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Community Currents Preschoolers in the Rambam Day School of Savannah, Georgia learn about the Aleph Bais and their names.
On Sunday, October 13, the Yeshiva of Central Queens kicked off its Parent-Child Sunday Learning Program.
A Rising Political Star
VitalOne Flies Injured U.S. Army Sergeant To Potentially Life-Saving Treatment
Three weeks ago, Dr. Theresa Louise-Bender on voluntarily. We want to give back. We’re about Pape, deputy associate chief of staff and clinical doing the right thing, for the right reasons, and neuroscientist at the Edward Hines JR VA Hospi- this is a tremendous honor to us personally.” tal, was ready to give up. In this case, “us” is a team of three highly-trained For months, she had been attempting to se- critical care staff: Litzman, Yitzy Goldsmith, BSN, cure medical air transport for U.S. Army Sergeant RN, EMT-B, and David Zidell, respiratory theraJordan Adams, who was languishing in a coma in pist/paramedic. They flew from New York to CalCalifornia after suffering a traumatic brain inju- ifornia in order to accompany Jordan throughout ry in a stateside accident. Pape’s innovative treat- the transport, providing bedside to bedside medical Earlier this month, the Rachel’s Children Reclamation Foundation held its annual commemoration of Rament could potentially save the man’s life, yet it care, free of charge. Once in California they transchel Imeinu’s yarzheit. A buffet dinner was held at the Manhattan Beach Jewish Center on October 14. The remained beyond reach of his distraught fam-a dramatic ferred and escorted the sergeant and his parents keynote speaker was the Rabbi Jonathan Rietti who gave presentation on the relationship between Raily, for the simple reason that his military health to the airport where they boarded a Falcon 900 jet chel Imeinu and the nal Geulah. coverage did not cover the cost of air ambulance donated by a Chicago philanthropist. transport for experimental treatment. Leider was waiting at the hangar in Chicago Then she spoke to ER physician and VitalOne when the transport touched down, along with a medical director Robert Glatter, who in turn con- crowd of nurses and doctors, who greeted the plane tacted Isaac Leider, VitalOne founder and director. with cheers and clapping. Adams’s mother tearfulWithin 24 hours, the trip was arranged. On Jan. 5, ly expressed her thanks to Leider and his company, VitalOne flew Adams to Chicago for transcranial calling the flight crew her “three angels.” Chicago magnetic brain stimulation. Fishel Litzman, para- Hatzalah members joined forces with the VitalOne medic supervisor of the operation, said, “The doctor transport team and together they completed the was actually waiting at the hospital as we arrived seamless transfer to Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospiand they took Sergeant Adams in right away for tal. the treatment. Hopefully, we will see wonderful “Knowing that this young hero’s only chance of Keynote Speaker Rabbi Jonathan Rietti results.” recovery impossible because of logistics Rabbi Yechezkel Pikus,was Chaim Deutsch, just and Evelyn and Evelyn Haies, founder and president Haies. of RCRF. Litzman’s team was a vital component of the was unacceptable,” stated Leider. “We are very delicate operation, equipped and ready to respond proud to have orchestrated this complex transport to any in-transit emergency. “We are delighted and and donated our services to ensure Sergeant Adecstatic to be part of this,” he said. “We all signed ams receives the best treatment available.”
Freshman U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa pictured with Ezra Friedlander, CEO of the Friedlander Group. The senator is considered a rising star in the Republican Party.
To submit pictures of your organization’s activities to the Community Currents section, e-mail Community@JewishPress.com
A Tanya Printed In Brighton Beach The Tanya was originally published at the turn of the 18thh century. After numerous pogroms and false messiahs, the downtrodden atmosphere of the January 16 marked the day of a dual event in Jewish Eastern European community was raging Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. The Tanya was print- with a feeling of purposeless life. ed for the first time in the beach-side communiThe philosophy of chassidism explains that each ty often dubbed as Little Odessa by the Sea. In a Jew has a soul that is an actual part of the Creneighborhood heavily populated by Russian immi- ator, making us all equal to one another. With this grants, where Tanya is most often associated as a attitude, Torah study was no longer limited to the common woman’s name, a novelty was introduced in aristocrats of the shtetl society, but to the peasant the Hebrew Allience F.R.E.E. (Friends of Refugees farmer as well. Rabbi Shneur Zalman, called the Honorees pose Europe) behind the Jewish Mother’stoDay donated by Pressers Bakery Avenueused M. (L-R) of Eastern shul. Dedicated itscake author, Alter Rebbe by followers, this philosophy to Mark Langfan, Breaking theofSilence Rabbi Yechezkel Rahel Chessed Rabbi Shenur Zalman Liadi,Award; the first rebbe of the Pikus, answer theImeinu why’s.Community He revealed the inner sparks of Award; Evelyn Haies, Fran and Stephen Epstein Actualist Award; Esther Lamm, Young Leadership Chabad-Lubavitch movement, to Rabbi David B. Award. Torah with the founding of the Chabad movement, Award; and Mitchell Shapiro, esq., and Rachel Imeinu Activist Hollander, whose yahrzeits fall out on the same day. where a Jew has the opportunity to know, underThe event included words from Rabbi Hershel stand and internalize the concept of G-d and His On October 2, Zicharon, an organization that assistscommandments. people on issues relating to demenOkonov, the shul and community rav; Isaac Libertia, hosted an informative evening in Menorah Hall featuring renowned dementia experts man, the gabbai; Rabbi Moshe Chaim Levin, who The latest Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem who provided the audience with much-needed advice and information on dealing with this spoke about how he printed the Tanya in cities all Mendel stressed the importance of redisease. Among the speakers were Rabbi Eliezer Kaminetzky; Dr.Schneersohn, Gary Kennedy, chief of Geover Russia in 1989; and Rabbi Shlomo Galperin, printing the Tanya so that it can be riatric Psychiatry at Monteore Medical Center; and Matt Kudish, senior vice president of found in every caregiver services of the NY Chapter the American Association. who shared inspirational stories of until well past Alzheimer’s region of the world. midnight. The Jan. 16 event took place in the shul where
By Rivkah Shafir
Rabbi David B. Hollander served as rabbi for years, and spending much effort preserving traditional-halachic Jewish practice as the Reform movement progressed. The rabbi’s concern for the Jewish nation was not limited by his locale, as he traveled to the former Soviet Union seven times, providing incarcerated Jews with support physically, spiritually and monetarily. He even managed to persuade the anti-Semitic Soviet government to print Jewish prayer books for the people. Rabbi Hollander became the rabbi of the Hebrew Alliance shul in Brighton Beach which later partnered with Rabbi Hershel Okonov, the executive director of F.R.E.E., which serves as a synagogue and community center for Russian-speaking Jews. The rabbi lived the final years of his life surrounded by Jews from the Soviet Union who survived thanks to him and many brave advocates. Rabbi Hollander passed away at 96, as the oldest rabbi in America to have never retired from his job. The printing of the Tanya, in his memory, was a time to reflect on the rabbi’s great accomplishments.
To submit pictures to the Community Currents section, e-mail community@jewishpress.com. Dr. Gary Kenneday
Matt Kudish
(Photo credit: Zalman Umlas)