Jewish Action Summer 2021 by Jewish Action

Summer 5781/2021

Vol. 81, No. 4

ON COVID’S

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INSIDE Summer 2021/5781 / Vol. 81, No. 4

FEATURES

20 26 28 38 56 67 74

PROFILE An “Author” in History By David Olivestone REVIEW ESSAY In My Opinion: Thoughts on Religion, Society and Life by a Very Opinionated Rabbi By Rabbi Berel Wein Reviewed by Israel Mizrahi FOOD Keeping it Kosher in the Age of Corona By Merri Ukraincik

18 77 80 85 95 104

COVER STORY: ON COVID’S JEWISH FRONTLINES BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS The Economic Toll of a Pandemic By Rachel Schwartzberg

106

Entering the Post-Pandemic Job Market: A Symposium JEWISH THOUGHT Of Faith and Crisis By Rabbi Moshe Taragin

DEPARTMENTS

02 08

LETTERS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The Increasing Yet Elusive Need for Pan-Orthodox Leadership By Mark (Moishe) Bane

108 112

FROM THE DESK OF RABBI MOSHE HAUER What Does God Want from Us? IN FOCUS Musar from Microsoft By Nechama Carmel JUST BETWEEN US The Making of a Mechitzah By Aviva Oppenheim THE CHEF’S TABLE Finding Satiety During Sadness By Naomi Ross INSIDE THE OU Compiled by Sara Goldberg INSIDE PHILANTHROPY Compiled by Marcia P. Neeley BOOKS Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah By Rabbi Shmuel Phillips Reviewed by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz Walking the Line: Hilchot Eruvin from the Sources to the Streets By Rabbi Chaim Jachter The Contemporary Eruv: Eruvin in Modern Metropolitan Areas (Fourth Edition) By Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer Reviewed by Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Jaffe Reviews in Brief By Rabbi Gil Student LASTING IMPRESSIONS A Summer of Change By Steve Lipman

Cover: Mordechai Ungar

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Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

LETTERS THE MAGAZINE OF THE ORTHODOX UNION jewishaction.com

THE MAGAZINEEditor OF THE ORTHODOX UNION in Chief Nechama Carmel jewishaction.com carmeln@ou.org

Editor in Chief Associate Editor

Nechama Carmel Sara Goldberg carmeln@ou.org

APPRECIATING OUR RABBIS

Sara Olson

The article on kavod by Mark (Moishe) Bane (“Observations of a Kavod Maven” [winter 2020]) really resonated. In the piece, Mr. Bane expresses regret that respect for our rabbis has diminished. He also mentions how we all suffer from insecurity, which can cause us to be pained by the most subtle personal slight. He illustrates this with an anecdote. A rabbi shared with him his dismay that a congregant, instead of being elevated by the shul’s powerful Yom Kippur davening, could only remark how hurt he was by being the only man who was not invited to open the ark over the course of the High Holidays. Mr. Bane expresses his own dismay that the rabbi was incapable of empathizing with the congregant’s pain. While I agree that it is important to empathize with the congregant, what about the rabbi? He may have put his heart and soul into creating a meaningful Yom Kippur experience and felt that he was successful. However, the feedback he received was from a congregant who was unhappy. Our rabbis have difficult jobs and they work very hard; they merit our support and, yes, our empathy when they do not receive the appreciation they deserve.

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Robert Housman Brookline, Massachusetts RETHINKING PHILANTHROPY The cover article (“The Art of Giving” [spring 2021]) retreads the worn tires of Jewish philanthropy. At the same time, it gave no space for consideration of the critical underlying factors impacting the ever-present and ever-growing demands on that philanthropy. Philanthropy is the supply-side of the equation. Let’s not fail to look at the demand-side of the equation—three of which come to mind: All Jewish educational institutions—specifically including post-secondary yeshivot—must make clear through word and deed the expectation that everyone be self-supporting. It is unrealistic and dangerous to expect a life based on support by others. As the problem of agunot became unbearable, the Orthodox Jewish community took action. Rabbis now require appropriate prenuptial documentation to avoid the potential for the agunah problem to arise. We need to do likewise to dramatically reduce family poverty. Along with other prenuptial duties, rabbis should require couples to complete a course in Jewish family economics. Finally, the execrable cost of Jewish day school education must come to an end. Jewish day school tuition is not sustainable and must be reduced. Bernard White Dallas, Texas

LOVING AND CARING FOR ALL JEWS I was fascinated to read the article by Dr. Morton Frank (“Why Jews Are Optimists” [spring 2021]). In the article, he writes that “as Orthodox Jews, we need to recognize the role that a Torah outlook plays in helping us be resilient in the face of adversity.” However, I feel that Dr. Frank has inadvertently not fully taken into account the Torah mandate “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh lazeh”—that all Jews are responsible for one another. In speaking of the miracle of the resurgence of Orthodox Judaism, it would have been preferable had he not connected the very positive strengthening of Orthodox Judaism with the sad reality of the waning of Conservative Judaism, which has served as the spiritual home for so many of our fellow Jews. It’s better to speak sympathetically about the misfortune of other members of the Children of Israel, and not set up a dichotomy that only separates fellow Jews from one another. Catherine Mermelstein, PhD East Brunswick, New Jersey Dr. Morton Frank Responds I clearly state in my article that the Torah requires all Jews to be responsible for the welfare of their fellow Jews. My role model in this regard was the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who never used the terms Orthodox, Conservative or Reform. He loved and cared for all Jews, and he was therefore loved by all. The Rebbe also had a deep respect for all mankind. Labels indeed do divide and should never prevent us from helping and respecting one another.

scholar at Yeshiva University in New York, and with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the head of the Lubavitch movement, in Brooklyn. “Rabbi Soloveitchik had challenged me to think,” Rabbi Sacks wrote. “Rabbi Schneerson had challenged me to lead.” From his Wikipedia entry: In a pamphlet written to mark the completion of his time as Chief Rabbi entitled “A Judaism Engaged with the World,” Sacks cites three individuals who have had a profound impact on his own philosophical thinking. The first figure was the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson . . . The second was Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik whom Sacks described as “the greatest Orthodox thinker of the time [who] challenged me to think.” Sacks argued that for Rav Soloveitchik, “Jewish philosophy had to emerge from halakhah, Jewish law. Jewish thought and Jewish practice were not two different things but the same thing seen from different perspectives. Halakhah was a way of living, a way of thinking about the world—taking abstract ideas and making them real in everyday life.” The third figure was Rabbi Nahum Rabinovitch, a former principal of the London School of Jewish Studies . . . I have no doubt that Rabbi Lamm was also an important role model, but if one is discussing those who influenced Rabbi Sacks in his early years, the Rav should absolutely be included. Elka Tovah Davidoff Malden, Massachusetts

RABBI SACKS AND THE RAV I was surprised to read in Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter’s tribute to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (“In Memory of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks [spring 2021]) that “when he [Rabbi Sacks] was about twenty, he took a trip to the United States to visit two people in particular, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm. His encounters with them changed his life.” I have long been an avid follower of Rabbi Sacks (though sadly I never had the privilege of meeting him). He wrote often about two life-changing encounters in his youth, but they were with the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the Rav, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Rabbi Sacks’ stories about the Rav always stood out to me because I am an alumnus (and child of an alumnus as well as the parent of a current student) of the Maimonides School, founded by the Rav in 1937. To cite just a few references from a quick search: From Rabbi Sacks’ obituary in the New York Times: In the mid-1960s, at age 19, he embarked on what he called a “Greyhound tour” of North America looking for academic and spiritual direction. Two encounters in particular were “life-changing,” he wrote. He met with Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, the preeminent rabbinic 4

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The INCREASING, YET ELUSIVE, NEED for PAN-ORTHODOX LEADERSHIP By Mark (Moishe) Bane

merican observant Jewry has always been a patchwork of tribal communities, typically distinguished by country of origin or cultural proclivities. Each faction has produced venerated leaders, but even the most compelling and impactful of these authorities have commanded consistent deference only within limited segments of the overall Orthodox community. Whether regarding educational, cultural or even halachic orientation, the guidance issued by leaders has consistently been tailored only to Mark (Moishe) Bane is president of the OU and a senior partner and chairman of the Business Restructuring Department at the international law firm, Ropes & Gray LLP.

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

the needs and sensibilities of their own respective community segment. This customized approach has been effective in nurturing social stability and religious meaning, which is particularly impressive in light of American society’s often clashing values and culture. In my view, the only serious downside to the dissemination of rabbinic guidance designed for specific community segments is the cost to outsiders who mistakenly adopt the direction as if it had been formulated for them as well. No longer a fledgling upstart, the Orthodox community is emerging as an increasingly significant, sophisticated and potentially dominant force in American Jewry. Notwithstanding its ongoing and generally advantageous segmentation, a maturing American Orthodox community is increasingly intertwined and inter-reliant: • Many communal functions, ranging from kashrus to social services, are necessarily linked, albeit with accommodations for the differences among community factions. • Shifts between the segments are increasingly common, with offspring often choosing to affiliate with a different Orthodox faction than their parents. • Though cultural distinctions prevail, the vast majority of American Orthodox Jews, other than those on

the religious far right and far left, are more closely aligned ideologically than in decades past. For example, there is a slow but observable shift toward congruity in attitudes to Israel, women in the professional workplace, and the centrality of Torah study. • Surging community demands for government protections and financial assistance, as well as the pursuit of safeguards against impositions on Orthodox practices and values, require a unified strategy. Even mildly inconsistent Orthodox positions risk cancelling out each others’ influence and impact. • Both traditional and social media commonly paint the Orthodox Jewish world with broad strokes and little nuance. The behavior and public statements of one segment of Orthodoxy are imputed to all, shaping the attitude of non-observant Jews and general society toward Orthodox Jews collectively. These and other factors generate a growing need for collaborative communal decision-making on select matters. As in past eras, however, the likelihood that leaders of different Orthodox segments will join together is remote for the reasons enumerated below. Eventually, the importance of coalescing will be recognized, God willing, by virtue of visionary leadership rather than by crisis. And hopefully not too late. Resistance to Association A pan-Orthodox approach to addressing selected communal decisions and choices will be effective only if a bona fide spectrum of community decision-makers participate. Inevitably, several key leaders will decline to take part, refusing to associate with one or more of the other leaders. While some of the resisters will be sheepishly playing to the radicals within their flock, others will refuse based on sincere ideological principles. There are different possible reactions one can have to those who resist participating for ideological reasons. Typically, the spurned and their sympathizers respond with

hostile resentment, accompanied by sweeping disparagement of any Orthodox ideology that encourages detachment. They argue that the detachment represents an arrogant discarding of Jewish unity, which, as the supreme Torah value, must be preserved at all costs. This assertion is, of course, specious, since every Orthodox sect has its own set of criteria that determines whether or not it will associate with certain others. An alternative response is to acknowledge the good faith and ideological commitment of those who refuse to associate with certain others, even if such recalcitrance feels hurtful and offensive. Great leaders do not respond to perceived intransigence with inflexibility, and do not allow their feelings, however justified, to derail efforts that are in the best interests of the community. Ultimately, the community is best served when such a rejection is met with respect and accommodation. If the prevailing decision is to take the high road (in community matters typically the road less traveled), creative solutions can be designed. For example, communications protocols might be established to take advantage of those select leaders who are inclined toward broad participation and yet are also acceptable to those ideologically opposed to joining. Rather than convening as a single body of leaders, multiple smaller groups could be formed, with these select leaders participating in multiple overlapping groups, thereby serving as a communications bridge. Or these select leaders could accomplish the same through “shuttle diplomacy.” Either approach may be effective, despite being inefficient and certainly less than ideal. Unfamiliar and Inapposite Sensitivities Productive discussions will occur only if the leaders, each of whom has intense ideological, cultural and experiential backgrounds, recede from the preconceptions and assumptions that inform their views and attitudes. They will then need 8

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

to explore and understand each others’ orientation, sensibilities and cultures, much of which they may have earlier rejected or even disparaged. I believe that great leaders can overcome these cultural barriers and delve deep into others’ experiences and psyche, even when those experiences are entirely unfamiliar. Forty years ago, I learned about this leadership quality from my exalted rebbe, Harav Michel Twerski of Milwaukee, shlita, who shared an incident involving his great-grandfather, Rav Mottele, the Hornosteipel Rebbe, zt”l (1839-1903). The Rebbe had a severe heart condition, which was exacerbated by a hiccup ailment that threatened his life. Accompanied by Reb Leibelle, his son and eventual successor, the Rebbe traveled to Kiev where a doctor was known to cure the ailment with a shock procedure that involved applying a red-hot steel rod along the patient’s spine. When the physician applied the rod against the Rebbe’s flesh, the Rebbe did not flinch. Assuming the rod was not hot enough, the physician heated it further and applied it repeatedly. As blisters began to form along his back, the Rebbe remained still and experienced no shock. In frustration, the doctor threw the rod into the fire, exclaiming, “This is not a human; This is an angel! Far larger and stronger patients have nearly hit the ceiling upon being contacted by the rod.” Not conversant in Russian, the Rebbe asked Reb Leibelle what the doctor had said. Upon being told, the Rebbe commented, “If I do not jump out of my chair after listening to the pain shared with me by my Chassidim, I am unlikely to do so by the touch of a heated rod.” The type of individuals suited to participating in pan-Orthodox decision-making must have the unique ability and experience necessary to adopt and absorb the feelings and perspectives of others. Allocation of Time and Attention Another obstacle to creating the context for collective decision-making is the time demands that would be imposed

on the participants. Each leader is almost certainly already overburdened with institutional and communal responsibilities, such as managing staff, teaching, counseling and fundraising. Even as simple community members we face similar challenges in our personal lives. We are often pressured to be more communal minded. Oftentimes community leaders urge us to place the interests of the broader community ahead of our own, occasionally even at great cost and disruption. They may exhort us when soliciting a donation, encouraging involvement in a particular project or criticizing continued participation in a backyard minyan. They argue, and we agree, that the community is essential to all that we value. After all, a healthy community is central to our children’s religious education and socialization. Communal institutions and programs provide for our spiritual growth and sense of Jewish identity, and serve as our agents in caring for the needy, infirm or otherwise disadvantaged. Moreover, our relationship with God, though in many respects private and personal, can be fully actualized only by our integration into the Jewish community. A unique religious energy results when learning Torah with others, and we access far deeper meaning when others join us as we mourn or celebrate. And while God surely hears our solitary supplications, only communal prayer is assured of a Heavenly response. On the other hand, as reflected in halachah, our commitment to the needs of others must be measured, swayed by our capacity to address our own needs and those of our family. For example, being charitable is imperative, yet our generosity is halachically limited to 20 percent of our income to ensure that our own needs are adequately addressed. We bear collective responsibility for the religious schooling of all Jewish youngsters, but the education of our own children enjoys halachic priority. Similarly, though we must attend to the well-being of others, halachically the needs of our family take precedence, including

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delineated obligations regarding the particular care we must provide to our own parents and spouse. If efforts to address pan-Orthodox issues were to be pursued, leaders would confront the same conundrum; they’d be forced to weigh which of their current responsibilities to students, congregants and Chassidim to curtail in order to undertake this additional new responsibility. While individuals enjoy a degree of autonomy in allocating their time and resources, only institutional heads and communal leaders have fiduciary duties and obligations that dictate the parameters of their responsibilities, and that are not theirs alone to dilute. For example, donors, beneficiaries and members of an institution are entitled to expect that their organization’s leaders be focused exclusively on the institution. Furthermore, additional obligations are incumbent on institutional leaders by virtue of their fiduciary duties, in particular the “duty of care.” Under American law, the duty of care requires an officer or director to allocate an appropriate amount of time and attention to organizational decision-making and to ensuring that the mission of the organization is responsibly pursued. If halachah imposes a similar duty, this fiduciary duty of care may preclude an institution’s leader from diverting significant time and attention away from the institution in favor of other needs of the general community. On the other hand, even the most mindful American industry leaders frequently allocate significant time and company resources to public affairs and to broad communal needs. This is justified by the company’s reliance on the health and stability of the general marketplace, which is advanced by these efforts. Moreover, communal involvement enhances the profile of the corporation and its leader, introduces the leader to new relationships that can benefit the company, and creates a communal atmosphere of reciprocity that inures to the benefit of the enterprise. The same would surely be true for Orthodox leaders participating in pan-Orthodox decision-making. Certain leaders may nonetheless decline participation, explaining that the demands of their primary duties deem them unavailable to join broader community efforts. This may well be true. But in doing so, those community leaders might be forfeiting the right to seek help for their institutions from individual community members who also have staggering responsibilities of their own. Secrecy Despite the numerous obstacles, it is not inconceivable that truly humble, visionary Jewish leaders will join together to address pan-Orthodox concerns. In order to avoid attacks and criticism, however, it may be necessary for them to do so under a veil of absolute secrecy. For all we know, it may already be taking place. 

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FROM THE DESK OF RABBI MOSHE HAUER

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM US?

nprecedented. Over the pandemic year, that word has been used an unprecedented number of times. Coronavirus has affected our lives and the world in dramatic ways. We have debated and shared strategies to stop the spread, guidance for closing and reopening shuls, schools and businesses, and best practices for using unprecedented quantities of plexiglass. But in this unprecedented time, have we sufficiently considered what God may possibly want from us? This is an uncomfortable question that we must nevertheless ask ourselves, even if it may seem overly pious or pretentious to do so. A core belief and practice of the faithful is to take the world seriously, to see world events as speaking to us rather than just happening around us. In the classic formulation of the Rambam:1 If they do not cry out (in times of trouble) . . . but rather say, “What Rabbi Moshe Hauer is executive vice president of the OU.

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

has happened to us is the way of the world, and this trouble is merely happenstance”—this is surely the way of cruelty, and it causes them to stick to their bad deeds, leading to further troubles. About this is it written in the Torah (Leviticus 26: 27-28), “If you walk arbitrarily with Me then I will [also] walk arbitrarily with you in fury.” That is to say, “When I will bring upon you troubles—if you will say that it is arbitrary, I will increase the fury of this arbitrariness.” This is not a simple matter. Can any of us dare to suggest that we know why things happen? In a world where bad things happen to good people, it would be the height of hubris for anyone to claim an ability to explain God’s actions. Rambam is not suggesting that we do that at all, that we offer specific explanations of God’s motives. What he is requiring of us is that we take it personally, that we see God’s hand in these events and that we respond to them by turning to Him. We must recognize that things like the pandemic—even things far less dramatic than the pandemic—do not just happen. God is trying to get our attention. And while we cannot suggest or declare exactly why we are experiencing these things, we can be clear that we must emerge from them better than we went in. Beginning with the primal response of turning to God in heartfelt prayer and taking note of His role and presence, we must continue to the point where the challenge has brought us closer to the Divine ideal. The great people who survived or who were spared from the Holocaust and who proceeded to rebuild Jewish life in Israel, America and elsewhere

did not spend inordinate amounts of time and energy trying to figure out why the Holocaust happened. But they understood that their survival should move them to recreate a flourishing and aspiring Torah community. Without having a clue as to why that tragedy had befallen them, they nevertheless knew that they had to respond to it in a generative manner, ensuring that the challenge would not push them away from God and His ideals but would rather draw them and their people closer. We who are sustained by the world of Torah and Jewish life that they built are the beneficiaries of their vision and their vigorous spiritual response. Now it is our turn. While nothing can compare to the horror of the Holocaust, we can learn from our grandparents and great-grandparents how to respond to tragedy and catastrophe. Having experienced the upheaval of the pandemic, we must ask ourselves not why it happened but what we will do to ensure that we will build on this experience, to ensure that we come out better.2 But before we emerge to reimagine, redesign and remake shul life, family life or the work/ life balance, let us humbly ensure that we do not come out worse. Because while we may not be able to suggest why this happened and we may be unable to identify the appropriate positive response to the pandemic, we can be somewhat more confident about what should not be the result. Much as Rambam taught that while God Himself is unknowable, we can nevertheless know what He is not—i.e., not physical, not temporal, not limited in any way— we may similarly say that while we may not know specifically what God wants from us, we can be reasonably confident about what He would not want as the outcome, and that is to see us become defiant and splintered. The Challenge We are inherently challenged in our relationship with authority and our pursuit of unity. A fundamental quality of our people is that we are counter-cultural iconoclasts.

Avraham—the first Jew—was known as an Ivri, recalling how he stood alone and isolated from the entire world around him.3 He was willing to buck the system and ignore the crowds, defying the authority of the king and the direction chosen by his community, family and parents. He answered to a Higher Authority. In a remarkable essay, Rav Zalman Sorotzkin, zt”l,4 suggests that the exile in Egypt was engineered specifically to remedy our rejection of authority and unity. Our descent to Egypt was triggered by the brothers’ reaction to Yosef’s dream, when “his brothers said to him, ‘Do you think you will be our king, that you will dominate us?’ And they continued to hate him over his dreams and his words.”5 Here we see both the resistance to accepting a leader and the emergence of hatred and division within the family. These elements reappear when Moshe leaves Pharaoh’s palace to assess the experience of the Jewish people. On his second day out of the palace, he attempts to intervene in a fight between two Jews only to be rejected: “Who appointed you as a leader and judge over us? Do you plan to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”6 Moshe saw their resistance to authority and their readiness to share damaging reports about each other and “noda hadavar,” he understood why we needed to endure the exile.7 These issues persist. We are opinionated and principled, and therefore exceptionally challenging to govern and to unify. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic, as our relationship to authority has become increasingly strained. It is difficult to recall a comparable period where we received such a constant and vigorous stream of public policy pronouncements from both government and communal leaders addressing and affecting every aspect of our lives—social, economic, religious, educational, physical and emotional. These decisions elicited strong responses, both in support and in opposition. Everyone had an opinion. Some embraced the guidance and prided themselves on responsibly following the rules while others chafed under those rules, seeing them as overly restrictive, not data-driven and selectively enforced. Some were happy to live in communities where precautions were largely ignored, leading to a laxity in abiding by the law, while others were puzzled or even infuriated by the leadership of those communities, causing them to lose faith in the guidance of Torah figures. Ultimately, the dissimilar approaches taken by various members of the Torah community and its leadership have both created and highlighted points of profound conflict around issues of principle and have created rifts within the community. And while some of the fissures follow predictable lines along the spectrum from right to left, the divisions and the confusion are hardly that neat and predictable as many on all sides have found themselves confused and alienated from leaders and communities to which they had been deeply connected.

We can be confident that this is not God’s desired result of the pandemic, but as things stand it seems to be where we are headed. We must not allow the legacy of Covid to be a more splintered community that is less respectful of the law or more disenfranchised from Torah. The Path Forward There is a path forward. Without setting aside the principled independence we come by honestly, we must elevate other values equally critical to our strength as a people and no less a part of our legacy, specifically brotherhood, humility and respect for the law. Brotherhood: That same counter-cultural and iconoclastic Avraham is characterized by our sages as someone who unified the world.8 Despite his independent posture, Avraham was known as a chassid and an anav,9 possessing an outstandingly generous and humble spirit. The principled Avraham who needed to create some distance from his nephew nevertheless stood by him loyally, risking everything in going to war to rescue him. The ideological differences and personal conflicts between Avraham and Lot were dramatic. Despite Avraham having taken Lot under his wing to the latter’s great benefit both spiritually and materially, Lot rejected the fundamental values of Avraham and chose the company of Sodom, preferring selfishness and

Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

theft over generosity, idolatry over monotheism and licentiousness over modesty. But that did not affect Avraham’s loyalty or affection for him. His ultimate legacy of chesed l’Avraham, his trademark loving kindness, was his prevailing quality. And it should be ours. Yes, we are feisty Ivrim, but we are also gomlei chasadim bnei gomlei chasadim,10 a nation with a strong legacy of caring commitment. The differences within our broader Torah community—as large as they loomed at certain stages of the pandemic—are trivial in comparison to those between Avraham and Lot. For us, like for Avraham, our love for and loyalty to each other must dominate. That is not an expression of weakness or compromise but a fiercely held value. We may see and do some things differently, but anashim achim anachnu,11 we are brothers after all, and we must cherish that brotherhood. Humility: Our sages guided us as well toward a humble and genuine respect for authority, even when its decisions are beyond our comprehension. While a healthy society allows and even encourages debate of public policy, it would be arrogant to dismissively reject the positions that are at odds with our perspectives. In a passage reminiscent of the Nishmat prayer’s poignant and poetic description of the human inability to express the extent of our gratitude to God, the Talmud12 offers similar phraseology to describe our inability to fathom the complexity of governmental authority. The combination of issues and factors that must be considered and addressed in their every policy decision cannot easily be recognized and appreciated. The Talmud cites a verse from Proverbs13 to illustrate this idea: “As high as the heavens and as deep as the earth, but the hearts of kings are unfathomable.” Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, zt”l,14 understood this citation as underscoring the multiplicity of factors that the king must account for and balance, including both the heavenly spiritual concerns and the earthly considerations of economy and health. Consider for example the myriad 16

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factors that influence public health policy. While from the perspective of infectious disease we may focus solely on the mechanics and benefits of closing the channels of viral transmission, public health must consider the secondary results of those closures, including the economic, social and psychological consequences. And while science may define the ideal manner to stop the spread, when people are unable or unwilling to live up to that ideal—what our sages referred to as a gezeirah she’ein rov tzibbur yachol la’amod bo—the resultant poor compliance will produce poor outcomes. The complexity of all these factors is such that there may not be a single correct approach to pandemic restrictions. Add to that the spiritual questions of the impact of these decisions on religious life and the issues become even more complex. While we may clearly see the priority of the values advanced by our posekim, there may be other posekim who see things differently, or there may be communities where the underlying hierarchy of values is different, or there may be situations where the application should be different. Humility should prevent categorical conclusions that degrade the other side and that feed the defiant attitude that has become far too prevalent. Respect for the Law: “I observe the king’s orders.”15 We cannot allow a partial disagreement to lead to a wholesale disregard for authority. In the Book of Daniel,16 we read how Chananya, Mishael and Azarya, in a repeat of Avraham’s spiritual heroics, defied Nebuchadnezzar’s command to pray to his statue and were therefore cast into a fiery furnace but miraculously spared. The Midrash17 notes that in deference to the king’s authority, the three of them remained in the furnace until Nebuchadnezzar instructed them to come out. This was the king who had ordered them to worship idols and who had just attempted to kill them for their principled defiance! But he nevertheless remained the king, and where his instructions did not conflict with core

principles, they needed to be followed. Irving Bunim was an American Jewish leader during the Second World War who worked tirelessly to secure any papers—legal or illegal—that could get Jews out of Nazi Europe. Yet at the very same time, while other businessmen made exorbitant profits at the expense of the government and the war effort, Bunim and his business partners followed all the laws and rationing regulations to the letter and influenced their friends and associates to follow suit in keeping with the principle of dina d’malchuta dina, the law of the land is supreme.18 During the pandemic, while the posekim of the OU required full compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, there were many who chose to do otherwise. As the pandemic recedes and religious life is able to freely resume, we must get that genie back into the bottle and return as a community to complete respect for the law. “Fear God, my son, as well as the king, and do not mix with those who reject their authority.”19 “Umah Hashem doreish mimcha, ki im asot mishpat v’ahavat chesed v’hatznea lechet im Elokecha? For what does God want from you, other than following the law, loving kindness and to walk humbly with your God?”20  Notes 1. Hilchot Taanit 1:1-3. 2. As articulated in the opening section of Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s Kol Dodi Dofek. 3. Bereishit Rabbah 42:8. 4. Hadeiah v’Haddibur, vol. 2, no. 15. 5. Bereishit 37:8. 6. Shemot 2:14. 7. Rashi ad loc. 8. Bereishit Rabbah 39. 9. Berachot 6b. 10. Ketubot 8b. 11. Bereishit 13:8. 12. Shabbat 11a. 13. 25:3. 14. Eyn Ayah, Shabbat, chap. 1, no. 33. 15. Kohelet 8:2. 16. Chap. 3. 17. Tanchuma Noach, no. 10. 18. A Fire in His Soul (New York, 1989), p. 105, pp. 318-9. 19. Mishlei 24:21. 20. Micha 6:8.

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IN FOCUS

Musar from Microsoft By Nechama Carmel

Nechama Carmel is editor-in-chief of Jewish Action.

isn’t often that an email from Microsoft arrives in my inbox containing a profound theological lesson. But that’s exactly what happened the other day. First—some background: In the quarterly magazine business, we plan relentlessly. In August we are already contemplating Chanukah, and as we light the Chanukah candles, thoughts of the Seder are on our minds. By working months in advance, we give authors time to research, observe, reflect and comment. And so when the pandemic first surfaced in March 2020, our writers were deep into preparing the summer issue. It wasn’t long before we realized that certain articles would have to be pulled and new articles assigned. The question was: What would resonate in three months? With things changing so quickly, what would the world look like even the following week? We had no idea. Over a Zoom call, members of our Editorial Committee discussed and deliberated. Thankfully, our cover story “Great Summer Reads” —comprised of brief essays where readers share their favorite books—was remarkably relevant; facing a summer of social

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distancing and quarantining, everyone was reading again. We did, however, decide to pull a few major pieces, and therefore spent endless days— and often nights—working with writers to fill the space with timely articles ranging from “The Corona Diaries” to “Jewish Mindfulness.” But especially in the early weeks of the pandemic, the uncertainty was jarring. Living in the twenty-first century, we often harbor the illusion that our lives are firmly in our control. But in so many ways, the pandemic has shown us that life is an uncertain business, that we can try our best to plan and predict, but ultimately, we are not in control. If Covid-19 has taught our post-Enlightenment, highly secularized world one thing, it is this: science is a poor substitute for religion— it is fallible and flawed, just like the human beings who study it.

Grappling with a shattered global economy in the first few months of the pandemic, shaken McKinsey professionals expressed their genuine bewilderment at a world in which predictions no longer worked: “Finance professionals are used to accuracy, consistency, and relatively predictable planning cycles . . . Few have probably encountered the degrees of uncertainty they’re experiencing now.”* “Consistency,” “predictable” and “forecasting” are terms our ancestors 300 years ago probably wouldn’t have understood. Accustomed to plagues, floods, disease and physically difficult lives, they recognized their own vulnerabilities and were well versed in the precarious nature of human existence. Earlier generations of Jews would be genuinely perplexed, confounded even, by our agitation over the loss of certainty. To them the inexplicable and insecure nature of life was a given. As I write these lines in March 2021, the pandemic is, with Hashem’s help, winding down. With the eventual vaccination of the population, there is hope that we can soon resume “business as usual.” But do we really want a complete return to “business as usual”? I recall the early days of the pandemic, when reading the daily newspaper, I almost felt as if I were reading a sefer. The sense of awe was palpable. How could a microscopic virus—barely visible to the human eye—leave bustling, economic

How could a microscopic virus— barely visible to the human eye— leave bustling, economic powerhouses around the world—London, Paris, New York—financially devastated, forlorn and desolate?

powerhouses around the world— London, Paris, New York—financially devastated, forlorn and desolate? Hashem’s presence was so obvious. Remarkably, even the Wall Street Journal ran an opinion piece that called for religious revival and “repentance.” “Great struggle,” the writer stated, “can produce great clarity.” Which, of course, is true. The pandemic—at least in the early days (before we grew acclimated to our strange new lives)—caused us to think and reflect. Some days it caused us to daven harder, to re-direct our lives in a profound way, to see Hashem’s presence not only in the global pandemic itself but also in the small, minute details of our lives. Which brings me to Microsoft. When my personal laptop started freezing incessantly, a local IT guy recommended I replace the driver. Anxious about losing my data during the replacement, I purchased another back up program in addition to the

one provided by Microsoft—just to be doubly secure. But shortly after the second back up program was installed, I realized I had made a big mistake: only a select few files were being backed up. Now neither back up was working. I envisioned decades’ worth of personal files, precious photos and memories simply disappearing. Agitated, I emailed Microsoft. I received a response the following day: We do not recommend using two back up services at the same time as they will conflict. About to shoot off an angry response, I suddenly stopped. I realized I was trying too hard. The musar in the email was clear— while I tend to be a “two-back-up” kind of person, I needed to accept that one back up program is enough. I had to suppress my natural inclination to prepare for every possible eventuality. Trying to wrestle too much control, I realized, does not work and can even

backfire. I recalled the level of bitachon discussed in Chovos Halevavos: a trust that leads to “a heart at rest, free of worldly cares, a tranquil spirit, . . . a sense of calm, security and peace.” I cancelled the second back up. Once the program was eliminated, Microsoft’s back up program began working again. I felt a sense of relief. But I had also learned something in the process: I needed to sit back, relax and let God run the world. I needed a reminder that I am not in control, that life is meant to be lived with a level of uncertainty. Apparently, even Microsoft support techs know this.  *Ankur Agrawal, Kapil Chandra, Matthew Maloney, and Michele Tam, Planning for uncertainty: Performance management under COVID-19 (May 2020), https:// www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/ Business%20Functions/Strategy%20and%20 Corporate%20Finance/Our%20Insights/ Planning%20for%20uncertainty%20 Performance%20management%20under%20 COVID%2019/Planning-for-uncertainty-Performance-management-under-COVID-19.ashx.

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PROFILE

Photo: Eugene Weisberg

Rabbi Berel Wein’s Extraordinary Contributions to Jewish Life and Learning By David Olivestone

An “AUTHOR” in HISTORY

ommunal rabbis are by definition leaders. Some lead one congregation with great loyalty and dedication for many years. Others share their talents and learning with a succession of communities as they move from pulpit to pulpit. Over the course of their careers, some speak to and influence hundreds, others thousands. But there are a few who speak to hundreds of thousands, and some even to millions. These are the special individuals for whom the precincts of the synagogue and the ambit of the community are too confining. Blessed with extra doses of intellect, eloquence, creativity, personality and above all vision, they found organizations, create schools and launch movements. Each in his own way, these entrepreneurs of the Torah world make an impact which reaches far beyond their points of origin. Such an individual is Rabbi Berel Wein. Born in Chicago in 1934, he did not set out to be a rabbi, although he David Olivestone, a member of Jewish Action’s Editorial Committee, lives in Jerusalem.

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did stem from a rabbinical family. In 1955, the year he was married, he obtained semichah from the Hebrew Theological College, then on Chicago’s West Side and later in Skokie. But his father, who was the rabbi of a prestigious Chicago synagogue, told him sadly that he did not see much of a future for the Orthodox rabbinate in America and encouraged him to go to law school. Becoming proficient in real estate law, he soon opened his own law offices together with a partner, and also began investing in real estate.1 His material success did not distract him from his own learning and his involvement in the yeshivah world. Soon he was asked to serve as the part-time rabbi of the congregation to which he belonged and began giving numerous shiurim. “Even then,” he says, “I thought of myself more as a rabbi than as a lawyer.” When another business venture turned sour, he was very open to a suggestion made to him by the rabbi of a congregation in Florida who was leaving for another pulpit. With the enthusiastic recommendation of Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth, the head of the Chicago yeshivah, Rabbi Wein was invited to fill the position. When he arrived at Congregation Beth Israel in Miami Beach in 1964, it was hardly a flourishing institution. One of the new rabbi’s first tasks was to raise enough money to cover his own “pretty measly” salary. But within a year his popularity grew and the membership multiplied rapidly. In addition, many winter visitors to Florida helped fill the shul, and before long, a spacious new building was dedicated. Among the winter visitors were prominent roshei yeshivah, rabbanim, and communal leaders from all sectors of Jewish life and from all over America, who helped broadcast Rabbi Wein’s burgeoning reputation. As his stature rose, he began to be approached with offers of significant positions with major organizations, and in 1972 he accepted the post of executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, and the family moved to Monsey, New York. 22

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He did not enjoy the job. The OU was understaffed and financially strapped, and his time was spent in administrative matters and meetings. He felt he was accomplishing little for Torah and the Jewish people, but he had signed a five-year contract, and was “grimly determined to honor it.” When Rabbi Alexander Rosenberg, the legendary head of OU Kosher, passed away in the autumn of 1972, Rabbi Wein replaced him and filled out the remainder of his contract in that position. But he had concluded that organized Jewish life was not for him, and says that he then “chose other ways of trying to help the Jewish people.” Soon after moving to Monsey, Rabbi Wein had begun giving Torah classes in his neighborhood, and once again his eloquence and his teaching skills resulted in his being invited to serve as the rabbi of a new local shul, to be known as Congregation Bais Torah. Starting with just forty families, it grew into one of the leading synagogues in the Monsey area.

went on to become distinguished rabbis and communal leaders. Although Rabbi Wein needed to spend much of his time on fundraising, the second largest source of income for the yeshivah (after tuition) turned out to be a by-product of his great interest in Jewish history. This interest stemmed from his teenage days in the Chicago yeshivah. As he recalls it, “The yeshivah had a wonderful library with over 30,000 volumes, and it even had a professional librarian. We had an hour off for lunch which I would spend in the library. I had always wondered who the Ba’alei Tosafot were, who was Rabbeinu Tam and who was the Rosh. So one day, after a long halachic shiur on the Rosh, the librarian found a book on him for me and I was hooked.” Rabbi Wein could hardly have realized how significant a moment it was when in the late 1970s he began teaching a Jewish history class for women in his shul. Soon enough, several of the men asked for a class on the same topic. Since a number of

Rabbi Wein’s hope, of course, which is a hallmark of all his teaching, is that by studying the patterns in our history, we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. He led Bais Torah successfully for twenty-four years, but that was far from his only involvement with the Monsey community. In 1977 he added the title of rosh yeshivah when he founded a yeshivah high school with a bet midrash program that gave semichah recognized by the Rabbinical Council of America as well as by the Israel Chief Rabbinate. He called the yeshiva Shaarei Torah, which had been the name of a yeshivah founded by his grandfather, whom he revered and whom he has sought to emulate throughout his life. In the twenty years that he led it, Rabbi Wein and a dedicated team of rebbeim and secular teaching staff educated hundreds of young men, many of whom

them were unable to attend regularly, they asked for the class to be recorded. As he puts it, “Thus was born Rabbi Wein’s history tape series.” Once sets of the tapes were put on sale, word spread rapidly of how fascinating they were, and orders began pouring in. All the income from the tapes went directly to the yeshivah. Eventually, his more than 700 audio tapes on Jewish personalities and Jewish history would sell over a million copies worldwide. The taped classes demonstrate his masterful ability to make history come alive, as he recounts the dramatic, often sad events of the long Jewish story in an authoritative yet relaxed manner. His engaging style, his enthusiasm and his dry humor are contagious. But

more significantly, evident in every lecture is his ability to interpolate pertinent references from Tanach, Talmud, midrashim, Chazal, mefarshim and Jewish tradition in general. And he misses no opportunity to bring the lessons of history home, drawing parallels between the historical events he is chronicling and current events in Israel or in the Jewish world at large. The various series, now available to download, contain as many as thirty lectures in a set .2 They address events both chronologically—for example, the Biblical, ancient, medieval and

“God,” Rabbi Wein tells us, “says, ‘Let’s see what you’re made of.’” Rabbi Wein had already published two rabbinic works, so the transition from oral history to the written word was not hard. His first history book, Triumph of Survival, covering Ashkenazi Jewish history from 1648 on, appeared in 1990 and has been reprinted many times. This was followed by Herald of Destiny (1993), in which he dealt with the medieval period, Faith and Fate (2001), the story of the Jewish people in the twentieth century, and Echoes of Glory (2014),

The sheer volume and variety of his output are hard to grasp. modern eras—and topically—such as “The Golden Age of Sephardic Jewry,” “The Destruction of European Jewry,” “Judaism and the Majority Culture,” “The Lost Communities”— as well as biographies, the holidays, and on and on. “Jewish history,” he notes, “covers not only vast tracts of time, but huge areas. The Jews have penetrated almost all societies and left their mark on them. Writing a history of the Jews is like writing a history of the world.” To this he adds a postscript that characterizes his whole approach: “The effort to grasp history as it appears to the Jews produces illuminating insights.” These insights suffuse the entire corpus of his teaching. A favorite theme is to trace what he calls patterns in Jewish history, which became the title of one of his books.3 “Even a cursory view of Jewish history,” he writes, “will reveal definite patterns that rise and fall regularly in the story of the Eternal People.” Among the patterns he identifies are acculturation and assimilation, messianism and mysticism, persecution and legends, fantasies and falsifications. His hope, of course, which is a hallmark of all his teaching, is that by studying the patterns in our history, we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. 24

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covering the period from the end of the First Temple Era to the times of the Geonim, as well as several other works. The unique quality that characterizes these handsomely produced books, as opposed to so many other histories of the Jewish people, is that they are Jewish histories. “The irony of most Jewish history texts,” Rabbi Wein writes, “is that they have been written with condescension, if not hostility, to the basic beliefs and true heroes of Jewry over the centuries.” Unlike histories written by secular authors, Rabbi Wein points to an “Author” in history, “. . . Who guides Israel to its destiny.”4 The sheer volume and variety of his output are hard to grasp.5 Having pioneered the use of audio tapes in Jewish education in the 1970s, he created the Destiny Foundation in the new century to take advantage of new media. With a team of filmmakers, he produced animated videos on the lives of Rashi and the Rambam, as well as a series of documentaries on the events of the twentieth century, and other topics. For many years, Rabbi Wein wrote a weekly column in the Jerusalem Post, and he continues to send newsletters, a weekly blog and a podcast to thousands of subscribers. Many of

these opinion pieces were recently collected in his latest book, In My Opinion (Destiny Foundation, 2020). In 1997, Rabbi Wein and his wife made aliyah and set up home in Jerusalem. Predictably, he was soon asked to give shiurim in the nearby Beit Knesset haNasi, a well-known synagogue in the Rechavia neighborhood with many Anglo members. And unsurprisingly, history repeated itself yet again in 2002 when he was invited to become the shul’s mara d’atra, a position he continues to occupy today. Now in his upper eighties, and despite impaired vision, Rabbi Wein still speaks and publishes on a myriad of topics, drawing on his formidable mind and memory to quote at will from Tanach, Shas and posekim. Long may he continue to inspire his congregation and his many thousands of admirers around the world.  Notes 1. Berel Wein, Teach Them Diligently (Jerusalem, 2014), p. 28. Rabbi Wein writes about his life experiences in this delightful autobiography. 2. www.rabbbiwein.com. 3. Patterns in Jewish History (Jerusalem, 2011). 4. Triumph of Survival (Brooklyn, NY, 1990), p. xi. 5. His many other books include a Haggadah, an English commentary on Pirkei Avot, and illustrated histories of the Mishnah and the Talmud. Visit rabbiwein.com for a complete listing.

e g a ll i v a s e It tak s s la g a e s i to ra by

REVIEW ESSAY

IN MY OPINION: Thoughts on Religion, Society and Life by a Very Opinionated Rabbi By Rabbi Berel Wein Alef to Tav, 2020 345 pages

Reviewed by Israel Mizrahi

abbi Berel Wein’s extensive and prolific career has cast him into various roles in his life, among them, a lawyer, pulpit rabbi, rosh yeshivah, journalist and tour guide. In My Opinion: Thoughts on Religion, Society and Life by a Very Opinionated Rabbi contains an anthology of brief essays collected from his published writings, offering his opinion and insight on issues ranging from the most mundane life experiences to world politics and major news events. As Rabbi Wein writes in his introduction, people are fascinating creatures with different perspectives; all progress is a result of diversity of opinion. “There is no doubt in my mind that if everyone agreed on everything and would not cross-pollinate the Jewish world with different opinions, Judaism and the Jewish people would not survive.” As a popular historian with a long and distinguished career, Rabbi Wein expresses opinions in this book from a vantage point uniquely his own, that of someone intimately familiar with Jewish history and at the same time involved and active in current Jewish affairs. Viewing life’s occurrences through the lens of history helps put things into perspective and allows

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for a refreshingly lucid approach that is rare in an era of sensationalism. On Jewish Pride Writing of President Barack Obama’s statement that “America has Israel’s back,” Rabbi Wein expresses his belief that with this declaration, President Obama was now free, even compelled, to judge Israel, its policies and government from the lofty level of the high ground he had staked out. While acknowledging America’s historical support for Israel, he points out the many policies American presidents have adopted that have proven counterproductive to Israel’s interests. “The simple fact is that the trains and rails to Auschwitz were never bombed. Does anyone really believe that the United States will go to war on behalf of Israel?” Pondering the ease with which Jews criticize El Al Israel Airlines’ service, Rabbi Wein reflects upon our loss of pride as a nation and how we take for granted that “Jews can pilot planes, own airlines, service their own meals, adhere to their own traditions and make it feel like home, even at 30,000 feet in the air.” He recalls a time in Poland when the Polish government allowed a railroad split to be built from Warsaw to the village of Gora Kalwaria, where the Gerrer Rebbe, the Imrei Emes, resided. This eighteen-mile track was used almost exclusively by the followers of the Imrei Emes, and, in a moment of tolerance, the government

allowed this rail line to be manned by Jews, including Jewish conductors who collected the train tickets. Jews at the time were proud of the idea that a Jewish conductor had the ability to ask you to give him your railway ticket. On the Value of Silence Tackling the phenomenon of people who feel themselves expert enough to know God’s mind in matters such as the reasons for natural disasters, Rabbi Wein takes on these “experts” head on. Using the Holocaust as an example, he opines that those who advance explanations and the certainty of knowing Heaven’s will do so only at their own peril. “Silence and acceptance, rebuilding and revitalizing, staying the course, and being humble about all matters is the wisest course for believing Jews to take.” On Major Challenges Facing the Jewish World A common theme in his writings in this volume is the need for unity between the various factions of the Jewish people. What is one’s responsibility to a community that does not meet one’s standards and expectations? In Israel, where this issue is ever relevant, the larger community has fractured and

Agree or disagree, you will find yourself “listening” to Rabbi Wein and hearing him out. Chareidi society maintains little connection to the society at large or to the national agenda. Looking back in time, Rabbi Wein compares the situation to that encountered by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in nineteenth-century Germany. In Frankfurt am Main, Rabbi Hirsch “established his famous Austritt community. Austritt literally means to step out. Rabbi Hirsch’s community left the Reform-led Jewish kehillah and established its own independent kehillah in place of it. However, great rabbis disagreed with his approach, foremost among them Rabbi Yitzchak Dov Bamberger and Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer. In Eastern Europe, the Netziv warned against following Rabbi Hirsch’s lead in the Lithuanian communities that were beginning to be dominated by secularists. He wrote strongly against separating from the general community.” Comparing it to the ongoing debate on Zionism today, Rabbi Wein hopes that we realize we are all together in the same boat in the middle of the voyage and that there is no option of “stepping out.” Rabbi Wein writes that in his view, the main issue facing world Jewry is its shrinking population. This is due to the ravages of assimilation and intermarriage, resulting from the failure of the non-Orthodox in the Diaspora to hold on to their youth in any meaningful manner. At the same time that these issues are neglected, “a glance at Jewish media would lead one to believe that the greatest issue that we must contend with today is where the Women of the Wall should be allowed to light their Chanukah menorah. There is no doubt in my mind that decades from now this currently important issue will have little resonance in the Jewish World.” While you may already have heard many of the opinions you will find in this book, you’ve never heard them with such freshness, and with Rabbi Wein’s trademark wit and humble style. Agree or disagree, you will find yourself “listening” to Rabbi Wein and hearing him out. In My Opinion is a strong contribution to the ongoing discussion in contemporary Jewish literature on matters in life from the most commonplace to the most consequential. It is a unique and interesting addition to the range of books authored by Rabbi Wein. 

Treat Yourself To... Another Great Read From Rabbi Berel Wein

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Israel Mizrahi is the owner of Mizrahi Bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, home to over 200,000 secondhand and antiquarian books of Jewish interest.

Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

FOOD

Keeping It Kosher in the Age of Corona By Merri Ukraincik

oon after the coronavirus reached North America, life-saving restrictions began to reshape every aspect of our daily lives, Jewish communal and ritual activities included. Shuls were shuttered for months. Yeshivot and shidduch dating went online, and Pesach 2020 was different than any Pesach almost anyone could remember. Meanwhile, a story of change and adaptability was unfolding behind the scenes at OU Kosher. The agency turned on a dime to keep its kosher supervision operations running smoothly, despite the massive disruptions of Covid-19. This success was, in great part, due to the efficiency and long arm of technology. But kosher supervision could not survive on Zoom alone. It was the strength of the relationships between OU Kosher and its client companies that made the transition to a tech-based pandemic-era operation possible. As a result, kosher food from its certified plants remained available Merri Ukraincik has written for the Forward, the New York Jewish Week, Hevria, the Wisdom Daily, Tablet and other publications, including Jewish Action. She is the author of I Live. Send Help, a history of the Joint Distribution Committee.

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throughout the pandemic’s first year, and continued through its second. The Start of the Pandemic OU Kosher Senior Rabbinic Field Representative (RFR) Rabbi Simcha Smolensky was scheduled to fly to Turkey on March 12, 2020 to conduct a routine factory inspection. But on March 11, a local mashgiach phoned him with news of the first coronavirus cases in Istanbul, cautioning him

about a possible airport lockdown. “I decided it wasn’t worth the risk of getting stuck there,” remembers Rabbi Smolensky, who is based in Chicago. He would have no regrets. The pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt that week. OU Kosher’s New York offices shut down, its staff decamping to work at home. Travel restrictions, border closures and shelter-in-place orders grounded its global network

Putting Hand Sanitizer Within Reach Thornton Distilling—an OU-certified spirits distillery located in a small Chicago suburb— began producing batches of hand sanitizer for community first responders when it became elusive at the height of the pandemic. Police officers popped in for some. Firefighters followed, then paramedics from the first aid squad, and when word got out, staff from the local ER. The distillery was soon unable to keep up with demand. It had sources for the alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. But when hand sanitizer’s third primary ingredient, glycerin, still proved hard to come by, Thornton’s manager reached out to OU Kosher Senior RFR Rabbi Simcha Smolensky for help in acquiring it. Rabbi Smolensky contacted Vantage Oleo Chemicals, an OU-certified company that produces glycerin in Chicago. Because the brand manager’s brother is a police officer and her sister is a nurse, the cause resonated. She arranged for Vantage to donate 300 gallons to the effort, and the OU assisted in having it transferred to the distillery. This shidduch made it possible for Thornton to produce ample hand sanitizer for local first responders at a time of critical need.

OU Rabbinic Field Representative Rabbi Moshe Perlmutter inspecting Allen Flavors Inc. in New Jersey. Photos: Meir Kruter

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We have always prioritized the safety and well-being of our mashgichim, and the pandemic has been no exception. -Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO, OU Kosher of over 900 RFRs. Factories locked their doors to inspections. Under normal conditions, agency policy is to drop supervision if mashgichim have no access to a plant. But it was the height of a pandemic. OU Rabbinic Coordinator (RC) Rabbi Chaim Goldberg, the OU’s fish expert, says, “We did not want to do that to our companies, nor did we want a return to 1950s kashrus, leaving the kosher consumer to read labels and hope for the best.” OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack’s top priority became figuring out “how to continue operations until we could get our personnel back in the door.” In order to proceed, OU Kosher had to evaluate each facility individually. It had to suspend supervision when it could not guarantee adherence to protocols without an in-person inspection. It cancelled limited product runs, like special cholov Yisrael lines and dropped a cheese company when plants would not accommodate the required presence of a mashgiach temidi. Virtual inspections took place. But they worked effectively only because kashrus supervisors already had well-established relationships with the companies in their bailiwick, and factory-specific supervision protocols were long in place. As such, they posed mostly the same potential stumbling blocks as on-site ones. RC Rabbi Mordechai Stareshefsky points out, “We knew the people and the ins and outs of our plants, and where they might be hiding 30

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problematic ingredients. We were able to continue supervision without too much additional concern, despite the limitations.” While individual plants may have posed specific challenges as OU Kosher moved to tech-based inspections, there was one major obstacle it faced everywhere. “Factories are hollow caves. They have terrible WiFi,” says Rabbi Stareshefsky, who travels regularly to visit the over 229 companies and 400 plants he supervises. Another unavoidable obstacle of a virtual tour is the fact that smartphone video signals are often disturbed when passing electrical motors or concrete-and-steel work areas, or inside all-metal buildings. RFR Rabbi Gabe Brojges, who inspects plants in Western Canada and several western US locations, says this simply requires For Dallas-based RFR Rabbi Yisroel Blitz, the ability to access and analyze data has transformed how he inspects a major baking goods supplier he has visited for years. He used to examine only a few basic rows within the plant’s six-story refrigerator. On virtual inspections, he has access to the breadth of the refrigerator’s inventory control system that maps the contents of each bay. It has been a gamechanger, enabling him to spot check any product from any location within the refrigerator by name.

extra “patience to collect sufficient views of the items you are focusing on.” Some plants installed routers to help resolve several of these issues. Meanwhile, OU Kosher’s own operations went high-tech almost overnight—a new world for a good number of its mashgichim, who had never heard of Zoom, Google Duo, BlueJeans or other videoconferencing and screensharing apps. For twenty-five-year-veteran RFR Rabbi Dovid Rosen, who covers the Maritimes, Ontario, parts of New England and his home province of Quebec, the shift was life-changing. “I was old school before, but now I really rely on technology.” A Virtual Shift Many people still envision a food company as a glorified kitchen where workers select ingredients, blend them together, and then cook or bake a product, using some discretion in the process, according to Rabbi Gavriel Price, an RC in the OU’s Ingredients Department. But to participate in today’s global food supply chain, the trend is for companies to put in place increasingly rigorous quality control systems that monitor every single aspect of production. “People fail to notice that the retail products we eat—whether orange juice, ice cream or potato chips— are remarkably consistent in both their taste and quality,” Rabbi Price says. “This consistency is the result of an extraordinary infrastructure of quality and safety systems that inform ingredient production at multiple steps along the supply chain.”

Most relevant to kashrus, he points out, is that these systems are driven by software management programs that provide robust quality and safety controls. For example, they allow only select ingredients to be used on specified equipment, and in some cases, limit which operators may perform tasks in the production process. While food production was once a “fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants operation,” Rabbi Stareshefsky adds that yearly quality audits are now required for companies to earn SQF (Safe Quality Food) or HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) certification. Most big corporations and supermarket chains will only accept products made in plants covered by these audits. “Everyone relies on them,” he says. What this means is that there are multiple ways for a kosher supervisor to know what is happening at a plant. Every ingredient that enters a factory, when and where it is used— all this information is accessible through a company’s computer system. “Traceability reports, activity logs, and production schedules are all part and parcel of a modern manufacturing facility,” says Rabbi Stareshefsky. While the onsite presence of an RFR remains critical, those visits can be supplemented in a vigorous way by the auditing of data that has been accessed remotely. What’s involved in a data audit? Rabbi Price explains that generally, he will ask his contact at a plant to screen share the entire history of various ingredients—when they were purchased, from whom, in what quantity, what products they went into, and on what date. He insists on documentation that independently substantiates the claims; for example, a Bill of Lading traces the chain of custody of each ingredient. Because he only identifies the ingredients at the time of the audit and goes through them one by one, the process is meticulous and time-consuming. But he is learning how to make the audits shorter while equally effective. Meanwhile, the companies have become more

flexible, opening their internal systems in order to remain on good terms with kashrus auditors during the challenging period of the pandemic. Back on the Factory Floor Most factories reopened by mid-May 2020, though mashgichim continued with virtual inspections of plants that remained shut, and when travel or an on-site visit posed a health risk. Rabbis might even arrive at a plant, only to be barred at the door due to a sudden uptick in cases.

“JFK Airport was a ghost town the first time I flew after factories began to reopen. It really hit me then that we were stuck in a pandemic,” recalls RC Rabbi Mordechai Stareshefsky. “I’d just recovered from Covid and felt ready to head back out there to get kashrus done. But no one was asked to travel if he felt uncomfortable.”

Rabbi Perlmutter with a factory worker at Allen Flavors Inc.

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Quarantining in a Crunch By Rabbi Eli Eleff

When Covid broke in March 2020, I had one overriding concern: how would we supervise a massive cheese plant in the Midwest? The plant required hashgachah temidis, a constant mashgiach, 24/7—even on Pesach. Under normal circumstances, we hire a different crew of mashgichim for Pesach, as those who are there year-round want to be home with their families. Last year, as the lockdown began in earnest with shuls, schools and businesses shutting down, I had no idea what we were going to do. How much of a risk was Covid? Would the plant allow mashgichim in? While the plant was deemed essential, would the mashgichim be legally allowed to cross state lines? This was early on in the pandemic, and protocols were still being determined, but I quickly made a decision: I told the new crew— two single gentlemen—that they would have to quarantine. I gave them twenty-four hours’ notice and a budget to buy all their Pesach food and necessities and then leave New York City. We managed to rent a remote Airbnb near the plant on an acre in the woods, where the young men quarantined. When two weeks were up, they moved into a house across the street from the plant (which the company provides for OU mashgichim), kashered it for Pesach and spent Pesach there, overseeing the run at the plant. I’m thankful to Hashem for granting us the foresight to quarantine the mashgichim in advance. If not, the OU would never have been allowed in, jeopardizing our ability to provide kosher consumers with products they rely on. Rabbi Eli Eleff is the managing director of OU Kosher Community Relations, and teaches nonprofit management at several institutions of higher learning.

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“We have always prioritized the safety and well-being of our mashgichim, and the pandemic has been no exception,” says OU Kosher COO Rabbi Moshe Elefant. “I’ve told them not to go if they are uneasy. They aren’t saving lives. If people didn’t get their favorite nosh, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world, though everyone has gotten their nosh.” Still, it has not been business as usual. Rabbi Genack insisted from the outset that supervisors stay abreast of frequently changing state laws and Covid safety requirements, including quarantine rules. Corporate policies have determined what happens at the plants themselves. In some factories, PPE was already de rigueur for sanitary purposes. Social distancing, face shields, temperature checks and medical questionnaires set new standards for everyone’s safety. As of this past March, San Diego-based RFR Rabbi Aharon Shapiro was still conducting inspections in northern Mexico virtually, though he was able to visit most of his ninety-five plants in the southwestern US in person. He used to fly to Phoenix, but during the past year, the plants there asked him to drive instead; two-day trips became three-day trips or longer. Rabbi Rosen resumed on-site inspections at half of his plants in the fall. Though the Maritimes remained closed to all but essential workers, one company managed to get authorization for him to come in. However, they had to follow him from the airport to the hotel, bring him anything he needed during his stay, and escort him back to the airport for his trip home to ensure he did not venture beyond the factory. For plants overseas, OU Kosher often relies on local Chabad shluchim as well as mashgichim from Israel, though they have had limited access and freedom of movement at different points during the pandemic. Despite complications and restrictions, some kosher supervisors have also been able to resume limited travel abroad from the US. When an older mashgiach felt uncomfortable traveling to plants in Senegal and Ghana, Rabbi Goldberg went in his place, making two trips from New York to inspect a fish company. He spent nearly twenty-four hours masked while in transit and followed extensive Covid protocols at the factory. He also needed to time his PCR test exactly for his arrival in the country, though the rules for visitors kept changing, requiring vigilant rechecking of airline and government websites before his departure. “In a way, I took one for the team,” he says, “but in fact, this was a rare opportunity for me to travel to exotic countries.” Food Service and the Pandemic While food production is generally recession-proof, OU Kosher supervisors have witnessed both the inevitable economic impact of the pandemic on some of their companies and the remarkable resilience of others. Slaughterhouses were affected early on, resulting in price increases that have since stabilized, and there was a dip in availability when Empire Kosher Poultry temporarily

shut down in April 2020. But the food service industry specifically— producers of bulk onion rings, milk, cheese and packaged snacks, for example—was hard hit by lockdowns and other Covid-safety restrictions that kept restaurants closed for months, cut the size of catered events and negatively impacted tourism. Rabbi Shapiro reports that in Arizona and Nevada in particular, factories supplying gas station minimarts struggled because those businesses saw a downturn with fewer people on the road. The same food service companies are no longer filling the vending machines on college campuses that have gone virtual. One of Rabbi Stareshefsky’s clients, a spice company that received OU certification right before the start of the pandemic, has shown enormous adaptability. Sales dried up early on when wholesale customers no longer needed five-pound canisters of its spice blends. Yet the company quickly switched gears, developing a retail brand and a fast-growing Internet business. Businesses with both wholesale and retail divisions have seen the latter increase as more people are cooking at home and online sales have skyrocketed. While retail has not made up for the gap totally, it has helped many OU-certified companies remain afloat.

The Human Touch The good rapport rabbinic supervisors have developed with factory management over the years has made all the difference during the pandemic. “I have always kept up personal relationships with my contacts at the plants,” says Rabbi Rosen. “They know who I am, and what to expect when I walk in. Together, we made this work.” Rabbi Elefant agrees, emphasizing that OU Kosher has been doing what it can to help companies get comfortable with operational changes. “We knew everyone was struggling,” he says, “Though we’ve always aimed to, it’s the time to really put menschlichkeit first, to make a kiddush Hashem.” Several non-Jewish plant managers have used the opportunity of Rabbi Shapiro’s site visits to seek his spiritual guidance as they face the painful challenges of the pandemic. “We Jews have a history of these kinds of communal crises; non-Jews, less so. People are looking for answers, to understand why this is happening, for perspective and understanding,” he reflects. “I am grateful that they see in our relationship an opening to discuss big questions they are grappling with, perhaps for the first time in their lives.” Over the course of the past year and a half, Rabbi Price has noticed an interesting paradox. “The experience has motivated us to regroup as an organization by leveraging modern

technology to our greater advantage. But we have also come to appreciate more than ever how indispensable our field representatives are to the nuts and bolts of kashrus, to our relationships with our companies, and what their human touch really can accomplish.” Pesach Prep Jewish communities braced for Pesach in 2020 as travel plans and invitations were cancelled at the eleventh hour. Many individuals and families who had never made the holiday at home rushed to order new pots and pans on Amazon. But how could they toivel them when the kelim mikvah was closed due to Covid? OU Kosher quickly updated its online resources (the OU Passover Guide 2020 was already in print) to help answer a flood of unprecedented questions. Though not intended to replace a halachic advisor, OU Kosher staff offered a basic framework for navigating Pesach preparations under the extenuating circumstances of a pandemic. Luckily, Covid had almost no impact on Pesach food availability because “the calendar worked in our favor, both last year and this year,” says Rabbi Elefant. Most kosher for Passover food is manufactured during the period just after the Yamim Noraim and before Chanukah. So 2020 production was completed before the pandemic, and US factories had mostly reopened

Rabbi Genack credits his team’s adaptability—from going high-tech overnight to finding new ways to leverage a factory’s data management system—for enabling OU Kosher to maintain the same high standards behind the OU product label as before the pandemic. 34

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Continued on page 37

Stuck in Samoa

ocated halfway between Honolulu and Sydney, American Samoa, a far-flung collection of islands in the South Pacific, took a strict stance toward the Covid virus from the beginning. On March 18, 2020, recalling how the island territory beat the pandemic of 1918 by establishing a year-long quarantine, the governor declared a public health emergency across the entire territory. While this decisive act proved to be effective at keeping the virus at bay (as of this writing, there has been only a handful of confirmed cases in American Samoa), it posed somewhat of a challenge for Rabbi Reuven Nathanson, director of OU Kosher’s West Coast Kashruth Division, who was visiting the islands to conduct a quarterly inspection of the StarKist Cannery in Pago Pago, the capital. For the Los Angeles-based Rabbi Nathanson, who has been working with OU Kosher for more than three decades, American Samoa was only the first stop in a jam-packed itinerary that included inspecting the tuna cannery, and then passing through Western Samoa, some 100 miles away, en route to oversee the wine grape harvest at wineries in New Zealand and Australia (the

By JA Staff

grape harvest generally takes place between January and March in the Southern Hemisphere). Once he disembarked in American Samoa, however, airport staff had passengers fill out a contact tracing form and began vigorously checking temperatures. Rabbi Nathanson was taken aback. “It was early on in the pandemic so no one really knew what was happening,” he says. They then asked him: “Where in American Samoa will you be staying for the next five days?” “Five days?” he asked, startled. He told them he planned on inspecting a plant in the morning and leaving in the afternoon for a twenty-minute flight to Western Samoa. Since there are no direct flights to New Zealand from American Samoa, Rabbi Nathanson flies to Auckland via Western Samoa at least once or twice a year for OU Kosher. But this time, it was looking less and less likely that he would be able to make it to Auckland. The airport staff was adamant. “There are new regulations. You have to take a Covid test and await the results.” Results in the early days of the pandemic took five days. But even taking the Covid test wasn’t a simple matter—he could not get the test without a Samoan insurance

card, which he didn’t have. “Can I pay for the test?” he asked. “No,” they said. He decided to visit the Western Samoa Consulate and explain his situation; they wouldn’t let him inside the building due to Covid-19, but they managed to convey their sentiments: “Get the test or don’t bother going.” Then they added: “In Western Samoa, they might even insist on a fourteen-day quarantine.” Despite the fact that he was halfway toward his destination—New Zealand—Rabbi Nathanson realized he would have to fly back to Honolulu (a five-hour flight), then back to LA (another five-hour flight) and catch a flight to Auckland from there. He arrived in LA on a Friday and was scheduled to depart for New Zealand on Motzaei Shabbat. Once he was back in LA, however, Divine Providence was clearly at play. He discovered a message from the winery left on his answering machine: Due to unforeseen weather conditions, the grapes are not ready for harvest. Kindly postpone your trip by a week. Rabbi Nathanson flew to Melbourne the following week, one of the last flights to get into Australia before it shut for the pandemic. He never made it to New Zealand. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

Ensure a bright and healthy future for the Jewish community

Mashgiach on the Go By JA Staff

Rabbi Yisroel Hollander supervising a Pesach run of Slivovitz at Rudolf Jelinek in the Czech Republic.

n an ordinary week, Rabbi Yisroel Hollander, who lives in Antwerp, Belgium, finds himself taking between four and six flights throughout Europe; he also averages about 50,000 miles annually on his car.

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Such intense traveling is not unusual in Rabbi Hollander’s profession. As OU Kosher’s senior rabbinical representative of Europe, Rabbi Hollander, who has been working for the organization for twenty-five years and speaks six languages, supervises the majority of OU-certified companies in Europe, including Eastern Europe. “I am always moving from place to place,” he says. Covid, however, has made his usually hectic schedule seem almost relaxing. One week this past March, Rabbi Hollander’s itinerary was dizzying: On Tuesday—Poland, Wednesday—Italy, Thursday—Portugal. But while trying to plan the itinerary some weeks before the trip, the British-born rabbi, who must take a weekly Covid test in order to pass airport security, realized he had a problem: there were no evening flights. “Before Covid, I had the pick of flights,” he says. “Since Covid, I can’t plan more than a day in advance.” To make matters worse, because so many initial inspections of plants had been delayed due to the virus, there was a significant backlog. (An initial inspection takes place when a plant that has never been certified kosher gets a comprehensive review, an intense process that takes hours.) One of the hallmarks of an effective mashgiach is flexibility. Early the next morning, Rabbi Hollander flew to Prague, then drove five hours to Poland to visit a granola company. With no flights available, he decided to drive to Italy, over 1,000 miles away. “I’m on the continent,” he said. “I can drive everywhere.” He left Poland at 11:30 in the morning, driving through snow and getting stopped at three country borders (Germany, Austria and Italy) along the way, before arriving at his hotel in Italy at 10:30 pm. After visiting an Italian chocolate company the following morning, Rabbi Hollander was on his way once again, driving five hours to the airport in Munich, where he caught a flight to Madrid. “Yesterday I didn’t know how I was getting from point A to point B,” he says. He slept over in Madrid and flew to Portugal the next morning. “Every week, my wife used to ask me what my schedule is for the week—which countries I’ll be visiting,” says the rabbi. “I used to know the answer.”

Continued from page 34

by the fall, allowing for a mashgiach temidi to oversee OU Kosher’s Passover 2021 certification. In Israel, too, Pesach production proceeded as normal despite a huge Covid surge because the country considers mashgichim essential workers. There were no significant shortages heading into this Pesach. “Even the Coke was ready well in advance,” Rabbi Elefant reported. Silver Linings and the Future “Technology has proven the silver lining of a painful pandemic,” says Rabbi Smolensky. For starters, the operational changes implemented to safeguard kashrus when plants first closed down following the outbreak of Covid-19 are steadily being integrated into the way OU Kosher does business for the long-term. “Forensic auditing is now more of an integral part of our protocols,” says Rabbi Elefant. But there has been wide-reaching

impact within OU Kosher that goes well beyond the way its supervisors conduct factory inspections. Masghichim have become far more tech savvy, making it possible for them to conduct remote audits. The added benefit, however, is that it has increased their broader knowledge of kashrus by giving them more opportunities to learn from one another. Rabbi Genack’s weekly in-house meetings with his team of rabbinic coordinators moved from a conference room to an online conference call last March. Rather than narrowing the scope of those discussions, Zoom broadened them. “More people are engaged in dialogue about kashrus issues. It’s proven more inclusive and more effective,” he observes. Also, rabbinic coordinators now virtually accompany RFRs and mashgichim on both virtual and on-site plant inspections. The change has expanded the number of OU Kosher staff who “travel,” giving

them more in-depth familiarity with certified plants. Borders have dissolved, too, as mashgichim who were once considered specific to one region have begun using remote sessions to assist in other locations. Rabbi Genack credits his team’s adaptability—from going high-tech overnight to finding new ways to leverage a factory’s data management system—for enabling OU Kosher to maintain the same high standards behind the OU product label as before. He adds, “These short-term changes are becoming part of the fundamental way we operate, and they will strengthen our certification going forward.” 

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Photo: Massimo Giachetti/Shutterstock

Courtesy of the Maimonides School

Photo: michelmon/Shutterstock

Covid’s Jewi sh Fro On

Courtesy of Neshama Foundation

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

Courtesy of NASCK

Courtesy of Neshama Foundation

Courtesy of Ida Crown Jewish Academy

ntlines

Photo: HASPhotos/Shutterstock

Courtesy of the Maimonides School

In the section that follows, we pay tribute to the various individuals who served on Covid’s Jewish frontlines. But these individuals do not just represent themselves. Through their personal stories, we recognize all of the hardworking doctors, nurses, medical professionals, rabbis, rebbetzins, principals, mikvah attendants, members of the chevra kadisha and so many others who exhibited extraordinary resilience, selflessness and dedication during the pandemic.

Photo: Independent Photo Agency Srl/Alamy Stock Photo

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COVER STORY

The Pandemic Classroom

succeeded his father as rabbi of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. Some 300 junior high school students, mostly from Passaic and a few communities and neighborhoods in nearby New York City, took part in Rabbi Ari Rabbi Schonfeld’s first night on the Schonfeld program. The number of participants By Steve Lipman quickly grew to 1,500, hailing from across the United States, as well as Two days from South Africa, England, Israel after Covid and other countries; a separate Night forced Yeshiva Seder Europe eventually developed. Beis Hillel of Passaic to close its “I exceeded my wildest dreams,” doors, Rabbi Ari Schonfeld went says the rabbi. “NSA went viral.” online. His eighth-grade class at Each hour-long NSA session featured the northern New Jersey day school a Gemara shiur by Rabbi Schonfeld, missed “one day, maybe two,” before beginning with Masechet Tamid, as he resumed teaching on Zoom. well as lectures by prominent rabbis A week after the school closed, and scholars, often prerecorded, about Rabbi Schonfeld went national. the then upcoming Pesach holiday. A native of the Kew Gardens Hills Quizzes and contests, such as an neighborhood of Queens, the rabbi, online version of “Simon Says,” “That’s who has lived in the Passaic-Clifton My Psak,” and “Best Chol Hamoed area for several years, founded “Night Trip without Leaving Your House” Seder America,” an online program earned raffles and prizes to pique the for boys in junior high school to students’ interest. For Lag B’Omer, enable them to learn gemara in the he ran a virtual version of his camp’s evenings despite the pandemic. First, Neighborhood Day competition, he reached out to his network of pitting teams from New York City friends, former or current students, against “out-of-town” competitors. and one-time campers at the local day Wednesdays became “Pshetl Night”— camp he runs, Camp Eeshay. Soon, boys with a bar mitzvah that week word of mouth quickly expanded his reserved a slot, sending in recordings program beyond his original modest of their bar mitzvah speeches; even expectations, all while he was still if their synagogues weren’t closed, teaching his online day school classes they had a bigger audience than to sixth, seventh and eighth-graders. they might have gotten normally. “I had never heard of Zoom,” he While NSA was among several says. He was a quick learner. He taught popular online Torah study programs himself the intricacies of this Internet that flourished in this country during form of communication that became the height of the pandemic, Rabbi a lifeline for millions of people during Schonfeld considers his initiative the the pandemic. During Night Seder only one of its scope aimed at filling America (NSA) sessions, he would the time and minds of pre-teen boys. sit in front of a pair of large monitors Other online offerings were mostly in his office, toggling among eighty “entertainment,” like talent shows galleries of faces that each contained and singing competitions, says Rabbi twenty students. And he incorporated security measures to prevent NSA from Schonfeld; he wanted something more serious. Some parents shared being interrupted by hackers. “I saw that their sons, who were often a need for an online Torah platform,” uninspired by traditional in-person says Rabbi Schonfeld, grandson of the late Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld and Talmud classes, would get up early to son of Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, who prepare for that night’s Zoom session.

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For Rabbi Schonfeld, NSA became a family affair, with his wife Esti, his sister Malki Goldberg and his children contributing various roles. He became a self-taught fundraiser for the program; the $40,000 he brought in paid for prizes and for NSA’s high-tech requirements. The lesson he learned from NSA’s success? Friends had told him he was “nuts” when he started. “I learned that you don’t sell yourself short when you’re about to do something big.” Steve Lipman is a frequent contributor to Jewish Action.

Rabbi Leonard Matanky By Sandy Eller It was on the morning of March 13, 2020, that Rabbi Leonard Matanky, dean of Chicago’s Ida Crown Jewish Academy, informed his parent body that while the yeshivah would be remaining open until further notice, he had taken the precaution of having Zoom installed on every student’s iPad, just to be safe. Little did he know that just hours later, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker would issue a surprise announcement closing down all schools statewide. Rabbi Matanky was driving home from school when someone called to tell him that Ida Crown was officially closed, news that he was sure at first was a joke. But a text a few minutes later from another person telling him to turn on the TV and watch the governor’s press conference had him realizing that the situation was anything but funny. With Shabbat coming shortly, Rabbi Matanky sent his second email of the day to the parent body, apprising parents of the latest developments and explaining that additional information would be forthcoming. Wasting no time, he arranged a Motzaei Shabbat Zoom meeting with his staff, and by Sunday,

a remote schooling plan was in place. “We had an in-service day on Monday for teachers to review the technology and discuss strategies for successful distance learning,” recalls Rabbi Matanky. “We did it in shifts so that we could limit the number of people and invited students to come pick up their textbooks and other belongings.” By Tuesday morning, less than ninety-six hours after Governor Pritzker’s bombshell announcement, Ida Crown’s high schoolers were learning on Zoom. The modified academic schedule had shortened days Monday through Thursday, with Friday classes held only on alternate weeks. “One of the challenges our teachers faced was determining what skills were absolutely necessary for students to move on to the next level,” says Rabbi Matanky. “There was a lot of trimming, but we did it and were able to complete the core curriculum.” When it became clear in mid-April that school would remain closed for the year, special programming was added to the calendar including a Yom Ha’atzmaut concert with Ishay Ribo, town hall meetings for students and parents, and mental health workshops to address the stresses of the pandemic. With Covid numbers rising as the school year went on, graduation was postponed until August and held on the school’s soccer field. “All the graduates came with their family pods and were able to march down the aisle, walk across the stage and get their diplomas,” says Rabbi Matanky. “It was somewhat regular, although the biplane carrying a message ‘ICJA Class of 2020’ was a little fancier than graduations of the past.” Just days later Ida Crown reopened for the new academic year. Because the school building is only five years old, it has an updated HVAC system, MERV 13 air filters and 75 percent outside air coming into the building. Strict protocols included mandatory social distancing and one-way traffic in the hallways, with students permitted to remove their masks only for fifteen minutes during their lunch period, based on CDC guidelines. Having been

ahead of the curve when it came to remote schooling, Rabbi Matanky was grateful for the opportunity to be able to share information with other heads of school, giving them the security of knowing that education could continue, even during a pandemic. “Our teachers are heroes. Our students are heroes,” says Rabbi Matanky. “Things are slowly opening up, and to our great joy, we haven’t been closed a single day and, please God, we won’t be.” Sandy Eller is a freelance writer who writes for numerous websites, newspapers, magazines and private clients.

Sarena Schwartz By Steve Lipman Like many day schools in the United States, Bais Yaakov of Baltimore stopped in-person classes shortly after the pandemic began. For most of the teachers at the 1,500-student, K-12 school, this largely meant education via Zoom. For Sarena Schwartz, a decade-long instructor in computer programming and STEM, this meant Zoom classes, Skype, phone calls and other creative approaches to her work. Before Covid arrived, her schedule had always been predictable—a few classes each week with a total of some fifty students in tenth through twelfth grades. After Covid arrived, her schedule was completely unpredictable. “We teachers were on call all the time”— including constant questions from students by phone, email or text, she says, sometimes even after midnight. Schwartz says she and her fellow teachers faced similar challenges when the school—which reopened this past September—initially closed its doors: Zoom fatigue, attention issues and limited Internet access in students’ homes. Schwartz, who teaches students about innovation, had to be innovative.

To sustain the students’ interest, she created a series of twenty-minute videos that students could view online at their convenience. She reduced the amount of material she normally tried to cover and taught her lessons more slowly. She also reduced the homework load. In order to physically get some of the curriculum requirements to the girls without compromising their safety, she’d leave material for assignments in the trunk of her car for students to pick up. Sometimes she worked in her pantry. “It was the only place I could find that offered quiet and privacy.” Her efforts bore fruit, she says. Considering the inherent limitations of the unfamiliar virtual environment, students continued to learn and to submit assignments. Back in the classroom for much of this past academic year, Schwartz says she was able to introduce some of her online teaching successes into her in-person classes. “There are lots of [new] techniques that I’ve been able to incorporate.” These include increasing her flexibility when it comes to students’ ability to concentrate and other individual needs, and truncating the length of learning units. What prepared Schwartz for her new role? “Nothing could have prepared me,” she says simply.

Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Jaffe By Barbara Bensoussan “If you told us last summer our school would be able to stay open in person without a single shutdown from September to Thanksgiving, we would have been happy,” says Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Jaffe, dean of Jewish studies at the Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. “If you told us we’d keep going through the end of December, we would have been overjoyed. But if you told us we’d still be in school in person by Purim without a single shutdown, we would never have believed you!” Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

As of March 2021, when this article was being prepared, the school had logged over a thousand hours of in-person class time, and not a single student had gotten ill with Covid at school. Rabbi Jaffe attributes this to guidance by physicians, the collaboration among the Jewish schools in Boston, the diligence of parents in following school guidelines, and siyata d’Shmaya. “Boston was lucky in March [2020],” Rabbi Jaffe says. “The earliest Covid clusters were in New York, not here.” But a number of concerned physicians affiliated with the major Boston medical schools and hospitals appealed to the Jewish community to close schools and shuls as a precaution before a big spike in cases last spring, and they made themselves available to advise all Jewish day schools for the twelve months following. Since the Jewish schools closed earlier than the public schools, they needed to communicate their rationale to the town of Brookline. Fortunately, a doctor affiliated with Harvard Medical School stepped up to the plate and served as a liaison. The Jewish Federations of Boston (CJP) convened a medical advisory board as part of their day school initiative. The board worked with all of the day schools in the area, giving advice on the latest guidelines to families from every stripe of Judaism. Since the Covid rate dropped during the summer (with some day camps operating but Modern Orthodox sleepaway camps mostly canceled), Boston’s day schools decided jointly to open in the fall. Many schools opened up even before Labor Day to increase the days when outdoor instruction was possible. While the public schools remained closed to in-person instruction, the Jewish schools and non-Jewish parochial schools needed to establish close communication with the township to once again explain that they were imposing slightly different guidelines that would allow them to be open in person even if the public schools were not. For example, even though the desks would be slightly less spaced 42

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apart than the six-feet standard, the day schools imposed a stricter policy about waiting to send children back to school if the family had traveled anywhere out of state. Parents were asked to keep children with fever home, and each day, parents had to attest that their children had no Covid symptoms. If a child developed fever at school, the parent was expected to immediately come pick up the child. Parents were also asked to sign a “School Community Covid-19 Commitment,” created in collaboration with other day schools, in which they promised to wear masks outside the home, socially distance, wash their hands, sanitize responsibly and follow state guidelines. The end result was that the day schools stayed open with 90 percent of the children in attendance, and the remaining 10 percent (for example, students with family members suffering from autoimmune conditions) learning remotely. “Maimonides’ CEO, Scott Mattoon, invested incredible hours in creating transparent, clear communication between the schools and our advising physicians,” says Rabbi Jaffe. “Our parents have been super careful, and in the end—here truth really is stranger than fiction!— we’re still open after all these months.” A long-time Jewish Action contributor, Barbara Bensoussan is the author of Pride and Preference, a novel re-imagining Austen’s classic in today’s Orthodox world.

Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield By Leah Lightman How does a head of school described as an “inspired and optimistic educational leader” navigate the challenges of Covid? Head of school at Houston’s Yeshiva Torat Emet (YTE) since 2010, Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield, Ed.D, handled

Covid as he handles many other decisions that he needs to make on a daily, weekly and monthly basis: he conducts research and consults experts. Often there are conflicting sources of information. Together with his board, faculty and administration, as well as the parent and student bodies, he makes decisions knowing that each one will be pleasing to some while unsatisfying to others. Lots of communication to the school community follows. If some disagree with a particular decision, dialogue within an atmosphere of total respect for the other person’s point of view ensues. “Shalom is a core Torah value that we have instilled into the foundation of everything YTE does,” Rabbi Garfield explains. “Not everyone is going to agree about everything, including Covid. Because of shalom, we make room for individuals to voice opinions without judgment or character assassination.” Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Rabbi Garfield explains that Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Levin, grandson of Rabbi Aryeh Levin, zt”l, impressed upon the Garfield family that shalom precedes everything else in life. Rabbi Garfield still consults with him for advice. A few of the endless issues generated by Covid were: To mask or not to mask? To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? If vaccinating, which vaccine? And so on. “The spectrum of opinions about Covid and other issues is limitless,” Rabbi Garfield explains, “and that’s okay. As long as there is communication, we can address and solve anything.” Several YTE faculty members preferred not to come to school at different points during Covid. After discussing their concerns, arrangements were made for teaching remotely. YTE staffed the classroom so students could best focus on learning. “There was a child at home with Covid who was disconnected from Zoom and missed some schoolwork. The parent called because the student was agitated about falling behind. We talked it through, and

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I wrote a letter on official school letterhead, exempting the student from schoolwork and tests for one week. The child calmed down. The parent calmed down. Our teachers did all this b’shalom, fully supporting the child,” says Rabbi Garfield. “We communicate openly about doing what’s best for our students, and we explain how we do it. This has created a culture of trust, and within this culture, we adapt as much as possible to each individual situation,” Rabbi Garfield says. “Covid has not been an easy journey, but our teachers are dedicated and ready to do anything to foster a child’s development. YTE celebrates its teachers in many ways— car washes, appreciation luncheons, gift certificates. Our parents value our teachers and step up to express it. Hakarat hatov goes a long way.” Undoubtedly, Covid will cast a shadow for years to come. Yet the culture of shalom that Rabbi Garfield has built will certainly carry YTE and its family members far. Leah Lightman is a freelance writer living in Lawrence, New York, with her family.

Leadership During Covid Rabbi Mordechai Willig By Sandy Eller Posekim are no strangers to dealing with life-and-death questions posed to them by shul rabbanim as various situations arise. But as the pandemic struck, there were numerous instances when Rabbi Mordechai Willig found himself juggling well over a dozen such she’eilot simultaneously, a situation that was anything but common. As doctors struggled to navigate a medical path through the pandemic, 44

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rabbis everywhere were facing unprecedented halachic issues as the most basic components of everyday life were called into question. Being able to daven in shul was suddenly up in the air, and as schools and businesses closed and quarantines became a reality, life-cycle events like weddings, bar mitzvahs, britot, levayot and shivah visits had to be restructured through the prism of the pandemic. Rabbi Mordechai Willig and Rabbi Hershel Schachter, both roshei yeshivah and roshei kollel at Yeshiva University, burned the midnight oil for months on end as Covid transformed the world. “They really gave themselves over to the rabbinic community and we all knew we could call at any moment, with any issues,” recalls Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, rabbi of the Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton in New Jersey and the dean of YU’s Center for the Jewish Future and University Life. “The most remarkable part was that as we were all preparing shiurim about Covid issues and had to learn how to proceed, it seemed as if someone had come up to Rabbi Schachter and Rabbi Willig eight months before the pandemic and warned them to brush up on their knowledge, because they just knew the answers to the questions that arose. You really saw their mastery of halachah as they were able to draw from so many places and sources in real time to address she’eilot that had likely never been asked before in our lifetimes.” One unique issue that arose immediately was how to sell chametz with practically the entire world on lockdown. Rabbi Willig shaped policies for online mechirah that were used by shuls nationwide. “Just the guidance on how to prioritize in the context of a pandemic—where to be flexible and where not to be—was crucial,” observes Rabbi Glasser. “Rabbis wanted to be able to lead communities in a way that these flexibilities would not become concretized in religious life as the new norm.” Rabbi Willig worked hand in hand with Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt on the myriad medical issues that

arose in every aspect of religious life to ensure that all piskei halachah were based on medical facts. “That set an example that you couldn’t go through the pandemic listening to a million articles and people,” notes Rabbi Glasser. “Rabbi Willig never wavered on the idea that you need an expert and you have to trust them. The message that we as rabbanim got was that doing your hishtadlut meant listening to doctors and that emunah is understanding that those results are what is supposed to be, without second-guessing them.” In addition to giving Zoom shiurim and playing a significant role in shaping communal policies, Rabbi Willig fielded hundreds of questions at all hours of day and night: Q: People who have prepaid for a rental in Florida from other frum owners for Pesach were asked to stay away. Do they have a halachic right to get their money back? Rav Willig: All dinei mamonot she’eilot should wait till after the crisis. Q: What’s the halachah with regard to cremating Jews who have passed away from Covid? Rav Willig: It is absolutely prohibited. Q: A couple is getting married in their cousin’s backyard, but the hosts do not want anyone to enter the house. What can be done about the yichud room? Can yichud be postponed until after the wedding (in some other location) if there are two witnesses? Rav Willig: Yes. Eidot Hamizrach [Sephardim] never have yichud.) Both his and Rabbi Schachter’s leadership became a unifying force among communities nationwide, and as a shul rav himself, Rabbi Willig understood what local rabbanim were facing. “Rabbis call their rabbis all the time,” says Rabbi Glasser, “but in this case, there was a sense of confidence that came across from the posekim that we have a mesorah and a halachic system and we will be able to draw direction and clarity. We never felt lost; we knew there were people we could call.”

Rabbi Asher Weiss By Yocheved Lavon From the moment the world became aware of the virus that was about to sweep the globe, Rabbi Asher Weiss stepped up to the mic to offer both halachic guidance and encouragement to his tzibbur, which is as widespread as the pandemic itself. Throughout the crisis, his has been a voice of clarity and compassion. A Sanz-Klausenburger chassid raised in Borough Park, Brooklyn, Rabbi Asher Weiss resides in Jerusalem, where he serves as rosh kollel of Machon Minchas Osher L’Torah V’Horaah and heads Beis Din Darchei Torah. In addition to his many other roles, Rabbi Weiss serves as a posek for OU Kosher; the OU consults with him on various halachic issues related to kashrut. Rabbi Yaacov Haber, rav of Kehillas Shivtei Yeshurun in Ramat Beit Shemesh, has a close relationship with Rabbi Weiss. In Rabbi Haber’s words: “I’ve been working with Rav Asher Weiss for a number of years now, and needless to say, he is an expert in all areas of Torah and in pesak halachah, paralleled by few in the generation with his wealth of knowledge and the ability to apply his learning to every modern situation. But there is something that is very unusual about Rav Asher Weiss, which sets him apart from the rest. Every once in a while, God sends to the world a certain type of neshamah, a certain type of person who’s able to transcend all the divisions among the Jewish people. Whatever divides us, somehow there’s a place on top that everyone respects. Rav Weiss has become a voice of leadership, a voice of sanity, and a voice of halachah for all types of Jews— every different stream, from Tel Aviv

to Bnei Brak—a very unusual thing to see. This is a very special gift that Hashem gave us for this generation.” Rabbi Weiss is fluent in English, Hebrew and Yiddish, and his facility with language is just one aspect of his ability to connect with every kind of Jew. With true humility, he speaks out of a strong sense of responsibility to publicize his halachic opinion, whether popular or not, regarding it as “a sin,” in his words, to keep silent. With regard to Covid, Rav Weiss has consistently urged the public to follow the guidelines formulated on the advice of recognized experts in medicine and epidemiology— masks, social distancing and careful hygiene. His position on vaccination against Covid is the same. “It is clear as daylight,” he said in a shiur, “that in halachah we rely on the scientific and medical data available in each day and age. If not, we would have to tear out 50 percent of the Shulchan Aruch.” Rav Weiss’s halachic advice to all is to take the vaccine, although he stops just short of stating that it is halachically obligatory. He elucidates this conclusion in a shiur on YouTube. Alongside the halachic message, Rav Weiss has decried the cavalier attitude some have adopted toward the guidelines as a lack of compassion toward the vulnerable—a symptom of disunity not conducive to Heavenly mercy. “Look at the elderly rosh yeshivah, at your Zeide and your Bubbe,” he said. “Which of them are you willing to lose?” The final ingredient in Rav Asher Weiss’s anti-Covid formula is simchah. Throughout the pandemic and the difficult lockdown conditions, Rav Weiss has reminded people “to be happy, to be mechazek one another— and b’siyata d’Shmaya, we’ll be fine.” Yocheved Lavon is a writer, editor and Hebrew-to-English translator based in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Kenny Schiowitz By Barbara Bensoussan When Rabbi Kenny Schiowitz, rav of Congregation Shaare Tefillah in Teaneck, New Jersey, and then-president of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County (RCBC), called a meeting after Purim 2020 to discuss Covid, he had no idea how far it would take him. As his colleague and RCBC successor Rabbi Zev Goldberg, rav of the Young Israel of Fort Lee, put it: “There are no semichah classes entitled ‘How to Manage a Global Pandemic.’” “The first cases of Covid in Riverdale had just become news that March, and the day before Purim a few cases were diagnosed at the Frisch School,” Rabbi Schiowitz says. “We were the first hot spot after Riverdale, so we’d begun talking to the Board of Health. A few schools had closed down, but no one had any idea how long that would last.” The RCBC met the day after Purim, inviting in all the local rabbis, school principals, presidents of shuls and schools, and “any doctor we felt had some expertise,” he says. “There were 100 people in the room—with no masks!” At that point, he thought perhaps shuls would opt to eliminate kiddushim and close youth groups. He never imagined anyone would shut down regular tefillot! But the meeting had fortunately attracted excellent doctors, including an expert in infectious diseases. The doctors spent an hour sharing their perspectives, and when they finished, it seemed clear that a complete shutdown was necessary. At that point, no one else was calling for shutdowns. But the doctors pointed out that the Department of Health’s statistics underestimated the gravity of the situation, since they

Throughout the crisis, [Rav Asher Weiss] has been a voice of clarity and compassion. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

rabbi at the Young Israel of Woodmere, hadn’t counted the number of people everyone out in a balanced manner. estimated that he spoke with hundreds going to emergency rooms. They said “The whole process definitely raised the of community rabbanim as the it didn’t make sense to close shuls profile of the RCBC, because we don’t outbreak worsened and consulted and schools without also putting usually tell people how to behave,” he with gedolim on many an occasion the brakes on restaurants, semachot, says. Rabbi Goldberg adds that Rabbi as complex situations arose. even levayot. Like it or not, it was a Schiowitz’s sensitive, level-headed, “The unbelievable number of necessary evil. “We are a community teamwork-oriented approach helped medical, halachic and combined that takes science and medical data the RCBC navigate potentially she’eilot that came up was just seriously,” Rabbi Goldberg asserts. stormy waters on an even keel. mind-boggling,” says Dr. Glatt. When the meeting ended at Rabbi Schiowitz himself lost “So many people—lay leadership, midnight, Rabbi Schiowitz was given an uncle to Covid, but he and his rabbanim, physicians and gedolim— the onerous task of going home to immediate family have thankfully stepped up to the plate to help Klal pen a letter to the community (with been spared infection. He recently Yisrael through this eit tzarah.” some assistance from other rabbis), ceded his RCBC position to Rabbi With misinformation everywhere, explaining the new regulations. He Goldberg, and he admits it’s a bit of a inexpert opinions swirling on stayed up the better part of the night, relief. “I hope the intensity is behind and by morning the missive was us,” he says. “But I saw that we could be social media and calls for advice sent out, well in advance of every unified. We should always be that way.” skyrocketing, Dr. Glatt agreed to a request from community members other Jewish community in the US, and local rabbanim to provide and in advance of the government regular updates. His weekly Motzaei restrictions that quickly followed. Rabbi Dr. Shabbat Zoom conferences on the “The news outlets immediately came Aaron Glatt latest accurate information regarding calling!” he says. “At the same time, By Sandy Eller Covid drew 1,000 people weekly other communities began reacting, and were seen by an even larger either adopting our regulations or With his dual audience as they made their way inquiring about them.” Thankfully, titles, Rabbi onto YouTube, with written bulletins there was little backlash from his Dr. Aaron spreading the word even farther. own community; most people were Glatt was uniquely qualified to Despite the devastating loss of grateful for the RCBC’s prudence. A emerge as the voice of reason life, there were moments even in few restaurants objected to the loss during a period in time when the the darkest days of the pandemic of business, but several days later, world was turned upside down. when rays of light shone through. the state of New Jersey, too, ordered While modern medicine typically While a joint statement from them closed. “There’s no question that Agudath Israel of America, Igud Rabbi Schiowitz’s foresight saved lives,” relies on existing data and proven protocols to address situations as HaRabbanim, Lakewood Vaad, the said a resident of Bergen County. they arise, the emergence of a novel National Council of Young Israel, the Following the first letter, Rabbi coronavirus left experts totally in Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Schiowitz and the RCBC continued the dark. Finding a path forward Council of America closed shuls to send carefully crafted letters to through the outbreak, pinpointing from coast to coast, it was hard not to the community, apprising them of effective ways to treat patients appreciate the display of achdut that updates or changes in policy. As and understanding how to deal spanned the communal spectrum. the Department of Health began with everyday life were seemingly “It was heartwarming to know issuing guidelines, those newsletters impossible tasks in a situation that was that we were alone, but not alone,” largely followed state directives and/ unprecedented for just about everyone. recalls Dr. Glatt. “In many ways or OU directives. For example, the “The pandemic was a brand-new it was so beautiful, and I was sure RCBC allowed restaurants to open illness and the information was that Mashiach was coming.” when the state allowed it. But when constantly changing,” recalls Dr. Glatt, While the loss of life was indoor prayer was permitted, the professor and chair of medicine at devastating, Dr. Glatt believes that RCBC nevertheless advised waiting Mount Sinai South Nassau. “It was those who reacted responsibly as an additional two weeks to make sure clear we had to do what the Torah solid information emerged about there would be no spike in cases. tells us, which is to ask the medical Covid typically fared well. Rabbi Schiowitz says the biggest experts and do what they say to do “There was far less death and challenge was keeping the community at that time, but people became very suffering among people who followed unified while making decisions as to frustrated because the opinions kept the guidelines and were machmir when to allow different practices for on pikuach nefashot, and shuls that on changing, something which wasn’t different places. Over time, as views had 100 percent adherence had unexpected given the circumstances.” changed vis-à-vis how to handle the pandemic, the RCBC’s job was to hear Dr. Glatt, who also serves as assistant no outbreaks,” says Dr. Glatt. 46

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Still, even as the months went by, new challenges arose as Covid fatigue set in and masks and social distancing fell by the wayside. Dr. Glatt is a strong believer in catering to the highest common denominator when it comes to pandemic safety, especially for a community that is renowned for its capacity for chesed. “When family members who have different kashrut standards want to get together, they pick a level of kashrut that works for everyone,” says Dr. Glatt. “You can agree or disagree about wearing a mask, but do a chesed for another Yid. If wearing masks kept yeshivot and shuls open, then what’s the big deal about wearing masks?”

Of Rabbis and Rebbetzins Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern By Steve Lipman About half a year before the pandemic struck in the United States, Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern, rabbi of the Young Israel of Scarsdale, took part in a study mission to Israel sponsored by a Middle Eastern peace organization. The orientation for the mission included a session with other participants via Zoom, a teleconferencing platform with which the rabbi was then unfamiliar. Zoom so impressed Rabbi Morgenstern, who has served for twenty years at the congregation in New York State’s Westchester County, that he discussed its potential with several members of the synagogue family. “Very few people had heard of it,” he says. Now, everyone has. As rabbi of one of the first Jewish houses of worship in the country to close its doors when the threat of Covid became apparent (Scarsdale borders on New Rochelle, an early epicenter of the pandemic), Rabbi Morgenstern increasingly turned to Zoom during the year-plus that 48

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found the 430-member families of his congregation and members of the wider Jewish community quarantined and isolated from one another and unable to attend activities at the synagogue in person. He led or participated in online funerals, weddings, bar mitzvahs, adult education classes, bikur cholim visits and counseling sessions with individuals who were suffering or grieving. In other words, everything that a pulpit rabbi normally does. One advantage of Zoom was that prestigious speakers with busy schedules were willing to give lectures with reduced fees, and there was no need to pay for a plane ticket. The pandemic, says Rabbi Morgenstern, “gave us the opportunity to stop and reassess” how a synagogue operates. His Young Israel did not stop functioning during the pandemic; it simply learned to function differently. Rabbi Morgenstern was not alone. He and his rabbinic colleagues shared innovations and best practices, discussing ways to keep serving their scattered flocks while keeping them safe. It required plenty of logistics and planning, and a “tremendous amount of time and energy.” For Rabbi Morgenstern and his associate rabbi, Rabbi Nuriel Klinger, that meant communicating with synagogue members by phone and email more than they had previously done; holding outdoor Megillah readings with a reduced number of people; initiating hybrid worship services with some people inside the building and others outside on the patio; blowing the shofar outdoors in the community at pre-announced sites; and leading outdoor ceremonies and commemorations at nearby Jewish community centers, with participants remaining in their cars. “Hundreds of men and women joined these events,” he says. “The people really appreciated this.” To maintain morale and increase connection to members, Rabbi Morgenstern also formed a WhatsApp group for synagogue members and began issuing “Daily Dose” adult education notices.

His synagogue, though constrained during a year of enforced limitations, emerged stronger because of the pandemic, he says. “It gave us the ability to reimagine things. Anything is possible!”

Rebbetzin Adina Morris By Leah Lightman Rebbetzin Adina Morris knew she was blessed when, in January 2020, the consulting firm for which she works as an executive life coach moved all its operations online. Ahead of the move-to-Zoom trend that became ubiquitous two months later, Rebbetzin Morris embraced the technology, structured a home office in her living room, and was good to go. Then Covid struck and the world changed, in Rebbetzin Morris’s case, particularly in her role as a rebbetzin; her husband Rabbi Yechiel Morris is the mara d’atra of the Young Israel of Southfield, Michigan, with a membership of 130 families. Suddenly, two of her children returned home from their yeshivot to join their three younger siblings. The home Wi-Fi was not powerful enough to fuel the needs of the Morris family, which includes a shul rabbi who also teaches in the local day school, a mom who has a private coaching practice in addition to working for a consulting firm, and five children, all Zoom-learning. Rebbetzin Morris didn’t only have to be concerned about juggling her job and home life; she had to manage her communal role as well. Soon “Covid Pesach” was a reality. Many shul members would be making Pesach for the first time, and like any other first-time happening, people had to learn how to do it. Older people were afraid to leave their homes and shop, even for basic needs. Did people have enough money to cover the myriad expenses of this holiday? “There was heightened concern for all,” Rebbetzin Morris emphasizes.

“My husband and I went through the shul membership list and tried to identify and address every possible need. Our goal, which began with Pesach and continued throughout this entire situation, was to maintain community by fostering connection with and between people.” While she prepares and delivers an occasional shiur or devar Torah, Rebbetzin Morris describes her role as connecting with people through one-on-one “kiddush conversations” and hosting families for Shabbat lunch in her home. When both of these avenues for connecting with others became unavailable, she and her husband challenged themselves to find new ways to unify and nurture their kehillah. Together they established two WhatsApp chats: one for announcements and the second for schmoozing. Older and newer members got to know each other in this way. In yet another innovation, after davening on Shabbat morning, the Morris family would go on a neighborhood walk, knocking on the doors of different shul members. Face-to-face, albeit socially distanced, conversations ensued. This worked for spring and summer. Then the colder weather returned, and the Morrises became worried about the “shut-ins.” Rebbetzin Morris regularly self-recorded a video to women in the community. She and her husband also participated in Zoom “conversations” with shul members, especially helpful for those who don’t enjoy frontal presentations. Rebbetzin Morris underscores the creativity stimulated by Covid. She developed a guided art project over Zoom together with a local Jewish artist. The shul also organized Boggle games and schmoozing sessions on Zoom. Walking the path as a shul rebbetzin can be challenging and Rebbetzin Morris says her number-one go-to person for inspiration is her husband. She believes in supporting her husband in his role as rabbi. As an insightful rebbetzin once remarked: “A rebbetzin must recognize that being supportive of one’s husband is

After davening on Shabbat morning, the Morris family would go on a neighborhood walk, knocking on the doors of different shul members. being supportive of the community.” Rebbetzin Morris is also encouraged and inspired by her parents, Rabbi Gershon and Mindy Gewirtz, who were the longtime rabbi and rebbetzin of the Young Israel of Brookline. “Covid was difficult,” she says. “Yet with hard work and lots of siyata d’Shmaya, we are growing.”

she says. “It was a challenge, but also an exciting opportunity.” They pivoted quickly, offering their regular Torah classes via Zoom. “As an educator, I was excited to see people who couldn’t always physically get to the classes before Covid now able to attend virtually.” A lot of the shul members are musically talented, so they launched a musical pre-Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat program on Zoom as a virtual touchstone for people Rebbetzin Dr. to get ready for Shabbat together. Jessica Kalmar When the weather turned By Tova Cohen warmer, the Kalmars hosted outdoor programming, including bonfires Not every and fireside chats for teenagers, and native Queens scavenger hunts and youth groups for woman with an younger children. The “Adon Olam advanced degree in neuropsychology Jam” was created for families with ends up as a rebbetzin in Wisconsin, young children to gather outside for but for Rebbetzin Dr. Jessica Kalmar, Adon Olam, a parashah story and a an out-of-town community made sense treat. If you must hold outdoor events, for her and her husband Rabbi Wes you could do no better than the Kalmar. “Not only were we needed scenic lakeside vistas of Wisconsin. here by the people we would be serving, “We’ve been fortunate to have the but we felt we could impart the right great outdoors literally right at our values to our children in that kind of doors,” says Rebbetzin Kalmar, whose community,” says Rebbetzin Kalmar, home actually sits on a small lake. who also assumed a professorship at (You don’t get that in Flatbush.) Wisconsin’s Lakeland University. When shul resumed in June, the As rebbetzin of Congregation Kalmars launched “Kiddush to Go.” Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah (ASKT) “I’m very moved by the families who, in the Glendale Jewish community, even if they weren’t ready to come back Rebbetzin Kalmar dove into her to shul in person, were so committed role, leading Torah learning and to shul life that they sponsored these kallah classes, helping to create kiddushim,” says Rebbetzin Kalmar. robust shul programming and The rebbetzin finds a host of useful hosting frequent meals in her home. resources from the various offerings Then Covid drastically impacted of the OU Women’s Initiative. “I get tradition-driven Jewish communal to share with my own shul members life, at the center of which is the some of the rich material provided synagogue. “My husband and I are there,” she says. The Initiative’s recent a team, and we knew immediately speaker training seminar for educators that we had to recreate Jewish life,” and lay leaders helped Rebbetzin Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

Kalmar sharpen her virtual teaching skills—a two-fold benefit for her— and a WhatsApp support group for rebbetzins provides a steady stream of support and encouragement. Rebbetzin Kalmar also finds inspiration in the people who turn to her for spiritual guidance during these turbulent times. “You would think a crisis like this might turn people off from searching for spiritual answers, but I’ve experienced so many people searching, reaching out and coming to classes—more than they were before,” she says. “I’m inspired by our congregants, which in turn enables me to continue giving back to them.” Tova Cohen is a senior writer at UJA-Federation of New York and a freelance writer in fundraising communications for a number of nonprofit organizations. Her creative bylines have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Tablet Magazine. She lives with her family in Englewood, New Jersey.

Women Who Took Charge Sara Lea Wetstein By Steve Lipman Summer began three months early in Baltimore last year. At least it did for a staff member of one Baltimore day school. A native of New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood who has lived in Baltimore for two decades, Sara Lea Wetstein serves as food services director and IT director of Bnos Yisroel, a 550-student, K-12 institution. Classes ended—and went virtual—when the pandemic broke out in March [2020], bringing an end to the school’s daily lunch program for all of its students. A week later, the summer feeding program, administered by the State 50

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“It’s important for kids to know that God hears their prayers and uses their prayers. Sometimes He does things that we don’t understand.” of Maryland and funded by the federal USDA, swung into action. In a normal year, the summer program starts when classes end. But because of the pandemic, the state put it into operation in the spring in order to meet the nutritional needs of children ages eighteen and younger who would not be receiving meals in school, and to take the onus off of parents, who were suddenly juggling added responsibilities. Across the nation, all types of Jewish schools and other Jewish institutions, including lunch programs for the elderly and kosher soup kitchens, found themselves suddenly challenged, with social distancing restrictions in place and financial contributions reduced. Meals did not stop for Jewish families in Baltimore and for those in several other US cities for whom Wetstein acted as a consultant, but this meant more work for Wetstein. As one of the few Baltimore-based Jewish schools taking part in the USDA program, Bnos Yisroel offered its kosher meals to any young applicant who needed it. The number of meals provided each week—mostly from Meal Mart, and from a local kosher pizzeria— quickly rose from about 1,000 to more than 5,000. With Bnos Yisroel closed, the school became a largely drive-in operation, with parents and guardians of the recipients showing up once a week to pick up the week’s free supplies. (When classes at Bnos Yisroel resumed this past September, the program continued off-site for people still in need.) Meals were provided on a strictly non-sectarian basis. “We had a lot of non-religious Jews” who received meals, Wetstein

says. “We also had a lot of non-Jews.” The change in the program’s logistics meant that Wetstein was responsible for coordinating the pickup, delivery and efficient distribution of the packaged meals; checking the quality of the food; arranging items such as challah rolls and bottles of grape juice to be included for Shabbat; recruiting volunteers and a few paid employees to run the operation and helping to hand out the meals. “It was 24/7 at the beginning,” she says. What would have happened if the food program had not continued in its new form? “You would have had a lot more stressed-out families”— parents trying to stretch budgets at a time of reduced incomes and people being forced to shop at a time of social distancing. In addition, the businesses of participating vendors would have suffered. The program was “tremendously helpful,” says the mother of one Orthodox family in Baltimore whose children received meals arranged by Wetstein last year. “It was huge . . . it helped everyone in the whole community.” Which included Wetstein’s two young children, who enjoyed their packaged lunches during the pandemic. “My kids looked forward to opening their boxes.” Zahava Farbman By Steve Lipman A longtime trauma expert who has earned the reputation as “the go-to person in the Jewish community for all kinds of crises,” Zahava Farbman had a schedule which kept her available “24/6”—and in some

life-and-death emergencies, 24/7. Which was demanding enough. Then Covid-19 came, and her workload increased immeasurably. Farbman, who lives in the Long Island suburbs of New York City, has two official titles: associate director of crisis intervention, trauma and bereavement services of Chai Lifeline’s Project Chai, and mental health responder for a Hatzalah branch that serves parts of Long Island and New York City. That made her— pre-Covid—a face of Chai Lifeline, an organization best known for its work with children who are dealing with life-threatening illnesses. She is often the first person whom families see when tragedy strikes, the mental health professional who takes charge when there is an empty chair at a dinner table or in a classroom. Before Covid, most of her work was done in person, offering solace with a hug or light touch to victims of disease or violence in all parts of the Jewish community. During the pandemic, she has done all her work virtually, on Zoom, Skype and the phone, relying on verbal rather than tactile techniques. The thousands of people with whom she’s connected via the Internet in the last year-plus have included men, women and children across the US, England, Mexico, Israel and the former Soviet Union. All this, she says, allows her to keep those who have suffered a loss emotionally safe at a time of personal and society-wide challenges. But it’s harder, she says. “I’m a people person. I like to sit next to someone.” Farbman, who grew up in a rabbinical family in Pittsburgh and is studying for her PhD in social work at Yeshiva University, says nothing prepared her for the demands of Covid. “Absolutely nothing.” The most challenging part of the last year, she says, was “the constant pressure with no let-up.” Pre-Covid, she and her staff of three full-time professionals, along with “an army of volunteers,” typically encountered death several times a month. During “this horrible plague,” there were several deaths “every single day . . . an unbelievable

2019, when the former manager of the amount of tragedy.” Her schedule Yitzchak Wallerstein Mikvah passed during Covid? “I didn’t have a away, she agreed to take over her job. schedule. God made up my schedule.” The Covid pandemic brought Chayie “I don’t have an office,” she adds; to new stages in both her professional in “normal times,” Farbman goes and community life. After being to the home or school where she is furloughed from an administrative needed. During Covid, she went job at Hillel International, she opted to her computer at home. “My to focus on expanding her work life is wherever I’m needed.” as a kallah teacher, and she also Does her job get easier? “Absolutely became a dating coach. “I’m truly not. It became harder to see pain. enjoying being so active within It’s one of the hardest times of my my own community,” she avows. life.” One of the toughest parts was When all the local shuls shut down answering children’s questions—“Will shortly after Purim of 2020, Chayie my parents get the disease? Will knew the mikvah had to be proactive my parents die?” She attempts to and spring into action. An immediate strengthen the children’s faith. “It’s plan was imperative to ensure the important for kids to know that God safety of every woman coming in. hears their prayers and uses their “Many people were petrified,” Chayie prayers. Sometimes He does things that says. “They needed to feel safe.” we don’t understand. We let kids know With the backing of rabbis, she that God runs the world,” Farbman consulted with a local frum infectious says. “I’m just a messenger of God.” disease specialist to create a safe system for using the mikvah. While Chayie Chinn the procedures were tweaked here By Barbara Bensoussan and there as more information about Covid became available, within a few When Chayie Chinn moved to Silver weeks, she and the staff had it down to Spring, Maryland from Montreal a (literal) science, with the guidelines sixteen years ago, she never dreamed posted on the mikvah’s website. she’d get involved with the local “Chayie allowed the mikvah to stay mikvah. “I was a young married open, and she created an atmosphere of woman, and in my mind, all mikvah safety and confidence,” says Rebbetzin ladies were about 100 years old,” she Dr. Adina Shmidman, director of says with a laugh. But despite Chayie’s the OU Women’s Initiative. Women protests that she wouldn’t have the who wished to use the mikvah faintest idea what to do, her friend had to call in advance to make an insisted, “You’d be great at it!” appointment. On the phone, Chayie She was finally persuaded to give it a would read a list of scripted questions try. The first time she went to work as about potential exposure to Covid a trainee attendant, she was surprised and general health. The women were by the powerful feeling the experience expected to come to the mikvah on inspired. “I was hooked,” she admits, to time and fully prepared, and they the point where fourteen years later in were taken into the building one at a

When all of the institutions shut down, the mikvah stayed open. There was true heroism on the part of the mikvah clients, attendants and directors. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

time to immerse. (Each woman was allotted a fifteen-minute time slot, unless she specified that she needed more.) If a woman had a valid reason for needing a slot outside regular mikvah hours (including kallahs, who received a rather attenuated version of the usual mikvah initiation), she could be accommodated. Anyone developing Covid symptoms within four days of using the mikvah was asked to contact the management. “When all institutions shut down, the mikvah stayed open,” says Rebbetzin Shmidman. “There was true heroism on the part of the mikvah clients, attendants and directors.” As director of the OU Women’s Initiative, Rebbetzin Shmidman led the OU’s effort to support mikvah attendants and directors. In consultation with medical professionals and legal counsel, the OU issued mikvah-related Covid protocols. “This was also a means of encouraging communities to explore guidelines for their own communities,” she says. Women who lived in the Kemp Mill neighborhood of Silver Spring before the beautiful new mikvah was built eleven years ago remember the old days of the first mikvah. It was so small that women had to prepare at home and schedule an appointment. “For those women, our Covid system was what they had been used to originally before the larger mikvah was constructed,” Chayie says. But even those who hadn’t experienced the old system found what to appreciate in the Covid protocols. While many found it challenging to carve out the space and privacy to prepare at home, others appreciated the punctuality of the appointment system and the privacy of being the only client in the mikvah. There were no long waits or running into acquaintances! Chayie did receive the occasional complaint, although those who objected to the mikvah’s protocols retained the option of using another mikvah in town. But the vast majority were pleased. “They deeply appreciated our vigilance,” Chayie says. “It allowed them to feel safe doing this mitzvah.” 52

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From the Medical Trenches “Rafi” By Steve Lipman

major concern of mine. We didn’t know if the precautions would work.” Precautions like wearing full protective equipment on the job; keeping his cell phone in a Ziploc bag; changing his scrubs after each patient; and taking a shower and putting on a new set of clothing when he returned home. “It started to become the norm,” he says. Eventually, he got the vaccine. Fortunately, no one in his immediate family tested positive for Covid. “I feel blessed that I’m healthy.” What was the worst part of his year of living and working on the edge? “The isolation,” he says. No visits with friends or family, no guests for Shabbat or yom tov meals. But Rafi says his ER work with Covid-19 patients has strengthened his emunah. “It made me appreciate life more.”

During his eight years as an emergency room physician “BC” (Before Covid), Rafi* saw “just about everything.” Heart attacks. Broken bones. Infections. Emotional breakdowns. Standard stuff for the doctors and nurses who staff an ER, the medical profession’s first line of defense for many physical and mental conditions. In the year-plus since the pandemic struck, Rafi’s work has changed considerably. So has his level of stress. He still does the eight-hour overnight shift at a community-based hospital *Not his real name; for reasons of in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Twin privacy, he declined to use his name Cities area, but during the past year, or the name of the hospital. people with Covid, or symptoms thereof, have constituted a substantial part of the people he saw on each shift. Not a majority as at some Charlie hospitals in higher-risk areas of the Wohlberg United States, but up to 25 percent By Tova Cohen at the height of the pandemic. Health care professionals like At just Rafi are literally at the front lines thirty-one of the battle against Covid, treating years of age, the patients who are most likely to Charlie Wohlberg of Riverdale, New succumb. Rafi says he never considered York, already counts thirteen years of staying away from his job in the last service with Riverdale Hatzalah. He’s year despite the risk of contracting the seen a lot. But nothing could have disease that by earlier this year had prepared him for being a Hatzalah taken the lives of nearly a half-million member during a global pandemic. men and women. “I signed up [as an “As early as January 2020, Hatzalah ER specialist] to save lives,” says Rafi, members started getting alerts a graduate of the Tel Aviv University about this new disease circulating Sackler School of Medicine and around Asia,” recalls Charlie. “We an active member of his Modern get these alerts occasionally, and Orthodox synagogue. “I felt a calling. while we take them seriously, I wasn’t about to give up medicine.” they don’t usually amount to Rafi possesses the calm, comforting much.” This time was different. bedside manner required of one who By early March, Hatzalah observed deals with people who are often in pain the developing situation in New and may be agitated. “I’m good under Rochelle—ground zero for Covid pressure.” He and his wife, parents on the East Coast and very close to of two young children who were Riverdale—and sent specific bulletins home-schooled since the pandemic about looking out for potentially broke out, were well aware of the risk infected patients. “The dynamics he was taking by continuing to work of every Hatzalah call changed at the hospital. “It was definitely a instantly,” says Charlie. Before Covid,

Charlie would show up to a call, put on gloves and run inside within seconds. Now he and his peers had to pause, don layers of protective gear and consider the safety of themselves and their families. And the frequency of calls rapidly increased. Charlie calls those early days “a war zone,” estimating that 80 percent of Hatzalah’s patients died within two to three days of taking them to the hospital. “As Hatzalah members, our goal is the preservation of life, and this was a significant blow,” says Charlie somberly. “We never experienced carnage like that before.” But Hatzalah members, by training and by nature, are proficient in perseverance. Many times Charlie and his fellow Hatzalah members had to convince unwilling patients—often elderly men and women afraid to leave their spouses—to go to the hospital. Hatzalah also tried to keep patients home if it was medically possible, partnering with health care providers, medical supply companies and community members to source equipment like oxygen concentrators. “It was inspiring to see the community rally around, even on Shabbos and yom tov,” he says. Speaking of Shabbat and yom tov, Charlie credits his wife Cheryl with unwavering support. “My wife was alone at the Sedarim, but she was completely supportive and encouraged me to respond to the nonstop emergency calls,” he says. “The other members of Hatzalah also gave it their all, with the selfless support of their families.” Were there other inspiring moments amid the sadness? Charlie points to a couple, both Holocaust survivors, who were married for sixty years. The husband had to go to the hospital,

where his condition worsened. “The wife was understandably very upset at not being allowed to see him before he passed away, so we had someone go gowned up in protective equipment with an iPad to the hospital. I went to her apartment, and she and her husband were able to communicate on video before he passed away.” Charlie pauses. “That was one of the most emotionally challenging moments I’ve witnessed in thirteen years with Hatzalah. But on the other hand, it was inspiring that we found a way to navigate this terrible time for our community. A lot of responders formed deep connections with the families, and that’s something I’ll never forget.” As more people get vaccinated, Charlie anticipates being on the other side of this crisis. In the meantime, he has renewed gratitude for his family and his brothers in arms. “We’re called Chevra Hatzalah because through our shared experiences fighting to save lives, we develop an enduring bond,” he says. “It becomes part of who we are.”

Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner By Tova Cohen As senior rabbi and director of spiritual care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner is no stranger to illness and death. But the onset of Covid-19 demanded an unprecedented immersion in comforting people through their darkest hours, while also navigating new regulations for patient care. Covid has rewritten hospital

Sometimes even the nurses wouldn’t go into the rooms; they would start the IV lines from outside, in the hallway.

rules, says Rabbi Weiner. “The main difference was the isolation of patients whose family and friends were not allowed to visit them. Sometimes, even the nurses wouldn’t go into the rooms; they would start IV lines from outside, in the hallway. “I felt so bad for the patients that early on in the pandemic, I decided to go into the Covid rooms.” Rabbi Weiner— who oversees twelve chaplains of various faiths and twenty chaplains-intraining—would don protective gear every time he entered a patient’s room, and shower and change his clothes immediately upon returning home, even before greeting his family. Still, it was a bold move in the early days of the pandemic, if typical of Rabbi Weiner’s devotion to his patients. To comfort and connect with patients isolated in ICU rooms, Rabbi Weiner had to use his imagination. He tapped into LA’s rich network of musicians and entertainers, who, lacking work this year, were happy to perform free, private concerts for patients via Zoom. “Covid showed the value of technology in connecting with people,” Rabbi Weiner states. “It also forced us to be creative.” As chaplain, part of Rabbi Weiner’s job is to care for the hospital staff too, a responsibility that was magnified this year in the face of overburdened and exhausted medical professionals. “Everyone was pitching in, so some health care professionals were working in the ICU for the first time and seeing numerous patients die each day,” explains Rabbi Weiner. “The staff was really suffering. We tried to be proactive and innovative in supporting them so they wouldn’t break down.” Rabbi Weiner stepped in as liaison between patients and their families in new ways, from answering phone calls multiple times a day to running down to the street numerous times daily to collect personal items and food packages from families for their loved ones in isolation. He also had a chaplain stand at one of the hospital’s few entrances during Covid to give staff members a blessing, some verbal encouragement or a nurturing token gift such as essential Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

oils or nutritious snack. “The staff appreciated these small touchpoints so much,” says Rabbi Weiner. “That’s something we realized we should have already been doing, and we will continue to do so even after Covid.” Was there anything else that will reverberate into the future? “As chaplains, we always knew the centrality we play in people’s lives at their times of need,” states Rabbi Weiner, “but this past year has really emphasized that. I think we all have a renewed appreciation for our communal responsibility.”

The Final Chesed Yvette Kaweblum By Steve Lipman During the first weeks of the pandemic, Yvette Kaweblum, a Mexico-born resident of Boca Raton, Florida, rarely left her home; she self-quarantined to keep herself and others safe. Then the elderly mother of a close friend died. And Kaweblum, a founder of the Boca Raton Synagogue Chevra Kadisha burial society, ventured outside—to lead the taharah of her friend’s mother. Kaweblum, who had become active in chevra kadisha volunteer work more than two decades earlier (she had started the practice after the unexpected death in Boca Raton of her visiting mother-in-law) resumed her work after her friend’s mother’s death (“she was a [surrogate] grandmother to my kids”) and never stopped. “It’s the biggest mitzvah anyone can do,” says Kaweblum, who was trained in New York under the guidance of Rabbi Elchonon Zohn, director of the National Association of Chevra Kadisha (NASCK) and a well-known authority on Jewish burial. Like other Jewish burial societies across the country, the one under the auspices of the Boca Raton Synagogue 54

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mitzvot such as visiting the sick or faced particular challenges after the comforting a mourner, the work of a pandemic struck. The number of chevra kadisha must be done in person. people requiring a taharah, many of them victims of Covid, went up, while There are no Zoom taharot. Her work the number of volunteers, many of in the last year has taught Kaweblum a whom were seniors and vulnerable higher level of reverence, she says. “We themselves, went down. The need know what’s important in this life.” for taharah supplies increased. And financial contributions to the chevra kadisha decreased. Rabbi Elchonon Kaweblum serves as the Zohn organization’s president—as By Binyamin well as its treasurer, secretary, Ehrenkranz fundraiser and trainer. And she continues to perform her share of When the taharot and arranges the rest. Covid-19 “In the beginning, we really pandemic first struck, Rabbi Elchonon panicked. We did not know what to Zohn quickly found himself in the eye do,” she recalled in an article in the of the storm. As the longtime director shul bulletin. “With Rabbi [Efrem] of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens Goldberg’s support, we regrouped; Chevra Kadisha and the president of we realized that we cannot bury a the National Association of Chevra Jew without a proper taharah.” Kadisha (NASCK), Rabbi Zohn would The chevra kadisha consulted with quickly become the first resource medical experts and implemented whom many in the metropolitan various changes, including the New York area and then across the synagogue’s downsized “Corona country turned to for guidance when Chevra.” Like other volunteers, coping with a death in the community Kaweblum took special precautions amid the concerns of Covid. during Corona-era taharot—masks “The initial concern we had was and gloves, protective gowns, thorough that chevrei kadisha had no guidance antiseptic spraying of the taharah on what to do,” he recalls, noting room and all equipment, as well as how neither seasoned chevra open doors to let dangerous antigens kadisha members nor rabbinic escape. “We were in and out as quickly leaders knew what was safe in as possible.” Volunteers also took performing a taharah at the time. separate car rides to and from the “People were very, very much at a taharah venue. Still, she says, “it was loss and looking for guidance.” scary.” In the shul bulletin, Kaweblum Rabbi Zohn reached out to experts, recounted that a man reached out to including Jewish infectious disease her after his mother’s funeral to ask specialists like Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt, for the phone numbers of the chevra many of whom he had long-standing kadisha members who had performed the taharah on his mother. “He wanted relationships with and had consulted during previous crises, such as the to personally thank them,” she said. emergence of AIDS in the 1980s. Although the incidence of By late March of 2020, NASCK had coronavirus rose steadily in the US issued comprehensive protocols to since the original breakout, as of protect chevra kadisha members both early this year, neither Kaweblum from potential transmission from a nor the other volunteers caught dead body—regardless of whether the the disease. “I’m very lucky,” she says. “But it’s a lot of pressure.” deceased had tested positive for the Kaweblum says she receives moral virus—and from chevra members support from Rabbi Goldberg, her to one another. These included synagogue’s rabbi. To keep her spirits guidance on when and how to don up, she takes part in a weekly Zoom personal protective equipment (PPE); class on emunah. Unlike related adding bleach to the water used

to wash a body; spraying sanitizer across the deceased; and keeping members apart from one another as much as physically possible. In an email advising these unprecedented steps, Rabbi Zohn appended a postscript: “On a personal note, I must mention that these guidelines are very difficult for me to recommend and distribute. In so many ways, they contradict what I have taught for many years. However, the underlying basis of all we do is Toras Emes and minhag Yisrael. The Torah requires that we react to special times with special rules: ‘Eis la’asos laHashem heifeiru Torasecha’ [rough translation: We violate the law in order to sustain the Torah]” (Tehillim 119:126). “I believe it is appropriate to feel pained that we are abbreviating procedures that give kavod to the meis [deceased], even though it has become necessary to do so. The feeling of distress on behalf of the meis is a form of kavod hameis on its own. Moreover, perhaps that pain will reduce the possibility that these temporary changes will decrease our sensitivity to the holy work we are privileged to perform.” The modified taharot were based on the direction of posekim like Rabbi Mordechai Willig and Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst. By the spring of 2020, Rabbi Hershel Schachter issued a follow-up halachic ruling relating to the matter, noting, “Rabbi Zohn’s updated chevra kadisha guidelines and safety precautions should be meticulously followed by all chevrei kadisha.” In retrospect, Rabbi Zohn was satisfied that those following NASCK’s directions were able to avoid illness and keep chevrei kadisha operating, instead of discontinuing traditional practices as happened in some non-Orthodox communities, where preparation of bodies was sometimes left to non-Jewish funeral home staff. “That was an additional tragedy to this pandemic—frequent burials in closed double pouches, with few, if any, customs observed altogether,” he says. “That is a very, very questionable practice and a very serious deviation of what a taharah

It is appropriate to feel pained that we are abbreviating procedures that give kavod to the deceased, even though it has become necessary to do so. The feeling of distress on behalf of the meis is a form of kavod hameis on its own. and kevurah are meant to be.” When Orthodox communities confronted difficulties with local funeral homes and cemeteries, Rabbi Zohn often helped mediate between the chevra kadisha or rabbi to find a way that would be safe and mutually amenable. Often this involved creative solutions, such as placing a thin plastic tablecloth at the bottom of a casket instead of burying in a closed pouch, to prevent any leakage that might harm personnel; or insisting that those helping to bury a body bring their own shovels. “We found ways to be sensitive to staff and protective of families, while also being careful about minhagei Yisrael and kavod hameis,” he reflects. Looking ahead, Rabbi Zohn notes that every chevra kadisha should ensure it is prepared with a sufficient number of volunteers, especially among younger people. And while there will need to be an emphasis on adjusting for special circumstances, such as continued proper use of PPE, he thinks the biggest challenge going forward will be returning to the kind of care and concern that Jewish custom requires when tending to a Jewish body. Fortunately, most of what Rabbi Zohn experienced during the pandemic was the extraordinary dedication of community members to the kavod hameit of fellow Jews. At one point during the peak, his own chevra kadisha was handling as many as forty taharot in a twenty-four-hour period, five or six times its normal load. Volunteers were available around

the clock. Sometimes the only ones willing and able to participate were those in their 50s and 60s (all of whom first obtained their doctors’ consent). “There was unbelievable and inspiring dedication by these people, who took heroic measures,” says Rabbi Zohn. In many cases, chevra kadisha members were tending to those whose family members would only be able to observe limited funeral and shivah experiences. “That there were people to take care of their loved ones with kavod was a real source of comfort to mourning families.”  Binyamin Ehrenkranz is a member of the Jewish Action Editorial Committee.

Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

The Economic Toll of a Pandemic

By Rachel Schwartzberg

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or musicians like Sam “Bodi” Bodenheimer, the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was swift and severe. “From Purim through the early summer of 2020, my entire live event calendar was canceled,” recalls the New York City– based musician and music producer. “That meant zero income from live events for about five months—I had more than thirty events planned.” The simchah industry is often held up as the hardest hit within the Orthodox Jewish community during the pandemic, which began in March of 2020. Due to Covid precautions—and often government regulations—weddings were downsized, celebrations were delayed indefinitely, and fundraising dinners went virtual. For caterers, photographers, florists, musicians like Bodenheimer, and others whose livelihoods depend on these events, the economic hit has been devastating. As a producer, Bodenheimer provides bands under the names Spicerack Music and Bsamim Orchestra for weddings, semachot and Jewish organizational events. “When assembling the band, playlists, and a myriad of event details,” he explains, “my focus is on the ba’alei simchah having the best possible experience on their special day. That includes lots of planning to make every event uniquely special for each family. With Covid regulations at venues constantly changing, our clients don’t even know the date, venue and band size until right before the event itself. It often ended up being a huge amount of work with little to no paycheck.” Due to the nature of the music business, Bodenheimer points out, it’s difficult to guess how long the impact may linger. “The pandemic prevented us from working, and the uncertainty prevented us from planning ahead for upcoming seasons,” he says. It was especially challenging for Rachel Schwartzberg works as a writer and editor and lives with her family in Memphis, Tennessee.

Young women shop in Pomegranate, a kosher Brooklyn supermarket. For the most part, the kosher food industry has thrived despite the pandemic. Photo: Donna Alberico/the New York Times/Redux

The frum community is a very self-reliant community that runs and supports its own businesses. It has been hit much harder financially than other communities because a significant percentage of individuals are entrepreneurial. Bodenheimer to get through the leanest months knowing that so many of the musicians he works with were struggling and there wasn’t much he could do to help. “Everyone in music is hurting,” he says. “There are fewer opportunities and lower rates. When people cut back on numbers or costs—that’s us.” According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9.6 million people were unemployed last summer as a direct result of business lost due to the pandemic. The degree to which the Orthodox community in the US has been affected economically by the pandemic is debated, with some pointing to dire indicators

and others positing that frum Jews have fared better than the general population. Metrics are hard to come by due to the uneven spread of the fallout across business sectors and even geographic areas. “Some industries were very hard hit,” explains Rabbi Zisha Novoseller, executive director of EPI Networking, a Lakewood, New Jersey, nonprofit with a mission of helping individuals earn a respectable living. “In general, entertainers struggled, as did caterers. Real estate is still in bad shape, especially in New York. People couldn’t pay rents, so the landlords weren’t making money—but they still had bills to pay. The hotel industry has suffered Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

Opening New Doors

By Yossi Bard-Wigdor, as told to Sara Spielman

Yossi Bard-Wigdor in his mobile business. After he lost his jewelry store due to the pandemic, he began selling and repairing jewelry in a van parked near his previous shop.

Eighteen years ago, I opened a gift shop on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights [Brooklyn]. After a few years, I turned it into a full-fledged jewelry store. Business was good. Ten years ago, the economy took a turn for the worse, and, to help with the rent, I took on a partner. He sold sirtuks (frock coats worn by certain Chassidic groups on Shabbat and yom tov); we ran two different businesses in the same location. Things were working well until the pandemic, when the government closed my shop— jewelry stores were not considered essential businesses. Time passed, and I kept thinking I’d be allowed to reopen soon. But I wasn’t; the rent went unpaid for seven months. Eventually, the landlord decided he couldn’t wait anymore, and I was forced to close my store. I suffered tremendous financial losses. Not only was I out of business but I had to vacate the premises in four days. I hired a moving company to get rid of the showcases, which were worth 58

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thousands of dollars. I also had to pay to remove the safe—which weighs one and a half tons—as well as the cameras and alarms. I then opened a small showroom in my apartment, but people were looking for the store on Kingston Avenue. Even once they realized the business had relocated to my apartment, they didn’t want to come; they were worried about the virus and didn’t want to touch the elevator buttons. I decided to open a mobile business. I now sell and repair jewelry in a van parked near my previous shop. I selectively drive around picking up and delivering merchandise to customers in the neighborhood, but for the most part, my van is parked on the corner of President Street and Kingston Avenue. If people ask for a particular piece, I bring it to my van; if they want variety, I tell them to make an appointment and come to my apartment. Baruch Hashem, I have a good reputation and people trust me. Business is slowly beginning to pick up. Old

and new customers are coming through my exposure on social media. But establishing a new direction for a business takes time. A storefront is really the best, especially with jewelry, since you need windows to display what you’re selling. This pandemic hurt me financially in a significant way. I still have debts I’m trying to pay up. The mobile business is a new Covid reality. With all the financial problems Covid brought about, people have to be creative to figure out how to put food on the table. But a great rabbi once told me: God closes one door and opens another. I hope the second door opens quickly.

Yossi Bard-Wigdor, who emigrated from Argentina, owns Bardy’s Watch and Jewelry Repair. He lives in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. Sara Trappler Spielman is a freelance writer living in New York.

Making Connections At the Boca Raton Synagogue in Florida, an active networking program has helped members make connections and pivot their businesses to stay relevant during the pandemic. “We provided an outlet for people in the business world to talk through the challenges they faced as a result of Covid-19,” says Marc Bienenfeld, who co-founded the Boca Raton Synagogue Networking Group with Gila Stern in 2019. “Many issues spanned different types of businesses, from safe reopening to applying for PPP. We served as a resource for each other.” One of the group’s fifty members had a storefront food business that suffered at the beginning of the pandemic. The networking group helped her brainstorm new ideas and shift the focus of her business—branching out to corporate catering and creating single-serving packages as gifts or for bar/ bat mitzvah grab n’ go boxes. “Our group made connections for her,” says Bienenfeld. “Her business is now thriving.” For locally owned businesses, new clients and sales are so often based on networking and word-of-mouth, Bienenfeld explains. When people were staying home, those opportunities dried up. “A group like ours helped get the word out for local businesses during a challenging time,” says Stern. “People have shown they are more than happy to support their neighbors.”

terribly, along with its suppliers. Those businesses have been decimated.” On the other hand, he says, some sectors have been doing just fine. “Of course, there’s healthcare. But the kosher food industry, for the most part, is also thriving. Construction is off the charts, and online businesses are booming. While retail real estate isn’t bouncing back quickly, industrial real estate is in high demand.” New York City’s economy suffered a harsh blow from the pandemic and has been slow to recover, leaving some segments of the Jewish community reeling. According to a September poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, more than half of New York households experienced a job loss or a cut to wages or hours during the pandemic, and one in five New Yorkers had serious trouble affording food. “The need for emergency food assistance in the greater New York area has tripled since the pandemic,” notes David G. Greenfield, CEO of Met Council, America’s largest

Jewish charity serving the needy. According to Michelle Shain, assistant director at the OU’s Center for Communal Research (CCR), who conducted a study on how Covid-19 affected the frum community economically and in other ways, “the pandemic’s economic impact was felt most acutely by the most vulnerable Americans.” According to a Washington Post analysis, between February and April 2020, 10 percent of Americans between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-four lost their jobs; the employment rate for that age group fell to its lowest point since 1975. By the end of September 2020, however, employment levels in the highest paid quartile had reached pre-pandemic levels, while jobs of those whose wages are in the bottom quartile were still down 20 percent from the start of 2020. Across the country, small business owners were significantly affected by the pandemic. Research from the Brookings Institution estimates that between March and July 2020, nearly 420,000 small businesses failed—the

number of failures typically seen in an entire year. “The frum community is a very self-reliant community that runs and supports its own businesses,” explains Greenfield. “It has been hit much harder financially than other communities because a significant percentage of individuals are entrepreneurial.” Although EPI Networking does not normally assist established businesses, in the difficult economic climate of the pandemic, Rabbi Novoseller spread the word that his organization was ready to help any company that had taken a hit from Covid. Despite extensive advertising, “very few people have come to us,” Rabbi Novoseller says. “When I reached out to ask some individuals why they weren’t calling, I got three answers: either, ‘We’re significantly in debt and hesitant to take on more’; ‘Our guarantors won’t sign for us in the current situation’; or, ‘We can’t ensure the future of our company now.’ “The world has changed in this pandemic,” he adds. “Business owners aren’t confident their businesses are viable and worth salvaging.” When traditional financing is not an option, struggling breadwinners often turn to their shul rav for help, says Rabbi Adir Posy, national director of the OU’s Karasick Department of Synagogue Initiatives. “Rabbis’ discretionary funds serve a very unique purpose,” he says. “They are positioned to help discreetly. Data is hard, if not impossible, to find, but the dollars distributed are significant. Shul rabbanim have been on the frontlines of much of the financial hardship in our communities during this time.” Greater Need Masbia, an emergency food assistance network in New York City, reacted quickly when the pandemic began, pivoting from sit-down dinners at their three locations to take-out meals, and increasing the size of grocery packages to last a family two weeks instead of one. The people Masbia serves—approximately 7,500 families each week—tend to be those who aren’t eligible for government assistance Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

The entrance to Cedar Market in Teaneck, New Jersey

of two or three others since so many were out sick. Our purchase team turned over mountains to obtain products that customers requested, even if we didn’t sell them prior to Covid. The answer “no” didn’t exist. We never turned down an order. As long as customers submitted their orders within our time frame, we made sure they got the delivery before Shabbos.

How One Supermarket Fared During the Pandemic By Yossi Hollander, as told to Sara Spielman Teaneck, New Jersey, was probably one of the first communities to shut down. Right after Purim of 2020, the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County (RCBC) asked everyone to stay home to help prevent the spread of Covid. It was weeks before Pesach, families with children were stuck at home, and many parents were not working. Before the pandemic, Cedar Market’s sales were done mostly through walk-in shopping, although we did offer home delivery. Overnight we went from filling twenty [home delivery] orders to 120— sometimes even more than 150 a day—which flooded the system. Deliveries went from 15 to 20 percent of our business to nearly 90 percent once the pandemic hit. At the same time, shortages were becoming apparent. Brands we were able to secure all along were suddenly not available. All of this 60

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put a major stress on our operation. To complicate matters, we didn’t have an e-commerce website; customers submitted orders by sending a shopping list via email but we had no way of communicating to shoppers what products we had on the shelves. We did know how to service customers; we just had to figure out ways to be creative. Pesach 2020 was a very stressful time. It was too chaotic then to build an e-commerce website, so we turned to social media, utilizing Instagram stories and videotapes of our shelves to showcase available products. Communication was a priority—our customers were able to WhatsApp the store and receive instant answers. For a few months during the peak of the pandemic, our staff would come in at 6:30 or 7:00 am and sometimes stay until 2:00 or 3:00 am. They wouldn’t leave until all the orders were filled. There were times when employees had to take on the responsibilities

Fulfilling our customers’ expectations created genuine loyalty—in fact, a year later, we still retain a large portion of email shoppers who had never ordered from us before the pandemic. We also earned customer trust, as well as new customers, because of the strict protocols we had in place for in-store shopping. As a result, we are currently in a better financial state than we were prior to Covid. Yes, chasdei Hashem, our business did well, and we even won an award for our handling of Covid-19 from Progressive Grocer, an industry magazine. But we felt others’ losses deeply and we tried to give back to the community in many ways. Throughout Covid, we were in touch with local rabbanim about families who were in dire financial straits— we enabled them to purchase food on their account but did not charge them. The local Tomchei Shabbos placed money in various accounts. Additionally, we distributed gift cards worth thousands of dollars. We feel we are an integral part of the community. We invest in the community and care about our customers. The outpouring of appreciation received from community members was beautiful. I take zero recognition for myself; it was all due to the dedication of my staff. Looking back, I don’t even understand how we did it. Yossi Hollander is the owner of Cedar Market in Teaneck, New Jersey.

for whatever reason, Alexander Rapaport, executive director of Masbia, explains. “We are like an emergency room for food,” he says. “We see the acute situations— those who have fallen through the cracks or those who have some level of assistance but it’s not enough.” To accommodate the increased demand—and Covid-19 precautions—Masbia began staggering appointments throughout the day to save people from standing in long lines on the sidewalk. “For the first time, our food pantry became a twenty-four-hour operation,” says Rapaport. “I’ll admit it was very sad to watch people coming for food in the middle of the night.” Although he’s seen a lot in fifteen years at Masbia, Rapaport says even he was shaken by the poverty in the wake of the pandemic. Rabbi Posy agrees that there is tremendous need as a result of Covid-19. Yet he believes that Jewish communities around the country have fared relatively well because the infrastructure to meet these needs was already in place through organizations like Masbia and local Tomchei Shabbos groups, thanks to communal support and occasionally, government assistance.

This is not a monolithic community, and therefore there are going to be multiple stories . . . multiple realities . . . there are pockets of Jews doing very well but also pockets of devastation. In Baltimore, for example, the Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund ramped up its existing activities at the start of the pandemic, with the help of both grassroots support and grants. “Early on, we launched an emergency campaign for Covid relief,” says Executive Trustee Eli Schlossberg, director of operational and financial administration at Ahavas Yisrael. “The community was extremely generous. We anticipated large-scale layoffs and financial issues that didn’t happen immediately. The [financial issues] evolved more slowly, and I don’t think it ever got as bad as we expected. “The organization helped quite a few families with basics like rent and food. Some were working hard and not making enough. For others, the pandemic

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Some sectors have been doing just fine. “The kosher food industry, for the most part, is also thriving. Construction is off the charts, and online businesses are booming. While retail real estate isn’t bouncing back quickly, industrial real estate is in high demand.” meant the kids were home and a parent couldn’t go to work. Many families were getting by with reduced wages. Those were difficult situations, but most people have since adjusted. Covid has been challenging, but baruch Hashem, it has been a 62

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challenge we have been able to meet.” Ahavas Yisrael also distributed significant grant funds from the city and state. “We got a sizable amount from Baltimore City, which we distributed to three kosher restaurants to supply meals to those in need within

the Jewish community,” explains Schlossberg. The well-received program helped both local businesses and individuals in a dignified way. Getting By with Less Shira (name has been changed) got a call from her employer shortly before Pesach of 2020, informing her that her salary was being reduced by 50 percent. “The company laid off a lot of people, so I was grateful to still have a job,” states the New Jersey resident, who works in wholesale. “But we had to immediately look at our budget and ask, ‘Okay, what can we eliminate?’” When New York City put a stop to all construction, the family’s financial situation went from bad to worse, leaving Shira’s husband Ari (name has been changed) out of work entirely. “He got six weeks’ worth of unemployment insurance before his firm reopened,” she says. “But for the first few weeks, until the paperwork was processed, there was no money coming in.” Shira and Ari made tough decisions.

A volunteer prepares foodstuff at a Jewish food bank in Toronto, Ontario. Photo: Shawn Goldberg / Shutterstock.com

They canceled their daughter’s plans for camp and got a refund, in addition to slashing their grocery budget, giving up household help, and cutting back on virtually all their discretionary spending. “We also ate into a lot of our savings to get by,” Shira adds. Eventually, Shira’s company adjusted her salary to 75 percent of her previous income. A year later, however, there’s been no word on whether or when her salary might be restored to what it was pre-pandemic. Shira and Ari continue to live more frugally than they did in the past, weighing their spending carefully. The couple’s experience may be more common than most people realize. The above-mentioned CCR study found that roughly half the people surveyed reported that their household income had declined since the pandemic began. The Center collected data at three points in time from members of eleven shuls in four communities:

Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; New Rochelle/Scarsdale, New York; and West Hempstead, Long Island. “People whose income declined generally retained about two-thirds of their income,” notes Shain. “A very small percentage of people in this study (less than 5 percent) are finding it difficult to get by. So it’s not a rosy picture, but I don’t think I’d characterize it as dire.” Shain makes it clear that the CCR findings reflect the reality of the select synagogues in the four communities that participated. Clearly, the pandemic did not hit all sectors of the Orthodox community equally. Communities that tend to be less economically stable as well as those that are more commerce-oriented suffered more. “This not a monolithic community, and therefore there are going to be multiple stories . . . multiple realities,” she explains. “There are hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Jews in the United States. Let’s just

remember that we’re a heterogeneous group and there are pockets of Jews doing very well, but also pockets of devastation.” [See sidebar on page 65 for more information on the study.] From his perspective, Schlossberg says the most severe impact of the pandemic is on individuals who were dealing with significant issues— financial or otherwise—prior to the crisis. “The biggest difficulty I’ve seen has been the compounding of issues,” he says. “People who were struggling before are struggling much more as a result of Covid. Of course, there are also people who were managing previously, but the pandemic eventually wore them down.” A Swell of Support For many employers in the Jewish community, the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was the lifeline that kept them afloat during the pandemic. The $669 billion business loan program was intended Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

Research from the Brookings Institution estimates that between March and July 2020, nearly 420,000 small businesses in the US failed—the number of failures typically seen in an entire year. Photo: STRF/STAR MAX/IPx via AP Images

to help businesses and nonprofits continue paying their workers. This resource was so vital that EPI Networking brought on additional staff specifically to help companies apply for PPP and other government resources. “PPP made a huge difference for shuls,” says Rabbi Posy, who is also associate rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation in Los Angeles. “It gave them short-term breathing room. We were expecting a rash of firings and shul closings, with declines in membership dues and event income, and that has not happened.” From a broader standpoint, Rabbi Posy notes that the economic hit brought on by the pandemic hasn’t led to the downfall of communities. “Baruch Hashem, most communities have members in diversified fields. So while some sectors have been hard hit, others have weathered the storm, and therefore, communal institutions remain stable.” For the most part, individuals 64

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have stepped up to close fundraising gaps and care for their fellow shul members. “People are giving more— and more people are giving—because they know they are living through a crisis,” says Rabbi Posy. “The reminders are all around them. The spirit of giving is strong.” Similarly, Rapaport has been amazed by the generosity he has seen since the onset of the pandemic. “When the pandemic started, I told my board, ‘We’re going bust until Pesach, we’ll see if we can even reopen afterward,’” he recalls. “But the donations kept coming and we kept working. Regular people are running to help. There was talk of donor fatigue as the pandemic wore on, but we’re seeing the opposite. People are giving more and giving more often.” Time to Pivot Individuals whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic have tried to learn new skills or pivot their businesses to stay relevant. Ahavas

Yisrael maintains an employment fund and is helping people retrain to better position themselves for jobs. EPI Networking, in addition to providing free loans to entrepreneurs, runs education programs to help people acquire the skills they need for today’s workforce—which may be different from last year’s workforce. According to Rabbi Posy, in shuls across the country, especially larger ones, members have created networking initiatives to connect potential employers with job seekers and help businesses stay afloat. Admittedly, it is easier for some types of businesses to adjust to the new reality than others. Retail stores have seen success going online; in the hospitality and event industries, re-focusing has proven much more complex. For musicians like Bodenheimer, performing virtually doesn’t come close to the real thing. In pre-pandemic times, he visited shuls as a chazzan/

Studying the Economic Impact of Covid-19 The OU’s Center for Communal Research (CCR) study, entitled “Community Portrait Study” (CPS) tells the story of Orthodox Jews living in four middle-class, suburban communities during the pandemic: Atlanta; Dallas; New Rochelle/Scarsdale; and West Hempstead. Adult members of eleven shuls in four communities were surveyed at three time points during the pandemic. The final data set contains 2,811 observations from 937 individuals, observed on between one and three occasions. (A complete methodological appendix is available at research.ou.org/community-portrait-study/.) Because of its longitudinal nature, the CPS reveals a lot about how the ebb and flow of Covid-19 case rates and accompanying state policies affected Orthodox Jews in suburban, middle-class communities. As a group, respondents had very high levels of educational attainment and household income, More than half of the respondents reported household incomes of $100,000 or more; in New Rochelle and Scarsdale, fully 73 percent of respondents had household incomes of $200,000 or more. There was little substantive change in how respondents were managing financially over the study period. Unemployment among the respondents went

from 2 percent before the pandemic to 5 percent during the pandemic. This rate of unemployment was much lower than in the general population in their respective counties. Throughout the study period, most (>80 percent) respondents said they were “living comfortably” or “doing okay.” “It important to remember, however, that CPS respondents do not represent all American Orthodox Jews,” says Michelle Shain, assistant director of the OU’s Center for Communal Research. “They do not, for example, reflect the experiences of Orthodox Jews in densely populated communities like Borough Park or Crown Heights. Instead, they teach us about the experiences of one segment of the community.” Why were Orthodox Jews in these four communities largely insulated from the harmful effects of the pandemic? The data suggest that these individuals had two sets of protective factors working in their favor: 1. High socioeconomic status 2. Religious resources, including tools for coping with stress and reduced existential uncertainty. While all Orthodox Jews are likely to be sustained and protected by their faith, only some Orthodox Jews have the protection offered by high socioeconomic status. The relative importance of these two protective factors in insulating these four communities is an enduring question.

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How You Can Be Helpful By Rachel Schwartzberg • Be giving. Give tzedakah if you are able to and help those going through a hard time financially. Most shuls have discretionary funds you can contribute to, so your support will go directly to people in your community. “These funds are positioned to serve people who have been doing fine but are suffering now—and no one necessarily knows,” explains Rabbi Adir Posy, national director of the OU’s Karasick Department of Synagogue Initiatives. “This way, people can get help while maintaining their dignity.” If you can, consider upping your support of local institutions. For example, school scholarship funds might be stretched thinner this year. “I’ve heard from so many communities about regular people—who maybe didn’t think of themselves as ba’alei tzedakah before—who have stepped up in a big way and made a real difference,” adds Rabbi Posy. • Be sensitive. Just because the pandemic seems to be winding down, the economic impact is not over for everyone. Certainly there are people still dealing with the financial repercussions: some businesses have closed, others are still struggling to regroup. For example, Rabbi Zisha Novoseller, executive director of EPI Networking, says he worked with a chocolate company that suffered severe losses during the pandemic. “You wouldn’t think a chocolate maker would be impacted by the pandemic—people are still eating chocolate!” he notes. “But their clients are hotels, so their business was decimated.” It’s often not obvious who is suffering. • Be compassionate. Financial hardship can lead directly to other types of challenges. “Problems with parnassah cause marriage strain,” says Rabbi Novoseller. He notes that EPI Networking saw an uptick in crisis management of all types during the pandemic. “Economic difficulty affects mental health,” Rabbi Posy adds, which may have been exacerbated by isolation during lockdowns. Your neighbors may be dealing with challenges even more daunting than the economic fallout. Taking the time to reach out may have a greater impact than you know. • Be a connector. Sometimes all it takes to help someone find a job is the click of a button. You can forward a resume or send someone a link for a job posting. “In these situations, people have to network,” says Rabbi Novoseller. “There’s someone out there who can help them with everything.” That someone might just be you. Keep other people in mind and help make connections. • Be strategic with your spending. When possible, shop locally. Choosing to give your business to small business owners within your community allows them to earn a respectable living and may create more jobs locally, too. • Be united. If you recognize an unmet need in your community, try to partner with an existing organization to address it. Working within the existing communal infrastructure is usually more productive during tough times than creating factions. “When you have achdus, it makes life a lot easier,” says Eli Schlossberg of Baltimore’s Ahavas Yisrael.

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performer. While he has done various virtual events for schools, Chabad centers and online galas, compensation for those has been a few hundred dollars, if anything, as opposed to the thousands he would earn from an in-person gig or weekend. He is grateful to do these shows, but they don’t compare to live events. “It’s not just the income,” he says. “I’ve missed the collective energy of the crowd. Music is a purposeful mission for many of us in the industry,” he says. “In normal times, it’s a decent living, but really it’s what I live to do. Not being able to share live music experiences with people for such a prolonged time has been so challenging— beyond just the financial hit.” While EPI Networking has been busy helping people get back to work, there has also been an uptick in loan applications for new businesses. “It’s the people who’d been thinking about going out on their own for a while, and now they’ve been laid off,” observes Rabbi Novoseller. “This was the impetus they needed.” He has also seen individuals starting new businesses related to Covid. Rapaport says he is not surprised to see frum people “finding ways to make a parnassah from the pandemic. We’ve survived for thousands of years by blocking out the bad news and plowing ahead. That attitude has helped Judaism survive, and it’s also what drives our economic engine. We’ll make it through this like everything else.” For Bodenheimer, who is starting to see events being scheduled again, it’s just a matter of time until the music scene bounces back fully. “We all chose this industry because it’s who we are— not because it’s easy even in the best of times,” he says. “The world is already starting to emerge from this. We don’t know what ‘normal’ will look like or when we’ll get there, but I’m certain of one thing: There will be music.” 

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Entering the Post-Pandemic Job Market With young people facing a challenging job market, we asked college deans, career counselors and others advising students what new graduates can expect in the months ahead.

What advice can you offer on how to face the current job market? Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein: I often have students come into my office concerned that they don’t know what to do for the rest of their lives. There is so much communal pressure on frum young adults to make significant decisions quickly and at a young age. Too often, they rush into graduate school and invest in a pricey degree, only to discover after a few years in the field that they don’t like what they’re doing. I stress to students that they should choose a career path that they will enjoy and that will

put their unique abilities to good use. I encourage those who are uncertain to move away from thinking about what they want to do “when they grow up” and instead think about what they want to do for the next five years. Especially in this current climate of professional uncertainty, it’s important to focus on the present—where can I be employed now? The professional world in which people work for the same company their entire careers is long gone. No one has to decide today what he or she wants to do forever. So approach today’s reality today and reassess, if necessary, when the pandemic abates. One final note: It’s fundamentally important to gain the skills and

knowledge to be fully prepared to enter the workforce in one’s area of interest. It’s also essential to maintain the perspective that Hashem is ultimately in charge of professional and financial success. That is evident today more than ever. Dr. Noam Wasserman: In the fall of 1991, I was months away from graduating from an Ivy League college with degrees in engineering and business. However, I was interviewing for jobs amidst a recession. I had an additional challenge as well: I had decided to be completely open with interviewers about my dedication to contributing my full energies to the job but only during the non-Shabbos Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

24/6 of each week. I was also open with them about the fact that at the time of graduation, I would have a three-month-old baby and thus didn’t want to travel much. My first interview was with McKinsey & Co., the top management-strategy firm in the world, which everyone said was the best place to start a career. Five minutes in, the interviewer said, “Minimal travel? No Saturday deadlines? Consulting isn’t for you.” It was the shortest interview I’ve ever had. In the long run, it also turned out to be one of the most important interviews I’ve ever had because it gave me a chance to begin developing my “gam zu l’tovah” muscles, my ability to seize on setbacks and get stronger from them. After a diligent search, I found an employer—far less known and prestigious—where I could take on substantive leadership and entrepreneurial roles that would have been impossible to gain at McKinsey. The experiences I had there shaped much of what I have done since, and the heightened impact of my work there made it much easier to be distinctive when I applied to a top MBA program. The day that began the Covid era in the Orthodox community was March 3, 2020, when the first Orthodox day school shut down due to a Covid case. The Daf that day was Berachos 60, which ends with Rabbi Akiva facing setback after setback and exercising the gam zu l’tovah muscles developed in him by his rebbe, Nachum Ish Gamzu. With that perfectly-timed Daf, Hashem was sending a message to all of us, including our current graduating students: Seize on every apparent setback in the job market to get stronger. Use it as a signal to question your priorities and to think more deeply about the best fit for you instead of defaulting to the one everyone tells you is the best place to start your career. Appreciate that a smaller firm might enable heightened impact. To graduating students: there will likely be many more gam zu l’tovah opportunities than usual in this year’s job market. While you are going through the process of searching for a 68

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

THE PANELISTS: From left:

Dr. Alan Kadish is president of Touro College and University System. He is a noted physician, educator, researcher and administrator who is training the next generation of communal, business and healthcare leaders. Dr. Noam Wasserman is the dean of Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business. Before coming to YU, he was a professor at Harvard Business School. He is the author of two best-selling books on entrepreneurship and regularly gives “Torah and Business” shiurim to students and community members. Rabbi Aaron Greenberg serves as director of the OU’s Heshe and Harriet Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus in the Greater Toronto area, along with his wife Miriam. OU-JLIC is a program that partners with local Hillels across North America and in Israel to engage, educate, support and inspire young Jewish adults both on and off campus. Natasha Srulowitz and Adele Dubin are directors of Wayfind, a program that aims to help members of the frum community choose career paths that best suit their interests, skills, strengths and values. Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein is the academic dean of Women’s Institute of Torah Seminary and College (WITS)/Maalot in Baltimore, Maryland. She lectures on Jewish history, education, Tanach, leadership and communication skills across the United States and internationally.

times. Play to your strengths— do what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing. Entering the workforce today, you may need to make some compromises on your goals in the short term. You can only look at the choices you have in front of you so don’t wait for the perfect position that may not materialize at this point. Students, and frankly all of us, need to take the long view. From the perspective of Jewish history, our ancestors have been through a lot and we always managed to adapt and to persevere. We will do so again now. Young people should try not to get frustrated about the current situation. They certainly shouldn’t worry about a once-in-a-century, black swan event that is beyond their control.

Courtesy of Yeshiva University

job, it can be quite difficult. However, by building those muscles now, you will acquire resilience that you would not have gained in an easier job market, thus setting yourself up for a deeper impact in the long run. B’hatzlachah with your search! Rabbi Aaron Greenberg: They say that looking for a job is a full-time job and has many parallels to looking for a spouse. People need to realize that from a hashkafic perspective, they are not in competition with their friends; rather, once you do your hishtadlut (apply effort), the only person you are competing against is yourself. It is difficult to not hear back from prospective employers or to face rejection, but job seekers must remember that Hashem runs the world; and your turn will come. It is helpful to talk to people in your field of interest, as well as to those in other fields, for tips, suggestions and insights that can help you move forward. Networking is critical. The more people who know you are looking for a job and the more people you meet,

follow up with, reach out to and engage with, the more likely you are to find what you are looking for. You cannot control many situations— Covid has taught us that—but you can control how you will respond to challenges and adversity. While being unemployed is not a desirable position to be in, it does build fortitude and character that will be helpful in the future. Resilience is a character trait that is vital in our world, yet it is often not taught or modeled in the modern era of comfort and immediacy.  I know countless young men and women who found jobs after a long hunt when they had almost given up. It can materialize at any moment and from the most unexpected sources; you just have to remain positive and upbeat. Be strategic, pursue advice and keep davening! Dr. Alan Kadish: Because of the pandemic and the uncertainty in today’s world, no one expects college graduates to land their dream job right out of school. My standard advice to new grads still stands even in today’s difficult

There are certain “frum careers,” that is, careers that are popular in the Orthodox Jewish community. How were these specific areas affected? Do you see any silver linings? For example, have any new “frum careers” emerged from the pandemic?   Dr. Ginsparg Klein: Many of our graduates enter healthcare fields. Those fields do not seem to have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. If anything, Covid has increased professional needs in these areas and has opened more avenues to work remotely. For those working in allied health therapies (occupational, physical, speech-language, et cetera), services continue to take place, albeit differently. Remote work is both a blessing and a curse. One advantage is that it provides incredible flexibility to working parents, whose children may or may not be in school on any given day. The downside, for many, is that the boundaries between work and home are blurred, and people find themselves working more intense hours than ever. The challenge of maintaining a healthy work-life balance has been greatly exacerbated by the pandemic. For a few years now, I have been encouraging students to pursue Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

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cybersecurity, a field that is experiencing significant growth. We hear of new cyberattacks all the time. As more information is stored in the cloud and the world moves into “smart” technology, everything from the government down to our thermostats will need cybersecurity solutions. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that between 2019 and 2029, there will be a 31 percent growth of job opportunities in the field, which makes cybersecurity one of the fastest-growing career areas in the country. There are real shortages of cybersecurity professionals in the United States and internationally. In particular, there are

While being unemployed is not a desirable position to be in, it does build fortitude and character that will be helpful in the future. shortages of women in the field. I’ve seen new graduates and mid-career professionals enter the field with success. Adele Dubin and Natasha Srulowitz: Some of the typical frum careers that were severely affected by Covid are in sectors such as retail, wholesale, nursing homes, restaurants, catering and events, travel programs, entertainment (music) and nonprofits. As the pandemic caused shutdowns and crisis in these industries, people found themselves without jobs or with businesses in sudden decline. But while it is clear that the pandemic has been highly disruptive and has caused significant economic losses, there have been some positive side effects as well. For one, new opportunities began to emerge with the proliferation of remote work, which will likely continue. This is good news for frum workers, giving them more flexibility in terms of geographic location, time zone and work environment, and enabling them to go after opportunities that were previously off the table due to commute time or a desire to avoid exposure to the secular world. Covid-19 regulations have also cleared the way for a wider array of remote education options that are faster, more affordable, more specialized, and are aligned with the demands of the job market and preferences of the frum community. The shift to remote work has favorably impacted certain popular sectors like mental health (therapy), e-commerce, IT and healthcare. There is also a growing variety of roles and opportunities available in a mix of industries

Courtesy of Touro College

Being mindful of one’s spending, saving money, taking on side jobs and working hard will significantly help young adults down the road.   such as digital marketing (website development, social media, search engine optimization [SEO]), technology (software, data, UX design), business operations (HR, project management, insurance, finance, bookkeeping), home improvement and home care. Despite the pandemic—or in some ways because of it—the employment horizon is promising. However, it is important to be aware that jobs are becoming more streamlined and human resource managers are targeting candidates with specific skills for specific purposes. This means

that when choosing or changing careers, people have to be much more calculated in their decisions than ever before. Job seekers must align their strengths and objectives more precisely and be open to sharpening their skills and exploring more options. Navigating today’s intricate work world is not simple. But there is something for everyone. Dr. Kadish: The economy continues to be strong in the healthcare sector. Many frum students, as we have seen over and over, choose medicine, dentistry and a variety of health

science careers, including nursing, physician assistant, physical and occupational therapy and speech language pathology. We have seen record applications to Touro’s medical school for this reason; our med school applications are actually up by 25 percent this year. All of these careers are still holding strong, and I would add actuarial studies to the mix of top frum careers that seem to be pandemic-proof. In fact, recent data show that PA, dentistry, medicine and actuarial are all fields paying $100K-plus even in today’s times. In terms of silver linings and emerging careers since the pandemic, I would say that public health is a popular one. Touro offers a public health program, and the pandemic has prompted increased interest in this field. It is an excellent career that enables people to balance work and family as well as religious observance. People pursuing public health careers can work for Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

Max and Yettie Monderer A”H

a school district, hospital, county or city department of health—or in academia. Another field that’s growing because of the pandemic is biotech. A lot of money is being invested in biotechnology now, and jobs are available in administration, sales and marketing or in scientific research. Hiring is strong as vaccine and new drug development dominate the public health agenda. Companies like Pfizer and Regeneron are ramping up research enterprises, which opens up lots of job opportunities.

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JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

We are facing a pretty high unemployment rate. What can you possibly tell students who are concerned about making a living, especially with the affordability crisis in the Orthodox world? Dr. Kadish: Young graduates may have to rethink some of their plans. They may not be able to live in New York or other cities where the expenses of a frum lifestyle, including housing, are steep. While building their careers and getting onto solid footing, they may need to consider living with their parents or in small, out-of-town communities where life is cheaper. Because so many New York City-based companies are allowing employees to work remotely, it may be possible to live in a less expensive city and still work for a New York-based company. By the time today’s graduates have children in yeshivah, things should be better. They need to get through the next few years by building their careers and seeking out meaningful experiences and opportunities. Rabbi Greenberg: A person’s self-definition should not be based on how he or she earns a living. You are defined by how you behave while you earn a living and by your interaction with others. Indeed, it was inspiring to see how members of the Jewish community responded to the crisis. Affordability is a huge challenge in the frum community. I think young men and women need to be taught to plan accordingly. Career choices are very important; there are certain careers that lend themselves to earning money that will allow one to have a sustainable lifestyle. Savings are very important. Young people need to be educated about basic finance. If they are aware of these things at a young age, it will pay huge dividends down the road. Being mindful of one’s spending, saving money, taking on side jobs and working hard will significantly help young adults down the road.

What is the responsibility of the Orthodox community to help students during this pandemic?    Dr. Kadish: We are a community that has always helped each other, and that value is more important now than ever. When people are hiring, they should

try to take on frum graduates. Seasoned professionals can assist young grads with networking and job connections. Experts can volunteer to mentor students in their fields. Community-based initiatives should be established to help young families. While the hope is that we are experiencing a rough patch that will improve shortly, we can help current young grads by funding paid internship programs for those who can’t find jobs, which will offer them a minimal level of financial support as they gain more job experience. Last summer, Touro’s Career Services partnered with Ira Zlotowitz of Eastern Funding to develop a virtual internship program for students interested in real estate and banking. The program started with seven Touro students and ultimately opened to 500 college students around the country, all of whom benefited from the virtual experience. Some even made deals that generated fees. Our community has so many frum employers who can be creative at this time and develop similar internships and training programs that will help the current crop of grads gain the experience and skills they need to succeed. Dr. Wasserman: “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la’zeh—we all have a responsibility to help each other.” That applies to the community helping students.

However, it also applies to students helping the community. The Covid crisis sparked the need to think more creatively about the job market for students. This prompted YU to find ways to have each side help the other. In March of 2020, after we became the first university east of Washington State to shut down and then one of the first to reopen fully online, our attention turned to the next crisis that our students were likely to face: the summer internship crisis. Summer internships are a key building block for students, enabling them to explore potential career options, develop skills and credibility, learn professionalism, and gain academic credit for applying to the workplace what they’ve learned in class. We realized that students who hadn’t found internships by March were likely to find their opportunities drying up and that even those who had already received offers might find them postponed or reduced in length. We didn’t want our students to be facing the “Summer of Crisis” that other collegians were facing. So we put together a portfolio of substantive initiatives, and more than 120 students used it to craft a “Summer of Opportunity.” One of those initiatives was the YU Consulting Force. Almost three dozen students learned consulting and life skills from experts at top

There is so much communal pressure on frum young adults to make significant decisions quickly and at a young age. Too often, they rush into graduate school and invest in a pricey degree, only to discover after a few years in the field that they don’t like what they’re doing.

firms like McKinsey, Accenture, BCG and Deloitte, after which they participated in projects for six weeks at Jewish nonprofits, large and small. They developed a new data architecture for a prominent nonprofit, a leadership development program for a startup nonprofit focused on mental health, social media programs for other young nonprofits, and a variety of other projects. The students gained substantive experience (with some getting full-time job offers as a result), while the nonprofits made major progress in deepening their impact on the community. “Arevim zeh la’zeh” calls for responsibilities that run in both directions: students and the community helping each other simultaneously. Through initiatives like the YU Consulting Force, students helped the community as much as it was helping them, and when that happens, the klal wins. Rabbi Greenberg: The community has a great responsibility to help students. I have seen a significant amount of chesed in this regard. It is remarkable that people are willing and eager to give of their time and knowledge, meeting with and encouraging young adults as well as speaking on career panels. As a co-director for the OU’s Heshe and Harriet Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) in the Greater Toronto area, I work hard to create opportunities for students to engage with professionals in the fields they are pursuing, so they can be mentored and guided in their budding careers. Internships are the key to ensuring that one has a job upon graduating. If such opportunities could be expanded within the frum community, it would have a tremendous impact. These are challenging times, but gam zeh ya’avor (“this too shall pass”). We are resilient and forward thinking, and we support each other. Together we will get through this and emerge at the end with an even more fortified, giving and nurturing community.  Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

JEWISH THOUGHT

Of Faith and Crisis By Rabbi Moshe Taragin

aith forms the bedrock of Judaism. Our religion is pivoted upon a three-part system of Torah study, mitzvah performance and belief in fundamental religious principles. In practice, we are often so intensely immersed in study and ritual that we take our faith for granted. Even though faith is actually a mitzvah in itself, we sometimes don’t invest significant resources in studying or articulating its details. True, it is deeply ingrained but it often remains in the background. To a degree, this inattention is understandable and even may be beneficial; constant questioning and probing of belief systems can often destabilize faith. However, tragic events often force us to stare into the religious mirror and probe our faith. These events may be personal struggles similar to the travails of Iyov, who struggled to reconcile his personal misfortune with his belief in a God of mercy and justice. Additionally, large-scale disasters can elicit questions of faith; facing the imminent obliteration of Rabbi Moshe Taragin is a rabbi at Yeshivat Har Etzion/Gush. He has semichah and a BA in computer science as well as a master’s degree in English literature.

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Sodom, Avraham is wracked with theological questions as he challenges God’s decision. Tragedy can raise questions of faith to the surface while forcing us to reconsider an innate belief system that we often leave unspoken. Questioning faith isn’t necessarily a sign of religious frailty or rebelliousness. As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt”l, wrote, “Asking questions is itself a profound expression of faith in the intelligibility of the universe and the meaningfulness of human life . . . questions testify to faith—that history is not random . . . that what happens to us is not blind chance. We ask not because we doubt but because we believe.” Sincere questioning is an attempt to reconcile bewildering events with our unending belief that God is compassionate and justful. The past year has evoked numerous questions for religious people. How could a compassionate God allow such indiscriminate death and widespread suffering among so many innocent creatures? When the world is shattered or wrecked by human behavior, we are less troubled about God’s decisions. By empowering Man with freedom of choice, God freely abdicated control over human experience. Evil madmen such as Hitler and Stalin will employ their God-given freedom to commit heinous crimes and drag humanity

into disaster. Of course, God can always intervene and impede or redirect these decisions, but the natural order allows for human-manufactured suffering. However, a pandemic is a different calamity, one which isn’t necessarily wrought by human hands. Human malice isn’t responsible for a viral outbreak and for the past year of widespread death and global suffering. Certainly, we can trace various features of this pandemic to modern culture and technology, but the viral infection wasn’t directly authored by malevolent human behavior. Covid-19 has left us with many unanswered and unanswerable questions. Faith doesn’t just promise answers; it expects us to live with questions. Yet the demands of emunah don’t end with discovering answers or accepting enduring mysteries. Emunah challenges us to process tragic events and to respond to the Divine mystery. How can people of faith process the sadness and misery of the past year while strengthening their emunah and their relationship with God? Here are five general guidelines to assist us in navigating this religious course and in reinforcing our faith. 1. Proportion or Panic Faith lends proportion. Panic during crisis isn’t just a psychological handicap, it is also a product of unsteady faith. Whereas panic conjures worst-case doomsday scenarios, faith levels our assessment of suffering and provides a more nuanced version of the situation. After receiving the Torah on Har Sinai the Jews were concerned about Moshe’s delayed return from the mountain; but while concern or anxiety was legitimate, their dread and panic paved the road to idolatry. Likewise, we can’t indict the insubordinate spies for noticing the imposing military might of the warlords in the Land of Israel, but their panicked alarm and demoralizing tactics upon their return were shameful. The death and suffering this past year were shocking, but we mustn’t ignore the potential greater tragedies that thus far have been averted. Any loss of

life is devastating, but modern science and technology have braced humanity against more overwhelming fatalities. One hundred years ago, the Spanish flu—a two-year pandemic—took the lives of fifty million people or 2 percent of the world’s population. Thankfully, God has empowered modern science and technology to help contain this contagion while allowing us to maintain some semblance of routine life. The evolution of the Internet and rapid changes in communication have enabled us to maintain education, community and reasonable occupation from a distance in a manner unimaginable a mere twenty years ago. Appreciation of these factors and gratitude for our more manageable pandemic are also part of emunah. Perspective also allows us to appreciate how prosperous our lives were before the pandemic set in. Loss always allows us to better savor the successes and achievements we had long since taken for granted. This year of dysfunction has frustrated us precisely because our world once was so functional. Since the end of WWII much of the modern world enjoyed a period of unprecedented success, scientific advances, economic prosperity and political freedom. The absence of major international wars yielded an atmosphere brimming with achievement, hope and optimism. Our ancestors would probably not recognize the thriving and booming pre-Corona world; theirs was one of hardship, poverty, struggle and, of course, unnatural death. Our glossy modern world lulled us all into a false sense of security, and our success stoked outsized expectations from life. Human experience is characterized by hardship and struggle, and this past year reminded us that the past seventy years may have been atypical or even illusory. Perspective demands that we take a poised view of hardship, and also that we place it in context of the human condition. Emunah demands a perspective that can sometimes be clouded by too much success. Jews, as the people of history, are expected to possess historical perspective as well. There has never

been a better time to be a Jew: we stability. On a broader scale we have revived our national dream and continue to face uncertainty about our resettled our ancient homeland. Torah long-term futures. We are confident study and religious life are flourishing that, with God’s help, our routines while our robust communities are will soon return to semi-normal, but thriving. We have been embraced by how will the world change in the nations across the globe who have aftermath of the pandemic? Will afforded us influence and affluence. we travel as frequently? How will Living through this euphoria, we our communities and communal have rapidly forgotten the persecution structures look? What are the which Jews have faced over the past long-term economic ramifications two thousand years. Our world of of the pandemic? How will our own kosher vacations, Pesach programs and personal trajectories be altered? As the summer camps has been too cushioned pandemic starts to taper off, we face and too upholstered. Our world insecurity about the long-term future. remains unredeemed and life in this Faith demands that we learn to live not-yet-redeemed reality will always be with a degree of insecurity. Faith in challenging—especially for the nation God, and reliance upon Him, should tasked with redeeming humanity. In be firm enough to allow endurance the imperfect world which we occupy, even during periods of insecurity; God the road will not always be as smooth is the only reliable and unalterable as it has been during the recent past. certainty in life and an insecure Toward the end of the First Temple world helps us better appreciate that era, Yerushalayim was miraculously reliance. The desert generation of Jews saved when the 180,000 Assyrian perpetrated several heinous crimes and, soldiers encircling the city were according to some opinions (see the supernaturally defeated. Chizkiyahu, mishnah, Sanhedrin 110b) abdicated the king, declined to recite Hallel their share in the World to Come. Yet, because despite the victory in the gemara concludes that, despite Yerushalayim, much of Northern their waywardness, this founding Israel had been ransacked by those generation still merited afterlife. same Assyrian armies. His grand Their uncommon faith in following expectations for a perfect triumph God into the desert compensated for blinded him to the incredible their numerous betrayals. For forty miracle he experienced, and years this former band of enslaved because of this lapse, his Messianic Jews lived with uncertainty about potential was postponed. their daily survival. Faith demands We have been gifted with a front-row living alongside uncertainty and seat to seventy miraculous years of surviving unpredictability. Jewish history and that ticket should Bolstering faith during periods of empower us to weather struggle uncertainty deepens our relationship and to appreciate our fortune with God. David Hamelech was even in an imperfect world. Faith pursued relentlessly by Shaul and demands perspective, balance and having escaped, he acknowledged, gratitude—especially during crisis. “God is my rock and my fortress, my escape” (Tehillim 18:3). This world can 2. Faith and a Life of Uncertainty take everything from us, and when it A different challenge of this pandemic does, we realize that the only constant has been living under the specter in our lives that is immutable is our of uncertainty. Humans crave relationship with God. Life without the predictability and routine, but the illusory façade of security spotlights pandemic has riddled our lives with our sense of dependence upon God. question marks. On a daily basis we faced “short-term uncertainty” about our schedules: lockdowns, school closures and social distancing and, of course, our employment and financial

3. Suffering Is Transformative Chazal assert the value of yissurim shel ahavah—suffering of love (see Berachot 5a), in which suffering serves Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

as a personal catharsis, atones for national sin or protects humanity from greater disaster. Yissurim shel ahavah are effective to the degree that a person willfully embraces his trial. Though Chazal extolled this willful embrace of suffering, such an ambitious reaction feels less realistic in a modern world in which the rules of religious cause and effect are no longer apparent. However, the overall concept of yissurim shel ahavah showcases that within each struggle lies opportunity for transformation. In fact, the term nisayon (trial) stems from the same etymology as “nes” or raised flagpole. A trial challenges us to raise the caliber of our religious personality and improve our religious commitment. Unlike personal suffering which more easily translates into a Divine message for personal change, a global pandemic can be more difficult to decipher. Yet, faith demands that we personalize a pandemic and draw individual meaning and message. These personal messages should inspire growth in our religious commitment and observance but should also promote change in our general lifestyles. Life this past year has afforded us opportunities which our fast-paced pre-corona world deprived us of. We spent less time commuting but more time with our families. The pace of our lives slowed, and we were allotted more time to think and process. We re-examined the role of prayer in our lives and in our communities. Suffering alongside the larger community, we were reminded that we are a chosen people, but that we live among a broader community of humanity to which we are joined at the hip and whom we are expected to lead morally and spiritually. A crisis is to be endured, but a nisayon should incite growth personally and communally. There are personal messages about the religious tone of our lives just as there are cultural messages about the lifestyles we maintain. 4. Faith “Hovers” above Our World The Torah describes a faceoff with a false prophet who speaks in the name of God while lobbing prophecies 76

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

and performing impressive miracles. Though he purports to represent God, he contradicts commandments etched in stone at Sinai. His feats may be impressive and his stern warnings frightening, but we are unintimidated by his antics. Our faith is based on a seminal moment at Sinai during which we experienced a direct conversation with God. Nothing that occurs in this world, short of a repeat of that mass revelation, can usurp the authority of Sinai or surpass the direct revelation our own eyes witnessed. Our national faith is based on that collective memory, and nothing which occurs on this planet can topple that system of beliefs. My rebbe, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, zt”l, once described faith as a sentiment that should be strong enough for a person to be the last remaining Jew in the world, to walk out of Auschwitz and to still remain committed. Torah and faith are eternal and in no way impacted by events on this earth. The tonality of our relationship with God may change, but the basic terms of our relationship with God remain immutable. Har Sinai, which launched the history of faith, was otherworldly, and therefore hovers above historical events. 5. Faith and Loyalty The word emunah stems from the same etymology as the word ne’eman, which typically translates as loyalty. Faith in God must also express itself as loyalty to God. Emunah isn’t just an attitude, it’s a relationship. Loyalty demands sustaining a relationship even when the terms of that relationship aren’t clear and obvious. Faith isn’t only a rational belief in God but an emotional commitment to adhere to Him despite what may come. In a lecture delivered in 1974, Rabbi Lichtenstein elaborated upon this aspect of emunah: [Faith] does not attempt to scatter the clouds of misfortune, try to raise expectations, or strive to whitewash a dark future. It does not claim that “it will all work out for the best,” either individually or nationally. On the contrary, it expresses a steadfast commitment—even if the outcome will be bad, we will remain reliant

on and connected to God. We will remain faithful until the end and shall not exchange our trust in God for dependence on man. This approach does not claim that God will remain at our side; rather, it asks us to remain at His side. . . . In truth, this approach presents not just a demand but also a message. Being disconnected from God constitutes the greatest tragedy that can befall a person. . . . [Emunah] expresses a trust in God Himself, not as a function of what I can receive from Him, but rather as trust in Him. This trust is unconnected with what one may get out of the relationship, but simply describes a connection to God. The desire to come close to Him, to serve Him, to rely upon Him, to take hold of the Foundation of all else and the Source of existence. . . .”

Faith doesn’t just promise answers; it expects us to live with questions. Steadfast faith in God should not only provide reassurance or psychological security; more importantly, it should bind us to God even as we suffer. Whatever our fate, it can’t be worse than being disconnected from God. We cannot control the larger forces in our world but we can determine the depth and pitch of that relationship. We are living through a once-in-a lifetime crisis, and we will tell the story of this experience to our grandchildren. We will share how society adapted, marshalled its resources and overcame the type of threat that in past centuries, overwhelmed humanity. We will describe the manner in which our schooling and occupations were reconfigured. Hopefully we will also tell the story of an event that taught us all the deeper meanings of faith. 

JUST BETWEEN US

Photos: Josh Weinberg

Readers are invited to use this forum to express personal views and address issues of concern to fellow Jews. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the policy or opinion of the Orthodox Union.

THE MAKING of a MECHITZAH By Aviva Oppenheim

onsider the following thought experiment: If you ask a group of men which element of the main sanctuary influences their davening the most, you will probably get a variety of responses—the aron kodesh, the bimah, the seating, the lighting, et cetera. Very few, if any, will list the mechitzah as their primary concern. If you ask a group of women the same question, however, for a good number of them, the mechitzah will likely be at the top of the list. A male synagogue board member and I were discussing the following hypothetical scenario: We are renovating the main sanctuary, and there is enough in the budget to upgrade either the aron kodesh or the mechitzah. Which do we choose? He argued that the aron is more important because it is the spiritual center of the synagogue. I countered that half the synagogue membership is staring at or through the mechitzah during the entire service. This is the portal through which they experience prayer. He responded that he had never considered the mechitzah in that light.

When one enters a synagogue sanctuary, the mechitzah sends an immediate visual message about the congregation’s identity and values. Hence, a new mechitzah is an investment in a synagogue’s future. In spite of its importance, replacing a mechitzah is one of the most difficult renovations a synagogue can undertake. Meeting halachic requirements, balancing diverse constituents’ needs, and covering costs are just some of the challenges a synagogue faces during a mechitzah replacement. Congregation Shomrei Torah in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, recently completed the installation of a new mechitzah, a project that took two years from planning to completion. As I am passionate about carrying on the strong legacy of the shul as well as nurturing the growth of the Fair Lawn Jewish community, I volunteered to lead the mechitzah replacement effort. Playing a leadership role in the shul’s mechitzah committee was the perfect intersection between my communal interests and my professional expertise as a mechanical engineer and construction project manager. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

Aviva Oppenheim, an engineer and construction manager who oversaw the construction of a mechitzah at her shul in Fairlawn New Jersey, standing next to the newly installed mechitzah.

Aviva Oppenheim manages design and construction of large infrastructure projects for a bistate agency. She has been an active member of Congregation Shomrei Torah in Fairlawn, New Jersey, for ten years.

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My experience over the course of the synagogue’s mechitzah project validated the importance of women being actively involved in mechitzah design. While halachic criteria from the rabbinic leadership formed the baseline of our design, there were many non-halachic decisions the committee had to make in regard to mechitzah materials, aesthetics and form. Women’s voices played a large role in determining these criteria. The committee researched several options for materials, including glass, latticework and one-way screens. Each material presented pros and cons, which were evaluated. For example, although both latticework and glass were deemed halachically acceptable, there are major functional differences between the two materials. While latticework blocks some visibility, it easily lets sound through. Glass, on the other hand, provides clear visibility; however, the solid panels block some sound transmission. (Glass panels are also problematic for those women who need openings in order to feel a physical sense of connection to the prayer space; our experience with plexiglass barriers in the wake of the pandemic gives everyone a good opportunity to empathize with this perspective.) Early in the project, I polled women in our synagogue to get a sense of which was more important—seeing clearly through the mechitzah or hearing well through the mechitzah.

Sophisticated and inviting, the mechitzah features dark blue-colored stones depicting images of the holidays interspersed throughout the elaborate metalwork.

“Both” was the instinctive response I mostly received. Synagogue member Dr. Barbara Irwin told me, “Being in shul and not being able to hear the davening, the Torah reading or the rabbi’s speech marginalizes our experience as members of the Jewish community.” A good mechitzah design takes into account both clear visibility and good sound transmission, even though there is often a tradeoff between these goals. Soliciting feedback from a wide range of synagogue members is the best way to make an informed decision about which design fulfills the functional needs of the constituents. Our synagogue ran a focus group comprised of women in the community; I know of another synagogue that sponsored a community-wide meeting. Some women sought me out to express a particular opinion about the mechitzah. Others did not express an opinion until they were approached, despite the fact that quite a few of them had strong opinions on the subject. This taught me how important it is to connect with the “silent majority” when making communal decisions. Even within one synagogue, there are many perspectives on what makes an ideal mechitzah. My personal feeling is that a mechitzah with one-way visibility (e.g., privacy glass or screens) erases my presence in shul; if the mechitzah is opaque to

the point where the men don’t even know whether women are there, I feel as if I might as well not be there at all. I learned, however, that there are women who prefer to see the men’s section while remaining invisible themselves. Some women prefer this because they desire a more private davening experience, others expressed having been stared at inappropriately by men in synagogue, and still others prefer it since they grew up with an opaque mechitzah and are more comfortable with it. Tangentially, synagogues with opaque or one-way mechitzahs—or high balconies, for that matter— can improve the shul experience for women if the shul leadership asks the following questions: Does the women’s section have enough siddurim and chumashim? Are source sheets distributed to the women during shiurim? Is there a way to communicate with women who do not have a family member or friend in the men’s section so they can have their requests fulfilled for a Kel Malei or Mi Sheberach for a refuah sheleimah? All synagogues benefit by addressing these needs, but it is more critical to be mindful in spaces where women cannot easily make themselves heard. As part of our research, we looked at different mechitzot across the US and in Israel, spoke to several mechitzah fabricators and evaluated our options. The consensus among committee members was that a

latticework mechitzah worked best for our synagogue. When our research showed that many standard latticework designs have small openings that are difficult to see through, the committee commissioned a custom design. This enabled us to adjust each component of the mechitzah to meet our specific needs. The architect assisting the shul with other renovations connected us with a metalworking sculptor. Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, our shul rabbi, reviewed the maximum opening size in a mechitzah with the sculptor, who then created an abstract design that maximized the areas that would have an unobstructed view. It took a full year for him to complete the custom-designed mechitzah. We also incorporated work from artist Jeffrey Packard, a longtime synagogue member who designed the original main sanctuary space. Sophisticated and inviting, the mechitzah features dark blue-colored stones depicting images of the holidays interspersed throughout the elaborate metalwork. While it might be impossible to make everyone happy with a new mechitzah, we ultimately came up with a design that balanced competing priorities. I am very proud of our committee’s approach of using halachic criteria as a basis and building on it by giving serious consideration to feedback from each shul member.  Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

THE CHEF’S TABLE

ave you ever wondered why so many kosher restaurants are crowded during the Nine Days? At our greatest time of mourning and sadness, doesn’t it seem counter-intuitive to dine out? Of all the restrictions observed during the Nine Days—the culmination of the Three Weeks By Naomi Ross of mourning leading up to Tishah B’Av—few compare with the degree to which we obsess over abstaining from meat. Men seem to flock to siyumim just in order to be able to partake. Culturally, it seems that we Jews are fairly reliant upon meat in our diets; take it away for a week and for many, meatless menu planning is nothing short of chaos. What makes this one practice so significant and how does abstaining from meat for a week really impact our lives? Unique to the Nine Days, refraining from meat is different from other mourning rituals as there is no such restriction when mourning the loss of a loved one. Not eating meat during this period is meant to remind us of the meat sacrifices that we can no longer bring in the Beit Hamikdash, whose destruction we commemorate on Tishah B’Av. The pleasures of giving animal offerings came to a close at this time and so we give up those pleasures as well. In an era when we are so far removed from the reality of having a Beit Hamikdash (almost 2,000 years!), how can we evoke a true sense of loss? We give pause to our own physical pleasures and imagine what it meant to be able to connect, communicate and be received by our Creator. In this small way, we make the effort to cultivate an inkling of what the offerings were, both for the Jewish People and for God. Chazal are telling us: don’t go on eating the same things, business as usual. Break up your routine in order to think about what it is that we no longer have. The small personal sacrifice of not eating meat can be a profound reminder that this is indeed a time of loss. Here are few recipes to add to your dinner rotation during the Nine Days or anytime of the year.

Finding Satiety During Sadness

Mushroom Burgers with Zesty Hamburger Sauce

Yields 8 burgers

Mushrooms offer a satisfying meaty quality in this flavorful meatless burger. Melt extra cheddar on top for a “cheeseburger” and serve with ketchup, mustard or the Zesty Hamburger Sauce. Burgers 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup (about 2 large) finely chopped shallots (or onion) 4 cups (about 12 oz) finely chopped fresh mushrooms 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 80

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4 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup dry bread crumbs 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for topping) ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons canola oil 8 whole wheat hamburger buns, split 8 lettuce leaves, for topping Sliced tomato, for topping Sauce ⁄ - ½ cup mayonnaise 3 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 3

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and

mushrooms; season with salt, thyme and pepper. Sauté until wilted and any released moisture has evaporated out, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Add eggs, bread crumbs, cheese and flour; mix to combine. Prepare a baking sheet or platter lined with parchment paper. Use a 1 ⁄3 cup measuring cup to apportion the thick mixture into patties. Use a spoon or spatula to transfer out of the measuring cup onto the prepared baking sheet. Use the back of a spoon to flatten into eight ¾-inch thick patties. Place the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes to set. In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients; refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the burgers. In a large cast-iron or heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium heat. For best results, use a flat spatula to transfer 4 chilled patties to the hot pan. Cook until crisp and browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping once during cooking. Do not attempt to flip the burgers until a crust has formed. Repeat with remaining patties. To serve: add extra cheese on top in the last minute of cooking time to melt. Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato and hamburger sauce.

Fresh Corn Chowder For best flavor, fresh, sweet corn is a summer’s treat in this comforting seasonal soup (frozen kernels can be used in winter). About 6 cups fresh corn kernels (from 6 ears fresh corn) 3 tablespoons butter 2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium onions) 2 stalks celery (about 1 cup), diced 1 large or 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon thyme 1¼ teaspoon basil or 1 tablespoon fresh

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Beer-Soaked Cedar Plank Salmon

Photos: Baila Gluck

Naomi Ross is a cooking instructor and food writer, and the culinary director at Apron Masters Kitchen in Woodmere, New York. She teaches classes throughout the tri-state area and writes articles connecting good cooking and Jewish inspiration.

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3 cups vegetable stock 1 cup whole milk or half and half (plus more as needed to thin if consistency is too thick) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Optional: 1-2 teaspoons sugar as needed (if corn is not sweet or flavorful) Working over a large bowl, use a sharp knife to cut off the kernels from each ear of corn. Then scrape down the cob with the knife’s edge to extract the extra creaminess from the corn. Set aside; reserve stripped cobs. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter and sauté onion over medium heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add celery, potatoes, salt, thyme and basil; sauté another 5 minutes. Add stock and reserved cobs and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook covered for about 10-15 minutes or until potato is tender but not mushy. Add corn kernels; simmer covered for another 8-10 minutes. Remove and discard cobs. Using an immersion blender, puree until mostly smooth (I like to leave some bits of vegetables unblended for a chunkier texture). Add milk or half and half to the soup and stir to blend, adding more as needed for desired consistency. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper and sugar if needed. Ladle into soup bowls and serve hot with crusty bread on the side.

Beer-Soaked Cedar Plank Salmon Grilling salmon over a cedar plank infuses the fish with a woodsy, smoky flavor. Be sure to soak the plank in liquid for a few hours prior to grilling. Cedar planks are available at hardware or home stores like Home Depot. 1 large can beer 1 side baby salmon fillet (with skin on) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 lemon, thinly sliced 1 lime, thinly sliced 82

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Soak cedar grilling plank in beer (or other liquid) to cover for 2-4 hours (keep it immersed). Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking: If your grill has three zones of heat, set the back and front burners to medium-high heat and keep the center burner off. If your grill has two zones of heat, set one side of the grill for medium-high heat and leave the other side off. Keep the lid closed until the heat registers at around 350°-400° F. If using a charcoal grill, place the briquettes to one side of the charcoal well. Open vents on bottom and lid of charcoal grill. Put salmon on plank, skin side down (if salmon is too wide for plank, fold in thinner side to fit). Season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder; drizzle with olive oil. Place lemon and lime slices on top of salmon. Place plank on unlit section of the grill. Grill, covered with lid, until salmon is just cooked through and edges are browned, about 20-25 minutes depending on thickness of fish. Let salmon stand on plank 5 minutes before serving. Serve with Grilled Pineapple Salsa (recipe below).

Grilled Pineapple Salsa Grilling the pineapple caramelizes the fruit’s natural sugars and intensifies its flavors. The relish can be prepared up to one day ahead. ½ ripe pineapple, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1 ⁄3” slices ½ small red onion, minced (about ¼ cup) 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced ½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced Zest and juice and of ½ large lime (about 1 tablespoon), or more to taste 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro 1-2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Preheat grill for direct grilling (all zones on) on medium-high heat. Carefully oil the grill grates (tongs and oil-soaked paper towels do a good job of this). Place pineapple slices on the grill. Grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once during

grilling, until pineapple edges begin to caramelize (look for golden brown spots). Transfer slices to a cutting board and dice into ¼” cubes. Place diced pineapple in a large mixing bowl and add in all remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lime juice, as needed.

Chocolate Rum Pudding

Yields 4 servings

Using a slurry (a dissolved mixture of thickener) in this old-fashioned treat prevents unwanted lumps from forming, creating a smooth and delectable pudding. 6 ounces (1 cup) good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped 2-3 tablespoons light brown sugar 2 cups milk (lowfat ok) Pinch of salt 3 tablespoons cornstarch ½ teaspoon vanilla 1½ tablespoons dark rum Combine the chocolate, sugar and milk in a medium-sized heavy saucepan and whisk to blend. Place over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is uniform and well blended. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cornstarch. Add about a third of the chocolate mixture, vigorously whisking until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour the resulting mixture back into the remaining chocolate mixture in the saucepan and whisk to blend. Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and stir continually until the mixture becomes thick and glossy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and rum. Quickly pour the pudding into individual serving cups or ramekins (5-6 oz) before it has a chance to set. Place a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top, if desired. Chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving. Garnish with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, almond crunch and/or sliced strawberries.

Chocolate Rum Pudding

The Nine Days Menu: Hints and Tips Here are some suggestions for Nine Days meals that will satiate even the most ravenous carnivore. • Seared Tuna Steak: Tuna steaks are quite meaty and filling. Season with salt and pepper, sear in a pan on high heat, about 3-4 minutes per side for a 1-inch thick steak—it is best served rare (less time for thinner steaks). Garnish with lemon and serve with steamed or roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes on the side. Sliced thinly, leftovers make great sandwiches or salads the next day! • Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers: Portobello mushrooms also have a meat-like consistency. Grill or broil portobellas, marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Serve on a toasted hamburger bun topped with melted mozzarella cheese, a slice of tomato and some fresh chopped basil (or pesto). • Eggplant Parmesan or Rollatini: Always a satisfying classic. Serve with fresh spaghetti with extra marinara sauce on hand. • Blintz/Crepes: Go savory with hearty fillings like potato-onion or mushroom-ricotta. • Supplement with Soups and Salads: A meal with lighter fare often begs an additional course to round it out. Adding a hearty vegetable soup or a chunky, protein-rich salad are the way to go to make it more filling!

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INSIDEthe PROGRAMS OF THE ORTHODOX UNION

OU Compiled by Sara Goldberg

Novelty vs. Renewal By Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph

ow do we accommodate the human desire for newness within our traditional religious framework? The concept would seem to present as a contradiction, especially in a modern world that constantly seeks that which is new and exciting, the latest trend or gadget or idea, while as Orthodox Jews we are forever and steadfastly committed to tradition.

Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, z”l, in his derashah for Parashat HaChodesh 5725, underscores the importance of distinguishing between novelty and renewal. Whereas the first relates to “seeking thrills,” the latter connects one to the “thrill of seeking.” The former might be represented by my participation in NCSY’s Over the Edge rappelling event, but the latter truly represents so much of what we do here at the OU.

colleagues in person for the first time, both literally and figuratively. According to halachah, whatever we have done (or not done) for thirty days becomes customary. "Hachodesh hazeh lachem" is a mitzvah to experience renewal, to redeem ourselves from patterns and make a conscious effort to do something differently. We are given the opportunity each month to renew ourselves. We thus must challenge ourselves to reach new heights and enthusiasm, growth and development in our Yiddishkeit.

NYU and Princeton OU-JLIC campuses have assisted over 500 people in registering for vaccine appointments.

We are committed as an organization • The OU Women's Initiative launched to engaging, strengthening, leading InfluenceHER, a girls' high school and inspiring the greater Orthodox program in partnership with Jewish community—not through schools across North America. novelty, but through renewal, This program will introduce and at this time we have many juniors and seniors to Orthodox thoughts of renewal on the mind: women role models and highlight women of impact and influence. • The OU's Impact Accelerator The Sefat Emet explains that in is supporting six Jewish halachah, if one hasn’t seen someone • Yachad released the Koren nonprofit innovative startups in thirty days, he blesses the Yachad Siddur, described as in its Third Cohort, addressing moment by reciting the berachah of the “first siddur for the special a range of issues impacting Shehecheyanu. With the reopening needs community,” marking a the Jewish community. of our national headquarters at great step forward in making 11 Broadway this past April—on prayer accessible to all. • We launched our new Rosh Chodesh Iyar!—after over a All Parsha app. • We've introduced the Mental year’s hiatus, we truly blessed Health Awareness Initiative— • Groups of students, alumni the moment with thoughts of and young professionals at our both within the OU for our renewal, and by encountering many Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

employees/OU Family, as well as for the community during the month of May. In Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know (New York, 2021), Adam Grant writes: It takes humility to reconsider our past commitments, doubt to question our present decisions, and curiosity to reimagine our future plans. What we discover along the way can free us from the shackles of our familiar surroundings and our former selves. Rethinking liberates us to do more than update our knowledge and opinions—it’s a tool for leading a more fulfilling life.

potential that hasn’t yet been used, new coming from within the old. Only when we break out of old habits will be able to reach that renewal in our Torah, tefillah and relationships. At the OU, we share this approach. We are in constant pursuit of how we reach and impact others— renewal within religion. • How might we recruit, grow and develop our professionals through their employment life cycle at the OU? • How can we best distribute the mamon hekdesh with which we have been entrusted to prioritize the activities across all OU departments in support of our constituencies?

We daven each day “Ohr chadash al Tzion ta’ir—May You shine a new light on Zion.” What are we davening for? A • How should we enable our release of light in the future? Actually, employees to have a warm, this light has already been created— welcoming, well-equipped and safe office space to engage in it is in each one of us, it is untapped

HAPPENINGS

AROUND THE OU

our important work and that also reflects our holy efforts? • How do we apply best and next practices to equip and support our OU colleagues’ growing technological needs? And so much more! We are committed as an organization to engaging, strengthening, leading and inspiring the greater Orthodox Jewish community—not through novelty but through renewal. We don’t need to simply pursue gimmicks, gadgets or the latest novelties. We look within, tap into the unused potential, and use innovation and renewal to guide our efforts: “Hashiveinu Hashem elecha v’nashuvah—Return us to You, Hashem, and we will return.” Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph is Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at the OU.

Making Inclusion Ambassadors

Nearly forty teens from across the US joined Yachad this past February, coinciding with Jewish Disabilities Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), for two virtual seminars of inclusion training. Participants who attended the courses, which focused on making Jewish communal life more inclusive for individuals with disabilities, received certificates marking them as “inclusion ambassadors.” “Our sages teach us that ‘Kol Yisrael arevim zeh lazeh’ (‘We are all responsible for each other’) and Yachad’s inclusion ambassador training program is an incredible way to meaningfully educate and empower our teens in order to make our communities more open and inclusive. These young people are our communal leaders of tomorrow,” said OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer. Teens learn about disability integration at Yachad’s virtual inclusion training seminar.

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Bar Mitzvah Boy Teaches Gemara Charlie Breda reviewing the daf.

A bar mitzvah boy from Teaneck, New Jersey, has become a maggid shiur with the help of All Daf, the OU's innovative Daf Yomi app. Charlie Breda was inspired to take up Daf Yomi after attending the Siyum HaShas in January 2020 with his father and brother. He joined the Daf Yomi club at his school, Yeshivat Noam; when the school closed in March 2020 due to Covid, Charlie suggested to the club’s rebbe, Rabbi Rosalimsky, that they take the Daf Yomi club on Zoom. Due to time conflicts, Charlie took over the Zoom shiur from his rebbe and began leading a daily daf shiur for his friends, using the OU’s All Daf app to prepare the material. All Daf staff learned of Charlie’s achievements when Charlie messaged his story to the All Daf team. “It’s a remarkable story of a regular kid relentlessly pursuing the seemingly impossible,” said All Daf Director Rabbi Moshe Schwed. “It’s stories like these that remind us of the reason we created and invest in All Daf: to enable more people to access quality shiurim from wherever they find themselves in the world.”

Supporting Innovation Six innovative Jewish nonprofit startups, selected from a pool of fifty-one applicants, have joined the Impact Accelerator’s Cohort III, a year-long program built on mentorship-based growth and early-stage funding. The nonprofits address a range of issues impacting the Jewish community. “The organizations we chose for the Third Cohort are dedicated to finding solutions and opportunities for our community at a time when we need to be thinking about new and creative solutions,” said Impact Accelerator Director Jenna Beltser.

Lasting Kindness: stemming the rise in cremation amongst American Jewry through awareness, education and practical assistance Torah Institute Beyond Campus: a virtual beit midrash for college students My Tzedakah Fund: a tzedakah subscription service ATARA—the Arts & Torah Association for Religious Artists: a network of Torah observant female creative and performing artists City of Gold by Torah Live: an educational platform for children to craft their own journey through Torah learning and gamification, and by doing so, provide donations to the poor of Jerusalem Penimi: confronting contemporary challenges facing Jewish youth who are growing up in the digital age

Cohort I Recognized with Slingshot Awards Two member ventures of the OU Impact Accelerator’s Cohort I—GrowTorah and Work At It—earned the distinction of being listed on Slingshot’s “10 to Watch” list, which names organizations and projects in North America that are making positive change and responding to current and timely needs.

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Meet Jewish Communities in New Podcast In advance of the much-anticipated OU Jewish Community Home Relocation Fair, scheduled to be held virtually in the winter of 2022, the OU Department of Community Projects and Partnerships has partnered with the Nachum Segal Network for a new podcast called “Road Trip.” Highlighting Jewish communities around the US, the podcast features community leaders and residents who discuss the amenities, schools, job opportunities and housing prices in their community. The podcast is set to run for twelve weeks and will highlight over twenty communities, from Las Vegas to West Hartford. “It has been challenging for people to go out and visit communities because of the pandemic,” said Rebbetzin Judi Steinig, Senior Director, Department of Community Projects and Partnerships. “With this podcast, future relocators can get a glimpse of the communities in which they are interested and discover their unique features.” For more information about the podcast and the upcoming virtual fair, visit ou.org/fair.

Making Vaccines a Priority OU-JLIC's Killing Covid with Kindness Since the start of the pandemic, the OU’s Heshe and Harriet Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) “Killing Covid with Kindness” campaign has connected hundreds of students with volunteer opportunities, from grocery shopping to delivering meals to calling lonely elderly individuals. The arrival of vaccines in New York in December brought a complex online appointment and registration process that is particularly challenging for seniors. Under the leadership of Co-Director of OU-JLIC Downtown Rabbi Joe Wolfson, a group of students, alumni and young professionals have assisted over 500 people in registering for vaccine appointments. The effort has also been replicated by the OU-JLIC at Princeton University. For assistance in finding a vaccine appointment, go to bit.ly/let-us-get-you-avaccine-appointment. Jenn Gold, a young professional volunteering for OU-JLIC Downtown’s “Killing Covid with Kindness” program.

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Teach New Jersey Helps Teachers Get Vaccinated Following a robust campaign throughout February, in March Teach New Jersey’s activism successfully gained vaccine prioritization for New Jersey’s teachers, support staff and childcare workers. In addition, Teach New Jersey secured vaccine appointments for hundreds of yeshivah and day school educators and school staff across New Jersey. “I received an email [from Teach NJ] in the afternoon, and by 8:00 PM that day, I had an appointment,” said Chaya Kahn, a learning specialist at Hillel Yeshiva in Open Township, New Jersey. “[Teach NJ] saved me a lot of headache, and made sure that everyone who signed up was scheduled. They really cared about making this happen,” said Yocheved Klein, who works at YBH of Passaic, New Jersey.

Learning Tefillah with Yachad Following the recent launch of the Koren Yachad Siddur, Yachad has introduced the Yachad Siddur Initiative. Each Monday a Zoom shiur introduces participants to a particular part of tefillah, followed by an activity related to the topic. For example, after learning about Birchot HaShachar with Rabbi Binyamin Blau, Rabbi of the Green Road Synagogue in Cleveland and Rosh Yeshivah at Fuchs Mizrachi School, participants played a Jeopardy-style game about the Morning Blessings. In partnership with OU-JLIC and NCSY, the program pairs Yachad participants with chavrutot (study partners) for virtual tefillah learning using the Sruly App, a secure communications app for those with special needs. “Every Jew should be afforded the opportunity to deeply connect to Hakadosh Baruch Hu,” said Rabbi Shay Schachter, Rosh Beit Midrash at Young Israel of Woodmere in New York and Posek for Yachad. “This endeavor enriches and elevates the communal experience of tefillah, enabling even more members of the Jewish community to connect in a most meaningful way.” To join, watch previous shiurim or learn more about the program, visit yachad.org/siddur.

Bringing Torah Learning to Teens Aspire: Yarchei Kallah, NCSY’s signature weekend Torah learning retreat held each winter, is a high point of the NCSY calendar. Since an in-person event was not possible this year, NCSY reinvented the program for 2021, launching Aspire: Yarchei Kallah On the Go. Held in February, over 2,000 teens took part in the six-week virtual program of chavruta learning. In late January, teens signed up to either choose their own chavruta or have NCSY pair them with a partner for the learning event. Teens from twenty-six US states and five Canadian provinces participated. Following the launch event, they partook in different challenges with prizes to keep them engaged in their learning, including posting a thirty-second summary of something they learned to social media, an essay contest about what the program meant to them, and more. “Whereas prior to the pandemic we were limited by capacity restraints, travel costs and a teen’s ability to devote a full week to the program, this year we were able to open the event up to teens everywhere and impact even those who might have limited available time to devote each day to learning,” said NCSY Education Director Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

WOMEN IN ACTION Empowering Women’s Voices

Reaching women of all ages and stages of life is an integral part of the mission of the OU Women’s Initiative (WI). Two recent programs launched by the WI this year are perfect illustrations of this mission in action.

The Art of Speaking A three-month-long seminar launched by the WI in January, “The Art of Speaking” provided virtual advanced public speaking training to sixty female lay leaders in North America and Israel. The women participated in both large and small group coaching sessions with Barbara Gottesman of BGCoaching & Consulting, an executive coach and speaker trainer based in Silicon Valley. At the end of the program, every participant presented a five-minute talk on a topic of her choice. Following the seminar’s completion, WI invited graduates of the program to serve as presenters for the annual “Counting Toward Sinai” pre-Shavuot series, putting the skills they learned to use. “I don’t know who got more out this, me or them,” remarked Barbara. “This is a group of impressive and empowered women who have the ability to make changes in this world for the better—and I am humbled to have played even a small part in helping them get there." Pictured: “Art of Speaking” participants at a small group coaching session led by Barbara Gottesman (top left), executive coach and speaker trainer.

InfluenceHER A monthly virtual program for eleventh and twelfth grade high school girls launched in March, “InfluenceHER” introduces students to Orthodox Jewish women who are making an impact on the Jewish community and the world at large in their own unique ways. The program, sponsored by the Gindi family of Los Angeles, was proposed to the WI some months ago by Meira Ives, a junior at YULA Girls High School in Los Angeles, who feels strongly about the need to produce content that highlights women role models in the Jewish community. Since its launch, over 150 students from fourteen schools in the US and Canada, from Dallas to Vancouver to Palo Alto to South Florida, have joined the program. Presenters have included Olympic-qualified runner Beatie Deutsch; US ping pong champion Estee Ackerman, OU Board Member and President of the Teaneck Mikvah Nomi Rotblat and Director of Outreach for the National Association of Chevra Kadisha Rebbetzin Yael Davidowitz. 90

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Meira Ives, a junior at YULA Girls High School in Los Angeles, originated the concept of InfluenceHER.

ADVOCACY WRAP-UP

OU Advocacy Scores Historic Wins for Jewish Community in Latest Covid Relief Packages

Over the past year, the OU Advocacy Center has worked tirelessly with allies in Congress under two presidential administrations to craft key provisions in each of the three major federal pandemic relief packages signed into law. These measures provide billions of dollars for America’s Jewish community and charitable organizations nationwide to weather the economic hardships wrought by Covid-19. In March, the OU Advocacy Center welcomed the passage of the latest such legislation, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). In addition to ensuring the inclusion of several provisions that will substantially benefit the Jewish community—expanding availability of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, extending unemployment insurance payments, and providing funding for Covid vaccine distribution, among others—the ARP marked the second time in just a few months that OU Advocacy succeeded in working with allies in Congress to secure $2.75 billion for Jewish and other nonpublic K-12 schools to address Covid-related costs and impact. Just three months earlier, OU Advocacy led the drive to ensure that the second major relief package passed in 2020 created a $2.75 billion fund to help day schools survive the pandemic—two rare set-asides of direct federal funding that will provide nonpublic schools a total of $5.5 billion this year. The first relief package (CARES Act), passed in March 2020, also included emergency appropriations for Jewish organizations and charities. OU Advocacy Executive Director Nathan Diament explained that part of the success in achieving so much assistance for nonpublic schools came from the strong alliance the OU formed with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and other major nonprofit organizations. “The challenges faced by Jewish and other nonprofit institutions are unprecedented, and we are very grateful to Congress, the Biden Administration and the previous Trump Administration for responding with these historic measures,” Diament said. “As we begin to assess the pandemic’s impact on America’s Jewish day schools, synagogues, community centers and other charitable organizations during the past year, we are mindful that our work isn’t yet over. We remain as committed as ever to advocating for the welfare and health of our entire community.”

Stephanie Keith/the New York Times/Redux Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

NEW POSITIONS & PROMOTIONS Welcome to . . .

. . . Rabbi Moshe Isenberg, National Director of Major Gifts, NCSY. In this role, Rabbi

Isenberg will seek to expand NCSY’s donor base and assist regions in pinpointing new donor opportunities. Rabbi Isenberg returns to the OU after serving as the CEO of Evergreen Insurance Agency for the past five years. Prior to that position, he served as Director of NCSY’s Midwest region for sixteen years. Rabbi Isenberg holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago.

Congratulations to . . . . . . Rabbi Naftali Herrmann, on his promotion to Executive Director of the Karasick

Department of Synagogue Initiatives. He will work alongside current National Director Rabbi Adir Posy to develop and manage the department’s leadership initiatives, resources and programs. Rabbi Herrmann was Southeast Regional Director for the OU Department of Synagogue and Community Services for the past six years, and has been with the OU for over a decade. He holds a master's in social work from Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

. . . Rabbi Phil Karesh, Rabbi Simon Taylor, and Rebbetzin Judi Steinig, who have been named as the leadership of the new OU Department of Community Projects and Partnerships. Established with the vision of OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer, this new department strives to enhance Jewish communal life by partnering with community leaders, experts and organizations to confront ongoing communal challenges.

Rabbi Karesh, Executive Director, previously served as Midwest Regional

Director of OU Synagogue and Community Services, following nearly a decade as an educator with NCSY. He obtained semichah from Yeshiva University in Israel, is a certified mohel, and earned a master’s in education from Loyola University Chicago.

Rabbi Taylor, National Director, has been part of the NCSY leadership team

for the past six years, having served as Regional Director of New England NCSY and subsequently as the Regional Director of Outreach for New York NCSY. Raised in London, he held several communal positions including serving as an army chaplain and obtained semichah in both England and Israel.

Rebbetzin Steinig, Senior Director, most recently served as Director of

Community Engagement for the OU Department of Synagogue and Community Services, providing resources for communal growth and programming to communities throughout North America. Rebbetzin Steinig holds a master’s in leadership from Bellevue University.

. . . Solly Hess on his appointment to Chief Development Officer, Southern NCSY. In

this role, he will be responsible for overseeing the regional fundraising team, the strategic growth of the region’s annual campaign and direct solicitation of major gifts. Most recently, Solly served as OU Director of Institutional Advancement, West Coast, and he holds an MBA from Pepperdine University.

. . . Sara Goldberg on her promotion to Associate Editor of Jewish Action following five years as the magazine’s Assistant Editor. The title reflects an expansion of her role, which includes the development and editing of the “Inside the OU” and “Inside Philanthropy” sections, and managing Jewish Action’s digital presence. Sara holds a bachelor’s in English Creative Writing from Stern College for Women. 92

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NEW FROM OU PRESS Foundation of Faith: A Tapestry of Insights and Illuminations on Pirkei Avot Based on the Thought and Writings of Rabbi Norman Lamm Edited by Rabbi Mark Dratch OU Press and Ktav Publishing House

he latest volume in Rabbi Norman Lamm’s growing library of works consists of his penetrating reflections on Pirkei Avot. Published posthumously in memory of Rabbi Lamm and his wife Mindella, who passed away last year, as well as their late daughter Sara, who died prematurely in 2012, the volume was edited with loving care by Rabbi Lamm’s son-in-law Rabbi Mark Dratch. The “insights and illuminations” contained in this volume fulfill our lofty expectations for a book

Beurei Hatefillah: A Guide to Jewish Prayer— Expanded and Updated By Rabbi Isaiah Wohlgemuth; edited by Asher Reichert and Rashie Reichert OU Press and Ktav Publishing House

abbi Isaiah Wohlgemuth (1915-2008) was for decades a beloved teacher at the Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was renowned for his course on Jewish prayer, or Beurei Hatefillah. Later in life, Rabbi Wohlgemuth was persuaded to commit his course to writing, and he devoted his final strength to this effort, with the aid of his student Rabbi Asher Reichert. Rabbi Reichert and his wife Rashie, in turn, have dedicated themselves to carrying

bearing Rabbi Lamm’s name. In this volume, we experience Rabbi Lamm’s characteristic eloquence, his mastery of Jewish thought, and his ability to draw upon that knowledge to explicate Judaism’s ideas and ideals. For example, Rabbi Lamm discusses why Avot, the tractate containing the moral teachings of the Sages, opens with the chain of transmission of the Torah going back to Moses at Sinai. Rabbi Lamm cites Rav Ovadiah of Bartenura, who explained that the mishnah is teaching us that the ethical teachings of the Sages, as much as their “pure” halachic rulings, are rooted in the Revelation at Sinai. Rabbi Lamm elaborates: Torah is not only God-given; it is also godly. The divine word is not only uttered by God, it is also an aspect of God Himself. All of the Torah—its ideas, its laws, its narratives, its aspirations for the human community—lives and breathes godliness. Hillel Zeitlin

described the Hasidic interpretation of revelation (actually it was even more true of their opponents, the Mitnagdim, and ultimately derived from a common Kabbalistic source) as not only Torah min hashamayim (Torah from Heaven) but Torah shehi shamayim (Torah that is Heaven). It is in Torah that God is most immediately immanent and accessible, and the study of Torah is therefore not only a religious commandment per se, but the most exquisite and the most characteristically Jewish form of religious experience and communion. For the same reason, Torah is not only legislation, Halachah, but in its broadest meaning, Torah—teaching, a term that includes the full spectrum of spiritual edification: theological and ethical, mystical and rhapsodic. This work will undoubtedly be warmly welcomed as a classic of Jewish thought and exegesis by the ever-growing number of people who appreciate Rabbi Lamm’s unique voice.

through Rabbi Wohlgemuth’s vision. This volume reflects the fruit of their cumulative labor.

discussed with Rabbi Soloveitchik, as well as practices he observed as a participant in Rabbi Soloveitchik’s minyan over many years.

Rabbi Wohlgemuth was a product of the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin, and his approach to the siddur reflects the rigor of Germany’s finest rabbinic scholarship. Rabbi Reichert likewise ensured that every statement in the book contains the proper citations to enable the interested reader to encounter the primary sources. In addition, Rabbi Wohlgemuth developed a close relationship with Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, founder of the Maimonides School, who took a particular interest in Rabbi Wohlgemuth’s tefillah course and insisted that no student graduate without it. Rabbi Wohlgemuth incorporated into his course and his work many ideas which he

Rabbi Wohlgemuth’s Beurei Hatefillah consists of halachah and history but especially takes care to convey the meaning of individual prayers and the underlying structure of our prayers as a whole. He had a gift for translating concepts into language that could be understood by all. This work transmits not only intellectual content but also the warmth of a master pedagogue. Rabbi Wohlgemuth’s students attest to “hearing his voice” whenever they pray because of the indelible impression he made upon them. With the publication of this volume, Rabbi Wohlgemuth’s wisdom and teachings can now be shared by all. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

PHILANTHROPY

Compiled by Marcia P. Neeley

SORA AND JERRY WOLASKY

“Jerry takes NCSYers to lobbying sessions on Israel, serving as a remarkable role model,” Rabbi Lerner notes. “We are very lucky to have him.” The Wolaskys have also expanded their connection with the OU beyond NCSY. Jerry is now on the OU Board as a Senior Vice President and has served as Chairman of the OU By Merri Ukraincik Advocacy Center for the past five years. “Jerry is actively engaged in the weeds of policy with our s a young couple in Norfolk, Virginia, Sora and Jerry staff,” notes Nathan Diament, Executive Director of the OU Wolasky got involved in the local NCSY chapter when Advocacy Center. He adds that Jerry, as Chairman, “shares the rabbi sought their help with the shul. Sora began OU Advocacy’s values, and is committed to figuring out what to organize Shabbatons and brought advisors into the area strategies will work and what policies will have the impact from Baltimore for the chagim, giving public school youth we are aiming for.” the life-changing opportunity to learn more about their “Jerry is grounded in the community,” says Diament. “He Judaism. asks the important questions about their needs and what Yet the Wolaskys, too, discovered their world wonderfully their reactions will be as we shape policy.” altered by the experience, which launched decades of Jerry’s important relationships in Washington have engagement with NCSY. The advisors they came to know played a key role in recent OU Advocacy successes on the even influenced the Wolaskys’ decision when it came time to Hill, including $180 million in Homeland Security funding relocate. “We chose Baltimore because we wanted our own in 2021 for religious institutions, nearly double the 2020 children to love Judaism as much as these kids did,” the grant. Jerry and Sora believe that they “can do much through couple recall. connections.” “It has been a huge blessing for us to be able At first, NCSY wanted Sora to come on board as a to help the community as we face issues at the center of professional, but she was raising a young family then and Orthodox Jewish life.” all the activities took place at dinner time. Instead, both In addition to their work with the OU, the Wolaskys are she and Jerry joined the Regional Youth Commission and involved in local Jewish community institutions in Baltimore, delighted in having NCSYers over for Shabbat meals. They including the Baltimore Jewish Federation: The Associated have long hosted the annual Isaac H. Taylor Jewish Music and the Talmudical Academy, and are proud to call OU Festival Committee and have frequently chaired the event, Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer their rav. A the region’s largest fundraiser for forty-five years running member of the National Board of Beth Medrash Govoha (pausing only for the pandemic). in Lakewood, New Jersey, Jerry owns HealthSource Rabbi Jonah Lerner, Regional Director, Atlantic Distributors, a wholesale pharmaceutical business. Seaboard NCSY, says, “From my first day here, Jerry The couple are blessed to have nachat from their and Sora believed in the power of NCSY. They are ardent four children and their growing families. Sora and supporters, integral to the work we are Jerry officially made aliyah last year. doing here, keeping the region moving and “Jerry and Sora are unique in the growing.” incredible range of communal concerns Sora, who has participated in OU and causes that they engage with, Women’s Initiative events, formerly as supporters and even more served as a mentor in the NCSY remarkably as hands-on leaders Senator Ben Cardin Jewish Scholars and participants,” said Rabbi Program, which provides leadership Hauer. “From political action to training to teenagers from nonTorah education and outreach, observant backgrounds. Jerry, from our local federation to who is on the National Council yishuv Eretz Yisrael, and from of AIPAC, mentors the NCSY institutional support to individual chesed, care and friendship, their contingent that Rabbi Lerner hearts and their broad shoulders brings to the annual AIPAC Policy know no bounds. Conference. Naftoli Goldgrab Photography

We invite you to join us and make a difference. Contact Arnold Gerson at agerson@ou.org or visit ou.org/giving. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

or thousands of Jewish families and individuals in communities across the country who are jobless or under-employed due to the pandemic, the challenge of making Pesach seemed insurmountable. Enter the OU’s annual Maos Chitim Campaign. Launched immediately after Purim, it raised significant funds that were sent directly to Tomchei Shabbos, food banks, food pantries and other community organizations across the US to provide families with food and other essentials for Pesach. “The OU has worked diligently and strategically in this campaign to reach as many communities and families as possible,” said Rabbi Phil Karesh, Executive Director, OU Department of Community Projects and Partnerships, who directed this year’s Maos Chitim initiative.

Volunteers from Maos Chitim distributor Chasdei Lev, which provides food and household necessities to rabbeim and teachers at yeshivot and day schools across the US, fill cars with Pesach food for families at a pickup center. Courtesy of Chasdei Lev 96

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Inside PHILANTHROPY

An armchair conversation with the Cohort II founders at the Demo Day, hosted by Impact Accelerator Director Jenna Beltser.

arking the graduation of its second cohort, the OU Impact Accelerator held a “Demo Day,” raising more than $50,000 to support its ongoing mission to identify and advance promising Jewish nonprofits through education, mentorship and collaboration. The virtual event, attended by lay leaders, board members, alumni, friends and family, celebrated the success of Impact Accelerator’s Cohort II, comprised of Ani Tefillah/The Voice of Jewish Education; Communities Confronting Substance Abuse, Inc.; Chinuch Yehudi; and Daily Giving. Participants heard from the leadership of Cohort II, witnessed their impact firsthand, and learned about the successes of Cohort I since the program ended. “Every donation to the Impact Accelerator is an investment that helps support the innovators of our generation,” said Jenna Beltser, Director of the OU’s Impact Accelerator. “Together, we can transform the landscape of the Jewish communal future.” To learn more about the Impact Accelerator, visit ou.org/accelerator.

n January, Yachad New Jersey’s annual Gala—held virtually— honored supporters, staff and volunteers, and fifteen high school seniors who have taken on leadership roles. Honorees included Shifra and Rabbi Dr. Benjy Leibowitz and Gila Guzman. The Gala also paid tribute to long-time Yachad member Donny Hain, z”l, who passed away last year. The evening included a musical Havdalah by Simcha Leiner, and raised $325,000 in support of the region’s programming.

“This year has brought its challenges for our entire community, especially those with disabilities. Our team has stood ready to help those most vulnerable.” —Raquel Selevan, Director, Yachad New Jersey

Donny Hain, z”l (left) with his dear friend Yoel Balk. Photo: Abbie Sophia Photography

We invite you to join us and make a difference. Contact Arnold Gerson at agerson@ou.org or visit ou.org/giving. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

SUPPORTING STUDENTS THROUGH COVID The pandemic has upended patterns of daily life around the world, and college is no exception. With the rhythm of campus life altered, the mission of the Heshe and Harriet Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) of creating a home and community for Jewish college students is more important than ever. The campuses below raised over $220,000 combined to support their programming and enhance the Orthodox student experience on campus.

WEST COAST

DRIVEN FOR A CAUSE

In November the OU-JLIC programs of the West Coast— UCLA, CSUN, Santa Monica College, and Western University—raised $33,000 at a special “drive-by” edition of its popular annual fro-yo fundraiser “Toppings.” Nearly 300 parents, alumni and students cruised through the multi-station drive-through, where 1,200 ounces of yogurt were distributed. Pictured, Sharona Kaplan, Director of OU-JLIC West, interviews students and alumni at the drive-through fundraiser.

COLUMBIA/BARNARD KEEPING CAMPUS LIFE VIBRANT

OU-JLIC at Columbia/Barnard held its third annual spring semester fundraiser in March and raised over $100,000 to support learning opportunities, social programs, Shabbat and yom tov meals and more. Pictured, Columbia/Barnard students at this year’s outdoor Purim seudah.

“Covid tore our usual routine to shreds, and that’s really when you need leadership. Rabbi Noam and Shiffy put in so much effort to make this semester as normal as possible.” —OU-JLIC Columbia student

JEWISH ACTION Summer 5781/2021

Inside PHILANTHROPY

U OF PENN RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Thanks to a generous matching gift from philanthropist David Magerman, OU-JLIC at the University of Pennsylvania held its first-ever Challenge Grant Fundraiser in May, where parents, alumni and students raised over $87,000 (as of publication). The funds will enable OU-JLIC at U of Penn to continue its many programs and activities— which were adjusted due to the pandemic—in support of the 150-plus Orthodox students on campus, including Mr. Magerman’s son, Elijah. Pictured, from right: University of Pennsylvania students Elijah Magerman, Zachary Rosenblatt and Charlie Gottlieb in their off-campus apartment after OU-JLIC Torah Educator Rabbi Joshua Klein helped them kasher their kitchen and put up a mezuzah.

“Especially at a time when activities are limited both socially and educationally, supporting the work and programming of OU-JLIC is crucial. OU-JLIC Torah Educators Rabbi Joshua and Sara Klein have been working overtime, organizing activities and learning opportunities to bring their students closer to Torah.” —David Magerman

The OU’s ever-growing compendium of Torah programming and resources provides a multitude of opportunities at all sponsorship levels to support Torah learning in the merit of those who are ill or to honor a loved one. Become a sponsor today!

Tehillim and Chizuk Call Bringing chizuk weekly to thousands across the globe ou.org/call

Experience the daf in a personalized platform for learners of all backgrounds alldaf.org/donate

OU Torah

Study Torah daily, on your schedule outorah.org/donate

HONORING

Creating women’s Torah programming that educates and inspires ou.org/women/donate

LOVED ONES THROUGH TORAH LEARNING We invite you to join us and make a difference. Contact Arnold Gerson at agerson@ou.org or visit ou.org/giving. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

OU Benefactor Circle members form the cornerstone of the Orthodox Union. Their partnership and deep commitment to our mission allow us to accomplish so much on behalf of our community. We applaud and thank all those who lead through their philanthropy and whose names appear here, as well as those choosing to remain anonymous. If you are not yet a member, we invite you to join us in making a difference. To learn more, please call Arnold Gerson, Chief Institutional Advancement Officer, at 212-613-8313 or email agerson@ou.org

AMBASSADOR $1,000,000 + DAN AND EWA ABRAHAM DRS. FELIX AND MIRIAM GLAUBACH DR. SHMUEL AND EVELYN KATZ THE MARCUS FOUNDATION INC. IN MEMORY OF ANNE SAMSON A"H

GUARDIAN $100,000 - $999,999 EMANUEL AND HELEN ADLER MARK (MOISHE) AND JOANNE BANE ROBERT AND MICHELLE DIENER ARIELA AND BENITO ESQUENAZI IN HONOR OF THE MENDEL BALK YACHAD COMMUNITY CENTER MR. AND MRS. JACK FEINTUCH

ELLIOT P. AND DEBORAH GIBBER ALAN AND BARBARA GINDI THE GUSTAVE AND CAROL JACOBS CENTER FOR KASHRUT EDUCATION THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER LOS ANGELES BECKY AND AVI KATZ MORDECAI Z"L AND MONIQUE KATZ THE KOHELET FOUNDATION MICHAEL AND ANDREA LEVEN FAMILY FOUNDATION DAVID AND DEBRA MAGERMAN MAYBERG FOUNDATION THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO RAPHAEL AND RIVKA NISSEL RALLA KLEPAK FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION IN THE PERFORMING ARTS ERIC AND GALE ROTHNER RUDERMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION MORIS AND LILLIAN TABACINIC UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK JOYCE AND JEREMY WERTHEIMER

FOUNDER $50,000 - $99,999 MR. RAANAN AND DR. NICOLE AGUS ALLEN AND DEANNA ALEVY HOWARD AND CHAYA BALTER DANIEL AND RAZIE BENEDICT JUDI AND JASON BERMAN THE CAYRE FAMILY CRAIN-MALING FOUNDATION: WWW.CRAINMALING.ORG GRANT AND JENNIFER DINNER GERSHON AND AVIVA DISTENFELD MITCHELL AND ANNETTE EICHEN FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS, GREATER PHILADELPHIA RABBI MANFRED Z"L AND LISELOTTE Z"L GANS CHESSED FUND DR. EPHRAIM AND RITA GREENFIELD KLEIN, JAFFA, AND HALPERN FAMILIES RICHARD HIRSCH continued on next page

FOUNDER CONTINUED JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION AND ENDOWMENT FUND JEWISH FEDERATION OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY JEWISH FUTURE PLEDGE DR. EZRA AND LAUREN KEST ETTA BRANDMAN KLARISTENFELD AND HARRY KLARISTENFELD ESTATE OF ETHELYN LIEBLICH CHUCK AND ALLEGRA MAMIYE EITAN AND DEBRA MILGRAM SAMIS FOUNDATION THE SHAMAH FAMILY GARY AND MALKA TORGOW THE WEISS FAMILY, CLEVELAND, OHIO JOSH AND ALLISON ZEGEN

HENRY AND MINDY ORLINSKY MALKI AND J. PHILIP ROSEN JAMES AND LOREN ROSENZWEIG ROBBIE AND HELENE ROTHENBERG STEPHEN AND JESSICA SAMUEL GENIE AND STEVE SAVITSKY MENACHEM AND RENA SCHNAIDMAN NATHAN & LOUISE SCHWARTZ TZEDAKA FUND SHANA GLASSMAN FOUNDATION BARRY AND JOY SKLAR DAVID AND AMY STRACHMAN MICHAEL AND ARIANNE WEINBERGER THE WEININGER FOUNDATION INC. DAVID AND GILA WEINSTEIN ESTHER AND JERRY WILLIAMS MR. JERRY AND MRS. SARA WOLASKY

VISIONARY BUILDER

$18,000 - $24,999

$25,000 - $49,999 LIOR AND DRORA ARUSSY SUE AND BILL AUERBACH LEWIS AND LAURI BARBANEL SABY AND ROSI BEHAR HARRY H. BEREN Z"L MAX AND ELANA BERLIN BRIAN AND DAFNA BERMAN VIVIAN AND DANIEL CHILL DR. BENJAMIN AND ESTHER CHOUAKE COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES THE CONDUIT FOUNDATION SHIMON AND CHAYA ECKSTEIN JUDITH AND ALLEN I. FAGIN FALIC FAMILY FOUNDATION GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION HOWARD TZVI AND CHAYA FRIEDMAN RALPH S. GINDI FOUNDATION EVE GORDON-RAMEK ARI AND ALISON GROSS MOSHE AND TIRA GUBIN JAMES AND AMY A"H HABER DR. ELLIOT Z"L AND LILLIAN HAHN ROBERT AND DEBRA HARTMAN J. SAMUEL HARWIT AND MANYA HARWIT-AVIV CHARITABLE TRUST ALISSA AND SHIMMIE HORN DR. ALLAN AND SANDY JACOB PAUL AND CHAVI JACOBS JEWISH FEDERATION OF S. PALM BEACH COUNTY NATALIE AND DAVIDI JONAS MICHAEL AND JUDY KAISER BENYAMIN AND ESTI KAMINETZKY RABBI MARK AND LINDA KARASICK MICHAEL AND ELISSA KATZ KARMELA A"H AND JERRY KLASNER ALBERT LABOZ JEFF AND MARCI LEFKOVITS M.B. GLASSMAN FOUNDATION IRIS AND SHALOM MAIDENBAUM AZI AND RACHEL MANDEL DR. RALPH AND JUDITH MARCUS MARTHA AND GEORGE RICH FOUNDATIONMRS. FEGI MAUER MARTIN AND ELIZABETH NACHIMSON

AARON AND MARIE BLACKMAN FOUNDATION DENNIS AND DEBRA BERMAN MARCUS Z"L AND DORIS BLUMKIN HILLEL AND CHARLOTTE BRACHFELD THE CHARLES CRANE FAMILY FOUNDATION PETER AND LORI DEUTSCH LINDA AND MICHAEL ELMAN EMT ACTION FUND MARK AND CHERYL FRIEDMAN ROBYN AND SHUKIE GROSSMAN LANCE AND RIVKIE HIRT JOAN AND PETER HOFFMAN ED AND ROBYN HOFFMAN/HOFFMAN CATERING JACK ALBERT KASSIN DANA AND JEFFREY KORBMAN CHAIM AND BARA LOEWENTHAL LYNN AND JOEL MAEL DR. LOUIS AND CHANIE MALCMACHER EZRA AND LAUREN MERKIN STEPHEN AND EVE MILSTEIN CAL AND JANINE NATHAN YEHUDA AND ANNE NEUBERGER ISABELLE AND DAVID NOVAK MARC PENN ALLEN AND MIRIAM PFEIFFER THE REFUGE - A HEALING PLACE HENRY AND GOLDA REENA ROTHMAN GEORGE AND IRINA SCHAEFFER TOBY MACY SCHAFFER JEREMY AND DAHLIA SIMONS BARUCH AND SUSIE SINGER MORRIS AND RACHEL TABUSH TRAVEL INSURANCE ISRAEL

PARTNER $10,000 - $17,999 ALISA ABECASSIS DANIEL AND LIORA ADLER RABBI SHLOMO AND MIRIAM APPEL ART HARRIS FOUNDATION AARON AND TAMMY ATTIAS RACHEL AND AVRUMI BAK IRA AND SHERI BALSAM

YALE AND ANN BARON MR. AND MRS. ISAAC BERMAN YEHUDA AND FAIGE BIENSTOCK ANDREA BIER HARVEY AND JUDY BLITZ DAVID AND CHEDVA BREAU DR. MOSHE AND BRYNDIE BENARROCH VANESSA AND RAYMOND CHALME CAROL AND JEFF COHEN TZIPPY AND DANIEL COHEN MR. SHELDON J. DAVID A"H MICHAEL AND ALIZA DAVIS FRED AND SUZAN EHRMAN DRS. GILAT AND YOSSI ENGLANOFF FIRST HORIZON BANK EZRA AND RACHELI FRIEDBERG ILANA AND JEFF GDANSKI ARNOLD AND ESTHER GERSON MARY JO ROBINSON AND GORDON GLASER MURRAY AND BATSHEVA GOLDBERG AMIR AND STACEY GOLDMAN JOSEPH AND LAURA GOLDMAN RABBI BEN AND AVIVA GONSHER PHILIP AND AVIVA GREENLAND RABBI MICAH AND RIVKIE GREENLAND ABE AND RONIT GUTNICKI MR. AND MRS. DAVID HARTMAN RABBI MOSHE AND MINDI HAUER THE HERBERT SMILOWITZ FOUNDATION IRA WALDBAUM FAMILY FOUNDATION ISAAC H. TAYLOR ENDOWMENT FUND THE JACOBY FAMILY JEWISH FEDERATION IN THE HEART OF NEW JERSEY DR. JULIE AND RABBI DR. JOSH JOSEPH DR. AND MRS. BERNARD KAMINETSKY MORRIS AND SONDRA KAPLAN RABBI JOSEPH KARASICK Z"L RABBI ETHAN AND DEBORAH KATZ ALICE AND JACOB KLEIN MARTIN AND SARAH KORNBLUM LAWRENCE AND EVELYN KRAUT SCOTT AND AVIVA KRIEGER JONAH AND FRAN KUPIETZKY KIM AND JONATHAN KUSHNER MARC AND RENA KWESTEL DANIEL AND AMANDA NUSSBAUM LAIFER ANDY AND ISA LEFKOWITZ MRS. SHIRLEY LEVY VIVIAN AND DAVID LUCHINS JEFFREY AND ADRIA MANDEL DAVID AND MICHELLE MARGULES MASA ISRAEL JOURNEY MR. AND MRS. SHALOM MENORA MR. AND MRS. ASHER DAVID AND MICHELLE MILSTEIN GILA AND ADAM MILSTEIN DANIEL AND JESSICA MINKOFF ETAN AND VALERIE MIRWIS AND FAMILY ALEXANDER AND YOCHEVED MITCHELL JAY & JOYCE MOSKOWITZ JACK A"H AND GITTA NAGEL AVI AND DEBRA NAIDER AARON AND AHUVA ORLOFSKY AVI AND ALISSA OSSIP THE OVED FAMILY DREW AND CAREENA PARKER IN MEMORY OF RABBI RAPHAEL PELCOVITZ Z"L, FROM THE PELCOVITZ FAMILY

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BOOKS

Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah By Rabbi Shmuel Phillips Mosaica Press Beit Shemesh, Israel, 2019 634 pages

Reviewed by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz

udaism Reclaimed is a masterful compendium of philosophical and theological discussions, each based on some verse or incident in the weekly Torah portion. The author of these analyses, Rabbi Shmuel Phillips, hails from the United Kingdom and currently resides in Israel. He spent two decades studying in yeshivah and kollel and earned a law degree from the University of London. When I started reading Judaism Reclaimed, I was struck by several nitpicky thoughts as to what I might have done differently. For example, why was it necessary to organize the material by the weekly sedrah? As a general rule, I eschew tying articles to the parashat hashavuah in an attempt to keep them evergreen. Why, I wondered, would Rabbi Phillips limit potential readership on such important topics to particular weeks? As I got further into the work, however, I came around to the author’s way of thinking. Rabbi Jack Abramowitz is editor of the OU Torah website (outorah.org). His most recent book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press.

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Yes, each installment ties clearly into some aspect or other of the weekly Torah portion. For example, the curse that Noach placed upon one of his descendants is used as a springboard to examine the cultural traits of various

provide a framework to guide readers through the sefer on a particular schedule, should readers opt for such an approach. It’s a true win-win. Another aspect about which I was uncertain was that several chapters serve to critique other works, such as two chapters dedicated to Professor Marc Shapiro’s controversial The Limits of Orthodox Theology (Liverpool, England, 2011). Why, I questioned, would readers unfamiliar with these works be interested in essays critiquing them? Once again, my skepticism was assuaged. When Rabbi Phillips has occasion to analyze another work, he presents its points clearly and fairly, and its relevance in Judaism Reclaimed goes beyond a mere book review. For example, Rabbi Phillips’ critique of Rabbi Binyamin Lau’s The Sages: Character, Context & Creativity, Vol. 1 (Jerusalem, Israel, 2010) doesn’t only address the origins of our hermeneutical rules, it represents the culmination of ideas that wend their way through several discrete essays.

Among the many personalities whose positions on various theological matters are examined throughout this hefty tome, one will find the likes of Rambam, Ramban . . . Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and many others. nations as seen through the philosophy of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. The political hierarchies that are the subject of Parashat Shoftim become an impetus to examine, through the analysis of the Netziv, what leadership model the Torah might or might not consider ideal. The connection of each chapter to a sedrah, however, doesn’t make it feel like parashah study; it does

Each is complete in its own right, but the interplay of topics through the various chapters is all the more fulfilling. Among the many personalities whose positions on various theological matters are examined throughout this hefty tome, one will find the likes of Rambam, Ramban, Ran, Maharal, Rabbi Hirsch, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and many others. As a staunch rationalist, I am

gratified by the attention paid to the Rambam and his approach, over a number of other authorities whose more mystical approaches the author might have selected. Aware that some readers might have preferred the other approach, Rabbi Phillips addresses his decision in the introduction. He cites Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Schwadron on the subject of Israel’s comparison to a dove: All other birds rest on a rock or a tree when they tire, but when the dove tires, she pushes off the ground with one wing and flies with the other. Our two wings, Rabbi Schwadron informs us, through Rabbi Phillips, are the rationalist/intellectual approach and the spiritual/mystical approach. Both wings are necessary to fly, and when one fails us, we rely on the other. This Rabbi Phillips accomplishes with great grace. The scope of topics addressed is as broad as the palette of authorities into which the author dips his pen. Such fundamental concepts as chosen nationhood, ancestral merit, Divine Providence and the Oral Law are treated with surprising depth given the relative brevity of each of the seventy (!) chapters. Readers may be aware that to count the Jews would result in a plague but perhaps not why that should be; this is clarified by looking through the prism of the Malbim. The concept of yeridat hadorot (the decline of generations) is examined through the lens of the Meshech Chochmah and related to the tochachah in Parashat Behar-Bechukotai. The final chapters of the book tackle such weighty issues as the nature of punishment in Gehenom and of the ultimate revival of the dead. Discussions are not limited to the realm of the strictly philosophical; questions of contemporary import are likewise discussed. An analysis of how to proceed when science appears to contradict accepted Torah knowledge cites not only Rambam but also Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Chajes, Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, among others. (Additional sources in the footnotes include not only Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, but the diametrically opposed writers Rabbi Moshe Meiselman and Rabbi Natan Slifkin.) Rabbi Phillips’ personal position on this matter is the

well-reasoned (and far too rare) idea that “science and religion can never (truly) clash” because the former “examines the physical world . . . and develops theories as to how it works,” while the latter “offers meaning as to why the universe exists and operates.” Let’s examine a sample question from Parashat Ki Tisa. The Talmud in Berachot (32a), discussing the place name “Di Zahav,” posits that Moshe “blamed” God for the sin of the Golden Calf as a natural consequence of the gold that He lavished upon the Israelites. (According to the Talmud, God conceded to Moshe’s charge, citing Hoshe’a 2:10.) Now consider that the Ramban (Bereishit 22:1) makes explicit the idea that God does not give a person a challenge that he is not capable of overcoming. This presents us with something of a dilemma: If the entire nation possesses the ability to overcome the temptation presented by the excessive gold, then it wouldn’t be much of a challenge for the more spiritually advanced members. Conversely, if the test challenges those more developed members, how could the rank-and-file Jews possibly be expected to pass? What ensues is a discussion of the relative merits of inclusivity vs. exclusivity and its relevance in different educational models, i.e., the Lithuanian model (which catered to the highest-level students to the potential detriment of the less gifted) and the Frankfurt model (in which most students could succeed but the most gifted might not have been raised to their highest potential). Rabbi Phillips cites Rabbi Shimon Schwab that both models have precedent dating back to the Tannaim. Of course, with so many topics and so many approaches, not every section can be the reader’s favorite. I, for one, did not find the chapter “Gender Roles and Women Judges” (Parashat Tazria-Metzora) the most compelling in the book. This wasn’t because I found it too strict for modern tastes, nor too lenient for traditional tastes; I just didn’t happen to find the road from point A to point B as persuasive as I did the journeys undertaken in most other chapters. Nevertheless, I found an oblique reference to gender issues in

a footnote on Parashat Mattot-Masei1 perhaps more compelling than the author intended—so much so that I intend to cite Rabbi Phillips’ incidental observation in future discussions of the topic.2 (Oddly enough, the footnote ties into an earlier essay on Parashat Emor, “Intellect over Emotion in the Service of God,” rather than to the aforementioned chapter on gender roles.) I return to Rabbi Phillips’ introduction in which he writes: It would be arrogant to imagine that I have fully resolved any of the profound and complex questions which will be discussed in the upcoming pages, many of which are deserving of a whole book in their own right. This is no false modesty on the author’s part. Each of the topics he addresses is not only bigger than a mere chapter or two, it’s bigger than us. If Rambam, Ramban, Maharal and their contemporaries did not already lay any of these questions to rest, it would be unreasonable for readers to place such responsibility on Rabbi Phillips’ shoulders. But Rabbi Phillips has done an exceptional job in curating the classics of Jewish thought, as well as a few outsiders like Einstein and Orwell, and consolidating their varied views into dozens of insightful and illuminating articles that can be embraced and appreciated by scholars and lay readers alike.  Notes 1. Referring to the emotion that must have been experienced by the Yisraelim when obligated to cease offering on bamot in favor of the Kohanim performing the service exclusively, Rabbi Phillips notes, “This feeling of detachment and displacement . . . may be said to echo some of the contemporary discussions regarding the role of women in public tefillah.” His note goes on to refer us to a chapter on “subjective fulfillment in Judaism” and a Biblical verse that underscores the connection between Temple sacrifices and prayer. 2. The idea that “some mitzvot are for men, some are for women; some are for Kohanim, some are for Yisraelim” is hardly novel, but the added observation that non-Kohanim at some point had to withdraw from an important part of the service is, to this writer, a new wrinkle. Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

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WALKING THE LINE: HILCHOT ERUVIN FROM THE SOURCES TO THE STREETS By Rabbi Chaim Jachter 2020 297 pages

THE CONTEMPORARY ERUV: ERUVIN IN MODERN METROPOLITAN AREAS, FOURTH EDITION By Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer Feldheim Publishers New York, 2020 320 pages

Reviewed by Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Jaffe

ypically, Jews study halachah for two reasons. Sometimes, they study it because they are interested in its practical application to their lives—witness the explosion of halachic literature on topics of Jewish law, from business to kashrut, from blessings and prayer to Shabbat and yom tov. At other times, Jews might study halachah for a more theoretical reason. Jewish laws—especially Biblical ones—capture an aspect of God’s plan and purpose for humanity (Rambam, Temurah 4:10). Hence, the study of even non-practical halachah serves an intellectual and spiritual purpose: it helps us understand our aspirations for humanity and the values we live by. The laws of eruv construction fall into neither of these two categories. They comprise one of only a mere half-dozen sections of the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah that famously do not Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Jaffe is the dean of Judaic studies at the Maimonides School and rabbi of the Maimonides Kehillah in Brookline, Massachusetts.

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connect to any Biblical imperative (Keilim and three sections in the book of Kinyan are the others), and one finds it challenging to see in the rabbinic laws of eruv any part of God’s master plan for the universe. Moreover, since most eruvin are organized, supervised and checked by a very small subset of the population, the laws of eruv construction are hardly practical for the vast majority of the Jewish population. As a result, with the small exception of the three months every seven years when Eruvin is studied as part of the Daf Yomi, this aspect of Judaism largely resides out of sight and out of mind for most Jews, as it has been, sadly, for centuries (Shiyurei Knesset HaGedolah, Yoreh De’ah 245). Rabbi Chaim Jachter and Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer have each recently authored new or updated halachah handbooks on eruvin. Walking the Line: Hilchot Eruvin from the Sources to the Streets and The Contemporary Eruv: Eruvin in Modern Metropolitan Areas, respectively, provide a unique third reason to be motivated to learn this understudied

area of Jewish law. Reading these books, one realizes that the study of eruv is at its core the study of community, and that the development of Jewish societies and Jewish living is best captured through the history of eruvin. Even if the reader is not interested in the practicalities of the two vertical posts and horizontal wire that become a theoretical door or wall for a community, he or she may be interested in the stories of Jewish communities that recur throughout both Rabbi Jachter’s, and to a lesser extent, Rabbi Bechhofer’s, books. How is community life different in Israel, the Jewish State, as opposed to the Diaspora? The eruv gives a clue when we notice that eruv wires and posts are straighter in Israel because the Jewish, even if secular, government wishes to support Jewish living (Jachter, 202-205). What are the implications of young Jews leaving their home communities for campus life? The eruv gives a clue when we consider the necessities of adopting possible leniencies on campus: the Yeshiva University eruv and its sagging wires (129-136), Yale University and the stringency of the Tevu’ot Shor (146-155), and Princeton University and the question of the horizontal wire that crosses the vertical posts instead of resting above them (141-145). Jews today send their children to summer camps, and so eruvin must be built—for example, at Camp Morasha (with horizontal posts almost reaching the ground [107-108]). More broadly, the story of eruvin is the story of Jewish communities on different continents (167-179); in environments ranging from rural (navigating the question of cornfields [156-160]) to super-urban (cities with more than a million residents [10-21]); weathering storms (233-239), price wars (resulting in fewer lechis [doorposts] needed [213-215]), and community strife (206-212); and, on the positive side, exhibiting community volunteerism (217-222).

The topic of eruv also captures the range of opinions between American Ashkenazim, Sephardim (with a different standard for a reshut harabim [public domain] 180-195), and Chabad rabbis (insisting on smaller tzurot ha’petach [doorframes] 196-201). In a scholarly essay appended to the fourth revised and expanded version of The Contemporary Eruv (Bechhofer, 220-249), the author is explicit about this point: an eruv is a marker of a community more than it is an artifact of Jewish ritual or Jewish law. He stresses that the infrastructure of an eruv does not serve a political purpose or even a religious purpose. Instead, it marks secular public space. Thus, the study of the construction of an eruv is less a religious study and more a remark on the contours of a religious community’s physical space instead. The presentation styles of the two works are slightly different and may appeal to different audiences. Though each work stands alone and is simultaneously erudite enough for a scholar yet accessible to the layman, they provide for different learning experiences. Rabbi Jachter’s work reads seamlessly, with few distracting footnotes and with illustrations on the page of the text when needed. Rabbi Bechhofer’s work may be preferred by a more scholarly audience, with long discursive footnotes, occasional lengthy quotations of the original Hebrew sources, and an appendix of more than 100 color photographs capturing the real-life nature of eruv infrastructure. In addition, the two rabbis use slightly different methodologies to reach their final halachic rulings. Both works cite all the relevant Acharonim; however, Rabbi Jachter concludes with the ruling of his rebbeim (Rabbi Hershel Schachter and Rabbi Mordechai Willig) on nearly every other page, while Rabbi Bechhofer quotes posekim of the previous generation and rules based on their consensus. The two works are actually in dialogue with each other on many important, substantive issues. Rabbi Jachter devotes a major section to Rabbi Bechhofer’s objection to the “side top wire” (Jachter, 110-116), and another major section to Rabbi Bechhofer’s insistence that there be a vertical post on every utility pole (83-94) to which Rabbi Bechhofer responds in his fourth edition (Bechhofer, 177-180). Even when they disagree, however, the esteem the two rabbis have for each other is clearly demonstrated throughout each work. Rabbi Bechhofer reproduces Rabbi Jachter’s eruv guidelines and calls them “significant and essential” (194-219), and Rabbi Jachter quotes Rabbi Bechhofer’s earlier work with respect. Ultimately, the two works have the same goal in mind—the best possible Torah observance by the Orthodox Jewish community. Both works are recommended to those looking to learn the basics of the laws of eruv construction in the Jewish community or those seeking to understand what it means to live in a Jewish community anywhere in the world in our current day and age. 

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Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

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REVIEW IN BRIEF

By Rabbi Gil Student

CROSSING THE DATELINE By Rabbi Mordechai Kuber Mosaica Press Beit Shemesh, Israel 2020 3 volumes

lobalization has raised questions of the halachic dateline to the fore. Many observant Jews regularly travel to India, China and elsewhere in the Far East for business and pleasure. Questions about which day to observe Shabbat and yom tov, when to say which prayers and how to behave while in the air are quickly becoming more complicated and frequent. Much had been written on the subject when the students and faculty of the Mirrer Yeshiva, stranded in Japan and China during the Holocaust, needed to know on which day to observe Yom Kippur. Rabbi Mordechai Kuber, rav of Congregation Nachlas Tzvi Ohel Avraham in Telz-Stone, Israel and a twenty-six-year-veteran of OU Kosher who travels frequently to the Far East, has now written a comprehensive treatment for the layperson. In three volumes, Rabbi Kuber does everything Rabbi Gil Student writes frequently on Jewish issues and runs Torahmusings.com. He serves as Jewish Action’s Book Editor and is a member of the Jewish Action Editorial Committee.

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humanly possible to make this complex subject comprehensible so the reader can know what to do in every situation. In the first volume, Rabbi Kuber describes the fascinating history of the question. Conflicting opinions prompted Israel’s first chief rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac HaLevi Herzog, to convene a summit after Rosh Hashanah of 1941 to reach a final conclusion for the yeshivah students in Asia in time for Yom Kippur. However, the great authorities of the day disagreed and sent conflicting instructions to the students. Rabbi Kuber discusses the various sources brought to bear on this difficult subject and explains eleven different views on what constitutes the halachic dateline. At the end of this discussion, he describes a consensus opinion of later authorities that he uses for the practical sections of the book. The second volume serves as a practical guide for the traveler. Rabbi Kuber surveys the different areas in halachah that are affected by the halachic dateline and offers guidance on how to act. The possible circumstances quickly multiply when dealing with different opinions regarding the mitzvah in question; places in the world with varying levels of certainty about the day; and differences between crossing westward or eastward. In accessible halachic prose, Rabbi Kuber explains the issues and the halachic opinions. At the end of volume two, he offers reference charts so the reader can quickly find practical guidance. The number of possible scenarios is large, making a simple reference chart impossible. Rabbi Kuber has put a lot of thought into simplifying the charts as much as possible for ease of use. One noteworthy aspect is the author’s deference. Even though Rabbi Kuber personally observes a different view than the consensus opinion (he follows the position of Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, zt”l), he presents the consensus opinion as the standard

for practice and his own as a variant. The third volume addresses what to do when you do not know what day of the week it is. Rabbi Kuber takes the established thinking on the subject, expands it to its logical conclusions, and applies it methodically to the full Jewish calendar. He then adds a number of chapters on a variety of related subjects, such as Jewish practice in the Arctic Circle and in space. Rabbi Kuber’s treatment of this complex but very relevant subject is exhaustive and can be exhausting. Yet despite the comprehensive nature of the work, it remains exciting and enlightening. This is an intellectual work full of surprises yet still extremely practical for the international traveler. MIKRAOT HADOROT Edited by Rabbi Shai Finkelstein Koren Publishers Jerusalem, Israel, 2020 Currently 5 of 55 projected volumes

oren’s new Mikraot HaDorot reimagines for the English-reading public the concept of a Mikraot Gedolot, a rabbinic Bible. A classical Mikraot Gedolot contains the Biblical text, one or more Aramaic translations, and a collection of in-depth classical commentaries debating the simple meaning of the text with arguments and proof texts. A reader must be trained to study the often obscure and lengthy commentaries in order to fully appreciate the differing readings of the text. Mikraot HaDorot follows this pattern of collecting varied commentaries on the text, but takes them in a very different direction.

Mikraot HaDorot is divided into five sections. One section contains the full text of the Bible and Rashi in Hebrew and English. This serves as a tool for the many people who review the weekly Torah portion with Rashi. However, unlike previous translations that were intended to assist the Hebrew reader by following word for word in a literal but somewhat awkward English, Mikraot HaDorot’s translations stand on their own. They offer a flowing text comprised of ordinary English syntax and appropriate referents that avoid ambiguous pronouns. This yields an elegant and natural, if somewhat loose, English rendition of the Torah and Rashi. Three other sections contain commentaries separated by broad chronological distinctions. One section contains commentaries from the time of the Sages—Talmud, Midrash and related texts. Another section contains the classical commentaries that generally appear in a Mikraot Gedolot. A third section contains modern commentaries. In all three sections, readers encounter carefully edited selections that eliminate the argumentation and proof texts, including only the explanation of the text. While all three sections contain commentaries on the text, I think it is fair to describe each section generally as follows: the section from the time of the Sages includes many details and stories not mentioned in the text as well as practical lessons that emerge from it; the section of classical commentaries focuses on peshat, the simple meaning of the text; and the modern section incorporates a search for meaning and purpose based on the text. The fifth section contains essays on major themes within the text. The Mikraot HaDorot series is projected to cover the entire Chumash,

with one slim volume devoted to each weekly Torah portion. Each volume is sufficiently compact to allow you to carry it with you wherever you go so you can review the weekly portion throughout the week. With a whole volume devoted to each weekly portion, you can easily be overwhelmed. The separation into different sections eases the challenge, so you can review the weekly portion in one section and flip through the other sections for further study. Mikraot HaDorot is an accessible and portable encyclopedia on the weekly Torah portion, designed for the English reader seeking depth and meaning. SYNAGOGUE STAMPS: AN INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE TOUR OF SYNAGOGUES By Harvey D. Wolinetz Leshon Limudim, 2020 502 pages

ews have made outsized contributions to the societies in which we have lived throughout the ages. One measure of acceptance is the appearance of Jewish symbols and landmarks on postage stamps, an official government acknowledgment of Jewish community and history. In Synagogue Stamps, Harvey Wolinetz displays his exhaustive collection of postage stamps and related postal markings from across the world that feature synagogues. In doing so, he documents in a beautiful and dramatic way the historically notable synagogues in Israel and the Diaspora. The collection spans the century,

Koren’s new Mikraot HaDorot reimagines for the English-reading public the concept of a Mikraot Gedolot.

from 1918 through 2019, including stamps from both world wars. Particularly surprising is the diversity of countries issuing stamps commemorating, and taking pride in, their synagogues or celebrating Jews in general. In 1996, The Gambia (a small country in West Africa) issued a stamp featuring a Jew praying at the Western Wall. In 2019, Tunisia released a stamp featuring the El Ghriba Synagogue on the island of Djerba. In 2008, the Hungarian Postal Service began issuing stamps celebrating Hungarian synagogues. The stamps—a total of eight published so far—show beautiful images of the interior of historically noteworthy and picturesque synagogues in Hungary. All these and many more stamps show the vibrant Jewish life that once existed across the Diaspora, as recognized in postal memorabilia. KI HEM CHAYEINU ON PIRKEI AVOT By Rabbi Shlomo Schwartz 2019 189 pages

n 1859, nearly thirty years after his death, Rabbi Chaim Volozhiner’s commentary on Pirkei Avot was published with an introductory essay by his grandsonin-law, Rabbi Yehoshua Heschel Levin. Rabbi Levin asks a fundamental question about this Mishnah tractate. With ethical comments interspersed throughout the Mishnah and other Tannaitic literature, why were these specific sayings identified for inclusion in Pirkei Avot? In particular, many of these teachings are quite basic, one being the quotation of a Biblical verse and others scriptural paraphrases. His answer changes our view of Pirkei Avot and offers a new avenue for commentary. The teachings collected in Pirkei Avot reflect the unique challenges each rabbi faced in his generation or in Summer 5781/2021 JEWISH ACTION

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his personal life, or relate to other important teachings of his. If we explore the lives and times of the rabbis, we better understand their teachings in Pirkei Avot. Rabbi Levin offers a number of examples, divided into five categories, of how the sayings in Pirkei Avot reflect their teachers. However, he leaves most of the tractate unexplained. In his Ki Hem Chayeinu commentary, Rabbi Shlomo Schwartz, CFO of the OU, moves this scholarship forward. Quoting from a broad selection of commentaries, ranging from the popular to the obscure, he creates a conversation across the ages about how the teachings in Pirkei Avot reflect their teachers. Perhaps most famous is Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach’s admonition to interrogate witnesses thoroughly (Avot 1:9), connected with his son’s execution due to false witnesses extracting revenge on the great sage (Yerushalmi, Chagigah 2:2). Rabbi Schwartz moves beyond this simple example to many other rabbis in Pirkei Avot. Coming after Hillel and Shammai, Rabban Gamliel was in the first generation after the Zugot, the pairs of Sages. He lived in a new era of Torah transmission that was visibly weaker than previous generations. Reflecting that change, Rabban Gamliel taught, “Get yourself a teacher, avoid doubt” (1:16). He emphasized the need for greater study than in the past due to the decreased knowledge of Torah even among scholars.

If we explore the lives and times of the rabbis, we better understand their teachings in Pirkei Avot. Rabbi Chanina Segan HaKohanim was the longtime deputy high priest in the Temple during the Roman era. He witnessed first-hand the government corruption and the revolving door of unworthy high priests who purchased their position. Despite this knowledge, and because of the rampant antipathy among the people toward the government, Rabbi Chanina Segan HaKohanim taught people to nevertheless pray even for a corrupt government. Because without the government, chaos reigns and people suffer (3:2). Rabbi Schwartz’s commentary is filled with examples such as these, culled from traditional commentaries. However, there is still much work to be done because a large part of Pirkei Avot remains unexplained within the approach of Rabbi Levin. Rabbi Schwartz has moved this commentarial enterprise forward by collecting much material, but there is still room for the enterprising scholar to explore the as yet historically unexplained teachings of Pirkei Avot. 

Summer NEW

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OU Press

New from OU Press SEVENTY CONVERSATIONS IN TRANSIT WITH HAGAON HARAV JOSEPH B. SOLOVEITCHIK ZT”L Rabbi Aaron Adler, a communal rabbi and rosh yeshiva in Israel, had the privilege of serving as Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s driver while a student at Yeshiva University. In this charming and edifying book, Rabbi Adler records some of the conversations he had with “the Rav” during their car rides and the relationship they developed, bringing to life the Talmud’s teaching that “service of Torah is greater than study.”

RecentVolumes LE-CHABER ES HA-OHEL: EXPLORING CONNECTIONS IN TANACH AND CHAZAL

Michael Kaiser’s highly original work engages in close readings of Tanach and Chazal, revealing startingly creative thematic connections between areas of the Torah which, at first sight, seem unrelated.

THE CROWNS ON THE LETTERS: ESSAYS ON THE AGGADA AND THE LIVES OF THE SAGES

Rabbi Ari Kahn’s immensely learned and deeply creative work represents a major achievement in the study of rabbinic Aggada, as well as in the study of the lives of our Sages.

THE HIDDEN LIGHT: BIBLICAL PARADIGMS FOR LEADERSHIP

In his illuminating essays on the weekly parashah, Dr. Jerry Hochbaum presents models of leadership we can learn from our patriarchs and prophets.

Available at OUPress.org

Books of Jewish thought and prayer that educate, inspire, enrich and enlighten

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

A SUMMER of CHANGE By Steve Lipman

ow much can a few weeks at summer camp change someone? More specifically, how much can some time at a Jewish summer camp influence a camper’s Jewish identity? It has become an article of faith that a positive camping experience can strengthen a young Jew’s religious commitment more than such factors as formal education and youth groups. This became more obvious last summer, when many camps were cancelled and most campers attended camp virtually or not at all. I learned the power of such informal education in the Hungarian countryside three decades ago. Assigned to spend ten days in the country that had recently emerged from the darkness of Communism, I heard about Szarvas. That’s the town in rural Hungary, two hours from Budapest, where a summer camp has welcomed the Jewish youth of the region for three decades. The grounds, purchased by the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation and run by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (“the Joint”), have served as the site for remedial Jewish education for some 20,000 young Jewish men and women who grew up when open Jewish education was forbidden. I was determined to see Szarvas (pronounced SARvash), as the camp is known in Jewish circles. I wanted to witness what the kids were learning. I wanted to document how that camp was changing them. If I wanted to see chinuch in action, that meant Shabbat. I would have to spend one Shabbat there. No problem, said the folks at the Joint in New York who helped arrange my itinerary. Steve Lipman is a frequent contributor to Jewish Action.

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Big problem, said the Joint folks in Budapest, who had the final say; we don’t care what they told you in New York; we never let outsiders spend Shabbat there. Ever. Even big contributors. Okay, I said. “If I hire a cab to take me there and I get to the camp ten minutes before candle-lighting, will you make me sleep outside in the field?” Which I would have done. I won. “You can go for Shabbat.” The Joint arranged for a cab ride to Szarvas. For about twenty-eight hours I watched teens and college-age Jews from Hungary and its neighboring ex-Communist lands celebrate a proper Shabbat, many for the first time. They were dressed in Shabbat-appropriate garb, women in white blouses and dark skirts, men in white shirts and dark pants and kippot. They made Kiddush and sang Hebrew niggunim, led by young Orthodox volunteers from Israel and the States. They davened in the traditional manner. They said Shema. And after Shabbat they made Havdalah. They told me what they did at Szarvas during the week, learning about Jewish history and customs, taught in informal sessions by the volunteers who shared personal stories and their love for leading Jewish lives. The campers’ own Jewish lives would not end at Szarvas; enthused, they planned to go back to their home countries, to their often-small Jewish communities that were emerging into the light of religious freedom, devoid of state-sponsored anti-Semitism. They kept their words. On trips to Eastern Europe I made in the following years, I visited several Jewish communities and met many of the young Jewish leaders who were replacing the once-Communist functionaries who had held leadership positions during the decades of atheistic rule. Most of the young leaders had roots at Szarvas. I’ve also done my share of reporting at Jewish summer camps in the States. I see why camps play such an important role in shaping young Jews for years to come. Camps offer painless lessons—no report cards or homework; friendships are fused and Judaism is infused. NCSY International Director Rabbi Micah Greenland says that Rabbi

Yaakov Kamenetsky, zt”l, was a great proponent of summer camp. He believes the following quote is attributable to him: “A good camp counselor can accomplish more in eight weeks of the summer than the best rebbe can accomplish in an entire year.” The reason camp can be so transformative, says Rabbi Greenland, is due to two primary reasons. First: the role models. “As a general rule, the counselors and camp staff are more relatable to the campers than the teachers they interact with during the school year. This fosters a closeness that leads campers to emulate these role models in ways that they would not with authority figures during the rest of the year.” Secondly, he says, is the environment. “Camp is a chance to do something different, with different people, in a different way. This can lead to a kind of reflection that can be transformative,” says Rabbi Greenland. “[In camp, there’s] less stress, less pressure . . . no competition. I grew up in this setting,” says Rabbi Derek Gormin, director of West Coast NCSY, who has witnessed this phenomenon. “Kids are choosing to be there.” The rabbi tells of several people whose Yiddishkeit he saw strengthened by a few months, even a few weeks in a summer setting. “It started with camp.” Campers in the US probably take Jewish camp, and the alternatives for formal Jewish education elsewhere, for granted. The kids I met at Szarvas didn’t; it was largely Szarvas or nothing. This became clear to me about a decade later, when I led a youth seder in Belgrade, the Serbian capital; the community rabbi had the adults at his Seder downstairs in the synagogue; I had the teens and college-aged community members upstairs. After the meal, we were about to begin Birkat HaMazon. “What about Shir haMa’alot?” which traditionally precedes bentching, several people at the tables shouted out. People in places where there is minimal Jewish background usually don’t know from Shir haMa’alot. I had a hunch. “How many of you were at Szarvas?” I asked. Every hand went up. 

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