Five Towns Jewish Home 09.26.25

While Learning about Rosh Hashana

Ohel Family Center Launches In Lawrence

Unity at DRS Freshmen Shabbaton

Dear Readers,

Quite a while ago, I was listening to a speech given by Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky.

I remember that it was a long time ago when I listened to it since I had the tape – the cassette tape – and was listening in my car. So, it was, like, many, many years ago.

Rabbi Orlofsky is always entertaining, and I remember laughing as I listened to what he said. I have since forgotten the message of the speech, but I remember one anecdote that he shared. He was speaking about people who don’t have a strong connection to Judaism. Sometimes, these people show up to their synagogue just once or twice a year. And what do they hear when they finally come to their house of worship? “Who will live? And who will die? Who will die by fire? Who will die by water? Who will die by sword? Who will die by pestilence?” The list goes on, and as the young child – or adult – listens, the horror in his mind begins to grow and he vows never to come back to this house of doom.

But Judaism is not about doom and gloom. On the Yomim Noraim, we contemplate how our lives are ethereal and fleeting. We think about how we must use our time on this earth to strengthen ourselves to become a more exalted being. We reflect on the supremacy of our Creator and His goodness in sustaining us and supporting us all our lives. We speak of how we may be unworthy of all the kindness He bestows upon us. And we vow to uplift our lives and become part of His world. These thoughts help us to approach the day and connect with our Creator.

Contrary to that young man who comes to synagogue once a year and hears the rabbi’s stern sermon, most of us have special tefillos on the Yomim Noraim that we connect with and look forward to singing and saying each year. These tefillos have carved special notches in our hearts, grooves that fit into the relationship that we have with our King. By saying them and singing them and living them, we are reinvigorating our bond with the One Above.

The haunting words of “U’nesaneh Tokef” are not meant to frighten us but to awaken us. They remind us of the fragility of life and the precious gift of every moment. Instead of paralyzing us with fear, they empower us with clarity. Teshuvah, tefillah, and tzedakah are not punishments, but tools—opportunities for us to rise above our limitations and reorient ourselves toward the life we truly want to live.

When we approach the Yomim Noraim with that perspective, the awe that’s engendered is balanced with deep joy. The melodies we sing together, the heartfelt pleas we whisper privately, and the quiet moments of introspection all weave into a tapestry of connection. Far from a “house of doom,” our shuls become sanctuaries of hope, renewal, and belonging. It is in those sacred days that we discover not only the seriousness of life but also the power and magnificence of the connection we can have with our Creator.

Wishing you a gmar chasima tova, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka, EDITOR editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Dear Editor,

The travesty that girls’ seminaries committed 30 years ago when my own daughters went to seminary, which I hoped they would have corrected when my granddaughter entered seminary last month, seems to still be alive and well!

I am referring to the fact that seminaries start only a few weeks before the Yomim Noraim, before the girls even have time to make contacts, yet the girls are expected to place themselves for Sukkos on their own! They are literally thrown out of their dorms! A girl told my granddaughter that she never felt homeless before and now she feels homeless, having to find a place to stay for Sukkos. The dorm is closed for the whole yom tov, so there is not even the possibility for the girls to stay in and the seminary to provide meals.

If the seminary wants the girls to come before the Yomim Noraim, they should be responsible for them. Otherwise, seminary should start after the Yomim Tovim. All this, for the mere cost of $30,000plus. This causes some parents to come for yom tov, adding to the cost of the seminary year. And the way Yom Kippur comes out this year, it necessitates people to come for 2½ weeks, something that many working parents simply cannot do. When will seminaries stop this travesty and when will parents unite and refuse to send their girls, only to have to fend for themselves, making the transition to seminary that much harder. Enough is enough!

A Reader

Dear Editor,

This is in appreciation for the Bikur Cholim in our community.

I hereby express my profound thanks and tremendous appreciation for your out-

standing and selfless chessed and extreme devotion in my great time of need! Your amazing assistance aided my recovery and emotional positivity to a very high degree. I felt so well cared for and nurtured. May Hashem repay you and all those special and amazing people who participated in this great mitzvah of bikur cholim. In this merit, may you all be blessed with an abundance of good in all aspects of life – optimal health, great wealth, success in all your endeavors, and only joy from your offspring. May your reward be paid a thousand-fold.

Love, Morah Shani

Dear Editor,

I completely understand this young woman’s plight in your dating column. She is connecting with someone who she really likes but is concerned about his family. This is not a new problem that couples have had to deal with. Some people come from homes where there is abuse. Others come from home where there are separation issues. Others come from homes in which the parents are overly involved, to the point where it is detrimental to the young couple. In all these situations, there are certain guidelines that must be followed. One: the young couple must be on the same page. This has to be managed with finesse and sensitivity. After all, even if someone’s family is “weird,” they are still their family, and you cannot bash them or denigrate them. The couple, though, needs to get on the same page in understanding that being too close with the parents is not the ideal way to start off in their married life. Two: the couple needs to be on board as to how to navigate the situation. Should Continued on page 12

Continued from page 10 they join them for Shabbos or come for yom tov or only do short visits during the week? Do they need to pick up every phone call or drive over every time they need them? These rules should be made with a rav’s guidance, as many rabbanim have dealt with these situations with other couples.

Three: the young couple may wish to move out of town or out of walking distance from the parents. This way, they will have their own space to grow on their own without the interfering parents encroaching on their new relationship.

As with many situations in young, married life, it is important to find a mentor or rav who can help you navigate this circumstance. And it is of utmost importance to make sure that you are gentle and sensitive with your spouse-to-be when discussing this topic.

Best of luck!

Chana Golombek

To Whom It May Concern,

As the chagim approach and we enter a season of self-reflection and introspection, I am compelled to share a temperature check on the community. Yes, this is a community that does a tremendous amount of chessed, and that is a great point of pride. And, as in any relationship, a community is only as strong as its weakest, most vulnerable entity. And so, I bring my family’s horrible, painful experience to the public light, so as a community we can do better.

I am a single, stable, full-time working mom of four, and my life is exclusively devoted to my children and to their success. I am, and have always been, a committed partner with my children’s schools. I have sent to and attended therapy as needed, gotten neuropsychological evaluations for my kids, extra tutoring, whatever has been needed to help them on their paths to a successful life and to be a healthy role model. I am self-sufficient in my village of friends and family and have rarely needed to request communal help or accommodations. Until now.

We are two weeks past the start of the school year, and my FFB, Jewish school-educated daughter has had to start the school year at our local public school. I have reached out to, and been consistently let down, by the people in leadership who are able to help, be it middle school principals, high school principals, community leaders, rabbis, etc. No one wants to take on the communal responsibility of making sure that my Jewish, religious child, has a place in a Jewish school. I look at the entire leadership of all the local schools, all the rabbis, mashgichei ruchani, community rabbis, I have lobbied, emailed, called, cried to, and tell you all that you have failed my child, you have failed my family, and you have failed in your task at

being community leaders. We cannot all be wealthy, influential, popular, genius, and well-connected. Yet all our children deserve the opportunity to have a Jewish education. What is the point of community if it is selective? I have been wished “chizuk and strength” and been told by people who can effect change that they are davening for and about my daughter. This is an absolutely avoidable situation, and these responses are a cop-out.

Lakewood, Brooklyn and the ultra-charedi community in Yerushalayim, communities we consider to be less “enlightened,” have come together to own and share this community responsibility. We are a successful, entrepreneurial, out-of-the-box thinking group, and yet as a community, you have absolutely failed my family.

We are entering a period of self-reflection. Community leaders and educators: DO BETTER.

I have no answers for my daughter when she asks me, “What is wrong with me? Why does no one want me? Why don’t any of them believe in me? Why am I in a public school when I don’t belong here?” My daughter doesn’t eat all day because she is the only one in that environment keeping kosher. She is terrified of being bullied for her identity. She is terribly stressed about missing school days during the Chagim. She lives in a stable, happy, shomer Shabbos u’mitzvot home. Why do I need to consider sending her away from home when there is nothing wrong with her? She is a sparkly, dynamic, energetic kid, and every day I watch her light get more dimmed, more dull, watch her withdraw. I cannot sleep or eat, worrying what a full year, or chas vshalom, four full years like this could do to her. This community has passed a gezeiras shmad on my frum daughter, for no reason, have effectively put her in cherem, ostracized her, told her she’s not wanted.

I have worked myself to the bone to make sure that my children not feel less than or deprived, and as a relevant contributing family to our community, overcompensating wherever I could so they not be impacted simply because their dad and I have divorced. You have undone all that and caused her to feel more icky and unwanted, different and broken, than she has ever felt. I thought we as a community had moved past judging kids from “broken homes.”And she is not from a broken home. We have a stable, happy, home full of love, positivity, and sourdough bread.

You have left her with only two options: to try to acclimate and fit in at her public school setting or live in daily misery – which we know does not end well. Her life and future is on your heads.

Sincerely,

French Unions Strike

Some 400,000 demonstrators in France, including teachers, train drivers, hospital staffers, and pharmacists, went on strike on Thursday in protest against budget cuts and new economic policies instituted by President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

Demonstrators were urging the new government to abandon its predecessor’s fiscal plans, spend more on public services, raise taxes on the upper class, and scrap a policy that would require individuals to work longer before receiving a pension.

While workers staged walkouts, dozens of high schools were blocked by protesting teenagers.

“The anger is huge, and so is the determination. My message to [Prime Minister] Lecornu today is this: it’s the streets that must decide the budget,” said Sophie Binet, the CGT union’s head.

Earlier last week, an official from the Interior Ministry said that up to 800,000 protesters would likely join the strikes. The union walkouts impacted regional train service, though the majority of France’s high-speed TGV train lines were operational. According to the FSU-SNUipp union, one in three primary school teachers in France joined the walkout, while almost half of those teachers in Paris went on strike.

As of Thursday, more rallies were set to take place, including in Paris, Binet said.

Around two weeks ago, France’s government collapsed after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was ousted in a confidence vote following his unpopular 44 billion euro spending plan. Sebastien Lecornu, who replaced Bayrou, is now under intense pressure to concoct an economic plan that will satisfy other parties

in parliament. Lecornu’s plans are currently unclear.

The deployment of around 80,000 police officers and soldiers was expected on Thursday. According to police, over 90 people were detained as of Thursday. In Nantes, protesters reportedly clashed with police, who used tear gas. In Lyon, three individuals were reportedly injured.

Iran Suspends IAEA Cooperation

Last Friday, the United Nations Security Council voted to reinstitute frozen U.N. sanctions on Iran. The move came after the governments of Britain, France, and Germany, in order to penalize Iran for noncompliance, used a “snapback” clause included in the 2015 nuclear deal. In response, Iran has said it would stop cooperating with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“Despite the foreign ministry’s cooperation with the (International Atomic Energy) Agency and the presentation of plans to resolve the issue, the actions of European countries will effectively suspend the path of cooperation with the agency,” said the Supreme National Security Council, Iran’s top security body. Iran stopped cooperating with the IAEA after Israel and the United States bombed Tehran’s nuclear sites in June. Earlier in September, the IAEA and Iran agreed to resume nuclear site inspections following months of talks, though that agreement will likely be upended by Tehran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the agency. Iran has accused Britain, France, and Germany of sabotaging those negotiations.

Meanwhile, the European powers maintain that they will reimpose the sanctions unless Iran fully cooperates with the IAEA and resumes nuclear talks with the U.S., which stopped in June.

Though Iran says it has no interest in developing nuclear weapons, the country has enriched uranium to unnecessary levels, prevented international inspectors from its nuclear sites, and strengthened its ballistic missile capabilities.

Trump’s U.K. Visit

During his historic second state visit to the United Kingdom, U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the U.S.’s friendship with Britain as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”

Trump and Melania Trump’s visit included the largest military ceremonial welcome in recent history, an extravagant banquet at Windsor Castle, a carriage procession with King Charles and Queen Camilla, a visit to the Royal Collection, where the president viewed U.S.-related historical items, and a visit to St. George’s Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth is buried. Trump laid a wreath on the late queen’s tomb. Additionally, the president and first lady met privately with the king’s heir, Prince William, and his wife, Kate.

Trump is the first ever elected politi-

cian to be invited for two state visits to the U.K., an honor that he called one of the greatest in his life.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.K. officials worked hard to make the visit as pleasant for Trump as possible. In the middle of the visit, police arrested protestors who projected pictures of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle. Trump was prevented from seeing the protestors. During a press conference, journalists mostly avoided asking questions about Trump’s ties to Epstein.

Starmer, who is struggling with plummeting approval ratings, used the two-day visit as an opportunity to turn Trump’s admiration for Britain and the royal family into tangible benefits for the U.K. Trump’s mother was a Scottish immigrant who admired Queen Elizabeth.

Starmer secured the “Tech Prosperity Deal,” which is a $203 billion investment from U.S. companies, including around $41.7 million for the U.K.’s AI and tech infrastructure. Over the next decade, Blackstone, a private capital firm, will be investing around $121 billion in Britain.

The premier was not able to convince Trump to lower the U.S.’s 10% tariff on U.K. goods or its 25% steel tariff. Starmer also made little progress on the issue of foreign policy. Trump conceded that

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to agree to a peace deal had “really let me down,” but Trump said he would only increase his pressure on Putin if NATO stops buying Russian oil and gas.

British Couple Released by Taliban

Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, a British-Afghan couple, had been living in Afghanistan for nearly two decades. Eight months ago, they were arrested and detained without charge while traveling to their home in Bamyan province. Last week, the couple was finally released by the Taliban and was on their way back to the UK.

“We had begun to think that we would never be released, or that we were even being held until we were executed,” Peter said.

Over the past few months, the couple had been held together in solitary confinement. They were unaware that they were being released when they were taken to Kabul airport.

“Even when we were taken to Kabul airport, we thought maybe we were just flying somewhere for medical treatment,” Barbie said.

Instead, they were put on a Qatari aircraft and flown to Doha.

Peter said that the worst moment of the ordeal came when the couple faced a period of separation while detained, meaning they spent their 55th anniversary apart.

High-level negotiations between the UK and the Taliban, mediated by Qatar, have been praised by the Reynolds’ family.

“This experience has reminded us of the power of diplomacy, empathy and international cooperation. We are forever grateful to the Qatari and British governments for standing with us during this difficult time. Thank you for giving us our family back,” said Sarah Entwistle, daughter of the British couple.

Their son, John, said he was “overwhelmed” by their release and was “ecstatic and massively grateful” to those who were involved in securing their re-

lease.

“Actually, it’s continuous efforts by my government to keep our policy in helping to release hostages, and our mediation and diplomacy,” Mirdef Ali Al-Qashouti, Acting Charge d’Affaires of the Qatar Embassy in Kabul, said. He added that Qatar was very grateful to Afghanistan and the UK for their cooperation to conclude this case in this way.

The Taliban, who detained the couple on their way home on February 1, said the pair had broken Afghan laws and were released after judicial proceedings. Still, the Islamist group has never disclosed a reason for their detention.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the “vital role” played by Qatar in securing their release.

German Shop Bans Jews

A German business owner’s decision to ban Jews from entering his store sparked outrage in Germany, bringing up shuddering memories of the country under Nazi rule.

Last week, Hans Velten Reisch, a 60-year-old man who owns and manages a small store in Flensburg, Germany, attached a sign to the front window of his store which read in German, “Jews are banned from here! Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can’t stand you.”

Reisch, responding to the public outcry, claimed that he isn’t an extremist. Rather, he claimed to have put up the sign to ban pro-Israel individuals from his store.

“I don’t need people like that here –neither in business nor in private,” he said, adding that Jews who aren’t supportive of the ongoing Gaza war are allowed in the store and that he has “nothing against them.”

The sign, which is no longer on the front window but is still hung up inside the store, does not make that distinction.

In protest, some people have vandalized the front of the store with anti-Nazi graffiti. Meanwhile, politicians and officials have condemned the store owner.

“This is a reminder of the darkest chapters of Germany’s history and has

20 absolutely no place in this city,” said Flensburg Mayor Fabian Geyer.

“We are an open, colorful city that has a duty, based on its historical responsibility alone, to take a stand against anti-Semitism everywhere and at all times,” said Kianusch Stender, a member of the state parliament.

The Flensburg Green Party also condemned the sign as a “clear expression of antisemitism.”

Elsewhere in Europe, several London synagogues and a Jewish nursery school have been vandalized with human waste over the past month, with community members expressing serious security concerns.

Russia Evades Oil Sanctions

From early in Russia’s war with Ukraine, the West hit Russia with economic penalties aimed at strangling its profits from oil sales. As Europe announces its 19th round of sanctions, an uncomfortable reality has sunk in.

Russia has found a workaround to profit from oil in spite of a price cap and import restrictions. By building up a huge

fleet of dilapidated ships with hazy ownership that covertly shuttle its fuel to farflung markets, it has managed to evade the sanctions and make money.

Now, it is becoming increasingly clear that the vast expansion of this shadow fleet comes with serious and potentially long-lasting effects. The rickety ships pose dire risks to the environment, and the trend has created a huge illicit shipping economy that some experts worry could outlast the war. That could pave the way for nations to continue skirting the existing order, with countries including Russia and Iran as shippers, and China and India as customers.

“A lot of people want to do the easy part — impose sanctions — but we’ve actually caused a bigger problem,” said Ian Ralby, an expert in maritime security and founder of the research firm I.R. Consilium. “The sanctions don’t put them out of

business. They put them out of legitimate business.”

The shadow fleet accounts for about 17% of all in-service oil tankers sailing the ocean today, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, a research firm. There were 940 ships in the fleet as of earlier this year, up 45% from a year ago, based on the firm’s estimates.

While there were some boats with dubious ownership and shipping practices in operation before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, they became far more common after the start of the conflict.

For now, countries are applying even more sanctions to combat the shadow fleet.

The European Union has put more than 500 shadow-fleet ships on sanction lists as of its latest announcement, which makes ports more reluctant to work with them. The United States, Britain, Canada and Australia are also going after the vessels. But Russia continues to add vessels to take their place.

Ben Harris, a former Treasury official, pointed out that the sanctions, even if imperfect, cost Russia. “Enforcement is the real challenge,” he said. (© The New York Times)

Cyberattack Hits European Airports

A Saturday cyber-attack on Collins Aerospace’s MUSE software caused disruptions at a number of major airports in Europe, including London’s Heathrow Airport, as well as Brussels Airport, Berlin Airport, and Ireland’s Dublin Airport and Cork Airport.

“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” said RTX, the parent company of Collins Aerospace, adding that it was working on a fix.

The cyber-attack caused 29 flight departure and arrival cancellations at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels. On Saturday, Heathrow was expected to have 651 departures, Brussels was supposed to

have 228, and Berlin 226.

Brussels Airport also had four flight diversions and “delays on most of the departing flights,” according to officials. The airport requested that airlines cancel half of all flights scheduled to depart on Sunday. Doing so would prevent long queues and late cancellations.

The hackers’ identities are currently unknown, although the European Commission has said it doesn’t expect the attack to be “widespread or severe.” The sorts of disruptions seen on Saturday are typical of ransomware attacks.

Affected airports advised passengers scheduled to fly on Saturday to contact airlines to confirm their flights weren’t canceled. On its website, Berlin Airport said there were longer check-in waiting lines.

Germany’s biggest airport, Frankfurt Airport, was not impacted in the cyber-attack. EasyJet, one of Europe’s largest airlines, said it expected no disruptions. Delta, a U.S. airline, also predicted that the attack’s impact on its operations would be minimal, with the airline noting that it was depending on a workaround to avoid disruption. United Airlines had “minor departure delays” but no flight cancellations.

European officials, including British

transportation minister Heidi Alexander and cyber defense officials from Britain and Germany, said they were being continually briefed on the situation.

“horrific” and called for “an immediate ceasefire, unrestrained access for all humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.”

E.U. Threatens Israel Trade Agreement

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a proposal to sanction far-right Israeli ministers and suspend the European Union’s free trade agreement with Israel. She called the events taking place in Gaza

If approved, the proposal, which the commission announced last Wednesday, would remove Israeli imports’ preferential access to the E.U., thus subjecting them to tariffs just like goods from most countries. Additionally, the proposal would suspend “bilateral support” to Israel, except for civil society and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center. The E.U. would also stop giving Israel NIS 23.5 million ($7 million) in support each year and NIS 55 million ($16.5 million) annually for Abraham Accords-related projects.

“Actions taken by the Israeli government represent a breach of essential elements relating to respect for human rights and democratic principles,” the commission alleged. “This entitles the EU to suspend the Agreement unilaterally.”

“Specifically, this breach refers to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza following the military intervention of Israel, the blockade of humanitarian aid, the intensifying of military operations, and the decision of the Israeli authorities to advance the settlement plan in the so-called E1 area of the West Bank, which further undermines the twostate solution.”

The E.U. is Israel’s largest trading partner, having made up almost a third of Israel’s total global goods trade in 2024. The Jewish state’s trade with the E.U. hit NIS 166 billion ($49.7 billion) in 2024, NIS 62 billion ($18.6 billion) of which was Israeli imports.

On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar branded the proposal “morally and politically distorted” and said it would “harm the interests of Europe itself.”

“Israel will continue to fight, with the help of its friends in Europe, against attempts to harm it while it is engaged in an existential war. Steps against Israel will be answered in kind, and we hope they will not be necessary,” said Sa’ar.

For the proposal to pass, a majority of E.U. member states must approve it, which would be a challenging feat, since many European countries have differing views about Israel. If approved, it would go into effect around a month later. Sanctions against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, other Jews, and 10 Hamas political leaders would need unanimous support to pass.

Arson at Dutch Israeli Embassy

Dutch authorities arrested an assailant who tried to break into the Israeli Embassy in the Netherlands and set it ablaze on Friday. No one was hurt in the attack that took place on Friday evening.

The embassy said it was “deeply concerned about the attempted break-in” and thanked the police for the “swift arrest, adding that it “expects the Dutch government to take appropriate measures and to condemn the attack.”

Israeli envoy to the UN Danny Danon decried “the abhorrent attempt to set fire to the Israeli embassy.”

“Hatred and violence will not deter us — the Israeli flag will continue to fly proudly around the world,” he added.

The ambassador to the Netherlands, Zvi Vapni, wrote, “Another attempt was made tonight to break into our embassy’s building. This is another vile act, but we are not intimidated. We expect this act of hate and violence to be clearly and forcefully condemned.”

This is not the first such attack on the embassy in the Netherlands.

Three people were arrested on August 12 after the front door of the embassy was smashed and the building was splashed with red paint. Another person was arrested in March last year for allegedly tossing a “burning object” at the building.

An Israeli family was also attacked at a holiday park in the Netherlands in August, and Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam were targeted in a post-game riot in November.

There are around 35,000 Jews who live in the Netherlands. The community has seen an all-time high in antisemitic incidents following the October 7 massacre two years ago.

A record 421 antisemitic incidents were documented in the Netherlands in 2024, an 11 percent rise over the previous all-time high, the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), a Dutch Jewish watchdog group, said in April.

More Pain

At around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, a group of soldiers was driving through Rafah’s Jenina neighborhood in military vehicles, including a D9 armored bulldozer and two Humvees, when, suddenly, a bomb exploded, killing four soldiers and injuring three others.

The Israel Defense Forces identified the deceased soldiers as Maj. Omri Chai Ben Moshe, Cpt. Eran Shelem, Lt. Eitan Avner Ben Itzhak, and Lt. Ron Arieli. They all served with the Bahad 1 officers’ school’s Dekel Battalion.

Ben Moshe, a 26-year-old from Tzafria, was previously a company commander in the Paratroopers Brigade. Shelem, a 23-year-old from Ramat Yohanan, was an acting lieutenant in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit. Ben Itzhak, a 22-year-old from

Har Bracha, fought in the Commando Brigade. Arieli was a soldier in the Golani Brigade.

Ben Moshe was a company commander. The other three soldiers were cadets and were posthumously promoted to the rank of officer.

The IDF was investigating the attack.

Hamas has been uprooted from most of Rafah, but a number of terrorists are still in certain places in the Gazan city, particularly Jenina. The soldiers “are still operating in the Jenina neighborhood and destroying terror infrastructure,” said IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Thursday evening, adding that there are “still underground infrastructures in the area that have yet to be destroyed, and our forces are working to do so.”

Lt. Ron Arieli was killed on his 20th birthday. He was the middle child in his family, between his older sister Gili and younger brother Adir, 14. He grew up in Hadera, where he excelled as a top student, a standout athlete, and a leading player for Maccabi Hadera’s basketball team.

Arieli was a natural leader. His father was a police operations officer who had planned on taking off from work and spending time with Ron before Rosh Ha-

shana to celebrate the new year.

Rachel Sabah, the principal of Ron’s high school, remembered him as “a wonderful student, friendly and full of light. He dreamed of becoming a soldier and defending the country – a dream he fulfilled with Golani.”

Lt. Eitan Avner Ben Itzhak, 22, of Har Bracha, had married his wife, Atara, just three months ago. Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, his relative, recalled Eitan as “a son of Torah and a frontline warrior, who believed deeply in settling the land.”

Maj. Omri Chai Ben Moshe, 26, of Tzafria, the eldest of four siblings, had recently been promoted to major after commanding a company in Bahad 1’s Dekel Battalion. He was married to Hadass and was the father of two, 2-year-old Carmi and Roi Yitzhak, born just a month ago.

“He went straight back to Gaza from his son’s brit milah,” his uncle Doron Golan told Ynet. “He was a deeply Zionist man, a man of Torah who loved the land of Israel. Truly, salt of the earth.”

Lt. Eran Shelem, 23, of Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan, was a cadet in the Dekel Battalion and a soldier in Sayeret Matkal, Israel’s elite commando unit. He was the son of attorney and community activist Ido Shelem, recently appointed to lead the

rehabilitation of Kibbutz Manara, heavily damaged in the war in the north. His grandfather, Col. (Res.) Elisha Shelem, a legendary paratrooper and member of Unit 101, commanded the battle for Mount Hermon during the Yom Kippur War. Eran’s great-grandfather, Mattityahu Shelem, was a composer and poet of the Third Aliyah, whose songs became part of the Israeli national repertoire, including “Between Mountains and Rocks” and “Those Who Sow in Tears.”

Attack at Allenby

On Thursday, two soldiers were killed in a shooting and stabbing attack at the Allenby Bridge crossing near Jordan. Lt. Col. (res.) Yitzhak Harosh, 68, and Sgt. Oran Hershko, 20, were killed when a Jordanian terrorist opened fire and then

stabbed the two men at the crossing.

Harosh was an officer in the IDF Civil Administration’s Reserve Unit 309. His son, also a reservist, was also serving at the crossing at the time of the attack. Hershko served as a liaison to foreign forces in the IDF’s Tevel (International Cooperation) Brigade.

Harosh, who immigrated from Egypt and spoke fluent Arabic, lived in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood and worked for years at the National Insurance Institute

Israeli Universities at the Top

Tel Aviv University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, two Israeli universities, earned spots among the world’s top 10 academic institutions for producing the most entrepreneurs, according to financial research firm PitchBook’s 2025 ranking.

Tel Aviv University came in top out of all of the Israeli universities, nabbing the seventh spot in the list of the world’s undergraduate programs that produce the most venture capital-backed entrepreneurs. It is the top non-American university in the ranking. The Technion moved up six notches from last year and came in 10th.

“Technion alumni are the main economic engine of the State of Israel and are largely responsible for the creation of Israel’s ‘Startup Nation,’” said Technion president Prof. Uri Sivan.

“In recent years, the Technion has expanded and deepened entrepreneurship studies for undergraduates, supporting students and other communities in realizing their entrepreneurial ideas. These activities foster entrepreneurship within the student and research community and strengthen the bond between the Technion and industry – one of our central strategic goals today.”

University of California, Berkeley, came in at the top of the list. Stanford took second place; Harvard placed third. The University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) rounded out the top five — all keeping their respective ranks from 2024.

before transferring to his role overseeing aid convoys at the crossing. He had been preparing to move into a new home in Har Gilo. He is survived by his wife, four daughters, and a son.

Sgt. Oren Hershko, 20, of Tel Mond, was also killed at the crossing. A graduate of the Rabin High School in his hometown, he was remembered as a kind, modest young man who always knew how to show gratitude.

“He stood out for his kindness, smile,

and humility,” said Clarisse Brier, the school counselor. His former teacher, Vered Noy, recalled: “Oren was always ready to help, with a big smile. He was intelligent, sensitive, and beloved by all.”

Tel Mond council head Lin Kaplan said, “A heavy sorrow has fallen on Tel Mond with Oren’s death. We grieve with the family and embrace them in this difficult time.”

Among other Israeli universities, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem held its spot at No. 30; Reichman University fell five spots, ranking in 47th place; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev came in 52nd, down five from 2024; and Bar-Ilan University was ranked at No. 90, slipping four spots.

The 2025 PitchBook study ranked programs across categories such as top undergraduate, graduate, and MBA programs, as well as top undergrad and graduate programs for female startup founders. For the rankings, PitchBook tracked

founders of companies that received a first round of venture funding between Jan. 1, 2014, and Sept. 1, 2025. PitchBook is a company that collects data and research covering mergers and acquisitions, VC and private equity funds.

According to Pitchbook’s data, the undergraduate programs at Tel Aviv University have helped create 865 graduates-turned-founders who have set up 736 companies, raising a total of $30 billion over the past decade. These include fintech firm Lendbuzz, valued at $1.2 billion, and insurance tech company Next Insurance, valued at $1.1 billion.

The Technion’s bachelor’s degree program has produced 783 entrepreneurs, who founded 671 companies, including payroll company Deel and AI startup Gong. Founders who studied at the Technion went on to raise a total of $26.7 billion over the past decade, the ranking showed.

In the rankings for the top 50 undergraduate programs for female founders, Tel Aviv University came in 21st, down one spot; the Technion was in 43rd place, moving up 8 spots; and Hebrew University was in 49th place, slipping six spots from last year.

Deal with Syria 99% Done

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that Israel has made progress in talks with Syria in efforts that could lead to peace agreements with both Damascus and Beirut.

A Trump administration official similarly said that an emerging security agreement between Israel and Syria is “99%” complete and that an announcement is expected within the next two weeks.

At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday morning, Netanyahu told ministers, “Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window into a possibility that wasn’t even imaginable prior to our recent operations, and that is the possibility of peace with our neighbors to the north.”

He added, “We are making steps with the Syrians — there is certain progress, but it’s still a vision for the future. In any

case, these discussions, as well as the talks with Lebanon, wouldn’t have been possible without our decisive victories on the northern front and also on other fronts.”

Israel decimated the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon in 2024. Islamist-led rebels ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Since then, Israel has deployed troops to the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces since an armistice that followed the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

“We’re 99% of the way there. I think in the next two weeks, we’ll have an announcement, if not at the end of the week,” the Trump official said, adding that the main issues left to resolve are the precise timing of the announcement and domestic considerations in Syria.

“It’s really a question of timing and also the Syrians communicating it to their people,” the official said.

Some are speculating that the announcement could be this week in anticipation of the UN General Assembly in New York, in which both Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will be attending.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Sharaa said the security pact with Israel was a “necessity” and that it would need to respect Syria’s airspace and territorial unity and be monitored by the United Nations.

He said Israel had carried out more than 1,000 strikes on Syria and conducted more than 400 ground incursions since December 8, when the rebel offensive he led toppled Assad. Sharaa said if the security pact succeeds, other agreements, perhaps ones like the Abraham Accords, could be reached.

He also said it was too early to discuss the fate of the Golan Heights, much of which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and later extended sovereignty over.

20 Wounded in Eilat Drone Attack

A drone launched by the Houthis in Yemen exploded in Eilat and wounded more than 20 people on Wednesday evening.

Medics reported that among the injured were two men, ages 60 and 26, listed in serious condition, along with a 30-year-old who was moderately hurt and 19 others with light wounds.

The military acknowledged that attempts to intercept the drone had failed,

with two Iron Dome interceptor missiles fired at the unmanned aircraft, while noting that sirens had sounded a warning of an attack “according to protocol.”

According to an initial probe by the IAF, the drone was detected late, though sirens were still activated by the Home Front Command to warn civilians. The failure of the Iron Dome to shoot down the drone was possibly because it was flying low, although this was still under investigation. Because of the late detection,

the IAF did not have enough time to dispatch helicopters or fighter jets to shoot it down.

Just a few days before this drone attack, another drone sent by the Houthis smashed into a hotel in the seaside city. No one was harmed in that attack, although the hotel sustained damage.

IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar told Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri that the drone did not represent a new threat and that business in the resort town should continue

while, threatened the Houthis following the attack, saying on X: “The Houthi terrorists refuse to learn from Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, and will learn the hard way. Whoever harms Israel will be harmed sevenfold.”

Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched nearly 90 ballistic missiles and at least 41 drones at Israel.

The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes, most recently last week, against military infrastructure at the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida in western Yemen, in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated attacks on Israel.

Last month, an Israeli strike on Sanaa killed the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi government and several other ministers, with Israel warning that the attack on the group’s upper echelons was “just the beginning.”

Countries Recognize a Palestinian State

as usual.

“We will investigate the interception failure, learn and improve,” Bar said. “There is no new threat here, and there is no reason to stop normal activity in the city.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Any attack on Israel’s cities will be met with a harsh and painful blow against the Houthi regime, as has already been proven in the past.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz, mean-

On Sunday Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal recognized a Palestinian state after nearly two years of war in Gaza, with France, Belgium and other countries following suit at the UN General Assembly.

According to an AFP tally on Sunday, at least 145 countries out of 193 UN members recognize the State of Palestine.

The count includes Britain and Canada — the first G7 countries to do so — Australia and Portugal.

Algeria became the first country to officially recognize a Palestinian state on November 15, 1988, minutes after late Palestine Liberation Organization

32 (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat unilaterally proclaimed an independent Palestinian state. Dozens of other countries followed suit in the following weeks and months, and another wave of recognitions came in late 2010 and early 2011.

Still around 40 other countries do not recognize a Palestinian state – including the United States, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Cameroon, and Panama.

Italy and Germany do not plan on recognizing a Palestinian state.

Despite scores of countries recognizing a Palestinian state, that does not mean the state exists. It is merely symbolic, although that symbolism can be dangerous on the world stage.

Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s Quits

Last week, Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, resigned from the ice cream company he founded around 47 years ago. Jerry said he quit

because he felt he was being silenced for his “activism.”

“It’s with a broken heart that I’ve decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s. I am resigning from the company Ben and I started back in 1978. This is one of the hardest and most painful decisions I’ve ever made,” Greenfield wrote in a social media post shared by Ben Cohen, his co-founder.

The two started the ice cream company in 1978 after opening one store in Vermont. But they didn’t just want to sell ice cream; they wanted to weigh in on societal issues. When Unilever purchased Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 for $326 million, they supposedly retained the right to use their ice cream company for political activism.

“For more than twenty years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up and spoke out in support of peace, jus-

tice, and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world,” Greenfield said in his statement in reference to his company’s stance on various political issues.

“Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important — and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power,” he added. “It’s easy to stand up and speak out when there’s nothing at risk. The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose.”

Cohen and Greenfield have used their platform to promote several left-wing initiatives, including rights and diversity for those who live alternative lifestyles, equity, and inclusion. The two men, in protest of Jewish communities in the area, also tried to ban the company from selling ice cream in Judea and Samaria. Yet, in 2022, Unilever sold its Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel to one of the region’s licensees.

Greenfield and Cohen have condemned Israel, charging the Jewish state with genocide for its anti-Hamas campaign in Gaza. In November 2024, their ice cream company filed a lawsuit against Unilever for purportedly censoring Ben & Jerry’s for issuing political statements, including about Gaza.

Unilever is spinning off its ice cream business into The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Greenfield and Cohen have been campaigning to “free” Ben & Jerry’s, restoring its independence.

“We disagree with his perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world,” said a spokesperson for Magnum, adding that they are grateful to Jerry for his role in the company. “We remain committed to Ben & Jerry’s unique three-part mission — product, economic and social — and remain focused on carrying forward the legacy of peace, love, and ice cream of this iconic, much-loved brand.”

CA: No Masks for Feds

On Saturday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill prohibiting federal agents from wearing identity-concealing masks during enforcement operations. Newsom called the practice of agents wearing masks “a dystopian sci-fi movie.”

The legislation, which appears to be the first of its kind signed into law in the country, seeks to end a common prac-

tice among U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that critics say erodes transparency, fosters fear and raises concerns that criminals could try to pose as federal officers. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that using masks to shield ICE agents’ faces protects them against harassment and doxing.

“To ICE — unmask. What are you afraid of?” Newsom said during a news conference in Los Angeles. “You’re going to go out. You’re going to do enforcement. Provide an ID. Tell us which agency you represent. Provide us basic information that all local law enforcement is required to provide.”

The mask ban was one of five bills Newsom signed Saturday to push back against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The legislation won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2026, and it remains unclear whether the state can legally regulate federal agents.

Newsom has been eyeing the White House as he prepares to run for the presidency.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the legislation “despicable” and a “flagrant attempt to endanger our officers.” McLaughlin said immigration enforcement agents have seen an increase in assaults and have had rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at them. She added that anyone who doxes federal agents will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The California State Sheriffs’ Association also opposed the bill, arguing in legislative filings that its exceptions were too narrow and the ban would “almost certainly be challenged in court” and rejected for federal authorities and leave local law enforcement “left to deal with the new and unwieldy requirements.”

Under the bill, officers performing law enforcement duties will not be allowed to wear balaclavas, tactical masks, gators, ski masks or “any similar type of facial covering or face-shielding item.” Willful violations could be punished as infractions or misdemeanors, according to the bill’s text. N95 medical masks and surgical masks to protect against disease are exempt from the ban. The law also grants exemptions to undercover agents and SWAT teams.

There is no constitutional protection or prohibition against immigration officers’ wearing of masks or face coverings.

The other bills in the legislation package Newsom signed Saturday prohibit schools from allowing ICE agents to enter without a valid judicial warrant, require school administrators to notify families if agents are present on campus, prohibit health care officials from sharing a patient’s immigration status without a search warrant and require all law enforcement to display identification or badge numbers.

“Immigrants have rights and we have the right to stand up and push back and that’s what we’re doing here today,” Newsom said.

U.S. Sues Ticketmaster

The Federal Trade Commission and seven states sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, on Thursday claiming the entertainment giant had broken the law by allowing brokers to buy up millions of dollars of tickets and resell them at higher prices.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California, accused Ticketmaster of deceptive practices that advertised lower prices than were available, as well as falsely claiming it set limits on the number of tickets people could buy. Brokers bought thousands of tickets at face value, then resold them for higher prices on Ticketmaster, allowing the company to collect additional fees, according to the suit.

The FTC’s lawsuit is part of growing regulatory scrutiny of the entertainment giants’ power over musicians and fans after a government-approved merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster in 2010.

Last year, the Justice Department and several states filed a lawsuit accusing Live Nation of leveraging its sprawling empire to dominate the industry by locking venues into exclusive ticketing contracts, pressuring artists to use its services and threatening its rivals with financial retribution. Those tactics resulted in higher

ticket prices, the government argued.

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order acknowledging that ticket resale middlemen drove up prices and urged the FTC to enforce competition laws in the sector.

The FTC’s lawsuit Thursday contended that Ticketmaster controls at least 80% of primary ticketing for concerts at major venues, and a growing number of ticket resales. (© The New York Times)

Kimmel Canceled

Last Wednesday, Jimmy Kimmel’s show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, was suspended indefinitely following backlash over controversial remarks made during his Monday night broadcast.

Kimmel made a misleading statement about the murder of Charlie Kirk, the political commentator who was assassinated on September 10 while speaking at a college in Utah.

Kimmel falsely suggested that Kirk’s assassin was not, in fact, a left-winger. He claimed that “the MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” He then compared President Donald Trump’s grief over Kirk’s death to a 4-year-old mourning a goldfish, because Trump spoke about a White House ballroom after discussing the assassination. Additionally, Kimmel claimed that Vice President J.D. Vance and others in the “MAGA gang” were taking advantage of Kirk’s murder for their own political gain.

On Thursday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said in a CNBC interview that Kimmel seemed to “directly mislead the American public” about the assassination.

“It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact that probably one of the most significant political events we’ve had in a long time, for the most significant political assassination we’ve seen in a long time,” said Carr.

The day before, during an interview

with conservative political commentator Benny Johnson, Carr said the FCC might punish ABC-owned stations.

Nexstar Media Group, the owner and operator of 32 ABC affiliates, and Sinclair, which owns and operates 30 ABC stations, told ABC they would no longer be airing Kimmel’s show. Andrew Alford, the president of the broadcasting division of Nexstar, branded Kimmel’s remarks “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”

Sinclair, on the other hand, urged Kimmel to issue an apology and donate to Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA. Sinclair added that it wouldn’t air Kimmel’s show until “formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”

The official decision to suspend Kimmel was made by Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment Dana Walden, and other senior

pended Kimmel to get in the president’s good graces.

“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like,” former President Barack Obama posted on Thursday. Kimmel’s show returned to ABC on Tuesday night after the week suspension, earning him his largest television audience in more than a decade with more than 6 million viewers tuning in to hear what he had to say after being taken off the air.

Monthly Nielsen figures showed “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” fell to just 1.1 million total viewers in August 2025, which was nearly half of January’s 1.95 million, trailing behind every one of his late night peers.

Ilhan Omar Censure Defeated

Democrats defeated a Republican effort to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) for reposting another user’s social-media video that disparaged slain conservative Charlie Kirk.

The vote on Wednesday evening was tight with 214-213 rejecting the measure led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R., S.C.), who said in her resolution that Omar’s actions “are reprehensible and affect the dignity” of the House. Four Republicans joined Democrats in voting to table, or kill, the measure in the GOP-led chamber.

ABC and Disney executives.

“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Democrats claim that the Trump administration compelled ABC and its parent company, Disney, to suspend Kimmel by threatening network licenses. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other left-wing lawmakers have asserted that ABC sus-

The four Republicans who voted with Democrats were Reps. Cory Mills of Florida, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California, and Mike Flood of Nebraska.

Omar reposted another user’s social-media video on Friday calling Kirk a “reprehensible human being” and criticizing the right’s reaction to his death. “Don’t be fooled, these people don’t give a single [thing] about Charlie Kirk, they are just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda,” the video said.

The censure resolution cited an interview on Thursday in which Omar said

38 people describing Kirk as somebody “just wanting to have a civil debate” were “full of [expletive.]” Omar criticized Kirk’s comments on slavery and gun violence in the interview.

Censure is rarely employed and is a formal state of deep disapproval for a lawmaker.

Omar was born in Somalia. She is one of four federal lawmakers who are Muslim and is a member of a group that calls themselves the “Squad.”

Trump NYT Lawsuit Dismissed

A federal judge dismissed Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The suit, which targeted articles published before the 2024 election, was rejected by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, who described the filing

as “improper and impermissible.”

Judge Merryday noted that the dismissal was based on procedural grounds rather than the truth of the allegations. He said that Trump’s complaint did not comply with the legal requirement to provide a “short and plain” statement explaining why he believed he was defamed. Instead, the filing included lengthy arguments, extensive evidence, and explanations that the judge deemed unnecessary and overly complicated.

The lawsuit claimed that The New York Times published false statements that damaged President Trump’s reputation and business interests. Defamation occurs when false statements are made about someone in a way that can harm their reputation.

Despite the court’s dismissal, President Trump told reporters that he is “winning” the case. He criticized major news networks for what he called biased coverage against him.

The New York Times welcomed the judge’s ruling, describing the original complaint as “a political document rather than a serious legal filing.” This is consistent with the newspaper’s past statements regarding Trump’s previous legal actions, including lawsuits filed in 2021 and 2023, which were also dismissed without the courts ruling on the merits of his claims.

$100K H-1B Visa

H-1B visas, which require at least a bachelor’s degree, are meant for highskilled jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill. Critics say the program is a pipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to work for as little as $60,000 annually, well below the $100,000-plus salaries typically paid to U.S. technology workers. On Friday, President Trump signed a proclamation that will require a $100,000 annual visa fee for highly-skilled foreign workers and rolled out a $1 million “gold card” visa as a pathway to U.S. citizenship for wealthy individuals.

If the move clears all legal hurdles, the visa fee for skilled workers would jump from $215. The fee for investor visas, which are common in many European countries, would climb from $10,000$20,000 a year.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Friday that “all big companies” are on board.

Lutnick noted that the change will likely result in far fewer H-1B visas than the 85,000 annual cap allows because “it’s just not economic anymore.”

“If you’re going to train people, you’re going to train Americans.” Lutnick said. “If you have a very sophisticated engineer and you want to bring them in ... then you can pay $100,000 a year for your H-1B visa.”

Trump also announced he will start selling a “gold card” visa with a path to U.S. citizenship for $1 million after vetting. For companies, it will cost $2 million to sponsor an employee.

The “Trump Platinum Card” will be available for $5 million and will allow foreigners to spend up to 270 days in the U.S. without being subject to U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income. Trump announced a $5 million gold card in February to replace an existing investor visa — this is now the platinum card.

Lutnick said the gold and platinum cards would replace employment-based visas that offer paths to citizenship, including for professors, scientists, artists and athletes.

Historically, H-1B visas have been given out through a lottery. This year, Amazon was by far the top recipient of H-1B visas with more than 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft,

Apple and Google. Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers.

3 Officers Killed in PA

A pickup truck in the driveway of a home in rural Pennsylvania was set ablaze in late August. When police came to the scene, the girl living there asked the officers not to investigate further, as she believed that 24-year-old Matthew Ruth, her former friend, whom she had dated for a short time, had committed the act of arson.

A few weeks later, shortly before midnight on September 16, Ruth returned to her house in North Codorus Township. The woman’s mother called 911 after spotting a man on a nearby trail camera. The man, with an AR-15 style rifle on his chest, was seen stalking the house with binoculars. A half a mile up the road, officials found the man’s black Ford Ranger. For hours, police searched for Ruth, who faced charges of stalking, loitering, prowling at nighttime, and criminal trespassing. That afternoon, the officers returned to the girl’s farmhouse. When they opened the door, they saw the man inside the house. Immediately, Ruth sprayed the officers with bullets, killing Detective Sgt. Cody Becker, Detective Mark Baker, and Detective Isaiah Emenheiser of the Northern York County Regional Police Department. The assailant then shot and injured two more officers, who were hospitalized at Wellspan Health Hospital, and then killed his ex-girlfriend’s family dog.

One of the injured officers shot back at Ruth, killing the assailant.

Though Ruth had never previously been inside his ex-girlfriend’s house, he was familiar with the area due to casing the neighborhood for weeks.

Dave Miller, a neighbor, said he heard at least 30 shots ring out.

On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro met with the deceased officers’ loved ones.

“We need to do better as a society,” Shapiro said, calling it a “tragic and devastating” day. “We need to help the people who think that picking up a gun, picking up a weapon is the answer to resolving disputes.”

Pizza Party Palooza

10,000 slices of pizza were downed in New Haven, Connecticut, on Friday, making the city the spot for the largest pizza party in the world.

In only four hours, 4,525 people chomped down on the cheesy fare.

“Go pizza, go pizza,” chanted the volunteer ”stewards,” cheering on participants as they streamed into the official party zone.

The record-breaking party took place between 3:30 and 7 p.m. on the Upper Green during the city’s tenth annual Grand Prix cycling race and Apizza Feast festival. The event was engineered by Taste of New Haven founder Colin

Caplan, who, upon winning the title, declared New Haven as the “pizza capital of the world.”

Tulsa, Oklahoma, had previously worn the crown for largest pizza party with 3,357 eaters in 2023, according to Guinness World Record.

This was no ordinary party. Participants had to buy an event ticket in advance. They had 15 minutes to eat two slices and drink one bottle of water within a certain fenced-in area. Volunteer “stewards” made sure that they ate the whole two slices including the crusts.

After completing their 15-minute task, pizza partiers were instructed to keep partying at the Apizza Feast festival until 7 p.m.

The slices were made by the Big Green Pizza Truck company, which catered the event and brought five trucks, two trailers, and 21 employees to the party, baking over 10,000 slices of pizza in total.

Only a “weirdough” doesn’t like pizza.

Drunk Monk(eys)

Chimpanzees have been getting sloshed almost every day, researchers say. According to a team at the University of California, Berkeley, chimpanzees eat-

ing fermented fruit in their native habitats consume the equivalent of nearly two alcoholic drinks per day.

The researchers published their findings last week in the journal Science Advances. They analyzed 21 species of fruit regularly eaten by chimps in Uganda and the Ivory Coast to measure the alcohol content.

“Across all sites, male and female chimpanzees are consuming about 14 grams [about half an ounce] of pure ethanol per day in their diet, which is the equivalent to one standard American drink,” Aleksey Maro, a graduate student at the university’s Department of Integrative Biology, said in a news release “When you adjust for body mass, because chimps weigh about 40 kilos [88 pounds] versus a typical human at 70 kilos [154 pounds], it goes up to nearly two drinks.”

Robert Dudley, a professor at UC Berkeley, noted, “The chimps are eating 5 to 10% of their body weight a day in ripe fruit, so even low concentrations yield a high daily total – a substantial dosage of alcohol.”

Researchers don’t know if the chimps have been actively seeking fruit with higher ethanol levels. If they are, that means they’re experiencing even higher levels of alcohol consumption.

In April, a team from Britain’s University of Exeter revealed that cameras set up at Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau captured chimps sharing fermented African breadfruit that was later confirmed to contain ethanol. The researchers said the footage was notable because it could indicate the chimps were sharing alcohol as a social activity, similar to human behavior.

Sounds like these chimps are drinking like a fish.

The Ig Nobel Prize

Do lizards like pizza? What happens when you paint cows with stripes like zebras?

These were the types of questions that “researchers” took the time to study and submitted to the Ig Nobel Prize committee. The 35th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony was held last Thursday in Boston, Massachusetts. During the ceremo-

ny, Nobel laureates handed out awards for scientific research that makes “people laugh, then think.”

“The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative – and spur people’s interest in science, medicine and technology,” the official website states.

How fast do your nails grow? This year’s Literature Prize was awarded posthumously to William Bean “for persistently recording and analyzing the rate of growth of one of his fingernails over a period of 35 years.”

The Psychology Prize went to Marcin Zajenkowski and Gilles Gignac, who analyzed how receiving high IQ scores relates to “temporary state narcissism.”

Do lizards eat pizza? And if they did, what type would they like? This year’s Nutrition Prize was awarded to Daniele Dendi, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Roger Meek and Luca Luiselli, who determined rainbow lizards at a seaside resort in Togo prefer four-cheese to other varieties of pizza.

A team of Japanese researchers were awarded the Biology Prize for experiments that determined cows painted with zebra-like stripes were 50% less likely to be bitten by flies.

The Chemistry Prize was presented to Rotem Naftalovich, Daniel Naftalovich and Frank Greenway for experiments that analyzed whether eating Teflon would be an effective way to increase food volume without extra calories. We vote that it would be a slippery slope.

The Ig Nobel Peace Prize was presented to Fritz Renner, Inge Kersbergen, Matt Field and Jessica Werthmann, whose study found that “drinking alcohol sometimes improves a person’s ability to speak in a foreign language.” Um, say that again?

Cue the cumin. Indian researchers Vikash Kumar and Sarthak Mittal received the Engineering Design Prize “for analyzing, from an engineering design perspective, how foul-smelling shoes affect the good experience of using a shoe-rack.”

The Aviation Prize went to Francisco Sánchez, Mariana Melcón, Carmi Korine and Berry Pinshow for a study into how alcohol ingestion affects the ability of bats to fly and echolocate.

Bats hitting the bottle…sounds like they’d be flying blind.

Around the Community

Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services Launches the “Ohel Family Center” In Lawrence

Ohel celebrated the launch of the new Ohel Family Center – an expansion of pre-vocational and day habilitation programs located at 359 Central Avenue in Lawrence this week. This center offers programs for adults and children with developmental disabilities as well as programs and educational seminars designed for parents of all children, both those typically developing and those with disabilities.

The Ohel Family Center welcomed hundreds of Five Towns families for a fun-filled community celebration. Guests were greeted by clowns, enjoyed cotton candy, popcorn, and smoothies, and participated in activities including face painting. While children played, parents toured the center and learned about the services offered. The event underscored the Ohel Family Center’s role as a valuable new resource for the Five Towns— offering inclusive, community-based support that meets the diverse needs of local families.

In remarks at the grand opening, the Honorable Mayor Samuel Nahmias stated, “Ohel is an amazing organization that provides cutting-edge services. This center is an achievement for Lawrence that will support our village and all the neighboring towns.”

Building on Ohel’s existing programs, the Ohel Family Center embraces a person-centered approach, providing individuals with developmental disabilities meaningful opportunities for hands-on

job training. Each participant works closely with Ohel staff, including a dedicated job coach, to identify personal strengths, explore job interests, and pursue paid employment opportunities that foster both purpose and pride.

In addition to job support, the Ohel Family Center provides families with access to respite programs, parent education workshops, and sibling support groups. These services are designed to support the entire family unit, equipping parents with tools to advocate for their children, giving siblings a safe space to share and connect, and offering much-needed breaks for caregivers.

In addition to Mayor Nahmias, the grand opening was attended by Ohel Board Co-presidents Mel Zachter and Jay Kestenbaum, Village of Lawrence Trustee Tammy Roz, and Village of Cedarhurst Trustee Izzy Wasser.

Over the last two decades, Ohel has built, implemented, and sustained bestin-class services for individuals with disabilities and their families. The Ohel Family Center continues Ohel’s legacy of supporting families. Beginning this fall, the center will also offer community-based parent support groups, open to all local families and led by licensed Ohel clinicians. These groups will create a safe, supportive environment where parents of all children can gain insights and receive professional guidance on navigating the complex journey of parenthood.

To schedule a time to visit The Ohel Family Center and learn more about pre-vocational, day habilitation, respite-based offerings, and support groups, contact us at 800-603- 6435. More information is available at www. ohelfamily.org.

Flag Football Update

An amazing Week 3 unfolded across the 5 Towns Flag Football League, delivering a slate of exciting games and standout plays that kept fans on the edge of their seats. From the moment the first whistle blew, it was clear that the competition was stepping up a notch, with teams displaying sharp execution, teamwork, and a strong competitive spirit.

In the opening rounds, the excitement began in the first grade matches, where the boys had a great time and played some great games as well.

Moving into the second grade, the action intensified as the Broncos claimed a thriller against the Patriots. It was a game defined by back-and-forth excitement, with both squads trading leads and making key plays late in regulation.

The Broncos’ resilience and execution in critical moments ultimately tipped the scales in their favor, delivering another memorable win for their young roster.

The third and fourth graders delivered a showcase of diverse matchups and close finishes. The Packers emerged victorious over the Broncos in a game that highlighted strategic play-calling and standout performances on both sides of the ball. The Steelers inflicted a defeat on the Seahawks, underscoring the durability and grit of Pittsburgh’s squad. In a dramatic upset, the Giants toppled the Eagles, signaling that even familiar rivals can be upended on any given Sunday. The Patriots pulled out a win against the Vikings, illustrating precision passing and coordinated team defense. Rounding out the midweek slate, the Jets surprised the Raiders with a strong performance that

sealed their win and demonstrated the depth of talent across the league’s younger divisions.

The drama continued into the 5th and 6th grade games, where several upsets and impressive wins kept the standings lively. The Jets earned a notable victory over the Eagles, reaffirming their growing confidence and depth. The Patriots demonstrated their continued competitiveness with a win over the Steelers, a matchup that kept spectators on edge until the final whistle. The Broncos outpaced the Vikings in a contest that balanced strong defense with timely scoring, while the Giants added another win to their ledger by defeating the Steelers, further highlighting the parity and competitiveness that are driving these leagues at every age group.

In the 7th and 8th grade division, a key result came as the Patriots defeated the Broncos, signaling that even within the oldest youth cohorts, every game offers a meaningful test of strategy and execution. Across all grades, the week also featured several standout individual performances that fans and coaches were eager to recognize. Emmet Michaelson, Yehuda Green, Yechiel Katz, and Gabriel Zilberman were among the players who made a lasting impact with their plays, contributing to memorable moments and momentum-shifting plays that defined the week.

As we wrap up Week 3, there is a sense of anticipation for what’s to come. Enjoy the yom tovim. We’ll see everyone back on the field soon on Friday. We wish everyone a kesiva v’chasima tova.

Rafting Into High School

By Reanna Frand

The freshmen class at HAFTR traded textbooks for life jackets as they headed out for a day of white-water rafting. They arrived at school earlier than usual on Thursday, September 11, and began the day with davening and breakfast. They then traveled to the Poconos, offering the opportunity to bond together while going white-water rafting. Once they arrived, the students were divided into groups with their peers and sent down

the beautiful river for an unforgettable experience. The freshmen paddled hard through splashes and swirls of water, tackling rapids that tested their balance and teamwork. Between the exciting stretches, they enjoyed calm moments to take in the scenery and laugh together. After rafting for about three hours, the students enjoyed some extra time in the water before enjoying a delicious dinner and returning home.

This trip was a truly memorable experience. When asked about the adventure, freshman Sophie Weinrib said, “I bond-

ed with others by using teamwork to get the raft where it needed to be, and it was an experience that helped me branch out and make new friends.” Freshman Bailey Rosenberg added, “I was nervous to start this year since I’m new to HAFTR, but the trip gave me an opportunity to meet all my classmates and make friends, all while having a blast!” Going down the river may have been wet and wild, but it brought the class of 2029 closer together, while providing an energetic start to their high school journey.

Estate Planning That Actually Works: Your Guide to Protecting Your Loved Ones

By Monet Binder, Esq.

You’ve heard the term “estate planning,” but you might think it’s just for the super-rich or that it’s a one-time chore. The truth is, it’s about making sure your loved ones are taken care of, no matter what. A plan is only good if it works when your family needs it most.

Before you sign any documents, you need to understand your options. First, we have you do your homework, so we are all prepared for our first meeting together. We provide a simple, structured process to gather the key information we’ll need. This preparation is a crucial step that ensures your plan works not just in theory, but actually, in real life.

Next, we give you the knowledge you need to make smart, confident decisions

in your initial Estate Planning and Design Session. This is where we get to know you and guide you, helping you build a plan that truly reflects your family, your assets, and your goals. You choose from various planning options. It’s all about creating a comprehensive plan that works for you, not a cookie-cutter form. We’ll review what you have now, identify any gaps, and design a plan that gives you true peace of mind. We’ll go beyond the basic documents to create a comprehensive strategy that keeps your family out of court and conflict and a roadmap that guides you and your family for years to come.

Our Document Review Session gives you an opportunity to review, confirm and understand the good planning that you’ve done – a step traditional planning leaves out. Aligning your assets is a step

most traditional plans miss, and why so many of them fail. We dedicate a significant amount of time to ensure your accounts, property, and investments are titled correctly and aligned with your plan. This ensures nothing gets lost and everything passes on to the right people.

At your Signing Session, you won’t just be checking a box – you’ll understand every choice you’ve made and why you made it. You’ll walk away with confidence in your plan and in yourself.

Finally, when you can’t be there, your loved ones won’t be left to figure things out alone. They’ll have a trusted guide to turn to with a Personal Family Attorney who knows your plan and will be there to help them every step of the way. Our approach is all about relationships and making sure your plan works. Your family’s future depends on it.

Ready to get started? Consult a professional who has your best interests in mind, not someone who only focuses on after death documents. Estate Planning is also about what happens while you’re still living. Learn the best way to protect yourself and your family while you’re still living and after you’re gone and keep everyone out of court and conflict. Call Today 718-514-7575 | 732-333-1854 Monet Binder, Esq., has a practice in Lakewood, Queens, and Brooklyn areas, dedicated to protecting families, their legacies and values. All halachic documents are approved by the Bais Havaad Halacha Center in Lakewood, under the direction of Rabbi Dovid Grossman and the guidance of Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky, shlita, as well as other leading halachic authorities.

In honor of Rosh Hashana, the BYAM Preschool delighted in a special unit on bees. The girls were “abuzz” with excitement as they joyfully acted out each step in the fascinating process of how a bee makes honey.

MTA Yeshiva Fellowship

The MTA Yeshiva Fellowship began the new academic year with two inspiring events that reflected the program’s blend of rigorous Torah learning and exciting programming.

The Annual Fellowship Kickoff Siyum celebrated the dedication of talmidim who completed Maseches Bava Metzia over the past year and summer. Yehuda Klavan served as the mesayem, representing the many students who reached this milestone. The lunch was filled with singing and dancing, including a delicious seudah. Each participant received

a personalized card to paste into his Gemara, designed to help track progress and review as the Fellowship embarks on this year’s masechta, Kesubos. Many talmidim accepted meaningful kabbalos to increase their learning, with several committing to complete the entire masechta over the course of the year.

Later that week, the Fellowship continued its kickoff with the annual Waffle Seder, a student favorite. More than 90 talmidim enjoyed a fully stocked waffle bar with ice cream, whipped cream, and delicious toppings before sitting down

with their chavrusas to begin the additional learning they had pledged.

The program was highlighted by divrei chizuk from Rav Axelrod, who encouraged the talmidim to recognize their potential and consistently strive for greater heights in both Torah and personal growth.

Together, the siyum and Waffle Seder provided a dynamic start to the Fellowship year, combining accomplishment, inspiration, and camaraderie to set the stage for continued success.

Back to School Night, Club Day, and New Academic Offerings Launch Year

at YUHSG

September is a month of beginnings at the Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central), and one of the highlights of the early semester is Back to School Night. This year’s event, which took place on Monday, September 15, gave parents the opportunity to step into their daughter’s shoes and walk

through a full day of classes. Another sign of the new year: Club Fair, which took place on Thursday, September 18. From performing arts clubs to academic teams and everything in between, the event gave students the chance to recruit club members – and gave new and existing YUHSG students a chance to branch

out and try something new.

Alongside the excitement of Back to School Night, Wildcats are diving into new academic offerings this fall. Among the most notable additions is a new collaboration between Judaic Studies and General Studies. Mrs. Amy Katz’s Global History course will collaborate with Mrs. Yael Blum’s Jewish History class to add a Jewish perspective to these freshman year staples. “The goal is for students to learn that the same skills are used in both secular and Jewish subjects,” Mrs. Katz said. “We’re so excited the ninth graders will have the chance to experience the connection between the Jewish world and the greater global community.” Mrs. Blum agreed: “This framework ensures that these students will arrive at their junior and senior classes with a strong knowledge base,” she said. “With Global History, students learn about important empires and movements, and demonstrating that Jewish history is entwined with this global history is impactful.” The students are embracing the new cross-disciplinary offering. “They’re seeing it as something personal,” Mrs. Blum continued. “We’re not just reading a textbook. We’re talking about our heritage and culture.”

For seniors, the year brings an advanced opportunity in STEM: a Principles of Biology course that allows students to earn eight college credits at the Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University. Rigorous by design, the course rewards effort with the chance to graduate having completed significant college-level coursework. “It’s a foundational course,” said Science Department

Chair and Science Institute Director, Mrs. Ruth Fried. “It goes beyond AP Biology content to encompass a full Principles course, incorporating plant life, body organ systems, and most critically, sophisticated labs.” The new offering reflects the legacy of YUHSG’s Science Institute, a long-running program that has nurtured countless aspiring doctors, engineers, and researchers. “For our students, completing this course gives them a sense of gravitas and backbone as they apply for Early Assurance,” Mrs. Fried continued. “They can tell themselves, “I have credits, I can go directly into Organic Chemistry.” It really streamlines their coursework.” The class also strengthens the school’s relationship with Yeshiva University, making clear the advantage available to YUHSG students. Together, Wildcats are putting the year’s theme, Full Hearts, Full Souls, into action. And the fall semester is just getting underway. Among major upcoming events: the annual YUHSG Community Challah Bake, featuring guest speaker Adriana Fernandez, on Monday, September 29.

Back and Better Than Ever

By Kayla Herman-Chill

Every year, there’s always something exhilarating about the first week back to school, and so far, the start of the year has already been exciting and action-packed. After a long summer, the hallways at HAFTR are lively as students reconnect with friends, meet new teachers, and settle back into routine. The beginning of the school year also brings new opportunities for HAFTR students, from sports tryouts to info sessions for clubs like Mock Trial, the Tattler (our school newspaper), and many more, making this the perfect time to get involved both inside and outside of the classroom.

To kick off the year on a memorable

and sweet note, on the first day of school, our Student Government presidents surprised everyone with Dippin’ Dots. Last week, our freshmen connected with classmates and teachers on their class trip to Pocono White Water Rafting, and the boys enjoyed an inspiring and action-packed Shabbaton at Camp Seneca Lake. In addition to the usual back-toschool excitement, several changes have been introduced this year. The brandnew auditorium is fully in use, providing students with a new space for performances, assemblies, and davening. This year also marks HAFTR’s shift to becoming officially phone-free. While at first it took some adjusting, many students have already noticed that it is easier to

stay focused in class and be more present during breaks. Many students speak to how we seem to have more energy in the hallway to socialize and are more interested in having face-to-face conversations. Another exciting change is that students now receive breakfast and lunch daily. From bread and fruit in the morn-

ings to a variety of hot lunch options, this ensures students start the day well-fed and ready to learn.

Overall, this school year has begun with opportunities, engagement, and a clear path for students to make this year not only successful, but the best school year yet!

New York State Assembly Delegation Joins “50 States, 1 Israel” Mission

Abipartisan delegation of New York State Assemblymembers traveled to Israel last week as part of the national “50 States, 1 Israel” initiative, which brings together legislators from across the United States to strengthen ties, explore shared interests, and foster opportunities for collaboration. The delegation included Assemblymembers Nily Rozic, Daniel Norber, Will Barclay, Anil Beephan, Kalman Yeger, and Amy Paulin.

During the mission, the New York delegation met with Israeli government officials, visited historic and religious sites, and engaged with leaders in technology, public safety, and education. Highlights of the itinerary include briefings on re -

gional security, tours of innovation hubs in Tel Aviv, and conversations with nonprofit organizations working on coexistence and community resilience. These experiences aim to provide legislators with firsthand insight into Israel’s history, its modern challenges, and its global leadership in innovation.

The delegation also traveled to the Gaza envelope to meet with Nahal Oz residents and plant a new forest with KKL-JNF in Ofakim.

Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Queens), who has long championed international partnerships, said, “This mission underscores the deep and enduring connection between New York and Israel. At a time of rising global chal-

lenges, it is more important than ever to reaffirm our shared values of democracy, resilience, and innovation. I am proud to represent New York in strengthening this critical partnership.”

Assemblyman Kalman Yeger (D-Brooklyn), who represents one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the state, said, “For generations, New York has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel. This mission is not just symbolic—it is a reaffirmation of our shared values and common destiny. I am honored to bring the voices of my community with me on this important journey.”

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R-Pulaski) highlighted the bi-

partisan spirit of the delegation, said, “This mission is about building bridges and finding common ground. Israel’s advancements in technology, security, and agriculture offer lessons for all of us, and it’s an honor to stand alongside colleagues from both sides of the aisle to reaffirm New York’s commitment to this vital relationship.”

The “50 States, 1 Israel” initiative is organized to bring together state legislators from across the country to engage with Israeli leaders, explore opportunities for economic and cultural exchange, and strengthen bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship.

HAFTR Lower School Students learned about various minhagim around the world surrounding the chag of Rosh Hashana. It was a very unique experience, and the students enjoyed learning about different cultures and how they celebrate the New Year.

Sdei Chemed 2025: A Summer of Growth

Camp Sdei Chemed is synonymous with fun and excitement, but beyond the trips and thrills, something deeper happens every summer: growth.

On the last night of camp, at the Kotel, the entire group gathers in a circle. Each boy has the chance to speak. We set aside five hours for this evening because it can’t be rushed.

At first, the campers talk about the adventures—ATVs, rappelling, scuba diving, and all the amazing trips. Others thank the staff and share about the friendships they built. Then, slowly, the conversation shifts. Boys begin to open up about their inner lives, what they gained, and how they’ve changed.

This is the hardest part. Teenagers are often taught to keep emotions locked inside, to just go with the flow. But once one camper opens the door, others find the courage to follow. Vulnerability becomes strength. Real growth only happens when you’re surrounded by true friends, guided by staff who don’t judge, and willing to be honest with yourself.

That’s what makes Sdei Chemed so special—the balance between adventure

and meaning. On one hand, the thrill of Israel trips: rafting down the Jordan River, hiking the Golan, exploring the Negev. On the other, the quieter moments: learning from rabbanim who are approachable and real, singing together at Shabbos, and connecting to Eretz Yisrael in a way no classroom can teach.

The staff aren’t just counselors— they’re role models. They make sure the boys have fun, but they also listen, guide, and inspire. Many campers leave with mentors they stay in touch with for years. And the friendships formed here don’t end when camp does. They turn into lifelong bonds—guys who show up for each other in yeshiva, at weddings, and throughout life.

The most rewarding part comes later, when parents and rabbanim share that the boy who returned from Sdei Chemed is not the same as the one who left. He’s more mature, more focused, and more confident. He may still act like a teenager, but inside, something has shifted— something lasting.

That’s what makes a summer at Sdei Chemed more than fun. It makes it a summer of growth.

DRS Freshmen Shabbaton

The excitement was palpable as the freshmen of DRS Yeshiva High School eagerly boarded buses last Thursday evening, bound for their annual Shabbaton at Camp Kaylie.

“The goal of the Shabbaton is to help everyone meet each other and foster a sense of achdut within the grade in an enjoyable and fun way,” said DRS Menahel Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky to the freshman class.

Upon arrival, students unpacked, davened Maariv, and headed to the gym for “Wacky Olympics,” where shiur-vs.-shiur competitions in various events gave each student a unique role. The night continued with a late-night barbecue, a kumzitz bonfire with s’mores, and pickup basketball in the gym with new friends.

Friday morning began with Shacharis, breakfast, and shiurim with the freshmen rebbeim. Students then had the choice of joining a competitive flag football tournament or accompanying Rabbi Weberman on a nature hike.

Throughout the day, they enjoyed Camp Kaylie’s spacious facilities, participating in go-karting, tennis, and pickleball before preparing for an amazing Shabbos ahead.

The 97 freshmen welcomed Shabbos with a beautiful Kabbalas Shabbos, followed by a festive seudah filled with zemirot and divrei Torah. Later, students competed in a shiur vs. shiur Family Feud game, and then enjoyed a

DRS-style tisch with Rabbi Kaminetsky and their rebbeim, filled with singing, cholent, kugel, and candy, as they experienced the joy and ruach of Shabbos as one united group.

The ruach continued the next morning with a lively Shacharis, kiddush, and thought-provoking shiurim. Shabbos lunch was filled with more zemirot and singing, after which students deepened their friendships and learned together in

Be My Guest

By Chaya Feldstein

Tishrei, a month that begins with awe amidst the joy; culminating with strength to face winter’s cold days by celebrating, “Ashreinu Ma Tov Chelkainu.” When we sing those words, have we thought about another word ending with “Nu?”: “Acheinu.”

It is both our responsibility and essential preparation to internalize the message of Acheinu—to truly embrace, with joy, the celebration and Siyum of our Torah HaKedosha. Each of us must ask ourselves a critical question: Do all our Acheinu—our brothers and sisters—feel that “our lot is good”? As we sing during that profound moment, “Ashreinu, mah tov chelkeinu”—how fortunate is our portion. Are we doing our part to ensure that those who may be alone during this season of joy are not left out of the celebration?

Sometimes, what’s closest to us goes unnoticed. Has someone new moved onto your block? Do you have a neighbor who may “seem” to have family but would still appreciate a warm invitation?

the Beis Medrash. As Shabbos drew to a close, Mincha and Shalosh Seudos were followed by an inspirational kumzitz, uniting the students in song and achdut as they ushered out Shabbos. After Maariv and Havdalah, the students returned home, uplifted and infused with a sense of ruach and achdut to carry with them for the year ahead.

Someone you sit near in shul? Someone you shop with at the local grocery store? A colleague? Someone you say morning brachos with? I’m getting specific to make it easier for you to think about who you can reach out to. They exist…and want to be included in a way of true family…the divorcees, widows, singles… Especially when our sukkah invites the Ushpizin in, the great mitzvah of Hachnosos Orchim beckons.

Sukkos, a time that we go out of our comfortable dining rooms to the buggy outdoors, what a more appropriate time post Yom HaDin and Yom Kappara to actualize our Kabbalos and extend ourselves – just a bit outside our comfort zone. How can I make another’s yom tov just slightly more enjoyable? Who can I reach out to, connect, befriend, invite?

Stay tuned for information regarding our 3rd annual Be My Guest night of inspiration, BE”H December 29th at the White Shul, we welcome Rabbi Joey Haber. For sponsorship opportunities, and general information please email bemyguest@whiteshul.com

Touro University Welcomes Benjamin Lowenthal as New Chief Financial Officer

Benjamin Lowenthal was appointed Chief Financial Officer for Touro University, Dr. Alan Kadish, Touro President announced recently. A seasoned leader with 35 years of experience in the world of higher education finance, Lowenthal most recently served as Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance and Chief Fiscal Officer at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. His previous roles include Associate Vice President of Financial Services at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Assistant Vice President of Finance at University of Maryland Global Campus.

“I am thrilled to be joining Touro University in the role of CFO. As one who

has spent my entire career in higher education finance, finding an opportunity to give back to my community in a university that is a perfect fit with my personal values is ideal. I look forward to working with Dr. Kadish and the entire Touro leadership team to elevate what is already an impressively successful institution to even greater heights, building on Touro’s solid financial results.”

At Towson, Lowenthal oversaw the university’s financial, technological and physical resources, managing a $650 million operating budget and a $700 million capital construction plan. Since 2018, he has led efforts to simplify, standardize, and automate business processes, including the implementation of a

new financial system and a revised budget process.

“Touro University is excited by the appointment of Benjamin Lowenthal who is a high caliber and highly skilled professional who is poised to empower continued growth of our dynamic institution of higher learning,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, Touro president.

Lowenthal is a Certified Public Accountant who earned his MBA in Finance from the University of Baltimore. He also studied at Ner Israel Rabbinical College as he pursued his baccalaureate and graduate degrees.

Lowenthal will officially join Touro in November and will work closely with long time Touro CFO Mel Ness during a

two-month transition period before assuming full responsibilities as CFO in January.

Ezra Academy Club Fair Kicks Off the Year with Energy and Excitement

Ezra Academy wasted no time in setting the tone for an incredible year, hosting an extraordinarily successful club fair during the very first week of school. The event, bursting with energy, music, and excitement, brought students together to explore Ezra’s ever-growing extracurricular offerings. The fair showcased the school’s commitment to providing opportunities for every student; whether their interests lean toward athletics, the arts, academics, or leadership.

Building on the momentum of recent years, Ezra proudly highlighted both new and established programs. Two years ago, the school launched a girls volley-

ball team and a chess team, which have quickly become staples of the extracurricular scene. This year, Ezra is thrilled

to introduce two more exciting additions: a boys soccer team and a robotics club. Both drew heavy interest from students eager to represent their school on the field and in competitions. Longtime favorites also enjoyed strong support—particularly the book club, which continues to grow, and the school newspaper, which emerged as one of the most popular signups at the fair.

Of course, the crown jewel of Ezra Academy’s extracurriculars remains the acclaimed Law Program. Its centerpiece, the Mock Trial team, has consistently been a source of pride and achievement for the school. Students not only gain an impressive understanding of the law but also get the unique opportunity to argue cases and present their skills in both state and federal courthouses. The excitement for this year’s team was undeniable, as new and returning students

flocked to sign up and join one of Ezra’s most prestigious traditions.

The fair itself was a celebration, run under the guidance of the school’s dynamic new Director of Programming, Rabbi Mittelman. Students were treated to festive music, cotton candy, popcorn, and snowcones as they eagerly signed up for their favorite clubs and teams. The energy was electric, with students excited not just to participate but to contribute to the life of their school community.

With every passing year, Ezra Academy grows stronger, continuing to nurture the diverse interests, talents, and passions of its students. The club fair was more than an event—it was a joyful reminder that Ezra is a place where every student can find their voice, their passion, and their community.

HANC Family Carnival

On Sunday morning, under a bright blue sky, the HANC family gathered at the brandnew Reinstein Family Campus in West Hempstead for the annual HANC Family Carnival. The energy was high as families filled the parking lot, and children’s eyes lit up at the sight of all the exciting activities waiting for them.

From our youngest three-year-olds to our middle school students, children had a wonderful time exploring the many activity stations designed to challenge their skills and coordination, all while having fun. Throughout the afternoon, they bounced on inflatables, tested their

aim in the Sports Zone, played interactive basketball, tried their luck at Midway Madness, and even enjoyed a round of miniature golf. Laughter filled the air as children slid down tropical slides, hopped through Candy Playland, and raced from one attraction to the next.

A special highlight this year was the Party Pets booth, where children could meet and interact with a variety of animals. Wide-eyed with curiosity, they had the chance to see, touch, and even hold turtles, tortoises, guinea pigs, bunnies, ferrets, several types of snakes, and even an armadillo! This exciting new addition brought wonder and delight to the day’s

festivities.

Of course, no carnival is complete without treats. Cotton candy, ices, and cold drinks kept everyone refreshed and smiling. At the welcome table, HANC’s Bnot Sherut, Renana Yeshurun and Maayan Hersko, greeted families warmly and presented each child with a HANC kippah or hair clip as a special “Welcome Back to HANC” gift.

The afternoon was filled with friendship, laughter, and community spirit. Families reconnected, children shared new adventures, and everyone enjoyed celebrating together in our spacious new three-acre campus.

Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, Head of HANC Nursery through Eighth grade reflected on the event: “Today’s carnival was a beautiful reminder of what it means to be part of the HANC family. As we gathered with our children, parents, and teachers, we lived the message of our theme for the year, Am Echad: Joining together, rising higher. When we come together as one community, we lift each other up, and our joy, our learning, and our connection to one another all rise to new heights. This is exactly the ruach we want to carry with us throughout the year.”

TJH Centerfold

Pyramid Scheme

Each hint represents a word. Each new word contains the same letters as the previous word, plus a new letter. Can you figure it out?

1) First letter of the English alphabet

2) Present; attending

3) Loves picnics

4) A small biter

5) Pro ballplayers have one

6) An attracting object

7) An article of clothing

8) A heated debate

6) Magnet; 7) Garment; 8) Argument

Answer: 1) A; 2) At; 3) Ant; 4) Gnat; 5) Agent;

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Little Johnny’s teacher asks him to make a sentence using the following words: defeat, deduct, defense and detail.

Little Johnny says, “De feet of de duck went over de fence before de tail.”

Riddle Me This

John tells Bob that he had just gone through the toughest time of his life.

“First, I got angina pectoris and then arteriosclerosis. Just as I was recovering from these, I got tuberculosis, double pneumonia and phthisis. They gave me hypodermics. Appendicitis was followed by tonsillectomy. These gave way to aphasia and hypertrophic cirrhosis. I completely lost my memory for a while. I know I had diabetes and acute ingestion, besides gastritis, rheumatism, lumbago and neuritis.”

Bob sympathizes and says, “Wow, I can’t imagine how many doctors you must have visited and how much pain you must have been in. Poor you.”

John responds, “What do you mean? I never visited any doctors or even stepped foot in a hospital and never had any pain. In fact, I was never sick a day in my life.”

John isn’t lying about anything. What’s going on here— how could John have had all these diseases and not receive treatment for them?

Answer: John was talking about a spelling test that he took.

Mind Games

1. Which inner circle is bigger?

2. Stare closely at this lightbulb for 25 seconds. Then immediately stare at a white wall or sheet of paper. What do you see?

3. Which side of the horizontal bar is a lighter shade of gray?

Answers: 1) They are the same size; 2) A glowing lightbulb; 3) Answer: If you cover everything but the bar itself, you will be able to see that it’s the same shade of gray throughout.

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayelech

By Rabbi Berel Wein z”l

The parsha of Vayelech is the parsha that contains the smallest number of verses – only thirty – of any other parsha in the Torah. It also is the parsha that usually coincides with Shabbos Shuva, the holy Shabbos between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The words of the parsha are part of the last testament of Moshe uttered on the day of his passing from this earth.

As is his wont, Moshe minces no

words regarding the fate of the Jewish people in its future story. Thus, the shortest parsha of the Torah is also one of the most powerful of all of the parshiyos of the Torah. In effect, Moshe warns his people that the L-rd will hold them accountable to the terms of the covenant of Sinai and that that covenant is irreversible and unbreakable.

It will take a long time and much twisting and turning by the Jewish peo -

ple before they accept that reality of covenantal responsibility. But Moshe assures them that eventually the message will set in and that this will be the basis for the Jewish return to G-d and His Torah. This is the essence of the parsha’s content. The brevity of the parsha only serves to enhance the power of its message.

There are certain self-evident truths that need no extra words, explanations or language. This parsha especially gains in power and relevance as Jewish

values. How is it possible to hope for a national return to the covenant of Sinai under such circumstances?

Our short parsha seems to indicate that it will be a process and not a sudden epiphany. The prophet in the haftorah indicates that such a process will be incomplete without the recognition that the false gods and temporarily popular ideals all have led nowhere. He echoes Moshe’s words in our parsha that return and repentance in a national sense can

The brevity of the parsha only serves to enhance the power of its message.

history unfolds over thousands of years. Every deviation from the covenant of Sinai has eventually brought with it angst and pain if not even disaster in the Jewish world. Just look around at Jewish society and history, and Moshe’s words are clearly vindicated by circumstances and events.

Personal repentance and return is far easier to achieve than is national repentance and return. The Jewish people, or at least a significant part of it, has strayed very far away from the covenant of Sinai. The situation here in Israel is far better than it is in the Diaspora where intermarriage, ignorance, alienation and false gods have eroded Jewish faith, family, self-identity and

only occur if there is a realization how badly we have gone astray.

The great challenge of the modern culture upon us is how pervasive it is in every facet of our lives. The confusion that this engenders in the Jewish people prevents clear thinking, accurate judgment and honest assessments of true Jewish values versus current faddish correctness.

Our parsha is short, but our way back is long and rigorous. In this good and blessed year that has just begun let us start and continue that journey that leads back to Sinai and forwards to complete national redemption.

Shabbat shalom and gmar chasima tova.

From the Fire

Yom Kippur Neila Abandoning Self-Deception

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

Rabbeinu Bachaya says that the purpose of everything one does during the day is the Torah we learn at night and that the ultimate purpose of the Torah we learn at night is to prepare ourselves for Shabbos. He continues that the purpose of all of the Shabbosim of the year is to prepare one to reach the Yomim Tovim. And the purpose of all of the Yomim Tovim is to enable one to prepare for Rosh Hashana and the ten days of teshuva. But the purpose of Rosh Hashana and the ten days of teshuva is to prepare for Yom Kippur, and the purpose of all of Yom Kippur is to reach that one last hour of Yom Kippur: Neila. The pinnacle of Neila is when we call out, with a whole heart and with simplicity, “Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echad!” and “Hashem Hu HaElokim! Hashem is G-d!”

The pasuk we quote (Melachim 1:18:39), “Hashem is G-d!” is from the Jewish people’s reaction to Eliyahu Hanavi’s showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Eliyahu Hanavi used that opportunity to rebuke the Jewish people for lacking any sense of embarrassment at the double life they were leading. He told them (Melachim 1:18:21), “How long will you dance on two sides of the fence?! If Hashem is G-d, go after Him! And if Baal is, go after him!” On one hand, they were Jewish and kept mitzvos, but on the other hand, they were immersed in one of the basest forms of idol worship. He wanted to imbue them with a sensitivity to such contradictions. Even if they were not perfect, they should at least feel embarrassed when they serve the Baal and see it as a contradiction to the holiness they longed for as Jews.

Because this recognition that Hash-

em is G-d is the culmination of Neila, it means that if we focus on nothing else at Neila, it must be this recognition of the truth. While cultivating a feeling of embarrassment and shame is not in vogue these days, it is critical to living a meaningful life. As the Gemara (Nedarim 20a) says, quoting the pasuk in Shemos (20:16), “‘In order that fear of Him should be upon your faces’ refers to embarrassment; ‘in order that you not sin,’ teaches that embarrassment brings to fear of sin.” We cannot continue pre -

tending that the aveiros we do are nothing and do not pose a contradiction to righteousness and attachment to G-d.

Several times throughout Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we say the piyut, “Supernal King,” in which we contrast the true King’s splendor with the “impoverished king,” man. The paytan tells each of us with our little fiefdoms, “You dwell amidst deception.” We indulge in whatever our weaknesses are but deceive ourselves into not realizing that our indiscretions are incompatible with

our true aspirations.

A person must be sensitive to the contradiction of davening Mincha from the same electronic device on which he looks at things at which a Jew is forbidden to gaze or on which he has wasted so much time with idle entertainment. If it were permitted, many people would download the Machzor and daven from them on Yom Kippur as well!

We so often fail to recognize the contradictions we live with. We must live with the simple recognition that Hashem is G-d, and He sees everything. In our lives of deception, we may delete our browsing history and think that we have fooled our wives, won’t get caught, and have erased what we have looked at. But we cannot deceive G-d. He sees everything. Recognition of this fact is the simplest element of faith.

Our tefillos at Neila have such potential. We do not have to promise Hashem that we will not sin at all in the coming year; that we will be like the Chofetz Chaim, the Chazon Ish, or the Baal Shem Tov. Nor could we. But it would bring such blessings down into the world and into our lives if we simply said to Hashem, “I’m not going to live a lie anymore. I can’t promise that I won’t slip up again this year, but I’m not going to live in my little kingdom of deception anymore. I won’t live a lie. If I fail, I will at least feel a little embarrassed about it.”

There is a whole crop of deeply spiritual musicians in Eretz Yisroel, many of whom are baalei teshuva through Breslov. One of them, Amichai Chasone, expresses this feeling so beautifully in his song “Aba Yakar,” “Precious Father” in an album called “Alma,” “World.” In this song, he sings, “For me to cross the

imaginary boundary I have created for myself, I must, I must be true. And if I do not have truth, there is no faith. And this hurts me. It hurts me, precious Father!” This is exactly the feeling we must have. We must recognize the truth.

One of the great tzaddikim of our generation was the Bobover Rebbe, Reb Shlomo’le. Anyone who has met Reb Shlomo’le is fortunate, and one can even inspire himself to do teshuva just by looking at a picture of him. The Rebbe survived the war with his son Naftul’che, and the two of them originally settled in the Upper West Side. After the war, the Rebbe was so broken he felt he had no strength to attempt to build up Bobov chassidus again and wanted to live the rest of his life learning in the back of a beis medrash somewhere, were it not for the Satmar Rav’s encouragement and chizuk. At the beginning, he and his son started a little shtiebel in the Upper West Side. It was so small, they sometimes did not even have a minyan.

One Friday night, the Bobover Rebbe was in the street looking for a tenth man for Kabbalas Shabbos and Maariv, and he spotted someone he thought was Jewish, so he said to him in Yiddish, “Come, we need a tenth man for the minyan.” Initially, the man refused, but the Rebbe insisted, so the man, Yankel, told him, “You know, back home, I was the baal tefila, I led davening. So I will join you if I can lead the davening.” The Rebbe complimented him, telling him that they were fortunate to have found someone to lead the davening. The few chassidim in the shtiebel were a bit put off since it appeared this man, a fellow survivor, was not at all observant. But the Rebbe invited him to lead, so he led the davening.

The following Friday night, Yankel did not wait to be invited to shul or to lead the davening. He walked right into shul and straight up to his place and began leading Kabbalas Shabbos. The next morning, it was the same thing, and he led Shabbos morning davening as well. This went on for several weeks, and the regular attendees in shul began to get more and more annoyed. It was clear that this man was not even observant, yet he walked straight into shul to lead the davening every week. Then, one Friday night, Yankel did not show up. The Rebbe waited a little bit for him, but they eventually started davening without him. He did not show up to shul on Shabbos morning either. Worried, the Rebbe asked his son Naftul’che and his

friend to go find Yankel. They initially protested, pointing out to the Rebbe that this was Manhattan and not Bobov. They had no idea where to look. But the Rebbe insisted, so they went out.

Naftul’che and his friend went to a nearby park, and lo and behold, they found Yankel right away, sitting, reading a newspaper, and smoking. This confirmed what they already knew:

kel, the one who led the davening in the Upper West Side.” The Rebbe was overjoyed! He hugged and kissed the man and asked him what brought him to Boro Park. Yankel placed an envelope in front of the Rebbe and told him that he was making a chasuna and wanted to invite the Rebbe. The Rebbe told him on the spot that he would be there and then turned to his son Naftul’che and

We so often fail to recognize the contradictions we live with.

that Yankel was not at all observant. Not wanting to embarrass him by approaching him and “catching” him in the act of smoking on Shabbos, they returned and told the Rebbe that they had found Yankel. “Well, where is he?” They answered that they had found him smoking.

But the Rebbe argued, “No, he was not smoking.” But the Rebbe’s son, Naftul’che, told his father that indeed, they were fairly close to him and got a good look. It really was Yankel.

“No, that wasn’t Yankel smoking. You made a mistake.”

Naftul’che’s friend spoke up, confirming that indeed, it was Yankel, and that he recognized him and saw him smoking on Shabbos.

The Rebbe told them, “No, Yankel was not smoking. The ‘Daitsche,’ the German, the Nazi, was smoking. It wasn’t Yankel. Now go get Yankel.”

They were bewildered and did not fully comprehend what Reb Shlomo’le was saying. But they went back to the park only to find that Yankel had already left. They returned to the shtiebel and told their father, who was very upset and disappointed. Yankel never did return to the shtiebel.

The Rebbe went on to move to Crown Heights, and then Boro Park, where he began slowly rebuilding the Bobov dynasty. About thirty years after Reb Shlomo’le’s time in the Upper West Side, he was making a weekday tisch with hundreds of chassidim, and a new face walked into the room crowned with a beautiful beard and peyos. The man approached the Rebbe and asked, “Do you remember me?” The Rebbe looked at him and thought but could not place the face. The man explained, “I’m Yan-

told him, “See, I told you it was the German smoking. Not Yankel.”

We are also damaged by the coarseness of this world. While none of us can compare what we have been through to what Yankel and the Bobover Rebbe went through in the war, what we have been through has put us in a position

where we find ourselves doing things that do not reflect who we really are. We must hear the voice of Reb Shlomo’le of Bobov saying to us, “It’s not really you. It’s the German. The evil inclination. The other side.”

Let’s be honest about what we’re doing wrong but recognize who we really are. Our mistakes are not who we are. They are a departure from our essence, our true goals.

May we merit to daven with truth and keep in mind that while we cannot promise G-d that we will be perfect, we can resolve to end the lies and abandon our little kingdoms of deception. May we merit to see the return of the Navi who taught us sensitivity to the truth and an intolerance for living a life of contradictions, Eliyahu Hanavi, with the coming of Moshiach, may it be soon in our days.

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

The Soul of Yom Kippur

By Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

Kol Nidrei, recited at the onset of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, is likely the most universally known segment of Jewish liturgy. However, looking in the machzor, we see that the words of Kol Nidrei are not the first to be recited as part of the Yom Kippur service. As an introduction to Kol Nidrei , a single verse is recited: “Ohr zarua l’tzaddik u’l’yishrei lev simcha, Light is sown for the righteous; and for the upright of heart, gladness” (Tehillim 97:11). What is the significance of this verse? And what is its relevance to Yom Kippur?

Let us turn our attention to the conclusion of Maseches Yoma, the tractate focusing on the halachos pertaining to Yom Kippur. Its final Mishnah, however, rather than outlining any specific halacha, offers a message of eternal hope: “R’ Akiva said: ‘Fortunate are you, Yisrael! Before Whom do you become purified, and Who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven!’”

This teaching of R’ Akiva is considered so seminal that the Chasam Sofer expounded upon it annually in his drasha for Kol Nidrei , and his student, R’ Chaim Sofer, the Machaneh Chaim, continued this practice.

There are a few points to take note of here. The first is that the author of this statement is R’ Akiva, and that cannot be happenstance. That R’ Akiva should issue this teaching is certainly laden with deep meaning.

The second point is the reference to Hashem as “Avichem ShebaShamayim, your Father in Heaven.” There are many appellations for Hashem; why is it that in the context of Yom HaKippurim we refer to Him as “Father in Heaven”?

The latter issue can be explained by the words of R’ Chaim Palagi. He writes, “Yom HaKippurim, which atones for the sins of Bnei Yisrael, clearly reflects that we maintain the status of children [to Hashem].” R’ Chaim Palagi is clearly articulating that the purification we experience on Yom HaKippurim is deeply connected with the idea of our being Hashem’s children. Based on this recognition, it is quite appropriate that the reference to Hashem in the context of Yom HaKippurim should connote fatherhood.

Hillula of Rashbi

Let us digress to a very different date on the Jewish calendar: Lag BaOmer. R’ Shimon bar Yochai, Rashbi, is the focus of Lag BaOmer, as our tradition is that Lag BaOmer is his yahrtzeit. Across the globe, Jews of all strata dance around bonfires, celebrating the day marking the passing of Rashbi. Upon closer examination, this practice seems bewildering. The Shulchan Aruch lists several days that are worthy of being fasts, as they are the yahrtzeit s of great tzaddikim. The list includes the yahrtzeit s of Nadav

and Avihu on 1 Nissan, Miriam HaNeviah on 10 Nissan, Yehoshua bin Nun on 26 Nissan, and many others. Clearly, the day of a tzaddik’s passing is to be mourned, not celebrated. Why, then, do we make an exception for R’ Shimon bar Yochai? Why do we celebrate a day that should be one of mourning?

R’ Tzaddok HaKohen explains as follows, based upon the comments of the Midrash which explicates the pasuk (Koheles 12:11), “The words of the wise are like goads, and the nails well driven are the sayings of the masters of collections”: “When are the words of the sages well driven into the hearts of the students? Upon the passing of the teachers. Namely, one is able to internalize his rebbi’s Torah only after his rebbi passes.”

R’ Tzaddok writes that this teaching applies only to those who instill Torah Shebe’al Peh in their talmidim. Unlike Torah Shebichsav, the Oral Torah exists fundamentally in a person’s heart rather than in a particular text. Upon the passing of a rebbi who transmitted Torah Shebe’al Peh, the students’ dedication to internalizing his teachings merits an added comprehension of its depth and meaning.

The tzaddikim whose passing we mourn, writes R’ Tzaddok, are those who taught Torah Shebichsav. The list provided by the Shulchan Aruch includes the yahrtzeits of Moshe Rabbeinu, Aharon HaKohen, Miriam HaNeviah, the sons of Aharon, and so on, all of whom were transmitters of Torah in the era of Torah Shebich-

sav. Since their teachings live on in the text, their demise does not elicit any deepening of understanding.

However, writes R’ Tzaddok, R’ Shimon bar Yochai was a student of R’ Akiva, considered the predominant figure in the world of Torah Shebe’al Peh. In fact, the Gemara (Sanhedrin 86a) tells us that all of Mishnah, Tosefta , Sifra , Sifri — unless explicitly attributed to a specific Tanna — originates from the Torah of R’ Akiva. Since R’ Shimon was his student, R’ Shimon’s death reflects the passing of one who has taught the world Torah Shebe’al Peh, which, as the Midrash tells us, results in a deeper understanding of the rebbi’s Torah. Therefore, each year on Lag BaOmer, we gain an added level of insight into R’ Shimon’s Torah, an event well worth celebrating.

R’ Tzaddok’s explanation begs the question: If we celebrate the passing of R’ Shimon because he was a student of R’ Akiva, why don’t we celebrate the passing of R’ Akiva himself? R’ Tzaddok answers that R’ Akiva was martyred by the Romans, and so tragic an ending is not to be celebrated.

Greatest Day of Joy

But perhaps one can suggest that the day of R’ Akiva’s passing is indeed considered a great festival, based on a Yalkut Shimoni implying that R’ Akiva’s passing took place on Yom HaKippurim. In fact, the Gemara (Taanis 26b) quotes a Baraisa stating, “There were no Yamim Tovim for Yisrael such as Yom HaKippurim and the fifteenth day of Av.”

What emerges is that indeed, the yahrtzeit of R’ Akiva is one of the greatest festivals in the Jewish calendar. The Gemara (ibid. 30a) explains that the reason for the great joy of Yom Kippur is that we received the second set of Luchos on that day. But in view of the above concept, perhaps an additional element to the joy of Yom Kippur is that we gain insight into the vast ocean of Torah revealed by R’ Akiva.

If Yom HaKippurim is R’ Akiva’s day, this may explain why we read about the Ten Martyrs as part of the Yom Kippur liturgy. Since R’ Akiva, the most prominent of the Ten Martyrs, was killed on Yom Kippur, it is a very appropriate commemoration.

We can now explain why R’ Akiva is the one to issue the final teaching in Maseches Yoma , “Fortunate are you, Yisrael! Before Whom do you become purified, and Who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven!” As this statement encapsulates the power of Yom Kippur, it is specifically expressed by R’ Akiva, who is inextricably bound with the soul of the day. With the above, we can ex-

plain why, at the onset of Yom HaKippurim, we recite the pasuk, “Ohr zarua l’tzaddik u’l’yishrei lev simcha, Light is sown for the righteous; and for the upright of heart, gladness.” The sefer Ohr Zarua , written by one of the Rishonim, R’ Yitzchak MiVina (Vienna), writes in the introduction that he called the sefer Ohr Zarua because of an insight he had into the verse, “Ohr zarua l’tzaddik u’l’yishrei lev simcha.” The final letter of each word, he uncovers, spells “R’ Akiva.” (He deduces that this is proof that the name “Akiva” should be spelled with a hei at the end rather than an aleph.)

In gratitude to Hashem for enlightening him to this revelation, he titled the sefer Ohr Zarua .

Teshuva comes from a place so lofty and exalted, it can be revealed only by Hashem Himself.

punishment?… They asked Torah, what is a sinner’s punishment?

The Midrash describes how each one responded with a different verse suggesting what punishment should be in store for the sinner:

Chochmah said, “Chata’im t’radeif ra’ah, evil pursues sinners” (Mishlei 13:21); Nevuah said, “Hanefesh ha’choteis hi tamus, the soul that sins — it should die (Yechezkel 18:4); Torah said, “He shall bring an offering and be forgiven.”

Finally, the Midrash says:

They asked Hakadosh Baruch Hu: What is a sinner’s punishment? He told them, “He should do teshuva and he will be forgiven.”

We see from here that teshuva comes from a place so lofty and exalted, it can be revealed only by Hashem Himself.

We can explain that when the Midrash tells us that Torah did not recognize teshuva, this is a reference to Torah Shebichsav. However, it is the power of Torah Shebe’al Peh that affords us this Divine insight; through Torah Shebe’al Peh, we are able to perceive a principle that is not explicitly written.

As mentioned above, R’ Akiva stands at the very core of the Torah Shebe’al Peh. Since the secret of teshuvah is channeled through Torah Shebe’al Peh, R’ Akiva is considered the champion of teshuvah.

We can now understand why, in that final Mishnah in Yoma, R’ Akiva chose to reference Hashem specifically as “Avichem shebaShamayim.” Teshuva is a gift reserved for Hashem’s children, since “a father who forgoes his honor, his honor is forgone” (Kiddushin 32a). Since teshuva calls upon Hashem’s role as a Father, it is appropriate that R’ Akiva should use this appellation in the context of Yom HaKippurim.

For our purposes, we can suggest that this is the reason we recite the pasuk of Ohr zarua l’tzaddik at the threshold of Yom Kippur. Since the pasuk hints at R’ Akiva, and R’ Akiva is deeply connected to the essence of the day, we allude to him right at the onset of Yom Kippur. [I was delighted when I subsequently discovered that R’ Chaim Sofer offered the same reason for the inclusion of this verse in the Kol Nidrei service.]

Teshuvah and Torah Shebe’al Peh

The Yalkut Shimoni lends a fascinating insight into the power of teshuva:

They asked Chochmah, what is a sinner’s punishment?… They asked Nevuah, what is a sinner’s

And it is now also understandable why R’ Akiva should be the one to reveal this teaching. As we learned, R’ Akiva takes the position that “either way, we are called children.” In fact, we learned earlier that R’ Meir, who was a student of R’ Akiva, presumably inculcated this very idea from his saintly rebbi. Moreover, on Yom HaKippurim, the day of R’ Akiva’s passing, his worldview that we are always considered the beloved children of Hashem is etched into the hearts of the Jewish people.

Yom Kippur and teshuva share the common fundamental theme espoused by the saintly Tanna R’ Akiva, that we are eternally Hashem’s children. And thus, indeed, R’ Akiva declares: Fortunate are you, Yisrael! Before Whom do you become purified, and Who purifies you?

Your Father in Heaven!

This article has been printed from Rebbi Meir Baal Haness and the Eternal Children of Hashem by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein, published by Artscroll.

The great Mashgiach, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, had an incredible metaphor to explain Yom Kippur. In a way, it’s difficult to understand the Ten Days between Rosh Hashana and Kippur even before we get to Yom Kippur. We are told to take on chumros – stringencies –that we will drop right after Neilah. On Yom Kippur itself we become like angels, yet we sometimes have difficulty even being decent human beings afterward, let alone angels. The question is, why do we make believe for ten days and then return to our old selves?

Reb Chatzkel said that Yom Kippur is like going for an ID photograph. We don’t do it every day, just every couple of years. However, that picture is what defines us. Whether it is for a passport, driver’s license or another reason, we try to look our best. We will be showing it hundreds of times, and we don’t want to look silly or odd. We know that we don’t always look so serious or even thoughtful, but this is how we will present ourselves for a long time.

That is Yom Kippur. Hashem allows us time to look in the mirror, fix ourselves up and do our best, hoping that some of the preparation will last until the next picture.

With some trepidation, I would like to add a bit to Reb Chatzkel’s brilliant “portrait.” Since I have the privilege of being a kohen, and we Kohanim will be duchaning many times over the next month, I am thinking about what we will recite after we utter the ancient blessings. We pray to Hashem that He look down from the heavens and bless His people and children. The word we use is hashkifah. The problem is that Chazal (see Rashi and Medrash to Bereishis 18:16) teach that, in general, this word means to analyze critically, and it usually results in some punishment or at least unpleasantness. Why don’t we use the word habeit, which seems to mean the same thing but carries no negative connotations?

I believe that the answer is that we know that we must be judged sooner or

Torah Thought Taking Yom Kippur Along With Us

By Rav Yaakov Feitman

later. It is a part of the human condition and our commitment to being tested periodically, just as students know that they will occasionally have to show what they have learned and absorbed. Therefore, we might as well take the test when we are reasonably prepared and can demonstrate that we have indeed gained something from our learning process. That is why we recite the word hashkifah. Although the angels who destroyed Sedom used this term (Bereishis, ibid) to indicate culpability and eventually even execution, we, on the other hand, are grateful to have been granted the moment we are in front of the Aron Kodesh, wearing our tallis and acting our very best. This, I believe, is what the Mashgiach is teaching us. It is OK to realize that Yom Kippur is only one day in the year, but if we even borrow a bit of it for the rest of the year, we will have made our “photo op” pay off.

The Chazon Ish taught this lesson in another brilliant way. He points out that by reciting the Avodah of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur, we actually follow in his footsteps. Just as he entered the Holy of Holies four times during the day, so too we oscillate between being permeated with kedushah in the holiest of places and the outside mundane world. We have ups and downs, but we absorb kedushah and taharah – holiness and

purity – every time we enter and emerge. Indeed, we have no intention to fast every day – the Torah only gives us one fast day – but we will hope to retain some of the madraigos, the incredible spiritual heights, for a long time.

The Tiferes Yisrael adds that the Kodesh Hakodoshim is so holy that it is impossible to have profane thoughts or even prayers in there. We can only daven there for spiritual attainments. We, too, who have grown and gained ruchniyos from this special day cannot help but be better all year long. The beloved Magid, Rav Shabsi Yudelevitch examined Yom Kippur Machzorim from the 1973 War. The pages from Shacharis and Musaf had the expected amount of tear-laden tefillos. However, the ones from Mincha and Neilah were virtually drenched with the waves of weeping from every Jewish heart. Rav Shabsi later expressed the lament, echoing Yirmiyahu, that had we cried before the Churban, perhaps the Bais Hamikdash wouldn’t have been destroyed. We, too, should try to seize the opportunity to enter the Holy of Holies with the Kohen Gadol to beg Hashem to eliminate the antisemitism in the world, to cause Klal Yisrael to be seen favorably by all, to release the hostages from their agony, and to bring each individual the yeshuos he requires.

One of the wonderful Arachim kiruv rechokim leaders recalls meeting a secular kibbutznik in shul on Yom Kippur. This member of a Shomer Hatzair anti-religious group “accidentally” wandered into a Yom Kippur davening and later related what happened. He whispered to the Creator, “I don’t know how to pray and I don’t know what to pray for, but I only ask You to show me a sign and I will try to follow.” That Yom Kippur he didn’t even fast, but he soon began to have strong longings to return. Slowly, with the help of Arachim, he did and became a fully religious Baal Teshuvah.

We don’t have to go through that exact process, but we should ask Hashem to help us carry Yom Kippur with us in our hearts so that the coming year will be better, loftier, holier and help us achieve all that we have inside of our profound potential.

One of the perennial questions which come up after every Yom Kippur is why we say, “V’Hu rachum yechaper avon –He the merciful One is forgiving and does not destroy,” at the first Maariv after Yom Kippur. What are we afraid of? What sin have we done since our powerful prayers from Kol Nidrei to Neilah? Rav Shlomo Wolbe answers that if we drew a breath of relief after Yom Kippur, we sang, we danced, we recited Kiddush Levanah, and we are done and can return to “norma” – for that we must ask forgiveness. If, however, Yom Kippur has made a permanent impact upon us and we are actually changed at least somewhat, the voice from heaven will indeed announce, as the Medrash promises, “Go eat your bread for you have grown and you are forgiven.” Then we can go forward to the joyous time of zman simchaseinu, G-d willing, b’meheirah b’yameinu.

A gmar chasimah tova to all.

Rav Yaakov Feitman is the rav of Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi in Cedarhurst, NY.

Think. Feel.Grow.

Flying Amongst Angels

By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

Aspeaker once started his seminar by holding up a $100 bill.

“Who would like this $100 bill?” he asked.

Every hand in the room went up.

The speaker looked around, and then crumpled the bill in his hand.

“Who wants it now?” he asked.

Every hand in the room remained in the air.

“Well,” he continued, “what about now?” He dropped the bill on the ground and stomped on it with his shoe.

He picked up the now crumpled and dirty bill and showed it to the crowd.

“Who still wants it?”

Every hand was still up in the air.

“My friends, you have just experienced a very powerful lesson. No matter what I do to this money, no matter how crumpled or muddy it gets, it does not decrease in value. Many times in our lives, life has a way of crumpling us up and grinding us in the dirt. We make bad decisions, or deal with poor circumstances, and we begin to feel worthless. We feel that Hashem has abandoned us, that He no longer values us. But no matter what has happened, and no matter what will happen, you will never lose your value. You were created b’tzelem Elokim, and nothing can change that.”

Yom Kippur: A Mysterious Day

As we approach Yom Kippur, we recognize that it is unquestionably one of the most important days of the year. And yet, in many ways, it is a mystery. While one might assumedly categorize it as a day of suffering and sadness, Chazal refer to Yom Kippur as a spiritually uplifting day of atonement and rebirth (Taanis 4:8). There is even an element of the day that is associated with the happiness of Purim (Yom “Ki”-Purim, a day like Purim). At the same time, though, it is a fast day. We normally characterize fast days as times of mourning and sadness, such as Shiva Asar B’Tamuz and Tisha B’Av. How is Yom

Kippur different, and what is the nature of this day?

Our Inner Struggle

Arguably the most important concept in life, though often misunderstood, is the nature of the soul. Most people believe that they “have” a soul, some spiritual essence they possess within themselves. However, the deeper Jewish sources reveal a profound spiritual secret: you don’t have a soul, you are a soul. In other words, the soul is not an aspect of your self or some spiritual component of your being – it is your very self. You are a soul, a consciousness, a spiritual being. When you say “I,” you are referring to your soul, your inner sense of self. You have a body, emotions, and an intellect, all different aspects and expressions of your soul. But you are a soul, a neshama, an infinitely expansive consciousness.

A soul is angelic, perfect, pure, and transcendent. This is what Chazal refer to as your “fetal self,” when you were still in the womb, just before entering this physical world (Niddah 30b). However, the moment one enters this physical world, the infinite expansiveness of the soul is confined within the physical body. The body is the container of the soul, but it is also the soul’s vehicle

and tool, allowing the soul to manifest its will in this world. This is our mission in life. We enter this world with an undeveloped vehicle, our limited body. The soul, our existential self, is already perfect, but we don’t yet have access to the fullness of our true self. As we journey through life, we tap into greater and greater aspects of our soul, our self, and we must then manifest them into the world through our physical bodies. In doing so, we uplift our physical vessels, and enable them to tap into greater and greater aspects of our true self. This is the beautiful cycle of life, the endless expansion and expression of self into this physical world.

While this perspective is both powerful and fundamental, its implementation is elusive and perhaps humanity’s most central struggle. Many people believe that they are a body, a physical, finite being. Having forgotten our true selves, we are born with the illusory belief that we are only that which we can see. We look in the mirror, seeing only flesh and bone, and we believe that this is all that we are.

However, this is merely our starting point. The turning point in life is the moment we realize that we are angelic souls in a physical casing. We are not physical beings attempting to have a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings trying to

uplift our physical experience. This is the central theme of Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is the one day of the year when we completely free ourselves of our physical limitations, embracing our angelic self. This day embodies true teshuva, when we return to our ultimate root, to our spiritual, perfect self. Chazal characterize Yom Kippur as the one day of the year when we have the ability to become a malach, an angel. On this day, our lower self and physical urges are powerless. They cannot bring us down.

They formulate this idea through the following gematria: “Ha’Satan,” the evil inclination, has the numerical value of 364. There are 365 days in the year, but the Satan only has power on 364 of those days. Yom Kippur is the one day where the Satan, the Yetzer Hara, has no power over you. On this day, you can completely transcend and experience angelic perfection (Yoma 20a).

Why Do We Fast?

There is a paradoxical relationship between the body and the soul:

• Your soul, which is your “self,” is transcendent, infinite, and purely spiritual. You cannot see, smell, or touch the consciousness, the mind. You will never see someone else’s inner world.

• The body, however, is finite, limited, and physical. Your soul will never die, but your body will eventually age and wither. If the soul and body are complete opposites, how do they manage to coexist as one? One would expect them to repel each other, like two opposite sides of a magnet. This is the powerful purpose of food. There needs to be something to keep your soul attached to your body, some kind of “glue.” Eating food generates the energy which keeps your neshama connected to your body. That is why the lack of eating has the opposite effect. What happens when you don’t eat? You become faint. What happens if you continue to fast? You will pass out. And if you still don’t eat,

your soul will leave your body and you will die. Eating maintains the connection between your soul and your body; it is what keeps you alive.

This is the depth behind the phrase “u’mafli la’asos, Who performs wonders,” that we recite in Asher Yatzar (the blessing we recite after using the bathroom). What “wonder” are we referring to? The Beis Yosef suggests that it is the wonderous paradox that our soul, infinitely transcendent, can remain connected to our bodies, a physical, finite vessel. We mention this specifically after using the bathroom because we have just filtered out the unneeded parts of what we ate or drank, the very means of forging the connection between body and soul.

We can now understand the concept of fasting, especially on the day of Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, we attempt to live as malachim, completely transcending the physical world. We therefore fast, allowing our soul to somewhat transcend our body, enabling us to experience one day of living in an angelic state.

This principle sheds light on all the issurim of Yom Kippur. We don’t engage in the physical world because Yom Kippur is a day of transcending the physical aspects of the human experience.

The Opportunity of Yom Kippur

This is the unique opportunity that Yom Kippur presents: to transcend, to experience the infinite. Unlike other fast days, it is not a day of suffering and mourning, but one of spiritual transcendence. As the famous quote goes: “On Tisha B’Av, who can eat? On Yom Kippur, who needs

something higher. Our goal as humans is not to escape the physical but to use it as a means of connecting to the transcendent.

This is the key behind the process we undertake throughout the Yamim Noraim. We first experience Elul, then Rosh Hashana, and then Yom Kippur, a developmental process of elevating ourselves higher and higher above the physical world and deeper

Yom Kippur is a day of transcending the physical aspects of the human experience.

to?” This is why the Rambam (Hilchos Shevisas He’Asor 1:4) states that on Yom Kippur we “rest” from eating. This is not a day of prohibition and suffering, it is one of completely embracing the spiritual, tapping into our absolute root, our truest sense of self.

The transcendent experience of Yom Kippur lays the foundation for the rest of the year. While the physical can be destructive if misused, the ideal is not to completely transcend the physical but rather to use the physical in order to reflect

and deeper into the spiritual world. Only once we establish this transcendent root can we then re-immerse ourselves into the physical world, but this time on an entirely new level. Sukkos, which immediately follows Yom Kippur, embodies this lesson in embracing the physical. Our root must be transcendent, grounded firmly in the spiritual, and then atop that foundation we can descend into the physical and use it in a transcendent way.

May we be inspired to fully experience our angelic selves this Yom Kippur and

then infuse the totality of our spiritual acquisition into our physical life, elevating our actions and intentions as we move this physical world towards its ultimate spiritual root.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the author of the bestselling book, “The Journey to Your Ultimate Self,” which serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is an educator and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. He is also the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah.

After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago.

To invite Rabbi Reichman to speak in your community or to enjoy more of his deep and inspiring content, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

Headlines Halacha

When Terror Sponsors Masquerade as Peacemakers

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness”

(Yeshayahu 5:20)

The holy prophet Isaiah once said these prescient words. But then Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi doesn’t read or learn Isaiah. His oped in a recent Washington Post represents perhaps the most breathtakingly shameless attempt at historical revisionism since Baghdad Bob insisted American tanks weren’t in Baghdad. Qatar’s minister of state has the titanium-plated chutzpah to position his terror-funding nation as an innocent mediator while conveniently forgetting to mention the $1.8 billion his country has shoveled into Hamas coffers since 2012. What a way to celebrate the bar mitzvah year of giving billions to murderers, kidnappers and criminals – gaslighting with a Georgetown letterhead and a Washington Post byline!

The “Trusted Mediator” Myth

Al-Khulaifi opens by painting Qatar as a “trusted mediator” for decades— apparently with the same straight face one might use to describe Al Capone as a “trusted tax advisor.” What he conveniently forgets to mention is that Qatar has been simultaneously playing both sides of virtually every conflict it claims to mediate. You can’t be a neutral arbitrator when you’re actively bankrolling one of the parties to the tune of billions of dollars. That’s not mediation—that’s money laundering with diplomatic immunity and a fancy business card.

The minister’s claim that “successive U.S. administrations” have called for Qatar’s help rings hollow when we examine the documented evidence. Yes, the Obama administration did request that Qatar host Hamas leadership in 2011, but that was before the full scope of Qatar’s financial support for terrorism became clear. Even then, U.S. officials like David

Cohen, Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, were publicly calling out Qatar for allowing designated terrorist financiers to “live freely” in the country.

The Sovereignty Smokescreen

Al-Khulaifi’s outrage over Israel’s “violation of sovereignty” would be touching if it weren’t so spectacularly hypocritical. This is coming from a nation that has spent decades bankrolling violations of Israeli sovereignty in the form of thousands of rockets, suicide bombings, and tunnel networks designed specifically to murder innocent civilians. When Qatar finances Hamas rockets that land in Israeli kindergartens and hospitals, where exactly is their tender concern for sovereignty? When Qatari money builds terror tunnels used to massacre families in their beds, does sovereignty suddenly become as flexible as Qatar’s definition of “humanitarian aid”?

The minister’s comparison to the U.S. operation against Osama bin Laden is deliciously ironic—but not in the way he intends. Al-Khulaifi seems to have forgotten that America was absolutely right to hunt down bin Laden in Pakistan, sovereignty be darned. When terrorists hide behind

borders while orchestrating mass murder, those borders become meaningless. Just as Pakistan’s harboring of bin Laden made it a legitimate target for counterterrorism operations, Qatar’s decade-plus VIP treatment of Hamas leadership while writing them billion-dollar checks makes it complicit in terrorism, not a neutral mediator. The only difference is that America had the moral clarity to act decisively—something Qatar apparently finds deeply offensive when applied to their pet terrorists.

The Hamas Office:

A Feature, Not a Bug

Perhaps the most jaw-droppingly audacious claim in Al-Khulaifi’s piece is that the Hamas office in Doha exists merely to “enable indirect communication”—like claiming Las Vegas casinos exist merely to provide ambient lighting. This conveniently ignores the Everest-sized mountain of evidence showing that this office has served as Hamas’s Club Med headquarters, coordinating not just diplomacy but terrorist operations from luxury suites with room service. The Hamas leadership in Qatar has been more “stubborn and hardline” than those in Gaza precisely because they’re operating from positions of air-conditioned comfort and

Swiss bank account safety—all funded by Qatari oil money and served with a side of five-star amenities.

When Al-Khulaifi claims that Israeli leaders have “engaged through this office,” he’s technically correct but fundamentally misleading—like saying the Titanic successfully transported passengers across the Atlantic. Israel engaged through Qatar because it was the only available channel, not because Qatar was neutral. It’s like praising a mob boss for occasionally arranging prisoner exchanges while continuing to run protection rackets on both sides of town.

The Humanitarian Aid Shell Game

The minister’s mention of “medicine, fuel and other aid supplies” glosses over the well-documented fact that Hamas has systematically diverted humanitarian aid for military purposes. Qatar’s supposed humanitarian efforts have repeatedly been exposed as covers for military support. The “dual-use substances” detected in Qatari aid shipments weren’t accidents—they were policy.

Al Jazeera: The Propaganda Arm

Notably absent from Al-Khulaifi’s defense is any mention of Al Jazeera, Qatar’s state-owned media empire that has served as Hamas’s unofficial propaganda department. The network has been so blatantly biased that even Hamas gave it a media award in 2021 for “demonstrating their belonging to the cause of the oppressed Palestinian people.” Some of its journalists have been discovered to be Hamas military officers. This isn’t journalism; it’s psychological warfare.

The “Greater Israel” Deflection

Al-Khulaifi’s invocation of “Greater Israel” conspiracy theories is a masterclass

in deflection—the diplomatic equivalent of shouting “Look! A unicorn!” while backing away from a crime scene. Rather than address Qatar’s meticulously documented support for terrorism, he pivots to inflammatory rhetoric designed to distract from his country’s culpability. This is the same dog-eared playbook Qatar has used for years: when caught red-handed supporting terrorists, wave your hands frantically and cry “Zionist conspiracy!” It’s political theater so transparent you could use it as a window.

The Real Threat to International Order

The minister claims Israel threatens the “international legal order,” but Qatar’s decades-long financing of terrorism represents a far greater threat to global stability. The international legal order isn’t threatened by targeted operations against terrorist leadership—it’s threatened by nations that systematically violate counterterrorism laws while hiding behind diplomatic immunity.

The Trump Administration’s Recognition

Al-Khulaifi’s reference to President Trump is particularly ironic, given that

Trump explicitly called out Qatar’s terrorism financing during his presidency, stating that Qatar “has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.” The current cooperation between Trump and Qatar doesn’t erase this his -

cheerleader with a Swiss bank account. True mediators don’t fund one side to the tune of nearly $2 billion. True mediators don’t allow their state media to serve as 24/7 propaganda outlets for terrorist organizations. True mediators

This

is the same dog-eared playbook Qatar has used for years: when caught red-handed supporting terrorists, wave your hands frantically and cry “Zionist conspiracy!”

tory—it reflects the complex realities of Middle Eastern geopolitics where even problematic actors sometimes serve useful purposes.

Without Safe Channels for Diplomacy?

Al-Khulaifi’s concluding argument— that attacking mediators makes “war the only option”—might carry weight if Qatar were actually a neutral mediator rather than an enthusiastic terrorist

don’t roll out the red carpet for terrorist leadership while those same leaders orchestrate the slaughter of school children and music festival attendees. What Qatar has been doing isn’t mediation— it’s terrorism with table manners and diplomatic plates.

The Real Consequence If there’s a threat to future mediation, it comes not from Israel’s actions but from Qatar’s decades of duplicity.

Who will trust a mediator that has spent billions supporting one side while claiming neutrality? Qatar’s credibility as a mediator died long before any Israeli missiles crossed its airspace. It died the moment Qatar chose to become Hamas’s primary international sponsor.

The international community shouldn’t be condemning Israel for finally holding Qatar accountable for its role in perpetuating terrorism. Instead, it should be asking why it took this long to recognize that Qatar has been playing a dangerous double game at the expense of regional stability and innocent lives.

Al-Khulaifi’s op-ed is a desperate attempt to salvage Qatar’s reputation after years of being exposed as a state sponsor of terrorism masquerading as a peacemaker. The emperor has no clothes, and no amount of Washington Post op-eds will change that uncomfortable truth.

“There is no peace, says Hashem, for the wicked” (Yeshayahu 48:22)

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

Delving into the Daf

The Candles Burning Bright

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Last week’s daf article about Rosh Hashana was timed perfectly. This week’s article…not so much. Still, there’s a strong connection. The Kohen Gadol performed all of the Avodah on Yom Kippur, including lighting the Menorah. The Gemara provides details about the Menorah lighting, which sheds light on a very famous question:

The Beis Yosef’s Question

Why did Chazal establish eight days of Chanukah to commemorate the miracle of the oil? After all, there was enough oil for one day. The miracle only began on the second day and thus lasted seven days.

A seven-day Chanukah would feel rather awkward. Imagine a morah trying to explain to her students: “The oil lasted for eight days, so we celebrate Chanukah for seven.” Be that as it may, a sefer called Ner L’Meah was composed with one hundred different answers to the Beis Yosef’s question. The author must have really been “on fire” to come up with so many answers. But that sefer doesn’t hold a candle to Nes LaShoshanim, which offers 250 answers. And even that is no “match” for a recently published sefer containing a staggering 500 answers.

Some Creative Answers

Among the many answers, some are quite fascinating. For example, in the Diaspora, we keep two days of yom tov for the Shalosh Regalim because of sfeika d’yoma—a doubt about which day was the real yom tov when messengers couldn’t consistently deliver the news of Rosh Chodesh on time. Even though our calendar is now fixed, the two days remain as a rabbinic institution.

One answer quoted in Nes LaShoshanim suggests that really Chanukah should have been seven days, but we

keep eight because of sfeika d’yoma. This, of course, is deeply problematic. Still, other answers are more creative. For instance: had Chanukah been seven days, every Menorah would have been made with seven branches. That would risk violating the biblical prohibition against fashioning a Menorah resembling the one in the Beis HaMikdash. To avoid this, the Sages established Chanukah for eight days, ensuring that every Menorah would have at least eight branches.

Oil Measures and the First Night

Another popular answer is based on oil measurement. The Beis Yosef’s question assumes that the jug of oil contained enough for one night. But perhaps it only contained enough for a short summer night. Since Chanukah falls in the winter, when nights are long, the oil should not have lasted even

The Shitah Mekubetzes, however, nuances this point. Based on the Yerushalmi, he explains that while the same measure of oil was used all year, in the summer they employed thicker wicks so the oil would burn faster and not extend into the daytime. This leads to another creative answer: during the Chanukah miracle, they had enough oil for a winter night but only had summer wicks available. The flames should have consumed the oil too quickly— but they didn’t. Thus, a miracle occurred even on the first night.

The Ritva writes that half a log of oil was placed in each lamp. Every lamp burned out by morning—except the Ner

Since Chanukah falls in the winter, when nights are long, the oil should not have lasted even the first night.

the first night. The fact that it did was miraculous.

However, Rashi seems to contradict this approach. The Gemara (Zevachim 11b) states that the Kohen who lit the Menorah was required to use enough oil to last from evening until morning. Rashi comments that the required amount—half a log—was the same year-round. In the summer, the fire would burn well into the day. It seems, then, that jugs of oil were always of a standard measure, not smaller for summer and larger for winter.

Maaravi, which miraculously stayed lit until the next evening. This was a daily miracle in the Beis HaMikdash. This offers another answer to the Beis Yosef’s question. Even the first day contained a miracle: the Ner Maaravi remained lit into the day, just as it always had in the Beis HaMikdash. This explains why the holiday is eight days, not seven.

This discussion raises a deeper question: if the Menorah burned continuously for eight days, then technically the mitzvah of lighting was only performed once. How

did the miracle allow for the ongoing fulfillment of the mitzvah? One must therefore conclude that in the miracle of Chanukah, the fire did not burn continuously for eight days.

A Midrashic Perspective

Some, nevertheless, insist that the Menorah’s light at Chanukah lasted eight days straight, not burning out at all. On the surface, this seems illogical: if the lamps burned continuously, the mitzvah of hadlakas ha’Menorah would have been performed only once.

Yet a Midrash Tanchuma (Tetzaveh) recounts that R’ Chanina, the deputy Kohen Gadol, testified that he witnessed the Menorah lit on Rosh Hashana and remaining lit until the following Rosh Hashana. The Gerrer Rebbe once asked R’ Chaim Brisker the above question: if it burned all year, then the mitzvah of lighting was only fulfilled once! R’ Chaim answered that the mitzvah is not the act of lighting but that the Menorah be lit. As long as it was burning, the mitzvah was fulfilled nightly. Others, however, disagree and argue that adding oil to an already burning lamp is itself considered a form of lighting. Either way, the Midrash makes it clear that a continuously burning Menorah is not halachically problematic.

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.

Iasked my acupuncturist if there is a pressure point for grief. She nodded and stuck three skinny needles into my right big toe and one between my eyes. I really wanted it to work. It didn’t. One of the more powerful emotions generated upon emerging from the shock of a sudden passing and a week of shiva is a feeling of exhausting helplessness. Your heart feels like there is a ten-pound weight strapped to your chest; your legs feel like jelly. It is so much easier to let your family and friends take over your life choices and make decisions for you.

I am in America for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; I hope to be back home for Sukkot. We have a sukkah that we bought last year; the decorations are in a box stored in a corner of our loft. I remember the look on Bob’s face and his willingness to spend whatever was needed to finally have the zechut to build a beautiful sukkah on our front porch. Our granddaughter Penina, her husband Shemi and baby Dovid will be moving in with me. Ezra, our Canadian grandson, learning at Lev Hatorah, will join us. Shemi and Ezra will be bunking in the sukkah. Bob would have loved being part of the fun but sleeping outside in a hut was not his thing; he would be pleased that the sukkah will be enjoyed for its intended purpose.

It’s strange to be packing without a partner; all of the available space is mine. As usual, I am taking too much of all kinds of stuff I won’t need. I live in Israel, and fancy clothes are not part of the culture. I gave away all of that kind of clothing before we made Aliyah. Will I break the fashion rules if I wear the same thing twice? What about the weather? Will it be hot, cold or raining? What do I need for that?

Do I care?

Routines are an important part of healing. It is my way, every morning, to get up and go to a gym class; as I walk along the crooked streets of my shechuna, neighbors greet me with big smiles and kind eyes. Everyone means well, but

School of Thought

Acupuncture

By Barbara Deutsch

some of the questions throw me: How are you? Good to see you. You look so nice. Look so nice? Is there a special store where you can buy sad clothes for your broken needs?

My cousin Jack passed away five years ago during the darkest days of Covid; he left a beautiful, devoted wife, my cousin Miriam, two sons and a daughter, sons- and daughters-in-law, grandchildren and many bereaved family and friends. In the years since his passing, aside from the many milestone family occasions, he has had a Sefer Torah dedicated in his memory, and the family welcomed a beautiful baby boy named after him.

This week, two of Jack and Miriam’s grandsons from two different families got engaged. Ironically, one of the girls is the child of one of my beloved Kushner families. These milestone occasions mark an amazing time of bracha and joy. When I called to celebrate with Miriam, we discussed the empty chair at the table.

Miriam came to the airport with my daughter (in-law) Tamar to “pick me up” when I landed in JFK. Miriam knows.

Our grandson Elly is now a rabbi/

Doctor of psychology. He is also an author and chazzan. I am not sure when he started writing, original and dictated. I do know that even before high school his were the notes to score. All through school, he always took careful and precise class notes – they were in high demand.

During his two-year sojourn in Israel at Sha’alvim, he began issuing a weekly parsha sheet filled with divrei Torah and commentaries that he shared with family and friends.

While in Israel, before Pesach, he wrote a Haggadah based on the lectures of his Sha’alvim rebbi and my former student, Rabbi Eli Reich.

As is his way, when he became a chosson, he looked for material to inform his new journey. In his third year at Yeshiva University, he approached his beloved rebbi, Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky, about writing a sefer based on his notes from his shiurim.

At the time, Elly was engaged to his beautiful Gab; they now have three magnificent girls.

Rabbi Sobolofsky and Elly decided that it would be most appropriate for Elly to write the sefer on Masechet Kiddushin, which they had learned together the

previous year. Out of that conversation, a lot of rabbinic input (Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Rabbi Hershel Schachter) and hours of research emerged his recently released book, Kol Chosson: Foundations of the Jewish Wedding

Bob Deutsch, his beloved, proud grandfather, had the privilege of editing it before publication. As for me, I wanted him to have his hard-earned rabbi/doctor titles on the front cover. Straight-shooting Elly said no; no additional titles before he had his official certificate. It came this week.

Kol Chosson is available for purchase at your local Judaica store or online: https://rietspress.org/products/ kol-chosson-foundadtions-of-the-jewish-wedding

I recommended the gifting of Kol Chosson to my cousin Miriam for her newly engaged grandsons.

During the shiva, it was determined that going to Woodmere would be good for me. I went along with it because it is easy to trust those who love you. A bonus will be getting the opportunity to hear Rabbi Dr. Elly Deutsch lead the tefillah at a unique minyan in my former shul, the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst.

That’s the thing – Bob is not here to keep me company on the flight to New York, shlep and watch the luggage, and most significantly share and enjoy Elly’s magnificent points of nachat.

His chair is empty.

Wishing all a year of health, peace, freedom for our hostages, happiness and opportunity. Do not take anything for granted. Seize the moment.

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.

Krakow, My Heritage City The Wandering Jew

By Hershel Lieber

It is very hard for me to describe the special attachment that I have for Krakow, Poland. From my childhood onwards, my parents shared with me their personal histories as well as their wartime recollections. These accounts always fascinated me and stimulated an interest in connecting with their childhood hometown, Krakow. I always dreamed of going there and walking the same streets and alleys that my parents strolled before the War. I imagined the excitement that would possess me when I would see the very houses where they lived, the synagogues where they davened and the entire Jewish district that they called home. I understood that the makeup of that neighborhood changed drastically, that the synagogues are devoid of the sounds of tefillah, and the buildings are vacant from the vibrancy of the prewar Yiddishkeit that permeated in this famous city. Yet, I was still attracted to see and experience, albeit the remnants, of what was once considered a major Jewish community with world famous rabbis and leaders.

A bit of family history would clarify my yearning to connect with Krakow.

My father, Mechel Lieber, grew up in Krakow. His father, Hershel, studied at the yeshiva of the first Bobover Rebbe, Rav Shlomo Halberstam, zt”l, a grandson

of the Sanzer Rebbe. He and my grandmother owned a textile store in an exclusive shopping section off Krakow’s main square. My father, the youngest child, had an older brother and six sisters. My father had friends who were chassidim of the Dzikover Rebbe, Rav Alter’l Horowitz, zt”l, and learned with them at their shtiebel and joined on their journeys to their Rebbe in Tarnow. My father’s family lived on the corner of Dietla and Sebasti-

had a number of business ventures that were not successful. At one time, he was producing chocolate wafers, and later on cherry syrup, and at one time, he bottled seltzer. He had twelve siblings, but only some of them lived in Krakow.

Both of my parents had relatives that were from Krakow, and they shared an uncle and aunt. In fact, they were introduced to each other at the wedding of the daughter of their common uncle and aunt

Nostalgia was just one of the reasons that drew me to visit the homes of my parents and their predecessors.

ana, and my grandfather davened by Rav Shayele Chechoiver, the youngest son of the Sanzer Rebbe.

My mother was actually born in Munkatch, Czechoslovakia, at a time when her parents were visiting her maternal family. Her father, Eluzer Leser, was from Krakow, a son of the well-known Reb Yakov Eliyahu Yokel Leser, a Shinover chassid. My mother’s family lived at 23 Starowislna. Her father seemed to struggle and

in 1938. They were engaged just before the war broke out and escaped together with their families and got married in a small village during the summer of 1941 before they eventually wound up in the Bochnia Ghetto. My mother documented her youth and war stories in a book called A World After This Enough of family history and back to my enchantment with Krakow. My first trip to Krakow was in May

of 1978. I joined a group of chassidim who were touring the kivrei tzaddikim throughout Poland. After they left, I stayed over for Friday and Shabbos in Krakow. Those two days I spent walking the old cobblestoned streets of Kazimierz. The area was very neglected but had remnants of the former Jewish presence dating back to the Middle Ages and until World War II. Decrepit shul buildings and forlorn cemeteries with crumbling tombstones gave an eerie atmosphere to what was once the pride and joy of Jewish Krakow. I found the building that my father’s family lived in, as well as the apartment where my mother spent two years before the war. I went into the courtyard of the building, where my great-grandfather, Reb Yokel Leser, lived and raised thirteen children, most who were killed by the Nazis, ym”sh.

The following year, in 1979, I was asked to be the chazan in Warsaw for the Yomim Noroim. Since 1987, I have davened there twenty times during Rosh Hashana and twenty-five times on Yom Kippur; most years I remained there for both yomim tovim. During these trips, I made my way to Krakow on a number of occasions. Nostalgia was just one of the reasons that drew me to visit the homes of my parents and their predecessors. I also somehow felt more connected to

In front of the building where my great-grandfather, Reb Yokel Leser, lived

My father’s family lived here before the war. The building is finally being renovated

At my family’s gravesite in Bochnia

my roots when I walked the streets of this city, a feeling that defies verbal explanation. Another reason I made my way to Krakow was that it was a stop on my way to Bochnia. There, in the beis olam, my parents buried my father’s mother, two sisters and two of their children. Bochnia’ s cemetery was also the resting place of my mother’s parents who were shot to death while trying to escape via a false bottomed coal truck to Slovakia. They were buried in that beis olam as well. I have been to Bochnia countless times to pay respect to the departed members of my family. With the exception of my early trips to Poland when our children were still small, Pesi was at my side for most of the trips that I made. She has accompanied and assisted me in all the ventures that I undertook. She truly added to the satisfaction and enjoyment of all our adventures.

winter of 1986, my brother Yossi joined me in Krakow and Warsaw and traveled with me throughout the Polish countryside. My sister Mati and her husband Gedalya came one summer, and, of course, Krakow was on the itinerary. My daughters, Itty, Faigy and Chavi and my son Mechel, have each been to Poland at least once, and I gave them the grand tour of my favorite city Krakow, showing them the Jewish interest sites as well as the places associated with our forebears.

in Warsaw, and in 2019, our friends David and Susy Avigdor did the same. During all these trips, we made Krakow the central address where we spent our Shabbosim. The city had all the necessities that one needs to spend a Shabbos in a Jewish environment. There were two shuls, kosher restaurants and even a mikvah. And of course, the historical significance of this cradle of Yiddishkeit is an attraction that can hardly be replicated anywhere else in Europe.

My mother accompanied me to Po -

land on three occasions, and each time, we would visit Krakow and Bochnia. Her brother Ben Lesser and his late wife Jean also joined during their last trip. In the

There were a number of other occasions when I was able to showcase Krakow. I had organized and led a number of trips to Poland, and, of course, Krakow was a main feature during those expeditions. In 2002, my brother Yossi and his wife Idii recruited ten couples whom I introduced to the Jewish treasures of Poland. In 2004, I organized a trip on behalf of the high school boys of the Veretzky Yeshiva, which included my nephew Mechel Jacobovits. In 2005, our friends Shlomo and Miriam Stern joined us for Rosh Hashana

Well, what can a Jewish tourist appreciate about Krakow? Let’s start off with the Jewish neighborhood called Kazimierz. The independent city was started in 1335 but gained its significance as the center for Jewish life in 1495. Just walking through the hallowed grounds of the Old Beis Olam and davening at the tombstones of the greatest rabbonim and scholars can overwhelm any visitor. Just to mention a few of the most prominent luminaries would do an injustice to the ones I would skip. Nevertheless, I must make note of the following personalities, the ones that most people are familiar with: Rabbi Moshe Isserles (Remah), Rabbi Noson Nuta Spira (Megaleh Amukos), Rabbi Yoel Sirkis (Bach), Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel (Rebbe Rav Heshel) and Rabbi Yom Tov Lippman Heller

A painting by my mother Lola Lieber a’h. Note the scene from the window is the street where my great-grandfather, Reb Yokel Leser, lived

(Tosfos Yom Tov). Our family also has an ancestor in this cemetery, the one with the tallest matzeiva. Her name was Malka Pitzeles. The New Beis Olam has the kevorim of Kalonimos Kalman Epstein (Ma’or V’Shomesh) and his son Aron, Rav Shimon Sofer (son of the Chasam Sofer), and Krakow’s last chief rabbi, Rav Shmuel Shmelke Kornitzer, who was killed in 1941.

Moving on to the famous synagogues in this district, we begin with the circa 1407 Old Synagogue, whose present building was built in 1570 and now serves as a Jewish museum. We continue with the Remah Synagogue (1577), which is adjacent to the Old Cemetery and is still being used for davening. Others include the High Synagogue, from the year 1563, the Wolf Popper Synagogue (1620), the Kupa Synagogue (1643), and the Izaak Synagogue, which was completed in 1644. Besides for the functioning Remah Synagogue, Chabad, under the leadership of Rabbi Eliezer Gurary, maintains an active shul on the

corner of Dietla and Sebastiana.

The building of the first Bais Yaakov, which was headed by Sarah Schenierer, is still standing at 10 Stanislawa on the banks of the Wisla.

Today, the streets of Kazimierz are buzzing with life. There are restaurants, musical entertainment and fine shops in the center of what was once a most flourishing Jewish town. Rabbanim and chassidim were replaced by artists and entertainers. Kosher food was switched to Jewish-style non-kosher fare. Yet the Klezmer music of yesteryear still plays on, and the souvenirs available have distinctly Jewish themes. Signs are displayed using Hebrew-styled fonts for the Polish alphabet. Nevertheless, I well recall the decrepit buildings and dirty streets, the alcoholic vagrants and the dilapidated shuls of the late ‘70s and ‘80s before this neighborhood became gentrified.

I can write a lot more about Krakow. There are general historical sights asso -

ciated with Polish history like the Wawel, the royal residence for Polish monarchs, Rynek Glowny, Krakow’s main square, and Sukiennice, the original textile and cloth market which today is a souvenir shoppers delight, but I wanted to focus on

the Jewish sights that are dearest to me and share them with my readers.

Wishing all my readers a Ksiva V’Chasima Tova, a year of Brocha V’Hatzlocha in all your endeavors.

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.

Jewish themed Kaziemiersz

The kever of the Remah

At the kevarim of the Remah and his family

At the entrance of the Remah Synagogue

The Izaak Synagogue

The Old Synagogue

The Old Synagogue

The kever of the Tosfos Yom Tov

Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor The Woman Leading the Fight Against Online Antisemitism

By Joshua s teinreich

In a small office in Tel Aviv, where rows of computer screens glow softly and quiet determination fills the air, Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor is revolutionizing the fight against antisemitism.

Her tool is not a picket sign or a megaphone but artificial intelligence, big data, and a fiercely sharp legal mind. At the helm of CyberWell, a groundbreaking nonprofit she founded in 2022, Tal-Or is transforming how the Jewish community battles hatred on social media platforms used by billions worldwide.

If you have a social media account, it’s almost certain you have seen the hateful messages Tal-Or and her team are working tirelessly to stop. While some of the hatred is blatant and noxious, some of the messages are not always obvious. They are often disguised in coded language, emojis repurposed to support terrorism, or wild conspiracy theories that blame Jews for the world’s problems. What might surprise many in the Jewish community is just how deeply antisemitism is woven into the online world, reaching millions in seconds and feeding a rising tide of hatred in the physical world.

Tal-Or has made it her mission to expose and fight this modern form of antisemitism. Her story is as much about technology and innovation as it is about courage and conviction. She is a lawyer, a technologist, and a passionate advocate for Jewish dignity and safety. Her work is reshaping the way the Jewish community understands and confronts antisemitism today.

From Law School to Digital Frontlines

Tal-Or graduated magna cum laude from Reichman University in Israel with two undergraduate degrees in Government and Law. She is a member of the Israel Bar Association. But her path veered quickly from tradition-

al law practice into the uncharted territory of online intelligence, digital policy and technology.

After the fateful Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018, she pivoted from law into business intelligence, working at a boutique consulting firm in Tel Aviv, gaining hands-on experience in data analysis, algorithms, and online ecosystems. It was here that Tal-Or saw firsthand how digital tools could be used both to gather information and to influence public perception, and more importantly, where she saw a very clear migration of deeply anti-Jewish content from darker platforms to everyday major social media platforms. This background prepared her perfectly for the fight she would soon take on.

In 2022, Tal-Or launched CyberWell. The nonprofit combines the latest technologies in artificial intelligence and machine learning with legal expertise to track antisemitic content across social media platforms in real time. Its goal is to fill a critical gap: the persistent failure of social media companies to enforce their policies against hate speech effectively and at scale.

The Invisible Threat: Antisemitism Online

Many in the Jewish community know well the history of antisemitism – the pogroms, the Holocaust and the discrimination and hostility that continues today. But the way this hatred spreads in digital spaces is less understood. For Tal-Or, this is the core challenge. “Antisemitism has always adapted to the times,” she explains. “Today, the internet and social media are the main venues where it is broadcast and amplified. What is particularly dangerous is how quickly antisemitic content can spread and the profound influence it has on people through repeat exposure without them realizing it.”

CyberWell’s AI systems scan millions of posts daily, searching for hateful language, conspiracy theories, and calls for violence consistent with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. These AI systems flag potential posts, but the work doesn’t stop there. Tal-Or’s team of human analysts carefully reviews each flagged post to confirm whether it is antisemitic and whether it violates the platform’s community standards. Only then do they report the content directly to social media moderators. This human-in-the-loop approach ensures accuracy and accountability while maintaining the scale needed to monitor global social media activity in both English and Arabic.

Data that Drives Action

CyberWell is not only about removing hateful posts – it’s about optimizing the response of social media platforms to Jew-hatred. A significant part of its mission is to provide high-level research and real-time alerts about trends in antisemitism online. Through detailed analysis, the organization uncovers spikes in hateful activity and patterns that often precede real-world violence. More importantly, they work in direct partnership with the social media platforms to identify how enforcement gaps can be closed and how the platforms can be adjusted to ensure that the same type of content is contained and not amplified further on the platform.

For example, in July 2024, CyberWell’s research identified a sudden surge of antisemitic posts after violent unrest in Syria. The organization found that over 45 million social media users were exposed to violent posts targeting the Syrian Druze community, who were dehumanized and accused of being agents of Israel in classic antisemitic terms.

While this particular case highlighted the dangers of hate speech targeting perceived allies of Israel and the Jewish People, CyberWell’s broader work focuses on antisemitism against Jews worldwide and how online hate is fueling violent attacks on Jewish communities. The organization’s data shows that after the horrific

Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, antisemitic content online surged by 86 percent. More disturbingly, posts calling for violence against Jews nearly tripled. These trends directly correspond with increased physical attacks on Jewish individuals and communities globally.

Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword

While over the years social media platforms have slowly invested in policies and features to keep their users safe, their algorithms often have the opposite effect. Designed to maximize user engagement, these systems tend to promote content that sparks strong emotional reactions, including outrage and disgust.

Tal-Or describes the role of algorithms as “amplifiers” of the phenomenon of global antisemitism today.

“They don’t just show what people want; they push content that is likely to elicit an emotional response and to keep users engaged longer,” she says. “Unfortunately, today, this means that antisemitism online is a 360-degree experience for most Jewish users. Antisemitism continues to gain larger audiences, increasing the level of exposure and normalizing the overall threshold of tolerance for Jew-hatred at unprecedented scale.”

CyberWell has documented how some platforms perform better than others at removing hateful content. In 2024, TikTok led the pack, removing 65 percent of antisemitic posts flagged by CyberWell, while YouTube lagged far behind at less than 20 percent. These figures reflect inconsistent enforcement and highlight the urgent need for better policies and technologies.

Tal-Or is particularly concerned about the recent loosening of hate speech moderation standards on some platforms in 2025. She warns that without clear definitions of antisemitism and proactive removal of hateful content, online hate will continue to translate into real-world violence, especially for the Jewish community that is already experiencing record-breaking levels of targeted crime.

Fighting for Accountability and Transparency

Tal-Or believes that social media companies must be held accountable for the spread of hate speech on their platforms, but more importantly, that technology presents a new opportunity to fight hate more effectively than ever before. CyberWell’s open database of antisemitic posts – the first of its kind – is part of this effort. Available publicly at app.cyberwell.org, the database allows anyone to explore documented cases of online Jew-hatred and how platforms respond.

“Transparency is a key step toward accountability,” Tal-Or explains. “By making the data accessible, we empower users, journalists, and policymakers to understand the scale of the problem and push for change.”

Beyond transparency, Tal-Or is an advocate for clearer definitions of antisemitism embedded into platform policies. CyberWell played a role in encouraging Meta and TikTok to recognize “Zionist” as a coded proxy for “Jew” in antisemitic posts, a crucial move to close loopholes that have long allowed hateful content to slip through moderation.

She also calls for more training and better AI tools to proactively detect antisemitic content rather than re -

lying solely on user reports after harm is already done and spreading.

The Human Side of a Technical Battle

Despite the high-tech nature of her work, Tal-Or is deeply grounded in the human consequences of antisemitism. She knows that each hateful post can fuel fear,

“What is particularly dangerous is how quickly antisemitic content can spread and the profound influence it has on people through repeat exposure without them realizing it.”

isolation, and real increasing danger for Jewish communities everywhere.

When asked what keeps her going, she speaks with

passion about the responsibility she feels to protect her people and Western values.

“Hate is spreading faster and more effectively than it ever has historically in the digital universe. Our history compels us to fight this evil force with every tool we have. The fate of the tiny surviving Jewish people depends on it, as does the future of Western democracy. Antisemitism is a conspiracy theory that is indicative of a wider crisis of trust in institutions and leadership. If it goes systemic, empires will fall – as they have in the past.”

Tal-Or’s leadership has earned her recognition from the Florida Holocaust Museum, which honored her with the Loebenberg Humanitarian Award for her humanitarian efforts. She has spoken at global conferences and government forums, bringing her expertise to the highest levels of policymaking.

Looking Ahead: A Call to Action

For the Jewish community and allies, Tal-Or’s message is clear: the fight against antisemitism is urgent and ongoing. The digital battlefield is now front and center, and complacency is not an option.

Social media companies must step up their game, governments must enact stronger laws, and communities must stay vigilant. CyberWell stands ready to support all these efforts with data, technology, and research.

“Online antisemitism is not a problem confined to the internet,” Tal-Or stresses. “It bleeds into our streets, our schools, and our synagogues. Fighting it is fighting for our safety, our identity, and our future.”

To learn more, visit app.cyberwell.org.

A group of European politicians visiting CyberWell last summer

Moishe Bane

The Importance of Achrayus

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

In His Words…

a child is able to tell whether a decision a parent is making regarding that child is about the child or about the parent. When a parent says, ‘ i want my child to behave a certain way, dress a certain way, attend a particular school,’ are they thinking about what’s best for the child? or does the child see the father or mother worried about the image of the family? or is it a case of ‘ i wanted to become a doctor, so i want you to become a doctor’ or ‘ i want you to go to this yeshiva because i want to be able to tell my friends that i have a son in that yeshiva’ – kids know that.

The most important thing to do to ensure your child grows up religious is to give unconditional love. you need to model g-d for your child. how do you expect a child to believe they have a Father in heaven Who loves them if they don’t have a parent who gives them unconditional love?

When you meet people who don’t feel meaning in their yiddishkeit, it’s because they never learned what it’s about. one of the problems that we have is that we tend to be taught most of our Judaism when we’re children. a nd if we stop growing in that intellectual endeavor, what we understand Judaism to be is a very immature appreciation. a nd then, when we’re adults and we connect to halacha, whether it’s the Pesach seder, shabbos, or putting on tefillin, it’s very superficial.

Decades before becoming the OU’s president, Moishe Bane, at age 13, spent a week running around Montreal during the Yom Kippur War, collecting money for Israel. You might ask: Where does a seventh grader find the drive to do that? What could have possibly sparked his desire to make a difference in the war effort? And what boy — who’s barely bar mitzvahed, mind you — has such a sense of achrayus?

If you’d ask Moishe Bane those questions, he’d likely respond with a shrug. He’s not sure where his drive, his commitment to Klal Yisrael, and his passion for helping the community come from.

“It’s interesting. I could attribute it, on its face, to Rav Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l, who was my primary rebbi for many, many years and continues to play a very significant role in my mindset and decision-making,” Moishe Bane shares. “He was a very Klal Yisrael-focused person. He shared with us the concept that your responsibility is not only to raise your neshama, but to raise the neshama of Klal Yisrael — in fact, sometimes even at the expense of your own interests. That was the approach that we were all taught: the underlying concept, the word that would summarize it, would be achrayus — that you have to have responsibility for more than yourself.

“And that’s where, on its face, I got it from. But when I look back at my earlier days, including when I was collecting money at age 13, I don’t know where I got it from. That didn’t come from Rabbi Weinberg. I didn’t know Rabbi Weinberg yet. I could say, maybe it came from my

parents. My father was certainly involved in the community. He was the treasurer of the day school and was involved in the shul. But it wasn’t a focus in our home,” he adds. “I don’t know. I don’t know where it came from.”

Perhaps it didn’t come from anywhere. Maybe he was just born with it.

At age 21, Moishe Bane decided to become a lawyer. But it wasn’t prestige or money that guided his decision. Rather, he realized that being a lawyer would give him a platform through which he could help the community.

“A friend and I decided that we were going to be as committed to Klal Yisrael and as committed to helping the Jewish community as our peers who were going to become Roshei Yeshiva, Roshei Kollel, and Rabbanim by going to law school and using that as our platform to do things for our community,” Mr. Bane recalls. “Our strategy going in was to use the platform of success in law as a credibility factor. You know, when you enter the community arena, you have to have some basis for people to want to listen to you. You need a foundation. And I also learned that you don’t need that much money to be a voice in the community, to be relevant in the community. What you need more than money is the ability to attract money, supporters, and people who will follow your lead.”

When he was 25, he and Gedaliah Litke, a friend of his, founded Kayama, a successful organization that encourages non-religious Jews to give their wives a get when they divorce.

From there, Moishe Bane devoted much of his time to klal work. After a few years, however, he realized he was spending too much time on “distribution” — he was traveling the country, raising money and talking about the importance of his projects, when his real passion was product development. He didn’t want to market his ideas; he wanted to develop them. As such, he sought out a partner — someone who could advertise and raise money for the solutions he built.

“So, I decided to do an analysis, searching for a partner who could do the distribution. I did a survey of American orthodoxy, and I came to the conclusion that the Orthodox Union was, by far, the most expansive distribution system in North America,” Mr. Bane recounts. “So, I said, ‘OK, I’ve got to join the Orthodox Union.’ But then, I realized another thing which I’ve since confirmed on many occasions: you can never go to an organization and say, ‘I want to get involved.’ What you need to do is figure out a way to get them to invite you to join. So, I spent about six months figuring out how to do that.”

In the late 1980s, when the OU and several Orthodox organizations held a conference to discuss the Agunah crisis, the Orthodox Union invited Moishe Bane to the meeting, since his organization, Kayama, was relevant to the discussion.

“I was invited to come to the meeting to express our perspective based on our experiences with gittin , and I viewed that as my shot,” Moishe Bane shares. “And I learned, then, a very important lesson that I’ve carried with me throughout my career in klal work: when you go into a meeting, what you’re supposed to do is take responsibility to do everything that comes out of that meeting. Whatever ideas come up, you say, ‘I’ll take care of it. I’ll do it.’ Because, I learned throughout my career that you

could really do anything you want in klal work, but on two conditions: number one is that you do all the work. And number two is you give everybody else the credit. And if you’re willing to do all the work and give other people credit, they’ll let you do everything.”

The first part — do all the work — is easy to understand: show that you’re reliable and driven. But the second part — give everyone else the credit — is a bit harder to grasp. If no one is aware of your accomplishments, then how would anyone know you’re dependable?

“It’s true: the general public won’t know that it’s you. And maybe even most people around the table won’t know it’s you,” he adds. “But the decisionmakers who you’re giving credit to — they will know that it’s you, and they’re going to make sure you’re at the table for the next project. And that’s who you care about if your goal is to be impactful, if your goal is to make a difference.”

In 1990, the OU invited Moishe Bane to join the organization, giving him access to their distribution system for some 30 years. In 2017, he was elected president of the OU — a position he held until his retirement in 2023.

* * *

Many people see communal work as just one small, isolated part of their lives. But Moishe Bane urges us to adopt a different mindset: let’s see achrayus as the theme of our lives.

“Everything we do should be for avodas Hashem. Going into law was my foundation for community work. But the truth of the matter is, going into a parnassah to support your family is, in itself, a tremendous ma’aseh kedushah, a tremendous ma’aseh avodah. And we don’t have a deep enough appreciation for that. Number one, supporting your family and allowing your children to learn Torah and to be properly fed and taken care of is a tremendous chiyuv and mitzvah. But it’s also a format in which you could be mekadesh Shem Shamayim

on a constant basis,” Moishe Bane says. “So, you don’t need to be involved in organizations to do for the community. In whatever field you’re in, if you act like an Orthodox Jew is supposed to — just to be a mensch and be considerate and honest — that’s askanus, that’s involvement in klal work, because that’s conveying what our mission, as Jews, is.”

Raising children, for example, is a job of profound importance. Being a good friend is, in a way, a form of community service. There are plenty of things we do on a daily basis that benefit our community, sometimes in big ways and sometimes in small ways.

“Look beyond yourself. People say to me all the time, ‘Well, I’m not an organization guy. I’m not going to be involved in the OU or local organizations, because that’s not who I am. So, I’m not going to be involved in the community.’ And I say, ‘That’s not what chessed is. That’s not what askanus is.’ Askanus is helping people using who you are and your strengths. And every one of us has the ability to help others,” he declares. “Could you pack boxes for Tomchei Shabbos? Come on, you have the skill to do that. And even beyond that, the number one pain that people suffer today is loneliness. People are lonely. You could live in a world in a packed shul and a packed apartment building, and you’re still lonely. All of us are capable of picking up the phone, calling somebody, and saying, ‘How are you doing?’ Or visiting somebody. And it’s not just those who are homebound or ill. Just regular people. A smile, a good word, reaching out, validating their existence — that’s askanus. That’s doing for Klal Yisrael. So, everybody should be analyzing themselves and what they’re capable of doing, and what’s the maximum they could impact? But everybody has a role to play.”

Some time ago, Moishe Bane’s daughter was dating a boy named Eli. One day, that boy, who wound up becoming his son-in-law, needed a ride from the Five

Towns to Lakewood. So, Moishe Bane offered to drive him, hoping to learn more about the boy going out with his daughter.

During the car ride, Moishe Bane started asking the boy about his longterm goals: his vision for the future. And Eli began sharing his own ambitious, incredible ideas for helping Klal Yisrael.

“Wow, that sounds fantastic,” his future father-in-law replied.

“Really?” the boy said, surprised.

“What do you mean, really?”

“No, it’s just that you’re the first adult who’s ever called my ideas fantastic,” Eli said.

The boy explained that everyone discourages his ambitions. There’s a famous quote he heard, which is commonly attributed to the Chofetz Chaim or Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, but actually came from a sixth-century Chinese thinker. It goes like this: “When I was 18, I wanted to change the world. When I was 30, I wanted to change my community. When I was 40, I wanted to change my community. When I was 50, I wanted to change my family. And now that I’m an old man, I realize that I should just change myself.”

“And my son-in-law says, ‘That’s what everybody tells me whenever I tell them about my grand plans.’ And what’s the message? The message is: Don’t worry about the world, just worry about yourself,” Moishe Bane explains. “And I said to my future son-in-law, ‘Eli, no, that’s not what the story is. You know what the story is? The story is, if when you’re 18, you don’t want to change the world, when you’re 80, you won’t even want to change yourself.’ If an 18-year-old does not have the idealism and the hasagah of making a difference, they’re brain dead, they’re heart dead, they’re neshama dead.

“And that’s really the inspiration we have to have: that we can make a difference. Whether it’s starting a new organization or whether it’s making sure that a lonely person feels good, at the end of the day, that’s what we should be doing.”

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I have been divorced for six years, and dating has been a horrific experience. In the past few years, I’ve done a lot of soul searching and work on myself. I recognize mistakes I have made and am devoted to making my next time around a success. I have been thinking a lot about my ex-wife and thinking deeply about reconnecting with her. I have heard she has been on a path of growth as well. My biggest fear is that she would reject the idea, so I have been hesitant to bring it up. Now more than ever, around Rosh Hashana, it’s on my mind. Would this be a crazy idea? Also, especially if it doesn’t work out, I can’t imagine all the comments I’d get from family about what a dumb idea it was. But that may be worth it if things work out. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Dovid*

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.

Dovid, this is not a dumb idea. You once had a strong connection and still feel that way, it seems. Hopefully, you have developed better communication skills as well as have grown in several ways. This needs careful navigation. You

should get the support of a professional who can help you examine your past, present, and future strengths and relationships. You need to be clear and honest with yourself about many things including mistakes, love languages, her needs, etc., and a therapist will help you with that.

However, you will also need to handle your fear of comments from others around you. You have to be mature enough to handle her possible rejection as well. That’s

another reason to talk to a therapist. This is a process that I think you need help with. Calling to wish her a good year is a healthy step to take even as you are at the beginning of the process.

Torah sources talk about hamachzir gerushaso, remarrying your ex-wife, as a positive thing. It takes work, maturity, and time to reach that point.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

You are one smart man! Your familiarity with your ex and the knowledge of the things you can change to create a successful second time around will give you a strong footing. As we are in the season of teshuva, it is most appropriate to highlight the topic of second chances. You will have to be ready to go into this by putting all ego aside and with an open heart. While peo -

People talk, people say things—but in the end, what matters is your happiness.

ple may comment, you will have to drown out the noise with the foghorn of your own conviction. I am sure there will be lots of hurdles to navigate. Old wounds may open, but with the work you have both done individually you will, b’ezras Hashem, be able to work through this successfully. If she is interested in pursuing this as well, I think it can be a great idea.

Keep it private for as long as possible while dating. By the time things get serious, you will hopefully be secure enough in the decision to be able to handle what others say.

On the topic of being scared that she will reject the idea – that is a very real and painful possibility. However, worse than the pain of rejection would be the regret of not trying at all. Putting your ego aside and stepping into this possibility wholeheartedly will hopefully lead to great places.

Wishing you so much success, and I hope this works out for you!

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

Recently, Nike brought back their famous advertising slogan, “Just do it!” Their message is, “Have the courage to start, try again, and move forward.” (And yes, they want you to believe that their sneakers somehow make it easier.)

So, here’s the real-life version for you: You divorced 6 years ago, have subsequently grown, evolved, and have become a better person. You would like to reconnect with your ex-wife and are hoping that she might feel the same way. But you are afraid of being ridiculed, if she does not share your hopes for reconciliation. That’s understandable. You can avoid that concern by not contacting her directly, yourself. Perhaps you can have some mutual friend, or trusted relative, very confidentially contact her on your behalf.

In that way, you protect yourself from

Pulling

The Navidaters

immediate embarrassment but still get to explore the possibility. According to Psychology Today, approximately 6% of divorced couples actually remarry each other. Interestingly, Rav Shmuel Vital considers it a mitzvah to remarry one’s divorced wife – machzir gerushaso (only, of course, if she had not subsequently remarried, and if the ex-husband is not a kohen).

So, as the slogan advises, “Just do it!”

You really have nothing to lose, and, more importantly, even if you are not successful, you will avoid spending the rest of your life wondering if you could have, should have, would have…

Reader’s Response

Sam*, a guy who’s been there

Idon’t think it’s crazy at all. In fact, I’ve walked this road myself. After years apart from my ex-wife, after a lot of growth and reflection, the thought of reconnecting began to surface. It wasn’t a light idea, and it wasn’t romanticized. It came with fear, with doubt, with the weight of questions: what would people say, what about the kids, what if it all fell apart again? But at some point, I realized: no one else is living my life. Not family, not friends, not the neighbors—me. If this was something I truly wanted to explore, I had to face those

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Hi Dovid,

What a thoughtful note. It’s clear you’ve been doing real work on yourself, and that’s something to feel proud of. It isn’t crazy to wonder about a first marriage once both people have grown. The bigger question is why this is on your heart now. Is it because the holidays stir up memories and “what-ifs,” or because you truly feel there’s a new kind of relation-

fears and still be willing to try.

The first step for me was acceptance. I had to sit with the possibility that it might not work and reach a place where I could honestly say: even if it doesn’t, I’ll be okay. That wasn’t quick—it took a lot of inner work, self-checks, and reflection. Only then could I take the first step without pressuring myself or her.

When we began talking again, we told almost no one. Each of us had one trusted person to guide us, and that was it. We needed the space to figure it out ourselves, without outside noise. And when we started dating again, I showed up differently. With other people, I had carried openness mixed with skepticism—waiting to see what unfolded. But with my ex, I knew that wouldn’t be enough. I had to be all in. That meant patience, sensitivity, and an openness to communicate the moment something didn’t sit right with me—and to listen when she felt the same. It wasn’t casual. It was intentional.

We only told others once we were truly committed to each other and had worked through the many difficult details. And I’ll never forget what the rabbi-therapist who was guiding me told me at that point: “More people will be happy for you than will not. This is a beautiful thing.” And he was right. People talk, people say things— but in the end, what matters is your happiness. That’s not something anyone else can take responsibility for but you.

Along the way, people asked me the hard questions: “It didn’t work the first time, why would it work now?” “How do you know it won’t end the same way?” The truth is, you don’t know. No one does. My

Even if you are not successful, you will avoid spending the rest of your life wondering if you could have, should have, would have…

answer was: I am not going to lose out on the happiness of today because of fear of tomorrow. But that wasn’t about chasing the moment. It was about the deepest inner work I’ve ever done—learning to live with presence and truth, to surrender fear, and to check in with myself constantly.

Looking back now, baruch Hashem, bli ayin hara, we did remarry. We are happy, our children are thriving, and it has been the greatest blessing. But I’ll never pretend it’s easy. Whole books could be written about the struggle, the healing, the patience it demands. What I can tell you is this: if you’re clear about why you’re pursuing it—not out of loneliness, not out of convenience, but out of a deep conviction that she aligns with the growth you’ve worked for—then it’s not crazy. It’s brave. And if it’s right, it can be a mitzvah on many levels, and the start of something profoundly beautiful.

ship the two of you could build?

Before reaching out, I’d sit with a few things:

What would be different this time –about you, about her, about the way you relate?

If she says no, will you still feel steady and glad you honored what was in your heart?

Can you let go of everyone else’s opinions and focus on what’s true for you?

If, after that, you still feel pulled to reconnect, you could simply say, “I’ve been thinking about the growth we’ve both done and would love to catch up if you’re open.” No pressure, just an invitation.

Family chatter will always be there. Your job is to be honest with yourself and gentle with her. Whatever happens, the inner work you’ve done is already a win.

Shana tova, Jennifer

& Muse

And On His Farm He Had A…

By Mordechai Schmutter

I’m telling the kids that our rooster went off to live on a farm. It sounds like a lie that parents tell their kids, but it’s true.

He’s in a better place. He, um, went to the other side.

Ever since I ran an article a couple of months ago about how most of our chickens died (I’m a humor writer. I have chickens.) and we had to buy a new flock of chicks on Chol Hamoed Pesach so our lone remaining hen, Mo, wouldn’t be lonely, people want to know how they died.

“You want a story? I’m not a doctor.”

They died. It was a humor article, so I wasn’t going to get into it. You guys want to laugh at some weird things, but okay, here you go:

They got sick, I think. I don’t know what they had, but every sickness manifested the same way: We noticed that the chicken was walking funny. And our first reaction was always, “Something must be wrong with its leg!”

That’s like thinking, “Most people who die end up in a bed first. So it must be their legs.”

I don’t bring my chickens to the vet. They’re not on my health insurance. I paid less for them than I pay for the dead chickens I get in the supermarket. Should I pay for X-rays? Should I bring it to the dentist, and when they’re about to do my X-rays and they leave the room, I pull the chicken out of a bag and stick it in front of the scanner?

I don’t even know which leg. Wasn’t it limping on the other leg yesterday?

And it’s not like they made it obvious. Chickens are social animals; they don’t want anyone to know anything’s wrong, so they they stagger around and hope no one will notice, kind of like Joe Biden, until one day they just give out and say, “Forget it; I’m not running.” And all their friends say, “Yeah, I knew the whole time.”

But I’d pick them up move their legs back and forth, hoping that when I bent it in whichever way made it hurt

more, they’d say, “Owowowstop!” and I’ll know. And then what? I don’t know.

One step at a time.

This isn’t a very exciting story. I know it’s not what people want to hear when they ask how your chickens died. They want to hear something like, “A bear broke into the coop.” Some exciting answer that you maybe caught on video.

It’s not like they all died on one crazy weekend. It was one at a time over the course of six months. But now I’m thinking maybe I should start giving sarcastic answers.

“How did this one die?”

-“He didn’t see the train.”

-“He was assassinated.”

-“Sharks.”

-“Texting and driving.”

-“Got too close to the grill.”

-“She stuck a fork in the toaster.”

-“She got in trouble with the mob.”

-“She was running with a shechitah knife.”

In fact, it might have been better if these things did happen, because then we would’ve eaten whatever eggs we had left. When a chicken dies for undiagnosed medical reasons, we throw out all

the eggs just in case. All the eggs we ate so far were perfectly safe; it’s probably the ones we’re up to that are a problem. We don’t have an FDA. It’s just guesswork, like Mexico.

So when our second-to-last chicken died on Chol Hamoed Pesach, we said, “Now what?” You can’t have just one chicken. It’s like having one kid. Who’s it going to play with? You?! You have things to do.

We’d wanted to get more chicks the old-fashioned way – by hatching them in a school. That was how we’d gotten our first chick (Yapchick) – when my daughter brought it home from kindergarten. (She’s 22. She teaches kindergarten.) But that would take too long.

Mo had come from my son’s friend’s petting farm in Monsey. But as far as we knew, this guy wasn’t just giving away chickens on Chol Hamoed, which is probably his busiest time of the year, yelling at kids to stop feeding the goats matzah.

But apparently, there’s more than one way to crack an egg. And seeing as we were looking for a Chol Hamoed trip anyway, we drove out to a farm supply store. Because chickens aren’t pets, apparently.

They’re farm supplies. The difference is that if you want a pet, you can buy a pet, but if you want chickens, you have to buy a minimum of four. Which was fine, because we wanted to replace four.

We bought six. Of as many different breeds as we could. But our reasons were fourfold:

1. Variety is fun.

For example, we picked something called a Starlight Green Egger, because we thought it might be fun to have green eggs, and if we understand the Dr. Seuss book correctly, they don’t taste that bad once you get over the color.

2. Just in case someone’s not a girl.

Girls lay significantly more eggs. And they don’t chase people screaming. The store guaranteed that all the chicks were girls, probably. So we got a couple extra, just in case.

3. Just in case someone isn’t kosher.

You’d think that all chickens are kosher, but as we found out with our first group, it’s only the ones that have a mesorah. And none of the bins actually said whether the chickens were kosher; you had to just know, like European hechsheirim.

4. It’s easier to tell them apart if they’re different breeds. We need to keep track of which one’s which. Which is the one who’s walking funny? Did the injury switch legs, or is this a different chicken? Did it switch chickens?

As it is, two of the ones we picked are the same breed, because I knew for a fact that breed was kosher. And we don’t know which is which.

And you’re like, “Why does it matter?”

Well, one of them actually did hurt her ankle, as a chick, and we were trying to monitor it to see if it was getting better, and people kept saying, “She’s walking just fine.”

“No, that’s the other one.”

It’s like when you’re missing one

shoe and everyone keeps finding the one you have.

And you’re like, “Why not make a siman?”

We did. That might be what hurt her ankle.

See, my daughter’s first idea was to put nail polish on one chick. But then everyone started pecking her feet out of curiosity. And my daughter said, “Yeah, come to think of it, when I’m wearing nail polish, they peck at my fingers.”

So my next idea was to put a rubber band on someone’s leg. And the next day she was limping on her ankle. We figure she must have caught it on something.

I have no idea how many times we switched their names. This must be how parents of twins feel.

“What do you mean? Manny’s the one with a rubber band on his ankle, and J.J.’s the one with toenail polish!”

We didn’t want to give the chickens names that turned out to be the wrong gender, again, so we figured we should name them after food. Food doesn’t have genders, and Pesach has no shortage of foods.

Yapchick worked out.

So we have Zroa , who came with fully-developed wings; Beitzah , who has a white spot on her head; Karpas, who’s our green egger; and then no one wanted to name a chick Marror. So we named our black chick Matzah , because it isn’t the ideal color for matzah,

And you’re like, “That sounds dry.”

Yeah; that’s why we put it in the soup.

When we got home, I immediately emailed my chicken rabbi.

(Yes, I have a chicken rabbi.)

(The rabbi is human.)

They don’t want anyone to know anything’s wrong, so they they stagger around and hope no one will notice, kind of like Joe Biden

but let’s face it; and then Lukshen and Kichel are the two yellow ones we can’t tell apart.

And people are like, “Lukshen is chometz.”

Well, not Pesach lukshen. We specifically had Pesach lukshen in mind. We don’t eat gebrochts, so we make something called lukshen for our soup that’s basically an omelet with potato starch in it.

Turns out, one chicken has no mesorah, and it’s the green egg-layer. Who knew?

So then we thought, “We could probably keep her anyway, because we’ll always know which eggs are the ones we can’t eat: the green ones.”

But then I read that 5% of green eggers don’t actually lay green eggs. Which could be a problem.

So OK, maybe we’ll get rid of it. We’d

originally figured that if one isn’t kosher and one’s a boy, that still gives us the four we wanted.

Turns out one of them actually is a boy. It’s the green egger. So he’s definitely not going to lay green eggs.

I guess he’s the 5%.

So we brought him to the farm. The farm was perfectly willing to take him, provided I dropped him off in their front office in a cardboard box. Though they didn’t tell me that part until I got there. So I had to drive around Monsey looking for a box, and then come back and leave the box in that day’s “incoming chickens” stack. (There were two stacks of boxes, in the office with the cashier lady.)

So if you ever visit this farm, perhaps on Chol Hamoed, you might see Karpas. Might. I forgot to poke holes in the box.

Mordechai Schmutter is a freelance writer and a humor columnist for Hamodia and other magazines. He has also published eight books and does stand-up comedy. He can be contacted at mschmutter@gmail.com.

Parenting Pearls Forgiving Those We Forget

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

This is a time of reflection and introspection. As we evaluate the past year, we hope for Divine mercy and blessings.

Just as we pray for compassion on ourselves, we need to confer it on others. Not only are there benefits for the recipient of our largesse, we also gain from the healing that comes with shedding negative feelings. As we think about all the people we’ve interacted with, we tend to forget two major categories: our children and ourselves.

It’s easy to forget these two groups. We neglect to realize the depth of a child’s feelings and their need to see we still love them no matter what they do. We can also be overly harsh on ourselves, forgetting to show ourselves the kindness we’d like others to give us.

Most negative interactions tend to be minor. Perhaps someone responded sharply or cut you in the grocery line. A child may have said something mean or threw their dinner on the floor. None of these will cause problems in the long run. Throughout this article it is these types of daily occurrences that I am referring to, as opposed to more serious transgressions, such as abuse. These should not be ignored and need to be addressed by the proper professionals.

Our Children

Children are precious, and we love them more than they can ever imagine. They are sweet and playful, saying and doing the funniest things. There is such beauty in their innocence.

Along with their age comes limited life experience and cognitive development. As worldly as they perceive themselves to be, they don’t really know what’s going on in the world. Often, they don’t realize how little they know because they can’t see beyond their own limited window.

Children also lack self-control, an ability to express themselves or even understand their feelings or those of others. They can’t tell us what bothers them, and they don’t know what to do

with those emotions. They are likely to do many things they shouldn’t and say nasty, hurtful words.

It’s painful when children say hurtful or mean things, especially “I hate you” or “you don’t love me.” Parents may feel lost and confused, wondering how their child can think these things about their loving adult. Sometimes, children use foul language, angering their parents who are clueless as to where they learned these words. In these situations, it can be helpful for parents to remember that little kids usually don’t understand the meaning of the words when they say these things. Yes, we need to educate them to do better, but we shouldn’t take personal offense.

It is extremely frustrating for parents when kids act out. They may throw things, break expensive items or even hit their siblings. Additionally, parents may feel like they don’t have control over the situation. This is scary for the adults but also risky as parents may try unhealthy or ineffective means to regain lost control.

Children will do the wrong thing. They may do it intentionally, they may not. It may be a big mistake or a small one. There may not be any damage, or it may have more serious repercussions. Kids are kids, and they will act like it.

Along with kids acting their age, parents may get frustrated, angry or a combination of both. If it’s done publicly, parents may even experience embarrassment. There are a range of feelings that

we may experience, and ideally, we work to overcome them.

Even if our initial reaction is a negative one, we have the opportunity to turn frustration into understanding and anger into compassion. There are times parents will maintain these negative emotions for hours or even days. For example, they may give the child a time-out but still act angry at their little one long after it’s finished. They may continue to be short-tempered or simply unwilling to smile at their child. Perhaps parents tell themselves that their child’s chinuch requires a serious response, or maybe they simply have trouble controlling their own emotions. In my experience, it’s rare for it to be in the child’s best interest when adults maintain that anger or another negative response. Holding a grudge against a child can leave a youngster feeling negative about themselves and damage the crucial parent-child bond.

As parents, we should certainly be mechanech our children in proper behavior, but we should not linger with negative emotions. Once the child has received whatever educational tool was necessary, parents should quickly forgive the child and return to normal. We can hug them, read to them and tell them how wonderful they are. Once the consequence or lesson has ended, then the negative response is finished, too.

We can teach our children about forgiveness and that our love for them is never in question. Even when we need

to give a consequence, we do it with concern for their growth and not to get back at them.

Forgiving Ourselves

As adults, we have a better understanding of both the repercussions of our actions, as well as the power of teshuva. There is one pitfall I’ve noticed parents unwillingly fall into.

When we make mistakes – as all humans do – most of us will (hopefully) feel remorse. We recognize we were wrong and feel bad about our actions –especially when we inadvertently hurt others. This is normal and healthy. Reviewing our actions and looking to improve is a very powerful parenting tool. It’s what allows us to better ourselves and fix what’s not working. Without it, we would continue to make the same mistakes, failing to meet our family’s needs.

The pitfall happens when healthy introspection turns into debilitating guilt. At times, it turns into self-loathing. Rather than encourage growth and improvement, it further pushes the parent down into negative feelings.

Sadly, I’ve seen parents so guilt-ridden they find it hard to be emotionally available for their child. They are so focused on what they did wrong to this child that they become unable to give the love and attention that would help fix the negative.

Our desire for repentance and improvement needs to propel us further, not hold us back. There is a halachic process for teshuva, but after that, we need to forgive and look forward to bettering ourselves.

May we forgive and be forgiven, creating a family and nation of unity and connection.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

Health & F tness

I Want to Run –Not Suffer: A Beginner’s Guide to Building the Habit

By Sara Weissman

“If you have a body, you are an athlete.” — Bill Bowerman.

Iplayed sports in high school, but I always thought that runners had a genetic mutation that I was lacking. To me, anyone who ran more than 5 miles at a time was cut from robotic cloth. How could a human ignore their heart violently thumping against their chest and the burning sensation in their legs?

I now run 40+ miles a week, and it has changed my life. I started with just a few miles here and there. Without any superhuman motivation or pain tolerance, I made huge gains in my performance and even greater gains in how I approach my training. My results were a byproduct of building a habit. Some of the advice shared (namely “habit stacking” and “identity-based habits”) is inspired by James Clear’s Atomic Habits. Here are some tips that helped me, and may help you, if you are beginning your running journey.

1. Don’t Focus on Pace

In my freshman year of college, a friend suggested I find a pace slow enough that I could sustain for two miles. I responded, “If I go any slower, I’ll be jogging in place.” The truth is that I didn’t have enough guts to let everyone on the track lap me. Years later, I revisited the idea of running at a slow and comfortable pace and realized that I actually enjoyed it. As a beginner, you will still make huge gains without pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion.

If even your slowest jog does not feel like something you can sustain for a significant amount of time, there is no shame in taking a walking break. Don’t let pride get in the way of finishing your workout.

“Slow” is different for everybody. I recommend a pace where you can have a conversation without gasping for breath. A popular pacing method is to use heart rate data. When doing easy runs, an appropriate heart rate range to target is 6070% of your maximum heart rate, often referred to as “zone 2” within the five heart rate zone model. Heart rate zones can be monitored using a fitness watch or chest strap, but you don’t necessarily need one to gauge intensity. If you can have a conversation, you are at the right intensity.

If you want to get faster, you will eventually need to incorporate more intense workouts into your routine. However, easy runs are a great way to get hooked on running while building an endurance base.

runs, and you might find yourself looking forward to lacing up.

3. Have Plans and Goals

Whether it’s a sub-three-hour marathon or running a mile without walking, setting a goal is a great way to train with purpose and consistency. I advise against tying weight loss goals to running, as there are risks to running while undernourished. Additionally, running transforms your body in ways that are much more important than the number on the scale. It improves health outcomes, lifespan, and quality of life in both lean and overweight individuals.

If the treadmill feels more like a “dreadmill,” go to the boardwalk or a local park.

winning mix, pencil your workouts into your planner.

4. Build the Habit and Own the Identity

One of my favorite habit-building strategies is to focus less on what we want to do and focus more on who we want to become. When asked, “Why do you run?” this is the difference between responding, “I’m trying to be faster/fitter” and “I am a runner.”

You’re a runner because you run, and you run because you are a runner. Your identity and actions have a reciprocal relationship. I hope that my psychology students recognize the role of cognitive dissonance in this concept. Every time you successfully go out for a run, that builds your belief that you are a runner.

2.

Make Running Attractive

It is important to bundle good habits, such as running, with enjoyable things. If you like music, investing in Spotify Premium might just make running a habit more likely to stick (advertisements in the final sprint = pain). If the treadmill feels more like a “dreadmill,” go to the boardwalk or a local park. If you enjoy socializing, join a friend or a local running club. If you love bagels, end your run at the local bagel store (carbs are runners’ friends). Attach enjoyable things to your

Let’s say you decide to do the annual Five Towns 5K this spring without taking a walking break. That’s awesome! Now you need to develop a plan, because without one, your goal risks just being a fantasy. A plan funnels your motivation into purposeful action.

Where should you start? I schedule my workouts and their type (e.g., intervals, low intensity) in my planner a week in advance. It’s important to develop a balance of hard and easy workouts that you can stick with. Once you design that

Starting slow, making running attractive, and sticking to your plan are key components of building the habit. Once running becomes enjoyable, consistency will naturally follow. Hopefully, this leads you to realize that if running is part of your life, you are a runner. When you see yourself as a runner, going for a run will no longer feel like an active decision. It’s just what you do.

Sara Weissman is a high school psychology teacher, biochemistry researcher, former adjunct professor of biology, and distance runner. Follow her running adventures on Strava @Sari Weissman. If you have feedback or suggestions for future articles, contact Sara at sara.lifshitz18@gmail.com.

A Fulfilled L fe Are You Listening? A Look Into Singlehood for the 30+

By Miryam Werdyger and Sarah Ziet

This article is all about shining a spotlight on the experiences of singles 30+ in the frum world. It’s like a mixtape of insights and heart, and we’re doing this with compassion, not to judge, because who needs that?

The goal is to move beyond the surface and delve into the nuances, challenges, and quiet triumphs that define this life stage.

The Unique Challenges of Dating Over 30

Let’s be honest… In the frum community, where marriage and family are central pillars, being single as you get older can feel like trying to find wi-fi in the wilderness –it’s tough!

With all eyes on the “next step” – marriage – many single people might feel like they’re playing a game of hide and seek, but they’re not hiding. They’re awesome and just often overlooked.

The challenges they face are no joke.

“Once you hit 30, it can feel like you’re in a movie where everyone is getting married and you’re on the outside looking in, feeling like you’ve been tagged with the ‘nebach’ label.”

Let’s be honest – that hurts! This sense of being left behind is often compounded by a feeling of societal pressure.

Dovid, a single man in his mid-30s, feels like his life is on hold, while his peers are buying homes, raising children, and advancing in their careers.

Similarly, Shira, 32, a single woman, feels the sting of seeing her younger friends and cousins get married and start families, while she is still navigating the dating world. This isn’t just a personal feeling; it’s a social reality that can create a sense of isolation and otherness.

Beyond the Resume: The Search for Authentic Connection

Shidduchim is still the go-to method for finding a spouse, but many singles 30+ are craving something more authentic. They want connections that feel real, not like swiping right on a resume! The tra-

ditional system, while effective for many, can feel impersonal, and the focus on “stats” can be draining. Singles are often presented with a brief profile – a person’s age, hometown, education, profession, and religious observance – and expected to decide if they want to meet. This process often overlooks the richness and depth of a person’s character,

call for a more personalized, human-centered approach.

For many, the current system can feel like a one-size-fits-all model in a world that is increasingly individualistic. Singles are often looking for shared values, intellectual compatibility, and a genuine emotional connection that can’t be captured in a picture and a few bullet points.

They are advocating for a shift in perspective, one that recognizes that singles are vibrant, valuable members of the community.

humor, and passions. It’s no wonder that many singles feel frustrated. They want to be seen as whole people, not just a list of attributes. And let’s not forget the well-meaning shadchanim who sometimes forget to have a conversation before they start handing out profiles. “Come on, folks! We’re people, not LinkedIn profiles!” This sentiment isn’t an attack on the shadchanim or the system itself but a

Despite the challenges, there are many singles pushing for understanding, respect, and inclusion. They’re all about sharing with the community about what it’s really like to be single. These singles are challenging the notion by some that single people are incomplete or are somehow “less than.” They are advocating for a shift in perspective, one that recognizes that singles are vibrant, valuable mem-

bers of the community.

Some are even on a mission to create chilled social settings where singles can mingle without feeling like they’re on a blind date with a PowerPoint presentation!

These initiatives range from community single-focused events to trips and retreats to workshops and more.

The idea is to create spaces where singles can meet organically and authentically rather than being limited to the structured and often high-pressure environment of formal dates.

Looking Ahead: Creating an Environment of Understanding

As we look ahead, it’s time to consider rethinking the dating game. Let’s transform our practices and make it easier for singles to find their life partner. It’s all about keeping the conversation ongoing and current and asking the question “are you listening?” to what singles are really saying.

By opening up these lines of communication, we can create an environment of understanding and empathy.

The good news? There’s a growing awareness that change is needed, and with awareness comes change!

It’s about shifting the communal focus from “are you married yet?” to “how can we do things differently?”

So, let’s keep the buzz around singlehood alive and thriving, confronting those negative perceptions while creating an environment of understanding.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about being a single person 30+ in the frum community?

We’d love hear from you!

Miryam Werdyger and Sarah Ziet are Certified Life Coaches and mentors specializing in effective communication skills for individuals, couples, groups and singles navigating the dating world. They can be reached at coachmiryam@icloud.com or via WhatsApp/text at 516-924-7695.

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti,

My son is in tenth grade, and my daughter just started ninth. Both of them are great kids, but they struggle academically. High school feels like an uphill battle filled with constant failure, and I’m worried about how it’s affecting their self-esteem. My biggest goal is for them to graduate as emotionally healthy, confident young adults. How can I support them through these difficult years without letting school destroy their sense of self?

-Worried Mom

A:Dear Worried Mom, Thank you for your heartfelt letter. It’s clear how deeply you care about your children’s well-being, both academically and emotionally. Your focus on raising healthy, confident young adults is commendable and exactly the right perspective.

High school can indeed feel like an uphill battle, especially for students who struggle academically. It’s important to remember that school is just one part of their lives, and their self-worth should not be solely defined by their academic performance. Here are some strategies to support your children through these challenging years while preserving their self-esteem and emotional health.

First, help your teens understand their challenges clearly. Whether they have ADHD, a learning disability, anxiety, or other difficulties, naming and explaining these challenges can remove the shame associated with them. When students understand what they’re

working with, they can learn how to work around it. This understanding is not an excuse but a strategy to help them succeed.

Organization and routines are crucial for teens with learning challenges. Disorganization and time management struggles can quickly spiral into missed assignments and plummeting motivation. Help your children set up a consistent planner system, break down large assignments into smaller, manageable steps, and establish a predictable after-school routine. Even if they resist help at first, they will likely feel relieved once a system is in place.

It’s important to remember that school is just one part of their lives.

ademically. These activities offer chances for them to discover their strengths, build leadership and responsibility, make friends in lower-pressure environments, and experience success. Encourage them to get involved in something they enjoy, even if it has nothing to do with school. The skills and self-esteem they build in these activities will often translate back into the classroom.

It’s also important to build recovery plans for when things go wrong. Perfection isn’t the goal – resilience is. Discuss what your children can do when they miss an assignment or fall behind. Coach them on how to ask for an extension, where to get help, and how to prioritize makeup work. Remind them that turning in something late or imperfect is always better than a zero.

Use positive accountability rather than pressure. Instead of immediately asking if they turned in their report, schedule regular check-in times to talk about school. Respectful boundaries around school conversations can preserve your relationship and reduce defensiveness. If school feels like a safe topic, your children will be more likely to come to you when they’re struggling.

Create opportunities for your children to shine outside of school. Extracurricular activities and summer camps can be life-changing for kids who struggle ac -

Support your children’s emotional regulation and self-worth. Validate their feelings when things are hard, celebrate small victories, and create things to look forward to. Encourage self-care practices like sleep, movement, and screen boundaries. Remind them that they are not their grades and that they are valued for who they are.

As your teens mature, gradually hand over more responsibility while still providing the support they need. Check in regularly and offer help as needed. Empowering your children doesn’t mean stepping back; it means walking beside them until they’re ready to lead themselves.

The fact that you’re asking how to support your children’s emotional health while they face academic struggles says everything about the kind of parent you are. With empathy, structure, and continued connection, you’re giving them the best possible foundation – not just to get through high school, but to thrive beyond it.

Wishing you strength, clarity, and many moments of joy along the way!

Gmar chasima tova, - Etti

Mrs. Etti Siegel holds a MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 35

experience. Etti is an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Shenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning, FACTS Education Solutions, Brienza Academic Advantage, Yeled V’Yalda; is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country; and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to Hamechanech magazine and The Journal for Jewish Day School Leaders and has a weekly column in

In The K tchen

Sticky Date Chicken

By Naomi Nachman

A few month ago, Mishpacha Magazine asked me to develop a chicken-based recipe for Rosh Hashana. This recipe includes dates to make a sweet and delicious recipe for a sweet new year.

Ingredients

◦ 1 cup pitted dates, packed

◦ ½ cup boiling water

◦ 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

◦ 2 TBS cornstarch

◦ 1 TBS soy sauce

Date Glaze

◦ ½ cup light soy sauce

◦ 4 frozen garlic cubes

◦ 2 TBS silan

◦ 4 TBS lemon juice

◦ 2 tsp sesame oil

◦ ½ tsp salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Add the dates to a small pot and bring to a boil with the lid on. After it hits the boiling point, turn off the flame and let the dates soak in the hot water for 20 minutes with the lid on.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken with cornstarch. Add 1 TBS soy sauce and toss again until evenly coated.

Spread the chicken evenly onto a sheet pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, put the dates and the soaking liquid in a food processor with the “S” blade. Add remaining soy sauce, garlic, honey, lemon juice and sesame oil. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

When chicken is finished baking, toss the chicken with the date glaze.

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

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

Shaw had Cubs world in a tizzy this weekend when he was not here for the Cubs game with the Reds. A game they lost one-nothing, and in which his lack of presence was felt. It was later revealed that he had been given permission to attend Charlie Kirk’s funeral. And I don’t want to talk about any of the politics of it, but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency really strikes me as weird.

- New York Mets announcer Gary Cohen during the broadcast chastising Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw for missing a game to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial service

When Neville Chamberlain sold out to the Nazis he believed (foolishly) he was avoiding conflict. The only thing [UK Prime Minister] Keir Starmer is trying to avoid is an Islamist takeover of Britain. He has rewarded the new nazis and will get only shame.

- Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S Yechiel Leiter, rebuking Starmer after he recognized a Palestinian state

There are no “paper bears,” and Russia is a real bear. Putin has repeatedly and with varying degrees of emotion described our bear. There’s nothing paper about it.

- Pres. Putin’s spokesman responding to Trump referring to Russia as a paper tiger in his UN address

Vice President Harris was simply not good at the job. She had basically zero substantive role in any of the administration’s key work streams and instead would just dive bomb in for stilted photo ops that exposed how out of depth she was.

– A former Biden White House official talking to Axios about Kamala Harris, after the latter criticized the Biden team in her new book

You just don’t call a victim of a crime just a random dead person. No victim should be referred to as a random, dead person. What she said was really nasty, and it came across as racist.

- The mother of murdered Maryland woman Kayla Hamilton, on Fox News, calling out Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) who referred to her daughter as a “random dead person” during a debate on a bill named in Hamilton’s honor

Ilhan spews hate every time she opens her mouth. She came here fraudulently and will hopefully be sent back to Somalia soon.

- Pro golfer Phil Mickelson on X, in response to Ilhan Omar who has been spewing hateful rhetoric about Charlie Kirk since he was assassinated

We have operational capabilities more imaginative than ever before and more powerful — mainly inside Iran and even in the heart of Tehran. We will not allow ideas that could harm our security to grow.

- Mossad chief David Barnea at a recent security conference

Just because someone has committed a crime, it doesn’t make them a criminal. That is completely different. Being a criminal is more so about your mindset.

- Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) on a recent podcast

You are a bigot, and you are racist, and you’re an Islamophobe. Although you live here, I want you to know, as mayor, you are not welcome here. And the day you move out of the city will be the day that I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of this city.

- Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud to Dearborn resident Ted Barham who objected to a street in Dearborn, Michigan, being named after a radical Muslim who called for jihad in Israel and America

I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations. All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle. If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would have fallen, but she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape. These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.

– Pres. Trump when his teleprompter malfunctioned during his UN address

To Make America Great Again... That is my only thing. That’s what I live for.

- Pres. Trump when asked by Fox’s Peter Doocy “What’s one thing on your bucket list?”

I have a question for all the howdy-doodys who think socialism is better than free enterprise: When the Berlin Wall fell, who ran to which side?

– Sen. John Kennedy on Fox News

Charlie did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie— I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry, I am sorry, Erika. But now Erika can talk to me and the whole group, maybe they can convince me that’s not right, but I can’t stand my opponent. Charlie’s angry — looking down — he’s angry at me now.

- Pres. Trump delivering a eulogy for Charlie Kirk, shortly before Charlie’s widow Ericka delivered her eulogy and said that she forgives her husband’s assassin

French President Macron had to get out and walk after police blocked traffic for Trump’s motorcade. Macron said that he wasn’t worried about getting assaulted…because he was nowhere near his wife.

- Greg Gutfeld

NBC has reported that investigators found no evidence between Charlie Kirk’s shooter and left-wing groups. You can add that to your other scoops: the laptop is fake, Covid came from bat soup, Trump colluded with Russia, Biden is sharp as a tack.

– ibid.

True, there were no records of him showing up at the nightly Antifa potluck at the YMCA. He didn’t need to—every single day he was fed the message that all [conservatives] are white supremacists, Nazis and fascists… So the media says, “Good news, folks! He wasn’t radicalized by a group.” Well, yeah, because he was radicalized by you—the media!

- ibid., speaking about Charlie Kirk’s assassin

Political Crossfire

These Editor’s Notes are Poison. I Soaked Up Every Drop

“Ugh.” “Ick.” “Try Again.” “Let’s not.” “No, no, no, no. no, no! If you saw this in a movie you’d get up and walk out.”

These were just a few of the comments (and among the milder ones) that Starling Lawrence, the great W.W. Norton editor, wrote on drafts of seven of my spy novels that he published over the past two decades. People sometimes wonder if words really matter these days. Well, they [darn] well did to Star Lawrence.

To be edited by Lawrence was a tutorial in the craft of writing, and in my case, a reminder of my woeful shortcomings. (He would have put an “X” next to woeful and written “trite.”) He died last month at 82, and I want to share with readers some of what he taught me about the vanishing art of editing.

Lawrence was everything a man named “Starling” should be. He was tall, urbane, well-dressed. He disdained what he regarded as ordinary, “down-market” writing and was passionate about the inventive writers he discovered and cultivated. That group included Michael Lewis and Sebastian Junger, two giants of nonfiction, and Patrick O’Brian, a writer of 20 addictive sea novels, including “Master and Commander.”

My own apprenticeship with Lawrence began with my seventh novel, “Body of Lies.” I had published my first book, “Agents of Innocence,” with Norton and had a wonderful editor, Linda Healey, but then I wandered among three other publishing houses before coming back to Norton, where Lawrence was editor in chief.

Lawrence wanted to break me of bad habits, and the 2006 draft of “Body of Lies” is dense with comments written in his tiny cursive with a sharp No. 2 pencil. On nearly every page you can see his deletion of empty descriptive words and

By David Ignatius

insistence on precise ones.

When I described “faded” curtains early in the manuscript, he wrote: “I always detested this word, as I do ‘battered.’ Something specific.” He didn’t like overused, “writerly” language, and he hated

“Is there another word? This one is a stock item. ‘Flinched,’ perhaps.” When I wrote the phrase “in truth,” Lawrence penciled it out. “Almost never a useful line.”

Lawrence especially didn’t like sloppy, sexist description, and he could be hilar-

To be edited by Lawrence was a tutorial in the craft of writing, and in my case, a reminder of my woeful shortcomings.

predictable word choices. When I wrote: “A cloud seemed to pass over her face, darkening her features,” Lawrence responded: “Something I have often heard & seldom believe.” When I wrote “tasty” and “munch” in the same sentence, he scribbled “ugh ugh.” When I described a character who “winced,” Lawrence cut it.

ious in savaging it. When I said of a female character, “her hair seemed to float in slow motion like one of those women in the Breck shampoo commercials,” he penciled tartly: “Probably never good to have your heroine remind the hero of a TV commercial.” He drew a wobbly line next to a whole passage of male/female

dialogue: “I think you’ll have to come up with a different dynamic here.” He wrote archly: “This conversation, as my mother would say, does not reflect well on either of them.” He wanted images that came from real life, not a movie or television drama. When I described a woman speaking “cheerily,” he snipped: “Bad word – she sounds like Doris Day.” After another dubious descriptive line, he just wrote: “Please!!!”

Lawrence could be profane himself in conversation, but he didn’t like too much of it in books and too many F-bombs inevitably got an X. Tough-guy talk didn’t impress him. A drink that went down “sharp and cool,” drew the response: “Do over … this sounds like Mickey Spillane.” A description of a gin Martini as a “liquid hammer” got another “do over.”

Finally, after penciling several hundred pages of these “ughs” and “icks,” Lawrence offered me a general admonition about writing: “Beware of the Obvious!” he wrote in large letters. “I think it helps to ask whether you are giving the reader information he doesn’t have or can’t figure out himself. And if it is a description of some sort the question should be: Is this original or interesting enough to warrant inclusion? Sometimes cutting beats revising.” - - -

Cut, cut, cut, in other words. Remove anything that is extraneous, fatuous or false. That was my first book with Lawrence, and perhaps he realized I might be feeling a little bruised. So near the end of the manuscript, he offered a gentle suggestion that in my next draft, I emulate his best-selling sea novelist:

“Try rewriting with the goal of leaving out everything you possibly can – the Patrick O’Brian technique of narration –and if the reader has to scramble a bit to understand, that’s okay. I once suggested

to POB that a glossary in his books would be useful. ‘Oh no,’ he replied. ‘Ignorance of the cross-catharpin [a brace for a ship’s mast] is not necessarily fatal. Explanation of it surely is.’”

I rewrote “Body of Lies,” cutting everything I could, leaving out the shampoo commercial and the faded curtains, and trying to be a less bad writer. Somehow, the book became a bestseller and then a Hollywood movie. Lawrence was pleased and, I suspect, a bit surprised. He knew the depths from which it had emerged.

After that first encounter, Lawrence was gentler. That was partly because I had gotten the lesson and was cutting more of the bad stuff before I submitted the first draft. He sent me a letter after receiving my 2011 novel set in Pakistan, “Bloodmoney.” “Ate the whole thing in one sitting. … I grieve that my poison pencil will have such limited opportunity this time around.”

Still, he had some Xs for that book, too. “Squawking like parrots.” Out. “Ringlets of sweat.” Out. “A high, austere forehead.” Out. “Lean and supple.” Definitely out. On “Bloodmoney,” I discovered that Lawrence disliked goatees, of the sort worn (in draft) by one of my characters. “Goatee has always seemed a false note to me … a stage prop … Let’s lose it.”

My book “Quantum Spy” got the lion roaring again. It was a technology story about a Chinese American CIA officer, and it opened in a quantum computing lab in Seattle. “This sounds more like Power Point than Prologue … heavy on exposition at the expense of all other novelistic attributes,” Lawrence wrote on the opening page. He thought the book had too many untranslated Chinese words. “This can’t go on,” he pleaded in one passage. And too much hackneyed writing. A “battered briefcase” prompted this riposte: “Can we not do this? Such a cliché of detective novels and manly man fiction.”

Lawrence cringed (rightly) at one offbeat and ultimately villainous female CIA character in “Quantum Spy.” His comments rose in a slow boil. “Sounds like a Valley Girl!!” “Someone the CIA would weed out on Day 1.” “Enough already!” “David please!!” “I am having a credibility attack. Feels like asthma.”

This character is the one that prompted the Lawrence comment I noted at the beginning: “If you saw this in a movie you’d get up and walk out. We want your book to be a movie – a good one.” As it happened, “Quantum Spy” was optioned for a TV series twice, currently by Netflix, which is developing a script that maybe,

possibly, Lawrence would have liked.

- - -

As Lawrence edited my last two books, “The Paladin” and “Phantom Orbit,” our relationship was occasionally strained. I ran into structural problems with both. But Lawrence didn’t like getting down in the muck with a book that hadn’t gelled yet in the author’s mind.

“Structure, shmucksher, what I care about is obsession in the author,” he said in a writing class at Princeton, when the teacher, historian Evan Thomas, asked how he had managed structural problems in Junger’s classic “The Perfect Storm.” Structure mattered less than the fact that “Junger was completely obsessed,” he said.

I eventually worked out the problems in “The Paladin” and sent in the manuscript. I was rewarded with Lawrence’s acid (but correct) word editing. When I described a “spurting fountain,” he wrote: “Not a useful detail. It’s what fountains do.” A reference to a character’s “tummy,” drew a complaint. “Can we please not overuse this ‘cute’ word.” When I over-described what the bad guys were wearing in a decisive final scene, he scolded: “Really not the time for sartorial details.”

Lawrence despaired at first with my latest novel, “Phantom Orbit,” a tale of space weapons whose storyline jumped in time and place, to his annoyance. The manuscript records his usual (and invariably sound) criticisms of lazy writing. More worrisome, when I asked what he thought of that first draft, Lawrence was almost mute. He obviously didn’t like it, and worse, he wasn’t sure it made sense. As it happened, I was calling from a hospital where I was visiting a family member, and I wanted good news, but

Lawrence couldn’t offer it and wouldn’t fake it. That’s part of why he was so good. He wasn’t afraid to be honest.

But then Lawrence did what the best editors do, which is to take a risk on his writer – and trust him to fix a narrative that isn’t yet working. He gave me time and intellectual space to solve my problems. When I sent him the final draft, his cover note had just one word: “Bravissi-

mo!” That was one of our last exchanges. Encomiums about editors often describe them as self-effacing people who enable their writers. The New York Times critic Michiko Kakutani wrote in reviewing the letters of Maxwell Perkins, the celebrated editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe: “Perkins emerges as a patient, long-suffering editor serving as a sort of combination father figure, father confessor and cheerleader for his temperamental writer.”

“Do the work. Shut up. Get on with it,” Robert Gottlieb, the brilliant editor of John Le Carre, Katharine Graham and many others told Terry Gross on the NPR show, “Fresh Air.” Gottlieb told another interviewer, Larissa MacFarquhar in the Paris Review: “The glorification of editors … is not a wholesome thing. The editor’s relationship to a book should be an invisible thing.”

Starling Lawrence wasn’t invisible. He certainly wasn’t a father confessor. He could be sharp as a stiletto with his writers, and he was as needy, in his way, as they were. But he was supremely good at what he did. He probably would cut that last sentence, but sadly, he can’t.

© 2025, Washington Post Writers Group

Political Crossfire Violence is the Natural Next Step of Academic Intolerance

Whenever I watched one of Charlie Kirk’s viral videos depicting his events held at various colleges around the United States, I always had the same thought. By plunking himself down in the middle of university campuses under a banner that proclaimed, “Prove me wrong,” he was taking an awful risk.

The prevailing culture of academia in recent years has been one in which many faculty members and students took the position that speech with which they disagreed was a form of violence. Given Kirk’s willingness to engage with students who didn’t share his views about abortion, gun rights or Israel, it wasn’t hard to imagine the sometimes-angry responses to his comments overflowing into something other than political discourse.

I’m far from the only one who must have thought that. And tragically, those concerns were justified this week when the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative activist group, was fatally shot by an assailant last week. Though shootings and even political violence are far from rare events in 2025 America, his assassination at what could be deemed a safer place at Utah Valley University has nevertheless shocked the nation.

A Rorschach Test

His murder has been something of a Rorschach test for politicians, pundits and social-media posters. While most agree that this is a compelling reason for everyone to stop demonizing their political foes, we already know that won’t happen. If two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump last year haven’t prevented his opponents on the left from continuing to smear him as another Hitler—and therefore logically fair game for violence—what makes

By Jonathan S. Tobin

anyone think that the gunning down of a young man who leaves behind a wife and two small children will sober anyone up?

Let’s leave aside the question of which side of the political divide is more responsible for the situation. It is patently obvious that both extremes are capable of disturbing the peace. Yet after so many years of alleging that the political right is the main, if not only, threat of domestic terrorism, many on the left only seem capable of admitting this obvious fact if they also demonize conservative victims like Kirk.

That was exactly what The New York Times did in an article about Kirk’s beliefs, in which they falsely accused him of supporting conspiracy theories about illegal immigrants rather than voicing concerns shared by a majority of Americans, and even accused a strong supporter of Israel and friend of the Jewish community of antisemitism. Even less temperate leftist posters on social me -

dia just doubled down on the old smears by calling Kirk a Nazi, while a not inconsiderable portion of the crackpot far right started floating farcical accusations about Israel being responsible for the murder.

Regardless of who the murderer turns out to be, relitigating these charges is pointless. What should be the focus of a national conversation is the fact that this tragedy took place on a college campus and that the victim was someone whose mission in life was to promote free speech in venues where that has gone out of fashion.

Indeed, Kirk was something of a purist when it came to speech. He even voiced concerns about the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on campus antisemitism because he opposed any limits on discourse. But, of course, contrary to the assertions of the president’s critics, the target of his efforts is not speech but illegal behavior, in which pro-Hamas mobs took over

parts of campuses and sought to intimidate Jews. And if any moral were to be drawn from Kirk’s death, it should be to remind us that the willingness of so many academic institutions to tolerate and even encourage this sort of violence is about more than the feelings of Jewish students. It is a fundamental threat not just to free expression of political discourse but also an inevitable harbinger of far worse.

Challenging “Safe Places” Kirk’s “Prove me wrong” events are now being widely described as provocations by those who opposed his stands. To the political left, the open expression of anti-abortion, anti-open borders, pro-guns and pro-Israel advocacy on campuses remains an affront to their sensibilities and academia itself, where such views are rarely heard. But that was the point. Kirk’s goal was not merely to promote the ideas he believed in, but to puncture the widely accepted notion that institutions of higher learning should provide “safe places” in which no one should be forced to deal with views that contradicted their own.

The problem is not just that this has created a generation of “snowflakes” too sensitive to debate ideas. The whole point of this notion is not safety but authoritarianism.

Treating ordinary political discourse as a form of violence to be feared is a mandate for silencing opposing views. And whatever anyone may have thought about Kirk’s opinions or his campus roadshow, his plucky glee for engaging those who disagreed with him—and who returned his replies with patent liberal nostrums—was the essence of democracy.

But the intolerance he fought represented more than a plague destroying the free exchange of ideas on which

genuine scholarship thrives. It’s also a license for violence.

Current campus culture, rooted in the woke catechism of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), is not only a Marxist inversion of equal opportunity that seeks to perpetuate and widen racial divides and destroy the foundation of Western civilization. It’s also a permission slip for discriminating against any idea or group of people that falls outside of the protected classes of victims it claims to champion, as seen in the two years since the Hamas-led Palestinian attacks on Israel, Jews and Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. It works to legitimize the cause of destroying Israel and the genocide of the Jewish people.

Even a cursory reading of history leads one to the inevitable conclusion that ideas drenched in Jew-hatred lead to violence against Jews. An uptick in antisemitism started internationally in the wake of Oct. 7. And since January in the United States, instances of violence against Jews include the firebombing of pro-Israel marchers in Boulder, Colo.; the murder of two young Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C.; and an arson attack

on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Harrisburg residence, where his family slept on the first night of Passover.

The Cost of Intolerance

Just as the impact on Jews is but a sidebar to the threat that DEI and other toxic left-wing ideologies pose to America as a whole, so, too, is intolerance for

derground might have represented only a fraction of those who protested against the Vietnam War more than half a century ago. These days, however, the political culture, coupled with the internet and social media, all work to mainstream extremist thoughts in ways unimaginable in previous generations. The disturbing online reactions to Kirk’s

Treating ordinary political discourse as a form of violence to be feared is a mandate for silencing opposing views.

supporters of Israel and Zionism, merely a warning that anyone who dissents from the prevailing orthodoxies on campuses is also in danger.

As Americans learned in the 1960s, when intolerant radicals found themselves stymied by their failure to convince the majority of people to agree with their ideas, some inevitably resorted to violence. The Weather Un -

death, similar to the December 2024 assassination of an executive of the United Health Care insurance company and attempts on Trump’s life, illustrate how this normalizes toleration and even support for violence.

In the bifurcated political culture of 2025, we already know that most Americans have stopped listening, watching or reading views with which they dis -

agree. That leads some to conclude that anyone they don’t like is Hitler—someone who should be silenced, if not jailed or subjected to violence. That’s more than a threat to politicians and activists. It can also put a target on the back of anyone who seeks to express their views about the subjects that Kirk spoke about in the public square.

Put into perspective, that makes it clear that his killing isn’t just one more sign that vocal advocacy can be a dangerous profession. It’s also a warning that society is heading toward a reality in which all those who speak up for any cause that falls out of favor with the chattering classes, like that of Israel and opposition to antisemitism, can no longer think of themselves as safe from violence.

That makes the cause of free speech that Charlie Kirk championed, as well as the need to stop demonizing our political foes, not merely a matter of civility in public discourse. It’s a matter of life and death for American democracy.

Thank you for 42 years of loyalty

Appointments plus open Hours from September 30th to October 5th

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate).

Yes, The Left Has a Political Violence Problem

IBy Marc A. Thiessen

n the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel, the outpouring of antisemitism on the left was shocking. On many U.S. campuses, students and professors alike celebrated violence against Jews and harassed Jewish students. On X, educated people – doctors, nurses, teachers and school administrators – spewed similar venom. For many, it was a revelation: We didn’t realize just how many people in our midst hated Jews.

Well, something similar has happened since the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The outpouring of hatred on the left has been shocking, with people taking sick joy in his death. For conservatives, the vile response to the killing of an activist who respectfully engaged those with whom he disagreed has been eye-opening: Many on the left don’t simply disagree; they support violence against those they disagree with.

That is not hyperbole. A YouGov poll conducted in the wake of Kirk’s killing asked Americans: “Do you generally consider it to be acceptable or unacceptable for a person to be happy about the death of a public figure they oppose?” Ninety-one percent of conservatives said it was “always or usually” not acceptable, as did 90 percent of those who are “very conservative.” But only 56 percent of those who are “very liberal” and 73 percent of liberals said celebrating the death of someone with whom they disagreed was unacceptable.

It gets worse. YouGov asked: “Do you think it is ever justified for citizens to resort to violence in order to achieve political goals?” Eighty-three percent of conservatives and 88 percent of those who are very conservative said political violence is never justified. That is, in my opinion, lower than

it should be. But on the left? Only 68 percent of liberals, and 55 percent of those who are “very liberal,” said political violence was never justified. Seventeen percent of the former and 25 percent of the latter said it was sometimes justified – shockingly high numbers.

This poll is not an outlier. A survey from Rutgers University found that 56 percent of left-of-center respondents said the murder of President Donald Trump would be at least partially justified, while 50 percent said killing Elon Musk could be justified. These numbers should be a wake-up call. The acceptance, and even celebration,

to office promising to put his “whole soul” into “bringing America together.” Instead, he called Trump supporters “garbage,” declared that Republicans in Congress supported “Jim Crow 2.0” and compared them to racists and traitors such as Bull Connor and Jefferson Davis. Vice President Kamala Harris said she agreed Trump is a fascist and warned that his election would threaten our very democracy.

When politicians engage in this kind of rhetoric, they are saying that the other side is not simply wrong but evil. And when

The vile response to the killing of an activist who respectfully engaged those with whom he disagreed has been eye-opening.

of political violence on the left is a serious problem for our democracy. And it is the responsibility of those on the left who don’t share that belief to take the lead in fighting this worrisome trend. To his credit, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) released a video in which he praised Charlie Kirk for engaging the other side and declared that “every American, no matter what one’s political point-of-view may be, must condemn all forms of political violence.”

Many on the left like to condemn Trump’s rhetoric but conveniently overlook the dehumanizing rhetoric of their own leaders. President Joe Biden came

you declare someone is evil, that provides a justification for violence.

Such rhetoric from Democrats long predates Trump. During the 2016 campaign, Hillary Clinton compared Republicans to Nazis, saying they wanted to “round [illegal immigrants] up” and put them in “boxcars.”

Four years earlier, a super PAC supporting President Barack Obama ran ads showing Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan pushing an old lady in a wheelchair over the side of a cliff. In 2008, Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) compared GOP presidential nominee John McCain to segregationist Alabama Gov. George Wallace. In

2000, the NAACP spent millions on ugly ads accusing George W. Bush of moral equivalence with white supremacists who brutally lynched James Byrd in 1998. Many on the left will respond: What about Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol chanting “hang Mike Pence”? Fair enough. The Capitol riot was a disgrace. But what happened that day notwithstanding, support for political violence on the right is in the single digits. On the left, it is substantial.

Trump has faced two attempts on his life. Conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh faced an attempted assassination (which came after Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) stood on the steps of the Supreme Court and shouted: “I want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions!”). Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) was shot and nearly killed by a deranged backer of Sanders.

And now we have seen the brutal killing of Charlie Kirk.

In the wake of Kirk’s assassination, some have suggested that America has a political violence problem. No, it has a left-wing political violence problem. And just like the problem of antisemitism on the left, responsible Democrats need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask how they may have contributed to this troubling trend – and what they can do to reverse it. © 2025, Washington

Political Crossfire Daring U.S. Move to Free Korean City Fortifies a Bond 75 Years Later

By Choe Sang-Hun

INCHEON, South Korea — Douglas MacArthur has not faded away in Incheon, South Korea. From its hilltop Freedom Park, the American general, in the form of a bronze statue, gazes down at the narrow channel that connects the city to the Yellow Sea.

On a September dawn 75 years ago, tens of thousands of U.S. and South Korean Marines under his command braved a hail of enemy fire to approach the shore and scale seawalls protecting Incheon. They retook the city from North Korean forces and went on to liberate Seoul, the South Korean capital, which lies roughly 25 miles to its east.

The Incheon Landing, the U.S. military’s most daring amphibious assault since D-Day in Normandy, turned the tide of the Korean War and made MacArthur a household name in South Korea. In Incheon, he is more than that; the city has made him and his maneuver part of its identity, hosting commemorative ceremonies each year.

On Sept. 14, South Korean and U.S. Marines marched down an Incheon

street as onlookers cheered, waving flags of both countries. On Monday, the landing’s anniversary, amphibious assault vehicles vroomed across the water into the harbor. Marines later hoisted the South Korean flag on a pier as a large outdoor screen flashed black-andwhite images from the actual landing 75 years ago.

If the Incheon landing symbolized the United States’ commitment to defend South Korea, then Incheon’s annual

“We Remember” festivities embody the gratefulness many South Koreans still feel toward the Americans. But the alliance has been roiled in recent months as the Trump administration outraged South Korea by imposing heavy tariffs on its exports and by arresting hundreds of its citizens who were building a factory in Ellabell, Georgia.

This is not the first time that some South Koreans are questioning the dynamics of the relationship with Washington. Some progressives no longer see it as a savior but as a bully. They have demanded the removal of the MacAr -

thur statue, which was built in 1957 with citizens’ donations, once setting a fire on the pedestal.

But like in years past, Incheon pressed ahead with its annual celebration, reaffirming its singular place in South Korea’s modern history and its ties with the United States.

“Without the Incheon landing, South Korea as we know it would not have existed,” Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong Bok said in an interview. “It reminds us that when we keep the alliance strong, we can keep South Korea free and defend the free world.”

On Sept. 15, 1950, Allied transport ships strung out down the Incheon channel as far as the eye could see.

U.S. Marines clambered down cargo nets into flat-bottomed landing craft, as warships pounded the beaches with shells to soften the enemy defense. Allied planes zoomed over, bombing and strafing the seawalls.

Today, Incheon’s bustling port exemplifies the contrast between the globalized South and the isolated North of the

Korean Peninsula.

Cruise ships ply the waters along with commercial vessels shipping out South Korean exports like Kia cars and bringing in oil and natural gas to fuel its economy, one of Asia’s largest. Tall port silos and derricks loom over what used to be the seawalls U.S. Marines had to scale. Wolmido — an Incheon islet that American warplanes napalmed before the landing, not only scorching North Korean pillboxes but also killing villagers — now hosts an amusement park where children scream on roller coasters.

To the south, mud flats have been replaced with piers stacked with shipping containers, and the Songdo free economic zone, which is home to outposts of American universities, a thriving biotech industry and gleaming skyscrapers housing United Nations offices. Incheon is now among South Korea’s fastest growing cities. It has overtaken Busan, another port city, in terms of economic output and is second only to Seoul.

In Incheon, young couples and stu-

dents used to take wedding and school album photos in front of the MacArthur statue. There were even shamans who adopted the dead American general as a deity and performed rituals around his statue, said You Dong-hyun, the former director of the Incheon Metropolitan City Museum. Those shamans are long gone but on a recent sultry evening, an old man circled the statue, chanting Buddhist verses, while others walked their dogs in the park.

“There is respect for Gen. MacArthur and American troops sacrificed during the landing,” said Lee Sang-suk, 60. “Their image as the national savior is especially strong among old generations here.”

Yong Suck Shin, a retired journalist, was 9 when he watched U.S. Marines handing out chocolates to children after liberating Incheon. This year, he helped organize an exhibition about Marguerite Higgins, an American war correspondent who scaled a seawall with the Marines to report the landing.

“I am so proud of the landing that when I traveled abroad, I used to carry a photo of the MacArthur statue so I could explain where I came from,” Shin said.

For centuries, Korea was known as the hermit kingdom. It opened up for trade only in the late 1800s, when Incheon was a cluster of muddy fishing huts. Japan, China and the United States all established trade posts in Incheon because of its proximity to Seoul.

The old port area now attracts tourists with museums, alleys with turn-of-thecentury themes and with its Chinatown, the birthplace of a national noodle dish called jajangmyeon.

“Modern civilization arrived in Korea through Incheon,” said Vice Mayor Hwang Hyojin.

“I am so proud of the landing that when I traveled abroad, I used to carry a photo of the MacArthur statue so I could explain where I came from.”

American missionaries also arrived through Incheon, bringing Western medicine and education with them. Today, roughly 30% of all South Koreans identify as Christian. Korea’s first railway, highway and telegram lines all started from Incheon. Its first baseball and soccer games were held in Incheon.

Postwar Incheon attracted migrants seeking jobs unloading flour and other American aid shipments or at factories that were springing up around the city. But it has always been overshadowed by its bigger neighbor, Seoul. Incheon was the gateway to Seoul, and everything seemed to pass through it, not anchor -

ing down.

That began changing in the early 2000s with the opening of Incheon International Airport, one of the world’s largest, and the Songdo free economic zone, both on reclaimed land.

At the ceremony Monday, Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, the top U.S. military officer in South Korea, said, “The Republic of Korea that we see today — strong, prosperous and democratic — stands as living proof of what can be accomplished when allies and partners join together.”

To Kim Young-rak, 49, the Incheon landing has become more relevant than ever. He cited North Korea’s expanding nuclear threat and the deepening rivalry between the United States and China.

“The Americans crossed the Pacific 75 years ago to help push back communists barreling down the Korean Peninsula,” said Kim, who watched the annual parade with his wife and son. “South Korea and the United States must band together again to deter North Korea and China.”

© The New York Times

Political Crossfire

Inside Syria’s Most Fearsome Prison

By Christina Goldbaum, Charlie Smart, Helmuth Rosales, Anjali Singhvi and Reham Mourshed

No place in Syria was more feared than Sednaya prison during the Assad family’s decades-long, ironfisted rule.

Situated on a barren hilltop on the outskirts of Damascus, the capital, Sednaya was at the heart of the Assads’ extensive system of torture prisons and arbitrary arrests used to crush all dissent.

By the end of the nearly 14-year civil war that culminated in December with the fall of President Bashar Assad, it had become a haunting symbol of the dictator’s ruthlessness.

Over the years, the regime’s security apparatus swallowed up hundreds of thousands of activists, journalists, students and dissidents from all over Syria — many never to be heard from again.

Most prisoners did not expect to make it out of Sednaya alive. They watched as men detained with them withered away or simply lost the will to live. Tens of thousands of others were executed, according to rights groups.

Ehab Mouma from Damascus was imprisoned in 2018 after joining the rebel uprising against the Assad government.

Fares al-Diq, who joined the rebel movement, was taken at a checkpoint in central Syria in July 2019.

Mohammad al-Abdallah from Homs, in western Syria, was arrested in March 2020, within months of his brothers Akram and Khalid al-Abdallah.

Munzer al-Uthman from Homs was arrested in 2020 after defecting from mandatory military service.

The New York Times visited Sednaya several times, including the day after the regime fell. We interviewed 16 former prisoners and two former prison officials, and built a comprehensive 3-D model of the prison using more than 130 videos filmed on site by journalists for the Times who surveyed the vast complex.

We also spoke with prisoners’ relatives and a prisoner advocacy group to corroborate the details surrounding their arrests.

Former prisoners told the Times that they were tortured, beaten and deprived of food, water and medicine. Some of them saw prisoners or were themselves beaten by doctors responsible for treating them, leaving them swollen and often bleeding until they died.

Some of the former prisoners’ accounts included descriptions of violence that could not be independently verified, but that were largely consistent with one another and with rights groups’ reports on Sednaya.

Our reporting uncovered new details of the systemic torture and inhumane conditions the Assad government used to break anyone who dared to speak up against it.

Sednaya was so feared that few in Syria dared to utter its name. After reb -

els ousted Assad, the prison was suddenly open to the public for the first time.

Over the course of the civil war, more than 30,000 prisoners died at Sednaya, many executed in mass hangings, according to rights groups. Amnesty International described it as a “human slaughterhouse.” The true death toll from Sednaya remains unknown.

Former prisoners who had been imprisoned in the past few years told us that every few weeks, guards rounded up dozens of prisoners to execute them.

“Every day, we asked ourselves, ‘Will they execute us now?’” said al-Diq, the former rebel. “‘What will they do with us today?’”

From Cage to Dungeon

The prisoners typically arrived at the Sednaya complex bundled in cargo trucks, blindfolded and with their wrists shackled, former prisoners said.

When the back door of the truck

swung open, guards corralled them into an intake area at the main prison building, barking at them to keep their heads down and beating them with batons.

Then, prisoners were forced to squat with their heads between their legs as guards registered their names.

The inmates were told to strip naked and forced into metal cages that lined the walls.

When peaceful protests against the regime in 2011 turned into a civil war, Mohammad al-Buraidi, 32, a musician from the southern city of Daraa, was training on the oud — a pear-shaped string instrument.

He joined the rebel movement to defend his hometown from government forces. After a crackdown on the rebels, he laid down his arms and, in 2022, complied with a government mandate to join its military. Within months of doing so, he was arrested and accused of continuing to support the rebels, charges that he denied.

By the time al-Buraidi arrived at Sednaya, he, like most former prisoners the Times talked to, had endured months of torture in filthy dungeons and detention facilities across the country. Al-Buraidi said he spent a month in prison in Damascus hanging from the ceiling by his hands for multiple hours a day before he was transferred to Sednaya.

At Sednaya, al-Buraidi, like other detainees, was forced down a flight of stairs into an underground cell in the prison.

Inside the small cells, sewage and feces were smeared across the floor, their stench hanging thick in the air, prisoners said. Cockroaches and mice often scampered around.

“It was so dark you could barely see,” al-Buraidi said. The only way to tell the time of day was the guards’ daily check-in.

The guards instructed the men that their lives now revolved around three rules, according to former prisoners. Do not ask for food or water. Do not touch the cell door or ask for help. If a cellmate dies, leave his body there.

The prisoners were given a few small pieces of bread.

Some men resorted to licking sewage water off the floor. They slept sitting up, al-Buraidi said, so that their bodies would not be covered in feces.

Munzer al-Uthman, 30, spent eight days in an underground cell after he was arrested in 2020. It was summer, and the cell was suffocating, he said.

“It’s so hot and stuffy down in the underground cell that after a couple of days, you start begging — not for your freedom, but to at least be taken up to the group cells,” he said.

When one of his cellmates collapsed and lost consciousness, al-Uthman and the other inmates panicked.

A cellmate yelled out for help. The guards yanked open the door and dragged the collapsed man into the hallway, beating him with batons and pulverizing his hands and legs.

Then they tossed him back into the cell. For days, al-Uthman tried to revive the man, collecting his own urine in his cupped hands to try to get him to drink.

The man regained consciousness but died two months later, al-Uthman said.

Where Death Was Always Near

After a week or so in underground cells, prisoners were moved to group cells spread across three wings on the top three floors of the building.

Ehab Mouma, 33, who was arrested in 2018, spent six years in Sednaya. He moved to a new cell every few months, he said, as waves of cholera and tuberculosis seized the prison.

In the top two floors, 60 group cells — 20 per wing — were connected by long corridors.

Several dozen prisoners were crammed into each group cell.

The men frequently lay on their sides to sleep, packed together so tightly that they could barely move, Mouma and other former prisoners said.

The days began around 6 a.m., when prisoners woke up to the sound of metal clanking, as guards did their daily rounds. Guards often ordered the prisoners to kneel at the back of the cell, facing away from the door, according to two former prisoners.

Then they asked if anyone had died.

“We had to tell the officers that we have a ‘carcass’ — not a ‘martyr’ or ‘someone who had died,’” Mouma said. “We couldn’t even say the word ‘body,’ otherwise they would kill you.”

A doctor accompanied the guards. The most notorious one was known to prisoners only as “the Butcher.” During rounds, his gruff voice bellowed across the prison, sending chills up Mouma’s spine.

other building 500 feet away.

There they were hanged in the presence of several people, including the prison director, according to two prison officials. Prison officials spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

An Unlikely Reunion

The only contact some prisoners had with the outside world came once every

said. Until that moment, Mohammad had not realized that Akram was also in Sednaya.

The two later learned that Khalid, their youngest brother, had also been held there for years, only to die while incarcerated.

Around six months before the regime fell, Akram ended up being transferred to the cell next to Mohammad, the brothers said. Akram had fallen sick and was weaker than ever.

Those who managed to survive the conditions still faced the prospect of death by execution after being sentenced in sham trials.

Every night, the two brothers would talk to each other through small openings in between their cells — the sound of their voices a rare comfort.

Freedom for Those Still Alive

Most of the prisoners could not imagine ever leaving Sednaya.

Then, on Dec. 8, 2024, the unfathomable happened.

If a prisoner asked for medical help, the Butcher typically yanked him out of his cell and beat him unconscious, Mouma and other prisoners said. The Butcher threatened to kill anyone who looked him in the face.

Prisoners received minimal food. A single bowl of yogurt to share among 20 people. Sometimes a bit of bread or some cheese. If they were lucky, they would get a few eggs.

The guards often taunted the prisoners, stepping on their food or purposely spilling it on the prisoners’ blankets as they delivered it.

“I can’t even describe the meals they’d bring us,” Mouma said. “Not even a dog would be willing to eat this.”

With every passing month in Sednaya, Mouma grew more gaunt, his skin pale and fragile, draped across protruding bones. He prayed he would not be beaten. He prayed he would live one more day.

Those who managed to survive the conditions still faced the prospect of death by execution after being sentenced in sham trials.

Every two weeks, guards banged on the iron gates of each wing and read out a list of names of those being summoned for executions, according to eight former prisoners.

In desperation, some who heard their names ran to the bathroom in their cells to hide. Others reluctantly stepped out, knowing their fate was sealed.

At the start of the civil war, prisoners were taken from the main building to a small room in the basement of an-

couple months when family members were allowed to visit for a few minutes.

In the visitation hall, prisoners and their loved ones were kept several feet apart and separated by floor-to-ceiling bars. A corridor patrolled by a guard separated prisoners from their visitors.

For some prisoners, the visits brought a different kind of pain. Al-Uthman — the Homs native arrested in 2020 — recalled how his cellmate’s visit with his wife and newborn daughter for the first time since he was arrested was too much.

In the weeks that came after, his cellmate stopped eating and drinking. He sat in the corner of their cell, refusing to speak with anyone except a hallucination of his wife. Months later, he died, al-Uthman said.

Some prisoners found a glimpse of hope in the visits.

Sitting in the visitation room nearly two years into his incarceration, Mohammad al-Abdallah, 27, heard the guards shout a name he recognized: Akram al-Abdallah, his younger brother.

Years earlier, Mohammad and Akram had given up their dreams of becoming doctors to join the rebels in their neighborhood in Homs, the brothers said.

In the waiting room, Mohammad looked up and saw Akram — gaunt, tired, a shell of the brother he knew. Mohammad could recognize him only by his voice.

“It was like I had died, and suddenly my soul came back to me,” Mohammad

In the middle of the night, the prisoners suddenly heard a commotion and the prison staff yelling. A little while later, they could hear the whop-whop of a helicopter landing on the roof. Then gunshots, the rattling of iron bars and screams of “Allahu akbar,” “G-d is great.”

With little access to the outside world, most prisoners were unaware of the rebels’ lightning advance — and confusion and terror filled their cells.

Al-Diq, who was grabbed at a checkpoint in 2019, thought that prisoners were rioting and flattened himself on the ground, too terrified to move.

Al-Buraidi and his cellmates ran to the bathroom of their cell, as men forced open the door to their wing with the butt of a rifle. When they shot open his cell door, the men shouted: “Go, go wherever you want in Syria,” al-Buraidi recalled. “You are free now!”

When Mohammad and his brother Akram made it out of their cells, they embraced, Akram collapsing in Mohammad’s arms.

Al-Uthman began running down the road from the prison, convinced for miles that his newfound freedom was a farce and that guards would appear out of nowhere to throw him back in Sednaya.

Mouma stumbled out of the prison complex in incredulity.

“We couldn’t believe it, and we had no idea what to do,” he said. “It was ecstasy beyond description.”

Forgotten Her es Yom Kippur War Heroes

By Avi Heiligman

On October 6, 1973, Egypt attacked Israel in the Sinai Peninsula, and Syria struck Israeli forces in the Golan Heights. Many IDF soldiers were in shul, fasting on Yom Kippur but were quickly called to front lines. The situation was very precarious as other countries, including Arab countries and the non-Arab countries of North Korea and Cuba, joined the war. The battles of the Yom Kippur War were hard-fought, and over 2,500 IDF soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice. The war ended on October 25 with a ceasefire. Although it was military victory for Israel, it was a sobering reminder that the Arabs could attack with a powerful force at any time. It was also a war that saw the emergence of many battlefield heroes who are remembered for acts of valor and for their grit, ingenuity and self-sacrifice.

Born in Tunisia, Moshe Levy’s family moved to Israel in 1948, having lost a sister he never knew to German bombs during World War II. He served in the army and was 28 years old when the Yom Kippur War started. The father of two had injured his kneecap in a car accident a month prior to the war and would have have been exempt from front line service. However, Corporal Levy joined his unit anyway, as they were preparing to fight on the southern front. His battalion commander, Zev Litman, put him in charge of a halftrack. The battalion de -

ployed that night, October 8, to the Sinai front and was stationed east of the Suez Canal to track Egyptian commandos.

A week later, Levy’s unit was sent to assist in response to Israeli soldiers that were trapped in an Egyptian ambush. They didn’t realize that they were about to be ambushed themselves as the enemy waited to attack until the rescue squad had entered their sector. A barrage of missiles and rockets pummeled the Israeli forces, including Levy’s halftrack.

to notice that he was holding a grenade as they directed their fire elsewhere. Ten meters away from the enemy, Levy pulled the pin of the grenade with his teeth and took out the entire enemy position. Shrapnel from his own grenade hit him in the head and chest, and when he got up, he was shot in the back. Medics arrived at the scene, but Levy told them to treat other wounded soldiers first. For his actions on October 15, Moshe Levy was awarded the Medal of Valor.

They didn’t realize that they were about to be ambushed themselves as the enemy waited to attack until the rescue squad had entered their sector.

He stuck his hand out the window ready to return fire when another enemy missile slashed his right hand open. Despite the copious bleeding, Levy ordered his crew to exit the vehicle. Four IDF soldiers were killed when another missile made a direct hit on the halftrack. Levy had escaped the halftrack and moved towards the enemy position on foot. He took a grenade in his left hand after his Uzi failed to fire. The Egyptians failed

At the beginning of the war, there was a massive and rapid call-up of reservists supplemented by volunteers willing to serve their country. One of those volunteers was Uriel Hefetz who was a veteran of the 1948 War of Independence and the 1956 Suez Crisis. He heard about the surprise attack on the radio and drove out to the Golan Heights on the Syrian front. For the next three weeks, he rescued many wounded soldiers by transferring

them for proper medical treatment. One of the soldiers he rescued was Peretz Titkin, whose tank had been hit by Syrian fire. Hefetz pulled the critically wounded tanker out of the badly damaged tank and took him to be treated by medical personnel. Hefetz was decorated with the Medal of Distinguished Service for his daring rescues during the war.

Colonel Arnon Lapidot (Levushin) was the deputy commander of the 119 “Bat” Squadron flying in F-4 Phantom fighter jets. During the Six Day War, he had shot down a MiG-19 fighter and in the War of Attrition added a MiG-21 to his record. Other missions that he participated in before the Yom Kippur War included the bombing of Egyptian sites in the Sinai and photographing enemy surface-to-air missile sites in which his aircraft was damaged. During the Yom Kippur War, he shot down an Egyptian MiG-21 on the second day of the war and in total participated in 50 operational sorties. By the fourth day of the war, the air battles weren’t going so well for the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The Egyptian and Syrian air defense systems supplied by the Soviets were wreaking havoc for the Israeli fighters, with dozens IAF aircraft being shot down in the first two days alone (sources vary on the exact number). This, in turn, didn’t allow the IAF to provide the close air support that the ground troops badly needed. By October 8, the Syrian advances in the north had been

Israeli armored vehicles on the way to Syria during the Yom Kippur War

Uriel Hefetz

Syria’s General Staff Headquarters after the strike

pin from the grenade with his teeth during the battle

halted, but the fierce fighting continued. The next day, a surface-to-surface rocket landed at the Ramat David Air Base, killing a pilot. The IAF decided now was the time to strike back at the heart of the enemy, and a mission to bomb military targets in Damascus was planned.

The raid on the Syrian General Staff Headquarters in Damascus on October 9 was led by Lapidot. The original plan was to have three squadrons of eight fighters each drop bombs on Damascus. One of the squadrons couldn’t find a break in the cloud cover and requested an alter -

native target. They took out a Syrian tank column which allowed Israeli ground forces to push back the Syrians from the pre-war lines. The third squadron turned back to base after releasing their bombs over the Mediterranean.

One of the Phantoms in Lapidot’s squadron had to turn back to base with mechanical issues. The other seven planes had to climb high above Damascus and finally saw a break in the clouds to reorient themselves over the target. They went in one by one dropping bombs on the Syrian headquarters and

other enemy installations. Two planes were hit by ground defenses. Captain Dov Shafir was killed, and his navigator Lt. Yaakov Yaakobi was taken captive. The other damaged Phantom, piloted by Major Omri Afek, managed to limp back safely to its air base. Despite the loss of a plane, the mission was declared a success. Lapidot was awarded the Medal of Distinguished Service for his leadership on the difficult mission.

The intense fighting of the Yom Kippur War, which lasted until October 25, resulted in a high number of Israeli casualties.

Though Israel ultimately achieved victory, it came at a significant cost. The Forgotten Heroes who carried out raids during the conflict may not be household names, but their bravery and heroism on the battlefield is history to be remembered.

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.

Moshe Levy Moshe Levy with Benny Gantz and Ehud Olmert Moshe Levy recounting removing the

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HELP WANTED MISC. HELP WANTED

YESHIVAT KOL YAAKOV

In Great Neck, NY, is seeking general studies teachers for both the elementary and middle schools, for the upcoming academic year. Mon-Thur afternoons. Competitive salary, warm and supportive environment.  Send resume to m.kalati@kolyaakov.org

MDS REGIONAL NURSE

5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office. Must be an RN. Regional experience preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience with good computer skills required. Position is Full Time but Part Time can be considered. Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well. Email: officejob2019@gmail.com

HELP WANTED

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

BOOKKEEPER

A Five Towns Real Estate Company is seeking a full-time Bookkeeper. The right candidate must be proficient with QuickBooks and Excel. They must also be self-motivated, organized, detail oriented, reliable, and able to work independently or as a team player. Warm, frum office environment with excellent salary & benefits. Please email resume to HR@capsprop.com

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY

Boys HS in Forest Hills seeks mature, middle-aged female. $65–70K. Mon–Thu, occasional Sundays. Warm environment. Email malky@candidrecruits.net or call/WhatsApp 8458015114

REBBE, SUNDAY POSITION

Join our Specialized team at Zareinu! Looking for a Rebbe to teach a small class of second and third grade. You will be working with experienced assistants.  Great Pay! Great Opportunity! Warm environment with administrative support! Email resume: jlepolstat@zareinu.org or call 516-993-2142

HEAD ENGLISH TEACHING POSITIONS

Join our Specialized team at Zareinu! Looking for a qualified teacher to teach a modified English curriculum for a small group of 4th grade girls in Far Rockaway. Great Pay! Warm environment! Great administrative support!   Email resume: jlepolstat@zareinu. org or call 516-993-2142

GOOD NEWS! The new ‘Noble Wines’ catalog is ready just in time for Yom Tov. Please request your copy by mail, simply call, text, or email your address: (845) 716-8306 news@noblewinesinc.com

HASHAVAS AVEIDA Apple airpods found on Wednesday morning on the way to the Woodmere dock. To claim, 516-351-8105.

LOST TENNIS BRACELET If found. Please call 347-306-2049

SHMIRAS HALASHON

Text 516-303-3868 with a time slot of your choice to be careful on lashon hara. Be a part of the 1,000 people for klal yisroel!

BEIS HAMEDRASH CONG. Chasdei Uvois Oshpitzin Talmidei chachomim are willing to learn mishnayos, say kaddish and be the shliach tzibbur to daven for the umid on the yartzeit yom hashanah of your parents or close relatives or loved ones  To arrange please call Rabbi Miller 917-445-6220

What is Yom Kippur?

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Ozempic on steroids…that’s Yom Kippur.

Well, not exactly.

Sure, both discourage eating. However, one is actually a medicinal formula to make it easier, while the other takes a different kind of work.

Still, the goal is the same: to reduce weight, though the type of weight is quite different!

Yom Kippur is about losing the weight of the spiritually corrupt baggage we have collected over the year. The other is about losing the weight of carbs, proteins, and fats that have somehow collided irresponsibly.

The amazing gift is that Yom Kippur –unlike Ozempic or Mounjaro – gives us just one shot. Though it is stretched over a 24hour period!

However, if you remain committed for that 24-hour period, you can shed all the excess by the end of the day. That’s a powerful shot at complete shedding.

Honestly, neither one is a picnic, though. Well, then again, it couldn’t be because that would incorporate food. However, when I say “picnic,” I mean “easy.”

For Yom Kippur, first you overeat till the food that’s still going down collides with food already on its way back up. Then, in the midst of it all, you abruptly stop eating, then race to brush your teeth, and off you fly like lightning to disavow

all vows you made or will make this year. Yom Kippur doesn’t really just hit suddenly, though. We’ve got at least a month before to evaluate the unwanted bulk we want to shed that has been weighing us down since last Yom Kippur.

Still, the great news is thateven if you weren’t prepping enough, it can still be a quick fix.

If you commit on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur and connect to the day, you can launch into next year weightless, committed to your mission, and forgiven for your past indulgences.

Where in the world can you get that kind of quick results?

That’s why I’ve called it Ozempic on steroids. It has a quick acting effect.

So, inject yourself with motivation and jump into Yom Kippur ready to feel the relief of a totally cleansed, unweighted down soul.

We all deserve it. It’s available to everyone. The cost is dedication. The dividends are priceless.

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.