Issue 164

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BY OU R P RIC ES

Bo r o Park: 481 6 13th Ave 7 18.8 5 3. 5 10 0

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Where there’s fire, there’s hope.

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Wishing all of our Yeled family members a Chanukah full of light and joy.

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Chanukah B X

I did and let me tell you about the experience I had. On a cold, misty and overcast day when one would rather spend their day indoors, I and thousands of others like me ventured out down to the edge of Brooklyn to pick up the King David Chanukah box. I have heard a lot about these boxes. Friends and family have received the King David Chanukah box in the past and have said how it has truly changed the Chanukah experience in their homes. So, with all this anticipation and hype, I pulled off the Belt Parkway and onto Cropsey Ave. When turning onto Bay Pkwy I got in line to receive my Chanukah box. After getting checked in, I moved up toward the pickup point which is when I was greeted by the King David Zeidy, a jolly and warm elderly gentleman. Meeting King David Zeidy only added to the warmth and excitement. While I waited Berry Weber was performing. What a treat!

After a short wait, I was ready to pick up my box. Boro Park Shomrim (BSSP) were present and directed traffic while ensuring a seamless flow. I was motioned to go to a station. As I pulled in, one of the Shomrim volunteers placed the King David Chanukah box into my car. That was it, I finally had my very own King David Center Chanukah box! Intrigued by the whole event, I drove up, parked and needed to see all that was going on up front for myself. Never have I experienced such an event that was so well organized, fun and entertaining for the whole family, even on a cold and overcast day. As I observed each car moving up, and receiving its box, it was touching to see how excited and happy the kids and even the parents were with all that was going on. Kids were bopping up and down to Berry Weber’s music, while at the same time jumping for joy to be receiving their very own King David Chanukah box. Shomrim and the King David staff were working quickly and

efficiently to make sure everyone got their box, all while keeping the line moving. I was in true awe. I asked some of the families as they were pulling out what was their favorite part of the event and all of them said the event itself. The Shapiro family from Boro Park said their kids created a countdown on the calendar until the day that they would be picking up their Chanukah box. I asked the kids what part was their favorite and all of them said the Zeidy! They loved the Zeidy because it reminded them of their own loving Zeidy.

King David Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation has truly created what I believe to be the community event of the year. Here you had families from all over Brooklyn and the New York Metro area who were lining up with their families to get their King David Chanukah box, even some people from NJ made the trip and said it was well worth it. What was warming to see was the smiles on everyone’s faces and the diversity. The children, the parents, the volunteers, the staff and most of all King David Zeidy! It made me think of my Zeidy and the fond memories I had of spending yomim tovim and especially Chanukah with him and my Bubby. So amazed by the events outside King David, I ventured inside and was blown away by the beautiful state of the art and welcoming facility that awaited me. The staff all had smiles and greeted me warmly.

Before leaving the event, I opened my Chanukah box, and was truly amazed at how each item is so detailed and creative. There is a bag for each night of Chanukah that is beautifully designed and included fun and interactive games. Most amazing of all is the dancing Zeidy. After seeing everything, it was truly telling how King David Center is there to serve the community. King David Center truly has shown how they not only take pride with their work in helping and caring for our Bubbies and Zeidies, but that they love doing this work. King David Center truly showed that they embody the posuk of “you shall rise before your elders and show deference to our seniors”.

Sincerely,

Have you heard about the King David pre-Chanukah event? Have you received your King David Chanukah box?

Forthe Childinyou

CLEAN AND CREATIVE

(Re: Milchig Munchies Bar, Issue 163)

When I saw the gorgeous party ideas by Miriam Pessy Wercberger, I was inspired to take things I had around the house and go for the same clean look she had acquired with her beautiful decor.

I used glassware I had at home and purchased some soft candles in various shades, and our Chanukah table was so elegant, and the decor inexpensive too.

I also used the dreidel wraps she featured to garnish a salad and turn it into exciting Chanukah fare.

Thank you for always being a springboard for fun inspiration.

AN OPP TO THANK

(Re: Can You Hear Me? Issue 161)

E.P.S.

Since I’m sending in my survey, I’d like to use this opportunity to thank you for an amazing magazine! I eagerly await The Boro Park View every Wednesday, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the survey. I very much enjoy your surveys, articles, stories, and also the opinions and feedback from your readers.

I particularly enjoyed Issue 161 that was themed on phones. The article “Dated Dialing” was interesting and informative, and I appreciated your feature on telephone etiquette, as well.

A Loyal Reader

A RIVETING READ

(Re: The Long Road to Freedom)

This is a long overdue thank you for printing the serialized stories by Avner Gold. Both serials you featured from this author were very much enjoyed and appreciated. I hope that you will print more of his masterful work.

A Grateful Reader

YOUR VOICE

NOT CHILD’S PLAY

Please be aware that when children create menorahs with various toys, like Clics or Lego, candles should never be lit on them as doing so poses a great fire hazard. Let’s play safe, with fire safety a priority throughout Chanukah and beyond.

A Concerned Fellow Yid

NOT UP FOR THE TAKING

Last week Shabbos we hosted a sheva brachos in a local shul’s hall. We received a few beautiful floral bouquets on Erev Shabbos, which really enhanced the decor. On Motzei Shabbos, after escorting our guests out and beginning melaveh malkah preparation, we set out to the hall to pick up the belongings we had left there, including, of course, the beautiful flowers, so we could continue to enjoy them at the melaveh malkah in our home.

When we got to the hall, we were greatly disappointed to find that the largest bouquet, which had been beautiful and fresh just an hour or so earlier, was now mysteriously gone. After searching in all possible nooks at the hall, we gave up and headed home.

As a side note, one of the guests had arrived at the hall close to the zman on Erev Shabbos and quickly stuck cash that was in his pocket into the back of the flower bouquet, to be retrieved after Shabbos. This money, too, was now gone.

Speaking to the hall manager later that night, I mentioned the incident, and he finally cleared the confusion, sharing with us that a woman and girl had entered the hall shortly after Shabbos and said they were there to pick up the flowers. They took the largest bouquet and left.

It seems that a — surely well-meaning — woman had assumed that we no longer needed the still beautiful-looking flowers that were gifted to us for Shabbos.

I would like to share the agmas nefesh this caused our family in the hopes that those who take the time to reuse leftovers from simchos make sure to communicate with the baalei simcha about what exactly is no longer needed so they can avoid turning a chesed into something quite the opposite.

Thank you,

A Baalas Simcha

CHANUKAH

Of Miracles and Malachim

On Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of rabbim b’yad me’atim . Mattisyahu and his sons went out to fight thousands of armored Yevanim, and they ultimately won the war, banishing the Yevanim from Eretz Yisroel and rededicating the Beis Hamikdash. It isn’t natural that a few men without proper training in warfare should fight mighty military legions from the strongest kingdom. The entire world was terrified of this superpower! Mattisyahu and his sons obviously realized that they were dependent on major miracles to win this war. If so, why was it necessary for them to go out and endanger their lives? They could just as well have stayed home and waited for the miracles to happen. Why did they go out to a war which they stood no chance of winning?

IT HAPPENED IN A VILLAGE near Pressburg, some two hundred years ago. An elderly non-Jew who was nearing 80 came to the local rav with a request: “I want to be megayer!”

The rav tried to deter the man from his wish. “What do you need it for?” he asked. “The Jewish people suffer so much in galus. It just isn’t a popular thing to be these days.”

“I know,” the gentile replied. “But I’ve known Yiddishkeit from up close for five years already. I know what Shabbos is, I know about tefillin, kashrus, Pesach… everything! I want to become one of you!”

After a long talk, the rav realized that the man was sincere. He offered one last word of caution, advising the gentile that he would have to undergo a bris milah, no small feat for a man his age, before finally immersing in the mikvah

“I know about that, too,” the man replied. “Avraham Avinu also had his bris as an old man. I’m not afraid.”

The rav, who was a tremendous talmid chacham but by no means an expert in geirus, sent the man to the mohel of their village with an endorsement letter. The mohel read the rav’s words and immediately performed the bris.

But things did not proceed smoothly. The man contracted an infection, and within a few days, he was hovering between life and death. In those pre-antibiotic days, there wasn’t much to do for one with a serious infection. The doctors had no way to help him.

Word of the sick man spread throughout the town and reached the ears of the priest. He was enraged.

“Those Jews apprehended an innocent old man and endangered his life by circumcising him!” He immediately issued a warning: “If the old man dies, we will eliminate every single Jew in town!”

Panic erupted. This was a terrible decree!

The rav, who realized that he was essentially responsible for the situation, ran to the Chasam Sofer in Pressburg. With tears streaming down his face, he repeated the tale.

“Rebbe!” he cried. “What should we do?”

The Chasam Sofer stood up from his seat.

“You are a rodef !” he berated the rav. “What did you do? Why did you get involved in geirus without having any experience? Why did you send him to the mohel? A man this age would need to have his bris performed under the direction of a doctor!”

The rav was shocked by the outright mussar. Not only did the Chasam Sofer not calm him down, but he even poured salt on his wounds…

“Rebbe!” he repeated. “Help me! What should I do now?”

The Chasam Sofer sat, immersed in thought. Finally he said, “You don’t have a choice. You will have to do just like the Gemara says in Taanis (18b).”

The Gemara tells the tale of a princess who was slain by two

murderers, who managed to escape by hiding in the city of Lutkia. The king decreed that if the perpetrators were not found within three days, the entire city would be wiped out. The local residents searched all over — for naught. The two men seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

There were two righteous brothers, Papus and Alyanus, who decided they must do something to avert the terrible decree. They would present themselves as the murderers and thus save the entire city. Indeed, when they came to the palace claiming to be the criminals, they were immediately imprisoned. The decree was nullified, and the two brothers were sentenced to death.

As Papus and Alyanus were led to their deaths, a bas kol announced, “Ein kol beriyah yecholah la’amod b’mechitzasan! ” No one could possibly stand in the presence of these two brothers in Gan Eden.

Now the Chasam Sofer turned to the frightened rav. “You, too, must bear responsibility for this gezeirah,” he said.

He advised the rav to go to the home of the sick man and tell his wife that he wants to take him to top doctors in Vienna. Then he should go to the Danube and hire a small boat, which would lead them across the river to Vienna.

“Tell everyone that you’re trying to save his life,” the Chasam Sofer said, “but it is too late. This man will not survive in either case.”

While on the Danube, the rav was to cause the boat to capsize, drowning himself along with the old man. When the news would reach town, the people would be able to tell the priest that the man hadn’t died from infection, but from drowning. Hopefully, this would lift the clouds of doom from the Yidden of the village.

It was a terrifying task, but the rav knew he had no choice. He ran home and emotionally parted from his wife and children. Then he went to the home of the old man. By that time, the man was unconscious and unresponsive. Time was of essence! The rav quickly offered to take the man to professors in Vienna, and the wife, who was at her wits’ end, agreed.

The rav knew he was breathing his last. As soon as they were on the boat, he began to recite Vidui and prepared himself for his final moments on Earth. As soon as they were out of the shore’s sight, he would turn over the boat.

Suddenly, he heard a cry. “Reb Yid!”

He looked around and saw a small boat following behind him. On it sat a Yid with true hadras panim

“Why are you crying?” the man asked the rav.

The rav told the man what happened, repeating the Chasam Sofer’s instructions.

“I’m a doctor,” the man on the other boat said. “Let me take a look at him.”

“The man is on his deathbed,” replied the rav. “Do you know how to revive the dead?”

“Avraham Avinu also had his bris as an old man. I’m not afraid.”

“Let me try,” came the reply.

The doctor pulled out some instruments and powders from his bag and began to prepare a remedy. He pressed a spoonful into the sick man’s mouth. Suddenly, the man opened his eyes and asked for a cup of water. The doctor, who seemed prepared for this response, took out a cup and gave him a drink. The sick man gulped the water thirstily and broke out in a heavy sweat. Apparently, the infection was leaving his body. The impossible had occurred! It was a real miracle.

The doctor sat beside the sick man until he regained his color and looked hale and hearty again. Then he packed his bag to go.

“I cannot thank you enough!” the rav told the doctor. “Not only did you save this man’s life, but you saved mine and all the men, women and children of my town as well!”

When the rav returned to town, with the healthy ger in tow, he was received with great joy. But before he could celebrate along with his people, the rav hurried to Pressburg. He had to share the miracle with the Chasam Sofer.

The gaon hador looked up from the sefer in which he was immersed and said, “You were zoche to an open miracle!”

“Rebbe! It was as if a malach came to me, there on the river, and brought a special medicine!”

“As if?” the Chasam Sofer responded. “Why, it was a real malach! It was Eliyahu Hanavi, the Malach Habris. He came on my shlichus to save you all.”

The rav was silent, shaken by the revelation. Finally, he asked, “Tell me, Rebbe. Six hours ago, I was here, in the Rebbe’s room, distraught about the terrible gezeirah. Why didn’t the Rebbe effect the yeshuah right then?”

“I’ll explain,” the Chasam Sofer said. “There is no way we could bring such a holy malach to the earthly city of Pressburg just like that. Eliyahu Hanavi doesn’t come on a whim. But when you were ready to give up your life l’Shem Shamayim, just to save an entire town — when you displayed such outright mesirus nefesh — then you were worthy of having Eliyahu Hanavi appear.”

* * * * *

Mattisyahu and his sons knew they needed a neis to triumph against the Greeks. But in order for the miracle to happen, they first had to display mesirus nefesh for the cause.

When Hashem sees mesirus nefesh on our part, He is prepared to shower us with nissim. We find the same by Krias Yam Suf. Only after Nachshon ben Aminadav jumped into the water with mesirus nefesh did Hashem split the sea.

The neis of Chanukah was ready, on the verge of happening, yet Hashem waited to first see the Yidden display mesirus nefesh for Torah, mitzvos and kedushas Beis Hamikdash. Only then were they worthy of the miracle.

“Do you know how to revive the dead?”

by: YAAKOV GRUNBAUM

An

ANSWERING THE CALL

But there’s a big world out there. What do outside people do when they need assistance? It may be surprising to some, but there are many, many government programs — especially in states like ours — that provide relief for residents in time of need. While the fire trucks and ambulances get all the attention, there are a staggering number of services for individuals and families facing any number of challenges. There are solutions available for those struggling to pay their rent or utilities, services for the elderly and disabled, relief for those with high health care costs and so much more. But many are unaware of what’s available, and even if they do become familiar with it, they struggle with how to go about securing the help they need.

In a number of New York neighborhoods, there are agencies that work as liaisons between the community and the government, yet Boro Park has always lagged behind.

In recent years, a revitalized BPJCC has stepped up to fill this gaping void. Today, nearly two dozen staff members spend their day guiding and assisting locals in obtaining the aid they need to tackle their particular life challenges.

Leading this turnaround is Avi Greenstein, a chassidish yungerman with a heart for helping others. This week, we spoke with Avi about his work.

How did you get into the world of askanus and public service?

I must go back to my parents, who lived a life of chesed. Our home was always open to guests, my father was wholly devoted to the needs of Ger mosdos as well as others, and we learned what it means to serve the klal

At a fairly young age, I became a principal in a local yeshivah, and one thing led to another until I was appointed to serve on the Executive Board of PEARLS, the organization defending our children’s education. This job gave me great sipuk and motivated me to do even more for even more people.

What led you to joining BPJCC?

Our agency has been around for a long time and my predecessor Harav Yerucham Silber did an incredible job advancing our mission in the years before I joined. I didn’t have to start from scratch. Here I had an opportunity to fur-

ther expand and establish ourselves even so that Boro Park residents can know that with a quick call, they are in capable hands and will receive the support they need.

What type of services are we talking about?

I’m glad you asked because I want to clear up a potential misconception: While all services are free and we do perform works of chesed, our services are not only geared to people who are in dire straits or struggling in life. On the contrary, people contact us with the most basic of needs. It may be because they have a visa issue; they lost their birth certificate and can’t get a passport; they face a tax problem; the gas company isn’t fixing their leak; or any of the countless other issues that may pop up in everyday life.

That’s a very broad mission.

You can say so, but we have the infrastructure, knowledge and relationships to actually take their hand and guide them

Any conversation about the frum community invariably includes mention of the many chesed services accessible to all fortunate enough to be part of it — from the lifesaving and lifealtering, to the rainy day and everyday.

until the matter is behind them.

Bisiyata d’Shmaya, we were able to move into a beautiful office that comfortably accommodates our large team and growing stream of visitors. We placed a focus on hiring team members who speak our language and understand the community. This makes a real difference when you’re doing this kind of work.

What are your most popular services?

I’d say that the largest share of visitors request assistance with applying for or recertifying their government benefits: food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, home care etc. HEAP, a program offering heating assistance, has also been very popular recently. I should also mention our services for Holocaust survivors, where we do all we can to honor the heroes who we still have the zechiya to have among us.

How do you view your agency’s mission?

We want to be for any issues people may have — and be there with heart; and we are there. We have expanded into a lot of advocacy work, which can include things like intervening with a bank or utility company who is giving someone a hard time. Because we have experience and come armed with some credibility, they listen.

Our work goes well beyond the expected services. For example, we help people with job placements so that they don’t require outside help. We offer advice and referrals. We place a call when you can’t get through to someone important. The list goes on and on…

Among the many organizations in the community, how do you stand out?

We aren’t anyone’s competitor. We are facilitators who actually work with every organization and service to bring relief to people when their situation demands it. There’s no issue that’s beyond our purview because our very mission is to step in and be at your side.

Recently, an older woman who lost her husband to COVID came into our office in a panic. She had been receiving threatening letters from her bank that she’s going to lose her home and owes tens of thousands of dollars. Goldie from our Senior

Division calmly sat down with her, contacted the creditors, and when she left, the woman not only had clarity but learned that she actually had credit with the bank! She thanked us profusely for the help, but just as importantly for how we helped her.

I don’t think there are many other places equipped to give their time and resources to something like this.

Is there anything you would say is not part of your mission?

I can’t think of much. Even if there’s something where we can’t directly help, we are an invaluable referral resource that will not leave your side until we are certain you are in good hands and the matter has been seen to.

We were recently contacted by an individual whose father was in the hospital and he wasn’t able to get onto Medicaid because of their income and assets. Now, there are solutions for such things but they require waiting at least until the next

month. That wasn’t an option here., so we got to work and we pulled it off.

I can go on and on with stories, but the points are all the same. We’re here, we care and get results.

What is your relationship with local kehillos?

We continue to put in a lot of effort to unite Boro Park’s leading kehillos and askanim. There’s so much to be done, and frankly, we’ve fallen behind other neighborhoods in this regard as a neighborhood that is home to so many different kehillos. We plan on rolling out an initiative so that every one of our 250+ shuls will have a designated representative connected to our office. These gaba’im are the people on the ground who know when Yidden need a helping hand and can help us in the avodas hakodesh

You’ve discussed the needs of individual people; how about the needs of the klal as a whole?

Great question. This is something that I’m very passionate about, and I know how much better our community can be served. Whether in a time of crisis or with standard services, our established relationships combined with the power of such a strong community behind us, can ensure that the klal’s needs are met.

Where do you see your agency going from here?

Wherever the needs of our people take us. We’re here to serve, and we encourage Boro Park residents to take advantage of our free and comprehensive services. Our door is open!

L-R: AVI GREENSTEIN CEO, BPJCC, SHULEM BORNSTEIN, BPJCC DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS.

With Menorahs Ablaze, Fire Department Issues Chanukah Safety Tips

Hoping to ward off potential dangers as families celebrate Chanukah, fire departments have issued a special safety announcement listing multiple tips to ensure safety as menorahs are burning.

Firefighters advised residents to use menorahs that are sturdy and made of nonflammable materials, and to keep them far away from paper and plastic items that can catch fire. Lit menorahs should never be left unattended, nor should they be placed in closed areas such as bookshelves. For those who choose to light their menorahs on a windowsill, firefighters warned residents to place menorahs in locations where their flames will be far away from curtains or other window treatments.

Equally important is keeping children away from lit menorahs and keeping a fire extinguisher nearby in case of an emergency. Because oil and water do not mix, avoid using water to put out oil flames, which can actually spread the flames as oil droplets splash and spread.

For those using pre-filled oil cups, the fire departments recommend choosing cups made of glass and avoiding those that are made of plastic.

Fines Looming for Yeshivas That Don’t Enforce Student Vaccination Requirements

Private schools statewide could face hefty financial penalties for allowing students who aren’t up to date on their vaccinations to attend classes.

Yeshiva World News reported that a letter sent to all private school administrators statewide explained that this past summer’s reported case of polio in New York underscored the importance of enforcing vaccination requirements. Schools that fail to follow the immunization mandates as outlined in New York’s public health law could face fines of as much as $2,000 per day for each unvaccinated student.

New York does allow for medical exemptions, but the letter noted that those cases are few and far between. Schools were ad-

vised that after a grace period of fourteen days from the start of the school year, or 30 days for those moving to New York from out of state, students who haven’t completed the full immunization schedule must be told to stay home.

“It is the school’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the mandated vaccination requirements,” read the letter, which also noted that the Department of Health has the authority to conduct audits in any school to ensure that all students have proper proof of vaccination.

Schools could also be facing fines of an unspecified amount for failing to return a state-mandated School Immunization Survey.

Hochul Tackles Hate Crimes on Multiple Fronts

Looking to stem the ongoing rise of anti-Semitic crimes and other bias attacks, Governor Kathy Hochul introduced several new initiatives last week that will tackle the problem at several different levels.

Hochul announced the launch of a new Hate and Bias Prevention Unit on December 12, which will be running a statewide campaign promoting acceptance, inclusion and tolerance. In addition to running public education and outreach efforts, the unit will also be able to pivot quickly to provide support when a bias attack occurs.

“New York State will use every tool at its disposal to eliminate hate and bias from our communities,” said the governor. “We will not let the rise in hate incidents that we see happening online, across the country and across the world take root here at home.”

The governor also announced last week that she was allocating $16 million to bolster safety and security at buildings owned at, or operated by, nonprofit organizations who are at risk of hate crimes. A third piece of legislation signed into law last week by Hochul protects victims of hate crimes from being mistreated by insurance companies by barring them from canceling policies, raising premiums, or refusing to renew or issue a policy because of claims of loss made in connections to a hate crime. The law applies equally to individuals, religious organizations and nonprofits that are organized and operate for religious, charitable or educational purposes and was sponsored in the Assembly by

Senator Simcha Eichenstein.

“Victims of hate crimes do not deserve to be discriminated against once again,” said Eichenstein. “This bill will ensure that insurance companies maintain their policies despite any claims incurred due to hate crimes.”

Hochul wasn’t the only state official speaking out against hate crimes last week. Nearly three years after a horrific Chanukah machete attack in the Monsey home of Rabbi Chaim Leibish Rottenberg, Attorney General Letitia James joined with local elected officials at Ramapo Town Hall to denounce antiSemitism and hatred.

Addressing the audience, James shared sobering hate crime statistics, with 2,127 anti-Semitic attacks reported in 2021, a 34% increase over the previous year, whose numbers were the highest ever reported by the ADL since it began tracking similar incidents in 1979. In New York City alone, hate crimes rose 196% between 2020 and 2021, reported The Journal News

“We’ve got to stand shoulder to shoulder,” said James.

Speakers at the memorial reflected on the attack, which ultimately took the life of 72-year-old Yosef Neumann — who passed away three months later — and injured several others.

James noted that the memorial sent a clear message to those who perpetuate hate crimes.

“There’s more of us than there are of you,” said James.

Higher Heating Bills Ahead, Warns ConEd

If last winter’s soaring heating bills weren’t enough to make your blood run cold, get ready for things to go from bad to worse as bills are expected to rise another 20.5%.

According to Pix 11, the average ConEd customer in New York City paid $347.53 to heat their homes last winter, but this year’s average price is expected to be $418.77 from November 2022 through March 2023. And if that isn’t bad enough, the utility projects that high prices aren’t going to ease anytime soon, blaming the increase on supply costs.

Acknowledging that difficult financial reality, ConEd recommended several cost-saving tips, including lowering thermostats to the lowest possible temperature, moving furniture away from heating vents, and having heating systems inspected and cleaned by a qualified professional. Insulating hot water pipes and air ducts that run through unheated areas can also help lower costs, as can cleaning or replacing filters on hot air furnaces and heat pumps.

Maimonides Promises Better Patient Experience at Upgraded Cardiothoracic ICU

A newly upgraded cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Maimonides Medical Center in Boro Park will be a game changer for heart surgery patients, with a $15 million upgrade providing a better patient experience.

The 10,000-square-foot cardiothoracic intensive care unit is expected to serve more than 1,000 patients each year. In addition to having advanced equipment, monitors and therapies, it has fourteen larger private patient

rooms with bathrooms, sofa beds for family members who want to spend the night, better lighting, upgraded decor, and a new and more comfortable visiting room. The new unit, which will serve patients coming to the hospital for heart and cardiac bypass surgery, aortic aneurysm repair, and other cardiac procedures, is located on the fourth floor of the hospital in the former location of Maimonides’ original ICU.

Hospital CEO Ken Gibbs said that plans had been underway to upgrade the cardiothoracic ICU for some time, but the project became a reality thanks to a $6.5 million gift from the Karfunkel family. The unit’s main entrance was dedicated in memory of Michael Karfunkel, a former Maimonides board member, and is the first upgrade to the cardiothoracic ICU in the past twenty years.

New Bill Eases Condominium Conversion Restriction in Smaller Buildings

Becoming a homeowner will be a lot easier in New York under legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul last weekend eliminated restrictions that made it difficult for smaller multifamily homes to convert to cooperative or condominium ownership.

The new law, sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, applies to three- to fivefamily homes. While previously, buildings could only make the jump from rental units to co-ops or condominiums if more than half of the units were being sold, the new law allows the change to be made with written permission of 15% of the building’s owners or tenants. As a result, tenants are more likely to be able to buy their apartments, while building owners will have an easier time selling single units to buyers.

Gounardes touted the legislation as a positive step toward easing New York City’s housing crisis, one that makes home ownership a more attainable goal. It will also give tenants the ability to stay in their homes for the long term, observed Eichenstein.

“In my district and elsewhere, this new legislation will create new opportunities for hard-working New Yorkers to buy or sell their homes more easily,” said Eichenstein. “It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

14.99

19.99

14.99

FOUND IT!

For thousands of years, Yidden have contributed to the tzedakah of Rabbi Meir and Davened for large and small salvations, whether seeking shidduchim, children, parnassah, or simple frustrations such as losing a wallet or keys. There are so many things we are all searching for.

This Chanukah, experience the timeless Segulah of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness: Give, Daven, Find Your Miracle. You know what you’re searching for, and the segulah of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness can help you find it.

It is appropriate and fitting for every person in Klal Yisroel to donate on Chanukah, and specifically on Rosh Chodesh Teves, to the Kupah of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness.”

FOR A DONATION OF $180, A GROUP OF TALMIDEI CHACHAMIM WILL DAVEN AT THE KEVER OF RABBI MEIR BAAL HANESS ON YOUR BEHALFתת ON הכונח תאז

Rav Chaim Palagi, ל”צז, in יח לכל דעומ רפס

RECAP: Intending to ask Zach for advice about rebuilding his finances, Lenny ends up in Izzy’s hotel room by accident. He finds the manuscript lying on a table next to his phone.

Lenny shoved his things into his suitcase with the frantic haste of a man trying to outrun his own better judgment. His suit, several pairs of socks, that ridiculous dime-novel he’d brought with him. All were tossed unceremoniously into the bag.

Nearby on the bed was a pile of everything he hadn’t yet packed. Next to that was the Rebbe’s manuscript.

Lenny wasn’t a bad guy. But he had no choice. He needed the money. He had no choice.

He repeated that to himself over and over as he reached out blindly for the next item to pack. Sweating profusely, his hand closed on his cell phone.

Why had Izzy taken it away? Whom did they think he was gonna call? The cops? Ha!

Maybe it was just insurance, a way to ensure he wouldn’t run off when they weren’t looking. But that didn’t make sense. Once they had the manuscript, they didn’t need to keep him around.

Maybe they just wanted to punish him.

If Aleksy Wozniak had called while his phone was off, that could have caused real problems. Aleksy was arranging Lenny’s incognito exit from Poland. If he missed

Aleksy’s call…

But no. Aleksy had said it would take a few days. Still, maybe Lenny should go talk to him again, just to be sure?

Nah, he decided. He’d only look like a silly, nervous American. Aleksy might even raise the price just for being annoying. And Lenny couldn’t afford the fee as was...

He rooted through his pile of stuff until he found the battery, slid it into the phone, and turned it on. Then he went back to packing.

The phone played its usual “Hello” ditty, a three-tone bit of artificial cheer that jarred discordantly with the tiny, bleak hotel room. It buzzed once. And then, lying there neglected, the screen winked out angrily.

A moment later it rang.

Lenny snatched the phone and stabbed the answer key so hard his finger hurt.

“Hello?”

“Lenny?”

That wasn’t Aleksy. It was Julia.

Lenny sat down heavily on an empty corner of the bed. “Hey.” He hadn’t expected to hear from her before he got back. At least she wasn’t yelling. “How — how are you holding up?”

“I’m okay.”

“That’s good, that’s good. The kids?”

“They’re fine.”

“Good.” Lenny didn’t quite know what to say. “I’m coming home soon.”

“Are you?” There was a long pause. “You’re not… this thing that you’re doing. This plan to earn us some money. It’s not, uh, illegal or anything. Right?”

Lenny’s blood went cold. With all the craziness in Lenny’s life, he’d never outright lied to Julia before. Sure, there were things he didn’t tell her. Their marriage couldn’t handle total honesty. He didn’t think any marriage could. But an actual lie was something else. It was a line that he’d never crossed, didn’t want to cross. He just avoided sensitive topics, or changed the subject when they came up.

Then again, he’d never stolen anything before, either. He’d have thought that was a line in the sand, too. But it turned out that it was not like that. He wished he hadn’t found that out.

Lenny was learning a lot about himself lately that he wished he hadn’t found out.

“Len? Are you there?”

Lenny’s shoulders slumped. “I’m… filing a few documents, that’s all. Nothing to be worried about.” The last sentence came out barely above a whisper.

“Please, Lenny.” Julia’s voice cracked suddenly. “I don’t want any more schemes or tricks. I’m sick and tired of it all. Just — just forget about whatever this is, and come home!”

“Julia, I can’t —”

“Jesse’s got a big test coming up. He needs you to help him study. It’s math, and you know I can’t deal with math work! And Sheva’s been such a handful. Come home and figure this stuff out with me!”

A vision popped up in his head: Jesse and himself seated at the table, hunched over a notebook page full of shapes and numbers. Julia sitting on the couch with a book. Sheva bursting in, giggling loudly at something someone just told her.

That was just two weeks ago.

Another memory: Lenny and David in a park, playing basketball. David had mopped the floor with Lenny in front of a small crowd of spectators, cracking jokes the whole time with the self-assured charm of a boy who’d never known hard times.

Lenny had loved every second of it.

That was another world, a universe away from Poland and the police and angry cousins. Lenny desperately wanted to return to that life. But what could he do? He needed the manuscript. Julia wouldn’t let him back into the house without the money he took from Sheva. And that meant he had to wait until Aleksy called back.

“How am I supposed to come home now? I can’t leave yet! What about my… business?”

“Forget the whole thing! It’s not important. Can’t you just let it go?” Julia’s voice began to tremble. “It’ll be all right. Forget about the — the business…”

What was she talking about? Didn’t she realize he was doing this for her? “Then how will I pay back Sheva?”

There was such a long pause that Lenny feared he’d set her off again. Mentioning the money he’d taken was the wrong answer. He’d just reminded her that her husband was a no-good thief. Maybe she would’ve let him off the hook about that, but now he’d gone and reminded her of her own threat.

Once again, Lenny had had a chance, and he’d blown it.

What a loser.

“We’ll figure that out, too,” Julia finally said. “Just come home. Please. Just come home…”

“PLEASE, LENNY.” JULIA’S VOICE CRACKED SUDDENLY. “I DON’T WANT ANY MORE SCHEMES OR TRICKS. I’M SICK AND TIRED OF IT ALL. JUST — JUST FORGET ABOUT WHATEVER THIS IS, AND COME HOME!”

* * * * *

Izzy glares at Lenny, his face contorted with anger. Izzy’s rage frightens him; he’s never felt this kind of fury before, this much hatred. He doesn’t know how to control it. Lenny stands about twenty feet away, two rows of metal bars separating them from each other. A small part of his brain, the part that isn’t beyond reason, is grateful. Without those bars, he’s not sure Lenny would be safe.

fore starting, but now it was too late.

His eyes drifted to the desk where the Rebbe’s manuscript lay. What great secrets had the last Rebbe of

WHAT GREAT SECRETS HAD THE LAST REBBE OF LODZ BURIED IN HIS FINAL TREATISE? SOMETHING DEEP, SOMETHING PROFOUND?

“…Wasted ten years here. Because of you!” he shouts, smashing his hands against the bars.

A man dressed in a crisp gray uniform and cap steps between them. He draws a heavy plastic curtain through the hallway, cutting off Izzy’s view. The man turns. It’s not a man at all, but his great-aunt Raiza. She wears a dark suit with a severe skirt, her hair neatly tucked into a coal-black hat with no decoration. She glowers at him but says nothing.

“Not my fault! I didn’t do it!” Izzy screams. But nobody is there. Raiza is gone. Only the curtain remains.

It continues across the room and cuts off all light. Izzy spirals into a well of darkness, still screaming his innocence, his rage and helplessness.

* * * * *

Izzy woke up with a splitting headache and a vague memory of a curtain. He was in a bad mood.

It was dark in the room. For one panicky moment, Izzy thought the sun had already set and he’d missed Mincha. But no, the clock said 2:17. Plenty of time yet. There just wasn’t much space between the hotel and the next building over. Apparently, this side of the hotel drowned itself in its own shadow.

He went to the restroom and washed. Splashed some water on his face and hands. It was bitterly cold, but the shock helped wake him up. Shaking from reaction, he dragged himself back to the room and started Ashrei

It wasn’t a connecting tefillah. His mind was still hazy from sleep, and his mouth was raw and cottony. He should’ve taken a drink of water be-

Lodz buried in his final treatise? Something deep, something profound? A tragic reminder of his tzidkus in the sreifah hagadol?

Izzy was looking forward to the moment when Chaim Simcha’s face would light up upon seeing the manuscript. Maybe he could arrange with Chana to surreptitiously take a few pictures. The smile would be epic.

You’re mid-davening! Izzy reminded himself angrily. With an effort, he tore himself away from the sefer, furious with himself for losing concentration. Especially today; they needed every ounce of siyata d’Shmaya they could pull down.

He closed his eyes, stopped for a second to refocus, then continued.

It wasn’t until much later, when he was putting away his siddur, that his thoughts turned again to the manuscript on the desk.

And that’s when he realized Lenny’s phone was missing.

* * * * *

“What in the world were you doing in my room?” Izzy shouted for the eighth time.

“I told you,” Lenny said. “I wanted to talk to Zach. I didn’t realize it was your room!”

“Izzy, take it easy,” Zach warned as the car swerved. Zach was beginning to wonder if having Izzy drive was a good idea. Izzy had started in on Lenny even before they’d left the hotel. That had been over an hour ago, and they were still at it.

At first, Izzy had seemed relatively in control, if a bit alarmed. He’d entered Zach’s room wide-eyed and wor-

taerg forchanukahg i gnitf

ried. Someone had been in his room. Lenny’s phone was gone. He was going to tell Lenny that he’d pay for a new phone if necessary.

But then it turned out Lenny himself had the phone.

Tune up the comforT

with the cutest cozy slippers

This was alarming in a different way. If the phone was on, it could be traced. Then again, so could their own phones. Keeping just Lenny’s phone shut off probably wasn’t helpful.

But Lenny had gone into Izzy’s room! Didn’t Zach see the problem?!

Sure he did. But Zach also felt that Lenny could be trusted a little more now. He’d had a perfect opportunity to take the book and run, and he hadn’t. Zach felt that was a good sign.

Obviously, Izzy did not.

“Why’d you take the phone?”

“It’s my phone!” Lenny growled. “Why’d you take it away from me?”

There was no answer to that, of course. They didn’t want Lenny to know they could trace his phone. Izzy snarled something under his breath and changed the subject.

They’d probably keep bickering all the way to Lodz. Zach closed his eyes and let the repetitive, angry comments become a sort of buzz. He began to drift off.

Then Izzy hit the brakes, and Zach’s eyes shot open. A few hundred feet ahead, a car was stopped in the middle of the highway, almost perpendicular to the road. Its emergency lights flickered dully against the snow and mud that caked the shoulder.

A man stood next to the car, bundled up heavily against the cold. He was frantically waving his hands up and down.

Izzy slowed the car to a stop and rolled down the window. “Do you speak English? Can we help you with something?”

The driver’s side door opened and another man emerged, holding a gun that was pointed directly at Izzy.

“Get out of the car,” Lucjan ordered. “All of you…”

REJOICE WITH SOME RAZZLE

BY: GELLY WEINGARTEN @GUILTYPLEASURESNY

What says lighthearted Chanukah fun louder than various plays on the beloved razzle? Bring on the joy of sprinkles and laughter!

RAZZLE PIE

If you are looking for a dessert that’s easy, kid-friendly and festive, look no further than razzle pie! Isn’t ice cream the cure for all ails?

ICE CREAM MIXTURE

1 (56 oz.) tub vanilla ice cream

¾ jar peanut butter

10 black Oreo-type sandwich cookies, crushed

HOMEMADE RAZZLE CRUST

¾ pkg. dark Oreo-type sandwich cookies

½ stick melted margarine

TOPPING

5 black Oreo-type sandwich cookies, broken in pieces, for the sides

Additional cookies and other toppings, as desired

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the ice cream mixture, let the ice cream soften. Then mix in the peanut butter and crushed cookies to create a marble effect.

2. Blend together the crust ingredients, then press it into a springform pan

3. Spread the ice cream mixture on top

4. Break the other five sandwich cookies into large chunks. Press these into the ice cream along the sides of the pan.

5. Freeze until solidly frozen.

6. Top with your choice of toppings.

Note: You can choose to use a ready-made crust instead of making your own.

School Adjustment School Issues?

School Adjustment Issues?

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Address your 1st graders challenges by giving her a transformative opportunity to learn and experience social/emotional skills essential for early school success. This uniqe play-based group offers a structured and interactive curriculem to support classroom participation and academic achievement.

Responsibility & Organization Managing Big Feelings

It’s OK to Make a Mistake

Following Rules and Directions School Anxiety Friendship

6 Week Program. Starting after Chanukah. Boro Park Location.

Group is led by Chaya Blumenberg LMSW, trained play therapist.

REGISTER TODAY! Call 917.686.1473

ICE CREAM

SPRINKLE ICE CREAM SANDWICH COOKIES

These festive and fun ice cream sandwiches spell happiness to any child! They’re soft, sweet and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1¼ cups sugar

⅔ cup oil

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 cups flour

½–¾ cup sprinkles

1 (56 oz.) tub ice cream (flavor of choice)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Mix together the first six ingredients in the order listed.

3. Stir in the flour, mixing just until incorporated.

4. Gently fold the sprinkles into the batter.

5. Use a cookie scoop to form cookies. Arrange these cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes

7. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

8. While the cookies are still warm, gently press down on each one to flatten it a bit.

9. Let the ice cream soften. Spread the softened ice cream on a cookie sheet, then refreeze it.

10. Using a cookie cutter that’s approximately the size of your cookies, cut out shapes from the ice cream, and then sandwich each ice cream piece between two cookies.

11. Roll the edges of the ice cream sandwich in sprinkles.

12. Freeze immediately.

THE PERFECT CHANUKAH ACTIVITY!

NOW

Choose the Baketivity program that works best for your family:

Created together with friends.

For girls only. The girls will join their Baketivity class every week in a positively charged atmosphere. They will be guided by an experienced teacher and have a blast creating a variety of di erent culinary creations. Wait till they come home and be impressed.

Created at home with your family.

Receive a monthly Baketivity package, which includes, exact ingredients and clear instructions. Your children will enjoy the hands on and stimulating baking experience. Then, sit back and watch them swell with pride as they serve their homemade goodies.

Available as a monthly membership or at your local Toys4u store. We work with most HCBS and OPWDD agencies.

Under the strict supervision of Bedatz Skver.

styling by: CHAVA SCHWARTZ prepared for print by: HADASSAH STEINMAN photo credit: MOSHE GRUNFELD 845-442-0720 doughnuts sponsored by: SHLOIMY’S BAKERY toppings and fillings sponsored by: BAKER’S CHOICE

The Rules

The rules are simple and can be applied to a party featuring either personal salads, razzles or doughnuts.

Each player begins with a base. If they’re playing to create a salad, this means a plate of lettuce each. If the players will be putting together razzles, this means a cup of ice cream. And if they’re playing for the doughnut, this means a plain doughnut.

Working their way around the table, each player takes a turn to spin the dreidel. The letter the dreidel lands on will indicate the additional component that can be added to the base. Nun, of course, means no addition, while a Gimmel means the very best one!

When all the players have all the components, the salads can be tossed with dressing, the razzles blended and topped, and the doughnuts topped and boxed!

We play dreidel on Chanukah to commemorate the Torah learning of the Maccabees, and we celebrate with festivities to commemorate the Chanukah miracle. Now here’s a thought: Why not combine the two? Read on to see how you, too, can create a party out of a dreidel game.

The Salad Game

To Play for Salad

Begin with a base of lettuce, and then spin to add:

Nun: Nun is for, well, nothing.

Gimmel: Gimmel is for the good stuff, which means a choice of craisins, slivered almonds, Nish Nosh crackers, croutons or chow mein.

Hei: Hei is for a choice of chopped peppers, shredded carrots or chopped scallions.

Shin: Shin will get you either some spring mix, cherry tomatoes or radishes.

Play to your health and hearty appetite, and complete with dressing to taste!

The Razzle Game

The Doughnut Game

To Play for Doughnuts

Begin with a plain doughnut, and spin to fill and decorate with:

Nun: Nun gets you… nothing.

Gimmel: Gimmel, once again, is for a huge variety of Baker’s Choice toppings! Add colorful sprinkles, rainbow chips, lotus crunchies and peanut brittle.

Hei: Hei is for icing! Think chocolate icing, Baker’s Choice caramel cream, or icing in red, blue or white.

Shin: Shin is for fillings — such as jelly, lotus or Baker’s Choice custard — or for toppings such as mini sandwich cookies or doughnut holes for those who are using doughnuts with holes.

Play to your Chanukah celebration, top with whipped cream, and box to complete!

by: RABBI NESANEL YOEL SAFRAN

My artistic soul developed early; my first big break occurred when my juvenile picture of a fairytale chicken so impressed my preschool teacher that it was entered into some kind of state art fair. I quickly shteiged from crayons and watercolors to charcoal, ink brush, acrylics and oils.

It would have been fine if my aesthetic obsession was confined to the studio or gallery, but I soon began to crave beauty and order in all aspects of my life. I’d grow mopey in environments that I deemed as ignoring — or worse, trampling on — what to me seemed to be such an obvious need.

I became insufferable. Perhaps that’s when and why Hashem chose to wean me from my meshugas.

At that point, I decided to drag our young family from an unsightly urban environment to what I felt was the most aesthetic, artsy (yet frum) town in all of Eretz Yisroel. I had pretensions of holing up in one of its centuriesold stone courtyards, gazing blissfully at the azure skies and surrounding emerald mountains through the lattice of our flowering fruit trees.

But that didn’t happen.

Just as we sought to move, there bloomed a local real-estate shortage (as never seen before or since) that spiked rentals of such cottages (if you could even find them) miles higher than our kollel budget would permit. But with dogged determination, I managed to find us a “cozy nest” (what was I thinking?) tucked into the middle of a sprawling, 70-familiesper-building, porch-less tenement complex, which had been incongruously plunked, like an unsightly wart, in the middle of the pastoral hills.

Each day, I’d trudge the path from our urban jungle, heading to the enchanting Old City where I worked. At least that trek, I told myself, afforded my aesthetic soul a chance to breathe. The only problem was that each afternoon and evening I had to make the return trip to the drab confines of our concrete compound (admittedly filled with many fine families whom I, in my aesthetically deprived blindness, failed to properly appreciate).

As the weeks and months wore on, these walks developed within me what I now refer to as “aesthete’s foot” — calluses on my soul, spawned by the shock

treatment of the jarring daily contrasts. The environments began to blur, and as the beauty became less alluring, the unsightliness grew less off-putting.

I had my own private Chanukah neis when my inner eye opened and my outer ones closed. Gashmius’dig beauty devoid of ruchnius became ugly to me, and spiritual beauty came to shine — regardless of its outer packaging. I stopped looking… and started to see, with true Yiddishe eyes.

Nesanel Yoel Safran is a writer, chef and student of Torah and life. You can read about all of this and more on his blog Soul Foodie (soulfoodiecom.wordpress.com) and contact him at soulfoodie613@gmail.com.

I used to think like a Greek. What I mean is that I used to feel that there was intrinsic value in aesthetic beauty and harmony.

I had pretensions of holing up in one of its centuries-old stone courtyards, gazing blissfully at the azure skies and surrounding emerald mountains through the lattice of our flowering fruit trees. But that didn’t happen.

by: RABBI LEIBEL REZNICK

The Louisville, Kentucky, CourierJournal of July 12, 1953, mentioned a strange story. According to the report, hardware store operator Robert Cox from Clay City found a strange coin in his animal pen, which was located just outside of town. He knew nothing about old coins and was surprised when the relic turned out to be a coin minted in Eretz Yisroel 1,800 years earlier during the Bar Kochva revolution.

Several decades after Churban Bayis Sheini, Shimon bar Kosiba was proclaimed by Rabi Akiva to be the melech haMoshiach. Rabi Akiva called him Bar Kochva. The Rambam tells us that most of the sages agreed with Rabi Akiva.

This proclamation caused a great uprising throughout the Roman Empire, which included much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Jews rebelled in their countries to fight off the local Roman governors, and eventually, hundreds of thousands of Jews flocked to Eretz Yisroel to join Bar Kochva’s forces. One Roman historian of the era called the uprising a World at War.

According to the Meiri on Avos, the revolution lasted several decades, and the Rashash in Pesachim suggests the possibility that Bar Kochva even rebuilt the Beis Hamikdash. For several years, the Bar Kochva treasurers minted their own coins, which depicted the facade of the Heichal, a lulav and esrog, and other vessels of the Beis Hamikdash, with the motto proclaiming, “Freedom of Yerushalayim.”

Unfortunately, the rebellion met with a terrible defeat in the city of Beitar.

Cox’s coin depicted the gateway into the Heichal of the Beis Hamikdash on one side and a palm branch on the other side. The inscription read “Shimon” (Bar Kochva’s first name) and “Year Two of the Freedom of Eretz Yisroel (which referred to the second year of the Bar Kochva revolt against Rome).”

As far as anyone could remember, the Bar Kochva revolution, which involved much of the Middle East and the Mediterranean rim, did not extend to Clay City, Kentucky — so what was the coin doing there? Stranger still, a similar coin had been found in Louisville, Kentucky, twenty-one years earlier, in 1932. And fifteen years after the discovery of the Clay City relic, yet another Bar Kochva coin was discovered in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in 1967. Did Bar Kochva have a hole in his pocket as he wandered the back hills of Appalachian Kentucky?

The Team and Their Findings

Shortly after the discovery of the Clay City coin, several noted scholars and numismatists (aka coin experts) were recruited to solve the mystery. Was the coin real or fake? How did Bar Kochva coins get to three different

Bar Kochva in Kentucky?

cities in Kentucky? To get the answers to these questions, common sense dictated that experts in ancient Judean coins and specialists in pre-Columbian history be consulted. Here is a roster of some of the academics who were consulted on the matter and their qualifications:

Dr. Cyrus Gordon, a maverick scholar who taught at Dropsie College, Brandeis University and New York University. An expert in the ancient languages of Mesopotamia and Crete, with highly questionable expertise in Judean coins and ancient Kentuckian history.

Here’s a list of them.

Dr. Jeremiah Epstein, anthropologist, University of Texas. An anthropologist studies social customs and beliefs; how this area of expertise relates to the subject at hand, I am not sure.

Professor Israel T. Naamani of the University of Louisville. Professor Naamani, an Arab-American Muslim (with the first name Israel?), authored a book on modern Israel. At least he lived in Kentucky and had the first name Israel, which is probably why the committee involved him.

Dr. Ralph Marcus of the University of Chicago, professor of Hellenistic (Greek) culture and the works of Josephus Flavius. I assume he was consulted because he found some parallel between Clay City, Kentucky, and Athens, Greece.

I am surprised that the investigators did not consult an auto mechanic to round out the various fields of expertise. In any case, the above four scholars agreed that the coin is genuine and serves as clear evidence of a Jewish presence in pre-Columbian Kentucky. Apparently, the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky would make a great place for the Jewish rebels to hide.

Continuing the roster of experts who were consulted:

Ya’akov (“Yankele”) Meshorer, curator of numismatics (again, that fancy word for coins) at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, from 1969 until 1996. Meshorer was considered the greatest expert in Judean coins.

Haim Gitler, current chief curator of archaeology and curator of numismatics at the Israel Museum. Gitler, who succeeded Meshorer, is now considered the leading expert on ancient Judean coins.

David Hendin, an expert numismatist specializing in ancient Judean coins, chief numismatist of the Joint Sepphoris Project. Hendin authored the Guide to Biblical Coins, which is the iconic guide on the subject of ancient Judean coinage. He presently lives in Nyack, New York.

The aforementioned three Judean coin experts may not be familiar with

the sites and sounds of the Bluegrass State, but they certainly know all there is to know about Bar Kochva coins. They unanimously agreed that the Kentucky coins are unquestionably not genuine. No hesitation or reservation.

On what basis did they render their opinion?

1. It is so obvious that the coins are fake just by looking at them. They look like they were freshly minted that morning by high school students. (I recall the first time I saw photographs of the coins; they made me laugh out loud. Who were they trying to fool?)

2. Some of the ancient Hebrew letters are drawn incorrectly.

3. The coin’s denomination is called a tetradrachm (Heb. selah), and real ones were made from pure silver. The Kentucky coins are bronze.

4. Above the entrance of the Heichal depicted on these fake coins is a Magen David. No ancient coin ever had a Star of David. Actually, the genuine coin depicted a star-like flower design called a rosette above the Heichal. In ancient times, the rosette was a sign of royalty and was, in fact, used by Bar Kochva, who was a Davidic descendant and proclaimed to be Moshiach by Rabi Akiva. (The Rambam mentions that the majority of the rabbanim accepted Rabi Akiva’s proclamation.)

REAL COINS

FAKE COINS

By Rebbetzin Ruchi

Bar Kochva in Kentucky?

On the genuine design, the stylized rosette can be seen on a lead weight bearing the name Bar Kochva. Perhaps Bar Kochva adopted this rosette design because it resembles a star, and Bar Kochva means the “Son of a Star.”

5. Flanking the lulav on these coins are two stalks of some sort. The genuine Bar Kochva tetradrachm does depict a lulav, but no stalks.

6. The esrog, which appears on the real coins, is missing on the fakes, probably because the esrog was a fruit unfamiliar to the forgers.

Why Kentucky?

The only question remaining is: Was the discovery of the three Bar Kochva coins in Kentucky an elaborate hoax spread over the course of 35 years or was it something more benign?

Ya’akov Meshorer explained that during the late 1800s and early 1900s, devout Christians had a yearning to visit the Holy Land. Souvenir vendors in the British Mandate of Palestine (as they called Eretz Yisroel) would accommodate these tourists who wished to bring home something to signify their historic visit. The vendors sold poorly

REMAINS OF HURVAT ITRI, DESTROYED DURING THE BAR KOCHVA REVOLT

BAR KOCHVA WEIGHT

THEY’LL

You don’t heat your home with coal. Or wash your laundry in a metal wash pot. Why use an outdated reading mastery approach?

If “repetition, repetition” didn’t help him until now, it won’t help if he repeats it one hundred and seven times. It’s time to stop with the hammer-in-yourhead approach. This road to reading mastery has been proven ineffective time and time again.

Kids emerge irritated. Families get frustrated. And still, no sign of reading mastery in sight.

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Anyone familiar with the Davis Method knows how it addresses the root cause of learning disabilities. Ron Davis believed that dyslexia is a talent. People dealing with dyslexia think in pictures, rather than words; they are imaginative and creative. The Davis Method relies on using the mental talents that dyslexic people share to overcome their learning problems. At Mosaic, instead of attacking the inherent mental gift, they creatively work around the issue to solve it.

“If you eliminate the reason a problem exists, the problem ceases to exist,” said Ron Davis.

Due to a high demand, Mosaic made their program available in Yiddish. Every one of their amazing steps leading students to success was completely adapted to the Yiddish language with a Yiddish dictionary to boot. The only Yiddish dictionary of its kind, professionals marvel at its work and effectiveness. Finally, a salvation for Yiddish speaking children struggling with reading.

At Mosaic, children discover HOW they learn. It finally clicks to them! Hey! I think in pictures rather than in words. And because I am imaginative and creative, I try to solve problems by looking at the whole picture, rather than working step-by-step. Dyslexic children finally feel validated after too many

“you’re not trying hard enough,” and “if you’d give it your all…”

By eliminating a negative reading relationship, children relate to reading as a positive experience. There’s nothing like the aha! moment when they realize it doesn’t take a genius brain to read; the brain simply needs to be oriented.

Mosaic’s well-equipped and sophisticated facilities are the kids’ best outlet. It’s their safe haven where they are understood. For once, they don’t feel like a failure. And when students recognize their mental talents, they develop a renewed sense of self-esteem and confidence.

“The only issue,” a thrilled mother mock-complained, “is that Sury refuses to come home.”

Yes, there’s a reason students want to be in first and out last. (Many wait outside excitedly long minutes before their time slots!)

Teamwork is another point Mosaic’s staff is very passionate about. Mosaic’s staff, parents, teachers and other therapists work hand in hand to bring out the best in every child. “When you’re on top of the entire picture, you can truly maximize progress,” a certified Davis facilitator at Mosaic explained.

Therefore, they hold meetings to track the progress of clients on weekly basis. Meetings are held in the presence of a licensed specialist in the field who guides them with subsequent steps.

Exclusive to Mosaic, the MATAR hit program teaches children about their emotions.

Unfortunately, many students arrive at Mosaic traumatized. The embarrassment and humiliation in the classroom by peers and teachers accompany them. There is so much injustice, so much anger, so much hurt. The MATAR program works on emotional regulation alongside the Davis method.

Under MATAR, children acquire how to identify and name their emotions. There’s nothing like the joy on a child’s face when he recognizes the emotion he feels and then expresses it in words.

Teachers and rebbeim report improvement in all areas. “Yanky is a changed child since he started Mosaic,” Yanky’s rebbe testified. “He’s more positive, more confident and he’s making friends. Best yet, he’s reading fluently!”

•

• Davis Autism Approach

• Davis life concepts program - ADD/ADHD

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Bar Kochva in Kentucky?

crafted replicas of the Bar Kochva coin as a memento of their visit, with no intention to fool anyone. The replica was made of bronze, rather than silver, to make them more affordable. About 50 of them are still known to exist.

Kentucky lies within Bible-belt territory and must have had its share of returning tourists who, over the years, lost the token of their pilgrimage. By the time they were discovered, the true history of the “coins” had been forgotten — only to confuse academics decades later.

A Coin of My Own

On a personal note, a number of years ago, I was exploring the eastern wall of Har Habayis. A young Arab approached, asking if I wanted to buy the Bar Kochva tetradrachm he held out in his hand. It was the one depicting the facade of the Heichal, and I asked how much he wanted for it.

“Fifty dollars,” he replied.

Fifty dollars was a good price for a Bar Kochva tetradrachm since they usually sell for around $15,000. I looked at it and told him that the coin is a forgery. It is made of bronze and the real coin was silver.

“Okay, forty-five dollars,” he said.

I laughed and wondered aloud why I would pay so much for a fake coin. I finally got him down to five dollars. I took the coin from his hand and looked at it carefully. The forgery was a copy made from a cast of an authentic tetradrachm. Though it was a fake, since it was an excellent copy of an authentic Bar Kochva coin, it would be useful to me to study the details of the coin.

This past Tisha B’Av I took out the coin and gazed at the image of the Heichal as it looked when it stood 2,000 years ago. It made my eyes tear.

Rabbi Reznick is the author of over 150 magazine articles and eight books. After serving as a maggid shiur in Monsey for over 20 years, Rabbi Reznick spent five years working for the Biblical Archeology research department of the David Dov Foundation of Lakewood, New Jersey.

RUINED WALLS OF THE BEITAR FORTRESS, THE LAST STAND

THE TIDE IS TURNING

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What type of entertainment our readership prefers:

Our readers’ favorite Chanukah get-together food ideas

Salads! And doughnuts, obviously. That’s a full menu.

Potato kugel (this got a lot of mentions!); some prefer to overnight it

Bagels and spreads (a popular number)

Churros

Franks ‘n blanks with lots of salad

Sushi Pasta dishes and fries

Fettucini and different pasta dishes; cabbage and noodles for fleishig sides

Baked ziti

Baked ziti and some plain pasta for the kids who don’t like the sauce

Doughnuts, eggplant parmesan and ice cream

Vegetable kugels, blintzes and latkes

Salads and blintzes; salads and kugel; salads and baked ziti. Or just salads.

Anything that can be prepared in advance,

frozen and then warmed up for the party

Finger foods like blintzes, franks ‘n blanks, knishes, mini sandwiches, and salads, of course

Latkes; it’s a big ordeal to fry a whole bunch, but they really go

Potato knishes

French fries (a popular option for many readers)

Penne a la vodka for milchig fare; yapchik for fleishig

Doughnuts, pasta, pizza and salad

Kugel and deli rolls

Lasagne

Nish nosh salad

Popcorn; or popcorn and fruits

Onion rolls

Sushi platters always get finished and work well for any type of party

Pizza and fries for dairy fare; chicken poppers

for fleishig

Pulled beef ideas

Rolls, spreads, salads and cheesecakes

Candies and chips

A regular five-course meal with the workload divided among attendees works best for our family; we add some munchies and salad to the menu as well, and the kids get franks and buns, fries, salami sandwiches, soup and other kid-friendly fare.

Buffet-style fare in 9x13” pans

A variety of beverages

Doughnuts!

Selve-serve salads, hot foods and desserts

Buffet-style meats, chicken nuggets and sides

We serve regular supper, with a fun Chanukah add-on

We focus on quantity and not on variety: bagels, salad, potato kugel, eggplant parmesan, baked ziti and French fries

Soups are filling and healthy for everyone.

Cheese latkes

Pizza pinwheels

Pull-apart pies

Family games our readers find enjoyable

Grab bags never did go out of style; they are awfully popular among our readers

Mystery Maccabee: get a gift for someone without knowing who

Collecting signatures for a list of questions

Any kind of game that evokes family memories/jokes

Auction using points earned in a game

The board game “Speak Out” with mouthpieces

For the kids, passing the ball around with prizes wrapped in newspaper

If and Then

Good ol’ dreidel! Or a twist on it: hei= ha, ha (make a joke); nin=nosh: shin-shmuntchke (small gift); gimmel = gelt (chocolate or taffy)

Race game with upsidedown glasses

Nosh memory game, where each set wins the nosh pictured

Treasure hunts

Cutting out faces from pictures and having to figure out whose features they are

Word games

Sudoku using pictures of family members

You’re Busted

Holding an ice cube until you can answer a question

Chanukah food decorating

Filling and decorating doughnuts when questions apply to you

Family- or householdthemed Bingo

Musical chairs

A personalized variation of Perpetual Commotion

The Candyland game featured in last year’s The Boro Park View

Personality games; everyday scenarios with multiple-choice answers

Games like Malarky, Headbanz, Name 3 and Taboo, customized for the family

Everyone shares their funniest story

Dress up using someone’s initials, and everyone has to guess whose it is

Card games Customized “Guess Who”

Gag gifts; memory games with family photos and other challenge games

Dreidel games with nosh

Slideshows

Quick paper-andpen games that don’t require prep

Pass the Present Relay races

Hot potato

Playing dreidel with Tatty and Mommy

Helium balloons with a nice message for the head of the family

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LARGEST ON THE LAND

The gentle and intelligent elephant is the largest animal roaming the lands. Of the three species — the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant — the African bush elephant is the largest. A fully grown male elephant of this species has a height of about 10 feet and weighs in at an impressive 13,000 pounds!

While Asian elephants live an average of 48 years, the life expectancy of African elephants is between 60 and 70 years. Remarkably, the elephant’s stupendous size still allows them to move at a fair 25 miles per hour and swim well in water. In fact, when crossing deep rivers and lakes in search of food, elephants use their trunks as snorkels so they can breathe when fully submerged.

DID YOU KNOW?

Elephant SKIN is almost an inch thick in some areas, and its trademark wrinkles and folds are there for a reason: Elephant skin can retain about ten times more water and dust — the latter of which they use as a form of sunscreen — than smooth skin can, which means their skin provides them with a greater opportunity to keep cool.

An elephant will get either six or seven SETS OF TEETH in his lifetime, though each set comprises only four molars. Each new set of teeth will be larger than the ones preceding it.

AFRICAN OR ASIAN?

In an interesting biological feature, African elephants boast ears the shape of the African continent. An Asian elephant’s ears, on the other hand, are smaller and rounder. This is an example of animal features that are Divinely designed to suit the animal’s habitat. The larger an animal’s ears, the more surface area it has to rid itself of excess body heat. Since African elephants roam under the glare of the sun, Hashem gifted them with the ears that could keep them comfortable in that climate.

Another difference between the African and Asian elephants can be found on their trunks. African elephants have two “fingers” at the end of their trunks, while their Asian counterparts have just one.

An elephant’s TUSKS never stop growing. They are composed of prized ivory (which is the leading cause for poachers killing elephants), and elephants use them to fight as well as to access food.

The elephant’s TRUNK is its most interesting feature yet. It boasts tens of thousands of muscles and is enormously sensitive. Elephants use their trunks to eat, drink, spray water and communicate with other elephants, and it is said that baby elephants suck their trunks in a manner that human babies suck their thumbs. Apparently, this helps young elephants develop the ability to use their trunks effectively.

Elephants also boast tremendously developed BRAINS that help them recall watering holes and food sources, distinguish between languages, and recognize elephants as well as humans they haven’t encountered in years. As it is said, “Elephants never forget.” Elephants are also incredibly compassionate, displaying empathy to other elephants in distress and affection to their young.

By: Hadassah Steinman

JUMBO: A P.T. BARNUM SENSATION

As one of history’s most famous elephants, Jumbo’s story began in 1860, when this African elephant was only four years old. His mother was killed, and he was sold to the London Zoo. At the zoo, Jumbo was cared for by his longtime keeper Matthew Scott. Jumbo lived in a small stable and spent his days giving rides to children, who often numbered even a dozen at a time.

At the age of 21, Jumbo was in declining health and was sold to P.T. Barnum of circus fame. Accompanied by Scott, who continued caring for him, the elephant was shipped to America.

Hailed as the largest elephant in the world, an estimated 20 million visitors came to see Jumbo in his new home. Many of them had never seen an elephant before.

In September of 1885, a city in Ontario, Canada, was host to the Barnum and Bailey Circus. After the circus, as the elephants were being loaded back into the train, another train crashed into the car, and Jumbo was fatally injured.

Today people wonder whether Jumbo was actually the largest elephant in the world (Barnum never allowed him to be photographed), whether he was well cared for (research proves otherwise), and whether his death was staged (due to his ill health). Nowadays Jumbo remains one of the mysteries of the circus and one of the most well-known elephants of all time.

A WHITE ELEPHANT EXCHANGE

If you’re game to play the White Elephant Gift Exchange game this Chanukah, have all party participants bring a wrapped gift to the party, and arrange them in a large pile.

Next, all participants should draw numbers. This will determine the order of who will choose their gift first, second and so on.

When it’s your turn, either choose a wrapped gift from the pile, or nab a gift that’s already been chosen. If someone’s chosen gift has been taken by another player, they can choose or “steal” another gift.

A gift can only exchange hands once per turn, so there’s no taking your gift back if a player has helped herself to it. Also, only three gift swaps between participants are allowed per turn.

LARGER-THAN-LIFE LINGO

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM is the term for a hugely momentous or difficult topic or issue that everyone in the room is aware of, but no one is daring to mention.

THE PINK ELEPHANT is a subject of hallucination. Even if it’s after the Purim seudah, you don’t really want to admit that you’re seeing one.

If you own A WHITE ELEPHANT, you’re the tired owner of a high-maintenance or expensive possession that is hardly worth the bother.

JUMBO AND MATTHEW SCOTT GIVING A RIDE TO CHILDREN IN LONDON ZOO

RECAP: SHIMON IS GOING TO BUILD HIS OWN SHIP TO RESCUE THE CHILDREN.

YEAH, HE PUT US HERE TO PUNISH ME FOR BEING SO DUMB — THAT’S THE REASON! I JUST WISH I HADN’T GOTTEN YOU STUCK HERE, TOO.

I WOULDN’T HAVE WANTED TO BE STUCK BEHIND WITHOUT YOU, ANYWAY. NOW CHEER UP! WE HAVE TO MAKE THE BEST OF THINGS.

NOW I CAN FOCUS ON IMPORTANT THINGS, LIKE KEEPING US SAFE.

I

YONAH KLEIN illustration: JACKY YARHI

Sponsored by: Hint: Each Boggle board hides a word of nine letters or more!

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Gather round the table to play a family game of Boggle, using this Boggle board.

2. Once you have a winner, fill out the form below in its entirety.

3. Email the form to comments@thebpview.com or fax to 718-408-8771 by Sunday at midnight.

4. Two winners will be drawn each week, each of whom will receive a $15 gift card at Judaica Corner!

PLAYING RULES:

Find words on the board containing four letters or more. Letters of a word must be connected in a chain (each letter should be adjacent to the next either vertically, horizontally or diagonally), and each letter can only be used once in a given word.

The following are not allowed in Boggle: Adding “s” to a word • Proper nouns • Abbreviations • Contractions • Acronyms

POINTS

4-letter words: 2 points 5-letter words: 3 points 6-letter words: 5 points 7-letter words: 7 points 8-letter words: 9 points 9+ letters: 12 points

GC

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P 192 www.thebpview.com 718.408.8770 The Boro Park View December 21, 2022

ADVANCED

BOGGLE WINNER

Bring this page in to the Judaica Corner to claim your $15 gift card.

Family name: Landau, 718-xxx-0385

Name of winner: Chavi Amount of points: 16

Names of competing players: Esty

Some words only the winner found: clot, warm

The longest word found on the board: miraculous

A new word learned from the board: gamed

BOGGLE WINNER

Bring this page in to the Judaica Corner to claim your $15 gift card.

Family name: Pollak, 718-xxx-3515

Name of winner: Bubby Amount of points: 74

Names of competing players: Malky

Some words only the winner found: clothed, skied

The longest word found on the board: miraculous

Last week’s bonus word: defendant

INTERMEDIATE

by: DENA ACKERMAN

Taking you from your confusion to a settled state of mind.

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JOB OPPORTUNITY

BP Bookkeeping office seeks a F/T secretary. Heimish envir, will train. Email resume: Joel@weemanage.com

PARAS WANTED

Seeking full-time paraprofessionals to work in a special education school for the 2022-2023 school year in Flatbush. Great pay! Heimish environment! Transportation provided. resumes@ yadyisroelschool.org

OFFICE POSITION

Heimisha Office in BP looking for full time female secretary. text 646-598-4949 or email padhoffice@gmail. com

F/T CUSTOMER SERVICE

Busy Boro Park office looking for a F/T customer service rep. Willing to train. Great pay for the right candidate. Email: Malkyw@ thecompressionstore. com

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Part-time & Full-time jobs available. Email TopPartTimeJobs@ gmail.com

ENTRY LEVEL BOOKKEEPER

Yeled V`Yalda Boro Park, Qualified candidate will have excellent time management skills, detail oriented , computer literate, comfortable with MS Word & Excel. Salary range: $40,000.-$45,000. Email: jobs@yeled.org call: 718.686.2422

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SUPERVISOR WANTED

Yeled V`Yalda Early Head Start in Boro Park. Seeking Supervisor. Candidate must have strong administrative abilities, leadership qualities and excellent interpersonal skills. HS/EHS experience a plus. Salary $45,000.$55,000. Email resume to: ehsjob@yeled.org. YVY is an EOE

RECRUITERS NEEDED

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EXPERIENCED

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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HELP WANTED

Looking for male and female individuals to work with children after school hours and Sundays in the Boro Park, Flatbush and Williamsburg area. Please call: 718-336-6076 X309

TUTORS WANTED

Male individuals needed in the Flatbush area to tutor Hebrew and English subjects. Please call: 718-336-6073 X309

PLAYGROUP CO-TEACHER

Heimishe playgroup looking for a devoted co-teacher. 9:00-3:15. Call 718-954-7909 lv msg

SECRETARY POSITION

Full time female secretary position available in a Heimishe female only CPA office. Experience a plus. Email boroparkcpa@gmail. com Fax 855-708-5576

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SUNDAY SECRETARY

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Sunday, Shabbos 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM

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OFFICE JOB

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FAMILY WORKER

Head Start In Boro Park seeking family worker, full time, exceptional Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, Computer efficient. Salary range: $30,000.-$33,000. Email: jobs@yeled.org call: 718.686.2422

BRAVERHOOD IS HIRING!

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SEEKING HOME

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SEEKING SECRETARY

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ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SUPERVISOR

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MALE/FEMALE PARAS

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HELP WANTED

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Seeking young and energetic girl to be a mentor for a highfunctioning special needs individual to help her with day programs, meal prep, and social interactions. Must be caring and passionate about working with the special needs community.

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Classifieds

BABYSITTING

Babysitting from 8-5. References avai. 14th & 56th. 718-438-5306/ 917-232-1267

SHARE A BABYSITTER

Looking to share a babysitter in my house 16th/51st. Please call 929-271-5013

KINDER PLAY PLAYGROUP

Kinder play Playgroup (15/47) has a few slots available for the older class. Please call 929-276-2084 if no answer please text or leave a message.

PLAYGROUP

Kinder speil playgroup certainly located 12/50 erea. has a few slots left with highly experienced teacher call 3479326524

SERVICES

BOOKKEEPER

Bookeeper available for all your bookeeping needs. Please call: 718-354-6383

SARNO COACH

Experiencing chronic pain/ symptoms? There is a way out! Heal based on the Sarno method! Call Binah Schiff RDCS, Mind Body Educator and Coach 917-446-5360

LAPTOP RENTAL

Laptop Rental $13 per week. Wifi Hotspot available at an additional cost. Please call 718-435-1923 הלכ

And dear yiddishe mother. Give your daughter the gift of a lifetime of happiness & תיב םולש with the marriage summit, 18 life changing classes with top marriage experts. For less than the price of a תוכרב עבש outfit, have the peace of mind knowing that your daughter has the tools, הפקשה & resources to be happily married. Call 929-286-9900 #2 or www. chanyfelberbaum.com

LIGHT ALTERATIONS

Please Call: 718.450.4700

GUITAR LESSONS

Now offering guitar lessons for girls, for great price. Call 917-618-1174

STUNNING PAINTINGS

Stunning paintings will turn your picture into the most beautiful 100% hand paintings! Countless references avail Text (914) 933-7263

HANDYMAN & ELECTRICIAN

Electrician, plumber, sewer service, Carpentry, sheetrock, locks, etc. 718.9510090

ELECTRICIAN

All Electrical work, outlets, switches, fixtures, new lines for washer/dryer or a/c, shabbos clocks, circut breakers. 718.951-0090

CONSTRUCTION

Bathrooms, kitchens, closets, decks, extensions, additions, Basements, all electrical, plumbing, Carpentry. Lowest prices, fastest service. 718.951-0090

HANDYMAN & PAINTING

Experienced & Reliable handyman. Small jobs our specialty! Plumbing, Electric, construction, Locksmith, painting, plastering. Shabbos clocks, outlets/switches, call: 347.275.5408

PHOTO ALBUMS

Custom photo books, weddings, engagements, Chosson/Baby, Upsherin, etc. Also professional photo editing. Photo Dreams 347.563.5153

AYIN HORAH

The renowned Rebetzin Aidel Miller from Yerushalayim Is now available to remove “Ayin Horah” over the phone. Call: 718.689.1902 or 516.300.1490

GARTLECH

We fix knitted & crochet Gartlech & make beautiful professional fringes. We also teach how to knit & crochet. call: 917-414-3281

COSMETICS

Cosmetics & Skincare including Static, Mary Kay, Careline, Ga-de, and Chic. C Fischer (718) 930-4946 -Free Delivery with min order

DRIVER AVAILABLE

Driver with many years exp. available to do long distance trips with brand new minivan. Reasonable rates. 917.405.8469

MOONWALK TO RENT

Great for Chanukah, Shabbatons, or Melava Malkas. Please call 718-435-1464

GARTEL FRINGES

We make professional gartel fringes and mend gartelach. Same day service. In the heart of BP. (347) 693-4920 or (718)435-7644

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE (Car, truck, van, Suv) Help build children. Get $1,500 tax deduction + $2,400 Gift book (shopping) or we pay cash for cars too. 718974-9428

GARTLECH

Hand made & silk, beautiful gift package, call: 718.283.4589

WIG AND HAIR

Wig wash & sets, haircuts, and hairstyles for great price. Call 917-618-1174

My new cookbook, The Giving Table, just debuted, containing over 160 recipes with gorgeous photography and links to how-to videos. In the book, I write about the power of giving through food and my experience sharing food with the needy through working with Masbia. They do amazing work and I love the organization.

In the cookbook I mentioned how People Magazine described Masbia as "a restaurant without a cash register" and that dinners are served restaurant-style by dedicated volunteers. At the same time, Masbia also runs a massive logistical operation and large-scale food distribution center that goes through roughly 50,000 pounds of food each week, giving families raw food ingredients to be cooked at home. Thousands of families in need get food at Masbia every week. Hundreds of people in need get dinner at Masbia every day. Please donate today.

A NEW CTICU at Maimonides

On Wednesday, December 14th, we proudly cut the ribbon on Maimonides' newly-renovated cardiothoracic intensive care unit (CTICU), formally marking the opening of this state-of-theart facility for our patient population. We warmly appreciate the many families who participated in the renovation with their generous dedications. Their leadership and investment reflect true vision for the future and commitment to community needs, and see the hospital into a new era of expansion and significant improvement to our patient experience.