March 21, 2024

Dear Readers, CONTENTS

Why was everyone mandated to give half a shekel, no more and no less? Wouldn’t it be more fair if each person gave according to their means? The answer lies in the lesson that not one person is better, or more valuable, than another. Each person had the same requirements to bring half a shekel in order to be counted, and everyone counts. Everyone was worthy just because of their inner worth, not because of what they could provide or produce. Giving half of a shekel makes every Jew the same to some extent, levels the playing field, creates equality, and this leads to Jewish unity.

The holiday of Purim is the only holiday that is instituted as a miraculous salvation that occurs while the Jews are living in exile, in galus. The Jews were living in Persia, under the rule of a non-Jewish king, even during their salvation. The name for the holiday of Purim is based on the lots, the “pur” that Haman drew, to decide on which date he was going to annihilate the entire Jewish nation living in his region of the world. Even after the miracle, the Jews were not brought to live in the Holyland, rather they remained a nation living in a foreign land under foreign rule. I can imagine that a life like this would only lead to the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop, never feeling secure while living in galus.

So why do we name the holiday after the “lots” that almost had us killed? Why are we celebrating the lots? According to Rabbeinu Yonah, it’s to thank Hashem and recognize the hardships that He gave us, through which He saves us. Often, this hardship unifies us as a people, shapes us, and even in the darkest of

times, we thank Hashem.

I attended a shiur given by a guest lecturer from the OU, Mrs. Michal Horowitz, where she shared the following: As we read the megillah, we are not terrified and scared and sitting on the edge of our seats. This is because we know what the end result will be - the Jews will not be destroyed. But at that time, the Jews were terrified living in the darkest moments, not knowing the end of the story.

Right now in our lives, we are holding our breaths everyday, scared, upset, unsure, feeling hopeless, because we don’t know when it will end or how it will end. Plain and simple - we don’t know the ending. But what we do know is that it has brought immense and intense unity to Jewish people all over the world - bringing those who were warring ideologically against each other in Israel to love each other, those who were unaffiliated are now affiliated, those who were quiet are now speaking out.

If we are already giving matanot l’evyonim, why do we also give mishloach manot? Again, it’s to equalize us - the rich gives to the poor but the poor also gives mishloach manot to the rich. We become equal in giving, regardless of wealth, social status, political ideology, etc. This mitzvah is a unifier, as is the entire story of Purim. May we experience immense miracles on this Purim day, as we have in the past, a true salvation from the enemies who want to destroy us. And may it be a time of unity that is permanent and everlasting for the Jewish people.

Ariela

Friday, March 22

Parshas Vayikra

Candlelighting: 6:48

Rabbeinu Tam: 8:20 pm

Yoel Halpern PUBLISHER publisher@thelajewishhome.com

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GRAPHIC DESIGN

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Hachnassat Kallah Annual Reception Left Attendees Inspired!

What a night it was at the Hachnassat Kallah Annual reception! A packed house filled the room at Nessah, with women anticipating to be inspired and uplifted. Rabbi Gradon, Shlita, began the evening with words of Chizuk and stressed the significance of this important organization which aims to provide brides and their families help during what can become a financially strenuous time. Rebbitzen Gradon led the crowd in Tehillim.

Our performer for the evening, singer and composer Chayala Neuhaus, wowed the audience with her original compositions, which were both poignant and inspiring. The delicious food included acai stations, sushi, salads, soup, and delicious baked goods. The positive vibe in the room was strengthened with the uplifting music and dancing which had the room pulsing with yearning for salvation and peace. The evening ended off with some amazing raffle prizes donated by local restaurants and stores.

Hachnassat Kallah of Greater Los Angeles is a volunteer-run organization started 30 plus years ago to aid families during a vulnerable time. Hachnassat Kallah has been there to help guide, support, and encourage engaged couples and their families. Their vital assistance is made possible by generous donations from community members who understand how crucial financial assistance is during a busy, hectic, emotional engagement period. To help us with this vital work please visit our website at www.hachnasaskallah.com

Yavneh Students Stand United with Israel

This In the wake of the tragic events of October 7th, davening for the hostages and chayalim in Israel has been an important part of the Yavneh girls’ daily routine. Morah Penina Cohen partnered with “Chayal of the Day,” a program that pairs participating schools with different communities in Israel. Each day, she receives a name and photo of a chayal (along with a short description) and shares it with the Middle School girls so that they can daven and say Tehillim for the specific soldier.

In her fifth-grade classroom, she takes pictures and videos of the girls davening and saying Tehillim, which are then sent back to the families through the program. Numerous families have expressed their gratitude and shared sentiments of solidarity, comfort, and connection, highlighting the profound impact of the girls’ prayers. A poignant message from one chayal’s mother encapsulates the emotions of many. Translated into English, she wrote, “Moved to tears!!! Thank you so much for your prayers! We are doing our mission here in the war, and you are doing a great mission in your prayers that the gates of Heaven will be opened for the soldiers, the kidnapped, the wounded and all the people of Israel…”

This has been such a meaningful experience for the students. Each photo is prominently displayed on a bulletin board in the gym to serve as a constant reminder of our brothers and sisters for whom we pray for their safety and well-being.

By: Penina Cohen

Fifth grade girls singing words of Tehilim for the “Chayal of the Day”

Middle School girls posing with “Chayal of the Day” photos

Seventh grade girls hanging photos of the chayalim on the bulletin board

As a wonderful enhancement to our Bas Mitzvah year, the 6th grade girls at Ohr Eliyahu had a special erev Shabbos program. We started out the day with a meaningful challah bake. As always, the girls tapped into the important mitzvah and davened extra tehillim for all those in need.

We then had the absolute pleasure to hear a presentation from Dr. Natalie Zangan. Amongst so many crucial messages, Dr. Zangan deepened our understanding of the mitzvah of Challah and the way in which it relates to emunah. She spoke about the connection between our 2 challahs and the special bread from the sky that we were given in the desert.

We then made magnificent challah covers, which had a stunning scene of the Jewish people collecting this special mon. Lastly, we were spiritually uplifted through a special kumzitz with Mrs. Rachel Rose.

What a special treat that many of our mothers joined us for parts of our very special erev Shabbos program.

Journey to Resilience:

Navigating Trauma in the Heart of Israel

ELAN JAVANFARD, M.A., L.M.F.T.

As a mental health professional, I have the opportunity to focus the majority of my career on the highest forms of stress, trauma, and crisis in clinical treatment. I learned early that the most important factor to determine a person’s capacity to cope with trauma is a concept called resilience. Trauma is the experience of threat and dread which overwhelms an individual’s normal coping ability and leaves them helpless. Resilience refers to the ability of an individual or community to withstand, recover from, or adapt to adversity, challenges, or signi cant sources of stress. It involves the capacity to bounce back from di cult experiences, setbacks, or crises, and to maintain or regain mental and emotional well-being.

My journey towards resilience related to Israel began on Friday night October 6th inside my parents Sukka on Simchat Torah. My cousin Yuval was living at my parent’s house a er nishing his military service in the IDF. Yuval was sitting across from me late at night in the Sukka when suddenly his phone would not stop buzzing and going o . He ran out of the Sukka alarmed and soon poked his head back inside with tears coming down his face motioning for me to come outside. Without saying a word, he suddenly placed his phone in my hand showing me scenes of what was unfolding in Israel, being shared with him in his unit’s group chat. Through his tears he nally spoke and said, my friends were killed, I don’t know how many but Israel is under attack. As the days went on, the full horror of the situation unfolded leading many of us living in a dissociative haze. My cousin went back to Israel, adamant to serve and protect our homeland and many of us in America scrambled to nd ways to support Israel. We increased our learning, said Tehillim daily, fundraised for the IDF, and purchased as many military surplus items our WhatsApp groups dictated, but mostly stayed glued to the news with a mix of sadness and anger learning more about the hostages and mounting toll of the prolonged war.

As the days turned into weeks, we witnessed the massive rise of Antisemitism across the globe including in our communities, colleges, and for some even our workplace messages. This level of animosity was a collective trauma many of us faced but provided us our rst opportunity towards resilience.

The American Psychological Association published four integral aspects in cultivating resilience:

1. Connection

2. Healthy Thinking

3. Wellness

4. Meaning

From February 4 – 11, I had the opportunity to visit Israel on a mission alongside a group of phenomenal therapists to o er support to the people of Israel. Ruchama Bistritzky-Clapman, Founder & Executive Director of MASK (Mothers & Fathers Aligned Saving Kids), decided to do a mission to Israel for therapists. Ruchama invited the United Taskforce and NEFESH international to join. She spearheaded the trip and accepted all my suggestions for programing, taking weeks planning out clinical opportunities for us to take part in Israel. During our trip we visited all the places most impacted by the terror attack, including Sderot, Nova Festival, Kibbutz Be'eri, Hospitals, and military bases, meeting trauma head-on. While I brie y had experience working with clients in Hebrew, a word that I didn’t learn until my trip to Israel was ‘Chosen – resilience.’ Using the lens of the four aspects of resilience, I want to share brie y about my trip and the strength of the Israeli people in the face of trauma.

Connection

During our trip, we had the opportunity to host a children’s art therapy program in Ramat Bet Shemesh for children between the ages of 3-7, all of whom have fathers currently in the IDF. While many of our collective therapists in the group had experience working with young children and art therapy, this was not my clinical area of strength. So as many of the therapists engaged the 60-70 children present at the event, I found myself purposefully hanging back to watch the environment unfold. Therapists brough 50 pounds worth of coloring supplies, paint kits, toys, games, and bubbles all from America to foster play therapy with the children.

During the event a fellow therapist asked me to help set up a station for children to use a toy bow and arrow to practice. Within moments of setting up the toy, I found an overwhelming amount of children crowding me asking to play. As I set up a line and showed each kid how to aim and breathe between darts (pictured), I felt emotionally stressed out of concern that I was not a specialist with children and did not want to say or do the wrong thing. As we were asked to transition to the next activity, I attempted to step away however the gathered children all asked me if I could continue playing with them. I looked to my colleagues to which they nodded and all the children and I set up rotating games of foosball. As we made the next transition, the children continued to hover around me and it was suggested that we sit on the oor and I arrange stickers on the ground to play with.

While I played with many children, I emotionally connected with one little boy, who likely subconsciously reminded me of my son who always asks me to play on the oor with him. As the event was ending, I took a sticker which said ‘High Five’ in English on it and approached the boy explaining in Hebrew what the sticker meant and asked him for a High Five. As I reached my arm out, he suddenly gave me a hug. His mother asked me, “Do you know why all the children are attached to you?” I answered her that I honestly did not know why. She said, “All of the children don’t have an Abba right now at home. Thank you for being the Abba today.” I thanked them for the opportunity and quickly went to the adjoining room and emotionally broke down. This provided me with a connection and reminded me how important it was for me to be present as a father at home with my children.

Healthy Thinking

One of the evenings of our trip a few of us were humbled with the privilege to lecture to a group of mothers all who had children actively serving as Chayalim. The topic was pertaining to di erentiating between Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to empower the mothers to notice signs of trouble in their children.

While I have lectured publicly more times than I can count, this was the most nervous I had ever been. It seemed that the topic and audience were so important that I wanted to ensure a perfect message. We discussed how Trauma is not an illness but rather an injury; which means it can be treated and we can grow stronger a er it. We took a strength-based approach supporting the mothers to create healthy thinking patterns for themselves rst, so that they could e ectively take care of their loved ones.

An empowering quote used was “Even the heart needs an Iron Dome,” meaning that we need to be proactive about taking care of our thinking to remain in a resilient head space. The highlight of the clinical experience was providing the group with mindfulness exercises and poems that frame our thinking in a positive light. The mothers were emotional and expressed an abundance of gratitude for the opportunity, validating our e orts and reminding me that my nerves were truly my own unhealthy thinking. One of the mothers was so moved by the lecture that she asked to create a WhatApp group, called Parents Resilience Group, for her community of parents with me included as a supportive person who could provide resources and answer questions of concern on a weekly basis.

WORST DAY EVER?

By Chanie Gorkin

A focus on wellness is truly a challenge regularly; imagine the case during wartime. I visited with ERAN, Israel’s emotional rst aid hotline, to learn more about the challenges they have faced since October 7th. They shared that their call volume rose from roughly 800 calls a day to 5000 calls a day post October 7th. They discussed how many callers were not just calling due to the current situation, but people overall struggling with their daily needs. The volume was increasing call wait times climbing close to a 3 minute wait.

Thankfully, I was able to share with them some strategies to help callers focus on their self-care and reduce the length of calls. We discussed the importance of each person being able to self-soothe using quick tips (provide 6 senses breakout) to gain personal control and containment. We also discussed strategies to nd American volunteers who speak Hebrew who can volunteer to cover shi s overnight in Israel, since the time change makes it easier for America. This type of volunteering has shown to be wonderful for the volunteer’s health as well showing the bene ts as far reaching as global health.

Wellness Meaning

Self Soothe

When to use it: When you need to reduce the intensity of negative emotions.

How to use it: Use your senses to focus on other things. Here are some examples:

• Sight — Use your vision to focus on something else. Count how many colors are in the room, or scroll through photos on your phone.

• Sound — Listen for birds chirping or the sound of tra c outside. If you prefer soothing sounds, there are many apps you can install on your phone to play on the go.

• Taste — A small treat can give you something pleasurable to focus on while you’re getting through a tough moment. A piece of gum or a few mints will do the trick.

• Touch — Embrace your sense of touch by running your ngers along a seam in your clothing, or using a dget toy. When appropriate, wrap yourself in a blanket or take a bath.

• Smell — Focus on whatever scent is in the air. Try to identify the scent or break it down into its components. For easy access to a scent you nd calming, put a few drops of your favorite essential oil onto a cotton ball and keep it with you in a plastic bag.

• Movement —Your emotional state can be altered by your body’s movements, so take a walk around the block or dance to your favorite song!

What it does: Your senses are a tool you’ll always have with you to reduce the intensity of a situation. Try focusing on only one sense at a time to incorporate mindfulness into the self-soothing skill.

In times of di culty, having a strong sense of meaning can act as a motivating factor, helping individuals persevere through challenges. It provides a source of inspiration and resilience that goes beyond the immediate di culties, allowing individuals to see the bigger picture and nd purpose in their e orts. As a group we visited Hostage Square, located in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Families of the hostages and their supporters started to encamp and gather to advocate for the release of the remaining hostages. Visiting this space was truly emotionally challenging. I personally met with the Resilience Team members who are dedicated support systems to each hostage's loved ones and discussed the anxious and tearful anticipation each family faced. We had the opportunity to gather around a Shabbat table with dedicated seats to each hostage and sing Shalom Alechem on their behalf prior to Shabbat.

For some reason, I brought my backpack o the bus with me for this visit. While walking around the Square, I noticed a woman sitting in a booth and she asked me directly if I was visiting from America and if I knew the story of the Bibas Family. I looked up and noticed that her booth had pictures of the entire family, Yarden, Shiri, Ariel, & K r. As many of us know, this family has become a symbol of the hostages' struggle. As she began to share their story with me and informed me, she was their cousin – I remembered that I had my backpack on me. I told her that I knew the story of her loved ones well and asked her if I could show her something. I reached into my bag and pulled out my Gemarah, which I have been learning daily. I opened the front dedication page and showed her the following inscription that I wrote: For the safe return of K r ben Shiri and Ariel ben Shiri. I informed her that I may not know the Hebrew names of any of the hostages but I know this family and every single day I learn on their behalf.

At this point we both were very emotional and she exclaimed: “thank you for being one of the good religious ones.” She then provided me with a copy of a children’s book she wrote about the family's story with a dedication to my children. In this touchpoint, we both found meaning in the validation of another human being and while I could not serve or ght for my country, I found my meaning in learning on their behalf.

Cultivating Resilience

Internalizing resilience involves a holistic approach that encompasses social connections, physical well-being, positive thinking, and nding meaning in one's life. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Even though I was there to give back, I truly received more than I gave. By focusing on these integral aspects, individuals can develop a strong foundation for coping with adversity and bouncing back from life's challenges. These qualities are embodied by the Israeli spirit, from taxi drivers, to displaced families, to injured soldiers, and yeshiva students.

Hatikvah, The Israeli National anthem, translated in English as The Hope, underscores the optimistic spirit and resilience of our people, who faced centuries of persecution and diaspora continued to this day. Naming the anthem "Hope" symbolizes the enduring hope for a more resilient future for us all living harmoniously in our homeland. May all the hostages come home, all the soldiers be safe, and resilience thrive for all our people.

book on Bibas Family story

Elan Javanfard, M.A., L.M.F.T. is a Consulting Psychotherapist focused on behavioral health redesign, a Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University, & a lecturer related to Mindfulness, Evidence Based Practices, and Suicide Prevention. Elan is the author of Psycho-Spiritual Insights: Exploring Parasha & Psychology, a weekly blog. He lives in the Los Angeles Pico Robertson community with his wife and two children and can be reached at Elan.Javanfard@gmail.com.

The Shelah Hakadosh writes in the name of the Arizal that Yom Kippur is a day “like Purim,” thus attributing even more greatness and holiness to the day of Purim over Yom Kippur. But this is not merely an insightful commentary. It was a reality to a group of Jews, years ago.

In the horrors of the concentration camp, the Bluzhever Rebbe and his chassidim were concerned about what would happen the next morning, which was to be Yom Kippur. They knew that they were going to be given work and would need to break the laws of the holiest day of the year. Several of the Jews approached the Rebbe and asked if he would request of the Jewish Kapo that only rabbinic work be given to them to perform. While the Bluzhever Rebbe was reluctant, he nonetheless walked up to the Kapo and asked.

Turn Around Any Moment

Rabbi Avrohom Stulberger

But the Kapo was not ready to give in at all. “Absolutely not! Why are you asking me? The answer is no!” The Rebbe left utterly dejected.

But sure enough, the next morning when the Jewish workers showed up, the Kapo only delegated to them rabbinically prohibited work, thus enabling them to observe Yom Kippur according to Torah law. The Jews, once they found this to be the case, were elated. What happened next, though, shocked everyone.

Minutes later, in walked German guards and brought out a Viennese table, filled with delicious foods, the kinds of which these Jews had never seen before. “You’re eating today Jews! You’re eating today!” The Jews were horrified at this sight, including the Kapo, who just yesterday had dismissed the Rebbe and his request. Approaching the Nazi guard, the Kapo said, “You’re not understanding. Today is our holiest day and we’re not eating today.” The Nazi guard was incredulous. “You’re not eating today? You’re a Kapo, you’re a collaborator! What do you

Shalom Bayit

Purim & Shalom Bayit

The book of Esther tells the story of how ego can destroy shalom bayit.

The king makes a request of his wife, she ignores him, and he gets livid. Why? For the same reason you get upset when one kid ignores you and you want to showcase that.

The king asks Haman for advice, and later invites him to a private party. Both times, Haman thinks it’s all about himself.

Your wife says “I had a hard day” and you retort “You think you had a hard day? Wait until I tell you about mine!” – you’re thinking it’s all about you, don’t you?!

If it weren’t for the tallest gallows Haman built, his life may have been spared. The man who wanted it all, lost it all. Your wife

mean? Everyone here is eating today!”

The Nazi didn’t hesitate to pull out a gun and point it at the head of this Jew; the Jew who was nowhere near any semblance of Judaism. “Of course, you’re eating today. If you don’t, those will be the last words you ever say.” And the Kapo repeated, looking down the barrel of a gun, “It’s our holiest day; it’s Yom Kippur, and we’re not eating today.”

And with that, he died al Kiddush Hashem, as the Nazi killed him, shooting him on the spot.

What happened between yesterday and today? What was said to this Kapo that somehow connected his neshama to the point that he was ready to sacrifice himself and give up his life?

It’s the power, like on Purim, of “V’nahapoch hu,” of everything turning around. It can happen anywhere, under any circumstance. This is the message of Purim. It is a day which affords us the opportunity to connect to Hashem. The commandments we have on Purim reinforce that Hashem is with us every step of the way, and everything can

turn around. Purim represents survival in exile, and that in the blink of an eye, a nation can turn around and an individual can turn around.

At any moment. At every moment.

Based upon a lecture by Rabbi Avrohom Stulberger. Rabbi Avrohom Stulberger graduated from the Rabbinical Seminary of America in 1986 with the highest level of Rabbinical ordination. He has been Dean of Valley Torah High School in Valley Village, California for over 30 years. Rabbi Stulberger currently serves as President of the Yeshiva Principals Council of Los Angeles. Active in his community, Rabbi Stulberger teaches as many as 10 adult education classes per week on the foundational principles and core values of Jewish life.

Elan Perchik; Editorial Director of TorahAnytime.com Watch/listen/download the video/audio version of this Torah class from Rabbi Jacobson and thousands of others by top Torah scholars at www.torahanytime.com. Also, visit our webpage to subscribe to the acclaimed weekly TorahAnyTimes Parsha Newsletter featuring the best stories, insights and lessons from renowned speakers.

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raises your kids, feeds them (and you), and you flare up because she misplaced her shoes.

Our ego hides our true self. So on the day we dress up with an alter ego, it’s a good day to check our ego. If you don’t do it yourself, don’t worry, your wife will do it for you.

Rabbi Nir and his wife Atrian give regular classes on

draws Shalom Bayit ideas from the Torah

of the week. To register: ShalomInComics@gmail.com

Shalom Bayit. His popular 3-minute podcast is funny and

portion

to Hashem Mishloach Manot

Orange Chicken | Sesame Chicken

Mushroom Chicken

broccoli Chicken | General tso

Aaron Frankel, Age 8, Toras Emes

Ariela Sultan

Dovid Socher, Age 7, YAYOE

Eliana Baalhaness

Henna Frankel, Age 13, Toras Emes

Leah Wolowik, Grade 5, Age 11

Moshe Zev Frankel

Yisroel Noach Wolowik, Grade 1, Cheder Menachem

Nava Socher, Age 11, YAYOE

Shalva Socher, Age 13 1/2, YAYOE

FYI: Smileys

Spread the Happiness! (But Be Careful)

Would you believe that this innocent happy circle is actually copyrighted? That means you can’t just use its little sunny face commercially without its being licensed to your brand! So who owns it?

In 1963, U.S. graphic artist Harvey Ross Ball was working on a campaign for an insurance company in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. The company who’d hired him, State Mutual, had recently undergone a merger, which had led to low company morale, and Ball was tasked with creating an image to boost their employees’ spirits. A few strokes and ten minutes later, the iconic smiley face was born. With its oval eyes, one bigger than the other, arced mouth, and yellow blast of sunshine, the design was so simple, yet it quickly made its happy mark on the world. Who can resist the simple joy? Definitely not kids, and even the insurance executives couldn’t — they smiled right back! Diving into a friendship campaign, the company used their new symbol to make employees smile while working and while helping customers over the phone.

Original Harvey Ball Smiley Face

Smile at Me!

At first, State Mutual distributed 100 smiley pins among their employees, as well as big smiley posters, but the buttons became so popular that the company was soon getting orders for lots by the thousands! By 1971, just eight years after the icon had come to life, over 50 million smiley face buttons had been sold.

The Designer’s Dollars

Despite the happy impact his work had internationally, Ball never applied for a copyright or trademark for his design, and neither did State Mutual. Ball’s total gain was the $45 he was paid for his work (that’s $377.90 in 2020 purchasing power), and the knowledge that he made so many smile. Charles Ball, Harvey Ross Ball’s son, is reported to have said about his father that he never regretted his decision not to copyright his design. “He was not a money-driven guy,” were the words attributed to Charles Ball in Telegram & Gazette, who also said that his father would say, “Hey, I can only eat one steak at a time, drive one car at a time.”Ball did take his smiles further, though, founding the World Smile Foundation in 1999, a non-profit charitable trust that supports children’s causes.

Two Smileys — And Lots of Frowns

In 1997, their reach extended to the U.S., when Loufrani filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark O ce, not only for their design, but even for the term “smiley.” But they had one very adamant contender. Wal-Mart, which actively used a simple happy face to alert customers to deals, resisted the move by trying to block the Smile Company’s trademark application, alleging that Loufrani’s smiley face was not distinctive enough to qualify as a trademark, that their design would cause consumer

confusion, and that they, Wal-Mart, had prior rights to its own smiley design. Wal-Mart then attempted to trademark their smiley face. Loufrani didn’t take this meekly, and they sued to stop Wal-Mart’s trademark application, alleging that their logo was “readily distinguishable” from Wal-Mart’s. The case dragged on, and in 2011, when Wal-Mart and Loufrani’s Smiley Company finally settled their ten-year dispute, the terms remained confidential... But what is clear is that both parties continue to use their smileys.

By: Shevy Hollander

Smiles Are Contagious

And how! By 1970, Bernard and Murray Spain enhanced the original smiley face by adding the words “Have A Happy Day.” More business savvy, apparently, they bought the legal rights to both their image and the words. The happy face even made it onto a postage stamp!

From Pleasure to Business

In 1971, journalist Franklin Loufrani created a smiley that very closely resembled Ball’s iconic face, for use in a French newspaper to indicate which articles contained good news. Even before he published it, Loufrani registered his smiley face with the French trademark o ce, and by the 1990s, Loufrani and his son, Nicholas Loufrani, already held trademarks for their smiley in 70 countries! They established the Smiley Company in London, and soon earned millions o the Smiley brand and by licensing their trademark to famous brands.

Smile at the World, And the World will Smile Back!

It was Ball’s World Smile Foundation that established the first Friday in October as World Smile Day. Especially popular in the smiley’s birthplace of Worcester, Massachusetts, the day is devoted to smiles and the spreading of acts of kindness. There are many ways to celebrate this day: handing out smiley face stickers, giving smiles to anyone you encounter, sharing a funny joke, playing happy songs, and doing random kind deeds and other happy acts. But why wait until October?

Make every day a smile day!

© Reprinted with permission from The Monsey View

Photo of Harvey Ball from People Magazine, 1998.

Photo by Michael Carroll. Courtesy of People Magazine and the Worcester History Museum.

We Wl Laugh Le Never Before

Rabbi Y.Y. Rubenstein

I don’t know if you’ve ever given any thought to what makes us laugh. One well-known English comedian is also an intellectual who lectures at Oxford and Cambridge. His name is Rowan Atkinson (you may know him as Mr. Bean) and he splits humor into different categories.

One is physical humor, or slap-stick.

The second is incongruity, when something appears where it doesn’t belong. I once saw a funny picture of a row of ten dogs si ing and looking straight into a camera. The dogs were all different – one was a German shepherd, another a collie, a third was a poodle (which I find funny in its own right!) – and si ing right in the middle of all those dogs, also looking up at the camera, was a cat. It shouldn’t have been there, and it made me laugh.

The third category of humor, and perhaps the most common, is the surprise or unexpected. In fact, the funny part of a joke is called the “punchline.” Like a punch, it is sudden and you usually don’t see it coming!

Pharaoh certainly didn’t see it coming in Egypt, which is why he was quite happy to climb into his teeny weenie pajamas (remember he was a dwarf) and tuck himself into his teeny weenie bed despite Moshe’s bloodcurdling warning that Egypt’s firstborns were going to die that very night.

The ruler of Egypt was quite convinced that his god’s power (the Egyptian’s chief god was the sheep and if that’s not funny I don’t know what is – a lion, yes! But a sheep?) would be recharged as the earth moved close to the constellation called the “Tleh” or Sheep.

Pharaoh and Egypt’s immense occult power came from their ability to manipulate the forces that flowed from those stars. They could even look into the future sometimes and turn sticks into snakes. Now fully charged, Egypt’s mystical arts would place chains back around the necks of the Jews.

It didn’t work out too well for Pharaoh.

In fact, the nny part of a joke is called the “punchline.” Like a punch, it is sudden and you usually don’t see it coming!

Generations of Jewish children with sparkling eyes would learn to sing, “Pharaoh in pajamas in the middle of the night…” Pharaoh didn’t see it coming. He led an army and found the Jews with their backs to the sea and nowhere to go. “Aha!” He must have thought as he picked up his bow and arrows, “Gotcha!”

Then the sea split, the Jews went through, and the Egyptians, led by their king, decided that it would be a simply brilliant idea to chase a er them. It wasn’t, and the rather obvious conclusion occurred, glug, glug, glug. Yisgadal vyiskadash!

Another person who didn’t see it coming was the Jew-hater Haman. He was so sure of himself that he arranged all of the components of Mordechai’s execution ahead of the King giving him permission to carry them out.

He must have felt very much the fool when instead he found himself leading Mordechai in a procession of honor. He certainly looked quite the fool when he was confronted by Queen Esther’s revelation that she was a Jew and that he was trying to have her killed.

And he certainly didn’t see it coming when he was led to the steps of the same gallows he planned to hang Mordechai on and remembered that the day he had chosen for his holocaust was the one when the Jews were now arming themselves ready to kill his followers.

I recall meeting one of the most remarkable Jews I ever came across, Natan (Anatonly) Sharansky. Today, of course, he is the head of the Jewish Agency dealing with immigration to the Jewish State.

Probably the former Soviet Union’s most famous dissident, Sharansky was sentenced in 1977 to 13 years hard labor in the Gulag for the trumped-up charge of spying for the United States. He was detained in “Perm 35,” a so-called “strict regimen colony” in Siberia. He kept his sanity during solitary confinement by playing chess with himself in his head. He likes to joke that the advantage of playing this way meant that he always won.

Another person who didn’t see it coming was the Jew hater Haman.

On one occasion, Sharansky had someone carve a Chanukiah out of wood for him. He managed to secure some matches, wax, and thread to make candles. As he was about to light his improvised menorah, the door to his cell burst open. He had been betrayed and the components of his improvised Chanukiah were confiscated. Sharansky announced to the guards that until they were returned to him, he would go on hunger strike. The anti-Semitic guards shrugged, if the Jew wanted to starve, bon appetit!

The second day of Chanukah became a taanis for the Refusnik as did the next five. On the eighth and last day of the festival, a remarkable thing occurred. The Soviet Union was a signatory to an international convention wherein it agreed to allow its prisons to be inspected by international human rights lawyers with only twenty-four hours’ notice.

The commandant of the camp received a call that such a delegation would be arriving later that day. It did not escape the Communists’ notice that if they found that his most famous prisoner was starving himself to death because his religious rights had been violated, he might end up joining Sharansky as an inmate in his own prison. He had to persuade Sharansky to give up his protest.

The dissident was brought before the commandant and the guards were told to wait outside. “Prisoner Sharansky,” began the Russian, “This hunger strike is stupid. You are pu ing your health in danger. Vot can ve do to make you stop?”

Sharansky knew something was up.

“It is very simple,” he replied. “I want my Chanukiah back!”

To give in was, of course, to lose face, but to refuse might mean that he was finished.

“If I give you Jewish candelabra back, you give up hunger strike… yes?”

“Yes,” replied the prisoner. The commandant went to a cupboard and returned the wooden Chanukiah to the prisoner.

“Now you give up hunger strike!” he declared “No,” replied Sharansky.

“But I gave you back Jewish candelabra!” complained the head of the camp.

“I want my candles and my matches!” demanded Sharansky.

This was a much harder concession. Matches in a wooden camp could be used to start a fire. The Russian considered and said, “If I give you candles and matches back, you give up the hunger strike…yes?”

“Yes,” replied the prisoner.

The commandant returned these too. “Now you give up the hunger strike!” he declared.

“No,” replied Sharansky. “It is the last day of my festival. I want to light the Chanukiah now, here in your office!” he demanded.

“If I let you light the Chanukiah here you give up the hunger strike…yes?”

“Yes,” replied the prisoner but added one last condition. “If I am going to light them here, I will have to make a blessing and you will have to answer Amen!”

The commandant had no fight le in him and promptly agreed to this condition too. He stood up and put on his hat while Sharansky prepared his menorah. Having lit the match, he began to recite the bracha while the Russian looked on nervously waiting for his cue to say, “Amen.”

“Boruch ato Hashem,” began the prisoner and then translated the words into Russian. “Asher kiddishanu b’mitzvotov…Who has made us Holy through his mitzvos…vitzivonu l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah,” which he translated as, “and who will destroy our enemies.” Sharansky then nodded at the commandant who answered, “Amen!”

The Prophet Yirmiyah 23:7-8 says, “Behold, days are coming, said Hashem, when it will no longer be said, ‘By the life of Hashem, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but rather ‘By the life of Hashem who li ed and brought the seed of the house of Israel from the north land and all the lands.’”

The downfall of Pharaoh and Haman and so many others will be nothing compared to what will happen when Hashem decides to end this long and bitter galus.

The downfall of Pharaoh and Haman and so many others will be nothing compared to what will happen when Hashem decides to end this long and bi er galus.

Instead we will be talking about how today’s Hamans “didn’t see it coming.” Their arrogance and evil will blind them to Hashem undoing the plans they are hatching against us. When that happens, they will indeed look like fools and we will laugh…as we have never laughed before.

Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein is a writer and author who speaks internationally. He lives in Inwood, NY.

We keep busy. The stresses of our times, the many responsibilities we shoulder to earn, to provide, to parent, to cope and to maintain the pace, are our stresses. As I have written in prior columns, stress is the external and environmental pressure that we face. Distress is the subjective reaction we might experience when stress mounts.

Many times, a person feels no choice but to keep on keeping on when surrounded by life stress. To give in and to give up can be disastrous, whether because others depend

Energy Drain

though, one of the casualties one can face. When we work hard to cope with our stresses, many parts of the mind and some parts of our physical selves are engaged in that work. The mind concentrates, analyzes, problem solves and develops strategies for handling stress, which are stored in memory for later implementation. That is a great deal of cognitive work. Some find it invigorating. Some find it draining.

When physical labor is involved, it can take a toll on energy as well. This can lead to refreshing, welcome sleep, as Shlomo HaMelech (Koheles 5:11) describes as the ‘sweet slumber of the laborer.’ This can, though, also lead to physical tension, restlessness, and fatigue of body and spirit. Still another casualty of excessive cognitive and

“okay” or “everything’s fine” without pausing to actually survey one’s emotions. “How am I feeling?” is not a question we ask ourselves when stressed. Being very busy usually means blocking awareness of emotions. People begin to function robotically in order to keep pace, and as far as we know from the study of robotics, no emotion is involved in automaticity. Computers cannot feel. Suppressed emotions - feelings which are not accessed - do not disappear. They tend to transform into physical distress, energy drain, or at times emerge as nervous habits and mannerisms. Long-term blocking of emotions often breeds the most profound form of emotional estrangement, which is called depression. Still another casualty of stress-dominant busy-ness is when one becomes emotionally detached within relation-

edge his or her own emotions in order to engage in healthy self-care. The drain of emotional energy can impede being sensitive towards the sad child, the lonely spouse, and the ones who need your affectionate support and caring.

Make time for feelings. Allow self-awareness and constructive expression of whatever is in your heart. Check in with yourself and identify your range of emotions. If your emotional energy seems toxic and negative, seek out a caring, trained confidante or professional with whom to unload and reorganize your internal struggles. Use spousal and familial relationships for recovery of your positive emotions. Closeness, warmth, caring and shared gratitude are powerful antidotes for stress and energy drain.

Notable Quotes

I want to remind the ANC [African National Congress] today that Isaiah 54:17 says that no weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper and every tongue that rises against it in judgement will be condemned. ANC, you have gone too far and your judgement is imminent. When the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob said that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse her, He was not joking but meant every word He said. You have invited the curse on yourself, and you’re going to get it!

-South African Parliament Member Kenneth Meshoe, attacking the South African Parliament for its rabid anti-Israel actions

The U.S. cannot even deliver aid without killing civilians, yet it expects Israel to kill terrorists without harming any civilians.

-Tweet by Dr. Eli David after a U.S. aid airdrop struck and killed 5 people in Gaza

The reason I think the Democratic Party and Mr. Biden, President Biden, is losing black votes is they only care about black people every four years.

-Charles Barkley

“The Ukrainians must stop fighting in case they defeat Putin.” Have you heard any of our leaders say that in the last two years? As Ukraine enters its third year of war, it is striking how committed political leaders of all parties are to that war… At home — Democrat or Republican — almost everybody is committed to arming Ukraine until victory.. They want it to beat Putin back. So how strange it is that another war, involving a far closer ally, gets such different treatment… Why shouldn’t people want Israel to win just as much as they want Ukraine to win? It can’t be a matter of death-toll. Hamas claims that up to 30,000 Palestinians (which includes Hamas “fighters”) have been killed since the start of the war. And the whole world seems to be appalled by this. But earlier this month, the U.S. government estimated that as many as 315,000 casualties have been suffered by Russia in Ukraine. While the Ukrainians claim that they have lost 31,000 troops since the invasion by Russia. Is anyone talking about “proportionality” in that conflict? If so, I haven’t heard it. Has anyone in D.C. expressed fear and sorrow over the Russian lives lost?

-Douglas Murray, The New York Post, pointing out the world’s double standard when it comes to Israel

In World War II, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, killing 2,406 Americans. America went on for four years to defeat Japan, killing three million Japanese, including one million civilians, because they were eradicating an evil regime, and there was no choice. We’re talking about five months in and we’ve killed 13,000 terrorists and have the lowest collateral ratio damage in history. We could have ended this war in a couple of days if we hadn’t bent over backwards to minimize casualties.

-Naftali Bennett on Fox News

It took Israel, a sophisticated nation with many genuine experts, weeks to wade through the sinister wreckage of the Oct. 7 attack to get a proper tally of the dead. And yet, miraculously, whenever an Israeli attack is carried out, within hours — sometimes within the hour — Hamas can pinpoint not only the number of people who have died in wreckages but their ages and [gender].

-David Harsanyi, The Federalist

President Biden delivered the annual State of the Union address, and Biden’s speech was historic. It was the first time that the font size on the teleprompter was 8,000… Biden looked out at the members of Congress and said, “Finally, a place where I seem pretty young.”

-Jimmy Fallon

I shouldn’t have used “illegal,” I should’ve… It’s “undocumented.” … I’m not going to treat any, any, any of these people with disrespect. Look, they built the country.

-Pres. Biden apologizing for referring to the monster who killed Laken Riley in Georgia several weeks ago as an illegal in his State of the Union address even though the murderer illegally entered through the open southern border

In his SOTU speech, he said unions and the middle class built this country. Now he says “undocumented” immigrants built the country. Any guess as to who he will say built the country the next time he’s speaking to an African-American audience?

-Tweet by Jeff Gremillion

Top 10 Reasons Why The 2024 Presidential Election Might Not Be As Bad As You Think

In honor of Purim, we will digress from our usual scheduled programming and take a moment to reflect on…

The Top 10 Reasons Why The 2024 Presidential Election Might Not Be As Bad As You Think:

You can find some consolation in the fact that this matchup can never happen again.

If Trump wins, you get to find out if a president can actually pardon himself from criminal prosecution or have an insanity defense imposed upon him.

You can be rest assured that Trump will not pick Katie Britt as his VP.

It’s a good distraction from Arthritis, tuition prices, doctor concierge fees, bag fees at the grocery store, climate change, el niño, and the price of a slice of pizza at Nagila.

If you’re a Democrat: You get to watch Donald Trump lose the popular vote for the 3rd time in a row.

If you’re a Republican: You get to watch Donald Trump win for the third time in a row.

If you’re over 70 and feeling old, just remember you can do anything! Even be the president of the United States!

It could’ve been Kamala…or Hillary.

Once this is behind us, we have Gavin Newsom to look forward to. It could be worse. It could be COVID-20.

Bonus: If Trump wins, we can move our nation’s nuclear secrets out of the Mar-A-Lago guest bathroom.

Special thanks to my talented comedic writing colleagues Yoni Barz, Donnie Feldman, and Adam Rich.

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.

MEET THE DOCTORS

Dr. Richard Katz

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Dr. Gabe Rosenthal

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Dr. Farhad Shafa

Graduate of USC dental School, Dr. Shafa is a general and cosmetic specialist and specializes with patients who suffer from dental anxiety.

Dr. Hillel Katz

Dr. Hillel Katz is a graduate of NYU Dental School and served as chief resident at Bellevue Hospital in New York. He specializes in general, cosmetic, and implant dentistry.

Dr. Victor Israel

Graduate of Tufts University dental School, Dr. Vic is a periodontist specializing in implant and “all on 4” fixed dentistry.

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Dr. Rad MD is a board certified anesthesiologist. He’s had over 8 years of experience in providing anesthesia in hospitals, surgery centers and dental offices.

• All treatments done in our office (no referalls).

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When Claudine Gay of Harvard gave her now infamous response to the question, “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules or code of conduct?” I, like most of you, watched in disbelief. Well, not exactly. The sad fact was that the makings of such a callous response had been fomenting long before Israel was barbarically attacked on October 7th. College campuses have been overtaken by a woke agenda that, at its core, is anathema to the Jewish student.

As a mentor for many college-bound high school students, I’ve heard many concerns about appearing pro-Israel on a college application. If you can’t be a proud Jew on your college application, why would you want to attend this college in the first place? The answer is, in part, due to a growing disorder that I refer to as prestige addiction. Many students and their parents will look away and subject themselves to inhospitable situations because they need that bumper sticker on the family car. But be careful what you wish for. Most of these elite schools have a toxic environment where there’s absolutely no tolerance for diversity of thought.

As a rule, it was far more critical for my students to see themselves as the brand rather than relying upon the school they attend to

It Depends on the Context

make them attractive to potential employers. Most of these universities are simply hedge funds disguised as institutions of higher learning. So, beyond my rant, is there a solution to the problem? There is.

It’s time to look at schools that not only tolerate Jews but embrace them. The University of Austin is one such school. It’s an outstanding choice for highly gifted and inquisitive students. Not UT Austin, which is a state school, but UATX. UATX is a new university that will be launching this coming fall. I’m proud to have worked with a student in its first class of 100. The school was partly founded by Bari Weiss, the former NY Times columnist who left that bastion of antisemitism to help launch UATX. The school is entirely merit-based, and at my first meeting with some parents and admissions officers, I was surprised by the number of stars in attendance: and by stars, I mean Magen Davids. They were worn proudly around the necks of several would-be applicants. A YouTube video features UATX President Pano Kanelos speaking to a Tikvah Fund audience; I urge you to watch it (keywords: The Crisis of Higher Education and What It Means for the Jews, YouTube).

Beyond UATX, there are other colleges

to be considered for anyone who wants to learn without the fear of censorship and with the challenge of diversity of thought, not race. The University of Florida, led by former senator Ben Sasse, is another such school. Heterodoxy is rising at Vanderbilt University through its nascent Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy. UT Austin created its Civitas Institute to foster the growth of free speech and inquiry. All this bodes well for Jewish students. Why? Because antisemitism is the direct result of “intersectional” thought that is pervasive at most college campuses. Whether it be Black Lives Matter, LGBQT, or any other identity group, there is one identity that is a common denominator — victimhood. As Ben Shapiro exclaims, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.” True enough. But feelings have become facts, and the feeling that the Jew is the colonizer and the Jew is responsible for creating the victim has become an acceptable claim on college campuses. Universities are meant to create a culture that emboldens facts.

Stay tuned. I will investigate campuses and, by speaking to students and faculty, weed out schools that do not protect basic freedoms of speech, instilling a fear of cancel culture and a lack of trust in their classrooms.

In the interim, I want to emphasize the importance of creating a person of character ahead of the creation of an applicant. Authenticity matters. I reject the traditional ways of answering the typical question directed toward many college admissions officers, “What do they want?” They want the same thing you and I want—a real person, not someone who has joined clubs that do little more than elect a President and a Vice President to check another box on a college app. They want students who have taken a reciprocal approach to learning in their community rather than a performative and perfunctory approach to service jobs that are all about self-service. They want curious individuals rather than AP junkies who are motivated to learn little more than how to ace the AP test.

Do you want your student to jump through endless hoops or to navigate their purpose? There’s a big difference. In any context, Jews have a purpose. We must be vigilant that our children realize this goal above all others.

Rich Cooper has mentored students in grades 9 through 12 for the past 15 years and presides over Cooper Mentors, based in Santa Monica, CA. Send comments and thoughts to coopermentors@gmail. com. Follow Coopermentors on Instagram.

RAISE YOUR GLASS!

Add a splash of joy to your Purim celebrations with easy-to-whip-up, delicious cocktails. Whether you're hosting a feast or a cozy gathering, these drinks are sure to delight your guests and elevate your Purim party. L'chaim!

Ingredients

1 ounce vanilla vodka

DAIRY OR PAREVE

• YIELDS 1 SERVING

By: Naomi Nachman

Chocolate Martini Rose Sangria

Preparation

1 1/2 ounces espresso liqueur 1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate liqueur

• 1 1/2 ounces whole milk or almond milk

• Ice

• Corn syrup or honey, optional garnish

• Colorful sprinkles, optional garnish

Place Alcohols And Milk Into A Metal Cocktail Shaker With The Strainer Attachment. Top With Ice, Cover, And Shake Vigorously For 20 Seconds.

• Strain Into A Martini Glass; Drink Cold.

• Optional Garnish: To Decorate The Rim, Dip The Rim Of The Glass Lightly Into Corn Syrup, Then Into Sprinkles. Dry Upside Down Before Filling The Glass.

PAREVE • YIELDS 4 SERVING

Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) Bottle rose wine

• 1 Green apple, diced

• 6 Sliced strawberries

• 1/2 Orange, cut into wedges

• 1 Cup diced pineapple 1/4 Cup triple sec

Preparation

• Combine All Ingredients In A Large Pitcher.

• Refrigerate Overnight, Allowing Flavors To Combine And Develop.

• Serve Chilled.

Grapefruit Sage Cucumber

Gin and Tonic

PAREVE • YIELDS 1 SERVING

Dovid Statman, The Food Scientist And Blogger Hobbyist, Helped Me Develop This Refreshing, Summery But Year-round Unusual Twist On Gin And Tonic.

Ingredients

• 2 Ounces Gin

• 6 Sage Leaves

• 4-6 Thin Slices English Cucumber

• 2 Ounces Grapefruit Juice

• Ice 5 Ounces Cold Tonic Water

Preparation

• Combine A Splash Of Gin – About A Tablespoon – Sage Leaves, And Cucumber In A Cocktail Shaker. Muddle (Crush Together) With A Blunt Tool

To Release The Oils And Flavors. I Used A Wooden Spoon.

• Add Remaining Gin, Grapefruit Juice, And Ice To The Shaker. Shake Vigorously For 8-10 Seconds.

Strain Mixture Into A Glass Of Ice. Top With Cold Tonic Water.

Inspiration Nation

Eylon Levy: Fighting The Information War

Eliyahu Rosenberg

There are many faces, forms, and manifestations of antisemitism. From conspiracy theories to harmful stereotypes to hostile religions – Jew hatred has been around for millennia. But the antisemitism of today is different in many ways from the antisemitism of yesteryear: today it is more insidious, it is masked behind fancy words and complex ideologies – the existence of antisemitism today is almost flat-out denied.

Of course, there are still neo-Nazis who will, out in the open, rally against Jews and loudly echo the words of men who shall not be named. There are also conspiracy theorists who will wave around big signs on the street and rant on social media, warning people about the impending threat of “Jewish world domination.” Such people no doubt exist, but they belong to extremist, fringe groups who represent only a minority in the world of antisemitism. The real threat comes from those who deny their antisemitic identities but through their actions alone expose their true nature to the world.

“I’m not an antisemite. I’m an anti-Zionist” is an assertion that has been made by countless individuals who insist that they harbor no hatred towards the Jewish people despite campaigning endlessly for the elimination of the world’s only Jewish state. These are the people who hurl libelous accusations at Israel, who hate the state so intensely that they hold it to standards that no nation could possibly live up to.

Many were reminded of the Holocaust after witnessing the unspeakably tragic October 7th terrorist attacks in which 1,200 Jews were brutally murdered and more than 200 others were taken captive by the Hamas terrorist organization, marking the darkest day in Jewish history since the Shoah.

Israel has since vowed to destroy Hamas, and while the Jewish state battles in Gaza to accomplish its aim, the country is also fighting an ancillary battle: the information war.

A voice of reason in a time of chaos, Eylon Levy, a spokesman for the Israeli government, has in recent months emerged as one of the most influential figures in Israel. Having worked previously as a television news anchor and a foreign media advisor for Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Eylon knew that he had to do something to help Israel after the October 7 massacre. He thus jumped into action, becoming a spokesperson for the government.

Representing the Jewish state and speaking up for the truth, Eylon has been tasked with the job of fighting against misinformation and lies about Israel spread by Palestinian supporters.

As is the case with typical antisemitism, the hatred of Israel is not based on facts or logic. Regardless of what Israel does, it cannot win, for as long as the Jewish state retains its Jewish identity, its haters will never relent in

their opposition. But Israel is not waging the information war in an effort to change the minds of antisemites; it is fighting to show reason to those who want the truth.The biggest issue, however, is that we’re outnumbered.

“We are David against Goliath in the information war,” Mr. Levy explained. “The fact is, there are only 16 million Jews – not all of them are with us – and so many more Arabs, so many more Muslims, so many more people who are automatically receptive to the Palestinians’ message. We are outnumbered and outgunned in the information war, and that’s why we have to fight back extra hard.”

In the information war, Israel is facing attacks from every direction, with critics demanding an immediate cease-fire. But there can be no truce, there can be no peace, until Hamas is destroyed, because as long as Israel is neighbors with a group that is fully committed to its destruction, Israel cannot be safe. To demand a ceasefire is to give further opportunities for attack to the terrorist organization that sought to recreate the horrors of the Holocaust on October 7 in hopes of exterminating as many Jews as possible.

“For so long, we have been used to thinking of the Nazis as an unparalleled level of evil. It was simply ontologically impossible for anything to approximate the evil of the Nazis,” Eylon said. “On October 7, we woke up to an evil on par with the Nazis, and the only difference is the means, because if Hamas had the means to do what the Nazis did, we have no doubt they would have done it and they would have taken glee in doing so.

So, how do we, as the Jewish people, continue now in a world in which the Nazis are no longer the ultimate symbol of evil?”

Israel fights to protect itself and its people against Hamas and, as Eylon explains, takes every measure possible to prevent civilian casualties. But the terror group uses its own people as pawns in its sick game of destruction, as it hides in schools, hospitals, and other civilian areas. And yet, Israel is the one to be accused of genocide.

“We didn’t want this war, we didn’t start this war, we didn’t even expect this war, but it is a war that we have to win because if we don’t, Hamas will drag us into a war again because it is threatening to perpetrate more October 7 massacres,” he said. “There is no one in the world right now who wants this war to end more than the Israeli people. We want the hostages home, we want our friends who are in the reserves to come home, and we want to go back to our lives and rebuild this country, but we don’t have the luxury of making this conflict go away and retreating to safety.”

While it may seem as though anti-Israel views are becoming more mainstream and “politically correct,” it is important to note, adds Mr. Levy, that social media, which is often used as a forum for hate, does not accurately reflect the real world. Although it might seem as

though the loudest voices are coming from proHamas and pro-Palestinian protesters, such individuals are likely just the vocal minority.

Of course, every cloud has a silver lining. Although no words can possibly describe the tragedy of October 7, perhaps we can find some joy in reminding ourselves of the Jewish people’s immediate and sudden response to the attacks: coming together as one united family.

“Israel had spent the last few years of deep political and domestic turmoil: backto-back elections, constant infighting, a year of the largest protests this country had ever seen. People were bandying the word ‘civil war’ in the air, wondering how we could live with each other. The political debate had poisoned the atmosphere,” Eylon notes. “But at the moment of truth, we dropped everything, and we came together to face the common enemy... and I’m so proud to belong to this resilient nation.”

This article is based on a podcast, “Inspiration For the Nation,” hosted by Yaakov Langer. To catch more of this conversation, you can watch it on Living L’chaim.com or

In His Words…

We are David against Goliath in the information war.

We are committed to the state of Israel’s sacred pledge that has guided us ever since we reclaimed our sovereignty in our ancient land, out of the ashes of the holocaust. The state of Israel will go to the ends of the Earth to bring our people home to safety and to bring their tormentors to justice.

At the moment of truth, we dropped everything and we came together to face the common enemy... and I’m so proud to belong to this resilient nation.

On October 7, we woke up to an evil on par with the nazis… so, how do we, as the Jewish people, continue now in a world in which the Nazis are no longer the ultimate symbol of evil?

YouTube.com/LivingLchaim or listen wherever you listen to podcasts (just search for “Inspiration For The Nation”) or call our free hotline: 605-477-2100.

This cartoon is in need of a caption. Please submit your caption to editor@thelajewishhome.com before Sunday, March 31, 10:00 PM.

Final Winner will appear April 4th issue and win a $50 Gift Card at

Oh great!" thought the punch clock. "I'm tryin' to get out of doin' time for assault, and they send me a second-hand lawyer.

Elliot Pines

Timmy you’ve got to stop wringing your hands o . Also, what did you do this time?

D Weiss

This for the crime of waking you up on time?

Emma Rosa Battat

My lawyer said that we can kill time if we sharpen our barb's against my opponent Eliana Baalhaness

Mr Cogswarth, your time's up! I'll give you a hand and get you out of there.

The Friedman Family

TOP FIVE! TOP RAFFLE WINNER: WINNER:

D. Weiss

Please email editor@thelajewishhome.com to redeem your prize

Due to current limitations with our WhatsApp voting chat, we will be selecting the winner rather than opening it up to a community vote. But hang tight, our new website is in the works!

Once it's up and running, we'll bring back your chance to vote. The best is yet to come!

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