Five Towns Jewish Home 05.01.25

Women Unite with Loaves of

Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir Visits the Five Towns

Dear Readers,

Last year, 1.83 million people came to Auschwitz-Birkenau to personally visit the site at which more than 1.1 million Jews were exterminated. Last week, 8,000 people came to Auschwitz on the March of the Living, marking 80 years since the liberation of the German Nazi death camps.

Although there are still eyewitnesses to the mass extermination of Jews a few decades ago, there are those who deny that the Holocaust ever happened. Some deniers assert that the Holocaust never occurred; it was all a hoax made up by some imaginative Jews looking for a way to elicit sympathy from the world. Others say that the Holocaust was an exaggeration. Sure, some Jews were killed, but it wasn’t six million and it wasn’t a concerted, systematic effort by the Nazis to annihilate an entire nation.

Thankfully, those who deny the Holocaust are in the minority. But recently, we’ve been seeing another form of Holocaust denial: Holocaust trivialization

Trivializing the Holocaust is ignoring the enormity of the tragedy. It’s acting as if the Holocaust was another humdrum world event. It’s comparing the Holocaust to other unrelated world events. It’s behaving as if the Holocaust was not unique to the Jews in Nazi Germany.

Holocaust trivialization is just one step before a complete denial that the Holocaust

ever took place.

When people compare the president of the United States to Hitler, ym”sh, they are minimizing how evil Hitler truly was. You don’t like your president? That’s too bad. But Hitler was a person who had a soul so black and a mission so dark that he was able to wipe out six million Jews – and he was eager to kill more. His hateful plan was so horrific that to compare him to anyone else is to show that you can’t grasp how depraved he truly was.

I find it interesting that many of these recent “Hitler comparisons” are coming from liberal Jews. Jews like Larry David or writers at The Forward are the first ones to shout “Never again” when it comes to the Holocaust, and yet, they’re the ones trivializing the killings of their grandparents and great-grandparents as they were gassed to death.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks once said that the Jewish nation is one of “memory.” As a people, we remember and retell our history to our loved ones. The Holocaust was a painful, dark chapter in our nation’s existence. But it’s a chapter that we relive, we retell, and we remember so that we can rebuild even stronger.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

P.S. Elections for the WZO ends on May 4! It takes 2 minutes and just $5 to vote. Make sure you vote at www.eretzhakodesh.org.

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The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

Dear Editor,

Over Pesach, I read with fascination an article in a different publication about the kashrus standards of Pesach programs. In the article, Rabbi Fishbane, Kashrus Administrator of the CRC, detailed many of the kashrus issues rampant in Pesach programs throughout the country. When he was asked how it is that well known, brand name rabbis attend these programs with subpar kashrus standards, Rabbi Fishbane revealed that most of the rabbis he has spoken to either bring their own food and/or stay for only one or two days.

My question is twofold: In an age where chumros are ubiquitous, how is it possible that people, who by all other metrics appear to be yirai shamayim, shell out tens of thousands of dollars for a week-long program and do not even ask about the standards of kashrus at the program they are attending? Secondly, are these people being duped into believing the kashrus at their Pesach program is up to their rest-of-the-year standard, merely because they saw pictures of well-known rabbis and entertainers on the ads for the Pesach program they attend? If so, does this create a michshol l’rabim that is being tolerated due to the millions of dollars at stake?

I am intentionally not naming any names of people or programs because it is not my wish to cast aspersions or cause harm; it is merely to make the non-kashrus experts in the general public aware of widespread issues that most kashrus experts have known about for years.

Jason Stark

Dear Editor,

A democratic government is comprised of members who espouse a diverse range of views. In turn, a free society can offer a forum for said members to share those views. The people have the right to choose who speak for them – or to them. Unfortunately, some of our lovely neighbors cannot tolerate when a minister from another country comes for a visit. Nor can they stand when people dissent to chants of death and destruction to Israel.

The First Amendment right to free speech exists for the purpose of being able to counter speech we dissent from with our own ideas – but stops at threats of physical violence.

President George Washington foresaw all of this when he told his American Jewish friend, Haym Salomon, that this country will not tolerate intolerance. Yes, people can disagree, but if you block differing viewpoints from being shared, you are choking free speech. “Diversity” and “inclusion”? Not in our backyard, says the U.S. branch of Hamas!

Pro-Palestinian protestors in Crown Heights and elsewhere have sought to shut down free speech, debate and the exchange of ideas all over the visit of Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar BenGvir to the U.S. Iran’s leaders weren’t given such a “warm” welcome when they went to the United Nations!

Minister Ben-Gvir has the right to speak, and people should be allowed to hear him speak. I certainly do not agree with everything he says, but the public square is simply not public if we allow for Palestinian protestors to speak but not Israeli politicians. The U.S. hosts many

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politicians; these state visits do not necessarily constitute the views of this country. Further, American groups can exercise their right to free speech by inviting foreign dignitaries to speak. When this is not tolerated, but physically blocking Jewish students from going to classes is, then America is contradicting the very Constitution it was founded upon. This is something George Washington would frown upon. Hopefully, sanity will prevail, and Ben-Gvir will be given a forum to share his views.

Chaim Yehuda Meyer

Dear Editor,

In The Jewish Home April 24, 2025 edition, you published a lengthy article which appeared in the NY Times about the massacre of Alawite residents in Syria by government Moslem forces and their jihadist allies. What possible motivation did you have in publishing a story of Moslems killing Moslems in a “Jewish” Home newspaper? Who cares? I’m sure there were other stories that you could have published that had Jewish themes or relevance. As my mother, a”h , a Polish Holocaust survivor, said when asked about the Polish Solidarity movement in the late 1980’s: “zol zey aleh veren bargruben“ (may they all drop dead).

Sol Liss

Dear Editor,

Perhaps the hardest “commandment” of parenting a teen is the last one that Malkie Bobker listed: “Keep calm and trust your teen.”

Teens are learning to become independent. They are spreading their wings. And while they’re spreading their wings, they think they know it all. While you’re watching them take their own steps towards independence, it takes a lot of bravery and strength to hold yourself back from commenting or stopping them from spreading those wings.

Yes, they may make mistakes. Yes, they will realize many years later that they didn’t know everything. But right now, when they are teens and are growing into adults, they are only interested in paving their own path.

For parents, it may be hard to watch. But as parents, it’s our job to do that.

Sincerely, Y.

Rockman

Dear Editor,

On Wednesday night I attended the community Yom HaShoah program which took place in Beth Shalom. I have been attending these programs for many years. I am writing this letter after reading the article in a local Jewish paper written by Beth Katznelson who is national deputy director of philanthropy at Yad Vashem.

First, I sincerely compliment the organizers for the outstanding Yom HaShoah event. It began with a superb vocal performance by the HAFTR fifth grade choir. I love to see and hear the children who represent the future of “Am Yisroel.” But I can’t help myself from thinking that 80 years ago these beautiful children could have been subjected to torture and/or murder.” Over a million and a half children were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.

The main speaker of the evening was Mr. Paul Gross, who was a child survivor. He told his story, detailing all that he experienced as a young child in 1944 with great clarity. It was heartbreaking. He ended his address with a very powerful declaration, “Am Yisroel chai.” Then, six yahrtzeit candles were lit. The first was lit by Mr. Gross. The remaining five were lit by high school students, each one honoring a family Shoah victim . They told us the name of their family member, how they were related, and a brief account of their fate. It was very impressive.

We are all aware that each year there are fewer living survivors to tell their personal stories. The question has been posed: “who will speak when the last survivor is gone?” Typically, yeshiva students have Holocaust education built into their curriculum. However, the most compelling aspect of their education is hearing directly from survivors. Nevertheless, as Beth Katzenstein suggests, we now need second and third generation descendants to continue to tell these stories with urgency and pride. I couldn’t agree with her more. But once Yom HaShoah passes, there is no longer great focus on this topic. As Jews, we have many important topics on which to focus. So, my concern is not limited to “who will speak when the last survivor is gone?” My concern is that as second and third generation descendants tell these stories with urgency and pride, who will be interested in hearing them, especially once Yom HaShoah has passed?

A Concerned Descendant

Massive Blackout in Spain, Portugal

An unprecedented and widespread power outage hit large parts of Spain and Portugal on Monday, causing chaos in many cities including the capitals of those countries, Madrid and Lisbon. Metro networks, phone lines, traffic lights, airports, and ATM machines were all affected in the blackout.

Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said that restoring power to large parts of the country after the extraordinary outage could take 6-10 hours; power was still being restored on Monday evening. A state of emergency was declared.

Portuguese grid operator REN said a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” in Spain had caused the power outages and warned that fully restoring the country’s power grid could take up to a week.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that a problem in the European grid caused the huge power outage and the cause of the “strong oscillation” is still being determined.

After about nine hours without electricity, the power supply was restored in parts of central Lisbon. Around an hour before that, power was restored to parts of Madrid, the capital of Spain. Power started returning to the Basque Country and Barcelona areas of Spain in the early afternoon on Monday.

Emergency services in Spain carried out 286 rescue operations to free people trapped inside elevators in Madrid after the power failure.

The power outage resulted in people buying products like radios, batteries, candles, canned goods, cereals and toilet paper from stores in a panic, with long lines at stores in Madrid and other cities.

Liberals Win in Canada

On Monday, Canadians headed to the polls, granting the Liberal Party a win in the federal election, cementing Mark Carney’s tenure as the country’s prime minister.

Carney is currently the prime minister and will now form a new government with a new cabinet.

It’s still unclear if the Liberals will have a majority in the Parliament or whether they will need to look for alliances with other parties.

Canadians voted for all 343 members of the House of Commons, one for each constituency. The winning candidates were those who finished first, whether or not they won a majority of the votes. A party needs 172 seats in Parliament for a majority.

In Canada, the prime minister is chosen by parliament rather than elected directly by the voters. Historically, the party that assembles a majority in the House of Commons — either alone or with the support of another party — forms a government. That’s expected to happen in the coming days. The leader of the party forming the government will be the new primer minister, who then has to pick a cabinet.

The current Liberal leader is Carney, who was sworn in on March 14 as prime minister after Justin Trudeau resigned. Now, he has won a full term as the head of the government.

Carney will have to face numerous challenges in the years ahead. Firstly, he will have to navigate a tense situation with the United States, as President Donald Trump has been threatening Canada with steep tariffs and demands that Canada should become the 51st state.

Additionally, Canadians are struggling with rising food and housing prices, along with an influx of immigrants crowding their borders.

Carney, an economist, was educated in the U.S. and England. He had no experience in politics until he succeeded Trudeau as prime minister in March. He was a Goldman Sachs executive for more than a decade, until he started working in

the Central Bank of Canada in 2003, as deputy governor. He was then the head of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and headed the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

In a victory seat after he won, Carney declared, “As I have been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us.

“That will never ever happen.”

He added, “Our old relationship with the United States, a relationship based on steadily increasing integration, is over.

“The system of open global trade anchored by the United States, a system that Canada has relied on since the Second World War, a system that, while not perfect, has helped deliver prosperity for our country for decades, is over.

“These are tragedies, but it’s also our new reality.”

Rio Grande Water Sharing

On Monday, Mexico and the United States said they had reached an agree-

ment that involves Mexico immediately sending more water from their shared Rio Grande basin to Texas farmers. The deal comes after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions earlier this month.

“Mexico has committed to make an immediate transfer of water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Bruce thanked Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum for her involvement in facilitating cross-border cooperation. The countries’ joint statement, while lacking specific details of the agreement, said both countries had agreed that the 1944 treaty regulating how the water is shared was still beneficial for both countries and not in need of renegotiation.

Under the treaty, Mexico must deliver 1,750,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S. from six tributaries every five years, or an average of 350,000 every year. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover 1 acre of land to a depth of 1 foot. Mexico is able to run a “water debt” in the first four years in the cycle, as long as it makes it all up in the fifth year.

India-Pakistan Tensions Rise

Last Tuesday, at least 26 people were shot dead in an attack near Pahalgam, an Indian-controlled mountainous town in the Kashmir region, which India and Pakistan both claim ownership of and partly control.

Following the attack, diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan rose, with both countries condemning each other. India has suggested that Pakistan was behind the attack. The foreign ministry of India announced that all Pakistani nationals residing in India should leave because their visas will be revoked. India, a day after the attack, also shut down the two countries’ main land border and paused an important treaty wherein both countries share water.

On Thursday, Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, said he would hold the attackers responsible, though he refrained from explicitly blaming Pakistan.

In response, Pakistan said it would be suspending trade with India and closing its airspace to all airlines owned or operated by India. Officials from Pakistan also condemned India’s suspension of a water-sharing treaty as “an act of water warfare.”

Pakistani officials condemned the attack, which they claimed Pakistan was not behind. The Pakistani foreign minister, on Tuesday, said India was playing a meritless “blame game,” and Pakistan’s National Security Committee called India’s recent actions “unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit.”

At the time of the attack, United States Vice President JD Vance was visiting India.

The attack has called into question the sustainability of the 2021 Kashmir ceasefire reached between India and Pakistan. In 2019, a militant group based in Pakistan launched a large-scale suicide bombing attack on Indian areas of Kashmir, leading to what was almost an allout war, with both countries hitting each other with cross-border airstrikes. That same year, India took away its Kashmir territories’ semi-autonomous status and put into effect strict rules, including some that punish Kashmiris opposed to Indian governance.

Jordan Bans Muslim Brotherhood

Jordan recently uncovered a plot by the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist group affiliated with Hamas and the largest opposition group in Jordan, to launch attacks throughout the country in an effort to “undermine stability and security,” according to Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen Fraya. Officials discovered “explosives and weapons transported between Jordanian cities and stored in residential areas” and “training and recruitment operations” that belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood, Fraya noted.

In light of that discovery, Jordan banned the Muslim Brotherhood, seized its assets, and created new laws to crack down on those who support the terror group.

The Muslim Brotherhood was technically banned in Jordan a decade ago. However, a part of the group, namely its political party, the Islamic Action Front, was still allowed to operate. Last year, that party secured many parliamentary seats. However, the majority of seats are still controlled by supporters of the government.

A week ago, Jordanian authorities detained 16 members of the Muslim Brotherhood for allegedly manufacturing rockets and drones meant to attack the Hashemite Kingdom. Suspects, who were purportedly funded and trained in Lebanon, were filmed confessing, but the group has denied involvement.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which was formed in Egypt almost 100 years ago

and has expanded to many countries, has been banned in the majority of Arab countries for posing a danger. Jordanian officials have said the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, which was thrown out of Jordan in 1999, fueled anti-government street protests in Jordan about the war in Gaza.

About a year ago, Jordan announced that it had foiled an attempt from Iran to transfer weapons through Syria to Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Vancouver Car Ramming

A man rammed his car into a crowd of people who were celebrating their Filipino heritage at the annual Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver. The attack took place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, with the assailant killing at least 11 people and injur-

ing dozens more with his black Audi SUV.

Those killed included nine females and two males ranging in age from 5 to 65.

The perpetrator has been named as 30-year-old Vancouver resident Kai-Ji Adam Lo, who is now in police custody and has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. More charges are expected, authorities said. Officials currently suspect that the attacker’s motive wasn’t terrorism but was linked to his mental health. He is believed to have carried out the attack alone.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the attack was deeply heartbreaking but insisted that there is no “active threat” to Canadians. Other prominent politicians, including British Columbia Premier David Eby, the New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also condemned the attack and expressed their condolences to the victims’ families.

“It’s something you don’t expect to see in your lifetime,” said Kris Pangilinan, a journalist based in Toronto. “[The driver] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit — all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air.”

Pangilinan added, “It was like a war zone… There were bodies all over the ground.”

The mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim, said that Vancouver “is still a safe city” and that the “vast majority” of celebratory events take place with no issue.

Seven years before this attack, a similar car ramming incident was carried out in Toronto, where a 25-year-old man killed 10 people.

Iran Port Explosion

Chemicals at the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran caught on fire on Saturday, triggering a major explosion that killed at least 70 people and injured at least 1,000 others. The explosion occurred due to a “failure to observe safety principles,” Iranian authorities said.

Footage shows that the fire started out small, before becoming much bigger. The exact cause of the explosion is currently unclear.

By Monday, the fire was said to be under control.

The port has been used to store hundreds of tons of a chemical essential for Iran’s ballistic missile program since February, with another shipment having arrived in March. Iranian officials have denied that the port contained any chemicals related to Iranian defense. The national oil company of Iran also said that the explosion was “not related to refineries, fuel tanks, or oil pipelines.”

On Sunday, The New York Times, quoting an individual affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that “what exploded was sodium perchlorate, a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles.” The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.

A University College London professor, Andrea Sella, attributed the explosion to ammonium nitrate.

“This bears the hallmarks of an ammonium nitrate explosion. Ammonium nitrate is a commodity chemical that is widely used as a fertilizer and as an industrial explosive, but it is well known that poor storage can significantly raise

the risk of an explosion in the event of a fire,” Sella, a chemistry professor, said. “Material ignites and burns fiercely less than a minute later followed seconds later by the devastating detonation. It is the supersonic pressure wave from that that would have shattered windows.”

Chemical weapons expert Dan Kaszeta said that sodium perchlorate “could provide an explanation for how the explosion started, as perchlorates are used in materials like rocket propellant and fireworks,” since it’s “difficult for ammonium nitrate to detonate on its own without other chemicals having been part of a reaction.”

In February, 1,000 tons of sodium perchlorate made in China were reportedly stored in the port.

“China has consistently abided by export controls on dual-use items in accordance with its international obligations and domestic laws and regulations,” said the foreign ministry of China. “Sodium perchlorate is not a controlled item by China, and its export would be considered normal trade.”

On Sunday afternoon, Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, visited Bandar Abbas, where he investigated the incident, oversaw relief efforts, and met with those injured.

Syrian Druze Visit Israel

On Friday, hundreds of Druze clerics crossed from Syria into Israel to celebrate a holiday at a tomb in the Lower Galilee, the second such visit since longtime Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December.

Around 650 clerics crossed the border on foot to celebrate the four-day holiday which takes place on April 25-28 each year. The men converged on a tomb near the village of Hittin, west of Tiberias, which is the holiest site in the Druze religion. They stayed overnight.

The visit was approved by Israeli authorities.

The Druze community mainly lives in Israel, Lebanon and Syria. This visit allowed for families to reunite with their relatives, some meeting for the first time in person.

Beit Jann Regional Council head Nazih Dabbur told Ynet that he would be meeting cousins from Sweida, in southern Syria, and the Damascus suburb of Jaramana for the first time.

“My 97-year-old father came especially to meet them, there’s nothing more exciting than that,” he said.

Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, called the visit “historic.”

“The emotional reunions today attest more than anything to the unbreakable bond between Druze community members in any place,” he said, according to Ynet. “It’s impossible not to be moved by a meeting of brothers who haven’t seen each other in over 50 years or grandparents who never saw their grandkids until tonight.”

Shin Bet Head to Step Down

On Monday, Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, announced that he will be stepping down from his position on June 15. He had previously said that he would be leaving the agency after the war is over, taking personal responsibility for the Shin Bet’s failure to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

At Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recommendation, the cabinet last month voted unanimously to dismiss Bar, prompting an ongoing legal battle, with petitions against the dismissal currently being considered by the High Court of Justice.

Bibi said he lost trust in Bar and castigated him over the October 7 failures. Bar argued that Netanyahu was seeking to oust him for personal and political reasons.

In an affidavit last week, Bar claimed that Netanyahu had demanded that the security chief be loyal to the prime

minister over the courts, said Netanyahu sought to misuse the Shin Bet’s powers, and warned that the future independence and integrity of the service are imperiled. Netanyahu issued an affidavit countering those claims on Sunday.

On Monday, speaking at an event in advance of Yom Hazikaron, Bar said that after “years [operating] on many fronts, one night, on the southern front, the heavens fell.” On October 7, “all the systems collapsed and the Shin Bet, too, failed in providing an early warning.”

He continued, “As the head of the organization, I took responsibility for this — and now, on this special evening, symbolizing remembrance, bravery, and sacrifice, I have chosen to announce the fulfillment of that responsibility and my decision to end my tenure as head of the Shin Bet,” he said.

“In light of the magnitude” of the October 7 event, Bar said, “all of us — those who chose public service and the defense of state security as our life mission, and who failed to provide a protective covering that day — must all bow our heads humbly before the murdered, the fallen, the wounded, the abducted and their families, and act accordingly. All of us.”

In comments that could also be seen as directed at Netanyahu, Bar went on: “The fulfillment of responsibility in practice is an inseparable part of personal example and the legacy of our leaders, and we have no legitimacy to lead without it.”

Bar said that the Shin Bet was not “complacent” about the danger that Hamas posed “both in the years before the attack and on the [previous] night and morning of October 7. And yet we failed… The truth, and what needs to be corrected, must be established only within the framework of a state commission of inquiry,” he said.

Since the massacre, Bar said, the Shin Bet, together with the IDF and the rest of the defense establishment, have fought against Hamas and, from that day until this one, had “turned the tables” on all the war fronts.

“One by one, in this land and overseas, we got to those who planned the slaughter, by all means possible. This is our Munich, and the Shin Bet will continue to act in this way against those [architects of the massacre] who remain,” he said in reference to the 1972 Munich Olympics murders of Israeli athletes.

Bar referenced the High Court case involving him in his speech.

“Over the past month, I fought for this, and this week, all the necessary groundwork was laid before the High Court of Justice, and I hope that its verdict will ensure that the Shin Bet remains so — for

the long term and without fear,” he said.

He specified that the agency must be provided with “institutional protections that will allow every Shin Bet chief to fulfill their role, subject to government policy and for the public good, independently and free of pressure. And thus, and this is of the utmost importance, to draw the clear line that distinguishes between trust and loyalty.”

Bar said that the ongoing proceedings “are not about my personal case but about the independence of future Shin Bet chiefs,” stressing that he is willing to continue to cooperate with the High Court on the matter moving forward.

Some members of the opposition took Bar’s resignation as proof that Netanyahu should step down.

“Ronen Bar made the correct and appropriate decision. This is what taking responsibility looks like,” tweeted Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. “Of those responsible for the greatest failure in the country’s history, only one is still holding on to his chair,” he added, referring to Netanyahu. “The people of Israel deserve elections now.”

The Democrats party chief Yair Golan tweeted, “Thank you, Ronen. Netanyahu, it’s now your turn.”

In contrast, Likud MK Ariel Kallner

tweeted that “the struggle against the crazy Israeli deep state has not even begun.”

Fellow Likud MK Avichai Boaron called Bar “rude, arrogant [and] smug,” asserting that such an approach led to October 7, while Noam party MK Avi Maoz noted, “You didn’t resign. You were fired.”

Oldest Holocaust Survivor Dies

Nechama Grossman, Israel’s oldest known Holocaust survivor, died on Thursday at the age of 109, as the country marked Yom HaShoah.

Her funeral was held Friday in Arad, where she lived most of her life.

Ms. Grossman was born in 1915, and after fleeing Europe, she settled in the Israeli southern city, where she started a family.

Grossman is survived by two children, four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Her granddaughter Luba told Kan News, “I am in shock—I have no words. Honestly, we thought she’d make it to 110. Yesterday, I gave her a bath, and she wasn’t feeling well. She was lucid until the end and died peacefully – on Holocaust Remembrance Day of all days.”

In recent days, Grossman “dreamed that there were Nazis near her; she woke up and said she dreamed they were choking her. She was afraid of the Nazis—that it was coming back,” Luba told the public broadcaster.

“She always said that we need to live in peace and without wars. All the grandchildren served in the army so it wouldn’t happen again. On October 7, her great-grandchildren were in the army. It was very hard for her. She cried that it’s happening again, and that antisemitism is rising.”

Her son, Vladimir Schwatz, spoke about her at a Holocaust Remembrance event earlier this week, just before she died.

“My mother is one of the oldest Holocaust survivors in the world,” he said. “She experienced the worst, and she survived. We must all remember her Holocaust story, remember her survival, so that her past never becomes our future.”

On the same day that Nechama Grossman passed away, another Holocaust survivor, Eve Kugler, died in London. She was 94.

Ms. Kugler had been set to participate in the March of the Living, which took place at Auschwitz on Thursday, but ultimately did not travel to Poland for the event.

She had participated in multiple March of the Living events, including last year.

Ms. Kugler was born in 1931 in Germany and witnessed the Nazi Kristallnacht rampage when she was 7, before the family fled to France 1939. In 1941, she was granted passage to the United States aboard a ship and lived in foster homes with her siblings in New York until the rest of her family was able to join them in 1946 after the war ended.

Ms. Kugler graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and later worked as a photojournalist. Later in her life, she moved to London, where she became a prominent educator about the Holocaust and the horrors of the Nazi regime, regularly giving speeches and attending events honoring those who lost their lives in the genocide.

Israel’s 10 Million People

As Israel approaches Yom Ha’Atzmaut, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced that Israel’s population stood at almost 10.1 million people, marking a twelvefold increase since the country was founded in 1948.

The numbers show an increase of around 135,000 people more than last year.

Around 7.7 million of those included in the count – 77.6% – are registered as “Jewish” or “other,” a category that includes non-Arab Christians and people with no ethnicity listed, most of whom are entitled to live in Israel because of a Jewish grandparent or Israeli spouse, the CBS said.

Around 2.1 million people living in Israel, or 20.9%, are Muslim, Christian or Druze Arabs. Another 250,000 people, or about 2.5%, belong to neither category, and include international students, foreign workers and undocumented immigrants.

Over the past year, around 174,000 babies were born in Israel, 28,000 people immigrated to the country, and 50,000 Israelis died. Israel has a relatively young population, 27% of which is under the age of 18 compared with 13% aged at least 65, the CBS noted.

Israel’s population grew rapidly in comparison with the world population, which grew by some 0.9% to just over 8 billion in 2023, the last year for which the World Bank has made data available. However, Israel’s population growth this year was slightly lower than it was last year, when the CBS reported that the population had grown about 1.9% to 9.9 million people.

Part of the decline could be attributed to the 24% decrease in immigration to Israel over the past year, as recorded in a pre-Independence Day report by the Aliyah and Integration Ministry on Monday.

Around 56,000 Israeli citizens were living abroad this past year.

About 3.5 million people have immigrated to Israel since 1948, 47.6% of

whom came starting in 1990, after Soviet Jews were allowed to emigrate en masse. As of the end of 2023, the CBS said, about 45% of world Jewry lived in Israel, and 80% of Jewish Israelis had been born in the country.

Arbel Yehoud

Remembers

Captivity

Arbel Yehoud, 29, was held captive in Gaza for 482 days. This week, she spoke with Channel 13 in an interview that was aired on Monday.

Arbel was brought back to Israel in

tent canvas, and then the planes began,” she said. “Warplanes, which sounded very low and very close. The bombings started, and then I heard the shootouts and the running.”

During the rescue operation, she said, one of her captors “was with a loaded gun, aimed at the tent” where she was being held.

“I don’t think there is a word that can describe the fear of the sound of fighting — the bombings, the planes, those few seconds of the sound before a missile drops, the shootouts,” she said. “That fear is paralyzing, it’s terrifying. You don’t know if you’ll still be breathing the next minute and where it will catch you.

“Where was all that on October 7?” she asked. “You’re currently fighting to attack, and you didn’t fight to defend. That morning [of October 7], there wasn’t a single plane until the moment I got to Gaza.”

Arbel was filmed in the home she shared in Nir Oz with Ariel Cunio, who is still being held in terrorist hands in Gaza. Out of the 400 members of the community of Nir Oz, around one-quarter of them were either kidnapped or murdered on October 7, 2023. Ariel’s brother, David, is also being held in Gaza along with 58 others.

The first time she cried in captivity, Arbel said, was when she overheard a couple of words on Arabic radio about the “Nir Oz massacre.”

“They don’t like it when you cry,” she said, referring to her captors. “It’s not cool to cry there. I just got used to it at some point. I stopped crying,” she said. “Tears would just flow, but no crying.”

January in a ceasefire agreement. She told the interviewer that the scariest night of her captivity was on February 12, 2024, when Israeli troops rescued Louis Har and Fernando Marman. She said that the terrorists told her they would kill her if Israel attempted to rescue her.

“I’m sitting next to them with loaded guns and know that they’ll shoot me in the head first thing if the army comes in,” Arbel recalled.

“I saw flares on the other side of the

The night before the October 7 massacre, Arbel, her siblings and her grandmother shared a Shabbos meal with David and Ariel’s parents on the kibbutz.

“There was a lot of joy, sounds of children, good food as usual, and afterward when the Friday night meal was over, we went to our friend’s place,” she said. “There were a few of us there. The next morning, 80% of the people there were no longer.”

Arbel’s brother, Dolev, had rushed out of his home on October 7 to try to save lives; he was killed by terrorists. His wife

Sigal gave birth after he passed away.

Arbel was held in solitude by various PIJ-affiliated families for almost 500 days.

Arbel said she would “talk” to her brother Dolev in her head while in captivity. She found out he was killed while she was still in Gaza.

“After a few pretty dark weeks, I spoke to him and reached a decision that I can’t grieve alone. I remember apologizing to him that I had to disconnect from the situation,” she said. “I haven’t visited his grave, and I don’t think I’ll be able to grieve and reckon with the loss until Ariel and everyone return.”

Arbel recalled that the only time she spoke out loud to herself in captivity was on the second day, when, in a low voice, she told herself: “Arbel, you’ve been abducted to Gaza, you’re in Gaza, you don’t know how long this is going to take, you need to be strong and patient.”

As a woman in captivity, Arbel suffered tremendously. “There are things that will be revealed later on or that may never be revealed,” she said. Some details Arbel did not even share with her parents, she said. “It’s better they don’t know.”

She said she was surrounded by dirt, sand, and mice, some of which would bite her.

“There were a few times when some of the terrorists killed the mice, and toward the end, I found myself squashing mice.”

The tent camp in Rafah where she was held was “insanely hot” in the summer and “extremely cold” in winter, she said. She was barefoot her entire captivity. When it was cold, she “tried to somehow improvise socks.”

In the days before her release, Arbel’s captors forced her to appear in propaganda videos, including one in which she could be seen handing out sweets to Gazan children.

Another propaganda video showed her reunited with fellow Nir Oz member Gadi Mozes. It was her first genuine smile, and the first time she spoke Hebrew to another person in nearly 16 months.

Arbel, Gadi and five Thai nationals not included in the original agreement were released together in January. Arbel recalled that Gadi, 80, made them all laugh by cracking jokes and “pulling off little dances” to keep warm while she and the Thais were wrapped in a blanket.

When Arbel was released, she was forced to walk through teeming hordes of Gazans.

Walking through the crowd “felt like an eternity,” she said. “It got increasingly massive, with pushing and shoving.”

Arbel was interviewed in the ruins of

her home in Nir Oz. She said she wanted Ariel – if he was able to view the interview while in captivity – to know “that I’m waiting for him. It’s important to me that he sees that I’m in our home and that I’m not going anywhere until he returns.”

Tal Shoham: 505 Days in Captivity

Tal Shoham, a former hostage who spent 505 days in Hamas captivity, recounted his abduction and time in Gaza in an interview with The Associated Press. Tal, 40, explained that there were “many times that I separated from life and…tried to accept death.”

He, his wife, two children, and three relatives were abducted during the October 7 massacre, when Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others. Of those hostages, 59 remain in Gaza, with only around 24 of them believed to be alive. Tal’s parents-in-law were killed on that day. His wife, children, and relatives were released around a month later, while he remained in captivity until February, as part of a ceasefire deal.

At the time of his abduction, Tal had been visiting family members in Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the worst-hit border communities. Terrorists separated him from his family, threw him into the back of a vehicle, and drove him to Gaza. After being kidnapped, he didn’t know if his family was still alive.

During half of his captivity, Tal was kept locked in an apartment room, where he was handcuffed. A month into his captivity, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, two other hostages who were kidnapped from the Supernova music festival, were moved to the same room. They were regularly beaten and humiliated by the terrorists guarding them. The guards made shooting noises and tauntingly asked them how the music festival was.

The terrorists banned the three from speaking to each other, though they communicated with whispers. During his captivity, Tal learned Arabic and spoke to his captors about his life in Israel. In exchange for giving one of the guards

40 back massages, the three hostages were given food like tuna, sardines, and eggs. Around 50 days after he was taken hostage, the terrorists informed Tal that his wife and children would be home safe again shortly.

In June 2024, after Israel rescued four other abductees from apartments, the three men were moved from an apartment to a tunnel around 98 feet underground. They were moved in ambulances, with all three shaved, blindfolded, and dressed like Palestinians. In the dark, damp tunnels, in which it was difficult to breathe, Tal, Evyatar, and Guy joined Omer Wenkert. The four hostages stayed in a 39-foot-long cell, where they slept on mattresses and showered once every three weeks.

Over the 505 days, Tal lost 60 pounds and developed a serious leg infection, which was treated by a doctor.

As part of the last ceasefire, Tal and Omer were released. Evyatar and Guy, whom Shoham asked to remain strong, are still in captivity.

Tal said that a self-identified member of Hamas called and threatened his wife after her release, promising to kill her then-captive husband if she talked about what she endured in captivity.

Brush Fire Near Jerusalem

A large brush fire prompted several shutdowns and evacuation orders close to Jerusalem on Wednesday and burned over 2,471 acres of land. On Thursday, the Fire and Rescue Services announced that fire officials gained control of the blaze after battling it for over 20 hours.

Of the 100 firefighters fighting the fires, three sustained minor injuries, while two were hospitalized for smoke inhalation. One policewoman was also injured. No civilians were hurt, and evacuation orders that were put into place were ended.

On Wednesday, the fire, which was fueled by powerful gusts and an ongoing heatwave, forced evacuations in Eshtaol, Beit Meir, and Mesilat Zion and a police shutdown of Route 38. Route 1 was also

briefly shut down to the public. Beit Meir still had a fire burning in the morning, while the ones at Mesilat Zion, the Eshtaol Forest, Neve Shalom, and Neve Ilan were also burning but were under control.

The fire started near Moshav Tarum, which is close to Beit Shemesh. With help from the KKL-JNF Jewish National Fund, Israel Police, and volunteers, firefighters fought the flames. Fire officials also used the fire engines of the Israeli Air Force and the IDF’s Technological and Logistics Directorate. They used an IAF aircraft to construct an “aerial picture” of the fire, and the Home Front Command was deployed to help civilians evacuate threatened areas.

Another unrelated fire approached the major Route 6 highway, prompting authorities to temporarily shut down the road near the towns of Pedaya and Petahia.

Most Israeli forest fires are started by human negligence. Major fires previously raged in Israel in 1989, 1995, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023. In July 2024, the state comptroller determined that the Fire and Rescue Authority investigated only 9% of fires it halted in 2022 and 14% in 2023. Over half of the investigations opened between 2020 and 2022 remained open a year later.

Asaf Cafri, HY”D

On Thursday, Master Sgt. (res.) Asaf Cafri was killed by sniper fire in northern Gaza. Cafri, a reservist from Beit Hashmonai, was a tank driver in the 14th Reserve Armored Brigade’s 79th Battalion. He was standing outside his tank in the Beit Hanoun area, near an Israeli military post, when he was shot, according to a preliminary investigation by the Israel Defense Forces.

As part of the same attack, a 79th Battalion reservist, along with an officer from the elite Yahalom combat engineering, sustained serious wounds. Another reservist, from the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade’s 8239th Battalion, was moderately injured.

At the time of Cafri’s death, his great-grandmother, a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor named Magda Baratz, had

been visiting Germany’s Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. Baratz, as a young girl, survived Bergen-Belsen. As a guest of honor, she visited the camp along with her grandson Hagai, who is Cafri’s father.

“Asaf fell when his great-grandmother and family flew to the ceremony,” said Cafri’s aunt, Hadas. “She said that visiting the camp where she almost died was her victory. She managed to survive, came to Israel, and started a family and legacy.”

According to Hadas, on October 7, Cafri donned his uniform and headed south without hesitation.

“He felt it was his generation’s turn to serve and protect. He always said, ‘It’s our duty to give of ourselves and defend the country.’ He believed he was fighting to bring the hostages home,” Hadas said.

“This Passover, he stayed in Gaza. He was the only one missing from the Seder. We video-called, sent photos and messages, but he was deeply missed. He had a pure heart and lived to do good. We’re shattered.”

Cafri had three younger brothers, Yoav, Itay and Idan, and was studying engineering at Ariel University.

He participated in four rounds of fighting in Gaza.

According to the IDF’s tally, Cafri’s passing raises the total of soldiers killed since the October 7 massacre of last year to 849; 408 soldiers were killed since the start of the IDF’s ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on October 27 of that year.

IDF Strikes Hezbollah Missile

Warehouse

The Israeli army announced that it launched a strike on Sunday on a Hezbollah precision missiles warehouse located in southern Beirut. The strike followed the killing of a senior Hezbollah terrorist that same day.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the missiles “posed a significant threat to Israel.”

“Israel will not allow Hezbollah to

grow stronger and pose any threat to it – anywhere in Lebanon,” Netanyahu and Katz said. “The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for preventing these threats.”

The Israel Defense Forces added, “The storage of missiles in this infrastructure site constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians.”

In response, Joseph Aoun, the president of Lebanon, accused Israel of trying to destabilize Lebanon and urged “the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, to assume their responsibilities and compel Israel to halt its attacks immediately.”

Earlier on Sunday, Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, posted a map to X, showing the building they would be striking. He asked civilians to evacuate 984 feet or more to be safe.

“To everyone present in the building marked in red as shown on the map and the buildings adjacent to it: You are present near facilities belonging to Hezbollah,” Adraee said.

In Halta, a village in Lebanon, the IDF launched a drone strike, killing a Hezbollah terrorist who had been playing a role in rearming and regrouping the Iranian proxy group.

Hezbollah started attacking Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after the October 7 massacre. In November 2024, Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire, just two months after the conflict escalated into a full war with a ground offensive.

Fighter Jet Rolls Off Ship and Sinks

A U.S. F/A-18E fighter jet rolled off the side of an aircraft carrier and sank to the bottom of the Red Sea this week. One enlisted crew member was onboard the jet during the incident. Another crew member was inside the tractor pulling

the plane. Both managed to jump out in time before the jet rolled off the side of the boat; one person sustained a minor injury while doing so.

The $60 million jet was being towed out of the hangar bay of the USS Harry S. Truman when the crew lost control.

“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the Navy wrote in a statement. “Sailors

114 Arrested at Nightclub

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration raided an underground nightclub in Colorado this week and arrested at least 114 people who were placed on “buses for processing and likely eventual deportation” in Colorado Springs, according to the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division.

“This is an underground illegal nightclub,” DEA Rocky Mountain Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said. “What was happening inside was significant drug trafficking…(and) crimes of violence. We seized a number of guns in there.”

Some active duty service members were also in the club doing security there. Dozens of “small packages of drugs” were also recovered at the scene, including cocaine and a concoction of substances known as “pink cocaine” or “tusi,” he said.

Illegal immigrants rounded up in the raid were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Army Criminal Investigation Division will investigate the active-duty service members who were detained.

The raid occurred just a day after ICE authorities announced that nearly 800 people were arrested in the first few days of Operation Tidal Wave, a multi-agency immigration enforcement crackdown in Florida.

towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway.”

The USS Harry S. Truman has been operating in the Red Sea since last September as a foil against attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen against commercial vessels.

It’s not clear what contributed to the crew members losing control of the aircraft aboard the carrier, which has pre-

viously been targeted by the Houthis. According to a U.S. official, initial field reports suggest a sudden movement of the carrier due to Houthi fire might have been a factor in the incident.

The Truman was supposed to come back to the United States last month, but U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth extended its deployment while ordering another carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, to the region to bolster military power.

Over 200 people had been inside the underground nightclub for an “illegal party” early on April 27 when officers and agents entered the building, according to the DEA. The agency said it gave multiple warnings telling people inside the building to come out before arrests began at around 3:45 a.m. local time.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the nightclub was “frequented by TdA and MS-13 terrorists.” According to Bondi, two people at the nightclub were also arrested on existing warrants.

The Trump administration has been targeting Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang known as “TdA” for short, blaming the gang for violence and drug trafficking in the U.S. Federal officials

44 have also used the gang as a reason to deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, who are members of the gang.

In a statement on social media, Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) Chief Adrian Vasquez said the April 27 raid was a “result of a months-long investigation into serious criminal activity in our community.”

Fatal Ferry Mishap in Florida

On Sunday, a boat struck a ferry carrying families from a popular sand sculpting competition in Florida. One person on the ferry was killed; ten people were injured.

The ferry was carrying people to and from the Sugar Sand Festival in Clearwater.

Jose Castro, 41, of Palm Harbor, was the person who was killed.

The collision took place around 8:40 p.m. on Sunday near the Clearwater Memorial Causeway Bridge when a 37foot recreational boat carrying about six people struck the 40-foot ferry carrying about 45 people, according to Clearwater Police and Florida Fish and Wildlife.

The recreational boat “overrode nearly three-quarters of the ferry,” said Clearwater Police Department Chief Eric Gandy.

The incident was declared “a mass casualty incident by the fire department due to the number of injuries,” according to Clearwater police.

Officers arrived to find a “chaotic scene,” Clearwater police spokesperson Rob Shaw said. Nearby “good Samaritans” used their own boats to help evacuate passengers. The ferry came to rest on a sandbar, so some on board were able to walk to shore. But “firefighters had to go into the water and help some people,” Shaw said.

Illegal Stole Sec. Noem’s Purse

While eating with her family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., on April 20, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi

L. Noem discovered that her purse was stolen from under her table. This week, the man suspected of stealing the purse – which held Noem’s passport, ID, credit cards, and $3,000 in cash – was arrested and charged.

A 35-page federal criminal complaint accused Mario Bustamante Leiva of making off with Noem’s belongings and using her credit cards in five purchases totaling more than $200.

The 49-year-old Chilean national, who was arrested Saturday, recently robbed two other people in a similar manner and made purchases with their credit cards as well.

In a statement on Sunday after Bustamante Leiva’s arrest, Noem described the suspect as a “career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years.”

Bustamante Leiva appeared on Monday in D.C. Superior Court, where Judge Renee Raymond ordered him held on fugitive charges stemming from a forgery case in New York.

The thief chose the wrong person to steal from. Noem is one of the most high profile officials in the White House.

After his arrest in Washington, Bustamante Leiva told authorities in an interview that he was an alcoholic and had memory issues, according to the complaint. Authorities said they recovered Noem’s purse and wallet, along with more than $3,100 in cash from his motel room.

During the interview, Bustamante Leiva told investigators he did not recognize Noem when shown a photograph of her. He identified himself in images investigators showed him from the Noem theft and the other two thefts in which he was charged.

Investigators also asked him about an article in a British publication reporting that he had been arrested in 2014 in London for stealing designer bags and purses. Bustamante Leiva confirmed his identity in that report as well.

A second suspect was arrested in Florida and was in custody while charges were being finalized, the Secret Service announced Sunday evening. The service described the person as a “co-conspirator” who was “linked to a pattern of robberies and thefts in Washington, D.C.”

Teen Started NJ Wildfires

Joseph Kling was arrested last week on suspicion of starting a massive wildfire in New Jersey that consumed more than 15,100 acres.

Kling was charged with second-degree aggravated arson, for allegedly purposely destroying a forest; and third-degree arson, for allegedly recklessly endangering buildings or structures. The 19-year-old was arrested after investigators determined the fire to be “incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire,” according to the statement.

In a criminal complaint filed in the case, authorities alleged that Kling “did purposely start the fire with the purpose of destroying or damaging any forest, specifically by lighting a bonfire off Jones Road in Waretown ... and leaving it unattended causing a wildfire.”

The complaint goes on to accuse Kling of “recklessly placing a building or structure” in danger of damage or destruction.

The Jones Road Wildfire was first spotted about 9:45 a.m. last Tuesday in the Greenwood Wildlife Management area in Waretown, officials said.

The origin of the fire, according to investigators, is near the Waretown address that Kling listed as his home. Fueled by drought-ravaged vegetation, blustery winds and low relative humidity, the fire quickly spread through the Pine Barrens of the wildlife area, jumped the busy Garden State Parkway, and threatened around 1,300 structures at one point, fire officials said.

At least 5,000 people needed to be evacuated because of the fires.

“Further investigation has revealed that Kling was the individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fire – and then leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished,” authorities said in the statement.

What is REAL ID?

We’ve been hearing about it for years, and now it’s finally here. On May 7, Amer-

icans will not be able to use their state-issued driver license or non-driver identification to board a domestic flight or enter a federal building. Instead, they will need to present federal-issued documentation such as a passport or REAL ID.

Next week, the Department of Homeland Security will begin enforcing the 2005 law requiring all passengers over the age of 18 to show a security-enhanced REAL ID issued by their state or another federally recognized document.

Congress passed the law in 2004 requiring a national digital identification system, intended to improve security for state-issued driver’s licenses and personal identification cards after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The security measure, known as the REAL ID Act, was signed into law by former President George W. Bush a year later.

Under the law, people who want a state-issued driver’s license or identification card must verify their full legal name, Social Security number, and proof of residency and lawful status to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The state would then connect its license databases to a national electronic network.

Enforcement of the law was repeatedly delayed. In 2007, at least 13 states opposed the ID card, saying it would cost billions of dollars to administer and increase risks to privacy. By 2012, states began to comply. After numerous extensions by 2020, most states were in compliance, but Covid-19 halted all efforts until December 2022. Then, the federal agency said that state motor vehicle departments need more time to clear the backlog of applications created by the pandemic and allowed the deadline to be pushed back until May 2025.

California is World’s 4th Biggest Economy

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last Wednesday that his state is now the fourth-largest economy in the world, overtaking Japan’s $4.02 tril-

lion nominal GDP with a 2024 nominal GDP of $4.1 trillion. He said that California’s economy is only behind the United States, China, and Germany.

“California isn’t just keeping pace with the world — we’re setting the pace,” Newsom declared. “Our economy is thriving because we invest in people, prioritize sustainability and believe in the power of innovation.”

During the same announcement, Newsom decried what he called “the reck-

less tariff policies of the current federal administration,” which he says threaten his state’s economy, adding that “California’s economy powers the nation, and it must be protected.”

Accounting for 14% of the U.S.’s 2024 GDP, California has a higher population than any other state, with around 40 million residents.

On April 16, Newsom sued President Donald Trump in federal court, alleging that the administration’s global tariffs

Twelve other states also sued

According to the state, in 2024, California, in total, imported and exported around $675 billion to and from its most important trade partners, Mexico, Canada, and China. Last year, California imported over $491 billion, $203 billion of which came from those three countries.

Santos Sentenced

Last week, disgraced former Congressman George Santos was sentenced to 87 months, just over seven years, in federal prison for committing a wide range of crimes, including theft and fraud. U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert also ordered him to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and more than $200,000 in forfeiture.

harmed California’s businesses and families and that Trump doesn’t have the power to hit Mexico, China, and Canada with tariffs or implement a 10% baseline tariff on all other imports.

The lawsuit accuses the U.S. president of illegally invoking the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977, which gives presidents the power to levy sanctions and export controls, regulate financial transactions, and freeze foreign assets after consulting with Congress.

In 2022, Santos won a House seat in Long Island, flipping it to Republican. In 2023, a federal court charged him with several crimes, particularly campaign finance fraud, and alleged that he stole money from donors, including three cognitively impaired elderly individuals, to give himself a life of luxury. After the House Ethics Committee found that he used campaign funds to go on luxurious vacations and purchase expensive items, he was, in December 2023, ousted from the House of Representatives.

In August 2024, the 36-year-old former politician pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity fraud, with prosecutors claiming that, for years, he exploited the Republican Party, his donors, and family to enrich himself.

Seybert, in sentencing Santos to over seven years in prison, noted that he showed no signs of remorse. In fact, the former congressman recently launched a podcast called “Pants on Fire.” But at one

48 point in the courtroom, Santos burst into tears and declared he had “betrayed” his constituents’ confidence, a gesture widely seen as disingenuous.

Santos’ defense team asked the judge to give him the minimum sentence of two years. Seybert, however, concluded that Santos was “fully deserving” of the longer sentence. Santos has criticized the judge for the ruling, which he says was politically influenced, and said he would ask President Donald Trump for a pardon.

“From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,” prosecutors declared just before the sentencing, adding that he’s “a pathological liar.”

“It is abundantly clear that, without a substantial deterrent, Santos will continue to deceive and defraud for years to come. That is especially true given Santos’s craven efforts to leverage his lawbreaking as a springboard to celebrity and riches,” the prosecutors added.

Santos also fabricated parts of his resume and personal history and, among other lies, falsely said he was Jewish.

Prosecutors also took issue with Santos’ claim that he made hundreds of thousands of dollars since his expulsion by making personalized videos on Cameo.

“Santos represented to the Probation Department that he has earned approximately $400,000 during the first month of his career on Cameo and now receives $5,000 per month on average. Yet he represented in a financial statement to the government that his lifetime earnings from Cameo are only $358,256. Clearly, he is lying to someone,” they said.

Though he agreed to pay the forfeiture and restitution, Santos said in an inter-

view with NY1, “As of today, right now, I’m unable to pay anything. I don’t know if that’s going to change within the next 24 to 48 hours, prior to sentencing, because I am still working on trying to make some kind of meaningful attempt at restitution because it is my obligation.”

What Goes Around…

Valentine was heartbroken when his black 2016 Honda Civic was stolen in February from his overnight parking space.

Hoping to replace the beloved car, the 36-year-old British man searched for a nearly identical vehicle to purchase.

“Sure enough, I found one for sale. Same color, same year, same custom exhaust system,” he said.

Valentine bought the car for $26,000.

But once he got the new vehicle, he realized that it was really familiar.

“I started to notice some odd things when I got it home. I noticed a tent peg and some Christmas tree pines in the boot [trunk]. I noticed the locking wheel nut was in a Tesco sandwich bag. I noticed some wrappers in the central storage section. All oddly similar to my stolen

car,” he wrote on social media.

In further investigation, Valentine decided to check the car’s on-board GPS and discovered it had previously been to his house, his parents’ house and even his friend’s parents’ house.

“A part of me felt sort of triumphant for a moment until I realized, actually, no, this isn’t some heroic moment; you didn’t go and get your car back; you’ve actually done something a bit stupid,” Valentine said.

Although the VIN listed was different than the VIN that Valentine’s original car had, when he took the car to the Honda dealership, technicians confirmed the new car’s VIN was a fake and that the car was indeed the one that had been stolen from Valentine.

“The first Honda technician, he pulled the physical key out, puts it straight in the door and unlocks it and he’s like, ‘Yes, it’s your car,’” Valentine said.

For now, police are investigating the matter.

“The police are now handing the car over to my insurance company, who will either get it road legal again and in a position that it can be insured on my original policy again or pay out for the car if that costs more than the car,” Valentine said.

Hey, what goes around, comes around.

Mad for Minions

Liesl Benecke really loves Minions, the little yellow mischief-makers from children films. In fact, the Australian woman earned a Guinness World Record with her collection of 1,035 Minions.

Benecke said she fell in love with the Minions while watching the first Despicable Me film and started collecting merchandise about 15 years ago.

“I remember laughing so much at the cute, little pill-shaped henchmen. They certainly made a huge impression on me,” she told Guinness World Records. “I’m just a big kid at heart. Since then I have always been on the lookout for Minions everywhere I go.”

“My daughter says I need another house just to store my Minions, but I love being surrounded by their beautiful, bright yellow smiles,” she said. “They are in every room and on every spare wall.”

Despite having so many yellow dolls around, Benecke has a favorite.

“My favorite is Stuart, the sassy, oneeyed Minion with attitude, and he is the one I have tattooed on my arm. So many people and kids comment on the tattoo, and we start talking about our mutual love of Minions,” she said.

Benecke isn’t done buying Minion merchandise.

“I will never stop buying Minions to bring home to join my Minion family,” she said. “My daughter thinks I have enough but I love them more than ever.”

Anyone looking for a minyan for Maariv?

Breakneck Speed

A boat went airborne and flipped in the air during a racing event on a lake in Arizona over the weekend. As the crowd watched jaw-dropped, the two racers inside the boat emerged from the boat “just a little banged up.”

The greatest miracle? The fact that the boat won the race despite flipping 30 feet in the air.

The vessel won the annual speedboat contest on the three-quarter-mile course by registering a top speed of 200.1 mph. Thankfully, the racers were wearing harnesses and helmets during the race-flight.

According to Speedboat Magazine publisher Ray Lee, the twin-hull Skater boat is designed to rise up and hydroplane across the surface of the water. Windy conditions and propeller adjustments called trims likely contributed to the boat taking flight, he said.

Lee says it’s an inherently dangerous sport, though courses have been shortened from a previous length of 1 mile that produced speeds in excess of 240 mph. Safety precautions include reinforced cockpits with underwater diving gear.

Steve Ticknor, president of the company that runs the event, said that divers were on hand and responded to the crash within 20 seconds.

He described the relief of seeing both people on board the boat pop open the hatch. “Oh my gosh, it’s just a miracle,” Ticknor said.

Full speed ahead…

Ewan

Around the Community

Loaves of Love

At the women’s “Shlissel” Challah Bake at the home of Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowik

Hands On Learning at Lev Chana

MAn ambulance came to visit for the letter “A”! Students got the chance to go inside the ambulance and learn all about the lifesaving work that Hatzalah does!

YCQ Marks Yom HaShoah

The Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) marked Yom HaShoah and honored the victims of the Holocaust with meaningful ceremonies led by our students, featuring survivor testimony, film, song, and tefillah.

Candles, each with a unique name of a Shoah victim, were distributed to all students in Grades 5-8. On Wednesday evening, at the start of Yom HaShoah, the students lit the candles at home. This simple yet powerful act of remembrance gave students a personal connection to the day and set the tone for the programs in school on Thursday.

On Thursday, students in Grades 3-8 participated in age-appropriate assemblies to commemorate the important day, and students had the incredible opportunity to hear from Holocaust survivors. Rabbi Mark Landsman, principal of YCQ, told students how their generation will be the last to hear eyewitness testimony, and this is not something to be taken for granted.

At the Junior High School ceremony, students watched powerful footage

from survivors and their descendants describing their experiences during the Shoah. Each segment was introduced by students sharing a brief biography of the survivor. After the interview was shown, a candle was lit to honor their legacy and to commemorate the six million Jewish victims.

The Junior High School Boys’ choir, led by Rabbi Ophie Nat, sang two beautiful songs: “Acheinu” and “Ani Maamim.” Rabbi Nat also led a touching rendition of the special “Keil Malei Rachamim’’ tefillah to conclude the program.

Special thank you to Holocaust survivor, Mr. Ben Milchman, the grandfather of YCQ alumni, who attended the powerful ceremony and lit a candle after footage of his testimony was shown.

Thank you to Morah Rina Bienenfeld, Mr. Jacob Grossman, Rabbi Stephen Knapp, and Morah Mashie Kopelowitz for their efforts organizing the program. Thank you to The Consortium of Jewish Day Schools (CoJDS) for creating the candles commemorating the victims of the Shoah.

orah Anita brought in a real fish to teach her students at Lev Chana about what makes a fish kosher!

HANC ECC is busy learning about Sefiras Ha’Omer and Yom Ha’Atzmaut

Rambam Commemorates Yom

HaShoah

For the past 32 years, Rambam has hosted speakers, survivors, liberators, and prosecutors on Yom HaShoah. This year, a panel of children of survivors came to address the boys. Children of survivors included Mr. Ben Landa, Mrs. Rebecca Isseroff, and Mrs. Renee Friedman. Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, started the assembly by quoting Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik who mentioned that Yom HaShoah is an outgrowth of Tisha B’Av and a consequence of our continued galut. Each panelist was asked if their parents spoke about the Holocaust and the responses varied. Ben Landa said, “The Holocaust was spoken about minimally at home, but it was supplemented by my reading books.”

Both Mrs. Isseroff and Mrs. Friedman echoed the sentiment that their parents did not talk about it but overall accepted this as an unfortunate part of their past. Mrs. Isseroff shared with the students that she only learned

about her mother’s experiences in the Holocaust from a newspaper article. When asked about the impact of the Holocaust on their own lives, Mr. Landa said, “It taught me about the importance of activism and caring for your fellow Jew.”

Mrs. Friedman spoke about her father who always got up early before roll call to daven in the concentration camp and kept his tefillin in his pocket. “From this I learned the importance of halacha and commitment.”

Mrs. Isseroff commented, “It taught the importance of being Jewish and being proud,” mentioning that she and her husband, Dr. Zevi Isseroff, recently made Aliyah to be in a safe Jewish country. The boys applauded her response. The crowd and Rabbi Friedman were moved by the assembly and the parallel to October 7th was drawn. We can see how events impact future generations and we also see the importance of never giving up and living life proudly and according to halacha.

Rambam Debate Team Qualifies for National Tournament

After a year of competition, studying, and arguing, the Rambam Rhetoric Team concluded their national qualifiers with competitions debating everything from philosophy to our national holiday policy.

In the end, the Rhetoric Ravens earned 5 seats at the 2025 National Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. First, Yoni Pfeifer and Henach Barningham won the Public Forum Debate competition. They

argued about whether or not the U.S. should join the International Criminal Court. Additionally, Yoni Kogan gave a great performance which allowed for him to be selected to the World School’s Debate team. In that competition, David Mastour and Daniel Stein also qualified for Nationals in the Senate and the House respectively.

The team is now preparing to excel at the national tournament in June.

Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Five Towns and met with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman last week

Students from Yeshiva of South Shore’s Abraham and Sara Silber Middle School E2K Program demonstrated the study of mechanical advantage by using a block and tackle, trading force or distance

YOSS Inspired by Rabbi Efi Bibi: From the Big Screen to the Beis Midrash

Fresh off his keynote address at the Project Inspire Convention, R’ Efi

Bibi came to YOSS to share his incredible story with the eighth grade. Efi was a secular Israeli who, after graduating acting school, was acting in Israeli theater. He was on a flight to New York to audition for a role and found himself seated next to a Chassidic woman who engaged him in conversation about Yiddishkeit and invited him to Brooklyn to spend a Shabbos with her family. After a lot of back-and-forth, and after many months, he joined them for a Shabbos, which began an amazing journey that brought him to Torah and mitzvos. R’ Efi,

now married with a beautiful family, has spent the last 14 years since that fateful Shabbos learning in yeshiva and more recently giving shiurim.

The eighth graders were inspired by his dynamism and passion as he told stories of the hashgacha pratis and siyata d’shmaya that he experienced throughout his journey. R’ Efi also shared the value of learning in Yeshiva, having a kesher with a rebbi, and learning how to deal with life struggles. His dynamic, positive approach to Yiddishkeit was a powerful testament to the eternal truth of our precious Torah, and the boys were truly uplifted by his powerful words!

A Message From Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Chairman, Eretz HaKodesh

There has been much discussion and confusion surrounding the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and Eretz HaKodesh’s role within it. To help clarify things, we’ve put together a few key points.

Let’s begin with some facts about the WZO:

● The WZO played a major part in creating the State of Israel. It has evolved since then and today plays a significant role in shaping Jewish life in Israel and around the world as the voice of the Jewish people, particularly American Jewry.

● It is governed by parties elected every five years at the World Zionist Congress and is determined by party size and coalition building.

● The WZO has a huge influence on many aspects of Israeli society.

● This influence is primarily gained through its annual income of $2.3 billion from its share of purchase taxes on land it owns in Israel.

● These funds belong to Jews across the world. That includes us.

● The distribution of these funds and the influence the WZO exerts are determined by delegate representation and control.

Historically, the vast majority of WZO funds have been used to support the infrastructure and growth of the State of Israel, benefiting all its citizens.

For decades, this structure remained largely unchanged — until a dramatic shift occurred in recent times…

Let’s explain:

Facing a challenge of minimal rele-

vance in Israel, the American non-Orthodox and liberal-left movements decided to make the State of Israel a central part of their agenda. Sensing an opportunity, they mobilized their membership to vote in the WZO elections.

The results speak for themselves:

For the last 25-30 years, the Congress has been controlled by the non-Orthodox and liberal-left movements. As the majority of the WZO, they claim to represent Diaspora Jewry — including YOU. Using their influence, they have utilized WZO funds to promote their agenda, undermine our Torah values, attack traditional family values, and challenge the kedusha of Torah and Eretz Yisrael.

Perhaps their most effective tactic has been using the Israeli Supreme Court to attack many aspects of Orthodox religious life in Eretz Yisrael. Court cases have been brought against the use of mechitzahs at Mekomos Hakedoshim, specifically the Kosel, against Mehadrin buses, kosher cell phones, and most dramatically, welfare and childcare benefits for tens of thousands of Torah students and their families.

That’s when Eretz HaKodesh stepped in.

Under the guidance of Gedolei Yisrael, Eretz HaKodesh was founded to counter the non-Orthodox and liberal left movements and to give Torah Jews a much-needed voice. In the past five years, we have stood on the front lines, fighting against the expansion of pluralism and the growth of alternative forms of Judaism in various areas

of Israeli society.

In addition to many positive projects and endeavors, Eretz HaKodesh has successfully directed much-needed funds to vital causes. Since winning 25 delegates in 2020, Eretz HaKodesh’s representatives helped direct millions of NIS from the Jewish Agency and KKL/JNF toward causes close to our hearts.

This includes:

● 120,000,000 NIS for Youth and At-Risk Programs

● 35,000,000 NIS for American Yeshivos and Seminaries

● 40,000,000 NIS for Religious Cities (Youth Movements, activities)

● 6,000,000 NIS for Tuition Support for Israeli Seminary Girls

Voting ends Sunday, May 4.

In the last election, the liberal movements gathered 50,000 votes. We, who truly care about the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel, must do much better.

We all need to vote to preserve Kedushas Eretz Yisrael! VOTE Slate #11 today at www.ERETZHAKODESH.org

If each of us does our part, Torah Jews and our friends on the right will become the majority in the WZO!

Remember, not voting is, by default, a vote for the non-Orthodox and liberal left movements.

The HALB eighth grade students created incredible food sculptures in art class

MTA’s Annual Legacy Day

This past Sunday, MTA hosted its annual Legacy Day, a day devoted to bringing together talmidim with their grandparents and other special relatives. After a beautiful davening together, a lavish breakfast was served. Talmidim sat with their relatives, friends

and rebbeim, enjoying the varied options offered and the camaraderie.

After benching, the talmidim went to shiur with their rebbeim, while the special relatives listened to a shiur by MTA’s Rosh Yeshiva, and MTA grandparent, Rabbi Taubes. The grandparents and

special guests then joined the talmidim in their respective shiurim. This part of the program was definitely the highlight, as it brings tremendous nachas to learn with the next generation and experience the continuum of Torah learning first-hand.

MTA puts a strong emphasis on con-

tinuing the legacy of strong Torah learning, and this program exemplifies this important value. MTA looks forward to bringing family members in for future events, like their annual Siyum and seudas preida!

Holocaust Remembrance Day at Five Towns Premier: A Day of Reflection, Resilience, and Blessings

Over 100 people gathered for a deeply meaningful Holocaust Remembrance Day event hosted by the Five Towns Premier Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on Thursday. The program honored the memory of the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust simply because they were Jewish.

In a moving tribute, prayers and songs were shared to commemorate the victims, while seven brave Holocaust survivors had their remarkable stories told. Speaking to several classes from DRS Yeshiva High School, these survivors offered powerful messages of peace, hope, and love. Their words served not only as historical testimony but as a call to remember, educate, and never forget.

Michael Cohen, Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, addressed the audience with a sobering reminder: antisemitism is still present in our world today. He urged all in attendance to stand united against hatred and bigotry in all its forms.

As the program concluded, many of the survivors offered personal blessings to the students. These blessings, given by those who endured the darkest chapter in human history, were among the most profound and sacred gifts the students could receive.

To learn more about the Five Towns Premier Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, please call (516) 588-3200.

DRS Marks Yom HaShoah with Powerful Personal Testimonies

This past week, DRS commemorated Yom HaShoah by providing students the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors and reflect on the legacy of resilience, faith, and perseverance.

The freshman and sophomore classes heard from Mr. David Weichselbaum, a survivor originally from Würzburg, Germany. Mr. Weichselbaum shared his story of growing up in a small farming town, the sudden and frightening changes brought on by the rise of the Nazis, and the devastating experience of living through Kristallnacht. After fleeing Ger -

many just one week before the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Weichselbaum endured the challenges of displacement in England and eventually made his way to America. He spoke movingly about returning years later to his childhood home in Germany with his children and grandchildren, a journey that embodied both painful memories and hope for the future.

Meanwhile, the junior and senior classes heard from Mrs. Sally Muschel, great grandmother of three DRS students. As a young girl, Mrs. Muschel was sent to the USSR to escape the Nazi inva-

sion, only to endure three years of harsh conditions in Siberia. After the war, she tragically learned that her father had been shot by the Nazis for refusing to lead the Judenrat in her hometown and that her mother had perished in Auschwitz. Mrs. Muschel eventually rebuilt her life, marrying in Germany and immigrating to the United States in 1949. Today, she is a proud mother and grandmother, a living testament to the strength and resilience of survivors.

DRS is proud to have provided its talmidim with this profound opportunity to connect to history, deepen their understanding, and honor the memories of those who perished.

Around the Community

FD NOW to Host 23rd Annual David Z. Herman Memorial Dinner

Can you imagine finding out that your newborn has a life-threatening disease? That is the nightmare we lived through when we were told that our baby daughter had Familial Dysautonomia (FD). FD is a progressive disorder caused by a genetic mutation that is primarily found in Ashkenazi Jews. A neurological disorder, FD affects every body system, and its sufferers live in very unstable bodies. We were devastated to learn the prognosis and felt helpless in the face of what was to come.

Soon after we met Dr. Berish Rubin, the Head of the Laboratory for Familial Dysautonomia Research in Fordham University. Together with Dr. Sylvia Anderson, the Director of the Lab, Dr. Rubin had discovered the gene mutation that causes FD and began research on treatments for FD that followed from

5TLL Leagues

The post-Pesach weather wasn’t as warm as we all hoped, but the boys stepped up big time this Sunday! 5TLL by FM Home Loans resumed with HRs, defensive gems and more. Each boy also received a 5TLL/ Maidenbaum water bottle this week. Below are some of this week’s notable games, highlights and MVPS.

Soccer Recap

Maidenbaum 6, Tikva Fire 0. We kicked off the day with a tightly contested match, scoreless for a while until Yoel Nagelberg broke through — and never stopped! Nagelberg scored 6 goals (a double hat trick) to earn Game MVP. Special mentions: Ben Jaffa — stellar goalkeep -

that discovery. We immediately began giving our baby girl the recommended treatments, and within a few weeks, we saw signs that her nervous system was regulating! It was truly a miracle! From deep despair, we quickly had hope, as our beautiful girl continued to progress and develop. Over the years, our daughter has endured her share of difficulties. However, with the introduction of each new treatment, our daughter became more stable and much stronger.

Thank G-d, our daughter’s health improved so much that she was able to spend a year in Israel in seminary and is now in college, alongside her twin sister and friends. She is living an independent and happy life, due to the treatment advances that have turned a life-threatening condition into a chronic one with careful management. It is remarkable!

ing; JJ Rabinovici and Yitz Platschek — elite defense.

Baseball Recap

1st Grade

NY Custom Closets 21, Wieder Orthodontics 9. NY Custom Closets came out hot with 7 home runs. MVP: Aryeh Stern. Seasons 8, Maidenbaum 7. Walk-off homer by Yaacov Marx — on his birthday!

2nd Grade

Smash House 20, Maidenbaum 13 . MVP: Barish Diamond — 2 amazing catches at 3rd base, including a game-saving double play in the final inning! Gav Prince — 2 triples and a home run.

FD NOW is a volunteer organization made up of families and friends of those with FD. Funds raised by FD NOW provide the sole support for the Lab for FD Research. As our story indicates, that research has been successful! Since 2003, Dr. Rubin and Dr. Anderson have made 10 treatment breakthroughs, each of which has made a drastic improvement in the overall health and quality of life of those with FD. FD NOW is committed to keeping the lab running and without sufficient funds, research will come to a halt. We need a cure for our children before time runs out!

On May 12, 2025, FD NOW is excited to host its 23rd Annual David Z. Herman Memorial Dinner at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst, NY. Penelope and Charles Shuman are devoted grandparents to a teen with FD and longtime supporters of FD NOW. We are so pleased to have them as our guests of honor at this year’s dinner. We also honor Mushka Schtroks with the Philip Bach Memorial “FD Hero” Award for the incredible love and support she gives to Goldie, a teen with FD, for so many years. Featuring a raffle, as well as good company and delicious food, the evening promises to be uplifting, inspiring, and fun. Please join us to see firsthand how scientific research has saved the lives of Jewish children afflicted with FD and how they are now able to make their dreams come true!

3rd Grade

Eden Gardens 17, John’s Auto 15. John’s Auto scored 5 runs in the 9th to close the gap, but Eden Gardens held on.

MVP: Zev Finestone.

Better Image 8, Smash House 7. Smash House loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, but Better Image shortstop Yitzy Cohen snagged a blistering line drive to save the game! MVP: Yitzy Cohen.

Growtha 17, Wieder 8. Play of the game: Dovid Weingarten’s sensational catch in center field.

Marciano 18, Town Appliance 14. MVP: Pinny Bell.

4th Grade

Bluebird 14, Wieder Orthodontics 6. Aryeh Kleinkaufman and Tzvi Jarcaig each hit grand slams. Defensive Play of the Game: Shmaya Pfeiffer’s slick play at 3rd. MVP: Tzvi Jarcaig.

Drifters 13, Vent Cleaners 5. MVP: Dovi Stein — tagged a runner out at 2nd and turned a double play.

Target Exterminating 21, Russo’s Pharmacy 4. MVP: Benny Markowitz — 2 doubles and 8 RBIs!

Eden Gardens 7, Towns Appliance 19.

MVP: Binyamin Grimberg — pitched a shutout, no-hitter relief performance after 7 early runs.

Marciano 11, Built by Nate 6 (Softball). MVP: Nechemia Krasner — goahead home run and two standout plays at shortstop.

To register for the dinner, buy raffle tickets, or for more information, please visit our website at fdnow.org or email fdnowny@gmail.com.

5th Grade

Drifters 20, Eden Gardens 5. MVP: Gavriel Levine — pitched 4 shutout innings.

Town Appliance 4, Wieder 3. Yosef Abramson with the winning hit in the bottom of the 7th.

6th Grade

Seasons Express 12, Wieder Orthodontics 9. MVP: Akiva Hildeshaim — blasted a grand slam.

7th/8th Grade

Maidenbaum 6, Judaica Plus 5. Game of the Week: Maidenbaum 6, Judaica Plus 5 (8 innings). Both teams were locked in a pitching duel, tied 1-1 going into extras. Judaica Plus scored 4 runs in the top of the 8th to go up 5-1. Maidenbaum answered by scoring one (5-2), then with two outs, Sammy Weiss hit a three-run homer to tie it 5-5! Then two batters later, Dov Solomon delivered the walk-off hit!

The Power of Memory

Across HAFTR, the commitment to remembrance was felt deeply this Yom HaShoah, as both the Lower School and Middle School held ceremonies that were profoundly moving and unforgettable.

At the Lower School, the program was thoughtfully crafted through the TOTS (Thinkers of Tomorrow) initiative, demonstrating how even our youngest students are taught to honor the past with understanding, reverence, and sincerity. Through song, story, dance, prayer, and poetry, the children expressed their connection to the legacy of the Holocaust in ways that were both simple and powerful. Their voices, though young, carried the weight of memory with a clarity and sincerity that touched every heart in the room.

One educator noted, “Hearing our students sing and share the stories of survivors was a reminder that memory is not bound by age. Even the smallest voices can echo the greatest truths.”

At the Middle School, the Yom HaShoah ceremony brought together students, faculty, and guests for an afternoon of deep reflection and tribute. Students led the program with a sense of maturity and

purpose, presenting readings, tefillot, and personal reflections that honored the victims and the resilience of those who survived. The atmosphere was heavy with emotion — a shared understanding that remembering is a sacred obligation.

Throughout both ceremonies, candles were lit to represent the six million lives lost, prayers were recited with reverence, and moments of silence bound the community together in collective mourning.

The impact of the programs was unmistakable. Students, teachers, and guests alike were left deeply moved, reflecting on the tragic history and the enduring responsibility to keep its lessons alive.

As one student expressed, “We don’t just remember for ourselves. We remember for them, for those whose voices were taken. Our memory is their voice.”

In every division, HAFTR’s Yom HaShoah commemorations this year reaffirmed a truth that spans generations: We are the torchbearers of memory. And as long as we remember, as long as we teach our children to remember, the flame of Jewish life will never be extinguished.

HAFTR Learns Pirkei Avos to Support Chai Lifeline

At HAFTR Middle School, students are proving that learning Torah can change the world. In a beautiful display of dedication and heart, the Middle School has launched a special initiative: learning Pirkei Avot in support of Chai Lifeline. Each pasuk learned raises money for the incredible organization, bringing merit and meaning to every moment of study.

With tremendous energy and enthusiasm, students have embraced this project – combining their passion for Torah with a strong sense of responsibility for others. Throughout the halls of HAFTR MS, you can feel the excitement: students are proud to be part of something bigger than themselves, knowing that every word of Pirkei Avot they study helps lift and support children and families facing serious illness.

This initiative beautifully reflects HAFTR Middle School’s ongoing commitment to chessed. Year after year, HAFTR MS empowers students to see themselves as builders of the Jewish fu-

ture – not just through what they know, but through how they act.

Chai Lifeline expressed great excitement and appreciation for HAFTR’s involvement, noting how meaningful it is to see young students channel their learning into tangible acts of kindness and support.

As Pirkei Avot teaches, “The world stands on three things: on Torah, on service, and on acts of kindness” (Avot 1:2).

Through their learning, their love for Torah, and their devotion to chessed, HAFTR Middle School students are helping to uphold the world – one pasuk, one mitzvah, and one heart at a time.

Commemorating Yom

HaShoah at HANC

As the voices of Holocaust survivors are silenced by time and loss, it behooves us now more than ever before, to keep their stories alive. In HANC Elementary School in West Hempstead, the responsibility of keeping the students informed and knowledgeable about the Holocaust is taken very seriously. On Yom HaShoah, the fourth through sixth grade students and their teachers were invited into the auditorium for a special program to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day. As they entered the room, it was clear that this would not be a typical assembly. After sitting quietly, waiting for the program to begin, Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Head of HANC’s West Hempstead campuses, explained: “When a person dies, it is our tradition that we go to their graves on the yahrtzeit (anniversary of their death), place a stone on their tombstone, and say a memorial prayer for them. For those who perished in the Holocaust, we do not know when they died or where they are buried. On Yom HaShoah, we commemorate all of their deaths and remember them.”

Following a joint davening of Shacharit, several students were called up to recite Tehillim, and then everyone sang “Acheinu” together. The students and staff then watched a video about the miraculous survival of Sonia Warshawski, who is one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors in the world today. When the war broke out, Sonia was just 13 years old. When the Nazis arrived in her hometown, she watched the first de -

portation from a window in the attic of her home. Her family then hid in a secret compartment under a bed, only to be discovered by the Nazis’ German shepherds. Her little sister managed to escape, but her father and brother were taken away, and she never saw them again. Sonia and her mother were taken to a station and forced to enter a cattle car for a long journey that was impossible to erase from her memory.

“These experiences left a fear in you that others cannot understand. All you saw was death and fear. It damages you. I always keep myself busy, so I don’t think about this dark, terrible time,” Sonia explained.

When Sonia was seventeen, her mother was taken away and marched to the gas chambers. Sonia survived until the age of nineteen, and on the day of liberation, was shot by a stray bullet. Luckily, she survived her wounds and eventually made her way to the United States to rebuild her life, get married and raise a family. Sonia devotes her life now to speaking about the Holocaust to combat Holocaust deniers and to speak for those who were murdered and no longer have a voice to bear witness to the atrocities.

At the conclusion of the program, each student who had a Holocaust survivor in their family, stood and lit a lamp to spread the light of these brave people and to remember those whose lives were lost. Rabbi Hazan read a prayer in memory of the Holocaust victims. May their memories be a blessing and an inspiration for future generations.

Rabbi Simcha Horowitz’s third grade talmidim of Yeshiva Darchei Torah at Birchas Ha’Ilanos

The Ganger Early Childhood at TAG had a very special Rosh Chodesh activity: a friendship photo booth!

The girls were randomly grouped for this fun activity because we are all friends!

What a great way to reinforce this important middah during Sefiras Ha’omer.

Celebrating the Season Finale of 5 Towns Hockey

As the hockey season comes to a close, it’s a moment of pride and reflection for all the young athletes in the 5 Towns Hockey Program. Our Pre-1A and first grade participants have experienced a remarkable journey, filled with learning, growth, and lots of fun on the court. This season marked a significant milestone for these budding players as they learned the fundamentals of the game and participated in real games. From their very first practices, these young hockey players were introduced to the basics of stickhandling and teamwork. Over the weeks, they progressed from basic drills to engaging in actual games, showcasing their newfound skills and confidence. The excitement in their eyes as they scored goals or made a great play was truly priceless. This incredible journey would not have been possible without the dedication and expertise of our coaching staff. A huge thank you goes out to Coach

Dan, Coach Danie, Coach Reiss, Coach Frankel, Coach Zisser and Coach Picker. These coaches generously gave their time and shared their knowledge, helping each child develop not only as a player but also as a member of a team. Their patience and encouragement fostered a love for the game, making each practice an enjoyable experience.

As the season wraps up, we celebrate not just the achievements on the court but also the friendships and memories made along the way. The skills learned this season will serve these young players well, not only in hockey but in many aspects of their lives. We look forward to seeing everyone back next season, with more games, more learning, and more fun in store. Thank you to everyone involved for making this season a resounding success! Here’s to our young athletes, coaches, and families for a fantastic season of 5 Towns Hockey!

Yom Ha’Atzmaut art activities at Shulamith ECC

Around the Community

Common Mistakes In Estate Planning – Part V

Creating an Estate Plan that includes a Revocable Trust, pourover Will, Property Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Authorization provides numerous benefits during life and at death. During life, the plan provides directions to your family regarding your medical care and finances if you become incapacitated or are otherwise unable to articulate your wishes. At death, the plan acts as a set of instructions to your fiduciaries regarding distribution of your assets. Unfortunately, as seasoned Estate Planning practitioners know, signing the documents alone does not solve every problem or guarantee that the plan will work as intended. Sometimes, mistakes occur that undermine an Estate Plan. This article reviews the impact of failing to consider the Estate Plan holistically.

As this series has explored, an Estate Plan involves more than just the documents evidencing the plan. Effective estate planning requires an understanding of an individual’s assets and how the plan will work for those assets. It also involves knowing what assets the plan won’t cov-

er. Under normal circumstances, any asset that passes pursuant to a beneficiary designation, such as a retirement plan, life insurance, or an annuity, passes outside the Estate Plan. Sometimes, these assets make up the bulk of an individual’s wealth. Thus, coordinating beneficiary designations for those assets constitutes an integral part of comprehensive Estate Planning. For example, assume that while single, Don named his brother as the beneficiary on his life insurance policy. Upon Don’s later marriage, he updates his Estate Plan leaving all his assets to his wife but fails to update the beneficiary designation for his life insurance. Upon Don’s death some years later, his life insurance passes to his brother, rather than his wife as was his stated intent. Simply put, Don could have avoided this result by updating his beneficiary designation upon his marriage.

In addition to considering beneficiary-designated assets, it’s important to consider the overall impact that taxes will have on the plan as well as the beneficiaries themselves. Obviously, an attorney creating the Estate Plan needs to understand whether the estate exceeds the Applicable Exclusion Amount ($13.6 mil-

Ezra Academy Celebrates Rosh Chodesh Iyar with Unity & Inspiration

Ezra Academy came together in a beautiful display of unity and school spirit to celebrate Rosh Chodesh Iyar with a special breakfast for the entire student body and faculty. Held in the school’s main hall, the event featured delicious food, uplifting ruach, and heartfelt words of Torah—highlighting the deep sense of community that defines Ezra.

The highlight of the morning was an inspirational speech by senior Yehuda Nissani, who spoke passionately about the importance of finishing the school year strong and using the fresh start of a new month to reset spiritually and academically. His words resonated with students across all grades, reminding them of their shared purpose and values.

This Rosh Chodesh celebration carried extra meaning, as it marked the long-awaited return of Rabbi Zucker, a beloved figure at Ezra Academy who had

lion in 2024) which includes determining whether lifetime gifts reduced that amount. Further, if the estate will have an estate tax liability, then it’s important to consider which assets the estate will use to pay such liability. In a situation in which the client has children from a prior relationship, this matters a great deal. While assets passing to a surviving spouse do not incur an estate tax because of the unlimited marital deduction under Internal Revenue Code Section 2056, when those assets pass from the surviving spouse to the children of the first deceased spouse, a tax liability may occur and determine which party ultimately bears the taxes matters.

Finally, the Trust and Estate attorney needs to help the client understand the potential income tax consequences of the plan. For example, if the client has designated a beneficiary on an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”), that beneficiary will have to pay income taxes on the distributions from the IRA unless it’s a ROTH IRA. The income tax consequences of receiving these assets may influence the client to structure their plan another way. Perhaps they intended to make a charitable bequest and after discussing the income tax consequences of distributions from an IRA decide that using a portion of the IRA to fund that charitable bequest makes more sense for their plan. Of course, the practitioner advising the client needs to be aware of these issues. Retaining a competent Estate Planning

attorney makes a world of difference in creating and implementing a comprehensive Estate Plan.

Beneficiary-designated assets and taxes make up an important part of any estate plan. As part of the complete Estate Plan, any time a birth, death, marriage, divorce, or change in financial situation or the law occurs, the attorney handling the plan needs to update the beneficiary designations and consider anew the tax implications. As this series of articles has demonstrated, mistakes happen in many ways and lead to various unintended and potentially catastrophic consequences for the loved ones of those who fail to plan. These mistakes may make an impact during the life of the individual who failed to plan, and they certainly cause problems at death. Making matters worse, these mistakes may cause lasting trouble after an individual’s death either through an unnecessary (and possibly expensive or time-consuming) probate process or by improper planning for the intended beneficiary which takes numerous forms. When it comes to Estate Planning, it’s vital to utilize the services of a qualified Estate Planning attorney to guide you through all the stages of your life and to protect your legacy for your loved ones.

To learn how to protect you and your family, visit www.haaszaltz.com or call 516-979-1060. You can also email them at info@haaszaltz.com.

been on leave for several months. His presence brought visible joy to both students and staff. Known for his warmth, wisdom, and genuine care for every student, Rabbi Zucker’s return was felt deeply throughout the school. Many students expressed how much they missed his daily presence, whether through his thoughtful shiurim or even just his friendly greetings in the hallway.

“Having Rabbi Zucker back is like getting a piece of Ezra’s heart back,” one student remarked. “He’s more than just a teacher—he’s someone who inspires us to be our best selves.”

The Rosh Chodesh Iyar breakfast was more than just a meal—it was a moment of reconnection, reflection, and renewed purpose. As the school looks toward the final stretch of the academic year, the energy and unity from this special morning will continue to uplift and motivate the Ezra Academy family.

Yom HaShoah at SHS

The annual Yom HaShoah program at SHS was commemorated through a lens of strength and survival. The tekes began with Mrs. Miri Urbach sharing her mother’s incredible story of survival through years in a convent. Reading straight from her mother’s childhood memoirs, Mrs. Urbach’s poignant retelling of the story relayed both the miracle and tragedy her mother experienced. The captive audience got a deep sense of the strength and heroism that was demanded of this young girl in order to emerge alive and with her faith intact. We were then honored to hear from Rabbi Doron Perez, who spoke about the devastation that his family has navigated since the capture and murder of his son Daniel on October 7. He too emphasized the nature of Klal Yisrael to rise from the

ashes and choose life, despite the tragedies we encounter.

Our program concluded with the annual SHS Yom HaShoah museum, this year’s display curated to showcase stories of survival. The theme “Rising from the Ashes” was prominent throughout the day, reminding us that our nation will always choose life and goodness in response to evil.

Yom HaShoah at Shulamith

The Shulamith Middle School was deeply honored to welcome Mrs. Green, a Holocaust survivor, who shared her powerful story of resil

ience during a meaningful Yom HaShoah program. The event featured a moving candle lighting ceremony, a stirring performance by the Shulamith Middle School choir, and an educational session where middle school girls explored various countries’ roles in the Holocaust. Students in grades 3–4 also participated by watching Yaakov Shwekey’s “Vehi She’Amda” video, enhancing their appreciation for Am Yisrael’s enduring strength.

Dual Enrollment Program at HAFTR

HAFTR High School’s dual enrollment program is providing students with an exciting opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school. In partnership with Adelphi University and Nassau Community College, students can take rigorous, college-level courses for a nominal fee, gaining firsthand experience with higher education while staying in their familiar classroom environment.

This year, HAFTR students are enrolled in courses such as College Physics 1, Human Anatomy and Physiology 1, Business Mathematics, Calculus 1, and Precalculus. Unlike Advanced Placement courses, students do not need to take an exam at the end of the course to determine their ability to transfer credit. Instead, students will focus on maintaining a strong grade in the course. By taking these courses, students may have the opportunity to transfer the credits to their prospective college, allowing them to start college at a credit advance.

Students have embraced the challenge, enjoying the advanced coursework and the opportunity to experience

college-level learning while still in high school. Isaac Lent, senior, expressed his enthusiasm that “it’s great … to take college credit courses while still in high school.”

Ms. Kara Schulman, program coordinator, stated, “I am incredibly excited about our college partnerships and the opportunity for students to earn credit for classes they are taking during their time at HAFTR. The dual enrollment program encourages our students to challenge themselves by demonstrating proficiency in rigorous coursework and showcasing to prospective universities that they can handle college-level classes. With continued student interest, we hope to continue expanding the program across additional academic disciplines.”

Teachers and administrators look forward to an expansion of this model, encouraging even more students to take advantage of this unique academic opportunity.

HAFTR is setting its students up for success by offering dual enrollment courses, ensuring they are well-prepared for the transition to college and beyond.

Birchas Ilanos at Yeshiva Ateres Eitz Chaim

Talmidim of Yeshiva Ateres Eitz

Chaim had the distinct privilege of visiting the home of their principal, Rabbi Boruch Oppen, to fulfill the special mitzvah of reciting Birchas Ilanos—the blessing said during the month of Nissan upon seeing blossoming fruit trees. Rabbi Oppen graciously welcomed the talmidim into his yard, where they gathered among the beautiful apricot, peach, cherry, and fig trees—all in bloom. With awe and gratitude, the students recited the bracha, thanking Hashem for the wonders of His creation. Following the bracha, the talmidim enjoyed a delicious barbecue, generously hosted by Rabbi Oppen, and engaged in a meaningful learning session focused on Niflaos HaBoreh, the wonders of the Creator. They explored how the natural world is a reflection of Hashem’s greatness and wisdom, deepening their appreciation for the beauty and complexity of creation. This memorable experience left a lasting

impression on the students, reinforcing both their connection to the mitzvos and their sense of yiras Shamayim through the lens of nature.

Week # 4 of Flag Football

What a great fourth week it was at the Five Towns FM Home Loans Flag Football League!

The boys were so very excited to play after Pesach.

The Pre-1A division had a great time learning the game and getting ready for the big leagues with Rabbi Jeremy Fine. The first grade division had a lot of fun catching the ball and playing with their friends. In the second grade division, the Vikings beat the Eagles, Broncos tied with the Jets, Giants beat the Panthers, and Steelers beat the Patriots. Eitan Charach, Moshe Genson and Mordechai Berkowitz played great for their teams this week! In the 3rd/4th grade division,

Vikings beat the Patriots, Eagles beat the Giants, Steelers beat the Seahawks, Saints beat the Panthers, and Jets beat the Broncos. Aron Cohen, Gavi Zahav and Ariel Fleksher all played great this week! In the 5th/6th grade division, Vikings beat the Patriots, Broncos and Jets tie, Seahawks and Steelers tie, Saints beat the Panthers, and Eagles beat the Giants. Yair Friedman, Liam Orenstein and Dael Tsaidi all played great this week! In the 7th/8th grade division, the Jets beat the Patriots, and the Giants beat the Broncos.

We hope to see everyone on the field next week!

Yom HaShoah at HALB

Last Wednesday evening, the HALB fifth grade choir sang beautiful and meaningful songs at the community Yom HaShoah program at Beth Shalom. They then had the opportunity to stay and listen to Mr. Paul Gross tell his story about surviving the Holocaust. The following day in school, the mid-

dle school boys and girls heard from Mrs. Pearl Field. She shared her story of how she survived the Holocaust through courage, resilience and strength. Students had the opportunity to speak with her individually at the end, which left a lasting impression on them.

HALB Success at NY State History Day

Talmidim from Siach Yitzchok making Birchas Ha’ilanos with their rebbi, Rabbi Mordechai Stein

On Sunday, April 27, 2025, five groups of students from HALB traveled to Cooperstown, New York, to compete in New York State History Day as part of the National History Day (NHD) program. These groups had previously advanced from Long Island History Day and represented HALB in the Junior Group Documentary, Website, and Exhibit categories.

The students’ participation was part of a year-long process in which they researched, designed, and created original projects based on the 2025 NHD theme, Rights and Responsibilities. New York State History Day was another important step on their journey, as top projects now move forward to compete at the National History Day Contest in College Park, Maryland.

HALB students excelled at the competition, with two groups advancing to Na-

tionals to represent HALB and the State of New York and one group earning third place as an alternate. The results were as follows:

1st Place – Junior Group Website

Voices of Conscience: The Vrba-Wetzler Report and the Responsibility to Act

By: Alex Bornstein, Eli Berman, Bram Feldman, Siggy Simon, and Azi Verschleiser

3rd Place –Junior Group Website (Alternate)

Enduring the Game: Rights and Responsibility in the Shadow of CTE

By: Daniel Ifergan, Sammy Matlis, Eli Pollack, Eli Taubenfeld, and Aidan Weiden

2nd Place –Junior Group Documentary

Freedom Summer: Fighting for Rights, Shouldering the Responsibility for Change By: Lily Greenberg, Aviana Guttman, Ella Hametz, Molly Konig, and Yakira Rogoff

Yom HaShoah at Mercaz Academy: Remembering Tragedy…With Hope for the Future

Mercaz Academy in Plainview, serving young students from preschool through sixth grade, is always careful to remember the devastation of the Holocaust in a developmentally appropriate way. In the wake of the events of October 7, the subject can be even more frightening for children, so Director of Programming Morah Phyllis Tessler designed a program for fifth and sixth grade students addressing Yom HaShoah by contextualizing it within the broader timeline of Jewish history. The presentation carefully acknowledged the uniquely devastating significance of the Holocaust while placing it alongside other tragic events the Jewish people have faced throughout history—from Egyptian slavery to the destruction of the Temples, the Spanish Inquisition, various expulsions, and the all-too-recent horror

of October 7. Students were encouraged to recognize that Hashem’s help has ensured the survival of the Jewish people after every tragedy, emphasizing how–even after the darkest times–the Jewish community has rebuilt, reconnected with Hashem, and emerged stronger.

Because Yom HaShoah takes place almost immediately after Pesach, the years of enslavement and the Exodus were fresh in students’ minds, and they compared the two events. The horrors of slavery in Egypt were followed by the great gift of the Torah; the shocking tragedy of the Holocaust was followed by the great gift of the Land of Israel after 2000 years of exile. Students then identified and wrote down instances where they saw divine intervention in Jewish history for a Wall of Hope display. By framing the Holocaust within the historical con-

tinuum and encouraging students to look for the hand of Hashem when all seems lost, the program offered perspective to help them process this difficult informa-

tion while reinforcing messages of hope, divine protection, and the enduring strength of the Jewish people throughout the generations.

Rabbi Eli Portal Leads Groundbreaking Inclusive Shidduch Event

Imo Anochi, founded by Rabbi Eli Portal, is redefining the shidduch scene with a unique singles event on May 18 at 6:30 p.m. in Brooklyn, designed for accomplished individuals with physical disabilities or medical conditions, and those open to dating them. This initiative is a response to the often superficial and misaligned matchmaking process that those with disabilities face and aims to foster connections based on shared values and compatibility. Often, matchmakers focus narrowly on the disability, overlooking individual personalities, interests and life goals. This can lead to matches that are well-intentioned but lack a deeper understanding of compatibility. Imo Anochi’s event aims to shift this paradigm by recognizing each participant’s unique qualities and full potential.

The interest in this event extends beyond those with disabilities, as many individuals without disabilities have expressed interest in the event for various reasons. Some have family members or friends who navigate disabilities in their own lives. Others appreciate the depth and resilience that often accompany the experience of living with a disability. Still, others are seeking partners who are de-

fined not by physical conditions but by their accomplishments, values and character.

To participate in this event, interested singles must fill out a confidential Google form, providing pertinent information which will be reviewed by a team of professional shadchanim. If relevant, matchmakers will conduct a video screening to ensure that each participant is not only compatible but also genuinely ready for a serious relationship. Once approved, a $50 registration fee is required to secure a spot at the event, after which the exact location will be disclosed.

Registrants include individuals traveling from multiple states, among them a notable number from the Five Towns, highlighting the significant need and enthusiasm for such an event.

The evening promises top-tier entertainment from Shlomo Levinger and DJ CP, with meticulous planning by Element Formation. The dedicated team of matchmakers includes Rabbi Eli and Neeli Portal from Imo Anochi, Rivkah Fox of BlindFate, Shoshana Mounessa of Adopta-Shadchan, Malky Galler and Mindy Eisenman from YU Connects, Leah Spiegel of Bonei Olam’s Kesher Networks, and Baila Sebrow, ensuring a personalized and sensitive matchmaking process.

Though the ultimate goal of the event is for singles to find spouses, Rabbi Portal also wants this event to raise awareness of the wide range of services that can help people with a disability who are dating.

Rabbi Portal, a Five Towns native, has a personal connection to the challenges of being disabled and dating. His own journey began after a childhood accident left him paralyzed. When he was 6, he was in an ATV accident along with his four brothers. Rabbi Portal suffered a spinal cord injury. Despite thriving academically and socially, he faced significant obstacles in the shidduch scene—challenges that many with physical disabilities encounter. When Rabbi Portal was dating, he wished he had someone to speak to about this issue. Now married with three children, he understands the nuanced struggles of those navigating the shidduch scene. As a therapist with expertise working with couples and those in shidduchim, he supports individuals and couples facing relationship challenges, providing insights and strategies to foster healthy, loving relationships.

During Covid, Rabbi Portal created a podcast called “Rolling with the Punches,” where he interviewed people facing adversity and explored the issues from a religious and psychological standpoint.

Organically, through the podcast, individuals reached out to him, requesting to be put in touch with the guests he interviewed. That was when he started connecting people who were going through similar challenges.

As a therapist, he was aware of the impact of support groups and knew of many relevant organizations. This led to Rabbi Portal’s “aha” moment, when he had the idea to create a place for people with questions or situations of any kind to have a place to go for support.

Imo Anochi’s mission, inspired by the biblical story of the burning bush—where Hashem reassured Moshe, and thus all of klal Yisrael, of His presence in times of hardship—drives the organization. The name Imo Anochi, meaning “I am with you,” reflects this commitment to solidarity and assistance. The thorn bush, as discussed by Rashi, symbolizes the omnipresence of Hashem in our struggles, reminding us that no challenge is too great when we have support and companionship.

For more information or to support Imo Anochi’s mission, contact Rabbi Portal at imoanochi1@gmail.com or 516-2420973.

TJH Centerfold

What Your Email Sign Off Says About You

Thx = I am hip (or too lazy to write the whole word… and some of the letters on my keyboard seem to be missing)

Thanks = You are generically important to me

Thanks! = I hope the exclamation point means as much to you as it does to me

Many thanks = Zero thanks

Thank you = I am furious with you

Regards = I really couldn’t care less

Kind regards = I really couldn’t care less, but this is my way of appearing like I could

KR = I couldn’t even be bothered to write the full words, that’s how kind my regards are

Sincerely = Insincerely

Cheers = Look how normal I am

Bye = Go jump in a lake

Best wishes for continued success = I would rather be writing Hallmark cards

Take it easy = You’ll never see me again

Enjoy the rest of your day = Hopefully it’s going better than mine

Have a blessed day = I am so spiritual

Adios = I know one word of Spanish, but I hope you think I am bi-lingual

TTYL = OMG, we have to go for lattes sometime soon

Respectfully = Please don’t ever ask me if I really respect you

Enjoy your weekend = Please don’t reply to this email today; I want to get out of the office already

Let me know how you want me to proceed = The last time we got into this mess you were supposed to communicate with me and you didn’t

Please confirm receipt of this email = I have zero trust in you

:) = Please realize that I am a lovable little fuzzball

;) = Please realize that I am a lovable little fuzzball (but not a perfectionist)

Thank you for your time = You really think you are the busiest person in the world, but please read this email

Looking forward to hearing from you = REPLY IMMEDIATELY

Later = I am really not formal, so let’s deal with this “coolly”

Peace = In my next lifetime, I want to come back as a 1960’s hippie

Cinco De Mayo Trivia

1. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of which national heritage?

a. Spanish

b. Brazilian

c. Mexican

d. Venezuelan

2. What is Cinco de Mayo meant to commemorate?

a. A tragic event in which 15 tons of mayonnaise sunk at sea

b. A historic battle

c. The founding of Mexico

d. A national hero

3. What does the term “Cinco de Mayo” mean in English?

a. Mayan Day

b. Celebration of May

c. The fifth of May

d. May Day

4. What is the official name of Mexico?

a. United Mexican States

b. Mexico Istacoville

c. Mexican Federation

d. Mexico

5. Which one of the following U.S. states was never part of Mexico?

a. California

b. Nevada

c. Utah

d. Arizona

e. Oregon

f. New Mexico

g. Colorado

h. Wyoming

6.  Mexico’s population is:

a. 17 million

b. 35 million

c. 72 million

d. 120 million

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

Two Americans, Bob and Jeff, decide to go bungee jumping in a small village. They carefully set up their equipment and are all ready for their adventure.

Bob jumps, bounces at the end of the cord and flies back up by the platform. Jeff isn’t able to catch his friend, but he notices that Bob has a few cuts and scratches.

Bob falls again, bounces, and comes back up. This time, he is bruised and bleeding. Again, Jeff misses

pulling Bob up.

7. What is Mexico’s national drink, tequila, made of?

a. Coconut juice

b. Agave

c. Hops

d. Corn

Answers:

C

B

C

A (Mexico has 31 states)

E

D

B

Wisdom Key:

6-7 correct: Great job! You deserve a non-alcoholic tequila!

3-5 correct: You are so-so –although you think that eating burritos makes you an expert on all things Mexican.

0-2 correct: You cracked on this one like a stale taco.

The third time it happens, Bob comes back pretty messed up; he’s got a couple of broken bones and is almost unconscious. Luckily, Jeff finally catches him and says, “Holy cow, what happened? Was the cord too long?”

“No,” says Bob. “The cord was fine, but the birthday party down there thinks I’m a piñata!”

Torah Thought

Parshas Tazria-Metzora

By Rabbi Berel Wein

This week’s double parsha presents to us a difficult set of rituals regarding a type of physical disease that evinced physical manifestations. The rabbis associated this disease with the sin of improper speech and personal slander. We no longer have any true knowledge of the disease, its true appearances and effects, its quarantine period and the healing process that restored the person to one’s community

and society. The ritual laws of purity and impurity are no longer applicable in our post-Temple society and since there are no comments on these laws in a specific manner in the Babylonian Talmud, these ritual laws are not subject to the usual intensive scholarship and study that pertain, for instance, to the laws of money and torts in the Talmud.

In the nineteenth century, a great Chassidic rebbe and scholar composed

a “Talmud” regarding the laws of purity and impurity. This feat of scholarship met with criticism from other scholars and has remained controversial and relatively ignored in the modern yeshiva and scholarly world.

In effect, the entire topic of this

ty, our dreams and imaginations, and it allows us to imagine and invent.

There is a popular belief that necessity is the mother of invention. But in reality, I do not feel that this is accurate. Imagination is the mother of invention. There was no real necessity for

There is a world that is beyond our earthly eyes and rational vision.

week’s double parsha remains mysterious and unclear to us. After all the attempted explanations and reasons for these ritual laws of purity and impurity, they remain mysterious and relatively inexplicable to us. Especially when these two parshiyot occur together, as they do this year and in most years, the question of their relevance becomes even more acute and perplexing. The Torah, which always challenges us to understand it, retains its inscrutability.

Perhaps this is the message of the Torah itself to us. There is a world that is beyond our earthly eyes and rational vision. Modern man always dreams about space aliens and different universes than the one we inhabit. There is an almost innate sense in us that there is more to Creation than what we sense and feel. It fuels our individual drive to immortali-

the unbelievable advances in technology that our past century has witnessed. But people lived in a world beyond our present real world and imagined the computer, the wireless phone and the internet. This capacity of human imagination and being able to deal with an unseen world that truly exists is one of the great traits of the human mind. The Torah indicates to us the existence of such a world, a world of purity and impurity, a special world of holiness and of the human quest for attachment to the Creator of all worlds.

Even though we do not quite relate to that world with our finite mentality, the Torah wishes us to realize that such a world does exist beyond our limited human vision. And that is a very important and essential lesson in life.

Shabbat shalom.

From the Fire

Parshas Tazria-Metzora Looking Forward Versus Looking Back

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

The laws of tzara’as, which some translate as “leprosy,” are very difficult to understand. When the pasuk (Vayikra 13:2) says, “When a person has a se’es, sapachas, or baheres on his skin, and it is a blemish of tzara’as...,” it is difficult to understand exactly what these afflictions are. One thing that we see, however, from the Mishnayos explaining tzara’as is that a major sign of the impurity of tzara’as is the color white.

This seems very unusual. Usually, the color white is associated with taharah, purity, not tumah, impurity. The pasuk in Yeshaya (1:18) says, “If your sins are like scarlet, I will whiten them like snow, and if they are red like crimson, they will be [as white as] wool.” Similarly, on Yom Kippur (Yuma 39a), when the “gold ribbon turned white,” it was a sign that the Jewish people were forgiven. We see, therefore, that the color white is usually associated with

innocence and purity, not impurity. Why, then, is the color white a sign of impurity for a Metzorah, one afflicted with tzara’as?

The Sefer Yetzira (2:7) points out that the word for the affliction of tzara’as, “negah ,” has the same letters as the word “oneg,” pleasure or delight. It says that “there is nothing higher than oneg, delight, and there is nothing lower than negah, the affliction of tzara’as.” How do we see this? Even a person who is tamei, impure, because of tumas meis, contact with a dead body, is allowed to live in the community and he can even ascend to Har Habayis, although he may not enter the Bais Hamikdash. A Metzorah, on the other hand, may not even live in the community. He must dwell alone outside the city. We see, therefore, that there is nothing lower than “negah,” the affliction of tzara’as.

As the Sefer Yetzira explained, the letters of the words for affliction, a “negah,”

and for “oneg,” delight, are the same. The only difference between the two words is the placement of the letter ayin. In the word “negah,” the ayin is at the end of the word, and in the word “oneg,” the ayin is at the beginning of the word. This observation is also hinted at in the pasuk (Vayikra 13:25), which discusses the law of a garment afflicted with tzara’as which had been quarantined by the kohein but which retained its appearance even after the seven-day quarantine period. It says, “The affliction did not change its appearance, eino.” The word for appearance, eino, can also refer to the Hebrew letter ayin. The pasuk is therefore saying that the garment was still afflicted with tzara’as because its owner did not “change” the ayin by moving it from the end of the word negah to the beginning of the word to transform his affliction into the delight of oneg.

At the beginning of the parsha, Rashi

quotes part of a medrash (Vayikra Raba 14:1) to answer the implicit question, “Why are does the Torah teach the laws of purity and impurity relating to animals at the end of last weeks’ parsha before the laws of human purity and impurity in this week’s parsha?” The medrash quotes the pasuk in Tehillim (139:5), “Achor v’kedem tzartani,” homiletically translated as “at the beginning and at the end You have formed me.” According to the medrash, “Rav Simlai says, ‘Just as man was formed after domesticated animals, wild animals, and birds, so, too, the laws [of man’s purity and impurity] are taught after [the laws of purity and impurity of] domesticated animals, wild animals, and birds.” The medrash further explains, “If man is meritorious, they say to him, ‘You preceded the whole act of Creation,’ and if he is not [meritorious,] they say to him ‘Even the mosquito preceded you.’”

The pasuk in Tehillim said, “Achor v’kedem tzartani,” which means that man was formed both first and last. Therefore, if man merits to put the ayin first, then he is filled with oneg, delight and pleasure. If, however, he is not meritorious, and he puts the ayin last, then he is afflicted with a negah and is considered the lowest part of creation. How does one move the ayin of negah to the beginning of the word to transform it into oneg, delight?

The way of the world is that when one encounters a person who is different, or who possesses a negative character trait, people ask what the person went through as a child or at some point in his or her life that created these problems. There is certainly a place for this approach, and good therapists who use this approach with people will follow up with a plan on how to move from the past into a more positive future. But for the most part, this is an approach of achor, looking back into the past. In this perspective, a person feels trapped by things that have happened to him or her in the past. The way of the Torah, however, is the approach of kedem, seeing himself as if he is starting at the beginning and looking forward into the future. In this approach, one asks himself, “How can I make tomorrow better than yesterday?”

We see this approach with our Avos, our forefathers, many of whom had every reason to assume they would never be successful. I would like to offer just two examples.

The first is Dovid Hamelech. He was a stranger to his own brothers, who did not understand him, as Dovid said, (Tehillim 69:9), “I became estranged from my brothers.” Even his own father, who was a tzaddik, did not think he would amount to anything. When Shmuel told Yishai that one of his sons would be the next king, it did not even occur to him to bring Dovid to Shmuel to see if he was the chosen son. When Shmuel sees that none of Yishai’s other sons were meant to be king, he presses Yishai to find out if he has any other sons. Having completely forgotten about Dovid, he finally remembers (Shmuel 1:16:11), “There is one leftover younger son; he is tending the sheep in the field.” Shmuel has to press him to bring Dovid to him before he finally summons Dovid. Hashem then tells Shmuel to arise and anoint Dovid as the future king of the Jewish people. Even as the years went by, Dovid experienced pain and suffering. He was pursued by Shaul, endured a rebellion led by his own son, and witnessed the death of

another one of his sons even after he davened like never before for his recovery.

Dovid Hamelech had a greater excuse than anyone else to take the “achor ” perspective and look back at all of his difficulties and conclude that he would never be successful spiritually or physically. But instead of looking at the past, he always took the “kedem,” the forward-looking approach. Not only did he not use his past as an excuse not to succeed, he took every difficulty he encountered and composed chapters of Tehillim! In this way, he attained an even higher level than Aharon Hakohein. Aharon achieved a great level when, immediately after his sons Nadav and Avihu died, the pasuk (Vayikra 10:3) says, “Vayidom Aharon , and Aharon was silent.” Dovid Hamelech, however, reached an even higher level. When he was faced with suffering, he said (Tehillim 30:13), “L’ma’an yizamercha kavod

word, and keep his eyes focused on the future. That is the attitude kedem, where one sees himself as standing at the beginning, where he feels that “today is the first day of the rest of my life.” This is the choice every Jew must make. Let me offer a simple example. Let’s say there are two Jews who take their service of Hashem seriously. Both of them are saying Shemona Esrei. Right before the last paragraph, “Sim Shalom, establish peace,” each one realizes that he did not concentrate on one single word of davening. The one who looks backward, with the attitude of achor looks back at his lackluster Shemona Esrei and thinks to himself, “It’s over; this Shemona Esrei was a complete failure. It’s all over.” Such a Jew will speed through the last paragraph of Shemona Esrei as well. The other Jew will look into the future and say, “I may not have con-

In this approach, one asks himself, “How can I make tomorrow better than yesterday?”

v’lo yidom, in order that I should sing a song of glory to You [Hashem] and I will not be silent.” Not only did the difficulties in his past not hold him back, he turned each one into a new chapter of Tehillim. Another example from our Avos is Yosef. No matter how bad our relationships are with our family, very few of us can say that our siblings tried to kill us and sold us into slavery. He was sold to Egypt, which was called (Bereishis 42:12) “the nakedness of the land” because it was the most morally degraded place on earth. In addition, he was isolated and alone in Egypt. He did not have even one Jew with whom he could share what was in his heart. Nevertheless, instead of accepting his fate as being cut off from the G-dliness of his forefathers, he lifted himself up to become a Yosef Hatzaddik. That is the meaning of the pasuk in Tehillim “achor v’kedem tzartzani,” homiletically translated as “at the beginning and at the end You have formed me.” A Jew must make a choice every day of his life whether to look at the world through the eyes of achor, where he looks back on his life as if he were at the end, as if everything has been predetermined because of his past. For such a person, everything is a negah, an affliction, the lowest thing in the world. Alternatively, he can put the ayin, his eye, at the beginning of the

take their life seriously and despised it as something of no consequence. They preferred to close their eyes and to live in the past. Life for such people became meaningless... [W]e could say that most men in a concentration camp believed that the real opportunities of life had passed.

Yet, in reality, there was an opportunity and a challenge. One could make a victory of those experiences, turning life into an inner triumph, or one could ignore the challenge and simply vegetate, as did a majority of the prisoners. Any attempt at fighting the camp’s psychopathological influence on the prisoner by psychotherapeutic or psychohygenic methods had to aim at giving him inner strength by pointing out to him a future goal to which he could look forward. Instinctively some of the prisoners attempted to find one on their own. It is a peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking into the future... And this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence, although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task.

centrated on the first part of Shemona Esrei, but there is still one paragraph left. ‘Sim Shalom, establish peace,’ which is a beautiful prayer. I will now have the best Sim Shalom possible.”

We can now understand why white, usually associated with purity, becomes a symbol of impurity for a Metzora. Someone who looks at the word from the perspective of achor, who looks backward and sees only limitations and “negah-”tivity, sees even a symbol of purity as negative and impure.

This choice between achor and kedem, between the forward-looking versus the backward-looking perspective, was the main focus of Viktor Frankl’s book “Man’s Search for Meaning.” As you are aware, Viktor Frankl was an accomplished psychologist before the War and was a survivor of the concentration camps. I want to quote a few sentences (p. 80-81) from this book, which encapsulate this choice between the perspective of “oneg,” looking into the future, and “negah,” looking toward the past:

A man who let himself decline because he could not see any future goal[,] found himself occupied with retrospective thoughts... Instead of taking the camp’s difficulties as a test of their inner strength, they did not

My father also told us that in the camps, they could tell when someone was about to die even without a Nazi standing over him. Near the end of the War, shortly before the liberation, the Nazis stopped providing the Jews with even the moldy bread were previously given. Many Jews stayed active, looking for a way to survive, and others just receded to the corners in a semi-vegetative state. The others tried to strengthen and encourage them, but it was often no use. The other prisoners knew that such a person had only a few more hours to live because they had stopped looking into the future and had given up on their own lives.

Even outside of the concentration camps, we are faced with the choice between looking into the past, living in the world of “negah,” affliction, or looking at the opportunities of the future, the world of “oneg,” delight.

May we merit to look at the world through the forward-looking lens of Kedem, and our lives will be filled with delight rather than affliction. May the world soon be filled with the delight of chadeish yameinu k’kedem, with the coming of Moshiach soon in our days.

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

Delving into the Daf

Peyos Prohibitions

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

The Rambam uncharacteristically adds a reason to the prohibition against cutting peyos. He says it is because the idol worshippers used to cut off their peyos. Hashem did not want us to be similar to the idol worshippers. This is fascinating, as this reason is not found in the Gemara. Indeed, the Tur comments, “This (reason) is not explicit (in the Torah), and we do not need to seek reasons for mitzvos.”

The Beis Yosef adds explanation to the Tur’s comment: “And regarding what our master wrote – “this (reason) is not explicit (in the Torah), and we do not need to seek reasons for mitzvos” –his words clearly show that his opinion is to argue against the Rambam: Why should we try to find reasons on our own for mitzvos? Because it would seem that, if we did not know the reason for a mitzvah, we would not be obligated to fulfill it – but that is not the case!

“Rather, the mitzvos are the decrees of the King upon us, and even if we do not know their reasons, we are obligated to fulfill them. However, I say: Heaven forbid to think that the Rambam would believe otherwise! Who cherishes the honor of the Torah and mitzvos more than the Rambam?! Instead, although all the statutes (chukim) of the Torah are

decrees of the King (and binding even without knowing their reasons), nevertheless, wherever it is possible to find a reason, we should give one – similar to the opinion of Rabbi Shimon, who interprets the reasons behind Torah verses. And where no reason can be found, we should attribute that to the limitation of our understanding – but regardless, we are obligated to fulfill all mitzvos, whether we know their reason or not, since they are the King’s decrees upon us.”

The Rema was highly critical of the Beis Yosef’s explanation of the Tur’s comment. While the Beis Yosef defended the Rambam, he was accepting of the Tur’s question at face value. The Rema wrote, “Heaven forbid to think that our master (the Tur) would suspect that someone as saintly as the Rambam would espouse such a view – that if we did not know the reason for a mitzvah, we would not be obligated to fulfill it. We do not find among any of the sages of Israel such a belief!

“Rather, this (mistaken belief) is only the way of the heretics regarding the Torah, who do not believe in anything unless it agrees with their own reason. Therefore, it is impossible to think that the Tur thought such a thing about the Rambam. Rather, when the

Tur wrote ‘this (reason) is not explicit,’ his intent was to say: We should not interpret the reason given in the Torah to limit the prohibition – that is, to say it is only forbidden in the specific instance where the idolaters and their priests do it. Rather, the prohibition applies in all situations. Since the reason is not explicitly stated in the verse, we should not permit the act in any case, even where the suspected reason (idolatrous practice) does not apply.”

When Rebbe Shimon follows his ideology and explains the reasons behind mitzvos, that has halachic ramifications. So, too, the Tur felt that the Rambam by adding an explanation to the mitzvah of peyos was in some way restricting the mitzvah to certain situations. Indeed, the Taz opines, based on the Rambam, that there are certain very limited situations where one can cut off his peyos. The Tur disagrees and rules that no such limitations can be made based on supplying a reason for the mitzvah, especially since it is not found in the Gemara.

There is a machlokes between the Rambam and Rosh about what the prohibition of cutting head peyos actually is. According to the Rambam, the peyos of the head have the same halacha as

peyos of the beard. In whatever fashion one cannot cut the peyos of the beard, with a razor, for example, he may not cut the peyos of the head. The Rosh says that the peyos of the head are more stringent than peyos of the beard. One may not cut them closely, even without a razor. The Shulchan Aruch, while seemingly ruling like the Rambam, urges everyone to follow the Rosh. This is the common custom that we do not cut peyos of the head close to the skin. However, many do not realize that peyos of the head encompass the entire area above the ear and somewhat around it. To comply with the Rosh, you cannot make a nice clean circle around the entire ear. Many barbers like to make a circle. However, the patron should insist that the barber either uses a number 2 guard on the trimmer or use a scissor and not shave that closely in the entire area near the ear. See accompanying pictures.

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail.com.

A common mistake of cutting the hair too close around the ear

Headlines Halacha

Urgent Warning

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

In recent months, our community, yeshivos, shuls, and other mosdos have seen a disturbing rise in cybersecurity attacks targeting both businesses and nonprofit organizations. Several local organizations have already fallen victim, rachmana litzlan, to these sophisticated attacks, resulting in huge financial losses, data breaches, and damaged reputations. This is not a distant threat—it is happening right here, right now, to people and mosdos that we know. We don’t hear about it because no one wants their supporters and/or customers to think that they can’t be trusted.

A Halachic Obligation

Rabbonim should consider emphasizing this message to their congregants. There is a mitzvah to be chas al mammon Yisroel – to protect the financial resources of our community. In today’s world, this mitzvah clearly extends to cybersecurity protection. Everyone has a responsibility to educate their shuls and communities about these modern threats to financial well-being and organizational stability.

What You Need to Know

Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. They are using artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to create very convincing fake emails, messages, and websites that appear legitimate. These attacks are far more sophisticated and more frequent than ever before, significantly more convincing and harder to spot, and potentially more damaging to your organization’s finances and reputation than previous threats.

The Business Email Compromise (BEC) Threat

One of the most common attacks is called Business Email Compromise (BEC). Here’s how it works in simple terms: A hacker sends an email that looks like it’s from someone you know and trust, such as your boss, a vendor, or a donor. The email typically asks for

a payment, a wire transfer, or confidential information. If you respond without properly verifying the request, your organization could lose money or sensitive data.

Essential Steps Every Organization Must Take

1.

Get

Cybersecurity Insurance Immediately

It is potentially negligent and a true pshiyah not to have cybersecurity insurance in today’s digital environment. This insurance is relatively inexpensive compared to the catastrophic costs of a breach. Companies like AmTrust Financial offer these policies, though, of course, I don’t specifically endorse any particular provider. The cost of such insurance is minimal compared to the devastating financial impact a successful cyberattack could have on your organization.

2. Train Your Staff – All Staff

Everyone in your organization needs basic cybersecurity training. This includes teaching staff how to identify suspicious emails, understanding what file attachments are safe to open, knowing

the proper procedures when emails are quarantined by your system, and learning the immediate steps to take if you suspect a hack has occurred. Regular training sessions should be conducted to keep everyone updated on the latest threats and prevention techniques.

3. Slow Down and Be Vigilant

The single most effective defense is simply slowing down and paying careful attention. You should always double and triple-check sender email addresses and look for slight misspellings that might indicate a fraudulent message. When receiving requests for money or information, verify these requests through a different communication channel, such as picking up the phone and calling the supposed sender directly. Be especially suspicious of urgent requests or messages creating pressure to act quickly, as this is a common tactic used by cybercriminals to bypass your normal verification procedures.

4. Take Advantage of Free Resources

Every nonprofit in New York State should apply for the NYS Cybersecurity Grant Program, which is a valuable

funding opportunity designed to help organizations improve their security posture. Additionally, CSI offers free cybersecurity assessments for nonprofits that will identify your specific vulnerabilities and provide detailed recommendations to address each one. Taking advantage of these resources can significantly enhance your organization’s security without straining your budget.

5. Work With Trusted Experts

Invest in a relationship with a reputable IT/cybersecurity consultant who understands your organization’s specific needs. This is not the place to cut corners or seek the lowest bidder. A qualified consultant can provide ongoing monitoring, regular security updates, and immediate response in case of an incident. Their expertise is invaluable in preventing attacks and minimizing damage if a breach does occur.

What To Do If You’ve Been Hacked

If you discover that your organization has been hacked, you must act quickly as every minute counts in limiting the damage. Immediately disconnect any compromised devices from your network to prevent further spread of the attack. Contact your IT provider right away so they can begin containment and recovery procedures. Report the incident to appropriate law enforcement agencies, as they may have resources to help track the perpetrators. Finally, notify any affected parties as required by law, particularly if personal or financial information has been compromised.

Final Warning

The threat is real and growing. AI-powered attacks are increasing exponentially, and no organization is too small to be targeted. The question is not if you will be targeted, but when – and whether you’ll be prepared. Cybercriminals see smaller organizations and nonprofits as particularly attractive targets because they often have fewer security

resources while still handling valuable financial transactions and sensitive data. They also research carefully, and they do these scams all day.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Take action today to protect your organization, your donors, your clients, and your community. The modest investment in security measures now could save you from devastating losses in the future.

Maarei Mekomos

The Origin of Plain Tachrichim

The Gemara in Moed Katan 27b tells us that when Jews were burying their dead in the finest clothing, Rabban Gamliel HaZakein arose and declared that enough was enough. The rising pressures, the “keeping up with the Joneses” in how to dress the deceased, was causing enormous economic pressure on the living. “It must stop,” declared the rabbi, and the tachrichim , burial shrouds, we now use became the norm.

Boycotting Fish

The great Tzemach Tzedek (of 17th century Poland), cited by the Magen Av-

rohom in the beginning of hilchos Shabbos, once ruled (Responsa #28) that when local fishermen collude and raise the price of fish excessively, a prohibition can be levied upon the consumption of fish on Shabbos. It may take a week or two or even three, but eventually the collective buying power of ordinary people would force the price back down.

Obligation Upon Everyone

We will see, however, that it is not

Also, Rashi (Rosh Hashanah 27a) points out that the kohen first removes the vessels from the house before declaring a house impure. We see examples of the Torah being concerned with the financial well-being of the Jewish nation.

For the Public and for Private Individuals

The difference between the two cases is that the former is for the entire nation, while the latter demonstrates that the

The question is not if you will be targeted, but when – and whether you’ll be prepared.

just great Torah leaders who have saved and are concerned for the financial well-being of their fellow Jews. It seems that this is what is expected by the Torah of everyone. The Gemara (Menachos 76a) tells us that Hashem commanded Moshe to also feed the nation’s livestock from the water that He had caused to emanate from the rock at Mei Merivah.

Torah is concerned even for the individual’s finances.

Social Norm and Torah Obligation

The Chasam Sofer on Bava Basra (54b) states that, generally speaking, one can make the assumption that fellow Jews are concerned with the monetary

well-being of their fellow man, and that this assumption has legal ramifications. So we see that it is the normal behavior expected of all Jews. Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, author of the Tur, discusses (in the Choshen Mishpat section of Shulchan Aruch, chapter 35) a person who does not care about Jewish money, and he writes that such a person will, in the future, surely answer for it. The Minchas Chinuch writes that one who is concerned about the preservation of his fellow Jew’s money fulfills the biblical commandment of v’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha, love thy neighbor as yourself (see his commentary on that mitzvah). The clear indication from all these sources is that demonstrating concern for the financial well-being of others is not just a mitzvah; it is an expected social norm with reward for those who do it and punishment for those who do not.

This warning is issued out of concern for all organizations in our community. Please share widely to help protect others.

This article should be viewed as a halachic discussion and not practical advice. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.

As children of survivors, now referred to as the Second Generation, Bob and I never heard our parents’ stories directly from them. Maybe it was because in the early days following their liberation it was not a “thing” to talk about the struggle and the hardships. Mostly, though, we believe it was just too painful to recount and certainly never in front of the “kinder.”

In Israel, this Week of Remembrance has been filled with memorials and oft-repeated stories that we have heard time and time again throughout our lives. It still brings pain and tears every time I see the photos and hear the tales. I will share some of the experiences but thought to begin with what I know of our family.

As children of survivors, we have lived the Holocaust our entire lives. Marrying someone with the same immigrant pedigree reinforced our connection to each other, and our past shared experiences growing up cemented our bond.

Our family’s back story was not the same, and our lives, while parallel, were not similar. We were immigrant children with parents who were “greeners.” Everyone had an accent, and it was not something to be ashamed of. Until I spoke to my friend Reva’s father at the age of 24, I had never spoken to a contemporary’s parents who didn’t speak with one.

I know very little about my parents’

School of Thought

Yom HaShoah in Israel

By Barbara Deutsch

early lives before or even after the war; no one in our immediate or even large extended family shared. I do know that Lea and Harry, Baba and Zayda, both grew up in small Polish towns. Lea came from a large family of nine. Three died of natural causes. Her mother, Bubba Tzivia, and six siblings survived the war. Harry had two sisters and a mother, Bubba Ruchel, who also lived. Both their fathers died before the war, forcing the families to scramble in order to eat.

Right before the Nazis invaded Poland, the Russians sort of saved them by offering to send them to Siberia. I do not know so I cannot describe the rhythm of their lives save for what I was told, heard, saw in the movies, or read about. It was intensely cold, the labor was bone-crushing, and disease and starvation prevailed; my mother got what was referred to as brain fever, lost her hair, and lived in a fog. It was better than the Germans’ treatment but no party.

After the war, I don’t know how they were each rescued. A concerned family member set them up; Harry and Lea entered into a loveless relationship that endured for almost 70 years. Many young singles, orphaned by the Holocaust, found themselves in similar circumstances.

My in-laws, from Hungary, endured a different kind of hell. Edith (Anyu) and her mother were taken to Auschwitz

where her mother was exterminated, my mother-in-law was sent to harsh labor, and her dad and brother were sent to different labor camps. They each survived the war with their own stories to share.

Emery was separated from his three brothers (Yoki, Sandor and Bubby, a family pet name). Emery (Apu) was hiding in a group home for the mentally ill when his brother Yoki, passing as a German soldier (nose job and Aryan features), ripped him from his hiding place and threw him down the stairs, and that is when Yoki finally revealed himself.

Bubby died at age 21; he was trying to come home for chag. He stepped on a land mine as he tried to escape a labor camp. That’s the family lore. We don’t know his secular name, only his Torah one, Yisroel Dov. We named our son after him so that Apu’s lost brother would have a legacy.

Three brothers survived: the two older ones stayed in Communist Hungary and lived their own very secular lives. Emery, maintaining the Torah traditions, went looking for his long-lost beloved Edith. When she was taken away, she wrote on a scrap of paper informing Emery of her planned whereabouts after the war. Edith threw the paper from her wagon to be miraculously retrieved by an acquaintance who later gave it to Emery. They enjoyed a 70-year-long beautiful relationship.

I was born in a Displaced Person’s Camp in Germany (DP). It’s somehow ironic that when we filed for aliyah, I had no trouble ($300) getting an apostille stamped birth certificate from the well-organized German bureaucracy. We were supposed to emigrate to Israel, but relatives wrote describing conditions that were horrific: rats, enemy Arabs, and no food. The Israeli aunts and uncles, on both sides, recommended that we switch our plans and go to America.

Bob was born during a stopover in the United States on the family’s way to life in South America; his mom was seven months pregnant when they left Hungary. Bob’s birth and automatic American citizenship ensured a spot for him and his mother in the land of the free.

This is where our stories begin to converge.

Bob and I both found ourselves growing up in adjacent Brooklyn ghettos. We lived alongside the many scarred Jews determined at whatever cost to provide a “better” life for their children and themselves. All survivors soon figured out that they needed to pack up their memories of the horrors and get to work. When you figured out the system, worked dawn to deep into the night, some six, too many 7, days a week and held two or even three jobs, you could make it.

A survivor knew how to save each

dollar. My dad had about seven bank accounts for prizes you got when you opened an account. Plus, he didn’t trust anyone; banks fail, you know.

Having large families was payback; the survivors denied themselves even small luxuries, like new shoes, so that their kids would not want for anything.

I grew up in a core family of five with a large extended family of aunts, uncles, and real and “fake” cousins; it was glorious. Bob was an only child with a very small family. His uncles and aunts only came to America after the Hungarian Revolution in 1956; we dubbed them 56ers.

Even though both our families were “ greene ,” we felt privileged and much loved. We were always so proud to be a part of that immigrant world. As the years passed, they still didn’t talk. Both sides refused to be interviewed by Spielberg for his Shoah Project or speak at the yearly Holocaust commemorations in our neighborhood.

When our twin grandsons Yoav and Jakob were sophomores in high school, they went with their laptops with us to Florida and interviewed Anyu and Apu for a school project.

Our son-in-law Jonathan also interviewed them for a paper he was doing on immigration.

That’s how we know the little that we do.

Edith went to Auschwitz for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of liberation; she did not speak. Edith said goodbye to her mother. During his retirement years, Emery volunteered as a docent and guide at Miami Holocaust Museum.

This Pesach, our grandson took his two

As educators in yeshivot , the “Yoms” were always a big deal. Nothing prepared me for what it means in Israel. The country stops, remembers, honors and cries.

On Sunday night, we heard the story of Irene Sendler, the Polish hero who smuggled ostensibly sick babies out of the Warsaw Ghetto. We watched the documentary Passage to Sweden about the

The country stops, remembers, honors and cries.

girls, named for my mother and Bob’s great-grandmother, to find their names on the memorial slabs – fourth generation.

We put the dishes away and the tears started to roll. Actually, this whole Pesach, I have been missing the precious presence of our parents. We were lucky to have our parents who lived into their nineties; survivors are made of tough “scoirah” (fabric), yet we miss them more and more with the passing of each year.

Jews of Norway, Sweden and Denmark, highlighting the heroic sacrifices and courage of Raul Wallenberg who saved 100,000 Hungarian Jews. We listened with tight throats and hearts to the Yiddish songs of my childhood: “Uffin Pripochik,” “Rozinkis mit Mandlin” and more.

Stores and entertainment venues closed on Yom HaShoah. All Israel sat glued to their screens watching the trib -

utes at Yad Vashem. Most extraordinary was standing in silence at precisely 10:00 a.m. on the huge Nefesh B’Nefesh terrace when the siren went off.

When my Israeli great-niece worked on a family genealogy project, she looked to me for answers to family questions that I do not have. In our family, no one talked about it. Her questions got me wondering if this silence may have been more pervasive. Was it the same for you?

I am embarking on an investigation of that question: Did anyone in your family survive the Holocaust? Did they talk about it? Explain. Please send your responses to BDeutsch26@gmail.com to open the discussion.

I looked up at the pure blue of the sky and saw Baba and Zayda, Anyu and Apu smiling proudly that their sacrifice made it possible for us to be Israelis.

Barbara Deutsch is the former associate principal at HANC, middle school principal at Kushner, and Dean of Students at Yeshiva of Flatbush. A not-retired educator, she is trying to figure out life in Israel through reflections on navigating the dream of aliyah as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.

My Israel Home

In Honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut

We Were Like Dreamers

By Gedaliah Borvick

Recently, I attended a bris in Efrat and parked my car on Shivat Tzion Street. This seemingly mundane moment, which could have taken place in any number of cities across Israel as the street name Shivat Tzion is ubiquitous, led me to reflect on a powerful phenomenon we have been witnessing: the surge of interest from Jews living abroad to reconnect with Israel.

Shivat Tzion, meaning “Return to Zion,” draws upon the powerful biblical narrative of the Jewish people’s return to Israel from Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of the Second Temple. The phrase originates from Psalms 126, a chapter recited before Birkat Hamazon on Shabbat and joyous occasions, celebrating the joyous return to Zion.

The historical and spiritual weight of this phrase has transcended generations and has found new meaning in multiple modern contexts. For instance, many streets in Israel are named to honor ships that played critical roles in the clandestine Aliyah Bet operations before, during, and after the Holocaust. One such ship was the Shivat Tzion, which, in 1947, unsuccessfully attempted to evade the British Naval Forc-

es and bring 411 Jewish refugees to Eretz Yisrael. Today, the spirit of Shivat Tzion lives on, not only in street names but also through the wonderful organization Shivat Tzion that assists olim from Western Europe, the UK and Latin America.

Since October 7, we have seen a notable increase in Jews from abroad seeking to return to Israel. While they represent a

ranging from buying a permanent home to move into, to purchasing a holiday apartment, to making an investment, to having an “anchor” in Israel for their family. Whatever the motive, many Jews worldwide are yearning to get a “piece of the rock.”

What’s driving most people’s decisions is the rise of antisemitism in formerly safe places like the U.S. and Canada – some -

Whatever the motive, many Jews worldwide are yearning to get a “piece of the rock.”

relatively small fraction of the Jewish diaspora, the numbers are significant enough to suggest that we may be witnessing a pivotal moment in Jewish history.

What stands out is the wide-ranging diversity of those people who have reached out, such as rabbinic leaders, medical professionals, MBAs, PhDs, and high-tech people. Similarly, the age range is broad and includes singles, young families, mid-lifers and retirees. Finally, their goals are varied,

thing many thought they’d never witness in their lifetime. Perhaps more upsetting than the repulsive anti-Israel demonstrations has been the world’s response, or lack of response, to these rallies and to Hamas’ unspeakable atrocities. In response to these actions and global reactions, many grandchildren of Holocaust survivors have shared with me their grandparents’ harrowing words, “I have seen this before. Get out of this country and move to Israel.”

These grandchildren have explained their grandparents’ belief that, unlike previous periods of discomfort where tensions eventually subsided, this time might be different. Once antisemitism is exposed, it cannot easily be masked again. At best, it will lurk just beneath the surface; at worst, it will manifest itself in old and new ways. Thankfully, this story has a promising ending. For the first time in 2,000 years, we have a sovereign State of Israel and a military to protect us. Unlike in the past, Israel’s borders are wide open to welcome Jews back to their homeland from all four corners of the earth. Here, in the land where our two Temples once stood and where the third and eternal Beis Hamikdash will be built, Jews have a safe haven. This reality is nothing short of miraculous, and we eagerly await the opportunity to welcome all Jews with open arms.

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.

Shivat Tzion Street

The Wandering Jew Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo & Montenegro

Part III

The ferry from Fierza to Komani took two and a half hours, but it was a most delightful cruise. The waters of Lake Komani were calm; the surrounding scenery of lush, green hills framed by tall, craggy mountains was stunning. Sitting on the sunny deck with a light cool breeze was the height of comfort and relaxation. We sat mostly outside and went down into the cabin only to buy drinks and eat our lunch. This unplanned segment of our trip turned into a highlight of pure pleasure.

We arrived in Komani at 3:30 p.m. and proceeded driving towards Shkoder. Within a few miles, we were greeted by the road that the border guard warned us about the previous day. I do not think I have ever driven over such a dilapidated and dangerous road in my lifetime! For over twenty miles, the road is a combination of gravel, dust and broken asphalt with multitudes of potholes. There were no guardrails along the mountainside with frightening cliffs and drops of hundreds of feet. There were passages where barely one car can drive along, though the road is made for two-way traffic. In short, it was a scary experience which I am glad that I am still around to write about.

We arrived in Shkoder and were thrilled by the pleasant hotel room that I

booked. We ate in the garden surrounded by trees and flowers. We went out to see the town in the evening with stores and restaurants that were open for the tourist trade. We had a lovely time exploring the shops and watching the people.

Friday morning, before leaving Shkoder, we made a stop at the Venice Art Mask Factory, the world’s largest Venetian and masquerade mask supplier. The array of masks mostly made of paper mâché are of exceptional quality and creativity. We had a lots of fun browsing amongst the

hundreds of styles and colors that were available. Yes, we did buy one!

The drive from Shkoder, Albania, to Podgorica, Montenegro, was just over an hour, but the border crossing took a good half-hour. We rented a very comfortable apartment for three nights but had to rent another room in a hotel for Shabbos, to be near Chabad, a bit outside of the city, where we planned to go for davening and the seudos. Somehow, we had not realized how far Chabad was from our apartment. Hotel Laguna was a bit old-fashioned, but

it was inexpensive and served our purposes very well.

We walked over to Chabad before candle lighting and met the Chabad shliach, Rabbi Ari Edelkopf. Rav Ari’s background included receiving semicha from the Chabad Rabbinical College in Morristown, NJ. He was also the Chief Rabbi in Sochi, Russia, from 2001 through 2017. Afterwards, in 2017, he came as a shliach to Montenegro. When we met him, it was August of 2019. The following October, he was officially recognized as the Chief Rabbi of Montenegro. The Jewish community of Montenegro is very small with about 500 Jews in the entire country, the majority of them residing in Podgorica. Rav Ari greeted us and introduced us to his rebbetzin, Chana, and five of their eight children. We left the more in-depth conversation for the seudah. There was no minyan on Friday night, but there were many participants at Kabbalas Shabbos and even more at the seudah. There we were joined by an Israeli mother with two girls, an Israeli father with, sadly, his non-Jewish family, a Yemenite father with his son, two single girls from Israel, and a young, chassidishe family from Meah Shearim with three girls and a son – indeed a very eclectic group, including us. The seudah was inspiring

The ferry on Lake Komani

The treacherous mountainside road from Komani to Shkoder

Our view of Lake Komani

with zemiros and divrei Torah, and the conversation which followed everyone introducing themselves was stimulating. The evening went on for over four hours! Since I realized that there would not be a minyan the next morning, I davened and read the Chumash at our hotel. Rav

to talk at length with the rabbi. Many of yesterday’s participants joined the Shabbos day seudah along with another family. After the meal, we then walked back to our hotel for a long Shabbos nap, before returning for Mincha, Shalosh Seudos, Maariv and havdalah.

There were no guardrails along the mountainside with frightening cliffs and drops of hundreds of feet.

Ari told us that many of his regulars were on vacation and having a minyan at this time of the year is touch-and-go. We went to Chabad before noon and had a chance

After Havdalah, the young, chassidishe father, who owns a kosher phone store in his Meah Shearim neighborhood, approached me with a question. He told me that his son noticed at the seudah that one of the Israeli men was using his cell phone, and he questioned his father how that was possible on Shabbos. He asked me how he could explain that man’s actions to his young son. I gave the father an explanation that he could use to mollify his son. I told him to explain to his son that many people grew up without the knowledge and experience of kedushas Shabbos and do not understand which behavior is right or wrong. I further told him to tell his son that the person’s pres-

ence at the Shabbos seudah was an indication that he wants to learn more and enhance his Shabbos observance. The father was satisfied with my approach.

On Sunday, we went on an outing to visit Kotor. The road to Kotor was an experience in and of itself. Sheer beauty! Kotor is one of the best-preserved medieval towns on the Adriatic Sea. Its charm is in a way similar to the charisma of the small towns in Italy, with small plazas surrounded by small buildings. The cobblestoned, winding streets are lined with boutiques, and there is an historic fortress overlooking the town. We took a walking tour which was excellent but had to skip a number of stops at noted churches.

Monday was our final morning in Montenegro. Though Podgorica did not offer any special sights, we felt we should spend an hour or two in the nation’s capital. We walked around the city center and took some photos. Actually, it was a very enjoyable self-guided walking tour. We then headed back to our hotel to check out. We were flying to Vienna where we would stay overnight. We had been in Vienna a number of times, and our main reason for this stopover was to visit my cousin, Debby Lieber, her husband Zwicky, and their lovely children.

We were away for twenty days during this trip: ten days in Poland and the other days in Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro. Being away for a long period of time does present us with challenges but what we gain from our travels well overrides these concerns.

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.

With Chabad Rabbi Ari Edelkopf in Podgorica, Montenegro

Pesi with two Israeli girls at Chabad Montenegro

At the factory in Shkoder that makes masks for tourists of Venice

Old buildings in Shkoder

castle on the way to Kotor

Walking the narrow streets of Kotor

The entrance to the walled city of Kotor

A Soldier’S SearchMeaningfor

BY dA n Schw A rtz

“What do you mean the border fence is gone?” the officer almost yelled into the telephone. “I want you to be more specific. Where is the hole? Is the upper part torn up? Or has the fence been cut down near the ground?”

The patrol leader reiterated his story calmly, as if he were talking to an idiot.

“We received a report that one of the fence’s touch sensors had gone off. We asked the people at the CCTV tower to scan the area and tell us if everything’s alright. They said it was, but we came over to have a look – just to play it safe. We saw that a twenty-meter [just over sixty-five feet] section of the Gaza Border Fence had completely disappeared: gone top-to-bottom; poles, wires, and all.”

The officer promptly started yelling at everyone within earshot to scram. Nightclothed soldiers stumbled out of the lounge in their flip flop-covered feet, cursing Hamas for interrupting the Champions League match they had been busy watching – and just minutes after one team had scored a tremendous goal, leaving the viewers hungry for more!

The last time Hamas had blasted such a large hole in the border fence had been on October 7, 2023. A few minutes later, the attackers had reached the small border-side base we were now quartered in. Almost a dozen soldiers had been killed, and the rest found themselves besieged in the dining hall, as Hamas terrorists over-

ran the nearby kibbutzim that the base was supposed to protect, butchering and abducting their now-defenseless inhabitants. While the physical traces of the battle had all been cleaned up months ago, the scars remained. The border towns remained eerily empty. Some of their residents were dead, a few were still held hostage in Gaza, and most of the rest could not bring themselves to return to their old homes.

We had met multiple survivors during our two-month stint on base.

There was that civilian who kept wandering into the restricted zone by the border. He would climb one of the steep defensive firing positions and look intently into Gaza, as if he expected to find some precious lost object hidden among the empty fields and damaged buildings. Or the tall, redheaded veteran who returned to bless “HaGomel” at our mess hall, where he had nearly lost his life some sixteen months earlier. Then there was our jeep driver, a young conscript who had spent his whole military career in the district – whose manner was too grave for a twenty-yearold. He should have been there on October 7, but he had happened to exchange shifts with a friend – and now carried the burden of knowing that he was alive because his friend was dead.

We all thought of those stories as we rushed to put on our uniform, grab our gear, and head to our bat-

tle stations. We didn’t know what was coming, but at least this time we would be ready for it. Within minutes, the emergency response team was roaring towards the border in its huge, armored vehicle. Its backup squad was climbing into its Humvee, ready to depart at a moment’s notice. Additional teams were forming by the minute. Officers and men converged on the operations room, waiting for the latest news.

The news, once it came, was underwhelming. A review of the CCTV footage showed that one of the IDF’s own huge, armored D-9 bulldozers was the culprit. The video showed it driving along the road that ran parallel to the border fence, before it suddenly veered off, tore up a section of the fence, and then continued on its way. Further research demonstrated that the dozer had veered off just as Real Madrid had scored its goal in the Champions League match. The mystery had been solved. The driver of the D-9 had clearly been watching the match on his phone and had gotten so excited by the goal that had temporarily lost control of his vehicle. Our patrol soon ran into the culprit, still trailing a massive tangle of metal poles and barbed wire, and still completely oblivious of the massive damage he had done.

So that was that. We would have been livid, only the situation was way too comical. One soldier muttered something about the army being such a joke, that our surviving despite it must be proof

that Hashem is watching over us. One sergeant urged us, with a twinkle in his eye, to look at things from the other side’s perspective:

“Now imagine you are the Hamas guy who is watching this whole clown show. You are probably thinking that the IDF is planning some massive attack and has punched a hole in the fence so that tons of tanks could rumble through as easily as possible. Because there is absolutely no way the Jews would be dumb enough to punch a whacking big hole in their own multi-billion-dollar fence for no reason at all, right? Right?!”

The recital was greeted with a ripple of laughter. Then, having made the most of our sole exciting moment, we all relapsed into the morose lethargy that had characterized our tour of duty. At least since the ceasefire came into effect.

The first two weeks of my unit’s tour, before the ceasefire, were meaningful. And at least somewhat interesting. They involved multiple raids into Gaza, including one mega-operation, on the very eve of the ceasefire, where a soldier’s body had been recovered. That soldier had been killed back in the 2014 war, and, ten years later, his family finally got closure. Then came the ceasefire. We were reduced to patrolling the Israeli side of the border, as well as a half-mile exclusion zone on the other side. Whenever a Gazan

One of the unit’s tanks during a predawn cross-border operation in Gaza

approached the exclusion zone, our patrol would race up to one of the tall earth mounds that formed our firing positions and shoot off a couple of warning rounds. But we were powerless to intervene with what went on beyond that half-mile line. We watched as Hamas set up a network of spy cameras just beyond our range, and as gangs of men planted IEDs – improvised explosive devices that threatened to blow us to bits if we ever passed that way again. A mile further back, in the city of Khan Younis, armed Hamas gunmen paraded the streets triumphantly, demonstrating to the whole world that they were still very much in charge.

During the first couple of weeks, we would still watch angrily as Hamas came up with new, creative ways to humiliate and terrorize its hostages before finally releasing them – and then we would promptly celebrate as soon as the newly-freed Israelis would cross the border. But our anger and disgust were soon dulled – we realized that there was no point in getting all worked up over something we could not control. Until that one time it became personal.

Hamas had returned the bodies of four of its victims a few hours earlier, and the men in my unit could not stop texting about it. When I opened our group WhatsApp chat, I saw a couple of pictures, followed by a series of unprintable comments. There was something familiar about those pictures. Then it suddenly hit me. I recognized the place where Hamas had held its gruesome ceremony. We had been there on an earlier tour of duty, just thirteen months ago. In fact, we had even spent one night digging up the fringes of a nearby cemetery, because Intelligence said that the bodies of some murdered hostages had probably been buried there. Our nocturnal mission had failed, but Intelligence had probably been right. The four bodies that Hamas had just returned were probably buried there the whole time.

Now, more than a year later, those unnamed victims we had searched for suddenly had names, faces, and families. Those families had gone through a year of hell, not knowing whether their loved ones were alive or dead. A little bit of extra digging and luck could have saved them all that anguish. It could have saved the whole country from paying an exorbitant price to recover those bodies, and it would have spared us all a gruesome and humiliating Hamas ceremony.

Thinking of that first wartime tour, that ended just a few days after the failed search for the bodies, necessarily left us

feeling a bit cheated. Back then, we had felt that we were doing something useful. We had defended the Lebanese border during those early, anxious days, when the whole country was expecting Hezbollah to launch a devastating cross-border attack. We had then spent months fighting Hamas in Gaza City and Khan Younis. It was by no means a pleasant experience, but it had felt meaningful. Now, we were doing nothing. And, even worse, we knew it.

True, we did cross the border every so often to guard gangs of sappers as they uncovered and destroyed Hamas tunnels. That mission was very important, on paper. But the very fact that the army had not bothered destroying those tunnels for the first fifteen months of the war made us feel that maybe those operations did not really matter after all.

To us, that sense of meaning was all-important. After all, we were no bunch of conscripts, who had nothing better to do than just wait for their term of service to expire.

We were reservists – civilians with military training who were occasionally called up for tours of duty. Going on tour meant leaving our homes, spouses, and children. It meant taking a break from our jobs, perhaps in the middle of an intense, high-stakes project. It meant quitting university two weeks before crucial exams. And we wanted to know that we were not making all those sacrifices for nothing.

Even at the best of times, reserve duty involves striking a delicate balance between one’s duty to his family, workplace, and country. And the system takes that into account. Yes, reserve duty is nominally mandatory – but in practice, it is about as obligatory as jury duty in the U.S. It is generally enough to merely tell your commander that you can’t make it, for whatever reason. The officer might argue or try to guilt you into coming, but

at the end of the day, he knows that you are the best judge of your own situation, and so he’d let you make the final call.

In our case, that reserve duty/life balance had been shattered long ago. We had spent almost half of the past sixteen months under arms. We had patrolled the Lebanese border, fought in Gaza, and raided terrorists’ homes in Samaria. And now we were exhausted and sick of it all.

Many of us felt that our lives were almost unravelling. One sergeant complained that reserve duty was putting an unbearable strain on his marriage. If the army called him up for another tour of duty, he probably would not have a home to return to by the time it were over.

One of my companions, a self-employed mortgage broker, kept his business afloat by working remotely during his off-duty hours. It was exhausting, both physically and mentally. But somehow, he made it work.

I was one of the lucky ones. As a young, unmarried student, I had no family or workplace obligations to worry about. But my whole academic schedule was thrown off course. I tried attending lectures on Zoom, but my internet connection was too inconsistent. I tried studying whenever I had some time off, but I was too tired and brain-dead to make any progress. Still, I knew that a couple of months of intense studying would be enough for me to bounce back.

But the less fortunate of my companions took heavy, irreversible hits. One young officer reckoned that reserve duty had cost his family business some six figures in missed income and growth opportunities. And that was after he was able to mitigate his losses by taking extra leave and working remotely!

I asked him why he did not just skip this tour of duty and rejoin the unit next time. His answer fascinated and surprised me.

“I am inspired by the people around

me. Every one of us has a valid reason for not showing up, and yet we are all here,” he said. “Wherever you turn, you see people who gave up a lot to be here. There’s Benny, the expat who took a couple of weeks off work and flew over from France to serve. There’s Nathan, who smashed his leg in a workplace accident a few months ago and still does his rehab exercises when off duty. Refael, whose wife let him rejoin us just after she gave birth. And then you have all those guys who are in their forties, and even fifties. They could retire from duty, but they choose to show up anyway – on the grounds that, even though the army might exempt them, their conscience would not.

“At the end of the day,” he added, “it is all about what you prioritize. If you put yourself first, you would find a way to stay at home. But if you put Am Yisrael first, you’d do your best to show up – even if you could only afford to join the unit for a few days here or there.”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that, at least to a certain extent, we all shared his perspective. Each of us knew that the people around him were doing their best. Some of us might be able to come for the full three months of the tour, others for a few days only; and that was okay. Each man knew that he couldn’t judge his companion’s contribution, only appreciate it.

But just as we appreciated each other’s sacrifices, we expected the IDF to appreciate ours. If we were going to leave everything behind to fight and potentially die for our country, we demanded that the military give us everything we needed to do our job as efficiently and safely as possible. And sadly, we all felt that was not the case.

After two frustrating months, we finally decided to take the matter up with the lieutenant colonel who commanded our battalion. The officer listened patiently as, one by one, each soldier poured forth his grievances. One man complained that he could not get Logistics to replace his old, falling-apart boots. Others complained that we were so badly equipped, they had to go into Gaza with rifles that lacked modern scopes. The officer listened carefully and then replied sadly that he would try to alleviate the situation, but there was little he could do about it.

“As far as the IDF is concerned” he pointed out, “I command a battalion of tanks. Never mind the fact that I am in charge of all you infantrymen, too. So,

During a morning patrol

100 when it comes to getting gear that is infantry-specific, I am at the bottom of the military pecking order.”

It made sense. After all, the war had put a terrible strain on military logistics. Demand for armaments far outpaced the supplies, and so the quartermasters had to be extremely selective about what gear they allocated to which unit. And why would an army quartermaster hand out dozens of rifle scopes on an armored battalion to be wasted on tank crews who barely used their rifles anyway?

But it was still extremely frustrating.

I shot out at the battalion commander: “This is deeply unserious. I had just flown over from the States for this tour of duty. Had I known the situation was so bad, I would’ve bought a dozen scopes back there and brought them over with me.”

I knew that my outburst was pointless and unfair. The lieutenant colonel was doing his best, after all.

But before that officer had a chance to answer, a tired-looking junior officer spoke up: “We already tried importing gear. Customs seized it all. The only way is to work with authorized importers, and they are expensive.”

The battalion commander went on to explain that our little infantry company wasn’t the only victim of the logistical nightmare that characterized the wartime IDF.

“You know, a good many of my tanks aren’t any good either. And the only way to get anything fixed is to tell the higher-ups that the situation is so bad that we cannot carry out the missions they task us with. Otherwise, they just tell us to make do with what we’ve got.”

He added that he weighs each mission’s importance against the risk of embarking on it in our under-equipped state. Occasionally, he digs his heels in and refuses to go unless some critical issue is fixed, but at the end of the day, we are here to protect Israel, not quarrel with Logistics over defective gear.

At the time, we grudgingly accepted his reasoning. But the gear issues kept piling up. And even when Logistics tried to help, it only seemed to make things worse. Our Negev machine gunners demanded specialized vests that would allow them to balance the weight of all the copious ammo they had to carry, and our platoon sergeants had spent days begging and cajoling until Logistics agreed to send a shipment of the coveted gear. But when the vests finally arrived, the gunners took one disgusted look and declared that their old uncomfortable, fraying vests were actually good enough,

thank you very much.

It seemed that one of those Logistics officers took the gunners’ rejection of his vests personally – because, when we requested to swap out our old rucksacks, Logistics agreed, but with one condition: we would have to accept the replacement rucksacks, whatever the quality. And Logistics positively refused to guarantee that those new, replacement rucksacks would be any better than our twentyyear-old, decaying ones.

The platoon sergeant, who had been tasked with the thankless job of negotiating with Logistics on our behalf, was quick to share his disgust with us.

“I vote,” he suggested bitterly, in between puffs of his e-cigarette, “I vote that we take all those useless, smelly, falling-apart rucksacks that this sorry, good-for-nothing excuse of a battalion got us and pile them up right in the middle of the parade ground. And then burn the lot. Or we could all sign a petition, demanding to be transferred to another unit.”

His proposal seemed crazy at first,

few months, before they call us up again, figuring things out. We’ll find a way to get what we need by the next time.”

We nodded our heads in gloomy agreement. We all knew he was right but wished he were not. Deep inside, we all wanted to vent our pent-up frustration.

Our mixed feelings continued right up to the very end. Israel finally resumed largescale operations in Gaza just as our tour was ending. We debriefed and then disbanded a couple of weeks later without firing a shot.

Had that frustrating tour been a complete waste of time? Many of us were not willing to argue against that idea. But on the other hand, every one of us knew that he would be back next time.

But why?

As is often the case, it took an outsider to put our feelings into words.

It was during one of our nights off that Rabbi Menachem Kalmanzon, one

there was always the risk of them being hit by friendly fire. But the Kalmanzons went in anyway.

After hours of rescuing terrified, halfcrazed locals, the Kalmanzons realized that they were too exhausted to continue. But then a frantic civilian called, begging that they go back in one final time to rescue a stranded relative. And so, with Menachem navigating, Elchanan drove back in. They rescued the civilian, but the calls kept coming. And the worn-out rescuers, every bit as scared as the people whom they were going to rescue, kept driving back into the killing zone despite their better judgement. After sixteen hours and a hundred rescued civilians, the law of numbers finally caught up with them. Elchanan was gunned down by a waiting terrorist, and Menachem was badly wounded.

My mates and I listened in awed silence. I wanted to ask the obvious question but knew I had no right too. It was up to Menachem to decide what he wanted to share.

“If you put yourself first, you would find a way to stay at home. But if you put Am Yisrael first, you’d do your best to show up.”

As if he could read my thoughts, Menachem went on to answer my unasked question: did he regret going back into Be’eri for that final, tragic time?

The answer was no. True, from a narrow gain/loss perspective, that ride had been both tragic and pointless. Elchanan had been killed, Menachem had been wounded, and the poor civilian whom they had set out to rescue had remained trapped at home.

But Menachem saw the bigger picture.

but the logic behind it was sound. The sergeant explained that some sort of blowup was inevitable, and it was up to us to decide when we wanted it. We could wait for a soldier to twist his ankle while scrambling through the ruins of Gaza in his poorly shod feet, for the straps of a decaying rucksack to snap at the worst possible moment, or for a machine-gunner to throw his back as he charges the enemy because of a bad vest. Or we could force a crisis now. It would be unpleasant, but it would force the higher-ups to fix the problem now, before we go back to fight.

We listened without saying a word. There was no arguing with the sergeant’s logic, but we felt deeply uncomfortable with his proposal. Finally, it was the sergeant who broke the silence.

“It’s no good,” he said quietly. “You cannot bring yourself to cause trouble and, to be honest, neither can I. We came here to do our duty, not fight the system. Besides, our tour ends in a few weeks anyhow. We’ll just spend the next

of the civilian heroes of October 7, came to share his story with us.

He told us how Elchanan, his older brother, along with his nephew and himself, decided to head down south as soon as they heard the news of Hamas’ attack. They had no idea what they were going to do, but they felt they needed to do something. “Something” involved sneaking past a roadblock the army had thrown up to cordon off the fighting zone, recovering a rifle from a wounded soldier, and finally arriving at the border-side Kibbutz Be’eri, just as IDF commandos were fighting their way through its streets. They could not help with the fighting, so they begged the local commander to lend them an armored vehicle. Their idea was to drive into the fighting zone and try to rescue civilians who might still be trapped in there. The commander warned them against it. It was too risky, he said. If they ran into trouble, they would be on their own. He would not be able to send any soldiers to pull them out. Besides,

“Of course, I miss my brother dearly. But I miss him so much because of the special man he was. Because no matter how scared and exhausted we all were, he decided to keep going in. Wishing we had stopped earlier means wishing that my brother were not the man he was.”

As I looked around me, I saw that my mates were clearly all thinking the same thing. Rabbi Menachem was right. We could not control the wider world, and so we should not measure our actions by their objective impact on the world around us.

What had our long, frustrating tour of duty achieved? Absolutely nothing. But it still mattered. Because it reflected a willingness to sacrifice, to put Am Yisrael first. And, without that selfless mindset, the Jewish people would not have been able to maintain a century and a half of struggle for the land of Israel. Perhaps more importantly, that mindset is, and has always been, a critical part of who we are as a People.

And thank G-d for that.

IBaruch Levine Singer by Night, Rebbi by Day

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

t was over two decades ago, but Baruch Levine remembers it like it was just yesterday. He and his future wife were out on a date when he casually mentioned that he enjoyed composing songs.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“Well, when singers release albums, they write some of their songs, but usually, most songs are written by other people,” Baruch explained. “So, sometimes, I write songs and other people sing them.”

Indeed, as a yeshiva bachur, Baruch had already made his mark on the Jewish music industry. Shortly after he finished high school, he wrote “Chasof” (ki aricha lanu hayishua), a song made famous by Yaakov Shwekey. He also composed a few songs for Abie Rotenberg, Yisroel Williger, and others. Though he wasn’t yet famous, his talent

In His Words…

as a composer was quickly recognized by producers and artists.

“Huh, that’s interesting,” she responded.

The two continued to chat as they strolled around New York City’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. Just then, they passed a piano. She turned to the instrument and then to him.

“Can you compose a song right now?” she asked.

Most composers wouldn’t be able to spontaneously write a song. After all, it’s a creative act; an art, not a science. And yet, Baruch Levine sat down at the piano, his date watching him. And, on the spot, he wrote a beautiful song that he would later release: “Elokai Neshama.”

Whenever i perform, i daven that hashem should be proud and that the people should be proud.

i think when songs go viral today, they’re hot, and then they’re not. abie Rotenberg always says that a song shouldn’t be judged by how hot it comes out of the oven but how warm it stays.

The best advice i’ve ever received was: ‘When you go away for a concert or event and you go to a hotel, you leave the next morning. you go back to your family on the first flight out. you’re making a parnassah, and it’s a wonderful thing. But this is not where you belong. you belong with your wife, you belong with your children, your chavrusas, your minyanim. Don’t linger.’

Baruch’s love for music stretches back to his childhood. As a young boy, his parents recognized that he was a natural pianist. He learned piano so quickly that it seemed as though his keyboard skills improved every time he passed by the instrument.

Notably, the young boy had another major talent that he put to work: singing.

Growing up in Toronto, Baruch lived a few blocks away from his mentor Abie Rotenberg, a legendary songwriter and singer. At age 12, Baruch contributed vocals to several Abie Rotenberg songs, including the iconic song, “Hamalach.”

Eventually, Baruch discovered that his musical talents extended beyond singing and playing the keyboard. One day, young Baruch found himself in his basement, fiddling around on the small keyboard his parents had gifted him. Suddenly, his father interrupted his playing.

“What song are you playing, Baruch?” his father asked. “I’ve never heard that before.”

The young boy looked up at his father.

“Neither have I,” Baruch replied.

That kicked off the next stage in Baruch’s musical journey. He began to flourish as a songwriter, composing song after song.

Fast forward to his adulthood, and even after he got married and started learning in Mir Yerushalayim, he continued composing songs for other artists. Generally, after writing a song, Baruch would record a demo of it with his own voice for producers.

“When I would send these demos out, producers would listen. And they would say, ‘Baruch, you have a nice voice. You can develop it. You don’t need to sell songs. Why don’t you put your own album out?’” he recalls.

And so, he did. In 2006, Baruch Levine released his debut album, Vezakeini, fea-

turing several songs that would become classics in Jewish homes around the world.

And the rest is history.

* * *

A few years ago, Baruch Levine and Yaakov Shwekey performed a concert together. After the show, Baruch, proud of his performance, sat backstage, opened up a sefer, and learned for a while. Suddenly, he heard a young boy’s voice coming from outside his room.

“Where’s Baruch Levine? Someone take me to Baruch Levine!” the boy exclaimed. Then, Baruch’s door opened, and the boy waltzed in. With a camera hanging from his neck and a pencil and paper in his hand, the kid approached the musician. Baruch instantly felt flattered. Here this kid was, Baruch thought, scouring the concert hall for him just to get an autograph and selfie. What an honor.

“Hi, are you Baruch Levine?” the boy asked.

“Yeah,” Baruch answered.

“Great! Can you take me to Shwekey?” Baruch quips, “There’s nothing like a good humbling experience.”

Arguably, the most unique thing about Baruch Levine, as far as his celebrity image is concerned, is that he’s no less “ordinary” than his fans. When Baruch started crafting his first album, he visited Yossi Green, one of the greatest Jewish composers of our time, and played some songs for him. Yossi Green gave the young musician encouragement and complimented Baruch’s songs. But then, Baruch recalls Yossi Green adding one bit of brutally honest feedback: “But…I don’t think you’re going to make it in the industry.”

“He was saying that as a compliment,” Baruch explains. “He told me, ‘You’re just a normal guy. You weren’t off the derech and then on the derech. You don’t have a story

Despite his fame and talent, Baruch considers himself a non-celebrity. And that is true in a way. He doesn’t have your typical celebrity’s dramatic, largerthan-life stage presence. But that’s not a weakness. Rather, that’s one of his greatest strengths. Baruch Levine is relatable. He’s approachable. Most of all, he’s humble. He’s real.

That blend — that combination of humility and fame — also helps him a great deal with his other job. While he performs at night, Baruch works as a fifth-grade rebbi during the day.

“I was a rebbi in Waterbury, Beis Medrash, for three years. And I’ve been a rebbi in Yeshiva Ketana for 17 years,” he shares.

“Everyone asks, ‘Do you bring music into your class?’ And the answer is: Not any more than other rebbeim. It’s two different worlds. But I think I do have an advantage, because the kids are proud to have me as their rebbi; they could tell their friends. So, that’s for sure an edge that helps me manage the classroom.”

On the other hand, his approachability and relatability help him understand and reach his students. Quoting Rabbi Joey Haber, Baruch Levine notes, “Today, kids really want you to get them.”

to be that classroom management was the key; that you’re doing this because rebbi said so,” shares Baruch. “I’m not saying today you let the kids — you let the “inmates run the asylum.” Not at all. You have to have a good, structured classroom, but you also have to relate to your students as human beings. Rabbi Haber says that kids today are carrying in their heads what our grandparents carried on their backs. They’re carrying so much.”

* * *

People often ask Baruch Levine, “My child wrote a song. How do we get it out there?”

“The kids are carrying so much in their heads. And they want you to relate to them more in an adult fashion. It used

“Today, a lot of people have the ability to make beautiful music. And I feel like we’re living in a world where the commodity is to get it out there,” Baruch shares. “And okay,

I’m a big talker, because I am out there. But you know, when I grew up, I took such pride in just sharing my work with my family and friends. I was so happy if my song was played at my cousin’s bar mitzvah. And now, we’re waiting for things to go viral. I think that the ta’avah of getting out there has to come down a little bit.

“Share your music with your family and friends. If Hashem wants it to get out there, it’ll get out there. Even with me, there are many times when I could kvetch and ask, ‘Why didn’t this song make it?’” he concludes. “Why did Hashem want that one to make it but not this one? I don’t know. But you have talent, and you have to enjoy your talent with the people who are close to you. You have so much to enjoy. And you have so much to share.”

This article is based on a podcast, “Inspiration For the Nation,” hosted by Yaakov Langer. To catch more of this conversation, you can watch it on LivingLchaim.com or YouTube.com/LivingLchaim or listen wherever you listen to podcasts (just search for “Inspiration For The Nation”) or call our free hotline: 605-477-2100. or trauma. You’re not chassidish, you don’t have a long beard. You don’t have a funny accent. You’re just a regular, normal guy.’”

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I’ve been dating a guy on and off for two years. He’s great and I think we could work, but whenever we get back together, the same issues keep bothering me.

He’s sweet, cute, and well-liked by his friends but has had things coming to him his whole life and isn’t motivated when it comes to finding a job or planning things out. He has more of the mindset that will take things as they come and hope for the best. Obviously, there are things that keep me coming back to him, but the things that bother me never go away. He is very idealistic.

Do you have advice how I can get comfortable with his good qualities enough that the bad just don’t bother me?

The Panel

Dear Readers,

We want to offer YOU an opportunity to be part of the discussion! Please email us at MichelleMondShadchan@gmail.com, subject line “reader’s response,” if you would like to participate in the new “A Reader’s Response” columnist spot. We will send you a question and publish your answer in an upcoming Navidaters edition.

If you have a question you would like the Navidaters to answer, please reach out to this email as well.

Looking forward!

Michelle, the “Shadchan”

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

For this relationship to go forward, I would suggest both of you going for

coaching/therapy. It’s not a matter of overlooking what you don’t like. Becoming comfortable will be a process. In this process, you will explore the differences between your natures (and the nurturing you have experienced) and both of your capacities for acceptance and respect. You will dig deep, and you will ques-

tion your ability to be supportive of someone you care deeply about. You may discover that you don’t care deeply enough. You may discover that it is your nature to be a cheerleader. You may find that you don’t really respect someone who is not ambitious and driven. He may discover that he may enjoy some challenges but not being pushed into them. He may respect your initiative and drive but not for himself.

Yes, people do evolve, and both of you are probably at the beginning of your adult lives. Your natures may change over time and in response to circumstances. Growth is part of the human experience called life. However, self-awareness about one’s own strengths and weaknesses as well as respect for one another’s qualities are crucial when you are considering marriage.

Engage in the process with honesty and see if your relationship can work. There is no instant answer.

You cannot get married to him, or anyone, hoping the other person will change.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

The fact that the two of you keep ending up together is not something to take lightly. There are obviously a lot of big things the two of you respect about each other. I’m sorry to say, however,

there is nothing you can do that will make his relaxed approach to the future appealing. What you are describing sounds like a personality trait, which, as you know, cannot be changed. I have known idealistic, unmotivated guys who have become wildly successful. Their positive attitude and willingness to jump into endeavors bring them good opportunities. I have also known guys like you describe, who have struggled a lot for many years due to their lack of motivation or commitment.

If you truly want to marry this guy, you are going to accept him for who he is without assuming he will change. You might also want to envision a future together where you are doing most of the breadwinning. Then, if he becomes the primary breadwinner, you will be pleasantly surprised.

There is no “good” or “bad” here. He sounds like a great guy whom you connect with and truly want to spend your life with. The question you have to ask yourself is: if he did not change a thing, could you imagine yourself ultimately

happy with him?

I would like to end with a quote from Fred Rogers which I think is very poignant and rings true to your situation.

“Love doesn’t mean a state of perfect caring. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now – and to go on caring through joyful times and through times that may bring us pain.”― Fred Rogers

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

When I first read your letter, my initial reaction was, “This unmotivated, apathetic, chilled-out young man would be a great shidduch for her, as long as she doesn’t mind living in her mother’s basement and shopping for food in her

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Thank you

for writing into our panel. Whatever bothers you now will most likely always bother you. I understand from your question that you are looking for a way to not feel the way that you do. While your question is completely understandable and common, what I feel you are essentially asking is: How do I ignore my intuition?

From my experience working in the field with wonderful, complex human beings, spouses do not tend to

become more comfortable with the qualities in the other they always disliked; rather, resentments tend to grow.

Your sweet, cute, wonderful man will most likely never change. You cannot get married to him, or anyone, hoping the other person will change. The happiest couples I have had the pleasure of working with always say the same thing: “I love him exactly as

mother’s refrigerator.”

But then, I had a very different reaction. Perhaps being overly ambitious and overly obsessed with detailed planning isn’t for everyone. (In my family, for example, we plan vacations two years ahead of time and discuss school options as soon as the embryo is visible on a sonogram.)

It’s possible that what might seem like the very negative qualities of laziness and lack of ambition are actually the very positive, admirable qualities of having an easy-going nature, being content with life, and enjoying simchas hachaim. Perhaps these qualities are what attracts you to him.

Nevertheless, before considering him as life partner material, you want to make sure you won’t be living in your mother’s basement.

So, is he educated and employable? Is there a family business that is suitable for him? Does he possess any skills that can potentially earn a living? Did he secretly win the Mega Million lottery jackpot?

Nevertheless, before considering him as life partner material, you want to make sure you won’t be living in your mother’s basement.

Please note that it is not merely a question of earning a living. You need to discern his true nature. A husband who is eternally lazy and unmotivated would be hard to live with; but, a husband who is naturally content and happy sounds like a bracha.

he is.” “I respect her for who she is.” “I feel emotionally safe and protected with him/her.”

No one can tell you what to do. Loving someone so deeply and having a connection so intense that propels you to find each other time and again, break-up after break-up, is not a love to be scoffed at or ignored.

It is easy to understand why you keep going back. However, if this bothers you today and it is part of the reason why you inevitably break up, my concern is that it will be an everlasting issue for you.

This doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. And this doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with your beloved. Not seeing eye-to-eye on this

issue is a problem.

I don’t think you need help to work through your concern because your concern is so valid. If you’d like to address this with a professional, present the idea of couples therapy to your guy. See how he takes to your concerns. Is he open or is he dismissive? If he is dismissive, that is another (and possibly bigger) issue. If he’s open, you may have some wiggle room. But a person doesn’t change his desire for you unless he desires you so badly that he is willing to do the work for you. And even then it is hard!

You deserve to feel good about your life and your future husband’s work ethic.

Sincerely, Jennifer

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti,

I am the mother of multiple children who have gone through elementary school, with one currently still in the thick of it. Please explain the purpose of group projects at home. From the last two experiences we had, the only thing that was gained was more grey hairs on my head! What do teachers think will happen when elementary school students are expected to work together and accomplish something out of the jurisdiction of the classroom? What do they expect? I have found in my experience that it becomes the parents’ homework and that half the kids don’t show up to do their part of the project. From my perspective, they might as well get rid of these projects altogether! What is the purpose?

- Frustrated mom in the middle of a group project

Etti: I am going to give this letter to Aviva Stern, MSEd, Curriculum Coordinator at Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam and Literacy coach for Catapult Learning, to answer. She and I have discussed this.

A:Dear Frustrated, I totally relate! In fact, I had the same experience recently and wondered to myself what the purpose of these projects really is.

Well, from an educational perspective, there definitely are some intended objectives. Group work changes up the frontal teaching style of learning, where the teacher lectures and the students receive the information in the form of handouts, texts, or notes. Even the most engaging lesson in this format can get tiresome after a while.

A second, if not more important, aspect of group projects is that they foster independence. Students need to assume an active role in learning, work cooperatively, problem-solve, and appreciate the perspectives of others in the group.

Sounds great! Well yes...in theory at least. Groupwork at home can potentially foster friendships…or destroy fledgling ones. It can generate a sense of accomplishment or, on the other hand, a deep sense of frustration. It can be an opportunity for students to spend time out of school productively, in a creative pursuit, or it can become a massive headache…for the parents at least!

So, how can teachers and students (and parents) maximize the “work at home group project” to take advantage of the benefits they have to offer, without running into unproductive roadblocks? How can children participate in group projects without it becoming mommy’s project…

and potential source of stress?

The answer is one that applies to almost any area in life that one wants to be successful: proper planning. Here is my advice to the teachers who are hopefully reading this column.

Be involved in the group formation process. Make sure everyone has a group to work with, so that no one becomes the third, fourth, or fifth wheel. You are the one who knows your students best, so perhaps assigned groups are the way to go, whereby avoiding potential personality clashes, as well as a discrepancy in ability or responsibility.

The best thing you can do for your child is allow him to take ownership.

Give everyone a job. In other words, delegate. Don’t assign the group a project and assume that they will figure out how to follow the instructions and get it done. In all likelihood, they won’t, and if they do, it’s with the parent assuming the role of facilitator. Newsflash: parents pay tuition to avoid this role! A better approach would be to properly define and assign the roles involved so that everyone has a specific responsibility, and that they know what this responsibility entails. Model for the students; perhaps do a small practice run in the classroom to avoid any misunderstanding. Grade the students on his/her individual role. This can avoid the resentment that occurs when someone takes ownership of the project, while some people do nothing.

Give the students tools. Not hammer and nails, but how about effective communication skills? A plan for when they can’t come to a unanimous decision in how to proceed? Teach them to say things like “I hear what you’re saying, maybe we can also consider…”

Teach the children how to pace. Break it up into increments and give them deadlines, after all, you and I both know that otherwise the students will be up the night before finishing that song/skit/book report…fill in the blank. This often occurs since this is new for them, and they actually have no idea how much time the work will

take. They are used to working in a classroom where the time is dictated by the teacher and they just need to follow the rules. Imagine if students could learn pacing an assignment in elementary school. That alone would make the group project a worthwhile investment of time and energy.

Please be mindful as to when these assignments are given, with realistic time commitments considered. Please don’t assign projects that are due the week before Pesach, which hypothetically, of course, has the parents running to the store to buy more oaktags…

Think about making it a school project instead of a home-based project! Some of the above suggestions still apply, but it has the added benefit of breathing some life back into a stagnant classroom, while taking the parents of the picture (you’re welcome!).

Why am I directing my response to educators if this is a column for parents? What can you as a parent do when faced with the ominous group project? Well, hopefully you won’t need to, since teachers read this column! All kidding aside, the best thing that you can do is take a step back. Avoid the helicopter role. Assume the role of advisor, not as a mediator. Repeat after me: it is their project, not yours. Of course, the age of the children in question will affect the level of involvement needed, but the best thing you can do for your child is allow him to take ownership, and whether it succeeds or fails, he will gain and utilize it as a learning experience. These people and teamwork skills will definitely come up again for this child in his/her workplace in the future. Take a deep breath – reach out to the teacher if need be – but allow this to be a true learning experience in every sense of the word.

Sincerely,

Aviva

Parenting Pearls Setting Realistic Expectations

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

It’s last minute, and you are given only two hours to prepare for a three day yom tov. There are six large meals, and you have company coming. You’re reassured that only two guests have serious food sensitivities to accommodate.

A half an hour into your cooking, you’re told you have to run out for carpool immediately. What they’re asking of you is unreasonable and setting you up for failure. Any adult would either cry, scream or be furious.

While the above example may sound exaggerated, this could be similar to how children feel when we have unfair expectations of them. They may want so badly to do what we’ve asked – but they can’t.

As I later reflected on the week before Pesach, I realized with how many families I had discussed the importance of fair expectations. It was only natural to expect the kids to be off in their behavior with the upcoming yom tov and extended school vacation. Between the excitement, change of schedule and erratic bedtimes, it was inevitable that families would find their kids acting in unexpected ways. Understanding what is reasonable to expect would help parents adjust their assumptions, creating a more pleasant environment for everyone.

“Expectations” is a broad term. It can refer to everything from how we expect a child to behave in a certain environment to educational successes or other accomplishments. We may expect a child to share their toy, get a good grade in Chumas class, clean up after themselves, or not speak back to an adult.

Setting fair expectations is an important parental skill. We can only require a child to do what they can realistically accomplish, but creating that expectation is a challenge. We don’t want to expect too little, but we certainly can’t expect too much. Finding that realistic, yet challenging middle is a constant

avodah. It requires us to be aware of our child’s changing needs and make adjustments to match.

Creating Expectations

Realistic expectations are based on many different factors and need to be adjusted based on their current environment. Age and developmental level will both affect what is fair to expect. A teen is in a separate category from a toddler, but there is much developmental variety even within the same age category. Each child has their own unique personality, and this needs to be taken into account of their capabilities. For example, a child who is quieter will meet different expectations from one that is more outgoing. Some kids are better at time management, others at organization or leadership. An individual’s strengths and weaknesses will help us adjust our expectations.

A change in circumstances will require an adjustment to our expectations. For example, a child experiencing the yom tov excitement will not be at their best. A child going through a rough time period will need to have expectations lowered to match their current emotional capacity. Even a simcha, such as a new addition to the family or another special event, can cause a child to act differently.

Transition periods are difficult for everyone – particularly children. Any time a child needs to adjust to a drastically different environment or situation we need to assume the child will be affected and have more sensitive needs.

Human beings require certain basic needs for optimal performance. Food, hydration and sleep are among the top items. Physical health, emotional security, and support are also important. Few of us can function without the basics, and expectations need to be adjusted when any of these areas are lacking.

Meeting Expectations

Success breeds success and increases feelings of self-worth, confidence and accomplishment. We want to set our child up for success and not the opposite. Setting expectations that are reasonable will help our child to meet and exceed what we request. Alternatively, asking for something unreasonable sets a child up for inevitable failure and unhealthy negative feelings.

Children want to make their parents and the important adults in their life happy. Even adults will try to earn praise and approval from their parents. We know how meaningful it is to a youngster to receive a warm, caring word from their rebbi or morah – they glow and smile for hours. Giving a realistic task allows a child to truly earn this approval and the accompanying powerful good feelings.

It’s normal to make mistakes and to not succeed at every task. We don’t need to build a cushioned world where children can never err. We want to challenge them and help them see their potential. This balance requires us to give children challenges that are within their reach. We want them to push themselves within their own capabilities – not beyond their current potential. Creating this balance can only happen when we have fair expectations.

We want our expectations to be within their reach, but it’s certainly appropriate if some of what we expect requires them to push themselves a bit.

Childhood – and life – is about growing as a person and acquiring new skills. We only know what we can accomplish by setting our sights into the distance and then working towards our goals. Setting fair expectations of a child also benefits their adults. We can become disappointed or frustrated when our child doesn’t accomplish something we expected. Some parents may even say something negative or critical to a child they see as slacking off or not finishing a job. While parents should not compare children, seeing their child’s peer complete a similar task may increase their frustration with their own child. We set ourselves up for disappointment with our precious child when we have unrealistic expectations. These negative feelings benefit neither us nor our child.

Whether or not we realize it, we are constantly setting expectations for ourselves and our children. Creating appropriate expectations and following through is a major part of our growth as individuals and helps us reach our potential. May Hashem guide us as we set our sights high and exceed those expectations.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

Health & F tness

Conversations, Not Arguments

By Michal Goldman, LCSW

Dear Therapist,

I got married a year ago to someone I truly love and respect, but I’ve been feeling increasingly unsettled after what should be simple, day-to-day conversations. It took me a while to realize what’s been happening, but I finally put my finger on it. Whenever I share something small, like how I see a situation at work or a thought about a book, my husband responds by immediately explaining his own viewpoint. He isn’t doing it in a mean way, and I don’t think he’s trying to put me down, but I leave feeling dismissed, and these conversations usually end up becoming debates and arguments. He tends to double down on his view, and I’ve started avoiding more and more conversations altogether. I know he cares deeply about me, and I don’t think he means harm, but I’m worried because this dynamic is creating distance between us. What can I do about this?

The Therapist Responds: Before I respond with anything else, I want to acknowledge the empathy you are showing for your husband while recognizing your own needs and discomfort. The fact that you are able to hold this balance of caring for your husband and attending to your own needs speaks to how much you value your relationship. That ability will be an important strength to hold onto as you work through this dynamic.

The main theme that I’m hearing in your question is that you are sharing as a way of connecting, and your husband (without intending harm) is responding with logic and analysis. Oftentimes, people respond in this fashion as a way for them to contribute or try to be helpful. The place where this gets sticky is when the response feels dismissive or evaluated instead of helping you feel heard. When that happens, it can easily turn the conversation into something feeling more like a debate.

This kind of mismatch is something

emotionally focused therapy (EFT), a model used to help couples strengthen connection, speaks to directly. EFT divides couple interactions into two parts: the content of what is being said, and the emotions and meaning-making that you each give to the situation. The content includes the specifics of the conversation, the context, and how each of you responded. The emotions and meaning-making are things that happen under the surface and don’t usually come up in the conversation explicitly. In fact, we are often unaware of them as they are going on without a conscious effort to understand them.

One way to visualize this is with a tree: the content of your conversations are the branches, while the emotions and meaning underneath are the roots. If we don’t understand and work through the root of the situation, more branches will continue to grow.

So what is the root for you? When you share a part of your day or your perspective with your husband and you are met with logic, it can feel like you are being evaluated and like your inner world isn’t welcome. Having that experience can create a deep sense of loneliness.

This is where attachment comes in.

From birth, we’re wired for emotional attachment (to feel seen, heard, and emotionally accepted) because as infants we need that connection to survive. This need continues into adulthood, and as adults, people most deeply emotionally attach and look for attunement in their romantic relationships. Because of this, when attunement isn’t there, it is normal to have strong reactions.

When we don’t feel emotionally attuned to our partner, we tend to respond in one of two ways: reaching out more urgently or pulling away. It sounds like in your case, you are starting to withdraw. It makes so much sense that you are having this reaction, as withdrawing is a way of protecting yourself when sharing feels risky.

As you are becoming more aware of your emotions and reactions, it’s helpful to become curious about your husband’s emotions and reactions in order to better understand him. For example, you can tell him, “When you respond with logic, I know you mean to be helpful, but it makes me feel unheard, and then I pull away.” The formula to use here is connecting your underlying meaning

(feeling unheard) with your behavior (pulling away). Sharing this way keeps the focus on your experience of the dynamic instead of placing blame. It’s best to have this conversation at a time when you are both relatively calm (it doesn’t usually go as well in the heat of an argument).

From there, you can invite your husband to share his perspective with the goal of understanding him better. You can ask him what is happening for him in those moments and how he is hoping you will receive it. This can help you both feel more like a team and build more mutual understanding and deeper intimacy.

Finally, it can be really helpful to name the deeper need underneath these conversations. He may be approaching them as intellectual discussions, without realizing that they’re a way to connect for you. Sharing that with him can give him the insight he needs to shift his approach.

This dynamic that you are describing is a rupture in your relationship. Ruptures in relationships are inevitable. What matters most is that they get repaired. I find it helpful to visualize your connection as a rope, with you and your husband holding opposite ends. Ruptures are like the rope being cut. However, when you can repair that rupture, it is like tying a knot in the rope. Not only is the rope fixed, it is also shorter, which means that you are even closer.

Michal Goldman is a licensed clinical social worker in Queens specializing in helping individuals and couples navigate relationship challenges. She can be reached through her website at www.michalgoldmanlcsw. org, via email at michalgoldmanlcsw@ gmail.com, or by phone at 917-590-0258. If you have questions that you would like answered here, you can submit them to the email provided. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy.

Health & F tness

Weight Loss in a Shot? The Science and Side Effects of Ozempic-Like Drugs

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

Semaglutide is a medication that mimics a naturally occurring hormone in the body called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone is released in response to food intake and plays several important roles in appetite and metabolism.

GLP-1 stimulates insulin secretion when blood sugar levels are high, suppresses the release of glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar), slows the rate at which the stomach empties food into the small intestine, and promotes feelings of fullness by acting on appetite centers in the brain. These combined effects help reduce hunger and caloric intake, making GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide particularly useful for weight management.

Semaglutide Medications

Originally developed to manage Type 2 diabetes, semaglutide was first introduced under the brand name Ozempic, where it showed not only improvements in blood sugar control but also consis -

tent weight loss in many patients. Given these outcomes, researchers began studying higher doses of semaglutide for the treatment of obesity in individuals without diabetes. This led to the approval of Wegovy, which contains a higher dose specifically indicated for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or those who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnea.

The drug in Ozempic and Wegovy, semaglutide, is also available in a pill form for Type 2 diabetes called Rybelsus and has shown to not cause as much weight loss.

Tirzepatide

In addition to GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, newer medications have emerged that expand treatment options for weight management and Type 2 diabetes. Two such medications are Zepbound and Mounjaro, both of which contain tirzepatide, a compound

with dual action. Unlike traditional GLP-1 receptor agonists, tirzepatide acts on both the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptors. This dual mechanism is what sets tirzepatide apart. Like GLP-1, GIP is a natural hormone involved in regulating the body’s insulin response after eating. By activating both receptors, tirzepatide enhances insulin secretion, improves blood sugar control, and suppresses appetite.

Emerging research suggests that this combination may lead to greater weight loss and better metabolic outcomes compared to GLP-1 therapy alone. Zepbound is approved for weight management, while Mounjaro is approved specifically for type 2 diabetes. Together, they represent a promising approach to treating obesity and diabetes through incretin-based therapies.

The mechanism of GLP-1 makes it unique among weight loss medications, as it targets both metabolic and behav-

ioral pathways related to food intake. Unlike traditional appetite suppressants that act primarily on the central nervous system, GLP-1 works through hormonal pathways that naturally regulate satiety and blood sugar. As a result, patients often report feeling full sooner, experiencing fewer cravings, and being able to reduce portion sizes more comfortably. However, it’s important to note that the effectiveness of GLP-1, particularly for weight loss, is significantly enhanced when combined with lifestyle changes, including a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

The Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle

In practice, weight loss tends to be more significant when patients also adopt lifestyle changes, such as following a calorie-reduced diet and increasing physical activity. Without these changes, weight loss may be limited or inconsistent. Additionally, evidence suggests (and my professional experi -

ence can personally attest to this) that once the medication is stopped, individuals usually regain a portion, or very often all, of the weight they lost. For example, a study titled “Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension” found that after discontinuing semaglutide, participants regained about two-thirds of their lost weight within a year. While this is better than nothing, it’s important to recognize how quickly and easily the weight can return without proper maintenance and guidance. I have seen clients regain 10 pounds in the first 2-3 weeks off of the medication.

Pros and Cons

GLP-1 offers numerous benefits, particularly for individuals with diabetes and obesity. Many individuals experience reduced appetite, earlier satiety, and significant weight loss while on the medication. For those with Type 2 diabetes or at risk of developing it, GLP-1 can also improve glycemic control, lower blood pressure, and reduce cardiovascular risk. The convenience of once-weekly injections may be appealing for patients who prefer fewer daily interventions, and for many, it provides a non-surgical option for managing obesity when lifestyle changes alone have not been successful.

While these medications can be highly effective, it’s important to understand that all medications come with potential side effects and that no treatment is entirely without risk. The FDA lists the gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, stomach (abdominal) pain, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, and constipation. These side effects are especially common when starting or increasing the dose. In addition to these more common symptoms, there are potentially more serious and significant side effects that may come about. These include allergic reactions, change in vision, dehydration, gallbladder problems, heart palpitations, kidney injury, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, mood changes, and complications related to diabetic retinopathy.

From my personal perspective as a dietitian working with many patients on these medications, I have seen at least a dozen people who have lost their gallbladder after starting these medications. I also have had many clients who suffer from severe vomiting and relentless nausea to the point that they were prescribed Zofran just to manage the

symptoms. Additionally, numerous patients require prescription medications like Linzesse to help manage the severe constipation. Every medication has side effects, and there is no such thing as a risk-free option. However, these particular medications come with especially significant side effects and potential risks that should not be overlooked.

When considering the positive effects these medications have on blood sugar levels, blood pressure, body weight, and cardiovascular health (and potentially renal health), the overall benefits of the treatment might outweigh the risks for patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. For this reason, a

for weight loss and blood sugar control, its success is significantly influenced by a person’s overall lifestyle habits. This is where the guidance of a registered dietitian and other healthcare professionals becomes essential. A registered dietitian provides individualized nutrition counseling that helps patients develop sustainable, balanced eating patterns that complement the effects of the medication. Without these lifestyle changes, such as reducing portion sizes, improving food quality, and incorporating regular physical activity, many individuals may not see the full benefits of GLP-1, or may regain weight once the medication is discontinued.

While GLP-1 can be a powerful tool for weight loss and blood sugar control, its success is significantly influenced by a person’s overall lifestyle habits.

health professional may prescribe GLP1 to a diabetic or obese individual. It’s important to note that when prescribed for obesity, this typically refers to individuals with a BMI of 30 and above or a BMI of 27-30 with at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnea.

However, for individuals who do not have Type 2 diabetes or obesity, the benefits may not justify the risks. Since those with diabetes already face various health risks, taking this medication, along with its potential side effects, may be more beneficial for them. In contrast, individuals without diabetes or obesity should consult with their healthcare provider to carefully evaluate whether the potential benefits of the medication outweigh the associated risks in their specific case. These medications are not encouraged to be used casually or for minor weight loss goals, such as losing 10 to 15 pounds. They are intended for managing chronic conditions and should be approached with the same seriousness as any other long-term medical treatment.

that over 24 weeks, they lost an average of 9.3% of their psoas muscle volume (a core muscle).

Another study titled “A systematic review of the effect of GLP-1 on lean mass: insights from clinical trials” evaluated six studies involving 1,541 overweight or obese adults to assess the effects of GLP-1 on weight and lean mass. They found that participants taking GLP-1 saw reductions in lean mass ranging from nearly 0% to 40% of the total weight loss. Larger trials reported more significant lean mass losses. The study concluded that although fat loss was prominent, concerns about the loss of lean mass were noted.

As a registered dietitian, I work with many clients who are prescribed GLP-1 medications. This experience has given me the opportunity to notice that many people who don’t follow a structured, calorie-conscious eating plan typically will not see significant results. The appetite suppression from the drug can help reduce food intake, but if someone is still eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, or simply not making balanced choices, the weight loss can stall or not happen at all.

In addition, dietitians play an important role in helping patients navigate potential side effects of GLP-1. One frequently reported issue among clients is chronic constipation. GLP-1 slows gastric emptying, which can lead to slower digestion and discomfort. A dietitian can help manage this condition by recommending the proper amounts of fiber-rich foods and ensuring adequate hydration to promote regular bowel movements.

Another significant concern during weight loss, especially when calorie intake is reduced, is the risk of muscle loss.

A study titled “Effects of GLP-1 on Muscle Structure and Function in the SLIM LIVER Study” evaluated about 50 individuals who took GLP-1 for 24 weeks to treat liver issues. They noticed

The studies mentioned highlight the concern of muscle loss during weight loss, particularly when using treatments like GLP-1, which can lead to reductions in lean mass. Dietitians can ensure that clients meet these protein needs by incorporating high-quality sources of protein and by advising them on the timing and distribution of protein intake throughout the day. Combining these nutritional strategies with resistance training can further support muscle maintenance. Ultimately, the guidance of a dietitian helps individuals not only lose weight but also preserve muscle and feel their best throughout the process by meeting nutritional needs and maintaining long-term health goals. Ongoing support from health professionals helps ensure that the medication is used safely and effectively and that positive outcomes are sustained over time.

In conclusion, GLP-1 and similar GLP-1 receptor agonists can be effective tools in weight management, particularly for individuals with obesity or weight-related health conditions. However, their effectiveness is enhanced when used alongside a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and ongoing support. These medications have found to not be a standalone solution, and success with them often depends on addressing long-term habits and lifestyle behaviors.

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

In The K tchen

Crockpot Brisket

By Naomi Nachman

Put this up in the morning in your crockpot, and dinner will be ready for you when you come home!

Ingredients

◦ 3 tomatoes, halved

◦ 3 stalks celery, chunked

◦ 8 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

◦ Garlic powder, to taste

◦ Onion powder, to taste

◦ Paprika, to taste

◦ Salt, to taste

◦ 3-4-pound second-cut brisket

◦ 1 cup red wine

◦ 1 cup ketchup

Preparation

1. Place all the vegetables in the bottom of a large crockpot and season with spices. Season brisket on all sides with spices and place on top of vegetables.

2. Mix wine and ketchup in a bowl and pour over meat and vegetables. Set crockpot to high and cook for six to seven hours.

3. Remove meat from the Crock-Pot and slice. If it’s very soft, you can just pull it apart with two forks.

4. To serve: Place meat on platter, and place potatoes around the meat. If you have a fleishig immersion blender, blend the remaining vegetables in the crockpot to make gravy and pour the gravy over the meat.

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.

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

I’m a big fan of this president’s economic agenda on taxes, deregulations, and border policies. It’s miraculous what he’s done. I have not been a big fan of his tarrif policies. I’m not someone who thinks that tariffs are a good economic tool. But it appears now that Trump is proving me wrong if he gets these deals.

- Former Trump economic advisor Stephen Moore on Fox News

China steals our technologies; they rip us off. We spend billions of dollars developing a new technology or a new drug, and they just copycat it and violate all of the patent laws. So there’s a lot of work to be done for China to get back in our good graces. I think Trump will get these concessions. I just don’t know if it’s going to be next week, next month, or six months from now.

- ibid.

What is not being reported by the press very often is that China is in big deep trouble economically. They cannot win a trade war with the U.S.; their economy will go into a great depression.

– ibid.

First of all, it’s kind of insulting to six million dead Jews.

- Bill Maher responding to Larry David comparing him meeting Trump for dinner to meeting with Hitler

I think the minute you play the “Hitler” card, you’ve lost the argument.

- ibid.

They’re not acting on good faith at all. They’re acting in a lawless, reckless, vicious way. And it’s not going to succeed.

- Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) criticizing Pres. Trump who took away grant money from Harvard because of the rampant Jew hatred perpetuated on its campus

I didn’t look too good because I didn’t feel too good.

- Astronaut Don Pettit, 70, upon touching down to Earth after spending seven months at the International Space Station

It’s time to fight everywhere and all at once. Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now!

- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) at a Democratic Party event in New Hampshire, using seemingly dangerous language while talking about resisting President Trump

I wrote the book on Hitler’s first 100 days. Here’s how Trump’s compare.

- Title of an article in The Forward by Peter Fritzsche…indicating that TDS is now causing even so-called Jewish publications to engage in Holocaust minimization

[Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and the co-founders of Uber Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp] are a bunch of nice Jewish boys who kind of gamed the system and, “Oh, let’s not become doctors, lawyers; I’m helping the world by putting taxis out of business.”

- Alex Soros, son of self-hating Jew George Soros, in an interview with New York Magazine

He’s taking votes away from me — I’m the mayor! Why is he in my race?

- Mayor Eric Adams unloading on Andrew Cuomo during a recent press conference

It’s almost like when you have a house somewhere and someone is trying to move in, it’s like, go find your own house.

- ibid.

”Rizz” is just being shamelessly who you are. I think that’s attractive now — not following the pack and kind of doing your own thing. We live in a doom scrolling world where we’re all trying to be what we think people want us to be, and that’s not a healthy way to live.

- A Hollywood comedian who was on “Saturday Night Live” for many years, in a recent interview

I used to be a drug addict and I was a sad person, and I felt ugly and that I needed to be covered up. So I’m just removing them [all my tattoos] and starting fresh, because that’s what I think works best for me and for my brain. When I look in the mirror, I don’t want the reminder of “Oh yeah, you were a…drug addict. Like, that’s why you have SpongeBob smoking a joint on your back.”

- ibid.

The fact that Trump rolled up in there and cleaned this stuff up, prioritizing border control, definitely is going to be perceived as a plus, whether Democrats and others like it or not.

- ESPN host and now sometimes political commentator Stephen A. Smith

There were a lot of people who were talking about, including in the Oval Office, at times, the idea of, like, the president going out and giving a speech… The idea would be to either force Netanyahu to come on board with that, or scramble Israeli politics, and see if you can trigger elections, or G-d knows what. That’s what people were saying — like, let’s just break this up ‘cause it’s not going anywhere good.

- Ilan Goldenberg, a former aide to President Joe Biden, in an interview with Israel’s Channel 13, disclosing that the Biden administration considered trying to politically take down Netanyahu

President Biden’s decline and its cover up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House is capable of deception.

- Axios reporter Alex Thompson, speaking at last weekend’s White House Correspondents Dinner, conveniently chastising his fellow mainstream media members to be honest about what’s going on in the White House now that Trump is president

So the White House Correspondents Dinner was last Saturday. The media gave themselves an award for handling Joe Biden’s decay. That’s like giving BLM an award for fighting crime.

- Greg Gutfeld

In Britian…as we speak, there are people in prison for reposting memes, tweets, social media posts, and general free speech issues. Will the Trump administration consider political asylum for British citizens prosecuted for speech?

- Former Mumford & Sons banjo player and now political podcaster at a recent White House press briefing when he was given an opportunity to ask a question, as part of the “new media”

After decades of politicians who destroyed Detroit to build up Beijing, you finally have a champion for workers in the White House. Instead of putting China first, I’m putting Michigan first and America first.

- President Trump at a Michigan rally to mark his first 100 days in office

What’s the problem over there? What’s the problem? Is that a radical left lunatic? He’s just a child. All right, get him out… Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, ma’am, I thought it was a guy. I’m sorry, I said, “He” and it’s a she.

- ibid., at the rally

Political Crossfire Trump Could Seal His Peace Deal With a $50B Arms Sale to Ukraine

President Donald Trump’s administration is negotiating trade deals with as many as 75 countries to increase their purchase of U.S.-made goods, according to the White House. Well, one country that is chomping at the bit to purchase American goods is Ukraine, which has proposed to buy $50 billion worth of U.S.-made weapons to deter Russia. Trump should approve that arms sale as part of a final peace deal.

A weapons sale would advance his goals of ending the war while creating good manufacturing jobs for American workers and strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base.

Trump is asking Ukraine to make a number of difficult concessions, including giving up both territory and its quest to join NATO. In exchange, Ukraine will be “compensated financially” to rebuild its country from the damage inflicted by Russia, as well as unspecified “robust” security guarantees to ensure that Russia does not violate the armistice Trump negotiates.

Kyiv wants peace but is understandably concerned about those security guarantees. Ukrainians know that Russian President Vladimir Putin first invaded their country while Barack Obama was in the White House, largely paused his aggression under Trump, then invaded again after Joe Biden took office. What is to stop Putin from doing the same when Trump exits the White House in 2029? Putin could pocket any territorial concessions Ukraine makes today, take advantage of sanctions relief to rebuild his economy and his military (both of which have been devastated by the war), and then resume his invasion once Trump has left office – especially if he views the next American president as weak.

The only way to stop Putin from doing this – and cement Trump’s legacy as a peacemaker – is to make sure Ukraine

By Marc A. Thiessen

has a military deterrent so powerful that Russia would not dare attack again. A promise to sell U.S. weapons would give Ukraine confidence it could build that deterrent. Few countries possess the weapons systems Ukraine needs or the industrial capacity to produce them. And there is no doubt that China, Iran and North Korea – even if there is a peace agreement – will continue to provide robust assistance to Russia in preparation for its next attempt to conquer Ukraine.

To be clear: Ukraine is not asking U.S. taxpayers to foot the bill for these weapons. It wants to buy them. There are multiple ways to facilitate such a purchase. For example, Poland is currently buying U.S. weapons using Foreign Military Financing direct loans, which come with interest that must be paid to the U.S. government – billions of dollars’ worth of Abrams tanks, Apache helicopters, airspace reconnaissance equipment, high-mobility artillery rocket systems, and Patriot air-defense batteries.

The United States can use the exact

same mechanism to sell arms to Ukraine. We could also sell Ukraine weapons using a lend-lease program modeled on the one the United States used to arm Britain during World War II. No legislation would be required; the president already has the authority to do this under current law. Any interest-bearing loans could be backed by Ukraine’s massive mineral resources as collateral. We could also allow Ukraine to use frozen Russian assets to purchase weapons.

Such arms sales would not only help secure peace in Ukraine but also benefit the U.S. by helping to revitalize our defense industrial base, which requires foreign military sales to keep production lines hot. Consider our tank and armored vehicle production capability, for example, which was on the verge of collapse a decade ago. The Obama administration tried to shut down America’s only tank factory, in Lima, Ohio, whose production had been reduced to a single tank per month thanks to defense spending cuts.

Congressional Republicans, led by

then-Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), saved the plant largely through foreign military sales to U.S. allies and partners such as Poland, Romania, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Such sales helped keep not only the plant open, saving Ohio manufacturing jobs, but also kept the unit cost of each tank lower for the U.S. Army –saving taxpayers billions of dollars. It is a similar story with the Patriot air-defense system. In 2018, the United States was building Patriot interceptors at an anemic rate of 350 a year. Thanks to the aid package Congress approved for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine last year, that production is nearly doubling to 650 a year. Now Ukraine wants to buy at least 10 Patriot systems from the United States, worth more than $10 billion, which could increase U.S. Patriot production even further. Keeping production lines for the Patriot system going is critical to U.S. national security and will create jobs for American workers in Missouri, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Pennsylvania.

If Trump is concerned that an arms deal could be an incentive for Ukraine to resist his peace efforts, he could make the sale contingent on Ukraine’s agreement to a final peace deal. And if Ukraine agrees to peace but Russia refuses, Trump can use the arms deal to deliver on his promise to increase U.S. military support for Ukraine to force Putin to the negotiating table. The bottom line? Selling arms to Ukraine advances Trump’s objectives, from trade to national security. It costs taxpayers nothing (if anything, we earn interest on the loans), creates good manufacturing jobs for American workers, strengthens our capacity to build weapons critical for America’s self-defense and could be the final piece of the puzzle in a deal ending the war in Ukraine.

Political Crossfire Has Trump Found a Path to Peace in Ukraine?

“LBy David Ignatius

et’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”

President Donald Trump posted on Thursday. He’s obviously impatient, but U.S., European and Ukrainian officials all report some signs of progress in hammering out an agreement that could end the war in Ukraine.

There’s movement, if not yet agreement, toward the essential land-for-peace formula that would frame any pact. Under a U.S. plan that’s the basis for discussions, Russia would continue to administer the five regions it occupies, though Ukraine wouldn’t formally cede sovereignty in any of them. The United States might implicitly recognize Russia’s hold on Crimea, but Ukraine wouldn’t.

Security guarantees would be finessed, too. Ukraine wouldn’t join NATO, but it would keep the language in its constitution declaring that goal. Russia would accept Ukraine’s right to a postwar “robust security guarantee” (understood by all to mean European troops), and there’s no mention in the document of Russia’s old demand for a neutral, demilitarized Ukraine.

A critical issue is how the United States would act as a guarantor of a ceasefire agreement and the postwar security of Ukraine and its European partners. European officials tell me they expect continued U.S. intelligence support so that Kyiv and its backers would have warning of any renewed Russian attack.

European countries want a U.S. “backstop” for their postwar “deterrent force” to clarify that Trump would provide aid if Russia attacked. European officials assume that their commitment of forces would have America’s blessing and support, but they don’t yet have an explicit assurance –and without one, they may not send troops.

The Europeans at a Wednesday meeting in London asked the Trump team to make several amendments to its plan to meet Ukrainian concerns. These include explicit acceptance that Kyiv can someday join the European Union, a better definition of America’s support for security guarantees, and clearer demarcation of the ceasefire line between the two sides.

“This is in the zone of the negotiable, and with some work, they could get it over the line,” argues William B. Taylor Jr., a former U.S. ambassador to Kyiv who has been a strong Ukraine supporter.

“There is some optimism to be felt right now,” said a senior European official who has been briefed on the talks.

Wednesday’s discussions in London were “positive,” agreed retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine.

The Ukraine framework appears to contain the kind of ambiguous formulations found in many diplomatic deals, where each side can spin the language for domestic political consumption. That’s normal diplo-speak. But the danger is that this pact will fuzz the big strategic issue of whether Russia poses an offensive danger to the West: U.S. military leaders agree with Europe and Ukraine that the Kremlin is hostile, but the Trump administration sees Russia as a zone of economic opportunity.

“Russia poses an enduring threat to the United States, our NATO Allies, and global security,” NATO commander Gen. Christopher Cavoli testified to Congress on April 3. He said that despite 790,000 dead and wounded in Ukraine, Russia is recruiting about 30,000 troops per month, and its front line forces are now over

600,000, nearly double the initial 2022 invasion force. Russia’s expected monthly production of 250,000 artillery shells will give it a stockpile triple that of the United States and Europe combined, he said.

To understand the Ukraine negotiation, it helps to identify several peculiar aspects.

First, there’s a division of labor, with the Trump team working to bring Russia on board and Europeans responsible for getting Ukraine to accept the terms. Ukraine’s concessions so far have been much greater than Russia’s and European negotiators warned Trump’s negotiators this week that without more flexibility from Moscow, Kyiv may balk.

A second oddity is that the negotiations are accompanied by a noisy chorus of social media posts. Trump blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (as he regularly does), posting: “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE.” In that post, Trump also offered a crucial assurance that “nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory.” Zelensky then eased off an earlier online rant about Crimea with an apologetic post saying that “emotions have run high” but that negotiations “bring peace closer.”

And on Thursday, Trump even chided Russian President Vladimir Putin. After a heavy Russian overnight bombardment of Ukraine’s capital, Trump posted: “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!”

A third peculiarity in this negotiation is Trump’s impatient, slapdash style. Diplomatic talks often take weeks of prepa-

ration. Not here. Officials who’ve read the U.S. proposal described it as a “sketch,” rather than a detailed outline. Trump wants to get a ceasefire and then fill in the details later, according to one official who’s close to the talks.

But for all the talk last week that Trump was ready to walk away if a deal wasn’t done soon, his team has been intently focused on Ukraine this week. His aides want to deliver a much-needed win for a president bruised by the tariff fiasco.

Though Europe would provide the military side of the postwar “security guarantee,” the U.S. plan also envisages an American role on the ground – through its operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which would supply power to both sides. This would install Americans near what has been the front line of the war and might provide an American “tripwire.” The same holds for the proposal that the U.S. share profits from Ukrainian minerals and other natural resources. It’s an economic power play, but it also gives America a stake in postwar peace.

I take Trump at his word when he says he wants to stop the “horrible bloodbath” in Ukraine. In September, in his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, he pledged to “negotiate a deal” and “stop all of these human lives from being destroyed.”

The challenge for Trump has been how to couple this hunger for a ceasefire with security guarantees for Ukraine that are strong and credible enough to stop Putin from invading again. Trump isn’t there yet, but he’s getting closer. © 2025, Washington Post

Political Crossfire

Hegseth Shouldn’t Be Using Signal, But the SCIF System is Terrible

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used poor judgment and sloppy security practices when he sent highly sensitive targeting information to colleagues, friends and family on the Signal commercial messaging app.

But the “Signalgate” flap illustrates a problem that transcends Hegseth’s poor performance at the Pentagon. Government technology for viewing and sending classified information is so cumbersome and outdated that it drives people to use insecure work-arounds such as Signal. Using the government’s current technology, military and intelligence officers simply cannot move at the speed needed to operate most effectively.

The heart of the problem is the requirement to handle classified information in what’s known as a SCIF, or sensitive compartmented information facility. These are often cramped, stuffy, windowless rooms that don’t fit the real-world need for mobile, dispersed, secure communications. Worse, inside a SCIF, military and intelligence officers often can’t use the internet or the newest AI models. The system imprisons information more than it protects it.

“SCIFs as a means to protect classified discussions and systems have been an outmoded security practice for more than 20 years,” argues Aaron Brown, who spent 20 years as a CIA officer and Army Ranger specializing in counterterrorism and now runs a technology start-up called Lumbra. “The SCIF was built for a bygone era in the 1970s and 80s when communications were easy to control, and the speed of business didn’t require persistent access to the internet.”

Hegseth used Signal because he wanted to keep other senior officials updated on the Trump administration’s plans to bomb Yemen. For speed and simplicity, he used a chat group set up by national security

By David Ignatius

adviser Michael Waltz, called “Houthi PC small group,” to send information about targets and timing. Inexplicably, he employed another Signal chat to share similar information with his wife, personal lawyer and others. A dozen former military and intelligence officers I’ve talked to say his actions were irresponsible and would normally lead to disciplinary action.

But thousands of military and intelligence officers face similar dilemmas every day. CIA case officers, for example, require fast-moving data from the internet to conduct operations. But if they’re stuck inside a SCIF overseas, or in the vast headquarters complex at Langley, they need special permission to access the internet. Some walk out to their cars to use their phones, according to former officers; others bring their phones inside SCIFs. Both are no-nos.

People break these rules to get the job done. Brown told me during an interview that CIA counterterrorism officers who need to make split-second decisions while running assets are in a no-win situation. “Either one would abide by the rules and risk the operation failing, due to an inability to coordinate at the speed of counterterrorism, or break the rules and bring a

forbidden device into the SCIF.” His conclusion, based on experience: “Our best leaders are going to pick the operational pace over the rules every time, setting up an impossible dilemma.”

SCIF-mania also limits the ability to use the latest AI models that are transforming national security - or even simple internet tools such as Google search. Brown says he waited 18 months for permission to use Google in a classified space and finally gave up. The need for military and intelligence officers to experiment with large-language AI models is acute. But Brown says the Pentagon and the intelligence community, while now accessing earlier AI models, can’t broadly use the latest models, including Open AI’s ChatGPT-4o, Google’s Gemini 2.5, or Anthropic’s Claude 3.7.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that SCIFs are in very large part to blame for the IC’s technology deficits,” Brown argues. “It means that we now have an entire generation of intelligence and DOD practitioners that have almost never used these advanced AI systems.”

What’s agonizing is that technologies exist that could break the SCIF barrier. But the Pentagon and the intelligence commu-

nity have been slow to adopt them. Take the problem that Hegseth confronted – the need for a quick, secure mobile device that could be used safely by national security officials around the world.

There’s a fix for that, devised by a mobile phone company called Cape, founded by a former Special Operations sergeant named John Doyle. Cape has devised a virtual mobile network that disappears from the normal cellphone net. The phone is nearly impossible to hack or trace, according to Doyle.

“Modern mobile is how we all communicate – from teenagers glued to Snapchat to soldiers on the frontline in Ukraine to our nation’s elected officials,” argued Doyle in an email. “It’s a national imperative to make secure commercial mobile work for everyone’s needs, including defense and intelligence professionals.”

Yet government security officials are stuck with legacy systems. “Officers are demanding these new systems and tools, but innovation is blocked by outdated security practices, overly rigid counterintelligence policies, and inefficient acquisition processes,” Brown contends.

There are mobile SCIFs, too – prefabricated units that can be placed in a home or unclassified workspace. But too few are available, and it can take up to a year to get permission to install one, intelligence veterans say.

Hegseth was a poor choice as defense secretary because he lacks the management and technological experience to break through the security logjam. He behaves as though rules don’t apply to “warriors” like him. Rather than using a work-around, a real leader would champion a movement to transform the Pentagon’s archaic technology practices, symbolized by the four confining walls of the SCIF.

After a bitterly-contested election last November, there seemed to be a consensus among sensible people that it was time to turn down the volume a notch on the hysterical partisanship that characterized so much of political discourse in 2024. Two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump and the failure of the Democrats’ efforts to convince a majority of voters that the election was a choice between democracy and authoritarianism, if not Nazism, should have prompted some soul-searching about how Americans had been conducting themselves. It seemed time for everyone to calm down and stop demonizing their political opponents, as well as family, friends and neighbors who happened to vote for a different candidate.

Perhaps that was asking too much of those who had spent the last 10 years convincing themselves that the “bad orange man” wasn’t merely a crass and sometimes vulgar person with whom they disagreed but the epitome of all evil.

And so, just in time for the annual observance of Yom HaShoah—the day set aside in the Hebrew calendar for re -

Israel Today

The Left’s Vile Hitler-Trump Analogies Dishonor the Shoah

By Jonathan S. Tobin

membrance of the Holocaust, which this year starts on the evening of April 23 and continues through Thursday, April 24— we’ve seen a new spurt of shameless and disgraceful efforts to compare Trump, his administration and his supporters to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime.

Those guilty of doing this seem to be laboring under the delusion that they are fearless truth-tellers, rallying the “resistance” against an evil president that many of them believe seeks an end to democracy. The administration is not exempt from criticism, but their promiscuous use of invocations of Hitler and the Nazis indicates more than just a bad case of Trump derangement syndrome.

Holocaust Education Failed

The way the discussion about the president always seems to circle back to Germany in the 1930s and ’40s is a glaring sign that efforts to educate Americans about the Holocaust have utterly failed. Those comparing Trump to Hitler aren’t just guilty of hyper-partisanship and bad history. They are essentially reducing the

worst crime in the history of humanity to just another bitter political dispute that has nothing to do with the Nazis’ totalitarianism and mass murder.

Indeed, it’s entirely possible that most attempts at Holocaust education fail to convey the enormity of what the Nazis and their collaborators did. More people may have heard of the Holocaust in the last few decades because of efforts to spread knowledge about it. But since so many of these programs that have become required to one degree or another in the schools of 39 states emphasize universalizing it, all they seem to have done is to popularize it as a metaphor for anything people think is bad, prejudicial or unkind. Few, including many highly educated opinion leaders as well as Jews, seem to understand that it was a singular world event that was a product of 2,000 years of antisemitism.

Among the most egregious recent examples include a speech by former Vice President Al Gore in which he analogized what he called the administration’s attempt to create their own reality to the Nazis. Gore led into this claim by

saying that Holocaust analogies are wrong. But then, as if to remind listeners that he was a career politician before he began assuming the pose of a global wise man, he went ahead and made one. All administrations spin the truth and sometimes flat-out lie for political advantage, not least the one in which he was No. 2 to President Bill Clinton. But talk about honesty is rich coming from a man who won an undeserved Nobel Peace Prize and an equally undeserved Oscar for a documentary film about the environment that was packed with inaccuracies, half-truths and wild prophecies such as one about an impending 20-foot sea-level rise that never happened.

Another was the piece published by The Forward that actually compared a broad range of mainstream conservative opinions—including critiques of former President Joe Biden’s incompetence; the way radical ideologues had taken over American education and fueled antisemitism; the neglect of the interests of working-class voters; and the Democratic Party’s use of banana

republic-style lawfare to thwart the will of the voters—to Nazi propaganda.

Specifically, the article said that the dissatisfaction with the left that enabled Trump to win both the popular vote and the Electoral College was nothing more than a recycled version of the dolchstosslegende: the Hitlerian claim that Germany was defeated in World War I and then plunged into economic chaos was because it had been stabbed in the back by the Jews. Bristling with denial about these issues and contempt for the American people, the argument seemed to be that voters who were dissatisfied with the failures and extremism of the Democrats were just buying Nazi-style big lies.

Dinner With Hitler?

Yet as insane and dishonest as those arguments were, perhaps even worse was the op-ed that led The New York Times’ opinion section on April 21 by comedian, actor and “Seinfeld” show writer-producer Larry David. In it, David is clearly attempting to skewer liberal comedian and talk-show host Bill Maher, who recently spoke on his HBO show “Real Time With Bill Maher” about having dinner with Trump in the White House. Maher shocked many of his fellow Trump-haters by discovering that—while he remained in fierce disagreement with the president’s positions and policies, and deplored many of his statements—he was also a pleasant dinner companion. More importantly, he was also not the fire-breathing demon of the liberal imagination. Indeed, Maher felt bound to tell his viewers that Trump was capable of calm discourse and willing to accept disagreement with a smile or a shrug in much the way any reasonable person would behave.

There was nothing intrinsically remarkable or newsworthy about Maher’s comments. Tales of Trump’s civility, kindness and generosity have always competed with other stories about his bad behavior, rapacity and incivility. It’s likely that both narratives are true, as Trump is a complex character who is neither a saint nor a devil but a larger-than-life figure capable of great deeds as well as sins. But whatever people may think of him, he is no dictator or mass murderer.

David has made hundreds of millions by monetizing a comedy act rooted in a peculiar mix of oblivious obnoxiousness that amuses many people while repelling others (including myself). But he speaks for many other liberal elites who believe that Maher committed an unpardonable sin by “normalizing” Trump rather than treating him as a great villain deserving

of nothing but vilification. In his crudely written piece that has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer blow, which is what passes for wit these days among orthodox liberals, David wrote of a fictional dinner and exchange of views with Hitler, similar to Maher’s evening with Trump.

David made headlines for helping ostracize attorney and longtime Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, a fellow Democrat who nevertheless defended Trump against what he considered to be inappropriate impeachment charges, even

college campuses. It can also lead to them to dishonestly lionize unworthy persons who are falsely put forward as martyrs of his administration’s policies. One example is the absurd comparison of a deported criminal illegal immigrant who was an MS13- gang member accused of domestic violence to Alfred Dreyfus, the innocent victim of an antisemitic conspiracy in 1894 in France, as The Forward did this week in another unhinged article Trump’s opponents did the same in 2020 when the Jewish Democrat-

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” show did. But the fact that a publication that still claims to be the “newspaper of record” for the nation, no matter how outdated that title might be, would publish and highlight a piece comparing the president to Hitler tells us something important. It shows that despite the lip service they give it, the chattering classes and the liberal establishment care nothing about the Holocaust or its lessons. The same is true for Gore, the editors of The Forward, and so many other partisans who have succumbed to the same temptation over the last decade as they struggled in vain to contain their loathing for Trump.

Silent about Hitler’s Heirs

They are essentially reducing the worst crime in the history of humanity to just another bitter political dispute that has nothing to do with the Nazis’ totalitarianism and mass murder.

screaming at him in public. David would clearly like to do the same to Maher. He seems to be claiming that sharing a meal with Trump—and discovering that when meeting him face to face, it turns out that he isn’t a cartoon bad guy or the worst criminal in history—is no different from the attempts to downplay Hitler’s evil, as many appeasers did in the 1930s.

Normalizing Violence

Rather than Trump

This is a dangerous brand of politics because it seems to be rooted in a view that it’s not enough to oppose the president by normal democratic means. Many who belong to the party that claims it is the defender of democracy aren’t chastened by its defeat last year and the way it was abandoned by working-class voters of all races. Instead, they believe that the appropriate reaction to Trump 2.0 is “resistance.” This further polarizes an already deeply divided country and raises the prospect of normalizing political violence, which, as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro discovered during Passover in the state’s capital of Harrisburg, is now more likely to come from antisemitic Israel-haters who have swallowed leftist propaganda rather than from right-wing extremists.

It also turns the debate over every issue into one that winds up where Trump’s opponents appear willing to oppose and vilify even his most reasonable positions. That’s true of his determination to take action against antisemitism on U.S.

ic Council produced a video comparing the Republicans to the Nazis that was shamefully endorsed by historian Deborah Lipstadt and former AntiDefamation League leader Abe Foxman, who were competing for the post of Biden’s antisemitism envoy, a State Department position. Lipstadt, who won that competition, recently confessed that, in contrast to Trump’s willingness to take action against Jew-hatred, the Biden administration failed to do so while not explaining why she was silent about that when speaking up would have mattered.

That Trump, who has been the most pro-Israel president since the founding of the modern-day State of Israel, as well as the most active and effective opponent of antisemitism ever to sit in the Oval Office, should be compared to Hitler is not merely egregious but a reflection of something truly sick in contemporary political discourse.

The real scandal here is not the offense given to Trump, who can take abuse as well as dish it out with the best of them. Nor is it the blithe obtuseness to public sentiment outside of the bubble of liberal elite opinion that his opponents demonstrate by resorting to such calumnies. The problem is that we’ve gotten to the point where there is simply no penalty in the public square for engaging in Holocaust analogies that ought to be beneath contempt and out of bounds for even the bitterest political dispute.

Expecting good taste from Larry David may be as ridiculous as anything his semi-autobiographical character on his

For them, the memory of the Six Million, including 1.5 million children, and the eliminationist campaign of the Nazis isn’t sacred in of itself. Nor does it seem to be a reminder of their duty to demonstrate solidarity with the efforts to thwart those who seek the genocide of the Jews today by Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorists who aren’t so much analogous to Hitler and his supporters as they are the 21st-century successors to his ideological campaign to exterminate the Jewish people. Clearly, for Trump-haters, the Shoah is just a political cudgel to be wielded against opponents as they adhere to the absurd solipsistic belief that anyone they don’t like is Hitler.

It also ill behooves those on the left, including Jews, who have been largely publicly indifferent to the war on Israel being waged by the genocidal Islamists of Hamas and other Iranian terror proxies, as well as the surge of antisemitism that was unleashed after the Palestinian attacks and atrocities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, to be throwing around Holocaust analogies.

Discussions of the Holocaust should remain separate from partisan battles. Those who wish to speak of it—no matter whether they are Jewish or non-Jewish, Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal—should understand that the most important way to honor the legacy of the Holocaust is to stand in solidarity with Israel. The Jewish state is its only true memorial and the guarantee that powerlessness will never again permit the mass murder of millions of Jews. By contrast, nothing degrades the memory of what the Nazis did more than to invoke this tragic history in order to virtue-signal distaste for a political opponent like Trump.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate).

Jewish History

Travelers and Fellow Travelers, Then and Now

By Rafael Medoff

Five members of Congress last week traveled to a prison in Louisiana to show their solidarity with two Hamas supporters who are awaiting deportation. The Congressional visitors were continuing an unfortunate century-long tradition of politicians and political activists embracing tyrants, terrorists and terror supporters.

In the 1920s, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin welcomed numerous American intellectuals and cultural celebrities. Among them was Isadora Duncan, one of the leading figures in American dance in the 1920s, who returned from Soviet Russia bursting with enthusiasm for the Communist cause. Duncan soon began concluding her performances by waving a red scarf over her head, while shouting, “This is red! So am I! It is the color of life and vigor!”

During the 1930s, Nazi Germany likewise welcomed American visitors. Famed aviator Charles Lindbergh attended the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 as the personal guest of Hitler’s air force chief, Field Marshal Hermann Goering. The Nazis had “done much for the German people,” Lindbergh declared. At an official state dinner in Berlin in 1938, Lindbergh accepted a prestigious medal from the Nazi regime, the Service Cross of the German Eagle.

Hitler was especially interested in visitors from the American academic community, hoping they would enhance his stature. This sordid story was first chronicled by Prof. Stephen Norwood in his book, The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower

American University chancellor Joseph Gray returned from a visit to Nazi Germany in 1936 full of praise for the Hitler regime. Gray reported to the American public that German cities were “amazingly clean” and that “everybody was working in Germany.” George Washington University professor Christopher Garnett, who visited Germany in 1934,

Hermann Göring presenting Charles Lindbergh with the Commander Cross of the Order of the German Eagle, 1938

hailed “[t]he optimism which permeates the Germans, even those who at first opposed the present regime.”

Wesleyan University’s Prof. Paul H. Curts visited Nazi Germany repeatedly in the 1930s. He praised Hitler as “the only man who could offer to Germany what it needed at present” and marveled at the “quiet, order and discipline” in Germany. Curts dismissed reports of anti-Jewish persecution as “exaggerated,” while adding that some action against the Jews “was possibly justified.” The Wesleyan administration arranged for Prof. Curts to address the entire student body about the wonderful Nazi regime and named him president of Wesleyan’s Publications Board.

The phenomenon of political travelers and fellow travelers has continued in more recent times. One was the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, future U.S. senator Bernie Sanders. In 1988, Sanders and his bride, Jane, spent their honeymoon with a group of activists on a visit

to the Soviet Union to promote friendly relations with the Kremlin. Upon their return, Sanders heaped praise on the “friendship and openness” of the “extremely generous and warm” Soviet officials who hosted them. He hailed the Soviet government’s cultural programs for youth, which, he said, “go far beyond what we have in this country.”

Sanders was especially excited that the Kremlin’s trains ran on time. “In Moscow, we were extremely impressed by their public transportation system,” he said. “In fact, it was the cleanest, most effective mass transit system that I’ve ever seen in my life… The stations themselves were absolutely beautiful, including many works of art, chandeliers that were beautiful – it was a very, very effective system.”

While Sanders had much to say about the punctuality of Soviet trains, he had nothing to say about the vicious mistreatment of his fellow Jews behind the Iron Curtain. He never mentioned the

plight of the three million Soviet Jews who were being persecuted and prevented from emigrating. He never spoke about the grueling new restrictions the Soviet authorities had imposed on Jews just weeks earlier.

That same year, five American Jews stirred controversy by meeting and praising PLO terrorist leader Yasir Arafat in Stockholm. One of the visitors later had a dramatic change of heart, however. In October 2000, in the midst of an Arafat-directed wave of violence against Israel, Menachem Z. Rosensaft, president of the U.S. Labor Zionist Alliance, wrote: “I was wrong, so many of us were wrong…for allowing ourselves to be convinced that Arafat ever actually wanted peace with Israel… We believed him when he proclaimed an end to terrorism. We were wrong.”

Perhaps one day, similar words of remorse will be heard from the American Jewish officials who enjoyed all-expenses-paid visits to Qatar in 2017-2018 and praised Qatar’s emir despite his regime’s massive financial assistance to Hamas and Qatar’s harboring of senior Hamas leaders. It was later reported that Qatari agents made significant donations to some Jewish organizations and individuals.

Political travelers and fellow travelers, then and now, have left a long and dishonorable legacy of giving aid and comfort to regimes and individuals who deserve to be ostracized, not embraced. It’s unfortunate that a handful of members of Congress have now joined their ranks.

Dr. Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and author of more than 20 books about Jewish history and the Holocaust. His latest is America and the Holocaust: A Documentary History, published by the Jewish Publication Society & University of Nebraska Press.

Forgotten Her es Early IDF Paratrooper Operations

By Avi Heiligman

Military parachutists, also called paratroopers, are trained to insert directly on the battlefield or behind enemy lines. They are usually lightly armed and rely on speed, surprise and elite fighting skills and tactics to achieve objectives that would be much more difficult for regular infantry. Currently, Israel has several paratrooper units including the elite 35 th Paratroopers Brigade and at least three reserve paratrooper brigades. Their missions vary and have been an integral part of the IDF since their inception.

Paratroopers from Eretz Yisrael date back to World War II. A group of 37 soldiers known as the Yishuv Paratroopers went through rigorous training organized by the Hagana with permission from the British government. In 1944, twenty-six of these volunteers were dropped into Nazi-occupied Europe. Yoel Palgi was one of these paratroopers who parachuted into Croatia and crossed over into Hungary several days later. Despite the danger (seven Yishuv Paratroopers were executed after being caught by the Nazis), Palgi attempted to rescue Jews but was caught and turned over to the Gestapo. He survived brutal interrogations and managed to escape by jump -

ing from a train while being transferred. Soon, he linked up with members of an underground Jewish Zionist network after making his way to Budapest. The Soviets eventually liberated Budapest, and Palgi continued his efforts to help as many Jews as possible.

Palgi returned to Eretz Yisrael and went on a trip to recruit pilots for the

talion and early on was heavily involved in retaliatory operations.

The Paratroopers Brigade was formed when Unit 101 and the 890 th Battalion merged in 1955. These Special Forces units were created in the aftermath of the Israeli War of Independence as a response to the thousands of Arab attacks on Jews. The first commander of

The first commander of the Paratroopers Brigade was seasoned commando and future prime minister Ariel Sharon.

new Israeli Air Force. During the Israeli War of Independence, he was assigned by Prime Minister David Ben Gurion to establish the IDF’s first paratrooper unit. Their base was set up on Mount Carmel, and by the end of the war, there were 250 officers and enlisted soldiers in the unit.

The 890 th Battalion was established in 1950 as the IDF’s first paratrooper bat-

the Paratroopers Brigade was seasoned commando and future prime minister Ariel Sharon. One of their first operations took place in October 1956 and became known as the Battle of the Mitla Pass. Close to 400 paratroopers were dropped east of the pass but soon fell into an Egyptian ambush. Thirty-eight paratroopers were killed in the taking

of the Mitla Pass, and Sharon received heavy criticism for sending the paratroopers into the pass altogether.

The drop at Mitla Pass, part of Operation Kadesh, was the first combat drop in IDF history, with the second one coming shortly thereafter. Along with the paratroopers was Hannah Yaffe who was a medic with the surgical unit. She was involved in the evacuation of the 120 wounded paratroopers back to the Israeli airbase as she was responsible for the treatment of the wounded before and during transport. Shortly thereafter, she was asked by one of the battalion’s commanders, Motta Gur, to drop with the paratroopers as they were about to attack an Egyptian airbase. Gur was wounded during the combat drop, and Yaffe treated him on the battlefield. Yaffe was only woman in IDF history to be awarded parachute wings on a red background, indicating that she made a combat jump.

It was during the Six Day War in 1967 that the famous photo was taken of the paratroopers after they had captured the Kotel. Under the command of Motta Gur, they were given the goahead on June 7 from Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan to go into the Old

A group of paratroopers on Temple Mount at the end of the Six Day War

Ariel Sharon, second from left on top, and Aharon Davidi, bottom left

Yoel Palgi

City with the purpose of reaching the Western Wall. It wasn’t smooth sailing as the paratroopers took a wrong turn and fell into a Jordanian ambush. Finally, the paratroopers broke through the Lion’s Gate, made their way through the narrow streets and soon were on the Temple Mount. Capturing the Old City came at a heavy price. Ninety-eight paratroopers were killed in the battle. In addition to the fighting in Jerusalem, paratroopers were involved in the

fighting on the other fronts. Decorated paratrooper Aharon Davidi was called on to lead the 35 th Paratrooper Brigade during the Six Day War when the previous commander was wounded. Within a few hours of action in the Sinai, the unit was on the banks of the Suez Canal, the first Israeli unit to reach the vital waterway. Reconnaissance paratroopers destroyed dozens of T-55 tanks as they were coming off a freighter in the Alexandria harbor.

These early pioneers set the stage early on for paratroopers that have participated in almost every conflict and battle in Israel’s history. These conflicts included participating in the raid on Entebbe in the rescue of 102 hostages from Palestinian terrorists. The paratroopers were tasked with supporting the main force of commandos by securing the civilian airfield, protecting the aircraft, and clearing the runway.

Recently, the Paratrooper Brigade

was heavily involved in both the war in Gaza and Lebanon. Today, the paratroopers are involved in a wide array of missions that range from counterterrorism to humanitarian aid.

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.

Israeli paratroopers in Gaza

Three paratroopers at the Kotel as they liberated the Old City from Arab hands in 1967

Motta Gur, left, with Ariel Sharon in 1976

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We grew up wearing bathing suits, and random clothing on top, if we wanted to be modest.

But today, there is a whole line of clothing made exclusively for swimming. It’s amazing that people don’t sink to the bottom with the amount of layers marketed and worn. Shorts or pants are placed under skirts that often are fully floor length. With this on, often one climbs into a swimming pool and looks like they are attending no less than a bar mitzvah with all they are wearing.

And this bottom half of the outfit usually comes with a top that has a continuous full-length sleeve, not the expected outdoorsy three-quarter length ones. Plus, they are adorned with a head covering that leaves not an inch of scalp exposed. I’ve seen people wearing less on a ski slope! Even in 0-degree weather.

When emerging from the pool, half the water is soaked up with this amount of clothing. If the pool doesn’t have a refill valve, five fully adorned swimmers can empty half its water supply. This is great only for those looking for a completely shallow pool to wade in.

And what about the name it sports? Shvimkleid. Couldn’t it at least be

Life C ach Wash and Wear

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

rebranded as Swimwear by Clyde –wouldn’t that give a more appealing ring?

Actually, many people in general are wearing these sun protective skirts and shirts these days. It’s interesting to observe how many people are showing up more covered to pool areas.

As we live longer, we start to see that we Jews are ahead of the curve again. Shvimkleid is getting to be more uni -

occasions” trend. I have seen shvimkleid go from the supermarket to the swimming pool to school pick up.

So perhaps more expansive ideas are not too far off.

After all, oven to tableware was once a big innovation. Pretty and practical! Therefore – no joke – soon there will be a real push for the bar mitzvah-to-poolware I referred to earlier. Why not?

Often one climbs into a swimming pool and looks like they are attending no less than a bar mitzvah with all they are wearing.

versal. Sun exposure is more and more dreaded. So while many are covering up more these days, we were certainly out front a while ago.

We are trendsetters.

Some may recall a concept that came around at one time called “one size fits all.” Remember that? Now we seem to have come up with the “one outfit fits all

Materials certainly are getting to be more versatile. And years ago, the rage was “wash and wear.” (I guess that meant you could practically wear your stuff right out of the machine.) So now they can go the other way and come up with a line of “wear and wash.” In other words, one can just go right from wedding to wetting – with whatever they’re wearing.

Why not?! Luxury to leisure. Exertion to exercise.

It could be another practical timesaving way to enhance our lives. After all, prep time for dressing to undressing and redressing is probably a big chunk of our days. Thus, eliminating it can probably statistically add back a batch of useful time to our day.

We might ultimately decide to stick an agitator in the pool and eliminate the washing machine altogether. We could just stick ourselves or our kids in our outfits, get into a pool, and simultaneously do the wash and get exercise.

Who knows where going with this brilliant concept can lead?

For now, I guess we will just keep going with the newly branded “Clothes by Clyde” made for the pool and then just float along and see where things take us.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.