Baltimore Jewish Home 11-14-24

November 1 st - January 15 th

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Dear Readers,

At the Baltimore Jewish Home, feedback is at the heart of what we do. Every week, we’re grateful to receive encouraging messages from readers who share in our mission and appreciate the work we put into each publication. Occasionally, though, we get feedback that is critical, or even negative, which we often choose to acknowledge quietly and thoughtfully rather than react to directly. Sometimes, however, feedback strikes a chord that resonates with our values, inspiring us to reconsider our approach, as it pushes us to hold ourselves to a higher standard.

This past Friday, I took a phone call from a reader whose voice was filled with disappointment. She was so moved she could barely speak, and it was clear her heart was deeply affected by what she had read. She spoke about an article we had published titled “Iran Executes Jewish Man,” which detailed the tragic story of Arvin Ghahramani, an Iranian Jew executed after defending himself in an incident that ended in an unfair death sentence. She felt that we, a Jewish publication, had glossed over a tragedy that deserved profound reverence. How could we report such a story so plainly when a fellow Jew had lost his life, executed in what she felt was an act of Kiddush Hashem?

Her reaction gave us pause. In a world that moves at lightning speed, it’s easy to read headlines, feel a pang of sadness, and then scroll on, quickly absorbed by the next story or meme. Yet, when we lose a fellow Jew to hatred, persecution, or violence, it should strike a deeper place within us. Arvin and others like him who are taken from us in such ways are not mere news stories. They are our brothers and sisters, their lives intertwined with our own. Each one deserves more than passing mention; they deserve our collective reverence and memory. We must slow down and let their stories touch our hearts, moving us to feel their pain and to act in their memory.

At the Baltimore Jewish Home, we strive to be mindful of how we can serve our community better, whether through the stories we share or the care with which we present them. We value your feedback as a powerful guide in this effort. Let us each take a moment this week to reflect on the lives of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and, in their honor, let us take on an extra mitzvah, a small act of kindness, or a moment of learning. Together, may we honor their memory and elevate our own lives in the process.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Shabbos

Aaron Menachem

and mazal tovs to

Under the Leadership of Rabbi Amrom Jungreis א ” טילש

Mrs. Shoshana Sofer ~ Mrs. Bracha Hartman ~ Mrs. Faigie Lurie

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Academic and social skills taught by highly experienced Baltimore moros

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Around the Community

TA Announces Updates To Their Vaad Hachinuch

The following was just sent to the TA parent body:

Dear Parents,

It is just a couple of months into the new school year and I am filled with hopes and dreams for each and every one of our precious talmidim. Together with our Menahelim, principals, rebbeim, moros, and teachers, I look forward to sharing in your yiddishe nachas throughout this coming year.

I am writing to inform you of some important new developments in the chinuch and growth at TA.

TA has always taken pride in its unwavering commitment to Daas Torah. This commitment has enabled us to be mechanech generations of Bnei Torah who have taken their rightful place in Klal Yisrael and communities across the globe. At the heart of this effort has been our Vaad Hachinuch, which has remained steadfast in its dedication to our educational mission. I am eternally grateful to all past and present members of the Vaad Hachinuch for their leadership, vision, and passion for chinuch in Baltimore and TA. Specifically, we owe a deep debt of gratitude

Mazel tov to the 1st grade talmidim at Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim-Talmudical Academy of Baltimore on their Haschalas Chumash!

to our outgoing Vaad Hachinuch members, Rabbi Binyamin Marwick and Dr. Joel Pleeter. Their many years of service have been integral to our success, and we express our heartfelt Hakoras Hatov for all they have done.

As TA and our community continue to grow and evolve, we face increasing questions, challenges, and opportunities. In response to these dynamics, I am excited to announce updates to both the membership and structure of TA’s Vaad Hachinuch and Executive Leadership.

The Vaad Hachinuch will be led by Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, shlit”a, and will include as members: Rabbi Beryl Weisbord, Rabbi Yehonasan Aryeh Seidemann, Rabbi Zvi Teichman, and Rabbi Duvi Rubin, who will join effective immediately, and Rabbi Pinchas Gross who will tentatively join effective Tishrei 5786. Mr. Shlomo Spetner will continue as Vice President of Education on the Executive Board, serving as liaison between the Executive Board and the Vaad Hachinuch. To further enhance our efforts, the Vaad Hachinuch will now include a dedicated focus group within its structure. This group will

engage regularly with the Yeshiva’s Executive Leadership to ensure the Vaad’s chinuch goals and vision are effectively implemented.

TA’s longtime President, Rabbi Yehuda Lefkovitz, and Executive Director, Rabbi Yaacov Cohen will serve as our Executive Leadership. In recognition of his expanded responsibilities, Rabbi Cohen will now carry the title of Executive Vice President. Rabbis Lefkovitz and Cohen will work collaboratively with the Vaad Hachinuch, along with our Menahelim and Principals, to achieve our educational objectives, thereby further enhancing the chinuch within each division of our Yeshiva.

These updates have been made with the singular goal of continually striving for excellence in our chinuch,

and ensuring that we do so well into the future. They are the result of several months of thoughtful analysis and discussion among TA’s administration, Vaad Hachinuch, and Executive Board. We are confident that this new structure will directly benefit your child’s educational experience, providing a more focused and cohesive approach to achieving our chinuch goals.

I am deeply committed to the continuous growth and success of each of your children and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play a role in their bright futures.

Warmly, and with best wishes for another successful year,

Shmuel Luxenburg Chairman of the Board

Daf Hashavuah Nedarim Chabura At Ohel Moshe Gets Off To A Strong Start

After making a siyum on meseches kesubos, the Ohel Moshe Daf Hashavuah chabura got off to a strong start with meseches nedarim, energizing and adding to the kol torah at the Ohel Moshe night seder on these long winter nights.

Toras Simcha Yerushalayim Celebrating its 30th Anniversary Invites the Community to a

Yisroel Katz

Between Kabalas Shabbos & Maariv 6700 Cross Country Blvd. HaRav

Drasha

Oneg Shabbos

At the home of Rabbi & Mrs. Shai Meyerowitz 3116 Shelburne Rd. at 8:30pm

JCFL By “Your Kitchen Spot” Excitement Extends Into Week 2 Of The Season

As expected, the 2024 JCFL season is already providing as much excitement and friendly competition as previous seasons. All 8 teams look as talented and committed as ever, which means that the 2024 Multicom Capital Trophy is truly any team’s for the taking!

For a recap of the Week 2 games, read on:

AMP Solutions 37

Allstate – Yaakov Schmell32

In an electrifying showdown, AMP Solutions and Allstate-Schmell went head-to-head in a game that came down to the final seconds. AMP QB Yaakov Rosenblum and Schmell QB Avi Yudkowsky traded scoring drives throughout the game, keeping fans on the edge of their seats as both teams refused to back down. With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter and AMP Solutions trailing by 1, Rosenblum uncorked a perfect deep pass to wide receiver Elazar Freedman, who hauled it in spectacularly inside the red zone, setting up a thrilling finish. As the clock wound down to zero, Rosenblum dropped back once more and found his tight end, Shlomo Rosenfeld, in the back of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. The crowd erupted as AMP Solutions celebrated a last-second victory in one of the season’s most thrilling games.

ActualEyes 58

Baltimore CTC 36

Actual Eyes got off to a fast start as Eli Dollman intercepted the first two Baltimore CTC drives and sandwiched a touchdown in between. QB Yoyo Strauss commanded the offense as Shmuely Luxenburg added 2 TDs and an interception. CTC fought back towards the end of the half but touchdowns from Yisroel Luchansky and Aryeh Pliskin put the game out of reach. The highlight of the game was some serious toe-drag swag in the back of the end zone by Aaron Lefkowitz for a touchdown which will surely contend for play of the week.

Dollman added another second half touchdown and Chaim Baruch

Lefkovitz sealed the game with a late interception for the second straight week. Ezra Strum left it all on the field as he and the line combo of Moshe Stal and Luchansky controlled the line of scrimmage while Gershon Moses continued his quest to lead the league in flag pulls. Actual Eyes moved to 2-0 with the 58-36 win.

Tiger Heating & Air 19 Bunny’s Home Care13

In a high-energy showdown, QB Ezra Bregin and the undefeated Tiger Heating and Air team faced off against a determined Bunny’s Home Care squad, led by the returning Chaim Fink, hungry for their first win of the season.

Tiger Heating and Air came out hot, with Bregin launching a long TD pass to Asher Meth, who sped past defenders to put the first points on the board. Tzvi Golub added to the momentum with a solid extra point, and after a quick three-and-out by Bunny’s Home Care, Bregin connected with Aaron Loiterman on another deep strike, stretching the lead to 13-0.

Down by two scores, Fink took control of the offense and orchestrated an impressive comeback. A few precise passes later, they found the end zone twice, with Rafi Strum adding an extra point to level the score at 13-13, stunning Tiger Heating and Air and setting the stage for an intense second half.

As the second half kicked off, Aaron Schnur turned up the pressure with a clutch pick-6, swinging momentum back in Tiger Heating and Air’s favor and giving them a 19-13 lead. From that moment on, both defenses locked in, making it a battle of grit and strategy with neither side finding the end zone.

In the game’s final moments, Fink tried to pull of f a last-second miracle, throwing a high-stakes pass into the end zone. But Tzvi Golub sealed the deal, intercepting the throw and clinching the victory for Tiger Heating and Air, who remain undefeated and unstoppable this season.

Evergreen Benefits Group26 Y & L Landscaping 20

Evergreen Benefits, led by captain Chaim Finkelstein, improved to 2-0 after mowing down Y&L Landscaping & Tree Service.

Y&L struck first on a TD strike from grizzled veteran QB Dan Gutman. If Dan had written this article, he’d give a shout out to the receiver, but alas, the winner writes the history. Y&L failed to convert the extra point, but still led 6-0.

Evergreen rebounded quickly on a TD throw from midfield by Finkelstein to TE Avrami Freund. On the play, Freund mossed the Y&L defender for the highlight of the season so far. Evergreen missed the extra point but knotted the score at 6.

Each team would score on long drives, again tying the score at 12. Evergreen’s score was on a short shovel pass to past and future league MVP WR Shloime Scheinfeld, who used his Wemby-like wingspan to cross the goal line.

Evergreen’s defense held up, led by relentless pressure from Freund, and its offense took over possession with under a minute left in the first half. With 20 seconds left, Finkelstein

went to the hook-and-ladder, passing to super-sub WR Aryeh Walter who lateraled it to Scheinfeld who got to the 1-yard line. Evergreen managed to get the snap off with 1 second left on the clock and scored on short pass to Scheinfeld. Evergreen converted the 2-pt conversion on a laser from Finkelstein to Walter with an audible assist from WR Yoseph Orshan. Interesting factoids: Walter’s maternal grandfather A”H was chief rabbi of Peru and his father was Orshan’s bar mitzvah teacher exactly 31 years before Sunday’s game.

Other than Finkelstein using his deceptively slow speed to convert some timely first downs on broken plays, Scheinfeld dominated the remainder of the game. He started the 2nd half with an athletic interception of a Gutman pass in the end zone, then caught two identical TDs in the back of the end zone on consecutive drives.

With the game out of reach, Y&L engineered a scoring drive, accounting for the final score of 26-20.

THE CONCISE GUIDE TO TAHARAS HAMISHPACHAH

by

Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Klugman reviewed by Rabbi Yaakov E. Forchheimer

The Concise Guide to Taharas Hamishpachah is the essential resource for understanding the laws of family purity. Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Klugman’s work provides easy-to-follow guidance for nearly every situation a married couple may face, including halachic guidance for a chassan and kallah, labor and childbirth, giving birth on Shabbos, as well as many medical procedures, also citing virtually every practical ruling of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.

Meticulously reviewed and emended by Rabbi Yaakov Forchheimer, the thorough breadth of topics along with its comprehensive index, will provide anyone preparing for marriage or looking to refresh their knowledge with the ability to easily navigate the complexities of Taharas Hamishpachah with clarity and confidence.

Veterans Day Kaddish Service Held at The Jewish Section Of Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery, One Of The Only Such Ceremonies In The USA

The Jewish War Veterans of Maryland and the Jewish Uniformed Service Association of Maryland-Chabad (JUSA) hosted a special Veterans Day Kaddish Service at the Jewish Section of Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery, one of the only such ceremonies in the country.

The meaningful service was attended by community members and local politicians, and was led by Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum, director of JUSA-Chabad and Chaplain of the Jewish War Veterans of Maryland. The

ceremony began with Stanley Fishman, commander of Jewish War Veterans Post 167, welcoming attendees. Baltimore County Council Chair Izzy Patoka also addressed the crowd, offering gratitude and recognition to the veterans for their service.

The service culminated with the recitation of the Kel Molei and the mourner’s Kaddish in honor of the fallen veterans and heroes. Rabbi Tenenbaum invited family members of those interred in the Jewish section to share stories of their loved ones. Several mov-

By: BJLife Newsroom

ing accounts of heroism were shared, reflecting the deep sacrifices of those buried at the cemetery.

May the memory of our fallen heroes be a blessing.

WEEKLY CALENDAR

NOVEMBER 18TH- NOVEMBER 22ND

Monday November 18th

9:30 am

Yoga with Deborah Bandos

10:00 am

Baking with Ms. Hirschman

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp

1:00 pm

Arts & Crafts with Shifra

2:00 pm

Piano with Mr Taragin

Tuesday November 19th

9:30 am

Yoga with Deborah Bandos

10:15 am Anagrams with Malka Zweig

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp

1:00 pm BINGO

1:45 pm

Guitar with Yossi K

Wednesday November 20th

9:30 am

Yoga with Deborah Bandos

10:15 am

Anagrams with Malka Zweig

10:45 am

Bais Yaakov Middle School Visit

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp

1:00 pm

Arts & Crafts with Shifra

1:45 pm

Guitar with Yossi K

Thursday November 21st

9:30 am

Yoga with Deborah Bandos

10:15 am Anagrams with Malka Zweig

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp

1:00 pm

Arts & Crafts with Shifra

1:45 pm

Guitar with Yossi K

Friday November 22nd

9:30 am

Rabbi P's Parsha Pointers and Patterns

10:00 am

Baking with Ms Hirchman

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp

2:00 pm

Music with Aharon Grayson

Chaplain Major Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum (MDDF) giving the invocation at the main Veterans Day event at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery

Greater Washington: Around the Community Standing Together for Israel in D.C.

Top Left: OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer with Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of JFNA (Jewish Federations of North America).

Top Right: The Cohen family from Silver Spring, who are a part of the OU-JLIC Yavneh family, handing out cookies to security personnel at the rally.

Bottom Left: OU Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of Young Israel of Woodmere.

Bottom Right: OU’s Yachad IVDU staff attending the rally (IVDU is the educational arm of Yachad).

I GO TO WORK, JUST LIKE YOU.

At Jus by Julie, I manage UberEats orders. Each order I pack is a small triumph, a step towards independence.

When I’m not working, I cherish moments with friends, especially at Yachad. It’s more than a community; it’s a family that values every individual.

My life is vibrant, busy, and meaningful

The Associated: Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Our Jewish Community Safe

The last few years, our country has seen an alarming rise in antisemitism which were exasperated by the events of October 7. Hate messages and antisemitic incidents soared on college campuses and in cities around the United States.

Maryland, unfortunately, saw one of the biggest rises in hate crimes. The state now ranks tenth in the number of antisemitic incidents reported in the United States.

As a result, The Associated: Jewish Federation in Baltimore has made combatting antisemitism and keeping our community safe one of its top priorities.

Safety

To keep Jewish Baltimore safe, The Associated has increased its financial investment in security measures. That includes state-of-theart technology and surveillance systems at Associated buildings such as the JCCs and Myerberg Center.

It also means working closely with all Jewish organizations, including our synagogues and day schools. As part of that effort, David Folderauer, director of security at the Baltimore Jewish Council (BJC), an agency of The Associated, is available to consult with these organizations, helping them with security assessments, working with them on their emergency plans and assisting them with their applications for security grants from MEMA (Maryland Emergency Management Agency) and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).

“Thanks to The Associated, we are incredibly fortunate to have the ability to leverage David Folderauer’s expertise to help us secure the homeland security grants that protect our Jewish day schools, synagogues and community organizations,” says Ari Krupp, First Vice Chair of Jewish Educational Services. “His work is essential in creating spaces where our children, families and community members can gather and feel safe.”

Folderauer is a former law enforcement executive with decades of experience, and he offers training on a wide range of topics, from active shooter scenarios to situational awareness, tailored to meet the specific needs of any group.

“Our focus is on creating a secure environment where families can gather, pray and celebrate without fear,” he says. “This is about more than just physical security; it’s about peace of mind.”

Legislation

Each year, The Associated, through the BJC, actively works on behalf of the Baltimore Jewish community, securing millions of dollars in local and national security grants.

In addition, the BJC advocates at the Maryland General Assembly for the passage of hate crimes legislation. In the past that included a successful bill to allow hate crime victims to bring civil actions against those who commit the crime and a bill that requires teachers and administrations to learn about antisemitism so they can better address and deter these incidents in schools.

Community Programming

The Holocaust Speakers Bureau, housed at the BJC, offers Holocaust survivors and their descendants a chance to speak at local businesses and schools. These individuals share their experiences and talk about antisemitism today. Other programs include communitywide commemorations around Kristallnacht and Yom Ha’Shoah

And this year, the Associated’s Jewish Library of Baltimore is bringing in its Author-inResidence, Liza Wiemer to talk about her book, The Assignment, and use it to talk about antisemitism. This includes Wiemer’s talk to middle schoolers at Darchai Noam Montessori School to help these Jewish students find ways to combat antisemitism.

Report an Incident

If you or someone you know experiences an act of antisemitism, report it at associated.org/report.

Providing security support to local Jewish organizations and countering antisemitism in our community is a result of The Associated’s Annual Campaign.

Donate at associated.org/give

The Week In News

The Week In News

Pogrom in the Netherlands

After a soccer match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv club and Europa League’s Ajax in Amsterdam, a Muslim-orchestrated pogrom broke out against Israeli tourists.

madness, Thursday and Friday by swarming hordes of masked pro-Palestinian riot

ers, who went on an antisemitic rampage, harassing and assaulting Jews visiting the Netherlands for the game, all the while screaming pro-Hamas chants such as, “From the River to the Sea” and “Free Palestine.”

Attackers waited on street corners in the vicinity, ambushing Israelis who were passing by. They hit them and beat them. Some people were run over by cars. Five Israelis went to the hospital, according to local police officials. All patients were discharged by the afternoon.

Early Friday morning, in the wake of the attack, Israel’s Foreign Ministry warned all Israeli tourists in Amsterdam to stay in their hotels, forcing hundreds to barricade themselves in their rooms in fear of the assailants lurking outside. The ministry, at 9 a.m., notified tourists that it was safe to go to the airports, warning the Israelis, however, against showing Israeli or Jewish symbols while traveling.

apprehending suspected assailants and detained 62 people, putting an end to the violence. Many of those who were arrested were promptly released.

“In several places in the city, [Maccabi] supporters were attacked. The police had to intervene several times, protect Israeli supporters, and escort them to hotels. Despite the massive police presence in the city, Israeli supporters have been injured,” Amsterdam police said. “This outburst of violence toward Israeli supporters is unacceptable and cannot be defended in any way. There is no excuse for the antisemitic behavior exhibited last night by rioters who actively sought out Israeli supporters to attack and assault them.”

In the wake of the attacks, Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s newly appointed Israeli foreign minister, went to Amsterdam.

Two Israelis who traveled to London after the attack said masked Arab

and broke two of his teeth after interrogating him about whether he was Israeli. He “woke up in an ambulance covered in blood” and said he was found lying in a pool of his own blood. Some Israeli passports were stolen.

Dick Schoof, the prime minister of the Netherlands, condemned the antisemitic attacks as “unacceptable” and “terrible,” and vowed to the public and to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to track down and prosecute the perpetrators.

“I am deeply ashamed that it could happen in the Netherlands in 2024,” Schoof said.

The Jewish state blamed Dutch authorities for failing to protect the tourists and urged Israelis to leave the Netherlands at the first available opportunity. At first, Israel planned to bring its citizens home via military cargo planes but discarded the idea. Netanyahu called on Schoof and local ly against the rioters, and to ensure the wellbeing of our citizens” and thanked

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The Week In News

One Israeli victim called the attacks “Kristallnacht 2.” Another noted that the attacks seemed to have been planned.

Others denounced the attacks, including U.S. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders, and Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon.

“We woke up this morning to shocking images and videos that since October 7, we had hoped never to see again: an antisemitic pogrom,” posted Israeli President Isaac Herzog, adding that he hopes authorities “will act immediately and take all necessary measures to protect, locate, and rescue all Israelis and Jews under attack, and to eradicate the violence against Jewish and Israeli citizens by all required means.”

Less than 1% of Amsterdam’s population is Jewish, while around 15% is Muslim, mostly second and first generation immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East.

Seventy-five percent of Dutch Jews were killed in the Holocaust.

India’s Ban on Rushdie May End

For decades, Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses” was banned in India. Now, the ban may be overturned – not because of a change of heart but because essential paperwork that put the ban in place may be missing.

Last week, a court in New Delhi closed proceedings on a petition filed five years ago that challenged the then-government’s decision to ban the import of the novel just days after its 1988 publication. The book has enraged Muslims worldwide because of its alleged blasphemy.

In a ruling issued Tuesday, a bench headed by Justice Rekha Palli said authorities had failed to produce the notification of the ban.

“We have no other option except to presume that no such notification exists,” the judges concluded.

The petitioner, Sandipan Khan, had argued that he couldn’t buy the book because of a notification issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs on Oct. 5, 1988, which forbade its import into India. Khan said that he had been unable to locate the notification on any official website or through officials. Khan’s lawyer, Uddyam Mukherjee, said that the court’s ruling meant that as of now, nothing prohibits anybody from importing the novel into India.

“But whether this means it will be sold in bookstores — I don’t know, that depends on the publishers or sellers,” he added.

“What the ruling does is open up a potential path for the book to become available here,” Mukherjee said, but added that any aggrieved individual, group or the government can also appeal against it.

Rushdie is from India but is now a citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States.

Rushdie’s publisher in India, Penguin Random House India, issued a statement Friday called the ruling a “significant new development” and adding that it was “thinking through next steps.”

Rushdie was born in India but left as a child. He published his breakout novel in 1981; the book infuriated India’s prime minister at the time, Indira Gandhi, who was satirized in the book. After she sued over a reference to her having caused her husband’s death, Rushdie agreed to remove it and the case was settled.

When India banned “The Satanic Verses,” Rushdie condemned the action and doubted whether his censors had even read the novel. In an open letter to then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, published in The New York Times in 1988, he alleged the book was “being used as a political football” and called the ban not only “anti-democratic, but opportunistic.”

“The Satanic Verses” elicited a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death from Iran’s Ayotollah Ruhollah Khomeini, forcing the author into hiding in 1989. He gradually resumed a normal life, especially after Iranian officials announced in 1998 that the government had no plans to enforce it. But his relative calm abruptly ended in 2022, when he was stabbed repeatedly onstage by a young assailant during a literary festival in western New York. Rushdie survived the attack,

which left him blind in one eye, and wrote about it in the memoir “Knife.”

Planes Hit Over Haiti

A Spirit Airlines plane flying from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Haiti was struck by gunfire while attempting to land in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, this week.

The Spirit Airlines plane “diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic,” Spirit Airlines said in a statement on Monday.

No passengers were injured, although one flight attendant onboard the plane reported unspecified “minor injuries.”

The plane came within 550 feet of the runway before aborting its landing and diverting to the Dominican Republic.”

Another plane was used to bring the passengers back to Fort Lauderdale.

Two other flights headed for Toussaint Louverture Airport were also diverted “as a precaution,” the FAA said in its statement, adding that the airport was now closed. All airlines have temporarily suspended flights to the airport.

On Monday, a JetBlue flight from Haiti to New York City was also hit by a bullet. After the plane landed at JFK Airport, inspections revealed that the plane had been hit by a bullet. As such, JetBlue said it is suspending all flights to and from Haiti through December 2 due to the civil unrest in the country.

The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert saying that it was “aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports.”

“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” the embassy alert continued, further noting that “the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel. You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti.”

Pakistan Suicide Bombing

On Saturday, at least 25 people were killed at a train station in southwestern Pakistan in a suicide bombing perpetrated by a separatist militant group in the region.

Another 53 people were injured in the attack in the city of Quetta, Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said in a statement.

The blast took place on a platform at the city’s main railway station at about 9 a.m., Senior Police Superintendent Muhammad Baloch said.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group active in the region, claimed responsibility for the attack.

“The explosion happened when a large number of passengers were present on the platform,” Baloch said.

In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack.

An insurgency in Balochistan has been running for decades but has gained traction in recent years since the province’s deep-water Gwadar port was leased to China, the jewel in the crown of Beijing’s “Belt and Road” infrastructure push in Pakistan.

The BLA has been responsible for the deadliest attacks in Pakistan this year, most recently in October when it targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers and investors in the city of Karachi, leaving two Chinese citizens dead.

Israel’s New Defense Minister

A day before the United States presidential election, Prime Minister Benja-

The Week In News

min Netanyahu fired then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Gallant’s successor, Israel Katz, was approved by the Knesset on Thursday night in a 58-0 vote, with opposition members walking out in protest of the appointment.

A member of Likud, Katz, who was Israel’s foreign minister until his appointment to defense minister, was replaced by Gideon Sa’ar, a member of New Hope, as the foreign minister.

Before the vote, several opposition members slammed Netanyahu in passionate speeches, claiming that the premier’s firing of Gallant was politically motivated, as the then-defense minister opposed legislation that would help charedi males to avoid the draft and advocated for a hostage-ceasefire deal in Israel’s war against Hamas.

“If you agree today to be appointed defense minister, the second most important position in this country, just to pass the draft-dodging law — that’s not the way you want to be remembered,” said Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. “They’ll say it was a stunt by Netanyahu, not because anyone believed in him, but to pass the draft-dodging law… If the day after this appointment you stand up and say, ‘I will not pass draft-dodging laws, my job is not to pass laws that allocate money to people who dodged military service during wartime,’ you will be remembered in history as someone who stood their ground.”

Lapid, in a speech addressed to Katz, added: “Netanyahu has no way of firing you; he can’t fire two defense ministers during a war… And they’ll say about you, ‘Here’s someone with a backbone.’ Just do the right thing and tell yourself, ‘I am the defense minister of the State of Israel, not of Netanyahu.’”

The Democrats Party’s MK Gilad Kariv also condemned Netanyahu, sarcastically suggesting that the title of defense minister should be changed to “minister for coalition defense” or “minister for defense for draft-dodgers.”

Kariv also questioned Sa’ar, ask-

ing whether the Netanyahu-critic-turned-supporter planned on supporting a hostage release deal or if he would align “with the prime minister’s policy of continuing to abandon” the hostages.

“The defense minister who is leaving today undermined the prime minister and the cabinet every step of the way. He knew what awaited us in Hezbollah’s tunnels and wanted us to sign a surrender agreement before entering Lebanon,” said Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, defending the prime minister’s decision.

In response to Gallant’s dismissal, protesters numbered in the thousands took to the streets. On Thursday, the High Court of Justice defended Netanyahu’s legal right to fire Gallant, dismissing petitions to overturn the premier’s decision.

Qatar Doesn’t Want to Mediate

According to a foreign diplomat, Qatar will stop serving as a mediator for a potential ceasefire and hostage talks between Israel and Hamas.

The decision was made by the Arab country because it believes that, for both parties, the talks “became more about politics and elections” and less about a “serious attempt to secure peace,” with the Jewish state and the Gazan terrorist organization both repeatedly reneging on past agreements, the diplomat claimed. The diplomat added that Qatar would be willing to return to its role if Israel and Hamas showed a serious desire to reach a deal.

The diplomat and the U.S. government have also confirmed that Qatar will be kicking Hamas out of the country and closing the terror group’s Doha office. The Middle Eastern country reportedly told Hamas officials to start packing late last month and notified the United States and Egypt on October 28 that it would be stepping away from mediating the conflict.

When Hamas will officially leave Qatar is unclear, though it will likely take a while, according to the diplomat. The decision to kick Hamas out of Qatar was praised by an Israeli official who works in the office of Prime Minister Benjamin. The official claimed that Qatar made the decision in response to the U.S. presidential election, which Donald Trump won, adding that the former and now-future president would not be okay with Qatar hosting the terror group.

The announcement was made right after President Donald Trump won the presidency in the United States.

Qatar, however, has called “media reports” on Hamas’ exit “inaccurate” without clarifying further.

According to a U.S. official, two weeks ago, the United States requested that the Arab country throw Hamas out, to which Qatar agreed. Until now, the U.S. has resisted asking Doha to kick the terror group out, since Qatar played an important role in mediating the ongoing conflict.

However, after Hamas executed five hostages, including U.S.-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the Biden administration told Qatar that it was “no longer viable or acceptable” for Doha to host Hamas. Along with that policy shift, the United States also indicted several Hamas members, some of whom live in the Qatari capital. The Biden administration hopes to reach a hostage agreement before President Joe Biden leaves office and thinks that, given enough pressure from sanctions and the terror group’s removal from Qatar, Hamas may be more willing to make necessary concessions.

Egypt is expected to continue working to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Fewer Reservists Reporting For Duty

After October 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel murdering more than 1,200 Israelis, kidnapping 251 people – 101 of whom are still in captivity – and maiming thousands more, around 300,000 reservists reported for duty to fight in the war in Gaza.

In the war’s early days, when Israel launched the biggest reservist call-up in the Jewish state’s history, 100% of reservists showed up, according to the IDF, with some units seeing a reservist response rate of up to 150%.

However, the military has, in recent weeks, observed a steep decrease in the reservist response rate. Now, only 75% to 85% of people called up to fight in Gaza or Lebanon actually show up. The IDF’s senior officials believe the decline can be blamed on reservist burnout, as the conscripts bear the brunt of a war that has been going on for over a year. Reservists have lost jobs and academic opportunities and have been away from their loved ones for a long time.

Now, the IDF hopes to get 10,000 new soldiers and extend the required military service time in order to relieve reservists from drawn-out duty. Many of the reservists have fought for most of the war and, next year, will likely need to return for another 100 days of service.

More Losses

On Monday, four soldiers were killed during fighting in Gaza, bringing the total toll from that day to five.

The slain troops were named as Staff Sgt. Orr Katz, 20, from Ma’ale Adumim; Staff Sgt. Nave Yair Asulin, 21, from Carmit; Staff Sgt. Gary Lalhruaikima Zolat, 21, from Afula; and Staff Sgt. Ofir Eliyahu, 20, from Holon.

The soldiers all served with the Kfir Brigade’s Shimshon Battalion. They had been hit by an anti-tank missile fired into a building they were in, in the far north of the Strip.

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The Kfir Brigade has been operating in the Beit Lahiya area, close to Jabalia, amid an ongoing operation against Hamas in northern Gaza.

On Monday, another soldier, Maj. (res.) Itamar Levin Fridman, 34, was killed in a separate incident of anti-tank fire in Jabalia.

Their deaths brought Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and during military operations along the border with the Strip to 375. The number includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission and a Defense Ministry contractor.

The IDF’s offensive in Jabalia began in early October, the fourth push into the northern Gaza refugee camp since the start of the war a year ago. The mil-

and heading to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip’s south.

Several thousand Palestinians also remain in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and other northern Gaza towns, where the military is also operating against Hamas as part of the ongoing offensive.

The army said it has eliminated over 1,000 Hamas operatives in the renewed Jabalia offensive, with more than 1,000 operatives taken into custody.

Last Jew in Afghanistan Now in Israel

Jablon Simatov was the last known

Jablon was rescued from Afghanistan three years with the help of the Jewish Agency and Moti Kahana, a person known for rescuing people from conflict zones.

“We haven’t seen each other for almost 25 years. Now, he’s living here in Israel. He wants to move to central Israel, and no matter what, we will be by his side,” Simantov’s brother said. “We will be with him on Shabbat as well. He promised us he would come to Israel, and it has finally happened.”

also various bureaucratic obstacles along the way.”

One of the challenges Kahana had was arranging a divorce for Simantov’s wife, who had left the country in the 1990s.

“I sent my team to pick him up, but he didn’t want to leave Afghanistan,” Kahana recalled.

“When we went to pick him up, he had gathered about 100 people who also wanted to leave. He insisted that either everyone goes or no one does. In the end, we took 30 people and reached the border of a neighboring country. We had to cross a river, but he refused to go until all the families had crossed first. There was a lot of pressure until we reached Turkey, where

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Homan to Tackle Border

Tom Homan, former acting head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, will be in charge of the border when President-elect Donald Trump comes into office on January 20.

“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders,” Trump said in a social media post on Sunday. “Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.”

Homan was the public face of Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policies during his first term, which broke with the practice of keeping families together during detention and deportation proceedings.

“I don’t care what people think about me. Especially on the left,” Homan said on Fox and Friends on Monday morning. “Border security is national security. We should all be on the same side of that.”

Homan also had a warning for local law enforcement, especially in sanctuary cities: “If you’re not gonna help us, get the [heck] out of the way.”

He added, “We’re gonna do the job, without you or with you.”

Homan brings experience to the position.

“I know exactly what I’m doing, and this is the second time I’ve come out of retirement for this president, because it matters. I was a Border Patrol agent, I wore that uniform, and I’m proud that I wore that uniform. I was an ICE agent. I was the first ICE director that came up through the ranks, so the 20,000 men and women that worked for me, I didn’t ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself, because I was one of them,” he said.

On Monday, he also took a swipe at Kamala Harris, who had been in charge of the border during the Biden administration without success. Illegal border crossings surged under the Biden administration, with nearly 3 million in fiscal year 2024, according to Homeland Security’s website. There have been more than 10.8 million illegal encounters since FY 2021.

“I’m gonna look like a genius. Because if you follow failure, you can’t help but succeed,” Homan said.

Trump Picks Zeldin and Stefanik

This week, President-elect Donald Trump announced several nominations of those he wants on his team when he comes into the White House on January 20.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York was chosen to run the Environmental Protection Agency.

“I am pleased to announce that the highly respected former congressman from New York, Lee Zeldin, will be appointed to serve as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” Trump announced on Monday.

“He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water, on the planet,” Trump added in a statement.

Zeldin, 44, wrote on X, “It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA administrator.”

He added, “We will restore U.S. energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs and make the United States the global leader of artificial intelligence. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

Zeldin served in active duty in the U.S. Army and deployed to Iraq in 2006. He served in Congress between 2015 and 2023 and did not seek re-election in 2022 to challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in a race he lost by just 6 percentage points in the deeply blue state.

While in Congress, Zeldin served on the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services committees. He also served on Trump’s legal team during the former president’s first failed impeachment in 2019.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, also from New York, was chosen by Trump to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations.

“Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement this week announcing his pick for the role — his first selection that will require Senate confirmation.

Stefanik, 40, who serves as House Republican Conference Chair, has long been one of Trump’s most loyal allies in the House and was among those discussed as a potential vice presidential choice.

Stefanik will succeed U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a career diplomat and former assistant secretary of state for Africa who has held the job through the entire Biden administration and has been a member of his Cabinet. Stefanik also will be a member of Trump’s Cabinet.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Stefanik graduated from Harvard and worked in former President George W. Bush’s White House on the domestic policy council and in the chief of staff’s office. In 2014, at 30, she became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, representing upstate New York. She later became the youngest woman to serve in House leadership.

Stefanik’s profile came into the spotlight this year when she questioned three university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses, leading two of them to resign.

Waltz to Be Nat’l Sec. Advisor

Rep. Mike Waltz, a Florida Republican and retired Special Forces officer, was asked to be Trump’s national security advisor.

Waltz, 50, had widely been seen as a contender for a senior national security position in the new Trump administration. He had been a vocal critic of Biden’s foreign policy, critiquing him on his policies with regard to China, Afghanistan, Ukraine and NATO.

The president’s national security advisor is a senior presidential aide who coordinates national security policy across the U.S. government, working with senior leaders in multiple agencies to do so. While the position is not in the president’s Cabinet and does not require Senate confirmation, it often comes with significant power.

Waltz also has been a strong supporter of Israel. He has questioned why the Biden administration has attempted to rein in Israeli military operations and not hit back more forcefully when Iran and other proxy forces tied to the war in Gaza have attacked U.S. troops in the region.

Waltz is an Afghanistan war veteran. As such, he has much to say about Biden’s dismal withdrawal from Afghanistan. During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in March, he detailed how assumptions and promises the Biden administration made about Afghanistan fell apart.

“We failed — and their loved ones are dead because of it,” Waltz said, pointing to the families of some of the 13 U.S. troops killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport during the evacuation.

First Female Chief of Staff

his

Following

decisive victory in the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump selected Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff.

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Wiles, Trump’s campaign manager, has been widely credited with helping the former and now-future president handily beat Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,” Trump stated. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”

At first, Wiles, 67, was hesitant to accept the position but acquiesced after Trump agreed to a list of conditions, according to reports. One of the conditions that the president-elect reportedly agreed to: “The clown car can’t come into the White House at will,” which is in reference to the large, uncontrolled herd of friends, relatives, unofficial advisors, and others who Trump’s former chiefs of staff have previously struggled to keep at bay.

As part of her role as campaign manager, Wiles managed Trump’s private plane flight manifest, intentionally distancing him from, for example, extreme individuals who would have hurt his campaign.

Another contender for the position was Brooke Rollins, who played a part in the former president’s first term and is expected to be involved in his second one. Rollins, however, ceded the role on Wednesday in order to avoid a serious power struggle with Wiles, who was clearly Trump’s top pick for the job.

A political expert from Florida, Wiles is one of Trump’s longest-serving advisors and is the daughter of the late Pat Summerall, an NFL broadcaster. She was Trump’s only campaign manager for the 2024 election, bringing a level of discipline to the former president’s campaign that’s rarely been seen in Trump’s past campaigns.

During his victory speech, Trump credited Wiles for the win. He offered her a chance to speak to the audience, but she politely declined.

“Susie Wiles ran Trump’s best campaign of the three, and it wasn’t particularly close,” posted Charlie Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA.

“She’s disciplined, she’s smart, and she doesn’t seek the limelight. She would make an incredible Chief of Staff. The president, and America, would be well served with Susie in that key role.”

Wildfires Hit East and West

Southern California’s Ventura County was hit by a devastating wildfire that decimated over 192 properties and damaged 82 others, according to local fire officials. Ten people were lightly hurt, mostly from inhaling smoke, according to the county’s sheriff, Jim Fryhoff.

The fire slowed down between Thursday night and early Friday. As of Friday evening, the fire was 14% contained after over a day with almost zero containment, Cal Fire said. By Monday, there was 42% containment.

Firefighters are fighting to take control of the rest of the fire before wind speeds increase

What caused the Mountain Fire, which started in Camarillo on early Wednesday, is currently unclear. The wildfire spread through over 20,700 acres of land, according to fire authorities.

Firefighters evacuated 400 homes, and 800 other households were already evacuated before officials had to warn them to leave. Another 250 people stayed in their homes, according to Fryhoff.

“We see it over and over and over: People have the best intentions to stay and defend their home right up until the time the fire hits their home,” said Dustin Gardner, the fire chief of Ventura County. “And it gets hot, and it gets smoky. You can’t see, you can’t breathe, and you sure as hell can’t defend your home. And then you’re stuck, and then our firefighters have to get in, pull you out.”

To try to control the fire, firefighters air-dropped water on the area from helicopters.

On the East Coast, firefighters were battling fires in New York and New Jersey, areas that have been dealing with a drought.

The Jennings Creek Fire on the border of the two states has scorched ap-

proximately 3,500 acres across parts of New York and New Jersey and was 20% contained on Monday evening.

While no civilian injuries have been reported, an 18-year-old Wildland Fire Crew member was killed while responding to the blaze over the weekend, officials said Sunday. Dariel Vasquez died Saturday afternoon when a tree fell over in the fire area. Vasquez recently graduated from Ramapo High School, where he was a member of the school’s varsity baseball team, the East Ramapo Titans.

While California is used to raging wildfires, New York has not had a fire season like this year since 2002, according to Jeremy Oldroyd, a forest ranger with the state’s Environmental Conservation Department. Nearly 600 wildfires have burned almost 7,000 acres in New Jersey and New York since October 1, according to officials.

Most of the fires were in New Jersey, where the state’s Forest Fire Service has responded to 537 wildfires. That’s nearly 500 more than the same period last year – and the flames have claimed about 4,500 acres.

Iranians Wanted to Kill Trump

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Friday that Iranian plotters had discussed a plan to assassinate Donald Trump before he was reelected as president last week.

One of the plotters said that he was assigned in September to carry out the plan by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, prosecutors said in court papers.

An Iranian operative said he was told to put aside other efforts he was undertaking on behalf of the Revolutionary Guard and “focus on surveilling, and ultimately, assassinating” Trump, according to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court.

The new allegation about a plan to kill Trump is the latest alarming development for U.S. security officials, who have been concerned since the

summer that Iran appeared to be escalating plans for violence inside the United States, including against the president-elect, who has been Tehran’s nemesis.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied the allegation.

In his first term as president, Trump abandoned a nuclear deal that required Iran to limit its nuclear capacity. He levied 1,500 sanctions, including on oil sales and banking, debilitating the Iranian economy. And he ordered the assassination of a military leader, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who had been designated as a terrorist.

The newly unsealed complaint also contains allegations that authorities had disrupted another plot to assassinate Masih Alinejad, a Brooklyn human-rights activist who has long criticized Iran’s repression of women.

The man prosecutors said was tasked with the plot to kill Trump and Alinejad was Farhad Shakeri, 51. Shakeri, following a guilty plea to robbery, spent 14 years in New York state prisons, according to the complaint. Shakeri, an Afghan national who immigrated to the United States as a child, was deported in 2008 after serving his prison sentence, the complaint says.

Prosecutors said Shakeri was at large and was believed to reside in Iran.

Two men also charged in the plots were arrested and are in custody in New York. They are Carlisle Rivera, 49, of Brooklyn, and Jonathan Loadholt, 36, of Staten Island.

The three men each face charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and money laundering conspiracy. Shakeri was also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, identified as the Revolutionary Guard, and conspiring to do so, as well conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran.

(© The New York Times)

Bird Flu in Dairy Workers

A new study conducted by the state health departments of Michigan and Colorado and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that seven percent of tested dairy farm workers – who were exposed to bird flu-infected cows – ended up unknowingly contracting the virus.

The Week In News

The research, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Thursday, shows that there are many more people contracting bird flu than official counts suggest, as a large chunk of infected individuals have mild or no symptoms. The virus’ outbreak on U.S. farms started in March.

In light of the study, the CDC now recommends that all workers exposed to infected animals get tested even if they have no symptoms of bird flu. The agency also now recommends that all those who were seriously exposed to infected animals and weren’t wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), even those who have no symptoms, should be treated with Tamiflu, an antiviral medication. For example, Dr. Nirav Shah, the CDC’s principal deputy director, says that a worker whose face got splashed with raw milk from a cow with bird flu should take the medication.

In the past, the CDC suggested that only those with symptoms should be tested and treated. These new measures have been put in place to slow the spread of the virus.

“Simply put, the less room we give this virus to run, the fewer chances it has to cause harm or to change,” said Shah. “And the best way to limit the virus’s room to run is to test, identify, treat and isolate as many cases as possible in humans and as quickly as possible.”

As part of the study, 115 people were tested for antibodies. Eight came back positive, showing that they were likely previously infected with bird flu. Four of those workers remembered having symptoms, implying that the symptoms were mild, such as eye redness, conjunctivitis, fever, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, and diarrhea.

All the study participants had cleaned areas where cows were milking. None of the infected individuals wore PPE, only one was informed that the cows had bird flu, and all of those who tested positive spoke Spanish. The CDC emphasizes that it’s important for foreign workers to be educated in their native languages.

Since the beginning of 2024, there

have officially been forty-six cases of humans in the U.S. contracting H5N1, though that figure does not include the eight dairy workers in the study, as only active cases of infection are added to the official case count.

“These were farms with known infected cows,” noted Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “So it was really about the fact that they didn’t have the awareness that they had any sick cows that they were working with, even though they were in environments where sick cows were known.”

Rescuing the Escaped Monkeys

Last Wednesday, 43 monkeys escaped from the Alpha Genesis primate research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina. The break-out occurred after a caretaker forgot to lock the exits.

On Saturday, one monkey was recovered. On Sunday, authorities reclaimed 25 other monkeys. As of Sunday, “a sizable group remains active” close to the fence line of the research facility and had “bedded down in the trees for the night,” according to Yemasse police. The group of primates, which are young females and are from the rhesus macaques species, have since been sighted in the forest that surrounds Alpha Genesis’ facility.

The research lab is home to around 500 monkeys, which are used for research and studies.

In the meantime, officials and Alpha Genesis have been attempting to lure the monkeys in by planting food nearby.

The company has specified that the escaped monkeys are not dangerous, given that they’re very small and are too young to carry disease. Regardless, authorities have told the 2,200 people who live in Yemassee to remain indoors, keep their windows shut, call 9-11 if they spot one of the monkeys, and refrain from approaching the an-

imals if spotted.

According to the police, the recovered monkeys are “in good health,” based on evaluations from veterinarians. The authorities also warned people against flying drones in the town, as it had recently “led to the primates becoming spooked, which not only increased their stress but also complicated efforts for their safe return.”

Nineteen monkeys fled from Alpha Genesis in 2016. Nearly six hours later, they were all recovered. In December 2014, 26 monkeys broke out of the research facilities, leading the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sue the company for $26,000 for the mistake.

Fast Food Stores Shutting Down

In 2024, several fast food chains, including Red Lobster and TGI Fridays, filed for bankruptcy, forcing the companies to shut down over 175 locations collectively.

Red Lobster’s previous owner, Thai Union, a global shrimp supplier, drove the chain into bankruptcy. TGI Fridays’ private equity owner, TriArtisan Capital Advisors, was also unable to stop the casual dining chain from going bankrupt. Another 150 restaurants are getting shut down by Denny’s.

With many fast food stores now vacant, other companies are vying for prime real estate, while landlords are looking for tenants who will pay higher rents.

Red Lobster’s Watertown, New York, location will be replaced by a Northern Credit Union bank, while a TGI Fridays restaurant in Woodbridge, Virginia, will become a LongHorn Steakhouse. A Red Lobster location in Naples, Florida, will be replaced by a Chick-fil-A.

Previously, shuttered restaurants would just become different restaurants. However, many restaurant chains are instead buying the real estate, not to start a new location but to build a new drive-thru lane. For example, most of Chipotle’s 4,000 new locations will

have drive-thrus, and Chick-fil-A is constructing many new four-lane drivethrus. Some of the real estate is also being bought out by smaller chains that are interested in expanding.

The U.S. retail vacancy rate is at its lowest in decades, at 4.1%.

Vacant restaurant real estate is generally more desirable than space in malls. While many mall stores are shutting down because of online shopping, vacant restaurant real estate remains desirable because the store owners have the freedom to operate without being tied down to a mall.

Democrat Wins Arizona Sen. Seat

Representative Ruben Gallego, a Phoenix-area Democrat and military veteran, won the Senate race in Arizona, it was announced on Monday. The victory is a bright spot for Democrats after Republicans regained control of the chamber.

Gallego defeated Republican Kari Lake, leading throughout the summer and the fall with large margins. The results came in unexpectedly close, a sign of a Republican wave throughout the country.

Gallego is a five-term congressman who grew up in a working-class Chicago family. He attended Harvard University and fought in the Iraq war as a Marine. He will become Arizona’s first Latino senator, replacing Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an independent and former Democrat.

“For the kids sleeping on the floor, dreaming about a better, better America and a better, better future, this victory is for you,” Gallego said.

Gallego had announced in January 2023 that he would challenge Sinema for her seat, after she angered Democrats by voting with Republicans to stymie key pieces of President Biden’s agenda. Sinema announced this year that she would not run for re-election.

Lake is a former television anchor and a vocal ally of President-elect Trump. Gallego, who was once known for lobbing profanities at Republicans on social media, ran a disciplined cam-

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Lost Treasure

It’s a not uncommon story: someone goes swimming in the ocean and loses a precious piece of jewelry. But this story has an uncommon ending.

In 1977, Morgan Perigo’s gold college graduation ring was lost in the ocean while

searched for the ring in vain.

“One day I took my younger son and waded into the ocean. He was knocked over by a wave, so I reached to grab hold of him. He pulled on my hand and my Mac Alumni ring came off,” Perigo, now 83, said. “We searched for it but were unsuccessful.”

Forty-seven years later, Alex Davis, a professional freediver, found the ring using an underwater metal detector. The ring possessed three clues to help Davis track down its owner: the name of the school, the year 1965, and the initials FMP.

“[It’s] not surprising the gold has tarnished around the stone setting and the stag emblem is a bit worn down but overall it’s in great condition,” Davis said.

He contacted the university to try to find the owner.

“I found a McMaster University signet ring with three initials on the inside,” he wrote in an email to the school. “I found it metal detecting in Barbados this morning and suspect it’s been lost for some time.”

An officer in the school tracked down Frederick Morgan Perigo, who had been a

from Barbados: his graduation ring.

“What a wonderful, unexpected 83rd birthday present,” he said.

Bike Riding for Dumplings

Wouldn’t you bike for hours just to get some kreplach?

Tens of thousands of people in central China gathered together to ride bikes between Zhengzhou and Kaifeng in central China after a social media that suggested a cheap night-time bike ride to get dumplings went viral. The thousands of bikers caused gridlock in the streets during the 30-mile trip.

The idea for the event was sparked by four college students who took the same roughly 30-mile trip over the summer to get soup dumplings. It appears to have grown out of a trend that’s seen young people struggling with China’s difficult job market seek out inexpensive travel options.

“You only have one youth. You have to try a spontaneous trip with your friends,” one of the four students told local media.

For some people, though, it was too much.

“I really regret going. As I sat in a restaurant eating my meal, I heard the owner criticizing college students for having nothing to do... I’m really sorry for affecting the people in Kaifeng,” the student said, according to the BBC.

As traffic got progressively worse, three bike-sharing companies issued a joint statement urging students to take buses or trains for long-distance travel. Eventually, the companies started charging extra if bikes were taken to a different city. In some cities, bike lanes were closed off by traffic police.

Still, despite the snafus, young people in China are going to continue to participate in these types of events.

“People are so stressed these days, so these events are a good thing. Because happiness is infectious,” one participant said. Anything for dumplings.

Hebrain

by barbara l andesman

Jewish Jeopardy

Nobel Prize l aureates

1)

This German-Jewish physician and scientist’s laboratory discovered arsphenamine. Discovered in 1909, it was the first effective treatment for syphilis. This scientist worked in the fields of hematology, immunology, and antimicrobial chemotherapy; he invented the technique which led to gram staining bacteria and his laboratory invented the concept of chemotherapy. In 1908, he received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his contributions in the field of immunology.

a) Paul Ehrlich

b) Otto Fritz Meyerhof

c) Hermann Joseph Muller

2)

This former American Secretary of State served under Presidents Nixon and Ford. He was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in negotiating the Paris Peace Accords, thereby ending American involvement in the Vietnam War.

a) George Shultz

b) Henry Kissinger

c) Joseph Lieberman

3)

This New York-born medical physicist received the 1977 Nobel Prize in Medicine for her work in the discovery of the RIA Technique, or Radioimmunoassay Technique. This method allows the measuring of substances which are found in minute amounts in the human body; an example is screening blood donors for hepatitis.

a) Gerti Cori

b) Ada Yonath

c) Rosalyn Sussman Yalow

4)

This Russian poet, novelist, and translator (Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare) published “Dr. Zhivago” in 1957. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958 but was compelled by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to decline the Prize. It was accepted in 1988 by his descendants.

a) Boris Pasternak

b) Alexander Pushkin

c) Sholem Aleichem

5)

This political leader of Israel received the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize “for the Camp David Agreement, which brought about a negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel.”

a) Yitzchak Rabin

b) Shimon Peres

c) Menachem Begin

tHe YesHiva World

6)

Founded in 1924 in Jerusalem by the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi, it is a National-Religious yeshiva and the most prominent yeshiva in the Religious Zionist world, training yeshiva heads, city rabbis, and teachers in religious colleges and high schools.

a) Bar-Ilan

b) Mercaz Harav

c) Yeshivat HaGush

7)

Named after the Lithuanian town of its original location in pre-war Europe, this yeshiva is presently located in Bnei Brak, Israel and is one of the leading Lithuanian-style yeshivas in Israel. It was founded in 1908.

a) Novardok

b) Ponevezh

c) Pressburg

8)

In 1933, this Rabbinical College was founded by R’ Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman in Baltimore, MD, USA; it is also a Maryland State accredited college which allows students to take courses in various academic fields and to receive credits for their religious studies.

a) Ner Israel Rabbinical College

b) Rabbinical College of Telshe Yeshiva

c) R’ Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University

9)

These were the two most dominant yeshivas of Bavel; they compiled the Babylonian Talmud and their halachic decisions were considered law.

a) Shem and Ever

b) Sura and Pumbedisa

c) Chevron and Porat Yosef

10)

Founded by R’ Nosson Zvi Finkel (Der Alter) (1849-1927), this Lithuanian Yeshiva functioned from late 19th century until World War II; in the 1920s, the Yeshiva moved to Hebron until the 1929 Massacre. It then moved to Bnei Brak.

a) Slabodka

b) Ponovezh

c) Porat Yosef

11)

Founded in 1970, based in Jerusalem, it caters to young men, usually of college age with little or no background in Judaism; known as a “Baal Teshuva” yeshiva, it has branches in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom, Australia, Ukraine and Russia.

a) Ohr Somayach

b) Yeshivat Hakotel

c) Ohr Yerushalayim

WHo a m i?

12)

During the Russo-Japanese War (19041905), through my firm, Kuhn Loeb & Co., I loaned Japan $200 million to avenge the anti-Semitism of the Russian Tsarist Regime.

a) Jacob Schiff

b) Felix Warburg

c) Moses Montefiore

13)

Born in Galicia (Ukraine), I traveled much and was known as a vagabond; in 1877, I wrote “Hatikvah,” which became Israel’s national anthem. It was part of my book, “Barkai” (Morning Star).

a) Yossele Rosenblatt

b) Shaul Berezovsky

c) Naphtali Zvi Imber

14)

I was among Theodore Herzl’s Christian guests at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897. In 1863, I founded the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the 1864 Geneva Convention was based on my ideas. I was awarded the first-ever Nobel Peace Prize in 1901; Herzl referred to me as a “Christian Zionist.”

a) Friedrich Born

b) Jean Henri Dunant

c) Bertrand Russell

15) In 1969, my wife Doris and I founded the California-based retail clothing chain “The Gap,” which is the largest specialty apparel retailer in the United States.

a) Leslie Wexner

b) Donald G. Fisher

c) Howard Schultz

16)

In 1917, as Foreign Secretary of Britain, I further explained my views: “….And Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-long traditions, in present needs,

and future hopes of far profounder import than the desires and prejudices of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that Ancient Land.”

a) Lord Arthur James Balfour

b) Viscount Edmund Allenby

c) David Lloyd George

17)

I was an American economist, statistician, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, an economic advisor to President Regan and an economics Professor at the University of Chicago. I expounded theories about the Money Supply and its growth rate and consumption analysis. The Economist Magazine said about me that I “am the most influen-

tial economist of the second half of the twentieth century…possibly all of it.”

a) Adam Smith

b) Milton Friedman

c) Alan Greenspan

18)

I am an American politician and lawyer who twice declined the nomination to the U. S. Supreme Court; I was a U.S. Senator from Louisiana and was Secretary of State in the Confederate Government under Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States.

a) Hayim Solomon

b) Judah P. Benjamin

c) Judah Touro

who am i aN swers: a12- ; 13- ;C 14-b; 15-b; 16-a; 17-b; 18-b

the yeshiva world aN swers: 6-b; ;b7- 8-a; 9-b; 10-a; 11-a

Nobel Prize l aureates aN swers: 1-a; 2-b; 3-C; 4-a; 5- C

Daniel Saunders & Ruchie Weinstein (Both Baltimore)

Mordechai Quinn & Naomi Klitzner (Baltimore)

Gershon Vegh & Margalit Addess (Baltimore

Chaim Kravits (Toronto) & Devorah Mellman (Baltimore)

Zmanim

courtesy of MyZmanim and are for the 21209 area. Havdalah Zmanim are at 40 minutes past Shkiah.

Shacharis

M-F: 6:15 AM, S-F: 6:30 AM, 6:45 AM, 7:00 AM, 7:15 AM, 7:30 AM, 7:45 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:15 AM, 8:30 AM, 8:45 AM, 9:00AM, 9:15AM, 9:30AM, 9:45AM, 10:00AM

Neitz Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] M-F

Ohel Yakov S-F

6:00 AM Shomrei Emunah Congregation M-F

6:10 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, Th

6:15 AM Kol Torah M, TH

Shearith Israel Congregation M, TH

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei IsraelM, TH

6:20 AM Agudah of Greenspring M, TH

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S-F

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M-F

Kehilath B'nai Torah M, TH

Pikesville Jewish CongregationM, TH

Shomrei Emunah CongregationS, M, TH

6:25 AM The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei IsraelT, W, F

6:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring T, W, F

Chabad of Park Heights M-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Kehilath B'nai Torah T, W, F

Khal Bais Nosson M-F

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek M-F

Kol Torah T, W, F

Ohr Yisroel M-F

Pikesville Jewish CongregationT, W, F

Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah CongregationT, W, F

6:35 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan)M, TH

Ohel Moshe M, TH

6:40 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan)T, W, F

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationM, TH

6:45 AM B”H and Mesivta of Baltimore (Dirshu Minyan) S-F

Beth Abraham M, TH

Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue M-F

Ner Tamid M-F

Ohel Moshe T, W, F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim M-F

6:50 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] M, TH

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh M, TH

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationT, W, F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh M, TH

Derech Chaim M-F

Kol Torah M-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH

Shomrei Emunah CongregationM, TH

The Shul at the Lubavitch CenterM, TH

6:55 AM Beth Abraham T, W, F

Kol Torah M, TH

7:00 AM Aish Kodesh (upstairs Minyan) M-F

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's)S

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh T, W, F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh T, W, F Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue S Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach TzedekS

Kol Torah T, W, F

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah M-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S, T, W, F

Shearith Israel Congregation S, M, TH

Shomrei Emunah CongregationT, W, F

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh M-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch CenterT, W, F Tiferes Yisroel M-F

7:05 AM Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) M, TH

7:15 AM Kedushas Yisrael S Kol Torah S

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S, T, W, F

Ner Israel Rabbinical College S-F

Baltimore Weekday Minyanim Guide

Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah CongregationS

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei IsraelS

Tzeirei Anash M-F

7:20 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Beth Tfiloh Congregation M-F

Kol Torah M-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH

Shomrei Emunah CongregationM, TH

7:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] S

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore S-F

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh S

Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationS

Chabad of Park Heights S

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe AryehS-F

Darchei Tzedek S

Kedushas Yisrael S-F

Khal Bais Nosson S

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina) S-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S, T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah CongregationT, W, F

7:45 AM Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M-F

Talmudical Academy S-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Mesivta Kesser Torah S-F

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim S-F

7:50 AM Derech Chaim S

Ner Tamid S

Ohel Moshe M-F

8:00 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Beth Abraham S

Chabad Israeli Center M-F

Darchei Tzedek S

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach TzedekS

Kehillas Meor HaTorah S

Ohr Yisroel S

Pikesville Jewish CongregationS

Shearith Israel Congregation S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch CenterS

Tiferes Yisroel S Tzeirei Anash S

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah S-F

8:15 AM Kehilath B'nai Torah S Kol Torah S

8:20 AM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

8:25 AM Ohr Chadash Academy (School Days Only) S-F

8:30 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Chabad Israeli Center S

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Shomrei Mishmeres HakodeshS

9:00 AM Aish Kodesh S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S

Beth Tfiloh Congregation S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion CongregationS

Moses Montefiore Anshe EmunahS

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S-F

Mincha

Mincha

Gedolah Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/Tzemach Tzedek

12:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F)

Mincha

continued

1:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F)

10055 Red Run Blvd Suite 295

Milk & Honey Bistro 1777 Reisterstown RD

1:25 PM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

1:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F)

1:45 PM Ohel Moshe

Wealcatch Insurance

1:50 PM One South Street, 27th Floor (M-Th)

2:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F)

Big Al @ The Knish Shop Party Room

Kol Torah

Market Maven

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Reischer Minyan - 23 Walker Ave 2nd Floor

2:15 PM Pikesville Beis Medrash - 15 Walker Ave

2:30 PM Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Tov Pizza Mincha Minyan

Ner Israel Rabbinical College

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim (Etz Chaim Building)

Shearith Israel Congregation

2:45 PM Kollel of Greenspring

Shearith Israel Congregation (S-Th)

3:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-F)

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

3:05 PM Kedushas Yisrael

3:15 PM Hat Box

3:22 PM Ohr Chadash Academy (School Days Only, Call to Confirm)

3:30PM Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

4:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (S-Th)

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

10 Min Before ShkiAh Chabad Israeli Center

14 Min Before ShkiAh Kol Torah

Mincha/Maariv

Before Shkiah

Aish Kodesh

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Agudah of Greenspring

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Beth Abraham

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation

Darchei Tzedek

Kehillas Meor HaTorah

Kehilath B’nai Torah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill’s)

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Ner Tamid

Ohel Moshe

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi]

Ohr Yisroel

Pikesville Jewish Congregation

Shearith Israel Congregation

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

Shomrei Mishmeres

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center

Tiferes Yisroel

Maariv

Maariv continued

8:50 PM Mesivta Shaarei Chaim (Etz Chaim Building)

8:55 PM Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

9:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Arugas Habosem

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim

9:20 PM Kol Torah

9:30 PM Agudah of Greenspring

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Kedushas Yisrael

9:40 PM Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi]

9:45 PM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Kollel Erev Birchas Yitzchok (Luries)

Kollel of Greenspring

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's)

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi]

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah

9:50 PM Aish Kodesh

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Ohel Moshe

10:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Darchei Tzedek

Kehilath B'nai Torah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Shearith Israel Congregation

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

10:05 PM Kol Torah

10:10 PM Ner Israel Rabbinical College

10:15 PM Derech Chaim

Khal Bais Nosson

10:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

11:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

11:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Agudah of Greenspring - 6107 Greenspring Ave

Agudath Israel of Baltimore - 6200 Park Heights Ave

Ahavat Shalom - 3009 Northbrook Rd

Aish Kodesh - 6207 Ivymount Rd

Arugas HaBosem - 3509 Clarks Ln

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim - 3120 Clarks Ln

Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore - 6823 Old Pimlico Rd

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh - 6618 Deancroft Rd

Beit Yaakov - 3615 Seven Mile Ln

Beth Abraham - 6208 Wallis Ave

Beth Tfiloh Congregation - 3300 Old Court Rd

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation - 6602 Park Heights Ave

Chabad Israeli Center - 7807 Seven Mile Ln

Chabad of Park Heights - 3402 Clarks Ln

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh - 3800 Labyrinth Rd

Darchei Tzedek - 3201 Seven Mile Ln

Derech Chaim - 6229 Greenspring Ave (Weekday)

Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue 6611 Greenspring Ave.

Kedushas Yisrael - 6004 Park Heights Ave

Kehilath B’nai Torah - 6301 Green Meadow Pkwy

Kehillas Meor HaTorah - 6539 Pebble Brooke Rd

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek - 6811 Park Heights Ave

Khal Bais Nosson - 2901 Taney Rd

Kol Torah - 2929 Fallstaff Rd

Kollel of Greenspring - 6504 Greenspring Ave.

Machzikei Torah - 6216 Biltmore Ave

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah - 6500 Baythorne Rd

Mesivta Kesser Torah - 8400 Park Heights Ave

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim - 3702 Fords Ln

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah - 7000 Rockland Hills Dr

Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen, Rubin & Gibber One South Street, 27th Floor

Ner Israel Rabbinical College - 400 Mt Wilson Ln

Ner Tamid - 6214 Pimlico Road

Ohel Moshe - 2808 Smith Ave

Ohel Yakov - 3200 Glen Ave

Ohr Chadash Academy - 7310 Park Heights Avenue

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] - 6813 Park Heights Ave

Ohr Yisroel - 2429 Lightfoot Dr

Pikesville Jewish Congregation - 7644 Carla Rd

Shearith Israel Congregation - 5835 Park Heights Ave

6:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

6:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

7:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

7:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

8:00

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Kol Torah

12:50 PM One South Street, 27th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202

8:30

8:45

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

PM Darchei Tzedek

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina)

Ohr Yisroel

Shomrei Emunah Congregation - 6221 Greenspring Ave

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh - 2821 W Strathmore Ave

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim - 7504 Seven Mile Ln

Talmudical Academy - 4445 Old Court Rd

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel - 5915 Park Heights Ave

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center - 6701 Old Pimlico Rd

Tiferes Yisroel - 6201 Park Heights Ave

Tzeirei Anash - 6706 Cross County Blvd

Wealcatch Insurance

Forgotten Her es Jewish Veterans to be Remembered

By Avi Heiligman

Every year, on November 11, the nation commemorates the service of all U.S. veterans. Parades and ceremonies are held on Veterans Day, including a service at the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery beginning at 11 AM. The number 11 is significant because of Armistice Day, which ended the hostilities of World War I on November 11, 1918, at 11 o’clock in the morning. Armistice Day is now called Veterans Day, and in this article, we’ll look at some Jewish veterans that deserve recognition.

Abe Sherman was known in Baltimore for his famous bookstand that became a source of controversy due to the location. It was located at the base of Baltimore’s Battle Monument for fifty years, but the city wanted to “clean up” the park, so it was moved. A few years later, he opened up a bookstore as he didn’t like the new location. Sherman started his newsstand in 1919 with money from his veteran’s bonus after serving in the army. During World War I, he was sent to France and fought in a few battles including the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

inspired many to join the army, including Sherman who reenlisted at the age of 43. He requested assignment with the historic 175 th Infantry Regiment (Fifth Maryland) and is a Maryland National Guard unit. The regiment traces their roots back to the Revolutionary War, and during World War II, they were attached

garding his own safety and dodging enemy fire, Sherman rallied the men in the area and successfully repelled the attack. He was awarded the Silver Star for this action and later earned the Bronze Star. At his 80th birthday party he was awarded the State of Maryland’s Distinguished Service Cross. Major General William

Disregarding his own safety and dodging enemy fire, Sherman rallied the men in the area and successfully repelled the attack.

to the 29th Infantry Division. The division landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and the 175th, the division’s reserve regiment, came ashore on June 7. The beach was totally secured at that point, but the regiment continued on to their objectives. On July 30, a German attack broke through the regiment’s lines and threatened to surround the 175th headquarters. Disre -

J. Witte said that if he hadn’t rallied the normally non-combatant troops, the headquarters would have been overrun.

Hundreds of thousands of airmen were needed to fly and operate the planes that were coming off the assembly lines in record numbers during World War II. Stanley Edelman was a bombardier in a B-17 Flying Fortress with the 351 st Bomb

Group, 511th Squadron in the 8 th Air Force. The crew was sent to England, and he flew his first mission over Germany in October 1944. At this stage of the war, heavy bombers were escorted on their missions by P-51 Mustang fighters to ward off any Luftwaffe fighters that were still able to fly. Often, these Mustang pilots were the famed Tuskegee Airman flying cover for the four engine bombers. Edelman’s crew managed to complete the requisite 35 combat missions before being sent back to the U.S. He was preparing to fly on a B-29 in the Pacific Theater of Operations when the war ended in August 1945. For his courageousness in the air, Edelman was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters.

On D-Day, June 6, 1994, soldiers invaded Normandy, France, from both the sea and air. Gliders were used by some airborne units to bring in troops and equipment into areas beyond the invasion beaches. Paul Nagelbush from Cleveland was a squad leader for an anti-tank unit with Battery B, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. They landed in France on D-Day minus 6 and

Abe Sherman with his father and two customers at his newsstand

The landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day

continued fighting in France for 32 days. After a rest and refit period in England, Nagelbush and the division flew into Holland as a part of the failed Operation Market Garden. In December, they were sent to Southern France when they were told of the German breakthrough in the Ardennes. The division was sent to Bastogne where they held out against a much larger German formation. At one point, the fog finally lifted and Allied planes were able to drop in much needed supplies. Relief troops broke through the German lines,

and the epic stand at Bastogne was over.

In the freezing weather, Nagelbush’s feet froze, and he was sent to England to recuperate. After that, he was taken off front line duty and sent to pack parachutes for the airborne units. He received the Purple Heart for his wounds during the Battle of the Bulge, and his unit was awarded the Distinguished Unit Badge. The Merchant Marines were civilians that served with the military and were responsible for delivering supplies and personnel by ship. Phillip Strauss was a ma-

rine engineer with the Merchant Marines before joining the navy during World War II. He served on ships that sailed around the world. On one trip to Murmansk, USSR, he was part of a convoy that was attacked and lost two thirds of the Allied ships. After the war, Strauss worked on a ship in a dockyard in Brooklyn that was headed to Eretz Yisrael. He decided to join the new Israeli Navy, and his experience as a chief engineer was put to good use. At Haifa, he planned the logistics for the future of the navy of the Jewish state, and

he was one of their first officers. These are just some of the many Forgotten Heroes, the Jewish War Veterans. It is history that is rarely told as their bravery, dedication and sacrifice was an integral part in the war effort.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

Members of the Merchant Mariners aboard a training shipPhillip Strauss

Torah Thought In The Thicket

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi taught that every day a bas kol, a heavenly voice, emanates from Mount Chorev bemoaning the disgrace of the Torah by those who neglect to uphold its honor.

This ‘voice’ is an echo of the sound of the Shofar that resonated at the giving of the Torah, that the Torah asserts never ceased.

The Holy Baal Shem Tov taught that although it is not audible, its sound waves penetrate deeply into our hearts and is often that which silently prods us to change our ways and repent.

Is it that simple? Can the faint sound of this Shofar possibly manipulate us to choose wisely?

Many of us recite daily the portion of the Akeidah, the record of the remarkable devotion to G-d, where Avraham was ready to slaughter his beloved son Yitzchok, with his full compliance.

This event is an eternal merit for their descendants, and we recall this episode in our prayers on Rosh Hashana.

This very notion is integrated into the mitzvah of blowing the Shofar, by our utilizing a ram’s horn preferably, commemorating the ram that suddenly appeared before Avraham to replace the initial directive to slaughter Yitzchok, offering the ram in his stead.

Pirkei D’Rebbe Eliezer reveals that it was the left horn of this ram that was used to convey the ‘sound of the Shofar’ at Mount Sinai, while its right one was designated to herald in the future the coming of Moshiach.

Certainly the ‘Akeidah’ and its message of total submission of ‘self’ towards the will of G-d, is inspiring. But will that be enough to goad someone entrenched in sin to suddenly change?

What is about the symbolism of the ram that so arouses one to repent? Wouldn’t the ‘knife’ be a greater tool of emphasis to the level of devotion one must rise to?

Rabbi Yehuda Segal Rosner, the Av Beis Din of Szekelyhid makes an interesting observation.

It is intriguing why when discussing the bas kol that goes forth, it refers to the mountain as Chorev rather than Sinai, its more common title. Chorev refers to a dry unfertile and ‘desolate’ region.

In a fascinating parallel, there is a Midrash that describes how when Avraham approaches Mount Moriah, he first asks the ‘young men’ accompanying them what they see. They respond that all they see is a ‘barren’ mountain. When he asks Yitzchok the same question, he describes a beautiful and praiseworthy mount shrouded in a cloud.

The very first lesson as one approaches ‘mountains’ in their path in life, is to develop a healthy perspective. What for one person is a desert is to another an opportunity to ply its value.

A heavenly voice laments over those who refuse to ‘squint’ and see beyond the emptiness the great opportunities that awaits those with a positive outlook. Mount ‘Chorev’ is saddened by people’s misjudgment of its true character.

After the angel instructs Avraham to hold back his hand from slaughtering his son, Avraham observes a ram entangled in the thicket. Without even being directed he assumes this is to be brought in place of his son.

How did he have a right to conclude that? Maybe the Satan was once again attempting to misguide him?

The illustrious rabbinic figure, Rav Meir Shapiro, whose yahrtzeit was last week, when assuming the position as Rabbi of Lublin, was asked if had any detractors. He responded it was precisely because he had that he knew he was destined for that role. When things go easy it is often the machinations of the Satan in disguise.

He brought proof from this very question. Precisely because the ram was ‘stuck’ and he had to struggle to extract it, was clear evidence that the ram was destined for this purpose. If it was provided by the Satan as a lure to bring it instead — it would come easily.

Finally, this unexpected turnaround, replacing Yitzchok with a ram, and having it deemed as if Avraham had sacrificed his son, is one of the most vital notions in avodas Hashem.

Rav Zvi Hirsh Bonhardt, a leading Magid in Poland, the father of the renowned Rebbe, Reb Bunim of Peshichsa, offers a greatly encouraging idea.

We do not commemorate the ‘knife’ Avraham was willing to use — despite the tremendous level of allegiance we can derive from this — but remember this event by the horn of the ram instead, because the Torah wants to convey that G-d does not want to ‘do us in’ but seeks our benefit and desires to keep us alive.

All He wants is our willingness to go the extra mile.

The Sfas Emes quotes his grandfather, the Chidushei HaRim, who explains the verse that tells us that ‘Torah is not in Heaven’ — implying, but if it were, we would build ladders to get there — ‘Rather, the matter is very near to you’, is coming to teach us that what may seem as insurmountable, will eventually be revealed to be much easier than we

thought, and within our reach.

We derive this from the ram. What appeared to be beyond human ability to accomplish — slaughtering one’s own child — when undertaken, actualized in the bringing of the ram in his place.

The Midrash recalls a ‘brilliant’ insight from the ‘children of Jerusalem’ who when asked what route leads to the city, they would respond there are two, ‘a short one which is long’ and ‘a long one which is short’. What is so amazing about this response?

What they were conveying was that in life when one is ready to put oneself to the task in whatever it takes without any shortcuts, will discover it was not really that difficult after all. But when one looks for all the shortcuts, it will inevitably be a much longer route than one ever imagined.

Sound waves are not magic. But the very fabric of who we are and where we descend from, makes us more susceptible to change by pausing occasionally to consider how we indeed can change. If we do, we will hear the call of the shofar!

If we only permit ourselves to realize that challenges are not impossible impasses but pathways to greatness, we can get the courage to change.

If we believe that difficulty is a sign of G-d beckoning us to His embrace, quietly whispering in our ear to ‘jump’ into His arms, we will gain the confidence we need to take the leap.

If we realize that our loving Father in Heaven just wants us to never fear the long route, we will discover the goal is much closer than we ever thought!

You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ ohelmoshebaltimore.com

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PARSHA

OVERVIEW

Avraham invites three guests into his home. Sedom and Amorah are destroyed; Lot and his family (except his wife) are saved. Avimelech captures Sarah and returns her. Yitzchak is born. Hagar and Yishmael are kicked out. Avraham is tested with his final and biggest test: the Akeida.

TSorahparks

Inspiration Everywhere

Pesukim - 147

Words - 2,085 PARSHA STATS

Letters - 7,862

Mitzvos - 0

QUICK VORT

Quotable Quote “ ”

“To build a society of freedom, you have to let go of hate.”

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l

GEMATRIA

The word אריו - and He sawappears twice in the second Passuk of the Parshah.

Together, אריו plus אריו equals 434, which so happens to be the same as תלד , a door.

Can you find a connection with doors and our Parshah?

Rabbi Ori Strum is the author of Ready. Set. Grow. (Mosaica Press).

His shiurim and other Jewish content can be found on Torah Anytime and Meaningful Minute. He also likes your feedback: rabbistrumo@gmail.com

Sometimes the greatest inspiration comes from a seemingly simple Rashi!

In this week’s Parshah, Rashi tells us that Avraham Avinu took 2 ladsYishmael and Eliezer - with him when he brought Yitzchak to the Akeidah. From here we see that an בושח םדא - an important person - is not allowed to travel alone.

If you think about it, the very fact that Avraham Avinu knew to bring two people with him, meant that he k new this Halacha!

But even more, it meant that HE KNEW HE WAS AN בושח םדא , an important person!

On some level, the greatness of Avraham Avinu was that he knew he was so special. He new he was different.

Of course he lived with humility, but humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself as great because Hashem made you great!

Have a holy Shabbos!

Chassidus

The heiliga Sfas Emes says something in Parshas Vayeira that is so important.

Listen to these words:

- Each person must understand and think about the fact that his actions reach and impact generations to come!

Thoughts in Points to

Ponder

When the angels appear to Avraham, the Torah refers to them as םישנא, humans. But, when the angels appear to Lot, the Torah refers to them as םיכאלמ, angels.

Why does the Torah change its description of these angels?

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To Raise a Laugh

You’re Not Invited

So you’re making a simcha. Mazel tov! Have you sent out invitations yet?

That’s what everyone wants to know.

“But I don’t know where I’m making it,” you’re saying.

Too bad. You need to send out invitations.

You figure that the main things you have to do first are find a venue, a caterer, a musician – anyone who, if you call them too late, will tell you that they’re already booked – and that’s it. How long does it take to take care of invitations, right? You can do them the night before!

You can’t. For one thing, you have to send them enough in advance that people can make plans, though not so far in advance that people will put it on their fridge and forget about it. So in other words, you have to know the people you’re inviting (always recommended), and then decide when to send each individual invitation out based on the person. Or you can print double what you need and send out two copies – one 6 months before and one a week before.

Also, it doesn’t take one day to print your invitation, for some reason. When you’re at home and you want to print something, you just hit print, but if you go to an invitation place, it takes two weeks. My guess is that the fancy cards keep getting stuck in the printer.

There are several steps in printing an invitation, and your wife will make you sit there for all of them. For the last bar mitzvah we made, I tried to order the invitations myself. I was on the phone with the invitations place, pricing them out, and I said, “Okay, so let’s order them.” So the woman asked, “Well, do you want them in white, cream, or antique white?” And I said “White. Wait, I should ask my wife.” So my wife arranged an appointment, and we sat in this woman’s house for an hour and my wife narrowed down the choices slowly until she decided on white. This is why men don’t plan bar mitzvahs.

I’m glad I left it up to her, because otherwise I would have picked white without agonizing.

You’re also going to have to decide if you want the invitation to be just a card you can mail or a two-page booklet. You have to know your people: Is anyone going to read two pages of invitation? I personally just read the name and the place and the time. And for some reason, I read the bottom to see if they included grandparents. I don’t know why.

You have to keep going out of your way to stick extra words on the card. You say things like: “

We will be honoured to have the favour of your presence on Thoursday, the twenty-fourth of the mounth of Octobour.”

Because it’s classy not to be able to read the date. Now I have to read the entire invitation every time I want to confirm when it is. “Let’s see… It’s b’shaah shtayim v’shloshim v’chameish… What?” And if it’s a bar mitzvah, you have to write things like “baneinu hayakar.” I wasn’t sure what “yakar” means, so I looked it up, and the definition I got was “expensive.”

I say it should be like an upsherin invitation; no full sentences – just colons and information that we need to know:

WHO: ____________

WHAT: ____________

WHERE: ___________

WHEN: ____________

WHY: _____________

GRANDPARENTS: _________

Then they ask you how many copies you want. And they have rules, like you have to round it up to the nearest hundred. You can’t print 173. I’m like, “I have a printer at home; I know how printers work. I can print 173. Why am I throwing out 27 cards because you don’t want to do math? So now I have to figure out 27 new families I want to invite.

And then you have to design the reply cards. For starters, you want to leave a bank space for

By Mordechai Schmutter

the person’s name, but you also want to put a large M there for them, to start them off. In case they forgot how to write their names. “Mr. and Mrs. X will be coming.” If you’re not on a first name basis, why are they invited? And what if they’re a rabbi? Do they have to write “Maran Hagaon X will be coming”? “Medical Professional X will be coming”? I’m just speculating here. I just fill in “ordechai.”

And then what do you put in for after the name? Well, some people give a checklist to fill out:

- Accepts with pleasure

- Declines with regret

There’s no “accepts with regret” or “declines with pleasure.” They don’t really want to know the circumstances. They’re making a simcha; they don’t have time for your sholom bayis issues.

The other option is to write “will _____ attend,” and the person gets to fill in some adverb, like not or IY”H. What do atheists write? “Will coincidentally attend”?

And even when you’re done picking out invitations and reply cards and envelopes and little maps, you still have to mail them. Even to your next-door neighbor. You can’t just hand deliver them, because that’s not classy. Handing it to them in person is awkward anyway, because they don’t immediately know what it is, so you kind of have to stand there and watch them open it, like it’s a letter from their relative in the 1800s. Or else they look at the closed envelope and ask, “What is this?” and you don’t answer because you’re already halfway down their stairs.

You don’t have time to answer them. You’ll see them at your simcha; they can ask you then. Or they’ll figure it out.

Mordechai Schmutter is a freelance writer and a humor columnist for Hamodia and other magazines. He has also published eight books and does stand-up comedy. You can contact him at MSchmutter@gmail.com.

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Mental Health Corner

Male Communication

The differences between men and women are obviously numerous. Many of them are taken for granted, and many of them are not as well known. The differences between the genders regarding communication contain some elements that are well known and some that are subtler. This

may be frustrating for women who are not accustomed to male communication and then have to live with one as a result of getting married.

Before we delve into this thorny topic, we must state a couple of disclaimers. The first one is that

we will be painting this picture in extremely broad strokes. You might even say that we are perpetuating a stereotype. Many men are wonderful communicators who are very comfortable in their own skin. In spite of this concern, there is still value in describing communication tendencies in men.

Our second disclaimer is that we are not trying to offer any excuses for a man’s difficulties in communication. Just the opposite. The same way this article can help women understand men a little better, it can also serve as a way for men to work on those areas that they are deficient in.

That being said, here are some of the unique characteristics of male communication and the challenges that may result.

Fear of Weakness: Many men want to play the role of “the man” and are therefore subconsciously afraid of appearing weak. Conversations that require emotional vulnerability can therefore be downright terrifying for a man. The reality is that being vulnerable requires much more inner strength and courage than shutting down. Nevertheless, a man’s knee-jerk reaction might be to show strength. Rather than expressing their feelings and emotions, they might just avoid the conversation entirely.

Problem Solving: Men love to be the problem solver. In marriage, the goal is not always to solve the problems, but to communicate with each other in a way that shows that there is mutual understanding and respect. A man might view this kind of conversation as pointless and act disengaged and indifferent.

Non-Verbal Communication: Men often stick to the verbal part of communication. Women are much more expressive and enrich their conversations with a wide range of non-verbal cues. Men who are accustomed to their masculine style of communication, might come across as being distant and detached.

Compliments: Men do not compliment as much as women. This is partially because they are not as expressive, but also because the competitive nature of men can make it difficult for them to acknowledge someone else’s accomplishments.

Expressing Feelings Elsewhere: This one really confuses women. Many men seem emotionally indifferent, but when it comes to matters that do not matter at all, they suddenly become super-expressive and emotional. Just watch an otherwise not-so-expressive man talk about politics! This is a “safe zone” for men, so they feel free to be expressive.

Marriage is challenging, and a proper relationship can only be cultivated if each member of the marriage tries to connect to the other one. This requires both understanding your spouse’s style of communication, and also working on oneself to become a better communicator. Basically, speak in such a way that your spouse wants to listen to you, and listen in such a way that your spouse wants to talk to you. The rest is all commentary!

This is a service of Relief Resources. Relief is an organization that provides mental health referrals, education, and support to the frum community. Rabbi Yisrael Slansky is director of the Baltimore branch of Relief. He can be contacted at 410-4488356 or at yslansky@reliefhelp.org

Communication as The Goal: In marriage, the goal of communication is not only to convey information, but it is important for its own value. Couples need to spend time together schmoozing for no specific reason other than that they are married. Men might not understand the value in this kind of conversation and zone out.

Acollective sigh of relief was heard across Israel as the results of the U.S. presidential election were declared. But we cannot rest on our laurels. At this critical juncture, Israel must carefully assess the challenges it faces in the immediate term, as the lame-duck Biden administration completes its term. And it must set goals for the next four years to ensure that the opportunity Donald Trump’s return to the White House affords us is not squandered.

To understand the immediate requirements, we need to remember what happened during Barack Obama’s final months in office.

No longer concerned about winning an election, in December 2016, the Obama administration decided the time had come to punish Israel for opposing its nuclear appeasement of Iran and for rejecting its efforts to establish a Palestinian terror state. That month, America’s U.N. ambassador Samantha Power drafted an anti-Israel resolution that declared all Israeli presence beyond the 1949 armistice lines—including the Western Wall in Jerusalem—illegal. Power then pawned it off

Israel Today The Opportunity of Trump’s Victory

By Caroline B. Glick

on other Security Council member states to sponsor and abstained from the vote, ensuring the passage of what became U.N. Security Council Resolution 2234.

Resolution 2234 was the most anti-Israel resolution ever passed in the Security Council. It effectively called for an international boycott of all Israeli activities beyond the 1949 armistice lines. But 2234 wasn’t meant to be a standalone event.

The Obama team planned to pass an additional resolution that would set out a timetable for Israel to agree to a Palestinian state in Hamas-controlled Gaza, all of Judea and Samaria and eastern, southern and northern Jerusalem. The resolution was supposed to include sanctions on Israel if it failed to capitulate within the set time schedule.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worked with Trump’s transition team to scuttle it. Netanyahu and Trump’s advisers appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who signaled that Russia would veto the resolution. Stunned, the Obama team angrily shuffled away.

There is good reason to assume that in the two and a half months before

Trump returns to office, the outgoing Biden team intends to get that longshelved resolution passed.

The Biden team may also initiate a resolution requiring Israel—on pain of Security Council sanctions—to accept a ceasefire in Gaza that will leave Hamas in power, a ceasefire in Lebanon that will leave Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border and in charge of Lebanon, or both.

Now as then, Netanyahu must work with Trump’s team and Israel’s many allies in the Senate and House of Representatives to block these anticipated moves.

Beyond punishing Israel for not bowing to the administration’s yearlong demand for capitulation, the purpose of the Biden administration’s anticipated U.N. ceasefire resolution is to prevent Israel from winning the war and to block the Trump administration from supporting an Israeli victory. The Biden team is expected to reinstate Obama’s effort to pass the Palestinian statehood resolution in order to prevent both Israel and the incoming Trump team from abandoning the failed and destabilizing “two-state” chimera.

In other words, the purpose of the U.N. operation is to prevent Trump from adopting his own policies and prevent Israel from securing itself.

Blocking the Biden administration’s anticipated moves is Israel’s most pressing diplomatic challenge. But obviously, they are also a means to enable Israel to win the war it is currently fighting. As to the war, Israel must move deliberately to achieve its strategic goals on all fronts—and particularly in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

It is to this end that Netanyahu fired Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday.

The Biden administration began micromanaging every aspect of Israel’s war effort immediately after Oct. 7, 2023. It sent American generals to Israel Defense Forces headquarters, where they made “suggestions” that made no sense but to which Israel had to listen—if it knew what was good for it.

The administration began slow-walking critical military supplies to Israel last December, forcing IDF officers to justify nearly every bullet and tank round ex-

pended. It threatened sanctions to block Israel from taking any action that would fundamentally shift the strategic balance in Gaza, and throughout the region, in its favor. It blocked a congressional effort to pass a law sanctioning International Criminal Court officials for waging lawfare against Israel, and so effectively greenlighted ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s bid to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

The Biden team delayed Israel’s action in Rafah for months by threatening an arms embargo and by forcing Israel to maintain futile hostage talks with Hamas’s state sponsors Qatar and Egypt until they reached their inevitable, failed conclusion.

The administration spent a year pressuring Israel to agree to surrender sovereign territory to Hezbollah in exchange for a respite from the Iranian proxy’s missile war. The U.S. offer, if accepted, would be a strategic catastrophe for Israel, keeping Hezbollah’s forces intact, fully armed and poised along Israel’s border just steps away from communities they were trained to overrun and massacre.

The administration continues to pressure Israel to leave Iran’s regime, nuclear installations and oil platforms intact.

The Biden team’s success to date in preventing Israel from defeating its foes owes in large part to its exploitation of the Israeli security brass’s institutional and ideological opposition to Netanyahu, his coalition partners and voters. Gallant was the central figure in the administration’s divide and conquer effort to block Israel from taking action that would change the strategic balance of power in the region.

During the eight months that Gallant’s fellow retired generals Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot served with him in Netanyahu’s War Cabinet, Gallant colluded with them and the administration to block government plans to order operations like the seizure of Rafah—that would pave the way to the dismantlement of Hamas’s military forces and ending its political and economic grip on power.

It was only with the resignations of Gantz and Eisenkot in June that Netanyahu was able to overrule Gallant and order the invasion of Rafah, cutting Hamas off from the rest of its state sponsors. Since then, working with the IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Gallant opposed, slowed and watered down—but was unable to block—Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon.

Gallant and Halevi blocked the government’s plan to task the IDF with dis-

tributing food, medicine and water to Gazans even though it is the only way to dismantle Hamas’s continued political and economic control over the area.

Gallant and Halevi opposed the operation to blow up the beepers of Hezbollah operatives, which neutralized Hezbollah’s senior and mid-level command structure.

Gallant tried to block Israel’s move to eliminate Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah by insisting that Israel provide advance notification to the administration, knowing full well that the Biden team would try to block the operation.

dan River. The second is the U.N. system. The final vulnerability is Israel’s strategic dependence on U.S. munitions.

Since Oct. 7, any residual public support for the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River has disappeared (outside the fever swamps of the radical left). The onslaught from Gaza, which has been an independent Palestinian state since 2005, and the near-unanimous support the atrocities enjoyed among Palestinians in Judea and Samaria made clear that a Palestinian state is not a solution to anything. Rather, it is an exis-

In other words, the purpose of the

U.N. operation is to prevent Trump from adopting his own policies and prevent Israel from securing itself.

Gallant openly and repeatedly called for Israel to end its war effort in Gaza in the interest of freeing the hostages, even though there is no actual deal on the table to release them.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Gallant had refused to remove Halevi or any of the other senior IDF commanders responsible for the Oct. 7 fiasco from their positions. Instead, he rubber-stamped every action Halevi advocated, including firing more aggressive generals from the IDF and promoting to senior positions incompetent, dovish generals who had failed to warn of or prepare for Oct. 7.

Finally, Gallant reportedly opposes taking any independent Israeli strategic action against Iran.

By removing Gallant from office, Netanyahu removed the major political obstacle to pursuing victory on all fronts. This is imperative as Israel moves from managing the war under the Biden administration to winning the war in anticipation of Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Looking towards the four years ahead, Israel must determine its strategic goals not only for winning the war, but for securing its borders and its position in the region, and safeguarding its alliance with the United States for years to come.

Oct. 7 and the war that followed exposed three strategic vulnerabilities that Israel can work with the Trump administration to overcome. The first is the specter of a Palestinian state west of the Jor-

ist, post-national left, China and Islamic terrorist groups. Israel obviously cannot contend with this behemoth on its own. Working with the Trump administration and other nation states that are similarly— if less existentially—harmed by the U.N. system, Israel must spearhead an effort to dismantle, divide and permanently weaken the U.N. system and restore the power of nation states to work separately and in alliance with others to secure international peace and prosperity.

Finally, in light of Israel’s experience with the Biden administration’s exploitation of Israel’s strategic dependence on the United States for munitions as a means to undermine Israel’s war effort, Jerusalem needs to end its client-state relationship with Washington. Israel and the United States must cooperate in transforming the U.S.-Israel bond into a true alliance between a global superpower and a regional power.

tential threat to Israel no less severe than Iran’s nuclear weapons project.

To contend with the Palestinian threat, Israel needs to extricate itself completely from the strategic deathtrap of the socalled “two-state solution.” David Friedman, Trump’s first-term ambassador to Israel, recently published “One Jewish State.” Friedman’s book sets out the case for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. In it, Friedman urges Israel to determine its goal for securing its national rights and security needs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

Israel should immediately take Friedman’s advice. Netanyahu, his ministers and advisers must determine a clear strategy for extending Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria and taking permanent military control of Gaza. They must then work with the Trump administration to secure U.S. support for those plans in the framework of a regional peace.

The moral corruption of the U.N. system is nothing new. But since Oct. 7, Israel has recognized that this system, replete with its in-house terror group the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), terror auxiliary force the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and international courts trying Israel for genocide and treating Israel’s leaders and soldiers as war criminals, is itself a mortal threat to the Jewish state.

Broadly speaking, the U.N. system today is a full-blown alliance of the Marx-

Trump’s determination to decrease America’s foreign aid budgets, and his doctrine of supporting allies to enable them to defend themselves as the surest way to decrease America’s need to fight wars, fully aligns his position with Israel’s strategic requirements. Israel should move quickly to forge a new defense relationship with America that would end U.S. military assistance over a 10-year period. During that period, the relationship would shift from supplier-client to a strategic partnership geared toward weapons systems development. To end its vulnerability, Israel should maintain and expand its efforts to rebuild its domestic arms industries with the goal of being fully capable of producing all the munitions it requires to win its wars and preserve post-war peace by the end of Trump’s term. This transformation of U.S.-Israel ties will enable the alliance to survive and thrive over time, to the great benefit of both countries.

In his congratulatory message to Trump on Wednesday morning, Netanyahu wrote, “Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”

This is absolutely true. And by firing Gallant, Netanyahu has facilitated the rebuilding of Israel’s alliance with America on firmer footing than ever before. By working together to achieve common goals, Israel and the United States, under Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump, can secure the peace of the Middle East and their nations’ separate and common interests in the international arena, to the benefit of the world as a whole. (JNS)

TJH Centerfold

That’s a Federal Regulation?

Federal agencies pass all sorts of regulations (thousands of them!). These are some of the regulations that are still on the books (HELLLLOOOOO Trump Administration!).

D Airline crew members are technically prohibited from blowing their noses on duty if it distracts them from their job. (Well, that makes perfect sense: “The plane went down because the pilot blew his nose” is a terrible look.)

D According to the FDA, it’s illegal to ship Limburger cheese by mail without special permits. The government may not want to stop you from enjoying stinky cheese, but it does want to stop it from stinking up the mail trucks. (Can they add stinky political postcards to that list?)

D Under an agricultural regulation, it’s technically illegal to pay for pigs with cash in the U.S. You need to use checks or other payment methods. (Why is it the government’s chaziresher business how I pay for my pet pig?)

D Under federal regulation, possessing or selling feathers from migratory birds, like eagles or owls, is prohibited unless you have special permission. (All you guys with the fancy feathers in your hats, I hope the FBI doesn’t knock on your door on Shabbos morning. Now that they lost their number one target, they have lots of free time on their hands.)

D The USDA prohibits live poultry from being transported on airplanes “for the purpose of enjoyment or amusement.” (So the next time you go to Israel for Sukkos, you will have to leave your pet chicken at home… or, better, make some chicken soup the Shabbos before you leave.)

D According to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, any inflatable raft aboard a vessel must be labeled as “not intended for regular transportation.” (…Because otherwise you may decide to navigate the high seas on your flotation device.)

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

D It’s illegal to tie a goat to any federal building or property. (So all you guys who plan on working for the federal government, you are going to have to figure out what to do with your goat on erev Pesach when you run into your office to get rid of the Stella Dora cookies from your desk before yom tov.)

A contractor wanted to give a federal regulator a sports car. The federal regulator objected by saying, “My basic sense of ethics would never permit me to accept a gift like that.”

The contractor said, “I quite understand. Suppose we do this: I’ll sell you the car for ten dollars.”

The federal regulator thought for a minute and said, “In that case, I’ll take two.”

Know Your “Three Letter Agencies”

Everyone is trying to get a job now in the incoming Trump Administration. Washington is filled with federal agencies. (They have everything but the ABC agency.) Before you get a job though, let’s see if you know which federal agency is in charge of what. Match the agency with the issue that it is supposed to handle.

1. You are sitting on a plane between a guy chewing gum really loudly and another guy snoring like he hasn’t slept in three days. To add insult to injury, they don’t abide by the rule that the person in the middle is supposed to get the arm rests. You want that rule codified (passed into law).

2. You buy stock in a company that only sells left-handed spatulas. This company should have never been able to sell stock. Who do you complain to?

3. After a hurricane, who is supposed to be there to help?

4. You invent a revolutionary device –a coffee cup that never spills. Who do you call to make it officially yours?

5. You found out your “vegan” hot dog is 80% mystery meat. Who’s inspecting this stuff?

6. Your neighbor claims they’re building a “backyard rocket” to reach Mars. Who

Answers:

1-G (Federal Aviation Administration)

2-D (Securities and Exchange Commission)

3-H (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

4-I (United States Patent and Trademark Office)

5-B (United States Department of Agriculture)

handles the real space missions around here?

7. Someone asks you to take a small package back to the U.S from Mexico. The package consists of 3 pounds of white powder. Who do you call immediately? (Make sure not to touch the package!)

8. Your cousin’s cat has more Instagram followers than you and you think that someone is not playing by the federal rules. Who do you contact?

9. You are trying to figure out why it rains every time that you go on vacation. Which federal agency may have information about weather patterns like that?

10. Your family drives crosscountry to spend July in Yosemite Park. When you get there, you are notified that the park is closed for July. (Yes, that is so classic your family.) Who is in charge of national parks anyway?

6- F (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

7-A (Drug Enforcement Administration)

8-E (Federal Trade Commission)

9-J (National Weather Service)

10- K (National Park Service)

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

And we know that today, a week after the election, President Biden and Vice President Harris had a private lunch. How awkward was that?

- Fox’s Peter Doocy questioning White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre

I don’t even understand. Why would — why would it be awkward? Why would it be awkward?

- Jean-Pierre, in response

Because the President got squeezed out for her and then she kept him at arm’s length and then she lost.

- Doocy, in response

Anyone who was screaming Hitler all year but is NOT fleeing on a makeshift raft right now didn’t mean any of it and can therefore be safely dismissed forever.

- Tweet that was retweeted by Trump advisor Stephen Miller

Puerto Rico just elected a Republican governor. Everyone who told you a comedian’s joke was going to tip the presidential election is a liar who thinks you’re stupid. Bookmark every person who hyperventilated about that, and vow to ignore them forever.

- Tweet by Sean Davis

Well worth it.

- San Francisco 49ers star defensive end Nick Bosa responding to the $11,255 fine levied on him by the NFL for wearing a MAGA cap and crashing a live interview after his team’s win against the Dallas Cowboys late last month

Nancy Pelosi was so enraged by Trump’s victory, her eyebrows moved to Canada.

— Greg Gutfeld

Stephen, have you tried maybe just getting over yourself? You’ve been bashing Trump for eight years and all you’ve done is put him back in power…. You might want to try something new like…comedy!

- Ibid.

While walking on the beach on Sunday, President Biden stumbled multiple times. I guess that’s what happens when you try to scatter YOUR OWN remains.

– Ibid.

It is not just misogyny from white men, it’s misogyny from black men, things we have all been talking about, who do not want a woman leading them. It might be race issues with Hispanics, they don’t want a black woman as President of the United States.

- Joe Scarborough, MSNBC, the morning after the election during a conversation with Al Sharpton

Right and with other Hispanics. You’ve got some that don’t like each other.

- Sharpton, in response

Sharpton complaining about racial bias is like the Menendez brothers complaining about being orphans.

– Greg Gutfeld, Fox

Democrats Call For Abolishing Popular Vote - Babylon Bee headline

Flash Flood Warnings Issued As Liberal Tears Continue To Soak Nation. – ibid.

Newsome Assures Californians They Will Be Safe From All the Trump Administration’s Prosperity, Safety, Lower Prices - ibid.

Insult To Injury: African Kids Receive Overstock Harris-Walz Hats To Wear With Their Yankees World Championship Shirts - ibid.

Democrats Vow To Improve Their Outreach to Bigoted Misogynists - ibid.

Sad: Candidate Who Bankrupted Campaign Will Never Have Opportunity to Fix Nation’s Economy - ibid.

BREAKING: Arizona Announces They Have Counted Another Ballot - Ibid.

Jimmy Kimmel Ratings Soar After Debuting New Segment Where He Stands There All Sad and Cries Like a Wuss - ibid.

“Don’t Despair,” Kamala Tells Celebrating Nation. -ibid.

Don’t y’all find it strange that now that he’s won, they’re not calling him a threat to democracy? They’re not calling him a fascist ... I would think that, if you really believe that, then somebody’s speech would be about how America [messed] up and how things are about to be really bad. It just makes you wonder how much of it did they really believe or how much of it was just politics.

– Podcaster Charlamagne of The Breakfast Club, who was a Harris supporter

I mean, this really was a historic flawlessly run campaign. Queen Latifah never endorses anyone. She came out and endorsed her. She had every prominent celebrity voice. She had the Taylor Swift – the Swifties, she had the B-hive. You could not have run a better campaign in that short period of time.

– MSNBC’s Joy Reid moments after Kamala Harris lost in a landslide

I’m a man of peace now! Please stop with all the negative comments!

- Tweet by John Hinckley Jr., who became world-famous for shooting and wounding then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981, presumably responding to comments asking him to take out President-elect Trump

Frankly I don’t care what people think about me, especially on the left.

- Former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan who was appointed to be President-elect Donald Trump’s “Border Czar,” on Fox News, responding to criticism from the left

If we can’t get assistance from New York City, we may have to double the number of agents we send to New York City because we’re going to do the job with you or without you.

- ibid., responding to Mayor Adams declaring that he will still welcome illegal immigrants

Health & F tness ADHD: An Integrative Approach

By Rivka Kramer, PMHNP-BC

David is an energetic 8-year-old who seems to be in constant motion. From the moment he wakes up, he’s on the go – playing with his toys, running around the house, and talking nonstop. His parents, though deeply supportive and loving, often find themselves overwhelmed. It’s not that David doesn’t want to succeed; it’s that focusing on any one thing for long is a monumental challenge. He forgets his school supplies, leaves homework incomplete, and struggles to stay seated at the dinner table.

At school, David’s teachers share the same frustrations. They’ve tried giving him extra time, offering rewards for tasks, but it doesn’t seem to help. David is distracted, impulsive, and restless, which only seems to escalate as the day goes on. As his behavior begins to impact his social relationships, David’s parents are starting to feel like they’re running out of options.

For many children like David, ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is more than just a diagnosis – it’s a daily struggle that affects every aspect of their lives. But what if there was a way to address ADHD beyond simply medicating the symptoms? What if there was a more personalized, comprehensive

approach that blended medication with lifestyle changes, mindfulness practices, nutrition, and behavioral strategies? This is where integrative psychiatry can make a difference.

What is Integrative Psychiatry?

Integrative psychiatry represents a paradigm shift in how we understand and treat mental health conditions. It combines conventional psychiatric care, such as medication and therapy, with complementary treatments like nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and lifestyle changes. Rather than focusing solely on symptom management, integrative psychiatry seeks to address the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. It emphasizes long-term solutions that foster overall well-being, aiming not just to manage ADHD but to help individuals thrive.

Understanding ADHD: The Brain’s Wiring Problem

To help David, we need to understand ADHD and how it affects the brain. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs the brain’s executive functions, including attention, impulse control, organization, and planning. These

functions are primarily managed by the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s “CEO.” In ADHD, the connections in this part of the brain aren’t functioning optimally, and the chemical signals necessary for proper functioning are insufficient.

The two key neurotransmitters involved in ADHD are dopamine and norepinephrine. Dopamine is vital for motivation, reward, and focus, while norepinephrine plays a key role in attention and alertness. In ADHD, the brain doesn’t receive enough of these chemicals, which can make it difficult to stay focused, regulate emotions, and manage behavior.

Taking a Holistic Approach to ADHD

Managing ADHD is more than just addressing the symptoms with medication. A holistic, integrative approach that includes nutritional psychiatry, exercise, mindfulness, and behavioral strategies can make a significant impact. Let’s explore how these elements work together to help children like Jake.

1. Nutritional Psychiatry: Fueling the Brain for Success

In my practice, when someone first comes to me with a diagnosis of ADHD, I

guide them in understanding the concept of nutritional psychiatry. The brain needs the right nutrients to function properly, especially when managing ADHD. Nutritional psychiatry focuses on providing the brain with essential vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that are crucial for the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.

Some key nutrients that support brain function include:

Omega-3 fatty acids: These essential fats are found in fatty fish like salmon and sardines, and plant-based sources like flaxseeds and chia seeds. Omega-3s are crucial for brain cell communication and have anti-inflammatory properties that help the brain function at its best.

Vitamin D: This vitamin is essential for dopamine regulation, mood stabilization, and cognitive function. While sunlight is the primary source, foods like fatty fish, eggs, and fortified dairy products can help maintain healthy vitamin D levels.

B vitamins: These vitamins help synthesize neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine. They’re found in foods like leafy greens, eggs, and fish.

Zinc: Studies show that children with ADHD often have low levels of zinc,

which can exacerbate symptoms. Zinc is found in foods like pumpkin seeds, turkey, and legumes.

Unfortunately, many modern food sources have been depleted of their nutritional value due to industrial farming practices. This is why proper nutrition, along with dietary supplements where needed, plays a vital role in managing ADHD.

2. Exercise and Physical Activity: Moving the Brain Toward Success

I often share with my clients that physical activity is not just beneficial but essential for managing ADHD. While it may seem counterintuitive to encourage a child, like David, to burn off even more energy, physical activity has profound effects on brain function. Regular exercise has been shown to improve executive functions such as planning, decision-making, and impulse control, areas that children with ADHD often struggle with.

Physical activity can also improve cognitive flexibility, working memory, and sleep quality – all of which are typically impaired in ADHD. Exercise, whether it’s running, swimming, or even yoga, helps regulate mood and enhances focus, making it easier for children like David to stay on task and remain calm.

3. Mindfulness and Meditation: Training the Brain to Focus

Mindfulness involves staying present in the moment, a technique that can greatly benefit children with ADHD. Practices like mindfulness meditation can help increase attentional control by training the brain to resist distractions. For David, mindfulness might look like practicing focused breathing or eating a meal with his nondominant hand- activities that require more deliberate engagement and can increase focus.

Mindfulness also helps with impulsivity, a central feature of ADHD. Children with ADHD often act before thinking, making spontaneous decisions without considering the consequences. Mindfulness helps create space between stimulus and response, offering the opportunity for more thoughtful, intentional actions. By cultivating awareness of their thoughts and feelings, children with ADHD can learn to pause and make better decisions.

4. Skills-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Building Practical Skills

Traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps individuals address negative thinking patterns, but skills-based CBT focuses on teaching practical skills that improve day-to-day functioning. For

children like David, this might involve time management, organization, impulse control, and emotional regulation.

One key strategy in skills-based CBT is setting achievable, step-by-step goals.

making it easier for children with ADHD to focus and regulate their emotions.

For David, the support and love of his family, teachers, and friends can be transformative. Love acts as a natural

ADHD is often seen as something to be “fixed” or “managed,” but what if we reframed it as a superpower?

For example, David could have a goal of finishing his homework within a specific time frame, and a reward system could help reinforce this behavior. Immediate, real-time rewards tend to be much more effective than long-term rewards, as children with ADHD often struggle with delayed gratification.

A Personalized Approach to Medication

When it comes to managing ADHD with medication, the right treatment isn’t always clear-cut. For some children like David, finding the medication that works best can feel like trial and error. This is where GeneSight testing can be incredi bly beneficial. GeneSight is a pharmaco genetic test that analyzes how an individ ual’s genes might influence their response to certain medications, including those used to treat ADHD.

By identifying genetic variations that affect the way medications are processed in the body, GeneSight testing helps tai lor treatment plans to each individual. This approach reduces the trial-and-er ror process, enabling clinicians to choose medications that are more likely to work and are less likely to cause side effects. For children with ADHD, this can mean faster symptom relief and a more effective medication regimen that’s customized to their genetic makeup.

For David, a GeneSight test could re veal which ADHD medications are most likely to help him without unwanted side effects, ensuring that his treatment plan is both effective and personalized.

The Power of Love and Connection

At the heart of ADHD treatment is a powerful, often overlooked factor: love. Research has shown that positive rela tionships and supportive environments can boost dopamine levels naturally,

dopamine booster, enhancing motivation, focus, and emotional balance. A loving, supportive environment can act as “medicine” for the brain, helping Jake feel more centered and grounded throughout his day.

ADHD as a Superpower ADHD is often seen as something to be “fixed” or “managed,” but what if we reframed it as a superpower? Many individuals with ADHD are exceptionally creative, driven, and capable of thinking outside the box. With the right support,

through medication, nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and skills-based CBT, individuals with ADHD can unlock their full potential.

In David’s case, an integrative approach that blends medication, lifestyle changes, and behavioral strategies can provide him with the tools he needs to thrive. By adopting a personalized treatment plan, including the use of GeneSight testing to optimize medication choices, we can help children like David not only manage their symptoms but harness their unique strengths.

The goal is simple: to help individuals with ADHD, whether children or adults, find balance, success, and joy in their lives. Integrative psychiatry provides the tools for this, offering a holistic, personalized approach that truly addresses the root causes of ADHD while nurturing the whole person.

Rivka Kramer is a Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has an Integrative psychiatric private practice based in Cedarhurst, NY. She serves as a member of the board of JANPPA, the Jewish American Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric Association. She can be reached at 516-945-9443.

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I love your column and read it with interest every week. I’ve been thinking of asking this for a while. I really appreciate every single voice within your columnists, who give a lot of insight.

I’ve decided it’s the right time to send in this question.

I am a 34-year-old woman, I go to the gym every day and I’m an attorney in a top firm. I have dated nearly every possible prospect in NYC, as most guys I’ve either heard of or already dated. When I travel to new cities, I get plenty of suggestions. The guys I really like tend to give me a total of three dates before ending it due to “personality.” Most guys I don’t like at all.

My closest married friend sat me down recently and confided that she believes the reason I don’t get much of a chance with the guys I actually like (the type who are manly, professional, and successful) is because I intimidate them. She thinks if I were more vulnerable, feminine, low key, calm, and sweet I’d come across as more appealing. She claims my energy level is not “feminine” to match these guys’ masculinity.

I’m not sure what I can do about this, but I know that I am who I am and I won’t change just for a man.

I’ve heard this over the years, but this is the first time a close friend has brought it to my attention so I’m actually taking it somewhat seriously. If I stay the way I am, do I really have no hope of matching with the type of man I want?

Thank you.

-Rebecca*

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

The Panel

Dear Readers,

We want to offer YOU an opportunity to be part of the discussion! Please email us at MichelleMondShadchan@gmail.com, subject line “reader’s response,” if you would like to participate in the new “A Reader’s Response” columnist spot. We will send you a question and publish your answer in an upcoming Navidaters edition. Looking forward!

Michelle, the “Shadchan”

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Rebecca, stay the way you are but let more of it show. In other words, let both your strengths and vulnerabilities show.

This takes some skill, and many successful women have it. Demonstrate that you are a woman of strength, as well as a strong woman. You have inner sensitivities and vulnerabilities that are relatable, even if you are an accomplished woman in a high-powered, competitive profession. If you need help opening up that part of yourself on dates, discuss and practice this skill with someone you trust or hire.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Dear Rebecca,

I can stand on a soapbox and hold up signs that preach “You Go Girl.” I can hold a megaphone and chant cliches such as “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter.” If I do these things, you might feel validated and understood. However, for the sake of this column, our huge readership, and your future success, I will do no such thing. I must be honest.

There is a concept that all people, male and female, exude either a masculine or feminine energy. In some cases, women can exude a masculine energy,

and men can exude a feminine energy. The most natural relationships progress emotionally when a masculine energy and feminine energy are together. A feminine energy is vulnerable, sweet, beautiful, nurturing; a powerful force most commonly intertwined with feelings of close connection. Feminine energy produces a subconscious vibe of sensitivity, empathy, and receptivity while at the same time honoring and respecting the strength, responsibility, courage, and wisdom which comes with the masculine.

The men you are looking for who have that strong masculine energy initially are excited to go on dates with you. On the surface, they hear everything appealing to them: a beautiful, smart, intelligent woman who has climbed the corporate ladder. However, the dates themselves prove to lead to failure time and time again. Why is that? You physically cannot put two of the same side of a magnet together and expect them to stick. These two will repel each other as it is extremely unnatural and feels wrong. The same goes with the energy you are exuding on dates towards these men. I am sure they are very impressed with you, but they will not want to marry you. They might see you as a potential friend or colleague but not as wife and mother potential.

You must do some serious work on honing in on your feminine energy in order to facilitate the changes you wish to see. I truly believe if you work on this particular output, it will shatter the wall that goes up during your dates, you will connect to the guys you are dating more easily, and they will want to continue with you as well.

Do the work, and keep us posted with good news to come!

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

My first reaction to your letter was that it might be a good idea to get a professional makeover. A new hairstyle, wardrobe, and makeup might do wonders for making you appear much more feminine. But I realize that this is kind of superficial.

The difficulty, of course, is that people can change how they look, but can they actually change their personality? Even more importantly, SHOULD a person attempt to actually change her personality?

So, I did some research, and came across a book, The Surrendered Wife, by Laura Doyle. The underlying principle of the book is that in order to have successful marriages: “The control women wield at work and with children must be left at

Don’t lose yourself while looking for someone else.

the front door of any marriage.”

To be clear, this certainly does not mean that women should change who they really are. It simply advises that, when it comes to marriage, they should work on how they interact with men. For example, the author suggests: “Give up unnecessary control and responsibility.”

“Resist the temptation to criticize, belittle, or dismiss their husbands.”

This does not mean acting like a phony. If you think about it, as a successful lawyer, you surely interact in a different

Neuro Clics helps people struggling with the following symptoms:

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way with different partners in your firm, and you interact differently when dealing with clients who have different personalities and uniquely different needs.

The idea is not to change who you are, but to adopt a softer, nurturing style of communicating and interacting with potential life partners.

Reader’s Response

Sarah Lavane, author of “Unmatched” www.unmatchedstory.com

Hi Rebecca,

Over the years, I’ve gotten way more advice than dates – often conflicting advice. “Dress up nice. Dress casu-

al. Lie about your age. Don’t lie about your age. Don’t worry, it will happen at the right time. If you sit back and relax, nothing will happen. Put your best face forward. Be yourself” and on and on. I’m sure you’ve had the same. Very often, advice may be conflicting or useless or just a way to make a friend who’s anxious for you feel as though she’s doing something useful. Having said that, if several people have mentioned the same problem, perhaps you can find a kernel of truth in it.

What are they really trying to tell you when they say you’re not low key, calm or sweet enough? Friends may want to help you but not hurt you. Is it just a nicer way of saying something else? Perhaps there is an aspect of you they do see that they think men would be turned off by? There

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Dear Rebecca,

Thank you for reading our column and for writing! I really appreciate your readership and am so glad you decided to write.

Your question is a good one. And I believe it will be met with mixed views and reviews. On the one hand, we know that we are supposed to be ourselves. I view this as an absolute truth. On the other hand, we also know that most masculine types of guys (and I know, I know, it’s 2024 and I truly don’t want to offend anyone with this term, but for lack of a better one and being that I’m an ‘80s baby, I’m hoping the readership will appreciate the use of the word for context) do appreciate what we can call... hmmmm ... typical femi-

nine traits This is what I’d call a truth, or pretty close to a truth, with exceptions to the rule.

There is an episode of an old show whose name I will not reveal in the paper because this is a kosher family paper that touches upon this very idea. One of the main characters is a high powered female attorney who says she has no luck with dating. She believes that men are turned off by her position. And so, she pretends to be a very typically feminine flight attendant and changes her mannerisms and intonations and guess what? She gets a guy. But they don’t last very long because she isn’t being herself and she’s

are plenty of women who are smart, tough and independent but are great listeners, fun to talk to, and love to laugh. There are other women who are smart, tough and independent who are always right about everything, argumentative and just can’t listen to what others are saying. I’ve made many mistakes over the years; the main thing is to be more self-aware and try to learn from them.

Lastly, people aren’t perfect. Married people and matchmakers aren’t perfect either. They’ve made mistakes, too. It’s called being human. So if you look inward and discover you have made mistakes, don’t beat yourself up. But perhaps you may have not made any mistakes at all. Sometimes, it’s just not the right person or the right time yet. Finding a match is as difficult as the Splitting of the Yam Suf. Sometimes, there is no reason, and people search for one in desperation but Hashem is

running things, not us.

living an outright lie.

As I see things, you have two options. Continue doing things as you’ve always done, or take a chance and change things up on your next date. Accessing one’s more feminine qualities does not necessarily mean you are giving up on yourself or not being true to yourself. Typically, feminine energy is about “receiving” and “nurturing” and driven by the need for security, and male energy is about providing, protecting and is driven by being appreciated.

I believe that there is a way to be yourself and think about and process if what you are saying on your dates is allowing that masculine energy you are seeking to shine through.

In my personal experience, especially in today’s world, there are many masculine men who find powerful women incredibly attractive and alluring and feminine. I would encourage you to see a dating coach or a

I’d say all my attempts to be someone I’m not haven’t worked. Ultimately, don’t lose yourself while looking for someone else. Every pot has its cover. Perhaps you don’t necessarily have to change who you are but with a bit of introspection you can become a better version of you.

therapist to truly explore what may be going on here. Do you insist on paying when a man takes out his credit card or show any negative emotion if a man opens the door for you? I’m asking because I don’t know what is going on on these dates, and I encourage you to really think about this and go speak with someone professionally to get a better sense of what may be going on. If we want a masculine man, there has to be a way to allow the masculine to come forward. And the same is true for men who are seeking a more feminine type of woman. You need to be real with yourself and ask, “What might I be doing that may be intimidating to men?” I don’t think it’s the career itself.

Are you able to have fun on your dates? To let your hair down, so to speak? To enjoy the moment? Are you able to be vulnerable appropriately?

Wishing you all the best, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice. They might see you as a potential friend or colleague but not as wife and mother potential.

Political Crossfire

The Right Way for Trump to Play Peacemaker

PBy David Ignatius

resident-elect Donald Trump is right about one thing: There are too many wars happening around the world, and there’s a need for strong and creative diplomacy to settle them.

Trump’s impending presidency carries serious perils for America and the world. But this is, as he said during his campaign, a world that’s much too dangerous. So it’s worthwhile now, as the transition to a new administration begins, to study what he has said about settling conflicts and to think about how his policies might be implemented without damaging the United States or it allies.

Let’s replay the tape: Trump expressed concern repeatedly throughout the campaign that “the whole world is blowing up,” as he put it during a September rally in Flint, Michigan. For all his bluster, Trump presented himself as the antiwar candidate who would work with his friends – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – to quickly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

“That is a war that’s dying to be settled,” Trump said of the Ukraine conflict during his September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. “I will get it settled before I even become president. … I’ll speak to one, I’ll speak to the other, I’ll get them together. … Negotiate a deal. Because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed. … Don’t kid yourself … we’re playing with World War III.”

Queried later about whether he had talked with Putin since leaving office in 2021, Trump was unapologetic: “I will tell you that if I did, it’s a smart thing. ... That’s a good thing and not a bad thing in terms of a country.”

Trump has been insistent, too, that the war in Gaza must end. In April, he told my former colleague Hugh Hewitt: “Get it over with and let’s get back to peace and stop killing people.” He asserted during the September debate: “I will get that settled and fast.” Israeli papers say Trump explicitly told Netanyahu last summer that he wants the war over by Inauguration Day. There are many reasons to be wary of Trump’s enthusiasm for making deals with dictators and political friends. During the campaign, Democrats derided Trump for his comments. Harris offered a typical riposte during their debate: “You adore strongmen instead of caring about democracy.”

But for the moment, let’s take Trump at his word. How could he quickly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza without also harming U.S. interests?

Negotiating a just settlement in Ukraine is the most delicate challenge. The Biden administration wouldn’t touch negotiations, maintaining that only Ukraine could decide on peace terms. But since Kyiv’s offensive stalled last year, Ukrainians have known this moment was coming.

For months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been exploring ways to conduct a negotiation from strength with Putin. That’s why he wanted U.S. permission to fire long-range ATACMS deep into Russia. That’s why Ukrainian troops invaded the Russian region of Kursk. Zelensky’s “victory plan” was in many ways a platform for negotiations.

Now, it appears, Trump will insist on talks. That would be disastrous if he plans a diktat that forces Ukrainian concessions to secure a fast peace. But it Trump wants

to appear strong – and not in Putin’s pocket – he would demand security for Ukraine so that it can thrive after any settlement.

South Korea, West Germany, Finland and Austria all made compromises to satisfy belligerent neighbors – and went on to spectacular prosperity. Trump’s goal should be security guarantees that allow postwar Ukraine to succeed as a member of the European Union.

If Trump wanted to try something creative, he would engage China in this bid. Zelensky badly wants Chinese involvement as a check against future Russian actions. The Biden administration talked of getting Beijing involved but made little progress.

“If Trump could engage President Xi Jinping in making peace in Ukraine, they both should share the Nobel Peace Prize,” says Graham Allison, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Trump’s call for negotiation to end the war in Ukraine is an unlikely echo of Gen. Mark A. Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a frequent target of Trump’s attacks. In November 2022, to the consternation of the Biden White House, Milley proclaimed: “When there’s an opportunity to negotiate, when peace can be achieved, seize it.”

Settling Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran will be far simpler. Netanyahu has largely achieved his goals. Hamas is devastated militarily. Hezbollah has been decapitated and is ready to withdraw from southern Lebanon. And Iran has been unable to retaliate successfully, thanks in part to U.S. military might.

Israeli military leaders know it’s time for the fighting to end. Israel Defense Forces leaders told Washington this week that

they have achieved their objectives in Gaza and Lebanon. Netanyahu might want to let his ally Trump cut the ribbon, so to speak, but these conflicts will end soon – because the IDF will demand it.

The test for Trump will be whether he can organize Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to help create a new era of security and stability for the Palestinians. Unless Trump is a fool, he will see this as one of the biggest opportunities of his presidency.

A final reason to encourage Trump as a peacemaker is that he has long expressed deep concern about the danger of nuclear war. Allison, who co-wrote the classic study of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, “Essence of Decision,” has gathered a compendium of Trump’s antinuke comments:

“The single biggest problem the world has is nuclear armament, nuclear weapons,” Trump said during a 2016 debate with Hillary Clinton. “Nuclear weapons are the biggest problem we have,” he repeated at a town hall event last December. He offered this emphatic warning during his debate with Harris. “We’re going to end up in a third world war. And it will be a war like no other because of nuclear weapons.”

Many aspects of a Trump presidency could be ruinous for the United States –and good citizens need to guard against such dangers. But much of the public backed Trump because it saw him as a tough leader who could make peace. In that, he deserves support – but also a demand that he protect American interests in whatever negotiations lie ahead.

© 2024, Washington Post Writers Group

I’m continuously amazed by the wonders of technology. Today we can do things that were previously unimaginable. I remember taking my older kids to the bank and teaching them how to fill out the deposit and withdrawal slips. We rarely use those slips now. I can pay others, transfer money and deposit checks from an app on my phone. Rather than list each check separately, an entire pile of checks and cash can be inserted into an ATM machine at once. Stores rarely require cash now because so few people pay with that antiquated method.

We added a phone line, and I was having trouble with the set-up. A call to customer service found me simultaneously on three devices, each device validating the others as he remotely controlled my screen and showed me which buttons to push. It was overwhelming (and frightening) but incredible that he could see my screen and manipulate it from a distance.

As a teen, I often babysat for other families in our shul. Cell phones didn’t exist, and I had no way to communicate with the parents when they were out. They would leave me the number of where they were going and periodically check in by phone, but it would have been impossible to reach them for most of the time I was responsible for their children – and this was normal. Today’s children can instantly reach any number of adults wherever they are and at any moment. They can call, text or video chat. The only method unavailable is holographic images. Give that a few more years.

These examples don’t even come close to the wonders of modern medicine. Everything we do and all aspects of our lives have changed with the advances made over the past few years. The world is changing at a rate faster than we can keep up. Technology is moving so rapidly that I check the year novels are printed so I know what the characters would have had access to.

There are many benefits that Hash-

Parenting Pearls Tech Talk

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

em has given us with these advances.

Better medical services, the safety to call in an emergency from anywhere, and the ability to keep closely connected to long distance loved ones are among the many modern day improvements. Along with this incredible bracha comes real challenges, including an almost addictive connection to devices, access to disturbing images, and a requirement for immediate gratification.

It doesn’t take much to notice the level of connection people have to their devices. For example, people are looking at their phones while walking down the street, hanging out with friends and sitting together at simchas. Many find it hard to be shomer Shabbos and disconnect from high tech. Children are being raised in this environment and exposed to this as normal. As parents, we need to have our eyes open and teach our children how to learn a healthy balance.

This article is not intended to dictate to parents how much and what type of screens to give their child. Each family has their own needs and many professionals they can consult. I simply want to bring up the discussion of this im -

portant issue and some of the concerns parents should keep in mind.

Some Concerns

There are many concerns, and I’d like to mention just a few of them. Though I’m mentioning many negatives in this article, I am aware of the many positives – even if I’m not focusing on them. Most things in life are both good and bad, and it’s our job to harness the good while avoiding that which is detrimental. As Jews, we don’t shy away from the physical; we elevate it. Only by understanding that which is harmful can we properly utilize the world around us.

It wasn’t that long ago (though it seems a lifetime away) that phones were connected to walls and the only “screens” were that of television. Even the television could only show you what was currently playing on its limited number of stations. Today’s child can have a phone in their hand at all times and any number of screens traveling with them, and children can’t comprehend any other reality. Even toddlers can use tablets and cell phones. This is unprecedented and is in essence a social

experiment with the next generation. We have no way of knowing what the longterm effects are with this level of obsessive connectivity. This thought alone should give parents reason to hesitate.

I had thought that only people over a certain age understood how to balance technology because they were raised before this explosion and understood a different reality to counter the current one. I may need to take this back now that I see the inability of even the older generation to disconnect. The need to constantly check, be numbed and be attached to something is very stressful – even when they are used for “relaxation.” Excessive screen usage has been noted to cause stress, anxiety, depression and sleep problems.

Phones, tablets and other devices are designed to be addictive. This is not only unhealthy but also makes it harder to self-regulate. There is a continuous need to check the many alerts, text messages and games. FOMO (fear of missing out) is very real.

One paragraph is not sufficient to discuss the myriad of issues with content. Much of what is acceptable for today’s child would have been banned on television years ago. The values being portrayed are not ours. The use of violence, profanity, vulgarity and unhealthy relationships are not something to readily subject a child. This is in addition to the easily accessible un- tzinius content and the sick individuals that attempt to befriend children, chas v’shalom. Parents need to ensure their child can only access material that is in agreement with their family’s personal standards. Social media is a topic all its own and deserves a separate article.

The time spent on screens is often a tremendous waste. Hours that could be spent playing, reading and with family and friends are otherwise wasted. Even just relaxing and thinking gets pushed to the side.

When children bring screens into their interpersonal relationships, it can create unhealthy interactions. Rather

than meaningful conversations, they often communicate using quick (and horribly spelled) text messages, emojis or “LOL.” Even in-person get-togethers can focus on texting others and not on communicating with the child sitting next to them.

Some Thoughts

Technology is here to stay, and it’s important to teach children healthy screen usage. This is one area parents certainly don’t want to be haphazard or rely on “peer education.” Parenting needs to be mindful and intentional. Too often, children get screens because they have accidental access or it’s a distraction tool. Parents need to have a united policy and work together to ensure their child has healthy screen usage.

Each child has their own needs and limitations with technology. Parents can consult their own rav, rebbetzin or healthcare professional to help them decide on appropriate guidelines for their individual child. Whatever those guidelines are, it’s important they be well thought out.

Every family will have slightly different standards. For example, some topics

are more sensitive, and what is beneficial for one child may be detrimental to another. This may include divorce, mental health issues, serious medical diseases and death. Please be sensitive to other families and not expose their children to such content without parental permission.

A frustrated mother recently shared with me the difficulties she’s facing as

plained to me, the “informed” classmates are using devices and seeing content that is explicitly banned by their school. Many families don’t agree with every rule in their child’s school. Perhaps it seems “extreme” or “unnecessary” or isn’t their family’s personal hashkafa. Even if your family doesn’t personally hold by the school’s tech policy, it’s important to think carefully

Rather than meaningful conversations, they often communicate using quick (and horribly spelled) text messages, emojis or “LOL.”

classmates are exposing her child to problematic content. Even what her child isn’t being shown firsthand is still being discussed in detail. Please educate your child to be sensitive to other families and not share everything they see. There is another issue this parent’s frustrations raise. As this mother ex-

about what message a child is receiving when they’re told “you can ignore that rule” or to outright lie and deny which phone or other device they own.

Technology is an important part of our everyday lives, and as parents, we need to make conscious decisions about how our families will interact with it.

Take the time to speak with your child and let them know your family’s values and guidelines. Keep the lines of communication open so your child knows they can always speak with their trusted adult. It’s painful to think about, but kids can be exposed to objectionable material (chas v’shalom). With open communication, this child will know not to be ashamed or hesitant to speak with their parents.

There is bracha in everything Hashem gives us. Learning to properly harness the good while tossing away the rest is a continuous balancing act. After carefully evaluating the pros and cons of each new technology, parents can create guidelines that meet their child’s needs. With proper thought, consulting the proper authorities, clear guidelines and lots of siyata dishmaya, we can teach our children healthy screen usage for now and in the future.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

Aron & Chana Faiga Kamarow on the birth of a son

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In The K tchen

Clafoutis

Yield 6-8 servings

By Naomi Nachman

This is a delicate and rich French dessert made with fresh berries and a baked custard filling. Top with a dash of powdered sugar for breakfast or dessert! I got this recipe from the executive chef Malcolm Green from our Kosher River Cruise last week in Bordeaux, France, where I gave cooking classes on the cruise. This is a fabulous recipe, and it is so easy to make! In the off season, you can use frozen blueberries.

Ingredients

◦ 3 large eggs

◦ ½ cup granulated sugar

◦ ⅛ teaspoon salt

◦ ½ cup all-purpose flour

◦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

◦ 1 cup whole milk

◦ ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

◦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

◦ Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, optional

◦ 2 cups pitted cherries or berries

◦ Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a pie pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and salt for about a minute until well combined. Add flour and whisk until smooth and lump free. Whisk in melted butter, followed by the milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Make sure that the mixture is completely smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Scatter fruit onto the batter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the clafoutis is just set (it’s OK if it’s still loose in the center) and golden at the edges. Let cool slightly until lukewarm. Dust with powdered sugar, if you like. Cut into wedges and serve.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

Naomi doing a cooking demonstration of clafoutis on Kosher River Cruises