Feb 16th Edition 2023

RABBI DR. ARI BERMAN, PRESIDENT OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, AND THE EMIL A. AND JENNY FISH CENTER FOR HOLOCAUST & GENOCIDE STUDIES REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY AT A DINNER

Honoring

Mr. Emil A. Fish

Founder of the Emil A. and Jenny Fish Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2023

AT 5:00 PM

CASA DEL MAR

1910 OCEAN WAY

SANTA MONICA, CA 90405

Speaker: Chana Stiefel

Is the award-winning author of The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs, a moving biography of the woman who created The Tower of Life, a powerful exhibit at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

COCKTAIL ATTIRE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, TO REGISTER OR DONATE, GO TO YU.EDU/FISHCENTERDINNER OR CALL 646.592.4514.

Dear Readers,

In the Parsha, the description is vivid on how to build the Mishkan, which stood for over 469 years, including the 40 years in the desert, until the first Beis Hamikdash was built. There are differing opinions if the Mishkan was destroyed in Shiloh, or if it was dismantled, and the parts were put away. Some believe that today, it is buried somewhere under where the Beis Hamikdash (the Heichal specifically) was built and it still remains until this day.

And what does the Mishkan mean to us today? What does it symbolize?

We are supposed to build our own Mishkan, in our homes and within ourselves. Many moons ago, I learned the Sefer הנבא ןכשמ יבבלב with a chavrusa. It was written by an anonymous mekubal author. The purpose of the book is to build a mishkan within one’s heart to feel connected to Hashem always. The goal is to create a place within yourself where the Mikshkan will want to rest, and then to strengthen one’s self step-by-step process of emunah building. While there are many sources for what the author shares, the repetition of the same ideas over and over again in the book are what causes the ideas to be written onto the heart. We know that when we hear or learn something once, it can fly away very quickly.

Los Angeles is such an amazing community. We truly take care of our own. The chesed and outpouring of concern, tefillos, devotion, time spent, and money given to those in need is tremendous. Last issue, we wrote about Sharon Shenker’s passing. In the fund set up for the Shenker family, there were so many different parts of the community, schools, and shuls, that signed up to collect a certain amount on their behalf. This demonstrates how one person, one family, can have such a strong influence on so many different schools and shuls just within our community. In sincere appreciation for all the amazing work Sharon did, each part of the community wants to attempt to be there for her family as she was there for

What

each of us.

This week, we have the Gruen family sharing a beautiful letter of gratitude for all the ways the greater Los Angeles community has been there for them through the years, helping their family. It’s incredible to see how many organizations and how many people are involved with the Gruen family. Sometimes people question why there is a need for another community organization, especially if it caters to a specific population that already has been catered to. I don’t like to put anyone in a box, by categorizing what each organization does and how it serves. While sometimes there are similarities, each one has something unique about them.

This is why I love our column of Community Profiles, where we feature an organization, or sometimes a person or a group, and what they’re doing for the community. In this week’s community profile, we feature Love N Groceries, a community support unlike any other, dedicated to families who have lost a loved one, leaving behind a widow and children. While relatively new in Los Angeles, it fills a niche of needs that has not yet been catered to. It provides not only physical sustenance to their clients, but emotional support that casts off their burdens even for just a short while.

Speaking of not putting anyone in a box, our feature introduces you to Margy Horowitz (if you don’t already know her) and the way she has her hands in many different parts of the community. She teaches in two different high schools, has been a member of 3 different Pico shuls, gives private lessons to families all over the city, and brings women together through the JWRC. Her story of women supporting women, and providing a creative outlet for Jewish women and teenagers is one you must read!

If you want to share, to participate, or to be included, please email me. The goal of this paper is to not only highlight community organizations and happenings, but the people. When I learn of the origin story of a community organization, it was usually due to one or two people who saw a need and then filled it. Let’s focus on people! The next few issues will be of topics on Purim, clubs, Pesach, Yom Hashoah & Yom Ha’atzmaut, Shavuos, learning programs, posthigh school plans, and so many more.

Do you have something to say? To share? We know sharing stories and ideas helps others going through the same thing. So reach out to me and join us here at the LA Jewish Home so your story, ideas, and opinions can be featured as well.

Yoel Halpern PUBLISHER publisher@thelajewishhome.com

Sara Halpern EDITOR-IN-CHIEF sara@thelajewishhome.com

Ariela Kauffman

MANAGING EDITOR editor@thelajewishhome.com

Avi Heyman HEAD OF SALES avi@thelajewishhome.com

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The LA Jewish Home is an independent biweekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. All submissions become the property of The LA Jewish Home and may be edited for publication. Pictures may be modified at our discretion to conform to standards of modesty in dress. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any advertised product or business advertised within.

Shabbos

Zemanim

Friday, February 17

Parsha Mishpatim

Shabbos Begins: 5:20 pm

Shabbos Ends: 6:24 pm

Rabbeinu Tam: 6:51 pm

Friday, February 24

Parsha Terumah

Shabbos Begins: 5:26 pm

Shabbos Ends: 6:31 pm

Rabeinu Tam: 6:58 pm

Harav Shmuel Kamenetsky shlita and Harav Elya Brudny shlita

The Week In News

Israel Aids in Turkey’s Earthquake Disaster

operations on the Ukrainian border last year following Russia’s invasion in February, as well as the deadly earthquake in Nepal in 2015.

Ilhan Omar Ousted from

Committee

A group of physicians and psychotrauma specialists from Israel flew to southern Turkey last Tuesday to aid in rescue efforts after the devastating earthquake that shook the area and killed thousands of people. The flight was organized by the United Hatzalah emergency response organization and was scheduled to land in Gaziantep, one of the cities hardest hit by the tremors.

Earlier in the day, a larger delegation of roughly 150 people from the Israel Defense Force’s Home Front Command landed in the city of Adana to begin operations there and in surrounding areas. The United Hatzalah delegation was led by Yossi Cohen, a reserve officer in the Home Front Command. This was Cohen’s first time leading such a delegation. The other two dozen or so volunteers on the trip also had ample experience in search-and-rescue missions around the world. Many of them took part in rescue

“Our primary mission is to join up with the forces there and to try to save lives,” Cohen told the delegation shortly before takeoff. After landing in Gaziantep, the delegation planned to meet up with an IDF Home Front unit operating nearby and join in their efforts. The vice president of operations for United Hatzalah, Dovi Maisel, who has taken part in many missions to disaster-stricken sites over the years, stressed to the volunteers the significance of their efforts.

“In the midst of this horrible disaster, you may feel small in such a big event, but believe me that your impact is enormous. This is true for you as individuals, for the organization and for the flag of Israel on your shoulder,” he said. In addition to the United Hatzalah volunteers, a team from Israel’s national search-and-rescue unit was on the flight, bringing the equipment needed for the delicate, complicated and dangerous work of excavating people from collapsed or collapsing buildings. A small group from the IsraAID organization, including trauma experts, also traveled to Gaziantep on the United Hatzalah flight with a number of water purification systems. The delegation planned to assess the needs on the ground in order to determine what other help was needed going forward, a member of the group said.

A divided House on Thursday ousted Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee over past comments about Israel that were widely condemned as antisemitic. It was a 218211 party-line vote, with one Republican member voting “present.” Republicans cited six statements that Omar, 40, made while in office that “under the totality of the circumstances, disqualify her from serving on the Committee of Foreign Affairs,” said Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.). “All members, both Republicans and Democrats alike who seek to serve on Foreign Affairs, should be held to the highest standard of conduct due to the international sensitivity and national security concerns under the jurisdiction of this committee,” Guest noted.

The actual resolution, proposed by Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), read: “Omar’s comments have brought dishonor to the House of Representatives. Omar clearly cannot be an objective decision-maker on the Foreign Affairs Committee given her biases against Israel and the Jewish people.” The committee’s chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), said he supported the resolution, telling reporters that Omar’s “worldview of Israel is so diametrically opposed to the committee’s.”

“When you push power, power pushes back,” Omar said in her final statement before the vote, adding: “My voice will get louder and stronger, and my leadership will be celebrated around the world.” The vote to remove Omar followed the move by GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to block Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both of California, from the House Intelligence Committee — as well as the removal of GOP Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia from their committees by Democrats in the last Congress.

“When a resolution was brought up to deal with this last time, she [Omar] never apologized,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters after the vote. “They changed the resolution to say anti-Semitism is wrong.” “We’re not removing her from other committees,” McCarthy added. “This is nothing like the last Congress where you move somebody from all committees.”

Miller’s resolution cited a tweet by Omar from February 2019 implying that American lawmakers who support Israel were paid by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — saying it’s “all about the Benjamins” — as well as a statement she made weeks later decrying “the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.” The following month, Omar downplayed the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, telling the Council on American-Islamic Relations that the organization was founded because “some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.”

the power of the State of Israel. We’re proud to build up the Land of Israel and we’re proud to strengthen settlement in all parts of our land,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The new community had received preliminary approval back in 2020. Cities, towns and villages in south ern Israel, and especially those near the border, have been pummeled over the past 15 years by Palestinian rocket fire.

“I don’t mind having differences of opinion, but this goes beyond that.” Omar was born in Somalia and is one of two Muslim women in the House. She and other Democrats insist that her ouster has nothing to do with her worldview; instead, they say that Omar was singled out because she was female, Muslim, and a person of color.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called the vote “an extension” of the “disgusting legacies after 9/11 … the targeting and racism against Muslim Americans throughout the United States

In 2021, Omar compared Israel to terrorist organizations like Hamas and the Taliban during a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing and decried America’s Middle Eastern ally as an “apartheid state.” Omar defended herself Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” by saying she was unfamiliar with “tropes about Jews and money.” “I certainly did not or was not aware that the word ‘hypnotized’ was a trope. I wasn’t aware of the fact that there are tropes about Jews and money. That has been a very enlightening part of this journey,” she said.

Israel’s Cabinet voted on Sunday to establish a new community along the border with the Gaza Strip. The future town, to be named Hanun, will be located in the Sdot Negev Region and eventually be inhabited by some 500 families. “The establishment of the community is further evidence of the resilience of the [citizens living in the] ‘Gaza envelope’ and

In 2005, Israel uprooted 8,600 Israelis living across 17 locales in Gaza as part of the Disengagement from the enclave. The Strip was soon thereaf ter conquered by Hamas in an interne cine war waged against the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction. Since then, Israel has fought four wars against Hamas, in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014 and 2021, along with numerous smaller con flicts including against Palestinian Islam ic Jihad.

Strategies for Success.

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Too Much Food

A Michigan family is going to be eating well over the next ew days after their six-yearold did the food ordering without considering the costs. Mason

NYC Buses Migrants to Canada

Stonehouse was playing on his father ’s phone on Saturday night before going to bed But instead of playing a game, Mason unwittingly ordered loads of food from the Grubhub account on his father ’s phone, amassing $1,000 worth of food to their home Keith, Mason’s dad, did not realize what had happened until the doorbell started ringing “This was like something out of a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit,” Keith quipped

funny yet, but I can laugh with people a little bit It’s a lot of money and it kind of came out of nowhere ”

Mason ordered jumbo shrimp, salads, shawarma and chicken pita sandwiches, chili cheese fries and other foods that one Grubhub driver after anothership home In fact, Chase sent Keith a fraud alert declining a $439 order from Happy’s Pizza, although a $183 order of jumbo shrimp went through

For now, the family’s refrigerator is bursting with grub The family also invited some neighbors to share in the bounty

The biggest lesson of it all? Don’t let your kid play on your phone when you’re not around

Not all migrants like the Big Apple According to NYC Mayor Eric Adams, some migrants who had been bused to New York want to head elsewhere and he is helping to cross the northern border to Canada “Some want to go to Canada, some want to go to warmer states, and we are there for them as they continue to move on with their pursuit of this dream,” Adams said

According to the New York Post, migrants in New York City are being given free bus tickets to Plattsburgh, NY, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border From there, they pay taxis and shuttles to take them to Quebec But the migrants are taking Canada by surprise Quebec immigration minister Christine Fréchette told reporters in Montreal that the development was “surprising.” She said it highlighted the need to “solve the problem ofder crossing south of Montreal used by thousands of asylum seekers every year “I think it makes the urgency of the situation even more apparent,” Fréchette said, adding that Canada and the U.S. were negotiating to update the Safe Third Country Agreement

The treaty, signed in 2002, requires country they enter, whether it is the U.S. or crossings, which Roxham Road is not. This loophole allows the migrants arriving from New York to have their asylum cases heard by Canadian immigration authorities

New York City has an ongoing migrant crisis, as states on the southern U.S. border bus newly arrived migrants to America’s most populous city

In a January visit to Texas, Mayor Adams told reporters there was “no room in New York” for the migrants. Days before, he had released a statement saying his city had welcomed 40,000 asylum seekers since last spring, providing them with food, shelter, and other resources. “We are at our breaking point,” the statement read. “Based off our projections, we anticipate being unable to continue sheltering arriving asylum seekers on our own and have submitted an emergency mutual aid request to the State of New York.”

In Private Meeting with Secretary Mike Pompeo Dirshu Takes Battle Against Antisemitism Against the Visibly Orthodox Community

By Chaim Gold

“There are those who advise us [as a result of increasing antisemitism] that Orthodox Jews should hide their Orthodoxy. They should not be so visible and [they should] just blend into society and that will minimize the increasingly violent attacks against visibly Orthodox Jews. I ask, is that the progressive definition of freedom? Is that what great Americans fought, lived, and died for? So that its citizens should have to hide from who they are?! Should Jews hide their Judaism in an attic and store it away?”

Those were the passionate words of Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu, in a private meeting last week in New York City, together with Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Rav Hofstedter came to New York City to participate in an event with Mike Pompeo to raise the alarm on behalf of the Torah observant community about the increasing antisemitism that they are experiencing. During that meeting, Rav Hofstedter emphasized that in some ways, the current antisemitism is different than the garden variety bigots from the lower echelons of society, in that it is coming from the higher echelons of academia and institutions of higher learning.

During their time together Rav Hofstedter and Secretary Pompeo discussed both the attacks on faith communities and especially on education, as well as the mainstreaming of antisemitism in universities and among some in the intelligentsia.

Rav Hofstedter then cited a chilling study that shows that the majority of Jews on university campuses are afraid to openly show or profess to being Jewish because of fear of reprisal.

Pompeo agreed with Rav Hofstedter that when it comes to standing up for one’s faith there was no room for compromise, and he told him that he attributed this to the secularization of American

society and the progressive, postmodern ideals being espoused. “Don’t ever underestimate their efforts to speed American decline,” he said.

Secretary Mike Pompeo: “There Are Some Things That Are Not Subject to Compromise!”

The event also featured a speech to a large New York City audience of influential leaders given by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It is clear that one who recently authored a book entitled, “Never Give an Inch,” about his experiences as a chief diplomat in the Trump White House, is one of America’s rising conservative political figures.

In his public remarks delivered at the event, Mr. Pompeo related that before the event he had the privilege of having a lengthy meeting with Rabbi Hofstedter wherein Rabbi Hofstedter shared his concerns on the rising level of antisemitism especially coming from the left,

those deeply held values.”

“Similarly, when it comes to the deep and close relationship that the United States has with Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, there is absolutely no room for compromise. When it comes to preserving the values of our country here at home, how we will educate the next generation of Americans that this is a great country, is not subject

to compromise.”

A guest speaker at the event, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, gave a riveting speech about Netzach Yisrael, the eternal nature of the Jewish nation.

“Jewish history is not only about survival but also about triumph! We have undergone so much: Inquisitions, pogroms, the Holocaust, and so much suffering and destruction. Throughout

and the unprecedented assault on Jewish education led by the New York Times, which is seeking to criminalize some of the teachings of the Torah.

Pompeo remarked that as a diplomat he was constantly looking for compromise and ways to find common ground, even with adversaries, but he emphasized, “There are some things that are not subject to compromise. Our relationship with G-d, our morality, and the security of the Jewish community both here in America and Israel. Those things must be preserved at all costs, and we cannot ‘give an inch’ when it comes to

Rav Dovid Hofstedter meeting privately with Secretary Mike Pompeo

“We Must Stand Proud Of What We Are, Who We Are, And What We Stand For”

our history, however, we have not only survived but rebuilt. My parents and my in-laws both experienced the horrors of the concentration camps where they lost everything, where their lives were shattered. They came to these shores penniless but nevertheless had the strength to rebuild. They rebuilt their lives, their families, their communities, and institutions of Torah learning.”

“This was the foundation and the inspiration behind the establishment and building of Dirshu, a Torah organization that promotes Torah learning because Torah learning is the foundation of our lives and our moral compass. Despite all the pain, the horrors, the death, and destruction, we have survived, and thank G-d we are flourishing.”

Rav Hofstedter then got to the climax of his speech invoking what is incumbent on us as the Orthodox community to do to address this issue. “It is important and critical that we have leaders who have a clear understanding of the issues facing our community and that have a firm moral compass, but it is also incumbent upon us! Particularly for us, the Orthodox Jewish community, who by virtue of our visibility are the primary recipients of the latest outbreak of violent acts of antisemitism. We must stand proud and stand tall and [we must] wear our Judaism on our sleeve and stand proud of what we are, who we are, and what we stand for.”

He continued by addressing the wokeness that is now going after religious Jewish education and is trying to make our educational values another victim of cancel culture. “They insist that we cannot educate our children according to our beliefs. This kind of conduct echoes that of the darkest communist regimes.” Rav Hofstedter concluded that we need leaders in this country who will not replicate the errors of the past.

Bi-Partisan Advocacy on Behalf of the Torah Community

In truth, Dirshu and Rav Dovid Hofstedter’s efforts to network with politicians who share our values are not a new development. Over the past few years, Rav Hofstedter has expended great effort in forging a bi-partisan caucus from both the Republican and Democratic sides of the aisle to decry antisemitism and religious bigotry against Orthodox Jews from the right and the left.

The inaugural event of the caucus two years ago had the participation of congressional stalwarts such as Congresswoman Kat Cammack of Florida (R), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania (R), Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas (D), Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska (R), Congressman Brian Steil of Wisconsin (R), and Congressman Dan Mueser of Pennsylvania (R).

In conclusion, perhaps Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter put it most succinctly when he told Secretary Pompeo that it is all about values. “Every nation is based on its values. Those values build nations and reflect their aspirations. The values of the great nation of the United States – many of them values that are rooted in

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the Torah – are under assault and attack. This has been going on for years. Basic values upon which this great nation was built such as deep respect for religion, human dignity, honesty, charity, compassion, and empathy, have been under attack for years. These attacks undermine the very foundations upon which America was built,” exclaimed Rav Hofstedter emphatically. “A country that does not combat hate and antisemitism is not America! A nation that does not fight for religious freedom and allows those institutions that promote religion and religious teachings to flourish, is not America! A nation that does not stand by its friends with devotion through thick and thin is not the United States of America!”

Rep. Don Bacon, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Rep. Henry Cueller, Rep. Daniel Meuser, Rep. Bryan Fitzpatrick, Caucus Meeting 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ETTA Announces the Appointment of Sam Yebri as President of the Board

North Hollywood, CA (February 6, 2023): ETTA, the leading provider of support services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Los Angeles, today announced the appointment of Sam Yebri as President of its Board of Directors. Yebri, who joined the ETTA Board in 2014, succeeds Kam Babaoff, who served as President for the past seven years.

“It has been my great honor and pleasure to serve as President of the ETTA Board,” said Babaoff. “I have truly valued the opportunity to work with such a strong and dedicated team and am confident in Sam’s leadership as we continue to thrive and expand our impact.”

“This is a significant moment in the history of our organization. I am deeply grateful to Kam for all that he has done for ETTA and the families we serve,” said Dr. Michael Held, ETTA’s Executive Director. “Equally, we are thrilled to welcome Sam as our new Board President. Sam's background and experience, along with a wealth of nonprofit and for-profit success, make him a perfect fit for this role and we are confident that he will bring a fresh perspective and drive to ETTA."

Yebri is an accomplished trial lawyer and partner at Merino Yebri LLP, as well as a civic and non-profit leader with a wealth of experience in various leadership positions. A graduate of Yale University and USC Law School, he has served Los Angeles as a City Commissioner and serves on the Boards of Directors of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, the Jewish Free Loan Association, and the Builders of Jewish Education. Yebri has previously held leadership and Board positions in organizations such as the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the AntiDefamation League, and the Jewish Community Foundation, among others.

"I am incredibly honored to have been selected as ETTA's next President, and I stand ready to take on this exciting challenge with the passion and unwavering commitment that ETTA’s clients deserve," said Yebri. "As a proud supporter of ETTA's mission for nearly 20 years, I believe in our organization's unique ability to make a real difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Los Angeles. I am excited to add my experience and strategic vision to ETTA’s extraordinary team to help ETTA’s impact reach even greater heights."

About ETTA

ETTA provides a full range of services, including housing, job training, and support to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live fulfilling lives. Founded in 1993 with the goal of making a meaningful impact in the lives of those it serves, ETTA continues to lead the way in providing innovative and compassionate support to individuals with disabilities and their families Learn more and get involved at www.ETTA.org

Media contact Ben Hermes

818.985.3882 ext. 308

Ben@ETTA.org

YESHIVA KETANA OF LOS ANGELES

03.01.23

HILTON UNIVERSAL CITY

HYMAN JEBB

LEVY

MEMORIAL TRIBUTE

RABBI & MRS

Daniel and Elana

BERMAN

PARENTS OF THE YEAR

11 TH

RABBI & MRS.

Avrohom Moshe and Chana

MENDELSON

HARBATZAS HATORAH AWARD

ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP DINNER

FOR MORE INFORMATION, TO RSVP OR TO PLACE AN AD IN OUR DINNER JOURNAL PLEASE VISIT WWW.YKLA.ORG OR EMAIL TYUZ@YKLA.ORG

Cheder Menachem’s Grand Hakhel Av Uben Melaveh Malka

Overflow Crowd at LINK’s Special Daf Yomi Shiurim with Reb Eli Stefansky

On Motzei Shabbos Parshas

Vayigash, Students in grades 1 - 3, accompanied by their fathers, participated in our Grand Hakhel Av Uben Melaveh Malka in the Moshe Ganz hall, in connection to the 5th of Tevet, the day of “Didan Notzach.” This is when the US Federal court ruled placing the legal imprimatur of the USA upon the total exclusive ownership by Agudas Chassidei

Chabad of the great library and collection of S’farim (Torah books) and K’tavim (manuscripts) of the Chabad Rebbeim. To the sounds of Melaveh Malka music, participants found their places and washed for the Seudas Melaveh Malka. Dean of School, Rabbi Greenbaum, welcomed everyone and introduced Rabbi Blasberg, the elementary school principal as the evening’s MC. The students sang The Rebbe’s Tehillim chapter together, and a Dvar Torah was said by Alter Schapiro of 3rd Grade, followed by a story told by Rabbi D. Berger, a Cheder parent. As a special Hakhel surprise, Dr. Ganjian, another Cheder parent, played a couple of Chabad Niggunim with his trumpet and everyone sang along. Each class and grade had a chance to lead one of the 12 Pesukim customarily recited at all children’s gatherings, which was then followed by a session of father and son learning about the 5th of Tevet. An interactive game of Kahoot was played including questions on materials that had been studied in class.

More than 200 men crowded into the LINK Bais Medrash on Thursday night, February 2nd, to hear in-person the world’s largest Daf Yomi shiur with its charismatic Maggid Shiur, Reb Eli Stefansky. (A similarly large crowd attended the second shiur on Motzei Shabbos February 4th). The standing-room-only crowd was not disappointed as Reb Stefansky pulled out all of his teaching accouterments to make that night’s Daf (Nazir 11 a-b) come to life with crystal clear clarity. With his trademark charts and illustrations, he made a complex Gemara come alive – as he does every day for his 20,000 online viewers. Many of the people attending were devoted online viewers of his Daf Yomi shiur and now were able to see their master Rebbe in the flesh for the

After the shiur, Reb Stefansky addressed over 100 young men in the adjacent link Beis Medrash, who have a weekly Thursday night Mishmar/Kumzitz of inspiration. He told them how he had left

a very profitable business and a luxurious house in Chicago to move to Eretz Yisroel and devote himself full-time to learning. While he started his Daf Yomi shiur with only 5 people some 8 years ago in Ramat Beit Shemesh, it has ballooned to dozens attending in-person and 20,000 watching online, as a direct result of the tremendous kochos he put into preparing the shiur (with all its visual aids). He exhorted the crowd to dream big when it comes to ruchniyus and not to give into the yetzer hora that says “it’s just too hard for me to accomplish my goal,” whether in learning, mitzvos observance, or Avodas Hashem.

The LINK Kollel offers Daf Yomi twice a day with its renowned Maggid Shiur, Rabbi Aharon Becker, at 6:15 am and 8:15 pm.

Emek Staff Learn at Artificial Intelligence Education Program

Mr. Daniel Aharonoff, Emek’s immediate past president, entrepreneur, and technology investor, gave a lecture to the Emek staff on the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence and how it is going to impact the field of education and other industries. Although the technology is still new, it was interesting to hear about it and discuss how it could potentially affect Emek’s general and Torah studies programming.

AI helps provide in-depth insight into analytics-based performance for every student. AI also enhances the

personalization of student learning programs and courses, promotes tutoring by helping students improve their weak spots and sharpen their skills, ensures quick responses between teachers and students, and enhances universal 24/7 learning access. Mr. Aharonoff stressed the importance of staying at the forefront of educational innovation and learning about the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field. We want to thank Mr. Aharonoff for giving his time to enlighten our educators about this critical industry.

Grandparents Day at Hillel Hebrew Academy

and had such magnetic and warm energy throughout.

In continuation of this beautiful celebration, in honor of Hillel’s 75th year, we are planting the seeds of tomorrow, helping to nurture and grow future generations. Please join us on February 22-23, as we raise money for Hillel Scholarship to invest in the next 75 years of Hillel (www.charidy.com/ RootsToFruits).

This year for Tu Bshvat, Hillel Hebrew Academy had Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Our Grandparents and Special Friends, the roots of our school and Kehilla, joined together to celebrate with their grandchildren, their fruits, in a very meaningful and unique program. The Early Childhood celebrated the special day with classroom tefillah, personalized projects, and a musical Tu B’shvat show led by our very own Morah Miriam and Rabbi JJ!

The Elementary School guests engaged in a student-led Tu’Bshvat seder, participated in a meaningful tile craft project, and were surprised by our students with a beautiful flashmob song and dance performance! The day was filled with lots of love and ruach,

New Construction at YULA Girls

Yachad is here wherever you are – helping individuals connect through daily fun programs, skill-building activities, exciting events, and lots of love and laughter. We look forward to welcoming you at one of our centers and embracing you as part of the Yachad family!

YULA Girls Division completed construction at the Gindi Family Campus this semester with a new Beit Midrash, a Fitness Center, and a Basketball Court. The Beit Midrash is now open to YULA students for Torah learning throughout the day and will also host shiurim for the community, including the weekly Midrasha for women.

Our renovated Kellerman Gym now includes the Uretsky Family Fitness Center and the Marnie & David Nagel Court which are used daily for girls’ PE and various athletic practices and programs. New construction slated to begin in the spring will be the Horowitz Family Plaza and the Levkowitz Family Courtyard!

Yavneh’s 5th Grade Boys

Haschalas Gemara

The fifth-grade boys at Yeshivat Yavneh had an exciting start to the second half of their year, as they have begun learning Gemara for the very first time! The Haschalas Gemara event began with the boys being joined at Sunday Yeshiva by their fathers. Fathers and sons davened next to each other and took part in a special breakfast before sitting down together to learn their first lines of Gemara!

Led by their Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Berman, the boys were treated to a visualization of the opening mishna in Perek Eilu Metzios, the second perek of Maseches Bava Metzia.

The boys quickly saw the relationship between the mishna they

learned this year and the Gemara that followed, and how integral the mishna is to the discussion of the Amoraim. As they began to learn the halachos of lost objects, and the Gemara’s vast discussion of the matter, Rabbi Berman taught them how to plug in various language and understanding into the Gemara, helping to punctuate and formulate the unpunctuated text. To do this beside their fathers and family was a special sight and opportunity. We look forward to seeing the boys immerse themselves in their new limud and find joy through the challenge and sweetness of Talmud Torah!

YULA Seniors Israel Trip

YULA Boys Division Seniors had an inspiring trip to Israel, during which the boys visited Yeshivot, met with gedolim, davened Vasikin at the Kotel, had a blast, and were inspired! A special highlight included a senior and alumni shabbaton with over 65 participants in the Old City, where they davened Friday night together at the Kotel, and concluded the shabbaton with an inspiring seudah Shlishit with singing at the Kotel. Thank you Rabbi Abramczik and Rabbi Baalhan-

ess for leading the trip!

YULA Girls Division Seniors had their own inspiring trip to Israel led by Mrs. Hershoff, Mrs. Siegel, Ms. Shandalov, and Rabbi Sufrin. During this trip, they explored various seminaries, visited YULA alumni, visited kvarim, and davened at the Kotel. This was a great way for the students to get familiar with seminaries that they will attend next year and was a great and unforgettable experience.

Members and friends of YILA welcomed Shabbos Shira with a Friday night Seuda attended by 130 people. Singles, married people, and families with children enjoyed the homemade meal and the warm, friendly atmosphere. People commented that it felt like being at their own Shabbos table with 130 family members and friends.

Rabbi Dovid Thaler, Rav of YILA, talked about how appropriate it is in this year of Hakhel to have everyone get together like this. Mendel Levin, president of YILA said ‘We intentionally don’t invite just one particular group or age range to our Friday night Seudos, so we always end up with a beautiful mix, which makes it so special. A mother of four young children pointed out that except for when they are with her parents or in-laws, it is almost impossible to be with other young families for a Shabbos meal. And there are always surprises. An older lady who comes to daven with us on Shabbos mornings joined us for the first time. She told me that she was crying at the table. She didn’t grow up in a religious home, and even as an adult, she has never in her life been at such a meaningful Shabbos meal. A woman who became a baalas teshuvah many years ago in Russia told me that before she left she had been at big Friday night dinners at Chabad in Moscow, but she has never experienced it in the 18 years since she left Russia, until this Shabbos at YILA.”

Special guest Rabbi Reuven Wolf joined the Melava Malka after Shabbos. Live music was provided by guitarist Yehuda Masjedi, which turned into a spontaneous kumzits that went on until 11 pm.

New YAYOE Learning Program

Culminates in a Beautiful Mother-Daughter Tea

is what one mother had to say: “Thank you so much to our amazing staff for this beautiful initiative! It really brings home such important and critical values and middos for our family as a whole, and special bonding time. We are ever so grateful.” As a fourth-grader put it, “Thank you so much for giving us these sheets so my mom and I can learn together.”

The Clubhouse Celebrates a Bar Mitzvah

In an effort to “fill our cups with positivity,” YAYOE recently initiated a new mother-daughter learning program, called “Treasured Moments,” for 2nd through 8th grade girls. This beautiful program was spearheaded and coordinated by Mrs. Rochel Weichbrod, teacher and program coordinator at Yeshiva Aharon Yaakov Ohr Eliyahu, and run under the auspices of Mrs. Schwarzmer.

For 7 weeks, mothers and daughters teamed up to learn about the topic of Hakaras Hatov—appreciating the good Hashem has given us. Each week, students brought home a lesson and a story to read with their mothers, along with questions to stimulate discussion.

Mothers and daughters responded enthusiastically to this opportunity to learn and connect. Here

This meaningful program culminated in a beautiful Mother-Daughter Tea, at which mothers and daughters reviewed and reflected on the topic of gratitude and what they are grateful for in their lives. Tea participants created Hakaras Hatov Pushkas, which are filled not with money, but with thoughts of personal gratitude that can be shared with the family at the weekly Shabbos meals.

KBY Shabbaton in LA Reaches Many

Park. Pico Robertson was visited by renowned speaker and KBY Ram Rav Shalom Rosner, who spent Shabbos with Young Israel of Century City. At the same time, Yavneh/YULA/KBY alumnus Rabbi Raphi Stohl, the Mashgiach of the Yeshiva of South Florida and a Rebbe at the Masimidim program of Katz Yeshiva High School (Hollywood, Florida) spoke at Adas Torah and led a packed Teen Oneg at the

The Clubhouse had the privilege to co-host a Bar-Mitzvah celebration for Menachem Gruen. The Sunday event took place at Yeshivas Toras Emes. Over 50 of Menachem’s friends, including Clubhouse volunteers, attended the event.

As a special treat, Rebbe Hill flew in from New York for the entire Shabbos weekend and was the featured entertainment for all the boys at the Sunday Bar Mitzvah. Rebbe Hill shared his amazing middos stories with his kosher magic while engaging the bar mitzvah boy and his friends.

The BBQ King put on a sumptuous seudah for the boys. The boys began with a rikkud and sat down for the seudah. Menachem led the bentch-

ing with Shmueli Greenfield and then sat down for some fantastic entertainment from Rebbe Hill. The guests and Menachem danced all afternoon to the music of DJ Shmuel of Elevation. Thank you to the Gruen family for allowing The Clubhouse to share in the simcha.

Yeshiva Kerem B’Yavneh (KBY) held its first-ever Los Angeles Shabbaton on Shabbos Parshas Yisro. KBY, which pioneered the Hesder Yeshiva model and is celebrating its 70th anniversary, has a long history with many alumni from Los Angeles. The Shabbaton featured 4 Rabbanim at 5 shuls in 3 different LA neighborhoods: in La Brea/Hancock Park, HaRav Menachem Mendel Blachman, longtime Ram at KBY and talmid muvhak of Rav Yitzhak Hutner zt”l, spoke Friday Night at Rav Kalmenson’s Minyan and Shabbos Day at Young Israel of Hancock

home of YULA Dean of Students Rabbi Shimon Abramzcik. Finally, Rabbi Natanel Wiederblank, Magid Shiur at Yeshiva University, served as Scholar in Residence at Valley Village’s Shaarey Zedek Congregation. A packed Melaveh Malka capped the meaningful Shabbos, with the four Rabbanim enthralling their audience with a conversation about the unique nature of Jewish Education in 5783.

Yaakov and Miriam Gruen

Dear Friends,

Reaching the milestone of our youngest son Menachem Zev’s bar mitzvah brings with it a deep feeling of Hakaras Hatov. For over two decades, we have been the beneficiaries of incredible chasodim from the very special community in which we live. It has never been taken for granted! We are writing this letter of appreciation to everyone who was and is involved with our children in any way.

לארשי ךמעכ ימ

And so that others reading this letter are inspired to do more chesed, let it be a zchus for the amazing people who have helped us.

!ודסח םלועל יכ בוט יכ ’הל ודוה

הקב״ה is always here with us, holding us, embracing us, and bringing just the right people into our lives, at just the right moments!

THANK YOU to those who gave and gave selflessly to us and our children.

THANK YOU for entertaining with music and song and with your cheer, fun, and positivity.

THANK YOU for all the time and arrangements to settle two of our boys in a home in Eretz Yisrael.

THANK YOU to all who moved in with our kids giving us the opportunity to attend family simchos.

THANK YOU for taking Eliezer home every Shabbos after mincha. This was no simple act. Only we were privy to all the personal details that went into this chesed.

THANK YOU for having Boruch for every Shabbos seuda! When he didn’t show up, you came to pick him up!

THANK YOU to your children who learned from you to befriend our boys and include them in their games.

THANK YOU to the bochurim that came many Shabbosos to play with our boys. This was no small feat. Weekends, when special-needs children are out of their routine, can be very taxing. You gave us relief and time to spend with the other children.

THANK YOU for making your house a haven. Ha’Maven Yaven!

THANK YOU Your friendship and generosity to Moshe know no bounds!

THANK YOU or warmly welcoming Eliezer to visit. Your house was a relaxing and comfortable place to be!

THANK YOU for swinging with Eliezer in our living room and…

THANK YOU, dear neighbors, for putting up with the squeaking and clanging

We Thank the Community

and much more!

THANK YOU for always warmly welcoming Boruch with smiles and treats. Whenever I didn’t know where he was, I really knew!

THANK YOU for letting Boruch come and check out your cholent every week!

THANK YOU for employing Moshe in the warehouse and inviting him to the events and “farbrengens.”

THANK YOU or currently employing Moshe and teaching him significant vocational skills.

THANK YOU for being Moshe’s family and second home! Can we possibly list what we do for our own children? We sorely miss you!

THANK YOU for keeping up with Moshe even though you are married and KAH have a growing family. Moshe is delighted with every call, letter, and care package.

THANK YOU! It is amazing and heartwarming to go out with Moshe. So many friends and so much affection and kindness. The fist bumps, the back slaps, the exuberant greetings…. such a joy! Moshe feels accepted and a part of it all.

THANK YOU for your love, compassion, and understanding. We feel so blessed for your friendship.

THANK YOU for sharing your daughters with us!

THANK YOU for lending your pools!

THANK YOU, all our dear, loyal friends, for participating and sharing in our simchos. Hosting, stunning flower arrangements, platters, salads, organizing and really being b’simcha with us.

THANK YOU, CLUBHOUSE, FOR ALL THE EVENTS THAT MOSHE, MORDECHAI, AND MENACHEM LOOK FORWARD TO AND ENJOY. IT IS OFTEN THEIR ONLY SOCIAL OUTLET FOR THE WEEK!!

We are indebted to all the people who have included our boys during school, camp, and programs. A huge Yasher Koach to Rabbi Krause and Toras Emes, Rabbi Bursztyn of BYLA, Dr. Nagel, Dr. Kishineff, The Ravnoys & Friendship Circle, Ateres Avigayil in conjunction with Friendship Circle and their holiday programs, Rabbi Gottesman and Calabasas, Rabbi Weiner and Camp Sharei Simcha, Rabbi Ullman a”h and the Cheder, Rabbi Harrosh and Morasha, the Eisens and The Clubhouse, and Maor Academy.

To the many individuals whose altruism is admirable. We benefited from your generosity when moving into our present home, settling our two boys in Eretz Yisroel, and much in between and beyond. We are so grateful for the frequent flight arrangements, sponsoring our boys in Camp HASC, Hatzolah for our unique emergencies… the list goes on. You always went the extra mile. You installed air conditioning in our rental apartment to make us more comfortable and in more recent years, you enhanced Mordechai’s bar mitzvah by flying in his favorite singer. To this day, Mordechai relishes such joyful memories of Shmueli Ungar participating in his simcha.

May ה”בקה bentch you with החלצהו הכרב

To the dozens of Bais Yaakov girls… we remember you all! (Please call and let us know you read our letter) Where do we start? We will begin with A and end with Z… ANGELS -all of you! Baths and Bedtime… Climbing and Cycling … Driving and Dinners served… Errands…For all

the Fun…Generosity…Homework Helpers...Incredible patience and kindness… Just a phone call away… Kugels…“Living Room”…Music and Moving in…Never a problem…Organizing…Packing…Quality time… Respite care & Returns…Story telling…Thursday nights in the Gruen kitchen… Unconditional love… Valiant and Virtuous… Worthy… eXtraordinary…You gave and gave some more…and for the ZILLION OTHER FAVORS…MAY YOU BE REPAID A ZILLION TIMES!

Each day we continue to recognize and thank all those from whom we benefit. For those whose kindness is revealed to us and for those that are not revealed; we are indebted to all of you.

רובצ יכרצב םיקסועש ימ לכ חלשיו...םרכש םלשי ה”בקה הנומאב םהידי ישעמ לכב החלצהו הכרב

תובוט תורושבל הכזנש ןוצר יהי ןמא ונימיב הרהמב הבורק הלואגלו

Yaakov and Miriam Gruen

Rabbi Nir Yacoby

Parshat Mishpatim

Which month do women nag their husbands the least? February – it has the least number of days! Speaking of nagging, your wife wants a house in Beverly Hills. You’ve been living comfortably in a rented apartment close to your workplace for years. What happened?

We learn in םיטפשמ that one of the three elements that a husband is required to provide in marriage is shelter. He may wonder “Our apartment is a shelter. Why is she so spoiled all of a sudden?”

A wife’s repeated request is a sign of a deep unmet need. Have you asked her what’s in Beverly Hills? Maybe it’s a better school system? Perhaps her parents are there to help with the kids? Or does she want her friends nearby when you’re working late? Could it be all of the above? A

wife needs a social network that’s close and accessible to her.

Our sages taught us that a wife is not *at* home, she is *the* home. A smaller Beverly Hills home that is within her social network, rather than a mansion in the Valley, may be more conducive to your Shalom Bayit.

Torah Thought Parshas Terumah

Rabbi Berel Wein

It is interesting to note the choice of verbs used by the Torah regarding the collection of materials that will be necessary in the building of the Mishkan in the desert of Sinai. The Torah places emphasis on the collectors and takers of the donations and does not emphasize the intent on the part of the givers. It is true that the Torah instructs Moshe that he should take from those who have a heart that is willing to voluntarily give.

own funds. I would never have to ask anyone for money to fulfill my ambitions and complete my projects. As you can well understand, Heaven has mocked my dreams of personal wealth, as all projects have required intensive and continuous fundraising on my part. Since, by nature, I never have liked to ask people for favors or donations, all of this has been a trying experience.

However, the great Rabbi Yosef Kahaneman taught me a valuable

The emphasis in the verse is that everything should be taken on behalf of G-d and the holy noble project which is being undertaken – the building of a physical Tabernacle that will have within it the ability to somehow capture the spiritual and moral greatness of the Torah and of the people of Israel.

I have been in Jewish public life for well over 65 years. In those years, I have been engaged in building

lesson during the years that I was able to accompany him in Miami Beach on his fundraising visits and forays. He taught me that the taker who was asking for the money was really the one that was doing the ultimate favor for the giver who was writing the check. He used to tell me every morning before we journeyed to visit people that we were going to do a great favor today for these Jews, by requesting their help in building Torah in the land of

schools, synagogues, Torah learning platforms, book publishing and film production. I can testify that without raising funds and collecting money from others to sponsor and facilitate these projects, it would be impossible to see any to fruition. So, one must learn and train oneself to become a taker.

For many years, I foolishly dreamt that, somehow, I would win the lottery or otherwise become wealthy enough to sponsor the projects that I had in mind to accomplish with my

Israel. And he said this to me in sincerity. Even when we were rebuffed, and for various reasons left empty-handed, he would remark to me that some people just did not know how to grasp an opportunity and appreciate the favor that is being done for them.

Heaven instructs Moshe to help others participate in projects of eternity and holiness. And I imagine that this is the proper attitude that all who raise funds for noble causes should possess.

Shabbat shalom.

“I can testify that without raising funds and collecting money from others to sponsor and facilitate these projects, it would be impossible to see any to fruition. So, one must learn and train oneself to become a taker.”

Rabbi Nir and his wife Atrian give regular classes on Shalom Bayit. His popular 3-minute podcast is funny and draws Shalom Bayit ideas from the Torah portion of the week. To register:

The Vilna Gaon and Religious Zionism

Based on normative halacha, the Gra developed a comprehensive worldview with the overarching objective of hastening the coming of Moshiach and encouraged his students to invest their energy in building the land and bringing about the ingath ering of the exiles. Numerous students of the Gra immigrated in the early nineteenth century and paved the way for the masses who made aliyah starting in the 1880s.

Several rabbis who studied in Volozhin in the second half of the nineteenth century – such as Rav Shmuel Mohilever, who helped found the Hovevei Zion movement (the precursor to Herzl’s political Zionism); Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, who became the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi in pre-state Israel; and Rav Yitzchak Yaacov Reines, who founded the Mizrachi Religious Zionist Movement – encouraged observant Jews to join forces with secular Jews who were leading the drive to create the Jewish state.

When one thinks about modern Zionism, the first name that comes to mind is Theodor Herzl. However, a century before Herzl and his colleagues spread their Zionist vision, another revolution took place through a very different visionary.

Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zal-man (1720-1797), who was known as the Vilna Gaon (genius) and the Gra, an acronym for Hagaon Rabbeinu Eliyahu, spent his life

The rabbinic giants who championed the Zionist cause were adhering to the values promulgated by the Gra and espoused by some of their teachers in the Volozhin Yeshiva. However, their association with the Zionist movement was considered somewhat radical, as most European rabbis towards the end of the nineteenth century discouraged observant Jews from moving to the Holy Land, due to (1) their concerns that secular nationalism would replace religious observance, and (2) their finding it inconceivable that the Almighty would fulfill the redemption through secular activism. Consequently, when confronted with

immersed in Torah study. His influence reverberates in the yeshiva world, which he originated through his student Rav Chaim, who founded the Volozhin Yeshiva based on the ideals of the Gra’s Beit Midrash.

Another significant area where the Gra left his mark was regarding the issue of aliyah, as his strong focus on the importance of emigrating to Israel was instrumental in his students’, and their students’, creation of the Religious Zionist movement.

None of the classic codifiers of Jewish law – the Rambam, the Halachot Gedolot, the Rif, the Rosh, the Tur, the Shulchan Aruch – mention any law preventing Jews from establishing their own state. In fact, most of them considered moving to the Land of Israel a religious obligation. Moreover, many halachic giants – including the Arizal, the Bartenura, the Ramban, Rav Yehuda Halevi, and Rav Yosef Karo, to name a few – put their words into action and moved to Eretz Yisrael.

pogroms and other forms of anti-Semitism, the majority of religious leaders would urge their followers to accept the hardships of exile and pray for Moshiach’s miraculous arrival.

Although the Gra was unsuccessful in his attempt to move to Eretz Yisrael, his legacy is flourishing in the country’s numerous synagogues that have adopted his unique minhagim; in the countless Batei Midrash where his critical study approach is being taught; in Israel’s streets, as half a dozen cities have his name emblazoned on street signs; and in the Knesset, where many values promoted by the Religious Zionist parties emanate from the Gra’s worldview.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www. myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

“Another significant area where the Gra left his mark was regarding the issue of aliyah, as his strong focus on the importance of emigrating to Israel was instrumental in his students’, and their students’, creation of the Religious Zionist movement.”

Gedaliah Borvick

“The Mystical Connection Between the Holidays of Purim and Pesach”

On a

Pom Pom Blasters

Mushky Yiftach

Rebbe’s Stories

Speaking to the King of All Kings

Rabbi Mordechai Dubin

Purim, the holiday of clowning around, is right around the corner. Let’s get crafty with this clown pom pom blaster, which looks like an innocent little clown but has a fun surprise! What’s better than 1 pom pom blaster? Two! Create one with a friend and it will provide you with hours of fun and entertainment!

Supplies:

Pool noodle, Balloon, Tape, Scissor, Pom poms, Googly eyes and colored paper (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut a pool noodle to about 3 inches

Step 2: Tie a knot in the balloon (do not blow it up)

Step 3: Cut off the round part of the balloon

Step 4: Stretch open the opening of the balloon and attach it to the pool noodle

Step 5: Secure your balloon to the pool noodle using a strip of tape

Step 6: Decorate your pom pom blaster like an innocent clown

Step 7: Load your pom pom blaster with pom poms or confetti

Step 8: Pull the tied part of the balloon to allow the pom poms to explode!

1 2 3 4 6 5

Mushky, aka the “Duct Tape Lady”, is a duct tape artist and lover of crafts who is always On A Roll coming up with something new and exciting. Mushky believes that creativity and connection are 2 really important things to take with you throughout life. Crafts build confidence, teach problem solving, and encourages “Out of the box” thinking. She currently teaches 3rd grade in Bais Chaya Mushka LA and is an adjunct professor at Sara Schenirer College. You can check out more awesome projects on her YouTube channel, onarollcrafts, or follow her on instagram @onarollcrafts

To book a craft event contact her at onarollcrafts@gmail.com

One day Reb Baruch was riding in his wagon and realized that the sun was about to set and he had not yet davened Mincha. He quickly steered his horse to the side of the road then got down from his wagon and began to daven.

At that time an important Roman general was passing by. He noticed Reb Baruch and stood before him expecting an honorable greeting. Reb Baruch continued to sway back and forth as he davened but did not stop his Tefilah to greet the general. As soon as Reb Baruch finished his Tefilah, the general began to shout angrily. “How dare you ignore me!! Don’t you know that anyone who does not show honor to an officer of the king will be thrown into prison?!?”

Reb Baruch asked the general to please give him a moment to explain the reason why he did not interrupt his Tefilah to acknowledge him.

“Kind officer,” asked Reb Baruch, “Have you ever had the opportunity to speak with the king?” The general responded arrogantly. “Of course, I have spoken with the king. I have spoken with the king many times. I am one of the king’s top generals”. Reb Ba-

ruch continued. “And what would happen if while you were speaking with the king you turned away to greet someone else?”

“Turn away from the king to greet someone else?” the general answered surprisingly, “The king would throw me into prison for such disrespect!” Reb Baruch replied to the general, “That is exactly how I felt. While I was praying, I was speaking with the King of all Kings. The Master of the whole world. He created you, he created me, and he created your king. Wouldn’t it have been disrespectful for me to turn away from Hashem to greet you?”

The general nodded in agreement and was sat-

isfied with Reb Baruch’s explanation and said, “You may continue on your journey.” Reb Baruch got back onto his wagon and continued his travels happily and safely.

This story is found in Meseches Shabbos 32b.

Questions for Discussion

1. How can we apply this story to our own Tefilah and Brachos?

2. Can you try to have focus next time you daven like Reb Baruch did, even just one time?

3. What images of kings can you think of to attribute to Hashem?

Rabbi Mordechai Dubin is a Rebbe at Gindi Maimonides Academy. He is the author of three illustrated children’s books, I’ll Never Forget Yerushalayim, I Believe, and I Know 6; and has produced four Musical CD’s for children, I Made This World For you, Let My People Go, Al Shelosha Devarim, and Hashem is Always With Me.

By Rabbi MORDECHAI DUBIN

books/cds by Rabbi Dubin:

Other

Puzzler

John wanted to get into a members-only club so he hid and watched the guard at the door of the clubhouse. The guard said a number to each member as they approached, and the member would respond with a number of their own. If the member responded with the correct number, they were let in. If they responded incorrectly, they were thrown out. One member came up to the door, the guard said twelve, and the member responded with six and was let in. Another member came to the door, the guard said six, and the member responded with three and was let in. Believing he had heard enough, John went up to the guard. The guard said ten, and John said five but was not let in. What should John have said?

Parsha

Connections:

Connect these words to these weeks’

Parshas Mishpatim and Terumah

40 years in the desert

Constructions workers

Loaves of bread

Cherubim

48 wooden boards

7 Branch Menorah

Tapestries and curtains

Interest free loans

Shmitah produce

Freeing a slave

Bikurim

Guarding other peoples items

40 days and 40 nights

Two alters

PARSHA CHALLENGE

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Moishele walks into his boss’s office.“Sir, I’ll be straight with you, I know the company is struggling, but I have over three companies after me, and I would like to respectfully ask for a raise.” After a few minutes of haggling, the boss finally agrees to a 5% raise, and Sam happily gets up to leave.

“By the way,” asks the boss as Moishele is almost out the door, “which three companies are after you?”

“The electric company, water company, and phone company,” he answers.

RIDDLE ME THIS

Build your own Mishkan out of legos, bricks, Knex, pretzels, cardboard, candy, graham crackers, licorice, and any other items you can find in your house! Email us a photo with your name to be entered for a prize: Giftcard to Munchies!

Chidush on Colored Shirts

There are many subtle differences in the Yeshiva world. Many times we do not understand why certain differences came to be. Some of these differences can be quite small but are big enough to categorize them into groups and give them their own name.

In the Litvish world, there are two big groups called Lakewood’ers and Chofetz Chaim’ers. Although very similar, these groups have a difference in their style of learning and Hashkafa.

One very striking difference between these two groups is that Lakewood’ers only wear white shirts while Chofetz Chaim’ers wear colored shirts too. Some don’t understand how this difference came to be, including me. Although the reason isn’t so clear to me, I came up with a Remez. If you take the gematria of Lakewood you get 166. When you add all of those numbers together you get 13 (1+6+6). If you take Rak Lavan, which means “only white” in Hebrew, you get 382. When you add those numbers you also get 13 (3+8+2). Meaning, Lakewood = only white. This is a hint as to why Lakewood’ers do and will only

wear white shirts.

To know why Chofetz Chaim’ers wear colored shirts there is a separate Remez. Chofetz Chaim’s Gematria equals 246. If you add those numbers together you get 12 (2+4+6). The Gematria of shachor ad lavan equals 570. Those numbers added together also equal 12 (5+7+0). Shachor ad lavan means from black to white. Meaning, Chofetz Chaim = black to white.

Chofetz Chaim’ers wear any colored shirts from any color of the spectrum which is from black to white. Now when you ever hear the phrase, “The name says a lot,” you will understand what that means on a new level. Not only does a name carry the characteristics of the word itself.

Hints from a name can also carry meaning.

The Chidush Rabbi is an 18-year-old yeshiva bachur who wants to spread mussar by using what may seem like illogical explanations to paint a helpful and important message. His first work, Chap-a-Chidush, is an unprecedented work that combines light humor with mussar. “Chap-aChidush” is the Chidush Rabbi’s chidushim on wonderments in the Yeshiva world. Order now on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles or Lulu.com.

Money Man Mahomes

I have many keys, but no locks. I have space, but no rooms. You may enter, but you may not go outside. What am I?

Answer: A Keyboard

When he was a child, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was nicknamed “showtime” because he was so athletic and incredible at sports.

Mahome’s father played in the MBL for 11 seasons.

$

$ $

$ $ $ $

Mahomes was drafted as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers

In July 2020, Patrick Mahomes signed a $503 million, 12-year contract, which remains the biggest contract in all of U.S. sports.

During the throwing drills at the 2017 NFL Combine, Mahomes’ passes clocked at 60 mph, tied for the fastest pass ever recorded at the NFL Combine.

Mahomes is a part owner of the Kansas City Royals.

Mahomes holds the record for the most-double digit come- back wins by any quarterback in a season in NFL history.

If you want to share a story, recipe, D’var Torah, or something creative with us, we would absolutely love it! Please send them in to editor@thelajewishhome.com and write “Kids Section” in the subject line

The Chidush Rabbi

Community Profile

Love N Groceries: Love is more than just groceries

Alissa Kroll & Stephanie Ratner-Stauber

ove N Groceries is a 501-C charity located in Los Angeles. It was started by three mothers on a mission to make sure that all mothers have what they need to support their families. They took it upon themselves to build a platform to give back to widowed mothers and fathers in the community.

Initially, in 2020, Love N Groceries started with just 2 families. Currently, LNG partners with 19 families and over 35 children to bring them weekly groceries and shower them with love. What began with providing groceries and pantry items, quickly expanded to offer birthday care packages, babysitting, specialized therapists, tuition support, medical bill support, Costco deliveries, and so much more. LNG delivers home-cooked meals, ensures that every holiday is felt and celebrated, and makes a great effort to partner with families to make sure their needs are taken care of. Each family receives an ambassador who regularly contacts them to update the LNG team about their specific needs and wants. The team speaks daily to

calming blanket reminding me that Love N Groceries has my back. Words cannot express my thankfulness.” Another mother shared that “as we look at our pantry and see all the abundant supplies that will last many months, we are so grateful as this means I don’t have to worry about this

al support. They lighten the mental load of the widow just by listening and being present, and at other times promoting and encouraging self-care.

The purpose is simple. Love n Groceries is not only there to offer support to these families during a devastating time, but also, to help years down the line, as

doctors, lawyers, therapists, etc. The organization has also teamed with many of the Jewish schools in Los Angeles to get our youth involved. The motto at Love N Groceries is to think of what your family needs, and then get it for these families.

After receiving Chanukah gifts from LNG, one mother wrote: “What you ladies have done for me, there aren’t words. I cried to my sister today, telling her that although so much of what I feel is weighted with grief, I feel so lucky to be surrounded by the love and generosity of my community. You ladies make me feel loved and taken care of at times when I am feeling the most vulnerable. Thank you for making this Chanukah amazing for me, but thank you even more for making it spectacular for my children.” One volunteer was blown away by the impact that dropping off groceries and household items can have on a mother. She told LNG that the recipient said “tell everyone ‘Thank you so much,’ and that this is a life changer for her. She said that even not having to worry about the ability to afford toilet paper. It’s unbelievable and even in these few days with Covid, she still feels her life is mak-

brainstorm ways to best help and support each family.

Knowing that many of their needs are taken care of by LNG allows mothers to focus on their children. One recipient gratefully said, “Thank you for all of the Costco house supplies you delivered to my home. Juggling work, my kids, and having very little free time hinders me from being organized and getting all my house supplies. Again, this help is like a warm

need and can spend more time with my kids.”

The LNG team anticipates all possible needs that parents and families may have after losing a loved one. It is not only the items they provide but the hassle and burden lifted off the mother when she has so much else on her plate. Now, she has one less thing to worry about. LNG is volunteer-based and those volunteers also give their time and provide immense emotion-

the responsibilities and pressures of raising a family single-handedly persist. The loss of a spouse and parent is profound and there is no manual on how to survive it. The team’s mission is to empower these families during this difficult time and to help them gain their independence. The longterm goal of Love N Groceries is to expand the awareness of the organization throughout Los Angeles. In doing so, LNG can continue to grow its member base and support more families with the emotional and financial burdens faced when losing a spouse.

Love n Groceries is a community-based organization that asks members to sign up and commit to a $25 weekly donation. These do-

nations allow the organization to provide families with immediate emotional and financial support. To become a member of Love N Groceries, you may visit the website to sign up for a monthly or weekly commitment. Aside from monetary donations, there are many ways to get involved.

LNG is always looking for volunteers and they appreciate the community support and involvement. Members of the community have generously offered to help our families by donating their time or professional services, whether it be dentists,

ing a turn for the better and she can go to sleep without worrying about everyday necessities.” Some of the recipients dream of being able to return the chesed one day.

“Sometimes I close my eyes and dream about a time when I am able to be one of the helpers packing special gifts that I know will light up the faces of those they are given to. I pray to be given the chance to give.” Here is your chance to sign up as a member so that LNG can continue providing for these families and children.

“The loss of a spouse and parent is profound and there is no manual on how to survive it. The team’s mission is to empower these families during this difficult time and to help them gain their independence.”

Hillel Hebrew academy girls making Shavuot flower arrangements

As part of their school wide Chesed activities, Valley Torah Girls High School hosted a in a Color Run All proceeds were donated to LNG.

Albert and Gaby Katri doing a quarterly Costco haul for LNG

OUR MISSION IS TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL BURDENS FELT BY MANY OF THE WIDOWS, WIDOWERS AND CHILDREN IN OUR LOCAL LOS ANGELES JEWISH COMMUNITY.

WILL YOU SIGN UP FOR $25 A WEEK

TO HELP SUPPORT WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS IN OUR COMMUNITY?

TO JOIN US PLEASE SCAN THE CODE AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.LOVENGROCERIES.COM

Margy’s Marvelous Mission

by

Music and Education in Her Genes

While growing up in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL., 5year-old Margy was taking a general kids' music class with a friend, when the teacher recommended to her parents that she begin oneano lessons. She loved it from the start! Her mother never had to remind her to practice. Instead, she always had to remind Margy to do her schoolwork because she was always at the piano! Those piano lessons lasted until she graduated from high school.

Margy Horowitz attended Bais Yaakov Elementary School and HannaGirls High School in Chicago, before going to Machon Rivkin seminary in Israel. At Stern College, Margy was one of only three music majors, after which she received her Master's Degree in Piano Pedagogy from Northeastern Illinois University.

Margy’s father, who was a Chazzan, loved classical music and took her to symphonies, operas, and other concerts when she was young, which helped to cultivate her love of music. Her mother, on the other hand, didn't love classical music as much. She was a musical theater fan who took Margy to Broadway shows and

the choir leader in 8th grade. In 9th grade, she was in the choir for the school production, but by the time 10th grade came around, the word had gotten out that Margy was a pianist, so she was asked to take over playing the piano for her subsequent productions in 10th and 11th grades. That was her first experience as an accompanist.

Margy comes from a long line of Jewish educators. On her mother’s side, her grandfather, Rabbi Ben Zion Well, z'l, was a Judaic studies teacher for many years and was also the only mohel for the entire Midwest of America in the mid-20th century.

Her grandmother (Esther Well, z'l) was also a Judaic studies teacher, two of her uncles (Rabbi Don Well and Rabbi Harvey Well) were educators and pulpit rabbis, and her mother, Rena Well Berkowitz, taught after-school Hebrew school. On her father's side, her uncle Rabbi Tzvi Berkowitz is the Rosh Yeshiva at Ner Israel in Baltimore. Margy’s older brother currently teaches History at Mechinas Ner Naftali in Chicago and her younger brother is a math professor at Cal State Northridge in the Valley.

“Music has always been a huge part of my life. I can't imagine life without it!”

Margy exclaims. It is no surprise then that Margy combines her love of music and education, which was so deeply imbued in her childhood, and brings it to the Los Angeles community with such conviction and warmth.

piano lessons and support her passions.

Searching for Sunshine

In the summer of 1998, Margy was looking for a change and was debating leaving Chicago to move to NY or LA. After attending a wedding in LA in June 1998, she loved it so much that she decided to move here! She hated the cold weather in Chicago, so she went back home, told her parents that she was moving to LA, and started looking for a job.

Beverly Hills High School, and are members of B’nai David Judea, where Margy currently serves on the board of directors.

helped her develop her love for show

In 4th grade, Margy tried out for the school choir anddiscovered a love for singing, especially harmonizing. She continued singing in the choir and became

Margy credits her first piano teacher, Livia Ayal, with giving her a strong foundation in note-reading and technique. Her music professor at Stern, Dr. Edward Levy, was influential in teaching her music theory and how harmony really works. Most importantly, her parents made the sacrifices necessary to give her

Margy decided to move to the Pico area of Los Angeles because it felt like she could be among people similar to her religiously. She found a roommate, and an apartment, and started attending Young Israel of Century City. She worked at Alfred Music Publishing Co. in Van Nuys and gave piano lessons after work. What began as a suggestion from a friend to start teaching one piano student soon, due to word of mouth, turned into 50 students within one year of her moving to LA. She realized she was making more money and enjoying the lessons more than her daytime job, so she quit that job and devoted herself fully to teaching piano privately in people’s homes.

When Margy married Jeremy, whom she knew from Chicago, they decided to begin their marriage and family while remaining in Los Angeles, They began attending Beth Jacob and made a close group of friends. They now have two children, Rowan and Nathan, who attend

within the local Jewish community, referrals from friends, her students, and their families, and soon Margy became the most sought-after piano teacher in the religious Jewish communities of the Pico and La Brea areas.

Lettings Others Shine

Margy currently works with teenage girls in the local high schools, helping to instill that music, performing arts, and singing gene into them!

Since 2013, Margy has been the Music Director for Bais Yaakov High School's Halleli production. The Bais Yaakov alumni who were writing the scripts suggested Margy for the role of music director for Halleli. After the first year, while she ran the choir and played the music with the band, she got more involved with the drama, script writing, and set design for Halleli. Mrs. Shamie runs the whole program and Margy was heavily involved in assisting the process. That led to her teaching a music elective and public speaking course for BYLA

Ariela Kauffman

memMargy directors. the mouth community, and the the Pico teenage to and the High Bais the of first played more writing, Shamie was process.

students.

In 2018, Margy was asked by YULA to come on board as the Performing Arts Director. Before this, YULA girls put on plays that were directed by male directors, but the girls wanted to perform in a musi cal. Now Margy produces and directs two plays per year for the YULA High School Girls Division – a musical in the fall and a non-musical in the spring. She also teaches public speaking and advises the year-round choir club that meets every other week and performs on special occasions.

Jewish Women’s Repertory Company

While it seems like Margy Horowitz has enough on her plate, cultivating a love of music, singing, and drama for high school girls, she has had to cut down on her piano lessons from 50 students to only 20 students. If you think that’s what keeps Margy busy, you wouldn’t believe what she’s been doing for women of the Jewish community since 2005.

The Jewish Women’s Repertory Company (jwrcla.org) is a community theater that Margy founded in 2005 for the women of the LA Jewish community. The idea came to Margy when she heard about a group of women in Chicago who were performing a musical by women for a women-only audience. Margy questioned whether that would be something the Los Angeles community would be interested in so she began asking around at Shabbos meals if women would be interested in their own musical theater company. The response was loud and clear: It would never happen in Los Angeles.

During this time, Margy attended a Shabbos sermon by Rabbi Weil of Beth Jacob, who was promoting an organization that assisted women who suffered from domestic violence. While Margy did not have the funds to donate to the organization, she vowed then and there that she would put on her first musical production for women by women, and would donate the proceeds to this domestic violence support organization. She met privately with Rabbi Weil to discuss her idea. He gave his support and encouragement and offered Beth Jacob as the location for auditions.

Margy and a friend printed fliers at their own expense and advertised the auditions by walking up Pico Blvd, passing out fliers, and posting them on lampposts. That first year, 25 women auditioned and rehearsals began at Magen David. Some of the women were vocally trained, some were Baalei Teshuva who

would no longer sing in front of men, and others were mothers and career women who wanted a creative outlet. One woman asked to be the choreographer because she was a trained dancer. Margy rented the show!

The purpose of the JWRC is to provide an outlet for frum women after they graduate high school. Many have talents they want to perform - acting, singing, and dancing - that must be done only in front of women due to Kol Isha. The JWRC produces a smaller cabaret show every spring, which brings in donations to fund the program. The full-length Broadway-style musical is directed and produced by Margy every winter. Ticket sales account for 50% of the budget to put on the main performance, with the rest being funded by donations, playbill ads, and the cabaret-style show.

The JWRC would not be possible without the support of Margy’s husband and two children, who are teenagers now but have never known a life without the JWRC. Margy knows she’s built something incredible. “Our cast parties are really when it hits me. I look around at all of the women who have had such a great time performing for our appreciative audiences, and I can't believe that I did this amazing thing. Some of the women that I've met and worked with have become my closest friends, and I can't even remember what life was like before I knew them. It's truly changed my life.”

observance among the many women who perform in the JWRC shows - Yeshivish, Bais Yaakov graduates, Conservative, and even some who are not

to watch a mother from Bais Yaakov become friends with a mother from Pressman. Nobody has ever had a problem getting along. All our other differences are left outside the door. If not for the shows, some of these women would not have met, and now they share a similarity. It’s not about politics, religion, or anything else divisive. We can all find a place for

who are perhaps not Jewish. The special part about the collective group is that no one cares how observant another member is. All the women are there to put on a show, to share their talents with each other and their audience, and to sing and dance together. Margy marvels that “It’s a beautiful thing

ourselves and get along, and there is room for all of us.”

JWRC serves as a unifier for the women of the LA Jewish community.

I posed the question of what brings non-observant women to the JWRC. If they aren’t observant, why do they choose not to perform in front of men? Margy believes it’s because “When women are with men, whether we like to admit it or not, we behave differently, we carry ourselves differently, there’s a different feeling of camaraderie and freedom when women are not anywhere near men.” For the women who would sing in front of men, they still enjoy the freedom of not having men around, of being with just women, and being themselves. They are not worried about how they look or how they are perceived. They can be more authentic to their true selves. Margy loves that the “women keep coming back for the camaraderie and girl power. We don’t have a lot of chances in our lives to just be there and support each other. The women are here for the feeling of friendship, the ability to be yourself, and not worried about what others think of you. It’s not only about Kol Isha.”

Some of Margy’s life’s most memorable moments are during her time with the JWRC. When she directed Les Miserables, Margy recalls, “I remember standing backstage when the orchestra music started and just getting chills thinking, ‘Oh my G-d, I directed Les Mis!!!!’ It was a musical that I've loved since high school and now I produced, directed, and performed in a small role. It was a dream come true.” Another memorable moment was when tickets went on sale for the 2019 production of Beauty & the Beast and sold out within a week.

Moving Forward with Her Mission

Margy’s had a passion for music and singing since she was young. She is grateful to her parents for paying for all of those years of piano lessons! Her two most

motivating factors that push her forward are sharing her own God-given gifts with the community, and more importantly, wanting to help others to share their gifts as well. It makes Margy sad when she meets a woman who loves to sing but hasn't had a chance in her adult life because of her lack of opportunities. Margy believes in her mission and feels that she got where she is today because of her determination to do what she loves and never compromise.

Margy has never considered any other profession. She knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a piano teacher so she could teach others to enjoy music as much as she did. Her dream is to turn the JWRC into a bigger company where she can earn a salary for all the hours of work that she puts into it, but she has loved every minute of it even though it’s been nearly twenty years of volunteer time.

When it comes to the Los Angeles community, Margy feels she has grown with the community. When she arrived at a young 24 years old, she was single. Now she is raising her family among a group of very close friends that she trusts would be there to help her should anything, G-d forbid, happen. The community is her family, and she does not know what life would be without her friends. Her various jobs within the community allow her to have a part in many different social circles within the community, supporting her appreciation for different types of people. Margy believes everyone has their own contribution to give, which she tries to support through her work with girls and women and their ability to share their talents through performing arts. Margy continues to give back to the community in so many ways. “It’s important that my shul is thriving and my children are thriving. It’s important that within orthodoxy, people are accepted who don’t fit into a box.” What more does the JWRC personify than this strongly held belief of Margy’s.

To de-stress, Margy loves nothing more than rehearsing for a show, as it invigorates her. When she is feeling tired or down on herself, she just needs to get together with some friends and sing in harmony to immediately feel better. At this time, Margy is rehearsing for the JWRC's concert tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein, which will be on June 1st and 4th at the Museum of Tolerance Peltz Theater (for women only) and YULA’s spring play, Arsenic & Old Lace, which will be the weekend of May 20-21, while also preparing for the JWRC's 17th full-length musical, The Sound of Music, which will be in December 2023. Auditions will be held on June 5th and 6th (see jwrcla.org for details!).

The Power of a Kind Word Yoeli’s

I had the merit of spending winter break in the holy city of Jerusalem. The mikveh at Kahal Chasidim in Rechavia is spectacular. There are three borros with varying temperatures. The Litvak is basically a plunge pool. The Chusid is about 104 degrees and is used the most. The Super Chusid is really amazing, it literally burns the shmutz off your neshama although you do get 3rd-degree burns.

I went with my son one morning and as we were leaving, a guy asked permission to say something to my son. To my son he said something like “you have an awesome father who gives you hadracha in life.” Then he turned to me and said “keep up the good work!” I can’t remember what I said to my son in

fluence to bring out the true shefa, divine influence. Similarly, by Yetzias Mitzrayim, Hashem promised the Avos that he would take us out of Egypt which is a shefa of geula, but to unlock that shefa, we needed to do Bris Milah and Karbon Pesach. These two acts caused a release that allowed the Geula to happen.

What Hashem was telling Moshe was that for you to unlock the shefa of the Torah, you, Moshe, need to help Me! You need to bring in an outside influence to unpack the full shefa of the Torah. Like a seed, the Torah must be watered to reach its full potential. Hashem tells Moshe to unlock the full shefa of the Torah, you should help Me by saying, Titzlach Milachtecha, which are words of encouragement.

the mikveh to warrant his comments, but something struck a chord with him. I cannot describe the joy I had from this stranger’s words. It really touched me and opened up my heart. I felt physically different for a few hours. It amazes me that this man made himself vulnerable to say something and put himself out there to complete strangers. My greatest take away from the whole scenario is that our words have so much power. Sometimes a few kind words to a total stranger can change trajectories for people, which can later have so many reverberating effects which we don’t initially think about.

I heard a Torah thought from my grandfather Reb Shlomo Freifeld about a gemara in Shabbos that describes, in allegorical form, an exchange between Hashem and Moshe. Moshe went to heaven to bring down the Torah and walked in when Hashem was attaching the crowns to some of the letters of the Aleph Bais. Moshe was silent when he entered the room so Hashem said “Moshe, they don’t say Shalom Aleichem where you come from?” Moshe replied, “It’s not proper for a servant to say Shalom Aleichem to his Master.” To which Hashem replied, “If you are my servant, you should have helped me.” Rashi comments on the words “you should have helped me” that Moshe should have said Titzlach Milachtecha, “May your work be successful.” Moshe then goes on to deliver words of encouragement to Hashem.

Many influences in this world are linked with other factors which ultimately bring an item to completion. For example, an apple seed represents the potential that, when watered, will grow into a fruit. The seed needs an outside in-

The message is so clear. Words have the ability to unlock the greatest shefa in the world—the Torah. In each one of us, there are mountains of potential shefa. People spend their lives drawing out this potential through selfgrowth, self-awareness, or positive self-messaging, which equals a lot of SELF work. However, there is a part of drawing out the potential that is reliant on outside influences. It’s the people around you, the people you interact with. These outside influences help us draw out our own shefa. Man is called Adam because like adama, earth, is just raw potential, so, too, man is raw potential. If you stick an apple seed in the dirt it will grow into apples and if you use a tomato seed, tomatoes will grow. So, too, man is raw potential. To draw out the full potential of man, we need to use our influence and words in a positive way to help each other unlock our full potential.

One of the things that my Saba constantly preached was saying Shalom Aleichem to somebody who is new to your makom. When someone is in a new place it is natural to be somewhat guarded. When you walk over and give that person a big Shalom Aleichem and make them feel welcome, you are unlocking their potential and creativity. Let’s start the Shalom Aleichem movement!! If you see something, say something!!

Yoel Halpern is

to bring some of his fondest childhood memories back to life in the Los Angeles community. With that in mind, Yoel, along with many friends and local Rabbis, started the LA Mishmar, a movement of growth and vulnerability sweeping through LA. Yoel lives with his wife and three children in LA.

a businessman, publisher of The LA Jewish Home, and a true Chassid at heart. Originally from Far Rockaway, NY, Yoel has always yearned

“However, there is a part of drawing out the potential that is reliant on outside influences.”

Yoel Halpern

Happenings in the H d The D c with +

Early Bird Catches the Boureka

After seven days of being in Israel and eating all of the incredible delicacies that one could eat, from shawarma to solika (hint hint for our next article), habuerkah to pizza, steak to duck liver, I was done! I couldn’t think about food for at least a month.

So as soon as I landed in L.A. at 6:00 AM on the EL AL direct flight from Tel Aviv, I jumped into the car with my compadre and headed back over the hill to Sherman Oaks to Bo.re.kas Sephardic Pastries. Okay, well, first I showered and changed, then we jumped on the 405, and with no traffic, we were there in 12 minutes. This was key because if you don’t get to Bo.re. kas by 11:00 AM, there is a good chance

ing is classic Israeli… milk crates and plastic 99-cent store tables.

As you have come to expect, we ordered the entire menu, but, contrary to our other reviews here, we absolutely recommend you do the same. Within minutes, we were presented with a pizza box loaded with all four of the bourekas on the menu paired with their homemade Israeli pickles, perfectly hard-boiled eggs, tomato sauce, and schug.

Here are our hacks: grab a “table,” rotate the milk crate 90 degrees if you are not vertically challenged, and eat the bourekas right there on the spot. Mix the schug with the tomato sauce if you like things a little spicier. And lastly, if you have a few oth-

they will run out and they are not shy about it. They have a sign in front resembling a sign you would see on a Golani base that emphatically states: “Hours: Sunday-Friday 9:00 AM - Sellout.”

We have heard about the hype and we had to go check it out. This place has been trending on social media for weeks. Israeli actress Gal Gadot has also been posting about the hottest kosher spot in L.A.

When we arrived, we pulled up to a classic 1980s construction San Fernando Valley strip mall. A nice line had already formed in front of a bank-teller-style window and all we could think about was whether there would be enough bourekas remaining. There were about five people ahead of us, but the line moved rather quickly. We got a glimpse of the menu as we approached the primitive sliding glass window. Don’t be surprised to discover there is no actual walk-in store; the menu only has bourekas and coffee, and the seat-

ers with you, ask for the secret menu which features a special surprise sandwich.

As for the bourekas themselves, they are amazingly delicious. The four options are cheese and zaatar, mushroom and onion truffle, potato and brown butter, and spinach and cheese. Each one is tastier than the next. The dough is buttery soft, perfectly moist, and precisely flaky.

Bo.re.kas Sephardic Pastries is something special and well worth the trip. I dare say that it was equally as good as anything I had in Israel and made me feel like I never came back home. There is a good reason why they call the valley “Little Israel.”

This establishment is certified kosher by the OK.

“Happenings in the Hood with TMtZvi and the Doc” is a new review column of local Jewish and kosher establishments. Tzvi Ratner-Stauber is a mortgage broker in LA and Steven Kupferman is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon in Century City.

“As you have come to expect, we ordered the entire menu, but, contrary to our other reviews here, we absolutely recommend you do the same.”

Lou’s Views

Lessons From The Skies

It’s never a dull moment. On February 5, 2023, a U.S. Air Force fighter jet shot down a Chinese-controlled balloon off the South Carolina coast one week after it first entered U.S. airspace.

China maintains that it was a mere weather balloon that had blown off course into U.S. airspace. It condemned the shootdown and accused the U.S. of overreacting (as if China would have done anything differently). The U.S. argues that it was not

DJ EZZI

a weather research balloon but, in fact, an airship that was used for espionage and was controlled by the Chinese military, the People’s Liberation Army.

According to the Department of Defense, the balloon was bigger than the Stat-

ue of Liberty and is believed to have been up to 200 feet tall. That’s comforting.

There are two major concerns arising from this incident: the nation’s security and its relationship with China moving forward.

Many are wondering how China was able to fly its own apparatus into the U.S. air-

space without any difficulty. In fact, it has happened at least four other times in recent years. According to a senior U.S. defense official, Chinese balloons crossed over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time earlier in the Biden administration. This particular balloon was shot down because it was hovering over a U.S. military site.

The obvious takeaway is that this country is more vulnerable to an attack than we had thought. If a country wants to attack the U.S. it can look to this situation for inspiration. Hopefully, the current administration takes advantage of this cheap lesson and focuses its attention on ensuring

the safety and security of this nation from foreign enemies.

The future of the relationship between the U.S. and China is also important. “What the U.S. has done has seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing China-U.S. relations since the Bali meeting,” said China’s Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not travel to China in response to the

incident, but said that “he would be prepared to visit Beijing as soon as conditions allow.” This was a clever way for Blinken to express his disappointment with China, while leaving the door open for peaceful collaboration. That is the prudent course of

action because spying on a country is different than attacking it.

Roman Schweizer, managing director for aerospace and defense at Cowen and Company’s Washington Research Group, said, “Countries spy on each other — on enemies and friends, using all sorts of methods and tech. Getting caught is

the risk.”

This is a developing story with more to come once the balloon is analyzed by forensic experts. But the lesson to learn from it is immediate: despite all the technological advancements that this country has made in national security since 9/11, it still has a ways to go.

Lou Shapiro is a criminal defense attorney-certified specialist and legal analyst, but most importantly, makes the end-of-shul announcements at Adas Torah. He can be reached at LouisJShapiro@gmail.com.

“Hopefully, the current administration takes advantage of this cheap lesson and focuses its attention on ensuring the safety and security of this nation from foreign enemies.”

Lou Shapiro

Parent Parent 2

Chani Heyman

Dear Chani, Getting my kids ages nine, six, and four to bed at night has turned into a nightmare, pun intended!

Do you have any tips on how I can get them into bed in a calm, loving manner?

Please help, Thank you!

Tired Mom

Dear Tired, Thank you for writing. Bedtime can be very challenging in many homes. There are a few different angles that can be addressed when dealing with bedtime, but I would like to discuss the different aspects of a bedtime routine that will Iy’H turn your daily nightmare into wonderous unicorns and rainbows.

1. Create a bedtime routine: Write down the basic routine that your child should do every night before going to bed. This routine is crucial. It tells the brain, which then signals to the body, that it is almost time for bed and that it’s time to start releasing hormones that will make your child tired. An example of a bedtime routine might be bath/shower, pajamas, last snack/fruit/ drink, brush teeth, read a book, and say Shema. Good night, turn out the light! Any routine that suits your lifestyle will do. This is just an example.

2. Set bedtime by counting backward: The way you calculate what time you need to start your bedtime routine is by counting backward. For example, if you want your nine-year-old to be in bed at 8 pm: saying Shema takes 5 minutes, now we are at 7:55, reading a book takes 10 minutes, now we are at 7:45, last snack takes 5 minutes, 7:40, pajamas takes 5 minutes, 7:35, bath/ shower takes another 15 minutes 7:20. Now you know your bedtime routine should begin at around 7:15/7:20 pm in order to be able to get your child into bed without being rushed. This creates the desired calm atmosphere befitting bedtime.

3. Bedtime is not a marathon: If you are running late one night don’t marathon through your bedtime routine. That would give the body the opposite message. You want to trigger relaxation. If you are coaching, “shower, shower, go, go teeth, hurry, run run!” it will be very hard for the body to then take a deep breath and “ahh sleep!” The body and mind will think there is a race and want to continue jumping all over the bed! If you are running late, as can sometimes happen, a better solution would be to take something out of the routine, such as the shower, and then you can still have a calm routine before bedtime.

4. Figure out the correct bedtime: You can look up the general pediatric guidelines for different ages to go to sleep, or ask other moms in the class, if this is your oldest child. You want to put your child to bed when they are

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Most Popular Kitchen Hacks

Tikva Braum and Rena Kohengadol

#1 Dull Sink Disposal

You may not have even known this, but your sink garbage disposal can get dull over time. To avoid this, try sharpening the blades with this simple trick! Grab some ice cubes and throw them into the drain. Turn on your drain for just a few seconds and walla! Your blades have just been sharpened. For added bonus, throw in some lemon peels to get rid of any lingering smells. This will naturally infuse your sink with a nice fresh scent!

#2 Loose Kitchen Faucet Fix

Don’t bother calling a plumber again and spending money on something you can fix yourself in under 10 seconds. Yep, you heard us right! To tighten your sink faucet that seems to be hanging or falling loose, all you need to do is readjust the magnet under your sink. Once it’s readjusted, your faucet head will slip right back into place and you can proudly tell your husband that you fixed it yourself!

#3 Water Urn Hack

This might sound crazy but I was purchasing a new hot water urn every year because of all the hot water buildup! True story until… (drum roll please), we discovered this amazing hack! The best part about this is all you need for it is vinegar. Simply empty your water urn and fill it up with regular vinegar. Be sure to completely cover the hard water build-up with the vinegar. Let the vinegar sit in there for a few hours. Do not plug the urn in. After a few hours, rinse out the vinegar and you’re done! Your urn will look brand new!!

tired but not overtired. Some kids need more sleep, and some kids need less, much to the disdain of their parents. You can look up the general guidelines for what time your four-year-old should be going to bed and practice trial and error from there. Let’s say you try 6:30 pm, and you see she is tantruming and falling apart at Shema-time. This would be an indication that she is probably overtired and you should try to start the routine 15 minutes earlier. Or the opposite: if you put her to bed at 6:30 and, after two weeks, she is not able to fall asleep by 7 pm (half an hour later) and I mean actively trying to sleep, not doing gymnastics on her bed, then you might be putting her in too early (I’m sorry!). Then you can try to start the routine 15 minutes later for another two-week trial.

Even if you are not a rigid person by nature, a bedtime routine is a very helpful tool to signal to the body that it is bedtime. You don’t have to have a very strict routine. You make it work for your personality. It can be a more loose and more relaxed routine, but the consistency should still be there. When you do the same things every night, the body will get the hint, and bedtime should begin to get easier and smoother. If you are a more rigid person then remember to try not to be a drill sergeant. This is your child’s bedtime routine, not the army.

As always, enjoy these detailed bedtime routine days. They grow up so fast, that soon you’ll be missing giving the chills and singing rock a bye baby. Next issue, I will address getting your children to follow said bedtime routine that you have created, in a pleasant, delightful manner.

Chani Heyman is a parenting coach who has been giving parenting classes, based on the teaching of Rebbetzin Spetner, for over 9 years to hundreds of mothers across the US. You can reach her at chaniheyman@gmail.com

Here are #mommylifesquad’s top 3 hacks for the kitchen that are our most popular:

Tikva Braum and Rena Kohengadol, as mommylifesquad, provide a fresh dose of hacks, tips, and trips across three social media platforms. The content will keep you coming back for more each time!

Lessons I Learned Along the Way

You Just Never Know

Mrs. Sheindy Gross

At a L’chaim many months ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with a group of my Valley Torah alumni. It’s always such nachas to listen to the college courses they’re taking and the career paths they’re beginning. It makes for lively and insightful discussions whenever we get together. One girl remarked that of all the classes she took in high school, the art classes turned out to be the most beneficial for her. “How funny is it,” she commented to me, “that this was the course I thought I would benefit from the least, and it’s the one I’m most grateful for?”

While I have written and shared a lot about not letting children completely control their own narrative because, after all, they are young and need the guidance of adults, I would like to focus on the maturation of teenagers and why they so badly need those adults in their lives.

It comes as no surprise to any adult reading this article that a young graduate realized that the very thing she thought would have no purpose, ended up giving her the greatest inspiration currently. The reason it comes as no surprise to you (if you are an adult) is simple– your own life experience. You most likely have had a similar circumstance and you recognize that one does not know everything at age 15 or 17. You understand that ideas change, convictions waver, and that which seemed like such a fabulous plan fades and another more compelling or appealing option emerges.

When I was in high school I had a friend who would completely fall apart if someone changed her mind about something. I can still remember the shame I felt when I came to a new and different conclusion. As we matured and circumstances required a more enlightened point of view, she would accusingly ask me

took me far too many years to figure out just how “stuck” she was. Because I had become an adult and sadly she was still a teenager.

This is the reason why teenagers rely on adults. If you have recently been overwhelmed with your thoughts, anxious and jittery, and/or feeling socially insecure, you can identify with how teenagers feel a lot of the time (they are doing nothing wrong, they are exactly the way Hashem created them to be at this age). On those uncertain days, you may likely take something minor and make it crucial, be sharp and less patient in your conversations, and view your overall circumstances as gloomier than they truly are. Would

it later on. Ain’t no time like the present to begin growing it.

Many would agree that our youth

figure out how I was the same person. I don’t blame her; I hardly recognized myself! Do you know why? Because I was the grown-up version of myself!

you make a very important decision when you’re feeling so out of sorts? I hope not. And so back to the art class and our conversation at the L’chaim. Anecdotally speaking, to those who have gone to the schools I have, art class was the class that…maybe you didn’t actually “take.” You really liked the teacher, the sweetest lady ever, but if you were not gifted with the “art gene,” chances are you didn’t get an A for participation. As the principal, when the same scenario occurred at school, we didn’t cancel art nor did we allow students to skip class no matter how much they pleaded. Why? It’s very simple: you may very well need art in the future. You may not have the “art gene” now, but you may certainly need to sprout

are very stressed nowadays. We can do our part to mitigate this by encouraging experiences over perfection. Opportunity versus achievement. When we wax eloquently about “when we were young,” a part of that is that we were children with abandon. The stakes weren’t so high and we could just have fun. Some of the stuff I did when I was young could make your hair stand up on end. I remember a friend who knew me as a teenager and then as a newly married woman, and she couldn’t

Children and especially teenagers are often overwhelmed by their own powerful thoughts and feelings. In those moments of ambivalence, teens need to be able to lean on the confident adults in their lives. Often a young child will resist taking any part, however small, in a class play. They may refuse to cooperate during the elective slot in high school. Jumping to their defense and getting them out of their immediate misery may actually be robbing them of a chance to explore and experience something that may well become their parnasa or career choice later in life. They may lose an opportunity to develop a new hobby that they would adore and cherish for many years to come.

With over 30 years in education as a teacher and a principal, Mrs. Sheindy Gross continues her passion for education by creating a new platform called TEHILA, Torah Education with Heart in LA, for women and girls to receive adult education, camaraderie, and support. In addition to TEHILA, Mrs. Gross provides a myriad of educational opportunities for the community, such as dating and relationship mentoring, Kallah classes, and leadership consulting for educators. Mrs. Gross can be reached at sheindyg@gmail.com.

why I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I had changed my perspective. Suffice it to say we are no longer friends, but I must say it

“In those moments of ambivalence, teens need to be able to lean on the confident adults in their lives.”

In the Kn w

Yoshon in L.A. - It’s not as

as you think!

The approach of Pesach can bring with it either an anxiety of Passover cleaning or the excitement of going on a Pesach program. However, for many Jews around Los Angeles, it brings a different type of anticipation and excitement— the end of the Yoshon season! For these scrupulous consumers, the restrictions on which restaurant to dine in and which flour to purchase for challah suddenly come to an end.

Yoshon is grain planted before Pesach and Chodosh is grain planted after Pesach. The source of this mitzvah can be found in Vayikra 23:14, where Hashem commands the Jewish people, “And you shall eat neither bread, nor parched grain, nor fresh ears, until the day that you have brought an [Omer/Pesach] offering unto your G-d.”

Sefer HaChinuch explains the prohibition of Chodosh as one that allows us to build our Emunah and Bitachon in Hashem. Just as one may

not partake of food until a beracha is recited, so too we must wait until after Pesach to eat from the new crop of grains. In doing this, we show that we recognize that Hashem is not only the source of our freedom but also the source of all of our sustenance as well.

The majority of early and contemporary Poskim conclude that the mitzvah of Yoshon should be observed to some degree. This list of rabbanim includes Rambam, Rif, Rosh, Shulchan Aruch, Rema, Vilna Gaon, R’ Shneur Zalman of Liadi (Baal Hatanya), Tzemach Tzedek, the Chofetz Chayim, Rav Ovadia Yosef, and many others. Contemporary

rabbanim Rav Aharon Soloveitchik and Rav Aharon Lichtenstein were also careful about Yoshon.

If that is the case, why are so many G-d fearing Jews lax about checking the Yoshon status of foods?

Historically, keeping the mitzvah was either very simple or very complicated. In many Middle Eastern countries, there was only one wheat season which was predominantly planted before Pesach, making all the wheat production Yoshon by default. In European countries, they had the opposite issue. With multiple crop seasons per year, Poskim

used several heterim to allow grain that was not yoshon since there were doubts as to the dating of the crop source. Some Poskim also realized that due to the basic necessity of wheat products, many people may not listen to a psak that would forbid staple foods. In light of this, they advised it was best to stay quiet and rely on the non-mainstream, minority opinions.

During the 1900s in America, the matter temporarily became a non-issue because of the surplus wheat that was stored in silos across the country. This almost guaranteed that any wheat consumed in America was

Yoshon. After the Cold War ended and with the expansion of global trade, America’s stockpiles of grains started diminishing. Consequently, it brought Chodosh back into the realm of possibility once again! Unlike chametz, cholov yisroel, pat yisroel, and other issurim, the issue of Chodosh is not static from place to place or time to time. The issue is more like the requirement of checking for bugs in our fruits and vegetables. Everyone agrees that eating bugs is prohibited, however, the requirement to check depends on various extenuating circumstances. Geographically

difficult

“Just as one may not partake of food until a beracha is recited, so too we must wait until after Pesach to eat from the new crop of grains.”

Eman Esmailzadeh

dependent infestation can vary from year to year, pro-pesticide and anti-pesticide measures, and other such factors add to or reduce the need for bug-checking for various crops in any given community. Certain fruits will never require checking, others should be checked based on environmental conditions, while still others will never be allowed unless you peel them.

When it comes to the probability of Chodosh, the same types of varying factors weigh into the equation for Poskim to decide how much of an issue to make of it. This is clearly evidenced by the vicissitudes of global consumption and trade. The Covid pandemic, the Ukrainian-Russian war, JustIn-Time Inventory technologies (JIT), and even the current “gluten-free” craze all affect the probability of whether actual Chodosh is showing up on our dining tables.

So, what does this all mean for us as Jews living in Los Angeles in 2023? What is the Chodosh status of non-certified Yoshon products and establishments? In an unofficial research project, with a simple email to the flour mills whose flour is carried by certain kosher stores on Pico Boulevard, it was found that some stores were using flour from grain that was certainly planted after the last Pesach, rendering the baked goods Chodosh without a doubt. Alternatively, other stores were using flour from a mill that was still using last year’s crop, rendering their food Yoshon, without a doubt. Clearly, the issue is not black and white.

We are blessed to be living in unprecedented times where we have access to data that will easily clarify the source of our grain. We also have product manufacturers and store owners committed to storing and providing verified Yoshon products without substantially added costs or inconvenience.

Hashgachas like O-U, O-K, and RCC have stepped up and are offering optional Yoshon certifications as well.

With the ease of access to verifiable Yoshon options, one might consider heeding the words of the Chofetz Chayim in the Mishnah Berurah, which encourages everyone to attempt some level of Yoshon observance. Whatever the kosher consumer does, it is advisable to consult a personal Rov to help guide them to the level of Yoshon observance that is appropriate for their individual situation. As with other matters of new observances, it is recommended to stipulate that it is being followed bli neder.

Yoshon season ends in just 60 days… what will you do?

For a list of LA establishments with Yoshon options, visit www.YoshonList.com

Miracles in the Minutiae

Hashem’s Protection: Hanging by a Thread

Denise Berger

So often in life, we are afraid to be true to ourselves. We want to fit in and go with the flow, seeking safety through acceptance. In the following anecdote, not only did the writer’s husband resist the pressure to change himself for the sake of blending in, but that resistance was the very thing that spared the couple from harm.

Since childhood, my husband has always been a proud Jew. He always had a kippah on his head and always wore his tzitzit with the strings hanging out, no matter how many family members asked him not to.

One Saturday night, when we were still engaged, he took me to dinner in Manhattan, which meant taking an elevated train from Brooklyn. The train stop was on a platform, up several flights of stairs.

thought they were going to start up with us. We tried to go down the stairs but the boys were already heading up. We quickly turned around. My husband guided me to stand next to the only other person on the platform.

The boys ran up to him and started talking to him very heatedly in Spanish. He replied even more heatedly and after a short exchange, they left. The man then explained that they wanted to rob us and had asked him to look the other way. He had threatened to beat them up if they even dared to try.

My husband could not stop thanking this stranger. The man then pointed to my husband’s tzitzit and said that his grandfather used to wear those strings, too.

a graduate of UC Irvine where he studied Mechanical Engineering and Business Management. After college, he advanced his Torah studies at various Yeshivas in New York and Jerusalem. With over 20 years of community service, he is a social entrepreneur, co-founding several community organizations including Bayit.LA. He can be reached e@joojcapital.com.

Eman

As we were waiting, my husband noticed two teenagers on the platform across from ours; they had been traveling in the opposite direction, and when they got off my husband saw them point at us and begin to descend the stairs toward our side.

Being a street-smart New Yorker, he told me to follow him because he

This experience happened more than twenty years ago, and the impression on the couple is still as strong as it was that night on the nearly deserted subway platform.

Denise Berger is a freelance writer who grew up in the LA community. Her work has appeared in Table For Five, Shalom Delaware, Detroit Jewish News, and The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, in addition to literary publications.

Esmailzadeh is

In The K tchen

When In Doubt, Graze It Out

Dini Klein

The best contribution to a party or dinner table is a grazing board. They’re very simple to make and visually pleasing to the eye. A grazing board, when done right, looks like an exquisite work of art, when in reality, it takes 10 minutes or less to assemble.

The three most important rules to follow when making a charcuterie board are presentation, presentation, and presentation. There are very few rules when it comes to what does or does not belong on the board. Anything works, it’s all about how you present it.

Below are three presentation rules I make sure to follow when creating my grazing boards.

RULE NUMBER 1: Variety. You’ll need a variety of flavors, colors, textures, and shapes on your board. Whether that’s different shapes of sliced meat, bunches of grapes, or cracker sizes, try to make sure there is a good variety of all shapes and colors on the board. When it comes

Try it out for yourself!

to the main item on the board, I like to go with the rule of “the odds.” If you are doing a cheese board, put down an odd number of cheese varieties to help build out the “deconstructed” effect. The odd number allows you to give it that feel.

RULE NUMBER 2: Fillers and added touches.

Nuts, seeds, berries, chocolate chips, capers, and dried fruits fit this role. They’re not just fillers, they are board elevators, and they are also what gets easily snacked on. Add these touches at the end to help fill in blank spots, and jazz up sections of the board.

RULE NUMBER 3: For an added touch, make it themed. I love to serve themed dinners on a board to my family. Taco night is prime time for a grazing board. I put all the taco bar fixings on a board and allow my kids to serve themselves. It’s a fun changeup to dinner and the kids feel like they are choosing what’s for dinner when you are really in the driver’s seat, and giving them the choices :)

Here is what I typically serve on my taco board:

Taco shells

Almond flour tortillas

Shredded chicken, meat, or vegan fajita filling

Small bowl of guacamole

Small bowl with salsa

Shredded lettuce

Cheese or vegan cheese

Beans

Hot sauce

Jalapenos and/or pickled vegetables

*Shop the Prep + Rally Board (pictured here) on Amazon!

Finally

photo credit: Tatijana Vasily

Care

In The K tchen

Holy Smoke’s Cholent

Dani Goldblatt

Ingredients:

- Canola oil

- 2 lbs flanken

- 1 white or brown onion, diced

- 2 tsp allspice

- 2-4 tbsp gochujang (depending on how spicy you want it)

- 5 cloves garlic cloves, whole

- 2 tbsp Lawrys, divided

- 1/4 cup tomato paste

- 1.5 cups barley

- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed into pieces 1-2 inches big

- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into pieces 1-2 inches big

- Consomme powder (See instructions on your consume powder of how much per cup of water you need, mine is 1 1/3 tsp per cup)

- 4-6 cups water

This recipe can be scaled up very easily. Add more potatoes, barley, and meat. Just make sure you keep track of how much water you use to ensure consomme levels are similar.

1. Put 3 tbsp of oil in a pan on medium or high heat. Add onion, garlic, allspice, and 1 tbsp of Lawrys. Saute onions on medium-high heat until golden. Remove from the pan and put to the side.

2. Add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan and turn up to high heat. Season the meat with the rest of the Lawrys. Then brown for 1 min per side until a nice crust develops.

3. Add potatoes and sweet potatoes to the crockpot. Then onion, barley, and meat. Make a slurry of the gochujang, tomato paste with 1 cup of boiling water. Then add another 3 cups of water to the slurry and incorporate.

4. Pour the mixture into the crockpot. Food should be mostly covered by water. If you need more water, go 1 cup at a time (and keep track of how many!) until full. Mine says 1 1/3 teaspoon per cup. I know if I use 6 cups of water, I need about 8 teaspoons (that’s just under 3 tablespoons). I add it to the crock pot and set it to low for at least 6 hours or until Shabbat lunch.

Dani Goldblatt is the pitmaster behind Holy Smokes Kosher BBQ which offers Shabbat takeout, catering, and pop-ups. With over 8 years as a middle school and high school teacher, Dani created meat classes, workshops, and demos for private events, schools, and synagogues. She lives in Tarzana, CA with her husband and 2 boys. You can find more on her website at www.HolySmokesKosherBBQ.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram @HolySmokesKosherBBQ.

Wellness

The Gift of Failure

Larissa Adler, LMFT

One of the most influential school assignments I ever received was in a college class when I was instructed to purposefully fail at something that coming week. The goal of the assignment was to increase awareness of how often I tried to push myself to excel or try my hardest to be perfect and to come back and share what the experience was like: to let it all go.

Trying to keep myself from doing things just right was hard, and I noticed the amount of stress I felt trying to be “perfect.” However, if I wanted to do the assignment perfectly, I had to force myself to be imperfect. What a liberating experience it was! To permit myself to be deliberately imperfect. To let go of my cerebral thinking, trust my gut instinct, and explore

of intensity and seriousness every day, specifically picked for us by Hashem to help us grow in the way we need.

How do we begin to grow from our relationship with perfection? Firstly, we need to appreciate what perfection does for us. It is a good thing to have goals to strive towards and have the desire to improve. So a nod of acknowledgment to perfection for giving us the drive to grow!

But how do we know when perfection starts to take over and begins to cause more harm than good? When we feel we can’t act spontaneously, have some fun, or try something new. When flexibility becomes the enemy. When we become preoccupied with getting to the next level rather than being able to appreciate the moment

possibilities with the freedom to know it is okay to make a mistake!

How many of us can admit to having a close and personal relationship with perfection? That gnawing pressure grows exponentially from inside many of us, fueled by external expectations to achieve a level of success that no one can reach. Whether it be regarding our appearance, grades, status, our homes, our parenting, or our relationships, many of us seem to be striving for a bar higher than anyone could possibly reach. Perfection does not exist.

Yet, we live in a world where we encounter messages constantly promoting the promise of perfection. Whether it be on billboards selling a perfect body or home magazines with perfectly hung drapes (that have been starched and ironed for hours to be hung just right). And of course, there is the world of Facebook, Instagram, etc. — giving us the opportunity to engage in competition with our family and friends for the perfect pic. If you think your neighbor’s kids are perfect… Well, they must just close all their windows, doors, and blinds between the hours of 4:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. everyday.

All of us are constantly being bombarded with challenges of varying degrees

“But how do we know when perfection starts to take over and begins to cause more harm than good?”

The Truth about Intermittent Fasting

Bracha Abramson, RD

Can feast or famine be the key to maintaining weight loss and promoting good health? The diet fad known as Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern where one alternates between periods of eating and periods of fasting.

The IF began to trend when British journalists Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer published their book “The Fast Diet” in 2013. In their publication and TV documentary “Eat Fast, Live Longer,” they advocate 5:2 Intermittent Fasting. Meaning, for two days per week one limits themself to a very low level of calories, and for the remaining five days, they eat as they normally would. The logic is that after hours without food consumption, insulin levels in the blood will decrease. This will allow fat cells to release their stored fat, which can then be used for energy. The longer insulin levels are decreased, the more fat is burned which results in weight loss. Since then, many methods of IF have evolved.

The most commonly studied approaches of IF are alternate-day fasting (ADF), modified IF, time-restricted feeding (TRF), and religious fasting.

1. ADF involves a repeated cycle of one “fast” day (when only calorie-free beverages are allowed) alternating with one regular eating day.

2. Modified IF is limiting calorie intake on two non-consecutive days and the remaining five days of the week eating as one normally would.

3. TRF is typically the approach that most people associate with IF. One can eat within a limited eight-hour window and fast for the remaining sixteen hours of the day. One might eat between 9 AM and 5 PM or 12 PM and 8 PM, allowing most of their “fast” to take place overnight. One can adjust these times to their preferred eating times. This is likely the most realistic method of IF as many people tend to already eat daily in a similar pattern.

4. Religious fasting: The Jewish world is very familiar with the various established Fast Days that we have throughout the year. Some fasts involve no eating or drinking from dawn until after nightfall, while Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av last over 24 hours. Could it be that these Fast Days can play a role in our health?

Most research conducted on IF involves animal studies, however, some findings with human subjects in the last ten years have piqued the clinical world’s interest.

Current research has shown that ADF and Modified IF are not more effective than your average calorie-restricted diet to promote weight loss. These dieters also had the lowest compliance rate and the highest drop-out rate as people reported difficulty adhering to their diets. A study conducted at the University of Alabama found that syncing one’s eating time with the body’s circadian rhythm, a version of TRF, can promote the healthiest weight loss outcomes when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Eat during optimal metabolism function in the early hours of the day and reduce nighttime eating. During fast times, caloric intake is decreased, producing a negative energy balance and promoting weight loss. Maintaining this weight loss will be more difficult due to hunger and compliance with such a strict eating routine. Therefore, the most significant underlying benefit of TRF is something that we have known for years: restricting nighttime eating and fasting for longer overnight intervals not only sustains weight loss, but also improves metabolism and lowers blood sugar levels. Other reported

benefits are improved cognitive function and positive effects on diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

IF, like any restrictive diet, can cause a variety of symptoms such as hunger, fatigue, headache, low energy, and irritability. Alternating fast days can also cause GI issues such as gas, bloating, and constipation. Variations of fasting can cause one’s body to go into starvation mode, wherein one would actually gain more weight when returning to a normal eating routine. There is also a concern that IF can put dieters at risk of not meeting their nutritional needs which can, in turn, result in nutrient deficiencies. This is why there is no one diet that fits all and one must consult with their own RD to assess possible contraindications and find the best approach for their body and lifestyle.

The bottom line is IF may just be another trendy diet where all it is doing is effectively causing dieters to “eat less.” By shortening one’s eating window, they are naturally decreasing their caloric intake resulting in weight loss. This decrease in weight will likely not be able to be maintained long-term if one finds their diet too difficult. However, one noteworthy fact that continues to be proven is that simply avoiding nighttime eating is extremely beneficial for overall health.

Bracha Abramson, RD, CDN is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist with over 8 years of adult and pediatric experience. She graduated from New York-Presbyterian Cornell and Columbia with a fellowship specializing in Pediatrics. She currently lives with her family in Los Angeles and is the founder of Robin’s Nest Family Nutrition. Feel free to contact her at BrachaAbramsonRD@gmail.com.

“By shortening one’s eating window, they are naturally decreasing their caloric intake resulting in weight loss.”

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Unmatched: An Honest Memoir of One Woman’s Struggle to Find a Life Partner

The Talmud recounts the horrific and irreconcilable torture and murder of Rabbi Akiva. When Moshe himself asked God how such a ghastly act could take place, God responded to Moshe with a brusque response of “Be silent.”

The message to Moshe, and us, was that God runs the world, and some things make no logical sense, but happen under a divine decree that is humanly unfathomable. If there is a consolation to the story of Rabbi Akiva, it is that he lives forever in his Talmudic teachings, which is studied to this very day.

In “Unmatched: An Orthodox Jewish woman’s mystifying journey to find marriage and meaning,” author Sarah Lavane has written a brutally honest memoir about her struggles and unsuccessful attempts to find a life partner.

All Rabbi Akiva wanted to do was learn and teach Torah. He had the misfortune, though, to live during the Bar Kokhba revolt and was murdered by the order of Turnus Rufus. All Lavane wanted to do was find her bashert and build a family. Yet she is living during a time when too many single women cannot make that happen.

Rabbi Akiva died by having his flesh slowly flayed off him. For Lavane, and many single women like her, the dating process, while not physically tortuous, was akin to having their souls flayed.

When one of my children was young and wanted an item beyond what we could afford, I told her we did not have the money for it. She naively replied, “Just go to the bank.” Many people do not understand single women’s struggles, and naively (but in fact, closer to cruelly), say things such as “You are being too picky,” “You are not getting any younger,” and the like.

Lavane writes of a conversation she had with a rabbi who made such a comment. She unleashed her pent-up frustrations and explained her situation to him. To which he replied that he was sorry and did not understand her plight. This book is

to help understand that plight.

“Unmatched” is superb in that it illustrates the quandary of single women that most of us simply do not understand.

Lavane shares her struggles and bares her soul of her frustrations and challenges, and it is a heartbreaking read. Some of the dating stories are funny and par for the course. Others are devastatingly brutal.

There are countless stories of people who leave Orthodoxy and then write indictments of the communities they have left behind. This book is nothing like that. Lavane does not play the blame game or launch irrational rants. She shares her struggles and challenges in an honest and often humorous

manner. I have never read anything like this before.

Rabbi Akiva was the proverbial optimist. Where others cried, he laughed. For all the struggles that she went through, Lavane, too, is an optimist. This is a book that everyone should read, as it gives the reader an understanding of the pains and struggles that so many single women are going through, which very few of us understand.

Lavane asks at the start if sharing her story would lead to more awareness, compassion, and empathy in those who are matched, while providing validation and support to the unmatched. To which she has succeeded masterfully.

To order a copy of “Unmatched” please visit unmatchedstory.com. This book review was reprinted with permission from the Jewish Link.

Ben Rothke lives in New Jersey and works in the information security field. He reviews books on religion, technology and science. He can be found @benrothke.

Ben Rothke

Wellness Pondering the Pre-Planning

Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

That’s Judaism for you. You’re not even done with Purim – wait, I take that back, I mean – winter vacation – and already the parsha is bringing up matzah, marror, and the holiday of Pesach.

You know how kids are home from camp for like two minutes and already you’re receiving messages to apply for the next summer ?! Seriously, don’t we get to breathe? Maybe relax for a day or two?

Well, that’s similar to how we feel the pressure, immediately at the end of Sukkos, of trying to decide where to go and what to do to for Pesach! Do you stay home, go to a hotel on a program (which needs to be signed up for yesterday or you are closed out), or go off to Israel? Maybe you want to rent a villa somewhere exotic. But that means you have to decide if you want to cook or if you need a cook – and you have to decide real fast. Right from the minute the last decoration gets taken down from the sukkah hut, the next big family holiday starts consuming us.

Of course, this is broken up by the integral and pressing decision of which Sunday to make your Chanukah party! And what to serve? Latkes or laffas? Doughnuts or cronuts? Chinese or cheese? Barbecue or bagels?

And let’s not forget the drama that pops up immediately around which married family members will be coming for Pesach. Will they join us, or will they be going to them? Are they coming for the whole holiday or just for a part? How many kids will be saying the Mah Nishtana? And what about afikomen presents?

Decisions!

So, who needs the parsha bringing up right now, the shopping list and other requirements for April? Are we going out shopping for this stuff tomorrow?! But, like I said, that’s Judaism for you! There may be a rhyme and reason for it, but we’re not always privy to it easily.

You can certainly opt to spend

students

ideals to prepare them for a life of value.

time figuring it out; you can just add that into the other stuff you’re busy with. Or you can trust that there’s a good reason to start us thinking way ahead about what’s important to us. The message may be that planning ahead is always important! After all, no one ever likes to be passed over!