Baltimore Jewish Home - 1-23-20 by Moshe Rubin

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Dear Baltimore, Because of your incredible generosity, JEWELS successfully completed an amazing matching campaign. The outcry of community support is so encouraging, and we thank you for your unbelievable kindness. A special thank you to all the hard-working and dedicated volunteers who selflessly gave of their time and resources to help out with the many tasks necessary to run a great campaign. We are in awe of your chesed.

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

On behalf of the students, staff, parents, the board, and campaign team members, we join together and say

Hashem should bless you all! The JEWELS Family

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

RABBANIT

JANUARY 23, 2020

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN BALTIMORE!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Save the Date!

YEMIMA MIZRACHI For Women Only

More Details to Follow... &

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

TUESDAY NIGHT FEBRUARY 25, 2020

CONTENTS

COMMUNITY

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Zvi Teichman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

PEOPLE 613 Seconds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT

Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

LIFESTYLES

My Israel Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Op-Ed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Dirshu Coverage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Political Crossfire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Dating Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Finding the Right Career for You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Mental Health Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Gluten Free Recipe Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Life Coach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

NEWS

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 National. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Dear Readers, We are living in a time of seeming uncertainty: Intolerance and outright hatred being shown right here in America. A militant Islamic government has promised revenge for U.S. military action, with Israel as one of the targets. And, in general, there’s an underlying feeling we’re in unknown territory. We are coming out of Asarah B’Teves, the day the Babylonian army encircled the walls of Yerushalayim. Interestingly, it’s symbolic of future hatred shown the Jewish people; the encirclement of outsiders forces a reality of the Jewish people as one nation. Although created by a negative force, we need to use this opportunity to enhance our ahavas Yisrael towards our families, our neighbors, shul members, and non-shul members. Each of us is an irreplaceable part of the Jewish people. Indeed, we’re taught that if even one person was missing at the giving of the Torah, we wouldn’t have received it! Practically, we each need to support each other, creating strong communities. A kind word, help finding a job, supporting community institutions, being vigilant, or even carrying a weapon… We need less I and more we. Wouldn’t it be grand if we genuinely respected and loved each other? Replacing the natural instinct of finding fault in those different than us with appreciation for each community, and each member of each community? Our history shows us that when we are in something together, Hashem grants us success in a miraculous way, if needed. Think of what a parent would give to have their children get along! That’s only a hint of how Hashem feels about us. It’s been a good few decades our leaders have told us we can finally hear the footsteps of Mashiach. Let us use this newfound energy of collectivism to be ready when he arrives. May the next Jewish fast day already be “…joy, celebration, and holidays for the house of Judah, and they will love truth and peace.” (Zechariah 8:19) Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos, Shalom

The Baltimore Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. All opinions expressed by the journalists, contributors and/or advertisers printed and/or quoted herein are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, Internet or another medium. The Baltimore Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The BJH contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Around the Community

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

NCSY Concert of the Decade with Yaakov Shwekey

PESACH 2020

AT THE BEAUTIFUL

MARCO POLO BEACH RESORT

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Celebrating

• • • • • • • • • • •

Years!

Oversized rooms, many with terraces Poolside fitness, sauna, steam room Aerobics & zumba by Danielle Jacobs Superb day camp led by the Stroll Brothers Private seder rooms available Gourmet glatt kosher cuisine with renowned Chef Andy Serano Sumptuous Tea Room Cantor led or private seders Top name entertainment Trips to major attractions Daily services, shiurim, lectures

–––––––––––– JOINING US THIS PESACH: ––––––––––––

Rav Chaim Friedman

Trusted Leaders in Passover Tours 19201 COLLINS AVENUE SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLORIDA

Dr. Scott Goldberg

Entertaniment by

Sam Jacobs

For reservations call Howie Sarnoff:

HOSTED BY:

The Schechter Family

Dr. Mendy Ganchrow

800-327-8165

FIRST CHILD FREE!

www.marcopolobeachresort.com

Baltimore Jewish Home - 1/2 page

marcopolopassover@gmail.com

Call Joy of AMIT Children SOUTHEAST REGION

954-922-5100

2020

T H E U P S C AL E E X P ER I E N C E AWA I T S

N I A G A R A FA L L S , C A N A D A

GENERAL ELI BEN MEIR

RABBI YONASON GOLDSON

RABBI TZVI SYTNER

RABBI AARON SELEVAN

JANUARY 23, 2020

W hite Oaks Resort

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Pesach PRESENTS

SIVAN RAHAV MEIR

FEATURING

NISSIM BLACK IN CONCERT

UPSCALE-GETAWAYS.COM INFO@UPSCALE-GETAWAYS.COM

1.877.895.3210

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

15 YEARS RUNNING IN NIAGARA!

Around the Community

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

A Worthy Celebration

t was a spectacular celebration with over 150 guests in attendance at the Columbus Center Downtown. The grand head table was seated with the esteemed mesaymim and their families. 24 men who spent seven and a half years dedicated to a daf a day. As many celebrations were held throughout the Jewish world on January 4th, the day marking the completion of the 13th cycle of Talmud Bavli, Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim hosted a marvelous evening for participants and supporters of Rabbi Shmuel Silber’s shiur. Shul President, Yehuda Neuberger opened the evening by thanking all those that contribute regularly to the success of the Suburban Daf. A film created by Rabbi Elchanan Ciment depicted the reflections of the mesaymim and some of the wives, moving the crowd to a standing ovation. Rabbi Silber, in his address, remarked, “Each of us projects two images: the image that is engraved on the

throne of Hashem, and the image that we project on this earth. For many of us, those are two very different images. But chaveirim, my dear friends, for one hour a day - that image is yours!” Rabbi Silber expressed tremendous gratitude to his wife, and all the wives of the participants for their invaluable support in learning and bringing kedusha into the home. Goldie Gross had shared her impressions of her husband

Aryeh’s learning prior to the evening, “I love that he is teaching our children by example about the values of learning Torah every day, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice. Aryeh’s daily learning has brought holiness and a new spiritual focus into our home. I am eternally grateful for that.” The unique celebration was enhanced by an incredible menu by LeMoi Catering/Knish Shop, lighting

by Netanel Moienzadeh, decor by Yaffa Aronson and music by the Zemer Orchestra. The evening concluded with an uplifting kumzitz. The shiur, likely the largest in the region, and possibly the East Coast, welcomes 70 regulars daily and bursts with overflowing crowds each new maseches. At the start of the 14th cycle on Sunday, January 5th, the shiur was moved to the main sanctuary as Suburban welcomed 140 participants. Beyond the borders of the shul, the Rabbi Silber podcast and www.rabbisilber. com reach thousands of followers world wide. Upon the completion of the last cycle, one follower wrote, “Here is San Jose, Costa Rica, there is very little in terms of English speaking learning options so I keep my sanity and advance my learning through the internet. It is a wonderful experience to find someone who “connects” with my love for Torah and can reach me. There are “teachers and there are Teachers”

Renovations Additions New Construction

11 ... INSPIRING JEWS ONE BOOK AT A TIME

FROM

Comments, perspectives, and stories on the Weekly Parashah

SHEMOS

‫שמות‬

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Let the Sar HaTorah, Maran Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita, enrich YOUR Shabbos table

Compiled by Rabbi Shai Graucher

JANUARY 23, 2020

Dedicated by the Rosedale and Wilheim Families

or NEWfefr Se s! Shemo

As we read through Rav Chaim Kanievsky on Chumash, we can almost hear the voice of this incomparable gadol b’Yisrael in his Torah insights, his guidance in all matters large and small, and, particularly, in his stories, warm and personal, of his illustrious family. Rabbi Shai Graucher, who is an almost-daily visitor to Rav Chaim, compiled the many Divrei Torah he heard from Rav Chaim and pored through his published works. He has also been privileged to hear many stories directly from Rav Chaim and his family and these, too, are included. Also available: Sefer Bereishis

New for the entire family. Bring the Parashah to LIFE! ַ‫ְּבׁש‬ Beshalach ‫ּלַח‬ rs Parashah Pointe

by the Ananei HaKavod coffin, surrounded a pillar of Egypt, carrying Yosef’s pillar by day and The Jews leave by a cloud-shaped They are guided (Clouds of Glory). so that it fire by night. through the desert, to Eretz Yisrael, them the long way Hashem takes Egypt. to back them to go Egypt. would be hard for to turn back toward Hashem tells them travel for two days, the Jews see After the Jews a large army. When after the Jews with Hashem that chase to them assures Pharaoh decides they panic. Moshe coming at them Pharaoh’s army s follow them. will save them. go in. The Egyptian Jews the and sea on the Moshe split the Hashem has come crashing down the sea, the waters are safely out of After the Jews g them. Egyptian army, drownin to Hashem. a song of thanks the Egyptians The Jews sing silver, and jewelry bodies, and the gold, out the Egyptian from the beach. The sea spits fortune a up The Jews pick Moshe that had taken with them. They complain to the water is bitter. the to Marah, where of bitter wood into The Jews travel to throw a piece Hashem tells Moshe they need water. becomes sweet. the bitter water water. Miraculously, of the Torah’s laws. are taught some of water. At Marah they springs and trees find date Eilim, where they hey complain They travel to Sinn (Sinn Desert).T arrive at Midbar food, called mahn leaving Egypt they A month after sends them heavenly have no food. Hashem to Moshe that they to eat. sends them birds , some (manna). He also not fall on Shabbos that the mahn would the Jews were told Even though for it anyway. Moshe. of them go to look They complain to there is no water. and water to Refidim, and again miracle happens The Jews come and hit a rock. A to take his stick Moshe tells Hashem of the rock. a leads the battle comes pouring out reason. Yehoshu the the Jews for no Amalek attacks win. Hashem gives The nation of them. The Jews Moshe prays for against them while the face of the earth. must be wiped off command that Amalek

THE

Weekly Parashah An illustrated retelling of the Chumash with Midrash

SEFER SHEMOS

THE WEEKLY PARASH

‫ספר שמות‬

By RABBI NACHMAN ZAKON Illustrated by TOVA KATZ

Looking around , Eliezer sees a neighbor who Egypt. He’s got had lost an arm both arms now. in There is his cousin been blinded by Shimon, who’d a cruel, Jew-hat ing Egyptian. He’s Before giving not blind anymor the Torah, Hashem e. healed all the everyone could sick Jews, so see and hear what that He had to say, would be at Mattan and so that everyon Torah with healthy e bodies. 94

fa F a m i l y Ed i ti o

THE WEEKLY PARAS

HAH

Also available: Sefer Bereishis In addition to telling over the parashah, The Weekly Parashah includes:

 Parashah Pointers

 Questions Anyone?

 Who’s Who in the Parashah

 Fascinating Facts

 Torah in Our Lives

 Section listing all the sources

A quick review of what’s in the parashah Interesting information related to the parashah

Thought-provoking questions and satisfying answers Connecting the Torah’s teachings to our children’s lives

A fascinating look at some of the people in the Torah A fantastic resource for parents and educators

Fallstaff Shopping Center 6830 Reisterstown Rd Baltimore Maryland 21215 Phone:(410) 358-2200

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

or NEWfefr Se s! Shemo

Ja f he

Around the Community

Agra D’Pirka’s Latest Venue - West Palm Beach, Florida - Accommodates Snowbirds

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

By: Margie Pensak Reb Meir Nussbaum and his wife, Sara, have been migrating each winter to West Palm Beach from their home in Lakewood for almost 15 years. As Reb Meir jokes, first as snowflakes, and more recently, in the past four years, as snowbirds spending the winter there. He is thrilled that, this winter, Agra D’Pirka - the daily morning Kollel learning program that he has participated in Lakewood since its inception- has expanded to include West Palm Beach snowbirds like him. “There is nothing remotely having to do with learning anywhere in the area,” notes Reb Meir. “This is a Jewish wilderness with regard to anything religious.” Reb Meir plays a vital role in Agra D’Pirka’s newest seasonal location held at Congregation Aitz Chaim which joins year-round venues in Flatbush, Boro Park, Queens, Lakewood, Monsey, Miami, Williamsburg, Baltimore and Spring Valley, by taking care

of logistics such as recruiting participants and procuring refreshments. “It’s now beautiful to see so many people publicly committed to learning at the best time in the day to learn,” notes Reb Meir. ““The magidei shiur are excellent.” They include: Rabbi Yosef Handler, Rabbi Noach Light, Rabbi Osher Hertzberg, Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum, Rabbi Shaya Richmond, and Rabbi Simcha Shabtai. Some of the shiurim are being given in Yiddish by English speaking magidei shiur who interject English where appropriate. Rabbi Shabtai who is Rosh Beis Medrash of Boca Raton Synagogue, helped kick off the Agra D’Pirka morning Kollel with a shiur he gives twice a week, in Gemara Sukka and Ramchal’s Derech Hashem. “It’s a great group of men - who are both learned but open to learning from someone much younger than them,” concludes Rabbi Shabtai. “It’s exciting to be involved with the launching of a new program, and be’ezras Hashem the program should continue to

grow and grow.” Rabbi Yosef Handler, a Daf Yomi maggid shiur in Deerfield Beach, will be traveling 45 minutes twice a week to give a Gemorah Brachos shiur for the West Palm Beach program. “The Daf Yomi is a quick learning of the whole blatt,” explains Rabbi Handler. “Here, we are going to be learning it slower, delving more into the topics themselves in detail, which to me, does a lot more than just going through a daf a day. That’s not to say that it [Daf Yomi] is not important, it is - because many people would otherwise not be learning – but, for people who have time and the ability, I think learning the daf in detail is a little more

valuable... I look forward to giving the shiur and hopefully, attendees will be challenging what I say; that always helps in increasing scholarship. I am very excited to give the shiur.” “Agra D’Pirka it’s not just a program, it’s a revolution within Klal Yisrael,” concludes magid shiur Rabbi Noach Light, who is the rav of East Boca Kehilla. “Throughout the country, Agra D’Pirka has generated an overwhelming enthusiasm and appreciation for Limud HaTorah. Now, with siyata dishmaya, the vision of Rav Ezra Klein is uplifting the Torah community of South Florida, as well.” Rabbi Shaya Richmond, rav of Agra D’Pirka’s host shul, Congregation Aitz Chaim, adds, “I encourage everybody to take advantage of this exciting opportunity.” For further information about Agra D’Pirka’s West Palm Beach program, please email Meir Nussbaum at miltonsn27@gmail.com or call Chaim Fuhrer, 212-661-9152.

Ruby Lasker Designs

BALTIMORE NORTH – PIKESVILLE

Hand Washing Stations for Netilas Yadayim (separate for men and women)

in our newly renovated & expanded Ballroom and Event Center

JANUARY 23, 2020

able now avauil tree e l b o d e h t at

Host your next Simcha

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Ruby Lasker Designs

Special prices for available dates within 60 days of booking UP TO 30% OFF! B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

1726 Reisterstown Road 21208 ◆ 410.415.6268 ◆ Sally.Ross@Hilton.com ◆ KosherDoubleTreeBaltimore.com

Around the Community

Finance Reports Show Biggest Donors To Baltimore Mayoral Candidates

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

By: Staff Reporter BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

ew campaign finance filings in the race for Baltimore mayor show a flood of high-dollar donations to two candidates in particular. The reports show two families in the Baltimore area are spending a lot of money on the race. One is related to the late H&S Bakery king John Paterakis and the other to the owners of Sinclair Broadcast Group. No one comes close to candidate Thiru Vignarajah’s ability to draw big donations in his run for mayor. New

campaign filings show that from August 2018 to January 2020, Vignarajah’s campaign got 94 contributions from donors who paid $6,000, which is the maximum under Maryland law. That amounts to $564,000 that flowed into Vignarajah’s campaign -- more than half the total amount he raised. Three big contributions that total $18,000 came from owners and supporters of the controversial aerial surveillance system, which is part of Vignarajah’s crime plan. The reports show $36,000 in big checks were written by people related to the owners of Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns WBFF-TV. Four big checks were written by at-

torney Charles Scheeler and his family. Scheeler is retired from DLA Piper, Vignaragh’s law firm. Incumbent Mayor Jack Young relied on far fewer top-dollar donors. His campaign drew 14 donors who contributed $6,000, totaling $84,000 of the full amount the campaign raised. Of that amount, $24,000 came from four members of the Paterakis fami-

Another sold out year for Bnainu Bowl-A-Thon

ith yet another SOLD OUT year, a turbocharged Mosie’s Knish Shop experience and Wasserman & Lemberger Charcuterie situation, great times were had by all. Congratulations to this year’s winners: HIGHEST BOWLER SCORE: Moshe Dejman - 220 HIGHEST TEAM SCORE: TOV Pizza/Balt Jewish Home - 613

2nd place Team: Bridge Capital 574 3rd place Team: Pretter/Shmop/ Frankel/Casper - 547 4th place Team: Wealcatch - 530 Finally, congratulations to Yaakov Lichter on winning the $300 BLIND STRIKE CHALLENGE! Thank you to everyone who came and participated, we look forward to seeing you next year!

Seeking Bookkeeper Full time or part time options available at local Pikesville company. QuickBooks experience required ShulCloud experience a plus. Salary commensurate with experience. Please call 410-504-6720 for any questions. Qualified applicants should send their resume to JoinTheTeam@remsource.com.

ly. Another $24,000 came from people connected to the Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns The Choptank in Fells Point, among others. City Council President Brandon Scott’s campaign raised $132,000 from 22 donors who contributed the maximum amount. Scott also got a big boost -- $62,000 -- from the campaign account he shared with businessman Jim Shea. Scott ran as Shea’s running mate in the 2018 governor’s race. Former Mayor Sheila Dixon had just one $6,000 donor. No campaign in the past 15 years in Baltimore has had as many big donors as Vignarajah.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JOIN

OUR TEAM!

JANUARY 23, 2020

QUALIFICATIONS

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES & QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years of experience working within a development team implementing, launching and maintaining professional websites in WordPress and other platforms

• Creativity and strong attention to detail

• At least 3 years of experience and knowledge of PHP, HTML5, CSS, responsive web design, UI/UX, plugins, theme security, JavaScript and other technologies

• Ability to work effectively on tight deadlines, as necessary • Positive, productive team player • Desire to learn new skills and improve

• Proficient with relational (SQL) and non-relational database platforms

Interested?

• Expert understanding of API integration, common WordPress plugins and WordPress template structure and their implications for development and client objectives

This is an in-house full time position, please do not contact us for freelance work.

Please submit a resume and portfolio to hello@amfcreative.com

• Constantly researching new best practices in development and current on latest trends

600 Reisterstown Road, Suite 502 | Pikesville, Maryland 21208 | www.amfcreative.com | 410-775.5440

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

AMF Creative, a marketing and design agency in Pikesville, is seeking a full-time in-house developer to join their creative team. This position requires a developer with the skills and experience in building visually appealing and intuitive websites using the latest back-end and front-end technologies. Candidate must write clean, reusable code with strong emphasis on stability and performance. Organization and self-focus, as well as delivering on time and according to requirements, is a must.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Sharing the Burden of Healthcare. Join a community devoted to YOUR values, YOUR health, and YOUR savings. Low Monthly Contributions:

Single

$219

Single

$500

$2,000

Couple

$349

Couple

$1,000

$4,000

Family (3-6 members)

$519

Family

$1,500

$8,000

*$50 for each additional family member

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Annual Pre-Share

Annual Maximum Co-Share

After a member has met their Annual Pre-Share Amount, United Refuah memberswill share 80% of eligible medical expenses.* The 20% member Co-Share is limited to a Co-Share Maximum. Once reached, eligible expenses are shared at 100% with a maximum sharing of $1,000,000 per incident. United Refuah HealthShare members share up to 150% of Medicare allowable for doctors, 160% for hospitals, and 170% for out-patient facilities.

440.772.0700 UnitedRefuahHS.org

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Now in over 34 states, United Refuah HealthShare enables the Jewish community to engage in healthcare cost sharing without compromising beliefs or quality of care. Members share in eligible

JANUARY 23, 2020

medical expenses, such as: preventative care, sick-care, maternity/childbirth, lab-work, and much more.**

Contribute

Get Advice

Confirmation

Contribute a monthly share to your Refuah Share Fund

Receive guidance on how to search for the best care at the best price

Members share in your eligible medical expenses from their Refuah ShareFund

United Refuah issues and confirms payment on your behalf

*Sharing during the first two months of membership has further limitations **Sharing is subject to Sharing Guidelines.

440.772.0700 UnitedRefuahHS.org

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

United Refuah HealthShare is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance. It is a non-profit healthcare sharing organization that enables our community to share medical expenses with one another, all based on Torah-true principles and values.

BottomLineMG.com

How it Works

Around the Community

JANUARY 23, 2020

FREE $10 Gift Card!!

Baltimore’s Ner Tamid Congregation’s Dr. David Maine Named President and CEO of Mercy Health Services By: Staff Reporter BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

ercy Health Services President and CEO Thomas R. Mullen will retire this year, the health system announced Thursday. Mullen will be succeeded by David N. Maine, the system’s executive vice president. Dr. Maine is a physician who was named executive vice president for Mercy Health Services last year. He has served the system in a variety of roles, including as vice president of Mercy’s physician enterprise and

Looking for the perfect fit for the kids on your list?

medical director of the Center for Interventional Pain Medicine.

Gov. Hogan Proposes Tax Relief For Retirees By: AP

Purchase $50 in gift cards and get a $10 gift card!* Must mention code: BJH10.

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Purchasing in-store? Throw in a pair of gloves! They’re 10% off with any gift card purchase made by 12/31/19. *Offer good in-store or by phone. Expires 12/31/19. $10 gift cards are valid after 1/1/20.

ClimbZone White Marsh info@climbzonewm.us 410-4-6-9891

BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

aryland would cut state income taxes for retirees under a proposal announced Thursday by Gov. Larry Hogan. Hogan, a Republican, said his proposal would bring more than $1 billion in tax relief for retirees over five years. Maryland taxes have forced too many Marylanders to leave the state when they retire, the governor said at a news conference announcing the plan. “This legislation will provide tax relief for more than 230,000 Marylanders, and it is the largest tax reduction in Maryland in more than two decades,” Hogan said. “It will help keep tens of thousands of Maryland retirees from being forced to flee our state.” Under the plan, retirees who make $50,000 or less would pay no state income taxes, Hogan said. Retirees earning less than $100,000 would see tax reduction of no less than 50% and up to 100%, he said. The governor’s proposal comes at a time when the General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, has made a wide-ranging plan to improve education a top priority of this legis-

lative session. The plan would update the state’s funding formulas for K-12 education. It would phase in billions of dollars in new spending over the next 10 years, reaching about $4 billion annually a decade from now. A variety of tax proposals to raise revenue for the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission already have been proposed to help implement the plan. The commission focuses on five main policy areas with the aim of making Maryland’s public schools among the best in the world. The policy areas include early childhood education like pre-K, teaching and increased teachers’ pay, college and career readiness, aid for struggling schools and accountability in implementation. Hogan noted how implementing the commission’s plan would increase spending by billions of dollars.

THOUSANDS

q COLLEGE STUDENTS

q YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR TWENTIES

OF ETZ CHAIM’S STUDENTS ARE STUDYING IN ISRAEL IN

extended learning programs LASTING OVER 3 MONTHS

q YOUNG FAMILIES

Jewish world’s most dynamic speakers

DELIVERED ADDRESSES TO VARIOUS ETZ CHAIM

Wine & Wisdom

q CHARLIE HARARY

WITH A SOCIAL TWIST.

q YAKOV MARCUS

ALUMNI OF THE MOMENTUM TRIP TO ISRAEL AND YEAR-OF-GROWTH PROGRAM ARE PART OF THE

Jewnity Committee

WHICH PRODUCED AN AMAZING CALENDAR OF EVENTS THAT HAS INSPIRED

1,500+ Jews this past year

q SHLOMO FARHI q RAV GAV q DOV BER COHEN q RUCHIE KOVAL

WITH CREATIVE & RELEVANT JEWISH EXPERIENCES

50+

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR

JANUARY 23, 2020

q ADRIENNE GOLD

THE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM

q SENIORS

OF THE

PROGRAMS THIS YEAR:

PEOPLE ATTENDED OUR DECEMBER

q EMPTY NESTERS

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

inspired by Etz Chaim programs from all demographics

TWENTIES WERE FELLOWS IN OUR

J-Care volunteering and learning program

2019

OF RABBI EFY & PENINAH FLAMM’S STUDENTS WENT ON A

IN JANUARY

PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS ETZ CHAIM PROGRAMS

80+

PEOPLE TRAVELED TO NEW JERSEY TO EXPERIENCE SHABBAT AT THE

Aish/Project Inspire Body & Soul Retreat

HUNDREDS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTEND

Etz Chaim’s college programs AT TOWSON AND UMBC

3 mega-events 400+ participants WITH

70+

moms & dads ARE ENGAGED IN REGULAR

EACH TOOK PLACE THIS YEAR:

EDUCATIONAL

q RAV GAV’S PRE PESACH TALK

PROGRAMMING

q CHARLIE HARARY’S PRE-HIGH HOLIDAYS LECTURE

AND INSPIRING

q THE GREAT BIG BALTIMORE CHALLAH BAKE

THEIR FAMILIES

INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN THE YEAR-LONG

Jewish journeys program WHICH INCLUDED A TRANSFORMATIONAL TRIP TO ISRAEL AND MONTHLY JEWISH LEARNING, RESULTING IN EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH IN JEWISH LITERACY AND COMMITMENT FOR THEIR FAMILIES

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Return & Learn Israel trip

100+ Young Professionals

By the numbers

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

PASSOVER Escape Presents: TWO Exciting, High-End Pesach Experiences Washington, DC

GAYLORD NATIONAL RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER Scholars in Residence

ORLANDO WORLD CENTER MARRIOT Scholars in Residence

Chaya Batya (C.B.) Neugroschl

Rabbi Shlomo Zuckier and Chana Zuckier

Head of School for Central Queens

Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik

VP of Rabbinical Alliance of America / Igud Harabbonim; Attorney; Political Activist

MAIBORT PETIT

TV & RADIO PERSONALITY DEALING WITH ISRAELI ISSUES

Mark Schiff

Chasidic Band Folk, Reggae style

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Dr. Chaya Sima Koenigsberg

Resident scholar at the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University

Entertainment Zusha

Rabbi Akiva Koenigsberg

Instructor in the Isaac Breuer College

Entertainment

Actor, Comedian Opens for Jerry Seinfeld for past 15 years

Mark Schiff

Actor, Comedian Opens for Jerry Seinfeld for past 15 years

Tours of Capitol Tours of Washington's House Chol Hamoed Cruise Party on Potomac River Acrobat show

Surprise world class singer Private Golf Tournament

Children's entertainment

Outdoor slides

Kashruth under Rabbi Sholtiel Lebovic • Cholov Yisroel • Non Gebrochtz

B O T H L O C A T I O N S W I L L H AV E F U L L C A M P P R O G R A M S L E D BY O U R P R O F E S S I O N A L S TA F F

TILL FEBRUARY 10TH EARLY BIRD PRICE STARTS AT $3,995

718-675-4480

passover.escape@gmail.com | www.thegreatkosherescape.com

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

In 2019 The Rosenblatt Group helped more than 500 individuals and families achieve their dream of homeownership. W H Y C H O O S E T H E R O S E N B L AT T G R O U P ?

Over his 25-year career, thousands of families have entrusted Sam Rosenblatt and his team with their home nancing needs for properties of all sizes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Sam has been consistently recognized as a top Loan Offcer in the nation.

Contact Sam today. We can make your dream a reality, too. SAM ROSENBLATT

APPLY ONLINE

TODAY!

Mortgage Planner | NMLS# 75844

(410) 375-4447

TEXT MTG TO 410-375-4447 FOR

MY MOBILE APP

academymortgage.com/samrosenblatt

Sam@TheRosenblattGroup.com www.TheRosenblattGroup.com 11019 McCormick Road Suite 410 | Hunt Valley, MD 21031 State Lic: MD #237, DC #MLO75844, DE MLO-75844, FL #LO31872, NC #I-109203, NJ #75844, PA #28407, VA #MLO-6487VA Corp State Lic: MD #12423, DC #MLB3113, DE #010825, FL #MLD241, NC #L-143680, NJ #3113, PA #22177, VA #MC-5196 Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Corp NMLS #3113 | (nmlsconsumeraccess.org)

Seconds

Sponsored By

Sam Rosenblatt

Mortgage Planner I NMLS# 75844 Sam@TheRosenblattGroup.com www.TheRosenblattGroup.com State Lic: DE: MLO-75844; NJ: 75844; NC: I-109203; MD: 237; FL: LO31872; PA: 28407; VA: MLO-6487VA; DC: MLO75844 | Corp Lic: DE: 010825; NJ: 3113; NC: L-143680; MD: 12423; FL: MLD241; PA: 22177; VA: MC-5196; DC: MLB3113; www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org l Equal Housing Lender l Corp NMLS #3113

613 Seconds With Pediatrician Dr. Lauren Mayer

Did being an observant woman with a family make becoming a doctor more challenging? The most challenging part of medical school and residency was juggling my schedule around Shabbos and Yom Tov. As a Torah-observant Jew, it was important for me to ensure that my personal observance didn’t adversely impact my halachic obligation towards the safety and well-being of my patients. In addition, I always made sure to reciprocate for my colleagues who covered for me on Shabbos and Yom Tovim. Thankfully, I have Rab-

bonim who have been and still are highly responsive and supportive in guiding me through various halachic dilemmas. Why did you choose pediatrics? The field of pediatrics always excited me the most. I have done a lot of volunteering over the years for various organizations with children. While I take my studies and practice very seriously, my friends can attest to the fact that I’m still a kid at heart, which helps me connect with my patients. During college, I tutored younger students in physics and chemistry and learned how to explain complex ideas in an understandable way, which is a skill I use in my practice. Now that I have my own children, I know how it feels to bring a sick child to the doctor. Being on the same team as my patient’s parents and working to come up with the best treatment options. is very rewarding. What is your favorite part of practicing medicine? Being able to help others in need; not just the technicalities of diagnosis and treatment, but by providing emotional support to both children and their parents.

What are your thoughts on the field of medicine today? One of the biggest challenges is balancing the role of the healer and business professional. The entire structure of medical billing and insurance places a premium on efficiency. As a healer, I strive to be very thorough in diagnosis and treatment and to try to treat each child as a person, not just a patient. I want to be able to look parents in the eye when they are speaking and have them know that I will do everything I reasonably can to answer their questions and provide the highest standard of care. How do you like working at Owings Mills Pediatrics? I love it! It’s a privilege to work alongside such wonderful and caring physicians and staff. It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to give back to the community where I grew up. Are you currently accepting new patients? Yes, I am accepting new patients at this time! I see children ranging in age from birth through age 21. I also encourage couples who are expecting to schedule a meeting and introduce themselves so that they will feel comfortable knowing that I’ll be there every step of the way.

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Tell us a little about yourself. I have been living in Baltimore since I was a toddler. I went to Rambam, UMBC and then medical school and residency training at the University of Maryland. My husband and I live in Pikesville with our 2 children. We are members at Pikesville Jewish Congregation (PJC), Suburban Orthodox Congregation and Chabad Downtown. I currently work as a Pediatrician at Owings Mills Pediatrics. When did you realize you wanted to become a doctor? What excites you about the medical field? When I was 6 years old I wrote in my journal: “I want to be a nurse”, so I’ve had a longstanding interest in medicine! During my medical training, I learned there are many ways to practice medicine and the psychosocial aspect of medicine is one that I wanted to incorporate into my daily

practice. In medical school, I also participated in CAPP (Combined Accelerated Program in Psychiatry) which gave me additional training in human thinking and behavior. I was privileged to have several great role models in training who really exemplified what it meant to be a great physician, not only knowledgeable, but also caring. During my residency experience, a co-resident and I worked on gaining a better understanding of the Baltimore City clinic patient population to facilitate serving needs beyond the clinic walls. Solving medical challenges is exciting, but equally important is being able to treat the whole person and being an advocate for my patients.

JANUARY 23, 2020

(410) 375-4447

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

613

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

The Week In News

Helmut Kleinicke: “Righteous Among the Nations”

More than 40 years after he passed away, Helmut Kleinicke has been awarded the title of “Righteous Among the Nations” for his role in saving hundreds of Jews from the Nazi killing machine. The title of “Righteous Among the Nations” is defined by the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum as a non-Jew who risked his life, freedom, and security to save one or more Jews and without asking for monetary compensation. Few Germans have received the honor, with Kleinicke being only the 628th. In a ceremony at the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, Ambassador Jeremy Issachorof presented Kleinicke’s daughter, Juta Scheffzek, with a plaque thanking her father for his actions. Visibly moved, Scheffzek told the assembled that she had only been made aware that her father saved Jews after visiting Yad Vashem three years ago. “It verified what my father said to me in very few words – and I never knew if he had been telling the truth,” Scheffzek said. Kleinicke is one of the lesser known righteous gentiles whose heroism remained under wraps until an Israeli TV report broadcast a report about him in 2016. A German engineer who joined the Nazi party in 1933, Kleinicke was tasked with building the Chrzanów forced labor

camp about 20 kilometers from the Auschwitz death camp. Horrified at the condition of the Jewish prisoners, he used his position to get as many Jewish inmates from Auschwitz as he could, ostensibly to build Chrzanów. Then, he fed them, treated their wounds, enabled them to escape, and even warned Jews of future German raids. “He hid them, drove people to the border with Slovakia himself, sometimes by car, sometimes by truck,” Scheffzek said. Kleinicke is said to have saved hundreds of Jews from certain death until the Nazis caught on. He was sent to military training as punishment. “Those of us who worked for Kleinicke were like VIPs,” one survivor recalled. “We had a certificate that we worked for him and that was our insurance policy.” There are still ten people alive in Israel who were helped by Kleinicke. Nobody knows exactly how many were saved by Kleinicke. “My father didn’t keep a list,” Scheffzek said. “When those saved after the war searched for him with ads, he didn’t answer. “

Tel Aviv: 20th Most Expensive City A report published this week found Tel Aviv to be the world’s 20th most expensive city in which to reside, as well as the priciest in all of the Middle East. Just last year, the White City found itself in 27th place.

Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database, compared the cost of living across 440 cities for their 2020 report. Other Israeli cities featured included Haifa at #31 and Jerusalem at #34. Overall, Israel ranks on the site as the 8th most expensive country in the world. According to the report, the five

most expensive cities in the world are all within Switzerland, headed by Basel. As for the United States, New York was ranked #11, San Francisco at #12, and Washington, D.C. at #17. The site was established as the first free database to compare cost of living and bills itself as the world’s “largest database of user-contributed data about living conditions in cities.” It utilizes user input as well as publicly available information to analyze cost of living estimates as relating to costs of rent, groceries, and ability to buy goods and services based on average wages.

Zilberman noted, “This is an action that will be seen and heard both in our territory and on the Lebanese side — we want to prevent a miscalculation.” The United Nations Interim Task Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that the IDF had informed them of the operation to install sensors. To date, Hezbollah has dug six tunnels into Israel, all of which were destroyed in December 2018 by the IDF. Though it is possible that the terror group has since dug more tunnels, military officials do not believe that to be the case.

Israel Ranked #29 Tunnel-Detecting for “Overall Best Sensors in the Country” North

One year after the IDF located and destroyed six Hezbollah terror tunnels penetrating Israel from Lebanon, the IDF has begun installing sensors to detect tunnel-digging activities along the Israel-Lebanon border. The installation began on Sunday with soldiers digging the necessary holes to install the system, which only recently was declared fully operational. The first of the sensors, which use both seismic and acoustic data, will be installed near the northern Galilee town of Misgav Am over a period of several weeks. Additional sensors will be placed in other border locations in the future, with positions being decided based on intelligence information and available funding. IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus emphasized that “the installation of this system is a preventative infrastructure step; it is not based on new intelligence.” He also said that placing all of the sensors may take several months. IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Hidai

For the second year in a row, Israel came in at #29 for U.S. News & World Report’s “Overall Best Countries Ranking.” The ranking, released earlier this month, examines “a nation’s worth beyond hard metrics: The 2020 Best Countries report and rankings are based on how global perceptions define countries in terms of a number of qualitative characteristics, impressions that have the potential to drive trade, travel and investment, and directly affect national economies.” Seventy-three countries were included in the ranking, which are measured across 65 attributes, including heritage, quality of life, power, citizenship, and cultural influence. The Jewish State ranked highly in the “power” category thanks to its political influence, as well as strong military and international alliances. It also received high marks in the “movers” category for being “different, distinctive, dynamic and unique.” The magazine described Israel as “very highly developed in terms of life expectancy, education, per capita income, and other human development index indicators. But the country also has one of the most unequal economies in the Western world, with significant gaps between the rich and poor.” Israel was sandwiched between Brazil at #28 and Qatar at #30. The top three countries, respectively, were Switzerland, Canada, and Japan.

The Week In News

R D

JANUARY 23, 2020

ITIA

BottomLineMG.com

On Tu B'Shvat, Monday, February 10, 2020, hundreds of lomdim will gather in Chicago to learn and complete Shas in the zchus of Klal Yisroel's shidduchim.

SPONSOR A DAF IN THE ZCHUS OF A SINGLE

ShasForShidduchim.org

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

U.S. federal authorities have issued four “immigration subpoenas” to New York City, demanding information regarding inmates wanted for deportation. Henry Lucero, a senior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official, said, “This is not a request – it’s a demand. This is a last resort for us. Dangerous criminals are being released every single day in New York.” NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s team responded on Saturday, saying that the city will review the subpoenas. But in an email, spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein wrote, “New York City will not change the policies that have made us the safest big city in America.” The New York subpoenas came days after ICE sent similar subpoe-

DAF LEARNED IN 1 DAY

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

ICE Blasts NYC

2,711

treatment are over, over 20,000 Cubans now face imminent deportation back to their homeland. According to official data, deportation files were opened against 25,044 Cubans over the past year. Now forced to remain in Mexico until they can appear before a judge, the majority do not qualify as being “physically present” in the United States for at least a year. Under the updated Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), migrants must be in the U.S. for at least a year in order to obtain a green card. In addition, migrants now have a harder time applying for asylum under Trump administration rules that mandate applicants provide evidence that they face danger back home. According to official statistics, less than 50% of asylum seekers are admitted into the U.S. Stuck in Mexico, the tens of thousands of Cubans who reached the U.S. since 2016 are now in danger of being sent back home. “The number of people who obtain asylum does not reflect the human rights situation on the island,” immigration rights advocate and Florida International University Professor Juan Gómez told the Miami Herald. “The administration complains about human rights violations in Cuba, but is sending many Cubans back without consideration.”

Former President Barack Obama’s attempt at strengthening U.S.-Cuba relations is now causing tens of thousands of Cuban refugees to face imminent deportation. In the final week of his presidency, Obama ended the controversial “wet feet, dry feet” policy in a bid to boost ties with Havana. The measure had granted Cuban asylum seekers who managed to reach the U.S. mainland an expedited immigration process, including protecting them from deportation along with the possibility of obtaining a green card in under a year. The policy had enraged Cuba’s communist regime, who viewed it as a measure deliberately designed to encourage its citizens to leave. After reestablishing relations with the island nation in 2014, Obama agreed to scrap “wet feet, dry feet” in the waning days of his presidency. Suddenly treated like any other illegal immigrant, the end of “wet feet, dry feet” caused a steep dive in the number of Cubans fleeing to the U.S. While 41,523 Cubans reached the United States in 2016, the figure fell to only 7,079 by 2018. However, the flood of immigrants from Venezuela and sanctions from the Trump administration soon caused the amount of Cuban asylum seekers to increase. Over 21,000 Cubans arrived in 2019, with many unaware that they were no longer shielded from deportation. Finding out only after arriving that that the days of special

The Cuban Refugee Conundrum

The Week In News

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

David Flamm 410-616-9186

flammd1@nationwide.com

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

FOR YOUR AUTO, HOME, LIFE AND BUSINESS NEEDS

nas to the city of Denver. Three of the New York subpoenas request information regarding three inmates who were recently released from prison despite immigration officials’ demands to turn them over for deportation. One of the three released is wanted for homicide in El Salvador. The fourth New York subpoena requests information regarding Reeaz Khan, 21, a Guyanese man charged earlier this month with the assault and murder of a 92-year-old Queens woman, Maria Fuertas. Khan is still in custody, but New York police claim they did not receive the detainer for him which ICE insists it sent. De Blasio has accused ICE of using “scare tactics” and wrote on Twitter that his city has “common-sense laws about immigration enforcement that have driven crime to record lows.” Denver officials refused to comply with the requests, claiming the demands are “viewed as an effort to intimidate officers” into compliance. ICE’s Lucero said that his agency may consult with federal prosecutors to force compliance on the municipal level and that “a judge can hold them in contempt.”

Jet Fuel Dump’s Impacts

Several days after a Delta jet dumped fuel on homes and schools in southeast Los Angeles, the South Coast Air Quality Management District responded to public complaints by sending an inspector to study air quality in the affected neighborhood, the Los Angeles Times reported. On Friday, the inspector issued Delta a notice of violation, agency

spokesman Bradley Whitaker said. According to Whitaker, notices of violation can result in civil penalties, and if no settlement is reached, the agency can initiate a civil lawsuit. In some cases, he said, the company can choose to implement measures to reduce emissions or prevent further violations. The Los Angeles County Fire Department and LA Unified School District have already performed several air tests in the area. According to Dr. Cyrus Rangan, director of Los Angeles Department of Public Health’s Toxics Epidemiology Program, the test readings were “consistently” below the “limit of detection for jet fuel chemicals” and that “odors have also dissipated, which his consistent with the chemical characteristics of kerosene-based jet fuel, in that it is expected to evaporate.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident but emphasizes that vapor pollution from the jet fuel is negligible in comparison to pollution from cars, trucks, and industry and is also rare enough that it will probably not have major environmental implications. Meanwhile, the Department of Public Health, the county fire department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have warned that those growing fruit and vegetables in the area should discard unharvested produce. Cleaning crews have already power-washed the affected outdoor areas. According to the UK’s Health Protection Agency, symptoms from one-time exposure to Jet A or Jet A1 fuel tend to be temporary, experts say. These symptoms include skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, as well as headaches and dizziness. Though some research shows that jet fuel exposure can affect the nervous system, this research involved those who were exposed consistently to the substance over long periods of time, UC Irvine’s Director for the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Dr. Ulrike Luderer noted. She added that even though “exposure in children really hasn’t been studied,” it is “such an unusual situation that there wouldn’t be a population to study.” She emphasized, “Still,

The Week In News

2,711 VE

ITIA

WAYS TO SOLVE THE SHIDDUCH CRISIS

JANUARY 23, 2020

BottomLineMG.com

Sponsor the learning of a daf in the zchus of a shidduch for yourself or a loved one.

SPONSOR A DAF IN THE ZCHUS OF A SINGLE

ShasForShidduchim.org

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

President Donald Trump signed an interim deal with China last week that aims to provide a respite from the bruising trade war between the two countries. With China’s vice premier and chief negotiator Liu He looking on, Trump signed the agreement at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. “Together we are righting the wrongs of the past and delivering a future of economic justice and security,” Trump said. “Most people thought this could never happen.” Trump added that he was considering a state visit to Beijing in the “not too distant future.” Liu He, meanwhile, read the president a letter penned by China’s President Xi Jinping calling the deal “good for China, the U.S., and the whole world.” Jinping noted that the deal proved that the two countries could hatch out their disagreements via dialogue. The ceremony was attended by Trump’s cabinet, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and senior business executives including Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga and Blackstone Chairman Stephen Schwarzman. Under the terms of the deal, which was first announced in early December, China will purchase $30 billion of American-made agricultural products in exchange for a reduction of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from 15% to 7.5%. However, the agreement does not touch on other contentious issues such as Chinese currency manipulation and intellectual property theft. China is also not obligated to end its tariffs on U.S.-made products. China and the United States have been locked in a brutal trade war over the past two years that saw Trump

Trump Signs Trade Deal with China

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced fired the island’s emergency manager, Carlos Acevedo, on Saturday, appointing a replacement the same day. The dismissal closely follows the discovery of a warehouse full of unused emergency supplies in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The supplies included pallets of water, food, diapers, baby formula, cots, and emergency radios. According to Garced, the warehouse supplies are believed to date from Hurricane Maria, which struck two years ago. Garced has ordered an investigation be opened and demanded the findings be shared in the next few days. “There are thousands of people who made sacrifices to bring aid to the south, and it’s unforgivable that resources have been kept in a warehouse,” Garced said in a statement. After the warehouse was discovered on Saturday, families were lining up to receive the supplies. Meanwhile, Acevedo denied allegations of mishandling, claiming that his agency has been actively distributing supplies and that no one has been denied any of the supplies in the warehouse. He also said 600 pallets of water were distributed prior to Hurricanes Dorian and Karen and that 80 pallets remained in the warehouse since they had expired. “There have not been any orders to seize or destroy those items at any point,” he emphasized.

R D

Puerto Rico’s Emergency Manager Fired and Replaced

we’re likely not going to see significant long-term impacts.”

The Week In News

Show your love with life insurance.

levy over $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods. Beijing responded by sanctioning U.S. agriculture, slapping tariffs on products such as soybeans that devastated farmers in Republican strongholds such as Iowa and Wyoming. The U.S. government has spent over $28 billion in order to mitigate the economic damage to farmers. The pause in the trade war grants Trump a victory for his base ahead of the 2020 presidential election. While acknowledging that there was a slew of issues that needed to be resolved, top U.S. trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer called the agreement a “massively good first step.” “Are we in an ideal spot? No,” Lighthizer acknowledged. “Is this a massively good first step? Yes.”

Benjamin Jessurun 410-443-0771 bjessurun@allstate.com

Peaceful Gun Rights Rally

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Life insurance offered through Allstate Life Insurance Company and Allstate Assurance Co., 3075 Sanders Road, Northbrook, IL 60062, and American Heritage Life Insurance Co., 1776 American Heritage Life Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224. In New York, life insurance offered through Allstate Life Insurance Co. of New York, Hauppauge, NY. © 2018 Allstate Insurance Co.

Free high school for Jewish teens

The leading educational program in Israel everyone’s talking about Learn more and see a choice of excellent schools here: naale-elite-academy.com Ravit Bar-Av: Regional Manager – Northeastern USA +1-646-468-1373 | Naale.eusa@gmail.com

253673

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Thousands of gun owners and gun rights supporters gathered on Monday at Virginia’s Capitol for a “peaceful day to address our Legislature” that appeared to generate none of the violence feared by some state leaders. Many demonstrators, opposed to proposed gun restrictions, openly displayed military-style semiautomatic rifles. Other wore orange “Guns save lives” stickers as the crowd chanted “USA” and sang the national anthem. Signs read “Come and take it” and “Second Amendment Sanctuary.” But despite warnings from Gov. Ralph Northam and law enforcement that out-of-state hate groups and militias may incite violence, the protest did not grow heated. Police estimated the size of the crowd at 22,000 – including 6,000 people inside Capitol Square; only one arrest was reported. Mikaela E. Beschler, 21, was arrested for wearing a bandanna to cover her face. She was eventually released. A heavy police presence greeted rally-goers calmly lining up to enter the state Capitol, where they had to

pass through a security checkpoint. While more than a thousand gathered inside the state Capitol, many more were outside rallying. Flags bearing President Donald Trump’s name and “don’t tread on me” poked up above the crowd as the smaller crowd inside the Capitol grounds watched. The day was planned as a “lobby day” by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, which has organized similar events to advocate for gun rights for years. Driving the momentum behind the Richmond rally was a host of new gun-control measures backed by Northam and Democrats, who flipped both houses of the General Assembly and have full control of state government for the first time since 1993. Democrats proposed limiting handgun purchases to one a month, universal background checks on gun sales, allowing localities to ban guns in some public areas, and a “red flag” bill that would allow authorities to temporarily take guns away from anyone deemed to be dangerous to themselves or others. Other proposals include rules around reporting lost or stolen firearms and a ban on “assault firearms,” though some moderate Democrats have expressed concerns over that bill. Advocates for the gun-control laws say Virginians signaled their approval of the proposals when they elected a Democrat-controlled General Assembly in November. Many Democrats campaigned on the issue of guns, and gun laws were the most important voting issues before the election among both Democrats and Republicans, according to a Washington Post-George Mason poll. Northam has worked to dispel the idea that he intends to go “door-todoor” with authorities to take away people’s guns. He says the bills are intended to keep Virginians safer, but his detractors see them as infringing on their rights to bear arms. “All these bills are basically steps in the direction of disarming people,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. In the weeks leading up to the rally, more than 100 counties, cities and towns declared themselves “sanctuaries” for the Second Amendment, saying they would not enforce unconsti-

The Week In News

R D

2,711 ·

vice, so you are not completely cut off.” In other words, you’ll majorly get to connect with nature as you sip myriad pots of joe. Sounds ideal – for some.

ITIA

Beer for a Blizzard

All proceeds will benefit Chicago Chesed Fund and their many programs and services that help combat the Shidduch Crisis.

SPONSOR A DAF IN THE ZCHUS OF A SINGLE

ShasForShidduchim.org

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

For those who do end up taking the position, be forewarned that it’s not just coffee that you’ll be making yourself. Although the island has been making strides technologically-speaking, it’s still way behind other places. For example, there is still no electricity, Wi-Fi or hot water on the island. “We use gas hobs in the cottages and the coffee shop,” Alice Hayes, the main contact on the job posting, explains. “We have gas canisters out the back. We know when the water is boiled with whistling kettles on top of the hobs, and we can cook on the gas hobs as well.” She notes that there is “a little wind turbine that generates enough electricity to charge one de-

While this headline may sound odd, it is actually true. Fans of Busch Beer in certain cities are being promised by the beer brand that they’ll be offering residents a dollar off of their beer products for every inch of snow that falls in those areas. You better believe these beer-guzzlers will be praying for snow. According to the company, “As the snow falls, so does the price of Busch. For every inch of snow that accumulates in your state this season, we’ll take $1 off your Busch (up to $30, excluding sales tax).” Busch will be tracking snowfall from January 1 until March 21 across seven cities: Des Moines, Iowa; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; Omaha, Nebraska; Buffalo, New York; and Green Bay, Wisconsin. In a press release, Senior Director of Marketing at Anheuser-Busch Daniel Blake said, “We know some of our biggest fans are going to experience a lot of snow this winter, which can make things a little rough. There’s not much worse than a snowstorm hitting and your stock of Busch being low, so this is a fun way to make our fans’ lives a little easier this season in those snowy cities.” The company also set up interactive billboards in each of the cities to keep track of the snowfall totals. Any kind of accumulation counts – even if it melts the following day. There’s a $30 limit to the program, however. Fans can submit their rebate (limited to one per customer) claims

BottomLineMG.com

Looking for something new to do this year? Perhaps you’d like to head to a remote island and drink coffee all day. Well, then, this job is the perfect one for you. Recently, Great Blasket Island, located just off the coast of Kerry in Ireland, tweeted about a new position. The island is looking for two friends, or a couple, to work at its coffee shop as well as provide other “island accommodations” from April 2020 to October 2020. While the tweet does not list the salary, it does note that room and board will be provided for the chosen pair.

JANUARY 23, 2020

A Dream Job

WAYS TO GIVE

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

tutional gun laws. While the “sanctuary” resolutions passed in many localities have been seen by supporters as a way to fight back against Northam’s proposals, legal experts say those resolutions are largely symbolic as local law cannot supersede state law.

The Week In News through Busch.com/snowday, where they’ll be asked to upload their receipt and zip code. They can beer-ly wait.

Sofa Surprise

Need some money? Check your couch cushions. You’re bound to find a quarter or two – or in the case of Howard Kirby, a whopping $43,000. Kirby had purchased a couch at the Habitat for Humanity store in Owosso, Michigan, for $35 a few months ago. The ottoman, though, was uncomfortable and so his daughter unzipped the cushions to see what was the problem. Turns out, it wasn’t a problem – it was stacks of bills that were making the couch lumpy. “That’s when she started pulling out this,” Kirby said, holding up a fistful of cash. ”I still have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming or something,” A total of $43,170 was found inside the couch. Kirby immediately felt that it was his duty to return the money to the store and seek out the original owner. Kim Fauth-Newberry had come into possession of the couch after her grandfather, the original owner, passed away last year. She said she had no idea there was money inside when she

gave it away. She was surprised last Thursday when the store called and told her that Kirby had her cash. “It’s just crazy,” she said. “It’s completely awesome.” Kirby had reportedly sought legal advice about his rights to the money and was told that he was under no obligation to return it. Despite having the legal right to keep it, he thought giving it back was the right thing to do. “Just doing the right thing – to me, this is someone who in spite of what they’re going through – in spite of their own needs has said, ‘I’m just going to do the right thing,’” store owner Rick Merling said. Kirby claimed he could have used the money for a new roof but is happy the cash has found its way back to the original owner. “I always thought, ‘What would I do if that ever happened?’ Now I know,” he said. “And it makes me feel good.” We’re chair-ing you on, Kirby.

appropriate for all ages. Want to hear what drivers came up with? Here goes: For general safety, “If you miss your exit it’s okay, we made more up ahead” came in at first place; “Better late than never” garnered second place; “Drive like your momma is watchin’” tied the third slot with “You are allowed to use turn signals. We checked.” In the impaired driving category, drivers came up with: “Driving half lit is not very bright” (first place); “Don’t spend the new year in jail. Party responsibly” (second place); and “Don’t be a turkey and drive basted” (third place). To remind drivers to wear seat belts, “This is a sign you should buckle up” came in first place and tied with “If you don’t wear a seat belt, please be an organ donor.” “Wearing a seat belt makes you look thinner” came in second place. Sure beats those “Slow down. Construction ahead” flashing signs that dot the 878.

Laugh Lines We never thought that transportation signs could make you chuckle as you sit in traffic. Recently, the Georgia Department of Transportation decided to lighten commuters’ drives and came up with humorous ways of enforcing traffic rules. Last fall, the GDOT held a contest challenging residents to make up lighthearted slogans for safety signs. The only rules were that the messages couldn’t exceed 63 characters, including spaces, and that the signs had to be

Colossal Candy Bar

Here’s a sure way to make sure your sugar levels don’t go down for a long time. Last week, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Waco, Texas, the home to the world’s largest Snickers bar. The mammoth bar weighs more than 4,700 pounds and measures two feet high and 26 inches wide. It’s the size of 43,000 single-size Snickers bars put together. “This is incredibly impressive,” Guinness World Records adjudicator Michael Empric shared. “Some of my favorite record categories are big food because it has to be edible and it is also an engineering feat, so to get a 5,000-pound bar of chocolate to stay together is really challenging.” And where was this master creation made? Where else, but the Mars Wrigley plant in Waco. The plant calls itself one of the world’s largest producers of candies such as Snickers, M&M’s and Skittles. The idea to create a giant Snickers bar came only two weeks ago. It took a week to produce the huge rectangle of chocolate. “This bar that we made in the last week absolutely is the (sum) of, I think, what you could call, ‘Everything is bigger in Texas.’ Because it’s the biggest Snickers bar ever made,” Snickers value manager Ruud Engbers said. “It’s the largest chocolate nut bar ever made in the world.” So, who gets a taste of this colossal confection? Well, the plant plans to give out pieces of the bar to Mars workers around the country. Looking for a part-time job at a chocolate plant?

2516 Quarry Lake Drive (410) 486-Wine

RubyLaskerDesigns

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Stop in & check out 100+ Kosher Wine options as well as a great selection of Artisanal Spirits & Craft Beers

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Torah Thought

G-d Matters By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

The fifth plague to befall the Egyptian people was ‫דֶ בֶ ר‬, most often translated as pestilence, a virulent epidemic that would affect their livestock, killing them off. Although this word is often used to indicate an epidemic of sorts there is no indication how this root ‫ר‬-‫ב‬-‫ ד‬indicates a fatal disease. The root ‫ר‬-‫ב‬-‫ ד‬is the source for the word, ‫דיּבּור‬,ִ meaning speech, as well as for ‫דָ בָ ר‬, the word indicating ‘something’ or matter. The word ‫י ְַדּבֵ ר‬, gathering, shares this root too. The common denominator would seem to be the notion of combining separate items into one; sounds that form words bringing forth an intelligent expression; an ‘item’, some ‘thing’ that is defined as an independent whole entity; people or articles collected together as a unit.(RSRH) ‫דֶ בֶ ר‬, epidemic, would then seem to follow suit in its implication of an invisible disease that encompasses a large mass of people, or animals in this case. Rabbi Avraham, the son of the Rambam suggests that this sudden occurrence of the death of their livestock was evidently decreed by the ‘will’ of G-d which is expressed as ‫דיּבּור‬,ִ His utterance. It is this unseen force that drives all life that when He chooses to withdraw from any ‘matter’ brings that item its immediate demise. It is regarding this sole plague that Moshe is instructed, ‫ודברת אליו‬, and you shall speak to him (Pharaoh). Three more times the word ‫ דבר‬appears within these seven verses, not a ‫דבר‬/thing that belongs to the Children of Israel will die; tomorrow shall G-d carry out ‫הדבר‬/this word; G-d carried out ‫הדבר‬/this word. Adding the word used to describe the epidemic, ‫דֶ בֶ ר‬, we have a total of five references. This plague as distinguished from all others is the only one referred to as

signifying the ‘Hand of G-d’. In the Haggadah we recite the verse elsewhere that describes how G-d took us out of Egypt ‫ביד חזקה‬, with a strong hand, going on to elucidate how this refers to the plague of pestilence specifically, quoting the verse that states: Behold the, '‫יד ד‬, hand of G-d is on your livestock in the fields, against the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the cattle, and the flocks, a very heavy pestilence. )‫(שמות ט ג‬ The Zohar points out that just as the hand possesses five fingers, there were five different categories of animals: horses, donkeys, camels, cattle and flock, that G-d smote figuratively with each of His fingers. Clearly there is something unique about this plague of pestilence that singles it out in describing it as the hand of G-d. What distinguishes this epidemic from the other powerful displays of G-d’s might and absolute control over nature? What significance is there to relating to the five species that were afflicted independently by each finger? Did G-d use separate fingers in summoning the variety of beasts that assaulted the populace during the plague of Arov, the swarms of beasts? The ancient Midrash, Mishnas Rebbi Eliezer, records that not only were the animals afflicted but the humans as well. The horse and its rider, the donkey and its driver, the camel and its driver, the cattle and its herder, the sheep and its shepherd were all fatally doomed when their charges suddenly dropped dead falling upon them and crushing them to death. ‫(משנת רבי‬ )‫אליעזר פ"יט‬ The Midrash goes on to prove this point by quoting from the Prophet Zechariah who in his prophecy regarding the war of Gog and Magog foretells how in addition to the plague that will befall the nations that rallied

against Jerusalem, “similar will be the plague against the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals that will be in those camps”. ‫(זכריה יד‬ )‫טו‬ Evidently in the referencing of this plague against ‘animals’, in similar fashion to those afflicted during the plague in Egypt, as proof to the toll the plague took upon human life as well, the Midrash clearly understood in this prophecy of the End of Time some deeper symbolism as an allusion to the human downfall, not merely to animals. In contemplating the plague of pestilence, one might be be deluded into thinking that this was merely a plague that harmed their livestock. In those ancient societies the primary means of transportation was by horse and donkey. The mighty horse not only provided the ability to travel afar but it was equally associated with one’s status and office. The donkey was invaluable to anyone who sought to promote one’s personal station in life, allowing him to engage in commerce and communal life. The camel, able to travel far distances was priceless to those ambitious enough to seek the riches and opportunities in discovering new and exciting materials that awaited them in faraway lands, that could not only improve their personal lot but provide greater income as well. The ox was vital to agriculture in putting its might to the yoke in the plowing and production of the bountiful fruit of the land. Sheep and goats provided food and clothing in the form of its milk and wool. Imagine if every car failed to start; trucks engines misfired; planes malfunctioned; combines and tractors lacked fuel; clothing manufacturers lost electricity; commercial refrigeration suddenly all failed. We take so much for granted, assuming that the necessities of life and the vehicles for all of our ambitions will always be there. But in Egypt, the entire commerce of life abruptly ceased. Perhaps the Torah in enumerating each division of animal is seeking to teach us that there are humans whose entire endeavor in life is consumed by the quest for stature; to socialize and party; to gain of wealth; to be simply

busy with a profession; to just exist. They become identified with the arrogance of the horse; the mindlessness of a donkey; the endurance of the camel in pursuing the pot of gold at the other side of the desert; the industriousness of an ox who works hardily bereft of any conscious goal; the simplicity of the sheep who are just happy to graze. The depiction in the Midrash of the animal and its rider falling is meant to accent how the Egyptians became one with their blind ‘animalistic’ ambitions, absent of any value for a meaningful life nor a desire to pursue it, that expressed itself in their treating their Jewish slaves no different than as if they were their ‘livestock’, free to be used to advance their purposeless dreams empty of morals. In the end of time a plague will consume those human beasts who refuse to find higher purpose in their lives, allowing their animal instincts to stampede and trample those who seek meaning. The lesson of this plague is that there is only one life-force that allows all of ‘matter’ to exist, the word and will of G-d. The moment it is removed everything immediately ceases from existence. The great 19th century Kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Chaver teaches that the hand of G-d that operates under the illusion of nature is called ‫יד כהה‬, the weaker hand, since to all appearances it seems to be ineffective in changing the forces of nature. But when G-d chooses to reveal His true identity, as He did in the plague of pestilence, then the ‫יד חזקה‬, the mighty hand becomes evident and reveals that in the absence of His input life simply disappears. We must ask ourselves, are we just beasts of burden, living mindlessly and exerting much energy simply to survive? Or are we humans possessed of a divine spirit, who despite our need to engage in the business of life, never forget or ignore our nobler goals and aspirations? The bottom line is that G-d ‘matters’, no success can come without His constant infusion of His will. The more we identify with that reality the more likely we will be privileged to benefit from His mighty hand.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Always Torah Always Together That’s Torah Together

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

I’ve Always wanted

to further my Torah knowledge in a welcoming environment where I could Always be myself while benefitting from learning Together

with a chavrusa, tailored to my needs. That’s what I found when I discovered this program.

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Jews of every background and knowledge level,

growing and learning… Torah Together.”

Torah Together will provide you with a carefully selected Torah mentor for an hour a week of study and discussion. One-on-one learning in a group setting allows for building a connection with one’s mentor as well as others in the program. Learning takes place in the welcoming atmosphere of Shomrei Emunah on Wednesday evenings at 8:00 Refreshments are served. No charge. Photo Credit: Leiba Gornbein

Join Torah Together Today! 443-468-4598 | tpfriedman@gmail.com

Torah Together is sponsored in part by the Vaad Hakashrus of Baltimore.

410.484.5850 THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

508 REISTERSTOWN RD.

s u o n e Ra v

ICONIC

’ ”

SUBS

s Franknks & Bla

s g n i W

PETERS POPPERS 1.5 pounds of Poppers with orders over $150

HOLLYWOOD FRIES Free Pan of Holy Fries with orders over $ 200

TEX-M EX Guacam ole &

p sour cre am platarve ter Sta

rting a t

OUR TRY TY OF IE VAR

H S I KN PS DI

$35

with orders over $ 250

JUSTIN TIME!

Moore Savings: $15 off

Orders over $120, placed by 1/26

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

FREE DELIVERYc ial pe in our Carr

Drumettes

JANUARY 23, 2020

! s l a e D

Shevat 22

Shevat 23

Shevat 24

Shevat 17

Shevat 10

Shevat 3

Tevet 25

Wednesday

February Tuesday Tevet 24

Shevat 2

Shevat 9

Shevat 16

The Shidduch Center of Baltimore: Rabbi Shraga Neuberger @6301 Greenmeadow Pkwy 8:30-9:15pm see page 3

Etz Chaim Matching Campaign etzchaim.thechesedfund.com see page 21

Shevat 15

Shevat 8

Shevat 1

Tevet 23

Monday

The Shidduch Center of Baltimore: Rabbi Shaul Engelsberg @6301 Greenmeadow Pkwy 8:30-9:15pm see page 3

Friday Tevet 27

4:59 PM

Shevat 5

5:07 PM

Shevat 12

5:15 PM

Shevat 19

5:23 PM

Shevat 26

5:31 PM

Tevet 28

6:00 PM

Shevat 6

6:09 PM

Shevat 13

6:17 PM

Shevet 20

6:33 PM

Shevet 27

6:25 PM

OCA Parent Teacher Melava Malka @Ner Tamid 8-11pm

Kol Torah Ladies Melava Malka 8-11:30pm

Yeshivas Teferes Hatorah Melaveh Malkah @BJSZ 8:30pm see page 41

Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;shei Kollel Avodas Levi Night of Chizuk @Glen Ave Shul

Saturday

Community Calendar

Ner Tamid Dinner & Oneg @6214 Pimlico Rd

Tevet/Shevat 5780

Shevat 25

Shevat 18

Next BJH Issue

Shevat 11

Shevat 4

Tevet 26

Thursday

Next BJH Issue

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

to have your future event listed in the Community Calendar please contact Ads@BaltimoreJewishHome.com

Shevat 21

January

Tevet 29

Tevet 22

Sunday

2020 19

Shevat 14

Shevat 7

Shoresh Night of Entertainment 5-10pm

Comedy Night SOTC/IJC feat. Elon Gold

Torah Institute: FunClick @2929 Fallstaff Rd see page 47

OLD FOREST ROAD

4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

$549,000

$499,000

$489,000

$449,000

OLD COURT ROAD

WESTBROOK ROAD

SEVEN MILE LANE

THE ELMONT

5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths

3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths

$519,000

$669,000

$284,000

$64,900

TIMBERFIELD LANE

PARK HEIGHTS AVE

STONE CLIFF DRIVE

HURLINGHAM COURT

ACT! R T N O RC UNDE

SOLD!

5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths

6 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths

$549,000

$469,000

Beautiful Lake Views, 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

$625,000

$849,900 staimandesign.com

410.581.1000 6 Church Lane â&#x20AC;¢ Baltimore, MD 21208

staimandesign.com

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

LIGHTFOOT DRIVE

JANUARY 23, 2020

HATTON ROAD

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Barry Nabozny Broker/Realtor 410-977-7600

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

My Israel Home

JANUARY 23, 2020

Carl Lutz The Mystery Savior

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Gedaliah Borvick

Carl Lutz in Budapest in 1945 (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

friend visiting Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov community was walking on Charles Lutz Street. The street sign mentioned that Lutz was among the Chasidei Umot Ha’olam – Righteous Among the Nations – which piqued his interest, so he googled the name. After reading the first paragraph about Mr. Lutz, my friend sent me the following WhatsApp: Gedaliah, you MUST write an article about this mystery man! Over thirty heads of state will be participating this coming week in the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, titled “Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism,” at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. In honor of this event, permit me to share with you the remarkable story of Charles Lutz. Charles – known as Carl – Lutz is credited with saving over 62,000 Jews during the Holocaust, but somehow his activities went mostly unnoticed. In comparison, Raoul Wallenberg of the Swedish foreign ministry, with whom Lutz sometimes collaborated, saved under 10,000 people – no small feat either, I might add – but became

famous for his humanitarian efforts. How in the world did Lutz save over 60,000 people, literally half of Budapest’s Jewish population? Secondarily, why did Wallenberg become so famous when Lutz’s heroic activities flew under the radar? Carl Lutz was a Swiss diplomat who arrived in Budapest in January 1942 and, due to Switzerland’s stance of neutrality, also represented the interests of many countries that had severed diplomatic relations with Hungary during World War II, including the United States and United Kingdom. Lutz understood the German mindset that admired discipline and valued being rule-oriented – and used that knowledge to save many Jewish lives. He leveraged his position as the UK wartime representative and created an emigration certificate to allow safe passage to British-controlled Palestine. Lutz then negotiated a deal with the Hungarian government and the Nazis to allow 8,000 Hungarian Jews to use these protective letters to escape certain death and move to Palestine. Although receiving permission to issue only 8,000 letters, Lutz – at-

Jews seeking protection outside a glass building

tempting to save as many lives as possible – broadly interpreted the document as applying to families, rather than individuals. In addition, he worked with members of the Zionist youth underground to forge thousands more of these protective letters. Lutz was an organizational genius and brilliantly patched together a network comprised of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, local Zionist organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, diplomats from five neutral countries, including Sweden’s Raoul Wallenberg, and sympathetic Hungarians to create 76 – and by some accounts 122 – “safe houses” around Budapest to store the people who had these emigration certificates until they could be sent to Palestine. By using ingenious and daring diplomatic tricks and masterfully twisting the tenets of the Geneva Convention, Lutz successfully managed to provide diplomatic protection to tens of thousands of Jews in these safe houses. However, as opposed to the famous Wallenberg who was literally on the streets distributing letters of protection, Lutz always remained in the background and pre-

ferred to operate in the shadows in order to not jeopardize the mission. After the war, instead of receiving accolades for his extraordinary humanitarian achievements, Carl Lutz received an official reprimand from the Swiss government for overstepping his diplomatic authority and disobeying the law, effectively blocking him from advancing his diplomatic career. In 1964, Lutz and his first wife were awarded the title “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Years later, the Swiss government finally restored his tarnished image, but it was too little and way too late. Lutz died in 1975 a disillusioned man who felt betrayed by the Swiss government, which never fully recognized his moral clarity and superhuman efforts during one of history’s darkest periods. Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Op- d

JANUARY 23, 2020

Bearing Witness

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Assemblywoman Nily Rozic

“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” - George Santayana

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

2020

marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. A week ago, I joined a delegation of legislators from the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council to Poland. As we walked the streets of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Jewish quarter in Krakow searching for clues as to how the Jewish community lived, how generations of my family lived, I was struck not by what was but by what wasn’t. The storefronts we passed were a trick of the imagination – a sign signifying what was once a Jewish bakery was now just another tourist spot. In Warsaw, most of the city was razed to the ground; current residents live in modern homes atop historic remains. On the night before the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, over 300,000 Jews resided in Warsaw. Today, there are fewer than 10,000 Jews across all of Poland. In Krakow, memorials and city walls are created out of broken tombstones from what was once a Jewish cemetery. In both cities, only a small section of their ghetto walls remains. It is only at Auschwitz I and Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentra-

tion and death camps intentionally maintained as museums, that our Jewish history is intact. Not the story of how they lived, but of how too many died. As the daughter of a Yad Vashem educator, my bookshelves were lined with Eli Wiesel, Leon Uris, Primo Levi, Anne Frank, and Lois Lowry. My yeshiva day school experience and Jewish upbringing afforded me a deep

I advocate for freedom of religion and expression as a fundamental value and right. I was raised to know that Never Again is a call to action, not just an empty platitude. With anti-Semitism rising at alarming rates, we need to look to the past so we do not repeat it. But that extends beyond our communities. Currently, Holocaust education is a mandatory unit

A sign signifying what was once a Jewish bakery was now just another tourist spot.

and meaningful Holocaust education to ensure I learned the stories of the more than 6 million lives cut short and the tremendous potential that was lost. I was often surrounded by firsthand accounts from survivors. They spoke of their own experiences; of what happens when people are treated as sub-human, vilified for their religious beliefs. I was privileged to be born in Israel, a Jewish state built out of the ashes of the Holocaust. And, now, as a state legislator,

in the New York State curriculum yet, according to The New York Times, 31 percent of Americans, and 41 percent of millennials, believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Forty-one percent of Americans and 66 percent of millennials cannot identify Auschwitz. More than half of Americans wrongly think Hitler came to power through force. We must do better. That’s why I have introduced legislation to commis-

sion a study to better understand how New York schools are complying with the curriculum requirements. If they are not in compliance, we must fix that. Just a few years ago, chants of “Jews will not replace us” reverberated through Charlottesville, Virginia. From Pittsburgh to Poway, we check our phones after Shabbat and hold our breath each time there is another shul shooting. Last month, Jews were killed lighting Chanukah candles in New York. We must connect the dots: as the Holocaust fades from memory, anti-Semitism and hate crimes rise. Our fellow citizens fall victim to ignorance, misinformation, and conspiracy theories. As Holocaust survivors pass on, we must share their burden and their stories. We must all bear witness. My trip to Poland was one way to carry the charge. There are many others. I urge you to speak up now. Tell your state and local legislators that this matters to you. Show up for rallies and events to denounce hate in all its forms. I invite you to join me in bearing witness to ensure that all future generations are accurately taught about this unconscionable stain in history so that we can truly live up to our pledge of “Never Again.” Nily Rozic is a New York State Assemblywoman representing parts of Queens.

Cordially invites the entire community to a

February 8, 2020 • 8:30 PM At Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion

Theme:

"I WAS THE TOP MEXICAN PLAYER, 16 YEARS AND YOUNGER. NOW I AM SITTING AND LEARNING IN KOLLEL." For reservations or for more information, please contact: Rabbi Mordechai Cohen 414-865-8515 • mcohen@tifereshatorah.org

Costs

$50 Single (1 Ticket) $90 Couple (2 Tickets) $180 Sponsor (2 Tickets) $360 Patron (4 Tickets) $540 Friend (4 Tickets) $1080 Builder (4 Tickets) $3600 Benefactor (6 Tickets) $5400 Supporter (8 Tickets)

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Special Guest R’ Akiva Yanez

JANUARY 23, 2020

‫מלוה מלכה‬

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Bais Medrash Gedolah • Job Placement For Second Seder

Dirshu World Siyum at Yad Eliyahu

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

The Day When the Sports Arena Became a Beis Medrash By Rabbi Nachman Seltzer

here’s always something special about watching a basketball arena filling up with bnei Torah in dark suits and hats. When a basketball court becomes a Beis Vaad L’chachamim – with dozens of gedolim sitting on the parquet floor, there’s no question that Mashiach isn’t far away. The blue seats of the Yad Eliyahu sports arena in Tel Aviv were filling up with excited Yidden who would never normally frequent this particular venue. But this was the night of lomdei Torah and by the time the event began there wasn’t an empty seat to be found. High above the arena, a square screen hung down from the ceiling, the Dirshu logo visible on all four sides. More than anything, this was a Dirshu Torah celebration, with many of the people in the arena possessing a deep connection to Dirshu and its various programs. Let me rephrase that – it’s not so much a connection as a deepseated feeling of hakaras hatov to Dirshu for shifting the focus of their lives into something much, much deeper than it was before they joined. It didn’t take me long to meet a wonderful member of Dirshu – a 44-year-old yungerman from Kiryat Sefer. He explained to me that being part of Dirshu has changed his life in

a major way. I asked him why. He told me that he started learning Halacha in the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program. He did this for five years straight, going through a major portion of Mishnah Berurah. He then decided that he wanted to become a dayan. Here the fact that he had been part of Dirshu for so long came in very handy. When he told the Av Beis Din of the beis din that he wanted to join about his ambitions, the rav asked him a few questions in Halacha and accepted him on the spot, knowing who he was and what he had already accomplished. “I’m still giving shiurim for Dirshu now, so many years later,” he told me. “Besides that I have also written a number of sefarim – and much of the reason I was able to do that was because of my involvement with Dirshu – which gave me a tremendous background in a vast amount of Halacha.” “So you have hakaras hatov to Dirshu?” He answered, “That would be the understatement of the century. It changed my life. No more, no less.” Everywhere I turned there were people with a Dirshu story. Rising from my seat I ran into a bachur whom I know from Yerushalayim. After giving one another a warm shalom aleichem, I asked him if he was there because of a Dirshu connection.

“I have a Dirshu connection and my brother has a connection. His is deeper than mine. I learn Halacha but my brother finished Shas with Dirshu. He was the only bachur in his yeshivah to go through the entire Shas from beginning to end, with tests. He just celebrated his siyum in his yeshivah, with all the roshei yeshivah in attendance. I asked him if he knows the entire Shas now that he took the tests. He told me that he has yedios from everywhere. “I can’t claim to know every single Gemara,” he said, “but I definitely have a yad throughout Shas now.” “And you watched him experience the process?” I asked him. “I didn’t just watch him. I was his chavrusa for a number of masechtos along the way.” From young teenagers to middle-aged men to elderly Yidden, Dirshu had become an indispensable part of their lives and something they could not imagine having to go without. …………………………………. Rav Yirmiyah Damen was the chazzan for Ma’ariv. I have to tell you something. Seeing more than ten thousand bnei Torah standing on multiple levels of the oval stadium – swaying in their places, the silence acute throughout the hall – was incredibly surreal. It is extremely rare

to have the opportunity to witness such an uplifting sight and it stirred something inside me. I was deeply moved. This, my friends, is Klal Yisrael. This is who we are. I watched the huge crowd davening and I was able to imagine how it is going to look one day in the close future when the third Beis Hamikdash descends from heaven and takes its rightful place on Har Habayis. The four screens high above showed footage from the floor and the rest of the arena. At the front of the arena, a huge screen displayed the words of Ma’ariv. The cameras alternated between Rabbi Damen, the chazzan, and the earnest bnei Torah who were davening. It even showed Rav Dovid Hofstedter shlita, the Nasi of Dirshu, for a moment. He was deeply engrossed in his davening, no doubt davening for siyata d’Shmaya from above on this very special evening. As soon as Ma’ariv was finished, Rav Shimon Galei shlita addressed the crowd and recited a kapitel Tehillim with them line for line. Hearing so many voices emotionally calling out the words of Tehillim was a touching moment for everyone in the room. Song broke out the moment he concluded his remarks, and when the rousing interlude had come to an end, Rav Dovid Hofstedter took his place behind the podium to address

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

By this point in time, the beautiful table on the floor of the basketball court was full of talmidei chachamim who had been tested on the entire Shas in one go. How often do you meet a person who has not only been through Shas, but knows it fluently? Not very often. Yet here was a huge table filled with chashuve Torah scholars who had done just that and were able to converse with ease and fluency on every section of Shas. The pages of Talmud Bavli were as familiar to them as the streets on which they lived, and I wouldn’t be surprised if in some cases, they were more familiar with the streets of Shas than the streets outside their own houses. After a few more speeches from the most famous roshei yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael, the orchestra began playing the hit song that was composed especially for this great occasion and moments later Reb Motti Steinmetz appeared on the stage to share his beautiful voice with the assembled in honor of the ma’amad hagadol. “B’shaah She’amru Yisrael…. B’zchus HaTorah, Torah V’lomdeha, Yinatzel Ha’olam, Bishvil Shoshana Zu, Yinatzel Hapardes.” His pure voice rose to the heavens, every note ringing with intensity, every moment a joy, in the tradition of an already phenomenal night. Reb Motti then sang the next song,

a brand-new tune using the famous words, “Lev Tahor.” The song had been composed by Reb Moshe Mona Rosenblum, who had related the story of how he came to compose it at the Dirshu Siyum Hashas in Binyanei Haumah on Moetzei Shabbos Chanukah. Reb Moshe Mona had been asked to choose words and compose a song in memory of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l. “This was extremely difficult for me,” he admitted. “How would I be able to choose the perfect words for Rav Aharon Leib? I felt that the mission was too difficult for me and I was extremely nervous. But then, one morning on the way back home from shul, the words of “Lev Tahor” suddenly showed up in my mind – they were followed by a brand-new tune – and I knew that this was the perfect pasuk to use for a song about the great gadol Rav Aharon Leib, whose heart had been so very pure and holy.” Now at the siyum in Yad Eliyahu, Reb Motti sang this very song with real emotion, inviting the assembled to join him, which they did with excitement and enthusiasm. All this, as a picture of Rav Aharon Leib learning Torah filled the screen above the stage. When the song was finished, the Admor of Modzitz shlita was invited to share words of chizuk with the audience. And then Reb Motti returned to the stage and sang a beautiful version of the famous song “Habein Yakir Li Efraim.” He followed this with a medley of delightful songs, one more magnificent than the next, culminating with his major hit “Nafshi” – sounding as if his very neshamah was singing, while exhorting every Yid sitting in the room to strive for greater heights and to never be satisfied with just living.

JANUARY 23, 2020

danced beside one another – a true dance of kavod HaTorah. “V’taher libeinu l’avdicha b’emes!!!” The dancing intensified, the music grew louder – the room itself seemed to grow ready to take off, as the crowd’s voices rose higher and higher. “Ashreichem Talmidei Chachamim She’divrei Torah Chavivim Aleichem.” …………………………………….

This was followed by a speech from the world-famous Rav Nissan Kaplan shlita, rosh yeshivah of Da’as Aharon in Yerushalayim. Rav Nissan’s rebbetzin, the daughter of Rav Gurwitz shlita, rosh yeshivah of Gateshead, had passed away not long before. But Rav Nissan, broken as he was by the passing of his rebbetzin, couldn’t be stopped. Instead of retreating behind closed doors and staying away from people due to his overwhelming loss, Rav Nissan had come to the arena to speak and inspire the audience with his unique brand of ahavas Hashem and ahavas HaTorah. He was on fire as he reminded the crowd of who they are and what they might hope to become. “Everyone should be walking out of the hall this evening, having taken something on him, having taken a mechayev on himself,” he called out, his voice hoarse from overuse and passion. His speech was more than a speech, more than words, more than ideas. It was an example of a man who knew how to channel the challenges of this world into the highest places. Rav Nissan also utilized the moment to remind the assembled how much hakaras hatov they owed to Rav Dovid Hofstedter, the man responsible for so much Torah learning in every corner of the globe. From their reaction, the crowd obviously agreed. It was an extremely powerful speech. Dancing followed again. And then Rav Gershon Edelstein shlita and Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita entered the hall and the dancing and singing rose to a fever pitch. Rav Gershon spoke, as did Rav Chaim’s son, who delivered a speech and brachah which had been written by his father. As Rav Chaim and Rav Gershon rose to leave the hall, the orchestra broke into “Yamim al Yimay Melech” yet again, celebrating the great Torah personalities of our generation. Shema Yisrael was recited by the Admor of Rachmastrivka, and that was followed by a drashah by Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi shlita, who spoke with his trademark passion and charisma. By this time it was already late. We had been in the hall for hours, davening and hearing words of Torah. We had been filled with inspiration and hope for the future – for a time, when every member of Klal Yisrael will join together to become Dirshu Yidden. B’meheirah B’yameinu Amen!!!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

the audience with his trademark style of deep thoughts made easy to understand. There are some people who possess the ability to transmit complicated concepts in a way that everyone is able to grasp, and Rav Dovid is one of them. He does this in his speeches and he does this in his popular sefarim. When Rav Dovid finished speaking, Reb Zanvil Weinberger sang Avrohom Fried’s “Lo Nifleisi,” his rich voice filling the entire arena. “Ki karov aleicha hadavar meod,” – this was the message of the song – it is possible for anyone to learn Hashem’s Torah and to know it. The tempo speeded up and the crowd joined in, everyone moving in time to the uplifting music. “Lo nifleisi mimcha, v’lo richoka hi,” it is possible for everyone to be a part of what Dirshu does, to be a part of Torah, to really learn, to really know. When Reb Zanvil sang the next song, “Sha’arei Shamayim P’sach,” he alternated between singing himself and inviting the crowd to sing the words by themselves. They happily accepted his invitation, and the sound of thousands of voices pleading with Hashem to open the gates of Heaven, was incredibly poignant. In the middle of the song, Reb Zanvil stopped singing and the audience took over, the huge room filled with song of the most genuine kind. The next song was “Avinu Av Harachamim,” and once again, the crowd was invited to participate – singing together full voice in a magnificent showing of brotherhood. Even after the song was over, the crowd continued singing by themselves without music. This was followed by Reb Shlomo Cohen singing “Tzoma Nafshi,” again with major crowd participation. I couldn’t help thinking that Yad Eliyahu hadn’t seen anything like this since the last time I was there (to cover Dirshu’s previous Siyum HaShas), seven-anda-half years earlier. What a kiddush Hashem it was!!! What an olam, what singing, what emotion. What a night this was turning out to be!!! The siyum was celebrated and spirited dancing broke out throughout the hall. Down below on the floor of the hall, the gedolim joined hands and danced, their faces alight with the glow of Torah. Rav Dovid Cohen shlita, rosh yeshivah of the Chevron Yeshivah, held Rav Dovid Hofstedter’s hand and the two of them

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

The Dirshu Siyum HaShas at Tel Aviv’s Yad Eliyahu: An Overview of a Very Special Night By Rabbi Nachman Seltzer I waited for the moment when every seat in the gigantic arena at Yad Eliyahu would be full, knowing that the sight of thousands of bnei Torah celebrating the Siyum HaShas in loving achdus was not something you see every day. I wasn’t disappointed. Black and white in every section of the arena. Here and there, I could see someone in a yellow vest circulating – Yad Eliyahu security – the contrast in colors catching my eye. The evening began with Reb Moshe Mona Rosenblum taking his place before the orchestra and leading them in a medley of thunderous marches. While the orchestra played, people found their seats, until the arena was completely full – a picture for all eternity. As with all Dirshu events, things moved along a strict timeline. The moment the orchestra finished playing, the MC announced the chazzan for Ma’ariv, Rav Yirmiyah Damen shlita. Watching more than ten thousand serious bnei Torah daven Ma’ariv together was a special moment for me. Utter silence filled the great hall, as the gigantic kehillah began davening Shemoneh Esrei. Far down below on what is normally the parquet floor of the basketball court, long tables were set up for the gedolim who were taking part in the Dirshu Siyum HaShas. In the middle of the floor a gigantic table was set up. It was covered with a beautiful tablecloth and surrounded by light-colored chairs. In the center of the table were hundreds of flowers. This regal table was set up for the “Nivchanei Kinyan Shas” – the incredible talmidei chachamim who had been tested on the entire Shas – in one sitting!!!! Rav Shimon Galei shlita, one of the premier gedolim of Bnei Brak, began the evening with words of chizuk to an audience thirsting for exactly what he was giving them. He spoke with his trademark earnestness and concluded his remarks with a kapitel Tehillim, which he recited line for line with the audience. After Rav Shimon’s speech was

finished, there was an explosion of sound from the stage, where a full adult choir and children’s choir stood and sang the opening song of the evening. Two singers stood on the stairs separating the two sections of the stage, and sang one of the songs made famous on the CD produced by Dirshu for the previous Siyum HaShas seven-and-half years ago. “Dirshu Hashem V’uzo, Bakshu Panav Tamid!!!” While the singers sang and the orchestra played, pictures filled the screen at the back of the stage – pictures of thousands of Dirshu participants taking tests in batei medrashim around the world. Needless to say it was a memorable sight. After a musical interlude that turned into a quasi kumzitz in which every member of the audience participated, the MC introduced Rav Chaim Feinstein shlita and invited him to be misayem the Shas. Here it was, the great moment had arrived and Rav Feinstein recited the final words of Shas with emotion and sincerity. He was followed by the Admor of Alexander shlita who recited the Hadran, and Rav Leizer Yudel Finkel shlita, rosh yeshivah of Mir, who said the Kaddish with great concentration as every person in the gigantic arena stood in their spot . Every “amen” shook the rafters. And then there it was – the final “amen!” The orchestra broke out in magnificent melody. The choirs sang, as did the singers, and best of all, throughout the arena, thousands of Dirshu Yidden – and

those who are not yet officially members of Dirshu – joined hands and began dancing in their places. “Yehay Rava Kadamach…” Picture the scene. Thousands of emotional Yidden dancing in their places and clapping their hands in time to the beat. Picture their faces as they sing. Imagine the sound. It was truly beautiful in every way. A scene of achdus, a true celebration of Torah learning. “Ana, ana, ana, avda d’Kudsha Brich Hu….” ……………………………………. Rav Dovid Cohen shlita, rosh yeshivah of the Chevron Yeshivah, was then introduced and he spoke with his regular passion and enthusiasm for Torah and Klal Yisrael. He was followed by the rosh yeshivah of Ponovezh, Rav Boruch Dov Povarsky shlita, who sat beside Rav Dovid Hofstedter shlita, Nasi of Dirshu, and spoke to the crowd as if they were all his talmidim. This was followed by another interlude of joyous song and dance. Reb Motti Steinmetz suddenly appeared and sang two new songs which had been composed especially for the Dirshu Siyumim of 2020. His pure voice rose through the room, to the ceiling and upwards. And that was just the beginning. Because when he sang the famous song “Habein Yakir Li Efraim,” you could feel the excitement rippling through the room at hearing such a special voice, singing such a special tune. For the thousands of bnei Torah who filled the room, taking part in such a unique evening – it wasn’t just about what was happening in the arena. Because every word of Torah and inspiration that they were listening to, every Kaddish, every “amen,” every uplifting song and music note, would remain with them way after they left Yad Eliyahu at the end of the night and returned to their everyday lives. Rav Nissan Kaplan shlita, rosh yeshivah of Daas Aharon, approached the podium. His speech was extremely powerful. He exhorted the audience to

grasp the opportunity of the Dirshu Siyum HaShas to take something onto themselves and to not leave the arena without choosing an additional component for their learning and avodas Hashem. When he finished, the orchestra began playing again and every person in the room rose to their feet and began to dance. The sight of so many people dancing for the honor of Hashem was inspirational in the extreme. The song changed to “Yamim al Yimay Melech,” as Rav Gershon Edelstein shlita, rosh yeshivah of Ponovezh and Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita entered the arena. The clapping intensified once again and every voice was raised in song. People were jumping in their spots, as the princes of Torah took their places beside Rav Dovid Hofstedter. “Ashrei Ha’am Shekacha Lo, Ashrei Ha’am She’Hashem Elokav!!!” Rav Gershon Edelstein was then introduced and he spoke to the crowd, in his concise style, reminding them of the reason everyone had gathered together at Yad Eliyahu in the first place and what the goal was for such an evening. This was followed by a speech given by Rav Chaim’s son, who read the words and beautiful berachah penned by his illustrious father, especially for this evening. Another letter was read by the son of the Belzer Rebbe shlita on behalf of his father, the Admor of Belz, and was followed by a drashah delivered by Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi shlita, who spoke with all his heart. All in all, the evening had been absolutely incredible on every front. It was a night that nobody there would be able to forget. It was a night of Torah celebration, a night of pride in being a Yid – and every person in the great hall knew it and felt a tremendous debt of thanks to Rav Dovid Hofstedter for everything he constantly does for Klal Yisrael. “Ashreichem, Ashreichem, Ashreichem Yisrael, Talmidei Chachamim!” “Ashreichem, Ashreichem, Ashreichem, Dirshu Yidden, Talmidei Chachamim!”

Meet R’ Ari Kugelsky Reb Ari Kugelsky is a yungerman learning in a kollel in Kiryat Sefer. I asked him how many of the people learning in his kollel were involved with Dirshu. “Most of the kollel,” he replied. “When did you begin with Dirshu?” I asked. “I joined Dirshu’s Kinyan Halacha three years ago. Then a year ago I decided to join the Shas program as well. At this point I spend the majority of my day focused on Dirshu programs. “Reb Ari,” I said, “can you please tell me about the contrast of your life before Dirshu and now that it occupies such a great place of importance?” “There are two main differences between before Dirshu and after. The first is the fact that being part of Dirshu’s Halacha programs doesn’t

just mean learning Halacha. Because Dirshu gives out booklets filled with an incredible array of marei mekomos that they encourage us to learn. Those booklets opened up another world to me – a world in which I was able to understand what it really means to learn Halacha. They opened my eyes to what the world of Halacha is truly

about. The second point is this. Since I began learning Shas with Dirshu, I do not waste a second. Every moment of the day is accounted for. My wife knows that I don’t go to sleep before finishing the Daf. Not long ago, she called me up at one in the morning and asked me where I was. “The Daf,” I replied. She was satisfied by my reply. More than satisfied. Proud and filled with gratitude by how her husband spends his time. And it’s all because of Dirshu.” Meet R’ Dovid Citron Reb Dovid Citron is an Erlau chassid who lives and learns in Beitar. I asked him which Dirshu program he was part of. “I’m part of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha,” he said. “And what has it given you?” I asked. “I’ll tell you what it has given me. I joined the program last time around, three and a half years ago. And although it doesn’t take up that much time during my regular day, I spend more time on the chazaros on Friday and Shabbos. But that’s just the beginning. Because Dirshu takes us on a fascinating journey through Halacha, showing us how to apply the halachos from the Shulchan Aruch to our world – the world of technology in 2020. This can take many forms and shapes, for example, learning about a Shabbos elevator and how it works from a halachic perspective. That, however, is just one example. The bottom line is that learning Halacha through Dirshu has opened my eyes to how one is supposed to apply the words of Chazal, Halacha, Mishnah and Gemara to the modern days in which we live. “Also all my life I have lived in Eretz Yisrael. I didn’t know anything about what it means to make an eruv. But then we learned Eruvin. By the time I was finished with those halachos, I knew them and I knew them well. But that’s Dirshu. It takes regular people like me and teaches us how to become talmidei chachamim who know about Halacha and its place in the world of today.”

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Meet R’ Menachem Morgenbesser Menachem Morgenbesser is a yeshivah bachur learning in Kaplan’s in Ramot – one of the top yeshivos in Yerushalayim. I happened to meet him at some point during the epic event at Yad Eliyahu. As Reb Moshe Mona Rosenblum led the orchestra on the stage with a beautiful medley of tunes to start off the evening, Reb Menachem explained to me how he had gotten involved in Dirshu. “I was worried that I would get married and not know Halacha. How was I going to be able to run a house if I didn’t

know the basics? I gave the matter a lot of thought. In the end I decided that I had to join Dirshu. Why Dirshu? Because if you want to be part of Dirshu you have to take tests and if you do well on the tests, you receive a small stipend. It was never about the money – but I wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t stop what I started, and the tests and the stipend gave me that motivation. “So I began learning every day and I’m still part of Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program. People ask me if being part of Dirshu changed my life. I’ll tell you something. If you want to hear me tell you a wild story, I don’t have that. But I have something else. I have three years of Halacha – every single day. And now I’m not worried anymore about what’s going to happen after I get married. My wife will ask me her she’eilos and I will know what to answer her – because I put in the time and covered a tremendous amount of ground in many, many areas of Halacha. That’s my story – the story of a bachur who wanted to know Halacha so that he would be able to run a Jewish home, and uncovered that ability through Dirshu.”

JANUARY 23, 2020

Meet R’ Nosson Weisel I met Reb Nosson Weisel, a sweet yungerman who learned as a bachur in Yad Aharon, one of the top yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael. I asked him about his involvement with Dirshu. He explained to me that after joining a kollel he wanted to start learning Halacha on a regular basis – and he did. “But there was a problem,” he told me. “What kind of problem?” I asked. “The fact that I wasn’t able to accomplish as much as I wanted to. I learned Halacha, but I was kind of treading water. I wasn’t really moving forward. It was about that time that Dirshu began the third section of Mishnah Berurah – Hilchos Shabbos. I joined the Dirshu Halacha program and everything changed. “Because of the tests and the way the program is designed, I couldn’t help but move. From the moment I joined Dirshu, I began to accomplish an incredible amount. I was moving much quicker than ever before. At the same time I was taking tests. I knew what I was talking about and was able to hold my own b’inyanei Halacha. The satisfaction was intense.” “So what’s next for you?” I asked. “What’s next? I’m joining a Dirshu Gemara program and I’m really looking forward to it. To sum up, I was learning before I found Dirshu. But being part of Dirshu helped me to shteig in the way I always wanted to.”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

One-on-one Interviews with Dirshu Stars

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Political Crossfire

Iran’s Protesters Reflect Middle East’s Abiding Anger Against Injustice By David Ignatius

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

hen Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed two weeks ago, his death may have drawn the curtain on the Iranian revolution that he symbolized. The Iranian regime is far from finished, but from here on it will maintain power through thugs and autocrats who lack Soleimani’s revolutionary appeal. Maybe that’s what the Iranian streets are telling us: the masses marched in mourning for Soleimani, but within days the people were denouncing a regime that shot down a plane carrying dozens of young Iranians and then lied about it. Grief over Soleimani and anger at the regime may be two sides of the same coin: Soleimani had a public image as a man of humble origins, and his handlers tried in recent months to contrast him with the corrupt “authorities” who are mismanaging Iran. The regime hoped to use public sadness over his death to regenerate the revolution, but that has visibly failed this week. Next come the gray men: Esmail Ghaani, Soleimani’s successor, is described by Iran experts as a tough shadow warrior who has run operations abroad and helped suppress domestic protests at home. Ebrahim Raisi, the likely successor to Su-

preme Leader Ali Khamenei, lacks distinction as a religious scholar or spiritual leader. He’s a lawyer, justice minister and former prosecutor. A vibrant protest movement is visible in Iran and across the Middle East – but it isn’t calling for Islamic revolution, much less the tired misrule of the mullahs. It’s a bottom-up rebellion against the corrupt elites who rule Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and other countries. The Iraqi version of this movement is sometimes called “madaniyya,” which Nibras Kazimi, an Iraq expert, translates as a call for civic rebirth. The autocrats have tried everywhere to crush or manipulate this movement, but it persists. Maziar Bahari, an Iranian journalist who was imprisoned by the regime, quotes some slogans chanted this week by students protesting the downing of a Ukrainian jet that carried many fellow students. “You’ve Killed Our Geniuses and Replaced them with Mullahs,” read one banner. Bahari says protesters use the term “Bi Sharaf” to describe Khamenei and other officials, a phrase that he says evokes “someone who has no conscience, morals or values.” Videos and other reporting gathered by Iran Wire, the website Bahari edits, convey the popular an-

ger: At Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, protesters shouted last Monday: “We do not want coward directors.” At the Isfahan University of Technology, students chanted: “Cannon, tank, explosives, no longer useful; mullahs should go.” At the University of Kurdistan in Sanandaj, protesters defied authorities: “We are so sick of crime, why should we be afraid?” Even the official news organizations in Iran, once reliable mouthpieces of the regime, seem fed up. After official statements about the crash of the Ukrainian jetliner were revealed as false, the state-run newspaper Bahar ran a piece titled, “Lying and insisting on secrecy is unforgivable.” The article asked the telling question: “What else did they hide or were able to conceal?” This movement lacks leaders or a clearly defined goal, but it conveys a palpable sense of disgust and anger – and a willingness to defy the authorities. Several Iranian journalists have resigned in protest against the propaganda machine. The Iranian state news agency quoted a Tehran journalists’ association statement: “What endangers this society right now is not only missiles or military attacks but a lack of free media.”

The popular yearning for change – and the brutal tactics that governments have used to suppress protest – have been the dominant themes of the Middle East for the past decade. We sometimes miss that continuity: popular rage has sometimes taken grotesque forms, as in the Islamic State, but the abiding theme is anger against injustice and theft by autocratic leaders. The Trump administration wobbles in and out of a coherent approach to this region. The president embodies the American public’s allergic reaction to the Middle East after two decades of war, but his aides have wisely kept Trump from pellmell retreat in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, or Lebanon. Hanging tough seems to have worked in Iraq; the Iraqi parliament has recessed for six weeks with only a nonbinding resolution demanding U.S. withdrawal on the books. America has been trying to contain the Iranian revolution since 1979, with little to show for all our money and manipulation. But if you listen now, you can hear the Iranian engine sputtering and wheezing. It’s a revolution that has run out of positive energy and now operates on violence, fear and repression. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

Featuring

Rabbi Baruch Perlowitz

JANUARY 23, 2020

Game Shows

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Torah Institute of Baltimore proudly invites the community to

Rabbi Bergerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shul - 2929 Fallstaff Rd. February 9, 2020 e m i t t s r Fi er in !! ev ore im t l a B

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Game Show Times: 12:30 2:00 3:30 $12 / person $54 / family

All pro to b ceed PTA enefit s of T I

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

TJH

Centerfold

Say...It’s Vacation You gotta be

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

kidding

Morris went on vacation and asked Yankel to watch over his house. About a week later, Morris calls home and asked, “How’s my cat?” “A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” – Earl Wilson “Isn’t it amazing how much stuff we get done the day before vacation?” – Zig Ziglar “The vacation we often need is freedom from our own mind.” – Jack Adam Weber “A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.” – Robert Orben “I need a six month vacation, twice a year.” – Steven Wright

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

“Make your vocation your vacation. That is the secret to success.” – Mark Twain “No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.” – Elbert Hubbard “Vacations prove that a life of pleasure is overrated.”– Mason Cooley “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.” – Jerry Seinfeld “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” – Susan Heller “Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers.” – George Carlin “There is nothing safer than flying – it’s crashing that is dangerous.” – Theo Cowan “The worst thing about being a tourist is having other tourists recognize you as a tourist.” –Russell Baker “Hearing about vacations is like hearing about dreams – no one cares except the person who’s experienced them.” – Kirsten Hubbard

Yankel hesitated and sadly told Morris that his cat had died. “What?! You shouldn’t have broken the news to me like that!” Morris exclaimed. “You should have done it slowly. The first time I called, you should have told me she was on the roof. The second time I called, you should have said there was no way to get her down. The third time I called, you should have told me that you tried to get her off the roof, but she fell down and died,” Morris said. Yankel apologized hung up the phone.

and

About a week later, Morris called again and asked, “How’s Granny?” There was a long silence and then Yankel replied, “Well, she’s on the roof.”

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Looks Familiar Skiing? Miami? Staycation? Come on…let’s take it to the next level. Have you been to these places yet for winter vacation? If so, let’s see if you can remember what they are.

JANUARY 23, 2020

Tokyo Tower Rock of Gibraltar

Louvre Museum, France

Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Great Wall of China

Answers:

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

JANUARY 23, 2020

Mike can telepathically communicate with dolphins.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Observers believe the turning point of the 1976 election is when Gerald Ford debated while eating a sausage calzone. WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF THE BODY TO GET A BLOOMBERG 2020 TATTOO? - Several of the nonsensical tweets sent out by 2020 Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg’s campaign during the Democratic debate, to which he did not qualify

Trump almost started World War III. Trump almost catalyzed the entire destruction of the Kurds. Trump almost started war with North Korea. Trump almost started a full-blown war between the Palestinian-Arabs and the Israelis. Trump almost devastated the economy by slapping tariffs on Chinese goods. See how much heavy-lifting the word “almost” is doing? It’s utterly bizarre, because these predictions never happen.

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

- Erielle Davidson, The Federalist

I was sure that Trump was going to get elected the day he announced. I said he’s going to – it is going to be like Hitler and the Mexicans are the new Jews. And sure enough, that is what he delivered. - A Hollywood celebrity in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper last week

My spinal cord injury doesn’t define who I am. The message that I want to come out of this is that your injuries, your physical disabilities, your adversities will never define who you are.

We could welcome the children, but we do not compromise with people who have voluntarily joined terrorist organizations and who are working to tear down all the values Norway is built on.

- Adam Gorlitsky, who is paralyzed from the waist down and ambulates in an exoskeleton suit, after completing South Carolina’s 26.2-mile marathon last Saturday with a time of 33 hours, 50 minutes and 23 seconds, creating a world record for the fastest time to finish a marathon in an exoskeleton suit

- Norwegian politician Siv Jensen, whose populist Progress Party has pulled out of Norway’s government over the repatriation of a mother – with suspected ISIS links from Syria – with her 5-year-old child

If we’re going to get rid of it, let’s replace it, and let’s replace it with the Trump deal. President Trump is a great deal maker, by his own account and by many others’. Let’s work together to replace the JCPOA and get the Trump deal instead.

How could the American people want someone who lies to them?

- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a BBC interview talking about the Iran nuclear deal

- 2020 Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren, who lied about being partially Native-American, talking about President Trump in a CBS interview

MORE QUOTES

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

I’m surprised Bernie said that to Warren. You think he would have learned his lesson after he said the same thing to Cleopatra. — Jimmy Fallon, referring to Bernie Sanders supposedly telling Elizabeth Warren that a woman can’t win the presidency

But this is a rare and unexpected rift between the senators. They’re usually on the same page. I mean, up until now, Bernie and Elizabeth Warren have spent just about every debate looking like a married couple at a diner complaining that their soup isn’t hot enough. — Jimmy Kimmel

Six candidates, all of them white, which is amazing odds. I mean, even a carton of eggs will sometimes have a brown one thrown in accidentally.

Much of the U.S. economy is largely unscathed by two turbulent years of trade war with China, economic indicators show. – Wall Street Journal

— Trevor Noah, talking about the remaining Democratic presidential candidates

Apparently, caucus is short for Caucasian. What happened? The field of candidates went from looking like a diverse representation of the country to looking like the front row of a Jimmy Buffett concert.

A secret report, suppressed by U.S. defense chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a “Siberian” climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world. - From a 2004 article in The Guardian, reprinted on Breitbart News last week to highlight its inaccuracy

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

— James Corden

Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It’s all just baloney, and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it. - Hillary Clinton talking about 2020 Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, who ran against her in the 2016 Democrat primaries, in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter

“Do me a favor?” Do you paint houses too? What is this— “Do me a favor?” – Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a press conference before sending the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, misquoting Trump’s phone call with the Ukrainian President and then referencing a phrase which is mafia code for having someone killed

MORE QUOTES

THE BIG EVENT GOING ON NOW!

10PC. PACKAGE

Pillows & Lamp will differ from image

SOFA & LOVESEAT

398 $19

Buy Now

 Payments *

2 FREE

MEMORY FOAM PILLOWS

Includes Dresser, Mirror, Queen Headboard, Footboard, 2 Rails, Slats, Lamp, 2 Pil ows.

498 $23

Payments *

Buy Now 

 Payments *

2 FREE

MEMORY FOAM PILLOWS

FREE DELIVERY NO CREDIT NEEDED 

With min. purchase

Includes Dresser, Mirror, Queen Headboard, Footboard, 2 Rails, Slats, Lamp, 2 Pillows.

Pillows & Lamp will differ from image

SECTIONAL FEATURES 4 RECLINERS & STORAGE UNIT

10 PC. PACKAGE

$ 398 19 Buy Now

Payments *

JANUARY 23, 2020

398 19 Buy Now

10PC. PACKAGE

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

INVENTORY BLOWOUT SALE

With min. purchase



ENTIRE SECTIONAL

998 $44

Buy Now

2 FREE

Payments  *

SOFA & LOVESEAT

MEMORY FOAM PILLOWS

544 $26

Includes Dresser, Mirror, Queen Headboard, Footboard, 2 Rails, Slats, Lamp, 2 Pil ows.

Buy Now

LET OUR HUGE BUYING POWER WORK FOR YOU! Lamp & pillows will differ from image

MATTRESS SPECIALS

79 109 119

CRAZY DEAL TWIN $

4 Toss Pillows + 2 Lamps

FULL $

QUEEN$

 Payments *

LampsCOMPLETE will differ from image BED

98 7

Table & 6 Chairs

Buy Now

199 $11 Buy Now

Payments 

199

Payments  Mattress sold separately

Avalable in queen & king

158 3-Piece King $ Mattress Set 288 2-Piece Twin $ Mattress Set

279

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

GEL INFUSED

397

3-Piece King $ Mattress Set

299

247 397

2-Piece Twin $ Mattress Set 3-Piece King $ Mattress Set

GINA DOUBLE SIDED 12" LUNA MEMORY FOAM POWER ADJUSTABLE WITH COOLING TECHNOLOGY FRAME WITH FREE MATTRESS PILLOW TOP

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

379

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

UP TO

600 OFF

131/2” THICK

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

399

UP TO

650 OFF

GEL INFUSED

497

3-Piece King $ Mattress Set

499

Includes Queen 8” Memory Foam Mattress & Queen Power Frame

West Baltimore East Baltimore Brooklyn/Glen Burnie Golden Ring Mall Landover 2415 W. Franklin St 800 East 25th St 5103 Gov. Ritchie Hwy Area 7870 Central Ave Forestville Plaza “Tall Yellow Building” Corner of 25th & Kirk Ave. Brooklyn Park, 1 mi. north of 8643 Pulaski Hwy Exit 11 off 95/495 7756 Marlboro Pike 695, exit 15-E (Rt 40 E), 5 mi. Across from the fire station 695 exit 3A, next to Rose’s Across from Golden Ring Mall Rt.4 - Exit 11 off 95/495 M-F: 10-8 Sun:10-6 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 443-919-6616 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 410-662-4071 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 410-789-5666 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 301-350-1300 M-F: 10-8 Sun:10-6 FWith min. purchase, see store manager for details. All offers are for a limited time only & are subject to availability. Must present circular at time of purchase for circular pricing. Circular prices not valid on prior purchases. With $1,895 purchase Price is apx. & based on 52 weekly 443-772-0352 payments & does not include sales tax, administrative/processing/application & delivery fees 301-669-1925 EACH STORE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED

Discount Furniture & Mattresses

PRICEBUSTERS.COM

‫ שומר שבת‬owned

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

498 $23

UP TO

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

8 PC. PACKAGE

QUEEN ALEXANDRA MATTRESS CLEARANCE

329 VENUS MATTRESS MATTRESS ONLY. BOXSPRING SOLD SEPARATLEY BOXSPRING SOLD SEPARATELY LINDA PILLOW TOP 8" MEMORY FOAM ALLYSON PILLOW TOP $ LANA $ 500 OFF 550 OFF

UP TO

 Payments *

Ottoman sold separately

SOFA & LOVESEAT

Buy Now

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

It was just incredible how you can bring Cambodian, Jewish and Persian all into one, where we go to Cambodia and I’m wearing their costume but I’m also lighting a menorah there, and I’m wearing tznius clothing. – Elior Koroghli, who is a member of the Cambodian royal family (her mother converted to Judaism and married a Persian Jew), talking with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about her recent bas mitzvah ceremony in Cambodia

We know this form of capitalism takes and takes; it takes whatever, whenever, however it wants. It’ll take our lives, it’ll take our labor, our spirit, our air and water, even our earth. – John Cusack, a Hollywood actor who is worth tens of millions of dollars, introducing Bernie Sanders at a rally

The past? Let’s talk about the future. That’s what should be beautiful. The past is past but there is still a future.

The time comes when, [well], you have to give it up. I guess your body tells you when it’s time to go.

- Agnus Keleti, age 99, who is a Holocaust survivor and the oldest living Olympic champion – with 10 medals, including 5 golds – in an interview with Times of Israel

- World War II veteran Bob Vollmer, age 102, who is retiring in several weeks from his over-six decades as a surveyor for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in an interview with a local TV station

Get 1 FREE recessed light with 5 or more recessed lights in the same room 2/28/20

2/28/20

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Dear Navidaters, My husband and I are in our 70s and B”H easily married off five sons and two daughters many years ago. We now have many einiklach in the parsha. The kids of marriageable age span in religious observance from very yeshivish to extremely Modern Orthodox. While we don’t like to pry, we have noticed that many of our grandchildren, from all different backgrounds, are not yet married. We love reading this column and one theme we pick up on weekly is that shidduchim is so much more complex than it used to be. I guess that is what happens as technology advances? We sit on the couch reading this column together wondering, what went wrong, what could we do better? Why can’t things be simpler like they used to be? Is there any way to encourage our generation of leaders to help work on the obvious issues? Thank you, Lenard and Baila S.

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 BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. our generations are lucky to have you as thinking, caring grandparents. You are lucky and smart to count your blessings. You are also smart to notice that shidduchim are much more complex across the Orthodox spectrum. But do not make the mistake of blaming yourselves for the situation your children/grandchildren are in. We are living in a different world, externally and internally, than that of forty and fifty years ago. The Jewish communities have come of age and are no longer a group of immigrants and steadfast Americans who kept Torah and mitzvos. There are many factors which probably influenced the craziness of today’s shidduch crisis: numeric growth, superficiality, awareness and fear of mental illness, the influence of visual media on our attitudes towards physical attractiveness, a strong yeshiva world, entitlement, affluenza, cost of maintaining a Torah lifestyle, access to quality education, careerism, etc. There are more factors, I am sure. It takes sociologists, leaders with vast experience, and very wise people to interpret our present. I don’t consider myself one of these and will not fall into the trap of theorizing causes in order to enact solutions. Rather than spout theories on the broad topic you brought up, I will just suggest the following: It’s up to each of us to articulate our values and wisdom to our generations in intelligent ways that are both direct and subtle. It’s up to each of us to be emotionally supportive of our own offspring in whatever challenges they face, whether it is shidduchim, money, special needs children, or health. Let’s deal with the individuals in our lives first. In terms of the community, our practices and attitudes are moving more to the center after a strong pendulum swing during the postwar survivors’ rebuilding and renewal. In the areas of Jewish education, economic prospects, depth of commitment, and

yes, even shidduchim, we are presently moving in an activist mode to self-correct our community’s negative trends. Individuals, organizations, grass roots groups, and communication are moving us in a positive direction to redress our community’s failings in uniquely Jewish ways. Social change in our community usually comes from the bottom up, and it has already begun. People are getting involved and accomplishing, thank G-d. Yes, it’s a different world but it’s being changed for the better. You do your part for your own. Be the voice of reason. And daven too. Don’t let the talk about crises paralyze you and cause fear.

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. o Lenard and Baila, Congratulations on qualifying for membership in a very exclusive cohort: The “All My Children Are Married” Club! No small accomplishment! And I’m sure you’ve faithfully, wholeheartedly, and relentlessly sacrificed to pay your dues while raising wonderful children who now have families of their own. Some of those childrearing costs included: *Sleepless nights, Shabbos naps *Day care and playgroups *Yeshiva tuition *Orthodontia and optometrics *Birthday parties/upsherins/ bar and bas mitzvahs *Quiet dinners *Homework and test prep (spelling, history, Mishnayos, Gemara, Regents, SATs) *Babysitters *Yeshiva tuition *Urgent Care visits *Little League Coaching/PTA *Carpooling (mileage and maintenance) *Hundreds of pairs of shoes and sneakers *Yeshiva tuition *Complete sets of (breakable) dinnerware *Winter Break, Yeshiva Week Getaways, Shabbatons, Senior trips *Sleepaway camp *The Year in Israel *The Wedding (!!!!) This list, by no means exhaustive, is downright exhausting! And that’s just reading and remembering – all the highlights and challenges of nurturing

the next generation. And the Rewards? Top of the List: The Grandchildren. Now that you’ve arrived and re-claimed your Shabbos naps and full nights of sleep (well, yes, except for those occasional, annoying interruptions), you can revel in your roles as doting Zeidy and Bubby. Babysit when asked, spoil them with gifts and goodies, regale them with stories of how their parents were no angels either. At the end of your shift it’s “off to your parents, you go.” From one grandparent to another (currently babysitting for my son’s children, while he and his wife are cavorting in Israel), I, too, am grateful that I no longer have to deal with nightly homework and carpools. I am also relieved that, when these kinderlach enter the parsha, it will not be our responsibility to marry them off. Not to minimize your concerns. I agree that shidduchim, in this technology-driven age, seems more complex than in earlier generations. You say you “easily married off” your children, but, trust me, your mazal was all Siyata Dishmaya. The Ribbono Shel Olam made it happen seamlessly for your children as He will split the seas for your einiklich. My advice to you: network with other bubbies and zeidies who have eligible grandchildren, offer a listening ear and shoulder to your children when they seek your opinion. Finally, buy yourself a new large-type Tehillim for your enhanced prayer initiative on behalf of your fantastic, fabulous, geshmake, geshikte grandchildren (and all the others) in the parsha. Oh, and start saving pocket change – Sheva Brochos can be expensive.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond our question has certainly hit a raw nerve. I would love to sit down with you, Lenard and Baila, and bemoan the shidduch system along with a hot cup of coffee. My grandparents often remind me of the days when the most religious bais yaakov girls and yeshiva boys

It’s up to each of us to articulate our values and wisdom to our generations in intelligent ways that are both direct and subtle.

would come together for the Agudas Yisroel Night of Stars. In a tziniusdik and controlled, Torahdik environment, single men and women from the most yeshivishe homes would meet at these events. Families would take the word of a neighbor or friend and go on a date without conducting an FBI investigation. It was not considered taboo or un-tzinius for a single frum Torahdik man to ask a young woman out in the Queens College library or on the train. It was just what was done. What has happened in the interim to cause a flip in the system is up for conversation, and there are certainly many theories, which all ring true. Some say technology has encouraged people to be more picky than ever before. Since resumes were instituted as the proper way to share information, rather than allowing people to meet in controlled kosher, natural ways, information will inevitably be accumulated and compared and analyzed by singles. This system makes the need for pictures of singles inevitable. One can’t expect volunteer shadchanim to collect thousands of people’s basic information from around the world and work on setting up shidduchim without knowing what a person looks like. It would be impossible. This may come as a shock, but contrary to the world’s perception,

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

1930

1952

JANUARY 23, 2020

100

YEARS

The Next Century Begins With You.

NOW:

Finding parents for an orphaned child Saving lives of Jews in Nazi Germany Raising money door-to-door Playing croquet through the Golden Age Club

Finding a big brother for a fatherless child Helping Jews facing antisemitism around the world Creating a program for victims of abuse Learning to use an iPad to communicate with a grandchild

Always: Caring for each other, shaping Jewish futures, striving for social justice and supporting Jews in Israel and around the world.

Learn more: associated.org CORPORATE SPONSORS

BB&T • Brown Advisory • MedStar Health • Miles & Stockbridge • M&T Bank • PSA Insurance & Financial Services Advance Business Systems • CANDA Solutions • Hoffman & Co. • Howard Bank • Merritt Companies • RBC Wealth Management • Residential Title & Escrow Company • Schoenfeld Insurance Associates • Seven Mile Market • SOS Technology Group • WYPR

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THEN:

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

shadchanim do not “rule the system.” We are public servants trying to work a system that has been dictated as “the proper way.” We are not a set of gat-keepers who hold and collect resumes and throw a boy together with a girl, like many singles like to believe. I have seen my kind bashed and madmouthed all over the place. Shadchanim simply go along with what is mandated by the system requirements because, if not me, who? With this background, I would like to present a few ideas that would help tremendously. If the right people read this and are inspired, be the Nachshon ben Aminadav to make the changes that need to be made. 1. Young men should be appropriately reassured by their rabbeim that they can be both machshiv Torah and kovea itim while also working to become professionals. After all, aren’t all the kollel youngeliet being supported by these types of choshuve ba’alei batim? Men being machshiv Torah and also taking steps towards parnassa should not be looked at by young women as any less choshuv. Obviously, learning Torah is crucial and essential. It should be the focus of a man’s life. But if he goes out into the professional world and makes time to learn, he could be considered just as frum, without fearing the consequences of appearing, chas v’shalom, “less serious.” From my experience dealing day-in and day-out with young women in today’s shidduch world, I can say for certain that if there is a surge in professional bnei Torah we will undoubtedly see a surge in dates, engagements and marriages. 2. Weddings are the perfect opportunity for singles to meet. When planning a chasunah, families should designate a room in the hall to have the leftover shmorg food, where the single’s chosson and kallah friends (both men and women of a certain age bracket) can naturally have the opportunity to meet each other. Shadchanim can be in the room as well meeting the singles, and if one expresses interest in the other, the shadchan can then facilitate the shidduch. 3. If as a society we are going to continue to require shadchanim to work as hard as we do, every community should create an organization of committed people willing to net-

work for their particular community. Many times, not only are shadchanim unappreciated but not given proper shadchanus after a shidduch has been made. Shadchanim are required to devote an immense amount of time, effort, and energy, while also juggling everything else. The idea would be to offer a progress-based salary, in addition to guaranteed shadchanus. This will lead to proper focus and attention solely on these specific singles ultimately finding their bashert. Baruch Hashem, I am very lucky to be a part of an organization in Baltimore that has brought this idea to fruition. The Baltimore community, under the guidance of both rabbinical and lay leadership, and with the professional leadership of Rabbi Shlomo Goldberger, has spearheaded this with the creation of The Shidduch Center of Baltimore, www. shidduchcenter.org. With Hashem’s help, it has been incredibly successful and has led to hundreds of dates and a 10% date-to-engagement ratio. Todate, our organization’s shadchanim have produced over 700 dates and 71 engagements, baruch Hashem! The Adopt-A-Shadchan organization started by the excellent shadchanit Lisa Elefant is also a prime example of a creative way to organize advocates who are responsible for a specific community of singles. These are just three of many ideas I have to help the shidduch crisis, and due to lack of space I will have to end here. I would like to let you know, Lenard and Baila, that you are not alone. Many people in your age bracket and beyond are scratching their heads, trying to understand what went wrong. The most important thing you can do now is daven and network for your grandchildren. Iy”H they will all find their basherts quickly and with clarity!

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler ou’re not the only grandparents asking these questions. When our generation dated, it was perfectly natural and acceptable for young men and women to meet either in college or at a shul Chanukah party. You accurately point out that there are significant problems today, both on the left (“Mod-

ern Orthodox”) and right (“Yeshivish”) regions of our religious spectrum. It seems to be a universal difficulty, but for different reasons. Let’s try to understand the problems and be supportive. On the left: On the Modern Orthodox end of the spectrum, some single young adults would love to get married, but their time-consuming careers simply make it difficult to devote sufficient time for serious dating. Another problem, is that some who are ready to start dating and get married, are a bit worried and might be hesitant about making the commitment. It is scary, and they need reassurance. They may currently have a somewhat comfortable life, professionally and socially, and fear that getting married means the end of this lifestyle. Still another impediment is that in some communities, large numbers of young men and women enjoy a very active, group centered, social life. In those circles, a single is reluctant to seriously date someone from that same group. It is common to hear, “Oh, we can’t date, we already know each other.” If a prospective, deeper relationship would be attempted but fail to materialize, the subsequent, very real concern would be that the two of them might no longer feel comfortable back together, in that same social circle. These singles need to meet other singles outside their immediate circle of friends. On the right: On the yeshivish end of the spectrum, there are different, but equally stressful challenges. One obvious problem is that it is considered highly inappropriate and a serious moral blemish for young men and women to actually meet on their own and start dating. Yet, ironically, in that very same environment, does everyone share the proper values? We hear that parents of an eligible young man, rather than inquire about a girl’s hashkafa, character, goals, and aspirations, will sometimes demand instead: Does she wear a size four or, preferably, smaller? Since the boy has no plans to attend college or vocational school, are the girl’s parents’ wealthy enough to set him up in business? For parents of young women, the system is especially stressful. Parents often wind up begging and badgering shadchanim to recommend an appropriate young man.

Septuagenarians unite, and let’s not be shy!

I do know, and appreciate, that most shadchanim try to be considerate and helpful, often working l’shma, for either no, or very little, remuneration. Nevertheless, this is an extremely artificial, painful, and stressful system of dating and matchmaking. Almost everyone universally agrees that there’s got to be a better way of doing this! But I’m afraid that our religious leaders are reluctant to loosen the reins on this tightly controlled, contrived system and suggest changes because they genuinely fear being labelled as a “maikel.” Understandably, no rabbinic leader wants to be accused of being overly-permissive or lenient. Solutions? I do have two suggestions: 1. In the business world, or professional world, everyone recognizes the value of networking, of connecting people who ordinarily would never have had an opportunity to connect. Grandparents, parents, friends, and relatives of young people “in the parsha,” know and understand them much better than a helpful shadchan who scans dozens of resumes. We should all try, ourselves, to make appropriate connections and introductions, and bypass the current antiquated system. To my fellow grandparents, I implore: septuagenarians unite, and let’s not be shy! When my wife and I are with our friends at a simcha, we don’t hesitate to praise our grandchildren and slyly remark, “Wouldn’t it be something, if our grandson and your granddaughter…” 2. There are rabbinically sanctioned organizations that recognize today’s problems and help young people meet in a wholesome atmosphere. For example, YUConnects recently sponsored very successful singles events in Woodmere and in Teaneck. They can be reached at www.yuconnects.com. Hatzlacha to all our eligible young men and women, and let’s pray for a more easily navigated system that leads to more and more smachot in our community.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

P M CA L E A R S I GAN 2020

JANUARY 23, 2020

R E M M SU

Pre-s

Boys egins the fun b

June 22 7August

Girls

MON-THURS 9:15-3:30 | FRI: 9:15-1:30 PRE SCHOOL: 3-5 YEARS OLD GIRLS DIVISION: 6-12 YEARS OLD BOYS DIVISION: 6-12 YEARS OLD

WWW. CGIBALTIMORE.COM • CGIBALTIMORE@GMAIL.COM • 7.5 x 9.5.indd 1

CGIBALTIMORE 12/9/19 10:48 PM

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

chool

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

ear Lenard and Baila S., Thank you for writing in! The panelists offered wonderful theories and suggestions as to why the shidduch system evolved and what we can do to encourage leaders to help work on the obvious issues. My own father was born on the Lower East Side to Holocaust survivors. He had payos until he was five years old, and Yiddish was his first and only language until the same age. My Zeidy, a”h, would give my father ten dollars to “take this girl out.” Others tell stories of the cheerleaders at Central and frum young men and women socializing at Grossinger’s etc. What has happened has complicated and derailed the very human nature that Hashem created. See a woman who catches your eye, approach, ask her out on a date, get to know each other, break up or get married. Finished! Our system doesn’t allow men to feel like men and women to feel like women. We keep our single men and women so separate; creating the illusion that there is something almost sinful about the opposite sex. A few years ago, a single woman called me frantically. She had to come see me, and it was an emergency. When we sat down, she told me that she has been seeing a great guy. They had been out together six times, and he had recently told her that he’s attracted to her and finds her to be very beautiful. “How inappropriate! He can’t talk to me like that! Do you think this is a red flag?” The mother and father were involved and the shadchan was involve,d and she was getting mixed opinions from friends and family. “He’s impulsive!” “He’s inappropriate!” I will never forget this

woman. We examined their relationship, and upon deep inspection and analysis I determined that what was missing from their relationship was the allowance for their own humanity. Can’t a man tell a woman he is dating that she is beautiful? This is called “courting.” And it’s designed in Hashem’s wisdom to bond a couple. I can recall another young woman I worked with briefly. She was very upset that the guy she was seeing didn’t open doors for her. He told her that his rebbi said he can’t stand behind a woman because that would be inappropriate. I am not going to touch that idea with a ten-foot pole. What I will talk about are the repercussions for the woman (and ultimately the man, by the way). This makes women feel bad. Pure and simple. These women often wind up on a couch like mine analyzing the date. “He didn’t hold the door for me. Is that a red flag or simply something he learned in yeshiva? Do you think I can say something about that? Should this even bother me?” A woman wants a gentleman; a mensch. And mensches open and hold doors. Chivalry isn’t dead but we certainly are trying our best to kill it. Shidduchim sometimes teach us that we don’t need: • Chemistry (of course you need to feel a certain chemistry) • Attraction (of course you need to feel a certain attraction, even if that attraction is based on intellect or chain or shared interest) It teaches us (too often, and more often than I care to know about…. But I do):

• That the mistakes of our fathers and mothers will haunt us. • That we can’t have a struggle or a past. • That many people are unfamiliar with the concept of teshuva. • That we are very Darwinian, weeding out any “bad” genes… survival of the fittest. • That we must hide our skeletons…and we all have them. • That tablecloths, dress size, where you went to school, and your references (and if someone is listing a reference…would that person ever say anything bad? Oy!) are of major significance. It leaves single people feeling frustrated, anxious, sad, depressed or that something must be wrong with them. The reality is something is not “wrong” with single people. Let frum people meet in a natural, kosher environment which allows for our humanity (a little talking, a little hair twirling, butterflies “Who’s that guy over there?” …. This is wired into us, and it’s there for a reason! I believe it is part of Hashem’s shidduch system that has been tampered with way too much.) Sometimes children do not get the help they need because parents are so scared of a diagnosis that could potentially impact a shidduch ten years down the line. This is happening. In certain circles, families are dealing with their children’s’ and family’s struggles all alone because they fear the “secret” getting out. These shidduchim affect more people than those in the parsha. Until the community acknowledges and addresses the need for systemic change on many levels, this will continue. The question then becomes: What can I do? We can all help! • Network. • Get involved in a shidduch group. • Set up a shidduch group with your own funky spin. • Invite five men and five women over to your house on Shabbos afternoon or on a Sunday.

• If you’re more modern, host a “Bring your Friend Who Isn’t For You” party. • Thank of all the single people you know and make a list. Don’t worry if they aren’t for each other. • Call your rabbi and ask how he can be influential in making necessary changes. Education happens at school, but it also must happen in the home. Talk to your children about healthy relationships. Talk to your children about dating; how to treat a man; how to treat a woman. Teach your sons about women and your daughters about men. Tell your children to come to you with anything they learn about relationships or dating at school. Tell them they can ask you anything. Know what your child’s yeshiva is teaching your son or daughter about dating and marriage. Lenard and Baila and all the bubbies and zaidies, grandmas and grandparents, parents…. Do your part (whatever you believe that to be), and let Hashem take care of the rest. And whatever you do, parents and grandparents, don’t let your kids see you sweat this. This gives them anxiety. And once again, I will leave you with this: the vast majority of singles I work with come in in a huff, believing something must be wrong with them or that they have dated “everyone” and there is no one out there. And time and time again I am learning (through my clients’ experiences) that all it really takes is one person. The right person. And it’s all about Hashem’s timing. That’s it. All the best, Jennifer Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516-224-7779, ext. 2. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Finding the Right Career for

YOU By Jodi Smolen

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

you came back f rom a yea r in Israel with college credits from seminary or yeshiva but no clue what career path to pursue, you’re not alone. Excluding the few people who have always wanted to be doctors or those who have particular passions (for law, health sciences, engineering), so many young people find themselves anxious as they must decide on their majors within the first or second semester of college. Choosing a career at age 19, or even 21, is daunting. It requires self-awareness, an honest assessment of your strengths and skills, and a knowledge what you actually enjoy doing. You must also possess a certain level of information about the work environment in any particular profession in order to select a path that ideally will last for decades. Many young people feel rushed to select the “perfect” major so they can follow a particular career trajectory. But if you made the choice due to family pressure or anticipated earnings, it likely won’t lead to great satisfaction. Taking the time to find a

career that best matches your interests and strengths is a difficult but worthwhile undertaking. Here are some tips to help you get started on identifying the right career path for you. 1. Take time for self-assessment. Most colleges offer career services and academic advisement. Use them! Seek out these professionals whose job it is to help you explore your strengths/challenges, likes/dislikes, skills and values. There are various exercises and aptitude-type tests they can provide to help you discover your path. Talk to professors who are also professionals working in fields you are considering entering. They can give you a reality check and answer your questions. 2. Network with everyone you know. It can feel like there are so many possibilities, so how do you begin to narrow down your options? I always recommend starting with the people you know in a variety of professions. If someone is working in a field that interests you or has a job that seems particularly exciting, ask if you can shadow him or her or conduct an informational interview so you get a sense of the workplace

and job responsibilities. By observing how people spend their days and asking targeted questions, you can begin to parse out what you like and what doesn’t appeal to you. But remember, professions can vary in different settings so don’t make a judgment based on only one person’s input. 3. Gain real world experience. Internships and volunteer programs are a great way to “try on” different professions. You can see what it is like to work in a particular setting and decide if you actually like the day-to-day realities. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Experiences that challenge us tend to teach us the most about what we really can do and where our strengths lie. 4. Think about the lifestyle you want. What type of lifestyle do you seek for the long haul? Are you someone who is energized by working fourteen-hour days? Are you most productive in a flexible environment? How do you want to balance your work and home life? It is important that the demands of your career match how you want to live. Think ahead and choose a career

that matches your interests but also your desired lifestyle. If you need remote options or flextime, make sure there are settings in your chosen profession that offer these. 5. It’s not always about the money. Yes, money is certainly important, but it shouldn’t be the single driving force behind your decision. Choosing a career based solely on salary won’t serve you well in the long run. If that high paying job isn’t a match for your interests and strengths, it ultimately won’t make you happy and you are more likely to seek change mid-career. If you choose a profession that provides you with personal satisfaction and a work setting where you feel motivated to achieve, you will likely be successful and perhaps more importantly, happy. Treat this time of self-exploration with rigor. The more you commit to putting in the work, the more likely you are to end up in a profession that is right for you and will serve you well for years to come.

Jodi Smolen is director of career services at Touro’s Lander College for Men.

65 BY WYNDHAM

JERUSALEM

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

What makes this night different from all other nights?

This Passover we’re at the Ramada!

‫ותקין‬

‫בוטיק‬

Wide range of attractive holiday packages

JANUARY 23, 2020

Spacious and fully accessorized guest rooms | Kosher LeMehadrin | Lavish holiday menu Fun Family Activities | Kids Club | Scolar in Residence Rabbi Shmuel Hershler

Reserve Now

For reservations call: 02-6599950 | reservations@herzlhotel.com | www.jerusalemramadahotel.com

Flower Delivery Club Join the

Ruby Lasker Designs

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

410-929-2802 Saadya Cohen, Owner

• Free delivery every Friday • Starting at just $15/week

Shelly’s Blossom

Shop

410.961.4199

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Repair and/or replace: Hot Water Tanks • Sump Pumps • Faucets • Toilets • Garbage Disposals • Instant Hots • Dish Washers • Dryers • Washing Machines • Light Fixtures • Switches • Dimmers • Outside Lighting • Fans • Timers • and more...

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

Mental Health Corner

Trichotillomania By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

Trichotillomania is a mental health disorder that is characterized by the compulsive urge to pull out one’s hair. There are two basic forms of trichotillomania, focused pulling and automatic pulling. Let’s use two fictional stories to illustrate these two forms of the disorder. Devorah’s story depicts focused pulling and Yaakov’s story depicts automatic pulling. Devorah was 10 years old when she once pulled out one of her hairs on her head for fun. She felt a sense of relief that was puzzling but enjoyable. She pulled out a few more until she had about 10 hairs on the table in front of her. A couple of days later, she got an urge to pull some more hairs and knew that unless she obeyed her urge

she would not be able to get rid of the tension that was rising inside of her. So she pulled some more. This became a habit that she could not stop. She knew that the hair pulling was a bad idea, but the urge was so powerful, she felt unable to resist. Eventually, she developed a bald spot in the middle of her head. She became very adept at camouflaging her issue by combing her hair in such a way as to hide the bald spot. She could not hide it forever, and when she was 13 years old her mother noticed the growing bald spot. Devorah broke down to her mother in uncontrollable tears as she knew that she was destroying her hair with her own hands, but felt helpless in controlling

Some thingS only an expert can detect. like differenceS in inSurance policieS. Wealcatch Insurance offers you a wide array of policies and provides side-by-side comparisons, so you get the best coverage, at the most affordable price. We can tell the difference – and so will you.

AUTO Ĵ HOME Ĵ COMMERCIAL Ĵ LIFE

410.653.3053 • info@wealcatchmd.com

her urges. Now let us move on to Yaakov’s story. For as long as Yaakov could remember, whenever he was relaxing, his hands would seem to automatically go to his head, and he would start mindlessly pulling his hair. This would happen when he was reading a book, shmoozing with friends, sitting in the car, or relaxing in bed. After a few years, a bald spot started developing in the middle of his head, and when he reached age 15 he needed to get an oversized yarmulke to cover his growing bald spot. Here are some basic facts of trichotillomania. • Peak age of onset is 9 to 13. But it can start as early as one-yearold. • Besides head hair, many people with trichotillomania pull hair from their eyelashes, eyebrows, beard (for males), arms, or legs. • During a hair pulling “session” one can enter into a trance-like state and remove many hairs, one at a time. • Focused pulling is often a response to anxiety or an emotional trigger. • There can be periods of spontaneous remission only to have it return months or years later. • Hair pulling is sometimes followed by rituals involving the pulled hair, such as chewing and eating the hair or rubbing the hair across the face. There can also be rituals leading up to the hair pulling, such as twirling the hair and searching for the “right” hair to pull. • Hair loss can sometimes be permanent. Like many physical issues, it differs from person to person. Some people who have pulled for only five years will have permanent hair loss, while other people who have pulled for 30 years will be able to grow back a full head of hair. • Sometimes sufferers will eat the pulled hair, which can devel-

op into a hair ball in their digestive tract, as the hair (which is indigestible) accumulates. This ball, called a trichobezoar, can block the flow of ingested food which can lead to serious medical complications. • The constant hair pulling from the same spot on the scalp or skin can lead to skin abrasions and infections. In addition, the constant sliding of hair shafts between the teeth can cause the teeth to become grooved. The type of psychotherapy that has been shown to work very well for trichotillomania is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), especially a specific form of CBT called Habit Reversal Training (HRT). Many studies find that the combination of therapy and medication is especially effective. Very often, the therapy must also include relaxation techniques, since many sufferers experience severe feelings of anxiety in their body as the urge to pull builds up. HRT often needs to be augmented with other therapeutic interventions that fall under the category of CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy). Since many years of suffering with trichotillomania can lead to clinical levels of depression, the therapist might need to treat the depression as well. As with all therapy, the therapy needs to be custom-tailored to the client. It is imperative that when one seeks treatment for this disorder, it should be with a therapist who has experience in this area. Do not assume that you have to suffer for the rest of your life as there are effective treatments. It might not be easy, but with perseverance, it is a mountain that can be climbed. This is a service of Relief Resources. Relief is an organization that provides mental health referrals, education, and support to the frum community. Rabbi Yisrael Slansky is director of the Baltimore branch of Relief. He can be contacted at 410-448-8356 or at yslansky@reliefhelp.org

Business Card Board

Check out our Demos!

Reuven Meth 443.272.1325

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

One Man Band

Custom arrangements Custom drum kit

Baltimore Jewish Homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

www.musicbysegula.com

JANUARY 23, 2020

Accessible Transport LLC Phone 410-852-8886

www.accessible-transport.com reservations@accessible-transport.com

*** Whatever YOUR Transportation Need *** Doctor Appointments Social Outings Shopping Airports and MORE

RICK BERNARD

Licensed & Insured

SHOMER SHABBOS

CALL FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE TODAY! Gedalia Kosoy

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ROOFING EXPERTS

Avi Landa

FULL SERVICE SALON

MS, LCPC, NCC

www.LandaCC.com Avi@LandaCC.com 443-613-6854 1002 Smoke Tree RD Pikesville, MD 21208

Clinical Counseling Services for adolescents/bochurim, adults, couples, and families. Free Consultations

105 OLD COURT RD., BALTIMORE MD

OFF OF WALKER

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

serving the Baltimore Metropolitan since 1997 | Family owned and operated

Gluten Free Recipe Column by Mrs. Elaine Bodenheimer

GlutenFree@BaltimoreJewishHome.com

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JANUARY 23, 2020

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Parve Blueberry Cheesecakes (Mini) What You Will Need:

Preparation:

¾ cup gluten -free graham cracker crumbs 2 Tbl. margarine, melted 1 cup Tofutti plain cream cheese (or regular cream cheese, for dairy version) 2 Tbl.fresh lemon juice 2 large egg whites 1 ½ tsp. vanilla ½ cup sugar ¾ cup gf blueberry pie filling (or whatever fruit you like)

Place 12 cupcake liners into a cupcake pan. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 1. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and margarine. Mix well. Spoon 1 Tbl. of crumb mixture into bottom of each liner and press down gently. Refrigerate until ready to use. 2. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add lemon juice, egg whites, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until smooth. 3. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly into cupcake liners; bake until set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 4. Top each cheesecake with 1 Tbl. blueberry pie filling. Enjoy!

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Prisoner to Your Past? By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

order to attend Harvard. So back to the Harvard lesson. They made the class watch a movie in which many people observed the same crime taking place. Then, each and every one observing the crime had to report what they had seen. And not one, of hundreds of the observers, reported the same story. The lesson was tremendous. Though they had seen the exact same scene, all reported it differently. It was skewed in all different directions and with different details. Now, you tell me: why? Exactly! They weren’t looking to be original or create dissension in the ranks, rather, because of any number of personal variables, their experience of it was different. That is to say, because of their upbringing, their vantage point, their values, their education, their temperament, their way of thinking, the guiding voices in their heads, etc., an automatic combining of information occurred, which organically influenced what they believed happened. They saw the same thing but experienced it differently! Can we now still argue that they are wrong, and we are right? Can we truly argue that everyone else was wrong and only our way of seeing it was right? Can we at least see that there is a little more gray here than we thought? In other words, that there may be different ways of looking at the same situation even if our way feels more right to us? If we can hold this truth in our minds at the beginning of any interaction, might we be able to be just a little more understanding, patient, and forgiving in how we interact and react in our exchange with another?

Statements like, “no, it’s not,” “that’s not true,” “that’s not what happened,” are reacting words to something that’s usually said from the another’s point of view even if the speaker seems to state it as fact. Hearing it with some leniency, even if they didn’t convey it that way, can tone down your counter-reaction. In fact, maybe you can even do one better and think: do I agree with any part of what they just said? And then even validate that piece first. Are we in a better place already? You can even do one more better: start and stay with just declaring what’s true or right in what they shared. This is called taking some tiny bit of responsibility. Instead of going to defense right away. And guess what happens? Often the other person begins to scroll it back. Calm down. Rethink their point of view. And the conversation can proceed very differently. You as the reactor have a lot of power. How about taking recognition of that power and attempting to not going into automatic defensive mode, even if your past, your upbringing, your guiding voices, etc. start to send you there? The next time you feel reactive remember that the initiator may have messed up in how they said it but you can do better in how you respond. And you know why? Because, now, in your set of experiences is exposure to this article which tells you that you’ve got the power to react differently!

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@ rosenwalds.com.

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

pened!” Would you dare argue the other way to these definitive statements? Some of you might be thinking, yes! Or maybe, more accurately, yes – if I knew what she’s talking about. Perhaps even, more realistically, yes – if I knew the context in which the statements were meant. Hold up. I feel like I might have lost you at hello. In other words, right from my opening sentence of this discussion you may be thinking, she’s being a bit too vague. So, let me start again and move forward somewhat differently. When someone says the words “no, it’s not” where would most people’s automatic response go, almost immediately? Come on, let’s all say it together: “Oh, yes, it is!” The tone of that statement...the certainty of it...the declaration of it… brings on a defensive stance, almost without even knowing what I’m talking about. Might you even say the same thing occurs with the declaration “that’s not true”? What about with the words “that isn’t what happened”? A cycle of disagreeing is now in play. Let’s look at it in more depth, using the last declaration. Obviously, the backstory for asserting “that isn’t what happened” was a reaction to someone declaring what did happen and the listener feeling quite differently and then countering with “that isn’t what happened.” So here they are, both of them already positioned at two opposing sides of the ring. Herein, lies the meat of disagreements, arguments, counter-attacks, or,

might I say, non-meetings of the minds. Would it help you to know what specific situation I’m talking about, so you can weigh in with your opinions? Well, how about, in the alternative, if I never get specific, leave out all context, and just share some hints on how we can do better? What I’ll call my “non formulas” work for all situations. In other words, they are helpful approaches that are nonspecific, available daily, and with broad appeal. They can be used in all situations. Let’s use the response, “that’s not true,” as our reference point and see how we can react better: • You can use add-ons. For example: “That’s not true, from my perspective.” • Make it about yourself. Use “I” messages. For example: That’s not the way “I” saw it. • You can leave room for discussion. For example: “That isn’t quite so.” • You can also soften the language. For example: “Honestly, I felt it happened somewhat differently.” What we must do to achieve these more palatable responses when we feel differently about something is to stop and not react immediately to our feeling. Not so easy, huh? Let me see if I can help you do this. There is a lesson my dad always shared with us growing up, which he learned in Harvard Business School. I’m going to share it with you, especially because you are some of my nearest and dearest friends. Simultaneously, this can save many the stress of receiving a perfect score on your SATs, producing a wildly creative entrance essay, years of achieving a 4.0, and the burden of shelling out a great lump of moola in

JANUARY 23, 2020

“N

o, it’s not!” “That’s not true!” “That isn’t what hap-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

Money

JANUARY 23, 2020

Look What’s Hiding Here

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

veryone understands the concept of a “tax haven” – a delightfully sunny island somewhere in the subtropics or a cozy European duchy tucked away on a scenic Alpine lake. Perhaps the global rich who take advantage of these safe deposit boxes just want someplace nice to stay when they visit their money. Surely that’s why places like Kazakhstan and Burundi struggle to attract their share of global “flight capital.” Tucking your money someplace miserable would just be silly when the world offers so many sunnier places for shady people to park their cash. Except, it turns out not every tax haven lures depositors with sunny beaches, high-rise condos, and Hermès boutiques. In fact, there’s a new financial hot spot that’s grown from $57 billion to $355 billion in assets in just a single decade. No, there’s not a Lamborghini dealer in site. “Dakota” is the name…specifically, South Dakota, the Mount Rushmore State. It’s a mostly flat, featureless landscape that shares a 383-mile border with North Dakota – a place whose very name suggests such bleak desolation that officials once considered dropping “North” from the name entirely. (Did you know we even have two

Dakotas? Not everyone does!) Trusts, not taxes, are the main reason South Dakota has become such a go-to spot for foreign money. Keeping your principal safe, it turns out, is sometimes even more important than keeping your income safe from taxes. If you’re a Russian potash

Let’s see: Switzerland is too obvious, the Caymans are too cliched, and the Cook Islands are just too far away. Look at this, though, the United States is the only major financial center that’s not part of the international “Common Reporting Standard” agreement, so they won’t report your U.S.

Tucking your money someplace miserable would just be silly when the world offers so many sunnier places for shady people to park their cash.

oligarch worried about Putin seizing your mines, a central African kleptocrat losing sleep over the ethnic minority you’ve been oppressing for a generation, or el jefe of a middling Columbian cartel, you want to stash your “safe” money someplace where no one can even find it, let alone steal it back.

assets back to your homeland! Having said that, South Dakota trusts offer game-changing tax benefits for American money, too. If you leave your assets to your heirs in a regular trust, anything over about $12 million per person gets whacked by estate taxes at 40% -- every generation. Most rich people are rightly terrified

at the thought of their wastrel heirs struggling to eke out an existence on just $12 million. South Dakota was the first state to eliminate the common-law “rule against perpetuities,” ushering in so-called “dynasty trusts” that never distribute their principal, thus avoiding transfer tax hits forever. Eliminating that federal estate tax hit isn’t the only way South Dakota trusts help rich people keep their assets under wraps. Local legislators have also made South Dakota the only state allowing true perpetual trusts with no state income tax, no tax on capital gains, and no state-level estate tax at all. Finally, South Dakota courts let trust grantors, fiduciaries, and beneficiaries seal filings and orders, in perpetuity, for ultimate privacy. The lesson here is that you’ll never know where the most powerful financial strategies are lurking. That’s why we spend so much time looking for them, so we can put them to work for you!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

Ruby Lasker Designs

SUPER BOWL LIV

JANUARY 23, 2020

We have all you need for

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Hours: Sunday 8am-2pm Monday-Thursday 8am-6pm Friday 8am-2pm

410-486-4191 • 410-486-4196 www.wandlkoshermeats.com orders@wandlkoshermeats.com

Specials HOT DOGS BUY 5 GET 1 FREE • CLEAN CHICKEN WINGS 1.79LB CHICKEN FINGERS 4.99LB • HAMBURGER PATTIES 5.99LB

✓ Free ✓ in-town ✓ same day Offered tuesday-friday

B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Free Delivery!

Buying or Selling a Home?

Experience Matters!

BARRY NABOZNY BROKER/REALTOR 410-977-7600

See pg pg 65

Postmaster: Please deliver by Friday January 24

410.581.1000

1517 Reisterstown Road Corner of Old Court Road Baltimore, MD 21208

See our available homes inside

Live Pest Free. Yudy Brody 410-989-1919

ANTS

RODENTS · MOSQUITO CONTROL · WILDLIFE · TICKS · BEES & WASPS

Call for your FREE Estimate

www.QueenBPest.com • QueenBpest@gmail.com M.H.I.C. # 104396 M.D.A. # 30294

GOOGLE GUARANTEED