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40 Great Neckers trade little Persia for big Zion August 14-20, 2026 • Shoftim • 1 Elul 5786 • Vol. 25, No. 24

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All aboard! Children holding outsized signs and luggage prepared to board the Mashadi aliyah flight at JFK on Monday. At right, Daniel and Daniella Livi and their three children were cheered on by grandparents Esther and Bernard Livi. Ed Weintrob, The Jewish Star

By Ed Weintrob, The Jewish Star Forty members of seven Mashadi families left Great Neck on Monday enroute to Ra’anana, embarking on new lives as olim. Exchanging a tight-knit Persian community on Long Island’s North Shore for new lives in Israel, the group traveled together on an El Al flight and will reside near one another in the Promised Land. An eighth family that hoped to join Monday’s aliyah journey plans to follow soon. Adam Aziz, making aliyah with his wife Jennifer and their five children — ages 4, 6, 9, 11 and 13 — described how the large group resolved to take the journey together. “It’s the passion of our life to live strong Jewish lives filled with Torah values,” Aziz said. “That passion drove us to say we want to be where we belong, we want to raise our kids where they belong and where our descendants, G-d willing, should belong.” He described the Mashadi community, one of a number of Iranian groups in Great Neck, as “a very special close-knit community. We’re all literally cousins. There are thousands of people we’re so close with.” That’s why making aliyah one family at a time didn’t seem quite right, and how the idea of making aliyah as a community took hold, he said. Aziz said he was grateful to both Nefesh B’Nefesh and Golan Vach of Israela for helping the families work through the complicated aliyah process. Nefesh B’Nefesh arranged the El Al seats and its representatives were at JFK on Monday to cheer them on. Nefesh B’Nefesh Associate Director Avichai Ivgui said that while having such a large group making aliyah together has happened a few times before, “it hasn’t been all that often [and it’s] incredibly exciting to see them form when it happens.” See Iran to US on page 2

New Rochelle girl is 100,000th NBN oleh Nefesh B’Nefesh celebrated on Sunday the arrival of its 100,000th North American oleh, a landmark achievement since the organization’s founding in 2002. President Isaac Herzog welcomed the family, which made aliyah from New Rochelle, to the President’s Residence alongside Israel’s Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer, and Nefesh B’Nefesh Co-Founders Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and Tony Gelbart. The milestone was marked by the aliyah of Jeffrey and Atara Douglas, who arrived in Jerusalem with their three children, Nathaniel (10), Hallie (9), and Emilia (6). Emilia was Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Number 100,000. Since its founding, Nefesh B’Nefesh has transformed the aliyah experience for North American Jews by streamlining bureaucracy, providing comprehensive guidance before and

The Douglas family from New Rochelle are Israelis now: Jeffrey, Atara, Nathaniel, Hallie and Emilia. NBN

after arrival, and helping olim successfully integrate into Israeli society. “The Douglas family is setting a wonderful example for millions of Jews all over the world, and I wish them every success in their integration and new life here in Israel,” Herzog said. “Each person who made aliyah has contributed to Israel in ways both visible and unseen,” said Nefesh B’Nefesh Co-Founder and Chairman Tony Gelbart. “They have helped build stronger communities, strengthened the country’s economy, enriched its culture and ensured a vibrant future for generations to come.” Nefesh B’Nefesh Co-Founder and Executive Director Rabbi Yeshoshu Fass said the milestone is about what will follow, “about the sabra children born because their parents chose to build their future in Israel, and the grandchildren who know no other home. See 100,000 on page 2

August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786 THE JEWISH STAR

Rabbis prepare to mark 9/11 on Rosh Hashana By Rikki Zagelbaum, JNS For Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, a Modern Orthodox synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, observing Rosh Hashana this year without acknowledging the events of Sept. 11, 2001, would be unthinkable. “Yes, Rosh Hashana is a sacred day,” he told JNS. “But nothing could be more sacred than remembering the victims of 9/11, showing gratitude to the heroes of 9/11 and vowing to uproot the evil of terror.” This year, Rosh Hashana will begin on Friday night, Sept. 11, the 25th anniversary of the attacks in which terrorists killed 2,753 people in New York. “We will absolutely remember 9/11 on Rosh Hashana,” Steinmetz said. “It is simply too large an event to overlook, and everyone will be thinking about it that day.” Steinmetz plans to hold the synagogue’s annual 9/11 remembrance on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana, when it will acknowledge members of the NYC police and fire departments. Members of the departments will be called up during services, and the congregation will honor them. “We cannot forget the evil of the perpetrators, who murdered thousands in cold blood,”

A remembrance ceremony at FDNY headquarters on Sept. 11, 2019. Tara A. Molle, US Department of Homeland Security

the Rabbi Steinmetz said. “The terrorists who perpetrated this attack are nearly ideologically identical to Hamas and Hezbollah.” “Gratitude is one of Judaism’s foundational values, and very much belongs on Rosh Hashana,” he continued. “We will never forget the nearly 3,000 victims of this terror attack, many of whom were members of the Jewish community.”

He added that “above all, we will never forget the heroes who ran into the buildings when everyone else was running out.” At Temple Emanu-El, a Reform congregation on the Upper East Side, Joshua Davidson, senior rabbinic chair, plans to incorporate a commemoration of 9/11 into services on the first night of Rosh Hashana, which falls on Sept. 11. “Many of whose members were here at that

time — and all of our members think back on that day with deep emotion — one can’t not, I think, incorporate it,” he said. “It will certainly be a part of my message, my sermon that night.” Though internal reflection is of the utmost importance on the holiday, remembering “communal struggles” can be a similarly beneficial and reflective experience, Davidson said. “Rosh Hashana is Yom Hazikaron — the Day of Remembrance in Hebrew — it’s about G-d’s remembering covenant with us,” he added. “But remembrance also involves our own remembering where we’ve come from and those events that have shaped us into who we are and the community that we are.” “It may not be the same for every city, but for New Yorkers, 9/11 is an event that will always be part of our collective identity,” he said. The convergence of the High Holiday and the somber anniversary can also remind Jews of their communal responsibilities to one another, Davidson said. “The way the country responded in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy — how we came together, no matter our political or ideological affiliation — can teach us something about healing the divisions that exist within the country today and within the Jewish community,” he said.

Mamdani in hush-hush confab with select rabbis By The Jewish Star Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a closed-door meeting with a select group of Jewish spiritual leaders on Monday, barring both traditionally Orthodox and more broadly recognized leaders. The roundtable discussion was “an open, positive and constructive conversation,” Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, said in a statement afterwards, even though the confab was anything but open. It “focused on strategies to strengthen Jewish safety and belonging, maintain candid lines of communication and collaborate on issues where we have shared values and goals,” Wisdom, said. “Mayor Mamdani met for an hour with a group of New York City rabbis from several denominations, including Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative and Modern Orthodox, as well as unaffiliated groups,” she said, adding that it “focused on strategies to strengthen Jewish safety and belonging, maintain candid lines of communication and collaborate on issues where we have shared values and goals.” “Mayor Mamdani has and will continue to engage with Jewish life in New York City in order to meet the needs of our communities and reaffirm his commitment to the thriving of Jewish communities across the five boroughs,” Wisdom added. Neither the New York Board of Rabbis — which represents more than 750 rabbis across religious denominations in the New York area

— nor the Rabbinical Council of America was invited to the roundtable, the groups told JNS. JNS asked the mayor’s office for a list of attendees but an official list was not supplied. A source told JNS that spiritual leaders who attended were: Union for Reform Judaism president Rick Jacobs, Rabbinical Assembly COO Ashira Konigsburg (Conservative), Steven Exler of The Bayit / Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (Open Orthodox), Jon Leener of Prospect Heights Shul (Modern Orthodox), Felicia Sol of B’nai Jeshurun (non-denominational), Rachel Timoner of Beth Elohim (Reform), Michelle Dardashti of Kane Street Synagogue (Conservative), Ellen Lippmann of Kolot Chayeinu (nondenominational), Josh Rabin of Astoria Center of Israel (Conservative), and progressive New York Jewish Agenda executive director Margo Hughes-Robinson. Timoner told the New York Times that those present urged the mayor to stop criticizing Israel and focus more on issues local to the city. Another rabbi told the newspaper that “there was a uniform sense that something about Mr. Mamdani’s relationship with the Jewish community had to change.” “If he is going to criticize Israel or speak for Palestinian freedom, which I do regularly, then it really matters that there is complexity in his message,” said Timoner. Jacobs told the Times that he urged Mamdani to soften his tone when speaking about the Jewish state.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“I’m happy to work in partnership with your administration, but Mr. Mayor, you are 90% of what could be different here,” Jacobs recalled telling him during the meeting. “If instead of vilifying Israel, you spoke constructively, in measured tones — that would move the needle more than anything else, and I’m hopeful you’ll use that power.” “There was no tiptoeing around the elephant in the room,” said Rabbi Jonathan Leener of the liberal Orthodox Prospect Heights Shul. “The mayor’s comments have ramifications and he needs to be aware of how in the current climate, that just adds to the temperature and

Office of the New York City mayor

creates an environment that I think a lot of Jews feel vulnerable in,” Rabbi Leener told the Times. Rabbi Leener, a Zionist with family in Israel, explained that he wasn’t trying to alter Mamdani’s views on Israel, but rather to encourage him to create a safer environment for his Jewish constituents, he told the Times, urging the mayor to devote more police resources to protecting synagogues and other Jewish institutions. “That should be his focus and not making comments unnecessarily about the conflict,” Rabbi Leener said. “Or having a bit more nuance around it. That it’s not just good versus evil.” With Rikki Zagelbaum, JNS

Iran to US, to Jewish home in Israel… 100,000…

Continued from page 2 While the 40 olim were checcking their luggage and making their way to airport security, the mother, grandmother and aunt of some of the olim were keeping three of the children occupied. Esther Livi said she herself was not making aliyah just yet but that she expects to do so eventually. Her children described her as the biggest cheerleader for their move. “I was so supportive from the beginning. I said, go, go. The future

of your children is there. This galut is not for us anymore. Enough is enough.” Livi said she fled Iran as a 14-year-old, with her family, six months after the revolution in 1979. “We were there through the whole revolution and got out in the nick of time.” Her father sent their synagoue’s money to a charity in Israel, so his name was on the black list, she said. They left just before the airport was closed.

“My father was handicapped, so he couldn’t have escaped through the mountains,” she said. “He couldn’t have done it. But on the plane, we came. “And thank G-d, because later, people told me they were looking for him. You know how many Jews they killed!” What does she say to people who think making aliyah is difficult? “You know what? We dropped everything, left everything, we came here — new country, no lan-

guage … we were so disoriented, and we made it,” she said. “Now you are going to a beautiful, Jewish, kosher land — our own land. Don’t complain. You’ll be fine.” She said she keeps telling them to compare it to her experience, “and thank G-d, we made it. “Thank G-d we thrived as a strong Jewish community.” Now, she said, “our future is in Israel. We are all aiming for Israel, all of us.”

Continued from page 1 “It’s about communities that have flourished, careers that have strengthened the country, soldiers who have defended it, educators who have inspired it, physicians who have healed it and entrepreneurs who have built it. The true impact of aliyah can’t be measured by a single number, as every oleh creates a legacy that extends far beyond themselves” Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer pledged “to continue to promote and encourage aliyah while ensuring that new olim and their families receive the support they need to successfully integrate into the country.” Reported by Nefesh B’Nefesh

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Chabad joins traditionally Orthodox Park East By Rebecca Szlechter, JNS A partnership between the Park East Synagogue, a 136-year-old Modern Orthodox congregation and one of the highest-profile pulpits, and Chabad-Lubavitch of the Upper East Side was announced on Friday. Park East experienced a “significant decline,” according to Jonathan Sarna, professor emeritus of American Jewish history at Brandeis University, after Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt was fired as the synagogue’s assistant rabbi when its senior rabbi, Arthur Schneier, appeared unwilling to share his leadership. Rabbi Schneier, now 96, has led the congregation since 1962. The rabbi and his wife Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt formed a new congregation, Altneu, nearby on East 70th Street. “This reflects Chabad’s growing integration into mainstream denominational Judaism in America,” according to Adam Ferziger, a rabbi and a Jewish history professor at BarIlan University, where he holds the university’s chair for research of the Torah and Derekh Erez Movement in its Jewish history and contemporary Jewry department. Chabad has long been part of the core Jewish religious landscape in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa, but its primary focus in the United States has centered historically “on its own core followers, students and less affiliated or observant Jews, who resonated with its particular brand of Chassidic spirituality,” Ferziger, a native of Riverdale, told JNS. “Over the past few years, there has been an expansion to Modern Orthodox communities in the United States, but primarily in the Sunbelt area and other so-called out-of-town communities,” he said. “The achievement of this merger with a historic mainstream, Modern

Park East Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Park East Senior Rabbi Arthur Schneier and Chabad Rabbi Ben-Tzion Krasnianski.

Orthodox synagogue in Manhattan is a testament to Chabad’s evolution and integration.” Sarna told JNS that the partnership “vividly displays the benefits of the free marketplace of competing synagogues in the American setting.” The new Park East-Chabad relationship is an effort to attract people, “especially young people,” back to the synagogue “by aligning that synagogue with a charismatic Chabad couple,” Sarna told JNS. “While perhaps a challenge to the Goldschmidts, one suspects that the development will prove beneficial for the East Side Jewish community as a whole,” Sarna said. “The Park East announcement demonstrates that Chabad has now become a normative part of the Jewish community,” the scholar told JNS. “Its rabbis may be found in every community, and many Jews who worship away from home,

especially in little-served places, like China or Kathmandu, have encountered Chabad.” “Seeing Chabad at the Park East Synagogue is unlikely to engender much push-back,” he said. “Chabad tends to be sensitive to local custom.” Ferziger said that the agreement also speaks to the needs of young singles and families in Manhattan who are seeking Jewish engagement that is “exciting and appealing.” “It also demonstrates that the Park East Synagogue is in need of reinforcements to buttress its own vibrancy,” he said. “That said, Park East has a very successful elementary school that services a diverse Jewish community, and the parent body of that school will certainly be a target audience for many of Chabad’s activities.” “This merger cannot be understood outside the other institutional developments in the area, namely the highly successful, neighboring

synagogue, Altneu, which has drawn tremendous excitement among local young families as well as some veteran Park East members,” according to Ferziger. “Competition is always a good thing, yet one hopes that it comes from a place of desire to expand portals of entry into Jewish life, and not, G-d forbid, inspired by any personal animus,” he said. As a scholar, Ferziger told JNS that it was “interesting” that Goldschmidt’s father, a former rabbi in Moscow, had a “complex relationship with his Chabad parallels.” He added, citing the Park East press release, that both Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the synagogue’s senior rabbi, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe were deeply involved in the movement to save Soviet Jewry between the 1960s and 1980s. “Interestingly, however, what they both shared in common was their antagonism to public protest and their strong support for backchannel, behind-the-scenes, diplomatic and clandestine activity rather than open political protest and activism,” he said. An Orthodox leader with extensive knowledge of Orthodox synagogues in New York told JNS that the partnership brings together two institutions with notably different approaches to Jewish communal life. Park East has long had a prominent place in New York’s Jewish institutional landscape, while Chabad has built an extensive network focused on outreach, education and engagement with Jews across levels of religious observance, according to the leader. That contrast may be particularly significant as established synagogues seek new ways to engage younger Jews and families, the leader said. Park East has been the site of some of the most anti-Israel protests since Zohran Mamdani was elected as New York City mayor.

At 101, he still sees history through the lens By Etgar Lefkovits, JNS GIVATAYIM, Israel — Nearing 102 years old, curiosity has not left Dan Hadani. The centenarian’s life story, which begins in prewar Poland and continues in the nascent State of Israel, weaves an extraordinary narrative of renewal and resilience that, in many ways, mirrors the history of modern Israel. He survived a selection at Auschwitz conducted by the sadistic torturer Dr. Josef Mengele, also known as “the Angel of Death.” With no family left after the Holocaust, he immigrated alone to Israel in 1948 to begin a new life. Hadani was immediately drafted into the Israel Defense Forces, serving for 15 years in the Israeli Navy, beginning while the War of Independence was underway. Despite having no formal training in photography, he embarked on a decades-long career in photojournalism. What began as a hobby — and a source of income — with the Kodak camera he had brought from Germany gained momentum during his final year of military service in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, following his naval service. After his discharge, he followed his passion by founding a photography agency, where he rubbed shoulders with Israeli and world leaders while documenting Israeli history for three-and-a-half decades. “From my childhood I was curious and remained curious,” Hadani told JNS in an interview last week at his suburban Tel Aviv apartment, where he scrolls through decades-old photographs on his cellphone with the ease of someone a fraction of his age. He founded the Tel Aviv-based Israel Press Photo Agency (IPPA), which operated from 1964 to 2000. Employing professional photographers who documented many of the defining moments in Israel’s history. In an era before email, Hadani recalls mail-

Israeli photojournalist Dan Hadani with photographs from his archive at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem, where he donated his vast collection documenting decades of the country’s history, on July 23. Rina Castelnuovo.

ing four to eight photographs — complete with captions he wrote himself — twice a week to 25 newspapers around the world that retained his services. “They always say a picture is worth a thousand words, but it isn’t worth anything if there are no words attached to it,” he quipped. His work took him to Washington, where he photographed Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. His images feature Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, visiting his naval base, and a first truck delivering ice in Tel Aviv. After closing the agency in 2000, when most people his age would have been thinking about retirement, Hadani embarked on a 15-year effort to digitize hundreds of thousands of negatives.

Last decade, already in his 90s, Hadani donated his life’s work — 400,000 digitized negatives, another 1 million negatives and tens of thousands of slides — to the National Library of Israel. “At first I was going to destroy them because I didn’t want to see them end up littered in the street,” Hadani said matter-of-factly. He had even planned to buy two paper shredders after failing to sell the collection when, by chance, a National Library official contacted him that very day and suggested donating it instead. Hadani still remembers the 7-ton truck that arrived at his home in 2016 to transport the meticulously stored boxes of negatives. Hadani was born Dunek Zloczewski in Lodz, Poland, in 1924 to a staunchly Zionist family that planned to immigrate before World War II to what

was then British Mandatory Palestine. The family even reached Italy before a friend of his father’s who had just returned from the Holy Land persuaded them not to continue because of the Arab riots against Jews in the 1930s. Eight decades later, Hadani vividly remembers the brutality of the Germans as they entered Polish towns, murdering Jews trying to flee outside Lodz and pushing them into city sewers. “The spirit of mankind cannot comprehend what I saw,” he recalled. After his father, who had fallen ill, died in the Lodz Ghetto, Hadani, his mother and sister were deported to Auschwitz on one of the last transports in 1944. He lost sight of them within seconds of arriving at the Nazi death camp and never saw them again. Soon afterward, he came face to face with Mengele during one of the camp’s infamous selections. Mengele pointed in Hadani’s direction, prompting him to respond in German, “Did you mean me?” The Nazi guards looked on in astonishment, accustomed to complete silence during the selections. “Stand still, dog,” Mengele shouted, pointing instead to the man behind Hadani. Turning 102 next month, Hadani — who drove himself until last year and now receives only minimal assistance from a caregiver — is already focused on his next project: a book. “There is no ‘I am tired’ for me,” he said. “This is something that I take with me from the Holocaust.” He rises at 6 am each day and still goes out for coffee with friends in Tel Aviv. Looking back on his remarkable life, which began in tragedy, Hadani said he accomplished things that defied all logic. “It’s not how old you are; age is just a number,” he said.

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Malki’s parents feel alone 25 years after Sbarro By Mike Wagenheim, JNS After a quarter century of seeking justice for their daughter Malka Chana “Malki” Roth, who was 15 when she was murdered in a suicide bombing at Sbarro in Jerusalem on Aug. 9, 2001, Arnold and Frimet Roth feel abandoned — by their American government and by many whom they expected to keep fighting with them. “We’re alone in every meaningful sense, fighting powerful people who never, ever, at any stage, say what they actually mean or what they intend to do,” Arnold Roth told JNS. “Quite the opposite. They say things that are superficial and that are calculated to keep us in the dark and never lead to where we want to go.” Ahlam Tamimi, a Hamas terrorist who lives freely in Jordan, brags openly on television about helping plan the pizzeria bombing, in which Judith Shoshana Greenbaum and Chana Nachenberg, both American citizens like Roth, and 13 other civilians were killed. Some 130 were injured in the attack. Tamimi was released by Israel along with 1,027 other prisoners in a 2011 swap for one kidnapped Israeli — soldier Gilad Shalit In 2013, the United States charged Tamimi with participating in the Sbarro attack. She is listed on the Most Wanted FBI terrorist list, and the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program has offered up to $5 million for information leading to her arrest. Jordan, which has an extradition agreement with the United States dating back to 1995, has refused to comply in Tamimi’s case, and successive US administrations seem to have been unable to enforce the treaty. Jordan has said that handing Tamimi over would lead to riots in the streets, but those involved with the case have told JNS repeatedly that Jordan’s claim is a convenient excuse for Washington, which is loath to rock the US-Jor-

Arnold Roth and his daughter, Malki, who was murdered in the Sbarro terrorist attack in Jerusalem on Aug. 9, 2001. Courtesy

— and this is the hard part — care about what it says about American justice,” Roth said. He said that the lack of attention from elected US officials is “a failure of American values and a failure of the professed commitment to justice.” The families of the other two American victims “give us their quiet support but prefer not to take a public position,” Roth said. Several American Jewish leaders have told JNS that they broached the subject with Abdullah when he held court on frequent visits to the United States. But they wouldn’t characterize the Jordanian king’s responses in the off-therecord meetings. Roth thinks that much of it is lip service. “There are prominent Jewish organizations, who’ve taken large amounts of money over the years from people of good nature and of philanthropic bent in the name of defending and protecting America’s Jewish interests, who have done either absolutely nothing or have pretend-

dan relationship. Roth has visited Jordan several times and had business relations there before his daughter was murdered. Stuck in a perpetual state of mourning for his daughter, Arnold Roth’s pain and quiet anger are palpable in his voice. “No one ever, in my experience, who is seriously in a position to do something about it, calls out the regime that runs Jordan, which is essentially a family business,” he said. “Nobody’s calling on the parties that own that family business to do something.” “The notion, the very idea, that the woman who murdered Jewish children should be the reason why we leave the king alone, why we don’t push Jordan, makes me sick,” he said. “It’s absurd.” The lack of a resolution after 25 years “leaves us with no choice but to recognize that only we care about this murder and this loss, and only we

ed to do something,” he said. Those groups have “then said, ‘Don’t ask me any questions. This is the way we operate’,” he said. “Those people enrage me.” The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which represents more than 50 Jewish groups across the political spectrum, is an exception, according to Roth, and “has consistently been doing things that we’ve appreciated.” The Conference of Presidents shared a letter, which it was planing to deliver to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, exclusively with JNS. “This case directly concerns the murder of American citizens abroad, the enforcement of a binding extradition treaty and the principle that those responsible for terrorist attacks against Americans cannot evade accountability,” William Daroff and Betsy Berns Korn, CEO and chair, respectively, of the Conference of Presidents, state in the letter. “Accordingly, we respectfully urge the State Department to make Tamimi’s extradition a priority in the US-Jordan relationship, raise the matter directly with King Abdullah II and demand her immediate extradition in compliance with the treaty,” the two leaders write. A State Department spokesman told JNS that Washington “continues to impress upon the government of Jordan that Tamimi” is a “brutal murderer who should be brought to justice,” the Foggy Bottom spokesman said. Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, stated last week that Malki Roth’s “picture sits on a shelf in my office as reminder.” He added that “after 25 years, the Sbarro bombing and its aftermath still matter.” Roth said that there discussions with US officials haven’t yielded “any real momentum towards a resolution, [that] it really just amounts to ‘We’re on this’.”

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NEWS BRIEFS Israeli’s New York consul cancels The Times By JNS and other sources Israel’s consul general in New York canceled the consulate’s subscription to the New York Times, accusing the paper of publishing “false blood libels” against Israel. Ofir Akunis called the newspaper one that “consistently demonizes and delegitimizes the Jewish State.” The move follows criticism over a May opinion column by Times columnist Nicholas Kristof alleging sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli guards. Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the column “one of the worst blood libels ever to appear in the modern press.”

S’pore: No ‘Massive Attack’

Singapore has barred British trip-hop band Massive Attack from performing in the citystate after two members unfurled a Palestinian flag during a concert, AFP reported. Police said the musicians received stern warnings and were banned from re-entering Singapore. Police launched the investigation after video showed the flag being raised onstage as the audience cheered, Reuters reported. Singapore generally prohibits public displays of foreign national emblems without a permit. Authorities have also warned against letting the Israel-Hamas war inflame communal tensions in the multiracial country, where 15 percent of the population is Muslim.

Gaza tunnels’ long haul

NYC hate crimes hit Jews

Toronto arrests 2 more

Gaza’s vast tunnel network could take more than a decade to dismantle under a proposed postwar plan, Nikolai Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, told Israel’s Channel 12. The 15-point roadmap calls for full disarmament, governance by a national committee, largescale reconstruction and an international security force. Mladenov said Israel would not have to withdraw forces until verified steps are taken on the ground. Pullbacks would proceed sector by sector after weapons are collected and rendered unusable. “Until Hamas disarms, we will not move a millimeter,” Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen told JNS. “I do not believe Hamas will disarm, but I am willing to give the Board of Peace the opportunity to do so,” Cohen said.

Jewish New Yorkers accounted for about 70 percent of the city’s reported crimes in July, according to NYPD data cited by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 53.3 percent compared with July 2025, the data showed. Mark Treyger, CEO of the JCRC, called the numbers “a wake-up call.” Treyger said he was grateful for the NYPD’s work but urged broader action. “We cannot solely arrest our way out of hate,” he said. “We must lead our way out of it with courage, accountability and a sustained commitment to building a safer, stronger and more united city for every community.”

Toronto police arrested two more people in connection with an antisemitic protest in March, bringing the number arrested in the case to eight. Police allege the group marched with antisemitic signs toward pro-Israel demonstrators and shouted derogatory slurs on March 15. None of the eight has been charged with a hate crime. Police said prosecutors often file such charges later and that the department’s hate crimes unit participated in the investigation.

Man charged in shul threats

A Pennsylvania man faces a federal charge after allegedly posting violent antisemitic threats online, including calls to attack synagogues. Eric Holman, 26, of Erie, was charged with transmitting interstate communications containing threats to injure another person, according to a criminal complaint filed Aug. 6. Prosecutors allege Holman posted threats against Jews and synagogues between April and June. During an Aug. 5 FBI interview, he admitted making the posts, according to the filing.

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Teva fights Israeli label

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is asking a federal judge to stop lawyers in a price-fixing lawsuit from telling prospective jurors that the drugmaker is Israeli-based. Teva argues its Israeli origins are irrelevant to the case and that mentioning its foreign parent company could prejudice jurors, Reuters reported. Teva said in a filing that since the Gaza war began, “anything connected with Israel has been subject to the highest levels of controversy, with emotions running high.” The company cited an opinion survey that found 60 percent of Americans view Israel negatively and pointed to campus protests and violence involving people and institutions linked to Israel.

UN challenged over Cyprus

The United Nations is facing accusations of applying a double standard to Israel after JNS questioned Secretary-General António Guterres about his statements on Syria and Cyprus. Guterres said Israel was violating Syrian sovereignty but did not mention Turkey’s decades-long presence in northern Cyprus in a separate statement. “When Israel is involved, he is quick to condemn, accuse and demand immediate action,” Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon said. “Yet when it comes to Turkey’s decades-long occupation of Northern Cyprus, in clear contradiction to UN resolutions, the tone suddenly shifts.”

Sa’ar boosts Ecuador ties

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made the first visit by an Israeli foreign minister to Ecuador in 44 years, addressing the country’s National Assembly in Quito.

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Lessons for future crises in hospital’s Oct. 7 By Pesach Benson, TPS-IL A new study of a hospital in southern Israel’s response to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 invasion and massacre found that years of disaster training helped medical teams continue treating casualties during nearby rocket attacks, while also revealing challenges in communications, staffing and casualty distribution that could inform hospitals preparing for future conflicts. Hospitals around the world are increasingly preparing for the possibility of prolonged conflicts and large-scale emergencies. The study’s findings offer practical guidance on strengthening hospital resilience, from improving communication and staffing plans to ensuring medical systems can continue operating when the crisis extends beyond the emergency department. The study — published in the peer-reviewed Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness — analyzed the experiences of 19 staff members from the emergency department at Assuta Ashdod Medical Center, a civilian hospital in southern Israel and one of the first hospitals in the region to receive casualties on the morning of Oct. 7. Researchers conducted indepth interviews with physicians, nurses and administrators who worked that day, as well as the hospital’s head of trauma and disaster management. Led by Maximilian Nerlander, a doctoral candidate at Linköping University in Sweden and a visiting scholar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s School of Public Health, the research was conducted with Prof. Adam Rose of the Hebrew University and Dr. Debra West of Assuta. Unlike previous mass-casualty incidents — such as terrorist attacks in London, Paris or Boston — the Oct. 7 assault evolved over many hours while communities across southern Israel remained under attack. Ambulances struggled to reach victims, communications systems faltered and hospitals had little reliable information about the rapidly changing situation. Despite those conditions, Assuta Ashdod continued operating while rockets fell nearby. The researchers found that one of the hospital’s greatest advantages was extensive preparation. Regular mass-casualty drills con-

Samson Assuta hospital in the southern Israeli town of Ashdod, Oct. 20, 2024.

ducted before the war meant doctors, nurses and support staff understood their responsibilities instinctively, allowing them to focus on unexpected problems rather than basic emergency procedures. The hospital’s reinforced emergency department, designed to protect patients and staff from rocket attacks, also enabled staff to continue treating patients without interrupting care to seek shelter. However, the interviews also revealed challenges that could not have been fully identified through drills alone and only emerged during a prolonged wartime emergency. Some employees received simultaneous call-up orders from both the Israel Defense Forces reserve system and the hospital. Others hesitated to report for duty because their families were also under threat. Administrative personnel responsible for registering patients were unable to reach the hospital, creating un-

Yossi Aloni, Flash90

expected bottlenecks, while plans to transfer less seriously injured patients out of the emergency department proved impractical because other parts of the hospital lacked rocket protection. Researchers identified limited situational awareness as another major challenge. Staff frequently lacked reliable official information about events unfolding outside the hospital, forcing them to piece together fragmented reports from soldiers, paramedics, patients and even social media in order to anticipate the next wave of casualties. The study found that while some Israeli hospitals received casualty numbers that strained their capacity that day, Assuta Ashdod believed it had the ability to treat significantly more patients. Based on those findings, the researchers said hospitals should rethink disaster planning

to account for prolonged armed conflicts rather than isolated mass-casualty incidents. They recommended conducting more realistic drills that simulate repeated waves of casualties, communications failures and staffing shortages while testing logistical challenges such as moving patients through hospitals functioning during active attacks. The study also called for stronger coordination between civilian hospitals, emergency services and military authorities to improve the flow of operational information. Researchers further urged health systems to develop contingency plans for staffing shortages and regional casualty management. Recommended measures include securing transportation for healthcare workers during active conflict, cross-training personnel to perform critical administrative functions, and creating mechanisms to distribute patients among hospitals according to available capacity. West, who led Assuta Ashdod’s emergency department response on Oct. 7, said the experience demonstrated how modern warfare can affect every aspect of hospital operations. “Unlike a conventional mass-casualty event, a mass-casualty event under fire disrupts every aspect of hospital operations, from patient flow and emergency department evacuation to staffing and the ability of personnel to work while their families are under threat,” she said.“These experiences offer lessons beyond clinical care for hospitals preparing for disasters in which the healthcare system itself becomes part of the crisis.” Nerlander said recent conflicts demonstrate that hospitals worldwide must prepare for prolonged warfare rather than isolated disasters. “It is becoming increasingly evident that at some point in the future, other parts of the world will face the same type of high-intensity asymmetric warfare as Israel did on Oct. 7,” he said. “My hope with this study is that the tragedy of that day can be converted into knowledge that can save lives and avert suffering in the future, wherever it occurs.”

EHS gives back-to-school advice to parents Back-to-school season can be hectic, but your child’s health doesn’t have to be. A little preparation before the first day of school can help ensure your child is healthy, confident, and ready to learn. Annual checkups, healthy routines, and guidance from your pediatrician can set your family up for a successful school year. According to Cynthia Criss, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Episcopal Health Services and St. John’s Hospital in Far Rockaway, back-to-school preparation isn’t just about buying notebooks and backpacks. “It’s about making sure children are physically and emotionally ready to succeed. Consistent sleep schedules, nutritious meals and annual checkups all play an important role in helping children concentrate, manage stress, and perform their best both inside and outside the classroom.” To help prepare parents for back-to-school, Criss shares healthy habits for the new year: •Schedule an annual well-child visit: An-

nual physical exams help ensure children are growing and developing appropriately. Make sure to complete medical forms before the school year begins. •Stay up to date on vaccinations: Before school starts, make sure your child is current on all recommended immunizations, including the annual flu vaccine. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children 6 months of age and older receive a flu shot each year. Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that can lead to serious complications, particularly in young children. Flu season typically begins in the fall and peaks between December and February. •Prioritize healthy sleep: A consistent sleep schedule helps children stay focused, improves learning, supports emotional wellbeing, and strengthens the immune system. Begin adjusting bedtimes one to two weeks before school starts, and limit screens for at least one hour before bedtime.

Dr. Cynthia Criss, chief of pediatrics at Episcopal Health Services.

•Start the day with a healthy breakfast: Busy mornings can make breakfast easy to skip. Giving your child a balanced breakfast with protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables

provides them with the energy to stay focused and engaged throughout the school day. •Practice backpack safety: An overloaded backpack with heavy books and sports equipment can lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a child’s backpack should weigh no more than 5% to 10% of their total body weight. To prevent pain, a backpack should also be worn using both shoulder straps and fit snug against the back without hanging too low. •Support your child’s emotional wellbeing: Starting a new school year can bring both excitement and anxiety. Talk with your child about what to expect, encourage them to share any concerns, and watch for signs of stress, anxiety, or depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 31.9% of adolescents experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Early conversations can help children feel more confident and supported during the transition. Reported by EHS

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fintech and healthcare innoTouro University President Dr. Alan Kadish anvation reflects the direction nounced on Monday the in which business education launch of a new integratmust evolve. ed School of Business, “My vision is to embrace bridging the university’s the tech revolution while undergraduate and gradremaining anchored in the uate business programvalues of service and comming. Dr. Lawrence G. mitment to enriching sociSingleton, a veteran busiety that define Touro.” ness school leader with a Singleton will also lead record of innovation and the effort for the new Touro growth at top-tier instiUniversity School of Busitutions, was named as its ness to achieve AACSB acfounding dean. creditation, the global gold Kadish said Singlestandard for business eduDr. Lawrence G. Singleton ton “is expert at aligning cation. business education with Touro University is an interthe evolving demands of the global economy, national system of non-profit institutions of and we know he will prepare our students to higher and professional education. Chartered succeed in the modern workplace.” in 1970, it was founded primarily to enrich Most recently, Singleton was dean of the the Jewish heritage and to serve the larger Lubin School of Business at Pace University, American and global community. where he led a community of 3,500 students Over 21,000 students are currently enand 85 full-time faculty. Prior to Pace, he rolled at Touro University in over 38 schools was dean of the School of Management at in seven states and four countries. Marist College and held leadership roles at Locations: New York, California, Florithe George Washington University School of da, Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Business. Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. “I am excited to shape a business school Schools: New York Medical College; designed for the future — one that fully em- Touro University California and Touro Unibraces artificial intelligence, data analytics, versity Nevada; Touro University Worldwide digital transformation, and emerging tech- and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as nologies as central pillars of business educa- well as Hebrew Theological College in Skoktion,” Singleton said. “Touro’s vision of inte- ie, Illinois are separately accredited institugrating traditional business disciplines with tions within the Touro University system. areas such as AI-enabled decision making, Reported by Touro University.

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WINE AND DINE Whipping up kitchen delights for the holidays Kosher Kitchen

JONI SCHOCKETT

Jewish Star columnist

am writing this from the Sunshine State after spending a delightful month with my daughter, her husband and three sons. What a joy to watch the boys swim and explore nature and try new foods in the many kosher restaurants in the area. When I asked my 9-year-old grandson what he would miss most, he said, “the food and being able to eat short ribs in a restaurant.” The 5-year-old will miss seeing all the iguanas; the 6 year old will miss swimming all day and “even after dinner!” They went home, brown as could be with rosy cheeks and lots of memories. After we took them to the airport, we came to the west coast to visit dear friends and lament the total lack of kosher food in the Tampa area. What a shock. But I would be happy to eat crackers in order to spend time with our dear friends. It has been a lovely and relaxing visit. As we head home tomorrow, we will stop at the kosher markets in Monsey to stock up for the holidays, which are barely a month away. I actually look forward to cooking again after a month plus of restaurant eating — which I was more than happy to do given all the delicious choices! It is now time to stop and think of the past year and get into the spirit of the High Holidays. I do my best reflecting while cooking; I can even find the spirituality in making a pot of chicken soup for 25! There is, in fact, lots of spirituality in cooking. We put our hearts and souls into choosing the right menu items. We wonder if this chicken dish will be OK for Great Aunt Fanny’s tummy or palatable for the youngest members of the family. We make a gluten-free or vegetarian or saltfree dish because we want our guests to feel loved and respected and cared for. We chop and cut and combine and simmer and never move too far away so we can check and taste and adjust and create perfection. We do it with patience and love. This year has been difficult with some serious health challenges, and more for my family. But we have come through them together, celebrated a huge milestone anniversary, and watched our three little grandsons have their Day School grade milestones and much more. I am grateful things were not worse, the kids are all healthy and growing, and that we were able to take this trip with them. I wake every morning, thankful that I am here to see another turn of the earth. And I am really looking forward to cooking for the holidays this year. n caring for our family members with the food we make, we are showing the same kind of love and respect we show for all the earth, for ourselves and, of course, for G-d. We give thanks that we can buy what we need and remember those who cannot by donating generously to our kosher food banks so all may celebrate the holidays. While the work is hard and tiring, I try not to forget that I do this, not for the accolades, but to show gratitude for my family and friends who enrich my life in ways too numerous to count. And, of course, I am grateful that I can still cook for a crowd! When the holidays come this time of year, I

Garlicky Summer Zucchini Soup with Roasted Garlic Gremolata. taylordukeswellness.com

Spinach, Avocado and Strawberry Salad with Orange Dressing.

try to take advantage of the late summer bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables and serve at least one salad for those who want it. I also often do not make chicken soup — I save that for the cooler days of Sukkot. Take advantage of the waning summer harvests and serve lots of healthful vegetables and fruits.

Spinach, Avocado and Strawberry Salad with Orange Dressing (Pareve)

Strawberries are still in season. This salad makes the most of that summer treasure. Amounts of veggies are what you like and according to the number of guests you have. SALAD: • 1 to 2 qts. strawberries, hulled and cut in half • 1 lbs. baby spinach leaves • Several ripe avocados, cut into chunks • 2 red onions, peeled, cut in half, thinly sliced • 1/2 cup sliced almonds DRESSING: • 1 small shallot, finely minced • 6 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice, more to taste (1 to 2 oranges) • 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

thedishonhealthy.com

• 1/4 tsp. grated orange zest • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar • Pinch sugar, more to taste • 3/4 cup canola oil • Salt and freshly grated black pepper, to taste Mince the shallot and place in a medium container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the orange juice, lemon juice, zest, vinegar and sugar and mix well. Add the oil, cover and shake. Season with salt and pepper. Taste, adjust ingredients to taste, cover and refrigerate. TO SERVE: Place the spinach leaves in a large bowl. Toss with the strawberries. Peel and cube the avocado, add to the bowl and toss lightly. Add the sliced onion and almonds, add dressing, toss and serve. Serves 8 to 12.

Garlicky Summer Zucchini Soup with Roasted Garlic Gremolata (Meat or Pareve)

A lighter, summery alternative to chicken soup. Gremolata is a spice and herb mix used to top soups to add a flavor burst. The garlic flavor is not at all overpowering. • 2 lbs. leeks, about 3 lbs. before trimming • Peeled zest from 2 lemons • 5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Summer Squash Ribbon Salad. gourmandein thekitchen.com

• 2 lbs. zucchini • 3 Tbsp. freshly minced garlic • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced • 1 carrot, grated • 3 qtrs. chicken broth or stock or vegetable broth or stock • 2 potatoes (russet) peeled and cubed GREMOLATA: • 8 cloves roasted garlic • 4 to 5 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley, finely minced • 1 Tbsp. olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the garlic cloves on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and close the packet. Place on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for about 20 to 35 minutes See Joni on page 17

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Agri Star infero threatens Rosh Hashana meat ’Side Dishes

NATI BURNSIDE

For The Jewish Star

A major fire at the Agri Star Meat & Poultry plant in Postville, Iowa, has raised concerns about the national kosher meat supply just weeks before the High Holidays. The fire heavily damaged the facility, one of the country’s major kosher meat-processing plants and affected hundreds of workers. The potential impact is significant because there are relatively few facilities in the United States capable of producing kosher meat at a large scale. Agri Star is a major supplier to the kosher market, and Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union has warned that replacing the plant’s production capacity will not happen quickly. The company has indicated that it intends to rebuild, but the process is expected to take time. The timing of the fire has added to the concern, with Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur approaching and demand for kosher meat traditionally increasing ahead of the holidays. While industry officials have said they are working to ensure that the market remains supplied, the fire could create shortages or increased pressure on kosher meat availability as the holiday season approaches. Postville Fire Chief Jeffrey Bohr said the fire started accidentally in the laundry room and spread quickly. “I’m guessing a 75% loss and structural damage, that’s not including the loss of products, you know, the prepackaging materials and stuff like that,” Bohr said, as reported by Iowa Public Radio. The fire burned for over three days and Bohr said 21 fire departments helped poured three and a half million gallons of water on it to save a portion of the building. “Agristar is the largest employer in Allamakee County. And, of course, Postville, and so it’s like, we can’t afford to lose this entire building. You know, losing another business like that in town, it’s just gonna be economically, chaos,” he said.

terranean restaurant operates under Mehadrin Kashrus Kehal Minchas Chinuch (Rabbi Avrohom Marmorstein) and is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 11 pm. Of Brooklyn’s major Jewish neighborhoods, Williamsburg has long had comparatively few destinations when it comes to kosher restaurants, particularly when compared with areas such as Crown Heights, Midwood and Boro Park. LIBA is looking to help fill that hole with a more upscale dining option in the heart of Williamsburg, giving both local residents and visitors another reason to seek out the neighborhood for kosher dining. The restaurant can be reached at 718-5006366 or through LibaNYC.com.

Buddies in Long Beach

Long Beach has a new dessert destination with the opening of Buddies Frozen Yogurt at 1048 West Beech St. The self-serve frozen yogurt shop operates under the supervision of the Vaad of the South Shore and offers customers the ability to build their own dessert from a variety of frozen yogurt flavors and toppings. The opening represents a major career change for the business’s owner, who spent years working as a mechanic before trading antifreeze for frozen yogurt. Buddies is designed as more than simply a place to pick up dessert, with a casual atmosphere intended for people to hang out and socialize. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm, Friday from 11 am to 7 pm and Saturday nights from 9 pm to 1 am.

Caffè Aronne now on UWS

that has served generations of diners. The restaurant operates under OK Kosher. More information about the move is available at WolfAndLambSteakhouse.com. kosher meat. The change is particularly notable because of the location’s proximity to Stern College and its longstanding popularity among kosher consumers in the area. Customers who previously relied on the location for kosher baked goods and other items should be aware that the store is no longer certified.

Bagels & Co. vandal arrest

A man accused of vandalizing Bagels & Co. in Jamaica Estates has been arrested and charged, bringing a significant development to a case that drew widespread attention earlier this year. The incident involved the destruction of outdoor property at the kosher bagel shop, including overturned tables and chairs, smashed flower pots and damage directed toward the storefront. The case received additional attention because the same man was also facing charges related to a fatal car crash that killed Jewish writer Heather Rainey, making the Bagels & Co. case part of a much larger criminal proceeding. The original attack prompted an outpouring of support for Bagels & Co., with hundreds of community members turning out at the store in the days afterward to show solidarity and support the Jewish-owned business. The arrest now provides a significant development in a case that had initially left the community wondering whether the person responsible would ever be identified.

LIBA opens in Williamsburg

Caffè Aronne has expanded to the Upper West Side with a second location inside the Marlene Meyerson JCC at 334 Amsterdam Avenue. The café, which operates under Vaad Kashrus Mehadrin (VKM), is open Sunday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and offers coffee, pastries and other café fare. For more information, visit CaffeAronne.com. The new location comes after a remarkable transformation for the original Caffè Aronne on the Upper East Side. Following October 7, the café’s owner publicly supported Israel and began fundraising for Magen David Adom. Several employees subsequently walked out, leaving the business severely short-staffed. Word spread quickly, however, and members of the Jewish community responded by lining up around the block and volunteering to help keep the café operating. The outpouring of support ultimately helped lead the original location toward full kosher certification, turning what could have been a devastating moment for the business into a remarkable demonstration of community support.

Stern Dunkin’ kosher no more

A new upscale kosher restaurant has opened in Williamsburg with the debut of LIBA at 107 North 12th St., inside a luxury hotel. The Medi-

Montreal’s popular kosher restaurant Noam was devastated by a fire that authorities are investigating as suspected arson. The restaurant, which had quickly become one of the city’s trendiest kosher dining destinations, suffered extensive damage in the blaze, leaving the owners facing a major rebuilding effort. The incident shook Montreal’s Jewish community, particularly because of the circumstances surrounding the fire and the broader concerns about antisemitism facing Jewish institutions and businesses. Investigators have treated the fire as suspicious, but officials have cautioned against prematurely assigning a motive. Restaurant management has likewise urged people not to assume that the incident was necessarily antisemitic while the investigation continues. Noam’s loss is particularly significant because the restaurant had become more than just another kosher establishment. Its modern menu and atmosphere had helped make it a destination for a younger generation of Montreal Jewish diners and had attracted attention well beyond the city’s traditional kosher community. A community fundraising effort was launched to help the owners recover from the damage.

WIC Oks Cholov Y formula

La Sova back after break-in

Fire rips Lawrence J2

An early-morning fire caused extensive damage to J2, the popular kosher pizzeria in Lawrence, as well as the former location of Sandwich Bar. About 150 firefighters from multiple Nassau County fire departments responded to the blaze, along with fire marshal personnel and specialized drone teams. The fire was brought under control in approximately 90 minutes, and no injuries were reported. The blaze caused significant damage to the Lawrence businesses and prompted a major emergency response in the heart of the Five Towns. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage. J2 has been a longtime part of the Five Towns kosher food scene, making the loss particularly significant for local residents who have relied on the pizzeria over the years.

Eye Montreal arson at Noam

A Dunkin’ at 140 East 34th St. in Manhattan, directly across from Stern College for Women, is no longer operating under kosher supervision. The location had been certified by National Kosher Supervision (NKS), but the certification has been dropped and the store is now serving non-

La Sova in Midwood has reopened following a break-in at its Midwood location at 1301 East 13th St. The takeout spot operates under Tarnopol Kashrus and Kehilah Kashrus. La Sova describes itself as a kosher Mediterranean and global street-food concept, with a menu that covers a remarkably wide range of cuisines. Popular offerings include shawarma bowls and wraps, grilled chicken baguettes, sesame chicken, chicken and broccoli, burritos, tacos, burgers and a variety of sandwiches. The menu also includes more substantial options such as a Sova Supreme with crispy chicken and in-house smoked brisket pastrami, a ribeye steak sandwich and a Sloppy Bro made with shredded brisket, corned beef and pastrami. It is open Sunday from noon to 10 pm, Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 718-676-9005 or visit La-Sova.com.

Wolf & Lamb is moving

After approximately 30 years in Midtown Manhattan, iconic kosher steakhouse Wolf & Lamb is moving to a new location. The restaurant, which currently operates at 16 East 48th Street, has announced plans to relocate while remaining in Midtown. Wolf & Lamb has been a fixture of the Manhattan kosher dining scene for decades, making the move a significant change for a restaurant

New York families who rely on the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will soon have access to cholov Yisroel infant formula through the program for the first time. The change follows a years-long effort to address the needs of Orthodox families who were unable to use many of the formulas covered by WIC because they did not meet cholov Yisroel standards. The move is expected to make a meaningful difference for Orthodox families across New York, particularly in communities where demand for cholov Yisroel products is significant. It also represents an unusual example of a government nutrition program adapting to the specific religious needs of one of the populations it serves.

Lake George Shalom Kosher

Kosher travelers heading to the Lake George area have a new pizza option with the opening of Shalom Kosher Pizza at 578 Aviation Rd. in Queensbury. Located in a shopping mall, the counter-service pizzeria operates under the supervision of Saratoga Chabad and gives visitors to the popular Adirondack destination another convenient kosher option. The opening is particularly notable for an area that has become increasingly popular with kosher travelers during the summer season. Shalom Kosher Pizza joins the growing number of establishments looking to make destinations outside the traditional kosher population centers more accessible to Jewish visitors. The restaurant is open Sunday from noon to 8 pm and Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 8:45 pm. For more information, call 518-5260773 or visit ShalomKosherPizza.com.

• 1/2 to 1 tsp. honey, more to taste or for a sweet/sour dressing SALAD: • 1 lb. each zucchini and yellow summer squashes, ends trimmed, and sliced thinly lengthwise with a vegetable peeler or mandolin • 1 large carrot, thinly sliced with a peeler or mandolin • 4 cups baby spinach • 4 cups baby arugula or mixed field greens • 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage • 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion (Vidalia) Sweet small tomatoes, cut in half • 1/2 to 1 cup roasted, slivered almonds or roasted, chopped hazelnuts or walnuts NOTE: You can add any veggies you like to this salad. Whisk oil, juices, garlic, salt, pepper and honey in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, slice the squashes and carrot into long strips. Place in a large bowl. Pour some of the dressing over the squash and carrot and toss gently with your hands. Let marinate for 5 to 10 minutes. In another bowl, toss the arugula, spinach, red cabbage and onions together. Add the tomatoes. Divide among 8 to 10 plates. Top with the dressed squash. Drizzle greens with remaining dressing. Garnish with toasted nuts. Serves 8 to 10.

DRESSING: • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice • 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice • 1 clove garlic, finely minced • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

This is a delicious, sweet challah that is lightly flavored with honey, maple, and raisins. It freezes well. NOTE: Yu can shape as you like. • 1/2 cup warm (110 degrees) water • Scant 2 Tbsp. yeast (about 1 Tbsp, plus 2 tsp, rounded.)

Summer Squash Ribbon Salad (Pareve)

Whole Wheat, Honey, Maple Raisin Challah (Pareve)

Whole Wheat, Honey, Maple Raisin Challah.

• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar • 3 to 4 cups whole wheat flour PLUS • 1 to 2 cups white flour (flour should equal 5 cups total) • 4 eggs PLUS • 1 egg yolk • 1-1/4 cups water • 1/2 cup honey • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup • 1/8 to 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract • 1/2 cup Canola oil • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt • 1 cup raisins • 1 egg • 1 Tbsp. cold water • 1 tsp, honey Set the oven to 200 degrees. Lower the rack so that you have enough room for a large ovenproof bowl. Allow the oven to heat for 10 minutes, then turn it off, leaving the door closed. Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar to the warm water. Mix well. Add the yeast and stir. Set aside

chabad.org

to proof. Place the flours in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the liquid and mix on low, using a dough hook. Increase speed and knead for 3 to 6 minutes or until smooth. Halfway through, add the raisins while the mixer is turning. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Oil the inside of a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Turn the dough oiled side up, cover with a cloth and set in the oven to rise for 2 hours. Punch down the dough, knead for at least a minute, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a long, thick rope. Coil the rope around and up a bit so it grows taller, like a crown. Repeat with the other half. Set on a cookie sheet, cover with a damp paper towel, and let rise in the oven for another two hours. Beat the egg, water and honey together. Brush the tops of the loaves and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until deep golden. Makes 2 loaves Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

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Continued from page 14 until light golden and softened. Let cool. Trim and discard the dark green part of the leeks and the bottom root. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, cut into thin slices and place in a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain. Use a vegetable peeler and cut the zest from two lemons. Set aside. Cut the zucchini into a half-inch dice. Discard ends. Heat a large soup pot over high heat and add 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add half of the zucchini in a (crowded) single layer. Leave undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until the pieces begin to brown. Stir and add 2 tablespoons of the garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove to a large bowl. Add the remaining oil and reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the leeks, carrot and celery plus a pinch of salt. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, and potato. Raise the heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add the roasted zucchini and any liquid. the bowl, cover partially and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, adding more stock, if needed. Remove the lemon zest strips. Use an immersion blender to emulsify as much or little as you like For the Gremolata: Mash the roasted garlic and add minced parsley, salt, freshly ground black pepper and olive oil. Mix well. Add a dollop to each bowl of soup. Serves 8 to 12.

THE JEWISH STAR August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786

JONI: Kitchen delights in time for the holidays…

August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786 THE JEWISH STAR

Crete: An island where Jewish worlds met MICHAEL FREUNDE

Wandering Jew

t 3:14 am on June 9, 1944, two torpedoes from a British submarine struck the German-requisitioned steamship Tánaïs north of Crete. Packed into its hold were Italian prisoners of war, Greek resistance fighters and 262 Jews, the remnant of a community rooted on the island for nearly 2,500 years. The vessel sank rapidly, with no known survivors. In a matter of minutes, one of the oldest continuous Jewish cultures in the Mediterranean was extinguished. The Jewish story of Crete is often reduced to that terrible ending. But what vanished aboard the Tánaïs was more than a small community. It was a distinctive Jewish civilization, shaped by Mediterranean migration and an unusual ability to absorb outside influences without surrendering its character. The first literary reference to Crete’s Jews appears in a letter from the Roman Senate dated approximately 142 BCE. Sent in support of Simon the Hasmonean, it was addressed to cities across the Mediterranean, including Gortyna, Crete’s leading ancient city. Its inclusion indicates that Jews were already established there and connected to the Hasmonean kingdom that ruled Judea. Other evidence suggests that Jews arrived even earlier, during the fourth or third century BCE, probably from Egypt and the Land of Israel. An inscription from the Cretan town of Kissamos identifies “Sophia of Gortyna” as an elder, offering a rare glimpse of a woman exercising communal authority in the ancient Diaspora. By the first century BCE, Jewish communities could be found across the island, including in Gortyna, Kissamos, Chania, Rethymnon, Knossos and Sitia. Philo of Alexandria observed that the larger Greek islands were “full of Jewish settlements,” while the historian Josephus noted that his second wife came from Crete. Crete’s Greek-speaking Jews became part of the Romaniote tradition, one of the oldest Jewish cultures of the eastern Mediterranean. They spoke Greek and later Judeo-Greek, known as Yevanic, and maintained customs distinct from the Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions. The island’s location between Europe, Asia and Africa ensured that its Jews were never isolated. Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Venetian and Ottoman rulers came and went, bringing restrictions, opportunities and new arrivals. Yet beneath those successive layers, Cretan Jewry retained an ancient Romaniote core. Its attachment to the Land of Israel also endured. Around 440 CE, a false messiah known as Moses of Crete persuaded many Jews that he would lead them across the sea to Zion. Some abandoned their possessions and gathered at the coast, and several reportedly leaped from cliffs, believing the waters would part — only to drown. The episode ended tragically, but it revealed how deep the community’s longing for return was. Cretan Jewry’s combination of adaptation and fidelity became especially pronounced under Venetian rule, beginning in the 13th century. Jews were confined to quarters known as Zudecche, subjected to special taxes and at times required to wear identifying marks. Yet they became integral to Crete’s economic and intellectual life. They worked as merchants, physicians, arti-

View of the Agios Nikolaos port in Crete, Greece.

Vladimir Sazonov, Adobe

sans and traders, while rural Jews produced kosher wine and cheese, cultivated grain and etrogs (“citrons”), and exported their goods throughout the Mediterranean. References to kosher Cretan cheese reaching communities from Italy to the Levant point to an organized network of production, rabbinic supervision and international commerce. That same combination of engagement with the wider world and fidelity to Jewish law shaped the community’s internal life. The Taqqanot Qandia, ordinances issued in Candia, now Heraklion, regulated synagogue attendance, business ethics, funerals, preparations for Shabbat and festivals and maintenance of the mikvah. Preserved by the scholar-rabbi Elijah Capsali, they reveal a community determined to participate in Mediterranean society without allowing its religious identity to erode. Crete’s Jewish character changed most profoundly through successive waves of refugees, as Jews fleeing persecution brought new customs, languages and traditions to the ancient Romaniote community. Those who arrived after the upheavals that struck Spanish Jewry beginning in 1391, the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the expulsion from Spain in 1492 did not displace the older population. Instead, Sephardi and Italian influences blended with the community’s Greek-speaking foundation, producing a culture that was unmistakably Cretan. By the end of the 16th century, this fusion had reached its height. Approximately 1,600 Jews lived on the island, worshipping in at least eight synagogues. Heraklion reportedly had four, while Chania had both Romaniote and Sephardi congregations. Families such as the Capsalis, Delmedigos and Balbos produced rabbis, physicians and scholars whose influence extended far beyond Crete. Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, born in Candia in 1591, personified that world. A physician, astronomer, mathematician and rabbi, he was grounded in Jewish learning but fully engaged with the scientific and philosophical currents of Europe. His career reflected the civilization Cretan Jewry had created: ancient in its roots, Mediterranean in its outlook and open to new ideas without surrendering its identity. But this cultural high point was followed by a long decline. The Ottoman conquest, completed in 1669, brought greater religious autonomy and property rights. Yet economic hardship and instability gradually drove families away. By the 19th century, Jewish life had contracted largely to Chania. There, Chief Rabbi Abraham Evlagon guided

the community through political upheaval and Crete’s eventual union with Greece. But the community’s position remained precarious. In 1873, a blood libel prompted an attack on the Jewish quarter before the missing Christian child was found alive the following day. Two years later, Jewish representative Abadaki Delmedigo secured a ban on burning an effigy of Judas during Holy Week, a practice that had inflamed hostility towards Jews. By the time German forces occupied Crete in 1941, centuries of emigration had reduced the number of Jews to only a few hundred, most in Chania. Small though it had become, the community still represented an unbroken connection to the Jews first recorded on the island in the age of the Hasmoneans. The German occupiers moved methodically. They banned kosher slaughter, marked Jewishowned businesses and compelled communal leaders to provide lists of every Jewish resident. On May 21, 1944, the Jews of Chania were rounded up, imprisoned and transported to Heraklion. They were then forced aboard the Tánaïs, apparently destined for Nazi camps in Europe. They never reached the mainland. The sinking of the Tánaïs did more than murder 262 Jews. It brought an entire Jewish civilization to a sudden end. One of its last surviving monuments is the Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania. The structure dates to the 14th or 15th century, when it served as the Venetian Catholic Church of St. Katherine. After the Ottoman conquest, Chania’s Jews acquired the abandoned building and converted it into a synagogue in the seventeenth century. Its walls reflected Crete’s layered history. After the destruction of the community in the Holocaust, Etz Hayyim was looted, desecrated and left abandoned for decades. But Cretan Jewry’s story did not remain buried in its ruins. Through the efforts of Greek Jewish historian and artist Nikos Stavroulakis, the synagogue was restored and rededicated in 1999. But even its revival was not without adversity. In January 2010, Etz Hayyim was targeted in two antisemitic arson attacks, the second of which destroyed approximately 2,500 rare books and manuscripts and badly damaged parts of the building. Yet the response demonstrated how deeply the synagogue had become rooted in its surroundings. Some 500 Jews and non-Jews formed a human chain around Etz Hayyim in solidarity, and the synagogue was restored once again. Today, Etz Hayyim welcomes visitors from around the world. Crete has also become a popular destination for Israeli tourists, and a Chabad

Synagogue in Chania in Crete, Greece, with gravestones outside. Frankix, Adobe

House now operates in the tourist town of Hersonissos, offering prayers, kosher food, Shabbat and holiday meals and assistance to Jewish travelers. This does not amount to a reconstitution of the historic Cretan Jewish community, but it ensures that Jewish life is no longer entirely absent from the island. Crete’s Jewish past is a story of endurance, creativity and renewal. For nearly 2,500 years, the island’s Jews survived the rise and fall of empires, welcomed refugees, produced scholars and blended new influences with an ancient faith. The community itself may have vanished, but the Jewish world it created has not been erased. In the restored courtyard of Etz Hayyim, where visitors again gather beneath the Cretan sky, its memory continues to speak and the sound of Jewish prayer can be heard once more. Michael Freund is founder and chairman of Shavei Israel, an organization that assists descendants of Jews and the Lost Tribes to reclaim their roots. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

By JNS Staff Israel’s tourism leaders met with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to discuss boosting the recovery of American tourism, strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing a national strategy to make Israel a leading global destination. The session was part of the Israel Tourism Recovery Forum (ITRF), a strategic platform bringing together government, private-sector, airline, hotel, tourism, academic and international leaders to develop practical recommendations and initiatives to support Israel’s tourism recovery in the aftermath of several years of war. “I will continue to be an ambassador for Israel wherever I go,” said Huckabee. “I will continue encouraging Americans to visit Israel, experience it firsthand, and discover the reality for themselves.” Anat Shihor-Aronson, spokesperson and head of the Public Relations Department at Israel’s Tourism Ministry, told JNS that 1.3 million tourists entered Israel in 2025, compared with a record 4.5 million in 2019. “As the security situation stabilizes, the airlines return. The main barrier right now to the full return of tourists to Israel is the lack of flights,” she said. “There is a wide target audience that still loves Israel,” she added. About two months ago, Shihor-Aronson said, the ministry launched a digital campaign in the United States called “I Am Israel,” targeting Jewish and evangelical communities, as well as people who generally view Israel positively. The campaign is still running on social media and across digital platforms and was also displayed in Times Square. “It’s not only about having people purchase a flight ticket. It’s about them keeping Israel in mind and coming when they feel comfortable doing so,” she said. The campaign was also intended to show that, contrary to the picture portrayed in news outlets, life in Israel continues, she said. During the meeting with Huckabee, Michael Izhakov, director general of the Tourism Ministry, stressed the importance of expanding direct flights between the United States and Israel, noting the ministry’s efforts to encourage airlines to resume service suspended during the war with Iran and launch new routes. Eli Cohen, president of the Israel Hotel Association, proposed a national initiative modeled on Birthright Israel to bring young evangelical Americans to Israel, while David Fattal, founder and owner of the Fattal Hotel Group, stressed

Tourists faced risks and overcame flight shortages to visit Israel during the ongoing conflicts. Pictured: A traveler arriving at Ben Gurion Airport passes posters bearing the faces of hostages, and a peaceful sunrise over the Kinneret greets early-risers in Taberias. Ed Weintrob, The Jewish Star

that tourism remains one of Israel’s key economic growth engines, and that the United States is its most important inbound market. Yaron Lipman, CEO of Atlas Boutique Hotels, told JNS that Jewish and business travelers are gradually returning to Israel, as soon as conditions allow. “For a long period, the industry’s focus was on the Israeli market, as foreigners were unable to visit. Still, we see some Americans and Western European tourists returning quite quickly,” he said. “We see how important it is for the Jewish and business communities to come here. We also see how surprised they are by the reality of Israelis living and enjoying life, as opposed to what they see on TV,” said Lipman. Shihor-Aronson stressed that the safety and security of tourists visiting Israel is a top priority. The ministry is also working to develop tourism infrastructure and expand hotel capacity in order to lower accommodation costs for visitors, she said. Of the 4.5 million tourists who visited Israel in 2019, just over 1 million came from the United States, making it Israel’s largest source of international tourists. Tourism generated 23 billion shekels ($7.7 billion) that year, while U.S. tourists spent an average of about nine days in Israel, she said. “Beyond the economic engine, whoever comes here ends up being an ambassador for the state, as they fall in love with the country and

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is an evangelical Christian who’s also a long-time evangelist for the Jewish state, traveling to Israel more than 100 times before becoming the ambassador. He’s pictured here during an Ateret Cohanim tour in 2008 with Dr. Paul Brody of Great Neck, who helped arrange the visit, and Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, then and now the rabbi of the Western Wall. The Jewish Star file

speak about it with their close circle,” said ShihorAronson. Lipman told JNS that the main challenge posed by Israel’s wars since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre has been their prolonged duration, with the industry enduring repeated fluctuations, flight cancellations and the accommodation of

more than 1,300 evacuees across Atlas’s hotels. “Hosting these evacuees was deeply meaningful to us, although it came with some financial sacrifices. Some stayed with us for a year, others for a year and a half. It felt like one big family, and we’ve maintained relationships with many of them to this day,” said Lipman.

Site of new romance where David met Abigail By Etgar Lefkovits, JNS MAON, Israel — It was a quintessential Biblical romance with all the trappings of a Hollywood action film: a young warrior on the run from a jealous king leading a band of outlaws through the desert, and a young woman trapped in a marriage to a wealthy, ill-tempered man. A newly opened nature trail on the edge of the Judean Desert, where the Bible recounts that the future King David first met his wife more than 3,000 years ago, is becoming a local hotspot for modern-day marriage proposals and, locals hope, a catalyst for renewed faith-based tourism in an off-the-beaten-path corner of Israel. Even by Holy Land standards, it is not every nature trail that is lined with signs and interactive exhibits featuring Biblical passages from the Book of Samuel and the Book of Psalms. That is exactly what is planned for the newly opened “David’s Wanderings Path,” a nearly three-mile walking and cycling trail that runs along the desert edge ridge stretch-

Biblical love story. With an eye toward attracting both Jewish and Christian visitors, planners are also developing a Center of Psalms in the region, highlighting the prayers and songs traditionally associated with David during the years he hid in the Judean Desert while fleeing King Saul. “This promenade bridges the gap between a pristine natural landscape and the biblical The David’s Wanderings Path on the edge of the Judean Desert in the Mount Hebron region. Mount Hebron tales of David and Abigail — and the wars of Regional Council King David — that unfolded right here,” Eliram Azulay, head of the Mount Hebron Reing from the agricultural community of afterward, and Abigail became David’s wife. The $1.6 million trail, launched earlier gional Council, told JNS during a tour of the Maon, south of Hebron, to nearby Carmel. The route through the desert-area wilder- this year by the Israeli Tourism Ministry and site last week. “Our deepest roots lie here: from the ness is central to the Biblical account of the the Mount Hebron Regional Council, will future king’s first encounter with Abigail, eventually include a coffee shop, electric off- ‘Ground Zero’ of the Bible — the Cave of who, according to I Samuel, intercepted Da- road vehicle tours and overnight farm stays the Patriarchs, where Abraham walked and where our forefathers and foremothers are vid with provisions to prevent him from at- for Bible enthusiasts and desert travelers. Originally envisioned as a link between buried — to the presence of King David,” he tacking her husband, Nabal, after he refused to compensate David and his men for protect- nearby Jewish communities, the promenade’s said. “It encompasses numerous biblical sites sweeping desert views and three scenic over- entrusted to us to preserve and develop, and ing his flocks. In a scene that could have come straight looks have already made it a popular destina- through them we discover who we are and from a Hollywood script, Nabal died shortly tion for local marriage proposals, echoing the what we are doing here.”

THE JEWISH STAR August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786

Israel tourism industry preps for post-war rebound

‫כוכב של שבת‬

August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786 THE JEWISH STAR

Jewish Star Torah columnists: Rabbi Benny Berlin, spiritual leader of BACH Jewish Center in Long Beach; Rabbi Avi Billet of Anshei Chesed, Boynton Beach, FL, mohel and Five Towns native; Rabbi Binny Freedman, rosh yeshiva of Orayta, Jerusalem; Dr. Alan A. Mazurek, former ZOA chair, retired neurologist, living in Great Neck, Jerusalem and Florida.

Fri Aug 14 / 1 Elul

Fri Aug 28 / 15 Elul

Contributing writers: Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks zt”l, former chief rabbi of United Hebrew Congregations of British Commonwealth; Rabbi Yossy Goldman, president South African Rabbinical Association; Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, OU executive VP emeritus.

Fri Aug 21 / 8 Elul

Fri Sept 4 / 22 Elul

To submit commentary, inquire at: Editor@TheJewishStar.com.

Five Towns Candlelighting: From the White Shul, Far Rockaway, NY Scarsdale Candlelighting: From the Young Israel of Scarsdale, Scarsdale, NY

Contact our columnists at: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com.

Shoftim Five Towns candles: 7:36 • Havdalah: 8:44 Scarsdale candles: 7:37 • Havdalah: 8:39 Ki Seitzei Five Towns candles: 7:26 • Havdalah: 8:34 Scarsdale candles: 7:27 • Havdalah: 8:27

Ki Savo Five Towns candles: 7:15 • Havdalah: 8:23 Scarsdale candles: 7:16 • Havdalah: 8:16 Nitzavim-Vayeilech Five Towns candles: 7:04 • Havdalah: 8:12 Scarsdale candles: 7:05 • Havdalah: 8:04

Putting the words of our prophets to the test RABBI SIR JONATHAN SACKS ZT”L

n his enumeration of the various leadership roles within the nation that would take shape after his death, Moses mentions not only the priest/judge and the king, but also the prophet: “The L-rd your G-d will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” Moses would not be the last of the prophets. He would have successors. Historically this was so. From the days of Samuel to the Second Temple period each generation gave rise to men and women who spoke G-d’s word with immense courage, unafraid to censure kings, criticize priests, or rebuke an entire generation for its lack of faith and moral integrity. There was, however, an obvious question: How does one tell a true prophet from a false one? Unlike kings or priests, prophets did not derive authority from formal office. Their authority lay in their personality, their ability to give voice to the word of G-d, their self-evident inspiration. But precisely because a prophet has privileged access to the word others cannot hear, the visions others cannot see, the real possibility existed of false prophets — like those of Baal in the days of King Ahab. Charismatic authority is inherently destabilizing. What was there to prevent a fraudulent — or even a sincere but mistaken — figure, able to perform signs and wonders and move the people by the power of his words, from taking the nation in a wrong direction, misleading others and perhaps even himself? There are several dimensions to this question. One in particular is touched upon in our Torah portion, namely the prophet’s ability to foretell the future. This is how Moses puts it: You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the L-rd?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the L-rd does not take place or come true, that is a message the L-rd has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. n the face of it, the test is simple: if what the prophet predicts comes to pass, he is a true prophet; if not, not. Clearly, though, it was not that simple. The classic case is the Book of Jonah. Jonah is commanded by G-d to warn the people of Nineveh that their wickedness is about to bring disaster on them. Jonah attempts to flee, but fails — the famous story

of the sea, the storm, and the “great fish”. Eventually he goes to Nineveh and utters the words G-d has commanded him to say — “Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed” — the people repent and the city is spared. Jonah, however, is deeply dissatisfied: But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the L-rd, “O L-rd, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate G-d, slow to anger and abounding in love, a G-d who relents from sending calamity. Now, O L-rd, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:1-3 Jonah’s complaint can be understood in two ways. First, he was distressed that G-d had forgiven the people. They were, after all, wicked. They deserved to be punished. Why then did a mere change of heart release them from the punishment that was their due? Second, he had been made to look a fool. He had told them that in forty days the city would be destroyed. It was not. Gd’s mercy made nonsense of his prediction. onah is wrong to be displeased: that much is clear. G-d says, in the rhetorical question with which the book concludes: “Should I not be concerned about that great city?” Should I not be merciful? Should I not forgive? What then becomes of the criterion Moses lays down for distinguishing between a true and false prophet: “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the L-rd does not

A prophet does not foretell. He warns.

take place or come true, that is a message the L-rd has not spoken”? Jonah had proclaimed that the city would be destroyed in forty days. It wasn’t; yet the proclamation was true. He really did speak the word of G-d. How can this be so? The answer is given in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah had been prophesying national disaster. The people had drifted from their religious vocation, and the result would be defeat and exile. It was a difficult and demoralizing message for people to hear. A false prophet arose, Hananiah son of Azzur, preaching the opposite. Babylon, Israel’s enemy, would soon be defeated. Within two years the crisis would be over. Jeremiah knew that it was not so, and that Hananiah was telling the people what they wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear. He addressed the assembled people: He said, “Amen! May the L-rd do so! May the L-rd fulfil the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the L-rd’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing, and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster, and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the L-rd only if his prediction comes true.” eremiah makes a fundamental distinction between good news and bad. It is easy to prophesy disaster. If the prophecy comes true, then you have spoken the truth. If it does not, then you can say: G-d relented and forgave. A negative prophecy cannot be refuted — but a positive one can. If the good foreseen comes to pass, then the prophecy is true. If it does

not, then you cannot say, ‘G-d changed His mind’ because G-d does not retract from a promise He has made of good, or peace, or return. It is therefore only when the prophet offers a positive vision that he can be tested. That is why Jonah was wrong to believe he had failed when his negative prophecy — the destruction of Nineveh — failed to come true. This is how Maimonides puts it: As to calamities predicted by a prophet, if, for example, he foretells the death of a certain individual or declares that in a particular year there will be famine or war and so forth, the non-fulfilment of his forecast does not disprove his prophetic character. We are not to say, “See, he spoke and his prediction has not come to pass.” For G-d is long-suffering and abounding in kindness and repents of evil. It may also be that those who were threatened repented and were therefore forgiven, as happened to the men of Nineveh. Possibly too, the execution of the sentence is only deferred, as in the case of Hezekiah. But if the prophet, in the name of G-d, assures good fortune, declaring that a particular event would come to pass, and the benefit promised has not been realized, he is unquestionably a false prophet, for no blessing decreed by the Almighty, even if promised conditionally, is ever revoked. … Hence we learn that only when he predicts good fortune can the prophet be tested. Yesodei ha-Torah 10:4 undamental conclusions follow from this. A prophet is not an oracle: a prophecy is not a prediction. Precisely because Judaism believes in freewill, the human future can never be unfailingly predicted. People are capable of change. G-d forgives. As we say in our prayers on the High Holy Days: “Prayer (tefillah), penitence (teshuvah) and charity (tzedakah) avert the evil decree.” There is no decree that cannot be revoked. A prophet does not foretell. He warns. A prophet does not speak to predict future catastrophe but rather to avert it. If a prediction comes true it has succeeded. If a prophecy comes true it has failed. The second consequence is no less farreaching. The real test of prophecy is not bad news but good. Calamity, catastrophe, disaster prove nothing. Anyone can foretell these things without risking his reputation or authority. It is only by the realization of a positive vision that prophecy is put to the test. So it was with Israel’s prophets. They were realists, not optimists. They warned of the dangers that lay ahead. But they were also, without exception, agents of hope. They could see beyond the catastrophe to the consolation. That is the test of a true prophet.

RABBI YOSSY GOLDMAN S. African Rabbinical Assn.

ow many times were you told by your grandmother not to leave food on your plate? How often did you hear, “Do you know there are children starving in (fill in blank)?” And then, we’d feel guilty for the rest of the week. Well, the Torah has the same policy about words — nothing gets left over, nothing gets wasted, not a single word. And if a word shows up twice, you can be sure that Moses didn’t just

repeat it because he forgot he had already said it. So here’s our verse from this week’s Torah reading, Shoftim. “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof (Justice, justice, shall you pursue)” (Deuteronomy 16:20). Two “justices” in one sentence. Now, I don’t know about your Hebrew-school teacher, but mine would have circled that in red pen and written “redundant” in the margin. Except this is the Torah, not a bar mitzvah speech, and no red pens are allowed. So the commentators never let a good repetition go to waste, and we have different explanations. Rashi says the double “justice” is about where you go looking for it. Don’t just wander into any old courtroom. Find yourself a reputable beit din, a court with judges who have a reputation for honesty.

The messenger matters as much as the message. Because, let’s be honest, you can have the most righteous cause in the world, but if the judge is on the take, or the court is a bit of a shemozzle, then justice is just a word painted on the wall. Rashi is basically telling us: The messenger matters as much as the message. ou may have heard of the term “BaDaTz.” It stands for Beit Din Tzedek, which means a “House of Righteous Justice.” An authentic beit din dispenses justice and righteousness with unquestionable integrity.

Then along comes Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, a Chassidic master of the 18th-19th century, and gives the verse a twist. He reads it not as “pursue justice and also pursue justice” — as if G-d were simply nagging us twice for good measure — but as “pursue justice, justly.” In other words: how you go about getting justice must be just as kosher as the justice you’re chasing. The end does not justify the means. You don’t get to lie, cheat, bully or manipulate your way to a righteous outcome and then take a bow as if the finish line erased the whole ugly race. A tzaddik doesn’t win by playing dirty, even for a cause he’s certain that the Almighty Himself would applaud. See Goldman on page 26

The road less traveled is the winning route RABBI BENNY BERLIN

Jewish Star columnist BACH Long Beach

y eighth-grade teacher, Mrs. Greenspan, had our class memorize Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.” I did not appreciate poetry very much in grade school, but somehow that poem stayed with me. Frost describes a traveler standing at a fork in the woods, wishing he could walk down both paths at once, knowing he can only see so far before the road bends out of view. “I took the one

less traveled by,” he writes, “and that has made all the difference.” It is a simple image, but it captures something true about nearly every meaningful decision we make in life, from whom we marry, to what we do for a living, to the countless daily choices that shape the people we become. The poem is strikingly similar to a beautiful mashal brought by the Daas Zekeinim MiBaalei HaTosfos on last week’s parshah, Re’eh. The Torah tells us, “Re’eh, Anochi nosein lifneichem hayom berachah u’kelalah” (Devarim 11:26), “See, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse.” The Daas Zekeinim describe an elderly man sitting at a crossroads when a young traveler ap-

We need ‘nisyonos’ to discover who we are. proaches. Before him are two roads. One begins smooth, wide, and inviting, but after a short distance it becomes filled with thorns and difficult to travel. The other begins with thorns and rocks, but soon opens into a beautiful, smooth road. The old man has already walked both paths. He knows what the traveler cannot yet see. He tells him not to be fooled by the easy beginning. Choose the harder road now, because it leads

somewhere better. In many ways, it is the Torah’s version of taking the road less traveled. his is exactly the choice Hashem places before us through Torah and mitzvos. The beginning is rarely easy. Self-discipline rarely is. Whether it is getting up early to learn, holding back a word of lashon harah, doing chesed when you do not feel you have the bandwidth, or changing a habit we have had for years, the first steps can feel like walking through thorns. But Hashem, so to speak, is the wise old man sitting at the crossroads. We only see the beginning of the road. He sees where it ends. He knows that if we are willing to push through the See Berlin on page 26

Finding merits in having a guilty conscience RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB Orthodox Union

or as long as I can remember, the arrival of Elul has unsettled me. I sense the days of judgment drawing near. I turn inward and ask whether I am ready to “face the music.” Over the years, I’ve learned much more about how to spiritually prepare for the Yemei HaDin, the Days of Awe. I’ve studied the process of teshuva, return and repentance, discovering a wide range of approaches. For starters, there is Maimonides, whose comprehensive treatment of Hilchot Teshuva is

unmatched to this very day. Also valuable are the works of other medieval sages, continuing through the generations to the Chassidic masters, to the proponents of the Mussar movement, to Rav Kook and his contemporaries, and to many in our own time. Let’s begin with the disciples of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the nineteenth century founder of the Mussar movement. They each stressed different aspects of teshuva. One, Slobodka, would have us appreciate our great human potential; another, Kelm, preached impeccable ethical behavior. And then there’s the most extreme and most demanding of these varied approaches, Nevardek. Here goes: In this week’s Torah reading, Shoftim, we learn about the arei miklat, the cities of refuge, where individuals who unintentionally killed

Murderers and the cities of refuge. another person may flee to avoid those who might wish to avenge the blood of the victim. The “murderer” could flee to one of the places of refuge, where he would remain safe. The key verse reads: “This is the case [literally, ‘this is the word’] of the manslayer (rotzeach) who may flee there and live.” (Bamidbar 19:4). abbi Chaim Zeitchik, of blessed memory, a Holocaust survivor who lived to disseminate the teachings of the Alter m’Navardek

(the “old man” or dean of the Nevardek school), cites the following Talmudic comment on this verse: If a manslayer (rotzeach) escapes to a city of refuge and is greeted by its inhabitants who wish to bestow honor upon him, he must protest and proclaim: “I am a manslayer!” If they respond, “Nevertheless, we wish to honor you!” then he must accept [“this is the word”]. (Talmud Bavli Makkot 12b). Rabbi Zeitchik then quotes another Talmudic passage: The citizens of Jerusalem wished to appoint Yehuda ben Tabai [in original text, Sabai] as the Nasi [chieftain] of Jerusalem. He avoided this appointment by fleeing to Alexandria. They wrote: “From great Jerusalem to tiny Alexandria, how See Weinreb on page 26

It’s ‘tzedek v’emet’ and ‘chesed v’rachamim’ DR. ALAN MAZUREK

Jewish Star columnist Boynton Beach / Jerusalem

his week, parshat Shoftim emphasizes “Tzedek, Tzedek tirdof (justice, justice you shall pursue). Justice must be subsumed with truth (emet) because if it is not true, it is a perversion of justice. We’ve seen this in the “social justice warriors“ marching in support of Hamas and Iran, accusing Israel and Jews of genocide and the most vile crimes, while calling it “justice.” On the other hand, if justice has only truth and no kindness and mercy (chesed v’rachamim) then it is too harsh, stern, sterile and unfeeling.

While that may be truth and justice, it is not “right.” The difficulty is in finding the proper balance. I was thinking about this when I read this past Sunday about the loss of three Jewish children in Israel in a single day — a 16-year-old on a rappelling trip in the Keshet Cave up North who fell over 100 feet and died; a 12-year-old fell from a boat on the Jordan River near Yesod Ha’Maala; and a 5-year-old in Lod, left in the hot family car, could not be resuscitated. The pain at these losses is unimaginable for us, strangers; how much more for the families of these precious children. Is this justice? Is this truth? To us it appears random and meaningless. We want to rail at Hashem — why? These tragedies were compounded by the fact that the day was also the 25th anniversa-

Is this justice? Is this truth? ry of the Jerusalem Sbarro pizzeria bombing, where 16 Jewish souls were horribly snuffed out, many more injured, including many children, by an Arab terrorist suicide bomber. Where is the justice, O’ G-d! ur tradition tells us that we make a blessing, even upon hearing of a death. This seemingly inappropriate response to tragedy is called birchat tziduk ha’din (containing the words Baruch Dayan Haemet, Blessed is the Truthful Judge). We are blessing and testifying to the righteousness and truth of Hashem’s judgement, despite how painful and incompre-

hensible it is. The terms tzedek and emet are the key features of both blessings. Where is the chesed (kindness) and rachamim (mercy)? Sadly, painfully, these are impossible questions to answer but as I pondered, I was reminded that throughout our Jewish existence, whenever confronted by tragedy, personal or communal, we have been conditioned to engage in a cheshbon ha’nefesh (a real soul searching). Every Yom Tov Musaf begins, “mipnei chataenu galinu mei’artzenu (because of our sins we were exiled from our land).” Though our many enemies are the real villains and have and will suffer the extreme punishments, we bear some responsibility. We are a holy people held to a higher standard. Whether charedi, chiloni, dati leumi, mesorati or unaffiliated, we are Jews. As history suggests, our greatSee Mazurek on page 26

THE JEWISH STAR August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786

Let us constantly be mindful what we pray for

August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786 THE JEWISH STAR

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OPINION COLUMNISTS

Mitchell Bard, foreign policy analyst, authority on USIsreal relations; Ben Cohen, senior analyst, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Stephen Flatow, president, Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi and father of Alisa Flatow, murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995; Yisrael Medad, Americanborn Israeli journalist and political commentator; Rafael Medoff, founding director of David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies; Fiamma Nirenstein, Italian-Israeli journalist, author of 13 books, leading voice on Israeli affairs, Middle Eastern politics and antisemitism; Melanie Phillips, British journalist; Moshe Phillips, national chairman, Americans for a Safe Israel; Thane Rosenbaum, Distinguished University Professor at Touro University (published by Jewish Journal); Jonathan S. Tobin, editor-in-chief, Jewish News Syndicate.

From Mamdani: More lies and damned lies. HOWARD BRESSLER

ast week, Mayor Mamdani finally conceded publicly what he certainly knew privately before he began his recent torch-and-pitchfork charade about arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an ICC warrant: he does not have the authority to do so. Legal scholars have been making this point since the mayoral campaign, when Mamdani used similar empty promises about arresting the prime minister to stoke a voter base turned on by such things. Nonetheless, Mamdani had to make his Parthian shot: Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people. He is responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens of thousands of children as those who survive undergo amputation without anesthesia; for the targeting of neonatal hospitals and maternity care centers, denying newborns even the chance to live; for the countless people he starved as he blocked food and humanitarian aid from reaching them; for the gunning down of hundreds of aid workers and journalists. These remarks are simply more of the loose, lazy approach we have seen over the past three years to casting on Israel all blame for the suffering in Gaza and according no accountability to the terrorists who control Gaza and started this war (with genuine genocidal intentions). The problem is that the mayor’s repeated demonization of Israel and its underlying Zionist movement — indeed, his insistence that a “Jewish state” should not exist as a Jewish state — is dangerous. As the flames of Jew hatred confla-

Mamdani is a liar who misrepresents or omits critical facts in his Jewish-space-laser like focus on Israel and Netanyahu.

Mayor Zorhan Mamdani delivers an official address in which he begins: “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.” Screenshot from YouTube

grate (thanks in large part to a dumbed down populace suckled at the hateful teat of social media), Mamdani’s charges lead in an obfuscated but nonetheless direct line to real world attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions. Mamdani is a liar who misrepresents or omits critical facts in his Jewish-space-laser like focus on Israel and Netanyahu, on whom he seems to have a particular stalkerish crush. He has learned the value of a good buzzword, stripped of meaning or accurate application. “Netanyahu is a war criminal.” Well, Netanyahu has been accused of war crimes, but there have been no proceedings to prove those charges. The mayor would be unlikely to refer to an accused killer as a “murderer,” innocent until proven guilty and all that. He would probably just call in the social workers. But such niceties of a Western criminal justice system are shown the door when he is dealing with the leadership of the Jewish state. Netanyahu is the “architect of the horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.” No, he’s not. The architects of the casualties in Gaza are the homicidal, kleptocratic, Islamic extremists who launched this war with an orgy of killing that left veteran journalists — the kind of people who cover wars for a living — watching Hamas’ footage in tears. Mamdani’s comment is akin to calling Churchill and Roosevelt the “architects” of a

“horrific genocide” of the people of Dresden or Tokyo while ignoring the fact that the Nazis and imperial Japan started and prosecuted the brutal war that led to those cities being effectively eradicated. And regardless of the media zeitgeist, UN “independent bodies” (the mother of oxymorons) and the cyclical stream of pundits tripping over themselves to accuse the Jews of being the new Nazis, there is no genocide in Gaza. There is suffering, certainly. There is a large number of dead and wounded, to be sure. There are indisputable hardships on a civilian population associated with prolonged, close urban combat. But if a genocide is going on, it is certainly a strange one. n order to minimize civilian casualties, Israel has sought to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from hot combat areas by, inter alia, dropping millions leaflets with evacuation instructions, making hundreds of thousands of individual phone calls to Gaza residents instructing them on the need to evacuate and the routes for doing so, delivering tens of millions of texts and SMS messages urging residents to relocate out of the combat zones, and providing escorts to facilitate such evacuation (while Hamas endeavored at every turn to prevent Gazans from leaving combat zones, blockading routes and even opening fire on residents seeking to evacuate). In addition, at great risk to its own citizens,

Israel deployed ground forces in Gaza. If its intentions were to simply destroy the people of Gaza, it could simply have continued to bomb Gaza from the air at little to no risk to Israeli soldiers. After all, Israel has the firepower to kill everything that walks or crawls in Gaza, it just doesn’t do so. The casualty numbers touted by Hamas (the “73,000” Mamdani cites) do not distinguish between innocent Gazan residents and Hamas terrorists, or account for the many Gazan civilians almost certainly killed by the thousands of errant Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets that have fallen short within Gaza. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that the loss of civilian lives in Gaza is tragic (to all but Hamas). When the final tally is made, it is likely that the ratio of civilians to military killed in Israel’s defensive war will rival, or more likely be lower than, the ratios seen in similar conflicts. Indeed, the low civilian-to-military casualty ratios in Israel’s prior wars in Gaza have distinguished Israel’s actions from even Western countries seeking to avoid civilian casualties in other wars, as John Spencer, the chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute, codirector of the Urban Warfare Project and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast at West Point, has written about extensively. srael has facilitated the delivery of millions of tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza and endeavored to expand its facilities to hasten and increase that aid, precisely to lessen the human suffering wrought by Hamas’s crimes. And, in an unprecedented gesture in the midst of a hot shooting war, Israel helped facilitate the inoculation from disease of approximately 1.5 million people from the population it is allegedly seeking to destroy. Put simply, those are not the actions of a country seeking to commit “genocide” or, if it is trying to do so, then Israel, which excels at virtually everything it tries, simply sucks at “genocide.” Mamdani accuses Israel of starving Gaza’s population. Yet repeated predictions of mass famine have not materialized. Newspaper stories depicting “starving” children in Gaza inevitably edited out pictures of clearly healthy, well-fed siblings and parents and omitted preexisting conditions of the children featured. Claims that 14,000 children were about to die of starvation in Gaza were shown to

See Bressler on page 26

GLOBAL FOCUS

BEN COHEN

iplomatic efforts to end the regional war launched by Hamas with its Oct. 7, 2023 pogrom in southern Israel have now returned to the place where it all started. Last week, the Board of Peace, the multinational body created by the Trump administration, announced its plan for implementing and solidifying the ceasefire that ended hostilities in the Palestinian enclave last October. The heart of the plan revolves around the disarmament of Hamas and allied terrorist groups. Everything else, including the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces, is pegged to the surrender of the terrorists’ weapons. Its ultimate goal is the creation of a Gaza with “One Authority, One Law, One Weapon” as its organizing principle. The board’s plan makes very clear that Hamas should possess no authority, should not decide the law and should control no weaponry. Yet this is a plan whose merits will be judged not on the soundness of its approach on paper, but on the effectiveness of its implementation. Hamas remains the riskiest, most combustible variable in that regard. Securing its cooperation is therefore a necessary condition for the plan’s success. But the terrorists will not cooperate. Like

The terrorists will not cooperate.

IDF with military tanks on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip on Aug. 5, 2026.

their Iranian masters, Hamas will rarely refuse a proposal outright; rather, the group’s leaders will seek to heavily amend whatever is on the negotiating table. In doing so, Hamas will marshal all the advantages it has — its control of the Gaza Strip on the other side of Israel’s “Yellow Line,” the fact that its weapons remain for now in its possession, and its willingness to harass Israeli forces so that the IDF responds militarily, delivering the headlines about supposed Israeli brutality against civilians that is the lifeblood of its propaganda about “genocide.” That cycle then provides Hamas with the justification to withhold handing over its arms.

Tsafrir Abayov, Flash90

amas may, therefore, need to be pummeled into submission. Only the IDF is capable of doing that. More importantly, only the IDF would be willing to do that. The much-vaunted International Stabilization Force is present in the board’s plan, but as an instrument for the delivery of aid and training of local law enforcement. Lightly armed foreign soldiers, who will likely have to deal with Hamas operatives on a daily basis, are not going to confront terrorists, particularly when those terrorists are brandishing the very weapons they are supposed to give up. The prospect of a renewed war is, then, a real possibility. Even if Hamas voluntarily gives up some of its arsenal, it is only prepared to do

so if the Palestinian Authority is the recipient. The only viable method to ensure that disarmament is permanent and irrevocable is to store the weapons in a separate territory under the control of the Board of Peace, which would then put them beyond use. Again, Hamas is not going to agree to that if it is not compelled to. On the international level, the propaganda impact of a revival of war in Gaza will be much more dramatic than would be the case with any other conflict. Ironically, that impact will be felt most keenly in those countries where such a war would have little to no direct economic or national security consequences, but which are home to both sizable Jewish communities and a vocal pro-Hamas solidarity movement. In other words, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, most of the European Union, Australia and other Western democracies. or Hamas, its one unvarnished success generated by the Oct. 7 atrocities lies precisely on this front. Over the last three years, the security and sense of confidence that prevailed for more than half a century among these Jewish communities has been shattered. Increasingly violent incidents targeting Jews have been normalized in all these countries. Zionism has been demonized beyond recognition in public discourse. In local government and in national legislatures alike, increasing numbers of candidates are being elected on the basis of how much they hate Israel. Rarely — and whether we like it or not, this is Hamas’s great achievement — has a foreign conflict that has virtually no impact on people’s livelihoods, on the educational opportunities available to their children, on the quality of the healthcare they receive and so forth, exercised See Cohen on page 27

Activists have captured our K-12 classrooms MELISSA BRODSKY

cross the country, teachers are gearing up for the fall semester. Watching my husband and daughter — both working public-school teachers — prepare for the new academic year, I can see firsthand the hours dedicated professionals spend hunting for quality resources. They trust union-backed educational portals to provide safe, vetted materials for their students. Activist organizations are exploiting that trust. Bypassing local oversight, they are pushing biased, oppressor-versus-oppressed frameworks straight into the classroom. The planning phase of this campaign ended in mid-June, and the distribution phase is now operating nationwide. From June 15 to June 18, the progressive activist group CODEPINK hosted a four-day summer workshop series titled “Challenging Zionism in Schools.” Organizers gathered educators to train them on injecting anti-Israel and antiWestern talking points into history and socialstudies classes. Deeply entrenched activists, including a re-

Channeling anti-Israel and anti-American propaganda into educational materials.

tired teacher who organizes for CODEPINK’s “Drop the ADL” campaign, handed teachers strategies to bring anti-Zionist political advocacy into K-12 classrooms under the guise of summer professional development. To gain mainstream acceptance and dodge administrative red flags, these organizers put union-decorated leaders front and center. The workshops prominently featured a Region 3 leader from United Teachers Los Angeles and the National Education Association (UTLA/ NEA) who holds major industry honors, including the 2023 NEA Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence. ighlighting educators who receive top honors from the nation’s largest teacher unions gives the organizers’ political agenda immediate institutional backing. Principals and peers are far less likely to question content delivered by an award-winning union leader. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) runs a massive digital clearinghouse called Share My Lesson, a repository of free teaching materials. Framed as a “Back-to-School Toolkit,” CODEPINK uploaded self-authored lesson plans directly to this AFT platform. The materials focus on highly polarized lessons about international relations, with titles like “School Board & Students Debate the IHRA Definition” and “South Africa vs. Israel Genocide Case.” Activists use this platform as a direct pipeline into classrooms, entirely sidestepping local school boards. Unsuspecting teachers who download these toolkits are inadvertently handling coordinated propaganda. he dynamic driving these lesson plans has a name: critical pedagogy. By calling this framework out, parents and educators have the terminology needed to spot it when it infiltrates local professional development. The scope of this curriculum becomes appar-

School classroom.

ent in its assignments, which push teachers to make social-media creation a core piece of the coursework. Students are instructed to create infographics and videos parroting activist framing. By turning these viewpoints into graded homework, the curriculum essentially morphs the student body into a free public-relations wing for activist organizations, flooding platforms with anti-Israel propaganda amplified by young voices. The North American Values Institute (NAVI) has been leading the charge in investigating this crisis. NAVI’s K-12 Extremism Tracker documented the June CODEPINK webinar, showing presenters explicitly telling teachers that broad state history standards act as an “open door” for anti-Israel lessons. Their reporting also reveals how some teachers can even receive professional development credit

sate148, Pixabay

for attending these workshops. ime is pressing. Activist groups are currently manipulating “America at 250” teaching materials rolling out this fall, linking the ongoing semiquincentennial observations to international conflicts to paint the United States and Israel as global villains. We must also examine who is footing the bill. Investigations into CODEPINK reveal ties to foreign nations. Since 2017, roughly a quarter of its funding has come from entities linked to an American businessman who has been scrutinized for bankrolling pro-China propaganda. The influence pipeline draws a straight line from foreign interests through activist groups into the AFT, and finally, down to American students. Recognizing America’s domestic vulnerabilities in this regard is especially urgent when conSee Brodsky on page 27

THE JEWISH STAR August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786

The global reach of the war’s renewal in Gaza

August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786 THE JEWISH STAR

Shocking, alarming news: The Jews didn’t do it! THANE ROSENBAUM

Touro University

here’s an important piece of grossly underpublicized information you missed last month. Don’t worry. It wasn’t your fault. No mass media outlet believed it was worth your attention. It wasn’t as if the news lacked a credible source or had no relevance to the news of the day. In fact, it would have debunked a falsehood about an allegedly heinous crime, contradicting the basic premise of a story that has held captive the imagination of the general public for three years. This week’s undisclosed shocker: What you have been told about the starvation of children in Gaza was false from the outset. A nutrition survey, released and coordinated by UNICEF, reveals that there has been no malnutrition in Gaza. Indeed, at least with respect to children, it remains at historically low levels. No more reliable source for such matters exists than UNICEF. It is the arm of the United Nations whose sole mission is to advocate for children’s rights. Among its most important mandate: combatting child malnutrition. Still skeptical, given the bombardment of blood libels against Israel? The survey, data results and measurement methods were conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO measured weight, height, and midupper-arm circumference. (Apparently, that’s how acute food scarcity is determined.) Malnutrition among the children of Gaza ranged from 0.2 percent in Khan Younis and Rafah to 0.8 percent in Gaza City — that’s less

UNICEF now reports that there has been no malnutrition in Gaza.

calamities — the most diabolical plots and dastardly deeds — have been committed by Jews. The fact that the indictments are preposterous and beyond rational belief matters little. There’s never an impulse to seek another opinion. “The Jews did it!” has been so omnipresent in history, it’s about time we cut out the middleman and change scapegoats to scape-Jews. ews killed Jesus. They unleashed rats that caused the Black Death. All plagues began with Jews poisoning wells. (Jews were dying, too, but why introduce logic and undermine the smear?) Jews kidnapped Christian children and used their blood to make matzoh — the original blood libel. Jews insinuated themselves inside host countries, bringing down economies and manipulating markets. It’s right there, explained in the book “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” a known forgery and hoax that has riveted and galvanized Jew-haters for over a hundred years. Jews financed the slave trade. They were slumlords, rendering people homeless. Jews control banks and Hollywood. They cause wars and have wars fought on their behalf alone. Jews were responsible for both capitalism and communism. No conspiracy theory was ever conceived without a Jewish component. Jack Ruby, a Jew, killed Lee Harvey Oswald. President Nixon blamed Jewish journalists for his downfall. Jewish neoconservatives pushed America into its post-9/11 wars with Afghanistan and Iraq. Even in art, Jews don’t fare well: Fagin corrupts and exploits children in Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist”; Shylock, the money lender, bleeds Christians of their money, and blood, in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”; Barabas is motivated by greed and out for revenge in Christopher Marlowe’s “The Jew of Malta”; Isaac of York is no great exemplar of Jewish virtue in Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe.” Bernie Madoff and Jeffrey Epstein have surely not helped the cause of reversing these pernicious stereotypes, either. When it comes to Israel, preposterous allega-

The New York Times said this photo shows a healthy-born child suffering malnutrition in Gaza. It was later revealed that the Times deliberately misled its readers.

than 1% across the entire enclave! Those numbers are actually lower than what was recorded before Hamas massacred Israelis on October 7, 2023, which led to the war that almost instantly was redefined as a coordinated campaign to kill and starve Palestinian children. he children of Gaza were more malnourished when there was no war and Hamas was entirely in charge of feeding its people. During the war, Israel’s supply of humanitarian aid actually increased the calorie count. Yet another example of how Hamas is responsible for Gaza’s suffering, and not Israel. This was not a small sample size, either. The survey measured 1.72 million people, or 83 percent of Gaza’s population. We now know that the food supply for the children of Gaza is 30% higher than it is for children in neighboring countries — even when compared to some European nations! Egyptian children suffer from vastly higher levels of malnutrition at 3.3%; in Iran, 4.3%; and in Jordan, 2.3%. And beyond the Middle East? There’s less starvation among Gazan children than there is

in Germany and Finland. What in the world are Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem and Emma Stone talking about? srael is fighting a defensive war to establish deterrence against terrorists who still openly threaten them with repeat performances of 10/7. The children of Gaza are being used as human shields, largely with the blessing of their parents (why else would anyone ignore Israel’s warnings to dash over to humanitarian corridors, rather than remain in buildings designated for destruction?). And by all accounts from nongovernmental organizations charged with measuring child welfare, Gaza’s children are not lacking in food. Perhaps when antisemites are repeatedly screaming “genocide!” and “starvation!” in your face, and the media has no interest in reporting the truth, one can either fall for the lie or have their worst biases confirmed. Which raises the question: Why, throughout all recorded history, is it customary, if not outright incumbent, to blame Jews for anything that might go wrong? There is a universal predisposition to believe that the worst possible

See Rosenbaum on page 27

If desiring a peace with Israel, lift the siege! FIAMMA NIRENSTEIN

very attack on Israel cloaks itself in various ethical arguments, but one accusation is repeated again and again: Israel is aggressive and domineering, incompatible with a universal ethic that places the aspiration for peace at its center. But the opposite is true. Israel is denied peace — a peace it has pursued since the establishment of the state in 1948, when it was willing to share the land and was rejected. The truth is that Israel is increasingly surrounded by an explicit desire to erase it, and remaining constantly on guard is therefore what it must do to survive. It is written in the sands of the Middle East and beyond. On Friday, a defense pact was signed among Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, champions

Israel remains surrounded by forces committed to its destruction.

of Sunni Islam. It may appear that they want to defend themselves against Shi’ite Iran, but no. Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, was explicit: “In the context of Israel, all Muslim countries must unite,” he said, describing the Jewish state as “a threat to the entire Muslim world” and calling for a “united military front” against it. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made hatred of Israel — and the ambition to take control of Jerusalem — a banner of his politics. The Saudis, with their interests in the West and the United States, condition an agreement with Israel on progress toward the Palestinians, first and foremost in Gaza. n Gaza, Hamas proposed giving up the weapons demanded by President Donald Trump in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal. But it is unclear whether this would be under a new 15-point plan or the 20-point plan of October 2025. In other words, Hamas would “deposit” its weapons rather than destroy them. But which weapons, and who would control the depots? Hamas would hand them over only to Palestinian “technocrats” — the same Palestinian Authority that has paid terrorists for murdering Jews. And what about Hezbollah? An important experiment in peace has been worked out in Rome. Israel is trying to withdraw in part and place its trust in a joint monitoring force, but Hezbollah continues to attack. Two soldiers were killed last week and four seriously

Hamas weaponry seized by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip and the border area, Oct. 6, 2024.

wounded, and yesterday there was an explosive drone attack. Israel is showing patience. At least in the north, it hopes for quiet. But can a resident of a kibbutz on the Gaza border — or on the Lebanese border — really return home? Against this backdrop comes the continuing reality of a war still very much underway, in which Iran’s defeat represents nothing less than the promise of survival — a promise that has yet

IDF

to be secured. Enriched uranium and the fixation on destroying the “Little Satan” are still in play. And throughout the world, we are witnessing a once-unthinkable public climate, in which Zohran Mamdani is mayor of New York and Jewish children from Rome are besieged while on vacation. Do you really want peace with Israel? Then lift the siege. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

JONATHAN TOBIN

JNS Editor-in-Chief

t would be difficult to underestimate the impact of Abdul El-Sayed on American politics. His victory in the Michigan Senate Democratic primary over Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens has inspired endless commentary and analysis about the sources of his personal appeal, the shortcomings of his opponent, the state of the electorate and the failures of pollsters to come even close to predicting the results. And it won’t be until we see how he fares against his Republican opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers, in the general election, that we will have a better idea of just how most Americans — and not just Democratic primary voters — feel about his beliefs. But there should be no mistaking one thing: Democrats have given a person whose most important issue was demonizing Jewish participation in American politics a narrow plurality. By rallying around him and unifying behind his candidacy, as the defeated party establishment has already done, they are normalizing a hateful position against a segment of citizenry. They are declaring that politics driven by traditional tropes of antisemitism and money is not merely debatable, but a stand they can all get behind if it means winning a majority in the Senate.

Anti-Zionism is antisemitism Like other public antisemites on the left and right, the 41-year-old El-Sayed has declared his love of the Jewish people and his “commitment to Jewish safety” after winning the primary by less than one percentage point — about 15,000 votes out of more than 1.5 million. Similar sentiments have been heard before by Democrats associated with the progressive “Squad” in the House of Representatives, like fellow Michigander Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also attempted to deflect justified charges of antisemitism. All of them, like El-Sayed’s pledges, are equally insincere. He and other left-wing opponents of Israel claim that they are merely “criticizing” Israel’s current government and expressing sympathy for Palestinian Arabs in the Gaza Strip. They also say that by attacking the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, they are merely decrying the influence of money in American politics and seeking to prevent special interests or a foreign country from attempting to “buy” Congress. But these excuses aren’t merely deceptive. They are a flimsy cover for stands that seek not so much to put AIPAC in its place as to remove Jews from the American public square — other than those who join with Jew-haters to try to demonize a key aspect of Jewish identity and faith. They do not “criticize” Israel as much as they wish to delegitimize the existence of the one Jewish state on the planet. They want to strip it of its rights and ability to defend itself against an

The primary was a referendum on the Jewish presence in the public square. The consequences of normalizing this antisemitic stand will impact much more than AIPAC.

international movement that seeks its destruction. Their opposition to an “ethno-state” is limited only to the Jewish one and indifferent to the dozens that are Muslim. Their desire to rid the electoral system of the influence of campaign spending is limited to those individuals and entities that organize support for Israel. They have no problem with the people, organizations or interests supporting those who back Islamists. They claim that American citizens who back their country’s Israeli ally are malign actors working on behalf of foreign influence. Yet they see nothing wrong with the infinitely greater resources being spent in the United States by Islamist nations like Qatar to spread and normalize Jew-hatred. They aim to drive AIPAC out of American politics, and yet, they take money, as El-Sayed did, from those affiliated with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group not merely openly antisemitic but founded as a front for Hamas. And they seek to isolate and silence those who point to the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is linked to CAIR. All of this illustrates that the anti-Zionism that drives the efforts of a growing cadre of Muslim politicians such as El-Sayed is indistinguishable from a hatred of Jews. El-Sayed explicitly seeks to redefine Judaism and eliminate one of its key elements — love of the land of Israel and its centrality in Jewish life — to clear himself of justified charges of antisemitism.

war effort and slow-walking of arms deliveries. And it is why the Democratic caucuses in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are now on record as supporting an embargo on aid to Israel, including defensive weapons like the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Accepting blood libels

They defend this as a reaction to what they claim is the brutality of Israel, but what they are really telling us is something else. They are making clear that the majority of their officeholders, party cadres, liberal mainstream media allies, and academic and cultural thought leaders have accepted the toxic left-wing ideologies that define Jews and Israel as “white” oppressors. This belief that they are always in the wrong, no matter what they do, and that those who wish to destroy the Jewish state are oppressed minorities always in the right is at the heart of the surge of antisemitism since Oct. 7. That is how blood libels and other fabricated propaganda about Israel committing “genocide” in Gaza, deliberately starving Palestinians or dragging (and even blackmailing) the Trump administration to go to war against Iran have become not so much widely believed on the political left but viewed as unquestionably true. That is the political eco-system that made possible the rise of someone like El-Sayed. Without it, it would have been unthinkable for a candidate to win a major party nomination for the Senate via a campaign that was largely based on the Democrats idea that the most important challenge fackeep shifting ing the American peoleft ple is the existence of In the last decade a lobbying group that since progressives beseeks to promote supgan an effort to wrest port for Israel. control of the DemoThe fact that crats from its estabAIPAC’s reach and relishment after their sources are dwarfed by presidential candidate, other lobbying groups Hillary Clinton, was that represent major defeated by President industries and that it Donald Trump, a wave spends less than leftist of left-wing candidates Senate candidate in Michigan Abdul El-Sayet at a mega-donors, like the have sought to trans- campaign rally on Oct. 22, 2025. family of George Soros, form the party. on candidates who, It began not just among other causes, opwith the election of the four charter members pose Israel is dismissed. El-Sayed’s campaign is of the left-wing congressional “Squad” in 2018, driven by anti-Jewish bigotry, not concern about but with the refusal of the party establishment to campaign finance laws. isolate or condemn Tlaib and Omar when they Yet beyond the specifics of the efforts to mainitially engaged in open antisemitism. Then- liciously and falsely portray AIPAC as a sinister House Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t just prevent group manipulating the system against US inthe censure of Omar for her now-infamous an- terests, there is something more at stake in this tisemitic tweet stating, “It’s all about the Ben- debate. Those who single out AIPAC and have jamins, baby,” referencing money and the lobby- shockingly buffaloed most Democrats into saying group AIPAC, and analogizing Israel to the ing they won’t take contributions from it or its Taliban. members are seeking to drive Jews out of the In fact, Pelosi went on to pose with them for American public square. the cover of Rolling Stone magazine to show that Just as bad, Democrats who still claim to supshe and Democrats embraced what they rightly port Israel and who don’t condemn AIPAC, like saw as politicians who spoke for their party’s Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and base, which were not merely open to socialism Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, endorsed El-Sayed after but also hated Israel and were hostile to Jews. the primary. For them, partisanship is more imThey were also afraid of being accused of Islam- portant than opposing antisemitism. That same ophobia, which in practice in the 21st century mindset caused Senate Democrats to boycott a isn’t hatred for Islam but a willingness to notice hearing chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Muslim Jew-hatred. the growing influence of the Muslim BrotherWhat matters about those events is that set of hood in the United States and elsewhere. choices has informed and explained Democratic t is entirely true that part of El-Sayed’s appeal Party politics in the years since then. is linked to a hunger for populism and a rejecThat’s why in the aftermath of the Hamas-led tion of failed political establishments across Palestinian-Arab assault in southern Israel on the political spectrum. He is also profiting from Oct. 7, 2023, the reaction from so many Demo- the lack of historical memory among so many crats has been to turn on the Jewish state. Many Americans who are willing to fall for the siren Democrats believe that former Vice President call of far-left economics that he promotes (deKamala Harris was defeated by Trump in 2024 spite the wealthy health professional’s declarabecause she and former President Joe Biden tion that he is not a socialist). were insufficiently hostile to Israel, despite their His charisma and political skills, and, by hamstringing of the Jewish state’s post-Oct. 7 contrast, Stevens’s dull political persona, also

played a role in the outcome. Though she was a genuine moderate, her ability to marginalize him and fend off his claims that she was the candidate of a “foreign” lobby was also undermined by her fear of alienating anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment in a party where both were already normalized. Her reflexive criticism of Israel and willingness to acquiesce to the demonization of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — a now-standard trope of pro-Israel Democrats — also made it difficult to point out that El-Sayed’s positions were as immoral and prejudicial as they were wrongheaded. Yet even supporters of El-Sayed, like Michelle Goldberg, the New York Times’ anti-Zionist columnist, noted his megalomaniacal tendencies, so typical of hate-mongers, which cause him to believe that those who oppose him can’t be sincere.

A test for 2028 The existence of a large Arab and MuslimAmerican population in Michigan — and the ubiquity of anti-Jewish prejudice in that particular community — was another factor, though one that hasn’t been replicated in US politics, except in certain circumstances, as Mamdani’s victory in New York City showed. Still, El-Sayed’s support was largely limited to white privileged voters, along with his Arab and Muslim base. The credentialed elites are the base of the Democratic Party these days, not the working-class voters it once represented and now largely scorns. He did poorly among African-Americans, who are a vital constituency for Democrats. As much as Jews and blacks have split on many issues, convincing African-Americans to buy into the idea that a pro-Israel lobby was the country’s greatest problem was a tough sell. Nevertheless, the consequences of a campaign that normalizes El-Sayed’s vile tactics will be felt throughout the political system and American discourse. It remains to be seen whether Rogers will be more effective in pointing out El-Sayed’s extremism. It will also be interesting to see if AfricanAmericans turn out for a candidate with little to say to them in the numbers Democrats need to prevail. Much attention will also focus on Michigan’s Jewish community, mainly in and around Detroit, which makes up only 1.4% of the state’s electorate. It is still overwhelmingly politically liberal and loyally votes the Democratic ticket. If a significant minority reflexively votes for the Democratic candidate, as was the case with Mamdani in the 2025 New York City mayoral election, regardless of El-Sayed’s contempt for Jewish interests and rights, it will be a sign of the moral collapse of liberal Jewry. t should be remembered that in March, a domestic terrorist, Ayman Mohamed Ghazali, crashed his pickup truck — loaded with gasoline and commercial fireworks — into Temple Israel, a large Reform synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. Fortunately, no one was hurt except for the attacker himself, who was shot and killed by law enforcement. El-Sayed rationalized that crime by saying it was understandable since the terrorist was upset about the death of his brother, a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, who was killed as a result of Israel’s efforts to prevent the Iranian proxy group from attacking their country. If, rather than a test of the appeal of ElSayed’s antisemitism, the election hinges on a verdict about the Trump administration, the Democrats may be able to carry their candidate over the finish line. If so, then the problem won’t be just the addition of an antisemite to the Senate. It will be a signal sent to his party as well as the still relatively small minority of Republicans that share his prejudices, that targeting Jews will be both acceptable and good politics in 2028. Write: Columnist@TheJewshStar.com

THE JEWISH STAR August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786

El-Sayed, Dems, AIPAC and the war on US Jews

August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786 THE JEWISH STAR

BRESSLER: Mamdani’s lies and damned lies…

Continued from page 22 be demonstrably false. Even periods when Israel paused aid deliveries into Gaza followed periods of aid delivery that included enough food to prevent any famine-like conditions in Gaza for months longer than the periods of aid interruption. Data released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system (IPC) famine monitoring organization demonstrated that actual malnutrition levels in Gaza fell below the IPC’s standards for declaring a famine. All of these facts, as well as the fact that Hamas commandeered a large percentage of aid shipped into Gaza and resold aid on the black market, were simply too inconvenient or too threatening to the mayor’s pre-ordained narrative to get past his Israel-hating blinders. Israel has “gunned down” hundreds of aid

workers and journalists. Certainly, some journalists and aid workers have been killed in the fighting. However, as the mayor likely knows, many of the people identified as “journalists” and “aid workers” were exposed as members of terror groups cynically donning the vests of journalists and aid workers (and thereby putting genuine aid workers and journalists under suspicion and in greater danger). Nor is there any specific evidence to support the mayor’s reckless claim that Israel is deliberately targeting such workers who are unaffiliated with terrorist groups. The other allegations in Mamdani’s screed — including that thousands of children have had to undergo amputations without anesthesia, and that Israel has purposely targeted neonatal hospitals and maternity wards — are wholly without credible support. But they are driven by the

Goldman… Berlin… Continued from page 21 Now, I can already hear some of you — because I get this question every single time I give this class: “Rabbi, surely there are exceptions?” And you’re quite right, there are. Judaism is not a religion of rigid slogans; it is a religion of nuance, which is precisely why we need dozens of volumes of Talmud instead of one bumper sticker. Take the terrible years of the Holocaust. A Nazi officer stops a Jew on the street and demands: “Are you a Jew?” And the Jew, to save his own life, says “No.” That, my friends, is not a lie in the eyes of halacha — that is survival. It is pikuach nefesh, the preservation of life, which trumps almost everything else in the book. Nobody is writing that fellow up for a violation of the ninth commandment. Quite the opposite; we would say he did exactly the right thing. And on a lighter note, there’s the classic from married life. our wife tries on a dress, twirls in front of the mirror and asks, “Does this make me look fat?” Gentlemen, let me save you years of therapy: There is only one halachically, diplomatically and matrimonially correct answer to that question. And it is not “well, funny you should ask.” This, too, is a matter of life and death — and you’d better answer the question appropriately or you may be putting your very life in danger. Shalom bayit is itself a Torah value, and sometimes a small, harmless fib in the service of somebody’s dignity and your own domestic tranquility is not a crime against truth. It’s allowable. It’s practically a mitzvah. But remember that these are the exceptions, not the rule. They’re the fine print at the bottom of the contract, not the headline. The headline — those big bold letters at the top of the page — is still “tzedek, tzedek tirdof (Justice, justice, shall you pursue).” Don’t build a good result on a foundation of rot. Don’t tell yourself that a little dishonesty here, a little corner-cutting there is a small price for a big win because it never stays small. It has a funny way of becoming the whole story. So between Rashi and Reb Simcha Bunim, I think we get the complete picture, and it isn’t complicated, even if it took two rabbis and a few centuries to spell it out. Rashi tells us where to look for justice — through people and institutions you can trust. The Chassidic master tells us how to walk there — with clean hands the entire way. Put them together, and you’ve got a life lesson of eternal worth. It’s not enough to want the right outcome. You have to earn it in the right way. And that, my friends, is why the Torah says “justice” twice — because it takes two to get it right. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Continued from page 21 difficult beginning, the road eventually becomes one of blessing. That lesson is especially relevant as we prepare for Elul. I have been trying to work on my nutrition as one form of teshuvah, together with the more obvious areas I want to improve, like my speech and my middos. The Gemara (Berachos 32b) cites the pasuk, “Venishmartem me’od lenafshoseichem” (Devarim 4:15), “Take utmost care and guard yourself diligently,” as the basis for guarding our health. G-d wants us to take care of the bodies He entrusted to us. I have been trying to stop eating impulsively and to become more conscious of why I am reaching for food in the first place. I will be honest. The beginning has been hard. The cravings for sugar are strong, and habits that have been built over years do not disappear overnight. But slowly something changes. After three weeks or so, at least for me, the cravings become quieter. The body adjusts. You have more energy. What originally felt restrictive starts to feel freeing. It made me realize that teshuvah often works the same way. The hardest part is usually the beginning. he Ramban famously asks why Hashem tested Avraham at the Akeidah if He already knew what Avraham would do (Ramban to Bereishis 22:1). His answer is that a nisayon is never for Hashem. It is for us. In the Ramban’s words, its purpose is “lehotzi hadavar min hakoach el hapo’al,” to bring what exists in potential into reality. As long as greatness remains only potential, a person never truly knows what he or she is capable of. A nisayon transforms hidden strength into lived reality. I once heard a beautiful illustration of this idea. If you are sitting while reading this, hold your hands out in front of you. You probably do not feel very much. Now place your hands underneath your chair and gently pull upward. Immediately you feel resistance, and suddenly you become aware of muscles that you hardly noticed a moment earlier. The strength was always there. The resistance simply revealed it. This is exactly what the Ramban means. Hashem does not send us nisyonos (spiritual challenges) because He needs to know who we are. He sends them because we need to discover who we are. That is why teshuvah is never supposed to feel effortless. Real change always begins with a little resistance. Choose one area that needs work and make the goal small enough that you can actually keep it. Five minutes without speaking lashon harah every Tuesday from 12:00 until 12:05. Putting away your phone in another room while davening. Make the goals small, and then you can gradually increase them. The road may begin

mayor’s persistent effort to cram Israel’s round peg — its legitimate military aim of routing Hamas out of its civilian command and control centers — into the square hole of “genocide.” It’s intentionally inflammatory. It’s baseless. It’s, well, Mamdani. he mayor insists that there is “no place” for antisemitism in New York City — while simultaneously spouting the blatantly antisemitic notion that, while all peoples have a right to self-determination in their historic homelands, the Jews are the one exception. He vilifies the large majority of Jews who identify with and embrace Zionism, which itself is a core tenet of Jewish belief. I guess he means he will protect Jewish New Yorkers as long as they reject their own nationhood and self-determination rights and agree to lesser status than other peoples. In other words,

his operating philosophy is that we have a right to protection as long as we are dhimmi-nished. Mark Twain, quoting Benjamin Disraeli, said that there are “lies, damned lies, and statistics,” describing the persuasive power of data to mislead, manipulate or bolster weak arguments. We have lies, damned lies, and Mamdani. Howard Bressler is a resident of West Hempstead. An attorney, he is author of “Wrong Conclusion, No Resolution: United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334’s Erroneous Conclusions on the Legality of Israeli Settlements in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem” and “The Layman’s Guide to Surviving Cancer: From Diagnosis Through Treatment and Beyond” (Langdon Street, 2014). His most recent previous column in The Jewish Star was “Jews Cogens: One rule for me, another for thee.” Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

with a few thorns, but Hashem has already told us where it leads. In the end, like the traveler in the poem, we will look back and know it was the road less traveled that made all the difference. Rabbi Benny Berlin is spiritual leader of BACH in Long Beach. www.bachlongbeach.com. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

A position of power would erase from his heart and from his conscience the ability to self-criticize. Public exposure would interfere with his ability to preserve his broken heart. A position of power would minimize and silence the inner voice that he wished to keep forever.” Should he accept the title of Nasi and achieve a lofty position with its material rewards, his conscience would weaken and ultimately vanish. He chose to reject glory lest it cool his goal of spiritual perfection and diminish his capacity to make demands of himself. Better to follow the Torah’s insistence that the newly initiated inhabitant of the city of refuge must decline the honor offered to him and proclaim to all, “I am a manslayer, I am a rotzeach.” This may not be the appropriate model for everyone. But those who follow the path of Nevardek will benefit by adapting to a heavy dose of sincere introspection, discovering the powers of restraint that accompany a guilty conscience, and opening themselves up to painfully honest self-criticism. There is much to be said for this agenda for those who find it personally meaningful. Let us all contemplate Rabbi Zeitchik’s message. We are grateful to him for introducing to us one of the many paths to spiritual growth as we get closer to the Days of Awe. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Weinreb…

Continued from page 21 long will our bridegroom dwell with you while we sit here bereft of his presence?” (Talmud Yerushalmi Chagiga chapter 3, paragraph 2). abbi Zeitchik continues: “The people of Jerusalem offered him glorious honor, as if on a golden platter, yet he refused it. Why? Because he knew he could not withstand the temptations of glory and power.” “What motivated such extreme piety?” asks Rabbi Zeitchik. In response to his own question, the rabbi encourages us to gain insight into Yehuda ben Tabai’s tortured soul by perusing a Talmudic passage which I will translate loosely in the interests of brevity: Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabai proudly announced that, in his capacity as a qualified judge, he had ordered the execution of an eid zomeim (a witness who falsely accused another of murder but who was then discovered to have been nowhere near the murder he claimed to have witnessed) and that his order was carried out. … To which Shimon ben Shetach retorted accusingly: “If so, you have spilled the blood of an innocent man!” Yielding to Shimon ben Shetach’s greater authority, Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabai agreed to never again rule on any judicial procedure without first consulting Shimon ben Shetach. For the rest of his life, Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabai would frequently visit the grave of the man whose death he caused and beg aloud for forgiveness. (Talmud Bavli Makkot 5b). In the above passage, Rabbi Zeitchik finds good reason for Yehuda ben Tabai’s resistance to public acclaim. He was forever burdened by feelings of guilt that he could not suppress. He suffered unrelenting remorse. He remained perennially haunted by his irrevocable judicial decision. Consistent with the approach of his Nevardek mentors, Rabbi Zeitchik identifies with Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabai. Rather than try to overcome feelings of guilt, a technique which other approaches to teshuva would highly recommend, he strived to retain his guilty conscience for its own sake. abbi Zeitchik promotes a teshuva framework consistent with his Nevardek background. He writes, “Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabai felt that he could not accept a public position of leadership because it would diminish his remembrance of the error in judgment that led to the wrongful death of another human being.

Mazurek…

Continued from page 21 est failing as a people is our inability to unite. Tanach has repeatedly shown us that the lack of unity has always been our downfall. •The famous religious king Yoshiyahu (Josiah) of Judea, who upon finding sefer Devarim hidden away in the Beit HaMikdash, cried and tore his clothes, began an earnest religious renewal, destroying all vestiges of idol worship and prohibited high places and pagan sacrifice — going even further then his ancestor, the great King Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah). Yet he died in battle at the hands of the Pharaoh King Necho II of Egypt. •King Achav (Ahab) of Israel, and his wife Izevel (Jezebel), whose names are synonymous with evil, led the people down a path of idol worship and rejection of G-d. Yet Chazal tell us he never lost a battle, because despite the evil, he briefly united the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel. G-d desires Jewish unity. erhaps the charedim (sadly the 3 children who perished in that one day were all charedi) need to do a cheshbon ha’nefesh about their outrageous refusal to serve and defend their fellow Jews, and stop violently protesting in the streets with anger and contempt. Perhaps the chilonim need to do a cheshbon ha’nefesh for their years-long divisive and hateful protests that tore the country apart while it Continued on next page

Continued from page 23 such sway over domestic politics. What makes this state of affairs even more worrying is that the influencers and institutions shaping public perceptions are not simply arguing that Israel’s response to Hamas terror has been excessive and immoral, as bad as that is. They are openly and unabashedly antisemitic, and blatant in their insistence that Israel be destroyed. Anyone who has spent any time on social media will likely have their own list of individuals who conform to this description, but they include such execrable people as the American propagandist Max Blumenthal, the U.K.-based pro-Iranian commentator David Miller, the Palestinian author Susan Abulhawa and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. To study their contributions is to descend into a sewer of antisemitism created by historical figures from Henry Ford to Adolf Hitler, and from Joseph Stalin to the wartime Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini. There was a time when their demented rants about a “Jewish empire” and “Jewish supremacism” would have been consigned to the margins. ow, in a terrible indictment of the intellectual qualities of our present civilization, these charlatans are taken seriously by a public that has rediscovered the therapeutic pleasures of antisemitism: blaming the Jews for your own personal failings, for the broken politics in your country or for the vast gaps in wealth between Western and developing countries — or for all of these and more. Make no mistake. A new round of fighting in Gaza will further amplify these voices. That means more violence against Jewish communities and greater reticence among Jews to identify in public as Jews. Indeed, it is not outlandish to think that what we have witnessed so far is a mere taste of the venom still to come. Should Israel, which cannot send the IDF to protect these communities, rein in its operations in Gaza in the hope of lessening pressure on Jews living elsewhere? Absolutely not. The first responsibility of the Israeli government is to its own citizens and the physical survival of the state. On that, there can be no compromise. But in the twisted world of these influencers, that will be portrayed as the State of Israel stoking antisemitism in order to compete with the Palestinians for the coveted label of “victim.” They will eagerly double down. We need to be ready. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Continued from page 23 sidering the New York Times’ investigations into the global web of Chinese propaganda being funneled into American institutions. How do we fix this? NAVI’s recent white paper, “When the Classroom Turns Hostile,” lays out a clear roadmap. Because the problem is a systemic capture of educational institutions, the solution requires a system-wide push for “institutional neutrality.” Schools must uphold their core educational purpose and stay completely out of political activism. e cannot let these one-sided narratives go unchecked. Parents, teachers and community members must hold local school boards accountable, report ideological capture to monitors like NAVI’s K-12 Extremism Tracker and demand that public-school classrooms remain neutral spaces focused on academic excellence. For those ready to push back, further context is essential. Advocates can explore how political orthodoxy is forced on prospective teachers through insights on educator conformity, read the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ report on the transition of antisemitism “From Playground to Classroom,” or look to the NH Journal’s reminder that “The Classroom Isn’t a Political Playground.” Indeed, it is not, and it should not become one. Melissa Brodsky is a content strategist who became an “accidental activist” after October 7. Follow her on Facebook and on Substack. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Rosenbaum

Continued from page 24 tions shift into ludicrous speed. The IDF trains dogs to sexually assault and rape Palestinian prisoners. In wartime, they deliberately target women and children. The IDF intentionally fires bullets at the legs of children, so as to maim them. Israel poisons the water supply in Gaza and the West Bank. Israeli scientists harvest Palestinian organs! he picture of an emaciated Palestinian boy — dying of an incurable disease — was featured on the cover of the New York Times as ostensibly a victim of Israeli cruelty. Back in 2000, a 12-year-old boy caught in a crossfire in Gaza was purportedly killed by Israeli bullets, but years later the evidence suggested that the bullets were fired by Hamas. And the granddaddy of all blood libels: On October 8, 2023, for no reason at all other than its vile Zionist nature, Israel set forth to commit genocide against the Palestinian people, through bombs and mass starvation, without managing to kill terrorists — just women and children. A people perpetually faced with threats of being driven into the sea and wiped from the map have no other national purpose other than to kill Palestinians — a people who didn’t even exist back when Israel was created. No benefit of the doubt seems to ever be given to Jews. Mass media publishes casualty counts supplied by Hamas, without its own sourcing or independent verification. No one bothered to ask UNICEF about the alleged food deficiencies among the children in Gaza. But if UNICEF had released its findings two years ago, when the war in Gaza was at its peak, would such unqualified evidence in rebuttal have made front-page, top-of-the hour news? If it had been reported, would it have mattered to protesters — who, despite being on college campuses, refused to read, and refused to know? Published in JewishJournal.com. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

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Cohen…

Brodsky…

27 THE JEWISH STAR August 14-20, 2026 • 1 Elul 5786

Continued from previous page was still reeling from October 7, and while all were praying and trying to bring the hostages home. Perhaps the dati leumi and mesorati need to do a cheshbon ha’nefesh for the divisive way they rolled out the much-needed court reform, beginning a cycle of tit-for-tat protests that tore the country apart. And more than anyone else, the dati leumi — who bear the major brunt of the fighting and falling in battle and who suffer the most casualties — need to do a cheshbon ha’nefesh. They should have realized that reliance on the conceptzia of paying off our enemies for quiet was a flawed and fatal policy. And unaffiliated Jews must do a cheshbon ha’nefesh as well, for their abandonment of their people, which makes us all weaker and more vulnerable. We will never understand Hashem’s reasons or actions. We finite beings cannot perceive the Infinite Creator of the universe, unless He wants us to. But we do know that He wants us to be united as a people, treating one another with mutual understanding and respect. That’s our job. Chesed and rachamim must come from us. If we show that to another, He will show us the same. Shabbat shalom. Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

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