LINK PLUS Vol 25

A Weekly Link Supplement

AN EXPRESSION OF THE UNEXPECTED

Vol. 1 Issue 25 / March 4, 2020

A PURIM MORNING DIARY

WILL I ATTEND?

..‫ונהפוך הוא‬ PRESE NTIN PURIM G

THE UNEXPECTED! Mar. 4, 2020

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Publisher The Weekly Link Phone 347.787.1838

TABLE of CONTENTS

SOB, SOB!

Fax Teach your 347.787.4018 children to laugh at their terrible Email predicaments 4 plus@weeklylink.com

AN EXPRESSION OF THE UNEXPECTED

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WILL I ATTEND?

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www.weeklylink.com Common sense tips and tricks 8 Mailing Address 1303 53rd St. LOOKING Suite #125 FOR A JOB? Brooklyn NY 11219 Professional resume writer shares some guidelines 12

A SOLDIER'S SALUTE

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SEASONAL STORE STATS

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RIGHT-SIDE-UP

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A PURIM MORNING DIARY

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MYSTERY SOLVED

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DIDN’T EXPECT IT? ACCEPT IT!

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UNSURPASSED EXPECTATIONS

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TRAINING Link Plus assumes no responsibility for the GROUND content 26

RECIPES - PRESENTING PURIM

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CREATIVE CREATIONS 31

BEG, BEG, BEG… GIVE, GIVE, GIVE

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BACK IN Website SCHOOL

OFF THE BUS BASICS

Easy supper to greet your kids with 19

BEDTIME BATTLE TIPS 24 © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Link Plus is published by New drama serial: The Weekly Link.

of articles or advertisements in whole or part in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

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Dear Link Reader,

Every Wednesday of each week, Excitement reaches its peak, As all you Link Plus Fans join together, To collect your well-deserved weekly treasure.

Duties and problems and jobs disappear, All that matters are your coffee and chair, As you relax and revel in my every page, Regardless of your title, age or stage.

Dear Rea der,

Look fo rward to our nex which w t issue, ill be an expand enhanc ed, ed editio n in hon forthco or of th ming, lo e ng awa Tov. This ited Yom deluxe, mega e be on n dition w ewsstan ill ds, Wed April 7, nesday, 2020. O ur regu edition lar wee of Link kly Plus wil Wedne l resum sday, A e on pril 22, 2020.

Now as a token of appreciation, For your extreme loyalty and dedication, A behind the scenes secret with you I’ll share, Because for your welfare, oh how I care!

A great big Yom Tov is on the way, For eight whole days it’s coming to stay, In a frenzy of feverish preparation, We await her arrival in anticipation.

My staff’s being proactive, they’re trying to avoid, Increasing your stress, getting you annoyed, Preventing contagious aggravation, Of losing the battle to temptation.

They’ve sworn me and warned me to secrecy, I’m going into hiding, you won’t find me, You’re way too busy this time of year, To be lured to a coffee, a Link Plus and a chair.

Dear Link Plus reader, don’t despair, Pesach is coming, it’s almost here, ‫כלנו מסובין‬, a well-deserved rest, Link Plus and its readers at their best!

Just like the matzos that were banned, For Chodesh Nisan, a decision well planned, Increasing our cravings for this ‘forbidden’ treat, Water and wheat turns delectable and sweet!

So ready, set, go – the fun has begun, I’m rooting for you, I shall be the one, To announce Pesach’s arrival, Im Yirtzeh Hashem, When in her honor, we meet once again!

T he Editorial Board Mar. 4, 2020

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AN

EXPRESSION OF THE UNEXPECTED YEHUDIS SCHONFELD

We were sitting at the Purim seuda in my parents’ home, when the door was suddenly flung open and in walked a huge, hairy, black gorilla.

He walked between us with a confident, easy stride, as if he knew exactly where he was going and what he wanted. We shrieked. Who could it be, hiding behind the mask?

What did he want from us? “Who are you?!?” we yelled, half with amusement and half with fright.

Then, the gorilla (now facing us at the head of the table) pulled the mask off his head – our brother! Our brother had surprised us and drove in to Brooklyn from Montreal! He stood there, smiling and smirking at the gaping crowd.

What is it about Purim and masks?

Think about it if Purim is a day of miracles, why do we parade with masks on our faces? Masks connote concealment and miracles connote revelation. Shouldn’t we all be walking around without masks, the day Hashem peeled back his mask, so to speak?

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Hashem is One. And He is everywhere. However, in times of confusion and hardship, Hashem wears masks ‫כביכול‬, and conducts the world in a way that His Presence seems hidden. He wears all sorts of masks, such as nature, politics, financial stability…

On Purim we drink. And just like a drunkard loses his ability to differentiate, we lose the ability to differentiate between Hashem’s revelation and concealment. We see Him everywhere. Even in the masks. Even in the pain. We notice that He never, ever left us alone.

Not even for a moment.

On Purim, a day of miracles, we dance with our masks. The masks in our lives, we realize were an expression of His Goodness. And we dance and sing and laugh…

Laughter, they say, is the human reaction to the unexpected.

Perhaps, when we realize that the masks in our lives are not really masks, perhaps that is why we laugh and laugh and laugh…

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WILL I ATTEND?

ESTHER SCHIFF

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There’s a certain zing in the air these past few weeks. It puts a bounce in my step and a smile on my face, even as the biting cold winds insist on whipping winter in my face. It’s the month of Adar, and the entire universe seems to be humming merrily under its breath.

Snippets of the children’s Purim songs insinuate themselves in my subconscious, and I indulge in my favorite fantasies. There are certain childish pleasures that stick with us into adulthood, and these Purim illusions will always be one of my favorites.

I pull up a mental image of Achashveirosh, temperamental as ever. I see him magnanimously inviting everyone to his ridiculously lavish feast, and then – in a horrifying twist – sending his Queen to the gallows. Next up is that venomous snake, Haman. I shudder and push him off-stage as quickly as his sinister memory would allow. Ah, here’s beautiful Queen Esther, concealing her identity in the very lap of luxury.

And Mordechai, the tzaddik – “I just don’t understand how they flagrantly disobeyed,” I mutter, wiping the tablecloth after supper one night. “I mean, if the tzaddik of the generation would have told me not to attend a royal feast, I wouldn’t have stepped close to that palace if my life depended on it!”

It feels good, this super-heavy dose of righteous indignation… especially with the hindsight of millennia. I revel in it every year, and never get tired of imagining myself turning my back on the luxuries of Achashveirosh’s feast.

The next day, when I’m pounding away at my keyboard in a desperate attempt to fit three days of work into seven hours, I’m not thinking about

Mar. 4, 2020

any feast. All I’m dreaming about is a paltry sandwich for lunch, but even that seems unrealistic.

“What’s up with you today, Sarah?” my colleague Jennifer inquires.

“You haven’t even had your morning coffee.”

“Nice of you to notice,” I mumble, keeping my gaze trained on the flickering screen. “I’m terribly backlogged. There’s a Jewish holiday coming up and I need to pave the way for those two vacation days.”

Jennifer stands nearby, languidly showing off her meager Judaic knowledge. “Let’s see. You had the one with the candles already. And that other one, where you sit outside in a booth – that was ages ago. I haven’t heard you obsessing about your cleaning prep, so it can’t be that holiday.” Jennifer sighs. “Help me out here, Sarah. I’m stumped.”

“It’s Purim,” I tell her. “Costumes.

Food baskets. Music. Rings a bell?”

“Oooh!” Jennifer claps her hands. “I love that one. I just sit at the window all day and watch those kids dancing in the streets!” She stops short as realization dawns. “Hold on a second.

I hope your holiday doesn’t coincide with our big annual bash.”

I bite my lip, annoyed at her chatter. “Nah, the event is planned for Thursday afternoon, right?” A quick nod. “Purim is the following Tuesday.”

Jennifer is pleased. She continues to her workstation while I do that stress-releasing shoulder roll that’s supposed to relax my muscles but usually does the opposite. I think I’m doing it backwards.

When I finally get my first cup of coffee at noon, I’m standing in front of the large, garish poster announcing

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the annual Celebratory Conference.

It’s just another name for a party. An adult version of kiddie fun.

Marge, my supervisor, politely reminds me, “You know that we’ll provide kosher food for you and Rachel, just like every year.” I nod.

“This conference really builds solidarity and intra-department cooperation. Don’t you think so?” I nod again.

She continues patting herself – and our successful firm – on the back, while I nod and nod and nod again.

I can’t think of a single coherent response because the megalomaniac vision of King Achashveirosh is staring me in the face. It speaks to me with Marge’s voice… but I can sense the vibes from Shushan.

“Excuse me,” I mumble, turning my back on the poster and my miffed supervisor.

He’s still looking at me, that scheming Achashveirosh! I think as I sit down on my swivel chair. Oops.

I meant, Marge. She’s still staring at me. Why am I lumping her together with that Shushan monster?

The frenzy of work doesn’t get rid of Achashveirosh. He’s gloating. I can almost see him marching across the large Celebratory Conference poster and he’s laughing – at me! If the annoying thoughts wouldn’t be so persistent, I might even find them amusing.

That’s when the fog lifts. I see it. I really do.

I’m standing, in all my self-righteous glory, right before the entranceway of his palace. King Achashveirosh invited us. Yes, even us – the Jews!

Until today, I knew that I wouldn’t attend. After all, Mordechai is warning that we shouldn’t go. This

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feast is not meant for us. We’re a nation set apart. We don’t mingle with the others, noble and sophisticated and learned as they may be.

But my conviction is wavering. I feel it slipping from my fingers, as Marge once again whispers in my ear, “We’ll provide kosher food for you.”

Wait. Wait a minute. There is no comparison. I mean, this is ridiculous. It’s just an office party.

An innocent gathering to foster team spirit or some other such nonsense.

Nothing wrong. Nothing offensive.

“And they’re providing kosher food!”

I sputter. “They won’t force me to eat anything, drink anything, do anything that’s against the Torah. This is just – just a party.”

Right. Just a party.

Like in Shushan.

And suddenly, I know. There is no way I could attend that Celebratory Conference. There’s no way I’m giving Achashveirosh his victory on a shimmery platter, emblazoned with my company’s logo – even if it’s loaded with strictly kosher food.

Yes. Suddenly, I know.

That righteous indignation I feel every year is a travesty. I always listened to the first chapter of the megillah with the smug certainty that I would never have attended that feast.

But… haven’t I been doing it all along?

Hadn’t I always vociferously advocated for certain courses and enrichment classes that would enhance my professional career and add color to my life?

“There’s nothing wrong with them,” I explained. “No religion, no offensive material. I’m telling you, it’s fine!”

Right. Perfectly fine. Because even and white divisions of right and wrong. at the Shushan feast, the food was Somehow, when it filters into our perfectly kosher. present-day existence, the boundaries I take a deep breath. Before I tell blur. Achashveirosh may be gloating Marge that I won’t be attending at my repeated mistakes, but I’m fed the feast, I have to clarify the up with his pompous self-assurance. I inconsistencies. Not for her, but for push him off my imaginary stage, none myself. too gently, and summon Queen Esther We are a nation that’s set apart. We’re instead. different. We’re chosen and special.

When I get tips on what clothing is in vogue this season from Marge, Jennifer, and the others… haven’t I just indulged in a heaping portion of Shushan’s kosher delicacies?

She is me and you and all of us individually. She was placed right in the center of all the intrigue – in the royal palace, no less. Yet she didn’t forget who she was, where she came from and where she was headed.

I can justify it. Don’t worry. It’s kosher. Esther remained separate; an entity It’s modest. And I’ll order it from a unto herself. She was an oasis of purity and piety, amidst the raging waters of computer with a filtered connection.

Just like I can justify the books I’ve evil and temptation.

read to broaden my horizons. It’s all I’m still hunched over my computer, been read before by others. I’m telling tapping away in a losing battle against you, there’s nothing really wrong with the clock. But now I am strong. I am sure. When Marge passes my desk, I it. I just read the classics.

And what about the vacations casually inform her, “Sorry, Marge, sponsored by my workplace? I won’t but I can’t attend the Conference. It’s go anywhere questionable. It’s an not for me.” opportunity. They’re providing kosher Simple as that. Dignified and food and separate accommodations. It confident, just the way I imagine Queen Esther would have wanted me all checks out.

But with that crotchety old to say it.

Achashveirosh breathing down my And wonder of wonders, Marge doesn’t push any Shushan agenda. neck, I’m suddenly not so sure.

Maybe the Yidden in Shushan had the She merely shrugs and says, “Yeah, same arguments. They didn’t want to I always thought it was strange that offend their neighbors and workmates you agreed to come. I mean, you are and influential politicians. They different.” wanted to be part of things, all within She claps a hand over her mouth as the parameters of halachah, of course. if she’s spoken more than is socially Thousands of years later, the correct, but I revel in the compliment. wrongness of that royal feast is so Look at that! Even Marge-veirosh apparent. Even the littlest among us knows that I don’t belong at her feast! know it. Yes, our history provides good lessons, crystal-clear in their black

Mar. 4, 2020

I say this calls for a real celebration…

Purim-style, of course!

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a soldier's

SALUTE A FRUM U.S. ARMY VETERAN SHARES...

B. SCHWARTZ 10 |

Purim’s in the air, and chances are that if you’d stop a little boy in the street and ask him what he’ll be dressing up as on Purim, he’d tell you, “why, a soldier!”. Meet Mr. Wolf, a U.S. Army veteran, and listen to his recollections of his two-year stint in the U.S. military (1957- 1958).

Mr. Wolf, what made you join the army?

Well, I got a letter from my Uncle Sam. He wanted me to join him along with his boys! In those years, the Selective Service Act was in effect and that meant that every eighteenyear-old male had to register with the military. For eight years after that (until the age of twenty-six) the army was able to draft you for a two-year-stint. Married people or those learning in Yeshiva were able to get exemptions. We tried wiggling out of it, but since I was working in an office, and was Baruch Hashem healthy and strong, I had no choice but to answer to the draft notice.

I passed the exam and was sent to Fort Dix in Texas for basic training for three months.

What was basic training all about?

We learned how to shoot, how to assemble a rifle in the dark - did you know that a rifle has about fifteen parts? How to crawl under barbed

Mar. 4, 2020

wire with bullets raining overhead.

Were those real bullets?

Oh yes! They wanted us to get a feel of the battlefield. We did lots of target practice and were taught to take out tanks with bazookas (a cannon perched on one soldier’s shoulder while a second soldier loaded it with a missile). After basic training I was sent to clerk-typing school, where I learned to type professionally, for an additional three months. Altogether I had six months of basic training.

After I completed my basic training, I was sent to Ludwigsburg, Germany, about twenty miles from Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Wittenberg.

(Stuttgart is home to Mercedes and Kodak.) I was assigned to a company that supplied gas to all the military bases in the area. You see, the nature of gasoline is that if it sits for a while it turns rancid. It has to be stirred and mixed like a soup.

The bases would send us their old gas cans and we would dump them into a large vat and mix them well.

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We would then redistribute the gas; this way the military had a constant supply of ready gasoline.

You mixed those cans?

No. I worked in the office, and kept records. I trained as a clerk-typist, remember?

Did you fight in any wars?

No. The two years of my military service (1957-1958) were peaceful years for the U.S. Only once was there a call for military action.

The Arabs, as usual, were fighting amongst themselves, this time in Lebanon. President Eisenhower was asked to send troops to Lebanon.

They (the Arabs) said that they’d ‘appreciate’ if no Jewish personnel were sent. My company had only three Jews, and we said, hooray, hooray, hooray! Because we were Yidden, we were spared from the battlefield! While many of our fellow troops were sent to Lebanon, we had the good fortune of staying behind. The troops that ended up going had to pitch tents and sleep on the beaches of Lebanon. That was the first time I encountered antiSemitism.

Did you experience any other forms of anti-Semitism?

In the army, I had a very good relationship with my Commanding Officer (who was Jewish) and with my Gasoline Depot Supply Officer, a friendly African-American fellow. A

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while later, the Jewish Commanding Officer left, and the Gasoline Officer took over as Commanding Officer of my company.

At some point during those two years, I received an offer to ascend in rank as assistant to the Jewish Chaplain. I turned it down. I had seen the previous assistant to the Chaplain (a Reform Rabbi) turn on lights on Shabbos in the big room that was used as a ‘shul’.

When my Commanding Officer heard that I had turned down a plum offer, and opted to stay with his company, he was amazed and felt honored. It was a big feather in his hat. Our relationship was one of mutual respect. In the army, every soldier was entitled to a once annual seven-day retreat for spiritual purposes. These retreats were meant to boost the soldiers’ morale.

In appreciation, my commanding officer allowed me to go twice!

Those retreats were sponsored by the military?

Oh yes. The military kept us busy with all kinds of activities. The retreat I mentioned occurred two times a year for all religions – once in the winter and once in the summer.

The first time I went was in the summer of 1957 and it was very nice. These events took place in the Bavarian Alps in a hotel on a mountain, previously used for Hitler’s soldiers. Hitler’s winter home was further up that mountain.

It was beautiful in the summer and even more majestic in the winter with all the snow. The meals were

fully kosher.

Did you have kosher food while you were at your regular post?

Not really. The Chaplain would get me gefilte fish, I had my own kosher salami and I ate mostly fruits and vegetables. For those two years I never ate meat except for my salami and on Sundays.

Sundays?

Yes. We were given off from after inspection on Shabbos until Sunday night. On Motzaei Shabbos I’d travel into the nearby town, Stuttgart.

So, while I could not daven with a minyan on Shabbos, I’d daven with a minyan on Sunday in the little shul in Stuttgart. Then I’d eat in the small kosher restaurant.

The proprietress of the restaurant, Frau Rubin, would prepare a delicious meal for me. First, she served pickled herring - in Europe they serve it so beautifully, on a bed of ice, with a hot potato on the side. The combination of flavors was just marvelous. Then there was soup with thick doughy kreplach and duck (my favorite!) as the main dish. Dessert was tea and cake.

The first time I ate there I told her “Frau Rubin, I will be here for a year and a half, so please take good care of me!” and she did. So much so, that I, tall and lanky boy that I was, gained weight in the army, instead of losing (due to my keeping kosher). When I got home my mother was dismayed.

She complained, “You gained weight in the army, of all places?”

Mar. 4, 2020

What was it like to keep Shabbos?

We commonly had inspection on Shabbos. Our boots and shoes had to be lined up under our beds. Our boots had to be polished to a shine, so that you saw your reflection in them. Our brass buckles on our belts had to gleam like mirrors. We had to make our beds and pull the sheets so tight that if you dropped a coin on the blanket it would bounce back instead of falling in. All the soldiers prepared for inspection on Shabbos, while I did my preparations on Friday.

Also, because I worked in the office, I was exempt from being present during the inspection. Shabbos after inspection, I’d change into civilian clothes, and after Shabbos I’d leave to nearby Stuttgart, until Sunday night.

I was offered the job of sitting at the door of the mess hall (the room where we ate our meals) to check everyone in, but I declined because I would not be able to keep Shabbos properly. I would have earned a second stripe on my uniform, had I taken that job.

What stripes?

When a soldier begins basic training he is called a ‘private’ and has no stripes on his uniform. After basic training, once he is assigned to a job he gets one stripe on his arm and is called ‘private first class’. Additional stripes are assigned according to job and performance. That’s how the army classifies its soldiers.

In short, looking back, how would | 13

you describe your experiences those two years?

In reality, my daily duties entailed regular office and clerical work. However, I made the most out of the benefits that the army gave their soldiers. Besides the seven-day retreats, we were entitled to about thirty days leave each year. I traveled to England, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, France and Italy. I got all sorts of travel discounts from the military and exchanged currencies at the best rate, because of my GI status.

But I had to be careful. I could not let on that I was a U.S. soldier in Germany.

The Germans hated the Americans (this was slightly more than a decade after WWII), and only tolerated us because they were afraid of the Russians taking over their country. I made sure to buy European style clothes and shoes, so that the locals didn’t pick up on my military status. I was lucky; the accent used by the Germans in my area was closest to Yiddish, so I spoke the language well and did not stand out in any way.

As careful as I was to keep my U.S. soldier status under wraps, I kept my Jewish identity even more hidden; this was Germany after all! I recall being at the Octoberfest, where the Germans would get together to celebrate the new harvest and the new beer for that year.

They had huge tents set up, and when they began to sing with their beer in their hands, I was sure that if Hitler Ym"s walked in they’d give him an enthusiastic “Heil!” It was chilling.

Of all the places you have visited, is there a place that left a deep impression on you?

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I recall davening in the Great Portland Street Synagogue in London. The rabbis wore top hats and everyone wore pinstriped pants, all proper and British.

It was a beautiful building; each seat had a built-in shelf for a siddur and a tallis.

The mispallelim were so welcoming.

I was honored with an aliyah and was invited back for shalosh seudos. But what impressed me most was their overwhelming respect for the shul. They behaved as if they were in the presence of royalty- which they were, of course, only they were in the presence of True Royalty- Hashem! They didn’t turn their backs on the Sefer Torah, they just backed out of the shul slowly.

Thank you Mr. Wolf for your time. Can you leave your readers with a message?

My most impressionable memories are of the time I spent at the winter retreat in the hotel that had previously housed Hitler’s soldiers. I was looking out of the huge picture windows at the snowy expanse and noticed Hitler’s winter home (perched higher up on the mountain) reflected in the white, shiny snow. I was struck by the irony of the moment. I, a Jew, was davening in the hotel that had once housed Nazis! I now faced a silent home, where Evil itself once lived, breathed and schemed. I stood there and davened mincha while dancing on Hitler’s grave, overcome with deep emotion and gratitude. It was a wonderful moment, just wonderful.

What should I tell you - that moment encapsulates all of our history. Wherever we went, whatever challenges we faced (and face), the battles we fought (and continue to fight), we prevailed and will continue to prevail. Am Yisroel Chai!

Mevushal

From Generation to Generation

Mar. 4, 2020

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SEASONAL STORE STATS

CHANA FRIEDMAN

TZIPPORAH, DOU BLE PLAY

Most nights in the Pre Purim season are working nights, as we can still be in the store at 12 or 1 a.m. We don’t hire extra staff, because it’s not worth the effort it takes to train them adequately. Instead, family members and our loyal staff chip in and stay as long as they can to ensure that everything happens before the Big Day. I can’t even give a starting time – we work on Purim six months a year!

In order for our catalog to be out a month before Purim, we need to be ten steps ahead. We generally refer to the catalog of the year before. Each year after Purim, we take stock; we mark down which costumes sold well, and which didn’t. The leftover merchandise is kept in storage all year. The fact that costumes are so seasonal, (selling only for about

16 |

two-three weeks a year) makes this line challenging and complicated. As soon as the pre-purim season hits, the costumes/accessories sell at an unusually quick rate. You don’t really see that kind of selling rate with other products.

I can honestly say that most of our customers are happy with the service they receive. Some even take the time to let us know, which is really nice when you’ve had a long and tiring day. We also sometimes get the tricky phone calls where people ask us to sell them things that don’t exist or are not available. Fun Fact: If we tell you that an item doesn’t come in your size, it doesn’t come in your size.

Generally, though, our customers are understanding and grateful, and we are grateful for that understanding.

Many costumes on sale under $15!

FREE PICKUP IN

LAKEWOOD WILLIAMSBURG MONSEY BORO PARK

To get the catalog: ONLINE DoublePlayToys.com EMAIL DPpurim@gmail.com STORE 4114/4115 14th Ave.

718-438-0664

FULL LINE OF MISHLOACH MANOS!

THEMES l DRINK BOTTLES l FRAMES l TOTES l PLATES l TRAYS l BOXES l RIBBON & WRAP Mar. 4, 2020

| 17

CHAYALA, OH NUTS! We start planning our Purim season right after Chanukah, so that we have a smoothly running system when the busy time of year arrives. We conduct department and inter-department meetings all the time, to ensure that everything continues to run smoothly.

We try to package as much as possible before so we don’t run into trouble during crunch time. There are some things that obviously can’t happen before the last minute, but whatever can be done earlier, is.

Oh Nuts! ships all over the United States and Eretz Yisroel. Our main areas are of course New York and New Jersey, though we also field a lot of orders from Florida and California.

Hundreds of orders are shipped in a matter of weeks. It’s imperative for us to be on top of our game and make sure that there are no mix ups or mess ups.

We hire and train extra staff to be available to our customers throughout the season. They are equipped to answer ‘Purim’ questions such as, “How many gumballs fit into a 3” by 5” box?” or “How many gumballs come in a pound?” This information is also

CHUMY, BP CANDY STORE Since our store opened, we’re constantly upgrading and reevaluating how to make it work more efficiently for everyone involved. We definitely work with a schedule and start way before people start thinking of their themes. We hire more staff in the

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posted on our website in our product descriptions. People also call in to hear what items we have in stock to match their theme.

In preparation of this unique season, we do special production runs of specialty candy with the exclusive Hashgacha of Rav Usher Eckstein. It’s a once a year opportunity to procure delicacies such as rock candy, fruit slices, sensation jellies, and reception candy sticks with this certification.

We even order specialty items only for themes, such as honey straws for all those bumblebees out there. (Most stores stock honey straws only in time for Rosh Hashana; for us it’s a bi-seasonal item.)

We understand the ever-changing needs of our growing community and we annually redesign our ready Mishloach Manos line, to keep up with the fast-changing design trends.

We also stock an assortment of sweets divided by color, that usually come only mixed, like chocolate lentils (M&M’s), Jordan almonds and Swiss petite candies. We are truly ready for your unique style, color and taste.

production department and in the office to help ensure a seamless season. Preparation is the key – the more we do in advance, the more organized we can be later. One tactic we use is to sit down and strategize.

We analyze the mistakes from last year and see what we can do to make that history doesn’t repeat itself.

Celebrate Safely

How to stay healthy, safe and happy this Purim!

Keep your children safe.

Take your sweet time.

Keep kids on a sidewalk or path and don’t let them dash across the street.

Candy on purim is hard to avoid, but try going easy on them and make sure to brush your teeth before going to sleep.

Always walk together and cross at a street corner or walk signal.

Drinking + Meds Don’t Mix.

Never Drink & Drive.

Avoid bringing alcohol into the car— even for passengers.

Never drink while taking medications.

If you plan to drink, organize a

(unless otherwise advised by your physician)

among friends or family.

designated driver

This safety message is brought to you

by Hatzolah and Ezra Medical Center Mar. 4, 2020

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RIGHT-SIDE-UP

BY R. LOWY 20 |

‫ ונהפוך הוא‬- Purim’s come to town, In one swift motion, our world ‘upside down’, Turning everything around, the smile and the frown, Queens dress in tatters and paupers wear the crown. ‫ – ונהפוך הוא‬carefree and fun, Rich, poor, young and old, all become one, Titles and standards, all mixed up in this wit, Suddenly it’s funny, it’s all a perfect fit!

Women rush to shul, to sing and schmooze and pray, Men wait for buses and clean and put away, No need to go shopping or walk into a store, The storekeepers are patiently knocking at your door.

“Please, can we help, is there anything you need?

With so many to clothe, to entertain and feed, Is it shoes, toys or food, there’s no need to pay, It’s our privilege to serve you, your order’s on the way!”

We’re enjoying this so much, we laugh harder and harder, As the hours pass, we’re all becoming smarter, Taking full advantage of this rare illusion, Enjoying the thrill of this annual confusion.

No need to clean the house, relax and rest instead, The kids are cooking supper, each one had made its bed, Phones hidden away, charging quietly, Who needs this noisy nuisance, today we are all free!

The minutes flying faster; this heyday, it lasts one day, Come on; let’s take advantage, before it fades away, Eat as much chocolate and cake as we can, The calories removed for a twenty-four-hour span!

Marinate the kids, put the fish to bed, Toast the chicken soup, coat and fry the bread, Salt the cake, spice the dessert, unfold that laundry load, Eat, get fatter, it doesn’t matter, we’re in Purim mode!

Bleach the darks, pleat the shirt, Hang the socks, fold the skirt, Call the plumber for the strep, The doctor for that broken step.

Chaveirim, Shomrim and Hatzalah, All are one in this ‫בהלה‬, United we all stand and fall, Just make that call, you’re on the ball!

Send your wigs in to be weighed, Lectured, washed, set and sprayed, While you recline and rest your feet, Create your own homey retreat.

Do the things you always feared, Don’t be shy, timid or scared, Call your shvigger, “Yes, it’s me, Without you, where would I be?!”

Call the mighty president, Complain about taxes and rent, Homework, traffic, your bounced check, See an immediate effect!

And while we’re waiting patiently, The hidden lesson let’s see clearly, Our lives, our ‘smile and frown’, Is one gigantic upside down!

For this world and its confusion, It’s just a virtual illusion, Seen through our limited eyes, Blinded by human disguise.

Our '‫ 'מגילה‬is almost done, Moshiach is waiting, He shall come, ‫ ונהפוך הוא‬- what a surprise, What a relief to recognize.

The author can be contacted at: 914-299-5744

Stars are sparkling in the sky, The day is over, do not cry, For it will return once again, Next year, Im Yirtzeh Hashem.

The truth so genuine and clear, The love and unity we all share, When the world is right side up again, May it be this year, Im yirtzeh Hashem!

Mar. 4, 2020

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A Purim Morning Diary MIRIAM LEVINE

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5:45 a.m.

The floor is still damp from the quick wash-over it just got. I never was the type to win the “when did you finish your seder?” competition, always coming in very short with a hopeful “I think 1:30, latest a quarter to two.” But the “how late did you get to bed on Purim?” Hmmm. The kitchen is sparkling and my babkes are lined up on the counter, wrapped and beribboned. And I didn’t even get overwhelmed. Okay, okay, maybe only once when the roll of cellophane finished abruptly, in middle of the night, with no prior warning. I mamesh cried, the timely words of keili keili lama azavtanu springing to life. A final hissing touch to starch the sailor’s white pants, scrounging for some stuffing to fill the felt stem of the baby’s strawberry hat and a good night to all.

7:20 a.m.

The doorbell? At this hour?!?

I yank myself awake to get the door quickly before... too late.

They’re up. It’s little Chany David from down the block, freshly curled tresses falling against her whispy bridal gown. She hands me a breakfast platter. Seriously, I didn’t think we had that much shaychus. (As of this minute we for sure don’t anymore.) This couldn’t wait? So her lettuce would wilt a bit. Rather them than me. All the organization in the world and I still can’t avoid the

Mar. 4, 2020

“tell your mommy we’ll send back later.”

8:15 a.m.

The kids just went down to the local grocery to ask for spare egg boxes to store their future goodies. They definitely view themselves as popular. (It may be genetic. I prepared fifty babkes.)

I grab the two quiet minutes to bentch and forget Al Hanissim.

(Yes. I ate David’s breakfast.

Thanks for asking.)

8:50 a.m.

My sailor, kallah, pirate and strawberry are all ready. The sailor and pirate are embroiled in a very physical battle. How appropriate. I sidestep them rolling on the floor and go get ready for the 9:15 megillah reading down the block. Maybe if I hear megillah early we will have enough time to deliver mishloach manos to my daughter’s teachers.

I would very much like to lay some year-old grudges to rest.

9:20 a.m.

I can’t believe I did it again. I missed the first bracha. I hand the children their nosh baggies and am reminded of tekias shofar.

There’s a faint sense of déjà vu which I’m not sure stems from the shul and the nosh as much as from the panic that my children will be the ones making THE disturbing noises. Everyone else seems relaxed and calm. I stay until

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perek gimmel which is when my niggling conscience erupts and I decide firmly that having arrived late, I am probably not yotzei a word. (I make a mental note to once and for all be mevarer this halacha, as well as if it’s two minim for one person, or one for two, and so on.)

10:00 a.m.

I settle the children in the shul’s basement and with five minutes to spare I call my husband who assures me that no, I did not have to leave in the middle of the leining and could have totally continued hearing the megillah.

At the first announcement of Haman’s name the children let loose. My son’s genius plan of playing his little Casio’s demo fails slightly as the off button jams. We faintly hear of Vashti’s execution as Beethoven’s Minuet sings on. I finally give the thing a good whack on the table and the batteries roll away, defeated. My kids almost never get box drinks, so the fruit punch is an exciting part of the pekela. My son remembers (from Rosh Hashana) that stamping on the box creates a wow of a boom and as Haman rears his ugly head once again, he jumps. Two slight problems, the box isn’t empty and it’s the sailor with the white pants.

The pirate’s pants are originally red. (He also didn’t remove the straw so that hits an unlucky target over the mechitza.) I try to copy the other women who are all looking around for the mother.

Then I remember that I’m holding

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his cap and telescope. Here I have the incredible fortune to be seated next to my sister-in-law, whose three children are clutching their still closed snacks, thumbs in mouth, all sharing one small megillah with the same picture border on each page of Haman leading Mordechai on a white kingly horse and Achashverosh, wearing those curly pointed pompom slippers, leaning back on a lavish recliner, being served wine. The ba’al korah’s voice cracks slightly and my sisterin-law moves to the front of the shul to hear clearly. Her kids are so enthralled with their megillah that they don’t follow her.

11:00 a.m.

We arrive home and the children gleefully bend down to retrieve the few bags and baskets by the door.

My neighbor with the toddler twins sent peanut chews and ice coffee. Thank you WIC. Katz sent everything milky wrapped in yarn and the Bernsteins gave beer. Cute. There’s also a bag with leaking charlamade and a bunch of fruit shaped cool-aids that almost always spill sticky. There’s no label and I don’t really blame the sender for opting anonymity.

Maybe Baumgarten? Definitely not a Derbarimdiger. With a name like Levine I make no attempt.

Everyone’s getting babke except my downstairs neighbor. Her kids have been eating chometz by me for the past week so she’s getting lady fingers.

11:05 a.m.

My brother calls if I’m home for another half hour. And did I hear megilla already because, a shame, he’d like to lein for his wife at my house, why did I have to shlep the kids out? Big deal.

11:15 a. m.

My cleaning lady arrives. I prepare a bag of assorted treats to give her before she leaves. It already contains a box of white spotted coffee filled truffles and black licorice twists. (Yes, from the Schwartzes.) As long as until April she promises not to get sick or need to nurse a phantom ailing mother in Poland - I’ll even let her have the hazelnut wafer rolls.

They sell them in the grocery, for

Mar. 4, 2020

goodness sake, I don’t know why I never buy them.

11:30 a.m.

My brother opens his exquisite leather holder and gently removes his megilla. The pirate and sailor have been appointed the duty of holding down the scroll on either side. The kallah is following along in my black and white megilla (no pictures.) I settle the strawberry with some toys, kick a mini halva out of the way and go to my bedroom. I open my siddur, overflowing with the blessings of this very real, very special day.

My own Purim miracle, I get the full half hour. Yes, of course I remembered Al Hanissim. Why are you even asking?

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DIDN’T EXPECT IT? ACCEPT IT! THIS WAS NOT WHAT I ORDERED!

MIRIAM K.

The package arrives right to my door, Hey! It’s not what I ordered – I asked for size 4!

Didn’t I say I wanted hunter green?

This is not at all the shade that I mean.

A call or two and we’ll sort this thing out, Isn’t that what customer service is all about?

But Return to Sender is an option no more, When life circumstances arrive right to your door!

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Leah Wachsman* had every intention of spending the summer with her family of six in the country. She looked forward to the eight-week reprieve from her stifling one-bedroom apartment in the back of an old apartment building.

Two weeks before the summer, the manager at the bungalow colony regretfully informed Mrs. Wachsman that her bungalow would be unavailable this season. Although she was thoroughly shocked and disappointed, Leah resolved to remain upbeat and not allow this unexpected letdown to affect her interactions with her brood. She made a firm decision to set the emotional thermostat in her home to a very pleasant setting.

One memorable Sunday in August was a real scorcher. Taking her children outdoors was therefore not an option. Ever creative, Leah purchased green oak tags and carefully spread them out on her dining room floor. She mustered up as much enthusiasm as she could and announced, “Kinderlach, we are having a picnic! Right here in our dining room. And you know what? Our picnic beats the authentic outdoor ones! We have neither flies nor bugs to annoy us!” Leah took the lemons she hadn’t really ordered and made lemonade out of it!

Devorah Klein* would certainly have cracked up had anyone predicted her current head covering.

Devorah’s kallah shopping included several luxurious custom wigs worth thousands of dollars. When she attended a cousin’s chasunah a mere few days after her own wedding, a life-altering conversation ensued. Devorah, flanked by her mother, was adorned in her freshly styled deluxe wig. Her mother’s friend who was standing nearby, approached them with a hearty mazel tov.

“Devorah”, she gushed. “Look at you! You can barely tell that you are wearing a wig! It looks so natural!”

That one comment was the catalyst for a horrified Devorah to make a firm resolution to discard her wigs. With supernatural strength of character, she opted to wear a covered synthetic wig to proclaim to the world at large that she is indeed married! It was definitely not something she planned on doing, but once she made that instant decision, she never looked back.

Fifteen years ago when Esty G.* got married, she knew with certainty that her chosson was a true masmid. Their home would be a home of Torah learning where she would sacrifice everything for the sake of her husband’s learning.

It took only a couple of days for the bitter truth to emerge. Not only was her husband not a scholar but he didn’t open a sefer ever, period!

Disillusioned and pained, Esty tried to collect herself and come up with a solution of sorts. She clearly remembered one of her high school teacher explaining that when one says perek ‫ קי"ט‬in Tehillim, it’s as though one is actually learning Torah. For fifteen years now, Esty has been diligently and tediously reciting this perek as a means of accruing Torah learning in her home (despite her own reading disability).

Esty expected a learned spouse but when the husband she ‘ordered’ didn’t fit that bill, she stepped up to the plate in a most admirable way.

Dina R.* was a vibrant day camp director whose energy level was unsurpassed. Three hours of sleep on a nightly basis was sufficient to recharge the battery of this virtual live-wire.

One summer, Dina began experiencing alarming physical symptoms. A check-up at her physician revealed a shocking discovery. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Years of cultivating an inner calm and a sense of happiness provided the fortitude she needed to forge ahead. Dina is currently in a perpetually good mood. Not a night goes by where Dina doesn’t verbally count her blessings. She constantly has an attitude of gratitude, thanking Hashem for everything from her teeth and her eyes, to her children. “Maybe my physical self is not in the best shape, but at least my spirits are great!” she enthuses. “You can’t change the winds, but you can adjust the sails”, she adds thoughtfully.

Mar. 4, 2020

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Unsurpassed Expectations Purim is a joyous and uplifting yom tov. Happiness is the theme of the day, but at the same time, there are many vast treasures hidden within it which we can acquire as ours if only we’d know where to look. One of the great lessons we learn from Purim is that things are not always the way they seem.

CHAYA ROSEN

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Passion Redirected Yossele was a young boy living in the town of Slutzk. Blessed with an abundance of energy, Yossele could not stay in one place for more than a few minutes. He certainly had no patience to sit with the other boys in the town’s cheder, listening to the melamed’s “boring” lessons.

Instead, he spent his days roaming the streets, befriending and playing with all the stray dogs in town, swimming in the river with his non-Jewish friends, and playing pranks.

One day, while running down the street after pulling off yet another prank, he heard loud screams coming out of one of the houses on the street. His curiosity aroused, he climbed the branches of a tree and peeked through a window.

He saw a father spanking his son and berating him, “You had better behave! I will not have you growing up wild like Yossele!” Yossele was shaken to the core. Is that what he was?

Had he become the epitome of unruliness in the town, held up as an example for all, of the person no one should be like? Somehow, the thought was frightening.

Determined, Yossele went home and told his father that he wanted to go to yeshiva. His father, who knew his son well, was sure that this was just another trick and said “I have no strength for this.

Go and play with your dogs.” But

Mar. 4, 2020

Yossele insisted that he wanted to go to yeshiva. And not just any yeshiva, but the renowned Volozhiner Yeshiva. His father was incredulous. “Yossele, one needs to know 500 blatt of gemara backwards and forwards in order to be accepted in Volozhin. You don’t know even one.” “Father,” he replied, “if you won’t send me, I will go on my own.”

Yossele arrived in Volozhin and presented himself to the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Volozhiner.

R’ Chaim asked him what he had learned. “Nothing”, replied Yossele, “but I want to learn”.

R’ Chaim perceived that the boy was serious, and set him up with charvusos and tutors to help him catch up. Within three months, he had reached the level of the other bochurim. He continued learned eighteen hours a day with extreme diligence until he far surpassed most of his peers.

Years later, when a delegation arrived in Volozhin from Slutsk seeking a new rav for their town to replace the old rav who had passed away, R’ Chaim presented R’ Yossele to them and said, “Here is your new rav. He is one of your own.” Upon hearing who he was, the representatives were shocked and speechless.

He became known as R’ Yossele Slutzker (1796 – 1864), and was indeed held up as an example for all, of what a person could become.

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An Eye Towards The Future Shlomo was a young yasom who had lost both father and mother.

He had no home, nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. The town askonim got together to discuss the matter and finally came up with a solution. There was a blind man living in the city who needed someone to guide him and take care of him. Shlomo would take care of the blind man and receive room and board in return. This arrangement was satisfactory to both parties. Shlomo moved in with the old man and thus began his new life.

One day, Shlomo and the blind man happened to be in the same place as the famed Dubno Maggid. The Maggid exchanged a few words with young Shlomo, and recognized that he had unusual capabilities. Resolving to teach the boy Torah, the Maggid arranged for someone else to live with the blind man and took Shlomo under his wing. The rest, as they say is history; this young boy became Rav Shlomo Kluger (1785 – 1869), author of the Chochmas Shlomo and other widely acclaimed seforim.

Tears For An Eternity

The heiliger mekubal, R’ Shamshon Ostropoler, who was martyred in 1648 during the terrible crusades of Tach V’tat, was simply unable to learn in his youth. In those times, it was customary for a chosson to say words of Torah at his wedding.

Knowing that Shamshon would be unable to do so, his brothers worked it out so that he would not have to speak at his chasuna.

When Shamshon heard what his brothers had planned, instead of feeling relief, he burst into heart

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wrenching tears of grief for the Torah that he could not learn.

And Hashem saw his tears and heard his prayers. He is indeed known as one of the greatest of his time. He wrote a sefer on the Zohar and is best known for the tefillah he composed that is said by some on Erev Pesach for a year of blessing and success. It is said that he accepted upon himself to die during the pogroms of Tach V’tat Al Kiddush Hashem so that the rest of the Jews be spared, and so it was.

A Lecture For Life The Sephardic world of today has many notable, high–level institutions of Torah learning.

The Yidden who came to these shores a generation or two ago from the Middle Eastern countries were poorly educated in their own religion. One of them was eighteen-yearold Henry Haber, a public school student with virtually no knowledge of Yiddishkeit.

One day, Henry attended a lecture at the Shaarei Tzion synagogue which piqued his interest. Curious to know more, he asked an acquaintance how he could go about learning a bit of his own heritage. The acquaintance advised him to go to the Mirrer Yeshiva and ask someone to study a little with him.

Heeding his friend’s advice, Henry went to the Mirrer Yeshiva and looked for a learning partner. After several unsuccessful tries, he approached Rabbi Yehuda David ztz”l (father-in-law of R' Yosef Rosenblum, ztz”l), a retired rebbe, and asked him if he would learn with him.

“Sure”, Rabbi David replied.

“Come to my house tomorrow evening with a Gemara

Mar. 4, 2020

Meseches Beitzah, and I will learn with you.” Henry had no idea what a Gemara Meseches Beitzah was, but he overcame his embarrassment, found out what it was that he needed to bring, and showed up the next evening with the correct sefer in hand.

Eventually, the study sessions grew to include several more young men and evolved into a full-time learning group.

Anxious to procure funding for their small “yeshiva”, Henry approached a working friend of his, Steven Diamond, and asked him if he would be willing to sponsor the group’s Torah learning. Steven agreed, with one condition: “I’ll give you the money, but make sure I never have to meet your rabbi.

I don’t need it.” Ultimately, Mr. Diamond did have occasion to meet Rabbi Davis. The result?

Rabbi Hillel Haber shlit”a, is the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of the renowned Yeshiva Shaarei Torah, and Rabbi Shlomo Diamond shlit”a, who became the son-in-law of Rabbi Yehuda Davis, is a prominent leader, and the rav of the large Sephardic community in Deal, N.J.

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Opportunity Optimized Much more recently, it is told that Harav Pesach Eliyahu Falk ztz”l (1943 – 2020), rav, poseik and mechaber of many halacha seforim, most well-known to women for his seminal work, “Oz Vehodor Levusha”, could not read well even into his early teens. His father decided that he should work with him

in his Judaica store, as he was seeing no success in his studies.

Rav Falk asked his father for one more year, transferred to another yeshiva, and with the firm encouragement of his new rosh yeshiva, began his development into the tremendous talmid chacham that he was.

But why should these stories surprise us? Did we not all grow up hearing the story of the heilige Tanna Rabbi Akiva, the poor shepherd who began learning aleph-beis at age 40?

Rabbi Akiva said about himself that if he would have met a talmid chochom in his early years, he would have bitten him like a donkey, even on Yom Kippur; such was his hatred of talmidei chachomim. And what of the Amora Reish Lakish, bandit leader of astonishing strength whose holy words are recorded, studied and analyzed in the gemara for all eternity?

These are not just nice stories. Shlomo Hamelech says in Koheles that a live dog is better than a dead lion. Why? A dead lion was what he was, but is no more. A live dog, however, can still accomplish. As long as a person is alive, says Shlomo Hamelech, it is guaranteed that he can still grow and improve.

In other words, never give up!

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PRESENTING PURIM

Mar. 4, 2020

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Pu Pu Platters: Amazon.com

Glasses: Dollar Tree

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Flower Vase and Pitcher: Target

Cutlery Pockets and Jars Party Goods Store

Disposable Cutlery and Plates: Amazon.com

Mar. 4, 2020

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golden and crispy.

Combine lettuce, halved tomatoes, and red onion. Then combine dressing ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over salad.

Sprinkle croutons and garnish with hot mushrooms.

---

browned.

Remove pan from oven and soak up excess grease with paper towel.

Spread BBQ sauce over top side of wings.

Return wings to oven and bake for 5 more minutes. Spread a second layer of BBQ sauce over wings.

Bake for 5 more minutes ---

FRIED MUSHROOM SAL AD A delicious and vibrant salad.

The crispy coated mushrooms provide a wonderful contrast to the bright vegetables.

Ingredients: Salad: 1 bag of romaine lettuce 1 box grape tomatoes, halved 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1 cup onion and garlic croutons 1 box fresh button mushrooms 2 eggs 1 cup flour cornflake crumbs, for breading oil, for frying Dressing: 1 cup mayo 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup vinegar 1 tsp mustard 1/2 tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Clean one box button mushrooms. coat in flour, eggs & crumbs.

Heat oil on medium, fry mushrooms for 2-3 minutes until

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HOT HICKORY BBQ WINGS This famous classic, with an extra kick of delicious barbeque goodness.

A real crowd pleaser!

Ingredients: 1 tsp oil 32 chicken wings 1/3 cup oil 3 tbsp hot sauce 3/4 cup hickory barbeque sauce Directions: Preheat oven to 325°. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and brush with 1 tsp oil.

Place wings in single layer on the prepared pan, skin side up. With a little space between each wing.

Brush the top with 1/3 cup oil.

Brush hot sauce over the oil layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1½-1¾ hour. Baste with pan juices a few times until the wings are

ORIENTAL BEEF SKEWERS Commonly served as a street food all over Asia.

A vibrant and deliciously fragrant beef dish.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb. Chinese beef (or any beef that is good for grilling) 3 tbsp hoisin sauce 3 tbsp sherry wine 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tsp BBQ sauce 2 scallions chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1 tbsp minced ginger 1 pack skewers 1 cup baking soda (to sprinkle on the meat) Directions: Sprinkle baking soda on both sides

of the meat. Let rest for a ½ hour.

Rinse very well.

In a small bowl mix hoisin sauce, sherry, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, scallions, garlic and ginger.

Place meat in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag, pour sauce into the bag. Mix well.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Discard marinade.

Tread on skewers. Pour a little oil in a grill pan. heat on medium high. Grill 2-3 minutes per side.

---

TRADITIONAL SPRING ROLL

oil for frying Directions: Finely grate the ginger and garlic.

In a large skillet, add a tbsp of oil and heat over medium high. Add ginger and garlic to pan, cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned, then add the cabbage, carrots and onions and toss well to mix.

Add salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes until vegetables are slightly browned.

Add the soy sauce and water toss well with cabbage and vegetables.

Cook until the liquid evaporates for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Using one spring roll wrapper at a time, lay the wrapper in front of you so it looks like a diamond.

Add About 3 tsp of filling to the center. Fold in the two sides towards the center, wet the edges.

Roll up and seal tightly. Place oil in a deep-frying pan, on medium.

Fry spring roll 2 minutes a side until golden and crispy.

---

A traditional Chinese dish, famous for its numerous interpretations all over Asia.

Delicate and sumptuous, perfect for upscale entertaining.

Ingredients: 5 cups shredded cabbage 2 shredded carrots 1/2 cup diced scallions (bunch) 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed 1/2 tsp salt dash of black pepper 2 tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tbsp water 1 pack spring roll wrappers Mar. 4, 2020

HONEY MUSTARD WONTONS

A crispy and flavorful side that pairs well with numerous Chinese dishes.

The honey mustard brings a different twist to an otherwise traditional dish.

Ingredients: Wontons: 1 pack wonton wrappers 2 tbsp oil 1 small onion diced 1 clove garlic minced 1 lb deli pastrami diced 1 cup sauerkraut, very well drained 3 tbsp honey mustard sauce (see below) Honey Mustard Sauce: 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3 tbsp honey 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice Directions: To prepare the honey mustard sauce: in a bowl combine all the ingredients until smooth. Reserve 3 tbsp of the sauce for wontons.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. SautĂŠ the onion and garlic in the oil until cooked through.

Remove from heat. In a bowl combine the pastrami, sauerkraut, and the honey mustard sauce.

Add the onions and mix well.

Brush the edges of wrappers with water. Fold the wonton wrapper over the meat mixture by bringing each of the corners to the center so that they can overlap slightly.

Seal very good.

In a skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Fry wontons until golden (2 minutes on each side).

Serve with honey mustard sauce.

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‫און א‬ ‫‪3‬‬ ‫מיט א ביכל‬ ‫ע‬ ‫קאלירט זייטן!‬ ‫פון ‪72‬‬

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BEG, BEG, BEG… GIVE, GIVE, GIVE MIRI ISAACS

I know it’s Purim and all, but this guy standing at my door asking for a handout - I have this niggling suspicion that he isn’t even Jewish.

His yarmulke is askew, it sits uncomfortably on his head. The way he pronounces the requisite “Tzedakah!” is wrong, no matter which dialect he is using, which yiddishe sect he might belong to.

Altogether he comes across as an imposter. Yet I give him my donation as I’ve been doing all day long.

Then, when I have a quiet moment to talk to Hashem, I use that imposter’s donation as a plea bargain. “Hashem, I know I may not be worthy of all the good things I am asking You for. But just as I gave to all who knocked on my door this Purim, I am told that You give to all who knock on Your door on this auspicious day!”

The Ritv”a gives an explanation regarding the giving to the poor on Purim. There is a Halacha

Mar. 4, 2020

in Shulchan Aruch that on this auspicious day of Purim; ‫כל הפושט יד‬ ‫נותנים לו‬. On this day we are obligated to give tzedaka to anyone who extends his hand for a donation, no questions asked, without verifying whether they are indeed poor, and truly in need of our funds.

The Chasam Sofer adds that just as we help anyone who extends their hand on Purim without checking if they are worthy, so too, Hashem will answer the prayers of all who beseech Him on this special day; ‫כל‬ ‫הפושט יד נותנים לו‬. On this propitious day, we do not have to be deserving of His blessings; He will give to all indiscriminately.

In that case, find those singular moments, dispersed throughout this overwhelmingly hectic day, to say a kapitel Tehillim, to daven for someone in need, to ask for your own yeshuah, to beseech Hashem for the geulah… Now’s our chance!

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