Five Towns Jewish Home 07.10.25

Kollel Semicha Chaburah Visits Rabbi Reisman

Dear Readers,

Friday was July 4, so after the Shabbos seudah, the fireworks began. Sitting on my back porch, we managed to make out a few of the firework displays going off around the neighborhood. It was pleasant sitting in my cozy chair and seeing the lights illuminate the sky.

Did you ever go to a fireworks show – a real one, that goes on for 15 minutes with different displays every few minutes?

They’re dazzling. But I noticed that even when witnessing this magnificence, after the first few displays, with each person oohing and aahing, you kind of get used to the magic. Your mind wanders, and you turn to the person next to you and start to shmooze.

All too soon, the majestic turns into the mundane.

And it got me thinking. Don’t we do that so many times in our lives? We get used to the brilliance and the beauty that surrounds us, and it becomes part of the backdrop of our lives.

We stop noticing the way the sun filters

through the trees on our morning walk. We forget to appreciate the laughter of our children echoing through the house. Even the beauty of our family joining together each week, the freshness of our challahs, the fragrance of our simmering soup, can sometimes feel routine. We forget about the richness of the words of each of our tefillos and the power that they hold.

The extraordinary becomes ordinary, not because it has lost its potency, but because we’ve grown accustomed to having it in our lives.

But maybe that’s our challenge – and our opportunity. To pause, to look again, and to reawaken our sense of wonder. To notice the subtle kindnesses, the moments of peace, the hidden sparks of joy that permeate our day.

Maybe we need to remind ourselves that the fireworks are still there – we just have to lift our eyes and take it in.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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AM Showers

Scattered ThunderStorms

Dear “Abba,”

I don’t know who you are, but as a rebbi — thank you.

Your letter, recently published, was a breath of fresh air. You expressed what so many of us in chinuch feel but are often hesitant to say. You reminded parents how much a thoughtful note, a kind word, or a small or large gift can uplift those of us who devote our days (and nights) to their children.

You put into words what we sometimes wish people understood — and you said it with warmth, respect, and a sense of partnership. You did a great service to Klal Yisrael, and I can only hope your children took your message to heart.

If I may, I’d like to humbly add one small point to your beautifully crafted letter — something that’s easy to overlook but means the world.

After you write that note or send that package to your child’s rebbi or morah, consider forwarding a short email or message to the menahel, principal, or administrator as well. Just a sentence or two: “We’re so grateful for what Morah Ploni is doing with our daughter.” It doesn’t need to be long — it just needs to be said.

Most yeshivos — baruch Hashem — have administrations that stand behind their staff. But sometimes, when a parent raises a concern (sometimes rightly so), it can feel like the loudest voices shape the picture. Your positive feedback helps make sure that the broader support — the silent majority — is also heard.

And one more point: Everything you encouraged in your letter — the hakaras hatov, the thank you notes, the gestures of appreciation — shouldn’t wait until June. Do it throughout the year. A compliment in Kislev can carry a rebbi through Adar.

A small gift or kind message at orientation, Chanukah, Purim, or after a particularly hard day of learning — it matters. And it means more than you’ll ever know. Someone recently told me a story that took place many years ago, out of town, about a mechanech who left the classroom to work in food service. After his first catered event, the host came over to thank him profusely. The former rebbi was taken aback — not because the host said thank you, but because he had forgotten that in other fields…people do.

Baruch Hashem, today, things have changed. Many parents and schools go out of their way to express appreciation. But even so, your letter was a beautiful reminder — not to assume, not to delay, and not to let a moment of gratitude slip by.

So from this rebbi, and on behalf of so many of my colleagues:

Thank you for seeing us.

Thank you for saying it. And thank you, above all, for reminding others to do the same.

With heartfelt appreciation, A Grateful Rebbi

Dear Editor,

There’s a concept to learn Pirkei Avot in the summer, which I vividly remember doing with my late relative, Rav Avrohom Genechovsky, zt”l. There’s a powerful Mishna that captures two stories and one piece of advice that he gave. The Mishnah (2:12) says, “Rabbi Yossi said: let the money of your fellow man be as precious to you as your own, prepare yourself to study Torah for it is not an inheritance to you, and let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.”

Continued on page 12

Regarding caring for others’ money, he once encountered a young man on the bus in Yerushalayim who was headed to the Kotel. He asked him how he planned on performing kriyah. Seeing that a plan was needed, Rav Avrohom brought the young man to his yeshiva where they exchanged shirts, because one need not tear if the shirt is borrowed. It was said that in the shiur that day Rav Avrohom took extra precautions not to cause any damage to the shirt.

In regard to studying Torah because it’s not an inheritance, he said that when one starts learning, it will be very difficult, and one won’t find a taste for it, but once one progresses, the learning will be as sweet as honey.

And in terms of one’s actions being solely for G-d, he had a son who passed away at an early age. The rebbetzin wanted to have a picture of him on their mantel. Rav Avrohom only agreed if on the bottom of the picture it said the verse, “You must love G-d with all your heart and soul.” This way Rav Avrohom would never taint his love for G-d, who ordained the passing of his son. Everything was for G-d.

Steven Genack

Dear Editor,

Summer has arrived. Long Island and Queens are filled with fantastic beaches and hiking trails. Here are some tips to make the most of beaches and hiking trails:

If you’re hiking, know what type of terrain the hiking path is by downloading a trail map of your route before going. Most places such as state or national parks have maps on their website. Alltrails.com is an excellent site containing a comprehensive database of trails showing contours. This way you can see elevation changes on your path.

You should never wear sandals, crocs or other open shoes when hiking in the forest. These paths require sturdy shoes that will both support and cushion your feet against rocks and twigs, plus, ideally, let you walk through muddy and damp slippery trails. Similarly, beaches are sometimes filled with trash. Avoid open shoes on the beach, as well. The last thing you want is to have a pop top blow out your flip-flop, as Jimmy Buffet did.

I don’t like waves, so I avoid ocean beaches, generally. The North Shore beaches such as Sunken Meadow and Wildwood are wonderful North Shore State beaches offering calmer waters that don’t get sharks or rip currents. I recom-

mend using the beaches on weekdays, if possible, as the crowd is far lighter than during weekends.

Seniors should know that all NY State parks have free entry on weekdays only. A car needs one senior who does not have to be the driver. This allows all passengers free entry. NY State parks on Long Island include Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Sunken Meadow, Wildwood, Hempstead Lake, Valley Stream, Planting Fields, and Bayard Cutting Arboretum.

Regardless of where you are walking or hiking, dress properly. Even though they are warm, you should wear long pants for forest trail hiking. This minimizes getting ticks, poison ivy/oak rashes or thorn/thistle scrapes. Always wear a sunhat or cap and plenty of sunscreen. Carry plenty of water especially when hiking.

Know the weather forecast. Our area can get severe storms. Lightning can travel many miles, and it strikes randomly. When you hear thunder, it’s time to get into a shelter or your car. Don’t wait until the rain starts and risk being a lightning victim.

For more suggestions and ideas, visit my blog https://triptipsandhikehints. blogspot.com/. Happy journeys and have a great and safe summer.

Daniel Feldman

Dear Editor, I disagree with the editorial by a “Republican activist” disparaging the Republican nominee for NYC Mayor, Curtis Sliwa. Portraying Curtis Sliwa as anti-Semitic is a gross mischaracterization. Curtis Sliwa is a loud voice in NYC fighting the lies of the anti-Israel mob. Watch his speech at Cooper Union. He has a long record of advocating for the Jewish community including protecting Crown Heights with the Guardian Angels following the 1991 riots, and warning about the dangers of antisemitism, and encouraging Jewish activism at a rally for Israel in Eisenhower Park in 2002.

If the criteria for being friends of the Jewish community is supporting welfare payments for able-bodied men who only study Torah, then most people would not qualify. Republican activists should be promoting Republican policies of limited, responsible government, law and order, and traditional values. Democrats continue to move further to the left, and have failed NY with socialist, pro-criminal policies (much of which was signed into law by Andrew Cuomo). We need to elect Republicans to save NY.

Sincerely,

Moshe Tassalman

U.K. Jet Stuck in India

A $110 million F-35B stealth fighter jet owned by the United Kingdom has been stuck at Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala, India, since June 14.

The technologically advanced jet had been flying over the Indian Ocean on its way to the Royal Navy’s flagship carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, when it was forced to land in India due to bad weather. It then got stranded in India because of a technical issue. British engineers have tried fixing the problem but have thus far been unsuccessful.

“The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport. It will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, thereby ensuring there is minimal disruption to scheduled maintenance of other aircraft,” the British High Commission announced Thursday. “The aircraft will return to active service once repairs and safety checks have been completed… Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed.”

Six RAF officers were tasked with watching the jet.

On Monday, over three weeks after the plane got stranded in India, Britain’s High Commission in India announced that British engineers arrived at the Indian airport and had begun repairing the craft.

According to Dr. Sameer Patil, director for the Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, the Royal Navy can either fix the jet or transport it back to Britain on a larger cargo plane.

Last Monday, Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, a member of the opposition

in the House of Commons, reportedly requested more information about the situation from the government.

“What steps are the government taking to recover the plane, how much longer will that take, and how will the government ensure the security of protected technologies on the jet while it is in the hangar and out of view?” he reportedly asked.

“We continue to work with our Indian friends who provided first-class support when the F-35B was unable to return to the carrier,” said Luke Pollard, the British armed forces minister, adding that the U.K. has full control of the jet. “I am certain that the security of the jet is in good hands because Royal Air Force crew are with it at all times.”

The situation has prompted jokes and memes, with many social media users noting how absurd it is for a highly advanced jet to remain stuck in a foreign country for over three weeks. The incident has also sparked security concerns, though British officials claim they are not worried.

No Swimming in Seine River

Just one day after opening the Seine River to swimming for the first time in more than a century, French officials shut down the river due to concerns about pollution following heavy rainfall.

Swimming in the Seine has largely been illegal since 1923 due to pollution and other safety risks. The river was opened for public swimming on Saturday in three designated areas. But just one day later, access to swimmers was prohibited.

The flip-flop follows a nearly 1.4 billion-euro project to clean up the river in the lead-up to last year’s Olympics. The river hosted several open-water events, including the swimming leg of the triathlon. It was also the site of the games’ opening ceremonies, with boats filled with athletes sailing through the city.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo even took a swim prior to the Olympics to demonstrate the water’s cleanliness to a skeptical public.

Officials had first aimed in the 1990s to clean up the river. The plan that eventually got it done was proposed in 2015 and involved upgrading Paris’s 19th-century sewer system so that households were no longer dumping wastewater directly into the river. The city also built a reservoir to conserve rainwater and prevent waste from flowing into the river.

Still, the system is vulnerable on rainy days, a French official told Le Monde. Sunday’s heavy rainfall caused concerns about pollution, forcing the river’s closure. Heavy rain also caused a spike in bacteria during the Olympics, causing the triathlon to be postponed a day.

The river is tested daily for E. coli and other harmful bacteria.

Mexico Nabs Gold Cup Trophy

Mexico defeated the United States Men’s National Team by a score of 2-1 on Sunday to win the nation’s 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy as champions of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

The match was the most important match for either team until next

year’s FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the two fierce rivals, along with Canada.

More than 70,000 screaming fans gathered at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, to watch the celebrated match-up.

The U.S.’s Chris Richards scored the game’s first goal with a scintillating header that ricocheted in off the crossbar on a set piece free kick from Sebastian Berhalter just four minutes into the match to give the USA an instant advantage.

Mexico took command after the USMNT’s fast start and dominated for long stretches of a first half in which Mexico enjoyed nearly double the time of possession of the Americans.

El Tri finally found its equalizer in the 27th minute when Raúl Jiménez turned on a pass from Marcel Ruíz and sent it past American goalie Matthew Freese and into the roof of the netting from point

blank range to tie the game 1-1.

As the second half got underway, the two teams exchanged near goals in the early minutes as the momentum of the match teetered on a knife’s edge. Eventually, Mexico nabbed the gold.

Sunday night’s game marked the eighth time that the two neighboring countries have met in the final of this tournament, with Mexico now holding the 6-2 advantage in those games.

Mexico’s second consecutive victory in the tournament extends its CONCACAF-leading tally to 10 Gold Cup crowns all-time, three more than the USMNT’s second-place total of seven.

Anti-Hate

Taskforce in Australia

Last Friday night, an assailant attempted to burn down a 148-year-old synagogue in East Melbourne, Australia. All 20 congregants inside the shul evacuated safely, and fire officials quickly stopped the fire.

Police have since charged the suspected terrorist, a 34-year-old man, with criminal damage by fire, among other crimes, noting that he spilled a flammable liquid on the synagogue’s front door, started a fire, and ran away. He was detained late Saturday.

Officials have yet to publicize the assailant’s name or determine his motive. However, the assailant, according to reports, is named Angelo Loras, a resident of Sydney. On social media, Loras has referred to himself as Iranian.

Following the attack, the Australian state of Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, announced the creation of an anti-hate task force to crack down on rising antisemitism.

“Just as the fire came to the front door here of this (synagogue), it was stopped. So too must we put a stop to antisemitism,” Allan said.

The task force will be composed of the state’s premier, the mayor of Melbourne, the state police minister, and police. Its first meeting, which Jewish community leaders have been invited to, is expected to take place this week.

Lawmakers are currently drafting legislation to criminalize face masks, public terror symbols, and the use of devices that enable protesters to attach themselves to objects, which stops police from removing them, Allan said, adding that the government is speaking to experts about the bill.

That same Friday night, two other antisemitic attacks took place in Melbourne. Authorities believe those incidents were unrelated to the attack on the East Melbourne Synagogue. That night, around 20 rioters ran into an Israeli-owned restaurant and yelled, “Death to the IDF,” while turning over tables. One window was reportedly smashed. Elsewhere, assailants set ablaze and spray-painted cars with antisemitic graffiti.

Antisemitism in Australia, where around 120,000 Jews live, has surged since the October 7 attacks.

Russia Recognizes Taliban

Last week, Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021. Moscow had removed the group from its list of outlawed organizations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan’s newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster “productive bilateral cooperation,” the ministry said in a statement. Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as “a good example for other countries.”

After U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban took over and has enforced their strict interpretation of Islamic law.

While no country had formally recognized the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.

20 Still, the Taliban government has been relatively isolated on the world stage, largely over its restrictions on women.

Although the Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, it started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade.

Russian officials have recently been emphasizing the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilize Afghanistan and lifted a ban on the Taliban in April.

Ferry Sinks in Bali

At least five people were confirmed dead and dozens of others are missing after a ferry carrying at least 65 passengers

sank in the Bali Strait last Wednesday night.

The ferry was traveling from Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, Jaava, to Gilimanuk in Bali, according to the Indonesian outlet Jakarta Post. It sank less than 30 minutes into its journey at around 11:20 p.m. local time. Officials searched with flashlights in the dark waters for survivors.

It is not clear how many people were on the boat at the time of the accident. At least 30 people were rescued.

It’s unclear what caused the Indonesian ferry — a red-and-white vessel dubbed the Tunu Pratama Jaya — to sink. At the time of the incident, sea conditions were hazardous, with high waves and severe winds.

“The ferry could not be contacted via radio from the beginning. Then it could be contacted by other ships from the same company. But the ship was already in a tilting condition,” Surabaya Search and Rescue head Nanang Sigit said.

Indonesia has a long history of ferry disasters on its crowded waterways. As the world’s fourth-largest country by population, spread across more than 17,000 islands, it sees a high volume of ferry traffic, and boats are sometimes loaded with passengers beyond their official manifests.

Wildfires Hit Crete

Europe has been grappling with a deadly heat wave, and wildfires have been burning in countries like Spain, Greece and Turkey. Hundreds of firefighters in Greece have been dispatched to battle a massive blaze exacerbated by high temperatures and gale-force winds.

More than 230 firefighters, assisted by drones, 10 helicopters, the Greek police and emergency medical workers, were deployed to Crete after a fire broke out last Wednesday, prompting evacuations across the region.

Crete is the largest Greek island and a major destination for tourists. No injuries or deaths resulting from the fires have been reported.

The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in Ierapetra, a city on the southeastern coast of Crete. Since then, strong winds reaching approximately 50 mph have hampered efforts to put out the blaze and led to new outbreaks.

July is historically the hottest month in the region, accompanied by strong winds and is also considered the most difficult of the three-month fire season.

Fires across the Aegean Sea in western Turkey are burning through areas of warning-level drought conditions, according to the European Drought Observatory. Much of the eastern and northern halves of Europe are dealing with drought, in addition to the recent record heat that has scorched much of the continent.

Winds are also exacerbating the situation and literally fanning the flames. Smoke from the largest fire in western Turkey is blowing southward toward and over Crete, where blazes are also raging.

Fires also have broken out across northern Scotland since Monday, with strong winds pushing the flames and hindering firefighting efforts, similar to the situation in Greece. In Turkey, four villages were evacuated on account of raging forest fires.

Two farmers were killed Wednesday while attempting to flee a large blaze in Catalonia, in northeastern Spain, according to local media reports.

The heat wave has set records for June in Spain, Portugal and England.

Earthquakes Shake Japan

More than 900 earthquakes have shaken a remote and sparsely populated island chain in southern Japan for over two weeks, keeping residents anxious and awake all night.

Seismic activity has been “very active” in the seas around the Tokara islands since June 21, authorities said after a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck last Wednesday.

So far, there have been no reports of damage, and no warning of a tsunami approaching. Still, residents are on edge, as they needed to be prepared to evacuate at any time.

“It’s very scary to even fall asleep,” one resident told a broadcaster. “It feels like it’s always shaking.”

The Tokara area has experienced clusters of earthquakes in the past, but the frequency of the most recent tremors has been unusual, according to local media.

Japan is one of the most seismically active nations on Earth, located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where many tectonic plates meet. It experiences about 1,500 earthquakes each year.

About 700 people live on seven of the 12 Tokara islands. There are no hospitals on some of these far-flung islands;the nearest is at least six hours by ferry to the prefectural capital, Kagoshima.

“You can hear a strange roar from the ocean before the quakes hit, especially at night. It’s eerie,” Chizuko Arikawa from Akusekijima island said. “Everyone’s exhausted. We just want it to stop.”

“After so many quakes, it now feels like the ground is shaking even when it’s not,” another resident said. “The quakes start with a jolt from below, then the house sways. It’s sickening.”

Additionally, residents have become exhausted from media inquiries about the phenomenon.

“We ask that you be considerate and not make excessive inquires or interviews,” according to a notice on the village website.

Most of the earthquakes that hit Japan are mild, but there are some that cause great damage, like the one in 2011

that triggered a massive tsunami into the north-east coast, killing more than 18,000 people.

Tanzania’s PM to Step Down

In a surprise move, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has announced he will not seek re-election in the upcoming parliamentary elections, effectively stepping away from a political career that spanned over a decade.

Majaliwa, 64, had initially stated he would run for a fourth term representing Ruangwa in October. However, on Wednesday, he reversed course, saying his decision was made “in good faith” and was guided by divine conviction.

“It is time to give others the opportunity to unite and build on the devel-

opment foundation we’ve established,” he said, offering no further details on his abrupt withdrawal.

Appointed prime minister in 2015 by the late President John Magufuli, Majaliwa was seen as a potential presidential successor after Magufuli’s death in 2021. He continued to serve under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who now seeks a second term under the long-ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

His departure, following a similar announcement by Vice President Philip Mpango in May, has fueled speculation of a strategic shakeup within CCM. Analysts say the exit of two top leaders could be part of a broader plan to give President Samia more control in shaping the party’s next leadership.

Tanzania’s political atmosphere remains tense. The main opposition party, Chadema, has been barred from elections after refusing to endorse a government ethics code. Its leaders, including Tundu Lissu, face arrests and alleged threats.

On Thursday, government spokesman Gerson Msigwa denied reports of a plot to poison Lissu, calling the claims “false” and promising legal action against those spreading them.

As President Samia positions for a second term, the departure of key figures

like Majaliwa signals a new chapter for Tanzania’s ruling party—and possibly its politics.

Attack on Greek-Owned Ship

The Houthi terror group carried out an hours-long attack on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier ship Eternity C on Monday night. Two crew members were killed in the attack that included sea drones and speedboats off Yemen.

The group also claimed to have sunk another vessel in an assault that threatened to renew combat across the vital waterway.

The Eternity C remains “surrounded by small craft and is under continuous attack,” the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center warned on Tuesday. Earlier, at least two people on board the ship were reported to be hurt, and two others were reported missing.

All but one of the 22 crew stranded aboard the Eternity are from the Philippines, officials in Manila said.

The deaths, the first since June 2024, brought the total number of seafarers killed in attacks on vessels in the Red Sea to six.

The bulk carrier had been heading north toward the Suez Canal when it came under fire by men in small boats and by bomb-carrying drones Monday night. The security guards on board also fired their weapons.

While the Iran-backed Houthis haven’t claimed the attack, Yemen’s exiled government and the EU force blamed the rebels.

The Houthis had already attacked the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas on Sunday with drones, missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms fire, forcing its crew of 22 to abandon the vessel. The rebels later said the ship sank in the Red Sea.

The two attacks, along with a round of Israeli airstrikes early Monday targeting the rebels in response to their ballistic missile fire at Israel, raised fears of a renewed Houthi campaign

against shipping that could again draw in U.S. and Western forces, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration reached an agreement with the rebels in May.

The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.

Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually. Shipping through the Red Sea, while still lower than normal, has increased in recent weeks.

UK Marks 20 Years Since 7/7

On July 7, 2005, 52 people were killed and more than 770 others were wounded when four al-Qaeda terrorists blew themselves up on three subway trains and a bus during the morning rush hour in London.

It was the first suicide bombing on European soil and the deadliest attack in London since World War II.

This week, King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and countless ordinary Londoners marked the 20th anniversary of the horrific 2005 London transit bombings.

Two weeks after those bombings, four other bombers attempted a similar attack, but their devices failed to explode. No one was hurt.

The bombings on 7/7 remain seared into London’s collective memory. The anniversary was marked with events including a ceremony at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park and a service of commemoration at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

At 8:50 a.m., the moment the first bomb exploded 20 years ago, Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at the Hyde Park monument, a

group of 52 steel columns commemorating the people who were killed. At subway stations near where the explosions hit, staff and commuters paused for a minute’s silence.

Dan Biddle, who lost both legs in the blast on a Tube train near Edgware Road station, said the day brought mixed emotions.

“You’re thankful you’ve survived it, you feel immense sadness and grief, but still this overwhelming sense of injustice that there wasn’t the public inquiry that was suggested and the scrutiny of what went wrong,” he told the BBC.

Biddle also recalled the “phenomenal act of bravery” of an injured fellow passenger who crawled along the tunnel, administered emergency first aid and helped save his life.

King Charles III said that his “heartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer’s day.”

He added that the country could take heart from the bravery of the emergency services and others who responded to the attack, and “the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.”

King Charles also hailed the “spirit of unity that has helped London, and our

nation, to heal.”

“As we remember those we lost, let us, therefore, use this 20th anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding, always standing firm against those who would seek to divide us,” he said.

In a separate message, the prime minister said that “those who tried to divide us failed. We stood together then, and we stand together now.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said July 7, 2005, was one of Britain’s “darkest days.”

She said that 20 years after the attacks, “Islamist extremist terrorism remains the greatest threat” to national security, followed by extreme right-wing terrorism and new “hybrid threats” from hostile states, organized crime and cyberattacks.

She assured that the government would “relentlessly confront and counter threats to our national security.”

So Much Pain

On Monday night, five Israeli soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in Beit Hanoun in Gaza. Fourteen other soldiers were injured in the attack.

The five slain heroes were named as: Staff Sgt. Meir Shimon Amar, 20, from Jerusalem; Sgt. Moshe Nissim Frech, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Noam Aharon Musgadian, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll, 21, from Beit Shemesh; and Sgt. First Class (res.) Benyamin Asulin, 28, from Haifa.

All of the soldiers served in the Kfir Brigade’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion except for Asulin, who served in the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.

charedim and other national-religious recruits in the army.

After the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “On this difficult morning, the entire people of Israel bow their heads and mourn the deaths of our heroic fighters, who sacrificed their lives in the campaign to defeat Hamas and free all of our hostages. We embrace the families who lost their loved ones and pray for the full recovery of those wounded in the incident.”

Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 449.

Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are still holding 50 hostages, including 49 of the 251 people abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 28 confirmed dead by the IDF. Twenty are believed to be alive and there are grave concerns for the well-being of two others, Israeli officials have said. Hamas is also holding the body of an IDF soldier killed in Gaza in 2014.

Tel Aviv Homes are Expensive

According to an initial IDF probe, the infantry soldiers were hit by a bomb planted by terror operatives on the side of a road shortly after 10 p.m. during ground operations in Beit Hanoun. The soldiers were operating on foot and were not inside a vehicle.

During attempts to extract the casualties, the forces came under fire in the area. Two of the injured soldiers are listed in serious condition.

The Netzah Yehuda soldiers were operating under the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade as part of a fresh offensive with the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade in Beit Hanoun, which began on Saturday, aimed at clearing the area of terror operatives who remain holed up there.

The IDF has operated in Beit Hanoun — located on the northern edge of Gaza, just across from the border city of Sderot — numerous times since the start of the war, capturing the town but withdrawing each time after several weeks.

Israeli officials have said the latest offensive in Gaza would see the IDF holding onto the territory. Currently, the military is in control of around 70 percent of the Strip’s territory, according to the army.

Netzah Yehuda is made up mostly of charedi soldiers and was set up in 1999 to accommodate the religious lifestyle of

Looking to buy a home in Israel? Tel Aviv real estate is going to cost you.

The Israeli metropolis has been ranked the world’s eighth most expensive city to buy residential real estate. The annual report graded the cost of living in 69 of the world’s most important cities.

The average home in the Israeli metropolis costs $18,469 per square meter, according to Deutsche Bank’s Mapping the World’s Prices report released late last month, which determines the ranking based on the average cost of a home in a city’s center.

Hong Kong took the top spot with homes costing $25,946 per square meter. Israel was ranked behind New York ($18,532), London ($20,953), Geneva ($21,491), Seoul ($22,875), Singapore ($22,955), and Zurich ($23,938).

Israel’s high ranking was due to it “being the capital of a small, but densely populated, country with strict zoning

rules and more recently, a booming tech sector.” The capital of Israel is Jerusalem, but many countries and foreign organizations do not recognize Jerusalem’s status as the capital of Israel.

Real estate prices in Tel Aviv have jumped 110 percent since 2012, when the average cost was $8,795 per square meter.

Tel Aviv fared better in rankings for the cost of rent, ranking 21st out of the surveyed cities for one-bedroom apart-

ments ($1,667 a month) and 22nd for three-bedroom apartments ($3,088 a month).

New York took the top spot in both rental rankings, with three-bedroom rentals costing $8,388 a month and one-bedroom rentals costing $4,143.

Israel was ranked 28th in the report’s quality of life ranking, jumping three spots since it was ranked in 2020, beating Chicago, and coming in behind Montreal. Luxembourg was ranked as having the

(140,534) took the top spot in that ranking. Deutsche Bank described the top two cities as “actively discouraging” buying cars.

Eisenkot Quits His Party

MK Gadi Eisenkot quit Benny Gantz’s National Unity party on Monday, attributing his exit to irreconcilable differences between him and Gantz.

“My joint service and friendship with Benny Gantz goes back many years, but there are also differences of opinion,” he told reporters, adding that the National Unity party “needed a transparent and deep democratization process,” which did not happen. He added that members of the party are “wonderful people” whom he would like to “continue [working with] to create a better future.”

Eisenkot originally joined National Unity expecting that the party would launch “a democratic process … as early as possible … to bring in new and young people.” While the party recently decided to start holding leadership primaries, the party’s electoral state would still not be chosen in a democratic vote.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Eisenkot explained why he left National Unity. He also rejected the notion that he quit the party because of ideological disagreements between him and Gantz, such as whether to boycott or cooperate with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot added that he believes that everyone who was in a central position on October 7, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should resign.

Both Eisenkot and Gantz are former generals.

highest quality of life, followed by Copenhagen and Amsterdam.

The result takes into account rankings on safety, in which Tel Aviv ranked 17th, healthcare (20th), cost of living (60th), property price to income ratio (60th), traffic commute time (23rd), pollution (30th), and climate (14th).

In terms of car ownership, Tel Aviv was the third most expensive place to buy a Volkswagen Golf ($47,599), behind Copenhagen ($50,298), while Singapore

Along with Eisenkot, MK Matan Kahana also left National Unity, reportedly after being advised to do so by Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister. However, other reports contradict that, suggesting that Bennett was not the reason Kahana resigned.

According to reports, Kahana will join Bennett’s party. Kahana said he would attempt to help Eisenkot and Bennett connect politically.

Eisenkot has said that his “goal is to

replace this bad government and establish a Zionist, patriotic, statesmanlike, democratic alternative.” He added that he thinks he “can fill any role in the State of Israel,” including prime minister.

Now that Eisenkot and Kahana have left National Unity, the party is re-adopting its original name: Blue and White.

Israel Strikes the Houthis

In response to repeated strikes by the Houthis, Israel launched a series of strikes at Houthi targets in Yemen, including at several ports, late Sunday night going into early Monday morning. Before the strikes, Israel issued evacuation orders for locals. The Houthis, in response, fired two ballistic missiles at the Jewish state.

Israel also hit the “Galaxy Leader” ship, which the Houthis seized in November 2023, taking the 25 people on board hostage. They were later freed in January 2025, and the Houthis have since been using the ship, now equipped with a radar system and a way to track international vessels, for operational planning and surveillance.

According to the IDF, around 20 fighter jets from Israel dropped over 50 munitions on Houthi targets, including the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif, and the Ras Khatib power station.

The Houthis’ response strike triggered sirens in a number of communities in Judea and Samaria. There were no reported injuries or damage, though the IDF has yet to confirm whether the interceptions were successful.

Another Houthi strike triggered alarms throughout Jerusalem and at Ben Gurion Airport, Modiin, Rishon Lezion, and certain communities in Judea and Samaria.

Early Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “Yemen will be treated like Tehran.”

“Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have it cut off,” Katz said. “The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions.”

Israel launched strikes at Yemen

shortly after a ship near Hodeidah, a Red Sea port city, was attacked, forcing the craft’s crew to leave the ship behind. No group has taken responsibility for the attack, though experts suspect the strike came from the Houthis.

Israel’s strikes on Hodeidah knocked out the city’s main power station. However, no fatalities were immediately reported.

Disarming Hezbollah

Thomas Barrack, the U.S.’s ambassador to Turkey and its special envoy to Syria, recently met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, as well as with the country’s prime minister and parliament speaker. Following the meeting, Barrack held a press conference on Monday, during which he applauded Lebanese officials for their response to a proposal by the United States to disarm Hezbollah.

As part of the proposal, if Hezbollah disarms, Israel would stop launching routine airstrikes, and the Israeli military would leave its five posts in south Lebanon.

“I’m unbelievably satisfied with the response,” said Barrack, adding that Lebanon’s reply was seven pages long. “It’s thoughtful, it’s considered. We’re creating a go-forward plan. To create that, we need dialogue. What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time.”

Last year, Israel went to war with Hezbollah for two months. Lebanese officials who rose to power after Israel’s ceasefire with the terror group have pledged to ban Hezbollah and all parties from bearing arms, except for Lebanon’s military. Simultaneously, Lebanon has urged Israel to adhere to the ceasefire.

“Both countries are trying to give the same thing: the notion of a stand-down agreement, of the cessation of hostilities, and a road to peace,” Barrack said, adding that “the Israelis do not want war with Lebanon.”

As part of the ceasefire, Hezbollah has given up some weapons and agreed to leave southern Lebanon. Some reports indicate that Hezbollah may be willing to

partially disarm. However, on Sunday, Naim Qassem, the leader of Hezbollah, resisted calls for the terror group to completely disarm or surrender. Israel will likely only withdraw from Lebanon once Hezbollah completely disarms.

Still, Barrack maintains that Hezbollah has a future as a political party.

“Hezbollah is a political party. It also has a militant aspect to it. Hezbollah needs to see that there’s a future for them, that that road is not harnessed just solely against them, and that there’s an intersection of peace and prosperity for them also,” Barrack, a trusted advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, said. “The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel, just as the dialogue needs to be reinvented by Lebanon … If you don’t want change, it’s no problem. The rest of the region is moving at Mach speed, and you will be left behind.”

Big, Beautiful Bill Passes

On Thursday, the House of Representatives, in a 218-214 vote, passed an 869page tax and spending bill to help President Donald Trump fulfill his campaign promises. The House vote came after

the Senate passed the bill on Tuesday in a vote so narrow that Vice President JD Vance had to break the tie.

During an Independence Day ceremony, as a B-2 stealth bomber and jet fighters flew above the White House, Trump signed the bill into law, declaring its passing “a triumph of democracy” that would significantly boost the U.S.’s economy.

All Democrats voted against the bill, while every House Republican voted in favor of it, except for two. Before the vote, Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, spoke for eight hours and 46 minutes straight, a record for the House of Representatives, slamming the bill. Jeffries argued that “the focus of this bill, the justification for all of the cuts that will hurt everyday Americans, is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires.”

Trump urged lawmakers to pass the bill by July 4, leading Republicans to pull all-nighters to meet the president’s deadline.

“The Big, Beautiful Bill,” as the president calls it, will make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent and add tax breaks for tips, overtime, seniors, and auto loans, as the president promised during his 2024 campaign. “No tax on tips” has a cap of $25,000 per person, while “no tax on overtime” applies for up to $12,500 for individuals and $25,000 for married couples. Seniors will also get a tax deduction of $6,000 per person.

According to Republicans, the bill targets wasteful government spending. However, Democrats have raised concerns about the bill’s heavy cuts to Medicaid. The legislation will establish work requirements and crack down on a state-led funding mechanism that increases federal payments. However, as part of the bill, Republicans allotted $50 billion to help rural health providers handle those cuts.

The Congressional Budget Office

has said the bill will increase the United States’ $36.2 trillion debt by $3.4 trillion. According to the CBO, 12 million individuals will no longer be eligible for Medicaid after the bill goes into effect. Over a decade, the bill will cause tax revenues to drop by $4.5 trillion and spending will decrease by $1.1 trillion, the CBO added. The bill also sets aside $157 billion in funding for the military and does away with “clean-energy” incentives.

Compared to an earlier draft of the bill, which the House approved in May, this legislation’s tax and healthcare cuts are larger. Senate Republicans also removed state-level artificial intelligence regulations, as well as a “retaliatory tax” on foreign investments from the bill.

According to Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican Representative, the bill brings “historic tax relief for working families. Massive investment to secure our nation’s borders. Capturing generational savings. Slashing waste, fraud and abuse in government programs so that they may run more efficiently.”

UPenn Bans Men From Women’s Sports

The University of Pennsylvania will no longer permit men, including those individuals who were born male and now identify as women, to play in women’s sports, the Ivy League college announced last week.

The new policy is part of a deal reached between the university and the administration of President Donald Trump. According to the government, the school will also “adopt biology-based definitions for the words ‘male’ and ‘female,’” as per two of Trump’s executive orders and Title IX.

UPenn agreed to the deal to avoid losing more federal funding, its president, Dr. J. Larry Jameson, implied. The Department of Education previously opened a civil rights probe into the university’s decision three years ago to allow Lia Thomas, an athlete who is biologically male, to compete in a women’s swim team. The department, in April, said the

university’s decision violated discrimination laws.

“Penn remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive and open to all students, faculty and staff,” said Jameson. “I share this commitment, just as I remain dedicated to preserving and advancing the university’s vital and enduring mission.”

On Tuesday, Jameson conceded “that some student-athletes were disadvantaged” by having to compete with Thomas. He added that Penn would “review and update the Penn women’s swimming records set during that season to indicate who would now hold the records under current eligibility guidelines.” Thomas is no longer noted as the record-holder in Penn’s online athletics records, though it still says, “Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season … competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon hailed the school’s decision to ban men from women’s sports as “a great victory for women and girls not only at the University of Pennsylvania, but all across our nation” and applauded the college for “rectifying its past harms against women and girls.”

In March, the Trump administration suspended $175 million in research funding from the institution because of the college’s “policies forcing women to compete with men in sports,” according to the White House. It is unclear whether that funding will be reinstated now.

The university’s decision has been celebrated by many female athletes, including those from Penn. Other groups have slammed the move.

Fatal Floods in Texas

Violent floods in Central Texas killed at least 104 people as of Monday. At least 84 of the casualties, including 56 adults and 28 children, occurred in Kerr County, which was hit the hardest by the floods. Of those, the remains of 22 adults and 10 kids have yet to be identified.

Another seven people died in Travis County, six in Kendall County, four in Burnet, two in Williamson, and one in Tom Green.

In less than an hour, heavy rain caused the Guadalupe River to rise almost 30 feet. In Hunt, Texas, the river rose to 37.52 feet, a record, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

In Kerr County, the floods killed 27 or more campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp with about 700 children. According to county Sheriff Larry Leither, 10 campers and one counselor were missing as of Monday. The camp director died while trying to save campers from the rushing waters.

According to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, emergency warnings were issued by the National Weather Service after 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Tragically, many victims were sleeping when the warnings were issued, Cruz said.

“Texas is grieving right now. The pain, the shock of what has transpired these last few days has broken the heart of our state,” Cruz said. “If we can go back and do it again, we would evacuate particularly those in the most vulnerable areas – the young children in the cabins closest to the water ... the people in RVs,” he lamented.

More than 850 people were rescued,

according to Cruz. Search-and-rescue operations in Central Texas are currently being aided by volunteers from the Mexican border town of Acuna, who are assisting in the city of Kerrville, as well as teams sent by other states.

Gov. Ron Desantis of Florida, through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), is sending three swift water rescue teams; Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana sent 14 state swift water rescue officials; Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said he would be deploying searchand-rescue teams to help Texas; and Gov. Jim Pillen of Nebraska said Monday he would be sending a search-and-rescue team of 45 for up to two weeks, including two canine teams, boats, and vehicles.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said over 20 state agencies are responding to the disaster, adding that locals should “remain weather aware.”

In response to the disaster, President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, thus giving the area access to assistance from FEMA.

On Sunday, the president announced he would visit Texas later in the week.

The flooding may continue halfway into the week.

“There is a concern we have into Wednesday; there are additional flare-

ups or clusters of thunderstorms in parts of central and eastern Texas,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno noted.

Democrats have alleged that cuts made by the Trump administration to the National Weather Service’s staffing prevented the agency from responding effectively.

“Unfortunately, in the wake of this once-in-a-generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Sen. Chuck Schumer and some members of the media,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday at a press briefing. “Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.

“The National Weather Service did its job,” she added. “They gave out timely flash flood alerts. There were record-breaking lead times in the lead-up to this catastrophe. There is ongoing flood monitoring. And these offices were staffed. In fact, one of the offices was actually overstaffed.”

Increase in U.S. Measles Cases

Since the beginning of the year, there have been at least 1,277 measles cases recorded in 38 states and Washington, D.C., the highest the United States has seen since 1992, the year the U.S. saw over 2,100 cases of the disease.

Measles complications have killed three people — two Texas children and a man in New Mexico — and hospitalized at least 155 others this year, according to officials. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this year, around 92% of people infected with measles did not receive the vaccination, or it is unclear if they did. The three people who died of measles in 2025 were all unvaccinated. From 2001 to 2024, just three people died from measles.

West Texas has thus far seen the most cases this year, with over 750 infections. Though the disease isn’t spreading as quickly, measles has since spread to other states.

The U.S. officially defeated measles

in 2000. However, if the cases continue, measles may eventually lose its elimination status. Measles typically spreads in small communities that have many unvaccinated individuals.

Measles, a highly contagious disease, is prevented with the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. In 2019, over 95% of kindergartners in the U.S. received the vaccination, while in 2025, less than 93% were vaccinated. Millions may be infected over the next quarter-century if the number of vaccinations continues to drop, according to a study released recently.

Andrew Nixon, the Health and Human Services spokesman, said that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been clear “that vaccines are the most effective way to prevent measles.”

“At the same time, we recognize that some individuals and communities across the U.S. may choose not to vaccinate. Our commitment is to support all families — regardless of their vaccination status — in avoiding hospitalization and serious complications from measles, including death,” Nixon said, adding that the CDC has created a regularly updated measles toolkit.

In late January, measles struck the Mennonite community of Gaines County, Texas, where many members of the community do not vaccinate. Only around 82% of kindergarteners are vaccinated in the county. From there, measles spread to 36 counties in Texas. This past spring, over the span of a month, the number of measles cases in El Paso, Texas, jumped from five to 53, according to the city’s director and county health authority, Hector Ocaranza. Though the Texas Health Department recently said that the spread has since slowed, new cases are still popping up in Texas’s Gaines County and Lamar County.

Keep Your Shoes On

Passengers at some airports across the U.S. no longer have to remove their shoes during regular TSA security checks. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the change was “big news.”

Not all airports have changed their guidelines. The first airports where the no-shoes requirement is expiring include Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Portland International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina.

Some people at Los Angeles International Airport and New York City’s LaGuardia Airport reported on Monday night that they and other passengers didn’t have to take off their shoes.

Eventually, other airports will implement the new policy.

Travelers with TSA PreCheck already didn›t have to remove their footwear. In order to have PreCheck, travelers must submit an application and go through a clearance process with the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA said the agency and the Department of Homeland Security “are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture.”

The no-shoes rule was implemented by TSA nationwide in 2006. The official adoption of the rule came several years after Richard Reid, a British man who

would come to be known as the “shoe bomber,” attempted to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoe in December 2001. Reid failed to detonate the explosives, and the plane landed safely in Boston after passengers jumped in to subdue him.

Fireworks Warehouse Explodes

Seven people lost their lives last week when a fireworks warehouse exploded in northern California.

Family and community members have confirmed five of the victims as Jesus Ramos, Jhony Ramos, Joel “Junior” Melendez, Angel Voller and Carlos Rodri-

guez. Two victims are still unidentified.

“He was excited to be a dad. Only two months and we were just waiting for this, a new opportunity, a new chapter. He saw it as a new chapter in our life,” Syanna Ruiz, Jesus Ramos’s friend, told ABC10 “He was excited.”

Joel Melendez’s mother said that she remains without answers surrounding the explosion that claimed the life of her 28-year-old son, who was a father of one with another baby on the way.

“He’s my baby,” Lupe Melendez Mendoza told ABC10. “And I don’t know, I’m not getting answers. I don’t know where he’s at. I don’t know what happened. I just know that he loves his wife.”

Two people were treated for injuries following the blast in the town of Esparto, Yolo county officials said.

The warehouse was managed by Devastating Pyrotechnics, which has more than 30 years of experience designing and producing fireworks shows.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,” the company said in a statement last week. “Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.”

The explosion at the warehouse led to a wildfire, which covered nearly 80 acres and scorched surrounding agricultural fields.

Elon’s America Party

The world’s richest man, Tesla, X, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has vowed to create a new political party called the “America Party,” marking what appears to be a major escalation in his feud with his one-time ally, President Donald Trump.

Musk played a major role in Trump’s 2024 campaign, donating at least $250 million in the process. After winning the election, Trump appointed Musk head of the Department of Government Efficiency, an agency meant to cut government spending waste. Musk held onto that role

until May. In June, Trump and Musk’s relationship exploded into a public social media feud. Soon thereafter, Musk backed down, apologizing for provocative posts he made about the president.

Now, the fight is back on.

Musk has strongly condemned Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Before Congress passed the bill, Musk warned that he would start a third party if “this insane spending bill passes.” After Trump signed the bill into law on Friday, Musk doubled down on his threat.

“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk said in a Saturday post to X. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

In June, Musk said he would work tirelessly to ensure all members of Congress who voted for the bill do not win re-election. He has called the legislation a “disgusting abomination.”

“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!” Musk said in a post on June 30. “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.

“The Republican Party has a clean sweep of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and STILL had the nerve to massively increase the size of government, expanding the national debt by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS,” Musk posted on Sunday.

Musk has indicated he intends to use his party to help the U.S. gain “independence from the two-party system,” simply by being “laser-focus[ed] on just two or three Senate seats and eight to 10 House districts.”

“Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people,” Musk added.

In response, Trump said Sunday that he was “saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely off the rails.”

“The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system,” Trump said. “And I think starting a third party just adds to confusion. It really seems to have been developed for two parties.”

Trump has suggested he may consider deporting Musk, who is a citizen of the U.S. and South Africa, or use DOGE to stop funding Musk’s companies.

It is unclear when Musk will formally launch the party. The party’s exact policies are also unclear, though Musk has

36 indicated on X that the America Party’s platform would include debt reduction, responsible spending, the military’s modernization, free speech, less regulation, and the like.

Violence in Philly

Three people were killed and nine others were injured in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry neighborhood early Monday morning. Now, police are searching for three suspects in connection to the mass shooting.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the shooting occurred on the 1500 block of South 27th Street just before 1 a.m.

A 23-year-old, a 19-year-old, and a 24-year-old were killed in the shootings.

Bethel said officers had already responded to the same block late Saturday

night into early Sunday. Police made arrests during that earlier incident and continued to monitor the area throughout the weekend. Officers then returned on Sunday after receiving reports of loud music. While responding to a separate incident nearby, officers heard gunfire and rushed back to the block.

According to police, there were around 40 people who were present at the time of the shooting. Dozens of shell casings were recovered from the scene. Investigators believe a switch, which makes a gun automatic, was involved in the shooting. Nearly 140 pieces of ballistic evidence were found at the scene.

Bethel said that the incident was part of a violent Fourth of July weekend in the city, which saw six homicides and numerous shootings.

“As you know, the July 4th holiday, both in Philadelphia and across this country, in particular in our urban centers, have been very challenging,” Bethel said, “but we remain resolute in our work.”

Over the weekend, eight people were injured after a shooter, possibly multiple shooters, opened fire at a South Philadelphia nightclub. Early Monday morning, four people were shot on the 6100 block of Vine Street in West Philadelphia.

“We will not go back to the times when we had 560-plus homicides,” Bethel declared. “That is not happening.”

Bullying Without a License

Bullies in Tennessee will be walking from now on if a new law in the state is passed.

The law states that teenagers in Tennessee who are found guilty of bullying could have their driving license revoked for a year.

Lowell Russell, a Republican who sponsored the legislation in the Tennessee House of Representatives, said he got the idea from a parent whose son was being bullied but had not received support from his school. He had also been affected by news reports recounting stories of bullying victims who had hurt themselves or committed violence on others.

“My hope is it will save lives and prevent people from getting hurt because when they’re bullied in the k-to-12 [kindergarten to 12th] grades, that has longterm mental health effects,” he told The New York Times.

The law allows judges to suspend the license of anyone under 18 for one year if they are found to have committed bullying or cyberbullying.

Some teenagers could be given restricted licenses, allowing them to drive only to school, work and religious services.

Bill Lee, the governor of Tennessee, signed the Bill into law in April, expanding on an already existing measure that defined bullying and cyberbullying as distinct offences. Adam Lowe, a Republican, said the threat of suspending licenses “puts some teeth” to the previous law.

In other words, bullies shouldn’t be allowed to be in the driver’s seat.

Row Your Boat

Zara Lachlan just keeps on rowing.

The 21-year-old British woman rowed 4,366 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the youngest person to ever do so – and earning three world records in the process.

Lachlan set out from Lagos, Portugal, in her 24-foot boat and rowed 4,366 miles – 3,794 nautical miles – to Cayenne, French Guinea. The trip lasted a whopping 97 days, 10 hours and 20 minutes.

In the process, Lachlan earned three Guinness World Records: first female to row across the Atlantic from Europe to South America (mainland to mainland), youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic from Europe to South America, and the youngest person to row any ocean solo (female).

Over the course of her trip, the Loughborough University physics student cut her leg, injured her arm, broke her finger and smashed her phone screen.

Lachlan, who will join the Army in September as a technical officer, also saw her boat capsize, her equipment break, and experienced a near miss with a ship.

“Every day for the first month I wanted to go home and I thought this was a silly idea and it was so hard,” she said. “But I know for a fact that if someone came up to me on a boat and said they would tow me in and I could fly home I would tell them to go away.

“I wanted to give up but I never actually wanted to stop. You can’t just stop something because it was difficult.”

She added, “I just really enjoyed the whole experience. I thought I would be a lot more scared than I was,” she told Guinness World Records.

Lachlan said she rowed for at least 17 hours on every day of her journey, never sleeping for more than 90 minutes at a time.

“That doesn’t work for everyone, but I’m young and I know that I can work off of that amount of sleep,” she explained.

Whatever floats your boat.

Chestnut Chows Down

Once again, Joey Chestnut reigns supreme as the competitive eater recaptured his hot dog-downing title on Friday at Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest in Brooklyn.

The steel-jawed champion managed to chow down 70.5 hot dogs and buns in a mere 10 minutes in the July 4th holiday classic.

The 41-year-old American missed last year’s event after signing a deal with Impossible Foods, whose plant-based products include hot dogs, but he was allowed to enter this year and made his Coney Island comeback a triumphant one.

Chestnut won by 24 hot dogs over last year’s winner, Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, but the maestro of mastication could not break his own record of 76 hot dogs that he consumed in 2021.

Friday marked the 17th time Chestnut claimed the “Mustard Belt” symbolic of supremacy in the gastronomic showdown and his ninth triumph in 10 years.

“Oh my gosh, I was nervous,” Chestnut told ESPN after his victory. “First couple of hot dogs, I was fumbling a little bit, but I found a pretty good rhythm.”

He added, “My goal was 70 to 77. I really wanted a little bit more. There’s next year and I’m just happy I’m here.”

On the women’s side, American Miki Sudo won by eating 33 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, her 11th victory in the past 12 years, with American Michelle Lesco second on 22.75 dogs and buns.

You want mustard with that?

Cash for Trash

Want to sail around Copenhagen’s canals? Pick up some garbage.

From mid-June until late August, the CopenPay initiative in Copenhagen, Denmark, offers around 100 activities in exchange for free or reduced prices on a selection of experiences in the city.

For example, participants can get a coffee, pastry or concert ticket in exchange for an hour of picking up trash; a rebate on a restaurant dinner if they do some gardening; or a free guided tour for those who stay in the city longer than three days.

Rocio Gomez, from Mexico, spent an hour boating in the canals for free while picking up trash from the water.

“You’re doing something helpful and you’re also having a good time,” she said. It normally costs around $95 for the boat ride.

“We saw that four out of five people actually want to do good, but only one does it. So we wanted to see how we could bridge that gap and inspire more people to do good,” said Rikke Holm Petersen, head of communications at the Wonderful Copenhagen tourism board.

Many tourists have taken advantage of the offer.

“Since we are students and we are sometimes on a really tight budget, it’s so nice to be able to do these things, to combine a bit of a sustainable, friendly behavior and also a way to get things for free,” one tourist said.

The project could spread to other cities outside Denmark. Additionally, although the program runs in the summer, organizers are hoping to expand it to the winter season as well.

Around four million tourists visit Copenhagen each year, the majority in summer.

Stroke of Luck

James Farthing is one lucky guy. On April 28, he won the largest payout in Kentucky Lottery history – a jaw-dropping $167.3 million – after purchasing a $2 ticket at a convenience store. The 50-year-old said he would be splitting the winnings with his mother. Such a nice guy.

But maybe not so nice. Because if you look further into Farthing’s history, you’ll see that he’s pretty famous – among po -

lice officers.

Farthing has been categorized as a “persistent felony offender” by Kentucky law enforcement officials. He has a 16page rap sheet and a dizzying criminal record that spans 35 years and includes convictions in at least nine counties and from every corner of Kentucky’s penal code.

According to court records, Farthing strangled a girlfriend; sold cocaine to an undercover police informant; escaped from a prison work detail; bribed a corrections officer to deliver prescription drugs into a state facility; possessed stolen firearms; and even involved his mother in a marijuana smuggling plot for which they were both indicted.

Farthing has been locked up in at least 25 different correctional institutions, where he has spent, in total, nearly 30 years in custody. During that time, Farthing continued to commit crimes while incarcerated and compiled a prison disciplinary record rife with assaults, narcotics possession, loansharking, gambling, drug smuggling, and positive tests for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and depressants.

Even after winning the lotto, Farthing couldn’t stay out of trouble. He flew to Florida to celebrate his good fortune but forgot to inform his parole officer that he’ll be leaving the Bluegrass State. A day into his recent short-lived Florida vacation, Farthing allegedly punched a guest in the face during an argument. When a cop sought to break up the fight, Farthing kicked him in the face “in an attempt to injure and or incapacitate myself,” according to an arrest affidavit sworn by the officer.

Farthing then refused to place his hands behind his back and “attempted to flee on foot out of the hotel,” reported Deputy Nicholas Areostatico, who said the kick left him with “pain in my face” and “swelling and redness” under his right eye.

Farthing was arrested and booked into jail for battery on a law enforcement officer, a felony, and misdemeanor counts of resisting police and battery. In addition to the Florida charges, a fugitive warrant was lodged against Farthing for, once again, violating his Kentucky parole (this time for not securing travel permission).

After spending several weeks in the Sunshine State in prison, he was extradited to Kentucky, where he managed to go free on bail, awaiting his arraignment next week.

Sounds like he’s on a streak of bad luck.

Around the Community

Summer Fun and Friendship at Machane Hakayitz

The Semicha Chaburah of Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Kollel visited Rav Yisroel Reisman, Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaath, and received an oral farher on significant sections of Shulchan Aruch. The Rosh Kollel is Rav Dovid Bender; the Roshei Chaburah are Rav Avi Lauterbach and Rav Levi Simsovits.

At this week’s meeting of the Lawrence School Board, Heshy Blachorsky became the new president of the Lawrence School Board and Tova Plaut became vice president of the Board

Camp Areivim Summer 2025 Kicks Into Gear

Klal Yisrael! Multitudes Across the World to Complete Amud HaYomi Masechta Eruvin

By Chaim Gold

When HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau, shlita, wrote a historic letter this past Rosh Chodesh Kislev encouraging Klal Yisrael to begin learning Masechta Eruvin with the Amud HaYomi Program, the idea of completing the long, difficult masechta seemed like a pipe dream for many.

Eruvin is considered one of the three most difficult masechtos, thus, many of those who started did not know if they would be able to persevere and complete the masechta. Now, some eight months later, thousands upon thousands of Amud HaYomi learners are gearing up to successfully complete the masechta! Not only that, but they haven’t completed it in a superficial way, in a “just trying to keep up” way. Rather, they have managed to acquire a deep havana, a deep understanding of the concepts and halachos contained in the masechta. How? By following the advice of the Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Landau, as written in his letter,

How important, how vitally necessary it is to learn the entire Masechta Eruvin, page by page, with the Amud HaYomi program. It is even important for those who have already learned and been deeply engaged in this masechta to join and learn the Amud HaYomi together with Klal Yisrael.

Learning the Gemara combined with [learning] the specially published booklets [Iyun HaAmud] containing chiddushim from the mefarshim and many important halachos related to the Gemara [learned in the Amud HaYomi] is a very worthy undertaking….

Yes, that is one of the unique aspects of the fifteen-year journey through Shas with the Amud HaYomi. It does not mean going at breakneck speed where one does not have the time to review and look into some of the basic mefarshim so that he

can get a better understanding of the material.

Gaining a Kinyan in Torah is Exhilirating!

Moshe S., an Amud HaYomi learner from Lakewood, put it succinctly, “With the Amud HaYomi, I have the opportunity to cover ground to complete masechtos while simultaneously having the time to properly learn and analyze each amud. The exhilarating feeling that I have now as we are about to complete Masechta Eruvin is the feeling one gets when one feels that he has a kinyan in the Torah, not just superficial knowledge.”

Indeed, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva, explained that the limud established by Rav Meir Shapiro for Klal Yisrael is extremely necessary because, by nature, every person needs a mechayev and a framework that obligates him and enables him to learn with a plan, in an orderly fashion. Otherwise, one’s daily obligations get in the way and rob him of learning time. In Rav Meir Shapiro’s generation, people had more time for learning. They would spend hours every day in the shteibel and the Daf HaYomi was therefore an ideal limud. Today, people are much busier with the overwhelming obligations of everyday life and need a limud with more geshmak to engage them. Even bnei Torah need a certain geshmak to enable them to sustain their goals in bekiyus. The Amud HaYomi program, which gives a person more time to cultivate a real geshmak in learning, addresses all these needs. “That is why I encourage it,” Rav Cohen explained. Rav Cohen continued by saying that it is for this reason that he is not surprised by the way the relatively new Amud HaYomi limud has conquered the hearts and minds of Klal Yisrael in such a short time!

“This is just the beginning,” he said, “In the future, how many more people will upgrade their limud haTorah by joining

Hanhalas Dirshu meeting with HaRav Dov Landau in his home

the program and it will literally take over Klal Yisrael.”

“The great Gaon and Posek Hador, HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, told me that learning without understanding is worth very little. It is better to learn less but to really understand. Thus, if the Amud HaYomi will ensure that a person can learn less but understand, then it is not minimizing the daf!” Rav Cohen thundered, “It is strengthening the entire purpose of the Daf HaYomi!”

Amud Hayomi Is Contagious

That is why the Amud HaYomi lomdim deserve the heartiest of mazal tovs for completing this unbelievable milestone. Completing Eruvin is not an easy task, but the rewards are infinite!

R’ Simcha, an Amud HaYomi learner from Brooklyn, related, “I joined the Amud HaYomi program a few months ago, when they began Masechta Eruvin At first, I wondered whether I would be able to persevere, but the slower pace of only an amud per day and the ability that it gave me to think about what I am learning and to look up difficulties that I encountered in the mefarshim has been a game changer for me and my chavrusah I am looking forward with great anticipation to beginning Masechta Pesachim on 25 Tammuz.”

Yerushalayim and currently lives in chutz la’aretz. After his marriage, he was learning difficult areas of Choshen Mishpat in kollel. Eventually, he returned to his city of origin in chutz la’aretz, and baruch Hashem is successful in parnassah. You know what happened to him? He has been ‘bitten’ by the ‘Dirshu bug’. Despite running a large business, he is engaged in Torah learning for eight hours per day! Yes, he is constantly learning and reviewing so that he can take his Dirshu test every month.

A Journey that Spans the World! That is the power of Amud HaYomi! To be a Dirshu Amud HaYomi Yid, you cannot suffice with a perfunctory, one hour shiur each day. You must learn, review and review some more. It is a constant fight, a battle and that is why it is so dear in the eyes of Hashem.

Indeed, since its inception with the start of Masechta Brachos in Cheshvan, 5784, the Amud HaYomi has conquered Klal Yisrael. From Brooklyn to Bnei Brak, from London to Lakewood, from Buenos Aires to Beitar, and from Monsey to Melbourne, Amud HaYomi shiurim and chaburos have opened everywhere!

Did you know?

A female fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs in her short lifetime.

In all truth, however, the Amud HaYomi is contagious. The point made by R’ Simcha about anticipating the start of Masechta Pesachim was highlighted a few months ago by HaGaon HaRav Nissan Kaplan, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Daas Aharon. He shared a personal story. “I have a talmid who learned by me in Mir

As we wish mazal tov to lomdei Amud HaYomi on their completing Masechta Eruvin, and wish them hatzlacha as they embark on Masechta Pesachim, perhaps it is time for you to join them on their journey!

To get a real kinyan in Torah, join the Amud HaYomi by contacting Dirshu at info@dirshunj.org or at 1-888-5Dirshu.

Energy and Warmth at Hillel Day Camp

The Hillel Day Camp staff worked tirelessly all year long interviewing and hiring staff, carefully making bunk placements, addressing parent concerns, and laying the strong foundation for everything our campers and staff will experience this summer. With a creative, engaging, and innovative camp calendar, theme, and daily sched-

ule, every day is filled with excitement and structure.

Week One at Hillel Day Camp 2025 was exceptional! The first week was packed with energy and enthusiasm! From the joyful buzz of campers meeting their counselors, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, to the thrill of this summer’s very first trips, everyone dove

right in with wide eyes and huge smiles. The division heads, support staff, and incredible counselors made each camper feel seen, safe, and excited to come back day after day. Their energy, warmth, and leadership set the tone for what’s sure to be a summer to remember.

The week included magic shows, the beginning of sports leagues, the first trips

of the season, and was capped off with an amazing 4th of July Carnival filled with games, music, special treats, and that signature Hillel spirit that makes every celebration unforgettable.

We can’t wait to kick off Week Two with even more fun, friendships, and unforgettable memories.

Dr. Eric Levine of Touro University Appointed Chair of National Association of Social Work-NY Ethics Committee

Eric Levine, Director of Social Work Alumni Engagement, Continuing Education, Licensing and Development at Touro University Graduate School of Social Work, was appointed chair of The National Association of Social Workers – New York Chapter (NASW-NY) Ethics Committee.

Dr. Levine also serves as Adjunct Professor at Touro University and brings decades of experience in social work practice, social work education, ethics and organizational leadership to this role.

Levine has been deeply involved with NASW- NY Chapter since earning his MSW, holding numerous positions including Vice President, Executive Committee and Board Member, Delegate to the NASW National Delegate Assembly, and Co-Chair of the Immigration and Global Social Work Committee. He also served on the Chapter Continuing Education and Ethics Committees and played an active role in the current transition effort unifying the New York City and New York State Chapters into a single statewide chapter—

an initiative designed to enhance NASW’s ability to serve social workers across New York State and the five boroughs.

Upholding Ethical Standards for Social Work Practice

“The ethics committee is critical to the upholding of ethical standards in social work,” said Levine. “Our goal is to continue engaging around ethics to provide professionals with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and tools so that they can practice with greater ethical insight, commitment and action. Social workers are not only concerned with the ethical implications of their own direct practice, but they’re also concerned with the ethical quality of society at large. I look forward to working collaboratively to enhance ethics education, foster professional development, and support ethical practice across New York.”

The NASW-NY Ethics Committee provides ethics programming, educational resources, and guidance on ethical dilemmas, working in coordination with NASW’s National Ethics Committee and Office of Professional Review.

In recent years, NASW has addressed a wide range of pressing ethical issues affecting social workers in diverse practice settings. Topics have included professional boundaries, privacy and confidentiality, end-of-life care and related ethical dilemmas as well as ethical considerations in telehealth. The committee has also examined ethics related to contemporary social policy issues and special populations—such as aging adults, children in the welfare system, and individuals with oncology diagnoses—as well as the complexities of intimate partner violence, self-disclosure, and professional responsibilities during public health crises like pandemics.

A longtime scholar and advocate for ethical practice, Dr. Levine is the course lead and one of the faculty teaching the required social work values and ethics course at Touro University. He has published on ethics in professional journals and is currently co-authoring a forthcoming textbook on social work ethics to be released in 2026.

“This new role is a meaningful way to

bring together my professional interests, academic work, and service to the field,” Levine said. “It also reflects the exceptional standing of the Touro University Graduate School of Social Work, and I am grateful to Dean Nancy Gallina and the university for their ongoing support.”

As NASW and the social work profession continue to navigate evolving ethical challenges in a complex social landscape, Levine’s leadership will help guide New York social workers in upholding the highest standards of integrity and ethical practice.

Episcopal Health Services Expands Maternal Care, Strengthens Mental Health Support

As Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month draws attention to disparities in mental health care, Episcopal Health Services (EHS) is investing in equitable maternal health and mental wellness for families across the Rockaways, Five Towns, and surrounding communities.

Mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 mothers in the United States each year, according to the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA). In historically underserved communities, these conditions often go undiagnosed and untreated due to barriers such as limited access to culturally responsive care, lack of insurance, social stigma, and systemic inequities.

This summer, EHS will open its new state-of-the-art Labor and Delivery Suite, designed to support both physical and mental health needs during childbirth. The new suite is part of EHS’s broader mission to close gaps in maternal mental health services and provide safe, compassionate spaces where families can seek care without fear of stigma.

“Bringing a child into the world is both a physical and emotional journey,” said Donald T. Morrish, MD, MMM, Chief Executive Officer at EHS. “With our new Labor and Delivery Suite—and the comprehensive services surrounding it—we are delivering personalized, respectful care, rooted in the needs of our community.”

“Our expanded maternal services reflect EHS’s deep commitment to treating the whole person—not just physical symptoms but the emotional and mental aspects of motherhood,” said Jacqueline Marecheau, MD, FACOG, Chairperson, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at EHS. “Too often, perinatal anxiety, de -

pression, and trauma go untreated. We are changing that narrative by creating a safe, supportive space where women feel heard, respected, and empowered.”

Behavioral health is a key component of this initiative. EHS offers therapy, mental health screenings, and wellness partnerships to support women through the emotional challenges of pregnancy and postpartum care.

“Mental health is equally important as physical health,” said Tanya Barros, MA, LMHC, Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at EHS. “Through our programs, we are removing stigma and making support accessible—for every woman, in every stage of her motherhood journey.”

The new Labor and Delivery Suite at EHS includes:

● Doula and lactation support for culturally aligned care

● Concierge-style perinatal navigation services

● Patient-centered design that promotes comfort and emotional well-being

● Universal postpartum screenings using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

EHS’s Behavioral Health Services include:

● Therapy and mental health treatment for new and expectant mothers

● Perinatal mental health screenings

● Partnerships with local organizations for yoga, wellness education, support groups, and parent coaching

● Seamless referrals to EHS’s Community Mental Health Center (CMHC)

To learn more about EHS’s maternal health services, call (718) 869-5815 or visit https://ehs.org/labordelivery.

For information about behavioral health services, call (718) 869-8822 or visit https://ehs.org/behavioralhealth.

While Cheder continues as normal at Siach Yitzchok with the regular Limudei Kodesh schedule, the boys have a blast during the afternoon program with swimming, trips, amazing activities, and professionally coached baseball leagues at Grant Park.

YLX

2025

Kicks Off with Energy and Excitement

Now in its 12th year, YLX continues to inspire and engage teenage boys across the Five Towns and Far Rockaway communities with its vibrant summer night program. YLX offers two learning tracks: high school boys attend YLX held in Bais Medrash Heichal

Dovid in Lawrence. The program there is led by R’ Lazer Weiss and R’ Yitzi Wax, while middle school boys learn at The White Shul in Far Rockaway, led by Rabbi Eli Davidson.

Opening night, July 7, was filled with excitement and meaningful learning. A

generous dinner, sponsored by longtime YLX supporters Traditions Eatery, welcomed the boys and helped create the warm and energetic YLX atmosphere. Boys learned with chavrusos and small groups with dedicated rebbeim, filling the batei midrash with the sound of en-

ergized Torah study.

YLX is open to all boys in the community ages 11 and up, free of charge. To register, please email YIDLearningExperience@gmail.com.

A Day of Torah Greatness: Gedolim Day Inspires at Camp Kaylie

Week #2 at Camp Kaylie has been nothing short of extraordinary. Each day has brought with it a powerful blend of energy, connection, and growth. But perhaps no day stood out more than our annual Gedolim Day—a cherished tradition that offers campers the opportunity to hear directly from Torah giants and connect with the heart of Klal Yisrael.

This year, we were privileged to welcome an incredible lineup of gedolim who

graciously shared their time, wisdom, and warmth with our campers and staff.

Rav Dovid Cohen, shlit”a, Rav Reuven Feinstein, shlit”a, Rav Mordechai Willig, shlit”a, Rabbi Mordechai Finkelman, shlit”a, and Rabbi Yonason Sacks, shlit”a, each addressed different divisions of camp, offering tailored shiurim, intimate Q&A sessions, and words of chizuk that touched on everything from personal growth to the power of Torah learning. The atmosphere was electric with an-

ticipation and awe as the boys gathered to hear divrei Torah from these towering figures. Whether sitting in a packed Beis Medrash or in a smaller breakout session, our campers were captivated not just by the brilliance of the speakers, but by their deep sincerity and heartfelt messages.

For many campers, Gedolim Day is a highlight of the summer, a moment that reminds them of the beauty and depth of our mesorah, and of the greatness that

can be achieved with dedication, humility, and a life rooted in Torah. The inspiration from this day reverberated long after the final shiur, elevating the entire camp and planting seeds of spiritual growth that will continue to blossom long after the summer ends.

Gedolim Day is more than an event; it is a glimpse into greatness and a reminder of who we are and who we strive to become.

Inside Yamim Baim: The Historic Jewish Music Festival with Ishay Ribo, Avraham Fried, Zusha, and Shmuel

On August 7, 2025, Yamim Baim will make Jewish music history at the legendary Bethel Woods with the first ever open-air Jewish concert of this magnitude. Throughout this unforgettable evening of unity and song, Chassidic music icon Avraham Fried, the genre-blending music of Zusha, and soulful rising star Shmuel will join Ishay Ribo onstage throughout his full-length evening concert.

A Night of Unity, Music, and Connection

Making Jewish music history on the storied grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival, this landmark event will unite New York’s Jewish community around heartfelt and joyous music of connection and prayer.

“This event is a landmark achievement for Jewish music,” a producer shares. “The pristine upstate setting, the high production quality, and the powerful moments we’ll share together - there’s never been anything like this.”

With tens of thousands of fans worldwide, Ishay Ribo’s music has become the soundtrack of a generation. Yamim Baim will mark his largest North American performance to date, featuring im-

mersive sound, breathtaking visuals, and new arrangements developed exclusively for this event.

The evening’s guest artists represent the diverse sounds and stories of today’s Jewish world: legendary Chassidic music icon Avraham Fried’s timeless melodies from the heart, Zusha’s lively and soulfilled innovation, and Shmuel’s soft blend of timeless Jewish song. On a grassy hillside under the open sky, these four artists will captivate an audience of thousands with songs of hope, joy, and the Jewish soul.

Yamim Baim is already setting new standards for Jewish music production.

From the custom lighting design to a oneof-a-kind acoustic system that preserves the raw beauty of the open air venue while delivering world-class clarity, every technical element is crafted with intention.

“Nothing is recycled here,” a producer explains. “Every detail, from the flow of the night’s songs to the sound and visuals, is being custom made for maximum meaning.”

Bethel Woods

Built on the site of the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival, Bethel Woods stands as one of America’s most iconic venues –

a natural amphitheater with world-class acoustics and sweeping outdoor views.

Bethel Woods offers two distinct ways to experience the concert, each with its own atmosphere:

The Pavilion: With covered, tiered seating under a roof, excellent sightlines, and an intimate, concert-hall feel, pavilion seating is perfect for fans who want to sit back and take in every moment in comfort.

The Lawn: A vast, open grassy hill where you bring your own blanket or lowback chair, enjoying the show under the

stars. The lawn creates a more casual, social atmosphere, ideal for families, camp groups, or anyone who wants to relax, dance, and soak up the star-filled night.

Yamim Baim is produced by Davidson Artists Management in collaboration with Bnei Akiva of the United States and Canada, this is an exclusive, one-nightonly experience.

Whether you’re coming with family, friends, camp, or community, Yamim Baim promises to be the most meaningful Jewish concert event of the year.

The White Shul of Lawrence

Celebrates Another Year of Adopt-a-Kollel

This past Sunday, 10 Tammuz/ July 6, the White Shul of Lawrence, New York, conducted an Adopta-Kollel sign-up event celebrating the commencement of its fourth year of partnership with Kollel Minchas Emunas Ish. The kollel, led by Rosh Kollel, Rav Yosef Efrati, a talmid muvhak of the posek hador, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, is de-

voted to learning the unique agricultural mitzvos that are dependent on living in Eretz Yisroel.

On Shabbos Parshas Chukas, the shul’s rav, Rav Eytan Feiner, spoke about the partnership and the spiritual fortune that the shul has to partner with a Rosh Kollel and posek of Rav Efrati’s stature.

The Avnet ’25 Adventure Begins

Summer kicked off with excitement and smiles as campers streamed into HALB’s Avnet Country Day School for the first days of their long-awaited adventure. From the moment the doors opened at the Hirt Family Campus (HALB Elementary) and the Lev Shlomo Campus (DRS), the atmosphere was electric – filled with laughter, energy, and the promise of new memories.

“It’s always incredible to welcome back our amazing campers and staff,” said Camp Director Daniel Stroock. “During the 10 months of planning, we dream of these happy reunions. We work to make Avnet a true home away from home – and hope the friendships and experiences created here last a lifetime.”

The preschool campers in the Tipot division settled into the rhythm of camp

On Sunday, the BACH Jewish Center’s Youth Department hosted a special Sunday Fun Day program where participants made tie-dye shirts . The program was part of the BACH’s weekly series of youth events during the summer

with pool time, patriotic projects for Independence Day, and a visit from Funcation Station. The Ma’ayanot girls were thrilled to reconnect through team-building activities, a special late night, the all-new Ready Set Go game specialty and a trip to Billy Beez. It was an enchanting experience for the Agamim and Naharot girls who began with a Harry Potter-themed “Sorting Hat Ceremony” to build bunk spirit. Their story continued with displays of creativity in Culinary, Fine Arts, STEM and the brand-new Beading specialty. Their week also included fun-filled trips to Top Golf, Bounce!, and an outing to Aladdin on Broadway.

Meanwhile, the Ma’ayanot boys hit the ground running to their inaugural Soccer, Baseball, and Basketball leagues. When not competing in leagues, they were im-

mersed in Dodgeball, Gaga, Wiffle Ball, Orienteering, and Culinary. Over at the DRS Campus, the boys in the G’vaot and Harim divisions kicked off their Softball and Net Leagues and cooled off during swim. Their week also featured trips to Dave & Buster’s, a fishing expedition, and high-energy fun at Empire Adventure Park. Most inspiring of all has been their uplifting spiritual energy, with meaningful morning davening and focused Torah learning in Chinuch.

“We’re grateful to our incredible staff, our enthusiastic campers, and our supportive parent body,” added Daniel. “Each one has played a vital role in helping us get off to an amazing start. We can’t wait to share more fun in the weeks ahead!”

Summer Fun at Camp Matov

Around the Community

Living Emunah 8

By Rabbi David Ashear

If It’s Meant to Be

If a shidduch is meant to be, no one can stop it — not an acquaintance, not a shadchan, and not even a relative. If there are hardships along the way, we must make spiritual hishtadlus, praying and improving ourselves, and then, b’ezras Hashem, the zivug Hashem has already prepared will appear. Hashem can take a situation that seems hopeless and instantly turn it around.

Aviva* was the wealthiest girl in her class and was generally happy — except when her father returned from his frequent business trips. The entire family was afraid of him, including her mother. They were not shomer Shabbos, and if her mother ever brought up the question of taking on this mitzvah, her father would immediately shut down the conversation.

The most challenging time in Aviva’s life was when her mother got sick and suddenly passed away. All at once, the house became a dark place; the sun had seemingly set forever. Her father took

over, hiring a cook to make their meals and signing Aviva up for extra-curricular activities so she would be busy from the moment school let out. She did not lack anything, but she felt empty inside and completely abandoned.

One day, Aviva found herself standing at the front door of a home belonging to people she did not know — the Levine family, who lived in the corner house. She felt her mother behind her, urging her to go in.

“I would like to learn how to keep Shabbos,” she said to the woman who opened the door.

Mrs. Levine ushered her in with a bright smile and offered her a glass of water. She said she would be happy to teach her about Shabbos. But when she heard her name, she froze. “You’re the daughter of Dror Cohen?” she asked. “If you don’t mind, I would rather your father didn’t know you came here.” It seemed the neighbors were afraid of her father as well.

Mrs. Levine suggested that Aviva go to an upcoming Shabbaton organized by Arachim, where she could hear speeches

and connect with rebbetzins and rabbis who could answer her questions.

Her father was furious when he heard about her new interest. After a lot of arguing, he said he would allow her to attend a few lectures and take on a few mitzvos, but that had better be the extent of it.

Aviva eventually began attending a seminary in Bnei Brak, returning home each night. Rebbetzin Tovah* took her under her wing. The sun had returned to Aviva’s life.

One day, a shidduch suggestion came up. Aviva was ecstatic. The young man’s name was Meir Ronen,* a refined yeshivah boy who learned Torah diligently and had taken a path in life similar to hers. The difference between them was that his family stood solidly behind him, happy to see him wanting to build a Torah home.

Aviva and Meir met a few times and were soon ready to get engaged. This meant she had to tell her father. When Dror heard she wanted to marry a yeshivah boy, he became so angry he was practically breathing fire. “You will not marry this boy! Do you hear me? The world will turn upside down before that happens!” he screamed.

Aviva ran out of the house in tears. She called her rebbetzin, who said she would contact a rav to find out what to do. (There are halachos regarding this very situation and responses vary depending on individual circumstances. Therefore, no one should ever act against the wishes of a parent unless a competent rav is consulted first.) The rabbi she consulted said the question was too weighty for him, so he brought it to one of the gedolei hador. The gadol ruled that Aviva was allowed to get engaged, but she should wait a week and, b’ezras Hashem, all would be fine. Aviva didn’t understand what would change in a week, but she accepted what the gadol said.

Six days later, it was a Tuesday night, and Meir Ronen and his father were driving back from the Kosel. As they approached the Shaar Hagai interchange, they noticed a car stopped on the shoulder with a man lying underneath, trying to fix it. Meir’s father slowed down, seeing a Jew in distress. He rolled down the window. “Can we help?” he called out.

The man said, “I don’t know what’s wrong with this; it’s a new car, but it won’t move. I’ve been stuck here for two hours, and I can’t reach a towing company, either.”

Meir poured some hot coffee from a

thermos into a disposable cup and gave it to the man. Then Meir’s father scooted under the car and spotted the problem, which he immediately fixed.

“Everything is fine. Have a safe ride home,” he said.

The man replied in a voice choked with emotion, “I have to tell you the truth. I hate religious Jews with a passion. But you guys are something else. For two hours I’ve been stuck here and not one person stopped for me — not one! — until you came along.”

Then he continued, “Do you know I have a daughter who wants to marry a religious boy? But I will not allow it!”

“What’s her name?” Meir’s father asked curiously.

“Aviva Cohen.”

The two stood there in shock. And then the young man said, “Let me introduce myself. My name is Meir Ronen.”

When Dror Cohen realized who was standing in front of him, he hugged Meir so hard, the boy could not breathe. Then he took out his cellphone and called his daughter. With immense joy he said, “We are going to celebrate your engagement to the most wonderful man in the world, Meir Ronen. I’m inviting you to your party, which is going to take place in our house.”

Yeshuas Hashem k’heref ayin, Hashem’s salvation comes in the blink of an eye. It was just as the gadol predicted. Meir was meant for Aviva. And although it seemed that the odds of their getting married were very slim, no one was going to stop that shidduch from happening. No one.

Reprinted from Living Emunah 8 by Rabbi David Ashear with permission from the copyright holder, ArtScroll Mesorah Publications. * Names we changed to protect privacy.

TJH Centerfold

Summer Invention Trivia

1. What popular summer treat was originally invented as a mistake by an 11-yearold boy in 1905?

a. Cotton candy

b. Ice cream sandwich

c. Popsicle

d. Root beer float

it would be a great thing to have a catch with.

2. How did the Super Soaker water gun come to be?

a. It was a NASA experiment

b. It was invented by a nuclear engineer

c. It was reverse-engineered from firefighting equipment

d. It was a plumbing mistake

3. Who invented the pool noodle?

a. A Canadian swim coach

b. A plumbing supply company

c. A lifeguard at Coney Island

d. The person who invented the hula-hoop

4. How did Walter Frederick Morrison invent the frisbee in the late 1930s?

a. He was tossing popcorn tin lids with his wife and realized that something with that shape flies well.

b. He was in a college class that examined ancient weapons and when he threw one of them, he realized that

c. He had a ball that melted in the sun and became flat. The next day he realized that although he couldn’t throw it like a ball, it was a good projectile.

d. He studied physics and created it from scratch.

5. Which iconic summer treat was first sold by accident at the 1904 World’s Fair?

a. Snow cones

b. Ice cream cones

c. Cotton candy

d. Lemonade

Answers:

C: Popsicles were invented by Frank Epperson, who left a cup of powdered soda, water, and a stirring stick outside overnight. It froze. He tasted it and showed it to his friends. More than 18 years later, in 1923, Epperson patented his “frozen ice on a stick.” He decided to call the novelty the “Eppsicle” ice pop.

Soaker while experimenting with a heat pump in his bathroom. The accidental blast of water inspired a billion-dollar toy.

B: The pool noodle started out as a piece of polyethylene foam insulation for pipes. People realized it floated...and fun ensued.

A: Morrison later created a plastic version of the disc in 1948, which they initially called the “Flying Saucer.” In 1957, a toy company bought the rights to the flying disc and renamed it “Frisbee” after the Frisbie Pie Company, whose pie tins were famously used for tossing games by students.

B: At the St. Louis World’s Fair, an ice cream vendor ran out of dishes. Another vendor who was selling warm waffles wanted to help out the out-of-luck ice cream vendor so he rolled his waffles into cones to hold the ice cream.

Wisdom Key:

4-5 correct: Beeeeach bum!!

2-3 correct: More of a spring person.

B: Lonnie Johnson, a former NASA engineer, invented the Super

0-1 correct: “So, how’s your summer going?” “What do you mean? It’s no different than the winter.” Stop! You party-pooper!

Things That Only Seem Normal in Summer

Paying $6 for frozen water (aka “Italian Ice”) that is waaaay too sweet!

Eating dinner at 9 p.m. because “it’s still light out.”

Wearing sunglasses on your head and squinting the entire time.

Letting kids eat dinner that’s 80% popsicle.

Telling yourself sunscreen is optional after the first hour.

Burning your legs on car seats like it’s an ancient rite of passage.

Driving to get ice cream in a car that could poach eggs on the dashboard.

Convincing yourself that your sunburn doesn’t really hurt.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

At a neighborhood barbecue, everything was going fine until the grill started smoking like it had a grudge.

One dad, wearing socks with sandals and holding tongs like a weapon, announced, “Don’t worry—I’ve watched a YouTube video about this.”

Telling yourself bug bites build character.

Grilling everything— including pineapple and pizza.

Always having a beach towel over your shoulder.

Accepting the smell of citronella as “ambiance.”

Buying $3.50 lemonade from a child with sticky change.

Vacationing somewhere hotter than where you live.

Bringing a coat to shul because it’s 62°F inside.

He flipped a burger directly into the bushes, set a hot dog on fire, and somehow melted a plastic fork onto the corn.

Meanwhile, a toddler stole a watermelon, a grandma mistook bug spray for whipped cream, and the dog was eating straight off the grill.

In the end, they ordered pizza.

It was unanimously declared the best barbecue of the summer.

Torah Thought

Parshas Balak

By Rabbi Berel Wein

Although Bilaam is the major villain of the piece in this week’s parsha, we should not overlook Balak’s nefarious role in the events described. Balak is the instigator of the whole plot to curse and destroy the Jewish people. He finances Bilaam and is most persistent in pursuing his evil goal, even when Bilaam apparently despairs of the success of his mission and so informs Balak. Balak nevertheless insists that he continue, for perhaps he will yet be able to curse the people of Israel.

Often, in Jewish history, we find this scenario repeated, with those behind the scenes persistently encouraging the masses to destroy the Jews while they stay a pious distance behind, causing, but somehow apparently not participating in, the murderous mayhem.

and warns us somehow not to overlook Balak’s role in this story of aggression and unreasoned hatred. Through remembering the original Balak, the prophet informs us that we will be better able to identify and deal with his successors in deceit and hatred throughout the ages. It is not the suicide bomber – Bilaam – that is the only guilty party in terrorist attacks. It is the Balaks who send them and support them that are certainly equally as guilty. The pious human rights organizations that promote only hatred and violence under the guise of doing good deeds are also responsible for the loss of the precious lives of innocents caused by those whom they nurture and support. The Talmud stated this reality by coining the famous Jewish aphorism: “It is not the mouse alone that is the thief.

It is not the suicide bomber – Bilaam – that is the only guilty party in terrorist attacks.

As hate-filled as Bilaam is, he cannot operate alone. He needs financial and social backing for him to do his worst. Bilaam is eventually killed by the very people he attempted to destroy. But Balak always lives on to try again to accomplish the destruction of the Jewish nation. Balak never makes peace with the idea that the L-rd does not allow him his goal. His tenacity for hatred and evil behavior is the true hallmark of his identity.

Centuries later, the prophet reminds us of Balak’s scheme and advice to Bilaam

ak’s role in the story of the Jewish people in the desert of Sinai – are addressed to us and our times as well. We should not be shocked, though our sadness over this fact is understandable, that the malevo -

lence against Jews of the 1930s can repeat itself in our time as well. As Balak still remains a force in the world, this Jewish problem will not go away. Shabbat shalom.

It is rather the hole in the wall that allows the mouse entry into the house that is the real ‘thief.’” It is the persistence of those that are determined to undermine the Jewish people and the State of Israel that places them as direct immoral descendants of Balak.

In the Pesach Haggadah, we read that in every generation we face this challenge. No matter how many Bilaams we dispose of, Balak somehow survives to continue to try again. The words of the prophet in this week’s haftorah – to remember Bal-

From the Fire

Parshas Balak

Toras Moshe vs. Parshas Bilaam

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

Whereas in many other parshios we focus on deriving lessons from the subtleties of various pesukim, the whole Parshas Balak is difficult to understand. Adding to the mystery, the Gemara (Bava Basra 14b) says, “Moshe wrote his book [the Torah], Parshas Bilaam, and Iyov.” Rashi explains that “Parshas Bilaam” refers to “his prophecy and parables, even though these do not serve the needs of Moshe, his Torah, and the events of his life.”

This is very difficult to understand. Moshe wrote the whole Torah, including “Parshas Bilaam” within Parshas Balak according to G-d’s command. Why does Rashi explain the nature of “Parshas Bilaam” in a way that implies it was not part of the Torah at all? The Torah

also includes Sefer Bereishis which took place before Moshe was born and certainly does not include “the events of his life.” So why is Bereishis considered part of “Toras Moshe”?

In order to understand what Rashi teaches us, we must first define “Toras Moshe.” Rashi on the Gemara (Chulin 137a) explains that the word Torah comes from the root word “hora’ah, teaching,” so that the essence of the Torah is that it is a “teaching for all generations.” The Maharal at the beginning of Gur Aryeh explains along the lines of the following words of the Ramban that “the Torah includes the stories from the beginning of Bereishis because this teaches people the path of emunah.” All parts of the Torah which teach the Jewish people what they need to know

to live as Jews are considered part of “Toras Moshe.” This seems to imply that Rashi teaches us that “Parshas Bilaam” has nothing to teach the Jewish people. How can we understand this idea?

The Midrash (Sifri on Devarim 34:10) says, “‘No other prophet has arisen among the Jewish people like Moshe’: among the Jewish people there has arisen no prophet like Moshe, but there has arisen [a prophet like Moshe] among the nations of the world. Who? This refers to Bilaam.” How could the Midrash compare this sorcerer’s “prophecy” to Moshe, the master of all prophets? The Ramban explains that Bilaam was not a prophet at all and was certainly not even on the level of regular prophets, much less Moshe. What, then, was the similarity? He explains

that it was in the clarity of the message. When Moshe opened his mouth, the Divine presence spoke. Similarly, Hashem placed His words directly into Bilaam’s mouth without any room for interpretation. All other prophets received visions which required interpretation through their own human, albeit lofty, understanding. But Bilaam’s prophetic message was perfectly clear because it came straight from Hashem. Why did Hashem give Bilaam such a clear prophetic message? The Ramban explains that He did so to deprive the nations of the world of the ability to claim, “If only we had a prophet like Moshe, we would serve Hashem, too.” He explains (commenting on Bamidbar 22:31) that Bilaam was merely a sorcerer, not a prophet, and that Hashem only gave

him the ability to prophesize in order to increase the honor of the Jewish people “because it was Hashem’s will that the Jewish people be blessed through the mouth of a prophet of the nations.” If so, who was the primary beneficiary of Bilaam’s prophecy? The Jewish people or the nations of the world?

I believe that we can understand the answer to this question by studying the Ramban on Parshas Ha’azinu (Devarim 32:26, 40). There, he explains that the Jewish people are G-d’s nation, the only people who know Hashem and through whom G-d’s name becomes known in the world. In addition, he explains that the fundamental reason for antisemitism in the world is the fact that we reveal G-d’s presence in the world. We bring G-d, and therefore conscience, obligation, and responsibility, into a world that doesn’t want to hear of such things. The deeper reason antisemites hate Jews is because they hate G-d. The natural result is that they hate Hashem’s messengers in the world.

Dovid Hamelech said (Tehillim 44:23), “It is for Your sake that we are killed all of the time.” Based on this, the Ramban says, “Because of their hatred for Hashem, they do all of these evil

things to us ... He must take vengeance on them.” Since their hatred and oppression of us is because of Hashem, it is His obligation to punish them.

It appears that the nations have two basic choices with regard to how to approach the those who reveal Hashem’s presence in the world, i.e., the “Jewish

will successfully conquer Eretz Yisroel, the land primed to reveal Hashem’s presence in the world, and ultimately, Moshiach will come and all of the nations who have oppressed the Jewish people will be punished. Bilaam’s prophetic message was that the nations’ true mission is to follow the Jewish people by partnering

We bring G-d, and therefore conscience, obligation, and responsibility, into a world that doesn’t want to hear of such things.

problem.” They can join with us in revealing the Divine in this physical world by accepting the seven mitzvos which are applicable to them or by converting. Alternatively, they can pursue, oppress, and enslave us. They learned of this choice through the prophecy of Bilaam. He taught them that the Jewish people are “a nation which dwells alone.”

As Bilaam says in various ways throughout perek 24, the Jewish people

with them to reveal the Divine presence. This is their purpose, their raison d’être. The purpose of Bilaam’s prophecy was to deprive them of the ability to excuse themselves by claiming that they did not know their purpose.

We now understand why Hashem wanted the Jewish people to be blessed by a gentile prophet. He wanted the nations to understand clearly, from one of their own, that the role of the Jewish people is

to bring about the revelation of G-dliness in the world. After receiving that message, the nations must now choose which side of history they will be on.

We can now understand why Rashi explains that “Parshas Bilaam” is something separate from “Toras Moshe.” The purpose of the latter is to teach the Jewish people what is expected of them for all generations, while the former was meant as a message primarily for the nations of the world and not the Jewish people. The nations had to be told about the Jewish people’s purpose in Creation, as well as a clear understanding of their own choice in how to relate to the Jewish people.

May we merit, soon in our days, to see Hashem take revenge upon those who have tormented us throughout the generations and the reward of the righteous people among the nations who have joined with us to reveal Hashem’s presence in the world.

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.

Sparks of Light

The Power of Consistency: Reclaiming the Lost Korban Tamid

Every year, as the fast of the 17th of Tammuz approaches, I find myself returning to the Mishnah in Taanis 4:6. It lists five calamities that occurred on this day, events that mark the beginning of the national mourning period known as the Three Weeks. On the seventeenth of Tammuz, the Luchos were broken when Moshe came down from Har Sinai and saw the Golden Calf; the daily Korban Tamid was nullified; the walls of Yerushalayim were breached; a Sefer Torah was publicly burned by Apostemos; and an idol was placed in the Beis Hamikdash. Each of these events carries deep historical weight. But each year I find myself pausing on one in particular: the cessation of the Korban Tamid. I ask myself what relevance that detail has in my life today. What does it mean for a generation that has no Beis Hamikdash, no Mizbeach, no sheep? And yet, the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that this loss speaks directly to us.

During the Babylonian siege of Yerushalayim, the Jews were forced to stop bringing the Korban Tamid because they ran out of sheep. The daily rhythm in the Beis Hamikdash stopped. No explosions or collapse, just the quiet end of something steady and sacred. It reflected a deeper loss, the collapse of consistency, the foundation of our daily connection with Hashem.

That idea of consistency lies at the heart of Jewish life. Not just in the powerful, emotional moments, but in the quiet, steady acts. Learning a Daf. Saying Modeh Ani. Showing up to minyan. Giving tzedakah. These are our Korbanos Tamid. When we lose them, even temporarily, something inside us becomes unstable.

The Sefer HaChinuch, in Mitzvah 611, writes that we are commanded to

By Rabbi Benny Berlin

walk in the ways of Hashem. Just as He is compassionate and just, so too must we be.

What is Hashem’s defining trait?

The Navi says, “I am Hashem, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). Hashem is

him, “Where will you be in 500 years? 5,000? 5 million?” Rav Schwab stood in silence. The Chofetz Chaim answered for him: “You will be with Hashem.” That is what we mean when we say, “Eternal life, You implanted within us.”

It reflected a deeper loss, the collapse of consistency, the foundation of our daily connection with Hashem.

constant. His essence is steady and unchanging. And the Jewish people survive because we cling to that constancy.

Rav Schwab once shared a beautiful story from his youth. As a young man, he visited the Chofetz Chaim, who asked

Torah connects us to the One who always was and always will be.

And the Chofetz Chaim lived that way. Rav Naftali Trop, who spent two decades with him, said he never once saw inconsistency in him. Whether ty-

ing his shoes or defending Am Yisrael before Polish officials, he was the same man. Not flashy, not impulsive, just true every day. That is what it means to be tamim, whole, the same inside and out.

The Rambam taught: better to give one dollar a thousand times than a thousand dollars once. Why? Because repetition changes who we are. Repeated giving develops the trait of generosity. One-time acts, even dramatic ones, do not form character.

This is the tragedy of losing the Korban Tamid – not just the absence of a sacrifice, but the loss of that daily anchor. The enemy didn’t just breach our walls. They breached our routine. And without routine, we lose ourselves.

In the summer, as schedules loosen, the challenge of consistency grows. That makes it even more important. To keep davening, keep learning, stay anchored to what is real. That is the Avodah of this season. That is the Tikkun for the Tamid.

In the Sefer Giants of Jewry, Rav Mendel Zaks wrote that the way the Chafetz Chaim stood in shul on Yom Kippur was no different than how he walked down the street on a Tuesday. That was his greatness. No masks. No performances. Just integrity.

Let us be people who show up each day. May we rebuild what was lost on the 17 th of Tammuz, not just the Korban Tamid, but the consistency it represented. And may that steady devotion bring us closer to redemption.

Rabbi Benny Berlin is the rabbi of BACH Jewish Center located in Long Baeach, New York. For more information, visit: https:// www.bachlongbeach.com/

Torah Thought

The True Meaning of Shalom Bayis

By Prof. Adina Broder

As we approach the three weeks which lead into Tisha B’Av, we can prepare ourselves by looking at some of the messages contained in the kinnos that we recite on that day. In Kinnah #30, each stanza ends with the word “bayis,” and it describes the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash as being the loss of Hashem’s “bayis” (house). If we think about what a bayis really is, we understand that it’s more than just a structure. It’s a home, the place where we can be our true, genuine selves. We say that “home is where the heart is” because our identity is often tied to our homes.

The destruction of the Beis Hamikdash put an end to the bayis that we shared with Hashem. When that happened, we lost part of our nation’s identity. The Beis Hamikdash was central to Judaism and was significant in our service of Hashem. Suddenly, that was gone. We somehow had to find an alternate way to connect with Hashem, an inferior way. We grieve over this loss.

There’s another important aspect to a bayis: a home is a sanctuary, a haven from the turbulent world. This idea is behind the concept of shalom bayis, where there is harmony in the house between the husband and wife. Unfortunately, when the shalom bayis is missing, the bayis itself is in danger. This is what happened with the Beis Hamikdash. Our constant breaking the “house rules” by not following the mitzvos led to a loss of “shalom bayis” with Hashem. The harmony that once existed between us was gone, causing the demise of the bayis itself. The destruction of the Bais Hamikdash was tragic, but even more so because it signified a severing of our special relationship with Hashem.

The same danger applies in our mikdash me’at – in our own homes. The shalom bayis between a husband and wife is essential for the bayis to remain standing, figuratively speaking. So let’s take a minute to understand what shalom bayis is. Based on the translation of the words, many people would describe shalom bayis as there being peace in the house. With this definition, it would seem that shalom bayis exists only when there is no

conflict and no disagreements. However, that condition of there being no disputes can come about when spouses don’t interact with each other, living separate lives. That type of home doesn’t represent what shalom bayis is about.

On the flip side, what about a home where the spouses voice their different

with that person. There is love in families because of the commonalities they share, such as the connected experiences, the similar histories, the shared DNA.

The respect component of the relationship comes from appreciating the other person’s differences: when you admire, or at least accept, the qualities your spouse

We can take the time to learn about the differences and accept where the other person is coming from.

viewpoints? This can certainly lead to disagreements. But to say that such a house automatically does not have shalom bayis wouldn’t be correct. So let’s step back and analyze shalom bayis a little deeper.

In a shiur by Rabbi YY Jacobson, he discusses the two components to a marriage: love and respect. He says that the love aspect comes from sharing things in common. In fact, the gematria of ahava -the Hebrew word for love – is the same as echad – number one – because love comes from feeling that you and the other person are one; that there is a likeness you share

has that you don’t. Each spouse has his/ her own temperaments, attitudes and opinions. When our spouse disagrees with our thoughts and feelings, perhaps they are just experiencing things differently.

Take the following story by way of analogy: a husband and wife are driving through the countryside. The wife looks out her window and comments on the beautiful scenery. To her dismay, the husband doesn’t share her appreciation for the picturesque landscape. The wife may feel frustrated that her husband doesn’t see things the way she does. But then the wife

turns to look out of her husband’s window which is smeared with mud. The scene, that a moment ago looked idyllic, now appears drab and gloomy. The wife realizes that her husband wasn’t disagreeing with her opinion; instead he was just looking out his own window.

And that’s how it is in relationships: each person is looking out of their own window: they have their own viewpoint, based on their unique background, disposition and experiences. They see things differently. My truth isn’t necessarily my spouse’s truth. And so rather than being upset that our spouse isn’t the same as us, we can take the time to learn about the differences and accept where the other person is coming from. This is what respect looks like.

With this in mind, I’d like to suggest that a better definition of shalom bayis, rather than “peace in the house,” would be “harmony in the house.” The word “shalom” comes from the Hebrew word shaleim, which means complete. Something is considered complete or whole when all the parts come together in a harmonious way. In music, harmony doesn’t come from the same note being played by multiple instruments but rather when the instruments are playing different notes that complement each other. So, too, with shalom bayis, where we love the things that we have in common but also respect the areas where we differ.

If we work towards having shalom bayis in our homes, our mikdash me’at, hopefully that will be a step to restore the shalom bayis with Hashem, which will result in the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.

For more inspiration during the Nine Days, please listen to my audio series: Mourning with Meaning, from the OU Women’s Initiative.

Professor Adina Broder, MS, JD, is the author of Meaningful Kinnos, Meaningful Viduy and Viduy Booklet for Kids. She teaches at Touro Graduate School of Education and is a frequent presenter for the OU Women’s Initiative.

Delving into the Daf

Rebbe Meir and the Power of “Eloka d’Meir Aneini”

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Rebbe Meir’s wife, Bruriah, had a sister who was kidnapped and held captive. At Bruriah’s urging, Rebbe Meir resolved to rescue her. He reasoned that the captive sister’s righteousness would bring about a miracle to save her. When he arrived at the place where she was held, he approached the guard and offered him money to release her. The guard refused, fearing execution for allowing her to escape.

Rebbe Meir then told him, “Take these gold coins and use them to bribe the officials overseeing you.” Still unconvinced, the guard asked, “What do I do when the money runs out?” Rebbe Meir replied, “Do as I say, and you will be unharmed. Say, ‘Eloka d’Meir aneini, G-d of Meir, answer me’ – and no danger will touch you.”

To prove the power of these words, Rebbe Meir picked up a clump of dirt and threw it towards vicious guard dogs that immediately lunged at him. Calmly, he called out, “G-d of Meir, answer me,” and the dogs froze in place and turned back. Seeing this wonder, the guard released Bruriah’s sister. Later, when the authorities sought to execute the guard for allowing her to escape, he cried out “G-d of Meir, answer me,” and miraculously he was saved, just as Rebbe Meir had promised.

This story is the basis for a famous segulah for finding lost items. One tradition is to give tzedakah in memory of Rebbe Meir Baal Hanes, the Tanna from this story. The segulah has different forms. The Me’il Tzedakah writes that the donation should ideally be in the form of oil or candles to provide light. A modern adaptation is to donate light bulbs or funds for electricity. Nowadays, however, most people give money to any tzedakah, not necessarily for light.

In Peninei Rabbeinu HaKelios Yaakov, it is recorded in the name of the Steipler that he would instruct people who lost something to recite the following Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 53:14):

Rebbe Binyamin said: “Everyone is in a state of virtual blindness until Hashem enlightens them, as it is stated (Bereishis 21:19), ‘Then Hashem opened her eyes and she perceived a well of water.’”

Hagar expected that her son Yishmael would die from thirst. However, she suddenly saw a well.

Rebbe Binyamin explains that the well was there all along, but Hagar did not see it until Hashem made her aware. Similarly, with lost objects, they might be right in front of us, but we do not see them without Hashem’s help. Reading this Midrash reinforces this concept and is a segulah for finding lost items.

Many people combine both segulos: they recite the Midrash, give tzedakah in memory of Rebbe Meir Baal Hanes, and then say: “G-d of Meir, answer me. G-d of Meir, answer me. Help me find my lost object.”

A Modern-Day Story

In Eretz Yisrael, Rav Aryeh Levine’s great-grandson, Eliyahu, lost his tefillin. For four months he used a gemach pair until he finally called his mother to tell

her she would need to buy him new ones. His mother asked, “Did you give tzedakah and say the accepted formula?” He replied that he hadn’t. His mother insisted, but he protested, “It’s too late! I lost them over four months ago!” She urged him to try anyway, promising to buy him a new pair if it did not work.

Eliyahu recited the Midrash and tefillah, then went to the grocery store to buy a roll for breakfast. Sanhedria Murchevet had two supermarkets at that time, a large one and a small one. Though he usually shopped at the large store, that day he decided to enter the small one. At the bread shelf, he saw his tefillin sitting right there. The store owner joked that he should pay rent for storing them there for four months. His tefillin had been in the store the whole time, yet he never saw them until he tried the segulah.

Another First-Person Account

A prepublication version of this article was sent to a friend who shared the following story:

Yesterday, I was sitting in my office ready to order lunch when I realized my

wallet wasn’t in my pocket. I knew I had it earlier that day, so I couldn’t have left it at home. I searched my desk and other pockets. Nothing. Exasperated, I mentioned it to one of my chassidic co-workers.

“Say Amar Reb Binyamin,” he suggested.

“Yeah,” I said noncommittally.

Another co-worker said, “Give tzedakah to Reb Meir Baal Hanes.”

“How much should I give?”

“I don’t know. Depends how much you’ve got to lose,” he shrugged. I had my credit cards, driver’s license, insurance card, AAA membership, and about a hundred dollars. I figured five dollars should be enough. But I still resisted the segulah.

That afternoon, I retraced my steps. The grocer where I grabbed a sandwich that morning said he hadn’t seen my wallet. “Did you say Amar Reb Binyamin?” he asked. “No,” I replied meekly. “Say it. You’ll see, it will turn up.”

The same happened in every store: no wallet, but each person suggested Amar Reb Binyamin or tzedakah for Reb Meir Baal Hanes. I called the bus company in case it fell on the seat, but they hadn’t found it.

“Try back tomorrow,” the woman said. The next day I felt desperate. Coming up the office stairs, I decided not to resist anymore. I mumbled Amar Reb Binyamin and gave money to tzedakah in Rebbe Meir’s merit. I sat at my desk, turned on my computer, and opened a drawer for some papers – and there was my wallet, lying right in front of me. I blinked in disbelief. I was sure I had checked there the day before. It seemed I was actually blind to it until I recited that miracle passage.

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.

Headlines Halacha

Tipping the Waiter: Is it a Halachic Obligation?

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

It was the young lady’s third date. He had taken her to a restaurant to eat out. The conversation went well, and he seemed to be a “super guy.” But, shockingly, he did not leave a tip. Aside from the question of what the young lady should do, another question arises. Is there a halachic obligation to leave the waiter a tip? What about tipping a taxi driver? What about tipping an Uber driver?

History of Tipping

From a historical perspective, tipping began as an aristocratic practice in England and then among the upper classes of Europe. After the Civil War in the United States, wealthy Americans started visiting Europe in record numbers and brought back the custom to the United States to show off their worldliness. Interestingly enough The New York Times in 1897 described the spread of tipping like “evil insects and weeds.” Indeed, in 1916, William Scott wrote an entire tract against tipping and called it “the Itching Palm.” There he writes, “Tipping, and the aristocratic idea it exemplifies, is what we left Europe to escape.”

Since then, however, tipping has become nearly universal in this country. This has, it seems, some halachic repercussions. In other words, in less than a century, the halacha might have changed.

The Halacha

Let’s start with the last one first, but set down some principles that may apply to all of our three questions.

The Rashba in a responsa (Volume II #168) writes that a minhag negates the halacha even in regard to monetary matters. This is true even if the issue was not specifically discussed either in written or oral communications prior to the contract. This is also the position of the Rivash (responsum #171 and 474) and others as well. Indeed, it is norma-

tive halacha. It is this author’s view that in the United States, the custom has already developed to tip a taxi driver, but the custom has not (yet) developed to tip an Uber driver.

This statement is being made because it seems that the Uber drivers in New York City got together and formed a group called the Independent Drivers Guild. In April 2016, this group successfully petitioned the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission to create a rule that would require ride-hailing services such as Uber to add tipping into their phone apps. According to an article in USA Today at the time, Uber had argued “since its inception that not allowing in-app tipping was one of the things its riders liked best about it.”

Indeed, the founder of that organization, Jim Conigliaro, Jr., said then, “New York City’s professional drivers have traditionally depended on gratuities for a substantial portion of their income. Cuts to driver pay across the ride-hail industry has made tipping income more important than ever.”

In fact, Uber’s major competitor, Lyft, had been attracting Uber drivers to come to their company because their app allowed for tipping! This too was proof that the custom had not developed yet that tipping an Uber driver had not developed into the universal custom that the Rashba refers to.

It should be noted that since 2016, both Uber and Lyft have integrated tipping features into their apps, and tipping ride-share drivers has become increasingly common. The halachic implications of this change would require contemporary rabbinic analysis.

Regarding tipping taxis, the Debreciner Rav, z”l, Rav Moshe Stern, Be’er Moshe (Vol. III #117) writes that if a chassidish-looking individual doesn’t tip the taxi driver, it will cause taxis to avoid

chassidish-looking people. Interestingly enough, he does not deal with the issue of universal custom – which would indicate either that he does not hold that it has become a universal custom in the United States or that he disagrees with the underlying application of the idea. But the fact that he writes that the taxi drivers would not come indicates that the concept of tipping truly has become universal. What do the modern seforim and poskim have to say?

The author of Ein Lamo Michshal (Vol. IX 16:8) writes that not tipping in a restaurant involves a “chshash issur gezel – a concern for the prohibition of theft.”

However, that author’s brother-in-law takes issue with this position (See Asher Chanan Vol. VII # 151) and writes that the former’s position may be a chshash issur gezel on the rabbi’s part for writing that there is an obligation to tip! Not to get into a possible family squabble here, it would seem that the real issue is how evolved the custom has become.

In the Tammuz 5760 edition of the Mevakshei Torah Journal, Rav Elyashiv, zt”l, is quoted as saying that indeed there is a concern for theft if one does not tip at a restaurant (or at a wedding hall – where apparently the minhag has developed to customarily tip there as well). He is quoted as saying that one must give a minimal tip.

Lest the reader think that this is merely a quote of Rav Elyashiv in a journal, Rav Elyashiv’s own son-in-law, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, shlita, writes (Tuvcha Yabiu Vol. II page 107) that this was

Rav Elyashiv’s view.

It should be noted that in Israel there is no minhag to tip taxi drivers, as opposed to here in the United States.

To this author, it would seem that regarding taxis in the United States, there is a halachic obligation to tip. Taxis in Israel: there is no obligation. Uber drivers: no obligation to tip. Regarding waiters and waitresses in the United States, there is an obligation. According to the author of Asher Chanan, however, matters have not reached the state where there would be any concern of halachic theft. Of course, as in all matters of halacha, one should consult their own rav or posek.

What Should the Young Lady On the Date Have Done?

Now let’s get back to the awkward position of the young lady on the date. Saying something might cause the date to feel badly, and she might violate the prohibition of onaas dvarim . However, there is also the issue of the other’s halachic obligation. It would seem that she should delicately bring up the idea as a halachic discussion. If this is uncomfortable, she could feasibly rely on the poskim that permit not leaving the tip – especially if the issue was not mentioned by the Debreciner Rav in his responsa on taxis.

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

School of Thought

It’s Not Over

By Barbara Deutsch

“It’s been a hard day’s night” -The Beatles

Bob and I came of age in the ‘60s and were privileged to be exposed to music with words that made sense and that were inspiring. On Motzash – the Hebrew slang (Ulpan) for Motzei Shabbos or, like in the old days, Saturday night –we went to a Beatles’ cover band concert.

After a rough couple of weeks, we enjoyed a much needed wonderful time going down memory lane with the other oldies in the packed club room of a local popular restaurant close to our home. The band included four Israelis who sang in flawless English but spoke in heavily accented Hebrew. Just about everyone in the audience clapped and sang along with us.

The cover band sang many classics from the Beatles prolific songbook: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” “It’s been a Hard Day’s Night,” “Hey Jude” and so many more – more than two hours of musical joy. All of the baby boomers in the room were clapping, hopping and bopping.

Ironically, the Israeli cover band did not sing “Give Peace a Chance.”

When the alarms sent us back to the shelters again this week, I was shocked. Penina was holding her precious weekold baby and as I looked at her, I thought, “Not again!” I had been sure that the Iran war drama was finally behind us. I broke, deeply dismayed and thinking, this will never end!

What other country save for Israel has rockets barreling towards them? What other people have to run for shelter every time a hate-Israel faction feels like flexing its muscles?

And … and … and … the nasty long reach of Iran keeps giving; the missile that the Houthis sent was “made in Iran.”

In my former life, I taught American history with a smattering of world history thrown in. The curriculum for American history is short: 1609 to the present. World history, much longer, certainly impacted on the growth and development of the democratic principles that we all

hold so dear. Right now, it feels like those cherished rights are being manipulated and tortured to justify terror and antisemitism.

It frightens me into remembering that as a proud Jewish Israeli I can never let my guard down. You cannot either.

Historically, most wars were fought for religious reasons, hate. Bingo!

Even though we made aliyah after October 7, I never imagined that I would be living in a war zone. Yet, in this one year that we have lived in Israel, our daily lives have been dominated by warnings, sirens and funerals.

Even though the latest missile came from Yemen and those pesky Houthis, so who cares (a feeling shared by many), it still impacted and upset normal life, woke up sleeping babies, and sent everyone to shelters.

Blessedly, the IDF shot it down.

Everyone breathed a sigh, and the anticipation of the next one began. Oh yes, there will be more, and no one here doubts that – no one.

What will be the collateral damage of all these sirens warning of danger?

We outfitted our new home with a brand-new expensive Nespresso machine when we moved to Israel. In America, I had a Keurig coffee maker as well. There are no Keurig coffee makers here.

I drink my coffee black, no sugar, decaf, and in the morning. I love the creama foam that the Nespresso machine creates. Many would say that decaf coffee is worthless. Okay, but the hot pick-me-up gives me what I enjoy when starting my day. I create so much of my own adrenaline that I do not need that extra jolt of caffeine.

Because I drink it black, the unedited milk and sweetener taste of the coffee is very important.

I also have in rotation a French press and a fancy French coffee maker. They both make better coffee than the Nespresso. But my lazy self likes the convenience of popping in a pod and out comes a good,

strong, hot cup of coffee with no mess or stress – except when it doesn’t.

The water in Israel is heavy with minerals and as a result grey hair turns yellow; washing machines beat up your clothes, especially whites; and Nespressos need scaling every two months.

I did it once many months ago.

This week, I noticed that the coffee brewing button turned yellow and orange when the machine was at rest; I couldn’t change it back to its traditional green. The machine needed attention and scaling. Nothing worked to fix the button problem even after consulting Dr. Video.

I went to the spacious gorgeous Nespresso store in the Mamila Mall to try to get the help it needed. I described the problem and asked if I should bring in the machine. The clerk panicked, waved his hands, and croaked out that I had to call the hotline for Nespresso. He wrote down the number, and I apologized for giving him so much anxiety.

I went home and called; Daniel, the lovely customer service agent who spoke excellent English, spent an hour patiently walking me through the fix. I got very antsy waiting as the water dripdripped through the nozzle. Finally, the button flashed green, and the problem was solved.

No!

When I made myself coffee the next morning, the red button again greeted me. And as is true of every single thing I attempt to do in Israel, it quickly became clear that it was not fixed and a second call to customer service would be necessary.

This time, I worked with Danya who spoke no English even though English was the option I chose. In my clumsy Ulpan and “life’s experience” Hebrew, we stumbled through the fix again. I not-so-patiently explained with my messed-up gender-riddled-mistakes in Hebrew that I had done all of the steps she asked for already, already, already. Nope, I had to do it again, this time limited by my much improved but still limited Hebrew.

The conclusion: a Nespresso service guy is coming next week. He will bring me a temporary machine while they fix my sick one. I told them I wanted a new one. The response was a laugh which I did not find funny. I also apologized for losing my cool, especially for yelling out the spelling of my street name eight times. I do not exaggerate.

In America, I got two new coffee makers at different times from Keurig when mine broke in Cedarhurst.

Maybe it’s a good thing that I got a chance to vent my anger and frustration about Iran, Hamas and the still-held captive hostages over an unimportant coffee maker.

Yes, “it’s been a hard day’s night!”

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.

Israel Today When a Shabbos Meal is the Perfect Medicine

By Rafi Sackville

Our family recently spent a week at Shaarei Zedek Hospital in Yerushalayim over both Shavuot and the preceding Shabbat. Few people look forward to a hospital stay – the long, weary hours, the anxious wait for fleeting visits from doctors and nurses, and the dull monotony of ward life can all be draining and disheartening. Though we were fortunate to have access to a doctor’s office where we could rest over Shabbat and chag, it did little to ease our underlying worry.

Admitted just before Shabbat, we had barely thought about food. In our rush out of the house, we brought little more than the clothes on our backs. After three hours in the emergency department, once it became clear we weren’t going home, I asked a nurse about food for Shabbat. “Oh, you have nothing to worry about. Just go to the tent outside,” she replied as if it weren’t the first time she’d been asked that question. When I asked where exactly, she simply gestured and said, “Just follow the crowd by the main entrance.”

After Kabbalat Shabbat, I made my way down from the 8th to the 4th floor. People passed me, heading back into the hospital carrying plastic bags full of food. To the left of the main doors, a path led to a canvas-covered area with a makeshift floor.

We were warmly greeted and seated at a table, where we were served a generous four-course meal. “Warmly greeted” is not an understatement. The young volunteers were eager to help us. When we told them we weren’t taking the food out but pre -

ferred to sit, we were ushered to a table.

It may not have been a gourmet meal, but to someone unexpectedly spending Shabbat in a hospital, it was nothing short of manna from heaven.

The operation is run by Yad Tova, a chessed organization whose scale of kindness is astonishing. The quantity of food they prepare for Shabbatot runs to well over 700 meals.

Providentially, our hospital room was on the same floor as the synagogue. Each prayer service hosted multiple minyanim.

On Shabbat morning, I witnessed something extraordinary: every Aliyah – including maftir, hagbah, gelilah, plus three additional mi sheberachs – was given to new fathers.

After Mincha the next day, I mentioned this to a young man. He told me he had davened in that same minyan but had hesitated to ask the gabbai for yet another mi sheberach for his wife, who had also just given birth.

Later, I discussed the flood of smachot with the shul rabbi. He smiled knowingly and said, “Yes, it happens often. That’s why we don’t sing after blessing the new mothers. If we did, we’d be here for hours.”

Just outside the shul on the 8th floor is a corridor that leads to an outdoor tent and a large porch overlooking the hospital entrance. After each minyan, all three areas were packed with people. Tables and counters were covered with cakes, fruits, kugels, snacks, and drinks. No matter how much was taken, everything was swiftly replenished.

It was only by Mincha on Shabbat

that I realized I had mistakenly assumed that all that food—the cakes, the drinks, the overflowing platters—was provided by the same organization that served the meals downstairs. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I noticed a man, probably in his mid50s, wandering around outside the shul directing the operation. He wore kneelength shorts, long white socks, sandals, a scruffy beard, and a bright purple kippah. He was aided by a young woman pulling a wagon laden with food. She was requesting people wait until she had restocked. If you’ve ever been to a shul kiddush, you’ll guess whether they listened to her or not.

“That’s Yaron Chen,” the rabbi informed me, when I asked the name of the organizer. “He’s been doing this for the past 15 years or so.” I asked who funded such a massive operation, which surely cost thousands of shekels each week. “Funded? No one. He does it all himself.”

I approached Yaron as he was directing a volunteer carrying a huge plate of kugel as another was slicing and plating another. The trestled tables never appeared empty.

With his unruly grey hair, beach-style

attire, and sandals, Yaron looked entirely out of place among the crowd of Yerushalmi chassidim in camel-colored bekishes and towering shtreimels. And yet, he fit in perfectly. He moved comfortably among everyone, clearly at home in the diversity of Am Yisrael.

He pointed out his children who were helping him. “It’s a family enterprise,” he explained proudly. “It’s a major operation. We start shopping early in the week. Then we transport everything, refrigerate it, and haul it up here every Shabbat.”

It would have been superfluous to ask why he does it. The answer was written plainly on his face. There was a quiet contentment in his eyes that said it all: the joy he brought to others was reward enough.

I later learned that Yaron is a local businessman who runs a large hardware store not far from our neighborhood. On Shabbat, he’s the heart behind a weekly feast of kindness, serving hundreds with food, dignity, and love.

Rafi Sackville, formerly from Cedarhurst, teaches in a prominent yeshiva in Yerushalayim.

The Wandering Jew

Alaska, The Last Frontier

Part II

In my previous article, I wrote about our arrival to Alaska on Thursday, July 11, 2024. I wrote about the tours we took in Anchorage on Friday and the Shabbos we spent at Chabad. I also gave an account of our visit to Hatchers Pass and the Independence Mine on Sunday. The last article concluded with our drive from Anchorage to Seward and the stop we made at the Alyeska Resort to take the gondola ride to the mountaintop. Once we descended, we ate the quick lunch that we took along and headed to our car. We then stopped at Exit Glacier and continued to our destination.

We drove for twenty minutes to Seward where we had booked a room for two nights at the Edgewater Hotel. As we

were parking, a man came out from the hotel and unlocked a van which was inscribed with hotel’s name. The man was wearing a yarmulke, which took me by surprise. I engaged him in conversation, but he apologized that he was on the way to pick up tourists from the ship docks on behalf of the hotel but would talk to me when he returns.

After checking in and settling in our room, I went down to meet him again. His name was Baruch, but people call him Barack. He told me he was the only Jew in Seward (I later actually met other Jews as well). He said his family came from Turkey and his great-grandfather was sent by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to learn about mining and refining of gold. His family remained in Alaska for many years and then went back to Turkey, and he eventually returned to Seward. His wife could not take the harsh weather conditions, so she and their daughters basically live in Florida. I asked him about any Jewish religious life in Seward, and he told me that there was none. From the answers that he gave me, I realized that he was not particularly observant. I brazenly inquired why he wears a yarmulke. What he told me gave me a new perspective of what being Jewish means to many people. He said, “I am proud of my people and my heritage. The yarmulke rep -

resents who I am and the ancestry where I come from. The yarmulke is my badge of honor, and I never remove it.”

Wow, what a powerful declaration!

Tuesday we had planned a six-hour cruise to see the Kenai Fjords and the towering glaciers. The day turned out to be cloudy and rainy, but we decided that though we may get wet on the deck, we would not let this dampen our spirits. True, we would have seen a bit more were it sunny, but we did manage to have a great tour of the multitude of wildlife that surrounded us. Puffins nesting on the cliffs, mountain goats climbing the slopes, sea otters playfully swimming in Resurrection Bay, bald eagles soaring overhead, and sea lions sunning themselves on the rocky shores are some of the attractions that we witnessed. We did not see a great variety of whales, but we identified Fin Whales as they dived in

and out of the choppy waters. Our biggest treat was when we reached the Tidewater Glaciers and gazed at its magnificent bulk. We were privileged to see and hear the thunderous “calving” of the glacier. This happens when large chunks of ice break off the main glacier. The captain retrieved some of the breakaway ice, and everyone had the opportunity to drink some of the water.

We were assigned seats when we

With Baruch in Seward

Holding a piece of the glacier Whale watching

At the Kenai Mountain Natural Heritage Area

Our cruise ship to Kenai Fjord

boarded at a table for four near the windows and could go up to the deck whenever we wanted to see the attractions up close. Another couple was seated across from us, and lo and behold, they were also Jewish. They live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and belong to a Reform congregation. David and Yael were great

company, and we had a marvelous time sharing and conversing with them for hours. David told me that although they do not keep kosher, they do not eat pork or shellfish nor eat milk and meat together. They were so respectful that the sandwiches that they ordered aboard the boat were eaten on the deck so we should not be offended. Though Pesi ate the food we brought along, my stomach was queasy from the water’s turbulence and I was not able to eat at all.

Wednesday we headed back to Anchorage. Before leaving, we visited Seward’s Sealife Center, an aquarium which highlights local sea life. The exhibit was small, but we were able to see up close many of the species we saw the day before from afar. From there, we drove towards the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center with a quick photo stop at the Kenai Mountains National Heritage Area. The photos we took there were by far the most stunning of our entire trip. The conservation center was a great place to come face to face with Alaska’s most popular wildlife species. We walked from section to section to see and admire the moose, elk, fox, bison, deer, reindeer, wolves, muskox, and black and brown bears. The animals were fascinating, and the backdrop scenery was spectacular. While gazing at the playful bears

chasing each other, a woman who identified herself as Jackie Vinar Leibowitz approached me and asked if I was the writer of “The Wandering Jew” articles for The Jewish Home. When I answered in the affirmative, she told me she reads my articles and truly appreciates them. A Chinese woman who overheard our conversation came over to ask if I was famous. I sheepishly smiled, not really knowing how to answer that query.

Thursday was our final day in Alaska. We went to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where we took a private guided walking tour covering all Alaskan Native cultures, peoples, and ways of life. We learned about the indigenous people, how they lived, how they supported themselves, their arts and crafts, and their traditions of song and dance. Our guide explained the different styles of buildings and household objects, and tools for trapping, hunting and fishing were on display. Clothing and decorative jewelry were also on exhibit . We learned to correct our misconception that totem poles were in some ways the same as idolatry – they simply are a record of family history and not used in worship. We listened to native chants and saw their costumes and dances. It was an eye-opening exhibit that made us appreciate these unknown cultures.

We returned to check out of our hotel. We stopped at Chabad to see the small but impressive Alaska Jewish Museum of which the curator gave us a private tour. Then we went to meet Rabbi Yosef Greenberg whom we did not meet the previous Shabbos. We spent a nice amount of time talking together, and he served us salmon and rice which was just prepared for the upcoming Shabbos. He graciously insisted that he would drive us to the airport.

Our vacation in “The Last Frontier,” was coming to an end but our wonderful memories would last forever.

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.

Elk, buffalo and bears at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

A Totem Pole at the Alaska Cultural Center

At Kenai Fjord Glacier

With Rabbi Yosef Greenberg, left, and Rabbi Levi Glitsenstein, center, and his son

Nation

WShmueli Ungar

Singing Through Sorrow

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

hen people ask Shmueli Ungar if becoming a singer was always his dream, he answers them honestly: not exactly.

Young Shmueli didn’t fantasize about concerts. He didn’t daydream about the recording studio. And he never dreamed of one day having thousands of fans. As

In His Words…

a child, he did not dream of becoming a singer.

Or at least that’s what Shmueli thought until a few years ago. As Shmueli explains, he recently discovered that becoming a singer was, in fact, his childhood dream. He just didn’t know it at the time.

nothing lasts forever. a nd if something is not going right in your life, it’s not going to stay like that. it’s going to get better. so, my advice is, if it’s rough, just know that it won’t last forever. a nd as i always say, the best is yet to come.

Today, one of my favorite mitzvahs is lighting the menorah on Chanukah, when i sit with my family. you know, the whole Chanukah vibe is really special. i guess it’s nostalgic for me. a nd just having my wife and my two kids by the menorah — it’s the most beautiful thing.

When somebody asks me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ i don’t say i’m a singer. i say i’m in entertainment... i consider myself somebody in the entertainment business. Right now, i entertain through singing. But there’s more. Eventually, maybe i’ll tell stories on stage. Maybe i’ll do comedy... But there’s a hunger for more entertainment. a nd i think i can fill that void one way or another. There’s room to grow.

“Recently, I figured out that it was my dream. It was for sure my dream,” Shmueli shares. “I always loved to sing.”

As a child, Shmueli sang in camp and cheder. He performed at events, including at a school siyum. He passed an audition and joined a choir. Indeed, as Shmueli puts it, there were many “little clues” that he had a future in music.

“But it was so, so far-fetched for me to become a singer that I didn’t dare dream about it. I never even thought about it,” Shmueli explains. “But in truth, it was always my dream. I was just too afraid to tap into it.”

His musical aspirations, for years, lay hidden beneath layers of self-doubt. But upon reaching adulthood, Shmueli began shedding that insecurity. Today, Shmueli is a beloved artist — a huge hit in the Jewish music industry. Yet despite his fame, he is still exceedingly modest.

Indeed, Shmueli doesn’t even regard himself as a singer. Instead, he prefers a different label — entertainer — because it more accurately captures the essence of his mission: to entertain people, to bring them joy.

“When somebody asks me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ I don’t say I’m a singer. I say I’m in entertainment,” Shmueli shares. “I consider myself somebody in the entertainment business. Right now, I entertain through singing. But there’s more. Eventually maybe I’ll tell stories on stage. Maybe I’ll do comedy. Now, I have a podcast called ShmueliCast. But there’s a hunger for more entertainment. And I think I can fill that void one way or

another. There’s room to grow. So, that’s what I’m doing.”

* * *

Shmueli was always different from those around him. Growing up in the 1990s, Shmueli was raised in Kiryas Joel, a Satmar community in New York. The only issue: he himself was not Satmar.

“My father was Chassidish but not Satmar. He was a Bobover from Boro Park. My mother was from Australia, and she was raised Chabad. She went to Bais Yaakov, and she grew up with a dog and television,” Shmueli explains.

“So, I grew up in a Chassidishe cheder. But when I came home, it wasn’t so ultra-Chassidish. Things were very flexible. I would wear different clothing. We would eat different food. We ate OU-D.”

Even the little differences irked young Shmueli. For example, at home, his family would pronounce the word “mayonnaise” as any ordinary American would. But at school, Shmueli’s peers would call it “my-naiz.” That confused him.

But beyond hashkafa and culture, there were bigger issues that set his family apart from others. His parents struggled to make ends meet. Shmueli’s father had neither a car nor a cellphone.

“My father was so hardworking. He was up at five o’clock in the morning, and he didn’t come home until 8, 9 o’clock at night… But it was always there: we didn’t have any money. What are we doing for money? Money, money, money,” Shmueli recalls. “My father never owned his own house. There were times when my sisters got sent

home from school because he couldn’t pay the tuition. I remember times when they would knock off our electricity. We would take a big orange extension cord from the neighbor just to plug in the refrigerator, the air conditioning, the necessities.”

As a young boy, Shmueli was well aware of his family’s financial struggles. His mother would give him five dollars for groceries. And when he would receive 50 cents in change, young Shmueli would consider buying himself a little treat. But he always resisted. He would tell himself, “No, I can’t spend this money. I don’t want it to be that my father one day says, ‘I almost have enough money to buy a house, but I’m missing 50 cents.’ I don’t want to be the cause of that.” That was his thought process.

But just as it seemed life couldn’t get harder, that’s when tragedy struck. When Shmueli was 14, his father passed away from stage four stomach cancer.

“We found out about the diagnosis after Simchas Torah. He started taking chemotherapy. It was right after my bar mitzvah. And it was just chaos. It was horrible,” Shmueli recounts. “I had to grow up. There was no sitting around, no waiting. Nobody was there to help me. I did it all on my own. I had one older sister, and they sent her away to Manchester for seminary. And then, when I was 15, I went to London to learn at Hitchin Yeshiva. I was there for three zmanim.”

* * *

At age 17, Shmueli returned to the States and was greeted with some good news: his sister was getting married.

“Shmil Dovid, you’re going to sing at the chasunah,” his grandfather told him.

“Okay, but if we’re going to do this, we have to do it right,” the teenager replied. “I want to start taking voice lessons. I want to buy myself a microphone. And I need business cards.”

Shmueli wanted to go all-in. If he was good enough to sing at his sister’s wedding, he wanted to sing at other people’s events, too. His grandfather obliged.

“He gave me one hundred dollars a week to go to voice lessons. He bought me a microphone. I remember I needed to have a cordless mic, because the mic with a wire is, you know, for amateurs. The cordless one is the real mic,” Shmueli half-jokingly remembers. “So he got me a cordless mic, and then we printed business cards. And there was my phone number and his phone number on there. And he was around 60 years old, and he was old-school. And I asked him, ‘Why should we put your number?’ And he said, ‘What if you don’t answer the phone? They need to have a place where they can call. I will answer the phone.’ He was such a character!”

That marked the beginning of Shmueli’s music career. With his Zaidy as his agent and driver, Shmueli began doing singing gigs. A few years later, he joined Zemiros Choir. He got married. And then, with encouragement from his then-wife, Shmueli graduated to Shira Choir. The dream he never knew he had was beginning to come true.

But then, all so suddenly, his marriage fell apart.

“We were married for around two months. And then we were separated for around four months. And then we got divorced. It was very difficult. I was so upset when it hit me,” he recounts.

“At the moment when I was faced with the decision — to get divorced or not — I went nuts. At the time, I wanted to become a singer. I had a few weddings here and there. I was part of a choir. But getting divorced was taboo. And I was sure that if I got divorced, I would be ‘that divorced guy.’ Nobody’s going to book me. Nobody’s going to want to be affiliated with me. And I was so upset, because I had such a colorful life until I got married.”

Whenever people told him he was lucky — that he had to be grateful to Hashem — that he didn’t have kids with his ex-wife, it stung. He was going through a painful time. It felt dismissive to be told that he should be thankful that his divorce, which was already painful, wasn’t even worse.

At the time, Shmueli thought the stigma would effectively end his career. But instead, the opposite happened. After the divorce, he became a more valuable asset to Shira Choir. Since he was no longer married, the choir was able to freely send him to cities around the continent, from Montreal to Toronto to Los Angeles to Chicago. Those experiences would later give him the confidence to start his solo career.

Three years after his divorce, Shmueli Ungar found a shidduch and got remarried. Today, he and his wife have young twins — a boy and a girl.

“They were born after 26 weeks. They were miracle babies. My daughter was two pounds and one ounce, and my son was one pound and nine ounces. They were dangerously close to not making it. My son was in the NICU for three months, and my daughter for four months,” Shmueli recalls. “I think about the challenges I’ve had sometimes, but I don’t dwell on them. I don’t look at myself like a victim or somebody who suffers all the time. But it was what it was. It was very hard.

“But baruch Hashem, now, my son is a man’s man. He’s so smart. He’s gevaldig. And my daughter — she’s so cute and I wouldn’t give her up for anything in the world,” he says. “Today, one of my favorite mitzvahs is lighting the menorah on Chanukah, when I sit with my family. You know, the whole Chanukah vibe is really special. I guess it’s nostalgic for me. And just having my wife and my two kids by the menorah — it’s the most beautiful thing.”

* * *

When Shmueli was younger, he

didn’t think being an orphan was so bad. Yes, it was difficult. But he didn’t think orphanhood was as painful as people make it out to be.

“Right when I lost my father, I didn’t like the whole concept of being a yasom. I didn’t want to hear about it. I was fine. My father passed away; I wasn’t an orphan. I was just a guy who was missing a parent,” Shmueli shares. “But I have a friend who’s a writer. And he wrote an article in a Yiddishe magazine about yasmus. He wrote about how difficult it is and how much compassion you should have for those families. And I asked him, ‘Why would you write that? You’re making such a big deal. Why do you make it like they’re suffering? It’s not so bad.’ And he tells me, ‘Shmueli, I didn’t expect to hear anything from you. But you’re going to get older and you’re going to know.’”

Now, Shmueli realizes that his friend was right.

“The older I get, the more I miss my father. As I’m getting older, I’m always comparing where my father was and how I look at my son, and I think about what my father would tell me,” he says. “I thought I knew him because I was 14 years old. But as I’m growing older, I realize how I didn’t know him. I have so many questions I would like to ask him… And the more I think about it, the more I miss him. The older you get, the more you realize what you’re missing. I could have had a father.”

But Shmueli understands that in the hardest of times, Hashem was with him every step of the way. And he feels incredibly grateful and fortunate for the gifts Hashem has given him — from his career to his family.

“Nothing lasts forever. And if something is not going right in your life, it’s not going to stay like that. It’s going to get better,” Shmueli Ungar declares. “So, my advice is, if it’s rough, just know that it won’t last forever. And as I always say, the best is yet to come.”

A Huge Neshama, Bursting With Music

Remembering Avi Piamenta, z”l

By Naftali Halper N

So many memories from our youth become less poignant with time. The park that once felt enormous now seems small. The rabbi who seemed ancient was actually quite young. And the music we thought was brilliant? Probably just mediocre.

That’s true for most of my childhood memories.

But there’s one memory that I have that grows more significant in meaning.

It was around forty years ago at my uncle’s wedding. I was a young child standing in front of the stage mesmerized by Avi and Yosi Piamenta playing incredible flute and guitar.

My grandfather, Reb Shlomo Freifeld, was immobile due to illness. But in the middle of the wedding, Yosi put down his guitar and went over to dance with him. Even as a child –perhaps because of the emotion in the room – I understood that something extraordinary had just happened. That moment seared into me that the Piamenta brothers were more than just brilliant musicians – they were a deeper concept than that.

Yosi was probably one of the best guitarists in the

world, and Avi was certainly the finest flute player I’ve ever heard (yes, better than Ian Anderson). They grew up non-religious in Israel, but their lives took a turn when a famous jazz musician discovered them and brought them on tour with him in the U.S. What was supposed to be a rock-and-roll adventure turned into a spiritual journey – they became religious and joined Chabad.

With their newfound love for Yiddishkeit, they unleashed their creativity and brilliance by writing songs that were unheard of in the Jewish music world up until that time. In 1984, they released Mitzvah, an album of psychedelic rock infused with deeply meaningful lyrics, most taken from Midrash. The album is so raw, you can practically smell the smoke-filled studio while listening. (Musicians, if you want a challenge, check out “Shlichei Mitzvah” which has insane chord changes and complex time signatures.)

One of the remarkable things about the Piamentas is how they worked together. Usually, when two artists are masters of their craft, ego gets in the way…even when they are brothers. After all, ego is, unfortunately, sometimes thicker than blood. Many legendary bands have

broken up for this reason. But Yosi and Avi were each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Before a wild solo, you’d often hear one shout the other’s name with pure joy. “Yosssssiiiiii,” Avi would yell before Yosi would rip into a Mediterranean-infused Purple Haze-style solo. I think that was a subliminal aspect of their music that added to the joy and feeling of it.

I once saw a video of someone asking Yosi about his relationship with other musicians. The interviewer ended by asking about Avi. Yosi was silent for a moment, then placed his hand over his heart and simply said: “Avi? Zeh ha’lev sheli ” (that is my heart).

Their energy was contagious. After joining Chabad, they became the unofficial house band of Crown Heights.

The Rebbe was a master communicator – his Chassidim always knew exactly what he wanted from them and how to carry it out. Yosi and Avi used their musical creativity to spread that message. Among the many genres they played, perhaps the most moving was their blend of obscure Chabad niggunim and their own heartfelt compositions, all woven together with the Rebbe’s words. It wasn’t just music; it was a

continuation of the Rebbe’s voice, expressed with joy, longing for Moshiach, and complete dedication to the mission.

Throughout their lives, they lived that mission. The Rebbe understood that Yosi and Avi were incredible musicians who could reach wayward souls through their music, and he encouraged them to do that. And they were true to that shlichus. On some of the famous bootleg tapes from various music venues, you can hear Yosi announcing, “If anyone did not daven Maariv yet, please come to pray!”

They weren’t only shluchim in their music. Although Avi was constantly flying all over the world to play, when he was back home in Israel, one of his jobs was putting tefillin on people at Ben Gurion Airport.

They lived by the commands of the Rebbe.

One year, the Rebbe declared that the simcha of Sukkos was so great that the chassidim should dance in the streets all night. Yosi and Avi took that as a directive and set up shop on Kingston Avenue and played until sunrise.

Those Simchas Beis Hashoeivas became iconic, and until today, on every night of Chol Hamoed Sukkos, thousands of Chabad chassidim dance in the street until sunrise.

Once Avi moved to Kfar Chabad, those years when he was back in Crown Heights for Sukkos became all the more special as the brothers would reunite on a high stage on Kingston Avenue with thousands dancing below them.

I would become a child again, watching Yosi peer over his glasses while strumming and Avi jumping and singing, flute in one hand, the other hand swinging in that classic Chabad bring-everything-you’ve-got motion.

As the years went by, those scenes became less frequent. But every year, we would go back to Crown Heights hoping that this year, they would be there, and we could experience our childhood just one more time.

I remember one particular year when I was in my twenties when we went out to Crown Heights and found a parking spot several blocks from where the Simchas Bais Hashoeva was happening. As soon as we exited the car, my brother and I were overjoyed to hear the Piamentas playing.

One of our friends was incredulous and declared that there is no way to know from this distance that

the faint music that we were hearing was the Piamentas.

We bet him shwarma on it.

Complete shakedown…because if you know, you know…even from a mile away.

Once Yosi passed away in 2015, it was certainly the end of an era. d espite Avi’s sadness, he continued his shlichus with strength and continued to play.

Two years ago, on Chol Hamoed Sukkos, my phone rang at 3 a.m. I picked up the phone on the first ring and had perhaps the quickest conversation ever.

It was my teenage son.

He said, “Abba! Avi’s here!”

I responded, “I’m coming right now.” Click.

(I still joke with my son that I am so proud that he knows what to wake me up for at 3 a.m.)

I called my brother and woke him up on the first ring.

I said, “Yitzy! Avi’s playing in Crown Heights!”

Within five minutes, we were in the car, coffees in hand, driving up an empty early morning nassau Expressway with Songs of the Rebbes playing on an early morning volume.

What is Songs of the Rebbes?

A better question might be – what isn’t it? Songs of the Rebbes changed Jewish music, even though most people don’t realize it. Released in the 1990s, when there was still a major cultural divide between the Chassidish and Litvish communities, the Piamentas bridged that gap. They put together four sets of around 40 chassidic niggunim, backed by mind-blowing electric guitar and flute. Many of the songs are wellknown now, but this was the album that introduced them to the broader Jewish world.

When the album came out, it was so unique that Yochi Briskman (who was the drummer on the album) ran with the concept and started putting out similar types of albums called Project X. That kind of led to the new-age concept of good Jewish music featuring chassidishe choirs. (With respect to Yochi Briskman, I think he would be the first to agree that none of those subsequent albums came close to Songs of the Rebbes

Aside from the whole album being groundbreaking, the first 90 seconds of it is the boldest high-energy start to any album I ever heard in my life. Having listened to it thousands of times, I still feel a rush every time I put it on. (If you check it out, do me one favor – don’t listen on your phone speaker; listen in your car or on a good stereo.)

Avi and Yosi were more than just good musicians, though. They were even better people, and I am thankful that several years ago I had a beautiful interaction with Avi. When my oldest son was young, he began playing flute because he wanted to be like Avi Piamenta. OK, full disclosure: I wanted him to be like Avi Piamenta. (When people say, “My

It wasn’t just music; it was a continuation of the Rebbe’s voice, expressed with joy, longing for Moshiach, and complete dedication to the mission.

With my son in Crown Heights

kid loves Bach,” it’s usually the parent who loves that their kid loves Bach…total Build-a-Bear situation.) But my son really bought in and loved the Piamentas.

Before my son’s bar mitzvah, I sent Avi a clip of my son playing one of his songs and asked if he would record a short video of himself wishing my son mazal tov. A few days later, we received the most beautiful seven-minute video from him. He played the Chabad Anim Zemiros and said the following:

“Shmuel Chaim, I very much enjoyed the video that your father sent me of you playing our songs… I want you to know, you should always use your

talents to make a kiddush Hashem. Be proud of your Yiddishkeit and then there will be blessing in all that you do, especially in your flute playing…” Receiving that video from Avi and being able to surprise my son with it in his bar mitzvah video still fills my heart with so much gratitude. It was everything that I thought about Avi –he wasn’t just a musician with a good heart; he was a massive neshama…bursting with music. That message of positive, beautiful, happy Yiddishkeit, coming from someone with worldclass talent who was empowered by the Rebbe to spread joy through music, is one that I am so grateful that I was fortunate to give to my son.

and warm. He kept telling my son how happy he was to see him and that he looked like a good yeshiva bachur who loved Chabad music. “You must come visit me in Kfar Chabad,” he said.

After that, I stayed in touch with Avi a bit. A few years later, on one winter night, we heard he was playing at an event in Crown Heights. My son and I rushed over. After the music ended, we introduced ourselves to Avi. He was so gracious

We left in awe – not of Avi the Flutist, but of Avi the Chassid, on fire with Yiddishkeit and ahavas Yisrael. That’s the Avi I’ll always remember. That’s the soul we lost.

But his spirit lives on – in the joy, purity, and simcha of the music he created during his shlichus on this earth.

A photo of Yosi and Avi in 770 from a book about Tishrei with the Rebbe

Yosi and Avi on the cover of their Big Time album

The album cover of Songs of the Rebbes

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

My niece is starting shidduchim this summer. She is a lovely girl who has a lot of chein and an amazing personality. They put us on their resume as a reference, and I’m excited about helping her as a reference. The problem is I’ve heard from many of my friends that the topic of support comes up during these calls. Their family is unable to support a couple, so when the topic comes up, I will either have to hem and haw or say the reality, which won’t lead to the best outcome I assume. It is for this reason I am tempted to ask not to be on the resume at all as it will be very uncomfortable for me.

I don’t know what to do. Should I ask to be taken off as a reference? Should I stay on and tell the truth about support? What is the best way to move forward with this?

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.

Be honest. Be honest with your family first. Discuss the honor and trust they have accorded you and make sure

they know how you will handle questions like this. Be honest with the callers who may ask the question about support for a learning boy. It is the healthiest way for all stakeholders. You may frame it like this: this girl is like money in the bank. She will work, she will earn, and she will live by her values. She is mature, committed, and knows

what a modest lifestyle is all about. She has seen it lived and understands the effort involved. Say this only if it is true. Currently, many young yeshiva students (and their parents) prefer young women who have professions and can be self-supporting during the early years of marriage. I know it, and I heard it just this week from the father of boy seriously learning in BMG who already has his degree. Being beholden to a wife’s family is not so popular for obvious reasons. Similarly, supported kollel life with designer clothing and meat boards is getting a bad rap these days. It is not an entitlement.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Ithink that you might be overthinking this. Yes, some people will bring up

The more attention you draw to something, the bigger of a deal it becomes.

the topic of support before the first date, but it doesn’t sound like that’s the type of family your niece would want to marry into anyway. Usually, this is a topic that’s discussed once a couple has gone out, and there’s some sort of liking or connection between them. Your niece’s family must have some sort of plan lined up, as that’s the responsible thing to do.

Stay on the resume with confidence and focus on sharing your niece’s amazing attributes. If the topic of support

comes up, you can say that you don’t personally have the answer to that question and suggest they reach out to another reference.

Don’t make a big deal out of it. The more attention you draw to something, the bigger of a deal it becomes. Just keep your focus on being a warm, supportive reference and trust that the right people will see what matters most.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

It is deeply troubling that for some misguided parents how much money they can get out of a prospective match is more important than the qualities of the prospective life partner.

But, unfortunately, the sad reality is that some folks will be asking about financial support before even getting to know about the girl.

So, how should someone, like you, who is listed as a reference on a resumé, react?

My very strong advice is to simply remember what Shakespeare wrote: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.”

In other words, in the staging involved in today’s shidduch production, you, as a reference, have a very specific role to play. It is your job, and your only job, to be your niece’s best advocate and extol her wonderful virtues.

You will discuss her charm, her middos, her integrity, her amazing attributes, and how her parents have raised her to be self-sufficient. You might add, if appropriate, that your niece is pursuing a career where she can contribute meaningfully.

If they press the issue and insist on knowing exactly how much money the girl’s parents are willing to give, you have two choices:

Choice #1 – You can reply that it is very clear to you that you don’t want your niece to have anything to do with such obnoxious people. (My wife warned me, “Jeffrey, don’t you DARE write that!”)

Choice #2 – You can simply reply that you are not privy to someone else’s

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Dear Miriam, I just want to say you are not crazy for feeling uncomfortable. The truth is, it is uncomfortable!! You’re being asked to sign up for something that, frankly, makes very little sense. You love your niece. You want to support her. But being listed as a reference when you know there’s a financial situation that might come up, one you’re not aligned with or prepared to explain, puts you in an impossible position.

What are you supposed to do? Lie?

finances, but you know that her parents are very loving and kind. Period.

Of course, you, as a loving relative, should agree to be listed as a reference. In today’s shidduch world, our young women need all the help they can get.

Reader’s response

Chava Cohen

Hi, I think it is great that you are excited about being listed on your niece’s resume as a reference. I am wondering about the accuracy of your belief that the discussion regarding support often comes up during these calls. I think it can go either way – not everyone listed as a reference is privy to this information. A teacher from seminary, for example, may not know to what degree her student’s family is able to support and may not be asked during a call. Generally close family will have more familiarity with a relative’s financial situation, but I still think it is appropriate to say you genuinely are not sure what support they are able to offer.

We don’t need more polite martyrs.

You write that you will either “have to hem and haw or say the reality, which won’t lead to the best outcome.” They are not getting married based on one call to a reference. Is it possible people will say no to your niece if you communicate that they cannot offer support? Sure. Is possible they will say no for other reasons outside of your communication? Also yes. You have a lot of positive regard for your niece, and it seems that you are confident you can convey her many attributes to those who ask. There will always be things that can be uncomfortable during calls for information, especially regarding finances (or lack thereof).

It seems that if you are able to convey the positive aspects of your niece, while accepting that parts of the call may be uncomfortable, it is worthwhile to stay on the resume and be the best advocate you can be for your niece.

Evade? Freeze up mid-ques - tion like you’re on a wit- ness stand in a courtroom you never signed up for? It’s ridiculous that we’re even put in these positions! Who made up these ridiculous rules, anyway? Do any of us honestly believe that a reference isn’t going to glow? That we’re hearing the full truth or that anyone knows the full truth about another person? I’m not suggesting not to do research, but no one is ask-

ing someone who knows all his/her parts (history, secrets, stories) to be on the resume, if you know what I mean… I think this comes down to two things. One, can you stay on the resume and tell the truth in a way that’s kind and clear? Something like, “That’s really a question for the parents. I don’t have that information,” and then speak glowingly about her character and strengths. Or two, do you feel that even being asked to speak could put you in a situation that feels too sticky? And if so, can you step back gently and say, “I care about her so much, but I think I may not be the right person to serve as a reference here. I don’t want to be asked things I don’t feel comfortable answering.”

There’s no wrong answer, but there is a wrong move. And that’s pretending you’re fine when you’re not. We don’t need more polite martyrs. We need people who listen to that tiny voice inside that says, “This doesn’t sit right,” and who trust that honoring their gut isn’t selfish, it’s wise. So whether you show up with boundaries or lovingly bow out, let it come from your truth. That’s how we stay in integrity with ourselves and with the people we care about.

And if you needed someone to say it; yes, this whole setup is absurd. You’re not the problem. The system is.

Sincerely, Jennifer

Parenting Pearls A Strong Foundation

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

The spotted lantern flies have officially emerged from their eggs, beginning the first of four nymph stages. Unfortunately, the tree in front of my home is a lanternfly magnet so we get to view this aspect of Hashem’s world closer than we would like.

There are no adult lantern flies in sight, yet the area is crawling with nymphs. The newborn members of this invasive species have never met their parents. They were laid as eggs before the winter, and their parental flies died off. They will go from hatching through many steps until they reach adulthood, but they will do all this with inborn Divinely ordained wisdom and without any adults to guide them.

Hashem designed the world so human children would be born into families. Children do not hatch in the woods, climb up a tree and figure out the world on their own. It was Divinely ordained that children would be best raised and nourished within the love of a family.

Every structure has a foundation. It’s only once there is an established, strong foundation that we can build upon it. The home and family within it rely on the parents as its core foundation and source of strength. It’s the adults that form the in-

ner strength of the family unit.

When you talk about a married couple, you are inevitably talking about the union between two different people. They will come from separate families and backgrounds. Their personalities are unique, and they will view everything from their own perspectives. To further complicate the situation, they are different genders. Men and women tend to be very different from each other. While not every stereotype is true for each individual, there are certainly profound differences. The result is two completely different people with their own ideas for parenting.

These differences are not better or worse – they are just different. It’s easy to see something from our own perspective, but it’s a greater challenge to view the world through our spouse’s eyes. In many ways, it’s the differences – and ability to appreciate them – that give us strength as a parental unit. We are blessed to have multiple options and ways of viewing any given situation. We each have our unique strengths and abilities to guide our parental unit.

I want to make the disclaimer that when I discuss parenting differences I’m referring to the naturally unique ways we look at a situation. Maybe one parent is

stricter, while the other is more relaxed. It is these diverse views that we must strive to appreciate in each other. I am not referring to a situation where, chas v’shalom, there is concern of a spouse’s views being abusive. Parents with these suspicions should reach out to the appropriate professionals for clarity and guidance.

Support and Stability

Parents should never underestimate the role they play in providing a stable and emotionally safe environment for their child. We orchestrate the home which is their natural environment for growth and development. Parents need to work together to provide this foundation and security that children so desperately need.

In order to provide strength to our children, adults need to strengthen each other. This sounds so basic, but you would be shocked by how often parents undermine each other. For example, one parent says “no,” but the other says “yes” behind their back. If your spouse says one thing, you are usually doing a disservice to your child if you openly and negatively contradict them. In my experience, very few of the daily issues parents conflict over are actually truly important in the long-term development of the child.

Sadly, parents often criticize each other or say nasty things to, or about, each other within their child’s presence. When you speak with your therapist, mentor or rav you can be as honest as you need to be about what you’re feeling. Never in front of your children.

Couples should have these discussions in private. Only after coming to a mutually agreed on decision can the parents come to the children as a united front. After a decision is made, parents should not individually tell the kids, “I would have said yes but he/she didn’t agree.” Children require the emotional stability that comes from a united parental front.

While it’s not at all in their best interest, children do try to undermine or pit one parent against another. Maybe they want permission for a trip, expensive electronics or other items. They will intentionally create conflict in the hopes of getting what they want. They are so focused on their goal that they don’t care what it does to the shalom bayis in their home. Maybe they go behind each parent’s back or beg one parent to fight for them against the other. It takes many forms, but it’s up to the parents to put a stop to it. Parents can and should discuss any issue that comes up, and we should

certainly take our children’s feelings into account, but we can’t let them manipulate adults like puppets. The parents are one unit – ishto k’gufo.

I want to clarify that disagreeing is different from fighting. Parents often disagree – and that’s fine, healthy and normal. It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to agree on each issue. It would be unhealthy to always leave your opinions unvoiced, and both spouses should feel heard. Learning how to communicate effectively, respectfully, and without fighting is a sophisticated skill that many couples need to be formally taught. It’s a true bracha to be able to lovingly and calmly communicate with your spouse. Adults should not hesitate to seek help in this matter.

Parts of a Unit

Spouses should be each other’s source of emotional support and strength. This is an integral part of the marriage which also trickles down into the home we build. The shalom bayis of a couple is not only a source of happiness to themselves; it also provides a loving home for a child.

Parents need to make time for each other and value their marriage. Like any relationship, it requires constant nurtur-

ing and attention. Date night and other ways we strengthen a marriage are ultimately also gifts to our children. We can only give from what we have. Maintaining our own emotional health is not selfish – it’s giving to our child the most important gift we can. Take a walk in the beautiful weather, journal, join an exercise class, read a book or do what

not uncommon for parents to unknowingly struggle with their spouse’s views while not realizing that it’s gender based. Especially when the issue is the distinct tendencies of the genders, it’s important for the parents to recognize that their spouse’s views are not wrong – just different. Mothers will handle a situation differently than fathers – and that’s fine.

It was Divinely ordained that children would be best raised and nourished within the love of a family.

makes you feel calmer. Taking a little time to routinely rejuvenate and renew can keep an adult strong and ready to tackle the inevitable craziness.

Mommies and Tatties

Men and women tend to have different parenting styles. This should come as no surprise considering all the other gender differences that exist. What is shocking is how often parents forget this basic fact. It’s

Both mothers and fathers need to learn to respect their spouse’s parenting methods. Rather than see their spouse’s opinions as a threat, we can learn to appreciate what they offer. Hashem created the world so each child biologically has one male and one female parent; we know there is certainly meaning behind this Divine Intent.

Most of this article worked with the assumption that a child is living in a

home with both of their parents married to each other. Families come in many different configurations, and many of the principles discussed will still apply outside the traditional two-parent home. For example, divorced parents should not undermine each other in front of their children. Step-parents, and their marriage to the child’s biological parent, also contribute towards the stability of a child’s home. While parenting as partners can be difficult, single parenthood can have even more challenges. Parents who are balancing their children’s needs without the support of a partner should reach out for help. No one should have to feel alone. All buildings rely on a strong foundation. The homes we build are no different. Recognizing our role in creating this foundation fortifies us to take the steps we need for continuous improvement. Our marital relationships can add so much to our lives, but they set the tone for our children’s as well.

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.

It is hard to talk about children succeeding without simultaneously acknowledging the importance of having and building their confidence because it is cyclical. Confidence tends to breed success, which in turn fosters more confidence—and so the cycle continues. What is necessary for building a child’s confidence is an idea spoken about with significantly less clarity.

When we see children struggling in any aspect and feeling down on themselves, our first instinct is to try to build up their confidence. We tell them how great (smart, beautiful, fun, etc.) they are, and many times, we try to help them avoid whatever it is they are struggling with by either doing it for them yourself or telling them to walk away from it. We then wonder why our praise is not enough or why our children do not feel better if we told them they do not have to do whatever it is they are struggling with anymore. While telling your child how wonderful they are is important, and while there are also situations in which

Parenting Pearls Competence Builds Confidence

By Malkie Bobker, LMHC

it is appropriate to tell them not to do something in the end, neither of those is enough to build their confidence because neither of them actually make your child feel successful or competent.

True confidence is an internal state.

It is not a thing that can be given to us, rather it is something that we build on our own. That being said, it also needs some external factors.

Praise and Validation –

Both Sides of the Coin

We all need to be complimented once in a while (or maybe a little more than that). Praise helps us feel good about ourselves, and when we feel good about ourselves, we feel inspired to continue what we are doing and maybe strive to do even better. Children, especially, need to hear that they are doing things well or right. It is one of the simplest forms of positive reinforcement. It allows us to feel recognized and seen, which is an innate human need. For children, in particular, what can be so effective about re -

ceiving praise is the knowledge that they have pleased the adults around them, which is paramount to many children.

As we often experience, verbal praise alone is not enough to build confidence. For one, it teaches children (and adults) that their confidence level should be dependent on what other people think of them, rather than what they think of themselves and their abilities. The satisfaction one feels when they have realized that they have pleased someone else should not be mistaken for confidence. The world is not always going to praise, validate, or recognize us when we do something well. When someone whose confidence is entirely dependent on praise from others is not recognized, they fall apart. This is not healthy or “real” confidence. Healthy confidence persists, even when there is a lapse or lack of praise.

Of course, the question becomes, how then do we help our children build confidence? In order to build confidence, we have to help them develop competence.

A Cyclical Relationship

Confidence can be explained as a strong sense of your own abilities, as well as a certain level of trust in yourself that you can complete certain tasks or overcome particular challenges. Someone with healthy confidence knows their strengths and their weaknesses and feels at peace with them. That does not mean that they are not looking to strengthen their weakness, rather that they experience this self-knowledge without judgment and they learn how to utilize other resources effectively. Competence is having sufficient knowledge in a particular area, mastery of a skill, and/or well-defined strengths. Developing competence can sometimes be a harrowing journey for both the parents and the children, when children are trying to learn something that does not come easily to them. Your child might want to give up, start tantrumming, say they cannot do it, etc. As parents, it is distressing to watch our children in distress, and we feel helpless and un -

sure of what to do. This often leaves us wanting to alleviate both our children’s distress and our own, so we might jump in and complete the task for them or tell them that they just do not need to do it. But unless something is truly beyond a child’s skill level, that would be a bad idea in the long run. Aside from the fact that they will not learn the skill this way, think about the message we are sending by doing that. If we are constantly taking over, or removing them from the situation entirely, we are ultimately sending them the message that we do not think they are capable of overcoming this challenge. Furthermore, it will only seek to reinforce that we avoid difficult things, which won’t set anyone up for success. This will hinder confidence, not build it.

On the flipside, when we help our children see it through and learn a new skill, they are developing competence. This sense of competence will create a feeling of accomplishment that will build

and what someone cannot do at all. It is where skills are emerging but still need outside support. Let us take swimming as an example. We do not typically put our kids into the pool for the first time and shout, “Swim!” For most children, that would not only fail but it would also traumatize them. Instead, we help them break down the skills needed for swimming. We teach them how to blow bubbles, how to kick their legs while holding onto the side of the pool and then eventually with a kickboard, and we hold them in our arms in the pool while they practice their strokes. Once we see that they are comfortable with these skills, we let go and let them try on their own.

It is natural for kids to become frustrated if they are struggling, and perhaps just as natural for us to tell them they can give up, but that would be a mistake. At the end of the day, as I have said to my own children, “Mommy cannot learn this for you.” If our child is

Someone with healthy confidence knows their strengths and their weaknesses and feels at peace with them.

their confidence and fuel them forward to develop more skills. Confidence and competence are cyclical – the more competence we develop, the more confident we become, and the more comfortable we will feel facing new challenges. In order to be confident, we have to know what we know (and what we don’t) and experience our own successes. We can only do that if we see ourselves – and our children – through the challenges of learning something new.

The Zone of Proximal Development

How do we balance enforcing our children’s independence with ensuring that they feel supported? We all know that if we continuously give children tasks way above or way below their skill level, that, too, will hinder their confidence. The concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, credited to Lev Vygotsky, provides an excellent framework for us to look at. The zone of proximal development refers to the space between what someone can do independently

struggling, rather than jumping to do something for them, it would be far more beneficial to figure out what support they need from us so that they can do it themselves.

Ultimately, our children need for us to consistently convey our belief in their ability to succeed. This will give them the initial confidence to propel them forward into learning new skills and developing a sense of competence. Gaining competence will then build their confidence by creating a sense of accomplishment, which will in turn provide them with a sense of trust and motivation that will allow them to continue to learn new skills and tackle challenges.

Malkie Bobker is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a private psychotherapy practice in Cedarhurst, NY. She works with adolescents and adults struggling with anxiety, social skills, life transitions, and parenting. She can be reached at malkie-bobker@gmail. com or (516) 946-9601.

Dear Therapist,

It’s July, and everywhere I turn, people are talking about freedom between July 4th and the general summer vibes. Supposedly, this is the season of ease, fun, and spontaneity. But I’m a mom of several young kids, and summer is anything but freeing. I feel like I always have to be “on” with planning, feeding, entertaining, cleaning, and redirecting. There’s no school or structured time, and I feel constantly pulled in a million directions. I feel more trapped than ever. Am I the only one who feels like summer is the opposite of freedom?

The Therapist Responds

No, you are absolutely not alone in feeling that summer is the opposite of freedom! What you are describing is so common with parents of young children, especially without the structure that the school year brings. In fact, summer often highlights the difference between what we expect life should be like – easy, fun, free – and what it actually feels like more often – messy and exhausting. Add social media to the mix, and it can be very disorienting to see the difference between what is portrayed to the world and your present reality.

Let me pause here to say if what you’re experiencing is beyond stress and exhaustion, and you are experiencing persistent sadness, anxiety, irritability, or a sense of hopelessness, it may be more than the typical overwhelm of parenthood. In that case, the kindest and wisest thing you can do for yourself and your family is to reach out for professional support. You don’t need to carry that weight alone. What I’m writing here is in response to the mix of joy, fatigue, love, frustration, and no alone time that often comes with raising young children.

The more responsibilities you carry, especially for little people who depend on you for so much, the more freedom can seem out of reach. But I wonder if the freedom you’re looking for isn’t just about an external change. It can be tremendously freeing when we’re able to create an internal freedom for ourselves. Doing this includes feeling differently about our day-to-day work

Health & F tness

Let Freedom Ring?

By Michal Goldman, LCSW

and finding pockets of time and energy that are truly ours within the current reality.

Let’s start with the reality: this is an intense stage of life. You’re needed physically and emotionally most of the time. Your time, attention, and energy are in high demand by your children. Parenting is a full-time job with no lunch hour. Naming how hard parenting can be instead of expecting it to be easy is a form of freedom in itself. There’s relief in not needing to fight what’s true.

At the same time, you can begin to find freedom in ways that work within your current limits. One of the most underrated paths to freedom is structure. I know that can sound counterintuitive, but a simple, flexible routine can actually create more breathing room and allow you to find times that can really be for yourself. When your days have a rhythm (even a very loose one), it makes space for mental rest and even small windows of personal time when possible. Routines reduce the number of decisions you need to make (which is calming for your nervous system) and help your kids know what to expect, which

often decreases the emotional chaos.

Think of this as creating structure for your day, not a rigid schedule. For example, maybe mornings are for outdoor play, rest time is after lunch, and you know that one evening a week is your time to be with a friend or your spouse. If something comes up and the plan changes, it shouldn’t derail you because it isn’t rigid. But with the scaffolding in place, you’ll have more room to adapt without feeling like the day collapses on top of you.

Another powerful source of freedom is connection with other people. The kind of connection that I’m talking about here is the type which nourishes you to help you then spend your days nourishing your children. Strong relationships, whether with your partner, a close friend, or even a group with fellow moms, are essential. You don’t need to do this alone, and you were never meant to. Sharing your experiences with others who truly understand helps you feel less isolated, less crazy, and more human.

It’s also worth reflecting on internal freedom. Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, wrote that while

we may not have control over our circumstances, we do have control over how we relate to them. Freedom, in that sense, is about perspective. It’s the ability to see that you’re not failing just because you’re tired. It’s the creativity to ask: What can I do with the time, space, and resources I already have? Maybe freedom looks like using the 15 minutes your kids are playing nicely together to sip coffee by yourself without multitasking. Maybe it’s deciding that sandwiches and cut-up fruit are going to be dinner. Maybe it’s letting go of the idealized summer and leaning into the happiness that can be from your summer.

Freedom also includes knowing when to ask for help. Raising a family takes a village. Whether it’s a neighbor, a family member, or hiring a babysitter for a couple hours a week, every little bit of help builds your support system. The more community you create around yourself, the more space opens up inside you to feel secure and connected.

So, to answer your original question, you are not alone and you’re not doing this wrong. And while it might not feel like traditional “freedom,” there’s a kind of liberation that comes from embracing the reality you’re in and making it work for you.

A full, noisy life can be more freeing than a quiet one. There’s freedom in knowing who you are, what matters most, and how to nourish yourself in small yet meaningful ways.

Enjoy your summer of structure and freedom!

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.

In The K tchen

Nicoise Salad

By Naomi Nachman

The first time I tried this salad was when I was in seminary at Café Rimon in the late 1980s, and I always remembered how much I enjoyed it. They had used canned tuna back then, but fast forward to 2025 and we love to eat fresh (almost raw) tuna instead. When I started developing recipes, I wanted to try to recreate this delicious salad, and my version was featured a few years back for Mishpacha Magazine.

Ingredients

◦ 6 cups arugula or mixed greens

◦ Oil, for searing

◦ Fresh pepper-crusted tuna

◦ 3 radishes, sliced

◦ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

◦ Spiralized carrots, for garnish

◦ Spiralized beets, for garnish

◦ Spiralized yellow squash, for garnish

Dressing

◦ ½ cup sour cream

◦ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

◦ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

◦ 1 tablespoon

◦ ¼ cup olive oil

◦ 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.

2. Preheat a skillet over high heat; add oil, then sear tuna for one to two minutes on each side. Once cooled, slice into 1/2-inch thick slices.

3. Toss all salad ingredients together. Lay tuna slices over salad. Dress salad immediately before serving.

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

Naomi has

on

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?!”

Mamdani comes from a culture that lies about everything. It’s literally a virtue to lie if it advances his Islamist agenda. The West will learn this lesson the hard way.

– Tweet by Shaun Maguire, a partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia Capital

Let’s unpack what’s actually happening here. There are groups that hate me: Marxists, because I’m pro-capitalism; the pro-Palestine crowd, because I’m pro-Israel; Leftists, because I’m pro-Trump. All of these groups want me cancelled because I’m a loud and effective voice.

- ibid., after facing intense backlash

To the Haters and Losers, You cannot imagine how much Love and Support I’ve received over the last 48 hours. We have cancelled cancel culture. Your Hate and Ignorance only fuels me.

- ibid.

Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful. Thank you very much, Bibi.

– President Trump when Prime Minister Netanyahu presented him with the letter that he sent to the Nobel Prize committee nominating Pres. Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize

I said, “Andrew, are you that level of arrogance?’ I’m the sitting mayor, the sitting mayor of the City of New York, and you expect me to step aside when you just lost to Zohran by 12 points?

- Mayor Eric Adams revealing to CNBC what his response was in a private conversation when Andrew Cuomo urged him to drop out of the New York mayoral race

Yeah, but Trump does it all the time. He immediately, he immediately, starts the blame game.

– The View’s Joy Behar defending herself when in a rare moment of sanity one of her co-hosts argued with her and said that it is utterly ridiculous to blame Pres. Trump for the once-in-a century flood in Texas

May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry. Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts.

- Pediatrician Dr. Christina B. Propst on Facebook, suggesting that the more than 100 people killed in the horrific Texas floods — including dozens of kids — were President Trump supporters who got “what they voted for” (she has since been fired by her employer)

This is a 911 moment for the Democratic Party, in the sense that he’s an antisemitic socialist.

- Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn on Fox News talking about Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani ID’d himself as Asian and African American on his Columbia University application. I guess there was no box for Trust-FundCommunist-[garbage] bag

- Greg Gutfeld, Fox

But it raises the often ignored question: How can you claim to be oppressed when you know the claim gets preferential treatment. I mean, why would anyone choose an identity that supposedly holds you back, unless you knew that it can move you forward. So he saw the grift—using the false disadvantage to get ahead. He was lying to get what he wanted. – ibid.

Why didn’t he just say the truth, that he is of Indian heritage? Because being of the Indian heritage isn’t a resume builder when you are auditioning for the Oppression Olympics.

– ibid.

Do you notice that it’s always the lefties that pull this [stuff]. Their thinking is— we created this game, might as well take advantage of it. - ibid.

Unlike the Democrat leader, I’m gonna honor my colleagues’ time and be a little more brief. It takes a lot longer to build a lie than to tell the simple truth.

- Speaker Mike Johnson’s opening remarks after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) spoke on the House floor for 8 hours and 33 minutes, just to delay a vote on the Big Beautiful Bill

I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It’s called free choice. You know, if people want to stay, they can stay. But if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldn’t be a prison, it should be an open place and give people a free choice.

- Prime Minister Netanyahu talking to reporters at the White House

We’re working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always say they want—to give the Palestinians a better future. And I think we’re getting close to finding several countries. And I think this will do, again, the freedom to choose. Palestinians should have it. - ibid.

Don’t worry. It’s only fireworks...famous last words...I didn’t like that sound either.

- Pres. Trump at a July 4th rally when fireworks were ignited

I think this is one of the saddest days in modern American history. I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did with ICE. This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion – making ICE bigger than the FBI, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, DEA, & others combined. It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.

- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) fear-mongering after Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill was passed by Congress

I got to say, no one puts a deal together like President Trump – he’s a master. But I think one of the other persuasive things was just looking at the Democrats’ reaction to it. Maybe the bill is better than I thought. Democrats’ reaction helped me persuade that, wow, maybe this bill does do some really good things.

- Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), who originally opposed the Big Beautiful Bill, explaining to the press why he ended up voting for it

When [Iranians] say, “Death to the United States,” they don’t mean “death for the people of the United States, or even to the officials of the U.S.” They mean death, to crimes, death to killing and carnage, death to supporting killing others

- Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of Iran, pulling a fast one on Tucker Carlson in their recent “hardhitting” interview

Again? This is the second time I’ve died. It already happened last year. But I’m alive.

- Austrian Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek after German-speaking media reported that she had died

Political Crossfire

The Middle East Confronts a “Be Bold” Diplomatic Moment

The “day after” in the tragic war in Gaza might finally be approaching, as Israel, the United States and key Arab states discuss terms for what officials hope could be a lasting truce.

President Donald Trump signaled the new negotiating push last Tuesday when he posted that “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.” Hamas has not yet agreed, but Arab officials in touch with group leaders tell me it might soon.

A Gaza deal could open the door to a much broader peace agreement, Israeli and Arab officials tell me. The hope is to extend Trump’s 2020 Abraham Accords to more of the region. That might include normalization of Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia and a security pact with the new Syrian government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would need a broader political base to pursue such ambitious goals – and there is widespread speculation among political analysts in Israel that Netanyahu might soon call for elections. He’s at the peak of renewed popularity in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Supporters expect that his Likud party could do so well that Netanyahu might be able to drop his right-wing coalition allies, who oppose any concessions on the Palestinian issue, and form a new center-right government.

Driving the new peace effort is a big idea: Trump and Netanyahu should seize the moment and broaden last month’s truce between Israel and Iran into a regional accord. “Trump can take this opportunity to widen the Iran ceasefire to Gaza and beyond,” a top UAE official told me this week. “How do we think big and imagine that this is a potential pivot point in history? Be bold. Go for the bigger prize.”

This think-big approach argues that the Middle East has reached an inflection

By David Ignatius

point – after Israel’s military victories over Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran – and that it’s time to translate these gains into a new security architecture. “When you’re winning against your adversaries, you have to think about winning the long game, which is integration and acceptance in our region. That’s our advice to the Israelis,” the UAE official said.

The first task is a more limited Gaza deal that would halt the fighting there and bring home Israeli hostages. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has been working closely with Qatari and Egyptian contacts on a ceasefire agreement to break the logjam that has lasted since the previous one expired in March.

Israeli and American negotiators have discussed a package that could include these elements: a two-month truce, during which Hamas would release – without humiliating ceremonies – the 10 living hostages and 18 hostage bodies; a commitment by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to seek a permanent end to the war during the 60-day truce; possible exile of Hamas leadership to another country; and freedom for some Gaza Palestinians to seek work in other Arab countries.

If a lasting ceasefire can be reached, negotiators envision a new framework to govern Gaza. Details are sketchy, but sources close to the negotiations describe

a gradual transition to governance by nonHamas Palestinians backed by five key Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The security force would be drawn from at least some of these countries and supplemented by U.S. contractors. The United States might also provide logistical and command-and-control support from a base outside Gaza, probably in Egypt.

The UAE would also be a key player in the political transition, and it has recently discussed a detailed governance plan with Ron Dermer, a close adviser to Netanyahu, and American officials.

The UAE proposal, outlined for me by a top Emirati official, would start the “day after” with an invitation from the Palestinian Authority to partners in the transition process – such as Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and European nations. The partners would then “vet, recruit, train and equip new and dormant Palestinian security forces in the Gaza Strip who are not affiliated with Hamas,” the proposal recommends.

Arab and international partners would contribute money for Gaza humanitarian assistance and reconstruction through a dedicated trust. This mission would be supported by a U.N. resolution. The UAE plan also envisions a “reformed” Palestinian Authority, with what the pro -

posal describes as a “new, credible, independent and empowered prime minister.” This might pave the way for a future Palestinian government that could eventually oversee Gaza and the West Bank.

Many Israeli military and security officials support this idea of reforming the Palestinian Authority so that it can help stabilize postwar Gaza and eventually become a reliable government that works with Israel. Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition has adamantly opposed any role for the authority – and some even argue for Israeli annexation of the West Bank. But elections might remove that barrier. Saudi and Emirati officials have stressed in recent months that unless Netanyahu gives ground on the Palestinian issue and accepts a role for the authority, his hopes for normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia won’t be fulfilled.

Once the war ends, the scope of relief and reconstruction needed in Gaza will be overwhelming. A U.N. analysis of satellite images last September estimated 66 percent of all buildings had been damaged or destroyed. Some estimates are even higher. Trump has argued that Gazans should be allowed to leave this “demolition zone” to work in other countries during reconstruction. It’s hard to disagree, so long as any relocation is truly voluntary.

Trump talked during his first term of a “deal of the century” that would resolve the Palestinian problem and bring peace to the region. He still has that ambition – and he’s being encouraged by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, his three strongest Arab allies.

A transformed Middle East is a laudable but surpassingly difficult goal. Trump can start by ending the Gaza war and helping Arab partners create stable governance in that shattered strip of land. Beyond that, perhaps, lies a new pathway toward regional peace.

Political Crossfire

What “Globalize the Intifada” Really Means

By Bret Stephens

Zohran Mamdani got three chances to repudiate the expression “globalize the intifada” in a weekend interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker. It would have been easy, and politically smart, for the Democratic candidate for New York mayor to say that he’d been educated about the phrase’s violent connotation and that he regretted not rejecting it sooner. Instead, he ducked each time, saying that although he does not use those words himself, he would decline to “police” the language of others.

So give Mamdani credit for this: He has the courage of his convictions. Now he ought to bear the responsibility for them, too.

I was a journalist living and working in Jerusalem when I got a taste of what the word “intifada,” Arabic for “shaking off,” means in practice. I had just moved into an apartment in the Rehavia neighborhood when in March 2002 my local coffee shop, Café Moment, was the target of a suicide bombing.

My wife, whom I hadn’t yet met, was due to be in the cafe when it blew up but had changed plans at the last minute. Eleven people were murdered and 54 were wounded that night. Multiple perpetrators, members of Hamas, were arrested and then released nine years later in an exchange for Israeli hostage Gilad Shalit.

Two weeks later, I was at the Passover Seder of a friend in central Israel when the news filtered in that there had been a bombing of a Seder at a hotel in Netanya. Thirty civilians were murdered there, and 140 were injured. Among the dead were Sarah Levy-Hoffman, Clara Rosenberger and Frieda Britvich, all of them Auschwitz survivors.

Two days after that there was an attack on a Jerusalem supermarket. Two were murdered: a security guard named Haim Smadar, a father of six, who stopped the bomber from coming

into the store, and a high school senior named Rachel Levy. Rachel would have been about 40 now had she only not been at the wrong place at the wrong instant.

Life in Jerusalem was punctuated over the following months by suicide bombings that occurred with almost metronomic regularity. Among those

I’ll never forget: The Hebrew University campus bombing, which left nine murdered and 85 injured, and the bombing of Café Hillel, another neighborhood favorite of mine. Seven people were murdered there, including David Applebaum, an emergency-room doctor who had treated scores of terrorism victims, and his 20-year-old daughter Nava. She was going to be married the next day.

On January 29, 2004, at 8:48 a.m., I was fussing over my newborn daughter in her crib when I heard a loud boom and saw a plume of black smoke rise from Azza Street, behind my apartment. I was at the scene within three minutes and wrote down what I saw later that evening.

The ground was covered in glass; every window of the bus had been blasted. Inside the wreckage, I could see three very still corpses and one body that rocked back and forth convulsively. Outside the bus, another three corpses were strewn on the ground, one face-up, two face-down. There was a large piece of torso ripped from its body, which I guessed was the suicide bomber’s. Elsewhere on the ground, more chunks of human flesh: a leg, an arm, smaller bits, pools of blood.

In the carnage, I failed to spot a reporter who worked for me, Erik Schechter. His injuries were described as “moderate,” meaning shrapnel wounds, vascular damage and a shattered kneecap. He spent months in recovery.

There were many more atrocities in Israel over following years, culminating in the orgy of murder, rape and kidnapping that was Oct. 7, 2023. But the intifada also was globalized. One woman murdered and five others in -

jured at the Jewish Federation office in Seattle in 2006 by an assailant who told eyewitnesses he was “angry at Israel.” Six Jews murdered by terrorists at the Chabad House in Mumbai, India, in 2008. Four Jews murdered in a kosher market in Paris in 2015. A young couple murdered in May after leaving a reception at Washington’s Capital Jewish Museum by a killer yelling “Free Palestine.” An elderly American woman, Karen Diamond, who died of burn wounds last week after being the victim, with at least 12 others, of a firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, by another assailant also yelling “Free Palestine.”

There are rich and legitimate debates to be had about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. policy toward it. None of us should look away at the devastating toll the war in the Gaza Strip exacts on Palestinian civilians. And nobody has a monopoly on truth or virtue: Those who want to condemn Israeli policy are fully within their rights.

But a major political candidate who plainly refuses to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” isn’t participating in legitimate democratic debate; he is giving moral comfort to people who deliberately murder innocent Jews.

There are liberals and progressives who’ll continue to make excuses for Mamdani. They will argue that his views on “globalize the intifada” are beside the point of his agenda for New York. They will observe that he has a predictable share of far-left Jewish supporters. They will play semantic games about the original meaning of “intifada.”

To those supporters, one can say only good luck. They’re making Donald Trump’s case about the radical direction of too much of the Democratic Party better than he ever could.

Political Crossfire Despite the Surge of Antisemitism, America is Worth Fighting For

By Jonathan S. Tobin

The victory of a virulent Israel-hater in New York City’s Democratic Party mayoral primary this past week was the last straw for some people.

The prospect of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani becoming the next mayor of the most Jewish city in the United States is not merely appalling. That a man with a record of support for the antisemitic BDS movement—and who even under the pressure of an election campaign cannot bring himself to condemn the genocidal “Globalize the intifada” chants of pro-Hamas mobs—is now the darling of liberal elites is enough to cause some Jews to question whether they can or should leave the Big Apple.

As Americans make preparations to celebrate the 249th anniversary of their independence, this isn’t the time to abandon ship or give up on the United States. The promise of American exceptionalism of a nation built on the

devotion of its citizens to the idea of personal liberty and equal opportunity unmatched elsewhere and untainted by the prejudices and hatreds of Europe may be under siege right now but it is not dead.

Yet there is no denying the crisis that now faces the Jewish community.

An Undeniable

Crisis

Mamdani, 33, a charismatic populist who tapped into the economic distress that many New Yorkers feel as well as the support for fashionable, toxic leftist ideas that are fueling antisemitism, isn’t likely to be rounding up Jews if he takes office in 2026. Still, his support for those who cheer for Jewish genocide, coupled with his record of anti-Jewish and hard-left radicalism, understandably sends a chill down the backs of the overwhelming majority of Jews who rightly see his popularity as an ominous development that cannot be ignored.

The talk about leaving New York or the United States is not the usual nonsense often heard from partisans on both ends of the political spectrum when they threaten to flee to Canada or elsewhere if a candidate that they oppose wins the presidency. Few who make such statements ever follow up them. Such pronouncements are partisan hyperbole rooted in the demonization of opponents, and in almost all cases, not something rooted in any real fear about the personal consequences of having voted for the losing side.

Coming as it did after the surge of antisemitism that has swept across the globe since the Hamas-led Palestinian attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Mamdani’s triumph is feeding into a genuine sense of peril that a portion of American Jews feel.

It doesn’t take much in the way of antisemitism or Jewish tragedies to lead some in the community to begin singing

dirges for the end of American Jewish life. Yet after 21 months of witnessing mobs in the streets of U.S. cities and on college campuses chanting for the destruction of the Jewish state (“From the river to the sea”) and terrorism against Jews around the world (“Globalize the intifada”), people are nervous. And more recently, three violent attacks from “Free Palestine” supporters against American Jewish targets in as many months, putting that despicable notion into effect, have brought into focus the idea that something terrible is happening in the United States. The discussion about antisemitism isn’t catastrophizing. Who can blame people for feeling that the sense of security and acceptance they took for granted in the freest, most prosperous and most politically influential Diaspora community in history is rapidly evaporating? The places where Jews felt most at home, such as academic institutions

like Columbia and Barnard, CUNY and New York University in Manhattan, are no longer safe spaces.

Elites Embrace Antisemitism

That so many of our credentialed elites, including a minority of left-wing Jews, are indifferent to Jewish suffering and victimization on Oct. 7, as well as the war being waged on Israel by Iran and its terrorist allies, would be troubling in and of itself. But the fact that these same people are using their bully pulpits at places at The New York Times to gaslight Jews by trying not merely to demonize Israel and its defenders, but to redefine antisemitism to allow those engaging in Jew-hatred or their enablers like Mamdani to evade being labeled as such, is even more alarming.

While the dilemma faced by Jews seems overwhelming, it’s important to place it in the context of a broader struggle that has been going on in the last decade. A new secular, left-wing faith rooted in toxic theories about the illegitimacy of the American republic and the canon of Western civilization arose in the last half-century. It was only in recent years, however, that this long march of progressives reached its goal of dominating education, the arts community and popular culture.

The turning point was the Black Lives Matter summer of 2020, when, after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a moral panic took hold of the nation, causing many Americans to buy into more than just the myth of police hunting down African-Americans. The toxic concepts of critical race theory, intersectionality and settler-colonialism were behind the “mostly peaceful” riots that took place but also took over many institutions. They were at war with traditional American values that prioritized liberty. The woke attempt to radicalize society was terrible for race relations; one of the aspects of this belief system was the notion that Jews and Israel were “white” oppressors who deserved to be suppressed and forced to apologize for their success and even existence. These subversive concepts were aimed at transforming America and served to legitimize Jew-hatred among the chattering classes in a way that was unprecedented in this country. That they are echoed by a loud, though relatively small, “woke right” faction led by people like former Fox News host Tucker Carlson only adds to the gloom that Jews are feeling.

American history is replete with fail-

ures and open breaches of the principles of the founders, of which the most prominent was the decision to tolerate slavery until a civil war that cost the lives of 750,000 Americans ended it. The ideals of the Declaration of Independence were often honored in their breach, but they remained the aspirational touchstone of the long arc of progress through which liberty eventually expanded to the point where its words have been given full expression.

But if we are to remain locked in the ideological dead-end of woke ideology, not only will that progress unravel amid racial and ethnic quotas mandated by “equity” that ends the hope of equality and a colorblind society. We will then find ourselves living in a nation where Jews are forced to see this as not an

minimal. They might be on the cusp of a takeover of a Democratic Party that is shifting to the left, as well as against Israel, and are—their professions of concern for Jews notwithstanding—opting out of the fight against antisemitism. That said, they are not in control of the country and are highly unlikely ever to do so.

President Donald Trump’s campaign to punish the universities that have tolerated and even encouraged antisemitism since Oct. 7 is evidence that Jews have powerful allies, even if some in the Jewish community are so immersed in the hyper-partisan spirit of the times that they refuse to recognize it. Indeed, in much of the country outside of the deep blue coastal enclaves where most

Who can blame people for feeling that the sense of security and acceptance they took for granted in the freest, most prosperous and most politically influential Diaspora community in history is rapidly evaporating?

exceptional nation but just one more failed attempt at building a home in the Diaspora.

As important as it is to face the facts about this dire situation, it’s equally important to think rationally and soberly about it. As bad as things are, the situation that American Jews now face is not the same as that of the Jews of Germany in 1932 or any other Holocaust or annihilation analogy. They are not weak. They have considerable economic and political influence.

Jews are Not Alone

More importantly, they are not alone. The vast majority of Americans are not only philosemitic and emphatically pro-Israel, even after the deluge of anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda being foisted on them by a leftist-dominated press. Many people in this country recognize the problem and are beginning to address it by pushing to roll back the woke tide.

Mamdani, along with his fellow leftists and Israel-haters among the progressive “Squad” in the U.S. House of Representatives, may have gained ground, but their power is, as of yet,

then it will be unsafe everywhere. That’s why it is essential that, rather than giving up or giving in to hysterical talk about the end of liberty and even the end of Jewry in the States, we must recommit to the fight to roll back the woke tide and defeat it.

This may be a generational struggle in much the same way that leftist efforts to impose these false beliefs on America were. Yet it is a battle that is necessary not just to save American Jewry, but to save the canon of Western civilization on which our freedoms rest.

The Quintessential American Response

Jews continue to live, the reaction to the uptick of hated and rise of radicals like Mamdani is the sort of disgust and outrage that should reassure the Jewish community that talk of giving up on America is as wrongheaded as it is counterproductive.

If nothing else, the U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that posed an existential threat of another Holocaust are evidence that America is not a lost cause.

So, as much as it may seem tempting or even rational to talk of abandoning America, that would be a terrible mistake. Though Israel and Zionism still represent the Jewish future in a way that America cannot, Jews cannot give up on this country and certainly shouldn’t even think of doing so without a fight.

We must do so not merely out of a desire to defend our lives here but because a strong America that has not abandoned the best of Western civilization and values is essential to the worldwide struggle against the forces of tyranny—both Marxist and Islamist—that threaten Israel and Jews everywhere.

If Jewish life is unsafe in America,

A year from now, this nation will attempt to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence, and the battle over how to commemorate it has already begun. The contempt for traditional patriotism and belief in the truth that the American republic, flawed though it might be, is a force for good in the world has already been made clear by left-wing elites. As discouraging as this discourse may be, it is a reminder that the stigmatizing and targeting of Jews is part and parcel of the same struggle other citizens are engaging in. The American republic is and has always been exceptional. But it will only remain that way so long as a broad cross-section of Americans—Jews and non-Jews, liberals and conservatives, Democrats as well as Republicans—are willing to stand up against the woke forces seeking to traduce its founding values.

The appropriate answer to attacks on Jews is not flight or a call to shelter in place. The appropriate response is for Jews to speak up and not abandon the streets to antisemites and woke mobs.

The rejoinder to anti-Jewish violence is for Jews to act in the most quintessential American way possible: to arm themselves (verbally, legally and literally) and make it clear that they will not be intimidated or silenced.

Those who hate the founding principles of the United States are wrong about the end of American greatness or the need to transform it into some pale reflection of Marxist or Islamist concepts. And so, on this Independence Day, rather than writing off America, we should be embracing it all the more enthusiastically—and pledging to defend it against those who wish to tear it down.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate).

Political Crossfire The Sheikh Who Conquered Soccer and Coddles Warlords

By Declan Walsh and Tariq Panja

NAIROBI, Kenya — Weeks before Sudan flamed into a calamitous civil war, one of the richest men in the Middle East, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, welcomed an architect of the chaos to his sumptuous Persian Gulf palace.

The sheikh, a younger brother of the powerful ruler of the United Arab Emirates, is recognized in the West as a collector of superyachts and racehorses and is perhaps best known as the owner of Manchester City, a hugely successful English soccer team. Last year, his team in New York won approval to build a $780 million soccer stadium in the borough of Queens, the first in the city.

Yet there he was, in February 2023, openly entertaining a notorious commander from the deserts of western Sudan — someone who had seized power in a coup, built a fortune on illicit gold, and was accused of widespread atrocities.

The two men knew each other well. Mansour had hosted the Sudanese commander, Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, two years earlier at an arms fair in the UAE, where they toured exhibits of rockets and drones.

And when Sudan’s conflict exploded, in April 2023, Mansour helped the general wage war.

Charities controlled by Mansour set up a hospital, saying they were treating civilians. But that humanitarian effort was also a cover for the secret Emirati effort to smuggle drones and other powerful weapons to Dagalo’s group, the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, according to U.S. and United Nations officials.

A flood of evidence has emerged of massacres, mass [assaults] and genocide by Dagalo’s forces. The Emiratis deny arming any side in the war, but the United States has intercepted regular phone calls between Dagalo and the leaders of the UAE, including Mansour.

The intelligence helped U.S. officials conclude that the unassuming Emirati roy-

al has played a central role in the effort to arm Dagalo’s forces, inflaming a devastating conflict that has led to famine and the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis.

Mansour, Dagalo and the UAE Foreign Ministry did not respond to detailed questions about their ties and roles in the war.

Despite owning one of the world’s most famous soccer teams, Mansour, 54, has remained an enigma, often showing a chameleonlike ability to disappear into the background, overshadowed by his more prominent or powerful siblings.

Yet, in interviews with more than a dozen U.S., African and Arab officials, he is described as being at the sharp end of his country’s aggressive push to expand its influence across Africa and the Middle East.

In places such as Libya and Sudan, they say, Mansour has coddled warlords and autocrats as part of a sweeping Emirati drive to acquire ports and strategic minerals, counter Islamist movements, and establish the Persian Gulf nation as a heavyweight regional power.

While his brother, the hawkish ruler of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, undoubtedly steers that policy, Mansour has quietly carved out a powerful backing role — bolstering the

nation’s soft power through soccer while also fostering ties with armed leaders in some of the world’s most fragile countries, the officials say.

“He’s the fixer, the handler, the one sent to places without much glamour or publicity, but which are important to the Emiratis,” said Andrew Miller, a former senior U.S. diplomat. “That seems to be his niche.”

At least a half-dozen other officials described Mansour the same way.

In the West, Mansour has largely remained under the radar. He rarely meets Western diplomats, does not speak to reporters, and has hardly ever attended games of Manchester City, the celebrated team he owns. When his ventures have become embroiled in international charges of corruption or breaching international arms embargoes, he has avoided censure.

Now, though, that sense of gilded immunity is starting to crack.

Last year, the British government passed a law that, in effect, prevented Mansour from acquiring a venerable newspaper, fearing it could affect press freedom. Trials in the United States and Malaysia have uncovered accusations that Mansour profited from the 1MDB scandal, one of the world’s biggest financial frauds.

The worsening war in Sudan, a sprawling conflict that has caused more than 150,000 deaths and displaced more than 12 million people, has led to accusations that the UAE is bankrolling a genocide. Democratic lawmakers have called for a block on U.S. weapons sales to the UAE.

And now, Mansour’s sporting jewel is under siege.

A British panel is considering sweeping accusations that Manchester City has cheated on a grand scale. His team has been accused by its own league of manipulating its finances to fund the purchase of star players who assured the club’s stunning run of victories, transforming it from a group of stumbling has-beens into an international sporting phenomenon.

Manchester City denies the accusations, but if found guilty, the team could be fined, expelled or stripped of its many titles. It is also a moment of reckoning for Mansour, whose dealings are now under the kind of spotlight he has long sought to avoid.

Manchester City did not respond to a request for comment.

Whatever the ruling, the case raises the prospect that the extraordinary secrecy he has enjoyed, fueled by a seemingly inexhaustible spigot of money, may be coming to an end.

This is the story of the sheikh who preferred to stay hidden.

The Sheikh of Soccer

In his grandparents’ generation, most inhabitants of what is now the UAE were date farmers, camel herders, and pearl fishermen. The discovery of oil in the 1960s set off a breathtaking transformation that first focused on the city state of Dubai.

Mirrored buildings sprung from the desert, and ski runs now twist through shopping malls, turning the city into an archetype of petrostate bling.

The more conservative capital, Abu Dhabi, has turned into a finance hot spot and aspiring artificial intelligence superpower. The city has become such a global

investment hub that it bills itself as the “capital of capital.”

One family sits at the top.

The Al Nahyans of Abu Dhabi are the world’s second-richest family, after the Waltons of the United States, by some estimates. They have ruled the UAE since independence in 1971, and their power is concentrated in a group known as the “Bani Fatima” — six sons of the favored wife of the country’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Three of the sons dominate.

The eldest brother, Mohammed, 64, known as M.B.Z., has been the de facto ruler for more than two decades.

Under him is Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 56, often referred to as the “spy sheikh” — a sunglasses-wearing national security adviser and fitness enthusiast who likes to play chess on his superyacht and has bonded with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg over jujitsu.

The third-most powerful brother, Mansour, keeps a much lower profile.

As deputy prime minister and vice president, he controls key institutions, including the UAE central bank, the national oil company and the Abu Dhabi criminal authority. He chairs Mubadala, a fast-growing $330 billion sovereign wealth fund with investments in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and space tourism.

He is a key figure in his country’s efforts to acquire global sway through soft power, including trying to build a media empire. He has partnered with British Sky Broadcasting and CNN for television stations and websites in Arabic, and handed a $1 billion war chest to Jeff Zucker, a former president of CNN, to acquire media outlets around the world.

In public, Mansour tends to linger on the sidelines. He is often seen sponsoring traditional Emirati activities such as camel races and date festivals. His statements are mostly notable for how bland they are.

But in the world of soccer, he has become a veritable giant, helping the royals rebrand themselves after a devastating setback. In 2006, two years before Mansour bought Manchester City, the UAE suffered a very public rejection. Its attempt to buy six seaports in the United States was blocked amid a fierce political backlash, even though the UAE had allied closely with Washington after 9/11.

It was a seminal moment, causing UAE leaders to set about reshaping their international image, by investing in culture, academia and sport. Mansour led the charge on soccer.

Only hours after buying Manchester City for $330 million, he forked out a re -

cord sum for a new player — the first in a string of expensive acquisitions, costing at least $3.5 billion, that transformed the team into a soccer behemoth.

Manchester City soon picked up its first championship in decades. Since then, it has won the Premier League another seven times, as well as the biggest prize in club soccer, the Champions League. In 2023, it raked in $100 million in profits from almost $1 billion in revenues, ranking it among the most lucrative sports teams in the world.

“Sheikh Mansour, Manchester Thanks You,” reads a banner that hangs permanently at its home stadium, which is named after Etihad Airways, a national

strength of Islamist political groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and vowed to stop them in their tracks.

The UAE intervened forcefully in countries such as Egypt, Libya and Yemen. But that often involved backing military takeovers, arming rebels or forging alliances with unreformed warlords. To manage some of those relationships, a delicate hand was needed.

Enter Mansour.

On orders from his brother, the Emirati ruler, Mansour assumed the role of managing “unseemly and unsightly yet important strongmen” in various places, as one former senior U.S. official put it.

In Libya, the favored strongman was

He is described as being at the sharp end of his country’s aggressive push to expand its influence across Africa and the Middle East.

carrier of the UAE.

As the trophies piled up, Mansour bought a dozen other teams, including in Melbourne, Australia; Mumbai, India; and Yokohama, Japan. The new stadium for his soccer team in New York — New York City FC — will have a name similar to the one in Manchester: Etihad Park.

Rival Persian Gulf nations have followed suit, snapping up their own British or European teams.

Manchester City has also served political purposes. Team officials invited journalists to briefings in 2014 by consultants working for the UAE. Rather than discussing soccer, the briefings sought to link Qatar, a rival of the UAE, to international terrorism, according to a journalist present and a briefing dossier seen by The New York Times.

Mansour’s personal passion for soccer, however, is unclear. Since buying Manchester City 17 years ago, he has seen the team play just twice in competition, and only once at the Etihad Stadium.

But in that period, UAE priorities have shifted to hard power as well — and so have Mansour’s.

The Handler

The Arab Spring in 2011 was a turning point for the Al Nahyans.

As autocrats toppled across the Middle East, the family worried that it might be next. The UAE ruler, Mohammed, told Western officials that he feared the surging

into Sudan, according to UAE state media.

Many U.S. officials were appalled. AlBashir was wanted by the International Criminal Court at The Hague for his role in the genocide in Darfur a decade earlier. For the UAE, though, it was a fruitful alliance: Al-Bashir deployed troops to Yemen to fight alongside the UAE and Saudi Arabia in their war against the Iran-backed Houthis.

That was also the start of a new relationship. Many of the troops sent to Yemen belonged to the RSF, which was then a recently formed paramilitary group led by Dagalo.

The general quickly became a close ally of Mansour.

“We always understood that, behind the scenes on Sudan, lay Mansour,” said Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. envoy to the Horn of Africa from 2021-22.

“Gatsbys” of the Gulf

When he is not dealing with warlords or soccer teams, Mansour is known to indulge in luxuries that only the ultrarich can afford.

Khalifa Hifter, a onetime CIA asset who promised to fill the chaotic vacuum left by the death of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya’s leader. Just as importantly, Hifter was opposed to Islamist groups.

From about 2015, U.S. officials noticed that Mansour was regularly speaking with Hifter and quietly “handling” the relationship, several U.S. officials said. “That’s when we realized the Emiratis were putting their money” on Hifter, one official recalled.

The alliance caused some friction with Washington. UAE weapons poured into Libya, in breach of an international arms embargo. Even some U.S. weapons that had been sold to the UAE showed up in Libya, a senior official said. In 2020, the Pentagon said the UAE had most likely paid for mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group to fight alongside Hifter as he attacked the Libyan capital.

But there was little public blowback for the UAE, which by then had turned its attention to another strategically valuable country: Sudan.

There, the longtime ruler, President Omar al-Bashir, was allied with Iran, a fierce competitor with many Arab states for influence in the region. Mansour was tasked with wooing him to the Emirati side, Sudanese and U.S. officials said. A series of back-channel meetings culminated in 2017 with a high-profile visit by al-Bashir to Abu Dhabi.

Soon, billions in UAE aid was flowing

By many accounts, he has owned several of the world’s biggest superyachts — floating palaces with opulent interiors. His latest, according to yachting industry reports, is the $600 million Blue. Some argue that it is named after the Manchester City colors, and, at 525 feet, the vessel is far longer than any field the team has ever played on.

A decade ago, Mansour’s taste in boats attracted the attention of American prosecutors, who said he funded another yacht, the Topaz, with the proceeds of the infamous 1MDB scandal.

At least $4.5 billion of Malaysian public money was embezzled through an elaborate financial scheme, then-U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in 2016. She called it “the largest kleptocracy case” the United States had ever seen. A slew of criminal prosecutions led to the conviction and imprisonment of Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, as well as two senior Wall Street executives, one of whom was sentenced in May.

Media attention in the case initially focused on the splashy habits of Jho Low, a fugitive financier accused of orchestrating the scheme — celebrity parties in Las Vegas, real estate in Beverly Hills and paintings by Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet. But it also led to investigations in about a dozen countries, which eventually surfaced serious accusations against senior UAE officials, including Mansour.

At one trial in New York in 2022, American prosecutors presented evidence that the UAE ambassador to

Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, had received $40 million in bribes. Nearly a half-billion dollars went to Khadem al-Qubaisi, then the CEO of one of Mansour’s companies, the prosecutors said.

Although prosecutors did not say how much Mansour may have received, they listed him as a “co-conspirator” in the fraud and, citing Low, placed him at the top of a “hierarchy of bribes” in the case.

They also presented evidence showing that $161 million of 1MDB funds were used to repay a loan for Mansour’s $688 million yacht, the Topaz. In 2013, Mansour vacationed on the yacht with Razak in the south of France, a Malaysian anti-corruption official told a court in January.

A year later, actor Leonardo DiCaprio used the yacht during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Mansour has never faced charges related to 1MDB, although in 2023, two of his companies agreed to repay $1.8 billion to Malaysia, which accused them of facilitating the fraud. Al-Otaiba, who remains the UAE ambassador to Washington, enjoys diplomatic immunity from prosecution, officials said.

Al-Qubaisi, the former CEO of one of Mansour’s companies, was convicted of fraud in the UAE and is serving a 15-year prison sentence. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in 2019, he said he had been made a “scapegoat” by Mansour.

Mansour, al-Otaiba and DiCaprio declined to answer questions about 1MDB.

Several U.S. officials involved in the case, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss legally privileged discussions, expressed frustration that Mansour and the UAE did not cooperate with their investigation.

“There’s enough that points to Mansour,” said Clare Rewcastle Brown, an author of two books on the 1MDB scandal. “But it’s clear that nobody wants to touch him.”

Critics said the episode was typical of the privilege enjoyed by UAE leaders, whose immense wealth has often shielded them. Stephanie Williams, a veteran U.S. diplomat who led the U.N. mission to Libya, compared them to the fictional protagonists of “The Great Gatsby.”

“They come and wreak havoc with their money and carelessness,” Williams said, paraphrasing a line from the classic American novel. “And then they leave other people to clean up their mess.”

The Khartoum Connection

When Dagalo helped seize power in a coup in Sudan in 2021, U.S. officials were furious. They had been assured that

civilians, not the military, would govern the country.

But the UAE approved of the takeover, and soon gave Dagalo a warm official welcome in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE was on its way to surpassing even China as the biggest foreign deal-maker in Africa. Companies led by the Al Nahyan family have poured billions into African mines, data centers and carbon credits as the Persian Gulf country seeks to wean its economy off oil.

Yet for a handful of strategically located nations, the UAE has also acted as an arms-supplying kingmaker.

In 2021, Mohammed rescued the beleaguered prime minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, by supplying drones that helped to turn the tide of a brutal civil war in his favor.

And when Sudan collapsed into civil war in 2023, the UAE sided firmly with Mansour’s ally, Dagalo.

The UAE denies backing either side in Sudan’s war. But from the earliest days of the conflict, the United States learned that the UAE was sheltering Dagalo in Abu Dhabi and arming his fighters in the field, U.S. officials said.

First, Dagalo flew to the UAE, where he was given sanctuary in a protected residence and recorded videotaped speeches to supporters in Sudan, U.S. officials said. Soon after, the UAE mounted a covert scheme to arm Dagalo’s group, the RSF, from a desert air base in eastern Chad.

The general’s appeal to the UAE was threefold, U.S. officials said. He was loyal because he had fought for the Emiratis in Yemen. He was cooperative because his businesses were based in the UAE, where he sold gold and bought weapons. And he was a self-proclaimed enemy of Islamist groups.

Using phone intercepts, U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Dagalo

enjoyed a direct line to two leaders of the UAE — Mohammed and Mansour, officials said. They also identified an Emirati official who coordinated a network of shell companies that helped to fund and arm the general’s forces.

Once the war began, Mansour appeared to cut public ties with Dagalo, but a connection remained.

The UAE sent weapons to the general’s forces via an air base in Chad, where they were ostensibly running a field hospital funded by two charities, both controlled or overseen by Mansour. Neither charity responded to questions for this story, but UAE officials said it was “reckless and harmful” to suggest that the hospital was being used for anything other than humanitarian work.

The UAE is not the only foreign power fueling the war, and some have sided with Dagalo’s enemy, Sudan’s military, which has also been accused of war crimes.

Hoping to blunt the foreign meddling, the U.S. envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, confronted Mansour personally in 2024 about his support for Dagalo during a meeting in the UAE, a U.S. official said. Mansour deflected the charge, saying the onus for peace lay with his enemies.

“Trial of the Century”

In late 2023, in a major boost to the UAE’s ambitions in global media, Mansour struck a $600 million deal to buy The Daily Telegraph newspaper, a bastion of the British conservative establishment.

But less than six months later, the British government blocked the deal with a new law restricting foreign ownership of newspapers. One lawmaker said publicly that it was impossible “to separate sheikh and state.” The culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, raised concerns about “free expression and accurate presentation of news.”

Mansour has encountered other setbacks since then.

In September, Manchester City began to defend itself at a hearing in London that cast doubt on its blistering run of victories.

The Premier League accuses Manchester City of breaking its rules 130 times, including by funneling hundreds of millions of dollars from Emirati companies into the team’s coffers and disguising those payments as sponsorship deals.

The proceedings have been described as the “trial of the century” by British sports media. The Premier League is arguably Britain’s largest cultural export, making the dispute with Mansour’s team hugely costly and potentially damaging.

The stakes extend beyond sport. UAE officials raised the inquiry during talks with the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, during a visit to the UAE last year, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. The issue has become a “running sore” between the two countries, said Eddie Lister, a former British envoy to the Persian Gulf.

In Washington, growing disquiet over the UAE’s role in Sudan’s war has become a bipartisan issue in Congress. At his confirmation hearing in January, Marco Rubio, now the U.S. secretary of state, criticized the UAE, accusing the country of supporting a “genocide” led by Dagalo. Prominent Democrats have pressed for a ban on U.S. weapons sales to the UAE until it stops arming Dagalo’s RSF.

Those calls increased in May after the RSF bombed fuel depots, power plants and Sudan’s last international airport, using powerful drones that two former U.S. officials said had been provided by the UAE.

But some of the criticism was drowned out days after, when President Donald Trump visited the UAE.

At the sweeping, marble presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, Trump reveled in the extravagant reception as he signed a $200 billion artificial intelligence deal with the country, adding to earlier UAE pledges to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States.

“You are a magnificent man, and it’s an honor to be with you,” Trump said to Mohammed.

Seated next to them was Mansour, whose Mubadala wealth fund had said it would use a Trump family crypto venture to make a $2 billion transaction that stands to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the president’s family.

Days later, the Trump administration bypassed Congress and approved another $1 billion in weapons for the UAE. © The New York Times

Meeting with Lt. General Taha Othman Ahmed Al Hussain, Special Envoy of the Sudanese President, Minister of State and Director of the President’s Office

Voice N tes Always a Republican, Proudly Pro‑Israel, and Fiercely American — Democrats Have Abandoned All Three

By Assemblyman Ari Brown

The Democratic Party has become the home of radicals like Zohran Mamdani, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — all of whom openly attack Israel’s right to exist. If you are a proud Jew or a true American still calling yourself a Democrat, it’s time to rethink who you are. Supporting a party that empowers voices like these is a betrayal of your people, your principles, and your country.

Zohran Mamdani is not just another far-left politician. He is one of the most vicious anti-Israel agitators in New York State. He calls Israel an apartheid state. He repeats the terrorist slogan “from the river to the sea” — a direct call for the eradication of Israel. He supports boycotts of the Jewish state and stands proudly with anti-Israel mobs that seek to dismantle the only Jewish homeland on earth. These aren’t policy disagreements. These are attacks on Israel’s very right to exist. Mamdani and his crew laugh at the Jewish people. Just look at the rallies — how many Jewish names stand proudly among the anti-Israel professors, activists, and campus agitators chanting hate. They align with our enemies and mock the Jewish students who are forced to walk through hate-filled protests. They cheer when Jewish institutions are vandalized and when Israelis are murdered by terrorists. They claim to stand for justice, but they only raise their voices when it’s time to attack the Jewish state.

I am the first yarmulke-wearing Republican in New York State legislative history, and the first elected official on Long Island to wear one in office decades ago. I have never wavered in my support for Israel, for America’s founding values, or for the truth — no matter how uncomfortable it may be for others to hear.

Support for Israel within the Demo -

cratic Party has collapsed. Polls now show only one in three Democrats views Israel favorably. Nearly half want to reduce or eliminate military aid to the Jewish state.

Once a bipartisan issue, the alliance between the U.S. and Israel is now under

offers cover to people like Mamdani — and in many ways, has outright supported his rise. These leaders offer vague statements and platitudes — if anything at all — while Mamdani and his allies chant for Israel’s destruction. They refuse to confront the

Supporting a party that empowers voices like these is a betrayal of your people, your principles, and your country.

attack — not by enemies abroad, but by elected Democrats right here at home.

What’s worse is the silence of Jewish Democratic elected officials. Where is Senator Chuck Schumer? Where is Congressman Jerry Nadler? Schumer, who once called himself the “Shomer of Israel,” now

hate within their own party. They stay silent while their political base turns openly hostile toward the Jewish state.

President Donald Trump did not hesitate. He moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. He recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He brokered the

Abraham Accords — bringing peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors after decades of failure. He stood with Israel when others ran.

Too many of my Democratic colleagues stay loyal to their party for a few dollars here or there. They ignore the big picture. They refuse to accept the truth. Your party is laughing at you behind your back. You are being used — and mocked — by the very people you protect. Mamdani and his allies call you useful idiots while pushing an agenda that would leave Israel isolated and vulnerable.

It’s time to stop being appeasers. It’s time to stop pretending this is just about nuance or debate. It’s not. This is about the survival of Israel, and the future of Jewish safety in America.

Imagine if every Jewish elected Democrat walked away from the party that now harbors those who hate them. Imagine the political shift. Imagine the message that would send.

Jewish Americans, the Democratic Party is no longer your home. It is not the party of Israel. It is not the party of decency. It is the party that cheers for your enemies. It is the party that elevates people like Zohran Mamdani.

I have always been a Republican. I have always stood with Israel. I have always stood with America. The Democratic Party has abandoned all three.

Assemblyman Ari Brown represents the 20th Assembly District, which includes the towns and villages of Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, Hewlett, Woodmere, Inwood, Island Park, Lawrence and Oceanside, along with the barrier island from Atlantic Beach to Point Lookout.

Follow Ari on Facebook or read more on his official website.

Forgotten Her es Flying Undetected

By Avi Heiligman

Before radar was invented, armies used different tactics to prevent their aircraft from being detected by the enemy. Both camouflage and night flyers were used, but when radar was deployed in the years leading up to World War II, a different tactic was needed. Radar detection systems for aircraft use radio waves to determine an object’s direction, distance and altitude. During World War II, counter-measures were deployed to try and fool radar systems, and these worked for a while. However, radar systems kept on improving so in the years following the war, companies began experimenting with a new type of aircraft. Designed to avoid radar, stealth aircraft like the Northrop B-2 Spirit bomber were introduced.

Airplane manufacturers during World War II tried many methods for planes to avoid radar with wooden aircraft being thought to avoid some detection. The British de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito, often called the Wooden Wonder or Termite’s Dream, was a twin engine World War II plane used in multi-role situations. Over 7,700 were built and were very difficult for German radar systems to pick up incoming aircraft. The Mosquito did have some metal components, but its design gave it a small radar cross-section. The fact that the Germans had a difficult time detecting incoming Mosquitos made the plane a popular choice for pilots.

While the Mosquito was being used by the Allies, it wasn’t a true stealth aircraft. German designers built three Horton Ho 229 jets that would have been invisible on Allied radar had they been introduced in combat. They were among the first of the “flying wing” tailless designs that became an essential part of many future stealth aircraft.

While it took decades to develop true stealth aircraft – meaning that they would be completely invisible to current radar systems – several planes were introduced that had some stealth capabilities. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird used a combination of high speed, high altitude and design features to avoid the enemy. Its

first flight was in 1964 and had radar-absorbing materials built into its coating of a special black paint. It was also shaped to avoid a radar cross-section and had electronic counter-measures to disrupt radar detectors and confuse enemy missile systems. Many of its stealth features were used in designing modern stealth aircraft. Currently, there are several stealth aircraft flying in air forces around the world .The United States developed and operates the majority of these aircraft which range from bombers to helicopters to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Many of these aircraft remain classified, although some details are publicly known. This includes MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters used in the 2011 Navy Seal raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. These particular helicopters were modified to reduce noise and its radar detection. Sometimes called the Silent Hawk, one of the helicopters crashed on the compound grounds during the raid, but all of the occupants safely exited the aircraft and continued with the mission.

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a subsonic (flew at less than the speed of sound) aircraft that began operations in 1983. Its unique shape, radar absorbent materials and other stealth features made it very difficult to be detected by radar. It flew its first combat mission in Panama in 1989 and flew 1,300 sorties in the Persian Gulf War. Lt. Col. Dale Zelko, call sign Vega 31, was flying an F-117 stealth fighter that went down over Yugoslavia in 1999. It was shot down by a Yugoslavian Air Defense Missile Brigade, and enemy soldiers soon began looking for the downed pilot. A rescue team was formed, and it took several hours for an elite team a parajumpers to successfully rescue the downed pilot. This was the only time the stealth aircraft was shot down before being retired from active service in 2008.

The plane that has been dominating headlines for the past month for blasting the Iranian nuclear sites is the Northrop B-2 Spirit heavy strategic bomber. It is a flying wing design and uses its unique shape, modified engine exhaust, lower noise profile and other technological ad-

vances to avoid radar and other detection devices. The B-2 is known for its high altitude flying, ability to deliver very large payloads, and its long range especially when it’s refueled midair.

There are currently 19 B-2 Spirits in use by the United States. They first saw combat in 1999 over Kosovo. In 2001, they flew nonstop from Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri to drop bombs in Afghanistan and back to Missouri. These long flights were made capable by midair refueling from tanker aircraft. Two years later, they dropped 1.5 million pounds of bombs and munitions over targets in Iraq with their longest mission being over 44 hours from takeoff to landing. In 2017, B-2s dropped precision-guided bombs on ISIS training camps in Libya. The Houthis were next on the receiving end of the B-2 as underground weapons facilities were struck in Yemen in 2024. The Iranians didn’t take heed of the warning as seven B-2s dropped a total of fourteen GBU-57 bunker busters on the nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz.

The B-2s are scheduled to be retired in the coming decade in favor of the recently introduced B-21 Raider. There are other stealth aircraft in the U.S. military’s arsenal, including the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighters. While there may be performance limitations on stealth aircraft, there are many countries looking to fly these planes due to their distinctive capabilities. Israel has used F-35s extensively in the current war and possibly may try to obtain a stealth bomber in the future. In fact, a news story that broke while this article was being written that stated

that the United States could arm Israel with B-2 bombers and bunker busters if Iran continues their path towards a nuclear bomb. The future for many new aircraft is trending towards utilizing stealth technology which would allow air forces greater flexibility in their missions.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

The Black Hawk Helicopter

B-2 Spirit heavy strategic bomber

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The Mosquito fighter bomber

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