impose our will on others.” He called for “economic integration” and cooperation on financial regulation, security, and anti-terrorism. “We should foster a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security,” said Xi. The Belt and Road Initiative is Xi’s foreign policy legacy. The twoday meeting was largely used as a platform to promote him as a global force behind free trade. As the world’s second largest economy and number one trader, China is a powerhouse in the global economic arena. No major Western nations had leaders in attendance, although Britain, France and Germany all sent top finance ministers as representatives.

Bin Laden’s Son Just Like His Father The son of Osama bin Laden was groomed by his father to be a leader in the al-Qaeda terror organization. According to personal letters that were seized during the raid in which

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

video featuring Hamza. In it, he encouraged Muslims to launch lonewolf attacks against the West. For ten minutes he urged followers to go on suicide missions and go for the “jugular of the enemy.” Footage of those who launched attacks against the West was shown as Hamza preached. The 28-year-old terrorist continued, “Be perfect in your choice of targets, so that you may damage your enemies more. If you are able to pick a firearm, well and good; if not, the options are many,” adding, “Take lead in inflicting losses, attacking the jugular of the enemy and hitting its joints.”

Al-Qaeda has a strong presence in about a dozen countries. In Syria alone, the movement is estimated to have 20,000 followers. “Al-Qaeda is stronger than ever. I don’t believe even bin Laden in his wildest dreams thought that he will have followers who command armies, troops… lands…,” Soufan says.

Record Growth for New Zealand

bin Laden was killed, Hamza bin Laden is a 28-year-old who adores his father and wishes to carry on his murderous ways. Ali Soufan, the former FBI agent who led the investigation into al-Qaeda after the 9/11 terror attacks, recently gave an interview in which he disclosed details that have remained hidden concerning bin Laden’s son. In a letter Hamza had

written to his father, he says that he remembers “every look…every smile you gave me, every word you told me. I consider myself to be forged in steel. The path of jihad for the sake of G-d is what we live.” When he was still a child, Hamza was used in propaganda videos to support al-Qaeda. “He was a poster kid for the al-Qaeda…and for members of al-Qaeda, who were indoc-

trinated with these propaganda videos, he means a lot to them,” Soufan explains. Hamza has been named a “specially designated global terrorist,” as his father had before him. Soufan says that in Hamza’s recently released messages, “he delivered the speech as if it’s his father…using sentences, terminology that was used by Osama bin Laden.” This week, al-Qaeda released a

New Zealand is seeing a historic surge in population growth. The small South Pacific nation saw a bump of 2.1 percent from January 1 to March 31 of this year. The last time New Zealand saw growth this high Richard Nixon had just resigned the White House and the world was reeling from an oil crisis. New Zealand is often seen as relatively safe and politically stable. Its natural beauty and isolation make it an attractive destination for migrants, who are responsible for most of the recent increase. Record immigration added 71,900 people to New Zealand’s population, along with a natural population growth of 28,300. “New Zealand is an island of calm

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

in troubled waters,” Shamubeel Eaqub, an independent economist and author at Sense Partners in Auckland, points out. “You’ve got uncertainty with Trump, with Brexit, the rise of the far right in Europe, pollution in Asia. There’s a whole bunch of different drivers that set New Zealand up as a great place to be.” New Zealand also boasts a strong economy. For the past five years, it has seen an average economic growth of 3 percent. Steady growth has kept New Zealanders from looking elsewhere for jobs.

outlets, Omar al-Hussein, who was responsible for a series of shootings in Copenhagen in 2015 which killed two people, had visited the Masjid AlFaruq mosque the day before going on his killing spree.

Are Jews Considered Citizens?

Denmark Imam Calls for Muslim Uprising

An imam in Copenhagen has called for the murder of Danish Jews, sparking outrage and fear in Denmark’s Jewish community. Imam Mundhir Abdallah preaches in a working class suburb of Copenhagen called Norrebro at the Masjid Al-Faruq mosque, which has been previously linked to radical Islam. He has been citing a Koranic narrative in his sermons that calls for Muslims to lead an uprising against Jews. “Judgement Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them,” begins Abdallah’s address in footage on YouTube. The original Arabic has been translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a U.S.-based organization. Dan Rosenberg Asmussen, the head of the Denmark Jewish community, has called on law enforcement agencies to investigate the remarks and possibly charge the imam for incitement to racial hatred. “We fear that weak and easily-influenced persons could interpret this kind of preaching as an appeal to visit acts of violence or terror on Jews,” Asmussen said. Inger Stojberg, the Minister of Immigration and Integration, has described the imam’s words as “horrible, anti-democratic and abominable.” According to local Danish news

A new study has been released by the Pew Research Center which shows that 10 percent of Central and Eastern Europeans refuse to accept Jews as citizens of their countries. The study surveyed residents of 18 countries and found that 80 percent of participants would accept Jews as fellow citizens and the remaining 10 percent were either not sure or declined to answer the question. The conductors of the study interviewed between 1,500 and 2,500 residents in each of the 18 countries they were evaluating. When asked if they would accept a Jew as a family member, less that 50 percent said yes and less than 75 percent would have a Jew as a neighbor. Jews were, however, more accepted than Muslims. Roughly two-thirds of those polled would accept Muslims as citizens and only 27 percent would accept them into their family. Interestingly, countries with higher levels of education were more likely to accept Jews as family, neighbors, and citizens.

Nazi Stance amongst German Soldiers The German military police are investigating 275 cases of far-right extremism inside of their army ranks. Nazi-era memorabilia has been found among the property of Continued on page 18

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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many soldiers over the past six years and are only now being investigated, according to the Defense Ministry. Half of the cases stem from 2016 and another 20 percent come from this year alone, which suggests an increase of pro-Nazism in the German army. “In the past, individual cases were always examined, but it wasn’t seen or understood that these cases are not isolated, but there are networks and connections to extremists on the outside of the armed forces,” said Christine Buchholz, a member of Parliament from the opposition Left party. “Now it is glaringly obvious to everyone that this problem has existed for a long time and poses an immediate threat to people,” she added.

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The newly outed extremism is in addition to the very far right extremist views that have been gaining popularity since the German government accepted over 1 million refugees in 2015. The scandal has raised concerns once again over the country’s shift to a volunteer force that was established in 2011. The move, critics have pointed out, could allow for young, pro-Nazi youths to gain free training and access to guns and ammunition. Germany otherwise has very strict gun-control laws. In response, the government has established that all applicants that wish to join the military will have to undergo additional security checks to weed out those with extreme views. That still does not deal with those that are pro-Nazi and are already in uniform. The Inspector General has ordered a search of all barracks and the removal of all souvenirs or images that glorify Nazism. Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said last week that “the German military has an attitude problem, and it appears there are weaknesses in the leadership we must address systematically.”

Macron Picks “Right” Partner This week, Emmanuel Macron, the new president of France, ap-

pointed a conservative prime minister in order to broaden his appeal before legislative elections take place in June. Macron has chosen Edouard Philippe, the 46-year-old mayor of the port city of Le Havre, to serve as his PM. Philippe is a member of the moderate wing of the main center-right Republicans party.

The 39-year-old Macron has taken upon himself to mend the severely divided government that has plagued the French nation for decades. He hopes that his startup centrist Republican on the Move (REM) party will gain wide support and become an effective catalyst of change. His party is only a year old. The appointment of a prime minister from outside of the president’s political party marks the first time in modern history that a French president has done so without having been forced by a defeat in parliamentary elections. Despite Macron winning the presidency soundly, many were concerned about those who came out in support of his opponent, Marine Le Pen. Macron is hoping to gather support from her voters by partnering with someone more right than himself.

Seoul and Beijing Look to Repair Tense Relationship

China and South Korea are taking steps to strengthen their relationship after it was strained by the deployment of an American missile-de-

• FO R

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The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

G H E R S TA

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The critics of the anti-missile shield say that the United States forced South Korea to put up the system in order to deal with growing suspicions of Chinese missile aggression. The Chinese have responded to the system by boycotting many South Korean exports. China is by far South Korea’s largest trading partner.

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fense system in South Korea. Newly appointed South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he is planning to send a delegation to Beijing to resolve their dispute over the missile system. China views the defense system as a threat to its security. “I am well aware of the concern and fear of the Chinese about the Thaad deployment,” Mr. Moon told Mr. Xi, according to Yoon Young-

chan, the South Korean leader’s spokesman. “I hope both countries can understand each other better on this and will soon open a channel of communication.” The new South Korean president has been critical of the system which was agreed upon by his predecessor. He has been under pressure to take down the system, although that would risk his relationship with the United States and appear as if he is caving into Chinese

pressure. Experts on the region are predicting that Moon will attempt to persuade China that the system will help curb North Korea’s aggression until both South Korea and the U.S. are willing to say that the system is no longer necessary. Moon spoke with President Trump last week and praised their countries’ alliance calling it the “foundation of our diplomacy and national security.”

In honor of Mother’s Day, U.S. News and World Report put together a list of the ten best countries to be a mother. The rankings took five factors into account: maternity leave policies, maternal mortality rates, and the most favorable perceptions from women of the country’s safety, family-friendliness, and gender-equality. Data was compiled from the WORLD Policy Analysis Center, the World Bank, and the Best Countries report, which surveyed more than 21,000 people in 80 countries around the globe. Are you a mother? You may be living in the wrong place. According to the report, the best country to be a mother is Sweden. Expecting women are given free or subsidized prenatal care and are offered delivery support. After delivery, the parents are given a monthly allowance to help with childrearing costs. Denmark, ranking the second best country for women, is also ranked the second best country for mothers. Almost all Danish children attend daycare on the government’s dime and the country boast equal pay for men and women. Coming in third place is Finland. Finland has less than three deaths for every 100,000 births, making it the lowest maternal mortality rate among the 80 countries that were surveyed. The government in Finland also provides expectant mothers with a baby box filled with bedding and other

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

newborn necessities. Fourth place goes to our neighbor to the north. Canada recently established the Institutional MotherChild Program that lets mothers in prison raise their children fulltime until they turn four. The programs goals are to “foster positive relationships” and “provide a supportive environment that promotes stability and continuity.” Rounding out the top ten best countries to be a mother are Norway, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, and the Netherlands.

“Western Wall Not Yours”?

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Innovative and stimulating activities • Fun filled programming • Individualized attention with small staff ratio • The program will be based in the Bnos Bais Yaakov building at 613 Beach 9th Street It was David Berns, political counselor at the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, who sniped at his Israeli counterparts and said that the Western Wall, the holiest place for Jews to pray, is not part of Israel and not Israel’s responsibility. A second U.S. official, the consulate’s economic counselor Jonathan Shrier, was also involved in the bitter diplomatic incident, which deteriorated into an angry shouting match. On Monday, when Israel asked for Prime Minister Netanyahu to join President Trump at the Western Wall during his visit to Israel next wek, snippets of the scathing remarks by Berns were made public. The prime minster’s office was shocked and sought clarification from the White House. Shortly afterwards, the White House told The Times of Israel, “The comments about the Western Wall were not authorized communication and they do not represent the position of the United States and certainly not of the president.” It’s possible that Berns’ job is now

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because U.S. policy has been that the final status of Jerusalem has yet to be resolved in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The U.S. officials reportedly rejected the request for Netanyahu to join the visit to the Wall, saying it would be “a private visit” by the president and that he would go on his own. The Israelis then asked whether a TV crew providing live coverage of the Trump visit could at least continue to

film here there. At this point a senior American official – Berns – rudely responded: “What are you talking about? It’s none of your business. It’s not even part of your responsibility. It’s not your territory. It’s part of the West Bank.” Ironically, the angry exchanges were reported soon after Trump’s ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, arrived in the country and

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

went immediately to the Western Wall, where he said he prayed for the president and for the success of next week’s visit. “We’re a bit tired, but we wanted to come straight to the holiest place in the entire Jewish world, the ‘Kotel Hama’aravi,’ the Western Wall, so we straight came here,” Friedman said in a filmed statement provided by the U.S. Embassy, flanked by his wife Tammy and his daughter Talia. “I had the opportunity to say some prayers,” Friedman said, for the health of his family — and for Donald Trump. “I prayed for the president, and I wished him success, especially on his upcoming trip. I hope we all wish him success. We hope it’s going to be an amazing trip.” Friedman handed his letter of credence to President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday morning in Jerusalem, officially taking up the post of U.S. ambassador to Israel. He then met with Netanyahu, who welcomed him to “Jerusalem, our eternal capital,” and said he appreciated that Friedman, upon landing in Israel, had gone straight to the Western Wall. “There was no other place to go,” replied Friedman. Netanyahu then thanked him again for the “strong gesture of solidarity.”

14 Years for Syrian Spy On Tuesday, Sudki al-Maqat, a Druze man from the Golan Heights, was sentenced by the Nazareth District Court to 14 years in prison for supplying information about the IDF to Syrian intelligence forces. According to the reports, Sudki al-Maqat, from Majdal Shams, was convicted of cooperating with a foreign agent and transferring information to the Syrian regime. Prison is almost a second home to al-Maqat. The 50-year-old spent 27 years in prison for spying for Syria prior to this latest conviction. He was released in August 2012 and resumed his activities shortly after his release. According to information contained in his indictment, it appears that al-Maqat documented IDF activity on the Israeli-Syrian border and transferred the information to the Syrians by uploading it to various media outlets on the internet and Facebook. Al-Maqat was charged with espionage, assistance to the enemy during wartime, support of a terrorist organization, contact with a foreign agent and a host of other

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security offenses. He was arrested in February 2015 and the indictment was filed three months later. Al-Maqat’s lawyer, Kamil Faraj, said they are considering appealing the verdict.

Hamas Finds Assassin Despite accusations against Israel, Hamas, the Gaza-based terror organization, has announced that they have caught the person responsible for the assassination of one of their top military commanders. Mazen Faqha was shot dead near his home in Tel el-Hawa, a neighborhood in southwestern Gaza City, seven weeks ago. Faqha was given a life sentence in 2002 for organizing a suicide bombing that killed nine people in Jerusalem. He was subsequently released, along with 1,000 other Palestinian prisoners, in exchange for Gilad Shalit. No details have been provided about the suspect’s identity by Hamas. The terror group had previously suggested that Israel was behind the assassination, along with

Arab collaborators. “We announce that the killer and criminal that carried out the orders of the officers of the Zionist security services is in the hands of the (Hamas) security services,” Ismail Haniya, head of Hamas, told journalists in the Gaza Strip. “He has confessed to the crime.”

Killer to Lead Council

West Bank Palestinians held municipal elections this week and voted a convicted murderer to head Chevron’s municipal council. Tayseer Abu Sneineh was selected by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party to head the party’s list in Chevron on Election Day. Al-

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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With Hashem’s help we were fortunate to facilitate shiduchim for 2 of our children, one after another. One is a 19 year old boy and the other a twenty five year old divorcee. The question on everyone’s mind, of course, is how we managed to finish 2 shiduchim in one month. The answer, of course, is two words: Kollel Chatzos, the proven segulah that brings hope and salvation. Y. D. K., Flatbush

Iyar is the month of Refuos The Talmidei Chachamim of Kollel Chatzos will bring Refuos for you with the segulah of Chatzos!

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All names will also be mentioned on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan by the Kever of the Rambam and the Shelah Hakodosh.

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though the party only won 7 of the 15 seats in the West Bank’s largest city, Abu Sneineh will be leading the council. Abu Sneineh was sentenced to life in prison after he and three other terrorists attacked a group of Jews in a Chevron alley with guns and grenades on May 2, 1980. He was released in a prisoner swap a few years later. Six Jews were killed in the attack including U.S. citizens Tzvi Glatt and Eli HaZe’ev, Canadian Shmuel Marmelstein and Israelis Hanan Krauthammer, Gershon Klein and Ya’akov Zimmerman. Another 20 people were injured. Likud Minister Ayoub Kara denounced the Abu Sneineh victory on social media. That a terrorist was “elected mayor of Hebron is a clear message from the Palestinians [in favor] of terrorist attacks against Israel,” he tweeted. Kara then called on Abbas to cancel the results and to vote in a new candidate.

cial media?” The researchers, including BGU’s Tzvi Ganel, conducted a series of experiments intended to assess age perception based on facial expressions. Forty BGU student participants were shown images of people and asked to rank them from oldest to youngest. They were shown pictures of smiling faces, neutral expressions and surprised looks. The participants ranked the smiling faces as the oldest, followed by neutral expressions, and surprised expressions as the youngest. However, they did this without realizing: when asked to recall their responses after the experiment, most of the participants remembered identifying the smiling faces as being younger than the neutral faces. According to the authors, smiling makes a person appear older because of the wrinkle lines that form around the eyes, but a surprised face lifts and pulls the skin backward, smoothing any age-related wrinkles. Surprise!

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The anti-aging industry generates tens of billions of dollars each year in revenues; in 2015 the industry netted $140.3 billion. But researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Western University of Canada are saying they’ve discovered a much faster, easier, and cheaper option to looking youthful. According to their research, displaying a look of surprise can actually erase wrinkles, at least momentarily. They were able to prove scientifically that the wrinkles created around the eyes by smiling can make a person appear older, but a look of surprise tightens them up. The study was recently published in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. “Popular media promotes the idea that smiling makes you look younger,” says Prof. Tzvi Ganel, head of the BGU psychology department’s laboratory for visual perception and action. “Look at all of the smiling faces in skincare and dental ads. How many of us post smiling faces on so-

This week was Derek Jeter Night at Yankee Stadium. The 20 year veteran of the Bronx Bombers finally had his number retired. He is one of only 22 Yankees that have had the honor. Jeter was presented with a plaque by three of George Steinbrenner’s children. The plaque listed many of his accomplishments, including his franchise-high 3,465 hits, his 2,747 games played, his 11,195 at-bats, 544 doubles, 358 stolen bases, 14 All-Star Games and five World Series rings. Whoa! Many of his former teammates were there to honor Jeter as well. Former teammate Carlos Beltran pre-

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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Slain DNC Staffer: WikiLeaks Source?

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sented Jeter with a Monument Park blazer, given only to Yankees with their number retired. He was also joined by the other “Core Four” members Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte. His old manager Joe Torre was there as well as Soot, the widow of bench coach Don Zimmer. Jeter was picked up as the number six spot in the 1992 draft. The

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Jeter won five Golden Glove awards and was the 2000 World Series MVP. “It’s a great day,” Jeter said later in a press conference. “I don’t know what you can say besides thank you. This is one of those special days you’ll never forget. It doesn’t get any more special than getting your jersey retired by this organization.”

On July 10, 2016, Seth Rich was walking near his Washington, D.C. home before dawn when two men walked up behind him and shot him in the back of the head. The murder was treated by Washington police as a robbery, but, strangely, nothing at all was taken from Seth, not his watch, his wallet or any money. The perpetrators were never found. But there is more to the story. At the time, Seth, 27, was a staffer at the Democrat National Committee. Speculation quickly spread that this was a professional hit as Seth, who had access to sensitive to DNC information, may have been a WikiLeaks source. Although he did not confirm that at the time, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange offered a $20,000 award for information leading to the suspects’ arrests and stated, “We treat threats towards any suspected WikiLeaks sources with extreme gravity.” Fox News is now reporting that a FBI forensic report of Rich’s computer showed that he made contact with WikiLeaks through Gavin MacFadyen, a now-deceased American investigative reporter, documentary filmmaker, and director of WikiLeaks who was living in London at the time. Fox reports that a federal investigator, who requested anonymity, disclosed that 44,053 emails and 17,761 attachments between Democratic National Committee officials were transferred from Rich to MacFadyen. The time period of those emails spans the primary campaign season. Just 12 days after Rich was killed, WikiLeaks published internal DNC emails that appeared to show top party officials favored Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders and conspired to prevent Sanders from winning the Democratic primaries. David Baldacci, are you taking scripts?

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

A Look at Deputy A.G. Rod Rosenstein

A memo was written by Rod Rosenstein recently that put into motion the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Rosenstein, a 27-year veteran of the Justice Department with a no-nonsense reputation, inserted himself into the already muddy waters of Comey’s handling of the Clinton email investigation and made a few more ripples in the pool. “Almost everyone agrees that the Director made serious mistakes; it is one of the few issues that unites people of diverse perspectives,” Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein wrote in the memo to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “The way the Director handled the conclusion of the email investigation was wrong. As a result, the FBI is unlikely to regain public and congressional trust until it has a Director who understands the gravity of the mistakes and pledges never to repeat them.” Here is a bit of background on Rosenstein. The Harvard Law grad was the Maryland U.S. Attorney for 12 years prior to being nominated by President Donald Trump for the position of Deputy Attorney general. He was appointed to his previous position by George W. Bush in 2005 and is the only U.S. Attorney to hold onto his post throughout the entire Obama administration, serving during both Republican and Democrat presidencies. “Rod is what you want in a professional prosecutor. He’s intelligent, thoughtful and is dedicated to doing what he feels is right by the law, regardless of what anyone says,” said St. Louis lawyer Jan Paul Miller, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland who worked with Rosenstein. “He goes about his decisions in a methodical way, by finding facts and gathering evidence,” Miller said. “He’s a straight shooter and is not

known to take his decisions lightly.” Rosenstein was confirmed to the position of Deputy Attorney General in January by a vote of 94-6. He is the rare politician that has support from both sides of the aisle. When being considered for the Deputy Attorney General job Rosenstein laid out his philosophy in a written statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It reads: “Political affiliation is irrelevant to my work. Effective law enforcement requires us to work cooperatively with all local, state and federal partners, and with private sector stakeholders. The public may sometimes judge us only by whether we secure a conviction. But we hold ourselves to a higher standard. Justice is our name, and justice is our mission.” Despite the almost unanimous decision from both Republicans and Democrats for Rosenstein’s nomination to Deputy Attorney General, since Comey’s firing some Democrats have been attempting to tarnish Rosenstein’s reputation as well.

Best – and Worst – Jobs

The Trump administration is boasting about the lowest unemployment rates since the recession. But which are the most lucrative fields with potential for higher earnings or opportunity? As technology develops rapidly, new jobs are created while others become obsolete or unnecessary. So which jobs are best? There are key factors that go into determining the best careers. Job satisfaction is dependent on several factors including fulfillment, stress-level, and, of course, salary. As such, identifying the best and worst jobs is subjective unless it is based on numeric data. According to CareerCast, here are the 10 worst and 10 best jobs in the country for 2017. The best job in the nation went to

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

statisticians, who have a high salary with rapid growth potential. A newspaper reporter, though, was ranked the worst job in the U.S. due to its low salary and declining employment. Of the 10 worst jobs, seven have a lower median income than the $37,040 annual median income in the U.S. Another factor that contributed to jobs making it to the worst list were the risk of danger. Alternatively, most of the top 10 best jobs require extensive schooling. Three of the ten jobs are in the medical field. All of the jobs that made it to the top ten list have an annual salary way higher than the national average. Top 10 jobs in the U.S. for 2017: 1. Statistician 2. Medical Services Manager 3. Operations Research Analyst 4. Information Security Analysts 5. Data scientist 6. University professor (tenured) 7. Mathematician 8. Software Engineer 9. Occupational Therapist 10. Speech Pathologist Worst 10 jobs in the U.S. for 2017: 1. Newspaper Reporter 2. Broadcaster 3. Logger 4. Enlisted Military Personnel

three quarters of the cases of symptomatic knee arthritis that emerged by the end of the study period. “Many people who have signs of osteoarthritis on X-rays do not necessarily complain about pain. Presently, there are no known strategies for preventing the development of pain in this group,” said lead study author Grace Lo of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Lo explained that when people have joint space loss or other arthritis-related changes visible on X-rays having noisy knees can be considered a sign of higher risk for developing pain within the next year. More than 30 million adults in the U.S. are affected by osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. Lo and colleagues write that symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, which means X-ray evidence of arthritis plus pain or stiffness, affects about 16% of adults older than 60. Researchers defined pain by any descriptions of stiffness and “crepitus,” or noises and scraping feelings in their knees. During clinic visits, people were asked questions like, “Do you feel grinding, hear clicking or any other type of noise when your right knee moves?” and “During the past 12

5. Pest Control Worker 6. DJ 7. Advertising salesperson 8. Firefighter 9. Retail Sales 10. Taxi Driver

Cracking Joints Linked to Arthritis

How loud can you pop? New research suggests that grating, cracking or popping sounds around joints may predict future arthritis, particularly in the knees. The study analyzed data from 3,495 participants ranging in age from about 50 to 70. Researchers followed subjects, all who reported no knee pain for three years. They found that about 25% had noisy knees – and they were

months, have you had pain, aching or stiffness in or around your right knee on most days for at least one month?” The patients were evaluated at the beginning of the study and again at 12, 24 and 36 months. X-rays were also taken once a year. Interestingly, men with crepitus were more likely than women with noisy knees to go on to develop arthritis. “Differences across genders is interesting and unexplained. This may tell us about differences in symptom reporting or the biology of osteoarthritis,” said Daniel Solomon, the chair of arthritis and population health at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “Not all noises coming from a knee are a bad sign,” Lo assures. “It might be helpful to ask your doctor for an X-ray to see if you have evidence of osteoarthritis and then take precautions from there.”

Hey Babe! This list may sound familiar, and it should since most of the top baby names have remained popular from year to year. Each year the Social Se-

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curity Administration releases a list of popular baby names for boys and girls. The Social Security Administration has easy access to names since parents are required to provide children’s names when they apply for Social Security cards. The first popularity list was released in 1997.

Emma is the most popular girl’s name in the country for the third consecutive year; it first entered the top 10 in 2002. For boys the top name was Noah for the fourth year in a row. The names tend not to change drastically from year to year – its popularity usually lasts a generation. For boys, the only name to be deleted from the top ten list this year was Alexander. The newcomer in its place is Elijah. The popular names generally re-

flect what is going on in the world and oftentimes are related to a popular character in a movie or on TV. However, there was no major trend with the names Donald or Hillary this year. Charlotte, the name of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate’s daughter, was extremely popular last year. Most popular baby names for girls in 2016: 1. Emma 2. Olivia 3. Ava 4. Sophia 5. Isabella 6. Mia 7. Charlotte 8. Abigail 9. Emily 10. Harper Most popular baby names for boys: 1. Noah 2. Liam 3. William 4. Mason 5. James 6. Benjamin 7. Jacob 8. Michael 9. Elijah 10. Ethan

Major Raid Sweeps up Gangs in Texas

Authorities cracked down on a massive gang in Texas, arresting 1,378 people in one colossal sweep this week. Of the group, 445 were foreign nationals from 21 different countries including Guatemala, Kazakhstan, and Mauritania. The remaining 993 are U.S. citizens. Nearly 1,100 were known gang members and affiliates – including 137 Bloods, 118 Sureños, 104 MS-13 gang-members and 104 Crips. Official also seized 238 firearms, 500 pounds of marijuana, 50 pounds of cocaine, 35 pounds of methamphetamine, seven pounds of hero-

in and a small amount of fentanyl, along with nearly $500,000 in U.S. currency in the enormous raid. “We targeted problem areas that are specific areas known to have gang-related crime and violence, specifically in Houston and Corpus and surrounding counties,” said Sean McElroy, Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge of the Houston office of Homeland Security Investigations, which covers 53 counties in southeast Texas ranging from Houston to Laredo. “We’re looking at transnational gangs, but if one of our partners comes up with a specific target, why wouldn’t we go after that person if it’s going to help with public safety?” McElroy asked. Several months ago, two Houston police officers were shot by a gang member of the 52 Hoover Crips, spurring the crackdown and drawing attention to the issue both by city and state leaders. Gang members are a growing population in Houston in the last half decade or so. According to a recent report by the Houston Police Department’s Gang Division, approximately 20,000 gang members from 350 gangs live in and around the city.

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Diversity across the Nation

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America, the tossed salad that it is, is still one of the largest melting pots of culture in the world. But diversity is deeper than just different nationalities joining together; there is diversity amongst us in many ways. There is diversity in income, religion, and culture. For a recent study on diversity across different cities in the United States WalletHub.com focused on household diversity, religious diversity, socioeconomic diversity, cultural diversity, and economic diversity. According to the study, the number one city in the U.S. for diversity was New York City. The city that never sleeps is also home to the most diverse group of Americans in the nation. The most diverse cities in the nation are: 1. New York, New York 2. Jersey City, New Jersey 3. Houston, Texas 4. Dallas, Texas 5. Silver Spring, Maryland The least diverse cities are: 1. Bangor, ME 2. Provo, UT 3. Orem, UT 4. Morgantown, WV 5. Rochester, NH If you break down diversity into

Page 76

Virtually every aspect of each of these special times is covered extensively, with a focus on discerning each Yom Tov’s message for us.

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different categories, different cities come out on top – and on bottom. Take, for example, College, Alaska. That city has the most income diversity in the nation. In contrast, Youngstown, Ohio, has the least income diversity. Looking at racial and ethnic diversity, Oakland, California, gets the top spot, and Hialeah, Florida, comes in last.

Pizza on the Tracks This pizza deliveryman deserves to be tipped hundreds of dollars. On Sunday, when Mitch Katz was

stuck on an Amtrak train to Washington, D.C., he became angry – and hungry. Instead of stewing in his hangriness, he ordered a pizza. Yes, pizza is generally the type of food that works wonders. Amazingly, the pizza deliveryman traversed an embankment and walked along the stalled train to get to Katz’s car. He then delivered the pizza to the famished Katz.

Talking about pizza – and the lengths people will go for it – and take this hiker as an example. Last week, in an effort to win free pizza from a local restaurant, an unnamed hiker (in other words, he’s so embarrassed by his ignorance) attempted to climb a mountain in a snowstorm wearing just shorts and light clothing. The hiker from Flagstaff, Arizona, got stuck in heavy snow on Mount Elden as he endeavored to hike his way to a free pie. In his rush to get the pizza he didn’t check the weather report and was blasted by heavy snow conditions. Thankfully, a Forest Service employee saw the stranded hiker from a lookout tower and called for backup. He was “shivering heavily and probably at mild stages of hypothermia.” At the time, there were 5 inches of snow on the ground. Eventually the man was brought home. The owner of Pizzicletta, the store that ran the contest, says that the event was voluntary and that he expected participants to check the weather before hiking. “We never want anyone to risk their life for pizza. It’s certainly not worth it,” Caleb Schiff says.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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your kidney donor,” the plaque said. The family was unbelievably relieved when Bittorf told them she would be giving Jackson her kidney.

“I can’t even put into words how amazing of a gift we are receiving from this amazing person,” Goll wrote in a post on Facebook. “She surprised us after work today and I still feel in shock. Jackson is so excited and says, ‘I think my new kidney will make me run faster!’ Today you became our hero.” The transplant is scheduled for late June. “It’s the best feeling being able to give a parent the ‘OK’ that your kid is going to be healthy,” Bittorf said. “You don’t have to worry anymore about your son.”

Nanagram

Protects, Serves and Donates As a police officer, she took an oath to protect the members of the community she serves. But police deputy Lindsey Bittorf went above and beyond her call of duty when she offered her kidney to an 8-year-old boy she never met.

According to Kristi Goll, Jackson Arneson’s mom, Jackson went in for a kidney appointment back in November and tests showed that his kidney function was decreasing; he would need a new kidney. The family knew that a living match would be a better choice than one from the deceased list, so Kristi sent out a post on Facebook looking for volunteers to get tested. Officer Bittorf saw the post, which

was shared by hundreds. “Maybe this is just weird and odd but as soon as I saw her post, I just knew. It’s me,” Bittorf, also a mother, said. She was one of more than 50 who were tested. Bittorf, though, was a match Earlier this month, the kind officer visited the Goll family with a plaque she made for Jackson. “Jackson, I took an oath to serve and protect my community. My kidney will now be able to serve and protect you! I am

For 20 years Mary LaCava has been mailing $20 a week to each of her grandchildren in college. Each envelope doesn’t just come with an Andrew Jackson stuffed inside; she also pens a handwritten note to her hardworking grandchildren. Now LaCava is 92-years-old and her youngest grandchild is set to graduate. Her tradition – that spanned 12 grandchildren – has come to an end. “When the first one went I figured she could use it so I just sent her a small note with a $20 bill and that started it. To me it was just something not that I had to do, but I would never miss,” said Mary LaCava. The proud grandmother remembers one time when three grandchildren were in school at one time. “It was three and that was kind of tough that year because that was $60 a week, but as they say you start something you finish it,” said LaCava. Some of her grandchildren saved the money; others spent it. All of them, though, cherished the notes that grandma wrote to them. “The notes really made it because she always knows what’s going on,” said Joey LaCava. “It was really nice being 18, being

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

away from home for the first time and having a weekly hello,” echoed Lauren LaCava. Over time, the notes evolved from being written on hotel pads to custom “Nanagram” stationary and were sent to college mailrooms around New England, the country, even going overseas during semesters abroad. “They even came when I was in London,” Lauren recalls.

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This spring the tradition comes to an end. The 92-year-old mailed out her last weekly letter to her youngest graduating grandson. “That was Ryan. That was last month and I said goodbye that was it. Short and sweet, but he got his $20,” said Mary LaCava. How much has Grandma Mary spent over the years? Consider that she sent it to 12 grandchildren, who each went to college for four years. If she spent around $1,000 per grandchild a year, the total would be around $50,000 throughout the twenty years. The nachas, though, is invaluable.

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A blindsided Comey ends up in a live-streamed O.J. Bronco ride, bolting from Los Angeles to be flown, defrocked, back to Washington. Page 116

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community

Scenes and sights from the recent Jewish Home sponsored community-wide CPR and safety series that was presented by Achiezer and Hatzalah. More participants than ever attended these classes which were offered for men, women and Spanish speaking caregivers. The classes were truly hands-on and gave the attendees the opportunity to learn and practice these actual life-saving skills.

Lag B’Omer Trike-a-Thon at Gan Chamesh

an Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, celebrated Lag B’Omer with an exciting Trike-a-Thon. The children came to school with bicycles, tricycles, scooters and helmets. Clad in brightly colored Gan Chamesh shirts

and with personally designed drivers’ licenses hanging around their necks, they scooted and pedaled furiously around the delineated Gan Chamesh racetrack. The sunny sky, cheers, and applause contributed to the air of festivity. The children

were careful to follow the traffic rules as they rode. Morahs acted as traffic officers, using stop signs and other props to guide the children. The children were rewarded for their hard work with gold medals and refreshing ices. The children’s bright

smiles at the completion of the event attested to its success. It was a very special way to celebrate Lag B’Omer. Thank you to all who sponsored this great event.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community HALB 4th grade girls M’Dor L’Dor dinner and performance

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community Shabbos Campaign to Open New Five Towns Mikvah

THIS SHABBOS

BBY Wins 1st Place at the CIJE Math Tournament

he atmosphere was serious, the girls were deep in concentration, and the numbers appearing on the screen were incomprehensible to the average viewer. But the participants in the CIJE math tournament were anything but average. The contestants competing in the CIJE Math Olympiad were the excelling math students in five local junior high schools. Bnos Bais Yaakov was coached for this event by the inimitable math teacher, Mrs. Devorah Monczyk. Coaching for the math team spanned eight sessions which took place during lunch and after school. The girls learned advanced level analytical math skills and also became more familiar with their own personal strengths in different areas in

math. Armed with this understanding of each other’s strengths, specific questions at the tournament were delegated to the team member most proficient in that area. BBY’s preparation and team work were extraordinary – which led to a BBY triumph! The professionally-run competition was organized and led by Mrs. Judy Lebovits, CIJE Vice President and Director, and Mrs.Yafa Lamm, CIJE Stem Mentor. Mrs. Lebovits commented that she was extremely impressed by the BBY girls and is proud of the TMM girls who continue to excel in the CIJE Tech program. Mazel tov to Bnos Bais Yaakov, Mrs. Surela Koenig (Principal), and Mrs. Devorah Monczyk (Math Teacher) on their 2nd consecutive Olympiad victory.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

CAHAL Creativity at Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Invention Convention

ids have been inventing things for hundreds of years. Did you know that the Popsicle, earmuffs and the trampoline were all invented by children? More than a few kids have become rich off their inventions before they even graduated high school. Recognizing the multiple benefits to exploring the inventive process, Yeshiva Darchei Torah hosted its annual Invention Convention for their 6th grade students on May 10. The students in the

CAHAL 6th grade class rose to the challenge with amazing results. With the guidance of their outstanding teacher, Mrs. Malkie Hyman, and their assistant teacher, Mrs. Timema Yoffe, the boys brainstormed different ideas, noting them in a journal with a list of pros and cons for each. After analyzing each option, they voted to create a “smart desk” that would make a student’s life easier. The boys first identified the problems inherent

in their current desks. The next step involved designing a desk that would address each of the problems and be practical enough to appeal to students. They decided that their invention would need to include the following features: a back massager to prevent back pain as well as provide enough sensory input to help kids stay focused (so they wouldn’t have to use annoying fidget spinners), a built-in pencil sharpener and white board, a built-in iPad with apps for all their textbooks, a notebook app that also has the ability to record the teacher talking in the event that the student can’t get all the notes down, an app that allows the teacher to download her notes onto the iPad, a dictionary/thesaurus app and a CD card that can download everything on the iPad, so when the student gets home, he can put the CD card into his kosher computer and have all the notes and textbooks at his fingertips.

After listing all the materials needed for the desk and estimating their total cost, the class went to Lowe’s and collected all of the items that were needed. They recorded the actual prices and totaled them at the register. Returning to yeshiva, the boys compared their estimate to the actual total, noting the difference. With the generous help of Mr. Michael Blieberg, one of the student’s parents, the desk was finally constructed. The culminating activity involved recording all the steps on a display board including a written explanation of the invention process and how their “smart desk” solved all of their problems. Many participants made a special stop to see what the boys had invented. They were amazed at their accomplishment, and the students were so proud of their work. Unfortunately, the boys have not yet entered the patent and manufacturing stage, so

you will have to wait a bit before it will hit the market. CAHAL, the local yeshiva-based and sponsored community program for children with learning challenges, now in its 24th year, provides smaller, more individualized classes in the local yeshivas catering to children’s learning styles, where all the students attend mainstream activities daily, including lunch, recess, specials, assemblies, trips and more. When ready, children attend academic classes as well, with support from CAHAL to ensure success. The experienced and caring CAHAL teachers make it all happen. CAHAL is currently accepting students. For more information about the CAHAL program and to donate to this great community organization, contact CAHAL at cahal@cahal.org or call (516) 295-3666.

Samchainu – The Club No One Wanted to Join By Shani (Stefansky) Waldman

hirteen years ago, I got off a plane and emerged into JFK Airport. Waiting were my family, closest friends, and a whole new life. I never thought it could happen to us. We were a normal couple, raising our six daughters, and we took a “brief” break from our regular routine to fly to Texas to fight the illness that interrupted our plans. Only I came back nine months later, alone.

“I was born a Jew. You were born a Jew. We don’t really know what being Jewish means.” Page 82

Being a widow is not something anyone expects or can plan for. It also isn’t something anyone ever, ever gets used to. A friend said to me before I left, “Enjoy this time with your husband and use it to say goodbye.” She meant well, but I didn’t talk to her that year. Widowed friends have expressed to me their sense of their friends’ exasperation. The unspoken thought is, “Yes, your husband died. But that was two years ago! Can’t you get over it and get a life?” No, she can’t. What we widows don’t ever want you to understand firsthand is that being alone is not natural, and never becomes so. The aching hole left when a spouse dies is not the same as when you lose an expensive camera, or even when your house chas v’shalom burns down. Over time the consuming grief that staggers you eases to a dull roar. You learn how to function in your new world. You find joy in friends, children, a beautiful day. But when Hashem created the world, He said, “Lo tov heyos ha’ad-

am levado.” It is not good for man, nor woman, to be alone. It is not the natural state of being, and never becomes normal. You can get used to the new dynamic, but it never becomes OK to be alone. So the state of widowhood is a permanent hurt, no matter how well we cover it up. Enter Samchainu. Started in 2007 by Breindy Halberstam and myself, we couldn’t have imagined how it would blossom with Hashem’s help into a national organization. We were two young widows ourselves and called some widowed friends to a meeting around a dining room table in Flatbush. Ten years later, we have close to 2,000 members. We have monthly evening events in Brooklyn with inspirational speakers and refreshments, Chanukah and Purim parties, a family Chanukah party for children with age-appropriate gifts for each child, and six mid-week overnight retreats throughout the year for different age groups. We send our members flow-

ers on their birthdays, and call them on their husband’s yahrtzeits. We have a weekly erev Shabbos call with a dvar Torah and all the members’ Mazel Tovs. We send financial help to our neediest members before yom tov. Our signature event is a Shabbos for 450 widows from across the country, which will take place this June in the Crowne Plaza in Stamford, CT. Did you ever really want to make a difference in someone’s life? This is your chance. Samchainu has no administrative costs at all. Breindy and I are still working without salaries. Next Wednesday, May 24th, Mrs. Hannah Fuchs and Mrs. Brandie Kreisman will be hosting an event to raise awareness and funds for this spectacular organization. Join your friends at 8:15 pm at 101 Fulton Street in Lawrence, for yom tov delicacies and a live auction. Your tax deductible check can be mailed to Samchainu, 1432 East 17th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11230. Tizki l’mitzvos, and may you always be on the giving end!

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community On Friday, May 12, Senator Todd Kaminsky visited Hebrew Academy of Nassau County Lower School. After touring the West Hempstead Campus, Senator Todd Kaminsky spoke to the fourth and fifth graders about the New York State government and had a Q&A following the talk.

Pictured L to R: Sen. Todd Kaminsky, Rabbi Yaakov Sadigh, HANC principal, Mrs. Barbara Deutsch, HANC associate principal, and Dr. Ruchi Kushner, HANC president

Lag B’Omer at Siach Yitzchok

ag B’Omer at Siach Yitzchok was really something not to be missed. The much-anticipated day was one of great excitement where each and every talmid in the Cheder was imbued with the kedusha of the day. 300 happy talmidim made their way over to Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv, by foot and by bus, and enjoyed a delicious seudah sponsored and cooked by our very own Aryeh Pinchasov of Meal Mart in Queens. At the seudah, warm divrei Torah were delivered by the menahel Reb Dovid Sitnick, shlit”a. Following his words, the boys were treated to a fascinating and inspiring story from the renowned and hilarious Rabbi Binyomin Wielgus. As usual, zemiros and niggunim punctuated the seudah, bringing ruach to the boys and rebbeim alike. Each class then headed outside with their rebbi to enjoy the amazing and uplifting hadlaka. Many parents, grandparents, alumni and friends of the Cheder joined and gathered around the fire, dancing and listening to Rabbi Moshe Hamel, long-time Siach Yitzchok parent and top notch singer. Reb Dovid inspired all the participants as he led the niggun of Bar Yochai with the fire of Rabi Shimon evident in his whole being. The microphone then turned to

dedicated Siach Yitzchok parent Eitan Katz who enhanced the hilula with his unique musical talents. It was truly a sight to see as parents and grandparents sang and danced along with their children and grandchildren around the fire. In the words of one happy parent, “My husband and I would like to thank you very much for the beautiful Lag B’Omer mesiba yesterday. My husband could not stop talking about

how amazing it was. He said the ruach and the achdus of the rebbeim and the talmidim was so special. We feel very privileged to be part of such a special

yeshiva.” Thank you to Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv and the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Naftali Jaeger, shlit”a, for hosting us on their

beautiful grounds. May we all be zoche to have true achdus and simcha, and with that we shall see the building of the third Beis Hamikdash.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

"THE WORLD IS ARTSCROLL'S CLASSROOM"

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi’s Lag B’Omer Hillula D’Rav Shimon Bar Yochai PHOTO CREDIT: NF AND YB

Rav Yaakov Feitman and Rav Yochanan Cohen dancing with shul children

Rav Yochanan Cohen and Rav Yaakov Feitman lighting the Medurah

Rav Yaakov Feitman speaking at the Hillula, with Rav Yochanan Cohen

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community

Lag B’Omer event with the Nikolsburger Rebbe

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Around the Community Rav Mutty Zeiger and Rav Yaron Halbertal

Lag Bâ€™Omer at Yeshiva Darchei Torah Talmidim, rabbeim and menahalim of Yeshiva Darchei Torahâ€™s Elementary School and Middle School rejoiced together on the Yeshiva campus this Sunday, commemorating the hilula of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai

Rav Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva, and Rav Eliyahu Saldinger, the second grade rebbi who was honored with kindling the fire

Rav Moshe Mandel, first grade rebbi

Rav Shmuel Strickman, Rav Dovid Morgenstern, Rav Eliyahu Saldinger (back to camera) and Rav Yaakov Bender

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community Mesivta Shaarei Chiam Lag Bâ€™Omer BBQ & Kumzitz Words of chizuk were delivered by Rabbi Eliezer Feuer. The event was hosted by Mr. & Mrs. Daniel & Estie Wolfson.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community

HANC ECC West Hempstead celebrated Lag B’Omer with a bouncy house and ice cream

Lag B’Omer at HANC 609

he students at HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead enjoyed a fun-filled day of activities in honor of Lag B’Omer. The children in the kindergarten through second grade classes had a great time playing games and running relay races at Hempstead Lake State Park in addition to playtime at the playground. They also walked to Morah Vered Sharoni’s house, where they sang songs as she played on her guitar and they roasted marshmallows in her Lag B’Omer bonfire. The weather was sunny and, despite the strong wind, the children had a fantastic time. The students in grades three through six celebrated Lag B’Omer with an amazing Color War! In the morning, the Torah Team (Yellow) and the Tefillah Team (Blue) competed against each other in relay races and answered a myriad of questions

in the Torah Bowl. In the afternoon, the two teams took to the fields at Hempstead Lake State Park to score points for their team by playing wiffleball, football, soccer, dodgeball and kickball. The children then returned to HANC 609 to compete in a team song competition, skits and shared beautiful divrei Torah. The cheering could be heard throughout the school. At the end of the day, the Torah Team won, but all of the students had tremendous ruach throughout the day and everyone had a fun time. HANC wishes to thank Rabbi Michael Merrill, Director of Student Activities, for coordinating this tremendous effort, Morah Vered Sharoni for inviting the students and staff to her home to enjoy singing around a bonfire, as well as all of the teachers and staff without whom this day-long event could not have been so successful.

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Busy Week at Bnos Malka

ast week began with 35 Bnos Malka teachers gathering Sunday morning for a 2 hour professional development workshop. Pre 1A-8th grade teachers participated in a collaborative and empowering workshop on how to create lessons from a unit planner. They then worked on the individual elements of crafting a comprehensive and engaging lesson plan. Mrs. Rivky Babad, assistant principal for the lower division, said, “It is

inspiring to see the passion these educators bring to their work. Everyone was focused on adding to their repertoire of knowledge so that they would have even more tools to create the most effective lesson plans.” The yearlong workshops align directly with the overall philosophy of empowering the staff and the multi-year implementation of the Understanding by Design concept by Professors Wiggins & McTighe. Middle school Assistant principal Mrs. Shuly

Zuckerman explained, “We believe very strongly in having the teachers take ownership of the process and have them share their combined experience.” Mrs. Golda Yadlovker (1st grade) and Mrs. Devorah Heisler (3rd & 7th grade) presented to the staff their approach to breaking down a unit and developing a lesson. Afterward the teachers split into 6 groups (jigsaw), each becoming an “expert” in one particular aspect of the creation of a lesson plan. The groups then reconfigured with an expert in each facet now in each of the groups. They then shared with one another their insights. Rabbi Weichselbaum, the Bnos Malka menahel, remarked, “Not only do the teachers benefit from their collective wisdom and experience. This approach assures we have a consistent and uniform approach throughout the school.” On Tuesday the girls in

the middle school competed in their annual Brachos Bee. With each round the questions increased in difficulty and it was apparent that all the girls had been studying very well. The Bee included brachos to be recited on special occasions (thunder, rainbows, etc.) as well as to the standard food items. The girls even learned the brachos on cultural foods like pluff and pelmeni. In addition, on Tuesday, the CIJE E2K class, with their teacher, Mrs. Leah Atlas, began their engineering project in rocketry. The girls will once again research and create

their own unique design, test their theories and measure the results. On Wednesday the eighth grade math team returned from the CIJE Math Tournament placing second in this prestigious competition. Under the guidance of Ms. Atara Kanner (7th & 8th grade math), the group of six eighth graders showed their math acumen. The week ended with color war break-out, once again demonstrating how Bnos Malka has struck the proper balance of a rigorous academic program with activities that keep the girls happily engaged

Kollel Tiferes Avos Breakfast

n Sunday, 25 Iyar, May 21, Kollel Tiferes Avos will hold its seventh annual breakfast at Congregation Shaaray Tefila on Central Avenue in Lawrence, NY. Under the leadership of Rabbi Dov Bressler, and with the skilled assistance of Rabbi Dovid Scheiner, the Kollel provides shiurim and chavrusos for Jews of all ages and backgrounds. Upon the completion of its first seven year cycle, the Kollel looks back at its accomplishments of bringing together Jews of all ages and occupations across Far Rocka-

way, Bayswater and the Five Towns in a unified learning experience. It has injected an air of enjoyment, interactive learning and practical application into the study of Torah. As it embarks upon its eight year, the Kollel looks ahead to accommodate new chavrei hakollel. The breakfast will be marked by a siyum on Meseches Avodah Zorah which was just completed after detailed study of the text of the Gemara and meforshim with the many significant halachos contained therewith. The study of Meseches Beitza with

Reunions are also a constant reminder that yes, we really were all once young, which is a good to know because sometimes we tend to forget. Page 88

its many applications to yom tov will commence thereafter. The Kollel, this year, will honor one of its outstanding chavrusos, Rabbi Rafael Skaist and Rabbi Shaya Kivelevitz, who can be seen every morning toiling over and mastering the Gemara and its many halachos. After a long distinguished career in chinuch at Yeshiva Darchei Torah and elsewhere, Rabbi Skaist has brought the intricate analysis of the Gemara to his Kollel learning. Similarly, Rabbi Kivelevits, while continuing to serve the klal in kashrus supervision, spends a good portion of the day studying intensely with his chavrusa and engaging in pilpul chaverim. The breakfast will be graced by Harav Hagaon Naftali Jaeger, shlita, Rosh Hayeshiva of Sh’or Yoshuv, who will deliver divrei Torah and hisorerus directed to the coming yom tov of Shavuos. The Kollel will receive a renewed mandate as it embarks on its continuing agenda of harbotzos HaTorah.

The program will be chaired with warmth, sensitivity and insight by Rabbi Bezalel Korn. The Kollel also recognizes the administrative assistance it has received from inception through the efforts of Rabbis Shaya Heimlich and Sender Schwartz along with the assistance of many other Kollel members. Kollel Tiferes Avos is in session weekdays at Shaaray Tefila on Central Avenue in Lawrence. A day at the Kollel begins with a 9:45 AM shiur in Sefer Hachinuch and insights into the parsha presented by Rabbi Dovid Scheiner. A daily Gemara shiur is delivered by Rabbi Dov Bressler, Roav of the HILI Bais Medrash. Simultaneously, chavrusos study the same masechta at a more advanced level. Probing Vaadim on machshavah and mussar are also presented at the Kollel. For those who cannot attend morning sessions, evening shiurim in Maseches Moed Katan are given every Tuesday evening at 8:00 PM and on Shabbos in Meseches Taanis.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS CREATIONS

Scenes from American Friends of Sderot Dinner

OHEL Co-Sponsored Rebbetzin’s Conference Draws Record Attendance

Dr. Hindie M. Klein, Director of Clinical Projects at OHEL, speaks at the 18th Annual Rebbetzin’s Conference

his year the 18th Annual Rebbetzins’ Conference was held on Wednesday, May 10 at the Agudath Israel Bais Binyomin in Brooklyn. This conference is specifically designed for rebbetzins within the metropolitan area and is sponsored by The United Task Force on Children and Families at Risk, a consortium of 40 social service and mental health agencies that provide a myriad of services within the trip-state area. Dr. Faye Zakheim and Dr. Marcel Biberfeld serve as co-chairs of the Task Force. Dr. Hindie M. Klein of OHEL serves on the Executive Board of the Task Force and this year, once again,

OHEL was one of main co-sponsors of the event. Other sponsors included The Jewish Board, MASK, The OU, and Women’s League. As in previous years, the Conference was sponsored in memory of Shlomo Eliezer ben Harav Yaakov Zakheim, a”h. The conference theme this year was “Midor L’Dor: Embracing the Challenges of the Sandwich Generation” and the program proved inspirational, informative and highly meaningful to the scores of rebbetzins who attended. Indeed, the program was opened to the public at the last minute, given the number of registration inquiries received from so many women interested in this compelling topic.

Top Row: L-R: Rebbetzin Judi Steinig, Mrs. Shaindy Gurwitz, Mrs. Henna White, Mrs. Aviva Hoch, Dr. Faye Zakheim; Bottom Row: L-R: Dr. Hindie M. Klein, Mrs. Chaya Shaindel Mandel, Harriet Blank

Audience participants were honored to receive divrei bracha by Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Mora D’Asra of Agudath Israel Bais Binyomin. Rabbi Lieff graced the evening with his words of wisdom, noting the exceptional power of women to multi-task and be involved in so many things in and out of the home—“it means you are alive!” Rebbetzin Esti Reisman spoke with sensitivity and authenticity about her experiences in caring for an elderly loved one and shared how precious this experience is: “It is not a burden, but rather a privilege!” Our guest speaker was Ms. Harriet Blank, Director of Geriatric Services

for OHEL and a noted gerontologist who lectures nationally. Harriet spoke about the trials, tribulations, challenges and joys of being a caregiver. She touched on many themes including how to set priorities and limits, how to best communicate with family members, helpful coping strategies and enlisting family and community resources. A caregiver, who is a member of Ms. Blank’s Caregiver Support Group, joined the presentation and enlightened the audience with her personal experiences. Once again, a very successful Rebbetzins’ Conference was experienced by all, thanks to excellent presenters and the efforts of The Task Force.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Yeshiva Har Torah Sixth Grade Goes to Greenkill

his past week the sixth grade students of Yeshiva Har Torah enjoyed their overnight trip to Greenkill Outdoor Education Center in Huguenot, NY. Throughout the two-day trip, the students en-

gaged in various activities to enhance their love of Hashem’s creations. The students hiked in the forests, learned about water ecology and participated in many team building activities. The sixth graders also learned about

survival skills including shelter and fire building techniques. The trip was enhanced by the presence of the amazing teachers, morot and rebbeim who helped the children frame what they were learning through the

lens of Torah and appreciate the natural world as Hashem’s gift to humanity. The students relayed on the bus ride home how the trip was the highlight of their year!

Rabbi Shaul Robinson of the Lincoln Square Synagogue and Rabbi Marvin Hier, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who had just returned from speaking at the inauguration in Washington, D.C. In February, RZA held two events in Boca Raton, Florida, and last week Professor Alan Dershowitz addressed a crowd of more than four hundred people in Scarsdale, NY. But the crown jewel of the RZA, no doubt, is the Aryeh Fellowship. This past winter-break RZA sponsored missions-to-Israel for forty college students from around the country. These students became RZA “Aryeh Fellows” and have committed to pursue manhigut (leadership) projects designed to bring the message of Religious Zionism back to communities across the United States. The students are working in thirteen different groups, each focused on a different Religious Zionist initiative. As an example, one initiative was the first ever national collegiate Chidon HaTanach (Bible contest) which was held a few weeks ago in Midtown Manhattan. A second group is organizing Kumzitz style get-togethers on college campuses across the country. A third

group launched a “Humans of Israel” social media campaign shedding light on the lives of recent Olim and highlighting their Aliyah experience. Yet another group is translating into English divrei Torah from Roshei Yeshiva of Yeshivot Hesder in Israel which appear in RZA’s weekly emails. Essentially, the Aryeh Fellowship has enabled RZA to organize a cadre of student leaders who are rooted in Torah knowledge and are passionate about activism both on the college campus and beyond. For more than 100 years, Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi has been at the forefront of world Jewry, advancing through educational, political and social programs, an everlasting commitment to “the Land of Israel, for the People of Israel, according to the Torah of Israel.” I invite you to join me (gshloush@rza. org) in strengthening the umbrella organization whose primary objective is to invigorate communities across America with the message of Religious Zionism.

Religious Zionism on the Rise By Rabbi Gideon Shloush

hat an amazing year this has been as the Religious Zionists of America has embarked on a program to strengthen their base and spread its message to the American Jewish community. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Reunification of Jerusalem, RZA has created a National Honor Roll of schools and synagogues committed to celebrating this historic milestone. Proudly, more than 220 communities across North America have signed the RZA honor roll and committed to initiate programming in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Yom Yerushalayim. Communities are organizing creative programs such as lectures, movie nights, concerts, picnics and, of course, festive prayers. Additionally, thanks to the efforts and support of RZA co-President Martin Oliner, RZA has organized a mission to Washington, D.C., where the leadership of twenty five Jewish organizations – representing the spectrum of the Jewish community – will meet at the U.S. Capitol with members of Congress (from both sides of the aisle) to pass a Res-

olution in Congress in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Reunification of Jerusalem. RZA has also initiated a National Children’s Art Contest as well as a Yom Yerushalayim button campaign whose theme is “United with Jerusalem.” Furthermore, RZA has arranged for hundreds of individuals from communities across North America to participate in the International Mizrachi Mission to Israel. These representatives of the American Jewish community will be gathering in Israel where they will be joined by fellow Jews from across the globe for a four day, once in a lifetime, world-Jewry celebration in Jerusalem. In November RZA held its National Convention featuring presentations by RIETS Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Hershel Schachter, World Mizrachi CEO Rav Doron Perez and former Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens. In December RZA went to Teaneck, NJ, for a special program with Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter. In January RZA’s Chicago chapter held a sold-out “Beit Café” and RZA Los Angeles chapter organized a Shabbaton, featuring myself,

Rabbi Gideon Shloush is the National Director of Religious Zionists of America.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: POLLY VAN RAALTE

Five Towns Responds Generously to Project Extreme Scholarship Breakfast By M. Lowinger

he Five Towns community responded with tremendous enthusiasm to the Seasons Annual Project Extreme Scholarship Breakfast last Sunday. The event, which was held in the home of Michael and Michelle Edery, was well attended -- a testament to the community’s commitment to supporting the programs of Project Extreme. The Scholarship Breakfast helps troubled youngsters attend Project Extreme for Boys, Project Extreme for Girls, Yom Tov retreats, and Shabbos intervention programs. Project Extreme is a non-profit organization that provides innovative and personalized services for teens at risk and their families. Through a variety of long and short term programs, they help teens overcome their challenges by providing life skills training, social support networks, and professional counseling – all in a safe and healthy environment. Eighty percent of teens who have completed Project Extreme’s program have made positive adjustments at school and with their families. Rabbi A.Y. Weinberg, Executive Director of Project Extreme, welcomed the guests to the Breakfast. He quoted the posuk in the Navi Nechemia in which Hashem tells Klal Yisroel, “You committed the Cheit Ha’egel. Nevertheless,

Eli and Nechama Bayen

I gave you the maan.” The maan was constantly there throughout the years in the Midbar, despite the misdeeds of the Jewish people. Said Rabbi Weinberg, “Hashem never gave up on us!” Similarly, he explained, Project Extreme never gives up on teens who are in trouble. He spoke about Miryam’s House, which provides a safe and secure living environment for young women eighteen and older. He also thanked the Ederys for their unwavering support. “Michael and Michelle are involved on a regular and constant basis,” said Rabbi Weinberg. “Just recently Michael called me with the idea of the Project HOPE, a mentoring program which ensures that success will last long term.” The Hakoras Hatov Award was presented to Adi and Yedidya Aryeh, longtime friends of Project Extreme. Years ago, Adi worked as a Project Extreme summer camp counselor and was completely dedicated to her girls. Her commitment to the organization didn’t end there. She stayed in contact with her girls for years afterwards, dancing at their weddings and helping them when they had their babies. “Adi understands that we can’t give up on them even after we have made an impact,” said Rabbi Weinberg. “We need to keep going.” Adi continues to volunteer and assist the organization until today with the support and

Rabbi A.Y. Weinberg, Yedidya Aryeh, Adi Aryeh, and Ayalah Lebowicz

Adi and Yedidya Aryeh with their children Shira and Michal

participation of her husband Yedidya. Rabbi Kenneth Hain, Rav of Congregation Beth Sholom, served as guest speaker. He spoke about the Kohen who needs proper vision and depth of perception in order to evaluate issues of tzara’as. Similarly, he explained, Project Extreme must look beyond the surface in order to evaluate each situation completely. “They don’t judge these youngsters merely by their outer appearance,” he said. The Annual Scholarship Breakfast is made possible through the generous heartfelt assistance of Alex Wercberger of Seasons as well as the hardworking dedication of the Breakfast Committee and the support of the corporate sponsors: Seasons; Paradigm Commercial Real Estate LLC; Steven Krauss, DDS, MPH, Pediatric Dentistry; A Classic Collection; Weissman Realty

Yoni Paritzky and Michael Edery

Michelle Edery, Michael Edery, Alex Wercberger of SEASONS, and Rabbi A.Y. Weinberg

Group LLC; Alpha 1 Studios; Plumb Pro, Plumbing and Heating Corp; Long Island Counseling and Anxiety Center; Custom Care Concierge; ESTI’S; Preminger Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics; Rivkin Radler, Attorneys at Law; Braintoaster Interactive; Mister Promotion; Incredible Feets; Gourmet Glatt; Print On Point; and Judaica Plus. The summer programs are but a few of the many services and activities that Project Extreme offers. Upcoming events include a Shavuos program for girls based in the Five Towns. And applications are currently being accepted for Camp Extreme Girls and Camp Extreme Boys, both of which will be located in the

Michael Edery and Rabbi Pinchus Weinberger of Bais Tefila of Inwood

Canadian Rockies. Project Extreme is enthusiastically endorsed by HaRav Reuven Feinstein, shlita. In a letter of chizuk to the Breakfast Committee, he writes, “Project Extreme serves a beacon of hope in the pursuit of reconnecting these young Yidden to their Yiddishkeit.” He concludes with a blessing to those who participated in the Scholarship Breakfast. “No greater bracha,” he said, “can be given than to one who shares in this most sacred endeavor of helping to be matzil nefashos.” For more information about Project Extreme and its programs, visit projectextreme.org or call 516-6123922.

Rabbi Kenneth Hain and Michael Edery

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Touro’s Lander Colleges Name 2017 Valedictorians

ouro Lander College will honor four outstanding students as valedictorians. Commencement exercises to be held on May 28 at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center. Simcha Bordon: Valedictorian of the School for Men at Lander College of Arts and Sciences Growing up in London, Simcha Bordon never imagined he would choose to become a doctor. This summer, he will begin his studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In high school, the focus of Simcha’s studies was humanities rather than science and he specialized in history, politics and economics. After high school he traveled to America to study at Passaic Yeshiva, followed by a seven-year stint in Israel at Yeshivas Brisk. Simcha’s father-in-law, Dr. Chaim Kabalkin, a cardiologist at NYU, attended medical school after spending many years in yeshiva, and Simcha was inspired by his ability to combine life as a ben Torah and as a physician and realized that the same path could be open to him too. The constantly evolving nature of medicine, coupled with the opportunity to provide compassionate care, is what attracted Simcha to the field of medicine. During college, Simcha seized every opportunity to advance his goals. He is especially proud of the research on treating Alzheimer’s disease that he did at Hadassah University, in Jerusalem, with Professor Marta Weinstock. He also made Dean’s List every semester, shadowed physicians and was a volunteer tutor with Chai Lifeline all while starting a family. “Simcha is an outstanding example of a ben Torah who concurrently has achieved excellence in his pre-medical studies, in pursuit of his goal of becoming a caring and com-

for advancing rapidly in the profession and becoming a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Coupled with her personality and focus on helping others, she will no doubt create a kiddush Hashem in the professional world,” said Dr. Robert Goldschmidt. A lifelong Brooklynite, RaRachel Tabi: chel followed her three sisters Valedictorian of the to LAS. Her older sister, Sara, School for Women at majored in math and is now Lander College of Arts an actuary at Mercer. Tzipoand Sciences Rachel Tabi speaks quick- ra earned an M.S. at Touro’s ly; she always sounds ready for Graduate School of Education. the next question. Her ability Chana is pursuing her MS in to do math just as quickly and education there right now. accurately has made her a top Steven Treitel: student and the valedictorian of the Women’s School at Tou- Valedictorian of Lander College for Men ro’s Lander College of Arts and While most of us were still Sciences. While at Touro, she earned an annual academic asleep, Steven “Lippy” Treitel’s scholarship and was recog- day was already in full swing. nized by Who’s Who Among As a commuter student at the Students in American Univer- evening program at Touro’s Lander College for LCM), sities and Colleges. Rachel majored in actuarial Steven would leave his home mathematics at Touro and will in Monsey, NY, at 5:45am to graduate with a G.P.A of 3.9. “I make a 7am minyan at Meloved it. It’s very difficult but ridian Capital Group, where I enjoyed the challenge,” she he worked. Twice a week, he said. One reason Rachel chose would then make the drive LAS was the opportunity to from Manhattan to Queens study math with Professor Eli to take classes until 10:30pm, Cohen. “He teaches you how only to then make the hourto think and understand com- long drive back to Monsey. Steven’s drive and deterplex information as opposed to simply following directions,” mination enabled him to balance a demanding job with a she said. In September she will be- rigorous academic schedule gin her career as an actuarial while earning an impressive associate in the benefits de- 4.0 GPA. Even before his time partment at PriceWaterhouse- at LCM, Steven displayed simCoopers. She is eager to put her ilar ambition and resolve when education into practice. Many he spent two years immersing professions require a back- himself in Talmud study at ground in math but actuarial Mercaz HaTorah in Israel. In February, Steven startprofessionals apply high-level math skills on a daily basis. ed a full time position as an Rachel enjoys the combination Audit Associate with BDO’s of probability and finance that Real Estate and Hospitality Services division. He credits her new job entails. “Rachel, who spent a year Professor Herskowitz, one of at Darchei Binah seminary LCM’s accounting professors, in Israel, has demonstrated with helping him navigate the exceptional achievement in job search process and think mathematics by passing mul- through his decision to join tiple actuarial tests, outper- this firm. “I had more than forming what most college one offer, and Professor Hergraduates in this field usually skowitz encouraged me to do. She shows great promise consider my long-term goals passionate physician who will serve the needs of our community. We are extremely proud of his accomplishments,” said Dr. Robert Goldschmidt, executive vice president of Touro and dean of Touro’s Lander College of Arts and Sciences.

Simcha Bordon

Rachel Tabi

Steven Treitel

portion, or scale recipes to a desired yield or serving size. “There are other tools out there, but I found they had flaws,” she explained. “They either did not convert the ingredient list to standard kitchen measurements or required entering each ingredient separately, which can be tedious for a long recipe.” Her application solves these problems. Meira also got real-world experience at various internships and jobs she held during her time at LCW. She spent time at Quantum Networks and UnitedHealth Group doing web development, learning new programming languages and database skills, and honing her craft. This mix of comprehensive academics and practical knowledge has prepared Meira Meira Goldberg: for her upcoming job in softValedictorian of the ware development at PGIM Lander College for Fixed Income, a global fixed Women At Touro’s Lander College income asset manager whose for Women Meira Goldberg parent company is Prudential found that computer science Financial. She will start her was a subject at which she new career in June, right after truly excelled. “The logic and graduation, commuting from problem solving aspect of Teaneck, NJ. “I really enjoyed my time computer science really appeals to me,” she said. “I es- at LCW. I valued being in a pecially love the programming religious environment where side of the coursework.” Meira the small class size and mutuis a participant in LCW’s pres- al respect enabled me to really tigious Honors Program and learn from my fellow students will be graduating as a com- and professors.” “Meira is an exceptional puter science major with a 3.98 GPA, earning her a place young woman. She is thoughton the Dean’s List. She is also a ful, creative, smart, and articulate which makes her an Presidential Scholar. Meira channeled her love excellent fit to represent LCW of programming into her the- as valedictorian,” said Marian sis project, which was a recipe Stoltz-Loike, Ph.D., dean of converter website applica- LCW and Touro’s vice presition she created. The tool can dent of online education. be used to multiply, divide,

as I was making my decision.” Steven attributes his time at Lander with providing him a strong foundation for his future career. “The accounting program is spectacular at LCM,” Steven said. “The professors were amazing and the small class size meant I got individual attention. I still reach out to, and value the advice I receive, from Professor Herskowitz.” “Lippy is a gifted student, with the warm personality, drive, and determination so crucial to success, and with a deep consciousness of his special responsibilities as an Orthodox Jew,” said Dr. Moshe Sokol, dean of LCM. “He is destined to make a difference in the world.”

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community

The YOSS sixth grade, under the leadership of Rabbi Gershon Greenberg, learned all about the halachos of taking challah from dough. The class has been learning Parshas Shelach, where these particular halachos are featured in the Torah. To bring the lesson to life, Rabbi Greenberg arranged a special baking day with his talmidim, where they could experience the mitzvah firsthand.

YCQ Students Show Hakarat Hatov to Their Moms

Proceeds to Benefit:

PRESENTS

A Rina C. Hirsch Production

STARRING THE

s YCQ students eagerly await the warm weather, all of the elementary school children worked diligently on projects for their mothers to show hakarot hatov for everything they do for them. In Mrs. Guise’s class, the second graders created unique magnets using photos of themselves. Using the letters from alphabet soup, they labeled their magnets. The special poems written for this occasion will be hung with their magnets, making a lasting memory. The fourth graders in Mrs. Criss’ class learned about how each student is an individual and special in their own way. They wrote messages to let their mothers know how important they are. In addition, they made keychains with their fingerprints to match a poem they gave to her. Some of the first grade classes made their moms vanilla body scrub and are giving them a coupon for “one day of no complaining.” All of the students were

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excited to give their moms their gifts and show her how much they love her. To celebrate spring, the YCQ Band and Orchestra performed their annual concert for their families and friends. The sounds of “Hatikvah” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” reverberated through the halls. After a year of practice and hard work the students played with pride.

with Hadassah Fertig, Shayna Leah Frankel, Miri Granik, Eliana Hirsch, Rosie Lauer, & Ashley Paneth

For ticket information, please call: 914-260-0772. For general information, call 516-385-1959. Order online: at www.jewishtickets.com or D4Ltickets@gmail.com General Seats: $20 in advance/$25 at the door Premium Seats: $25 in advance/$30 at the door | VIP Seats: $36 in advance/$45 at the door

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Yeshiva Darchei Torah eighth graders enjoyed Motzei Lag B’omer in Rabbi Sussman’s backyard

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim students participated in last week’s CIJE Conference. Their projects were most impressive! We are very proud of all of our participants: Aaron Sinensky, Yitzchok Cohen, Simcha Weissman, Efraim Braun, Yitzi Kadar, Yehuda Kanner, Pinchas Hirsch, Shimon Kopelowitz. Pictured here is 10th grader Avrami Hersh, displaying his CIJE project.

Shulamith Torah Bowl Team Retains Championship Title

YOSS Reads to Succeed Many boys in the YOSS Mechina Program committed themselves to reading at least six hours of recreational reading over winter vacation. They all received gift certificates to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.

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L-R: Standing: Arielle Yarmish, Sara Stein, Chaya Malka Bokow, Leora Muskat, Ayelet Rosman, Tamar Stern, Yael Schreier, Priva Halpert, Mrs. Rookie Billet, Rabbi Wolofsky League Commissioner. Seated: Adina Adelman, Gabriella Herman, Sabrina Graff, Anni Laufer, Ariella Borah, Shayna Wasser, Ilana Moskovitz

By Sara Stein, Grade 8

n May 9, the Shulamith Torah Bowl team boarded the bus headed to Brooklyn for the Championship round. Armed with their knowledge of the entire Sefer Devarim with Rashi, they competed against Shulamith of Brooklyn, RYNJ, and RPRY, each the elite teams of their respective divisions. Throughout this meet, the students were enthralled by the Torah- filled atmosphere, the company of so many other like-minded girls, and, of course, the exhilaration when they all raced to buzz first and answer correctly.

After a close game of one hundred questions, the undefeated Shulamith of Long Island Torah Bowl team won by ten points, sustaining their undefeated record which they have held for two years! Although in the end only one winner emerged, all of the finalists agreed that each team was truly incredible, and all were winners because of all the Torah lishmah learned and the wonderful team spirit. Mazal tov to the Shulamith Torah Bowl Team Captains, Ariella Borah and Anni Laufer, to the coaches, Mrs. Rookie Billet and Morah Shoshana Fischman, and to the entire team for a great year of learning and for achieving victory!

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community

Yom Achdut at DRS

tarting high school can be a scary and nervous experience, but not for DRS’s incoming ninth graders! Last Sunday, the 90 members of the DRS incoming Class of 2020 joined up at DRS for the school’s annual Yom Achdut, during which new classmates get the opportunity to meet one another before they embark on four years of high school together. Hailing from over 15 different elementary schools, next year’s DRS freshmen were select-

ed from one of DRS’s largest pool of applicants in the school’s history. On Sunday, they got a chance to hear from Rabbi Kaminetsky, and DRS’s new General Studies principal, Dr. Hillel Broder, among other administrators at DRS. After introductory words of Torah from Rabbi Kaminetsky on the topic of achdut, the boys took placement exams in both Algebra and Ivrit to determine the appropriate classes for next year, and the future DRS students

Central’s Annual Siyum Tehillim

he school day at Yeshiva University High School for Girls commences every morning with a communal davening that unites the school community in prayer and purpose. An integral part of daily Shacharit is the perek of Tehillim recited after davening. The perek is explicated, and the student draw connections between the words of Tehillim, their daily lives, and the world around them. The morning of Thursday, May 11, marked Central’s annual Siyum Tehillim, at which the school community celebrates a meaningful year of prayer. The ceremony began with words from Assistant Principal Bracha Rutner, who shared words of inspiration about this year-long endeavor. A student representative

from each grade them shared her favorite perek of Tehillim with the school, explaining what makes those words so resonant and special. Thank you to Carley Kahn (‘20), Rachel Arister (‘19), Elina Shalamov (‘18), and Sophie Zwiebel (‘17) for sharing their thoughts with their friends and teachers. As a school, the student body and faculty then joyously completed the last few perakim together and returned to Perek Aleph as a reminder that the recitation of Tehillim and the study of Torah are never truly complete. Munching on cupcakes decorated with musical symbols, referencing Tehillim’s shirot v’tishbachot, the student body began the day on a “high note,” embracing a sense of accomplishment and spiritual fulfillment.

It is better to be a regular happily married man than a prince sitting all alone in his castle. Page 94

were then treated to ice cream sundaes. Following snack, students were moved to the gym for a game of “concentric circles,” where students found themselves sitting across a new friend and were prompted to discuss an array of different questions. After five minutes, students moved in front of a future classmate to meet them as well. After the game, the grade was divided into groups for a unique egg drop competition. Each team was given a raw egg and sev-

eral materials. With the materials, the students were challenged to construct a contraption that would keep an egg from cracking when dropped from the DRS roof. The winning team of students each received gift cards to Dunkin Donuts – a DRS student hotspot. The incoming students were able to meet their new classmates and gain a taste of what DRS is all about.

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

At TD Five Boro Bike Tour, Team OHEL Wins for OHEL’s Children!

hile most of us were sleeping in on a chilly Sunday morning, the brave and determined members of Team OHEL trekked out early on May 7 to complete the grueling TD Five Boro Bike Tour, all in support of the thousands of individuals and families OHEL serves every day. A team of 15 dedicated team members raised money for OHEL’s myriad of programs and services that serve the most vulnerable in our community, including a scholarship fund to help send children with disabilities to Camp Kaylie at OHEL, the trailblazing inclusive summer camp in Wurtsboro, NY. For 40 miles, Team

OHEL riders pushed themselves to their physical limits, motivated by their collective mission to raise money and awareness for foster children, victims of domestic violence and people with disabilities. Our amazing riders led the way with some outstanding individual finishes – both across the finish line and in their generosity! “The moment I sent out a notice that I would be riding with Team OHEL in the Five Boro Bike Tour, my friends and family members were eager to contribute to my ride. From the moment I reached out to join the team, OHEL was there every step of the way,” says Jeff Katz, first time rider with Team OHEL. Team OHEL helps to ele-

vate the lives of thousands every year through their annual fundraising sports initiatives, and you too can be transformative! Join over 500 participants, young and senior, and of all abilities, as they challenge themselves for a great cause at 3rd Annual OHEL Xtreme Challenge Classic on Sunday May 21st. You can also join Team OHEL in the NYC Life Time Triathlon on July 16 or the TCS NYC Marathon on November 5. You can secure a spot on our team now by contacting Meital Cafri at 718-686-3217 or meital_cafri@ohelfamily.org. Since 1969, OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services has served as a dependable haven of indi-

vidual and family support, helping people of all ages effectively manage disability, surmount everyday chal-

lenges, heal from trauma, and manage with strength and dignity during times of crisis.

HALB students spent Lag B’Omer outside enjoying the playgrounds and fields of local parks. Our teachers were transformed into pitchers and jump rope swingers while the children enjoyed the fresh air and blue skies!

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community

An Unprecedented Achdut Achievement for Our Community By Esther Wein

ess than a year and a half ago, Anita Koren and I launched 5 Towns Kesher. Yehudi. Our goal is to ensure that every Jew in our neighborhood knows that our well-organized and open-hearted religious community, with our many institutions and services, is their community too. We have initially focused on reaching out to our Israeli neighbors. We are driven by a sense of gratitude for all they and their families have done for us in the building of our homeland. We have had many well attended events and parties that have succeeded in bringing us together, and there are many new friendships flourishing. We are very gratified to see how warmly our community has embraced this initiative, but we were not prepared for the outpouring of achdut that we experienced in the last six months.

tion. “A musical production, with singing and dancing to great Jewish Hebrew music, is a powerful way to connect people. Having girls from all sorts of backgrounds singing, dancing and having a great time together created new friendships with our own neighbors, thereby strengthening our connection to each other and to our Judaism. This is the goal of Kesher Yehudi,” said Anita. What we accomplished as a community is unprecedented. Af-

Last September, we opened auditions for an ambitious project: The 5Towns Kesher Yehudi Musical Extravaganza. Our goal: to include girls from every part of the community in a joint project for the benefit of the entire community. On March 26th 2017, in the HAFTR gym, magic happened. Over 80 Children from TAG, Franklin Elementary, Bnos Bais Yaakov, HALB, SKA, Woodmere Elementary and Middle Schools, Shulamith, Brandeis, Oceanside High School, HANC, Magen David, Bais Yaakov of Queens and Hewlett Elementary all starred together in a production that showcased not only impressive talent but even more impressive community togetherness. This project was the brainchild of Anita Koren who was also the creative force behind the entire produc-

ter practicing for five months at the YILC, the girls, along with a dance troupe of local women, flawlessly executed their dances and songs in front of an overflow audience of 400+. It was not just the show, with its dramatic lighting, special effects and costumes, but the audience itself was the cause for real celebration. For the first time, many families from the local Israeli community sat together with local religious families and felt fully part of our community. Together our talented kids, teens and adults sang and danced to high energy, inspirational Hebrew music and had the time of their life in an all-female, exuberant musical extravaganza. The very moving finale featured the entire cast singing along to Kesher Yehudi’s hit song, WeR1, which already has a million and a half views.

The music for many of the songs and dances was handpicked by Anita from the music of Israeli superstar Gad Elbaz. Gad Elbaz is a good friend of 5Towns Kesher Yehudi and strongly supports our mission. After the finale, he appeared in person to thank the crowd for using his music to bring the community together and thrilled the entire cast by performing the same songs that the girls had been singing and dancing to throughout all the many months of practice. The entire crowd was soon on their feet celebrating together and fulfilling our motto: One Nation, One community. Most importantly the friendships created will be nurtured throughout the year with more programs to learn and grow together. To name a few projects, we are having a brainstorming dinner so that our new Israeli friends can share their ideas with us. A reunion and screening of the video of the show will take place at the Malvern theatre on June 11. 5T Kesher Yehudi is busy working on our Jewish summer camp campaign to enable public school girls and boys to attend a Jewish summer camp even if it just for one weekend. On Shabbat before Rosh Hashana we are having our “Keep the Last Shabbat of the Year Together” Weekend Retreat. That retreat will be attended by local religious and non-observant families who have bonded through Kesher Yehudi. Weekly programs are being planned that will bring together peers and their parents for learning and fun. In addition, 5T Kesher Yehudi continues to expand our community, one friendship at a time, through ongoing events. We want to thank the many individuals and institutions who made the dream a reality:

Our entire cast, you are our future, you are our Jewish Pride. Sara Yugdayev from Far Rockaway served as musical director and directed a beautiful choir cast. Miriam Ringel, Danny Sudwertz, Inga Barsky, Goldie Oved, Racheli Weintraub, Rivki Weissman and Leya Newmark were our very talented choreographers who directed and executed their dances with electrifying energy. Noa Binetta, from Lawrence High, Danielle Sellouk and Sara Abraham from Brandeis along with Destiny Inocent, local treasures, performed musical solos that left the audience deeply moved. Sara Abraham choreographed a showstopping dance that she performed with her friend Abigail Greenfield. Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst hosted the weekly practices for five months. HAFTR graciously hosted the production; Seasons’ and Gourmet Glatt’s generosity truly warmed our hearts. May our extraordinary display of achdut give nachat ruach to the Boreh Olam and serve to protect Am Yisrael wherever we are. For more information please visit us at 5Tkesheryehudi@facebook.com. Or contact Esther Wein 516-526-2096 or Anita Koren 516661-8677.

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Shulamith Eighth Grade Takes Washington By Storm By Sara Stein, Grade 8

ach year, Shulamith eighth graders make the long trip to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the end of their elementary

The rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the Shulamith eighth graders as they visited the nation’s Capitol

school years and their upcoming graduation. On May 10th and 11th, the Class of 2017, accompanied by Associate Principal Dr. Evelyn Gross and by their teachers, Morah Chana Schwartz, Mrs. Yaffa Schreier, and Mrs. Rachel Steiner, set out bright and early for the trip of a lifetime. The group began their memorable excursion with a visit to the Herr’s Factory in Nottingham, Pennsylvania, where they learned about how potato chips and other Herr’s snacks are produced. The highlight of the tour was eating warm potato chips, straight off of the production line! Upon arrival in Washington, the girls went to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in order to learn more about the Shoah and be able to offer testimony to the next generation. Tak-

ing advantage of Wednesday’s blue skies and warm weather, the girls visited some of D.C.’s beautiful and meaningful memorials, including an evening visit to the illuminated World War II Memorial. A delicious dinner was delivered to the group and enjoyed during a boat ride on the Potomac. After the long day, the girls arrived at their hotel and

surprised two of their friends with a birthday cake and party before heading to their rooms to get some rest. In the morning, after a soulful tefillah and a hearty breakfast, the group set out once more for another full day of touring. They visited the Museum of American History, the Capitol building, and the Newseum. The endless

rain didn’t dampen the girls’ spirits and everyone had a great time while learning so much. The group left Washington at 5 pm, saddened that their incredible trip was almost over but excited to be heading for home. Students and chaperones alike had a wonderful time and dubbed the trip a great success!

BACH Gala Dinner Celebrates 70th Anniversary and Reinvigoration PHOTO CREDIT: GABE SOLOMON AND SHUA KATZ

L-R: Sam Pinto, Rabbi Moshe Greene, and Howie Lebowitz

n Sunday, May 7, Bachurei Chemed (“BACH”) of Long Beach’s annual dinner took place at the Mansion at Lawrence, celebrating 70 years of enriching the lives of the beach communities of Long Beach, Lido and Atlantic Beaches. Over 200 adults and children gathered to celebrate the revitalization of the BACH under the exciting leadership of Rabbi Moshe Greene and pay tribute to the rich and unique past that has made the BACH into what it is today.

L-R: Alana Jakubowitz, Jessica Cutter, and Gaby Frieden

The Gala dinner’s honorees were a true representation of the BACH, and spanned all ages, from 18-yearold Yehuda Shetrit, the Community Teen Leadership Awardee, to Steven Bernstein, the Inaugural Simon Solomon Educator Award recipient who has lived in Long Beach and been involved with the BACH for over 75 years. Also honored at the dinner were Rabbi Aryeh and Devorah Smith, Community Outreach Awardees, and Shlomo and Dani Feierman, Young Leadership Awardees. Guests commented that the din-

L-R: Long Beach City Council Member Chumi Diamond with honorees Devorah Smith, Rabbi Aryeh Smith, Senator Todd Kaminsky, Shlomo Feierman, Dani Feierman, Yehuda Shetrit, and Steven Bernstein

ner was a true homerun – an enjoyable evening out celebrating a wonderful organization and the individuals who made its existence possible and who continue to help it grow and flourish. A special tribute to the BACH’s founder, Simon Solomon, a”h, and to Perry Fish, a”h, a BACH leader and enthusiast who recently passed away, was a highlight for many that made the evening one to remember. Bachurei Chemed was founded in 1946 By Simon Solomon, a”h. With its unique focus on children,

The BACH’s vibrant youth movement has provided a nurturing place for the youth to grow, embrace our rich heritage, and gain the skills and self confidence they need to become leaders of our community. The BACH’s warm, open and accepting environment makes it a home to all those who come through its doors. For more information about the many new educational and outreach programs please call 516 897 2473 or visit the website, www. bachyouth.com.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community

CIJE Math Tournament A Huge Success

BBY students

he Center for Initiative in Jewish Education (CIJE) would like to recognize all the administrators, teachers and students who participated in the CIJE Math Olym-

HALB students

piad which took place on Wednesday, May 10, at Bnos Bais Yaakov. Thank you to the teachers at HALB, Bais Yaakov of Queens, Shulamith, Bnos Malka and BBY who

Shulamith students

worked tirelessly with their junior high school students (7th and 8th grade) and spent much time and effort in preparing the students for this event. The girls’ grasp of math knowledge was evident

BBY students

and their ability to apply that knowledge was excellent. Congratulations to all the participants. Mazel tov to Bnos Bais Yaakov and HALB, first place winners, and to Bnos

Bais Yaakov of Queens

Malka and Bais Yaakov of Queens, who placed second. Thank you to Mrs. Surela Koenig, General Studies Principal of BBY, for hosting the event.

Bnos Malka students

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Chazaq Event Inspires Overflow Crowd in Queens PHOTO CREDIT: GABE SOLOMON & SHUA KATZ

Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein speaking

Divrei bracha by Rav Yitzchak Yisraeli

Rabbi Grossman inspiring the audience

Chazaq Director Rabbi Ilan Meirov delivering opening remarks

By M. Lowinger

planned. Dozens of volunteers ushered the guests to their seats, managed the flow of traffic, and ensured a successful evening. The evening opened with Tehillim recited by Rav Ahron Walkin, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Nosson Meir, and Kabbalas Ohl Malchus Shomayim by Rav Yitzchak Yisraeli, the newly elected Chief Rabbi of the Bukharian Rabbanut in the USA and Canada. Chazaq Director Rabbi Ilan Meirov then shared a powerful lesson on how one must never give up on a single Yid, and spoke of Chazaq’s “No Child Left Behind” initiative, where Chazaq seeks to provide a Jewish education to the thousands of Jewish public school students in the Queens community. Rabbi Meirov shared that since the beginning of the initiative prior to Rosh Hashana,

hundreds of public students have attended Chazaq programs and nearly 200 have transferred to yeshivas, eliciting a thunderous applause by the audience. Rabbi Eli Mansour was then called to the stage and spoke about the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva. What was their downfall? How did they fail? What does it mean that “shelo nohagu kavod zeh lazeh”? “The students of Rabbi Akiva were matmidim,” Rabbi Mansour explained. “They were tzaddikim. But they weren’t temimim.” His message to the supporters of Chazaq was: “You are involved in something that will bring life. Spread the wealth. This is our calling. There’s no room for selfishness.” Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein spoke next and pointed out that the first night of sefirah represents “chessed

she’bachesed,” and the last night is “malchus shebamalchus.” ”So how,” he asked, “does one go from chessed to malchus?” Malchus happens when you combine the middos of hakoras hatov and commitment. Boaz, he said, would greet his workers in the field with the words: “Hashem imachem, May Hashem be with you.” That’s because Boaz understood the significance of hakoras hatov. “And that,” explained Rabbi Wallerstein, “is the foundation of malchus.” Rus, he continued, remained committed to her mother-in-law Naomi. “V’Rus davkoh bah. If you want to have malchus, you need to stay focused and committed no matter what it takes.” How to apply this lesson to our daily lives? Rabbi Wallerstein suggested that the women in the audience undertake a commitment to

t’s well-known that Chazaq events are always eagerly anticipated and well-attended. But no one could have predicted the massive outpouring of support and enthusiasm that was generated Monday evening, May 8, at the Fifth Annual Chazaq Big Event. An estimated 2,000 people from all walks of life streamed into the Elite Palace in Woodside all night long and were treated to a truly inspirational evening. This event wasn’t merely “Big.” It was truly HUGE and a tremendous kiddush Hashem! Chazaq is a Queens-based organization dedicated to building a stronger future for the community through a variety of outreach programs including dynamic lectures and presentations,Torah libraries, chavruta programs, publications and more. Most importantly, Chazaq places much emphasis on inspiring Jewish students who attend public schools by providing exciting and educational after-school programs in numerous locations. Under the leadership of Rabbi Ilan Meirov and his younger brother Yaniv, Chazaq encourages us to strengthen ourselves while looking for ways to inspire others. was Monday’s mega-event star-studded in every sense of the word. There was tremendous energy in the room, but also a sincere desire for Torah inspiration. Men and women of all ages filled the Grand Ballroom and remained captivated and attentive throughout the program. Despite the overflow crowd, the event was organized and well-

Rabbi Eli Mansour inspiring the crowd

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

Around the Community light Shabbat candles five minutes early. “In this way,” he explained, “you are showing Hashem how important Shabbos is to you. That means you’re committed.” As for the men, he suggested they consider making a commitment to arrive in shul five minutes early, before the tefillah begins. “It’s a huge segulah,” he added. “Hakodosh Boruch Hu comes to shul to greet the first ten who come to minyan.” At Chazaq, inspiration is combined with entertainment for a totally awesome experience. Thus we were treated to a short yet meaningful musical interlude performed by the Six-13 a cappella singers and featuring the young Binyomin Elbaz. But it was back to more inspiration soon enough, as we enjoyed hearing Charlie Harary illustrate the essence of becoming a hero. “What’s a hero’s moment?” he asked. ”It’s that moment when everything may seem bleak but the person won’t give up no matter what.” One of our nation’s greatest heroes, he pointed out, is Rabbi Akiva. “He was a shepherd who did not even know aleph bais until he was 40 years old. But he becomes the leader of the generation and a military giant who was the genius behind the Bar Kochba revolt.” Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 outstanding students. He was the greatest leader of the Jewish people. But soon, says Harary, “things start to unravel.” The revolt ends unsuccessfully. The students start to die. And all seems lost. “A reasonable man would just pack up,” Harary observes. But not Rabbi Akiva. He was a hero. “He starts all over again. He was over 100 years old but he begins anew with five students. These five eventually establish the Torah she’be’al peh.” There are heroes in every generation, Mr. Harary tells us. These are the people who never give up, even when the going gets tough. “The hero’s moment is the essence of being a Jew.” Who can become a hero? “Look in the mirror,” says Harary. “There’s a hero waiting to happen.” The highlight of the evening was no doubt the appearance of the esteemed Harav Yitzchok Dovid Grossman, Rav of Migdal Ha’emek in Eretz Yisroel. Rav Grossman’s very presence is itself an inspiration. His hadras ponim and distinguished de-

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516-374-4682 meanor is mesmerizing. It’s easy to see how he was able to galvanize a community and bring countless Jewish souls to teshuva. According to Rav Grossman, when we say “Boruch Elokeinu sheborohnu lichvodo” we should recognize that Hashem created us for his honor. That is our mission as Jews. He captivated us with his personal story. A six generation Yerushalmi, he lived through the miracle of the Six Day War in Eretz Yisroel and remembers visiting the Kotel for the

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very first time. Overwhelmed, he wondered, “What can I give back to Hashem for this miracle?” Rav Grossman decided to dedicate his life to bringing his fellow Jews to a life of Torah, specifically in the secular town of Migdal Ha’emek. “I was naïve,” he wryly admits. With a touch of humor he charmed us with stories of his visits to discos and prisons. Eventually, with sincerity and warmth, he won over an entire community. “We started with 18 boys,” he said. “Now

we are educating over 6000 children!” It was a poignant conclusion to an incredible evening, especially meaningful as we count the days towards Matan Torah. Thanks to Chazaq, we will continue to be inspired to build a stronger future for ourselves, our families, and the community at large. For more information about Chazaq’s many inspirational programs, visit Chazaq.org or call 917617-3636.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home MAY 18, 2017 | The| Jewish Home

1. 1.

TJH ?

Centerfold

Riddle me this?

One day there was a bank robbery in the main village bank. The FBI was brought in to investigate and locate the bank robber. They took statements from those who were in the area on the night of the robbery. Jimbo told the FBI detective, “I was walking by the bank at 11PM and noticed that the lights were on. There was frost on the window, so I had to wipe it away to see inside. That is when I saw that the bank was ransacked. I realized that a bank robbery must have just taken place, so I called the police.” The FBI detective immediately realized that Jimbo was lying and placed him under arrest. How did he know that Jimbo was lying? Answer to riddle: Frost forms on the inside of the window, not the outside. So Jimbo was obviously lying. (Did he commit the robbery? Probably, otherwise why would he lie? Even if he didn’t commit the robbery, it is illegal to lie to the FBI, even when you are not under oath.)

Strange Acronyms ALOTBSOL - Always look on the bright side of life BFFLTDDUP- Best friends for life until death do us part BMGWL -Busting my gut with laughter BOGSAT- Bunch of guys sitting around talking BTDTGTTSAWIO -Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and wore it out DITYIM - Did I tell you I’m depressed? DWISNWID - Do what I say

Believe it or not these acronyms are part of the FBI’s 83-page glossary of 2,500 “Twitter Shorthands” complied by the FBI. If you know anyone who uses any of these acronyms, I advise you to call a doctor because they have a serious case of texting-shorthand-psychosis:

not what I do

have to kill you

DPWN- Don’t pick your nose

IYBTYBA- If you believe that you will believe anything

FMTYEWTK - Far more than you ever wanted to know GNSTDLTBBB- Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite

IOKIYAR -It’s okay if you are Republican LSHMBH- Laughing so hard, my belly hurts

ICBINB - I can’t believe it’s not butter

MAWOY - May angels watch over you

IITUWUTMAS- If I tell you will you tell me a secret

NALOPKT - Not a lot of people know that

IITYWTMIWHTKY- If I tell you what this means I will

NTAIWWT- Not that anything is wrong with that

OOSOOM -Out of sight, out of mind QWERTYUIOP -Bored SHCOON - Shoot hot coffee out of nose WDALYIC- Who died and left you in charge TANSTAAFL -There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch WYLABOCTGWTR -Would you like a bowl of cream to go with that remark?

The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2017 2015 The Jewish | MAY 18,

FBI Trivia

So you want to take over as head of the FBI now that James Comey has been bounced. Well, answer the following questions to see whether or not you have the qualifications:

1. Who was the FBI’s longest acting director (1924-1972)? a. Bob Mueller b. Luis Freeh c. J. Edgar Hoover d. William Webster 2. What is the FBI’s motto? a. Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity b. To protect and to serve c. Strength and courage d. None of the above 3. What are the FBI’s international offices called? a. Legal Attaches b. International Attaches c. International FBI Offices d. There are no international FBI offices 4. When did the FBI go digital? a. 1947 b. 1972 c. 1983 d. 2012 5. In 2005 and 2006, the FBI sifted through customer data collected by San Francisco-area

You gotta be

kidding

grocery stores, hoping that sales records of Middle Eastern food would lead to Iranian terrorists. What was the operation called? a. Operation Bay Safety b. Total Falafel Awareness program c. Operation Prevent Terrorism d. Terrorist Tracking Via Purchases Program 6. If you want to run the FBI, you ought to know the FBI’s lingo. What do the following terms mean in FBI lingo: a. Brick agents b. UNSUB c. Bucars

Answers:

1. C- J. Edgar Hoover landed his first job with the Department of Justice in 1917 at just 22 and by 1924 had become the head of the FBI’s forerunner, the Bureau of Investigation. When Hoover died at 77, he had spent 48 years – 62 percent of his life – at the helm of the powerful service. FBI directors are now limited to 10-year terms.

2. A 3. A 4. D- That’s right, the FBI used paper files until 2012! Its $425 million electronic system was supposed to be ready in 2009, but wasn’t ready until 2012… and came in $26 million over budget. (Investigate that!) 5. B- This is no joke. The Total Falafel Awareness Program was intended to track down Iranian terrorists based on their grocery story purchases. The program was not around for a long time and didn’t result in any arrests. 6. “Brick agents” are investigators who work the streets; an “UNSUB” is an unknown subject; “Bucars” are the vehicles used by the agency.

Wisdom key:

5-6 correct: You are hired. Now get to work investigating RUSSIA! RUSSIA! RUSSIA! 3-4 correct: You don’t get the gig as director but you can be a brick agent. 0-2 correct: YRKNATFBI…you really know nothing about the FBI.

are the The LAPD, the FBI, & the CIA are all trying to prove that they them a best at apprehending criminals. The president decides to give catch it. test. He releases a rabbit into a forest and each of them has to forThe CIA goes in. They place animal informants throughout the months est. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three exist. of extensive investigations they conclude that rabbits do not forest, The FBI goes in. After two weeks with no leads they burn the no apolokilling everything in it, including the rabbit, and they make gies. The rabbit had it coming. beatThe LAPD goes in. They come out two hours later with a badly ” en bear. The bear is yelling, “OK, OK, I’m a rabbit, I’m a rabbit!

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Torah Thought

Parshas BeharBechukosei By Rabbi Berel Wein

he book of Vayikra, which contains so many detailed commandments and minute details of ritual within it, concludes with a broad view and general description of Jewish faith. It restates the original premise of Bereshis, that the earth and its inhabitants belong to G-d and are free agents as to the limits that G-d has imposed upon them. The basic premise is that “the earth belongs to Me.” All of the various laws of agriculture that apply in the Land of Israel are based on this

simple declaration of the sovereignty of G-d over the domain where humans temporarily reside. We storm about asserting our ownership and build for ourselves palaces as though we will be their eternal tenants. It is this false assessment of the true nature of life that leads to painful disagreements and dysfunction in families, communities and even in the relationship between countries and national entities. The power of self-grandeur unfortunately knows no bounds in the

human psyche. The prophet mocks the Pharaoh of Egypt who evidently thought that he created and controlled the Nile River. Our world is witness to tyrants who made and make themselves gods and ascribe to themselves the power to dominate the lives of millions and to threaten the destruction of millions of others who do not bow to their inflated will. The truth is that the closer one is able to come to godliness, so to speak, that person will become more humble and recognize his or her true place and space in this world. And that is the secret of attaining humility and which is ascribed to our great teacher Moshe. The Torah also limits the control we have over of the lives of others. The L-rd informed the Jewish people that they are His servants. People have somehow convinced themselves that they truly are entitled to control the lives of others. Perhaps this arises from the necessity of parents to raise their children to adulthood. Yet the economic system that currently governs our lives allows little room for consideration

of the needs of others. Human lives are unfortunately secondary to the almighty bottom line and this affects the entire balance of society generally. If we realize that we are all only G-d’s servants, that humbling effect should make life easier to deal with. The realization of the limits of human power is one of the basic lessons of Judaism. Of course human beings are able to accomplish great things and this is the story of the advancement of human civilization throughout the millennia of history. It is the balance of this aspiration and the human drive for greatness coupled with the humble realization of our limitations which the Torah wishes us to achieve. Care and concern for others, an appreciation of G-d’s ownership of the earth and a belief in the guardianship of G-d over the land and its people are the key ingredients, in the Torah’s view, of the Jewish future. And that is a basic understanding of the lesson that the Torah and this week’s parsha teaches us. Shabbat shalom.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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From the Fire

Parshas Behar-Bechukosai Free Birds By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

e long for the opportunity to observe the Yovel, the Jubilee Year, again. The Ramban in this week’s parsha (on Vayikra 25:10) quotes a number of pesukim from throughout Tanach to explain the meaning and origin of the word Yovel. One of the pesukim he quotes is Yirmiyahu 17:8: “He shall be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river [Yuval].” After all of the proofs he brings, the Ramban concludes, “But the true understanding is… ‘Yovel’ [means something which] returns to the river from which it came…” The word Yovel refers to a river, but it comes from the word “livom, to bring” because it means bringing something back to its source. During the Yovel, we somehow return to the waters, to the source, from which we draw the essence of our lives. We return to our roots. We know that the Torah is eternal, yet we do not merit fulfilling the mitzvah of Yovel today. How can we relate to it? Let us review the three main aspects of Yovel mentioned in the Torah and consider how each one speaks to us today. The first is the freeing of the slaves (Vayikra 25:10): “And you

shall proclaim freedom [for Jewish slaves] in the land.” It takes very little imagination to see how we need to be redeemed from so many different types of slavery even today. The Gemara says that we are meant to be slaves to Hashem and not slaves of slaves (Kiddushin 22b). How many of us are enslaved to our jobs and careers? We never see our wives or spend time with our children and when people ask us why we work so hard, we say, “It’s because I love my children!” How many of us are enslaved to tiny electronic devices? We cannot go thirty seconds without checking, looking at, and touching them. Yovel is when we declare ourselves free from human bondage and allow ourselves to be reclaimed by Hashem as His servants. We recognize that in our core we are free men. We cannot be bound by human chains. Yovel reminds us to return to our roots, our essential freedom. The second attribute of Yovel is (Vayikra 25:10), “And you shall return, each man to his property, and you shall return, each man to his family.” Part of the essence of who we are is to stay connected to our families (see also Meshech Chochmah on this pasuk). How many brothers,

sisters, or parents have grown apart from each other, either because of apathy or because of some dispute or pain and hurt one has caused the other? Yovel means returning to our hometowns and reconnecting with estranged family. By reconciling with people from whom we have become distant we reconnect with our own roots, to our essential selves. The third attribute is our connection with our homeland, Eretz Yisroel. The pasuk (Vayikra 25:23) says, “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land belongs to Me.” Yovel reminds us that our connection with Eretz Yisroel exists because we and the land belong to G-d. We cannot be separated. Today, many Jewish people with good intentions believe that they can give away portions of Eretz Yisroel for promises of “peace” or that we can engage in “land swaps” with our enemies. But they do not realize that doing so is like cutting off our arms, hoping that this will satisfy our enemies’ bloodlust. We cannot separate from our homeland. It is part of us. Yovel reminds us that ultimately all of Eretz Yisroel will return to where it belongs, with us. We see a common denominator

in all three attributes of Yovel. They all involve returning to our roots, coming back to some part of our true selves from which we had become separated. With that background, we can understand the true meaning of freedom when the pasuk says, “And you shall declare freedom, dror, in the land.” Dovid Hamelech (Tehillim 84:4) speaks of a bird called the Dror: “Even a bird found a house, and a Dror, her nest.” What is the nature of this bird called a Dror? The Gemara (Beiah 24a) says, “Raba Bar Rav Huna says, ‘This refers to the Dror bird which does not accept [human] ownership… And why is it called a Dror bird? Because it lives, dar, in the house just like in the field.” The nature of this free bird does not allow it to accept human mastery. So even when one puts this bird in his house, it behaves as if it were still in the field, flying and flitting around in every direction. It is impossible to capture it. It is true to its inner nature as a free creature no matter what its external circumstances are. That is real freedom. Chazal also teach (Rosh Hashana 9b), “Everyone agrees that the word dror means freedom. What is the origin of this word? As the braisa says,

The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 2015 The Jewish | MAY 29, 18, 2017 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

‘Dror means freedom, like one who lives [as if he were at home] in any inn, who brings, she’movil, merchandise to every country.’” Freedom means the ability to bring anything where it belongs and act and feel as if one is at home no matter where his circumstances bring him. What does it mean to embrace freedom? Shlomo Hamelech refers to the Dror, the free bird, in a pasuk in Mishlei (26:2): “Like a wandering bird, like a flying Dror…” The Ibn Ezra explains: “It is a small bird which sings when it is in its own domain [when it is free]. And if it is in a man’s domain, it does not eat to the point that it dies.” The Dror was born to sing. It loves nothing more. But the moment it is enslaved, it can no longer bring itself to sing. Over 600 years after the Ibn Ezra penned his commentary on Mishlei, Patrick Henry echoed the substance of his words when he said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” When the Dror is no longer free to sing its own song, to be true to itself, it would rather starve itself to death. ur people are like the Dror, the free bird, which thirsts for the freedom to return to its roots, to express its own essential nature. It bristles at the thought of being forced to masquerade around as something other than its true self. The Jewish people as a community, and each Jew individually, longs to sing his or her own song. We can only fly higher when we are in our own domain, connected to our own roots. This is what Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohein Kook, zy”a, was trying to tell us when he wrote (Oros Hakodesh 64): Ascend higher, ascend. For you possess a mighty power. You have wings of the spirit, Wings of mighty eagles. Do not deny them, Lest they deny you. Seek them out, And they will find you. Our faculties, interests, passions and idealism, when they flow from our deepest selves and not from the desire to imitate foreign nations and ideologies, are powerful wings that will allow us to soar higher and higher if we do not stifle them. It is clear from everything above that that being a free bird means allowing the truth of our inner essence to express itself. But some feel that being free means throwing off the yoke of all responsibility, whether

moral, interpersonal, or religious. But this is a mistake because it not only ignores the true meaning of freedom, it also means closing one’s eyes to the fact that such “freedom” usually means subjecting one’s self to the yoke of the fickle demands of the animal soul and foreign nations or their ideologies. Freedom divorced from responsibility, commitment, and stability leads to destruction because it takes one further away from his own inner truth. It means forgetting the lesson of Yovel, which is libom, brings things back to their source. The Navi refers to this false freedom when he

even the beautiful inheritance upon me.” Dovid Hamelech is saying that he finds whatever portion Hashem gives him pleasant because that is his lot. One’s portion includes being born into a certain family, having a certain wife, being bestowed with certain faculties and limitations, and having a certain level of financial success or hardship. But “Who is rich? One who is happy with his portion.” I soar when I play the hand I am dealt to the fullest. I express my own personal song when I can sing (Shacharis), “We are fortunate and how good is our portion, how pleasant is our lot and how beautiful is our

Am I singing someone else’s song or my own?

writes (Yirmiyahu 34:17), “Behold I call out ‘freedom’ to you, says Hashem, to sword, plague, and famine…” There is a negative type of freedom. When we “free” ourselves from the need to be true to who we are, it leads to our destruction because Hashem appears to “free” us from a connection with His providence. True liberty means freeing ourselves from the bonds of limited, finite human concepts of “truth.” Real freedom does not mean obeying every fleeting (or persistent) fancy. It means returning to the song of our roots, our essence, our home, our homeland, our families, and our people. “And you shall return, each man to his property and you shall return, each man to his family.” ashem prepares a certain life for each person in this world, an environment in which his soul can truly express itself. When a person gets married, he exchanges the apparent freedom of single life for the responsibility and commitment of marriage because that is the life Hashem prepared for him. Fulfilling his responsibilities in the context of that life is the true expression of his nature and the actualization of his personal potential. Dovid Hamelech refers to the fact that we must each learn to soar in the unique portion Hashem prepared for us when he said (Tehillim 16:5-6), “Hashem is my allotted portion and my cup. You guide my lot. Packages have fallen to me in pleasant places,

inheritance!” One’s portion and inheritance are not the product of free will. They are not a matter of choice. Yet in davening we praise Hashem for our portion, our lot and our inheritance. Why? Because they belong to us. By fulfilling our commitments to the life Hashem custom designed for each of us, we are truly free because we express our true nature. We are being ourselves. Yovel, which means freeing ourselves from external, superficial, temporary, and foreign influences and returning to who we are, forces us to ask ourselves: How far have I flown from my roots? Have I misused my free will by rejecting my personal portion in favor of some stranger’s portion I thought looked more attractive? Have I clipped my own wings by cutting myself off from my family, responsibilities, land, and my brothers and sisters? Am I singing someone else’s song or my own? Rav Laizer Djhikover, zy”a, was the son-in-law of Rav Chaim of Tzanz, zy”a, the Divrei Chaim. At one point, Reb Leizer’l fell ill. He became sicker and sicker until he was literally within minutes of death. He whispered to someone to summon his father-in-law, the Divrei Chaim. When Rav Cham arrived, Reb Leizer’l said, “Please, I do not want to leave this world. Daven for me.” But the Rebbe seemed someone indifferent and responded, “This world is filled with so much darkness. Why do you want to stay here? Go in good health to the

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next world!” Hearing this, everyone in the room began wailing with mourning and could not understand why the Rebbe was not praying for his son-inlaw. So Reb Leizer’l said, “But Rebbe, I’m worried. I do not feel confident about my place in the next world!” So the Divrei Chaim reassured him, “That’s why you don’t want to leave the world? Don’t worry! I assure you that you will have the highest place in Gan Eden. You have nothing to worry about. Now go in peace.” But Reb Leizer’l begged him, “But Rebbe, what about my family?” “You’re worried that there won’t be anyone to take care of your wife and children?! Do not be concerned. They are my family too. I will ensure that they are cared for. You do not need to stay in this world for that.” Finally Reb Leizer’l pleaded, “But Rebbe! It’s almost Rosh Hashanah. You know that no one sings Unesaneh Tokef like me. When I lead the davening on Rosh Hashanah, the angels stand in wonderment. They cannot understand how such a Divine sound can emanate from this lowly world.” The Divrei Chaim thought for a moment, and then responded, “Indeed you have a point.” Immediately, the Rebbe ran to the mikvah and, knowing that his son-in-law had only moments of life left in him, returned quickly with his tallis on to daven with every bit of life in him for Reb Leizer’l’s salvation. And, in fact, Reb Leizer’l recovered and lived for many more years. Each of us has our own song in this world, our own Unesaneh Tokef, which only we can sing and which brings pleasure and Divine light to all worlds when we sing it. It is irreplaceable as long as we are truly singing our own song, using the tools and blessings which Hashem gave us. This year, even before Yovel begins, may we merit to return to our own music based on the portion Hashem gave us. Then we will truly be free birds, soaring higher and higher as we sing our own song until our voices join the music of the Levi’im in the third Beis Hamikdash, may it be built very soon in our days.

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and has served as Mashpia in Yeshiva University since 2013.

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Between the Lines

No Good Deed Goes Punished

By Eytan Kobre

man appears before the pearly gates, seeking admission into heaven. “Have you ever done anything of particular merit?” he is asked. “Well, I can think of one thing,” the man offers meekly. “I once came upon a gang of bikers threatening a young woman. I told them to leave her alone, but they wouldn’t listen. So I approached the largest, most heavily-tattooed biker. I smacked him across the head, kicked his bike over, and ripped out his nose ring. ‘Leave the young lady alone,’ I threatened, ‘or you’ll answer to me!’” The gatekeeper to heaven was impressed. “Wow. When did that happen?” “Oh, just a couple of minutes ago.”

o the uninitiated, Torah observance often seems to come at great cost. Even the much-ballyhooed Dama ben Nesina – who refused to disturb his father’s sleep for a rich deal and later was rewarded with the exceedingly-valuable Red Heifer – described his initial sacrifice as a “loss” (Avoda Zara 23b-24a). But, unlike others, the Jewish

people don’t subscribe to Oscar Wilde’s observation that “no good deed goes unpunished.” And nothing confirms that more than shemitta and Yovel. Every seven years, we leave our fields entirely fallow (Vayikra 25:20-21). We are to rely upon the produce of the sixth year to last for three years – the year the field is worked (sixth), the shemitta year (seventh), and the year following shemitta when nothing grows because nothing was planted the prior year (eighth) – and all loans and debts are cancelled. Yovel (the Jubilee Year) presents an even more daunting challenge: fields are left fallow for two consecutive years (the 49th and 50th ending the seventh seven-year cycle); loans and debts are cancelled; indentured servants are set free; and sold lands revert back to their original owners (Vayikra 25:10-16). So to describe Yovel as a Jubilee “for you” is more than a tad jarring (Vayikra 25:10). Yovel is a lot of things. Inconvenient. Trying. Confusing. Chaotic. But something that benefits us? Hardly, especially given how profoundly it puts us to the test. Yet, despite what may seem like

great cost, Yovel causes us to lose nothing (see e.g. Seforno, Vayikra 25:10). Because following G-d’s commandments never causes us loss or harm. When World War II erupted, the Brisker Rav was in the town of Krenitz, away from his hometown of Brisk. Because the German army had invaded Poland, he could no longer return to Brisk and he fled to Warsaw instead before eventually making his way to Vilna. The journey from Warsaw to Vilna was perilous, to say the least, since rail lines had been destroyed and travel by horse was exceedingly slow. But, with no alternative, the Brisker Rav and an entourage set out to make the trek by horse-drawn carriage. As the makeshift caravan approached the outskirts of Kobrin, the Brisker Rav realized that the hour was late and he needed to daven. Not wishing to compromise his concentration by davening in a carriage, the Brisker Rav asked his wagon driver to pull over and wait as he prayed roadside. The other travelers complained that this was endangering them by delaying their escape from the Nazis

(ym”sh). “If you wish,” the Brisker Rav replied, “you may continue to Kobrin. I will finish my prayers and follow you on foot.” Out of respect, the other passengers agreed to wait – albeit with no small measure of apprehension – until the Brisker Rav finished. At long last, the caravan finally reached Kobrin, which was completely deserted. Only after some time did one Jewish refugee crawl out from a hiding place. “You are fortunate that you arrived no earlier than you did. The Germans just came through and rounded up everyone here for transport. Had you been here just a short while ago, you all would have met the same horrific fate.” The Brisker Rav turned to his entourage. “When one seeks to do only what the Torah commands, G-d assures that no one suffers as a result” (B’mechitzasam, pg. 162). “Listen to me,” says G-d, “for no one listens to me and loses” (Devarim Rabba 4:5; Otzros HaTorah, Shemos 27:20). Indeed, “anyone who performs a commandment as it was stated will not receive bad news” (Shabbos 63a; Sota 21a), and “emissaries of G-d’s commandment are

The Jewish | MAY 29, 18, 2017 The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 2015

not harmed” (Pesachim 8a; Kiddushin 39b; Yoma 11a). “One who keeps a commandment will not know of any bad thing” (Koheles 8:5).

here once was a king whose closest advisor was a local Jew. The king reposed the greatest of confidences in this Jew, entrusting him with classified documents and state secrets. The Jew, in turn, was provided a non-Jewish servant to assist him in carrying out his official duties. Naturally, the king’s court was comprised of other ministers as well, including another high-ranking minister who was quite jealous of the Jewish minister’s position and status. The jealous minister hatched a plot. He bribed the Jew’s servant to bring him royal documents in the Jewish minister’s possession. These documents were a veritable trove of the king’s deepest secrets, and they provided ample fodder with which to ruin the Jewish minister. Oh, how he would teach that Jew a lesson! Several days later, the jealous minister was speaking with the king when he let “slip” some knowledge of the king’s secret plans – plans only the bearer of the confidential documents could know about. “How did you come to learn of these plans?” the king thundered. “Why, they were divulged to me by none other than your Jewish minister, the very one you entrust with your private affairs.” Bitterly disappointed, the king knew the Jewish minister had to be executed for this grievous betrayal. But, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that he had trusted a minister so disloyal, the king arranged for the execution to take place at a faraway army outpost. He prepared a letter, under seal, which read: Lieutenant-General: Kill the bearer of this letter immediately upon receipt. Do not heed his protestations that his fate was meant for another. He is deserving of death, and it is my order that you carry this out forthwith. The king summoned the Jewish minister and ordered him to deliver the sealed letter to the Lieutenant-General, post haste. Ever the

faithful subject, the Jewish minister made tracks for the army outpost immediately, his non-Jewish servant in tow. Passing through a remote village shortly before dusk, the Jewish minister heard the faint, faraway cry of “Shalom aleichem! Shalom ale-

his execution. My men carried out the command despite his protestations that the execution order was not meant for him. He did, however, confess to having been bribed by a minister of the king to steal the king’s confidential documents from you.”

The Jew reaffirmed his faith in G-d that no harm ever comes from performing His commandments.

ichem!” “Shalom Aleichem,” repeated a man racing towards him, finally catching up to the Jewish minister. “You’ve arrived at a most auspicious time. My newborn son is eight days old today, and the mohel who was to come from the nearest city is nowhere to be found. You must perform the circumcision.” The Jewish minister was torn. He wanted to help this Jew and perform a great mitzvah, but he also was duty-bound to follow the king’s orders and deliver the letter immediately. In the end, he decided to remain in the village and perform the great mitzvah, dispatching his servant to venture ahead to the army outpost, king’s decree in hand. The Jewish minister performed the circumcision and then stayed and celebrated long into the night, although he felt uneasy at not having attended to the king’s affairs personally. The next day, the Jewish minister reached the army outpost and was confronted immediately by the Lieutenant-General. “Does the king think me so incapable of carrying out a simple order that he needed to send you, a trusted minster, to manage me?” As if to answer the Jewish minister’s quizzical expression, the Lieutenant-General continued. “I received the king’s dispatch, delivered to me by your own manservant. Immediately upon opening and reading the letter, I had my men arrange for

The Jewish minister understood what had transpired and he set out to make things right with the king, who was stunned to see the Jew return alive. “Oh, I’m alive,” the Jew explained, “but, then again, I never should have

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been killed. You see, it was not I who betrayed your confidences but the minister who has been jealous of me for years. Send your men to his home and you will discover the documents stolen from my vaults.” And so it was. The king’s documents were found in the home of the jealous minister. The jealous minister was put to death. The king reaffirmed his faith in the Jew. And the Jew reaffirmed his faith in G-d that no harm ever comes from performing His commandments. So the next time we find ourselves weighing the pros and apparent “cons” of doing good, we would do well to remember the Torah’s variation on Oscar Wilde’s adage: No good deed goes punished.

Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, mediator, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

The Observant Jew

More than Meets the Eye By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

ot too long ago, my wife got a set of stainless steel insulated tumblers. They keep drinks cold for hours, she told me. And they really work! It’s nice when something works as advertised, instead of only being somewhat reminiscent thereof. One day, she said to me, “You do know that these can’t go in the dishwasher, right?” I nodded with a silent stare that was half-frightened-I-might-alreadyhave-done-it-and-was-about-toget-it-over-the-head and half-ofcourse-everybody-knows-that! “The straw and plastic lid are dishwasher-safe,” she continued, “but for some reason the cup isn’t.” Now, I looked at the cup. It was made of steel. If there’s one thing that is strong and sturdy it’s metal right? It wasn’t a problem to get it wet; you just can’t put it in the dishwasher. It seemed counterintuitive. I’d heard that stainless steel will lose its sheen in a dishwasher, but to lose its functionality? What was this magical secret that could keep things cold for hours yet would become useless if exposed to the dishwasher? I suggested that there was some sort of special foam insulation inside which might melt if subjected to the heat in the dishwasher. That made sense to me and I was glad I’d cleverly figured out the secret behind the prohibition to put it in the dishwasher like my stainless steel forks and knives.

It got me to think about the fact that sometimes things are out of sight. Not that they’re “dynamite!” but literally not subject to our vision. I couldn’t see inside the cup and from the outside it just looked like a piece of sturdy metallic housewares. However, because I couldn’t see through the cup to the foam lining, I didn’t know it was there and I thought I had an understanding of what I was

amined and understood through observation. If this were true, though, why would the Manufacturer give us instructions for use?! It must be that there are things beneath the surface that we don’t see and maybe we don’t understand. Like that insulated cup, for example. Turns out it doesn’t have a foam lining after all. By doing some research (which took about 4.3 seconds) it

We see a physical reality with limited ability to see the spiritual reality that lies beneath it.

dealing with, a solid piece of metal – or was it? Based on my assumptions, I could have ruined everything! The only thing that prevented me from messing it up was that the manufacturer warned me not to put his cup in the dishwasher. He didn’t explain why, but it doesn’t matter. He made it and understands its makeup better than I do even if I am in possession of the cup now. So, too, my friends, is this world in which we live. We see a physical reality with limited ability to see the spiritual reality that lies beneath it. We think the world is solidly physical, and perfectly capable of being ex-

turns out that the “magic” lies in a vacuum seal between two layers of the cup. It isn’t solid metal through and through but has a space between two layers which contains no air and that is what keeps things inside from getting warmer or colder than when you put them in there. Now, imagine if I’d opened the cup, torn it apart to see the miracle foam and found – nothing. What would I think? I would think there had been nothing special or secret all along. I still wouldn’t know how things stayed cold, but I would have believed I’d investigated it fully. In truth, because I didn’t know what I was doing, I wouldn’t have

been able to figure out the physics behind it because my search itself would have destroyed the evidence. From this, we can extrapolate to the world in which we live. No matter how great our science, our reasoning, or our efforts to understand it, the odds are good that there will be something we overlook because we’re unaware of its existence or unfamiliar with it. There are things we can do that will provide us with years of enjoyable use and other things that will tarnish or ruin the world. So what do we do? That’s when we go back to the instruction manual (also called the Torah) which the Manufacturer, Who knows His product better than even we do, gave us to know how to use it. If we want to enjoy life to the fullest, we’ll forget our own impressions and thoughts and use the world “only as directed.”

Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker whose work has appeared in publications around the world. You can find him at www.facebook.com/ RabbiGewirtz, and follow him on Instagram @RabbiGewirtz or Twitter @ RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com and put Subscribe in the subject.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Stories of Inspiration

An Unusual Torah Scholar By Rabbi Eugene Labovitz z”l and Dr. Annette Labovitz

Location: Pale of Settlement (Poland / Russia) and Germany hroughout the ages, cultures alien to Judaism influenced Jews away from the path of Torah. The struggle reached its peak during the Age of Enlightenment, occurring in western European countries during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Jews had been released from te confinement in the ghettos. They had been granted citizenship. Many opted to join the secular society and abandoned Judaism. A child was born to an observant Jewish family living in the Pale of Settlement*. The parents, Chaya and Yissachar Dov Bernard, named their son Chaim David. The boy proved to be exceedingly bright, and by the time he was ten-years-

old, the melamed, the tutor who was supported by the townspeople to instruct their sons, informed Chaim David’s parents that there was nothing more he could teach him. “How shall we find a teacher

expects of him!” “What shall we do? We are so poor. We barely eke out a living. We can’t afford to hire a more knowledgeable tutor from a bigger shtetl, nor can we afford to send our son to

“I was born a Jew. You were born a Jew. We don’t really know what being Jewish means.” for our son?” lamented Chaya that evening to her husband. “We both know that it will be a miracle for him to remain a committed Jew if he does not know what the Almighty

a yeshiva.” He bent his head over, staring aimlessly at the dirt floor. Suddenly, he blurted out: “I have a plan. It might be a solution to our problem. My brother, the one who

moved to Berlin, has become very wealthy. He has no children of his own. Perhaps he will help us pay for our son’s yeshiva education. I will write him a letter this minute.” When Yissachar Dov’s brother responded to the letter, he gladly offered to help educate Chaim David. However, he insisted that they send him to live with him in Berlin. Although reluctant to part with their son, yet pleased with the opportunity to continue his religious education, they scraped together enough money to purchase a third class train ticket and sent him to his uncle. Upon his arrival, Chaim David’s uncle enrolled him in the finest secular, private school under the name of David, omitting his first name entirely. He showered upon him

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

every conceivable luxury. At first David wondered why the food that was served tasted different than his mother’s cooking. He attributed it to his uncle being able to afford meat, something he never ate at home, but when milk and butter were served on the same table, he was clearly puzzled. Day followed day, but there was no Shabbat. When the summer weather turned cooler, David expected his uncle to attend holy day services, but on the day that he calculated to be Yom Kippur, he was awakened like every morning and sent off to school. David missed his parents and their way of life. He wrote to them regularly, but never mentioned the differences between the way they raised him and the way his uncle was raising him. Then the letters became more and more infrequent. Chaya and Yissachar Dov attributed this to the pre-occupation of their son with his studies. There was no way for them to know the truth. In reality, it did not take very long for him to forget the way he had been raised the first ten years of his life. His friends reinforced his new lifestyle. Years passed. One night, David’s uncle spoke seriously to him. “What career would you like to follow?” he inquired. “I was thinking,” responded David, “that I would like to become a doctor and have the opportunity to save lives.” “That’s a good choice. Because of my political influence, I will have no trouble arranging for your admittance to the medical school at the university,” he answered. David excelled in medical school. He graduated with honors, and with his uncle’s help, he established a fine medical practice in a very short time. His reputation spread; he was consulted by kings, princes, and politicians. He never turned away a poor patient and often traveled long distances to attend to the seriously ill. He married a lady named Margaret who had been born a Jew but

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had also been raised in an assimilated family. One day, David received an urgent message that one of the high-ranking officers of the army, who happened to be a close personal friend of his uncle, was seriously ill. Packing some medical supplies, he set out immediately for the army camp, a two day’s ride eastward by horse. He arrived too late. The offi-

cer had passed away that afternoon. Despondently, he rode around the army camp in the dark for a long time. “I will take a different, longer route on my return tomorrow. I need to have time to think.”

e rode aimlessly, not realizing that he was traveling toward the Polish border. He found himself

in the middle of a shtetl. He noticed throngs of people milling around a wooden building. Unknown to him, it was the shul of Rebbe Dovid Lelever. Curious, he tied his horse to a tree, dismounted, walked around the edges of the crowds, then decided to enter the building. He sat down in the back row. He was surprised at the many people who were praying fervently, following

MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

knows how to help?” Dr. David Bernard stood up. Rushing to the front of the shul, he said: “Please take me immediately to the laboring mother. I will do everything in my power to help her.” Towards the middle of the afternoon, Dr. David Bernard delivered the laboring mother of her firstborn son, the rebbe’s first grandchild. Gratefully, the rebbe turned to the doctor and whispered: “You have saved my daughter’s life. You have saved my grandson’s life. Because of this, I will restore to you what you have lost. Please, remain with me the rest of this holy day.” David Bernard sat next to Rebbe Dovid Lelever the rest of that Yom Kippur day. He asked the rebbe why he should be a Jew; why he should study Torah; why he should observe the mitzvot. The rebbe responded as only a rebbe can. The sun began its descent in the heavens. The holy day was rapidly coming to an end. After the awesome blast of the shofar, Rebbe Dovid Lelever turned to Dr. David Bernard and said: “We have

the somber voice of the baal tefillah, the person who chanted the prayers. Memories of the time he had attended with his father flooded his entire being. He recognized that he had wandered into a shul. He reasoned that this day was Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar year. Although Dr. David Bernard did not understand the meaning of the prayers, he somehow felt at peace with himself. Suddenly, as if by the signal of an invisible orchestra conductor, David Bernard heard the worshippers shout: “Chay v’kayam nora u-marom v’kadosh, Our G-d is living, awe inspiring, and most Holy.” The shouting was interrupted by the raised, waving hands of a frantic-looking man who stood at the front of the shul. “Please,” he begged the worshipers, “does anyone know if there is a doctor in this shul? Our rebbe’s daughter is in the throes of childbirth. She is having a very difficult time delivering her baby. Is there someone here who

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spent a few very holy hours together. Now, it is time for me to break my fast. Please, come home with me and join me.” The doctor was intrigued by the rebbe’s manner; he could not say no to his request. The two men continued talking all night. The talking turned into learning; the learning aroused the doctor’s curiosity. He wanted to devour all of the Judaism that he had missed. They did not part until noon the next day. As his horse trotted along the road, Dr. David Bernard thought about his encounter with Rebbe Dovid Lelever. His heart ached at the thought of his having been cut off from his roots. He wondered if he could incorporate what he had learned into his present lifestyle. “No matter how Margaret reacts,” he decided, as he neared his house two days later, “I have to return to my roots, to my people.” From the distance, he noticed that Margaret was sitting on the front porch of their spacious house. “That’s strange,” he thought. “Margaret never sits outside during the day. I wonder how she will accept my decision to return to the Jewish community.” He was the first one to speak. “I have something very important to tell you,” he began. “I had the most unbelievable experience yesterday. I think that it reshaped my life.” He proceeded to describe to her everything that had happened from the moment his horse had wandered aimlessly into Lelev until he parted from the rebbe. When he finished, she spoke. “Let me tell you what happened to me. I have been sitting here since, mulling over it, trying to understand it, searching for an explanation. You see, three days ago, about eleven in the morning, as I was very busy with the household chores, I suddenly heard a piercing sound which seemed to come from nowhere. At first, I didn’t pay too much attention to it. But I kept hearing the sounds over and over, clearer and clearer. I rubbed my ears, I thought I was hearing things, but they wouldn’t stop. Finally, mesmerized, I decided to memorize the sounds so that I could repeat them to you. This is what I heard.” She lowered her voice, and said

haltingly: “Chay v’kayam nora u-marom v’kadosh. I don’t know what the sounds mean, but somehow, I think they are very important.” “Those are the same words I heard in the shul in the shtetl,” he said brokenly. “I know what they mean. Our G-d is living, awe-inspiring, and most Holy. I have decided, Margaret, that I must return to my roots, to my people. I was born a Jew. You were born a Jew. We don’t really know what being Jewish means. It is obvious by the way we live. I have to study. I have to become part of the Jewish people. Will you explore our roots together with me? “Now I understand why I heard that piercing call too,” she interrupted. “It is, as if, I also was being invited to return home. Yes, I will join you. Together, we shall find out what being Jewish means.” Margaret and Dr. David Bernard moved to Lublin. They became disciples of Rebbe Yaacov Yitzchak who was known as HaChozeh, the Seer of Lublin, and studied with him every day. Dr. Bernard reclaimed the name he was given by his parents at birth, Chaim David ben Yissachar Ber. They lovingly performed the mitzvot that they learned. They consecrated a major part of their efforts to the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, hospitality to strangers. They were respected for their love and kindness to everyone. Margaret and Chaim David immersed themselves in learning. After the Seer of Lublin passed away, some of his disciples asked Chaim David Bernard if he would serve as his successor, but he refused because he did not want to give up the practice of medicine. Margaret was such an inspiration to Jewish women that many named their newborn daughters Margaret to honor her. * The Pale of Settlement was the part of Poland that had been swallowed up by Russia during three consecutive partitions. Jews living in the Pale of Settlement were generally not affected by societal advances in Western Europe. Reproduced from A Sacred Trust: Stories of Jewish Heritage and History, Volume II, by Rabbi Eugene Labovitz z”l and Dr. Annette Labovitz.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home

Jewish History

Memoirs of a Forgotten Rabbi The Troubled Life of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber The celebrated rabbinic scholar Rabbi Zelig Tarshish taught at a private synagogue in Slabodka. When Rabbi Ferber’s brother died young, in November 1892, his father engaged Rabbi Tarshish to teach Torah in his son’s memory throughout the week of the shiva mourning. Rabbi Tarshish subsequently moved to Kelm, and after that to Jerusalem, where he passed away in 1940, in his late 80s.

by rabbi Pini Dunner

abbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber (1883-1966) was a Lithuanianborn Torah scholar who spent most of his adult life as the spiritual leader of a small community in the West End of London. He remained there for over 50 years, struggling to maintain his dignity and his principles in a setting that was completely indifferent to the things he found important. His relationship with the lay-leadership of his community, as well as with his fellow employees, was fraught with difficulty and tension, as they were all people devoid of any sensitivity to Jewish ritual law and

they tended to run the synagogue as a moneymaking operation, without taking Jewish law or the rabbi into consideration. Rabbi Dunner has already introduced us to Rabbi Ferber’s memoirs in his previous articles, allowing us to glimpse the life of this revered rabbi for the very first time since he began recording it in vivid detail in the year 1938. This is the next excerpt from the memoirs and continues the story of Rabbi Ferber’s brother, Rabbi Eliezer Lipman Ferber, whose great scholarship and piety seemed to forestall a great future.

The translation is not a wordfor-word rendition of the original Hebrew, although Rabbi Dunner has stuck as closely as possible to the original, except when the rabbinic Hebrew makes an exact translation difficult or where ambiguities need to be corrected. The material has also been abridged where necessary, excluding details that disrupt the narrative or expanding where more details are required.

The Milkman In Nottingham In 1913, while I was traveling through England, I visited Nottingham and stayed with a community member who was a milkman. I saw that he was a G-d fearing man and that he observed the Sabbath properly. He was extremely respectful and polite, in a way that was quite unusual and certainly unlike anyone else in that community. Out of the blue this milkman told me that when he was a young man he and some of his Jewish friends had been drafted into the Russian Imperial Army, and when it was almost Yom Kippur they had asked the commanding officer if they could be stationed in a

city with a Jewish community for the holy day, and he had sent them to Koznitza. On Kol Nidre night they had heard a sermon from the rabbi there, a young man, and his powerful words made a great impression. The entire community trembled as he spoke, and their tears flowed like a river. He would never forget that speech for as long as he lived, the milkman told me. When I then told him that the young rabbi he remembered was none other than my late brother, he was shocked, and then he told me that as soon as he saw me he thought that I reminded him of someone or something, but he just couldn’t figure it out. Now that I had told him that the same rabbi he heard in Kosnitza all those years ago was my brother, suddenly it all made sense. And from that moment on, the milkman in Nottingham treated me with the utmost reverence and respect and did everything that he could for me.

The Unexpected Train Stop In Kashodar I once heard a the following story about my brother – when he went to Shavel in around the year 1889 for

our brother Mordechai’s wedding he was unavoidably delayed at the train stop in Kashodar, Lithuania. While he was there, with nothing else to do, he decided to visit the rabbi of the town, Rabbi Binyamin Meizel, who was later rabbi of Paneman, near Kovno. During their conversation Rabbi Meizel told my brother how upset he was about a vicious controversy that was then raging in the community, a dispute that looked likely to end up at the secular civil court, which would inevitably cause an incredible desecration of G-d’s name among the local gentiles. My brother suggested to the rabbi that he should call the community together at the local synagogue, and once they were all gathered there, he began to address them in a soft tone and spoke to their hearts, inspiring them to reconcile with each other and restore peace and to bring blessings back to their homes and their community. Before long there was not a dry eye in the room. Immediately after he had finished addressing them the warring parties resolved their differences, and everyone in the community, including the rabbi, was delighted by what he had achieved – at which point my brother went back on his journey to the wedding.

Some Other Recollections Of My Brother Another recollection I have of my brother is of my father telling him that the cloth belt he was wearing was torn, to which he responded that the belt had very important sentimental value, as it had belonged to “Reb Yudel Sennier” (in other words, to Rabbi Yehuda Bacharach, the acclaimed rabbi of Seini, and author of the popular glosses published at the back of the Vilna Talmud), and he had purchased the belt from the aforementioned rabbi’s heirs. I particularly remember how happy everyone was to meet him at the marriage of our brother Mordechai to the daughter of the saintly scholar and acclaimed man of G-d, Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, celebrated author of Leshem Shevo ve’Achlama. Every time he found himself at the center of Torah discussions with family members, he dazzled

them with his scholarship, resolving complex issues with just a couple of words – no one was a match for his intellect and scholarship. My brother’s knowledge of Jewish monetary laws was phenomenal, as is clearly demonstrated in all the writings he left behind. He effortlessly judged the most complicated financial cases and resolved the densest money related legal questions, bringing about peaceful solutions for all the protagonists. He was regularly called upon by different communities to rule on the most complex and challenging financial cases, and everyone was astounded by his ability to grasp all the details and cut to the chase. I remember one particular case – a dispute between the well-known tycoon, Yosef Sharshevski of Grodno, and another

the Jewish Home | OctOber 29, 2015

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

did every year and prayed the miniYom-Kippur prayer recited by pious people before a new month begins. But the following day, my brother suddenly felt unwell – and he was diagnosed with typhoid fever. Weirdly enough, my mother had fallen asleep that morning – she was in Slabodka, of course, while my brother was many miles away in Koznitza – and while she was sleeping she dreamt that my brother was sick and that a doctor was standing over him. She woke up frightened and wept bitterly, because she felt that it wasn’t just a dream. Just then a telegram arrived from my brother informing her of his diagnosis and asking her to pray for him, as her prayers would surely be effective. I still recall how she prayed over the next few days with such de-

The entire community trembled as he spoke, and their tears flowed like a river.

party. No one had been able to draw a line under the matter until my late brother stepped in and sorted it out. What was even more remarkable was that he never took any payment for his lawsuit related work – he was not interested in being compensated or in any kind of financial gain. He was a man of truth and integrity, righteous and pious in everything that he did, driven by Torah ideals and a passion for justice.

My Brother Becomes Sick The year 5753 (1892) was a terrible year – as it was the year that my brother passed away. As soon as the year began he had a weird premonition that his time had come, and he asked his loved ones to pray for him. Over the High Holidays he inspired the community with his wonderful sermons, as he always did, and on Yom Kippur he led the Neilah prayer at the end of the day. On the eve of the new month of Cheshvan, just a couple of weeks later, he fasted as he

votion, particularly the penitential prayers of Mondays and Thursdays. I could hear her crying through the wall that separated our rooms, although when I went into her room she went silent so as not to upset me. As soon as the telegram had arrived my mother ran to the synagogue and prayed in front of the ark containing the Torahs. My father also prayed fervently, as did all the members of our household – we cried what seemed to be rivers of tears, praying and pleading for my brother’s full recovery. My mother also made efforts to ensure that the world renowned rabbinic luminary, Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor of Kovno, would prayed for him to recoIn my brother’s town, Koznitza, and the surrounding area, everyone gathered together to pray for him as well. But it seems his fate had already been sealed, and the candelabra that had shone for 39 years, with the flame of mitzvot and the light of Torah had already been

extinguished. When my mother arrived in Koznitza to be with him a few days later, my brother told her that he knew his time was up – it been revealed to him from the Heavens and he had already encountered some of his friends who had passed away.

My Brother’s Passing On the 11th of Mar-Cheshvan (November 1), 1892, my brother passed away. When he was first diagnosed, they had summoned Dr. Zamkov from Grodno, and he had predicted that if my brother was able to make it past two weeks, he would be recover. Dr. Zamkov was a very famous and eminent doctor but unfortunately he had returned to Grodno immediately afterwards, and my brother had been tended to over the next few days by a local doctor, who my mother later said was very young and inexperienced, which upset her enormously. My mother was also extremely upset that my sister-in-law, Chaya Gitel, had allowed her husband to fast on the eve of the new month of Cheshvan. And the truth is, my mother was right. Penitential fast days are not meant for a great scholar who spends his life immersed in Torah study, as the founder of Chassidism, the Baal Shem Tov, had explicitly told his disciple, R. Yaakov Yosef Katz of Polonoyye, author of the book, Toldot Yaakov Yosef. The tragedy of my brother’s untimely death totally devastated my parents, and they never recovered from the terrible blow of his demise for the rest of their lives. During the year of mourning that followed his passing, my father organized a daily prayer service at our home, and a righteous scholar delivered a daily Torah discourse to those who attended and also ate meals at our table. During the initial mourning week the celebrated rabbinic scholar, Rabbi Zelig Tarshish of Kelm, taught Torah in my brother’s memory at our home – at that time he lived in Slabodka; he now lives in Jerusalem.

To be continued.... Rav Pini Dunner is the rav of Young Israel North Beverly Hills.

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Israel today

Reunited by rafi Sackville

976 was an interesting year; the first space shuttle Enterprise was introduced to the public; Rocky 1 was released; Steve Jobs formed Apple; it was the year the Entebbe hostages were dramatically released in Uganda. 1976 was also the year I first came to Israel. I didn’t come alone, rather with a group of almost 30 youngsters from Bnei Akiva. An unlikely mix, we were from Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, England, South Africa and Uruguay. We began as a motley bunch, but quickly melded into a close knit family whose year in Israel infused 15 of us to eventually call Israel home. Until a brisk, recent winter night in Ra’anana our paths had not crossed for 41 years. Since leaving high school in 1975 I had never participated in a reunion. I had heard friends talk about them: I gathered they followed a fixed ritual of people regurgitating well-worn stories of their time together, filling in the gaps of the distance of time and eating comfort food. Reunions are also a constant reminder that yes, we really were all once young, which is a good to know because sometimes we tend to forget. Our Hachshara group met in Manu Shuster’s apartment in Ra’anana. Manu once sported long, red curls. Today he is as bald as me. His infectious smile and straight nose hints at a playful Harpo Marx. Nothing has changed. He’s still as accessible and friendly. Back in ‘76 I was determined to learn to speak Hebrew as soon as I could. To facilitate my plan Manu invited me to live with him and his South American compatriots. Unfortunately, this did little to improve my Hebrew. I did, however, quickly learn to curse fluently in Spanish.

Sitting around Manu’s table that night we listened and told an endless number of life stories that were dizzying both in their account and interest. They unearthed memories that I’m glad to have been re-engaged with. Most poignant was the memory of our late madrich, Avner Fuchsman. His presence around the table was felt as we cascaded from one story to the next. He was a passionate man whose enterprise and initiative never failed to surprise us.

fulfill much of what he wrote. Our Hachshara went to ulpan, to gadna, to yeshiva; we went on trips from the north to the south; we were assigned jobs on kibbutz: I was sent to the turkey sheds where I soon learnt the filthy art of turkey insemination and how to construct the roofs of coops. I can’t speak for the others, but I’m sure they’d agree that the imprint that first year in Israel left on us was indelible. I heard from one member that before 1976 her sense of self-es-

The face of every Israeli I met in the days following the rescue displayed joy and pride in their country, their heritage, their place in the world.

One such example is a march we unknowingly participated in. Avner piled us onto a bus and by the time we arrived at our destination at least 20,000 people had already gathered. We hung around for a couple of hours listening to speeches we didn’t understand, went without relieving our bladders, and were unable to satisfy our empty stomachs. When it came time to leave our bus had gone. There couldn’t have been more than 40 buses to service the thousands of people there. Avner miraculously procured a bus exclusively for us. Avner was like that. To this day a lump still forms in my throat when I read the inscription he wrote in a book he presented to me at the end of the year. His words were prescient. Later in life I went on to

teem was so low she considered herself worthless. She told me she had, over the course of the year, found a voice that has lasted till today. And what has become of us? We’re teachers, dental hygienists, kibbutznikim, businessmen and businesswomen, lawyers, translators, bus drivers, fund managers, and workers on local religious councils. In short, a typical cross-section of society. We also occupy the gamut of religious and political outlook. Despite our differences, we maintained the same civility we showed each other back when we were youngsters. Undoubtedly, the most exciting moment of 1976 was the rescue at Entebbe. It was on a warm July morning while I was sitting eating in the dining room when one of the kib-

butznikim frantically burst through the door holding a transistor radio, shouting at the top of his voice, “They freed them!” over and over. Up until that moment I had been an observer to what was until that moment in my life an intangible sense of not belonging. Now I existed. There was little more to my outlook on the world than “me.” The face of every Israeli I met in the days following the rescue displayed joy and pride in their country, their heritage, their place in the world. It wasn’t motivated by self-centeredness. To a naive teenager this shook me to the core because I was suddenly confronted with the undeniable truth that those very feelings did not belong to those Israeli faces alone, but to me as well. All I had to do was to consider myself part of the whole and suddenly the “me” transformed into a feeling of “we.” It was on that July 4th weekend when the first seeds of my attachment to Israel germinated into a lifelong passion that has had me drawn to the wonder of Israel, my home, for most of the past 41 years. I never experienced this sensation while living in Australia. It was far removed from me throughout my years in New York. This sensation is a mixture of the spiritual, the physical, the historical. It encompasses me still. It’s a pride I share with my fellow Hachshara members. Shraga is one of them. We have been friends since high school. He encapsulated this feeling so well when he expressed his desire to live into his 90s because he wanted to be alive to see Israel’s 100th birthday. May we all be so blessed to do so. Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

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Sidney Rabinovich An American Veteran Who Fought for Israel’s Independence BY TAMMY MARK

Sidney and Edith Rabinovich

Long before the first “lone soldier” ever fought for Israel, another group of volunteer soldiers undertook a mission to help a fledgling country. Sidney Rabinovich was one of the courageous heroes who fought to secure the land in Israel’s War of Independence. In 1948, the young man from New York joined other brave men from around the world and risked his life to help the new Jewish state fight for its survival against invading Arab armies – while witnessing the many miracles that happened along the way.

Sidney had served in the United States Army from 1942-1945 during World War II. He returned home to find the newspapers starting to speak increasingly about Palestine. It was in 1947, when the United Nations announced that a Jewish state was to be established in May of 1948, that the Palestinian government insisted they would never allow a Jewish state and declared their intentions to attack and wipe the future Israel off the map. During this same period of time, the Aliyah Bet movement was conducting unauthorized missions, transporting European Jews to Palestine above the allowed quotas. Ten American ships were among the fleet; American sailors would sail to

Europe to pick up survivors for relocation in Palestine. Though several countries had collaborated to help the cause, the British intercepted most of the ships and rerouted the Jews to detention camps in Cyprus. In early 1948, Palestine was still under British rule and Jews were forbidden to own any weapons. Neither individual nor kibbutz was allowed to own a gun. At the time there were over a million Arabs to the 600,000 Jews who inhabited the land. Sidney was 27-years-old and working in business with his father. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Sidney’s family came to New York when he was two-years-old. There were five boys and one girl in his family, and all five brothers served

in U.S. Army. One of Sidney’s brothers was also among the volunteers working on the Aliyah Bet ships; the Rabinovich family had a strong sense of community duty. Since he had already been trained and served as a soldier, Sidney sought to find out what he could do to help his Jewish brethren establish independence. He contacted Land and Labor for Israel, an organization that was assisting in setting people up to volunteer to fight for Israel, and joined the group. Sidney views his act of bravery with a pragmatic sense of duty. “Somebody had to do something,” he explains. When Sidney told his mother he planned to go to help overseas, she

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Helping on a kibbutz

In the U.S. Army

reminded him that he had just returned back from a few years at war. Sidney recalls telling her, “Israel needs all their men for the army, so I’m going to work on a kibbutz.” Although she didn’t quite understand his decision, she never complained once.

The soldiers were warned not to disembark in Beirut, and they appropriately abided. The following month’s ship was unfortunately stormed by the Beirut police and all the Americans were removed. Those volunteers were jailed for several weeks before being sent home to the U.S.; the State Department did not want the Americans caught up in Israel’s fight. Upon arrival in Haifa, Sidney’s group traveled by bus up to Carmel.

95-year-old Sidney clearly recounts the details of his extraordinary and noble journey. The group he joined consisted of ten volunteers, young men from New York and Boston, all ready and eager to do what needed to be done. The men were told that when they applied for their visas it would be safer to apply for visas to South America rather than Palestine, since the State Department was not supportive of Israel at the time. Before the soldiers sailed out, the Boston boys met up with the New York boys in the Catskills for a week, and although Sidney didn’t know any of the other soldiers previously, they soon formed a tight bond. Their common goal cemented their bond. “We all wanted to make sure that Israel lived – there was no politics involved,” says Sidney. Together the group boarded the Marine Carp, an American freighter that traveled to Italy, Greece, Beirut, Haifa, and Cairo and returned back to New York each month. They sailed in early April 1947. Other passengers on the ship included a group going to Palestine to help establish a new kibbutz.

Playing with a grandchild

inducted into the new Israeli army. The cards they were given couldn’t say “Israel” since it hadn’t been officially established yet. Although most of Sidney’s group had served in the U.S. military, some of the other international volunteers had never even held a gun. As the Jews were still not legally allowed to have weapons, the soldiers were given “sten” guns – makeshift weapons fashioned out of a few pieces of metal that worked intermittently –

“Imagine an army of 25,000 against a couple of hundred people – and they were frightened?!”

Their “military transport” consisted of Egged busses with no equipment, retrofitted by the Israelis with steel shutters to cover the windows. They drove through Haifa with Arabs shooting at them along the way. When the men finally arrived at the Jewish area they observed the British patrolling the Jewish side with machine guns. After a few days in the Haifa region, Sidney’s group moved to a camp in Tel Aviv, in an area where the British had already evacuated and the Israelis had taken over. The young men then headed south towards Rechovot and were

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along with three bullets. They took a few shots into an open field; there was no further training or equipment provided. The men were now part of the infantry battalion of the Givati Brigade. The international soldiers remained stationed in the south, just below Rechovot. The region was dotted with Arab and Jewish villages throughout. The men would go out patrolling at night and remained under constant threat of Arab intruders. They shortly received word that the Arabs were expected to come up through the area from Egypt and attack Israel on May 14.

At this point, the soldiers were given rifles from World War I with which to clear out the area. As the soldiers approached some of the villages, they saw the Arabs already packed and ready to go; the soldiers were able to evacuate them with no force involved. In other villages, the Arabs were well-armed and ready for a fight, and yet in others cases the Arabs attacked first. The Givati soldiers cleared out each of the villages one by one. As the May 14th date loomed closer, incidents and skirmishes were occurring almost daily. At this time Jerusalem was cut off completely – no Jews, soldiers or trucks could get there. Sidney’s troop was charged with opening the road to Jerusalem on May 12, two days before the establishment of Israel was to take place. The soldiers endeavored to clear the main road, known as Latrun, which was supposed to be turned over to the Jews. The British and the Arabs were still there and were maintaining control at the time. On the evening of the 11th, Sidney’s company approached the hill overlooking Latrun. The next morning they awoke to artillery shelling. The men had no choice but to retreat – they were simply not equipped to go up against the machine guns and artillery raining down upon them. A number of soldiers were killed in the encounter, including two of Sidney’s friends, American volunteers from

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Brooklyn; their bodies were never found. Another group subsequently succeeded in building a bypass road towards Jerusalem. Led by David “Mickey” Marcus, an American soldier who became the first general to lead the Jewish army in the new State of Israel, the creation of Burma Road was an important victory which was later portrayed in the movie Cast a Giant Shadow. Through the Burma Road, convoys were finally able to reach Jerusalem, where residents had been without food, water and ammunition. Additionally, it was also a crucial maneuver for Israel to have a presence in Jerusalem once statehood was official. Sidney’s group returned to camp and resumed guard duty in preparation for the next anticipated Arab invasion. The following day Sidney’s company was moved to Ashdod, along the coastal road that ran from Egypt through Gaza up to Tel Aviv. Kibbutzim lined the area. The soldiers helped evacuate the children by hand, carrying the littlest ones

over the mountains to a safe area. David Ben-Gurion formally proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel with a big ceremony in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948. The fighting continued and intensified.

Sidney, “after 65 years, I still don’t understand. They said the Arab Egyptian Army that attacked was 25,000 strong – with full armor, tanks, machine guns and air force...” During this time, the Jewish passengers that had been taken off

“It hasn’t been over, even until now it hasn’t been over,” laments Sidney, “but officially it was over.”

The Egyptians attacked, invading the kibbutzim one by one, but the Jews did not surrender. The fighting went on for some time before they could even capture one kibbutz. Inexplicably, with a sizeable army and all their equipment, the Egyptian Army wasn’t making much progress and they suddenly called a 30 day truce. It was a godsend for Israel. “This part of the story,” marvels

the Aliyah Bet ships by the British were still being detained in Cyprus. When the truce was called, the Jews were released from the camps and were brought into Israel. The new Israeli Army had managed to find pieces of French artillery from World War I. All Anglo-Saxons were now welcome to join the artillery unit. With just one afternoon of practice, which consist-

ed of firing a few times to make sure the ammunition wouldn’t explode, the volunteers now became Israel’s first artillery company. Sidney’s new troop was moved to Rosh Pina on the Syrian border, and an Australian Christian man named Mike was now in charge of the unit. The men set up camp and prepared their guns. Suddenly, the Syrians began shelling their group. The shelling went back and forth. The men had no shovels with which to dig foxholes and had to lay on open ground as shells rained down; miraculously, none of Sidney’s group were hit. Between them and the Syrians was a hill. The artillery unit could see Syria from an outpost on the top of the hill. One day the guard on duty reported that infantry and tanks were headed towards them from Syria. Sidney’s group had only minimal weapons, with two machine guns. They lowered their guns from the hill to hit the approaching Arabs. Suddenly, and again inexplicably, the Syrian Army announced a ceasefire and turned back.

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Raising the flag

The Israeli military was beginning to grow bigger and stronger. A demilitarized ship had been acquired from America and came into Haifa. The World War II warship was sold to Israel completely stripped of its weaponry. In addition to that ship, the Aliyah Bet fleet also had four usable ships and together these ships formed the Israeli Navy. The head of Israel’s new navy, Paul Shulman – also known as Shaul Ben-Tzvi, was an American graduate of Annapolis Naval Academy, and he was now in need of sailors. The sailors were assigned to man all the necessary stations. The one American ship they had in their fleet still had radar. Sidney joined and ended up working the radar. There was one open deck designed to hold a big machine gun, but it too had been removed by the Americans. As the radar station was next to the one open deck, Sidney was also named assistant gunner – although there was still no gun to speak of. Sidney had gone from infantry to artillery to the navy in a matter of weeks. During the war, from May until February, Sidney recalls eight or nine truces that had been in place, only to be broken sooner or later. During one particular truce, Sidney’s ship patrolled up and down the coast, and the men were very grateful that there was not much activity. Two of the other ships were bringing the detained Jews from Cyprus to Israel. In the meantime, Tel Aviv was being shelled by the Egyptian Navy, which had a flagship called the King Farouk battleship. The King Farouk was the biggest ship of the Egyptian fleet, complete with a cannon and machine guns. Sidney was somewhat isolated in the radar shack right below the deck, with very little communication from above. He received word from one

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Sidney’s Israeli Army ID card

of his fellow sailors that they were sailing towards Gaza. As they approached Gaza they saw the King Farouk battleship stationed there, along with a smaller destroyer. The Israeli fleet of five ships was all headed towards Gaza. Sidney’s ship, which was manned by the captain, headed for the King Farouk using a zig-zag course in an effort to remain a moving target. The Israeli ship got within 300-400 yards of the enemy ship. While the rest of the crew was undercover, Sidney was alone on the open deck – without a weapon. He was able to see the Egyptians following him, machine guns and cannons all aimed at him and tracking the ship’s movements. It was another close call – although, miraculously and fortunately, the ceasefire was observed by both sides. Sidney’s ship then stopped and pulled back to return to the Mediterranean along with other ships. The men later found out that on the return to Haifa another one of the Israeli ships had gotten hold of torpedoes from Italy and fashioned them into man-handled torpedoes. Two Israeli sailors swam towards the King Farouk and dropped the two torpedoes, sinking the ship in the dark of the night – without one single Israeli casualty. Upon their return to Haifa, not a word was mentioned about the incident. The Egyptians did not want to advertise that they lost their flagship, and the Israelis did not want to admit that the enemy ship was decimated during a truce. There were attacks from Syria and Jordan, lots of fighting around Jerusalem, up north, and out east – all over the country, recalls Sidney. There wasn’t enough Israeli military to cover all of the necessary fronts. “Israel didn’t have enough people for anything,” he recalls.

For the remainder of his time in Israel, Sidney’s team mostly worked to keep the seas clear. They also helped clear the villages. Sidney marvels that after they had cleared the Arab villages and the Arabs had no more people to spy for them, they were frightened. “Imagine an army of 25,000 against a couple of hundred people – and they were frightened?!” he asks incredulously. Sidney’s tour in Israel ran from April 1947 to the following end of February 1948. By that time a solid ceasefire agreement was in place and war was over. “It hasn’t been over, even until now it hasn’t been over,” laments Sidney, “but officially it was over.” Sidney returned safely back home to the States at the end of February, accompanying one of his friends from Boston who had suffered severe emotional trauma in Israel. Indeed, as Sidney had told his mother, in between all of the fighting and patrolling, he did actually spend time on a kibbutz assisting in building it up. Many years later he happened to come across a picture of himself from that experience in the book review section of The New York Times. When Sidney returned home he joined the American Veterans of Israel group and became very involved in helping to expand it, calling on his friends for support. The organization grew to hundreds and hundreds of members, eventually becoming a large network running lots of events. They maintained contact with the Israeli government and the Israeli consulate, as well as with the groups from Europe who went to fight for Israel. Sidney remained very active in the organization until retiring around the year 2000, including marching annually in the Salute to Israel.

After his time in Israel, Sidney eventually went into the textile business in New York City and lived on the Lower East Side. In 1958 he met his future wife, a similarly patriotic American Jew. Edith was working for Stars and Stripes, the U.S. Army’s newspaper. The two met on a Saturday night when they were introduced by friends and were married in 1959. They moved to Forest Hills, Queens, and raised their two sons there. Sidney’s family all have strong ties to Israel. His brother, Abraham, became a reporter for the Jerusalem Post and wrote several books on Israel and its wars, including The Battle for Jerusalem and The Yom Kippur War. Abraham had initially gone to Israel in 1967 for the Six Day War, covering it for an American paper. He left his car in LaGuardia Airport and never returned back the States. Sidney returned to Israel in 1998 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the war, a moving and memorable experience. He and Edith visited Israel many times throughout their marriage, most recently for a family occasion about eight years back. Today the Rabinoviches spend their time stateside, enjoying their growing family with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and more on the way. Sidney has spoken about his experiences to students at the Rambam Mesivta Yeshiva and at Yeshiva University High School for Girls Central, where his grandchildren attend school. Their family remains committed and connected to Israel, with a love instilled in them from their patriarch Sidney along with his remarkable acts of bravery. Sidney, at 95, remains a role model to them and to all soldiers today.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

I am the youngest child in a family of six females and then me. For as far back as I can remember, everyone always kidded my parents that I was their long-awaited “prince.” And it was true – just ask any of my sisters! From what I’ve always been told, my parents were beyond thrilled when I showed up.

From the start, it was even obvious to me that they treated me differently than my sisters. Whereas they all had plenty of chores to do around the house and the expectations from them was high, not much was expected from me. Just being “their long-awaited son” was enough. But the fact is, looking back, I think I was a good and easy child to raise. I’ve always been easy-going and well behaved. I wasn’t the valedictorian, but I did well enough in school. All in all, I suppose, like my parent always said, “I was easy to love.” From the time I was pretty young, I would hear my sisters and people teasing my mother that no woman would ever be good enough for me. It was a standard joke in our home. Now, it’s no longer a joke. I decided I was ready to start dating about eight months ago. My parents put the word out and in no time there were many resumes showing up. I would occasionally overhear my mother on the phone discussing potential prospects, so I knew she was on top of things. But surprisingly, very few dates ever came about, despite all the possibilities. When I questioned my mother as to why I wasn’t given any names to call, my mother would explain that she was being very careful and selective and didn’t want me wasting my time just going out with anyone. This sounded good – at first…but then I started becoming worried. My friends were going out constantly, and I was sitting home most Shabbos and Sunday nights, with no one to call. I realize now that my mother (and I’m sure my father is part of this) doesn’t think anyone is good enough for me so she just keeps rejecting resume after resume. My gut tells me that probably some of these women would be good opportunities for me, but I’m never given a chance to even find out. I’m starting to feel resentful and concerned. I know I’m considered a good guy, but no better than the other guys out there who are dating and meeting their basherts. How do I get my parents to come back down to earth and see me for who I really am? I’m not a prince and I don’t need a princess!

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 Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

eparating from your parents and their image of you as a prince is going to be a process. You are going to have to learn to communicate with them, which obviously you haven’t mastered yet. Good for you for recognizing that they don’t see you for who you are. It is a healthy thing that you are considering how to form your own identity within your family. I am also wondering if you see yourself for whom you are. It’s important that you begin this process and progress before you start dating. Begin talking with your mentors and perhaps get some professional help to sort out who you are, what’s important to you, and how to communicate with your parents. You may need a team including their rabbi to help them reframe who you are.

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A.

our question resonates greatly with me. You see, I, too, am the Mother of a Prince – my only son (zol zein gezundt) was born after my three wonderful daughters. He, too, was easy to love and doted upon by “four mothers.” Shmerel* was good looking. Bright. Funny. A serious learner with a Plan. (Not to mention, his mom is a panelist on the wildly popular “Navidaters” column – but I digress). Needless to say, when Shmerel came back from Israel and announced “he was ready” the shadchanim had my number on speed dial and my inbox was full – of shidduch resumes. Each young lady seemed more promising than the other. What to do with this lar-

gesse of fabulous shidduchim? I was going to take my sweet time culling through dozens of pictures and profiles. That was seven years ago. Had you asked me then, I would have predicted my son would be dating for a LONG time. In reality, he dated fewer than ten girls over a span of six months. His wife (zol zein gezundt) is the most compatible, wonderful, intelligent life partner I could wish for him. Funny thing is, I never saw Shprintza’s* resume. I trusted a very persuasive shadchan who knew Shprintza and, more importantly, I trusted my son to make judicious decisions. You see, young man, as you wisely point out, a prince, taken out of context of his family kingdom, is “no better than the other guys out there.” Now that you are in the parsha, you must take the initiative in dating. When people approach you with a shidduch, listen carefully and decide for yourself if the young lady sounds shayich. Approach your parents as a mature adult; tell them why you’d like to date the girl in question. Trust yourself to make intelligent choices. If your parents persist in the futile game of searching for the “fairest in the land,” seek the guidance of a trusted dating mentor (rebbe, shadchan or married friend) to help you select and vet potential shidduchim.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

ou are very lucky to have come to this realization early on. It is no coincidence that the recurring theme in the older guys I help is that they have family members who nix almost every suggestion for them. No girl is good enough for their standards.

If they agree on his behalf to a first date, the ending of the relationship usually has something to do with the family member’s involvement. While I am sure this is not meant to be malignant, the result of it is devastating. My suggestions to you are the following. Talk to your father. Fathers are generally level-headed, logical and less emotional in the shidduch realm. Discuss with him the possibilities and make it clear that based on your experience thus far this cannot continue. Explain that since you are old enough to get married, you

It is better to be a regular happily married man than a prince sitting all alone in his castle.

are old enough to make your own decision as to whom you will be going out with and, ultimately, will marry. Tell him that you would like to start giving your own contact information when you meet shadchanim so that

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

you can make the decision of who you’ll go out with (possibly with the help of a mentor or rebbe of your choice). If your father is level-headed, he will understand and either make a change or be on your side when you decide to deal with your own shidduchim. At this point, you can explore the possibility of meeting with your mother and father after a relaxing Shabbos to explain the quandary and problem solve. Have your father explain to your mother that, in his own days of dating, if his mother had vetted all his options the way she does, they probably wouldn’t even be married today! This should help put things in perspective. You can start taking control by putting yourself as the contact person when it comes to your shidduchim. One

possibility too is to keep your mother in the loop to narrow down your options to three great ideas at a time. Ask your mother which of the three she would recommend and go out with the first since you will definitely be meeting one of them. If your father is level-headed, you can even have him be someone you confide in when it comes to these things. One thing is for sure, taking back control of your own dating possibilities is crucial. Iy”H your parents will come around and respect your decisions.

The Single Tova Wein

irst off, I’d like to commend you on your ability to remain so lev-

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

efore I address your question, I am using this opportunity to make a public service announcement to all the well-intentioned parents out there who tell their children they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Proceed with caution. Giving your child the message that he is better than or greater than is doing your child a disservice. This can create a false sense of “separateness” from the peer group, whether at home or school. After all, it is lonely at the top. In some children, it can create a false sense of entitlement. And if we take an honest look at some children, and yes, adults too, we can easily see how being told we are better than can quickly become unbecoming. You were given a gift. Your humility, despite having been raised to believe you are better than, speaks vol-

umes of your character. You could easily walk around believing that only a select group of women would be worthy of your marriage proposal. Your humility and wisdom, however, come at a cost. You will have to confront your parents’ beliefs and values, which is no easy feat for a respectful son such as yourself. It is time to have a heart-to-heart with your mother and father. Let’s get real. Many parents believe their children are the greatest thing since sliced bread. My Yankela is the best, the brightest and the most handsome! A problem arises when this belief hinders Yankela, rather than helping him. I don’t think you should say something like, “Mom, Dad, I’m just not that great. Really! I’m ordinary.” They would never believe

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

el-headed and even humble in the light of all of the adoration thrown your way. It would have been very easy for you to become smug and overly full of yourself. So kudos to you for your modesty and insight. Though your mother probably has good reason to see you as a “prince,” she probably doesn’t understand that you are her “prince,” but not necessarily every woman’s prince. You sound like a wonderful man – and yes, the world is filled with many wonderful men and women who should be meeting and making magic together. And your mother is limiting your opportunities for moving on with your life. It seems clear to me that you need to take charge of your situation. Though it’s great when one can rely on their mother to do all the work, there is nothing wrong with you making your own connections to shadchani, and taking over the job

it. For now, leave that alone. Something more effective hopefully would be, “I know you think the world of me and you have built me up in the most amazing ways. I noticed that I’m not going out on so many dates. I’m not sure we ever talked about what my values are and what I am looking for in a wife. I’d love to tell you.” If things do not change after your talk, then it may be time for you to take a more active role in the dating process. The other panelists gave great recommendations in my opinion. But if you’ve never spoken to your parents before about the way you see things and what your priorities are, then I think you owe them as much as a conversation. From what you wrote, it sounds like they are good people who are just crazy about their child. Hopefully, some of your resentment and concerns will dissipate as you begin a very open, honest and adult dialogue with your parents. It is very empowering to take ownership of the situation at hand,

You must take the initiative in dating.

of mining through the resumes and selecting the appropriate ones to be pursued. And just so your mother doesn’t feel completely abandoned, you can discuss with her what’s happening on your end and why you are selecting certain women to go out with. You can also discuss the dates with her and explain what is working and what isn’t. Eventually, I’m sure, your mother will understand why it is better to be a regular happily married man than a prince sitting all alone in his castle!

and instead of focusing on what your parents have done wrong (something you have no control over), to focus on what you can change. They may even begin to see that their “little prince” is also a secure, sensible young man with intelligent opinions. In other words, act the adult you want them to see you as. I am very hopeful that your situation will improve in the very near future. Sincerely, Jennifer P.S. Show this to your parents . Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@ gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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Dr. Deb

Doing Time By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

long time ago, a man came to me for an unusual therapy request. He’d just gotten out of jail after ten years for a white collar crime. He claimed to be Orthodox. He was very angry at his wife for not standing by him during that difficult period and was planning to get even with her for leaving him by pouring punch over her head at the celebration of his grandson’s bar mitzvah. He needed to share that with me.

From some subconscious spark within me, I immediately came out with, “Oh, you didn’t tell me you hated your grandson.” Perplexed, the man replied that he didn’t and where did I get such an idea anyway? “Well, you just told me you wanted to pour punch over your ex-wife at his bar mitzvah party, right?” I asked. Still perplexed, he replied in the affirmative. “So, his bar mitzvah is something he will remember for the rest of his

life. Most boys cherish those memories. But not your grandson! He will remember how his grandfather had to humiliate his grandmother, two people he loves, on his bar mitzvah.” The man looked at me with a dawning awareness. As his eyes widened, he remarked, “Oh, I never thought of it that way.” Never? He had ten years to think about a lot of things. Ten years. What in the world was going on in his mind for ten years? It seems he was thinking only of revenge, nothing more. No thoughts of why G-d had him punished in this awful way; no thoughts of whether he could have been a better person; no thoughts of how he would want to make his life meaningful going forward. Zippo. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that going to jail is referred to as “doing time”? There isn’t much else to do but count the minutes going by. But yet, the very fact that a prisoner is not free and has to occupy his time in very constrained ways could actually give him a lot more freedom to think than the rest of us have. In fact, I suspect that is exactly what prisoners are supposed to do: think. You would think so. The unfortunate thing is that all of us are actually in that very same boat and don’t realize it: Our time here is constricted; there is a definite end to it all; and we ought to be thinking about all that while we’re in it. Instead, we waste brainpower wanting to look better than the next guy, worrying if we are liked or loved enough, trying to grab the goodies regardless of the next guy, and escaping as much as possible from thinking about the very things that we’re supposed to be thinking about. And doing all that under the guise of not wanting to waste time. Like the endless honkers. They’re a prime example. They’re in such a rush. To

where? For what? What about the here and now? What about the other people populating their worlds – if they don’t count, which they apparently don’t or they wouldn’t be treated so rudely – then what exactly does count? Do they really feel better when they can burn rubber in the road as they screech ahead of you and me? Really? That’s why we’ve been counting these last few weeks. We are supposed to remind ourselves to make every day count. We’re supposed to take a few minutes and assess exactly where we are rushing to and if those goals really are worthy of all that energy and venom against fellow travelers. And of course, not just on the road, but everywhere.

4 Tools to Make the Counting Count

Most people who suffer from impatience, escapism, anger, and blame will freely admit that they “should” change. They just don’t seem to be able to. The reason – as my previous articles on the neuroscience of the brain show – is that once our brains are wired to react in a certain way, the “wires” need specific tools in order to be changed. Here are four: • Deep, Slow Breathing This isn’t the first time you’ve heard me bring up breathing as a free, easy, quick way to rewire the brain. Slow, deep breathing that is. This works because when we slow down our breathing, it completely changes our autonomic nervous system. By allowing our exhales to be somewhat slower than our inhales, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This system calms us; it’s the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system which activates the

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fight-or-flight response. When we breathe deeply from the diaphragm and exhale longer than we inhale, it stimulates the neurotransmitters acetylcholine and gamma amino-buteryic acid, which in turn activate the vegus nerve. This nerve is active when we are calm. It slows the pulse, heartbeat, blood pressure, and stress hormones. When we’re excited, this nerve disengages. • Mindfulness Do you enjoy your food? Why is food so important a component, for example, of the joys of Shabbos? The unfortunate reality is that when people are arguing at the table or complaining about the fact that the food wasn’t what they had in mind, they’re spoiling one of the true joys of Shabbos. And they don’t have to. To enjoy any activity, pay attention to it to the exclusion of everything else. I do not read at the table. When I’m with my family, I don’t eat while we’re talking; I put the fork down and enjoy the conversation. But when there’s a moment to eat, I notice the deliciousness of the food. During the week, shut off all devices while eating and notice how good it

is. (To really enjoy this process, you have to be hungry, not starved, but hungry.) The same rules apply for taking walks, going to the gym, or talking to your loved ones: Be in the moment

You can begin with pointing out to yourself, after saying Modeh Ani, that Hashem wanted to give you another day because He believes in you. If He does, you certainly should.

To enjoy any activity, pay attention to it to the exclusion of everything else.

100%. The practice of mindfulness with enjoyable activities will stimulate your vegus nerve, too, creating the calm and good feelings you’re looking for. • Affirm Yourself While it would not make sense to gloss over areas of your life that require improvement, I’ve noticed that people tend to judge themselves too harshly. If this might be you, you need to be more realistic. One way to do that is to affirm yourself every day.

• Don’t Run Away From Problems It may seem counterintuitive that you will feel better by facing your own worst traits and behaviors. In truth, it will not be pleasant at first. But to make the time you’re spending here on Earth count, if you just put aside all the bad voices in your head telling you how horrible you are for whatever it was that was not so good and instead focus on making amends, you will feel wonderful. Let’s take a worst case scenar-

io: Suppose my own child told me I hurt them. Wouldn’t it make sense for me to figure out what I did and how to correct my mistake? Sure, it is a blow to one’s vision of oneself as being a perfect parent, but if that vision is inaccurate, you are living in denial-land. That’s escapism. It’s far better to be the real human you are, face yourself, and step up to the plate to make changes. These may take a while, maybe even years. So what? During that time, you can affirm yourself that you are doing something very constructive and healing. Whether you’re calming yourself with deep breaths, just stopping to appreciate the beautiful flowers that G-d gave us, affirming yourself and shutting the voice that berates you, or telling that voice that there may be some truth in what it says but you want to address the problem, you’re living. These things are the stuff of life; that’s what we’re here for. Let’s make our days count. Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached at 646-54-DRDEB or by writing drdeb@ drdeb.com.

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Health & F tness

Gaining Weight from Protein Bars? By Aliza Beer MS, RD

ost grocery stores and supermarkets offer a plethora of protein

bars in a variety of f lavors, from fruits and oats to chocolate-peanut butter, typically promising

6 grams or more of “pure” protein. Can these much-hyped, and much in-demand, bars be really good for you? It depends. There are some healthy protein bars, and then there are some as healthy as a Snickers bar. Protein bars are convenient, you can throw them in your gym bag or purse, and snack on them

should be used as emergency snacks/meals, especially when one is traveling and does not have proper access to food. Why would protein bars make you fat? There are a few reasons. First, many protein bars get their protein from soy. Soy can change estrogen metabolism and in higher doses or

Many have an insane amount of sugar, often 30 grams, which is more than many candy bars!

on the go. Their wrappers make it easy to think that they’re healthier than a candy bar but sometimes they’re not. In fact, they may have more calories, sugar, and fat than a candy bar! I cannot stress the fact that real food is far superior in nutrition and health benefits than a processed food like a bar. That being said, the right protein bars

consumed frequently can help raise estrogen levels. Estrogen is an anabolic steroid and tends to make us soft and round like a pregnant woman. Additionally, much research has linked soy to breast cancer. Another reason protein bars pack on the pounds is due to their high sugar content. Many have an insane amount of sugar, often

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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30 grams, which is more than many candy bars! The bars that use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar pose another problem. Consuming a substantial amount of artificial sweetener can mimic sugar in the body and eventually cause insulin resistance, thereby sending all the carbs we eat directly into storage as fat cells. The following are some good tips to help you navigate the protein bar aisle: 1. Avoid a Lot of Sugar: Look for bars containing less than 10 grams of sugar in them. It is recommended that we don’t consume more than 45 grams of added sugar a day, so do the math when eating your meals and snacks. 2. Do not Eat High Fructose Corn Syrup: Read the ingredients, and if it contains HFCS, please put the bar down! It is not processed in the body and is making many of us obese. 3. Find Fiber: Look for a bar containing at least 4 grams of fiber. There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber breaks down in water and is found in some fruits, vegetables, legumes, and oats. It helps lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Insoluble fiber does not break down in water; is found in wheat bran, some vegetables and whole grains; and aids in digestion and keeps us “regular.” We should be consuming both types of fiber on a daily basis, about 28 grams a day. More benefits of fiber include lowering cholesterol and helping the body get rid of fat; regulating blood glucose levels after eating; and keeping us feeling full longer. 4. Calorie Control: If the bar is replacing a meal (remember emergency only!), then it should contain 300400 calories. If it’s replacing a snack, then look for

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bars under 200 calories. 5. Avoid Soy: Look for bars made from whey protein, pea protein, or hemp. In summary, protein bars have their time and place. They should not be incorporated into a daily part of your life. Eating well-balanced meals consisting of lean protein, vegetables, and

whole grains, with some fruit, nut, or veggie snacks in between, should be the norm. Protein bars should be used when traveling, emergency situations, or if training for an event. Read the ingredients and nutrition label carefully. Hint: Often the healthier bars don’t taste as sweet and delicious as the unhealthier bars, and there is a

good reason for this! Using protein bars sparingly, and wisely, can help enhance a nutritious and healthy lifestyle. Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com.

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Health & F tness

What You Need to Know about Zika 2017 By Hylton I Lightman, MD, DCH, FAAP

ika may have dropped out of the headlines since last summer but it remains a frightening concern for 2017. The virus has spread to more than 50 countries around the world. It is both asymptomatic (in adults) and potentially deadly (in developing fetuses). In fact, Thomas Frieden, M.D., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has said that we can expect new outbreaks of the dreaded disease every year. It’s mindboggling that a tiny mosquito has the power to reduce accomplished, capable adults to puddles of fear and to push people to change plans of all sorts. What are we supposed to do? First, know that things are going to take time. While monies are being allocated for developing a vaccines, unfortunately, even more are needed. It’s also important to have realistic expectations of what can be figured out and when they can be implemented. In my lifetime, we’ve eradicated smallpox. We’re on the cusp of eliminating polio. We’re saving hundreds of millions of lives annually on these fronts alone. But again, it takes time. This is the case with Zika.

Further, these Zika mosquitoes, called “Aedes aegypti,” can breed in just a bottle cap’s worth of water. Hence, eliminating breeding sites is extremely labor intensive. They bite four or five people in a single blood meal, and you don’t feel their bites the way you feel other mosquitoes’ bites. They’re also highly resistant

At present, Zika-related news is quiet in Southern Florida. However, the CDC recommends that pregnant women should avoid Miami-Dade counties. Protect your baby or child dressing him in clothing that covers the arms and legs. Cover the crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito

These Zika mosquitoes, called “Aedes aegypti,” can breed in just a bottle cap’s worth of water. to insecticides. Dr. Frieden said that we now need to develop more potent insecticides to combat these worrisome insects. For now, Zika 2017 requires going the prevention route. Use only insect repellents that have been registered by the Environmental Protection Agency/EPA (https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents). Natural repellents are not going to do the job. Repellent can be applied cautiously to babies who are at least 2 months of age.

netting. There are steps you can take to control mosquitoes inside and outside your home. Remove standing water where mosquitoes could lay eggs. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items that hold water, i.e., tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers. Mosquitoes love still water and lay eggs near it. Tightly cover water storage containers like buckets, cisterns, and

rain barrels so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller than adult mosquitoes. Use larvicides to treat large containers of water that will not be used for drinking and cannot be covered or dumped out. Use window screens and door screens. They can’t enter through the air conditioning. It’s also important to kill mosquitoes outside your home. Use an EPA recommended outdoor insect spray made to kill mosquitoes in areas where they rest. For your information, mosquitoes rest in dark, humid areas like under patio furniture or under the carport or garage. When using insecticides, always follow label instructions. Will Zika mosquitoes make their way to the tri-state area this summer season? I certainly hope not.

Dr. Lightman has been a pediatrician in the Far Rockaway and Five Towns communities for 30 years. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd.com. Follow him on Instagram at dr_lightman or on Facebook at Total Family Care.

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In The K

tchen

Tom Kha Kai Thai ChickenCoconut Soup By Naomi Nachman

Ingredients

I’m so excited to be joining Miriam Schreiber’s Kosher Legacy Tours this summer as we travel to Asia. I am joining Miriam’s team as an instructor to give cooking classes on the local traditional Vietnamese and Thailand cuisine, teaching people how to make it back at home using ingredients that are generally available in the United States. Thai food is known to have a certain flavor profile: sour, sweet, salty, bitter and spicy. In each recipe we try to balance out these five competing tastes to make them harmonious in a single dish.

3 cups chicken broth 1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and chopped into 4-5 pieces 1 14 oz. can coconut milk 2-inch piece grated ginger 1 cup shredded boneless chicken 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium 2-3 dashes sriracha

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½ cup cilantro leaves Thai chilies, sliced (optional)

Preparation Combine chicken broth, lemongrass, coconut milk and ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower and simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken, mushrooms, lemon juice, sugar, soy sauce, hot sauce and chilies, then simmer for another 10 minutes. Pour into individual soup bowls and top each bowl with cilantro leaves.

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Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

I also had Botox in my jaw muscle to relieve tension from constantly clinching. I was not like this before. -One of a series of tweets by a Hollywood actress in which she blames all of the stress in her life on Trump being president

The big story still is Trump firing FBI Director James Comey, and it turns out Comey had six years left on his 10-year term. It’s easier get out of your FBI contract than it is your AT&T contract. - Jimmy Fallon

To the graduates, I tell you, there is no limit to what you can do. Just stay focused and put your mind to it, and you can do it. -Trayvon Martin’s mother to the graduating class of Florida Memorial University after the university awarded her deceased son a posthumous aeronautical science degree

I learned that time flies, memories fade, but family is forever - and I’ll be eternally grateful to be a part of the Yankees family. -Derek Jeter at his number retiring ceremony at Yankee Stadium last Sunday

You can date whoever you want, but you should marry the nerds and the good guys. -Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in an interview with the Financial Times

I saw that Trump’s daughter Tiffany will attend Georgetown Law School this fall. The president was so excited, today he said, “Congratulations to my nonIvanka daughter!” -Jimmy Fallon

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It’s not an emergency. All I want is to be deported. -What 29-year-old Cesar Sanchez, a Guatemalan native, said when he called 911 in Naples, Florida, last week (He was arrested for calling in a non-emergency to 911, and, yes, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified)

James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press! - Tweet by President Trump, several days after firing FBI director James Comey when reports of their alleged private conversations began surfacing

Yesterday, Kim Jong Un hurled a series of insults at Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. In a related story, Fox News has finally found its replacement for Bill O’Reilly. - Conan O’Brien

I’m holding two headlines from the Washington Post, one of May 25, 2014: “White House mistakenly identifies CIA chief in Afghanistan.” The Obama administration put the name of the CIA on the press release, exposed him and endangered his life. The second one, June 30, 2016: “U.S. offers to share Syrian intelligence on terrorist with Russia,” which is to say the Obama administration wanted to give their intelligence to the Russians. - Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord, on CNN, responding to their tizzy that Trump disclosed intelligence to the Russians about ISIS

This week, a Toyota Land Cruiser set the record as the world’s fastest SUV after reaching 230 mph. Apparently somebody was really late to their kid’s soccer game. - Conan O’Brien

MORE QUOTES

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When she heard Comey was fired, Hillary called him and said, “Aw, did someone take away a job that was rightfully yours? Ah, too bad!” - Jimmy Fallon

Resist, insist, persist, enlist. -Message on the homepage of Hillary Clinton’s new Super PAC, “Onward Together”

I actually think that the issue that required the most political courage was the decision not to bomb Syria after the chemical weapons use had been publicized and rather to negotiate them removing chemical weapons from Syria. -Barack Obama, in an interview last week before accepting a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award, talking about not taking military action in 2013 after Syria crossed the “red line” that Obama had previously delineated (Assad used chemical weapons two months ago, proving false Obama’s claim that he negotiated the removal of Assad’s chemical weapons)

After news of the Comey firing broke last night, Press Secretary Sean Spicer avoided reporters by hiding behind a bush outside the White House. Today, Bill Clinton said, “Oh yeah, I remember that bush.” -Conan O’Brien

MORE QUOTES

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Despite virtually every advantage afforded to a political candidate, American voters — including Democrats — told Hillary Clinton to take a hike. Not once, but twice. But instead of picking up on social cues — and polls that found the majority of Americans don’t trust her — she has now launched a new PAC called “Onward Together.” Which really should be named “Blowing Billions and Elections Together. And then blaming Russia.” - Adriana Cohen, Boston Herald

Punch Steve Bannon, Get Free Whiskey For Life.

-The offer written on receipts of a bar in Portland, Oregon, encouraging people to physically hurt President Trump’s senior advisor

President Trump gave a commencement speech at Liberty University on Saturday and he said, “Always have the courage to be yourself and chase your dreams.” Then he stopped talking because he ran out of fortune cookies. - Jimmy Fallon

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Political crossfire

A Political Ax Murder by charles Krauthammer

t was implausible that FBI Director James Comey was fired in May 2017 for actions committed in July 2016 – the rationale contained in the memo by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. It was implausible that Comey was fired by Donald Trump for having been too tough on Hillary Clinton, as when, at that July news conference, he publicly recited her various email misdeeds despite recommending against prosecution. It was implausible that Trump fired Comey for, among other things, reopening the Clinton investigation 11 days before the election, something that at the time Trump praised as a sign of Comey’s “guts” that had “brought back his reputation.” It was implausible that Trump, a man notorious for being swayed by close and loyal personal advisers, fired Comey on the recommendation of a sub-Cabinet official whom Trump hardly knew and who’d been on the job all of two weeks. It was implausible that Trump found Rosenstein’s arguments so urgently persuasive that he acted immediately – so precipitously, in fact, that Comey learned of his own firing from TVs that happened to be playing behind him. These implausibilities were obvious within seconds of Comey’s firing and the administration’s immediate attempt to pin it all on the Rosenstein memo. That was pure spin. So why in reality did Trump fire Comey? Admittedly, Comey had to go. The cliché is that if you’ve infuriat-

ed both sides, it means you must be doing something right. Sometimes, however, it means you must be doing everything wrong. Over the last year, Comey has been repeatedly wrong. Not, in my view, out of malice or partisanship (although his self-righteousness about his own probity does occasionally grate). He was in an unprec-

A series of these – and Comey became anathema to both Democrats and Republicans. Clinton blamed her loss on two people. One of them was Comey. And there’s the puzzle. There was ample bipartisan sentiment for letting Comey go. And there was ample time from Election Day on to do so. A simple talk, a gold watch, a friendly

A blindsided Comey ends up in a livestreamed O.J. Bronco ride, bolting from Los Angeles to be flown, defrocked, back to Washington.

edented situation with unpalatable choices. Never in American presidential history had a major party nominated a candidate under official FBI investigation. (Turns out the Trump campaign was under investigation as well.) Which makes the normal injunction that FBI directors not interfere in elections facile and impossible to follow. Any course of action – disclosure or silence, commission or omission – carried unavoidable electoral consequences. Comey had to make up the rules as he went along. He did. That was not his downfall. His downfall was making up contradictory, illogical rules, such as the July 5 non-indictment indictment of Clinton.

farewell, a Comey resignation to allow the new president to pick the new director. No fanfare, no rancor. True, this became more difficult after March 20 when Comey revealed that the FBI was investigating the alleged Trump-Russia collusion. Difficult but not impossible. For example, just last week Comey had committed an egregious factual error about the Huma Abedin emails that the FBI had to abjectly walk back in a written memo to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here was an opportunity for a graceful exit: Comey regrets the mistake and notes that some of the difficult decisions he had previously made necessarily cost him the con-

fidence of various parties. Time for a clean slate. Add the usual boilerplate about not wanting to be a distraction at such a crucial time. Awkward perhaps, but still dignified and amicable. Instead we got this – a political ax murder, brutal even by Washington standards. (Or even Roman standards. Where was the vein-opening knife and the warm bath?) No final meeting, no letter of resignation, no presidential thanks, no cordial parting. Instead, a blindsided Comey ends up in a live-streamed O.J. Bronco ride, bolting from Los Angeles to be flown, defrocked, back to Washington. Why? Trump had become increasingly agitated with the Russia-election investigation and Comey’s very public part in it. If Trump thought this would kill the inquiry and the story, or perhaps even just derail it somewhat, he’s made the blunder of the decade. Whacking Comey has brought more critical attention to the Russia story than anything imaginable. It won’t stop the FBI investigation. And the confirmation hearings for a successor will become a nationally televised forum for collusion allegations, which up till now have remained a scandal in search of a crime. So why did he do it? Now we know: The king asked whether no one would rid him of this troublesome priest, and got so impatient he did it himself. (c) 2017, The Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

Civil War Heroes and Medals of Honor By Avi Heiligman

ver two million soldiers and sailors served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Just under a million men served with the Confederacy during America’s bloodiest war in history. Of the three million men who served on both sides an estimated 11,000 were Jewish. 9,000 served with the Union which kept better records than their southern counterparts. Six of these Jewish soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor. Created during the Civil War, the Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious award given to American servicemen and women. These service members have distinguished themselves in battle and at least 26 of these have been identified as being Jewish (although there is another honoree, Henry Heller, who served during the Civil War that some historians think is Jewish. There is a lot of doubt in that claim mainly because he was buried in a Baptist cemetery without Jewish markings on his gravestone). Over 1,500 Medal of Honors were issued during the Civil War after President Lincoln signed the bill that was made

into legislation in early 1862. The guidelines for the honor were very loose as many of the men honored were for just resigning with the army for another year. The first Jewish honoree in history was a New Yorker. Private Benjamin Levy served as a drummer boy

and was awarded for his actions that day, becoming one of the youngest Medal of Honor recipients at the age of just 17. Prussian-born David Urbansky was the next Jewish soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor. He was cited for “gallantry in action” (no de-

General James Wadsworth, who was killed in the battle, saw Karpeles’s flag and shouted, “Rally round the flag, boys!”

in the 1st New York Infantry during the Battle of Glendale on June 30, 1862. According to official records, Levy’s drum was destroyed so he took the weapon of his tent mate who was unable to fight due to illness. Levy saw the color bearer go down and picked up the flag to join the charge. He was later wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864

tails were recorded) during the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 and the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863. Another Prussian-born Jewish soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864. Abraham Cohn, who had entered the war as a private with the 68th New York Infantry Regiment, rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant and distin-

guished himself during a battle known as The Crater. In eleven engagements, he was wounded twice. The Battle of the Wilderness took place in Virginia by which time Cohn was with the 6th New Hampshire Regiment. His commanding officer ordered him to gather as many soldiers as he could and lead a counterattack. As the rebels advanced, they ran into the 6th New Hampshire’s lines and were stopped. Cohn had to cajole and beg retreating soldiers to join him, and with this ragtag force he had managed to stem the attack. Confederate General Longstreet’s forces were stopped, and the Union flank was saved. Cohn’s citation simply reads, “During Battle of the Wilderness (Cohn) rallied and formed, under heavy fire, disorganized and fleeing troops of different regiments. At Petersburg, Va., July 30, 1864, (he) bravely and coolly carried orders to the advanced line under severe fire.” The Battle of the Wilderness was the start of Union General Grant’s Overland Campaign that ended with the Confederates reeling despite the heavy casualties on both sides. Grant brought in units from all over the north for the campaign, including the 57 th Massachusetts Regiment. Ser-

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Leopold Karpeles; he is wearing his Medal of Honor

geant Leopold Karpeles was born in Prague and moved with his family to Galveston, Texas, before a disagreement about slavery with his brother saw him move to Springfield, Mas-

Isaac Gause

sachusetts. During the battle he was entrusted with the colors (the flag), which was barely visible through the smoke and haze of the battle. General James Wadsworth, who was killed

Private Benjamin Levy

in the battle, saw Karpeles’s flag and shouted, “Rally round the flag, boys!” The Confederates tried many times to shoot Karpeles and bring down the flag but kept on missing. He was wounded and in 1870 was finally awarded the Medal of Honor. The last two Jewish awardees of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War were both born in the United States. Isaac Gause was born in Ohio and had joined the army when he was just 18. As a sergeant in the 2nd Ohio Cavalry he took part in many patrols and “behind the enemy lines” missions. Cavalry soldiers were considered the Special Forces of the day and were given tough to almost impossible tasks by the commanders of the army. On one of these reconnaissance missions near Berryville, Virginia Gause captured the colors of the 8th South Carolina Infantry Regiment. For this action he was awarded the Medal of Honor and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In the Western Theater in late 1864 the Confederates couldn’t stop General William Sherman on his March to the Sea. Southern General J.B. Hood’s Army of the Tennessee went after the remaining Union troops that did not go with Sherman. Under the command of General John Schofield the Union troops dug in at Franklin, Tennessee, and were prepared for the “Pickett’s Charge of the West.” Both sides had about 27,000 men but the Southern troops were

demoralized. The results were disastrous for the Confederates who lost over 6,000 of their men, with 14 of their generals and 55 commanders becoming casualties. Private Abraham Greenawalt, a native of Pennsylvania, was a member of the 104th Ohio Infantry Regiment. During the battle he captured a Confederate Corps colors on November 30, 1864. Greenawalt became the sixth Jewish soldier to earn the Medal of Honor during the war. As the U.S. became involved in more conflicts the criteria for the Medal of Honor became more stringent. In fact, 911 Civil War veterans had their medals taken away in 1916 with six of them being restored decades later. A review board determined that for some – like the veteran who asked for a medal in 1872 – should not be allowed to continue being honored in such a manner. Those who were left, including the six mentioned in this article, were determined to go above the call of duty in battle. These six Jewish soldiers and the dozen or so who were given the Medal of Honor in later conflicts are hardly mentioned today. In today’s military, however, they are considered heroes and won’t be forgotten.

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.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home

A Fulfilled L fe

Quit Complaining and Start Changing by rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. -Maya Angelou

ne of the best insights that I have heard about complaining was shared by Jack Canfield, author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series. Canfield said that all complainers have to have “a reference point of something that they want that they are not willing to risk creating.” An analysis of this definition reveals two key elements. The first is the idea that we complain when we have reference points that we think we want more than what we have. An example of this would be your car. When there exists a nicer, better, faster car than the one that you drive (which there is), any problem or deficit with your vehicle (real or imagined) may lead someone to complain about the one that he has. In contrast, something that is rare (such as a tattered keepsake from an event or icon), will not cause us to complain even if it is in far from perfect condition. Another example of this idea would be a spouse or child. When that person fails to live up to our expectations, whatever they might be, it is likely that we will complain or at the least harbor some form of resentment. But, if our spouse were to

happen to be the only person of the opposite gender in the world, or if our children were the only ones available, then our perspective would change immediately. Similarly, you will never (or at least very seldom) hear an elderly person complain about gravity, even though it causes them to become bent over. While no one wants to experience gravity’s negative effects, we recognize that complaining will do nothing to reduce its impact. There is simply no alternative.

to change our reality we will be stuck with what we have for the foreseeable future. Time alone will not do it for us. As Andy Warhol once said, “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” Leaders in particular are known to resist change. According to HBR contributor Rosabeth Ross Kanter, there are many reasons as to why people, most notably leaders, fail to take the action needed to change their current,

Those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. The second component of Canfield’s definition focuses on our response to those things that we want to get or improve. Are we willing to do something, and, in many cases, risk creating a new reality, or do we content ourselves with griping, complaining, and tolerating the status quo? We all know that changing the current reality can be difficult. Many of us fear change because it takes us out of our comfort zone and leads us down an unknown path. Better the devil that we know. But we also know that without a willingness to risk that discomfort

unwanted realities. These include: •Loss of control. Change can make people feel that they’ve lost control over their territory and/ or processes. Fear sets in and fear is the enemy of progress. • Creatures of habit. From where and how we set out our clothes to our tooth brushing rituals to how we work through our day, we like to follow predictable, familiar routines. • Admission of error. Change is a departure from the past. This may serve as an indictment to those – including the leader herself – who was part of the old way of doing things. Change may invoke resentment and

even defensiveness. • More work. Change cannot happen without real effort, consensus building and continuous twoway communication. That’s hard work. • The threat is real. When we seek to change there can be real victims of the process, such as fewer jobs when we automate systems, consolidate roles and reporting structures. These concerns are real and there’s no easy way around them. But that doesn’t mean that we should continue to tolerate the status quo. In the words of Winston Churchill, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” There are certain elements of leadership which, while perhaps not things that we look forward to, are absolutely critical components of the job. Change is certainly one of those. However, not only does avoiding change mean more complaining about and tolerating of things that we don’t want, it keeps us stagnant. In today’s world, that’s akin to moving backwards. Perhaps JFK said it best: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is an executive coach and president of Impactful Coaching and Consulting (ImpactfulCoaching.com). He can be reached at 212.470.6139 or at nhoff@impactfulcoaching.com.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 | The Jewish Home

Studying Sm

Changes to the Common Core What to Expect in 2017 & Beyond By Chaim Homnick

ast year, this column analyzed the Common Core curriculum and testing and how it failed so spectacularly. A program ostensibly intended to strengthen core elements of education, it instead became the target of vitriolic ridicule. Last year, around 20% of students refused to even take the test. Blatant flaws in the curriculum that have gone uncorrected and stories like the group of 3rd graders who inadvertently received 4th grade math tests have done little to inspire any confidence in the potential for the Common Core to turn things around. Nonetheless, the state is planning significant changes in response to the nearly unanimous outrage and disapproval. In fact, the Education Department solicited public comment from teachers, parents and administrators last year about the Common Core, and the online survey received responses from more than 10,500 people who submitted nearly 250,000 suggestions and comments. Here are some of the changes that have kicked in for this year and beyond:

DEATH OF THE COMMON CORE? OR JUST A REBRAND? New York plans on revamping the Common Core system. However, they seem to have learned from the backlash in response to the chaotic Common Core launch. The current plan is to slowly introduce new curriculum and test content over two years. Ac-

cording to Jhone Ebert, New York’s senior deputy education commissioner, this timeline will “allow schools time to align curriculum and provide professional development to educators and parents.” Additionally, the department is mulling a name change to accompany the adjustments to the curriculum. Admitting that the term Common Core is “politically charged,” the education board is considering renaming the standards. They insist that substantive changes will be made as well and it will not be just an empty rebrand.

TIME LIMITS / NUMBER OF QUESTIONS At Governor Cuomo’s behest last year, the Common Core for grades 3-8 relaxed the hard time limits, allowing students working productively to continue taking the test for as long as they needed. A few questions were also removed from each test. These changes were made to encourage the 20% of abstainers to take the test this year, as federally required for the state (New York receives almost $1 billion in annual federal education funding for adopting the Common Core standards). The issue with this is that swapping the timing system out entirely makes it harder for teachers to track growth from last year. The Regents Board insists that scores are still comparable to last year but many teachers have expressed concerns with the latest round of sudden changes and the fact that much of the

material still seems convoluted and/or not age-appropriate.

TEACHER ASSESSMENTS As a result of the timing changes for 2017, the tests will not be used to measure teacher effectiveness. However, schools as a whole can still be graded based upon their students’ performance. So teachers and administrators for many struggling schools are still responsible for precipitating improvements to their students’ scores or they can face potential consequences.

PASSING SCORES In June, high school students will take Regents Algebra, Geometry, and English exams that incorporate Common Core standards. For now, kids can still graduate with at least a 65 score on those tests. However, the class of 2022 (those who start ninth grade in 2018) will be held to the new, higher standard and can only pass the Regents exams with “college and career-ready” scores of 75 in ELA and 80 in math. This ups the ante for students tremendously and presents a particular challenge for the math Regents. The goal, of course, is to improve high school students’ abilities as they enter college due to the high number of New York State students who are failing out of college. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how many students will be affected by this annually and what it does for their post-high school prospects.

ltimately, the Common Core has been a farcical comedy of errors from day one. The companies and legislators behind it failed to perform sufficient market research, failed to make a suitable product, and failed to launch it properly. As a result, it has muddled an otherwise important issue: how to improve the quality of America’s education and the academic strength of our young graduates. Rather than learn from their mistakes, the education board has been mostly reactionary and seems to be trying to appease the mob of parents wielding metaphorical torches and pitchforks. It remains to be seen what changes the Regents and Common Core curriculum will undergo moving forwards. But hopefully this time they can find a coherent, balanced system that parents, educators and students can all support so we can go back to focusing on important classroom issues – like determining what to do about those fidget spinner things. Chaim Homnick is the College Advisor at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov of Lawrence and also teaches 5 periods of Honors/AP English Literature. Chaim is the owner of Five Towns Tutoring (fivetownstutoring. com) and has new Regents groups forming now, especially for 9th and 10th graders, in Algebra, Geometry, Bio and Global. He scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and the LSAT and tutors both extensively. He has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration as well as an MBA. Chaim lives in Inwood, New York. For questions, comments, previous articles or tutoring, he can be reached directly at chomnick@gmail.com or 305-321-3342.

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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CO-OP FOR SALE FAR ROCKAWAY 833 Central , 1st floor, balcony, doorman. Completely renovated, near LIRR, 2BR/2 full bath, 2 DW/sinks, wood cabinets, granite counters $339 917-572-9644 WOODMERE: BEST BUY – NEW PRICE SMALL PETS OK: Beautiful Corner Unit In Elevator Bldg, 2BR, 5 Closets, All Large Rooms, Sunny & Spacious, Close To All...$165K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

2 bedroom apartment for rent Beach 9 St & Bolton in Far Rockaway $1750, including gas and electric Call Aaron at 646-462-8341 HEWLETT NO FEE – Two - 1BR APT IN BLDG – RENOVATED 1BR Apt In The Heart Of Hewlett, SS Appliances, New Cabinetry, Recessed Lighting, Hard Wood Floors, Washer/Dryer In Bldg, Close To All, NO FEE...$1,995/mo Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295 3000 www.pugatch.com

BUNGALOW SALE Woodridge, last Summer Bungalow on all Orthodox St for Sale. Walk to Shul, 0.04 acres, low taxes, good for vocation or investment $70,000 Linda 212-254-3169

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 SITUATION WANTED

HELP WANTED

Baby nurse and companion looking for work. Can travel and light cooking. Available for full time or part time. M-F and weekends if needed. French/ English. With references. Please call Sandra 917-600-6563

SCHOOL SECRETARY POSITION AVAILABLE IN QUEENS Located in Kew Gardens, small boys kiruv school seeks secretary to run school office. Tasks include answering phones, daily attendance, creating flyers, helping with mailings, coordinating various programs such as busing, state testing, etc. Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel and a strong computers background necessary, experience in schools a plus. Hours are MondayThursday 8:30-3:45, Friday 8:30-12:15, possibly adjustable. Salary commensurate with experience. Please send resumes to jobseekfr@yahoo.com

We are a mesivta in the Far Rockaway/5 towns area, seeking experienced teachers only in ELA , Math, Chemistry and History for September 2017 for Grades 9 thru 12, afternoons only: We provide a professional, warm and supportive environment with an excellent salary. Please email resume to: 5tmesivta@gmail.com Yeshiva Ketana of Queens is looking for 3RD-5TH GRADE GENERAL STUDIES TEACHERS. 4 afternoons a week 1:30-4:30. Warm environment, good pay. Please call 917-742-8909 and email resume to rlswia@aol.com

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Special Ed teacher for CPSE program Positive and growing environment Competitive pay~Experience preferred Email resume to scohen@onourwaylc.org No phone calls please

GENERAL STUDIES TEACHERS Sept. ’17: JH - Math, ELA. Elementary Lead and Assistant teachers. M-Th afternoons. 5 Towns Area Boys’ School. Email resume: theteacherhunt@gmail.com

Masters degree in Special Ed and

HELP WANTED TEACHING POSITIONS AVAILABLE IN BOYS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN QUEENS Boys kiruv school located in Kew Gardens seeks general studies teachers for upper elementary grades. Must be proficient in Common Core curriculum and comfortable with technology in the classroom in addition to receiving training in an award winning system. Competitive salary. Hours are Monday-Thursday 12:30-3:45 Please send resumes to jobseekfr@yahoo.com Help Wanted Pugatch Realty Corp., in Woodmere, is looking to hire and train a select group of motivated Realtors. If you are looking to build a career in real estate, or looking to take your existing career to the next level, there is no better place to start that the #1 Real Estate Brokerage in the Five Towns…Call Today (516) 295-3000 x 128. All calls kept confidential.

Looking for a shadow for a 10 year old autistic, mid/high functioning boy of 10, for upcoming summer at camp Chazak. Please call 718-408-5401 SIACH YITZCHOK - FAR ROCKAWAY seeks JH Math & ELA teachers candidateteacher@gmail.com

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Local F.T. Accounting Office Seeks P/T JR. ACCOUNTANT proficient in Q.B. knowledge of payroll tax, sales tax, business tax and individual taxes Qualified applicants should please e-mail resume to: 5towntaxoffice@gmail.com

HELP WANTED GRAPHIC DESIGNER WANTED Experienced on Mac. Must know well: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. For A Part-Time Position Monday & Tuesday. References Mandatory. Please Call Mr. Schwartz (718) 377-8016 or E-mail your Resume to or Fax (718) 258-2149 SPECIAL ED PRESCHOOL IN FAR ROCKAWAY looking for a special ed teacher for a small class teacher certification required Experience preferred Warm and Supportive environment Email resume to scohen@onourwaylc.org

Reach Your Target Market Classifieds

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Classifieds HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

JOIN OUR TEAM! Established Travel Concierge specializing in Credit Card Rewards redemption is looking to hire Mileage Travel Agents for our 5 Towns office. Experience in mileage bookings required. Salary and Commission commensurate with experience. For more info, please contact admin@getpeyd.com

CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers, Title I Boro Park, Williamsburg and Flatbush Schools *College/Yeshiva Degree *Teaching experience required *Strong desire to help children learn *Small group instruction *Excellent organization skills Competitive salary Send resume to: Fax: (212) 480-3691 ~ Email: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com

FIVE TOWNS OFFICE LOOKING FOR immediate hire of several people…part time and full time…starting at $15 per hour. Need detail- oriented person to handle A/P, A/R, customer service, and ability to negotiate bids and contracts. Computer literate a must. Please email fabadi@egwaste.com TEACHER FOR BOYS HIGH SCHOOL, Sept 2017, Math, Science, Computers 12:45-3:00 email jobsatyeshiva@gmail.com Special Ed preschool in Far Rockaway looking for a SPECIAL ED TEACHER for a small class. Masters degree in Special Ed and teacher certification required Experience preferred Warm and Supportive environment E mail resume to Scohen@onourwaylc.org

TJH Classifieds Post your Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services, Miscellaneous Ads here.

Weekly Classifed Ads Up to 5 lines and/or 25 words 1 week ................ $20 $10 2 weeks .............. $35 $17.50 4 weeks .............. $60 $30 Email ads to: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com Include valid credit card info

Deadline Monday 5:00pm

COMPUTER TEACHER, for elementary school, Sept 2017, email fivetownseducators@gmail.com Yeshiva Ketana of Queens Looking for Energetic & Inspiring Female GENERAL STUDIES TEACHERS 2017-2018. Grades 2-5 Email Resume Rlswia@aol.com 718-969-1000 EXT 105 The Yeshiva of Central Queens is seeking dynamic, experienced Elementary School General Studies and JHS Math teachers for September 2017. Candidates will have a Master’s degree and NYS Teacher Certification. If you are interested in joining our exceptional and dedicated faculty, please forward your resume and cover letter to mlandsman@ycq.us REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT COMPANY is looking for an experienced Investor Relation associate to raise capital for sponsor/investor relationships. Compensation will be offered thru partnership/commission. Contact info@zreny.com 718-285-0941 WARM, LOVING, HEIMISHE PLAYGROUP IN FAR ROCKAWAY – AGES 2 ½ TO 4 – IS LOOKING FOR ASSISTANTS AND SUBSTITUTES. PLEASE CALL 516-371-6848

Immediate openings for Middle School Language Arts Teacher and Limudei Kodesh Maternity substitute in Hebrew Academy of Long Beach - afternoons only. Resumes to ulubetski@halb.org OVERNIGHT \WEEKEND COUNSELOR Responsible and exp’d staff to live in a beautiful group home & work 3 nights\ week 7pm - 9am. Staff are not req’d to remain awake after 11pm. Staff are req’d to work two weekends per month. Free rent & food. Stipend given as well. Great for college girl. For additional info contact Frayde Yudkowsky at 732.948.4636 or fyudkowsky@ evolvetreatment.com

MISC SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURES Tickets + Safari Valid any operating day $40 Parking passes $20 Call or text Shua @917-923-0011 RAMAT BEIT SHEMESH ALEPH Comfortable 1.5 bedroom vacation rental -- perfect for your next visit to Ramat Beit Shemesh. Elegantly furnished with luxurious orthopedic beds, spacious living/ dining area, modern bathroom with all the amenities. Ground-floor entrance, with room for parking -- five-minute stroll to the shopping area. Sleeps up to five. A/C, Wifi, washer/ dryer, kitchenette. Please contact us for daily and weekly rates. Mordechai +972-58-4804238 Email: mgreiver@outlook.com

SHIDDUCH DATING? NEED PLACES TO GO? Check out Pegishaplace.com WIG GEMACH Everyone in our community deserves to look great! Donate used wigs and make a world of a difference. For appointments to see wigs or to donate, call Deena 845-304-6668

The Jewish Home | MAY 18, 2017

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MAY 18, 2017 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29,| 2015 | The Jewish

the Jewish Home | OctOber 29, 2015

Your

Money

Taxing the Roses by Allan rolnick, cPA

very year on the first Saturday in May, an enormous crowd of socialites, “turf investors,” and people just looking for a party descends on Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. It’s an unforgettable pageant of mint juleps, fashionable hats, and the most exciting two minutes in sports. This year, the favorite Always Dreaming leaped first out of the gate, left challenger Battle of Midway after a mile, and sploshed the rest of the way down the muddy backstretch to his victory. The winner paid $11.40 on a $2 bet to win and landed his owners a tidy $1,635,800 purse. A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can run like a horse, of course. But while Always Dreaming gets the glory and the roses, he couldn’t do it all by himself. Who helped? There were his owners, Anthony Bonomo and Vincent Viola, who spotted his potential. There was his trainer, Todd Pletcher, and his jockey, John Velazquez, each of whom had already won a Kentucky Derby. And, of course, there was the U.S. tax code, whose generous subsidies help make horse racing possible in the first place.

Here’s the dark reality behind racing’s bright silks. Only one horse gets to claim that seven-figure Derby purse in a year, and most horses never clear a profit in their life. For the majority of owners, “invest-

a profit. You don’t even have to have an expectation as long as you have the necessary intent. The code offers a helpful rule of thumb to make that determination easier. For most activities, if you

For the majority of owners, “investing” in racehorses is like “investing” in lottery tickets.

ing” in racehorses is like “investing” in lottery tickets. And for most of them, that’s OK — their horses are just a (very expensive) hobby. Here’s where the handicappers at the IRS come in. Code Section 183 — also known as the “hobby loss” rule — says that you can deduct losses from your business against your other income — but you can’t deduct losses from your hobby. So ... how do you know the difference? The basic rule is that you have to enter into the activity with an intent to make

make a profit in three out of five years, you’re presumed to be engaging in it with an intent to make a profit. (That’s not a hard and fast rule, by the way, and some tax professionals will tell you that if you don’t make a profit in three of those five years, your losses are scratched. That’s not actually true — it just means you have to work a little harder to prove your bona fide business intent.) But there’s one kind of business that gets a special pass on the rules and gets to make hay just two out of

seven years to take advantage of that for-profit presumption. You’ve probably already guessed — it’s activities “which consist in major part of the breeding, training, showing, or racing of horses.” The two-out-of-seven standard isn’t the only break racehorses get. The tax code lets you depreciate them the same way they depreciate a trailer or a barn. Most horses depreciate over seven years — but racehorses depreciate over just three. (Why? Because you’re buying them to make money.) Recovering your investment faster lets you use the savings to buy more horses. (It’s sort of like taking winning lottery tickets and using the proceeds to buy more lottery tickets. At some point, you really ought to take your winnings off the table.) Want a hot tip on a sure thing? There’s no need to gamble on your taxes when a smart plan can help you pay less. Make sure you have one so you can finish in the money! Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish | MAY 29, 18, 2017 The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 2015

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Life C ach

It’s Playtime! By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

oes your house have a playroom? That depends: does your house have a kid in it? Put a kid in a house and if you don’t have a designated playroom you can bet they’ll create one. In fact, they’ll create many if you don’t control the spread! People have this fantasy that their kids will play in the basement. Those kids are few and far between. They usually need to be older and have at least one partner in crime to venture down there with them. Kids like to be in beck-and-call distance of their mommies. There are usually two times you come to the realization you’ve decorated wrong: when you have your first child, and then again when you have your first grandchild – especially if there is a gap between the last child you have and the first grandchild that shows up, because all your earlier lessons are forgotten. For instance, couches make great hangouts. They are usually big and appealing. Thinking through the practicality of the color and materi-

al on them is huge with kids around. After all, they make perfect clubhouses and tumbling surfaces. And then one must not forget the accompanying surfaces. End tables are out of the way, and seem to stay out of the way by being there, while a coffee table is usually front and center. And that often occupies the exact same spot a toddler is looking to inhabit. Unfortunately, these two forces often come to blows. And many times, it doesn’t bode well for the forehead or chin of the more vulnerable of the two. I would suggest, as a decorating rule for a house with young kids around, to think that end tables usually end problems and coffee tables usually spill into problems. The interesting thing to note is how the human brain is wired. We humans are never lazy when it comes to taking out an item that we are interested in using: a laptop, a blender, a book, the orange juice, cereal, doughnuts, coffee. But putting them away ... you get the picture! As we mature we learn to save some limited energy for the task of return-

ing them to their designated spots. However, now let’s look at how this wiring affects the child-to-toy ratio! Children have endless motivation to take toys out and basically preserve none to replace them. Therefore, if you give them unlimited access to space, as physics teaches, matter will expand to fill the space allotted. So having a designated playroom is an integral part of the schema. Keep it big so that they don’t get antsy and need to escape it. Make it comfortable because you’ll be spending a lot of time in there too. And keep it near the kitchen because anyone spending too much time with a toddler often needs comfort food to survive but, more importantly, that’s the center of any Jewish home! Everyone winds up in there at some point. If you create proximity they can help entertain the child, keep an eye on him, her or them, and help curtail the outflow of the many pieces of paraphernalia a child tends to drag with them on their pilgrimage to any new spaces. And don’t forget to put rules down as fast as you can. It often

doesn’t actually help the kid to clean up, but it does help you to. Especially, if you start singing that infectious mantra, “Cleanup, cleanup, everybody everywhere; cleanup, cleanup, everybody do your share.” The “everybody” doing your share, is usually you – but what great role modeling you are providing. Just be sure to keep an eye focused on the child as you do this. This is often a great opportunity for the little counterforce to plan their offensive and slip out of the room. Creating a designated area with boundaries, preferably surrounded by sheetrock, may not necessarily do the trick but at least it provides a place to return the toys to and a fighting chance sometimes that you can get them out of sight. So, good luck finding the right spot – and let the games begin!

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com

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