Five Towns Jewish Home - 11-28-19

November 28, 2019

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

Always Fresh. Always Gourmet.

See page 7

Passover Vacation Section

Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper

Jenna and Jacob’s Sheep How a South African Woman Became a Shepherdess to Descendants of Yaakov Avinu’s Sheep pg

Starts on page 123

108

Around the

Community

Momentous Inspirational Torah Event 12 pg

66 The Loitzker Rebbe Visits YKLI

Rabbinical Influencers and Giants of Torah and Chassidus Participate in the Annual Siyum Hashas of the 62 Gaonim of the Kollelim “Shas Yidden”

A Historical Farher: Three Gedolei HaTorah test the proficiency of the Shas Yidden Gaonim on the entire Shas

60 Fostering an Attitude of Gratitude

Netanyahu to Face Corruption Charges

68 The Sweetness of Learning PAGE 9

pg

100

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

‫שבת פרשת ויצא‬

December 6th – 8th The Far Rockaway / 5 Towns Community Welcomes ‫הגה"צ‬ HaRav Yitzchok Kolodetsky ‫שליט"א‬ son-in-law of

‫רשכבה"ג‬ Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievsky ‫שליט"א‬

COMMUNAL TEFILLA KINNUS FOR SHIDDUCHIM AT TORAH ACADEMY FOR GIRLS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8th • 7:00 PM

‫מנחה | קבלת שבת‬

Agudath Israel of West Lawrence Rav Moshe Brown ‫שליט"א‬ 631 Lanett Avenue • 4:14 pm

‫סעודת ליל שבת‬

Mr. & Mrs. Zvi Bloom

‫עונג שבת‬

Mr. & Mrs. Shlomo Reich

1054 New McNeil Avenue • 8:00 pm

(‫שחרית )ותיקין‬

Yeshiva Far Rockaway Rav Yechiel Perr ‫שליט"א‬

802 Hicksville Road • 6:14 am

‫שחרית‬

K’hal Nesiv HaTorah Rav Binyomin Forst ‫שליט"א‬

444 Beach 6th Street • 8:20 am

‫קידוש רבא‬

For a Shabbos of Chizuk and Connection to Chashivus HaTorah

Khal Machzikei Torah Rav Nosson Greenberg ‫שליט"א‬ 1A Jarvis Court • 10:45 am

‫סעודת יום שבת‬

Mr. & Mrs. Moti Hellman

‫מנחה | סעודת שלישית‬

‫קבלת קהל‬ Wednesday Dec 4th 7:30-9:30 pm Mr. & Mrs. Seth Farbman 354 Eastwood Rd Woodmere Erev Shabbos Dec 6th 1:00-3:00 pm Mr. & Mrs. Zvi Bloom 509 Cedar Hill Rd Far Rockaway Motzei Shabbos Dec 7th 9:00 – 11:00 pm Mr. & Mrs. Yoni Dembitzer 619 Elvira Ave Far Rockaway

Agudath Israel of Long Island Rav Meir Braunstein ‫שליט"א‬ 1122 Sage Street • 4:00 pm

‫אבות בנים‬

Bais Medrash Ateres Yisroel (Rabbi Blumenkrantz's Shul) 827 Cornaga Ave • 7:00 pm

The Rav will be fundraising for his Kollel and available for chizuk and brachos from December 4th – 11th . To schedule an appt or for more information, please call (no text) 718 576 1179 or email kollelderechemunah@gmail.com

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

‫בס״ד‬

TORAH ACADEMY FOR GIRLS invites the community to join in a powerful

on behalf of

all the singles in our community led by ‫הגה״צ‬

‫שליט״א‬

son-in-law of ‫רשכבה"ג‬

SUNDAY, DEC 8, 2019

‫שליט״א‬

7:00 PM Doors Open 7:30 PM Divrei Pesicha – Rav Yair Hoffman ‫שליט״א‬ 8:00 PM Special Tefillos for Shidduchim

Torah Academy for Girls, 444 Beach 6th St Far Rockaway, NY R’ KOLODETSKY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOLLOWING THE KINNUS TO MEET WITH INDIVDUALS FOR CHIZUK & BRACHOS For more details, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mrs. Breindy Judowitz at 347-306-0940 or email kollelderechemunah@gmail.com

PROGRAM IS OPEN FOR MEN AND WOMEN –ALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Boca Raton Resort & Club • Hilton Westchester • PGA National Resort Mandarin Oriental, Prague • Aldrovandi Villa Borghese, Rome

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Achiezer AnnuAl GAlA Sunday, January 5, 2020 The Sands Atlantic Beach

d e t a c i d e D

Like a Brother.

Achiezer’s 24-hour community hotline receives calls on a daily - and nightly basis to address medical crises, deathrelated matters, community-wide emergencies, families in need and more.

Because like a brother…

Achiezer is there.

Join Us in Honoring Guests of Honor

Jason & Danielle Bokor MAn of tHe YeAr

YounG leAdersHip AwArd

Dr. Jonathan Herman excellence in Medicine AwArd

Dr. Daniel & Riki Haller

Ari & Deena Weinstein pillAr of cHesed AwArd

Stacey Zrihen

dinner cHAirMen Adam Okun, Moshe Wolfson

EvEnt SponSor

JournAl cHAirMen Zvi Bloom, Moti Hellman

dinner@achiezer.org • 516-791-4444 ext. 113 • Achiezer.org/Dinner

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers, Yitzy Halpern

I

ple around us. And it entails consciously recognizing the good that comes to us each day.

A more grateful person is a happier person.

In a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Dr. Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough asked some participants who were suffering from a neuromuscular disease to write gratitude diaries for three weeks. Others were asked to merely complete forms that assessed their mood and health over that same time period.

Those tasked with writing down feelings of gratitude over three weeks time reported having a more positive daily outlook on life. Their spouses reported that the participants seemed happier and more satisfied with their lives. Interestingly, participants also said that they were able to sleep better and longer at night during the time that they wrote in their gratitude diaries.

Another study noted that those writing in daily gratitude journals for 10 weeks reported having a 25 percent lift in their happiness levels; others in a similar study exercised more per week and accomplished more of their goals.

Nowadays, Thanksgiving has become more about food, football, and black Friday sales than about being appreciative of the gifts that we have been given. This year, perhaps we should all spend some time over the next few days focusing on the good in our lives. After all, if gratefulness can lead to happiness and success, then, well, that’s better than any item you can buy at any sale.

recently met with a well-known mechanech who told me that he feels that hakaras hatov is one of the most important qualities a person could have. In fact, when his daughters were dating, he told them to listen to what their dates were saying about their parents and their rebbeim. Were they grateful? Then they would be a good spouse. If they didn’t exhibit any signs of appreciation or gratefulness for those who helped to rear them, then they weren’t marriage material.

Jokingly, the rabbi noted that his daughters didn’t have many long courtships throughout their dating lives, since many of the young men they dated did not possess the middah of hakaras hatov. But now, they are all married to men who are appreciative of their parents, their teachers, and their wives.

I wonder: is gratefulness a character trait that is inborn or is it something that be inculcated into a person?

Certainly, there are children who have been born into the same family, with the same upbringing, and yet one is so much more appreciative than the other. Could that person have been born with a “grateful gene”?

I don’t have the answer – and I doubt that the medical world has it, either. What I do know, though, is that regardless of if someone is born more appreciative of the blessings around them than others, we can all develop and enhance our middah of hakaras hatov.

As with all changes in our lives, becoming more grateful human beings takes work. It requires thoughtfulness and awareness of the peo-

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Shabbos Zemanim

November 29 – December 5

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

8 50

Community Happenings Op-ed: A Failure to Communicate

116

NEWS

41

Global

18

National

39

Odd-but-True Stories

46

ISRAEL Israel News

My Israel Home

32 98

Knocked Down but Not Staying Down: Netanyahu Faces Corruption Charges 100 JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

90

I Am a Rock by Rav Moshe Weinberger

92

Parsha in Four by Eytan Kobre

96

PEOPLE The Wandering Jew

104

Jenna and Jacob’s Sheep by Rivkah Lambert Adler

108

MDA and the Medical Corps by Avi Heiligman

134

HEALTH & FITNESS He Was Frightened by His Own Anger by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

118

Eating and Exercise by Aliza Beer, MS RD CDN

120

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Pumpkin Pie 122 LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 112

140

Your Money

140

Dear Editor, The REAL answer to this past week’s riddle (a computer walks up to two stores, one called “1” and one called ”0.” Which does it choose?) is: it goes into both at the same time. It’s a quantum supercomputer.

I don’t know why, but the riddle reminds me of an old joke: “Two Irishmen walk out of a bar.”

Regarding the “Country Bumpkin” definition for “hardcopy,” how about “I’m getting too much static on my CB radio.”

Sincerely, TJH Centerfold Commissioner Wannabe Dear Editor, I must tell you how I love the Navidater feature. I usually flip to it first.

But the letter from the shadchanim made it very hard for me to read, and I forced myself to finish the article and the responses. The shadchanim are quick to blame the poor manners of young men on shidduch dates on their mothers and how they were reared. I will posit that the entire shidduch system in this generation is to blame for the poor and unacceptable behaviors of these unsuitable bachelors.

A famous rabbi told his daughter that the problem with this generation is that men are not actively seeking and pursuing wives. In this generation, it is the women who are seeking and pursuing husbands. Young men are inundated with resumes of eligible girls who vie for the privilege of going out on a date with said bachelor. Thus, he feels that he is the prize

to be won, and since he is so special and sought after, why should he clean his car? Why shouldn’t he check his phone? How he treats his date will not make him less desirable to the next picture on the next resume.

The crisis in this resume method is that young men no longer have to be menschen. They do not have to buy their date a drink or escort her to the door after the date. In short, they do not have to court her under this system. Their intrinsic value is in their Y chromosome. And oddly enough, this emasculates them. They do not have to take the initiative in meeting a girl or finding a spouse. It all comes to them so easily. Their mothers reject young ladies when, halachically, it is the young man who must approve of the woman he chooses to date and ultimately marry.

Contrast this with the dating system of yesteryear. Religious young men and women met at Shabbatonim (my sons), at singles’ weekends (yours truly), at parties, at shuls, at lectures, and at weddings when young people were encouraged to sit together. In this free market system, men had to groom themselves, talk to and treat women properly to make a good impression. There was too much competition for them to behave in any other way. If they were not on their best behavior, or their car not appropriately cleaned, they stood a chance of losing the very woman they sought to impress. In the present shidduch system, they lose nothContinued on page 10

Thanks Giving. Giving Thanks by Rivki D. 142 Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

HUMOR Centerfold 88 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

124

Auschwitz Exhibit is a Powerful Reminder of the Unimaginable by George F. Will

130

How Workaholics Drive Economic Inequality by Robert J. Samuelson

132

CLASSIFIEDS

136

What type of pie do you enjoy eating the most?

65

%

Apple pie

25

%

Pecan pie

10

%

Pumpkin pie

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Continued from page 8

ing. And the women? When did it become preferable for the daughters of Israel to be set up by shadchanim who are strangers who know nothing about them and their needs? How did parents trust their daughters’ future in the hands of these shadchanim.?

I feel that it is time to go back to the “old time” dating methods. In the Gemara, Tu B’Av is described as one of the happiest days in the Jewish calendar. On this days, rich girls shared their beautiful dresses with poor girls, and the young men and women socialized, speaking to each other. Our Sages recognized that poorer girls did not have the opportunities of wealthier young ladies. They recognized that the clothes make the (wo)man and in an attempt to level the playing field, poor girls and girls from less than stellar families were given the chance to look their best while trying to find favor, “matza chein,” in the eyes of the eligible bachelors.

Their “personal yichus” was allowed to shine. And our Sages understood human nature. Seeing a person, seeing the neshama in her eyes, hearing the inflection in her voice as she speaks, all contribute to the attractiveness of a human being. Pictures on resumes and resumes, in general, certainly do not pick up on these nuances and, I will argue, actually dehumanize their subjects.

So if the shadchanim want to do Am Yisrael and themselves a favor, I respectfully suggest that they pool their minds and monies together and create social events for singles, especially older singles. They can charge suggested donations to cover their costs and perhaps make their efforts worthwhile. I challenge them to do this. They will see results.

Hashem (Ani v’lo shaliach, as we say during the Pesach seder) has always been the best Shadchan. And He makes shidduchim 24/7.

Respectfully, Cynthia Ziv Hollywood, FL P.S. Kudos to “The Guy” for suggesting that these inappropriate men be given tochacha. He was the only adviser to suggest this. Sechel (common sense) dictates this so these men know their behavior has consequences.

Dear Editor, Most Americans do not know that what Rep. Adam Schiff is taking the United States on now is not im-

peachment – yet. They don’t know that there’s a process set in place that has to come before the actual impeachment of a president. Democrats know that and are using the term “impeachment” as many times as they can so when the next question on Jeopardy! is “This president was impeached,” Americans will jump and say, “Who was Donald Trump?” That, of course, is not true – yet. Both Andrew Jackson and Bill Clinton have been impeached.

Trump still has a way to go.

Good for you for putting in an article about the impeachment process – and what it is and what it isn’t.

Jay Golding Dear Editor, I enjoyed reading your article on Neve and Rabbi Dovid Refson. I know many people who have gone to Neve and other schools on Neve’s campus. I found the article to be informative and interesting.

The most compelling part of the article, though, was Rabbi Refson’s insight into failure. I cannot agree more that children nowadays are so accustomed to “success” that they don’t know how to fail and then get back up again.

We live in a culture that is scared to dare have valedictorians lest other students are “triggered” by not getting an award. We live in a world where everyone has to receive participation trophies because those who lose the game will feel bad if they see that they didn’t get anything at the end of playing.

This attitude that is prevalent across the country is creating a generation that is coddled and ends up being curdled, spoiled, that is, by never having tasted the slight bitterness of failure. Tasting failure – although it may not taste good – allows a child to get used to the feeling of failure. And then, when they fail another time, it doesn’t taste as bitter. This way, they can live their life getting back up again even if they fall and fail consistently, and we will produce a resilient, accomplished generation.

Thomas Alva Edison once said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” We need to raise children who have this attitude – who are buttressed by their failures and compelled to succeed.

All the best, Yonina Kanger

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Momentous Inspirational Torah Event

Rabbinical Influencers and Giants of Torah and Chassidus Participate in the Annual Siyum Hashas of the 62 Gaonim of the Kollelim “Shas Yidden”

A Historical Farher: Three Gedolei Hatorah Test the Proficiency of the Shas Yiden Geonim on the Entire Shas - by heart, in depth (iyun) and breadth (bekius) An incredible sight was recently seen by the philanthropists and donors of the Shas Yiden Kollelim Network. This was a historical test for 62 Shas Yiden geonim. When one says historical, one may ask that seeing that the Shas Yiden network has already had numerous historical farhers by rabbis who are gedolei Yisroel. Nevertheless, this latest farher broke another barrier.

This time, 62 Shas Yiden geonim faced a public test by three gedolei Yisroel, shlit”a, who tested them on the entire Shas b’iyun (in depth), in breadth, in lomdus (reasoning and clarification) and hekeif (allembracing knowledge). The three who comprised the ‘beth din’ of examiners were the Gaon Harav Chaim Feinstein, shlit”a, (Rosh Yeshiva Ateres Shlomo), the Gaon Harav Dov Diskin, shlit”a (Rosh Yeshiva Orchos Torah) and Hagaon Hatzaddik, Hamashpia Reb Elimelech Biderman, shlit”a.

This was an amazing gathering of 62 incredible geonim gathered together – 21 from Beit Shemesh, 16 from Bnei Brak, 14 from

Yerushalayim and 11 from Beitar.

They sat on 3 risers facing the dais, and the nobility shining from their faces reflected how Shas had been absorbed into their being and the Talmud was, literally, in their hands.

What was most amazing were their penetrating responses to the array of probing and scholarly questions. By way of example, Rav Diskin asked if they could give an example from any place in Shas where a father and mother are so called, even if they passed away before the birth.

The immediate response, in virtual

The 62 Shas Yidden at the farher

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

The head table panel at the farher: R’ Meilich Biderman Shlit’a, Hagaon R’ Chaim Feinstein Shlit’a and R’ Berel Diskin Shlit’a

unison was Megillah 13a – where it states that Esther was born after the deaths of her father and mother, and even so they are referred to as father and mother, which they had never been in practice.

An interesting question from Rav Feinstein: “How is it possible for a korban of livestock to atone without shechita and the pouring of the blood? Instant answer: Temurah 25b - one who slaughters a chatas (a sinoffering) and finds a living fetus of 4 months.”

The geonim were asked many questions on matters that appeared numeous times throughout Shas, and they answered and detailed each case. For example, Rav Feinstein asked, where is the dispute if imperfect shechita (she’eina reuya) can be regarded as shechita.

Immediately, there was a torrent of responses: Kesubos 34a, Bava Kama 70b and 106b,Kidushin 57a, Chullin 80a and 84a.

Supporters of Shas Yidden from across the globe during the farher

Reb Meilech Biederman asked where in Shas is the following well-known principle to be found: “Wherever something should not be mixed, if it was mixed, it is problematic”, and with regard to which circumstances? The answer rained down like a slew of bright burning coals: The source is Menachos 18b and 103b regarding the mincha offering; Nedarim 73a regarding a deaf person annulling an oath made by his wife; Kiddushin 25a and Nidda 66a regarding an intermission during immersion; Bava Basra 81a, Makkos 18b regarding reading the text when bringing Bikkurim; Chullin 83b regarding covering the blood after shechita.

Reb Meilech raised the spirits of the gathering when he asked; “Where in Shas does it describe the importance of making people happy other than with money? The responses gladdened the hearts

The Shas Yidden during the farher

of all: Taanis 22a, the case of two jesters concerning who Eliyahu Hanavi remarked that they merited Olam Haba; Kesubos 111b where Rabbi Yochanan said: Better to show white teeth (to smile at another) that pouring him milk; similarly, the gemora in Bava Basra 9, that states that one who gives words of comfort to a poor person is blessed with 11 blessings, whereas one who gives only money is blessed with only 6.

Many, many other questions were asked, however there is no place here to bring them all in the space of a news report. The mood was electric and charged with anticipation as the geonim responded from each appropriate place throughout Shas, all which brought about an enormous and historical Kiddush Hashem.

The gedolei Torah present expressed their unqualified amazement at the extensive knowledge of the Shas Yiden geonim and expressed their sentiments before the founder of the Shas Yidden Kollelim Network, the Pozna Rov, Hagaon Harav Avrohom Halevi Eisen, and the donors who witnessed the public farher during two dynamic and riveting hours.

The live farher will soon be available on the Shas Yiden website: www.shasyiden.com

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Momentous Inspirational Torah Event: Rabbinical Influencers and Giants of Torah and Chassidus Participate in the Annual Siyum Hashas of the 62 Gaonim of the Kollelim “Shas Yidden” The legendary Sar HaTorah Hagaon R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a the leader of the kollelim : “The zechus of Torah that the learned yungeleit of Shas Yidden serves as a protection for Klal Yisroel and the entire world from all evil.”

The Ponevezh Rosh Yeshiva Rav Gershon Edelstein Shlit’a: “The true derech halimud is followed by the rabbanim and gaonim of Shas Yidden.”

Hagoan R’ Pavorsky Shlit’a: “To sit with 62 yungeleit, gaonim who have completed the entire Shas, can you imagine the simcha this creates in shamayim?”

Mashpia R’ Meilich Biderman Shlit’a: “The gaonim of Shas Yidden are making a public Kiddush Hashem, by being knowledgeable in the

entire Shas, something that is unprecedented.”

Hagaon R’ Chaim Feinstein Shlit’a: “The gaonim of Shas Yidden are familiar with the entire Shas through and through, in depth as I have seen for myself.”

In a shocking gesture, R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a struggled to stand up in honor of the founder of the kollelim R’ Avrohom Eisen Shlit’a Pozna Rav, on behalf of his efforts to spread Torah and establish tens of Torah giants, Shas Yidden, who are learned in all of Shas.

A momentous event in honor of the Torah learning took place on Tuesday Night in the Keter HaRimon hall in Bnei Brak as befits the Torah and those who toil in her depths.

At the event, in the presence of Gedolei Yisroel, all 62 loimdim,

Hagaon R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a drinking L’chaim after the siyum.

shas yidden, concluded Shas as is the yearly custom. The joy and kavod haTorah was tremendous!

The Shas Yidden Kollel Network, which planted its seeds in Beit Shemesh ten years ago, has since grown and flourished. The Beit Shemesh Kollel currently consists of 21 avreichim, The Yerushalayim Kollel consists of 14 yungeleit, in Bnei Brak the total is 16 and in Beitar Ilit has 11. That is a sum total of 62 gaoinim steeped in the learnings of Shas who are completing its entirety with Rashi and Tosfos on a yearly basis.

The specialized structure of learning in the Kollelim network is reviewed with a chazarah of more than 50 blatt every week and tallies to 225 blatt every single month.

That is how the gaonim yungeleit are zoche to complete Shas thoroughly every year.

The name “Shas Yidden” has gained traction far and wide and the yungeleit cherish a special relationship with HaGoan R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a the leader of all Kollelim. On countless occasions the Gaon farhered the yungeleit on the entire Shas and was amazed at the depth of their answers.

The Siyum event was conducted after a festive meal was served in the presence of a vast array of Gedolei Torah and Chassidus who

Hagaon R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a as he blesses R’ Avrohom Eisen Shlit’a, Rav of Pozna founder of the Kollelim

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

The head table at the event. Presentor: R’ Gershon Edelstein Shlit’a.

participated in the grand event and expressed their deep joy at the accomplishment of the 62 yungeleit that completed Shas in depth.

This year, the kollelim network’s tenth anniversary was celebrated, which translates into completing Shas a total of ten times.

Rav Meilich Biderman Shlit’a, who farhered the misaymei haShas prior to the siyum, expressed his deep emotions toward the yungeleit and the knowledge they possess on each blat. He added that this phenomenon has never existed since the writing of Talmid Bavli.

The Viznitzer Rebbe Shlit’a of Beit Shemesh spoke of the chashivus of the misaymei haShas and gave his holy blessing to the founder of the kollelim, Rav Eisen Shlit’a, for enabling this concept, for setting up an army of Talmidim that are familiar with the entire Shas from cover to cover. He added that his son in law is zoche to learn in the kollel and whenever he’s in need of a maareh makom he gets an accurate answer immediately.

‫בס"ד חשון תש"פ‬

‫בואו ונחזיק טובה לידידינו אב"ד פוזנא הגר"א הלוי‬ ‫אייזען שליט"א במלאות עשר שנים לפתיחת כוללים‬ ‫ש"ס אידען ובשנים האחרונות נענה לבקשתי והוסיף‬ ‫ופתח עוד כוללים אשר לומדים שם עשרות אברכים‬ ‫ת"ח גדולים שכשמו כן הוא שיודעים ש"ס בבלי על‬ ‫בוריו אשר בחנתים כמה פעמים ושאלתי כמה שאלות‬ ‫ותיכף ענו על אתר גם בני ר' שאול שליט"א שאל אותם‬ ‫כשעה ארוכה בכל הש"ס כולו והתפעל מאד מידיעתם‬ ‫המקיפה וקרא עליהם הגמ' בקידושין דף ל' א' שאם‬ ‫ישאל לך אדם דבר אל תגמגם ותאמר לו אלא אמור לו‬ ‫ לכן זכות גדולה מאד להחזיק ידי ת"ח גדולים‬,'‫מיד וכו‬ ‫כאלו ביד רחבה ויזכו כל המחזיקים בכל הברכות‬ ‫האמורות למחזיקי התורה‬

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The Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh Hagaon R’ Baroch Dov Pavorsky Shlit’a started his lecture quoting the words of “Nefesh Chaim” who explains the love Hashem has for every word of Torah. Every word of Torah that leaves the mouth of a yid travels to shamayim and gets embraced lovingly by Hashem building endless spheres of kedusha. The kedusha brings brachos and hashpaos to the one that uttered even one single word of Torah.

“In our presence are 62 yungeleit, gaonim, who have completed the entire Shas. Imagine the joy created in shamayim thanks to the Shas Yidden” said the Rosh Yeshiva. “How much kedusha they are filling the world with and how much shefa and abundance they are bringing upon the world with their koach haTorah.”

The hundreds of attendees, who took part in the Simcha Shel Torah, gave a standing ovation in awed respect as R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a, and Rav Edelstein Shlit’a made their honored appearance to display their respect and support for the avreichim of Shas Yidden and its founder.

Rav Edelstein commented that the derech halimud of Shas Yidden is the true way of learning. As Chazal say: first one should learn and only then go into depth. The Rosh Yeshiva expressed his pain at those who don’t understand that learning Gemara with Rashi is very chashuv even without Tosfos and here we have Shas Yidden who managed to complete Shas with Tosfos.

“These are the real Talmidei Chachamim” said the Rosh Yeshiva. “This is the right way to learn Torah. Boruch Hashem that our generation has been zoche to true learning. There’s a tzibbur of 62 yungeleit, gaonim that completed the entire Shas. Hashem should help that they should have an effect on others who will follow in their footsteps. That, in turn, will have

Founder of the Kollelim R’ Avrohom Eisen Shlit’a Rav of Pozna at the commencement of Shas

an effect on those that have not yet reached the goal. The merit of the misaymei haShas is tremendous as is the merit of their families and all those that aid in the running of the kollel.”

After the inspirational words of the Rosh Yeshiva, in the presence of of Gedoilei Torah, the Rosh Hakollelim R’ Moshe Isaac Samet Shlit’a got up and was misayam Shas. There was not a dry eye to be found amongst the crowd as

R’ Samet’s voice, accompanied by 62 yungeleit, rang out with an emotional intensity.

After joyous music and dancing in honor of this momentous completion, Rav Kanievsky Shlit’a drank L’chaim in honor of the Torah and blessed the founder, Hagaon R’ Avrohom Eisen Shlit”a, that he should continue with his holy work together with those that are aiding in his accomplishments.

After the completion, Rav Eisen Shlit’a

Hagaon R’ Chaim Feinsten Shlit’a Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shloime presents

Hagaon R’ Moshe Isaac Samet Shlit’a

Hagaon R’ Eliyah Mann Shlit’a reads the letter and gives over divrei bracha from R’ Chaim Shlit’a

The avreichim of the kollel during the siyum event

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

R’ Meilich Biderman Shlit’a presents at the event

started the new Machzor Hashas with the first Mishnah of Brachos with the accompanying Rashi.

Hagaon Rav Eliyahu Mann read the “Michtav Habracha” that R’ Chaim Kanievsky wrote in honor of the siyum: The respect that he has toward the founder of the kollelim was evident when he visited the holy home of R’ Chaim on Monday before the event. Rav Chaim made a tremendous effort to stand in his presence. He added that one should get up for Rav Eisen, for his accomplishments in the spreading of Torah which resulted in tens of yungeleit that are knowledgeable in all of Shas.

Rav Chaim Feinstein Shlit’a, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ateres Shloime, who farhered the yungeleit for hours on end shared testimony that the yungeleit are fully knowledgeable in Shas, that he alone was privy to the knowledge during the farhers.

“The Nefesh HaChaim says that the Ohr Hagunez that Hashem has saved for the time of Moshiach is hidden in the words of the Torah and those who toil in Torah are zoche to the light. That is the goal of this world, to toil in the depths of the Torah, to know and understand and delve in its depth and to review.”

Rav Feinstein Shlit’a added

The occupants of the head table dance with passion in honor of the Torah.

a bracha for the supporters that donate of their resources to upkeep the Kollelim Network of Shas Yidden that they shoud be zoche to the crown of Torah.

At the closing of the event, special envelopes with substantial remuneration were handed to the holy wives, the partners of the misaymei haShas. It is only with the constant support and encouragement that they provide to their spouses that they can learn with undisturbed diligence day in day out even during the most hectic times.

The celebration was concluded by the beautiful singing of the renowned singer R’ Aarale Samet with the Yachad Capella who sang to honor the Lomdei Troah. The night ended to the tune of the heartfelt songs celebrating the joy of Torah complemented by the dancing of mesaymei haShas and their families who were present to celebrate the big day.

For more information on Shas Yiden, to view live farhers, or to donate, click on www.shasyiden.com

Viznitz Rebbe Shlit’a of Beit Shemesh presents at the event.

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The Week In News

Russia is Building Its Own Wikipedia

In a sign of Moscow’s increasing focus on controlling information, Russia will have its own Wikipedia by the summer of 2022.

Speaking Thursday to the Tass

news agency, Great Russian Encyclopedia Executive Director Sergei Kravets said he is working to develop a digital version of the 21st-century encyclopedia commissioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The project, which began in July, is anticipated to take 33 months,” Kravets said, adding that “it will be completed by the spring or summer of 2022.”

Establishing a Russian Wikipedia-style database has been a source of debate in Russia for years. The idea was brought up by lawmaker Yelena Yampolskaya, a member of Putin’s ruling United Russia Party and an outspoken supporter of the Soviet Union, at a December 2016 joint meeting of the Council for Culture and Art and the Council on the Russian Language, during which she appealed to Putin for more indigenous forms of sports, culture, and entertainment.

“We need a national reference system so that people have resources other than Wikipedia at their disposal,” Yampolskaya, who last year went on to become head of the Russian lower house of parliament’s culture committee, said, berating mobile game Pokémon GO as “the devil’s work and the product of a global con-

spiracy.”

A year later, in 2017, Kravets met with Putin alongside Russian Academy of Sciences member Yury Osipov to present the Russian leader the final, 35th volume of the Great Russian Encyclopedia. The two men thanked Putin for his guidance but called for more support in bringing the vast work online, an endeavor he immediately praised.

In a November 2, 2019 meeting, Putin proclaimed, “It is better to replace it [Wikipedia] with the new Great Russian Encyclopedia in electronic form.”

The project is expected to cost upwards of $27 million.

Church of England Admits Legacy of Anti-Semitism In a major report, the Church of England admitted that the centuries of anti-Semitic theology it promulgated had a direct connection to the mass Jewish genocide in the Holocaust.

The Church of England represents the Anglican Communion, which is the UK’s official state church and runs a chain of ministries around the world. The 140-page report was the result of three years of work that researched the church’s role in encouraging negative stereotypes about Jews.

In its conclusion, the report recommended that the Church repent for the damage it caused the Jewish people by supporting Zionism and the Jewish State.

Titled “G-d’s Unfailing Word: Theological and Practical Perspectives on Christian-Jewish Relations,” the report called “attention to the persecution and prejudice experienced by Jewish people throughout history.” It singled out the Church for espousing anti-Semitic beliefs and noted “the responsibility held by Christians for that and its persistence in the contemporary context.”

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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The conclusions added that the said beliefs are a “fertile seed-bed for murderous antisemitism in the modern era.”

“Recognition on the part of the Church that it bears a considerable measure of responsibility for the spread of antisemitism demands a response from the Church,” read the report. “Conscious of the participation of Christians over the centuries in stereotyping, persecution, and violence directed against Jewish people, and how this contributed to the Holocaust, Christians today should be sensitive to Jewish fears.”

The study was condemned by UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, however, who said in a statement that it did not do enough in condemning the Church’s support for missionizing Jews to encourage them to abandon their faith.

Mirvis, who is the Jewish community’s official representative to the British government, highlighted the “real and persistent concern, set in a tragic historical context, that even now, in the twenty-first century, Jews are seen by some as prey to be converted.

“Even now, in the twenty-first century, Jews are seen by some as quarry to be pursued and converted,” said the rabbi.

He added, “The enduring existence within the Anglican Church of a theological approach that is permissive of this behavior does considerable damage to the relationship between our faith traditions, and, consequently, pursuing a comprehensive new Christian-Jewish paradigm in this context is exceptionally challenging.”

$1B Heist in Germany

One of the biggest collections of baroque treasures in Europe has been stolen from the vault in a German state museum, police reported on Monday. Losses are estimated at up to a billion euros, or $1.1 billion, rendering this potentially one of the

largest robberies in history.

The treasury of Augustus the Strong of Saxony, housed at the Green Vault at Dresden’s Royal Palace, was established in 1723 and contains approximately 4,000 objects of gold, ivory, silver, precious stones, and other materials on display in the historic palace. The collections are the work of many centuries of Saxony’s craftspeople.

The robbers cut electricity to the palace around 5 a.m. by striking a nearby power distributor and then breaking in through a window. The two thieves caught on camera were wearing dark clothes and used an ax to smash through glass. They escaped in a sedan, after having stolen around 100 pieces of priceless treasure, jewelry, and other smaller pieces. A similar car used in the theft was found burnt just hours after the robbery.

The theft is the second high-profile heist in Germany in recent years, after a 100-kilogram, 24-carat giant gold coin was stolen from Berlin’s Bode Museum in 2017.

“You cannot understand the history of our country, of our state, without the Green Vault and the State Art Collections of Saxony,” said Saxony Minister-President Michael Kretschmer. “Not only our state collections, but we Saxons were robbed.”

One of the most famous pieces of the collection, a 41-carat green diamond known as the Dresden Green, was not in the museum at the time. It is currently on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Marion Ackermann, director of Dresden’s State Art Collection, said “incalculable” treasures dating back to the 18th century had been stolen from the vault. She added that the treasures were owned by the state of Saxony and were not insured, which is standard for artifacts owned by the state.

Images of some of the stolen items have been released. They include a string of pearls and various other pieces of jewelry and items containing diamonds and other gemstones.

Iran Refuses to Pay $180M in Damages Iran said that it will refuse to pay the $180 million in damages a U.S. court fined it last week for jail-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

abused the journalist, such as refusing to let him sleep or receive medical attention.

“Iran seized Jason, threatened to kill Jason, and did so with the goal of compelling the United States to free Iranian prisoners as a condition of Jason’s release,” wrote Judge Leon.

The judge later added: “Holding a man hostage and torturing him to gain leverage in negotiations with the United States is outrageous, deserving of punishment, and surely in need of deterrence.”

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ing Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian.

Calling the ruling “strange,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that Rezaian had engaged in espionage against Tehran and that his eventual release did not mitigate the serious nature of his crimes.

“Mr. Jason Rezaian...was a security convict and the Islamic Republic of Iran commuted his (sentence of maximum punishment) to impris-

onment,” declared Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi.

“He was pardoned and despite having an open case...he was released,” Mousavi added. “For him to go there and lodge a complaint and for American courts to lavishly determine such figures” was something that the regime rejected, he said.

Rezaian had been arrested in Tehran in 2014 along with his wife and was jailed in the regime’s infa-

mous Evin Prison. He was later tried

by Iran for espionage and spent 544 days behind bars before going free in a prisoner swap.

Rezaian later sued the Islamic Republic for his ordeal, leading to last Friday’s decision by a U.S. District Court that ordered the rogue state to pay Rezaian $180 million in damages. In the ruling, Judge Richard J. Leon described how Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel harshly

Looking to leave town over the next few months? You may be flying, and, as you know, not all airlines are created equal.

According to AirlineRatings.com, Air New Zealand is the Airline of the Year for 2020. The site says that the Kiwi carrier’s record-breaking performance and inflight innovations – not to mention its safety record and staff motivation – earned it the win.

Taking back the number one slot from last year’s winner Singapore Airlines, this is Air New Zealand’s sixth time winning the travel award.

The Airline Excellence Awards cover the best of the best in the aviation world, recognizing the swankiest airline lounges, finest first-class cabins, and most exciting in-flight entertainment.

AirlineRatings.com’s awards are judged by seven experienced editors using international industry and government safety audits, alongside 12 key criteria including fleet age, passenger reviews, investment ratings, staff relations, product offerings and profitability.

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Delta Air Lines took the top spot for the Americas, Lufthansa grabbed the gong in Europe, Emirates won in the Middle-East/Africa, and Cathay Pacific Airways cinched the title in Asia-Pacific.

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Newly revealed confidential documents demonstrate that Communist Party official Zhu Hailun had played a central role in sending over a million Muslims to Chinese detention camps.

Zhu, a Han Chinese official, joined the Communist Party in 1980 and is a fluent speaker of Uighur, the language of the local Turkic Muslim minority. As a teenager during China’s Cultural Revolution, Zhu was sent to the Uighur heartland in Xinjiang. By the 1990s, he spoke Uighur so fluently that he corrected his own translators during meetings.

“If you didn’t see him, you’d never imagine he’s Han Chinese. When he spoke Uighur, he really spoke just like a Uighur, since he grew up with them,” said a Uighur businessman living in exile in Turkey. Despite having grown up with them, Zhu was notorious for his harsh treatment of Uighurs – it was not uncommon for him to order 3 a.m. raids of Uighur homes. He is said to have compared

traditional Uighur culture to Afghanistan, claiming it was in desperate need of modernization.

Months after a July 2009 riot left hundreds dead in the region’s capital of Urumqi, Zhu was brought in to replace the city’s chief. Under his command, police rounded up hundreds of Uighur people for trial. Ethnic divisions continued to intensify, and in April 2014, hours after a state visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping, bombs tore through an Urumqi train station.

In 2016, Beijing appointed a new leader for Xinjiang named Chen Quanguo. After Chen’s appointment, Uighurs began disappearing by the thousands. Zhu was his right-hand man and laid the groundwork for a surveillance system that could automatically identify targets for arrest.

The recently leaked documents show that Zhu directed mass arrests, and signed off on notices ordering police to use digital surveillance to investigate people for having visited foreign countries, using certain mobile applications, or being related to “suspicious persons.” State television shows that Zhu continued on his relentless tour of Xinjiang’s camps, checkpoints, and police stations, personally guiding the mass detention campaign.

While Chen remains in his post, Zhu stepped down last year after turning 60, in line with traditional practice for Communist Party officials of Zhu’s rank.

ISIS Orphans Returned to UK

A number of British orphans whose parents died in Syria are being returned to the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced last week. The orphans are children of ISIS suspects.

In a statement, Raab said, “These innocent, orphaned children should never have been subjected to the horrors of war. We have facilitated their return home because it was the right

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

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thing to do. Now they must be allowed the privacy and given the support to return to a normal life.”

The Foreign Office did not provide details on how many children are being repatriated, or the identities of their parents.

According to Alison Griffin, head of Save The Children’s humanitarian campaigns, “as many as 60 British children” still remain in Syria. “They must all be brought home before it is too late,” she said.

Letta Tayler, a Human Rights Watch senior researcher, criticized Raab for his “token gesture.” Speaking to CNN, she said: “While it’s great that the UK is allowing the return of these citizens, shame on them for waiting this long. These returns should be the UK’s first step in immediately helping to evacuate all of its citizens trapped in northeast Syria. Bringing home only a few is a token gesture.

“As for the children, they are first and foremost victims. Nearly all of these children did not choose to live or be born under ISIS, and they should not be blamed for the crimes or errors of their parents.”

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16 Killed in Albanian Earthquake

The quake in Albania collapsed at least three apartment buildings while people slept, and rescue crews were working to free people believed trapped. There was no indication as to how many people might still be buried in the rubble.

Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu said more than 600 people had been treated for injuries, including nine hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

“It is a dramatic moment where we should preserve calm, stay alongside each other to cope with this shock,” Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said.

The worst-hit areas were Durres, where nine of the dead were found in collapsed buildings, and the northern town of Thumane, where another five bodies were pulled from the rubble, the Defense Ministry said.

One person died after jumping from his home to escape in Kurbin, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the capital, while another person was killed on a road that collapsed in the northern town of Lezha.

“Search and rescue work continues at all sites where buildings have collapsed,” Defense Minister Olta Xhacka said in a televised statement.

“But these are extremely difficult operations, where you have to work slowly because there is a high risk of further collapse, endangering not only residents, but also those trapped and the rescuers themselves.”

Uber Loses It in London

At least 16 people have been killed and more than 600 others have been injured after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook the southern Balkans this week.

Rescue crews with excavators searched for survivors trapped in toppled apartment buildings on Tuesday after the powerful predawn earthquake in Albania shook buildings across the country.

In nearby Bosnia, another temblor with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck southeast of the capital and rattled Sarajevo. There were no immediate reports of casualties and only minor damage in that earthquake.

This week, London transit officials announced that they have decided not to extend Uber’s license.

In a statement, Transport for London (TfL) said it had identified “a pattern of failures” that placed passengers at risk. It noted that 14,000 trips taken recently involved unauthorized drivers who were able to pass themselves off as other Uber drivers.

Uber said it would appeal the decision not to renew its license, describing it as “extraordinary and

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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This is not the first time Uber has been battled by London. The city first declined to renew its license in 2017, citing several concerns including how Uber responded to serious crimes. Uber appealed that decision and was later granted permission to operate for 15 months. In late September, the regulator granted Uber an additional two-month license.

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our business over the last two years allowing them to pick up passengers and are setting WWW.YESHIVATORASHALACHA.ORG the standard on safe- as if they were the booked driver. ty,” Jamie Heywood, Uber’s general TfL also noted another failure with Uber’s systems: Uber Hills was allowing manager for northern and eastern Conveniently located in Kew Gardens Europe, said in a statement. “TfL dismissed or suspended drivers to near Queens and Touro Colleges found us to be a fit and proper op- create Uber accounts and carry paserator just two months ago, and we sengers.

“At this stage, TfL can’t be concontinue to go above and beyond.”

But transit officials and May- fident that Uber has the robust proor of London Sadiq Khan express cesses in place to prevent another concern over thousands of recent serious safety breach in the future,” journeys involved unauthorized Khan said in a statement.

London is one of five global cities drivers uploading their photos to the accounts of other Uber drivers, that accounted for nearly a quarter

of Uber bookings in 2018, along with Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and São Paulo. Uber said recently that 3.5 million Londoners regularly use its app. Uber has competition in London.

Bolt, which used to be called Taxify, returned to London this year.

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Colombia Protests Lead to Chaos

Social media videos during a Saturday protest in Bogota, Colombia, showed at least one demonstrator died. Other reports say that three people have been killed in the demonstrations.

The demonstrations, which followed an overnight curfew and isolated looting, was dispersed with tear gas.

Last Thursday, over 250,000 people marched in a national strike to protest President Ivan Duque’s government, and on Friday thousands gathered for “cacerolazo” demonstrations involving banging pots and pans.

Three people were killed following Thursday’s protests, and authorities are investigating the connected looting. On Friday, three police officers were killed when a police station in Cauca was bombed.

In contrast to unrest in other Latin American countries, protesters in Columbia have an assortment of grievances to which they are objecting.

Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, noted, “The protesters are a hodgepodge of people with so many different agendas that it will be difficult to find a common narrative.”

The protesters’ grievances include lack of action to stop corruption, murder of human rights activists, and anger at the government’s economic plans.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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JEWISH LIF HOLY LAN E IN THE THE SEC D DURING OND TEM PLE ERA

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

13 French Soldiers Killed in Helicopter Crash

Mourning its highest military death toll in nearly four decades, France said that two helicopters collided in midair on a moonless night this week, killing 13 French soldiers fighting Islamic State group-linked extremists in Mali.

The deaths draw new attention to a worrying front in the global fight against extremism, one in which France and local countries have pleaded for more support. In a surge of violence this month, attackers often linked to IS have killed scores of troops in West Africa’s arid Sahel region and have ambushed a convoy of employees of a Canadian mining company, leaving at least 38 dead.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “deep sadness” after the Monday evening crash. It was France’s highest military toll since 1983, when 58 paratroopers were killed in a truck bombing in Lebanon.

The military said the helicopters were flying very low when they collided and crashed in Mali’s Liptako region near Niger while supporting French commandos on the ground pursuing a group of extremists. No one onboard survived.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly said the helicopters were operating “in the total darkness, which made the operation much more complicated.”

The French troops were chasing fighters with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, affiliated with IS, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Francois Lecointre said.

France’s operation in West and Central Africa is its largest overseas military mission and involves 4,500 personnel. France intervened in Mali in 2013 after extremists seized control of major towns in the north and implemented a harsh version of Islamic law. They were forced back into the desert, where they have re-

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grouped and moved south into more populated areas.

Since 2013, at least 44 French soldiers have died in the mission that has created little public debate in France.

A new surge in extremist attacks in Mali has killed well over 100 local troops in the past two months, with IS often claiming responsibility. The extremists loot military posts and profit from mining operations while finding refuge in forested border areas. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled their homes.

Public outrage in Mali has been directed in recent weeks against France, the country’s former colonizer, over the failure to stop the violence that has also led to deadly clashes between wary communities amid suspicions of supporting the extremists.

71, one of Russia’s most senior nuclear scientists; Vyacheslav Lipshev, 40, director of a secret research institute; Evgeny Korotaev, 50, a leading electronics engineer; Alexey Vyushin, 43, who had developed a high-energy photon spectrometer; and Sergey Pichugin, 45, a testing engineer.

An additional three testers were injured and are recovering. These were named as engineers Dmitry Abanin and Aleksander Manyukhin, along with specialist Sergey Grishin.

International experts believe the explosion involved the Burevestnik nuclear-powered intercontinental cruise missile, which NATO calls the SSC-X-9 Skyfall.

Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom said the scientists had been testing on an offshore platform at the Nyonoksa naval test range when a fire broke out and an engine exploded.

Radiation levels hit up to 16 times more than normal in the nearest big city, Severodvinsk, around 30 miles away.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has told the widows of five scientists who died in an August explosion that their husbands were working on “the most advanced and unmatched technical” weaponry.

At a Kremlin ceremony, Putin awarded the deceased scientists the Order of Courage.

“They led a very difficult, responsible, and critical decision,” the Russian president said. “We are talking about the most advanced and unmatched technical ideas and solutions.”

These scientists, he added, made an “indispensable contribution to the strengthening of the Russian state.”

“The fact of possessing such unique technologies is today the most important reliable guarantee of peace on the planet,” Putin emphasized. “And no matter what, we will certainly improve this weapon.”

The five deceased scientists have been named as Vyasheslav Yanovsky,

Pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong seem to have won landslide electoral victories, initial results showed Monday morning.

Several high-profile pro-government individuals have lost their seats in a referendum which saw a voter turnout of 2.9 million people, or a record 71.2%. Over 95% of the votes have been counted. Hong Kong residents handed control of 17 of 18 district councils to pro-democracy leaders. The only holdout was the Islands district, where eight of the 18 seats were given to pro-establishment rural chiefs.

RTHK, the public broadcaster of Hong Kong, noted that opposition candidates claimed over 90% of the available seats.

“This district election shows that the central government needs to

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face the demands of a democratic system,” Wu Chi-wai, leader of the Democratic Party, one of the biggest winners, told the South China Morning Post, an English language publication in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said her government “respects the election results.”

She noted, “There are various analyses and interpretations in the community in relation to the results, and quite a few are of the view that the results reflect people’s dissatisfaction with the current situation and the deep-seated problems in society,” she said. “[The government] will listen to the opinions of members of the public humbly and seriously reflect.”

Prior to Sunday’s vote, pro-Beijing parties controlled all 18 district councils in Hong Kong.

Jimmy Sham, one of the conveners with the Civil Human Rights Fronts (CHRF), posted on Facebook: “Today’s result represents [my constituency’s] support to protesters.

The government should immediately establish the Five Demands and respond to the public’s voices.”

Just four years ago, 126 pro-democracy candidates won seats in the council along with almost 300 backers of the establishment. Additionally, back then, only 47% of residents came out to vote, in contrast to this year’s polls, where more than 70% of residents showed up at the polls.

Bibi Indicted

On Thursday, Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced his decision to formally charge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery and corruption, marking the first time in Israel’s history that a sitting prime minister has faced charges.

According to the indictment, Netanyahu will be charged with fraud and breach of trust in Cases 1000

and 2000, as well as bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in Case 4000.

Mandelblit formally updated Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) of his decision. Netanyahu now has 30 days to decide whether to request immunity from the Knesset.

Though Mandelblit said the decision was “difficult” and that it was a “sad day,” he claimed the indictments were his “duty by law” and “not a choice.” He also reiterated that Netanyahu is “innocent until proven guilty.”

Netanyahu, for his part, promised to continue leading Israel “in accordance with the law” and denied any wrongdoing.

Case 1000 involves accusations that Netanyahu received gifts and benefits from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for favors. Alleged gifts included cigars – though Netanyahu does not smoke – and champagne. Milchan will not be charged.

Case 2000 involves accusations that Netanyahu made an agreement with Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes that he would weaken the rival Israel Hayom in exchange for more favorable coverage by Yediot Aharonot. This deal was never concluded, but Netanyahu will be charged with fraud and breach of trust, while Mozes will be charged with bribery.

In Case 4000, Netanyahu is accused of having advanced regulatory decisions which benefited Shaul Elovitch, who holds large shares in Bezeq and owns the Walla! News site. Both Elovitch and Netanyahu will be charged with bribery.

Palestinian Day of Rage Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated across the West Bank on Tuesday to protest the recent U.S. announcement that it no longer believes Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law. As the so-called “day of rage” continued, groups of protesters clashed with Israeli security forces in several flashpoints, with at least 77 reported lightly injured.

Around two thousand people gathered in the West Bank city of Ramallah. They set ablaze posters of U.S. President Donald Trump as well as Israeli and American flags.

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

ment offices were shuttered, and rallies were held in city centers around the West Bank.

“The biased American policy toward Israel, and the American support of the Israeli settlements and the Israeli occupation, leaves us with only one option: to go back to resistance,” Mahmoud Aloul, an official with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement, thundered at the crowd in Ramallah.

Demonstrators held signs reading: “Trump to impeachment, [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to jail, the occupation will go and we will remain on our land.”

At Israeli checkpoints near Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron, dozens of protesters threw stones at Israeli forces who responded with tear gas.

According to the Ma’an news

agency, the Palestinian Red Crescent said it dealt with 77 injuries, which included tear gas inhalation, rubber bullet wounds and burns.

The protests came just hours after the death from cancer of a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody.

Organizers had also called for the demonstrations – first planned before his death – to call for the release of Sami Abu Diak, 35, who was involved in three deaths, to allow him to die at his family’s side. Israeli officials had denied the request.

Abu Diak was serving three life sentences for voluntary manslaughter and kidnapping of Palestinians accused of “collaborating” with Israel, among other charges. He was linked to the armed wing of the Palestinian Fatah faction and was arrested in the early 2000s, during the second Palestinian intifada.

Organized by Fatah, Tuesday’s protests focused on the Trump administration’s announcement on Israeli settlements last week. The decision upended four decades of American policy and embraced the Israeli government’s longtime view that settlements are legal, a move the Palestinians view as coming at the expense of their quest for statehood.

Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War and quickly began settling the newly conquered territory. Today, some 700,000 Israelis live in the two areas, which are both claimed by the Palestinians for their state. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980 in a move not recognized by the international community and considers the entirety of the city its capital.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had specifically announced that the U.S. was repudiating the 1978 legal opinion by the Carter administration’s State Department that settlements were illegal, a view shared by most succeeding administrations.

King Abdullah II: Relations with Israel “At an All-Time Low” In the latest sign of how low ties between the two countries have sunk, Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned this week that relations with Israel “are at its lowest point ever.”

Abdullah, who has served as Jordan’s monarch since 1999, made his comments during a conference hosted by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy in New York City marking 25 years since the Israeli-Jordan peace treaty was signed.

When asked about the state of the treaty today, Abdullah replied that “they are at an all-time low right now, among other things, due to the internal situation in Israel.

“Part of it is because of the Israeli domestic matters,” Abdullah added, referring to Israel’s inability to form a government. “We are hoping Israel will decide its future — whether it is in the next several weeks or three months.”

He explained, “The problems that we have had with Israel [are] bilateral… Now I hope, whatever happens in Israel over the next two or three months, we can get back to talking to each other on simple is-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

sues that we haven’t been able to talk about for the past two years.”

Israel and Jordan had once been enemies and fought each other in the 1948 War of Independence and the Six Day War in 1967. However, relations started improving in the late 1980s, and the two counties signed a peace deal in 1994.

In recent years, however, relations have withered, with King Abdullah facing increasing pressure among Jordanians to nullify the peace agreement with Israel. Last month, the Tzofar and Naharayim enclaves that Israel leased from Jordan as part of the 1994 accords were returned to Jordan after Amman refused to extend the lease.

Known as the “Islands of Peace” for the symbolism they invoked, the two villages had been expected to remain part of Israel forever. The king’s decision not to extend the lease after 25 years had major symbolism. Jordan also recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv last month in protest over the continued imprisonment of two Jordanian citizens who had been arrested over suspicions of terrorism.

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The Lod District Court sentenced Abdul Hakim Assi to life behind bars this week for murdering Rabbi Itamar Ben Gal last year near Ariel.

Besides for the prison time, Assi will also pay Ben Gal’s family NIS 250,000. In the ruling, the judge wrote that the terrorist had decided to make Ben Gal his victim “only because of his appearance as a Jew.” Prior to the ruling, attorneys from the Honenu law firm, which represents the Ben Gal family, delivered a letter to the judge from the deceased’s children imploring him to throw the book at Assi and to prevent him from ever being included in a prisoner swap.

“We are asking you to be sentenced to a prison sentence that will cause him to rot in prison until his final day, so that he will no longer

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Assi had remained unrepentant throughout the trial and had sworn to commit similar acts in the future should he be given the opportunity.

When his attorney tried to chalk up the murder to insanity, Assi interrupted him and said that he did not have any regret for killing Rabbi Ben Gal, something he said was revenge for the murders of Palestinians.

“Did you want us to sit quietly and watch?” he asked.

Assi, an Israeli citizen employed in Nablus, had murdered Rabbi Ben Gal in 2018 while the rabbi waited for a bus in the Samarian city of Ariel. Purchasing the knife earlier in the day, the terrorist walked up to his victim and stabbed him several times in the heart before escaping.

He then managed to successfully evade a massive manhunt for more than a month before being nabbed

by IDF Special Forces.

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Will Israel’s Political Crisis End? Israel’s political gridlock continues after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted in three separate corruption cases.

Following years of investigations, Netanyahu had been formally indicted by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Thursday evening.

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

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Speaking before a national audience, Israel’s highest legal official laid out the findings, making Netanyahu Israel’s first-ever serving leader to remain in office after being indicted.

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Netanyahu now finds himself heading to court surrounding three separate criminal cases. In the probe known as Case 1000, Netanyahu faces charges of breach of trust and fraud for accepting jewelry and champagne from wealthy friends.

In the investigation nicknamed Case 2000, Netanyahu faces the same charges for his part in an illicit quid pro quo with Yediot Aharonot newspaper publisher Noni Mozes.

Netanyahu and Mozes had allegedly agreed to promote a bill shuttering competing daily Yisrael Hayom in exchange for favorable media coverage from Mozes.

In the probe known as Case 4000, Netanyahu faces charges of bribery and breach of trust. According to prosecutors, Netanyahu gave massive regulatory benefits to the Bezeq telecommunications company in exchange for flattering stories on the Walla! website, which Bezeq controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch owns.

Following the indictments, Netanyahu refused to resign from office and asserted that he was the victim of a “coup” by leftist bureaucrats that “are attempting to topple a rightwing prime minister.” Netanyahu’s allies in the Likud soon embarked on a campaign that called for the police to be probed for an alleged left-wing bias under the headline “Investigate the Investigators.”

Netanyahu’s newfound legal status makes it probable that Israel will go to its unprecedented third elections in under a year. Soon after the Attorney General’s announcement, Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz said that his party, the country’s largest, would not join a government led by Netanyahu.

In a statement, Gantz called on Netanyahu to “immediately resign from all ministerial positions in the government.” By law, Netanyahu is

not required to resign as premier after receiving an indictment, but he cannot keep his other ministerial portfolios. Aside from his job as Israel’s highest elected official, Netanyahu also serves as the Welfare, Health, and Tourism Minister.

Despite calls by left-wing politicians for the High Court to force Netanyahu to resign, the bench rejected an appeal earlier this week under grounds that it was not qualified to rule on the issue. Meanwhile, senior Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar launched a rebellion within his party calling on Bibi to step down to resolve the country’s political crisis.

Sa’ar, who has long been seen as Netanyahu’s successor, said in a series of interviews that the country could not move forward unless Israel’s longest-serving premier stepped down. However, while Sa’ar has received significant support from Likud activists, the party has not scheduled new primaries, leaving him no way to depose Netanyahu in the near future.

With the Likud unable to vote Netanyahu, and with the center-left parties refusing to join a coalition that includes him, there appears no way for any Knesset member to gather the necessary 61 votes needed to form a coalition.

Following both Netanyahu and Gantz’s failure to create a coalition, any Knesset member is currently able to become prime minister should he get the 61 recommendations. Should anyone fail to do so, Israel would go back to the polls in March for the third time this year.

Holland Cuts Aid to PA over “Pay to Slay” Policy The Netherlands has announced that it will cut the generous financial aid it awards the Palestinian Authority over its controversial policy of paying jailed terrorists who murdered Jews.

Known as “Pay to Slay,” the PA has long lavished thousands of shekels every month to any terrorist who murdered Israelis, with the payment scale corresponding to the amount of casualties in the attack. In the event that the murderer was killed by Israeli security forces, the money goes to the family for the rest of their lives.

In a statement, Holland’s human-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

itarian ministry said that the money it gives the PA “did not lead to the desired outcome.” The Netherlands had been giving the PA a monthly $1.6 million to spend at its discretion.

Following the decision, however, any future funds will be earmarked for specific projects and will be closely scrutinized.

The decision to scrap its aid to the PA is the result of a multi-year campaign by Dutch legislators. Led by Dutch MP Joël Voordewind, the legislature heard a slew of presentations by organizations such as Palestinian Media Watch that highlighted the financial support the PA gives convicted murderers.

In 2018, the Dutch parliament voted 94-56 to cut the funding it gives the PA to pressure it to abandon its “Pay to Slay” policy. The 7% cut was chosen after Palestinian Media Watch found that 7% of the PA’s yearly budget goes to terrorists and their families.

Bloomberg for Prez

Ending years of speculation, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially announced on Sunday that he will enter the 2020 presidential race.

Bloomberg broadcast his late entry in a video he uploaded to his campaign website. “I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America,” the billionaire said. “We cannot afford four more years of President Trump’s reckless and unethical actions.

“He represents an existential threat to our country and our values.

If he wins another term in office, we may never recover from the damage.”

Bloomberg’s announcement was followed by a massive $31 million ad buy across most Super Tuesday states, including a prime-time spot on “60 Minutes.” The commercials

highlight Bloomberg’s pro-control advocacy and the years he spent running New York City.

Anticipating likely attacks on his august wealth from Democrats such as Elizabeth Warren, Bloomberg’s ads present him as “a middle-class guy...who did good.”

“After building a business that created thousands of jobs, he took charge of a city still reeling from 9/11,” the narrator says. “A threeterm mayor who helped bring it back from the ashes, bringing jobs and thousands of affordable housing units with it. After witnessing the terrible toll of gun violence, he helped create a movement to protect families across America and stood up to the coal lobby and this administration to protect this planet from climate change.”

Currently ranked as the ninth richest man in the world, Bloomberg says that he will not accept any donations to his campaign and will refrain from collecting a salary should he win America’s top job.

Bloomberg led the Big Apple from 2002 until 2013 and had been rumored to be considering a presidential run since 2008. After sitting on the sidelines until now, Bloomberg filed paperwork earlier this month in order to be eligible for the primaries in Alabama.

According to reports, Bloomberg will focus his energy on states that vote on Super Tuesday due to his assumptions that he stands no chance in early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Bucking the Democratic Party’s radical turn to the left, Bloomberg is expected to lean towards the center despite the likelihood that he will infuriate the progressive base.

Navy Secretary Axed Over Navy SEAL Standoff

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A single-engine plane became entangled in power lines in Minnesota on Saturday. The pilot was rescued safely.

die Gallagher.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement that he ordered Spencer to tender his resignation after losing “trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candor.”

Esper was reportedly terminated by the Pentagon for going outside the chain of command to hatch a secret deal with President Trump regarding the return of Gallagher to the elite unit. Gallagher, who was pardoned

by Trump for war crimes, had been prevented from rejoining the SEALs

by Navy brass who objected to his behavior.

The decision to remove Gallagher from his team infuriated Trump, who tweeted that the SEAL “had been treated very unfairly.” Trump then ordered that Gallagher be returned to his old team, leading to a standoff with Navy leadership.

Spencer had reached out to Trump in an attempt to hatch a deal that would resolve the crisis between the president and the armed forces.

According to reports, Spencer had proposed that Gallagher’s pre-expulsion review go forward while secretly promising that Gallagher would remain a Navy SEAL. As soon as Defense Secretary Esper heard of the deal, he ordered that Spencer tender his resignation under claims that he had violated the chain of command. In his resignation letter, however, Spencer insinuated that Trump’s order keeping Gallagher in the SEALs was illegal and seemingly took a swipe at the president.

“I cannot in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my family, my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Spencer wrote.

LVMH to Buy Tiffany

Luxury begets more luxury.

That’s what happened this week when LVMH and Tiffany & Co. announced that LVMH will buy the famous Manhattan jeweler. The French luxury group will pay $135 per share, valuing Tiffany at about $16.2 billion.

A deal had been expected for weeks. Tiffany and LVMH both confirmed in October that they were in talks to combine after Paris-based LVMH reached out with an unsolicited initial offer of $14.5 billion. That was already a premium over Tiffany’s stock price at the time.

The deal is one of the largest in the history of the luxury sector and in the career of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, Europe’s richest man.

LVMH is the world’s biggest luxury group and home to 75 different brands, including Christian Dior and Bulgari. Analysts have been bullish on its latest deal, saying that Tiffany is a good acquisition target because of its strong global brand.

“A takeover of Tiffany could make a lot of sense,” analysts at Bernstein wrote in a research note last month.

While Tiffany is one of the world’s best-known luxury brands, analysts say it still has room to grow, particularly in jewelry and watches. And LVMH’s deep pockets could help Tiffany turn around after a rocky few

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inal organizations] and cartels, they control the southern side of the border — they have to be paid, they have to be compensated for any of these large flows coming across the border,” Wolf told Fox News. “You eliminate that, and you eliminate their ability to recruit in Central America and bring these folks up.”

years and fuel its effort to better connect with millennial consumers.

In a statement Monday, Tiffany chairman Roger N. Farah said the deal would give the company “an exciting path forward with a group that appreciates and will invest in Tiffany’s unique assets and strong human capital.”

The deal would also bolster LVMH’s jewelry and watch lineup, which already includes legacy brands such as Hublot and TAG Heuer. It would also boost the French compa-

ny’s presence in the United States, which accounts for about a quarter of its revenue.

Tiffany, a 182-year-old jeweler, employs 14,000 people and operates 300 stores around the globe. In recent years, however, its sales have slumped. LVMH, on the other hand, has enjoyed much more success among millennials, attracting attention from prominent influencers. It owns major fashion houses such as Fendi and Louis Vuitton, as well as beverage brands Moet and Hennessy.

The Effort to Target the Cartels Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, who took over the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, described an urgent and “exciting” plan to confront the gangs fueling the tide of illegal weapons, drugs, and people across the southern border.

“The TCOs [transnational crim-

He added, “Targeting TCOs in a real way…is something that I will certainly push and work on from a DHS perspective, but we’ll also be working in the larger interagency to really start targeting these groups, because once you start eliminating their ability to bring migrants and the like then I think you’ll start seeing a different dynamic.”

In order to ramp up the fight, the government will need to dedicate additional resources to it, Wolf said, noting that his predecessor, Kevin McAleenan, fought against “child recycling rings” at the border.

Regarding the migrant crisis, Wolf said: “The department already has a number of resources dedicated to that. I think we can do more, we are doing more, and I think the U.S. government overall can do more and that’s the exciting part of this job.”

The Migrant Protection Plan (MPP), which has reduced apprehensions by nearly 70% since May, allows would-be migrants to wait in Mexico while their papers are being processed. According to Wolf, it is this process which “allowed us to take control of the crisis that we saw in April and May. The idea is to make sure we process individuals in a timely manner but make sure they wait south of the border.”

However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals may strike the program down, making the “job of the men and women of Border Patrol as well as [Customs and Border Protection] and [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]…very difficult for them, so it really can’t be overstated how much the program means to the department in controlling the crisis.”

He added, “We share a lot of intelligence [with Mexico], we share a lot of information between the two countries, and as long as they continue to

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take action to control the folks that are arriving at the southern border, I think we’ll be in a good place.”

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One September morning, thousands of workers across the United States received a notification that their payroll checks, which had been deposited into their accounts, were being withdrawn.

The checks were supposed to have been electronically routed through MyPayrollHR, a payroll management company in upstate New York.

Usually, the company transfers the funds through Cachet Financial Services, which would distribute them to employees around the country. In September, however, MyPayrollHR’s president Michael Mann redirected the funds into his own personal accounts, federal authorities said.

According to The New York Times, Mann’s banks noticed the suspicious transfer and froze his accounts, ending MyPayrollHR’s operations. However, Cachet continued the distributions until it realized it had allocated funds which did not exist and was forced to reverse the transactions.

This move, prompted by Cachet’s own error, was in violation of the National Automated Clearing House Association rules.

As a result, businessowners in Florida and New York found themselves out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and workers across the country lost their jobs – as did all 40 of MyPayrollHR’s employees. In North Carolina, a school was forced to close.

And up to 250,000 workers may have lost their salaries.

A spokesman for the National Automated Clearing House network, an electronic network for financial transactions within the U.S. which oversees the electronic payments system in the country, said approximately 90% of affected workers had their money returned. However, New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered state officials to investigate the industry, issuing subpoenas for over 40 payroll processors in the state.

Mann, meanwhile, was arrested

and charged with bank fraud on September 10, the Times noted. A shady entrepreneur, Mann had created several companies to enable himself to fraudulently obtain bank loans and admitted to stealing nearly $70 million since 2010.

If charged, Mann could face up to 30 years in prison and be charged with a maximum fine of $1 million.

Acquaintances and former employees have stated that they never suspected he was capable of such activities and that they were “not in his character.”

Several bills are now in the pipelines, aiming to correct the loopholes which allowed the gross error to happen and to protect workers in the future.

Mar-a-Lago Trespasser to be Deported A Chinese businesswoman has been sentenced to eight months in prison and ordered to be deported for trespassing at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida carrying a trove of electronics earlier this year.

Yujing Zhang, 33, was convicted in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale in September of entering a restricted building and making false statements to a federal officer. She was sentenced on Monday.

When she was stopped at the president’s club in Palm Beach on March 30, Zhang initially said she was there to use the pool, but she raised suspicions because she hadn’t brought along a swimsuit, according to court documents and testimony at her trial.

She then changed her story, saying she was there to attend a UN friendship event between the United States and China, authorities said.

Investigators said evidence on one of her cellphones demonstrated that she knew the event had been canceled.

That brought in the Secret Service, which said that when agents detained her, Zhang was carrying four cellphones, a laptop computer, a hard drive, and a thumb drive.

Initial court documents said the thumb drive was found to contain “malicious malware,” but prosecutors said later that that may have been a false positive. Either way, prosecutors said, Zhang was de-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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termined to see Trump, who was in town at the time but was out golfing when she showed up.

The full story remains unclear, because prosecutors filed evidence under seal, saying it had national security implications. Judge Roy Altman wrote in court papers that releasing the evidence could cause serious damage to the country.

Altman ordered that Zhang be deported after she completes her eightmonth sentence, which would be next week because she was credited with having served the almost eight months she has been in custody since she was arrested.

Beijing to U.S.: Stop Interfering

Chinese officials and staterun media are fuming over the near-unanimous passing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by the U.S. House of Representa-

tives.

The Act, which passed last Wednesday, will be brought before U.S. President Donald Trump to be signed. However, in the meantime, China’s People’s Daily has claimed the bill is a “serious provocation against the entire Chinese people.”

“If the U.S. side goes its own way, China will take effective measures to resolutely counteract it, and all consequences must be fully borne by the U.S.,” a People’s Daily editorial threatened.

China, for its part, has demanded the U.S. quit “interfering” in internal Chinese issues, accusing Washington of supporting the ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong.

On Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the U.S. bill is a “serious violation of international law” and that China both opposes and condemns it.

“I’d like to stress once again that Hong Kong is part of China, and Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs. We urge the U.S. to grasp the situation, stop its wrongdoing before it’s too late, and immediately take measures to prevent this act from becoming law,” Shuang said.

The U.S. treats Hong Kong, which is semi-autonomous, differ-

ently than the Chinese mainland in terms of trade and export controls.

The bill would require Washington to confirm yearly that Hong Kong’s freedoms are being maintained by Beijing, asserting that the U.S. could withdraw Hong Kong’s special trading status if they are not.

The bill also details a process by which sanctions and travel restrictions can be imposed on those who violate the rights of those individuals in Hong Kong.

The legislation comes as protests in Hong Kong near their sixth month.

Up in the Air Marrying their love of their countries and aviation, a woman from New Zealand and a man from Australia celebrated their nuptials on an airplane halfway between those two countries.

New Zealander Cathy Valliant and Australian David Valliant took Jetstar Flight 201 from Sydney to Auckland

last week and exchanged vows at 37,000 feet when they hit the halfway point between the two countries.

The ceremony was officiated by a Jetstar ground crew member.

The high-flying couple said airplanes have always been a big part of their relationship – they met in 2011 as players of the Airport City computer game and first met in person at the Sydney airport two years later.

“For our wedding we wanted something really memorable,” Cathy shared. “We wanted it symbolize our love for aviation, our love for Australia and New Zealand, and our love for each other.”

She added, “Without telling Dave, I posted on Jetstar’s Facebook page and was so excited when they said they’d see what they could do.”

Jetstar went the extra mile and worked with the couple to organize their mile-high nuptials, including arranging treats and a “guest book” for passengers to sign.

Passengers on the flight were priv-

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ileged to the sweet ceremony, in which the bride wore a white gown and veil and the groom wore a tuxedo.

Can we say that they got married on the fly?

Fake Funerals In the hopes of improving and appreciating their lives, more than 25,000 people in South Korea have participated in mass “living funeral” services.

The funeral services are only for the living and are held at Hyowon Healing Center, which opened in 2012.

“Once you become conscious of death, and experience it, you undertake a new approach to life,” said 75-year-old Cho Jae-hee, who participated in a recent living funeral as part of a “dying well” program offered by her senior welfare center.

Part of the event includes donning funeral shrouds, taking funeral portraits, penning last testaments, and lying in a closed coffin for around ten minutes.

Jeong Yong-mun, who heads the healing center, says he is heartened when people reconcile at a relative’s funeral, but is saddened they wait that long.

“We don’t have forever,” he said.

“That’s why I think this experience is so important – we can apologize and reconcile sooner and live the rest of our lives happily.”

He adds, “Happiness is in the present.”

And life is a present that we need to appreciate every day.

A Night at the Museum

Want to be part of a world-famous painting? The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is producing an interactive exhibition involving famous American realist artist Edward Hopper. The special exhibit runs through February 23 and includes, for a lucky number of guests, an overnight stay in a Hopper painting.

“Western Motel” is the painting-turned-hotel room at the center

of the months-long exhibition titled “Hopper Hotel Experience.”

In total, the museum is showing 60 works of art by the artist, who’s known for depicting American landscapes and cities – and often for capturing a certain loneliness or detachment one feels in a big, bustling city.

One exhibit in particular catches museum-goers’ attention. It’s a three-dimensional living space, resurrected in minute detail from “Western Motel” – save for the woman dressed in a sleeveless burgundy dress with matching pumps. In the painting, her attire is the same color as the dark wood of the bed’s head and baseboard as well as the bedspread.

Guests are allowed – one at a time on Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday nights – to spend a night in the “painting.” They come from all over the world to enjoy this immersive experience which runs for $150 a night for an 11-hour stay. Oh, and that comes with a $25 gift card to the on-site cafe or Amuse restaurant, plus VIP exhibition tickets and golf at the nearby Hotel Greene. High rollers could opt for a pricier $500 package, which includes dinner for two and a private tour with the exhibition’s curator. Snacks are provided, with an emphasis on ones that were popular during Hopper’s time.

Because there’s no bathroom en suite, guests are given complimentary slippers and VMFA bathrobes so they can stroll comfortably to the public restrooms nearby.

Although the room is sold out, perhaps Hopper fans need not lose any sleep over the missed opportunity. Take it from the artist himself, who once said, “No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination.”

Goat Squad

A Florida school is hiring a bunch of new custodians to help tame their unruly grounds. These janitors are known to butt heads with other staff members, though, so be aware if they get in your way.

The east side of Imperial Estates Elementary in Titusville hasn’t been explored for decades.

Rough terrain has made clearing

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and maintaining the dry pond bed there dangerous for human service crews, and tortoises that inhabit the area are a protected species under Florida law.

To tame the wild acre, the Brevard School District has hit on a creative solution: a bunch of bramblemunching goats.

“This is a perfect fit, because we really couldn’t get in there with other types of equipment,” said the district’s facilities chief, Assistant Superintendent Sue Hann.

Starting next week, about two dozen of the hungry animals will bite back the problem shrubs in an effort to clear the unruly plot, which abuts a basketball court and puts students at risk of close encounters with snakes and other critters.

The goats are on loan from the South Central Florida franchise of Rent-a-Ruminant, a national company that specializes in landscaping livestock.

Goats are gentler on the environment, eliminate the need for hazardous chemicals, and are able get into places human crews just can’t.

“Somehow, four legs is an advantage,” grounds supervisor Matt Nolle said.

The animals will be housed in a special trailer at the school for about two weeks to complete the job, at a total cost of about $4,500.

Authorities have successfully used goats as an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to clear flammable scrub in California, where they were credited with saving the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library from a wildfire that burned nearly 1,700 acres near Los Angeles this month.

Can Its Junk Make You Drunk?

Indlovu Gin has a very unusual ingredient: elephant dung.

Before you choke on the concept, the founders of the product say that the gin produced using elephant dung has a “lovely” flavor.

Les and Paula Ansley, both scientists, came across the idea to use elephant byproducts a few years ago.

Paula thought of it after they both went on a safari and learned that elephants eat a variety of fruits and flowers and yet digest less than a third of it.

The first batch of elephant dung came by mail from the park where they had taken their safari. Now, they collect the dung using their bare hands.

According to the Ansleys, the gin tastes “lovely, wooded, almost spicy, earthy” and changes subtly with the seasons and location.

The gin bottles are marked with the date and coordinates of where the elephant dung was collected. “So, you’re able to compare almost different vintages of the gin,” Ansley said.

After about five sizeable bags of dung are collected for a batch of 3,000 to 4,000 bottles of the gin, the droppings are dried and crumbled, then washed to remove dirt and sand. Eventually only the remains of the fruits, flowers, leaves and bark eaten by the elephants are left behind. Those botanicals are then ster-

ilized and dried again and placed in an airing cupboard. The remains are infused in the gin.

They decided to name the gin Indlovu, which means “elephant” in the Zulu language.

Considering a taste? A bottle sells for around 500 rand, or about $32.

Tourists have been purchasing the product to bring back from South Africa, where it’s produced.

After all, how many people can say their alcohol has elephant dung in it?

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Around the

Community BYAM’s Annual Walkathon

B

YAM’s annual Walkathon, hosted by its very dedicated PTA, was a smashing success! Jewish music played on the Far Rockaway Boardwalk as over 200

girls walked and ran to raise funds for their incredible makom Torah.

The money raised from this event in the past has gone towards state-ofthe-art porcelain, magnetic white-

boards, new lockers, monthly teacher appreciation lunches, and much more! The girls worked so hard in the preceding weeks making carnivals, bake sales, lemonade stands,

and calling relatives to sponsor their run. Their excitement was palpable as they felt a sense of accomplishment for what they did for their very own Bais Yaakov.

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Around the Community The Far Rockaway Five Towns Navi Shiur is in its 24th year. The first shiur this season was given by Rabbi Shaya Cohen of Priority-1. Rabbi Cohen was the founder of the shiur.

This week’s shiur given by Rabbi Mordechai Sitorsky, seen here, whose topic was Tehillim, kapitlach 66 and 67.

PHOTO BY IVAN H NORMAN

Learning at Gan Chamesh

The Ganger Early Childhood at TAG kicked off their Hashgacha Pratis Initiative with a beautiful performance by the Pre1A. They sang a song written by our very own Morah Goldie Sebrow, which they then taught to the kindergarten and nursery classes. We can’t wait to see the beautiful hashgacha pratis notes the girls will be bringing in to hang on our special bulletin board!

I

nspired by Parshas Chayei Sara and Yitzchak and Rivka’s marriage, children at Gan Chamesh participated in a mock wedding and

dramatized all the wedding steps. It is this type of experiential learning that helps children internalize the beauty of Torah.

MTA Welcomes Freshman Families

Rambam Wins Big at Debates

T

he Rambam Debate Team, “The Edgar Alan Dershowitzes,” have recently been on a roll. Led by senior captains Avi Balsam and Uriel Sussman, the team took numerous prizes at both the North Shore and HAFTR Debates.

Rambam won “2nd Place Best Overall School” at North Shore with Avi Balsam taking home third place in the “Best Overall Debater” category. The Debate concerned the topic of whether “the United States needs a Green New Deal.” The back-

and-forth was heated with students taking many outside-the-box approaches.

Following the North Shore Debate, the team went directly to HAFTR for a scheduled Extemporaneous Debate Competition.

Junior Dovi Deutsch and senior Abie Hersh came away with hardware earning Honorable Mentions in the “Best Speaker” categories.

It is early in the season, but the Rambam Debate team is already resolved to have a banner year.

M

TA freshman families had a great time getting to know each other at the yeshiva’s Freshman Family Brunch on Sunday, November 17. The MTA community includes families from communities across the tri-state area, and this event is the perfect way for

both parents and talmidim to get to know each other over brunch and a competitive game of panoply. It is one of many events hosted by MTA throughout the year for families to meet one another as well as spend time with their sons and rebbeim.

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Around the Community

Shulamith eighth graders joined the Chaveirim, a group of Holocaust survivors, at the JCC for a pre-Thanksgiving celebration that included dancing and a festive luncheon

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KA’s annual Shabbaton, held on Friday, November 22, through Sunday, November 24, certainly lived up to expectations this year! The singing, zemirot, achdut, talent and warmth throughout the weekend at the Somerset Hilton Doubletree Hotel were extraordinary.

So much goes into the Shabbaton, and the SKA sophomores, juniors and seniors (freshmen had their own retreat) spent the entire week preparing for the event. The theme of Kavod Chavercha, respecting your friend, resonated throughout the Shabbaton and was highlighted by our guest speaker, Mrs. Jackie Bitton, who captivated every attendee by her talks.

GVG, grade versus grade, generated so much positive energy and united everyone with collaborative creative song, dance and videos. A surprise

highlight of motzei Shabbat was the showing of a specially prepared video sent by SKA graduates now in seminaries in Israel.

A tremendous hakorat hatov goes to Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, Director of Student Programs, and his wonderful assistant, Mrs. Yafa Storch, for all the work they put into this Shabbaton. Much thanks goes to Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky, principal, Judaic Studies; Mrs. Bluma Drebin, principal, General Studies, Ms. Elana Flaumenhaft, associate principal; and Mrs. Sandra Pomerantz, assistant administrator, for enhancing our Shabbat and making it so exciting. Thank you to all the additional administrators, teachers and madrichot who joined in.

And, of course, each SKA student who attended the weekend really enriched our Shabbat.

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Around the Community

Shabbat at HAFTR

D

are already looking forward to next year!” they shared.

On Thursday, the generous HAFTR PTA sponsored Shabbat lunch for all students and faculty. Shnitzel, kugel, and cholent were served in every lunchroom, as students delighted in a pre-Shabbat meal.

The Early Childhood students rolled up their sleeves, put on a pair of gloves, rolled out dough, and shaped their own challot as part of HAFTR’s Shabbat Project, a com-

uring the week leading up to The Shabbat Project, all HAFTR students, from early childhood through high school, got involved in the preparations for the exciting annual celebration of Shabbat.

PTA co-presidents Candice Feiler and Tamar Scharf orchestrated countless volunteers and coordinated the week’s events at every division. “We are proud to be a part of the Worldwide Shabbat Project and

munity-wide program to understand the importance of Shabbat, including the mitzvah of challah.

On Thursday evening, over 250 families participated in the HAFTR Lower School Challah Bake. Parents, grandparents, and students collected their supplies and found a spot to be part of the mitzvah of hafrashat challah and made the bracha together with the almost 500 people in the room. While students and guests waited for their dough

to rise, they drew on their artistic talents to create various Shabbat themed projects, including hadlakat neirot brachot frames, candle holders, and dip dyed Shabbat candles. Tremendous energy resonated throughout the room. After the fifth grade choir performed a few timely Shabbat zemirot, everyone braided their dough to create beautiful challot for Shabbat. Everyone left the event very much looking forward to Shabbat.

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Camp Shira is Back with a Reunion Extravaganza

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amp Shira is back for another summer of fun, and the number of registrations is almost crashing the camp website. But Shira girls don’t have to wait for the summer – campers get to enjoy a December reunion to add some “summer” fun to spice up their winter!

The Shira reunion will feature an interactive game show by Funclick.

Each camper gets their own handheld electronic device so they get to answer each question and see their scores on the screen. That makes it fun for everyone in the crowd!

The reunion will be held on Motzei Shabbos, December 14 from 7:309 p.m., and the campers will enjoy the game show, pizza, giveaways, raffle prizes and more.

Camp Shira is the premier girls camp of the Five Towns. The last two

HANC Sixth Grade Retreat

O summers sold out early. You can spot a Shira girl easily because she will be the one singing the Shira theme song on repeat all year long. With three divisions spanning entering nursery to entering 7th grade, Shira has something awesome in store for all girls!

Shira campers enjoy weekly trips and shows and daily specialties that include our go-kart track and water parks. Shira Extreme, for girls entering 6th and 7th graders, really goes to the max with major trips and unique specialties geared just for them.

Camp Shira’s early bird pricing ends December 1. For more information, email campshirany@gmail.com or text 516-456-8392. To register for camp or see more information, go to campshirany.com and check out Instagram @campshirany.

ne of the most anticipated events at HANC is the sixth grade retreat. It was a wonderful experience for all as the children from the Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead as well as the HANC Plainview Elementary School bonded, relaxed, learned and had fun together. The students traveled ninety-five miles on a comfortable coach bus to the amazing Rocking Horse Ranch. They spent the day mountain tubing, bungee jumping, and in the Fun Barn which offered ping pong, a mini rock wall, and a play area with a bowling alley. The children were also able to go tubing, play mini golf, participated in a scavenger hunt, and roasted marshmallows over an open fire pit. Two inspirational and powerful learning sessions on the importance of telling the truth and how we use our language were conducted. A full evening of fun-filled activities was held right after dinner including

Bingo, swimming, a mini water park, and so much more. The children had a chance to build upon current friendships as well as form new ones.

They enjoyed delicious meals in a rustic dining room with tables that had a mixture of students from each campus.

HANC wishes to thank staff members Rabbi Gary Hoffman, Mr. Jonathan Eisenkraft, Morah Leah Friedler, Morah Bracha Sarah Markowitz, Mrs. Mary Ann Harold, Mrs. Wendy Pace, Mrs. Chavy Stern, Ms. Jenny DeMeo, and Rabbi Moshe Rubel for all their hard work and preparation for this incredible experience. A special thank you to Rabbi Michael Merrill, assistant principal of Jewish Studies, for coordinating such an amazing Retreat that was full of exciting experiences that the students will never forget. Thank you to the PTA for their financial support and assistance which helped make this event possible.

BBY’s TMM HS Open House Draws Overflow Crowd

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ver one hundred eighth grade students and their parents flocked to Bnos Bais Yaakov’s Tichon Meir Moshe open house last week to get a taste of TMM’s unique brand of chinuch and education.

Mrs. Chaya Gornish, menaheles of BBY and limudei kodesh principal of TMM, opened the program, expressing her goal not only of producing well-rounded young women but also of having every TMM graduate truly feel and understand that the Torah and Yiddishkeit are her inheritance and birthright.

Secular Studies Principal Mrs. Adina Mandel described TMM’s rigorous and varied academic program, which includes courses in art, engineering, Excel and computer graphics, as well as electives including sewing, CPR, creative writing, gymnastics, and aerobics. She also mentioned that TMM serves as a Touro Freshman Center, in addition to offering twelfth graders the opportunity to attain a full year of college credits via the Sara Schenirer Dual Credit Program through Concordia College.

Mrs. Ruchie Sokoloff, Dean of Stu-

dents, described her unique compliance program, which fosters maturity and responsibility. She also touched on the school’s periodical – “Koleinu” – initiated and overseen by Mrs. Sokoloff, which is written and produced several times annually by TMM students.

TMM teachers, students, and alumnae also addressed the crowd, each giving her own take on what makes the school exceptional. Every speaker stressed that despite exacting academic standards in both limudei kodesh and chol, TMM maintains a

feeling of warmth and happiness that pervades the building.

Prospective students then participated in a special activity and received “a taste of TMM” cupcakes. At the end of the program, parents and daughters were invited to speak with numerous attending teachers and TMM students and to view displays depicting some of TMM’s myriad extracurricular and academic programs. Both students and parents left impressed and eager to join the TMM family.

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Humans of HALB: Gratitude Goes Next Level

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ALB Middle School Advisory is off to a fantastic start!

Students began the year exploring the concept of personal character strengths with their advisors and will focus on cultivating a new character strength each month.

Advisory was launched on International Character Day, as students learned about the worldwide movement geared towards enhancing well-being and flourishing for all, with the logo #HALBisCharacterStrong.

This month, students focused on the character strength of gratitude, as they expressed thanks to their teachers and principals in a surprise tribute video “Humans of HALB.” Students were asked to choose a quote that they felt best represent-

ed their gratitude towards their teachers and were filmed as they explained why. Students then engaged in small group discussions and hands-on activities with their ad-

visors, focusing on expressing their gratitude and developing an attitude of gratitude in their daily lives. As a strong predictor of happiness and fulfillment, students learned about

how gratitude is the glue that binds us and helps us relive positive experiences and enhances our relationships with others.

Make Speaking to a Loved One about Estate Planning Easier

By Monet Binder, Esq.

Y

ou are on the phone or maybe you’re visiting with your parents, speaking about what is going on with the children or maybe you’re the parent reminiscing about the time, years ago, when…

Those are the easy and wonderful conversations we have, between parents and their children. But, in the course of that conversation, can you imagine yourself starting a conversation about estate planning and Medicaid planning? Probably not, but that just might be the best time to raise the issue.

Speaking to a loved one, who could be a parent, an adult child, or a spouse, about end-of-life issues, might be the most uncomfortable conversation we could have. Unfortunately, sometimes the most uncomfortable conversations are the most important to preserve family harmony, protect a legacy built over a lifetime, and protect everyone in case someone loses capacity or becomes disabled while they are still living.

So, how do we actually start that “most important” conversation? Fortunately, Forbes.com created a short slide presentation with some very good advice which I explain below, so you don’t have to search for the internet version:

Right place – right time. It’s not always better to schedule a conversation. Though both sides can prepare, it can give the opportunity to put it off to “another time.” Instead, try bringing up the subject during other activities, when both sides are in a good mood. See where the conversation can take you. If it’s going well, you can continue your discussion, or you may resume your conversation at another time.

Stories help start the conversation. News stories and other current events, as well as personal stories, especially about someone who recently passed away and didn’t have planning in place and the hardship that caused the family, can be extremely helpful. Or, one family member could tell another, “I just did my own estate plan” or “I’m doing an estate plan. Do you have one?”

Separate and bite-size conversations. Sometimes, avoiding fullblown discussions on the particulars of estate planning could help create the atmosphere for effective communications. Tread carefully when speaking things out in a group, which could cause a “group think” mentality – where if someone has a negative reaction, others may join it. Depending on your own family dynamic, determine the best way to handle these delicate issues.

Spousal communication. No one knows your spouse as well as you do. Use that knowledge to communicate in the way they will best react. You could show your concern about the future, for example, depending on your situation, you could say, “I’m concerned about how you and the family will be provided for if something happens to me.” Or even, “We’re not getting any younger and we need to discuss our options.” Also, “Now that we are parents, we really need to draw up Wills to protect the children.”

Share information with adult children. Parents who share their estate planning intentions risk hostility from adult children, who do not like what they hear. Consider asking each child what they think, so they feel that their feelings matter. While parents have no obligation to change an estate plan after hearing a child’s preferences, disclosing their plan can help refine their approach and make sure everyone feels included in the process. Also, when assets are not going to be distributed equally, it is important that everyone understand your reasoning – even if they don’t agree with it. This may head off resentment and anger when you are not there to discuss your reasoning with them.

Most important, avoid confron-

tation. Confrontation can paralyze your effort, especially with an elderly parent who thinks you’re just protecting your own inheritance. (Sometimes it’s better to back off, rather than poison your final years together.) Those who encounter pushback from a spouse have a special card to play: “We owe this much to each other.”

Your parent’s legacy or your legacy, representing a lifetime of work and effort, may depend on this conversation.

Monet Binder, esq., has her practice in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island, dedicated to protecting families, their legacies and values. All halachic documents are approved by the Bais Havaad Halacha Center in Lakewood, under the direction of Rabbi Dovid Grossman and the guidance of Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky, shlita, as well as other leading halachic authorities. To learn more about how estate planning, you can send Monet at email at monet@mbinderlaw.com or call 718-514-7575.

The information in this article is intended solely for your information.

It does not constitute legal advice, and it should not be relied on without a discussion of your specific situation with an attorney.

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R' Pinchus Weinberger, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Nishmas Hatorah, was greeted in Eretz Yisroel by alumni of the Yeshiva

HAFTR HS Scientists

MTA Explores the Historical Relationship Between Torah and Secular Culture

L-R: Ari Gurvitch, Ben Sides, and Jacob Steinmetz

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AFTR High School juniors Ari Gurvitch, Ben Sides, and Jacob Steinmetz recently participated in the second annual CIJE Tank competition, sponsored by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education. Seven teams from six yeshiva high schools presented their projects in front of three “sharks.”

“We worked tirelessly for two years in order to reach our desired outcome,” said Ari Gurvitch, leader of the HAFTR team.

Ari and his partners, Ben Sides and recent Fordham recruit Jacob Steinmetz, created a tire that would ultimately produce enough energy to power a car. Using piezoelectric tiles, a material that creates energy directly from pressure and vibrations, they were able to light up an LED, demonstrating that their concept worked. The students were honored

to be finalists in the competition and enjoyed engaging in the research and development process.

“This competition is not about winning or losing, but about learning how to become the next generation of entrepreneurs,” commented Jason Cury, president of CIJE. CIJE has created a STEM curriculum that has expanded to over one hundred Jewish day schools across the country. Mr. Cury added, “It is important for us that all our students become the next generation of innovative leaders.”

HAFTR High School, with the guidance of CIJE, recently built a new state-of-the-art STEM and Innovation Lab, currently offering twelve different STEM course options for the high school students, including two APs.

By Binyamin Fox

D

uring the course of the 20192020 school year, the MTA Honors College program is concentrating on the history of the unique relationship between Torah and secular culture throughout the generations. Over the summer, Honors College members began reading the work “Judaism’s Encounter with Other Cultures,” edited by Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, which describes this unique relationship in a fascinating and detailed manner. Honors College members will be continuing to read sections of the book throughout the year.

This past Monday, November 18, the Honors College had the privilege of hearing from Rabbi Dr. David Berger, Dean of the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies at Yeshi-

va University, who authored one of the chapters in this work. In preparation for Rabbi Dr. Berger’s talk, Honors College members read a section of his article, in which Rabbi Dr. Berger describes Judaism’s growing acceptance of secular culture and worldly pursuits in the lead up to and the advent of the Enlightenment in Europe.

In his presentation, Rabbi Dr. Berger described this growing trend, outlining the differences between Middle Age and Enlightenment responses to secular culture by European Jewry, as well as explained the philosophical and intellectual debates following the publishing of the Rambam’s philosophical works. Honors College members were grateful to learn from Rabbi Dr. Berger and his vast knowledge and expertise in this area and are looking forward to a continued year of knowledge and growth.

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Around the Community

Holocaust Film Screening Draws Large Attendance

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Curt Kaufman, to ask the question: Is present-day Austria truly different from the country from which she fled?

Charming, energetic and deeply committed to sharing the message of how important it is to fight against history repeating itself, Kaufman graciously shared details from her film-making journey and life experience. The film’s screenings were well attended and drew rave reviews from those present.

“What a remarkable achievement,” commented one attendee.

“Shadows from My Past should be required viewing so that we never forget what happened.” ken about his past and that this film “Very powerful,” added others.

One woman in the audience told taught her so much that she didn’t Gita that her father had never spo- know and helped fill in the gaps from her father’s experiences which he was never able to share with his family.

For Gita Weinrauch Kaufman and her husband Curt Kaufman, The annual White House tradition of pardoning making the film, which was completa turkey officially started in 1989 with President ed in 2012, was a labor of love and a memorial to the aunts, cousins and George H.W. Bush. others who were left behind

ersonal testimony is at the heart of Shadows From My Past, a moving documentary film shown at two screenings at Peninsula Public Library on Wednesday, November 20. The film and discussions were sponsored jointly by the library and the Aaron and Marion Gural JCC. Gita Weinrauch Filmmaker Kaufman, who presented the documentary and spoke following the film’s screenings, was born in pre-war Vienna to Polish parents. In 1940, Kaufman escaped from Austria with her immediate family the day they were to be transported to Dachau Concentration Camp. More than 50 years later, she returned to Vienna with her husband and co-director,

Did you know?

The filmmakers had remarkable access: survivor Simon Wiesenthal; infamous former UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim; former U.S. Ambassador to Austria Ronald Lauder; Austrian President Heinz Fischer; chancellors; distinguished academics ;and others.

Narrating family letters dated from 1939 through 1941, Kaufman tells the story of how her extended family struggled to save themselves and their children, often unsuccessfully. The film bears witness to the challenges faced by so many during that dark time in history.

The screenings of Shadows From My Past was a special program offered by Peninsula Public Library.

For more information about their events call (516)239-3262. This film and similar programs are offered by the Cultural Arts and Education department at the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC in Cedarhurst.

To hear about upcoming events call (516)569-6733 or email rachayle.deutsch@guraljcc.org.

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Learning Can Be Delicious, Too

B

ais Yaakov of Queens first graders discovered how delicious learning can be! The girls are learning about the life cycles of different plants. The year’s study began with the apple’s cycle for Rosh Hashana. For the fall, they focused on pumpkins. The teachers read a book about pumpkins to introduce the life cycle of pumpkins. The first grade classes began with two essential learning questions. First: what is a pumpkin? Their next question was: what is inside of a pumpkin?

Interestingly, many girls predicted pumpkins would have one big pit like an avocado. Surprise! Pumpkins actually have many seeds! Once the teachers opened up the pumpkin, the girls had a third question: how many seeds are inside?

The girls got a chance to feel the flesh of the pumpkin and experience some hands-on learning! After, the classes made Venn diagrams to compare and contrast pumpkins and apples.

Following this informative and exciting lesson, the girls enjoyed snacking on roasted pumpkin seeds.

The first graders got to have their pumpkin lesson and eat it, too!

A Turkey of Thanksgiving

O

n Tuesday, November 26, the Nursery Alef class at HANC Plainview celebrated Thanksgiving with their families. The students sang songs about turkeys and then made “thankful feathers” to decorate the body of a turkey. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all came

to participate and shared what they were thankful for and wrote them on the turkey feathers. The celebration ended with snacks and cupcake decorating.

It was the perfect way to remind our young students and their families what really matters – celebrating with our loved ones!

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Social Media and Internet Safety

The Loitzker Rebbe visited the talmidim of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island on Sunday. Each talmid received a bracha and an apple from the Rebbe

Young Israel of Plainview Proudly Marks Its Golden Jubilee

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his week, the Young Israel of Plainview announced the upcoming commemoration of the 50th anniversary of its first minyan. The synagogue hosted a Shabbaton on Saturday, November 23.

Activities included a wonderful oneg featuring memories from our community founders. Fittingly, the celebration took place at the Young Israel of Plainview, which is located at 132 Southern Parkway in Plainview.

At its inception, the Young Israel of Plainview started with barely enough attendees to form a minyan.

These early participants had both spiritual faith and, likewise, a belief in the inherent potential of a burgeoning community that they had the foresight to envision. That modest start ultimately proved to serve as the foundation of a much larger synagogue that lay ahead. The temple soon began to blossom and then flourish, eventually developing into

the now thriving 200-member family institution it is today. The congregation first started to grow under the auspices of Rabbi Moshe Portnoy and is now under the steady leadership of Rabbi Elie Weissman and Yoetzet Avital Weissman.

David Gross, who spent his formative years attending services at the Young Israel of Plainview and, moreover, is the current president of the synagogue, was impassioned as he described the significance of the milestone saying, “The November 23rd Shabbaton marks the culmination of so many things. From humble beginnings to a vibrant congregation the Young Israel of Plainview means so much to so many people. More than anything, this celebration is both a testament to and evidence of the resilience, dedication and fortitude of a truly incredible community that is fifty remarkable years in the making.”

I

n conjunction with Madraigos’ School-Based Services and the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, Mrs. Miriam Schiller, LMSW, clinician at Madraigos, presented a workshop on social media and internet safety at HANC’s middle school. The student body was very receptive to the educational presentation, resulting in a lively discussion among the students and feedback shared after the program.

The students appreciated the informative and thought-provoking experience as demonstrated by the many questions posed to Madraigos staff.

A focus of the workshop was an open discussion related to the pros and cons of social media. The discussion gave students the opportunity to express how important and beneficial social media is to them. At the same time, the students were shown the value of taking time to be “disconnected,” putting their phones in designated “off” areas and using the “downtime” to participate in and develop traditional social-interaction skills with family and friends.

In addition to educating about possible risks of being overly connected, Madraigos professionals took the valuable opportunity to address the realities and importance of being cyber-safe. Students were informed about the potential risks posed by cyber criminals and predators perusing popular social-networking sites. Many students were surprised to learn of the various statistics and privacy policies of social-networking sites. Specific guidance to implement

specific safety measures while engaging in social media and the Internet were discussed. The significance of taking time to consider the impact of sharing information before hitting the Send button was stressed.

Several examples of the information shared with students: • Identifying a red flag feeling and finding an appropriate response.

• If you don’t know the person, don’t share personal information, meet up in person, or send pictures.

• Before you post, ask yourself: Would my friend be OK with me posting this? And, am I aware that anyone (principal, friend, parent) can see this post or picture now and in the future?

Madraigos’ goal is that students use their newly acquired information and skills to face the challenge of cyber addiction – for themselves, their families, and their community. Most importantly, students need to develop greater vigilance in being cautious while online.

Madraigos thanks HANC for inviting them to conduct this workshop to provide students with the tools they desperately need. Madraigos looks forward to more opportunities like this in our local schools.

If you would like your school to arrange a Madraigos workshop on cyber addiction and safety please contact Mindi Werblowsky, LCSW, clinical director, at mwerblowsky@ madraigos.org or 516-371-3250, ext. 102.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Two new cookbooks s t n e s e r P for the entire family

Miriam Pascal

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In More Real Life Kosher Cooking, Miriam shows us how to create memorable dishes with approachable recipes.

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AT GRE UKAH N CHAGIFT!

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KIDS COOKING

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C OO L IO N IN VE NT r c blende

ctri The ele ented in was inv just for 1922 — kshakes! g mil makin

UTENS ILS NEED ED

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½ cup milk

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No one is really sure, but some people say milkshakes got their name from being served in restaurants. If the customer enjoyed the milkshake, he gave the waiter’s hand a shake, while giving him a tip. If the customer didn’t like it, the waiter didn’t get a “shake” of the hands, and he also didn’t get a tip!

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Kids Cooking with Chef Shiri:

Foods little ng” of All away, with be eaten right , is a whole Bread — “Ki the tree can hand

d from the other starting Fresh fruit pickeon. Making bread, on licated list of activities, ions. No or no preparati. It includes a long, comp baking the bread. all other creat when we make with le are from like different story the grain and finishing different peop ted toward Hashem, d shows how with growing from grain holy and direc d us, that person is calle. make bread actions are the world commande He The ability to that. When a person’s as creatures of berachos do ” all the other animal can d is the “king HaMotzi brea the “king” over als, all anim all of its own, . is king over rate berachah is eaten first at a meal Just as man sepa a has that It . al blessing d is the food over all foods HaAretz. Brea Bircas HaMazon, a speci ate during you Lechem Min you must recite all the other foods that Afterward, es d. includ brea that ate after the meal this is all because you that meal. And

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OD FA CT FU N FO slightly berries are

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HAFTR Chagigat Chumash

IVDU Challah Bake

L

earning about the parsha and Sara Imeinu’s legacy took on a whole new meaning with our school wide challah bake-off activity. Measuring, pouring, mixing, using our math skills, and teaching social skills all came together as students and staff worked to make their dough.

IVDU’s language-based program embeds learning opportunities throughout the school day. Students proudly braided their dough and watched their challah rise learning

O

n Sunday, HAFTR family and friends celebrated with the second grade students at their Chagigat Chumash. Parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents did not let the rainy weather dampen their mood.

Ms. Joy Hammer, principal of HAFTR Lower School, welcomed the audience and shared her personal memories of learning Chumash with her parents, “We have come a long way. I covered my Chumash with a brown paper Waldbaum’s bag,” she remarked.

The students proudly performed songs they have been practicing for the last few weeks, highlighting their love of Torah and their pride in becoming the next generation of talmidei chachamim and chachamot. They recited pesukim from Parshat Bereishit that they are sure to remember for years to come. Then, beaming with pride as they received their first Chumashim engraved with their names, the students recited a Shehechiyanu and held their Chumashim for all to see. Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum, rav Bet Sefer, delivered the divrei bracha to the students. He was especially

emotional as he shared this occasion with his second grader, Adira.

The celebration continued as students and their families moved to the gym, filled with interactive activities. Students personalized Chumash covers, decorated picture frames, played a Torah game using iPads, wrote down their thoughts about this special day, and looked inside a Sefer Torah for the very first time.

On Monday, their first day of learning Chumash in class, the second grade students took part in a Tzivos Hashem Sefer Torah workshop where they learned about the intricate process of writing a sefer Torah. They helped sand the klaf and mix the special ink. Each student used a quill to write his or her name using the special print when writing a sefer Torah.

Students were impressed by their own ability to write so beautifully.

The Chagigat Chumash was a heartfelt and festive occasion that will linger in the minds and hearts of our children and their families. Thank you to all the families who helped sponsor the event. May we continue to have nachat from our second graders.

Did you know?

1926, President Calvin Coolidge received a raccoon as a Thanksgiving gift. Instead of eating it, the family adopted the pet and named in Rebecca.

about this special mitzvah and taking pride in their accomplishments.

Who knew that learning can be so much fun!

Lido Beach Shul to Host R’ Joey Newcomb for Shabbos

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his Shabbos, Parshas Toldos, the Lido Beach community will be hosting many guests along with R’ Yossel “Joey” Newcomb, the popular baal tefillah and singer, for an uplifting Shabbos of ruach.

Beginning with a Newcomb/ Carlebach-style Kabbalas Shabbos and a tasteful catered dinner for the community and guests in the social hall, and continuing to uplifting tefillos on Shabbos morning, it promises to be a wonderful and inspiring day for all. Divrei Torah will be shared by the Rav, Rabbi Eli Biegeleisen, as well as R’ Joey and the bochurim with zemiros until well into the night. Lido’s traditional weekly gala kiddush luncheon will follow davening with well over 150 people expected.

Motzei Shabbos, the entire community and beyond is invited to a musical Havdalah Concert and

kumzitz at 6:15p.m. In addition to the locals and Shabbos guests, the short 15-minute drive from Far Rockaway and Lawrence usually draws many from there who hop over for the free event. With his trusty Thank You Hashem guitar, Joey Newcomb is sure to once again take everyone on a fun and uplifting journey with achdus, dancing, and singing.

As Rabbi Biegeleisen commented, “It is really nice opportunity to see so many people coming together. Joey has this koach to bring out simcha in people. Our longtime residents and summer members who come out for the weekend, the new young families who moved in recently from Queens, Far Rockaway, the Five Towns and all the guests – he has a geshmak and ability in his signing and entertainment that really injects ruach into Yidden.”

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Around the Community

Enhanced Gym at Gesher

HANC HS Making a Difference

By Rebecca Cohen

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his week, Gesher introduce its new enrichment. Every activity at Gesher is done with the thought of: how can we make this experience better for each child?

Gym time, recess, and free play time are important for a child’s development in so many ways. There is a focus on gross motor skills, planning, and team interaction. These are areas that many children benefit

from guidance and modeling.

Mrs. Tamar Sicklick is wellknown in our area for her work with children in the arena of physical play activities. She has a multi-tiered program to help children gain skills and build confidence. The children, and staff, of Gesher enjoyed having Mrs. Sicklick engage them with games and activities to enhance their playing experience.

O

n Thursday, November 21, grades 10 through 12 at HANC were privileged to hear from counterterrorism expert Mr. Steven Gar, who is committed to protecting Jews worldwide, while also working to become a rabbi.

Mr. Gar educated the students about Israeli counterterrorism from a personal perspective. He emphasized the lengths Jewish people will go to in order to protect the state of Israel and Jews around the world.

He spoke about the heroism of Israeli

soldiers and civilians who are willing to risk their own lives for the sake of others. In particular, he mentioned Ari Fuld, z”l, who put the lives of others before his own.

Students came away with a sense of appreciation and pride for being part of Am Yisrael, along with the feeling of hope for the future. Mr. Gar ingrained the message that each person has the potential to make a huge difference with even one act of kindness. It was an honor to hear from Mr. Gar and we look forward to strengthening the Jewish nation by helping each other as best we can.

NEFESH International 23rd Annual Conference

N

EFESH International is pleased to announce its upcoming 23rd Annual Conference that will take place from December 12-15 at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge, Long Island. New this year is a complimentary program Wednesday evening, December 11, to kick off the conference.

NEFESH International is the world’s leading association of Jewish Orthodox mental health professionals; it is an interdisciplinary organization providing leadership and education in the field of personal, family, and community mental health. Our diverse members are Torah-observant psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, psychiatric nurses, chemical dependency counselors, psychotherapists, guidance and pastoral counselors, and graduate students. Affiliates include Orthodox rabbis, Jewish educators, attorneys,

and allied professionals.

For NEFESH members, the annual conference is the highlight of the year. This event brings together members from all over the world in an incredible display of achdus that is evident from beginning to end. This solidarity among attendees is really epitomized by the Shabbos ruach that unites Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Chassidim, and Litvish/Yeshivish.

The energy is palpable beginning with the spirited Carlebach niggunim of Kabbalas Shabbos and ending with the emotional, musical Havdalah.

The Melaveh Malka is an opportunity for attendees to relax and enjoy music, dancing, and, of course, delicious food. All of this is in addition to the many and varied workshops presented by experts in their respective fields over the course of several days that make up the conference.

NEFESH is very pleased that wellknown speaker and writer Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (YY) Jacobson will be

joining us as scholar-in-residence for Shabbos to address the conference attendees. In addition, Rabbi Avrohom Union, MA, of the Rabbinical Council of California, and our morah d’asra, Harav Dovid Cohen, shlita, will also address the conference.

The following are just a few of the many presentations: Binyamin Tepfer, PsyD, CSAT-S, CMAT, will talk about Making Sense of Money: Understanding and Treating Pathological Gambling, Underearning, Spending, and other Financial Disorders. David Katzenstein, DSW, LCSW -R, will address the critically important issues of Sexual Abuse Prevention: Why We’re Still Getting It Wrong.

Some of the other presenters include Laura Barbanel, Ed.D, ABPP, fellow of the American Psychological Association; David Pelcovitz, Ph.D., Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration; Evelyn Rappoport, PsyD., Somatic Experi-

ence Practitioner; Tal E. Weinberger, MD, Thomas Jefferson University Department of Psychiatry.

The conference provides training to mental health professionals, doctors, rabbis, community leaders, and educators who will benefit from the many cutting edge educational opportunities on the issues facing our communities. Non-professionals enjoy the insightful shiurim and presentations, especially the Shabbos program. Clinicians who need CE credits will be able to sign up and receive them. A record number of up to 26 CEUs can be earned this year! CMEs are available to MDs, PAs, and NPs. This year’s conference will be catered by Elite under KAJ hashgacha.

Elite has catered the event for the past few years and has done an outstanding job.

To register and get more details about the many workshops, please go to www.NEFESH.org.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Around the Community

A Truly Memorable Membership Tea

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he Women’s League of TAG once again presented a memorable Membership Tea which left an impression on the over 150 mothers who attended on Tuesday evening, November 19. The success was in no doubt due to the planning committee as well as to Mrs. Tziporah Sax, who hosted the event in her beautiful new home. May she and her husband be zocheh to enjoying many simchos in their new location.

While the Women’s League spon-

sors many fundraising events to help the school provide extra-curricular activities, it also sponsors events which provide our parent body with skills and tools to enhance their parenting. Such was the case when the ladies invited Mrs. Sara Chana Radcliffe, noted author, speaker and Mishpacha magazine columnist from Toronto, to serve as the guest speaker. Her approach to maintaining Less Stress Parenting was embraced by the mothers and her talk

Make Every Shabbos Extra Special with Tura Wines

was followed by a lively question and answer.

The beautifully-laden tables filled with salads and desserts were sure to please all who had an opportunity to not only enjoy them, but to socialize with other mothers as well. The take-home gift for all TAG daughters of a specially designed TAG scrunchie, provided by our own parent Mrs. Malka Hadassah Baum, was enthusiastically received as a most delightful and useful gift for the girls.

Special thanks to the entire committee of dedicated ladies who produced such a stellar and most memorable event: Racheli Blumenkrantz, Edna Ershowsky, Suri Feuchtwanger, Rivi Ganz, Mindy Glaser, Chayale Gorlin, Esti Gross, Anat Hartman, Shoshana Krischenbaum, Esti Mase, Chanale Menche, Naomi Newman, Diana Safier, Rachelle Tepper, and Amanda Waltuch.

Names, Not Numbers at Central

By Hadassah Bay

N

ow that it’s officially winter, the long Shabbos Friday nights offer a unique opportunity to invest in an extended leisurely seudah punctuated by delicious treats. After the main course, I like to slowly bring out dessert, followed by a nut platter including a selection of candies and chocolates, as well as tea and cake.

Among the delicacies my husband and I discovered this past yom tov were the superb Tura wines, a “tradition” we’ve made sure to continue every Shabbos.

Tura Winery, located in the heart of Israel’s Shomron, was founded by Erez and Vered Ben Saadon. They’ve been producing their critically acclaimed, award-winning red and white wines for close to 17 years and are as enthusiastic today as when they first started.

We followed Vered’s pairing recommendations: Chardonnay from the Mountain Vista series, a dry white, to start the meal and whet the appetite. For the main course, Tura

has a variety of rich, full-bodied red wines, but we went for Tura’s flagship wine, Mountain Peak and had no regrets. With dessert, we served Tura’s lovely rose, floral, fruity and crisp with the aromas of jasmine and red grapefruit.

“These wines are so pungent and delicious, they contribute to the joyful Shabbos atmosphere,” Vered says.

T

he seniors involved in the Names Not Numbers program reached a critical stage of their project this week – filming their interviews with Holocaust survivors. Students greeted the survivors at the door and escorted them to the library, where they were interviewed by four or five seniors.

Senior Tally Soleimani was part of the group who interviewed Mrs.

Rochelle Epstein. Tally reflected, “This was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Reading stories of the war from a book is one thing, but when you hear it in person, from someone who is alive now, it makes everything come to life.”

Once the seniors finish filming, they will go on to editing and cutting their recordings.

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Focusing on the Shoah at TAG

T

AG eighth grade talmidos participated in a Yom Iyun focusing on the Shoah, in conjunction with their social studies curriculum.

The program emphasized hope, heroism, and the continuity of our people during those times. The highlight of the day was a presentation

by Rabbi Moshe Cohen, International Director of Holocaust Studies in Yad Vashem. Rabbi Cohen has de-

veloped a program that is uniquely designed for junior high yeshiva students, and in keeping with Yad Vashem’s guiding principle of getting children “safely in and safely out” in their studies of the Holocaust. This is guiding our approach to selecting topics and material to be sure that they are age- and hashkafically-appropriate. Rabbi Cohen shared rare footage and documentation and facilitated meaningful conversations

with the students. In addition, students collaboratively read different article excerpts and were engaged in guided discussions with their teachers. Lastly, students and teachers watched the documentary film, “Vehigadeta LeVincha,” a compilation of interviews with Holocaust survivors sharing their memories from pre-war Europe, through the ghettos, concentration camps, death marches, and culminating in their rebuilding of

their lives and their families.

To wrap up the program, we launched the annual Project Witness Annual School Competition. TAG is proud to once again participate in this unique opportunity, where students use various mediums to artistically express specific scenes from the Holocaust. Last year, TAG artwork made it to the finalist list, and we are looking forward to some beautiful and meaningful submissions.

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

“Better Safe than Sorry” Presentation

by Top Safety Expert

“W

ith multiple threats to security and peace of mind, simple preventive measures can make a world of difference.”

So says Frank Storch, of Baltimore, Maryland, an international safety and security expert. An author, lecturer and community activist, Mr. Storch will give bottom line practical safety advice that will address home, personal, family and community safety as part of a presentation entitled “Better Safe than Sorry” at The Lawrence Civic Association Community Meeting to be held at the Lawrence Yacht and Country Club, 101 Causeway in Lawrence, on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 8 p.m.

A security expert and safety advocate, Mr. Storch has published nu-

merous books, including Keep Your Camp Safe, Keep Your School Safe and Stay Safe in Israel. Thousands of copies of these guides have been distributed worldwide. He has more than forty years’ experience in the field working with local, city, county and state agencies, with emphasis on the Jewish community. Among Frank Storch’s many accomplishments is his extraordinary help to the Five Towns/Far Rockaway communities during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Leading an initiative to galvanize help from outside the community, Frank personally arranged and donated over $200,000 of emergency equipment, including 120 generators, and participated in other humanitarian relief efforts.

Most remarkably, Mr. Storch has done all of this as a volunteer – tak-

ing time from his business to share his passion about safety and preventive strategies with others.

“My motto has always been ‘better safe than sorry,’” Frank says.

“I’ve tried to be ahead of the game when it comes to any safety and security issues. After something tragic or dangerous occurs, people regret not having done more. Why wait for something bad to happen? My experiences over the years have taught me the inherent value of planning ahead.”

Paris Popack, president of the Lawrence Civic Association, strongly encourages community members to attend. “We are bringing this awareness and solutions to our residents in order to help our Five Towns neighborhood and families be safer and more secure.”

Residents are invited to send their security/safety questions to The Lawrence Civic Association, lawrencecivicny@gmail.com, in advance of the event. Every effort will be made to address your concerns at the meeting.

YCQ’s Annual Intergenerational Third Grade Melave Malka

By Eliana Gomberg

O

n Motza’ei Shabbat, November 16, the Yeshiva of Central Queens third grade students had their annual Melava Malka. The students worked for weeks with their morot and their music teacher, Morah Tali Spector.

The students then performed the songs they learned in front of their parents, grandparents and teachers.

The songs were meaningful, especially since the students worked so hard learning and practicing their songs.

“The Melava Malka was fun. I liked singing ‘Eliyahu HaNavi’ the best,” said Shimon Borukhov, grade 3.

The production put smiles on everyone’s faces. The students sang

about Shabbat and had a great time performing.

After the performance, an exciting party was held in the gym.

Student volunteers worked to help set up the gym on Friday prior to the Melava Malka, and several sixth grade girls volunteered to work with Mrs. Carrie Beylus, the event organizer and alumni parent, as servers.

Rabbi Yoel Hecht entertained the students with an amazing magic show and games with prizes. The students and their siblings loved it!

The night ended with raffles, music, and many happy faces.

What make this intergenerational Melava Malka stand out is that many grandparents get the opportunity to see their grandchildren in

their school environment and hear about all they are learning in Judaic studies.

Sophie Sisser said, “I enjoyed the song ‘David HaMelech’ best and learning and doing the hand motions was so much fun. I especially loved that my grandparents came and were here to with me.”

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

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Shulamith Students Enjoy Educational Outings

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ast Wednesday was trip day for Shulamith sixth and seventh graders, and what a funfilled, educational day it was!

The sixth graders traveled to Manhattan where they enjoyed a few hours at the Museum of Natu-

ral History. They viewed the dinosaur fossils and visited exhibits on ocean life and the natural world.

Their trip culminated in a viewing of a marvelous 3D movie titled Oceans. The film was filled with astounding facts about marine life and

was utterly mesmerizing in its cinematography, which captured many never-before-seen niflaot ha’Borei.

The seventh graders enjoyed a junket to Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay. During a visit to his home, they learned much about President

Teddy Roosevelt. They also visited the museum on the grounds of Sagamore Hill and participated in a Theodore Roosevelt Museum History Hunt.

Ambassador David Friedman to be Honored at Annual Jew in the City Awards

W Last week, Yehoshua and Fagie Freud and Marcia and Joseph Freud hosted an inaugural parlor meeting at their home to benefit the Merkaz Rebbi Initiative.

Headed by Rabbi Yaakov Goldstone, its mission is to raise awareness of the financial hardships that the family of a yeshiva rebbi endures. This initiative endeavors to raise funds in order to assist yeshivas in increasing the salaries of their rebbeim as well as to provide financial assistance to rebbeim when unexpected expenses arise.

Did you know?

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was the first American president to spare a turkey’s life.

ith anti-Semitic attacks on the rise, and a greater risk of owning your Judaism publicly, Jew in the City’s All Star Awards couldn’t come at a more crucial time. Now in its sixth year, the All Star Awards highlight some of the most accomplished religious Jews in the world today as part of Jew in the City’s mission of rebranding Orthodox Jews and Judaism.

Five Towns resident The Honorable David Friedman, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, is among the ten exceptional individuals who have been named the sixth class of Orthodox Jewish All Stars by Jew in the City. The All Stars will be honored at an awards show on December 2, 2019 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. This diverse and accomplished group also includes Karen Barrow, senior editor at The New York Times; AJ Edelman, fiirst Orthodox Jewish male Olympian; Joseph Essas, CTO of OpenTable; Bat-El Gatterer, first Orthodox Jewish female Olympian; Dov Kramer, executive producer at WFAN radio; Shulem Lemmer, the first Hasidic Jew to

sign with a major record label; The Secretary of Transportation of Massachusetts, The Honorable Stephanie Pollack; Sam Rascoff, Former Director, NYPD Intelligence Analysis Unit; Jerry Wittenstein, NASA scientist who developed three out of the six trajectories for Apollo 11.

In addition to the All Stars, fourtime Emmy-nominated actress Dr. Mayim Bialik will be recognized that evening for her historic commitment to Jewish observance in the midst of secular Hollywood, receiving a Keter Shem Tov Award, as she has improved how Orthodox Jews are regarded in the world. Cochairs for the event include Five Town residents Arielle and Moshe Wolfson.

Jew in the City, a non-profit founded in 2007 by Allison Josephs, reverses negative associations about religious Jews by highlighting an approach based on kindness, tolerance, sincerity, and critical thinking and makes engaging and meaningful Orthodox Judaism known and accessible.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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DRS Annual Shabbaton It is perhaps the most anticipated event of the DRS school year: the Annual Schoolwide Shabbaton. This past Shabbat, DRS sophomores, juniors, and seniors, accompanied by their rabbeim and their families, spent the weekend at the Mountain Laurel Hotel in White Haven, Pennsylvania.

Students eagerly boarded the buses bound for the Shabbaton on Thursday afternoon. Upon arrival at the hotel, the students were treated to a lavish BBQ and then boarded buses to head to H2OOO! Indoor Water Park. Upon their return, students participated in a Shiur vs. Shiur Trivia Contest, with the winning shiur receiving beef jerky platters. Everyone at the contest enjoyed a smorgasbord of hot kugel and chulent. On Friday morning, after Shacharis, shiurim were delivered by the various rabbeim. Following by a hearty breakfast, the students traveled to a nearby park to partake in the annual Shabbaton Flag Football Tournament, where 15 flag football games were played simultaneously!

The pre-Shabbat festivities came to an end as students returned to the hotel to prepare for the holiness of Shabbat. After an inspiring kabbbalat Shabbat, students gathered for spirited zemirot during dinner. During din-

ner, students offered words of divrei Torah, and an entertaining comedy skit was put on by some of the rabbeim.

The theme of the Shabbaton was “Seeing Hashem in Our Lives.” This year’s featured speaker was Rabbi Daniel Braun. Rabbi Braun lost one of his legs to cancer and taught the students to see and appreciate Hashem despite experiencing nisyonos and struggles in life. While the seniors heard from Rabbi Braun, the sophomores and juniors partook in a session entitled “Hashem Said Hel-

lo!” Students heard from the rabbeim in their grade, who shared personal stories of times where they felt Yad Hashem orchestrating events in their lives. After the educational sessions, it was time for one of the highlights of Shabbat: the Friday night DRS tisch led by Rabbi Kaminetsky. Students and rabbeim packed into a section of the ballroom for inspired singing late into the night. Following the tisch, shiurim held “Post Tisch-Tisches” in various locations throughout the hotel, to engender more bonding time between rebbe and talmidim.

On Shabbat Day, students were treated to a fabulous kiddush followed by parsha time with their rabbeim.

The Seudat Shabbat included more lively zemirot and divrei Torah from various students. After an incredibly inspiring shalosh seudot and havdalah, the students headed to the dining room for a spirited Melava Malka with lively dancing.

The Shabbaton was a great way for students of different ages to strengthen friendships, as well as their relationships with their rabbeim.

create props and costumes for the chassan, kallah, bubbies, zaidies, waiters, photographers and all those

involved. Invitations were sent out, and the celebrations began! It was a thrilling experience for the children

to see the parsha come alive in their classroom!

A Chasunah at BYAM’s Preschool

L

ast week, in honor of Parshas Chayei Sarah, the Pre1A at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam celebrated the wedding of Yitzchok and Rivka by making their own mock wedding. Since children learn best by doing, the girls built their own chuppah and kallah’s chair out of our large, hollow blocks. Wooden, hollow blocks allow children to use their innate creativity and work together in order to create new settings for imaginative play each day.

The process of playing in their own creation is very exciting for children and builds self-esteem.

Using hollow blocks to act out a mock wedding was very exciting!

The Pre1A girls worked together to

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Bus Safety at HALB Lev Chana

T

his past Monday, HALB Lev Chana Early Childhood Center conducted bus safety sessions for our 4-year-old nursery and kindergarten children. In cooperation with, and the assistance of Michael Sperber of Independent Bus Company, a big yellow school bus driven by bus driver Brenda, arrived and parked in front of the preschool. Each class boarded the bus with their teachers and went over bus safety rules, i.e. why we sit belted in the front half of the bus, why we speak to your friend using your indoor voices, why we don’t eat or drink on the bus, and why we don’t stand, walk, jump or do somersaults on the bus.

The children themselves provided reasons for the safety rules.

When asked who was in charge of the bus, everyone responded, “The driver!” All the children practiced buckling and unbuckling their seatbelts. They laughed when morah they were able to do it. Of course, asked them to try it with their eyes our children know that saying “helclosed and were astonished that lo” when getting on and “thank you”

when getting off is a kiddush Hashem and very much appreciated by the drivers.

Thank you to bus driver Brenda and Michael Sperber in helping us to educate our children in bus safety.

Mesivta Shaarei Pruzdor’s Open House

T

his past Sunday was a milestone for Mesivta Sha’arei Pruzdor.

MSP is the beloved home to its ninth, tenth and eleventh grade talmidim. The yeshiva hosted a beautiful open house for prospective students which highlighted the apparent growth of both the yeshiva and its talmidim. Families from Far Rockaway, the Five towns, and Brooklyn showed up to learn about the yeshiva and enjoy a peek into the setup, chinuch system, and the incredible faculty. The event was held in the yeshiva’s current home, The Young Israel of Long Beach.

The evening’s program began with a series of brief and engaging presentations about the yeshiva. The

Mesivta’s founder and Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Elly Merenstein, opened the program by discussing his vision for the yeshiva. He talked about how ultimately the goal is that the yeshiva create the future husbands and fathers of Klal Yisroel who can carry on our mesorah in a challenging generation. A model focused on learning respect for one’s rebbeim, teachers, peers, an,d most importantlym themselves is the cornerstone of achieving this vision.

Next the Mashgiach, Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum, reported on the unique relationship the boys have with their rebbeim and teachers. Each boy is treated with love and respect, given a voice to communicate his feelings and perspective.

Did you know?

America first called for a national day of thanksgiving to celebrate victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

The boys love the yeshiva, knowing they’re valued and spurring them to grow in their Torah and Yiddishkeit.

The ninth grade Rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel Munk, stressed that the yeshiva is using innovative ideas within the parameters of a mainstream kodesh curriculum. There is a lot of open discussion during mussar seder about bettering oneself and developing a relationship with Hashem. The Gemara B’Iyun shiur is taught in a way that challenges the talmidim’s intellect while also developing skills.

Halacha and Chumash are taught with a focus on relevancy in the day to day lives of the talmidim. There was also an emphasis placed on the rebbe-talmid relationship and that it must be one that is forged to be a lasting relationship that the talmid can rely on for years to come.

The Yeshiva’s General Studies principal, Mr. Simcha Frishman, described the various courses available in the afternoon, including different creative classes such as media, personal training, and Jewish history.

He also explained how the chinuch building blocks that are the focus of

limudei kodesh are followed through with the limudei chol as well.

Parents heard from one of the eleventh graders, Chaim Tzvi Knopfler, who explained what a lifechanging experience it has been for him to join MSP in its warm and inviting atmosphere. He described his great enthusiasm for coming to yeshiva each day, despite his commute from Brooklyn.

The evening concluded with a sample shiur for the prospective talmidim from Rabbi Munk and a brief question and answer session for the parents with the yeshiva staff.

As the event came to an end, there was palpable excitement amongst the parents and students about the potential of being part of this unique opportunity.

Applications are now available, and interviews are being scheduled. To get an application, schedule an interview or to find out more information you can reach the Yeshiva office, via phone at 516-321-0964, or via email at office@msplb.org.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Around the Community

Dirshu Kinyan Chochma Program Nears the End of First Machzor Beginning of Second Machzor to Coincide with Dirshu World Siyum at Binyanei Haumah in Yerushalayim

By Chaim Gold

“W

e are all obligated to learn mussar,” said Rabbi Dovid Meisels, a Dirshu Kinyan Chochma participant, “but unless we have something that compels us to do it, a set program with tests, it often falls by the wayside. Our lives are so busy that unless we really prioritize, mussar learning simply won’t get done.

That is what I have found so amazing about the Dirshu Kinyan Chochma program!

It forces me to learn mussar, and as a result of this learning, I have seen such a dramatic transformation in my personal life, my avodas ha’middos and my general avodas Hashem.”

As Dirshu’s Kinyan Chochma mussar program nears the end of its first machzor, participants in the program are reflecting on the tremendous benefits that they have reaped in their personal lives as a result of being part of such a program.

In addition, the end of the first machzor and the beginning of the second machzor scheduled to commence at the beginning of the upcoming month of Teves with the learning of Masechta Avos with Rabbeinu Yonah offers the chance for new participants to join and experience the life-altering impact of bringing daily mussar learning into their lives. The new machzor will coincide with Dirshu World Siyum at Binyanei Haumah Convention Center in Yerushalayim.

Kinyan Chochma Established at the Behest of Leading Gedolim The Kinyan Chochma program was established three years ago at Dirshu’s

International Convention that celebrated the 20th anniversary of Dirshu’s founding. It was established at the behest of the leading Gedolim who felt that chizuk was needed in daily mussar learning.

Kinyan Chochma, a mussar program wherein a short piece of one of the mussar classics is learned daily, features Pirkei Avos with Rabbeinu Yonah, Mesilas Yesharim, Tomer Devorah, Orchos Chaim of the Rosh and Orchos Tzaddikim.

The program has been instituted to encourage daily learning of mussar among all members of Klal Yisrael.

The Gedolei Yisrael from both Eretz Yisrael and chutz la’aretz have enthusiastically called on Yidden the world over to join the program and incorporate daily learning of mussar into their lives together with their other learning sedarim. Lomdei Dirshu participating in the Kinyan Torah program and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha programs can take monthly tests on the mussar learned and receive stipends for excellent results.

A New Twist on Timeless Lessons Another Kinyan Chochma learner, Rabbi Yoel Klein, related, “I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to be able to learn the peirush of Rabbeinu Yonah on Masechta Avos. Rabbeinu Yonah takes a Mishnah that you always learned and understood in a certain way and gives it a totally different twist, a fresh look that you never contemplated. He always leaves you with food for thought and how to incorporate a practical lesson learned from the Mishnah into your life.

“I will tell you a story,” added Rabbi Dovid Meisels, “that just transpired recent-

Rav Dovid Hofstedter introducing the Kinyan Chochma program at Dirshu’s 2017 Shabbos Convention

ly. I was talking to someone and he cited something that we all learned as children, that Avrohom Avinu’s tent had four entrances so that wayfarers from all four sides would see it and be able to enter from the side from which they were coming.

That Yid told me that he had searched everywhere, in the Gemara, midrashim and other works of Chazal but was unable to find a source regarding the four entrances of the tent. Before I started learning Kinyan Chochma I might have said, ‘You know, you are right. I wonder where or if there is such a source.’ But now that I had learned Kinyan Chochma, I told him, “Just look at Rabbeinu Yonah on Avos, perek aleph Mishnah hei!’”

Mussar is one of those things that most people realize that we need, but somehow it gets pushed to the side because there is usually no scheduled time and specific limud for it.

Over the past three years, participants in Dirshu’s Kinyan Torah and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha programs have added Dirshu’s Kinyan

Chochma mussar program to their daily learning regimen. This daily, scheduled immersion in mussar has resulted in tremendous benefit in their avodas Hashem.

The Primary Avodah: Working on One’s Avodah!

In Dirshu’s Sefer Chizuk, published in honor of Dirshu’s 10th anniversary, the Mashgiach of Yeshiva Knesses Beis Chizkiyahu in Kfar Chassidim, Rav Dov Yaffe, zt”l, wrote about this very matter.

He wrote, “A person must remember that the yetzer hara always tries to minimize, in a person’s own eyes, the importance of inner avodah, of working on oneself and improving one’s middos. Often the yetzer hara magnifies the importance in one’s eyes of things that are not directly related to one’s inner avodah, such as assisting others or reaching out to estranged Jews. These are all important, but the daily inner work of avodas Hashem is the primary task that each person has and that is why the

yetzer hara always tries to minimize its importance and convince a person not to engage in learning Torah and mussar… [Sefer Chizuk, Chapter 7].”

The Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, said, “In our generation it is impossible to maintain and sustain one’s spiritual achievements with Torah learning alone. One needs to combine Torah learning with mussar learning.

Masechta Avos contains the mussar lessons that Chazal have taught us and thus learning them brings tremendous benefit. In the commentary of Rabbeinu Yonah there are many foundational mussar lessons that strengthen a person in his avodas ha’mmusar.”

Rabbi Meisels, pointed out that “everyone knows the famed words of the Mesilas Yeshorim that his sefer is not coming to relate new chiddushim, rather it comes to reiterate that which people know already but seem to forget or gloss over because it is not on their mind.

When you start learning

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Around the Community Mesilas Yesharim daily in the way we did in the Kinyan Chochma program, you actually experience what the Mesilas Yesharim said. We have such busy lives and the nature of life is that if you don’t stop and think, you will just keep running through life without thinking. The Mesilas Yesharim that I was forced to learn in order to keep up with the Kinyan Chochma program added so much to my life. It was not a large investment of time, just a few minutes a day, but I felt that my entire day was different as a result.”

America’s Senior Mashgichim Urge Participation Indeed, the program was enthusiastically welcomed by two of America’s venerated senior Mashgichim, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Wolfson, shlita, and HaGaon HaRav Mattisyahu Salomon, shlita.

In his warm letter praising the Kinyan Chochma program, Rav Salomon wrote, “The obligation to learn mussar daily is well-known, as Rav Yisrael Salanter explains at length in his sefer Ohr Yisrael, in the name of the poskim. It does not require a haskama. Nevertheless, because of its great benefit, the yetzer hara tries to find all kinds of excus-

es to deter a person from learning mussar.

“Therefore, how great is the joy that the Dirshu organization has added a mussar program to its existing programs to encourage and make it easier to learn mussar every day…”

Rav Wolfson stressed how “the importance that our earlier sages attached to learning works of yiras Shomayim and mussar is well known. Nevertheless, the yetzer hara tries to get us to neglect learning mussar, to the extent that even bnei Torah overlook it.

“We must therefore feel indebted to Dirshu for encouraging Jews the world over to strengthen themselves in this…”

As the Kinyan Chochma approaches the beginning of the second machzor in just over a month, featuring Masechta Avos with the commentary of Rabbeinu Yonah, now is the time to join and experience how just a few minutes of mussar daily can enrich your life in areas of both bein adam l’chaveiro and bein adam l’Makom.

To join, please contact Dirshu at 1-888-5Dirshu or info@kolleldirshu.org.

Torah Miles Go a Long Way at YOSS

T

he Torah Miles Program at YOSS is incentive-based program that focuses on three areas. A) Bachurei Chemed – students earn miles for being held in high esteem for their tremendous middos tovos; B) Vacation Learning – students earn miles for any learning that takes place during vacation; C) Parsha Pro – students earn miles for doing well on the weekly parsha test which focuses on the yedios klalios of the parsha.

Since the beginning of the year, YOSS students have been earning hundreds of Torah Miles. Those miles turn into tickets for the much-anticipated Chinese auc-

tion. This year’s Chinese auction was loaded with great prizes. From board games to drones and everything in between, the students had a variety of prizes to decide where their tickets should go. Some students went for the less popular prizes, increasing their chances of winning. While other students went for the prizes like the drones, hoping it would be their name called for the top prizes. Can’t wait to find out whose names will be called!

Special thanks to Rabbi Greenberg for spearheading the program and to his entire sixth grade class for setting up and running the Chinese auction.

Action Plan Put in Place Following Anti-Semitic Attack at Silver Gull Beach Club

T

his week, representatives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the National Park Service, and Ortega National Parks announced a critical partnership to combat anti-Semitism and hate in response to the Labor Day hate crime at the Silver Gull Beach. In September, authorities found Holocaust-related graffiti like swastikas and “gas chambers” references at the club during the final week of the beach season.

The three organizations unveiled their jointly developed plan that can serve as a model program for a no-tolerance policy toward such displays of hatred at NPS/Ortega parks and in other jurisdictions. Following the announcement, the three organizations held a town-hall style meeting with more than 130 members of the community to discuss the implementation of this plan.

The action items in this model collaboration include:

-An annual joint delegation of officials from NPS, U.S. Park Police, and Ortega will be going to the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles this winter to engage in a multi-day, specially designed train the trainer training for them to dramatically increase preparedness for seasonal employees on the areas of diversity, cultural sensitivity, and proper readiness for combating hate in their facilities and properties.

-During the opening weeks of the 2020 season at Silver Gull Beach Club and Breezy Point Surf Club, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Courage to Remember exhibit will be displayed.

These educational displays will be put up at Silver Gull Beach Club from May 26 to June 2 and then moved to the Breezy Point Surf Club from June 2 to June 9.

-A detailed presentation by the Simon Wiesenthal Center on the realities of rapidly rising trends of hate

and anti-Semitic attacks.

-Town-hall style meetings will be organized by Ortega National Parks, NPS, and U.S. Park Police for all Silver Gull members.

“We hope that this plan serves as a national model and springboard for other community spaces around the country to proactively enforce a no-tolerance policy toward any incidents of anti-Semitism and hatred.

There is no room for this kind of bigotry in our parks—or anywhere,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Advocacy Director at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

“The announcement today of a model substantive collaboration between the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Ortega National Parks, The National Parks Service and National Park Police needs to recognized for its uniqueness demonstrating to park membership and the larger community in substantive detail that there is so much more

to combating anti-Semitism and hate then simple condemnation,” said Michael Cohen, Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

“I am pleased to see the investigation into the horrific hate symbols and words that were found in and around the National Gateway Recreation Area in Rockaway is ongoing and that collaborative efforts are underway to address the need to reduce these types of hateful criminal activity,” State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. said.

“Educating the youth and others on what these words and symbols means can go a long way in rooting out hate in our communities.”

“I commend Gateway National Recreation Area, Ortega National Parks and the Simon Wiesenthal Center for taking proactive steps aimed at countering anti-Semitic attacks in our communities,” Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway) said.

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

TJH

Centerfold

You gotta be kidding Moishe was furious when his steak arrived too rare.

“Waiter,” he shouted, “didn’t you hear me say ‘well done’?” he asked the waiter.

“I can’t thank you enough, sir,” replied waiter. “We hardly ever get compliments here.”

••• Why did the turkey cross the road?

Because it was Thanksgiving Day, and he wanted people to think he was a chicken!

Riddle me this?

The Language of Gratitude Match the language with the corresponding word that they use for “thank you.”

1. Dankie

A. French

2. Aahalo

B. Latin

3. Köszönöm

C. Hungarian

4. Spasibo

D. Afrikaans

5. Grazie

E. Arabic

6. Gratias tibi

F. Yiddish

7. Merci

G. Italian

8. Adank

H. Hawaiian

9. Ngiyabonga

I.

10. Shukraan

J. Zulu

Russian

There was a man walking in the desert. It was an especially hot day that day. In the distance, the man suddenly saw a restaurant. He rejoiced and ran to the restaurant and immediately asked the waiter for a glass of water. Instead, the waiter pulled out a gun and pointed it at the man’s head. The man replied, “Thank you”. Why did the man say “thank you” to the man pointing the gun at him?

See answer below 6. B

3. C

5. G

2. H

4. I

1. D Answers:

9. J 8. F 7. A

10. E

Answer to Riddle Me This: It was a water gun.

88 30

1. D. It means, “As though you are from those whom we may not be able to easily make into a maker of unsuccessful ones.”

Huh? I think it’s easier to understand muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebile cekler imi zdenmişsinizcesine!

2. B 3. C. Erdogan’s home is 30 times the size of the White House and is believed to

6. B. At its height, the Ottoman Empire encompassed most of southeastern Europe to the gates of Vienna, including present-day Hungary, the Bal-

5. A. A small glass of water is

usually served with Turkish coffee because drinking water before coffee helps the taste buds feel the real taste of coffee, and after that it helps to rinse your throat from the unfiltered pieces of coffee.

be the largest palace built, anywhere in the world, for more than 100 years. $9 million was spent on red carpets and another $6.5 million was spent on 400 pairs of 10-ft-high double doors.

4. C. The eight countries that share a border with Turkey are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Bulgaria, Greece, and Georgia.

kan region, Greece, and parts of Ukraine; portions of the Middle East now occupied by Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Egypt; North Africa as far west as Algeria; and large parts of the Arabian Peninsula. From 1914 to 1923, the Ottoman Empire exterminated and exiled 1.5 million Armenians (an ethnic group in Turkey), in a slaughter that is now known as the Armenian Genocide.

 Answers 0-1 correct: How do you celebrate Thanksgiving if you don’t even know anything about the country that we are celebrating?

2-4 correct: You’re a little sleepy. You may want to try some Turkish coffee.

5-6 correct: Let me guess. You probably know how to spell muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine too.

 Wisdom Key b. Ankara a. Istanbul 2. What is the capital of Turkey? d. Muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine c. Gulup b. Mifso

d. $1.2 billion c. $640 million b. $107 million a. $42 million

c. Tea biscuits b. Sugar cubes a. A glass of water

3. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan built himself a new palace in 2014. What was the approximate cost of building the palace?

d. 1,500 years

5. What is traditionally served alongside Turkish coffee?

d. Jalalabad

d. 12 c. 8 b. 4 4. How many countries border Turkey?

c. Izmir

c. 1,200 years b. 600 years a. 30 years 6. Modern day Turkey was created in 1923, when the Ottoman Empire ended. Approximately how long did the Ottoman Empire last for?

a. 3

a. Gülümk 1. Which of the following is a real Turkish word?

d. Snuff tobacco

Let’s Talk Turkey The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2015 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29,

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Torah Thought

Parshas Toldos

By Rabbi Berel Wein

S

ibling rivalry is the name of the game. In fact, the entire book of Bereishis can be described as a narrative of sibling rivalry. We have Kayin and Hevel, Avraham and his nephew Lot, Yishmael and Yitzchak, Yaakov and Eisav, and Yosef and his brothers. It is as though the Torah wishes to inform and impress upon us the true nature of human beings.

I often think that that is what is meant when the Torah said that the

nature of human beings is bad from its onset. We are by nature competitive creatures and the competition, always begins at home and with those who are closest to us. We should not think of our children as being angelic but rather deal with their true nature and recognize the pitfalls that natural sibling rivalry will always engender.

Every child is a different world and no two – even identical twins – are the same. Because of this fact of hu-

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inhibit him. He feels that only by being different than Yaakov can he achieve permanent respect. As all his plans crumble, he cries out in anguish to his father that he wants the blessings that Yaakov has received. He realizes that only in those blessings, which he will have to share always with Yaakov, can his destiny truly be fulfilled.

This is what Yaakov himself tells Eisav at their last meeting, which we will read about in a few weeks. Eventually Yaakov will come to the mountain of Eisav and then Eisav will be redeemed by his acceptance of Yaakov and of the moral values and tradition of his family.

He always feels his younger brother tugging at his heel and preventing him from achieving the greatness that he feels is his due.

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man nature, competitiveness is built into the structure of all children. It is the task of education and the home to channel this competitiveness into positive behavior and creative goals.

This is what the rabbis meant by their statement that the competitiveness between scholars and wise men is a method for increasing wisdom and understanding generally. Without competitiveness there can be very little creativity or advancement in all forms of life – technology, healthcare, finance, politics and human nature.

The task is to direct this competitiveness towards positive aims and to limit it so that it does not descend into violence and tyranny.

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Part of the problem with Eisav is not competitiveness but rather insecurity. He always feels his younger brother tugging at his heel and preventing him from achieving the greatness that he feels is his due. Because of this insecurity, he seeks fame and fortune in opposing the ideas and lifestyle of his own very family. He scorns his birthright because he feels that fulfilling its demands will only

Throughout the books of Tanach, we find this constant struggle of insecurity versus acceptance and competitiveness versus conformity.

We are uncomfortable when we see people who are different than we are.

But the only way to achieve personal greatness is by realizing that our own inner security need not be weakened by competitiveness with others.

Shabbat shalom.

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From the Fire

Parshas Toldos I Am a Rock

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

T

he Torah reiterates a great deal of biographical information about Rivka when the pasuk (Bereishis 25:20) says, “And Yitzchak was forty years old when he married Rivka the daughter of Besuel the Aramean, from Padan Aram, the sister of Lavan the Aramean to himself for a wife.” Rashi asks why the Torah has to repeat all of these background facts about Rivka when we already knew them from earlier parshios. He answers, “But this is to recount her praise because she was the daughter of a wicked man and sister of a wicked man and her place was [filled with] wicked men, yet she did not learn from their actions.”

Interestingly, it seemed from last week’s parsha that Rivka’s greatest trait was her kind and gentle nature. This was the primary quality she passed on to the entire Jewish

people, who are characterized by, among other things, the fact that they are “givers of kindness.” Why then does the Torah emphasize here that her greatest praise is that “she did not learn from their actions”?

The truth is that one of a person’s strongest drives is to feel “normal.” And for most people, one of the greatest sins is to be considered “weird” or “not normal.” The Rambam (Hilchos De’os 6:1) explains this as follows: Man was created in such a way that he is drawn after his friends and acquaintances in his attitudes and actions and to behave according to the customs of the people in his country. Therefore, one must attach himself to tzaddikim and always dwell near wise people in order that he should learn from their actions and distance himself from wick-

ed people who walk in darkness in order that he not learn from their actions.

Rivka was the daughter of a wicked man, the sister of a wicked man, and lived in a world full of wicked people, yet she remained a tzadekes in spite of it all. This is even more amazing considering how Avraham also lived in opposition to his environment, but he did so by cutting himself off from his land, his birthplace, and from his father’s house. Yet Rivka accomplished this while still in her environment – she still managed to become and remain a tzadekes. She personified that which the pasuk (Shir Hashirim 8:10) said (which Chazal teach refers to Avraham Avinu), “I am a wall.”

She was rock solid, like a wall. There are Jews who are not moved by any force in the world, and Rivka was one of them.

The pasuk (Bamidbar 23:9) says, “From the top of rocks I see him and from the hills I behold him.” Rashi, quoting the Midrash, explains, “I gaze at their origins and the beginning of their roots and I see them established and strong like rocks and hills because of their Avos and Imahos.” We see that the Avos were a powerful foundation upon which the entire Jewish people were built because they were like rocks, immovable in their dedication to Hashem. That is why Chazal (Rosh Hashana 11a) call the Avos the “strong ones of the world.” This trait is why they merited to serve as the bedrock of the Jewish nation and why the Torah’s primary praise of Rivka is to tell us her background in order to show us that she was a rock and “did not learn from their actions.”

But how does this square with the fact that Eliezer found Rivka not

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because of her trait of strength in the face of opposition, but because of her great kindness? Even Avraham seems to be known mainly for his trait of kindness and, as the pasuk (Tehillim 39:3) says, “The world was built on kindness.”

We must understand the trait of kindness more deeply. The Gemara (Bava Metzia 87a) says, “Tzaddikim say little and do much. The wicked say much and do not even do a little.” Rivka personified this trait of the tzaddikim. She only told Eliezer that she would bring him water but in the end, she also brought water for all of his camels as well. The difference between tzaddikim and wicked people is not how many words they speak. The Chofetz Chaim was known to be an active conversationalist. There are probably bad people who speak very little.

The key difference is how they follow through on their words.

This is the difference between the kindness of the wicked and

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the kindness of the righteous. The deeper essence of kindness is when a person lives for others and not for himself. Everything he does is for the sake of his wife, his children, his friends, his shul, his community, for Hashem. Because he does not live for himself, there is no “I” to get in the way of his commitments. A wicked person, on the other hand, may intend to keep his word. But since whatever he resolves to do for others is based on selfish motives on some level, he gives up as soon as his own needs conflict with his commitment. This is the trait about which the pasuk (Devarim 32:20) says, “They are a generation of changes, children in whom there is no trustworthiness.”

Tzaddikim possess the trait of being rock-solid, like a wall. They follow through on their commitments. That is the deepest meaning of kindness. Because tzaddikim live for others, their personal concerns do not get in their way. If any obsta-

cle arises, it is best to move out of their way lest one get run over! Because Rivka possessed the attribute of kindness, she lived for others, and that is why she was a wall who “did not learn from their actions.”

That same trait of kindness, of living for another person rather than for one’s self, is also the key to marriage. The Gemara (Yevamos 62b) teaches us that “any man who has no wife lives without… a wall…”

When a person gets married, he learns what it means to live for another person and not just for himself in a way he can never experience as a single person. If a husband lives for his wife, if he “says little and does much” and if a wife lives for her husband, then it will be a successful marriage. Nothing will stand in the way of whatever each one must do to take care of the other. This is what it means to be a “wall.” But if each one primarily looks out for themselves and what they get out of the relationship, then the wall of their

marriage will, G-d forbid, crumble.

As we approach the yom tov of Chanukah, we begin to see the Chanukah lights on the horizon and think of the words from Maoz Tzur, “And they burst through the walls of my towers.” The Greeks personified the self-centered attitude of the wicked who “say much and do not even do a little.” They lack that “wall” characteristic. That is why they tried to break down our walls.

May we merit to fulfill our heritage of kindness bequeathed to us by the Avos and Imahos, living for others with rock-solid fortitude.

And with that accomplished, may we see the rebuilding of the walls of Yerushalayim and the Beis Hamikdash with the coming of Moshiach, may he arrive soon in our days.

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

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Parsha

in 4

Parshas Toldos

By Eytan Kobre

Weekly Aggada

me, for I have angered my Creator” (Bereishis Rabba 65:22).

And he came near, and he kissed him. And he smelled the scent of his garments, and he blessed him and said, “See, the scent of my son is as the scent of a field that G-d has blessed” (Bereishis 27:27)

And Eisav denigrated the birthright (Bereshis 25:34)

Do not read the word as “bigadav” (“his garments”) but as “bogdav” (“his traitors”). For even the traitors and sinners of the Jewish people have a pleasant spiritual scent – like Yosef Meshisa, for example.

When the Romans ascended the Temple Mount to destroy the Bais HaMikdash, they said: “First let one of them (i.e., the Jews) enter, and from them the sacrilege of all that is holy shall commence.” So they said to Yosef Meshisa, a Jew, “Enter, and as a reward, you may keep whatever you find.”

Yosef Meshisa entered the Bais HaMikdash and came out with the golden menorah.

“No,” the Romans said to him.

“It is not proper for a commoner to make use of such an exalted vessel.

Go back in, and whatever you bring out will belong to you.” This time, Yosef Meshisa refused.

The Romans promised Yosef Meshisa three years’ worth of tax proceeds but still he would not enter. “Is it not enough that I have angered my G-d one time, but I should anger him a second time, too?”

So what did the Romans do to him? They placed him onto a carpenter’s table and carved him up as a carpenter would carve wooden planks. And throughout the horrific and grisly ordeal, Yosef Meshisa wailed repeatedly, “Woe unto

The Torah here attests to Eisav’s wickedness in that he denigrated the service of G-d (which would have been his privilege through the birthright) (Rashi, Bereishis 25:34).

While Eisav’s disregard for the birthright (and the resulting opportunity to serve G-d) does indeed demonstrate his wickedness, why does the Torah go out of its way to spell this out? It is self-evident from Eisav’s very actions that he scorned the birthright. Why the separate attestation?

Perhaps, explains R’ Leib Chasman, this offers an important insight into the human psyche.

Everyone, at some point or another, has a lapse in judgment and errs. That’s normal. The real problem is that, rather than simply owning up to our shortcomings, we compound them by attempting to rationalize them. We refuse to accept culpability, so we fabricate contrived ideas and philosophies to rationalize our shortcomings after the fact.

And that is what Eisav did here.

Eisav made a mistake: he prioritized food over the everlasting birthright – definitely a mistake, but people make mistakes. He was hungry and thinking with his stomach. That was a (relatively) small lapse in judgment.

But then what did Eisav do?

Did he acknowledge his mistake,

Weekly Mussar

slap his hand to his forehead, and lament what he had done? No. He finished stuffing his face with lentil soup, and then, rather than owning up to his mistake, “he scorned the birthright.” The birthright? Eh, it’s worthless anyway. I’d give it up for lentil soup all over again if I had the chance. Eisav scorned the birthright to avoid admitting the error in his ways. And that more than the underlying error itself truly shows his wickedness (and foolishness).

We all have lapses in judgment.

The wise person is not one who never errs but one who errs, recognizes it, owns up to it, and, hopefully, make amends for it. The fool, on the other hand, will do anything to rationalize errors – even if it means contriving ludicrous ideas and philosophies after the fact.

Weekly Anecdote And Yitzchok loved Eisav, for game was in his mouth, but Rivka loves Yaakov (Bereishis 25:28) Eisav became a sinner because Yitzchok “loved” Eisav and did not discipline him; for whoever does not discipline his son will eventually “hate” him when he goes astray (Shemos Rabba 1:1; Tanchuma, Shemos 1).

As a child, R’ Elya Lopian’s family lived in poverty. One day, he ran into the kitchen and accidentally knocked over and broke a vessel.

His mother was angry at him and, potching (spanking) him, she said, “Eliyahu, this is not okay. You need to be very careful when you enter the kitchen!”

The young boy apologized. “I’ll

try not to do that ever again.”

Another day, some time later, the front door of the house was left open accidentally. R’ Elya’s mother heard clucking and rushed to the kitchen to find a chicken jumping around and smashing things. She broke into laughter and called out to the rest of the household for help in getting rid of the “intruder.”

The little R’ Elya stood at the kitchen, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“What’s wrong?” his mother asked. “Are you hurt?”

“When I broke one item, you potched me. But when the chicken broke many items, you laughed and sent the chicken away without a potch.”

His mother tried (somewhat unsuccessfully) to explain that – unlike people – chickens cannot gauge the impact of their actions or understand the damages they might cause.

The years rolled on and that little Elya turned into the great R’ Elya Lopian. And he often reflected on that story from his childhood, acknowledging, “It is worth receiving a few potches to be deemed a person rather than a chicken.”

Weekly Halacha And Yitzchok entreated G-d for his wife, because she was barren; and G-d let Himself be entreated of him; and Rivka, his wife, conceived (Bereishis 25:21) G-d listened to Yitzchok, not Rivka, because “the prayers of a righteous person who is the child of a wicked person cannot compare

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(i.e., are inferior) to the prayers of a righteous person, the child of a righteous person” (Yevamos 64a; Rashi, Bereishis 25:21).

The Rosh once received an inquiry from a man who questioned whether it was proper to appoint those of lowly lineage to lead prayers. The Rosh answered that, when it comes to those who lead the prayers, lineage is of no consequence: there’s no advantage to having the prayers led by one from a distinguished lineage if the person himself is not of upstanding character; on the contrary, perhaps, an upstanding person of lowly lineage has the added advantage of bringing into G-d’s service even families that might otherwise be so far from Him (Responsa of Rosh, Rule 4; Tur, Orach Chaim 53).

But there is some debate as to how to understand the Rosh’s ruling (that lineage is of no consequence).

According to some, the Rosh’s ruling is limited to instances where

one must choose between lineage and an upstanding character (i.e., one or the other); where both candidates are upstanding, however, and one is of distinguished lineage and the other is not, the one with distinguished lineage gets the nod (Yam Shel Shlomo, Chullin 1:48; Bach,

is actually preferable (Taz, Orach Chaim 53:3).

For practical purposes, most authorities maintain that, notwithstanding the position of the Taz, it is preferable to have the prayers led by “a righteous person the child of a righteous person” rather than by “a

“It is worth receiving a few potches to be deemed a person rather than a chicken.”

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prayers of one with lowly lineage – the Mishna Berura distinguishes between one who is merely of “lowly lineage” (which is an advantage, so as to bring otherwise disfavored families into G-d’s service) and one who is the “child of a wicked person” (which is to be avoided, if possible) (Mishna Berura 53:13).

In contrast to the foregoing, a sincere and learned baal teshuva is obviously not considered “of lowly lineage” and is thus no less desirable than “a righteous person the child of a righteous person” (Teshuvos V’Hanhagos, Orach Chaim 4:19).

The Weekly Halacha is not meant for practical purposes and is for discussion purposes only. Please consult your own rav for guidance.

Orach Chaim 53). Others, seizing on the Rosh’s rationale of bringing otherwise disfavored families into G-d’s service, maintain that one who is not of distinguished lineage

righteous person the child of a wicked person” (Magen Avraham 53:8; Mishna Berura 53:13). As for Taz’s interpretation of the Rosh – i.e., that there is some preference for the

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My Israel Home

Have I Really Bought Only Half an Apartment?

By Gedaliah Borvick

A

ttorney Shlomi Ashkenazi recently shared with me a distressing story of a couple who bought an apartment “on paper” in a new project under construction in Jerusalem. The couple – let’s call them David and Yael – did not hire an attorney to represent them and relied on the developer’s lawyer to draft the contract and guide them in the transaction.

Init ia lly, ever y t hing went smoothly. The couple moved into the apartment and, over the next decade, their family grew. Twelve years after purchasing the unit, Yael and David decided to sell their apartment and purchase a bigger home to suit their larger family’s needs. They found a buyer, agreed on a fair price, and the apartment was sold – or so they thought.

After receiving the first few payments from the buyer, Yael and David started the process of purchasing the larger apartment. They once again bought an apartment “on paper” and received a mortgage. A few weeks later, David received a phone call from the buyer of his apartment who informed him that he wanted to cancel the deal. The buyer explained that he received initial approval for a mortgage and that the bank hired an appraiser to inspect the apartment. The appraiser first checked the deed, and everything looked kosher, as the square meter-

age recorded on the deed matched the apartment’s actual size. Then the appraiser checked the building permit and discovered that the apartment was not properly recorded on the permit. The unit was actually half of a big apartment that the developer had illegally divided into two smaller apartments. The developer never informed David and Yael that the apartment was illegally divided into two smaller units and that the building permit was never revised.

one such situation. The developer had built the maximum number of apartments permitted and was prohibited from creating the additional unit. Accordingly, the building permit could not be modified to reflect the revised apartment count.

The lack of a correct building permit lowers the value of an apartment, as there are significantly less purchasers for a unit that cannot be financed. Unfortunately, as we learned in Economics 101, decreased demand and unchanged

Unfortunately, as we learned in Economics 101, decreased demand and unchanged supply leads to lower prices.

When information in the deed does not match the building permit, it is difficult to obtain a mortgage. In the best case scenario, a bank would lend the value of the smaller apartment less the cost to change the building permit. However, sometimes the building permit cannot be altered, which makes the property unfinanceable, and this was

supply leads to lower prices.

This disaster could have been avoided altogether had David and Yael initially retained their own attorney who had no conflict of interest, as opposed to the developer’s lawyer who represented both parties. In the course of performing due diligence, their lawyer would have checked the building permits

and discovered this issue before a contract of sale was executed. It is true that sometimes developers sell apartments prior to receiving the final building permit; in that situation, your lawyer can insert language in the contract to protect your interests and, even more important, will monitor the situation to ensure the final building permit has been received and is correct. The key is to hire an attorney who will guide you and advocate on your behalf should any surprises arise during – and after – the construction process.

There are many good places to save money when purchasing a home; not retaining legal counsel is definitely not one of them. As I always say, a good lawyer is worth her weight in gold.

Shlomi Ashkenazi is one of the excellent lawyers I recommend to overseas purchasers. If this article inspires any follow-up questions, please contact him at a6744467@ gmail.com. This article is meant for informational purposes only. Please contact an attorney should you require legal counsel.

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

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KnoCKeD Down BuT noT sTAying Down neTAnyAhu To FACe CorrupTion ChArges

By Tzvi DeAr

A

fter months of speculation, last Thursday, Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be charged for criminal wrongdoing in three separate cases. The charges include allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

Although criminal charges seem to be par for the course in Israeli politics, this is the first time that a sitting prime minister faces such charges. In 2008 then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stepped down when he was under investigation. He was eventually charged on corruption offenses, convicted, and served 16 months in prison.

Netanyahu, who is Israel’s longest-ever serving prime minister, decried the charges as an “attempted coup” and a “witch hunt.” In an emotional address to the country after the indictments were handed down, Netanyahu declared, “I’ve given my life for this country, I fought for this country, was wounded for this country.” He argued that the accusations were false,

that the investigations were tainted, and declared that it’s time to “investigate the investigators.” Netanyahu promised to continue to serve as prime minister and asserted that he “won’t let the lie win.”

While addressing the press after handing down the indictment, Attorney General Mandelblit, who was nominated to his post in 2016 by Netanyahu, defended his decision and said that he reached it “with a heavy heart but also without hesitation.” He somberly noted, “Law enforcement isn’t optional.

It’s not a question of politics.”

Mandelblit criticized Netanyahu’s stance that the investigation was tainted. “I call on everyone, and first and foremost the leaders of the state, you must distance yourself from discourse that threatens law enforcement officials. We’re not infallible or above criticism. But we acted without fear or prejudice, for the rule of law.”

The charges against Israel’s prime minister involve three different cases called Case 1000, Case 2000, and Case 4000. One case involves Netanyahu receiving gifts from two rich donors.

The other two cases involve Netanyahu buying himself positive press coverage.

In October, prosecutors and the prime minister’s legal team held several days of hearings in which Netanyahu’s attorneys sought to refute the allegations against him. The state prosecution said the premier’s defense had not managed to refute the charges.

CAse 1000: CigArs & ChAmpAgne Case 1000 charges Netanyahu with fraud and breach of trust relating to a “supply line” of cigars and champagne that he received from Arnon Milchan, a Hollywood producer and Israeli citizen, as well as from Australian billionaire James Packer, in return for political favors.

Arnon Milchan, who owns businesses in various arenas in Israel and abroad, has been a close confidant of Netanyahu since 1999. In 2003, shortly after Netanyahu became prime minister for the second time, Milchan began to give him gifts, consisting mainly of boxes of cigars for his use and bottles of champagne for his wife’s use. The

allegation is that Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, made specific requests for those items. It is alleged that, to-date, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu received 467,073 shekels worth of cigars and champagne and 10,000 shekels worth of jewelry from Milchan.

According to the charges, Milchan introduced Netanyahu to Australian businessman James Packer in 2013 and that, over a period of two years, Packer gave Netanyahu and his wife 229,174 shekels worth of champagne and cigars.

During the period that Netanyahu was receiving his “supply line” from Milchan, he helped Milchan obtain an extension of his visa to the U.S. The charging document, which is addressed directly to Mr. Netanyahu, notes, “During one of the times that Milchan asked you to help him regarding the visa, he came to the Prime Minister’s Residence and waited for you there.

When you arrived at the residence…

Milchan told you that he had brought a box of cigars for you and a case of champagne bottles for your wife, and asked you to call American Secretary

TheJewish JewishHome Home| NOVEMBER | OCTOBER 29, The 28, 2015 2019

Attorney General Mandelblit presented three cases against the prime minister

of State John Kerry regarding his visa problem.” Netanyahu called then-Secretary of State John Kerry, and Milchan’s visa was extended for 10 years.

Netanyahu also, at Milchan’s request, allegedly worked on the passage of certain amendments to Israel’s tax laws and on regulation matters that would benefit Milchan.

These acts, according to the attorney general, present an illegal conflict of interest between Netanyahu’s duties as prime minister and his personal affairs.

Netanyahu has insisted that the gifts to him were merely tokens of friendship and that he did not act inappropriately in exchange for them.

CAse 2000: sleighT oF hAnD Case 2000 highlights Netanyahu’s shrewd political maneuvering, which has become legendary in Israel.

For a long time, the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, which is owned by editor-in-chief Arnon Mozes, was the largest and most profitable newspaper in Israel. The Yediot, as it is commonly called, and its sister website Ynet, have always been highly critical of Netanyahu and his family.

In 2007, U.S. casino mogul Sheldon Adelson founded the Yisrael Hayom newspaper. It is a free publication and quickly became the most widely distributed paper in Israel. This has had a negative financial impact on the Yediot Aharonot.

The Attorney General’s investigation uncovered that Netanyahu held a series of meetings and phone conversations with Mozes discussing an agreement whereby Yediot would significantly improve the way it covered

Netanyahu in exchange for Netanyahu promoting legislation that would impose restrictions on Yisrael Hayom, including possibly passing a bill limiting the distribution of free newspapers.

In one meeting, Mozes said to Netanyahu, “Assuming that there is a law that you and I agreed upon, I will [make an effort] to ensure that you are here for as long as you wish. I told you that, and I repeat it, looking you in the eye and telling you this.”

The Attorney General concedes that Netanyahu had no intention of doing his part of the deal and was simply stringing Mozes along in order to get better coverage while claiming to be working on the legislation and at times informing him that it was not the right time to pass the legislation due to numerous factors. In this way, Netanyahu got his coveted positive election coverage without having to lose anything, according to the charges.

Acknowledging the political maneuvering, the charging document notes, “Even though you had no intention of promoting the bill, you did not turn down his offer… Instead, you told him that there was a real possibility that you would use your governmental power to promote the legislation that benefited him in accordance with the offered bribe.” And so, Netanyahu is being charged with fraud and breach of trust since he listened to and did not reject a bribe offer and acted as if he was going to participate in it.

Netanyahu has defended himself against those charges by arguing that the legislation concerning Israel Hayom never passed, noting that he dissolved his governing coalition in 2015 because of his opposition to it.

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Netanyahu with billionaire Arnon Milchan and Shimon Peres

CAse 4000: QuiD pro Quo Case 4000 alleges that Netanyahu took steps to benefit Israel’s largest telecommunications company, Bezeq Telecom Israel, and its primary shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, in return for favorable coverage on a news site called Walla that was controlled by the company.

What makes Case 4000 more serious than Case 2000 and, in a sense, the centerpiece of the allegations against Netanyahu is that rather than just promising something in return, Netanyahu allegedly delivered on his promise. Netanyahu allegedly dealt with matters concerning Elovitch and Bezeq, including giving government approval to a deal that yielded Elovitch a profit of approximately one billion shekels. It is also alleged that Netanyahu was untruthful in 2016 when the Attorney General inquired about the potential conflict of interest.

“The relationship between you [and Shaul Elovitch] during the relevant time period became a mutual relation of quid pro quo, which included favors that Elovitch gave you in the field of media coverage, with the expectation that you would promote, on his behalf, various interests…and himself individually,” states the charging document.

Netanyahu denies the charges set forth in Case 4000, saying that professional bureaucrats approved the policies that helped Elovitch and that Walla never gave Netanyahu positive coverage.

BiBi holDs on Israeli law requires other public officials, including cabinet ministers, to resign if charged with a crime. But

it doesn’t explicitly state that a prime minister has to leave office in those circumstances. Netanyahu has promised not to step down.

Although Israel has never faced the situation of having a sitting prime minister under indictment and the laws in this case are murky, Attorney General Mandelblit – who brought the charges – has confirmed that an indicted prime minister may remain in office while fighting criminal charges. It remains questionable whether Netanyahu may retain his other ministerial positions while under indictment. He currently holds the agriculture, labor and welfare, health, and Diaspora affairs portfolios.

more eleCTions?!

In Israel’s elections this past September, the centrist Blue & White party, under the leadership of Benny Gantz, won a slightly larger vote share than Netanyahu’s Likud party. However, in the two months since that election, neither Netanyahu nor Gantz have succeeded at formulating a coalition.

Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing and religious parties controls 55 seats; Gantz’s center-left bloc has 44 seats.

Sixty-one seats are needed to form a coalition in the 120-seat Knesset. The effective kingmaker is Yisroel Beitenu head Avigdor Lieberman. His party, which is right-wing but anti-religious, has 8 seats. Lieberman, though, refuses to join a coalition with the religious parties. Even if he agreed to join a coalition with Gantz and the center-left, they would still need some of the Arab parties in order to form a coalition.

That would likely be political suicide for Gantz; an Arab party was never

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part of a ruling coalition in Israel. As such, neither Netanyahu nor Gantz have succeeded at forming a governing coalition.

Since Netanyahu and Gantz both failed to form a governing coalition, unless Knesset lawmakers can miraculously agree to a governing coalition

by December 11, new elections will be held in mid-2020. This will mark the third time Israelis will head to the polls in one year. If this happens, Netanyahu would remain the interim prime minister until that time. Remaining as prime minister would enable Bibi to have a bully pulpit to defend himself at the very least, and perhaps even provide

him with some procedural opportunities to place himself in a better position to defend himself over the long term.

unChArTereD wATers Netanyahu has until December 17 to ask the Knesset for procedural immunity, something he is highly likely to do.

Procedural immunity means that a government official is requesting immunity for crimes which were not committed in the course of their governmental work. The crimes that Netanyahu is charged with fit that description. If Netanyahu is granted procedural immunity, he would only be

able to be indicted once he is no longer a member of the Knesset, which may be years down the road. If his immunity request is denied, he would then be formally indicted while in office but he would be able to remain in office even during a trial. He would only be forced from office once he is convicted and loses all appeals, which could take years.

In order to receive procedural immunity, the Knesset House Committee needs to rule that such immunity should be granted, followed by a majority vote of the entire Knesset approving the granting of the immunity. Since Israel passed its current immunity

laws fourteen years ago, no member of Knesset has ever been granted procedural immunity. However, since there is currently no governing coalition, there is no House Committee, which means that Netanyahu’s immunity request can’t be heard. This likely means that Netanyahu’s immunity request will have to wait until the next round of elections is over and a new coalition is formed.

These circumstances leave open the possibility that if Netanyahu wins the next election and is able to form a coalition, he may be in the driver’s seat when it comes to his own immunity request.

oTher isrAeli prime minisTers hAve FACeD ChArges in The pAsT yiTzhAK rABin In 1977, it was discovered that Rabin and his wife, Leah, held a savings account in the U.S. that had been opened when Rabin was Israel’s ambassador in the United States. At the time, Israeli citizens had been barred from holding foreign accounts. The attorney general ruled that Leah Rabin should stand trial and that Yitzhak should be fined. Because of the charges, Yitzhak decided not to seek another term; he was not charged. Leah was convicted and fined almost $27,000.

ehuD BArAK It was fundraising for Barak’s 1999 campaign that garnered scrutiny from the attorney general in 2000. Israel’s comptroller had fined Barak’s One Israel party and the AG began a criminal investigation because of fundraising in that campaign because associates of Barak’s had evaded strict campaign-finance rules by channeling illegal donations into nonprofit groups.

Barak, in his defense, said that he was unaware of any illegal wrongdoing and said that he had ordered his campaign aides to obey the law.

Two years later, in 2002, the police

recommended against indictment for lack of evidence; the case was closed in 2003.

Ariel shAron Bribes brought down Sharon in 2001. Sharon had been accused of accepting bribes from David Appel, a developer, to elicit Sharon’s help in real estate deals including a resort and casino on the Greek island of Patroklos, beginning in the late 1990s, when Sharon was foreign minister. Police said that Appel had paid large consulting fees to Gilad Sharon, Sharon’s son.

In 2004, the state prosecutor recommended that Sharon be indicted on bribery charges, but the attorney general dropped the case, saying the evidence did not come “remotely close” to enough for a conviction.

ehuD olmerT Olmert hastily resigned in 2008 when he said he would not seek reelection and would step down after a new chairman was elected within his party. The decision came after months of pressure following corruption allegations. A week after police recommended he be indicted on charges of bribery, breach of public trust, money laundering, and

Ehud Olmert at his sentencing

fraudulent receipt of goods, Olmert resigned as prime minister. He remained on as head of an interim government until March 2019. In September 2012, Olmert was handed down a one-year suspended jail sentence and a 75,300-shekel fine for breaching the public’s trust in connection with his conduct as minister of trade and industry. In 2014, he was sentenced to six years on bribery charges, a sentence that was later reduced to 18 months and then in 2016 extended by an additional month.

BenjAmin neTAnyAhu Bibi has been called Mr. Teflon

in Israel for the inability of allegations to stick to this political maverick. In 1997, an Israeli reporter alleged that Netanyahu, during his first term as prime minister, had interfered with appointment of an attorney general. The attorney general, Elyakim Rubinstein, decided not to press charges for lack of evidence.

In 2000, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, were suspected of having charged the government for work done at their private residence. In March, the police said there was evidence of bribery, fraud, and the theft of $100,000 worth of gifts to the state. The Jerusalem prosecutor at the time ordered the case closed.

In 2011, Netanyahu was accused by the state comptroller of having the state and other entities pay the travel expenses of Netanyahu, Sara, and their sons while in between terms as prime minister. Despite the comptroller’s findings, the attorney general at the time, Yehuda Weinstein, determined in 2014 there were no criminal suspicions.

The matter was brought up again after additional evidence had been gathered, but Weinstein’s successor, Avichai Mandelblit, announced in 2017 that he was closing the case.

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The Wandering

Jew

Gibraltar

By Hershel Lieber

In front of the Royal Palace in Madrid

M

y articles during the past year have been all centered around Poland, Russia, and other Eastern European locations. The topics I wrote about were in general more serious-minded. I would like to share with my readers some of my other travel experiences, which, although lighter in their theme, still played a significant role in our lives.

Traveling abroad quite often in association with projects that I was involved with gave me a comprehensive insight about tourism. Wherever we traveled to, we visited both Jewish and secular sites and learned a lot from our experiences. As a result, I was frequently asked for travel advice, especially in Eastern Europe.

In early 2000, our friends, Rabbi Shlomo and Miriam Stern and Beryl and Esther Jachimowitz, approached me with a proposal. They wanted me

The world famous Rock of Gibraltar

to organize a vacation trip for them to anywhere I thought would be both interesting and relaxing in Europe.

They wanted Pesi and me to accompany them and make all the necessary arrangements. l was thrilled to take on this challenge and even more excited to travel to somewhere new.

After much research, I settled on a two-week journey to Spain during November, spending the first Shabbos in Madrid and the second one in Gibraltar.

After a beautiful and enlightening week of taking in the sights of Madrid, Toledo, Seville, and Cordoba, we arrived on Friday morning by van to the frontier of Gibraltar. Gibraltar, being a British territory on the Iberian Peninsula, had a stormy relationship with Spain. There was no direct transportation from Spain into Gibraltar, so we had to leave our van, schlep our suitcases to the bor-

der crossing, and take a local taxi to our hotel. The city is small with just over 30,000 residents, but at any given time there are double the amount of tourists present. Many cruise ships make daily stops for duty-free shopping and casino gambling. The formidable Rock, the Moorish Castle, the Great Siege Tunnels, the Barbary apes and dolphin watching are just some of most popular attractions.

The city has the feeling of a small town but is full of life and action.

The Jewish community in particular is very vibrant. Most Jews came from North Africa mainly from Morocco; many who were descendants from the expelled Jews of Spain and Portugal. The makeup of the over700-member kehillah is entirely Orthodox. There are four functioning synagogues and primary and secondary schools for both boys and girls, although some older children travel

abroad for higher education options.

There are kosher restaurants, kosher food stores, a mikveh, and a kollel.

The community has been led for the past 25 years by Rabbi Ron Hassid and has been a successful model for other small kehillahs to emulate.

Many merchants on Main Street are Jewish and are closed on Shabbos even though they miss the opportunity of selling their merchandise to the thousands of visitors coming off the cruise ships. Jewish children wearing kippot and tzitzit play in the streets while little girls in their Shabbos finery chat and laugh among themselves. In short, this is a beautiful and dynamic community with great accomplishments.

Although Friday was a short day, we managed to go up to the top of the Rock and tour the Great Siege Tunnels, which were constructed in 1779 as a defense against France

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Posing with a Barbary ape

who wanted to seize Gibraltar from the British. The Tunnels were also activated as a defense during World War II. We also gave the iconic Barbary apes an opportunity to be photographed with us. Then we rushed back to our hotel to get ready for Shabbos.

On Friday night we davened in the magnificent Nefutzot Yehuda Shul where Rabbi Stern was honored to give a dvar Torah. We ate our Shabbos meal at the restaurant, joining a larger tour group from the United States. After the seudah, all of us went over to Rabbi Ron and Rabbanit Kochava Hassid. We got to meet their magnificent children and had a marvelous time. The next morning, we davened at the Sharei Shamayim Shul where I spoke before Mussaf.

For Mincha, we visited Esnoga Abudarham where we ate Seudat Shlishit while connecting with the local Jews.

Baruch Hashem, we shared a com-

Rabbi Ron Hassid with Beryl, Shlomo, and me

mon language, English. For Melava Malka we were hosted by the Hassid family, where we developed a mutual friendship. It was hard to part with them on Sunday morning. We had no idea when Rabbi Hassid drove us to

day. We have hosted their children many times when they came to New York in their quests for shidduchim and have occasionally participated at each other simchos in America and in Israel. We have greatly benefited

The city has the feeling of a small town but is full of life and action.

the frontier that we would see each other again. I was sure that being in Gibraltar was an isolated event, which would never repeat itself. Little did I dream that within the next five years I would be in Gibraltar two more times. Our relationship with the Hassids continues to the present

Pesi, Esther and Miriam with Rabbanit Hassid and her daughters

from this encounter, which still adds a significant dimension to our lives.

The second time I went to Gibraltar was in May 2005 on the way home from a trip to Odessa and Kishinev.

This time I was alone, and my objective was to make the arrangements to lead a Jewish tourist group trip

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One of the four synagogues in Gibraltar

to Spain and Gibraltar. The participants would consist of about twenty people, and I needed to prepare airline reservations, hotel accommodations, coach travel, kosher food, restaurants, sightseeing, and entertainment. I felt that since I was already in Europe it would be a lot easier to plan and book everything in person. I spent two very busy days in Gibraltar sleeping at the Hassids’ home. I accomplished all my objectives there in a very short time. I even had time to give five speeches about my experiences in Russia and about Jewish life in that part of the world. I spoke to two classes at the girls’ high school and to combined older grades at the boys’ high school.

I also met and spoke to a group of women at the Nefutzot Yehuda Shul and then again at the grade school for the younger boys and girls. Indeed, it was a very hectic schedule but was a truly meaningful experience.

Pesi and me with Rabbi and Rabbanit Hassid

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With our traveling minyan in Seville

That planned twelve-day journey took place in May of 2006. We were in total a group of ten couples, mostly from Brooklyn who were friends or acquaintances. We started out in Madrid, went on to Toledo, Seville and Cordoba, spent Shabbos in Gibraltar, and then continued on to Granada, Girona and Barcelona. It was an amazing trip for all travelers.

We visited all the Jewish sites

Giving a lecture to the high school girls

in Spain and the most important secular attractions of the aforementioned cities. The couples learned a lot about our glorious and tragic history associated with galus Sefard.

At the same time, they enjoyed the atmosphere of this beautiful country and the comradery of being with close friends. Pesi and I were able to impart a lot of our knowledge which we gained from our previous visits.

With the assistance of Rabbi Hassid, we arranged five local families to accommodate two couples each for the Shabbos day meal so they could learn and understand what Jewish life in Gibraltar is about from their hosts.

Besides the towering Rock and the other must-see sites, the group went boating to watch the dolphins in the Straits of Gibraltar.

A most unusual experience happened when we went to the 250-yearold Jewish cemetery. It was a hot day and the trek uphill to the bais olam was a bit challenging. Nine couples including Pesi and I went up, while one couple chose to remain behind.

We said some Tehillim at the kevarim of some of the chachamim who were the leaders and chief rabbis of the community. At one point I noticed a lone kever with a tombstone and went over to read the inscription.

It was the gravesite of Rabbi Yisroel ben Yeshaye, who was niftar on the 16th day of Iyar in 1841. I immediately realized that, since Pesach Sheini was two days earlier, this day was the yahrzeit of this rabbi. I alerted our group, and we helped the miss-

The kever of Chacham Yisroel ben Yeshaya

ing tenth member of our traveling minyan climb the hill so we could say a kaddish for this forgotten tzaddik. The special feeling we all had from this episode greatly inspired us and made us feel accomplished.

Who knows if our whole trip’s purpose was realized during this very moment!

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

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Jenna

&Jacob’s Sheep

How a South African Woman Became a Shepherdess to Descendants of Yaakov Avinu’s Sheep

Jacob Sheep grazing at Migdal Eder (photo credit Jenna Lewinsky)

By Rivkah Lambert Adler

I will pass throughout all your flocks today, removing from there every speckled and spotted kid, and every brown lamb among the sheep, and [every] spotted and speckled [one from] among the goats, and this shall be my wages. -Bereishis, 30:32

sheep is really the middle of the story.

To understand more, we have to go back to Durban, South Africa, where Jenna was born and raised.

It’s

“I grew up in a Zionist home,” Jenna explains. “We always discussed Israel very intensely. My father watched all the news clips. His favorite character was Moshe Dayan. Mom loved Golda Meir. You don’t have to be in a religious home to see why we need Israel’s success.

“The Durban Jewish community had an organization called TaMaR to connect young Jewish adults, ages 2535, with Zionism and with Judaism.

I was 24 years old when I connected with TaMaR. “A rabbi offered me a position to be in charge of TaMaR in South Africa. We held a lot of barbeques. The people who attended were connected

not unusual for new immigrants to Israel to struggle as they get themselves settled. Few, however, have faced the complex series of challenges that Jenna Lewinsky faced when she and her husband at the time made aliyah and brought with them a flock of sheep known to be descended from the sheep that our forefather Yaakov took as wages from his fatherin-law Lavan.

In 2016, three weeks after Lewinsky and then-husband Gil moved to Israel, the 119 very special sheep that were in their care arrived as well. But the aliyah of the Lewinskys and their

From Zionist to Zulu Connections

to the barbeques and not to Hashem.

For them, it was just for socializing.”

Lewinsky decided to up her Zionist game. Starting in 2009, she began creating special events, including Nights To Honor Israel and Nights to Honor Jerusalem, for an interfaith audience. “At the first one, I invited the Zulu prince to speak. For the second one, I had the actual Zulu king come to speak.” Lewinsky reports that the event attracted 400 Christian Zionists and 200 Jews.

As her Zionist programs developed, Jenna got the premier of the providence and a representative from the Israeli embassy to speak. “At the time, I became the person who connected the Israeli government with the Zulu king,” she recounted.

All that Zionist fervor led her to come to Israel for the first time on her own in 2009.

“I was 25 years old,” she recalls.

“I decided to buy a ticket on a whim

– there was a sale on airfare in July. I had the money and decided I wanted to go.”

Lewinsky had family living in Israel that she’d never met. She spent much of that trip getting to know the branch of her family that had made aliyah from Cleveland on the first-ever Nefesh b’Nefesh flight. Their first home in Efrat, seven miles south of Jerusalem, turned out to be foreshadowing of Lewinsky’s future.

Town of the Flock Today, Jenna lives as a shepherdess on the Eitam, a vacant hill belonging to the municipality of Efrat, slated to be a new neighborhood of 7,500 Jewish homes. Her farm is called Migdal Eder, which means “tower of the flock.”

Jenna explains her Biblical rationale for naming her farm.

“In Bereishis 35, following the death of his beloved Rachel, who was

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Jenna Lewinsky at Migdal Eder

buried in Efrat, which is Bethlehem, Jacob the patriarch passed a location called Migdal Eder.

“This site, a hilltop in the Efrat region in Judea, became the location later where the national flock of Israel was kept until the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Special shepherds would take care of the flock night and day, which would then be sent to the Temple as a sacrifice, making sure the flock was in excellent condition, without spot or blemish. Today, there is no Temple, but the national flock of Israel’s home needs to be reclaimed,” she says.

Lewinsky refers to a verse in Yechezkel that speaks of the sheep’s new home “as a fertile grazing land where the flock would once again graze the mountains in safety.”

On good pasture I will pasture them, and on the mountains of the height of Israel will be their dwelling; there they will lie in a good fold and graze on fat pastureland upon the mountains of Israel. (Yechezkel 34:14)

Saving Lambs from the Slaughter How did a young woman who grew up in South Africa and moved to Canada with her then-husband come to adopt a flock of sheep descended from the 4,000-year-old sheep Yaakov took as wages from Lavan and

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Lambs grazing at Migdal Eder (photo credit Jenna Lewinsky)

bring them home to Israel?

Jenna and Gil Lewinsky met in Jerusalem while he was working at the Jerusalem Post and she was working for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Upon leaving Jerusalem, the couple moved to South Africa. After

ing to auction. “I’d never heard of it before and did a Google search and learned what Jacob Sheep were. It said on the Internet that they were from the story of Jacob and Lavan,” she said.

To this day, Jenna has no idea why

“I knew if I didn’t take the risk, we wouldn’t have Jacob Sheep in Israel.” their South African home was violently broken into, the couple quickly relocated to Canada, where Gil originated.

Jenna spent her first year in Canada waiting for her Canadian residency to be processed. In retrospect, it’s clear that this was where her mission to take responsibility for the heirloom sheep began.

In August of 2014, a friend from British Columbia called to tell her there was a flock of Jacob Sheep go-

this friend called her specifically to discuss the sheep. While the Hand of Hashem becomes increasingly obvious as the story unfolds, at that point, it seems her friend called her simply because Jenna is Jewish, a fact her friend figured out from scanning Jenna’s Facebook profile.

In that first call, Jenna was told that there were four lambs that were destined for the butcher. “The same afternoon, she called back to say that they had to be gone immediately.”

New lambs from 2019 (photo credit Jenna Lewinsky)

Very quickly, Lewinsky learned about ten or so other Jacob Sheep that urgently needed to be adopted.

At the same time, she had been told by her landlord that she had to leave her home. “I said yes,” she recounts simply. “I absorbed 14 sheep before I moved. I had seven days to leave.”

This seemingly impetuous decision would change the course of her life.

“I knew if I didn’t take the risk, we wouldn’t have Jacob Sheep in Israel.

I bought them all off the butcher. I had a strong feeling that if one has a chance to be part of our Jewish history, we have an obligation to try to preserve it.

“We need to have something from

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Tanach to show to our great-grandchildren, so they will know the Tanach is true. If we can show an animal that still lives, we can prove that we as Jews belong in the land and that the Torah is real. That’s why I said yes that particular day,” she explains.

When her husband asked her what she was planning to do with the sheep, she readily admits that “I didn’t really have an answer. To be truthful, I never had a plan.

“My grandfather had a farm in Cape Town that produced wine.

That’s the only farming in my family.

When I was a child, I volunteered at the SPCA. My mom was a big animal lover, and she imprinted on us to love animals. I knew a little about animals, but not farm animals.”

According to Lewinsky, who has since become quite well-versed in sheep and shepherding, “The Jacob Sheep are a rare heirloom (unaltered) breed of ancient sheep which originated in the Middle East’s Levant approximately 4,000 years ago.”

The Jacob Sheep’s uniqueness comes from their piebald (dark-colored with patches of white) coloring, spotted and speckled patterns, black rings around the legs called kneebands, and multiple horns. A Jacob Sheep can have up to six horns.

The sheep breed that the Biblical Jacob founded through selective breeding followed the Jewish people down to Egypt. Lewinsky believes that lambs from the original Jacob Sheep “were likely used in the Passover sacrifice.”

Eventually, “the flock was dispersed, likely during the Babylonian exile. Both prophets [Yirmiyahu and Yechezkel] foresaw a return of the lost sheep as essential to the geulah. The return of Israel has been compared to the return of sheep by Yeshaya,” she notes.

In the meantime, the original Jacob Sheep were disbursed throughout the world.

“They remained in the Middle East before being traded to Spain and via the Silk Road to China. Britain obtained the sheep through trade in the 17th century. The sheep arrived in the early 20th century in North America, before finally touching down in Israel in late 2016,” she recounts.

Although the decision to adopt

Lewinsky hopes the Eitam hill will be their last stop before the Third Bais Hamikdash is built.

A Shlichut of Shepherding

a small flock of Jacob Sheep came quickly for Jenna, it did not come without a steep price. From the moment she took possession of the flock, she was beset with one mishap after another.

In story after story, she recounted the disastrous litany. One sheep ran away to the mayor of the city, who

As she retells it, the list of calamities seems endless. Even as a plan to repatriate the sheep to Israel came into focus, it, too, was beset with endless setbacks. It was two years until Jenna and Gil got to Israel with the sheep, and even then, new problems appeared at every juncture.

Just getting the sheep to Isra-

“Now they are settled, waiting for the Sanhedrin to show up.” subsequently adopted her as a mascot. Coyotes killed two of the sheep.

The best breeding ram died. One of the sheep ate too much grain and died. Another ram died. They were evicted from their temporary farm because their dog barked too much.

At the time, Gil was hospitalized, recovering from a cardiac event, so Jenna had to find another barn and move the animals by herself. The new barn subsequently caught on fire.

el was its own logistical nightmare.

“The pilots went on strike the day of the flight. Every airline we would book, they went on strike,” Lewinsky laughs. “The biggest joke of all? We booked them on Air Canada. I flew on Sunday night. I’m in Israel, and the sheep are not able to fly because there’s not enough oxygen on the flight, so no sheep are arriving.”

Since finally arriving in Israel, the sheep have been moved seven times.

More remarkable than the litany of problems is Lewinsky’s attitude. “I think when you have a shlichut (mission), Hashem doesn’t tell you all the trials and what lies ahead. Even with the most stressful things, something good came out of it. Hashem turns the problem into an opportunity.

“Whenever I think, ‘I want to give up now,’ then a person sends me a message to inspire me to continue.

I also feel very big miracles with regards to what happened to the sheep.”

Lewinsky and her sheep have been visited by a number of prominent rabbis. She recounted one of the most meaningful visits.

“One day when I was low in spirits, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu showed up and blessed the flock. No deaths occurred with the sheep (after 60 had died) after he gave the blessing. “ Although she often has visitors who come to see these remarkable sheep, she lives alone, her home consisting of a trailer and a tent. Building materials were recently purchased to make her a more stable home.

Dealing with all these challenges, Lewinsky reflects, “I learned a lot about myself and my strength as a person. I learned to laugh at myself and the situation. Without a sense of humor, you cannot do this.

“Hashem sends the help I need, people I never met before, who can do the jobs I need done. I’m not capable of doing everything, but I have a willing heart. Just when I was ready to give up, a big rainbow came. That was a sign to hold on one more day.

Then a donor came and built a barn.

That was a big test of my faith. There is danger all around me, but I’m oblivious to it. I sleep at night.

“I believe that Hashem protects us. I’m 100% certain about it. We had to bury 70 sheep who died from a virus in Jordan Valley. Now the sheep are much healthier because the weaker ones are gone.

“We had all kinds of problems with the government. We had to research ancient genetics. Hashem fixed the whole battle, and after it was done, we had the evidence that they

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were pure Jacob Sheep.”

Eventually, Gil filed for divorce. “I decided to continue without him and sat one afternoon on the couch and was very worried. How am I going to continue to do this on my own?”

Her own strength of mind pulled her through that dark time. She told herself, “If you want to be a worrier or a warrior, you have to make that mind change. And so, I just stopped worrying.

“I don’t think about the future anymore. Before, I wasn’t really trusting in Hashem. Now I am. The worst that can happen is that I can’t manage and I’ll have to find the sheep good homes. If that’s the plan, it’s going to happen anyway.

“I’m going to do this job as best I can. The rest I’m going to leave to Hashem. When I made that kind of mindset, I stopped worrying about everything. Those things have become much easier than they were before.

“If I feel threatened, I pray to

Hashem and somehow it always works out. Hashem can use anyone to do His will. I’m not important in the story at all. The miracle is that [these sheep are] just like the Jewish people who wandered for 2,000 years and maintained our genetics and came back to Israel.”

Lewinsky believes that she’s tend-

ing to these sheep for the entirety of the Jewish people. “Now they are settled, waiting for the Sanhedrin to show up. Yeshaya speaks of shepherds returning with their flock. We’re in the ancient fields of King David. Maybe [the members of the Sanhedrin] don’t know I’m here. If they show up, I’m willing to turn them over.”

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She is understandably very protective of the sheep and those who might try to take financial advantage of them.

“These are the collective property of the Jewish people,” she asserts.

“I gain very little off the sheep and I don’t sell them. Any money [that] comes [in goes] to the feeding expenses. It’s not a business; it’s a shlichut.

“That’s why I have my own private company to make money, so I don’t have to take from this project anything for myself. They are not to become one person’s possession. I’m the temporary shepherdess for now,” she emphasizes.

Across the world, there are an estimated 8,000 Jacob Sheep. Thanks to the amazing self-sacrifice of Jenna Lewinsky, in Israel today, there are 65 sheep, and the flock is continuing to grow.

“Every day is a miracle,” she concludes.

To learn more, go to migdalever.com.

Ooh

B B

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PHOTOGRAPHY

BY MIRIAM

By Miriam

CALL OR TEXT MIRIAM JACOBOVITS 347–572–8973 ~ INSTRAGRAM: OOHBABYPHOTOGRAPHY

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters, As a girl in shidduchim, I’m constantly asked for my picture.

Shadchanim often ask for a picture before setting me up, prospective boys’ mothers ask for a picture, and well-meaning friends ask for a picture. I’m a little uncomfortable sending my picture, but when I don’t, people ask more questions and assume I am hiding something negative or find a way to get one on their own. I am not an unattractive girl, I just never felt it was a necessary thing to do. I don’t have social media, and I don’t usually send pictures of myself around town. However, if I don’t, I fear they will suspect something nonexistent or find a different picture themselves which may be more unflattering.

My question is: should I go against my principles and send my own picture to prevent people from holding back suggestions or dates? Do I need to conform to society as part of proper hishtadlus in shidduchim?

P.S. Is it fair to ask for a picture of the boy if they receive a picture of me?

Don’t miss it! A single man sounds off on a recent Dating Dialogue column. See page 116 for Meir Jacobs’ op-ed in this week’s issue.

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 Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. unt Toby (lovingly): I’m telling you, Perel. I’ve known him practically since his bris. He’s a wonderful boy and he’s ready to give you a “yes.”

Peri (tentatively): Okay, so what’s holding him back?

Aunt Toby (tenderly): Oh, nothing really, mamme shaina. Um, well…there is one thing. He just needs to see a recent photograph of your shaina punim before he takes you out.

Peri (exasperatedly): Tante Toby, with all due respect! You know my opinion on that subject. A picture is so two-dimensional! So superficial!

So demeaning! I’d like to see his picture before I go out…

Aunt Toby (sternly): Perel Raizel, it’s time you got with the program! Years ago, it was “resumes.”

Then came shidduch websites and singles’ events. So now everyone needs a picture. What’s the big deal?

Is it so much to ask a pretty girl to submit a photograph so the young man can correctly identify her when he comes to her doorstep?

Peri (defeated): (Sighs—argghh!)

I give up…

They used to say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” And then came Photoshop.

You are not the first young lady to balk at submitting a picture along with her resume. And you are not wrong. A photograph sucks the personality out of a living, breathing, dynamic individual and flattens her into a two-dimensional 5 X 7 printed facsimile. It’s a superficial portrait; an objectification of a many-faceted human being. And today, through the miracle or Photoshop or other photo-enhancing apps, pictures can and do lie. Still, as the very wise Aunt Toby chastened, it’s the socially accepted new normal.

I agree with you: it’s wiser to submit a tasteful portrait of yourself

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– where you get to choose the setting and hairstyle – than your friend’s picture of you hamming it up on that tiyul in seminary or dangling from a precipice on a recent road trip.

As for requesting the guy’s picture: no harm in asking. He will either refuse (on the grounds he’s not photogenic); submit his yearbook picture (the one with the acne and solemn expression); or offer a more recent likeness (computer enhanced to appear taller and dimpled). And if you do get a sneak peek, be honest with yourself; judge the guy for all his wonderful attributes and not merely his physical features.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond admire you for your stance on the topic and your obvious sensitivity for modesty.Unfortunately, gone are the days when shidduchim were simple. It used to be, someone would give a suggestion and the couple would go out. I remember one of my rabbeim from seminary relaying the story of how he and his wife met in the library at Queens College. Years later, when I asked if I could use his story as a platform to encourage couples to meet on their own, he wouldn’t grant permission.

Why, you may ask? Because, to quote him anonymously, “Times have changed.”

Note that back then there was no discussion about the color of the man’s shirt, whether parents and grandparents were yeshivish, whether the boy was planning on learning for 2-3 years or 5-7 years or long term and how the girl plans on supporting him until he goes into some type of business. Nowadays, he must have this type of yeshiva background, for this many years, and wear this type of clothing. Sound complicated? It sure is.

Today, shadchanim are responsible for keeping endless information on

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hand about every man and woman he/she meets. If this is what is expected of thousands of volunteer matchmakers worldwide, we need ways to keep lots of information on hand to jog our memory. The path to redting a shidduch is no longer the following simple procedure.

Person: Has an idea and brings it to the parents.

Parents: Nice, boy/girl, nice family, let’s have them go out Sunday night and see if they like each other.

It is now a system comprised of research into both singles’ backgrounds, their pasts, their present, their future, their social media presence, their future plans mapped out, and how it fits perfectly into the other person’s vision of the future.

People these days also go “Flag-Fishing” – which is a term to describe the common habit of calling anyone

A photograph sucks the personality out of a living, breathing, dynamic individual and flattens her into a twodimensional 5x7 printed facsimile.

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and everyone who might possibly know or might have met this person to acquire as much background and beef as possible. Note that this is not demanded by any third party to do but it is what parents and singles worldwide have accepted upon themselves as standard protocol. It is almost a thrill to find out from a third party all the presumed skeletons in the closet from the single’s high school days.

Adding singles’ outspoken discussions with each other about their opinions on the guys and girls they have dated to the mix and you get an even more complex situation. This is what I call the SDE (Shidduch Domino Effect). When one guy goes out with one girl from the same “circle of friends” and it does not work out this guy is automatically nixed by that entire group of friends, based on personal information shared.

If society deems the only culturally appropriate way to find a bashert to be through a middle man

(aka any matchmaker, friend, or shadchan) then we must do what we can to simplify the process for our volunteers taking on the already taxing and time-consuming challenge.

In this day and age, with all the slew of information which needs to be passed along, the solution seems to be having on-hand a basic profile.

Proposing we should go back to the old ways while adapting to today’s society is akin to attempting to put Wi-Fi on a corded rotary phone. If we want to change things, we must go to the root and work on shifting completely back to the more simple way things used to be (which I think would be an excellent idea!).

This background information is crucial to answer your very apropos question about pictures. In my opinion, sending a bekovodig picture to a shadchan with your information has nothing to do with judgments, looks, or beauty. Since there are so many people sending out basic information to matchmakers around

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the country on a daily basis it has become the norm to send a professional looking picture with it to put a face to the name. There is an intuitive feeling when seeing a person that depicts more than what the person physically looks like. There have been many times I personally have gotten an intuition about a shidduch for someone I never would have physically met due to geographic limitations. However, by merely seeing someone’s information and picture, a shidduch idea struck right away. Obviously, I then follow up with correspondence and conversations, which then led to the dating process, and then, baruch Hashem, engagements and marriages followed.

Perhaps this is Hashem’s way of working with our current ‘‘system’’ to make things possible within the laws of tevah (nature). It is for this reason that I believe it is important to do what has become the norm and send a nice professional picture to

Proposing we should go back to the old ways while adapting to today’s society is akin to attempting to put Wi-Fi on a corded rotary phone.

the shadchan.

Do not mistake this with an endorsement for guys to collect women’s resumes and pictures to sort through which can be another problem. For parents of potential

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2015 2019

prospects who will be traveling far distances to meet you, and for the people setting you up, it is your hishtadlus to do what is commonly done and send a picture, just as it is the boys hishtadlus to send one as well.

Lastly, please don’t make the mistake of sending a picture in your purim costume (something I have seen), facing sideways looking away, a mirror selfie, a super close up shot,

mug shot (kidding), or a picture from a wedding that is cropped out on both sides.

If you live in Baltimore, there is a photographer offering her services to take shidduch-portraits free of charge. If you would like more information about this, please contact me through the editor. Thank you for bringing this important issue to light!

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

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hank you for writing in! I meet with many women who feel the same way you do. It is upsetting to be asked to send in a picture, as if you can possibly be captured in one or two photos.

People find sharing pictures upsetting for numerous reasons. The therapist in me wants to explore this with you. She also wants to acknowledge that there is very little that is natural about shidduch dating. She also wants to high-five you for staying off of social media. I find it incredibly commendable and amazing that you’ve chosen to completely stay out of that world.

If men and women met on their own, someone would see you and, if interested, approach you. You would be animated and it would be authentically you. The dating coach in me wants you to approach this very practically. People request a picture, and my advice is to send one or two, going against your principles.

A resume, or dating profile online for that matter, that comes with no picture(s) raises an eyebrow. What is this person trying to hide? Is there something he/she doesn’t want me to see? It’s human nature. Once you’ve made the decision to send the picture, you have

to decide if you are going to filter it. We live in a world where a lot of people “cheat.” I have only seen this method of photoshopping backfire on the women and men who do it. When the date opens the door and the eyes aren’t quite as big, the nose a touch larger, etc., people report feeling duped. Good relationships can’t start with a lie. But I also understand the urge to do it. It’s kind of like when you know that all the kids in class are getting A’s because their parents are doing their reports, and you want to encourage your child to do it himself but he’s up against the parent body’s work…. This is a personal decision that you will make for yourself.

I have seen beautiful, professional shots (and many unprofessional as well), with fantastic lighting, whether staged or natural. Personally, those are my favorites. I understand that women are now asked to send a glamorous shot and a natural shot. In my opinion, this is the least offensive part of the shidduch system. Piggybacking on what the other panelists mentioned, no selfies, no duck face, no peace signs, no hang-gliding and no friends in the pictures.

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Michael Freed ol hakavod. It is your internal tznius that makes you uncomfortable – kol kavoda bas melech penima.

I am against the whole resume system (and hoping we can get rid of it – wouldn’t that be amazing!?), and photos are one of the tragedies of the system.

The only way I know to get around this is to have an advocate who knows you really well and who knows enough men who would trust them without a picture.

When someone sees a resume, the assumption is that since you have thousands of pictures of yourself on your phone, whichever photo you are sending with

your resume is the best representation of you – this is for men and women.

Therefore, I would like to now list some tips on taking a good shidduch picture: 1) Don’t send a selfie (it is not as dignified/mature as you can be).

2) Be the only person in your picture.

3) Show your chein, smile.

4) Do not send a closeup or a picture so far away that one can’t see what you look like at all.

5) Do not send a blurry picture, or a picture with your eyes facing away from the camera.

6) If possible, ask a friend who does this professionally to take a nice one for you.

To answer your question: I would “conform” to society as part of your proper hishtadlus, but I would not suggest you to break your principles. I believe Hashem rewards us for doing His ratzon, and as it seems like you are doing such, I give you a bracha that you find your bashert speedily.

I immediately sense the authentic person you are. Presenting the physical before presenting the spiritual or the personality can feel wrong and backwards. My hope for you is that you are going to find someone so fabulous who appreciates this quality in you! It will be admirable and attractive to the right man. Do not dull this part of you.

Trust it. But learn to be flexible with it.

You don’t need to “work the system” but you do need to work with the system.

After all, you’ve got to be in it to win it.

All the best, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. She is looking forward to teaching a psychology course at Touro College in the fall. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 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.

The Single

K

Hi Readers!

Receiving your enthusiastic emails wanting to participate in the Reader’s Respond section has been wonderful! Just a reminder about how Reader Response works. Email thenavidaters@gmail. com with the subject line “Reader Response.” We will then ask you, in the order we receive your email, if you would like to respond to the coming week’s email. If you would like to respond to an already printed Navidaters Panel, please submit your answer to the editor at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. You can also join us on our FB page @thenavidaters on Sunday evenings to post your response to the week’s column. Interacting with you has been a pleasure! Thank you for all of your feedback.

Jennifer

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Op- d

A Failure to Communicate

By Meir Jacobs

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read with great interest the question in your recent dating column about the group of shadchanim that deals with men in their 30s who were feeling pressured by constant demands for updates and responses from the men they were redting shidduchim to.

This topic struck a VERY strong chord with me (and has for a while) as this is something that I personally, as an older (although baruch Hashem not that much older) single male, have struggled with very much during my time in shidduchim, and I felt immensely compelled to respond.

I want to state from the beginning, though, what my objectives are and what they are not: • I am NOT writing in to excuse boorish or inappropriate behavior from men (or women) towards shadchanim.

• I am NOT writing in to complain about shadchanim or accuse them of malicious intent.

• I am NOT writing in with any assertion that I have any experience of running a household with many little kids while simultaneously volunteering to assist a bevy of singles that wish to be set up.

• And finally, I am NOT going to be talking about the second part of the question raised where the shidduch group was discussing off-putting behavior on the part the single guys.

That’s a separate issue for a separate time.

What I am writing in to discuss is the issue of singles having a difficult – or almost impossible – time getting in touch with shadchanim and several other issues involving poor – or complete lack of – communication.

Let me start with a personal anecdote: not that long ago, I met a shadchan at my friend’s engagement party.

She was very gracious and friendly and sounded eager to hear more about me so she could set me up. She got my basic info and then told me to call her the next day to speak more extensively. So, the next day I texted her, asking her what time in the day worked best for her to speak. Five hours later she responded that that day was not good for her and we should try for another day that week. When I asked what day she had in mind…she didn’t respond for three days. Even then, it was only after sending several texts (she specifically asked me to text her and not to call), each 24 hours apart, each making sure to be as cordial and gracious as possible. I consistently acknowledged her busy schedule and thanked her for her time. So how did that turn out?

Remember how we met at my friend’s vort? I have since attended that friend’s wedding and still have not yet received a response.

You might say that instances like this are rare – or better yet, that if I don’t like working with a certain shadchan that I should just move on and find another one that works better for me. But my response to those claims are as follows: a) instances like this are not rare, and b) this has been my experience with almost every single shadchan that I’ve worked with. More recently, a certain shadchan even reached out to me on her own, saying that she heard really nice things about me and wanted to speak. About five minutes into the phone call, barely getting to any important detail of what I was looking for, she abruptly told me she had another call she needed to take and “promised” to call me back right afterwards. A week and three very cordial requests to continue the conversation later, I informed her that I would no

longer be attempting to reach her. (No response yet, as of this writing.)

I have found that amongst my single friends as well that these types of scenarios aren’t all that uncommon.

There are many perfectly valid reasons that shadchanim have for being so difficult to reach.

One, is that they have families.

Running a house is very time-consuming and draining (especially with young kids). Add to that a full-, or even part-time job, and free time dries up pretty quickly.

Two, they have other singles that they are trying to set up as who are also trying to get in touch with them.

They could have dozens of messages constantly buzzing on their phone! Is it realistic to expect them to answer all of them immediately!? And lastly, aren’t they doing a chessed? They don’t get paid for their time if the shidduch doesn’t work out. Why isn’t there a little more gratitude from the singles who they are working so hard to help out?

From the onset, I stated I’m not going to in any way defend truly abhorrent behavior. So, texting every five minutes? Not gonna get a pass from me. Rude or inflammatory messages when you don’t respond right away?

Or a complete lack of hakaras hatov?

Absolutely not going to defend that, and they completely deserve to be condemned. But let me share with you what it’s like to be on the other side of this issue and maybe you’ll start to understand why it’s so tough to keep our cool sometimes.

Let me give you a mashal: Imagine you are out of work and desperately looking for a job. It’s very hard to be unemployed and especially so when all your other friends are working happily (see where I’m going

with this? Great). One day, I gladly volunteer to help you find a job that pays you well, is respectable, and fits well with your skill set. You’re extremely grateful and very excited that finally you’ll be able to escape your painful situation, and, for several minutes we are in direct communication. But then, suddenly, when it gets to certain important details about the job – or setting up the interview (I sincerely hope everyone reading this gets the nimshal at this point) I abruptly “go dark.” I stop answering you. No texts, no phone call for six hours. Then, after a quick message, I go AWOL again.

But this time for three days. In the meantime, you’re desperately waiting to get this thing off the ground lest the opportunity disappear. Two days later, with no explanation (or apology) about why I suddenly became unavailable, I’m back to responding to your every text and phone call within seconds! Until I don’t anymore. As a solution, you offer to arrange a time to speak when I’ll be available. We agree on a time to speak, but when you call: no answer.

I simply don’t pick up the phone and never explain why not. Did something come up? Maybe. An emergency? Could be? Or maybe I just completely forgot.

Either way, you’ll never know because you can’t get in touch with me.

Sound frustrating? Trust me, it is.

Now ask yourself these questions: what would you do in such a situation? Simply wait? You have no idea how long I’ll be. You don’t even know if I saw your text (or, even worse, your app shows you I did see your text but I’m not responding anyway)! Furthermore, if you wait around too long, the opportunity could pass and you’ll be back to no prospect again (and if such an occurrence actually has happened to you

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2015 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29,

before, you’ll know it’s a real concern).

Next question, would you be, at all, annoyed with my incredibly capricious availability? Or would you be unquestionably perfectly serene, being full of immense gratitude that I had decided to volunteer my time to helping people get jobs?

I don’t know the answers to these questions. Maybe, if you were put into the exact same situation, you would be completely tranquil and full of tact no matter how long or how many times this happens to you. But I’d be willing to wager that you’re probably seeing how this is a little less black-and-white than you originally thought.

now I’m just simply juggling too many things at once and I don’t have the capacity to take on any more singles.

Maybe call back in two weeks.”

• Suggestion #3: Be communicative! Don’t like it when a guy texts late at night? Don’t like it when he asks

really needs a listening ear right now.”

These are all important things. And certainly, every now and then, can be very helpful. But if that’s part of your job description, you’ll have very little time or energy left for your primary role: setting up couples.

In practice, however, shadchanim function as not only matchmakers, but as therapists, rabbis, and dating coaches as well.

Some Solutions So, what about the reasons why this is happening? The kids, the other singles, the hectic life/work balance?

Carpool and PTA meetings? Bedtimes and doctors’ appointments? These are all perfectly valid points, and believe it or not, I can actually at least try to sympathize. So, I’ve thought about it for a very long time, and I thought of a handful of suggestions that could possibly bridge this divide. Several of them are small changes that can be tried out pretty easily and one…well, it might be a bit of an “overhaul” to be quite honest.

So, with that said here, they are: • Suggestion #1: Prioritize who you respond to. Of course, telling every single that you are busy or that something came up would take you right back to square one. But I think some people do deserve a prompt response. Who? For starters, anyone who you specifically told to call you at a certain time. Of course, things can come up, but if you have to reschedule last second, a quick “srry smthing came up :(” would go a long way. Another example, if a specific person has been consistently trying to get in touch for an extended period of time. And, certainly if a match is about to get off the ground and the other party needs to be informed.

• Suggestion #2: Limit the number of singles you work with. If you feel like you are getting bombarded with messages from 100 different guys and girls, then maybe at some point just stop working with any more people. If you get a call from someone looking for you to set them up and you think your hands are full, try saying: “I would love to help you out at some point but right

“quick questions” about girls that you aren’t the shadchan for? Do you think the guy gets too hung up on no’s or is too into looks? How about this: instead of “tolerating it” for six months before you finally explode at the guy, why don’t you tell him within the first couple times it happens?

I’ll never forget when a shadchan I had been asking quick questions to about girls she might know exploded at me one time, yelling at me for five minutes straight about how, if she’s not the shadchan for me for this girl, why should she be using her time on me.

She never mentioned a breath of that resentment any of the years prior.

And finally, a broader suggestion: I think that one of the biggest mistakes that shadchanim are making today is trying to do too many things at the same time. At its core, matchmaking is supposed to be about knowing many guys and girls and suggesting the ones to each other that you think make the most sense. In practice, however, shadchanim function as not only matchmakers, but as therapists, rabbis, and dating coaches as well, so no wonder getting in touch is such a big issue. I can’t tell you how many times shadchanim have told me they are so busy because “they have a couple that’s about to get engaged but are having some last minute doubts” or “a couple that doesn’t know if they are going to fit hashkafically and she needs to help them out” or “ a girl that just went through a rough break up and

There are many wonderful dating coaches (I can recommend some if you’d like), rabbis, mentors, and therapists available. And it’s to those professionals that these issues should be directed. If every shadchan is busy doing

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a million things at once then nothing, really, is getting accomplished. However, if singles would use shadchanim just for getting ideas and consult with dating coaches, therapists, or rabbeim about doubts or general guidance, then that would probably free up enormous amounts of time for shadchanim to focus on getting people together.

To end off: this all really does come down to hashgacha pratis, as anyone who’s been involved in the parsha can attest to. And we shouldn’t forget that or gloss over it. But we still have to do our part. Dysfunctional communication with both sides getting increasingly aggravated at each other is probably not the way Hashem wants us making shidduchim.

We should all try to be dan l’kaf zchus towards each other and try to be as helpful to one another as possible.

Meir Jacobs, a single male in his late 20s living in the New York area, is writing under a nom de plume.

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Dr. Deb

He was Frightened by His Own Anger

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

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om caught Jill sneaking back into the house at 3 a.m. He’d been waiting up to catch her, and catch her he did. But instead of gloating over that, he went into a rage that terrified him. He could not imagine himself ever losing it like that.

He ran for Jill and literally jumped on her. They both went to the floor, Jill hitting her head against the hard wood. He jumped off immediately, completely shocked into quiet. He stood panting over her for a moment and then stormed off to his office.

He shut the door, breathing hard.

“OMG,” he kept saying, “OMG, I almost hurt my daughter.”

This was the baby he’d loved, maybe loved the most. What happened?

What happened to the family? How did it get to this point? Tom was on the verge of calling the police on himself, he was so scared. He realized it wouldn’t accomplish anything, and he backed off.

He sat there in his office, in a state of shock for a good hour, breathing deeply for a while until his system returned to a relatively normal state.

Still in shock an hour later, he opened the door. Jill was not there and at that moment he didn’t know if she was even home anymore. Robotically, he got into his car and drove around on highways and backroads aimlessly all night.

Yes, they warned that anger escalates. He already knew that. But he thought he was above it. He thought that he would never go so far as to lay a hand on his “baby.”

Yes, they warned that if it is un-

checked, the anger becomes completely out of control. Now, he knew that was true.

What he didn’t know was what to do about it.

• He could turn himself in. He surmised that Jill would be only too happy to testify against him. Then what?

Even if they sent him to jail, he would not learn how to stop this in the future.

• He could put himself on medication. But that never worked. He had

Research has been showing for the last twenty years that it is possible and doable to bring what seemed out of control, like anger, under control. Anger comes from an aroused state of the sympathetic nervous system. It is the “fight” half of the fight or flight response, the companion in our bodies to the SNS is the parasympathetic nervous system, which enables us to calm down eventually.

The way Tom is going, being

Tom was on the verge of calling the police on himself, he was so scared.

several friends on meds and they lost their potency after a while. Even his mother had been on at least a dozen different meds in all the years he knew her (more on that in another article).

• He could go to anger management again. The first time was a big waste but he could try it again.

Those were the only options he was aware of. And none of them impressed him.

He returned home in the morning.

Jill was gone. He was very scared. She was only 16. Now, the thing he worried about most, he brought on himself.

OMG! What Tom didn’t know was that there was a better option than all of them.

stressed most of the time and ready to pounce (although he didn’t realize it), is not only going to rupture his relationship with his daughter and frighten him, but it will lead to all sorts of diseases from the continued stress.

What he needs to learn is to work with his parasympathetic nervous system instead of against it. Ordinarily, the PNS conserves energy once the crisis has passed that activated the SNS. It does this by sending chemicals into the bloodstream like acetylcholine, prolactin, oxytocin, and vasopressin. These relax the muscles, tell the heart to beat at regular intervals, and return blood to digestion and resume other ac-

tivities that are automatic but which stop under stress.

There is no earthly reason to need to use meds to correct a process that our bodies can do naturally – provided we take the steps necessary to favor the PNS actions over the stress response.

I teach this.

It is doable and relatively easy.

Does it take time? Yes. Does it require practice? Yes. Does a person need to alter their attitudes along with engaging the body in the process? Yes, to that as well. So what?

If we add this to the list of alternatives for Tom, it becomes clear that this choice is a no-brainer compared to the others that have failed people for years.

If you’re like Tom and frightened by your anger and want to tame that tiger, give me a call. It is free and we will take a look at what you’ve tried and what has worked, if anything, for you in the past. I will make my suggestions, and from there we will create a plan for you. No need to be under the control of your anger anymore. You can take charge of your life! Just visit https://drdeb. com/apply. Note that there is a short application follow ing selecting the time that works for you. It just gives me a little background on your situation.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

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Health & F tness

Eating & Exercise Maximize Your Workouts

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

W

e all put a lot of effort into our workouts and continually try to perform better and reach higher goals. Unfortunately, most people don’t pay that much attention to their post-workout meals.

Optimal nutrition post-workouts are crucial in deriving the benefits of exercise.

To understand how the right foods can help you after exercise, it’s important to first understand how the body is affected by physical activity.

When you’re working out, your muscles use up their glycogen stores for fuel. This results in your muscles being partially depleted of glycogen.

Some of the proteins in your muscles get broken down and damaged as well. After the workout, the body tries to rebuild its glycogen stores and repair and regrow those muscle proteins. Eating the right nutrients soon after exercise will help your body get this done faster.

It is particularly important to eat carbs and protein after your workout.

Doing this will help decrease muscle protein breakdown and increase muscle protein synthesis, which causes muscle growth. It will also restore glycogen stores and enhance recovery. Let’s discuss how each nutrient helps you in the post workout phase.

Protein helps you repair and build muscle. Exercise triggers the breakdown of muscle protein. The rate at which this happens depends on the exercise and the level of training.

Consuming an adequate amount of protein after a workout gives your body the amino acids it needs to re-

pair and rebuild these proteins. It also gives you the building blocks required to build new muscle tissue.

Increased muscle leads to increased metabolism. It is recommended that you consume .14-.23 grams of protein per pound of body weight very soon after a workout. For example, if we use an average .20 grams per pound and someone weighs 150 pounds, then they should be consuming about 30 grams of protein post-workout, which is about 5 egg whites or 4 ounces of chicken. If you’re doing a less intensive workout, like 25 minutes on the treadmill or 20 minutes lifting weights, then your protein needs will be lower. If you don’t eat after exercise, you could end up fatigued and battling low blood sugar.

You will also inhibit the body’s repair process, and it will be harder to reach your fitness goals.

Carbs will also help with recovery.

Your body’s glycogen stores are used as fuel during exercise, so consuming carbs after a workout will help replenish them. The rate at which your glycogen stores are used depends on the activity. For example, endurance sports, like running or swimming, will cause the body to use more glycogen than resistance training.

That’s why athletes that participate in endurance sports need to consume more carbs than bodybuilders.

Consuming .5-.7 grams of carbs per pound of body weight within 30 minutes after training results in proper glycogen re-synthesis.

Consuming both carbs and protein together after exercise will max-

imize protein and glycogen synthesis.

Insulin secretion, which promotes glycogen synthesis, is better stimulated when carbs and protein are consumed at the same time. It is recommended that this post-workout meal be consumed within 45 minutes of exercising. In fact, studies have shown that a delay of two hours can lower the rate of glycogen synthesis by as much as 50%.

The following are examples of some quick and easy post-workout meals: • Eggs with avocado on a slice of whole wheat or whole grain toast, like Ezekiel bread.

• Salmon and a baked sweet potato.

• Steel cut oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk, whey protein, berries, slivered almonds, and cinnamon.

• Plain Greek yogurt with Fiber One or All Bran, flaxseeds, and berries.

• Tuna on whole grain crackers or bread.

• Rice cakes or whole grain waffle with almond butter.

• Cottage cheese with berries on whole grain crackers or whole wheat or spelt matzah.

• Grilled chicken in a salad with quinoa.

• Protein shake (made with pure whey protein) and a banana.

• Emergency meal: high protein bar (like No Cow bars) or raw nuts, and whole grain bread, crackers, or cereal.

It is very important to drink

plenty of water before and after your workout. When you are properly hydrated, this ensures the optimal internal environment for your body to maximize results. Depending on the intensity of your workout, water and/or an electrolyte drink are recommended to replenish fluid losses.

The primar y goal of your post-workout meal is to supply your body with the right nutrients for adequate recovery and to maximize the benefits of your workout. Choosing easily-digestible foods will promote faster nutrient absorption. If you’re unable to eat within 45 minutes of working out, it’s important to not go much longer than two hours before eating a meal. While exercise and fitness are obvious means of getting in better shape, the post-exercise meal is sometimes forgotten. This meal is crucial in maximizing fitness goals and promoting muscle growth and body health. By working out and eating right, we can get the most out of our workouts and allow our bodies to rebuild muscle and restore our glycogen. The benefits of exercise are enormous and include stronger bones, heart, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and lower risk of developing cancer.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian 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, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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In The K

tchen

Pumpkin Pie

By Naomi Nachman

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year, and it has a special meaning for me. I came to America for the first time on Thanksgiving, and I have so many fond memories of that day. I couldn’t understand why all the air hostesses were wearing turkey pins (we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia so these nuances were lost on me!). My friends explained it all to me when they picked me up from the airport and whisked me away for a Thanksgiving dinner. I was blown away by the tablescapes, the turkey, cranberry sauce, and especially something they called pumpkin pie. Growing up in Australia, we never had pumpkin pie before – as pumpkin isn’t part of our eating culture. When I tried my first piece, which was cooked with this delicious flavor profile, I knew that this would stay close to my heart. Years later, I came up with my own version and layering on some delicious crispy beef fry on top added a whole new level of flavor.

Pumpkin Pie

Candied Bacon

Ingredients

Ingredients

1 14 oz. can pumpkin puree 3 eggs 1 ¾ cups soy milk 1 cup brown sugar 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp allspice ¼ tsp salt 1 9-inch frozen pie shell deep dish

1 package beef fry ¼ cup brown sugar

Preparation Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Pour the batter into a pie shell and bake for 50-55 minutes or until middle is set.

Top with candied bacon once pie is cool.

Cook’s note: Any leftover batter can be poured into muffins pans and baked for 30 minutes. This recipe also doubles and freezes really well.

Preparation Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange bacon on it on a single layer. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bacon and bake for 12 minutes, until sugar is caramelized and bacon is crisp.

Watch for burning.

Transfer bacon to a cooling rack and let cool.

Chop into small pieces and sprinkle over finished pie.

Adapted from Kitchen-tested.com.

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

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Immediately after President Trump won election, opponents inaugurated what they called “The Resistance,” and they rallied around an explicit strategy of using every tool and maneuver available to sabotage the functioning of his Administration.

Now, “resistance” is the language used to describe insurgency against rule imposed by an occupying military power.

It obviously connotes that the government is not legitimate. This is a very dangerous – indeed, incendiary – notion to import into the politics of a democratic republic.

What it means is that, instead of viewing themselves as the “loyal opposition,” as opposing parties have done in the past, they essentially see themselves as engaged in a war to cripple, by any means necessary, a duly elected government.

I’m old but I’m tough. He picked the wrong house to break into.

- 82-year-old Willie Murphy, who works out every day and can deadlift 225 pounds, telling a local Rochester, NY, TV station how she beat up a 28-year-old intruder who tried robbing her at home

I picked up the table, and I went to work on him, the table broke. And when he’s down, I’m jumping on him. I grabbed the shampoo. Guess what? He’s still on the ground. In his face, all of it, the whole thing. I got the broom. He’s pulling the broom. I’m hitting him with the broom.

- Ibid

- U.S. Attorney General William Barr in a speech to the Federalist Society’s 2019 National Lawyers Convention

One of the ironies of today is that those who oppose this president constantly accuse this Administration of “shredding” constitutional norms and waging a war on the rule of law. When I ask my friends on the other side, “What exactly are you referring to?” I get vacuous stares, followed by sputtering about the Travel Ban or some such thing. While the president has certainly thrown out the traditional Beltway playbook, he was upfront about that beforehand, and the people voted for him. What I am talking about today are fundamental constitutional precepts. The fact is that this Administration’s policy initiatives and proposed rules, including the Travel Ban, have transgressed neither constitutional, nor traditional, norms, and have been amply supported by the law and patiently litigated through the Court system to vindication.

- Ibid.

MORE QUOTES

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27

No man has a right to raise a hand to a woman in anger, other than self-defense and that rarely ever occurs. So we have to just change the culture.

Period. And keep punching at it and punching at it and punching at it.

– 2020 candidate Joe Biden using a poor choice of words at the last Democratic debate, while talking about domestic violence

No, I really mean it.

- Ibid., when the audience began snickering

Nope. That’s not true. The other one is here.

– 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, who is AfricanAmerican, responding to Mr. Biden stating at the debate that he has been endorsed by Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), “the only African-American woman that’s ever been elected to the U.S. Senate”

Yeah, Biden also caught heat for saying that he “came out of the black community.” When she heard that, Rachel Dolezal was like, “Well, he has my vote.”

- Jimmy Fallon

Joe Biden had some pretty big blunders on issues of race and domestic violence — I don’t know if you saw this. Or as Biden’s campaign is calling it, “a pretty average night.”

– Jimmy Fallon

Andrew Yang supporters are angry that their candidate didn’t get to talk very much last night.

Yeah. And Joe Biden’s supporters are angry that theirs did.

- Conan O’Brien

President Trump is somebody that sees something that’s wrong and fixes it and doesn’t care whose feelings it hurts. And that’s what I learned when I was talking to him on the phone. He said something along the lines of: “this is going to make a lot of people irritated at me. But I don’t care.” And to tell you the truth, small towns across America...that’s what they want in their commander-in-chief. That’s what I want in my commander-inchief. Somebody that will see something that’s broken and fix it.

- Army First Lt. Clint Lorance, who served six years of a 19-year sentence for second-degree murder that took place when he was a commander in Afghanistan and ordered troops to open fire on three local men riding motorcycles in Afghanistan in July 2012 after his commanding officer had been injured, in his first interview upon being pardoned by President Trump last week

I love you, sir. You’re awesome.

- Ibid., addressing the president directly

I’m tired of freeloading billionaires.

- Sen. Elizabeth Warren defending her wealth tax at the Democratic debate last week

The fossil fuel industry is probably criminally liable, because they have lied and lied and lied when they had the evidence that their carbon products were destroying the planet – and maybe we should think about prosecuting them, as well.

- Sen. Bernie Sanders at the Democratic debate, in a statement which highlights a tactic often used by communist regimes

They don’t dwell on the past. You won’t hear them say, “Oh, if only it were 1952 again, everything would be great.” They are still making plans for their future together.

- The nephew of John Henderson (age 106) and Charlotte Henderson (age 105), of Austin Texas, who will celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary this month, talking to “The Today Show” about what he thinks the secret to their longevity is

MORE QUOTES

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

We’re so divided, it’s no longer enough to just make a point. You have to destroy. You have to own people. Except the person who gets owned doesn’t change their mind… We have to drop this fantasy that we can destroy the other side or crush or shred or pulverize them.

Those aren’t real things. They’re the middle four settings on the blender that no one has ever used. America is a big country, filled with millions of people who don’t think the way you do and never will, and you can’t own, vanquish, or disappear them. We’re stuck with them, and they’re stuck with us.

- Bill Maher, HBO

We all talk about Trump as an existential threat, but his side sees Democratic control of government the exact same way. And when both sides believe the other guy taking over means the end of the world, yes, you can have a civil war. … We are going to have to learn to live with each other…

- Ibid.

If I am in the White House, she will play a very, very important role, no question.

We came into the White House – I’ll tell you something. Every office was filled with Obama books, and we had notes left behind that said, “You will fail,” “You aren’t going to make it.”

- 2020 hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders talking about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-Democrat Socialist)

- White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, during a recent radio interview, disclosing taunts left by President Obama’s aides for the incoming new Trump staff in 2017

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

Auschwitz Exhibit is a Powerful Reminder of the Unimaginable

By George F. Will

F

rom the mountains of shoes that were worn by Jews when they were packed into railroad freight cars bound for Auschwitz, the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust displays one: a woman’s red dress pump with a three-inch heel. It prompts viewers to wonder: where did she think she was going?

Perhaps she did not have time to think when she was swept into the vortex of one of Europe’s innumerable roundups. She was destined for the unimaginable, where she probably vanished quickly: 900,000 of the 1.3 million people sent there were murdered shortly after their arrival.

The New York Times of January 28, 1945 reported on its front page the Red Army’s arrival the day before at Auschwitz, which the story described, in its 16th paragraph, as a place where more than a million “persons” were murdered. Persons.

Of them, 1 million were Jews.

A yellowed Times edition from that date is displayed today in the museum, which is located on Manhattan’s southern tip, near the spot where, in 1654, 23 Jews who had come from Spain and Portugal, via Brazil, became the first Jews in

what was then New Amsterdam. The museum’s six-sided Core building evokes the six-pointed star of David and the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, which is the subject of a shattering exhibit, “Auschwitz.

Not long ago. Not far away.” The eloquence of the artifacts, which were first seen when the exhibit opened in Madrid and will be seen elsewhere in North America, is welcome testimony, in an age obsessed with new media, to the power of an old medium: the museum.

The exhibit includes Reinhard Heydrich’s gift for Hermann Goering on his 47th birthday. Before Heydrich was assassinated by Czech partisans in 1942, he was the “architect of the Final Solution.” His gift was a piece of parchment: the original 1551 proclamation, signed by the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, requiring Jews to attach to their garments a yellow circle. The seeds of the Holocaust germinated for centuries in Europe’s social soil.

They did not, however, have to come to their cataclysmic fruition.

Other artifacts include Heinrich Himmler’s handwriting in his annotated first edition of “Mein Kampf.”

And a photo of Anne Frank’s parents’ wedding. And a child’s shoe

with a sock carefully tucked into it, waiting for the child to put it back on after the “shower” to which he had been directed, from which he did not return.

Did you know that eight of the 15 participants in the January 20, 1942 Wannsee Conference, which finalized plans for the industrialization of murder, had doctoral degrees? Education is not necessarily an inoculation against evil. Only two participants were older than 50: genocide was a project for upand-comers, idealists who acquired the ideals from socialization under totalitarianism.

The exhibit includes grainy, black-and-white film of a passing freight train shedding notes the way a tree shed leaves in autumn, notes tossed from between the freight cars’ slats by the human cargo who were desperate to scatter random traces of themselves before the final darkness. One was tossed from a train leaving Holland by 17-yearold Hertha Aussen: “Most likely this will be the last card you will receive from me.” Three days later she was murdered on arrival at Auschwitz.

What also died at Auschwitz is – was – what is known as the Whig theory of history, which holds, or

held, that there is an inevitable unfolding of history in the direction of expanding liberty under law. Just as the Holocaust was not inevitable, neither is the triumph of enlightenment: history is not a ratchet that clicks only one way.

Today, in several parts of the world, including on the dark, churned and bloody ground of central Europe, there are various forms of political regression. These are marked by a recrudescence of the blood-and-soil tribalism of degenerate nationalism, accompanied by thinly veiled, or not at all veiled, antisemitism.

Visitors entering “Auschwitz.

Not long ago. Not far away” immediately walk past these words of Primo Levi, an Auschwitz survivor: “It happened, therefore it can happen again.” Today in China’s far west, concentration camps hold more than a million people who Beijing says show “symptoms” of being “infected” with the “virus” of “unhealthy thoughts.” Similar medical terminology presented the Holocaust as social hygiene.

Polls indicate that a majority of millennials do not know what Auschwitz was. The future might teach them by analogies. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

How Workaholics Drive Economic Inequality

By Robert J. Samuelson

T

o the question of who created today’s economic inequality, there is now a new and intriguing answer: the internet. It has apparently turned millions among us into workaholics, lugging around our laptops, ready at a moment’s notice to tackle the latest digital chore. The trouble is that all this extra work – and the income it generates – is heavily skewed toward the economy’s upper stratums. Hence, the leap in inequality.

This change in lifestyles is something most of us have witnessed. The barriers between work and family are collapsing before the relentless demands of algorithms. Work has become a constant companion and an indestructible nag.

Just whether this is good for the national psyche is an open question worthy of scholarly study. What’s less debatable is that this digital imperative is more than a curiosity. It’s not just a reflection of growing economic inequality. It’s also a contributor, says a new study by economists Edward Leamer and J. Rodrigo Fuentes. (The study has been published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research.)

Leamer and Fuentes, who collaborated on the study at UCLA, noticed that higher-income employees were spending more time working, whether “at the office,” home or somewhere else. The biggest increases were largely confined to workers with bachelor’s or advanced degrees (professional or

doctoral degrees).

Here are some numbers. Between 1980 and 2016, the annual average number of working hours for employees with advanced degrees rose from 1,930 to 2,109, an increase of 9%. The gain for those with just bachelor’s degrees was 7%, from 1,872 hours (1980) to 2,009 hours (2016). For other workers – ranked by education – the changes in hours were negligible. The gain in hours for workers with a high-school diploma was less than 1%.

erosion of manufacturing jobs. Since its post-World War II peak of 32% in 1953, the manufacturing sector’s share of total jobs has dropped steadily. It is now about 8%, as automation has eliminated traditional factory jobs.

Many of these jobs once commanded high wages – stemming from workers’ role in sustaining expensive production systems. Globalization and outsourcing amplified the adverse impact on factory workers. As these jobs vanished, workers migrated into low-

The present trends, if continued, do not bode well for the future.

This factor – working hours – Leamer and Fuentes call “effort.”

They say it has been underrecognized in explaining inequality. From 1980 to 2016, the average increase in wages for those with advanced degrees was 41%, from $67,349 to $94,967. The gain for college graduates was 17%, from $56,262 to $65,865. For everyone else, inflation-adjusted incomes over the period were negative. Prices increased faster than wages. The loss for high school graduates was 12%.

Hours worked – or not – compounded other effects on inequality, say Leamer and Fuentes. Take the

er-wage jobs in retail, health care, and leisure and hospitality.

Meanwhile, the opposite was happening at the top of the economic spectrum. Incomes were rising. Workaholics were multiplying. Write Leamer and Fuentes: “The innovations in personal computing and internet-based communications have allowed individual workers the freedom to choose weekly work hours well in excess of the usual 40 [hours a week].… The benefits... accrue primarily to the few who can use the new technology to create value during the long hours. This requires

both natural talent and high levels of education.”

To repeat: the opportunities were strongest among a minority of workers who could take advantage of digital technologies. About 75% of Americans use the internet, report Leamer and Fuentes. But only about 16% of fulltime workers over 25 have advanced degrees, while 26% have bachelor’s degrees, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are many studies on inequality – what caused it, what the consequences are or might be (political as well as economic) and what should or could be done about it. The Leamer-Fuentes study adds to our understanding by illuminating how these trends are already changing the way labor markets function.

The present trends, if continued, do not bode well for the future. If the labor force splits between well-paid workaholics and everyone else, there is bound to be a backlash – there already is – among people who feel they’re working hard but can’t find the results in their paychecks.

But be forewarned: the cure could be as bad as the disease. One danger is that every economic problem will elicit a similar reaction: tax the wealthy. It is not that all income redistribution is misguided. It isn’t. But we cannot solve many of our national problems by spending someone else’s money. If the past is any guide, we will simply postpone unpopular choices. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group

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Forgotten Her es

The MDA and IDF Medical Corps

By Avi Heiligman

P

ractically every Jewish person in the world has heard of Magen David Adom (MDA).

The concept of MDA goes back over a century and, not surprisingly, was created to help Jewish soldiers during wartime. However, it took until 1930 to permanently establish a branch in Eretz Yisrael. The IDF also maintains a medical corps that began operations during the Israel War of Independence. Together, both MDA and the medical corps have a storied history that is not well-known.

A Jewish doctor from Switzerland was the first to come up with the concept of an organization to help wounded soldiers during World War I. In 1915, Dr. Erlanger took steps to establish a Jewish medical team, and a year later, with the help of the Jewish Legion (five battalions of Jewish soldiers in the British Army), it began to take shape. In the last year of the war, Magen David USA was created, and they were active in Eretz Yisrael providing much needed medical assistance. However, they couldn’t establish a large branch there to rival the Red Cross. A small branch was created in Tel Aviv with a worldwide network of 25,000 volunteers in 70 branches. This first attempt to create an international Jewish medical service came apart in 1922 as both the Jewish Legion and MDA were dismantled in peacetime.

After the 1929 Arab riots which saw 133 Jewish citizens murdered and about another 200 wounded, a need arose for a stable emergency medical unit in Eretz Yisrael. MDA

opened up its first permanent office in Tel Aviv under the direction of Nurse Karen Tennenbaum. It was founded

by Dr. Meshulam Levontin who had commanded the medical unit of the Zion Mule Corps during World War I. Dr. Levontin gave the first First Aid course and graduated 73 paramedics in September. With the assistance of several doctors, money was raised for an ambulance which first saw use in April 1931. MDA quickly became an important organization, and several branches opened up in the 1930s with their second branch opening its doors in Haifa. During the next several years, they expanded and were on hand for the Israeli War of Independence, when they received their first air ambulance.

In 1950, the Magen David Adom Law was enacted making it the country’s primary rescue and emergency organization. Also becoming law was that MDA was to be the IDF’s main auxiliary during times of conflict.

Funding for the organization still came from American donors, who provided equipment to run the national agency.

The Medical Corps While MDA takes care of day-today civilian medical emergencies, the IDF’s Medical Corps mission is to provide medical care for all Israeli servicemen and women. The Haganah maintained a medical branch but it mainly ran in conjunction with civilian services. During the War of Independence, Prime Minister David Ben Gurion directed Lt. Col. Dr. Chaim

Sheba to organize the IDF’s Medical Corps as a top-notch medical service.

Dr. Sheba came from Austria-Hungry in 1932 and had been a doctor in the British Army’s Jewish Brigade during World War II. He suggested that he take trained doctors and existing field hospitals and create an independent corps that was separate from civilian services. By the end of the 1948-1949 war, fifteen field hospitals had been established.

In 1949, now under the command of Colonel Dr. Avraham Atzmon, the Medical Corps grew into a first-rate unit that raised the levels of sanitation, clinics, hospital rooms, and dental facilities and created a research team.

Throughout the years, the Medical Corps has kept to their mission to provide the best medical care to the IDF. Their missions have extended to civilian causes when needed. In the 1950s, thousands of newly arrived Jewish immigrants needed medical care, and the Medical Corps took it upon itself to make sure that they were receiving adequate supplies and had access to doctors in transit camps. It has also sent medical teams to respond to earthquakes in Armenia, Mexico City, India, and even Turkey. In 2010, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti and left a path of devastation. Tens of thousands needed urgent medical care, and the infrastructure was for the most part leveled. Despite the logistics nightmare of getting supplies and a team of 121 medical professionals into a small island country with an inadequate airport and few roads, the

IDF’s Medical Corps had their hospital up and running in just a few hours after landing.

During the Sinai Campaign in 1956, Medical Corps personnel made a parachute drop with the troops and were able to provide vital medical services. This drop proved that they could be integrated within regular IDF units without compromising any of their capabilities. They also learned valuable lessons in how to evacuate the wounded which gave rise to air medevac (medical evacuation) in the corps. The training for their front-line units improved greatly, and during the Six Day War in 1967 they cared for over 3,600 wounded. Part of this was due to better vehicles used to evacuate the wounded off of the battlefield. The corps was also very active during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and learned how to deliver medical care in mountainous terrain during the 1982 Lebanon War. Today, both Magen David Adom and the IDF’s Medical Corps are very active in providing Israelis with emergency medical care. Their start was born of necessity and, as with many other units in Israel, grew to be first rate. Over the years, both organizations improved their techniques and learned new skills to be able to respond to any emergency – whether at home or around the world.

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 | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Classifieds HELP WANTED YOUNG ISRAEL OF LONG BEACH IS SEEKING A VIBRANT YOUNG COUPLE (REBBE/MORAH TYPES) TO SERVE AS YOUTH DIRECTORS. The candidate(s) would run youth groups on Shabbos and develop youth programming for all ages and seek to engage the young couples in the shul. email cwakslak@att.net.

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

15

Money

Gold Star Glitch

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

E

arlier this month, Veterans Day commemorated those brave and selfless Americans who’ve served in our military. We honor them with History Channel specials, parades, and one-day-only sales on chicken sandwiches and big-screen TVs. Occasionally, we even let the occasion guilt us into trying to do a better job of taking care of them in more tangible ways.

This week’s story involves children of Gold Star families, survivors of soldiers who died in military service. Now, kids aren’t usually a profit center. They’re noisy. They’re sticky. They throw up at the worst possible times. But up until 1986, parents could at least use them as a tax shelter, shifting investments into their name to be taxed at the kids’ lower rate. That changed with the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and the new “kiddie tax.” Ever since then, minors’ unearned income above a certain low threshold ($2,100 in 2017) has been taxed at their parents’ rates.

Fast forward to December 20, 2017. Senators are furiously scrawling legislation on the back of cocktail napkins in hopes of passing tax reform in time to escape town for the holidays. (Hearings? We don’t need no stinkin’ hearings!) Their

main goal is to cut corporate rates.

But budget rules mean they can’t just cut without restoring at least part of that revenue. Those addbacks included twisting the screw on kiddie taxes. The new law hits that income at even higher trust rates, which soar all the way to 37% at just $12,750 of income.

Administration and an epidemic of veteran suicides!

The “Gold Star glitch” wasn’t the only mistake the Senate made in their late-night draft-a-thon. (It passed at 1:51 a.m., waaaaay past most Senators’ bedtimes.) There were also provisions eliminating taxes entirely for farmers selling

The “Gold Star glitch” wasn’t the only mistake the Senate made in their late-night draft-a-thon.

Here’s the problem: that new rule isn’t just hitting the children of millionaires and billionaires that it was targeting. It’s also clobbering children receiving military survivor benefits. Thousands of Gold Star families are facing five-figure tax bills on those checks. That’s not a great look for a country already struggling with a broken Veterans

crops to cooperatives (the “grain glitch”), preventing retailers and restaurants from writing off leasehold improvements as fast as Congress intended (the “retail glitch”), and creating conflicting start dates for limits on net operating losses (the “NOL effective date glitch”).

Oopsies!

The Senate passed a bill in May

to fix the Gold Star glitch. But in the House, it got thrown into the broader SECURE Act designed to boost retirement savings. The House passed that bill 417-3, which is a real triumph in a Congress that looks more like a UFC octagon than a forum for civilized debate. But back in the Senate, Ted Cruz has held it hostage because it doesn’t let parents use Section 529 accounts for homeschooling expenses. Gold Star survivors have lobbied Cruz’s office but have gotten nowhere. (In fairness, Cruz isn’t the only senator who seems happy to put grandstanding above problem-solving.)

So here we are, celebrating veterans by mugging their survivors for extra tax on a couple thousand bucks a month of government benefits. It’s especially frustrating to us because there’s nothing we can do to help avoid it. Fortunately, that’s not usually the case. There’s almost always a way to pay less. You just need a plan that uses every rule to your benefit, regardless of how late at night it passed!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

Thanks Giving.

Giving Thanks.

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

S

ome people celebrate, some don’t! I’m not talking about the holiday – just the idea behind

it.

Bottom line, it’s always good to be appreciative. And not just to say thank you, which, of course, is a great start. But rather, it’s important to see it in layers, wrap your head around it in detail, and verbalize it in sentences.

So what am I rambling about?

Let’s take, for a simple example, someone making you an omelet for breakfast. Alright – not so simple for everyone. I’m sure some of you are saying why didn’t she start with toast?!

So back to the omelet. You could say, “Thanks for the omelet.” You could even say, “Thanks for the delicious omelet.”

But can you say? “Thanks for the time you spent cutting up the onions.

Sautéing them just right. Then adding those delicious peppers. Which added such a sweet extra flavor. And then throwing in that cheese that made it so melty and fun to eat and somehow balanced everything else out just right.”

Can you see those layers? Can you

see that detail? Can you then share that you saw it?

Guess what? All this happens to reinforce for you that you actually registered it and saw those acts of kindness. And then, it reinforces for the other person that you recognized all they put in to it, as well.

This is what a “thank you” is all about – not just a rote comment but

to make sure our message gets across right!

So, too, when verbalizing our thanks. If you don’t have time to layer and be verbose, then that “thank you” needs to ooze with sensitivity and sincerity.

Let me clarify: we’ve been trained to say “thank you.” That’s good! We want to be that kind of a person.

Can all this good be anything but good?

the realization behind it.

Let’s connect it to texting.

When someone writes “thank you,” the other person can sit there thinking what exactly did that “thank you” convey. Did she/he mean to say that sarcastically, enthusiastically, sincerely, or perfunctorily?! They get completely caught up in what this was meant to convey and don’t get that it was perhaps said to make them feel good. So it becomes important here is

What we don’t want to do is say it without the mouth-mind connection.

We don’t want it to become automatic, just so that we’re good to go. Kind of like “hi, how are you?” Sure, it’s a nice thing to say. But are we really asking how that person is doing? How that person is feeling? Do we even stop walking long enough to hear the answer?

It’s really good for us to recognize when saying “thank you” that it’s not

just extended for the other person.

We are communicating with ourselves because we are noticing something good happened for us. We are truly absorbing that something positive occurred for us. Then, on top of that, we are filling someone else up, letting them feel good that they did good. And in return, as an added bonus, they feel good about us because we noticed it.

Can all this good be anything but good?

So, share thank yous today and every day. And take time whenever possible to layer it. It’s hardly something you give away. It actually is something that fills you up. And is even so powerful that it spills over and fills up another person, as well.

Let me close with a layer of my own: thank you so much – for listening and taking the time to read my thoughts and insights. And for making me feel what I have to share is worthwhile.

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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