The LA Jewish Home - October 20th Edition

German Pension for Romanian Survivors and their Heirs

Are you a Holocaust survivor from Romania? Are you a child of a Holocaust survivor from Romania?

Dear Readers,

Bursting with the excitement from your feed back thus far, we are eager to provide what readers are asking for. This issue, while smaller than the last, is full of inspiring thoughts and opinions from our local contributors.

The excitement in the air is palpable when we start reading Parsha Bereishis. The feeling of hav ing atoned for our sins, gifted a blank slate, and decelerating off of a joyous Simchas Torah, allows us to start anew. Beginnings are always exciting! And the refresh of this newspaper is no different. The team at the LA Jewish Home is full of passion and exhilaration to be able to fulfill the mission we set out to. We have been working out the kinks from our first issue, including that of distribution. We plan to ensure the paper is more accessible in certain areas. Most importantly we want our read ers to find articles that speak to them. Please share your feedback at editor@thelajewishhome.com

We want to hear from you!

In Parshas Bereishis, Adam is tasked with nam ing all of the animals Hashem has just created. The Medrash explains that first the Malachim were given this task, but they felt inadequate to do so. Hashem then turned to Adam with this mission.

Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love names. It’s the first question I ask after a baby is born, and I ask how did you come up with the name? Is he named after anyone? What is the He brew and English name? Jews have a long stand ing tradition to name after loved ones, living and those passed, to name after Tzaddikim, Rebbeim, and what is going on that week in Tanach. A name gives a person their character, for we know that one’s name is one’s essence. And that’s why Ad am’s job was so important; he was creating the es

sence of the animal by naming it so and empower ing it to fulfill its existential purpose. Words have meaning. Choosing a name requires one to look at the physical form and choose a “word” or a “name” that infuses spiritual energy into it.

Up until Adam was created, the world was main tained through nature, through the direct guidance and instruction of Hashem. After Adam named all of the animals, he asked them to join him in the ac knowledgement that Hashem was creator over all of them. The world was created for man, who has a choice of how he wants to live. The creation of Adam brought Bechirah, free will, into the world. Hashem allows man to choose to live within Hash em’s awareness or to choose to sin. And when a man sins, it is only temporary, because he has the ability to do Teshuva, and reconnect with Hashem. All of this seems full circle after the Yamim Nor aim. We sinned, we did Teshuva, and now Hashem is reminding us of our free will, to choose to do mitzvos and live with an awareness of Hashem.

This publication is meant to highlight all of the Jews living in Los Angeles, in the myriad of ways they choose to serve Hashem and do mitzvos. The Around the Community section describes joyous celebration all over the city during Chol Hamoed Sukkos. Articles about family, health, and connec tion are there to inspire each Jew to live their best lives, emulating Hashem. The whole world was created for man. Each and every one of us. It is with the hope that these articles will inspire you to be your best self, I wish you new and fresh begin nings.

Wishing you a Good Shabbos, Ariela

Yoel Halpern

PUBLISHER publisher@thelajewishhome.com

Ariela Kauffman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor@thelajewishhome.com

Avi Heyman

PRODUCTION MANAGER avi@thelajewishhome.com

Sara Halpern

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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, October 21st

Parshas Bereishis

Candle Lighting: 5:53 PM

Havdalah: 6:56 PM

Rabbeinu Tam: 7:23 PM

Friday, October 28th

Parshas Noach

Candle Lighting: 5:46 PM

Havdalah: 6:48 PM

Rabbeinu Tam: 7:15 PM

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly Sunny

SunnyMostly Sunny Sunny

SunnySunny

BAYVIEW

Empowering Florida and Puerto Rico Communities in The Aftermath of Disaster

By Gavy Friedson

Cape Coral - Florida, - On September 18th, just after Hurricane Fiona made land fall in Puerto Rico, I received a phone call that would drastically change the next few weeks of my life. I was about to embark on not one, but two, major relief missions on behalf of United Hatzalah of Israel in order to provide much-needed aid and as sistance to residents of Puerto Rico fol lowing the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona, and then, subsequently in Florida following Hurricane Ian. As Fiona was dying down, and the relief mission in the Island territory was well underway, I and the rest of the organization, kept a watch ful eye on Hurricane Ian as it approached Florida. Once the hurricane made land fall, it was decided that a second mission needed to be dispatched to assist in Flor ida and that I would once again be at the helm.

ready to help when disaster strikes any where around the world. It was heart warming to see these communities’ sud den love and recognition for Israel due to our activities and the assistance that we provided them. For us, it was a relatively small thing. For them, it meant the world just knowing that people came from a for eign country to help. It showed them, in the most fundamental way possible, that they were not alone and that other people cared about them and worried about them. Many of them told us about their desire to visit one day.

I had to leave Puerto Rico directly to respond to Hurricane Ian in Florida. Thanks in part to my experience in Puer to Rico, as well as previous disasters that I responded to, which include Hurricane Irma in Florida, I am well prepared for

Compassionate Hospice Care

I am extremely proud of what we managed to accomplish in Puerto Rico. Most of the team members didn’t know each other prior to the mission, but we worked seamlessly together unified by the common goal of helping others. Our team was made up of EMTs, social work ers, and psychologists who volunteered to put their busy lives on hold in the middle of the holiest period of the Jew ish calendar and fly to a foreign country thousands of kilometers away. They left their families for the sacred purpose of helping to save lives and heal people’s emotional wounds in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona and we accomplished a lot and touched a lot of lives.

We intervened in poor communities that had yet to receive any outside assis tance in the wake of the devastating de struction of the hurricane. We went from house to house, distributing food and hu manitarian aid to families, treating them psychologically, and providing them with basic medical care. We also met with lo cal first responders and police officers, who were understandably exhausted and overwhelmed. We not only pro vided them with treatment, but we also provided them with training and tools that they could use in order to continue helping themselves and others suffering from similar emotional and psycholog ical stress and exhaustion. That was the force multiplier that we always look for when undertaking these missions. How to build a larger network of assistance so that when our mission is over, the peo ple we are helping can continue to help themselves in a sustainable fashion for the long term.

We were sent as representatives of United Hatzalah but we also felt that we were representing the State of Israel and the values of its people, who are always

the current relief mission. I am likewise confident that our team in Florida will be able to use the organization’s accumulat ed knowledge and techniques that have been field-tested time and again, to em power individuals and communities who need our help in the aftermath of the hur ricane. We have already met with a few dozen people here and helped them cope with their current situation, after having

FL - Friedson stands by a river that had flooded causing damage to local homes near Anasco, Puerto Rico

FL - Friedson coordinating relief efforts with local civilian air patrol in San Juan

lost everything. Our work is to mentally and psychologically fortify them so that they can begin to rebuild their lives. It is some of the most difficult work that I have ever had to do. The greatest tools at our disposal, are showing the people affected that they are not alone and that they can re gain control of their own situation. It isn’t easy, but if done properly, these two simple things can help prevent the already dire sit uation from becoming overwhelming and debilitating and those are things that can lead to an acute traumatic reaction which we want to avoid at all costs and severely harm a person’s mental health

Iran on Fire

It’s been almost one month since the protests began in Iran. Some are referring to the civil unrest as the ignition of a revo lution, not seen since the 1979 revolution. The protest began when 22 year old Mahsa Amini was arrested for not wearing a hijab properly, and died while in police custody. Men, women, and children have taken to protesting in the streets against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with women publicly uncovering their hair, and posting chants for freedom all over social media. Many citizens have been arrested or murdered during the protests or have be

On the eve of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day on the Jewish

calendar, I do not see anything more be fitting than to be out in the field, helping people, and saving lives.

Gavy Friedson is a volunteer EMT with Unit ed Hatzalah who lives in Washington D.C. with his wife. He serves as the organization’s Direc tor of International Emergency Management and has responded to several major disasters including Hurricane Irma in South Florida in 2017. Most recently, he led the team’s relief mis sion to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Fiona and is now leading the relief mission to Florida in response to Hurricane Ian

(Photo credit: United Hatzalah)

come victims of police brutality, especially teenage girls. HRANA, the Iranian Activ ity news agency, claims that 240 protestors have been killed (32 of those minors), 26 security force members have been killed, and 8,000 people have been arrested. Hu man rights protestors and activists believe that these numbers are inaccurately low.

On Sunday, the fear for Iranian citizens intensified when the Evin prison caught on fire. This prison specifically holds political prisoners, including Iranian citizens with dual nationality. The Evin prison has long been known for its inhuman conditions,

and was blacklisted in 2018 by the U.S. government for serious human rights abus es. The fire started at 10pm and dispersed to different units of the prison. While the Tehran government officials claimed that the fire was incited by prison unrest, pris

oners who set fire to the sewing workshop, many are believing and stating that this fire was no accident. Some witnesses state the fire initiated with Molotov cocktails thrown into the prison, with security forces firing and using tear gas to disperse people who were gathering outside.

At this time, the government still reigns over the people, with the protests not toppling the government. Many of the protests have transformed in to strikes where shop and businesses have closed, and many citizen are dissenting against re ligious rule.

FL Gavy Friedson delivering water in Anasco, Puerto Rico

FL Friedson teaching emergency disaster relief techniques and psychological first aid Concepts to paramedic trainees in San Juan

In preparation for Moshiach and the building of the new Beis Hamikdash, five Parah Aduma were flown to Israel last month. These red heifers were brought to Israel by a Texas rancher named Mr. By ron, a Christian Evangelist Zionist who studies the bible. Mr. Byron accompanied the five red heifers on their flight from the U.S. to Israel. The red heifers had to re main in quarantine for a short while due to agricultural ministry rules and safety con cerns of animal disease. The red heifers were welcomed at Ben Gurion airport by

Preparing for the 3rd Beis Hamikdash Hot Shot

a mix of Jews and Christians, with a small ceremony of singing and dancing, shofar blowing, and Brachos of thanksgiving. They were then taken to a farm in Bet She an to be examined for their purity.

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, rabbi of the Gush Etzion regional council, said the following: “It is a complex procedure, to check that there are no white hairs, no blemishes. There are all kinds of aspects that need to be verified to ascertain that they are really red. There is a halachic dis cussion what is red and what isn’t. More

Gregory Foster is one big hot shot. The Californian recently broke the world record for eating the most ghost peppers in one minute. Lest you think that these peppers are the same you put into a salad, think again. Ghost peppers, also known as bhutjolokia, were certified by Guin ness World Records in 2007 as being the world’s hot-test chili pepper – 170 times hotter than Tabasco sauce – and rated at

more than one million Scoville Heat Units. Foster chowed down on the sweat-inducing veggies and swallowed 17 ghost peppers in 60 seconds. In total, Foster consumed 3.98 ounces of ghost peppers. He was certified by Guinness earlier this month.“This re cord attempt is a personal challenge to see how far I can push my-self and my love of the super hot peppers,” Foster said.“As a chili lover, I’ve been trying to advance the

over it must be known the heifers haven’t worked, haven’t had a yoke on them. These heifers maintain these conditions.” Ac cording to Rabbi Rimon, he has checked the red heifers that they have only 100% red hairs and remain unblemished.

The goal of bringing the red heifers to Israel is that they can be bred so we can continue to learn the laws concerning the Parah Aduma, tahara, and various others in preparation for the future Beis Hamikdash.

awareness and the excitement surrounding the super-hot [chilies]out there.” Foster already has two other world records, in cluding the record for the most Carolina Reaper chilies eaten in one minute, which he broke in 2017, and the fastest time to eat three CarolinaReaper chilies, which he broke in December 2021. Yup, sounds like a real hot shot.

Parah Aduma arrives in Israel

Around the Community

Decorating the Sukkah at Community Shul

Why is a sukkah decorating project different from all other group art projects?

Creating a group project usually requires several fixed pieces of information: how many people, who are the artists, and how much time do we have. Supplies need to be provided and the level of art-making needs to be appropriate, and artists need to be kept busy.

Decorating a sukkah is a great oppor tunity for Really Large Art. This year the

decorating committee decided we are ini tiating a Five Year Decorate-The-Sukkah Event. Something a little more challenging

(and longer lasting) than the regular paper chains and laminated photocopies.

We used the Ushpizim as our starting

Middle Schools Girls decorate for Sukkot at Yeshivat Yavneh

The Middle School Girls at Yavneh spent their last day before Sukkot break making unique decorations.

The 6th and 8th grade students, under the direction of Mrs. Engel and Mrs. Beck er, respectively, created unique 3D Ush pizin signs and posters. The girls proud ly crafted the appropriate simanim that correlate with each of the Ushpizin they learned about leading up the chag.

“We were trapped in a complicated parenting situation. Thankfully, we found the OU’s Empowered Parenting Initiative. The practical - and research-based - approaches we learned worked, and continue to be helpful tools. We are grateful for such a great re source to help navigate parenting life.”

FIND OUT MORE AT OU.ORG

point. Older girls traced each one from large printouts onto cotton, and then every one from two to twenty, who arrived got a smock, paintbrushes and fabric paint. It was a great morning of colorful creativity, topped off with pizza & snacks. We look forward to continuing to add more layers next year, as the sukkah decorations grow with our children.

Sharon Saks CreativeExploringLA.com

multi-colored plastic spoons and carefully placing them in concentric circles around a circular mirror. The design ultimate ly formed a beautiful flower that is now proudly displayed in each of their Sukkot.

These fun creations helped cap the Dinei Sukkot units that each of the middle school grades have been engaged in over the last week. Wishing everyone a Chag Sameach!

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The 7th grade girls, under the direc

tion of Mrs. Polack, created stunning mir rors for their Sukkot, cutting hundreds of

Yavneh Middle School Girls Prepare for Succos

JHub host Paint Night for Young Professionals in the Sukkah

This last Wednesday Night, Octo ber 12th, JHubLA in collabora tion with The Community Shul hosted a Wine, Cheese, and Paint Night in the Sukkah. There were 60 Jewish Young Professionals who were in attendance. We thought a wine, cheese and paint night in the Sukkah would be a perfect opportunity for unaffiliated Young Jewish Profession als to socialize with each other, learn about the holiday of Sukkot, and do something that would be fun and unique all in one!

The event was a true success. Many

of the young professionals said what an incredible time they had. We look for ward to doing more of these wonderful events where unaffiliated participants have the opportunity and ability to get to know the Pico Community and become more integrated. Events like this have been the catalyst for many participants to start their Jewish Journey; meeting new friends, starting their learning process, and getting married. Many of these participants now live in the community and are married with families of their own.

MAGEN AM: COMMUNITY SECURITY UPDATE La Brea/Hancock Park

Over the last few weeks, we have seen a significant in crease in home invasions with in the community. This month alone, our patrol officers found 3 intruders that were transients, who had gained easy access & entry into homes through gates, doors, and garages that were unlocked or even left wide open.

Thankfully these incidents haven’t resulted in any violence or aggression to wards members of the community, but these situations can always escalate quick

ly.

This is a reminder to keep your gates and doors closed & locked - even while you are home! These individuals are look ing for homes that are easy targets.

Each month, 6 Magen Am Officers (equipped with various tools from across the Force Spectrum) dedicate 720 man hours to patrolling our neighborhood and providing a tangible sense of security. In

September alone we received more than 350 calls to our hotline, gave 11 defense/ training classes, and met with LAPD leadership 3 times.

Remember, if you see anything suspi cious or require any security assistance, please call our patrol hotline: 844-Mage nAm (1-844-624-3626) As always, for emergencies please first call 911.

It takes the involvement and support of the entire community to keep the commu nity secure!

LINK Shul Hosts Succah Decorating Party for Kids

On Sunday October 2nd, the LINK Shul hosted a fun-filled morning of getting the children excited for the upcoming Yom Tov of Succos. Under the able direction of our creative and indefatigable Children’s Programming Director, Mrs. Dina Ramm. Children of all ages crafted a beautiful variety of Yom Tov – appropriate decorations to be hung and/or attached to the walls of the Succah. The children worked in teams to de sign and color the adornments and were then treated to delicious refreshments.

Besides creating programming for a multiplicity of Shabbos morning groups of boys and girls (thus

facilitating their parents’ ability to daven blissfully), Mrs. Ramm also devises special Sunday events throughout the year, primarily focusing on Yomim Tovim and special days in the Jewish calen dar. When not working for LINK, Mrs. Ramm is an acclaimed Early Childhood Educator.

Valley Village starts Morning Kollel

This Elul, our Valley Village community was fortunate to start a morning Kollel program for Ba’al Habatim. This amazing program was spearheaded by Avrumie Bak, Aaron Moas, and Avi Horowitz. Led by the Rosh Kollel, Rabbi Yehoshua Millman, we had 20 plus Ba’al Habatim starting their day with an hour of learning. We learnt hand picked Sugyas for 4 weeks. Every morn ing started off with a shiur from the Rosh Kollel on the previous days gemorah. He used various commentaries as he brought each Sugya to life! BeH, we are very much looking to continuing it throughout the year.

The 2nd Valley Village Kollel pro

gram was at Beis Tefila , spearheaded by Ron Hami, and under the leadership of our Rav, Rabbi Dovid Edelstein. Each day was started with 10-15 minutes of Emu

Simchat Sukkot with ETTA

ETTA’s clients and community found plenty of opportunities to celebrate this year’s Festival of Booths in the Valley. Starting at Chabad of Studio City, the ETTA Day Program came together to build a small sukkah and dec orate it with colorful arts and crafts. Josh Taff, ETTA’s Director of Community Re lations and Intake, spoke about the mean ing of Sukkot and all participants enjoyed a delicious pizza party and edible sukkah.

Later in the week in Valley Village at one of its Group Homes, ETTA threw a

fun and exciting Sukkah pizza/pasta/salad party. The ETTA Youth Board, comprised purely of altruistic high school volunteers, helped the attendees by running a photo booth and creating personalized arts and crafts sukkot, complete with their own photos inside of them.

With continual in-person and virtual programming in the Greater Los Angeles area, ETTA remains dedicated to leading the way to provide ample opportunities for inclusion and independence for our differ ently-abled family members and friends.

nah and Bitachon, followed by a shiur given by the Rav. These shiurim focused on learning Hilchos Teshuva and Hilchos Shofar, learning through the Gemorah, and

other commentaries. Attendance is robust with 10-15 committed Ba’al Habatim each morning.

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"Moving to Israel was a dream, but it was hard to start all over. I am so thankful for OU Israel. Not only have I enjoyed the programming, but they have helped me find my new community. As I recently celebrated my first Yom Ha'atzmaut in Israel surrounded by my fellow Jews at the OU Israel's Tefila Chagigit, I looked around and thought, 'I am finally home'. "

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Morning Kollels Start in Valley Village

Maor Gives Each Student a Lulav & Etrog for Sukkos

Students at Maor learned all about Succos and celebrated by receiv ing their own lulav and etrog for the holiday. Maor is a non-profit organiza tion founded in 2017 to support students with special needs and their families in the Los Angeles Jewish community.

Maor offers a variety of programs for students and families, including: an ele mentary school program for students ages 5-15; an inclusive preschool for children ages 18 months to 5 years; complementary advocacy services for families; and a cen ter for professional training and develop ment.

This year, Maor also introduced a new pilot program for school age students with learning differences. This program wel comes students with diagnosed learning

disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, processing disorders and dyscalculia, in cluding those with ADHD and anxiety.

As our students all learned, we gather the four species (Esrog, Hadas, Lulav, and Aravah), bind them, and wave them all to gether on Succos. The Lulav is only kosher if all four species are taken together. If one of the species is missing, the entire Lulav

Sukkot Street Fair a Success!

The Citywide Sukkot Hakhel Community Unity Street Fair and Simchas Beis Hashoeva was a hit! The street fair started at 12 pm and went on into the late hours of the night. It truly was a unifying event with people from all walks of life strolling through the typically gridlocked Pico Blvd. There was something there for kids of all ages. A petting zoo, inflatable obstacle courses and moonbounces, rock climbing, a fer

ris wheel, train rides, carnival rides, and a puppy petting zoo, just to name a few! Sukkos was felt in the air.

Magen Am did a phenomenal job at keeping everyone safe and having many security guards visibly present.

Rabbi B came onto stage 3 times throughout the day to entertain the little ones. Our local musical prodigy, Rabbi Shua Rose, opened up for Meilich Kohn, and prepared the crowd with his contagious

is invalid. This concept is the same with children. Maor was founded on the belief that every individual student has their role to play. By unifying them, we are able to work together and learn from one another, giving us all a deeper sense of belonging.

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energy. What a beautiful way to celebrate the Simchas Beis Hashoeva with children and fathers dancing together all night long.

For more information about Maor, please email us at info@maorla.com

Thank you to YB Productions for putting this wonderful event together for the com munity!

E S H I V A T Y A V N E H I N V I T E S A L L P R O S P E C T I V E P A R E N T S T O O U R

E E

Y O

Tomchei Shabbos Goes Above and Beyond Basic Needs for LA Community

Our Tomchei LA Heroes Packed and Delivered 1,500+ packag es of Fresh and Delicious Food for hundreds of local families this Yom Tov Season. We also Collaborated with “OB KLA” (Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles) to help distribute over 1,000 Freshly Cooked meals and cookies.

20,000 lbs of Meat & Chicken 18,000 lbs of Fresh Produce 5,000 Dry Good items including Oil, Rice, Barley, Honey, Soup Mix, Pasta, Tuna, Tomato Sauce, Cookies, Couscous and so much more.

2,500 Fresh Baked Challah’s 1,500 Dozen Eggs

1,200 Bottles of Grape Juice

We assisted over 300 Families totaling

over 1,600 individuals with over $200,000 in Store Credit.

Our One of A Kind Clothing Pro gram assisted over 3,650 individuals with 5,000+ items Brand new Beautiful cloth

Winter is coming, but its only temporary!

Moshe Nafisi

As I take time to reflect on this past Sukkos, which Baruch HaShem was amazing on so many levels (not just my amazing BBQ lamb shoulder, see page 31), one idea is alive and burning within. There are many halo chos that govern the building of a Sukkah. Most of which lead to one main theme, and that is…it’s got to be temporary. Yes, the walls need to be sturdy to withstand a nor mal wind, but they aren’t layers of 2x4s, drywall, stucco, and paint like our homes are. We take every step to beautify it and

make it like our home for Chag, only to take it all apart and store it away until next year. When we leave the luxuries of our homes and move into our temporary huts we are saying to HaShem: “We get it!” All of this is temporary and YOU, our loving, caring Father are in control! We will follow Your lead and live our lives day by day.

This idea that everything is temporary struck a chord with me over the Yuntif as it’s very relevant in many other aspects of my life. I have been in the mortgage busi ness for the past 17 years and have seen

many market cycles and conditions. We have never seen such a rapid and extreme rise in interest rates. Believe me when I say, this too is temporary!! At some point, we will see mortgage rates calm down and be pushed lower. I’m not saying that we will see rates of low 2%’s and 3%’s of 2020 & 2021 but low to mid 4%’s is certainly possible. If you are still searching, do not give up or get discouraged. Your time will come and the right opportunity will present itself. When you find something, because of today’s higher rates, you will likely have

ing including Dresses, Skirts, Tops, Robes, Suits, Shirts and Shoes.

We arranged over $150,000 in Emer gency Funds for 50+ Families assisting with Rent & Utilities assistance.

And Thanks to a Very Generous Donor we distributed over 1685 tickets and 350 Parking Passes to Knott’s Berry Farm.

Thank you and Tizku L’Mitzvos to the Thousands of Supporters, Hundreds of Volunteers and Dedicated Staff for making this all Happen!!!

It is our Amazing Community and We Took Responsibility!!!

less competition which typically equals purchasing at a discount. Purchase today (assuming you can afford the monthly pay ments) and refinance when the rates drop.

Moshe lives in the Valley Village area, with his wife and 5 children. With over 13 years of experience in the mortgage business, Moshe brings passion, enthusiasm, and acutely at tuned interpersonal skills to ensure his clients receive the best service and rates. Most impor tantly, Moshe’s honesty, integrity, and loyalty fuel his unwavering determination to battle for his clients, even through the most complex sit uations. In his free time, he likes to experiment in the kitchen conjuring new recipes and tech niques. He can be reached via email mortgage_ moish@icloud.com or IG @mortgage_moish.

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Father and son packing food boxes at Tomchei

Around the Community

Th

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MYGA: Making Yiddishkeit Geshmak Again

Yoel Halpern

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yoel Halpern and I have been liv ing in Los Angeles since I married my wife Sara, 12 years ago. We live in the Pico area with our 3 children. It took me a solid 11 years to find my place in our community. Let me explain why.

I am blessed to have had a deeply Yid dishe and exciting upbringing. My grand father, Rabbi Shlomo Friefeld started Yeshivah Shor Yoshuv in Far Rockaway, NY. He started it in 1967 appealing to the Holy Hippies of the generation, who knew they were Hippies but didn’t know they were Holy. The Yeshiva and its commu nity were a place where everybody from all walks of life felt like they belonged. My father was the Menahel of the Yeshiva for over 40 years and our family life cen tered around the Yeshiva. Our home was constantly filled with guests, having over 15-20 people for Shabbos lunch was the norm. We had people who lived in my house for months at a time. Besides Shab bos, there was always something going on - a vort, a Yahrzeit Seudah, stam a fabreng My mother, she should live and be well, handled it all like a pro. She had a staff of 3 cooks, 2 housekeepers, and 2 waiters…. NOT! She did it alone with cleaning help once a week!!

My childhood was filled with memo ries of beautiful events for the community. From Rosh Chodesh Seudahs to the annu al Motzei Yom Kippur Mesiba, Mishmar on Thursday nights, the Purim Shpiel, and post-davening kiddush fabrengs, to name a few. You get the picture. Life was fun, and all of that excitement was centered around the geshmak of Yiddishkeit. The Shor Yoshuv community lived and cele brated the idea of yidden connecting with one another. So you can imagine the cul ture shock I felt having arrived to Pico in 2010. If you can’t, I’ll tell you. It was very different from the heimish yeshiva envi ronment I had grown up in.

In December 2010, Pico wasn’t what it is today, and Baruch Hashem, it has grown tremendously.

12 years later, I finally feel like this is my community. About a year ago, after an inspiring trip to Uman, I made it my mis sion to Make Yiddishkeit Geshmak Again. MYGA for short. Although it took me a while to feel at home, it was definitely worth the wait.

I am blessed to be part of a chevra that gets together weekly for Thursday Night Mishmar (T.N.M. which also stands for Torah, Neshama, Mitzvos). It’s the core of MYGA although the movement contin ues in different ways throughout the week. We sing, we talk Torah, we laugh, we get vulnerable, we check our egos at the door, and it’s a place where all Jews are cele brated. Above all, it’s a good time!! You see, in today’s day and age, excitement can be found all around us but chasing it, is a

fool’s journey. At some point, “The Law of Diminishing Returns” kicks in and what made you ex cited before no longer does. With Yiddishkeit excitement, we have a phenomenon known as “The Law of Increasing Returns.” The more you do it, the more it returns. I am constantly finding new things to be enthusiastic about. This may sound cheezy but when I make a cholent for Mishmar, I look at it like I am buying an esrog. I say a sincere te fillah that the cholent should taste heavenly and that it should bring people together to grow spiritually (and not phys ically) from it. I daven that people should find and tap into the beauty of our rich her itage and culture. (Cholent Cooking Tip: Put a gartel around your cholent pot. It works wonders on the kartuflach!)

The electricity of Mishmar has, Ba ruch Hashem, inspired friends to live more consciously in Hashem’s reality along with more learning throughout their day. Who has time to add anything else into our busy lives of 5783? It is a contagious feeling and it inspires me as well to learn and keep doing more. I made the follow ing joke to a good friend when the topic

So why humor? I have always loved humor. I am blessed to be the one in my family who gets everybody to laugh, either through some decent impersonations or a quick line or two. In my opinion I can get my mother to laugh the hardest from all of my siblings.

But what is the pnimiyus, the deeper meaning, of humor?

What makes humor so wonderful is that in the moment of sheer laughter, those around are letting go and being vulnera ble. In that moment of vulnerability, no one worries about the trivial things in life. The ego is gone! When the ego is gone wonderful things happen. People connect without any hang ups!!

I recently went on a trip to Eastern Eu

In that moment of vulnerability, no one worries about the trivial things in life. The ego is gone! When the ego is gone wonderful things happen.

of “not having enough time in the day” came up. If we cut out eating altogether, along with 20% of our sleep, we would have plenty of time for extras! There is so much out there for the curious mind and it all starts with excitement.

Speaking of a Yiddishe joke, there was a chassid who nebach died. When he went up to Shamayim he was told that he unfor tunately needed to go to Gehenom. When figuring out the intensity of his Gehenom, the Malachim throw him into a mikvah and start turning up the heat. They look at the poor chassid and say, “Nu?” The chas sid didn’t say a word. They turn it up some more, and still nothing. They give it an other increase, and not a peep. Out of ex acerbation they turn the heat to the highest temperature and the Gehenom Malachim turn to the chassid and say, “NUUUUU?” The chassid spreads his arms and says “Ah, Gan Eden!!”

So why am I writing this column and what will it be about? The answer is that I am unsure. What I do know is that it will include the word Cholent frequently, it’ll show my Cheder English education (or lack thereof), and my attempt at humor.

rope with a group of twenty guys to visit kivrei tzaddikim. To say we had an amaz ing time is an understatement of the cen tury. Twenty diverse souls formed a sort of family, where we were able to connect in a deep and holy way. I’m pretty confi dent in saying that everybody experienced a change that affected their spirituality and character. While we did daven a lot and dipped in a lot of mikvaos (including a lake on the side of the highway), I think we probably also did an equal amount of laughing. When Yidden connect there is excitement below and above. When I say a good yiddishe joke and get a bunch of yid den to laugh, I imagine the Ribbono Shel Olam laughing too.

On our trip, we had the honor of visit ing the burial place of the Rupshitzer who I am a direct descendent of. He is known to mask his Torah in humor. Once, when Rebbe Naftali Tzvi of Rupshitz was study ing with his Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, he heard two people arguing loudly. Two fathers-in-law to-be were arguing about who was going to pay for the Badchan, the wedding jester. Rebbe Naftali entered the home and turned to the two: “I don’t like hearing such loud arguments, so I will

come to the wedding and be the badchan for free.” The two fathers happily accepted his offer.

Rebbe Naftali, as he had prom ised, went to the wedding a few days later, stood up on a table, and regaled the guests with hu morous stories and wit. Rebbe Naftali talked and talked and the guests laughed and laughed. The Chozeh of Lublin did not know about this, but when he arose at night to say the Tikun Chatzot he felt that something was not in or der. The words just wouldn’t come out of his mouth. Something was preventing him from saying Tikun Chatzot!

The Chozeh called his Shamash and asked him to check if something unusual was going on in the town. The assistant went out to search. He reached the wed ding hall and saw the sight. He returned to the Chozeh and told him what he saw: There is a wedding at the other end of town, Rebbe Naftali is entertaining the guests with humor and everybody is laughing. The Chozeh understood that in Heaven, as well, there was much joy and laughter in the air, and with all the laugh ter in Heaven, he could not cry for Tikun Chatzot. The Chozeh decided that if he could not say Tikun Chatzot, he would also join in hearing his student’s humor. The Chozeh hid outside the window of the wedding hall and listened for a long time.

As Rebbe Naftali continued to delight the audience, the Chozeh listened outside while enjoying the divine wisdom in ev ery joke and play on words – truly secrets of secrets of the Torah. When someone informed Rebbe Naftali that his Rebbe was listening in, he immediately descend ed from the table and went outside to ask his Rebbe for forgiveness for speaking in his presence – and telling jokes, at that!

‘There is no reason to apologize,’ said the Rebbe, asking Rebbe Naftali to continue with his humorous act, because he was en joying the presentation. It is said that the Chozeh performed the mitzvah tantz with the bride at the insistence of Rebbe Naftali and a very holy tzaddik was born from this union.

What I take from this story is a few things: A) There is a minhag in our religion where somebody comes to a wedding just to make jokes. These minhagim aren’t ca sual, they are the result of deep spiritual concepts. B) Jokes can bring about spiritu al happenings that only the greatest tzad dikim can feel but their effects are felt. C) Good times, excitement & humor around Yiddishkeit is a core necessity of our tra dition.

Now that I finally feel like I belong in a place so different than Far Rocka way, I hope you join me in my mission of MYGA- Making Yiddishkeit Geshmak Again!

Flying

Rabbi Yitzchok Summers

Parshas Bereishis

Many people look at this week’s Par sha, Shabbos Parshas Bereishis, as the first Shabbos of the year. We are starting the Torah over again. Those who value Slo bodka mussar understand that the world and the cosmos were created just for man. Man was the crown jewel of creation di rectly from Hashem, and everything that is in the world, was created just for man. Not only is the whole world created just for mankind, but also for created for just one man. Hashem created man by taking dirt from the ground and blowing into this creation a living soul, Nefesh Chaim.

Rashi points out that if we look through the days of creation, there are things that are more heavenly and spiritual in nature, and other things that are more physical in nature. With each day of creation, there is a pattern where it goes from one to the other. On the first day of creation is the heavens (spiritual), while on the second days is the heavens and the earth (both spiritual and physical). On the third day is the Rakia (spiritual) and the land (physi cal), while on the fourth day is the celestial

beings (spiritual). On the 5th day, there are the aquatic creations (physical), and on the 6th day when Hashem created man, it had to be both spiritual and physical. Man is both. On the one hand, we are dirt from the earth, and on the other hand we have this heavenly spiritual soul.

Rav Chaim Volozhin in Nefesh Chaim,

physical and the spiritual realms.

We see this all the time, as a focal point in Yiddishkeit, that we take things that are physical and make them spiritual. For ex ample, we take food and make it spiritual by making a Bracha on it. Everything we do on Shabbos that is physical is elevated to spiritual.

not only that we can take the physical and turn it spiritual, but that what we do on this earth down here, affects the spiritual world and the heavenly realms in a way that we cannot even understand.

When we do a mitzvah, it has amaz ing effects beyond our comprehension. Ravi Yisroel Salanter used to say that when a person speaks Lashon Hara in Vil na, someone will be mechalel Shabbos in Paris. We don’t truly understand the influ ence that our actions can cause in another realm, both by our positive and our nega tive actions.

Shaarei 1, Perek 5 takes it further. The fact that Hashem breathed a life force into man, that we are physical but also spiri tual, is the idea that Hashem has fused those two together at the same time within man. It is an amazing concept that man, and only man, has the ability to fuse the

It’s not that there is a physical world and a spiritual world. Rather, in Torah Ju daism, we believe that everything is spir itual. We are using the physical world to elevate everything into spiritual.

However, it goes even deeper than that! According to Rav Chaim of Volozhin, it’s

When we say kedusha, we lift our selves up three times on our feet. Why do we do that? Rav Chaim Volozhin explains that we are lifting ourselves up physical ly and it effects things up on high that we cannot imagine. To symbolize that by us being Mekadesh Sheim Shamayim, we are lifting it both physically and spiritually.

…what we do on this earth down here, affects the spiritual world and the heavenly realms in a way that we cannot even understand.

The Motivation Behind President Biden’s Latest Pardons

The Jews weren’t the only ones to get a clean slate this Yom Kippur. On October 6, 2022, President Biden announced that he would be pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. The White House estimated it would affect more than 6,500 people nationwide.

In addition, the president urged all governors to follow his example, and called for a formal review of marijuana’s classification in federal law as a Schedule I drug — the same classification as heroin and LSD, and a stricter classification than fentanyl.

In a video making this announcement, President Biden said, “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. It’s legal in many states, and criminal re cords for marijuana possession have led to needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And that’s before you address the racial disparities around who suffers the consequences.

While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people are arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates. Too

many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

But the pardoning itself will have very little practical effect. Those with simple federal marijuana possession convictions were probably able to gain employment and live normally despite this blemish on their record. Now they will be able to vote, bear arms, and apply for global entry.

This is a highly unusual move because Presidential pardons are typically granted to particular individuals, rather than a class of people who all committed the same of fense. The question is what ramification will this have on the remaining 395 million people in this country and why is President Biden choosing to do this now?

President Biden is telegraphing to Congress and the Senate that it is time for them to present him with a bill to legalize marijuana. Earlier in the year, the House passed a marijuana legalization proposal, which would have lifted the federal prohi bition and allowed states to determine how they want to regulate marijuana. But the legislation stalled in the Senate because

A Mile High of Problems

Rocky Friedman

The Denver Broncos were sup posedly “a quarterback away” from being Super Bowl contenders. They already had a stout defense and tal ented young receivers, but whether it was Drew Lock or Teddy Bridge water taking snaps under center, they never seemed to address the issue at the most important position in foot ball.

In March of 2022, that all changed. The Broncos agreed to send multiple first-round picks and players to the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson. They would ulti mately sign him to an extension that includes $165 million guaranteed, the second-highest such total in the league. Denver thought that they fi nally had a quarterback, and justifi ably so.

Russell Wilson is considered one of the top quarterbacks of the de cade. From 2012 through 2019, Wil son finished top 10 in the league in completion percentage, 11th in pass ing yards, and number 3 in touch down percentage. In his first nine seasons in the league, he has only put up a PFF grade of under 78 once. He was ranked outside of the top 10 just twice since 2012.

He is ranked as the 30th QB in the league five games into this sea son.

Over the last two seasons, he has recorded his worst grades of his ca reer, and that was accounting for the fast start he got off to in 2021 before suffering a finger injury. Whether it was the injury or simply a veteran losing a bit of his touch as he ages, Wilson has not been the same player for about a year now.

Those problems have been mag nified in Denver as a receiving core that was supposed to give oppos ing defenses nightmares ranks dead last in the league according to PFF.

Between Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sut ton, Kendall Hinton and others, this group of receivers looked pretty im pressive on paper. However, none of those receivers except Sutton have hauled in at least 15 receptions in just five games! They have tallied only 4 receiving touchdowns on the season.

To make matters worse, sec ond-year running back Javonte Williams, whom they burnt a sec ond-round pick on in last year’s draft (quite high for a running back) suffered a torn ACL and will

there were not enough votes in support of it to present it to the President.

Some say that the timing of this move is to score political points. Republican Ar kansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, “Biden is simply playing election-year politics and sacrificing our national interest to win votes.”

If Biden’s goal is to energize young people to vote in the midterms, then he may be onto something. On August 22, 2022, The National Institutes of Health published the following statistics on mari juana: The proportion of young adults who reported past-year marijuana use reached 43% in 2021, a significant increase from 34% five years ago (2016) and 29% 10 years ago (2011). Marijuana use in the past month was reported by 29% of young adults in 2021, compared to 21% in 2016 and 17% in 2011. Daily marijuana use also significantly increased during these time periods, reported by 11% of young adults in 2021, compared to 8% in 2016 and 6% in 2011.

Advocacy groups are of course wel coming the announcement: “We commend

this important and necessary step to begin the process of repairing the harms of pro hibition and look forward to working with Congress and the administration to devel op policies that would ultimately solve the underlying problems in our outdated can nabis policies,” Aaron Smith, Co-founder and CEO of the National Cannabis Indus try Association.

Biden also runs the risk of opening himself up to criticism that these types of soft on crime approaches will only em bolden criminals to continue to engage in unlawful activity. While rising crime rates are on the forefront of peoples’ minds, per haps Biden is relying on recent national polls that show that 68% of Americans are in favor legalizing recreational marijuana.

Only the Biden administration can tru ly explain the timing and underlying mo tivation of this act. Time will tell if it will handsomely pay off for Democrats in No vember. At the very least, they have a solid 6,500 votes that they can count on.

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

miss the remainder of the season. He was supposed to take the bulk of the carries in that backfield.

A lot of people are questioning head coach Nathaniel Hackett and some are even calling for his job. Is all this an overreaction to just five games? And besides, they are still 2-3 and very much in the playoff race.

I don’t know what the future holds but the bottom line is this: The Bron cos have a window here. They have a really good defense, a lot of talent on offense, and a potential future hall-of-famer at QB. I don’t know if Russell Wilson is simply on the de cline or if the Broncos are just not putting him in a position to win, but the Broncos must fix this problem quickly if they are to contend in the toughest division in the NFL.

Rocky Friedman is a Pro Football Focus analyst and co-host of the Rocky and Meisty Show. You can hear more from him by listening toThe Rocky and Meis ty Show on YouTube and your preferred podcast platform for more in-depth analysis from around the NFL.

Lou Shapiro

The LA Jewish Community

Aliza Marton

Behind the façade of Hollywood lights and beach balls, there are approximate ly 700,000 Jewish people in Los Angeles County. We comprise approximately 7 percent of the county and 17.5 percent of the city’s population, making our Jewish community the largest in the world outside of New York City and Eretz Yisrael. This always seems to surprise people, perhaps because the Los Angeles community is in clusive of so many different types of Jews. With so many vantage points from which to describe Los Angeles, I can only share my personal perspective about this vibrant Jewish community.

Growing up on the Pico-Robertson side of town, we were part of a fairly small, pri marily modern-orthodox community. Sun ny days were the norm (although snowy mountains are less than two hours away). Most of my childhood memories are of my siblings and me playing in our garden, which was a treasure trove of fruits and vegetables, or jumping in the waves and playing in the sand at the beach.

LA used to be a very small community, and I remember that feeling of excitement upon seeing another Jewish face or a kip pa on someone’s head in the market—that feeling of, Hey, I know you!, even if we’d never met before. Most of the children in the Jewish day school I attended were not Shomer Shabbos, but the community kept growing, in size and in observance. Later, in high school, I was joined by other girls who had transferred from public school looking for a closer connection to Judaism.

Over the next thirty years, I saw my community transform in many ways. At first, we only had a handful of kosher mar kets, a bakery, a little pizza shop owned by two very sweet Holocaust survivors, a deli, a kosher restaurant and a few shuls. Slowly, more restaurants, shuls, yeshivos, and Jew ish stores began appearing. Pico Boulevard physically and spiritually became the place to go for any of your Jewish needs.

Our community grew like a fami ly. When my daughter was two, I started teaching a ‘Mommy and Me’ group, where mothers and toddlers could come together to make art projects, sing songs and play games. Over time, as our families grew, we found ourselves filling in for each other when needed. Even though we lived in a big city, we created a suburban feel. If any one had a baby or was not well, we created a meal train. We learned to rely on each other in so many ways. Over the years, I taught Navi and Parshah and soon began opening art classes to the community. Peo ple found a way to paint, draw and create figures and forms in a kosher, tznius en vironment, with separate boys’, girls’ and

women’s classes.

However, during the last couple of years, when Covid-19 hit, life became much different here, as it did everywhere. Although it was a bit more challenging, people found ways to daven together in small, backyard minyanim and other safe, outdoor venues. The year before, we felt so excited as we planned my son’s bar mitz vah in Eretz Yisrael. We soon realized that this was not going to happen, and we were simply grateful to have our son read the

bimah. Young parents sang, danced and threw their giggling children up in the air every time they sang ‘Moshe Emes.’ Chil dren waved flags, and Persians, Russians, Americans, Litvaks and Chassidim all danced together!

Once finished, we headed outside, where I saw something I would never have imagined as a child. The entire Pico Bou levard, one of the busiest streets in Los Angeles, was completely shut down and filled with Jews of every type. The police

Whether you attended the kiruv shul, the Chassidishe shul, the Israeli, Carlebach, Moroccan, Yemenite, Yeshivish, Chabad or Persian shuls, there was a bond that held us all together there on Pico Boulevard.

among others. Perhaps the greatest success factor for the Los Angeles community in recent times, though, has been its broad commitment to nurturing the spiritual growth of every member of the communi ty. Our shul, Adas Torah, is always offering chaburos by various community members, shiurim and even a quarterly publication called Nitzachon that has diverse Torah insights. One can see the obvious commit ment to growth in observance, growth in learning, growth in chesed and growth in Yiras Shamayim. To see this happening on a community-wide scale has been truly remarkable. It is my sincere hope that, un til we are all in Eretz Yisrael together, we will continue to enjoy and benefit from the very special place our Los Angeles Jewish community has become. I want to express my hakaras hatov to all of the gedolim and balei battim who had the foresight and commitment to bring just the right mix of Rebbeim and leaders to our city.

While attending my son’s siyum at Yeshiva Gedola of Los Angeles, the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Eliezer Gross, mentioned that the Chofetz Chaim said the last sta tion for Torah is America, and that later the Ponovitcher Rav said that Los Angeles is the last station for Torah before Mashiach comes. With the amount of Torah learning, the striving to be better and the achdus that can be seen here in Los Angeles, I think we are almost there!

This article was reprinted with per mission from Uplift Magazine. https:// theupliftmagazine.com/product/subscrip tion-4-issues/.

Torah while wearing a mask in our shul (Adas Torah) on Shabbos. The next Sun day, his class drove by with signs wishing him Mazal Tov. We were also allowed back in shul for Simchas Torah last year, but our celebration and dancing were lim ited. Only one family at a time was able to dance around the bimah with a Sefer To rah. It was still nice, but difficult for me to see everyone having to contain their joy.

This year, Simchas Torah returned to being an explosion of joy at our shul. After minchah, they auctioned off hakafos, and the simchah began. Looking over from the women’s side, I enjoyed watching the leibadig dancing of my boys and other young bachurim with their suits and black hats, dancing with Sifrei Torah around the

had blocked off all of the side streets lead ing to Pico. A group of modern-orthodox high school boys sang and danced around their rebbe. The young Sephardic minyan made Kiddush and the Persian shul laid out tables with food, while the kollel were still finishing hakafos. People sang and danced through the streets. Like a Jewish Disne yland, all flavors could be seen. Whether you attended the kiruv shul, the Chassi dishe shul, the Israeli, Carlebach, Moroc can, Yemenite, Yeshivish, Chabad or Per sian shuls, there was a bond that held us all together there on Pico Boulevard.

Los Angeles is not without its pres sures: the cost of living and exposure to content, activities and lifestyles is not consistent with religious Jewish tradition,

Aliza Marton is a Los Angeles based Judaica and nature artist who specializes in traditional oil on canvas as well as her own novel technique – blending abstract acrylic pours with realism on wood panels. Her art serves as a window into Aliza’s passionate and emotional connec tion to our Creator. Many of her works incor porate biblical passages into scenes of nature and of everyday life. Aside from teaching art to hundreds of students in the Jewish community, Aliza’s proudest moments are when her clients’ connect deeply with one of her pieces and de cide to make it a part of their home. Aliza’s art work can now be found in private collections around the world. Find out more about Aliza on her website www.alizafin eart.com.

1. Where does baseball appear in the Torah? Bereishis, in the BIG Inning

2. At first, there was nothing. And then Hashem said, “let there be light”. There was still nothing. But now you could see it more clearly.

3. Did all the animals on the Teivah come in pairs? No the worms came in apples.

kreative

4. Chani: Savta, were you on Noach’s Teivah? Savta: No. Chani: Then how did you survive the flood?

5. What animal could Noach not trust? The Cheetah.

is

KIDS please send in your art and other interesting creations to editor@thelajewishhome.com

ACTION ON AND OFF THE FIELD

By Noam Halpern

As the postseason is heating up there are a lot of crazy things happening all around baseball that I wanted to share with you!

DodgersGoose is on the loose! In the bottom of the eighth in the Dodgers-Padres NLDS game, a goose found its way in the outfield behind second base before getting “escorted” off the field.

It is looking good for the Dodgers against the Padres. Here are 4 reasons why.

1- Mookie Betts.

2- Dodgers starters

3- Quality at bats

4- The bullpen

AstrosYordan Alvarez from the Astros makes history! He became the first player in postseason history with multiple career games to have go-ahead homers, in the sixth inning or later when his team was trailing. In game one, the Astros were losing 7-5, when Yordan came up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with two men on base, and hit a walk off homer to win the game 8-7. In game two, the Astros were

parsha jokes

losing 2-1. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with one man on base, Yordan came to the plate and hit a go-ahead oppo homer to put the Astros on top 3-2. The Astros won the game 4-2.

MarinersRally Shoes, a new way of rallying. Mariners fans were not wearing there rally caps but they were wearing their shoes on their heads.

In Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee signed off on officially renaming some of the ferries after the names of the Mariners players and staff. One of the ferries was renamed “The Juliooooooooooo.” That is not a typo! It intentionally has 11 “O’s” to celebrate Julio Rodriguez. That’s a much cooler name than its previous name, Big Dumper.

YankeesJosh Donaldson thought he hit a home run and was trotting around the bases and saw the throw and hurried to first base but the throw beat him there and got thrown out.

Azriel, 12

Mother-Daughter activity

Shiri

Hinda

On a Roll craft corner

Noach’s Ark had so many animals, how fun would it be to draw a few using your hand as the stencil?!?

Supplies: Paper Markers

Your very own hand

Instructions

Goose:

Step 1: Place your index finger on your thumb keeping the rest of your fingers parallel to your index finger.

Step 2: Place your hand including some of your arm on the paper

Step 3: Trace your hand using a marker/ crayon Step 4: Fill in the face of the goose by adding a beak and eyes.

Step 5: Color in the beak and Voila!

Giraffe:

Step 1: Tuck your middle finger under your palm while spreading apart the rest of your fingers

Step 2: Place your hand including your arm on the paper Step 3: Trace your hand and arm using a marker/ crayon Step 4: Fill in the rest of the giraffe by adding ears, eyes, mouth and spots!

Step 5: Brighten up the giraffe with color and Voila!

Mushky aka the “Duct Tape Lady is a duct tape artist and lover of crafts who is always On A Roll coming up with some thing 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 solv ing 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

recipe

Hi! I am Anaelle Halpern and I am the first kid in The LA Jewish Home that is submitting a recipe! I am so ex cited to be participating. I love baking…with a twist! I take recipes that are easy, and I add a special touch.This is my version of brownies. They are Mexican Brownies. My grandmother is from Mexico and a common spice and flavor that is mixed with chocolate is cinnamon. You can use any brownie recipe or Duncan Hines brownie mixfor this recipe. I used the “One-Bowl Brownie” recipe from the Dinner Done Cookbook because it’s easy! I also used the cookbooks tip to make them fudgy, so if you like a fudgy brownie, follow the modified recipe below! I hope you love these as much as my family did!

Mexican Cupcake Brownies

2/3 cup oil 4 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanil la extract

2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

A dash of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chocolate chips

Animal Hand Drawings

Mexican Brownies

1) Preheat oven to 350 ° F

2) Prepare cupcake tin with paper cupcake holders

3) Place all wet ingredients into a bowl. Don’t forget to check your eggs!

4) Add all dry ingredients and mix with a fork (I used a fork, but I recommend using a hand mixer)

5) Fill each cupcake holder with brownie batter

6) Bake 20 minutes Give these a try and let us know what you think!

and put “kid’s recipe submission” in the subject.

Dear Dini

After all of the Chagim are over, I feel like I’ve come down from such a high. I spent so much time in shul dav ening and having meaning ful meals in the Sukkah. We spent so much time together as a family. My kids will have a hard time transitioning to a full school schedule. I will miss the spiritual high and family togetherness. Any tips for how to transition to “nor mal life”? I feel like frum life consists of always looking for ward toward what’s happening next. By the time the 3 weeks end in the summer, everyone is talking about Rosh Hasha na. Now that Sukkos has end ed, how can I enjoy the present moment without planning for Chanukah?

Thank you for your great question, one I’m sure many will be wondering the same

thing.

I am happy to hear that you had meaningful Yom Tovim and were able to maximize your time with family and Spirituality, and that you enjoyed it. That tells me you’re a present person, and that you are capable of being present all together.

To address your children first, it is true transitioning will not be easy. Some children bounce back more than others. In fact some children thrive on a schedule, so in fact going back to a reg ular routine is great for them. And while others struggle with the regimen of dai ly life, they too will be ok. Children are more resilient than we give them credit for. For those children, I find when the adults help them with the transition, the child is able to get back into a good routine. Try to normalize it rather than speak of when vacation was around and how great that was. The child will also see that it may not be easy for the adult to transition, yet it’s attainable, and this also is helpful as they don’t feel the heavy burden alone. May be at bedtime you can ask each child what they loved most about something specific, for example, a trip you took or a meal you made, each night so they have the memo ries but also know to move on.

As far as the “frum life always look ing forward to what’s happening next,” I would say that could be used to our ad vantage if you understand it. And as a side note, the secular world is the same way. As soon as the first leaf falls to the ground, malls are hanging their jingle bells. As far as the planning, I’m not sure we invented that concept.

It makes sense you feel this way, as we naturally feel melancholy when Shabbos ends each week, but especially after this past Yom Tov season. It’s actually a real

“Zan. Zendegi. Azadi.” Woman. Life. Freedom.

Daniella N. Kahen

For the last 4 weeks the world has been witness to the unrelenting protests and chants of the women of Iran demanding their freedom from the oppressive rule of the Islamic Republic. It’s been 43 years since the Iranian revolution and women forcibly adhering to Islamic Sharia laws about where they can go, how they can dress, what they can own & learn. But on September 16th, the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the “mo rality police” -for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly- was the final straw, awakening a dormant lioness inside the women of an entire nation.

Something surprising to me about the protests is the degree to which Persians living outside of Iran feel invested in and affected by them. It’s remarkable, because

Iranian Jews like myself were born in America or have been living in America most of our lives. My family had left al most all of their possessions & their beau tiful lives behind. Life for Jews in Islamic Iran would be a dark fate and so, most of us left and never looked back.

Until now.

Since I can remember, I’ve been in a constant tug of war with this part of my identity; the desire to feel pride in who I am & all of the beautiful parts of my Per sian culture but also the need to separate from all of the ugliness of the Iranian re gime. Watching the thousands of women & girls protesting in the streets of Iran to day, chanting that they reject the Islamic regime, that they don’t identify nor have they EVER identified with its values, I

thing - it’s our Neshama Yesaira feeling something that we can’t really put words to. The Gemara in the last Perek of Pesa chim called Arvei Pesachim talks about why that is. The Gemara says that the rea son why we smell Besamim after Shabbos is to compensate for the loss of the Nesha ma Yesaira that left us after Shabbos.

I once heard an explanation on this re garding Yom Tov, that can be understood in a metaphor such as the following. If you have ever climbed a mountain, you work hard getting up the mountain, step by step you pace yourself, make sure you are breathing correctly, and all the while you continue to climb. Once you get up to the top, you feel this high! But now what? You stay there? Not really, at some point you have to come down, and go back to your life.

The feeling you have is the high, liter ally that you have at the top of the moun tain you climbed. You worked hard, made Yom Tov, davened, dressed your children, enjoyed your meals, but kept going and going and now it’s time to come down. The Gemara explains that the high from the Yomim Norayim are supposed to stay with us even as we start to walk into the next phase, the day to day, the regular mundane of life.

When you have a moment that’s cha otic, or your children aren’t stepping in line, stop, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and remember the moment you felt the high. Take it with you, and you will enjoy the present. In your soul, in your heart, you are not leaving anything behind. Life changes, seasons change, the physical ones and spiritual ones, and we are sup posed to take them with us. We take the beauty from one to the next. This is not planning ahead, but rather that’s who we are as Jews. It’s part of the life cycle and

feel like it’s... ME! These values have felt just as foreign to most citizens of Iran as they’ve felt for those who fled it, and sud denly my feelings of rejection morphed into sisterhood. This is not Iran to any of us & we want OUR Iran back. The Iran filled with expressions of joy, art, poetry, music, dance, celebration, hospitality and high achievement… This is the distant memory that still flickers inside every one of us, and has somehow brought us all to gether again.

Perhaps what was lost is not forever lost.

And so we rally. We obsessively check our phones for any updates, we tell our In stagram friends, our neighbors and anyone we think may be uninformed. We are do ing whatever we can to amplify the voices of the brave women, from school girls to grandmothers, who are leading & on the front lines of this revolution against tyran ny. It feels like we have somehow chan neled the collective sadness, grief, frustra tion and anger we’ve felt over the last 43 years into this exact moment in time. We won’t let this moment come and go in vain, and we will not let the Iranian woman fight alone. Because she is fighting for all of us.

it’s something we can welcome rather than try to push away.

Dini

Adina (Dini) Gres is a wife, mother of 4 adult daughters, business owner, writer, speaker, and certified life coach. Through her role as owner of Financial Concierge LLC and coach for personal and financial clients, Adina recognizes that trying to get ahead without managing a healthy mental ity is the primary reason blocking individuals from success. Through working with her clients, whether that be in business or lifestyle, she is able to help them understand how they themselves can change the narrative of their lives. Adina offers a variety of modalities that fit into many lifestyles and stages. Adina is passionate about writing and has been featured in Mishpacha and Bina maga zines, as well as local Los Angeles Jewish maga zines. Adina loves to work out, she loves to speak, and educate people on the combination of spiritu ally and mental health. You can hear more from Adina by listening to her podcast titled “Things I think you should know.” Adina also shares on her Instagram page @financialconcierge.

For submissions to the “Dear Dini” column, please send your questions to editor@thelajewishhome. com

Daniella Naim Kahen is an American born Persian Jew, wife, mother of four, and fitness instructor in Los Angeles. She is the founder of “Fit by DNK” workouts, a popular local women’s exercise class. The program has gained a loyal following due to the refreshing combination of physical challenge, femininity, humor & life motivation which Daniella presents all in one.

Daniella’s love for the Jewish community, pride in her heritage, belief in the power of sisterhood & en thusiasm for the future are what inspire her to take on leadership positions and community projects. You can follow her on Instagram @daniellakahen.

Mural of Mahsa Amini painted by artists Cloe Hakakian and Todd Goodman in hopes of raising awareness of the current situation in Iran. Located at the Fame Yard 7753 Melrose Ave in Los Angeles.

Wisdom for Women Help! My Husband Never Helps!

Hindi Kalmenson

(Yerushalayim 7:30 pm. The sun is setting over Yerushalayim as a young mother lovingly places her 10 month old into the pack-n-play in a 2x4 apartment in Nachlaot. The young mother is gentle but her energy is strained as she retreats to the other side of the room while the infant sleeps. She sits on the bed seemingly waiting for someone... )

ENTER Husband

“Where were you?” she asks lightly, remonstrating, “I thought you would be home for bedtime...”

“I was helping my sister, she needed my help with something.” his voice trailed off.

(A spasm of disbelief crosses the young mothers face) “ I just don’t ....”

Ok cuuuuuut!

Yes, this was a bit melodramatic, but as the main ac tress here I take full liberty when writing my own auto biographical vignette. Yes, this was my story and yes, I am the mother who did expect my husband to be home to help me put our one child to sleep that night... (Side note: It took me years to realize my mistake in this story. “Your mistake!?” you ask, astounded. “Yes mine!” I will respond sagaciously. For when my daughter was born, whenever he offered his help, I was always responding definitive ly, “it’s fine, I’m ok, I got this.” Letting him know that

I didn’t really need his contribution here and that I could handle it and whilst simultaneously somehow expecting him to still help me with bedtime… Unfortunately, in my situation, I didn’t even know what I wanted! But as I said, this is an irrelevant side point.)

Some of you may be thinking ‘one child? try 8 on your own!’ and others may be countering that with, ‘1 or 8, it doesn’t matter, he should be there for her!’ and some one else will counter that with, ‘but she is being unrea sonable!’

But then again, does it really matter if our expectations are reasonable or not? What is reasonable for one, may not be reasonable for another. Because reasonable is ab solutely subjective! And reasonable or not, the disappoint ment is just as real, just as painful, and affects the rela tionship just as much as any other reasonable expectation.

It is so challenging, for example, to feel like you have a husband who is happy to help everyone else and some how doesn’t seem to be around when you need his help. It could feel so confusing when a woman sees her hus band volunteering to rescue people on the Hatzolah team and then doesn’t get up to help clear the Shabbos table. It hurts when the neighbors’ BBQ grill malfunction seems more important than helping you do homework with the kids.

So then the conclusions step in.

“He needs to be there for the klal, he is that kinda guy.”

“He prioritizes everyone over me.”

“He is not good at math, so he wants to avoid it.”

Sometimes these conclusions are generous towards our husbands, sometimes they tear at our core, sometimes they ease the pain, sometimes they don’t.

The problem is that once you have a conclusion, it feels like you have discovered the Reason. But now what? What to do when married to a husband who needs to save the klal, doesn’t prioritizes you or is terrible at math? How does that help?

And that is where we all get stuck. Where do I go from here? Should I just accept my fate as a Klal man’s wife? Should I feel hurt forever? Should I get my hus band a tutor?

So while the conclusion may make me feel more se cure because now I have a Reason, it still doesn’t actually help me. In fact, it might make me feel more alone, hurt and hopeless. Not only that, now that I have this Reason, I am starting to see it everywhere, in every part of our lives!

So how to get unstuck?

Here is a different way to look at things and maybe throw a lifeline into the hopeless loop of unending disap pointments or dismal Conclusions.

Step one: Get to know those Conclusions. Start lis tening to their voices in your head. When you get to know them and recognize them easily enough, call them out on their bluff. Let’s see what that looks like:

(Los Angeles 6:00 pm. The sky darkens outside the window as four rambunctious children clamor for their mother’s attention. The mother glances at the clock and then at the front door seemingly expecting someone).

ENTER...her conclusions! “He is always late!”

Step two: Be voraciously truthful. Cross examine that Reason and question the veracity of the judgment! Is it really true that he is always late?

(Her face is thoughtful for a moment)

She muses, ‘No, I cannot say that is true, there have been times that he has come on time, sometimes even ear ly...’

Step three: Once you have swept away the “always’” and “nevers” you can now find proof that he does show up for you in different ways.

‘There was that time that I called him at work and he helped me sort out the....”

Well, how do you feel? A lot less stuck, lonely and hopeless. Instead of carrying around the heavy burden of a Conclusion and Reason. You now instead have evidence that your husband deeply cares about you and shows up in many ways.

What happens if you keep repeating Steps 1-3. Instead of constantly seeing what he is not doing, you may start seeing all that he is doing! You might not have noticed that he took out the garbage because it disappeared, but now you are noticing it. And you also see that he filled your car with gas and paid the bills and greeted the kids with a huge bear hug even after a long day at work.

Where will all this take you?

I couldn’t tell you, because that is not my vignette, that’s yours.

Hindi Kalmenson is a certified Relationshift coach based in Los Angeles. She is passionate about relationships and self growth. She educates women on Torah’s perspective of marriage at her workshops and retreats, and helps women around the world through her coaching program. Hindi lives with her husband and four children in Los Angeles.

to Parent

Parent to Parent

Chani Heyman

Dear Chani,

My five year old son started Pre 1A in a new school this year. He is in a class with two friends that he knew prior to school and who live in our neighborhood. He is very shy and is having a hard time branching out. He won’t say hi to the other kids when we pass them in the street and won’t agree to play dates with anyone besides those 2 boys. His teacher reported that he does play with other boys for indoor play but not outdoor recess. I feel like he is limiting himself. Is there any way I can help him come out of his shell?

Thanks, Mom of Shy Boy

Dear Mom of Shy Boy, This is a loaded question. I would like to break the response into two parts. One part focuses on perspective and the other on ac tion.

Watching one’s child seemingly lonely and not flourishing can be a very difficult sit uation for any parent. Let’s try a perspective shift, if you may.

1. School just started. The children have had two full weeks of school, maybe! Then Rosh Hashana, then Yom Kippur, then Suk kos! Your son has to acclimate to a new school, new building, new friends, new rules, the list can go on and on. Instead of dwelling on the fact that he does not say hi to the new kids, try to ponder all of the ways in which he is branching out. For starters, it is a very good sign that he is playing with the new friends indoors. He is on the right track. Give it a month or two of solid school and see how he progresses in his friendships before get ting worried that he is too shy.

2. Remember that your child has his own personality. He is not you. You may be more outgoing and your child is not. As long as it’s not debilitating for him, then accept (and eventually celebrate) his personality. He may not change to become Mr. Outgoing. That may not be him. And that’s okay.

3. The grass is greener on the other side. Many moms call me that they are nervous that their child is friends with everyone and they don’t have one best friend! Take com fort in the fact that your child has the ability to form strong friendships with individuals.

Those were the mental exercise tips. Al though it may take you two minutes to read, I am not minimizing the difficulty. It is very challenging to change the way you think about something, but it is well worth the ef fort. So don’t give up! On the practical side I would advise you to:

1. Speak to the child’s teacher. Your child spends most of his waking hours in school and so the teacher will have more informa tion as to what is happening, more than what you will see the few times you bump into a friend on the street. Additionally, you can let the teacher know that this is something you would like her to look out for as the year pro gresses.

2. If you ever see him smile or wave to another child give him lots of praise. Let him know that you approve and appreciate that behavior.

3. You can teach your child about the midda of “B’sever panim yafot,’’ greet every person with a pleasant countenance. Talk to him about how it’s nice to greet people with a smile. It makes the other person feel good that you smiled at them. You can let him know that it’s even a mitzvah. And may be you’ll write him a mitzvah note! (gasp!) Of course, modeling this midda yourself by greeting people with a smile will definitely enforce this message for your little guy.

4. Do not put him down. Hold yourself back from saying something along the lines of “It’s ridiculous to be nervous, you’re in class with them all day! It makes no sense!” I know it’s tempting to, but that kind of speech won’t get you too far. On the flip side you can validate his feelings by saying something along the lines of “I understand that you’re nervous, that’s okay, I’m here to help you…”

5. Do not take him away from his two friends. Right now they are his security, something familiar from home. Although you may feel that they are holding him back, if you were to alienate him from the two boys he knows, he could close up even more.

6. Avoid labeling him as shy. Self-fulfill ing prophecy theory states that our expecta tion of the child will influence his behavior. Labeling him as shy might actually cause him to behave more shy!

All in all, your child seems like a very healthy five year old who just switched to a new school, new teachers, new friends, new building, oh you don’t need to hear the list again? It is not unsound for you to be con cerned, but just give him a little more time to acclimate. With you as his calm, positive model BE”Z he will be class president in no time.

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

What Was He Really Trying to Say?

Mrs. Sheindy Gross

Parents often request meetings with the principal. This is wise if the goal is to create better and more effective communi cation, as the school administration often lacks significant background information which can be essential to understanding your son or daughter. Respectfully com municating your concerns can go a long way in establishing a warm and positive relationship with your child’s school, where ultimately you and your children are the beneficiaries.

I always begin parent meetings by ask ing mom and dad what is on their minds. I respectfully want to give them the oppor tunity to be heard and feel acknowledged. Additionally, I listen carefully to what they share with me, as often the information and perspective gives me insight that I may have missed and entirely changes the outcome and solution. It may be necessary to pivot or make changes that we have not considered prior to our conversation.

Mr. Miller (name changed) arrived

tirade of complaints and insults along with consistent slamming on the table that we were seated at. In the past I would have be come extremely stirred up, responding in defense of myself and the school. This en counter was a game changer for me. As he sat there shouting and blaming me and the school for disappointing him and his child, I mentally took a step back tor really listen and watch him carefully. And I learned a

and concerning was going on underneath. I realized that no self respecting person would continuously shout and slam on a table about such seemingly ridiculous con cerns. I reflected on how his daughter was thriving at our school and she had none of these actual complaints.

As I watched and listened closely, I realized that he was struggling personally with something of which I had not yet a

throughout high school and college. The key is to figure out what a particular in structor’s expectations are and figure out what makes them “tick.” By trying to as certain what they are focused on and what they will and won’t tolerate in their class rooms, you now have valuable information and know how to make things work for you, the student.

It is about our own self development and emotional health. We need to be able to evaluate when the dialogue is cordial, courteous and cooperative, and or whether it is agenda driven with the other person having no real intention of hearing our perspective.

clue about, but it certainly had nothing to do with me, and not with our high school either. I expressed sympathy and stayed calm. I asked for some suggestions and solutions that he may have wanted us to consider, of which he had none. I offered my deep apology that he felt so wronged and said I would do my best to see how I could keep in mind and implement chang es based on what he had shared.

He left quietly and I suspected he felt about his behavior. I was right. A short while later I was informed of a serious crisis his family was experi I learned a valuable lesson and life skill that day; Often when people are upset and mouth off, their erratic rambling and angry tirades are not really about THAT particular situation. Almost always when they are that deeply upset, distraught and are almost irrational, the hurt they are feeling has nothing to do with you. Often they are really so upset about some thing else in your relationship with them, and they are choosing to express it in this situation. I learned to ask myself: what does this person really want? Or not want? I use this question to guide me in every in teraction going forward. And I have taught

I used to create opportunities for stu dents to sign up and have lunch with me, randomly throughout the semester. I en joyed the round table discussions we used to have over sushi and salad. Students would share their insights, suggestions and concerns with me. Whenever a particular teacher’s personality would “get to them” I would ask them to consider the follow ing: Most likely they were not going to have an amicable and affable relationship with every single teacher and professor

By no means am I suggesting that this is easy and I often fail miserably myself. It is easier to implement in professional and work relationships than in familial ones. Determination and practice however, can sharpen your ability to do this more ef fortlessly. The process requires the listen er to stay as calm as they can and realize that this conversation is not about sharing ideas. There is something emotional going on and you cannot be helpful yet. Most likely they will need some time to settle things on their end. Perhaps in another follow-up conversation they will be more likely to share rationally and thoughtfully.

As a result of exercising restraint, my empathy and consideration went a long way with this family. I was able to be a resource and give valuable assistance to this student and her parents. Once the dad had some time to reevaluate his critical re marks, he came to the realization that they were unfounded. At the same time, as a school, we were able to see them through a particularly difficult time in their lives.

This is not a magic potion. People do not miraculously become agreeable just because we listen carefully. It is about our own self development and emotion al health. We need to be able to evaluate when the dialogue is cordial, courteous and cooperative, and or whether it is agen da driven with the other person having no real intention of hearing our perspective. In the event of intense shouting, there is not much to be done but to schedule anoth er discussion at a later time. Barring that, consider my idea of evaluating what the other person “really wants” and then you are well on your way to a more satisfactory outcome that will benefit both of you. In the long run, if you can remain calm while listening…..you are the winner. Try it and let me know how it goes :).

With over 30 years in education, Mrs. Sheindy Gross started her career teaching Judaic Stud ies in Yavneh Hebrew Academy, and then went on to high school leadership in Bnos Devorah and Valley Torah Girls High schools where she served as principal. Her passion for education has now led her to create a new platform called TEHILA, Torah Education with Heart in LA, for women and girls to receive adult education and advisement. The goal is to strengthen and empower women to develop their best selves through bonding over Torah learning and con necting with Jews of all ages. In addition to TEHILA, Mrs. Gross provides dating and rela tionship mentoring for teenagers, singles and women, as well as leadership consulting for educators. Mrs. Gross can be reached at shein dyg@gmail.com

“I’ve fallen off the Exercise Wagon” How to Ease Back Into or Establish a Sustainable Fitness Routine

Kayla Goldwag

If you just spent the last month like I did: (a) With a piece of honey cake in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, (b) Doing an exercise routine exclusively made up of bal ancing hot dishes on one arm while walking laps in and out of the house, (c) where regeneration activity in cluded multiple hours seated in mean ingful contemplation or reading, or… (d) All of the above, plus sullen con cerns about your lack of energy and expanding waistline…Then you will want to read on about how to bounce back into working out.

First: Let’s get real about expectations. You will want to pick up where you left off. This generally means you will want to return to the couch (Remember a body at rest tends to stay at rest from physics class in High School?!?) or, You will want to become the quintessential weekend warrior and jump headlong into intense cardio and double ses sions in the gym. I want to take this moment to help you pause and do neither of those instinctive but completely unproductive im pulses.

Instead, follow my 5 tips for getting back into exercise and fitness in a sustainable way:

1. Prepare for success. Lay your workout clothes and sneakers out before you go to bed. Schedule the workout in your planner and block out interruptions. Do that work out before you have time to think about it… because thinking during the next two weeks (your break back in period) will only get in your way. We want this on auto-pilot be cause deciding to work out and actually get ting there is the hardest part. Short-circuiting the decision part is key. So stack that work out habit on top of some other firmly estab lished habit (like waking up in the morn ing) and do it in a way that keeps it front of mind- i.e. having the sneakers in your vi sual space or the phone appointment alarm.

2. Begin the way you mean to go on Plan on ONE thing you can stick with consistently FOREVER. Maybe that’s a 10 minute walk. Maybe that’s a 10 min ute walk three times a week. Maybe that’s a 10 minute walk plus 20 setups and 10 modified pushups and a stretch. Pick that one thing you could reasonably, easily stick with for the rest of your life… and do it consistently for the next two weeks.

Resist the urge to give 110% these first two weeks. You want to work out to a point where you notice there was something hap pening but not so sore you can’t move (and sometimes you can’t tell because soreness doesn’t kick in until 24-48 hours after, so it’s ok to do a little less than you think you can that first time.) This is NOT the time to push your limits. You do not want to miss a workout these first two weeks. Consistency IS success. Soreness is not the indicator of

success. I’m fairly certain you didn’t plan to go on needing to hold onto the walls easing yourself onto the toilet because …leg day.

3. Figure out your WHY and write that down. Why do you want to get fit? Want to not die so soon? Write it down. Want to look awesome for your niece’s wedding. Write it down. Need to get up the stairs without pass ing out? Whatever that “WHY” is, figure it out now, and write it down. Read what you wrote down often. Put it in your phone. Make a collage about it. When you have a meaning ful reason, you can withstand the discomfort of making space in your life to commit to it.

4. Have Fun. The more fun you have while doing the workout the more you will stick with it. Maybe you fell off the wagon be cause you were bored. Then try something new- a new class, a new sport, something which used to make you smile but you gave up years ago like dancing in your bedroom like Madonna to show tunes.

5. Get support. Need new workout clothes, get it. New sneakers? Need to dial a friend, a counselor, a coach, a trainer? You can’t do this alone. You need support so plan that out. Register for a class or take that walk Wednesday with a friend. Call a train er or a sports med doc or a physical ther apist if needed, so you can move better.

Periods of time off can break a plateau and even help reinvigorate your excitement and desire to exercise. Observing the Jewish holidays practically enforces a degree of moderation, and even regeneration (a key component of fitness), so don’t sweat it. It’s an overall sedentary lifestyle that becomes detrimental for our wellbeing but following these tips will allow you to ease back into sustainable exercise.

Kayla Goldwag is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, and Regis tered Yoga Teacher (RYT200). She has taught Yoga, Cardio Kickboxing, TRX Suspension Train ing, Postnatal, and a variety of Toning class in Los Angeles for over 1 years. Her warm enthusi asm, humor, and ability to create fun, safe, and an effective workouts help women reclaim their joy, strength, confidence, and energy. To find more about Kayla, you can check out her website at www.getfitwithkayla.com or her Instagram @ getfitwithkayla. To contact, please email kayla@ getfitwithkayla.com.

In The K tchen

Ready, Set, Rally!

Dini Klein

From Zero to Hero

If you follow me on Instagram or Tik Tok, you proba bly have seen my series Have This, Make That, where I take a leftover food and repurpose it into an entirely fresh, new dish.

Many of us have the constant problem of having loads of leftovers in the fridge and being too bored of them to eat. That’s when Have This, Make That saves the day. It’s the ultimate problem solver! You can eat some great new dishes and use up leftovers at the same time. A pan of leftover salmon can become fish tacos or a salmon pasta, while a bowl of extra rice can become a hot and cheesy mushroom risotto with a runny egg. Talk about minimiz ing waste!

Creativity is a big part of this process, and just know

that every piece of leftover food has another use that can liven it up. If you have my new cookbook Prep + Rally: An Hour of Prep, a Week of Delicious Meals, then you can check out my fa vorite page of the book (page 239!) with Essential Repurposing Methods to help you take the thought out of it. Here are my top 3 ways to use up leftovers:

- Throw it in a taco

- Wrap it in an eggroll

- Load up a Grain Bowl

Since the number 1 leftover food in most homes is chicken, here is an easy recipe that can take your leftovers from zero to hero.

Sundried Tomato Lemon Chicken Stuffed Pitas

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

- 3 cups leftover chicken (any pieces), shredded - ¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes plus 3 tablespoons oil from the jar

- Zest and juice of one lemon

- 1 tablespoon capers, minced, plus 2 teaspoons brine from the jar - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons fresh basil or tarragon leaves, finely chopped - Kosher salt and Pepper

- Oil for greasing - 2 Pitas, halved Handful of arugula

Instructions

- 3 cups leftover chicken (any pieces), shredded - ¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes

plus 3 tablespoons oil from the jar

- Zest and juice of one lemon

- 1 tablespoon capers, minced, plus 2 teaspoons brine from the jar - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons fresh basil or tarragon leaves, finely chopped - Kosher salt and Pepper - Oil for greasing - 2 Pitas, halved Handful of arugula

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the sun-dried tomatoes and oil, lemon zest and juice, capers and brine, garlic powder, mayonnaise, basil, and pinches of salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken.

Heat a grill pan, Panini press, or heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and grease with some oil. Stuff the chicken sal ad and some arugula into the pita pockets and grill for 2 minutes per side to warm through, then serve.

Hot Tips:

- You can also stuff these in wraps or

lettuce cups as an alternative to pitas. You can also serve with all of the above to let the main dish appeal to all different style

eaters.

- You can also spray the outside of the pita with a light cooking oil and bake the stuffed pitas instead of frying them.

FAMILY MEAL PREP SYSTEMTHE

Do yourself a favor and get this book! Dini Klein is the real deal—a savvy, strategic cook with more smart dinner ideas in one book than most of us will conjure up in a lifetime. As you page through this book she becomes your kitchen bestie, the friend who wants to help you make a plan, save you time, and have a delicious, crowd-pleasing meal on the table in record time. What love about Dini’s recipes is that they sacrifice nothing for speed. Flavor, technique, and variety all run deep here, ensuring that everyone from kids to dinner guests will want to clean their plates again and again.

Dini Klein is a food host, founder of the Prep + Rally ™ family meal prep subscription on service, and the author of Prep + Rally; An Hour of Prep, a Week of Delicious Meals.

Dini has worked with brands such as Walmart, Starbucks, Weight Watchers, Popsugar, Barilla, and has appeared on national television from CW to Hallmark Channel and Access Hollywood.

Prep + Rally™ is Dini’s solution to getting a wholesome dinner on the table on those busy weeknights when juggling mommy-ing and work life feels almost impossible. She shares her creativity in the kitchen to help moms all over the world. You can find her @prepandral ly on all social media platforms.

Finally a guide to delicious, family-friendly meals with less stress, less expense, and minimal time. Complete with essential advice for remixing leftovers, along with dozens of recipes for easy egg dishes, snacks, and sweets, Prep + Rally will alleviate weeknight meal time stress, once and for all.

Adeena Sussman Author of Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen

available anywhere books are sold

Moshe Nafisi

I made this recipe for a lamb shoulder that I smoked for the first night meal of Sukkot. However this rub can be used on any cut of lamb. Here are some pictures of the lamb, before, getting rubbed and in my RecTec. Sadly, I was running late and therefore had to leave the meat in the smoker until right before the meal. So sadly, there are no after pic tures. But believe when I say, it was perfect! Even my wife, who doesn’t particularly like lamb, was a fan.

I prepared a 10 lb lamb shoulder. I usually like to set the temp on my RecTec at 250 and cook until the internal temp reaches 190-200 degrees. When I measured right before leaving to shul, it was showing a temperature of 180 which meant it still had a ways to go. So I turned up the temperature to 285, which ultimately was good as it got the outside nice and crispy!

Recipe for Lamb Rub

Ingredients

6 tablespoons

1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon sweet

powder

pepper

1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dry mustard (powder)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon allspice Dash of nutmeg

Completely re-imagined mid-century ranch centrally located on a large corner lot on a quiet street in one of the sweetest pockets of Sherman Oaks! Taken down to the studs, this impeccably remodeled home boasts a gorgeous chef's kitchen with high end custom cabinetry. It also has an attached garage with ADU potential! The incredible open concept floor plan flows seamlessly into the backyard that has a beautifully re-done pool, a lounge space with a pergola and a drought tolerant grassy area. This is not your typical remodel, the details and the finishes are 10/10! Minutes to Chabad and Shaarey Zedek, this home is in the heart of a community you would be proud to call home!

Fitness

A Deep Dive into “Deep Health”

It is 6:00 am. The city of Yerushalayim is tranquil and just beginning to stir as the birds usher in the rising sun with their melodious cho rus of chirping. Here I am, sitting on my favor ite park bench overlooking the Emek, drinking my matcha tea and watching the sky light up in the most beautiful shades of pink and pur ple. G-d’s artwork is breathtaking. I cherish my morning alone time and try to make catching sunrise part of my daily routine, regardless of where I am. No matter where you are, you can always count on the sun to rise in all its splen dor. I love this “me time,” as it gives me space to drift off in my thoughts.

This morning is particularly magical. I find myself contemplating many things, from the abstract of “what is our purpose” to the more human, “what is ‘health?’” Being that this col umn is focused on health, I’d like to dive deeper into those thoughts and share them with you.

We all unanimously want health. We want to live long, healthy lives, but do we know what that means? What does that truly encompass? It is so much more nuanced and complex than just the quality and quantity of the foods we place on our plates….

Allow me to introduce you to a concept called “deep health.” This is something I learned in my Precision Nutrition certifica tion course, and it truly resonated with me. Achieving “deep health” is the ability to thrive in all domains of our human experience. It is

4 Ways To Improve Your “No Makeup Makeup Look”

a whole-person, whole-life approach to health.

Let’s look at this a bit deeper:

Deep health has six primary components:

The components are as follow:

Physical health - how our body feels, func tions, and performs.

Mental and cognitive health - how we think and learn. This involves our perspective and outlook on life, our ability to solve problems, our capacity for insight and conscious aware ness.

Emotional health - our general mood, being able to feel a full range of emotions but more positive than negative emotions and being ca pable of expressing them appropriately. It is be ing able to regulate our emotions and respond to challenges in a resilient and productive way.

Existential/purposeful health - having a deeper purpose. This entails feeling a sense of self worth and feeling like a part of a larger pur pose than ourselves. I like to think it is connect ing with our Tzelem Elokim.

Relational and social health - being able to connect and interact well with others. This in cludes being capable of developing and main taining authentic, fulfilling relationships while feeling valued and supported.

Environmental health- feeling safe, secure, and supported by our surroundings. This re quires having access to resources that will allow us to thrive physically and emotionally and be conducive to our success.

wash your hands very well after application.

2. Liquid blush: not only does liquid blush meld into the skin beautifully it also tends to leave a longer lasting stain in comparison to using creams or powders on their own. I love getting that flushed look without any obvious makeup texture on the skin. It can also be used on the lips as a stain and a little aquaphor dabbed on top will give a glossy finish while moisturizing your lips. I’ve been loving the Etude House Dear Darling water tints.

These domains of deep health are strongly connected to one another. Looking at each of these components with an open mind will al low us to see which areas need extra focus and which areas can give us the tools we need to overcome the shortcomings in the other areas.

Self-awareness is crucial in order to en able us to grow and become the best version of ourselves in each of these areas. Our goal is to thrive in each area as much as we can, while being realistic and honest with ourselves.

How can this be applied?

Ask yourself on a scale of 1-10: How does my body feel? (Physical)

How alert and focused do I feel? (Mental)

Am I mostly calm, and able to regulate my emotions appropriately? (Emotional)

Do I feel a sense of meaning and purpose? (Existential)

Do I have relationships that feel authentic, where I am supported and belong? (Relation al-social)

Is my environment conducive to my health as well as physical and emotional well-being? (Environmental)

Notice which areas are stronger than oth ers and then you will know where to begin the work. Often times, one thing will lead to an other, and you will begin to see growth in all aspects. Self awareness is key to self growth!

It is important to know that we as humans need balance. Completely sacrificing our social life for our diet is not going to leave us thriving long term. Sacrificing our mental and emotion al health to achieve a certain level of leanness will not give us “deep health”. On the flip side,

creating an environment where we are deprived from nutritious foods or consuming foods that will not allow our body to thrive is also not go ing to help us achieve “deep health.”

We also have to understand that part of be ing human means that there will be times that certain aspects of our “deep health” will be stronger than others. Progress - not perfection!

How can we apply all this to Yom Tov?

Go into this time with the understanding that Yom Tov is a time where our relational-so cial health as well as existential health come front and center. It is a time of meaning and purpose, where we feel connected to others and connected to G-d. This is a beautiful thing and we should recharge those batteries to keep those components strong and thriving through the winter months.

Our physical and environment health may take a bit if a back seat during this time. But that’s ok. If we do find that in certain aspects, we’ve regressed, we can get right back on track immediately.

Take mental notes, be aware of how your body feels, and use those cues to constantly move onward and upward. Focus on what you have gained emotionally, socially, and spiritu ally. Cherish it and come away refreshed and ready to crush your overall “deep health” goals.

Wishing you a great winter!

Sarah Kamornick is an educator for 20 years and has embarked into the realm of women’s health and fitness, specializing in strength training as well as nutrition coaching.

Elka Moses

A long holiday season has just ended. Our legs are tired of standing and dancing, our stomachs are tired of eating, and our skin is tired of wearing all that long-last ing make up. Below I’ve listed my four favorite hacks for using less makeup while still maintaining a fresh and glowy look.

1. One of my favorite hacks that allows the use of less face makeup is building a natural looking fake tan using “isle of paradise” drops mixed into my moisturizer at night. A subtle tan glow develops within around 8 hours that evens out the complexion making it easy to skip foundation or even bronzer. Unlike makeup which sits on the surface of the skin - the effect of these tanning drops will last even after washing the face and will fade gradually within several days. Don’t overdo it or you’ll end up looking orange! And don’t forget to

3. Brush up your brows! You won’t believe what a difference a good brush up with a spoolie will do for your brows - it completely opens up the face! You can recycle your old mascara wands into brow spoolies and even add a brow gel like the Anastasia Brow Freeze to really get those hairs fluffed up and set in place.

4. Curling lashes is an often overlooked step but a must when it comes to that nomakeup makeup look. Invest in a good lash curler (I love the tweezerman rose gold one) and give a couple pumps and hold a few seconds each time to really see that curl appear. You can follow with a thin coat of waterproof mascara to set the curl.

Elka Moses is an LA native born and raised in the valley, wife, and mom of three makeup loving daughters and one son. With over ten years ex perience working in the luxury bridal and event makeup, makeup is more than just a job - it’s a pas sion! You can check out her page on Instagram @ wands_and_brushes or contact her through email at elkafrey@gmail.com for inquiries

Tradition

helps define and give meaning to our lives. Family, friends and our faith provide richness and sustain us every day. And every resident at Garden of Palms can continue to honor their traditions here. From organized outings and activities, unique curated events, regular visits from local Rabbis, to just casually kibbitzing with other residents, you’ll always follow your heritage and customs to the fullest here. And wait ‘til you get a taste of our home cooking! Our kosher kitchen has received the coveted Kosher Certification from the Vaad Hakashrut of the Rabbinical Council of California (RCC) and all our meals are Glatt Kosher, too! For over 20 years, it’s been our tradition to honor your traditions.

Garden of Palms

Senior Living at its Finest Independent, Assisted Living, and Memory Care 1025 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles CA 90046 / (323) 656-7900 / License: 197603221 www.gardenofpalms.com

Seniors... live your traditions at a place you can call home.

Sarah Tzivia Kamornick, CPT, CSCS, CES, SET Nutritionist