Baltimore Jewish Home - 11-16-23

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Contents

Dear Readers,

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

COMMUNITY

Around the Community

6

Community Calendar

44

Weekday Minyanim Guide

45

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Zvi Teichman

42

PEOPLE 613 Seconds

19

FEATURES

Rebuilding the Jewish Nation One Baby at a Time

36

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold

62

Notable Quotes

64

Kids Coloring Contest

83

LIFESTYLES In the News

32

Mental Health Corner

48

Tech Triumphs

50

A Boost of Inspiration

52

Bikur Cholim

54

Forgotten Heroes

56

Israel Today

58

Dating Dialogue

68

To Raise a Laugh

74

Common Cents

76

Headline & Halacha

78

Recipes

80

Impressions from a Rally-Goer

82

Your Money

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Life Coach

87

I think each of us will always remember where we were when we heard the news of the October 7th massacre.

who valiantly venture into enemy territory, young men who have barely experienced life, who are putting their lives at risk to save the Jewish People.

Truthfully, I didn’t believe it at first. Our guests on Shemini Atzeres told us that they heard of hundreds of people being killed in Israel. But I thought to myself, Hundreds? An exaggeration. But if only that number of two hundred people killed was true.

We have become changed people. We look at the world differently. We see each moment as an opportunity to become closer to each other, to ourselves, to our Creator. Our lives have become transformed, mission-driven to do good in this world and to use our time here to beseech the One Above to bring us salvation and comfort, as only He can. We’ve become focused on saying another perek of Tehillim, of reaching out to someone who needs our help, of being calmer, more centered individuals.

Only after yom tov did the full story come out.

And it came in bits and pieces. Rumors of what was done to those who were slaughtered. Stories of the horrors. Pictures and videos of the terrorists’ bloodlust glorified for the world to see their savagery and cruelty.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 days since 1,400 of our brothers and sisters were slaughtered because they were Jews. For most of us, we are still in the mourning phase, a period when our world is still tinged and colored in dusky tones, a time when we can’t – won’t – fully enjoy the pleasures that we used to take for granted.

Our minds never stray too far from the Holy Land, from the losses we endured and from those who are laying in hospital beds with missing limbs and twisted, puckered scars, who are constantly reliving the atrocities that they witnessed.

Our minds never stray too far from those families who are left with gaping holes in their hearts and homes, families whose lights have dimmed forever.

Our minds never stray too far from those who were snatched from their beds and paraded through the streets, who are living in fear and at the mercy of sadistic murderers in dark rooms tens of feet underground. Our minds never stray too far from those

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Sometimes, I wonder how it is possible for the Israeli army to traverse all those boobytrapped tunnels and bring our brothers and sisters home to their families. There are no maps, no guidelines on how to navigate the winding, interconnected tunnels manned by terrorists who are itching to be martyrs. But then I remind myself that it is not the army who will be rescuing our nation. It is our Creator, Who will be bringing both the captives and the soldiers back home to safety.

Jews are believers. And when you look at our history, you see the miracles that our Creator has performed for our Nation, His beloved People.

Our past is paved with salvations that could only have come from the One Above. And so, we daven and we beg and we ask Him to once again save our nation, the People who love Him and rely on Him so deeply.

May this week bring us besuros tovos, Sarah Fried

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Around the Community

Baltimore Israel Relief Initiative (BIRI) Provides Crucial and Timely Support for Israel

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NOVEMBER 16, 2023

30 Shuls Unite in Joint Effort

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n the aftermath of the horrific tragedies that took place in Israel on October 7th, the collective shock and horror quickly turned to action. Jewish communities around the world rolled up their sleeves to help and the Baltimore community was no exception.

Within days, Baltimore Israel Relief Initiative (BIRI) was launched.

Under the guidance of Rabbi Shmuel Silber of Suburban Orthodox Torah Chaim in Pikesville, BIRI’s leadership worked tirelessly to identify the immediate needs on the ground in, and securing the appropriate supplies to ship over to Israel. Meticulous planning went into collaborating with organizations on the ground and coordinating directly with Israeli government officials to secure necessary approvals and permits for customs.

As the needs of the IDF and Tzevet Hatzalah quickly became more apparent, swift action was taken to engage the broader community in efforts to provide support. Modeling after the incredibly successful supply drive of the Flatbush Community Fund, BIRI launched a community- wide initiative involving shuls (synagogues) across Baltimore. The concept was simple.

Each shul would receive one specific item that was pre-approved by IDF liaisons to procure on behalf of their respective shul. Representatives from each shul were tasked with spreading the word amongst all congregants, keeping the momentum going, and

gathering and packaging their selected items in duffel bags for rapid shipment.

What started as a hope to engage a dozen shuls in Baltimore quickly grew to over 30 participating shuls from across the various religious spectrums and reaching as far as Denver!

Rabbis spoke about the mission from the podium, representatives organized events for kids to decorate cards to send along in shipments, and items for shipment kept pouring in. In one week, we collected over 20,000 criti-

cal items to send to the front lines, and it is only continuing to grow!

While we pray for a quick end to the war and the safe return of our hostages, BIRI plans to continue with its mission to provide vial support to our brothers and sisters in Israel during these trying times. The next phase of BIRI’s efforts will be focusing on the dire and time sensitive needs of the displaced families, as the Winter season quickly approaches. As one BIRI representative stated, “The most pow-

erful response to hatred and tragedy is being able to put differences aside and unite in chesed.” Stay tuned for details and stay involved!

For more information, please contact: baltimorerelief@gmail.com

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S H AY N A G O L D F A R B & M O S H E D R U K M A N • A T A R A P E A R & M A T A N A L P E R • E S T I B R I L L I A N T & D O V I D K L U G M A N • G O L D I E G O L D M A N & AHARON DOV LEVY • MIRI REITBERGER & LEVI AKKERMAN • MALKY HOCHBERG & YITZI FELDMAN • LEAH WOLF & SHIMON DEUTCH • S H A N I G E W I R T Z & E L A N P E R C H I K • E L I S H E VA P O L L A K & M E I R D O V I D S T E I N B R E C H E R • C H AV I K A T Z & C H A I M G R AY M A N • C H AYA

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M O S S & AV R O M I S I N G E R • R O C H I E D A N N E N B A U M & C H A I M Z I M A N • A L I Z A E X L E R & AV R A H A M S H U G A R M A N • N A E M A F I S H K I N D &

• REENA BACK & SHUA LIEBER • RACHEL HERMAN & SHMUEL MICHAELS • BRACHA HUTMAN & MOSHE

MILEVSKY • SHOSHANA MYERS &

Y O E L G L U C K • B A I L A K A T Z & E F R AY I M G O L D B E R G • A N N A G R Y N S Z T E I N & AV R O H O M M O N D • R A C H E L L I R A P P A P O R T & I S A A C N U S B A U M • M I C H A L R E I T B E R G E R & Z E V Y W E I S B E R G • S H I F F Y K A S T O R & A A R O N H Y M A N • T E H I L A P O R T N O Y & D A N I E L S T E I N • A H U VA L E F F & YA A KO V M E I S E L M A N • H A N N A H G R AY M A N & Y E H U D A B O R T Z • E T T I E R U B I N & S H L O M O P O L L O C K • N A A M I W E I S KO P F & S H L O M O Z A L M A N N O V I C E • C H AYA S T E I N B E R G & E L I H O C H B E R G • S H I R A R E S N I C K & N O A C H A R Y E H S C H W A R T Z • M I J A L M E N D E L O W I T Z & Z E C H A R I A G O R D O N • T E H I L A G R O S S & Y O S E F L I S T H A U S • YA F F A H O L L A N D & D O V I E C E N S O R • G I L A M I L I KO W S K Y & Y O AV R O T H •

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Rabbi Daniel Kalish Inspires Baltimore Jewish Educators

J

ewish Educational Services (JES), an agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, invited Rabbi Daniel Kalish, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mesivta in Waterbury, CT, to be the keynote speaker at their annual “Inspired Education” event for local educators. This program is part of a wide array of professional development and teacher appreciation programs offered by JES to promote excellence in Jewish education in the Baltimore community. Other initiatives include the New Teacher Cohort, Mental Wellness Summit, Jewish Education Expo, Educator Awards, Todah Teachers, Professional Development Conferences, and much more.

With 150 people in attendance, Rabbi Kalish ignited the room with motivation for connection. His charge to the educators was to be authentic and develop real relationships with talmidim where they feel seen and accepted. “We are fiery souls put in an earthly world meant for a big mission,” asserted Rabbi Kalish. “We

need to see ourselves that way and really see each student that way.” During the Question and Answers session, a teacher inquired, “What do you do when a student continues to challenge the teacher and show chutzpah?” The answer, he said, is for the teacher to not internalize the insult and instead, work on themselves to respect the neshama in each talmid and talmida to bring out their best. “Respect might be one of the most important tasks in our life,” he said. “Respecting things unleashes the force that’s in them. Respect a mitzvah and it impacts you.

Respect a person’s neshama and you

bring out that person’s neshama.”

JES also invited principals of local yeshivas and day schools to have a special intimate session with the Rosh Yeshiva prior to the community event.

He encouraged the importance of cultivating a warm and close relationship between staff members so they feel a sense of family. “You can’t be warm to students unless you’re warm to each other,” he said, and emphasized the need for “Ahava” and “excitement.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I attended both sessions last night and they were both amazing,” wrote Rabbi Eli Greengart, Director of

Alumni Relations at Ner Yisroel. This was just one of the many expressions of appreciation that flooded JES staff.

JES is committed to bringing in speakers to galvanize the chinuch community and gain inspiration throughout the school year. Stay tuned for next year’s spectacular event!

For more information about programs and services at JES, including the confidential JES Teacher HelpLine, please contact Yael Zelinger, JES Day School Liaison (yzelinger@ jesbaltimore.org).

Honoring Heroes: JWV Post 167 Marches Proudly in Baltimore City Veterans Day Parade By: BJLife Newsroom

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n the heart of Baltimore, Veterans Day was marked by a spirited parade, and JWV Post 167 from the Greater Baltimore area left a mark despite the rain-soaked streets. Starting at the Washington Monument, the veterans marched proudly, undeterred by the weather.

Raindrops fell persistently, but JWV Post 167 showed resilience, embodying the spirit of service that defines Veterans Day. Beyond the ceremonial nature of the parade, our presence carried a historical weight—a reminder of why the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (JWV) was founded.

In the years after the Civil War, there were cries that Jews had not risen up to come to America’s defense.

To counter this, 63 Jewish Civil War veterans came together on March 15, 1896, in New York City to form the Hebrew Union Veterans.

The Baltimore City Veterans Day Parade culminated at the War Memorial Plaza near City Hall, a fitting location for reflection and remembrance.

Here, JWV Post 167 stood tall, symbolizing the essence of Veterans Day and confronting the antisemitism that spurred the organization’s creation.

In the face of rain, historical echoes, and adversity, JWV Post 167 showcased the resilience and unwavering dedication of veterans in the Greater Baltimore area. Their presence in the parade served as a powerful reminder that the stories of veterans, especially those who faced discrimination, en-

dure, even amid challenging weather conditions. Today, JWV remains committed to preserving Jewish military history and heritage, advocating for

veterans’ rights, and fostering a sense of camaraderie among all who have served.

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NOVEMBER 16, 2023

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Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah 13 Year Anniversary Celebratory Shabbos Photo Credits: Jeff Cohn

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n Shabbos Parshas Vayeira, Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah celebrated its Bar Mitzvah year Anniversary, marking 13 years from when it originally opened its doors in a humble little house. Since Harav Yissochor Dov Eichenstein’s arrival in Baltimore, he has changed the face of the community through his vision, passion, and incredible warmth.

Today, Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah is renowned throughout the community as “Mercaz” (“The Center”), with Minyanim in the morning every 15 minutes from 6:15am until 10:00am, Maariv minyanim every half hour in the evening), 15 daily Daf Yomi Shiurim, countless Kollelim,

Shiurim, Chaburos, and programs catering to the needs of all ages and demographics. The atmosphere within Mercaz is welcoming, with top tier amenities, food, drink, comfortable Batei Midrashim, and just an overall warmth which draws people in.

This special Shabbos was celebrated with the internationally acclaimed “Nylander Choir” of the Dushinsky Chassidus in Yerushalayim. The choir uplifted the crowd by leading the Tefillos over Shabbos, as well as singing at a special Oneg on Friday night and at a packed Shalosh Seudos.

The highlight of the Shabbos was an elegant event held on Motzei Shabbos at the “Baltimore Museum of Industry”, combining both a celebratory

Melava Malka together with a Daf Yomi Siyum on Seder Nashim. Over 250 men and women came out to take part in this special event, which featured a 20-minute video presentation going through the history of Mercaz, and of course culminating with the Siyum. The Keynote speaker was Harav Yehuda Weiner, Maggid Shiur in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, who for many years headed the Night Kollel at Mercaz and was instrumental in its growth. The mesayem was Rabbi Yochanan Stengel a longtime Daf Yomi magid shiur at Mercaz.

Being very much aware of the ongoing Matzav in E”Y and sharing in the pain of our brothers and sisters, the evening began with Tehillim and the

Niggunim sung were more “Hartzig” with a focus on yearning for the Geulah. Nevertheless, at the event, Harav Eichenstein talked about of the importance and power of being B’simcha, and of the delicate balance needed between of sharing in the pain while not allowing it to drag down our Avodas Hashem. The event ended with a leibdig dancing immediately following the Siyum, celebrating the Simchas HaTorah which is what ultimately protects us all.

The energy and enthusiasm over the whole Shabbos was palpable. The stage for the next phase of growth of Mercaz has been set, and the Baltimore community looks forward to the next 13 years!

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NOVEMBER 16, 2023

OU’s Yachad Participants with Disabilities Tour White House By: BJLife Newsroom Photo Credits: Jeff Cohn Photography

W

hen it comes to selecting their favorite recreational group activity, Yachad New York participants always choose bowling. Imagine the thrill, when 12 of them were presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bowl at the Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley on a recent visit to the White House.

Yachad, a division of the Orthodox Union, helps individuals with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities participate more fully in the community, via social, recreational, educational, and vocational programs in 10 regions across the United States, Israel and Canada.

Accompanied by eight staff members, 12 Yachad New York participants ages 17 to 37 recently traveled to Washington D.C. for a White House bowling session and tour organized by Yachad’s Rabbinic and Spiritual Advisor Rabbi Shay Schachter.

“It is always a pleasure spending quality time with Yachad participants,” says Rabbi Schachter, who joined the group onsite. “But nothing in the world can compare to sharing Yachad participants’ joy, smiles and excitement while bowling at the White House! What a memorable day for all of us.”

“We had a nice representation of participants from various Yachad programs,” says Yachad New York Director Rebecca Schrag Mayer. “Some attend Yachad’s Ivdu School, some

go to Yachad’s day and vocational programs, and all of them had the pleasure of sharing what they did and learned with peers in various programs once they returned.”

Yachad New York runs regular social and recreational programs including weekly activities, shabbatons and holiday-related events, often in partnership with local synagogues and schools. Schrag Mayer says the White House outing was the most exciting to date, and participants’ delight was palpable.

“Prior to the trip, everyone attended a Zoom training session where we discussed the role and activities of the White House and outlined our expectations including appropriate behavior and attire,” she says. “We told them they could wear nicer clothes, but that they didn’t need to be fancy. Yet so many of our participants showed up wearing suits and ties the day of our trip in honor of the visit!”

Despite the very long distance, the bus rides to and from Washington were remarkably enjoyable; people played games, exchanged trivia, watched movies and chatted excitedly.

“Some of the staff who joined us were so surprised to see the excitement of certain participants who tend to be on the quieter side,” says Schrag Mayer. “Our participants generally lead very routine lives – they go to their job sites, day programs or schools and return home to their families or group homes. This trip was a chance for them to go somewhere very special on their own, and it was a very big deal.”

Participants’ families were equally

Beri Weber Leads Hallel at the White House

B

eri Weber leads Hallel outSide of the White House from a Tehillim on

Klaf Tehillim and photos provided by Tehillim on Klaf Tefilah.

enthusiastic about the trip. In honor of the occasion, Jake Rosenthal’s parents, of Woodmere, New York, sponsored “Bowling at the White House 2023” sweatshirts for the entire group that included Yachad’s logo alongside an American flag.

Following almost two hours of bowling in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building where the guests were treated to kosher snacks, the group enjoyed a guided tour of notable rooms and sites.

“I liked the White House staff,” says New Yorker David Orlansky.

“They made the extra effort to let me ride the elevator. I really enjoyed the tour and seeing where so many people come to work. I want to write them thank you letters.”

Other trip highlights included numerous photo ops, davening Mincha outside the White House, and box sets of Hershey’s kisses signed by President Biden which were gifted to each participant upon departing.

“We are so appreciative to the

White House staff for making this opportunity possible for Yachad,” says Schrag Mayer. “Our staff and participants had an incredibly meaningful, educational, and fun time.”

“The gesture and outreach were particularly profound in light of the situation in Israel,” she adds. “White House staff truly opened their doors and hearts to our community.”

Several Yachad visitors gave White House staff notes of gratitude addressed to President Biden in recognition of his unequivocal support for Israel.

“Our participants talked a lot about the Biden Administration’s support for Israel and asked one another if they had watched his remarks following October 7,” says Schrag Mayer Reflecting on the adventure, Ariana Siegel of Valley Stream, New York, says, “This was the most epic day of my whole life. Going into the White House was an experience that not everyone gets to have!”

13

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Email yahalom@agudahmd.org

Rabbi Rabinowitz is an educational consultant and an inspirational speaker on topics of chinuch, emunah and special needs. Rabbi Rabinowitz serves as a rabbinic advisor at a NY area institution for children with developmental disabilities.

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As part of the growing national Yahalom network, Yahalom MD is here to serve as a collaborative resource working alongside our community organizations.

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Evening of connection, support and inspiration

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NOVEMBER 16, 2023

The Magic of TA Grandparents Day By: BJLife Newsroom Photo Credits: Jeff Cohn Photography & Esky Cook

N

ot even the rainy weather could dampen the palpable excitement and magic in the air on Friday, November 10th as over 900 grandparents, greatgrandparents, and special friends came to TA for an unforgettable experience.

This was TA’s 6th Grandparents’ Day in recent years, and it proved to be an incredible experience to all those who came.

Upon arriving in the TA parking lot or via shuttle bus from the MTA down the road, the campus was alive with student and volunteer ushers greeting guests, music playing, and welcome banners and signs. After checking in and receiving a “Proud TA Grandparent” pin, a beautiful keepsake gift, along with a personalized schedule for the day, grandparents and special friends proceeded to the gala breakfast buffet.

After spending some time eating, mingling and getting to know each other, it was time for the main event - the opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren. Using their personalized schedules and guided by an army of student ushers, grandparents found their way to their grandchildrens’ classrooms to participate in lessons and projects.

In the classrooms, TA’s dedicated and talented Rabbeim, morohs and teachers treated our guests, and our talmidim, to fascinating and interactive presentations on a variety of topics. Grandparents came away amused, inspired, uplifted, and a little more

knowledgeable too!

The final part of the program, the Oneg Shabbos Assembly, took place in two locations on campus. The Early Childhood students and their grandparents enjoyed a beautiful kumzitz and program with Rabbi Yitzchok Dinovitzer in the brand new preschool fun room. The Elementary students and grandparents were welcomed into the gym for a kumzitz with Yehuda Tenenbaum and an inspiring video about TA. Rabbi Yehuda Lefkovitz, president of TA, spoke to the crowd about the matzav in Eretz Yisrael and how this momentous occasion, celebrating our mesorah of grandparents to grandchildren, is the response to our enemies.

At the conclusion of the program, all guests were presented with a piece of Erev Shabbos potato kugel as they departed. TA’s guests left with a feeling of pride in the Yeshiva, promising to join us once again at the next Grandparents Day in Yerushalayim!

Following Grandparents Day, an abundance of positive feedback flowed in. One grandparent shared the following: Mere words can not describe how blown away we are by your yeshiva.

When we first got the email regarding the grandparents day we figured that we will make the trip from NY to Baltimore to “make our grandson happy” and enjoy a weekend at our children’s home, but the ones who were the happiest were us, the grandparents! We were welcomed with the warmest smiles ,we were treated to the most magnificent spread of delicious treats, we sat in our grandson’s

class and enjoyed a fun filled chumash shiur, where the Rebbe’s love for his talmidim was felt in the air. In the Enlish class session, we saw right away how dedicated and professional they are. The mass gathering at the closing of the program brought us to tears... watching the achdus of the boys along with their rebbeim singing with such simcha at a time like this gave us grandparents, children of Holocaust survivors, chizuk and hope! You outdid yourself ! Yashar koach to you all!

An incredible event like this could not have happened without the hard work & devotion of many individuals.

Thank you to Mrs. Adina Goldstein and Mrs. Hadassah Brodie for creating an amazing breakfast display, together with their group of amazing parent volunteers.

Our TA Administration, Hanhalah, Rebbeim, Morohs, teachers, and office personnel, all worked tirelessly in

the weeks leading up to Grandparents Day to ensure the most unforgettable TA experience for our grandparents.

Thank you for all of your hard work and everything you do for our yeshiva on a constant basis!

15

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

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16

Around the Community

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

JCFL by “Your Kitchen Spot” passes mid-point of 2023 season

W

ith 5 of the regular season games now complete, the playoff picture is starting to come into focus.

As of the writing of this article, the standings are as follows:

Team

Won Lost

Sushi Sakura

5

0

Worthy Insurance

3

1

Clothier

3

2

Allstate - Yaakov Schmell

2

2

Tripping Kosher

2

3

ActualEyes

2

3

M3 Management

1

4

Miracle Massage

1

4

For a recap of some recent games, keep reading:

Clothier 19 Allstate - Yaakov Schmell 13

A game with playoff implications saw 4th place Clothier take on 2nd place Allstate - Yaakov Schmell. The beginning of the game saw multiple drives by both teams get stopped at 4th and goal. In their second drive, Clothier hit WR Aryeh Walter in the back of the endzone for their first score. A three and out by Allstate gave the ball back to Clothier who again drove down the field. But great defense by Allstate managed to stop Clothier on 4th and goal from the one yard line. The first half closed with QB Avi Yudkowski finding his receiver for a long score.

The second half started slow without any scores in the first few minutes. Clothier was finally driving and lobbed up a hail Mary on fourth and goal for it to be intercepted by Yehuda Ezoory who took it back for a TD. With only minimal time remaining Clothier found themselves down 1312. But, QB Bregin was able to run the length of the field, literally, and was able to get his team to the goal line.

On another fourth and goal he managed to find Aryeh once again in the back of the endzone to put his team up 19-13. Yudkowski had a couple valiant efforts to get his team back on top but they ultimately came up short.

Sushi Sakura ActualEyes

34 13

He loves ketchup, davens shacharit/mincha/maariv, and can throw the ball the length of the field: Sushi Sakura has a new quarTied terback in Yaakov “Machh0 homes” Rosenblum. Sakura started the game with a 1 cluster of penalties, allowing 0 ActualEyes to keep pace for 1 the first 10 minutes. Rosenblum opened up the scoring 0 for Sakura with a 15-yard 0 flat route to a mustachioed Dudi May out of the tight end 0 position. As the game wore 0 on, Machhhomes’ ability to scramble, throw across his body, and recite Shas proved to be too much for the blue team. Sakura scored on back-to-back plays at one point, after a Gedaliah Gelb touchdown was called back only to be followed by a score from Eli Dollman. As usual, Mitch Gross caught some deep balls, and Ezra had a crucial, drive-saving catch on third down. ActualEyes’ only bright spot came from their big man Akkerman who, in the course of a blitz, threw Joshua Kronick so high in the air that the fans thought it was a wedding and started singing “Od Yishama.”

Sushi Sakura Miracle Massage

47 6

The opening whistle was the high-water mark for Miracle Massage.

Team Sushi Sakura marched the ball down the field with ease. Quarterback Yaakov Rosenblum prepared for his wedding Sheva Brachot with seven touchdowns. His receivers were more open than Avraham’s tent. Ezra Rosen had a career day with three touch-

downs, including several deep bombs.

Eli Dollman had his own TD and several athletic catches, including a memorable one-hand catch and several from within two tefachim of the ground. Gedalia Gelb contributed with two touchdowns and sealed the game with an interception. And Asher Meth proved, as usual, that you don’t have to show up before 9:25 am to dominate.

Like mango and avocado, Team Sushi Sakura is on a roll with a 5-0 record.

Worthy Insurance Miracle Massage

36 25

The Week 3 matchup between Worthy Insurance and Miracle Massage had one of the most thrilling endings in recent league memory, with 3 lead-changing touchdowns scored in the final 40 seconds of the game. But before we get there...

Worthy couldn’t wait to get superstar WR/S Shloime Scheinfeld back on the field. Last season’s Offensive Player Of The Year was sidelined the first 2 weeks with an ankle injury but he was the difference maker in this one. On the opening drive of the game, Scheinfeld hauled in his first of many contested catches, a 30 yard touchdown grab over a defender in the endzone, giving Worthy the early lead.

But Miracle Massage marched down the field on their opening possession and scored a touchdown of their own by rookie WR Gershon Vegh. After the teams traded interceptions (Oren Bluman & Scheinfeld), IDF veteran Sammy Cohen had a huge catch-andrun, setting Worthy up inside the redzone. Back-to-back completions to stud TE Avromi Freund got the ball to the 1 yard line, and Scheinfeld capped the drive with his 2nd touchdown catch. Just before the half, another tal-

ented MM rookie WR Akiva Stutman caught a long TD pass after a great pump fake from QB Dan Gutman, giving them a 13-12 lead at halftime.

Miracle Massage extended the lead to 19-12 on a beautiful touchdown catch by former QB turned WR Dovid Flamm. But after a long completion to speedster Shragi Lerner, the for-sure hands of Yoni Finkelstein snagged a touchdown for Worthy, cutting the lead to 19-18. After Cohen intercepted a pass, Scheinfeld scored his 3rd touchdown of the game, this time leaping high between 2 defenders, coming away with the ball and the lead 24-19.

On the ensuing possession, Scheinfeld notched his 2nd INT, but Worthy couldn’t close out the game and had to punt with 1:05 left.

After not gaining much yardage on 1st, 2nd, or 3rd down, MM was down to their final play. But Stutman caught a pass between 2 defenders, and raced all the way down to the 1 yard line, and caught his 2nd TD of the game on the following play, giving MM a 25-24 lead with 38 seconds left in the game.

But Worthy responded, just as everyone feared. They got to midfield on 2 quick plays, but a penalty backed them up 5 yards. With 28 seconds left in the game, Scheinfeld made an incredible 35 yard touchdown catch, though it was negated by a penalty away from the ball. On the next play, the crowd went wild as Scheinfeld made an even better 40 yard touchdown grab, giving Worthy a 30-25 lead. (Worthy committed yet another penalty on the extra point, their 4th of the day on PATs). On the final play of the game, star rookie WR/CB Eitan Rock had the 4th interception for Worthy, returned it for a touchdown, and sealed the victory 36-25.

17

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Pin #0037 - B”H my husband and I have been married for 4 years.

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Bonei Olam, we felt a huge burden had been lifted, not only were our concerns addressed in a helpful, compassionate way, we were recommended to the best doctors for our specific situation. Treatment options we couldn’t have considered previously, due to financial restraints, were now a viable option. We had outstanding bills that needed to be paid before we could move ahead with new treatments and Bonei Olam took care of all those expenses. Baltimore is so fortunate to have such an amazing local resource!

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own. Your donation can mean a happy ending for the 34 couples Bonei Olam is currently working with. My journey would be possible without the generosity of those in the Baltimore community. I’m sure I speak on behalf of the other 33 couples, when I say, THANK YOU BALTIMORE!

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of having a child, we need to undergo a very complicated procedure. This procedure has an out-of-pocket cost of over $50,000 (that’s for one treatment)! It is an extremely overwhelming thought! It is so reassuring knowing Bonei Olam will be there for us providing assistance.

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

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The Week In News

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Hamas Hiding Under Hospital

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“We have been urging the Israelis to minimize civilian casualties and to do everything that they can to reduce those numbers,” Kirby said, noting how these pauses will give Gazans “breathing space for a few hours.”

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Israel has begun taking four-hour breaks each day from its military response in northern Gaza, the White House announced on Thursday, November 9. These measures will be implemented in order to give Gazans more opportunities to flee to the south of the Strip.

Every day, a different area in Gaza will be subject to a “tactical localized [military] pause,” a senior Israeli official said. Residents of that area will be notified of the pause several hours before the break.

U.S. President Joe Biden said that he had been repeatedly asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement such measures.

“I’ve been asking for a pause for a lot more than three days,” Biden said.

“I’ve asked for even a longer pause for some of them.”

“It’s taken a little longer than I hoped,” Biden said, voicing some dissatisfaction with regard to how long it took Netanyahu to agree to Biden’s pause proposal.

It took “an awful lot of engagement by the administration to try to make sure that humanitarian assistance could get in and people could get out safely,” asserted National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

On the X social media platform, Biden discussed the military pauses, the introduction of a second exit through which Gazans may safely leave the terrorist-controlled area, as well as his administration’s commitment to providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. He specifically mentioned how a large amount of aid has been sent from the U.S. to the Gaza Strip in the past month.

A U.S. official has confirmed that Hamas has a command center located under Al-Shifa hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza. The terrorist organization is using the hospital’s fuel for its own nefarious reasons.

“You can see even from opensource reporting that Hamas does use hospitals, along with a lot of other civilian facilities, for command-and-control, for storing weapons, for housing its fighters,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN’s State of the Union. “Without getting into this specific hospital or that specific claim, this is Hamas’ track record, both historically and in this conflict.”

Israel is attempting to target strikes specifically on enemy targets in Gaza, and says it is justified in taking military action around the hospital, despite criticism from the UN and other international organizations. The Israeli government announced it has created evacuation corridors and called for the removal of civilians, in addition to providing fuel for Gaza citizens.

Hamas and hospital officials have denied the accusation that the hospital is being used as a command center.

The news that U.S. intelligence assessments appear to back Israel’s claims comes as global attention is focused on the fighting around the hospital and reports suggest several patients, including children, have died in what the hospital’s director has called “catastrophic” conditions.

The Week In News

Engaged Soldier Dies in Combat

Syrian UAV Damages Eilat School An unmanned aerial drone launched from an unspecified party in Syria hit the Tze’elim Elementary School in Eilat on Thursday, November 9, causing damage to the building.

No one was killed or wounded in the attack, but five people were treated for acute anxiety and another was treated for smoke inhalation.

The IDF has stated that it retaliated against the responsible party but did not mention it by name.

“The Syrian regime is fully responsible for all terror activity that is carried out from Syrian territory. The IDF will respond severely to any attempt to attack the territory of the State of Israel,” the Israeli army said.

At the time of the attack, around forty students were in the school basement, according to local council officials. Reports suggest that the drone came from southern Syria and flew through Jordan airspace before hitting

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Master Sgt. (res.) Eliahou Benjamin Elmakayes, 29, a soldier in the Combat Engineering Corp’s 8219th Battalion, was killed during fighting in the central Gaza Strip on November 8.

Elmakayes moved to Israel from France six years ago to join the IDF. He was set to marry his fiancée, Yoana Jordo, on November 5, but the wedding was put off when he was called up. He was killed three days after what was supposed to be the start of his new life with Yoana.

The lone soldier’s parents, who had flown in from France for the wedding, instead buried him at Mount Herzl National Cemetery in Jerusalem just a few days after he was slated to get married.

David Dorfman, a close friend, told Ynet that he was “a guy with a heart of gold. Always smiling, always taking

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NOVEMBER 16, 2023

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care of others. This is a tough loss,” he said, noting that the pair met together in the army. “He made aliyah specifically for this, he wanted to serve in combat.”

Raphael Jordo, Yoana’s brother, lamented that “instead of going to the chuppah, we will go to the cemetery.”

“He was Zionistic, a true patriot, who loved his homeland, unusually kind-hearted, always helping others, a man of kindness, smiling. Benjamin wasn’t afraid of anything — all of his life was just endless generosity.”

Jordo said that his almost brother-in-law just wanted to get married and build a family. “He loved children.

We’re in total shock. My parents came to Israel for a wedding, but instead of that we, the love of his life, his extended and close family will have to bury him, with pain and deep grief.”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

“There is no more water, food, milk for children and babies… the situation in the hospital is catastrophic,” the director of the medical center, Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, told CNN. But Israel has insisted that patients can be evacuated from the hospital.

“There’s no reason why we just can’t take the patients out of there, instead of letting Hamas use it as a command center for terrorism, for the rockets that they fire against Israel, for the terror tunnels that they use to kill Israeli civilians,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on State of the Union.

Netanyahu added that Israel is “treading carefully when it comes to hospitals. But we’re also not going to give immunity to the terrorists.”

21

The Week In News

22

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

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Eilat.

Seven Hezbollah terrorists were killed, the terrorist group announced.

It did not provide any more information aside from that its fighters were “martyred on the road to Jerusalem.”

According to an anonymous Hezbollah official and a security official from the Lebanese government, the aforementioned seven Hezbollah members died in Syria on Friday, the day after the drone attack. The Israeli airstrike reportedly hit Homs, a province in Syria, early that morning.

On the same day as the UAV attack, another missile heading towards Eilat was intercepted by Israel’s Arrow 3 air defense system before it could reach Israeli airspace, marking the first time the system has succeeded in intercepting a missile, the IDF and Defense Ministry noted. No one was killed or injured, and nothing was damaged in this particular attack. The Houthi militia group based in Yemen claimed the attack, saying they fired a “batch of ballistic missiles” at “various sensitive targets” in southern Israel.

Over the past few weeks, the Houthis have launched several rockets at Eilat, but each one failed. The Iran-backed terror group claims that it’s part of the “axis of resistance” against the State of Israel. Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the group, said the Houthis will “continue to carry out more qualitative military operations in support of the Palestinian people…until the brutal Israeli aggression against our brothers in Gaza stops.”

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On October 7, Cpl. Noa Marcia, 19, was serving on the Nahal Oz IDF base in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps 414 Unit when it was overrun by Hamas terrorists. Noa was captured during the attack and was taken to Gaza.

Prior to the attack, Noa had lived with her family in Modiin; she was the oldest of three siblings.

Noa’s family – and all of Israel – had held out hope that she was still alive.

On Monday evening, Hamas published a propaganda video of Marciano, showing her speaking to the camera four days after being taken hostage, identifying herself and reciting the names of her parents and her hometown. The video then cut to showing her dead body.

The IDF said Tuesday that it now recognizes Marciano as a “fallen soldier held captive by a terror group.”

On Monday evening, the military said it sent representatives to the Marciano family home to inform them of the video.

“Our hearts go out to the Marciano family, whose daughter, Noa, was brutally kidnapped by the Hamas terror organization,” it said in a statement.

The IDF said that “Hamas continues to use psychological terror and behaves inhumanely, through videos and photos of hostages, as it has done in the past.”

The military reiterated that it is “using all means, both intelligence and operational, to bring the hostages home.” Channel 12 news reported that the IDF said it made its declaration about Marciano’s death based on intelligence information, and not based on the Hamas video.

Noa’s mother, Adi Marciano, traveled around the world to lobby for her release along with family members of the other captives being held in Gaza.

Last month, in an interview with Ynet, Adi said she wanted Noa to know “that I miss her and want her to come home. My instincts tell me that she is still alive. She’s probably watching over the little kids.” She’s worried, she said. “Does she have her glasses? Are they hurting her?”

At least 240 others are being held

by Hamas in Gaza after being kidnapped during the October 7th slaughter.

Hamas has been holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive.

The Week In News

Another one bites the dust. This week, Tim Scott, GOP senator from South Carolina who had eyed the Republican presidential nomination, dropped out of the race. His campaign

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Tim Scott Drops Out

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Honest Reporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog organization, reported last week that photographers hired

by CNN, The New York Times, Reuters, and the Associated Press photographed Hamas’ October 7th terrorist attacks in southern Israel as they were occurring, implying that these people had prior knowledge of the attacks but did not warn Israel or anyone about it.

A day after the report was published, Israel asked the accused media companies to explain how the photographers they hired were able to take pictures just as the tragedy was unfolding; why were these people in that exact place at that exact time?

Four photographers were named: Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali. Reuters, The New York Times, and the AP said they did not know about the assault before it happened and were just trying to cover the news story as any media company would. CNN and the AP said that they were suspending Eslaiah, one of the accused photojournalists.

The National Information System, which is part of the Prime Minister’s Office, said on Thursday, November 9, that it “takes very seriously the phenomenon of journalists working with international media joining [with attackers] to cover the brutal massacres by Hamas terrorists on Saturday 10/7/2023 in the communities surrounding Gaza.”

“Journalists found to have known about the massacre – and still chose to stand as idle bystanders while children were slaughtered – are no different than terrorists and should be treated as such,” Minister Benny Gantz said on social media platform X. The New York Times defended

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Photographers Present During Hamas Attack

Masoud, asserting that “there is no evidence for Honest Reporting’s insinuations.” The allegations are “untrue and outrageous,” the Times said, adding that based on a review of his work, it is clear “that he was doing what photojournalists always do during major news events, documenting the tragedy as it unfolded.”

According to Honest Reporting, Eslaiah went into southern Israel and photographed the Israeli army’s burning tanks. He also took pictures of the terrorists invading Kfar Aza, a kibbutz where dozens were murdered.

Now-deleted pictures showed Eslaiah standing in front of the tank without wearing anything to identify himself as part of the press. On January 9, 2020, Eslaiah uploaded a selfie of himself being kissed by Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader, to Twitter (now known as X).

Mahmud and Ali are said to have taken photos of Hamas terrorists kidnapping and dragging Israelis into Gaza.

Israel’s Channel 12 asserted on Thursday that the photographers in question “were not there at 6:30 in the morning” and were not present for the “first wave after the breach,” but rather for “the second wave and a little after that, at around 8 in the morning.” The television channel did not say where it got this information from.

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The Week In News had failed to take off and resound with voters.

“I love America more today than I did on 22 May,” Scott told Fox News Channel’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy, citing the date he launched his candidacy.

“But when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign. I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, ‘Not now, Tim’.”

Scott’s decision to end his campaign came as a surprise to his staffers, who only found out after watching his interview on TV. Scott entered the race with a message of hope and optimism and attracted big-money donors early on.

But his campaign lagged behind that of his Republican rivals, and all of the GOP’s 2024 candidates have struggled to overcome Donald Trump’s polling lead.

The media had made the discussion of Scott’s girlfriend a key issue in the campaign.

“It’s like a different form of discrimination or bias,” Scott said. “You can’t say I’m Black, because that would be terrible, so find something else that you can attack.”

Last Wednesday, Scott introduced Mindy Noce on stage after the GOP debate.

Larry Ellison, cofounder of Oracle Corporation, had been a tremendous support for Scott in his campaign, pouring $35 million into the senator’s super PAC, Opportunity Matters Fund.

Scott had sought to make history as the first African-American GOP presidential candidate and described on the campaign trail his grandfather’s job as a sharecropper in the Deep South and his own poor upbringing before becoming the GOP’s only Black senator.

“I know America is a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression. I know it because I’ve lived it,” he said in an early campaign video.

For now, the top GOP contenders for the nation’s highest position include Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Chris Christie.

5 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Crash

On Friday, five American servicemembers were killed in a crash after their helicopter had a “mishap” during a training exercise and crashed into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Two officials confirmed that the five were Army special operations soldiers. Search and rescue efforts were made and went into Saturday before being called off, according to the officials.

Department of Defense officials on Monday identified the servicemembers as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38 of Clarksville,

Tennessee; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, California; Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, New Hampshire; Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Arizona; and Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota.

“We mourn the loss of these five incredible soldiers, each of them a national treasure,” Lt. Gen. Jonathan P. Braga said in a statement. “They hail from rare patriotic families with deep military service ties that span multiple generations and formations.”

The five men were members of an elite unit, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), known as the Night Stalkers, based in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. They’re the Army’s best helicopter pilots and usually transport Delta Force or Seal Team Six into missions.

The craft that crashed was an MH60 helicopter, the officials said. The aircraft was conducting a “routine air refueling mission” when the “mishap” occurred, according to European Command’s statement on Sunday. The helicopter crashed near Cyprus.

The Week In News

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According to a new study, cutting one teaspoon of salt from your diet each day can lower your top blood pressure reading just as much as a typical hypertension medication, even if you don’t have high blood pressure.

A teaspoon of salt is 2,300 milligrams — that’s the top daily limit for people over 14 recommended by the latest U.S. nutritional guidelines. However, the American Heart Association recommends a diet with less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day.

“This is the first study to show that people who are already on blood pressure medication can lower their blood pressure even more by limiting sodium,” said coprincipal investigator Norrina Allen, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“And regardless of medication, we found 70% to 75% of people are

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Cut the Salt

likely to see a reduction in their blood pressure if they lower the sodium in their diet,” Allen said.

High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer,” because there are no symptoms — the only way to know if you have it is to test for it. Yet hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults worldwide and can lead to heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and stroke, according to a 2023 report by the World Health Organization.

Nearly half of all Americans live with high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

About a third of those have “resistant” hypertension, high blood pressure that has not responded despite the concurrent use of three types of medications. A 2021 study found men ages 20 to 49 are up to 70% more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension than women of the same age.

The study, published Saturday in the journal JAMA, assigned 213 people ages 50 to 75 to one week of a high- or low-sodium diet. After eating that diet for seven days, each person then switched to the alternate diet.

About 25% of the participants had normal blood pressure, while another 25% had untreated hypertension. Of the remaining group, 20% had blood pressure under control, while 31% did not.

During the high-salt week, people ate their normal diet, along with two bouillon packets, each containing 1,100 milligrams of sodium.

During the low-salt week, people ate foods with low sodium, purchased and given to them by dietitians. The goal was only 500 milligrams of salt a day, a dramatic drop.

The drop in blood pressure while on the low-sodium diet was quick and dramatic, according to the study. Compared to the high-sodium diet, blood pressure on the extremely low-salt diet dropped 8 millimeters of mercury.

Cutting salt from your diet isn’t hard, it just takes getting used to, as foods may at first taste bland. Additionally, many foods contain a lot of salt: bread, pickles, snacks, and soups can be sneaky culprits.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that “while we continue to gather more information about this deadly crash, it is another stark reminder that the brave men and women who defend our great nation put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our country safe. They represent the best of America. We will remember their service and their sacrifice.”

“My prayers are with the patriots we have lost today and their families, loved ones, and teammates,” Austin added.

President Joe Biden publicly mourned the deaths, saying in a statement that military members “put their lives on the line for our country every day. They willingly take risks to keep the American people safe and secure.

And their daily bravery and selflessness is an enduring testament to what is best in our nation.”

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The Week In News

For all your auto, home, life and business needs.

Fire Closes Major LA Road The massive fire that forced the indefinite closure of Interstate 10, a major traffic artery in Los Angeles, was set by someone intentionally, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

A preliminary investigation found there was “malice intent,” Newsom said at a news conference, adding it was “done and set intentionally.”

An investigation is still ongoing, and the governor did not say whether there were any suspects or leads on who may have set the blaze.

blaze spread under the freeway and ignited another storage facility, ultimately engulfing about 80,000 square feet and destroying several vehicles.

For now, it is not known when the interstate will be open. The road runs five lanes in each direction; the affected area is around 450 feet long.

Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles County due to the closure and said the state would assess the damage and begin making repairs as soon as the site could be accessed.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement he was in touch with California officials, adding the federal highway administrator is expected in Los Angeles this week.

SCOTUS Ethics Code According to Mayor Karen Bass, the closure of the interstate is a “crisis” for a city already notorious for its traffic woes. She urged travelers to prepare for delays and plan alternative routes while the interstate remains shut down in both directions near Alameda Street in the city’s downtown area.

More than 300,000 people travel through the freeway corridor every day, state Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin said.

The fire had started at a storage yard early Saturday morning. The

The Supreme Court issued an ethics code on Monday after a series of revelations about undisclosed property deals and gifts intensified pressure on the justices to adopt one.

In a statement, the justices said they had established the code of conduct “to set out succinctly and gather in one place the ethics rules and principles that guide the conduct of the members of the court.” Left unclear was how the rules would be enforced or by whom.

The code, laid out over nine pages, does not place specific restrictions on gifts, travel or real estate deals. But it does caution the justices that they should not take part in outside activ-

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The Week In News

Want to know what chickens snack on during the day? Well, wonder no more. Perdue has come out with a new snack that is “made from most of the same ingredients” that’s in the company’s chicken feed.

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Whoops! There is now a tool bag floating through space due to an astronaut’s slippery fingers.

NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara marked their

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Lost and Never Found

first spacewalk this month and concluded their maintenance work outside the International Space Station (ISS) in six hours and 42 minutes, according to the space agency.

The pair was able to get most of their tasks done – including working on items that help track the station’s solar arrays which track the sun – but they weren’t able to check the last thing off their list and left that for a future space walk.

During the hours-long mission, a tool bag gave them the slip and was “lost,” NASA said, with flight controllers spotting it using the ISS’s external cameras. Fortunately, the tools were not required for the remainder of their tasks.

“Mission Control analyzed the bag’s trajectory and determined that risk of recontacting the station is low and that the onboard crew and space station are safe with no action required,” NASA said on its official blog.

According to EarthSky, a website tracking cosmic events, the tool bag is currently orbiting Earth ahead of the ISS and can potentially be spotted from Earth with a pair of binoculars during the next few months until it disintegrates in our planet’s atmosphere.

This is not the first time an astronaut lost tools in space. In 2008, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper’s bag floated away while she was cleaning and lubricating gears on a malfunctioning rotary joint. A 2006 spacewalk saw astronauts Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum lose a 14-inch spatula while testing a method of repairing the space shuttle.

Recently, the European Space Agency estimated that 35,290 objects were being tracked and cataloged by the various space surveillance networks, with the total mass of objects orbiting Earth amounting to more than 11,000 tons.

Sounds out of this world.

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ities that “detract from the dignity of the justice’s office,” “interfere with the performance of the justice’s official duties,” “reflect adversely on the justice’s impartiality” or “lead to frequent disqualification.”

The rules also prohibit justices from allowing “family, social, political, financial or other relationships to influence official conduct or judgment.”

The document cites examples of when justices must recuse themselves from a case, including when they have a “personal bias” or a financial interest.

Although judges in the lower federal courts are bound by an ethics code, the Supreme Court has never been governed by those rules because of its special constitutional status. In a letter to lawmakers this spring, Chief Justice John Roberts said the court “takes guidance” from the ethics code for other federal judges.

Calls for the court to adopt a code intensified after revelations that raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Justice Clarence Thomas, in particular, has faced scrutiny, in part over the political activities of his wife, Virginia Thomas.

In April, ProPublica documented the justice’s years of undisclosed luxury travel, including private jets and trips aboard a superyacht at the largesse of a Texas real estate magnate and conservative donor, Harlan Crow.

In all, said James Sample, a law professor at Hofstra University, the new code is a modest improvement.

“Will this code of conduct solve the problems?” he asked. “No. There will certainly be questions as to enforcement. There will be questions as to details, and you can quibble over certain of the provisions. But this is a significant step.” (© The New York Times)

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The Week In News

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NOVEMBER 16, 2023

The stunt promotes Perdue’s vegetarian and antibiotic-free chicken feed, because the company said in a release that consumers have become “increasingly interested in the health and quality of the foods they eat.”

So, what’s in the non-kosher chicken snack bag?

A Canine Kid

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Pets truly become part of a family.

That’s what a Colombian court ruled

last week.

The saga began with Jader Alexis Castano, who felt depressed after his wife took the family dog, Simona, in a divorce. Jader said that the dog would also become depressed when he came to visit Jader and had to go back home.

According to Jader, his former wife refused to allow him preset, guaranteed visits from his dog child.

And so, Jader went to court, arguing that the dog should be legally considered “his daughter” and treated as such in divorce. He alleged that Simona was part of the “family’s nucleus,” and that both he and the dog had been adversely affected following the divorce because his former wife did not grant him frequent visits.

The court agreed, saying that the canine was an official member of the “multispecies” family before the divorce tore it asunder. And so, Jader is now entitled to have scheduled visits with Simona.

It’s the first time a Colombian court has ruled that an animal can be considered a member of the family if it’s

treated as such by its owners. But Colombia is not the only country at the cutting edge of this legal matter, according to ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America.

“Latin American legal systems are at the forefront of considering animals as family members,” according to the online magazine. “In a global recent attitudinal change toward animals in western societies, today, many people recognize themselves as part of a multispecies family.”

In 2018, for instance, a Peruvian court ruled that Petunia, a 3-year-old pig, was a member of one family in the country’s central highlands region of Junín after the municipal government said the pig was a public health risk and ordered her family to transfer her to a farm.

As for Simona, a family judge must now rule the exact visiting schedule for Castaño and the pup, “his daughter,” the lawsuit states.

Sounds ruff.

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Perdue’s chicken feed contains grains, primarily consisting of corn and soybeans and is mixed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids to “ensure a nutritionally balanced diet,” according to its website. Unlike some of its competitors, Perdue does not use antibiotics in its the vast majority of its chicken feed.

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JOWMA Medical Mission in Israel

O

n October 7th, the Jewish community was turned upside down upon hearing the news of the horrific massacre in Israel. As hundreds of thousands reservists were called to return to the IDF, it became clear that hospitals and medical facilities would halt routine medical care. Many physicians were called to serve, and hospitals needed to plan for the potential influx of casualties. In America, many of us wondered how we could help the war effort and support our brothers and sisters on the front lines. JOWMA (Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association) immediately sprung into action on several initiatives to support our brothers and sisters in Israel.

The Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association is a 501c-3 trusted public health organization in the Orthodox Jewish community. JOWMA serves as a unique resource and liaison between the community and healthcare stakeholders from government, medicine, and the public health establishment throughout the United States and beyond. JOWMA is supported by a network of >500 Jewish women physician volunteers including specialists in nearly every field of medicine, with thousands of supporters worldwide.

Dr. Mira Hellmann-Ostrov, a gynecologic oncologist and JOWMA founding board member from Passaic, NJ, is leading the JOWMA Medical Mission to Israel, which is sending U.S.-based volunteer physicians to serve in Israeli hospitals. Dr. Hellman-Ostrov and Dr. Sahar Wertheimer (a reproductive endocrinology and fertility physician from California, and JOWMA Physician Advisory Board member) opened a “call for volunteers’’ for the JOMWA medical mission, and within 10 minutes, over 30 physicians had signed up. The remarkable show of solidarity from Jewish doctors necessitated creating a waitlist due to the surge in requests from physicians wanting to contribute.

life saver.” (Check out our Instagram @JOWMA_org for videos).

Dr. Hellman-Ostrov shared, “We have come together to provide medical relief to Israelis and Israeli hospitals. Right after the war broke out and casualties were rising and people were sent off to the reserves, there was a shortage of healthcare professionals in Israel. This is who we are. This is what JOWMA does. Working directly with the Israel Ministry of Health, we used our immense network to get physicians to Israel to assist in the hospitals and trauma training sessions. Some of our physicians are even trying to get as close to the battlefield as possible!”

Dr. Dov Frankel and Dr. Annie Montal

On October 30th, the first group of physicians from the Medical Mission flew to Israel to volunteer.

Dr. Miriam “Mimi” Knoll, co-founder/CEO of JOWMA, shared, “The JOWMA medical mission to Israel is bringing some of the top specialist physicians in the U.S. to fill the gaps in routine and critical medical care as a result of the war, and supporting trauma training to Israeli physicians, IDF units, and civilians.” This first group of physicians were placed at Barlizai Medical Center in Ashkelon, and in Ziv Medical Center, in Safed, in coordination with Israel Ministry of Health and Scott Goldstein from EVP, Emergency Volunteer Project. Dr. Hellman-Ostrov noted that this has been a very strong alliance to expedite the process of getting physicians to where they are needed most, providing security for our family in Israel and providing safe transports for our physicians.

Dr. Dov Frankel (Baltimore, MD), an Emergency Medicine physician, was placed in Ashkelon to support Barzilai Medical Center. As he boarded his flight he shared, “I am flying solely with my hands, my head and my stethoscope to support the war effort”. His motivation? “The Kohanim duchen because when Moshe said “Mi La’Hashem Ailai”, the Kohanim responded to the call. Every person has an opportunity of “Mi La’Hashem Ailai’’ and the ability to respond and

everything will fall into place. I speak English, Hebrew and French and I am an emergency trauma physician. This is what I do.”

Dr. Eli Bennett, an emergency medicine physician from New York, has been stationed in Tzfat at Ziv Hospital near the Lebanon border.

He shares, “I am incredibly grateful to JOWMA for coordinating this effort to help my brothers and sisters in Israel.”

Notably, JOWMA is the first medical mission to send a Pediatric Surgeon to Israel during the war- Dr. Avraham Schlager from Boca, Florida is flying to Israel to work at Schneider’s Hospital.

Amidst the ongoing challenges of the war, a common dilemma that has been developing has been that supplies are either not usable by the army due to certification processes, or not arriving in an efficient manner to the people who need it most. JOWMA initiated “Boots on the Ground,’’ led by volunteers Dr. Shuli Kulak, a pediatrician by training, and her husband, Dr. David Kulak (Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility) to raise funds for equipment. In less than a month the funds were raised and the equipment was delivered by Drs. Kulak personally. Soldiers on the receiving end expressed, “This is a life saver, an actual

Dr. Shuli Kulak made Aliyah four years ago and works as an executive at U.S.-based biotech company. As soon as the war broke out, Dr. Kulak and her professional network in Israel sprung into action to create 8400 The Health Network with aMoon venture fund and Brothers in Arms to create MedMatch, a medical equipment task force.

“Everyone here in Israel is using their unique set of skills to help the country,” Dr. Kulak says. “Fighters are fighting, cooks are cooking.

What I can do is leverage my medical knowledge and large network in the U.S. and Israel. What we are doing in our MedMatch task force is consolidating and prioritizing medical equipment needs across strategic hospitals in Israel and matching those needs with U.S. hospitals, large pharmaceutical and med device companies and other donors who are able to provide or fund desperately-needed equipment. We’ve had some great success thus far bringing excess stock from the U.S. to hospitals hard hit in the south.”

Dr. Shevi Kassai, a trauma-NICU care surgeon from Denver, Colorado, is leading medical trauma simulations to physicians and IDF personnel at Ichiliov Hospital. “We want everyone in Israel to be prepared for what may come next, from a disaster management standpoint, from a ‘stop-thebleed’ standpoint, so that any physician in the country is ready for what is thrown at them. So I am motivated to play a role in disaster management and emergency preparedness.”

JOWMA is proud to support Am Yisroel by mobilizing a strong and dedicated network of physicians to save lives during these trying times.

To learn more about JOWMA’s work, please visit www.JOWMA.org or email info@jowma.org

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News

Not an Ordinary Cup of Joe Throngs of People Head to Caffé Aronne in Support of Israel

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By Nati Burnside

The crowd in front of Caffe Aronne

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t 6:30 in the morning on November 7, Aaron Dahan walked into Caffé Aronne on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As the owner, he was coming off a rough few weeks in which five employees had quit their jobs. Nevertheless, everything seemed fine when he checked in with the two baristas who had shifts that morning, before he left to go run an event. Little did he know, but Caffé Aronne was about to become much more than a small neighborhood café.

Dahan went to Instacart’s office where he set up and operated an espresso bar, a fairly normal service that he provides upon request. After a few hours, he received a call from his mother. As soon as he picked up, he knew something was wrong.

“Her voice was trembling so badly that I assumed there had been a death in the family,” Dahan recalled. “Once she started asking about the café, I relaxed a little.”

The Dahan family actually had recently experienced some truly horrible news.

Their cousin and his girlfriend had been at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, the

music festival in Re’im that was brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7. It took eight days for the IDF to identify their corpses due to mutilation.

Immediately after October 7, Dahan had placed an Israeli flag at the register at Caffé Aronne. It was next to the American

But until November 7, he was still getting by. He had a policy about not talking about politics to customers, and he was planning a dinner for his staff to discuss the conflict.

But the call from his mother featured some strange news. She had read on a Facebook group for Upper East Side

In just a few hours, the line for coffee was around 100 people deep and two hours long.

flag that had been there since September 11th. He also put up a sign that the café was donating money to Magen David Adom, an organization he picked for its humanitarian aid towards all people. After the news regarding his cousin, he took the additional step of putting posters of those kidnapped by Hamas in the window.

As the month progressed, those steps caused staff members to quit one by one.

moms that somebody had walked into Caffé Aronne that morning. The person said that the baristas were wearing Palestinian pins and telling customers to boycott the place. Dahan was unable to leave the event, so he called his manager.

While not on site at the time, the manager said that he would check it out.

When confronted about the story, one of the baristas quit on the spot and

the other would not speak about it. After getting the info from his manager, Dahan called his mother back to tell her to go down and close the coffee shop for the day.

“You’re not closing,” said Peggy Dahan flatly, according to her son. “I’m on my way there right now.”

Upon arrival, she did not really know what to do. She had no training in making coffee. Even using the cash register was something she had to pick up on the spot.

Apparently, it showed. A customer asked her why she seemed out of place. No uniform, no barista skills… red flag.

Peggy explained to the customer the circumstances of the day. And that customer shared those circumstances with the internet.

Soon enough, posts were all over every social media platform. Word travels pretty fast in 2023. Peggy had called her daughter, Sophie, a student at NYU, to come help. But as the crowds started showing up, the mother/daughter duo would prove insufficient.

In just a few hours, the line for coffee was around 100 people deep and two

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Aaron Dahan on Fox News

hours long. Luckily, customers were not the only ones who had heard about the situation. The Israeli owners of two other local places, The Coffee Inn and Matto Espresso, showed up with baristas in tow.

They told Peggy that their staffs were now Caffé Aronne’s staff and that their original employers would be paying them to work with her.

“We are so thankful that everyone came to support us so quickly,” a slightly overwhelmed Sophie said that day. “We have nothing else to sell at this point.”

Obviously, Caffé Aronne was not prepared for this circumstance. They sold out of pretty much every food item in minutes, and that news made its way online. That caused people to show up with packaged items of their own – not to eat, but to donate to the cause. Caffé Aronne was able to sell the donated items with 100% of the proceeds going to Magen David Adom.

The line became a gathering place for those on the Upper East Side, and the police showed up to help deal with crowd control and make sure that there were no negative events stemming from the positive story.

Ellen Lasko heard about the situation from her sister-in-law, an employee at The Ramaz School. With Dahan being a graduate, word spread like wildfire in the school community.

“I think we all feel that if we can’t be in Israel and be hands on there, we can at least show our support here,” Lasko remarked about her fellow line-standers. “No more Starbucks. This will be my newfound coffee spot.”

But while some heard about the events through local means, others were put on notice from much more distant locations.

Robert Barrack lives a few blocks away, but he heard about it from his daughter.

She is married to an Israeli man and lives there now.

“My daughter sent me the post, and I felt I should show my support,” he said. “I didn’t even want coffee.”

Others ventured from much farther

away. One example was a woman from Long Island who drove to Brooklyn to see a friend so they could take a walk together.

Upon hearing of the events, they took the time to go stand in line instead.

And yet there were plenty of people who could not simply make it to the café itself. Luckily for them, some of the social media posts included a link where people could buy gift cards. Dahan has since sold a ton of gift cards to people all over the world and from all different walks of life. Some are from Jewish people in communities abroad like in Israel, England, or Australia, but he also had a sale to a pastor in Alaska.

Many of those from far away instructed him to donate the money to Magen David Adom. Dahan’s surprise was somewhat mitigated by the fact that many people who showed up in person decided to forgo the coffee and instead donated money to the cause.

A

lmost a week later, a few things have changed at Caffé Aronne, but there is still a line down the block to get a cup of coffee. The story has caused a media stampede that included the front page of the New York Post (headline: “Bar-ista Mitzvah”) and an appearance by Dahan on Fox News. There were points in which many people were bringing their own cups because the café was running out. In fact, they were running low on beans as well. But their distributors not only rushed production to send more supplies, they told Dahan that the extra deliveries would be made free of charge.

There is also at least one new barista.

A woman walked in after hearing about the situation and told Dahan that she had just gotten off a plane from Israel, had five years’ experience as a barista, and her house had been destroyed by a rocket just days earlier. He hired her on the spot.

Hopefully, the crowds of people sometimes breaking out into song in Hebrew will make her feel at home.

One other big change is the hours at Caffé Aronne. While you might think that they need to be open for more hours to accommodate the demand, it’s actually the opposite, and not for lack of staff.

Dahan keeps Shabbat and had been operating Caffé Aronne under shtar mechira (a contract of sale). His non-Jewish manager took official ownership and profits for the hours on Shabbat (which it turns out was their busiest day). But starting last week, Dahan put a sign in the window stating that they were going to close at 2:00 on Friday and reopen on Sunday morning.

“I felt it was the right thing to do given the immense support of the religious community,” Dahan explained.

Caffé Aronne sells a selection of packaged pastries that are kosher certified, alongside fresh ones that are not.

As they transition to a wine bar in the evening, all of their wines are both kosher and mevushal. Dahan has recently had discussions about switching the supplier of the fresh pastries and getting kosher supervision for Caffé Aronne as he plans on continuing to stay closed on Shabbat.

“With everything that has happened in the last week, everybody always asks me what I have to say,” Dahan offered. “What I tell them is that this is truly a ‘mi k’amcha Yisroel’ situation. What other community would make all this possible?”

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Rebuilding the Jewish Nation One Baby at a Time

By Malkie SchulMan

“F

orty-two is my mission. Forty-two innocent Jewish children were killed by the cruel and evil Hamas on October 7, 2023, and my goal is to bring 42 Jewish children, 84 Jewish children, 126 Jewish children, and many more into existence.

“We cannot replace those karbonos but I will do everything I can to make sure we as a nation continue to live and thrive.”

Rabbi Marty Katz of Queens, New York, founding executive vice president of Just One Life (JOL) – known as Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael in Hebrew – made this impassioned statement in an interview recently with TJH. We sat down to discuss JOL, how it has impacted Jewish lives in the past, and how it continues to impact so many Jewish lives today.

“Just One Life is an organization dedicated to supporting expectant women and their families who are in crisis,” Rabbi Katz explains. “We empower pregnant women who’ve hit rock bottom and don’t know how to extricate themselves from their difficult situation. We’re here to help them learn how to feel good about themselves again.”

Clients often struggle with a variety of challenges associated with their pregnancies including complications due to unexpected and/or high-risk pregnancies and/or pre-existing medical, psychological, emotional conditions and financial difficulties. These difficult situations often lead to increased feelings of anxiety, ambivalence, fear, loneliness, and helplessness.

That’s where JOL steps in. Its support has many faces; whether emotional, physical, financial or spiritual, the organization offers an array of diverse, yet complementary services working together to help moms and moms-to-be learn skills to overcome what often seem to be insurmountable challenges. JOL helps over 500 families in crisis yearly, and to date, since its inception in 1989, has successfully seen the births of an incredible 20,200 babies!

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Of Shocking Statistics The genesis of JOL traces back to an ordinary day almost 35 years ago when Mr. Jack Forgash, a successful Teaneck businessman, was reading the Jerusalem Post while on a visit to the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

What caught his eye was an article that shared a startling fact: out of 120,000 pregnant women in Israel, only 90,000 were coming to full term. Shocked, Jack called his rabbi, Rabbi Sharfman, who agreed to meet with him. Immediately after recounting what he had read, Jack recalls, they both looked at each other and said, “What are we going to do?”

Knowing they needed more expertise, they reached out to Mrs. Madelaine Gitelman, an experienced social worker based in Jerusalem, to help brainstorm a solution. Mrs. Gitelman, eager to be of service for such a worthy cause, conducted extensive research, identifying social and economic stress as a significant challenge for these women who were unsure how they could go on with their pregnancies. Her findings emphasized the necessity of financial assistance for every expectant mother in crisis. This formula remains the backbone of JOL’s success to this day.

Rabbi Katz (who came on board a short while later), reflecting on their approach, said, “It’s not about yelling and screaming and telling the expectant moms they’re doing something wrong. It’s about showing them love through showing them how they can make it work.”

He adds, “When I first heard the appalling statistics, I also couldn’t believe what I was hearing.” After conferring with several respected rabbis and lay leaders, Rabbi Katz decided to get involved. “And, I have to say, even though I’ve been involved in many important organizations over the years, Just One Life has become my baby.”

Rabbi Katz, a born and bred New Yorker, obtained semicha from REITS and a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Ferkauf (a division of Yeshiva University).

As a rabbi, he has been involved in many kiruv and Torah leadership initiatives over the years as well as consulting and advising for various organizations. Today, his identity is Jewish babies – the more, the better.

Just like the beginnings of most organizations, JOL started on a rocky footing.

“We definitely got pushback,” recalls Rabbi Katz.

“When people heard about our work, they automatically assumed we were preaching from a political or religious soapbox. But that’s not our way at all,” he asserts. “Our language is one of love. That’s it. We want to help pregnant women in crisis and their families, and any way we can, we do.”

Eventually, through her unwavering belief in and passion for working with these women in crisis, Madelaine, today chairperson of JOL in Israel, won widespread support from the community in Israel and abroad.

Rabbi Katz shares one of their many success stories.

Yael was a charedi mom with a few children when she found out she was expecting quadruplets. The doctors were skeptical. They said, “Mrs. Mizrahi, we recommend you reduce your four babies to two fetuses.”

“You can imagine Yael’s trauma,” says Rabbi Katz, “when she asked them, ‘OK, so which ones should I reduce? Baby 1? Baby 2? Baby 3? Baby 4?’”

Twin babies born with Just One Life’s assistance

Rabbi Katz, Dr. Eyal Mazaki of Shaare Zedek Medical Center, and Jack Forgash

That’s when her case was brought to Jack Forgash’s and Madelaine’s attention, who then reached out to Dr. Shimon Glick, a leading doctor in Beer Sheva Hospital.

After medically assessing Yael’s situation, Dr. Glick was at a loss as to understand why Yael’s doctors felt her pregnancy was at risk. He advised her to allow the pregnancy to go to term. Meanwhile, JOL was there to hold her hand through it all, emotionally and financially as well.

The bris of the four healthy baby boys was attended by Chochom Ovadia Yosef, zt”l, and Rav Elyashiv, zt”l, who both served as sandek.

“Of course, I made sure to be in Israel to attend their bar mitzvahs also,” Rabbi Katz relates. And almost 25 years after their birth, Benzi, Yosef, Shlomo and Yishai are today thriving, healthy adults, some with children of their own.

“Every year when I visit Israel, Yael makes sure to come and see me with her beautiful family,” says Rabbi Katz. “This past trip, a picture was taken of me holding the baby of one of the quads – a baby that may never have been allowed to see the light of day if not for JOL. That was an emotional moment!”

He Who Saves a Life Rabbi Katz describes the work of JOL, Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael, as nothing short of holy. It’s all in our name, he says. Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael is taken from a pasuk in the Gemara (Masechet Sanhedrin) that states that he who saves a life in Yisrael is like he saves a world. JOL’s dedicated and professional staff save not just the lives of babies but of entire families and generations. As director and senior social worker of JOL Chaya Katzin puts it, “When we impact one woman’s life, we impact her marriage, her family, and the generations to come.”

JOL has support across the religious spectrum.

“In the beginning, Rav Avrohom Pam, zt”l, was JOL’s rabbinic advisor. Then, Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l, and currently Rav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, rabbinically advise us,” says Rabbi Katz.

Rabbi Katz also maintains ties with people from

other faiths, especially those in the evangelical Christian community, who greatly value JOL’s work. It’s not unusual to see Christian college students studying in Israel volunteering to help with food packaging to send to families in crisis.

“Our cases are by referral only; that’s how JOL vets their clientele,” shares Rabbi Katz. A hospital, an organization or a social agency will encourage the expectant woman in crisis to seek JOL’s assistance. Often, financial stress is a major factor. As a result of the financial stress, the mom may be emotionally stressed as well – how will her family be able to afford the expenses of the new baby? She may already have a number of young children in the home or maybe she’s expecting multiples. Perhaps she’s discovered she’s carrying a baby with a disability, and she’s overwhelmed. Chaya Katzin will initially meet with each woman and, based on her particular needs, will decide which therapist to assign to the case. In addition to their dedication and compassion to their clients, every JOL therapist holds a master’s degree and is highly trained to handle all types of challenging situations.

Tamara Cohen* grew up labeled the “bad girl” by her mother. Her mother was cold and indifferent, unable to show warmth and love to Tamara and her siblings. Consequently, Tamara suffered greatly emotionally as a child.

As she grew, she promised herself she would never treat her children the way she’d been treated. Yet when Tamara became a mother, she realized parenting lovingly wasn’t so simple. Growing up without a positive parental figure in her life left her struggling to provide her children with the loving environment she had so desperately wanted.

Tamara was referred to JOL when she found out she was pregnant with her third child. “My worst nightmare has come true,” she cried to her new therapist. “I’ve become my mother. I haven’t been there for my first two children, and I don’t know how to be there for the one on the way. I’m not capable of being a loving mother.”

Luckily for Tamara, her JOL therapist was able to enlighten her and show her that she was indeed capable of being a loving mom. As Sarah Gordon, JOL’s devoted and highly trained drama therapist, so aptly says, “True, there’s no way to be a perfect mom but there are a million

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40 ways to be a good one! We help make good mothers.”

Through extensive counseling, Tamara was able to process her painful childhood and repair her self-love and self-esteem. By the time her daughter was born six months later, Tamara was a different person. She had rewritten her mothering script and become a loving, attentive, good mother.

“When JOL first began, we were mainly dealing with expectant women who didn’t know how they could manage to bring their pregnancies to term,” explains Rabbi Katz. “But as the years advanced, JOL expanded its repertoire of services.” They now deal with women and their families in every aspect of pregnancy and beyond.

Whether there’s an alcoholism or drug-related problem or a high-risk pregnancy and the moms need more than one service, JOL is there for them. Besides assisting monetarily, JOL might help a client by connecting her with a municipal agency or providing her with weekly counseling. Today, JOL often works with the entire family, so assistance can include advocacy, making referrals, inviting the couple to attend parenting and/or social skills workshops or even finding a husband a job or all or some of the above.”

A vital step in the client’s healing journey, Rabbi Katz adds, is that the client learns to make her own choices.

“We will say, ‘This is what we can do for you. You think about it and then you decide.’” Baruch Hashem, out of every case that has come to JOL’s attention, every single woman has opted to bring her baby(ies) into this world.

“A number of years ago,” shares Rabbi Katz, “a couple came to see us. They had a few children and a newborn. Financially, they were struggling, and on top of everything, their newborn had reflux and needed special, expensive formula. Even though the husband was amazing and held down two jobs, unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to support his family. We invested some money into getting him training as a park caretaker. Not only did the extra job give him the much-needed income, but it restored his dignity as the provider of his family.

“This, in essence, is what Nefesh Achat B’Yisroel is about,” asserts Rabbi Katz. “Treating the family holistically, at the source, and restoring pride. What JOL is not about is putting on band-aids.”

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Children, Israel’s Main Resource Years ago, Jack was quoted in a magazine article as saying, “Israel’s main resource is its children. Each child our organization helps bring into the world multiplies our people a hundredfold.” That statement applies now more than ever. In the current war-torn situation in Israel, Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael feels driven even more to do what they can to see that every single baby grows up and thrives in the best possible way. There are pregnant mothers whose husbands are fighting in Gaza; there are many displaced families with expectant mothers living in cramped and unpleasant quarters. The whole country is experiencing tension, but just multiply it many times over if the mom is pregnant with perhaps other children and no husband and/or no home or if she and her children have to run to the miklat (bomb shelter) every day.

“Unfortunately, we’re in for the long haul,” maintains Rabbi Katz. “Even after Hamas is wiped out, life will not

be going back to normal so fast. There will still be residual trauma that will have to be dealt with.”

This is why Jack started a new project specific to the present Hamas terror war called the One Baby Chai Fund.

“There are 200,000 displaced families in the north and south of Israel who are severely financially strapped. We must be available to help them all.”

One reason JOL feels obligated to be there for all the families in crisis is because unfortunately many cases aren’t covered by kupat cholim (Israeli insurance). Nearly all of Shaare Zedek’s high-risk pregnancies (requiring extra therapeutic or emotional support) – over 100 cases a year – are directed to JOL’s team by its director of the gynecological ultrasound department, Dr. Eyal Mazaki.

“Dr. Mazaki and I have a very close connection,” Rabbi Katz notes. “Whenever I visit Shaarei Tzedek, I get a royal welcome from everyone. The staff is so grateful for what we do.”

To extend its reach to even more expectant mothers in crisis, JOL is in partnership with other institutions in ad-

“True, there’s no way to be a perfect mom but there are a million ways to be a good one!

We help make good mothers.” dition to Shaare Zedek Hospital. For example, they partner with the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, the mental health service provider, the Jerusalem Mental Health Expo and the maternal mental health care organization Heviei Kesher run by the Israeli municipality. They also enjoy a special relationship with the charity organization Daily Giving, whose unique formula enables them to disburse funds to a non-profit organization on a daily basis as well as Yeshivat Ateret Hakohanim who, especially in this challenging time, provide financial subsidies to pregnant and postpartum women living in Ir David, the Muslim Quarter, and Har Hazeitim.

One recent case referred by Tali Mor Yosef, a Shaare Zedek social worker, came shortly after the war started regarding a young woman and her husband who had recently arrived from the north to give birth. According to Tali, they were initially uncertain about leaving their home since she was due very soon. Nevertheless, despite their hesitation, they ultimately decided to join their relatives in Jerusalem for Simchas Torah.

As it turns out, this decision likely saved the couple’s lives. Tali shared that upon returning to her hometown, Ora, the new young mother, found that there was nothing left for her to come back to. Terrorists had blown up the area, her neighbors were dead, r”l, and all the homes were destroyed. To make the situation even direr (if that’s possible!), almost immediately afterward, her husband was

Rabbi Katz meeting with Yael and her now-grown quadruplets, along with her grandchildren

called up to the front lines.

“You can imagine, this woman is a wreck,” says Rabbi Katz, “she doesn’t know if she’s coming or going – no home, no husband and the stress of a new baby. The therapists at JOL are doing what they do best – working to empower Ora to pick up the pieces of her torn-apart life.”

Eliana Rubenstein, a dedicated and devoted Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael social worker, relates the following heartrending story which is typical of the stories that come to their office.

“A woman I met Pesach time during the corona crisis had five children at home and was now pregnant with her sixth child. She was broken and depressed. Her husband had abandoned her and the family. He had been her main source of support. How would she go on? Why did he leave her? These were some of the questions she kept asking herself. We couldn’t even meet because it was during corona, but we spent many hours on the phone, counseling her, giving her support and allowing her the opportunity to grieve and then helping her to begin the process of rebuilding her life from a place of strength.

“Miriam B.* gave birth to a healthy baby boy and made the bris on her own. Today, she is going through the divorce process; unfortunately, her husband never came back. But in her own words, when her husband walked out, she says, ‘I saw black, there was no hope on the horizon, but now, thank G-d (with the help of Nefesh Achat), I have the strength to go on.’”

A Life in the Day of Wartime Mr. Steve Adelsberg is a co-chairman of JOL U.S. and has been involved in the organization since the beginning.

He talks about his trip to Israel last week.

“We went to Kromim, a famous spa right outside Jerusalem,” he shares, “only now of course it’s been taken over by the town of Sholamit. (Sholamit is a border town that was evacuated.) There are 400 people there now, 300 children and 100 women. Most of the men are on the front lines. They have no routine; the kids are bouncing on their heads. These women need our support.”

In fact, according to Steve, one of the most important things we can be doing for these families right now is showing them we care, we love them, and we will not forget them. “It’ll probably be at least six months before they can return to their towns. When the band goes home,” he says, “we still need to be there for the families in whatever

41

Social workers holding gift packages that had been delivered to families who were evacuated and just had new babies

emies over the centuries have continually attempted to annihilate us but have never succeeded. So, too, Hamas has set out to destroy us, but they too cannot and will not succeed. Nevertheless,” he maintains, “that’s what makes the work of Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael even more vital at this time, to keep bringing to life beautiful Jewish souls and to show the world that, unlike the evil murderers, we care about life.”

Another sentiment previously expressed by Chaya Katzin was never more prescient than now.

“Nefesh Achat B’Yisrael,” she says, “is not just about supporting expectant mothers so they can bring their babies into the world, but it’s also about supporting the world that they’re born into, helping to make sure it’s a better place for their babies.”

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

“I also spoke to Tali from Shaare Tzedek. They have lots of families that were evacuated, and she will be sending us another 10 cases in the next few days.”

Steve notes, “JOL is an organization with its boots on the ground. This is what we’ve been doing for years. Our job has always been to give to women, along with financial assistance, the assurance that they’re not alone. People ask me, ‘Are you sure you should be going to Israel now?’

We have an opportunity to make a difference, I answer them. We must show we care, we cannot abandon these families. Besides,” he adds, “the enemy is going after all Jews, not just Israel. We really are all in this together.”

Rabbi Katz shares the sentiments of the staff at Nefesh Achat during this difficult wartime. “Many en-

Seminary girls preparing baby packages for Just One Life families

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capacity they may need.”

It’s not just the town of Sholamit. JOL is getting cases from all over. Rabbi Katz shares an email he received this week from Chaya Katzin with some of the heartbreaking new cases.

She writes, “We received 10 families from Sderot in the last week. And another 10 from other places. All are displaced from their homes!”

Then she highlights individual crisis situations: “A family from Bnei Nitzarim, a town on the border of Egypt, who used to live in Gush Katif, has now had to move to a hotel in Jerusalem. They have 8 children, and the parents can’t work. Mother is due in a month.”

“Young mother 20 years old. Has a two-year-old and is expecting any day. She is living in a hotel. Husband is in the army so she will be having the baby alone as their family lives abroad.”

“We have a single mother with 4 kids who was evacuated and can’t work. She has no source of income and she just gave birth. She is living in a hotel.”

“Family from Ashkelon, 7th birth, relocated to an empty apartment in Yerushalayim . The owners returned so they had to move to another apartment. None of the kids are in school and parents can’t work.”

“Family from Bnei Netzarim were moved to a hotel in Jerusalem. Wife is pregnant, they have three children.

Her husband is in the army, and she feels like she will give birth early from all the stress.”

“Family from Netivot moved to Jerusalem, looking for work. They have no income at the moment and need to pay rent in two places. Wife is pregnant.”

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Torah Thought

To See with Our Eyes Closed

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

A

nd it came to pass, when Yitzchok had become old, and his eyes dimmed from

seeing...

His blindness here, the Midrash teaches, has a twofold meaning. Figuratively blinded to Esav’s feigned righteousness that deluded Yitzchok into thinking that perhaps Esav was worthy of being his successor, and literally, physical sightlessness.

Both factors permitted the entire story to unravel as it did from start to finish. If not for Esav’s deceptions, Yitzchok would have surely selected Yaakov as his heir. Were Yitzchok to have possessed accurate natural vision, Yaakov could not have pulled off his strategic move in capturing the blessing.

Why all the obfuscation? Why did the divine providence so decree that Yitzchok was susceptible to such blindness?

Earlier during the sojourn of Avraham and Sarah in Gerar they implement a ruse to present themselves as brother and sister rather than husband and wife, out of fear the Philistines

might attempt to murder Avraham and take Sarah as a wife for their king, Avimelech.

When Avimelech discovers the deception, he is incredulous to their suspicions, he immediately returns Sarah and showers them with gifts offering them to roam freely in the land. In what seems as an act of gracious appeasement to Sarah for her travail, he offers on her behalf a thousand pieces of silver and exclaims, “Behold!... let it be for you a ‫כסות עינים‬, an eye-covering for all who are with you; and to all will you be vindicated”.

The ‘eye-covering’ here refers to the quashing of any perceived doubts in the minds of the people as to what might have transpired between them, since the magnanimity of the gift would serve as testament to her purity having remained intact.

Yet the Talmud teaches that between the lines of this respectful tribute lay an intended curse.

Avimelech in his reference to an eye-covering was really saying, “since you concealed from me that he is your husband and caused me this

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pain, may it be His will you should have blind children”, which was fulfilled in Yitzchok whose eyes were dimmed. ).‫(ב"ק צג‬ The Talmud derives from here the famous adage: The curse of a common person should not be light in your eyes.

Is it plausible that Sarah should be deserving of a ‘curse’ because she justifiably sought to protect herself from the lecherous Philistines?

Do we really have to be concerned that every common person’s reactive curses will come to fruition? Why then doesn’t the Talmud instruct us to avoid provoking them, but simply tells us to ‘not take it lightly’? And if we do take it seriously will that stave off the curse?

Lastly, this angry cynical expression betrays the simple meaning of the verse that seemingly portrays Avimelech’s benevolent calm and desire to placate Sarah.

Every encounter in life is clearly orchestrated from on high and meant as a challenge to make us great. Certainly, Sarah did the right thing under the circumstances she was in. Nevertheless, Avimelech was clearly offended. He truly believed that were he to have known the truth he would never have entertained abducting Sarah. He was perturbed by Sarah’s deceiving and aspersing him. Although he maintained a dignified response, there stirred within him resentment for having been falsely accused of ill intentions.

Reading between the lines of his otherwise noble expression of graciousness and obvious concern for Sarah’s own reputation in the eyes of the masses lest she be falsely besmirched, the Talmud reveals for us his deeper frustration and resentment.

He subconsciously seethed, wondering how Sarah and her descendants would react to the deception and false accusations from others.

Perhaps that is the deeper meaning in the directive to take seriously the curse of a commoner. If we claim a right to justify deception and suspicion when warranted, and not be held accountable for the pain it may have caused others, then we too must prove our mettle by not being upset when we are on the other side of the challenge. If we react angrily in taking it personally and refuse to see the hand of G-d Who maneuvers each of our encounters, then we are deserving of the curses foisted on us.

We must make sure we are consistent and pure in all our intentions lest we be held accountable for our duplicity.

Yitzchok was blinded to Esav’s true character, falling for his display of false righteousness. Yitzchok’s literal blindness allowed him to be duped

by Yaakov in conferring his blessings upon him. In one moment both situations became crystal clear to him. Despite being deceived Yitzchok never took it personally and reacted calmly with each one of his sons in dealing with the new reality accordingly.

Sarah, his beloved and remarkable mother, evidently taught him well.

She didn’t write off Avimelech’s concern and took it very seriously. Not out of fear of his power to curse her, but more out of a sense of mission to inculcate remarkable character traits within her progeny, to see in every moment another divinely inspired opportunity to achieve greatness.

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

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7:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring Agudath Israel of Baltimore Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation Chabad of Park Heights Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh Darchei Tzedek Kedushas Yisrael Khal Bais Nosson Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina) Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] Shomrei Emunah Congregation

S S, T, W, F S S-F S-F S S S S S-F S S-F S S-F S-F S, T, W, F T, W, F

7:45 AM Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation Talmudical Academy Darchei Tzedek Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah Mesivta Kesser Torah Mesivta Shaarei Chaim 7:50 AM Derech Chaim Ner Tamid Ohel Moshe

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S-F S S S S S-F S S S S S-F S S S S-F

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S S S-F S-F S-F S-F S-F S S S-F S S-F S S-F S S S S-F S S-F S-F S-F S-F S-F S-F

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Maariv

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T, W, F S S S M-F

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

6:20 AM Agudah of Greenspring M, TH Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S-F Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M-F Kehilath B'nai Torah M, TH Shomrei Emunah Congregation S, M, TH 6:25 AM The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel T, W, F 6:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring T, W, F Chabad of Park Heights M-F Darchei Tzedek M-F Kehilath B'nai Torah T, W, F Khal Bais Nosson M-F Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek M-F Kol Torah T, W, F Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah M-F Ohr Yisroel M-F Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F Shomrei Emunah Congregation T, W, F 6:35 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan) M, TH Ohel Moshe M, TH 6:40 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan) T, W, F Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M, TH 6:45 AM B”H and Mesivta of Baltimore (Dirshu Minyan) S-F Beth Abraham M, TH Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue M-F Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F Ner Tamid M-F Ohel Moshe T, W, F Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim M-F 6:50 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] M, TH Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh M, TH Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation T, W, F Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh M, TH Derech Chaim M-F Kol Torah M-F Ohel Moshe S Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH Shomrei Emunah Congregation M, TH The Shul at the Lubavitch Center M, TH 6:55 AM Beth Abraham T, W, F Kol Torah M, TH

7:15 AM Shearith Israel Congregation Shomrei Emunah Congregation Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel Tzeirei Anash

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Mental Health Corner

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ADHD and Inconsistency

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

S

himon was a 15-year-old whose behavior baffled his parents. Shimon enjoyed woodworking and when he would get into a groove he would be able to spend hours upon hours patiently carving out the most incredible creations. But when his parents would ask him to clean up his room, he would moan and groan, as if the five-minute task was cruel and unusual punishment. Even when it came to tasks that he enjoyed, his ability to perform them greatly depended on his mood. When he was excited about it, he would be able to really focus on the task, but when he was not in the mood he seemed to not be able to lift a finger. Shimon’s inconsistency was truly bewildering.

What was going on?

Interestingly enough, Shimon might have ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and sometimes hyperactivity, and is notorious for difficulty in focusing.

This is perhaps the most common misconception about ADHD. Individuals with ADHD can focus quite well, and when they are interested they tend to hyperfocus. Rather, individuals with ADHD have their focus determined on their interest and not by the importance of the task at hand.

Life is divided into two different categories of tasks. One category contains tasks that do not really stimulate us, but we all understand that they need to be done. This includes washing the dishes, doing your taxes, paying your bills on time, etc. Then there are those tasks that give us enjoyment and pleasure. Most of us engage in both kinds of tasks, even if the first category does not especially stimulate us.

If you are the kind of person who has no problem performing boring but important tasks, then you might look at someone who endlessly procrastinates as being lazy. That is not really the case at all. You just have a different kind of a brain. Let us try to explain.

Our brains are composed of many

different parts that work together in order to help us execute a myriad number of tasks. There is one part of the brain that specializes in planning, monitoring, and executing specific goals, which is commonly known as executive functioning. This is the prefrontal cortex, and is located just behind the forehead.

As with many parts of the brain, the prefrontal cortex develops over time, and is relatively underdeveloped in children. This is partially why children have such a hard time in executing goals that are boring and very “grownup-ish”. Individuals with ADHD suffer from a lag in the development of their prefrontal cortex, and therefore they have a hard time carrying out “boring” tasks. In the absence of a fully functional prefrontal cortex, their focus turns to what is interesting and stimulating and not to what is important and necessary.

This helps explain the paradoxical nature of ADHD medication. The two primary medications for ADHD are amphetamines (such as Adderall)

and methylphenidate (such as Ritalin and Concerta). These are brain stimulants. How does this make any sense?

Why would you give a brain stimulant to someone who suffers from hyperactivity? Wouldn’t it make them even more hyperactive? The answer is because the symptoms of ADHD can be traced to an underactive prefrontal cortex. Once you stimulate the brain and the prefrontal cortex is up and running, you can begin to focus and execute whatever tasks you need to accomplish.

Our sages tell us (Pirkei Avos 2:5) that you should not judge your friend until you have reached their place.

This includes that you should not judge someone else who has a different kind of brain than you. You might have absolutely no problem with executive functioning, but your friend with the understimulated prefrontal cortex does have real and genuine obstacles to overcome.

Shimon, the hero of our story, might have ADHD, which would explain his so-called inconsistent behav-

ior. Should Shimon take medication?

Should he seek therapy? These are questions that depend on numerous factors and an experienced clinician would be able to guide Shimon through this process. Our main focus in this article is to help you understand that Shimon is not simply lazy and is not suffering from a moral deficiency.

Individuals with ADHD are different than the rest of us, and need to be appreciated for their unique attributes and qualities. One thing we should never do to any child is expect him or her to be someone who they are not.

As Dr. Seuss once said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

This is a service of Relief Resources.

Relief is an organization that provides mental health referrals, education, and support to the frum community. Rabbi Yisrael Slansky is director of the Baltimore branch of Relief. He can be contacted at 410-448-8356 or at yslansky@reliefhelp. org

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Tech

Triumphs

Scrolling Away By Rebbetzin Sara Gross

I

was traveling on an Amtrak a few weeks ago and I got an unexpected boost. The train station was full of people traveling in every direction. Some were sitting and waiting, some were standing and walking, but what most people had in common was that they were on their phones. Most people were not talking on their phones, but looking at them, swiping and tapping.

I had a few minutes until my train was due to arrive, so I took out my flip phone and called my mother. We spoke for a few minutes and then hung up. A middle-aged man, not Jewish, gave me a funny look and approached me. “That is so beautiful,” he said, shaking his head from side to side. I wasn’t entirely sure what he was referring to, so I just looked at him blankly.

“You have one of those flip phones!

Everybody around is just swiping and swiping, but you aren’t. You aren’t busy with your phone like the rest of them all the time!” He actually started to tear up and said, “It just makes me so happy inside to see someone making that choice.” I stammered out a thank you and went to catch my train.

As I found my seat and settled down for the ride, I couldn’t help but marvel at how emotional the man had been. He was inspired by the fact that someone was making the choice to be in control of their time by refusing to use a smartphone. The tool that is designed to save us so much time is truly the biggest time waster ever invented in the history of mankind.

DID YOU KNOW: Product de-

signers deliberately engineer smartphones to be addictive. How could that be? Are people addicted to talking to people? Generally not, but as one visitor to our TAG office explained it when referring to his device, “It’s not a phone. It’s a time-waster.”

Consider the shape of a smartphone. If it were designed for talking, it would have the curved banana-shaped design of the classic corded phones or an open flip phone. Instead, they resemble portable screens, contoured to slip smoothly in and out of your pocket. The scrolling and swiping actions on the phone mimic pulling down and releasing a slot machine lever. The bright, rich, candy colors of app icons grab our attention, luring us to respond to notifications of new messages. It’s not so much our lack of

basic self-control that hooks us into constantly checking our phones. It’s more the calculated, manipulative tactics of teams of designers taking advantage of our natural vulnerabilities.

We’re no match for them, as design teams skillfully exploit our weaknesses, making smartphones irresistibly addictive.

There are a number of settings you can change on your device to make it less addictive, but one very effective method of avoiding the temptation is to put the addictive elements out of reach. TAG can recommend a filter for your phone that can do just that, either by limiting your access to those tempting apps or by blocking them completely. You decide what you want access to, and the filter helps you keep to your decisions.

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A Snippet From Judaism’s Number One Podcast

Two Idf Soldiers’ Raw Account From The War Zone A SNIPPET FROM JUDAISM’S NUMBER ONE PODCAST

W

In our interconnected world, the power of the media cannot be hen Internet Israel is not atsocial war,media, radio, newspapers, and overestimated. websites, magazinesArky increasingly control Staiman isthea fate tourof politicians and governments, world finances morality. the chareidi guide.

He hasandbeen theInvoice of world, the messages conveyed by religious media can shape and strengthen emuna, enrich charitable light for and theferment nation new as Israel defends efforts, shul and yeshiva policies. Therefore, it was a privilege interview the influential Rabbi Eli Paley, owner of itsgreat country andtoattempts to highly get back Media Group and publisher of the Mishpacha Hebrew into Israel fromandGaza. theMishpacha over 200 hostages from Hamas.

English weekly magazines.

are miracles all the time and Rudy chooses to bring light to whatever he can do. However, he is not excited to go into war knowing not everyone will come back out.

Some close friends may not come Rudy Rochman is a Jewish Is- not know much, but he could tell it and you can use it for good at least back. Terrorists like Hamas fight serious. ofHe wife to get until this war is over.

Eli Paley is aactivist businessman social activist.

He is chairman thetold Paleyhis Family rael rights withand millions of was amongst civilians and no one is Foundation which supports and promotes Torah Centers and socialready initiatives intook the his the bomb shelter and Rudy has been out of the Army excited about this but they know followers across social media platCharedi community. A member of the Jewish Funders Network, he is active in several but among as a combat sol-the poor The 10 topicyears of poverty Charedim and in the Israeli philanthropic organizations. forms.

Rudy’s work primarily fo- phone with him when he went back for andeconomic believe situation that Israel has to strike community lay heavily ontoEli’s heart.on Asthe part of the solution, Eli started the Charedi Institute to Shul.

His unit only gets called dier is still required serve cuses on shifting the global, ideoback at Hamas and take Hamas of Public Affairs to engage with the government with hopes to resolve this in a way thatout will We discussed the Mishpacha’s origin, the challenges he isthings faced with decision up when arepolicy really bad but reserves until age 40. On Shabbat once and for all to free the Israelis logical, and political conversations allow the Charedi society to retain its Torah values. making, and the overall goals he hopes to attain through the publication. regarding the Jewish people and to his surprise, he got the call and morning he was called by his of- and Palestinians from Hamas and While to American maybase have difficulty in relating to the issues overseas, Eli, as a born Eli was born in in the Mattesdorff neighborhood in Yerushalayim. great-grandfather and ficer home to His prepare to leave. comeJews to the immediIsrael, uniting sectors of Israeli so- went to save the civilians that are capand bred Israeli is certainly in touch with the masses.

He recalls the issue he faced during grandfather arrived in Eretz Yisroel in 1925 to establish the Slabodka Yeshivah in Chevron.

The goodbye was very emotional, ately.

They there was his kolel years knew when distributing thesome magazine.tured The government regulation forbid ato this ciety, and bringing there. He can relate Laterlocating his grandfather became theawareassistant to Rabbi Herzel, the chief rabbi of Israel. yingeman from attack. receivingThe Kollelgruesome benefits if he had any other source of income. Therefore, of terror ness to the disconnected Tribes of hugging his children, telling them sort because two years ago he too was he was forced tohowever, register his side job under wife’s name, a desperate solution used by Eli himself is an alumni of Chevron yeshiva. When he married his wife, a graduate of he loved them, a wave of mixed footage was, unheard of his captured Israel worldwide, creating space and thrown in a cage for many.

In his publication, he attempts to broker a better solution.

Michlala in Bayit Vegan, his dream was to continue learning. However, a few months after emotions. before. He arrived at the base with- three weeks. He knows how these brother mentioned a new publication called Mishpacha was forhis marriage, Israelis hisand Palestinians to monthly Another example difficulties face is the draft.

Arky wasforasked if ita half wasonce scary.

2 hours and ofwas given that gearIsraeli andchareidim looking for transcend someone to work a distributor in Yerushalayim a day and every in unite and theirasconflict, people must be feeling and hopes Mishpacha discussed population statistics -- one out of four children is 5 to 6 weeks. With flex hours like that, Eli took He the job, earning twice as much as he would says the soldiers are trained for weapons and driven down to the and generating innovative ways of they can get them out as soon as Charedi– and how the army and Charedi society can possibly reach a solution. be for an entire month in a kolel. Financially independent, he continued to learn diligently. this.

They didn’t want any of this south without being told where they combating antisemitism. possible.

The paper is faced with Hashkafa decisions that have far-reaching effects on our His father, Rabbi Yehuda Paley, bought the Mishpacha Magazine business. to happen but now thatToithelp hashishap- were going.

Atdaily some point they These two soldiers at the front Never again a debated promiseback and society.

The issue of printing pictures of women in the magazine hasis been father, Eli got involved in the editorial angle of the magazine figuring out how it could make they are trained, prepared, were cheered

by When police, and forth in many on forums.

Hilarythen Clinton was running for President, Mishpacha lines havecontribution garneredtoover 100 mil- pened, commitment that every generation a unique the field of journalism.

He left learning to pursue his new mission shocked many readers by publishing a blurry photo of Donald Trump and Hilary on the equipped, and happy todrives be serving saw blown-up cars and finally bodto inspire influence Chareidi community.

It is that idealism that still him in lion viewsand together onthesocial media says to take and fulfill. As antisemcover. “We just wanted to see how people would react,” Eli confides. his work so many years later. and protecting. ies, becoming worse and worse as itism is on the rise most Jewish and they are spreading light and Arky says Am Yisroel “step- they advanced likesome something The office did receive complaints,out but theleaders Gedolim say the magazine consults While Mishpacha is well-received around the world, the goal of Mishpacha is to is serve, truth. it will go away.advised Hamas them to include her since there was a real possibility Hilary would indeed become ping up like crazy” and this is what elevate and be the voice of the Chareidim, particularly in Eretz Yisroel.

The real customers of a movie.

They finally reached Arky Staiman is originally from is taking all the guilt and putting president. However, in Israel, an anti-Mishacha publication blasted Mishpacha , claiming it are not the advertisers but the audience. Mishpacha seeks toto portray an independent voice is supposed be.

The soldiers are the village of Kfar Aza on the Gaza on by Baltimore, came towith Israel yeshithepublishing Jews ina picture Israel.of Hilary TheirClinton. goal they were breaking the rules of modesty and Torah which is unaffiliated any for political party. In the early years, in the chareidi world of communicating what they need border, one of the hardest hit vil- has always been to make Israel pollicization, this was perceived as a weakness.

However, the years have passed, and this va in 2010, and never left. He did This became a real everything issue becausebecame it was very hard for Eli to justify in his has become one of the most salient factors of itspublic success. and the community lages and then a freedom joint army and yeshiva program from the badparticularly and they even sacrifice mind why they could not print modest pictures look of women, is giving whatever they can. The ‘real’.

They understood a their considering how hard it seemsthis to bewas to explain to ba’alei teshuvah women and was drafted paratroopcitizens to why do so.

Theareaid they Mishpacha was theinto first the Charedi publication to give the same respect to the Sephardi and “ignored.” orderunit to make Mishpacha, often one of their first exposures to Yiddishkeit, soldiers are getting strength war zone.InThe remained there Ashkenazi attempting of unity.

Over time, this adherencefrom to er’s unit societies, where he servedto create from a sense get from the world either goes tomore palatable, Eli is comfortable with his decision. equality and ahavas Yisrael became the secret to the business’ success.

2011 to 2013. He is married and the people and vice versa and this for 4 days with nonstop shooting wards making the leaders wealthy howthrough it is supposed to be.

Nobody back They managed to toor He’s onand a bigforth. mission: to expose our brothers true Torah values, and hetobears Mishpacha’s questoutside in elevating frum society isisdone sincere, honest writing. lives in Tekoa Jerusalem. toward weapons keepthethe war responsibility seriously.

He often employs a different way of thinking, a creative model, a Mishpacha does not engage in pretending that society is perfect.

While recognizing the it has ever seen such achdus and clear the area enough for ZAKA to When he left the army he became going. war now is not between stretch and a twist, that can support our lifestyle while atThe the same time show that we care great achievements and accomplishments in works the frum world, Mishpacha will tackle even in. You cannot ‘unsee’ what Palestinians a tour guideissues, giving funin tours of Je-sensitive way.to lift the mood of soldiers come and ofIsraelis but rathabout the Israeli economy, security, and its welfare system. “Instead just complaining unpleasant albeit an extremely returning from difficult missions. you have seen.

They are now Eli inexplained op- erduring about why we are not understood,” the interview, mustthe ask Israeli what rusalem. between Hamas“weand we can dopreparing in this field. for While we next have to make sure that our kids are not too exposed to the There isn’t one answer to what erations the step Arky had gone to shul for Simpeople. wipe out big world, the (outside) world exists, and we have to face Hamas’ reality andgoal comeis upto with practical is still unknown. solutions. “ chat Torah. Although Tekoa is far people should be doing. Arky says which all Jews first in Israel and then in Rudy is not afraid. He says he the rest of the world. Therefore from Gaza and Lebanon, some- everyone can see what their call to Rather than hiding his head in the sand, he is ready to take on the problems in our action is, look inside at what makes got rid of the emotion of fear a long Hamas needs body walked in and announced be gotten of to neighbourhoods and cities, working with the authorities instead to of against them.rid Slowly, them special, and figure out a way time ago.

Even if it is difficult, he he believes, we will be able to build better trust. where the closest bomb shelter was free both Israelis and Palestinians. to make the right decision rathif a siren went off. Then the rumors to give something to Am Yisroel has Eli is proud that Mishpacha does not try to be sensationalist. Rather he makes an effort thanhisthe easy decision. There started that terrorists had come right now. Everyone has a special erto keep editorial policies responsible and sensitive. “If you’re going to do it le’shaim

“Never again is a promise and commitment that every generation says to take and fulfill” CEO OF MISHPACHA They did talent or ability, figure out what it is

ELI PALEY

shamayim” Eli ended, “you’ll have disyata d’shmaya to do it right.”

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TO BETTER HEALTH

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By Rabbi Moshe Dear Executive Director, Baltimore Bikur Cholim

T

he weekly parshiyos that we read during these months, delve deeply into the lives, actions, and lessons gleaned from our Avos. In fact, Avraham was selected to be the founding father of Bnai Yisrael because of his unique dedication to passing on the heritage and Torah to his subsequent generations, creating the endless links of devotion to Hashem, of which we are a part today.

This week’s parsha, Toldos, in particular underscores this point, as it is the only parsha in which all our AvosAvraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov- were alive together. The stories of their lives and their actions sowed the seeds of history which play out for all succeeding generations, including our own.

As our Rabbis teach, “Ma’Aseh Avos, SIman La’Banim”, the actions of our

forefathers are a sign for the future of their children.

This lesson, that the actions we take today can have major significance down the road, also holds true when it comes to our overall health and how we feel. We are well aware that what we eat, how much we exercise, and taking the necessary precautions, are all proactive steps that we should consider for leading and living a healthy, productive life.

This is why in addition to caring for the urgent medical needs and support of our cholim, Baltimore Bikur Cholim has expanded its vision to include preventative steps and awareness to keep our community in good health.

Thanks to Director of Operations, Bonnie Pollak, and in cooperation with Giants, Bikur Cholim recently

held four community-wide Vaccine Clinics, as preventative measure to keep illness and flu as remote as possible. Over 500 community members were serviced, with almost 800 flu, Covid, and RSV shots administered during the course of our clinics. Bikur Cholim is grateful to Mrs. Pollak and her team of volunteers to anticipating the need and planning the well-run events.

Additionally, I am excited to announce that a Bikur Cholim planning committee has recently been formed that will be exploring ideas of how we can encourage and educate the community about issues related to overall better health, safety, anxiety-reduction, and preventative measures. Some ideas being explored and discussed include a series of focused panel discus-

sions geared towards specific gender and age groups which will be led by experts in the various fields. Another idea revolves around a health fair of sorts where the broader community may learn about resources and contacts in various categories of preventative health and better living.

Just as our Rabbis have highlighted how the actions of our ancestors played an integral role in the future history of Am Yisrael, so too can we recognize that today’s decisions and choices can play out in significant ways in our own personal future.

I look forward to sharing the committees exciting plans and series of fortunate events for educating and enabling the community towards happy and healthy living in the near future.

Until then, stay healthy and happy!

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Forgotten Her es

Heroes Fighting Hamas

By Avi Heiligman

Corporal Matan Abergil, Hy”d

J

ust one day after commemorating the 50th year since the breakout the Yom Kippur War, Israel was again attacked. Like the Yom Kippur War, this also was a surprise assault. Intelligence agencies failed to recognize the magnitude of the buildup of enemy forces until the attack began. Caught in the crosshairs were thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers who were brutally murdered, beaten and taken hostage until the IDF were able to respond in force. At least 1,400 people were killed by Hamas, and the horrors perpetrated by Hamas terrorists soon became known to the public. Shortly after the attack on October 7, stories of heroism began to circulate in the media of soldiers and civilians who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.

Corporal Matan Abergil, Hy”d ,was a 19-year-old from Hermesh when he and his fellow soldiers from the Golani Brigade heard of the attack. They rushed to Kibbutz Nir Am near the breach of the Gaza border fence. However, soon they were surrounded

by Hamas terrorists in their APC (armored personnel carrier) when a grenade landed inside. Matan jumped on the grenade and saved the other six soldiers in the APC. His last words were: “I tried to do everything to protect the people of Israel.”

Two unnamed Bedouin soldiers from the IDF’s desert reconnaissance unit were at the Re’im Base when the attack began.

The base, near where the music festival massacre was occurring, was targeted by Hamas terrorists. One of the soldiers took

Inbal Rabin-Lieberman

off the top of his army uniform to try to blend in with the terrorists. He told them in Arabic to come towards him, and they listened to him, thinking he was a terrorist.

The other Bedouin soldier, the commander of the unit, then opened fire on the exposed terrorists, killing many Hamas terrorists and saving countless Israeli lives. They held off the terrorists for an hour until Shaldag commandos arrived to clear the base of the enemy. The Bedouin commander ordered a successful airstrike on an occupied

Major Noam Tivon

terrorists were killed in the initial confrontation. For the next three and a half hours, the response team, led by Inbal, held off the attackers. It was reported that she killed many of the 25 terrorists that were eliminated by her team. Due to Inbal’s quick actions, no one in the kibbutz was killed.

Major Noam Tivon, 61, is a reservist and was in Tel Aviv when his son told him that there were terrorists near his house in Nachal Oz. The roads were partially blocked, but Tivon managed to drive his

For the next three and a half hours, the response team, led by Inbal, held off the attackers.

building on the base and eliminated many Hamas terrorists.

Inbal Rabin-Lieberman, 25, was the security coordinator for Kibbutz Nir Am and previously had served in the IDF with a combat K-9 unit. On the morning of the attack, she heard noises that turned out to be a terrorist trying to infiltrate the perimeter of the kibbutz. Then she heard air raid sirens and made the decision to call together the twelve member response group. The team set up on the perimeter and began engaging terrorists who, by this time, were trying to scale the fence. Several Hamas

jeep to link up with a commando unit.

Together with the force, Noam charged at and killed several Hamas terrorists. After helping two wounded people with his vehicle, he continued on to his son’s house.

His son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters were hiding in a safe room and had stayed there until Noam came to the rescue. From there, he continued fighting with paratroopers as they cleared the rest of the kibbutz of terrorists. He said of the attack, “My impression is that it’s like the Yom Kippur war – we were surprised, there are things that need to be checked, but now

we need to win and crush Hamas, Gaza must pay the price. We have no other way.

I saved my family and other friends today, but there are still many dead and wounded, so there is no joy. There is determination.”

K-9 units were heavily involved in the fighting during the attack. At Kfar Aza, a canine by the name of Naro was sent to find terrorists that may have been hiding. He found much more as he alerted his handlers to an ambush that Hamas had set up. The soldiers then eliminated the terrorists, but Naro was killed in the fighting.

Another canine was credited with finding a Hamas commander who was hiding. The terrorist was captured by soldiers from the K-9 unit. Canines were instrumental in rescuing trapped civilians while under fire. Several hostages were rescued by this unit, and many more terrorists were killed after the canines alerted their handlers to their positions.

These are just a few of the many stories of those who fought to save countless lives during the Hamas attack. These heroes’ sacrifices need to be remembered for their protection for Israel, its citizens and the Jewish nation abroad. We daven for the protection of the IDF soldiers who are currently fighting Hamas in Gaza and defending Israeli borders on all fronts.

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

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Israel Today

Why are the October 7 Atrocities Being Denied?

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Caroline Glick

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O

n its face, Holocaust denial makes no sense. The physical evidence of the genocide exists.

The testimony of survivors and of Nazis and their collaborators exists. And they are all irrefutable.

Beyond that, the Nazis were proud of the fact that they killed 6 million Jews. By denying the Holocaust, contemporary Nazis and Nazi fans seem to be demeaning their heroes. Why would they do that?

The mystery of Holocaust denial is no mere puzzlement from a distant past.

Understanding its purpose is essential as we contend with our present predicament.

Immediately after word got out about Hamas’s sadistic slaughter of more than 1,400 Israeli men, women and children on October 7, Hamas’s supporters worldwide launched a concerted effort to deny that anything had happened.

Just as neo-Nazis both celebrate the Holocaust and deny it, so do those who rapturously greeted the stories of slaughtered and decapitated Jewish babies and men, and raped and dismembered Jewish women and girls, insist that Hamas didn’t commit any of those crimes.

A notable aspect of the atrocities is that Hamas’s mass murderers didn’t try to hide them. Instead, they broadcast them worldwide as they carried them out.

Armed with Go Pro cameras and the cellphones of their victims, the Palestinian terrorists in southern Israel filmed the assault, dismemberment, torture and execution of their victims on their victims’ own phones, posting them in their victims’ family WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages as they carried them out. They did the same with their own social-media platforms. No one needed researchers to comb through Hamas archives. The directions for the slaughter were found in documents that the terrorists carried with them into Israel.

So why are supporters of Hamas tearing down posters of kidnapped Israeli children, women and men being held hostage in the Gaza Strip? They celebrate the hostage-taking on their social-media postings. Why are they insisting to their fellow students on campuses or subway riders in New York and Johannesburg that there are no hostages in Gaza, and this is all a Zionist conspiracy? A gas-lighting?

To understand what is happening and what it represents, we need to look at the most popular and powerful form of Holocaust denial today. As Izabella Tabarovsky meticulously demonstrated in a Tablet magazine article last January, this form of Holocaust denial was coined by the Soviets. It was popularized by a Palestinian terrorist of some repute: Palestinian Authority chairman and Palestinian Liberation Organization chief Mahmoud Abbas.

In 1982, Abbas wrote a doctoral dissertation at the KGB’s Institute of Oriental Studies, which he later turned into a bestselling book. His thesis, titled “The Relationship Between Zionists and Nazis, 1933-1945,” is the basis for Holocaust education in Palestinian schools.

Abbas claimed that the Zionists were Nazis. He insisted that just as the Nazis defined themselves as Aryan racial supremacists, the Zionists defined themselves as Jewish racial supremacists.

Abbas claimed that the Holocaust was a collaborative effort between the Nazis and the Zionist leadership in the land of Israel.

David Ben-Gurion, he wrote, had agents in

Europe who collaborated with the Nazis.

Their goal, Abbas said, was to support the genocide of European Jewry in order to win international sympathy for the Zionist effort to establish a Jewish supremacist state in the land of Israel, aka “Palestine.”

As Tabarovsky explained, the allure of Abbas’s claims for Palestinian Jew-haters and Soviets alike is clear. First, it enables them to avoid accounting for the role they played in the murder of 6 million Jews. It was the Palestinian Arab leader Haj Amin al-Husseini—not Ben-Gurion or any other Jew, Zionist or not—who collaborated with Hitler to annihilate the Jews in Europe and throughout the world. And it was the Soviet Union—not the Zionist leadership—that signed a non-aggression pact with the Nazis. By insisting that it was the Jews who collaborated with their own destruction, both the Soviets and the Palestinians were able to project their own culpability onto their enemy: the Jews. They were also able to deny the Jews moral legitimacy as victims.

After all, if the Jews did it to themselves, then no one else had anything to own up to. And more importantly, the

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Sifting Through the Ashes The same malevolent, genocide-supportive rationale guides Hamas’s supporters worldwide today.

Over the past several days, more and more information has come out about how the victims of Hamas’s atrocities were murdered and tortured with a sadism that was inconceivable until Oct. 7. And as that information is disseminated, Hamas supporters’ efforts to demonize those disseminating the information have expanded exponentially.

Consider just one example. Over the weekend, Eli Beer, the head of United Hatzalah rescue organization, told an American Jewish audience the story of a baby from Kfar Aza. The baby, he said, was placed in an oven and burned alive. It was later reported that the baby’s father was shot and left to bleed to death as his wife was assaulted and executed, and his baby burned alive.

I posted the story on my X-platform (formerly Twitter) account. Within hours, the post went viral. By Wednesday morning, it had been viewed by more than 2.5 million people. Thousands had reposted, and thousands more had responded.

By Monday afternoon, I realized that most of the reposts and comments were supportive of Hamas. Many made jokes about the atrocity. But most of the posts were sheer denials that the crime even took place. Posters demonized me as a “Zionist Nazi” who propagates lies. Some pro-Hamas posters created memes declaring me a liar.

Once I understood what was happening, I asked multiple people for confirmations, which I received directly and indirectly from the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli government, the American government, ZAKA (the body retrieval society, and in this case, body parts) and other sources.

I also learned that the case that Beer revealed was not a lone event. Several bodies of babies were found with grill marks, indicating they had been burned alive in ovens.

Professor Chen Kugel, head of the Israel National Institute of Forensic Medicine, oversees the process of identifying the bodies of the victims. In media appearances since Oct. 7, Kugel has repeatedly described the corpses of victims who were burned alive. They can be distinguished from victims whose bodies were burned after they were executed by the presence of soot in their lungs. The soot indicates that they were breathing while they were burning.

The process of identifying the victims is protracted because Hamas directed its murderers to burn the bodies of their victims. Kugel and others have described the remains of many of the bodies as what can be seen from a crematorium. Avigail Gimpel, a volunteer at the Jewish burial society Chevra Kadisha who prepared dozens of victims’ bodies for burial, shared that several of the bodies she and her col-

Jewish state. That is, its goal is to enact another Holocaust. With Israel castigated as a liar and the villain, the next step is to wipe it out.

To Jews and their supporters, Hamas apologists now terrorizing Jews on college campuses and in cities throughout the United States and Europe and running rampant on social media platforms seem crazy. How can they deny the undeniable fact of Hamas culpability?

But Hamas’s boosters are not delusional. They know exactly what they are doing.

They are waging a psychological war against Western governments and publics.

Their purpose is to gaslight hundreds of millions of people, to cause them to question their own grip on reality and intimidate them into silence. At the same time, they seek to embolden their allies and fellow travelers to stand openly with Hamas by showing they have nothing to lose from doing so.

If they are successful, their efforts will produce an international climate conducive to the achievement of their common goal of eradicating the Jewish people and the Jewish state. If they are partially successful, Israel’s war effort will be undermined, and assaults on Jews worldwide will increase. (JNS)

emigration to pre-state Israel and his direct role in carrying out the Holocaust. Just so, Hamas supporters are now accusing Israel of killing its own people or fabricating their victimization at the hands of the terrorist organization in order to build a case that Israel is the villain of this story. This enables Jew-haters worldwide to feel comfortable expressing their own loathing of the Jews.

If the Jews are the villains, then it is mor-

Their purpose is to gaslight hundreds of millions of people, to cause them to question their own grip on reality and intimidate them into silence. leagues received were balls of charcoal.

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have been brought in to sift through the ashes of burned-out homes to separate the human remains from burned furniture and walls.

Despite the mounting forensic and testimonial evidence, the denials continue and expand. When seen in the context of Palestinian Holocaust denial, they can be understood to serve three related goals.

First, the denials enable people who are accustomed to supporting the Palestinians, but who like to be seen as truthful, to feel comfortable casting doubt on the truth. For example, Eric Levitz, a progressive writer for New York magazine published the following on X on Oct. 22: “Last night I asserted that this report [related to the slaughter of October 7] indicated that babies were beheaded. This was an overstatement. I should have said that the report established that babies were found headless, a fact that lends plausibility to claims of beheading, but which does not prove them.”

This week, the Yale Daily News published a similarly depraved correction of an opinion column that related to the fact that Hamas terrorists beheaded and raped their victims. The Yale student paper insisted the allegations had not been substantiated.

The second purpose of Hamas supporters’ denial is to criminalize Israel. If Hamas isn’t guilty, then obviously Israel is. Abbas accused the Jews of responsibility for the Holocaust in order to reject the moral legitimacy of the State of Israel.

He did it as well to avoid contending with Palestinian culpability for the genocide despite Husseini’s role in blocking Jewish

al to hate them. It is moral to stand with Hamas. And it is immoral to support the Jews and the State of Israel.

Finally, once truth is cast into doubt and Israel is castigated as the villain, the denials of Hamas’s crimes facilitate the continuation and expansion of those crimes. Hamas’s declared goal, like Abbas’s Fatah Party, is the elimination of the

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1. *

TJH

Centerfold

Stages of Self-Checkout

*

The Overconfident Stride: Approaching the self-checkout with the confidence of a seasoned pro, convinced this

*

You Never Learn, Do You?: When you feel like a failure because for the fourth time you forgot to put the item in

will be the smoothest transaction of your life.

the bagging area after scanning it.

*

*

Avoiding the Gaze: When you notice that this is harder than it looks and now the self-checkout manager is

gazing at you… “You see, being a cashier is not as easy as you thought!”

*

Getting over Shame: When you call over the self-check-

The Philosophical Contemplation: Why do they insist that every item be placed in the bagging area? Why do

they care where I put my item?

*

Struggling to Lift: Being really dramatic as you make believe that you are trying to lift the case of seltzer out of the

out manager and concede, “Um, I really have no clue how

cart…hoping that the self-checkout manager comes with her

I’d even begin to check out these cucumbers”…and watching

remote gun and shoots the bar code for you (and once she’s at

in amazement how she punches the button that has a cucum-

it, maybe she will just scan everything else in your cart…this

ber on it. Aha! So that’s how it’s done!

way you can avoid the dreaded bagging area altogether).

*

Bagging Area Blues: Hearing that dreaded “Unexpected item in the bagging area” and

contemplating whether you should just call it quits and start over at the next self-checkout kiosk.

* *

The Victory Beep: Proudly grabbing the receipt and feeling like you just conquered the self-checkout world!

Self-Checkout Olympics: Giving a very slight smile to the person using the self-checkout lane near you…

“Don’t worry, I’ve been there, too. Eventually, you will get

Riddle Me This There are two of these in a corner, one in a room, zero in a house, but one in a shelter. What is it?

Answer: The letter “R.”

WWW.THEBJH.COM

the hang of it and make it to the receipt-grabbing stage!”

63

How much do you know about this iconic address, 160 years after it took place on November 19, 1863?

1. How long did President Lincoln speak while delivering the Gettysburg Address? a. Under 2 minutes b. 10 minutes c. 47 minutes d. 1 hour and 40 minutes

3. Where was the Gettysburg Address delivered? a. Washington D.C. b. Philadelphia c. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania d. Richmond, Virginia

5. An editorial in the PatriotNews of Harrisburg, about 35 miles northeast of Gettysburg, criticized Lincoln’s address and said they were “silly remarks” that deserved a “veil of oblivion.”

When did the newspaper apologize for that editorial? a. Two weeks after the address b. When the Civil War ended c. When Lincoln was killed d. In 2013

Moishe was 100, and his wife Leah was 98.

A young man asked Moishe what his secret to good health was. Moishe re-

Answers 1-A 2-D 3-C 4-C 5-D 6-A Wisdom Key 5-6 correct: Let’s give you a stovepipe hat.

2-4 correct: What happened? You left halfway through?

0-1 correct: Drank too much in town, Yanky Doodle?

rel, the loser has to walk for three miles. So I’ve been walking three miles every day for past 75 years!”

The impressed young man asked, “But how come your wife is very healthy as well?”

plied, “I’ll tell you my secret. I’ve been

Moishe answered, “Well, for 75 years, every single day,

married for 75 years. I promised my wife

she has been following me to make sure I really walk the

when we got married that when we quar-

full three miles!”

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You Gotta be Kidding Me!

6. President Lincoln was not feeling well on the day of the ceremony in Gettysburg. What was wrong with him? a. He had smallpox. b. He was nauseous from the train ride. c. He was suffering from stressinduced headaches. d. He had the flu.

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

2. Famed orator Edward Everett of Massachusetts preceded Lincoln’s address. How long did he speak for? a. Under 2 minutes b. 7 minutes c. 14 minutes d. 2 hours

4. What is the famous opening phrase of the Gettysburg Address? a. “In the course of human events” b. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war” c. “Four score and seven years ago” d. “We hold these truths to be self-evident”

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Gettysburg Address Trivia

64

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

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There are people who plainly want to ignore the Hamas massacre of October 7. They want to wipe Israel off the map. That is what they were chanting for today. They must not and will not succeed… An ancient hatred is rising again in Europe; it must be stamped out.

- Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Israel’s internal security agency announced that they will eliminate all participants of the October 7 massacre. The “photojournalists” who took part in recording the assault will be added to that list.

- Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon talking about the freelance journalists who worked for AP, the New York Times and other media outlets who were present during the October 7th attack to “document” it on behalf of Hamas

Breaking: Israel announced that it will expel 1.7 million Palestinians. Sorry for the typo, Pakistan announced that it will expel 1.7 million Afghans. No protests in any European capitals.

– Tweet by Dr. Eli David

The surge of hate & violence against Muslims, Arabs & Palestinian Americans is alarming. It’s powerfully important that the Biden-Harris administration is developing a national strategy to counter Islamophobia. It’s up to all of us to ensure there’s no space for hate in America.

- Tweet By Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

You misspelled Jews.

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- Reply by Jeremy Boreing

Remember, there was a ceasefire on October 6, that Hamas broke by their barbaric assault on peaceful civilians. There was a ceasefire. It did not hold because Hamas chose to break it.

Hamas have consistently broken ceasefires over a number of years. Israel has a right to defend itself.

– Hillary Clinton on “The View”

65

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There are rumors now that you are putting pressure on Israel to hold off, to cease the offensive. If those rumors are true, I respectfully ask of you, here on my son’s grave, cease and desist; stand back, Mr. President, don’t pressure us. Let us do what we know how to do and what we must do: defeat evil. This is a war of light against darkness, of truth against lies, of civility against murderous barbarism.

- Yechiel Leiter, at the funeral for his son Major Moshe Yedidya Leiter, who lost his life fighting in Gaza, addressing Pres. Joe Biden

I’m not a religious person or anything, and if there was a G-d, like, this is proof that there isn’t.

- Woke soccer player Megan Rapinoe declaring in a press conference that since she injured her foot in her final game there is no G-d

Well, I think that it is proof that there is a G-d; I’m just wondering why He didn’t do it sooner!

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Take it from one clean-speaking Scrantonian to another: we’re going to win this one, with you or without. We’re going to win it hands down.

Never have the people of Israel been so united.

This is our job; it’s what the Jewish people are here in this world to do: to fix the world!

Sometimes, fixing the world needs strength and force. My Moshe died for a cause, stand with us, Mr. President. Maybe, as we read in the Biblical book of Esther, it is the whole reason you are the leader of the free world. All of your long and illustrious career of leadership was preparation for this very moment. Those who stand with us will be blessed. Those who do not stand with us will fail. Stand with Moshe, who loved America and even trained with the Delta Force during his army service.

- One of many social media replies

- Ibid.

Today, ~ 300K people marched in DC in support of Israel & against antisemitism. No one was assaulted. Nothing vandalized. No one hiding behind masks. Lots of American flags. A stark contrast w/ the pro-Hamas protestors. This is a fight between good & evil, & good will prevail.

- Tweet by Nikki Haley

- Trump talking about the 2020 election in a TV interview

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I got 75 million votes, much more than that. I believe no president’s ever gotten that many votes and they’ve taken that number of people.

And I think you can double it or almost you can triple it in terms of the real the feeling.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

66 I think he always had a deep hatred of Israel in his heart. He hid it very well. He called me to the Oval Office and he said to me, “Alan, you’ve known me for a long time. You know I have Israel’s back.” I didn’t realize he meant to paint a target on it.

- Alan Dershowitz on Fox News talking about Barack Obama, who equated Israel to Hamas

He’s never been supportive of Israel. And finally, his true feelings have come out now that he’s no longer president and doesn’t have to be elected.

- Ibid.

Two hundred and forty people are held hostage and the world is silent, and there are “buts” and “perhapses.” I’d like to see Mr. Obama if one of his daughters was held hostage by Hamas. In two days, she’d be out, and there’d be no “buts.”

– Yael Angel, whose nephew is being held hostage by Hamas talking to Israel’s Channel 12

I’m struggling with it now. I think [Trump] has the policies if he would just follow the script and do what he has to do.

- Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus in an interview with Charles Gasparino

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Engagements Yehuda Reuvain Miller of (Baltimore) & Leeyan Bat-El Cohen (Miami Beach)

Shloime Scheinfeld (New York) & Brocha Epstein (Baltimore)

Shmuel Kramer (Baltimore) & Michali Warga (Far Rockaway)

Shimon Schuck & Pory Fine (Baltimore)

Chezky Abraham (Lakewood) & Huvi Weiss (Baltimore)

Yossi Katz (Passaic) & Ahuva Rosenbaum (Baltimore)

Yechiel Vorchheimer (Monsey) & Zahava Lieder (Baltimore)

Shragi Kasnett (Baltimore) & Rochel Chesir (Monsey)

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

67

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Were you ready for this war online?

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Two million people have turned to our content to make sense of the moment.

Have you?

OpenDor has 3 subbrands underneath it.

Unpacked, Unpacked for Educators and Imagination Productions. All of them have their own

identity and logo. Our OpenDor Media logo appears only in the monochromic version in the identity of the subbrands.

In the identity of unpacked

In the identity of unpacked - for educators

In the identity of Imagination Productions

opendormedia.org

33

OpenDor Guidelines

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6.1 OpenDor’s Subbrands

For those looking for answers to difficult questions, and for a comprehensive understanding of all things Israel and Jewish, OpenDor Media’s videos, podcasts, and articles across media platforms ensure the presence of a strong and credible voice at a time when we need it more than ever.

68

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NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

In the moment I am writing to you all, I am very distraught. I was engaged to a guy who I was very excited to marry. Some issues came up while we were dating, and I was coached through them, most related to boundaries, interpersonal things. I grew a

lot and felt I was in a great place.

My chosson and I dated for a few months and have been engaged for a month. He just informed me that he is unable to proceed with the engagement. He is claiming that I seem way too high-strung, needy, and lacking boundaries, among other things. These are things I have worked very hard on, and although I can’t say I have perfected them, I have really tried, and have been try-

WWW.THEBJH.COM

ing to work on.

I don’t know what to do with myself – this was supposed to be my future and now it is gone. I am trying to make sense of it. I realize there were some things I did to “mess up,” but I wish he would have given me more of a chance.

I guess I am writing to get clarity. Can I push to have this engagement back on? If I resign myself to the fact that it is truly over, how can I move forward while also feeling that I will never find someone like him again?

69

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

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70

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

The Panel

The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Y

ou started this communication saying that you were writing the question “in the moment.” I am hopeful that you have reached more clarity since your query.

You have worked on certain parts of yourself during the relationship. This effort brought you to better self-understanding and probably better communication and relating. So the engagement was a good thing for you. But obviously, the young man doesn’t feel that the two of you are a good fit, your growth not withstanding.

Pushing someone to stay in a relationship is neither wise nor fair to both partners. Force breeds resentment, ill will, and worse. Two people who commit to marriage should come to it willingly from desire for a shared life of values, feelings, and aspirations as well as chemistry.

You have a way to go to understanding marriage. But you have already begun this journey as you have worked on yourself. Keep working on yourself with some help and be grateful for this learning experience Hashem has brought you. You will certainly be in a better place if you keep at the growth and understanding of relationships. You will be a better you, and you will find a more suitable match. Keep growing, and move on.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

T

hank you for coming to us in your moment of desperation. I truly hope that with putting all our minds together, our panel can help you.

To answer your last question first: you never want to push someone into doing anything, even more so into marriage. As it is, the guy you were engaged to had hesitancies, and whether I believe that it was a good idea to continue pushing it is a question in itself.

In those cases, I believe a solid break in the relationship, before engagement, with time for both parties to do their own inner work is the best solution. A

We fall, brush ourselves off, and learn from our experiences so our bruises turn into muscles.

couple can then revisit the idea later on and see if things feel right.

The best thing you can do now is find ways to heal. Close this chapter in your mind, as hard as that will be for you. Work with a therapist, embrace the time you now have to work on yourself, and keep busy with chessed and helping others. Your bashert is out there some-

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72

where, but this guy was not the right one, and Hashem saved you from it!

Hodu L’Hashem ki tov! You get to start again fresh, learn from past mistakes, in order to receive your true bashert into your life when he comes along.

The Single Tzipora Grodko

I

’m sending so much compassion and support your way. What an incredibly difficult challenge to be facing. I would highly recommend having an intervention with your coach or a professionally trained therapist and your chosson.

Relationships are all about learning, compromising, and growing. A healthy life partner will invest all effort needed to make a relationship work. Since it sounds like you’re ready to do whatever it takes, I would hope that attending some sessions together with a trained professional would be valuable.

If he’s not willing to work with you, then I would exercise faith (as my primary mode of healing) knowing that you did your best and that G-d has a plan that’s always in your best interests.

We fall, brush ourselves off, and learn from our experiences so our bruises turn into muscles that strengthen our resilience and life satisfaction.

WWW.THEBJH.COM

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

B

roken engagements are very sad and seem to be happening with increas-

ing frequency in our community.

In most cases, after a period of grieving and introspection, a person is able to take a deep breath, move on, start dating again, find someone new and wonderful, and proceed to have an amazing, happy life.

After your broken engagement, it is not so troubling that you feel the need to improve in some areas. All of us, in all stages of life, can benefit from some self-improvement. (Just ask my wife.

After 50 years of marriage, she can easily provide you with an extensive list of how I need to improve myself.)

However, what is very troubling here, is that you are clearly suffering from feelings of low self-esteem. What happened to you?

Maybe your former fiancé contributed to your feelings of diminished selfworth. Perhaps he felt a need to build up his own ego by denigrating you. If so, do you really want to be married to someone who excels at pointing out your faults?

Maybe the self-proclaimed “coach,” or misguided therapist, caused you to feel bad about yourself and tried to mold you into someone who you are not.

They convinced you that you are “high strung”? Perhaps that is actually a wonderful quality, meaning that you have an exciting, extroverted personality.

They convinced you that you are “needy”? Perhaps that is actually a wonderful quality, meaning that you are a very loving person who wants to feel close, connected, and valued.

I’m not at all sure what you mean by “lacking boundaries,” but it is so easy to convince oneself that qualities that are positive can be deemed negative.

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions

Perhaps you should consider that although this has been a painful experience for you, Hashem has protected you from entering into a disastrous marriage.

Your letter does not really give us a very full, clear picture of what happened. However, please accept the suggestion that you need to cultivate a stronger sense of self-worth and self-confidence. Perhaps you would benefit from some professional assistance in order to attain a more positive, healthier mental outlook.

You will know that you have achieved a much healthier state of mind when you no longer dwell on the question, “How can I move forward while also feeling that I

Pushing someone to stay in a relationship is neither wise nor fair to both partners.

will never find someone like him again?”

Instead, you will come to the healthy realization that “my ex-boyfriend made the biggest mistake of his life. He will never be able to find someone as wonderful as me!”

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To Raise a Laugh

Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

I

t’s once again that time of year when we talk about the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony – an actual ceremony, held in Massachusetts, that celebrates the head-scratching scientific discoveries that are ignored by the so-called “Nobel Prize Committee”, because they did not get into the business to be entertaining.

But the Ig Nobel Prizes are no less real. Along with a trophy, the winners get an all-expenses-paid trip to the ceremony – with all expenses paid by the winners themselves – as well as ten trillion dollars of Zimbabwe currency, which comes out to about 40 cents American, that they can put toward paying their airfare, if they so choose.

Therefore, so as not to waste these people’s time any longer, let’s dive right into it, so they can get home: The prize for Medicine this year went to scientists in Italy, “for collecting evidence that pizza might protect against illnesses such as cancer and myocardial infarction.”

Myocardial infarction is Italian for “heart attacks”.

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By Mordechai Schmutter

The science doesn’t work at all. Pizza is bad for everything that might cause a heart attack, but apparently it prevents the actual heart attack. But this is why kids, who eat nothing but pizza, rarely have heart attacks. This is also why Jews, baruch Hashem, have always been on a strict diet of eating pizza every Motzoei Shabbos. And also Thursday night.

And in the Nine Days, which are inauspicious times.

You can’t be too careful.

Meanwhile, the prize for Medical Education went to some scientists in the United States for using a simple animal-training technique -- called “clicker training” -- to teach surgeons to perform orthopedic surgery. Because giving them treats wasn’t working. Nor was patting them on the head when they did a good surgery.

Clicker training is a process in which, when an animal does something right, you click a little device immediately so the animal can pinpoint exactly what he did right. Otherwise, the animal is left wondering, “What are you rewarding me for, exactly? I

just did ten things.”

But this process works on animals, so they figured, “Why not try this on humans?”

And you’re going to say, “Because humans understand words.” But how specific are anyone’s words? How many times have you done something wrong, where someone -- and we mean your wife -has yelled at you, and you didn’t know specifically what she was yelling at you about?

“Don’t do that!”

“Don’t do what? I just did ten things!”

But if she presses a button on a clicker, you have a better idea. And then she can give you a treat. So in this case, the teachers would click immediately and then put a treat in the doctors’ mouths, because their hands are otherwise occupied.

The prize for Biology this year went to scientists in in six different countries “for discovering that dead magnetized cockroaches behave differently than living magnetized cockroaches.” Obviously.

But now it’s been scientifically proven.

I’m surprised the living magnetized cockroaches behave at all.

I love how the magnetization itself is glossed over. The scientists magnetized cockroaches. But who cares? We want to know if the living ones are now different than the dead ones. Because they were different before, so now we want to see if they’re still different.

And if you can’t understand the benefits of magnetizing cockroaches, you’ve never seen one scurry under a fridge. So now you can watch them scurry up the fridge. Except for the dead ones. And you can also use them as magnets to hold up your kids’ craft projects.

To conduct the study, the scientists put roaches up on their fridge. The live roaches lost their magnetism in 50 minutes, at which point they fell off or tried to make off with the fruit magnets. The dead ones took 47.5 hours to fall. So we’re a long way away from using dead roaches as magnets for more than two days at a time. Which makes them perfect for craft projects you don’t really want to keep for that long.

“What happened to my project?”

“I don’t know. Check under the fridge… No, don’t.”

The Ig Nobel Peace Prize this year went to a team of researchers in England, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore “for trying to measure the pleasurability of scratching an itch.” Until now, they’d been measuring it scientifically with a chart of little faces. Our entire lives, our parents have been telling us that we shouldn’t scratch, but based on this new research, we can decide on our own if it’s worth the downsides.

Basically, they ranked the ankles the most pleasurable to scratch, followed by the back, and then the forearm. And they are wrong. The back is clearly the most pleasurable, and they didn’t even mention that itch in your inner ear where you have to vibrate your pinky and clear your throat at the same time.

The prize for Engineering this year went to Iman Farahbakhsh of Iran, “for inventing and patenting a diaper-changing machine for use on human infants.”

As opposed to what other species?

America may be the greatest country, but I can’t believe Iran is ahead of us in the things that matter.

The machine works, they say, along the same lines as a standard dishwasher. Basically, it’s a machine for under your kitchen counter, or possibly next to your washer/dryer, that you can put your kid into, leaving your hands free to play with your fridge magnets. And the only downside is that later in life, your child will have an unexplained fear of taking showers.

But that’s just a small price to pay. Because now, finally, instead of fighting about diapers, parents could have fights about whose turn it is to put the baby in the dishwasher.

That said, he should have also won the Peace prize.

The device isn’t on the market yet, so we still have to work out the details in regards to putting the baby in there for after Shabbos.

Mordechai Schmutter is a freelance writer and a humor columnist for Hamodia and other magazines. He has also published eight books and does stand-up comedy. You can contact him at MSchmutter@gmail.com.

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Common

By Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST

Simple Sam vs. Compounding Charlie: Invest Smarter!

A

lbert Einstein is credited with saying, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it earns it; he who doesn’t pays it.”

In successful investing, compounding growth plays an outsized role in the outcome. Compounding in the investing world is the idea that the growth rate of a given investment account applies to both the contributions made to the account and the accrued growth in the account. For example, someone who transfers $10,000 to a high-yield savings account paying an annual interest rate of 5% will make $500 in the first year but $525 in the second year. The additional interest earned, despite the saver not adding a dollar to the account and the interest rate staying the same, is the beauty of compound interest! In an investment account holding various stocks and bonds, the same concept applies and is typically expressed as “reinvesting” the dividends and capital gains earned in the account.

Check out what some of the world’s most successful investors have to say about the power of compounding: Warren Buffett – “My life has been a product of compound interest” Charlie Munger – “The first rule of compounding. Never interrupt it unnecessarily.”

Morgan Housel – “It’s hard to believe that over the last 100 years, the S&P 500 rose 273-fold, but adjusted for dividends, it rose 18,520-fold.”

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Cents

Howard Marks – “It’s important to understand the importance of compounding and how rare and special long-term compounders are. This is antithetical to the ‘it’s up, so sell’ mentality but, in my opinion, critical to long-term investment success.”

Compound interest isn’t just reserved for big-name investors; its power applies to anyone committed to a consistent and disciplined investment plan. To illustrate this, I want to tell you a little story about “Simple Sam” and “Compounding Charlie”.

These two investors are committed to the same savings goal but will have vastly different outcomes over time.

The Starting Line: Contribution Strategy Simple Sam and Compounding Charlie began saving $200 each month at age 18. By age 58, they both had faithfully stashed away their monthly savings and hoped to enjoy an early retirement and “work optional” lifestyle. They also chose the triedand-true investment vehicle: the S&P 500 index fund. The plot twist? While Charlie reinvested all dividends, interest, and capital gains, Sam didn’t.

Furthermore, Sam kept his savings in a zero-interest checking account.

Charlie parked his cash in a high-yield savings account, enjoying an average 4% annual return over 40 years. Both saved an emergency fund of $25,000 in their first year of savings and never added a dollar to the account again.

Let’s crunch some numbers: Investment Account Results Assuming an average 7% annual return from the S&P 500 after adjusting for inflation and that 3% of the growth is attributable to dividends and 4% to market appreciation: Simple Sam’s account after 40 years = $228,061 (https://www.investor.gov/ financial-tools-calculators/calculators/ compound-interest-calculator).

Compounding Charlie’s account after 40 years = $479,124 (https:// www.investor.gov/financial-tools-calculators/calculators/compound-interest-calculator) By reinvesting dividends consistently, Charlie’s account balance is more than double Sam’s!

Savings Account Sam’s savings sit there, looking pretty but not growing, and he has the same $25,000 in the account 40 years later. After inflation, the $25,000 is worth far less than when he started savings.

Charlie, on the other hand, has his funds working for him at 4% per annum and has turned the $25,000 into $120,026. It’s nearly five times larger than Sam’s balance! (https://www.investor.gov/financial-tools-calculators/calculators/compound-interest-calculator) The Verdict Compounding Charlie’s wealth

significantly outpaces Simple Sam’s.

By reinvesting dividends and parking his savings in a high-yield account, Charlie utilizes compounding interest and is in a much stronger financial position. While Sam is sitting on just over $253,061, Charlie has amassed a balance of $599,150 – more than double Sam’s. They made identical contributions over the 40 years – the only difference was how they invested and allowed compound interest to work for them.

The tale of Sam and Charlie isn’t just a math lesson; it’s a lesson in foresight, patience, and making your money work for you. Ultimately, it’s not just about how much you save but how smartly you let it grow.

Ask yourself: are you a Sam or a

Charlie? It’s never too late to harness the magic of compounding!

Common Cents is now digital on YouTube @CommonCents613 The decision to start saving and investing is yours, but the “how” can be hard. Email commoncents@northbrookfinancial.com to schedule a free financial planning consultation with our team.

Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST is Co-Founder of Northbrook Financial, a Financial Planning, Tax, and Investment Management Firm. He has developed and continues to teach a popular Financial Literacy course for high school students.

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Headlines

Halacha

Kerria Lacca

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

S

he lies at the heart of the most controversial issues that have hit the chareidi World since the mid-sixties.

Satmar and the rabbanim in Lakewood, New Jersey, would like nothing better than to see her go away. The same is true with the Rabbanut of Israel and the Eida HaChareidis in Yerushalayim. The Rabbanut has even barred her from entering the country. At least two local Five Towns-Far Rockaway synagogues have forbidden her entry. Yet throughout America, she is welcomed and loved almost everywhere.

Who is Kerria Lacca? Where does she come from? More pertinently, why has she inspired such abhorrence and debate?

Let us start at the beginning.

Kerria Lacca started off in the jungles of southeast Asia where she first found her home. Kerria Lacca, by the way, is a small female beetle – more commonly called the lac beetle — of shellac fame. She is found covering numerous foods — particularly chocolates, Mike and Ikes, cinnamon flavored Hot Tamales, and shiny fruits. (Some apple suppliers use shellac as the wax while others use Carnauba wax — which is not beetle-based.)

The Process Farmers in southeast Asia and in Mexico obtain sticks of Kerria Lacca eggs

that are ready to hatch and attach these sticks to trees that are to be infested. The beetles hatch and colonize the branches of the host trees.

Let us watch her for a few minutes.

There she stands inserting herself into these branches in small, cavernous tunnels, sucking out the sap and some bark for sustenance. Soon, she will begin secreting a much sought after resin in order to traverse the branches of the tree. The resin is called sticklac. There are 150 Kerra Lacca beetles per square inch, after they hatch.

The resin is collected by workers. It is heated and filtered. Body parts and bark parts are removed. The end product is known as shellac. Alcohol is added to it, and it becomes an ingredient in many food grade glazes. This glaze is placed on thousands of products — including candies, chocolates, and fresh waxed fruit.

The glaze is actually made out of sugar and gum arabic, but the shine doesn’t last too long. To give the shine some longevity, the glaze-makers add in some shellac.

Shellac is added to many New York State apples, chocolates, and other glazes. To make the glaze, the shellac is mixed with four or five parts of alcohol.

The issue is not a new issue. What is new is that a growing number of organizations and people are taking the more

stringent view. Why this has happened is another issue. But few can deny that the matter is of growing concern.

The debate seems to be a three-way debate between Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, Rav Elyashiv, zt”l, and Dayan Weiss, zt”l.

It concerns the kashrus of confectioner’s glaze and other food resins that are used on hundreds of food products, including apples and candy, and come from beetles.

Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, (Igros Moshe YD II #24) in a letter dated January 18, 1965 to Rabbi Nachum Kornmill, the former rabbi of the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst in the Five Towns, cites four reasons why shellac should be permitted: 1. The process regarding Lac beetles seems no different than bee honey — where the product is produced outside of the main body of the insect. The Beis Yosef seems to extend one type of honey to another type of honey — therefore we can perhaps also extend this to shellac production from beetles.

2. Rav Feinstein also suggests that shellac would be included within the verse that is understood to specifically come to permit bee honey since there is only one type of shellac (as opposed to many types of honey). The verse, argues Rav Feinstein, zt”l, permits the product of

all flying things that do not require name identification by species. Shellac does not require this because there is only one type of shellac.

3. Rav Feinstein disagrees with the view of Rabbi Joseph Teumim (the Pri Magadim) who writes that even a non-kosher item with no taste still requires a ratio of sixty times the amount of kosher to non-kosher in order for it to be considered kosher. Rav Feinstein suggested that this view is incorrect.

4. Rav Feinstein dealt with the possibility that this shellac is not ingested into the body at all and is therefore not forbidden.

At least three of Rav Feinstein’s four points have come under great scrutiny and debate among some circles in the rabbinic world. The first point is questioned because Rav Feinstein needs to change the girsah or wording of the Talmud in order to make this argument. Some question this because there is no indication of this change in any manuscript or rabbinic work. There are also over 100 different types of coccoid beetles that produce different lac products.

Rabbanim also question his other points as well (see volume III of Rav Yechezkel Roth’s responsa book).

The next view is that of Dayan Yitzchak Weiss, zt”l. He writes in a responsa dat-

79 eaten by the general population or not.

Beetles are the most popular eaten insect in the world, with some three billion people in China, India and Africa consuming them. While it could be argued that Rav Elyashiv’s point would not apply in those countries, there is a huge icky factor in Western countries. Thus, in the United States, Canada, and in Israel, they would still be forbidden. Nonetheless, there are

country is on the rise. The following seven startups, according to an article (June 9, 2023) by Chris Murray on the website Moneywise, have launched commercially available insect based foods for humans.

1. Ÿnsect - Fish, pet, poultry, and pig feed, as well as insect-based protein powder for humans Paris, France 2.

All Things Bugs - Griopro® Cricket Powder Oklahoma City, OK

Beetles are the most popular eaten insect in the world, with some three billion people in China, India and Africa consuming them.

3. Mighty Cricket Oatmeal, chocolate, and protein powder made from crickets St. Louis, Missouri 4.

Grubbly Farms Pet food made from grubs Atlanta, Georgia 5. Hey Planet Protein bars, chocolates, and beetle-based meats Copenhagen, Denmark 6. Wilder Harrier Dog food made

The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

36 African countries that are “entomophagous” – as are 23 in the Americas, 29 in Asia, and 11 in Europe. Clearly, we are moving toward a more entomophagous society. The United Nations in New York has also called for more and more beetle and insect consumption.

It is this author’s view that commercial bug and beetle consumption in this

from black soldier flies Montreal, Canada 7. Beta Hatch Pet food and soil made from meal worms Seattle, Washington It could be that with the rise in immigration from bug-consuming countries, Rav Elyashiv’s stringency would no longer be applicable. It seems, however, that most of the organizations and rabbanim who have ruled stringently on the matter also do so because of Dayan Weiss’ hesitations as well as questions that they had on Rav Moshe’s ruling. Some have also argued that Rav Feinstein, zt”l, was the posek of the United States, and since he permitted it, how may anyone come to question his ruling.

Of course, each person should consult his own rabbi as to what to do in regard to Kerria Lacca. But whatever one’s personal views on the matter, at the end of the day, many schools, shuls and entire communities are now strictly adhering to this standard to avoid Kerria Lacca. The vegan community is also interested in a replacement product and many in that world have stopped eating this product, opting for a corn-based item instead.

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ed May 7, 1986 (Minchas Yitzchok Vol. X #65) that there would be basis to permit it based upon the fact the shellac is only added for chazussah, appearance, and even then it may fall into the category of zeh va’zeh gorem — two items both being a cause of it. Furthermore, he rules that the halacha is in accordance with the Pri Chadash that in regard to matters of appearance we are only dealing with a rabbinic issue and not a Torah prohibition.

The fact that it is mixed with a greater percentage of alcohol may make the prohibition null and void. However, he concludes that due to our lack of a depth of knowledge into the properties and nature of shellac, he is unable to permit it.

Finally, the third view is that of Rav Elyashiv, zt”l. He writes in Kovetz Teshuvos (Vol 1 #73) that according to the ruling of the Mordechai and Rabbeinu Gershom, the leniency of the external product of a forbidden animal would only have applied to an animal or creature that the surrounding population generally consumes.

Beetles, however, are not generally consumed; therefore, that which comes from it (the shellac) would still be forbidden.

One can perhaps challenge the information presented to Rav Elyashiv in terms of whether or not the beetles are

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More From Marblespoon

by Vera Newman

Baked Mushroom Orzo Rice Pareve | Yields 6-8 servings

You know those boxed rice mixtures we are sometimes too tempted to buy, because, let’s be real, they are delicious and easy to make, but on the other hand, we don’t really want people to be able to tell that we’ve made a side dish from a box …. Well, I’ve got an even better tasting version of those right here for you!

SUPER easy and irresistible! * 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed * 1 cup orzo * 1 (8-oz) package mushrooms, sliced (see note) * 2 frozen garlic cubes, defrosted * 3 Tbsp onion soup mix * 3 Tbsp pareve chicken soup mix * ¼ cup oil * 4 cups boiling water Preheat oven to 350°F. Add rice, orzo, mushrooms, garlic cubes, onion soup mix, chicken soup mix, and oil to a 9x13-inch pan. Stir to combine.

Add boiling water; stir well.

Cover tightly; bake for 1 hour. Fluff with a fork.

Notes You may use 1 (8-oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained, in place of fresh mushrooms.

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If doubling this recipe for a crowd, do so in two separate pans, as 8 cups of water usually won’t fit into a standard 9x13-inch pan and the quality and texture of the final dish might be affected.

Tip This dish freezes well. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

To warm, simply uncover and place in a 200-250°F oven until heated through.

Rec ipe s re pr inted w ith permission from Marblespoon at Home by Vera Newman, published by Artscroll.

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Op- d

Impressions from a Rally-Goer

By B. Friedman

A

fter a large event, I’m usually pretty confident that how I feel about the event is how most others feel about it as well. You can tell when you have a moving experience, that others were moved as well, and you can tell when an event doesn’t live up to your expectations and that others feel the same way. But after the rally in Washington, D.C., this week, I have no idea how others felt about it. This may be because a lot of it depended on where you were standing and a lot of it depended on what your outlook on the event was going in. Personally, I felt that this rally likely served its intended purposes but was also really sad, from a spiritual standpoint.

On Monday night, I stayed at a hotel around 20 minutes out of Washington and drove into the center of town at around 7 A.M. on Tuesday morning. I parked at an all-day garage (35$) around a five-minute walk from the Capitol.

Why did I take such a crazy risk and not park at RFK Stadium and walk 3 miles?

For the same reason that after visiting day upstate I drive straight home and it takes me less than 3 hours – despite our unfounded beliefs that “after visiting day the highways are clogged…” “Oh, don’t drive into Washington, it’s going to be gridlock!” Nah, it’s a big city, and they have these rallies all of the time – just another day for most people in D.C. Upon arrival in D.C. on Tuesday morning, I met up with a friend and we hopped on Lime scooters (D.C. has them all over and they are tons of fun to scoot around on) and headed to the White House for Beri Weber’s Hallel. It was nice to daven with a few hundred Jews, but I’m not sure what the point was— if it was meant to get President Biden’s attention, I don’t think he really knows the difference between the White House and the White Shul anyway.

We then zipped over to the rally site at the National Mall. We had some rally paraphernalia, and many of the Washington regulars, on their way to work, gave us approving glances or even said, “Good luck today!” It was nice to see.

During the rally, the front half was reserved for people who had blue bracelets; those were generally given to students and large groups. The back half was for everyone else. We managed to get in towards the front, near the stage. Most people in the area were groups of students from various Hillel Houses and other college and high school organizations.

Although there were a few yarmulkes, most of the people in our area were not religious.

We stood near a group of secular men who came in from Arizona and a group of secular women from Bethesda, Maryland. It felt good to shmooze with them all, knowing that to them I represented the Orthodox community, which they may have heard about but were never really exposed to much.

When the rally started, it felt like there was a deep spiritual void. It seems like everyone was invited but G-d. Speaker after speaker spoke passionately about the horrors of what happened and the need to bring home the hostages, but nobody mentioned prayer or uttered the word “G-d.” I think that the first time G-d was mentioned was when Van Jones (why he was there? not sure) said, “G-d willing.”

I understand that this was a nondenominational event, but we have 240 hostages deep underground in Hamas tunnels. Would it be so offensive for 300,000 Jews to say a prayer together? I

don’t care if it is in English, Spanish or Japanese; do it for the hostages!

Thankfully, during Ishay Ribo’s performance, he spoke beautifully in Hebrew about the need to daven and how we need the galus to end. I interpreted what he said to the people around me as they didn’t speak Hebrew, and they were visibly moved. This further highlighted to me what a missed opportunity it was for the rally to not speak more to the heart of all the gathered Jews. Thankfully, Ishay Ribo said a kapital Tehillim and asked everyone to say it with him. A cantor also then said the Mishebeirach. This eased my sadness a bit, but it still hurt me how scared or ignorant most Jews are of prayer and evoking Hashem.

In hindsight, would I go to the rally again now that I know that there were speeches by “celebrities” and no focus on spirituality?

I think I would.

Firstly, although I would have done things a lot differently, it is important to understand what the objective of the rally was.

The primary objective was to show up in big numbers to give political cover to the politicians in Washington. To that end, every body mattered.

The second objective seems to have been to shore up and encourage thousands of mostly secular college kids who are on the frontlines of the ideological assault on

Israel. For those teens, it was important to hear speeches about “strength and resolve.” It was important to entertain them and even give them the ability to share TikTok videos of Matisyahu singing about world peace. No, that didn’t do anything for me, but I get my courage from other places and I am fighting different battles. Just like these secular college kids can’t understand or relate to “my frontline,” it’s hard for me to fully understand theirs. But it’s important to acknowledge and validate that and give them the support that they need.

Perhaps the most important reason that I am still happy that I went to the rally is because I believe that frum Jews made a kiddush Hashem to the most important demographic—secular Jews. While the Israeli disco music was playing during waiting time (why would they play that? This is a very grave time in Klal Yisroel. Answer: You’re not a college kid. They practically sleep with their earbuds in; this is the soundtrack of their world), many frum Yidden had their Tehillims out and were silently davening. Considering that there was no kol isha or any other blatant halachic violations, it was a nice opportunity to make a positive impression on secular Jews. Make no mistake about it, they noticed us and were moved by our presence.

Despite that, I felt sad at the spiritual emptiness in the larger Jewish world. If not for Ishay Ribo and the Mishebeirach, there would not have been a prayer uttered for the 240 hostages.

We did what we had to do by going, but I would certainly appreciate another large-scale event that focuses more on tefillah and spiritual inspiration.

Hopefully, in our own Orthodox community, we can put aside meaningless differences, and bring our men, women and children to tear down the Heavens for our hostages and their petrified families. If we do what we have to do, we will greet Moshiach together with every person who was at the rally and the rest of Klal Yisroel, and we will proudly and joyously declare, “Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad!”

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Your

Money

No Place Like Home

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

G

enerations ago, you only saw into your neighbor’s home if they invited you in for apple pie and dessert. Or maybe you were able to catch a glimpse of their den if they left their shades open after dark. But Zillow has changed all that. Now, you can tour the fanciest home on your block without ever knocking on the door.

Still, while Zillow.com has made it easier to see if your neighbors have carpet or parquet in their living room, it’s left a big heaping helping of envy. What else would you feel after seeing that, say, British billionaire Bernie Ecclestone’s 23-year-old daughter Petra paid $85 million for a 123-room mansion in LA’s Holmby Hills neighborhood? It’s hard enough to see someone your own age scoring a crib like that. It’s even more envy-inducing when you realize she bought it before she was old enough to rent a car!

Buying a home has gotten more and more challenging as both prices and interest rates move up. That means more and more parents are looking for ways to help their children accomplish that goal.

Naturally, taxes play a part.

If you can’t drop $85 million for your daughter’s house, you could give her

money for a down payment on something more modest. However, gifts of more than a $17,000 annual exclusion count towards your lifetime unified credit for gift and estate taxes. You won’t actually pay any tax until your lifetime gifts above that $17,000/year top that unified credit (currently $12,920,000). If you’re married, you and your spouse can

a time machine and go back to 1974 to buy a house?)

If your pockets are deeper, consider “being the bank” for the whole house. As long as you follow proper legal formalities, your daughter can write off interest on up to $750,000 of debt, just like she would with a commercial lender. You’ll have to charge interest at least equal to

Gen Zers: if you’d spend less on avocado toast and more on researching particle physics, maybe you could buy a time machine and go back to 1974 to buy a house?

give $17,000 each. And if your daughter is married, you can do the same for your amazing son-in-law, bringing your total annual gift to $68,000. Do it fast because there aren’t many places left where she can buy a home with $68,000 down! (Gen Zers: if you’d spend less on avocado toast and more on researching particle physics, maybe you could buy

the applicable federal rate, or any difference will be treated as a gift. But, that rate will generally be lower than anything they could get at a bank—it’s currently under 5%. It also avoids underwriting headaches. (There really is no such thing as a “rocket” mortgage.)

You can even choose to waive that interest, up to the same annual dollar limits

we just discussed, with no estate tax consequence.

Another option would be to buy a house yourself to lease to your daughter. You’ll get to deduct the same operating expenses you would with any other rental property. However, this strategy means the home’s growing equity accrues to you (and winds up in your taxable estate) rather than your child. If that’s an issue, consider establishing an irrevocable trust to buy the house and let her live there.

Tax planning doesn’t always involve complicated spreadsheets or government forms. Sometimes, it just means understanding tax-smart ways to make ordinary financial decisions. Buying a home is one of the most important decisions your daughter will make, and seeing the smile on her face when she takes the key will be far more rewarding than putting money into a year-end truck purchase or SEP contribution!

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

87

Come Along For the Ride

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

might only have those questionably kosher lotus cookies to distribute.

And since it’s an A.M. flight, one must stop at the inevitably long coffee line. Just made with water, coffee, milk and maybe a sweetener or two – what exactly takes so long?!

And before you know it, that brings the person back for boarding just in time to catch group 7. Even if they had priority boarding, they’re just making the last group. Because having food “always”

have shlepped it with you through the entire airport, even maneuvering it uncomfortably into your bathroom stall with you.

If you’re calm, but persistent enough, you probably do get to keep it with you. But, you better know exactly what you need out of it because there is certainly no generous space to spread it out and start searching.

Ergo, for most people, the second bag they are shlepping.

Finally, you squeeze into your seat ready to relax but the person in front of

Life’s often about what happens while we are busy making other plans.

you has decided to lay back for a bit or alternatively the kid behind you has decided to unleash his ADD on the back of your chair, which is not the biggest issue, because at takeoff, everyone has to straighten up their seat and the parent usually hands his kid his iPad. So you’re ready to do your thing, work, read, watch a movie – all good. You get yourself set and pull down your tray table, which, within minutes, you are told to put back up. It seems you just forgot that it’s not

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

WWW.THEBJH.COM

trumps boarding early and practically everything else.

Then breathing a little stressfully, you begin to board but get stopped to size your carry-on, even though it was the perfect size the last ten times you flew.

And when they give you the nod to take it on with you, they still try to wrestle it from you at the plane door, claiming there’s no room left on the plane for your carry-on.

Obviously, if you had time to hang out at the carousel waiting for it, you wouldn’t

actually considered to be there until you’re up in the sky.

So you reposition yourself as comfortably as you can, psyched to get stuff done.

You’re happy to have the next few hours to catch up. You’re set, you begin to concentrate. You’re reading, typing, emailing, or watching and your eyes are closing, closing, closing…

And off you go, into that world of sleep, you just missed out on all night!

So much for getting an early jump on the day!

But you do get where you were heading earlier than if you had taken a later flight.

Except, if you’re one of the unlucky ones who still needs to stop at the carousel to wait for your carry-on to come around.

And round and round it goes!

No big deal. Life’s often about what happens while we are busy making other plans.

So plan on being a mensch and resilient, and you can’t go wrong!

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

S

o you know how, if you have an early flight to catch, you get no sleep?

First you just can’t fall asleep early enough the night before. You try, but you either keep remembering one more thing you need to pack or your body just won’t cooperate.

Then, you stay in bed worrying you’re not planning to leave for the airport early enough. And even when you’re about to fall asleep, you get concerned you won’t hear the alarm anyway. So you then compensate by waking up throughout the night. You inevitably wake up at 2 a.m., then 4 a.m., then maybe 5, and then reluctantly at 6 a.m.

Well, that happened to me this morning. Once again!

And then, of course, I got to the gate in plenty of time! Even had 40 minutes to spare.

Oh, make no mistake, I still came running for the boarding line at the last minute.

Because who doesn’t grab their stuff and run for the bathroom, just in case they are locked in their seatbelt for a while till the captain decides to turn off the seatbelt sign!

And, of course, who doesn’t stop for a snack and a drink? After all, we don’t want to STARVE on the plane, do we?!

And we know it’s possible that the servers might delay passing out the “generously sized” bag of pretzels, or worse, they

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