Baltimore Jewish Home - 2-2-23

Dear Readers,

In this week's Parsha, the Jewish people approach an area in the Midbar that they eventually named Marah. A significant incident occurs here as the people are desperate for water to drink in the hot desert, but the water in this area was bitter and undrinkable. They complain to Moshe Rabbeinu who cries out to Hashem. With an abundance of mercy, Hashem advises Moshe to take a tree and throw it into the water. Miraculously, the water turns sweet and the B’nai Yisroel are saved, allowing them to continue on with their journey to Har Sinai. Why was a tree chosen as the symbolic tool used to sweeten the water? A tree in the desert is seemingly useless. Really, anything could have been usedsuch as sand or a rock. Or, conceivably the straightup Tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu would be sufficient as he had done in other times of need, without the action of tossing the tree into the water?

As we approach Tu B’Shvat we can ask a similar question. Tu B’Shvat, the Yom Tov for trees, is the holiday in which we acknowledge and celebrate the launch of a new agricultural cycle. However, if you look outside, the trees are barren, there may be snow on the ground, and we’re still some time away from the start of Spring! Maybe, a more appropriate time to mark this milestone would be when the weather is warmer and you actually see the first flowers, or maybe even in the Fall after we’ve reaped the benefits of the trees?

The following answer helps us build a correlation between the tree of the Parsha and the tree of Tu B’Shvat. Perhaps these trees are more closely linked than their possibly coincidental connection within the calendar and this time of the year. Yes, the trees look dead. They LOOK like they will never blossom again. But this is the time of the year when the sap is flowing within the core of the trees. The leaves and the beauty of the fruits that the trees will produce in the spring and summer are all being prepared right now - in the dead of winter. Similarly, a tree in the desert may seem useless but when you need protection from the heat it serves a valuable purpose. The barren trees represent the idea that even when something looks bleak with no future or use, one should remain strong! Just as a person should not give up on the trees when they look like that, one shouldn’t give up on oneself when they’re feeling hopeless and empty.

There are times throughout life when the future looks grim and everything seems miserable. But salvation comes in the blink of an eye! There’s sap flowing within us waiting for its right time to help us blossom and grow the fruit, flowers, and leaves that will sustain and protect us and our future generations.

Have a peaceful Shabbos!

Aaron Menachem

OF GRE ATER WA SHI N GTON

Toras Simcha Talmidim Visit the Rosh HaYeshiva of Ner Yisroel

By: BJLife Newsroom

RAJE Students Return from Another Epic Poland-Prague Trip

Last month, 40 RAJE students from around the country, including a large portion from the local RAJE Maryland branch, spent 7 days visiting Jewish heritage and Holocaust sites throughout Poland and the Czech Republic. The trip began in Warsaw, journeyed throughout Poland and Galicia to Lublin, Lizensk, Lancut, and Krakow and concluded with a lively Shabbos in Prague, where they visited the famed The trip was led by RAJE Maryland Rabbi Gavriel Horan along with an expert tour guide.

The group engaged in Torah discussions or chavrusa learning in the famed Yeshivas Chochmei Lublin, the Ramah shul in Krakow, and the AltNeu (Old-New) shul of the Maharal in Prague – the oldest continuously used Synagogue in the world. The group also engaged in a lively tisch at the grave of the esteemed Reb Elimelech of Lizensk. In the town of Lancut, the RAJE group met a non-Jewish man who became the keeper of the ornate synagogue, build in 1761. He taught himself Hebrew, became familiar with Jewish traditions and took it upon himself to restore and take care of the town Synagogue. When asked why he devoted his life to taking care of the shul, he replied with a play on words from the Mishna in Pirkei Avos, “b’mokom shein ish, hishtadel liyos ish – in a place where there aren’t leaders (literally, people), strive to be a leader.” “Even though no Jews live in Lancut anymore, this man became a leader when others wouldn’t, taught himself Hebrew and works to restore

the legacy of Jews in this town,” Jacob Sidelnikov of Owings Mills, said. “Meeting this person really opened my eyes onto the actions and abilities of one individual.”

One of the trip highlights was visits to the Auschwitz and Majdonek concentration camps. There, students lay tefillin in the barracks while singing Ani Maamin and said a heartfelt recitation of the Shema in the gas chambers where over one million Jews said their final prayers before being murdered al Kiddush Hashem.

Nick Karakulko of Baltimore recounted the experience of wrapping tefillin for the very first time in Auschwitz: “As I looked past the matchbox beds and the worn down walls, I imagined all the history that occurred in this very room. I imagined how the inmates would have reacted knowing that in 80 years Jews would be back in the same room practicing the very customs that got them persecuted and dehumanized. I felt proud to be a part of this community and it is truly some-

thing I will never forget.”

Although all that remains of over 1000 years of Jewish heritage in Eastern Europe is ash, bones, graves, and empty shuls, the Jewish people remain and are continuing our great legacy.

“Rabbi Horan was an important spiritual guide for us through the darkness of the concentration camps. He brought light and clarity in the darkest moments of the trip,” Sharon Rus of Queens, said. “He taught me that to walk away from Poland depressed is to have let the darkness and Nazi’s win. Instead I was able to walk away from Poland with hope and a stronger connection to my Judaism!”

“I have never been more proud to be Jewish,” Liz Yakobashvili of Staten Island, said. “I feel more connected to Judaism and my people, and I will forever be different. I can’t imagine a single Jew who walked away unchanged.”

Thanks to RAJE, the 40 students returned home with a renewed connection to their Jewish heritage and a

desire to continue learning more.

“The journey across Poland was life changing,” Hailey Katz of Long Island, said. “I am so grateful to RAJE for giving me this opportunity. I have been on many Jewish history trips but it was this one that gave me the motivation to start growing in my Judaism and learning every week with the Rabbi. I have never felt so proud to be a Jew and inspired to learn more about what that means!”

Photo Credit: Rabbi David Kapenstein

Siyum HaShas Celebration and Dessert following program

Musical arrangements by RSVP office@bhmb.edu Donate abridgecelebration.com

Hashavas Aveidah: Israeli Man Reunited with Missing ‘Tik’ Thanks to BJL and Our Amazing Community

By: BJLife Newsroom BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

An Israeli man expressed his gratitude to HaShem this morning, making a tikkun hodaah after finding his missing ‘tik’ (bag).

BJL ran an announcement on Motzaei Shabbos after a Hatton Road resident found a black leather bag that contained a passport, cash and other sensitive documents. Israeli musician, band leader and event producer Efraim Potolsky, who is visiting from Israel, was reunited with his bag after the announcement appeared and was grateful to once again be in possession of his passport and other important items.

Potolsky celebrated his find this morning after davening, along with Rabbi Tzvi Teichman, Mara D’asra of Ohel Moshe. !

WIT Melave Malka Honoring Andrea Schulman

On Motzei Shabbos, January 7th over 220 women gathered for the Rebbetzin Frieda K. Hirmes Women’s Institute of Torah’s (WIT) annual Melave Malka. The event, chaired by Suri Reiner and Donna Wach, featured a lavish buffet by Catering by Yaffa and paid tribute to Andrea Schulman, WIT’s Executive Director who was the recipient of the Avodas HaLev Award, recognizing her close to two decades of service to WIT. The evening’s program included remarks from renowned educator Mrs. Shira Smiles who opened by stating “what a tremendous z’chus it is for me to join you tonight in honoring somebody who is so special, so unique that when I was asked to come, and I hate leaving Eretz Yisroel, I couldn’t say no.” Mrs. Smiles’ presentation kicked off 4 and a half days of classes given as part of WIT’s Scholar in Residence program sponsored by The Charles Crane Family Foundation.

Under Andrea Schulman’s leadership WIT has become the premier des-

tination for women in the Baltimore community to strengthen themselves both intellectually and spiritually. She works in tandem with WIT’s Board of Directors led by President Leah Berry, to manage all aspects of the organization. During her remarks, Andrea said “Every woman who attends a WIT program owes a debt of gratitude to the women on our board. Their dedication to learning Torah and their commitment to ensure that each and every WIT experience is authentic is unparalleled in the Jewish communal world.” She continued by thanking the women who attend WIT programs, “when one takes time out of their busy day, or week or month to learn they are strengthening not only themselves but those around them. My WIT ladies as I like to call you, don’t come to class to get credits or a degree, they come to be inspired, to grow and to connect.” Andrea encouraged all of the evening’s participants to take time for themselves and explore all that WIT has to offer whether it be in-person or via Zoom.

What inspired you to start WITS?

It started with a need in the community for a local seminary option for young women. It was 1996, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Itzkowitz approached the Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Yaakov Weinberg זצ''ל, with the idea of starting a seminary in Baltimore. Rav Weinberg agreed that creating a seminary in Baltimore was a necessity. He not only gave his bracha, but also gave guidance during the Seminary’s initial development. Rav Weinberg directed the Itzkowitzs to enlist me to become the Menaheles and to also involve Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo Spetner, who he knew were dedicated to girls’ chinuch. Dr. Aviva Weisbord, A”H who was passionate about high quality chinuch, took on the leadership role as President.

While still in the planning stages, we realized the need for our students to receive college credits not only for general studies courses but for Limudei Kodesh subjects as well. This led to a long and productive collaboration with Neve Yerushalim’s Maalot program which had developed a comprehensive program for obtaining college credit for Kodesh and Chol courses.

ing a positive impact within their communities. They are our nachas and pride!

What makes WITS different than other frum colleges?

I think the biggest differentiator is our strong blend of seminary and college –we not only provide college courses in a frum setting, we provide a high level and relevant Kodesh curriculum, affording our students the ability to expand and strengthen their foundation in Avodas Hashem WITS also offers unparalleled support and guidance to our students. Between the one-on-one academic advisement, career counseling, to the professional development programs run throughout the year, students are guided on a pathway ensuring a smooth transition from seminary in Eretz Yisrael through graduation at WITS.

In what ways has WITS changed over the years to adapt to the community’s needs?

WITS (then known as Maalot) began with both a first year and second year program. Classes were small, there was a dormitory for out-of-town girls, and first year students participated in an unforgetta-

programs to meet these needs. We have recently completed the construction of new state-of-the-art science laboratories so that our students can pursue degrees in the health sciences on our own campus. Additionally, our innovative Career Mentorship program pairs alumnae and students within the same field. This new program has helped students to network, obtain internships, and secure employment in their chosen professions.

tinue to grow. WITS started off with just 24 students in 1998 and now Baruch Hashem in 2023, we are servicing 188 students - 91 on-campus, 48 Dual HS/College Enrollment and 48 participating in our Israel Study Abroad Program (ISAP). We are currently in the process of strengthening our accreditation in order to offer the highest level of college accreditation available. We are continuing our fundraising efforts in order provide high quality education and to offer institutional scholarships so that more young women can benefit from our programs. We hope the community will partner with us in our upcoming campaign to support us in the mission to provide Torah-centered higher education for the young women of our community.

HQL and Conceal Carry Handgun Classes

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Alqam Khayri, 21, arrived by car at 8:13 p.m. in the Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem and opened fire at people outside the synagogue and other passersby.

A Tragic Friday Night

The beautiful melodies of Friday night davening turned macabre last week when seven people were killed and at least three others were wounded in a terror attack near a shul in Neve Yaakov.

He then fled the scene by car toward the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina — several hundred meters away — where, about five minutes later, he encountered officers who were called to the scene.

The terrorist was shot dead by police after he exited the car and proceeded to shoot at police officers while attempting to escape.

According to Channel 12 news, the terrorist first shot an elderly woman in the street, then encountered a motorcycle rider and shot him, before reaching the Ateret Avraham synagogue and opening fire at people outside.

Eli and Natali Mizrahi were killed when they went out to help victims of the terror attack. Natali had worked in the hospital and wanted to care for those who were hurt.

“I cried out for them to not go down, but they didn’t respond. They heard gunfire and went out to help,”

Eli’s father said at their funeral.

Rafael Ben Eliyahu, 56, had worked for the Israel Post. He had three children. One of his sons, Kobi, had a child hours after the attack.

“You and Mom were supposed to come to the bris, but ultimately you were not able to hold [your grandson],” Kobi Ben Eliyahu said during the funeral in Jerusalem on Sunday. “Instead, I’m bringing you to the cemetery. You left a giant hole in our hearts.”

Another one of Rafael’s sons was injured in the attack.

Fourteen-year-old Asher Natan was also killed by the terrorist. He had gone out to meet with friends. Just a few moments later, his parents heard the shots and knew instinctively that something had happened to the young boy, although it took over an hour before they definitively knew what happened to him.

“I always wanted so much for things to be good for you. Now you’re in a good place for eternity,” his father, Aharon Natan, said at the funeral.

“I’m sorry that sometimes I hurt

you and didn’t see the good in you,” he told his late son.

Shaul Hai, 68, was also murdered on Friday night. He was a gabbai in a shul in the neighborhood, although it was not the shul in which the attack took place. He had been heading out to a shiur when he was killed.

Irina Korolova was a Ukrainian aide who was in Israel working as a caretaker.

Ilya Sosansky, 26, worked as a DJ and in a bar in Neve Yaakov. He was riding his motorcycle to work when he was killed.

Speaking to reporters from the scene, police commissioner Kobi Shabtai said the attack was one of the worst Israel had seen in years.

“The terrorist shot at everyone he encountered. He got out of the car and began a murderous rampage with a handgun,” Shabtai said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking after visiting the scene, called the attack “one of the most severe we have known in years.”

“Our hearts are with the families. I commend the police officers who took

According to police, the terrorist,

Tell us about yourselves:

Mosdos Kehal Chassidim is the new name for the already established Chassidish community in Baltimore. Originally started in 2014, Cheder Kahal Chassidim was started to bring Chassidish families to Baltimore. The men learn in kollel in Kedushas Yisrael shul, while some women stay at home, some work in the mosdos, some work from home, and others work for offices in Baltimore.

The kollel is run under the leadership and guidance of morah d’asra Rabbi Amrom Jungreis. Rabbi Jungreis had the zechus to receive הכימס and have שומיש from the famous Ga’on Rabbi Moshe Halberstam ל”צז of the הדע תידרחה as well as well as of א”טחלבי the Rav and author of the N’tei Gavriel א”טילש where he has served as a dayan for over a decade.

Rabbi Jungreis also served a number of years as as בישמ לאוש in the Kollel עשוהי תיב םייחin Boro Park, and is also known for his Shiurim and

speeches, including at the famous ‘Irgun Shiurie Torah’ shiurim. Many of his divrei torah have been printed in ‘‘הכשלה’ הארוה תיב,‘ ירועיש הכלה הדגאו ם“תס ינינעל the found helped He where he would give Shiurim for Sofrim, and wrote the Sefer רדס בתכה. He moved to Baltimore last year along with his Eishes Chayil, Rebbetzin Perri Jungreis, a teacher in a few of our local schools, and their beautiful children.

Today, with a lot of siyata dishmaya, we have an established, stable community in the upper Park Heights area. The kollel is thriving with around 20 yungleit learning together under one roof. The schools have grown tremendously and are now 4 completely separate divisions - daycare, preschool, girls elementary and cheder and goes from 6 weeks old through 4th grade, with over 120 children, Chassidish and litvish who come to learn Torah and embrace the greatness of yiddishkeit.

Our mosdos have been warmly welcomed by the Baltimore Torah community, and Harav Moshe Heinemann is part of its Rabbinic committee. We have had special visitors come and see the cheder including Rabbi Heinemann shlita and Rabbi Feldman shlita. In fact, Baltimore families who

learn in the upper Park Heights area, which helps make the community stronger. The newcomers are buying houses in the area which is making our area stronger!

2. The mosdos have playgrounds that are used frequently by the Baltimore community families after school hours, on shabbos, and yomim tovim

3. Kedushas Yisrael, welcomes litvish people to learn there, attend shiurim, and daven there on Shabbos and Yom Tov. They embrace the community and are appreciative to be here in Baltimore.

4. Some Yungleit families are in the process of, or already have, bought houses here in Baltimore and want to stay here long term.

5. The Kollel is established - it was started in 2014 and B”H is going strong. We have an active marketing campaign to bring new families down, families with young children.

6. Some Yungleit families have a spouse working outside the kollel community - in local offices, teaching in our local schools, or working from home for local businesses.

appreciate yiddish-speaking chinuch and warm chassidishe approach have chosen K’hal Chassidim schools for their children, in all divisions, making our kehillah an additional facet in the growing yeshiva community.

Parents who send to our daycare enjoy the added benefit of sending to a fully licensed center, where the parents can get help applying for and obtaining vouchers, making their child’s tuition minimal and affordable. Having qualified, certified staff in

7.. Shabbos Bnos groups is held in one of our buildings.

8. Our Mosdos employ litvish staff and administrators, creating jobs.

9. Rabbi Jungreis gives Shiurim at local shuls, and Rebbetzin Jungreis has weekly chaburos for girls, and also gives Shiurim all over. She is a dedicated teacher at two of our big local schools and a valued member of our community.

10. The kollel is currently undertaking the project of bringing over new Chassidish families to move here, which will boost business and bring more families with young children to settle in Baltimore.

every room and small class sizes allows us to give each student the love and time each child needs to grow and thrive. We recently got approved by the state to start a hot lunch program in the daycare, that will be starting soon iyH!

For the Baltimore community, having the Kollel here offers lots of benefits:

1. Members of the Kollel live and

For these reasons, and lots more, please consider donating in our campaign. Coming up February 5 - 7th. MKC will be having our critical campaign to help raise much needed funds to be able to keep doing the great work we are doing. However, we can’t do it without you. Making a donation, no matter how small, will help. Every penny counts and is used with the utmost appreciation, respect, and consideration for the hard work that went into earning it.

www.plantinggenerations.com

Mosdos Kehal Chassidim

AFTERNOON COORDINATOR

Menucha seeks a responsible, motivated, and dedicated individual to run their evening program for individuals with special needs. Responsibilities will include coordinating volunteers and activities.

The Week In News

action so quickly,” Netanyahu said. “We must act with determination and composure. I call on people not to take the law into their own hands.”

The police officer who shot the terrorist met with Netanyahu at the scene. “The vehicle stopped, the terrorist pulled out his weapon,” the officer said. “I kept moving fast in his direction and closed in on him while he was firing at us.

“We stopped the patrol car, pulled out our weapons, the terrorist crossed to the other side. We fired on him, and he fell. We moved in and saw that he was still moving and trying to turn around his weapon. We neutralized him,” the officer said.

Bystander video published by Channel 12 was said to show the shootout between the police and the terrorist.

After the attack, Palestinians celebrated in the Gaza Strip and in several cities in the West Bank.

TRANSPORTATION

Menucha is looking for a driver to shuttle Menucha participants and volunteers to and from our afternoon program.

Israel Attacked Iranian Facility

lieved Russia was also trying to obtain Iranian missiles to use in the conflict. But U.S. officials said they believed this strike was prompted by Israel’s concerns about its own security, not the potential for missile exports to Russia.

The strike came just as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was beginning a visit to Israel, his first since Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office as prime minister. CIA Director William Burns visited Israel last week, although it is not clear anything about the operation in Isfahan was discussed.

U.S. officials quickly sent out word Sunday morning that the United States was not responsible for the attack. One official confirmed that it had been conducted by Israel but did not have details about the target. Sometimes Israel gives the United States advance warning of an attack or informs U.S. officials as an operation is being launched. It is unclear what happened in this case.

Isfahan is the site of four small nuclear research facilities, all supplied by China many years ago. But the facility that was struck Saturday was in the middle of the city and did not appear to be nuclear-related.

Iran made no effort to hide the fact that an attack had happened but said it had done little damage. In statements, senior Iranian officials contended that the drones had all been shot down.

ASSISTANTS & JOB COACHES

Menucha seeks dedicated, caring assistants and job coaches for the Menucha Day program.

Responsibilities Include: Guiding the participants in recreational activities and supported employment. Assistants will act as positive role models and guide the participants in appropriate social interactions. Great experience for those going into the health sciences, education or psychology.

A drone attack on an Iranian military facility that resulted in a large explosion in the center of the city of Isfahan, Iran, on Saturday was the work of the Mossad, Israel’s premier intelligence agency, according to senior intelligence officials who were familiar with the dialogue between Israel and the United States about the incident.

The facility’s purpose was not clear, and neither was how much damage the strike caused. But Isfahan is a major center of missile production, research, and development for Iran, including the assembly of many of its Shahab medium-range missiles, which can reach Israel and beyond.

Weeks ago, U.S. officials publicly identified Iran as the primary supplier of drones to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine, and they said they be -

Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, reported Sunday that the drones had targeted an ammunition manufacturing plant, and that they had been shot down by a surface-to-air defense system.

This is Israel’s first known attack inside Iran since Netanyahu reassumed office. (© The New York Times)

Coalition: Bring Back Deri

This week, all of the members of the coalition signed on as co-authors

Perfect for post seminary!

EVENT MISSION presented by Harav Shmuel Kamenetsky SHLITA and Harav Elya Brudny SHLITA

WELL WITHIN with Mrs. Faigie Zelcer, founding director of Penimi WORLDWIDE LAUNCH!

Torah hashkafa, clarity and

— Harav Elya Brudny shlita

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of a new law proposal that will enable Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri to return to his position as Interior and Health Minister against the wishes of the High Court.

The bill, an amendment to Basic Law: The Government, proposes to block the High Court of Justice’s ability to intervene in the prime minister’s prerogative to appoint ministers.

This would enable Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reappoint Deri, after the court on January 18 ruled that he must fire Deri due to the “extreme unreasonableness” of his appointment despite three criminal convictions.

Groups of MKs may propose bills together. Although the text, which was leaked to the press on Monday, was composed by a team of lawyers headed by Shas MK Moshe Arbel, the coalition on Monday began to gather

signatures in order to make the bill a joint proposal of every member of the coalition, other than MKs who are ministers or deputy ministers, the source said.

The coalition hopes that this indication of wide consensus will sway the High Court from blocking the law, should it be appealed.

The High Court has never blocked amendments to Basic Laws but has said in previous rulings that it had the power to do so if the Knesset abused its power as the body responsible for drafting Israel’s constitution.

The bill’s text reads: “There will not be judicial review by any level of court about any matter connected to, or resulting from, the appointing a minister and removing him from his position, save for the appointment meeting the conditions of eligibility set out in section 6a and 6c alone.”

6a requires the minister to be a resident and citizen of the State of Israel. 6c says that a person who committed a crime that includes moral turpitude must wait seven years to serve as a minister. The coalition already amended this law in December so that it does not apply to Deri, which allowed Netanyahu to appoint him in the first place.

The proposed amendment will thus be the second amendment to a Basic Law intended to enable Deri to serve as a minister.

The accompanying text that explains the law argues that the appointment and removal of ministers is at the “heart of democratic activity,” and therefore should not be put up for judicial review. High Court rulings over the years added new qualifications to the explicit list laid out in the law, and this led to “uncertainty regarding the

fulfillment of the voter’s wishes, and sometimes even bending the voter’s will to that of the government.”

The law therefore proposes to block the court from examining the “reasonableness” or any other aspect of a minister’s appointment, except for the qualifications written explicitly in the law.

Abbas to Blinken: Israel to Blame

In a meeting on Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asserted that Israel is to blame for the escalation of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian leader also ac-

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cused Israel of undermining the twostate solution and violating agreements with the Palestinians.

“We are now ready to work with the American administration and the international community to restore political dialogue in order to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Abbas added. “Our people won’t accept the continuation of the occupation forever.”

A senior Palestinian official said after the meeting, “We didn’t hear new ideas or proposals. We also didn’t hear anything new about our demand that the U.S. administration fulfill its promises to the Palestinians.”

Supposedly Abbas was upset that the United States and other countries are not pressuring Israel to “dismantle the occupation and end settlements.”

Abbas said the continued opposition by the U.S. and other parties to the Palestinians’ diplomatic offensive against Israel in international forums and courts encourages Israel “to commit more crimes and violate international law.”

Abbas took the international community to task for turning a blind eye to Israel’s “unilateral measures, including settlements, the de facto annexation of lands, settler terrorism, invasions of Palestinian areas, killings, house demolitions, displacing the Palestinians, altering the identity of Jerusalem, violating the historical status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Temple Mount), seizing Palestinian tax funds, as well as ethnic cleansing and apartheid.”

Referring to the recent decision to end security coordination with Israel, Abbas said: “We have taken a number of decisions, which we began to implement in order to protect the interests of our people, after we exhausted all means with Israel to stop its violations.”

The PA president demanded that Israel completely halt its unilateral actions to pave the way “for restoring the political horizon and ending the occupation and achieving peace, stability and security for all.”

According to Abbas, the Palestinians have always “shown commitment to renouncing violence and terrorism and honoring the agreements” with Israel.

Prior to the meeting with Blinken, Abbas held talks in Ramallah with the heads of the Egyptian and Jordanian intelligence agencies, Abbas Kamel and Ahmed Husni.

Kamel and Husni relayed the support of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah for Abbas and the Palestinian people, the PA’s official news agency Wafa reported.

Palestinian sources said the two Arab intelligence chiefs have been working towards de-escalating tensions between the Palestinians and Israel.

Combatting Terrorism

vile plans. Glad that the Cabinet accepted my proposal, and we will continue to fight terrorism by all means,” said Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

He added that he would soon propose a bill to institute the death penalty for terrorists.

During a meeting of the Security Cabinet on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for new measures to combat terrorism, including expanding the number of civilian gun permits and revoking the identity cards and residency status of terrorists’ families.

“This morning, we sealed the home of the terrorist who carried out the reprehensible attack in Jerusalem [on Friday evening]; his home will be demolished,” the prime minister said, adding that the government had also decided to pull national medical insurance rights from families that support terrorism.

Seven people were killed and several others were wounded on Friday night when a terrorist opened fire outside a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood.

“The Security Cabinet approved a series of steps in the fight against terrorism,” said Netanyahu. “Today, the government will discuss two additional steps: Revoking Israeli identity cards and residency of families of terrorists that support terrorism. We will also expand and expedite the issuing of weapons permits to thousands of Israeli civilians, including those in the rescue services,” he added.

Life in Prison for Ori’s

Murderer

On Sunday, Arafat Irfaiya was sentenced to life imprisonment plus an additional 20 years for the assault and murder of Israeli teenager Ori Ansbacher in February 2019 in a Jerusalem forest.

Irfaiya had pleaded guilty at the Jerusalem District Court in June 2020 to the charges. Ori, from the settlement of Tekoa, was 19 years old when she was assaulted and murdered by the terrorist.

Judge Rafi Carmel also ruled that Irfaiya pay NIS 250,000 (approximately $72,000) to Ansbacher’s family, and an additional NIS 75,000 ($22,000) to each of her parents and siblings.

“[Irfaiya’s] actions brought destruction to her family. This is an evil that has no place in our world. The poem of Ori’s life ended with a scream,” Carmel said, referring of the teen’s love of poetry.

“[Ori] only did good to others, in comparison to the defendant, who took her life in a cruel way,” Carmel said, according to the Ynet news site.

The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday adopted a proposal to seal the homes of terrorists who commit non-lethal attacks, with the policy to be applied to the home of the 13-year-old Palestinian who shot and seriously wounded two people in Jerusalem on Saturday.

Muhammad Aliyat, of the capital’s Silwan/Shiloach neighborhood, shot a father and son near the entrance to the City of David National Park in Jerusalem on Saturday morning, a day after a deadly shooting rampage at a synagogue in the city’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood.

Aliyat was shot and killed by police during the attack.

“A terrorist is a terrorist, even if he has not succeeded in carrying out his

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed on Sunday to hold all Palestinian terrorists to account.

“Every terrorist will be brought to court or to the cemetery,” he said.

While Israel wants calm restored, he continued, it is nevertheless determined to quash terrorism.

“We will undertake offensive actions against those who try to hurt our children,” said Gallant. “We will fight forcefully and decisively against terrorists and their enablers – including, if needed, the demolition of the homes of terrorists or revoking the rights of the families of terrorists.

“We will not allow blood to be spilled. We will do what is necessary to bring them to justice,” said the defense minister. (JNS)

The indictment against Irfaiya said he had entered Israel from the West Bank illegally armed with a knife.

According to a Channel 12 news report in 2019, Irfaiya told interrogators that he entered Israel and looked for a Jewish victim because he wanted to be a “martyr.” According to the report, Irfaiya said he did not plan much of the attack in advance, aside from purchasing a kippa so that he could slip into Israel undetected.

On the day of the killing, Ansbacher, who was a volunteer at a youth center in the capital, went for a walk in the woodland of Ein Yael on the southern edge of Jerusalem, encountering Irfaiya by chance.

“He came across Ansbacher and decided to kill her because she was Jewish,” the charge sheet stated. “He attacked Ori with violent cruelty, and

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though she tried to fight him off, he overpowered her. He stabbed her with a knife multiple times throughout her body, causing her death.”

The case generated shock and outrage across the country and prompted the government to approve the implementation of a law under which Israel would deduct from tax revenues it collects on behalf of Palestinians the amount that the Palestinian Authority pays out every month to Palestinian attackers and their families.

Baby Boom

For the past few years – since 2008 – the number of babies born in the United States each year has been steadily dropping. But this year brings good news. According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50,000 more babies were born in the U.S. in 2021 than in 2020, marking the first major reversal of the downward trend.

Still, this small uptick still leaves the US birth rate far below pre-pandemic levels. Registered births have dropped 1% or 2% nearly every year over the past decade and a half, according to the CDC data. They fell 4% in 2020 alone.

Interestingly, the drop-off from the pandemic may actually have had to do more with travel than with disease. Researchers found that “childbearing in the U.S. among foreign-born mothers declined immediately after lockdowns began.” They instead found a small “baby bump” among U.S.-born mothers.

The total U.S. fertility rate – about 1.7 births for every woman – was below “replacement” in 2021, as it generally has been for decades, according to the CDC report. That means there aren’t enough births for a generation to replace itself as people die.

Nearly 3.7 million births were registered in the U.S. in 2021, according to the report. Births increased among White and Hispanic women, but they fell among Black, Asian and American

Indian women, according to the CDC report.

Additionally, mothers are having children later in the life. The new report found that the average age of a first-time mother reached a record high of 27.3 years in 2021. Birth rates increased among women ages 25 to 44, while the teen birth rate reached a record low.

Illegal Immigrants Don’t Want to Leave Hotels

have arrived in New York City since last spring, and we continue to surpass our moral obligations as we provide asylum seekers with shelter, food, health care, education, and a host of other services,” he added.

Some immigrants who initially went to the relief center returned to the hotel and argued that the new center lacked heating and bathroom space, according to the report.

“The facilities at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal will provide the same services as every other humanitarian relief center in the city, and the scheduled relocations to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal this weekend took place as planned,” the city said in a statement. “We remain in serious need of support from both our state and federal governments.”

U.S. Spends Most on Healthcare

The U.S. is the only country among those studied that doesn’t have universal health coverage. In 2021 alone, 8.6% of the U.S. population was uninsured.

The researchers examined how the United States measured against Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. They also compared the U.S. with the OECD average for 38 high-income countries.

The data showed that in 2021 alone, the U.S. spent nearly twice as much as the average OECD country on health care – and health spending in the U.S. was three to four times higher than in South Korea, New Zealand, and Japan.

The U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic health conditions, the data showed, and the highest obesity rate among the countries studied.

Illegal immigrants staying in free New York City hotel rooms are sleeping in the street to protest their resettlement in a Brooklyn migrant shelter.

The immigrants, who entered the United States illegally across the southern border, were first placed in Midtown Manhattan’s Watson Hotel, according to a report.

When they were told earlier this week that they were slated to be relocated to a Brooklyn Cruise Terminal migrant relief center, many broke out in protest.

Along with migrant activists, the illegal immigrants spent the night outside the Hell’s Kitchen hotel and stayed there well into Monday morning.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams addressed the situation and promised that the migrant facility would have all the amenities required by the illegal immigrants and that they would still receive government support.

“This weekend, we began the process of moving single adult men from the Watson Hotel to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, as we transition the hotel to meet the large number of asylum-seeking families with children,” Adams said.

“More than 42,000 asylum seekers

The United States spends more on health care than any other high-income country but still has the lowest life expectancy at birth and the highest rate of people with multiple chronic diseases, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group.

The report, released on Tuesday, also says that compared with peer nations, the U.S. has the highest rates of deaths from avoidable or treatable causes and the highest maternal and infant death rates.

“Americans are living shorter, less healthy lives because our health system is not working as well as it could be,” the report’s lead author, Munira Gunja, senior researcher for The Commonwealth Fund’s International Program in Health Policy and Practice Innovation, said. “To catch up with other high-income countries, the administration and Congress would have to expand access to health care, act aggressively to control costs, and invest in health equity and social services we know can lead to a healthier population.”

People in the U.S. see doctors less often than those in most other countries, which is probably related to the U.S. having a below-average number of practicing physicians, according to the report.

Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. in 2020 was 77 years – three years less than the OECD average – and early data suggests that U.S. life expectancy dropped even further in 2021.

On the bright side, the United States does better than other countries at cancer prevention and treating cancer early. The U.S. exceeded the OECD average when it came to screening rates for colorectal cancer.

A separate paper published in mid-January said that the U.S. cancer death rate has fallen 33% since 1991, which corresponds to an estimated 3.8 million deaths averted.

Holidays Cost Southwest $1 Billion

Southwest Airlines said on Thursday that its holiday meltdown last month would cost it more than $1 billion, including lost revenue from the canceled flights and refunds and reimbursements to passengers. The debacle also led some customers to cancel trips.

The breakdown over the December holidays, which affected an estimated 2 million passengers, contributed to a $220 million loss in the final three

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months of last year despite the generally strong demand for air travel, Southwest said. The airline reported record fourth-quarter revenue of $6.2 billion and record revenue for the year. It reported an annual profit of $539 million.

The mass flight cancellations cost Southwest about $800 million in the fourth quarter and is expected to dent revenue through March by as much as $350 million, the airline said. The company’s stock was down about 3% at the close of trading Thursday.

Still, Southwest’s executives said they were optimistic for March and beyond because demand for tickets remained strong. The company expects revenue in the first three months of this year to rise between 20% and 24% from a year ago. The airline also said it hadn’t changed its plans to add flights this year.

The company released its quarterly financial results a day after the Department of Transportation said it had started a “rigorous and comprehensive” investigation of Southwest.

Southwest said in a statement on Wednesday that it would cooperate with “any inquiry or request from government oversight or elected officials.”

On Thursday, the airline said it had returned all lost bags to customers, processed nearly all refunds, and gone through more than 80% of the requests that customers submitted to be reimbursed for alternative travel plans.

The airline’s unions blamed a failure by management to update crew scheduling systems and software. Southwest said that it spent about $1 billion annually on technology and that its systems had functioned as designed but had been overwhelmed by the number of last-minute changes that had to be made quickly because crews were far from where they needed to be.

The company asked the software maker, GE Digital, to modify that system and said that an update was weeks away. (© The New York Times)

Protests After Tyre Nichols’ Death

Protesters once again took to the streets over the weekend to decry police brutality after the release of video

depicting the violent Memphis police beating of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols.

On January 7, police officers pulled Nichols over for a traffic stop. In the video released of the incident, officers can be seen beating the black man with batons, punching him, and kicking him. At one point, he was being beaten even while his hands were restrained behind his back.

The officers involved were all black.

It took 23 minutes for emergency workers with a stretcher came to the scene. Nichols was eventually hospitalized and died three days later.

“All of these officers failed their oath,” Nichols’ family attorney Ben Crump told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday. “They failed their oath to protect and serve. Look at that video: Was anybody trying to protect and serve Tyre Nichols?”

Demonstrators marched through New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland, among other cities across the nation on Saturday, raising signs bearing Nichols’ name and calling for an end to abuses of authority.

Since Nichols’ death, the backlash has been relatively swift. The five Memphis officers involved in the beating – who are also black – were fired and charged with murder and kidnapping in Nichols’ death. The unit they were part of was disbanded, and state lawmakers representing the Memphis area began planning police reform bills.

The five former Memphis police officers involved in the arrest have been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, among other charges, according to the Shelby County district attorney.

All five officers were members of the now-scrapped SCORPION unit. The unit, launched in 2021, put officers into areas where police were tracking upticks in violent crime.

Two Memphis Fire Department employees who were part of Nichols’ initial care were relieved of duty, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. And two deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office have been put on leave pending an investigation.

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plan to fly to Eastern Canada, before crossing the North Atlantic through Greenland, Iceland, and then across Europe.

A Really Long Family Trip

If you thought yeshiva week was long, consider spending more than a year flying around the world with your family in a tiny single-engine aircraft – or maybe don’t

The Porters, a family of five from Canada, are currently around halfway through a 14-month circumnavigation of the world.

Ian Porter, who has been a private pilot for around four decades, his wife Michelle, daughters Samantha, 21 and Sydney, 18, who also happen to be qualified pilots, and son Christopher, 15, set off from Vancouver on June 15, 2022 and have “been basically traveling every day since.”

They are taking a “low and slow” approach to the trip and have already visited around 20 countries, including the United States, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras. So far, they have flown over 25,000 nautical miles.

For Ian, traveling the world with his family was always a dream. A few years ago, he decided to take time off from his position as a real estate developer. Samantha was able to take time off from university; Sydney was about to graduate high school; Christopher had been home-schooled during the pandemic; and Michelle had been a homemaker for a number of years.

The family found the perfect plane for their voyage for a steal -- $500,000. They nicknamed the aircraft “Moose.”

“You can load it up with stuff,” Ian says. “The one thing it doesn’t do is go very fast. So it fits well with our whole modus operandi of ‘low and slow.’ It’s the perfect plane for this mission.”

Currently in Belize, the Porters say they’ll likely head to Guatemala next, before flying on to Mexico. Next, they

From here, they’ll likely fly across Egypt, the Middle East, India, and Japan, although they say the exact route “will always evolve.”

“We obviously face our challenges,” says Samantha. “But honestly, I’m going to look back on these experiences and miss spending all these days with my family.”

Family time on the fly.

Rat Race

Pat may just be the world’s oldest mouse.

The resident of San Diego Zoo is now in the running with Guinness World Records for official recognition for being the oldest Pacific pocket mouse in the world.

Pat is 9 years and 5 months old.

The rodent was born at the zoo on July 12, 2013. The wildlife alliance said it will hold a special event on February 8 to celebrate the mouse’s longevity and attempt to secure the Guinness World Records title of oldest living mouse in human care.

The Pacific pocket mouse is the smallest species of mouse in North America. The zoo established a breeding and reintroduction program for the species in 2012 to help offset population declines.

In this rat race, Pat may just be in the lead. The oldest mouse ever recorded by Guinness World Records was named Fritzy and died in 1985 at the age of 7 years and 7 months.

Here’s to crowning the big cheese.

The Couple That Builds Together

A lot of situations may contribute to stress in a marriage, but in order to truly know how strong you are as a couple, consider building IKEA furniture together with your spouse.

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Torah Thought Then and Now

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

At the splitting of the sea, Moshe is overwhelmed with excitement and boundless joy. Seeking to put his heartfelt emotions to words, he begins a Shirah, a song, with the word זא, then: רישי זא — Then Moshe and the Children of Israel chose to sing this song to Hashem....»

The Midrash explains that Moshe was intending to rectify a previous misstatement, exclaiming:

“With זא I went afoul when I castigated Hashem when I stated, זאמ ...יתאב — “From then that I came to Pharaoh... he did evil to this people”,

therefore with זא I will heap praise upon Him, ...רישי זא — Then Moshe... chose to sing.

Contrary to what we would assume that the phrase, Then Moshe chose to sing... is merely an introductory description of the song being expressed by Moshe and the Children of Israel — with the song beginning with the words 'דל הרישא, I shall sing to Hashem — the Midrash is teaching us that זא is an integral part of the Shirah, the praise extolled by Moshe.

Is this common word merely a catchphrase used to contrast two events, expressing his remorse, or is

there something more profound intended in the use of this mysterious word?

The Midrash describes a ‘cloak of splendor’, that G-d dons that is composed of all the expressions of זא, ‘then moments’, that appear in the Torah. When His children sin, he rips them apart only to reweave it together in the days of the Mashiach.

זא is a word that simply means, then, taking any given moment in time and making it distinct.

A person, often because of a human’s limited scope and perception, feels frustrated in the circumstances one faces in life. If only we would be able to see with clarity the entire puzzle of life and all its opportunities

for growth and connection to G-d, we would walk with a dance in our step and a song in our heart, in joy over this knowledge and privilege.

Moshe lashed out with frustration about the plight of his beloved people. Little did he realize ‘then’, that the acceleration of the labor and slavery was commuting the four-hundredyear sentence to a mere two hundred and ten years. After experiencing the revelation of Divine Providence in its full glory, only ‘then’ was Moshe able to place that previously isolated moment into the full context of the ‘masterplan’.

The word used for song, הריש, can also refer to something ‘circular’ as in the noun ריש that is used to describe a

FIT A BIT OF TORAH INTO YOUR LIFE.

2, 2023

Torah Thought

round ring or bracelet.

The sense of happiness that leads to a spontaneous eruption of song stems from having achieved a sense of completion and purpose. A circle always begins and concludes at the same point. One must however travel the full cycle of descent and ascent before finally arriving

Moshe took the זא, that seemingly independent annoying point in time, and placed it in its appropriate location and context in the circle of Divine Providence, provoking an enthusiastic response of elation and connection to something much greater.

רישי זא, Then he sang!

A follower of the saintly Divrei Chaim sought solace and advice from the Rebbe over some difficulties he was having with a competitor.

The Rebbe asked him if he ever observed his horse when he goes to the stream to drink. He pointed out to him that the horse first kicks and stirs up

the water before he laps it up.

This is due to the fact, the Rebbe explained, that when he naively observes his reflection in the water, he thinks it is just another horse — his competition. By agitating the water, he erroneously believes that he makes the other horse simply disappear!

Every challenge we face is ours to own up to. It is much easier to blame and seek to rid ourselves of the competition. We must first accept that what we see is none other than ourselves and our unique mission in life, with its challenges and its responsibilities. How we deal and tackle them determines whether we are heading healthily towards the starting point of the circle of life, the Almighty Himself.

When we succeed in living this ideal, seeing the bigger picture, we merit to lead lives of joy!

Years ago, I had the privilege to attend a Siyum of the entire Mishna in commemoration of the Sheloshim for a

young two-month-old child who tragically passed away suddenly. At the event, the grandmother of the infant, whose son is the father of the baby, was in attendance just a day after she herself had gotten up from Shiva for her mother — her last remaining parent.

The irony of the moment was painful. Here was a woman who lived a full life, raising a wonderful family and meriting to have seen many great-grandchildren in her lifetime. In stark contrast was the raw memory of a young child first beginning her journey, filled with so much hope that her parents so lovingly showered her with, yet abruptly and painfully was extinguished.

Yet, it was that same great-grandmother who shortly before she died lovingly encouraged her brave grandchildren who were sitting shiva, to imagine the joy their baby was experiencing in heaven sitting on the lap

of her late husband, characteristically bouncing his beautiful great-granddaughter while soothingly singing to her a loving tune.

The touching portrayal of this embrace of the glorious past and the painful present, was a Yiddeshe Bubbe’s instinctive expression of the exquisite concept of taking an 'זא' moment and placing it in the greater context of Hashem’s giant circle that one day will be seen in all its splendor, compelling us to burst out joyously in a song of eternity.

May we merit to contribute to this ‘cloak of splendor’, composed of the many ‘then moments’ in our life, sewing them back together with the magnificent quality of זא!

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

What has poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen accomplished that he is considered one of Israel’s adopted sons, so much so that a street was named after him in Be’er Sheva immediately after his death in 2016?

At the age of 39, Leonard Cohen was rich and famous. He was one of the biggest names in the music industry in the Sixties, having packed stadiums and concert halls across the globe, but he was emotionally and creatively exhausted and was contemplating retiring. And then the 1973 Yom Kippur War broke out. In a show of solidarity, Leonard traveled to Israel immediately after Egypt attacked Israel. Performing for small groups of soldiers at the southern front in the Sinai desert with a borrowed guitar and a group of local musicians – literally “unplugged,” without amplifiers and stages – the war reinvigorated Cohen.

Although Cohen couldn’t speak Hebrew, and didn’t comprehend war machinations and politics, he understood his audience.

“I was afraid at first that my quiet and melancholy songs weren’t the kind that would encourage soldiers at the front,” Cohen told an interviewer, “but I

My Israel Home Hallelu-jah!

By Gedaliah Borvick

learned that these wonderful kids don’t need glorious battle anthems. Now, between battles, they’re open to my music maybe more than ever before. I came to raise their spirits, and they raised mine.”

This trying experience inspired Cohen to compose some of his best music. During breaks between performances, Cohen wrote a number of songs that were included in his 1974 album. The hauntingly beautiful “Who By Fire,”

One soldier’s quote, whose theme was repeated by many others, explains the country’s deep-seated admiration for Cohen: “What touched me very deeply was this Jew hunched over a guitar, sitting quietly and playing for us. I asked who he was, and someone said he was from Canada or G-d knows where, a Jew who came to raise the spirit of the fighters. It was Leonard Cohen. Since then, he has a corner of my heart.”

Leonard Cohen played to packed stadiums around the world. The world tour ended in front of 50,000 adoring fans in Israel. In a touch of spirituality, unity and drama, Cohen ended the concert by spreading out his fingers and blessing the crowd with the birkat kohanim, the priestly blessing of protection and peace.

Despite being an anti-war pacifist, Leonard Cohen came to Israel during one of the country’s darkest moments and connected with the Jewish nation in their mutual moment of despair. Those few weeks of compassion and empathy cemented Cohen’s eternal status as a national treasure.

Leonard’s version of the U’netaneh Tokef prayer from the Yom Kippur liturgy, clearly reflects the Yom Kippur War’s impact on him. Another example of Cohen’s Jewish roots that seeped into his music after the Yom Kippur War was his most famous hit, and considered by many to be one of the greatest songs of all time, “Hallelu-jah,” which he recorded a decade later.

Cohen’s last trip to Israel was in 2009. After spending many years in a Buddhist monastery, he discovered that his manager had stolen all of his savings. In order to replenish his bank account, Cohen – for the first time in 15 years –scheduled a concert tour and discovered that during his absence from the industry, he had ascended to the upper strata of fame. During his triumphant return,

This article is based primarily on “Who By Fire,” a fascinating account by Matti Friedman of Leonard Cohen’s unfathomable trip to Israel during the depths of the Yom Kippur War.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

“I came to raise their spirits, and they raised mine.”

Leonard Cohen performing for troops during the Yom Kippur War

Baltimore Weekday Minyanim Guide

Shacharis Mincha

Neitz Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] M-F

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek M-F

Ohel Yakov S-F

6:00 AM Shomrei Emunah Congregation M-F

6:10 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, Th

6:15 AM Kol Torah M, TH

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah M-F

Shearith Israel Congregation M, TH

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel M, TH

6:20 AM Agudah of Greenspring M, TH

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S-F

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M, TH

Kehilath B'nai Torah M, TH

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S, M, TH

6:25 AM Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation T, W, F

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel T, W, F

6:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring T, W, F

Chabad of Park Heights M-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Kehilath B'nai Torah T, W, F

Khal Bais Nosson M-F

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek M-F

Kol Torah T, W, F

Ohr Yisroel M-F

Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Emunah Congregation T, W, F

6:35 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan) M, TH

Ohel Moshe M, TH

6:40 AM Aish Kodesh (downstairs Minyan) T, W, F

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M, TH

6:45 AM B”H and Mesivta of Baltimore (Dirshu Minyan) S-F

Beth Abraham M, TH

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F

Ner Tamid M-F

Ohel Moshe T, W, F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim M-F

6:50 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] M, TH

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh M, TH

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation T, W, F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh M, TH

Derech Chaim M-F

Kol Torah M-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M-F

Shomrei Emunah Congregation M, TH

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center M, TH

6:55 AM Beth Abraham T, W, F

Kol Torah M, TH

7:00 AM Aish Kodesh (upstairs Minyan) M-F

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] T, W, F

Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh T, W, F

Beth Tfiloh Congregation M-F

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh T, W, F

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek S

Kol Torah T, W, F

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah S, M, TH

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S

Shearith Israel Congregation S, M, TH

Shomrei Emunah Congregation T, W, F

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh M-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center T, W, F

Tiferes Yisroel M-F

7:05 AM Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) M, TH

7:15 AM Kedushas Yisrael S

Kol Torah S

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S, T, W, F

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F

7:15 AM Shearith Israel Congregation T, W, F Shomrei Emunah Congregation S

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel S

Tzeirah Anash M-F

7:20 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH

Kol Torah M-F

Shomrei Emunah Congregation M, TH

7:30 AM Agudah of Greenspring S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] S

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore S-F

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh S

Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi] S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation S

Chabad of Park Heights S

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh S-F

Darchei Tzedek S

Kedushas Yisrael M-F

Khal Bais Nosson S

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina) S-F

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S-F

Shomrei Emunah Congregation T, W, F

7:45 AM Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation M-F

Talmudical Academy S-F

Darchei Tzedek M-F

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F

Mesivta Kesser Torah S-F

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim S-F

7:50 AM Derech Chaim S

Ner Tamid S

Ohel Moshe M-F

8:00 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Beth Abraham S

Darchei Tzedek S

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek S

Kehillas Meor HaTorah S

Ohel Yakov S

Ohr Yisroel S

Pikesville Jewish Congregation S

Shearith Israel Congregation S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center S

Tiferes Yisroel S

Tzeirah Anash S

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah S-F

8:15 AM Kehilath B'nai Torah S

Kol Torah S

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F

8:20 AM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S-F

8:30 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Beth Tfiloh Congregation S

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's) S-F

Ohel Moshe S

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh S

8:45 AM Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F

9:00 AM Aish Kodesh S

Agudath Israel of Baltimore S-F

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim S

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation S

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah S

Shomrei Emunah Congregation S-F

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim S-F

9:15 AM Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F

9:45 AM Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah S-F

Ner Israel Rabbinical College S-F

For edits or additions, email ads@baltimorejewishhome.com For sponsorship opportunities, email yitz@baltimorejewishhome.com

Mincha Gedolah Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/Tzemach Tzedek

12:30 PM Kol Torah

12:50 PM Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen, Rubin & Gibber

1:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

10055 Red Run Blvd Suite 295

Milk & Honey Bistro 1777 Reisterstown RD

1:25 PM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

1:45 PM Ohel Moshe

2:00 PM Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Big Al @ The Knish Shop Party Room

Market Maven

Reischer Minyan 15 Walker Ave 2nd Floor

Snider Law Firm 600 Reistersown Rd 7th floor

2:30 PM Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh

Ner Israel Rabbinical College

Tov Pizza Mincha Minyan

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim (Etz Chaim Building)

Shearith Israel Congregation

3:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

3:05 PM Kedushas Yisrael

3:15 PM Hat Box

4:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

Mincha/Maariv

Aish Kodesh

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Agudah of Greenspring

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Darchei Tzedek

Kehillas Meor HaTorah

Kehilath B’nai Torah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill’s)

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

Ner Tamid

Ohel Moshe

Shearith Israel Congregation

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

Before Shkiah

8:55 PM Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

9:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh

Beit Yaakov [Sefaradi]

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim

9:20 PM Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Kol Torah

9:30 PM Agudah of Greenspring

Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Kedushas Yisrael

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

9:45 PM Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Kollel Erev Birchas Yitzchok (Luries)

Machzikei Torah (Sternhill's)

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah

9:50 PM Aish Kodesh

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh

Ohel Moshe

10:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Darchei Tzedek

Kehilath B'nai Torah

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

Ohr Yisroel

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

10:05 PM Kol Torah

10:10 PM Ner Israel Rabbinical College

10:15 PM Derech Chaim

Khal Bais Nosson

10:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

11:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

Agudah of Greenspring - 6107 Greenspring Ave

Agudath Israel of Baltimore - 6200 Park Heights Ave

Ahavat Shalom - 3009 Northbrook Rd

Aish Kodesh - 6207 Ivymount Rd

Arugas HaBosem - 3509 Clarks Ln

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim - 3120 Clarks Ln

Bais Hamedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore - 6823 Old Pimlico Rd

Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh - 6618 Deancroft Rd

Beit Yaakov - 3615 Seven Mile Ln

Beth Abraham - 6208 Wallis Ave

Beth Tfiloh Congregation - 3300 Old Court Rd

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center

Maariv

6:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

6:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

7:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

7:15 PM Shomrei Emunah Congregation

7:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

7:45 PM Talmudical Academy

Ohel Moshe

8:00 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim

Mercaz Torah U'Tefillah

Pikesville Jewish Congregation

8:10 PM Kol Torah

8:15 PM Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek

Shomrei Emunah Congregation

8:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore

Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi]

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah

8:45 PM Darchei Tzedek

Ner Israel Rabbinical College (Mechina)

Ohr Yisroel

8:50 PM Mesivta Shaarei Chaim (Etz Chaim Building)

Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation - 6602 Park Heights Ave

Chabad of Park Heights - 3402 Clarks Ln

Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh - 3800 Labyrinth Rd

Darchei Tzedek - 3201 Seven Mile Ln

Derech Chaim - 6229 Greenspring Ave (Weekday)

Kedushas Yisrael - 6004 Park Heights Ave

Kehilath B’nai Torah - 6301 Green Meadow Pkwy

Kehillas Meor HaTorah - 6539 Pebble Brooke Rd

Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek - 6811 Park Heights Ave

Khal Bais Nosson - 2901 Taney Rd

Kol Torah - 2929 Fallstaff Rd

Machzikei Torah - 6216 Biltmore Ave

Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah - 6500 Baythorne Rd

Mesivta Kesser Torah - 8400 Park Heights Ave

Mesivta Shaarei Chaim - 3702 Fords Ln

Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah - 7000 Rockland Hills Dr

Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen, Rubin & Gibber One South Street, 27th Floor

Ner Israel Rabbinical College - 400 Mt Wilson Ln

Ner Tamid - 6214 Pimlico Road

Ohel Moshe - 2808 Smith Ave

Ohel Yakov - 3200 Glen Ave

Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] - 6813 Park Heights Ave

Ohr Yisroel - 2429 Lightfoot Dr

Pikesville Jewish Congregation - 7644 Carla Rd

Shearith Israel Congregation - 5835 Park Heights Ave

Shomrei Emunah Congregation - 6221 Greenspring Ave

Shomrei Mishmeres Hakodesh - 2821 W Strathmore Ave

Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim - 7504 Seven Mile Ln

Talmudical Academy - 4445 Old Court Rd

The Adas: Chofetz Chaim Adas Bnei Israel - 5915 Park Heights Ave

The Shul at the Lubavitch Center - 6701 Old Pimlico Rd

Tiferes Yisroel - 6201 Park Heights Ave

Tzeirah Anash - 6706 Cross County Blvd

Yeshiva Tiferes Hatorah - 6819 Williamson Ave

Israel Today

The Craft of Aging Gracefully

By Rafi Sackville

Over 40 years ago, in an effort to help me develop a creative side to myself I didn’t know existed, I was steered into doing an apprenticeship first with a jeweler and then with a graphic designer; I showed little predilection in either field. The jeweler was situated within spitting distance of the Old City. He was an old man, who said little and gave me directions by example. I’d sit at a wooden desk that looked and felt like a relic from the Ottoman period and, file in hand, spent day after day filing settings for rings. My boredom was eventually matched by the graphic artist’s insistence that I spend my time observing more than doing.

Then, on a windy evening towards the end of winter, I found a large piece of leather outside Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem. It felt wonderfully malleable. It was soft to the touch on its outside but rough inside. It appeared a contradiction of sorts. Sharpening a butter knife and a fork, I turned the discarded scrap into a shoulder bag. I recollect proudly walking around in a sweater I had knitted from raw wool that I had spun myself and the bag slung across my shoulder.

Since then, I have made hundreds of leather items from bags and shoes to wallets, megillah cases and tefillin boxes. I’ve accumulated more tools than I can shake a stick at. Leather craft has granted me an outlet that is both therapeutic and creative.

In America, it was easy to purchase leather hides, the tools and paraphernalia necessary, but here in Israel the businesses are not centralized. Leather hides are not where one can buy hand tools and machinery. Furthermore, purchasing leather online is risky; it’s always best to physically inspect it first.

Then there is Eldad. He’s an artisan living on Kibbutz Afek in the Zevulun Valley in Western Galil. There he built a large workshop he proudly calls Omanya, where he runs lessons in leather craft. He is set up to teach up to twenty people at a time. There they make all kinds of leather projects, from keychains to face masks,

from sandals to shoulder bags.

Eldad is an engaging and excellent teacher. He is a mixture of humor, expertise, and patience. He guides without imposing himself on his students. Most importantly, the workshop exudes an atmosphere of happiness.

Eldad provides more than classes. He buys and sells leather and hand tools. Moreover, he has the room to house large

Officially, I have one more year to fulfill until I reach the age of retirement. Up until this point in my life my chosen profession as a teacher has been fulfilling. The happiness I find in class and among young people in general has lent teaching the feel of a hobby; maybe that’s what is meant when we describe people who thoroughly enjoy their work as having the feeling of not really working. I’m still not sure I’m ready

noise was so loud I was forced to leave the classroom and stand in the hall. I thought it a total waste of time, until one little chap told me it was the best half-hour of his life. He stood next to me waving a malformed and unrecognizable piece of leather in his hand; he had pounded it into pulp.

To my mind, the lure of retirement is like the call of sirens: dangerous. Unless one is totally prepared for retirement and is sensible and self-aware enough to know how to deal with the sudden inundation of free hours that are a retiree’s lot, leaving the workforce can be devastating.

Israel is no different than any other country in this regard. Only take into consideration the difficulty many olim from Russian-speaking countries face. Many make Aliyah at an advanced age having spent their working lives without any pension plan. Once they retire, they will be lucky to have more than $1,000 a month to live off. People my age oftentimes discuss the dire situation of such immigrants as a comfort for having a pension plan in the first place.

I’d want nothing more than to remain active in my later years. I perish the thought of sitting at home doing nothing. There’s a yeshiva up the road which offers a course for retirees that I’m looking forward to joining. There are the occasion columns I enjoy writing. Finally, there’s the lure of my craftwork that is reassuring as my time in the classroom comes to an end.

machinery, which offers small artisans like myself services such as stamping and cutting pieces of leather.

It’s a great service, especially knowing Eldad is only an hour away. His workshop is right next door to the kibbutz cowshed.

The irony isn’t lost on anyone; one is hit by the smell of leather goods inside coupled uncomfortably with the wafting shock to one’s olfactory glands coming out of the cowshed. Add to that sounds of bovine bellows wailing in through the windows and the experience is totally “leather.”

to retire, but it’s something that I cannot ignore; the issue needs addressing sooner, rather than later. I’ve seen so many people retire and then flounder. I want to remain active and enterprising.

I have thought about opening a small workshop, but memories of running a leather activity in Darchei Torah’s summer camp still give me pause. I was approached at the 11th hour to teach a group of sixth graders. I outfitted them with pieces of leather, rubber mallets and stamps. For half an hour, they pounded away until the

I’d mostly want to concentrate on making items like megillah cases and tefillin boxes, like those pictured here – something that will keep me occupied and, more importantly, allow me to be creative and imaginative. And when I need to buy and punch leather pieces, and when I am short of hardware, I have the comfort knowing that Eldad is only 45 minutes away by car.

Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

Add to that sounds of bovine bellows wailing in through the windows and the experience is totally “leather.”

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What Causes Addiction?

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

The question of what causes addiction is one that has been the focus of scientific research for many years, and the answer is somewhat confusing. Is it a predisposition that one is born with, a result of peer pressure, or an attempt to soothe negative emotions?

I am sure that you would not be surprised to hear that it is all of the above and then some. In this article, we will briefly present some of the factors that often contribute to the development of an addiction.

Before we begin, let us define an addiction. We all have weaknesses that compel to us to engage in behaviors that are not conducive to our well-being. We might eat a little too much, avoid exercise, ingest too much caffeine, etc. Very few of us have the self-control to conduct our lives in a perfectly healthy manner. What then makes an addiction fundamentally

different? In a nutshell, addiction is a condition where the person engages in a behavior or uses a substance that offers a pleasurable effect and will repeatedly occupy himself or herself in this behavior despite detrimental consequences. In other words, when one is willing to risk his job, marriage, money, or even his life in order to follow an urge, then we call this an addiction.

Now we can discuss the elements that can lead to an addiction. Let us begin with the brain theory. This theory states that individuals who develop addictions were born with a predisposition for addiction based on how their brain reacts to pleasure. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps us feel pleasure and fulfillment in our lives.

If the dopamine receptors are faulty, then major amounts of dopamine are required in order to feel “normal”.

Therefore, one can become drawn to those substances or behaviors that produce a dopamine flood in the brain. According to this theory, a person’s genetics are at the heart of developing an addiction.

Another theory of addiction states that early experiences in one’s life can create emotional pain. This includes childhood abuse, neglect, bullying, etc. The emotional pain that one must live with can compel someone to seek out a method to numb the pain. There are non-harmful ways of accomplishing this, and that is what psychotherapy and psychiatry are all about. But if one searches for his or her own way of dealing with it, the result might be the discovery of an addictive behavior that can offer an experience that will, at least temporarily, offer a sense of relief.

Another theory states that addictions are environmental. Influences from one’s peers and surroundings can make it seem that addictive substances are “cool”. Once a young person, such as an adolescent or young adult, is exposed to an addictive substance, there is a chance that an addiction will develop even if there is no history of trauma or mental illness.

Ultimately, these are all valid factors that play a role in the development of an addiction. This leads to a more controversial theory, and that is the gateway theory of addiction. This theory states that if someone engages in less dangerous substances, such as cannabis, that will be a gateway for eventually graduating to danger-

ous and life-threatening drugs. The drawback of this theory is that when one does engage in cannabis use, this usually involves hanging out with the wrong crowd, interacting with drug dealers, defying parental directives, etc. Therefore, it might be the descent into the “underworld” that is leading to the gateway effect and not the cannabis use by itself.

Therefore, if one does have a child or friend that is beginning to use addictive substances, it is not enough simply to take away that substance and close up the so-called gateway. A more holistic approach is required to determine what caused this person to turn to drugs for comfort. Is there emotional pain? Does this individual need healthier and more fulfilling friendships? Are the parents dealing with their child properly? And the list goes on.

In conclusion, addiction is a complicated mixture of many factors and any intervention would have to look at the whole person. Hashem created us with the ability to overcome whatever challenges He sends our way. Overcoming addiction can be the most difficult task that a person would need to face, but with the right help it can be done.

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

THE BJH PRESENTS: A BOOST OF “INSPIRATION”

THE BJH PRESENTS... A BOOST OF “INSPIRATION”

A Snippet From Judaism’s Number One Podcast DR. RICH ROBERTS

ow did a man who grew up as a reform Jew become a key figure in Lakewood’s Torah world, running community programs, and serving as a sterling example of a successful Jew to the frum -- and secular -- world?

HIn our interconnected world, the power of the media cannot be overestimated. Internet websites, social media, radio, newspapers, and magazines increasingly control the fate of politicians and governments, world finances and morality. In the chareidi world, the messages conveyed by religious media can shape and strengthen emuna, enrich charitable efforts, and ferment new shul and yeshiva policies. Therefore, it was a great privilege to interview the highly influential Rabbi Eli Paley, owner of Mishpacha Media Group and publisher of the Mishpacha Hebrew and English weekly magazines.

Dr. Rich (Kasriel) Roberts grew up as a reform Jew in Montgomery County, a suburb of Philadelphia. Naturally, he never felt guilty about not doing mitzvos because he had never heard of mitzvos! He was raised with a strong feeling of identity and connection to the Jewish people but had no way to express it.

in the Modern Orthodox community. Still, following a year of more personal growth learning more intensely, he chose a more yeshivish lifestyle. At that point, he actually went back and married the first girl he had dated who possessed the Torah haskafah and emunah he was looking for.

Eli Paley is a businessman and social activist. He is chairman of the Paley Family Foundation which supports and promotes Torah Centers and social initiatives in the Charedi community. A member of the Jewish Funders Network, he is active in several philanthropic organizations.

We discussed the Mishpacha’s origin, the challenges he is faced with policy decision making, and the overall goals he hopes to attain through the publication.

When he was in medical school, the young Rich thought a lot about the existence of G-d. A turning point in life was a serendipitous phone call. At 27, living in Philadelphia while working on his doctorate in biophysics, he entered a public phone booth and saw a sticker: “If you want to learn more about Judaism call this number.”

ELI PALEY

CEO OF MISHPACHA

Eli was born in in the Mattesdorff neighborhood in Yerushalayim. His great-grandfather and grandfather arrived in Eretz Yisroel in 1925 to establish the Slabodka Yeshivah in Chevron. Later his grandfather became the assistant to Rabbi Herzel, the chief rabbi of Israel.

Before Rich got married, he bought a house in Yardley, Pennsylvania, which had just a skeleton of a Jewish community. When their first child was born, the Roberts decided they wanted to raise their daughter among other religious children so they moved to Lakewood where they felt accepted and welcomed.

Eli himself is an alumni of Chevron yeshiva. When he married his wife, a graduate of Michlala in Bayit Vegan, his dream was to continue learning. However, a few months after his marriage, his brother mentioned a new monthly publication called Mishpacha was looking for someone to work as a distributor in Yerushalayim for a day and a half once every 5 to 6 weeks. With flex hours like that, Eli took the job, earning twice as much as he would be for an entire month in a kolel. Financially independent, he continued to learn diligently.

He actually called and Rabbi Michael Scopack, a baal teshuva himself, answered. That “random” call started Rich on years of learning hashkafa with Rabbi Schopack, followed by more textual learning of Chumash and Gemara with Rabbi Yitzchak Perman, a maggid shiur in the Philadelphia Yeshivah.

His father, Rabbi Yehuda Paley, bought the Mishpacha Magazine business. To help his father, Eli got involved in the editorial angle of the magazine figuring out how it could make a unique contribution to the field of journalism. He left learning to pursue his new mission to inspire and influence the Chareidi community. It is that idealism that still drives him in his work so many years later.

Rich left his medical and scientific career to join his father’s and uncle’s pharmaceutical company which was on the brink of failure. Before long, he realized the reason for the company’s collapse was its total organizational disarray. He knew nothing about business, but his medical training had taught him organizational skills and how to set and achieve goals and he started applying these principles in the company.

While Mishpacha is well-received around the world, the goal of Mishpacha is to serve, elevate and be the voice of the Chareidim, particularly in Eretz Yisroel. The real customers are not the advertisers but the audience. Mishpacha seeks to portray an independent voice which is unaffiliated with any political party. In the early years, in the chareidi world of pollicization, this was perceived as a weakness. However, the years have passed, and this freedom has become one of the most salient factors of its success.

At 29, Rich decided to leave medicine. Before entering the business world, he spent a summer in a camp for Ivy League students who were on the path to becoming baalei teshuvah. This unique time away from professional life gave Rich the opportunity to solidify his beliefs about G-d’s existence, and he committed to Shimiras Shabbos. Like one ascending a ladder, he climbed the rungs of the 613 mitzvos, gradually taking on more and trying always to grow and become better.

Mishpacha was the first Charedi publication to give the same respect to the Sephardi and Ashkenazi societies, attempting to create a sense of unity. Over time, this adherence to equality and ahavas Yisrael became the secret to the business’ success.

After three months, when the company was on the verge of disaster, he became the COO. A year later, the company was churning out a $700K profit. It took 15 years of struggles and threats but under his leadership, the company turned around and sold in 2012 for $800 million plus royalties.

Mishpacha’s quest in elevating frum society is done through sincere, honest writing. Mishpacha does not engage in pretending that society is perfect. While recognizing the great achievements and accomplishments in the frum world, Mishpacha will tackle even unpleasant issues, albeit in an extremely sensitive way.

At the age of 30, Rich was committed to a frum life and started dating

Dr. Roberts found a unique niche to benefit his adopted community. Everyone in Lakewood – literally everyone! – looks forward to his twice a year events. On chol hamoed Pesach and Sukkos, he runs a professional carnival for eleven thousand children (!) and three to four thousand adults. It’s free for everyone – offering three professional shows, three times a day, (i.e. a motorcycle show, magicians

The topic of poverty among Charedim and the poor economic situation in the Israeli community lay heavily on Eli’s heart. As part of the solution, Eli started the Charedi Institute of Public Affairs to engage with the government with hopes to resolve this in a way that will allow the Charedi society to retain its Torah values.

While American Jews may have difficulty in relating to the issues overseas, Eli, as a born and bred Israeli is certainly in touch with the masses. He recalls the issue he faced during his kolel years when distributing the magazine. The government regulation forbid a yingeman from receiving Kollel benefits if he had any other source of income. Therefore, he was forced to register his side job under his wife’s name, a desperate solution used by many. In his publication, he attempts to broker a better solution.

Another example of difficulties that Israeli chareidim face is the draft. Mishpacha discussed population statistics -- one out of four children is Charedi– and how the army and Charedi society can possibly reach a solution.

and trained animals), prizes and treats. His objectives are twofold: first, to make sure the children should have a sweet Yom-Tov and to increase their enjoyment of the holiday and second, so that talmidei chachomim who cannot afford expensive activities can have access to high-quality entertainment for their children. Dr. Roberts incredible generosity, given in such an original way, has made him a renowned figure in town. Happy families in Lakewood will testify that he has more than met his goals.

The paper is faced daily with Hashkafa decisions that have far-reaching effects on our society. The issue of printing pictures of women in the magazine has been debated back and forth in many forums. When Hilary Clinton was running for President, Mishpacha shocked many readers by publishing a blurry photo of Donald Trump and Hilary on the cover. “We just wanted to see how people would react,” Eli confides.

to achieve financial success and by the time he sold the company, the world had changed. Radio no longer had the reach it once enjoyed, being replaced by social media and YouTube. Since a lot of social media is purely for entertainment, Dr. Roberts chose to pursue his outreach goals by starting his own YouTube channel, providing educational videos. He is able to make a kiddush Hashem by bringing more Torah lessons to those who thirst for truth, and teach Torah values about wealth and happiness, spreading the concept of “azehu ashir? Hasomeach bechelko” – a wealthy person is one who is truly happy with their lot.

The office did receive some complaints, but the Gedolim the magazine consults advised them to include her since there was a real possibility Hilary would indeed become president. However, in Israel, an anti-Mishacha publication blasted Mishpacha , claiming they were breaking the rules of modesty and Torah by publishing a picture of Hilary Clinton.

This became a real issue because it was very hard for Eli to justify in his mind why they could not print modest pictures of women, particularly considering how hard it seems to be to explain to ba’alei teshuvah why women are “ignored.” In order to make Mishpacha, often one of their first exposures to Yiddishkeit, more palatable, Eli is comfortable with his decision.

The best financial advice Dr. Roberts would share is that wealth is not the home you have, the vehicle you drive or the jewelry you wear. Wealth is what you own free and clear of debt. People often fall into the trap of wearing expensive clothing and driving fancy cars, but he suggests it is far better to save and build wealth. Wealth is all about putting money away and if your friends only talk about material possessions, it is time to get new friends!

He’s on a big mission: to expose our brothers to true Torah values, and he bears the responsibility seriously. He often employs a different way of thinking, a creative model, a stretch and a twist, that can support our lifestyle while at the same time show that we care about the Israeli economy, security, and its welfare system. “Instead of just complaining about why we are not understood,” Eli explained during the interview, “we must ask what we can do in this field. While we have to make sure that our kids are not too exposed to the big world, the (outside) world exists, and we have to face reality and come up with practical solutions. “

As a businessman, Dr. Roberts responds to the challenges of financial success. “Whether a person is happy or sad, life is definitely easier with money. Having money relieves the stress of worrying about the mortgage and car payments, and school and camp fees. But wealth can corrupt people if they lose themselves in a purely materialistic lifestyle. Many people try to cover up their inadequacies by showing off their wealth to others, but instead of creating admiration this fosters envy, jealousy, and anger. Someone who is showing off his wealth should search within himself and try to become more popular in an authentic way.”

Rich says he left his medical and scientific career and joined the family business with the goal of being able to afford to start his own radio show. His aim was to reach and teach Judaism to non-religious Jews. It took 24 years

Rather than hiding his head in the sand, he is ready to take on the problems in our neighbourhoods and cities, working with the authorities instead of against them. Slowly, he believes, we will be able to build better trust.

Eli is proud that Mishpacha does not try to be sensationalist. Rather he makes an effort to keep his editorial policies responsible and sensitive. “If you’re going to do it le’shaim shamayim” Eli ended, “you’ll have disyata d’shmaya to do it right.”

Having reached many financial goals, Dr. Roberts respect of real, Torah values is a refreshing example of his deeply held beliefs, showing people how to appreciate what they really have instead of running after materialism. In 2022, his message is as important as ever.

Tech Triumphs

Sticking With It

Ihave worked as a dispatcher for Hatzalah for the past seven years. My home is completely internet free, and we are so thankful to be able to live that way. Anything that needs the internet is done at work, and our home is “clean”. To work as a dispatcher, I was given an iPad that is completely locked, aside from Hatzalah work. It has worked perfectly for the past seven years, until last month. The iPad wouldn’t turn on. I quickly called the technician to fix it and he tried his best. After working on the iPad for some time, he turned to me and said, “I’m sorry, this is not going to work anymore. You need to get Wi-Fi in your home if you want to continue dispatching for Hatzalah.”

“That’s not happening.” He gave me a look and shrugged, giving up. Then

I asked him to take the iPad home and try one more time. I did not want to get Wi-Fi, and to continue working for Hatzalah, I would need to work out of my home, which would be extremely difficult for me. As the technician walked out the door, he took the device with a skeptical look on his face. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations myself, but I davened that I would be able to continue in my role in Hatzalah while still maintaining our higher standard in our home.

A few days later, the technician called me and said, “You are not going to believe this! The iPad just turned

I can continue to do this chesed that I enjoy so much, while keeping true to my family’s values and principles.

As Told to Rebbetzin Sara Gross

Did you know?

Most adults sleep with their cell

with the phones on their beds. The blue light emitted by cell phone screens restrains the production of melatonin, the natural hormone that controls your sleepwake cycle (aka circadian rhythm). This makes it even more difficult to fall asleep and wake up the next day. The effects of poor sleeping habits are self-evident and are well known.

To share a tech triumph or story of chizuk, please email Techtriumphs@ tagbaltimore.org

This is a service of TAG Baltimore. TAG Baltimore is an organization that provides technology awareness, t. They can be

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Boss: How good are you are PowerPoint?

Me: I Excel at it.

Boss: Was that a Microsoft Office pun?

Me: Word.

Riddle Me This

Riddle me This

I have many keys, but no locks. I have space, but no rooms. You may enter, but you may not go outside. What am I?

Answer: A keyboard.

John wanted to get into a members-only club so he hid and watched the guard at the door of the clubhouse. The guard said a number to each member as they approached, and the member would respond with a number of their own. If the member responded with the correct number, they were let in. If they responded incorrectly, they were thrown out.

One member came up to the door, the guard said twelve, and the member responded with six and was let in. Another member came to the door, the guard said six, and the member responded with three and was let in. Believing he had heard enough, John went up to the guard. The guard said ten, and Joh said five but was not let in. What should John have said?

Answer: He should have said three, the number of letters in the number the guard said.

Job Tips

In these trying economic times, take the Centerfold Commissioner’s advice, and your job will always be secure:

Never walk without a document – People with documents look like hardworking employees headed to important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they’re headed for the cafeteria. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression that you work longer hours than you really do.

Use computers to look busy – Any time you use a computer, it looks like “work” to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mail, chat, and have a blast without doing anything remotely related to work. When you get caught by your boss – and you will get caught – your best defense is to claim you’re teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training dollars.

Messy desk – Only top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we’re not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year’s work looks the same as today’s work; it’s volume that counts. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your cubicle, bury the document you’ll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/she arrives.



Voicemail – Never answer your phone if you have voicemail. People don’t call you just because they want to give you something for nothing – they call because they want YOU to do work for THEM. That’s no way to live. Screen all your calls through voicemail. If somebody leaves a message for you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour when you know they’re not there – it looks like you’re hardworking and conscientious.



Look impatient and annoyed – One should also always try to look impatient and annoyed to give off the impression that you’re always busy.  Leave the office late – Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. You could read magazines and storybooks that you always wanted to read. Make sure you walk past the boss’s room on your way out. Send important e-mails at unearthly hours (i.e., 1:37 a.m., 4:05 a.m., etc.) and during public holidays. 

Shmooze before leaving – After you shut down your office, talk to your colleagues about nothing for a few minutes before leaving. This way, they will think that you actually like them and have a true interest in talking to them. After all, you are all ready to go home after a long day, but you still are standing around shmoozing with them! But of course build this into worktime – so if you plan on leaving at 7:00 p.m., shut down your workstation at 6:40 p.m. and then find that office hanger who loves to sit around until midnight and shmooze with him for a few minutes. Also, end the conversation very casually like, “All right, maybe I’ll get going… Okay, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” Only once you are out of his sight should you start running for the train. 

Creative sighing for effect – Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.

 Stacking strategy – It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor, etc. (thick computer manuals are the best).

Notable Quotes “Say

What?!”

Byron and I have been together for 23+ years, and the most racist attacks we experience are always from the left. They can’t accept that a free-thinking black man achieves success on his own merits, and they sure as heck can’t stand that he’s married to me! Cry harder, haters.

- Erika Donalds, wife of Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla), responding to Democrat attacks on her husband as being a “prop” for “white supremacists” since he is a black conservative in Congress

It’s embarrassing for us to win with this scoreline; it’s a bad look. We didn’t come to humiliate Pardes Katz… They’re a team of youngsters, and they just wanted to continue playing the match with mutual respect.

– An official from Israeli soccer team Hapoel Zafririm Holon, after his team embarrassed its opponent Maccabi Pardes Katz by defeating them 31-0

Order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people.

I have kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home.

- Marie Kondo, author of bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , a self-help book that took audiences by storm, disclosing to the Washington Post that her home is not as tidy as she suggests homes should be

One should expect that if you are brazen enough to enter into someone’s residence and it is not yours, with intent to commit an unlawful act, there may be repercussions. We live in Florida, and more so, we live in Polk County, and most people are armed.

He sort of threatened me at one point and said, “Boris, I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile, it would only take a minute,” or something like that.

We have a student who came to America with “Coyote,” which is a group that helps people. This group gives you a time frame to make a payment of $5,000 to those, who bring them to the states. Our student needs our urgent support to raise another $2,000 to meet his goal of $5,000 by February 1st, 2023

- From an email by Assistant Principal Stefani of Harvey Mount Pleasant High School in Rhode Island referring to Coyotes as a group that

helps people when they are in fact notorious gangsters that take advantage of immigrants trying to make it to America

- María Branyas Morera, 115, of Spain, who was recently certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest person in the world, talking about what led to her longevity

- Haines City Police Chief Gregory Goreck in a press conference, after his police department saved the life of an intruder who was shot by the homeowner

- Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson disclosing to the BBC that President Vladimir Putin threatened to personally target him with a missile attack just before ordering Russian forces into Ukraine

You know, I can always count on CNN to act as a professional PR team to excuse Antifa violence, because time and time again they’ll say, “Oh, Antifa is just an idea. It’s just an ideology. It’s not real.” And then when they get caught and you see Antifa on the street, “It wasn’t that violent.” Or sometimes they even say, “They’re the good guys.” They want to destroy America.

As these shootings happen, we go through these this ritual where we wait for them to announce the race of the shooter. We’re waiting for the Oscar nominations because that’s, you know, somehow to a lot of people, the most important thing. And I just thought it was very interesting that this week, Asians were killed by Asians. Two Asian men who were, you know, 66 and 72.

And then this week, we just got this video of the Memphis Five. A Black man is brutally beaten in Memphis by five cops. They’re all Black.

I guess what I’m asking is America’s culture of violence. It does go deeper than race. Right? And I think this mono-focus we have on race is short-circuiting us trying to fix some of the realer problems.

It seems like the government will not be happy unless they have us all eating kale, drinking carrot juice, and smoking weed.

Jews do not have a monopoly on persecution and atrocities.

- From an op-ed on National Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Courier-Journal , a newspaper distributed in Kentucky which is owned by USA Today

For one group, for one person, to claim that the hate and violence towards them is more important than another’s, only encourages more acts of violence against others.

- Ibid.

After a two-year suspension, Meta is reinstating former President Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Trump hasn’t been on Facebook for two years, so, pretty much just like the rest of us.

- Former Antifa member Gabriel Nadales on “Jesse Watters Primetime” talking about how the media is downplaying the Antifa attacks in Atlanta

- Bill Maher, HBO

- Joe Gelormino on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” responding to New York State legislation that would place a new 95% tax on cigars

— Jimmy Fallon

What Would You Do If…

Dear Navidaters,

Thanks for your column. I love reading it. I was wondering if you all could help me.

I am dating a great guy I’ll call Nisson. We had a Shabbos meal at their house recently where I got to meet them all, and I really feel like I fit in with his siblings etc. The only problem is his father really rubs me the wrong way. I grew up with divrei Torah, zemiros, and an overall Shabbosdik atmosphere at the table. His father talks a lot of lashon hara and loves to discuss the community “hock” – I almost felt like I was watching a Purim spiel about what not to do when your future daughter-in-law comes over for a meal. One example is, while we were eating the potato kugel at the meal, he commented, “How awful was the shul’s kugel this week? That’s because Mr. X* made it rather than the usual store-bought kind.” It’s totally the type that he will psychoanalyze me the minute I leave the house and he won’t be shy about it.

Shouldn’t he be on his best behavior for an occasion like this? It was almost comical. When I was helping in the kitchen and talking to the siblings after the meal, it was a very nice and pleasant time.

Nisson seems like a really great guy, and I don’t think I would break up because of this.

The thing is my mother, who I am very close to, keeps asking me if there is anything wrong. I think she picks up on my vibe since Shabbos since this has been on my mind. I want to talk to her, but I’m nervous she may encourage me to re-think the shidduch because of it. What do you all recommend?

-Chani

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.

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

The Panel

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Iunderstand your concern about Nisson’s father’s behavior at the Shabbos table. However, why not apply what frum daters do in general to this particular concern?

Frum daters talk about what kind of home they expect to build, what values they want to instill in future children, and sometimes even what kinds of schools they think would be compatible with their hashkafos. That’s because Jewish marriage is about more than just compatibility; it’s about nurturing generations with Torah values.

So why not bring this up for discussion, but not immediately after your visit with Nisson’s family. What kind of Shabbos table do you envision? Do you think you want to have guests? Singles? Friends? People looking to learn about frum life? Shabbat. com people? Use Shabbos as a time to re-

connect as a couple and talk about interesting topics that you will prepare for?

Give Nisson a chance to talk first. You will probably be pleasantly surprised to hear him. Most dating adults have spent many Shabbos meals away from their own families and have a good sense of traditions, practices, and behaviors they will want to see.

Use this as an opportunity to share your own vision as well. Do you want a tablescape or a real conversation with traditions, zemiros, and divrei Torah?

Talk about your reaction to the Jewish magazines of today and the consumerism, competition, and social media pressure connected to it. Be vulnerable, share, and communicate for closeness and clarity.

Talk about some memorable Shabbos experiences of your own.

As far as your mother is concerned, sharing with her is fine since she seems to be highly sensitive to your reactions. Articulate your willingness to give Nis-

son the benefit of discussion and sharing his vision. Make sure you come across as mature, so you don’t add to your mother’s worries. Neither your mother nor you will be bound to doom him because of his parental example.

If things progress, keep in mind that new couples don’t necessarily replicate their parents’ homes just as they don’t necessarily act exactly as their parents. However, it is what they are used to. It takes intention, effort, and time to craft the Shabbos environment of your dreams.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

Thanks for your kind words about our column!

Firstly, congrats on getting serious with a great guy whom you see yourself with. As

you must know, this is no small feat.

I understand your predicament with Nisson’s father – and I have heard stories like this before. Quite frankly, not everybody would get an A on a social etiquette exam. I will say that it is a relief that you are getting to know the family “for real” now, rather than the father masking his true identity. This will give you time to get used to it, and the differences between your Shabbos table growing up and Nisson’s.

I suggest you bring up the topic of Shabbos in general on your next date with Nisson. Ask him how he envisions Shabbos in his future home. Ask what, if anything, he would change about his Shabbos table environment growing up. This should be

a question you both answer, so he does not feel put on the defensive. You should also plan a Shabbos meal with your family, so Nisson could experience a Shabbos how you grew up. Gauge his reaction afterwards; is he gushing with praise at how wholesome the seudah was? Does he sing zemiros with your father and brothers? Does he appreciate your family’s approach?

When a husband and wife marry, they come from two separate worlds, and they create a new one. With these tactics, you will find out how Nisson wants his home to be. You will learn to grin and bear his father’s table if he is the right guy; maybe you’ll even learn to laugh about it together.

I hope it all goes well!

The Single

Tzipora Grodko

Families can be colorful, challenging, and unpredictable. We don’t understand G-d’s intentions, but trust that He always gives us exactly what we need. Since

life isn’t perfect, I can’t imagine that pursuing the perfect person with the perfect family and perfect financial status is going to be an option. You may not like his dad, and that’s OK! You don’t need to. Frankly, you’re not marrying his dad.

Regarding your mom, she may TRY to encourage you to rethink your decision, but at the beginning, middle, and end of the day, the decision is ALWAYS yours and that can’t be taken away from you.

Communication can be uncomfortable and tough, but welcome to growth. You got this! :)

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

If you do an internet search, you will discover over 200 different recipes for potato kugel. While all of them are basically casseroles with potatoes and eggs, the seemingly endless variations yield different tastes and different textures.

Similarly, among our small tribe of obser -

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Thank you for writing into the panel! Sharing with your mother is secondary to what you feel about Nisson’s family. When you figure that out, sharing with your mother may suddenly not feel as weighty or as important.

So, what has been on your mind since that Shabbos meal with Nisson’s father?

I’m getting the sense that you are grap -

Jennifer Mann,

pling with Nis- son’s father’s person- ality and the very different “vibe” at your Shabbos tables, and likely, homes in general. What would it be like for me to be a part of this family?

The siblings are great, but Nisson’s dad leaves a lot to be desired. Or, Nisson’s

is a licensed psychotherapist and certified

vant Jews, you will find endless variations of unique individuals. At Shabbos tables, some will review divrei Torah, some will sing family zemiros, some will joke and laugh, and, yes, some will disseminate lashon hara.

From your description, it would seem that your prospective father-in-law is somewhat of a character. But, he goes to shul, he is shomer Shabbos, his family enjoys Shabbos meals together, and it sounds like he raised some very fine children.

The fact that he acts and speaks very differently than your father does not make him a bad person or poor father-inlaw material. He’s just very different than what you have experienced in your, possibly over-sheltered, background. So, don’t worry about it.

I do have a serious concern here, however. Do not, under any circumstances, criticize the father to either your boyfriend or your mother.

If you complain to your boyfriend, his protective reflex will kick in, and he will complain to his father, “My girlfriend doesn’t like how you acted last Shabbos. Don’t do that again.” That would be bad for you and is not a good way to start a relationship.

If you tell your mother, “I really

dad makes me uncomfortable. Or, I am worried that Nisson thinks this behavior is normal and may come to behave this way.

In my opinion, we really can’t hold people accountable for their parents. The important thing here is that you communicate your concern to Nisson in a respectful manner. Try to get a sense of what Nisson thinks of his father’s behavior. This is a potential opportunity to develop your relationship with Nisson. And if Nisson defends his father’s behavior, or thinks it’s normal to make fun of others, you will then have a decision to make about the future of your relationship with Nisson.

don’t like how his father acted last Shabbos,” your mother will discuss it with her sister, who will discuss it with her cousin, who will discuss it with her sister-in-law, and word will eventually get back to your boyfriend’s family. That would be bad for you and is not a good way to start a relationship.

What you might wish to do, instead, is tell a short dvar Torah, or start some nice zemiros, next time you’re at their Shabbos table. But, be prepared to accept that they are, and always will be, different than your own family experiences.

Remember that Shakespeare’s Hamlet explained, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Another area I wanted to touch upon is your relationship with your mother. If you are happy and your mother tells you your decision is wrong, how much weight would her opinion have in your decision-making? Make sure that that is healthy for you. While taking a parent’s opinion into account is very healthy, it can become unhealthy when we do not honor what we feel is best for us and constantly do what our parents tell us to do. We need be respectful of our parents, and be open to their feedback, but must follow our own path and not betray our own intuition.

Sincerely, Jennifer

well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals,

and

in pri-

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.

123

LCSW

trauma healing life coach, as

couples,

families

vate practice at

Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College.

We need be respectful of our parents but must follow our own path and not betray our own intuition.

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The Fruits of Tu B’Shvat

Citrus Supreme: Winter is the perfect time to eat more citrus. When immunity runs low during cold season, turn to citrus: a vitamin C, flavonoid, and antioxidant powerhouse known to boost the immune system and reduce the risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, and some cancers.

The best way to enjoy citrus is by “supreming” the fruit — removing the segments from the bitter peel, pith, and tough membranes, leaving only the perfect, edible fruit. It may take a bit of practice to master, but your dishes will look and taste that much better for your efforts. If done right, you should be left with the empty membranes to discard!

Winter Citrus Fruit Salad

Wonderfully refreshing and beautiful to the eye, this is an impressive upgrade from a sectioned grapefruit as an appetizer. It’s also delicious served over Greek or coconut yogurt for a healthful breakfast or brunch!

iNgRedieNts

◊ 2 ruby red grapefruits

◊ 3 large navel oranges

◊ 1⁄2 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1⁄3 pomegranate)

◊ 2 Tablespoons flaked coconut

◊ 1⁄2 teaspoon grated lime zest (from about 1⁄2 lime)

◊ juice of 1 lime

◊ juice of 1⁄2 lemon

◊ 3-4 teaspoons honey, or more to taste (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)

◊ 1⁄8-1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

◊ 2 teaspoons triple sec or orange-flavored liqueur

◊ 1-2 Tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

PRePaR atioN

1. Peel: Cut off the polar ends of the grapefruits with a sharp serrated knife. Following the curvature of the fruit, slice the peel off, being careful not to cut away too much fruit. Trim away the white pith.

By Naomi Ross

2. Supreme: With a gentle sawing motion, make incisions along each membrane, only going as far as the center of the fruit. Working over a large bowl, gently release the grapefruit sections into the bowl. (You will be left with the empty membranes in your hand; discard.)

3. Repeat: Repeat the same process with the oranges, adding the orange segments to the bowl.

4. Add the pomegranate seeds and coconut.

5. Dress: In a small bowl, combine lime zest, lime and lemon juices, honey, cinnamon, and liqueur. Whisk until well blended. Pour this mixture over the segments; mix to blend. Set aside to marinate for 10–15 minutes. Spoon into dessert cups and top with a little sprinkling of chopped crystallized ginger. Serve and enjoy!

seRviNg tiPs:

◊ This salad has gorgeous color contrasts. For an even bolder look, replace some navel orange with blood orange.

◊ Serve in a dessert bowl or hollow out half of an orange and fill.

◊ This salad is simple enough to put together on Shabbos, but make sure to prepare the dressing in advance, to avoid squeezing and grating on Shabbos.

Wheat Berry Salad with Grapes and Hazelnuts

This whole-grain salad can also be made with farro or freekeh – each has their own unique earthy flavor which complements the aromatic hazelnuts.

iNgRedieNts

◊ 4 ounces whole hazelnuts

◊ 1 cup wheat berries

◊ 3½ cups water, or to cover

◊ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

◊ 1½ cups halved red grapes

◊ 2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

◊ 3 Tablespoons minced fresh mint

◊ 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley freshly ground black pepper, to taste

◊ ¹⁄₃-½ cup crumbled feta or blue cheese (optional)

Dressing

◊ 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

◊ 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

◊ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

◊ 1½ Tablespoons minced shallot (from about ½ small shallot)

◊ 2 teaspoons honey

◊ ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste

◊ ½ cup olive or grapeseed oil (scant)

PRePaR atioN

1. Toast nuts: Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil; spread hazelnuts in an even layer on sheet pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes — skins should appear flaking and cracked. Remove from oven, cool, and rub nuts with fingertips or dish towel to remove skins. Coarsely chop and set aside.

2. Cook wheat berries: Place wheat berries in a large dry saucepan over medium heat. Toast briefly for about 2–3 minutes. Add water to cover and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45–55 minutes or until tender. Wheat berries should be tender with a bite, but not

mushy. Drain; set aside. (Alternatively, wheat berries can be prepared in an electric pressure cooker on high pressure for 20–22 minutes.)

3. Prepare dressing: Combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, honey, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk to blend. Slowly drizzle in oil while continuously whisking to blend until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed.

4. Dress: Pour dressing over warm wheat berries, tossing to coat. Add remaining ingredients and mix to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in reserved chopped hazelnuts. Serve at room temperature.

Cooks tiPs: Toasting nuts refreshes the natural oils in the nuts, making them more aromatic and improving their crunch. Toasted pecans can also be used if hazelnuts are not available.

Recipes reprinted from The Giving Table by Naomi Ross with permission from Menucha Publishers

Parenting Pearls

Acknowledging Parental Stress

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Parenting is a full-time job, and it can be rather stressful. There’s no denying that children are the greatest bracha. But, even the most wonderful child can overwhelm a parent, at times. Even when the children are perfect, outside life can throw us more than we can handle.

Parenthood comes along with many responsibilities. We are given the serious responsibility to provide for all the needs of our young charges. There are extra visits to doctors, multiple trips to the grocery store, and carpools everywhere. There is also the increased financial burden of feeding, clothing, educating, and providing for our precious youth. Truly, we are balancing a lot. From wake-up to bedtime, we are on our toes taking care of sweet, but often irrational, little people.

Recognizing when we’re stressed and taking the steps to defuse that tension can go a long way towards our own sanity and increasing the shalom in our homes. Additionally, our children can’t help but notice and be affected by our increased stress.

Accept Being Human

First, let’s destigmatize being human and having human frailties. If Hashem wanted us to be perfect malachim, then we would’ve been created as such. As imperfect creatures in a complicated world, it is only natural that we will experience a range of emotions.

We have to decide how we will respond to feeling overwhelmed. We can choose to ignore our emotions but that usually just results in angry outbursts. We can feel guilty but that will only make us feel worse while we still have unhealthy feelings. Or, we can accept the reality and address our needs in a way that effectively reduces our tension.

Being honest and open about our needs gives us the opportunity to best address the issues. Additionally, our children are more aware of our range of moods than we may like. When we accept and work through our stress in a healthy manner, we are demonstrating to our children what their own response should be. We don’t want our children sulking through the house and tantrum-

ing nor do they want us doing the same. We want to avoid the guilt that easily creeps in. The stress may be a minor problem that mushrooms into a giant one from guilt alone. In these cases, guilt does nothing positive and should be avoided as much as possible.

Prevention

We may benefit from thinking of stress as water in a tea kettle. Some of our youth may not recognize this ancient device, so I will include a brief description. During the olden days, we had little teapots that went on the stovetop. The water was in the base that sat on the flame and was poured out through a spout once it was heated. The handle on top allowed for easy pouring without risking burns. Part of the brilliance of this little archaic device was the perforated lid that covered the pouring spout. The lid remained closed to allow for quicker heating and could be moved away for pouring. Even more amazing was the high-pitched shrill that was

emitted through the little hole from the steam, indicating the contents were boiled. An experienced kettle user could recognize the early signs of the steam coming out before the full noise was produced. If the spout’s little cover was left open, the water took significantly longer to boil and it never produced the shrieking noise.

We are tea kettles. At some point, we all find that our water is beginning to boil. If we can’t get away from the heat, we need to at least open the lid and allow the steam to dissipate before it builds up and we scream.

Prevention is always better than dealing with a crisis, and there are times when we can anticipate increased stress levels. We all know certain situations will trigger this pressure in us. For some, it’s yomim tovim, while for others, it’s family visits or tax season. Anything can be a cause, even Monday arriving.

We’re not here to judge whether the stress is petty or serious; we simply need to accept the reality. It doesn’t matter whether or not we should experience

stress from any particular event; if it boils our water, then we need to deal with it.

As the Steam Builds

Some tension can’t be prevented, and the key is to defuse our intense emotions before we explode. It’s nice to think we won’t lose our self-control, but that’s unrealistic for the vast majority of society. Even for those who don’t act out from stress, the unhealthy buildup of steam can still affect their overall health and ability to function.

The key is to have a healthy method to lift the spout’s lid and defuse the tension before it gathers too much steam. Every person is different, and there isn’t one fail-proof method to release it. I can offer some suggestions, but the key is to see what works for your individual needs and do what you find effective.

Physical exercise is a wonderful de-stresser. It’s a great way to get out your pent-up energy and emotions. It can be something formal like a class but even just a good walk around the block or dancing through your living room can be effective. I know a few families that keep a punching bag in the house for these special occasions. In general,

keeping an active lifestyle can be an excellent preventive method against stress, and many gym rats will confess this is their real motive for attending.

Creative expression is an amazing form of home therapy. Examples include art and writing. Art is a wonderful form of relaxation. Adult coloring books – once unheard of – have now become commonplace with even Crayola having an entire adult division. Writing, too, has

in the company of a true friend can do wonders.

Hot drinks are underrated. There is something very calming to slowing down and sipping a hot beverage. Many consider it a bonus to enjoy their beverage with a trusted friend, but even solo indulgence can be therapeutic.

Reading is an easy way to get your mind focused elsewhere and feel relaxed. Curling up with a good book has been a

excellent tool, and there are many techniques available. It’s helpful to learn and practice these deep breathing exercises when you’re not under stress so you’ll be proficient in them when the steam starts to boil. Meditation can also be helpful, and Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, zt”l, wrote a book on Jewish meditation for those who would prefer a Jewish perspective and method.

Therapy is an important option that anyone can benefit from. We shouldn’t allow embarrassment to hold us back from availing ourselves of the experience of a professional.

long been known as an effective way to release unhealthy feelings. The therapeutic world is full of angry letters that were never sent. Music, too, is calming – both playing and listening.

Companionship or “hanging with friends” can be helpful. Many of us have that person with whom we can be ourselves and just relax. Being able to confide in someone you trust or spend time

cherished pastime for generations. With so many quality Jewish books, it’s easier than ever to find something you’ll enjoy. Besides the Jewish libraries that are an excellent resource, even the local public libraries have a Jewish section to cater to our community.

Breathing is crucial to sustain life, but it’s also an incredible method to calm oneself. Deep, relaxation breathing is an

Accepting our limitations and managing our feelings effectively are important in maintaining our emotional health. When keeping ourselves functioning at our emotional best, we’re also providing for our children the best parent we can. Have a peaceful Shabbos!

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at Rayvych Homeschool@gmail.com.

Common Cents Recency Bias: How our Behavior Impacts our Money

Human behavior has a greater impact on financial returns than most people realize. It’s more fun, exciting, and easier to listen to investment ideas from endless YouTube gurus and Tik Tok financiers. Taking the time to understand how cognitive errors and behavioral biases impact our investment performance just isn’t as exciting as learning about the sure fire way to generate passive income for life by simply “getting into real estate” or “speculating in crypto”.

There is a difference between investment returns and investor returns, and for the most part, people (i.e. the investor) tend to get in their own way with investment performance suffering. One of my favorite Financial Planners, Carl Richards, calls this “The Behavior Gap”. He wrote a phenomenal book of the same namewhich I strongly recommend.

The economy is not just charts and graphs, it is people, families, cultures, politics, and all the emotional bag-

always align with what is needed for a long term investment plan. After all, for the majority of our time on earth we were more focused on basic survival, not managing a 401k.

I want to share some of the more interesting ideas that I learn about and in proper “Common Cents” form, try to provide actionable ideas to improve your financial life.

Recency Bias - what is it and why should I care about it?:

Recency bias is a common cognitive bias that can have a significant impact on personal investing. It occurs when people make decisions based on their most recent experiences or memories, rather than considering a more broad and diverse range of information. In the context of investing, this can lead to overconfidence in recent investment successes, or an increased fear of risk following a string of losses.

The stock market is inherently unpredictable, and relying on recent performance as a guide for future invest ments is not a reliable strategy. The stock market may very well not act rational over shorter periods of time, but does tend to be an excellent wealth creator for those who stick with it. This makes recency bias particularly

For example, let’s say that you’ve recently made a number of successful investments, and you feel confident in your ability to pick winning stocks.

By Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST

You might be tempted to put more of your money into the market, believing that you have a good track record and a strong understanding of how the market works. On the other hand, if you’ve recently experienced losses in the market, you might be more riskaverse and less likely to invest in the future. Recent bias is a two way street.

Addressing Recency Bias - what can you do about it?

Write down a plan & stick to it: This can help you stay focused on your goals and avoid being swayed by recent market trends. After all, who wants to have to re-draft a new investment plan if it isn’t really necessary.

Stay Diversified: This can reduce the risk of extreme loss, as different types of assets tend to perform differently in various market conditions.

Get another opinion: A qualified financial advisor can provide objective insights and guidance on your investment decisions, and can help you stay focused on your long-term goals. They can help you work through rough markets and manage not just your investment portfolio, but your behavioral portfolio as well!

In addition to seeking professional guidance, there are a few other steps you can take to avoid falling victim to recency bias:

• Educate yourself about investing: The more you understand about the stock market and how it works, the better equipped you’ll be to make informed investment decisions.

• Be patient: It’s important to remember that investing is a longterm endeavor, and it can take time to see significant returns. Don’t get caught up in short-term market fluctuations, and try to stay focused on your long-term goals.

• Avoid following the crowd: It can be tempting to follow the advice of friends, family, or financial gurus, but it’s important to do your own research and make investment decisions that are right for you.

It is a reality to acknowledge that human behavior plays a role in investment outcomes. Focus on developing systems and processes that will establish guardrails, ensuring your investment plan will not veer from course as a result of human psychology. Once you accept the powerful impact that human behavior has on your financial plan, the easier it will be to do something about it!

The decision to start saving and investing is yours, but 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.

gluten free recipe

coconut Lemon Cake (GF)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (15 or 16 oz.) gluten free white cake mix ( I used Open Nature from Safeway)

3 large eggs

½ tsp. baking powder

2 ( 3 oz) boxes instant lemon pudding mix- divided

1 cup lemon-lime soda

16 oz. frozen whipped topping- defrost

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F .

1. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

2. Empty the white cake mix into a large mixing bowl with the eggs, one package of pudding mix, oil, soda, and baking powder.

3. With the electric mixer on low, combine the ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Spoon batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.

5. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool cake completely in the pan on a rack.

7. When cool, prepare the frosting.

8. Beat whipped topping til somewhat thick, and add 1 package of pudding.

9. Beat until thicker.

10. Spread frosting over cooled cake.

11. Put coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the coconut is well-browned. Don’t let it burn. When cool, sprinkle coconut over frosting.

Enjoy!

Cross Keys Pediatrics

Which of the Avos lives in the white house?

These Jokes Kept Us Laughing!

Who is bigger? Mrs. Bigger or Mrs. Bigger's baby?

Congrats to Deena Bracha Ifrah, 9 on your winning entry.

What's the opposite of mentos?

Lady fingers!

Be Quiet and Trouble were friends. They were playing hide and seek. Be Quiet was hiding and ran into a police man. The police man asked him,"What is your name?" He answered, "Be Quiet." The police man asked again, "What's your name" and Be Quiet said, "Be Quiet." The police man asked, "Are you looking for trouble?" And Be Quiet responded, "No, Trouble is looking for me."

Chaviva Moskowitz, 8

What happened to the white rabbit when he jumped into the Red Sea?

10

I was wondering why the frisby was getting bigger- then it hit me!

Yehoshua Shitrit, 6

When you put a thousand and one ants in a room and take out one what do you get? An elephant!!! ( ףלא-ant)

Miryam Hamaoui, 13

Why does Maryland's Governor give so much tzedaka?

Because sometimes, Wes is Moore!

Shaya Kates, 10

What shoes do robbers wear?

What did the football coach say to the broken vending machine?

I want my quarterback Kalmo Hefter, 10

CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST EDITION’S RAFFLE WINNERs!

Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!

Elazar Shitrit, 4

Ariella Gugenheim, 5

Yitzy Delrahim, 7

Yehudis Tendler

Yehoshua Shitrit, 6

Tamir Fogel, 6

Shira Steger, 10

Rivital W, 5 Pinchas, 2

Gila, 9

Elisha Moinzadeh ,5

Daniella Fogel, 11

EVEN MORE SUBMISSIONS

Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!

Shayna Goldsmith, 7

Ephraim Grayman, 9

Dalya Klein

Bracha Dina Salazar, 5 Yosef Loewy, 5

Uriel Fuentes, 5

Talya (7) & Elianna (3) Shira Basya Edelman, 10

Peretz Yehuda Mandel, 7 Ovadia, 4

Naftali Shitrit, 2

Nachman Lejtman, 5

Mordechai Yisroel S, 9

Miriam, 3

Miri Zaslow, 7

Leba S., 10

Leah M., 7

Ettel Chaya Gerard, 4

Daniel Moinzadeh, 3

Chaviva Moskowitz & Nechama Gold, 8

Avraham Moshe Fuentes, 6

Atara and Zahava Ament, 7, 3

Asher Lejtman, 6 Ahron Eidensohn, 6 Aharon Dovid Fuentes, 3

Turn the dial on the Wayback Machine to the fourteenth century. Intrepid knights from across England are saddling up their trustiest steeds to journey east on what came to be known as the Crusades. Those knights needed someone to take care of their lands and families while they were gone. So they invented the “trust,” a form of ownership where one party holds the title to a property for the benefit of someone else. They quickly discovered they could use trusts to avoid property taxes at death. Thus, in 1682, Lord Nottingham instituted the “Rule Against Perpetuities,” now the bane of first-year law students everywhere.

Today, we use trusts mostly to avoid probate and taxes. Clever planners have spawned a whole alphabet soup of different variations for different goals: CLATs and CLUTs, CRATs and CRUTs, GRATs and GRUTs, NINGs, and DINGs, and QPRTs, QTIPs, and BLARTs. (I just made up that last one.) Most people would rather have dental surgery than learn what any of them mean. But now, there’s a brand-new flavor that raises tax questions we may not answer for hundreds of years.

Back when those original Crusaders

Your Money Dead on Arrival?

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

set off to secure Jerusalem from the Muslims, life expectancy hovered around 30 years. (Bubonic Plague plays for keeps.) Dying meant dying. Today, scientists are working to push lifespans past 100. But that’s not good enough for a hardy band of pioneers determined to cheat death entirely. So they’re spending up to $200,000 to freeze their bodies (or sometimes just their heads) in liquid nitrogen,

200 patients in suspended animation, has established the Alcor Patient Care Trust to cover those costs. (Can you even imagine how creepy their lab must be?)

But who wants to wake up in 1,000 years with no money? That’s where the Personal Revival Trust comes in. The PRT is a specialized dynasty trust that lets you leave money to your future unfrozen self. The PRT raises even more tricky legal

taxes? Doctors can’t start freezing you until you’re legally dead, which triggers taxes on transfers to yourself – but what about transfers to your future self? And trust assets can compound to staggering amounts in the decades or centuries it takes for science to catch up with your dreams of immortality. A single dollar, invested for 200 years at eight percent, turns into 4,848,950 $ before tax. You can be sure the IRS will want a slice of that boondoggle. And what will your tax status be when you’re reanimated? Will you even be the same person for tax purposes?

typically at -320 degrees Fahrenheit, until they can be thawed and brought back to life. When will that be? 100 years from today? 1,000? (Will we finally have flying cars and personal jet packs?)

Freezing yourself for posterity raises some obvious financial questions. For starters, who’s going to keep the refrigerators running while you’re resting in icy peace? The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, which currently maintains nearly

headaches. Does a frozen head qualify as an “ascertainable beneficiary”? How do you protect your future nest egg from angry relatives who were expecting to inherit your fortune? Will you have to pay back your life insurance benefits?

Finally, what will the IRS have to say about all of this? Will they (or the United States or our basic legal system) even exist when we’re reanimating frozen heads? Will PRT contributions escape estate

Now we’ve reached the point of the story where we usually say, “Call us with your questions.” But not today – we’ll admit we’re stumped. At this point, it sounds a lot easier to just upload your consciousness to the cloud. But sooner or later, the IRS will want a piece of that action, too. It never ends, does it?

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.

Is being pampered good for you? Are you kidding me? That’s like asking is poison bad for you, only in reverse!

Everyone can use some pampering some time. What form it comes in – well, that may be more personal.

Take a massage, for instance – some people really need their tensions kneaded out. They are so happy to have someone help their body feel less tight and more worked through. Others just can’t relax during the whole thing. To them, it is just one big giggle-fest.

Pampering is not one size fits all.

We may all have different things that make us feel taken care of.

Many women enjoy a simple thing like getting their nails done. They sit on the chair across from the person manicuring them and they feel centered and happy, allowing themselves those moments of abandon.

For others, it’s just a pragmatic way to care for their nails – a simple stop between the supermarket and running to pick up the kids.

Still, for others, it’s actually unsettling. They sit there, wondering how long it’s going to take before the first chip shows up and ruins the whole look! Why are they even wasting this precious time for what can be just a few minutes of looking good?

Life C ach Pamper or Pander

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get their nails done, if they want to, but it certainly isn’t their form of pampering.

The universal tenet is that the pampering should make someone feel good, embraced, and cared for. We all could use that.

Close your eyes and think: “What makes me feel delicious?”

Is it receiving a compliment, a gift, a

ication, the interest, and the friendliness. And let me not kid you, it feels pretty good having someone else shlep my bags, too! Generally, I’m the original bag lady – I absolutely shlep as much as I can myself! Though I’m not complaining. I figure I save on joining a gym.

Also, when I run up a flight of stairs, I tell myself that it’s a Stairmaster. When I bend for something that fell, I say that

miss the opportunity?

So here are two helpful ideas: one is help them help you, i.e., leave a friendly note around that makes them feel good and explains what you need.

For example, “I know you care so much to make me feel indulged. That’s what makes you so sweet and thoughtful. I was thinking I really could use a __________.”

The second idea is, don’t put it in the hands of another person! Remember, you matter. You deserve breaks and reinforcing. Especially, because when you do something nice for yourself, it helps you show up better in the world…

So, if you can’t find it in you to do it for you, at least do it for them!

day at a spa? Is it being treated like I matter, I count, I make a difference?

Is it relaxing your body, or your mind, or both?

Obviously, it shouldn’t be all the time. Then it’s not pampering, it’s pandering – to our every desire. And that might relax us – but it irritates everyone else around us. You can’t be catering to you all the time!

Balance, as always, is key.

I know when I go to a highly serviced hotel that I feel awesome. I enjoy the ded-

I’m doing toe-touches. When I shlep the water on my cart at Costco, I say I’m doing weights. I turn it into my own pampering. I try to think of it as self-care, getting in shape. And I get to utilize what I bent for, retrieve something I left upstairs, and drink my weights. Not a bad deal…

Of course, it’s not my first choice in the way I want to be pampered, but it certainly helps turn inconveniences around.

I recognize that some of the best pampering comes from someone else doing it for you. The glitch is what if they

And if, in any way, they say something derogatory rather than appreciative about your self-care, clearly enlighten them: “Oh no, I didn’t do this for me, I did this for you – so you can get a better version of me!”

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

I’m the original bag lady – I absolutely shlep as much as I can myself!

Want to show off your mad mascot-making skills? Look no further!

The BJH is holding a contest for the best and most outrageously awesome newspaper mascot (and it’s name)!

The winner will not only have their creation featured as our official mascot, but will also receive a prize that would make Willy Wonka jealous. Whether it’s a furry friend or a fun character, we want to see your unique designs!

The BJH reserves the right to improve and refine the mascot design of the winning entry.