division youth division jersey youth division jersey branch manhattan branch career division clothing division family division fertility division food division medical division mental health division volunteer division young adults division youth division jersey youth division jersey
SWEETNESS Desserts From Around The World
branch career division client division clothing division family division fertility division division mental health division senior division volunteer division young adults division youth division jersey branch manhattan branch career division client division clothing division fertility division food division medical division mental health division senior division volunteer adults division youth division jersey youth division jersey branch manhattan branch career division clothing division family division fertility division food division medical division mental senior division volunteer division young adults division youth division jersey youth division manhattan branch career division client division clothing division family division fertility division medical division mental health division senior division volunteer division young adults division jersey youth division jersey branch manhattan branch career division client division clothing division fertility division food division medical division mental health division senior division young adults division youth division jersey youth division jersey branch manhattan branch client division clothing division family division fertility division food division medical division division senior division volunteer division young adults division youth division jersey youth branch manhattan branch career division client division clothing division family division fertility division medical division mental health division senior division volunteer division young youth division jersey youth division jersey branch manhattan branch career division client division family division fertility division food division medical division mental health division volunteer division young adults division youth division jersey youth division jersey branch career division client division clothing division family division fertility division food division mental health division senior division volunteer division young adults division youth division division jersey branch manhattan branch career division client division clothing division family division food division medical division mental health division senior division volunteer division division youth division jersey youth division jersey branch manhattan branch career division clothing division family division fertility division food division medical division mental health division volunteer division young adults division youth division jersey youth division jersey branch career division client division clothing division family division fertility division division mental health division senior division volunteer division young adults division youth division jersey branch manhattan branch career division client division clothing division fertility division food division medical division mental health division senior division
Messages
Inside the heart of SBH
MULTIFORT TV INSPIRED BY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
56 Following Their Paths
A Look at MDYHS Alumni 60 Add a Spark of Freshness to Hanukkah with De La Rosa 613 Organic Vinegars
106 Protect Your Smile
Why Every Athlete Needs a Sports Guard
By Dr. Michael Slomnicki DMD
INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS 34 What’s Your Verse?
The One That Expresses Who You Are & How You Hope To Impact The World By Rabbi Meyer Laniado
The WhatsApp Gratitude
Four Lessons From One Gratitude Picture a Day By Debbie
Gutfreund
JEWISH
70 8 Ways to Make Hanukkah More Meaningful for Your Kids By Adina Soclof, MS, CCC-SLP
102 Food Freedom Eating Without Fear in a World of Mixed Messages By Laura Shammah MS, RDN PROFILE
64 David Roffé Wins New York Emmy By Sarina Roffé RECIPES
74 Eight Nights of Sweetness Hanukkah Desserts from Around the World
RELATIONSHIPS
84 Top Six Rules Every Mother-inLaw and Daughter-in-Law Should Follow By Sarah Pachter
REAL ESTATE
112 House Hacking 101 How to Live for Free by Owning a Rental Property
108 RESTAURANT GUIDE: FL
126 RESTAURANT GUIDE: NY
WRITERS’ THOUGHTS 14 Hanukkah
Ancient Challenges
By Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Esq. 24 After the Storm
Why New York’s Election Isn’t the End, It’s the Beginning By Linda Argalgi Sadacka
Hannah Lazerowitz
From The Editors
December brings colder days, early nights, and the warm glow of Hanukkah lights that brighten our homes. As we gather around the menorah, the holiday encourages us to bring light into the world and strengthen the connections that guide us through the winter season.
This issue offers a rich collection of Hanukkah content that reflects the meaning and spirit of the holiday. We open with “Hanukkah in Hindsight” by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks ZT”L and “Hanukkah, Ancient Challenges” by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky. Families will enjoy “Eight Ways to Make Hanukkah More Meaningful for Your Kids,” which offers practical ways to enrich the holiday. In our food section, “Eight Nights of Sweetness” presents Hanukkah desserts from around the world that bring warmth and flavor to your table.
This month’s cover story, “Inside the Heart of SBH,” provides an in-depth look at the many services Sephardic Bikur Holim offers and how each program supports families with care and compassion. The article describes the real work happening behind the scenes and shows how SBH guides families through times of stress and transition.
Our Focus On section highlights growth across the community. DSN reflects on a season of determination in the Girls Soccer League. MDYHS offers a close look at how its curriculum is evolving to meet the demands of the real world in “Tomorrow’s Leaders Begin at MDYHS.” Also featured is a meaningful milestone as the MDY sixth grade boys begin their Gemara learning. In “A Look at Our MDYHS Alumni,” the school speaks with two graduates now attending college, who share how their education prepared them for life after yeshivah.
Our inspirational pieces this month include Rabbi Meyer Laniado’s “What’s Your Verse,” which invites readers to think about the values that guide their lives. Debbie Gutfreund’s “The WhatsApp Gratitude Challenge” explores the impact of taking one gratitude photo a day. We also include “Top Six Rules Every Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Should Follow,” which offers helpful guidance for building harmony at home.
As you enjoy this month’s issue, may the lights of Hanukkah bring strength, comfort, and hope. Wishing you and your family a joyous and meaningful holiday filled with warmth and miracles.
VOLUME 35 ISSUE 7
DECEMBER 2025
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Ben-Gurion Matsas PUBLISHER/EDITOR
Rachelle Fallas Matsas EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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HANUKKAH IN HINDSIGHT
HISTORY ITSELF HAS A HISTORY. OUR PERSPECTIVES SHIFT OVER TIME, AND SOME MOMENTS MAY ONLY SEEM MEANINGFUL IN RETROSPECT. WE DON’T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THE REAL SIGNIFICANCE OF AN EVENT UNTIL MANY DECADES LATER OR SOMETIMES EVEN CENTURIES. A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE HISTORY OF HANUKKAH.
At one level, the Hanukkah story is very simple. From the days of Alexander the Great of Macedon, Israel was under the dominion of the Alexandrian Empire of the Greeks. This meant that in the third century BCE, it was under the control of the Ptolemies who were based in Egypt and Alexandria. Then, during the second century BCE, Israel came under the domain of the Seleucids who were based in Syria.
The Seleucid leader, Antiochus IV, who modestly called himself Epiphanes, meaning “G-d made manifest”, decided to force the pace of Hellenisation on the Jews of the land of Israel. Among other things, he forbade the public practice of Judaism, erected a statue of Zeus in the Temple, and offered swine before it as a sacrifice, in a desecration of Jewish values that Jews of the time called the Abomination of Desolation.
An elderly Priest called Mattityahu, and his sons and their supporters known to history as the Maccabees, rose in revolt. Over the next three years they scored a momentous victory over the Seleucids, reconquering Jerusalem and bringing it back under Jewish sovereignty. They cleansed the Temple and rededicated it, lighting the great Menorah, the candelabrum that stood in the Temple, for a celebration lasting eight days.
That is the story of Hanukkah as captured in history in the first and second books of Maccabees. But that is not how the story was ultimately told within the Jewish tradition, as it was ruled that the two books of Maccabees, and others under the same title, should be called Sefarim Chitzoni’im, apocryphal works, and kept out of the Bible. The Hanukkah story that is told instead is a very different one, with a powerful message.
The Talmud tells us that in the first century, in the last days of the Second Temple, a Rabbi called Yehoshua Ben Gamla established a network of schools throughout Israel. The result of this was that from the age of six, every child in the country received a publicly-funded universal education. This was the first education system of its kind anywhere in the world, and also a clear indication of the now familiarly Jewish commitment to education and to ensuring our children are literate in their heritage. According to the Talmud, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Gamla’s memory is blessed, because without his intervention the Torah would have been forgotten in Israel. Without him, there would have been no survival of Judaism and ultimately no Jews.
What Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Gamla and the other Sages understood, and what was not understood at the time of Hanukkah itself, was that the real battle against the Greeks
RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT”L
was not a military one, but a cultural one. At the time, the Greeks were the world’s greatest in many fields. They were unparalleled in their advances in art, in architecture, in literature, in drama, in philosophy. Even today, their achievements have never been surpassed. But Jews nonetheless believed, and surely history has borne this out, that there is within Judaism, within ancient Israel and still within its heritage to today, something special. Something worth fighting for. Judaism, with its emphasis on the sanctification of life, and the belief that every human being was created in G-d’s image, held eternal truths that we could not abandon. This was the unique distinction between the culture of the Greeks and the world of Torah and Judaism. As a result, Jews have always known that the real battle is not necessarily fought on the physical battlefield with physical weapons, but rather in the hearts and minds of future generations.
So Judaism, and the Jewish people, became a faith and a nation no longer focusing on its military heroes, but on its spiritual ones. It became a civilization rooted in texts, and in teachers, and in houses of study. We became the people whose heroes were teachers, whose citadels were schools, and whose passion was learning and the life of the mind. The end result was that Judaism did survive and thrive throughout the centuries, whereas Ancient Greece, the Greece of Athens, the Greece of Alexander the Great, declined. In fact, it was only a short time after the events of the Hanukkah story that Greece began its decline, and Rome rose to take its place.
That is the message of Hanukkah, and to articulate our story, we focus in a rather beautiful and symbolic way on just one tiny detail of the original chain of events: That one cruse of pure, undefiled oil was found by the Maccabees among the wreckage and defilements of the Temple,
just enough to light the Menorah until more oil could be sourced.
One of the most interesting aspects of this shifting perspective from the original way of telling the story to the current way is reflected in the name of the festival itself. Hanukkah, from the word chanuch, means re-dedication. That is what the Maccabees did to the Temple. They rededicated it, as described in the books of Maccabees. Yet over time, Hanukkah became connected to the word chinuch, a word meaning education. What we re-dedicated was not a physical building–the Temple–but living embodiments of Judaism, namely our children, our students, the people to whom we teach and hand on our heritage and values.
From being the festival of a military victory, Hanukkah became the festival of a spiritual and civilizational one.
I believe this history of our history has a message for us all. It teaches us this fundamental truth, as relevant to our lives today as ever before: To defend a country physically you need an army, but to defend a civilization you need education, you need educators, and you need schools. Those are the things that kept the Jewish spirit alive and the Menorah of Jewish values burning throughout the centuries in an everlasting light. Often what seems at the time to be the headline news, the military victory, is, in the hindsight of history, secondary to the cultural victory of handing your values on to the next generation.
If we do that, we will ensure that our children, and theirs, light up the world.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks ZT”L was an international religious leader, and philosopher. The author of over 30 books, Rabbi Sacks received multiple awards in recognition of his work. Sadly, he passed away in November 2020.
ANCIENT CHALLENGES HANUKKAH
RABBI STEVEN PRUZANSKY, ESQ.
It is not widely known but Jerusalem is at the center of each of the Jewish holidays. In addition to the three pilgrimage festivals, a second day was added to Rosh Hashana to facilitate the Temple service in case the precise appearance of the New Moon perplexed the authorities. The Temple service was at the heart of Yom Kippur and Jerusalem celebrates Purim on the same day it was celebrated in Shushan, one day after most of the Jewish world rejoices.
But on no holiday does Jerusalem feature as prominently in its history and observance as it does on Hanukkah. The miracle of Hanukkah – the burning of the Temple Menorah for eight days – occurred in Jerusalem and the liberation of Jerusalem was considered the apex of the military victory even though the war itself continued for another two decades. And there is much that happened on Hanukkah that can guide us today as the challenges that bedeviled the Jewish people then are prevalent, not to mention, exasperating, in modern times.
The story of Hanukkah almost 2200 years ago took place against the backdrop of three major crises. The Jewish world then had to wrestle with a foreign enemy, internal strife, and a spiritual malaise that threatened the continuity of Jewish life.
The Syrian Greeks led by a descendant of one of the generals of Alexander the Great captured the land of Israel and the Temple itself and embarked on a campaign of coerced Hellenization of the Jewish population. The Temple was defiled with a statue of Zeus, service in the Temple was summarily halted, and the Syrians attempted to force the Jews to abandon Torah study, circumcision, and other fundamental commandments in the hope that Jews would assimilate into the Greek culture as all other conquered nations had done. Additionally, the Syrians exercised hegemony over the land of Israel and the Jews were subjugated in their own land.
Most Jews succumbed to the allures of Hellenism, embraced their conquerors, and fiercely opposed the rebel-
lion of the Hasmoneans. In a real yet frightening sense, the war of Hanukkah was as much a civil war among Jews as it was a rebellion against the foreign enemy. Jews were quite willing to lend support to the enemy and too many did not hesitate to abandon the particulars of Jewish observance and identity in order to integrate into the Hellenist culture that had swept the world.
None of these predicaments are unknown to us today. The Jewish state, and Jerusalem itself, hosts a large Arab population that does not necessarily perceive its destiny as identical to that of Israeli Jews. There are hostile foreign elements within Jerusalem – chapters of Hamas, Turkish anti-Israel organizations, Qatar money funding a variety of nefarious activities, and European consulates that operate in Jerusalem as embassies to the Palestinians in defiance of Israeli law and thus threatening Israeli sovereignty in the Holy City, including that of Greece, of all countries, our ancient tormentor.
The internal disharmony in Israel over the last few years, which itself precipitated the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, was mostly papered over by the war but has now slowly re-emerged. It mostly centers on starkly different, even diametrically opposed, visions of Jewish destiny, the meaning, importance, and even continued relevance of a Jewish state, and competing notions of Israeli and Jewish identity.
To be sure, the good news is that the state of affairs when the rebellion of Hanukkah began was far more precarious than it is today. We have endured much as a
people, weathered conquests, expulsions, exiles, pogroms, and Holocausts, only to return to our land – as promised in the Bible – and reestablish thereon the third Jewish commonwealth. Jews for the last two millennia could only dream of an independent Jewish state in which Torah study is abundant, the observance of mitzvot is woven into the societal structure, a Jewish army can rise up against our foes in righteous self-defense, and Hanukkah is a national celebration. Indeed, despite all our differences and the superficial discord, somehow, we have created and maintained a thriving society, prosperous and caring, boisterous but determined, tolerant and broadminded, embattled but audacious, and in many respects, the envy of the world.
We should never ignore the gifts we have been given nor trivialize the opportunities with which we have been blessed. The Jewish population of Jerusalem has not been as sizable as it is today since the destruction of the Temple over nineteen centuries ago. The challenges that we face today – both domestic and foreign – pale before the challenges we overcame throughout history.
That is because the great light of Hanukkah still illuminates our way forward and reminds us of the great days of faith, unity, and redemption ahead.
Happy Hanukkah to all!
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky is Senior Research Associate at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP.ngo)
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Inside the heart of
Every family has its own story, its own journey worthy of care and attention. In this case, Dad was a sales executive, earning $350,000 a year, until he abruptly got sick and landed in the hospital. He could no longer work, forsaking the joy and pride of providing for his family. Mom was a fitness instructor who made roughly $60,000 a year. Typically, she’d teach three sessions a week, but due to Dad’s health concerns, she had to take a work hiatus in order to take care of her husband. Mom and Dad have three children: a thirteen-year-old daughter and two sons,
ages fifteen and eighteen. Mom had her hands full, whipping up delicious dinners every night, helping with homework questions, and imparting her kids with essential life lessons; however, the home structure suddenly flipped from comfort to chaos. Mom and Dad had too much on their plates to be present for their kids, to shower them with the love they deserve. The youngest child wasn’t doing well in school, the middle child didn’t even want to attend (and protested by misbehaving), and the oldest child was worried because high school graduation was looming
HANNAH LAZEROWITZ
Community Service Network, Inc.
and he needed life guidance. Putting her pride aside, Mom knew exactly whom she needed to turn to; she needed the full-package assistance that SBH provides. Knowing when to reach out
for help is the first step, and being strong enough to make the call is just as important. Mom demonstrated bravery by heeding to a community volunteer member’s advice and contacting the SBH Client Services Division
SBH’s mission statement is threaded in hope, assurance, and a guarantee that they will do their absolute best to mitigate family crises and take the form of a complete support network. Mom was vulnerable with SBH’s intake coordinator and opened up to them regarding her family’s recent struggles. The coordinator conducted an initial assessment of the case and made sure that the specific case fit the criteria.
“Here’s how the client service structure works,” the intake coordinator explained to Mom. “Each family that goes through our system is assigned a case worker and a community volunteer (referred to as a “captain”). That is the team that will walk families through crises, collaboratively creating both short-term and long-term goals. We employ a holistic approach for the entirety of this process. The holistic model enables us to cater to both the individual and the family as a whole. We work as a collective, as a team.”
Mom nodded with appreciation and was grateful for SBH’s dedication to help.
The intake representative continued to detail the confidentiality aspect. SBH would never disclose the names of its clients. Plus, before someone is o cially assigned a team, which consists of a social worker and a captain, SBH verifies their names with that individual to ensure that they are comfortable having them on the case. Assigning the right team to the right client is vital. SBH wants to cater to every family’s needs and find everyone the perfect match. The entire process is laced in compassion and understanding.
Later on, the team was confirmed with Mom, and they began their services by conducting a house visit. The social worker noticed disarray. Mom and Dad were behind on their bills and were drowning in their mortgage. There was a lot of financial stress. The team agreed that it would be important to attend to the family’s physical needs and mental health needs. The goals are as follows— working towards providing Mom with more daily structure, facilitating Dad’s eventual return to his job, and ensuring that each of the children reach a homeostasis and return to a healthy lifestyle.
The dominoes were then set into motion and SBH began to enlist their many incredible departments. The SBH Food Division sent over meals for dinner. The sbh medical division aided Dad with his recuperation process to make sure he was recovering properly and seeing the best doctors. The SBH volunteer division tutored and helped the kids with their homework; they also drove Dad to and from his appointments. The SBH Young Adult division assigned mentors to both sons to direct them through crucial formative years. Dad and Mom were referred to SBH’s counseling center, addressing anxiety and all the circumstantial uncertainty. SBH assisted with some of the family's pressing bills, provided aid towards grocery shopping, and aimed to get Mom and Dad back to their normal routines. The SBH clothing division bought Dad a new suit and SBH career services helped polish his job resume, aiming towards getting him job ready. The SBH SEARCH program assigned a coach to their family that guided Mom and Dad on how to deal with a teenager that acts out.
Not only does SBH excel at collaborative problem-solving, but they highlight the importance of maintenance through weekly check-ins.
“Mom, how is everything progressing? Hey Dad, what are some skills we can accentuate to prepare you for a job interview? Are things running smoothly?”
As portrayed, there are numerous moving parts to this client service process, a harmonious intermingling of divisions, and a strong army of people who are eager to help alleviate families from crises. SBH provides an unparalleled level of care and guidance to those in need.
Your family may look di erent than the one depicted, every member undergoing their own journeys and hurtling over their own obstacles, but the message remains — SBH is a pillar of support for every step of the way. Help yourself by letting us help you. With a case manager and captain guiding the process with love, care, and comfort we can get through some of the toughest treks.
Hannah Lazerowitz has published several articles and essays about her life and how writing has shaped her. She is working towards publishing a novel and a poetry chapbook. Hannah is deeply passionate about her craft and hopes to continue wielding her writing as a powerful tool of connection.
Experience the process as it happens!
AFTER THE STORM
WHY NEW YORK’S ELECTION ISN’T THE END, IT’S THE BEGINNING
LET’S BE HONEST, THIS PAST ELECTION HIT HARD. ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S MAYORAL WIN LEFT MANY NEW YORKERS, ESPECIALLY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, FEELING FRUSTRATED, DISILLUSIONED, AND WONDERING HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN IN THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD. BUT BEFORE WE SINK INTO DESPAIR, LET’S LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER. BENEATH THE HEADLINES LIES SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY, A COMMUNITY THAT FINALLY WOKE UP, ORGANIZED, AND SHOWED UP.
For years, I’ve been rallying our community to move from talk to action and creating spaces, conversations, and networks that now count tens of thousands of engaged voices. The results we’re seeing today didn’t happen overnight. The numbers don’t lie, registration drives broke records, volunteers worked around the clock, and people who never thought their vote mattered stood in line for hours. That’s not defeat. That’s groundwork.
A NEW CHAPTER
Enter the announcement, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, one of President Trump’s strongest allies, is stepping into the race for governor. It couldn’t come at a better time. Her candidacy breathes new life into a weary electorate. If we channel our energy, learn from the last race, and mobilize again, New York could be back in steady hands sooner than anyone thinks.
LINDA ARGALGI SADACKA
KHAKI FIELD MURPH
Momentum is everything in politics, and right now we have it. The infrastructure is there, from registration networks and community organizers to motivated first-time voters, and this moment is our chance to build on it. Because if Mamdani’s victory taught us anything, it’s that complacency is not an option.
PROOF THAT IT’S POSSIBLE
Need proof that New York can flip? Look at 2022. Congressman Lee Zeldin came within roughly six points of unseating Governor Kathy Hochul, the closest gubernatorial race in decades. That margin wasn’t luck, it was organization. It was communities like ours stepping up, registering voters, educating neighbors, and realizing that sitting out elections has consequences. That gap is what dedicated civic engagement can close. It’s doable if we start now.
THE FOUNDATION WAS LAID
Efforts by community members like Linda Ebani and Rebecca Harary, among others, helped lay the groundwork for what comes next. Real leadership means recognizing those who work beside you, even when the path wasn’t always smooth. Together, this community proved what’s possible when determination overrides division.
WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
The next phase can’t wait until the next race. Over the
coming months, we need to institutionalize what worked, voter databases, volunteer coordination, synagogue and school outreach, and social-media targeting that speaks the language of everyday New Yorkers. It’s not glamorous work. It’s infrastructure. Campaigns that win are built long before ballots are printed. If we treat civic engagement as a year-round mission instead of a seasonal reaction, we’ll never again be caught flat-footed. That’s how real movements, not just campaigns, are built.
Yes, challenges may lie ahead under this new mayor. But challenges make for strong builders. And right now, we’re building something that lasts, a civic awakening rooted in pride, participation, and purpose. Because if this election proved anything, it’s that the people of New York haven’t given up. They’re just getting started. In politics as in life, those who keep their composure after the storm end up designing the skyline.
Linda Argalgi Sadacka is a writer, political activist, and community leader. She is the CEO of the New York Jewish Council and the founder of Chasdei David, a 501(c)(3) charity. Her advocacy, sparked by the tragic murder of a close friend by Hamas, has made her a leading voice for the Jewish community in America and abroad. She was honored as a Woman of Distinction in 2022 by Senator Simcha Felder for her leadership and activism. Linda is also the host of “The Silent Revolution” podcast, where she shares weekly classes blending Torah, prayer, and real-world reflection, making ancient wisdom urgent and relevant for our times.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who announced her 2026 run for New York governor.
TURNING 65
THE SMART MONEY AND LIFESTYLE CHECKLIST FOR YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
ARI BAUM, CFP®
FOR MANY, TURNING 65 FEELS LIKE A LINE IN THE SAND, A MILESTONE THAT CARRIES BOTH CELEBRATION AND RESPONSIBILITY. YOU MAY STILL BE WORKING, PLANNING YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE, OR EASING INTO RETIREMENT, BUT THIS BIRTHDAY BRINGS NEW CHOICES THAT CAN SHAPE YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE FOR DECADES TO COME. FROM ENROLLING IN MEDICARE TO REFINING YOUR INVESTMENT AND ESTATE PLANS, THE KEY IS TO APPROACH THIS TRANSITION THOUGHTFULLY, NOT REACTIVELY.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the paperwork, decisions, and fine print that come with this age. But with a clear plan, turning 65 becomes less about deadlines and more about opportunities to protect your income, simplify your finances, and design the next stage of your life with confidence.
GET AHEAD ON MEDICARE AND HEALTH COVERAGE
Medicare is one of the first major items to address when you hit 65. Your Initial Enrollment Period begins three
months before your birthday month and ends three months after. Missing this window can mean lifelong penalties, so it pays to plan early.
Start by choosing between Original Medicare (Parts A and B) or Medicare Advantage (Part C), which bundles hospital, medical, and often drug coverage under one plan. If you need prescription coverage, Part D can be added separately or through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes it.
For those still employed, compare your employer’s health plan with Medicare. Sometimes it makes sense to
delay Part B to avoid paying duplicate premiums. Also, consider a Medigap supplemental policy to cover expenses that Medicare doesn’t, such as copayments or overseas emergencies.
MAKE A THOUGHTFUL SOCIAL SECURITY DECISION
While many people assume 65 is the time to start drawing Social Security, your full retirement age may actually be 66 or 67, depending on your birth year. Claiming early means a permanent reduction in benefits, while waiting until age 70 can boost your monthly payment by roughly 8% per year.
Couples can coordinate their claiming strategies to maximize household income, especially when one partner has a higher earnings record. And if you’re still working, delaying benefits can also reduce the tax impact of your Social Security income later on.
FINE-TUNE YOUR RETIREMENT INCOME STRATEGY
This is the perfect time to look holistically at your 401(k), IRA, and pension balances. Consolidating accounts can simplify management and make it easier to coordinate withdrawals.
Even though Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) don’t begin until age 73, planning ahead can help avoid large taxable distributions later. A smart withdrawal strategy balances tax-deferred, taxable, and tax-free accounts to manage both cash flow and taxes efficiently.
If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA), stop making contributions once you enroll in Medicare, but remember those funds can still be used tax-free for qualified medical expenses.
REVISIT INSURANCE AND PROTECTION PLANS
Insurance needs evolve as your lifestyle and financial goals shift. For many, long-term care insurance becomes more relevant at this stage, helping protect your assets from the high cost of extended care. If you already have a policy, review the benefits and inflation riders to ensure coverage keeps pace with rising costs.
Evaluate your life insurance as well. Some retirees may choose to reduce coverage if their children are grown and debts are paid off, while others may keep policies for estate or charitable purposes.
REFRESH YOUR ESTATE AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS
Aging doesn’t just change your financial life, it reshapes your legacy planning too. Take time to update your will, trusts, and beneficiary designations to reflect current wishes. Outdated documents can create complications later, even if your intentions are clear.
You’ll also want to review your power of attorney and health care proxy so someone you trust can act on your
behalf if needed. Keep these documents, along with insurance information, account lists, and passwords, organized and accessible to a loved one or advisor.
REDEFINE LIFESTYLE AND PERSONAL GOALS
Turning 65 isn’t just a financial checkpoint, it’s an invitation to design how you want to live the next phase of your life. Start by reviewing your retirement budget to include healthcare, travel, hobbies, and giving back.
Many people consider downsizing or relocating to match their retirement lifestyle, whether that means moving closer to family, trading city life for quieter surroundings, or joining a vibrant 55-plus community. Equally important is prioritizing your well-being. Staying physically active, socially connected, and mentally engaged keeps both body and mind strong.
A NEW BEGINNING AT 65
Rather than viewing this birthday as a countdown, think of it as a reset button, a chance to align your finances, health, and purpose for the years ahead. With preparation and perspective, turning 65 can feel less like an ending and more like the start of something meaningful. It’s the freedom to live life on your own terms, supported by a plan that’s as resilient as you are.
The content is developed from sources believed to provide accurate information. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult with a financial professional regarding your specific situation.
Ari Baum, CFP® is the Founder and CEO of Endurance Wealth Partners, with over 25 years of experience in the Financial Services industry. He brings his in-depth experience to Conceive. Believe. Achieve. for his clients. Securities and Advisory services offered through Prospera Financial Services Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Brokerage and Advisory accounts carried by Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC.
WHAT’S YOUR VERSE?
THE ONE THAT EXPRESSES WHO YOU ARE & HOW YOU HOPE TO IMPACT THE WORLD
RABBI MEYER LANIADO
ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2025, AT 6:00 AM, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY FATHER TELLING ME THAT MY GRANDFATHER HAD PASSED. WHILE I KNEW THIS MOMENT WOULD COME ONE DAY, AND HAD EVEN THOUGHT OF WRITING A FUNERAL SPEECH FOR HIM OVER THE YEARS, I WAS AT A LOSS FOR WORDS.
What could I say that would encapsulate my grandfather’s life, who he was, how he lived, how he impacted me and others?
On my way to the funeral, while crossing the George Washington Bridge, I remembered that, while in high school, I had interviewed my grandfather for a paper on his life. With only ten minutes to spare before the funeral, I stopped by my parents’ house. I went to my old room and, in my frantic search, found the filing cabinet with my old papers, including a drawer labeled ‘Writings.’ In that drawer, there it was! ‘The Life of Irwin Leventer.’ At the very end of that essay, to my surprise, was a section entitled: “Advice for Future Generations.” There, in my hands, were my grandfather’s words, to me, and to my family, from more than twenty years ago:
“Stay close to good, learned, and religious people, who stay with Torah. You will be influenced by them and learn how to be a good person. Money is not the most
important thing in the world. Don’t let money corrupt your soul.” (Irwin Leventer, March 2002).
These words don’t capture the totality of his life, but they do capture a part of what mattered most to him, and what he wanted to pass to the generations that would come after him. I shared this with those who came to honor my grandfather, and I keep coming back to these words.
We often think of inheritance in terms of physical possessions, but more enduring than heirlooms is an ethical inheritance. What I have recorded in that paper is my grandfather’s ethical will; not his estate, but his real legacy: what he lived for, and the guidance he left his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Sometimes, when a person passes, suddenly or not, we are left wondering: What would they have said if they had one more chance? What would their parting message be?
But what if we didn’t wait? What if we took the time to ask those whom we love what their message is? In turn,
what if we asked ourselves the same question, to crystallize and pass on what really matters to us?
Imagine your children, one day, opening a drawer with your writings. What would you want them to discover? What is the idea, the value, the teaching you most want to carry forward? That’s what an ethical will, a sava’a, is. It is a genre that originates with the Jewish people, with G-d saying about Abraham: Lema`an asher yesavve et banav ve’et beto aharav, veshameru derekh Hashem la`asot sedaqa umishpa` — “So that he [Abraham] will instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of G-d, by doing righteousness and justice” (Bereshit 18:19; Hebrew Ethical Wills by Israel Abrahams).
We are familiar with this type of literature from Pirqe Abot. Literally “The Chapters of Our Fathers”, a book filled with, one-line aphorisms of our greatest sages: the solitary idea and message they each thought was the most important to preserve for the next generation. We also have models of longer, more elaborate ethical wills. The most well-known are those of Yehudah Ibn Tibbon and The Ramban (12th–13th Centuries).
The Ramban, after winning the debate against Pablo Christiani in Spain, had to flee for his life. While in Israel, far from his son, he wrote a letter to guide his son through life. He emphasized the importance of humility, distancing oneself from anger, and speaking calmly as core traits for
his son to cultivate for a successful life. This letter is still read regularly, included in siddurim, and published as a standalone book by major Jewish publishers.
Another example that I find so powerful is from Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, one of the greatest rabbis of the Mishna. At great personal risk, he secured Judaism’s survival after the Second Temple was destroyed by his request to the Romans to save the city of Yavneh and its scholars.
On his deathbed, with his students requesting a final blessing, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai left them one piercing line: “May the fear of Heaven be upon you like the fear of flesh and blood.” His students protested: Ad kan? Is that it? And he answered: Halevai. If only we could live at that level (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 28b).
These messages were said by our greatest scholars during their lifetimes, some directly to their children, and others to their students. This is how we should think of ethical wills. Not as documents to be read after we pass, but even while we are living, to make clear to our loved ones what is most important to us. This will also serve us well ourselves, to remind us the way we think is most important to live, maybe even to frame on our wall or place on our desk as our guiding message: as a living ethical will.
Two challenges often arise when discussing the writing of these documents: feeling our message isn’t unique, and finding just a few values that truly define us.
Firstly, to address the matter of uniqueness. The impact of a living ethical will is not that it is a hiddush, a new insight that was never said before. It is that it is your message. It powerfully encapsulates how you genuinely live, what is most important to you, describing what guides your life, and your message to your loved ones about how they should live theirs. That is why it is so impactful on those closest to you, your family, and your students.
Secondly, to address the challenge of choosing a few main points. Even regarding Avraham, our forefather, whom we describe as ish hesed, our model for hakhnasat orhim, how we invite in and host guests in our home. He is also described by G-d as a man of sedaqa u-mishpat, righteousness and justice. Both of those are true, and speak to aspects of who Avraham was, yet our prayers highlight one trait, that of his hesed. We also all live by multiple values that animate our lives, but when we distill them to one or two, we bring to the forefront, in clear articulation, part of the core of who we are.
The process demands honesty, and is not about trying to sound noble and virtuous. It is about clarifying what truly matters to us, what we strive for in our choices, and how we want to be remembered, through verbalizing it succinctly and sharing it with others, either orally or in writing.
This idea began to take shape for me when I invited a group of rabbis and mentors to share the single verse from Tanakh that most captures how they try to live and what they hope to pass on. I shared their responses over the
High Holidays with my congregation, and the reaction was overwhelming. Many people told me how much the verses resonated with them, and how they were inspired to search for a verse or a teaching of their own. Not everyone is comfortable or familiar with Tanakh, and choosing a single verse that crystallizes your message may not come easily, but you may find yourself drawn to a line or teaching that feels true to you, one that captures the through-line of your life and the conviction that guides it.
For me, this question, “What’s my verse?”, my message, began in a very real moment, when I read my grandfather’s words, his living ethical will, and later, when, as a family, we searched for a verse that could capture the essence of his life. In that moment, I realized he had left us a gift, and with that gift came a responsibility: to begin writing my own. To ask myself: What is my message? What will I leave for my children, grandchildren, students, and congregation?
So the question for us is: What is your one message? Your key value? Your lesson for future generations? What are the words that will be your life, your legacy, your ethical will, your gift to the generations who come after you?
is an associate
and culture, having shared perspectives at UJA, the Maimonides Fund, and the Bronfman Fellowship.
Rabbi Meyer Laniado
rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun and leads its Sephardic community on New York City’s Upper East Side. He teaches at Ramaz and is a growing voice in the broader conversation on Sephardic history, ideas,
A SEASON OF GROWTH, GRIT,
COMMUNITY DSN GIRLS SOCCER LEAGUE
AND
THE DSN GIRLS SOCCER LEAGUE WRAPPED UP ANOTHER UNFORGETTABLE SEASON THIS NOVEMBER, MARKING ONE OF ITS STRONGEST YEARS. WITH OVER 150 GIRLS PARTICIPATING FROM FIRST THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE, THE LEAGUE BROUGHT TOGETHER FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
What makes the DSN Soccer League so special isn’t just the sport, it’s the people. Every team is led by volunteer parent-coaches, both moms and dads, who pour their time, energy, and heart into giving the girls the best experience possible. Their dedication shaped the league this year, creating an environment that was not only structured and skillful but joyful and positive.
“There’s nothing like coming to the field and seeing everyone there,” one parent shared, and this season delivered that feeling week after week. With beautiful weather throughout the fall and even New York families making the weekly trip to join the league, DSN’s reputation for excellence, warmth, and high-caliber play continues to grow.
At its core, the league is about confidence, helping young girls feel empowered to step onto the field, take chances, and support one another. They learn how to play as a team, how to balance competitiveness with camaraderie, and how to develop the fundamentals, passing,
defending, spacing, and strategy. As the girls get older, their play becomes increasingly controlled and tactical, and this year’s older divisions showed remarkable skill and maturity.
The goalies, in particular, stood out, fearless, focused, and fully owning one of the toughest positions on the field. Across divisions, the games were exciting and intense. The oldest group had tight matchups all season, with no game decided by more than two goals. They responded each week to high-pressure situations with grit and mental toughness.
First grade soccer coach, Joe Silvera, reflected on the season with pride. “This season was our best yet. It was incredible to see so many parents and grandparents on the sidelines, and they were treated to overtime thrillers, shootouts, last-minute goals, and standout performances.” DSN’s Girls Sports Coordinator, Danielle Shemueli, and her team created a fun, disciplined environment that kept the girls engaged and smiling all season. Silvera continued,
“Coaching is the highlight of my fall, and it’s a gift for our family to start every Sunday on such a positive note.”
Danielle echoed those sentiments, sharing just how meaningful the experience is for her and her staff. “Running the girls DSN leagues is honestly the most rewarding job in the world. I get to watch these girls grow from first through eighth grade, watching their love of the game get stronger, their confidence build, and their personalities really come alive on the field. I love seeing the parents get passionate, the volunteer coaches fully invested, and the community
filling the fields on a crisp Sunday morning in late October. The noise, the cheering, the little moments on the sidelines, it’s the most wholesome and satisfying atmosphere. We live for those moments: the friendships, the laughs, the tough plays, the falling down and getting right back up again.”
That spirit was on full display during the fifth through seventh grade championship game, a triple-overtime shootout that had the entire field holding its breath. “The girls fought for every second of that game, and you could feel how badly they wanted it,” Danielle said. “When it was over, every single girl walked away knowing she played her absolute best.”
DSN’s Executive Director Sammy Sitt summarized, “Our girls soccer league continues to be a place where girls grow not just as athletes, but as confident young women, and where the community comes together in the most meaningful way. I am extremely proud of our staff, coaches, parents, and certainly our players for a hugely successful season. May Hashem continue to bless DSN!”
TOMORROW’S LEADERS BEGIN AT MDYHS
AT MAGEN DAVID YESHIVAH HIGH SCHOOL, INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY GO HAND IN HAND. OUR CURRICULUM CONTINUES TO EVOLVE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD, PREPARING STUDENTS NOT ONLY TO UNDERSTAND THE MARKETPLACE BUT TO LEAD IT. THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF ACADEMIC AND BUSINESS-FOCUSED ELECTIVES AND CLUBS, MDYHS STUDENTS GAIN EARLY EXPOSURE TO LEADERSHIP, FINANCE, MARKETING, MANAGEMENT, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ALL WHILE DEVELOPING THE CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY NEEDED TO THRIVE IN THE MODERN ECONOMY.
Academic excellence is a cornerstone of the MDYHS experience. Our extensive Advanced Placement (AP) offerings provide motivated students with the opportunity to pursue college-level study in high school, strengthening their readiness for higher education and beyond. These courses include AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Drawing, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP European History, AP Macroeconomics, AP Precalculus, AP Psychology, AP Seminar, AP Statistics, AP U.S. Government and Politics, and AP U.S. History, along with Pre-AP World History and Geography. Together, they reflect our commitment to academic rigor and intellectual growth across all disciplines. At MDYHS, we believe every student should have the chance to challenge themselves. All students are welcome and encouraged to take AP courses that align with their interests and goals.
Building on this strong academic foundation, MDYHS is proud to introduce the next step in our evolution, the Magen David Business Institute (MDBI). Launching next year, this four-year program will accompany students throughout high school, offering a comprehensive, immersive education in business innovation and leadership.
Courses such as Artificial Intelligence and Hedge Fund Strategies / Financial Statement Analysis, already part of
our advanced offerings, will be incorporated into the Institute to create an even more cohesive and futurefocused business curriculum.
In Artificial Intelligence, students are introduced to the fundamental concepts, techniques, and real-world applications of modern AI technologies. They explore machine learning, neural networks, natural language processing, and robotics, gaining hands-on experience with programming and data analysis. Beyond technical skill, the course emphasizes ethical considerations, from bias and privacy to the broader social impact of automation. By the end, students understand not only how AI systems work, but also how they are transforming industries and reshaping the future of work.
In Hedge Fund Strategies / Financial Statement Analysis, students step into the world of high finance, learning to analyze public company financials to evaluate performance and valuation. They build financial models using key metrics such as revenue, EBITDA, free cash flow, margins, and leverage, while exploring hedge fund trading strategies including Merger Arbitrage, Distressed Credit Investing, and Convertible Bond Arbitrage. With Bloomberg Terminal access and professional-level training, students gain firsthand experience using the same tools as Wall Street analysts and investors.
From the 9th-grade Speaker Series and Seminars,
where students meet inspiring entrepreneurs and alumni, to upper-level courses like Business Law, Accounting, Bloomberg Terminal Analysis, and Women in Finance, each year builds upon the last. Students explore how business shapes the world, and their role in shaping its future. These courses represent more than electives. They are foundational experiences that bring theory to life and connect classroom learning to real-world application.
The Magen David Business Institute represents the next chapter in our mission, one that integrates business innovation, technology, and ethics into a unified program of study. It ensures that our students graduate not only businessminded but future-ready, equipped with the skills, integrity, and vision to lead in any field.
At Magen David Yeshivah High School, innovation is rooted in tradition. As our students explore new frontiers in business, technology, and ethics, they do so through the lens of Torah values, learning that true leadership comes not only from intellect and ambition, but from integrity, humility, and a sense of responsibility to others. At MDYHS, we are not just teaching business, we are building the future of it.
Where Kindness Takes Shape: Inside Atidaynu’s Student-Led Gemach
Atidaynu recently opened a new Table Décor and Dress Gemach inside the school building, created and operated by both students and staff. What started as a small idea quickly became one of the most visited and appreciated rooms in the entire school.
The gemach houses a wide range of neatly organized event décor, including full table settings for groups of 40 or more, depending on the items selected. It also offers a variety of dresses in multiple colors and styles for anyone in the community who needs something for a simcha or special occasion.
Students played a major role in bringing the gemach to life. They helped collect, prepare, and tovel every item, often making several trips to complete the process. Together with their teachers, they arranged the room, learned how to style sample tables, coordinated décor themes, and set up the space in a way that looks polished and inviting. Teachers oversee the room, guide the students, and help manage the day-to-day operations.
The project has become an active learning experience where students practice organization, teamwork, customer service, design skills, budgeting, and the responsibility involved in maintaining a community service. Rentals are handled by the students with teacher supervision, and the profits are divided among the student team, giving them a sense of ownership and purpose.
The gemach is open to the entire community, and people regularly come in to borrow décor or dresses for events. Students proudly assist visitors and show the items they helped prepare and care for. Their involvement, combined with the teachers’ guidance, has turned this space into a welcoming and functional resource.
Atidaynu’s gemach reflects the school’s commitment to practical learning, skill-building, and community service. It is a collaborative effort between staff and students, and it continues to grow through everyone’s dedication and hard work.
A MILESTONE MOMENT
MAGEN DAVID YESHIVAH SIXTH GRADE BOYS BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY INTO GEMARA LEARNING
THIS MONTH MARKED A MEANINGFUL AND UNFORGETTABLE MILESTONE FOR THE MDY SIXTH GRADE BOYS AS THEY GATHERED FOR A SPECIAL KICKOFF EVENT CELEBRATING THE BEGINNING OF THEIR GEMARA CAREER. FOR GENERATIONS, GEMARA WAS PASSED DOWN IN EXACTLY THIS FASHION, FROM GRANDFATHERS TO FATHERS TO YOUNG BOYS EAGER TO SOAK UP THE TRADITIONAL WAYS OF THEIR ANCESTORS. ENTERING THE WORLD OF GEMARA HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A GATEWAY TO DEEPER TORAH STUDY, SHARPENING THE MIND AND BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR A LIFETIME OF LEARNING. OUR STUDENTS STEPPED PROUDLY INTO THAT TRADITION.
The evening opened with inspiring words from esteemed MDY rabbis who spoke passionately about the beauty, challenge, and reward found within the pages of Gemara. They shared personal stories of their own learning journeys and encouraged the boys to approach this new endeavor with curiosity, perseverance, and joy. Their messages resonated deeply, highlighting how this moment is not only an academic milestone but a spiritual one as well.
One of the most meaningful parts of the event was the opportunity for the boys to sit and learn with their fathers and grandfathers. The room filled with the sounds of voices learning together, three generations united over the same timeless text. Watching parents and grandparents guiding
the boys through their first steps of Gemara study created an atmosphere of warmth, pride, and connection. It was a vivid reminder that Torah learning is not only personal but part of a cherished family and community tradition.
As the boys embark on this new chapter, the excitement and enthusiasm felt throughout the event serve as a powerful beginning. Learning Gemara will challenge them to think critically, to question, to analyze, and to grow intellectually and spiritually. The Hatchalat Gemara (beginning
of Gemara study) event set the tone beautifully, motivating them to embrace the journey ahead.
We are confident that this milestone will be the launching point for a strong, long-lasting foundation. With the guidance of inspiring teachers, the support of family, and the dedication of the Magen David students themselves, the future of their Torah learning is bright. May this be the first of many steps toward deep understanding, strong commitment, and a lifelong love of learning.
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KNEADING UNITY
ZIV HATORAH’S FIRST ANNUAL CHALLAH BAKE
ON NOVEMBER 5, 2025, ZIV HATORAH HOSTED ITS FIRST ANNUAL CHALLAH BAKE, WELCOMING ONE HUNDRED TWENTY WOMEN FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, EACH BRINGING HER OWN STORY, TRADITION, AND BRACHOT (BLESSINGS) TO KNEAD, BRAID, AND BLESS DOUGH FOR SHABBAT.
The evening opened with inspirational words from the Menahel of Ziv Hatorah, Rabbi Yaakov Dwek. He shared the “secret” to making the best challah in the world. The secret lies in your mindset and how well prepared you are. By carefully blending the ingredients with the right kavanah (spiritual intention), it infuses the dough with hope for one’s family and creates space for personal tefillot (prayers) during each step. The ladies in attendance leaned in to catch every tip on how to anchor every motion in baking the challah to a personal and deeper meaning. There was also a hands-on, inspiring highlight from Jackie Bitton on Dibbur (the sacred power of speech). Our words, she taught, shape reality. Just as dough rises with what we feed it, our lives and homes grow with the words we choose. When we speak with care and kavod (honor), we nourish the people around us. When we fill our challah with tefillah (prayer) and gratitude, we elevate a simple recipe into a vessel for blessing.
Midway through the program, Ziv Hatorah introduced its Chai for Life initiative, an invitation to become part of
the school’s steady backbone with a monthly gift of eighteen dollars. The Chai for Life campaign is simple and powerful, small and consistent donations that truly make a difference for a small school doing big work. Each commitment helps ensure that students, especially those who
need a more supportive setting, receive the individualized attention, warmth, and encouragement that turn potential into progress.
By evening’s end, the tables were lined with bowls filled with dough, each marked by a personal tefillah (prayer) and a shared intention to bring more light to the home and more strength to the school. The ladies left with dough to bake, tips to perfect their next batch, and a renewed sense of togetherness. Proof that when a community gathers around mitzvoth, everyone rises.
With deep gratitude, we thank Margo Chalouh for setting up the Challah Bake and Rabbi Kishik for securing our donors. We are especially grateful to our Event Sponsor, FC Advance, dedicated Leilui Nishmat (for the elevation of the soul of) Yitzchak ben Loris, and for the refuah shelema (complete healing) of Lulu bat Miriam, and Habib ben Loris, to our Hafrashat Challah (the mitzvah of separating challah) sponsor, RHY, and to RCN for sponsoring the refreshments in honor of Rabbi Kishik.
FOLLOWING THEIR PATHS
A LOOK AT MDYHS ALUMNI
AS OUR GRADUATES VENTURE INTO THE WORLD BEYOND MAGEN DAVID YESHIVAH HIGH SCHOOL, WE ARE PROUD TO FOLLOW THEIR JOURNEYS AND CELEBRATE THE LEADERS THEY ARE BECOMING. WE ARE RECONNECTING WITH MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2025 TO HEAR HOW THEIR TIME AT MDYHS SHAPED THEIR PATHS, THEIR PASSIONS, AND THEIR FUTURES. FROM IVY LEAGUE ECONOMICS TO BREAKING BARRIERS IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS MARKETING, OUR ALUMNI ARE ALREADY MAKING THEIR MARK.
We are excited to spotlight two outstanding graduates. Philip Sherr is studying Economics and Finance at Princeton, where he is diving into the analytical and strategic foundations of global business. Jacqueline Cohen is studying Marketing at Macaulay Honors College at Baruch and is pursuing her goal of entering the field of sports marketing, a path not commonly pursued by women and one she is determined to trailblaze.
Join us as we catch up with these young leaders and learn how their MDYHS experiences helped launch them toward their dreams.
PHILIP SHERR
How did MDYHS help prepare you to be a proud Jewish student on campus?
Throughout my time in Magen David Yeshivah, we were constantly being taught to be a proud and strong Jew. Through minyan morning and afternoon, special programming on the holidays, and Rabbi Mansour’s weekly Siha (Torah talk), Magen David helped instill a Jewish background that would remain with us forever. It was intertwined in every class that we took, both secular and Judaic.
I have made it a point so far to keep that Jewish identity with me at Princeton. I pray in minyan at the Chabad
every morning, get involved in the Jewish organizations and events on campus, and continue to prioritize my Jewish values. Magen David gave me the foundation of Jewish traditions that I carry proudly on campus.
What skills, such as study habits, writing, time management, or critical thinking, did you gain at MDYHS that you use now?
During my time in high school, I was a part of Magen David’s Scholars Program, the varsity basketball team, and the SBH Youth Committee. Between the workload of the Scholars Program and my extracurriculars, time management became a big focus of mine. I learned how to stay organized, how to balance my tasks, and to stay efficient while also leaving time for some fun. These are skills you need in order to have success in college.
Although it was not easy at first, through learning by doing, Magen David taught me how to have a good balance and solid time management, which are critical skills for college and beyond.
How did MDYHS’s extracurriculars, clubs, sports, or leadership opportunities help you grow?
One thing that is special about Magen David is the number of clubs and opportunities it offers. MDY’s extracurriculars range from sports teams to science and business clubs. Being part of the basketball team taught me discipline and responsibility, and that hard work leads to success.
I was part of an advisory group that met with Dr. Vitow to discuss topics around the school, including the plans for the new high school building. I was also elected to MDY’s student government. The clubs at MDY are meant to teach you how to be a part of a team, and to lead and communicate with people.
Every senior in Magen David gets a unique internship opportunity in a field they are interested in through the NEXT program. NEXT helped show me and my friends what it is like to have a real world job and to work in a professional environment. Some students were even offered full time jobs after impressing during their internship.
Through NEXT and the other opportunities at Magen David, you learn important real world skills like leadership, collaboration, and communication. You also get a valuable chance to intern in a professional setting and see what life after school could look like.
How did the MDYHS College Guidance Office support your application process?
I do not think I would have been able to get into Princeton University without the help of the College Guidance Office at MDY, specifically Ms. Laura Miller and Ms. Seloi Beckford. They started working with me in my
sophomore year, showing me how to build a strong profile and planning a timeline for the coming years.
The college guidance counselors spend countless hours helping students with whatever they need and are always available to meet and discuss anything. I worked on many essays and applications with Ms. Miller, and she helped refine every detail to make my application stand out. She helped me with my AP courses and my SAT process, and she showed me whom to meet.
The College Guidance Office at MDY makes sure that you leave no stone unturned, gives you the best chances possible, and provides all the resources you need to complete the application process.
If you could describe MDYHS in one sentence now that you’re in college, what would you say?
To me, Magen David feels like family, a home built with warmth and community where the faculty believes in you and is invested in you, all rooted in Jewish tradition that shapes who you become.
JACQUELINE COHEN
How did MDYHS help you discover your strengths or interests?
The MDYHS NEXT internship program at the end of my senior year helped me discover my interest in sports marketing. Sports marketing focuses on promoting sports teams, athletes, events, and products connected to sports, as well as using sports to market non sports brands. I interned at Sparx Marketing Group, where I was able to gain real experience. I enjoyed it so much, and I even decided to change my major in college to marketing.
How did the AP, honors, or elective courses you took at MDYHS help you transition to college-level coursework?
The AP classes at MDYHS really helped prepare me for some of my difficult college classes. They also gave me credits for classes that I otherwise would have had to take. Having already entered with all of the credits from my APs,
I was able to take classes toward my major.
This semester, I am taking Business 2000 where I am learning different aspects of the business world, including management and leadership basics and marketing principles. While it is an introductory course, it is giving me an understanding of the major areas of business and how they work together. As a marketing major, it is amazing to see how much creativity and strategy go into every area of business.
How did MDYHS’s extracurriculars, clubs, sports, or leadership opportunities help you grow?
Being a part of the Girls Volleyball Team at MDYHS, while also being a student, helped me become well rounded. It prepared me to balance the things that are important to me now that I am in college, including Torah classes, family, and friends.
What values from MDYHS do you find yourself carrying into college life?
MDYHS instilled in me strong bitahon (trust in G-D), and it is very comforting to know in this new college environment that I can always rely on G-D.
If you could describe MDYHS in one sentence now that you’re in college, what would you say?
MDYHS is my second home, and it is a place that inspired me to grow both spiritually and academically.
ADD A SPARK OF FRESHNESS TO HANUKKAH WITH DE LA ROSA 613 ORGANIC VINEGARS
THIS HANUKKAH, FILL YOUR HOME NOT ONLY WITH THE GLOW OF THE MENORAH BUT WITH THE BRIGHTNESS OF FLAVOR. DE LA ROSA 613 ORGANIC VINEGARS BRING LIGHT AND BALANCE TO THE SEASON’S BELOVED DISHES, ENHANCING BOTH CLASSIC AND MODERN RECIPES WITH NATURAL VIBRANCY.
Crafted from certified organic, kosher ingredients, this extensive line of gourmet vinegars includes a full line up of Organic Vinegars:
• Organic White Balsamic Vinegar – Light, sweet, and elegantly versatile.
• Organic Red Wine Vinegar – Bold and robust for savory dishes.
• Organic White Wine Vinegar – Bold and robust for savory dishes.
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother
– Bright, tangy, and wonderfully aromatic.
• Organic White Distilled Vinegar – Clean, crisp, and essential for pickling and baking. Made from Sugar Beets, not chemicals.
• Organic Rice Vinegar – Mild, slightly sweet, perfect for dressings and delicate dishes.
• Organic Raspberry Vinegar – Fruity, vibrant, and ideal for salads and desserts.
• Organic Pomegranate Vinegar – Colorful, tangy, and festive for winter cooking
Each one brings its own unique character to your winter menu. They are a celebration of purity and taste — the perfect way to refresh traditional Hanukkah fare.
BRINGING NEW LIFE TO TRADITIONAL FAVORITES
• Latkes with a Twist: Drizzle Organic White Balsamic Vinegar blended with a touch of honey or Greek yogurt over crispy latkes for a balanced, modern finish.
• “Salt and Vinegar” Latkes: Some modern recipes provide twists on the classic potato pancake, including versions seasoned to taste like salt and vinegar chips.
• Balsamic Caramelized Onions: This topping for latkes or other dishes uses balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, cooked down with onions until deeply caramelized, providing a sweet and savory contrast.
• Balsamic Brisket: Brisket is a common Hanukkah main course. One recipe for Cranberry Beef Brisket calls for two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and two cups of burgundy wine to create a rich sauce. Another version of sweet and tangy brisket uses red wine vinegar in its sauce.
brightness and balance, helping you honor tradition while savoring the fresh, wholesome beauty of organic ingredients.
WHY VINEGAR MATTERS DURING THE WINTER SEASON
Winter dishes tend to lean rich, warm, and comforting — think root vegetables, poultry, brisket, grains, hearty greens, and baked fruits. A high-quality organic vinegar introduces the acidity needed to brighten flavors, lift heavier dishes, balance sweetness and richness, tenderize proteins, and add a polished, professional finish.
• Bright Salads for the Festival of Lights: Create a vibrant salad of baby greens, apples, and walnuts tossed with Organic Raspberry Vinegar for a light start to your meal.
• Roasted Vegetable Medley: Caramelize carrots, beets, or sweet potatoes with Organic Balsamic Vinegar for a rich, glossy side dish.
• Main Course Magic: Marinate chicken, brisket, or salmon in Organic Apple Cider or Rice Vinegar with herbs for tender, flavorful entrees.
• Sweet Endings: Reduce Organic Balsamic Vinegar into a glaze for baked apples, pears, or even sufganiyot — adding an elegant, tangy contrast to sweetness.
ORGANIC GOODNESS FOR
THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Hanukkah is a celebration of faith, joy, and renewal — a reminder that light endures through every season. With De La Rosa 613 Organic Vinegars, you can bring that same sense of light into your cooking. Each bottle adds
Just a splash can make roasted vegetables more vibrant, soups more satisfying, marinades more effective, and salads more refreshing — all without added sugars or heavy sauces.
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DE LA ROSA 613 VINEGARS EXCEPTIONAL 100% CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Every vinegar in our collection is crafted from organically grown ingredients and produced without synthetic pesticides, artificial additives, or unnecessary fillers. You get honest, authentic flavor — straight from nature.
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Each bottle meets strict kosher standards and reflects our commitment to purity, quality, and tradition. Certified by the OU and by Tarnopol Kashrus. Many of our Vinegars are Kosher for Passover as well.
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De La Rosa 613 crafts premium organic vinegars, oils, and specialty foods with a mission rooted in purity and purpose. Each product embodies the joy of creation — nourishing body and soul while adding a spark of natural flavor to every celebration, from Hanukkah to everyday family meals. “Putting Heavenly Sparks Back into Foods & Wines.”
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HERE’S A PERFECT RECIPE FOR YOU! THANKS TO MELINDA STRAUSS FOR THIS WONDERFUL RECIPE!
HANUKKAH GELT CAKE
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup De La Rosa Extra Virgin Olive Oil (We Also Sell Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee (1/2 cup boiling water+1 tbsp instant coffee)
• 3 tbsp De La Rosa Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (can use white vinegar as well)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate gelt (around 36 large gelt), chopped (you can also use chocolate chips)
Ganache Topping
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or more gelt)
• 1/4 cup dairy free whipping cream (if you don’t like whipping cream, other options include coconut milk, almond milk and soy milk)
• 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and heavily grease a bundt pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the De La Rosa (Organic) extra virgin olive oil, water, coffee, De La Rosa Organic Apple Cider vinegar and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and pour into the bundt pan. Top with chocolate gelt and press the gelt into the cake batter.
3. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before flipping out of the bundt pan.
4. For the ganache, warm the whipping cream in the microwave for 1 minute then add the chocolate and salt and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cake and top with more gelt. Allow the chocolate to set before slicing.
DAVID ROFFÉ WINS NEW YORK EMMY
LAST MONTH MY HUSBAND DAVID ROFFÉ WON A NEW YORK EMMY FOR HIS ACTING IN A KATZ DELI COMMERCIAL DIRECTED BY NICOLAS HELLER, AKA NEW YORK NICO. OUR GRANDSON PLAYED A CAMEO ROLE, ALONG WITH OUR DOG SNOWBALL. “WHO KNEW THAT JUST HAVING FUN WOULD MAKE ME POPULAR,” JOKED DAVID.
My husband has always been this offbeat funny character. Short, half bald, with scraggly hair, David walks around with a pink hat and backpack, which identifies him and makes him easy to find. He carries bags of candy and is always handing them out. He brings Stella D’oro cookies to Brooklyn’s Best Toastmasters meetings at Sephardic Synagogue, where he learned speaking skills.
David likes to be the fun guy in the room and as such our basement is filled with a commercial size popcorn machine, a cotton candy machine and other carnival items he takes to Purim carnivals or our grandkids’ school events, where he often volunteers. He is warmhearted and has a dry wit. He never had an Internet presence or Facebook account.
For fun, David took classes fifteen years ago at Amy Poehler’s Upright Citizens Brigade that helped him learn and polish his improvisation skills. He started with small-time acting roles in student films, and even played a rabbi in one film.
A tour guide in NYC for years, he was profiled in The New York Times in 2011. A reporter had taken the tour and
loved his knowledge of the little-known facts about New York only a native would know. He shared the juicy gossip and funny stories about New York as they traveled together up and down the streets of Manhattan.
When I saw an ad in Backstage for a cranky old Jewish man, I showed David. It was perfect for him and he didn’t even have to act.
He met with Noah Rinsky, the creator of Old Jewish Men, which brings niche content about New York’s Jewish elders. David’s characteristics have brought him Internet fame as the face of Old Jewish Men. When the MTA issued its last commemorative MetroCard, David was on it with New York Nico.
With more than half a million Instagram followers and over two hundred twenty thousand on TikTok, David has become an Internet sensation, recognized everywhere we go. People stop him in the supermarket, at the grandkids’ schools, and even when we travel. He was stopped on a cruise in Denmark. We were in Montreal last year, sitting at an outdoor café when the waiter said, “You look an awful lot like a guy I follow on the Internet.” These interruptions
SARINA ROFFÉ
David on the Kelly Clarkson Show
Sarina Ro é Consulting Group
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are always followed by photos and conversations. David adores being the center of attention.
The joke in our family is that we had to take two photos on vacation, one with him and one without him because he didn’t want to be on social media. Now that he’s an Internet sensation, he’s recognized everywhere we go.
Fans recognized David from skits, including a TikTok video in which he protested rising pastrami costs at Katz’s Deli. They did a hysterical video about the lack of public
David
restrooms in Manhattan. OJM did a number of short videos at Costco, where they talk about the price and packaging of the rotisserie chicken. He is never seen eating it, as it is not kosher. They did one skit where David wears a T-shirt with a barcode for the rotisserie chicken and he goes to the register and asks them to scan the shirt.
“Honestly, I am having a lot of fun with this,” said David of his newfound popularity.
Our daughter Harriet thought it was annoying when
David and Noah with Emmy
David Roffé on the last commemorative Metrocard in 2024
Mr. Beast and David
wearing one of of his funny t-shirts
Care that Belongs to
EVERYONE
At Randi’s Care, our mission has always been simple: to give every family peace of mind knowing their loved ones are cared for with dignity and compassion. Thanks to the incredible support of our community, we’re now able to reach more families than ever.
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David joined her at Trader Joe’s and the staff followed them through the store, whispering “Is that him?” She catches her high school students watching OJM videos during class. Our grandson rolls his eyes when David volunteers at his school and the other kids want to be introduced.
David was recently selected, along with Old Jewish Men, by the New York Comedy Festival as a Creator to Watch.
David has done collaborative social media videos with MrBeast, IShowSpeed, Peter Tuchman, rapper Busta Rhymes, actress Julia Fox and many more. He did two appearances on the Kelly Clarkson Show and was a guest on Live with Andy Cohen. David has also done commercials for Ray-Ban sunglasses, GrubHub, Mike’s Amazing Mustard, Vita Coco, Adidas, Rocco Fridge, the New York Mets and more. And let’s not forget the nineteenminute short film, Sauna Dreams, about a contest to see who can stay in a hot sauna the longest.
Gianmarco Soresi. Politicians seeking supporters such as Brad Lander and Anthony Weiner also appeared on the show.
David was inducted into the Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame in 2024 and The New York Times wrote an article about OJM called “A Night Out With Old Jewish Men,” in 2022.
During the presentation, which can be seen on brooklynjewish.org, clips from Old Jewish Men were shared with the audience, including a favorite filmed in Crown Heights on erev (the eve of a holiday) Yom Kippur.
“I’m wearing my Tefillin, which are always worn for daily prayers, and asking Hasidic men if they have put on their Tefillin that day, which of course they had. I kept telling them I wanted the mitzvah. It was hysterical and reminiscent of an Impractical Jokers-type gag.”
David loves Brooklyn’s Best Toastmasters, and attends meetings often. The experience helps him with his OJM presentation skills.
OJM started a podcast called the “Chicken Show” on YouTube and they have had celebrity guests like satirical pop musician Kyle Gordon, TV personality Raffi Bastos, as well as comedians Modi Rosenberg, Mark Norman and
Sarina Roffé, a genealogist and historian, is the author of Branching Out from Sepharad (Sephardic Heritage Project, 2017). She is currently researching her next book, Syrian Jewish Paths to Freedom. Sarina holds a BA in Journalism, an MA in Jewish Studies, and an MBA.
Noah Rinsky and Nicolas Heller, aka New York Nico when David is inducted into the Brooklyn Jewish Hall of Fame.
David with Emmy
8 WAYS TO MAKE HANUKKAH MORE MEANINGFUL FOR YOUR KIDS
HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT
ADINA
SOCLOF, MS, CCC-SLP
Hanukkah is one of my favorite holidays. Some parents complain how the holiday has become less meaningful and more materialistic. It doesn’t have to be that way!
Here are 8 ways to inject more meaning, giving and light into your Hanukkah holiday.
1. GIFT GIVING
In the US, children on average have over 200 toys, but only play with 12 of them. That is a lot of stuff.
Think about donating some of your old toys.
Before the holiday, I ask my kids to go through their toys and see if there was anything that they would donate to the school or our shul.
2. GIVE AN EXPERIENCE
Give experiences instead of gifts. Research has also shown that this is more rewarding for the one giving the gift and the one receiving.
Some ideas are:
Museum memberships
Music Event
Sports events
Large puzzles
Escape room
Treasure hunt
Craft kits
Research has shown that family time and experiences are linked to fewer behavioral problems in children, a stronger sense of identity and a sense of security for children
3. BE A GIVER
To further temper the materialism, empower your children to be givers. You can help your children buy or make gifts for their siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.
And to remember those who are alone. You can deliver a simple gift or latkes and donuts to your elderly neighbor or invite them for candle lighting.
4. GIVE GELT AND THEN GIVE TZEDAKAH
Many families forgo the gifts and just give Hanukkah gelt. This is the perfect opportunity to teach about tithing, giving 10% of our earning/gifts to the poor. Let your child decide which organization to donate to. This can be a cause that is near and dear to their heart.
5. VOLUNTEER
This is the perfect time of year to volunteer. Perhaps your synagogue is having a Hanukkah party and they need someone to set up or man the buffet. Children generally love to help out at these events.
Think about what your kids naturally love to do and how they can channel that drive through volunteering.
6. BE GRATEFUL
Teach your children the rules of gift-giving, saying please and thank you- even if they don’t like the gift. Make sure your children write thank you notes for their gifts or call to say thank you. Younger children can make pictures and dictate their messages to the gift giver. Phone calls/Facetime calls would also be appreciated by the older generation.
7. LIGHTING THE MENORAH
Make the lighting of the menorah a special time. Everyone can have their own menorah and special candles.
8. TELL STORIES
Telling the story of Hanukkah is the best way to make sure that children understand the real significance of the holiday.
Focus on the commitment of the Maccabees to their faith and their refusal to assimilate into the surrounding Greek culture.
Talk about the children who refused to stop learning Torah and how they played dreidel to keep the Greeks at bay.
Wishing you and your family a Happy Hanukkah!
Adina Soclof is a Parent Educator, Professional Development Instructor and Speech Pathologist working with children in a school setting. She received her BA. in History from Queens College and her MS. in Communication Sciences from Hunter College. Adina is the founder of ParentingSimply.com. She delivers parenting classes as well as professional development workshops for Speech Pathologists, Teachers and other health professionals.
Hope Hearts
Therapeutic group for children ages 3-5 who have lost a parent
Through play and creative activities, young children will have the opportunity to express emotions they may not yet have words for, connect with others who understand, and learn that they are never alone.
• 6 session group in Flatbush
• 1-hour per session
• 4:00 pm, Tuesdays*
*Start date is dependent on enrollment
For more information, scan QR Code or email: groups@ohelfamily.org
∙ For NYC residents ∙ Most insurances accepted
∙ Participants will have to complete a one-session intake in order to participate in the group
▶ Led by Nechama Stamm, MS, LBA, MHC
EIGHT NIGHTS OF SWEETNESS
HANUKKAH DESSERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
HANUKKAH IS MORE THAN EIGHT NIGHTS OF CANDLES AND SONGS. IT’S THE SCENT OF FRYING DOUGH FILLING THE KITCHEN, THE SPARKLE OF SUGAR ON FRESH PASTRIES, AND THE LAUGHTER THAT FLOATS BETWEEN GENERATIONS GATHERED AROUND THE TABLE. FOR CENTURIES, JEWISH FAMILIES ACROSS THE WORLD HAVE MARKED THE MIRACLE OF OIL NOT ONLY WITH LIGHT, BUT WITH SWEETS THAT CELEBRATE ABUNDANCE, WARMTH, AND JOY.
While latkes might get most of the attention, fried desserts are an equally delicious part of the story. From the shores of Spain and Italy to the markets of Greece, Iraq, and Turkey, Jewish communities have created golden treats to honor the miracle in their own unique way. These desserts, each
kissed by oil and sweetened with honey or sugar, connect us to our roots and remind us that joy can be both simple and deeply meaningful.
Here are four time-honored recipes, all kosher and ready to bring a taste of the Jewish world to your Hanukkah table.
SPANISH–ITALIAN SFINGE WITH POWDERED SUGAR
Dairy or Parve Serves 10–12
Ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup warm milk (or water or unsweetened almond milk for parve)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Oil for frying (sunflower or vegetable)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk together the milk (or non-dairy substitute), egg, and vanilla, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until a thick batter forms. Let the mixture rest for 20 minutes. Heat about two inches of oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Using a spoon, drop small rounds of batter into the oil, turning once until both sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Dust generously with powdered sugar while still warm. Serve piled high on a platter, best eaten the same day.
GREEK HONEY-DIPPED LOUKOUMADES
Parve | Serves 8–10
Ingredients:
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsps)
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• Pinch of salt
• Oil for frying
• ½ cup honey
• 2 tbsps water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Sesame seeds for topping (optional)
Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Slowly add warm water and stir until smooth. Cover and let the batter rise for about 1 hour, until bubbly. Heat oil in a wide pot to 350°F. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil, frying a few at a time until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels. In a small pot, combine honey, water, and cinnamon and heat just until blended. Drizzle the warm syrup over the fritters and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately, warm and sticky.
IRAQI ZENGOULA (FRIED SPIRAL PASTRIES IN SYRUP)
Parve | Serves 10
Ingredients:
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• Oil for frying
For the syrup:
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp rosewater (optional)
Instructions:
Mix flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Gradually whisk in the warm water to
create a smooth, thick batter. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a wide frying pan. Spoon the batter into a plastic bag, snip off a small corner, and squeeze the batter into the hot oil in spiral shapes. Fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. In another pan, make the syrup by simmering sugar, water, and lemon juice until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rosewater if using. Dip the hot zengoula in syrup, coat well, and let rest on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving. They’re crisp, fragrant, and perfect with mint tea.
Across the Sephardic world, frying has always been a way to celebrate light triumphing over darkness. The oil connects us to the Hanukkah miracle, but it also speaks of comfort and joy, of family gathered in the kitchen sharing something warm and sweet. Whether it’s the
TURKISH ORANGE BLOSSOM DOUGHNUTS
Dairy or Parve | Serves 12
Ingredients:
• 2 ¼ tsps dry yeast
• ½ cup warm milk (or water or unsweetened oat milk for parve)
In a bowl, combine yeast, warm milk (or non-dairy substitute), and a tsp of sugar. Let stand 10 minutes until foamy. Add flour, eggs, butter (or oil), remaining sugar, and salt. Mix and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to ½-inch thickness and cut into rounds. Heat oil to 350°F and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. In a small saucepan, heat sugar, orange juice, and orange blossom water until syrupy. Brush or drizzle over the warm doughnuts for a fragrant, citrusy glaze.
airy sfinge of Spain, the sticky honeyed loukoumades of Greece, the spiraled zengoula from Iraq, or the floral doughnuts of Turkey, each bite tells the same story, one of faith, tradition, and the sweetness that binds us together.
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THE WHATSAPP GRATITUDE CHALLENGE
FOUR LESSONS FROM ONE GRATITUDE PICTURE A DAY
DEBBIE GUTFREUND
HERE’S A TRANSFORMATIONAL GRATITUDE CHALLENGE TO TRY WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. CREATE A SMALL WHATSAPP GROUP AND EACH DAY MEMBERS POST ONE PHOTO OF SOMETHING THEY’RE GRATEFUL FOR.
Iam part of Whatsapp group doing this and the impact is immediate. The act of looking for one good thing sharpens your eyes to beauty and kindness you’ve been overlooking. Judaism calls this hakarat hatov (recognizing the good), and this quick daily practice trains you to do exactly that.
Here are four lessons I learned from this gratitude challenge.
1. CHANGE WHAT YOU SEE.
After posting a picture of something we were grateful for that day, I was pleasantly surprised to notice many more beautiful things around me. A common thread between some of our pics was suddenly noticing a beautiful tree or
sunrise right outside our homes that we had seen hundreds of times before and never really noticed. Choosing to really look at the beauty around me changed what I saw. And the more I chose to see goodness around me, the more goodness I discovered.
2. WITNESSING THE GRATITUDE OF OTHERS MAKES ME FEEL MORE GRATEFUL.
It isn’t just my own moments of gratitude that help me appreciate my life, seeing other people’s gratitude does too. When friends in our chat share a picture of something they’re thankful for, it instantly expands my own sense of appreciation. Their posts prompt me to think of even more things I’m grateful for, and make me feel more connected
to everyone in the group. Gratitude is contagious. The more gratitude I hear and see around me, the more blessed I feel.
3. FINDING SOMETHING TO APPRECIATE TODAY CHANGES HOW I THINK ABOUT TOMORROW. Expressing gratitude doesn’t just shift how I feel in the moment—it also changes how I look toward the future. Posting a gratitude picture each day makes me look forward to tomorrow with more hope and enthusiasm. When I train myself to find something beautiful or meaningful today, I begin to trust that I’ll be able to find something good again tomorrow. This simple daily practice becomes a self-reinforcing cycle of hope.
4. I CAN FIND SOMETHING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR EVEN ON MY HARDEST DAYS.
I’m often surprised to find something beautiful or meaningful even on my most difficult days. Sometimes
posting the picture lifts my spirits; other times my mood doesn’t change at all. But I learn that I can be grateful and frustrated at the same time. I can even be grateful and sad at the same time. I don’t need to pretend I’m happy or that everything in my life is perfect in order to express gratitude. Finding one thing to appreciate works, no matter what kind of day I’m having.
Taking a daily gratitude picture motivated me to search for and notice the goodness in my life every day. Start your Whatsapp group and try taking one gratitude picture today. You may find yourself discovering blessings in your life that you didn’t even realize were there.
Debbie Gutfreund is an OCD and trauma therapist. She holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in Family Therapy from the University of North Texas. In her free time, she is a competitive runner and skier. She lives in Parkland, Florida with her husband and children.
TOP SIX RULES EVERY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW SHOULD FOLLOW
SARAH PACHTER
The mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dynamic is one of the most delicate relationships to navigate, but it’s crucial to learn to maneuver this relationship if you want to live harmoniously. Here are the top six rules that both need to follow to maintain mutual respect and positivity.
1. PLAY FAIR
Congratulations! Your son is married. Now, it’s time to play fair. As awkward as it may feel at first, you need to treat your daughter-in-law like your own child. If you buy your
children jewelry or take them shopping, do the same for your daughter-in-law. If you make purchases for your son, make similar ones for your daughter-in-law.
One of my students shared that when her husband’s brother got engaged, her mother-in-law paid for all her daughters to get their makeup done—and didn’t even offer this courtesy to her daughter-in-law. She felt slighted that she wasn’t included in the family preparations.
Another student shared that her in-laws would buy all of their son’s clothing on their credit card, while her clothing was to be purchased from the couple’s joint budget.
In both of these scenarios, the solution is simple: Do for both or do for neither.
Moments like these are opportunities to create closeness and connection. If you fail to pursue them, you can create a chasm that is difficult to repair or bridge. Your daughter-in-law will remember these gestures for a long time to come—for better or for worse.
Playing fair is not exclusive to mothers-in-law. Daughters-in-law also have to follow this guideline. Treat your mother-in-law like your own mother. Call them both equally, and spend time with them equally if you live in the same city. Give your children the gift of both sets of grandparents, instead of favoring one set. Do your best to create an equal playing field, and include everyone as much as possible. Here’s the big secret: the more you include your in-laws in your life, the less they intrude. Whatever “extras” you do for your mother, do for your mother-in-law.
2. QUIT TAKING IT PERSONALLY
A student called me to complain about her fiancé’s parents. “I know they hate me! I went to their house for the first time, and they were so quiet. They didn’t even want to talk to me!”
I reminded her that perhaps their silence had nothing to do with her. Maybe they had just received bad news, or were nervous about making their own good first impression. Sometimes the lack of conversation is not about you. We are too quick to assume others’ behaviors are about us. Most likely, they are entirely unrelated to us!
Sometimes a neutral action can be taken the wrong way.
A student once called to complain, “You won’t believe this! My mother-in-law made dinner for me and brought it over. Does she think I don’t know how to cook? Now I have all these leftovers that I don’t even need! I can’t stand her need to control everything!”
I tried to explain that this very scenario would be someone else’s dream come true!
Stop taking everything personally and let go of the burden of judgmental thought patterns.
3. FIND A WAY TO PRAISE AND THANK
Even if you find your mother-in-law overbearing, you can still find something to praise and thank her for. After all, she birthed and raised the man you found worthy of marrying.
And for mothers-in-laws, even if you think your daughter-in-law is not up to your standards, there’s always something genuine you can say to praise or compliment her. After all, your son did choose her!
Lavish genuine praise and gratitude as much as possible. Find something to sincerely compliment her with. You can always thank her for working hard to take care of your son, herself, and your family.
As much as you may dislike one another, the family unit would be incomplete if one of you was missing.
4. HELP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Most mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law view themselves as generally helpful. So why does everyone tend to complain that the other is not helping?
Sometimes your definition of help may not be very helpful to your in-law.
For the sake of clarity, ask your in-law, “I’d like to help you in any way you need. What can I do that will actually be of help to you?”
Once you define help, do that as much as you can. Generally, well-received help includes watching their children, or paying for domestic help such as a baby nurse, cleaning service, or a handyman. You can also offer to cook for them, send gifts, and provide financial assistance if you are in the position to do so. The only caveat is that real giving requires no strings being attached. Don’t use your help as a means to control the other person or to clear your own conscience.
A phrase I love is, “Zip your lips closed and zip your wallet open.”
Help goes both ways—sometimes at different life stages, and at other times, simultaneously. As a daughterin-law, you can and should be generous with your in-laws as well. Thoughtful gifts, flowers, and other personal, wellintentioned gestures can go a long way. Helping while visiting their home is a necessity. And make sure that you and your children respect their home and make the effort to keep it clean while there.
5. CHOOSE CONNECTION OVER CONTROL
Control and connection are polar opposite forces in any relationship. The more we exert control, the less connection we will have.
One of my students shared that her mother-in-law insisted that she and her husband join them every Friday night for dinner.
“I do not want to go there every single Friday night! What if we want to join my parents, see friends, or be alone?”
Even if the couple goes because they are coerced, they will not enjoy the time or feel a connection. A better method is to give space to your in-law and allow them to join you at their discretion. They may not come as often, but when they do come, you will know that they actually want to be there.
Daughters-in-law also need to remember the concept of avoiding controlling behavior. They will sometimes use their children to draw out certain behaviors from their inlaws. Purposely preventing your children from seeing their grandparents is manipulative, and must be avoided at all costs.
When we choose connection over control, we can start to move the relationship forward in a positive direction.
6. ACCEPT AND RESPECT
It is crucial for the mother of a married man to accept and respect that the relationship you once had with your son has now changed. It is not better or worse, just different. He now has to create and nurture his own nuclear family. You will still be an important part of his life, but you also need to trust in all you have taught him along the way to adulthood, and give him the space he needs to pass those lessons along to his children. Respect him enough to show you how you will now fit into his life, rather than forcing yourself in.
You may never officially “like” your mother-in-law or daughter-in-law, and that’s okay. You just need to accept
the fact that you are part of the same family, and choose to respect each other, no matter what.
Very often, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law begin their new relationship with unrealistic expectations. They tend to seek love, appreciation, and recognition within the in-law relationship. Don’t look for that. Instead, just look for respect. If we drop expectations and choose respect over everything, then eventually even a sour relationship will turn sweet and fulfilling.
As a daughter-in-law, you don’t have to love your mother-in-law, but you do need to respect her. This is a requirement that falls under the category of honoring your parents.
As one wise woman shared, “Don’t try to change the other person. You will lose this game.” When faced with a difficult circumstance, I try to think, Stop worrying about who is right, and focus on what is right. Respect is correct.
At the end of the day, you have to look in the mirror and feel proud of who you see, and that feeling extends to one’s family. When you choose to respect your family, you simultaneously gain inward respect.
The in-law dynamic is a tough one to balance. You can use these skills to create and sustain the best possible relationship.
Sarah Pachter is a dynamic, motivational speaker who has lectured throughout the US and Israel. For the past thirteen years Sarah has passionately taught women of all ages and levels of Jewish observance. In addition to lecturing for many organizations, schools, and synagogues, she is a kallah teacher, dating coach, and mentor. Sarah runs growth groups in private homes and meets with individuals for one-on-one private sessions.
FALL HIGHLIGHTS AROUND OUR COMMUNITY
THIS MONTH’S COMMUNITY PHOTO ALBUM CELEBRATES THE ENERGY AND COLOR OF THE FALL SEASON. FROM CLASSROOM PROJECTS AND SCHOOL ACTIVITIES TO PROGRAMS AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, THESE MOMENTS SHOW HOW OUR STUDENTS EMBRACED THE CRISP WEATHER AND CHANGING LEAVES. AUTUMN BROUGHT A MIX OF LEARNING AND TIME SPENT OUTDOORS. STUDENTS EXPLORED CREATIVE ART PROJECTS, JOINED SPECIAL EVENTS, AND TOOK PART IN TRIPS AND SEASONAL PROGRAMS. EACH PHOTO REFLECTS CONNECTION, JOY, AND THE SIMPLE BEAUTY OF FALL.
THE SYNAGOGUES OF THE EXILE
JOURNEY THROUGH EUROPE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL SYNAGOGUES — TIMELESS SANCTUARIES WHERE ART, HISTORY, AND FAITH UNITE. THESE PHOTOGRAPHS REVEAL A HERITAGE OF BEAUTY, RESILIENCE, AND DEVOTION.
Step into a world where art, history, and faith intertwine — a journey through the majestic synagogues that have graced Europe for centuries. These sacred spaces are more than architectural marvels; they are living testaments to the endurance, creativity, and spiritual depth of Jewish life across the Old Continent.
Each synagogue, whether standing proudly in a bustling capital or hidden away in a quiet town, tells its own story — of devotion and exile, of resilience and rebirth. From the monumental Great Synagogue of Budapest to the luminous Spanish Synagogue of Prague, from the ornate sanctuaries of Venice to the refined elegance of London and Amsterdam, these edifices reveal a Europe once resplendent with Jewish culture and community. Even the forgotten gems of Romania and the subtle harmonies of Italy’s hidden synagogues speak of a shared legacy that refuses to fade.
The following photographs are drawn from “The Synagogues of the Exiles”, an exquisite art volume illustrated with 180 never-before-seen images that capture the soul of 80 synagogues across 17 European countries, alongside five architectural treasures from North America that echo their European counterparts.
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Designed by the architect Charles Durand, after nearly a decade of fundraising and negotiations, the new Grande Synagogue of Bordeaux opened its doors on September 5, 1882, offering a sanctuary for peace and prayer just before the High Holy Days.
DAVID ABITBOL
SYNAGOGUE DE LA VICTOIRE, PARIS, FRANCE
The Synagogue de la Victoire was inaugurated on September 9, 1874, just in time for Rosh Hashanah. It took a few more months to complete the interior, with the synagogue opening fully to the public in 1875. The sanctuary is the work of architect Alfred Philippe Aldrophe. A knight of the Legion of Honor and architect for the City of Paris, Aldrophe understood both the requirements of the Jewish community and their new customs. Romanesque in style, the building is adorned with Byzantine moldings and follows a basilica layout.
CASALE MONFERRATO, ITALY
Nestled in northern Italy, between Turin and Milan, this town stood at the crossroads of countless battles from the 15th to the 18th centuries. The Jewish community, long settled here, took an active role in defending the territory — even financing the construction of its fortifications. Despite enduring many restrictions, they remained steadfast, determined never to face exile again. Their unwavering loyalty earned them rare privileges, first from Duke Gonzaga in 1560 and later from the Duke of Savoy in 1708. Yet these honors did not divert the faithful from their true source of devotion: the synagogue.
Located in an unassuming alley in the center of the Ghetto, the Synagogue of Casale Monferrato is the oldest
in Piedmont. It was inaugurated in 1595 during Sukkot, as attested by the inscription: “This plaque commemorates the fact that in the year 5355-1595 this oratory was erected in honor of the G-d of Israel.”
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND
On November 7, 1910 (5 Heshvan 5671), the Synagogue of Lausanne was officially inaugurated. Situated in the prestigious Belle Fontaine district, the synagogue stands out as a beacon and a landmark, embodying both civic presence and the heart of Jewish communal life.
The synagogue was the result of collaboration between renowned architects Charles Frédéric Bonjour, Adrien Van Dorsser, and Oscar Oulevey.
AUGSBOURG, GERMANY
In 1913, the community entrusted the realization of this modern and ambitious project to the young Jewish architect
Fritz Landauer. Collaborating with Dr. Heinrich Lompel, they conceived a building that embraced Art Nouveau with Moorish and Art Deco influences. During Kristallnacht in November 1938, the temple suffered significant damage but survived. During World War II, its proximity to a fuel depot spared it from the bombings. A near-miraculous survival, as countless other Jewish places of worship were utterly destroyed by the Nazi regime. Majestic, charismatic, and deeply moving, the Augsburg Synagogue stands as one of the city’s most important monuments.
ŁANCUT, POLAND
The Łancut Synagogue is one of the few surviving examples of Poland’s rich Jewish architectural heritage. It epitomizes the four-pillar synagogue style with majestic vaulted ceilings found throughout the region. While most of its original interior has been lost, a watercolor painted after 1786 by Polish landscape artist Zygmunt Vogel (under the pseudonym Ptashek) offers a rare glimpse of its past glory. The stone edifice measures 18 meters by 15 meters and stands on land that once belonged to the Lubomirski family, members of Poland’s high nobility and longtime owners of the city. Its modest exterior façade belies the stunning polychrome decorations, stucco work, and Torah scenes that adorn its interior. The synagogue’s floor, located below ground level, reflects a clever architectural workaround to comply with Church restrictions on synagogue height. Descending a few steps from the entrance, worshippers would enter a bright, airy prayer hall.
PLZEN, CZECH REPUBLIC
In 1867, a new constitution granted Jews political and religious equality, paving the way for the magnificent synagogue. With a population of 3,000, the Jewish community of Plzen embarked on building a sanctuary as sumptuous as it was monumental. Their ambition was first entrusted to Viennese architect Max Fleischer, who envisioned towers soaring 65 meters high, reminiscent of Budapest’s Great Synagogue. However, this grandeur exceeded both the project’s budget and the city council’s approval, as nothing was to overshadow the skyline dominated by St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral. A more measured approach was taken with architect Emanuel Klotz, who revised the plans, lowering the towers by 20 meters and optimizing the space to accommodate 1,200 seats. Construction began in 1888, with the cornerstone laid on the 40th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I’s coronation. A few years later, the Velká Synagoga opened its doors on Thursday, September 7, 1893, just in time for the Jewish New Year, 5654.
David Abitbol is a resident of Jerusalem and is the author of the book “The Synagogues of the Exile.”
Chai there!
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FOOD FREEDOM
EATING WITHOUT FEAR IN A WORLD OF
MIXED MESSAGES
LAURA SHAMMAH MS, RDN
“CARBS ARE BAD.” “CARBS ARE ESSENTIAL.” “FASTING IS DANGEROUS.” “FASTING IS THE SECRET TO HEALTH.” IF YOU’VE EVER FELT CONFUSED BY FOOD ADVICE, YOU’RE NOT ALONE. EVERY DAY WE’RE BOMBARDED WITH CONFLICTING MESSAGES, MAKING IT HARD TO KNOW WHAT’S “RIGHT.”
Whether you’re a student, a professional, a parent, or someone navigating later stages of life, food can feel like a minefield of rules and restrictions. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The key is food freedom, a way of eating that’s rooted in balance, trust, and joy instead of fear.
WHY SO MUCH CONFUSION?
Trends and fads play a major role. Nutrition culture thrives on extremes, whether it’s keto vs. plant-based or fasting vs. grazing. Social pressure adds to the mix, with social media making it easy to compare your plate to someone else’s. Many people also have a history of dieting, growing up with food “rules” passed down from family, peers, and media—beliefs that can take years to shake off.
THE PROBLEM WITH FOOD FEAR
Food fear doesn’t just affect your plate, it affects your life. Maybe you feel guilty for eating dessert, anxious about
eating out, or ashamed if you “give in” to cravings. But the cost is high:
• Restriction often leads to overeating or bingeing.
• Guilt disconnects you from enjoying meals and social experiences.
• Anxiety around food drains energy you could be using for things that really matter.
WHAT FOOD FREEDOM REALLY MEANS
Food freedom isn’t about ignoring health, it’s about releasing the fear and guilt that keep you stuck in cycles of restriction. It means:
• Flexibility. Foods can fit. There’s room for salad and pizza.
• Balance. Most meals include a mix of protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
• Joy. Eating is about connection, culture, and pleasure, not calories.
• Confidence. Trusting your body’s cues instead of external rules.
PRACTICAL WAYS TO START
1. Reframe your language. Swap “I can’t eat that” for “I choose what feels good for me.”
2. Add before you subtract. Focus on adding nourishing foods, like veggies, protein, or omega-3s, rather than obsessing over what to cut out.
3. Gentle structure. Regular meals and snacks support stable energy, mood, and focus.
4. Practice compassion. One meal never defines your health. Progress is about patterns, not perfection.
WHY FOOD FREEDOM MATTERS AT ANY AGE
Food freedom matters at every stage of life. For teens and young adults, it helps prevent harmful cycles of dieting and disordered eating. For busy adults, it creates mental space and supports a healthier, more positive relationship with food. Later in life, it frees you from years of yo-yo dieting and helps support lasting health. Food freedom gives back confidence, energy, and peace of mind.
THE EMOTIONAL SIDE
When you let go of food fear, you also let go of unnecessary stress. Meals become about nourishment and connection, not judgment. Many people describe this shift as life-changing. It’s like reclaiming parts of themselves they didn’t realize dieting had taken away.
CLOSING THOUGHT
Food freedom is for everyone. It’s not about perfection or extremes, it’s about making peace with food, trusting your body, and focusing on nourishment over rules. When you stop fearing food, you create space for balance, joy, and health that lasts a lifetime.
Laura Shammah, MS, RDN, specializes in eating disorders and works with a wide range of clients, including those managing PCOS, infertility, hypertension, high cholesterol, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. She also supports clients training for marathons, women who are pregnant, and individuals seeking to lose or gain weight in a healthy way.
• Normalize your eating habits and conquer your weight related fears
• Restore a healthy relationship with food
• Stop restricting/ diet cycle, binging, under/overeating, emotional eating and finally feel free to live the life you want!
TUTOR
READING SPECIALIST
Is your child struggling in Reading and Math? Are you concerned about state tests?
Are you a working mother who wants to get home from work to find all your children’s homework and studying is done?
A.K. A
Dr Doueck is an amazing dentist who is greatly talented, my teeth are not so easy to deal with Dr Doueck took care and had just so much patience with me and make sure I was happy every step of the way! I would 100 percent recommend Dr Doueck.
D.M. D
Dr Doueck combines state of the art equipment, skill, knowledge and experience with being a mensch. If he had a fan club, I would be its president. I have been his patient for more than twenty-five years. No one is like him.
T.B. T
Had an incredible experience at Doueck Dental this morning. I never thought a cavity removal could be a good time, but today I stand corrected. From the lovely welcoming faces that greet you at the door, to the charming yet masterful Dr. himself, Doueck Dental has yet again made my day and greatly improved my dental confidence.
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NYC public school teacher & certified reading specialist with 25 years of experience to help your child.
Elementary school grades K to 5
Teaching Common Core and Next Generation Standards
Reviews are in, and smiles are wide. At Doueck Dental, advanced techniques and expert design create natural, radiant smiles—with custom veneers and precise implants tailored for you.
PROTECT YOUR SMILE
WHY EVERY ATHLETE NEEDS A SPORTS GUARD
DR MICHAEL SLOMNICKI DMD, BASS DENTAL GROUP
Whether you play basketball, hockey, football, or even non-contact sports like gymnastics or pickleball, your smile is always at risk of injury.
A sudden impact or accidental fall can cause chipped, broken, or even knocked out teeth. These injuries can be painful, costly, and permanent.
That’s where a sports guard comes in. Also known as an athletic guard, this small but powerful piece of equipment acts as a cushion between your teeth and the soft tissues of your mouth. It absorbs and redistributes impact forces, helping prevent damage to your teeth, gums, lips, and even your jaw.
While store-bought guards may seem convenient, they
often provide limited protection and an uncomfortable fit. A custom-made sports guard is designed specifically for your mouth, ensuring superior comfort, breathability, and protection. You’ll be able to speak clearly, focus on your game, and stay confident knowing your smile is safe.
At Bass Dental Group, we care deeply about helping our patients protect their oral health, on and off the field. That’s why we’re offering free custom sports guards until December 31. It’s our way of promoting safer play for athletes of all ages in our community.
Don’t wait until it’s too late, your natural teeth are irreplaceable. Call our office today at (718) 339-7400 to schedule your appointment, and get your free sports guard.
Interventional procedures and rehabilitation
DINING GUIDE FLORIDA
AVENTURA
ASIATIKO ROBATA BAR
2906 NE 207th St, (786) 786-0626, Meat, KM
AZUMARE
3585 NE 207 ST, (754) 703-0966, MEAT, KM
BAGEL BOSS
18549 W Dixie Hway, (954) 302-4687, Dairy, ORB
CAFE MAISON LA FLEUR
2906 NE 207 St Unit 102, (305) 204-0304, Dairy, ORB
CAPAS BURGER
2100 W Dixie Highway, (954) 859-7467, Meat, ORB
FOOZO ARTISAN PIZZA
2520 NE 186 St, (786) 916-2812, Dairy, KM
FRESKO
19048 NE 29 Ave, (786) 272-3737, Dairy, KM
GRAND CAFE
2491 NE Miami Gardens Drive, (305) 627-3495, Dairy, ORB
LEVY’S SHWARMA
3585 NE 207 Street, (305) 974-4899, Meat, ORB
MILANOS
19090 NE 29th Avenue, (786) 640-6400, Dairy, KM
SHALOM HAIFA RESTAURANT
18529 W. Dixie Hwy, (305) 936-1800, Meat, ORB
SOHO ASIAN BAR AND GRILL
19004 NE 29th Ave, (305) 466-5656, Meat, KM
SOHO KOSHER DELI/THE FLAME
19010 NE 29th Ave, (305) 931-8883, Meat, KM
STREET HIBACHI
3599 NE 207th St, (305) 974-5056, Meat, ORB
BAL HARBOUR/SURFSIDE
CINE CITTA CAFFE
9544 Harding Ave, (305) 866-8688, Dairy, OK
KOSH SUSHI & GRILL
9477 Harding Ave, (305) 763-8601, Meat, KM
NEYA
9491 Harding Avenue, (305) 452-0768, Dairy, KM
OVO AT THE ALTAIR
9540 W Bay Harbor Drive, (305) 990-2228, Meat, ORB
ROAST
9441 Harding Avenue, (786) 803-8857, Meat, KM
RUSTIKO
9476 Harding Ave, (305) 560-5650, Dairy, KM
26 SUSHI AND TAPAS
9487 Harding Ave, (305) 570-2626, Dairy, KM
THE HARBOUR GRILL
9415 Harding Ave, (305) 861-0787, Meat, KM
BOCA RATON
BEN’S KOSHER DELI & RESTAURANT
9942 Clint Moore Rd, (561) 470-9963, Meat, R. Plotkin
BURNT
8177 Glades Rd #21, (561) 816-2784, Meat, ORB
CARMELA’S
7300 West Camino Real, (561) 367-3412, Dairy, ORB
JON’S PLACE
22191 Powerline Road, (561) 338-0008, Dairy, ORB
MAOZ VEGETARIAN
Town Center Mall 6000 Glades Road #1176 (561) 393-6269, Vegetarian, ORB
ORCHID’S GARDEN
9045 La Fontana Blvd, (561) 482-3831, Meat, ORB
YOGURT RENDEZVOUS
7150 A-Beracasa Way (561) 392-8384, Dairy, ORB
HALLANDALE
ALMA GRILL STEAKHOUSE
501 Silks Run Unit 1130, (305) 443-1016, MEAT, ORB
HUMUS ACHLA HALLANDALE
658 W Hallandale Beach Blvd, (954) 455-2118, Meat, ORB
IMALEH GRILL
300 W Hallandale Blvd, (305) 735-4565, Meat, RM
KOSHER BAGEL COVE
668 W Hallandale Beach Blvd, (754) 999-8999, Dairy, ORB
KOSHER DE BRAZIL
1710 E. Hallendale Beach Blvd, (954) 399-7777, Meat, ORB
TAGINE BY ALMA GRILL
901S Federal Highway #1130, (954) 307-2461, Meat, ORB
HOLLYWOOD
CAFE NOIR
3000 Stirling Rd, (954) 584-5171, Dairy, ORB
FLORENTIN BAKERY
3000 Stirling Rd, (754) 704-1328, Dairy, ORB
G-7 ROOFTOP
5510 State Road 7, (754) 216-7899, Meat, ORB
GRAND CAFE
2905 Stirling Road, (954) 986-6860, Dairy, ORB
HOLLYWOOD DELI
6100 Hollywood Blvd, (954) 986-7570, Dairy & Meat, ORB
J.Z. STEAKHOUSE
4000 N 46th Avenue, (954) 367-6608, Meat, ORB
LASSO GRILL
5511 Woodland Lane, (561) 600-1456, Meat, ORB
MIZRACHI’S PIZZA KITCHEN
5650 Stirling Road, (954) 505-3190, Dairy, ORB
NAVA’S KOSHER KITCHEN
5021 S State Rd 7 #203, (954) 588-3701, Meat, ORB
PALA MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN
3317 Sheridan St, (754) 217-3182, Meat, ORB
PITA PLUS
2145 Stirling Road, (954) 241-2011, Meat, ORB
PITA XPRESS MEDITERRANEAN AND GRILL
2445 Stirling Road, (954) 251-1799, Meat, ORB
THE CAVE
5650 Stirling Road, (954) 888-8112, Meat, ORB
HUMMUS & VEGAS GRILL
5800 Stirling Road, (954) 981-7710, Meat, ORB
SUSHI HOUSE
5818 Stirling Road, (305) 692-0309, Parve, ORB
YUM BERRY CAFE & SUSHI BAR
4009 Oakwood Blvd, (954) 922-7876, Dairy, ORB
ZUKA RESTAURANT AND HOOKA
900 N Federal Hwy #101, (877) 577-0770, Dairy, ORB
MIAMI BEACH
ORIGINAL PITA HUT
530 Arthur Godfrey Rd, (305) 531-6090, Meat, ORB
SEVENTEEN RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR
1751 Alton Rd, (305) 672-0565, Dairy, KM
SILAN FUSION
5225 Collins Avenue, (305) 939-5264, Meat, KM
TASTY BEACH CAFÉ
4041 Royal Palm Ave, (305) 673-5483, Meat, KM
NORTH MIAMI BEACH
BAMBU PAN ASIAN KITCHEN
3427 NE 163 St, (786) 384-5177, Meat, KM
BOUREKAS, ETC.
18671 W. Dixie Highway, (305) 503-3838, Meat, KM
CHAI WOK
1688 NE 164th Street, (305) 705-2110, Meat, KM
FUEGO
3861 NE 163rd Street, (786) 520-4082, Meat, KM
JERUSALEM PIZZA
761 NE 167th Street, (305) 547-9649, Dairy, KM
LA MATERA ARGENTINIAN STEAK HOUSE
3073 NE 163 St, (786) 885-3085, Meat, KM
PITA HUT
18450 W. Dixie Highway, (754) 354-8101, Meat, ORB
THE MEAT BAR
1009 Kane Concourse, (786) 216-7275, Meat, KM
SUNNY ISLES
MOZART CAFE
18110 Collins Ave, (305) 974-0103, Dairy, OK
For reference only: JEWISH IMAGE™ does not assume responsibility for the Kashrut of any product or establishment mentioned herein, nor do we endorse them.The publisher is not liable for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions of information contained within this list. Please check Kashrut before visiting any restaurant.
THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS
BETH SIFRA RAN
Separate Orthodox Boy Scout 8 Girl Scout Club • Matchmaking
• Trips and Rallies • Free Legal Advice Jewish Films Jewish History Classes
• Job Placement • Boxing & Wrestling
• Men's Karate • Women's Karate
• CSW on Premesis-Business School
• Brisim Performed
• Speakers Bureau
• Free Hebrew School
• Free Summer Camps
• Nursery schools • Jewish Services
• Boxing- High School Programs In Public Schools • Chess Tournament
• Free Bar Mitzvahs • Several English Classes (Green Cards) • Work Release Programs • Release Hours
• Free Flee Market • Homeless Shelter
HOUSE HACKING 101
HOW TO LIVE FOR FREE BY OWNING A RENTAL PROPERTY
FOR MANY YOUNG ADULTS AND FIRST-TIME BUYERS, THE IDEA OF OWNING A HOME FEELS OUT OF REACH. RISING PRICES, HIGH INTEREST RATES, AND THE CHALLENGE OF SAVING FOR A DOWN PAYMENT MAKE IT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE. YET THERE’S A GROWING STRATEGY THAT PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE USING TO GET INTO THE MARKET SOONER, CUT THEIR LIVING COSTS, AND START BUILDING WEALTH. IT’S CALLED HOUSE HACKING, AND WHILE IT SOUNDS LIKE A TRICK, IT’S REALLY A SMART, PRACTICAL APPROACH TO REAL ESTATE.
At its core, house hacking is about buying a property that can generate income while you live in it. Instead of paying your full mortgage out of pocket, you use the rent from tenants to cover part, or sometimes all, of your monthly expenses. Think of it as turning your home into both a place to live and a financial tool.
The simplest version is purchasing a two- to five-family property, living in one unit, and renting out the others. In some cases, the rent from just one or two apartments can cover most of your mortgage payment. Add a third unit, and you may find yourself living nearly for free.
What makes house hacking especially appealing is that it lowers the financial barrier to buying a home. Lenders will often consider the expected rental income when deciding how much you can borrow, which can make it easier to qualify for a mortgage. For first-time buyers who would otherwise struggle to afford monthly payments, this can open
the door to neighborhoods or property types they thought were out of reach. It also gives you a way to start learning about real estate as an investment, even if you don’t see yourself as a landlord type.
Of course, the idea works best when the numbers make sense. Before diving in, it’s worth running through the math carefully. Start by estimating your mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs. Then research realistic rental rates in your area. Be conservative with your estimates, leaving room for vacancies, repairs, or unexpected expenses. Planning for gaps will save you stress down the line.
Experienced house hackers also advise setting aside money for maintenance from the start. Tenants will expect working appliances, safe living conditions, and prompt repairs. If you neglect upkeep, not only will your rental income suffer, but so will your relationship with those ten-
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ants. Treating your home like a business investment may feel strange at first, but it’s the best way to keep the strategy sustainable.
In New York City, the number of apartments in a building matters. One and two family homes are the simplest to manage, while three to five units bring added oversight. Once you reach six or more, many other requirements kick in, which is why most small landlords stick to smaller properties. Whatever the size, house hacking comes with challenges. Privacy is limited when you share a building, and tenant protections in New York are strong, which means disputes or nonpayment can take time to resolve. Maintenance costs are often unpredictable, vacancies happen, and rental income doesn’t arrive without effort. Being a landlord means handling repairs, cleaning, late-night calls, and keeping good records. Tenants expect quick responses, and the responsibility is yours. The benefits of house hacking are real, but they come with work.
The upside is that you learn how to manage on a small scale, and if you do it well, the rewards can be significant. Your tenants help pay down the mortgage, which builds equity and increases your ownership stake in the property without you shouldering the full cost. Over time, that equity and experience can give you the chance to refinance and purchase another property. As your family grows and your finances strengthen, you might choose to do renovations and convert the building into a one-family home, or move out and hold it as a full investment property. Another option
is to sell and use the profit as a down payment on a new house, or refinance for cash and keep both. Step by step, one small investment can grow into a portfolio, turning house hacking into a powerful wealth-building tool.
House hacking also fits with how New Yorkers are rethinking homeownership. With high prices making traditional starter homes harder to reach, many buyers are turning to two to four family houses as their entry point. For some, it’s a way to stay in a familiar neighborhood. For others, it’s a path into areas that would otherwise be unaffordable. House hacking becomes a stepping stone—live in a multifamily now, let tenants help build equity, and later move into a dream home while keeping the first property as an investment.
The key is to approach it thoughtfully. Talk to a local real estate agent about properties that qualify for owneroccupant financing, which often comes with better terms. Speak with a lender who understands rental income rules. And if you’re new to managing tenants, read up on local landlord-tenant laws. A little homework up front will protect you from headaches later.
At the end of the day, house hacking is less about cutting corners and more about making your home work harder for you. Instead of seeing your mortgage as a burden, you can turn it into an opportunity. With the right property, careful planning, and a willingness to share your space, you might find yourself living nearly rent-free while building a foundation for long-term financial security.
Home With Heart, Space & Charm Buck Hill Falls
PA
Over 3,000 square feet of living space, 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2 half baths. New deck, huge working stone fireplace, renovated kitchen and renovated throughout. Amenities include nationally recognized golf course, community club w/olympic size pool, tennis, pickleball. Asking $500,000.
Call owner at 201-657-3165 for more info. This home is listed with a realtor.
Turnberry North Tower 15E – Ocean Views High-Floor Ocean Corner Spectacular Townhouse
Turnberry South Tower Most Desirable “K” Line – Stunning! 6A – Best-Priced 2/2 with Ocean View L Line– New Listing Move-In Ready, Intracoastal/Pool View 12E – Under Contract
PROPERTY FOR SALE
7 Bedrooms 4.5 Baths Finished Basement. Plus Third Floor. Set On 100 X 150. Plans for a pool. (Subject to Town 4+ bedrooms 3.5 baths On 220 x 260 property… that’s 1.3 acres!! Room for pool sports court.
Near Hillel Yeshiva campus. 6 bdrms, 2 baths, remodeled inside set on 100x125...room for pool (with town approval)
Want to sell your house quickly and quietly without all the publicity? Call us!
QUENTIN/EAST 4TH ST
K & L!
New construction.
Detached family home! Private parking, excellent condition. 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath, central air, finished basement. Gorgeous outdoor space. $2.69m
Detached one family with private driveway, master suite, radiant heat, central air, stunning! $1.99m
Brick, 2 fam, great condition, private parking. $1.49m
Attached 1 family Ave T prime!!! Excellent condition, 3 bdrms, 2.5 bath, den! Central air! Front and back porch. Finished bsmt.
$2.5m
Magnificent legal three fam home. Gut renovated, excellent investment opportunity or live in while collecting income. Prv parking, 3 bdrm, 2 bath over 3 bdrm, 2 bath over 2 bdrm, 2 bath over full fin bsmt. $2.65m
AVE O/EAST 2ND
EAST 13TH ST!
Detached 40x100 with private driveway. Priced to sell!
$2.4m
JUST IN - QUENTIN PRIME
Magnificent just built from the ground up. 7 bdrm custom build, top of the line, One of a kind home. Luxury buyer.
T
Brick beauty. Gorgeous removed two family with private driveway. Spacious and beautiful!
EAST 5TH ST /AVE M&N
Luxury One FamilyGorgeous with 4 bedrooms, den, stunning eat in kitchenParking & backyardExtra long lot, & extended $2 99m
Mini mansion for sale. Gorgeous huge det 40 x 125, 7 bdrm, 4.5 bath house. Magnificent kit, massive fin bsmt, prv drv and more.
MADISON PRIME CORNER!
Beautiful 1 family home. 4 bdrm, 2.5 bath, spacious eat-in kitchen, fin bsmt, parking, awesome backyard. $2.29m
Magnificent 1 fam, 50 x 100 terrace home. Stunning 5 bdrm, 1 fam. Custom granite kitchen. Private parking and garage. Master suite and more. $2.39m
MIDWOOD
NEW LISTING/AVE J PRIME
Detached 30 x 100 1 fam home. Make it your own! $2.39m
Finally! A fully detached home in Midwood PRICED TO SELL! Located between N & O with parking, charm, and endless potential. $999k!!!
OCEAN PKWY/QUENTIN
OCEAN PKWY/QUENTIN
Rare opportunity. Brick legal two fam extra long 150 lot. Parking for 3 cars.
Rare opportunity. Brick legal two fam extra long 150 lot. Parking for 3 cars.
QUENTIN/LOW EAST
305 Ave O
Detached 40x100! Two family with finished basement
Private driveway
Great condition
Huge gorgeous townhouse, legal two family home. 5 bdrm luxury duplex over 5 bdrm duplex. Master suites, den, magnificent kitchen, private parking. And more
QUENTIN
ROAD/ EAST 2ND ST
AVE V
Spectacular brand new home! Magnificently done with high end finishes by top interior decorator, 3 bdrm, 3.5 baths, prv parking. $2.69m
Luxury townhouse. 5 bdrm duplex over 5 bdrm duplex, private parking, beautiful, ready to move into. $3.59m
AVE M RIGHT OFF OCEAN PKWY!
OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT BKLYN
Office space for rent Ocean Parkway Avenue S First floor, approximately 1,100 square feet Contact broker 917-497-5432 Emanuel@Realty 26 Associates
HOUSE FOR SALE BKLYN
Ave N/20’s–Brick, 1 fam, 3 beds, 3 baths, fin bsmt, split units, $1.250M. Cindy@The Behfar Team 718-593-3490
East 7th, Ave M/N. Detached home on 30x120 lot with private driveway and 2-car garage. Over 5,300 sq. ft. with 7 bedrooms, multiple kitchens, balconies, and a full finished basement. Near parks, schools, shops, and kosher dining. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
East 7th/ Ave I. Stunning detached brick home on an extra-deep lot with over 4,200 sq. ft. Grand center hall, formal living and dining, modern eat-in kitchen, family room, huge patio, and six bedrooms with multiple baths. Finished basement with gym, sauna, office, and play area. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
East 13th, Ave O Unique 3 Family Ideal for Investor or Personal Use. Two of the apartments are identical with 4 Bedrooms to the rear of the house and 2 full bathrooms The first floor has 3 bedrooms to the rear with full bath. Finished basement and private entrance also make this ideal for professional use. Don’t miss out on this young beautiful house! Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
HOUSE FOR SALE BKLYN
East 8th St, Ave P/Quentin. First time on market. Semi-detached one-family on 24.33x120.50 lot. First floor has LR/DR, eat-in kitchen, den, and 1.5 baths. Second floor offers 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and washer/dryer hookup. Rear parking. Priced to sell. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001.
Manhattan Beach, Girard St. Expansive estate on an 80x104 lot with eight bedrooms, five baths, two kitchens, grand staircase, fireplace, and a private second-floor patio. Includes a twocar garage, central air, and top security system. Bright, elegant space just blocks from the beach. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
Avenue O / East 2nd St. Detached two-family on 40x100 lot with private driveway and carport. Three-bedroom first floor plus duplex upper unit with three bedrooms and two baths. Basement with storage and extra rooms, great side yard, prime Midwood location near parks, schools, and transportation. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
East 4th St, Ave N/O. Fully renovated detached one-family with 6 bedrooms and 5 baths across three floors, plus a huge finished basement with playroom and laundry. Features an open living and dining area, custom chef’s kitchen, private master suite, central air, and driveway. Prime block near schools and shopping. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
Manhattan Beach. Luxury center-hall home on Ocean Ave, set on a 60x100 lot with a pool, cabana, and parking for five cars. Grand foyer with 25-ft ceilings, large living and dining areas, deck, and paved yard. Three en-suite bedrooms plus guest suite in finished basement. Building approx. 3,594 sq. ft. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
West Long Branch, NJ
For Sale or Rent: 4,000 sq ft office space in West Long Branch, NJ, featuring parking for 12 cars, additional handicap parking, and wheelchair accessibility. Conveniently located near Route 36. The property includes a separate 2-bedroom house and an additional rear lot ideal for development. Offered at $1.99M.
HOUSE FOR SALE BKLYN
East 10th St, Ave P/Quentin. Detached modern two-family on 30x100 lot. First floor has 2 bedrooms and a full bath. Upper duplex offers 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, plus a finished basement with 2 more bedrooms and a bath. Private yard, central air, and driveway. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
East 10th St, Ave I/J. Midwood Manor Victorian, detached 3-story two-family. First floor: LR/DR, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath, front porch. Upper duplex: 6 bedrooms, LR/DR, kitchen, 2 baths, porch. Great for end-user or convert to large one-family. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001 East 10th St, Ave R. Detached renovated 3-bedroom, 3-bath single-family on 27x95 lot with private driveway. Bright open layout, finished basement with extra room and full bath. Comes with approved plans for a beautiful extension. Prime block near Kings Hwy. Call C21 MK Realty (917) 288-4001
APT FOR RENT BKLYN
Bet Ave T&U–1 1/2 bdrms, LR, Kit, DR, 1 Bath. Near Shopping, Subway & Shuls. Call for more info 646-217-9246
TIMESHARE FOR RENT ARUBA
Marriott Aruba Surf Club–Sleeps 8, 2 bdrms, 2 bath, full kitchen, laundry., Jan 16- Jan 23 2026. Call or text Boni (973) 723-1611
Marriott Aruba Surf Club January 11th 2026–January 18th 2026 and or January 18th–January 25th. 2 bed/ 2 bath, Ocean View. Call Mitchell 516-509-1940
Whether you are starting a new business, buying a property, investing in real estate, or separating your assets, forming an LLC can help keep your business and personal assets separate and organized.
Choose Liberty Filing to file your:
◦ LLC or Corporation
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Once your documents are ready, you can use them to open a business bank account.
We can form your LLC in any state. Consider the benefits of certain states:
Many business owners file a separate LLC for each property, vehicle, or asset to manage their holdings individually.
For More Information: Email: info@libertyfiling.com Or scan the QR code below
Liberty Filing is a document filing service and registered agent. We do not provide legal or tax advice. For legal or financial guidance, please consult a licensed professional.
CONGRATULATIONS
Mabrouk, Mazal Tov
BIRTHS
Sophia and Hymie Shriqui – Boy
Yarden and Jerry Dweck – Girl
Claudia and Danny Harary – Girl
Rachel and Isaac Alfaks – Girl
Juliet and Joe Kurtz – Girl
Lauren and Ness Mugrabi – Boy
Marcella and Dubbin Hanon – Boy
Joy and Freddy Bijou – Boy
Marilyn and David Sarway – Girl
Jenny and Victor Bousso – Girl
Coral and Isaac Setton – Boy
Sarah and Morris Dabbah – Boy
Joyce and Sammy Zalta – Girl
Grace and Paul Gammal – Girl
Joyce and Isaac Shalev – Girl
Tina and David Antebi – Boy
Jacqueline and Evan Bailey – Girl
Nadia and Hymie Zebede – Girl
Jenny and Stanley Chera – Girl
Paulina and Haris Sabbagh – Girl
Suzy and Raymond Mograby – Girl
Sari and Albert Saadia – Girl
Gladys and Eddy Antar – Boy
Flora and Marc Sitt – Girl
Frances and Isadore Pardo – Boy
Lauren and Jack Catton – Girl
Katie and Billy Mizrahi – Boy
Marcia and Bobby Betesh – Boy
Norma and Joshua Dayan – Boy
Marilyn and Joseph Sutton – Boy & Girl
Rachel and Henry Mann – Boy
ENGAGEMENTS
Joanie Dweck to Elliot Levy
Lana Kishk to Max Cohen
Liliane Hamaoui to Charlie Seruya
Frieda Abettan to Jacob Chera
Lauren Heskiel to Morris Nadjar
Fortune Cohen to Mikey Mizrahi
Talya Katri to Rafi Mordokh
Joyce Ftiha to David Alhalabi
Natalie Barakat to Ikey Dror
Rebecca Naoulo to Ezra Rishty
Eileen Dabbah to Jack Sarweh
Sarah Navon to Jonathan Enkaoua.
Ariella Elkabas to Jonathan Benshimol
Adel Khadida to Avraham Azan
The holiday season brings crowded stores, heavy online shopping, and a sharp increase in bank-related fraud. Scammers know people are distracted this time of year, so they focus on fake texts, phishing emails, and bogus purchase alerts that look real at first glance. Banks nationwide report more cases of account takeovers and unauthorized transactions during the month of December, which makes it important to slow down and double-check anything that seems off.
A few simple habits can help protect you. Never click links in texts or emails that claim to be from your bank. Always log in through your bank’s official app or website instead. Turn on account alerts and spending limits so you can spot unusual activity right away. Make sure two factor authentication is on, either by text message or, even better, through an authentication app, and use any security features your bank offers. Use strong, unique passwords and update them if you get any suspicious messages. Never give out a code you did not request yourself. If someone calls claiming to be from your bank and asks for codes or personal info, hang up and call the number on the back of your card. Staying alert goes a long way during the holiday rush.
CITY LAUNCHES NEW PLAN TO MAP NYC’S UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE
The city has announced a major step forward in how it manages and studies the infrastructure beneath New York’s streets. Mayor Eric Adams introduced a new $10 million project that will create a detailed three-dimensional map of the city’s underground systems. This platform will combine information from city agencies, utility companies and research institutions to show the layout of pipes, cables, sewer lines and other critical structures. The goal is to improve safety, reduce delays during construction and prevent unexpected damage during emergency response or repair work.
Residents may see long-term benefits once the system is in place. Better mapping means fewer surprise outages, shorter construction times and more coordinated planning across departments. The project is expected to help the city react faster when something goes wrong underground, and it may lead to smarter infrastructure upgrades in the future. It is an ambitious behind-the-scenes effort, but one that could make daily life smoother for millions of New Yorkers.
or
SOCIAL EVENTS
DECEMBER 2025 KISLEV - TEBET 5786
SCC HEALING MUSIC FOR PARKINSON’S BEGINNERS HEBREW
SCC
HANUKKAH BOUTIQUE SHOW
HEALING MUSIC FOR PARKINSON’S
BEGINNERS HEBREW
DSN
MOSAIC MENORAH MAKING
HANUKKAH 2 CANDLES
HANUKKAH 1 CANDLE LIGHT AFTER SUNSET
HANUKKAH 8 CANDLES
ROSH CHODESH TEBET
SCC LIGHT UP THE NIGHT HANUKKAH CELEBRATION
HEALING MUSIC FOR PARKINSON’S BEGINNERS HEBREW
HANUKKAH 8TH DAY
SCC SENIOR TRIP
BEGINNERS HEBREW
HANUKKAH 3 CANDLES
DSN HANUKKAH BOUTIQUE SHOW
SCC
SOCIAL CLUB FOR WIDOWS HANUKKAH CELEBRATION
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
SENIOR TRIP
HANUKKAH 4 CANDLES
SCC SENIOR HANUKKAH PARTY
DSN SUFGANIYOT DECORATING
MEN’S CLUB
SCC HEALING MUSIC FOR PARKINSON’S
ASARA B’TEBET FAST DAY
SCC NAPKIN FOLDING
HANUKKAH 5 CANDLES
HANUKKAH 6 CANDLES
LIGHT BEFORE SHABBAT CANDLES
VAYISHLAH MAQAM IRAQ
PARASHAT VAYESHEB MAQAM RAHAWI
PARASHAT MIQES MAQAM SIGAH
HANUKKAH 7 CANDLES LIGHT AFTER HABDALAH
ROSH CHODESH TEBET
PARASHAT VAYIGASH MAQAM BAYAT SCC SENIOR TRIP
fine DINING
NEW YORK
BORDEAUX STEAKHOUSE
1922 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn (718) 942-4040
CHINA GLATT
4413 13th Ave, Brooklyn (718) 438-2576
GLATT A LA CARTE
5123 18th Avenue, Brooklyn (718) 438-6675
GRUIT
252 Empire Blvd. Brooklyn (347) 846-0622
LA BROCHETTE
340 Lexington Avenue, New York City (212) 972-2200
LE MARAIS
150 W. 46th St., New York City (212) 869-0900
MIKE’S BISTRO
127 East 54th St., New York City (212) 799-3911
MOCHA RED
127 4th Avenue, New York City (212) 419-8889
NOI DUE CARNE
141 W 69th St., New York City (212) 712-2222
PESCADA
1776 Ocean Avenue Brooklyn (718) 766-2759
UN PLAZA GRILL
845 United Nations Plaza, New York City (212) 223-1801
Eli Cohen Agency ........................ BC Eric Derzie & Associates 41 INSURANCE ADJUSTER
Equitable Adjusters IFC,18-19 JEWELRY/WATCHES
Bangles by Kelly Shrem .............. 101
David Rudy IBC
Malsons
For over three decades, our family, here at Eli Cohen Insurance Agency Inc. , has been deeplyrooted in safeguarding families and homes throughout the five boroughs. With our wealth of experience and our close-knit relationships with insurance providers, we're able to tailor the perfect coverages at incredible rates, just for you. Let our team of 20 licensed agents be your trusted advisors, guiding you with personalized care every step of the way.
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property owners are facing in 2025. It is now more important than ever before to work with a firm who can leverage our relationships with our partner insurance carriers to provide you with the best coverage at the most competitive rates.
