Baltimore Jewish Home - 11-12-15

Around the Community

Baltimore Celebrates the Unique Mitzvah of Pidyon Peter Chamor

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Torah Umesorah - Baltimore Mechanchim Celebrate Shabbos of Chizuk

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CONTENTS COMMUNITY Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

JEWISH THOUGHT The Child Within. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Toldos: Lentils & Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

COVER STORY Dating Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 A Jewish Disease?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Netanyahu Comes to Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

LIFESTYLES 613 Seconds with Shlomo Trachtenberg. . . . . . . . 21 Why Citi Credit Cards are the New ‘IT’ Cards for Free Vacations, Flights and Hotel Stays. . . . . . . . . . 40 In The Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Understanding the Difference between Marketing and Branding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Summer Roll or Vietnamese Roll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 10 Foods to Never Eat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 13 Ways to Soundproof Your Home . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

NEWS

Dear Readers, Maybe I should have gone into the medical profession. I am not squeamish at the sight of blood, and I find the human body to be absolutely fascinating. It recently occurred to me, that we sometimes take the miracles that take place within us every moment of every day for granted. Recently I heard someone talking about the brain and its functions and I was struck by the fact that because of the brain’s inherent responsibilities, we truly don’t think of the miracles that are occurring within. The brainstem is in charge of the autonomous functions in our body—breathing, the circulation of our blood, digestion. These functions are vital to our existence and so Hashem made them take place without our necessary input. The body knows how to do it on its own. And yet, although it is a comforting thought that we don’t have to concentrate on breathing or moving nutrients from one end of our body to the other, it’s scary.

Our existence is dependent on our bodies working in the proper way. When someone is ill or when one of their normal bodily functions is impaired, that is when they remember the miracles that are within. They look back at the times when their body was working as it should and they can appreciate all that Hashem does for them daily. Think about it on a small scale, when a person gets a paper cut. That cut—which is really very small—is so bothersome and painful. But think about the time when your fingers were

smooth and unblemished. Did you ever stop to think about how valuable your skin is or how wonderful and useful your fingers are?

We should spend a few moments every day thinking about the miracles that we take for granted and thank Hashem for our continued health. In the past few decades, the medical community has made tremendous strides in understanding our body and diseases and in creating medications and therapies to combat certain maladies. In one area—along with other diseases as well—doctors have yet to find a cure. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis affect hundreds of thousands of Americans and a disproportionate amount of Ashkenazic Jews. People with these conditions can be crippled by their symptoms and some have to resort to surgery to be able to function in a normal way. Doctors, though, have only been able to help manage their patients’ symptoms and although they are working on finding a cure, for now they have to experiment with the medications they have on-hand to find the right dose that fits the patient.

I know that when I hear of people who are suffering from these conditions, unable to leave their homes or function in a normal way, my heart goes out to them. I only hope that one day they will benefit from a cure sent from Above to the medical community and be able to count all their blessings and appreciate all the miracles that we experience within.

Wishing you a wonderful week,

Yaakov

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

Global News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 National News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

The Baltimore Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces­sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. 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.

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Around the

Community

Bonei Olam: An Evening of Hope and Inspiration BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

On November 2nd Ben and Shira Ram hosted the Annual Bonei Olam Evening of Hope and Inspiration. This annual event is held to show support and give chizuk to couples facing fertility issues. Many young couples are fortunate to start a family without any difficulties, however for many this is not the case. The current statistics is one in every six couples faces the heartbreaking challenges of infertility.

The evening was addressed by Rabbi Zev Schwartz who in a poignant presentation described his feelings and emotions at the possibility he and his wife once faced that they would remain Chas V’ Shalom childless. For the estimated two hundred and fifty men and women in attendance there was not a dry eye to be found. Rabbi Schwartz went on to say, where can couples facing similar challenges receive emotional and financial support? The answer he said is from Bonei Olam.

Bonei Olam was founded in 1999

by Rabbi Shlomo Bochner with a mission to provide whatever means and resources necessary to help childless couples achieve their dreams of parenthood. From humble beginnings Bonei Olam has grown to currently maintaining 18 regional chapters in 5 countries around the world. Each year Bonei Olam provides millions of dollars in financial assistance to cover the exorbitant costs of fertility treat-

ments and medical procedures facing couples struggling with infertility.

To date, 5642 babies, 54 of whom in our own Baltimore community, have been brought into the world through the financial assistance and resources provided by Bonei Olam. Hundreds of genetic research projects and medical breakthroughs spearheaded by or in collaboration with Bonei Olam make the potential of parenthood a reality. Bonei Olam is recognized in the worldwide medical arena for its leadership role in reproductive medicine, research and technology. Combined with financial assistance, Bonei Olam programs cover every step of the process including work up, medication, high-risk pregnancies, and pre-implantation, genetic diagnosis, pre-andpost cancer fertility, and education, awareness and adoption assistance.

While far reaching and multi-dimen-

sional in scope, Bonei Olam touches ever so closely the lives of its beneficiary couples.

Rabbi Schwartz concluded his speech that today he and his wife are the proud parents of two lovely children. The full circle mission of Bonei Olam was thus brought home to everyone in a truly moving and inspirational manner.

Rabbi Bochner, the founder of Bonei Olam, concluded the program with a very moving message, ending off a truly emotional and magnificent evening.

The evening also featured a generous variety of culinary delicacies as well as a truly moving pictorial display of the 54 Bonei Olam babies born in Baltimore.

Thank you to Ben and Shira Ram for so generously offering their home to host the event. Thank you to the

countless volunteers and committee members who devoted many hours of their precious time to ensure the evening would be a success. Baruch Hashem the annual Bonei Olam event was truly a night of Hope and Inspiration.

All funds raised will be designated specifically for couples in Baltimore.

The Baltimore Chapter of Bonei Olam is coordinated by Mrs. Bonnie Pollak and Mr. and Mrs. Hillel and Loni Goldman. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance please call 443-320-5848. If you would like to donate, please mail your tax deductible donation to 6609 Shelrick Place Baltimore, Md 21209, or donations can be made online at www.Boneiolam.org and please reference in the memo section Baltimore.

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But now all that would end. I would need to find a dedicated, capable and caring new aide.

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Paul had a unique rapport with my father, and succeeded in reasoning with him when even I couldn’t. He served my father with devotion and gentleness, and as long as Paul was there, I knew there was no need to worry about dad.

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My Kollel Chatzos donation did not magically send me just the right aide. But unbelievably, there was no longer a need for one!

Several days after I called the kollel, Paul announced that his nephew was coming to the US and he would stay around for now to show him the ropes.

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Around the

Community

Baltimore Celebrates the Unique Mitzvah of Pidyon Peter Chamor Dr. Michael Elman

I was asked to describe the events leading up to today’s pidyan peter chamor, as well as the celebration itself. A few years back, my friend, Rabbi Don Moskovitz, made apidyan peter chamor in Baltimore together with Rabbi Nesanel Kostelitz.

Shortly thereafter, Don became aware that a female donkey was born to the same farmer who cared for the first donkey. Don approached me and asked if I would be willing to partner in this venture in the hope that this donkey would eventually give birth to a male donkey, making it a peter chamor withkedusha as spelled out in the Torah. He carefully explained the risks and potential costs. It was by no means certain if this donkey would give birth to a male and it could take several attempts to achieve the desired result. I replied that if I declined, it was absolutely certain I would not be able to partake in this mitzvah, so I told him I was in until the end. Thus was born our partnership in this rare and wonderful mitzvah!

Don purchased the female donkey during its first year of life, a time when it could not become pregnant. He frequently made inquiry on the donkey’s progress and I continued to write my share of checks for the donkey’s feed and care. A number of months later, we learned the donkey was expecting.

The question remained – was it a boy or a girl?

On Motzai Simchas Torah, while we were still in Eretz Yisrael, the answer came in an email message from Don, “You are a 50% owner of a MALE, FIRST BORN, Bouncing Baby Donkey. Mazel Tov. Let’s get together . . .”

When we returned to Baltimore, we started the preparations. Fortunately, Don knew all the logistics, which made life easier. However, at the same time, he was in and out of the hospital and was quite weak. It was my hope that his involvement in this mitzvah would be a zechus for a refuah shelayma.

I very much wanted to have the pidyan peter chamor at Yeshivas

Photo Credit: BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

Chofetz Chaim/Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, a school very near and dear to me for a number of reasons. I thought this rare and exotic mitzvah would make a deep impression on the young talmidim of the school. Don agreed. Furthermore, our kohein of choice was Rabbi Nachman Kahana, the Menahal for the Elementary School. We picked up the phone and asked Rabbi Kahana if he would be willing to serve as the kohein. He immediately agreed. We then asked his thoughts about hosting

this at TA, he also thought this was a wonderful idea.

My next call was to the President of TA, Rabbi Yehuda Lefkovitz. Rabbi Lefkovitz was excited about the prospect of hosting this mitzvah at the school. He asked for a few days to meet with the hanhala so they could discuss the logistics. Several days later he called me to inform me that the entire hanhalawas on board and very excited about this mitzvah. All I can say is they went beyond any expectation that I might have had.

Several other details needed to be sorted out. Don was able to secure a sheep, and our friend, Saul Passe agreed to help with transporting the sheep for us. My wife Linda, a party planner par excellence, met with the school and went over the final details of the event.

The celebration was scheduled to start at 10:30. It would be held indoors in the Gym/Multipurpose Room, in

order to deal with the weather and security issues. When I arrived at 10:15, one could feel the excitement in the air. Talmidim, including my grandson Yehuda Elazar, were busy putting out the programs and tehillim on the chairs. A beautiful banner hung above the stage. The room was decorated

added to the kovod of the event. At approximately 10:45, the pidyan began with introductory remarks from Rabbi Lefkovitz. I then spoke briefly, thanking the Ribbono Shel Olam for allowing me the zechus to participate in this mitzvah. I thanked Don, for giving me the opportunity to partner

with art projects prepared especially by the talmidim in honor of today’s event. At 10:30, the room began to fill up. Students from grades two through twelve filed into the room to music provided by Yehuda Mond. Dr. Mond was on call in the ICU the night before and he told me he had no sleep, but there was no way he was going to miss this event. In addition to the students, distinguished rabbonimand guests

with him. I thanked my wife Linda, for all of her hard work, especially coming on the heals of a large Shabbos Project event held the week before in a tent in our backyard. Everyone knows that if you want to get anything done in my family, speak to Linda. Finally, I thanked TA and all the wonderful people there who worked so had on such short notice to make this mitzvah so amazing and so special.

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Around the Community A few weeks ago, Baltimore NCSY met at the home of Larry and Lara Franks, to discuss the multiple different summer programs NCSY has to offer. Elliot Tanzman, Director of Recruitment for Summer Programs led parents through the summer experience that their teen will hopefully

have. Aura Teles and Chavy Bluman, previous participants of NCSY Summer Programs, told over their experiences on summer programs, and how they have grown from the programs.

A huge thank you to the Franks for hosting such an amazing night!

Growing Pains and Strains: Helping Kids Deal with

December 1, 2015 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Edward A. Myerberg Center 3101 Fallstaff Road, Baltimore

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

with Dr. Philip C. Kendall, Ph.D.

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NCSY Summer Programs Info Session

Kollel Chatzos Learn about:

Tefilas shacharis at alos hashachar with the talmidei chachomim of Kollel Chatzos

Rav Elimelich Biderman imparting divrei chizuk to Kollel Chatzos Meron at the kever of Rashbi

Looking Back: Challah Baking at Weinberg Village of Weinberg Village, and the teens of Baltimore NCSY. Maya Alezra, VP of Education, spoke about the importance of Challah, and how it connects to Shabbos. Special thanks to Linda Burstyn for organizing this amazing social action project!

Register by November 25 $5 in advance, $10 at the door $30 for 2.0 CEUs for mental health professionals shemeshbaltimore.org/winterworkshop Questions? Contact Gila at 410-843-7588 or email ghaor@shemeshbaltimore.org Dr. Philip Kendall is an award-winning psychologist, specializing in children and adolescents. He is a Distinguished University Professor and Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology at Temple University and is a sought-after speaker known for his sensitivity, creativity and seminal work on the treatment of anxiety disorders in youth.

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

Baltimore NCSY and the Weinberg Village teamed up to create an awesome Challah Bake 2.0! Each teen was paired up with a resident of the Weinberg Village, and made delicious homemade challah. Over 100 Challah’s were made by the residence

• What kids worry about today • When stress is too much • Practical tips for parents and educators

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NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Around the I then addressed the talmidim, telling them to look at what we do so school should never seem boring. I explained why this mitzvah has become so rare, and told them why I was motivated to participate. I left them with the thought that Hashem has blessed us with many wonderful mitzvos. Our job is to look formitzvah opportunities and to grab them when they present.

As I looked out at the many young children, I saw they were mesmerized by the proceedings and by the chamor, who was beautifully decorated and featured center stage. I thought back at the many years of hard work with my colleagues during my tenure as Chairman of the Board of TA. Over one thousand students filled the room and that was not the entire student body.

I felt such nachas and was grateful to my successors, Chaim Wealcatch, Dr. Joel Pleeter, Ari Krupp and Peretz Wertenteil, for their work in allowing TA to continue to grow and flourish.

I saw the hemshech Hadoros as well.

Not only did our sons, Dr. Ari Elman and Dr. Dov Elman attend TA, but now our grandsons, Yehuda Elazar, Akiva Gershon and Daniel Dovid, are students there. They enjoyed com-

ing up to help decorate the donkey.

I am pleased that the next generation of Elmans has become active in the school, as our daughter-in-law, Mrs. Inbal Elman, serves as Co-President of the PTA. I was happy to see that the amazing love and dedication of TA’s outstanding rabbeim, teachers and staff towards their students continues unabated as the school seamlessly transitions to the next generation of lay and professional leadership.

Following my remarks, Don Moscovitz shared his thoughts and divrei Torah about the great mitzvah. He said the donkey, while tamei, is the only animal that needs to be redeemed in such a manner. One reason may be that the donkey helped carry the burden of all the riches for Klal Yisrael when we were redeemed from Mitzrayim. Rabbi Yaakov Schwartz, Menahel of the Middle School, then led thekehilla in the recitation of Tehillim on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael. This was followed by a moving rendition of Achaynu, led by Dr. Mond. Rabbi Schwartz then recited amishabayrach for cholim.

Next Rabbi Yechiel Spero shared moving divrei Torah about this mitz-

Community vah. He first reviewed thehalachos, explaining them clearly so that all the talmidim would understand them.

He then told over an emotional story that moved every person present. Just as the donkey carries the burden for us, we must help carry the burden for other Jews in need. If we can do so successfully, with Hashem’s help we will bezocheh to see Ben Dovid riding on his chamor, ushering in the Geulah Shelayma.

Accompanied by lively music and dancing, student representatives from the different classes then decorated the donkey. Following this, we welcomed the sheep to the stage.

The time had come for the Pidyan Peter Chamor. Don had carefully prepared the text, which essentially has been the same for thousands of years for this mitzvah d’oraysa. We first informed the Kohein, Rabbi Kahana, that we wished to redeem the chamor. He then verified with us that we owned the donkey, and that indeed it was a first born male to its mother.

Next I picked up the sheep and presented it to Rabbi Kahana. I then made the bracha for the pidyan peter chamor. Rabbi Kahana then made

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

4th Annual Bnainu Bowl A Thon a Success Photo Credit: BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

a borei pri hagafen. Finally, I recited, with great emotion, the Shehechiynu bracha. The ceremony concluded with birkas Kohanim from Rabbi Kahana to Rabbi Moskovitz, to me and then to the entire tzibbur. The festivities concluded with lively music and spirited dancing.

Rabbi Lefkovitz told me later that he was thrilled that we chose TA for this mitzvah as it might possibly be the only time the talmidim will see this mitzvah performed. He told me that all eyes of the talmidimwere riveted to the proceedings, which clearly made a deep impression on all present.

Rabbi Kahana told us that we need to take the energy of this mitzvah and channel it to our Avodas Hashem in the future.

My take home message is that all mitzvos, are a gift. We need to treat the common mitzvos with the same fervor, intensity and awe as these rare mitzvos. We can never take them for granted, but must try to grab hold of them whenever we can.

Around the

Community Photo Credit: Uri Arnson

continued to control the middle of the field, making play after play, including a crucial 4th quarter interception.

kerman could be seen laying out for flags left and right as he chased Strauss around behind the line of scrimmage.

The story of the game, however, was

Their containment of Strauss kept the rest of Y&L comfortable in their zone and capable of playing to their strengths.

When the dust had settled, Y&L had won 40-24, and was advancing to the Wasserman & Lemberger Bowl. #2 Park Heights Roofing defeats #3 OK Uniform Company; heads to Wasserman & Lemberger Bowl

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Elle Remodeling

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without a doubt, the strong defensive line play of Y&L’s Ben Gutman and Michael Koshkerman.

Gutman exhibited a defensive line strength and determination of epic proportions. Often rushing alone against two strong offensive lineman, Gutman consistently provided pressure on the shifty ER QB. Fully complimenting Gutman, Khoshkerman leveraged his unparalleled speed to keep Strauss in check, cutting off his running lanes and forcing him to make highly-pressured and contested passes. Khosh-

Rafi Strum.

WR-CB The athletic dental student comes into this matchup with 4 TDs in his last two games. The always reliable Strum is a high-end WR1 and is a must start in every format.

FEARLESS FORECAST: 9 Rec. 160 yds.

2 TDs. Ozzie Marizon TE Known for his effort and determination, Marizon could be a low-end TE1 this week in PHR’s pass-happy attack. A TD would help his value.

FEARLESS FORECAST: 3 Rec. 48 yds. TD Abbo Aranbayev WR-CB The speedy receiver from Azerbaijan has tremendous upside if he can

Shlomo Goldberger WR-CB The bearded one is settling in to his role as a reliable pass-catcher for PHR. Look for him to build on his strong performance from last week’s game.

FEARLESS FORECAST: 5 Rec. 70 yds.

Josh Zaslow WR-CB The rugged redhead comes into this matchup as PHR’s most consistent receiving threat. After a dominant performance last week, expect a similar outcome in this one.

FEARLESS FORECAST: 8 Rec. 142 yds.

2 TDs. Shmuel Moinzadeh WR-DL The “Persian Punisher” looks to continue his explosive play with a favorable matchup this week. He has all the physical tools to be dominant. We like him as a solid WR2 in this one.

FEARLESS FORECAST: 6 Rec. 88 yds. TD Jason Mann TE-DL The big, athletic TE is a great play this week. With his combination of size and speed, he has the tools to be the top scoring TE. FEARLESS FORECAST: 5 Rec. 66 yds. TD Aharon Dinovitz C-DL Even though we don’t normally include linemen, we feel it necessary after his gutsy performance last week. Battling an infection, the Master of Disaster had a game for the ages. He put constant pressure on the opposing QB, collecting 3 sacks, 2 batted passes and an acrobatic interception. We can all learn a lesson on toughness from this living legend.

Yaakov Spatz WR-CB Veteran leader of this crew, the Ageless Wonder looks to cap off his historic season with a championship victory. Always good for 2 TDs, he’s a must-start as usual.

FEARLESS FORECAST: 5 Rec. 80 yds. 2 TDs.

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

With their backs against the wall, Elle Remodeling regrouped at half time and began a furious comeback attempt to start the 2nd half. But Y&L’s star safety, Josh Erez would have none of it. Erez

OK Uniform Company

Chaim Finkelstein QB Captain Finkelstein is arguably having one of his best seasons at age 25. He threw 4 TDs and ran in another score in a lopsided victory over OK Uniform Co. This upcoming week, he faces a favorable defensive matchup against Y and L and should be locked in as the top fantasy QB. FEARLESS FORECAST: 517 passing yards, 42 rushing yards, 6 Passing TDs, Rush TD.

Yoyo Strauss and the number 1 ranked Elle Remodeling, entered the first round of the playoffs with a much deserved confidence as they looked to continue their dominating season with an easy defeat of Dan Gutman and his Y&L Landscaping team. Elle had only lost one game all season long and in their previous matchup, Elle had defeated Y and L quite convincingly. However, Gutman and company had other plans.

Starting with the ball, Gutman hit WR Moishe Abramson for a long TD on the second play from scrimmage. That early score set the tone as Y&L forced a quick three and out and Gutman once again, connected with Abramson for a deep score. At the conclusion of Y&L’s first four drives, Gutman had connected with his WRs for four deep TDs (three to Abramson and one to WR Aryeh Pliskin) and after only 10 minutes of play, Y&L was up 24-6.

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After defeating OK Uniform Co. 3312 in the semifinals, Park Heights Roofing advances to the Championship to face Y&L Landscaping. Prognosticators have attempted to predict the upcoming statistics and fantasy football impact of the PHR players in the upcoming Wasserman & Lemberger Bowl. So without further ado:

#4 Y & LLandscaping shocks the world; defeats #1 Elle Remodeling & moves on to Wasserman & Lemberger Bowl

Y and L Landscaping

Park Heights Roofing

get past his foot injury. Look for him to be targeted early and often.

FEARLESS FORECAST: 6 Rec. 95 yds. TD

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

The Jewish Community Football League – sponsored by Northwest Refuse, reached peak levels of excitement in the final regular season week of play.

With the outcome of almost every game having significant playoff implications, each team came out with an intensity that hadn’t been seen all season long. At the end of it all, four teams remained: Elle Remodeling, Park Heights Roofing, OK Uniform Company, and Y and L Landscaping.

The first round of the playoffs pitted #1 seed “Elle Remodeling” against #4 seed “Y and L Landscaping; and #2 seed “Park Heights Roofing” against #3 seed “OK Uniform Company.” With the knowledge that the winner of each game would continue on to the Wasserman and Lemberger Bowl, all four teams came to play.

To read about those games, continue below:

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Jewish Community Football League Playoff

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Around the

Community

Ohr Chadash Academy Introduces the Fruit of the Month Club mandarin to try. We spoke about the nutrition benefits and why making healthier choices are important. Many of the children were excited to try a new fruit and are even more excited for December to see what the fruit will be. Each child received a “membership card” that states he/she is a part of the Fruit of the Month club.

Mandarin packages can be found in 5lb bags at Trader Joe’s for a low price of $5.99!

By teaching children about healthy choices and the various fruits/vegetables available, we are opening their eyes to a whole new experience that they may not get otherwise. We are thrilled to be partnering with Trader Joe’s, and it is our hope that this will guide (and continue) the students to making healthier choices.

One of Ohr Chadash Academy’s goals is that each student receives what he/she needs and graduates from OCA as an independent, capable, and ethical member of the community. Community is one of three pillars that Ohr Chadash stands on.

We are very excited to announce that OCA has reached out to Trader Joe’s, a community grocery store, to partner with us in a new initiative which will even further our goal of showing the students that they belong to a greater community.

We are excited to introduce the Fruit of the Month Club now happening at OCA! On the first Wednesday of every month, Trader Joe’s will supply a new fruit for EACH child to try. This month’s fruit is the mandarin. Today, children in the elementary school were “inducted” into the Fruit of the Month Club by being given a

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

Rav Moshe Meiselman shlit”a Visits Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr Hatorah It was a great kavod for Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr Hatorah have Harav Moshe Meiselman, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Toras Moshe (Yerushalayim), address the talmidim last Thursday night, November 5. The Rosh Yeshiva was in Baltimore for the weekend visiting talmidim, and two of them, Daniel Fink and Uri Rabinowitz, asked him to speak to the Ohr Hatorah bochurim.

In his typical fashion, he exhorted the bochurim to devote themselves as Avdei Hashem. Contrasting Hagar with Rus, the Rosh Yeshiva explained that Hagar never fully cut her ties with Mitzrayim, and is thus always referred to as a Mitzris and/or a Shifcha, whereas Rus completely severs her psychological ties with Mo’av and as such is zoche to become part of Klal Yisrael. The need to create with-

Rav Meiselman addressing the Yeshiva

(L-R) Rav Meiselman, Rabbi Dovid Hoffman, Rabbi Moshe Aharon Rosenbaum

in ourselves a dveikus to the Ribbono Shel Olam, and leave our personal, worldly desires behind, is essential to the growth of a Ben Torah.

The same lesson is brought out through Eliezer. Even though Eliezer reached great levels, his primary fo-

cus was to serve Avraham Avinu. For that reason he is referred to as “Eved Avraham” or simply “ha’eved”. The ultimate goal of serving the Ribbono Shel Olam purely for His sake was only reached at periodic times, and in those instances the Torah calls Eliezer an “ish.”

After the shiur, many bochurim took advantage of the special oppor-

Rav Meiselman talking in learning with OHT Bochur Avraham Shugarman

tunity to talk with the Rosh Yeshiva.

The Rosh Yeshiva’s vast knowledge and clarity of thought left them with the special taste of Toras Eretz Yisrael. Rav Meiselman’s visit joins the growing list of chashuvim who have helped shine the light of Ohr Hatorah in Baltimore.

Around the

Community

40 hours per week in fast-paced administrative office.

Excellent communication, organizational and multi-tasking skills required.

Must be proficient in computer and MS Office skills.

Qualified candidates please email resume to ycohen@talmudicalacademy.org .

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

Immediate Opening for Administrative Assistant

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Troop 613 (Ner Tamid) is the only Jewish (and we are Shomer Shabbos) Girl Scout Troop in Baltimore. We have 1 – 5 grade girls (we are up to 21 members in just 2 months). So far we have built rockets, baked cookies, and more.

We are selling Cookies. You know those delicious cookies which everybody loves. They are not just Thin Mints. There are also, Thanks a lot cookie, Caramel Delites (Samoas), Lemonades, Cranberry Citrus Crisps, Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs), Shortbread, and Peanut butter sandwiches. You can order through a girl scout or on-line (and enter the name of the scout).

On-line at www.nertamid.net/nertamid-girl-scout-troop-613-cookies. For information about cookies or girl scouts contact gstroop613md@gmail.com or Samson Wach 410-764-6241.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

It’s Cookie Time

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Wedding Expenses Getting Out of Hand?

{ V 3 e g a k c a P Wedding e In tr o d u c in g th

Vonderful Vendorful V e d d in g s

Package inclUdes

Hall Rental Monday, tuesday oR Wednesday at sHoMRei eMunaH, Moses MontefioRe ansHe eMunaH GReenGate JeWisH CenteR (lJC), Bnai JaCoB sHaaRei Zion & otHeR PaRtiCiPatinG loCations; inCludes sky HatCH CHuPPaH and/oR outdooR oPtions on Beautiful GRassy knoll, CHandelieRed BallRooMs, CHoiCe of sHul oR soCial Hall.

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That alone could be thousands of dollars!

Not all options are available at all locations.

250 WeddinG invitations, RePly CaRds & enveloPes

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You haven’t seen that before!

8-HouR PHotoGRaPHy session WitH PiCtuRes on Cd

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Say cheese!

videoGRaPHy WitH BasiC edited video

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2-PieCe oRCHestRa oR 1-Man-Band WitH sinGeR

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fResH floWeR kallaH Bouquet, fResH oR silk floWeRs on ladies’ taBles; laRGe Candles oR votives on Men’s taBles; kallaH CHaiR & eleGant kaBBalas PaniM BaCkdRoP

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Really? All that!

MakeuP (faCe PainteR) foR kallaH, MotHeR & sHviGGeR; HaiR stylinG foR kallaH

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oRGanZa oveRlays & uPGRaded naPeRy

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What’s napery? Look it up!

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HaiRCut, (WHite) sHiRt & tie foR tHe CHosson PeRsonaliZed etCHed kiddusH Glass foR CHuPPaH & sHeva BRaCHos MasHGiaCH and suPeRvision fee!!!

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Yes, white for the Chuppah.

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Looking for sponsors for this

saMe iteMs at CHosson’s tisCH & kaBolas PaniM

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No Tznius tax

uP to 100 extRa CHuPPaH Guests inCluded

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Broaden your invitation list!

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Wow!

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I bet prime rib is extra!

yayin foR tHe CHuPPaH and sHeva BRaCHos Glass & Plate to BReak, Candles foR tHe sHusHBinin 3 Hots at tHe sHMoRG, Plus fRuits, veGGies, tuRkey salad, CRaCkeRs, salads & Cakes

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

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NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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aPPetiZeR: CHoiCe of fResH salMon, Meat knisH WitH GRavy, Beef veGetaBle oR MusHRooM BaRley souP CHiCken toP, BottoM oR Cutlet entRee + sides

4-flavoR Gelato station & fResH-Baked CHoC. CHiP Cookies foR desseRt & siMCHas CHosson v’kallaH

add’l desseRts foR siMCHas CHoson v’kallaH fRiends

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For dancing bochurim & bochurettes

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Or dimes, as the case may be

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Does this package ever end?

Read on!

fRee snoods, CaR CHaRGeRs, tRavel kits, tax RetuRn & BudGet Consultation, HalaCHik Will, oil CHanGe, Gift CeRtifiCates Gal oRe, 1st sHaitel WasH & set foR tHe kallaH, flu sHots

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no Coat CHeCk fee & no Bus needed foR loCal fRiends

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uPGRade to any oRCHestRa, floRist, PHotoGRaPHeR, videoGRaPHeR oR oCeanoGRaPHeR (on youR diMe) CHoose an additional uPGRade: 50 fRee Meals, satin CHaiR CoveRs, 25 sHeva BRaCHos Meals, MaRtini stations... MoRe uPGRades on tHe Way!

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If booked early enough

Thanks to a generous benefactor, the first 5 reservations with deposit for weddings before Purim 5776 (we’ll give you an extra Adar just to make it easier) will receive this amazing $3,000 discount! If you know of any other benefactors, let us know and we’ll lower the package price further! If you know of any other vendors that want to participate, have them contact us.

Entire Package Only

12,000

$

rEG. $15,000

---- • ----

Beauty by

Adina Adina WElCOmE nEW AdinaB. VEndOrs! Adina Beauty by

FAQs

What if I want to use a different vendor or add more of the vendor’s services?

You may use any outside vendor or upgrade the services of any participating vendor at your cost without sacrificing the other package benefits.

Beauty by

Dr. Menachem Cooper

Is every vendor available every night?

Margie’s Creations

full-service salon

Shomrei Emunah

florist

Greengate Jewish Center

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Then you can be one of the first to enjoy this amazing $12,000 package for only $15,000.

Yizkor What are the hidden costs?

ServicesWe wouldn’t exactly call them “hidden” but prices do not include

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Yizkor Dates

What if I’m not one of the first 5 to book with a deposit for a wedding before Purim 5776?

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Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah

Congregation

Not necessarily. First come first serve. Please call for availability.

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah

To Advertise in the 2015-2016 Eruv List call 410-358-2579

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

You can split it 50-50 with the mechutanim, and pay only $6000.

Or, you can use the famous 2/3-1/3 split and pay $8000 & the mechutanim $4000.

Beauty by Or with this price, you can try to convince the mechutanim to pay the whole thing, and you pay $0!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

“The 3V Wedding Package is simply the most innovative and exciting thing to happen in the Chasunah world since the invention of the hot chafing dish!” Dov Ber*

*Or was it Yogi Ber-ra?

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bar, wine service, additional chair rentals & setup if neccessary, postage for the invitations, and applicable MD tax.

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Shemini-Atzeret

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Pesach

How about soda and seltza all night?

R S

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Shavuot

Nope – they’re included!

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Shabbos, September 14, 2013

That’s in there too!

T U

Thursday, June 5, 2014

What about Mashgiach and supervision fees?

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They’re included too! Who brings the Mashiach? We all try to, but we’ll make sure the Mashgiach is there so we can get cooking.

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ONE-MAN BAND

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Zoimen Suites 7000 Rockland Hills Drive

Can I bring 2-3 Star-K approved bottles of schnapps to the tish?

8/13/14 11:00 AM

Productions

NISSAN SELE

7000 Rockland Hills Drive

Baltimore, Maryland 21209

Headquarters Baltimore Auto The Fraylachs Orchestra KB Grill

410-653-7485

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If you wish!

410-653-7485

Fax 410-653-7487

www.mmae.org

Eli Pollock CPA Friedman Graphics Shelly’s Blossom Shop Power House Cell

Vendorful Veddings is an equal opportunity consortium promoting local skilled talent at reasonable rates.

Join our List of Vendors. Contact us today!

But I bet tips & gratuities are extra, right?

www.mmae.org

They’re included as well, but if you try to slip the maitre d’ a Ben Franklin, it won’t hurt!

When do I have to choose my vendors?

Within 21 days of booking.

What are the hidden benefits?

If you have it in Baltimore, you can have more of “yunz” and less of “thems”*. Your rabbonim get to daven mincha and maariv in their own shuls, your friends get home in time to get to work the next day without their eyelids drooping. And as far as all the money you’re saving, we’re sure you can figure out something to do with that!

for more information and (un)solicited comments to improve this great plan, contact:

VendorfulVeddings@gmail.com

We welcome you to email in shidduch resumés. Successful Shidduchim need not use the 3V Wedding Package.

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

HARRIS

AUTOMOTIVE

*Yars and thars

Yom Kippur

Your New Home Awaits

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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

Sam Rosenblatt

Mortgage Planner | NMLS #75844

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

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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

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Around the

Community

Torah Umesorah/Baltimore Mechanchim Celebrate Shabbos of Chizuk/Melave Malka Honoring Dr. Larry Katz Eta Kushner

If you have a child or grandchild in an Orthodox day school in Baltimore, chances are his teachers or principals were present at the Hunt Valley Wyndham this past Shabbos. Torah Umesorah held the First Annual Shabbos of Chizuk for Baltimore Mechanchim (Torah educators) this past weekend.

Over 350 people attended an inspirational Shabbos featuring speakers from the Baltimore area and out of state, including HaRav HaGaon Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh HaYeshiva of the Philadelphia Yeshiva.

Mrs. Elise Wolf, General Studies Principal at Bais Yaakov served on the committee which spearheaded and organized this event, along with Rabbi Dovid Meister, Rabbi Yosef Neuberger-Sgan Menahel of Mechinas Ner Yisrael, Rabbi Shea Rybak, of Torah Umesorah, and several others. Mrs. Wolf said that Torah Umesorah, with its experience in putting together such events, already knows what needs to be checked into. The hotel was very accommodating to their group especially when it came to Shabbos as it pertained to the electronics used in the hotel. No detail was overlooked.

The Shabbos was a huge success.

As Maggie Silver, a teacher at T.A. said, “It was a beautiful and inspirational weekend where we had the opportunity to hear from people from out of town that we don’t normally get the opportunity to hear and to connect to other professionals who value what we do and bring it back to the classroom with us.”

On Motzaei Shabbos, an additional 250 people joined their colleagues for workshops and a Melave Malka beautifully catered by O’Fishel Caterers. There, Dr. Larry Katz was honored for his role in supporting, assisting and forwarding the cause of Jewish education. Rabbi Dovid

BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

Meister, who presented the award, first spoke to the educators in the room, praising them for their “ability to educate, sustain, energize and motivate” students. But he emphasized that without the help of a dedicated lay leadership, this could not be achieved.

Speaking of Dr. Larry and Mrs. Sandy Katz he said, “There is one couple that has worked in this community over four decades. We’d like to acknowledge them tonight, not just for one small thing they’ve done but for the mesiras nefesh on their part over the years of service to the mosdos (institutions) and to the mechanchim” (teachers.) Rabbi Meister said he could only speak about the tip of the iceberg regarding all that the Katzes had done for the sake of chinuch in our community. Among Dr. Katz’s past achievements and titles, were listed his role as executive member at Bais Yaakov, chairman of the board at T.A., supporter and advocate of Agudath Israel, his leading role on many committees of The Associated, being on the task force to help create Shemesh and helping in many ways to ease the ability of yeshivas to qualify for funding, grants and loans.

As chairman of the trustees of the Charles Crane Family Foundation, Dr. Katz enables our institutions and teachers to take advantage of professional development on many levels including this conference. Rabbi Meister said about the Katzes, “Whenever they were involved with any group or committee, they served in such a way that they were able to do something unique. Dr. Katz has the incredible ability to advance his cause, Jewish education in day schools, by being a role model for people of all walks of life and all persuasions. He was persuasive, led with grace and made

a positive impression,” committing others to the importance of Jewish education.

Dr. Katz also spoke briefly, emphasizing how his wife Sandy was an instrumental partner to his success.

He said when he retired (after being a professor and dean at the University of Baltimore Law School) he

was “lucky to have fallen into a role, which is a dream: giving away other people’s money.”

The last speaker, Rabbi Dovid Katzenstein, Rosh Mesivta of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, gave

more chizuk and praise to the educators present, emphasizing that when they teach they are planting and nurturing seeds which will grow in the future.

The evening culminted with an Abish Brodt led kumzitz and dancing to the music of Ben Zion Weiss.

It is planned that this will be just the first of many future Shabbos of Chizuk events in Baltimore.

Around the

Hapoel Soccer - Games One, Two and Three Hapoel Baltimore Soccer reached Mid-Season of their 2015 fall soccer season this.

Girls 4+ (4th Grade and older) League At the G4+ League regular season mid-point,

season mid-season point, Tiveria leads the league with 3 Wins and 0 Losses.

Chevron is in second with 2

ron with 2 Wins and 1 Loss, Tiveria with 1 Win and 2 Losses, and Be’er Sheva with 0 Wins and 3 Losses.

The league leading scorer with 14 goals is Tzvi Goldman followed

by Shimshon Szendro and Tuvia Fleminger, both with 5 goals, and Avraham Javaheforoush with 3 goals. Following these four boys are Aaron Kushner, Omer Peretz, Moshe Scott, Yoni Bakaev, Zalman Dashevsky, Shimmy Goldman, David Khoshayev, Emanuel Kholasechi, Ari Lazewnik, and Doniel Perles.

there is a three-way tie for first place between Chevron, Tiveria, and Yerushalayim. Be’er Sheva is in fourth place.

The League’s leading scorers are Yerushalayim’s Rivka Gelberman and Tiveria’s Meital Shiller, both with 2 goals. The other leading scorers with one goal each are Chevron’s Sarah Javaherforoush and Tiveria’s Yehudis Froehlich.

Wins and 1 Loss, Yerushalayim in third with 1 Win and 2 Losses and, in fourth, Be’er Sheva with 0 Wins and 3 Losses.

The League’s two leading scorer are Tiveria’s Miriam Schwartz with 12 goals and Miriam Liebman with 8 goals and 1 assist.

The other leading scorers are Aviva Gibber, 8 goals, Rena Caine, 5 goals and 2 assists, Naomi Weil, 4 goals, as well, in order, Esther Friedman, Adira Herman, Perri Klein, Ruthie Weil, and Ahuva Bronfin.

Girls K123 (Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grade) League At the GK123 regular

Rav Meiselman, Shlita, Delivered a Shmuez in Baltimore on the Eve of the first yahrzeit of HaGaon HaKadosh Rav Mosheh Twersky, Zatzal, H’yd BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

On November 5th, Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim (Rabbi Zvi Weiss) hosted the Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Moshe (TOMO), Rabbi Moshe Meiselman, shlita, to deliver a Shmuez on the Parsha.

Albeit with late notice, a respectable crowd of both alumni and others from the Baltimore community gathered to hear Divrei Musar from Rav

Meiselman, shlita.On the Eve of the first yahrzeit of HaGaon HaKadosh Rav Mosheh Twersky, Zatzal, H’yd, the Rosh Yeshiva touched on the point of living our lives to the fullest and understanding that there is an Infinite Power Above that ultimately runs our lives. In addition, if one truly internalizes this point, a person’s middos will shine forth and exemplify the

lifestyle of one who is there to give over to others and will do so effectively. The Baltimore Community is blessed to have so many who have benefitted from the yeshiva’s Torah and honored to have the Rosh Yeshiva in our midst.

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

Boys 3+ (3rd Grade and Older) League At the mid-point of the B3+ League regular season standings, Yerushalayim and Be’er Sheva are tied for first place with 2 Wins, 0 Losses, and 1 Tie. Tiveria is in third place with 1 Win and 2 Losses and Chevron is in fourth place with 0 Wins and 3 Losses.

The League’s two leading scorers are Yerushalayim’s Avi Schulman with 4 goals and Tiveria’s Menachem Berman with 3 goals and 1 Assist. Other leading scorers are Yaakov Neuman, Haim Dashevsky, Yechiel Goldsmith, Daniel Kholasechi, Moishy Kaplowitz, Daniel Baron, Yosef Pasch, Rafi Feldman, Jordan Elgamil, and Gedalya Blau. .

Boys K12 (Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade) League At the mid-point of

the BK12 regular season, Yerushalayim is the league leader with 3 Wins and 0 Losses followed by Chev-

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Skulener Rebbe shlita writing a letter in the new Sefer Torah being dedicated by Reb Yitzchok Neger, President of Khall Machzekai Torah for the Bais Medresh which we will be dedicated in Baltimore on November 15th

Community

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Skulener Rebbe shlita writing a letter in the new Sefer Torah being dedicated by Reb Yitzchok Neger

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Around the

Community

Pirchei Agudas Yisrael of Baltimore Annual Hasmadah Banquet Draws More Than 600 Attendees Isaac Draiman

Photo Credit: BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

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

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Annually, Pirchei Agudas Yisrael of Baltimore provides an incentive to the Yeshiva boys of elementary school age to use their Succos vacation time productively with daily Torah study.

Any boy that completes the contest’s required amount of time is invited to a gala banquet in their honor. Fathers are invited and encouraged to accompany their sons.

This year more than 600 attended the banquet held in the social hall at Shomrei Emuna Congregation. O’Fishel Caterers provided the meal and Mr. Samuel Beck accompanied the singing crowd with his keyboard and sound system.

Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, Pirchei Director, welcomed everyone and introduced Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, shlita, who shared an inspirational story encouraging the boys in their studies.

For the evening’s entertainment, the crowd was electrified by the performance and antics of the “Wacky Chad”, an acrobat who jumped and did stunts on his pogo stick about 15 feet in the air, to the delight of the youngsters - and adults!

He rode on his 10 foot - high unicycle and juggled too.

The program ended with benching and a raffle. The event was enjoyed by all. It allowed fathers the opportunity to bond with their sons as well as encourage their efforts. It enhanced our feeling of community and purpose; coming together to show what we value most.

Sponsored by

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Shlomo Trachtenberg

Conversion Rate Optimization Manager at Laureate Education and Founder of Digital Trax LLC run and own a digital marketing agency called Digital Trax LLC. At Digital Trax we aim to take all of the strategies and technology that is used by big corpora-

tions and adapt and apply them to small and medium sized businesses.

Is there a creative side to the business?

What I really like most about digital marketing is that there is something for everyone. If you are creative, analytical or good with numbers there is an area that you can excel.

What are the biggest challengers business are running in to and how do you solve them?

The biggest challenge that business owners face is that they know they need to be doing something online to grow their business but they have no idea where to begin, what to do and how to do it. Digital Trax helps identify each businesses goals and target audience and develops custom strategies to reach them online.

Would you recommend a career in this field to a friend?

If it is the right fit then definitely yes. The field is relatively new and constantly changing, it’s exciting, but not for everyone.

What is one thing you find unique about the way you operate?

Being data driven, all my marketing decisions are based on data.

Everything in online marketing is measurable (it’s pretty scary) from every click to every mouse movement everything can be tracked. So this is one area where you do not go with your gut.

Before we sign off, what advice would you give to someone who is just starting off in the world of digital marketing?

Go broad. Don’t learn only one field of digital marketing, learn everything and know it well. From search engine optimization (SEO) to pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and display advertising learn it all and be on top of the latest within each industry. Try and get experience outside of digital marketing and understand the whole marketing and sales funnel and its’ stages. This will make you much more of a valuable asset to any business.

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

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Brooklyn NY What shul do you daven at regularly?

Derech Chaim – Rabbi Gross How did you get started in the world of digital marketing?

I have a background in business and I was not sure where I wanted to go with it. After process of elimination I realized that the classic accounting or lawyer type jobs did not appeal to me.

A friend of mine suggested I look in to digital marketing as it was a growing field. I found a digital marketing agency in Columbia, MD called WebMechanix that was running a three month training course teaching all the ins and out of every channel within digital marketing.

I realized that I wanted a more holistic view of marketing outside of “digital” and managed to find an internship at a

local marketing and sales consulting firm called Brand Launcher. So, half of the week I was learning digital marketing and the other half I was learning regular marketing and sales.

Where do you work and can you tell us a little bit about the business?

I work at Laureate Education located in Harbor East and I manage conversion optimization across a number of national and international universities. Laureate Education owns universities around the world and is one of the biggest universities offering online education in the world. A big percentage of their students are acquired through online marketing. Conversion optimization is testing different variations of elements on a website in order to get the users to take a certain action.

For example if you had a e-commerce website and you were thinking of adding a live chat function to your cart.

However you are unsure whether this would help people complete their purchase or it runs the risk of distracting and losing them. So that would be an opportunity to test it out and see how it performs. The test would send 50% of people to checkout cart with live chat and 50% to a checkout cart without and see which one converts more sales.

Aside from my job at Laureate I also

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The Week The Week In News

Who’s Got the Power?

Russian President Vladimir Putin sees himself as a powerful force to be reckoned with. Last year he marched into Ukraine and helped himself to a piece of land. This year, he has wiggled himself into the Syrian conflict and has yet to bow to Western powers.

But it seems that Putin’s power is not just in his mind. In fact, for the third year in a row, Forbes has put Putin in the top spot on its World’s Most Powerful People list. The list, like every year, includes an array of top ranking leaders, innovators, and benefactors. Of the top banana, the magazine wrote, “[Putin is] one of the few men in the world powerful enough to do what he wants – and get away with it.” The Russian leader has suspiciously high popularity ratings in his country despite his involvement in armed conflicts and a bad economic crisis crippling his nation.

Next on the list of world’s most powerful people is German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who uses her power to promote unity on the continent and generosity toward the less fortunate, Forbes said in calling her “the most powerful woman on the planet for 10 years running.”

The number three spot is occupied by none other than President Barack Obama himself as the current leader

of “the world’s greatest economic, cultural, diplomatic, technological and military power.” However, Forbes mentioned that partisan politics inhibit Obama from a more effective leadership in Washington.

The youngest person on the list was Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (No. 19) at the age of 31. The next youngest person is North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (No. 46) who is believed to be 32. The average age of the world’s most powerful people is 60. There are several individuals on the list in their 60s but Warren Buffet at the age of 85 skews the list heavily.

So who are the powerful people who run the world, according to Forbes? Here is a list of the top ten for this year.

1. Vladimir Putin 2. Angela Merkel 3. Barack Obama 4. Pope Francis 5. Xi Jinping 6. Bill Gates 7. Janet Yellen 8. David Cameron 9. Narendra Modi 10. Larry Page

Bomb Brought Down Russian Plane

Several U.S. intelligence, military and national security officials have related that terrorists bombed Metrojet Flight 9268 on October 31 in which all 224 people onboard were killed.

The plane was headed from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm elSheikh to St. Petersburg, Russia,. But not long after takeoff, it disintegrated midair and crashed in the Sinai Pen-

In News insula.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond related that his government still believes “it’s more likely than not” that an explosive device caused the plane crash. “Obviously, we won’t know absolutely for certain until the final analysis of the wreckage has taken place,” he said. “That could take some time.”

Egyptian officials, who are leading the main crash investigation, haven’t expressed as much confidence in the bomb theory. “All the scenarios” are still on the table, said Ayman al-Muqaddam, the head of the investigation. “We don’t know what happened exactly,” he admitted.

The Egyptians aren’t the only ones involved in the investigation.

Experts from Russia, France, Germany and Ireland – countries that are connected in various ways to the Airbus A321-200 that crashed – are also investigating. The U.S. has offered assistance by the FBI. At least some of the intelligence intercepts being used to assess what happened to the jetliner came from Israeli intelligence, according to a U.S. official briefed on the intelligence as well as a diplomatic source.

The Sinai affiliate of ISIS claims responsibility for downing the plane, but so far has yet to explain how the group was able to do so. As such, many are doubting the group’s claim, as it has used these types of acts as propaganda for their cause.

An explosive noise was heard in the recovered cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder but authorities don’t want to say with complete certainty that a bomb caused that sound.

Myanmar Elections Yield Win for Democracy

Early results for elections in Myanmar show a big victory for the National League for Democracy (NLD). It was seen as the most democratic election in the country in the past 25 years.

In an interview with BBC, Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi said the polls were not fair but “largely free.” Even so, she admitted that there had been “areas of intimidation.”

A quarter of Myanmar’s 664 parliamentary seats are set aside for the army, and for the NLD to have the winning majority it will need at least two-thirds of the contested seats. But Suu Kyi is confident that her party has surpassed that and has won around 75%. The final results of the election won’t be revealed for the next few days.

The military-backed Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP) has been in power in Myanmar since 2011 when the country began its transition from decades of military rule to a civilian government.

“Times have changed; people have changed,” Suu Kyi said.

She is constitutionally barred from becoming president because people with foreign offspring are blocked from holding the post, but she said that she will still be making the important decisions while a colleague will be holding the official title. “A rose by another name,” Suu Kyi told the BBC in the first interview since the election.

Results from Sunday’s election are slowly being announced. The election commission says the NLD has taken 78 of the 88 seats announced so far for the 440-seat lower house of parliament.

Election monitors from the U.S.based Carter Center, who observed 245 polling stations, described the elections in most areas as “competitive and meaningful” with generally

The Week

Abdul Manan Niazi, spokesperson for the breakaway faction, denied the ISIL association. “We will never join them. Their ideologies are different, they come from a different

not been consulted, and late last week, the breakaway group elected its own leader, Mullah Mohammed Rasool Akhund. The rift has raised speculation over the group’s unity and future.

Last month, Barack Obama announced that he will extend the U.S. military role in the country and keep the current force of 9,800 troops through most of 2016 amid a surge in

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Over 50 “freedom fighters” died this week when two rival Taliban groups clashed in southern Afghanistan. Fighters led by the newly appointed leader Mullah Mohammad Rasool clashed with those loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in Zabul province.

Anwar Ishaqzai, governor of southern Zabul province, said the Taliban break-off group – known as the High Council of Afghanistan Islamic Emirate – has joined up with fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) group. “The Taliban faction under Mullah Rasool was backed by the ISIL and Uzbek fighters in the fight,” he related.

the announcement of our new leader, we’ve been highlighting that we are not in the favor of fighting with each other,” he insisted. “This fight was initiated by them.”

The split into two groups followed the appointment of the main new leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, within the terrorist group. The Taliban Supreme Council, or Shura Council, said it had

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Taliban Infighting Leads to More Deaths

background and a different history,” he told Al Jazeera. “These are all false accusations. We can never ask for their support to fight our enemies or re-establish the Islamic rule.” ISIL, which controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria, started building a presence in Zabul earlier this year.

Mullah Mansoor’s followers initiated the fight, Niazi accused. “Since

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well-conducted voting and counting.

The group noted several problems including the barring of members of the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority from voting, a lack of transparency in the advance voting process and inconsistency in making preliminary results available at the constituency level.

“Prejudice is not removed easily and hatred is not going to be removed easily... I’m confident the great majority of the people want peace… they do not want to live on a diet of hate and fear,” Suu Kyi said.

In News

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The Week Taliban attacks. Under the new plan, though, the number of U.S. troops would fall to 5,500, starting in 2017.

Top N. Korean Official Suspiciously Absent

Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at the Sejong Institute think-tank in Seoul. “I suspect that Choe might have been involved in serious trouble such as a major corruption scandal or defamation.”

Seoul’s Unification Ministry, which handles North Korea affairs, also noted the omission in a regular press briefing on Monday. “We certainly view it as unusual given past precedent,” said ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee. This is the first time Choe’s presence or lack of it has been recognized.

He was also noticeably absent when Kim paid tribute at Ri’s wake on Sunday along with several senior military cadres, according to footage from North Korean state TV. Up until now Choe was regarded as Kim Jong-Un’s most trusted diplomat and was selected to deliver a personal message to Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. He visited Beijing

A state funeral in North Korea has sparked further speculation of purge rumors after one of Kim Jong-Un’s most powerful aides was omitted from the official funeral committee list.

Marshal Ri Ul-Sol, who died of lung cancer over the weekend, was to be given a state funeral on November 11, and the list of 170 names published on Sunday – headed by leader Kim Jong-Un – is an official Who’s Who of the top political and military hierarchy. A notable absentee, however, is Choe Ryong-Hae, a member of the ruling party’s politburo standing committee and seen as one of Kim’s closest confidantes. This is surprising because under normal circumstances Choe would be on the list even if he was ill. Experts do not believe that the omission of someone of this stature could possibly be a mistake.

“It’s almost impossible that this happened unless Choe ... was removed from key positions,” said

Insight

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In News again in September as North Korea’s representative at China’s giant WWII victory anniversary parade. Choe was mentioned by state media as recently as October 31, when he made a statement about a ruling party congress to be held next year.

Of course Choe’s absence has caused a wave of political purge and executions rumors. Kim Jong-Un is known to be cruel in eliminating even the highest-ranking officials whose loyalty have been brought into question. Kim had his powerful uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, executed in December 2012 on charges of treason and corruption.

The Kim dynasty has ruled the impoverished North Korea for over six decades with an iron fist and zero tolerance for difference.

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Levels of PM2.5, the tiny airborne particles considered most harmful to health, reached 860 micrograms per cubic meter in the city of around eight million this week. The World Health Organization’s recommended maximum is a 24-hour average of 25 micrograms.

“Today’s haze is pretty severe and choking – when I walked out the door I thought someone’s house was on fire,” said one poster in Changchun on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo.

The official news agency Xinhua quoted a hospital official in the city saying that its respiratory ward had been overwhelmed, with all its beds full.

China’s pollution problem tends to get worse in the winter time when power consumption rises due to an increased need for heat. The toxic issue has been linked to hundreds of thou-

a verified social media account.

The Changchun city government said on social media on Monday that it was initiating a “level three” emergency response, telling schools to stop organizing outdoor activities, and re-

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

As China continues to combat its smog issue, the problem continues to gradually get worse. On Monday, levels of dangerous particulates reached around 50 times World Health Organization maximums, in what environmental campaigners said were the highest figures ever recorded in the country.

In photos, smog is seen so thick that entire buildings in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province in the northeast, were almost completely invisible. One image showed a restaurant’s neon sign seemingly floating in mid-air above traffic, proclaiming in yellow: “Eastern Dumpling King.”

and cancer.

Shenyang’s apocalyptic smog was caused by coal use from its public heating system and by heavy pollution blown in from other provinces, city environmental authorities said on

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China Choked by Smog

sands of premature deaths and has become a major source of popular discontent with the government. According to research, PM2.5 particulates can be linked to heart disease, stroke, and lung ailments such as emphysema

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The Week minding residents to stay indoors and “take health precautions,” without further specifications.

Last month, an environmental group found that nearly 80 percent of Chinese cities had pollution levels that “greatly exceeded” national standards over the first nine months of this year.

Most Jews Feel Safe

A new survey conducted among Jewish community leaders around the world has found that 77 percent reported that their members do not feel threatened in their places of residence, including 56 percent of European Jews. 21 percent of leaders said their community members felt unsafe – about half of them due to the growth in anti-Semitism, and others because of anger directed at Israel, local criminal crime, the economic situation, and the immigration problem in Europe.

Ahead of the Ninth World Conference of Jewish Community Centers (JCC Global), which is being held in Jerusalem this week, JCC leaders were asked whether the current situation in Israel affected them. The findings were surprising: Forty-six percent said the community’s sense of security was unaffected by the current round of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, while 35% said they felt less secure. Ten percent even reported a higher sense of personal safety recently.

The interviewees were also asked to rank Diaspora Jewry’s challenges.

They revealed that unity within their communities is more important to them than the connection with Israel, preventing assimilation and fighting anti-Semitism. The absolute majority stated, however, that they feel a sense of solidarity with and commitment towards other Jewish communities in the world, which is reflected in the willingness to help and support them at times of trouble.

Participating in the JCC Global conference are more than 400 community leaders and executive directors of JCCs from Europe, North America, Central and South America, and leaders of small communities from India and the Philippines. The countries represented in the conference include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Mexico, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States, Venezuela, Paraguay and Israel.

The conference, which is held in Israel every four years, is focusing this year on the urgent issues Jewish communities are dealing with. Participants are also discussing innovative global cooperation programs between the community centers as part of efforts to reassure the Jewish people around the world.

Nazi Volunteers Still Paid by German Govt

In News II are still having their pensions paid by the German government. According to a German newspaper, Berlin is still honoring an agreement made with Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, whose regime encouraged volunteers to sign up to fight for Adolf Hitler against Communist Russia between 1941 and 1943.

In a written reply to the recent revelations, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government admitted that it was still paying out over 100,000 euro a year in pensions to survivors and relatives of troops from the so-called Blue Division, in whose ranks Spanish volunteers fought on the Eastern Front. The current annual bill to German taxpayers stands at 107,352 euro which is granted to 41 veterans who were wounded while fighting for the Nazis, eight widows of former fighters, and one orphan of a Blue Division volunteer.

The agreement to pay pensions to Blue Division veterans was made between Franco’s government and the Federal Republic of Germany in 1962, the newspaper said. The revelation follows a similar one last year in the United States, where it was exposed that dozens of suspected Nazis, including at least four living beneficiaries, received millions of dollars in benefits over the years due to legal loopholes. The House of Representatives later unanimously approved a bill that closes these loopholes and stipulates that Nazis should be stripped of their Social Security benefits.

World’s Most Expensive Gas Station?

Spaniards who volunteered to fight for the Nazis during World War

The American taxpayer is on the hook for a $43 million gas station constructed in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense cannot explain why the cost was about $42.5 million higher than it should’ve been, according to a new government report.

“The DOD charged the American taxpayer $43 million for what is likely the world’s most expensive gas station,” Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko said. “DOD spent $43 million on the gas station, without determining it would be a good idea, and now claims it knows nothing about the project.”

The SIGAR report details the planning and construction of a compressed natural gas (CNG) station as part of a larger Downstream Gas Utilization Project designed to take advantage of Afghanistan’s natural gas reserves.

The gas station itself was meant to prove that CNG stations were a good alternative to imported gasoline for Afghan vehicles. SIGAR found that in other countries, for example in Pakistan next door, the total cost for constructing a CNG station can be up to $500,000 – not the astronomical $43 million the DOD paid.

“Even considering security costs associated with construction and operation in Afghanistan, this level of expenditure appears gratuitous and extreme,” the SIGAR report points out. Beyond the high cost, SIGAR reports that the DOD task force did not look into the feasibility of the gas station and that the infrastructure necessary to support the CNG station was lacking. Additionally, the cost of converting local vehicles to be able to use compressed natural gas is reportedly around $700 – a little more than the average annual income for locals.

“In sum, it is not clear why TFBSO [Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, a division of the DOD] believed the CNG filling station project should be undertaken,” the SIGAR report says.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Chairman of

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The Week the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, declared that it is “negligent and irresponsible for the Obama administration to spend the American taxpayer’s hard-earned money with such careless abandon.”

“Miracle” Cure Helps Baby Beat Cancer Genetically engineered immune cells have been used to treat a baby girl with aggressive leukemia in London. One-year-old Layla Richards was given months to live after conventional treatments failed to eradicate the disease, but she is now cancer-free and doing well, a response one doctor described as “almost a miracle.”

Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) treated the girl two months ago and stressed that it could be more than a year before they know for sure whether the therapy has cured the disease or simply delayed its progression. “We have only used this treatment on one very strong little girl, and we have to be cautious about claiming this will be a suitable treatment option for all children,” said Waseem Qasim, professor of cell and gene therapy at University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Child Health and a consultant immunologist at GOSH. “But this is a landmark in the use of new gene engineering technology and the effects for this child have been staggering,” he said.

Layla was diagnosed with an aggressive case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. While cure rates are generally high for the disease, only about 25% of children survive the most aggressive forms. Layla began chemotherapy the day after she was diagnosed and then had a bone marrow transplant to replace her damaged blood cells.

Despite several rounds of intensive chemotherapy, Layla still had leukemia cells in her body when the transplant was performed, and seven weeks later the disease returned. Soon after, doctors told the family there were no

other treatments that might cure Layla and suggested palliative care. But Layla’s parents, Lisa and Ashleigh, insisted that the doctors keep trying.

“We didn’t want to accept palliative care and give up on our daughter, so we asked the doctors to try anything for our daughter, even if it hadn’t been tried before,” Lisa said.

The hospital had been working on an experimental cell-based treatment for leukemia. Researchers at UCL showed that the modified cells had an anti-cancer effect, but it had only been tested on mice with leukemia.

After emergency approval by the ethics committee, Layla received an infusion of the genetically engineered immune cells under special therapy regulations.

A few weeks later, Layla developed a rash that indicated the cells were working. Layla was still clear of leukemia two months later, allowing doctors to give her a second bone marrow transplant to replace her entire blood and immune system, which had been wiped out by the treatment.

A month later, she was well enough to go home.

Paul Veys, director of bone marrow transplant at GOSH, said: “As this was the first time that the treatment had been used, we didn’t know if or when it would work and so we were over the moon when it did. Her leukemia was so aggressive that such a response is almost a miracle.” One other patient is already receiving the treatment under the care of a different medical team.

Clinical trials of the cells, funded by the French biopharmaceutical company, Cellectis, are due to begin in early 2016.

China’s “Two Child” Policy will Add 3M to Population Around three million extra babies will be born each year after Beijing abolished its hugely controversial

In News “one child” policy to allow all couples to have two offspring, officials said on Tuesday.

Decades of strict, sometimes brutal, enforcement left the world’s largest population – 1.37 billion people – aging rapidly and with a shrinking workforce that has heightened the challenges of a slow economic growth.

The rule change was announced after a key Communist Party meeting last month and will allow 90 million more Chinese women a second child, said Wang Pei’an, a vice minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Half of the women, though, are between 40 and 49, and may not be able to have more children. Additionally, some may be “reluctant” to have more.

Before the change, not all families needed to keep their offspring at one.

50 million women were already entitled to have a second baby under various exemptions – rural families whose first child is a girl, couples where one is an only child, and ethnic minorities.

There were nearly 17 million births in China in 2014 and Wang said the new expanded policy will see around three million extra babies born each year over the next five years. A total of about 30 million people will be added to the labor force by 2050.

“The across-the-board two-child policy in the short term will drive consumption for housing, education, healthcare, housekeeping and daily necessities, stimulate investment in relevant sectors and increase job offerings,” Wang pointed out.

China’s family planning policy was instituted in the late 1970s and restricted most couples to only a single offspring.

Anti-Immigration Movement Growing in Germany

Germany’s anti-mass migration party, Alternative für Deutschland, also known as the AfD, has seen its popularity surge in the past few months as Germany struggles to deal with a huge influx of migrants. The party is demanding the resignation of Chancellor Angela Merkel and calling for the country to adopt a strong policy on immigration.

This week, 5,000 people joined a rally calling for the immediate closure of Germany’s borders and introduction of visa requirements from migrants from the Balkan states, including Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Angry demonstrators chanted, “Merkel must go” and “Traitor to the people” under the banner “Asylum has its limits – red card for Merkel.” For those of us who are not huge soccer fans, a red card is shown when a player is being ejected from a soccer match.

Addressing the crowd, Beatrix von Storch, member of the European Parliament, accused the German chancellor of causing “asylum chaos” in Germany.

Although the main protest was largely peaceful, several counter-protests by pro-migrant activists descended into violence, with around 40 arrests.

The Week

The thick red mud surge engulfed cars and trains and destroyed homes.

The floodwaters and mud have now reached towns up to 40 miles away.

On Monday, authorities told search-

Historic Meeting between Leaders of China and Taiwan

Since the two countries split apart 66 years ago, leaders of China and Taiwan had never met each other formally until this week. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou came together on neutral ground in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore, walking toward each other in front of a backdrop of yellow, the traditional color of Chinese emperors. In order to get around

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

The equivalent of 25,000 Olympic swimming pools of water flooded Bento Rodrigues in Brazil when dams north of the village collapsed last week. While many residents managed to save themselves by running to higher ground, four deaths have already been confirmed and 25 other people, including children, are missing.

More than 500 people lived in Bento Rodrigues, which lies about four miles south of the burst dams.

It is part of Mariana, an old colonial town and a major tourist attraction in Brazil.

ers and people in the community not to come in contact with the mud and to throw out any clothes that may have come in contact with debris for fear of contamination. Drinking water is feared to have been contaminated.

The cause of the breach is not yet known. The authorities are investigating whether low-intensity tremors registered in the area could have played a part in the tragedy.

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Many Missing as Dams Flood Brazilian Town

Mariana Mayor Duarte Junior said some 500 people were taking part in the rescue effort. “The search goes on.

We are doing what we can,” he said.

In News

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The Week China’s refusal to recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty or its government’s formal legitimacy, no national flags were present at the meeting.

In brief opening remarks in front of reporters before going into a closed-door meeting, Xi said, “History will record this day.” He alluded to China’s long-cherished goals of unification with Taiwan, declaring, “We are one family,” and “No force can pull us apart.” Ma said, “Both sides should respect each other’s values and way of life,” while adding that relations between the sides were “the most peaceful and stable they have ever been.”

When they split in 1949, both sides aspired to absorb the other, with each claiming the mantle of the only legitimate government of all of China, Taiwan included. Communist Party-ruled China still demands that Taiwan eventually be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary,

while many citizens of democratic Taiwan increasingly prefer to simply maintain the separate status the island has carved out over more than six decades.

Critics of Ma in Taiwan are wary that his meeting with Xi and similar contacts will pave the way for Beijing to assert greater control over the island, further deepening its international isolation. However, Ma said at a post-meeting news conference that he discussed with Xi the Taiwanese people’s desire for greater participation in global society, particularly for non-governmental organizations. China refuses to acknowledge the island as anything other than a breakaway province. Pressure from Beijing keeps Taiwan out of the United Nations and other major multinational organizations.

In News

Obama and Netanyahu’s Meeting in DC “One of the best meetings I’ve had with him,” was how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described his sit-down with U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday.

Speaking just moments after his two-and-half hour powwow with Obama, Netanyahu said the discussion focused mainly on Israel’s security needs and American military aid to Israel, and steps on the ground Jerusalem intends to take to stabilize relations with the Palestinians.

Certain topics were not broached during their meeting. The president did not ask Netanyahu to freeze settlements, Netanyahu said. His controversial appointment of Ran Baratz as his new communications director did not come up during the meeting, the prime minister added, reiterating that he will “deal with the matter” upon his return to Israel.

“What you saw from the outside is also what transpired on the inside.

It was one of the best meetings I’ve had with Obama,” Netanyahu said.

“The conversation was in very good spirits and very honest; no one hid the disagreements between us. Rather, we focused on how to go forward,” he added.

Analysts expected the meeting to be tense as it comes after a year

in which the relationship between the two leaders seemed to have been frayed over the Iran nuclear agreement and settlement building.

But Netanyahu said that, as opposed to past meetings, this one was not confrontational. “I did not feel any tension,” he added. “Both the tone and the substance of the meeting were in a spirit of being productive — let’s see what we can do, not let’s see how we can argue.”

Most of the meeting, Netanyahu related, focused on preparations for the renewal of the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, which regulates American military assistance to Israel. Israel currently receives about $3 billion in military aid per year, but reportedly seeks about $5 billion.

“We didn’t focus on the exact sum, but I presented our needs,” Netanyahu said, adding that the president signaled understanding and willingness to increase the administration’s aid.

The last Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2007, but “today’s Middle East cannot be compared to what it was then,” the prime minister said, explaining that the currently volatile situation in the region has created new challenges for Israel.

Is Israel Doing Well in Response to Terror?

A recent survey conducted by The Peace Index reveals Israeli Jews’ opinions regarding the recent wave of terror that has rocked the nation and the opinions of many Israeli Arabs as

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The Week well.

The majority of Israelis surveyed support killing Palestinian terrorists “on the spot.” Fifty-three percent of Israeli Jews agreed with the statement: “Any Palestinian who has perpetrated a terror attack against Jews should be killed on the spot, even if he has been apprehended and no longer poses a threat.” However, they do not feel the same if the attack is perpetrated by a Jew. On the issue of equal punishment for Jewish and Palestinian terrorists, a wide majority (80 percent) of the Jewish public believed that “the home of the family of a Palestinian who has murdered Jews on a nationalist background should be demolished,” while 53 percent were against demolishing the home of a Jew who has murdered a Palestinian in a nationalistically-motivated attack.

Statistics were more consistent within the Arab public, “The majority does not agree that the family home of a Palestinian perpetrator should be demolished (77 percent), but a large majority (67 percent) also opposes demolishing the family home of a Jewish perpetrator,” the survey found.

Israel’s Arab population have expressed their concern of their safety with 78% saying they are “apprehensive of being harmed” in the ongoing violence. Interestingly, only 57% of Israeli Jews said they have a sense of fear that “they themselves or someone important to them would be harmed in the current wave of attacks.” 64% have reported not changing their daily habits in response to recent terrorist attacks.

The overall feeling is that penalties for terrorists in the Israeli court system are generally too light; 70 percent of Jews said they believed the punishments Israeli courts levy on Palestinians are not harsh enough.

When prompted on the issue of Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount, a majority of respondents (58 percent) answered that in the current state of affairs, “Jews should not be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount.”

The public was mostly satisfied with the IDF’s response to the wave of terror, with 93 percent giving it

grades of very good or moderately good. The Israel Police came in second, with 84.5 percent of Jewish respondents awarding it grades of very good or moderately good. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), meanwhile, came in third, with less than three-fourths (72%) giving it a grade of very good or moderately good. A large majority of Jews seemed to reject the Israeli government’s handling of the terror, with only 39 percent of them assigning it grades of very good or moderately good.

In summary the Peace Index concluded, “Overall, we found a Jewish public that is tense but not hysterical; holding firm yet in certain regards prepared, under the pressure of the incidents, to overturn democratic values; and that does not greatly esteem the policy and statements of the prime minister.”

Obama Not Counting on Two-State Solution

According to Rob Malley, the White House’s senior Middle East adviser, U.S. President Barack Obama has admitted there is no possibility of securing a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The American president also said he doubts whether he will even be able to get them back around the negotiating table while he is in office.

Ahead of the Washington visit of Benjamin Netanyahu that took place on Monday, Mr. Obama made a “realistic assessment” that a peace deal will not happen before he leaves office in January 2017, U.S. officials said. This

In News marks the first time in two decades where the White House “faces a reality where the prospect of a negotiated two-state solution is not in the cards,” Mr. Malley told journalists.

The admission came at a time of soured relations between Obama and Netanyahu, who clashed bitterly in the spring over nuclear negotiations with Iran. In an open challenge to the nuclear deal, the Israeli leader accepted an invitation to address Congress, where he criticized the White House’s efforts in the nuclear deal.

In March of last year, on the day before Israeli elections, Netanyahu announced that he would not allow for the creation of a Palestinian state were he to be re-elected. U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed one month later.

At the time, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Netanyahu’s comments had forced the White House to “re-evaluate” its strategy for achieving a two-state solution. But in the past few months there has been little progress. “We’ve tried many different approaches over the course of the administration,” admitted Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communication.

“Direct negotiations, indirect negotiations, the U.S. putting out some principles. And again, at each juncture, ultimately the parties themselves did not take the sufficient steps forward to reach a negotiated two-state solution.”

Too Many have Been Hurt While there have been “quiet” days in Israel, the terror wave seems to be unceasing with stabbings, shootings, and car attacks occurring throughout the land.

During the last month, The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency paramedic service staff stayed on call throughout Israel and provided medical aid to 170 terror victims.

Since the first attack over Sukkos,

eleven lives have been taken. The victims who perished by Arab murderers’ hands are Rabbi Eitam and Rabbanit Na’ama Henkin, who were killed in a shooting in Samaria; Rabbi Nehemia Lavi and Aharon Bennett, who were murdered in a stabbing on al-Wadi Street in Jerusalem’s Old City; Haviv Haim, Alon Guverg, and Richard Lakin, who were murdered in the bus attack in Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv neighborhood; Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky, killed in a car-andknife attack just minutes after the Armon Hanatziv attack; as well as Sgt. Omri Levi, Avraham Asher Hasno, and Haptom Zerhom.

With the help of Hashem, MDA workers saved the lives of 159 people who were wounded in attacks. Of these, 21 were severely wounded, 5 moderately-to-severely, 22 moderately, and 111 lightly wounded. These numbers include 51 people who were injured in rock attacks. There are many others – at least 72 known cases – of those who required treatment for trauma during these tumultuous times.

The MDA calls on the public to follow security forces’ instructions, to remain aware of their surroundings, and to call 101 for any medical emergencies.

May Hashem continue to watch over our People and our Land.

Netanyahu Appoints Controversial New Media Chief Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that he did not tell Secretary of State John Kerry that he is going to reconsider his appointment of a controversial new media chief. Ran Baratz has previously called Barack Obama anti-Semitic and has mocked Kerry.

The prime minister wrote on his website that he “would deal with the matter upon my return to Israel.”

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The Week Earlier, unnamed Netanyahu aides said that the prime minister told Kerry that he would review the appointment of Baratz, which has yet to be fully ratified. Baratz’s comments about the president and the secretary are deemed “troubling and offensive,” said State Department Spokesman John Kirby. “We understand the prime minister will be reviewing this appointment when he returns from his visit to the United States,” Kirby said.

apologized and has asked to meet me to clarify the matter following my return to Israel.”

Netanyahu met with Obama in Washington on Monday for the first time in a year, in what was intended to be a meeting aimed at healing relations after the bruising public row between the prime minister and the president over the world powers’ nuclear deal with Iran.

Fifth President of Israel Dies

“We obviously expect government officials from any country, especially our closest allies, to speak respectfully and truthfully about senior U.S. government officials,” said Kirby, adding that “it’s a rule you learn in kindergarten about name-calling and it’s simply not a polite thing to do.”

Former university lecturer Baratz, 42, was tapped by Netanyahu as his new National Information Directorate chief. But a slew of his controversial comments then quickly came to light. These included Facebook posts in which he said Obama’s foreign policy vis-à-vis Iran and Israel amounted to “modern anti-Semitism” and mocked numerous other leading figures including Kerry, who he suggested had the mental age of a child.

Netanyahu, who said he was unaware of Baratz’s comments when he made the appointment, distanced himself from his incoming adviser, calling the remarks “inappropriate” and insisting they “do not reflect my positions or the policy of this government.” In a statement, the prime minister said, “Those posts are totally unacceptable and in no way reflect my positions or the policies of the government of Israel. Dr. Baratz has

Yitzhak Navon, Israel’s fifth president, died at home at the age of 94 after fighting a long illness. Navon had been hospitalized sporadically at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center for the past several months and was on dialysis.

A twelfth-generation Jerusalemite, Navon’s father’s family was expelled from Spain in 1492 and first went to Turkey before settling in Jerusalem in 1670. He was also a multi-generational Jerusalemite on his mother’s side, whose family, which included renowned kabbalist Chaim Ibn Attar, came to Jerusalem from Morocco in 1742.

Navon had a multi-faceted and fascinating career. He was fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, English, Spanish, Ladino and Yiddish. His excellent Arabic served the state-in-the-making in good stead when he worked as an intelligence agent for Shai, the precursor of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in the pre-statehood era.

He initially joined the Etzel pre-state Jewish resistance group, but after a brief period switched to the Hagana.

Following the establishment of the State of Israel, Navon served in the Israeli embassies in Argentina and Uruguay and on his return home became

In News political adviser to founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Always interested in education, Navon, in 1963, became the director of the cultural division of the Ministry of Education and Culture, and two years later threw his hat into the political ring and was elected to the Knesset. On April 19, 1978, 10 days after his 57th birthday, Navon was elected Israel’s fifth president, the first native son to serve in the position. He was followed by two other “sabra” presidents – Ezer Weizman, who was born in Tel Aviv, and present president Reuven Rivlin who, like Navon, was born in Jerusalem.

What also distinguished Navon from his predecessors was that he was the first Sephardi president and the first president with small children. Regardless of any position he held at any given time, he loved to stroll through Machaneh Yehuda market and purchase a falafel or a pita, eat it in front of the seller, and say it was the best he ever tasted.

Enormously popular among both Jews and Arabs, Navon said on more than one occasion that there are Jews who don’t want to see any Arabs living in Israel and there are Arabs who don’t want to see any Jews living in this land – but such thinking on either side is pointless because both sides are destined to live on the same stretch of territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced deep sorrow at the passing of Navon and said he had been a full partner in shaping the State of Israel as a free and democratic state.

A Small Town Nation While some Americans would never trade their big noisy cities for the comforts of a small town, there are many that insist small towns offer a much better quality of liv-

ing. Recent trends show that more and more people are migrating from major cities to smaller suburbs. In fact, Wallethub reports that small cities are experiencing growth at a rate that is more than twice that of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

To help people narrow down which small city would be right for them, Wallethub compared 1,268 U.S. cities with a population between 25,000 and 100,000. The data measured 22 key metrics ranging from housing costs to school-system equality and restaurants per capita.

So what’s the perfect city to experience small town life? It’s right around the corner in Princeton, NJ, which ranked number one on the list. Its economy is in great health – number one, in fact. It ranked 7th in education/health and 41st in overall quality of life, and for those who crave the lights and culture of the big city, Princeton is just an hour and half commute.

There are other wonderful choices if you’re looking for life in a small town. Consider these top ten small cities in America: 1. Princeton, NJ 2. Littleton, CO 3. Dublin, OH 4. Brookfield, WI 5. Leawood, KS 6. Southlake, TX 7. Westfield, IN 8. Northampton, MA 9. Ankeny, IA 10. Crystal Lake, IL The ten worst small cities in the nation, with a bad economy and poor education, are, strangely enough, all located in California. Seems like the Golden State is not made out of gold.

35

The Week In News

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Media is taking over our lives and particularly the lives of our teenagers. According to new research, the average teenager spends close to nine hours a day absorbing media.

Common Sense Media released a comprehensive survey last week outlining how young people spend screen time; the favorites were music and television. Two-thirds of teenagers said they listen to music every day, and 58 percent said the same about watching television. 45 percent reported using social media every day and only 36 percent said they enjoyed that activity “a lot”; twice as many said they really enjoyed their music.

Television is the favorite activity of teenagers in training, with 62 percent of respondents ages 8 to 12 saying they watched every day, the study said. Tweens said they spend just under six hours a day of media time.

Perhaps expectedly, boys are much more likely to play video games than girls. The survey found male teenagers spent an average of 56 minutes a day gaming, while girls devoted only seven minutes. Girls spent more time on social media or reading than boys.

So when are these teenagers doing their homework or studying for tests? Duh, while they are immersed in media! It seems like they’re masters of multitasking. Half of the teenagers said they watch TV or use social media either “a lot” or “sometimes” while doing homework, and 76 percent said they listen to music while working. Half of the teens say that

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listening to music actually helps their work, while only 6 percent said they thought it hurt.

“As a parent and educator, there’s clearly more work to be done around the issue of multi-tasking,” said James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, an organization that monitors youthful media use and gives recommendations to parents.

“Nearly two-thirds of teens today tell us they don’t think watching TV or texting while doing homework makes any difference to their ability to study and learn, even though there’s more and more research to the contrary.”

Children who grow up in poor homes generally have less access to computers, tablets and smartphones than wealthier kids, but spend more time on devices when they have one, the study said.

Black teenagers spend more time with media than other ethnic groups, an average of 11 hours and 13 minutes each day. Latinos spend just over nine hours, and whites eight hours, 48 minutes, the study found.

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The Week the Federal Reserve next month to make its first rate hike in nearly a decade, analysts said.

However, not all experts are as hopeful. Friday’s “blowout” employment report is “not a trend we’re expecting to continue,” said Michelle Meyer, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “But looking ahead,” she said, “there’s still momentum in the labor market, which is encouraging.”

The report indicated that employers added a net 271,000 new jobs in October with specific increases in the business and professional services, retail, healthcare, leisure and construction markets. The job growth was far above the consensus forecast by analysts, who had predicted about new 185,000 jobs.

This news has a major impact on the upcoming 2016 election. If historical patterns continue as expected, economic conditions in the next nine months will be among the strongest factors in determining which party wins next November’s election.

Fed Chair Janet L. Yellen said this week that the economy is “performing well” and that a rate hike could come next month. Analysts now expect that the Fed will raise its benchmark interest rate at its next meeting, December 15-16. The Fed had held off raising rates this fall in part because of slowing global economic growth, particularly in China, and the potential impact on the U.S.

The Age of Happiness

Previous research indicated that most Americans considered them-

selves happiest in their 30s. However, researchers have discovered that sadly that link between age and happiness disappeared in 2010, according to a study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science on November 5.

New research indicates that adolescents have become gradually happier while those in their thirties have reported declining contentedness.

Jean Twenge, psychology professor at San Diego State University, led the study. She and her colleagues analyzed four nationally representative surveys from the 1970s to 2014, with a total sample size of 1.32 million people, to reach their conclusions.

In terms of the reason for the changing disposition of Americans, researchers can only offer theories, rather than definitive answers. One theory is that unrealistically high expectations have set adults up for disappointment.

Twenge explained in her paper for The Atlantic, “Big dreams feel great when you’re an adolescent or a young adult just starting out. But somewhere around their late 20s, most people begin to realize reality isn’t going to match up. When those dreams are more widespread than they used to be, the inevitable crash will be too.”

Researchers speculate that another possible explanation is that the decrease in stable relationships and marriage have left adults feeling less supported. “With higher individualism, young people have more to enjoy, while mature adults may not get the social support they need,” write the authors. “Perhaps new technology such as social media and cellphones has enhanced young people’s lives while having a detrimental effect on mature adults’ SWB [subjective well-being].”

Philadelphia Recognized as World Heritage City

In News America’s birthplace has been named the country’s first World Heritage City. In order to achieve the designation, the city needs to be recognized for its impact on the course of human events. There are 260 cities that share the title; some other cities include Jerusalem, Cairo, and Paris.

The Organization of World Heritage Cities added Philadelphia in a vote at its biennial conference in Arequipa, Peru. Philadelphia, the nation’s fifth-largest city, qualified because Independence Hall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

ciation, predicts that tourism will increase and that by Philadelphia being a World Heritage City it will generate more opportunities for cultural collaboration and exchanges. “Philadelphia has a lot going for it, but certainly isn’t as well recognized as New York or Washington in international parlance,” said Smith. “Philadelphia has to start thinking of other ways to establish itself as a bona fide world city…”

“We think this will be a huge boost to the city’s ego. Once you get foreign cities and foreign countries to believe in you, it’s easier to believe in yourself.”

7 People who Perished in Pearl Harbor Attack Identified

In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed at Independence Hall. Just four years later, the Articles of Confederation, which united the 13 colonies, were ratified. Then, in 1787, the U.S. Constitution was debated and signed there with George Washington presiding.

“The universal principles of freedom and democracy set forth in these documents are of fundamental importance to American history and have also had a profound impact on lawmakers around the world,” according to UNESCO’s website.

Three years ago, an association of city government and business leaders began campaigning for the honor at the suggestion of Richard Hodges, then the director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, who asked simply: “Why isn’t Philadelphia a World Heritage City?”

John Smith, a lawyer who was involved with the campaign through the non-profit Global Philadelphia Asso-

Over 70 years ago, thousands of sailors, soldiers and Marines lost their lives in the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. This week, the remains of seven crew members missing since the USS Oklahoma capsized in the 1941 bombing have been identified, the military said on Monday. The servicemen were identified using dental records.

In June, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency began digging up the remains of nearly 400 USS Oklahoma sailors and Marines from a veterans cemetery in Honolulu where they were buried as “unknowns.”

Within five years, officials expect to identify about 80 percent of the crew members still considered missing.

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The Week In News

U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal appellate and district court judges are appointed for life. The Constitution grants federal judges lifetime appointments for the purpose to maintain judicial independence and prevent the easy removal of judges for unpopular decisions. The only way that they’d be asked to leave is if they were impeached by Congress, which has occurred only a few times.

As a result, some judges refuse to retire even when their job is affected by age-related mental decline. The life expectancy when the Constitution was signed in 1787 was under 40. Now it’s close to double, at 79.

judge to seek help or leave.

But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes federal courts in California and eight other Western states, has taken a more pro-active approach to the problem of mental decline in justices. They spread awareness and encourage their judges to think about the condition, plan for it, and manage it appropriately if and when it surfaces.

The circuit court provides regular seminars directed by neurological experts to inform its chief judges about the signs of cognitive impairment.

There is also a hotline setup where court staff and judges can get advice regarding dealing with signs of senility in colleagues. It has also encouraged judges to undergo cognitive assessments and designate colleagues, friends or family who can intervene if concerns arise about their mental health.

“We’re an organization that is required to police ourselves,” said Phyllis Hamilton, chief judge in the Northern District of California and head of the 9th Circuit’s wellness committee.

“If we wish to retain the goodwill and confidence of the public in our ability to render justice by judges who are unimpaired, . . . we have to take steps.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was the oldest person to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, retiring in 1932 at the age of 90. U.S. District Court Judge Wesley Brown in Kansas was the oldest working federal judge in the country’s history when he died at the age of 104 in 2012.

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Illegals Demand Rights With millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S., an immigrant-rights group proposed a “Bill of Rights” for illegal immigrants last Thursday. The document was circulated by United We Stay, which is a group of illegal immigrants, first-generation Americans and human rights activists pushing for changes to immigration law.

There are 10 items on the demand list, in line with the U.S. Constitution’s

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Addressing Senility in Judges

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Altogether, 429 men on board the World War II battleship were killed.

Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after. The military says advances in forensic science and technology are improving the ability to identify remains.

More than 2,400 sailors, Marines and soldiers were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Oklahoma’s casualties were second only to the USS Arizona, which lost 1,177 men.

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38

The Week Bill of Rights. They are campaigning for health care, in-state tuition rates for college, wage equality, and a promise of citizenship in the long term.

Another demand was to stop arrests and deportations for “all law-abiding undocumented Americans.”

“We know we have human rights, even though our very presence is deemed illegal and our existence alien. Now we have our own Bill of Rights and we want it to be the framework for every immigration decision

going forward from the local to the national level,” the group said in a statement announcing their demands.

The list also includes a specific demand for “compelled authorization of birth certificates for our U.S.-born children.” That appears to be pushback against the state of Texas, where officials have ruled that parents must present valid ID to get children’s birth certificates — and have deemed the Mexican government’s Matricula Consular ID card not to be acceptable as primary identification. A federal court approved the Texas policy on the basis that there are questions about the reliability of the Mexican cards and that state officials have an interest in making sure only authorized relatives are able to get birth certificates.

The first request on the bill demands the eradication of the terms “illegal” and “alien.” Immigrant-rights advocates say both terms are dehumanizing, and have offered “undoc& Be w rit W or st q te e km ua n w a li qu ill n ty ot be sh es a ip by t 10 %

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In News umented workers” or, in the case of United We Stand, “undocumented Americans,” as their preferred term.

There were 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2014. The population has remained basically stable for five years, and currently accounts for 3.5% of the nation’s population.

Pipeline Officially Cancelled

The much talked about Keystone pipeline has been officially nixed by President Barack Obama. After fighting for approval for seven years, the final nail in the pipeline’s coffin came when Obama declared that the pipeline would have undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate change deal at the center of his environmental legacy.

Obama’s decision marked a victory for environmental activists who spent years denouncing the pipeline, lobbying the administration and even chaining themselves to tractors to make their point about the threat posed by supposed dirty fossil fuels.

It also places the president and fellow Democrats in direct confrontation with Republicans and energy advocates heading into the 2016 presidential election.

The president, in announcing his decision at the White House, said he agreed with a State Department conclusion that Keystone wouldn’t advance U.S. national interests. He lamented that both political parties had “overinflated” Keystone into a proxy battle for climate change but glossed over his own role in allowing the controversy to drag out over sev-

eral national elections.

Although Obama in 2013 said his litmus test for the Keystone Pipeline would be whether it increased U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, his final decision appeared based on other factors. He didn’t broach that topic in his remarks, and State Department officials said they’d determined Keystone wouldn’t significantly affect carbon pollution levels. Instead, the administration cited the “broad perception” that Keystone would carry “dirty” oil and suggested approval would raise questions abroad about whether the U.S. was serious about climate change.

TransCanada, the company behind the proposal, said it remained “absolutely committed” to building the project and was considering filing a new application for permits. The company has previously raised the possibility of suing the U.S. to recoup the more than $2 billion it says it has already spent on development.

TransCanada first applied for Keystone permits 2,604 days ago in September 2008 — shortly before Obama was elected. As envisioned, Keystone would snake from Canada’s tar sands through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, then connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to specialized refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Fake Escape Looks can be deceiving, and in this case, they almost did the trick.

Clodoaldo Antonio Felipe is currently serving a 36-year sentence in prison in Brazil for drug-related crimes. He is a member of the largest drug distribution network in the country, and he desperately wanted to get out of prison so he could (I’m guessing) continue his important oc-

The Week

“We therefore choose to take a cue from a great performer and declare our namesake be a ‘hot dog formerly known as a sandwich,’” she continues.

Much of its decision in declaring the hot dog “not a sandwich” is the “open” nature of the dish and its impact on American history.

Truthfully, I don’t care what you call it. Just slap on some sauerkraut and call it a glorious day.

Ain’t nothin’ but a hot dog – especially when it’s eaten wrapped in a bun and smeared with mustard and relish. But the classic American onthe-go snack is, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, not a sandwich.

“Our verdict is…a hot dog is an exclamation of joy, a food, a verb describing one ‘showing off’ and even an emoji. It is truly a category unto its own.”

Well, hot dog!

“Limiting the hot dog’s signifi-

Here’s a useful tip: before accepting an award from the organization Mother’s Against Drunk Driving perhaps you should stick to drinking water, or ginger ale, or orange juice, or even milk. But please, please, please stay away from the tequila.

New details were revealed this week about a Florida police officer who was set to receive an award from Mother’s Against Drunk Driving at their banquet this summer. Michael Szeliga, a deputy for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department, was slated to receive the award for making more than 100 DUI arrests. But when Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent saw him staggering around outside the awards venue, he told Szeliga he seemed too drunk to go inside.

“I said, ‘You don’t want to embarrass the sheriff here – that’s probably not too wise,” Vincent recalled. “Apparently, he did.”

Szeliga responded to Vincent’s warning with “disrespectful” comments, and Vincent subsequently informed the deputy’s supervisors that Szeliga was “wasted.” They ordered him to go back to his hotel room, and

The Fortunate Fan

When Trey went to the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game last week,

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Eric Brook’s huge birdcage beard is made completely out of his own hair.

He was a contestant at the National Beard and Mustache Championships this week.

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Hot Dog!

The Drunk Deputy

he never received his award.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said that Szeliga was a good deputy but noted the irony of the situation. “When I first heard about it, that was [what] my reaction was. ‘Come on, you’ve got to be kidding me. Really?’”

MADD gives annual awards to law enforcement officers who make a high number of DUI arrests, but not everyone thinks this is a great idea.

Defense attorney Jon Ibanez argued in a blog post in the summer that doling out awards for DUI arrests doesn’t really make sense, since not all of the arrests are justified.

“We’re rewarding the wrong action by the officer because many (and I mean many) DUI arrests are illegal arrests and many do not result in convictions,” Ibanez wrote. “Not all people who are arrested for drunk driving are actually driving drunk.”

In this case here, it takes one to know one, and Officer Szeliga certainly seems to know drunk people all too well.

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

After a quick investigation, they realized the woman was really a man—and one of their wonderful prisoners.

Police spokesman Andre Veloso said: “The penitentiary guard did not recognize the senior lady and this is why he asked for her ID. He never expected it could be an inmate trying to escape.”

An inquiry is underway to try and work out where Felipe acquired female clothes and the realistic-looking mask, which sells for over a thousand dollars.

cance by saying it’s ‘just a sandwich’ is like calling the Dalai Lama ‘just a guy.’ Perhaps at one time its importance could be limited by forcing it into a larger sandwich category, but that time has passed,” NHDSC president and ‘Queen of Wien’ Janet Riley says in the release. (Yes, “Queen of Wien” is a thing, apparently.)

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

cupation.

Here came his ingenious plan.

The 44-year-old dressed up as an old woman—complete with a mask, wig, glasses and female clothes and endeavored to escape. The disguise looked so real that prison guards only became suspicious when they realized that they never noticed the old woman entering the prison. Additionally, the elderly woman seemed a little too tall for her age and gender.

In News

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The Week he was pumped. He was even more pumped when visiting head coach Dan Bylsma tossed him a hockey puck.

But his glee turned to disappointment when an old man snatched the puck midflight. Apparently he never heard of good sportsmanship.

The older fan was immediately booed by the surrounding crowd who noticed him filching the prized puck.

When the incident spread on social media, the Penguins took action into their own hands and made a fan for life.

At the end of the game, Trey was showered with a Sidney Crosby jersey, a hockey stock and another puck from Bylsma.

Turns out sometimes it’s good to have things taken from you. ‘Cuz then you can make out like a hockey bandit!

In News

Mind Reader

He can read your mind. At least that’s what his mother says.

There’s no doubt that Ramses Sanguino is a really smart child. The 5-year-old who lives in Los Angeles is learning seven different languages, including Japanese and Russian, and can solve algebraic equations. He can cor-

rectly spell pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, the longest English word in the Oxford English Dictionary, forward and backward.

His mother, though, says her child is far more than just a brainy kid. Nyx Sanguino, an artist, claims that he can correctly guess numbers she’s written in secret – sometimes as many as 38 in a row.

“We do have a very close bond which may have something to do with his abilities – but this is beyond anything I would have imagined,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

Ramses has autism, and Dr. Diane Powell, a neuroscientist and former Harvard Medical School faculty member, believes the alleged telepathy may provide clues that will help parents to connect with their autistic kids.

“If you have your primary language compromised, then that would be a perfect setup for telepathy, because here you have a child and a

parent who desperately want to communicate with one another,” Powell related.

It’s nice in theory but many scientists do not believe in the ability to read another’s mind.

When testing Ramses, Powell found that he correctly guessed three out of five random numbers based on his mother’s thoughts. Despite the lack of accuracy, Powell was still impressed by his alleged ability.

Regardless of whether Ramses is truly telepathic, Sanguino hopes she can get him into a school for gifted children. And I’m sure with his special “gift” he can tell her exactly which one.

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

Travel Why Citi Credit Cards are the New ‘IT’ Cards for Free Vacations, Flights and Hotel Stays.

Eli Schreiber

It’s expensive to live in nowadays and if you are like us, chances are you spending anywhere from one to three thousand dollars are per month on your children’s tuition, grocery bills, gas and insurance, rent, utilities and other miscellaneous expenses.

What if you could take that everyday spending and turn it into free hotels and vacations and extra cash?

Wouldn’t it make the burden easier?

Too good to be true you say, well, there are literally tens of thousands of people doing just that, and they are doing so by taking advantage of the numerous credit card bonus offers available when you sign up for new credit cards (otherwise known as cred-

it card churning) and then turn those extra bonus rewards into cash or free vacations.

And by now, if you follow our blog and social media accounts, you are probably aware of all this.

A brief synopsis for newcomers: Credit card churning is the ‘art’ of applying for and receiving multiple credit card approvals for their hefty signup bonuses for the purpose of earning miles and points towards upcoming personal, business or family vacations and trips.

Recently however, both American Express and Chase have restricted how many credit cards you can sign up for at any given period which has reduced

the opportunity to earn free miles and points and subsequently reduced the value of both of their rewards programs. But there is good news for consumers as CitiBank has recently entered the rewards game partnering with a number of airlines and hotel chains so that Citi Thank You Points are now transferable into eleven airlines and hotel programs including the Hilton, Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic. And CitiBank hasn’t yet implemented policies restricting how many credit cards consumers can apply for, making Citi ThankYou Points and other CitiBank airline rewards cards the new IT cards for vacation seekers or those who want to earn some extra

pocket cash.

Two great Citi offers currently available are the Citi ThankYou Premier Card, where you can earn 50,000 ThankYou Points after making $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® where you can earn 50,000 American Airlines bonus miles after making $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

For a full list of credit card offers and additional information about how you can use your turn everyday spending into extra cash, free airfare, hotels and vacations please visit. WWW. GETPEYD.COM

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In The

A Slice of Something Nice Sweet Potato Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Easy Classic Apple Pie

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

K tchen

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Sweet Potato Pie

Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the sweet potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, margarine, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the soy milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the piecrust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature

Pumpkin Pie Ingredients 1 ready-made graham cracker piecrust 4 tablespoons melted margarine 1-3/4 cups pumpkin puree 3 eggs 1-3/4 cups soy milk 1 cup dark brown sugar

1-¼teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon cloves ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the margarine, pumpkin puree, eggs, soy milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice, cloves and salt and mix well. Pour the mixture into the piecrust. Place the filled pie on a cookie sheet (to catch any dripping). Bake for about 50 minutes, until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Easy Classic Apple Pie Ingredients I box refrigerated piecrust, softened 6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples

(approx. 6 medium apples) ¾ cups sugar 2 tablespoons flour ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon lemon juice Directions Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 piecrust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom.

In large bowl, gently mix rest of the ingredients; spoon into the pie shell. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places to let air escape.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool before serving.

Serve with scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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

Ingredients 2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes 1- ¼ cups sugar ½ stick melted margarine 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup soy milk 9-inch unbaked piecrust 3 egg whites

before covering with meringue.

For the meringue: using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around. Sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until delicately browned.

Cool and serve.

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

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NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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“Say What?!”

- Jimmy Fallon

- Liberal American-Jewish journalist Peter Beinart, who claims to be “pro-Israel,” in a speech at a Beth Chayim Chadashim Progressive synagogue in Los Angeles

I used to hate Darth Vader, but now I kind of feel a little bit sorry for him knowing what he went through to get to that point.

- Sen. Marco Rubio, when asked a question related to the upcoming “Star Wars” movie during a campaign stop in New Hampshire

-George Will’s review of Bill O’Reilly’s new book, Killing Reagan

You’re a hack!

- Bill O’Reilly, when George Will came on his show, “The No Spin Zone,” to defend his criticism of O’Reilly’s book

A new survey found that three out of four children under the age of four have their own smartphone.

You can tell it’s bad; last night I told my daughter it was time for bed and she tried to swipe left on me.

- Jimmy Fallon

“Crippled America” outlines Donald Trump’s plan to make America great again. Though the book doesn’t say specifically when he’s leaving.

- Seth Myers

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While we condemn Palestinian violence, we must recognize this painful truth: that Israeli policy has encouraged it. Israel has encouraged it by penalizing Palestinian nonviolence, by responding to that nonviolence by deportations, teargas, imprisonment, and the confiscation of Palestinian lands. Hard as it is to say, the Israeli government is reaping what it has sowed.

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

After being courted by several candidates, conservative billionaire Paul Singer has decided to endorse Marco Rubio. Now instead of having a button that says, “Donate,” Rubio’s website just says, “We Good.”

The book’s pretense of scholarship involves 151 footnotes, only one of which is even remotely pertinent to the book’s lurid assertions. Almost all contain irrelevant tidbits (“Reagan’s hair was actually brown”).

At the Reagan Library, where researchers must register, records show that neither O’Reilly nor Dugard, who churn out a book a year, used its resources. The book’s two and a half pages of “sources” unspecifically and implausibly refer to “FBI and CIA files,” “presidential libraries” and travel “around the world” … The book’s perfunctory pieties about Reagan’s greatness are inundated by its flood of regurgitated slanders about his supposed lassitude and manipulability. This book is nonsensical history and execrable citizenship, and should come with a warning: “Caution — you are about to enter a no-facts zone.”

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Notable Quotes

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He just became very hardline and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with.

- Former President George H.W. Bush, talking about Cheney as his son’s vice president, during interviews for Jon Meacham’s forthcoming biography Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush

I took it as a mark of pride.

- Cheney, responding to George H.W. Bush’s criticism

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

The doctor called the “Father of Botox” has passed away at age 70. His patients are griefstricken but have no way to express it.

- Conan O’Brien

SeaWorld is phasing out its killer whale show. Or as Fox News reported it, “More killers set free under Obama.”

- Conan O’Brien

Some people believe in the Bible like I do and don’t find that to be silly at all, and believe that G-d created the Earth and don’t find that to be silly at all. The secular progressives try to ridicule it every time it comes up and they’re welcome to do that.

- Ben Carson responding to recent media critisim over his comments that Joseph built the The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 Egyptian pyramids in order to store grain

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- PETA Deputy Director Brittany Peet after Cowboy’s wide receiver Dez Bryant posted a photo on Instagram with his new monkey

I am a monkey fan. I can stand in a zoo and look at them all day long and die laughing.

- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, when asked about star receiver Dez Bryant’s choice of pet

Apple is reportedly working on a new protection system that will reduce the number of iPhones with cracked screens. The system is called “Alcoholics Anonymous.”

- Conan O’Brien

This is the least we can do for Martyr Halabi.

- Mayor Muhammad Hussein of the PA controlled town of Surda-Abu Qash, at the street naming ceremony in honor of the terrorist who last month murdered Rabbi Nehemiah Lavi and Aharon Bennett and injured Bennett’s wife, Adele, and their 2-year-old son

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

Monkeys belong in the wild—not in the hands of football players who acquire exotic animals just to make a splash on Instagram. This baby capuchin was torn away from his mother shortly after birth and needs special care that can now only be provided by wildlife experts who will be able to ensure that he gets the love and attention he deserves.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

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

Wouldn’t it be great if every stage of life came with an instruction manual, providing us with a specific set of rules that allowed us to always make the right choices without ever second guessing ourselves, knowing in our hearts that we nailed it? Imagine the freedom, confidence and peace of mind such a system would engender.

Unfortunately, such a play-by-play system is a stretch of the imagination, a fantasy, if you will. There are many junctures in life that are challenging and leave many of us scratching our heads as we ponder our various options in our often desperate attempt to “get it right.” Ultimately we all want to live with fewer regrets and many more homeruns. In our attempt to get it right, often after a date or when confronted with a serious relationship issue, we tend to seek advice from the following people: The Rebbetzin, The Dating Mentor, The Mother and The Single Friend. We thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to cut to the chase and have everyone’s opinion in one place?” And hence, the “What Would You Do If” column was born!

Dear Navidaters,

M

y daughter, Nechama, is any mother’s dream come true. She is beautiful both on the inside and the outside. Raising her was always a joy and I feel so blessed to be her mother. Nechama has been dating now for close to two years. Honestly, I believed that she’d probably be one of the first girls from her grade to get engaged. People approached us about shidduchim for her before she even graduated high school! By the time she came home from Israel, I had a long list of people anxious to go out with her. I’ve heard so many stories about parents struggling with this stage of their child’s life, and

Every week, The Jewish Home will feature our fabulous panelists (Rebbetzin, Dating Mentor/Kallah Teacher, Mother, and Single Woman) as they respond to real dating and relationship scenarios. Each panelist will share her distinct and unique perspective on the topic at hand. As dating and relationship coaches and therapists, The Navidaters will then give our take on the situation in what we call “Pulling it All Together.”

This endeavor is designed to be interactive. We encourage you, our readers, to get involved in the experience and share a dating or relationship predicament you may be facing.

Whether you are single, part of a couple, engaged or a parent of the aforementioned, send us an e-mail. Share your story and the advice you are seeking. We will turn your anonymous story over to our panelists. No situation is too silly, too serious, too mundane, too weird, too eccentric or too shameful. Our panel’s feedback awaits. Without further ado, What Would You Do If?...

my husband and I both felt confident that for us, it would be a walk in the park.

Meanwhile, though Nechama has no shortage of boys to go out with, she hasn’t gone out with anyone more than twice. And even twice took a lot of convincing from us that she give this one or that one another chance. Basically, she comes home from each date with an immediate “not for me” response when we ask how it went. At first we figured, “OK, we haven’t hit the mark yet.” But after so much time, we’re starting to think that maybe there is something going on with Nechama. After all, is it even possible, after so much dating, that absolutely no one has any potential to explore? If Nechama is not realistic about her dating expectations, how do we approach this with her?

Sincerely, C. R.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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The Panel

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, MS

A

Getting to know Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, MS...

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz is a veteran community activist. She has spent more than twenty years in social services both as an executive and as a board member of non-profits. She is a founder of Rachel’s Place, a shelter for homeless girls in Brooklyn. Rebbetzin Horowitz has a career counseling practice and is a freelance writer for print and digital media. A columnist for Hamodia and Binah Magazines, she has been published in several anthologies and in Poetica Magazine.

Rebbetzin Horowitz is currently the program coordinator in the Career Services Department at Touro College’s Flatbush campus and serves as the Rebbetzin of Congregation Agudas Achim of Lawrence. She can be reached at (718)594-0154.

Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, PA

Y

our question resonates with me. I have a niece, now happily married and a mother of six, who could very well have been Nechama. Penelope (not her name) was every mother’s dream. Talented, beautiful, G’mach Head, valedictorian, scholarship awardee. When Penelope returned from seminary (top tier), she was at the top of every shadchan’s list. All her young cousg ins would bristle with excitement at the thought of Penelope’s imminent engagement. Alas, five long years

and over one hundred boys later, Penelope was still single and blithely dating. She was still beautiful and talented, but now she had a college degree, a lucrative career and a respectable bank account. She had a designer wardrobe and took exciting trips with her cadre of single friends.

Life was beautiful or was it really?

Sometimes, the reason the best and the brightest take the longest to settle down is not for lack of finding Mr./Ms. Right; there are plenty of qualified candidates out there. And for the most promising young people there is a bountiful supply of shidduchim. I suspect the reason Nechama has not “hit the mark” is that she may not be ready to get married.

Maybe she feels she needs more time to complete her education, explore career choices, prioritize what’s important in her future life mate. If she is indeed special, she may be biding her time to prepare herself – emotionally, spiritually or practically for the role of a lifetime. Whether she is conscious of her hesitation or not, she may not be able to articulate her uncertainty to you, her anxious mother. Often, a dating hiatus (or break) may help her introspect, recharge and refresh her perspective on finding the Right One. (It worked for Penelope.)

The specter of the shidduch crisis has pushed many well-intentioned parents into panic mode; many children start dating out of peer pressure and are forced to make life-altering decisions before they are emotionally ready. If ever we need to tap into our bitachon, it’s when our children enter “parshas shidduchim.” Give

your child the time, support, and emotional space to make rational, educated decisions regarding every prospective shidduch. And remind yourself every day that Hashem is the Ultimate Shadchan.

Getting to know Sarah Schwartz Schreiber...

Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, mother of several and grandmother of “not enough,” is a native Los Angelino. Decades back, she married and settled in Midwood (aka Flatbush).

Since then, Sarah has worked in several professional arenas – first as a medical writer and a pharmaceutical copywriter. Sarah eventually pursued her lifelong ambition and became a physician assistant. Currently, Sarah can be found triaging patients in the busiest labor and delivery room on the East Coast. Of all the jobs she’s held, Sarah considers her role as wife and mother to be the most thrilling and fulfilling vocation of all.

The Dating Mentor/ Kallah Teacher Rochel Chafetz, Educator/Mentor

F

irst of all, Hashem runs the world so we don’t understand why for some girls it takes a little longer.

Maybe there is some self-work that has to be done. You mentioned how these men seemed wonderful to you.

Is it possible that you set the standards for your daughter too high and perhaps she doesn’t even really know yet who she is and what she really wants and how she feels? You are not the one that has to determine if these men are wonderful. Nechama has to feel the connection. She has to feel that she is in charge – not you. She is the one who has to feel the right chemistry. Maybe she is distracted by your excitement over these young men that she doesn’t even have a chance to look at her own feelings.

I think you need to take a step

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The Mother

I suspect the reason Nechama has not “hit the mark” is that she may not be ready to get married.

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

s parents, it’s crucially important for you to know whether Nechama is interested in getting married in the short term future.

Perhaps she has other goals and interests right now such as completing school, getting established in a professional field, and maturing. She might simply be enjoying this time of her life without the pressures of a family and multiple commitments.

She might be anxious as well.

That being said, I don’t think parents should open up this discussion.

Apparently Nechama is not confiding in her parents about what is going on inside of her. She is not sharing any reactions to the young men she dates with you and your husband. Sorting out where she is, what she wants in a spouse, what the common issues she has with the men she meets, and what the particular issues she finds with the individual men she meets is going to have to be done by a third party. Gently encouraging her to talk to a trusted teacher, mentor, rav or shidduch coach is advisable.

A neutral, seasoned advisor will be much more effective in helping her ascertain where she is going right now and how to move forward in terms of dating.

Although it is wonderful that so many shidduch suggestions have come Nechama’s way since high school, please keep in mind that she may feel pressured by all of this.

Perhaps there are expectations of her that she does not want to meet and cannot meet. If she has been getting so many suggestions, it’s probably because she presents as a girl with a wonderful package of attributes, both personal and familial.

She may not think she is truly worthy of people’s high regard. Perhaps she feels people are interested in her because of her looks or family’s social position. How she feels about many of these matters will have to be explored with someone else. You may suggest this with a script like: “You may want to talk to someone else after each and every dating experience. Sometimes parents are

too close to the children they love to be an effective sounding board.

Why not think about choosing someone to talk to, Nechama?”

Your daughter is probably already speaking to someone she trusts. By telling her that you think it is a good idea, you will ease future communication. Normalize consultation with advisors and be patient as she moves through a process of self-knowledge and formulation of her own priorities and deal breakers.

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The Rebbetzin

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back and allow Nechama to be more involved in the decision making process. Ask her what kind of attributes she is looking for. Give her the information you’ve received and make it a discussion where she feels she is in the lead. You might want to say something like, “We’ve heard this and that, but what do you think?”

That way she can feel the decisions to go out with a particular individual is hers, not yours, and that she is not dating anyone for you.

I’m sure she feels what you have expressed in this letter. All children feel and know much more than we think they do. Nechama may even benefit from doing some of the research on her own, so that she feels more in charge, especially if Nechama is the type of young lady who has always done what everyone else wanted her to do and as a result, perhaps she doesn’t even know how she feels. Start asking her questions to encourage her to think about who she is, what her goals are, what she

dislikes, and what makes her happy or sad. Other important conversations might be asking where she sees herself in five years, ten years, etc.

Remember, though you are her parents, she is not an extension of you. You gave her the tools. Now she needs to use them, but you have to step back and allow that process to happen. Very possibly she will pick someone on her own and fall for him big time! Hatzlacha!

Getting to know Rochel Chafetz...

Rochel Chafetz has been in Chinuch for over 30 years, teaching Chumash to grades 6 through 12.

She taught in Prospect Park Yeshiva for 25 years, in Rabbi Wallerstein’s school for at risk teenagers, and is currently teaching at SKA. Rochel is a mentor for teenage girls, which ultimately leads to coaching them through their dating years. She is

I think you need to take a step back and allow Nechama to be more involved in the decision making process.

now also a Kallah teacher. Rochel not only teaches them Taharas Hamishpacha but also helps them navigate their Shana Rishona. Rochel is also an inspirational speaker and gives weekly shiurim to women of all ages.

She volunteers in the organization Sister to Sister for divorced women and is a “sister” to two very special

young women. Rochel Chafetz can be reached at (917)599-8208.

The Experienced Single Woman Irit Moshe (pen name)

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irst and foremost, does Nechama know who she is and what she is looking for? Secondly, has she verbalized to you that she would like you to be the “picker of men” for her?

If you can’t answer these questions with a resounding “yes,” then take a step back and get her a dating coach.

For Nechama to know what she is looking for, she needs to know who she is first. For you to be picking men for her to date, she needs to be able to convey who she is and what qualities she is looking for in the man who is suited for her and her needs.

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through a lot of suitors to find him.

But it will be worth it in the end, because she’s worth it.

Getting to know Irit Moshe...

Irit Moshe (pen name) is a 39-year-old woman who has dated in the Orthodox world some twenty years ago and is now “back on the market,” divorced with children.

married. If you can find her, please send her my way so she can tell the rest of us her secret.

You end your email with the following question: “If Nechama isn’t realistic about her dating expectations, how do we approach this with her?” Herein may lie the solution. Inherent in your question is your theory that Nechama isn’t realistic about her expectations. When you speak with her, do not let your theory guide the conversation. As a matter of fact, place your theory on the backburner for now.

Remember when your mother had a theory about you? Make a casual appointment to talk, maybe invite her out to lunch. Lead with the notion that she has your support and understanding and then talk to her about what is going on for her. Your angle cannot be that she is possibly unrealistic about a potential suitor, rather your angle is that of a nonjudgmental explorer. See where the conversation takes you. If she is completely closed to the conversation, you can politely suggest she speak to someone else. If she is open, then wonderful! If you are wincing at the thought of letting go of your expectation for her to get married in the immi-

nent future and/or you are thinking, “You know, I honestly don’t support my daughter not being ready to date,” you may want to consider talking to a dear friend, rebbetzin or therapist during this time to provide you with an outlet to express your disappointment and work through your own feelings. That person cannot be your daughter.

It seems that until now you have been taking a backseat and haven’t voiced your concerns.

In some families, everything is up for discussion, while in other families, issues surrounding dating and relationships might be kept more private. I wonder where on the open/private pendulum your relationship with Nechama lies. I wish you continued nachas from the fabulous daughter you have raised!

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

Jennifer Mann

T

he panel has spoken. Rebbetzin, Mother, Shadchan and Single have provided unique insights with regard to your role as Nechama’s mother in this shidduch parsha of her life.

All the panelists are wisely tuned into Nechama’s potential internal dialogue. Some wonder if she is not ready to date and get married and have surmised various possibilities. Others have suggested that she may be distracted by what you want for her and wonder if your own emotions are playing interference. It was advised that you step out of the situation and encourage her to speak to a third party; let her feel that she is in charge so that this feels more like her decision and less yours. And yet, it was also advised that you speak candidly with her while letting her know that you support her regardless of whatever her true intentions may be.

As dating and relationship coaches and therapists, we have had the honor of working with

parents of singles. Like so many loving and caring mothers, you want your daughter to find the right man and settle into a warm, nurturing and healthy relationship. And with love comes concern. You have watched Nechama date for two years now without having seen her take the next step toward any form of commitment and you are left wondering if there is some sort of issue going on and you are not sure of your next step. You reached out for help! What a wonderful beginning.

You have done a remarkable job raising Nechama into the extraordinary young woman she is as evidenced by the way you have handled the situation until and including now, and the fact that everyone (and their mother) is interested in dating Nechama.

I don’t think we could find one mother in the frum community who has not had a worry about seeing her daughter (or son) get

The Navidaters are dating and relationship coaches and therapists located in Lawrence, NY. Our services include date debriefing, dating skills application, couples counseling, premarital counseling and marital counseling. If you have a dating/relationship scenario you would like to be anonymously featured in “What Would You Do If,” please email thenavidaters@ gmail.com. Check out our website at thenavidaters.com and call us at 516.224.7779 to schedule an appointment.

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atric communities. In her late 20’s, after her divorce, she experienced living within various Jewish circles, both on the east and west coasts and has observed the distinct differences in dating styles per coastal region.

At present, Irit works as a certified life and dating coach, aiding other shadchanim with thinking “outside the box” as well as coordinating local events. Irit looks forward to hearing from you and learning about your dating experiences and dilemmas plus sharing with you some of her own.

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Currently being eligible, and “on the scene,” she feels her anonymity is important, both for her marketability, as well as the sanctity of any of her past and future relationships she may be discussing with you, the readers. Irit’s background as a shadchon started back in her early 20’s, when she first succeeded in setting up several matches, who now have thriving families of their own. In her late 20’s, she worked in the secular world as a social worker for several years with the ill and geri-

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What makes “her man” different from all the other menschen out there? She is a unique, beautiful person and so she needs to find that unique beautiful man who matches her and who speaks to her uniqueness. Lend yourself to the process and never make her feel bad about taking her time in finding a healthy, loving and worthy husband, who is as beautiful and unique as she is.

Locating this man may take time and that may mean sifting

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A Jewish Disease?

A Look at Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, Conditions that Affect the Ashkenazi Population

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By Tamar Sullivan

Libby Lane of Baltimore, Maryland, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 24 and has been living with the condition for 10 years.

“I

t would be very hard to manage alone without the help of friends and family. I can’t imagine not having support.

I’ve had to learn what I can and cannot do and how to say no to overexerting myself.

Being open about it with my friends really helps.”

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and are estimated to affect as many at 1.6 million Americans, with 700,000 new cases diagnosed yearly.

Men and women are equally likely to be affected, and while they can occur at any age, they are most commonly diagnosed in adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 35, with a second smaller peak of incidence occurring near 50 years of age. Research has shown evidence of a genetic predisposition to a chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IDB) among Ashkenazic Jews.

Crohn’s and colitis are both chronic, life-long conditions that cause inflammation and damage of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which is normally responsible for digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste elimination. Although both diseases share many similar symptoms, they target different parts of the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation in any area of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus,

and often spreads deep into affected tissues, while ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and sores (ulcers) specifically in the innermost lining of one’s large intestine (colon) and rectum.

The causes of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are not well understood.

While diet and stress may aggravate it, they do not cause it. Both conditions tend to run in families, but researchers have been unable to establish a clear pattern of inheritance. According to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), studies have shown that five to 20 percent of affected individuals have a first-degree relative (parent, child, or sibling) with one of the diseases. Not surprisingly, the risk is higher when both parents have IBD. The risk is greater with Crohn’s disease than with ulcerative colitis, and both are most common among people of

eastern European backgrounds, particularly Jews of European descent.

Interestingly, unidentified environmental factors also seem to play a role.

Crohn’s disease is more common in developed countries than in undeveloped countries, in urban than in rural areas, and in northern than in southern climates, but researchers have not been able to pin down why.

At this point, most doctors believe that the presence of susceptibility genes coupled with unidentified environmental factors triggers the immune systems of IBD patients to initiate a harmful and inappropriate inflammatory response to benign or beneficial cells. Without intervention, the inflammation does not subside, and it leads to chronic inflammation, ulceration, and a thickening of the intestinal wall, eventually causing the patient symptoms. Shared

symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss, fever, and fatigue. Symptoms of IBD vary from person to person and alternate between active and inactive periods.

Dr. Erica Sneider is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon at Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates in Lake Success as well as Huntington. According to Dr. Sneider, Ashkenazi Jews have a higher prevalence of Crohn’s disease than any other ethnic group, and, in Western countries, are three to five times more likely to be diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

Why do the conditions discriminate? No one is really sure. The most accepted explanation, explains Dr. Sneider, is that Jews are predisposed to these conditions because of the “found-

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Ashkenazi Jews have a higher prevalence of Crohn’s disease than any other ethnic group, and, in Western countries, are three to five times more likely to be diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. that could help IBD patients.

They all work differently, all have a different set of side effects, and many suppress the immune system’s inappropriate assault of the GI tract.

Any given medication works for about 40 to 60 percent

bad bacteria in the gut that feeds on sugar and complex carbohydrates, allowing the intestines to recover from their chronic inflammation.

Despite anecdotal evidence and a quieting of symptoms, the SCD has yet

significantly exacerbate their sense of isolation.

In fact, because of the life-altering changes IBD brings with it, there is a huge psychosocial component to these conditions for adults as well.

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ic condition like diabetes or hypertension, he explains, there are many different ways to feel better and improve, but everyone’s disease is unique and what might work for one person might not work for another.

For example, he continues, there are many different drug and drug combinations

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Dr. Sneider doubts that a geneticist could predict the risk of IBD for a couple’s offspring. While there are genetic markers of susceptibility, many of the carriers will never develop IBD. Little, if anything, can be done preventatively.

Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease is made through a number of tests including colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, imaging of the small bowel, blood tests, and pathology. Once a diagnosis is made, a lot can be done to treat the symptoms and the underlying condition in the hope of going into remission. According to Dr. James George, M.D., a renowned gastroenterologist practicing in Manhattan, treatment should include exercise, stress management, and a healthy diet in addition to medication and/ or surgery when medically necessary.

Because IBD is a chron-

to show evidence of mucosal healing and an objective reduction of inflammation.

Additionally, according to world-renowned IBD expert William Sandborn, MD, there is a very poor correlation between symptoms and objective evidence of inflammation. Any symptomatic improvements achieved through diet may not correspond to a decrease in inflammation, which ultimately is the greater danger for patients. Therefore, the effectiveness of the diet is not supported by scientific studies and should be used only in consultation with gastroenterologists and in conjunction with proper medical therapies.

Additionally, and especially with pediatric patients, one needs to consider and weigh the psychological impact of imposing such a restrictive diet on a child.

As it is, children with IBD often feel isolated, as they may no longer relate to their peers. While their peers are concerned with age-appropriate worries, children with IBD often have more mature concerns, including pain, hospitalizations, and surgeries. Adding a diet that largely will separate them from their peers and families may

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er effect,” which in short is the loss of genetic variation when a new population forms from a very small number of individuals. Ashkenazi Jews generally originate from a population that was genetically isolated from the larger population for many generations, and even very small mutations can amplify over long periods of time.

Furthermore, Dr. Sneider points out, people in underdeveloped countries who move to developed countries are at a significantly higher risk for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and the risk is far higher for Ashkenazi Jews. Their first generation children are even more at risk. While Israeli Ashkenazi Jews have a higher incidence of IBD than Sephardic Jews, they have an overall lower incidence than Ashkenazi Jews in the U.S. and Northern Europe.

Because there are so many unidentified factors,

of patients, so sometimes it takes awhile to find what works.

One thing Dr. George makes very clear is that stress is “probably the most important factor in instigating an attack… Stress promotes an exacerbation of the underlying IBD.” It follows, then, that stress management may be as important as any other medical therapy available.

Most IBD experts also agree that changes to patients’ diets have been studied extensively but that all studies have resulted in inconclusive outcomes. Some patients have turned to a particular diet known as the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and believe it was what put their IBD into remission. One NY-based food store, Wellbee’s, has made it its mission to provide SCD-approved foods to customers nationally.

“The SCD is a very restrictive diet outlined by Elaine Gottschall in her book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle. It’s staunchly sugar-free, gluten-free, starch-free, yeast-free, and lactose-free,” explains Esther Russ, a longtime staff member of Wellbee’s. The premise of the diet is to starve and kill the

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“You look completely fine on the outside, but on the inside you feel exhausted and weak.”

Aliza Rosenbaum was diagnosed with colitis three years ago when her youngest son was two. No one in her immediate or extended family has it. Coping was and still is a challenge for her.

“When you’re flaring – that means when you are in an active period – you’re suffering from this invisible disease. You look completely fine on the outside, but on the inside you feel exhausted and weak. You’re running to the bathroom every ten seconds, your nutrients are being depleted, and you feel like you have the flu constantly. You don’t get sympathy or support if you aren’t open about it, but because it’s such an embarrassing condition, it’s hard to talk about it, especially with people who don’t have it.”

Aliza finds it challenging to function and do fun activities with her children with her limited amount of energy. Even carpool and getting kids out the door in the morning is challenging.

“It’s hard not to be negative about it. I always have the fear of flaring in the back of my mind, wherever I go. It affects how we make vacation plans and what we do as a family.”

The need for patient-to-patient and group support is one that Marci Reiss, LCSW, virtually singlehandedly addressed through the founding of the LA-based IBD Support Foundation (IBDSF).

“At the IBD Support Foundation, our

goal is to prevent IBD patients from ever feeling alone because of their disease.”

IBDSF provides a wide range of services aimed at easing the anxiety and social isolation that often accompanies Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including providing medical referrals, connecting patients to one another, engaging in school advocacy, and offering support groups, nutritional education, and hospital visitations. If a patient can connect with other patients in his peer group, the debilitating loneliness, embarrassment, and isolation of living with IBD can be minimized.

IBDSF’s services extend nationally and internationally, and there is even an IBDSF Chapter at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Ms. Reiss stresses that one of the most important determinants for living successfully and healthily with IBD is treatment by IBD experts. There is a difference between a general gastroenterologist who cares for all gastrointestinal diseases and an IBD expert, who has spent additional years of training focusing on Inflammatory Bowel Disease and whose practices consist largely of complex IBD patients.

“There is a very broad range of expertise in IBD,” she explains. “Going to an IBD expert can make all the difference in the world.”

IBDSF works closely with a number of excellent IBD Centers nationally, including University of California San Diego, the Mayo Clinic, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Other excellent centers include University of Chicago and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. If you are not close to an IBD Center, one should consider being evaluated

at an IBD Center for a confirmation of diagnosis and a treatment plan, and then utilize a local gastroenterologist for monitoring and routine care.

In the frum community in particular, the psychosocial hardships of living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are magnified because of the communal stigma of speaking openly about the disease for fear of possible shidduch rejections.

In order to maintain some anonymity, some patients are connected with others for support outside of their immediate community. The issue of disclosure in shidduchim is a delicate one and one that Ms. Reiss deals with on a regular basis, consulting regularly with Rabbi Gershon Bess in California for halachic shailos.

“Parents are concerned when a prospective shidduch has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. I tell them that if the condition is well-managed by IBD experts and the patient is in a healthy place hashkafically and psychologically regarding the condition, they are in a good place. IBD becomes much more significant in marriage if a patient is irresponsible or in denial about his or her condition and is not following proper medical treatment.”

Dr. Chaim Abittan, a gastroenterologist in Great Neck, has had patients refuse to take medication or admit that they have IBD because they are in shidduchim.

“I think people are scared when they hear that they or their prospective shidduch has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis because all they hear are horror stories and hospitalizations,” the doctor relates.

“What they don’t hear about are the many, many responsible IBD patients who can and do live long and happy lives.”

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It Could Have Happened To You Rabbi Eli Scheller

this verse is that Yehuda cannot bear the thought of facing his father back in Canaan without his younger brother at his side. The Chassidic Rabbis offer a deeper explanation. Yehuda’s rhetorical question is one that all of us have to ask ourselves after our lives of 120 years. How can we ascend and stand before our Father in Heaven when the ‘na’ar’ is not within me? Hashem has given us all a gift of youth and we can’t let that flame wither.

As adults we become too comfortable with routine. We allow ourselves to do things on a daily basis because that’s how we’ve done them for years.

We don’t allow ourselves to achieve new skills because we have convinced ourselves those skills are beyond us.

750 boys knew they could sing. They knew they were strong. They knew they were smart. No one had convinced them otherwise.

We must constantly question our actions and test our capabilities. A grown up gets comfortable with the situation he is in and hopes it remains the same. A child challenges the status quo. The adult within you looks at things the way they are and asks ‘Why?’ The child within thinks of things that never were and asks, ‘Why not?’

Rabbi Eli Scheller is the author of the popular series ‘A Minute Vort’ on the parsha. To receive his weekly dvar torah email schellereli@gmail.com

Host Committee: Avi Bernstein Yoni & Chaya Chesner Howie & Shevy Friedman

Jules Friedman Levi Friedman Ari Gross

Yanky Katz Yossi Kelemer Dov Ocken

Sam & ZC Press Gershon Seidel Asher Sondhelm Jeff Spatz

Cordially invite you to a Meet and Greet with Baltimore City Council Candidate

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6213 Green Meadow Way

11.17.15

Baltimore MD

21209

8:00-9:00 pm

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Adam Ben-Zev | Andy & Lisa Diamond Aaron Dinowitz | Yona Ehrenfeld Josh Erez | Howie Freidman

By authority of: Vote Schleifer, Hillel Soclof, Treasurer

Naphtali Grayman | Yaakov Rappaport Moshe Meir Rubin | Danny Steger Shuie Steinharter | Dovid Wealcatch

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ing sheets of paper together. The researchers had previously determined that a person who could think of fifty or more uses for a paper clip would be considered a creative genius. They were surprised to learn that 98% of young children achieved this level.

This was a longitudinal study and the test was given to the same group of children at age 10 and age 15.

The number of creative geniuses had dropped to 50% and 30%, respectively. By young adulthood the number of people who achieved the level of creative genius dropped to 2%! What had changed over the years?

Dr. Robinson goes on in his talk to explain that children are born with the ability to see things from many angles and are naturally creative. They can see lots of solutions to a problem and thus achieving high scores on the paper clip test was something that comes naturally. When children are educated in school they begin to learn that there is only one way to answer questions or to solve problems. Slowly but surely their natural creativity is stifled.

I witness this idea every morning around 6AM, after I’ve used up all my snooze button chances. I slowly make it down to the basement where my three children have been up since 5AM creating a new universe, different from yesterday’s universe, out of a combination of Legos, Clics and Magna Tiles, all held together by paper clips. Children are full of passion and zest for life since creativity and energy go hand in hand. For a child, life is exciting because there is so much to learn.

In the Bereshis story of Yosef and his brothers, Binyomin is taken captive

by Yosef, the viceroy of Egypt. Yehuda had assured his father Yaakov that Binyomin would return home safely.

Yehuda stands up for his youngest brother and tells Yosef the following, “Ki aych elleh el avi v’hana’ar enenu iti - How can I return to my father (Yaakov) when the ‘na’ar’ (young man) is not with me?” The simple meaning of

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

The wedding hall named Ateres Chynka in Brooklyn can hold about 500 adults. On this day of Chol Hamoed Sukkos there were close to 1000 children in the room, all boys.

Thankfully, the sugar had not yet been served. The local Pirchei had sponsored a morning father/son learning program and had offered, as the carrot on the stick, afternoon food, prizes, and performances by a magician and a master storyteller. I had come with my son to participate in the day’s activities. As the first afternoon performance was to begin the room was relatively quiet and stayed that way until the magician asked for a volunteer from the audience. 750 little hands shot up in unison, joined by 750 choruses of ‘Me! Me! Me!’ As I watched the boys I noticed that the aggressive hand raising techniques had not changed much since my childhood days. The magician tried to narrow the field of candidates and said, ‘For this trick I’ll need someone strong, and someone who can sing, as well. And most important,’ he said, ‘I need someone who is smarter than me!’ I looked around, and to my surprise, 750 hands remained upraised.

I tried to imagine this scenario in a college classroom with a professor asking for volunteers from among his college students. At the first request, perhaps 20 percent of the students would offer their services. If the professor proceeds to add further qualifications such as artistic talent or physical strength, that 20 percent would no doubt drop to only a few percent.

I looked at my son and wondered if in the next 15 years he’d be one of the majority to go from ‘Me! Me! Me’ to ‘Him! Him! Him!’, and if so, why?

Ken Robinson is a British professor of education and a noted author and lecturer. In one of his lectures he describes a study of creativity that involved 1500 preschool children. The researchers gave children paper clips and asked them to imagine other uses for the item that did not involve hold-

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The Child Within

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NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Digital World Understanding the Difference between Marketing and Branding Marketing is one of those fields that are filled with jargon and buzzwords. With so many new terms, tactics, and strategies, many business owners scratch their head and wonder, “why can’t someone just tell me what I need to do to grow my business?”

Two of the most vexing terms are “marketing” and “branding.” What is the difference between marketing and branding? Aren’t they basically the same? Don’t they overlap?

These two terms might seem interchangeable on the surface, but dig in deeper and you’ll see that the differences are vital to building your strategy and growing your business.

The Difference between Market-

ing and Branding Marketing is direct response focused. You create a campaign, post an ad, and wait for a response.

There is an end goal in mind; a specific action you want the viewer to take.

Branding is the messaging that plants your business in the mind of the customer. There is no specific end result that comes from branding. Instead, you brand your business with the goal of keeping your company top of mind so when a customer needs your service, you’re the first one she calls.

Putting the Differences to Work It’s one thing to know the differences. It’s another thing to see them

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in action. Here are three of the most effective ways you can use both strategies to grow your business.

Marketing Your Business (Since most of the readers who will benefit from this article do business locally and not nationally, I decided to focus the strategies and tactics discussed here towards their needs.)

Marketing requires promotion so that you can sell your products or services.

That requires promoting your campaigns in the right place at the right time to the right people. Three of the best ways to do that are: Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Local SEO goes a step beyond basic SEO. Instead of trying to rank high for broad keywords, you hone in on your specific region. This way, your website appears at the top for people looking for what you have to offer in your area.

Targeted Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaigns. Think of PPC campaigns as a way to jumpstart your SEO. You choose the keywords you want to rank high on, make your bid, and watch the traffic pour in.

Optimize Your Listings on Review Sites Review sites such as Yelp are quickly becoming the new search engine for local businesses. People take to Yelp to find the products or services in their area that are most loved and recommended by their friends, family, and neighbors. So make sure to identify the review sites that people use in your industry and fill out your profile and monitor your reviews.

Each of these channels allows you to set up a campaign that has a direct goal of selling something to the consumer at the end.

Branding Your Business Branding your business requires a different approach. With branding, you want to be seen and heard, but you don’t necessarily have an agenda to push for the sale. Three of today’s best strategies for branding include: Targeted Facebook Ads. On Facebook, you only pay for clicks.

That means that when people see but not engage with your ad, you’re getting free publicity, increasing brand

awareness. Additionally you can take advantage of Facebooks demographic targeting. You can show you brand and ads specifically to prospects that fit your exact target audience.

Ads on Targeted Industry Websites. Similar to Facebook ads, you can display your ad on targeted industry websites without being charged until someone clicks. Again, you get more free publicity and only pay when someone takes action with your business.

Sponsored Social Media Updates. Be seen and heard with sponsored social media updates. Simply post something insightful and interesting. Then, “boost” your post so that it’s shown in more newsfeeds. This strategy is becoming increasingly important as social media platforms update their algorithms.

Measuring Success You know the strategies, but how well do they work? More importantly, how well do they work for your business?

Measurement is the key to all investment. It shows where you’re spending money in the right way or where you should stop investing your resources.

To measure your marketing success, look at your traffic and conversions analytics. The goal is to have your customers take a specific action as a result of your marketing. With that goal in mind, you can determine how successful a marketing campaign is by analyzing your Google analytics or dynamic call tracking.

Measuring your branding success might seem a little harder, but it’s not if you know where to look. Monitor how many times your brand name searches for your business increase. Link your Google webmaster tools to Google analytics, and then run a search query result. Are more people looking for your business by name? Then your branding efforts have worked!

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

In The K

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tchen

By Naomi Nachman

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Summer Roll or Vietnamese Roll

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

O

nce we settled into our hotel and my husband went off to his conference, my job was to find the local restaurants.

To my surprise, several came up in Phoenix. The Phoenix community has a variety of restaurants, including Chinese, Israeli, pizza and vegan,

all under the Vaad HaKashrut of Greater Phoenix. We ate at most places and they were all fantastic. In particular, Fresh Mint is a vegan eatery and was one of the most unique restaurants I have ever eaten at. Of the many delicious dishes I ordered at Fresh Mint, the Summer Roll (often known as Vietnamese Roll) was our favorite.

When I returned home, my mission was to make my own version of this roll.

SUMMER ROLL OR VIETNAMESE ROLL Ingredients 10 spring roll rice paper wrappers 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned 2 large Persian cucumbers, julienned 1/3 cup chopped purple cabbage 1-2 cups cooked rice noodles

1 avocado, sliced Handful fresh cilantro or mint or basil 5 large green lettuce leaves (romaine or butter), torn in half 10 pieces kosher crab sticks or 10 slices of smoked salmon or tofu Sesame seeds for garnish (optional) Directions Prepare the rice paper wrappers: Pour warm water into a large bowl or 9-inch square or round baking pan. Working with one at a time, dip the rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 10-15 seconds (or whatever the package suggests).

You want the wrapper to be soft, yet still slightly firm and pliable. Immediately remove from the water, pat or shake the wrapper slightly dry and place flat onto a work surface

such as a large plastic or ceramic cutting board.

Filling and rolling: Place the prepared rice wrapper on the ceramic board. Put down the lettuce as your first layer across the rice paper leaving a small border open at the top. Then add the carrot, cucumber and cabbage to the bottom 1/3 of the rice paper. Then, a small amount of noodles, avocado and fresh herbs. Lay a slice of crabstick in the middle of the vegetable filling. Do not overstuff the roll.

Roll everything up tightly. Gently pull up the bottom and roll over the filling, tucking in the sides as you go. It’s basically like you’re rolling a blintz. Remember, you want a very tight roll.

After rolling, cut into 6-8 pieces, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with peanut sauce.

EASY PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE Ingredients ¼ cup creamy peanut butter 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 clove garlic, mashed (or about 1 teaspoon minced) 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or a sweet chili sauce, optional for spice 1-2 tablespoons warm water, or more as needed Directions Prepare the dipping sauce: You can whisk everything together in a bowl or use a food processor. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl (except water) and whisk until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of warm water or until you reach desired thinness. Pour into a serving bowl/ramekin and top with garnish.

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.

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Last week I had the good fortune to accompany my husband on one of his business trips to Phoenix, Arizona.

I am a true travel junkie and am always on the lookout for any opportunity to travel. Whenever we travel I use the free app called “Kosher GPS,” which locates kosher restaurants, minyanim and mikvaot in any community in the United States based on my location.

Centerfold

U.S. Army Answering Machine We’re sorry, but all of our units are out at the moment, or otherwise engaged. Please leave a message with your country, name of organization, region, specific crisis and a number where you can be reached. As soon as we have sorted out Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria and ISIS, and of course upon completion of our daily compulsory Consideration of Others Training, we will return your call.

Please speak after the tone, or if you require more options, please choose from the following options: If your crisis is small and is located near the sea, press 1 for the United States Marine Corps.

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

If your concern is distant, with temperate climate and good hotels, and can be solved by one or two low-risk high-altitude bombing runs, press 2 for the United States Air Force.

Please note that this service is not available after 1630 hours or on weekends. Special consideration will be given to customers requiring satellite or stealth technology who can provide additional research and development funding.

If your inquiry concerns a situation which can be resolved by a parade with flags and a really good marching band, please write, well in advance, to the United States Navy.

Please note that Tomahawk missile service is extremely limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Riddle me

this?

John, Tiny, and Ron are the gunner, commander, and driver of a three-man tank crew, although not necessarily in that order.

Even though there is one official gunner, they all had guns. In one battle, the gunner, an only child, “took out” the fewest enemies. Ron, who is married to John’s’ sister, “took out” more bad guys than the commander. What position did each soldier occupy?

See answer below

If your inquiry is not urgent, press 3 for the Rapid Deployment Force.

If you are interested in joining the U.S. Army, and you wish to be shouted at, paid little, have premature arthritis, put your family in a condemned hut miles from civilization, and are prepared to work your head off, risking your life in all weather and terrains, both day and night, while watching Congress erode your original benefits package, then please stay on the line. Your call will be answered shortly by the next available bitter passedover for promotion Army recruiter located in a strip mall down by the post office.

Answer to riddle: Tiny is the gunner, Ron is the driver, and John is the commander.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

TJH

Ron can’t be the gunner because he did not kill the least amount of enemies. Likewise, John is not the gunner because he is not an only child; thus the gunner must be Tiny. Likewise, Ron “took out” more than the commander, which must make him the driver while John is the commander.

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Military Slang

Wisdom key 13-15 Correct: Bravo Zulu!

9-12 Correct: Your fruit salad ain’t bad!

5-8 Correct: You spent too much time “rack timing” it while you were in the Service 0-4 Correct: You’re a total grape. You probably spent your time as a puddle pirate.

• “The Marine Corps: When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Destroyed Overnight” • “Marine Sniper: You can run, but you’ll just die tired!”

• “Marines: Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity to Die for their Country Since 1775” • “It’s G-d’s Job to Forgive our Enemies – It’s Our Job To Arrange The Meeting” • “Do Draft Dodgers Have Reunions? If So, What Do They Talk About?”

• “Machine Gunners: Accuracy by Volume” • “A Dead Enemy is a Peaceful Enemy – Blessed Be the Peacemakers” • “Except for Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism, War has Never Solved Anything.”

You gotta be kidding A sergeant was addressing a squad of 25 and said, “I have a nice, easy job for the laziest man here. Put up your hand if you are the laziest.” 24 men raised their hands.

The sergeant asked the other man, “Why didn’t you raise your hand?”

The man replied, “Too much trouble raising the hand, Sarge.”

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

Answers 1-H 2-M 3-O 4-C

5-E 6-B 7- G 8- A 9-F 10- J 11-I 12- L 13- D 14- N 15- K

Say it Like a Marine

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

A. I’ve got your back B. Well done C. Flashlight D. An easy assignment E. To sleep F. The display of medals and ribbons on one’s uniform G. A soldier whose performance is unsatisfactory H. M2 .50 caliber machinegun I. Mouth J. Backstabber K. Member of the Coast Guard L. Rebuke M. Ejecting from an aircraft N. Someone who’s useless or talks too much O. Kilometers

1. Fitty 2. Hit the silk 3. Klicks 4. Moonbeam 5. Rack time 6. Bravo Zulu 7. Soup sandwich 8. Got your six 9. Fruit Salad 10. Blue Falcon 11. Crumb catcher 12. Fang 13. Grape 14. Oxygen Thief 15. Puddle Pirate

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

(Match each word with the correct definition)

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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Netanyahu Comes to Washington A Softening in the U.S.-Israel Relationship

By Nachum Soroka

Global politics is a strange enterprise. It was only a few months ago that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu happily played the Republican Party’s pawn in its power struggle with the Obama White House by addressing Congress over the Iran nuclear deal. The address was viewed by Democrats as subversive to the U.S.’s agenda and as another example of Netanyahu’s blatant disregard for President Obama’s authority in the U.S. government.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said then that Netanyahu’s speech left her “near tears” and that she was “saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States.” Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s gratefulness to the Obama administration at the time stating, “I regret that some see my appearance here as political,” he said. “I know that no matter which side of the aisle you sit on, you stand with Israel,” but the overall consensus then was that White House-Israeli relations – which had been icy for some time already – had reached a low point.

F

ast forward just over a half a year later: the Iran deal is done and Netanyahu is back in America to meet with an emboldened president who is waiting out finishing his term. But this time around, when the two leaders met this past Monday, relations

seemed much warmer than any other time in recent memory. Obama didn’t appear to be in lecturing mode and Netanyahu’s purpose was not solely to affirm his commitment to Israel’s security – no matter what.

Indeed, this week’s meeting was seen by many as a “patching up” of the U.S.-Is-

rael relationship and focused on military packages being sent to Israel to help stabilize the region, particularly in light of the newfound resources allowed to the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror, Iran. Obama was frank about the differences he has with the Israeli prime minister but noted, “We don’t have a disagreement on the need to making sure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, and we don’t have a disagreement about the importance of us blunting and destabilizing activities that Iran may be taking place,” the president asserted. “And so we’re going to be looking to make sure that we find common ground there.” The region is also being ravaged by radical Islamist groups, such as ISIS and al-Qaeda, as well as by the deadly civil war taking place in neighboring Syria, and both leaders put aside their differences to address the most pressing security concerns there.

The meeting, which was described by Netanyahu’s aides as “good,” went forty-five minutes over schedule, a sign that the discussions were productive.

Netanyahu’s visit comes

in the midst of the most recent outbreak of violence

by Palestinians and in the wake of President Obama’s exploitation last week of the past two months’ of violence as evidence for the necessity of a two-state solution.

lowed more construction of Israeli housing on so called “disputed” lands. His comments on Friday echoed ones made earlier in the week by Secretary of State John Kerry. “There’s been a massive increase in settlement over

“Our friendship is strong and our alliance is strong with shared interests and values.”

“Over time, the only way that Israel is going to be truly secure, and the only way the Palestinians are going to be able to meet the aspirations of their people, is if they are two states living side by side in peace and security,” Obama said on Friday. The president’s comments were a strong insinuation that the blame for the unrest ultimately lies with Israel and Netanyahu, who he says has been unwilling to sit down to discuss the possibility of moving forward with plans for a sovereign Palestinian state and instead has al-

the course of the last years ... and there’s an increase in the violence because there’s this frustration that’s growing,” Kerry said on Tuesday.

Israel insists that the recent uptick in violence is not a result of any frustration on the part of the Palestinians; it is because of the Palestinians’ fundamental ideology regarding the place of any Jewish state in the Middle East. “They don’t want us here; if they are frustrated, that frustration will continue – we will continue to be here,” was Netanyahu’s response to Kerry. “Make [Ab-

The Jewish The Home Jewish | OCTOBER Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 29, 2015

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Husseini leaving the Peel Commission

The Peel Commission

long recalcitrance to any Jewish presence in the land, and Yasser Arafat’s delegate to Britain, Said Hammami, articulated the Arabs’ willingness to recognize the 1947 Partition Plan in various media outlets.

Coupled with this newfound willingness from the Arabs to “return to the table” was their insistence that Israel completely reset the clock to 1947 and allow the over 700,000 Arabs who left at the time to return along with their offspring. The PLO claimed that this was a right granted to them as a “basic human right” applying to all refugees and as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1951. But Israel has called the claim out to be no more than a political move, as the 1948 war was instigated by the Arabs themselves. Furthermore, it suspects that the return of Arabs to Israel would be done with the intention to create an Arab majority there and thus defeat the Israeli Jewish population without starting another war.

Most recently, the UN and the major world powers have embraced the Arabs’ call for a return to the original two-state solution and lay the blame on Israel and its allowance of so-called “settlements” in areas claimed by the Arabs. Yet, there have been countless times in the past twenty years when numerous Israeli prime ministers, including leftists like

Ehud Barak and conservatives like Ariel Sharon, have offered Palestinian leaders everything they publicly desired and were met with jihad in response.

If the solution to Israel’s problems does not lie in the creation of two states, what is it then? Any reluctance on Netanyahu’s part towards allowing the creation of a Palestine is not because he is opposed to the idea. One state is most definitely not the resolution to the unceasing conflict. Israel has no reason nor the faintest desire to occupy itself with governing a group who has no desire to be governed itself. The country has spent nearly seventy years defending its citizens from jihad emanating from squalid refugee camps. It is doubtful that it hopes the next seventy years will be the same.

As such, some say that two self-governing states, living side by side, seems to be the only viable route to end the conflict.

Indeed, such is the grim reality Israel faces today, as it has in the past. Towards “peace” and the relinquishing of fairly earned land built by the labors of its people to be surrounded by an even hungrier and deadlier foe; or onward with the seventy year long struggle to maintain the semblance of a nation carrying on with its day-to-day tasks, but with terror – and the critical gaze of the world – looming overhead.

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

What is now referred to as the “two-state solution” dates back to a United Nations’ resolution in 1974 which called for “two States, Israel and Palestine … side by side within secure and recognized borders” together

with “a just resolution of the refugee question.” In truth, however, the notion of two states dates back to even before the State’s creation, when in 1937, the Peel Commission report, authored by Lord William Peel of Great Britain, recommended that due to the unsustainable nature of the British Mandate of Palestine, the land should be divided evenly between the Jewish and Arab factions there.

As would become the case for the rest of the 20th century, Lord Peel’s recommendation was rejected by the Arab groups, led by Hitler’s ally, Hajj Amin al Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem. In contrast, the Twentieth Zionist Congress, while wary of the narrow borders assigned to the Jews by the report, approved the Commission’s proposal, if only equivocally. David Ben-Gurion said at the time that although “there could be no question ... of giving up any part of the Land of Israel, ... it was arguable that the ultimate goal would be achieved most quickly by accepting the Peel proposals.”

The Zionist leaders felt that it was prudent to accept the deal which was being offered to them at the time and focus on the country’s actual borders at a later time.

Indeed, it was the Peel Commission report which laid the groundwork for the ultimate UN Partition Plan in 1947. The UN’s plan called for two sovereign Arab and Jewish states with Jerusalem to be held under international control. Once again, Zionist groups accepted the UN proposal while Arab groups did not, leading to the War of Independence in 1948 and the mass exodus of 711,000 Arabs from Israel.

It was only after the Israeli military victories in 1967 that the PLO began to backtrack on its decades’

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

position to negotiate a final status agreement,” said Rob Malley, President Obama’s senior Middle East adviser.

The White House “faces a reality where the prospect of a negotiated two-state solution is not in the cards,” Mr. Malley told journalists.

To be fair, the newfound softness coming out of Washington is accompanied by much finger pointing at the Netanyahu government for not allowing any significant inroads to be made regarding a peace deal. White House spokesman Josh Earnest has previously claimed that Netanyahu’s campaign talk was leading the White House to “reevaluate” any possibilities for a deal, and the deputy national security adviser for strategic communication, Ben Rhodes, reproached, “We’ve tried many different approaches over the course of the administration: Direct negotiations, indirect negotiations, the U.S. putting out some principles. And again, at each juncture, ultimately the parties themselves did not take the sufficient steps forward to reach a negotiated two-state solution.”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

bas] accountable and stop trying to justify him in any way – not with settlements, not with the peace process, not with anything,” Netanyahu stressed.

Yet the American president and the Israeli prime minister seem closer than ever with regard to the creation of a Palestinian state.

At the time of his recent reelection, Netanyahu took the strong stance of never allowing such a state on his watch, a position that was loudly criticized by the Obama administration. But since then, Netanyahu’s position seems to have softened, and he insists that his campaign rhetoric was taken out of context. At the meeting on Monday, Netanyahu told the president, “I want to make it clear we haven’t given up on our hope for peace,” adding, “Our friendship is strong and our alliance is strong with shared interests and values.”

The White House as well has backed off of any strategy involving an Arab state for now, and instead is looking to stabilize the region before creating any lasting changes there. The administration announced ahead of Netanyahu’s visit that there is no likelihood for a peace deal happening before the president leaves office in 2017.

“The president has reached the conclusion that, barring a major shift, the parties are not going to be in the

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Health & F tness

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

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

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10 Foods to Never Eat

By Aliza Beer, MS, RD

D

rop that spoon! Everyone deserves the occasional indulgence, but before you dig in, there are a number of foods you should steer clear of to avoid damaging effects on your body, skin, and waistline. The following list of foods pack on the pounds, zap energy, trigger inflammation, and crowd out the more nutritious foods in your diet.

1. Margarine: Most brands of stick margarine are loaded with trans fat, the toxic fat that increases bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, promotes clotting, and damages blood vessels. And, at 100 calories per tablespoon, this isn’t doing your waistline any good either! As an alternative to stick margarine, you might use a “soft tub” variety of one of the reduced-calorie, trans-fat-free brands. If you prefer the taste of butter, use a small amount of whipped butter sold in tubs, because the more air means the less calories and fat.

2. Soda: One hundred percent of the calories in regular soda come from sugar or high fructose corn syrup. These empty liquid calories are largely responsible for fueling our nation’s

obesity epidemic. Drinking soda also damages your teeth and promotes cavity formation. Instead of guzzling soft drinks to quench your thirst, try good old-fashioned water or naturally flavored seltzers.

3. Bagels: Starchy white bagels, and all the flavored varieties, are made from refined wheat and have been stripped of the fiber and nutrients that give whole grains their health benefits. Refined white flour is linked to weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. Another big issue is their size! Bagels have grown in size over the years and are very dense, which means they are very caloric. The standard bagel is about 400 calories, equal to about 4 slices of junky white bread. Opt for a whole grain English muffin or a mini bagel instead. For the times when nothing else but a real bagel will do, choose whole wheat or oat bran and scoop out the insides really well.

4. Dairy: Whole milk is loaded with saturated fat, the type of fat that raises bad cholesterol levels, promotes inflammation, and may contribute to clogged arteries.

Switch to skim (fat-free) or one percent milk and dairy products. Making this switch

helps, but you’re still not escaping a few other unhealthy things, namely recombinant bovine somatotropin, or bovine growth hormone.

This hormone is a genetically engineered synthetic hormone given to cows to boost their milk production and may introduce health risks not only to the cows, but to the humans consuming these dairy products. Try switching to organic dairy products when possible.

5. Microwave Popcorn: Movie theater popcorn may be bad for you because of the oils it’s popped in, but at least it doesn’t cause “popcorn-lung,” otherwise known as bronchiolitis obliterans, which is an inflammatory obstruction of the lung’s bronchioles caused by chemical particles or respiratory infections. Butter flavored microwave popcorn doesn’t really get its flavor from butter, but from chemicals and flavoring agents. Diacetyl is one such agent that has been linked to respiratory risks and Alzheimer’s disease.

Popcorn itself is an OK snack, but the chemicals coating the inside of the bag are not.

These chemicals also produce perfluorooctinoic acid, which the EPA considers a likely carcinogen. Try this healthy version instead: toss popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag, double fold the top of the bag, and pop as you would the processed stuff.

6. Artificial Sweeteners: While we love our artificial sweeteners because they are zero or low calorie, the reality is, we don’t really know

how bad they are us. They can significantly increase our risk for health problems, such as weight gain as well as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease, in addition to possible risk to our GI tracts. Basically, the less the better of these sugar substitutes.

7. Shelf Stable Condiments: There’s a reason these foods can skip the refrigeration, they have been engineered not to deteriorate with preservatives and additives such as food coloring, sweeteners, salt, trans fats, and chemical agents. Any fiber, good fats, and nutrients are stripped out in the process.

8. Anything Deep Fried: One of the problems with eating deep fried foods is that cooking foods at such high temperatures may cause them to form toxic chemical compounds that we then eat.

Too many French fries will not only increase your waistline, they will increase your risk of a stroke and certain cancers, including breast, esophageal, head and neck, lung, pancreatic, and prostate. Men who eat fried foods once or more a week increase their risk for prostate cancer as much as 30-37 percent!

9. Processed Baked Goods: Those pre-packaged mini muffins, doughnuts, cookies, and cakes will add tons of calories and loads of unwanted sugar to your diet.

Plus, they are not easy for our bodies to digest. They are filled with preservatives and sugar, which increases inflammation in the skin and

can make you look puffy and bloated. It will also spike your insulin level, leading to a host of other issues.

10. Processed Meats: According to researchers, eating processed meats will lead to an early death. Processed meat, including hot dogs, salami, bologna, have been found to increase your risk for cardiovascular diseases as well as certain cancers. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that people who regularly eat about 2 oz. of processed meat, equivalent to one hot dog or 1-2 slices of deli meat, have a 42 percent greater risk of heart disease, as well as a 20 percent risk of developing diabetes. Processed meats have 4 times more sodium than unprocessed meats and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives.

So there you have it – the top ten worst foods you could possibly eat. Following nutrition guidelines and eating healthy foods does make a difference. People who eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day live longer than people who don’t. If you must eat the aforementioned foods, keep it to a very rare occasion, and purge your diet and pantry from these unhealthy offenders.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietician 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.

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Real Estate Submitted by: Ben Schwartz | Founder VacancyFillers.com

or hard-soled shoes is significant, whether you’re in the room or one floor below.

If you feel uncomfortable asking friends to go around in stocking feet, keep a supply of slippers in the front hall closet. At the very least, have family remove shoes.

Opt for a quiet dishwasher When buying appliances and outdoor power equipment, check out the sound rating, which is measured in decibels, or dB for short. The differences in dB ratings can be surprisingly large. For exam-

ple, a quiet dishwasher may have a rating of 45 dB. According to sensorynutrition. com, a dishwasher with this rating would be an acceptable choice for a home with an open floor plan. A dishwasher with a dB rating of 55, however, would be twice as loud and would make conversation difficult.

Use sound-reduction pads Put rubber pads under countertop appliances, such as mixers and blenders.

Isolating motor-driven machines from hard surfaces cuts the decibels. The same principle can be used to reduce noise from air-conditioning units, furnaces, sump and pool pumps, compressors, stationery power tools, generators and the like. There are many sources for rubber, neoprene and cork sound-reduction pads.

Tighten floors Squeaky floors and stair treads can be a real nuisance. Although there are lots of tips out there involving substances like talcum powder, the long-term solutions almost always involve tightening up the floor or stair assembly. On first floors, if the joists and subfloor are accessible from the basement or crawl space, tightening is possible from below.

Use shims and/or long screws to prevent floor boards and treads from rubbing against other boards and creaking when walked upon. The same goes for stair treads that are accessible from below.

Remove squeaky flooring

You can also tighten existing floors from the top, but the fastener heads will be visible. If you plan to carpet or paint the floor, this won’t matter. If you aren’t, try using ringed nails, setting the nail heads and puttying over the holes with filler that matches the floor finish. Whatever you do, don’t install a new floor over an old one that squeaks. The problem will likely remain. Instead, remove the old flooring down to the subfloor.

With the subfloor exposed, drive screws to hold it tight to the floor joists. Then install your new flooring.

Consider an isolated floor For rooms where lots of noise is generated, such as a music practice room, media room or home gym, consider an isolated floor over the existing floor. Use stud and joist isolators (they may be slid over framing at regular intervals) to reduce noise transmission from one floor assembly to the next. Then proceed to add sound insulation under the new floor and to wall and ceiling cavities.

Choose a DC-operated garage door Automatic garage doors can generate an incredible amount of noise, particularly in rooms built over the garages.

Choose a quiet garage-door opening system, such as a direct-drive opener with a direct-current (DC) motor. Direct-drive openers have fewer moving parts, and the DC technology allows soft starts and stops. For existing belt- and chain-driven openers, ensure that the door and springs are balanced and that the hinges and wheels in the door tracks are lubricated.

Are you wasting time, money and patience trying to find a tenant for your vacant property? Are you constantly being distracted from you family and career, and stressed because you are not getting results from your current placement efforts? VacancyFillers.com can help!

We are your one-call tenant placement solution! For more information, please visit: www.vacancyfillers.com or call 410.941.4813

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

which can reduce sound transmission by 25 to 40 percent compared to the same wall built with standard drywall.

Try sound-dampening underlays When installing new flooring, you can limit noise transmission with a sound-dampening underlayment. Underlays are typically dense sheets that are rolled over the entire floor and taped along the seams. They are most effective when the flooring is installed without fasteners. There are sound-dampening underlays for every flooring type, including ceramic tile, carpeting, luxury vinyl planks and engineered wood, so be sure to choose the correct one.

Weatherstrip your windows Windows and doors are often the weakest link in your sound defense because noise is like water and can infiltrate through any opening. Weatherstrip all points where sash meets jambs, headers and sills. Use an acoustical caulk sealant to fill the tiny gaps around moldings. Heavy or insulated drapes drawn over windows at night will also help quiet street noise.

Install solid-core doors Replace hollow-core doors with solid-core doors. The more mass in a barrier, the higher its ability to reduce sound transmission. While a well-fit solid door will significantly reduce sound transmission, it will not eliminate it. For that, the gaps around the door at jambs, header and sill must also be sealed — typically with gasketing.

Apply duct wrap Your plumbing also contributes to noise. Water running through pipes is unavoidable, but by insulating those pipes you can cut associated sounds in half.

The same is true for air ducts. Duct wrap will suppress the whoosh of air rushing through ducts — and will also save on your energy bills. Apply duct mastic to all joints to stop air leaks before wrapping them with insulation.

Adopt a shoes-off policy There are many low-cost ways to reduce noise generation inside your home.

One of the easiest — adopting a shoesoff policy — costs nothing. The difference between someone walking across a floor in stocking feet as opposed to boots

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Noise. There seems to be plenty of it, no matter where you live. In the city, it’s the cacophony of sirens, honks and upstairs neighbors. In the country, it’s mowers, trimmers and blowers, along with next-door neighbors at work or play. Even if you live in a quiet neighborhood, laundry and dishwashers, hair dryers and even showers can make your house a noisy place. If you work at home, you know how important a quiet environment is, especially when the kids are enjoying that fabulous new home theater.

So what’s the best way to address noise problems at home? Take a threepart approach: Reduce noise transmission from outside and other parts of the home, reduce the noise that your household generates, and use sound-absorbing materials to lessen the effect of noise that you do generate.

Hang fabrics & panels The materials used in decorating the house can help mitigate noise. The basic idea is to eliminate some of the hard surfaces that tend to bounce noise vibration in all directions. Heavy drapes will absorb a great deal of sound as well as stop noise transmission from the outside. For walls, try acoustical fabrics or panels.

They are available in dozens of styles and textures but tend to be pricey. Choosing upholstered furniture, area rugs, and wall-hung quilts may be a less expensive way to go. When selecting a new floor, opt for products that will absorb sound, such as carpeting or cork flooring. Use sound-absorbing tiles at the ceiling.

Add insulation & drywall Adding insulation to walls or ceilings is a great way to turn down the volume of daily living. Good candidates for additional insulation include the walls of a master suite, bathrooms, family rooms and guest rooms. Of course, this presupposes that you’re willing to remove drywall or at least cut holes in the walls to blow in insulation. Denim batts are an effective sound (as well as a good thermal) insulator. They contain no VOCs, are fire resistant and green, too. Blown-in cellulose also works well. Adding a layer or two of drywall will significantly reduce sound transmission. Even more effective is acoustical drywall, such as QuietRock,

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13 Ways to Soundproof Your Home

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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

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

A Parsha Thought Toldos: Lentils & Life Rabbi Shmuel Silber

Now Jacob cooked a pottage, and Esau came from the field, and he was faint. And Esau said to Jacob, “Pour into [me] some of this red, red [pottage], for I am faint”; he was therefore named Edom (Genesis 25:29-30).”

Esav returns from a long day of hunting and finds his brother preparing lentils. He is so hungry that he agrees to barter his birthright for a bowl of “pottage.” This episode is apparently so important and pivotal that it solidifies Esav’s identity. Al keyn kara shemo Edom, he (Esav) was therefore named Edom. Esav asked for the “red” pottage and therefore, his offspring become known as Edom (red). How are we to understand this?

Why is Esav’s identity forged by this episode? What is the significance of this pottage?

The Midrash (Bereishis Rabba 63:13) states that pottage or lentils is a type of food normally consumed by mourners. Rashi elaborates and explains that the roundness of the lentil represents the cycle of life of which

death is a part. Avraham passed away Yaakov was preparing the mourner’s meal of lentils for his father, Yitzchak.

The Midrash relates that when Esav came home and saw Yaakov cooking lentils, he asked Yaakov, “What is the meaning of this food (i.e. why are you cooking this particular item)? He (Yaakov) responded, ‘the Elder (Avraham) has died.’ He (Esav) responded, ‘If strict justice has been visited upon the Elder, there is no justice, there is no judge’.”

It appears from this Midrash that Esav was outraged over Avraham’s death. Esav felt that Avraham’s righteousness and dedication to God should have allowed him to escape this final decree.

The Beis HaLevi (Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik, 1820-1892) finds this Midrash difficult. Did Esav expect that his grandfather would live forever? Avraham was 175 years old; he led a good, meaningful and full life.

How are we to understand Esav’s indignation over Avraham’s death?

The Beis HaLevi explains that Avraham had passed down many important ideas and ideals to his family.

He shared with them his vision for spreading monotheism, love of God and respect for the other. Avraham also shared with them the difficulties and turbulent times that lay ahead. He

looking for an out, he was looking for some way to escape responsibility.

Esav is known as Edom, after the redness of the lentils for which he sold away his destiny. This was his fundamental flaw – he created a fictional reality that would allow him to escape responsibility.

explains that God had told him how his descendants would be “strangers in a strange land and they will be worked and afflicted for four hundred years.”

Avraham knew (and shared with his children) that the years ahead would be filled with much grief and challenge. Esav understood that as the first born he stood to inherit the Abrahamitic mantle. With this mantle would come all of the above-mentioned challenges. Esav did not want the burden, Esav did not want the responsibility, Esav did not want this destiny. But he couldn’t just say, “I’m not interested” as that would look cowardly and show a lack of courage. Instead, he used Avraham’s death as a pretext to claim that there is no order or justice in this universe and therefore, I want no part of this tradition. This also explains why Esav was willing to part with his birthright for a bowl of lentils – he was

It is normal to be overwhelmed and sometimes even frightened when taking on new responsibilities. There are times when we know what we want to do, we know what we want to be but when we see all of the work and effort it entails, when we see the potential for failure we want to run the other way. All too often, we run from our destiny, we avoid taking responsibility and in order to justify these decisions we create alternate realities for ourselves. We tell ourselves that certain accomplishments are beyond reach, because this exempts me from trying. We tell ourselves that we cannot change, because then I feel no pressure to become more. We give up beautiful life opportunities for mere bowls of lentils. We must remember that we are the descendants of Yaakov.

We embrace the holiness that others so quickly discard.

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Employment Opportunity

We have 2 part time positions available.

Applicants must be friendly.

Must be at least 16 to apply. Come in for application.

• Menu changes and concepts will take place early in 2016.

• If you would like to participate in our “focus group” please email Baruch at baruch@tovpizza.com put “focus group” in the subject line.

Meetings should be fun and food will be free.

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Tov Pizza news and last minute specials

• If your shul has Avos U’Banim Motzei Shabbos learning coming up and would like to have Tov Pizza, please have your coordinator contact us as soon as possible.

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With the cheese and vegetable market being very volatile, we at Tov Pizza know that our prices on a “slice of

When entering the parking lot, Please watch for pedestrians and follow the arrows. When leaving the parking lot, proceed with caution and follow the arrows. Please do NOT make the other car back into traffic.

If you see a car with out of town plates, assume they did not read this and will do the wrong thing. Please show them Baltimore hospitality.

• Don’t miss our good friend Avi Frier, who will be performing live at Suburban Orthodox this Motzei Shabbos. Come in Saturday night after the show with either a ticket stub or the code word, and you’ll get FREE FRIES FROM OUR FRYER, COURTESY OF AVI FRIER! With any purchase.

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Parking & Safety

Upcoming at Tov Pizza

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Tov Pizza will be offering FREE VEGETABLE toppings (up to 3) on our 12” pizza every Monday and Tuesday until the rest of the year.

Customer must request offer when ordering using code word: FREE TOPPINGS BJH. Due to circumstances beyond our control, until further notice toppings on Saturday night will be available starting 9:00pm. We apologize for any inconvenience.

pizza” and a “12 inch pizza” are less expensive than the other kosher pizza shops on Reisterstown Road.

A Tov Pizza slice costs $2.36, others range from $2.50 - $2.69 + tax. A Tov Pizza 12” pizza pie costs $11.36, others range from $12.50 - $12.95 + tax. Tov Pizza will do its best to hold prices until 2016.

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