Baltimore Jewish Home - 10-31-19 by Moshe Rubin

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

CHIZUK FOR TODAY’S TIMES

Yarzeit Rachel Imeinu Video 5780

With Introduction By:

Motzei Shabbos, Nov. 9 | 8:30 PM

HARAV SHMUEL KAMENETSKY, SHLITA With Inspiration from:

RABBI PAYSACH

KROHN RABBI MOSHE

RABBI EPHRAIM

SHAPIRO REBBITZEN TEHILA

WEINBERGER JAEGER

Ner Tamid, 6214 Pimlico Rd

NEW LOCATION

For more info can call 443-224-8128 SUGGESTED MIN. DONATION: $10

SILVER SPRING

Sunday Night, Nov. 10 | 8:00 PM Southeast Hebrew Congregation 10900 Lockwood Drive Silver Spring.

Please make a difference by sponsoring this event: $50, $100, $360, $500, $1000 All proceeds will go to Aniyei Eretz Yisrael (the impoverished and needy of Eretz Yisrael) Please make checks payable to Torah Umesorah Aniyim Fund, c/o Mrs. Keren Traub, 6022 Berkeley Ave., Baltimore, MD 21209 Distribution of funds is under the guidance of HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Shlita. This program was coordinated with his encouragement L’ilui nishmas Ruchama ‫ ע”ה‬bas HaRav Naftali HaLevy Jaeger, Shlita

For more information call: 201-837-0354 or 410-358-2573 or e-mail KEYtfilla@gmail.com

BALTIMORE

E C E L E B R AT E !

Personal Journey

Elaborate

Inspiring Founder's Message

Recalled by Hillel and Loni Goldman

Dinner Buffet

F E AT U R I N G :

C AT E R I N G B Y

10th Anniversary Reflection Video

by Knish

S P A C I O U S

V E N U E

Newly Renovated

DoubleTree by Hilton

Separate room available for men only Separate seating option for men & women

by Rabbi Schlomo Bochner

WEDNESDAY

11.20.19 7:30 PM

PROGRAM BEGINS 8:15 PM

SPONSORS P L A T I N U M PRICEBUSTERSMD.COM TM

FURNITURE

K I N G DAV I D

Moshe Spero

David Flamm

BONEI OLAM OF BALTIMORE

P 443-839-0784

Shimmy Braun 1-844-SHIMMYB

BARRY NABOZNY

E boneiolambaltimore@gmail.com

www.boneiolam.org

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

A L L P R O C E E D S T O B E N E F I T LO C A L B A LT I M O R E C O U P L E S

Hillel Goldman

OCTOBER 31, 2019

COM

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Thank You Baltimore

CONTENTS COMMUNITY

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Zvi Teichman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Rav Moshe Weinberger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

PEOPLE 613 Seconds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

FEATURE He Died Like a Coward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

LIFESTYLES World Builders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Forgotten Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Dating Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Health and Fitness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Political Crossfire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Mental Health Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Gluten Free Recipe Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 In The Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Dear Readers, If someone were to offer us a choice between 1) complete satisfaction and happiness with what we have and 2) as much money as we want, which would we take? As we re-enter our work lives, where we will exert ourselves till the next yom tov (Can’t wait!), it would be good to remember that money, success, and power are a means to an end. In and of themselves, they are at least neutral, if not corrupting forces. How many families are split due to financial disagreement? A friendship too may shred at the altar of power. True, we must work hard to be able to support ourselves, our spouses, and families. But as we head into the months ahead, we need to remember: monetary success exists for us, we don’t exist for it. Hashem told Noach, “Bo el hateiva.” The holy Baal Shem Tov learned this as a commandment to each of us facing the raging waters of earning a living: bo el hateiva, come into the words into prayer and study. They will give strength and shelter us from the stormy sea. Once we climb inside their protection, the waves and challenges of life will lift our boat instead of sink it. Yet, ultimately, we are commanded “Tzei min hateivah;” we should “go out” from the words and cocoon of holiness. Take the strength you now have, and go out in the world; be extremely successful at what you do, and do it as a frum Yid. Demonstrate that you are courteous, refined, thoughtful of others. Noach was able to withstand the pressure of the entire world being immoral, filled with individuals who were selfish and callous towards one another. Surely, we can face up to the mockers of our generation and proclaim boldly that we need to live moral, ethical, and G-dly lives. First by example, but then vocally if necessary. Our journey through exile is almost over—let’s be the best closer we can. Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos, Shalom

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

Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 National. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

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.

5 JOIN THE BALTIMORE COMMUNITY INITIATIVE TO EQUIP THE ALL NEW NICU AT

H o s p i t a l

N e t a n y a

11.24 •7PM

BETH TFILOH 3300 OLD COURT RD.

OCTOBER 31, 2019

i n

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

CONCERT L a n i a d o

BUY TICKETS TODAY www.rayze.it/LaniadoConcert

ROSELYN KALB 443.928.7404 | LESLIE GOLDBERG 443.255.8975

BETH TFILOH

NETANEL HERSHTIK HAMPTONS, NY

YONI ROSE

FRANKFURT, GERMANY

BENJAMIN WARSCHAWSKI SKOKIE, IL

RABBI MOSHE HAUER • RABBI BINYAMIN MARWICK • RABBI YISROEL MOTZEN • RABBI YERACHMIEL SHAPIRO • RABBI SHMUEL SILBER • RABBI MITCHELL WOHLBERG SUSAN WOLASKY, CONCERT CHAIR • CHAZZAN AVI ALBRECHT • NECHEMIA FELDMAN • HOWARD FRIEDMAN • LESLIE GOLDBERG • CHAIM GOTTESMAN DONI GREENWALD • GIL HORWITZ • ROSELYN KALB • MICHAEL KATZ • SHMUEL LUXENBURG • YEHUDA NEUBERGER • DOV OCKEN • YITZIE PRETTER • JASON REITBERGER DR JONATHAN RINGO • ELI SCHLOSSBERG • MOSIE TREUHAFT • EMILY TREUHAFT • DAVID WARSHAWSKY • DR SHMUEL WEALCATCH • JERRY WOLASKY

RABBINICAL COMMITTEE

CONCERT COMMITTEE

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

AVRAHAM ALBRECHT

Around the Community

Baltimore Shabbat Project 5780/2019

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

By Larry Ziffer This year, the Baltimore Shabbat Project, which originated in South Africa in 2013, will provide opportunities for thousands of Jews in Baltimore to observe the Jewish day of rest with added inspiration and celebration of Jewish identity. The main celebration will be the weekend of November 1516, Parashat Vayeira, with additional programs taking place leading up to the project. Previously, Shabbat Project celebrations attracted more than 1 million participants in 101 countries across 1,511 cities and towns. This year, organizers believe the initiative will top those numbers. Last year, the Shabbat Project weekend was tarnished by the tragic loss of life and heinous act of anti-Semitism in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This year, the organizers of the international Shabbat Project are calling on Jews all over the world to respond to increased levels of violent anti-Semitism in the U.S. and worldwide by proudly proclaiming our Jewish identity, noting that Shabbos is one of the most potent symbols and guarantors of that identity! Baltimore has become one of the most successful Shabbat Project communities, helping thousands of Jews from diverse backgrounds and affil-

iations to recognize that whether we call it Shabbos (and say “Good Shabbos!”) or Shabbat (and say “Shabbat Shalom!”), the day of rest belongs to all of us. The Baltimore Shabbat Project’s stated mission is “to unite Jewish Baltimore in global solidarity through the celebration of Shabbos, respecting every member of our community and creating a true celebration of Jewish unity.” In previous years, Baltimore’s annual celebration of the Shabbat Project featured large community-wide challah bakes and Havdalah concerts. This year’s local organizers elected to decentralize the program and encourage synagogues and schools throughout Baltimore to conduct programs for their constituents, focusing on the sanctity and uniqueness of Shabbos. Scheduled programs include guest speakers, chesed projects, festive Oneg Shabbos celebrations, classes and workshops on how to celebrate Shabbos, panel discussions, retreat programs and localized challah baking projects. A full list of Baltimore Shabbat Project activities can be found at the BSP website, https://baltimoreshabbatproject.org/upcoming-events together with other information about the project, including opportunities to volunteer, contribute and participate.

First Ever Sukkah at the White House By: Staff Reporter BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

or the first time ever, a Sukkah was placed within the White House complex in Washington, DC, to celebrate the holiday of Sukkos. While only open to White House and Treasury Dept. staff and their guests receiving US Secret Service clearance, dozens of officials took advantage of the Sukkah’s presence during Chol Hamoed, with a small event just prior to the Sukkah being disassembled before Shabbos. During several hours every day, those within the White House complex were able to make their way to East Executive Drive and spend time in the

Sukkah to have lunch, bless the Lulav and Esrog and celebrate the Jewish Festival of Sukkos. The Sukkah was provided and built by American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) in Washington, DC, as part of a program which has provided Sukkahs and Sukkos programs at prominent locations such as the US Capitol, US Naval Observatory (residence of the VP), the Pentagon, and the American, George Washington, Georgetown and Gallaudet Universities. While events in honor of Sukkos have been held at the White House for many years, affording officials and staff there the chance to learn about the significance of the festival, this is the first time an actual Sukkah was able to be built on the grounds.

The website also includes additional details about how to register for BSP events. Special features include: A two-part series on the ABCs of an Awesome Shabbos by Rabbi Nitzan Bergman Presentation on Creating Harmony with the Music of Shabbos by Rabbi Paysach Krohn in partnership with BJSZ Presentation on Sanctity and Serenity: Appreciating the Gift of Shabbos by Rabbi Shmuel Silber in partnership with WIT Shabbat Appreciation Week at the JCC of Baltimore Women’s evening of challah baking and celebration hosted by Etz Chaim and JCC Senior Challah Baking at the Myerberg Center Presentations by guest speakers Rabbi Eytan and Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner in several different settings, including Congregations Tiferes Yisroel, Ohr Simcha, Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim, Shomrei Emunah, Bnai Torah, Bnai Jacob Shaarey Zion, Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore and others! #ShareTheLight initiative encourages women to give Shabbos candles to neighbors and establish a pre-Shabbos “chavrusa” to encourage this important mitzvah; or experience Havdalah together with a new friend

or neighbor, pausing, looking into the light and just being Jewish together! #ReachOutAndConnect initiative encourages people to call/text 5 people to wish them a Shabbat Shalom/ Good Shabbos; also, to invite one or two people (or a family) to share home hospitality and a Shabbos meal Chesed Projects undertaken by 20 local schools/organizations to send over 1,000 Shabbat kits to Israeli soldiers in time for November 15 as part of the #ShareTheLight initiative, and to deliver over 1,300 “Good Shabbos” cards to local senior citizens on November 15 as part of the #ReachOutandConnect initiative. 2019 is the sixth year of Baltimore’s participation in the international Shabbat Project. A very dedicated group of volunteers provides leadership and encouragement to continue growing the project in our schools and shuls, as well as in local neighborhoods and organizations. Many local Rabbonim will be dedicating time on Parshas Vayeira to encouraging Shmiras Shabbos, especially considering the current challenges presented by technology, busy family schedules and so many other competing priorities. For more information and to contact the organizers, please visit the BSP website at baltimoreshabbatproject.org

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Maryland Announces Plan To Strengthen Holocaust Education By: AP BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

he Maryland State Department of Education has responded to concerns about Holocaust instruction by announcing plans to enhance and expand how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taught. A statement released by the depart-

ment Thursday says the changes include teaching middle schoolers about anti-Semitism and strengthening Holocaust education for high schoolers. The announcement comes days before the anniversary of a massacre at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. News outlets report advocates and elected officials had raised concerns about state curriculum guidelines.

Baltimore Jewish Council executive director Howard Libit says the council thought the guidelines didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do enough to ensure students learn about the Holocaust. State Superintendent Karen B. Salmon said in the statement that the education department plans to provide teachers with tools to help them teach the Holocaust with confidence.

Regional Coffee with a Cop hosted by Councilmen Yitzy Schleifer and Izzy Patoka

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

Specializing in Testing, Therapy, & Consultation for Children & Adolescents Call for a complimentary phone consultation and to schedule your appointment today!

SERVICES INCLUDE:

TRAUMA THERAPY

PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL TESTING AND EVALUATIONS

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY

Isaac Friedman, Psy.D. 410.497.7720 Conveniently located in the Pikesville Area. Evening & Weekend Hours Available.

SEASONS

NOVEMBER 10 â&#x20AC;¢ 10AM-12PM

OCTOBER 31, 2019

THE

ALL AROUND

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Bais Yaakov Preschool Open House

Please allow at least 1 hour to enjoy all our activities

BY PARK HEIGHTS CAMPUS 11111 Park Heights Avenue, Owings Mills, Maryland

Enjoy interactive, multi-sensory activities led by Bais Yaakov Moros and specialists

A sign language or oral interpreter will be available upon advance request

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

GIRLS AGES 3, 4, 5 AND THEIR PARENTS

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Around the Community

The Jewish Community Football League (JCFL) by “The Kitchen Spot” kicks off 2019 season

hile the arrival of September may be a downer for some, as it represents the end of summer, for participants and fans of the “JCFL by The Kitchen Spot,” it means only one thing – time to get in shape to play football. Prior to the opening week of the season, the league’s 80 players were divided between eight different teams via a draft system, ensuring parity in competition. The eight teams are each named for their individual team sponsors: All State – Yaakov Schmell, Built by Nate, Harris Automotive, My Goods, Shimz Cars, Stutman Chiropractic, Tov Pizza, and WRECK Room - Destructotherapy. Following the draft, teams were provided with their team jerseys, which were manufactured once again by “Fired Up Promotions” and designed by local, talented graphic artist, Moshe Heideman. Like previous seasons, all eight teams will compete for seven regular season games, with the top four teams facing off in a round of playoffs. The playoffs winners will then battle each other in the league championship, The Chippewa Optical Championship, with each hoping to take home the coveted, Chippewa Optical Cup. All 8 teams will play their games all season long at the JBZ Management Fields (at Pikesville Middle). To learn more about the league, check out the JCFL by The Kitchen Spot’s website: https://www.leaguelineup.com/jewishcommunityfootball For a recap of the excitement from Weeks 1 of the season, keep reading: Week 1 WRECK Room - Destructotherapy

Harris Automotive

33 15

After years of competing in other leagues, Wreck Room ownership felt that it was time to make a move, and decided to relocate the franchise to the JCFL. Wreck Room was awarded the first pick in the expansion draft and wasted no time selecting 3x self-appointed league MVP, QB

Chaim Finkelstein, former captain of the legendary Park Heights Roofing franchise, with their first overall pick. Despite the emotions and controversy surrounding Week 1, Wreck Room got off to a lightning fast start. Rookie Shloime Scheinfeld caught a 45 yard bomb from Finkelstein on the second play of the game, becoming the youngest receiver to catch a TD in league history (18 years, 326 days). After a three and out by Harris Automotive, Wreck Room scored again with a 20 yard TD catch by Ouriel “Brad” Nafisi. On the ensuing drive, Nafisi intercepted a pass then caught his second touchdown of the day, helping the team jump out to a 20-0 lead. Just before halftime, Harris CB Rafi Strum intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran it back for a TD, finally putting Harris Automotive on the board. The second half of the game turned into the Mordy Friedman show. The big and talented tight end led all players in catches and yards and caught a pair of touchdowns, as well. Harris Automotive had no answer for him and they paid dearly. But the best play of the morning came from the reliable veteran, Josh Erez HaKohen. After Friedman’s second touchdown, Erez put one of the HA defenders through the spin cycle with his precise route running and easily converted the 2-point conversion. A late touchdown by HA set up by a great catch from Dovid Teles, gave the team their only offensive points of the day.

Overall, both teams showed a lot of respect for each other and surprisingly, didn’t argue with the refs. Wreck Room got the W with a 34-14 victory and we are sure to see at least one of these teams in the postseason.

Tov Pizza Built by Nate

32 18

After a slow start, Tov Pizza turned on the jets and ran “Built by Nate” off the field in the second half, outscoring them 25-0 to come from behind and win 32-18. QB Ariel Afrah threw 4 TD passes and scored another on a hook and ladder play. Tzvi Haber led the way on defense with 4 sacks, as the D pitched a second half shutout.

Stutman Chiropractic, PC Allstate – Yaakov Schmell

29 19

Stutman Chiropractic started off the season with a bang (crack?) as on the opening drive, QB Dan Gutman connected with cheerful, enigmatic, and garrulous WR Chemi Lefkovitz for a long TD. Gutman continued to showcase his skill, throwing TDs to Moshe Reches and Shmuly Luxenburg to go up 2 scores before the half. The defensive core was strong and persistent the entire game while shutting down Allstate’s star WR team and taking home the win.

MyGoods

Shimz Cars

On a beautiful opening day in Charm City, MyGoods came back from a 12 point first-half deficit to pull off a 28-27 victory over the heavily favored Shimz Cars. After throwing an interception on the very first play from scrimmage, Shimz QB Asher Sondhelm came right back with two quick TD strikes to take an early 12-0 lead. Despite battling dropped passes and missed assignments all day, MyGoods QB David Flamm answered with two 30+ yard TD strikes of his own to WR/CB/real estate extraordinaire David Pensak, cutting the deficit to only 5 points going into halftime. In the second half, MyGoods took the lead on the strength of its great defense and efficient passing and with 90 seconds to play and the ball, it looked as if MyGoods was going to walk away with the win. However, a MyGoods trick play led to a costly interception and a Shimz Cars quick TD pass to WR Hershel Bacharach (third of the day) put Shimz up by 6 points with under a minute to play. But veteran QB David Flamm marched MyGoods right back down the field hitting WR Abie Reznick on a beautiful fade route in the back of the end zone right over the outstretched arms of Bacharach to tie the game. He then connected again with David Pensak for the would-be dagger and game winning extra-point to start the 2019 season 1-0.

11 INSPIRING JEWS ... ONE BOOK AT A TIME

FROM

MARAN RAV CHAIM KANIEVSKY SHLITA, enrich YOUR Shabbos table

Bring the Parashah to LIFE!

Weekly Parashah

THE

An illustrated retelling ofthe Chumash with Midrash

‫ספר בראשית‬

SEFER BEREISHIS

By RABBI NACHMAN ZAKON Illustrated by TOVA KATZ

who Who’s Torah

BEREISHIS D ‫בראשית‬

A unique collection by a world-renowned speaker

NEW!

ything sed with Ever

Bles

Compiled by Rabbi Shai Graucher

A new collection of stories by Rabbi Pruzansky

the Rainbow

when From then on turned gray! m’s hair was afraid to start tell the difference and Avrahaoach could working to Hashem agreed, rebuild the world. Now people descenda looked old. nts sinned and young. What if his old Hashem got old, they daughters,and

destroyed it again? people Sos and mother There were Hashem said times in historyand sons, to Noach and n fathers unbreakable agreeme betwee his sons, “I am in which people were so making an nt with you and all your descenda good that Hashem animals, birds, nts, and with all never wild beasts, and every living thing him will there be a Eliezerconsidered destroying the on earth. Never had blessed Mabul to destroy world. again the world.” he had old age, Hashem left to Eretz When that happened Then reached m across wealth, When Avraham the sky a dazzling gavethere were no rainbows! enormous y the time Avraha rainbow appeared sin.. ing. Besides “This Yisrael, King Nimrod his rainbow everyth He couldn’t with sin! is For gift: a — to example, sign ay of desire the in “bakol” the time agreement welive the had no him a going-aw When made.” hara of King Chizkiyahu weand Avraham see a rainbow, Hashem let him and in d his yetzer servant Eliezer. tests, and now we say a blessing, to thank promisin that the time of Rabbidefeate ten much his g so not all to flood the world Shimon Hashem for trusted Eliezer had passed m again. barhis Yochai, Avraha no rainbow has the ever in peace. he let Eliezer manage ld. his son, which life “ben,” his appeared househo of his rest in the sky. both t blessing was ical value] of all the gematria [numer Avraham’s greates Eliezer learned “bakol” (the and cal value as teachings of Avraham same numeri with a others. is 52). oach was a man of the he was blessed taught them to means earth. He was a farmer “ben” and “bakol” “bakol” land. After went to fight who worked the the Mabul he planted one opinion When Avraham According to a vineyard, using Eliezer was the vines “Bakol.” the small grapethe five kings, her name was he had brought with him went with him to the Teivah. daughter, and same day he planted only one who Miraculously, the the grapevines, to the battle.

in the

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.

The Promise of

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Comments, perspectives, and stories on the Weekly Parashah

Drunk!

grew grapes. Noach grapes then made duc the h same day. out differently The First Shid have turned they

wine out of the

would and he would THE WEEKLY PARASHrealized that if things vraham AH have been killed m’s mission? , Yitzchak would

that his Eliezer hoped marry daughter would , Eliezer was Yitzchak. However would a Canaanite. Avraham marry to not allow Yitzchak children of her, because the cursed by Canaan had been and Yitzchak Noach. Avraham nts of Shem, were descenda had blessed. whom Noach someone A match between blessed cursed and someone work. would not

The Jaffa Family Edition

Author of the best-selling novel, “In the Spider’s Web”

on Avraha at the Akeidah have carried . After all, ! Who would to get married have no children for Yitzchak it was time Avraham realized forty years old. shidduch. Yitzchak was student, Eliezer. of the first Jewish servant and This is the story a wife m’s trusted was Avraha an” go about finding to on how The “shadch instructions should be looking him careful kind of girl Eliezer Avraham gave the ed and he describ for Yitzchak, for.

im!

No Canaan

to Eliezer, “Swear vraham told s of the holines Hashem by not of bris milah the mitzvah to marry Canaanite girl to bring a where I was to the country k Yitzchak. Go Yitzcha for back a girl born and bring want to from my family.” s if she doesn’t k there? “What happen I take Yitzcha asked. “Should “Hashem will come?” Eliezer m answered. not!” Avraha bring a wife “Absolutely and you will to go with you, send an angel son. back for my

Hashem Which angel did send with Eliezer? angel — Avraham’s special Metatron.

102

Y PARASHAH THE WEEKL

Unlock your culinary creativity!

NEW!

VA R I ATIONS Simple and Delicous Dishes. Two Ways.

Heartwarming stories and uplifting insights to enlighten your life by Rabbi Binyomin Pruzansky

The wisdom and wit of

Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky

A novel of suspense and mystery by Chaim Eliav

by the author of The Silver Platter cookbooks

Daniella Silver

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

Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at www.artscroll.com • 1-800-MESORAH (637-6724)

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

Jaffa Family Edition

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

New for the entire family.

Let the Sar HaTorah,

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Simchas Beis Hoshoava At Khal Machzekei Torah With Horav Nessenel Kostelitz

Yeshivas Chol Hamoed at Agudah Park Heights

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME OCTOBER 31, 2019

Boys and Men Full Length, 3/4, and car coats

$135 – $199

reg $450.00

NOW only $199

1110 Reisterstown Rd | 410.358.2796

Non-Iron Shirt

S 11-6 M-T 11-7 W-Th 11-9 F 11-2 | Mincha M-Th 3:15

BALTIMORE • BROOKLYN • CEDARHURST • CHICAGO LAKEWOOD • MONSEY • LOS ANGELES • TORONTO Must mention this ad. Not valid with any other offer, special, or discount. We are not responsible for typos. All prices are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.

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

BLOWOUT! Vescada 3/4 coat

Home of the Famous

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Around the Community

50th and 51st Anniversary Celebration

almudical Acdemy graduating classes of 1968 and 1969 have organized a Shabbos weekend at the Pearlstone. There I”H will be 30 people attending that weekend and taking part in the Shabbaton I”H on November 8 th. Sunday the group will have a gather-

ing thatSunday November 10 th at 1 PM at the Royal Restaurant of all classes 1963-1973. The lunch will memorialize four huge personalities who added so much to the TA graduates in the 60’s and 70’s. We will focus on Rabbi Hyman Samson, Dr. Gershon Kranzler, Rabbi Boruch Millikowski

and Mr. Ernst Yaniger. Rabbi Joseph Rottenberg will be invited as a speaker if he is able to attend I”H. Also Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yanky Lefkowitz I”H will be in attendace, Anyone who would like to attend the lunch please call Eli W. Sclossberg 443-621-0298.

Gov. Hogan Announces Special Election To Fill Cummings’ Seat By: Staff Reporter BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

ov. Larry Hogan announced a special election Monday to fill the 7th Congressional District vacancy after the passing of U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings.

Candidates must submit their certificate of candidacy by Nov.20, 2019. The special primary election will be held on Feb. 4, 2020, and a special general election held the same day as the normal primary, April 28, 2020. Hogan extended the minimum duration of the election to give the Maryland State Board of Elections more

time to prepare and allow service members overseas a chance to vote.

Cummings died early Oct. 17 at Gilchrist Hospice Care due to complications from longstanding health issues, his office said in a statement. Cummings was 68. The filing deadline for the special primary is Nov. 20. Candidates can begin filing petitions to run in the primary on Wednesday.

one n

Artists Circle SUNDAY | NOVEMBER 3 | 7:00 PM CARL FREEMAN AUDITORIUM

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Showcase

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

nl o t h ig

2001 OLNEY SANDY SPRING RD | OLNEY, MD

MUSIC!

COMEDY! SINGING!

DANCE!

S AV E $ 8 .50

OFF THE DOOR PRICE WITH CODE SHOWCASE850 FOR PURCHASES ON NOV. 1 & 2

TICKETS & INFO AT WWW. AR TISTS - CIRCLE .COM A GIR L S & WO M EN O NLY E VENT

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

AN EVENING OF PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE FOR WOMEN, BY WOMEN

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

HAVE YOU HEARD THE EXCITING NEWS?

3.xx%

With the largest one-week decline in 10 years, mortgage rates are now trending back toward percentages that begin with 3 instead of 4!

If you’re looking to purchase a home - or even save money on your current mortgage, NOW’S THE TIME TO ACT!

Sample Loan Scenarios: $299,000 purchase price, $284,050 loan amount, 5% down payment, $2,048/month (PITI), 30-year xed 3.75% interest rate , 3.959% APR; $299,000 purchase price, $284,050 loan amount, 5% down payment, $2,097/month (PITI), 30-year xed 4.50% interest rate, 4.653% APR; $299,000 purchase price, $284,050 loan amount, 5% down payment, $2,183/month (PITI), 30-year xed 5.00% interest rate, 5.162% APR.

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

Subject to property type, loan-to-value and credit score. All mortgage products are subject to credit and property approval. Rates, program terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Additional conditions, qualiications, and restrictions may apply. Please contact Academy Mortgage for more information.

APPLY ONLINE

TODAY!

academymortgage.com/samrosenblatt

SAM ROSENBLATT Mortgage Planner | NMLS# 75844

(410) 375-4447

Sam@TheRosenblattGroup.com www.TheRosenblattGroup.com 11019 McCormick Road Suite 410 | Hunt Valley, MD 21031 State Lic: MD #237 | Corp State Lic: MD #12423 Corp NMLS #3113 | Intended for Maryland Consumers Only

TEXT MTG TO 410-375-4447 FOR

MY MOBILE APP

Seconds

Sponsored By

Sam Rosenblatt

Mortgage Planner I NMLS# 75844

(410) 375-4447

Sam@TheRosenblattGroup.com www.TheRosenblattGroup.com

613 Seconds with Nisa Felps (Baltimore Shabbat Project 2019)

I thought that the Baltimore Shabbat Project was an outreach initiative. What makes it relevant for the Orthodox community? Many people may have initially thought that this is a kiruv project because it is an opportunity to reach out to people and invite them for Shabbos. That is one aspect, but the project is so much more than that. It is relevant to every single Jew because Shabbat belongs to all of us. Everyone can use encouragement to get more out of Shabbos and make it a special time for learning and growing. There are many opportunities to participate: learn about halachos of Shabbos, go to a shiur, invite that colleague from work who might experience their first Shabbos in your home, organize Shabbos lunch for several families on your block (including people from other denominations), organize something in your shul, host an Oneg Shabbat on Friday night or a Havdalah/Melave Malka in your home on Motzai Shabbos. BSP is also encouraging people to “Share the Light” and “Reach out and

What other projects are you involved in? Baruch Hashem, I am a two-time breast cancer survivor. I work with Myriad Women’s Health to help spread breast cancer awareness around the country, with special emphasis on information about the BRCA gene. As Ashkenazic Jews, we have a 1 in 40 chance of testing positive for this genetic mutation, as compared with 1 in 400 in the general population. I feel it is my responsibility to Klal Yisroel to educate, create awareness, and do whatever I can to save lives. When you save a life, it’s as if you have saved the world. It is our responsibility as Jews to be proactive when it comes to pekuach nefesh. In conjunction with

The Shabbat Project and Sharsheret, we are planning 23 Pink Challah Bakes all over the country with over 5,000 participants to promote breast cancer awareness. I am proud that this grassroots movement began here in Baltimore and has, B”H, grown and expanded. Any other thoughts you would like to share with our readers? This is such a special community! I grew up here and feel connected to the full spectrum of Baltimore Jews. BSP is about lowering the walls that separate us. It’s about adjusting our lenses to see that as Jews, we can transcend the ideologies that separate us in order to come together around the values that we have in common. Religion is so deeply personal. When we respect others, we earn others’ respect. Let’s come together as ONE people. Let’s all work together to increase Ahavas Yisroel and bring Moshiach.

2516 Quarry Lake Drive (410) 486-Wine

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

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

What is the main goal of the Baltimore Shabbat Project? The Baltimore Shabbat Project (BSP) is part of the international Shabbat Project that was initiated in South Africa. Its goal is to unite the Jewish people around our shared heritage of Shabbat. Although we may celebrate differently, this unique day of rest belongs to all of Klal Yisroel. It is a chance to pause and reflect on what Shabbat or Shabbos means to you and your family. It is also about deepening our relationship with Shabbos, as well as connecting to ourselves, the community and, ultimately, Hashem. Baltimore has hosted the Shabbat Project for several years. What is different this year? I have had the z’chus to be involved with BSP in some capacity for the past six years. We needed to evolve, as any project does, in order to stay relevant. This year, the board decided to decentralize our programming responsibilities so we could focus more on what

Connect,” which we feel are central themes of Shabbos. Many people may choose to use the Shabbat Project as an incentive to step outside the box and try something different.

RubyLaskerDesigns

the project is essentially about... Shabbos! We have several special speakers before the project to prepare us and elevate this specific Shabbos on Parshas Vayeira, 11/15-11/16. We are bringing in Rabbi and Rebbetzin Feiner from Far Rockaway to inspire us here in Baltimore. This Shabbos is special because over one million Jews around the world will be celebrating together as ONE people. I think it’s important for us to tap into that spiritual energy and feel the shift that is happening. We need to pause and connect.

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME OCTOBER 31, 2019 B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

11/6- The ABC’s of an Awesome Shabbat given by Rabbi Nitzan Bergman at OMJCC at 8pm 11/4- Shabbat- Filling our Souls for the Work that Awaits by Rabbi Elyssa Sachs-Kohen at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation at 7:30pm 11/7- Unplugging from Our Devices and Reconnecting with People Around Us w/ Tiffany Shlain skyping in at Krieger Schechter Day School in partnership with Beth Tfiloh for all middle schoolers at 7pm 11/10- Creating Harmony with the Music of Shabbos by Rabbi Paysach Krohn at Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion at 7:30pm 11/10- Unplugged Ravens Tailgate party with Beth El at Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah from 12-4pm 11/10-11/15- Shabbat Appreciation Week at both Owings Mills and Park Heights JCCs 11/11- The Big Baltimore Challah Bake in partnership with Jewnity at OMJCC at 7pm 11/12- Braided:A Journey of a Thousand Challahs author Beth Ricannati is speaking in partnership with Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Oheb Shalom at 7pm 11/13- Sanctity and Serenity: Appreciating the Gift of Shabbos by Rabbi Shmuel Silber in partnership with WIT at BJSZ at 8pm 11/14- Get to know Shabbat in partnership with The Center for Jewish Education at 7pm 11/14- Senior Challah Bake at Myerberg Center at 1pm 11/15-11/17 Etz Chaim is taking a bus (for free!) to an amazing, inspirational Shabbat Retreat for the Body & Soul by JInspire in New Jersey 11/15- KSDS will have a school wide event connecting families for a home-based Shabbat Meal. 11/15- Beth Israel will host a Shabbat Around the World dinner starting at 6:13pm 11/15- Special services and special guest speaker Rabbi Eytan Feiner at Tferes Yisroel (Rabbi Goldberger’s Shul) - 4:30pm 11/15- Come after dinner to sing beautiful melodies with uplifting stories by Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner at The Ari Fuld Building on Fallstaff Road (women’s event)- 7:30pm 11/16- Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim is having special morning services with special guest speaker Rabbi Eytan Feiner - 9am 11/16- Ner Tamid is hosting a joint lecture about the gift of Shabbat at 3pm 11/16- Taking Shabbos Home and into Our Heart by Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner at BJSZ- 3pm (women’s event) 11/16- Shalom Shabbat at OMJCC - 3:30-5:15pm 11/16- Shabbos Kodesh: The Quest for Internal and Eternal Peace by Rabbi Eytan Feiner at Congregation Shomrei Emunah - 3:30pm 11/16- Community wide Seudah Shlishit going into Havdallah at BJSZ - 4:30pm

The Week In News

OCTOBER 31, 2019

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

IDF Wants to Become Faster and More Lethal IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi wants the military to become faster, more deadly, and able to battle Israel’s enemies on over three different fronts simultaneously. That is the goal of Kochavi’s proposed five-year plan that he first unveiled last week. Nicknamed “Tenufa” or “Momentum,” the initiative is the work of several think tanks and working groups composed of senior IDF officers.

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

The main thrust of the multi-year plan is transforming the military in order to ensure that it can effectively counter threats emanating from a variety of fronts, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Judea and Samaria. As such, the program will focus on improving the IDF’s rapid attack and missile defense capabilities, with an emphasis on defeating the enemy within the first few hours of a future war. This includes the acquisition of precision missiles, tanks, and a massive target bank for the air force to hit in the opening stages of an upcoming battle. Integrated with a new advanced command and control center, the target bank will enable the IDF to concentrate on destroying enemy targets as opposed to collecting intelligence. In addition, Kochavi wants to build an arsenal consisting of tens of thousands of ballistic missiles. The Defense Ministry has proposed establishing advanced ballistic missile capabilities for years in order to counter the 150,000 missiles possessed by

Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to IDF intelligence estimates, the aforementioned missiles will pound Israeli air bases, destroying runways and preventing war planes from taking off. The ballistic missiles would then provide another way for Israel to hit its enemies should the IAF be grounded by enemy rocket fire. Kochavi’s plan needs government approval and cannot proceed until a coalition is established. Defense commentators also doubt that the general can win such expansive funding from the next government, which is likely to implement broad cuts to balance the budget. Kochavi’s emphasis on battling multiple enemies at once is a major shift for the IDF. Traditionally, the IDF prepared itself for defeating opposing armies that were close to its borders, such as Syria and Egypt. However, in recent years, Iranian proxies have been preparing to fight Israel from places as far away as Iraq and Yemen, forcing the military to develop new long-range capabilities. “On both the northern and southern fronts, the situation is tense and fragile and could deteriorate into a confrontation,” Kochavi said. “In both cases, this is an Iranian-led effort, using the territory of countries with very limited governments.”

Tipping the Scales

Israelis should start eating more Israeli salad and less laffas. A new report published by the OECD last week shows that half of Israelis are overweight and warns that excess weight is shortening their life span by three years and four months. The 250-page report also highlights the harm to one’s health caused by being overweight and the heavy costs involved with taking care of these health conditions. According to the report, 50.9%

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

The Week In News of Israelis are overweight, with 27% being obese. One in every three children (about 35%) is overweight or pre-obese – dramatically higher than the OECD average. An overweight population takes a high toll on the economy of countries like Israel, costing an average of 3% of GDP each year. In Israel, medical costs related to excess weight amount at approximately NIS 39 billion a year. But the Jewish State is not alone. The report also found that at least half of the population of 34 different OECD countries are overweight, with one out of every four people being obese. From 2010 to 2016, there was a 3% rise in number of people in OECD countries suffering from obesity, which translates to 50 million people. Obesity directly affects people’s lifespans. For example, obesity in Mexico translates into a shortened lifespan by 4.2 years; in Poland and Russia those who are obese can expect to live 3.9 years shorter than their slimmer counterparts; and in the United States and Hungary a rotund

waistline will cut 3.7 years off your life. Additionally, illnesses associated with obesity will claim the lives of approximately 90 million people in OECD countries over the next 30 years.

Israeli Region to be Powered by 100% Solar Energy

As the world mobilizes to fight climate change, a region in southern Israel says it will switch to using only solar energy. According to the officials in the Arava region, which covers large swaths of southern Israel including

Flower Delivery Club

Ruby Lasker Designs

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

Join the

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

Shelly’s Blossom

Shop

410.961.4199

the resort city of Eilat, it will reach its goal of using 100% solar energy by the middle of 2020. The Arava region’s successful campaign came as the result of a collaborative effort between Energiya Global and Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy. Energiya Global has extensive experience in the solar energy field and has built large installations in Africa before shifting its attention to Israel. Eilat-Eilot is an NGO working to promote alternative energy sources in southern Israel. “When the Arava region had the initial goal of 100% daytime [solar energy] by 2020, there were so many naysayers – and for relatively good reasons: cost, space, and grid stability, along with regulatory, statutory, and political [feasibility],” said Energiya Global CEO Yosef Abramowitz. “We’ve answered every concern that not just a region would have, but that a country would have.” The two companies are now pressing the Israeli government to pass a law that would mandate the country to become 100% solar-energy-reliant during daytime hours by 2030. Currently, fossil fuels provide 95% of Israel’s electricity.

Soldiers Reprimanded in Hezbollah Attack Two IDF officers received official reprimands for ignoring orders and exposing five soldiers to Hezbollah anti-tank missiles during a clash in August. During the attack, Hezbollah fired two Kornet anti-tank missiles at an IDF armored vehicle that was traveling on a road adjoining the Israel-Lebanon border. The missile missed the military ambulance and only punctured its right tire, saving the troops inside from an almost certain death. In the after-action report published on Sunday, Northern Command Head Major General Amir Baram recommended that disciplinary action be taken against two senior officers for allowing the armored vehicle to travel on the exposed road. Amid the saber-rattling with Hezbollah at the

time, the IDF had forbidden military vehicles from traveling on the road in order to refrain from giving the militia targets to shoot at. According to the IDF, the probe found “deficiencies in the battalion’s command and control processes during deployment, and that despite instructions from his commanders, the deputy battalion commander approved the movement of the specific military vehicle on the prohibited axis.

“In addition, the inquiry indicates that the regional brigade conducted insufficient monitoring and supervision over the movement on the roads.” A battalion commander and his deputy were also censured for leaving their military base unguarded during the Hezbollah attack despite the highly sensitive equipment inside. The IDF had been caught redfaced after a journalist working for Russia Today filmed herself strolling through the desert military post and pointing out the different types of tanks to her viewers. Overall, the report found that the operation was a success, concluding that “the combat preparations had achieved their objectives.” However, the probe noted that “at the same time, the Chief of Staff determined that the movement of a military vehicle beyond a roadblock in front of enemy-controlled territory was a serious operational failure.” The report comes almost two months after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire on the northern border. During the firefight, Hezbollah fired a pair of Kornet anti-tank missiles at the armored IDF ambulance, leading Israel to respond by showering the terror group’s positions with more than 100 shells. News reports later said that Israel had hoodwinked Hezbollah by evacuating troops that were not actually injured in order to fool the militia into thinking that the attack against Israel was successful.

Full Service Travel + Planning

So due to popular demand, we’re excited to introduce PEYD36! Now in addition to helping you optimize your travel miles, PEYD360can also handle every aspect of your travel needs: from hotel and car rentals, to creating a 360-degree itinerary that works with all of your travel requirements. We navigate through all of the tedious and time-consuming travel planning details, so that you don’t have to.

646.801.PEYD (7393)

getpeyd.com | info@getpeyd.com

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

Whether you need help with your travel points or travel plans, or whether traveling for business or pleasure, PEYD360will help you go further, faster, for less.

OCTOBER 31, 2019

We’ve helped thousands of customers use their travel miles and loyalty points to book flights, hotel accommodations, and car rentals. In fact, we’ve been so successful at maximizing mileage and minimizing travel costs that our customers have repeatedly asked us to provide even more travel services.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Introducing

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

The Week In News Bibi’s Case Heats Up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can be heard threatening Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon “Noni” Mozes in a recording of a secret meeting the two held in 2015. The recording, which was aired on Saturday evening by Israel’s Channel 13, was the basis of the subsequent criminal probe known as Case 2000. The investigation centers around Netanyahu’s attempt to pass a law shuttering the right-wing Yisrael Hayom daily in exchange for favorable press coverage by Yediot Aharonot.

The best-selling Yisrael Hayom, which is owned by Netanyahu ally and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, had cut into Yediot Aharonot’s profits and overtook it as the country’s most read newspaper. A month before the meeting, the Knesset passed the Yisrael Hayom Law in its first reading that would have shuttered the freebie. In the subsequent summit, Netanyahu and Mozes can be heard hatching the illicit quid pro quo while alternatively threatening and flattering each other. The meeting was surreptitiously recorded by then-Netanyahu Chief of Staff Ari Harrow, who has since turned state’s witness and is testifying against his former boss. In the opening minutes of the recording, Netanyahu is heard telling Mozes that he would ensure that the Yisrael Hayom Law passes if the mogul would dial down his newspaper’s blistering anti-Netanyahu coverage. “The law is just as itself and I will support it,” Netanyahu said. “But if you come to knock me down, I will use all my capabilities – and I will do that because it will become my life’s mission [sic.]. You need to know me. You know me, partially. That is a

thing that can be avoided.” The prime minister went on to single out specific journalists whom he said were unfairly targeting him. “There is a reporter named Yigal Sarna. Do you know him? He works for you,” Netanyahu said. After Mozes said that he had tried to “get rid” of Sarna, Netanyahu complained that “you didn’t fire him – Yigal Sarna decided to write against me [sic.] this week”. In a different recording made a year earlier, Netanyahu told Mozes that “I’m not talking about honesty and decent media. And it’s not about you lowering the bar of hostility toward me from nine-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half...” Following the publication of the recording this week, Netanyahu said in a statement that he had only been seeking to pull a fast one on Mozes and had never intended to go through with the deal. “Anyone who listens to the entirety of the tapes between Netanyahu and Mozes will understand very well that it was Mozes who was extorting and threatening Netanyahu – and Netanyahu, all in all, clarified that he will not respond to media attacks by Mozes, just like the attacks he made during the election campaign,” said the premier. Netanyahu and Mozes are both expected to be indicted for fraud and breach of trust for the illicit deal, which was never implemented. Netanyahu is waiting for Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to make a final decision whether to indict him in Case 2000 and two other corruption probes known as Case 1000 and Case 4000.

Zuckerberg Grilled in Congress Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced a blistering barrage of questions from often-hostile lawmakers in Congress last week as he

tried to defend his company’s new Libra cryptocurrency. Zuckerberg had been summoned by the House Financial Services Committee to testify regarding Facebook’s plans for Libra. However, the CEO was slammed by lawmakers for what they saw as a slew of problems at Facebook that were unconnected to the upcoming launch of Libra.

Rep. Maxine Waters, who chairs the committee, opened the hearing by slamming Facebook for trafficking user data, enabling people to run what she alleged were racist housing ads, and for allowing the site to be used by the Russians to sway the 2016 presidential election. Personally singling out Zuckerberg for criticism, Waters blasted the tech mogul for refusing to subject paid political ads to third-party fact checking. “You’re willing to step on anyone – your competitors, women, and people of color, even our democracy,” Waters said in her opening remarks. Lawmakers pressed Zuckerberg on encryption, censorship, child abuse content, and Facebook’s plan to integrate the data from its messaging apps. Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat on the committee, slammed Facebook for not doing more to support the existing infrastructure to help the unbanked rather than embarking on a massively ambitious project that the CEO conceded was “risky.” It wasn’t all fire and brimstone directed at the head of the social networking service. Legislators did, at times, concede that it was important to foster innovation in the United States, as Zuckerberg has done. Referring to both President Donald Trump and Zuckerberg, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, a Republican on the committee, said, “You’re both very successful businessmen, you’re both capitalists. You’ve done very well, but

I think really what you share in common is you both challenge the status quo. He calls it ‘draining the swamp;’ you see it as innovation.” During the testimony, Zuckerberg said that Libra could revolutionize the global payments system, making it easier to send money around the world and potentially benefiting the underbanked. “People pay far too high a cost – and have to wait far too long – to send money home to their families abroad. The current system is failing them,” Zuckerberg said. The digital currency will be managed by an organization comprised of 21 companies, including Facebook. The social networking firm has one seat of five on the board. Facebook›s involvement – and Libra›s potential access to its more than 2 billion users – nonetheless helped make Libra a bigger concern for regulators. In his prepared remarks, Zuckerberg also attempted to defuse fears about Libra’s potential impact on existing currencies. Zuckerberg said Libra “is not an attempt to create a sovereign currency.” He also noted that Libra will be backed “mostly by dollars,” referencing the Libra Reserve that will back the coin 1:1.

Anti-Semitism Rampant in Columbia/ Barnard

Two Ivy League schools in New York are breeding grounds for hatred against Jews, according to a new report released last Wednesday. The report noted that Columbia University and its sister school, Barnard College, in New York City as “a hotbed for hate,” documenting “systemic anti-Semitism and an ingrained delegitimization of Israel” at the schools. Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF),

25 U Y w

a sr

ir s Fa

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

I & 1/17 s se se n: 1 /24 ou e 1 h ou H om : 1 pen n en o pe r W M u/ d O Fo For u.e w

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

The Week In News an alumni network trying to combat campus anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias, released the 33-page report, which cited more than 100 incidents “that have contributed to a hostile climate” at the colleges since the 2016-17 academic year and included “anti-Semitic expressions, incidents targeting Jewish students and staff, and BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) activity.” The report recorded how the work of Columbia faculty members has allegedly targeted Jewish and Zionist students. “These campuses are arguably the most prominent settings for university-based anti-Semitism in the United States,” the report said. The report details incidents classified as anti-Semitism under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition: bigotry against Jewish people often used by the U.S. government and other governments. One incident mentioned is from November 2018 when a Columbia University Jewish professor’s office was vandalized with swastikas and an anti-Semitic slur was found spray-painted in red in the entryway to the Holocaust scholar’s office. The report also documented an April 2018 Barnard’s Student Government Association letter reportedly urging administrators to divest from eight companies with ties to Israel. The ACF report also documented a “die-in,” a form of protest in which participants simulate being dead on Columbia’s campus, which was held in May. At the protest a student speaker with the group Students for Justice in Palestine reportedly read a statement that condoned terrorism and delegitimized Israel. Ofir Dayan is a junior at Columbia University studying political science and the daughter of Dani Dayan, Israel’s consul general in New York. After experiencing several anti-Semitic incidents at the college, she informed ACF when Columbia did nothing to address the issues. Dayan, the president of Columbia University’s Students Supporting Israel, said her group attended the die-in protest in May and also submitted a complaint: “Columbia decided to discard it and not do anything about it.” Dayan said the “harassment” that Jewish and pro-Israel students face on

campus has been documented and presented to Columbia University officials several times, but “there was always an excuse not to do something about it.” She cited the college’s Professor Hamid Dabashi who wrote on his Facebook page comparing Israel to ISIS. Columbia said that he could write what he wanted on his own Facebook page. Dabashi is a tenured Columbia University professor of Iranian studies. In 2018, in response to the U.S. pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, he tweeted, “Every dirty treacherous ugly and pernicious act happening in the world just wait for a few days and the ugly name of “Israel” will pup...” In response to the damning report, a Columbia University spokesperson said in a statement sent to Fox News, “Columbia is deeply proud of our thriving Jewish student, faculty, and staff communities on campus, the contributions and accomplishments of our Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies Center, and the many other academic initiatives, public programs, and social events that are part of the fabric of Jewish life here.” Barnard College echoed, “Barnard College values its vibrant Jewish community and is committed to providing all of our students, faculty, and staff with the support and resources they need to express their religious beliefs in a welcoming environment. Anti-Semitism has no place at Barnard and is a direct violation of our non-discrimination policy. We will continue to uphold the rights of everyone on our campus and provide students with the skills and abilities to think critically, deeply, and with moral courage about the complex world around them.”

Quantum Quick Google announced last Wednesday that is has achieved the impossible. The tech company said that it has designed a machine that needs only 200 seconds to solve a problem that would take the world’s fastest supercomputer 10,000 years to figure out. The speed achieved by the computer represents a breakthrough called “quantum supremacy,” according to a blog post from the company and an accompanying article in the scientific journal Nature.

The achievement makes way for the rise of quantum computers, which can store and process much more information than their classical cousins by tapping into the powerful forces contained in the field of physics known as quantum mechanics. Normal computers use data that exist in only one state at a time – a one or a zero. Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can simultaneously be any combination of zero and one. The difference means much faster processing speeds. Google will now try to build “a fault-tolerant quantum computer” as quickly as possible. That can quickly change the world as we know it – including lighter batteries for cars and airplanes as well as new medications. “Achieving the necessary computational capabilities will still require years of hard engineering and scientific work. But we see a path clearly now, and we’re eager to move ahead,” Google said in the post.

Google’s major announcement came along with dissent from other companies. IBM said in a blog post on Monday that Google had overestimated the difficulty of the computing task. Instead of 10,000 years, IBM argued the problem could be solved by a classical computer in just 2.5 days. “We urge the community to treat claims that, for the first time, a quantum computer did something that a classical computer cannot with a large dose of skepticism,” IBM said. Google CEO Sundar Pichai defended the company’s claim in an interview with MIT Technology Review, comparing it to the Wright brothers’ attempts at flight. “The first plane flew only for 12 seconds, and so there is no practical application of that,” said Pichai. “But it showed the possibility that a plane could fly.” China is considered a leader in the development of quantum computing, which could have significant military applications. The United States is try-

ing to catch up, sparking fears of a quantum arms race.

Wanted: Python Hunters

Florida is brimming with snakes. The slithering creatures have gotten out of hand. In an effort to stem the Burmese python infestation from taking over the state, the South Florida Water Management District recently put out a call looking for “python removal agents.” The python elimination program tripled its budget earlier this year to approximately $1 million, expanded to five counties, and will double its contracted hunters to 50. So far, 2,600 people have applied for the job. Mohammad Asghari is one of them. Living in Iran, he spent his youth catching vipers found in the mountains near his home in Tehran. Now, although he works as an electrical engineer in Iran, he hopes to nab the python elimination position and settle in Florida. He owns more than 70 snakes, including dozens of Boa constrictors and Burmese pythons, many of which he bought illegally through the black market. “They can’t hurt me at all,” he told the Miami Herald. “I fully understand their behavior.” If snakes are your thing, this may be a job for you. But the pay is dismal: $15 an hour with a one-year contract and no health care benefits. In other words, if you’re bitten on the job, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for your Band-Aids. Even so, catchers are rewarded bonuses for each snake caught, and they’ll have access to “exclusive gated areas” in nature preserves. Rory Feeney, land resources bureau chief for the South Florida Water Management District, said experience is key for landing the position. “There are a lot of qualified individuals out there,” said Feeney. “I

Always Torah Always Together That’s Torah Together

I’ve Always wanted

in a welcoming environment where I could Always

with a chavrusa, tailored to my needs.

OCTOBER 31, 2019

be myself while benefitting from learning Together

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

to further my Torah knowledge

That’s what I found when I discovered this program.

Jews of every background and knowledge level,

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.

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

growing and learning… Torah Together.”

The Week In News

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Baltimore • KIDNEY DONOR •

Miriam Jacoby I was a life-long Chicago native, when I moved to Baltimore 15 years ago to be nearer to my married children. My first contact with the concept of kidney donation was when my cousin had a baby born with minimal kidney function. His father ended up donating to him, but it put the thought in my head. Several years later, when I heard Rabbi Frand talk about someone in Baltimore who needed a kidney, it seemed like something I should do. While the surgery itself did not scare me, initially the idea of having only one kidney did. I did quite a bit of research, and I was reassured that living with one kidney was not scary, and the benefits of donating far outweighed risks. When you donate a kidney, the recipient gets a kidney, but you get the mitzvah. The kidney may last until 120, but the mitzvah lasts forever. In addition, by donating, you set an example for your children and grandchildren in a way that really makes an impression. While we tell our children many things, they don’t always hear the message. This is a message they DO hear. I know that my children heard that message, as one of my daughters became a stem cell donor. At the time I donated, one of my grandchildren was around 3 or 4, and she didn’t quite get it. For some time after the donation, she kept reminding me that I only had one kidney. She was afraid that I would forget, and I would give that one away too!

look for people who have regional experience, who know the Everglades, who care about the Everglades.” The snakes have run rampant around the Everglades since the 1960s when they either escaped or were released into the wild. Hurricane Andrew destroyed a python breeding facility in 1992, further accelerating the python problem. Tom Rahill has some advice for those looking to trap the snakes. Rahill, 62, is an IT administrator by day and an accomplished python removal agent by night. He has captured more than 700 pythons since he started keeping track in 2008, when he began working as a volunteer. Rahill describes wrangling with full-grown Burmese pythons, which can reach 17 feet long, as “a fight for life.” Rahill never kills his prey, but brings each snake in alive. The key, he said, is to control their head. A python’s first instinct is to stay still or creep away, but when that doesn’t work the snake will hiss, coil, lunge, bite, defecate, and even “throw elbows” upon contact as Rahill puts it, by trying to constrict the hunter’s limbs. But a python has only one lung and it has to expand and contract its body to power that lung. The human has the biological advantage. “You can wear them out,” Rahill said. “We can outlast the python.” Even so, pythons don’t go quietly – pythons have four rows of razor-sharp back curving teeth that Rahill has felt sink into his flesh on numerous occasions. “I think I still have python teeth in my leg,” he said, referring to a recent encounter with a 17-footer.

JOIN US! AS WE HONOR OUR LOCAL KIDNEY DONORS & SUPPORT RENEWAL

1 1 . 2 . 1 9 | 8 : 3 0 P M | S HOM R E I E MUNAH

I Scream for Guinea Pigs Guinea pigs are used to try out new things but now people are trying guinea pigs out for a change.

An ice cream vendor in Ecuador is reportedly seeing demand for her new – and arguably strangest – offering. It’s made using the flesh of guinea pigs.

Guinea pig meat, known as “cuy” in Ecuador, is typically eaten as a savory dish there and in other South American countries, like Peru and Colombia, where it’s often grilled and served whole. But María del Carmen Pilapaña, who runs a small stall near the capital of Quito, has stumbled upon a completely new preparation – and it is a hit, she tells The Associated Press. “My family and my husband thought I was crazy,” Pilapaña told the outlet. “They didn’t think anyone would like these ice creams, but now they’re our main product.” In a stomach-churning twist, Pilapaña makes the ice cream by cooking down the guinea pig’s meat and making a pâté of sorts before blending it with milk or cream, freezing it, and serving it just like she does with her other flavors. Pilapaña is known for her out-ofthe-ordinary flavors of ice cream. She also has beetle-flavored and mushroom-flavored ice creams available. And she’s planning on experimenting with other meats and even crab in the future. She’s sure her customers will love those flavors, considering that they have given her guinea pig confection a thumbs up. “I was suspicious, but it was tasty,” one customer said after downing a guinea pig-flavored ice cream cone. Thank you. But I’ll just stick with vanilla.

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 *

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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 Area 5103 Gov. Ritchie Hwy 7870 Central Ave Forestville Plaza “Tall Yellow Building” Corner of 25th & Kirk Ave. 8643 Pulaski Hwy Brooklyn Park, 1 mi. north of Exit 11 off 95/495 7756 Marlboro Pike 695, exit 15-E (Rt 40 E), 5 mi. Across from the fire station Across from Golden Ring Mall Rt.4 - Exit 11 off 95/495 695 exit 3A, next to Rose’s 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

The Week In News

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Baltimore • KIDNEY DONORS •

CHANA FREEDMAN I am a 53 year old mother of 6 incredible children. I grew up in St. Louis and moved to Baltimore about 20 years ago with a detour in Israel and Toronto along the way. I work in a preschool setting helping children with their Aleph Beis and also do some shadow work with kids on the spectrum. My passions are gardening, music, listening to amazing torah classes and connecting to/with people. Renewal advertised that they were having a drive in Baltimore trying to find a match for a local Yid, I decided to test and although my family was initially concerned, when it came down to it I had their full support. I was matched to someone in NY and started the evaluation process. Renewal walked me through every step of the testing and streamlined all the logistics for me making the process very efficient. I donated over a year ago and feel great, truly honor to be able to help another person live longer.

maggie silver

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

Peaks at Top Speed

Maggie Silver is the mother of 4 and a recent grandmother. She became aware of the concept of altruistic kidney donation at the Baltimore Renewal drive for two community members. She and her husband both swabbed in the hopes of helping the people in the community. While neither was a match for the two Baltimore men, Maggie ended up being an excellent match for a patient in New York. Maggie is also a preschool teacher and has taught hundreds of boys in her capacity as a Pre 1- A morah at TA. Her kidney donation during the school year served as a catalyst for much discussion about anatomy and chesed. Her students were very proud and told others that their Morah was a kidney donor and explained what that meant.

J OI N U S ! A S W E HONOR OU R LO C AL K I DN E Y D ONOR S & S U P P OR T R E N E WAL

1 1 . 2 . 1 9 | 8 : 3 0 P M | S HOM R E I E M U NAH

Nirmal Purja now holds the title for summiting the world’s 14 highest peaks in record time. The Nepali mountaineer raced up all “8000ers” in just seven months – completing his herculean journey this week. Polish climber Jerzy Kukuczka completed the same feat after seven years, 11 months and 14 days in 1987 after Italy’s legendary Reinhold Messner became the first to scale the 14 peaks a year earlier. South Korean Kim Chang-ho completed the challenge one month slower than Kukuczka – although, unlike Kukuczka, who died in a climbing accident in 1989, he never used supplementary oxygen. The 36-year-old Purja, a former member of the Gurkhas – a unit of Nepalis recruited into the British army – as well as the elite Special Boat Service, kicked off his ambitious “Project Possible” in April. In the first part of his record attempt, Purja climbed Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu – among the highest of the “8000ers” – in just one month. A month later, he headed to Pakistan for the second part, where he first tackled the notorious Nanga Parbat at 8,125 meters. Battling sleep deprivation to meet his target, Purja said he was almost sprinting up and down five of Pakistan’s highest peaks including Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, and K2, the second tallest in the world. Twenty-three days later he was standing atop Broad Peak, his fifth and final mountain of the second phase. Purja began his final push in September, reaching the tops of Cho Oyu and Manaslu within a week.

When he first told others about his new quest, “everyone was laughing at me and saying ‘how it will be possible’?” Purja told AFP in a recent interview. “It is about trusting your ability,” he had said as he relaxed in Kathmandu waiting to ascend the final peak. “You always need to have (a) positive mindset because sometimes things will go wrong.”

Free BBQ for Life

If you’re good at finding things you may be eating ribs and steaks for the rest of your life. The owner of Rusted Silo Southern BBQ & Brew House in Indiana has put on a reward for anyone who can find the thieves who broke into his eatery a few weeks ago. The prize for being the best sleuth? Free barbecue for life. The thieves used a crowbar to force open the front door, unscrewed lights in the dining room so no one would see them, and took an undisclosed amount of money from a cash register. The 100-year-old cash register was destroyed in the process. Rob Ecker, who owns the restaurant, made wanted posters, which he’s given out to customers and put up in local businesses and even at the sheriff’s office. “Snitching never tasted so good,” the posters say. To spread the word further, Ecker offered a discount if customers take a selfie with one of the posters and share them on social media. Some people, in the hopes of gorging on ribs for a lifetime, have “turned in” their friends for the crime. One really hungry patron offered to turn in his mom. So far, the leads haven’t yielded anything really meaty.

mark every

occasion with

seforim nook

up to

OCTOBER 31, 2019

moment.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Create@StrategyArtGroup.com

$30 GIFT CARD SEFORIM NOOK

WITH YOUR CUSTOM TALLIS/TEFILLIN BAG PURCHASE.

516 Reisterstown Rd • NEXT DOOR TO THE KNISH SHOP T 410.417.8494 • E theseforimnook.orders@gmail.com HOURS: SUN-THURS 10 AM–7 PM • FRIDAY 10 AM–2:30 PM

@theseforimnook

PRICE MATCH guarantee

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

PRE-ORDER TODAY TO LOCK IN THIS DISCOUNT. EXP 11/30/19. GIFT CARD INCREASES WITH PURCHASE. ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS WHEN ORDERED AS PART OF A CHOSSON PACKAGE

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Torah Thought

down to Egypt with her husband, Avraham, we have the very first reference in Torah to the concept of “beauty” as well, when Sarah is described by the Egyptians as an extremely beautiful woman, )‫ (שם יב יד‬...‫כי יפה‬.

True Beauty

Indeed, the Talmud ).‫ (מגילה טו‬reports that Sarah was one of the four most beautiful women who ever lived! What is this preoccupation with beauty and its connection to a Kallah?

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

The Talmud ).‫ (ראש השנה כו‬records in the name of Reish Lakish that he once heard in a foreign land that they called a bride, ‫נינפי‬, “ninfi”. This he said was based on the verse ‫(תהלים‬ )‫מח ג‬, that refers to Yerushalayim as a beautiful kallah : ...‫יפה נוף‬, fairest of sites, joy of all earth. ‫ נינפי‬being a contraction of the sentiment ‫יפה נוף‬, thus

emphasizing her beauty. The very first "‫ "כלה‬mentioned as such in the Torah, was none other than Sarah Imeinu, where at the end of Noach she is described as, ‫שרי כלתו (ברא־‬ )‫שית יא לא‬, Sarai his daughter-in-law. In Lech Lecha when Sarah goes

Show your love with life insurance.

As a result of a famine in the “Promised Land” of Canaan, Avraham is faced with yet another test of faith, having to descend to Egypt to survive. On this arduous journey he “suddenly” notices his wife’s beauty and realizes the danger that may result from that reality as he has now entered the land of the “lecherous” Egyptians. Fearing they may kill him and snatch Sarah, he devises a plan to pass her off as his sister with the hope that they may then offer him riches to receive her hand in marriage, thus buying time. Upon viewing her, they realize she is so exceptional that she is only worthy of being offered to King Pharaoh.

Why hadn’t Avraham been aware of her beauty all these years? What prodded this new revelation? She was his niece after all who grew up in close proximity to his family, certainly he was aware of her good looks.

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

Rashi )‫ (שם כג א‬quotes a Midrash that says that Sarah’s beauty at the age of twenty was equivalent to that of a seven-year-old! Doesn’t a mature woman possess a more captivating beauty than that of a child?

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.

253673

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

He attempts to take her but is miraculously afflicted with severe plagues that disable him from ravishing her. Realizing this is a message from Hashem he returns her together with all the promised riches to Avraham and tells them to go!

The beauty of a child is pure, selfless and unassuming. An adult often “wears” one’s attractiveness. Sarah was truly stunning, but it reflected a beauty that radiated an inner purity and absolute innocence, like that wholesome charm of a pretty child. Avraham viewed Sarah for who

she was, an exquisitely spiritual woman who transmitted and inspired greatness of the spirit. He never saw anything one-dimensional and merely physical. When traveling towards Egypt he saw her reflection in the water (see ‫ )פרקי דרבי אליעזר פרק כו‬and observed for the first time a shallow reflection that couldn’t replicate her true radiance. It was then that he realized that her physical presentation in the eyes of the “blind” Egyptians would pose a danger. But even these low lives upon gazing at her knew she was only worthy of nobility. Pharaoh too after being informed of her true status is still awe inspired by her stature and gladly bestows riches on this woman that inspires deeply all who come in her presence. (see previous citation) ‫מעשה אמהות סימן לבנות‬ Every ‫ כלה‬is a daughter of ‫שרה‬, the very first "‫"כלה‬. Sarah instilled within all Jewish women an ability to enthuse a relationship with “true beauty”. It is no coincidence that the original Kallah epitomized the virtue of beauty. A marriage brings the Shechinah into a home. This perfection is reflected in the word ‫ כלה‬which stems from the root ‫כל‬, all, bringing completeness to a home, as only a wife can. ‫ יפה‬equals 95 which is the numerical equivalent of ‫ה‬-‫ו‬-‫ה‬-‫ י‬and it’s pronounced name ‫י‬-‫נ‬-‫ד‬-‫א‬, together with the four letters of the name (26+65+4=95). A ‫ כלה‬is able to infuse into a physical world that can only comprehend the ‫אדנות‬, mastery of Hashem, a sense of ‫הוי"ה‬, His true essence. We bless a chosson and kallah that the ‫זיווג‬, the match, should be ‫יעלה‬ "‫"יפה‬, add up to "‫”יפה‬, a home that radiates a tangible sense of Hashem in every moment of their lives! That indeed is true beauty!

HOURS:

6313 Reisterstown Rd Baltimore, MD 21215

EST â&#x20AC;˘ 1984

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Order Online

tovpizzamenu.com

ca rr ou y on t ly

PI Y N A F 1 OF

0/2019

ine

BJH - D Visit our Facebook page for specials you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find anywhere else!

- 11/3 rry Out in or Ca

Credit cards good on delivery with advanced authorization. Tov Pizza reserves the right to resolve all issues pertaining to its coupons.

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

Ruby Lasker Designs

hier s a c job le lab i a av

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Sun 11:00-9:00 Mon-Weds 11:00-8:30 Thurs 11:00-9:00 Fri 11:00-2:00 Sat 1 Hour After Shabbos-Midnight Kitchen Closes 15 Min. Before Closing Time Mincha Daily 2:30PM

HaRav Nissim Karelitz, zt”l

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Photo Credit: Dirshu

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

Births

• Shalom & Miriam Lejtman, Baby Boy • Mr. & Mrs. Binyomin & Shaindel Wise, Baby Girl • Nechama & Binyamin Wach, Baby Boy • Reuven & Esti Rakovsky, Baby Girl • Itael & Hersh Toibman, Baby Boy

Engagements • Aliza Goldenberg & Yehuda Lapidus

• Chava Frand & Yaakov Merkin • Tehilla Sklare & Yossi Berliant • Chaya Haimowitz & Eli Fogel • Yaakov Moshe Goldenberg & Sara Cohen • Levi Vim & Sori Kenzer

• Yaakov Abergel & Chen Tsaig • Chani Altman & Ben Kreitman • Miriam Ani & Brandon Waloff • Aliza Spatz & Zvi Golub

Submit your simcha announcement to Simchas@BaltimoreJewishHome.com

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

Monday

Tishrei 29

Cheshvan 6

Tuesday

Tishrei 30

Cheshvan 7

Cheshvan 28

Cheshvan 8

Cheshvan 1

Wednesday

ABC’s of an Awesome Shabbat @OMJCC 8pm see page 19

Cheshvan 15

Cheshvan 22

see page 19

Cheshvan 29

Bonei Olam Celebration @DoubleTree by Hilton 7:30pm see page 3

Friday Cheshvan 3

6:37 PM

Cheshvan 10

6:26 PM

Cheshvan 17

6:05 PM

Kislev 1

5:56 PM

Saturday

Cheshvan 4

Cheshvan 11

7:36 PM

Celebration of Life @Shomrei Emunah 8:30pm see Cover Page

Cheshvan 18

7:25 PM

Your Inner Spark; Finding Your True Self Video Presentation @Ner Tamid 8:30pm see page 2

sukkos vi

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

6:55 PM

Kislev 2

7:04PM

Cheshvan 25

7:14 PM

Shearith Israel Melaveh Malkah 8:30pm

22 Cheshvan 24 23

6:15 PM

The Shabbat Project many Shabbat Dinners and Speakers throughout Shabbat see pages 18-19 & Back Cover

Community Calendar

Next BJH Issue

Cheshvan 23

Cheshvan 30

Cheshvan/Kislev 5780

Thursday Cheshvan 2

Cheshvan 9

Cheshvan 16

Unplugging From Our Devices & Reconnecting With People Around Us @Kreiger Schechter Day School 7pm see page 19

Get to Know Shabbat @7pm see page 19

Sanctity & Serenity; Appreciating Senior Challah Bake @ the Gift of Shabbos @BJSZ 8pm Myerberg Center 1pm see page 19

October / November

Cheshvan 5

Tishrei 28

Sunday

2019 27

3 Artist Circle Showcase @Carl Freeman Auditorium 7pm see page 15

Cheshvan 14

Cheshvan 13

10 Cheshvan 12 11

Cheshvan 21

Braided; A Journey of a Thousand Challahs @Oheb Shalom 7pm see page 19

Cheshvan 20

MMAE Greenspring Jewish Center Sisterhood; Festival of Literature @11am

Cheshvan 27

Bais Yaakov Preschool Open Big Baltimore Challah Bake @ House @Park Heights Campus OwingsMillsJCC 7pm 10am-12pm see page 9 see page 21 Creating Harmony with the Music of Shabbos: R’Paysach Krohn @BJSZ 7:30pm see page 19

Cheshvan 19

Unplugged Raven Tailgate @MMAE 12-4pm see page 19

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

17 Camp Shoresh Open House @Shoresh Campus 1-2pm see page 49 WITS Maalot Career Day @9:15am-12pm see page 14 Bais Yaakov Impressions: Chinese Action

24 Cheshvan 26 25

Next BJH Issue

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

Concert with a Cause @BethTefiloh 7pm see page 5

SEVEN MILE LANE

TIMBERFIELD LANE

OLD FOREST ROAD

6 Bedrooms, 6.2 Baths

6 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths

5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

$1,599,000

$999,000

$549,000

$489,000

$449,000

OLD COURT ROAD

WESTBROOK ROAD

SEVEN MILE LANE

PARK TOWERS EAST

! TRACT N O C R UNDE

5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths

3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths

2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths

$519,000

$669,000

$284,000

$129,900

$99,900

WILLIAMSON AVENUE

PARK HEIGHTS AVE

STONE CLIFF DRIVE

HURLINGHAM COURT

PARK TOWERS EAST

SOLD!

3-5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths

4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths

Beautiful Lake Views, 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

6 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths

1 Bedroom, 1.5 Baths

$289,900

$469,000

$625,000

$849,900

$55,000

! TRACT N O C R UNDE

staimandesign.com

410.581.1000 1517 Reisterstown Road, Corner of Old Court Road â&#x20AC;¢ Baltimore, MD 21208

staimandesign.com

staimandesign.com staimandesign.com

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

5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths

OCTOBER 31, 2019

MIDFIELD ROAD

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Barry Nabozny Broker/Realtor 410-977-7600

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Concert with a Cause… For a Hospital with a Heart By Margie Pensak

The idea to open Laniado Hospital (aka Sanz Medical Center) was actually conceptualized during the Holocaust in 1944. The voluntary, not-for-profit hospital in Kiryat Sanz, Israel - that serves a regional population of over 500,000 in Netanya and the Sharon plain - came into fruition because of a vow made by the-then39-year-old scion of the famous Sanz rabbinic dynasty, Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, the first Klausenberger Rebbe. Surviving his wife and 11 children who, r”l, were among those who perished in Auschwitz, Rabbi Halberstam faced death while on a forced 20 kilometer/day (~12.5 mile/day) march from Warsaw to the infamous Dachau death camp in the scorching August sun. Not able to maintain the required pace, he was shot in the shoulder by an S.S. guard and lost a considerable amount of blood. As he was losing his strength, he made a vow: “Hashem, if I merit to survive, I will garner all my energies to build a hospital in the Holy Land where every human being will receive the same dedicated medical care irrespective of nationality or

creed.” Just then, Rabbi Halberstam noticed a tree with succulent green leaves along the road within his reach. He tore off a large leaf and placed it on his wound to stop the bleeding. His vow was actualized in June, 1976, when Laniado Hospital opened in the fast-growing city of Netanya, that had, as of yet, no hospital. Fast Forward Today, Laniado Hospital boasts 450 beds, 54 departments, and 1900 employees, serving a critical role as a triage hospital tending to the outcomes of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks, wounded soldiers and overall health care needs. It has also developed an emergency preparedness protocol that regularly updates surgeons, trauma specialists, cardiologists and pediatricians on their roles during emergency situations. As a hospital that practices halacha without compromise to professionalism, it prides itself in believing in both the quality and sanctity of life, treating all patients with care and compassion. Although Baltimore and Netanya are 5,821 miles apart, Sinai Hospital

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

of Baltimore and Laniado Hospital couldn’t be closer, philosophically and spiritually. The two hospitals became “sister hospitals”. In fact, about a year ago, they signed a Twinned Hospital Agreement in Jerusalem. This arrangement has the backing of Deputy Minister of Health, MK Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, who believes that strengthening cooperation between the health system in Israel and those around the world will contribute significantly both to the system and the patients. Present at the signing were: Rabbi Litzman; Nadav Chen, CEO of Laniado Hospital; and, Dr. Jonathan Ringo, President/COO of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. Dr. Ringo expressed at this ceremony, “I am moved by the dedication of the Laniado staff, which cares for every individual, no matter who he or she is.” On Sunday, November 24, you have an opportunity to join the Baltimore community initiative to help fund Laniado’s new NICU - projected to open in March - while enjoying the powerful voices of Avraham Albrecht, Netanel Hershtik, Yoni Rose, and Benjamin Warschawski, at Beth Tfiloh, 7 p.m., in “Concert with a Cause”. Laniado Hospital’s NICU is presently ranked as one of the three best NICUs in Israel, saving lives of hundreds of infants annually. It hopes to earn first

place honor with the new equipment this concert will help purchase. “Our doctors come from the emunah that we are not the ones who bring life or take life – only Hakadosh Baruch Hu who created the world, can,” notes Laniado Hospital’s Executive Vice President of Development & Foreign Affairs, Meir Mark. “We fight for each patient, whether they are 30 or 95. The Klausenberger Rebbe said this is what we should do. We are the only hospital in Israel that has three geriatric departments. It’s our tafkid (duty) to give the right care to our patients.” Recently, Baltimoreans Mosie and Emily Treuhaft witnessed that exemplary care and concern, when their ill 2-year-old great-niece who lives in Israel was in need of a replacement cord for her heart monitor machine. “We went to Laniado Hospital to see if they had an extra cord,” recalls Mosie. “They couldn’t find one that matched her machine, but they did offer to hook up the child to a hospital monitor and provide a room for her mother so she can get a good night’s sleep. Quite impressive!” “We have a special heart and soul and compassion; it’s part of Laniado’s staff’s being,” concludes Mr. Mark, who notes that Laniado is the only hospital in Israel that has never closed due to a strike. “As our founder said, ‘The mosdos (Torah institutions) are kodesh (holy), but Laniado Hospital is Kodesh Kodashim (the Holy of Holies).’” Hope to see you at the concert! To buy tickets or make a donation in honor of Laniado Hospital, please visit: https://www.rayze.it/LaniadoConcert or mail a check to: Laniado Hospital, 261 East 35th Street, Suite 803, New York, NY 10001.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

ELEVATING THE TORAH LANDSCAPE FOREVER. TO RESERVE, CALL:

347.85.SIYUM DirshuWorldSiyum.org

BottomLineMG.com

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

Be part of an experience that will change your life!

ENGLAND

ERETZ YISRAEL

Manchester

EventCity January 5, 2020

Binyanei Haumah December 28, 2019

FRANCE

Dome de Paris January 12, 2020 ‫ תש”פ‬,‫ט”ו טבת‬

SOUTH AFRICA The Deck January 15, 2020 ‫ תש”פ‬,‫י”ח טבת‬

‫ תש”פ‬,‫ח׳ טבת‬

‫ תש”פ‬,‫ל‘ כסלו‬

Yad Eliyahu January 9, 2020 ‫ תש”פ‬,‫י”ב טבת‬

Eretz Yisrael: 02-560-9000

London

NORTH AMERICA

Prudential Center and NJPAC February 9, 2020 ‫ תש”פ‬,‫י”ד שבט‬

Heythrop Park Resort Hotel January 10-12, 2020 Additional Siyumim ‫ תש”פ‬,‫ט״ו טבת‬-‫י״ג‬

to be held in:

Europe: 020-8050-2615

EASTERN EUROPE SOUTH AMERICA

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Due to the overwhelming response and with the anticipation BE”H of being oversold at Prudential Center

DIRSHU HAS SECURED THE NJPAC

OCTOBER 31, 2019

which is in close proximity to the Prudential Center (a mere 10-minute walk).

• • • •

Each location will feature prominent Gedolim. Several of the Gedolim will attend both venues. A unique and independent live program presented at both locations. Live highlights broadcasted simultaneously to each location.

Complete details forthcoming.

THE DIRSHU WORLD SIYUM IN NORTH AMERICA

will d"ra be held at The Prudential Center and NJPAC in Newark, NJ on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Additional locations worldwide.

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

OPE ICA

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire

Parshas Noach Getting the Ship Back on Course By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

ccording to Chazal, the pasuk in Ha’azinu (Devarim 32:7), “Remember the days of old, contemplate the years of other generations” refers to the generations of the flood and the dispersion. In the words of the Yalkut Shimoni, “‘Contemplate the years of other generations,’ every generation has those like the generation of the flood and every generation has those who are like the generation of the dispersion.” We must understand the nature of the generations of the flood and the dispersion in order to learn from them and improve ourselves accordingly because there is an aspect of these generations within each of us. Civilization only emerges at the very end of Parshas Bereishis and in Parshas Noach. Until the end of the Parshas Bereishis, that parsha primarily involves individuals but not entire societies. It is remarkable that just like the Torah introduced the first man almost contemporaneously with his first sin, so, too, the Torah introduced the advent of civilization and its sins concurrently as well. In the case of civilization, we encounter the mysterious bnei Elo-him, important men, who took the bnos ha’adam, the daughters of man. Second is the story of man’s sin and the destruction of the world through the flood. And third, the Torah explains man’s sin of the building of the great city and tower and the generation’s

punishment. The tzaddikim teach us that the sins of the generations of the flood and the dispersion are archetypes for all human faults throughout the generations. According to Rashi, the primary sins of generation of the flood related to theft and immorality. It is important to understand, however, that Hashem created man with an innate need and inclination to get married and have children. He told man (Bereishis 1:28), “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth.” He also created man with an innate desire to acquire possessions, as we see from the same pasuk, which continues, “And you shall conquer [the world] and rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and over all living things which walk on the earth.” The generation of the flood, however, took these natural, healthy inclinations and turned them into the most destructive things in the world in the form of theft and immorality. It is the same way with all sin, which does not arise from an inherently evil desire. Rather, sin comes from a perversion and misdirection of the entirely proper human inclinations to get married, have children, and acquire possessions. Hashem does not want man to completely repress his natural human desires. Rather, he must express those tendencies within their proper boundaries. The punishment of the generation

of the flood was rain. Rain in and of itself is a great blessing. Nothing can grow without it. Rain is only a curse when it descends without limit. A flood means receiving blessing without limits. Even good things in unstoppable, unlimited, uncontrolled quantities cause destruction. That is why the flood fit the generation’s sins measure for measure. Because they exercised their otherwise natural, healthy inclinations without proper limits or boundaries, Hashem sent them rain, which is normally a blessing, in excess and without limit as the appropriate consequence. The root of the sin of the generation of the dispersion, however, was ga’avah, conceit. They said (Bereishis 11:4), “Let us make a name for ourselves.” They desired to use science and technology to achieve great things. Just like it was with the generation of the flood, this desire in and of itself is positive. The desire to make a name for one’s self, to accomplish great things, and have a positive self-image and healthy sense of self-esteem is a good thing. Its goodness, however, depends on the existence of boundaries. One’s positive sense of self must be balanced with humility, with the recognition of (Avos 2:1) “da mah l’maaleh m’mecha,” knowing what is above. Shlomo Hamelech said (Koheles 5:1), “Hashem is in heaven and you are on the earth. Therefore, your

matters should be small.” Man can achieve great things but he must also recognize his place. His potential to accomplish is finite, and he is finite. The punishment for the unbounded ambition of the generation of the dispersion was therefore appropriate. The pasuk says (Bereishis 11:7), “Let us confuse their language.” Because of their conceit, each person failed to truly recognize and understand the nature of the others around him. Hashem therefore took away their ability to understand one another even on the simplest level. This separation between people resulted in (ibid at 9) “from there Hashem dispersed them over the entire face of the earth.” All hatred, divisiveness, war, and the like result from man’s tendency to see only himself and his inability to recognize the reality of others. Consequently, Hashem caused everyone to completely separate from one another where one person could not understand a single word that another person says. Just like mankind, at the dawn of civilization, sought to blaze its own path to achieve great things without regard for propriety and limitations, so too each of us has the potential and the desire to attain greatness, to make a name for ourselves. It is very difficult to express our natural, healthy inclinations within the proper boundaries. niS means missing

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

trol. The rebbe, who understood this, sought to harness this new reality by teaching children and young people to take the responsibility for their own growth in avodas Hashem, service of G-d. He therefore continues: Precious child, as we have repeatedly taught, you yourself are the one who must take primarily responsibility for your own education. If you do not take hold of the reins of leadership to rule over yourself and become the captain of your own ship, your life will break apart and you will sink because of the storm-winds of the physical world and the base desires which are so prevalent among people. Nothing that your teachers or rebbeim can do can truly help you. We must help you understand this matter according to your level of comprehension and age. Even those traits of yours which seem inherently bad are actually beacons of light. At their root, they are Divine sefiros

which have descended down into you. This makes it much easier for you to rectify them and return them to their original state of holiness. This understanding of the nature of you “bad” character traits is the beginning of the healing process. This understanding of the nature of our deficiencies as misdirected manifestations of our natural, good, and healthy Divine inclinations is the key to rectifying them by bringing them back to their Divine source within the proper boundaries and limits. May Hashem grant us the strength to continue to seek the right balance between expressing our natural, healthy desires and channeling them appropriately.

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

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

Renovations Additions New Construction

OCTOBER 31, 2019

vas Hatalmidim: Indeed, the character traits within us are celestial sefiros which are drawn down into us. We must grieve over how these holy powers have been corrupted and these illuminating lights within us which are being destroyed. We take the Divine love which Hashem has drawn into us from His holy abode above, which is meant to be used to love and serve Him just like the angels and we use that same power to love meaningless trivialities. We take the Divine trait of strength and control with which Hashem imbued us and we fear the wrong things and exhibit anger and baseless hatred. Even in the rebbe’s times after World War I, there was already a disconnect between parents and children. The children no longer listened to their parents and began feeling resentment toward them and a desire to break free of their parents’ con-

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

the mark. We do not know the correct measure of our natural tendencies. It is difficult to know the difference between a healthy appetite and an unhealthy ta’avah, desire. Similarly, it is difficult to know the difference between an appropriate sense of self-worth and the inappropriate lure of arrogance and honor-seeking. Just like it has been for mankind as a whole, we must understand that the process of learning to recognize and utilize our natural, human, healthy impulses within the proper boundaries. There will be failures along the way, but we must not be discouraged. We must use those mistakes to help us hone our efforts in our constant struggle to find the right balance in our lives. The 4th of Cheshvan is the yahrtzeit of the Aish Kodesh, Reb Kalonymous Kalmish Shapira, the rebbe of Piacezna, Hy”d. It is worthwhile to review a fundamental teaching from the tenth chapter of his sefer for children and young people, Cho-

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

World

Builders

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Shira Amsalem “Helping Everywhere I Can”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Raphael Poch

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

hira Amsalem, born and raised in Acre by parents of Spanish descent, is a mother of four, the sole bread-winner of her household and a United Hatzalah volunteer EMT who rushes out to save lives whenever an emergency takes place in her vicinity, which she says is 10 to 12 times per day. “Emergency medicine is part of my life. It is my soul. I live it and breathe it,” she explained. “One Friday night a number of years ago my husband was suffering from chest pains. I called for an ambulance, and the first person to rush into my home not even three minutes later was an Orthodox man who was riding an ambucycle from United Hatzalah. I asked him, ‘Can Orthodox people do this as well, even on Shabbat?’ He replied, ‘Before Orthodoxy comes lifesaving. Regardless of who a person is or what their faith is, saving lives comes first.’ “My husband is ultra-Orthodox,” continued Amsalem, “and I understand the sensitivities. But something that this volunteer said struck a chord with me and I said to myself that I want to do what he does. I want to be the first one through the door to

save lives. “I took an EMT training course, and I am proud to now say that I am a part of the great family that is United Hatzalah. I follow the creed of the organization, and I treat every person who needs help with the same level and quality of care, regardless of their

curred just a few weeks ago while she was on a cruise in the Greek Islands. “I was on a cruise that had left Israel and was touring the Greek Islands when my services were needed. On the third day of the cruise, an Israeli man began suffering chest pains and it seemed he was having a heart

“It filled me with pride to know that I was able to help this man, even in the middle of the sea.”

race, gender, religion or nationality. In the city of Acre, we have lots of emergencies that involve Jews as well as Arabs. I treat everyone the same – as people. It doesn’t matter if it is shootings, stabbings, medical illnesses or any other emergency. I rush to help the person in need because they are hurting, and I can provide help.” Shira recounted a story that oc-

attack. When I learned of what was happening, I immediately rushed over to where the man was on the ship and, together with the ship’s doctor, began treating him. With limited supplies on hand, we requested an airlift to transport the man to the nearest hospital in Greece. I gave him some aspirin and treated him in order to make sure that his situation didn’t deterio-

rate any further while we were awaiting evacuation. It filled me with pride to know that I was able to help this man, even in the middle of the sea.” Later that week, Amsalem rescued two children. The first incident involved a 3-year-old boy, who was suffering from severe hypoglycemia. Amsalem administered Glucogel well before the ambulance arrived, thereby saving his life. In the second incident, a young boy with a severe allergy to peanuts was exposed to the nut and suffered an immediate anaphylactic reaction. Amsalem arrived at the scene and instructed the parents to administer the EpiPen that they had in the house, thus providing the child, also aged 3, with lifesaving intervention. Following these events, Amsalem said: “I did what I was trained to do and what any first responder would do. United Hatzalah enables me to have the knowledge and equipment necessary for saving lives. I am proud to be a part of an organization of like-minded people who put everything aside to help others whom they don’t even know, just to save lives.”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

TJH

Centerfold

Rules of the Armed Forces U.S. MARINE CORPS RULES

U.S. ARMY RANGERS RULES

1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one. 2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.

1. Walk 50 miles wearing 75-pound rucksack while starving.

3. Have a plan.

2. Locate individuals requiring killing.

4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won’t work.

3. Request permission via radio from “Higher” to perform killing.

5. Be polite. Be professional but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

4. Bicker bitterly when mission is aborted.

6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a “4.” (That just shows good sense.)

5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75-pound rucksack while starving. U.S. ARMY RULES

7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.

1. Select a new beret to wear.

8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)

3. Change the color of beret you decide to wear.

2. Sew patches on right shoulder.

9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible. 10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

U.S. AIR FORCE RULES

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

1. Have a cocktail.

12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

3. See what’s on TV.

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

13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot. NAVY SEALS RULES 1. Look very cool in sunglasses. 2. Kill every living thing within view.

2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner. 4. Ask, “What’s a gunfight?” 5. Request more funding from Congress with a “killer” PowerPoint presentation. 6. Wine and dine key congressmen, invite DOD and defense industry executives. 7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets. 8. Declare the assets “strategic” and never deploy them operationally. 9. Hurry to make 17:45 tee-time.

3. Check hair in mirror. U.S. NAVY RULES 1. Go to sea. 2. Drink coffee. 3. Deploy the Marines

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

c. The Bird Busters

d. Navy Seals

b. 12

a. 40 pounds b. 100 pounds c. 150 pounds d. 200 pounds

a. Cherry b. Venom c. Disguise d. Crouch low; aim high 6. What are combat divers in the Special Forces called? a. Stingrays

4. Which of the following is the Special Ops force primarily responsible for killing and capturing terrorists, or as terrorists are referred to in Special Ops vernacular – HVUs(High Value Units)? a. Green Berets

b. Frogmen c. Killer sharks d. Jelly fish

c. 323 d. 1,264

8. A

“Well, sir,” the sergeant replied grimly, “it tells me that somebody stole our tent.”

a. 12

 Wisdom Key 6-8 correct: You are smart enough for the Special Forces! Now you just have to make sure you can physically handle it. Start by lugging around 100 pounds on your back for a few days while sleeping less than 4 hours a night and surviving on MRE (Meal, Ready to Eats), then see if you are still interested or if you’d rather stick to your day job as an accountant. 3-5 correct: You won’t exactly make it to the U.S. Special Ops but maybe Canada has an opening for you. 0-2 correct: You should join the CCFNSSF (Central Command For Not So Smart Folks).

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

“Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that G-d is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you, Top?”

8. The “Horse Soldiers” were a group of Green Berets with the 5th Special Forces Group’s Operational Detachment Alpha 595 who were inserted into Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 to liberate the region from the Taliban without tanks or trucks, just horses. They operated for several weeks before the U.S. arrived. How many horse soldiers were there in total?

 Answers

The company commander and the first sergeant were in the field. As they went to bed for the night, the first sergeant said, “Sir, look up into the sky and tell me what you see.”

The sergeant answered, “And what does that tell you, sir?”

d. 149

b. 105 7. According to numerous reports, in 2018, how many countries did U.S. Special Op forces operate

You gotta be kidding The commander said, “I see millions of stars.”

c. 32

5. A

3. While carrying out their missions, the U.S. Special Ops are required to be able to carry all their supplies with them. What is the average weight of their backpacks?

5. The Israeli Army has an elite special force known as Duvdevan. What does Duvdevan mean in English?

1. C

d. The Stealth Squad

6. B

2. What is the name of the special U.S. Army helicopter force that is responsible for getting into places thought to be impossible to get to and for getting in undetected?

a. 8

2. A

d. On average, they serve two years in the Special Ops forces before retiring to private security firms.

c. Marine RECON

7. D

c. Their average U.S Special Ops officer is 34, is married, and has two children.

b. The Tomb Raiders

OCTOBER 31, 2019

b. Their average U.S. Special Ops officer is 26, never married, and a college graduate.

b. Delta Force

3. B

a. They are usually high school dropouts and gym rats who turned things around in life.

or train in?

a. The Night Stalkers

4. B

1. Which of the following facts about Special Ops forces is true?

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Special Ops Forces Trivia

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

I just want to say thank you for bringing jobs back to ISIS. And I promise that I will make ISIS great again!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

- From a “Saturday Night Live” sketch mocking President Trump for giving up on the war on terror, which, unbeknownst to the funny cast of SNL, was broadcast while Special Ops forces went on a raid and killed the founder and leader of ISIS

I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve got their eye on somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate. She’s the favorite of the Russians. - Hillary Clinton in a podcast interview positing that 2020 presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) is a Russian agent

I wasn’t the best player; I wasn’t the most talented, by far not the tallest. You don’t have to be the smartest. You don’t have to have the most money. You don’t have to have the most open doors for you. You have to have the attitude that you’re going to be the hardest worker. [Say to yourself,] “I’m not going to let anything stop me. I’m not going to give up.”

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

- Tennis star Serena Williams at the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Summit this week

Thank you [Hillary Clinton]. You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain. From the day I announced my candidacy, there has been a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. We wondered who was behind it and why. Now we know — it was always you, through your proxies and powerful allies in the corporate media and war machine, afraid of the threat I pose. It’s now clear that this primary is between you and me. Don’t cowardly hide behind your proxies. Join the race directly. - Rep. Gabbard responding to Hillary Clinton

Divisive language filled with vitriol and conspiracy theories? Can’t imagine a better proof point than this. - Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill responding to Rep. Gabbard’s statement

MORE QUOTES

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

50 He died like a dog. He died like a coward.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

- President Donald Trump announcing on Sunday that the U.S. military killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, founder and leader of ISIS

The assertion that Baghdadi died as a coward was, in any case, contradicted by the fact that rather than be captured, he blew himself up. - Washington Post columnist Max Boot, asserting that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi did not die a “coward” because rather than being caught by the K9 that was chasing him, he detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and three little children who were with him

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Austere Religious Scholar at Helm of Islamic State, Dies at 48. – Washington Post headline after the U.S. military eliminated the world’s worst radical Muslim terrorist, who started ISIS and was responsible for beheading, torturing, mutilating and perpetrating countless other unspeakable crimes against thousands of innocent victims, including personally taking American Kayla Mueller as his personal slave for 18 months before beheading her

I would ask the Washington Post, close your eyes and pretend that al-Baghdadi worked in the Trump White House and then go rewrite your obituary. I bet you wouldn’t be as kind. -White House counselor Kellyanne Conway responding to the Washington Post’s seemingly fawning coverage of the death of the evilest man alive

Who? Trump or Baghdadi? Which one? - The View’s Joy Behar in response to a co-host who asked, “So can we at least agree that the world is a better place without this guy in it?” when talking about the assassination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Imagine hating [Donald Trump] or frankly anything so much that you become an ISIS sympathizer?!? - Donald Trump Jr. tweet in response to a Hollywood actress who expressed sympathy for al-Baghdadi having been blown up (by his own suicide vest)

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

Just a good old-fashioned “rags to riches” story. It’s a shame the good ones have to die so young, eh. – Jesse Kelly tweeting in response to Bloomberg Politics’ obituary of al-Baghdadi which noted the “pick himself up by the bootstraps nature of the mass murderer” by saying, “Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi transformed himself from a little-known teacher of Koranic recitation into the self-proclaimed ruler of an entity that covered swaths of Syria and Iraq”

I still say Kayla should be here, and if Obama had been as decisive as President Trump, maybe she would have been. - Marsha Mueller, the mother of Kayla Mueller, in an interview with The Arizona Republic

Another reason that people are going to vote because Donald Trump is manipulating that White House and has aligned himself with ISIS. - Arizona Democrat Party Chairman Felecia Rotellini, at an event on Saturday

MORE QUOTES

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

We rolled back a lot of the very harsh laws that were created and partially written by Vice President Biden over 20 years ago, which put a lot of African-Americans in prison and really destroyed a generation and did a lot of harm to our country. - Jared Kushner responding to Joe Biden’s assertion that it was inappropriate for Trump to appoint Kushner and daughter Ivanka as White House advisors

C’est moi [It’s me].

The First Amendment is first for a reason. Second Amendment is just in case the First one doesn’t work out. - Comedian Dave Chappelle speaking in favor of freedom of speech, while accepting the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on 42Sunday

No, we didn’t even get there. I asked him not to. He said, “OK.” I think it’s better — I think he thinks it’s better for me. - 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden when asked on “60 Minutes” on Sunday if President Obama offered to endorse him

- England’s Oxford’s University announcing a ban against clapping at student events

My solution is, to Israel, if you want military aid you’re going to have to fundamentally change your relationship to the people of Gaza. I would say that some of the $3.8 billion should go right now to humanitarian aid in Gaza. - 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) telling the anti-Israel J Street organization that the U.S. should give some of its annual $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel to Hamas-run Gaza instead

Present. - Rep. Ilhan Omar’s cowardly vote on a House of Representatives resolution recognizing the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire a century ago by Muslims as ethnic cleansing. The resolution passed as follows: 405 (yes), 11 (no), 1 (present)

I respect his relationship with religion. It enriches him. Today he is an American Chabadnik. - Avivit Neumann, mother of WeWork founder Adam Neumann, talking about her son in an interview with Israeli radio

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

[British Sign Language] clapping is used by the National Union of Students since loud noises, including whooping and traditional applause, are argued to present an access issue for some disabled students who have anxiety disorders, sensory sensitivity, and/or those who use hearing impairment aids.

OCTOBER 31, 2019

- Sen. Mitt Romney to the Atlantic after they busted him for using a fake name – Pierre Delecto – on a Twitter account which appears to be anti-Trump

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

Marthe Hoffning Cohn Spy in a Skirt By Avi Heiligman

al more months for Germany to surrender, and many former resistance members decided to join the French 1st Army. The army swept the Germans out of the rest of France and into Germany itself. Among these resilient fighters was a soldier whose job was a social worker. This was no ordinary sol-

fter Paris was liberated by the Allies on August 19, 1944, the entire German Army was in retreat. For years, the French resistance movement had done much damage to the Nazi occupiers, and finally the French citizens were able to live free again. However, it would take sever-

Holes are for floats. NOT FOR YOUR WALLS AND CEILINGS

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

HOLES HAPPEN. WE CAN

HELP.

dier as she was a woman from an Orthodox Jewish home who would soon play a part in the final defeat of Nazi Germany. Marthe Hoffning Cohn was born in 1920 in Metz which had been annexed by France at the conclusion of World War I. Since Metz was near the German border, the French government told citizens to move to Poitiers, if possible. Poitiers was 400 miles away but still was part of the initial German occupation. Her two brothers had been in the French Army, and one was captured as he was defending the Maginot Line. He escaped a POW camp, returned to his

and never returned. The rest of the Hoffning family was able to escape to the unoccupied zone thanks to a resistance member who provided them with false identity papers. For the next two years, Marthe studied nursing first in Marseilles and then in Paris. She stayed with her sister, Cecile, who had been in Paris since 1940. Throughout the German occupation of France, Marthe was never officially accepted as a resistance member but still did what she could to help people escape the Nazi atrocities. The liberation of Paris was not the end of the war, and therefore many

The information that she gathered included two pieces of information that proved vital to Allied intelligence.

NEW to Batimore! WE PATCH ALL HOLES. ANY SIZE, ANY PLACE, ANYWHERE.

Eli Neuberger (410) 620-8598 www.thepatchboys.com baltimore@thepatchboys.com

844.99.Patch Ext. 410

family in Poitiers, was captured trying to cross into Free French territory, escaped again, and finally made his way into the part of France that was not occupied by the Germans. In June 1942, Martheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, Stephanie, was arrested by the Gestapo as the sisters were helping people escape to southern Free France. After interrogation and refusing to give information on other resistance members, Stephanie was sent to Auschwitz

French citizens joined the army. Marthe joined in November 1944 as a nurse. The regimental intelligence officer told her that they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need nurses and made her a social worker instead. In this capacity she was able to see the needs of the soldiers on the frontlines and in the foxholes. For several weeks, she helped the frontline soldiers, providing them with clothing, reading materials, and other provisions. In late 1944, Marthe met Colonel

enter Germany through neutral Switzerland under the name Marthe Ulrich. Her new identity had her as a German nurse looking for her missing fiancé. Knowing that if she was caught her punishment would have been death,

Marthe carefully avoided contact with German soldiers. The information that she gathered included two pieces of information that proved vital to Allied intelligence. She told her superiors of the abandonment of the Siegfried line in

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

11/30/19

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

Get 1 FREE recessed light with 5 or more recessed lights in the same room

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Adolf Hitler, ym”sh, with other German officials walking in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, 1940

the Freiburg region and reported a major buildup of Wehrmacht (German Army) soldiers in the Black Forest. After the war, Marthe returned to France to work as a nurse. In the late 1950s, she married Major Lloyd Cohn, an American anesthesiologist, and moved to the United States. For the very important intelligence that she gathered as a spy in Germany in 1945 she was decorated with the Croix de Guerre in 1945 with two citations. In 1999, the French government awarded her the Médaille militaire, and in 2004 she was given the title of Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur. Marthe Hoffning Cohn is currently living in California where only recently she started telling people of her time as a spy in Germany.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Pierre Fabian, who had been the commander of a large resistance network. The group was so successful that General Charles de Gaulle decided to incorporate the entire network into the French 1st Army. Fabian discovered that Marthe could read and write in German and asked her to join the 1st Army’s intelligence unit. German-speaking female agents were needed to cross into Germany as any man seen roaming the streets would automatically be arrested. Marthe entered a period of intense training and was then sent to join the African Commandos who had been taking a lot of casualties in Alsace. Their commander asked Marthe to interrogate German POWs, and she received important information from high level officers on the impending German retreat. Attempting to cross into Germany proved to be a challenge for Marthe. Thirteen times she tried to enter the Alsace region but failed each time. Finally, on April 11, 1945, she managed to

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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, I am a 20-year-old girl who is one year back from seminary. I come from a “yeshivishe” family, meaning my father started off in kollel, now works in klei kodesh, and my married siblings are all happily living the kollel life. I was recently introduced to a bochur, Chesky*, with similar values to mine. He is a serious learner (I was told he is a masmid and a baal kishron) and wants to spend as long as he can learning in kollel. He comes from a similar background to mine, and we have a lot in common, baruch Hashem. We have gone on six dates, and I am beginning to feel Chesky may be “The One” – except for one problem and it may be a deal breaker. Chesky is addicted to sports. By “addicted” I mean he spends a lot of time playing sports (basketball, hockey or baseball, depending on the season) and following professional teams. He reads the sports pages and discusses the play-offs (or other shtus) with his like-minded friends. My father and my brothers never followed sports; they neither watched nor discussed games like sports fanatics do. You may think I’m being petty – after all, liking sports is a guy thing and I’m not meant to understand it. But his sports addiction, which I consider bitul Torah, is really bothering me. How do I reconcile my respect for Chesky, the ben Torah, with my disdain for sports?

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

The Panel A Dating Couple Responds Him: Sports Fan & Going for Semicha + Law / Her: Non-Sports Fan, but Avid Him-fan ou seem to be asking yourself whether you are able to respect Chesky as a person or if your disdain for sports trumps all matters. While describing your relationship with Chesky, from the short description of your relationship, you seem to indicate that your respect for him comes merely from the act of learning and is the driving force behind your interest in him. Surprisingly, you do not mention anything about Chesky’s true character. Is he kind? Is he compassionate? Are you attracted to his personality in any capacity? Perhaps the question you need to ask yourself is whether there’s more to Chesky than merely his learning (and perhaps value system in general) that fuels your interest in him. If not, then it’s possible you are more into the idea of Chesky than Chesky himself. Yes, sports can consume a significant portion of a guy’s life, and there is a point where it becomes obsessive. If sports really is Chesky’s main focus with little else in the periphery of his passions, then you might have to address the issue head-on with him via a non-confrontational conversation. But first, you need to take the time to examine what actually makes Chesky who he is besides his (obviously important, but maybe not sufficient) investment in Torah learning. Once you take the time to discover what makes him who he is, then you can come back to the question of whether sports is truly the real issue at hand.

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. ust wondering. Have you ever heard Abie Rotenberg’s classic,

“The Ninth Man on the Team”? Never mind. I will not even attempt to persuade you that – shtus aside – sports can be a healthy outlet for both body and mind. It can provide balance and needed respite to a brain that’s been shteiging away for 12 hours. I will not bolster my argument by naming some Torah luminaries who “could knock the cover off that ball” or dazzle on the basketball court. I won’t even take issue with your using the word, “addiction” to describe Chesky’s “normal guy” interest in sports. Considering all the deviant addictions out there (vaping, gambling, illicit internet use, to name just a few) sports obsession is pretty tame. But not in your eyes; to you, any involvement in sports is not compatible with living a Torah life. So, it seems, for you, for now, Chesky’s not The One. Not because he’s not a terrific ben Torah (he is!); not because you two have nothing in common (you do!). Marriage should be founded on respect. If, at this stage of the game, you cannot respect Chesky for who he is (both in and out of the bais medrash), you may have to move on and forfeit this match. In other words, play the field a little longer.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond efinition of addiction: a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence: the state of being addicted. (Source: Merriam-Webster, online) Before I begin answering your question, I wanted to clarify the

true definition of an addiction. What you describe in your letter does not sound like an addiction, rather it sounds like an interest and an outlet. On this note I would like to re-frame your question. You are going out with a chashuve bochur who would like to learn in kollel, which aligns with your vision for the future. You personally consider him a serious learner who shares in your values. The issue, however, is that Chesky, unlike your father or brothers, has an interest in sports. You are clearly not used to this, so it is a justifiable question to be asking. My first advice to you is, unless Chesky’s behaviors align themselves with true addictive behavior patterns (as defined above), stop telling yourself he has an addiction. Just as you may enjoy bike riding, shopping, cooking, or scrapbooking in your spare time, he has his interests as well. While preparing for your question I sent an un-official poll out to a bunch of friends in the peanut gallery, asking their take on the “sports” issue. The unequivocal response from randomized pollsters was that as long as it is within healthy limits and boundaries, following sports is just his outlet. My next point may sound obvious but it must be said: you must respect your husband. You don’t have to have an interest in all of his interests, but you must be okay with his interests before you choose to spend your life with him. If your hashkafos are along the lines of sports being bitul Torah, to the point where you resent him for it, he simply may not be your bashert. Hatzlacha!

A Guy Responds Michael Freed ’m writing this during NBA opening week #boybias. I wish I knew more what you wanted and more what “addicted”

Marriage should be founded on respect.

means in both “a lot of time spent” and also his emotional/psychological involvement but I’ll proceed to respond with assumptions. I’m hoping Chesky is a good, yeshivishe boy who has a healthy outlet, which an interest in sports can be. However, if he is a masmid, and more importantly, a baal kishron, then eventually this sports habit will fade. Being engrossed in true Torah and Yiddishkeit doesn’t allow for sports addictions. I assume the bochur is young, and he still carries the taam of America. But an avreich in Eretz Yisroel might play sports to relax and perhaps watch the Finals or World Series, but he is not engaged in sports as a regular activity. He truly won’t have much time for it (between learning three sedarim and spending time with his wife, there simply isn’t time, nor the WiFi, to watch a 3-hour ballgame). I’ll tell you a story about one of my masmid chavrusas. He was obsessed with...get ready for it... the weather (and the Tottenham Spurs)! Yes! For years, he would spend his extra time looking at weather forecasts along with watching (and later just checking the scores of) the Spurs games. He was a true masmid, though, waking up at 6:30 and learning until 1:30. After a year or two, though, he quit his weather/ sports habits entirely because his relationship to Torah (as a baal kishron) wouldn’t permit it. I must presume that Chesky’s rebbeim both understand this and should be able to clarify if he tends to have an obsessive unhealthy in-

Some things to look at in regards to the “addiction vs. hobby” debate is: Does he snap at you when he’s emotionally distraught when his team has lost? Does he get angry if you ask him to not check the scores? Does he forget pre-planned

activities because he is caught up in it? If so, he may have an addiction and you will lose your respect as he struggles with this nisayon. Otherwise, it might just be an interest and outlet that he will likely have less and less time for as life gets hectic.

The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

i t y/ b e h a v ior etc. may never change?” From my experience working with many couples I have learned that the happiest of marriages contain two people who have chosen wisely (and that is a subjective process) and who accept and respect each other at baseline, finding the quirks and misgivings of the other adorable and attractive. I don’t know much of anything about a relationship from an email, but it seems like your relationship with Chesky is a good one. You believe he may be “The One.” For starters, a heart-to-heart with Chesky is in order. Refrain from insulting language such as “bitul Torah” and “shtus” and try to paint a picture together of what your married life might look like and the role that his sports will play. Strictly from the mental health corner of the world, I would say that especially during the first year or so of marriage, couples have to make a concerted effort to balance obligations to and intimacy with a spouse and their own individual lives. Too much or too little time spent together can be unhealthy. You want

spect for “Chesky, the Ben Torah” with your disdain for sports. Wishing you all the best. 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 in Hewlett, NY. She is looking forward to teaching a psychology course at Touro College in the fall. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 2 for Jennifer. 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.

Hi Readers! Receiving your enthusiastic emails wanting to participate in the Reader’s Respond section has been wonderful! Just a reminder about how Reader Response works. Email thenavidaters@gmail. com with the subject line “Reader Response.” We will then ask you, in the order we receive your email, if you would like to respond to the coming week’s email. If you would like to respond to an already printed Navidaters Panel, please submit your answer to the editor at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. You can also join us on our FB page @thenavidaters on Sunday evenings to post your response to the week’s column. Interacting with you has been a pleasure! Thank you for all of your feedback. Jennifer

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

o s t of us have a vision or a set of expectations for a life partner and what we imagine our lives will look like with that partner. Chesky’s love of sports, both played and followed, is unfamiliar to you because the men in your life didn’t model this for you. It is strange and brand new, with no template. In my profession, and often in this column, I try not to make a habit of telling people what to do or “poo poo” concerns, insisting that once someone is married it won’t be an issue. What I do is try to offer some food for thought and areas of exploration for the individual to consider as he or she tries to navigate a relationship or the decision to continue or end it. I’m not a rabbi and am unqualified to decide what qualifies as bitul Torah. As a therapist I feel comfortable saying that entering a marriage with the belief that your spouse is “bitul” anything may be damaging to your relationship and Chesky’s self-esteem. One theme that arises in many of my sessions with young men and women who are dating is the concept of “acceptance.” A question I often find myself asking people is: “Can you accept him/her as is?” Another question is: “How would you feel knowing this qual-

to make sure that Chesky will be able to balance his passion for sports with his passion for you. I like the idea of partners having their own healthy interests and activities and bringing that passion and excitement back into the marriage. The scale tips when one person is obsessive about anything that gets in the way of a healthy attachment – whether it’s work, a hobby, an iPhone, alcohol, drugs, friends, shopping, gambling or sports, among other things. After you respectfully air your concerns to Chesky, your relationship will have evolved to a new place. You will have a deeper understanding of each other and whether or not you can reconcile your re-

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Pulling It All Together

Entering a marriage with the belief that your spouse is “bitul” anything may be damaging to your relationship and Chesky’s self-esteem.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

terest or if this is merely a hobby. Remember, he is currently un-married and spends most of his time learning. The guy needs an outlet! Unless he is truly addicted, he will slowly wean off of this habit once life gets busy with married life and children.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

OCTOBER 31, 2019

The Case for the Flu Vaccine

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP

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

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people ages 6+ months should receive the flu vaccine. In other words, this includes babies, toddlers, school age children, adolescents, young adults, pregnant adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. Why is the flu vaccine important for your children and you and your loved ones? Let’s discuss the flu. Also known as influenza, the flu is a serious respiratory virus that causes the sudden onset of symptoms like fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, and overall fatigue. It can be confused with the common cold which is caused by other respiratory viruses. However, the flu can potentially lead to serious health complications because it can reduce the body’s ability to fight off other infections such as, for example, the viruses that cause pneumonia. Dehydration is not uncommon because being sick can cause lethargy and lack of appetite and desire to drink. The flu can also aggravate existing conditions such as triggering asthma attacks. Influenza or the flu can, G-d forbid,

lead to death. Last year’s flu season (2018-2019), according to the CDC, was “moderately severe.” The season commenced in October and ran through May yet began growing in November while peaking in February. This 21-week span means it was the longest flu season in 10 years. The CDC believes that this year’s flu strain is especially virulent. This is fact – the first pediatric death due to the flu already happened in September in California. The CDC reports there was a second death several days ago. Because these tragedies unfolded so early in the season, it should warn us as to what might be ahead. It’s prudent to take preventative action. Yes, this is meant to propel you to making sure you and your children get the flu vaccine. Further, CDC and other health officials often look to the flu season in Australia for harbingers of what may come here. The winter season has concluded Down Under where they experienced an early flu season. The influenza strain H3N2 dominated and was particularly nasty. Australia’s Department of Health announced that flu activity was higher this season than past seasons. 93% of cases reported

were Influenza A. Recent research has borne out the importance of the seasonal flu vaccine. It prevents severe flu in older adults and lowers admissions to the hospital (where germs abound). It reduces hospitalization rates for children seriously sick with the flu by 60%. It decreases flu rates in children under 7 months of age when mom received the vaccine when pregnant. Combine vaccinating with the flu vaccine with some creative kinds of behavior modification in order to best keep the beast of the flu at bay. Some suggestions: • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze • Avoid close contact with any person who is sick • Stay home for a minimum of 24 hours if you have flu-like symptoms • Do not touch your face with unwashed hands • Clean communal surfaces at least once daily • Ask your schools to clean bathrooms, faucets and doorknobs frequently. Start a trend by sending Chaim or Elianna to school with Lysol wipes

• Don’t share food with infected people • Separate the family toothbrushes so germs don’t spread (this is a good practice 365 days a year) • Wash your hands with soap especially when coming into your home from school, work, or any group situation • Wear disposable gloves when caring for someone who is sick • Smile and laugh – just do it because it can boost your immune system • Eat healthy • Exercise • Rest if you feel tired There is no way we can create sterile bomb shelters in which to hide from the flu. Getting the flu vaccine is the place to start. Then be vigilant. Perhaps our collective efforts will make this year’s flu season into much ado about nothing. As always, daven. Dr. Hylton I. Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd.com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

There is Nothing Wrong with Quid Pro Quos

Congress imposes quid pro quos on U.S. foreign aid all the time, as well. Democrats howled when Trump cut aid to Central America earlier this year, but as Lester Munson, former staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, points out, “If you look at the appropriations bill that actually provided the president with the money to give assistance to Central America, there are 15 different reasons you might suspend the aid there.” Even former Vice President Joe

vaney said, “The money held up had absolutely nothing to do with Biden.” Good, because holding up U.S. aid as a quid pro quo for investigating the president’s political rival would be highly problematic. Rather, Mulvaney said, it was based on three issues: first, concerns about corruption in Ukraine; second, concerns about burden-sharing by our European allies in supporting Ukraine; and third, “whether they were cooperating in an ongoing investigation with our Department of Justice” into the

If you are demanding a quid pro quo, you have to tell the country that you are holding up the quid until they deliver the quo.

Biden has admitted to a quid pro quo with Ukraine. He held up $1 billion in loan guarantees (a quid) to get them to fire a prosecutor who was not investigating corruption (a quo). This was perfectly legitimate, he says, and he may well be right. So, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with quid pro quos. It just depends what the quo is. In his news conference, Mul-

origins of the Mueller probe that is being led by U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, a career prosecutor. It was the third – conditioning aid on the Durham investigation – that prompted Democrats to say: Gotcha! Mulvaney later said he misspoke, and that’s probably true. As Kurt Volker, the former U.S. envoy to Ukraine, explained in his sworn deposition before the House Intel-

ligence Committee, the Ukrainians did not know that the aid was being held up until more than up a month after Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (during which Trump never mentioned the aid was on hold). “They became aware later [that the aid was held up], but I don’t believe they were aware at the time, so there was no leverage implied,” Volker told the committee. If you are demanding a quid pro quo, you have to tell the country that you are holding up the quid until they deliver the quo. The Ukrainians didn’t even know there was a quid. But let’s say Trump had in fact withheld U.S. aid to get Ukraine to cooperate with the Durham probe. There would be absolutely nothing wrong with that. The president, as the country’s chief law enforcement officer, would be entirely within his rights to use aid as leverage to get Ukraine cooperate with an official Justice Department investigation. If it turns out that the quo was “investigate my 2020 opponent,” as Ambassador William Taylor reportedly alleged during testimony on Capitol Hill last Tuesday, then Trump is in big trouble; but if the quo is “cooperate with the Justice Department,” that’s perfectly fine. So, while Democrats may be insisting that Trump delenda est – “Trump must be destroyed” – they will need something more than this quid pro quo to do it. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group

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

t’s Washington’s new favorite Latin phrase: quid pro quo. On Capitol Hill, Democrats seeking to impeach the president are trying to prove that he engaged in a quid pro quo (“this for that”) with U.S. aid to Ukraine. The president has insisted “there was no quid pro quo.” But then last week, White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney seemed to admit to a quid pro quo during his hapless news conference. It seems as though the fate of the Trump presidency hangs on those three Latin words. Find proof of a quid pro quo and Trump is a goner. But that’s not exactly true. The United States engages in quid pro quos all the time when it comes to foreign assistance. Our aid is not charity; Americans expect to get something in return for it. We have leveraged U.S. assistance in exchange for a host of objectives: economic reform, democratic reform, better pursuit of corruption, access to strategically important areas, and so on. In 1978, Jimmy Carter agreed to provide Egypt with billions of dollars in foreign aid in exchange for making peace with Israel, as part of the Camp David Accords. That was a quid pro quo. In 2004, George W. Bush created the Millennium Challenge Account, which required countries to meet a host of eligibility requirements – free speech, free assembly, rule of law, property rights, transparency – before they could receive a grant of aid. That program was one big quid pro quo.

OCTOBER 31, 2019

By Marc A. Thiessen

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Mental Health Corner

Chronic Liars By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

We all know that “honesty is the best policy,” and that the Torah commands us, “Stay far away from falsehood” (Shemos 23:7). Unfortunately, sometimes we are tempted to lie for personal gain or to avoid a negative consequence. This is the cause of the majority of dishonesty and falsehood that we encounter in life. Surprisingly, there are people who lie on a regular basis without any apparent reason. They regularly weave untrue details into their interactions with other people. They can fabricate entire stories out of thin air and present them as being their personal experience without

having even a shred of truth. This is not a modern phenomenon. Seven hundred and fifty years ago, Rabbeinu Yonah wrote, “The fourth category of falsehood is someone who lies when he recounts what he has heard and intentionally changes some of the details without benefiting from his lies and without causing harm to others. This is simply his habit out of his love of falsehood over truth. Sometimes he even fabricates entire stories from his imagination.” (Sha’arei Teshuvah 3:181) Anyone who has contemplated human nature understands that hu-

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...

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

410-929-2802 Saadya Cohen, Owner

man beings do not act without reason. If someone is chronically lying, there must be some sort of short-term benefit that is being achieved, at least on a subconscious level. What can be the motivation to be a chronic liar and why is this such a powerful temptation for certain individuals? In this article, we will describe a few possible causes for such behavior. • Fear of Losing Control – One of the scariest feelings is that of not being in control. Many mental health disorders are often related to this fear. When one lies, he feels in control of the situation since he can make up whatever he wants. • Low Self-Worth – Someone with a very low sense of self-worth is desperate to find favor in the eyes of others. This can lead to a habit of making their lives sound more interesting by telling tall tales about themselves. This also includes people who feel that their real selves are so undesirable that they need to create an alternative reality of themselves. • Believing Their Own Lies – Many people who lie actually believe their own stories on a certain level. Their sense of reality is so warped that until they are confronted with the truth they are in denial of their own deceit. • Wishing It Were True – There are many elements of our life that we wish were different. Most of us accept the reality that our lives are

not as interesting as we would like. But there are some people who subconsciously feel that if they say something often enough it will actually become their reality. We all understand that chronic lying is counterproductive, and whatever benefits they are trying to achieve in the short-term will have devastating effects on their lives down the road. But such is the nature of maladaptive behaviors that we choose the shortterm benefit over long-term stability. Therapy can be extremely helpful for chronic lying, especially considering the added benefit that a therapist can determine if the chronic lying is related to any diagnosable disorders. However, if the individual does not recognize that they have a problem then the therapy is probably doomed from the start. Someone who recognizes that they have an unwanted compulsion to lie and they want to figure out why they lie and how they can change can benefit immensely from therapy. The truth may hurt for a little while, but a lie hurts forever. 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

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Like a

OCTOBER 31, 2019

C ward”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

“He Died

The Leadup and Execution of the Daring Raid to Kill Terrorist Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi By Tzvi Leff

tribe of Quraish and a descendant of the prophet’s grandson, al-Baghdadi had both prerequisites needed to be the caliph that leads global Islam. His spiritual authority and talent for mass murder had turned him into the world’s most wanted terrorist and the most prominent jihadi since Osama bin Laden. The troops had taken off from an airbase in western Iraq, and the risk was enormous. Al-Baghdadi was known to always wear a suicide vest and was commonly surrounded by heavily armed bodyguards who would fight to the death. The troops would also need to overfly territory teeming with insurgents well skilled in using rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and

shoulder-launched missiles that could easily shoot down the choppers. And as it was, the firefight started well before the Chinook helicopters arrived at the fortified compound in Syria’s Irbil province on Saturday. Soon into the seventy-minute flight, U.S. troops began taking incoming fire and responded by showering militants with missiles from accompanying Apache helicopter gunships. Yet the highly trained commandos couldn’t let themselves get bogged down in a firefight. After years of attempts, the U.S. finally had actionable intelligence on al-Baghdadi’s location. The terrorist mastermind needed to be taken out this time, and nothing could get in the way.

“We flew very, very low and very, very fast. It was a very dangerous part of the mission. Getting in and getting out, too. Equal. We…took an identical route getting in and getting out,” recounted President Donald Trump in a press conference on Sunday morning. Finally, the aerial armada reached the Syrian safe house. Dismounting from the choppers, Delta Force operators blew open an entrance in a side wall in order to refrain from going through the front door which they knew was boobytrapped. And then, in Trump’s words, “all [chaos] broke loose.” The detonation had awakened the ISIS insurgents holed up in the compound, and they greeted the soldiers

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

The

time was 5 p.m., and the fleet of eight helicopters was racing towards northern Syria. Flying low to the ground, they were packed with commandos from the U.S. Military’s elite Delta Force special operations unit along with a team of Army Rangers to be used as backup. The target? Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the infamous Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The bearded 48-year-old jihadi had headed the brutal organization since 2010 and had played a key role in transforming it from a small militia into a highly effective terrorist group that shocked the world with its brutality. Claiming to hail from Muhammad’s

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

62 with gunfire and missiles. Handling the armed men was the job of the Army Rangers, who split off from Delta Force to engage. The intense firefight lasted for over 10 long minutes until the threat was finally extinguished, with at least two ISIS members killed. Meanwhile, Delta Force operators hunted al-Baghdadi within the compound. Sweeping through the house amid the din of the surrounding shootout, the troops finally found their prize at the end of a large tunnel. Trapped with the three children he took along with him as human shields, and with U.S. forces closing in, al-Baghdadi acted as expected. Detonating his suicide belt, he finally achieved his oft-stated dream of going to the next world as a shahid (martyr). The most wanted terrorist in the world was dead. “He reached the end of the tunnel, as our dogs chased him down. He ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children. His body was mutilated by the blast. The tunnel had caved in on it,” described Trump. “He died like a dog,” the president said. “He died like a coward. The world is now a much safer place.” The mission was accomplished but was not yet over, for the troops needed to make sure al-Baghdadi was, in fact, dead. The Iraqi jihadist had been reported killed multiple times in recent years, only to reemerge months later. In order to positively identify him, troops spent 15 agonizing minutes running DNA tests. They brought back some of his body parts for further analysis. The elite soldiers then cased the now-shattered house for intelligence. What they found was a bonanza. “They took highly sensitive material and information from the raid, much having to do with ISIS – origins, future plans, things that we very much want,” President Trump said. Finally, the twin rotor CH-47s lifted off. Pausing only to level the now-assassinated al-Baghdadi’s lair, the teams flew back on the same route they had used to arrive. The entire operation had taken only two hours. “The raid was successful. We pulled our troops out. We had two minor casualties, two minor injuries, to our soldiers but a very successful, flawless raid,” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper

A photo of President Trump, Vice President Pence and other leaders in the Situation Room watching the raid unfold

told CNN. A service dog brought along for the mission was injured as well. Meanwhile, rumors of the mission had already begun to filter out. “Something BIG has just happened,” tweeted Trump, further stoking speculation. Confirmation came a few hours later, and further details emerged in a celebratory press conference Trump held on Sunday morning. “Last night, the United States brought the world’s No. 1 terrorist leader to justice,” Trump announced. “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. Capturing or killing him has been the top national security priority of my administration.”

The Metamorphosis of a Terrorist Mastermind The U.S. had been hunting al-Baghdadi for years and had put locating him as its highest priority, labeling him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and upping the reward for information leading to his capture to $25 million in 2017. Yet he had proven elusive and succeeded in evading Kurdish and Western intelligence time after time. There had also been doubts whether he was even still alive. Numerous reports in recent years had alleged that al-Baghdadi was killed in a coalition airstrike, by his own men, or during battle. The high price the U.S. was willing to pay for his killing or capture was a result of his role as the commander of the notorious ISIS terror group. Born in Iraq in 1971 as Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Al-Badri, the terrorist had spent almost his entire life involved in extremist political Islam. Yet his career as an insurgent took off

following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. After Saddam Hussein was toppled, chaos reigned in Iraq. The fiercely secular Hussein, who had never permitted radical Islam to rear its head, was gone. Suddenly, extremists of every stripe could operate unhindered. And the infidel U.S. forces occupying Arab

new Iraqi military, leading him to be arrested in 2006 by the U.S. and imprisoned in Camp Bucca. Yet, despite his role as the founder and leader of the JJASJ, U.S. intelligence remained unaware as to what extent al-Baghdadi played in the insurgency. Classifying him only as a “civilian detainee,” al-Baghdadi never joined the high value security prisoners jailed in Guantanamo Bay, and he was eventually released in 2009 after the U.S. military decided that he was only a low-level risk terrorist. Intelligence officials would rue this mistake for years to come. Al-Baghdadi’s extended sojourn behind bars transformed him from a local warlord into the head of an organization whose members numbered in the hundreds of thousands. With the enhanced credibility the jail sentence gave him, and with the tactical acumen he learned from his terrorist brethren, the newly-free al-Baghdadi would come back to haunt the West with a vengeance.

Saturday’s operation was the most consequential U.S. military raid since the operation to kill Osama bin Laden in 2011. Iraq, anathema in Islam, provided an easy target. It seemed like Sunni Islamic militias were sprouting up like mushrooms. Both to defend their people and to fight Iraq’s rival Shi’ite population and to force foreign troops to leave, the violence spiraled out of control. Radical and heavily armed fighting forces were everywhere and al-Baghdadi was at the heart of the budding sectarian bloodshed. Leaving his job as a run of the mill mosque imam, al-Baghdadi founded the militia Jaamat Jaysh al-Sunna was-I-Jamaah (JJASJ). Under his tutelage, the JJASJ perpetrated a slew of attacks against coalition troops and the

Soon after his release, al-Baghdadi became the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), which was then al-Qaeda’s Iraqi division. Leaderless and adrift ever since founder Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike a few years prior, the organization soon began to thrive under its new leader. The attacks were not long in coming. Between March and April 2011, ISI pulled off 23 suicide bombings in Baghdad alone. The number almost doubled three months later. Not only was ISI succeeding in growing its rate of bombings, it was increasing its operational ability. Within a year, ISI went from committing an average of three attacks a month to launching simulta-

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

ISIS continued to grow. Seizing advanced American weaponry abandoned by the Iraqi army, the organization threatened the Assad regime itself. Meanwhile, ISIS committed a slew of high-profile terror attacks in Europe, including the Bataclan attacks in Paris back in 2015 that left 138 innocents dead. As ISIS grew, so did al-Baghdadi’s ambitions. In 2014, he announced that he was now a caliph. The job title is tra-

gruesome public beheadings and unimaginable brutality, the black-clad jihadists conquered vast swaths of Syria and Iraq, including major cities such as Tikrit and Mosul. At its height, ISIS controlled over 34,000 square miles, an area larger than Great Britain, and had an estimated 200,000 fighters.

ditionally reserved for the leader of Islam, and his decision to take upon himself the role raised hackles throughout the Muslim world. Criticism of al-Baghdadi was fierce, with even al-Qaeda denouncing the move. But under Islamic Law, disobeying a caliph is punishable by death, and al-Baghdadi’s newfound

Hunting in Holes It was ISIS’s success that spelled its downfall. Alarmed by the wanton bloodshed, the U.S. began an aerial bombing campaign that quickly crippled its ability to use heavy weapons such as tanks. Meanwhile, Iran sent hundreds of thousands of Shi’ites to Syria in order to eliminate the Sunni insurgents. The relentless campaign by the U.S. on one side and Iran on the other began to show results. By 2016, ISIS was controlling only a fraction of the territory it ruled only two years prior. Its money dried up, and the foreign volunteers stopped coming. Throughout the fight against the ISIS menace by the U.S. and other powers, al-Baghdadi remained out of sight. Taking stringent security measures such as shunning any device that could be connected to the internet, the bearded murderer successfully evaded the massive intelligence effort aimed at tracking him down. The beginning of the end for al-Baghdadi came last month. That was when the U.S. received a tip as to al-Baghdadi’s whereabouts. Likely provided by Kurdish intelligence, the information enabled the U.S. to use its considerable resources and keep him under 24-hour surveillance. As September turned into October, the United States was finally able to pinpoint his exact location. From there, the road to the commando operation was swift. Following

The End or Split of ISIS? Al-Baghdadi’s successful liquidation comes following President Trump’s much maligned decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northern Syria in order to enable Turkey to massacre the Kurds. However, the withdrawal is also seen as a boon to ISIS and could very well allow the group to make a comeback. Amid the chaos of the hastily planned pullout, 3,000 ISIS high value prisoners were freed from a U.S. holding facility in Syria. In addition, Trump’s drawdown of forces can

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

Al-Baghdadi’s extended sojourn behind bars transformed him from a local warlord into the head of an organization whose members numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

caliphate gave ISIS fighters religious legitimacy to murder fellow Muslims who opposed his rule.

OCTOBER 31, 2019

ISIS terrorists marching in Syria

three separate aborted missions to capture or kill the radical leader, the choppers finally lifted off on Saturday evening. “We knew a little bit about where he was going, where he was heading. We had very good information that he was going to another location,” recalled Trump. “He didn’t go. Two or three efforts were canceled because he decided to change his mind, constantly changing his mind. And finally, we saw that he was here, held up here. “This was one where we knew he was there, and you can never be 100% sure because you’re basing it on technology more than anything else. But we thought he was there, and then we got a confirmation,” Trump added. Saturday’s operation was the most consequential U.S. military raid since the operation to kill Osama bin Laden in 2011. The operation showcased the United States’ impressive military might. Carrying out pinpoint assassinations is notoriously difficult from an intelligence perspective; unlike traditional military targets such as bases, ammo dumps, and airports, raids such as this one demand actionable intelligence. In other words, intelligence officers not only need to know where the target is currently – an extraordinarily difficult feat – it must figure out where he will be in the future in order to allow commandos to train and arrive at the scene. With wanted jihadists such as al-Baghdadi avoiding electronic devices, the formidable National Security Agency (NSA) couldn’t hack him or his associates. As a result, CIA and military intelligence needed to rely on human sources, a field with which the American intel community has traditionally struggled.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

neous coordinated bombings in multiple cities. Al-Baghdadi led ISIS for three years. His “big break,” though, was yet to come. As a result of an ideological falling out among senior al-Qaeda members, al-Baghdadi split off in 2013 and announced the formation of a new organization named the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. ISIS had arrived. The timing was auspicious. Neighboring Syria was then engaged in a fullblown civil war between the secular Assad regime and religious fundamentalists. Many Muslims viewed ousting the heretical Assad government as a religious duty; extremists from all over the world were streaming to Syria to do their part. Taking advantage of the chaos, al-Baghdadi persuaded other midsized jihadi groups to merge and fight under ISIS’s bloody umbrella. Lavishly funded with Qatari and Saudi Arabian money, ISIS recruited former generals in the Iraqi military to establish a truly terrifying military machine. By 2014, ISIS had become a household name. With the organization’s

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

The site of the raid after U.S. forces leveled the compound

now let ISIS fight unhindered by U.S. operations and airstrikes. Al-Baghdadi’s death will likely have only a negligible effect on the organization’s functioning, which is influenced more by external factors than by who stands at its head. Leaders of terror groups generally fall into one of two categories. Either they are “spiritual” leaders who inspire attacks and recruit followers due to their religious rhetoric or they are blessed with tactical acumen allowing them to pull off spectacular attacks with a high death toll. An example of the former would be Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a quadriplegic who couldn’t even hold a weapon yet founded an organization that now controls the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, an example of a leader who rose to prominence for his military skills is Imad Mughniah, the Hezbollah chief of staff who was considered the world’s deadliest terrorist before the Mossad killed him Damascus. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was unquestionably a spiritual leader. His involvement in actually planning attacks and other operational activity was low, and he generally delegated daily military matters to subordinates. As a result, his removal from the head of the terrorist group will then have little effect on ISIS’s military capacity, its force structure, and its ability to acquire and transport weapons. Finally, pinpoint assassinations of terror bigwigs have historically had a negligible effect on the organization’s

overall ability to function. During the second intifada, Israel sent hundreds of terrorists to their Maker. While the constant removal of terror commanders proved to be a setback to the groups in question, it never deterred their long-term ability to function. The examples are many. In 1988, commandos from the IDF’s vaunted Sayeret Matkal Special Forces unit killed Fatah co-founder Abu Jihad in Tunisia. Today, Fatah is alive and well. In 1995, Mossad operatives assassinated Palestinian Islamic Jihad founder Fathi Shkaki in Malta, yet the terror group currently possess more missiles than Hamas in Gaza. Neither did the killing of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in an airstrike 15 years ago prevent Hamas from continuing to build itself up to the point that it now runs the Gaza Strip. However, this is not to say that there aren’t any benefits in assassinating al-Baghdadi. The raid was a valuable victory for the U.S. and the free world overall. In addition, the leadership vacuum the assassination will cause can result in the group splitting apart in a succession battle. An illustration of what is liable to happen to ISIS can be seen in Mexico’s war on the drug cartels. After declaring war on the country’s narcotics industry in 2006, Mexican officials based their strategy on targeted assassinations and arrests of cartel leaders. Yet instead of reducing the killing, the pinpoint assassinations had the opposite effect. Rather than disappear after

a successful liquidation, the heavily armed cartels would split up and fight a violent succession battle between their former leader’s deputies. This led to skyrocketing bloodshed and is a major reason why over a quarter of Mexicans have been killed since 2006.

While ISIS is not a cartel and Syria is not Mexico, a similar result isn’t out of the cards. Time, of course, will tell if al-Baghdadi’s death will spell the end of one of the bloodiest terrorist organizations around.

Some thingS need to be tailor made. inSurance iS one of them. Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all policy. At Wealcatch Insurance every policy is custom made. AUTO Ĵ HOME Ĵ COMMERCIAL Ĵ LIFE

410.653.3053 • info@wealcatchmd.com

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

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

TURNING EDUCATORS INTO LEADERS

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

By: N. Aaron Troodler Along with imparting knowledge to children and adults, educators also function as role models for their students. As they train people, young and old to become leaders in their own right, educators themselves serve as leaders. The challenge is how to make that leap from “educator” to “leader.” Fortunately, there is a fully developed program whose sole purpose is to teach leadership skills and facilitate leadership opportunities for individuals in the Orthodox community. Rabbi Pesach Lerner, D.Adm. founded the YIEP (Yeshiva Initiatives Educational Programs – www.theyiep.com) in 2004, and worked to create a rubric that would offer quality graduate programs to Orthodox students. The dream became a reality through a partnership with Bellevue University, which is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and the YIEP Master of Arts in Educational Leadership was created.

The MA in Ed Leadership cohort program empowers students to use critical thinking skills to incorporate their everyday experiences with their academic coursework and train themselves for leadership positions in their communities. Students study leadership theories, current educational leadership issues, historical and modern-day leaders, organizational behavior, team and group dynamics, strategic leadership, and cognitive psychology applied to learning. The required courses for the MA in Ed Leadership, which are studied online and accessible anywhere, take approximately a year-and-a-half to complete. The next cohort, which will be the 15th MA in Ed Leadership group, begins in November 2019. Rabbi Lerner noted that yeshiva and seminary degrees are accepted as fulfillment of the undergraduate degree requirement and tuition is lower

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

for special events and promos

Book Our Facility for Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah!

CLIMBZONE WHITE MARSH 1412 Tangier Drive, Suite B Middle River, MD 21220

410-406-9891 Located 5 minutes off I-95.

groups@climbzonewm.us | www.climbzone.us/white-marsh

than New York area programs because it is based on Nebraska rates, which is home to Bellevue University. “The program objective is to provide graduate educational opportunities for students who work in Jewish educational institutions and other organizations and are interested in obtaining a quality degree for career advancement purposes,” said Dr. Stephen Linenberger, director and instructor of the MA in Ed Leadership program. “It enables teachers, professionals and rabbis to increase their professional development in various ways, and is perfect for people who want to take the next step into an administrative role, as well as individuals who want to enhance their leadership skills both inside and outside of the classroom or in other work settings. We are proud to be able to help our students embrace their critical leadership roles.” “Our program is extremely unique because we allow students to contextualize material in their own world view and in their own environment,” added Dr. Linenberger, who pulls in culturally relevant lessons and encourages students to bring teaching from Judaism into the classroom. “Much of what we teach has its roots in the Judaic teachings of leadership. Learning from leaders in Jewish history how to improve one’s self through self-development is a big piece of what we do.” Through the MA in Ed Leadership program, students can get involved in various professional networks and are exposed to different opportunities that enable them to take that next professional step. YIEP students have gone on to pursue additional degrees in Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. “Our students who ultimately go on to other programs feel that they have a leg up after completing our program,” Dr. Linenberger said. Students take courses such as “Leadership Theories and Practices,” which explores the subject of lead-

ership within diverse organizational and situational contexts, “Team and Group Dynamics,” which examines the need for leaders to understand group functions, and “Strategic Leadership,” which studies how leaders strategically create and affect organizational missions and goals. There is also a “Leadership Project,” which is an experience designed by the student and approved by aprofessor which provides the student with opportunities to develop an applied leadership development plan or generate a thesis or case study. “The MA in Ed Leadership offered me a graduate-level education about topics such as leadership, education, non-profits, psychology, and group dynamics, subject matters that I deal with in my current career on an almost daily basis,” said Doni Silverstein, who earned his MAEL from Bellevue University in 2006 and then earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University in 2014. “I really enjoyed the content and subject matter of each course, and it afforded me an interesting and fun learning experience.” “The doors and opportunities that this program opened for me are vast,” said Elad Barmatz, a former student. “Almost every aspect of this program is tailored for success, from the program itself, its environment, and the amazing individuals who run it. From its incredible teaching methodology, deadline flexibility, superb communication flow with the professors, and a schedule that is truly suitable for observant individuals, this program is invaluable.” Rabbi Lerner noted that the YIEP attracts all types of Orthodox Jews, including Yeshivish, Chasidish and Modern Orthodox, and that classes are for both males and females, but is sensitive to the guidelines of Tznius and Halacha. For more information about the program, contact Rabbi Lerner at THEYIEP@gmail.com

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Why Men Lose Weight Faster Than Women

OCTOBER 31, 2019

cause men to have faster metabolisms than women – about 5-10% faster! Testosterone is a powerful hormone and men have about 10 times more of it then women do. Testosterone increases protein synthesis and lean body mass, which then increases the resting metabolic rate. The men will therefore burn more calories all day long. Bottom line: it costs much more to keep the men alive than it does women.

than men. A woman’s body was created to host pregnancies, and the body wants to ensure that it has enough fat to feed those babies! • Emotional Eating: Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory found that when exposed to the sight and smell of pizza and cake, men were much better at turning off their cravings while women fixated on their favorite foods, even after being told to think of something

The ultimate goal is to be healthy.

• The Estrogen Effect: Estrogen is necessary to help regulate a woman’s cycle and prep the body for childbirth but it doesn’t help in the weight loss department. Women have about 6-11% more body fat than men, but researchers at the University of New South Wales found that estrogen reduces women’s ability to burn energy after eating. This means that women are better at holding onto fat

else. Women also seem to be the winners in the emotional eating contest. Research suggests that when women are stressed they turn to food for comfort, while men are more likely to turn to alcohol. • Apples vs Pears: Men typically have an “apple”-shaped body and women usually have a “pear”shaped one. In other words, men typically have more weight in their

midsection, known as visceral fat, which surrounds the organs. When people lose their visceral fat, it improves their metabolic rate, thereby helping them to burn more calories. Women, on the other hand, typically carry their fat around their thighs, hips, and rear, otherwise known as subcutaneous fat, to help with childbearing. When people lose subcutaneous fat, it does not improve their metabolic rate. At the end of the day, losing weight is hard for everyone. Yes, the men have an easier time of it, but the fat that men tend to carry around is unhealthier and more noticeable than the fat women tend to store. Just remember: it’s not a race, and the ultimate goal is to be healthy. You just have to be committed to eating healthier or cleaner and incorporating exercise into your routine, and you will achieve your goals.

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

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

ver the years, I have counseled countless of couples seeking weight loss. At the initial consultation I prepare the wives to expect their husbands to lose more and faster than them. It is unfair, but definitely true. They are, of course, annoyed and sometimes downright angry to see the pounds melt off of their spouse while they struggle for every pound. In one study done in England, men and women were each put on commercial weight loss programs such as Atkins, Slim-Fast, and Weight Watchers. Two months in, the men had lost twice as much weight as the women and three times as much body fat. But by six months in, the rate of weight loss had evened between the genders. Why does this happen? There are a number of reasons that directly correlate to the differences between men and women on a biological and physiological level. Let’s explore the main reasons why the guys seem to trim down faster than the gals. • Men have More Muscle: Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest, and men are made up of more muscle than women, especially in the upper body. This will

Gluten Free Recipe Column by Mrs. Elaine Bodenheimer

GlutenFree@BaltimoreJewishHome.com

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Apple Pie

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

What You Will Need: ½ cup garbanzo bean flour 1 scant tsp. salt ½ cup cornstarch ½ cup oil ½ cup tapioca starch 3 tbl. rice milk 1 tsp. baking powder 2 cans of apple pie filling21 oz.each 1 ½ tsp. sugar

Preparation: 1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Mix dry ingredients together. In another bowl, mix oil and rice milk together and add to dry ingredients. Pat ¾ of the dough into 9 -inch pie plate, making sure the dough is even all around. Save the remainder of the dough for the crust. Prick with fork and bake for 15 minutes. Cool before filling. 3. When cool, add 2 cans of gluten-free apple pie filling to baked crust and top with crumbled pie dough to make a crumb topping. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!!

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

By Naomi Nachman

OCTOBER 31, 2019

This delicious salad is not only great to serve for Shabbat lunch but also for lunches during the week for the family for work or school. I usually make one big batch, dividing it into four small lunch containers but leaving out the dressing to avoid the salad becoming soggy. I place the dressing in small 1-ounce plastic containers and place it in the lunchbox so they can mix it in fresh right before eating.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Honey Glazed Turkey Caesar Salad

Ingredients Salad 4-6 cups mixed greens 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 package Honey Glazed Turkey Breast Croutons

Dressing ¼ cup olive oil 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 teaspoon mustard 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 cloves crushed garlic

Place all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. With a whisk in a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients. You can prepare dressing up to three days in advance and refrigerate. Pour dressing over salad right before serving and toss well.

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

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

Preparation

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

OCTOBER 31, 2019

Dirshu Gedolei Yisrael in American and Eretz Yisrael Open Their Homes to Host Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Siyumim By Chaim Gold There are few times during the year that are busier for Roshei Yeshiva and Poskim than the week before Rosh Hashanah. Nevertheless, leading luminaries such as HaGaon HaRav Yeruchem Olshin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govohah of Lakewood, shlita, the Biala Rebbe, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Mir Yerushalayim, the well-known Sephardic Rosh Yeshiva and Mekubal, HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Hillel, shlita as well as the children and talmidim of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Wosner, zt”l, and HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zt”l, cleared their schedules and opened their homes the week before Rosh Hashanah to participate in the siyum of Chelek Daled of Mishnah Berurah and the start of Chelek Hei. One of the remarkable events was the siyum held for Daf HaYomi B’Halacha maggidei shiur, at the apartment of Rav Yeruchem Olshin. Rabbi Ahron Gobioff, Dirshu’s North American Director, related, “In an effort to avoid imposing on the distinguished Rosh Yeshiva, I brought cake and drinks to his house so that we could have a l’chaim in honor of the siyum. I was flabbergasted when I arrived at the Olshin home! I found the table beautifully set with fresh cake baked by Rebbetzin Olshin herself. The Rebbetzin and the Rosh Yeshiva deemed it a special zechus to participate in such a siyum with the more than ten Daf HaYomi B’Halacha maggidei shiur representing hundreds of lomdim.” Rav Yeruchem Olshin’s Spontaneous Song At the siyum, Rav Olshin related, “When Rav Shlomo Heiman came to America in 1935, he rejoiced greatly in every siyum. At that time, siyumim weren’t common in America and they engendered great simcha. Baruch Hashem, today, siyumim are more common, but a siyum on the difficult Chelek Daled of Mishnah Berurah with maggidei shiur representing

HaRav Yeruchem Olshin, celebrating the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Chelek Daled siyum held in his home

many mesaymim is not common at all and is a tremendous simcha!” During his remarks, Rav Olshin related that several months ago he merited attending the Dirshu Convention in Stamford, Connecticut where he spent Shabbos with hundreds of lomdei Dirshu. “At that time,” the Rosh Yeshiva explained, “many were worried about the fact that the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha would be embarking on Masechta Eiruvin, a difficult masechta. Now, as we finish Chelek Daled and have already begun Chelek Hei, we see that not only have they learned Chelek Daled, but they have learned it well!” Perhaps the most moving moment of the entire evening was when the Rosh Yeshiva himself spontaneously burst out in a niggun, singing, ‘Nagil v’nosis b’zos haTorah’. His pure simchas haTorah was contagious and all of the maggidei shiur joined him in enthusiastic song. If one wanted to be exposed to rabbinic royalty, that is what greeted the gathering in their visit to the storied home of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Wosner. zt”l, just before Rosh Hashanah. His son and successor, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Wosner, shlita, together with his greatest talmidim, all leading Poskim in Eretz Yisroel such as HaGaonim HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein, shlita HaRav Shmuel Eliezer Stern shlita and HaRav Yaakov Meir Stern, shlita gathered to give chizuk to those beginning Chelek Hei. All of them spoke about how much Rav

Siyum of Mishnah Berurah Chelek Daled with HaRav Shraga Shteinman at the home of HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman

Wosner valued Dirshu, viewing it as an organization that was responsible for perpetuating Torah and halacha in our time. The siyum at the home of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman’s home was jointly led by his son, HaGaon HaRav Shraga Shteinman, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Shevach Rosenblatt, shlita and three of Bnei Brak’s most prominent Poskim, HaRav Sariel Rosenberg, shlita HaRav Yehuda Silman shlita and HaRav Yisroel Marurush shlita. At that siyum, the participants remembered how much encouragement HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zt”l, gave to Dirshu, going above and beyond his kochos and even attending and addressing their massive siyum in Tel Aviv when he was over 100 years old and in an extremely weakened state. Rav Shteinman also gave tremendous chizuk to the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha. The Uniqueness of the Sefarim of the Chofetz Chaim Rav Dovid Hofstedter, related, “HaGaon HaRav Simcha Wasserman, zt”l, son of Rav Elchonon Wasserman, once told me, ‘There have been so many chiddushim written by many of the greatest gaonim but what has happened to them? Most have become lost to Klal Yisrael. The Chofetz Chaim, however, wrote sefarim that have not only not been lost, but have become sefarim that all of Klal Yis-

roel learns. As time goes on, more and more people learn the sefarim of the Chofetz Chaim. The reason,’ Rav Simcha explained, ‘is that the Chofetz chaim didn’t write his sefarim to write chidushim. Rather, he wrote them to try giving the klal sefarim that they needed. In fact, not only did he not openly show his erudition, he tried to hide it!’ When someone writes a sefer with totally pure motives, only because the klal need it, it has a kiyum’” The octogenarian Biala Rebbe, one of the elder Admorim of the generation, gladly opened his home to a siyum on Chelek Daled and a haschalah on Chelek Hei. The Rebbe pointed out that when a Jew lives his life in accordance with halacha, every one of his actions, even those that are essentially physical actions, actions of gashmiyus, are transformed into spiritual actions as a result of them being regulated by halacha. Rav Yaakov Hillel focused on the greatness of the sefer Mishnah Berurah. “What Dirshu has done by promoting a daily Mishnah Berurah program is a colossal chessed for Klal Yisrael. The Mishnah Beruah is not just a halacha sefer, it is sefer that builds the life of every Jew. The Chofetz Chaim spent over 25 years writing the Mishnah Berurah. Until you really learn it, you cannot appreciate the work that went into it. Dirshu has given all of us a window into the greatness of this sefer.”

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

Money

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Kids These Days By Allan Rolnick, CPA

OCTOBER 31, 2019

that at least some young inheritors are thinking critically about their fortune. The article quotes Sam, a 24-year-old Qualcomm heir with a $25 million trust fund, who says that for him, the concept of “risk” means the possibility of losing money in a hedge fund. But for someone his age working as a bike messenger in New York, it’s the possibility of getting hit by a car while delivering a burrito.

ilies like hers will be happier when they don’t have to deal with the burden of feeling responsible for the injustices their wealth helps create. She sounds delightfully idealistic and perhaps a bit naive — a Holly Golightly figure in a Paris Hilton world. But it’s hard to argue with her commitment and her sincerity. Clemenceau would be proud. Sam, Karen, and Holly are all

That’s inspiring young radicals to pick up their torches and pitchforks and storm some castles.

The article also interviews Karen, who gave her $3 million trust fund to a private foundation. She concedes the challenge left-wing inheritors face: “You’re not necessarily going to convince your dyed-in-the-wool Republican grandma that…well, anything, probably. But you probably can move the needle a little bit.” Finally, there’s Holly, daughter of a Fortune 500 CEO, who says fam-

members of a group called Resource Generation, a “membership community of young people (18-35) with wealth and/or class privilege committed to the equitable distribution of wealth, land, and power.” The group counts 600 members in 15 chapters across the country and raised over $20 million last year for social justice groups. Of course, the Resource Gen-

eration radicals want to see higher taxes. But while socking it to the wealthiest Americans would surely combat inequality, it won’t solve the problem entirely. In 2016, the top 400 earners reported total income of $127 billion. But even if they paid 100% of their supersized earnings in tax, there would still be an enormous gulf between them and the rest of America. It’s also worth noting that inheritors who give their fortunes to social justice groups deprive the government of billions in future inheritance taxes. If you’re like most people, your financial concerns lie closer to home. But paying less tax leaves you more money to give to whatever causes you support, whether they spring from 25-year-old youth or 45-year-old maturity. And if you are looking to play a bigger role in your community, we can help you make the most of your gifts there, too. So call us when you’re ready to change the world… you might be surprised how much we can help you accomplish!

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.

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

ere in the United States, we spend a lot of time arguing about income taxes…who should pay, how they should pay, and how The French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau once said that if a man is not radical at 25, he has no heart – and if he’s still radical at 45, he has no head. And while Clemenceau focused his attention on the battlefields of World War I, history supplies an endless number of stories where radical youth challenge their entrenched elders. Income inequality has always been a popular target of the young. Today, it’s growing even worse. The Berkeley economists who helped design Senator Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax have reported that for the first time ever, the 400 richest households in the country paid less tax, as a percentage of their income, than any other group of Americans. Naturally, that’s inspiring young radicals to pick up their torches and pitchforks and storm some castles. Their ranks include some of those who have benefited most from the problem. Last month, everyone’s favorite chronicler of the carriage trade, Town & Country magazine, profiled “The Rich Kids Who Want to Give Away All Their Money.” It’s clear

Buying or Selling a Home?

Experience Matters!

BARRY NABOZNY BROKER/REALTOR 410-977-7600

410.581.1000

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

See our available homes inside

See pg pg 60

Postmaster: Please deliver by Friday November 1