Baltimore Jewish Home - 11-4-21 by Moshe Rubin

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Details to follow later in the week

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

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

CONTENTS COMMUNITY

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Dear Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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

PEOPLE 613 Seconds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

FEATURE “Holy Mission” for Israeli Athlete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

LIFESTYLES World Builders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Forgotten Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Common Cents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Dating Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Mental Health Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Dear Readers, We’ve all been repulsed by the recent trend of the media driving divisive and malicious stories for the sole purpose of boosting their ratings and causing division. You almost don’t want to listen to the news anymore for fear of becoming utterly disgusted. Whether it’s politics, Covid, crime, or promiscuity, there’s almost nothing that won’t cause aggravation. However, this week a story made waves that was both refreshing and inspiring at the same time. A TNT anchor for the NBA by the name of Ernie Johnson, unfortunately, lost his son Michael at the age of 33. Michael suffered from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for his entire life. He was wheelchair bound and also suffered from other physical and mental challenges. Despite these obstacles, Ernie and his wife Cheryl showered Michael with love and provided him with everything he’d need to live as close to a “normal” life as possible. He became a beloved friend of his classmates as he made his way through school and was even an honorary member of his high school basketball team. Ernie and Cheryl devoted their lives to do anything and everything for Michael. There was one thing though. Michael was adopted! The Johnson’s decided that they would adopt a child, and when they saw a “damaged” (as a nurse put it) little 3 year old boy named Michael, they were compelled to take him on and give him the best possible life. As Cheryl put it, “If I didn’t adopt him, I’d be riddled with guilt my entire life wondering how, and if, this neglected child would survive.” It is so important to recognize that there are so many parents within our community who have devoted their lives to care for their handicapped children. It is impossible to comprehend the love and commitment it takes to care for such a child. We are blessed within our community to have organizations that provide relief and services to aid parents with this difficult task. One such organization is Menucha, who will be running a campaign on November 10th & 11th (see page 13). Let’s do our part to make sure that these special children and their parents are given whatever they’re needed to make their lives just a tiny bit easier! Aaron Menachem

In The Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

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

Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 National. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Send your news to BJH! Send us your: community events, articles & photos, and mazal tovs to editor@baltimorejewishhome.com to be featured in coming editions!

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

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Dear Editor, I recently tore my ACL playing basketball and I wanted to share a poem I wrote during my recovery. Dear Editor, As crazy as it sounds I’m now dealing with making my carpools for the next school year. Yay. I live in a neighborhood where there are many frum families, yet this process never goes smoothly. Some only want people that leave early, some demand masks, and some simply don’t want to be with others. There is so much frustration and pettiness which leads to squabbles! As a community, aside from the astronomical cost of living (tuition, anyone?), there’s also insufficient services in regards to school transportation. This would eliminate so much agmas nefesh. Is there anything that can be done to solve this issue. Or, at the very least, does anyone have any tips for getting through this carpool-making season unharmed? I’d really appreciate it if someone sent some tips to the paper that can be published! Thanks Dina the Driver

Basketball really is A sport that is much fun With friends It doesn’t matter who won. There is Such a thrill as I drive to the hoop Or dribble Fast and try a reverse scoop. I wonder If my basketball career is ending And hoping That my knee just continues mending. So I pray That I recover and get out of bed And perhaps I’ll start learning Daf Yomi instead!

To submit letters to the editor, please email letters@baltimorejewishhome.com

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I lay in bed With a throbbing knee That I hurt While attempting a three.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Baltimore Chesed League - Girls: Weeks Two and Three

here can you find 70 middle school girls engaged in Chesed on their day off? Only at the Baltimore Chesed League – Girls! Weeks two and three of the league showcased culinary, artistic, organizational, leadership, and horticulture talents. Teams were busy baking and cooking for Bikur Cholim and The Jewish Caring Network, enhancing their Shabbos meals for families in need. Additional teams came together to create multi-sensory Chanukah cards for residents of the ADI Family programs located in Israel. These cards will be hand delivered by the Director of Development for ADI who will be in Baltimore next week. If you go visit Aventura Assisted Living you will notice beautiful pots of flowers which were put together with the residents to further beautify their rooms and common areas. We even had a team assist the Harmony Challah Bake by measuring and packing up all the flour bags at Rosendorff’s Bak-

ery! And the chesed doesn’t stop there. Girls sorted and wrapped $878.50 of coins for Agudah, helped set up and facilitated Suburban Orthodox’s Cupcakes and Crafts activity, organize the siddurim at Congregation Shomrei Emunah, counted pushka coins for Ahavas Yisroel, and prepared Shabbos Mevorchim bags for elder members of Suburban. We are incredibly proud of these girls for their enthusiasm and commitment to chesed! Thank you to our team sponsors: Adina B, The Mimi Boutique, Nina Elman Interiors, Simcha Steps, Chic Events by Shira, Leba D. Photography, Pompoms, Perfect Piercing and more, Kinder Krafts, Talint Consulting, and Yehudis Katz Wigs for ensuring our girls have these experiences, Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim for hosting our league, and to our League sponsor, Northwest Refuse. Stay tuned for more updates from weeks four and five!

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NOVEMBER 4, 2021

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Around the Community

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NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Baking in Harmony - Inaugural Community Challah Bake was Dough-lightful!

n a beautiful demonstration of unity, over 120 Baltimore women gathered together at the Chabad Israeli Center to partake in the mitzvah of baking and separating challah. Rachel Gold and Leba Dinovitz organized the inaugural harmony challah bake to showcase the power of women coming together to celebrate this mitzvah as one, regardless of backgrounds and differences. The evening kicked off with music from the incredibly talented Meira Mandel, Yael Friedman, Sara Leeba Caplin, and continued with Rebetzin Chaya Gurary making the Bracha of hafrshat challah as everyone said amen and had in mind their personal tefilot.

Gala Pirchei Baltimore Banquet Attended by More Than 600 By: Isaac Draiman BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

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As mentioned in Leba’s speech, we all hope this event will be the spark to ignite a movement of unity and achdut for all Jews because that is the ultimate goal. We thank everyone who took part in the evening and all our corporate sponsors and volunteers for making this evening happen!

very year, Pirchei Agudas Yisroel of Baltimore hosts a gala banquet acknowledging and rewarding all the boys that successfully participated in the Succos Hasmada contest. To qualify, each child needed to spend a certain amount of time (age determined), daily, learning our holy Torah over the Succos vacation. This year, the banquet took place on Sunday, October 17, at the Greengate Jewish Center. Over 600 people attended, including an estimated 450 boys, ages 7-12. The program began with a proud welcome from Pirchei’s director, Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz. As Pirchei is a youth program sponsored by Agudath Israel of Baltimore, Rabbi Mordechai Frankel (assistant Rov at the Agudah) addressed the crowd

with an amusing story about the value of Torah review. Mr. Aryeh Berkowitz and some young singers entertained the crowd with their beautiful music until the entire audience erupted in spirited and lively singing. The highlight of the evening came from Rabbi Mayer Erps, our guest story teller. His hilarious humor and voice depiction of various characters in the story had everyone laughing and thoroughly enjoying. His story came with a message too. Every deed and effort that we do is acknowledged and rewarded from the One above. The event concluded with raffles and bentching. O’Fishel’s Caterers prepared a scrumptious dinner and the event was all in all very uplifting. In retrospect, it’s gratifying to know that our children are using their time in such a productive and beneficial way - even when they have a vacation. Let’s be proud of all their accomplishments!

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NOVEMBER 4, 2021

The Jewish Community Football League (JCFL) by “ShimzCars” kicks off 2021 season

n a beautiful Sunday morning in midSeptember, the 2021 season of the “JCFL by Shimz Cars,” began their 10th season. Prior to the opening week, the league’s 80 players were divided between eight different teams via a draft system, ensuring parity in competition. The teams are each named for their individual team sponsors: All State – Yaakov Schmell, Berkshire Bulldogs, Dougies, Iris & Oak Floral, MyGoods, Reno Safe Homes, The Construction Company, and Tripping Kosher. Following the draft, teams were provided with their practical, yet fashionable team jerseys, thanks to their sponsor – Doctor Auto. Like previous seasons, all eight teams will compete for seven regular season games, with the top four teams facing off in the playoffs. The playoffs winners will then battle each other in the league championship, The Chef Dan Bowl, with each hoping to take home the coveted, Chef Dan Cup. All 8 teams will play their games at the ActualEyes Fields (at Pikesville Middle). For a recap of some of the excitement from the first few weeks of the season, keep reading: Week 1

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Berkshire Bulldogs Dougies

20 6

This week 1 opener presented a matchup of 2 new QBs; Moshe Tuchman for the Berkshire Bulldogs vs AB Reznick of Dougies BBQ & Grill. Both players were veteran All-Star WRs of the JCFL but the 2021 season represented the first time either of them were captaining their respective offenses. Dougies took an early lead, thanks to a long TD pass from Reznick to WR Oren Bluman. Unfortunately for Dougies, that would be all they could muster for the day on offense, as Berkshire’s defense put the clamps on. Berkshire’s middle linebacker, Ouriel “Brad” Nafisi, shut down Reznick’s potential running lanes while also helping to force 2 interceptions to CB

Shulie Hochman in the first half - one of which occurred in the red zone.

Tripping Kosher, burned Dougies to a crisp in a lopsided 44-18 victory.

On offense, Tuchman moved the ball well hitting Hochman and rookie WR Mookie Chamdi for first half TDs and a one-point conversion by Moshe Reches, giving Berkshire the lead for good. In the second half, Tuchman hit Hochman for another TD and Chamdi for the extra point, in essence putting the game away.

TK QB Chaim Finkelstein threw 6 touchdowns to 4 different receivers, (Levi Zaslow, Yoni Finkelstein, Judah “Speedy” Golub, and Mordy Reches son of famed Baltimore videographer Jeffrey “JJ” Reches, and a young superstar in the making). The TK defense also played stellar and had 5 interceptions by 4 players (C. Finkelstein, Y. Finkelstein, Zaslow, and Reches).

Berkshire’s rookies shined on the defensive end, with newcomer defensive linemen Shimmy Feintuch and Avromi Freund providing consistent, smothering pressure while CBs Moshe Guttman and Yeshayahu Schwartz shut down the secondary, helping Berkshire close out the game for their first win of the season.

Iris & Oak Floral Reno Safe Homes

Dougies was missing several players, including their star QB/S, a WR/CB and a lineman and the high-powered TK offense proved too much to handle.

The Construction Company 32 Reno Safe Homes 18

In maybe the longest game in league history, The Construction Company was able to outlast Reno Safe Homes. Both teams scored on their first possessions before the defenses settled in. The theme of the game was “QB Dan Gutman to WR David Pensak,” who connected on 2 first half TDs, and 3 for the game, all on beautiful, deep passes.

27 6

Iris & Oak Floral started the season with a bang with a dominating 27-6 win over Reno Safe Homes. Iris & Oak’s QB, Ezra Bregin, connected early with WRs Mordecai Schiermeyer and Jacob Heller for a couple of scores. Bregin followed those up with two running TDs of his own, putting Iris & Oak on top to stay. Their defense showed promise as well with key interceptions by Dovid Eli Traub, Jacob Heller, and Bregin. Week 2

Allstate – Yaakov Schmell 34 Berkshire Bulldogs 25

In and a back-and-forth game between two teams with championship aspirations, Allstate - Yaakov Schmell was able to pull away from the Berkshire Bulldogs, thanks to a deep TD pass to Menachem Khoshkerman with only two minutes remaining, allowing Allstate to escape with a 34-25 victory. The first half was a roller coaster as both teams struggled with turnovers. After trading early touchdowns, Berkshire was able to take the lead after an interception by Ouriel “Brad” Nafisi. After another interception, Berk-

shire had a chance to take a 2 score lead but threw a pick of their own. Allstate - Schmell responded as QB Avi Yudkowsky ran in his first TD since 2016, tying the game. Nearing halftime, following a huge third down sack by Allstate – Schmell DL Yitzy Seidel, Yudkowsky hit Dr Jonah Schindelheim in the endzone to take a 19-13 lead into the half. Berkshire managed to cut the lead to 26-25 with 8 minutes remaining but the TD pass to Khoshkerman and a two-point conversion to Avner Shotz put the game away.

Tripping Kosher Dougies

44 18

In what some (i.e. Chaim Finkelstein) dubbed “The Battle of the Meats,” the defending champions,

Going into half time, the score was 2513 and it looked like it could be over early but Reno Safe Homes wouldn’t quit. In the 2nd half, RSH cut it a 2-score game after an end-around to WR Josh Zaslow brought them within reach. That’s when TCC’s defense took over. Pasey Wealcatch was sideline to sideline with flag grab after flag grab. After nearly picking the ball off himself, Wealcatch spent a minute talking with Dovid Seidel and the next play was money. Seidel jumped the route and grabbed the INT. With one desperation opportunity left, RSH tried a trick play which put the ball in the hands of Josh Zaslow behind the line of scrimmage. But with intense pressure from linemen Simi Willner and Ben Gutman, he was forced into an errant pass that was intercepted by Aron Meister to seal the victory.

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Rabbi Avrohom Wolowik, COO Cheder Chabad Cheder families. From where do your families come and what attracts them to Baltimore: Many families are moving from New York and other metropolitan centers due to the affordable cost of living, the outstanding reputation of Baltimore’s Jewish community and the governmental support for education. Some are recent Ba’alei Teshuvah from smaller Jewish communities, looking for a community with an established infrastructure that will support their needs as they grow in their observance. We also serve the families of the Chabad shluchim in the greater Baltimore area, from up north in Lancaster, PA, all the way down south to Fairfax, VA. What is the “outstanding reputation of the Baltimore Jewish community?” Baltimore is very eclectic and it is known for its many Chesed organizations that work with all different segments of our community. Also unique about Baltimore is the unity among the mosdos chinuch (educational institutions). There is an amazingly high level of collaborations among the different schools, as they are united in the same mission and purpose. Another unique phenomenon is the high level of support from the community’s lay leaders, morally, financially and logistically. What types of governmental support attract people to Baltimore and specifically to the Cheder?

The BOOST grant is very helpful for lower income families. Additionally, the Cheder has a fully licensed preschool starting with infants as young as 6 weeks. We are able to accept CCS Child Care vouchers that significantly reduce the out-of-pocket costs for families. Cheder also recently received an EXCELS level 3 quality rating for Childcare. What is EXCELS? Maryland EXCELS is the state’s quality rating and improvement system for licensed childcare and early education programs that meet nationally recognized quality standards above and beyond basic licensing requirements. Cheder is the only Orthodox Jewish school in the area with this rating. Is there anything else you would like our readers to know? Over 60% of our families are on scholarship. We rely on our wonderful community to partner with us in the great mitzvah of supporting our school. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 16-17, the Cheder will be holding its annual matching campaign where every dollar donated is matched by generous donors. Our goal is to raise a total of $300,000 for our scholarship fund. By investing in Cheder Chabad, you are investing in the leadership of the next generation. To donate, please log on to www. ChederFutureForward.com

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Please tell us a little about yourself RAW: I was born and raised in Montreal in a Lubavitcher family. I went to Lubavitcher yeshivos in London, England and Morristown, NJ where I received a BA in Judaic studies. I was then sent on shlichus (serving as a Chabad emissary) to the Lubavitcher Yeshiva in Boston, MA for one year. I then spent three years at the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva in Crown Heights where I received semicha (rabbinic ordination). I have been involved in chinuch (Jewish education) since 1999, first as a teacher and then serving as principal at the Cheder Chabad in Monsey for 10 years. What brought you to Baltimore? Cheder Chabad in Baltimore was experiencing exponential growth and was transitioning from a day school startup operation to a multi-faceted large organization. I was recruited to take them through that process and beyond. What is unique about Cheder Chabad? One of the cornerstones of Chas-

sidus Chabad is an emphasis on Ahavas Yisroel (love of Jewish people), underscoring the value of every single neshomo (soul). The same belief and philosophy that motivates shluchim (Chabad emissaries) to move to Ho Chi Min City, China, Boise, Idaho, or Guatemala City is what drives the chinuch philosophy at the Cheder. No two children are the same. Each child has distinct qualities and talents. At times it may be difficult to uncover and develop those qualities. Every effort must be made to ensure that no stone goes unturned to provide for the needs of every individual. The Cheder is fortunate to have an exemplary faculty that is extremely dedicated to providing for the chinuch needs of our students, going way beyond the normal call of duty. The chinuch children receive at Chabad institutions consistently stresses the responsibility each and every one of us has towards our fellow brothers and sisters. This message is the reason that a high percentage of graduates from Chabad institutions choose careers in community service in areas such as shlichus, education and community leadership. Many of our graduates who choose other careers or professions are also very involved in community affairs. In addition to the educational needs of its students, the Cheder also ensures that they receive physical sustenance necessary to develop as healthy children. We are now serving free breakfast, lunch and snack to all

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

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The Week In News

Hamas Sentences Six Gazans to Death The Hamas terror group, which governs Gaza, announced last week that it had sentenced six Arabs to death as “informants” who were “spying for Israel.”

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According to Hamas’ military

court, sentences were issued “against a number of informants, including six death sentences [and] other sentences varying between life terms and temporary hard labor, and one acquittal.” Hamas also promised more lenient terms to those “collaborators” who turn themselves in, adding that “judgments issued have fulfilled all legal procedures. All those convicted were given every legal protection.” Hamas’ use of the death penalty has come under criticism from the international community. From a legal standpoint, Hamas is required to request approval from the Palestinian Authority prior to issuing the death penalty. However, in the past, Hamas has carried out executions without receiving permission from Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Since 2007, Hamas has sentenced over 130 people to death and has executed just 25 of them, the B’Tselem organization said. This year, around 13 death sentences have been issued; at least one of those defendants was tried in absentia.

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UN Conference Not Wheelchair Accessible for MK

On Monday, Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, who suffers from muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, was not able to access the United Nations COP26 climate conference and was forced to remain outdoors during proceedings because it was not wheelchair accessible. On Tuesday morning, when Prime Minister Naftali Bennett got to the conference, he made sure that Elharrar would be granted access. At the start of his three-way meeting with Bennett and Elharrar Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized to the energy minister for the incident. For two hours on Monday, organizers refused to let Elharrar enter the large compound in the vehicle in which she arrived, Elharrar’s office said. They eventually offered a shuttle transport to the summit area, but the shuttle was not wheelchair accessible. The energy minister was forced to return to her hotel in Edinburgh after organizers refused to accommodate her.

“The only way they said I could come in was to walk on foot for almost a kilometer, or to board a shuttle that was not wheelchair accessible,” she told Channel 12 news. “This is scandalous conduct, and it shouldn’t have happened,” Elharrar told the Ynet news site. “I came with certain goals, and I couldn’t achieve them today.” She noted, “The UN calls on everyone to adhere to the international treaty,” presumably referring to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “So it is appropriate for there to be accessibility at its events.” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who heads Elharrar’s Yesh Atid party, also weighed in. “It is impossible to take care of the future, the climate, and sustainability if we don’t first take care of people, accessibility, and people with disabilities,” he said in a statement. UK Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan tweeted that he was “disturbed” by Elharrar’s exclusion. “I apologize deeply and sincerely to the minister. We want a COP Summit that is welcoming and inclusive to everyone,” said Wigan, whose country is hosting the climate conference.

Explosives Mine Uncovered from 1967 Israel’s national mine-clearing outfit on Tuesday uncovered a Syrian military bunker full of explosives on the Golan Heights that had been abandoned following the 1967 Six Day War, when Israel captured the plateau

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from Syria.

The underground bunker was found during ongoing excavations by the ministry’s National Mine Action Authority in an area of the western Golan that held a Syrian outpost, known as al-Murtafa, which was used by the Syrian military to shoot at Israeli communities in the Hula valley below prior to the war. “During the work, a bunker was discovered, full of hundreds of pieces of ordnance, including mortar shells of different calibers, flares, pyrotechnic munitions, explosives, hunting rifle ammunition and others inside their original packages or spread out,” the Defense Ministry said.3 Once they were removed from the bunker, the munitions were moved to

a secure storage facility, where they will be held until they can be safely destroyed. The Mine Action Authority has been clearing the area around the bunker, which is now home to the Mitzpeh Gadot memorial to the Alexandroni Brigade, as part of its overall effort to open more and more parts of the Golan to hikers and tourists. According to the ministry, thousands of mines are still buried in the ground in that area.

Guardian of the Walls, during which, parallel to the Gaza operation, lynchings and large violent riots took place in mixed Arab-Jewish cities around Israel. Speaking to reporters ahead of the exercise, Home Front Command Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Itzik Bar said, “We will test what we learned and experienced at levels I didn’t anticipate in terms of the domestic front.”

IDF Simulates Hezbollah Battle The IDF and the Defense Ministry’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) on Sunday launched a week-long exercise simulating an all-out war with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group. The exercise, which is the first of its kind, aims to gauge how well Israel’s emergency response organizations have internalized the lessons from May 2021’s 11-day Operation

He explained, “What concerns me as the chief of staff of the Home Front Command: One is the issue of precision-guided munitions and the effect that they will have on our ability to function and on things in the world of incoming fire alerts. The second is the rate of fire and Hezbollah’s ability to conduct truly massive rocket barrages at specific geographic areas — I’ll use

the phrase ‘demolishing the front line’ — directed fire at the communities near the border.” He added, “Another thing: We want to see how they are putting into practice the lessons from Operation Guardian of the Walls. We carried out a very significant learning process with many investigations. This exercise is going to test how those lessons were enacted.” The exercise will last until Thursday and will simulate conflicts similar to Operation Guardian of the Walls, with large riots taking place in mixed cities, Bar added. However, instead of simulating a conflict with Hamas, the exercise will simulate a conflict in Lebanon and Syria. It will include simulations of the results of massive missile barrages on Israel, chemical weapons attacks, direct hits to toxic chemical storage facilities, nationwide power outages, and overwhelmed hospitals. The exercise will also mark the first time that NEMA jointly leads a national exercise together with the Home Front Command. Speaking to reporters, NEMA Di-

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The Week In News rector Yoram Laredo said, “We have a document that we can refer to about how a multi-front war will look in terms of its scope and significance. So our scenario gives us a degree of accuracy about possible events and how we can direct and refine the exercise so that it can be really effective. “Some aspects that we will be simulating in the exercise: the enemy’s use of disorienting and sedating substances. We will check this out during the exercise, particularly the ability to identify them, with an emphasis on giving clear, focused, life-saving instructions to the civilian population.”

Children and Covid-19 A recent report from the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate and published by Israel Hayom has revealed that a total of 2,500 children were hospitalized in Israel after they contracted COVID-19. According to statistics from Israel’s Health Ministry, the chance that a

child diagnosed with coronavirus will be hospitalized in moderate, serious, or critical condition due to the virus or its complications, including PIMS (Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrom), stands at 1 in 900.

The data also shows that when patients hospitalized in “good” condition are included in the count, the chance that a child will be hospitalized due to coronavirus or its complications rises to 1 in 200. It also showed that the likelihood of a child being diagnosed with PIMS following a coronavirus infection is about 1 in 3,500. So far, Israel has seen about 150 cases of the syndrome. The military report noted that most children hospitalized due to PIMS have required treatment in the ICU,

and between 1%-2% have died. In its report, the National Information and Knowledge Center for Coronavirus wrote, “Examination of the infection statistics in Israel and around the world shows that contrary to popular opinion, coronavirus can definitely be dangerous for children as well. While in most cases children experience mild illness, a not-insignificant portion of children who are infected with coronavirus are liable to suffer significant and even dangerous illness.”

Thousands New Housing Units to be Built The Israeli government on Sunday announced a housing plan for 20222025, aiming to increase the supply of new apartments and end the housing crisis. The plan was formulated by Israel’s Construction and Housing Ministry, Interior Ministry, and Finance Ministry and sets several goals for

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planning and development, as well as funding for the plan. In a joint statement, the ministries promised that the plan – which aims to begin construction on 280,000 housing units – will cut some of the bureaucracy involved in real estate, thereby “lowering prices in the immediate time-frame.”

Plans for an additional 500,000 housing units would be pushed forward, and tenders for 300,000 homes on state-owned land would be published. Another part of the plan would include cutting the bureaucracy necessary for demolishing older homes to rebuild, as well as converting offices into residences. The ministries also recommended forbidding private homes from being used for businesses or as hotels such

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as those offered on AirBnB. In addition, the plan includes lowering taxes for those building on private land, while at the same time increasing to 8% the residence purchase tax for investors.

Jury Gives $17.3M to Immigrants

Philly to Ban Minor Traffic Stops Philadelphia is set to become the first major U.S. city to ban police from making traffic stops for minor violations. The city’s Mayor Jim Kenney must still sign the City Council-approved legislation and could sign the measure as soon as this week.

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A Washington state jury on Friday awarded $17.3 million in back-pay to immigrants who were denied minimum wage while employed at a detention center. Attorney Adam Berger, who works at the firm Schroeter Goldmark & Bender and is representing the detainees, said, “It’s important on a number of grounds. It’s the first case in the country where a judge or jury has found that detained immigrants working at privately owned facilities are entitled to be paid minimum wage or a fair wage for their labor in keeping the facilities running.” Those eligible for the award were employed at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma since 2014. The GEO Group, a Florida-based company which runs the for-profit facility, may still appeal the decision. Earlier last week, the same jury found that The GEO Group had violated Washington’s minimum wage of $13.69 per hour, paying detainees only $1 per day for performing tasks such as running laundry services and food preparation and serving within the detention facility. Over 10,00 detainees may be eligible for the award money, Berger noted. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said, “This multi-billion-dollar corporation illegally ex-

Although such stops are often used as a pretext to search vehicles of drivers suspected of carrying illegal or dangerous goods, critics say police stop a disproportionate number of drivers of color. On Sunday, the bill’s author Councilmember Isaiah Thomas tweeted, “#DrivingEquality reinforces that public safety can be achieved with other methods than traffic stops. Traffic stops are traumatic for drivers and scary for police officers. Limiting them makes everyone safer and communities stronger.” In a statement, the City Council said, “These bills end the traffic stops that promote discrimination while keeping the traffic stops that promote public safety.” The plan will also remove “negative interactions that widen the divide and perpetuate mistrust,” the statement added. Thomas, who is Black, said, “To many people who look like me, a traffic stop is a rite of passage. We pick out cars, we determine routes, we plan our social interactions around the fact that it is likely that we will be pulled over by police.” He explained, “Data and lived experiences showed us the problem, and data will be key to making sure this is done right. Data will tell us if we should end more traffic stops or amend how this is enforced. Data will also tell other cities that Philadelphia

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is leading on this civil rights issue, and it can be replicated.” The bill, which passed the City Council 14-2, allows the Philadelphia Police Department 120 days for training and education before it is implemented.

Elon Musk Worth More than $300B Elon Musk’s net worth has topped $300 billion, making him the first person to ever reach that milestone. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of Thursday, Musk was worth $302 billion, an increase of nearly $10 billion from the previous day. That is more than the annual GDP of Finland, Chile, and Vietnam, and more than the market value of Netflix and Paypal. The rise comes as U.S. lawmakers consider a “billionaires’ tax” which would affect the country’s approximately 700 billionaires and which could cost Musk $50 billion. Musk, who is the richest person in the world, is followed by Jeff Bezos as a far-off second: Bezos is worth $199 billion, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index showed. The third-richest person in the world is Bernard Arnault, worth $168 billion; followed by Bill Gates, who is worth $135 billion; and Larry Page, worth $129 billion.

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Dozens of House Republicans are sending a letter to three of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Cabinet secretaries regarding reports that their agencies are in talks to offer payments to illegal immigrants, Fox News reported. The payments of $450,000 each would be made to those illegal immigrants who were separated at the border under the Trump administration. The list of 36 House Republicans expressing their outrage includes House GOP Caucus Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw. The letter is led by North Carolina Rep. Greg Murphy.

In their letter, the Republicans detail their “severe concerns” over the reports of payments of $450,000 each to illegal immigrants separated at the border. “The rationale for this egregious abuse of taxpayer dollars is to compensate these persons for ‘lasting psychological trauma,’” they wrote. “Do, however, note that these persons crossed into our country in a knowingly illegal manner, fully aware of the consequences of violating our rule of law. Promising tens of thousands of dollars to those who unlawfully entered the United States would not only reward criminal behavior, but it would surely send a message to the world that our borders are open and our rule of law will not be enforced.” The letter added that the current U.S. administration “has been incentivizing illegal immigration since its first day in office” and has brought about “the worst self-inflicted border crisis in history.” “Compare this hefty compensation sum to the 2019 average median American household annual income of $68,703. Furthermore, compare it to the maximum payout from a SGLI life insurance policy for military members, which is $400,000. “At a time when the American household is dealing with historic rates of inflation and the price of average consumer goods – groceries, gasoline, and heating – have risen exponentially, it’s shocking that our government is considering rewarding illegal activity for purely political reasons.” The letter also questioned, “Why is this potential compensation for families separated in 2018 under the previous administration and not those separated between 2008-2016 or since 2021?” Paying “thousands of illegal immigrants” such sums of money “will unilaterally incentivize migrants from more than 150 nations across the world to surge our border,” the letter warned. Concluding their letter, the Republican lawmakers called on the secretaries to “reconsider” the “horrific decision” and “rescind any potential action to this effect.” The members of Congress also demanded answers “as soon as humanly possible.” “We are more than able to meet to discuss this urgent travesty,” they em-

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The Bad Real Estate Deal is Saved Time is a critical factor in the real estate industry. If you deliberate too long, you can miss a golden opportunity. Being in the field, I knew this and thus, when I noticed a property for sale in a central residential area, perfect for building an apartment complex, I grabbed it. I signed the contract, confident that I would be able to convince one of my regular investors to partner on the deal. Only then did I discover that the property was only slated for commercial use only. It could not be rented out to individuals to live in. To my bitter luck, justifiably so, none of my investors were interested to partner with me in this undertaking. I tried to change the zoning of the property, but it wouldn’t go. I was left with the property, and no ideas on what I could possibly do with it. I didn’t have the money entailed to be able to invest in it alone, and only a few weeks remained until the closing. I feared a big loss. Who would want to use such a commercial structure in a residential area? Leafing through the local paper, searching for some solution, I noticed a story written about a similar situation that ended well. How? Tehillim Kollel membership. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to sign up and see if it would really help. Unbelievably, several days later, I had an interested buyer!

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For whatever reason, this particular person had an interest in using this property as storage, specifically because it was in this residential neighborhood. Amazingly, he was ready to pay even more than I had paid for it. Not only did I not lose money over the deal, in the end I even earned a profit! I was shocked by the quick and unexpected solution to my problem. Just days before, I had seen no way out and suddenly, once I garnered the strength of tefillah, the yeshuah – in the form of a person – walked through the doors of my office, shook my hand, and left me with a much-needed, handsome check.

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The Week In News phasized. The letter was sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

$24.3M License Plate

Cars, like many other products, are becoming exorbitantly expensive. In California, it’s not just automobiles that have people clutching their wallets. An extremely rare license plate is now for sale in the Golden State for a whopping $24.3 million. The license plate debuts two letters: MM. There are over 35,000,000 registered vehicles in the state of California, each of which has its own unique license plate with anywhere from two to seven characters. Of these, two-character plates are the rarest, especially two-character repeating plates like “MM.” There are only 35 two-letter plates, making this license plate literally one in a million. Looking to purchase this out-ofcontrol plaque for your car? Don’t worry. You’ll be able to use it on the road. A recent change in the state’s Special Interest License Plate Application includes the option to “release interest to a new owner.” Before that change, the plate could only be transferred to another of the original owner’s vehicles – now, license plates can be sold, and the buyer can use and register it on their own vehicle. The “MM” license plate is currently available for purchase on OpenSea, a popular digital art auction space, for 5,888 ether, which is the equivalent of $24.3 million. That’s because you’re not just buying the plate and the right to transfer it to your own vehicle,

you’re buying its matching non-fungible token, NFT. Why an NFT? Because both the plate and digital artwork are both completely unique. The token also acts as a proof of authenticity and ownership, with its QR code ID number both inscribed on the back of the plate. “Just like NFTs, license plates are exclusive by nature, always 1 of 1,” the OpenSea listing says. “The pairing of these two rarities was inevitable. This minting has established provenance and hopes to inspire an entire community around an aftermarket buying/selling desirable license plate configurations.” For now, it’s unclear if someone is willing to shell out tens of millions on a license plate, but if they do, they will be able to claim ownership of the world’s most expensive license plate. Until then, that honor belongs to an Abu Dhabi license plate with the number “1” which sold for $14.3 million in 2009. The most expensive one in the U.S. is a Delaware plate with the number “11” that sold for $675,000 the year before. Let’s get this show on the road.

Spot the Fake

It’s a veritable art Where’s Waldo? conundrum. A New York art collective recently announced that it will be selling 1,000 Andy Warhol sketches for $250 each. Sounds like a steal, right? Except that 999 of the sketches are elaborate copies of the original. The Brooklyn-based MSCHF collective said that its “Museum of Forgeries” project involves a single Andy Warhol sketch titled Fairies and 999 copies made by a machine with artificially aged paper to match the original. The real artwork was randomly mixed in with the forgeries, so one buyer of a $250 sketch will receive the real deal, while 999 others will receive

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The Week In News copies. Daniel Greenberg, chief revenue officer of MSCHF, said the sketch was sold for $8,125 by auction house Christie’s in 2016, and the artwork’s current value is estimated at about $20,000. According to MSCHF, the project is aimed at making a statement about famous works of art only being accessible to the wealthy. “By burying a needle in a needlestack, we render the original as much a forgery as any of our replications,” the site states. An interesting case of artistic license…

week at approximately 2,702 pounds, breaking the Guinness World Record to become the heaviest pumpkin in the history books. Cutrupi submitted the pumpkin to the Campionato della Zuccone pumpkin festival in Peccioli, near Pisa, on September 26.

Squashing the Competition

“At the time of the weigh-in, I had my back to the screen,” Cutrupi said. “When my friends and the audience saw the weight, they swept me up in celebration. At that moment, I knew I had made it. I screamed until I lost my voice.” The orange squash has been nabbing accolades wherever it rolls. Two weeks after the Pecciolo com-

Like pumpkin pie? Well, you may want to become friends with Stefano Cutrupi. The Italian farmer has carved out his place in history with a pumpkin grown by him that weighed in last

petition, Cutrupi’s pumpkin made its way to Ludwigsburg, Germany, to be presented at the European Giant Pumpkin Championship on October 10. While its bulk had slightly reduced, the roughly 2,684-pound gourd was still large enough to claim first place there, too. Cutrupi has been growing pumpkins since 2008 and has been growing his monstrous pumpkin since March. The high temperatures in the summer did leave Cutrupi a bit concerned because there were often temperatures between 91 degrees Fahrenheit and 104 degrees Fahrenheit from midJune to mid-August. Cutrupi expressed optimism that he can someday defeat his own record. “Everything is possible,” he said. “Records are made to be broken. I’ll try next year.” Sounds go(ur)d.

Human Hippos? Abie Rotenberg may have been onto something when he made up a

song about hippopotamuses’ feelings. Now, a group of almost 100 hippos has been recognized as legal persons in the United States. These hippos are not your average hippos. They are descendants of hippos that were owned by late drug lord Pablo Escobar in Colombia. And they are now the first non-human creatures to have been legally considered people. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recognized the hippos as legal persons, an integral step in trying to save the animals, as authorities in Colombia have discussed killing them since 2009. Escobar illegally imported animals at his ranch in Colombia until his death in 1993. The animals were sent to other zoos with the exception of four hippos too difficult to move. The four have now multiplied over the years, with authorities referring to them as an invasive species. Colombian attorney Luis Domingo Gómez Maldonado filed a lawsuit on the animals’ behalf in July to save them from being killed. Non-human

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animals in Colombia have the right to bring lawsuits to protect their interests. Interested parties in the country are allowed to go to a federal court in the U.S. to obtain documents or testimony. The Animal Defense League applied on behalf of the hippos. “Animals have the right to be free from cruelty and exploitation, and the failure of U.S. courts to recognize their rights impedes the ability to enforce existing legislative protections,” Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells said in a statement. “The court’s order authorizing the hippos to exercise their legal right to obtain information in the United States is a critical milestone in the broader animal status fight to recognize that animals have enforceable rights,” he continued. Sounds like this calls for a “hip, hip, hooray!”

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Need some sleep? Hop on a bus. A Hong Kong tour company is offering a unique solution to help stressed-out passengers get some rest – a five-hour bus ride to nowhere. For those who find they get their most restful sleep to the sounds and motions of the road, Ulu Travel is offering tickets to the longest bus route in Hong Kong, traveling 47 miles around the Tuen Mun highway and North Lantau Island on the “uninterrupted sleeping bus.” Passengers can choose among four types of cabins on the double-decker bus, with tickets prices ranging from $13 to $51. The itinerary offers a “food coma lunch” and stops at various scenic sites and drop-off locations. Passengers meet at a restaurant for a two-course before boarding the bus to start sleeping. The sleeping bus tour was sold out for its inaugural trip Saturday. Of course, there’s no guarantee that the guy next to you won’t be snoring.

Potluck

An Indian couple started their new life together in an unusual way. Akash Kunjumon and his wife, Aishwarya, were legally married on October 6. Their wedding ceremony was planned for October 18 at a temple at Thalavady. The day of their ceremony, though, massive flooding submerged many places in town, including the temple and including many of the roads. And so, the event was moved to a nearby hall with a stage that was not underwater. But how would the bride and groom get there through the flooded streets? “Although we tried to arrange a small boat to reach the venue, none was available,” Kunjumon explained. Officials at the temple provided an alternative solution: a pot. The couple climbed into a large cooking pot and set sail, finally reaching the venue after a 20-minute pot-boating trip. Volunteers pushing the pot had to fight “a strong undercurrent” to get them to their wedding. “My father swam to the temple and my mother, grandmother and sisters used another pot,” Kunjumon said. “The photographer had to struggle. But he knew the story and was ready to take the risk.” We’re happy that it all panned out.

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Torah Thought

It’s Pashut!

In memory of my dear mother, Shaindel Miriam bas Mattisyahu Mordechai a”h, whose first Yahrtzeit is the seventh of Kislev

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

e are all aware of the illustrious four Imahos, matriarchs, the ‘mothers’ of our nation: Sarah, Rivkah, Rochel and Leah. Yet, surprisingly, rare is the mention in the Torah of this appellation of ‘mother’ being used to describe them. Sarah is referenced only once as such, when Yitzchok brings his new wife, Rivkah, into the ‘tent of Sarah his mother’. The Torah also records how Reuven brought dudaim, flowers, to ‘Leah his mother.’ Rivkah’s role as a ‘mother’, however, is emphasized nine times. The first cluster of references is when she directs Yaakov to disguise himself as Esav to secure his father’s blessing. ‘Yaakov replied to Rivkah his mother’, sharing his fear he will be revealed and cursed instead. ‘But his mother said to him’ that she will take the curse upon herself. ‘So he went, fetched, and brought to his mother, and his mother prepared the delicacies’. The second allusion appears in the blessing Yitzchok confers upon him, where he states, “your mother’s sons will prostrate themselves to you.” Lastly, after Rivkah encourages Yaakov to escape the vengeance of Esav by traveling to her brother Lavan, Yitzchok encourages him to go to the home of Besuel, ‘the father of your mother’, and take a wife from the daughters of Lavan, ‘your mother’s brother’, mentioning as well that Lavan is the brother of Rivkah, ‘the mother of Yaakov and Esav’. It concludes how Yaakov ‘obeyed his father and mother’, heading to Padan Aram. The Zohar indicates that Rivkah, more than the other matriarchs, had the unique mission to fix the sin of Chava. The Torah depicts how Yitzchok entreated ‫לה‬, to G-d, ‫לנכח אשתו‬, oppo-

site his wife. The last letters in these three words spell, ‫חוה‬, Chavah, implying that Rivkah was the gilgul, reincarnation of Chavah. The preparing of the delicacies for Yitzchok was to atone for the feeding of Adam from the Tree of Knowledge, the forbidden fruit. The deceit utilized in procuring the blessing contrasted with the cunning the snake implemented in coaxing her to sin. The murderous jealousy that developed between Chavah’s children, Kayin and Hevel, paralleled the struggle between Esav and Yaakov. To fathom the full mystical implications of these events is beyond our comprehension. But perhaps we can draw from this equation a practical lesson. Chavah was vulnerable and succumbed to the seduction of the snake. We are also taught that Adam was faulted for expressing to G-d, after being confronted for his sin, “the woman who You gave to be with me — she gave me of the tree” and taken to task for his ingratitude. Perhaps it all started with man’s need for validation. A woman who has low self-esteem will be susceptible to outside influence. It was Adam’s lack of appreciation of his remarkable spouse Chavah, that sowed the seeds for her failure. Rav S.R. Hirsch indicates that Chavah naming her son Kayin for ‘I have acquired a man, with G-d’, was flawed. In his words: So, the first enthusiasm of the first mother was a raised feeling of self-importance, and the question can arise in our minds whether feeling this feeling does not already show some clouding of the pure conception of motherhood. A mother, standing on the pure height of consciousness of duty, would have thought more of G-d and of the new

duties and tasks that come with this gift of G-d, rather than proudly on her own merit. The great Gaon and Tzaddik, Rav Yehonoson Binyamin of Mittle Apsha, explains that when the Torah describes Yitzchok praying ‘opposite’ Rivkah, ‘and he entreated to G-d’, it means that Yitzchok appealed purely ‘for the sake of G-d’, in contrast to Rivkah who requested a child for her personal fulfillment. When she became pregnant and realized there were two conflicting forces within her, she understood that the negative one stemmed from her. She immediately expressed ‘why am I thus’, fathoming that motherhood is a duty, not an expression of self, and went on ‘to inquire of G-d’, correcting course in appreciating her selfless mission. ( Rivkah goes on to utilize her fiery determination to raise these children with one goal in mind, to love them both unconditionally, but maneuvering events to bring about the perfect will of G-d, untainted by even an iota of self-interest. She strives to avoid the pitfall of her predecessor Chavah. Chavah’s initial pride infiltrated to her children developing toward a murderous conclusion. Rivkah hoped that her children though would survive and one day bring about the divine harmony intended for them. The Targum Yehonoson reveals that when Rivkah urges Yaakov to flee Esav ‘for why should I be bereaved of both of you on the same day?’, she was hoping to stave off the fate of Kayin and Hevel from them, since she was striving to correct the flaw that was the catalyst for their troubled end. A mother instills within her children confidence by believing in them; by empathizing fully with them; by letting them know her love for them is unconditional. If they sense that, they are more likely to accept reality no matter how painful it may be. When Yaakov worries that he may fail and be cursed, all he needed to hear was his mother’s sincere

sentiment, ‘your curse be on me’. It wasn’t a guarantee that she could absorb the curse in his place, but rather his knowledge that if a curse would befall him it would be no different to Rivkah than if it was placed on her. She would sense his pain with the exact same profundity. She had ‘skin in the game’. That was enough do gain the confidence to undertake the mission, consequences notwithstanding. When Yitzchok blesses Yaakov that “your mother’s sons (Esav) will prostrate themselves to you”, he was intimating that despite their original hesitation in being subservient to their ‘younger brother’, they would ultimately accept that role, having been infused with an unconditional love of a mother that validated them and truly desired only their best, even if it was not to their liking. When Yaakov is instructed to flee to the home of his uncle Lavan, the brother of his mother Rivkah, she is noted as the ‘the mother of Yaakov and Esav’. The Torah seeks to underscore, that despite her pride in Yaakov’s accomplishments, she was the loving mother of them both. I believe even Esav begrudgingly deep down knew that too, as we do not find animosity towards her, on the contrary, Leah bemoaned his death as well, as indicated in the Targum Yehonoson. Perhaps this might explain Rashi’s cryptic comment on this verse where when it states ‘Rivkah was the mother of Yaakov and Esav’, he adds, ‫איני‬ ‫יודע מה מלמדנו‬, I do not know what this teaches us. Maybe Rashi meant simply to say, of course, this is Rivkah, the reincarnation of Chavah, ‘the mother of all the living’, she was most certainly a selfless devoted mother to both Yaakov and Esav! It’s pashut! May we appreciate our mothers, and the mothers of our children, who emulate so inspiringly the beautiful character of our beloved matriarch, Rivkah.

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23 Marcheshvan 5782 / October 29, 2021 A Sabbatical/Shemittah Year of "Rest for the Earth" (Leviticus 25:6) PUBLIC LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL BY ISRAELI ORTHODOX RABBIS in advance of the World Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland To the Honorable Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Naftali Bennett: This letter is written to you entirely independent of party politics, ethnicity, religious identity, or even national identity. It relates to all of humanity, and as such we have united to write about it: The Torah analysis of sustainability is no longer one concerned only with the (halachic) question of bal tachshit (“wanton waste”; Deuteronomy. 20:19); with protecting God’s world; with the precept of “pay attention not to ruin (My world, for if you do so, there is no one after you who will repair it”; Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13); and the (other) Torah sources cited in numerous discussions about the connection between the Torah, faith, and protecting the world. Today, this subject relates to global pikuach nefesh (preservation of life) in the fullest sense of those words. We are talking about a dramatic impact upon human life in its broadest possible senses – hunger, drought, the human and security aspects of migration – with enormous implications for the quality of life and its very existence. We are no longer discussing a subject relating to the future; it is present and already here. Its signs are recognizable to all via the various parameters by which it can be discerned. This is all already visible in the world with the extinction of many species, offering a window to the possible reality towards which we are advancing, and (may) cross. It is reasonable to assume that there are external influences at play here – scientific bias, political interests, international companies, and the like. Moreover, it is also reasonable to assume that some of the proposed solutions (will) cause damage greater than present reality. But nonetheless even if only some of the assessments relating to global warming are accurate, then we are obliged to act - and it is superfluous to mention the Torah’s attitude regarding the obligation of pikuach nefesh and saving lives. When the vast majority of the world’s scientists working in this area issue extraordinarily severe warnings about what is happening – this obligates us to address this reality.

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We ask that you represent the complete partnership of the State of Israel in the global effort (on this issue). Although our country is small and our impact minimal, our partnership (in this global effort) is likely to be very significant. Certainly you will do this with open eyes, taking care (to avoid possible) manipulation – but simultaneously also with willingness and dedication to this critical issue, upon which the world’s future depends. The eyes of many in the world are lifted towards us, the source of the major (world) religions, “For from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3) CC: President of the State of Israel, Mr. Isaac Herzog Speaker of the Knesset, MK Mickey Levy Chair of the Coalition, MK Idit Silman Minister of Environmental Protection, Ms. Tamar Zandberg Minister of Energy, Ms. Korinne Elharar Minister of Education, MK Yifat Shasha-Bitton Rabbinic Signatories: Yaakov Ariel Shlomo Aviner Yehuda Altshuler Chananel Etrog Kobi Bornstein Yoel Bin Nun Dov Berkovitz

Avraham Mordechai Gottleib Avi Gisser Yehiel Wasserman Ronen Lubitz Michael Melchior Meir Nehorai Rafi Feuerstein

David Stav Yossi Fruman David Rosen Naftali Rothenberg Yosef Tzvi Rimon Sharon Shalom Yuval Cherlow

Translated and published by Meisharim: Illuminating Torah Priorities for Orthodox Communities To share your thoughts or learn more, email us at info@meisharim.org

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Sunday Cheshvon 25

Kislev 3

Kislev 25

Kislev 18

Kislev 11

Kislev 4

Cheshvon 26

Monday

Cheshvon/Kislev

Tuesday Tuesday

Wednesday Wednesday

Kislev 6

Cheshvon 28

Kislev 13

Kislev 20

Chanuka

Kislev 27

Missouri Torah Institute Virtual Open House @8:00 see page 30

Menucha Campaign see page 13

Cheshvon 27

Kislev 5

Kislev 12

Kislev 19

Kislev 26 Chanuka

2021 November/December

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7 Daylight Saving Ends

Kislev 10

TA Mesivta Open House @ 7:30

Kislev 17

Wits Career Day @9:15am see page 66 Keser Torah Open House @4:00 see page 27 Super Sunday @7:00 see page 23

Kislev 24

Ohel Gala see page 5

BY Impressions auction @6:00 see page 3

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Chanuka

Friday Friday Kislev 1

‫ראש חודש‬ 5:42 PM

Kislev 8

4:36 PM

Kislev 15

4:30 PM

Kislev 22

4:27 PM

4:25 PM

Kislev 29 Chanuka

Kislev 2

Saturday Saturday

‫פרשת מקץ‬

Kislev 9

5:36 PM

Kislev 16

5:31 PM

Kislev 23

5:29

Kislev 30

5:28 PM

‫ראש חודש‬

Chanuka

‫פרשת וישב‬

National Singles Shabbaton in Baltimore

‫פרשת וישלח‬

‫פרשת ויצא‬

‫ פרשת תולדות‬6:42 PM

see page 2

Yeshivas Toras Moshe: Shabbos with Rabbi Meiselman

Community Calendar Thursday Thursday Cheshvon 29

Next BJH Issue

Kislev 7 Veterans Day

Menucha Campaign see page 13

Kislev 28

Kislev 21

Next BJH Issue

Kislev 14

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World

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By Raphael Poch

ast Monday afternoon, United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Talia Asher from Mevaseret Zion visited an elderly woman as part of the organization’s Ten Kavod project. Talia went to check on the woman’s vital signs and spend some time with her in order to alleviate the woman’s feelings of loneliness that many elderly people who live alone tend to feel. This was the first time that Talia had visited the woman, as the woman was a new participant in the Ten Kavod project. Upon arriving at the address, Talia noted that the building in which the woman lives is very old. Talia entered the building and knocked on the woman’s door. The elderly woman opened the door and welcomed Talia into her apartment. Talia was shocked by what she saw. The walls of the apartment were cracked so badly and in so many places that Talia thought they might endanger the structural integrity of the entire building itself. Talia photographed the walls and sent the pictures to the coordinators of the “Ten Kavod” project to see what could be done to help. The coordinators immediately transferred the photographs to The Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, who sent an engineer to visit the apartment for further inspection. Upon his arrival and inspection of the building, the engineer decided that all of the residents of the building, including the woman whom Talia went to visit, needed to be evacuated immediately until the building could be repaired and once again deemed safe for occupancy. According to the engineer, the building was at risk of imminent collapse and should have been renovated and strengthened sooner. That evening, the elderly woman who Talia visited was taken to a nearby hotel to

Some of the cracks in the walls

stay, at the expense of the government, and will be residing there until it is safe for her to return to her apartment. The elderly woman was incredibly thankful and moved to tears by

her a free medical check-up to make sure her basic health is OK and make sure that her living conditions are viable. We do all this to help make her happy,” said Talia, whose Ten Kavod

The walls of the apartment were cracked so badly and in so many places that Talia thought they might endanger the structural integrity of the entire building itself.

the kindness and concern shown to her by Talia and the coordinators of the “Ten Kavod” project who accompanied her throughout the process. “Our mission is to care for Israel’s elderly who live on their own. This woman is 75 years old and has no one else to care for her. As a volunteer in the project, I aim to help alleviate her sense of loneliness, give

training was enabled by a grant from The Slomo and Cindy Silvian Foundation, Inc., “When I walked in and saw that her apartment was dangerous to live in, especially as she was recently confined to a wheelchair, I knew I had to help. I feel very strongly that the Ten Kavod project is so important in particular as it helps those who cannot

necessarily help themselves. With no one looking after this woman, no one knew that her living conditions had gotten this bad – bad enough to endanger her entire building. Thanks to this special program, we were able to get her and the other residents the help they needed and prevent a largescale tragedy from occurring.” Talia concluded by saying, “It is so important for us as a society to prevent these kinds of situations and give our seniors and veterans the respect that they deserve and the proper care that they have the right to receive. I am thankful to be a part of the Ten Kavod project which does exactly that.” United Hatzalah’s national “Ten Kavod” project sends trained medical volunteers to visit senior citizens across Israel at least once a week. The volunteer is tasked with measuring the participant’s blood pressure, pulse and heart rate, sugar levels, oxygen saturation levels, and making sure that the person is eating well and that their house is clean. The volunteer spends time with the elderly participants to alleviate their sense of loneliness and to make sure that nothing G-d forbid happened to them. This provides the elderly person with the feeling that someone cares for them and knows what is going on in their lives. Quite often, the volunteers and the elderly participants build close friendships. Over the years that the project has been in operation, it has been shown to help prevent depression and the deterioration of the participant’s medical condition. Many of the senior citizens involved in the “Ten Kavod” project are Holocaust survivors. The senior citizens who participate in the program live by themselves and often don’t have anyone else to care for them.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Holy Mission For Israeli Athlete

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Frum Bobsledder Hopes to Make History at Upcoming Winter Olympics By Steve Lipman

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



ovember is an important month for A.J. Edelman. That’s when Edelman, a day school graduate from Boston who made aliyah five years ago and competed for Israel in the skeleton event during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, begins a round of international qualification races for the 2022 Games in his new sport, bobsledding. And that’s when he gets to continue his annual, symbolic Chanukah candle-lighting tradition, which he began in 2016 in the German Alps near Adolf Hitler’s wartime winter resort, Berchtesgaden. If Edelman, the pilot on his four-man bobsled team, qualifies for next year’s Olympics in Beijing, it will mark Israel’s first appearance in that sliding event. And, if the qualifications go the way that he envisions, his team will make history in another way – the three pushers, who get the fiberglass sled off to a fast start then jump into the cramped vehicle’s trip down a nearly mile-long icy, brain-rattling, banked, twisting track at speeds approaching 80 mph, will be all Sabras; bobsled competitors for countries like Israel, whose tropical climates do not feature snowfall, typically come from more-temperate areas that include cold temperatures part of the year. One of Edelman’s anticipated teammates will be an Israeli Druze. Ward Fawarsy, Edelman says, will be, as far as he knows, the first Arab athlete to compete for Israel in a Winter Olympics. Another pusher, who served in the Israeli Army, is, like Edelman, shomer Shabbat – making them the first pair of Olympic competitors who will represent Israel at a Winter Olympics. The eclectic nature of Edelman’s bobsled team reflects his mission to show a more positive, more inclusive image of Israel than the Jewish state often receives abroad. “It’s the role of an Israeli athlete…. I’m on a holy mission,” he says. “I’m an agent of the state, an ambassador…a walking billboard for Israel. The responsibility is heavy.” As a “30 and single” Modern Orthodox Jew (he always wears a

kippa, a blue or grey knitted one) in an Olympic sport, albeit a minor one to most sports fans, Edelman is a one-man stereotype breaker – showing people by his presence, and his limited success so far, a side of Jews, and of Israel, which they rarely see. People who meet him, or hear his frequent public speeches, automatically make the connection with Jamacia’s storied bobsled team, whose unexpected, first appearance at the 1988 Winter Games at Calgary caught the fancy of fans – and non-sports-fans -- and became the subject of a popular 1993 movie. How do you say “Cool Runnings” in Hebrew? (Answer: Ritsot Magnivot.) The Jamaicans finished off the podium in 1988 – and in subsequent years that they qualified for the Games. Likewise, a medal is not a realistic goal for Edelman’s team in the Beijing Games, which begin on February 4, but may be a real possibility if he continues to compete, and qualify for, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, he says from his temporary base on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Though he lives, when in Israel, in Netanya, he travels internationally during most of the year to train and compete at the dozen or so bobsled/skeleton/luge tracks in North America, Europe and Asia – a few weeks or months in one venue, then more in another. In his “nomadic” life, he and his teammates live in rented houses or RVs. He spent several recent months in the Greater New York area preparing for the 2022 Games, by sprinting and weightlifting, and by fund-raising for his team’s six-figure “shoestring” budget. His quixotic quest receives no financial support from Israel’s Olympic committee. Much of the team’s money, Edelman (bobteamisrael.com, Fb.com/bobteamisrael, GoFundMe.com/israelbobsled, adam.edelman@olympian. org) says, comes from “my pocket.” Edelman has brought a religious dimension to his athletic career. He began his candle-lighting tradition in 2015, outside of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest resort, lighting his menorah while wearing the skintight, aerodynamic bobsled uniform that he designed. It features a Star of

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David and the word “Israel” visible from any angle. He calls his visible holiday act a sign of Jewish survival, in a venue where the architect of the Final Solution had vacationed. “It’s those kinds of little things that remind you who you represent,” he says. Edelman will be in the U.S. this year for Chanukah, which starts on November 28. He will light the candles near his training site and send “a shaliach” (a messenger) to light the candles for him at Berchtesgaden.

srael has sent athletes to the Winter Games since 1994; Israeli athletes, who have won 13 medals in the Summer Games, have won none in the Winter Olympics. Understandably, winter sports have a small following in Mediterranean Israel, and athletes in them have little opportunity to train in frigid climes unless, like Edelman, they spend much of their time overseas. Yaniv Ashkenazi, who heads the winter sports program at Israel’s Wingate Institute, says the country may send up to a dozen competitors, Israel’s largest-ever delegation at the Winter Games, to Beijing, including athletes in skiing, ice-dancing, and short track speed skating. Other athletes looking to compete for Israel at Beijing include: Skeleton slider Georgie Cohen, a British-Israeli citizen, whose late grandfather, captain of India’s water polo team in 1936, was barred from taking place in that year’s Summer Olympics in Berlin out of deference to the Nazis’ anti-Jewish policies.

Dave Nicholls, a bobsled pilot from Park City, Utah, a paraplegic since a 2002 skiing accident, who has participated in athletic competition for disabled and able-bodied athletes. He remains in the pilot’s seat at the start, allowed under bobsled regulations. Jared Firestone, a law school graduate from Florida who has competed for Israel two years in the skeleton event. He won a bronze medal at the IBSF (International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation) North American Cup in Park City this year. The bobsled qualification period, with races on this continent and overseas, ends in February. Edelman says the odds are “probably greater than 90 percent” that his sled will qualify for the Beijing games. David Greaves, volunteer president of the Bobsleigh Skeleton Israel Olympic Federation (his fulltime job is executive director of the Jewish National Fund of Canada), says “it is pretty likely” that Edelman will qualify for the Beijing Games – “a real good shot.” Edelman, Greaves says, “has brought honor to our program.” “I know I can make it,” Edelman says. “We need some resources,” some financial help, he adds. For a sport that gets little publicity in this country, outside of an Olympic year, money is as tight as the space inside a bobsled. To cut down on expenses, Edelman says, sometimes he lives in his car and avoids using hot water. To recruit a four-man bobsled team, Edelman had to think outside the sled; Israel is not a natural source of world-class bobsledders. Athletes from such other sports as track-and-field and rugby traditionally find it easy to transition their strength and speed to bobsledding. So Edelman looked for, and approached, successful Israeli rugby players.

He calls his visible holiday act a sign of Jewish survival, in a venue where the architect of the Final Solution had vacationed.

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A few Druze athletes, including Amir Fawarsy, and two members of his family who subsequently dropped out for financial reasons, were interested. And Edelman was interested in the symbolism of a multi-ethnic team representing the Jewish state. Druze, ethnically Arab, are part of a religion that is an off-shoot of Islam. About 140,000 live in Israel, mostly in the northern part of the country. Fawarsy, like Edelman, is strong and fast and rugged – used to being battered and bruised During races, Edelman wears gloves that read “Am Yisrael Chai” (the Jewish people live). A graduate of Boston’s Maimonides School, he takes off from the sport on Shabbat, eats lots of kosher yogurt and herring on the road, and recites a Psalm before each race. He almost gave up the sport a few years ago after a competition in South Korea – until he noticed that someone who had recognized him stuck a yellow Post-It note on one of his suitcases at the airport. The note read: “I saw your game. Your challenge has impressed the people of the world. I want to see you in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.” It was written by a young Korean woman, he says, and motivated him to keep competing. His unique athletic career has brought invitations to address Jewish organizations like schools and shuls around the country. At a sturdy 5’10”, 183 pounds, average height and weight for an adult Jewish man, he can pass for a familiar teacher or rabbi – which makes his singularity even more intriguing, even more inspirational to young Jews seeking

their (sometimes counter-intuitive) place in the Jewish world. What kind of questions do people ask him at his speeches? From older listeners, usually about politics – whether he encounters anti-Semitism in the bobsled world (“It’s ever-present,” particularly in negative comments about rich Jews). From young people, mostly about his personal life as an Olympic bobsledder – whether he ever gets scared (no, not of injury, but of the possible failure born of lack of confidence). He’s suffered no crippling or debilitating injuries - which is a risk that bobsledders take. “Thank G-d I’m in good health,” Edelman says, despite the bumps and bruises and “a lot of broken bones” that are part of a bobsledder’s life. Edelman -- who spent a gap year at an Israeli yeshiva, earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, before going to work for Oracle as a product manager, then taking a two-year break from his MBA studies at Yale to concentrate on bobsled – says he wants an eventual career that will combine his sports and business background; he may coach or mentor other Israeli sliding athletes. He says he is unlikely to go to the 2026 Games. That’s long-term. What about short-term? What will he do after February, if he fails to qualify for the Beijing Games? Edelman pauses for a second. He has not considered that possibility – unless he runs out of money. “I’m going,” he says, “to the Olympics.”

Edelman is a one-man stereotype breaker showing people by his presence, and his limited success so far, a side of Jews, and of Israel, which they rarely see.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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Forgotten Her es

Remembering Colin Powell By Avi Heiligman

he duties of many senior commanders in the United States military and top civilian positions in the government are vast and generally unknown to the public. In the past, many in the government served in the military and have stories to go along with their medals. The recent passing of former secretary of state Colin Powell brought forth his story of military heroism in Vietnam. Powell also had extensive connections with the Jewish community both in his hometown of New York as well as in his foreign policy dealings with Israel in more recent years. Colin Powell was born in Harlem, New York, in 1937 to parents who

emigrated from Jamaica. Starting at the age of thirteen, he worked for a

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baby goods store called Sicker’s. The Jewish owners of the store treated him well, and he learned Yiddish as a second language. Knowing Yiddish helped him ease tensions many years later when he met Israeli ‫בס"ד‬Yitzchak Shamir bePrime Minister fore the 1991 Gulf War. Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H. W. Bush, said, “Men kent reden Yiddish, We can speak in Yiddish,” leaving Shamir speechless. During his time working for Sicker’s, Powell also was a “Shabbos goy” for the community. Before joining the military, Powell studied geology at City College of New York, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1958. While in college, he joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and joined a drill team called Pershing’s Rifles founded by the famous commander of the American forces in Europe during World War I. Powell graduated as a second lieutenant the same time he earned his bachelor’s degree and underwent training at Fort Benning. He was then assigned to the 48th Infantry Regiment, which was then stationed in West Germany. In 1962, Captain Powell was sent to Vietnam for close to a year as one of the 16,000 advisors sent by President John Kennedy during that era. While there, Powell was attached to

a South Vietnamese infantry battalion. During a patrol in an area held by the communist Viet Cong, Powell was wounded when he stepped on a punji stake (a simple trap made out of a wood or metal stick that is sharpened on the end and placed in the ground and easily camouflaged). The wound caused an infection that shortened his tour in Vietnam. For his injury, Powell was awarded the Purple Heart. Upon his return to the U.S., Powell took an advanced infantry officers course at Fort Benning and became an instructor at the school. In 1968, he graduated from the Command and General Staff College. Later that year, he returned to Vietnam as a major as the assistant chief of staff of operations for the 23rd Infantry Division. During this tour of duty, he was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for rescuing others from a helicopter that was burning after a crash. Despite his own wounds, Powell removed three others including the division commander from the fiery wreckage. After his second tour in Vietnam, Powell went to Washington, D.C. In 1972, served a White House Fellowship for a year while under President Nixon and was assigned a position in the Office of Management and Budget. Once his fellowship was completed, he was given command of the 1 st Battalion, 32 nd Infantry Regiment, 2 nd Infantry Division and served on the Demilitarized Zone in Korea. He was promoted to colonel in 1976 after attending the National War College and was given command of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. In the early 1980s, following a series of position changes in the army, Major General Powell went to the Pentagon as the senior military assistant to Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger. In this position, he was involved in assisting efforts in the invasion of Grenada in 1983

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and the 1986 airstrike in Libya. As a lieutenant general in 1986, he took command of V Corps which was headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Six months later, Powell was sent for by President Reagan to return to Washington and become the Deputy National Security Advisor. He soon was promoted to National Security Advisor and held that position until the end of Reagan’s presidency.

Under President George H. W. Bush, Powell became a four star general and in October 1989 was appointed as the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. This is the most prestigious military position, and Powell oversaw many several military responses during his tenure. These included the invasion of Panama in December 1989, the Persian Gulf War in 1991, and operations in Somalia and Bosnia. In 2001, he was

unanimously confirmed by the Senate as the secretary of state under President George W. Bush. At times, he clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during the Second Intifada but always backed Israel when it came to defending against terrorism. Colin Powell’s early experiences in Vietnam helped shaped his successes when he was the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and

as secretary of State. Having been under fire, Powell knew the difficulties and hardships regular soldiers go through on a daily basis.

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.

Engagements Yaakov Kravetz to Sarala Dudovitz (Both Baltimore) Avi Mitnick to Avigayil Schuchman (Both Baltimore) Yosef Backer to Temima Goldfeder (Both Baltimore) Eli Waxman (Baltimore) to Kayla Kramer (Silver Spring)

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

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Common

Cents

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By Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®️, MST

Taxes Today, Tomorrow, or Never! A Discussion on Tax Savvy Long Term Investing

magine two builders, both tasked with building identical, structurally sound, and physically comfortable homes in the same general location. The only difference is that one builder is working in the year 2021, with all the technological advancements and knowledge available, while the other house builder is working in the year 1821. The tasks are the same, but the builder in 2021 is likely to be more efficient in their efforts with effective tools that allow them to work smarter, not harder. When it comes to our investments, it’s important to appreciate the tools at your disposal so that smart money strategies can be implemented for your long term investment plan. Cultivating the right financial behaviors builds your financial rocket ship, and being smart about how you invest are the turbo boosters that speed up that enhance financial outcomes. Let’s consider the basic fundamentals of investment accounts, especially the important role that taxes play on your investment outcomes. Contributions/Growth/Distribution Any investment follows a life cycle that includes the amount of money contributed, the growth of that account over time, and the eventual distribution of money. Pre-tax vs Post-tax Contributions: Typically, money added to an investment account will be referred to as “post-tax money.” This means that the money being used to invest has already been subject to income tax. For example, I receive a paycheck from work that already has money withheld for taxes, and after paying my necessary expenses for the month, I add $100 to an investment account. This is a post-tax contribution since the money I used to add to the account has already been taxed. US tax policy seeks to avoid “double taxation”

and therefore post tax contributions are not subject to tax again when distributed. Pre-tax contributions are different in that they are added to an investment account before taxes have been withheld on them. For example, if I make $50,000 per year and elect to contribute $5,000 to either a 401(k) plan through work or an IRA account on my own, the amount of income that I will be subject to tax on is $45,000 ($50,000 less the pre-tax contribution of $5,000). Pre-tax contributions provide an immediate tax benefit as illustrated above, but the amounts contributed pre-tax will be subject to tax when distributed in the future. The government has created pre-tax contributions to encourage people to save for things like retirement. Depending on the type of account, there might even be penalties if you withdraw pretax contributions too early, but the immediate tax benefit and long term tax deferral of growth from that contribution can be quite powerful. Growth: Investment accounts grow in two ways: income and capital appreciation. Income can take the form of interest earned on securities, such as bonds and dividends, which are a distribution of a company’s profits to shareholders. Capital appreciation is the idea that the tradable value of a security (stock or bond) can go up in value over time. Think about stock in a company like Microsoft. Microsoft generates profit every year. A portion of the profits will be paid to shareholders as a dividend, and a portion will be reinvested in the company in order to develop new products and services that should increase profits in the future. This reinvestment supports the growth of the company in the future and will increase the value of the company’s share price today - that is capital appreciation! Anytime a security is sold at a price more than its original cost to the investor, a capital gain is created (capital loss if sold for

less than the original cost). Interest, dividends, and capital gains are known as realized income, and would be taxable to investors in certain accounts. For example, if I held Microsoft stock in both my taxable brokerage account and my tax-deferred IRA, the dividend I receive in my taxable brokerage would be taxable to me in the year I receive it, whereas the dividend paid to the IRA would be “tax-deferred” until I take a distribution from the account. To further complicate matters, not all gains are taxed the same, investment related income might be taxed similar to your salary, but other types of income such as qualified dividends, municipal bond interest, and long term capital gains can be taxed at lower rates.

Distributions: When money is withdrawn from an investment account, it is referred to as a distribution. Hopefully, the growth over time has increased the balance from the original amounts contributed and you are

now ready to reap the fruits of your investment labor! The tax treatment for distributions will depend on the type of account you open - you will either pay taxes on the difference between the value of what was taken out and your “cost basis” (i.e. the amount funded with post-tax contributions), or you might pay tax on the entire distribution, or possibly not pay any tax at all. There are important nuances across the spectrum of taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts but here is a summary (not all inclusive) to help summarize: Arranging your cash flow in a way that allows you to save and invest for long term goals, such as retirement, is Personal Finance 101. Realizing that not all long term investment accounts are treated the same will give you a leg up when deciding where to invest your retirement savings. Taxes are a real expense, so the ability to grow long term money in tax deferred/taxfree ways should be prioritized when organizing your investment account strategy. *HSA accounts are funded with pre-tax dollars. This makes what is often viewed a shorter term healthcare only account, one of the most powerful retirement planning options available! The decision to start saving and investing is yours, the “how” can be hard. We suggest speaking with a “fee only” financial planner operating as a fiduciary - having a CPA or tax background is a huge plus. 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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Centerfold

Laughbook Some thoughts on Mark Zuckerberg changing his company’s name from Facebook to Meta Seems like Marc Zuckerberg meta bad rebranding expert.

A A

I’m a venag so I don’t consume meta.

In short, Facebook chose the worst name in the entire metaverse.

Zuckerberg should have meta-taded before picking the name meta.

A A

Too bad feta was taken already – that’s about the only cheesier name I can think of.

I don’t know what’s the meta with Facebook; it’s certainly better than meta.

Please don’t consume meta before speaking with a medical expert. Side effects include depression, boredom, complete lack of meaning in life and other symptoms, including thinking that Meta is a good name for your company.

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

Instead of Meta, to repair its image, Facebook should have renamed itself Covid19.

“Huh? You think we would steal your data? Our name is Meta! Don’t we sound as innocent as a pizza store?”

A A

Is this name for real or is Zuckerberg just pulling our metatarsals?

Better than Meta

The following companies certainly had a better branding expert than Facebook to come up with their names:

q Cycology Mobile Bike Repair (Portland, Oregon) Curl Up and Dye Hair Salon q (Newport, Rhode Island) q Spruce Springclean (UK) (It’s not even in the USA!) q Sam and Ella’s Chicken Palace (Tahlequah, OK)

q Amigone Funeral Home (Williamsville, NY) q A Salt & Battery Fish & Chips (Manhattan, NY) q Little Hope Cemetery (Barren County, Kentucky)

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

The following famous companies started off with different names than they currently have. (So there is still hope that Zuckerberg’s company will be big one day). Match the companies with their original names:

2. Sony

B. BackRub

3. Snapple

C. Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo

4. Target

D. Tot’em

5. Canon

E. Cadabra

6. AOL

F. Sound of Music

7. Best Buy

G. Unadulterated Food Products

8. Yahoo

H. David’s and Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web

9. 7-Eleven

I. Goodfellow’s Dry Goods

10. Amazon

J. Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory

Answers: 1-B; 2-C; 3-G; 4-I; 5-J; 6-A; 7-F; 8-H; 9-D; 10-E

A. Quantum Computer Services

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

1. Google

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Company Connect

You Gotta Be Kidding Me! A large corporation decides that to increase their diversity they will hire a tribe of cannibals. The CEO warns the tribe that they better not eat anyone.

the CEO calls the tribe into his office and informs them that someone is missing from the company. “Did you eat them?” inquires the CEO. The chief of the tribe checks with his people and says, “No, sir, we have not eaten anybody. It must be a coincidence.” The CEO is skeptical but he has no evidence

Once they are away from the other employees, the chief turns to his tribe and demands, “OK, which one of you guys did it?” A tribesman sheepishly puts up his hands and admits: “I ate a secretary.” The chief smacks the tribesman and yells, “You fool! We’ve been eating middle management for weeks and nobody has noticed. Then you had to go and eat someone who does actual work!”

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Things go well for several weeks and then

so he dismisses the tribe.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

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You know who also had coded statements like Brandon? ISIS, the Klan, Nazi’s... beginning to get the point? - Tweet by CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart referring to the tongue-in-cheek “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan that’s been making the rounds

A liberal journalist from NBC News invented “Let’s go Brandon” to cover up the actual words of the chant. So does that make her a Nazi? - One of many tweets in response

Wow, I see your point now thanks for setting us all straight. - Ibid.

As the World Series plays out this weekend between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros, the glaring lack of Black players on both teams, and MLB in general, is not lost on up-and-coming Black players. - @NBCBLK

Very original. I’ve never heard people on the Right described as terrorists or Nazis before. – Ibid.

You know who ELSE wore pants? - Ibid.

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– Tweet by NBC News

You might enjoy the game more if you counted the score instead of races. - One of many response tweets

There is also a lack of Amish people in @NASCAR.

First of all, I look better in high color, and… where is it written in the Torah that it has to be a black robe? - Judge Judy, in a recent interview, when asked why she no longer wears a black robe on the bench

- Ibid.

If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it. – Elon Musk tweeting in response to United Nation’s World Food Programme Director David Beasley calling for Elon Musk and other U.S. billionaires to donate $6 billion to solve world hunger

Please publish your current & proposed spending in detail so people can see exactly where money goes. Sunlight is a wonderful thing. – Ibid.

On the question of oil prices, economists say that when you raise the price of something, people will consume less of it, so why not allow even middle-class people around the world to pay more for gasoline in the hope that they would consume fewer fossil fuels and emit less? – A New York Times reporter to President Biden at the Climate Summit

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Why is this night different from all other nights? Happy Hanukkah - Inscription on a Chanukah pillow sold by Bed, Bath and Beyond, which was removed from inventory once the mistake was brought to light

As an experiment, I’d love for an @ SouthwestAir pilot to say “Long live ISIS” before taking off. My guess is that 1) the plane would be immediately grounded; 2) the pilot fired; and 3) a statement issued by the airline within a matter of hours. -CNN analyst Asha Rangappa tweeting about a Southwest pilot supposedly saying at the end of an announcement, “And remember, let’s go Brandon” (Turns out that he said, “Let’s go Braves”)

So many people across the country are purchasing more goods online. Maybe some of it is from habits that developed during the pandemic when people weren’t leaving their homes. Some of it is because we’ve seen an economic recovery that has been underway.

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- White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki when asked about the supply chain problems

Words matter, and baseball “bullpens” devalue talented players and mock the misery of sensitive animals. PETA encourages Major League Baseball coaches, announcers, players, and fans to changeup their language and embrace the “arm barn” instead. - PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman

I know some people seem to not want to give up on the wonderful pandemic, but you know what? It’s over. There’s always going to be a variant. You shouldn’t have to wear masks … vaccine, mask, pick one. You got to pick; you can’t make me mask if I’ve had the vaccine. - Bill Maher, HBO

I went to get a haircut in Talpiot. I exited the barbershop, and I couldn’t even move. People were standing outside, the whole neighborhood crowded in, and people were shouting, people were crying, people were yelling. I don’t remember anything like this. And I’ve been around for many years… There is huge enthusiasm, and an enormous expectation that we will soon return to power. - Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu at a Likud meeting

I apologize because some of you have heard this. When I was vice president, I used to like to take the train home because my mom was very sick and dying. And I’d come home every weekend. I’m getting on one Friday and then one of the senior guys on Amtrak, Angelo Negri, … walks up to me and he goes, “Joey baby!” He grabs my cheek. And I thought the Secret Service was gonna blow his head off. I swear to G-d, true story. I said, “What’s up, Ang?” He said, “Joey. I read in a paper. I read in the paper, you traveled 1,000 — 1,200,000 miles on Air Force planes.” Because they keep meticulous tabs of it. He says, “You know how many miles you travel on Amtrak, Joey? … 2,200,000 miles … So Joey, I don’t want to hear this about the Air Force anymore.” - Story that President Biden repeated last week, for the 5th time since he became president (CNN has noted that Biden’s story is false. Biden’s mother died in 2010; Angelo Negri retired from Amtrack in 1993)

Unfortunately, we can’t counter a hypersonic missile launch with better pronoun usage. – Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) at a Congressional hearing on diversity in the intelligence community imploring the intelligence community and military to stop focusing on wokeness and start focusing on the real threats facing America

MORE QUOTES

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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60 Last night, an F.D.A. panel gave the green light to the Pfizer vaccine for kids between the ages of 5 and 11… Here’s how the vaccine will work: Older kids can get Pfizer, younger kids can get Moderna, and the middle child can get Johnson & Johnson.

Yeah, Facebook changed their name. In response, Spectrum was like, “We used to be Time Warner; people still hate us.”

— Jimmy Fallon

Some parents said that they aren’t sure if they’re comfortable giving their kids the vaccine, then they went back to feeding them Dunkaroos for breakfast. — Ibid.

Every week Lapid drops a bomb and Naftali comes to the rescue. Every week, and no one knows. He did this like three times, with the Jordanians, with the Americans…and Naftali came to the rescue, unequivocally. - Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked of Yamina, a close political ally of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a leaked recording criticizing coalition partner Yair Lapid

— Jimmy Fallon

Companies often change their name to help their image and since it’s up for grabs, Johnson & Johnson is now Facebook & Facebook.

They glorified Michael Jordan while not giving nearly enough praise to me and my proud teammates. Michael deserved a large portion of the blame [for that portrayal]. The producers had granted him editorial control of the final product. The doc couldn’t have been released otherwise. He was the leading man and the director. - An excerpt from NBA Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen’s new memoir in which he rips on his teammate Michael Jordan’s documentary “The Last Dance”

Michael was determined to prove to the current generation of fans that he was larger-than-life during his day—and still larger than LeBron James, the player many consider his equal, if not superior. I was nothing more than a prop. His “best teammate of all time,” he called me. He couldn’t have been more condescending if he tried. - Ibid.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

Dear Navidaters,

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

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What Would You Do If…

My sister, who’s a year younger than me, has a friend/ neighbor who is a great girl. I’ve known her since she was little. We actually have a picture together as toddlers

playing together in our family picture album. Our families are super close, and I am worried to bring up the shidduch idea because my sister says it might ruin our family’s relationship with them if it doesn’t work out. My sister also doesn’t think it’s take her very seriously). I mean really? Is this a reason not to pursue an idea? Out of fear it won’t work out? I don’t believe that should be a consideration. We decided we’d bring this question to you guys at the Navidaters. What do you think?

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

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

a good idea for me (but she basically says no to all the ideas people give her anyway, so I don’t

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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The Panel The Rebbetzin

The Shadchan

Rebbetzin Lisa Babich 5th Ave Synagogue

Michelle Mond

hank you for your question. I think this seems like a no-brainer. Here is a girl whom you know and whom you like. You want to date her, so some type of attraction and interest already exists. This is already a step ahead of a lot of first dates. I understand that the families are close and if things do not work out or if the girl is not interested that it can become uncomfortable, however, if everyone in the scenario is mature and acting with middos tovos there is no reason why things should get too messy or complicated. You will either go out and end things mutually, or you will like each other and things will work out. In both those cases, there is no reason for things to end awkwardly. The only time a problem may arise is if you have a long, drawn-out dating experience that ends with someone feeling hurt. Even in that case, most people eventually end up moving on and starting their own lives. The awkward and residual feelings tend to dissipate over time. I think overall, when you weigh out the cross-ratio-benefits, it is worth it to pursue a date. In today’s day and age where it is so hard to find someone and young people are struggling to find their other halves, it’s worth it to try with someone that you already feel excited about. The fact that you found pictures from when you are young shows that this is something you are clearly thinking and excited about. Be aware that she may not want to go on a date and feelings may not be reciprocated but at least you will know that you did your hishtadlus and tried to do your part in starting a relationship that can have potential for success. Once you do your part, the rest is up to Hashem. Hatzlacha with your endeavors!

guy I once dealt with had a very similar dilemma. I remember where I was when I got the call. I was sitting at the MVA waiting for a new driver’s license when a guy I helped with shidduchim called for advice. He was extremely close with a family, practically a ben bayis. The family’s daughter came home from seminary – this was a daughter he’d never met before and was immediately enamored. He called me with so much confusion in his voice. On the one hand, dating their daughter was all he could think about; on the other hand, he did not want to do anything to ruin their close dynamic. He refused to do anything that might shake things up. They were so close that he already called this girl’s mom, “Mamma”! I remember walking outside the MVA so I could raise my voice and not sound like a lunatic. “Are you crazy? For sure you should go for this shidduch! This is the best of all worlds! DO IT!” Two months later, this adorable couple was engaged. Now, years later, they are raising a beautiful family bringing nachas to both their families. How grateful he is to have pursued an idea even though it was uncomfortable. Nothing great comes from those who are too scared to take risks in life. Just do it! And of course, don’t forget to update us on the ending of this story.

The Single Rivka Weinberg

couldn’t agree with you more. Unfortunately, in life we allow our fears to drive our decisions instead of allowing ourselves to face the inevitable con-

cept of vulnerability. If I’m scared to get rejected by an employer, should I not apply to the job? What if he takes a different candidate instead of me? I’ll be crushed. Although I wouldn’t recommend it, that’s certainly one perspective. However, what I would recommend is the following thought process: “I’m going to apply to the job and put myself out there because there’s an extreme amount of potential for good and I have many special qualities. If I don’t give it a shot, then I’ll never know what opportunity I could have had. Worst case scenario, I get rejected, feel that pain, and I apply to other jobs.” So, think about it, would you rather shut the idea down yourself before giving it a shot and never know what the girl truly thinks, or do you want to take the leap and put yourself out there? What if this girl has the same exact thought process as you and doesn’t want to say anything because she’s nervous you would say no and ruin the family friendship? Rather, think about how cute it would be if your families were related! Don’t listen to the stories you’re making up in your head about all the “what if’s.” Vulnerability is the only way to build a strong foundation in any relationship, so if you are not willing to take the shot, then of course you’re going to miss.

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

h, for the good old days…when a boy could walk over and talk to the girl next door, and when we used actual photo albums instead of flash drives. Do we really need levels of intermediaries to determine who we should be dating? Do we really need a shadchan to check what kind of hat the boy’s father wears or what kind of tablecloth

Do we really need a shadchan to check what kind of hat the boy’s father wears or what kind of tablecloth the girl’s mother uses on Shabbos? the girl’s mother uses on Shabbos? Is a shadchan, who reads your resume and meets you for a half-hour, better qualified than your own good, common sense and good judgement? It’s true that in this week’s parsha, Yitzchok needed the services of shadchan Eliezer. But, in a few weeks, we’ll read how Yaakov found Rachel, all by himself, at a local watering hole. And, several generations later, Moshe met Zipporah in the very same way. (But, then again, Yaakov was 70 years old and Moshe was 80 years old at the time. Perhaps they had simply outlived all their contemporary shadchans.) But, I digress. I suggest you bypass everyone and simply send a text to the girl next door and ask when it would be a good time for you to call her. (Apparently no one cold calls anymore – every call needs to be preceded with a text asking if it’s OK to call. She’ll probably suspect why you want to call her.) Meanwhile, reassure everyone in your family. Explain to them that if the girl says, “No, thank you” or if you go on a date and it doesn’t work out, everyone can still remain friends, the Earth will keep spinning on its axis and revolving around the sun, and the universe as we know it will not cease to exist.

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

hank you for writing into us! I understand the delicate and sensitive nature of your inquiry. When two friends try to make a go of a romantic relationship, there is always the trepidation that if the romantic relationship doesn’t work out, the friendship will be lost. The friendship is so special, and the thought of losing it can make the prospect of romance seem like a bad idea. You are wise to take pause before acting

on your feelings. There is much to consider. How would you feel if you did not act on this idea? Would you always be left wondering what if? Would you have regrets for not having taken action and at least tried? In my opinion, I don’t think it is a crazy idea for children of family

friends to date. Two mature families can handle a breakup without pointing fingers in the case that things don’t work out. And two families who are friends can handle a simcha and all future simchas to come. If you do decide to pursue dating, approach your parents gently, tending to their feelings. Mom, Dad, how would you feel about me dating Aliza? Show your parents through kindness and sensitivity that their feelings are important to you. If you get any pushback or general concerns, validate those concerns and then ask how you can work together to ensure

Don’t listen to the stories you’re making up in your head about all the “what if’s.”

everyone’s comfort in this process. If everyone is mature and reasonable, I don’t see a reason why you can’t go on a date. All the best, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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Mental Health Corner When Do You Need Antidepressants?

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

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

about your situation, then you should request from them that they should talk to each other and work together on this dilemma. Very often, through collaboration they can understand each other’s perspective and develop a consensus as to how to proceed. Sometimes, you might feel hesitant to take medication and want to try your best to heal naturally. There is a lot to admire in such a courageous attitude, but sometimes it might be ill advised. If so, what are some of red flags that might be an indicator that you would benefit greatly from antidepressants? Here are some of the signs that you might need medication: • Sometimes people feel that therapy is not helping at all as if there was a brick wall preventing their progress. In such a case, medication can possibly be essential in achieving a breakthrough. • Depression is not just about being in a bad mood. Sometimes, the

depression becomes so deep that activities that used to bring joy to life are not making you happy anymore. This might be a sign that medication be helpful in lifting the fog. • Sometimes, depression sufferers are tormented by dark thoughts that can be very disturbing. In such a situation, it might be worthwhile to explore the possibility of taking antidepressants. • If your depression is so deep that you do not know how you could live your life like this, it is probably time to pursue the help of antidepressants. Medication is not a silver bullet. There are many types of antidepressants and some people respond very well to one and not to another. Hopefully, modern medicine will learn how to know ahead of time which medication works best for each individual. There are already some preliminary

products that attempt to match the patient with the right medication based on genetic testing. This field is still in its infancy and we might come to a day in the near future where this will be standard procedure. Until that day comes, medication will continue to be an issue that is both mystifying and contentious. One point that you should never forget is that if you are the kind of person that medication can offer significant help, it is not worthwhile to be a hero and suffer needlessly by opting out of taking medication. 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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Depression is a common but debilitating disorder that can affect men and women of all ages. There is no gold standard of treatment for depression as some people respond very well to therapy and do not need to take any medication at all and other people will remained mired in their depression unless they are on medication. The question of course is how do you know if you are one of those people that needs medication and will not find relief through therapy alone? This is an extremely difficult question to anwer, and as usual, every case is different. Nevertheless, we will attempt, in these brief words, to shed some light on this mystifying dilemma. The easiest way to answer this question is to seek out the help of a mental health professional who will offer their recommendation. If you have already explored that option and your question is what to do if your psychiatrist and therapist disagree

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup By Naomi Nachman

I call this soup “something from

nothing.” It’s a term I use in my

house when I create a dish with just the ingredients I find in my pantry,

fridge, or freezer. This past week, I felt the chill in the fall air and that spells soup to me. I looked to see what ingredients I had and came up with this winner. The soup was so

silky and smooth and packed with flavor. My family was thrilled to come home after a long, chilly day and have this really delicious and easy-to-prepare soup waiting for them.

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Ingredients ◦ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ◦ 1 large onion, diced ◦ 2 zucchinis, chunked ◦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt ◦ 1 large bag frozen broccoli ◦ 1 large bag frozen cauliﬂower ◦ 2 cans chickpeas, drained ◦ Water or broth

Preparation

1. In a large stockpot, heat oil and add onions to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions begin to sweat. Add salt.

2. Add both zucchinis and both bags of frozen vegetables and chickpeas. 3. Add water until just under the top of the vegetables (about 2 inches). Adding too much water makes a watery and thin soup.

4. Cover and bring to the boil; then lower and simmer for 1½ hours. 5. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup well and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

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

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Your

Money

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Capital Games

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By Allan Rolnick, CPA

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

ack in 2000, a scrappy little startup named Netflix was losing millions every month on their business renting DVDs online, mailing them to subscribers through something called the “Post Office.” (Remember them?) The founders had the bright idea to sell their company to Blockbuster video – for the princely sum of $50 million – and turn themselves into “Blockbuster.com.” Blockbuster said no, and now they’re corporate roadkill. Netflix is the 800-pound-gorilla in the streaming video world, spending billions annually to create new content in 37 different languages. Netflix’s newest blockbuster is a South Korean mashup of Sesame Street and Hunger Games with 456 contestants who find themselves risking their lives to play a series of children’s games for the chance to win ₩45.6 billion (approximately $38 million). Critics love it (the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 93% approval rating), and it’s on track to become Netflix’s most-watched show ever. One in four Americans says they’ve watched it since it dropped on September 17.

So…does Netflix’s newest success have fans at the IRS cheering, too? Netflix doesn’t report earnings for individual programs. However, they do calculate something called “impact value.” For this new show, that amount is $891.1 million. Net-

scription.) In 2020, with COVID-19 keeping people inside bingeing, the company earned $1.7 billion but paid just $24 million in tax. There’s nothing shady about it – they use accelerated depreciation, deductions for employee stock options,

In 2020, with COVID-19 keeping people inside bingeing, the company earned $1.7 billion but paid just $24 million in tax.

flix also calculates an “efficiency score,” which measures a show’s value over its cost. The show cost just $24.1 million to produce, making the efficiency score an impressive 41.7. Unfortunately for the IRS, those numbers don’t translate into taxes. In 2018, Netflix reported $845 million in profit but paid nothing in tax. (Bernie Sanders criticized them for paying less than your monthly sub-

and research and development tax credits to zero out their bill. (In other words, don’t hate the player, hate the game.) But this show is already putting tax dollars into Uncle Sam’s pocket, long before Netflix reports any increased earnings from new subscribers. That’s because the show has pushed the stock price up by over 7% since it premiered. That, in turn, means every time investors

sell, they pay just a tiny bit more in capital gain and net investment income tax. What about the show’s ultimate winner, Contestant #_ _ _ _ _ _? (No spoilers here!) South Korea’s income tax starts at 6% and rises to 45% on income over ₩1 billion. There’s a 9% Social Security tax, split between employer and employee just like here in the U.S., capped at ₩226,350/month. Of course, that assumes that playing “Red Light, Green Light” to avoid death counts as “employment” in South Korea. We’re going to assume your business and investments don’t involve nearly as much risk as the show’s version of tug-of-war. But we know you aren’t interested in sharing any more of it than you legally have to. So call us when you’re ready to play, and let us help you win the Capital Games!

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.

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Articles inside

Your Money

In The Kitchen

Dating Dialogue

Common Cents

Notable Quotes

Forgotten Heroes

“Holy Mission” for Israeli Athlete

Rabbi Zvi Teichman

Around the Community

That’s Odd

Israel

World Builders

613 Seconds

Dear Editor