12.19.24-Final

FROM HARAV YAAKOV HOPFER SHLITA With the participation of Community Rabbanim

SUNDAY December 22, 2024  9:15AM PARKING

Dear Readers,

This week, the H3 National Business Halacha Summit took place in Chicago, drawing business people from across the globe. What makes this conference so unique is its focus on personal growth through Torah values, rather than just industry trends or networking. Participants come to learn practical business halachos, ensuring their professional lives align with integrity and halachic principles. The summit perfectly blends Torah and business, offering not only good food and networking opportunities but, above all, a chance to grow. It’s inspiring to see so many professionals dedicating time to elevate their work environments and personal conduct.

Although I couldn’t attend this year, I watched a video of Harav Simcha Bunim Cohen, sh’lita, delivering a compelling keynote address. His style was engaging, blending serious mussar with warmth and humor reminiscent of his grandfather, HaRav Avigdor Miller, zt”l. Rav Cohen spoke about maintaining proper behavior in the workplace, focusing on boundaries in interactions between men and women and cautioning against using the office as a primary social outlet. Instead, he urged attendees to prioritize their spouse and family as their core social connections. He stressed that the workplace should remain just that—a place for work, not for social distractions or validation. This was a message not often heard in the business world, but it struck a chord.

What struck me most was the overwhelming reaction to Rav Cohen’s strong yet relevant message. Despite its countercultural nature, the hundreds of attendees in the room were captivated, giving him a thunderous ovation. It’s a powerful reminder that people want to grow and improve when truth is presented clearly and compassionately. The summit demonstrates that success is not just about profits but about values and integrity. The eagerness of businesspeople to integrate

Torah into their daily lives shows that the pursuit of spiritual growth doesn’t stop at the door of the office. In fact, it’s in the workplace, where we spend so much of our time, that these principles can truly shine. This message echoes the legacy of Yosef HaTzaddik, who laid the foundation for kedusha under extraordinary circumstances. Yosef, the first Jew enslaved in Mitzrayim, faced an unparalleled moral challenge. Eishes Potifar, one of the most beautiful women in history, tried daily to seduce him. Yosef, abandoned by his brothers and alone in a foreign land, could easily have justified succumbing to her advances—after all, she held the power to protect him, and his survival seemed tenuous at best. Yet, Yosef resisted. The image of his father, Yaakov, remained vivid in his mind, guiding him and giving him the strength to withstand temptation. Yosef’s unwavering commitment to moral integrity didn’t just elevate him—it laid the groundwork for the holiness that would sustain Klal Yisrael through the trials of Mitzrayim. His example teaches us that when we draw on our spiritual roots, we can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

Just as Yosef turned his workplace into an environment where he upheld his values, so too we can also transform our workplaces into sanctuaries of integrity and holiness. The lessons shared at the H3 Summit, like those of Yosef, remind us that success is not only about achieving professional goals but about remaining true to our Torah values, no matter the environment. Whether we are navigating complex workplace dynamics or facing moral tests, the example of Yosef inspires us to let our values lead the way, elevating not just our work but our entire lives.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Shabbos

Aaron Menachem

JEWISH CARING NETWORK & TIKVA HOUSE

Last year, JCN provided over $700,000 in programs and services to help families facing a serious medical diagnosis.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Our services include, but are not limited to: This year, the demands for help are even greater and we simply cannot do it without your support.

Around the Community

Northwest Citizens Patrol Celebrates Annual Dinner

The Northwest Citizens Patrol (NWCP) held its annual dinner on Motzei Shabbos, December 7 at Shomrei Emunah. The evening began with a warm welcome from Master of Ceremonies, Rabbi Yaakov Cohen, Executive Director of Talmudical Academy. In attendance, was a full dais of community rabbis, including Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, and Rabbi Baruch Neuberger, as well as government officials, members of the police force, and community members.

The first speaker of the evening was U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin, who delivered a heartfelt speech praising the NWCP for its unwavering committment to community safety. Senator Cardin highlighted the organization’s pioneering role in the “Citizens on Patrol” initiative, calling it a trailblazer in the field and a preeminent fixture in community policing.

Next, Rabbi Benjamin Marwick, Rabbi of Shomrei Emunah, took the stage, emphasizing the importance of partnerships. He commended the Patrol for its ongoing collaboration with the local police department, elected officials, and the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who contribute to the organization’s work.

Lieutenant Colonel Ettice Brickus of the Baltimore Police Department shared her thoughts, praising the effective partnership between the NWCP and law enforcement. She commended the Patrol’s commitment to supporting the police and noted that the department has great confidence in the actions and professionalism of the NWCP volunteers.

Neil (Nachy) Schachter, President of the NWCP then presented the next segment of the evening which was dedicated to recognizing individuals for their exceptional service to the community.

The first honoree was Detective Dominic Winder, who was recognized for his outstanding actions during a routine patrol. While on duty, Detective Winder identified a stolen vehicle and pursued it. He was the sole officer

on the scene when he arrested three individuals involved in the theft. Mr. Schachter humorously recalled asking Detective Winder how he managed to arrest the three juveniles, to which the officer responded, “Very carefully.”

Five Jewish police officers from the community were then recognized for their excellent work: Detective Avraham Shugarman, Officer Zack Friedman, Officer Baer Rosenbloom, Officer Mordecai Mandelbaum, and Officer Mordechai Singer. The attendees were then shown a video featuring heartfelt comments from these police officers as well as remarks from the City Police Commissioner and the Chief of the County Police commending these officers. Each honoree received a plaque jointly given by the Shomrim of Baltimore and the Northwest Citizens Patrol. These plaques were presented by Nate Willner of Shomrim and Neil Schachter of the Northwest Citizens Patrol.

In an emotional moment, Tzipora Marsh, a victim of a carjacking, shared her experience before presenting a plaque to Sergeant John Wallace, one of the officers who assisted her on the evening that it occcurred. Ms. Marsh also honored Deputy Chief Catharine Rosenblatt with a plaque on behalf of Alicia Jiggets, who had successfully prosecuted the case and secured a guilty verdict.

The evening culminated with the presentation of the Arichas Shanim Award to Moshe Goldstein, a volunteer of the NWCP. Goldstein was recognized for his 42 years of dedicated service, dating back to the Patrol’s founding in 1982.

By: BJLife Newsroom

Photos: Simcha Photography and Video

In closing, Neil Schachter expressed gratitude to everyone who attended the event, thanking them for their continued support of the NWCP’s vital mission. The turnout, he noted, was a testament to the community’s strong commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all its members.

As the evening drew to a close, the attendees left feeling inspired and united in their shared responsibility to protect and serve the community, reflecting on the accomplishments of the NWCP and the ongoing partnership between citizens and law enforcement.

Neil Schachter, President of the NWCP (L) with Officer Mordechai Singer, Detective Avraham Shugarman, Officer Zack Friedman, Officer Mordecai Mandelbaum.

Governor Wes Moore Hosts Annual Chanukah Brunch

By: BJLife Newsroom

Photos: MDGovPics

er, noted community leader Howard Tzvi Friedman, Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum, Director of Jewish Uniformed Service Association of Maryland – Chabad, and State

Delegate Dalya Attar, to name a few, who joined in the spirit of Chanukah while offering their best wishes for continued success to Governor Moore and the First Lady.

This past week, Kol Hanearim learning at Bais Medrash-Summit Park Bais Dovid, featured guest speaker, Rabbi Chanoch Hoenlein.

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JCFL By Your Kitchen Spot Completes Regular Season; Moves On To Postseason

And there you have it! Another regular season complete for the JCFL. As we approach the “Goldberg’s Bagels” Postseason, the following four teams remain in contention:

1. Evergreen Benefits

2. AMP Solutions

3. Allstate – Schmell

4. Y & L Landscaping

All four teams will begin the postseason this coming Sunday, each vying to take home the coveted, “Multicom Capital” Trophy!

Read on for highlights from week 7:

Y & L Landscaping 26 Bunny’s Home Care 20

With their playoff future on the line, Y&L Landscaping pulled out a tough victory that came down to the final minute. In dramatic fashion, Mordechai Schiermeyer snagged an interception to clinch the win.

Dan Gutman threw 4 TDs, including a pair in final 2 minutes of the first half to erase a 14-0 deficit. Abbo Aranbayev caught the first TD on a perfectly placed deep ball from Gutman. Akiva Stutman grabbed two TDs and had an interception, while Schiermeyer added a TD, a 2-point conversion, and nearly returned an intercepted 2-point attempt as well.

Baruch Dollman shifted to receiver and linebacker after playing almost exclusively on the line and played extremely well in the new roles. Ozzie Marizan, Avi Safren, and substitute Avraham Frost handled business on the line of scrimmage. Frost had a sack and a TFL, while Marizan had one of each as well.

Evergreen Benefits Group 34

Allstate Insurance – Yaakov Schmell 31

In a potential championship preview, Evergreen Benefits denied Allstate Insurance-Yaakov Schmell’s claim to be the top team in the league.

Evergreen’s defensive line of Avrami Freund and Nosson Waldman created mayhem all morning, pressuring Allstate-Schmell QB Avi Yudkowsky, generating sacks, deflecting passes, and forcing some ill-advised throws.

On its 1st drive, Evergreen scored on a deep strike to WR Sammy Cohen, who also caught the 2-pt conversion. Allstate-Schmell scored, stopped Evergreen, then scored again, to take a 12-8 lead.

Evergreen responded with a 15-yard, highly contested TD from elite WR Shloime Scheinfeld to take the lead back 14-12.

After Chaim Finkelstein intercepted a pass on the ensuing drive, Scheinfeld produced one of the greatest football catches in the history of Judaism. With Scheinfeld already in mid-air and Finkelstein’s pass coming in behind him, Scheinfeld adjusted and reached back (evoking memories of OBJ) and snatched the ball with one hand. Even the generally stoic Freund, was verbally shocked.

Cohen scored his 2nd TD on the next play and then followed that up with an interception before halftime.

Yoni Finkelstein started the 2nd half with an impressive INT but after an Evergreen “punt,” Yudkowsky threw a TD to make the score 20-18.

Scheinfeld scored another TD on another one-handed grab, followed by Chaim Finkelstein’s 2nd INT of the game on defense. Playing for the 1st time in a month, P/T coach/player Yoseph Orshan broke off his route for a red-zone TD and Cohen converted the 2-pt attempt.

Allstate-Schmell would score twice more (1 from Defensive Specialist Dany Donaty), but it was too little, too late.

Tiger Heating & Air 25

Baltimore CTC 19

With nothing to gain and everything to prove, Tiger Heating & Air could have easily thrown in the towel for their final game of the season. In-

stead, with their reputation on the line, the squad stepped up and delivered a performance to silence the doubters.

Starting the game a man down, Tiger set the tone by shutting down Baltimore CTC on their opening drive. Despite playing with only six men on offense, QB Ezra Bregin connected with Yoffi Storch on a deep pass. A slick move after the catch sent Yoffi into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.

Midway through the next drive, Chaim Pleeter arrived giving Tiger their seventh player. With momentum growing, Tiger’s defense held firm once more, and Bregin led another charge downfield. When the play broke down, Bregin took matters into his own hands, scrambling past defenders before lateraling to Storch, who punched in his second score of the day.

Baltimore CTC struggled to respond, and Tiger regained possession. Facing a crucial third-and-long, Baltimore CTC sent an all-out blitz. Under pressure, Bregin launched a perfect pass off his back foot to Asher Meth in double coverage. Meth came down with a stunning grab and raced into the end zone for Tiger’s third touchdown.

The second half, however, felt like a different game entirely. Baltimore CTC found their rhythm, with QB Mahyer Reischer repeatedly connecting with Mitch Gross in the end zone. The score tightened to 18-13, and Baltimore CTC surged ahead late in the game, taking a 19-18 lead after another Gross touchdown with just a minute remaining.

Needing a heroic final drive, Bregin orchestrated a masterful two-minute drill. A key first down and a big completion to Storch over the middle, put Tiger on the doorstep of the goal line. But the tension escalated—after a sack and a missed throw to Meth, it came down to 4th and goal with only 10 seconds left.

With the game on the line, Bregin took the snap, scanned the field, and found his tight end, Pleeter, in the end zone for the go-ahead score. Tiger reclaimed the lead, 25-19. A desperate Hail Mary attempt from Baltimore CTC fell short, sealing an epic victory for Tiger Heating and Air to close out the season.

AMP Solutions

28

ActualEyes 0

AMP Solutions put on a clinic in their matchup against ActualEyes, cruising to a win behind stellar performances on both sides of the ball. The defense was relentless, completely shutting out ActualEyes. QB Yaakov Rosenblum led the charge for AMP, tossing four touchdowns with precision and confidence. WR Mordy Reches was a standout, hauling in a TD while making his presence felt on defense with two crucial interceptions.

AMP’s defense, swarming and disciplined, was the story of the game as they suffocated ActualEyes’ offense from start to finish. Every pass was contested, every yard hard-fought, as they delivered a masterclass in defensive football.

Part Memoir, Part Stories – and Total Torah Inspiration from Rabbi Yaakov Bender

Rabbi Yaakov Bender is unique. He’s a nationally acclaimed Rosh Yeshivah who has changed the face of chinuch, as well as a close talmid of many gedolei Torah.

This book is also unique, an entirely new genre in which he shares stories and memories of seven decades of fascinating encounters with great men – and great women, starting with his mother, the beloved Rebbetzin Bender — all rooted in beautiful Torah ideas. It’s like enjoying a one-on-one conversation with the Rosh Yeshivah!

RAV ZVI KUSHELEVSKY: AN ELECTRIFYING STORY OF CHIZUK

88 years old... he waited, he davened, and he never lost hope. And then he finally held his miracle baby in his arms.

This is the incredible true story of Rav and Rebbetzin Zvi Kushelevsky, whose emunah electrified and inspired the Torah world. The story of how faith and prayer can bring miracles. And, of course, the story of little Eliyahu, the baby he waited for all his life.

Told in part by Rebbetzin Kushelevsky herself, Miracle Baby is more than an uplifting story with a “happy ending.” It’s a source of chizuk and inspiration for all of us, a guide to finding strength in tefillah and trust in Hashem’s plan.

Greater Washington: Around the Community

Ohr HaTorah Hosts Rebbetzins’ Panel For Woman Of The Silver Spring Community

Last week, 160 women gathered for a Silver Spring Community Rebbetzins’ Panel at Ohr HaTorah. This inspiring, uplifting, and unifying event titled “Balancing Connections: Nurturing Ourselves, Family, and Community” was organized by Yael Azran, Jessica Eizenstat, and Sarrit Kovacs - the co-chairs of the Robin Niman Mikvah Education Fund (RNMEF) programming committee of the Mikvah Emunah Society of Greater Washington.

Attendees first enjoyed some social time and refreshments. Then, the program opened with Chayie Chinn speaking about Robin Niman A”H who managed the Wallerstein Mikvah in Silver Spring before her petirah, and was a renowned and dynamic mikvah educator and social worker who transformed the experience for women going to the mikvah in many parts of the country.

The RNMEF was created in 2020 to honor Robin A”H’s memory and perpetuate her legacy and significant contributions she made to the practice of taharat hamishpacha (laws of family purity). The main part of the program was the panel of Rebbetzins answering thought-provoking and challenging questions they often get asked by their congregants. The Rebbetzins each captivated the audience with their words, teachings, stories, lessons, tips, and wisdom.

This event reached maximum capacity, unifying participants from all of the Silver Spring shuls and institutions. Feedback received for this program was extremely positive and community members are looking forward to our next RNMEF educational program. Stay tuned!

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

Silver Spring Jewish Center

Southeast Hebrew Congregation, Knesset Yehoshua Woodside Synagogue/Ahavas Torah

Young Israel Ezras Israel of Potomac

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

8:45

shacharis

Fond Memories Of My Rav Rabbi Mendel Feldman

By Eli W. Schlossberg

I remember my mother baking challahs and an entire Shabbos meal to bring to our new Rav and Rebbitzen, the Feldman’s. I believe the year was 1958. On a Thursday afternoon we my mother, sister and I would walk from our home on Jonquil Avenue to an apartment up Gist Avenue where the Rav, Rabbi Feldman, his Rebbitzen, Rochel Feldman and son Pinchus” Pinny” had just come to Baltimore. Rabbi Feldman was to take on the Rabbonus of Rabbi Shimon Schwab’s shul, Shearith Israel of Baltimore. Rabbi Schwab had recently left for Kehal Adas Yeshurun in Washington Heights.

We carried the entire Shabbos meals in baskets and bags. We met the Feldman’s that evening and delivered the meals. The apartment was filled with cartons as the Feldman’s had just moved in. That Shabbos the Rabbi, Rebbitzen and Pinchus came to thank us, and visited us that Shabbos afternoon. I vividly remember my mother walking with the Rebbitzen and Pinchus showing them her rose garden while my dad sat with Rabbi Feldman in the house. This would begin a wonderful relationship between our mishpachos. Rabbi Feldman became our Rav and he became a very important mentor to me having had a tremendous influence on my life.

I still remember some of his drasha’s. One favorite was when he spoke of the windows of the Beis Hamikdash and how they were fashioned to have the light reflect out. He compared the light of Shearith Israel reflecting out in ruchnius to a reform shul in the neighborhood where the lights were shining from the outside onto the building to highlight the beauty of the building. He stressed our light “Torah” needs to go out and light up the town with ruchnious and hashbaah influencing others with Torah learning and values.

I remember the Rav’s drasha on my Bar mitzvah 1963 Parshas Shelach. He commended me on choosing a Shas instead of a TV my Aunt and Uncle offered me. He was proud of me that I chose the Shas. I never told the Rav we already had 2 TV’s.

I remember one Pesach seder we benched and forgot to eat the Afikomin. My parents told me to go down the street to ask the Rav a shayla as what to do. I went down Jonquil avenue to ask the Rav what we should do. The Rav’s nephew who now leads a Girl’s school in Sefad was with the Feldman’s that Yom Tov and after meeting him that Yom Tov we always got together when he visited Baltimore. Back to the Afikomin I returned home and we washed made moetzie and ate the Afikomin and benched again as the Rav instructed us to do.

Yom Kippor 1973 the lights went out following Kol Nidre at the end of Maariv. I went to the Rav’s office as the shul was totally dark and the Rav seemed very troubled. “A blackout I said” and the Rav said “no, something is wrong in Klal Yisrael”. Lights don’t go off at Shearith Israel Kol Nidre night stam. The next morning walking to shul we found out the Yom Kippor war broke out!

Very few Yekkas at Shearith Israel washed Mayim Achronim. As a kid my job at seudas shlishis was to bring Mayim Achronim to three places. To Rabbi Feldman who sat with Chazzan Baum to HP Cohen who sat with Reb Kurt Flaam and to Mr. Louis Miller Chazzan shenei of our shul. Eventually others began to take on the minhag especially those who sat in close proximity. One Shabbos I brought the Rav and HP Cohn’s Mayim Achronim but Louis Miller was not there that Shabbos. But I was told take it to that mokom regardless as others were now washing also. There was a ba’al teshuvah sitting in Louis Miller’s mokom kevuah. I placed the pink dish and green glass right in front of this man. He eyed the kos and plate looked at me, eyed the kos again and looked at me and finally he drank the entire glass!

The Rav was of course my messadah kedushin. My wife’s Rav was Rabbi Ralph Pelcovitz of the White Shul of Far Rockaway NY. and Rabbi Feldman and Rabbi Pelcovitz were old Yeshiva friends from years past. Our first apartment was mamash across the street from Shearith Israel. The Rav spoke at all our family simchas

and was very close with my parents. My father attended his gemarah shiur regularly. My parents had a very special relationship and tremendous kovod Harav with the Feldman’s.

Rebbitzen Feldman was always involved in tremendous chesed projects especially with the Russian community. Both my wife Ronnie and I were always glad to help her with her wonderful acts of chesed.

Rabbi Feldman brought tremendous simcha into the shul and you really noticed it on Simchas Torah and visiting the Rav every Purim with my children as years went on was a very special experience. Every Purim was special and I would visit the Rav and Rebbitzen and the table and ruach at the Feldman home was always wonderful.

You could talk to the Rav about anything. His Torah knowledge, as a world class Talmid Chochum and his down to earth way of talking to anyone made him a real Kiddush Hashem. I had the sichus to see the Rav interact with my employees when he visited my company to sell Castle Food’s chometz every year. The Rav came to the company to sell the chometz. I kept a bottle of scotch at the office just for that yearly occasion. I had the Rav as a personal Rav and also as the Rav of our company, answering all Sheaylot pertaining to operating our company.

In 1987 I had to make a very big decision. I had the opportunity at age

38 to sell our family business. The family had owned the company for over 45 years. After agonizing for almost 9 months over what to do I spoke with the Rav to seek his etzah. “If it will change your personality do not sell it “ that was his advice. I sold the company and made the Rav a commitment to not change my personality. The Rav always was behind me giving me chisuk and urging me to learn more Torah. During my entire adult life the Rav called me to see how I was doing and to make sure I would keep up my learning. He often gave me the needed mussar that I needed to keep my personality the way it needed to be. His look and wonderful smile was enough to get me back on track! His confidence in me really helped me greatly. Even from Australia the Rav kept in contact with me always to continue my learning and to keep up on the family news and what was going on in Baltimore.

Now the Rav will no longer ring me up to say hello but my fond memories of the Rav, his Torah, and his concern will give me the chisuk and strength to do just as I promised him “ not to change my personality” but to continue to grow in Torah and yiras shamayim as he taught me and to use all my cochos to shine the light out and to be a Kiddush Hashem as he taught me to be.

He was my Rav, teacher and a true mentor…. what Mazel I had to have had that special sichus!

The Week In News

The Week In News

New French PM

Following a no-confidence vote from parliament that ousted Michel Barnier from the premiership, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed centrist ally François Bayrou as France’s new prime minister.

Bayrou is France’s fourth prime minister of the year, the most the country has ever had in one year, as the nation grapples with political instability.

Some left and far-right members of parliament are already calling for Bayrou’s ouster, though others are waiting to see whether the 73-year-old political veteran will be willing to compromise with other parties and if he will successfully form a functional cabinet.

Among Bayrou’s top priorities will be to finalize an emergency budget to stop France’s economy from crumbling under the pressure of debt and a large budget deficit. Bayrou has also said he would aim to reach a “necessary reconciliation” of the divided people of France.

Bayrou’s political career stretches back some forty years. In the 1990s, he was the education minister. In three elections, he ran as a presidential candidate, including in 2017, when he pulled out of the race and endorsed Macron, leading to the current president’s first-term victory. He also served as the mayor of the southwestern French city of Pau. Bayrou is also the head and founder of Mouvement Démocrate (MoDem), a centrist party that teamed up with Macron’s Renaissance and other parties to form a coalition.

Some claim that Bayrou will serve as a puppet for Macron. Others believe the new premier will advance his own bipartisan agenda.

Among Bayrou’s chief threats is the far-right National Rally party, whose brief alliance with left-wing parties led to Barnier’s ouster. Marine Le Pen, the party’s leader in the lower house, said she was keeping an open mind about Bayrou.

“I’m not brandishing the threat of a no-confidence vote morning, noon, and evening,” said Le Pen, adding that she is, however, “not renouncing that tool.”

Leftist party France Unbowed condemned Macron’s selection of Bayrou, with top lawmakers such as Mathilde Panot calling for an immediate no-confidence vote against him. The Socialist and Communist parties expressed their disdain for the pick but suggested they would consider keeping Bayrou in office if he compromises with them on several issues, including by not pushing bills into law without a final vote from parliament—a decision made by Barnier that led to his downfall.

Critics of Macron have urged him to resign, though he has thus far re-

jected such calls.

Top Russian Military Official Killed

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces, was killed in an explosion in Moscow on Tuesday morning. Ukraine’s domestic security service took responsibility for the assassination.

Ukraine’s SBU called Kirillov a “legitimate target” due to his role in ordering the use of banned chemical weapons on Ukraine amid Russia’s nearly three-year invasion.

Chanukah Sale!

The Week In News

The Russian official and his assistant were walking when an explosive device on a parked scooter detonated near the entrance of a residential building in Moscow. The device that detonated contained about the same amount of explosives as used in 2010 suicide bombings inside the Moscow metro that killed at least 40 people and injured 80 more.

Kirillov had been in charge of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical defense forces since April 2017, according to Tass

He had served as a platoon commander in the Soviet Western Group of Forces in Germany — a group of Soviet troops stationed across East Germany — and in Moscow in the early 1990s, before holding positions in nuclear, biological and chemical weapons units.

Kirillov is the highest-ranking Russian military official to be killed outside the front lines since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Previously, the highest-ranking Russian death outside the battlefield was Capt. Valery Trankovsky, commander of the 41st brigade of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. He was

killed in a car explosion in Sevastopol, in Crimea, in November, also in a hit perpetrated by SBU.

The killing of Kirillov comes a week after the reported death, also in Moscow, of a top Russian cruise missile engineer who helped develop the missiles for use in the war in Ukraine.

The explosion that killed Kirillov and his assistant was a “special operation” conducted by the SBU. A Ukrainian official said that Kirillov was an “absolutely legitimate target since he gave orders to use banned chemical weapons against the Ukrainian military.”

The SBU on Monday charged Kirillov in absentia for his role in directing the use of banned chemical weapons against its forces.

In May, the U.S. State Department sanctioned Kirillov’s unit after determining that Russia used chloropicrin — a choking agent heavily used during World War I — against Ukrainian troops, in violation of Moscow’s commitments under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. Two months ago, Britain sanctioned

Kirillov for his role in helping to deploy chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, also calling him a “significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation.” He has also been sanctioned by Canada and New Zealand.

After his death, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Kirillov “worked fearlessly” and “did not hide behind backs” in his work for Russia. Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Defense Committee of the lower house of Russia’s parliament, called Kirillov a “dignified Russian general” and “leader of his organization who was looked up to.”

Cyclone Slams Mayotte

Cyclone Chido hit the French territory of Mayotte on Saturday, killing what officials believe to be hundreds or even thousands of people.

The cyclone, the deadliest one to hit Mayotte in nine decades, destroyed

WEEKLY CALENDAR

much of the poor nation, wiping out neighborhoods, damaging airports and other important public infrastructure, and leaving much of the island without electricity. According to residents, the storm uprooted trees, capsized and sank boats, and decimated slums.

“I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we’ll get close to a thousand. Even thousands ... given the violence of this event,″ Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville said. Mayotte, the poorest island in France and the poorest territory in the European Union, is home to around 300,000 people. The island was hit by the cyclone after the storm crashed into the southwestern Indian Ocean on Friday and Saturday. The cyclone also

DECEMBER 23RD- DECEMBER 27TH

Stimulating Activities For Adults - Delicious Kosher Meals

Tuesday December 24th Monday December 23rd Wednesday December 25th

9:30 am

Yoga with Deborah Bandos

10:00 am

Baking with Ms. Hirschman

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi KarpUnderstanding Al Hanisim

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 KarpChanukah History

1:00 pm

BINGO

1:45 pm

Guitar with Yossi K

9:30 am

Yoga with Deborah Bandos

10:15 am

Anagrams with Malka Zweig

10:30 am

Bais Yaakov Middle School Visit

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp - Chanukah Halacha

1:00 pm

Arts & Crafts with Shifra

1:45 pm

Guitar with Yossi K

Thursday December 26th

9:30 am

Yoga with Deborah Bandos

10:15 am

Anagrams with Malka Zweig

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi Karp - Chanukah History

1:00 -3.00 pm Community Chanukah Party and Open House! with Refreshments, Activities, & Live Music (Free Event)

Friday December 27th

9:30 am

Q and A with Nurse Shaindel

10:00 am

Baking with Ms. Hirschman

11:00 am

Discussion Group with Rabbi KarpChanukah Halacha and Minhagim

2:00 pm

Music with Aharon Grayson

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devastated Comoros, Madagascar, and Mozambique, three nearby countries, but Mayotte was hit the hardest, as it was directly in Chido’s path.

The category four cyclone carried winds of up to 136 mph.

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said his “thoughts” were with the people of Mayotte, and Pope Francis, during a Sunday visit to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, offered prayers for the victims of the disaster.

Reunion, a neighboring French territory, sought to make a sea and air bridge to Mayotte, with emergency personnel and supplies sent from the mainland and Reunion to the embattled island. Reunion sent over 800 rescuers, along with over 80 tons of supplies, in an effort to restore electricity and drinking water access to the residents of Mayotte. Another 1,600 police and military officers were sent to Mayotte, according to the French Interior Ministry, in order to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

After slamming Mayotte, the cyclone headed to northern Mozambique, unleashing its anger on the African nation.

Visa-Free Visits

to China

Want to visit the Great Wall of China or the Forbidden City? On Tuesday, China said that it was expanding its visa-free transit policy, allowing Americans and other eligible foreign travelers to stay in parts of the country for as long as 240 hours, or 10 days. The new rule comes as officials try to attract more overseas visitors.

China’s National Immigration Agency announced the measure – effective immediately – on its WeChat account, saying passport holders from 54 countries are eligible. They include countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia, as well as the United States

and Canada

Previously, travelers could stay in China visa-free for as long as 72 to 144 hours depending on where they visited, as long as they continued on to a third country or region.

Travelers with confirmed tickets to exit China within 10 days can now enter the country in 60 places across 24 provinces, including the capital, Beijing, and China’s largest city, Shanghai.

Acquiring a visa may be a tedious process for those looking to travel. China, the world’s second-biggest economy, has been trying to bring back international visitors as it struggles to emerge from three years of pandemic isolation.

Passport holders from 38 countries no longer need a visa at all, enabling them to stay in China for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchange and transit purposes. Those countries include France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and even Japan, with which China has a historically tense relationship, but not the U.S. The immigration agency said in October that the number of foreign travelers to China had jumped nearly 50% year-on-year, while the number of visa-free entries was up almost 80%.

Last month, the U.S. State Department lowered its travel advisory for China from Level 3, advising Americans to reconsider travel, to Level 2, or “exercise increased caution,” putting it on par with the travel advisories for France and Germany.

Israel Closes Embassy in Ireland

of the Irish government,” Israel has decided to shut down its embassy in Ireland, according to an announcement by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday.

“The antisemitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland is taking against Israel are based on delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and on double standards,” Sa’ar stated. “Ireland has crossed all red lines in its relationship with Israel.”

Ireland, along with two other European Union countries, said in May that it would recognize a Palestinian state. The Irish parliament, in November, passed a nonbinding motion asserting that Israel is perpetrating a genocide in Gaza. The straw that broke the camel’s back occurred last week, when the country’s cabinet voted for Ireland to join South Africa’s court case at the International Criminal Court, accusing Israel of genocide.

IMPACT-se, an education monitoring group, also noted in a report last month that Irish public school textbooks include flagrant lies about Jewish history, Judaism, Israel, and the Holocaust.

Israel’s decision to shutter the

embassy in Ireland was, according to Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, “deeply regrettable.”

“I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is propeace, pro-human rights and pro-international law,” posted Harris. “Ireland wants a two-state solution and for Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security. Ireland will always speak up for human rights and international law.”

Micheal Martin, the Irish foreign minister, noted that Israel and Ireland would continue their diplomatic relations and that Ireland’s embassy in Israel would remain open.

“The decision to close Israel’s embassy in Ireland is a victory for antisemitism and anti-Israel organizations. The way to deal with criticism is not to run away but to stay and fight,” posted Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, criticizing Sa’ar’s move.

In response, Sa’ar slammed Lapid for referring to Ireland’s treatment of Israel as “criticism.”

“Israel needs to hold embassies precisely in places where there is a

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strong conflict with the government and a foreign minister who only gives up and runs away from conflict is not doing his job,” maintained Lapid.

Jewish Representative Council of Ireland chairman Maurice Cohen also criticized the move to shutter the embassy, saying that it’s “particularly distressing for the Jewish community in Ireland, which has grown and diversified significantly in recent years.” Cohen urged “both the Irish and Israeli governments to seek pathways to rebuild trust and to ensure that avenues for diplomatic engagement remain open… Let us choose engagement over estrangement, dialogue over division, and the pursuit of peace over polarizing actions.”

On Sunday, Sa’ar announced that Israel would, in the next year, be opening an embassy in Moldova.

Paraguay Reopens Jerusalem Embassy

In 2018, Paraguay moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. But just five months later, Paraguay’s new president, Abdo Benitez, moved the Paraguayan embassy back to Tel Aviv, saying that establishing an embassy in Jerusalem harmed the prospect of achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace.

But on Thursday, Paraguay reopened its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem, following a ceremony held by visiting Paraguayan President Santiago Peña with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“For me, it is such a privilege to take this decision,” Peña declared at the ceremony. “Mr. Prime Minister, on behalf of all the Paraguayan people, we were with you, we are with you, we will stay with the people of Israel forever.”

The Week In News

Peña added that he was “very sad” when Benitez’s administration, “driven mostly by revenge, an internal revenge, nothing to do with the people of Israel, decided to move [the embassy] back. I am very happy that this is taking place in this very moment that the world is living, where a lot of people talk but not many people act. For us, not only saying but doing is very important.”

At the ceremony, Netanyahu declared, “Jerusalem will always be Israel’s undivided capital. This is a fact, and you recognize it. Thank you for opening the embassy here.”

A mezuzah was hung on the door of Paraguay’s new embassy in Jerusalem, and many Israeli officials, including President Isaac Herzog, met with and honored Peña.

A day later, Netanyahu praised Peña’s speech, adding, “As you pointed out in your great speech yesterday, there is a basic sympathy between our people and the people of Paraguay. And you have to know the history of Paraguay to understand why it’s so common. Because you too are a small people. You, too, are beset by great powers. You, too, suffered the specter of annihilation.”

Netanyahu added that the Jewish nation’s return to Israel “means that there is hope for all nations of the world. And the one nation that we seize with great friendship and great sympathy and great love is Paraguay.”

“There is a direct line connecting Paraguay’s vote to support the establishment of the State of Israel in 1947 and President Peña’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem — the eternal capital of the Jewish people,” stated Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, adding that the two countries signed a number of bilateral agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding with Paraguay and that he will “soon lead a delegation to Asunción.”

Paraguay is the sixth country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The other five are the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, and Papua New Guinea. Most other nations’ embassies are in Tel Aviv.

Searching for Eli Cohen

It was a story made for the movies. Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy, had managed to infiltrate Syria’s highest levels of government to help the Jewish state. Sadly, Cohen was eventually discovered and then hanged.

But Cohen’s remains have never been found. For years, Israel has been trying to find his body to bring it back for a respectful burial.

In 2021, a war monitor said Russian forces had been searching the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus for his remains, along with those of two Israeli soldiers. Now, Israel, along with Russian mediators, are hoping to be able to find Cohen’s body.

A Palestinian official in Damascus said on Monday that “contact was established with us via mediators in order for us to help find the remains of an Israeli soldier who has been missing since 1982,” without identifying the missing soldier.

“Contacts are also underway to determine the location where the remains of the Israeli agent known as Eli Cohen are buried,” the source added.

Cohen was tried and hanged for espionage by the Syrians in 1965 after he infiltrated the top levels of the government. The information Cohen obtained was seen as having played a key role in Israel’s conquest of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War. His story was the subject of a 2019 Netflix series.

In 2018, the Mossad said it had retrieved a watch belonging to Cohen and brought it back to Israel.

Syria and Israel have long been bitter foes with no diplomatic relations, but Russia — which was close to ousted President Bashar al-Assad — has acted as an intermediary between the two. In 2019, Israel released two Syrian prisoners in a “goodwill gesture” after the remains of soldier Zachary Baumel, missing since 1982, were returned.

Zachary and two other soldiers, Zvi Feldman and Yehuda Katz, had since

The Week In News

W E A R E HIRING

been listed as missing and presumed killed. The latter two remain missing.

2 Soldiers Killed in Gaza

On Monday, two soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza Strip after a building they were in collapsed.

The two heroes were named as Maj. (res.) Moshiko (Maxim) Rozenwald, 35, a company commander in the Combat Engineering Corps’ 7107th Battalion, from Modiin, and Sgt. First Class. (res.) Alexander Anosov, 26, a squad commander in the 7107th Battalion, also from Modiin. Two other soldiers were injured in the incident.

The building had collapsed because it had been heavily damaged.

On Tuesday, the IDF said that a tunnel in northern Gaza’s Jabalia used by a Hamas cell in an attack that killed three soldiers in October was recently discovered and destroyed. In the attack on October 10, three reserve soldiers of the 460th Brigade were killed by a roadside bomb.

The IDF said soldiers of the Givati Brigade located the tunnel shaft where the cell had been holed up, which connected to a 500-meter-long underground passage. Combat engineers then demolished the tunnel.

Meanwhile, after three months of fighting in southern Lebanon, the IDF’s 98th Division is being redeployed to Gaza, the military said on Monday. The elite formation of paratrooper and commando units completed its operations in Lebanon on Wednesday last week and is now readying for future missions in Gaza.

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said Israel will maintain security control of Gaza after the war, pushing back on an earlier TV report.

“Once we defeat Hamas’s military power and ruling power in Gaza, Israel will control security in Gaza with full freedom to act, just as in Judea and Samaria,” he said in a statement.

“We will not allow any terrorist activity against Israeli communities and citizens from Gaza. We will not allow a return to the pre-October 7 reality.”

At least 388 soldiers in the IDF have been killed in military operations in Gaza and along the border since the war against Hamas began.

Biden Grants Clemency to 1,500

In the largest single-day act of clemency in modern United States history, President Joe Biden, on Thursday, pardoned 39 convicts of non-violent crimes and commuted the sentences of around 1,500 people who, during Covid, were moved out of prison and into home confinement to reduce the spread of the virus in jails. Those who spent a year or more confined to their homes had their sentences commuted.

Biden’s decision to grant clemency to more than 1,500 criminals in one day eclipses the previous one-day record set by former President Barack Obama, who, right before leaving office in January 2017, offered clemency to 330 people.

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden stated. “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”

The clemency comes after Biden, in a move that surprised some, fully pardoned his son Hunter for any crimes committed over the previous ten years,

The Week In News

including the ones Hunter had been prosecuted for, such as violating tax and gun laws. The move, which Biden repeatedly said he would not make, has been approved of by only around 2 in 10 Americans, according to polls.

Advocacy groups are urging Biden to commute the sentences of criminals on federal death row. While the Biden administration paused the implementation of the death penalty, the incoming Trump administration will likely continue carrying out capital punishment.

Of the 39 people Biden pardoned on Thursday, around half were men and half were women. Their ages ranged from 36 to 75, and they had each been convicted of non-violent crimes, including drug offenses, fraud, or theft, before changing for the better, according to lawyers for the White House.

Aside from those granted clemency on Thursday, Biden also previously commuted the sentences of 122 others and pardoned another 21 individuals. Additionally, the president has pardoned those convicted of the use and simple possession of marijuana in Washington, D.C., and other federal lands.

Some have also urged Biden to issue preemptive pardons to those whom the Trump administration may prosecute, including January 6 investigators and political opponents.

2 States Sue Glock

On Thursday, New Jersey and Minnesota filed lawsuits against Glock, alleging that the gun company refused to ban the use of a simple trick that turns the famous 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic gun.

By adding a cheap, small, and readily available plastic block called a switch, also known as an auto sear, to the pistol, gun users can easily turn the gun into an automatic, far more dangerous weapon. The suit, brought by

New Jersey, Minnesota, and national gun control group Giffords, claims that Glock should have changed the pistol’s design to prevent such modifications but failed to do so.

Instead, the plaintiffs added, Glock advertised the iconic pistol as customizable.

“Glock knows that its semiautomatic handguns are easily and frequently converted to illegal, fully automatic machine guns with Glock switches, and Glock knows that these fully automatic handguns present a significant threat to public safety,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison wrote in a suit filed in a Minneapolis state court.

According to the plaintiffs, the gun’s customizability poses a risk to the public and was responsible for many deadly shootings during the coronavirus pandemic.

Two-thirds of guns sold in the country are Glock pistols, which are also the most common handgun used in crimes in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (A.T.F.). Since 2018, Chicago authorities have seized 706 converted semiautomatics, 643 of which were Glocks.

In 1981, the A.T.F. ruled that a weapon rigged with an auto sear could legally be classified as a machine gun. As such, those who own such weapons need a special license and must pay fees or else they could be sentenced to up to ten years in federal prison.

By June, the U.S. Supreme Court is anticipated to decide if Mexico has the legal right to sue Glock and other gun companies for allegedly allowing thousands of firearms to make it across the border into the hands of drug cartels.

Pro-gun organizations have accused the plaintiffs of bringing the suit as a means of implementing gun control measures.

The suit brought by Minnesota alleges that Glock used deceptive trade practices and made false advertising claims, thus violating the state’s consumer protection laws. New Jersey claims that Glock’s failure to prevent easy gun modifications violates the state’s public nuisance law and endangers the public’s safety.

“You have kids using these things — a kid fires a Glock with a switch at Newark housing projects, shoots 28 or 29 rounds, and in just over a second, hits three people,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

“We’ve got them being picked up off violent offenders, people accused of domestic violence. And these shooters are spraying bullets all over the place because they don’t know how to actually handle a machine gun. It’s ridiculous.”

According to the lawsuit brought by Minnesota, the company has always known that their handguns could easily be turned into automatic firearms, as evidenced by a 1987 interaction between company founder Gaston Glock and a local engineer and gunsmith named Jorge Leon, in which Glock, who passed away at age 94 last year, demonstrated to Leon the quick and simple conversion of a handgun into an automatic weapon.

100 Years in Prison

A Texas man has been sentenced to at least 100 years in prison for his part in a two-state shooting spree on Thanksgiving Day in 2020 that killed one person and wounded several others across Nevada and Arizona.

The rampage began in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2020, when the man, Christopher McDonnell, 32, and two others started opening fire from their moving car at motorists outside Las Vegas in what prosecutors called a “mobile mass shooting.” Roughly 10 hours after it began, the spree ended when the car crashed along a highway near Bouse, Arizona, after a shootout with police.

On Friday, McDonnell, of Tyler, Texas, listened in a courtroom in Clark County, Nevada, before his sentencing as victims and their relatives described how the eruption of random shootings that day had upended their lives.

“I struggle every day,” said Kevin Mendiola, whose 22-year-old son, Kevin Mendiola Jr., was shot and killed during the spree outside a 7-Eleven in Henderson, Nevada, about 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas.

McDonnell pleaded guilty but mentally ill to nearly two dozen felony

charges in October, including first-degree murder and multiple counts of firing a weapon at an occupied vehicle. All of the charges were filed in Nevada, and he does not face any in Arizona.

At the hearing Friday, McDonnell, his face tattooed to resemble a skull, read from a brief statement: “I take full responsibility for my own wrongdoings, and I appreciate the courts for administering justice.” McDonnell’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment Sunday.

In 2021, a judge found that McDonnell was mentally incompetent to stand trial. The next year, he was reevaluated and deemed competent, according to court records, and the case against him resumed.

The two people who were with McDonnell during the spree — his brother Shawn McDonnell and Kayleigh Lewis, Shawn McDonnell’s wife at the time — have also been charged. Authorities have said that Lewis, who filed for divorce from Shawn McDonnell last year, was driving the car.

The cases for Lewis and Shawn McDonnell are pending. (© The New York Times)

She Just Can’t Get Away

Svetlana Dali made headlines last month when she was nabbed by the FBI after flying to France on a Delta Air Lines flight from the U.S. – without a ticket. The stowaway was brought back to the United States and was put under house arrest but managed to get herself arrested again this week, when she tried to sneak into Canada.

Dali had cut off her ankle monitor on Sunday. The person she had been staying with in Philadelphia noticed the bracelet lying on the floor of his home and alerted authorities.

An arrest warrant was issued for

who have made over 14,000 visits to hospital patients, delivered over 12,000 meals to hospitals, prepared and delivered over 3,000 meals to families at home, and provided over 2000 rides to medical appointments.

The Week In News

bail jumping on Monday morning out of the Eastern District of New York. The Russian national was apprehended in Buffalo, New York, on Monday afternoon. She was on a Greyhound bus trying to cross into Canada. She did not have a passport.

Dali had originally been caught traveling without proper documentation on November 26 when she boarded Delta Flight 264 from JFK Airport and headed to Charles-de-Gaulle International Airport in Paris. She was caught by authorities during the flight and then was sent back to the U.S.

According to a statement from the French Interior Ministry, “She was not admitted to French territory due to lack of a valid travel document (visa) and was placed in the waiting area for the time necessary for her re-routing to the United States since she held a valid U.S. residence permit.”

Her attempt to sneak into Canada on Monday appears to be her second attempt to illegally leave the country in fewer than 30 days.

Googly Eyes Bandit

Art in Oregon have their eyes on you.

A so-called “Googly Eyes Bandit” has been affixing googly eyes to pieces of artwork around the town of Bend, Oregon.

On social media, the city shared photos of googly eyes on installations in the middle of roundabouts that make up its so-called “Roundabout Art Route.”

One photo shows googly eyes placed on a sculpture of two deer, while another shows them attached to a sphere.

It’s not yet known who has been putting them on the sculptures.

“While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might

lighthearted additions to the artworks.

One person wrote on Facebook, “We love the googly eyes. This town is getting to be so stuffy. Let’s have fun!”

Others said the city should focus on addressing more important issues, such as homelessness, instead of spending time and money on removing the googly eyes.

This is not the first time people have dressed up Bend’s art pieces. Over the years, these works of art have been adorned with scarves, wreaths and hats. The city did not remove those items.

The city has so far spent $1,500 on removing googly eyes from seven of the eight sculptures impacted.

There’s more than meets the eye

Skateboarding

Across the States

Chad Caruso has been skateboarding for 25 years, and now he’s taking his hobby to another level.

The New Yorker used his skateboard to traverse 3,162 miles across the entire United States. It took a jaw-dropping (and leg-hurting) 57 days, 6 hours, and 56 minutes to skate from Venice Beach, California, to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“As I skated up to the finish line in Virginia Beach with hundreds of people cheering me on, police escorts, and local skaters pushing alongside me, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotion,” Caruso told Guinness World Records

He became the world record holder for the fastest crossing of America on a skateboard (male).

“I kept thinking back to the teenage version of myself who dropped out of school to pursue skating and fought through all the voices telling him to quit over the years.”

With his journey, Caruso aimed to raise awareness of addiction and mental health problems. He said skateboarding helped him get sober nine years ago, and he hopes his story will inspire others to do the same.

Caruso celebrated his arrival at the finish line by throwing his board into the ocean. Virginia Beach Mayor Robert M. Dyer then gave a speech declaring May 19 to be Chad Caruso Day.

“If you have a vision, believe in bringing it to life, and don’t let the thoughts or opinions of others waver your resolve,” Caruso said.

We’re on board with that.

Torah Thought Windows

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

The only one of the ‘Seven Shepherds’ to achieve the appellation, HaTzadik -‘The’ Righteous One, is Yosef. Only a young lad of seventeen, Yosef heroically wards off the determined temptress, the wife of Potiphar, who then falsely accuses him of impropriety and finds himself ‘rewarded’ for this courageous act of defiance to sin, in a prison cell for twelve long and tortuous years. He never wallows in despair, nor exhibits any notion of self-pity during all those years, maintaining a buoyant and positive demeanor throughout. A Tzaddik indeed!

His ability to withstand the seduction, at such a vulnerable age, so far away from home, without the support of a parent, is beyond comprehension. It is no wonder he remains the all-time paradigm for the ability to resist even the strongest of urges.

Yet, our sages reveal that he had some outside help and encouragement that prodded him to refrain.

Apparently an image of his father appeared to him at the moment of truth warning him that if he were to succumb, his name would be erased for eternity from the stones that rested upon the High Priest’s garment, the Ephod, that had all the names of each tribe etched upon them.(:ול הסוט)

In several places the sages state that the image of his mother, Rochel, also appeared to him then.

(ה

Doesn’t that diminish somewhat the import of his action and his alleged greatness?

In the obscure Midrash Avkir, there is a fascinating adjustment in one detail of the story.

— The Holy One, blessed be He, came and appeared in the image of his father...

So, it wasn’t just his father who mystically appeared, but G-d Himself Who assisted Yosef!

But why the disguise?

The sages record that this image appeared ןולחב — in a ‘window’. Does it really matter where it appeared exactly? What is this mysterious window that the image was viewed through?

Shlomo HaMelech in Shir HaShirim states: ...and behold, He is standing behind our wall, looking from the windows, peering from the lattices’. (2 9)

It has been explained that there are two descriptions of G-d’s presence. There are times when He is not apparent, yet ‘peers through the lattices. But there are moments when His presence is evident and tangible, as one who is visibly ‘looking from the windows’

Elsewhere the Midrash describes the wife of Potiphar’s surprised reaction to Yosef’s sudden disinterest, with her inquiring as to what happened. Yosef responds, attributing it to the vision of his father. Bewildered, she exclaims she doesn’t see anyone. Yosef then tells her she is likened to a donkey that cannot see, whereas he descends from Avraham who is depicted as one who perceived the place from afar. (ומק

The ‘window’ represents the circumstances in our lives when we sense that G-d is very present.

Yosef grew up guided by the likes of his adoring father, Yaakov, and his devoted and beloved mother, Rachel. They weren’t simply loving parents who bonded with their child. They represented the ‘Third Partner’ in that production of a child — G-d. The parents in their every action are the model by which a child relates and fathoms the concept and presence of a fatherly G-d in his life.

Yaakov in his every experience and encounter in life lived with a conscious-

ness of G-d’s ever-present guiding hand and defined his every choice in the context of the mission he was entrusted with, to connect with eternity by virtue of the accomplishments one fulfilled here on earth. No action is devoid of meaning nor purpose. Each healthy choice one makes, connects us to the will of G-d, and ultimately eternity.

Rachel represented an ability to submerge one’s own needs for the sake of another, removing any notion of self from any equation in life. She was able to imbue self-confidence in all who entered her influence, since her concern and admiration for others was so authentic and unquestioned. Her tears would fortify us to withstand the greatest of travails in our long exile, warmed by her presence, with the knowledge of her faith in us that we are always worthy, and capable of reaching a mother’s hopes for her children. Rachel’s very being was fused to G-d, and able to radiate an inner light that reflected from G-d Himself.

It was the upbringing Yosef was privileged to have that trained his soul to always live with a keen sense of mission and to have the requisite inner confidence to forge on despite the obstacles he may face, knowing that he could and would eventually prevail.

Perhaps there was no magical image awakening him to reality. It was his sensing the actual presence and encouragement from G-d, that ‘looks from the window’, that was imprinted upon his mind, body, and soul, through the example of his parents who emulated the very character traits of G-d, developing within Yosef an ability to perceive G-d with such clarity.

The Arizal aligns his parents, Yaakov and Rachel respectively, as portraying the manifestations of G-d known as Netzach - Eternity, and Hod, G-d’s splendorous Majesty.

The image of Yaakov is associated with an expressed awareness of the cosmic repercussions of his actions for better or for worse, being deleted from eternity or becoming a vital part of it.

The image of Rachel though, stands by itself. The mental image of an unconditionally loving mother, who conveys endless faith in her son, is enough to arouse within Yosef the confident strength necessary to shun even overpowering temptation. “I can do it!”

This is what Yosef is referring to when he tells the wife of Potiphar that she can’t possibly see what he can. A people that wallow in self-indulgence, self-interest, and self-promotion are too shortsighted to see what is readily apparent to those who are capable of looking beyond the immediacy of instant gratification in seeing the bigger picture of eternity and man’s unique ability to make a difference in the world, in the image of Avraham.

...and he saw the place from afar.

Chanukah is a time when we reflect on the inner light that burns within each one of us, that is sourced in that original, but now hidden, light of creation. The radiance that shines out from each one of us is directly proportionate to the level we subdue our being and will to His will and essence.

We must create ‘windows’ where we can figuratively view the Almighty gazing down with encouragement and faith in us, that can power us to achieve our mission here on earth despite the challenges we face.

The word ןולח, window, is embedded in the blessing we recite before kindling the menorah.

...and has commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light

We are the portals through which the generation of children can begin to perceive those windows on high.

The sense of mission we convey and the self-confidence we instill in them is a microcosm of a much greater allegiance and belief in them that stems from our Father in Heaven.

We are the lenses through which they perceive Him.

The more selfless and submissive we are in our personal endeavors of service to Hashem, the more pristine the lens is, enabling them to sense His presence with greater clarity.

A de’light’ful Chanukah!

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

OVERVIEW PARSHA

Yaakov settles in the Land of Cana’an, the very place where his father inhabited. Yosef’s brothers get angry at him. Yosef is thrown into a pit and sold. Incident with Yehuda and Tamar. Peretz and Zarach are born. In the house of Potiphar, Eishes Potiphar tries to seduce Yosef, but he has the courage to refuse. Yosef is framed and thrown into prison. There, he meets the chiefs butler and chief baker of Pharaoh. They have dreams, and Yosef interprets them to perfection.

Quotable Quote “ ”

When God is at the centre of our lives, we open ourselves up to the glory of creation and the beauty of other people.

orah TSparks

Inspiration Everywhere

Parshas Vayeishev

QUICK VORT

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l

T h e g e m a t r i a o f ם י נ ו י ( G r e e k s ) i s 1 1 6

I t ’ s i n t e r e s t i n g t o p o i n t o u t t h a t t h e 1 1 6 t h w o r d

o f C h a p t e r 3 9 o f t h e P a r s h a h , i s t h e w o r d ן

- a n d h e r e f u s e d T h e p a s s u k i s d i s c u s s i n g

Y o s e f H a T z a d i k r e f u s i n

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

- a r e o p p o s i t e s S e t t l i n g a n d

s o j o u r n i n g a r e q u i t e d i f f e r e n t f r o m

e a c h o t h e r !

R a s h i f a m o u s l y s a y s h o w Y a a k o v

w a s ה

- h e w a n t e d t o

d w e l l i n t r a n q u i l i t y , b u t H a s h e m h a d

o t h e r p l a n s f o r h i m I t w a s n ’ t t i m e t o

j u s t “ c h i l l ”

P e r h a p s , t h e T o r a h i s t r y i n g t o t e a c h

u s a l e s s o n a n d m e s s a g e , n a m e l y ,

t h a t t h e m i s s i o n o f a J e w i s t o b e

a b l e t o e x p e r i e n c e ב ש י

T o f i n d a w a y t o “ s e t t l e ” a n d

h a v e y i s h u v h a ’ d a a s a m i d s t t h e

s o j o u r n s a n d g o i n g s o f l i f e

I t h a s b e e n s a i d t h a t t h e o n l y

c o n

d e f i n i t i o n , h a s m o v e m e n t s a n d

f l u c t u a t i o n s . I t i s o u r j o b t o h a v e

b i t a c h o n a n d r e m a i n “ s e t t l e d ”

a m i d s t t h e j o u r n e y .

Thoughts in

Chassidus

The Rebbe of Meriminov says that a Jew is supposed to live in the realm of

- constantly becoming more and more!

This idea is alluded to in the words

- Yaakov was a

, always searching and becoming more!

The “offspring” and “byproduct” of Yaakov was “Yosef,” which means additional and more.

Jewish wisdom teaches us about the importance of not remaining dormant in our Divine service; instead, we must constantly, like Yaakov, seek more!

Points to

Ponder

The seforim point out that there is an allusion to the Geula from the story of the chief butler and chief baker who were in prison.

Why are we meant to draw a connection to our Geula from an incident involving gentile servants?

What lesson is the Torah trying to convey to us?

Scan the QR code to join the Torah Sparks WhatsApp Chat for more content!

Beyond the Headlines

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news

By Sivan Rahav Meir

Let’s Talk About It

This week’s parashah, Vayeishev features the famous story of Yosef and his brothers. Why didn’t the brothers speak to Yosef? Why didn’t they tell him what was bothering them? Yosef has his dreams, wears a coat of many colors, and his brothers are jealous of him: “And they hated him, and they could not speak with him peacefully.”

How did they get into such a mess? Some commentators claim that the siblings’ feud with its severe outcome resulted from their silence and distance from each other. There are occasions when it is acceptable to sweep certain, small issues under the carpet and not deal with them, but when there is an increasingly serious dispute and the two sides are moving apart, there is no reason to suffer in silence. It is best to speak frankly. Both sides should air their grievances in order to ensure that the problem is not covered by a blanket of silence. The same holds true for the different sectors and tribes within the Jewish people, relationships between siblings, and also between husband and wife. It is no coincidence that in his words of wisdom in Kohelet, Shlomo HaMelech teaches us, “a time to speak,” followed by “a time to love.”

The Latest News

I’d like to draw attention to this column’s tagline, which promises a

a point that I feel deserves more emphasis. It seems that for most of today’s news providers, nothing short of a rowdy demonstration, a fight on Twitter, or a sharp exchange in the Knesset is considered newsworthy Yet, I am seeing, daily, so many events demonstrating unity throughout the Jewish world! Here is a short roundup from the week or so:

• Yet another emotional brit milah ceremony was held last week in the Ukraine for two Jewish men, aged 70 and 30. Apparently over 1,000 Jews in the Ukraine and Russia have recently become aroused to embrace their Jewish heritage, and have accordingly undergone a brit milah as adults (because their parents felt it was too risky during the Communist era). It just goes to show you: It’s never too late!

• In a similar spirit, many reservists here in Israel have decided to celebrate their bar mitzvahs. More and more videos have been circulating on social media of men who were not called up to the Torah at age 13, and now, because of the war and their confrontation with evil, they want to reconnect to their roots. Their friends are organizing bar mitzvah celebrations for them, complete with the throwing of candies and a festive meal.

A family will inaugurate a new sefer Torah in memory of a war hero, and the entire city will celebrate together with them. This past week, popular Israeli singer Yishai Lapidot initiated a hachnasat sefer Torah in Petah Tikva in memory of Miron Gersh, an only child, who fell in battle in Gaza. Hundreds of people from all sectors of society came to dance with the Torah and with Miron’s parents.

• Many memorable events have been hosted by the shul in Kibbutz Be’eri, the symbol of the October 7 massacre. Last week, Avida Bachar, head of the kibbutz’s agriculture department, spoke at a memorial service for his friend, Yossi Sharabi, whose body is still being held in Gaza. Avida, who lost his wife and son on Simchat Torah, gave a moving eulogy, which went viral, calling on people to put their families before their careers.

• Far from Be’eri, another video was filmed, showing Rabbi Daniel Alter of the Pnei Menachem community crying at the graves of the tzaddikim in Europe and pleading for the return of the hostages. So many Israelis watched this Hasidic rabbi crying and cried along with him.

• A great deal has been written about the trauma experienced by the survivors of the Nova festival and of the importance of providing them with the support they

need. But what you may not have read is that hundreds of survivors have been participating in Shabbat and Yom Tov celebrations arranged by the Kesher Yehudi organization. They call their community, “From Nova to Jerusalem” and many young people have been joining them as part of their rehabilitation process. Having spent several Shabbatot with them, I can say that they are creating a new language of rebirth and renewal

• You can get a sense that something special is happening among today’s youth from the posts of Yagel Yaakov, the boy from Kibbutz Nir Or who was released from captivity in Gaza. Yagel announced that he is keeping Shabbat and will no longer be available on social media on this holy day. He posted a video of himself writing a letter in a Torah scroll and also said that he has begun to wear tzitzit. In his latest video, he exclaims: “You don’t have to be dati to be Jewish!”

The individuals involved in the above stories don’t have spokespeople, nor do they represent any organizations; it is simply the situation on the ground. How ridiculous to present Judaism as a divisive force, rather than the precious thread binding us together!

Translated by Yehoshua Siskin, Janine Muller Sherr

Want to read more by Sivan Rahav Meir? Google The Daily Thought or visit sivanrahavmeir.com

Yagel Yaakov

Avida Bachar from Kibbutz Be’eri

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah: EVERY 15 MINUTES

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

Neitz Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] M-F

Ohel Yakov S-F

6:00 AM Shomrei Emunah Congregation M-F

6:10 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, Th

6:15 AM Kol Torah M, TH

Shearith Israel Congregation M, TH

6:20 AM Agudah of Greenspring M, TH

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S-F

Bais Dovid-Bais Medrash of Summit Park M-F

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M-F

Kehilath B'nai Torah M, TH

Pikesville Jewish Congregation M, TH

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S, M, TH

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

Chabad of Park Heights M-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Kehilath B'nai Torah T, W, F

Khal Bais Nosson M-F

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek M-F

Kol Torah T, W, F

Ohr Yisroel M-F

Pikesville Jewish Congregation T, W, F

Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah Congregation T, W, F

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

Ohel Moshe M, TH

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

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M, TH

6:45 AM The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel M, Th

B”H and Mesivta of Baltimore (Dirshu Minyan) S-F

Beth Abraham M, TH Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue M-F

Ner Tamid M-F

Ohel Moshe T, W, F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim M-F

6:50 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] M, TH

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh M, TH

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation T, W, F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh M, TH

Derech Chaim M-F

Kol Torah M-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH

Shomrei Emunah Congregation M, TH

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center M, TH

6:55 AM The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel T, W, F

Beth Abraham T, W, F

Kol Torah M, TH

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

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh T, W, F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh T, W, F Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue S

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek S Kol Torah T, W, F

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah M-F

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

Shearith Israel Congregation S, M, TH

Shomrei Emunah Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh M-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center T, W, F

Tiferes Yisroel M-F

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

7:15 AM Kedushas Yisrael S Kol Torah S Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S, T, W, F

Baltimore Weekday Minyanim Guide

Ner Israel Rabbinical College S-F

Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel S Tzeirei Anash M-F

7:20 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Beth Tfiloh Congregation M-F

Kol Torah M-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH

Shomrei Emunah Congregation M, TH

7:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] S

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore S-F

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh S

Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation S

Chabad of Park Heights S

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh S-F

Darchei Tzedek S

Kedushas Yisrael S-F

Khal Bais Nosson S

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina) S-F

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

Shomrei Emunah Congregation T, W, F

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

Talmudical Academy S-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Mesivta Kesser Torah S-F

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim S-F

7:50 AM Derech Chaim S

Ner Tamid S

Ohel Moshe M-F

8:00 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Bais Dovid-Bais Medrash of Summit Park S

Beth Abraham S

Chabad Israeli Center M-F

Darchei Tzedek S

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek S

Kehillas Meor HaTorah S

Ohr Yisroel S

Pikesville Jewish Congregation S

Shearith Israel Congregation S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center S Tiferes Yisroel S

Tzeirei Anash S Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah S-F

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

8:20 AM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

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

8:30 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Chabad Israeli Center S

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh S

9:00 AM Aish Kodesh S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S

Beth Tfiloh Congregation S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation S

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S-F

Mincha

Mincha Gedolah Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/Tzemach Tzedek

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

Mincha

continued

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

10045 Red Run Blvd Suite 295

Milk & Honey Bistro 1777 Reisterstown RD

1:25 PM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

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

1:45 PM Ohel Moshe

Wealcatch Insurance

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

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

Big Al @ The Knish Shop Party Room

Kol Torah

Market Maven

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Reischer Minyan - 23 Walker Ave 2nd Floor

2:15 PM Pikesville Beis Medrash - 15 Walker Ave

2:30 PM Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Tov Pizza Mincha Minyan

Ner Israel Rabbinical College

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim (Etz Chaim Building)

Shearith Israel Congregation

2:45 PM Kollel of Greenspring

Shearith Israel Congregation (S-Th)

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

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

3:05 PM Kedushas Yisrael

3:15 PM Hat Box

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

3:30PM Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

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

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

10 Min Before ShkiAh Chabad Israeli Center

14 Min Before ShkiAh Kol Torah

Mincha/Maariv

Before Shkiah

Maariv continued

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

8:55 PM Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

9:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Arugas Habosem

Bais Dovid-Bais Medrash of Summit Park

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim

9:20 PM Kol Torah

9:30 PM Agudah of Greenspring

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Kedushas Yisrael

9:40 PM Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi]

9:45 PM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Kollel Erev Birchas Yitzchok (Luries)

Kollel of Greenspring

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's)

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi]

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah

9:50 PM Aish Kodesh

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Ohel Moshe

10:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Darchei Tzedek

Kehilath B'nai Torah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Shearith Israel Congregation

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

10:05 PM Kol Torah

10:10 PM Ner Israel Rabbinical College

10:15 PM Derech Chaim

Khal Bais Nosson

10:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

11:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

11:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Agudah of Greenspring - 6107 Greenspring Ave

Agudath Israel of Baltimore - 6200 Park Heights Ave

Ahavat Shalom - 3009 Northbrook Rd

Aish Kodesh

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Agudah of Greenspring

Bais Dovid-Bais Medrash of Summit Park

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Beth Abraham

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation

Darchei Tzedek

Kehillas Meor HaTorah

Kehilath B’nai Torah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill’s)

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Ner Tamid

Ohel Moshe

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi]

Ohr Yisroel

Pikesville Jewish Congregation

Shearith Israel Congregation

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

Shomrei Mishmeres

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center

Tiferes Yisroel

Maariv

Aish Kodesh - 6207 Ivymount Rd

Arugas HaBosem - 3509 Clarks Ln

Bais Dovid-Bais Medrash of Summit Park- 6800 Sylvale Ct

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim - 3120 Clarks Ln

Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore - 6823 Old Pimlico Rd

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh - 6618 Deancroft Rd

Beit Yaakov - 3615 Seven Mile Ln

Beth Abraham - 6208 Wallis Ave

Beth Tfiloh Congregation - 3300 Old Court Rd

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation - 6602 Park Heights Ave

Chabad Israeli Center - 7807 Seven Mile Ln

Chabad of Park Heights - 3402 Clarks Ln

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh - 3800 Labyrinth Rd

Darchei Tzedek - 3201 Seven Mile Ln

Derech Chaim - 6229 Greenspring Ave (Weekday)

Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue 6611 Greenspring Ave.

Kedushas Yisrael - 6004 Park Heights Ave

Kehilath B’nai Torah - 6301 Green Meadow Pkwy

Kehillas Meor HaTorah - 6539 Pebble Brooke Rd

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek - 6811 Park Heights Ave Khal Bais Nosson - 2901 Taney Rd

Kol Torah - 2929 Fallstaff Rd

Kollel of Greenspring - 6504 Greenspring Ave.

Machzikei Torah - 6216 Biltmore Ave

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah - 6500 Baythorne Rd

Mesivta Kesser Torah - 8400 Park Heights Ave

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim - 3702 Fords Ln

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah - 7000 Rockland Hills Dr

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

Ner Israel Rabbinical College - 400 Mt Wilson Ln

Ner Tamid - 6214 Pimlico Road

Ohel Moshe - 2808 Smith Ave

Ohel Yakov - 3200 Glen Ave

Ohr Chadash Academy - 7310 Park Heights Avenue

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] - 6813 Park Heights Ave

Ohr Yisroel - 2429 Lightfoot Dr

Pikesville Jewish Congregation - 7644 Carla Rd

6:00

6:30

7:00

7:30

8:00

8:30

8:45

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

PM Darchei Tzedek

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina)

12:50

PM One South Street, 27th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202

Ohr Yisroel

Shearith Israel Congregation - 5835 Park Heights Ave

Shomrei Emunah Congregation - 6221 Greenspring Ave

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh - 2821 W Strathmore Ave

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim - 7504 Seven Mile Ln

Talmudical

Food labels can be confusing and sometimes misleading, making it difficult to make truly informed choices. With so many different claims and terms, it’s easy to be duped into thinking a product is healthier than it actually is. To better understand the nutrition facts of food labels so you can make smarter decisions about what you’re eating, we will breakdown all components of the typical food label. Whether it’s deciphering claims like “no added sugar” or understanding what “natural” really means, being aware of how food labels are constructed and what they actually tell you is key to understanding the nutritional value of your food and choosing healthier options.

FDA Requirements

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to accurately label foods so that consumers can be informed about their contents. There are 5 types of information required by the FDA on every food label (except for fresh produce and seafood): statement of identity, net contents of the package, name and address of manufacturer, ingredients list, and nutrition information.

Health & F tness

Label Unlocked

The Truth About Your Food

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

Ingredient List

The ingredient list includes all ingredients, listed from most predominant to least predominant in the product. This order of ingredients comes in handy when judging the nutritional value of a product. For example, it can help you determine whether a bread contains more whole grain flour than refined flour, as the whole grain will be listed first. Another way that this can be of assistance is if you are choosing a breakfast cereal and the first ingredient is sugar. That is a red flag that this cereal is more of a dessert than part of a nutritious breakfast.

Allergens

By law, food manufacturers must also list major allergens, which include milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans. Allergens may be listed in a separate statement. For example, you may see “contains wheat” on the label. Alternatively, allergens can be listed in parentheses within the ingredient list, such as “lecithin (soy).” Some labels include an optional “may contain” or “made in shared equipment with” statement that lists additional allergens that could be present, not as ingredients

in the food, but in trace amounts from equipment contamination. For people with food allergies, having this information clearly and accurately displayed on food packages is vital for their safety.

The Nutrition Facts Panel

If you want to learn about the nutritional value of a food, the Nutrition Facts panel is where you’ll find this information. It’s very useful for comparing products and for identifying foods that will be valuable in meeting your nutritional goals. For example, if you’re trying to watch your intake of added sugar or saturated fat, or you’re trying to incorporate more dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D, the Nutrition Facts panel is a valuable tool.

There are four main parts of a Nutrition Facts Panel: serving size, calorie information, nutrient amounts, and percent (%) daily values.

Serving Size Information

It’s fitting that serving size information is first on the Nutrition Facts panel, because all of the information that follows is based on it. The serving size of the food is the amount that people typically con-

sume; it is not a recommendation of how much you should consume. All the nutritional information on the label is based on one serving of the food. This section of the label also states the number of servings per container. It’s important to note that you might not always eat one serving of a food; sometimes, you might eat half of a serving, and sometimes you might eat two or more servings in one sitting.

Calorie information

This section simply states the number of calories, or the amount of energy provided in one serving of the food. Again, if you consume more or less than the serving size, you’ll need to take that into consideration when estimating the calories you’re consuming.

Nutrient Amounts

The Nutrition Facts panel must list the amounts of these nutrients: total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugars, added sugars, protein, calcium, vitamin D, iron, and potassium. Manufacturers may also choose to add several other optional nutrients or nutritional information: calories from saturated fat,

polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, soluble and insoluble fiber, sugar alcohol, other carbohydrate, and other vitamins and minerals.

Percent Daily Values

The Daily Value (DV) is an approximate recommendation for daily intake for a nutrient, developed by the FDA for use on food labels so that consumers can see how much of a nutrient is provided by a serving of a food relative to about how much they need each day. The FDA explains that 5%DV or less means the food is low in a nutrient,10% to 19%DV means the food is a “good source” of a nutrient, and 20%DV or greater means the food is high in a nutrient.

Claims

Food labels often include marketing claims about nutrient content and health benefits. These claims are regulated by the FDA to ensure accuracy and are divided into specific categories: nutrient claims, health claims, and structure-function claims. Understanding these distinctions can help consumers make informed choices.

Nutrient Claims

Nutrient claims provide straightforward information about the levels of nutrients or calories in a food product. These claims follow strict FDA regulations:

• Fat-Free: Contains less than 0.15% fat.

• Low Fat: Contains less than 3% fat for solid foods (1.5% for liquids).

• Low Sodium: Contains 140 mg or less of sodium per serving.

• Reduced Sodium: At least 25% less sodium than the original product.

• Low Calorie: Must meet defined calorie limits per serving.

• Good Source of: Contains 10-19% of the Daily Value (DV) of a nutrient per serving.

• High In / Rich In / Excellent Source of: Contains 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving.

• Light: processed to reduce either calories or fat. This may sound healthy, but some “light” products are simply watered down. Check carefully to see if anything has been added to make up for the reduced calories and fat, such as sugar.

Health Claims

Health claims connect a food or its components to reducing the risk of disease. Health claims can be “authorized” or “qualified.”

Authorized Health Claims

These are supported by strong scientific evidence and significant scientific agreement (SSA). For example, it may say: “Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, a disease associated with many factors.” Authorized health claims must use precise language, avoiding definitive statements and acknowledging that disease risk is influenced by multiple factors.

Qualified Health Claims

These have less scientific support than authorized claims. The FDA regulates their wording to reflect the lower level of certainty. For example, it may say: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Structure Function Claims

Structure-function claims describe the role of a nutrient in supporting normal body functions but avoid specific disease prevention or treatment claims. Examples of structure-function claims are “calcium builds strong bones” and “fiber maintains bowel regularity.” Note that these statements make no claims to prevent osteoporosis or treat constipation, because structure-function claims are not allowed to say that a food or nutrient will treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These claims are less regulated by the FDA, provided they avoid making medical assertions. They are often used in fortified foods or dietary supplements and serve as marketing language.

Other Common Terms on Food Labels

No Added Sugar: Indicates that no sugar has been added during processing; however, the product may still contain natural sugars. Manufacturers often use natural sweeteners such as molasses, fruit juice concentrates, or agave syrup to enhance sweetness without technically “adding sugar.” These ingredients still contribute to the overall sugar content of the product. Additionally, some “no added sugar” products may compensate for the lack of sweetness by adding artificial sweeteners or other additives, which can affect flavor and nutritional quality. This displays the importance of checking the Nutrition Facts panel for total sugar content to get the full picture.

Reduced Fat or Reduced Salt: This indicates that the product contains at least a 25% reduction in fat or salt compared to the original version. However,

it’s important to note that even with this reduction, the product can still be high in fat or salt. The 25% reduction is relative to the original product, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the final amount is low or healthy. For example, a product that originally contained 40 grams of fat per serving may be reduced to 30 grams, but 30 grams is still a significant amount of fat. Therefore, while the reduction is noteworthy, it’s essential to check the actual amount of fat or salt in the product and compare it to daily recommended intake guidelines to make sure it’s aligned with a healthy diet.

Multigrain: This simply indicates more than one type of grain is used such as wheat, oats, barley, or rye. However, it does not guarantee that the grains are whole or retain their original nutritional value. Unless the product is marked as whole grain, it is possible the grains in a multigrain product are all refined grains, which have likely lost important nutrients during processing. This process removes essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, leaving behind primarily the starchy endosperm.

Products labeled “multigrain” may sound healthy, but they could lack the benefits associated with whole grains, such as improved digestion and better heart health. To ensure you’re choosing a truly nutritious product, look for labels that specify “100% whole grain” or check the ingredients list for terms like “whole wheat” as the first ingredient.

Natural: The term “natural” on food labels refers to how a product is processed and varies by type. For meat, the USDA defines it as containing no artificial ingredients, no added colors, and being minimally processed. For other foods, the FDA defines it as free from artificial or synthetic substances not expected in the food. However, there’s no certification or inspection for the “natural” label, so manufacturers can use it freely. It doesn’t reflect farming practices or means the food is healthier – it only indicates the absence of certain artificial additives.

Organic: Requires production without conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, biotechnology, or ionizing radiation. Organic animals must be fed organic feed and raised without injected hormones or antibiotics. However, organic foods may still have the same calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrate content as non-organic options.

Non-GMO/Bioengineered: A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a plant or animal whose genes have been altered through genetic engineering rather

than traditional breeding methods. Most (but not all) scientists agree that GMO foods are as safe to eat as non-GMO foods. When it comes to labeling, there are two types related to genetic modification. A non-GMO label indicates that the ingredients were not genetically modified, but it’s important to note that only a few crops, such as corn and soybeans, have GMO versions. Non-GMO labels are not certified by government agencies like the FDA or USDA, and even foods that don’t have GMO versions can carry this label.

Gluten-Free: This means that the product does not contain gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, making it safe for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. However, many people mistakenly believe that gluten-free products are also carb-free, which is untrue. Gluten-free foods can still contain high amounts of carbohydrates, especially if they are made with rice flour, cornmeal, or other starches. Just because a product is gluten-free doesn’t mean it’s automatically low in carbs or healthier. It’s important to check the Nutrition Facts label for the actual carbohydrate content.

Reading Food Labels Effectively

While nutrient and health claims on the front of food packages are designed to catch your attention, the most accurate and reliable information is found on the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients list on the back. For instance, a product labeled “80% fat-free” still contains 20% fat, which can be a significant amount. Similarly, small serving sizes can make a product seem healthier or lower calorie, but if multiple servings are consumed, the total intake may be much higher than expected. Understanding the definitions of various food label terms will help you identify which foods are genuinely healthy and which ones are simply marketed as such. This knowledge ensures that brands can’t mislead you, as you’ll be able to recognize the true meaning behind their claims. By understanding these claims and paying close attention to the details in the Nutrition Facts panel, you can make more informed and healthier food choices.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer

Triumphs

Wet Phone, Calm Mommy

As told to Rebbetzin Sara Gross

Ihave rambunctious boys. I love them to pieces, but they can be a handful sometimes. This summer, one of my little boys was upset about something. He raged and threw a tantrum while we were swimming at a neighbor’s pool. The

next thing I knew, he grabbed my cell phone and threw it into the pool.

My immediate thought was, “Lucky it wasn’t a smartphone that had everything important on it. It was just a basic flip with no emotional or strong attachment.” He was then

given a consequence for his unacceptable behavior, and I calmly followed through with it.

When things settled, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction that I was able to stay calm and not feel overly frustrated by his wild behavior. This was only possible because I had gotten rid of my smartphone a couple of years ago, and I was not attached to my flip phone. It was so liberating to me to be able to parent my child according to his actions and not according to my frustration.

DID YOU KNOW:

Some cameras have open internet access, while others—especially touch-screen models—may have hidden internet capabilities, even if this isn’t mentioned in the product description. Many cameras also

include a special WIFI function for sharing photos with other devices. However, WIFI or video features can often be removed from certain camera models. Visit our website for a detailed list.

There are many cameras available without any internet connectivity. Be sure to read product descriptions carefully, and don’t hesitate to contact our office if you’d like to verify whether the model you’re considering is safe.

We all sat by the Menorahs singing for a while and then ate a family supper for much longer than usual. It was really nice to have no phone calls.

We signed up for Screen-Free time thinking it would be a big undertaking, but we didn’t even notice when our half hour was over!

It was our own Chanukah story, taking on what we didn’t know we could do, and seeing in retrospect that we are capable of far more than we know!

It was meaningful to the children when the phone rang and we said, “We don’t need to answer now, we’re enjoying spending time with you.”

tagbaltimore.org

Mental Health Corner Therapy Resistance

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

We are living in an era when the concept of seeking therapy is becoming commonplace and non-stigmatized. Nevertheless, some people who know that they need therapy find themselves unable to overcome their internal resistance to therapy. What are the reasons that lead people to avoid the therapy that they know they need?

One possible issue can be the lack of faith in the outcome. The numerous articles in frum publications that recount tales of mental health therapy offer a wide variety of situations. Sometimes, the story is that therapy was a lifesaving intervention. But, there are times when the story relates that therapy had little or even negative effects. Why should someone invest time and effort in an endeavor that might not deliver on its promises?

Another cause for hesitation may be the cost of therapy. Sometimes there are options that are less expensive, but very often the level of expertise required means that the only practical option would be very expensive.

Therapy often involves getting in touch with that real person. This means that not only do we need to expose our inner psyche to the therapist, but we also need to expose it to ourselves. Breaking that facade that we had initially built in the belief that this will protect us, creates the impression in our mind that we are putting ourselves in mortal danger by allowing the real person to emerge.

This is the reason why being open and honest is called vulnerability. The definition of vulnerable is to be susceptible to harm. That may be physical harm if someone is in a situation where there is a physical risk to their body, or it may be emotional harm such as in our situation.

However, there is one type of resistance that overshadows these and other reasons and is possibly the number one reason why some people avoid therapy, and that isable. Therapy only works if the client is willing to be vulnerable many people, this may be the most terrifying task that they will ever face in their life. Why indeed is

Human beings thrive by being connected to others. This includes relationships. Fear of rejection is therefore from the deepest fears that we face as human beings. We overcome this fear by conforming. If we do not stick out, then we will

putting on a facade that projects to the world a certain version of ourselves that belies the reality hiding beneath the surface. Sometimes, we begin to believe that this facade is the truth, and we suppress

Showing our true selves means that we are allowing others to see our imperfections. This creates the concern that we won’t be liked by others if they know how terrible we are. Of course, we all know that usually the opposite is usually true. People who present their authentic selves to others are viewed as genuine and real and tend to therefore have a certain charm that you do not find in people who hide behind a facade.

Therapy, therefore, is not only about dealing with whatever situation that is causing distress, but it also involves getting in touch with your real self. This may be terrifying, but it also may be life-changing. The choice is yours.

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

Parenting Pearls My Brother’s Keeper

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Sibling rivalry is as old as humanity, and jealousy is a middah that has existed since we left Gan Eden. Sibling rivalry is a well-known predicament. Perhaps one sibling fights with another, is jealous of the other, or only succeeds in life to spite their sibling.

It can’t be denied that siblings play a major role in a child’s development. These children spend significant time together and often measure their own success using their sibling as their barometer. They are each other’s main playmates and share childhood memories.

Unfortunately, at times, a negative relationship can last well into adulthood. We hear of far too many adults who can’t attend family simchas without politics. Alternatively, siblings can be close, and this can be a relationship that lasts throughout decades. For these families, they know their brother or sister will be there for them no matter the situation.

Most parents want their children to get along. It can be major nachas seeing an older sibling assist the younger one, but it can cause intense grief to listen to constant bickering. Maneuvering the dynamics between siblings is complex but is an important part of building healthy familial relationships.

The Challenge

It’s pretty obvious why it’s important for children to get along. Children that argue create a very unpleasant situation in the home. There are families that experience constant bickering and fighting. Sibling rivalry causes friction between the children, but it can also test the shalom bayis of their parents. The entire home can become an unpleasant place and stressful for all members.

It’s normal for there to be some bickering between siblings as young children grow and learn to maneuver their relationships. Disagreements are inevitable but will lessen as they mature and build a beautiful relationship all their own. Ideally, a sibling becomes the one they can always count on.

Children learn many interpersonal skills through sibling interactions. It takes a lot to work with other children and still get everyone’s needs met. Whether it’s negotiating, conflict resolution or learning to share, there is so much kids learn through working things out together (often with parental assistance).

Many think of sibling rivalry as the normal unpleasantness that exists between children. Baruch Hashem, for most kids, it’s something they naturally outgrow and leave behind. Despite the frustration, it’s temporary, and they learn new skills in the

process. Unfortunately, there are times where the situation turns into bullying or reaches the level of abuse. This must not be ignored and can have long-term negative consequences for the victimized child. It’s crucial to consult a medical or mental health professional for help or even if you’re simply unsure if the situation has escalated too far.

The Do’s and Don’t’s

There are many behaviors that can improve sibling interactions. As with all areas of childrearing, it’s parents that set the tone and create the environment within the family. It’s easy to only see the role of the children that are fighting, but there is much parents can do to build bridges. I’d like to discuss some of the options parents have to hopefully steer away from conflict and guide towards positive communication.

Children are different from each other. This is pretty obvious, but it’s important to see each child within the family as the unique individual they are. Each brings bracha in their own way, and it’s important that parents recognize their individualities.

Along with recognizing their uniqueness is avoiding comparisons between children. “Why can’t you study like your brother?” “Your sister is always helping before Shabbos – please get up and do something.”

Parents may do this mistakenly thinking it will motivate the child.

It’s best to not use another child as an example. “Shani is great at math.” “Yanky is always so helpful.” While there are times it is appropriate to use another child in an example, it isn’t necessary too often and needs to be with much caution and wisdom.

As a general rule, many parenting moves may appear to work in the shortterm but can yield negative consequences in the long-term. Spanking or harsh discipline, insulting or comparing to a sibling or peer are all examples of this principle. Even if a child appears temporarily compelled to improve from being compared, the future results may not be as attractive.

A family is a unit, and children should view themselves as being on the same team. Parents can bring up this concept through ongoing discussions. Parents can also reinforce this mindset through their actions, such as encouraging feelings of camaraderie and discouraging insulting language.

In general, we want to avoid exacerbating the natural competitiveness that can exist within families. Children are already sharing limited resources, such as parental attention and finances, and there is no need to add to it. Not all competition is evil, but it needs to be with hesitation and much chochma.

While we do need to respect their individuality, siblings can benefit from doing activities together. It may be basketball or another sport, dance or a learning program, but it gives them a shared experience and the camaraderie that comes with it. Years ago, we were advised to put two competing siblings into a class together. They would come home from the class laughing together, sharing with each other enjoyable moments from the lesson. This ended up being the beginning of a positive bond between the two of them.

It’s good to have games, sports equipment and other enjoyable activities for the children at home. Besides the obvious benefit of the kids being occupied and not screaming, it encourages positive interactions between the crew. The more positive interactions they have, the stronger they can build that crucial connection and relationship.

There are siblings that will become very competitive or aggressive if they lose. Children with this dynamic should avoid games that will feed into this unhealthy synergy. Cooperative games can be beneficial for these (and all) children, as is any game or activity that requires them to work together as a team and not opposite each other.

To prevent jealousy, parents may try to make everything equal. In their mind, whatever is given to one must be given to the other. If one child gets a new shirt, then so does their sibling. I’m not a fan of this approach, as well intentioned as it may be. We certainly should not show favoritism between children; each is precious in their own way. Playing favorites is an excellent way to cause friction and fighting. But the

sibling is getting right now, completely forgetting what they received. Because children can be a bit short-sighted, there are times it can be helpful to buy a small (but hopefully necessary) item for the other child if their sibling is getting a noticeably large amount of new things. This is rarely necessary but may be helpful under certain circumstances.

More than any inanimate object, chil-

wake up one day and on their own say, “Why don’t you play with the toy for five minutes, and then I’ll get my time?” They need to be actively taught healthy ways to communicate and negotiate through their daily challenges. For example, children can learn to share the most desirable snacks by having one child divide up the portions while the other child takes first. We’ve had timers available to help with turn taking. Parents can model these skills and help provide “scripts” for the kids. It can also be helpful for parents to have rules and guidelines in place to prevent conflict.

Siblings are a very unique relationship. They can fight over so much but still be the best of friends. Despite the challenges of raising siblings, having a brother or sister is a lifetime gift. I am personally grateful to my own siblings who I know are always there for me.

opposite extreme is not healthy, either. One child may need a shirt, but perhaps the other could use a new pair of pants. One child may be thrilled with being offered a gymnastics class, but perhaps their sibling lacks the same interest. Do we need to insist they do an activity that doesn’t interest them? By trying to be “fair,” we may not truly be meeting each child’s needs. Sadly, children may only see what their

dren want the love and attention of their parents. Ensuring each child has a healthy, routine dose of both will help prevent one of the main causes of sibling rivalry. Many parents will say they don’t have the time, but minutes invested now will save hours later and yield meaningful long-term results.

Kids need to be taught how to speak with others. A three-year-old doesn’t

May our children build healthy, loving relationships and support each other throughout their lives.

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

To Raise a Laugh

The Job Market Is A Zoo

We have all this technology nowadays, and we wonder, “What did they used to do before this stuff was invented?”

They used animals. You wanted an alarm clock, you bought a rooster. You wanted to keep your milk fresh, you bought a cow. You wanted to communicate over long distances, you realized that you don’t know anyone over long distances, because you do most of your travelling by donkey, and there’s only so long you’re willing to sit on a donkey who’s walking 3 miles an hour because he’s schlepping all your worldly belongings. Why did your wife have to pack so many sheep?

Nowadays, what do we use animals for? We eat them. That’s it. Is that why we’re so fat? And what about the animals we don’t eat? Are they going to stop existing because we have no use for them?

I doubt it. Turns out there are lots of news stories of people using animals in new ways.

For example, a hospital in Chicago recently started using horses as therapy in the children’s ward. They were miniature horses, of course, because it’s a hospital. But this is a relatively new use. I don’t think they used horses for therapy in the old days. Though if you think about it, back then everyone had horses, and no one needed therapy! Though Pharaoh could have used some.

And maybe one day horses will be licensed to offer, say, psychological therapy. You can go lie down on a couch and talk about you problems while a horse sits behind you and doodles on a pad.

“Mr. Schmutter… Dr. Soos will see you now.”

(OFFICIAL MOTTO: “I will heal your neshama as well as your goof,

And prescribe you some pills that I crush with my hoof.”)

Also, the city of Paris has hired several sheep to mow the lawns around various landmarks. They cost less than a machine, and you don’t have to feed them, because they eat the grass. Also, sheep are much quieter than a lawn mower. Your neighbor’s not waking you up on Sunday morning with his sheep.

Then there’s the artist in Holland who found a use for a cat, which is good, because not everyone who has a cat has a use for a cat. People might want cats for companionship, but people are for companionship. The cat is just looking to get out.

Anyway, the cat died. So instead of doing what most people do, which is attempt to flush it down the toilet, he did the next logical thing, which is turn it into a remote-controlled helicopter. He stuck in some mechanism, attached a rotor to each of its legs, and now it will be terrifying kids for years to come.

I think we should try this with other animals. It would be great for steering your sheep when they’re mowing lawns.

There are also lots of uses for animals in zoos. For example, one Zoo in the Philippines offers a brand new way to relax: massages!

Apparently people are showing up at the zoo all tense. They don’t have time for this. “Why are all these families in the way? You have to look at every animal?! Nothing’s happening in there! Stop rubbernecking!”

So now they’re offering something called “snake massages”. They put four giant pythons on you while you lie there and think about your life choices.

Before you freak out, I should remind you that pythons are not poisonous. They’re just really big and can swallow you in one bite. And there are 4 of them. And together, they weigh 550 lbs., so you’re not going anywhere.

By Mordechai Schmutter

But it definitely works. When they take the pythons off, you’re more relaxed than when they put the pythons on.

I don’t know who decided that 4 snakes is the right amount. Maybe if they use one snake, he thinks they’re feeding him. But if you have 4 snakes writhing around, they lose their coordination.

“I’d like to wrap around him. Is this my tail or yours?”

Speaking of zoos, there was a story about a zoo in China, which one day found itself without a lion. They had a lion cage, but the lion was away on business. Or maybe it died. And rather than turning it into a helicopter and terrifying the kids, they decided to get it replaced. So they took a dog, put it in a sheitel, and stuck it in the cage.

Actually, it didn’t even need a sheitel. The dog was a Tibetan Mastiff, which already kind of has a mane like a lion, so who’s gonna know? Besides for kids, who are experts in zoology.

So the dog was sitting in the lion enclosure, pondering its life choices, and suddenly kids started showing up. And he was happy to see them, so he barked.

And the kids are like, “Look! Lions bark!”

You think the zoo that you go to doesn’t do this? What are the chances that every time you go, half the animals are sleeping inside logs at the back of the cage? You think there are animals back there? You’ve been to that zoo 5,000 times, and you have not once seen the fox. It escaped, obviously. Foxes are smart. These animals can’t hang out in zoos all day. They have things to do.

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.

Shmuly Sobel (Detroit) & Sarah Barr (Baltimore)

Rami Kelemer & Leah Pretter (Both Baltimore)

Yosef Kornblau (Howell) and Rochel Langer (Baltimore)

Dovid Yaakov Green (Baltimore) & Hanna Bluth (Boca Raton)

Dovid Blum (Baltimore, MD) & Adeena Samuels (Valley Village, CA)

Nachum Wildman (Albany/Baltimore) & Aviva Friedman (Baltimore)

Elchonon Klein (North Miami Beach/Dallas) & Basi Lerner (Baltimore, MD)

Azari Wisebrod (Thornhill) & Rochelli Feldman (Baltimore)

Yitzchok Savir & Shira Seigelman (Both Silver Spring)

Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!

Doniel & Chana Perel Steinman on the birth of a daughter

Rabbi Yitzy & Mrs. Chana Tzirel Fox on the birth of a son

Tamar Demby & Dov Simen on the birth of a son

Menachem & Jessica Neufeld on the birth of a son

Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!

An Exalted Nation

How Shay Kallach is Helping to Elevate and Educate the Israeli Nation

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

In the early hours of October 7, reports of the massacre flooded the news. The world watched in shock as stories of an invasion, rockets, murders, kidnappings—chaos and destruction—surfaced all so suddenly. It was the embodiment of a nightmare. To everyone: a scenario beyond the realm of possibility.

Imagine this: You’re an Orthodox Jew living in Israel. It’s in the early hours of Shabbos morning. And suddenly, your phone spits out a cacophony of ominous pings and rings. Hmm, that’s weird. What could that be? Is it an emergency? Or is it nothing?

What would you do in that situation? Would you pick up your phone and check your notifications? Or would you ignore your screeching device?

On the morning of October 7, Elchanan Kalmanson faced that same dilemma. An Israeli security service veteran and a religious Jew, he woke up sensing that all was not well. And so, he leaned into his training and reached for his device.

The 42-year-old man looked at his phone. And the second he picked it up, he nearly dropped the device onto the floor. Elchanan stared down at the screen in shock. An invasion? Killings? Rockets?

Just a short moment later, his astonishment dissi-

pated, leaving a moment of clarity in its wake. He knew what he had to do. Elchanan, his brother Menachem, and his nephew Itiel hopped into their car and sped off to the southern border.

The three civilians drove sixty miles from one end of Israel to the other—from their home in Yehuda and Shomron all the way to Kibbutz Be’eri. There, they rescued over 100 Jews from the embattled kibbutz and neutralized many Hamas terrorists along the way.

In the end, Menachem and Itiel survived. But tragically, Elchanan, a father of five, sacrificed his life. The terrorists ambushed him during his desperate campaign to save lives. He wasn’t on duty. It wasn’t his responsibility to act. But nonetheless, he chose to sacrifice his life to save others. And in doing so, he died al Kiddush Hashem

We can learn a lot from the Kalmanson heroes: from their heroism, courage, and sense of duty. But their story also raises many questions about the military failure that led up to October 7.

For one, the massacre supposedly occurred because the Israeli army (the Air Force, in particular) wasn’t prepared for the attack. But does that make sense? If three civilians mobilized in the middle of Shabbos—

driving from the northern border to the southern border without even knowing what they were getting themselves into—don’t you think that the Air Force, with its speed, intelligence, and sheer power, should have been able to mobilize even faster? If unprepared civilians from the other side of the country could do it, how could the military not?

Shay Kallach, a former fighter pilot and an emerging figure in Israeli politics, asked that same question. According to Shay, Israel trains its F-16 pilots to be in the air at a moment’s notice. Even if you consider mishaps and malfunctions, he adds, the Israeli Air Force should have been able to neutralize the threat quickly.

The situation seems even more baffling when you consider some of Shay’s insights from his time in the army. Aside from his twenty years of service in the Air Force, Shay also has experience with military policy. Eight years ago, he was part of a team tasked with writing the Air Force’s procedure in the event of a serious invasion (such as the one that would later happen on October 7).

The team determined the Air Force wouldn’t be able to completely prevent a hypothetical attack. But, the IAF could stop most of an invasion if they used a powerful bombing maneuver. That same move could have prevented 90% of the October 7 massacre, according to Shay.

So, why didn’t they use that maneuver? Why didn’t the Air Force swoop in and save the day as the invasion unfolded? Why was the initial response to the attacks (a strike on an empty Hamas building) so underwhelming? And—perhaps the best question of all—why couldn’t the army and the Israeli public see the October 7 massacre coming, considering all the red flags?

Shay Kallach may have some of the answers.

On the morning of October 7, an Israeli pilot flew around in a helicopter, stalking the southern border. Suddenly, he looked down and saw hundreds of Gazans storming Israel. With one press of a button, he could have killed hundreds of terrorists.

“He had a dilemma if he should shoot them or not,” explains Shay. “But he couldn’t do it. He later explained that when he landed, it was only then that he realized that a massacre was occurring. And he said to himself, ‘If I knew what was happening, I would have killed all those who crossed the border.’ But the question is: why couldn’t he have acted properly in the midst of the event?”

Another soldier—a tank commander—faced the same dilemma. Stationed at the border, he witnessed the invasion as it was happening. But the soldier also decided against stopping the invaders.

So, why did the pilot and the tank commander hesitate when they could have easily saved lives? As Shay explains, the answer to that question is rooted in a toxic ideology that infected the Israeli military: the ridiculous conception that terrorists are our friends. It’s a progressive belief—promoted by many of the army’s highest-ranking officials, the old Israeli elite, and progressive donors such as the New Israel Fund—that somehow contaminated the IDF’s ethical code and poisoned the minds of much of the Israeli public.

“We were re-educated by a very progressive movement in the United States called the New Israel Fund. It succeeded in changing the mindset of the general staff in Israel,” shares Shay. “The New Israel Fund was established one year after Begin won the election. And they sponsored almost 1,000 small institutions, founding them with almost $1 billion. The progressive

movements re-educated us to believe that there are no wars anymore and there is no enemy.

“If you ask most generals in Israel today what victory over our enemy would look like, what answer would you get? They would say, ‘There is no enemy at all.’ And you have to understand that once there is no enemy on the other side of the border, there is a friend,” Shay explains. “And if there is a friend, you need to defend that friend. They believe that there are no terrorists on the other side of the fence; just innocent people.”

That progressive conception is rooted in the fairytale belief that everyone wants peace—that everyone is fundamentally good: Hamas is just trying to survive; the Palestinians are willing to negotiate; and the previous silence from Hamas is proof that they’re ready for peace. It’s this ridiculous theory that we can

“If you ask most generals in Israel today what victory over our enemy would look like, what answer would you get? They would say, ‘There is no enemy at all.’”

achieve uniformity with the Palestinians by treating them better than our own civilians. Worst of all, it’s the idea that terrorists who slaughter, abduct, and assault men, women, and children are just innocent people whose aggression was borne out of years of Israeli oppression.

The solution to the conflict, progressives assert, is to basically lay down our arms. And then, magically, there will be peace. How so? Because this conflict isn’t about our enemies’ deep-rooted hatred of the Jews, according to the progressives (actually, it is). Rather, it’s just a war on Zionism. The moment Israel abandons its “colonialist ways,” we’ll be on the road to peace, they say.

This all may seem ridiculous to you. But consider all the funding from progressive groups and society’s tendency to embrace wishful thinking, and it makes sense why so many people have been fooled into thinking that

everyone wants peace. However unrealistic it may be, to many people, it feels better to assume that everyone is good than to accept that some people are bad.

This pro-enemy ideology has practical ramifications for the army. One of the IDF’s rules, explains Shay, is that Israel must warn terrorists before attacking them. The Israeli military does so by “knocking on the roof.” By dropping a tiny bomb on the roof of a building before launching the real attack, the IDF alerts Hamas of the assault, allowing terrorists the chance to flee. No other army in the world has such a rule, Shay notes.

Another absurd statute: if a Palestinian isn’t officially part of a terror group, the IDF isn’t allowed to kill them—even if they’ve kidnapped and murdered Israeli citizens. For example, the army wasn’t allowed to kill the Palestinian “civilians” who abducted Kfir Bibas, the baby who is still in captivity, because those Gazans weren’t officially “terrorists.”

These rules and more are enforced not by the rightwing government but by invincible, progressive judicial clerks who weren’t elected and cannot be ousted. As Shay says, “These clerks are managing the politics in Israel. You vote for the right, and you get a leftist agenda. How could that be?”

“This perception was built up for 25 to 30 years. Professor Asa Kasher wrote the ethical codes of the IDF. Each soldier has in his pocket a very small conclusion of the ethical code called ‘Ruach Tzahal,’ the spirit of the IDF,” explains Shay. “Its main value is ‘Chayei Adam,’ the life of the people—that we need to preserve the lives of the enemy. Another of its values is ‘Tohar Haneshek,’ the rifle has to be pure. That means you can’t use your rifle without ‘purity.’ That’s the reason they didn’t shoot the terrorists who crossed the border. The soldiers truly believed that these were innocent people.”

The soldiers who didn’t stop the Hamas invaders weren’t afraid of breaking the law or going to jail. When the tank commander saw hundreds of terrorists storming the southern border, he genuinely thought to himself: “It would be immoral to attack them. They’re just rioting.”

A destroyed Israeli tank on October 7

Likewise, the Apache fighter pilot saw the invaders as innocent people. The Air Force didn’t stop the invaders because it didn’t want to attack “innocent people.” Its initial response was slow and weak because it didn’t have the agency to make its own decisions. And Israel didn’t see October 7 coming because, beyond the legal limitations, this insidious ideology, in Shay’s words, “penetrated the hearts of the soldiers” and brainwashed the Israeli public.

Afamily tree stands in the home of Shay’s grandfather. One of the tree’s roots traces the Kallach family’s lineage to Dovid HaMelech. Another ancestral branch on the family tree extends to Shmuel HaNavi, another to Ezra HaSofer, another to Rashi, and yet another to the Ramban.

Shay, a ninth-generation Israeli, was born and raised secular in Kibbutz Ginosar. No one educated him about his Jewish identity. He barely knew anything about Judaism. And Shay certainly didn’t know that Dovid HaMelech and Shmuel HaNavi were among his many ancestors—that is, until Shay became a baal teshuva

“My identity was taken from me—not on purpose. Part of the cultural environment of the kibbutz was to renew the Jewish form; to create a new type of Jew,” Shay shares. “I had the privilege of being the commander of the officer course at the Flight Academy. And I think that if I were religious at the time, I wouldn’t have succeeded. I was on reserve duty, and I began the teshuva process one year after I got released from the army.”

After spending ten years as an active F-16 fighter pilot, Shay immersed himself in yeshiva learning for twelve years. During that time, he fell in love with Yiddishkeit. And little by little, he discarded many of the progressive lies his secular kibbutz and army generals fed him.

Shortly after October 7, Shay, 42, founded Netzach Yisrael, a movement he hopes will one day restore Israel’s sanity, ridding the Jewish state of its toxic ideologies and transforming Zionism for the better.

Netzach Yisrael’s two main missions are based on the pasuk in Tehillim, “Sur mei’ra v’asay tov,” turn away from bad and do good.

As Shay explains, one of his movement’s goals is to clean out Israel’s ideological gutter: to stop progressive movements from indoctrinating the Israeli public and military. That mission is Netzach Yisrael’s “sur mei’ra” (turn away from the bad). The movement’s “v’asay tov”

(do good) aspect lies in its mission to educate the Israeli public to, in Shay’s words, “claim the next level of Zionism.”

As Shay explains, the founders of modern-day Zionism, including Theodor Herzl, envisioned the state of Israel to be a safe shelter for the Jewish people. Israel would be the solution to the annihilation of Jews in the pogroms, the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and the Holocaust. When under attack, diaspora Jews would always have a place to go: Eretz Yisrael.

And while they were correct that we may need Israel for protection, the Jewish state’s sole mission cannot be to just serve as our safe haven. Israel needs to be more than an asylum or else it’s not a real country. As Shay says, “If we only came to Israel to establish a safe shelter, we cannot actually justify our existence.” Fear

“The more we try to run away from our identity, the more we are attacked by our enemies.”

to be a mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh (a kingdom of priests and a nation of holiness),” declares Shay.

In two years, Israel is expected to elect a new Knesset. When that happens, Shay Kallach may run for public office.

“We have a great demand from the public in Israel,” explains Shay. “They want us to establish a political party. If the public would choose me to be the head of the party, I think I would accept the challenge.”

Shay says he has political ambitions because no one else in the government dares to lead Israel like the special nation it is.

and negativity can’t be the foundation of an eternal and functional state.

So, while Zionism started as a response to antisemitic oppression, it quickly evolved as the state of Israel blossomed. As part of the second stage of Zionism, the Jewish state embarked on a mission to make itself an “am k’cholanu,” a nation like all the nations.

“They argued that the pogroms came as a result of the perception that we, the Jewish people, are an am segulah , the chosen people,” shares Shay. “And in order to not be annihilated, we need to cancel this perception. So, we need to become an am k’cholanu.”

The theory was as follows: the world hates us because we’re different. So, if we show everyone that we’re just like them, they’ll stop hating us. It turns out that theory has never worked. In fact, as Shay says, “The more we try to run away from our identity, the more we are attacked by our enemies.”

As such, the mission of Shay’s movement is to reeducate the Jewish state into finally embracing its true self.

“The next level of Zionism is to be an ohr la’goyim, a light onto the nations, to be an am segulah again, and

According to him, the Jewish state’s current leaders represent the old generation of Zionism. Just as the progressives believe peace can only be achieved through uniformity and Israel’s weakening, so, too, the Israeli leaders of today misguidedly believe peace will only happen when the world sees that Israel is no different than any other country. But both beliefs are patently false.

But there is hope. Indeed, the tides of change are shifting rapidly, notes Shay. People are beginning to discard progressive conceptions, realizing that deluding themselves into thinking they have no enemies won’t magically create peace. Rather, though it may be a hard pill to swallow, everyone must accept the reality that Israel is surrounded by hostile parties on every front. Some countries may be willing to make peace today, but some never will—that is, until the Jewish state is too powerful to fight with.

Likewise, the people of Israel are beginning to understand that they don’t live in an ordinary country. They live in the Holy Land. They’re citizens of a nation of light. And with that realization comes an inevitable sense of national unity. And besides, if Israel and the Jewish people can’t accept themselves for who they are—as the chosen ones—then how can we expect the rest of the world to do the same?

TJH Centerfold

10 Possible Reasons that New Jersey is Swamped by Low Flying Drones

They’re trying to pinpoint if the odor is from the refineries, a landfill, or an overenthusiastic diner experiment.

They’re trying to calculate how many Lexus SUVs are illegally parked in handicap parking spaces in Lakewood.

They’re delivering McDonalds to Chris Christie. (Thank you, Pres. Elect Donald J. Trump, for coming up with that one.)

They belong to a Lakewood party planner who is filming the preparations for a crazy backyard Chanukah party.

They are used to transport gevirim around Lakewood so they don’t have to wait in traffic for 6 hours to travel a half of a mile.

Riddle me This

They are looking for a thief who stole a carton of Marlboro cigarettes from one of the 8,000 WaWas on Route 9. (The getaway car was a 1992 Camaro blasting Bruce Springsteen.)

It is an experiment to see if the workout gumbas on the Jersey Shore are able to lift their thick necks and look up towards the sky for extended periods of time.

They’re delivering cash to the corrupt New Jersey politicians in Trenton.

It’s a dry run for a Shalach Manos delivery app opening in Lakewood this year. (Let not your heart be troubled—you can order a delivery with a flip phone as well.)

What drones? Drinking too much in Jersey again?

You have a drone that can fly 10 miles in a straight line before it must turn back due to low battery. Your drone manages to explore an area 30 miles away and safely returns to base.

How is this possible?

Answer: The drone was transported to and from the base on your truck.

Black Ops Trivia

1. During the Cold War, how did U.S. spies secretly eavesdrop on Soviet underwater communication cables?

a. By disguising submarines as fishing boats

b. By planting recording devices on the ocean floor

c. By training dolphins to carry microphones

d. By intercepting radio signals from satellites

2. What unusual method did the U.S. use in the Vietnam War to disrupt enemy supply routes?

a. Dropping tons of glitter to block radar

b. Using chemicals to make the ground slippery

c. Creating artificial rain to flood the trails

d. Spreading noise machines to confuse soldiers

3. What was the purpose of laying an underwater pipeline across the English Channel during World War II?

a. To provide fresh water to soldiers

b. To create a hidden escape route for troops

c. To deliver fuel for tanks and vehicles

d. To send messages through pressurized air tubes

4. How did Allied forces trick the Nazis about the location of an invasion during World War II?

a. They built fake tanks and planes out of cardboard

b. They dropped false plans onto a floating corpse

c. They sent coded messages in crossword puzzles

d. They broadcast fake radio chatter from actors

5. Why did the U.S. military train dolphins during the Cold War?

a. To detect underwater mines and enemy divers

b. To deliver secret messages between submarines

c. To guard naval bases against intruders

d. To monitor ocean temperatures near nuclear test sites

6. What bizarre method did the U.S. consider to confuse

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

Japanese soldiers during World War II?

a. Dropping fake ghost masks to scare them

b. Playing loud recordings of wild animal sounds at night

c. Air-dropping mirrors to create dazzling distractions

d. Releasing bats carrying tiny incendiary bombs

Answers: 1-B

2-C

3-C 4-B

5-A

6-D

Wisdom key

5-6 correct: Since you know so much about Black Ops missions, tell us what in the world is going on with the drones over New Jersey.

3-4 correct: You are not exactly on Seal Team 6.

0-2 correct: Your mind has been compromised. I repeat: your mind has been compromised.

Getting my drone stuck in a tree isn’t the worst thing that happened to me today. But it’s definitely up there.

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

If you have a vision, believe in bringing it to life, and don’t let the thoughts or opinions of others waver your resolve.

-Chad Caruso, of NY, who skateboarded cross-country over 57 days, setting a Guinness World Record

Just spoke to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu of Israel in Jerusalem and told him that in one year – by crushing Hamas, pulverizing Hezbollah and significantly weakening Iran – he has done more to fight [international] terrorism than the EU has done in the last 70 years!

- Geert Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, who is currently visiting Israel

The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years. The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term “West Bank” to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel.

- Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introducing legislation that would ban the federal government from using the term “West Bank” and instead use “Judea and Samaria,” the biblical name of the area

What lies! Eight years I’ve been waiting for this day. Eight years I’ve been waiting to present the truth. Eight years I’ve been waiting to puncture for good the wild and ridiculous accusations against me. Eight years I’ve been waiting to expose the method, a cruel witch hunt… There was no crime, so they looked for a crime. They didn’t find a crime, so they concocted a crime.

- Prime Minister Netanyahu during a press conference before the start of his corruption trial

For those keeping score at home, this was labeled a dangerous conspiracy theory months ago.

- Vice President-elect J.D. Vance after it was revealed that the FBI had 26 informants rioting at the Capitol on Jan. 6, affirming a claim that Republicans made all along – that the government may have been involved in inciting the riots

What’s the difference between a “right-wing conspiracy” and reality? About 6 months.

- Elon Musk

Biden Calls For New Gun Laws He Can Pardon His Son For Breaking - Babylon Bee headline

Nancy Pelosi Hospitalized With Dangerously Low Blood Alcohol Level

- Ibid.

Assassin Luigi Mangione Takes Lead in 2028 Democratic Primary Polls

- Ibid.

Joe Biden Pardons Wife Jill For Impersonating a Doctor

- Ibid.

McDonald’s Surpasses FBI in Number of Shooters Apprehended In 2024

- Ibid.

Trump had a good year… A lot of people are scared. Like, “Oh, my G-d, he’s going to be so undignified.” When I say a lot of people, I’m talking about the nine New Yorkers that didn’t vote for him.

- Chirs Rock in a “Saturday Night Live” monologue

I gotta hand it to Joe… Every parent in the world would pardon their son, except the parents of the Menendez Brothers.

- Ibid.

I’ll be very available on January 20, and we’ll see. As you know, I gave warning that if these hostages aren’t back home by that date, all [heck] is going to break out.

- President-elect Trump at a press conference this week when asked about the hostages being held by Hamas

Am I going to do preemptive strikes on Iran? Is that a serious question? How could I answer a question like that?

- Ibid.

You don’t talk about that before something may or may not happen. I don’t want to insult you; I just think it’s just not something that I would ever answer.

– ibid.

How…did Donald Trump figure out the mainstream media is the fringe and the fringe is now the mainstream?

- Left-wing journalist Chris Cillizza to CNN host and former Obama advisor Van Jones

I mean the problem is, you have a framework in your mind, “How can Donald Trump? How can Donald Trump? How can Donald Trump?” Guys, can we cut it out? Donald Trump is not an idiot. Let me just be very clear. Donald Trump is smarter than me, you, and all of his critics. You know how I know? Because he has the White House, the Senate, the House, the Supreme Court, the popular vote.

- Van Jones, in response

This is not to comment, and this is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but I think for anyone who is confused or shocked or appalled, they need to understand that people interpret and feel and experience denied claims as an act of violence against them.

- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Dem/Socialist, NY) deploying the “yeah but” argument to justify the senseless murder of Brian Thompson, a father of two and the CEO of UnitedHealthcare

Look, we’ll say it over and over, violence is never the answer, this guy gets a trial, who’s allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth[care]. But you can only push people so far, and then, they start to take matters into their own hands.

- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on MSNBC with Joy Reid Elizabeth Warren obviously understands killing and murder and shooting somebody in the back is totally unacceptable. But what I think has happened in the last few months is that what you have seen rising up is people’s anger at a health insurance industry which denies people the health care that they desperately need while they make billions and billions of dollars in profit.

- Sen. Bernie Sanders (Dem/Socialist, Vermont)

It’s not often that my work gets a killer five-star review from an actual killer.

- Radical left-wing sicko and activist Michael Moore gloating in an online post that he was referenced in the manifesto of the murderer who gunned down Brian Thompson, a father of two and the CEO of UnitedHealthcare

I ask you to remember the context in which you exist.

- Vice Pres. Kamala Harris speaking to students in Maryland

Maybe I took my Joe Biden impression just a little too far.

- Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz after he fainted during a speech at the 112th Annual New York Young Republican Club Gala

Because today, on his way out of office, he [Joe Biden] used his power of the presidency to commute 1,500 sentences and pardon 39 people. Wow, I did not know he had 39 sons — that’s impressive.

- Stephen Colbert

We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult at times, march towards progress. And, yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president. Everywhere women’s rights are under attack sometimes overtly and sometimes subtly. But I want you to know that I will always be a proud feminist.

- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a gala for Equal Voice

Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors [sic] super low cost to the public. Nothing else is even close.

- Tweet by Elon Musk recommending the widespread use of Ozempic

As a white person, there is privilege. A lot of those players in the league that have been really good have been Black players. This league has kind of been built on them.

- Caitlyn Clark, the rookie WNBA phenom, in an interview with Time Magazine

The more we can appreciate that, highlight that, talk about that, and then continue to have brands and companies invest in those players that have made this league incredible, I think it’s very important. I have to continue to try to change that.

- Ibid.

Look at this – [Clark]’s on the knee all but apologizing for being white and getting attention. The self-flagellation. The “Oh [please] pay attention to the black players who are REALLY the ones you want to celebrate.” Condescending. Fake. Transparent. Sad.

- Megyn Kelly on X

Trump is the first man in history to be Time’s person of the year and McDonald’s employee of the month. History is being made.

- Jimmy Fallon

So it’s the second time he’s had the honor, with the first coming after his presidential win in 2016. That was also the same week Hillary Clinton canceled her subscription and smashed her server with a hammer.

- Dana Perino, guest host of “Gutfeld!”

The editorial board mentioned Trump’s historic comeback, his impact on global politics and how we increased his votes from Blacks, Latinos and people named Biden.

- ibid.

The difference: In 2016, the cover called him “President of the divided states of America.” This year, it’s simply his name, even though there was plenty of room for “Cry harder, losers.”

- Dana Perino

I think we all need to feel joy now during this time.

- First Lady Jill Biden, who many claim is happy that Trump defeated Kamala Harris, at a White House Women’s Conference

You are all reading into that. - ibid., when the audience started laughing

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

Thanks for taking my question. I’m 34 years old and have been dating for close to nine years. I am the oldest of six siblings, and I am the only single one left in my family. My issue is I cannot bear to go home for the holidays. Chanukah is coming up and my parents invited

me for Shabbos Chanukah, and many of my siblings will be there with their kids. I live a rich and full life as a freelance photographer in a different city, and it would be so much easier for me to stay. My parents want me to come home. I don’t know what I can do to make this easier for myself. I want to want to go home but can’t bring myself to do it without having a normal guy on the horizon. Any advice on navigating this would be appreciated.

Thanks, Sophia*

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

The Panel

Dear Readers,

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

Looking forward!

Michelle, the “Shadchan”

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Ithink you may want to think about why you are uncomfortable spending Shabbos Chanukah with a lot of your family members. Is it that you are not like your siblings who have spouses and children? Do you feel something is wrong with you that you haven’t found a husband? Or is it that you become the pitied one by everyone, the nebach, when you are with the family?

If it is more like the last one, then I would suggest you becoming the focus, the star, so to speak. Show off your art photography perhaps by making a lowcost spectacular album Snapfish-style or of your past year in your city showcasing your accomplishments and your own present life.

If you feel bad for yourself and will be in a lot of pain like you describe for the first two reasons, stay at home where you will be more comfortable. Give your parents a brief explanation, however. Your feelings count. Don’t discount them but do deal with them.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Dear Sophia,

Thank you for coming to us with such a vulnerable and common ques -

tion. Your feelings are so, so valid. Being around your younger siblings, nieces, nephews, all in the context of holidays, can exacerbate the pain that might be present all along but that does not often come to the surface.

My advice to you is to use this as an opportunity to grow, rather than avoid. Everything is a growth experience, singlehood included. Your parents love you and are very eager to host you for Shabbos Chanukah. Work on training your mind to shift your mindset towards the positivity in the situation. Manifest the positive, tell yourself that by next Chanukah you will have great news to share and will have all the memories from this previous Chanukah with family to share with your chosson, iy”H.

As a photographer, I am sure you are used to editing. You can take a picture with little potential and change it into a masterpiece. You have an amazing life and have not yet found your bashert; this will change! Edit the picture you are displaying in your head of a family gathering being a dread – it can really turn into something very beautiful and special.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

You’re in a tough situation. Here are a few thoughts that might be helpful.

First, attending the Chanukah reunion sounds like the right choice, but you don’t have to stay the whole time. You might be less uncomfortable if you

are only able to arrive right before Shabbos and “need to leave” immediately after Shabbos because of an important photography appointment.

During the course of a quick Shabbos visit, there will be so much noise, chaos, and excitement that it’s unlikely that you will become the center of unwanted attention and advice.

Second, you might be surprised to find that, in some respects, your siblings are envious of you. You are not bogged down with diapers and dishes, you are a free spirit following your dream profession, and you have the flexibility to come and go as you please.

Success in life is not determined by your marital status. Yes, you, too, would like to find your soulmate, get married, and start a family. But remember that every phase of life comes with positives and negatives. Enjoy the positives of having a rich and full life with your successful career.

Third, consider a family where all the children are gifted athletes except for one child who is decidedly unathletic but who happens to be a math whiz. Or consider a family where all the children are academic superstars except for one child who is a mediocre student but who happens to be an incredible athlete. You can be sure that in those families, the non-conforming children are cherished, highly valued, and loved for who they are – just as you are cherished, highly valued, and loved

for who you are.

Finally, your family simply might not realize how their questions and expectations make you feel pressured and uncomfortable. It might help to have an open conversation with them about how you’re feeling. They may be more understanding than you expect.

Enjoy the chag, and remember that your worth isn’t defined by your marital status.

Leba Werner, MSEd

Living and Breathing the Shidduch World for 25 years

Married as an “older” single

Hi Sophia, I appreciate your question!

Dating can be challenging, especially after nine years. Kudos to you for building a “rich and full life,” as this is not a simple feat for anyone, regardless of

Pulling

their situation. It is a testament to your inner strength and resilience that you feel comfortable and independent while living in a different city than your family. Being the oldest of six siblings has surely given you the skills to help make trailblazing choices for yourself. But as the oldest, especially, I understand the pain you feel being around the “youngers” who have passed your dating stage.

Your question, on the one hand, holds this pain yet it also holds space for the wants and requests of others, namely your parents. It is apparent that you are sensitive to others’ feelings and hold dear to the mitzvah of kibbud av v’eim. My answer to your question of how to balance, how to make coming home “easier” for yourself or deciding to do the “easier” thing to stay where you are, is as follows: Whenever one is presented with two choices it is important to remember the derech of the Rambam’s Shvil Hazahav, the “Golden Mean,” keeping to the middle of the

It All Together

Dear Sophia, First off, thank you for your honesty. I can almost feel the weight of this question through your words. Let’s face it: holidays aren’t all latkes and lights— they can stir up feelings that don’t always fit into the warm-and-fuzzy category.

You’re in a tough spot. On the one hand, you love your family and want to feel connected. On the other, walking into a house full of happy couples and adorable kids (who will probably get jelly doughnut filling on your favorite sweat-

er) feels like a reminder of everything you’re longing for right now. That’s hard, and it’s okay to say it.

Here’s what I want you to know: your worth is not tied to your relationship status. It’s tied to who you are—the creative, gutsy, independent woman who built a life for herself. That’s what your family sees when they look at you. And if they’re anything like most families, they may not know how to express that love without

path. Recognizing that at some points in your year, it would be too painful to spend the holidays with your family is completely valid. Listening to your inner voice that wants to stay put can be good for you. Sometimes.

As the Rambam says (regarding shofar) to wake up from the “havlei zman,” doing the “easy thing.” Using the time to yourself should not be used only as a respite from the pain you feel but should be used as a time when you can reconnect with your values. It seems from what you wrote in, “I want to want to go home,” that you DO value your family and the quality time you spend with them. Many times in life (whether one is single or not), it is difficult to stay true to one’s values. It is definitely not usually the “easy” choice. My advice is that when you do choose to go home to your family, you realize that you are not merely “giving in” to your parents’ request. Rather, you are making a conscious decision to stay true to the values that YOU hold dear, i.e. spending time with your family, despite not “having a normal guy on the horizon.”

I can share with you from my own experience that dating – as horrible

You’re showing up for your life in a way that’s authentic and brave, and that’s something to celebrate.

as it can be – is a special time that you have to focus only on yourself, to really understand your beliefs and values and to concretize what kind of life you would like to lead. Because regardless of circumstance – which we have no control over – we can exercise and practice our reactions to whatever may come our way. Either way you decide to go, realize that you are choosing YOU. My hope is that you only gain strength from your choices, and that you find your true bashert b’karov.

accidentally hitting a nerve. (Yes, Aunt Rivka, asking why someone so amazing is still single is not helpful!)

If you decide to go, you don’t need to power through with fake cheeriness. Set some boundaries and create a little structure for yourself:

• Keep visits short and sweet—quality over quantity.

• Plan an “escape hatch,” like stepping out for a walk or bringing a fun activity to do with the kids to break the intensity.

• Deflect those “when will you settle down?” comments with humor: “Oh, I’m taking applications—feel free to screen some candidates for me!”

But you also don’t have to go. If staying home this year feels like the kindest

choice, it’s okay to listen to that voice. You’re allowed to protect your energy. You can still connect with your family in smaller ways—send a thoughtful gift, call to wish them a happy Chanukah, or plan a one-on-one visit with your parents later.

Sophia, you’re doing better than you think. You’re showing up for your life in a way that’s authentic and brave, and that’s something to celebrate. Wherever you spend Chanukah, I hope you light your menorah, take a deep breath, and let that little flame remind you that even when things feel dark, there’s always room for miracles.

Warmly, Jennifer

Forgotten Her es Jewish Navy Cross Recipients

By Avi Heiligman

The highest military decoration for service members is the Medal of Honor and is awarded for acts of gallantry that go above and beyond the call of duty. The next level of military decoration is the service crosses: the Distinguished Service Cross for soldiers, the Navy Cross for sailors and marines, the Air Force Cross for airmen and guardians (Space Force), and the Coast Guard Cross. No coast guardsman has yet to be awarded the Coast Guard Cross, making it the rarest award in the U.S. military.

First awarded in 1919 to decorate sailors and marines for courageous actions in World War I, around 5,400 Navy Crosses have been awarded since its introduction. Here are a few of the recipients of the prestigious award, including some Jewish sailors who have been recognized for bravery in action.

German submarines were a significant problem for American ships during both world wars. During World War I, Jewish sailor Ensign Louis Freedman was stationed on the USS J.L. Luckenbach. The ship was a cargo and troops transport when on October 19, 1917, she was attacked by a submarine near England. The Navy Cross citation for Louis W. Freedman says the damage included “the radio antennae having been carried away by bursting shrapnel from the enemy. Freedman repaired this under fire and continued to maintain communication with the USS Nicholson until that vessel arrived and compelled the submarine to submerge.” Freedman made sure that his ship was in

constant communication with other vessels which allowed the ship to survive the encounter.

Many American servicemembers received prestigious military medals and decorations from other countries, but only a select few foreign military members were awarded American medals. Israel Ilyich Fisanovich was a Jewish Russian submarine captain who was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism in action and distinguished service. He went on 17 patrols as part of the 3rd Submarine Brigade Northern Fleet and sank 10 transports, a tanker and two enemy warships. In 1944, he was sent to England to take command of a submarine on loan to the Soviets. Named the B-1, it didn’t last very long in the hands of the Russians as it was sunk in a friendly fire incident. All fifty crewmembers, including Fisanovich and a British liaison officer, went down with the submarine, and it was determined that the RAF aircrew were at fault. Captain Fisanovich was posthumously given several awards by the Soviets and the Navy Cross from the U.S.

Marine units led amphibious missions throughout the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Attrition and casualty rates among marine officers were very high, and Jewish officer Robert M. Neiman fought on more islands than most other officers. Born in Mount Vernon, NY, he was a tank officer with the 1st Marine Division when they went overseas and served in multiple units during his time in combat. Neiman was the commanding officer of Company C, Fourth Tank Battalion, Fourth

Marine Division when they went ashore during the Battle of Saipan in the Marian Islands. The battle took place from June 15 to July 9, 1944, and Neiman was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on June 19, when he led his company against heavily defended Japanese positions from his tank. When the tank became disabled due to a hit from a large enemy gun, he moved to a second tank. However, this, too, became immobilized – this time from a land mine – and Neiman again took up his command in another tank after braving machine gun and mortar fire. He then proceeded to lead the company in destroying several machine gun and mortar positions and inflicted high enemy casualties.

Later in the war, Neiman fought on Tinian and was probably the only marine tank officer to see combat on Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In addition to the Navy Cross, he was also awarded the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Stars.

There were many heroes during the action off Samar on October 25, 1944, which was a larger part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

A large enemy task force comprising of several large battleships and cruisers caught the American fleet off guard. The only ships that stood in the way of the large Japanese ships attacking the landing beaches were American destroyers, destroyer escorts and escort aircraft carriers. Even though they should have been target practice for the large Japanese naval guns, these small ships bravely fought with such tenacity that they eventually forced the enemy to withdraw. Jewish Commander Leon Kintberger

from Baltimore was the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Hoel (DD-533) during this epic battle.

Instead of retreating, the small U.S. ships went on the attack despite the incoming shells from 18.1-inch guns that the Yamato, the largest battleship ever built, was raining down on the task force. Kintberger twice instructed the Hoel to close the distance between the Hoel and enemy ships. This enabled the destroyer to launch torpedoes, although she sustained hits from 40 enemy shells. With the ship listing to port and surrounded by enemy ships, Kintberger purposely drew enemy fire on the Hoel and away from other lightly armed American ships. With no hope to save the Hoel, he ordered the crew to abandon ship, and she soon sank below the ocean’s surface.

For his role in the battle, Kintberger was awarded the Navy Cross. Later in the war, he was given the command of another destroyer and was awarded the Silver Star when that ship took down several kamikaze planes.

The extraordinary actions of these men rightfully earned them decorations. Their Navy Cross medals are a testament for heroics on the battlefield, and while they are rarely talked about today, their stories are history to be remembered.

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

Robert M. Neiman

Israel Fisanovich

Rear Admiral Leon Kintberger

USS Hoel

School of Thought

Savlanut

By Barbara Deutsch

For a new oleh in Israel, there is more to learn than a new language. You may need to throw out rules of etiquette, master a new code of behavior, or at the very least, learn to be tolerant.

Within the course of a single day, you can find yourself often biting your tongue in frustration, being pushed out of the way as you walk down the street, or barely avoid getting run over by a toddler, on a speeding scooter, with a quick side jump. Beware the “Wolt Delivery Motorcycles”; like the American mailmen (luckily there is scant Israeli mail and zero-to-no post offices), nothing and no one keeps them from making a speedy delivery.

Should it be in the cards for you to be hit by a moving vehicle, the odds are greatest that it will happen in Israel.

Some examples:

After waiting over a half-hour to be connected with an English-speaking person in customer relations, you send caution to the wind and press “for Hebrew.” Miraculously, you hear a voice that proceeds to hustle you off the phone. It does not matter that you didn’t understand a word she said.

You are at a “Writer’s Workshop Breakfast” where the group leader orders the food for everyone. Your simple request of sunny-side eggs on a slice of toast arrives looking like a sad version of play-doh. When you mistakenly assume you can exchange it for real food, no one in the entire store located in the Anglo dense Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem understands or speaks English. Your Ulpan Hebrew does not make the cut.

If this ever happens to you, walk away. In Israel, anyone over 80 never has to wait on any line. Younger than 80, there is no such thing as a line; it’s your turn when you decide it is. Comments or questions result in death stares or blank expressions.

My gym has its own additional special rules. If you attend a popular class, no matter the time of day or night, and you covet a particular spot so that you can hear and be next to a person to model for you, coming 10 minutes before the class starts is a must. PLUS, you have to position yourself on the left side of the door – they swing open on

the right – and hustle. There is still no guarantee that you will find yourself where you want to be for maximum understanding, hearing, and observing results.

I’m still struggling with the names for my body parts, and I have no left-right orientation.

There is always that person who ducks under everyone and weaves in and out of the waiting line and onto your spot. In certain instances, the person made a huge miscalculation and that space is coveted by a “regular”; rest assured that for the next hour she will be the subject of ridicule and nasty glares by the rest of the “regular’s cronies.”

As an oleh innocent, I was not familiar with the unspoken rules when I began my gym membership. I now come early, have figured out the best door position for securing a spot, know to put down my water bottle on that spot, and then go to get my mat.

I stay far away from the “regulars.”

I’m planning to finally finish all my neglected projects, one of them being my grandson Yosef’s scarf. I work on it during all of the many classes I attend. No one seems to mind, and I am in good company.

Knitting helps me focus. One day, I realized that I won’t have enough yarn to finish it. In ignorance, I took myself back to the shop where I had purchased the yarn two months earlier.

The clerk scanned me up and down and commented when I showed her the needed yarn. “Oh, that one,” she said pointing to the yarn. “I don’t think I have it but I’ll check the basement – I doubt it!”

She quickly returned empty-handed. “Don’t have,” she said.

“Rega, rega,” I implored in my best Ulpan-trained voice. “What do I do now?”

The clerk looked at me like I was kidding. “I don’t know!” she said.

“Why didn’t you tell me when I bought it that you had no stock?”

“You didn’t ask. What do you expect?” she responded.

“In America, that’s called customer service!”

It’s mostly good.

We are trying to set up our automat-

ic payments with Bituach Leumi for our benefits.

We want to pay them. I cannot be grateful enough to the kind Meirav at Nefesh B’Nefesh who has been helping us, five hours and counting, to get our account set up.

I won’t dwell on the number of hours.

We buy fancy paper goods in a store called Gindi; when we host a lot of people for a Shabbat meal, we use “paami,” disposable items, a game-changer for enjoying company.

Located next door to Gindi is the place you need to go to obtain a driver’s license. We have been advised to procure one within a year of aliyah to avoid the multiple lessons and tests it entails. Of course, there is a special “ministry of this,” too.

In order to locate the special office and make an appointment, you need a doctorate in GPS.

Even neighboring stores have no idea what or where it is.

When Bob, my husband, went looking for the office, he enquired at Gindi’s, which is on the same block. The kind clerk left his post in the store to help him find the place.

It was closed. Patience, savlanut. Rega, rega.

In Israel, there is always the great privilege of learning with or hearing from vast numbers of men and women scholars that reside or visit often. Last week, in Rabbi Berel Wein’s shiur, we heard a good story that I have been told has been shared frequently; perhaps you have heard it but it warrants repeating.

In America, during the 1930s, there were limited to no opportunities for yeshi-

va education for boys or girls. The Jewish immigrants who did go to school went to the public ones. Most of the kids and their teachers were Jewish. Jews always held education as a priority over working or making money. Non-Jewish immigrant children often worked long hours in factories.

Rabbi Wein went to a public school in Chicago; his strong-willed brilliant mother vetted everything he learned to ensure his mind would not be muddied by wrong or misleading information. What she could not erase was the music taught to every public school student during the X-mas holiday time of year.

Rabbi Wein, another pulpit scholar rabbi, and two roshei yeshivot once shared a cab on their way to an important event; they talked about their early childhood educational experiences. Rabbi Wein told of his own public school experience growing up.

One of the roshei yeshiva chimed in, “I also went to public school.”

The scholar pulpit rabbi exclaimed in disbelief, “Prove it – sing this holiday song that we all learned.”

He did.

Loving life in Israel!

We are praying for the return of the hostages, the refuah of the wounded, and the end of war.

Barbara Deutsch is the former associate principal at HANC, middle school principal at Kushner, and Dean of Students at Yeshiva of Flatbush. A not-retired educator, she is trying to figure out life in Israel through reflections on navigating the dream of aliyah as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.

Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!

Ashie Pensak, 5

Liah Hakimi, 7

Yael, 6

Ahuva Rosenbaum, 11

Tova Birnbaum, 6

Shalva Ita Ehrman, 8

Zecharia Khoshkheraman, 7 Avigayil Jakob, 8

Ahuva Moss, 7

Riki Kleiner, 9

Ahuva Jacobs, 7 Maya Pensak, 6

Note:

Chani Waxman, 7

Elchanan Attar, 6

Meira., 8

Talia, 10

Ester S., 7

Michal K., 11

Rachelli B., 8

Ashira, 4

Naomi Barmatz, 8

Aliza Goldman, 10

Eitan Lichterman, 7

Noam Abramson, 7

Avrohom Nesonel Goldman, 7

Ariella S., 5

Chaya Raizy Kranz, 6

Ayala Addi, 11

Penina, 6 & Shoshana 3, & Shmuli, 2

Naama Addi, 6

Shmulie & Yishai Schapiro

Michali Sinaie, 9

Adir S., 8

Akiva Attar, 3

Chagai S., 9

Azi Sperling, 4

Avraham Sharp, 6

In The K tchen

Italian Wedding Soup

By Naomi Nachman

Last week I made sheva brachot for my niece, and we prepared an Italian-themed menu. I started the meal off with this classic Italian Wedding Soup recipe which has savory meatballs in a flavorful broth with spinach and pasta. It was a big hit of the evening.

Ingredients

◦ 1 tablespoon canola oil

Meatballs

◦ 2 lbs. chopped meat

◦ 2 eggs, beaten

◦ 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

◦ 6 cloves garlic, minced

◦ ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

◦ 1 teaspoon salt

◦ ¼ teaspoon pepper

Soup

◦ 1 yellow onion, diced

◦ 1¼ cups carrots, diced

◦ 2 celery ribs, diced

◦ 3 cloves garlic, minced

◦ 8 cups chicken broth

◦ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

◦ ¾ cup acini de pepe pasta, uncooked

◦ 4-5 cups fresh spinach

◦ Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Gently combine the meatball ingredients. Don’t overwork the meat. Roll into 3/4-inch balls.

2. Heat canola in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches for about 2 minutes. The middle of the meatballs will finish cooking in the soup. Remove meatballs and set aside. Alternatively, bake the meatballs for 25 minutes at 375°F and set aside.

3. You may need to add 1 tablespoon canola oil to the pot if it’s too dry. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

6. Add the cooked meatballs and continue to simmer.

7. In a separate pot, prepare the pasta according to package directions and set aside.

8. When ready to serve, add the pasta to serving bowls. (If you add it directly to the soup, it soaks up too much broth.)

9. Stir in the spinach to the soup and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.

10. Ladle the soup into serving bowls.

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