The recurring theme of sibling rivalry and hatred in the Torah, as highlighted in the Midrash Tanchuma, underscores the enduring tension between Yaakov and Eisav. Just as Eisav hated Yaakov, the Midrash notes similar animosities—Cayin hated Hevel and Yishmael hated Yitzchok —contrasted with the unique love shared by Moshe and Aharon. This dynamic speaks to a broader truth expressed by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: “Halacha hi b’yadua she’Eisav soneh l’Yaakov”—it is a timeless principle that Eisav hates Yaakov. Even in moments of reconciliation, such as Eisav’s embrace of Yaakov, this underlying tension remains significant in understanding Jewish history and identity.
This tragic reality was starkly reinforced this week with the devastating news of the murder of Chabad shliach Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, H’yd, at the hands of terrorists acting on behalf of Iran. Emirati authorities announced on Sunday that Rabbi Kogan’s body had been found after he was abducted and murdered. Only 28 years old, Rabbi Kogan had driven to Al Ain, a city near the Oman border, where his abandoned car and signs of a struggle were discovered. His phone had been turned off, adding to the grim sequence of events.
The investigation revealed that three Uzbek nationals, suspected of carrying out the murder, had followed Rabbi Kogan from the kosher supermarket he managed in Dubai. Iran, known to utilize Uzbek Shiite operatives to obscure its involvement in such acts, is believed to be behind the attack. The suspects fled to Turkey, where they were arrested soon after, thanks to the swift collaboration of
Israeli and Turkish authorities in pursuing justice for this terrifying crime.This tragic event highlights the ongoing danger Jews face around the world, reminding us of the harsh reality of anti-Semitism. The Netziv viewed anti-Semitism as a reminder of the Jews’ eternal distinctiveness and their ultimate reliance on Hashem. Rabbi Avigdor Miller, expanded on this idea, explaining that the Jewish experience of thriving as a minority surrounded by hostility is part of a divine test. According to him, the strength and success of the Jewish people are not in spite of adversity but because they cling to Hashem through it. These teachings emphasize that even in a world of challenge and opposition, the Jewish people’s resilience and connection to Hashem define their journey and mission.
The world may attempt to disguise such heinous attacks and the resurgence of anti-Semitism under the guise of anti-Zionism, blaming Israel for socalled genocidal actions. Yet we know the truth: this is not about politics or borders—it is plain, age-old anti-Semitism. While we daven fervently for an end to this hatred, we understand, as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught, that it is a “halacha” baked into our Galus. Still, we are not powerless. As a Jewish nation, we must unite in the face of adversity, strengthening our commitment to Torah and mitzvos, and continuing to act as a beacon of light and moral clarity to the other nations of the world. Only through unity and a steadfast connection to Hashem can we rise above the darkness of our times.
Wishing everyone a peaceful Shabbos
Aaron Menachem
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YOUR UPGRADED SUMMER EXPERIENCE in Israel in Israel
Join us for an unforgettable summer in the heart of Eretz Yisrael! For the Bais Yaakov girl entering 9th-12th grade who is looking for the experience of her lifetime in Eretz Hakodesh, our uplifting staff and upbeat trips and activities will keep you inspired and help you build friendships that last a lifetime. Unwind in comfort at the upscale D-Hotel in Ma’ale Adumim after each exciting and fun-filled day.
JULY 2 - JULY 28 This is a
Around the Community
Baltimore Community Celebrates An Historic Hachnasas Sefer Torah
By:
The Baltimore Jewish community united for a monumental celebration: the Hachnasas Sefer Torah of a Torah commissioned by and for the community. This event, held at Kol Torah, showcased the city’s unparalleled achdus and served as an expression of gratitude to those who selflessly served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program began with the final letters of the Sefer Torah being written by Rabbonim, doctors, community leaders, and volunteers. Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, Shlita, was honored with writing the last letter. R’ Aryeh Leib Freedman, president of Misaskim of Maryland, opened the program with the background of this project, followed by heartfelt remarks from R’ Yanky Schnur, whose vision spearheaded this initiative.
Rabbi Hopfer then spoke and reflected on the unity that defined Baltimore’s response to the pandemic and how it served as a zechus and shmira for the kehilla. The event continued with hagba and gelilah, the recitation of Ata Haraisa, and joyous hakafos and dancing.
A Symbol of Gratitude
This Sefer Torah was certainly unique in that it was a community-wide effort, inspired by and in appreciation for the sacrifices of Rabbanim, askanim, and medical professionals during the pandemic.
“The Sefer Torah was literally made by the community, and for the community,” said R’ Aryeh Leib Freedman.
“It represents the achdus that defines Baltimore and ensures that its kedusha will touch every corner of our kehilla, particularly during times of need.”
The idea for this project was conceived by R’ Yanky and Mrs. Schnur, who sought to honor Baltimore’s unsung heroes while addressing a shortage of Sifrei Torah available for Misaskim. The project, which took four years to complete, stands as a testament to the community’s collective dedication and unity.
A Celebration of Achdus
The event was a profound demonstration of community unity, with hundreds of individuals contributing to sponsor this communal Sefer Torah. “Every contribution, no matter how large or small, came together to create
something greater than the sum of its parts,” said R’ Aryeh Leib.
Recognizing Contributions
Misaskim of Maryland, founded seven years ago, coordinates shiva needs and kavod hames arrangements, ensuring that families receive sensitive and respectful care. R’ Aryeh Leib expressed gratitude to the organization’s many dedicated volunteers, service units, and dispatchers. Misaskim’s Vice President, R’ Menachem Levitansky, along with Operations Coordinators R’ Yaakov Gluck and R’ Yaakov Tzvi Guttenberg, were recognized for their unwavering dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of the community. Special recognition was given to R’ Meyer Weil and R’ Mattis Soffer of Misaskim Tri-State, who came to Baltimore in honor of this special event.
Misaskim expresses its deep appreciation to Councilman Yitzy Schleifer for his unwavering support of Misaskim and the entire Baltimore community, particularly during the challenges of the recent pandemic.
Appreciation was also expressed to many who helped Misaskim at its start, including the Bohem family and 7 Mile Market for dedicating the Misaskim van, the Tuchman, Davis, Pollock, and Seidel families for lending Sifrei Torah, and the Zobdeh and Moinzadah families for dedicating a Sefardi Sefer Torah. Gratitude was also extended to Rabbi Yosef Berger and Kol Torah Shul for graciously hosting Misaskim’s supplies.
Misaskim extends heartfelt gratitude to the Weingot family and friends for dedicating a beautiful new Aron Kodesh for this special communal Sefer Torah, l’iluy nishmas Rabbi Shalom Weingot,
Closing Reflections
The celebration concluded with heartfelt tefillos for the Sefer Torah to bring bracha and shalom to the kehilla. Reb Yanky Schnur expressed his hope for the community to remain united and blessed with dedicated leaders. “May this Sefer Torah stand as a symbol of the strength and unity of Baltimore,” said R’ Aryeh Leib, “and may we soon merit the geulah ha’amitis with the coming of Moshiach Tzedkeinu, bimhera v’yameinu. Amen.”
BJLife Newsroom
Photos: Jeff Cohn Photography
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Mikvah of Baltimore
invites the women of the community to join us for chizuk and inspiration
Understanding Motions & Emotions in the Purity of Marriage
Mrs. Rochel Goldbaum Renowned Kallah Teacher and Speaker
Rochel Goldbaum has been teaching and mentoring Jewish women for over two decades. Rochel trains kallah teachers and dating mentors across the world and has developed unique resource materials on Taharas Hamishpacha for women of all backgrounds.
Congregation Shomrei Emunah 6221 Greenspring Ave December 2 7:30 PM
Commemorating The Legacy Of The Gaon Of Baltimore HaRav Michoel Forshlager, Zt”l: Torah, Inspiration, And Yeshuos On His 66th Yahrzeit
By: BJLife Newsroom
In what has become an annual event, a large crowd gathered at the Kedushas Yisroel Shul this past Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Vayeira to commemorate the 66th yahrzeit of the great gaon of Baltimore, HaRav Michoel HaKohein Forshlager, zt’l. Rabbi Yisachar Frand, shlita, spoke at length about the gaon’s immense contribution to building Torah in America, particularly in Baltimore, where he was instrumental in encouraging HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, zt’l, to establish Yeshivas Ner Yisrael.
Afterward, Rabbi Amrom Jungreis, shlita, Rav of Kedushas Yisroel and Rosh Kollel of K’hal Chassidim, spoke about the greatness of Rav Forshlager and the tremendous yeshuos people experience at his kever. He shared firsthand stories, including a personal account.
The Ziditchover Rebbe of Baltimore, HaRav Yissochor Dov Eichenstein, shlita, then addressed the crowd, highlighting the immense koach of Rav Forshlager and the profound impact he had on Baltimore.
WEEKLY CALENDAR DECEMBER 2ND- DECEMBER 6TH
L CHAIM
Tuesday December 3rd Monday December 2nd
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
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
December 4th
9:30 am
Yoga with Deborah Bandos
Activities For Adults - Delicious Kosher Meals 9:30 am Q and A with Nurse Shaindel
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 December 5th
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 December 6th
10:00 am
Baking with Ms. Hirschman
11:00 am
Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp
2:00 pm
Music with Aharon Grayson
Last Motzei Shabbos, Camp Shpitz flashed back into the summer with an incredible camp reunion! The event was packed with excitement as campers enjoyed a night full of ice cream, chanting, activities, raffles, giveaways, and more. The energy was palpable, and each camper left with a big smile on their face—and a custom
Mincha/Maariv gift to take home!”
The reunion was made even more special under the leadership of Shmuel Kramer, Director, and Uriel Schwartz, Head Counselor, who worked tirelessly to ensure a memorable evening for everyone.
See Camp Shpitz in action by visiting campshpitz.com!
JCFL By “Your Kitchen Spot” Playoff Picture Begins To Take Shape
With week 4 complete and the 2024 regular season now past the halfway mark, the playoff picture is coming into focus. As of this article, the standings are as follows:
Team Wins Losses
Evergreen Benefits Group 40
AMP Solutions31
Allstate – Yaakov Schmell 22
Y & L Landscaping 22
Tiger Heating & Air 22
ActualEyes22
Baltimore CTC13
Bunny’s Home Care 04
Below are highlights from Week 4:
Baltimore CTC 35
Y & L Landscaping 33
Baltimore CTC defeated Y&L Landscaping in a dramatic victory for its first win of the season. Quarterback Mahyer “Rocket” Reischer played his finest game yet, slinging five TDs as the offense drove the ball down with ease all game.
Bentzi “Potato Salad” Jacobi was the star of the game, hauling in three TDs. WR Mitch “The Ululating Mountain Goat” Gross caught a TD himself, while Eitan “I want to Roll and” Rock scampered 80 yards for a score of his own.
Lineman Levi “Bannan Slug” Akkerman maintained his outstanding play on the defensive and offensive lines, Aron “Feisty Meisty” Meister continued his passionate play on D, and Eliezer Szajowitz hauled in several highlight catches.
After starting the season 0-3, CTC is hoping to make a playoff run.
Allstate Insurance – Yaakov Schmell 24
Bunny’s Home Care6
Allstate-Schmell’s supporters were nervous to see how the team would respond after an eventful week which saw team captain Dany “The Body” Donaty express his public displeasure with his lack of red zone looks from his quarterback (and
distant cousin through marriage), Avi “Ches Tes” Yudkowsky.
As if that wasn’t enough, tensions escalated pregame as aging stars Josh “JZ” Zaslow of Allstate and Dr. Rafi Strum, DDS (2nd and 33rd , respectively, on the all-time JCFL touchdowns list) engaged in a war of words over who has had a more illustrious career. Strum, who took a 2-year sabbatical from the league to quote ‘focus on his career’, took umbrage over a comment made by an unnamed Allstate-Schmell player who said Strum was more focused on color coordinating his cleats than his performance on the field.
Allstate-Schmell was able to translate all that fire to a couple quick scores as Yudkowsky hit JZ with touchdowns on their first and last drives of the first half to stake Allstate to a 12-0 halftime lead.
Bunny’s Home care QB, Chaim “Everything but the Kitchen” Fink, tried to fire up the team during halftime and managed to come out of the break with an impressive 4th down TD pass to Avner Shaliyehsaboo to cut the lead to 12-6 with 15 minutes left in the game.
Bunny’s tried everything to slow the passing attack of Allstate-Schmell, with multiple designed blitzes from the middle linebacker position. Bunny’s tried some aggressive tactics to include an inadvertently kicking Yudkowsky in the leg to accidentally smashing him in his visor, but Yudkowsky kept his cool and as he stated post-game, “couldn’t even feel the pressure due to my rigorous offseason squatting regiment from famed QB coach, Allan Franco.”
Allstate-Schmell scored a crucial insurance TD with yet another pass to JZ, to bring the score to 18-6. From there, the shutdown defensive line play of Neil Gerstman, Menachem “Flipper” Dalfin, Menachem “Osh” Khoshkerman, and Zach “Deep Fried” Shnitzer, kept Bunny’s at bay. Allstate-Schmell was able to ice the game with a screen pass TD called by Coach Rosen to Donaty to close out the 24-6 win.
Peace was made between all parties during the post-game handshakes
and Dr. Strum was even observed providing a complimentary dental consult to Allstate star receiver, Zack “Earner and” Lerner.
AMP Solutions 40 Tiger Heating & Air31
AMP Solutions claimed a 40-31 victory over Tiger Heating and Air in a tightly contested game where they managed to stay ahead throughout. The duo of Yaakov “Cottage Cheese” Rosenblum and Mordy “From Rags to” Reches stole the show, with Rosenblum connecting with Reches for three touchdowns in a display of precision and chemistry.
Reches wasn’t just an offensive force; he also stepped up on defense with a crucial interception that halted Tiger’s momentum. Dovid “Gotta Go To” Moinzadeh added to AMP’s defensive dominance, racking up key sacks in pivotal moments to keep the pressure on. Despite a strong effort from Tiger Heating & Air, AMP’s playmakers proved too much, securing their third straight win.
Of note was the play of Tiger QB Ezra Bregin who, despite taking a cleat to the face and receiving critical urgent care from super-sub, Dr. Ari “I’m Too Busy Saving Lives” Elman, returned in the middle of the first half and kept the game competitive the rest of the way.
Additionally, Ner Israel high school standouts, Benji Friedman and Akiva “Sludge” Elman made the most of their off-shabbos, stepping in as WR/CB subs for the Tiger team. Through their combined efforts, Friedman and Elman accounted for multiple TDs and picks on the day.
Evergreen Benefits Group 32 ActualEyes 6
In a dominant performance, Evergreen sawed off ActualEyes, extend-
ing their perfect record and remaining at the top of the standings.
The first half was all Evergreen, with Sammy Cohen making an immediate impact, scoring a touchdown and recording an interception. Sub Shmuel Artman, filling in for the injured commentator, and “Lasiked,” Yoseph Orshan, scored on a key twopoint conversion. Avromi Freund had a standout half, catching a touchdown and sacking ActualEyes QB Dudi May multiple times.
A late first-half touchdown pass from Chaim Finkelstein to Shloime Scheinfeld put Evergreen up 20-0 heading into halftime.
The second half saw a shift as Gershon Moses stepped in as QB for ActualEyes. Moses quickly found Aryeh Walter on a long catch-and-run touchdown.
With Evergreen’s sights set on victory, Finkelstein, calm as ever, hit Scheinfeld for another long touchdown.
Nosson Waldman and Freund kept the pressure coming in the second half, no matter who was under center for ActualEyes. The relentless pass rush ensured that ActualEyes never had a chance to actualize any momentum.
In the final moments, Finkelstein connected with his brother, Yoni, for a back shoulder touchdown. Yoni also picked off a pass in the second half.
Evergreen’s composure, led by their QB’s vision and voice, helped secure a well-deserved Week 4 victory.
613 Seconds with Mrs. Bluma Florans, a renowned shadchan and dating coach, from Lakewood, NJ
BJH: Hello, Mrs. Florans, we are so excited to speak with you about shidduchim. Before we begin, please tell us a little bit about yourself and your Baltimore roots.
Mrs. Bluma Florans: I am originally from South Africa, and now live in Lakewood, NJ. My mother is from Baltimore, and her grandfather, Rabbi Samson, was the principal of T.A. of Baltimore in the 1940s. I’ve been making shidduchim for the last 30 years and encourage everyone to give it a try. My first shidduch was for my roommate in seminary, and it was a transformative experience. I consider it a tremendous zechus to be involved in this work.
BJH: We understand you have extensive experience as both a shadchan and a dating coach. How do you juggle and/or differentiate between the two?
MBF: To be a good and effective dating coach, you must first have had real handson shidduch experience, having developed the necessary insight and skills to successfully guide and navigate the dating process. In both roles, the goal is to help singles get married and build their own homes - a mission I’m truly passionate about.
The roles of a dating coach and shadchan definitely overlap. Being a shadchan provides valuable experience, as every shidduch is a learning opportunity. For example, I recently worked on a shidduch for a couple in their 40s. I was in direct contact with both the single man and woman, and they were ready to move forward. However, the mother of this fellow wanted to meet the woman first. After the meeting, the mother felt this wasn’t the right match for her son, and the shidduch ultimately fell apart.
Reflecting on this experience, I realized my mistake: even though the couple was older, I should have touched base with the mother earlier on. In the next similar shidduch I worked on, I reached out to the mother at the start. Later in the process, when the mother had concerns, I was able to reassure her, and the shidduch progressed smoothly. This experience taught me an important lesson - shadchanim are constantly learning and growing.
BJH: For those who are at the early stages of shidduchim, what would you say is the most important point for daters to keep in mind as they begin their journey?
MBF: For new daters, my advice is to go into dates with a positive mindset and bring positive energy. Your goal should be to make the date enjoyable for both of you. Use this time to share about yourself and show genuine interest in the other person’s life and interests. Focus on making the experience pleasant so that the person feels
encouraged to go out with you again.
Once the date is over, take the time to evaluate whether you’re compatible, and then decide if you want to continue. But during the date itself, avoid overanalyzing compatibility. Instead, prioritize creating a positive and enjoyable atmosphere.
BJH: For those who have been dating for a number of years, and as the journey often becomes frustrating and challenging, what advice or encouragement would you offer?
MBF: It’s important to give everyone you date a fair chance. Put effort into the date and try your best to make the connection work. If things don’t work out, you can have peace of mind knowing you gave it your all. This approach provides menuchas hanefesh as you continue your journey toward finding the right one.
BJH: In a nutshell, how would you define the primary role of a parent in their child’s dating life?
MBF: Parents play a crucial role in the process. They should encourage their children to do their best, and create a safe and supportive environment, especially if things don’t work out. Feeling understood and unjudged is key for daters who are navigating this process. Parents also must understand that, ultimately, the decision of who to marry is that of their child, and what is most important is that the couple is happy and confident about their decision.
BJH: We understand that The Shidduch Center of Baltimore has brought you to our community a number of times over the past few years for a special annual event to meet single women. How has this impacted your ability to help our daters, especially those who have already been dating for a number of years?
MBF: I’m a big fan of The Shidduch Center of Baltimore, run by the devoted Rabbi Shlomo Goldberger. I have visited the community along with many other shadchanim over the years and believe their model should be adopted by other communities. They genuinely care about their single men and women, and their events are tastefully done, making participants feel valued and supported. Their initiatives keep the daters of Baltimore in the minds of shadchanim throughout the year, fostering ongoing connections through consistent communication and strong relationships.
BJH: Wow, that was fascinating and so enlightening! Thank you so much for your time. We wish you continued hatzlacha, bez’H!
For Baltimore families looking to connect with Mrs. Florans, or any non-local shadchanim who are working together with The Shidduch Center, please be in touch with Rabbi Shlomo Goldberger at shlomo@shidduchcenter.org.
And don’t forget to donate generously to The Shidduch Center’s upcoming CauseMatch Campaign on Dec. 9-10!
The Week In News
The Week In News
UAE Arrests Killers of R’ Kogan, HY”D
On Monday, Emirati authorities detained, named, and released photos of the three terrorists who killed Rabbi Zvi Kogan, HY”D, a Chabad shliach in the United Arab Emirates, whose body was found on early Sunday after he went missing on Thursday.
According to the UAE Interior Ministry, the three murderers are from Uzbekistan. They were named as 28-year-old Olimpi Toirovich, 28-yearold Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, and 33-year-old Azizbek Kamlovich. Photos released of the men show them dressed in blue prison uniforms, wearing handcuffs and blindfolds.
According to Ynet, the three terrorists were likely arrested initially in Turkey, one of the countries involved in searching for the murderers, which in turn sent them back to the UAE. Some news outlets reported that the men could face the death penalty. A report claimed that officials suspect Iran hired the terrorists, although Tehran denies involvement in the murder.
R’ Kogan was a 28-year-old rabbi who worked as an emissary for Chabad-Lubavitch and had a kosher grocery store in Dubai. He was a Moldovan-Israeli citizen who went to the UAE on a Moldovan passport.
Last Thursday, he disappeared. Officials found his body in Al Ain, a city in the UAE which shares a border with Oman. His car was also found there
and authorities noted that the car contained signs of a struggle. Before killing him, the terrorists kidnapped him.
Following R’ Kogan’s death, his body was taken to Israel. He was buried on Har Hazeisim.
R’ Kogan’s murder was denounced by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who branded the killings “a heinous antisemitic terrorist act,” and President Isaac Herzog. The United States said the killing was “horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance and coexistence.”
“We trust that the UAE will work with the countries in the region to bring the perpetrators to justice and hold all those involved accountable for this act of sheer evil,” said Chabad in a statement that called on all countries that host Chabad emissaries “to ensure that terror finds no haven within its borders.”
R’ Kogan worked alongside the UAE’s Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Duchman to make kosher food widely available in the UAE. The two rabbis also played a role in opening the country’s first Jewish education center. R’ Kogan, at
one point, was a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces’ Givati Brigade.
In 2021, R’ Kogan took part in the UAE’s first Holocaust remembrance day ceremony in history, during which he led Yizkor. In 2022, R’ Kogan married his wife Rivky, whose uncle, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, and his wife were killed by terrorists in 2008 at Mumbai’s Nariman Chabad House.
Methanol
Poisoning in Laos
Authorities believe that six tourists recently died of methanol poisoning in Laos after the foreigners – two Australian teenagers, two Danish women, a British woman, and an American man
Greater Washington Weekday Minyanim Guide
6:15 am Young Israel Shomrai Emunah M-F
6:25 am Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua M-F
6:30 am Beth Sholom Congregation M-F
Beit Halevi (Sfardi) M, T
Chabad of Silver Spring M-F
Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah OLNEY M-F
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah S YGW M, Th
6:35 am Ohr Hatorah M, Th
6:40 am YGW S, T, W, F
Magen David Sephardic Congregation M-Th
6:45 am Beit Halevi (Sfardi) S, T, W, F
Kemp Mill Synagogue M, Th
Ohr Hatorah T, W, F
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah M, Th
6:50 am Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah M, Th Silver Spring Jewish Center M-F
Chabad of Upper Montgomery County M-F
6:55 am Young Israel Shomrai Emunah T, W, F
7:00 am Kemp Mill Synagogue T, W, F
Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua S Silver Spring Jewish Center S
Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah T, W, F
Young Israel Ezras Israel of Potomac T,W,F
7:05 am Kesher Israel M, Th
7:15 am Kemp Mill Synagogue M, Th
Kesher Israel T, W, F
Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah/The National Synagogue M-F
Ohr Hatorah S
7:30 am Chabad of DC M-F
Chabad of Potomac M-F JROC M-F
Kemp Mill Synagogue T, W, F
Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua M-F
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah S
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Sfardi) M-F
7:45 am YGW (Yeshiva Session Only) S-F
8:00 am Beth Sholom Congregation S
Kemp Mill Synagogue S
Kesher Israel S
Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah OLNEY S
Southeast Hebrew Cong., Knesset Yehoshua S
8:00 am Chabad of Upper Montgomery County S
Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah S YGW (High School; School-Contingent) S-F
Young Israel Ezras Israel of Potomac S Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Sfardi) S
8:15 am Ohr Hatorah S Kehilat Pardes / Berman Hebrew Academy S-F
Silver Spring Jewish Center M-F
8:30 am Chabad of DC S
Chabad of Potomac S JROC S Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah/The National Synagogue S
Silver Spring Jewish Center S YGW (Summer Only) S-F
8:45 am Young Israel Shomrai Emunah S-F
9:00 am Chabad of Silver Spring S Kemp Mill Synagogue S
mincha
12:30 pm YGW Sunday
1:00 pm Silver Spring Jewish Center M-F
1:10 pm YGW M-Th
3:00 pm YGW Middle School School Days
mincha/maariv
Before Shkiah (15-18 minutes), S-TH
Beit Halevi (Sfardi)
Beth Sholom Congregation
Chabad of Potomac
Chabad of Silver Spring
Chabad of Upper Montgomery County
JROC
Kemp Mill Synagogue
Kesher Israel
Magen David Sephardic Congregation
Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah/The National Synagogue Ohr Hatorah
Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Asheknaz) Young Israel Shomrai Emunah (Sefarhadi) maariv
6:00 pm YGW School Days
7:30 pm Young Israel Shomrai Emunah
8:15 pm OSTT (OLNEY) S-Th SHC, Knesset Yehoshua
8:45
shacharis
The Week In News
– consumed methanol-tainted alcohol.
The two Australian victims, Holly Bowles and Biance Jones, were both from Melbourne and were nineteen years old. The two friends were on a backpacking trip in Laos. Spending a night in the town of Vang Vieng, the teenagers stayed at a hostel and visited a bar where they reportedly consumed free shots of alcohol. They soon became sick and didn’t leave their room for twenty-four hours, staying past their scheduled checkout time.
According to the Associated Press, Bowles and Jones were then brought to a Laos hospital and then to two separate medical facilities in the neighboring country of Thailand. On Thursday, Jones passed away. Bowles also did not survive the methanol poisoning. Police, on Friday, arrested the manager and owner of the hostel where the teens had been staying, though authorities have yet to press charges.
“It is with broken hearts and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace,” Bowles’ loved ones reportedly stated. “We find comfort and solace in knowing that Holly brought so much joy and happiness to so many people.”
Jones’ family reportedly added: “We want to ensure no other family is forced to endure the anguish we are going through… We hope the authorities can get to the bottom of what happened as soon as possible.”
Twenty-eight-year-old British lawyer Simone White also passed away, according to Britain’s Foreign Office. On Friday, Squire Patton Boggs, the law firm where the woman worked, lamented White’s death, adding that she had a “bright future ahead of her.” An unnamed man from the United States died in Laos as well, according to the U.S. State Department, and Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that two of its citizens also passed away.
Many foreign governments have issued warnings against drinking tainted alcohol, as cases of methanol poisonings and death rise. However, Laos, a non-transparent communist country, has yet to acknowledge the situation.
It is unclear how many other foreign tourists have been poisoned, although authorities suspect that many have.
Methanol is usually used in cleaning fluids and paint thinners, but it can also be found in counterfeit alcoholic beverages. Sometimes, its inclusion in
alcohol may be accidental. However, oftentimes, methanol, a clear liquid, is illegally put into alcohol to increase the drink’s quantity for maximum profit. If an ounce or more is consumed, methanol can be deadly, with a fatality rate of 20% to 40% if it goes untreated, according to Doctors Without Borders. Symptoms can appear up to twenty-four hours after consumption, and may include dizziness, nausea, and vomiting or blindness, organ failure, and brain damage.
The U.S. Embassy has warned its citizens to only “purchase alcoholic beverages and drinks from licensed liquor stores, bars, and hotels,” “avoid homemade alcoholic drinks,” and “check liquor bottles for signs of tampering or counterfeiting, such as labels with poor print quality or incorrect spelling.”
Tourist Boat Sinks off Egypt
A tourist boat sailing off the coast of the Egyptian town of Marsa Alam sank on Monday with 44 people onboard. As of Tuesday, 31 survivors were rescued. There were also a number of bodies recovered, and at least nine people are still missing.
The Sea Story sank in an area popular for its coral reefs.
Egyptian authorities were working with embassies and consulates to provide necessary assistance and documentation, according to a statement from the governorate, since many of the tourists hailed from different countries. As of now, it does not appear that any U.S. citizens were involved.
Strong waves caused the boat to capsize and sink within minutes. The 34-meter boat, privately owned by an Egyptian national, had no technical issues and had passed its last safety inspection in March.
The Sea Story set sail from the port of Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday for
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a diving trip and was scheduled to arrive at Hurghada Marina on Friday. A crew member sent a distress signal at 5:30 a.m. on Monday before the ship dropped off the radar, officials said.
Egypt’s Red Sea resorts are popular with tourists for their beaches and diving spots.
Thousands Rally in Pakistan
Thousands of supporters of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan defied a government lockdown and violent police opposition to march to the outskirts of Islamabad on Monday evening and demand his release, the latest escalation of political tensions.
At least one officer was killed and several officers and demonstrators were injured, the government said.
Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 and faces more than 150 criminal cases, remains hugely popular despite attempts by the military-backed civilian government to suppress his support. His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated.
Khan accuses the government and military of teaming up to crush his party, rig elections and undermine democracy. The government argues that Khan is sowing chaos through protests and insists the charges are legitimate, framing him as someone who refuses to play by the rules. It has rejected Khan’s calls to negotiate for his release.
On Sunday, Khan strongly urged his supporters to descend on the capital, demand his release, call for fresh elections and reverse constitutional amendments that have curtailed judicial powers.
Police said thousands of supporters, led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and key aide Ali Amin Gandapur, who is also the chief minister of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and has led previous protests, set off from Peshawar on Sunday. Along the way, they removed
shipping containers and barriers as police deployed tear gas in the Attock district, about 50 miles from Islamabad. Officials said one police official was killed in clashes Monday.
The government has warned protesters not to reach the large town square of D-Chowk, a key venue for political protests near important government buildings in the capital.
“Anyone who reaches D-Chowk will be arrested,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned. The government Monday attempted to get PTI to move the rally from the area.
The threats have done little to deter Khan’s supporters. They plan a sit-in in the capital in their bid to secure his release.
Pakistan has seen recurring protests since Khan was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in 2022.
According to the United Nations, in 2023, 140 females, on average, were killed at home each day by a significant other or family member, making home “the most dangerous place for women and girls.”
In 2023, around 51,100 females from all around the world were killed by a family member, husband, or boyfriend, up from about 48,800 the year before, according to U.N. Women and the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime. The U.N. attributes the rise in cases to more data, not more murders. The report, which claims that female home killings “remain at alarmingly high levels,” was published to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
“Women and girls everywhere con-
tinue to be affected by this extreme form of gender-based violence and no region is excluded,” the agencies said in a joint statement.
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, the deputy executive director of U.N. Women from Zimbabwe, attributed the number of female home fatalities to control, asserting that the killings are “associated with power over women.” She added that there is “a lot of perpetrator anonymity” in such cases because “it means the family members have to bring justice against another family member.”
Of the 51,100 deaths, 21,700 came from Africa, with a death rate of 2.9 per 100,000. North and South America had a rate of 1.6 female killings per 100,000; Oceania had 1.5 per 100,000; Asia had 0.8 per 100,000; and Europe had 0.6 per 100,000.
Male killings, on the other hand, usually take place outside homes and families, according to the report.
“Even though men and boys account for the vast majority of homicide victims, women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by lethal violence in the private sphere,” said the report. “An estimated 80% of all homicide victims in 2023 were men while 20% were women, but lethal violence within the family takes a much higher toll on women than men, with almost 60% of all women who were intentionally killed in 2023 being victims of intimate partner/family member homicide.”
Eating to Avoid the Army
In South Korea, almost all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to complete 18 months of military service. One man, in an effort to avoid serving in the army, deliberately tried to gain so much weight that it would make him ineligible to serve. This week, the Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced the man to one year in prison, suspended for two years, un der the Military Service Act, which al lows for sentences of up to three years for evading mandatory military service without justifiable cause.
The court said the man had doubled his daily food intake and con-
sumed excessive water ahead of his physical examination for the national military draft. At his initial exam in 2017, he was assessed at Level 2, the second-highest level, qualifying him to serve in a combat position. But when he went for another physical examination last year, he was assessed at Level 4, the weight gain resulting in him being classified as obese, which would make him ineligible for combat duty. He was still assigned a non-combat role at a government agency that allowed him to commute from home.
The court official said the man got the binge-eating idea from a friend, who was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year. The friend denied the accusation in court, claiming he did not think the man would follow through on the suggestion.
The sentences were “relatively lenient” because neither of the men had previous criminal convictions, the court official said.
“Most of all,” an official said, the man “accepted his wrongdoing and vowed to serve his military duty sincerely.”
Deadly Food Poisoning in S. Africa
The six young children had just shared snacks bought from a corner store when they began convulsing. The children, all under 8, died moments later, adding more victims to a wave of food poisoning that authorities say has killed nearly two dozen children in a few months.
The South African government on Thursday declared the poisonings a national disaster, taking action after President Cyril Ramaphosa laid out the scale of the danger. At least 890 people have fallen sick, many of them children, he said in a televised address, adding that the cause was believed to be a pesticide used by business owners
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and vendors to fight a rat infestation in neglected townships. Expired and counterfeit food products have also been blamed by grieving family members and some residents.
After the deaths of the six children in Johannesburg last month, South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases found traces of terbufos, a hazardous pesticide used in agriculture, in the contents and on the packaging of a snack found with one of the children, Ramaphosa said. Ter-
bufos, a colorless or pale yellow liquid used on crops, can be fatal if ingested or inhaled, or if it comes in contact with humans, according to the National Institutes of Health.
In other cases, South African health authorities found evidence of aldicarb, an agricultural pesticide that is highly toxic to humans. The pesticide has been banned in South Africa since 2016, Ramaphosa said.
These highly toxic chemicals had been adopted as a “street pesticide,” he
said, to fight a growing rat infestation in South Africa’s formerly segregated townships and mushrooming shanty towns. In poor communities, where municipalities fail to regularly collect waste, business owners had turned to the toxins to keep vermin away.
In yet other cases, expired food products have been blamed as the cause of death. Some residents and outraged families of children who died have, stoked by long-standing anti-immigrant sentiments, blamed foreign owners of corner stores for the poisonings. The owners, they claim, use pesticide to kill rats and sell expired food items or counterfeit brands of processed food to poor communities where people cannot afford to shop in supermarkets.
On Sunday, a massive fire consumed a coastal shanty town in the Philippine capital, leaving at least 2,000 families homeless as flames billowed for nearly eight hours. Raging orange flames consumed the packed stilt homes in Isla Puting Bato, a squalid area of Tondo, Manila.
At least 1,000 homes were destroyed and more than 8,000 people were displaced.
Blazes in Manila slums are often sparked by faulty electrical wiring or gas canisters.
Bato on Monday and spoke with survivors who spent the night in makeshift tents.
“Please be patient. We will keep coming to deliver help. No one wanted this to happen,” Lacuna-Pangan told residents.
“We will help all of you. Don’t lose hope. Let’s help each other out ahead of [holiday] time; we really hope to get you back to your homes.”
Isla Puting Bato sits in the district of Tondo, which is Manila’s largest slum area home to roughly 654,220 people. Many live in shabby shacks across densely packed streets near a busy commercial port. Thankfully, no deaths were reported in the blaze.
Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan visited Isla Puting
Israel’s New Ambassador to U.S.
Israel’s next ambassador to the United States will be Yechiel Leiter, as per an Israeli cabinet vote on Sunday, unanimously approving him for the position.
Leiter will start as ambassador on January 24, 2024, four days after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, during the cabinet meeting, said he’s certain that Leiter would play a big role in “the strengthening of Israel’s most important relationship — with the United States.” The foreign minister also commended Mike Herzog, the current ambassador.
“Yechiel Leiter is a highly talented diplomat, an eloquent speaker, and has a deep understanding of American culture and politics,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month after nominating Leiter.
Born in the U.S., Leiter is a founding father of the Israeli settler movement. He was one of the first people to live in Hebron’s Admot Yishai neighborhood, which was established in 1984. Leiter started an organization to help people settle Hebron two years later. He was the Committee of the Jewish Community of Hebron’s chairman. Currently, he
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resides in Alon Shvut, which is part of the Gush Etzion bloc.
When he was young, Leiter was reportedly an activist in Rabbi Meir Kahane’s Jewish Defense League before making aliyah to Israel. Leiter is now an ordained rabbi and received his doctorate from the University of Haifa.
Previously, he worked as the Education Ministry’s deputy director general, as the chief of staff of Netanyahu around twenty years ago when the premier was the finance minister and as the Ports Authority’s acting chairman. Now, Leiter is the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs’ director general and is a professor at central Israel’s Ono Academic College.
Leiter lost his son Maj. (res.) Moshe Leiter in combat on November 10, 2023, while he was battling Hamas terrorists in northern Gaza.
In 1994, Leiter published a book called, “A Peace Plan to Resist,” wherein he dismissed the Oslo Accords for its plan to create a self-governed Palestinian state. In 2020, he wrote an article saying that Israel should annex the West Bank.
According to reports from Ynet, Netanyahu first offered the position to Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and the premier’s senior advisor, Ophir Falk, although both allegedly turned down the prime minister’s offer.
Netanyahu likely hoped for Trump’s victory, as the former and now-incoming president is known for his tough stance on Iran and his pro-Israel policies.
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants
The Biden administration criticized the International Criminal Court’s decision on Thursday to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, with the White House declaring on Thursday that it “fundamentally rejects” the court’s attempts to punish Israel for defending itself in Gaza.
Several other U.S. officials condemned the ICC, with some urging the Senate to sanction the court. On the other hand, Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, a radical Palestinian congresswoman, praised The Hague’s decision as “long overdue” and an indication that “the days of the Israeli apartheid government operating with impunity are ending.”
Practically, the arrest warrants block Netanyahu and Gallant from
stepping foot in the 124 nations that have ICC membership.
“Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,” said U.S. President Joe Biden, condemning the court’s move as “outrageous.”
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House’s press secretary, echoed Biden’s remarks, asserting that the decision calls into question the prosecutor’s credibility. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said the U.S. is “deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” and added that the ICC does not have the right to arrest Israeli officials.
“In coordination with partners, including Israel, we are discussing next steps,” the spokesperson said.
During U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, he sanctioned the ICC. Now, despite requests from Republicans, Biden has refused to do the same. Last June, the House of Representatives passed legislation, canceling the U.S. visas, blocking entry, and financially restricting ICC officials who seek to prosecute America’s allies. The now-outgoing president was clear at the time that he was “strongly opposed” to the bill. In the House, the legislation passed with a 247155 majority, while the U.S. Senate has yet to accept the bill.
In anticipation of Trump’s return, Israel has reportedly assembled a list of sanctions that the U.S. could levy against the ICC. Several officials expected to be involved in Trump’s upcoming administration have condemned the court’s decision.
Mike Waltz, a Republican Representative from Florida and Trump’s nominee for national security adviser, blasted the ICC’s decision as antisemitic and said the president-elect’s administration would respond strongly to the court, which he said has no credibility.
“Israel has lawfully defended its people [and] borders from genocidal terrorists,” Waltz declared.
Senator Tom Cotton, another Republican, criticized the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan.
“The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants,” Cotton posted. “Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is
known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it.”
Senator Lindsey Graham noted how Khan’s the subject of an investigation into his alleged inappropriate behavior.
“Calling for an independent investigation of the prosecutor’s misconduct one day and issuing a warrant based on his work product the next day is an affront to any sense of fairness and the rule of law,” Graham stated. “The Court is a dangerous joke. It is now time for the U.S. Senate to act and sanction this irresponsible body.”
The Republicans’ next U.S. Senate leader Senator John Thune similarly blasted the ICC, and said its decisions threaten Israel now, but “if left unchecked they could pose a threat to the United States in the future.” Thune called on Chuck Schumer, who will be the Senate majority leader until January, to pass legislation to sanction the ICC.
Pro-Israel Democrats, including Representative Ritchie Torres and Senator John Fetterman, also strongly condemned the court.
“Not only did Hamas wage war on Israel, causing the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, it carefully constructed a battlefield designed to maximize the loss of civilian life,” wrote Torres. “The ICC should be sanctioned not for enforcing the law but for distorting it beyond recognition.”
The ICC also issued arrest warrants against three Hamas leaders, Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar, who are all dead.
Official Charged With Leaking Documents
On Thursday, the State Attorney’s Office brought charges against Eli Feldstein, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister office, for harming state security, obstruction of justice, and illicit possession of classified information, by allegedly leaking classified documents. The charges were brought at the Central District Court.
The court also charged a currently-unnamed IDF reservist noncommissioned soldier with transferring classified information, obstruction of justice, and theft by an authorized person.
Feldstein faces a life sentence, while the officer’s charge of transferring classified information can carry a seven-year prison sentence.
As of now, the court is not criminally investigating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although the allegations have been irritating his office.
Hundreds of Israelis protested outside the Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday in solidarity with Feldstein and the NCO. Several coalition ministers and MKs were present at the demonstration, including Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who lamented “the complete politicization of the legal system.”
According to the allegations, the NCO illegally removed a classified document from the IDF’s military intelligence database and handed it over to Feldstein. The Netanyahu aide then went on to send the document, which included details about Hamas’ goals and strategies regarding hostage talks, to the Bild, a German tabloid. Later, it was revealed that the document was authored by Hamas’ low-level officials and was not indicative of what the terror group actually wants.
Authorities arrested Feldstein on October 27. Last week, he was put on suicide watch after prison guards discovered a rubber strip in his cell that he could have used to hang himself. Feldstein and the NCO could be forced to remain in prison until the end of their respective court cases if the State Attorney’s Office’s request to keep them detained is granted.
The Lahav 433 major crimes unit on Wednesday interrogated another Netanyahu spokesman, Yonatan Urich, whom they suspect of ordering Feldstein to hand the classified document to Sruli Einhorn, a former senior campaign adviser to Netanyahu’s Likud party, who allegedly sent the document to Bild. Currently outside of Israel, Einhorn reportedly hasn’t returned home yet because he doesn’t want to be interrogated by officials.
The IDF believes the leak hurt the Jewish state’s goal of freeing the hostages who remain in Gaza over a year after they were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. Investigators also say that the leak had the potential to se-
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verely damage Israel’s security, adding that the information was likely leaked for political purposes – namely, to spare Netanyahu from criticism when Hamas killed six well-known hostages last August and to instead show that the terror group is responsible for shooting down hostage talks.
Feldstein’s father, Yehoshua, and wife, Avital, have publicly defended the man as an innocent hero.
Israeli Researcher Killed in Lebanon
Zeev Erlich, a civilian archeologist known for his research in Judea and Samaria, was killed last Wednesday at the age of 71.
Hezbollah terrorists murdered Erlich and twenty-year-old IDF Sgt. Gur Kehati in an ambush while the two Israelis were reportedly inspecting an ancient fortress in southern Lebanon that some speculate to be the place where a prominent figure in Christian scripture may be buried.
Though he was not an active duty sol-
dier or reservist, Erlich wore an IDF uniform and was armed during his visit to the Lebanese battle zone. When they entered the site, two Hezbollah terrorists hiding in the fortress shot at them, killing Erlich and Kehati and injuring Col. Yoav Yarom and a company commander.
Kehati and the commander were part of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion. Yarom is the Golani Brigade’s chief of staff.
After the incident, the IDF launched investigations into why officials allowed Erlich to accompany them into Lebanon despite his lack of authorization to tour the war zone, where Israeli soldiers and terrorists have been fighting since October 1. Thus far, the initial findings of the investigations suggest that Yarom gave Erlich permission to come to Lebanon. However, Yarom did not have the au-
thority to authorize the civilian tour and failed to follow protocol, according to the IDF Spokesman’s Office.
The IDF posthumously recognized Erlich as a major in the reserves, thus including his passing in the total death toll in Lebanon. The decision to do so was made by Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, the IDF Personnel Directorate’s new commander.
Loved ones of Erlich have pushed back against the notion that he wasn’t allowed to accompany the IDF to southern Lebanon.
“Contrary to the claims of the IDF spokesperson, we can clarify that [Erlich] was conscripted and recognized as a soldier in the field — and the person who informed our family of his death is from the IDF Casualty Unit,” said the deceased’s brother, Yigal Amitai, adding that Erlich was “a soldier for all intents and purposes.”
“He entered [Lebanon] for archaeological research — as he always does in Judea and Samaria — but with the approval and accompaniment of the IDF,” added Amitai.
Sgt.-Maj. Yona Betzalel Brief, who was wounded while fighting in the Gaza border communities on October 7 of last year, succumbed to his wounds this week, the IDF announced on Tuesday.
Brief, 23, from Modi’in, served as a combat medic in the Duvdevan Unit and was seriously wounded while trying to rescue residents of Kfar Aza under fire.
“[Brief] was a symbol of values, heroism, and self-sacrifice, leaving behind a legacy that will resonate in our hearts,” Modi’in mayor Haim Bibas said.
“They eliminated dozens of terrorists and saved dozens of civilians from the kibbutz, until they were suddenly hit by a barrage of gunfire,” said former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who visited Brief in the hospital.
Bennett said, “Yona, the team’s medic, under heavy fire, dragged the wounded to safety, only to be struck by 13 bullets all over his body. His legs were amputated, and his body sustained severe injuries.”
Despite his lack of formal academic credentials, Erlich, an independent researcher, published his findings in dozens of academic papers and served as the editor of numerous books about Judea and Samaria’s history. In 2012, Ynet reported that Erlich accompanied the IDF to investigate sites in Karawat Bani Hasan and Dir Ista, which are both close to Ariel, a village in Judea and Samaria.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, said Erlich was “a man of Ofra, a man of love for the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel and the Land of Israel,” who had “contributed a lot to the security
“Senior officers helped him analyze and understand the area and its implications for ongoing security and operations
Erlich leaves behind his wife Tamar, six children, and grandchildren as well.
Soldier Injured on
In the same battle, company commander Ben Bornstein and fellow team member Amir Fisher were killed.
Brief was conscious for part of his hospitalization and even spoke with his family and visitors. “Help others, it will help you too,” he told journalist Hanoch Daum about six months ago.
Brief is survived by his parents, Hazel and David, who immigrated to Israel from California, and five siblings.
According to the IDF, 804 soldiers have been killed on or since October of last year.
Former Florida representative Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, gave up the nomination last week after it became clear that his Senate approval would
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be an uphill battle. As such, Trump has nominated Pam Bondi, a former Florida Attorney General, for the position instead.
Gaetz, who resigned from Congress immediately after his nomination for AG, abandoned his shot at attorney general because of serious allegations accusing him of using drugs and engaging in various illegal activities. The congressman was being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. However, Gaetz had resigned from the House a day before the committee planned on releasing its findings. Thus, the House will likely refrain from publishing the report, since it only investigates current House members.
Though Gaetz maintains his innocence, he stepped down from consideration to avoid drama, he said. Critics from both parties claimed that he wasn’t a good pick for several reasons, including his lack of prosecutorial experience and the fact that he’s embroiled in a series of scandals.
Bondi, on the other hand, is a more conventional pick for attorney general. A Trump loyalist who served in his first administration’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission, Bondi was Florida’s first female attorney general and held the position from 2011 to 2019.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – not anymore,” Trump declared, saying that Bondi would end the Justice Department’s politicization.
Treat
Your Weekend Like a Vacation
Feeling down? Well, if so, maybe it’s because you’re working too hard on the weekends.
According to happiness researcher Dr. Cassie Holmes, the author of “Happier Hour,” treating your weekends like a vacation can make you happier.
“People associate vacations with a break…whereas our weekends tend to be a routine where we are moving through our activities,” Holmes said
recently on a podcast, explaining that most people fill their weekends with mindless household chores instead of using their off time to do fun, rewarding activities.
According to an experiment with 400 people conducted by Holmes in 2017, those who spent their weekend like a vacation reported more feelings of positivity and satisfaction upon returning to work. In an article she wrote in 2019 for the Harvard Business Review, Holmes explained that these individuals were focusing less on mundane tasks and were “more mindful of and attentive to the present moment throughout their weekend’s activities.”
It’s easier said than done, of course. According to a May 2024 Harris Poll survey, 78% of U.S. workers don’t utilize their paid time off, while 54% of those who do report having a hard time adjusting away from their jobs. As such, Holmes suggests turning one weekend day into vacation time as a start.
“Some people are like, well [the weekend] is when I get my chores done,” she explained. “Why don’t you carve out Saturday? And then Sunday, you can do all the stuff that you have to do.”
During that one day, break away from your routine and do the things you enjoy.
The one drawback to the technique, Holmes said, is that it can become purposeless if overdone. If you get used to treating your weekend as a vacation, it may cease to have any effect on you.
“Given that the vacation mindset and resulting happiness stems from mentally breaking from routine and the day-to-day grind, this intervention cannot itself become a routine,” she explained in her HBR article. “When used judiciously, this simple reframing allows you to enjoy some of the happiness from a vacation without taking additional time off.”
Federal Prosecutor to Step Down
Damian Williams, the federal prosecutor who had overseen the convictions of Sen. Robert Menendez, Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell,
and disgraced cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried, said he will step down as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York next month.
“It has been an honor to serve the American people,” he said. Williams has also been overseeing the prosecutions of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and rap artist Sean “Diddy” Combs.
His resignation will be effective on December 13.
Williams, the first Black man to hold the prestigious and powerful post, was a veteran of the office who was nominated by President Joe Biden in 2021. President-elect Donald Trump had already announced his intention to replace him.
Once headed by Rudy Giuliani, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office handles some of the most complex and high-profile criminal cases in the country, including public corruption, securities fraud and terrorism cases.
In his statement, Williams called his decision to step down “bittersweet.”
“It is bitter in the sense that I am leaving my dream job, leading an institution I love that is filled with the finest public servants in the world. It is sweet in that I am confident I am leaving at a time when the Office is functioning at an incredibly high level — upholding and exceeding its already high standard of excellence, integrity, and independence,” he said.
Williams’ deputy, Edward Y. Kim, will become acting U.S. Attorney after his departure.
Trump announced earlier this month he would be nominating his former Securities and Exchange Commission head Jay Clayton to head the office.
In his statement announcing Clayton’s nomination, Trump called him “a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant.”
“Jay is going to be a strong Fighter for the Truth as we Make America Great Again,” Trump wrote.
School of the Arts.
All’s Well That Ends Well
This week, the world’s oldest man, John Tinniswood, died at the age of 112. He had been living in a care home in northwest England when he passed away on Monday.
Tinniswood was born in Liverpool on August 26, 1912. He became the world’s oldest man in April following the death of 114-year-old Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez.
“His last day was surrounded by music and love,” the family said in a statement, also thanking “all those who cared for him over the years.”
Born the same year the Titanic sank and living through both World Wars, Tinniswood told Guinness World Records that the secret to his longevity was “pure luck.”
“You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it,” he said.
Still, his advice was that moderation is key to keeping healthy.
“If you drink too much or you eat too much or you walk too much, if you do too much of anything, you’re going to suffer eventually,” he observed.
During World War II, Tinniswood held an administrative role in the Royal Army Pay Corps, going on to work in accounts for oil giants Shell and BP. He was a life-long supporter of Liverpool soccer club and ate fish and chips every Friday. Staff at his care home in Southport described Tinniswood as a “big chatterbox.”
The world’s oldest living woman is Tomiko Itooka of Japan. She is 116 years old.
Can we say “until 120”?
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A New Era Of Tahareinu In Baltimore
As is well known, Rabbi Yitzchok Melber, founder and director of Tahareinu, makes his way across the globe to attend medical conferences in all areas of women’s health and fertility. As the impact of Tahareinu grows worldwide, he has also made it his mission to visit communities and spread knowledge and hope to their environs.
Now, it was Baltimore’s turn.
Rabbi Melber spent an impactful week establishing a formal presence for Tahareinu in the area. His visit marked a crucial step forward in supporting Baltimore
couples with high-quality, localized care.
Having visited Baltimore several times in the past for lectures, this trip was the first time Rabbi Melber met faceto-face with Baltimore-based doctors, clinics, and individual couples seeking guidance. Over the week, he connected with prominent local medical professionals, including Dr. Joel Pleeter, Dr. Eli Portnoy of Johns Hopkins, and Dr. Esther Krug of Sinai Hospital. This outreach has helped build a robust medical network to directly support Tahareinu’s work and the families who rely on it.
“These connections provide us with boots-on-the-ground information,”
Rabbi Melber shared, explaining how this information will allow Tahareinu to expedite appointments and collaborate with doctors who understand the community’s unique needs. The meetings also created a shared language, facilitating collaboration and efficient protocols.
In addition to meeting with doctors, Rabbi Melber strengthened Tahareinu’s ties with Baltimore’s rabbinic leadership, including Rabbi Aharon Feldman, Rabbi Yosef Berger, and Rabbi Moshe Heineman. These rabbanim have pro-
vided letters of support and hundreds of referrals, and this trip reaffirmed a shared commitment to expanding Tahareinu’s reach within Baltimore. Notably, the Vaad HaRabbanim of Baltimore has invited Tahareinu to present halachic seminars in the past, and their support is a tremendous endorsement of the work Rabbi Melber has spearheaded.
Rabbi Melber’s astounding breadth of knowledge in these areas impressed and inspired the many who stood to gain from it.
No less importantly, Rabbi Melber provided personal consultations with numerous local couples to review their specific fertility circumstances and delve deeper into possible solutions. As always, Tahareinu is available for in-depth case management, often resulting in the final Yeshua, B’Ezras Hashem.
Additionally, he engaged with kallah teachers, some of whom have taken Tahareinu’s training, and other local women’s health organizations, underscoring Tahareinu’s integral role in Baltimore’s health landscape.
Rabbi Melber concluded the trip with a powerful message: “No woman should ever suffer in silence.” Rabbi Melber committed to making Tahareinu accessible to every family, at every time.
He shared a story about meeting a local father who teaches at Ner Yisroel and whose son, living in Israel, recently became a father after five years of waiting. “Until yesterday, I had never heard of Tahareinu,” the father admitted, thinking other organizations would cover this need. However, Rabbi Melber explained that Tahareinu is a unique address for any women’s health issue, from basic newlywed questions to complex fertility cases, and for Baltimore families with loved ones in Israel, Tahareinu’s support network is available to guide and assist – truly like virtual parents.
Rabbi Melber’s visit was a significant milestone, not only building resources but also ensuring that the next generation of Baltimore’s families has a dedicated address for all their women’s health needs.
The impact is felt throughout the Baltimore Kehila and will continue to reverberate with many Simchos, with Hashem’s help.
WHY DOUBLETREE?
Beyond the Headlines
A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news
By Sivan Rahav Meir
In Memory of Zvi Kogan
Hy”d
Chabad emissary, Rabbi Tzvi Kogan Hy”d, was murdered in the Emirates. Videos circulating all over the media show him helping a fellow Jew put on tefillin, warmly embracing another Jewish person – and all with a bright smile.
Rabbi Kogan did so many good deeds and mitzvahs; the video shows just one minute of a life that was tragically cut short. Let’s add more mitzvahs to fill this great void.
The dedicated activity of Kogan and of his fellow Chabad shluchim in the UAE is an expression of Jewish pride and of our connection to our traditions. Our Jewish identity is the basis for the trust and mutual admiration between our two nations. It is this mutual respect that our enemies seek to destroy.
Our peace treaty is called the Abraham Accords after Avraham Avinu, the founder of our nation, whose teachings are a source of inspiration and blessing for the entire world. Whoever is on our side is blessed and will ultimately emerge victorious. As we read in the Torah portion two weeks ago, God said to Avraham: “And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and curse the one who curses you. And all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you.”
A Special Brit Milah
On Simchat Torah, a brave officer who dashed off to rescue his Jewish brothers and sisters in Kibbutz Nir Oz arrived too late to save the Kedem family.
This week, the officer (whose name can’t share due to his position in the IDF), celebrated the brit milah of his newborn son. He named the baby Kedem Tzuri, in memory of the family that perished at the hands of the Hamas terrorists.
Here is what the father wrote: “On Oct. 7 we broke into the houses in Kibbutz Nir Oz, but sadly, there
were many we could not rescue. The first house we entered was that of the Kedem-Siman Tov family. Five pure souls were blotted out — an entire family was lost to our people.
“Now with the birth and naming of my son, I feel that I personally have come full circle. Kedem [east, in Hebrew] Tzuri [my rock or my God, in Hebrew] will forever fix his gaze towards the light that illuminates the skies each morning from the east, perpetuating the Kedem family name.”
A Sefer Torah Restored in Memory of Keshet Casarotti
Keshet Casarotti became one of the symbols of the Nova Festival. This is what his mother, Natalia, wrote to me:
“What does a left-wing kibbutznik like me have to do with a Torah dedication ceremony? It’s because of my son, Keshet. Keshet drew closer to Judaism during the last two years of his life. He put on tefillin, memorized the ten psalms of the Tikkun Klali, and tried to observe Shabbat.
“On the evening of Simchat Torah, October 6, 2023, Keshet danced in the streets of Tel Aviv, holding the Torah scroll from the Bnei David shul. Everyone who saw him that evening spoke of the light radiating from his face, the immense joy he exuded. Later on, Keshet went to the Nova Festival with Shani Louk, Orion Hernandez, and other friends. They never returned.
“Over the past year, I’ve done various things in Keshet’s memory. Although I am staunchly secular, over the past year, I found myself lighting Shabbat candles, fasting on Yom Kippur for the first time in my life, and, most significantly, taking part in a project that takes damaged or invalid Torah scrolls, and repairs and restores them, giving them new life.
“I connected with this project primarily from an ecological and ideological perspective—nothing is discarded; everything is repurposed. A Torah scroll that has lived a full
life, served a community faithfully for decades, is renewed and brought to a new home. This project is open to other bereaved families interested in this kind of commemoration.
“The cover for the Torah scroll is made of embroidered squares that I, along with an incredible group of women, sewed together in memory of Keshet. The wood for the atzei chayim comes from trees burned on the morning of October 7 in the Gaza-border communities.
“So much symbolism, so much continuity; so much life within — and despite — the death.
“This week, the Torah scroll will be brought to the same synagogue in Tel Aviv where Keshet danced on Simchat Torah. I’ve never been to a Torah dedication ceremony before. From all the preparations, I under-
stand it’s a big event. The journey I’ve gone through from the moment I chose to take part in this project until its completion has brought me closer to Keshet, and, in some way, also closer to my roots and to Judaism.
“Dear God, if I’m already drawing closer, please, send our people home! Release the hostages now, protect the soldiers, return everyone to their families — and make peace among us!”
Translated by Yehoshua Siskin, Janine Muller Sherr
Want to read more by Sivan Rahav Meir? Google The Daily Thought or visit sivanrahavmeir.com
(L) Keshet Casarotti (R) invitation to the hachnasat sefer Torah.
(L) The Kedem family and (R) newborn baby Kedem Tzuri.
Zvi Kogan, Hyd
courtesy of MyZmanim and are for the 21209 area. Havdalah Zmanim are at 40 minutes past Shkiah.
Afew years ago, I came across a viral TikTok video where an influencer shared their “quick fix” for anxiety, claiming that simply “thinking positive” could instantly cure stress and worry. The video quickly garnered the attention of millions of viewers. As I perused the comments section, I noticed that the viewers were commenting how they “felt the same exact way.” However, what struck me most was the overwhelming number of people who started self-diagnosing their conditions based on trends they saw online. One person commented, “I must have ADHD because I can’t focus, but this will fix it!”
This moment captured the essence of pop psychiatry, a blend of psychiatric language and catchy advice, designed to resonate with a broad audience but dangerously oversimplified. Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have become breeding grounds for such content, where terms like “narcissism,” “gaslighting,” or “anxiety” are casually thrown around, often with little understanding of their true clinical meaning. For example, a common meme on Instagram might describe a “narcissistic” coworker who constantly seeks attention. While narcissism is a clinical term that refers to a personality disorder requiring professional evaluation, pop psychiatry has reduced it to a casual label
Health & F tness
Pop Psychiatry
By Rivka Kramer, PMHNP-BC
for anyone who displays self-centered behavior. Similarly, “gaslighting,” originally a term for a specific form of emotional abuse, has become a catch-all for any manipulative behavior, further blurring the line between its true definition and its colloquial use.
The widespread misuse of these terms creates confusion about what they actually mean, which can be harmful to those who may be experiencing real psychiatric conditions. It also makes it harder for individuals to seek appropriate treatment or understand the nuances of their own symptoms. In the worst cases, it may prevent people from seeking professional help because they believe they have already identified their problem based on a meme or a viral video.
While the intent may be to raise awareness, the rapid spread of these ideas often leads to confusion, misdiagnosis, and even harmful self-treatment, showing just how social media has reshaped our understanding of mental health, for better or worse. It’s almost like playing broken telephone. A large group of well-meaning individuals, having consumed a distorted depiction of a mental health issue, will go on to create a new, misleading video that will be seen by thousands, if not millions of others. From there, the “rabbit hole” algorithm fuels the swift spread of misinformation.
The Consequences of Oversimplification
The oversimplification of mental health diagnoses can have serious consequences. By reducing complex disorders to a few catchphrases or symptoms, pop psychiatry promotes the idea that mental health conditions are simple or predictable, when, in fact, they are nuanced and require careful evaluation by a professional.
For instance, consider the case of Adel, a 24-year-old woman who attended a mental health awareness event. Adel had been seeing online quizzes and TikTok videos suggesting that she had borderline personality disorder (BPD) due to her struggles with intense emotions and difficult relationships. After taking these quizzes and reading more about the disorder online, she self-diagnosed and felt a sense of validation. However, when she visited a psychiatrist, she learned that while she had some overlapping symptoms of BPD, she was actually dealing with generalized anxiety disorder and depression, two conditions that can present similarly but require different treatment approaches.
Adel’s story is not an isolated case. Self-diagnosis may seem harmless at first, but it can lead to unnecessary distress, confusion, and even harm. In many cases, it prevents individuals from seeking
the proper professional care they need. Mental health conditions, after all, are far more complicated than a social media meme or online quiz can convey. Accurate diagnosis involves thorough clinical interviews, medical history assessments, and sometimes even specialized tests, none of which are offered through pop psychiatry.
The Myth of “Depression as Just Sadness”
Society’s portrayals often reduce depression to mere sadness, leaving out the complexity of its emotional, physical, and psychological manifestations. This misconception can make those suffering from depression feel like their experiences don’t “measure up” to what they see on screen or read about online.
I remember a conversation with a friend, who had recently endured a severe depressive episode. Having grown up in a family where mental health was rarely discussed, she struggled to reconcile her feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, and fatigue with the portrayal of depression in social media. She would tell me, “I kept hearing that depression is just feeling sad, so why did I feel nothing? Not sadness, just an overwhelming sense of emptiness. I thought I was just weak or maybe faking it.”
Her experience underscores the dan-
ger of oversimplifying depression. Depression is often portrayed as sadness, when in reality it can manifest in many different ways, including anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure), apathy, physical symptoms like sleep disturbances, appetite changes, and a deep sense of emptiness. Society’s narrow portrayal of depression often fails to capture the complexity of the disorder, leaving people who suffer from it feeling invalidated and misunderstood.
The Problem with “Quick Fix” Solutions
One of the most troubling aspects of this phenomena is the rise of “quick fix” solutions for mental health problems. In an age where instant gratification reigns supreme, it’s no surprise that many influencers and self-help gurus offer simple solutions to complex psychiatric issues. These solutions often take the form of motivational speeches, 10-step plans, or mindfulness exercises, all of which are promoted as quick and easy fixes for deep-rooted mental health struggles. Complex issues generally demand more than just basic solutions.
Take, for example, Leah, a woman in her 30s who had been diagnosed with
bipolar disorder. After experiencing a manic episode, Leah turned to a popular self-help book. The book suggested that positive affirmations and visualizations were powerful tools to control one’s mood. Leah tried these techniques but quickly found that they made her feel worse. She didn’t understand why her
that oversimplifies psychiatric conditions can prevent people from accessing the comprehensive care they need.
The Need for Proper Education and Awareness
Despite the many downsides of pop psychiatry, there are also some positive
In an age where instant gratification reigns supreme, it’s no surprise that many influencers and self-help gurus offer simple solutions to complex psychiatric issues.
condition wasn’t improving despite her positive attitude and motivational efforts. While affirmations and self-reflection can be helpful for some people, they are not substitutes for professional care. In Leah’s case, her failure to seek appropriate treatment, such as medication or therapy, left her in a more vulnerable position. Social media’s focus on “feel-good” advice
aspects. The broader conversation about mental health has helped to break down stigma and encourage more people to seek help. Education begins with an understanding of the limits of self-diagnosis. It’s easy to be drawn into online quizzes or TikTok videos that claim to offer an explanation for one’s struggles, but these resources are rarely comprehen -
sive or reliable. The best way to approach mental health concerns is by consulting with a licensed mental health professional who can offer a tailored diagnosis and treatment plan.
Non-clinical psychiatric care has made mental health a topic of greater public discourse, but its oversimplification of psychiatric concepts has led to misconceptions and confusion. While the intention behind pop psychiatry is often positive, raising awareness and reducing stigma, the risks are clear. Mental health disorders are complex and multifaceted, and they require careful diagnosis and treatment by trained professionals.
As consumers of mental health advice, we must be vigilant in evaluating the information we encounter. It’s important to recognize the limitations of self-diagnosis and the importance of professional intervention.
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.
Mordy & Malka Green on the birth of a son
Mr. and Mrs. Eliezer Zweig on the birth of a daughter
Shmuel & Miriam Frankel on the birth of a son
Akiva & Yael Strum on the birth of a son
Gershon & Rivky Waxman on the birth of a daughter
Rafi & Dassy Selevan on the birth of twin daughters
Torah Thought In This Corner...
By Rabbi Zvi Teichman
Rivkah after having literally ‘fallen’ off her camel in love, when viewing her chosson Yitzchak approaching for the very first time, goes on to marry him and is the only one of all the Matriarchs about whom the Torah attests to her husband having loved her after marrying her.
The portrayal of this ‘match made in heaven’ continues this week encapsulating everything we know about their married and family life in this single portion.
From a superficial observation of their life and times as depicted here one wouldn’t gather much evidence indicating any glowing love and connection.
From the get-go they disagree over the manner in which the kids should be raised. There is nary one conversation between them. Rivkah continues to act independently apparently behind Yitzchak’s back in helping Yaakov maneuver the blessings away from Esav.
The only time any words are exchanged is in a one sided narrative as Rivkah seeks to encourage Yitzchak in sending Yaakov away to her family to find a spouse, she simply exasperates in front of Yitzchak about her dread over ‘a fate worse than death’ were Yaakov to marry one of the local prospects.
There is only one obviously positive moment presented in the entire story.
When seeking refuge from the famine, Yitzchak and Rivkah sought temporary residence in Gerar. Out of fear they may kill him to take his wife he tells the local lecherous folk that he is only her brother. Sometime later when their guard is down, Avimelech notices that they are ‘enjoying’ themselves together and realizes they are indeed husband and wife.
So, what are we to make out of all this? Were they a happy couple or a contentious and distant one?
When realizing many years have gone by and they are still childless they take to arduous prayer.
Rashi describes how each one stood in their separate corner and prayed.
Why couldn’t they pray side by side? What is implied with this obvious joint effort yet standing apart?
What was the exact nature of their prayer? What sentiments did they express?
Rav Elazar of Worms, popularly known as the Rokeach, a leading 12th century Talmudist and Kabbalist, reveals in his Siddur, that the segment at the end of the prayer of Nishmas we recite on Shabbos, where we say:
By the mouth of the upright shall You be exalted
— by the lips of the righteous shall You be blessed
— by the tongue of the devout shall You be sanctified
and amid the holy shall You be lauded, was authored by Yitzchak and Rivkah.
The order of these verses with the names of Yitzchak and Rivkah embedded, appear in Nusach Sefard every Shabbos and in Nusach Ashkenaz only on Rosh Hashana.
This, he quotes from others, was composed when they entreated G-d to merit children.
In fact, others allude to this prayer of Nishmas as having been recited by Yitzchak and Rivkah, as evidenced in the word used to describe their standing opposite one another in prayer, חכנ, which is a contraction of the words
How does this prayer, which has no apparent request and is rather an outpouring of praise and gratitude to G-d relate to their quest for children? The Talmud indeed refers to this ‘prayer’ as
, the Blessing of Song.
It has been discovered as well that the numerical value of קחצי (208) and הקבר (307) equals הריש (515), song!
What is this mode of prayer called ‘song’ that Yitzchak and Rivkah devised?
The Midrash, in describing the specifics of their entreaty informs us that what they were each praying for was that any child they were to be blessed with should be from the other as well. It wasn’t as much of a prayer for a child as it was an expression of their deep bond with one another. (ה גס ר"ב)
Perhaps it is the joyous life one lives and appreciates that extols the purpose of humanity; to thank and bless, praise and glorify, sing about, exalt and revere, sanctify and declare the sovereignty of Your Name, our King, continuously (from the Nishmas prayer), that compels G-d to endow us with the tools we so desire to promote His sovereignty.
The Holy Ari unveils that the last letters in the words describing Yitzchak’s entreaty, ותשא חכנל ה-ו-ה-יל, to G-d opposite his wife, spell out הוח, because in this union of Yitzchak and Rivkah lay the rectification of the dissension that developed between Adam and Chava that lead to their having sinned.
In this perfect union there was absolute understanding and respect. The metaphor of each one standing in their ‘individual’ corner expresses their each easily appreciating and accepting diverging approaches in their Avodas Hashem.
It began with the character trait of תורשי, moral uprightness that was displayed in their utter devotion to one another absent of any selfishness or egotism that would prevent them from working together.
It continued with תוקדצ, righteousness, a sense of duty and calling that was purely motivated by what would best serve the Honor of G-d. Despite their divergent views on how to deal with their children they each knew that the other operated solely by the ‘will of G-d’. In such an environment of trust they knew they would not have to fear the reaction of the other as each was acting with pure intentions.
Following their desire to attain levels of תודיסח — piety, or more specifically, going ןידה תרושמ םינפל — beyond the call of duty, their feelings for each other merely intensified as they worked ‘together’ for the sake of Heaven.
No wonder this couple who never fought and only admired one another are the only ones of all the Patriarchs and Matriarchs who are portrayed as a happy couple, קחצמ — ‘enjoying’ each other. (ח וב תישארב)
Finally, when the fear of Esav harming Yaakov and the need for Yaakov to flee arises, Rivkah needs merely to express her concern without any fear of Yitzchak’s reaction, that there isn’t even any need for a direct response by Yitzchak to Rivkah.
If one leads a life of harmony and selfless devotion to G-d, one’s soul will erupt with genuine joy.
When our lives express a ‘blessing of song’ we are assured that G-d will endow us with that which our hearts desire so we may continue to glorify his Name.
May we emulate the beautiful relationship of Yitzchak and Rivkah and thereby merit reciting a joyful Nishmas every moment of our lives.
May we merit that our deepest wishes be answered with that song!
You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ ohelmoshebaltimore.com
OVERVIEW PARSHA
Yaakov and Eisav, the twins of Yitzchok and Rivka, are born. Eisav emerges from the womb reddish and covered in hair, and Yaakov emerges grabbing the heel of Eisav. The boys grow up, and Yaakov buys the birthright from Eisav, for a bowl of lentil soup. Yitzchak moves to Gerar due to a famine; he prospers, and re-digs the wells of his father. Yaakov takes the blessings from Eisav, and Eisav plans to kill Yaakov. Yaakov runs away and is instructed to marry. Eisav marries Yishmael’s daughter.
The holy is where G-d is experienced as absolute presence.
TSorahparks
Inspiration Everywhere
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l
GEMATRIA
The Chasam Sofer says that the gematria (numerical value) of הקבר קחצי together is 515, which is the same as the gematria of הלפת , prayer.
He points out that קחצי and הקבר represent in Kabbalah the דוס (secret) of הליפת !
We learn from these great people the powerful nature of prayer and the importance of beseeching Hashem f or their needs.
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
Words - 1,432
Letters - 5,426
Mitzvos - 0
Thoughts in
QUICK VORT
Yitzchak and Rivka both prayed to Hashem, and the Torah tells us that Hashem listened to Yitzchak. Rashi explains that “The prayer of a tzadik ben tzadik is not comparable to the prayer of a tzadik ben rasha, that’s why he was answered, and not her.”
You would think that the prayer of a tzadik ben rasha (a righteous person that is the child of a wicked person) is greater because despite growing up and being surrounded by evil, that person left those evil ways behind!
HaRav Moshe Shternbuch shlit”a explains that the nisayon (challenge) of complacency is greater than the nisayon of being surrounded by evil and leaving it behind! As such, the challenge of Yitzchak growing up in a good home was in a way more difficult.
Yitzchak did not become complacent. He didn’t rely on his yichus (esteemed lineage). Instead, he w orked each day mighty hard to become the best person he possibly can.
Reb Avrahom Dov of Avritch, known as the Bas Ayin, says that Eisav is called לודג (bigger) because he is the source of all הואג, or haughtiness.
However, Yaakov is called ןטק, or small, because his nature was one of holiness fueled by humility.
The nature of the yidden is to live with an overall sense of humility, not seeing ourselves as lowly and bad, but seeing our greatness as a Divine gift and mission.
Points to
The Midrash says that Rivka stood by the House of Study and passed by the house of Idolatry.
Why the difference?
Also, the Midrash says that Yaakov Ran, but Rashi says that Eisav ran.
What’s going on?
Parshas Toldos
To Raise a Laugh
You Don’t Know Squanto
Some woman came over to my mother at a bank once, and asked, “Do Jews celebrate Thanksgiving?”
My mother said, “Some do; some don’t. We don’t.”
“You’re so lucky!” the woman said. “You don’t have to cook!”
Nevertheless, Thanksgiving is a time when people all over the country get together to celebrate things like religious freedom and the fact that a group of long-gone Pilgrims stopped dying except at the normal rate. Because if not for those Pilgrims, we wouldn’t have a country, unless you count all the explorers who settled in more tropical regions, like Manhattan.
The basic story involves a group of people called the Pilgrims, who were looking to get out of England so they could have more religious freedom. Eventually, they were approached by the London Company, who told them that if they went, they could catch animals and trade furs.
For money. Not for other furs.
They set sail on two ships. One of those ships was called the Speedwell, which was so called because it began to leak almost immediately after they left the dock. So everyone went back to England, where they all squished onto their other boat – the Mayflower, which is a pretty name for a hundred-foot boat that held 132 people plus goats, birds, and dogs for over two months. It did not smell like a Mayflower.
They finally left England in September, 1620, and they landed at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in November, which is not the prettiest time to go to Cape Cod. And they were pretty upset, because they were supposed to be aiming for Virginia.
But what do you want? There was no GPS. There were paper maps, but they lost those when the goats got loose.
Anyway, the Pilgrims landed in New England right before the winter, with no food, no supplies, and no shelter. By the end of the first winter, there were 53 people left. They had better luck during the summer, though.
In March, they happened to luck into a Native American named “Squanto”, who happened to know English because he was once kidnapped and brought to England as a slave, at which point he escaped and made his way back to America, only to find that his tribe had been wiped out by a plague brought over by the people who’d kidnapped him, so he had to join another tribe, which, as it turned out, was the very same tribe the settlers ran into! Talk about Hashgacha pratis! Not that he was sore.
And boy did Squanto come in handy. According to my research, he taught them:
1. How to plant corn. (Corn is hard. What part do you even plant?)
2. How to avoid plants that were poisonous. (“It’s not like they chase you,” he said.)
3. How to use alewives as fertilizer for their crops.
4. That alewives are a kind of herring, not a kind of wives.
5. How to catch local animals such as turkeys, which are exactly like chickens, but terrifying. Especially during kaparos.
So I don’t know what the settlers were thinking. It’s like they didn’t even bring anyone over who had any basic survival skills. They didn’t know how to catch animals? Weren’t they there to trade furs? It’s like the colonists were actively trying to kill themselves.
But despite everyone dying, the Pilgrims decided to celebrate, because if history teaches us anything, it’s that you can’t live in the past.
So in the fall of 1621, they started preparing a festival. They don’t remember when they celebrated it, but they know it was on a Thursday. They didn’t even know it was an official Thanksgiving. They thought it was just a fall harvest festival, which is something that people had been doing for thousands of years, which is when you bring all your crops in from the field, and then you try to eat them all at once before they go bad. The first actual “Thanksgiving” meal that they had was two years later, in 1623, after it didn’t rain for a while, and then it did. They had a Thanks-
By Mordechai Schmutter
giving Day feast, in the rain. People died. So what people think is Thanksgiving is actually a composite of two events.
In fact, on the first Thanksgiving or whatever, they weren’t even going to invite the Indians, because they had to draw the line on the guest list somewhere. But then the Indians heard gunfire, so they ran in with all their weapons, and the Pilgrims were like, “No, no, we’re getting ready for our feast. We’re hunting corn.”
So now they had to invite the Indians. And Squanto, so he could teach them how to cook.
After the feast, everyone pretty much forgot about it, until 1863, when Lincoln decided to institute the holiday on the last day in November to try to avoid the Civil War. After all, the Pilgrims and the Native Americans ate together, and they didn’t kill each other that much for at least the next 50 years.
It didn’t work. Right after the holiday, everyone ran out and started killing each other over reasonably-priced gift items.
Then, in 1939, Franklin Roosevelt decided to move the holiday to a randomly-moving day in November, so he could have a long weekend.
So in summary, Thanksgiving was established in both 1863 and 1939 to commemorate an event that didn’t actually happen in 1621, but sort of happened in 1623 based on a misunderstanding. Though you’ve got to say that as far as secular holidays go, it’s not the worst reason to have one. It’s better than celebrating groundhogs. It’s actually sitting around a table and being thankful for the things you have, until about 6:00, when you run out to the store to buy more things.
Or, if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, you can at least be thankful that you don’t have to cook.
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.
I GO TO CAMP, JUST LIKE YOU.
As a camper at Camp Morasha, I spend my summer surrounded by friends. I dive into activities like swimming and sports, where every day is an adventure filled with laughter and excitement.
Thanks to these unforgettable experiences, summer has become my favorite time of the year.
Mental Health Corner
Unresolved Grief
When a child loses a parent, there are many emotional ripples that affect the child. Some of them will affect him or her in the short-term, and some will manifest themselves down the road as they emerge into adulthood.
Unresolved grief may have some apparent implications such as irritability, fear of loss, and self-harming behaviors. Very often, there are no outward signs of any problems. But underneath, there is an emotional void that can greatly affect one’s long-term emotional wellness.
In order to illustrate this point, we decided to forgo our typical format, and instead of a technical article, we spoke to a real person who is living through this and we will let his words speak for themselves. This is a twen-
Speaking from the heart is not so easy for me. In fact, at this point in my life it is almost impossible. My heart is in a distant place and living with emotion is something that I have not really experienced for years. That is really a product of my past. In order to live a normal life, this was the only option.
Nine years ago, my father lost his lifelong battle with cancer. As an 11-year-old, I was nowhere near ready to experience this loss. Not that I fully grasped what it meant, but the emotions were too real to neglect. Gone were the camping trips and baseball games. Gone was the bonding and connection. My mother pushed me to different support groups and therapists, but I was not having any of it. It wasn’t for me. I was
Fast forward to twelfth grade. I was home alone finishing up some homework. I heard a knock on the door. It was the police. My older brother tragically had died without warning. It was an utter shock.
It is amazing that in one single moment your world can be flipped on its head. Everything becomes so trivial in the face of death. Your power and control are ripped from you and there is nothing that you can do. Nothing can prepare you for moments like that. You are forced to let the deep waves of emotions come down one after the other. It is a matter of rolling with the punches without letting the waves sink you deep in the waters of your despair.
Experiencing pain and looking grief straight in the eyes takes the utmost courage. The short-term and
easier solution is to live in the moment and not think about it.
On an intellectual level, I have memories of these tragic moments, and some are more vivid than others. But any emotional connection has really been removed. Living through my life has been so real and so raw that I had no choice but to block out my emotions and ignore them. This in turn has drastically affected my emotional connection to these seminal moments of my life. I know that I have work to do, and I hope to not repeat the mistakes of my childhood and to reach out for help.
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 410-448-8356 or at yslansky@reliefhelp.org
Chai Lifeline to Honor Baltimore’s Dr. David J. Hackam at December 17 National Gala
Chai Lifeline, the Jewish community’s leading children’s health and crisis support network, will recognize the extraordinary contributions of Dr. David J. Hackam, Pediatric Surgeonin-Chief and Co-Director at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, with the Maimonides Medical Achievement Award at its National Gala on December 17, 2024, at Pier Sixty in New York City. The evening’s theme, “Shining Together,” celebrates the remarkable dedication of individuals like Dr. Hackam, whose work brings hope and healing to countless families facing serious medical challenges.
Dr. Hackam is globally recognized for his pioneering work in pediatric surgery, specifically for his groundbreaking research on necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)—a devastating disease that primarily affects premature infants and remains one of the leading causes of death from gastrointestinal issues in newborns. Driven by a commitment to improving outcomes for these vulnerable patients, Dr. Hackam has developed innovative therapies and new treatment protocols, transforming understanding and care for this critical condition.
Dr. Hackam’s dedication extends beyond his surgical expertise. His research, funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health for over two decades, explores the root causes and treatment options for NEC. His work has resulted in several patents for promising drugs that could prevent NEC’s onset, bringing hope to families and advancing the future of pediatric healthcare. In addition,
Dr. Hackam’s efforts in mentoring the next generation of surgeon-scientists highlight his commitment to shaping the future of medical care.
“Dr. Hackam embodies the values that define Chai Lifeline—dedication, compassion, and the relentless pursuit of healing,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “His contributions have transformed the lives of countless families, and we are honored to celebrate his achievements at this year’s gala. Through his work, he brings hope and new possibilities to families facing heartbreaking diagnoses.”
“Our close relationship with Johns Hopkins and other world-class hospitals has allowed Chai Lifeline to support families facing the most complex medical situations,” said Racheli Daniel, Director of Chai Lifeline’s Mid-Atlantic Region. “Dr. Hackam’s unwavering dedication to his patients has had a profound impact on so many of our families
here in Baltimore and beyond. We are deeply grateful for his friendship and commitment to our community.”
In addition to Dr. Hackam, Chai Lifeline will honor Rabbi Chaim and Chavie Bruk, co-CEOs of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana and proud Chai Lifeline parents, with the Champions of Hope Award. The gala will also feature a special musical performance by renowned Israeli singer-songwriter Shmuel.
Funds raised will support more than 6,000 families around the world through Chai Lifeline’s essential programs and services, including case management, crisis intervention, financial assistance, insurance advocacy, counseling, meals, transportation to medical appointments, i-Shine afterschool programming, Camp Simcha, and more, all offered at no cost to families.
For more information, tickets, or sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.chaidinner.org.
Moishe was furious when his steak arrived too rare.
“Waiter,” he shouted, “didn’t you hear me say ‘well done’?”
“I can’t thank you enough, sir,” replied Yankel the waiter. “We hardly ever get compliments here.” ***
Why did the turkey cross the road?
Because it was Thanksgiving Day, and he wanted people to think he was a chicken!
There was a man walking in the desert. It was an especially hot day that day. In the distance, the man suddenly saw a restaurant. He rejoiced and ran to the restaurant and immediately asked the waiter for a glass of water. Instead, the waiter pulled out a gun and pointed it at the man’s head. The man replied with “thank you.” Why was the man so appreciative?
Answer: It was a water gun.
Turkey Trivia
1. Which of the following is a real Turkish word?
a. Gülümk
b. Mifso
c. Gulup
d. Muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine
2. What is the capital of Turkey?
a. Istanbul
b. Ankara
c. İzmir
d. Jalalabad
3. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan built himself a new palace in 2014. What was the approximate cost of building the palace?
a. $42 million
b. $107 million
c. $640 million
d. $1.2 billion
4. How many countries border Turkey?
a. 3
b. 4
c. 8
d. 12
5. What is traditionally served alongside Turkish coffee?
a. A glass of water
b. Sugar cubes
c. Tea biscuits
d. Snuff tobacco
6. Modern day Turkey was created in 1923, when the Ottoman Empire ended. Approximately how long did the Ottoman Empire last for?
a. 30 years
b. 600 years
c. 1,200 years
d. 1,500 years
Answers
Iraq, Syria, Bulgaria, Greece, and Georgia.
5-A. A small glass of water is usual-ly served with Turkish coffee because drinking water before coffee helps the taste buds feel the real taste of coffee, and after that it helps to rinse your throat from the unfiltered pieces of coffee.
1-D. It means, “As though you are from those whom we may not be able to easily make into a maker of unsuccessful ones.” Huh? I think it’s easier to understand Muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine!
2-B
3-C. Erdogan’s home is 30 times the size of the White House and is believed to be the largest palace built, anywhere in the world, for more than 100 years. $9 million was spent on red carpets and another $6.5 million was spent on 400 pairs of 10-foot-high double doors.
4-C. The eight countries that share a border with Turkey are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran,
6-B. At its height, the Ottoman Empire encompassed most of southeastern Europe to the gates of Vienna, including present-day Hungary, the Balkan region, Greece, and parts of Ukraine; portions of the Middle East now occupied by Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Egypt; North Africa as far west as Algeria; and large parts of the Arabian Peninsula. From 1914 to 1923, the Ottoman Empire exterminated and exiled 1.5 million Armenians (an ethnic group in Turkey), in a slaughter that is now known as the Armenian Genocide.
Wisdom key
5-6 correct: Let me guess—you probably know how to spell Muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine, too.
2-4 correct: You’re a little sleepy. You may want to try some Turkish coffee.
0-1 correct: How do you celebrate Thanksgiving if you don’t even know anything about the country that we are celebrating?
Notable Quotes
“Say What?!”
All of the parents of the room know that being a parent is probably the hardest job all of us have and we screw up a lot, and I’ve screwed up a lot as a parent. So I don’t want to seem like I’m some expert in parenting, because I’m certainly not that.
- Tom Brady speaking at the Fortune Global Forum
The blessing my parents gave me was when I was that longshot as a kid who was a backup quarterback on a freshman team, they never said, “Man, don’t do that. It’s going to be too hard. Let’s do something different. Let’s think about another backup plan.” They kind of said, “You know what? Go for it. Whatever you wanna be, go for it.” - ibid.
Too often we’re just not plain-spoken enough and frankly we’re too nice and too modest and stand on virtue.
- Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) on CNN explaining why the Democrats lost
Me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail; I’m willing to put him in jail.
- Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming “border czar,” responding on Fox News to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston saying that he would be willing to go to jail to protect illegal aliens from deportation
I think these people are goofy. They hate George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head.
- Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) talking about the woke left on Fox News
These people carry around Ziplock bags of kale. I mean, to me, kale tastes like, well, I’d rather be fat. – ibid.
Israel Rabbi Who Disappeared in Dubai Is Found Dead
- Headline in the Jew-hating New York Times , after Rabbi Zvi
When Putin occupied us and full-scale war began, I asked Israel’s leaders to help us and support, but they’ve been afraid of Putin.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticizing Israel for its reluctance to provide Ukraine with significant military aid following Russia’s 2022 invasion
I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – but to no avail. Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our Country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before. Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
- President-elect Trump on Truth Social
Kogan was brutally kidnapped and murdered by ISIS terrorists in Dubai
Where were you on October 7?
– Bill Clinton to a pro-Hamas heckler during an interview at the Beacon Theatre with Billy Crystal
It’s very easy to criticize Israel from the comfort of where we are tonight.
- ibid.
If you are going to help the ICC as a nation and force the arrest warrant against Bibi and Gallant, the former defense minister, I will put sanctions on you as a nation.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C), after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
You’re gonna have to pick the rogue ICC versus America. I’m working with Tom Cotton to have legislation passed as soon as we can to sanction any country that aids and abets the arrest of any politician in Israel. What they’re doing in Israel is trying to prevent a second Holocaust. So, to any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, if you try to help the ICC, we’re gonna sanction you.
- Ibid.
There isn’t any genocide in Gaza. There is no such thing as Palestine.
- Donald Trump’s senior director for counter-terrorism Sebastian Gorka in a recent interview
President Trump stands shoulder to shoulder with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and our brethren, our brothers, our friends in Israel, whose job it is right now to destroy every stinking jihadi.
- ibid.
You know what? It’s really weird. I don’t believe the Hamas Department of Health statistics.
- ibid., when asked about the Hamas claim of 44,000 deaths in Gaza
Laken Riley’s killer never stood a chance.
-MSNBC headline after the killer of Laken Riley was found guilty
Beware of white progressives who project their own ideological biases onto working-class communities of color. Here’s the ground-level truth. If you’re a young man of color struggling to pay your rent, put food on the table, and keep your family afloat, the furthest issue on your mind is a conflict 5,000 miles away. The existential issue for you is inflation. The crippling cost of living is the cause of your discontent. Anyone claiming otherwise is representing their own ideological imagination rather than reality.
- Tweet by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY)
Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…
Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
My brother is an amazing guy, and my parents have kept his dating pretty quiet from me and my siblings. Most of us are married, and truth be told, we are really curious and think we could help out with the process of weeding out suggestions/giving our opinions on potential shidduchim for him. Our parents refuse to involve us in any way. They won’t even name drop the names of girls who are mentioned. My sisters and I know one girl that we recently only found out afterwards he had dated (we found out through a mutual friend) –they had apparently dated for over a month and it ended for reasons I could have told him from the way beginning – it would never have worked. Should we pressure our parents for us to get involved? How should we approach this?
Thank you, The Klein Girls*
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
The Rebbetzin
Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.
Respect the choice of your parents and your brother. They have their reasons for not sharing shidduch suggestions with you. It’s not your role to pressure them. This is not a family project nor is it a right to weigh in. Pressure? Of course not. Learn to be dignified and respectful. It seems like the sisters chat between themselves. It is probably one of several reasons why they are not including you.
The Shadchan
Michelle Mond
Give your brother space and trust your parents’ judgement. I know you and your siblings want to be involved. This comes from a loving place. However, it is not what he wants or needs right now. One of the trickiest
parts of being in a relationship, whether it be a sibling relationship, friendship, or marriage, is giving the other person what they need, even if it’s not what you would have wanted.
I know what you’re thinking: your involvement could help him immensely and potentially avoid hurt. I do have another perspective, though. I have encountered countless stories of couples who have ended up getting married whose close relatives rejected the shidduch originally. The negativity and seemingly harmless comments such as, “he’s so not for you,” “he’s not your type,” or “you’ll never go for him” had prevented these shidduchim from going forward earlier on. Eventually, though, through siyata dishmaya, the couples made it to each other eventually. You truly have no idea what you are doing when you try to play G-d. Let go and let your brother and your parents handle his dating. Trust me, you do not want the onus of responsibility for rejecting a match that ends up being the right one years later!
Pulling It All Together
The Navidaters
Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
Dear Klein Girls,
Thank you for writing! Many people in caring and close-knit families wonder if they should get involved and say something. Clearly, you want what is best for your brother. In my humble opinion, I don’t believe it is wise for anyone to get involved without express permission from the person who is directly impacted, in your case, your brother. If you find yourself really wanting to be involved, ask your brother about that.
The idea that we could have prevented something bad or even potentially catastrophic is very…human. I think we’ve all felt this way from time to time. “Had I only known!” or “Had I only said something.” It brings up so many questions about our role in our relationships and in fate at large. I certainly don’t have the answers to the great philosophical questions here on Earth. What I do feel fairly comfortable speaking about are…boundaries.
The Zaidy
Dr. Jeffrey Galler
Over Pesach, I had the pleasure of watching three delightful granddaughters fuss over, and lord over, their baby brother.
Each diaper change was coordinated with the precision of a pit stop at the Monaco Grand Prix, each sister playing a vital role in the operation.
Each meal featured sisters competitively demonstrating the tactical superiority of different techniques for successfully spooning offerings of mashed carrots into the mouth of the young prince.
In between meals, each sister came up with differing strategies for teaching him how to properly crawl. Each sister took turns with variations of peek-a-boo to triumphantly elicit a cute giggle.
What’s my point here?
Psychologists report that older sisters may feel a natural inclination to protect and care for their younger sibling, especially in a family environment where they enjoyed taking on a caregiving role.
However, please understand and accept that if your baby brother is old enough to go on dates, then he is old enough to decide whether his older sisters should be involved in his dating life.
It seems obvious that your parents have chosen to handle his shidduch pro -
Healthy boundaries keep families healthy and close and emotionally safe. Boundaries are a way to help people feel safe in the space between them. Imagine a door between you and your brother. You and your brother are on either sides of the door. If you open the door, you may walk into a scenario that one of you or both of you is (are) not comfortable with. Knocking on the door on your part says, “I want to know if it is safe to proceed because I value your comfort.” And for him, it puts
Healthy boundaries keep families healthy and close and emotionally safe.
cess in a private, quiet, and dignified manner. What is not so obvious is how your brother feels about this issue.
It’s safe to assume that you have your brother’s phone number. Why not ask him directly if he chooses to keep his dating life private, or if he would welcome input and involvement from his experienced sisters?
It’s easy to understand that you and your sisters are more aware of potential dangers in the world of dating and feel a heightened sense of responsibility to keep your brother safe, but this can lead to overprotective behavior.
Perhaps your brother retains memories of his older sisters gleefully helping spoon offerings of mashed carrots down his throat and wishes to avoid a similar, circus-like atmosphere in his dating life. Although you really could be very helpful to your brother, you might need to respect his desire to retain autonomy in this very personal aspect of his life.
him in charge of his space, and he knows you respect him. What does “knocking” look like practically? “How would you feel about X?” “If I know something about someone, do you want me to tell you?” If you’d like to knock on this door, by all means, knock. It is then his choice whether or not to let you in. And that choice needs to be respected.
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.
More Than Just Tradition
Avraham
Kaplan’s Journey from Actor to Orthodox Jew
By Malkie SchulMan
It’s hard to believe that, at just 26, Avraham Kaplan (aka Dylan Kaplan) has already achieved so much. From acting and producing plays both on and off Broadway and receiving a Tony Award win, to pivoting into venture capital that supports Israeli business startups – and all while becoming a fully observant Jew – Avraham’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.
“I’m a future-oriented person,” Avraham says. “I plan things out years in advance. There’s the famous saying, ‘Man makes plans, and G-d laughs.’ I always make plans, and G-d usually gives me what I want, just not on my timetable.”
For Avraham, the difference is that when his wishes have been granted, they’ve often come far sooner than he expected, unlike most people who may see their dreams fulfilled but usually much later than planned.
“Originally, I thought I’d be a commercial Broadway producer by age 30. If someone had told me that by age 22, I’d have my first commercial Broadway show win a Tony Award, I would have thought they were nuts.”
help Israeli startups after my work on Broadway, I’d have said, ‘No way.’ I joined the MBA program at NYU Stern to eventually work in streaming for companies like Amazon and Netflix.” Nevertheless, by age 23, Avraham had already been accepted into the top MBA program and, even now, he’s well ahead of his planned trajectory in venture capital.
“I made plans, but G-d this time had other plans for me. You just have to have emunah and understand there is a divine plan.”
At just 22, when people asked him, “So, what now?” Avraham admits he was taken aback because he hadn’t planned for such early success.
“If you’d told me I’d move into venture capital to
His new goal? To become Israel’s Minister of Culture—though this time, he’s not putting an age cap on it.
From Stage to Soul
Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Avraham is a fifth-generation American, the middle child in a family of three sons.
“Ever since I was a kid, I loved the arts. I’ve been singing, dancing, and performing since I was 12 years old,” he shares.
The Kaplan family belonged to a Reform temple, and Avraham and his brothers attended Hebrew school.
“I’d say my love of music was my first connection to Judaism because it led me to prayer. As a young teen, I joined a temple choir,” he recalls. “I was a 15-year-old singing with 70-yearolds. I loved it. I even had a solo with the cantor.” Avraham once considered becoming a cantor him-
self. A pivotal moment in Avraham’s life was watching Fiddler on the Roof for the first time. (He has since seen it 15 more times.)
“I saw Tevye talking to G-d, and I thought, ‘If Tevye can talk to G-d, why can’t I?’ I realized I didn’t need to know all the laws first – I could just talk to Him.”
From then on, as a young teenager, Avraham would walk his dog at night and spend that time talking to G-d.
“Of course, I had no idea at the time about the concept of hisbodedus ,” he says, “and I certainly made no mention of what I was doing to my parents and brothers.”
After high school, Avraham pursued his dreams of becoming an actor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Though his dog had passed away in his senior year, Avraham continued his reflective walks, now talking to G-d on his own. He joined Hillel and Meor, two campus outreach programs, and took his first Birthright trip to Israel with his older brother.
“That trip shaped my identity in a way that Reform Judaism never did. Standing at the Western Wall, visiting David’s Tomb, and touring Yad Vashem left a lasting impact,” he relates.
“My brother saw it as a fun trip, but for me, it was transformative. Those places brought me closer to my roots as a Jew.”
Playing “Jewish” parts in school and community theater was one thing; experiencing the real essence of Jewish identity was entirely different.
Initially, Avraham thought the answer to his newfound spiritual connection lay in Zionism and connecting with the land of Israel. He even considered joining the IDF and making aliyah, but his parents urged him to return home.
“I came home and finished my second semester of freshman year. But something felt missing,” he reflects.
While continuing his acting studies, Avraham felt spiritually empty. He began davening three times a day, starting with the Shemoneh Esrei in English. Though his Hebrew was still lacking, he found comfort in the knowledge that G-d understands all languages.
When his rabbi invited him on another free trip to Israel that summer, Avraham saw it as a sign that there was more for him to discover there. He ended up at Machon Shlomo, an intellectually rigorous yeshiva catering to Jewish Ivy League students seeking a deeper connection to Judaism.
“It was incredible – brilliant people connecting with G-d. I wanted to stay and do a gap year.” His parents, however, feared he’d turn into a “fanatic” Orthodox Jew, with the whole black hat and peyos look.
“I joked with them, saying, ‘But the penguins look so happy. They seem to understand the meaning of life.’”
Despite his lighthearted attempts to ease their concerns, Avraham was deeply torn. He recalls going to the Kotel and crying, “Hashem, why did You bring me back to Israel only to send me home?”
Back in the U.S., Avraham spent three more years searching for religious fulfillment. As a Reform Jew in Florida, he hadn’t met Orthodox Jews, but after becoming observant, he discovered Miami’s vibrant Orthodox community.
“Before I met an Orthodox Jew, I saw them on the subway in New York and thought they were Amish,” he laughs. He also recalls in that early period being approached by black-hatted people on the street, asking if he was Jewish and if he wanted to put on tefillin, and realizing they were Jews (Chabad), though different-looking ones.
thinking, ‘Uh oh, have I missed out on finding an Orthodox wife?”
This prompted him to mention to a friend that he felt ready to meet a nice Jewish girl and settle down. She directed him to Rabbi Mark Wildes at the Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE).
“That’s where I encountered modern Orthodoxy – a new concept for me.”
Avraham joined the MJE fellowship and began taking on kashrus and tzinius. Rabbi Wildes later recommended that he study at Yeshiva University. “I asked if it was a yeshiva or a university,” Avraham recalls. “‘That’s been the kasha for 50 years!’ Rabbi Wildes answered with a laugh.”
Immersing himself in classes on Rambam, prayer, and halacha, Avraham was guided by influential figures such as Rabbi Mordechai Becher and Rabbi Benjamin Blech. However, when COVID-19 hit, everything changed. “It was the end of the world, everything shut down and I returned to Florida.”
During those years after Israel, Avraham explored various levels of observance, including Conservadox – which didn’t make sense to him. “They ate kosher at home but outside of the home, they’d eat non-kosher.” He also spent time dancing at Chabad Farbrengens in Crown Heights. “But the black hats felt intense and a little intimidating. Maybe one day, I thought.”
In his senior year of college, Avraham took a class that mentioned Orthodox Jewish boys marry between the ages of 19 and 21 (he’s since learned that that’s not actually accurate). “Here I was, 21 turning 22, and
Six months later, however, Avraham was back in New York, learning for a few months at Sh’or Yoshuv in Far Rockaway before returning to Israel for further study at Aish HaTorah and Shapell’s, deepening his mitzvah observance, particularly the mitzvah of tefillin which, he maintains, is what spiritually grounds him every day.
Returning to New York as a fully observant Jew was not without its difficulties. Avraham faced challenges, including an anti-Semitic incident where he was punched in the shoulder while walking in Manhattan.
“As a result, I struggle with wearing my kippa in public,” he admits. “On one hand, you’re not supposed to put yourself in a dangerous situation. On the other hand, I sometimes feel that if I had more emunah, I’d feel comfortable wearing it everywhere.” Though he doesn’t always wear it visibly, he carries it with him, ready to put it on when he feels safe. “But every day I re-contemplate wearing it in public.”
Tradition Meets Ambition
Reflecting on his ca reer journey, Avra ham shares how it unfolded alongside his evolving commitment to Judaism, as he shifted from acting to producing on Broadway and ultimately to where he is today – venture capital.
Already after freshman year, Avraham realized that acting would not be his primary fo cus. As a practicing Jew, he was unwilling to place his craft above everything else, as his professors had advised.
“I wanted to observe Shabbat and kashrut and have a family. I realized that an acting career would make that difficult,” Avraham shares. “I didn’t want to be away on national tours when I was a dad.”
This realization led him to the world of producing, where he felt he could maintain his religious commitments while staying in the theater industry. Over that first summer after returning from Machon Shlomo, Avraham participated in his first Off-Broadway theater festival as both a director and producer, working on two shows.
“From that summer onwards, though still a student, I was simultaneously directing and producing Off-Broadway shows.” Between the years 2017 and 2019, Avraham directed and produced five Off-Broadway shows.
Through networking, Avraham met Jim Kierstead, who would later become his business partner. Kierstead offered him an internship during his senior year, providing Avraham with a connection that led to his involvement with Company The Musical, a major Broadway production that ultimately earned Avraham his first Tony Award. Avraham also had the opportunity to work on trying to bring productions such as King Kong, The Color Purple, and Fiddler on the Roof
I saw Tevye talking to G-d, and I thought, ‘If Tevye can talk to G-d, why can’t I?’
in Yiddish to China. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19’s outbreak, these projects didn’t pan out.
Unlike lead producers, who are responsible for selecting the show, director, and creative team, and executive producers, who handle finances and operations, co-producers focus on fundraising.
Thus, Avraham’s primary responsibility was to raise funds and bring in investors, sharing pitch decks and securing financial backing.
“It’s a crucial job,” he notes, “but Off-Broadway was different. The smaller theater model meant I could be more hands-on.
I directed and attended auditions, and while I usually trusted the director’s choices, I could veto casting decisions if needed.”
Though his primary focus was financial, Avraham emphasizes the importance of having a theater background and an artistic lens to budget for essential elements like lighting, costumes, and overall production.
Following the success of Company, Kierstead pitched him another project— Sweeney Todd—which later received a Tony and Grammy nomination. This success opened the door for Avraham to be regularly approached with new opportunities, including other award-winning plays such as & Juliet and The Who’s Tommy The Musical.
It’s interesting to note that Avraham’s professional breakthroughs were happening at the same time as his spiritual breakthroughs.
“I went to Aish Hatorah in January 2021 at the same time I was finishing my master’s in performing arts administration at NYU Steinhardt. I worked with the vice president of acquisitions for the Broadway on Demand streaming platform while in yeshiva in Israel and also, while there, received an Emmy nomination for the Broadway Masterclass series I’d helped produce.”
Because of the pandemic, the opening of Company was delayed for two years. Avraham was in Shapell’s when it premiered in the winter of 2022.
The Wizard Behind the Curtain
It hasn’t been a seamless path for Avraham, an Orthodox Jew, working on Broadway (although it mostly has).
“Until October 7, that fact was a non-issue,” he reflects. “But since then, it’s become apparent that where I stand is different from most of my colleagues.”
In general, Avraham stays apolitical at work, but when Israel was attacked, he decided to spearhead a Broadway for Israel concert.
“An Israeli friend cautioned me to get it done fast,” Avraham recalls. “‘Now America is behind Israel,’ he said to me, ‘but their pro-Israel sentiment will change fast.’ Unfortunately, history has proven him right.”
Avraham admits it was like pulling teeth to get his colleagues on board. Performers feared backlash from the media toward the Jewish community. They said, “The media will blacklist us.” They were afraid (sadly, without undue cause) of antisemitism. This was after the industry’s year of pride in diversity. Leopoldstadt, a play about a Jewish family’s struggles and resilience across generations in Vienna, had just come out.
“I really thought Broadway would rally behind Israel,” maintains Avraham. “It definitely tainted my view of the industry. It showed me who the ‘wizard’ really was (the man behind the curtain).”
When Broadway Cares, a non-profit organization, decided to send money for humanitarian aid to Gaza, Avraham was further disappointed.
Because they couldn’t get Broadway talent to do an event that openly displayed support for Israel as a country, they decided to rewrite the narrative and make it in support of the hostages. In the end, in a YouTube music video, the actors (Jewish and non-Jewish) performed a rendition of “Bring Him (Them) Home” from the Broadway hit, Les Misérables.
Still, Avraham feels Broadway has good intentions – it’s just that you can’t be on both teams.
“They want to support everyone, even the bad guys. In real life, that doesn’t work.”
Of course, the scariest part of post-October 7 was the 700% rise in antisemitism in America that occurred a mere two months later, especially across college campuses. Avraham describes what happened on NYU’s campus: “Pro-Palestinians threw pig blood on the university president’s doorstep and accused her of supporting genocide. The protesters made an encampment on the NYU plaza, making it uncomfortable and dangerous for Jewish students to pass. I told the administration they had to shut them down. Thankfully, the school listened. 135 people were arrested, the school built a wall, and anyone entering the plaza was now required to show ID. Unfortunately, other universities weren’t as willing to make the necessary changes.” Avraham’s Jewish friends at Columbia told him, “Whatever you’re seeing on the media that’s going on here, just know, it’s even worse than they’re portraying!”
Remarkably, as a result of these incidents, more Jews have joined the MBA Jewish club. “They’re open to admitting they’re Jews,” Avraham notes, “and, out of a sense of community, are joining. We have Jewish alumni calling us up to speak. The Israel-American Council reached out to partner with us. Other institutes are reaching out and asking how they can help. Pre-October 7, this wasn’t happening.”
These events have sparked a new wave of support for Israel notably, and contrary to what the media portrays, with many Reform Jews, although some still keep a low profile due to fear of antisemitism. Kiruv organizations are also seeing more interest in Judaism, and there’s been an uptick in Chabad activity on campus.
A Vision for the Future
The billion-dollar question is why, if he was doing so well on Broadway, Avraham shifted to venture capital for Israeli startups.
“I was sitting in a bar and met a venture capital mentor from my MBA program,” Avraham relates. “He asked me what I did. I told him I was a Broadway producer. ‘Sounds like you’d be great at venture
capital,’ he said to me. ‘You have the same skillset.’”
Avraham had planned on staying in entertainment but helping Israeli businesses sounded intriguing and meaningful. He’d fallen in love with Israel the first time he visited.
“I planned on eventually making aliyah ever since my first Birthright trip.”
Helping to build up the tech industry in the country felt like the right next step. So, with his impressive experience in the entertainment field Avraham pivoted to his next career. Today, he attends tech events and competitions, specifically in robotics and AI, and scouts for startups that show great potential. As a venture capitalist, his job is to find investors willing to fund new high-tech businesses.
Though for the meantime Avraham plans on continuing his work in venture capital, eventually, his dream is to be the Israeli Minister of Culture. He has many ideas for innovation and improvement in Jewish culture and the arts in Israel.
“I’d like to see theater that celebrates Jewish culture. Most of the world doesn’t know about our culture. They see Israel as a 70-year-old country, not as one that is a few thousand years old. In America, when we have Jewish Heritage Month, my non-Jewish friends come up to me and apologize for the Holocaust. That’s not all that we’re about,” Avraham maintains.
“I don’t think Israel and the Jewish people need others to feel sad for them. I’d like them to see us as being strong. Simcha is the answer – celebrating our culture, not dwelling on antisemitism. I think we should be celebrating our achievement that despite millennia of antisemitism, we are accomplishing so many great things today. One-fourth of all Nobel Peace prize winners are Jewish. How amazing is that!”
Especially now, post-October 7, when the country needs to heal, art and theater should be changing their narrative to reflect the joyous aspects of being a Jew, Avraham continues. Of course, it’s understandable how and why Jewish theater and art is dark and sometimes that can be cathartic but why can’t we also focus on the dancing chassid, the chuppah and other uplifting moments in a Jew’s life? he wonders.
“I’d love to see more ‘ohr’ through a blossoming of more positive art and culture.
“Who knows,” he adds, “maybe one day, after I make aliyah, I’ll go back to being an actor myself. In Israel, they don’t act on Shabbos, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Kol Isha is theoretically an issue but not if I’m in a non-musical production. Negiah , though, would have to be worked out. But, hey, you never know.”
Giving Value
Perhaps Avraham’s passion for activism and helping others comes from his namesake, the biblical Avraham Avinu.
“I feel blessed that my name is associated with giving,” shares Avraham. “Giving value to others informs every decision I make.”
Avraham observes that Broadway often makes the mistake of focusing too heavily on Jewish persecution stories.
Avraham recounts a moment when the obligation of giving struck him deeply in his Jewish practice.
“I was studying in Aish Hatorah and prepping for Purim, learning how to drink appropriately so I could connect with Hashem in a purposeful way under intoxication. I remember feeling an incredible connection with Hashem that Purim. It was the most impactful davening I’d ever experienced. But then,” he shares, “out of the corner of my eye, at the end of Shemoneh Esrei, I noticed a younger student about to pass out. I ran over and helped him and his three other friends who had drunk too much. I felt like Avraham Avinu at that moment. At the most incredibly holy
moment when Hashem was visit ing him on the third day after his bris, he said, ‘Excuse me,’ and ran to take care of guests. That’s what I feel Hashem wants – for us to take care of each other, to be there for each other no matter what our differences. A parent is happiest when his kids get along with each other. We need to love our Jewish brothers and sisters through all our differences.”
Avraham shares oth er life lessons he’s picked up from his Jewish learning. From his Aish Hatorah rebbe, Rabbi Dovber Cohen, he’s learned about the importance of staying in G-d consciousness.
“In order to remain in that state, besides for practicing chessed, you need humility and gratitude. Ramban’s letter to his son about arrogance – I take that lesson with me every day,” says Avraham. “The idea of seeing things from other people’s perspectives. Humility grounds me so I understand that all I have is a gift from Above. When I go on my reflective walks and talk to Hashem, I thank Him for all He’s given me.”
Another strong value Avraham shares is the idea of Torah U’madah – bringing spirituality to the mundane world through mitzvot.
Avraham’s journey has been and continues to be one of balancing ambition with faith, creativity with commitment, and past with future. Whether in venture capital, on the Broadway stage, or helping shape Jewish culture, Avraham remains focused on making a meaningful impact.
“Ultimately, every choice I make comes back to my values of chessed, humility, and gratitude,” Avraham reflects. “When contemplating my next steps in life or career, I constantly ask myself, ‘Am I fulfilling these three ideals, and if not, what can I do to change that?’”
Before I met an Orthodox Jew, I saw them on the subway in New York and thought they were Amish. “ “
Avrohom Nesonel Goldman, 6
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Bella Gluck, 3
Zev Rosenstein, 7
Avraham Sharp, 6
Avinoam, 7
Yocheved Feldman, 5
Tehilla, Rivka, Ari Rosenbaum, 8
Railey Rosenbluth, 2
Aliza Goldman, 10
Netanel. E
Adina Rivka, 12
Nava Mosesson, 5
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