Baltimore Jewish Home - 3-10-22

THE BJH COSTUME CONTEST! WIN $100! SEE PAGE 3 Vol. 8 Issue #5

8

Baltimore Chesed League for Boys Season Launch

12

Mercaz Daf Yomi Trip to Israel

50

March 10-23, 2022 | ‫כ׳ אדר ב׳‬-‫ז׳‬

A Bourbon Produced in Israel?

70

They’re Fleeing for Their Lives

Women’s Institute of Torah Seminary & College Honoring the legacy of Rebbetzin Dr. Aviva Weisbord, a”h Founding board member and president for over 20 years

R A I S I N G F U N D S F O R S C H O L A R S H I P S • P R O G R A M D E V E LO P M E N T • I N F R A S T R U C T U R E U P D AT E S

Over 5,000 Issues Printed | Over 10,000 Readers | www.thebjh.com

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

2

h s i n bK

9x13 Pan1s00

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

$

teak s r e p p e p $ 00 x13 comes 9 y r 1 e v e beef starch!

E E R F a broccoli $ 0 with 9 n e k c i ch l otatoes p e d z e t h s e a $ r m p rs 90 e g n i f n ied rice $ 0 r chicke f 9 poppers $ eled rice w e J x 90 i h c e teed m a ses e with sau shrooms $ 0 ic r G mu en 9 k n c i io n h o c l i $ 0 thai bas 7 potatoes n i d a e t m s o a o l r beef $ 5 6 n i a m o l n e chick $ 0 6 s k n a l b L franks $ doz 9 .9 4 1 nishes k t a e m mini

Feeds 8-15!

508 REISTERSTOWN RD.

410.484.5850

WWW.KNISHSHOP.COM

3

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

unit m m o y C

MARCH 10, 2022

Costume Contest

all submissions must be sent in by monday, march 21st submissions will be published in the next issue of the bjh

lr

est

a ura nt of

ir the

oi

c

e

ch

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

thebjh.com/purim

ca

Win $50

ill

submit your photo!

lo

a

to a local restaurant of your choice

Runners-Up o W w

to

Win $100

T

submit a photo of your child or family's purim costume to the bjh for a chance to

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

4

5

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MARCH 10, 2022

The Pesach Hotel Experience at Home elegantdessertsny.com Free Shipping On Orders Over $125 To California, Orlando & Every State!

No Credit Card Fees!

Non-Gebrochts

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Order our gourmet dairy, side dishes, and desserts to your home, villa, or condo for a stress-free Pesach experience.

6

Around the Community

H

APPY PURIM! imadi celebrated Purim together at The Maryland Zoo with a build-a-bear station, leather stamping workshop, caricature artists, face painting, a comedy magician, and an awesome behind-the-scenes exclusive safari tour of the Africa Exhibit!

Thank you to Dina Brookmyer for the wonderful pictures, Knish Shop for catering dinner, Pariser’s Bakery for the delicious desserts, and of course the 45 families and 135 children that joined us for this incredible evening together!

Photo Credits: Dina Brookmyer

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

Purim at The Maryland Zoo with imadi!

Khal Machzikei Torah Enjoys the Last Avos U’bonim of the Season

H

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

orav Nesanel Kostelitz, shilta, Rov of Khal Machzikei Torah in Baltimore, addressing over 35 boys at the last gathering of the year of Avos U’bonim at the shul this past motzei shabbos. Reb Yosef Furst is the chairman of the program.

Live Pest Free.

Yudy Brody 410-989-1919

ANTS

RODENTS · MOSQUITO CONTROL · WILDLIFE · TICKS · BEES & WASPS

Call for your FREE Estimate

www.QueenBPest.com • QueenBpest@gmail.com M.H.I.C. # 104396 M.D.A. # 30294

GOOGLE GUARANTEED

7

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Lease Up? We’ Kp Y Roing!

 We can help you buy out your current lease!

MARCH 10, 2022

We are here to assist you with new cars, used cars, lease returns and even those who wish to buy out or finance their current lease!

Yes, even if you did not get your car from Pals!

Auto Leasing Figured Out!

Ca Us Today!

www.PlazaAutoLeasing.com

Lowest Prices. Any Make. Any Model. Any Time. Huge Invenry.

Open: Monday - Thursday 9am - 7pm | Friday 9am - 1pm | Sunday temporarily closed | Plaza Auto Leasing & Sales | DCA Lic#: 1312589 | DMV#: 7084665 |

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

410.204.5300

Yfurst@PlazaAutoLeasing.com

ArtFriedCreative.com

Yehuda Furst ___ Call ___

8

Around the Community

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

Baltimore Chesed League for Boys (by Columbia Group) Kicks Off 2022 Season with a Bang!

The antics of Team “Aventura Assisted Living Baltimore” brought Adar joy to Sterling Care Assisted Living residents while they ate dinner.

Team “Chesed Monkeys” visited the residents of Sterling Care Assisted Living, performing 6 songs, putting on a magic show, and bringing smiles to the residents. It was a perfect way to get into the Purim spirit!

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Team “Advanced Root Canal Specialists” had a great first week. The team joined up with boys from Menucha for dinner followed by an inclusive football game and foosball/ping-pong activities!

Teams “Mend Acupuncture,” “Kelemer Brothers Replacement Windows,” and “Erez Seiferas” had a wonderful time working with the The Friendship Circle of Baltimore, delivering mishloach manos and meeting families across the community.

Team “Shimon Hoffman Erie Insurance” spent a fun afternoon with their friends from Menucha, sharing in some delicious pizza, participating in an intense football game, and jointly davening a meaningful Mincha.

Teams “Erez/Seiferas” and “Pricebusters Furniture Sales” spent the afternoon cleaning the Ahavas Chaim recreation room and painting the floor. It was great exercise, a lot of help, and great fun!

Team “Winner Insulation” had a great time baking desserts for Bikur Cholim of Baltimore!

They used teamwork to properly follow the recipes and clean up after themselves.

Team “Sage Ventures” partnered with Yachad Baltimore to make Purim cards and mishloach manos to be delivered to residents at Sterling Care Assisted Living.

Team “Union Bridge Family Dentistry” did a tremendous job helping to spread mulch in the Ohr Chadash Academy playground. The boys put in some hard work and muscle to help beautify the school!

Team “David Flamm-Nationwide Agency” had the privilege of visiting the Hatzalah of Baltimore garage where they learned about the important work that Hatzalah does and then had the opportunity to clean the ambulance!

Team “WesBanco” had the privilege of visiting King David Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, bringing some exciting Adar simcha and cheer to the residents.

Team “King David Nursing and Rehabilitation Center” partnered with members of Yachad to build care packages for families staying at the Tikvah House.

Team “Keren Reva Costume Gemach” stocked and cleaned the Bikur Cholim room at Johns Hopkins.

Team “DC Dental” put on a variety show for the residents at Aventura at the Heights.

Team “Blue Ocean” met volunteers from Chaverim of Baltimore who taught the boys basic auto skills including jumping a battery, opening locked doors, and changing tires, providing them with skills that will enable the boys to perform more chesed in the future.

Team “Pikesville Remodeling” had a blast helping the CJE library put their books back in order. The boys were surprised to discover how satisfying and fun a library can be!

Team “The Naomi Center” crushed it this week, helping with the building of food boxes for a local Chesed organization!

Team “CBT Baltimore” gathered Shaimos at the Agudah of Park Heights. They boys helped put them in bags and then move them to storage in preparation for their burial before Pesach.

9

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

10

Around the Community

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

Shoresh Holds Successful Fundraiser at M&T Bank Stadium to Support YearRound Programming for Children, Teens, Adults & Families

S

horesh’s VIP Night at the Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium was a massive success and a beautiful night for the more than 300 donors, guests, and volunteers present.

The event included three entertainers, headlined by famed mentalist Alan Nu. Everyone loved meeting and getting autographs from incredible sports players such as Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Bordick and two star Ravens players, Chuck Clark and Daelin Hayes. Bordick noted that it was an honor to celebrate Shoresh and be part of “such a wonderful event” in support of an organization that “so many have been positively impacted by.” Guests also enjoyed the open bar, and delicious dinner buffet catered by Le Mo. For the first time in Shoresh history, the program video, produced by outgoing Director of Operations Phran Edelman and Jeffrey Reches of Reches Creations Video Inc., was broadcast on the stadium’s two end zone

RavensVision video screens. Both before and afterwards, major donors’ logos were displayed on them as well as on screens throughout the club level. Super sponsors were even able to go on an awesome tour of the stadium. “Real Fan Dan” Granofsky, who regularly leads cheers for 70,000 fans at Ravens games, led everybody in Ravens cheers and surprised everyone with some Shoresh cheers as well! A major highlight of the night was the killer auction, one of the best ever, highlighted by trips to Utah and Disney World, VIP sports tickets, restaurant gift cards, and a $500 cash prize!

Shoresh star camper Amari Suissa from Potomac was excited to come to the event and catch up with people she hadn’t seen in months. “I was instantly greeted by Rabbi Dave. Next Rabbi Stein came up to us and then Rabbi T, who introduced us to a magician who bent a fork with magic (which was really cool and he turned it into a bracelet for my sister). I got both Mr.

Repair and/or replace: Hot Water Tanks • Sump Pumps • Faucets • Toilets • Garbage Disposals • Instant Hots • Dish Washers • Dryers • Washing Machines • Light Fixtures • Switches • Dimmers • Outside Lighting • Fans • Timers • and more...

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

410-929-2802 Saadya Cohen, Owner

Bordick’s and Daelin Hayes’ signatures and then Dan ripped his shirt off with a Shoresh shirt underneath which was really funny and entertaining. The video was also super well put together and it was really exciting to see the club level area.”

Shoresh’s event photographers and videographers Marc Summerfield, David Hercenberg, and Sharon Nicholas did an amazing job capturing the epic moments throughout the night.

However, one of the most heartwarming moments of the entire night actually occurred after the event. “imadi,” an organization that helps children and families dealing with illness and disabilities, sent a few volunteers to the event to escort a boy with cancer who had just lost his grandfa-

ther. He had a blast and at the end of the night, he was able to meet Daelin Hayes, one of the Ravens players in attendance. After the event, one of the volunteers reached out to Hayes, explaining this boy’s situation and thanking Hayes for speaking with him and making his night so special. The volunteer did not expect a response, but the next day Hayes wrote back that he would like to hand-deliver a jersey signed by the Ravens’ entire starting defensive line to this little boy. Hayes made the trip to the boy’s home to give the jersey to him personally, and even stayed for 45 minutes to play some touch football, which meant so much to the boy and his family.

This is just one story reflecting the special impact of that incredible night, with more to come during Shoresh’s programming throughout the year.

11

New from

INSPIRING JEWS ...

ONE BOOK AT A TIME

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Speak Right. Live Long.

Discover Sefer Zera Shimshon – and the remarkable segulah he promised!

MARCH 10, 2022

NEW! Sefer Vayikra complete in one volume

NEW!

I

The Chofetz Chaim’s Mussar Masterpiece

Sefer Vayikra dedicated by THE CHILDREN OF YAAKOV AND ILANA MELOHN

n Sefer Shemiras HaLashon, the Chofetz Chaim shows us the disastrous results of speaking lashon hara, and the innumerable rewards of positive speech. A masterpiece of mussar, it also includes chapters on the importance of Torah learning, of keeping peace and avoiding machlokes, judging favorably, and many more vital topics.

Sefer Shemiras HaLashon includes the full Hebrew text, a phraseby-phrase translation and elucidation, and explanatory notes to enhance our understanding.

Also available: Bereishis vol. 3, Bereishis vol. 4, Shemos vol. 1, Shemos vol. 2, Devarim Coming Soon: Sefer Bamidbar– complete in one volume

DEDICATED BY ELI & MALKY FRIEDMAN

THIS WEEK’S MISHNAH YOMI SCHEDULE:

SHABBOS

MARCH 12TH - 18TH

Demai Perek 5 Mishnah 7-8

SUNDAY

Demai Perek 5 Mishnah 9-10

MONDAY

Demai

Perek 5 Mishnah 11Perek 6 Mishnah 1

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Demai

Demai

Demai

Demai

Perek 6 Mishnah 2-3

Perek 6 Mishnah 4-5

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

Perek 6 Mishnah 6-7

Perek 6 Mishnah 8-9

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

ALSO AVAILABLE SEFER ZERA SHIMSHON ON MEGILLAS ESTHER

12

Around the Community

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

Mercaz Daf Yomi Trip to Israel

E

ver since Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah was established eleven years ago, the Rav, Harav Yissochor Dov Eichenstein Shlita, has been determined to create a center of Torah, Avoda, and Chesed for the greater Baltimore community.

Mercaz provides minyanim around the clock, an array of Shiurim and Chaburos, various chesed initiatives, and its flagship Mercaz Daf Yomi with 14 daily Daf Yomi shiurim.

Following the completion of each mesechta, the chevra of Mercaz Daf Yomi joins together to celebrate a lavish siyum. For the Siyum on Seder Moed, however, Rabbi Eichenstein made the decision that a siyum of this magnitude can only be celebrated in Eretz Yisroel! After much preparation and planning, around 50 ballei batim, some with their spouse, joined together

for this historic siyum.

Everyone joined up this past Thursday in Eretz Yisroel and stayed through Tuesday evening. The motto of the trip was “Celebrate, Invigorate, Elevate,” and the itinerary had the perfect balance of variety within its activities. There was a little bit of everything. Learning sedarim in the Mir & Chevron, “Toiameha” on the spectacular rooftop of Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Wolasky in the Old City, Kabalas Shabbos at the Kosel, hearing Divrei Hisorerus from a long list of gedolim and admorim, visiting many of the Mekomos Hakedoshim, first-class meals and lodging, joining organizations that benefit from the generosity of Mercaz such as Laniado Hospital, the Chinuch Atzmai school in Ramla, and Keren Hashviis at Mercaz’s shmita farm, jeeping tours and a visit to a

winery. The crown jewel of the trip was the Siyum in the picturesque city of Caesarea. A fabulous seuda took place with beautiful decor and a large band and a wide array of speakers, including various Roshei HaYeshiva and trip attendees, along with Rabbi Eichenstein. The dancing lasted well into the evening- until the last person departed for the airport to return home.The trip accomplished its goal to “Celebrate, Invigorate, Elevate,” as the members of this trip are prepped and ready to begin Seder Nashim, and have returned to Baltimore with a renewed vigor. Mercaz Daf Yomi hosts 14 daily Daf Yomi shiurim, offering a shiur for everyone, day or night, according to your schedule and of course spectacular siyumim!

13

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

14

WISHING YOU A HAPPY AND JOYOUS

Purim

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

From your Friends at The Rosenblatt Group of Academy Mortgage Corporation

Seconds

Sponsored By

Sam Rosenblatt

Mortgage Planner I NMLS# 75844

(410) 375-4447

State Lic: DE: MLO-75844; NJ: 75844; NC: I-109203; MD: 237; FL: LO31872; PA: 28407; VA: MLO-6487VA; DC: MLO75844 | Corp Lic: DE: 010825; NJ: 3113; NC: L-143680; MD: 12423; FL: MLD241; PA: 22177; VA: MC-5196; DC: MLB3113; www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org l Equal Housing Lender l Corp NMLS #3113

WITS (formally Maalot): An Interview With Mr. Shlomo Spetner, Mindy Spetner and Rebbetzin Ettie Rosenbaum

Dr. Weisbord had many organizations that were dear to her heart. What was special to her about WITS? Rebbetzin Rosenbaum: It is true, Dr. Weisbord was involved with the entire Jewish community, in all aspects of life. WITS was her commitment to the chinuch and building of frum young women. WITS was lucky to have her as a primary figure.

How is WITS preserving her legacy?

Rebbetzin Rosenbaum: Dr. Weisbord felt very strongly about the Kodesh Department, that girls shouldn’t learn General Studies without learning Kodesh. To her credit, we continue to add different tracks and degree programs, but we never lose focus of what we want to achieve in terms of the girls continuing their Torah learning.

What will the funds from the campaign be used for?

Mindy Spetner: Proceeds from this campaign will be used to establish the “Rebbetzin Dr. Aviva Weisbord Memorial Fund.” Part of this fund will provide the resources for scholarships, student counseling, and student services.

Shlomo Spetner: Like any educational institution, unrestricted funds enable WITS to respond to the current educational needs and capitalize on future opportunities. We work hard to keep our degrees affordable, so tuition funds are not sufficient to fully provide for our students. Proceeds from the Annual Campaign will enable WITS to enhance its accreditation, develop new and expanded programs, and maintain and update our technology and infrastructure, including security. Giving young women the opportunity to support their future families is truly the highest level of tzedakah.

Can you share some of WITS recent successes?

Mindy Spetner: Our over 2,000 alumnae have had their WITS education impact their homes, pro-

fessional lives, and communities in Baltimore and beyond. Baltimore would not be the same without them! They have confidence in navigating the workplace and graduate school, and approach life with a strong hashkafah, while excelling in their fields.

Additionally, 96% of our graduates have been accepted into top-tier graduate school programs, including Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Columbia, Purdue, NYU, and University of Maryland. Employers are thrilled with our students. We have them coming back to us, wanting to hire more!

Our student enrollment has also increased over the last few years, from 164 students in 2019 to 190 students in 2021.

These numbers include our students on campus, on the Israel Study Abroad Program, in our online certificate programs, as well as dual enrollment high school students.

What are some new programs WITS offers and how would you like to expand?

Rebbetzin Rosenbaum: We recently launched two new degrees – a BA in Psychology and a BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders, as well as a Certificate in Graphic Design.

We are also launching two new joint programs with Stevenson University – Premed and Biomedical Engineering. Next year, Be’ezras HaShem, we plan to launch another new BA in Jewish Culture and Professional Studies, aimed at providing women in the community the opportunity to complete their degrees.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Tell us about Dr. Aviva Weisbord’s history with WITS and her connection to its founding?

Mr. Shlomo Spetner: Dr. Weisbord was a true visionary. She saw the need for a post-high school program for girls in our community. Not simply general studies in a Torah environment but having an environment where Torah learning continues and is a part of a young woman’s life. She saw it as a necessity, not an option.

These young women are in a transitional period, going from adolescence to adulthood and it’s crucial for them to be in a strong, supportive environment. Young men traditionally have more of an opportunity to stay in a yeshiva environment where they have the guidance and protection of the yeshiva and their Rebbeim, but that kind of support system was missing for girls.

Dr. Weisbord personified the hadracha of her father, Rav Weinberg, zt”l, and we were the great beneficiaries of that – in terms of our institution and each of us individually. She was a master michanaches, a founding board member and served as president for over 23 years.

How was she involved throughout the years?

Rebbetzin Rosenbaum: Dr. Weisbord was the first one we called when we needed guidance with the students.

In the beginning years, she also taught classes. As busy as she was, she knew how important our program is and was willing to give of her time. Later on, when time constraints didn’t allow her to teach regularly, she would still come to speak to the young woman at “Women in the Workplace” or at various Yemai Iyun.

She wasn’t just involved in the chinuch, but also in the administrative leadership and funding - she rolled up her sleeves, wrote grants and proposals, ran meetings, worked on WITS’ accreditation, and even wrote our institutional bylaws.

She was involved in every major decision of this institution since its inception. She was a leader and a volunteer, and everything was done with such humility - never self-promoting, never taking credit. With her wisdom and humor, she fostered comradery amongst the whole team.

At every meeting now, we feel there is a gap where she should be.

MARCH 10, 2022

Sam@TheRosenblattGroup.com www.TheRosenblattGroup.com

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

613

15

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

16

The Week In News

Bennett Wants to Mediate

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett did not find Russian President Vladimir Putin to be irrational or suffering rage during their Saturday meeting, the Times of Israel reported.

Putin was “not conspiracy theorizing or irrational, nor is he suffering from rage attacks,” a source close to Bennett was quoted Sunday night by Israel’s Channel 13 News as saying.

Bennett left Israel for Moscow early on Shabbos morning in the Mossad’s private jet, during hours when it is forbidden by halacha to travel other than in cases where lives are at risk. The two leaders supposedly spent three hours together before Bennett took off for Berlin, Germany, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

During the Bennett-Putin meeting, the two discussed Israelis in Ukraine, as well as the local Jewish communities.

The meeting was cleared with the U.S. before it took place and received the American government’s blessing.

According to Channel 13, Bennett did not present a mediation plan of his own and is instead playing messenger, carrying messages between the sides. It added that according to Bennett’s office, the mediation efforts are being led by Bennett and Scholz.

“We will continue to assist as needed,” Bennett said at a Sunday cabinet meeting. “Even if the chance is not great — as soon as there is even a small opening, and we have access to all sides and the capability — I see this as our moral obligation to make every effort.”

Welcoming Ukrainian Refugees Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked (Yamina) on Sunday hinted that the country may move to cap the number of Ukrainian refugees allowed to enter the country.

Speaking at a Knesset meeting on the issue of absorbing both Israeli citizens and refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, Shaked noted that the vast majority of the 2,034 Ukrainians who have arrived in Israel since the war started are not Jewish: Only about 10% are eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.

At the current pace, Shaked said, there may be 15,000 refugees within one month.

“It’s impossible to continue with an entry rate such as this,” Shaked asserted. “We need to set down a policy.”

She added: “Relative to its size, Israel has brought in more [Ukrainians] than any country in Europe besides those bordering Ukraine.”

Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White) noted, “We are trying to offer the best possible conditions to Jews and those eligible [to immigrate] under the Law of Return. We are not [even] asking them to come with visas.

“The main, massive absorption [of the immigrants] will be for the longterm, and we are working on this now.

I expect tens of thousands of Jews to arrive in Israel in the coming months.”

li Bennett and other cabinet ministers were on hand at Ben Gurion Airport to greet a group of 90 Jewish orphans who fled Ukraine after Russia invaded last month.

El Al, Israel’s largest airline, said the flight was part of a special operation to rescue some 300 Jews from the fighting in Ukraine. The airline said Ukrainian-speaking staff were on board the flight to assist. Some of the orphans have family members who are still in fighting areas.

Bennett, who was accompanied

by Immigration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata, entered the aircraft to welcome the children, introducing himself to one boy by saying, “I am Naftali, prime minister of Israel.

Would you like to come into Israel?”

“We are now seeing children immigrating to Israel. It is the most moving thing there is,” Bennett told media at the bottom of the steps from the plane as the children disembarked.

He later tweeted that he had told the children, “You are safe now, you have reached safe shores.”

The children fled the city of Zhytomyr with the help of local Chabad groups last week and crossed the border to Romania, staying in the city of Cluj-Napoca. From there, they flew to Israel. The children, the eldest of whom was around 12 and the youngest just 2, walked 400 meters through the snow in below-freezing temperatures in order to cross the border.

The KKL-JNF Jewish National Fund is paying for the newcomers to stay and enjoy activities at a field school outside Jerusalem for a month.

Ronen Cohen, the director of the Immigration and Absorption Ministry, told Army Radio on Sunday evening that 400 refugees had landed in Israel in the previous six hours.

A Generous Immigration Plan New immigrants from Ukraine will be granted special status and receive a one-time payment of approximately $1,800 per immigrant, $3,350 per couple, or $4,580 for a family, in addition to the standard payments new immigrants receive, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry announced on Sunday.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Nafta-

On Tuesday, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced a new plan

for the entry of Ukrainian citizens into Israel.

For the 20,000 Ukrainian citizens who were in Israel before the conflict, many of them illegally, they will be able to stay in the Holy Land until the war ends. A 5,000 person quota will be set for Ukrainian citizens who arrived or will be arriving in Israel since the war broke out. For those coming to Israel from Ukraine, they will be receiving a temporary visa for a period of three months.

If the fighting does not stop, Ukrainian citizens will later also be allowed to work in Israel. This is valid for Ukrainian citizens already in Israel and those who will arrive later.

Israeli citizens will be able to apply to invite Ukrainian citizens, up to one nuclear family per applicant, and they will receive as much priority as possible.

In total, Israel will temporarily host about 25,000 Ukrainian citizens until the conflict passes.

It should be noted that beyond the unprecedented number of Ukrainian civilians who will be able to stay in Israel until the fighting ceases, the State of Israel is preparing to receive about 100,000 civilians from Ukraine, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States who are fleeing the fighting in the region according to the Law of Return.

Shaked noted, “Israel is expected to be one of the leading countries in the world in absorbing Ukrainians fleeing the battles, certainly compared to its size.”

During a press conference in which she presented the new policy for the entry of Ukrainian citizens into Israel, Shaked asserted, “The sights of the war in Ukraine and the suffering of its citizens are terrifying and do not allow us to remain indifferent. These difficult events also have a direct impact on the State of Israel, which is currently preparing to absorb, according to estimates, about 100,000 Jews and those entitled to the Law of Return and their family members fleeing the battle zones.”

She added,“It can be determined with certainty that no other country is expected to deal with an event of this magnitude. For example, in terms of population size it is equivalent to granting citizenship to three-and-ahalf million people in the U.S., or over seven-hundred-thousand new citizens

17

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Welcome

www.shiragrylldesigns.com

MARCH 10, 2022

Spring 2022

WOMEN & TEENS REGULAR HOURS: SUN: 11-5 MON-THURS: 11-6 FRI: 11-2

SHOP NOW ONLINE

oohlalamd.com 410.580.9000 226 REISTERSTOWN RD @OOHLALAMD OOHLALAMD.COM

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

EXTENDED HOURS TIL PESACH MON- THURS 11-8:30

The Week In News

18

MARCH 10, 2022

in England. But as the State of Israel has proven more than once in the past, we can meet this historic challenge.”

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

terror attack mirrors a similar attack carried out at the same location early Sunday morning. In that attack as well, two police officers were stabbed.

Polio Case Diagnosed It’s been several decades since the State of Israel had a confirmed case of polio. This week, the Health Ministry said that a case of polio was discovered in the country.

A mutated form of the virus, which can cause illness in the unvaccinated, was discovered in a 4-year-old boy in Jerusalem, the ministry said. He had not been vaccinated against the disease.

The case was believed to be the first polio diagnosis in Israel since 1989, after Israel largely wiped out the disease through an aggressive inoculation campaign.

In 2013, traces of the virus were detected in sewer systems across Israel, but no human diagnoses were made.

The discovery, however, pushed Israel to launch a mass vaccination drive among young children. Like much of the world, Israel administers polio vaccines to children as part of its standard vaccine regimen, with four doses given between the ages of 2 months and around 7 years.

Following the diagnosis, the Health Ministry urged parents whose kids are behind on the vaccination schedule to immediately get them the necessary inoculations.

Polio spreads mostly from person to person or through contaminated water. It attacks the nervous system and can sometimes paralyze people within hours. The disease mostly affects children under five and has been largely wiped out in wealthy countries.

Interest Free Loans for:

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

Two police officers were moderately wounded on Monday evening in a stabbing attack in the Old City of Jerusalem, near the Lions Gate.

The terrorist, a resident of Jalazone near Ramallah, exited the Temple Mount armed with a knife, stabbing and wounding a nearby policeman.

A Border Police officer nearby attempted to fight off the terrorist and received a stab to his head. The police

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Stabbing Attack Near Temple Mount

officer then recovered and shot the terrorist, eliminating him.

A recording of the incident shows the terrorist swearing in Arabic and shouting, “Allahu akhbar!” as officers gathered at the scene.

According to police, “A terrorist recently arrived at the Lions Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem armed with a knife and stabbed two policemen. In response, the police returned fire at him, and he was neutralized. Medical officials are now treating the wounded. Following the incident, access routes were blocked.”

Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics and medics provided initial treatment to the wounded.

According to MDA EMT Baruch Wiseman, “Upon arriving to the Lions Gate, police officers were already providing medical treatment to two males in their 20s suffering from stab wounds. We took them to the Western Wall area and provided medical treatment, bringing the bleeding under control. MDA MICUs evacuated them to the hospitals in stable condition.”

Arutz Sheva noted that Monday’s

Giving you a

HAND UP,

not a hand out.

Medical Expenses

Used Car Purchase

Simcha Expenses

Small Business Loans

Home Repair

Temporary Crisis

Education Expenses

and much more.

HEBREW FREE LOAN ASSOCIATION OF BALTIMORE HELPING THE BALTIMORE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 120 YEARS.

www.HebrewFreeLoan.org

(410) 843-7536

19

T

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

O

’s A C

ociety Presents S l a c i tr he a

MARCH 10, 2022

Sunday, March 27, 2022 | 11:30am and 2:30pm North Carroll High School 1400 Panther Drive, Hampstead, MD Tickets: $12

Buy tickets online at ocabaltimore.org/robinhood

A A Tale Tale of of Tights, Tights, Fights, Fights, Music Music & & Lights Lights

S SPONSOR

Anonymous Sponsor

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Contact Rabbi Margolese at rabbimargolese@ocabaltimore.org for sponsorship opportunities!

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

20

The Week In News Saudi Crown Prince: Israel is “Potential Ally”

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman named Israel as a “potential ally” last week, the Times of Israel reported.

Speaking to The Atlantic in remarks carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, bin Salman said, “For us, we hope that the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is solved.”

He added, “We don’t look at Israel as an enemy, we look to them as a potential ally, with many interests that we can pursue together.

“But we have to solve some issues before we get to that.”

Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations, but the Saudi Crown Prince has allowed Israeli commercial aircraft to travel through Saudi airspace.

U.S. Gives Protected Status to Ukraine Refugees

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is expected to grant temporary protected status to Ukrainians in the U.S. The Justice Department has also ceased the deportation

of Ukrainian nationals who lack U.S. documentation.

The move took effect on March 1.

In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas remarked, “Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence, and Ukrainians forced to seek refuge in other countries.

“In these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States.”

According to the Migration Policy Institute, the move could affect around 30,000 Ukrainians living in the U.S. on non-immigrant visas or without visas.

There are over 1 million people of Ukrainian ancestry in the United States, according to 2019 census estimates. Traverse City, Michigan, has become one of the destinations with a large Ukrainian community.

Truck Convoy to Loop Around D.C. A line of trucks, recreational vehicles, and cars on Sunday circled Washington, D.C., in preparation for a week of traffic disruptions to protest COVID-19 restrictions.

The “People’s Convoy” includes around 1,000 vehicles which plan to drive around the Beltway at minimum legal speed.

The protest takes its lead from a similar, recent protest in Ottawa, Canada, which disrupted trade between the U.S. and Canada for over a week.

The U.S. convoy began assembling in California, attracting similarly-minded participants as it traveled eastward across the country.

Since the U.S. has already relaxed most of its COVID-19 restrictions, however, the U.S. convoy is demanding more diverse aspirations, though it still demands an end to workplace

vaccine mandates.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned the truckers’ convoy may hinder emergency services.

Organizer Brian Brase told The Washington Post that he is not sure how long the protest would last, but that the drivers “don’t want to shut D.C. down.”

“We’re not anti-vaxxers. We’re not,” he assured. “We just want freedom, freedom. We want to choose. We just want the choice. So tomorrow is a basically a show of just how big we are and how serious we are.”

Battling Wildfires in Florida

Evacuation orders remain in place for around 600 homes in the Florida panhandle, as firefighting crews battled at least four dangerous wildfires over the past few days.

On Sunday, the Florida Forest Service said nearly 10,000 acres were ablaze in the Panhandle. Officials added that two major wildfires were burning in Bay County and that additional resources had been deployed.

The larger of the two wildfires, the Bertha Swamp Road fire, had burned about 8,000 acres by Sunday and was only around 10% contained. Another fire, the Adkins Avenue Fire near Panama City Beach, had reached 841 acres and was 35% contained, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis said.

On Saturday, DeSantis expanded the state of emergency declared in Bay County to include two additional counties, Calhoun and Gulf, which were also impacted by the fires.

The cause of the Bay County fire is under investigation. A burn ban has been issued for the county. According to Bay County Sheriff Tom Ford, the fire began when someone burned trash in their backyard, and the fire began to spread out of control.

Thankfully, there have been no reported fatalities due to the fires.

Minneapolis Teachers Strike

Minneapolis educators began striking on Tuesday after failing to reach a deal with Minneapolis Public Schools, canceling classes for more than 30,000 students.

The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) and Education Support Professionals (ESP) are seeking “a living wage,” “lowering class sizes, and for safe and stable schools,” according to a post on the teachers union’s Facebook page.

“We are going on strike tomorrow for the safe and stable schools that our students deserve,” MFT President Greta Callahan said on Monday in a news conference.

“We have continued to do so much more with so much less,” Callahan said. “Those at the top of this district continue to hoard power – continue to do so much less with so much more.

And if we don’t intervene, we believe that the Minneapolis Public Schools will cease to exist. We are in the fight for strong public schools for our city, for our students.”

The district has 31,598 students, 3,266 teachers and 1,223 education support professionals, per its website.

In the meantime, all classes for pre-K through 12th grade will be canceled “for the duration of the strike” starting Tuesday, the district said.

Teachers in St. Paul, Minnesota, Minneapolis’ twin city, were also ready to strike, but the Saint Paul Federation of Educators and Saint Paul Public Schools announced late Monday they had reached a tentative agreement on new contracts.

A Spider Invasion?

If the spider crawling up the waterspout in your bathroom looks a bit different, it may be the Joro spider, a species native to east Asia that has been finding itself on the east coast of

21

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER!

DAIRY TACO PARTY $65 Feeds 6

TO ORDER:

Feeds 6

FISH TACO PLATTER $60 Feeds 6 (12 tacos)

Tortilla chips, nacho cheese Fried tilapia in soft tortilla sauce, black beans, corn, with pico di Gallo, avocado salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cabbage and limes cream, chipotle sauce, and Beyond “meat” chili

SQUARE PIZZA $12.99 Feeds 6

Large square piza cut to make small 1” square slices (about 30 slices per pie)

Order online Sunday, March 13th - Wednesday, March 16th.

To schedule a delivery for Purim day, please email info@chefdascafe.com

INDOOR DINING

AT HOME DELIVERY

CURBSIDE PICKUP

Sunday - Thursday 10:00am-8:00pm

Sunday - Thursday 10:00am-8:00pm

Sunday 10:00am-3:30pm Monday -Thursday 10:00am-7:00pm

Weinberg Park Heights JCC • 5700 Park Heights Avenue • Baltimore, MD 21215 443.972.0811 • info@chefdanscafe.com • chefdanscafe.com

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Beyond “meat” crumbles, cheddar cheese, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, corn, tortillas, jalapenos, and salsa

NACHO PARTY $80

MARCH 10, 2022

PURIM PLATTERS

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

22

The Week In News the United States.

The spider, Trichonephila clavata, is known for its ability to spin highly organized, wheel-shaped webs.

Females have blue, yellow and red markings and can measure up to 3 inches when fully extended.

According to the new study, Joro spiders, which predominantly hail from Japan, will likely survive on the U.S. east coast because Japan has a very similar climate and is located approximately on the same latitude. It also has a higher heart rate than other spiders and can survive colder temperatures.

“Just by looking at that, it looks like the Joros could probably survive throughout most of the eastern seaboard here, which is pretty sobering,” said Andy Davis, a research scientist at the Odum School of Ecology and co-author of the study.

Last year, the spiders made their way through the yards of northern Georgia, spinning webs up to 3m deep.

It is unclear how the spiders traveled from east Asia, but researchers say their proliferation is likely due to

changes in weather conditions.

According to Davis, the Joro does not appear to have much of an impact on local food webs or ecosystems and may even serve as an additional food source for native predators like birds.

“People should try to learn to live with them,” he said. “If they’re literally in your way, I can see taking a web down and moving them to the side, but they’re just going to be back next year.”

Benjamin Frick, co-author of the study and an undergraduate researcher in the School of Ecology, said: “The way I see it, there’s no point in excess cruelty where it’s not needed.

You have people with saltwater guns shooting them out of the trees and things like that, and that’s really just unnecessary.”

Flower Delivery Club

Ruby Lasker Designs

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Join the

• Free delivery every Friday • Starting at just $25/week

Shelly’s Blossom

Shop

410.961.4199

Guantanamo Bay Prisoner Sent Home

After 20 years in custody, a Saudi prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center who was suspected of trying to join the 9/11 hijackers was sent back to his home country for treatment for mental illness this week. Mohammad Ahmad al-Qahtani was flown back to Saudi Arabia, to a treatment facility, from the U.S. base in Cuba after a review board including military and intelligence officials concluded he could be safely released after two decades years in custody.

The 46-year-old prisoner says he has suffered from mental illness, including schizophrenia, since childhood. The U.S. dropped plans to try him after a Bush administration legal official concluded he had been tortured at Guantanamo.

There are now 38 prisoners left at the detention center. Al-Qahtani is the second released under President Biden, who has said he intends to close the facility.

“The United States appreciates the willingness of Saudi Arabia and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the Department of Defense said in a statement announcing the repatriation of al-Qahtani.

Only half the men held there have been cleared for release, and no decision has been made about what to do with the rest, including those who still face trial by military commission.

In August 2001, al-Qahtani was turned away from the U.S. at the Orlando airport by immigration officers who were suspicious of his travel.

The lead 9/11 hijacker, Mohammed Atta, was going to pick him up to take part in the plot, according to pre-

viously released documents.

U.S. forces later captured al-Qahtani in Afghanistan and sent him to Guantanamo.

Supposedly al-Qahtani was subjected to beatings, exposure to extreme temperatures and noise, sleep deprivation and extended solitary confinement at Guantanamo.

An FBI official in 2002 observed al-Qahtani speaking to non-existent people, hearing voices and crouching in a corner of his cell while covering himself with a sheet for hours at a time.

FL: No Vaxx for Healthy Children Florida is now the first state to recommend against using the COVID-19 vaccine for “healthy children,” according to Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo on Monday.

Children face little risk from Covid, with hospitalizations or deaths caused by the virus being especially rare. The outright recommending against an approved drug by a local health officials is a rarity, though.

“The Florida Department of Health is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children,” Ladapo said.

“We’re kind of scraping at the bottom of the barrel, particularly with healthy kids, in terms of actually being able to quantify with any accuracy and any confidence the even potential of benefit.”

Children face little risk from COVID-19, with an ever-growing trove of data showing that they are not nearly as affected by it as adults are. The CDC reports that children only account less than 0.1 percent of Covid deaths in the U.S. since the pandemic first began.

A study from the University of Utah last year found that 50 percent of pediatric Covid cases are asymp-

THE BIG EVENT GOING ON NOW!

SOFA & LOVESEAT 4 Toss Pillows + 2 Lamps

10PC. PACKAGE

498 $23

$

Buy Now

OR

 Payments *

2 FREE

MEMORY FOAM PILLOWS

Pillows & Lamp will differ from image

Includes Dresser, Mirror, Queen Headboard, Footboard, 2 Rails, Slats, Lamp, 2 Pillows.

10PC. PACKAGE

498 $23

$

OR

Payments *

OR

 Payments *

2 FREE

*

MEMORY FOAM PILLOWS



*

Lamp will differ from image

FREEE DELIVERY NO CREDIT NEEDED 8 FRE 

Pillows & Lamp will differ from image

With min. purchase

PIECE

PACKAGE

Includes Dresser, Mirror, Queen Headboard, Footboard, 2 Rails, Slats, Lamp, 2 Pil ows.

SOFA & LOVESEAT 4 Toss Pillows + 2 Lamps

$

598 $28

Buy Now

OR

 Payments *

10 PC. PACKAGE

MARCH 10, 2022

498 23 Buy Now $

$

Buy Now

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

INVENTORY BLOWOUT SALE With min. purchase

23

$ 398 19 Buy Now

$

OR

 Payments *

Lamp will differ from image

SOFA & LOVESEAT

2 FREE

Features:

4 RECLINERS & 2 CUP HOLDERS

MEMORY FOAM PILLOWS

698 $31

$

Buy Now

OR

 Payments *

GET YOUR FURNITURE NOW!

NO CREDIT NEEDED! CRAZY DEAL FULL $109 QUEEN$119 KING $149 $95

Includes Dresser, Mirror, Queen Headboard, Footboard, 2 Rails, Slats, Lamp, 2 Pillows.

Pillows & Lamp will differ from image

TWIN DREAMWELL MATTRESS

VENUS MATTRESS ODELIA PILLOW TOP

w

500 OFF

$

UP TO

$ 598 28 Buy Now

$

OR

 Payments *

Ottoman sold separately

$ 98 5 Buy Now $

OR

199 $11 Buy Now

Payments

Payments  *

169 3-Piece King $ Mattress Set 359 2-Piece Twin $ Mattress Set

ALEXANDRA 

13.5" PILLOW TOP UP TO

Table & 4 Chairs

Mattress sold separately

399

199 3-Piece King $ Mattress Set 397 2-Piece Twin $ Mattress Set

ALLYSON PILLOW TOP UP TO

248 497

2-Piece Twin $ Mattress Set 3-Piece King $ Mattress Set

69

$

6” THICK

500 OFF

$

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

349

$

ALL SIZES ON SALE!

MATTRESS BLOW OUT

550 OFF

$

$

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

299

$

500 OFF

229 449

2-Piece Twin $ Mattress Set 3-Piece King $ Mattress Set

BELLA MEMORY FOAM 14” HYBRID

TWIN SIZE STEVIE

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

$

OR

218

$

UP TO

THICK

UP TO

650 OFF

$

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

547

$

647

3-Piece King $ Mattress Set

West Baltimore East Baltimore Brooklyn/Glen Burnie Forestville Plaza Landover Golden Ring Mall Area 2415 W. Franklin St 800 East 25th St 7756 Marlboro Pike 7870 Central Ave 5103 Gov. Ritchie Hwy 8643 Pulaski Hwy Exit 11 off 95/495 “Tall Yellow Building” Corner of 25th & Kirk Ave. Brooklyn Park, 1 mi. north of Across from Golden Ring Mall Rt.4 - Exit 11 off 95/495 695, exit 15-E (Rt 40 E), 5 mi.

Across from the fire station 695 exit 3A, next to Rose’s M-F: 10-8 Sun:10-6 M-F: 10-8 Sun:10-6 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 443-919-6616 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 410-662-4071 M-F: 9-8 Sun:10-6 410-789-5666 301-669-1925 301-350-1300 443-772-0352 FWith min. purchase, see store manager for details. All offers are for a limited time only & are subject to availability. Must present circular at time of purchase for circular pricing. Circular prices not valid on prior purchases. With $1,895 purchase Price is apx. & based on 52 weekly payments & does not include sales tax, administrative/processing/application & delivery fees EACH STORE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED

Discount Furniture & Mattresses

PRICEBUSTERS.COM

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

2PC SECTIONAL

ALIZA ULTIMATE “PLUSH” $

UP TO

2-Piece Full or Queen MATTRESS SET

BOXSPRING SOLD SEPARATELY

MATTRESS ONLY. BOXSPRING SOLD SEPARATELY

24 ‫בס״ד‬

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

‫בס"ד‬

3

DAYS OF

!‫ישועות‬

At the kever of the miracle worker the

Holy Tzaddik of Ribnitz ZʼL

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

•Tanis Esther •Purim •Shushan Purim

CALL IN TO SUBSCRIBE!

718.705.7174 www@TehillimKollel.org Info@TehillimKollel.org

The Week In News tomatic. The study was performed before the more-mild Omicron variant emerged, meaning the risk for children to even feel symptoms is likely lower now.

Children may also be less likely to spread the virus when infected, with a German study finding that they release as little as only 25 percent of virus particles as adults do.

Data revealed by New York state officials at the end of last month also found that the shot was only 12 percent effective at preventing Covid infection for children aged five to 11.

Michigan, finished as America’s neediest city. Unsurprisingly, Detroit ranked as the least happy city – finishing dead-last out of 182 cities.

Fremont, CA, Happiest in the Nation

Residents of the Madison County town of Winterset, Iowa, were shocked over the weekend when a tornado racing through the community left at least six people dead, including two children under age five.

A seventh death was reported in Chariton in Lucas County.

During a Sunday news conference, Madison County officials released the names of the six victims who died in the tornado: Melissa Bazley, 63, Rodney Clark, 64, Cecilia Lloyd, 72, Michael Bolger, 37, Kenley Bolger, 5, and Owen Bolger, 2. Authorities added that the tornado spanned 13.7 miles.

According to Madison County Emergency Manager Diogenes Ayala, as of Sunday, six victims were still being treated for their injuries, and at least 52 homes had been damaged or destroyed by the tornado.

In a statement, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said, “Our hearts ache during this time, but I know Iowans will step up and come together to help in this time of need. They already are.”

The storms that swept through Iowa on Saturday were the deadliest to occur in the state since May 2008, when one tornado destroyed nearly 300 homes and killed nine people in the northern Iowa city of Parkersburg. Another tornado a month later killed four boys at the Little Sioux Boy Scout ranch in western Iowa.

Saturday’s storms damaged or destroyed other homes and downed powerlines and trees, causing some power outages.

The tornadoes were followed by winter storms that dropped about 5 inches of snow in central Iowa and 6.5 inches in Mount Vernon.

Tornado Rips Through Iowa

!‫ישועות‬

Out of a study of 182 large cities in the United States, Fremont, California, is considered the happiest city in the nation.

The WalletHub study ranked each location based on residents’ emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and the local community and environment – which includes the local divorce rate, the weather, and crime.

Fremont ranked number one among all U.S. cities when it comes to emotional and physical well-being.

The city also ranked second in community and environment and finished in the top 50 in terms of income.

Rounding out the top five happiest cities in the nation are Columbia, Maryland, and California’s San Francisco, San Jose, and Irvine. What do all these cities have in common?

Interestingly, they all ranked in the top five for emotional and physical well-being in WalletHub’s study.

New York, NY, came in at the 58th spot on the list.

Cities with a high-income workforce did well when it comes to their happiness scores, with cities like Seattle, Washington (#2 in income), Charleston, South Carolina (#3), and Austin, Texas (#4), all finishing within the top 30 happiest cities in America.

When comparing the new study to a recent WalletHub report on the neediest cities in the U.S., it quickly becomes clear that when Americans have less problems, they’re happier more often. In that report, Detroit,

25

y Out - Exp.

ne in or Carr

EST

BJH - 1pp - Di

1984

4/1/2022

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

6313 Reisterstown Road Baltimore, MD 21215

MARCH 10, 2022

Ha

v

e

Purim Hours

Try ouR amazing TovPossible Burger

Purim Closed

And cheese pretzels!

Sunday: 11:00-8:00 Monday-Thursday: 11:30-8:00 Friday: 11:00-2:30 Motzei Shabbos 1 Hour After Shabbos-Midnight

VISIT TOVPIZZAMENU.COM TO PLACE YOUR ORDER ONLINE

Tov Pizza reserves the right to resolve all issues pertaining to its coupons. Special orders may incur a service fee at the discretion of Tov Pizza.

DAILY MINCHA MINYAN AT 2:30PM

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Taanis Esther 11am-2:30pm

The Week In News

We are so pleased with this Yeshiva’s unique full time dorm supervision.

The rebbeim are very warm and caring.

It has a real home family atmosphere.

The Yeshiva treats my son like a yochid, helping him thrive, focusing on his specific kochos.

Alaska’s Iditarod Kicks Off

TZVI RABINOWITZ, 12TH GRADE, JACKSONVILLE, FL

RABBI DOVID LEFKOWITZ, BALTIMORE, MD

There are so many reasons why families & students from all over the United States choose this Miami mesivta.

P I C T U R E D

el 9

TH

a Isra

d i Yehu Rabb

i Av Rabb

r

de l Blin hmue aim S

h

iC Rabb

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

BE

E REB

GRAD

RADE

r 9TH G

nzige

Da rohom

Rabbi Yaakov Dreyfuss

RADE

9TH G

E

REBB

E

REBB

The 50th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race kicked off on Sunday with 49 mushers eyeing the western coast of Alaska.

The race will span two mountain ranges, the Yukon River, and the Bering Sea. The winner is expected to reach the finish line, located in Nome, after about nine days.

Last year, the race, which usually ends in Nome, began in Willow, went to Iditarod, and then doubled back to Willow, due to the pandemic.

That race was won by Dallas Seavey, who, with his fifth victory, matched musher Rick Swenson’s record for highest-ever number of wins.

Swenson last won the race in 1991 and has not participated in it since 2012. Seavey, who is participating this year, is seeking to break their shared record and become the first-ever musher to hold six titles.

After this year’s race, however, he expects to take a break to spend time with his daughter.

Also participating in this year’s race are two four-time champions, as well as Joar Leifseth Ulsom and Pete Kaiser, winners of the 2018 and 2019 races, respectively.

Seavey set the record fastest time for the Iditarod in 2017, crossing the line in Nome in 8 days, 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 13 seconds, while also becoming the oldest winner.

Rabbi Yitzchok Schlissel S'GAN MENAHEL HONORS TRACK

Rabbi Yisroel Y. Niman ROSH HAYESHIVA

Rabbi Binyomin Luban ROSH HAYESHIVA

Rabbi Mordechai Palgon

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

The Rebbeim and Teachers are always there for me.

MRS. MASHA KAGANOVICH, ST LOUIS PARK, MN

L - R

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

26

ROSH HAYESHIVA

Rabbi Yehuda Bergida

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL

ytcte.org/dachs

MASHGIACH

A Biden Octopus

Rabbi Yair Silverstein GENERAL STUDIES PRINCIPAL

Rabbi Yosef Deitsch DORMITORY MASHGIACH

Come visit!

TO SCHEDULE A TOUR OR FOR MORE INFORMATION >

Rabbi Yitzchok Schlissel

yschlissel@ytcte.org 305-944-5344 x224

President Joe Biden does not have to worry that his name will ever be

forgotten. Scientists recently named an extinct 10-armed octopus after the current President of the United States.

The syllipsimopodi bideni was discovered in a fossil in the Bear Gulch Limestone in Fergus County, Montana, in 1988. It wasn’t until recently, though, that scientists from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and Yale University’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences examined fossil.

The fossil, which is several centimeters long, indicates the syllipsimopodi bideni had a gladius, or a hard internal body part, 10 arms with suckers, two of which may have been elongated.

Vampyropods are a group of cephalopods that includes octopuses and vampire squid. Turns out, the specimen is the oldest vampyropod ever discovered.

Maybe as old as our president?

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Missing your Walkman from the ‘80s?

Have no fear. Sony is here to help you remain as cool as you were when leg-warmers and permed hair were the height of fashion.

Recently, Sony announced the debut of two new Walkman music players, for the audiophile with an eye for nostalgia and some quite deep pockets.

The NW-WM1AM2 and NWWM1ZM2 are priced at $1,600 and an eye-watering $3,200, respectively, but those price tags come with some pretty fancy bells and whistles.

The more “affordable” NWWM1AM2 features an extremely strong aluminum alloy frame that resists to electrical noise and other interference while delivering high-quality sound.

Want more from your Walkman?

The NW-WM1ZM2 is made with a 99.99% purity gold-plated oxy-

caving

escape room

shooting clays

27

rafting

JTreks.com • 888-4-JTreks

travel day camp for high school boys leaving from Baltimore

MARCH 10, 2022

at Crazy fun spring mini retre 2 for men only. Take as little as ts days off work. Spend 3 nigh in a comfortable hotel, includes all activities and meals, delicious and glatt kosher. Epic experiences!

Learn more online.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

axe throwing

ked 2 week sessions c a p n o i t ac potential FLORIDA road trip

lifelong memories epic experiences

Epic Camp a project of JTreks

8-7357 epiccamp.net • 888-45 led by

Wilderness First Responder

ARI GUNZBURG

2 ND Y E A R !

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

ing, whitewater rafting, fly ding, kayaking, paddleboar bonfires, bbqs, hiking, ills small groups, outdoor sk

The Week In News

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

28

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

gen-free copper chassis, prioritizing nuanced sound for a premium listening experience.

Lest you think Walkman are just about mix-tapes, both music players feature Wi-Fi capability for downloading and streaming and can read Mp3 files and files in high definition.

For the true audiophile, both devices also use the 3.5mm headphone jack, have a touchscreen, and offer loads of storage.

Talk about a walk down memory lane.

Face Lift Police were confounded when they were notified that a box of human heads was stolen from a truck that was heading to a medical research lab in Denver, Colorado.

The incident took place last week, although officials are not quite sure when the box of human remains was lifted. The suspect had broken into the truck and took the container labeled “Exempt Human Specimen.”

“Pretty shocking. I guess I don’t see too many strange things happening around here usually, but you know, you never know,” Isaac Fields, who resides in the area where the box was stolen, said.

For now, police are still searching for the suspect. When they do find him, though, we’re sure that heads will roll.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Oldest Siblings

David Flamm

O 410-616-9186 C 718-404-5598 david@flammins.com

www.flammins.com

It’s nice to grow old together.

Four siblings are now being crowned by Guinness World Record for earning the record for the highest combined age. They total 383 years that they share together.

Gerry Bulger, 100, of Greenfield, WI, the eldest, was excited to learn that the sibs earned the prize again this year.

“I can’t wait to see it,” she said. “I

saw last year’s issue, and I realized I’m going to be in the next coming issue.”

Bulger will be joined in the book by siblings Marjorie Gilmartin, 97; Robert Goebel, 95; and Richard Goebel, 93.

“We all ended up very healthy,” Bulger noted.

Ginny Bulger Cowan, Gerry’s daughter, said her mother’s family members help keep one another feeling young.

“When they get together it’s always a really good time. There’s a lot of humor and it’s always a party atmosphere,” Bulger Cowan said.

And that’s something that never gets old.

Overbooked

Better late than never, they say.

And in some ways, it’s true. This week, a British library was overjoyed when they received an overdue library book.

Turns out that the book had been missing for 65 years. A young reader had found it abandoned on the side of the road years ago and then never got around to returning it – until this week.

The book, appropriately titled Forgotten Submarine, was found by young Jill Davies at the side of Portsmouth’s Fratton Road in 1957.

Davies took the book home to read it and then return it to the proper place.

“As an avid reader, there was no way I was going to return the book until I had read it – which I did, and thoroughly enjoyed. But the one thing I never got around to doing was taking it to the library,” Davies said in a letter to the Portsmouth City Council.

The book has been sitting on a shelf in Davies’ house – even moving with her numerous times throughout the years – until she rediscovered it recently.

Thankfully, the library waived the fees that had been due on the book.

We’re happy they didn’t throw the book at her for being so late.

29

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NER TAMID Sisterhood

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

HERBERT BEARMAN FOUNDATION

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

KLAFF-BARASH FAMILIES | MICHAEL & JANET SCHERR HOWARD & SUSAN GOLDBERG

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

#BuildingCOMMUNITY

MARCH 10, 2022

NER matching campaign TAMID

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

MARCH 27 2022

30

NCSY

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

New! NCSY Presents Jumpshot Israel 2022: The Premier Basketball Experience for Yeshiva League Athletes This year, incoming 9th and 10th grade boys will have the chance to experience their most impactful summer yet, with the launch of NCSY’s Jumpshot Israel 2022, a premier Israel-based summer basketball experience. The program will focus on cultivating excellence in basketball and instilling an understanding and personal connection to Israel and Torah through athletics, all while cultivating personal growth and leadership skills.

Participants will include boys from all across the United States, Canada and Israel.

Prospective participants can expect to engage in drills, scrimmages, and

competitive league games, under the leadership of Rabbi Zak Lenik, currently a Rebbe at Yeshivat Torat Shraga and an all-star athlete. In addition, basketball pros and other basketball personalities are slated to be an integral part of the program. Lenik shared, “I am so excited to be a part of this incredible program and look forward to the opportunity to bring together an incredible group of young men who share a commitment to growth in Torah and in basketball.”

Jumpshot Israel will share a campus with NCSY’s Kollel program, which enrolls over 200 campers each summer and is located in Beit Meir,

PICTURE

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

YOURSELF

just outside of Jerusalem. Newly renovated basketball courts and a swimming pool are on campus amenities.

Off campus trips will be unique and specifically tailored to the design of this new program.

Participants can expect to have the “most incredible summer of their lives,” according to David Cutler, NCSY’s Director of Summer Programs. “NCSY is committed to constantly assessing the needs of the current Jewish teenager and responding accordingly. We provide our teens with rich educational environments that encourage learning, and in this case, growth both on and off the

courts.”

Applications are now open and interested athletes and their parents are encouraged to apply at summer.ncsy. org, or to reach out to Elliot Tanzman at summer@ncsy.org for more information. The cost of the five week program is $7,499 including a two-way ticket from JFK. The extended early bird rate through March 16 is $6,999.

Financial aid applications are available.

See ad:

HERE. We're looking to hire all-star teachers to join our team at OCA!

IMMEDIATE AND FALL 2022 POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Visit ocabaltimore.org/employment for a list of openings.

SEND YOUR RESUME TO:

employment@ocabaltimore.org

31

MARCH 10, 2022

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

EARLY BIRD ENDS THIS WEEK!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

NCSY SUMMER PRESENTS

Torah Thought

Nothing but The Truth!

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

T

he reading this week of the second of the four parshiyos, Zachor, follows that of Shekalim, which was read two weeks ago.

On Zachor we read a passage at the end of Ki Seitzei, where the Torah outlines the command to remember what Amalek did to us yet when we first left Egypt, and the obligation to obliterate any memory of them.

The passage immediately preceding Zachor discusses the imperative to maintain honest and accurate ‫משקלות‬ (weights) and measures. The juxtaposition of these passages teaches us that if you use fraudulent measures and weights, you should be worried about provocation from the enemy. ( Is this parallel coincidental? ‫שקלים‬, the half-shekel coins we are obligated to give, is read about prior to the portion of Zachor, just as the paragraph that deals with ‫משקלות‬, weights, comes right before the command of Zachor. These coins are called shekalim, rooted in the word ‫שקל‬, because of the requisite ‫משקל‬, weight, of silver contained within them.

Why is this sin of dishonesty in weights specifically the one transgres-

sion that spurs the provocations of Amalek against us?

Weights are instruments that are used to measure the properties of many items and their true value. Cheating with one’s weights and utilizing the very item that is to be the yardstick for authenticity, in deceiving others, is not simply a violation of another’s monetary rights by stealing from them, it is the very negation of our very essence, of who we are — representatives of truth and all that is genuine and real.

Amalek is the nation that stands for nothing and has no identity or set of truths they live by. They merely seek to exist without any need for definition. They are the antagonists of those who claim to live by a higher reality that grants them authenticity.

When they attacked us in the desert after the death of Aharon we are taught they disguised themselves as Canaanites by speaking in the language of Canaan, in order to delude us into praying to save us from the Canaanites, when indeed they were Amalekites, foiling the efficacy of our prayers.

Why didn’t they disguise themselves more effectively by also wear-

ing Canaanite clothing?

The holy Reb Yitzchok of Vurka answers that if the vacuous nation of Amalek — who stands for nothing and are merely identified by their externals affects — were to don Canaanite garb they would de facto become Canaanites!

The moment we lose our allegiance to ‘truth’, we become susceptible to their provocations.

It is fascinating that Amalek is symbolized, not by a drive to overtake our land, nor by an ambition to strut its might, but simply by its desire for ‘provocation’. They just want to disturb our universe, our claim to an authentic and meaningful life we allege can only be achieved when we stick to the truth that we know to be the ‘ultimate’ one.

Their mission is to attempt in shaking our beliefs in ourselves and the special role we play. At every juncture where we seem to be living peacefully, they rear their heads in disturbing that confidence. Whether it was after we left on a high at the exodus from Egypt, or in the desert where we lived securely under the protective Clouds

Fresh Salads Soups Proteins Acai bowls Sushi Pla ers

Saladsbysara.com Tel/whatsapp 443-635-1372 saladsbysara@gmail.com

Lunch delivery Events Gift Cards

of Glory, or in the days of Haman when we thought we had an unassailable and respected position within Persian society, Amalek ‘provokes’ us in declaiming our unique relationship with the ‘truth’.

In our role as Hashem’s chosen, even in the absence of a physical Amalek, we are plagued by the invisible forces of Amalek — the circumstances of our life that often challenge our premises of comfort, direction, and purpose that we take for granted.

We must constantly be vigilant in ‘weighing’ accurately our choices in life against the backdrop of our beliefs, our teachings, and our confidence in the missions we each strive to.

When we maintain precise ‘weights’, seeking the Torah’s truth, as best as we understand it, with honesty, absent of bias and ulterior motives, that is when the negative influences of Amalek will be quelled.

My dear friend, Dr. Edo Lavi shared with me a personal story with a vital lesson he learned from a nonJew. During his years at Orthodontic

2516 Quarry Lake Drive (410) 486-Wine

RubyLaskerDesigns

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

32

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

33

“I want to strengthen my Emunah”

“I want to help my children with homework”

MARCH 10, 2022

“I want to connect to davening in a meaningful way.”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

“I want to discuss the Parsha at the Shabbos table”

Whatever your objectives in Torah study, we can make it happen.

“I want somebody with whom I’m comfortable to help me achieve my goals!”

Torah Together will provide you with a carefully selected Torah mentor with whom you will be comfortable for an hour a week of study and discussion.

Men & women are welcome.

No charge for the program.

Join TT today!

For more information please contact Toby Friedman: 443-468-4598 • toby@torahtogether.org

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Weekly Wednesday Nights 8-9pm | Shomrei Emunah Refreshments will be served.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

34

Torah Thought school he befriended a non-Jewish colleague, T.J., who shared many of his values. They often shunned the social get-togethers of the other classmates that many a time crossed the lines of their comfort zones. A mutual admiration and friendship developed.

Years later Dr. Lavi and his family made Aliyah. Edo proudly shared the actualization of this lifelong dream with T.J.. In a bittersweet farewell T.J. expressed awe and admiration for his dear friend’s estimable undertaking, wishing him only the best.

They maintained their friendship over the years that Edo and his family were living in Israel and T.J. even visited with them twice, with T.J. often expressing his esteem for his pal’s courageous decision and great merit to live in the ‘Holy Land’.

Seventeen very successful years later circumstances warranted the Lavi family’s relocation back to the States.

Edo, somewhat sheepishly, informed his buddy of the unhappy ‘ending’ to his big dream.

T.J. sensed Edo’s embarrassed confession. He then told him something that would change his perspective one hundred and eighty degrees.

Firmly looking Edo squarely in the eyes, he said, “There is no need for apologies or shame. The same determination and pursuit of truth that lead you to your decision seventeen years ago, is what drove you even more so in your decision to return. One who pursues what he believes in, deliberating and ‘weighing’ his decision in the light of the honest and unbiased truth of the Torah and G-d you believe in, is the very same hero in my eyes as you were those many years ago!”

When we falter, Amalek and its minions ‘provoke’ us. But when we seek the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we will finally eradicate Amalek once and for all.

The earth shattering events the world is experiencing currently leave us wondering what lies ahead. What will be the ripple effects on the relative peace the world had been experiencing? What impact will it have on the

world economy?

Much time is spent analyzing the politics, second guessing this madman’s mental health, and worrying about the fate of the world.

During the first World War the Gerrer Rebbe, the Imrei Emes, spent a Shabbos Sheva Brachos in one of the local towns. After Shabbos he observed how the townsfolk were engaged in heated discussion and debate regarding the harrowing events taking place, desperately trying to grab on to any piece of news they could get their hands on.

He turned to them and quoted the words of the great Rebbe of Vurka.

“Chazal say that if you see nations warring with each other look towards the footsteps of Moshiach. This is not a sign; it is a directive. Don’t waste your precious time and energy discussing the strategies or politics of the situation. Ponder instead the goal of the days of Moshiach, when the world will finally understand that all their attempts for dominion were driven by misguided egos and by blind thirst

for power, in total negation of an expressed will of the Creator who maneuvers history according to a greater plan.

We should rather examine our priorities by accurately weighing how much we are living up to that noble plan and are promoting it in each of our decisions in our daily lives.”

Let us not be provoked and susceptible to the attacks and influences of Amalek from living inspired by the pure truth we have been gifted and entrusted with.

May we be moved by the words that still ring in our ears.

They shall all come to serve You; they shall bless Your glorious Name and declare Your righteousness in far-flung lands… They shall accept the yoke of Your Kingship upon themselves and exult You among the assembled people. Distant ones will hear and come, and they will present You with a crown of Kingship!

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

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Renovations - Additions - New Construction - Outdoor Living

Our team is proficient in all architectural styles, from french countr y to ultra-modern and ever ything in between.

35

MARCH 10, 2022

Beautiful penthouses & 2-4 bedroom apts Sukkah balconies Storage & parking.

Country club, sports & leisure fields Educational complex, kindergartens, yeshivot & schools Community centers Synagogues & Mikvehs.

Close to all major transportation lines.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Ramat Yohanan, Neve Shamir, Ramat Beit Shemesh

DON'T MISS OUT! C hoose an apartment in the "HOTTEST & LARGEST" project in Ramat Beit Shemesh!

1.5 - 3 years!

DON'T DELAY...

BUY YOUR HOME IN ISRAEL TODAY!

For more information and to see additional properties contact us: Shelly - tivuchshellylevine@gmail.com +972 50-7264376 Aliza - tiv_shelly1@bezeqint.net +972 50-6325882 Yoni (USA) 516 - 737-3180 Web: https://tivuchshelly.com

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

cy

Occupan

8

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

36

MARCH 10, 2022

Purim Prep

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Miriam Liebermann, MSW

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

W

ith two months of Adar this year, we certainly have more time to get into the Purim mood, more time to contemplate the miracle of the Purim story.

Here’s the challenge: How are we to elevate our simcha up a notch or t wo – a nd keep it t here for week s?

With all the busy-ness of our contemporary lifestyle, all the demands on our time and energies, is that at all within the realm of possibility?

Yes, it is. Please allow me to explain.

I have adopted a most enjoyable approach. Before each major yom tov, I’ll decorate a corner of our home accordingly. In our earlier home, I would decorate the windows of our dining room. Today, I work on the marble fireplace gracing the back wall of our dining room, the backdrop of my dear husband’s grand chair.

As we “speak,” I’m in the process of creating a collage. I have a collection from years back of Purim cards, attractive mishloach manos cards, and fabulous photos of family members celebrating the chag in full costume. I just contacted our adult children asking them to please

send me more Purim photos of their families from recent years. It’s quite a large fireplace! I’ve a large area to cover. Just yesterday, I discovered a marvelous photo of my dear mother, a”h, who passed away close to ten years ago, on Shushan Purim, actually. My dear mother appears armin-arm with a beloved grandchild.

They are wearing matching, shiny gold Purim-style hats. I remember

was her adorable bodyguard! Yuda, super creative, created her costume, using items from my wardrobe. And there’s Menachem as Bustenai. He had put together his costume by himself, availing himself of my scarves, headbands, and various other items.

And there’s Racheli in her Austrian dirndl.

I love these photos. They make me happy! They raise the level of simcha

They raise the level of simcha in my life.

that Purim well. Although my mother was quite ill at that time, she participated in that Purim with such joy.

The menfolk made a big fuss over her and danced around her; she reveled in every moment.

A long while back, my dear friend Susan hosted a pre-Purim costume show as a fundraiser for a local yeshiva. Our children Yehudis and Menachem were part of the show. Yehudis was dressed as an exotic Persian princess, while Menachem, half her size,

in my life. Having them displayed for two months, easy visible, is just fabulous. Most of our photos are hidden away in boxes or in photo albums, or deep inside our phones, to be viewed maybe once a year if we’re lucky.

Being able to relive these wonderful memories is a simcha in its own right.

We’re all a bit nostalgic as we wistfully try to recapture the joy of years gone by.

Rabbi Avrohom Neuberger wrote a recent piece in the MIshpacha dis-

cussing the recent reunion of the London School of Jewish Song with their beloved choirmaster, Reb Yigal Calek.

He points out that nostalgia is very much a Jewish sentiment. He quotes Rav Eliyahu Boruch Shulman, stating that Hashem too experiences a sense of nostalgia for His people: “Haben yakir li Ephraim, im yeled sha’ashuim, Ephraim is a precious son to Me, a child of delight, for when I speak of him, I remember him still….”

How blessed we are. We can live mindfully today, whilst simultaneously anticipating tomorrow, as well a s wa x ing nosta lg ic over yesterday.

So take out those Purim photos of yesteryear, of your own children as well as of your grandchildren, and display them where you’ll see them regularly. And voila, simcha! How much we have to be grateful for.

Hodu l’Hashem ki tov! May everyone be blessed.

Wishing all a simcha-filled season. May we always have reason to celebrate!

Miriam Liebermann is a writer, author, and co-founder of JWOW!, a community for Orthodox midlife women which can be accessed at www.jewishwomenof wisdom.org.

37

The Nissel Family Dovid & Sara Leah Nissel Natanya Nudelman Sarah Ottensoser Tikvah Pickett Devorah Polsky Adeena Polsky Elana Pomeranz Chavie Portnoy Eliezer Portnoy Leah Posner Ahuva Radzyner Elana Rosenbaum Elana Rosenberg Aliza Samet The Sanders Family Noah Saposnik Shmuel Yaakov & Bracha Sauer Shmuel Schachter Aliza Scheller Shmuel Schnitzer Neshie Schoemann Dovid & Shani Schwartz Dena Schwarz Sarah Leah Segelman Naomi Shabtai Shira Shachter Efrona Shane Miriam Shapiro Shaindy Shear Dena Sherman Ayelet Shore Moshe Dov Shurin Perel Simpson Devorah Sinaie Sruli & Esty Slansky Jacob Slone Shana Sobol Eli & Batsheva Sofer The Soloff Family Malkie & Eli Sonnenblick

Yaakov & Esther Spatz Rebecca Spero Chaim & Michal Statfeld Liba Steen Rabbi Yochanon & Henni Stein Bassie Stein Nechy Stein Shoshi Stein Gitty Sternman Elana Stieglitz Allison Strauss Chanz Taragin Chana Tendler Sarala Tendler Chaya Toplin Akiva & Miriam Trout Ezra & Batsheva Twersky Rikki Volosov Malka Waldman Rafi & Mikki Wassner Aliza Wayntraub Shira Wealcatch Malky Wecker Blumi Weil Aliza Wein Nechama Weiner Jenny Weinschneider Chani Weisbart Rivki Weissmann Glenda Weissmann Peretz & Sarala Wertenteil Sarah Willner Sarah & Yaakov Willner Ari Winokur Saba & Safta Zakem Tamar Zelcer Naomi Zelefsky Yonatan & Atara Ziegler Dovi Ziffer Sara Shayndle Zuckerman Eliezer Zweig *COMPLETE LIST AS OF TIME OF PUBLICATION

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Yitzy & Adena Katz Mikhal Katz Yehudis Katz Leah Kelman Shimon & Sarah Devorah Kerzner Shira Kirshenbaum Tirza Kraines Tzipora Kramer Shoshana Kruger Sara Kruger Ari & Shoshana Krupp Naftali Langer Yaakov Langer The Leder Family Shira Leff Shaindy Lefkovitz Malki Lehrfield Basi Lerner Goldie Lesser Dan Levinger Shoshi Lewin Mordechai & Lisa Leybovich Yaakov & Yocheved Lieder Shoshana Lieder Rephoel & Tzipora Lieder Dovid Meir & Faigy Loeb Estie Lowenthal Rachel Lowenthal Tova Lurman Aryeh Malitzky Bracha Mark Yehudis Markowitz Riki Markowitz Racheli Meister Yaakov Milch Esther Naiman Meir Neuberger Yosef Kalman Neuberger Chanie Neuberger Mrs. Judy Neuberger & Family Michael & Zipporah Neuman

MARCH 10, 2022

Aliza Fried Kenny & Marla Friedman Shlomit & Avrumie Friedman Mordy & Miri Friedman The Friedman Family Estie Froehlich Rabbi Moshe & Bracha Frohlich Chavie Fromowitz Shulamit Gartenhaus Bracha Gerstein Esther Gerstein Dovie & Sara Gibber Yaakov & Chani Glazer Rena Glazer Yaffa Gluck Yitzy & Malki Goldberg Rochelle Goldberg Miriam Goldberger Shraga & Perri Goldenhersh Dana Goldman Ora Goldman Eli Goldsmith Adina Goldstein Shimmy Goldstein Tayna Goldstein The Goode Sisters Yosef & Layah Greenfield Rabbi Aaron & Devora Gross Aryeh Gross Avrami & Ayala Gross Shloime Grunhut Rivka Hammelburger Moshe & Aviva Heinemann Avi & Adina Hersko Moshe & Frumie Herzog Shulie & Avigayil Hochman Adina Hollander Yocheved Horowitz Chaya Hyatt Rus Malka Ifrah Nechemia Isbee

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Reuven & Ariella Abraham Shuie & Rivky Anisfeld Binyomin & Sossie Ansbacher Levi Atanelov Dovid & Chava M Bacharach Eliyahu & Stacey Baron Dassie Barr Miriam Belsky Shira Berkowitz Atara Berman Leah & Natan Berry Elisheva Bohensky Yaakov & Shoshana Braffman Ari & Gittel Bregin Nechami Brilliant Meira Burkom Elie Ciment Chava Cohen Gobbie Cohn Sara Crane Zevi & Shoshy Daniel Elisheva Danziger Fran Davids Rikki Davis Tova Dickstein Miriam Dickstein Leah Dinner In Memory of Rabbi Hirsch Diskind, Z”L Malki Elefant Inbal Elman Chavi Ely Dovid Feinberg Elisheva Feintuch Atara Feld Doniel & Chaya Feldman Ezra & Malka Feldman Ronna Flaks Dovid Flamm Tzipora Shuvalsky Frager Aryeh Leib & Dena Freedman

38

Bnos Yisroel Create Mammoth Kiddush HaShem at the Kosel

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

10,000 Girls Take Part In Atzeres Tefillah Arranged With The Support And Encouragement Of Gedolei Yisroel 10,000 girls packed the Kosel Plaza this past Friday morning, Rosh Chodesh Adar Bais, for an atzeres tefillah arranged with the encouragement of gedolei Yisroel.

The gathering was orchestrated to coincide at a time when the leaders of the American Reform and Conservative movements were to be gathering at the Kosel. The atzeres tefillah served as a counter to the provocation against Jewish law and tradition carried out by those from the Reform and Conservative communities and others who wish to compromise the kedusha of the Kosel.

This event of kiddush Sheim Shomayim was arranged and sponsored under the auspices of Eretz Hakodesh, on the instructions of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, and Rav Gershon Edelstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnai Brak. Thousands of seminary girls in Yerushalayim, both native Israelis and those from abroad who are studying in Eretz Yisroel, participated in the tefillah rally.

“Friday morning’s Tefillah event at the Kosel was so inspiring”, commented one Menaheles of an American seminary. “Our girls returned on such a spiritual high that remained with them the entire Shabbos”.

This atzeres tefillah was designed, based on a directive handed down some years ago by Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l to Rabbi Pesach Lerner. At that time, a week before Sunday, Rosh Chodesh Sivan 2013, Rabbi Lerner had an idea that he personally shared with Rav Shteinman: instead of battling with the liberal elements seeking to arrange all-female minyanim (with their various antics) at the Kosel, why not simply fill the Kosel Plaza with those who are chareidim l’devar Hashem? By filling the women’s section and the plaza with true bnos Yisrael, by default, there would not be room for those who wish to cause a provocation and desecrate the Kosel. Rav Shteinman liked the idea very much. (Rabbi Lerner also received a Bracha for his endeavor, at that time, from Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita and the Ger Rebbe, shlita)The next day, Rabbi Lerner received a phone call from the administrator of Rav Shteinman’s seminaries, “The Rosh HaYeshiva wants to know: would you sponsor buses to take the girls to the Kosel for this atzeres tefillah?” Rabbi Lerner responded in the affirmative and committed to raise the necessary monies to cover the expenses of the busing. That atzeres tefillah, which

was an assembly of kiddush Sheim Shomayim, was followed by several similar ones over the years, always at the direction of gedolei Yisroel.

What was unique this time was that the leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements from the United States had come to Israel to participate in the Jewish Agency for Israel annual Board of Governors meetings. Their agenda included an appearance at the Kosel on Rosh Chodesh, when the socalled “Women of the Wall” have infamously held “minyanim,” with krias haTorah and while wearing talis and tefilllin. The provocateurs were not quite prepared for what they would encounter at the Kosel, a massive crowd of 10,000 bnos Yisroel, including close to 1,500 American seminary students – who had arrived by bus to daven Shacharis at the Kosel.

“I arrived at the Kosel at approximately 5:30am ,” Rabbi Malinowitz related. “By 6:15am the women’s side of the Kosel, the plaza, every available space, began to fill up with girls, and the official Rosh Chodesh minyan for Shacharis, under the direction of Rav Shmuel Rabinovich, Rav of the Kosel, complete with loudspeakers, began at about 6:40a.m.”

Noted chazzan Avremi Roth led the

davening, which featured a beautiful, inspiring Hallel. Among those present were MK Yitzchok Pindrus, who was integrally involved in coordinating the gathering, and Rav Rabinovich.

“The gathering made a significant statement,” observed Rabbi Malinowitz. “The Reform and Conservative movements have consistently attempted to paint a picture of strong support for their cause from the Diaspora. The presence of so many frum American girls, was therefore significant. The fact that the Reform and Conservative couldn’t muster more than a paltry crowd of about 50 people spoke volumes. Indeed, the head of the Reform movement remarked that he was disgraced and embarrassed.”

“At the same time”, added Rabbi Malinowitz, “the fact that the gedolei Yisroel’s statement encouraging this gathering resulted in the participation of 10,000 bnos Yisroel was a tremendous kiddush Hashem. It were the bnos Yisroel who came to daven; the others only came for a public relations story.”

“Of course, the Reform, the leftwing media and their enablers will paint the event as a provocation,” said Rabbi Malinowitz, “but deep down they know the truth – that it was a peaceful expression of achdus on the side of Torah-observant Jewry, and a loud call to one and all to let them know that those who are truly invested in the Kosel are the religious community in Israel and abroad.” Indeed, this is noteworthy at a time when those on the left in Israel are proposing drastic changes to the Kosel that would completely compromise the sanctity of this makom kadosh.

“Especially now that the chareidi parties are out of the governing coalition,” said Rabbi Lerner, chairman of Eretz Hakodesh, “the Reform movement is trying to exert pressure ‘in the name of Diaspora Jewry.’ They wish to change the character of the Kosel, of Shabbos, of Kashrus, of Geirus, of the entire Jewish state. It is critical at this point in time to recognize the vital role of Diaspora Jewry to raise our voices and prove to the Israeli government that Diaspora Jewry wishes to maintain the status quo at the Kosel and the Jewish integrity of Israel.”

39

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Give your Shalach Manos AND Help Baltimore’s Needy

it’s in the

MARCH 10, 2022

Make your Shalach Manos even more meaningful by helping your neighbors in need at the same time.

Purchase the new Ahavas Yisrael wine bag!

Just slip in your bottle and another food item and you’re done! Your friends will appreciate your gift in an elegant bag that shows a donation was made in

443-621-0298

Also available at fine wine stores and other locations www.ahavasyisrael.org | 410-358-2525 115 Sudbrook Lane, Suite E | Baltimore, MD 21208

staiman.com

410-358-2525

staiman.com

Yocheved Goldenberg

staiman.com

staiman.com

Eli W. Schlossberg

staiman.com

Order your wine bags at $5 each:

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

PURIM AHAVAS YISRAEL WINE BAG

staiman.com

their honor to Ahavas Yisrael.

Sunday Adar B 3

7

5

29

22

15

8

Adar Beis/Nissan

Monday Adar B 4

See pg 3

Adar B 25

@9

Nissan 3

Nissan 5

Adar B 27

Adar B 20

Taanis Esther

Adar B 13

Adar B 6

Wednesday Wednesday 9

16

23

6

30

See Cover

Nissan 4

Adar B 26

WITS Campaign

Adar B 19

Adar B 12

Adar B 5

Tuesday Tuesday

2022 March/April 6

Adar B 11

14

Adar B 10

Adar B 18

@9

13

4

Hilchos Shabbos Shiur R’ Heinemann

28

BJH Costume Contest Deadline

21

Hilchos Shabbos Shiur R’ Heinemann

WIT Pre-Purim Virtual Tour of Ancient Persia

Adar B 24

Adar B 17

Daylight Savings Time Begins

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

20

27 See pg 19

OCA Performance

See pg 29

Nissan 2

Ner Tamid Campaign

MARCH 10, 2022

3

8

1

25

18

11

Adar B 15

7:19 PM

Nissan 7

7:12 PM

Adar B 29

7:05 PM

Adar B 22

6:58 PM

Shushan Purim

5:51 PM

Adar B 8

Friday Friday

Adar B 9

6:51 PM

Adar B 16

7:58 PM

Adar B 23

8:05 PM

Nissan 1

‫ראש חודש‬

8:13 PM

Nissan 8

Shabbos Hagadol

‫ פרשת מצורע‬8:20 PM

9

‫פרשת תזריע‬

2

‫שבת פרה‬ ‫פרשת שמיני‬

26

‫פרשת צו‬

19

‫שבת זכור‬ ‫פרשת ויקרא‬

12

Saturday Saturday

Community Calendar

Adar B 14

Next BJH Issue

Adar B 7

Thursday Thursday 10

17

Nissan 6

Adar B 28

Next BJH Issue

Adar B 21

Purim 24

31

7

Next BJH Issue

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

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

40

41

IV Y LANE

NEW LISTING: IN DUMBARTON! 5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

$699,000

ELEVEN SLADE

PAVILION IN THE PARK

MARCH 10, 2022

CO MING SOON

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Barry Nabozny Broker/Realtor 410-977-7600

THE CLUBHOUSE

RACT! UNDER CONT 1 Bedrooms, 1 Baths

1 Bedroom, Den, 1.5 Baths

2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths

$45,000

$359,900

ELEVEN SLADE

$89,900

GREENVALE ROAD

2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths

5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths

$79,000

$449,900

410.581.1000 6 Church Lane • Baltimore, MD 21208

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

SOLD!

SOLD!

54

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

42

Parenting Pearls

A Safe and Happy Purim

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

E

ach year we read the Megillah and then walk out partying.

Screams of delight and streamers accompany us on the way home to celebrate. It’s amazing how much we can pack into one day as we extend the festivities long past sundown.

Children wait all year for Purim, and it’s easy to understand why. Between imbibing mounds of sugar and creating a ruckus with noisemakers, Purim has it all.

Each year, various organizations put out safety messages for the community. I urge you to take a few minutes to read them in advance, when it’s quieter, and you can give each one the appropriate attention. As each organization will share their own expertise, I will only focus on a few points here.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Megillah The megillah is not only a chiyuv but also a chance to focus on the real life events that turned potential tragedy into joy. Young children often have trouble sitting still or quietly for extended periods of time.

Children who are excited for the upcoming yom tov will have even more difficulties maintaining the appropriate decorum. It can be unfair to the child, the parent, and others present to have a child at the megillah reading who isn’t ready for it. There are child-friendly megillah readings for those children or the parent can go to a second reading. It’s tempting to bring the little one and hope for the best, but that doesn’t usually work out so well.

Children Aren’t Hefker Purim is such fun, and there’s so much happening. Please keep track of your children. It’s only natural that children expect (and receive) some extra freedom on Purim. With everyone flying in and out of the house, along with deliveries galore, it can be hard to know where everyone is at all times. As busy as it is, you still want

to know who is in your house and where your children are going.

On Purim, we tend to invite many guests into our homes. When else do families welcome a bunch of drunken young men to dance in their home?

Whether the visitor is a long-time family friend or stranger, you want to know where your child is when they are there. Know where your guests are in relation to your children. Unfortunate situations have happened, lo aleinu.

Prior to the big day, ensure children have clear guidelines of where they may go on Purim. They need to know where they can go independently, where they need a buddy or older sibling, and where they require adults. Every family will find their own system that works for them to ensure each child’s safety. Communicate with your child in advance to make sure they fully understand their limitations. Earlier discussions can help prevent fights on Purim day itself.

Make sure your child’s driver will be sober. It’s easy to make sure the person bringing your child to their intended location hasn’t had anything to drink. It’s harder to make sure the person driving your child back is sober. Take the time to verify

that the driver will not be indulging at all. Too often, someone drinks but thinks they’re fit to drive. Driving after drinking is never OK. Please don’t let your child go into that car.

Kids and Alcohol I am not going to discuss the general concerns that arise with adults drinking on Purim as that is beyond the scope of these articles. I want to focus exclusively a bit on how this aspect of Purim affects children and teens.

There is an inyan of drinking on Purim. Unsurprisingly, this is one of the more debated aspects to the day. While there’s no need to discuss whether or not we give extra money to the poor (feel free to do so), there certainly is what to discuss about whether one imbibes more than the halacha requires. The key here is halacha. You or I may not personally be a fan of the bottle. Alternatively, someone may feel that Purim is a time to “let loose” or “act hefker,” but again, halacha is our guide.

Children should not be drinking alcohol. It is unhealthy and dangerous on many levels; it can also be illegal. It is not one of the mitzvos we are mechanuch children on from when they’re toddlers. Please

bring your child to deliver mishloach manos. Share the megillah reading with your youngster when appropriate. But don’t pass them the booze.

Please don’t take my word on this. Ask your rav for clarification or look up many of the sources readily available online such as Halachically Speaking (Vol. 10, Issue 3), Rabbi Abraham Twerski’s zt”l many statements (such as the one dated February 13, 2014), Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb on the OU website (such as statements dated March 4, 2009 and February 12, 2014), Rabbi Yakov Horowitz’s videos, and Dr. Hylton Lightman’s website.

Please do not give liquor to anyone else’s child. When teens collect, they go house to house, and the homeowners will often let them drink. Even though the baal habayis doesn’t know how much the teenagers already had, they will still offer more.

You don’t want the responsibility for intoxicating anyone, certainly not someone’s child. I’m going to be boring and suggest you have something else prepared to share with your teenage guests.

Our Teenagers I am zoche to many wonderful neighbors, a number of whom are mechanchim. Each Purim, I see droves of drunk bochurim. It’s a miracle of nature that they magically get younger and younger each year.

Drunk driving is often not the issue, since many of them are so young they’re not even eligible for their permits.

Many of us have consulted our personal rabbonim about how the inyan of drinking is applicable to our teenage boys. While this is completely anecdotal, those I’ve spoken with were not encouraged to allow their teenagers to imbibe meaningful quantities of alcoholic beverages. In other words, our rabbis did not feel our sons should get drunk. There seems to be a very big difference be-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

55

43

Our Message Our children watch us and learn from our behavior. We may intend to give one lesson, while our actions convey a completely different message. As an example, years ago I was

messages we are subtly teaching our impressionable youngsters. What message is being taught when our children watch men leave during the rav’s speech for the kiddush club?

Speaking more lovingly about our

You don’t want the responsibility for intoxicating anyone, certainly not someone’s child.

Shabbos table l’chaim than we speak about the parsha conveys more than we realize.

Wine is traditionally used for kiddush and often for havdala. I’m not indicating our long held minhagim are wrong, chas v’shalom. Prohibition hasn’t been successful anywhere,

MARCH 10, 2022

talking to a young mother when her child hit a sibling. She immediately spanked the child and said that it was because he/she hit. The mother meant to impress upon her child that hitting is wrong, but I don’t think that was the lesson learnt.

We have to be careful about what

for many reasons. Ensuring we teach our children a healthy perspective on alcohol is important. We can most effectively educate our long-held values when our behavior is consistent with our intended message.

Anyone who even just suspects they may have issues with alcohol should not be embarrassed to seek help. Addiction is a real issue like any other medical matter and should be treated by a professional. A child benefits from a healthy parent and will learn much about personal strength seeing a parent’s journey to sobriety.

Have a wonderful Purim with your child. Enjoy seeing Hashem’s yeshuos, and may we merit to see the ultimate geulah, bimheira b’yamienu.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

tween the words of our rabbonim and the behavior of our youth.

Every family will handle this differently, and I can just share what our family did. We explained to our boys that we were approaching this as a halachic issue, similar to any other questions that come up in our lives, and trying to follow the ratzon Hashem. Acting hefker or drinking just because their friends were was not the appropriate approach.

It would be misleading to think this talk only started before Purim.

The truth is that our values regarding drinking (on Shabbos and in general), along with our views on drugs and smoking, are something we periodically discuss with our children yearround. Ironically enough, this often happens at our Shabbos table. Often a kiddush club or drunk mispallel is the impetus for the discussion coming up. Appropriate use of alcoholic beverages should be as much a part of your child’s chinuch as any other matter that will come up.

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 RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

STOP paying too much

for car insurance.

LPG INSURANCE

SHIMON HOFFMAN 410-300-9487

Insuring a brighter future.

Shimon@lpgins.com

Specializing in auto, homeowner, life and commercial insurance.

1330 Reisterstown Rd, Rear Suite

lpgins.com

443-660-9108

Office@lpgins.com

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

IS AN AGENCY OF

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

44

Rec Em ipien a t Winils & Cas of Gre rds P

u n Yo e h W avas h A Hel p el . . .

Y isra

R IZ

ES! at

Win! Up to NEW WAY TO SEND PURIM CARDS! Send Festive Ahavas Yisrael Purim EMAILS or Our Traditional Scratch-Off CARDS!

$500 value!

Send our emails or cards in place of traditional Shalach Manos — you’ll help a needy family have a Seudah of their own, and the recipients can win fabulous prizes!

Individual Names or Cards: $2.50 • 10 Pack of Cards: $25

S T O L rizes! p t a e r g f o

We’ll send out your emails, register the names of your recipients

online at www.ahavasyisrael.org

or you can send out cards to your friends and relatives, and the recipients can win one of our great prizes.

Purchase them today!

It is prefe rab gif ts le ‫ פורים‬to the to sp en ,‫ סעודת מנות‬poor tha d mor ‫( משלוח‬purim n on e on No the joy (gifts Feas of fo t) or on than is grea od) ter for… hear the jo or m y of ts of ore gl the gl wido the po addeni or ious or, ng ws, the the and or ph ‫י”ז‬:‫ב‬ the ans, ‫מגילה‬ st ra ’‫הל‬ nger ‫ב”ם‬ s. ‫רמ‬

A Pu Prrim oceeco dist dist dsnt rib rib rib ututed fro on edon mutthion Pu is ca w hi mad rim as Pu Mat rd ch rim eda anos w illw ill DaL’e in ouiny,yo to be y vy be r co urheho lp th ha s im on mm no e ne be en unity r by ed y .

W he

n Yo

$500 7 Mile Gift Certificate • Avraham Cohen Lithographs $500 Market Maven Gift Certificate

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Accents Adina B Cosmetics A to Z Savings B’Dazzle Bryna Designs Caramel’s Pizza Computer Care MD Covered with Style David Chu’s Dougies Goldberg’s Bagels

Proceeds Hats to Hose Kayla Designs Knish Shop Kosher Bite Make Up by Tehilla Mama Leah’s Milk & Honey Bistro Mobile Mechanic Pariser’s Bakery Quarry Wine & Spirits

Royal Restaurant Savings Center Serengetti Shabsi’s Judaica Center Sheek Iconic Fashions Shlomo’s Meat Market Sion’s Bakery Tov Pizza Wasserman & Lemberger

from this card will be distributed as Matanos L’evyonim on Purim day, to help the needy in our community.

Available at: B’Dazzle • 7 Mile Market • Shabsi’s • Maven Market • Shomrei Suburban Orthodox • Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion and other locations around town Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund (410) 358-2525 • (410) 764-6020 • (410) 358-4464 115 Sudbrook Lane, Suite E • Baltimore, MD 21208 Email: eli@ahavasyisrael.org • Donate online: www.ahavasyisrael.org

elp

Ahav

as

Sc ra to se tc h of f e if you’ the m re on iddle e of ha m en our spec ta sh be ia l w in low ners .

Prizes include: Gift certificates to:

uH

Yisr

ael..

.

45

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

The ALL-NEW way of giving Matanos L’evyonim!

SEND FESTIVE AHAVAS YISRAEL PURIM

EMAILS

Rec i W pients

Proceeds will be distributed as Matanos L’evyonim on Purim day, to help the needy in our community.

MARCH 10, 2022

SAVE TIME! SAVE MONEY ON POSTAGE! SAVE YOUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED!

PR in Gre an IZE at S!

$2.50/recipient

C

1. Register the names of your recipients online at www.ahavasyisrael.org 2. We’ll send out a decorative email to your list on Purim Day, showing your loved ones that you care about them and about local families in need.

3. Next year, just add, delete or edit your online stored list, and you’re ready to go!

staiman.com

staiman.com

staiman.com

staiman.com

staiman.com

Prizes include:

$500 7 Mile Gift Certificate • Avraham Cohen Lithographs $500 Market Maven Gift Certificate

LOTS OF GREAT PRIZES! Recipients are eligible to win!

Gift certificates to: David Chu’s Dougie’s Goldberg’s Bagels Hats to Hose Kayla Designs Knish Shop Kosher Bite Make Up by Tehilla

Mama Leah’s Milk & Honey Bistro Mobile Mechanic Pariser’s Bakery Quarry Wine & Spirits Royal Restaurant Savings Center Serengetti

Shabsi’s Judaica Sheek Iconic Fashions Shlomo’s Meat Market Sion’s Bakery Tov Pizza Wasserman & Lemberger

Up to

$500 value!

ALSO AVAILABLE: Our Classic Scratch-Off CARDS! Classic Purim Scratch-Off Cards Available at: B’Dazzle • 7 Mile Market • Shabsi’s Maven Market • Shomrei • Suburban Orthodox • Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion and other locations around town

It is pre fera ble gif ts to the to spend ‫פורים‬ poo ‫עודת‬ r tha more on ‫ס‬ ,‫מנות‬ n ‫( שלוח‬purim Fea on the ‫( מ‬gif No joy st) or ts of is gre food) on tha n ater for… or mo the joy of hea re rts of gladde gloriou the s the ning poo wid the r, the ows, orphan and the s, ‫י”ז‬:‫ב‬ stra ‫מגילה‬ nge ’‫מב”ם הל‬ rs.

When

You

Help

Ahava

s Yis

rael...

‫ר‬

A Pu rim Pro ceeco disdis dsntr trib froibu trib m tio ute ute thisn wh on Pur ddon as Pu Matan cardich willwil maim deday, rim bel be Day to he os L’ev ha s in ouin you be lp the yon r com r ho nor ne imen munit by ed y y.

Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund (410) 358-2525 • (410) 764-6020 • (410) 358-4464 115 Sudbrook Lane, Suite E • Baltimore, MD 21208 Email: eli@ahavasyisrael.org • Donate online: www.ahavasyisrael.org

Scratc to see h off if you the midd ’re on le e of ha menta our specia sh below l win ners.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Accents Adina B Cosmetics A to Z Savings B’Dazzle Bryna Designs Caramel’s Pizza Computer Care MD Covered with Style

32

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

46

Forgotten Her es

MARCH 10, 2022

Purim in 2022

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Avi Heiligman

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

W

ell, hello again to my readers, especially to those who only read this column once a year and tune in just for the Purim issue. In previous Purim articles, we have dug into longlost medrashim on the Megillah and have found transcripts from reporters actually at ground zero during the Purim story. For this year, we had to put on our thinking caps (with built-in masks provided by Dr. Fauci), and this is our version on how some of the events during the Purim story would have looked like if they occurred in the 21st century.

Achashveirosh became king over 127 countries by winning the kingship election which, of course, he did not rig in any way (wink, wink). The ballot boxes were totally secure, and the count did not stop in the middle of the night despite reports from ballot watchers wearing red hats. The press is still trying to figure out what happened to his opponent, but they don’t believe that he ran away with Prince Harry when he abdicated.

Anyway, to celebrate his victory, Achashveirosh decided to make a

lavish inaugural banquet, so they booked the largest stadium in land for the event of the century. The stadium concourse was normally packed with shidduch dates, so the dates had to relocate to the hotel lobby near the airport. The large grand ballroom had political campaign signs all over the place, and banners featuring the local soccer teams were hanging proudly. Right above the king’s throne was a poster depicting the colors of the king’s favorite team – the Shushan Shakshukas – and their mascot, which is a purple egg named Gritty.

The rabbis said not go to the feast but people still went because they heard that this was the Kiddush to End All Kiddushim, aka the Ultimate Kiddush Club. Charcuterie boards, foie gras, sushi with real caviar, and the latest Rebbe’s Choice herrings along with finest Scotch and bourbon were all served.

A lot of people were hesitant to go, because they knew that the king was sponsored by Nike and they all wore Adidas. But they went anyway.

At this lavish party, both the vaxxed and unvaxxed mingled together, which drew the ire of the

greatest doctor in the land. The doctor, whose first name was Jill and no one knew what type of medicine she practiced, conspired to come up with a way to get back at the people, but ultimately it was the secretary of war, Haman ibn Soleimani ibn Osama bin Laden, who came up with the idea to get rid of the queen. He hated her, because she constantly beat him at Wordle.

The next day, when the king woke up from his Russian-made vodka-induced hangover he realized what he had done and decided to make a beauty pageant to decide who will become his next wife. We all know that Esther won, because it was broadcast on CNN Network which rightfully earned the nickname Cover No News. Then again, it was CNN, and no one watched the network anyways.

During this time, two brutes from the king’s personal security detail decided they had enough with his requests for Red Bull in the middle of the night and decided to kill him. Brute No. 1, Vladimir ibn Putin aka Putty Put, said they should use the latest Russian-made weapons to kill the king. Brute No.2,

Kim Maniac Un aka Little Rocket Man, said fine, but Mordechai understood their gibberish and told the king. The king immediately had them banished from the kingdom and sent them to Somalia.

At this point, Haman was getting fed up with Mordechai not joining in his “peaceful protests” that were organized to protest anything he didn’t like. Haman asked his wife Press Secretary Jen Zeresh for help, and she said to build a skyscraper, but he didn’t know who would finance it. Zeresh’s opponent said Mexico should pay for it, but they only know how to climb walls and not build them. In the end, Haman had to sell his huge stockpile of toilet paper that he had been hoarding for two years in order the finance his killing machine.

That night, he went into the king’s man-cave where he saw Achashveirosh looking at his personal diary. The king was pondering what it would take to become a social media influence, and then exclaimed, “I got it!” Haman replied, “Six feet and put on a mask because your breath smells. Oh, and the answer to the question as to what shall

47

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

48 be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor is simple” and whispered the grandiose plan. The king said, “Do these things to Mordechai because he saved my life.”

The next day, Haman, against his will, was forced to go to the local rental car place and forked over a fortune to rent a Tesla. He then went to the Beis Medrash, scared the daylights out of all the kids because he was wearing bell bottom pants (Haman had no real sense of style), and got Mordechai ready for their road trip. They drove around town with “Thus shall be done to whom the king wishes to honor” blaring out of the speakers. As they passed the house where Haman’s daughter was living on the third floor, she looked down and saw two men were driving around. She thought Haman was wearing the king’s crown and Mordechai was the chauffeur, so she spilled her garbage can which was filled with junk mail and weeks’ old turkey sandwiches on top on him.

Haman looked up and she saw him shouting. What she didn’t realize was that there was incoming missile from a drone that headed her way and that was the end of her.

Haman returned home dejected

didn’t want to touch him because he smelled so bad, so they poked him with hockey sticks. At the party, Haman didn’t want to eat mainly because he didn’t like cholent and potato kugel (Esther had an Ashkenazi

In the end, Haman had to sell his huge stockpile of toilet paper that he had been hoarding for two years in order the finance his killing machine.

mainly because one piece of mail landed on his lap, and he realized that the water bill had went through the roof. As he walked in, everyone fainted because of the stench. The king’s men came to take him to a party with Esther and the king but

background). Then Esther accused him of trying to kill the Jews, and the king then had Haman electrocuted.

Later, authorities found strong evidence that Haman was wanted for war crimes. Thirty years earlier

A Healing Laugh B A LT I M O R E

B A LT I M O R E

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Using Humor to Cope with Stress

he had been hiding out in a compound in Abbatobad, Pakistan, but upon further inquiry, Pakistani authorities vehemently denied any association with him. They also found proof that he was possibly building a biological bomb in his home but upon further inspection it was determined to be his stinky clothes.

This, my friend, is the Purim story befitting for true news sources like ABC and NBC. The Babylon Bee actually originated in Shushan and can trace back its roots to this story.

Have a Happy Purim everyone!

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

The new Machzor of '‫ חלק א‬,‫ משנה ברורה‬recently started! Join today!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Now Is an e m i T e n u t r Oppo in o J to

49

MARCH 10, 2022

Daf HaYomi B'Halacha

‫לו להקדוש ברוך הוא בעולמו אלא‬ ‫א‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ע‬ ‫א‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ת‬ ‫אין‬ ‫של‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ל‬ ‫כ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫בלבד‬ TO JOIN: 888-5-DIRSHU • info@DirshuNJ.org

Contact Rabbi Eli Rudnicki: 732.987.3948 x106 / er@DirshuNJ.org e Limited Tim All participants of a new shiur will receive fer! a FREE softcover Dirshu Mishnah Berurah! f O E E FR

BottomLineMG.com

TO START A SHIUR IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD:

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Join over 50,000 participants worldwide in the new cycle of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, '‫ חלק א‬,‫משנה ברורה‬, and become proficient in the halachos of everyday life.

68

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

50

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

A Bourbon Produced in Israel?

BY DONI COHEN

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

I

srael – an ancient land of legends. It is almost impossible for one to walk for any length of time without retracing the steps of one legend or another. And this is certainly the case in the Ella Valley, where David slew Goliath, thereby creating an image which has been etched into our national consciousness and which continues to inspire our people through every national experience.

It is here, in this bucolic valley, where Legends Distillery is producing Israel’s first “bourbon,” Slingshot.

Patterned after a traditional Kentucky bourbon recipe with an innovative twist, Noam Cohen and Alan Cohl are taking what others have done for centuries, but doing it as no others have, producing a spirit that is unmistakably bourbonesque in character but one which rewards the drinker with a complex and layered taste heretofore unknown. Legends’ logo, depicting a colonial-era wagon wheel resting on an olive tree, sets the tone for their vision, one which combines American tradition with Israeli innovation.

As Cohen says, “There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. We just want to take what others have been doing but do it much better.”

And they are.

“Slingshot pays homage to probably our greatest national legend, David’s unlikely triumph, which symbolizes Israel’s resurgence in the world against all odds. It is legends like this that inspire us to work harder and to achieve that which we might have thought impossible,” explained Cohen.

The company plans further products in the years ahead, each one named for a different Jewish legend. The distillery has recently completed

its first bottling and plans to expand to several hundred stores in Israel by the spring, as well as the U.S. market very soon. Many orders have already been placed on the company’s website from the U.S.; Legends ships bottles every week overseas.

N

oam Cohen made aliyah about nine years ago from Bergenfield, NJ, and still works in finance during the evenings, unless he’s running a tasting event or attending another at a local bar. Alan Cohl arrived in Israel 27 years ago from Queens and practices architecture and design, assisting many Americans who have purchased homes or vacation apartments in Israel over the years. For now, they’re holding onto their “main” jobs, and intend that, in the coming years, they’ll be devoting all their time to the distillery.

Many of their production methods were geared to solve their main concern about how scotch drinkers might take to the new product.

“Corn, while sweet, can come off as somewhat harsh to those who are used to scotch or Irish whiskey, which is made primarily from barley.

Therefore, we decided to craft a mashbill consisting of a high wheat component. Wheat is a mellower grain, even creamy, and it helps soften the overall effect, while preserving the sweetness of the corn, even allowing the fruity notes of the wine from the barrel to show through. Indeed,” explains Cohl, “many of our initial customers have been lifelong scotch drinkers. Once they taste Slingshot, their initial reservations dissipate, and they find themselves asking if they can purchase a bottle.”

Besides sales of its spirit through retail outlets as well as online, Leg-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

69

51

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MARCH 10, 2022

“My great-grandfather bootlegged for many groups in his community during Prohibition.” ends hopes to lure many visitors from Israel and abroad to the distillery for a relaxing tour and tasting. Already, many Jewish and Christian groups have requested to visit the facility, and, due to its location near the country’s main artery, the distillery seems like the perfect place to wind down after a day of visiting the local biblical sites.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

L

egends began several years ago during an “aha moment.” Shortly after a late evening gathering of several friends in Efrat, Cohl and Cohen were sitting and enjoying a cigar and bourbon, discussing its various flavor nuances, when they both turned to each other and asked, “Why aren’t we doing this?”

One thing led to another, and several years later, Israel’s first “bourbon” was created.

“Actually,” explains Cohen, “my association with whiskey began about a hundred years ago. My great-grandfather bootlegged for many groups in his community during Prohibition. My grandfather would often recall, as a young child, hearing folks arrive in the middle of the night to their Lower East Side tenement to purchase spirits clandestinely from his parents. But we’ve evolved – we don’t make our whiskey in a bathtub.”

Legends does not call its whiskey “bourbon” because it is not made in the United States, but also because the spirit does not age in conformance with another of bourbon’s guidelines – the use of brand new charred white oak barrels, as prescribed by U.S. federal law.

“Instead,” explains Cohl, “we utilize used cabernet barrels from a cou-

ple of local kosher wineries to age our spirit, a process that adds unforgettable complexity to our spirit’s flavor. And we char our barrels to a very high degree, way more than anyone else, delivering a much smoother, mellower taste and texture than that traditionally associated with bourbon.”

The company currently must import its grain but has plans to begin growing its own corn very soon. Several area kibbutzim have already discussed providing their fields to Legends for this purpose.

“Of course,” explains Cohen, “we prefer to source all of our components right here in Israel. But two very important components, the water and the aging process, are 100% Israeli – in fact, we are asked about those two components more than any others. People want to know what we do to the water before we use it. And they also want to know how long the whiskey has been aged.

“Actually, the water in our area is uniquely suited for bourbon production, because like the streams and rivers of Kentucky, the aquifers in our area are situated amongst limestone, which naturally removes iron from the water, an element which can potentially harm the taste of bourbon.

And our climate, particularly in the Ella Valley, allows us to naturally age our spirit to maturity in only a couple of years, a process that would take at least 5-7 years in many other locales.

“There’s a palpable excitement about our product and the future,” says Cohen, “as more and more people join us online and ask about future products as well. There’s a lot of work ahead, of course, but for now, we’re just looking to enjoy the ride.

“L’chaim!”

52

Crescendo of Simcha and Emotion as Thousands Celebrate Siyum on Machzor Sheini of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

Senior Gedolei Yisrael Representing all Shevatim of Klal Yisrael Address the Multitudes

By Chaim Gold It was a surprise that sent the many thousands in the Cure Insurance Arena into a frenzy of cherdas kodesh and simcha. In the middle of the siyum, Rabbi Leibish Lish, the chairman of the evening, in a voice trembling with emotion, announced that the venerated Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Boro Park was about to enter the arena. To say that the stadium erupted would be an understatement. All craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the holy countenance, the wisdom and temimus of the Rebbe as he slowly entered the stadium and was brought to the middle of the table of Gedolei Yisrael.

The nonagenarian Rebbe, who rarely leaves Boro Park or travels, is the zekan Admorim of America Despite his frailty, he still invested the tremendous effort and exertion to come to Trenton, New Jersey to encourage lomdei Dirshu and give his bracha.

That was just one highlight of multiple highlights at the Dirshu World Siyum of the Second Machzor of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha this past Thursday night at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, where thousands came from the entire Tri-State area and beyond to celebrate a true evening of simchas haTorah.

Diversity of Gedolim in Attendance Represent Klal Yisrael One of the most moving, inspiring and integral components of any major Dirshu event is the profound achdus that it represents. Achdus both among the wide-ranging crowd that spans the entire gamut of Torah Jewry and achdus among the Gedolei Yisrael who came to encourage, strengthen and

express their admiration for lomdei Dirshu.

The greatest Roshei Yeshiva from the Litvish Torah world addressed the event, including HaGaon HaRav Aharon Feldman, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ner Yisrael Baltimore; HaGaon HaRav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas South Fallsburg; HaGaon HaPosek, HaRav Hillel David, shlita, Rav of Shaarei Torah; HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, Rosh Yeshivas Tiferes Yerachmiel; Hagaon HaRav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, and numerous others.

There were the great Admorim and Rabbanim of the Chassidishe world, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe, shlita; the Skulener Rebbe, shlita, who made the siyum and gave over such sweet words of chizuk, the Chernobyler Rebbe, shlita; the Kossover Rebbe, shlita; the Vienner Rav, shlita; HaGaon HaRav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, shlita, Skverer Dayan and senior Posek of Boro Park; and HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Zalman Gips, Rav of Khal Birchas Avrohom of Boro Park.

There were prominent Sephardic giants such as Hagaon HaRav Shmuel Choueka, shlita, Rav of Khal Ohel Simcha; HaGaon HaRav David Ozeri, shlita; and numerous other prominent rabbanim.

The diversity of the crowd was limited to externals because in truth, there was no diversity! When everyone was singing and dancing after the siyum and clasping hands, there were no Chassidim and no Yeshiva types. There were no Sephardim or Ashkenazim. They were all just Torah

Jews, Yidden united by the Torah we learn and the halacha and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha that they all learn and observe.

Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel: The Ultimate Power of a Mitzvah Done B’Shleimus The venerated Rosh Yeshiva of South Fallsburg, Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, brought out the magnitude of the simcha and accomplishment that the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Siyum represents. He cited the well-known Medrash wherein Yitzchak Avinu and Yishmael are arguing. Yishmael claimed that his mitzvah of bris milah at age thirteen was much greater than Yitzchak’s because his mitzvah required mesiras nefesh. He could have run away without undergoing the pain and difficulty, but he didn’t.

“You, Yitzchak, were only eight days old, and didn’t even have a choice,” Yishmael argued. Yitzchak replied, “My bris milah is dearer to Hashem because it is a mitzvah b’zemanah, it is a mitzvah done in the right time.”

“What kind of answer was Yitzchak giving?” Rav Wachtfogel asked. “Isn’t mesiras nefesh more important?” He replied, “mesiras nefesh is a tremendous feat and a person will earn great sechar, reward for it, but it is not an ideal in and of itself. A mitzvah b’zemanh, performing a mitzvah in the most l’chatchila way possible, is an ideal. The ultimate ideal is to perform every mitzvah exactly the way it is supposed to be performed. That is an principle by which a person must lead his life. Mesiras nefesh is amazing but Hashem says a ‘mitzvah b’zemana is chaviv, is truly dear to Me.’”

“This is the simcha that we are celebrating tonight. When a person learns Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, he learns how to perform mitzvos l’chatchila. The difference between l’chatchila and bidieved is like the difference between 100 billion dollars and $1,000! That is our simcha tonight. Yidden are learning halacha and are thus empowered to perform Hashem’s ratzon, the ultimate ideal that we must all strive for in the most l’chatchila way!”

Rav Shlomo Feivel Schustal: “Knowing Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Is Not Optional. It Is Obligatory!”

A hush permeated the stadium as the venerated senior Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, made his way to the podium. Rav Schustal, who spoke in English, eloquently impressed upon the large crowd of thousands and the women who were livestreamed for his address what it means to learn halacha so one can actually live. Halacha, knowing Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim that covers the daily halachos is not optional. It is obligatory! It is an absolute necessity.

Without halacha one cannot move his hands or feet. It as if he is paralyzed.

He doesn’t know what he is or is not allowed to do.

“Some people say it is so hard to learn large amounts, to chazer and be tested. It is indeed difficult, but if you really want to, you can get everything done, you can find the time that you never thought you had to learn, to review and to know!”

The Skulener Rebbe: “Dirshu Yidden Have Much Better Olam Hazeh!”

The Skulener Rebbe, shlita, was then called upon to be mesayem the entire six chalakim of Mishnah Berurah.

The Rebbe then related that a person once came to his father for a bracha. The Rebbe asked him, “Do you have a shiur? Do you learn Torah every day?” The man said, “I would love to, but I just don’t have the time. I am so busy. I have no time.”

My father exclaimed, “You are

53

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

New York State’s Newest University is Here...

T

Touro University As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, Touro College is now Touro University.

Jewish community. Since then, we’ve emerged as an advanced academic institution offering baccalaureate, graduate and doctoral-level degree programs with 19,000 students in 35 schools and 4 countries, including Israel. Touro offers more for you, including shared Jewish values and pathways from our Lander Colleges to our respected professional schools in medicine, dentistry, health sciences, pharmacy and law. At Touro, exceptional education leads to valued scholarship and limitless career opportunities.

zx

As the Touro universe expands, we look forward to proudly welcoming:

U

MARCH 10, 2022

Beginning with 35 students in 1971, Touro was established to focus on higher education for the

New York College of Podiatric Medicine New York, New York Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute Albuquerque, New Mexico Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine–Montana (proposed) Great Falls, Montana Newly Renamed Sarah Hartman Women’s College of Touro Chicago, Illinois

TOUROTouro COLLEGE University. Where More Happens | giving.touro.edu

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Dr. Alan Kadish President

right. You have no time as it is indeed not your time! It is the Ribbono Shel Olam’s time!”

“People think that if you learn in Dirshu and are a lomeid Torah who learns and chazers, you are working for Olam Habaah, but the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, zt”l, once told me that this is a mistake. “These yungeleit have a much better Olam Hazeh!

A Yid who learns, chazers and is tested has the most wonderful Olam Hazeh, aside from Olam Habaah!”

“We must appreciate,” explained Rav Hillel emotionally, “every single day that we have, every day that we are able to learn Hashem’s Torah is a tremendous gift!

Rav Malkiel Kotler: “A Person Who Learns Halacha Every Day, Lives His Life ‘Olam Habaadig” After Rav Hillel David completed the Hadran, Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, was called upon to say the Kaddish. Before the recitation

upon Rav Dovid Hofstedter to address the siyum.

Rav Hofstedter pointed out, “This siyum is taking place between the parshiyos of Shekalim and Zachor. We know that the Bnei Yisrael were counted through the machatzis hashekel. There is an issur to count the Bnei Yisroel and we find in the Navi that when that prohibition was transgressed, a mageifah, a plague came about. Why?” Rav Dovid then suggested, “Per-

Rav Hillel David: “Every Day That We Are Able to Learn Hashem’s Torah is a Tremendous Gift!”

The venerated posek, HaGaon HaRav Hillel David, Rav of Khal Shaarei Orah of Flatbush, was honored with reciting the Hadran.

Rav David encouraged the thousands gathered in the arena and the tens of thousands who joined by livestream to recognize the great gifts of life and of time and to utilize the time that Hashem has given them by sharing a story. A grandson of the Chofetz Chaim related that he once asked the Chofetz Chaim, “Zeidah, how old are you?” The Chofetz Chaim smiled, but did not answer the question.

“Later,” the grandson continued, “My Zeidah saw me playing again in front of the house. He called me in and gave me a present, a whole fistful of coins! Elated, I was about to run to show my mother. My Zeidah, however, asked me, ‘I gave you so many coins and you didn’t count them?’ I replied that it was not nice or proper manners when someone gives you a gift to count it in front of them. My Zeidah then told me, ‘Remember when you asked me how old I am this morning? I want you to know that at my age, every single day and every year is a gift from Hashem. It is not nice for me to count…’”

of Kaddish, Rav Kotler said, “Chazal teach us that he who learns halachos every day is assured a place in Olam Habaah. Chazal,” Rav Kotler continued, “do not only mean that after his lifetime he will go to Olam Habaah, rather, they are giving us a message for this world too. A person who learns halacha every day, lives his life ‘Olam Habaadig’, he lives his life in this world with an eye above the world.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could have prepared the crowd for the eruption or better put, explosion of simchas haTorah that permeated the cavernous stadium upon completion of the Kaddish. The orchestra began to play… but it was the regular people, the people in the audience who set the tone, infusing a ruach that it seemed would take off the roof through its enthusiasm.

Looking around, you saw thousands upon thousands, bobbing up and down, dancing with such a feeling of deep satisfaction and simcha radiating on their faces.

Rav Dovid Hofstedter: “Achdus Through an Inner Bond with Torah is the Key” The enthusiastic dancing continued and continued for over half an hour the crowd barely able to contain their excitement. Finally, the chairman of the evening, Rabbi Lish, was able to call

haps the reason is because counting people is a form of separation. Each person is counted alone, separated from others by his individual number. When there is separation from the klal challilah, an ayin hara can come giving reign to the malach hamaves.

When there is no chibbur, no achdus, no connection in Klal Yisrael, that is when challilah, the malach hamaves has power.

Rav Dovid went on, “Last month we were in Vilna for a siyum. We visited Vilna and Kovno, the places where Klal Yisrael was almost wiped out eighty years ago. Sadly, the world is once again in turmoil. There is sinas Yisrael and sinas haTorah everywhere, even sadly in Eretz Yisrael where there are designs to make so many gezeiros against Torah learning and Torah observance. r”l. What is our response?

The only eitzah is to come together with achdus, an achdus defined by a shared spiritual goal and bond. A true chibbur penimi, a spiritual bond of achdus, ‘Dirshu Hashem v’uzo bakshu panav tamid’! A bond through leaning the Torah hakedosha together and building Torah together.

“If they want to close ten yeshivos, we will open one hundred new yeshivos! If they want to close 100 kollelim, we will open a thousand new kollelim, if they want to push Yidden away from

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

54

Torah, we will bring close thousands of new baalei teshuva to Torah!

Rav Aharon Feldman: “When We Keep Halachas We are Testifying That Hashem Created the World And Runs the World!”

Rav Aharon Feldman, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ner Yisroel of Baltimore, was honored with being the maschil, beginning the third machzor of the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha.

Rav Feldman said that the ultimate goal of mankind in the world is not only to attest to the fact that there is a Borei Olam, but that our daily conduct, from the minute we wake up in the morning until we go to sleep at night, should attest to the fact that there is a Borei Olam.”

With great feeling, Rav Feldman said, “We do not have to wait until Moshiach comes for this goal to be realized and to show all that Hashem runs the world. We can show it right now! How? By keeping halacha. By showing that how we go to sleep is dictated by Hashem and how we wake up is dictated by Hashem. By showing that how we do business is dictated by Hashem and how we raise our families is all dictated by halacha which is Hashem’s world. When we keep halachos, we are testifying that Hashem created the world and runs the world!

Rav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz: “Halacha is the Only Time in Shas that we are ‘Promised’ a Place in Olam Habaah” The final speaker of the evening was the senior Skverer Dayan of Boro Park, HaGaon HaRav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, shlita.

Rav Steinmetz emotionally pointed out something profound. “Chazal teaches us,” he said, “that whoever learns halacha every day is muvtach, is assured a place in Olam Habaah.”

With his knowledge of the entire Shas, Rav Steinmetz said “there is no other place in the entire Shas where the word muvtach, assured is used. Only with regard to halacha is Hashem giving you an absolute guarantee, a guarantee that you can take to the bank, that you are assured a place in Olam Habaah.

What a zechus! What an obligation!”

As the massive crowd exited the Cure Insurance Arena, it was clear to all that they had been part of a historic experience. What they had experienced was not only a siyum on the entire Mishnah Berurah, but a demonstration, a testimony by Klal Yisrael that they deeply want to bring Hashem into their daily lives.

55

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

4

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

56

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Teen Talk

Rabbi Zvi Soroka

Dear Teen Talk, I’m a teenager who just can’t the day

Teen Talk , column in

a new

TJH, is geared to wards the teens in o ur commu nity.

Answered by a rotati ng roster of teachers, rebbeim, clinicians , an d peers (!), te ens will b e hearing answers to many que stions the had perco y lating in th eir minds wished th an d ey had th e answers for.

started off on the right foot. I’m popular, have great friends, am good at sports, and do well in yeshiva, but I struggle with getting up on time in the morning. My day often gets off to a really late start. My parents and teachers are losing patience (detention and consequences don’t seem to be effective), and I’m beginning to hate myself for having this challenge. Any ideas?

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

D

ear Bachur, Congratulations on being normal. If one is jumping out of bed in the morning and super-excited to tackle a new day, he’s one lucky guy. If you’re like the rest of the 99% of us, you’re in good company. A tired or over-exhausted kid is not a bad kid. He might just be not as well-planned, mature, or structured as others. Even the Chofetz Chaim states in the Mishna Berura that the yetzer hara operates in turbo mode, working overtime on persuading a person not to get out of bed in the morning. He tells you it’s too cold in the winter and that you didn’t sleep enough in the summer.

When confronting weight loss challenges, the simple, practical solution is obviously eating healthily and partaking in regular exercise.

Yet, there are thousands of books written and billions of dollars spent yearly on this issue. That’s because it’s not so simple. Getting up in morning is very similar. The easy solution is: Go. To. Bed. EARLY. If only it were that easy. It requires great discipline and the maturity of knowing that one will accomplish more if he gets up earlier than staying up late functioning on half a brain.

It is vital to understand that most successful and productive peo-

day in advance will already feel accomplished even if the day doesn’t turn out be the most productive one.

Like all middos, getting up on time is really tough to tackle but will be most rewarding when you succeed. Here are a few tips: • Daven that Hashem gives you strength and injects you with a jolt of zerizus to jump out of bed in the morning.

• Screen time in bed must be avoided. Studies demonstrate that it affects sleep cycles and keeps you up

Most successful and productive people start their day early. ple start their day early. They plan to make this happen. A person who arises early to learn and prepare his

much longer than you intended.

• Find a chavrusa/buddy who also struggles and create an incentive plan

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

5

57

detailing migration patterns of the West Indies blue-tailed pigeon or ancient basket weaving techniques of the Mayan Empire. It will knock you out quickly so you can go to sleep on time.

• There are also alarm clocks that fly like a drone and hide somewhere in your room. They proceed to violently wake up the neighborhood,

registering at least a 6.4 on the Richter scale. Perhaps that will get you out of bed in time for Shacharis.

• Lastly, it’s important to remember, there will be days that you will fall and wake up late again. Don’t be disillusioned. You will rise up again!

Tomorrow is a new day!

Hatzlacha!

MARCH 10, 2022

together with rewards. Maybe your parents would be open to you taking a skiing trip or something you enjoy if you’re consistent with getting up on time for 50 days straight.

• A llow yourself (w ith permission from school) to choose one day a month they will be flexible and allow you to come late if your behavior improves the rest of the time.

• Get a 750-page book

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Are you a teen with a question?

If you have a question or problem you’d like our columnists to address, email your question or insight to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com, subject line: Teen Talk.

Rabbi Zvi Soroka is a rebbe in Yeshiva Darchei Torah and head counselor at Camp Le’mala.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

58

Mental Health Corner House of Mirrors

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman Have you even been to a house of mirrors? You walk through a maze of mirrors with many of them distorted in ways that make you look very different, often in humorous or frightening ways. Many people have disorders that make them look at their bodies in distorted ways and as a result experience tremendous suffering. We will focus on two of them in order to illustrate the differences between two disorders that both contain elements of self-distortion, but have very different presentations. These are anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphic disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves food restriction resulting in dangerously low body weight. It often includes an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. They often have an extreme distortion of their body weight or shape, believing that they are fat even when they are thin.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterized by the obsessive idea that some aspect of their body or appearance is severely flawed and therefore warrants exceptional measures to hide or fix the imagined flaw. BDD does involve self-image distortions like anorexia nervosa, but there are clear differences. The distortions of BDD are usually much more specific, focusing on one or more specific flaws on the body that are minor or imagined. Examples include pimples, skin color, scars, hair, and size or shape of different parts of the body.

In addition, the hallmark of BDD is having both preoccupations and repetitive behaviors. The preoccupations are intrusive, unwanted, and time-consuming thoughts about the flaws. The repetitive behaviors are the attempts made to “remedy” the problem, such as excessive grooming, skin picking, reassurance seeking, and

Duct Doctor DMV

Maryland - Capitol Region - Hampton Roads

Book any duct cleaning & receive a FREE Dryer Vent Cleaning & FREE Duct Disinfectant W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Ends March Ma 20th, 2022

Save On Winter Service! www.ductdoctordmv.com

Call Today: 1-800-955-1275

camouflaging. There can also be mental acts involving spending time thinking about how to fix the perceived problem. The result is significant impairment in functioning due to the time-consuming behaviors, distress, and avoidance of social or occupational settings that they fear will lead to others seeing their imagined negative appearance.

As you can see, BDD is very similar to OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). In both disorders, there is an obsessive and intrusive thought, and there are compulsive acts that one does in an attempt to minimize or eliminate the obsession. However, individuals with OCD often understand that their obsessions are irrational, but individuals with BDD usually are convinced that their fears are true.

Another interesting aspect of BDD is that it affects men and women equally, whereas the ratio of women

to men with anorexia nervosa is about ten to one. Both BDD and anorexia nervosa are unrelated to vanity. These are people who feel that they are grotesque and are desperately trying to look normal.

The importance of a proper diagnosis cannot be understated as the intervention for an eating disorder and BDD have significant differences. If someone presents with symptoms relating to body image, a clinician experienced in these disorders can provide a diagnosis and plan for treatment.

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

Winter Blowout Savings!

Schedule Today: 800-955-1275

59

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

30

60

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

1.

TJH

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

*

Centerfold

Hey Underlings, Try to think how you would feel if

Just letting you know before you plan my mishloach manos that

you were stereotyped. (Hey, your

this year I’ve gone green. I’m

Borsalino is a little too tilted to the left.) Also, please make sure to

like totally, you know, into the

provide a safe space where people

whole global warming thing.

who are insulted by your costumes

So, I am vegan, cage-free, glu-

could cry. The truth is, it’s best not to

ten-free, straw-free, dairy-free, fun-free, and

dress up at all because it’s insensitive of

brain-free. Also, please don’t send me anything that has any plastic or other particles that will burn a

you not to be as miserable as the PC police. But if

hole in the ozone. As it is, we only have 12 years left

you are inclined to dress up – share your pictures.

until the heat turns us all into sunny-side ups. Seri-

Be bold! Don’t let them intimidate you! Your fellow

ously, just think about how hot it was this winter in

underlings want to see how you dressed up. So,

New York!

send your pictures of you dressed up in your Pu-

Now, let’s talk about dressing up. You should all try to be sensitive with your costumes. I notice a lot of stereotyping of pirates, Thing #1 and Thing #2, Wizard of Oz, Waldo and, of course, Spider Man. Remember, Buggs Bunny has feelings, too!

rim finest to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. In the Subject line write: Purim Pics.

Have a Happy Purim!!

Centerfold Commissioner forever

(yes, that’s my signature...impeccable penmanship!)

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

You Gotta Be Kidding Me !

A man went to see his doctor because he was suffering from a miserable cold. His doctor prescribed some pills, but they didn’t help.

On his next visit, the doctor gave him a shot, but that didn’t do any good, either.

On his third visit, the doctor told the man to go home and take a hot bath. As soon as he was finished bathing, he was to throw open window.

“But doc,” protested the patient, “if I do that, I’ll get pneumonia.”

“I know,” said his physician. “And I know how to cure pneumonia.”

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

31

61

2. What did Achashveirosh NOT have at his feast? a. Gold beds b. Vessels from the Bais Hamikdash c. Flowing wine d. Music 3. At what time of year did the Jews of Shushan join in Achashveirosh’s feast? a. Pesach b. Lag B’Omer c. Purim d. Aseres Yimei Teshuva

a. b. c. d.

3 years old 40 years old 75 years old 80 years old

5. On what day was Vashti killed? a. Yom Kippur b. Shabbos c. Taanis Esther d. Kaf Shevat 6. How did Bigsan and Seresh attempt to kill Achashveirosh? a. They sprinkled a dried mold on his pillow so he would breathe it in when he slept b. They ground up glass and put it into his food c. They extracted venom from a snake and put it in his cup d. They poured oil on the marble floor of his bedroom so he would slip and be killed

Answers: 1-G (Nor did he work for Lyft.)

2-D (Reason? He wanted everyone to be present and enjoy. Sometimes music gets annoying… Think of the guy singing, “Mishe..Mishe…Mishe…Mishe” in your ear for five hours straight.)

3-D 4-B, C, D 5-A and B

6-C (Book depository seems simpler.)

7-C 8-C (It was on Pesach. Think about breaking your fast on matzah and cream cheese and hardboiled eggs… yikes!)

9-D (Hashem made those drawing water from wells in Shushan drown and those drying clothing on roofs in Shushan fall

8. The original Taanis Esther took place in what month? a. Av b. Tishrei c. Nissan d. Adar 9. When the word got out about Haman’s evil decree, the Jews of Shushan began to cry. Who else was crying at that time as well? a. Vayzusa b. Hagai c. Bigsan d. The people of Shushan 10. How many people did Haman consult with about what to do with Mordechai? a. 1 b. 10 c. 18 d. 365

and die.)

10-D Wisdom Key: 8-10 correct: Charvona?

4-7 correct: You are right in the middle… good thing you are not one of Haman’s kids.

0-3 correct: You give new meaning to “Ad deloh yadah!”

The questions above were based on various Medrashim found in the book titled, “Let My Nation Live,” by Yosef Deutsch

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

4. How old, according to some, was Esther when she married Achashveirosh?

7. After Bigsan and Seresh were killed, how much time did it take Haman to rise to power? a. 3 months

b. 1 year c. 5 years d. 21 years

MARCH 10, 2022

1. What title did Haman NOT have? a. Bath attendant b. Barber c. Slave d. Prime minister e. god f. Army chief g. Uber driver

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Megillah Trivia

26

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

MARCH 10, 2022

62

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Ikea has announced it will temporarily pause manufacturing and retail operations in Russia and Belarus due to the invasion of Ukraine, while Ikea in Ukraine is opening their doors to Russian soldiers and hoping they can’t find their way out.

— Seth Meyers

Ikea said they’ll do whatever it can to throw a useless tiny wrench into Russia’s economy.

— Jimmy Fallon

They’re gonna go up. Can’t do much right now. Russia’s responsible.

- President Biden when asked about rising gas prices

This is an important reminder that we, as international civil servants, have a responsibility to be impartial…. Some specific examples of language to use/not use at the moment. Use “conflict” or “military offensive” and NOT “war” or “invasion” when referring to the situation in Ukraine…. Do NOT add the Ukrainian flag to personal or official social media accounts or websites.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

– From an email by the UN’s Department of Global Communications to all staff, obtained by the Irish Times

Russian envoy to the Vienna talks Mikhail Ulyanov said this week that “the Iranians got more than they asked for – they are fighting like lions over every word and every comma.” And over here? No one is fighting. The Iranians are fighting like lions while Bennett, Lapid and Gantz are surrendering like rabbits.

- Opposition leader Bibi Netanyahu

Tesla has created over 50,000 US jobs building electric vehicles & is investing more than double GM + Ford combined.

– Tweet by Elon Musk to President Biden in response to the president’s State of the Union speech which touted the combined $18 billion investments by Ford and GM to build electric vehicles

On Friday, we witnessed the largest turnout of protesters in our 33 year history. These agitators’ leaders demanded that they come just to disturb our prayer. They are great in number, but we remain unafraid. The values of equality, pluralism, and peace will overcome the hatred and violence on the other side. This is why we continue our fight.

– Post by Women of the Wall in response to thousands of frum girls gathering at the Kosel to daven on Rosh Chodesh Adar Sheni

Today, the average gas price in America hit an all-time record high of over $4 per gallon. OK, that stings, but a clean conscience is worth a buck or two. It’s important. I’m willing to pay $4 per gallon.

Hey, I’ll pay $15 a gallon because I drive a Tesla.

- CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, who is worth an estimated $75 million

mo tI

re’s lu x

kosher

y ur

ba l

63

celebrating our 40th five star review!

“...We are already making plans to come back again.” -Veriied Reviewer

New

hot tub

&

bunk room

ava I l a b l e p e sac h 2 0 2 2 !

MARCH 10, 2022

Be Our Guest

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

rental

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

64 It’s certainly not sacred. Alright, let’s start there. The Constitution is kind of trash.

Again, let’s just talk as adults for a second.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

- Elie Mystal, journalist for The Nation, on “The View”

Simply, I do not care. We don’t have the right to lecture you in America. The same goes the other way.

-Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in an interview with The Atlantic

Somebody in Russia has to step up to the plate. Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?

- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Fox News advocating for someone to take out Putin

The only way this ends, my friend, is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out.

You would be doing your country a great service and the world a great service.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

- Ibid.

Look, I understand the economic consequences that the president is trying to avoid for the American people. I share that concern. But there [are] places like Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, as well as domestic production that has already been licensed, that should be able to [offset] the consequences of the loss of Russian oil. You don’t have to go to a dictator that, ultimately, has created enormous consequences for his people, that kills people, that imprisons them, and for which President Biden extended the decree that declared Maduro and his regime a national security threat.

- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) on MSNBC reacting to the Biden administration looking to increase oil imports from Venezuela

That issue hasn’t come up.

- House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (DNY) when asked at a press conference what Democrats are saying on the issue as prices rise due to the war in Ukraine

The first attempted solve was “Feather in your hat” which, by the way, is how a lot of people say it. So all three players thought it was a good solve and were stunned when I said it was wrong. Imagine you’re on national TV, and you’re suddenly thrown a curve and you begin getting worried about looking stupid, and if the feather isn’t in your hat, where … can it be? You start flailing away looking for alternatives rather than synonyms for “hat.”

– “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak tweeting in defense of 3 contestants who were unable to figure out the phrase “Another feather in your cap,” even though the board had the following letters filled in: ANOTHER FEATHER _N YO_R _A_

Very glad to see Israel will be supporting the UN resolution against Putin’s destruction of Ukraine. I was very disappointed to hear yesterday that Israel turned down a request to supply the Ukrainian military with Stinger missiles.

– Tweet by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Every time I go to these places, I’ll be in these big events, and you have all these people having such a good time and the poor servers are forced to mask and I will ask them, “Are you allowed to take the mask off?” They say not yet…. A 9 to 5 job should not be a N-95 job.

- Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL)

Coors Light is ditching plastic rings on its six-packs and replacing them with an environmentally friendlier option.

- From a CNN article with the headlined “Coors Light is ditching those nasty plastic six-pack rings”

28

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

65

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Vladimir Putin was counting on being able to split up the United States. Look, how would you feel if you saw crowds storm and break down the doors of the British Parliament and kill five cops, injure 145 — or the German Bundestag or the Italian Parliament? I think you’d wonder. That’s what the rest of the world saw. It’s not who we are. And now we’re proving under pressure that we are not that country. We’re united.

I was at the State Department. The president was the vice-president the last time Russia invaded Ukraine. This is a pattern of horror from President Putin and from the cronies around him.

You do not have to wear those masks. Please take them off.

Honestly, it’s not doing anything. We’ve gotta stop with this COVID theater. So if you wanna wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.

- White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki on CNN, perhaps not realizing the irony of her statement

- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chiding University of South Florida students for wearing masks during a press conference last week

MARCH 10, 2022

- President Biden during a speech in Wisconsin suggesting that Putin was inspired by the events of January 6, 2020 (although no cops were killed during the protests)

JOIN OUR TEAM! Immediate Opening Morning Elementary General Studies Teaching Position Elementary General Studies Teaching Positions Elementary Teacher Assistant Positions

Excellent Compensation and Supportive Working Environment!

Send Resume to dteichman@talmudicalacademy.org

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

2022-2023 School Year

60

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

66

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

A friend told me that he thinks that his advice to his son may have backfired. Throughout all his years in yeshiva, he advised his son to implicitly trust his rebbe and not debate or ask the rebbe about his advice and decisions.

His son has been dating a wonderful girl whom he is extremely fond of. He has considered getting engaged to her. However, his rebbe disapproves. The boy won’t ask his rebbe why he disapproves and doesn’t want his parents or anyone to intervene. His parents

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

are upset that the rebbe would disapprove of what could be a good shidduch. However, they also respect their son’s wishes and realize that this is how they have taught him to behave regarding his rebbe. The parents wonder if they should change their policy and how they could do it without upsetting their son or his relationship with his rebbe.

- Shimmi L.

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.

67

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MARCH 10, 2022

100% COTTON NON-IRON SHIRTS

fully restocked All styles. All sizes.

1110 Reisterstown Rd | 410.358.2796

S 10:30-6 | M-W 10:30-7 | Th 10:30-8 F 10:30-2:30 | Mincha M-Th 3:15

EXTRA SLIM FIT • SLIM FIT HUSKY FIT • REGULAR FIT

..............................................................................

BUTTON CUFF • FRENCH CUFF

..............................................................................

PINPOINT AND SMALL TWILL FABRICS

....................................................................................

BALTIMORE • BROOKLYN • CEDARHURST • CHICAGO • LAKEWOOD • MONSEY • TORONTO

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

MEN’S AND BOYS ..............................................................................

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

61

68

MARCH 10, 2022

The Panel The Shadchan

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Michelle Mond

I

firmly believe that parents who have healthy relationships with their children will have an open dialogue throughout the dating process; note I call it a dialogue and not a dictatorship. The parents should give the single child guidance, offer advice and encouragement, all the while giving the child independence to make his/her own decisions.

Breathing room is a necessity for older children. The more you try to control the lives of adolescents, the more they push back.

Now let’s talk about a rebbi-talmid relationship. A rebbi is there to offer guidance and hadracha, halacha and l’maysa. The place for a rebbi in a young man’s life is essential and the importance of it is discussed at length in the Torah but it should never come at the cost of a good relationship with his parents.

These parents should not regret their decision to advise their son to trust the advice of his rebbi. But to advise one to trust a rebbi implicitly without ever asking questions seems extreme. What these parents could do is work on building a close enough bond with the son to have just enough credence and open communication with their son as the rebbi does.

Your friend’s son’s rebbi had enough of a good impression on his family that they originally encouraged him to trust rebbi implicitly.

Now that he is nixing a shidduch, they are back-tracking. It seems that there is a lot more under the surface. Could it be that this boy is on a different hashkafic wavelength as his parents, which is why they are not so involved? Could it be that this boy really ended the shidduch but does not want his parents to know, so he blamed it on his rebbi? Could it be the rebbi picked up on severe

red flags that he is aware will not be good for the bochur? All these are possibilities.

Perhaps I am naive, but I highly doubt this is a case of a rebbi trying to cause harm to his talmid. I would encourage the parents to have a meeting with the rebbi in person and discuss the scenario before their son makes any decisions. I do believe the parents should be told what is going on, because, after all, it is their son.

Lessons we can take from this scenario are plenty. Parents, build close relationships with your children while they are little and let it mature with the relationship. Show them that they can always talk to you about everything. Encourage your boys to find a rebbi but not in a way where you are relieving the yoke of parenthood responsibilities onto the rebbi. Encourage discussions and important conversations; don’t merely push the child off and say, “What are you asking me for? Ask your rebbi.” If you do this enough times, the child will learn to only trust his rebbi, leaving you completely out of the discussion.

Finally, remember Hashem is in control, and it is very important to daven to Him for clarity.

The Single Tzipora Grodko

I

am very confused. Throughout Tanach, we are taught to question, ask, understand, delve deeper and commit to a truth that provides our lives with purpose, meaning, and guidance. Judaism is not a dogmatic religion. It’s a relationship. Frankly, a rabbi is not G-d; they are also humans there to help provide one with insight and guidance. I believe that their guidance cannot be properly provided if one is not being honest in sharing their feelings and expe-

rience to the insight or solution provided. Even the greatest leader in the world Moshe Rabbeinu asked G-d, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Asking is not the problem if one is able to maintain respect and dignity.

I completely respect anyone choosing to live their Jewish lifestyle in the way that works best for them and truly feel that there is so much to learn from one another. I am not imposing my belief on anyone nor am I stating it is the “golden rule” that everyone should practice. I’m simply sharing my humble opinion.

On another note, I wouldn’t be concerned about the parents upsetting their son if they told him they made a mistake about blindly trusting his rebbi. On the contrary – don’t you think the son would be more upset if his parents didn’t take ownership of their mistake if it directly impacted his entire future?

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

Y

our “friend’s” dilemma raises three issues.

Issue #1 involves the son and is fairly straightforward. People confide in their rebbi, and this rebbi might be privy to confidential information that leads him to discourage this shidduch.

This situation is similar to an issue raised in this column last year, where a pediatrician told his daughter not to date a certain boy who had been his patient. The doctor’s daughter in that scenario, and the rebbi’s student in this scenario, should understand that there may be confidential information that cannot be revealed.

Despite what the young man says, the parents must meet with the rebbi. Is he discouraging this

Is he discouraging this shidduch because he has some confidential knowledge that he cannot and must not disclose?

shidduch because he has some confidential knowledge that he cannot and must not disclose?

If so, the family may choose to do some deeper background research about the girl and her family and then decide whether to follow, or not follow, this rebbi’s advice.

If, however, the rebbi’s advice is based upon other criteria (e.g., he worries that the girl will encourage the boy to pursue a secular education rather than remain in yeshiva), that’s an entirely different issue.

Issue #2 involves the parents.

Proper parenting involves choosing a rebbi to instruct children in Torah and Yiddishkeit. Proper parenting does not involve abrogating parental responsibilities or allowing even a very respected and revered rebbi to usurp their authority as parents.

Let me elaborate as respectfully as possible: Your son’s rebbi should be his authority on matters of Torah.

But, here’s a question for parents: Should the rebbi be definitively deciding – or should he be merely advising – where your son should live, what (if any) secular education he should pursue, how he should earn

62

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

69

(By c ont r a s t , regarding COVID-19, we all followed the advice of a prominent local rabbi who is also a medical doctor specializing in infectious diseases.)

Ask your rabbi about embarking on a course of Talmudic study?

Kashering a kitchen? Studying a sefer? I say, “Absolutely yes, trust his judgment completely.”

Ask your rabbi if you should start a business? Move to a different neighborhood? Change jobs? I say, “Sure, but trust your own judgment.”

I hope it does not sound sacrilegious to suggest that while it might be smart to seek advice from wise and experienced rabbanim, it is not smart to “implicitly trust and not ques-

Parents, build close relationships with your children while they are little and let it mature with the relationship.

MARCH 10, 2022

Torah, halacha, and limudei kodesh.

In many cases, however, we have put an unfair burden upon our rabbis by asking them for rulings, decisions, or advice on matters far outside their field of expertise. We should not be demanding definitive guidance regarding matters that they are spectacularly unqualified to assess.

Ask my patient, who, after I recommended the immediate extraction of his wisdom teeth, consulted his Rebbe, followed the Rebbe’s advice to not extract his wisdom teeth, and wound up hospitalized with a serious jaw infection.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

a living, or whom he should marry?

Why would a parent tell a child to “implicitly trust his rebbi and not debate or ask the rebbi about his advice and decisions”? This is not proper parenting. Our strength as a people is to never accept anyone’s opinion unconditionally. Our Gemara is filled with questions, arguments, counter-arguments, and demands for proofs and justifications.

Issue #3 involves our community.

As Orthodox Jews we have an innate faith and trust in our talmidei chachamim. We acknowledge and respect their leadership when it comes to daas

tion” their non-halachic advice or opinions.

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

D

school moms, to camp staff and the children themselves.

With my philosophy out t here in the paragraph above, it goes without saying that there is a polite way to interact with those whom we feel are hurting our children, and there are also situations when parents should not get involved. I am not suggesting fighting everyone or protecting our children in every situation. Sometimes, we have to let our kids figure things out for themselves. I believe that this is a situation that requires these parents to get involved and

to the shidduch, this young man may be in some trouble. Blindly following what anyone tells you to do doesn’t bode well for a marriage when your wife disagrees or is hurt by the rulings. It is unhealthy and unnatural and a recipe for resentment.

Let’s be optimistic that the son will approach the rebbi. If he won’t, I believe the parents may want to approach the rebbi and find out what is going on. We are the people who ask questions. We ask why. We have open dialogue and debates strewn across pages of Gemara. Since when can we not ask questions? Something is off, and I don’t know the origin of it. The son? The rebbi? The parents? I’m not sure. It feels like there is more to this story.

I do wish your friends well, and I hope this has a positive outcome.

Sincerely, Jennifer

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

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

ear Shimmi, Thank you for writing into the panel. I will cut to the chase and say that in upsetting the status quo of the well-defined relationship and rules of the relationship between the rebbi and your friend’s son either or both may be upset. But that is OK. People are allowed to be upset and have all sorts of feelings. I believe we have to follow our hearts and intuition as parents, regardless of who we may upset when it comes to the well-being of our children. Many people have been upset with parents when they speak up and advocate for their children – from teachers to rebbeim to doctors to therapists, to neighborhood and

speak up.

What strikes me most is that the young man is very fond of this woman, and he will not speak up and ask the rebbi why he disapproves. This concerns me. And I don’t know who concerns me more: the rebbi or the son. Let it be said that it is quite possible that the rebbi would allow the conversation and that it is the son who refuses to approach the rebbi. It is also possible that this rebbi doesn’t allow anyone to question him.

If I could wave a magic wand around the situation, I would have the parents talk to their son about the importance of communication with the rebbi and how he is so willing to let go of this girl of whom he is extremely fond. If the son cannot or will not approach the rebbi about this matter to find out why he said no

44

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

70

TJH Speaks with Rabbi Yaakov Bleich, Chief Rabbi of Ukraine

BY SUSAN SCHWAMM

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022



W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Rabbi Bleich, things are so busy for you over the past few days. Thank you for taking the time to talk. Just to get some background, you’re originally from Boro Park. When did you get to Ukraine?

32 years ago.

What made you decide to go there?

I was looking for a job. I was young, maybe a little naive. It was exciting for a kid like me who grew up in Brooklyn. I had gone to Ukraine a few times and I was intrigued. It was very moving and emotional. When I came back from my second trip, my wife said that she wanted to come with me the next time I went. And then we ended up moving there.

You live in Kyiv. How has the community changed over the past three decades?

It has grown tremendously. A lot of people joined, and a lot of people left, and new people came in – that’s the way the community has been shaped. It’s growing and growing.

Is your goal to get the Jews to leave Ukraine and become frum?

No, my goal is to get them to become frum, not to leave Ukraine, necessarily. Once they’re frum, it depends. Many people became frum and had lived in Ukraine for years. But after they left and went to certain places, they became not frum because of the communities there that weren’t conducive to frumkeit. That is a sad reality.

How many frum people were in the Kyiv community before the invasion?

We have around 400 frum families there.

in Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipro, and Kharkov.

You’re the chief rabbi of Ukraine. How did you get the position?

By default. I came in 1990. No one was there.

And later, we had elections in different communities and with different rabbanim.

Before this all started, what was your connection with President Zelensky?

I’m chief rabbi, so I meet him at every official function when they invite religious leaders. We’ve met many times.

How many Jews are in Ukraine in all?

There are probably around 360,000 Jews in Ukraine in all. They are mainly based Rabbi Yaakov Bleich, Chief Rabbi of Ukraine

Does he connect with you as a Jew or just as a public official?

He definitely connects as a Jew. Does he ever want to put on tefillin or light Shabbos candles or perform any mitzvos?

I never asked him to light candles. Before he became president, he was a comedian. Some of his best friends are Jewish. He would

71

im

Camp Chofetz Cha

ltimore!

er b

The premi

Hours

g Boys enterin des!

6 t h - 9 t h G ra

3 Nights a Wee

MARCH 10, 2022

amp in Ba oys night c

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

.

C .

C.C M I V A H C KO k*

ly26 J u l y 5 -J u s t 1 7 : n o i s s e ugu 1st S u l y 27- A J : n o i s s 2nd Se

7:30 - 9:30pm*

COST

$

390 N

PER SESSIO

dynamic Facilitated and directed by the on head and head Josh Zaslow, legendary divisi camp experience!! counselor with two decades of CALL FOR MORE INFO: 410 484 6600 EXT 7456- campbusinessoffice@talmudicalacademy.org *hours/days may vary

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

SPORTS COMPETITIVE ITIES V I T C A D E K C A ACTION-P GAME SHOWS PS AWESOME TRI E! SO MUCH MOR

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

45

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

72

A vibrant Jewish community before the invasion

come with some of his friends to a Shabbos meal or come to shul every once in a while. He’s very openly Jewish. He’s not a person who is ashamed of his Jewishness. He’s very proud of it.

Did you ever feel that he would possess such strong mettle in the face of adversity?

He’s a tough guy. You can tell that he’s a guy who doesn’t give up easy.

At the same time, he’s a very funny guy. He’s a comedian. He’s probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever seen.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Do you see him as someone who can pull this through?

It’s all up to the Ribbono Shel Olam. He’s the Baal Melchamos. Everything is all up to Him. There’s nothing to do with anything else. And whatever the Ribbono Shel Olam wants, that is what will happen. If the Ribbono Shel Olam wants him to win, he will win, no matter how many soldiers there are involved.

You know, he called me on Shabbos morning.

And this was his question to me. He said, “Rabbi, we need your prayers.”

I told him, “We’re praying for you, Mr. President.”

And he said, “Now, we’re outnumbered.” We’re lacking in numbers but we’re making up in determination.

Someone said, if Russia stops fighting, there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine. They say the same thing about Israel.

Last week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, did you believe that there would be an invasion?

Yes. I believed that there would be an invasion, but I didn’t believe it would be anything of this size.

What did you think? That Putin would just come in and leave?

We thought he would come in and build a land bridge between Russia and Crimea, which means to take over Mariupol and Berdyansk and maybe bomb Kyiv from the air. I didn’t think he would try to do a ground offensive against Kyiv. You have to understand, this doesn’t fit into anyone’s heads. A man stands up and says the Ukrainian people deserve a choice so therefore he’ll destroy the country to give them a choice?! He’s going to fight against the “fascists” in Ukraine?! He says the leaders are a bunch of neo-Nazis. Who? The Jew whose grandfather fought against the Nazis?! What kind of crazy thing is that? After all that, no one thought it would go like this.

He’s not in Kyiv yet but he is going to try to surround and choke Kyiv.

That’s scary.

The scary thing is that the world is silent. All of the statements and the “never agains” and all the sanctions are worthless against a missile. As Biden said, it takes 30 days for sanctions to hit. Well, it takes 30 seconds for a missile to hit – that’s what I’m saying.

You can’t fight missiles with sanctions. I’m not saying you shouldn’t make sanctions. You should make them, but the U.S. and the free world has a chance now to stop Putin in his tracks. They can do it, and they should do it because people are being murdered in cold blood.

This is not a genocide, but it’s very close to it. He is here to wipe out the Ukrainian people. It’s a sick feeling because he’s bombing indiscriminately

against Kharkov now. Bombs are falling all over.

Bombing residential homes, shooting up buses, shooting up kindergartens. And today, audacity of audacities, they bombed Babi Yar. Here’s a man who said he’s coming to fight against a fascist, and he comes and destroys that symbol that was put up for all those Jews who were killed in the name of Nazism.

What about the kivrei tzaddikim in Ukraine?

I don’t think they are targets, but when bombs fall, you don’t always have control over where they fall.

You spoke about Kharkov. Are there any Jews left there?

Of course! It’s a massive community there.

They all want to leave. Even the diehard chassidim who said they want to stay with their people want to leave. Nobody believed that Putin would come in with this type of sadism with no regard for a human life. Women, children, residential, civilian, military – it’s a killing machine. They want to kill us all.

How can we get these Jews out?

That’s what I’ve been doing for the last 72 hours since Friday. Friday all day, Shabbos all day, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday – that’s all I’ve been doing, trying to get Jews out. Organizing buses, bringing them out to safety, and

“All of the statements and all of the

‘never agains’ and all the sanctions are worthless against a missile.”

46

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

73

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

then going back in and getting more.

three meals a day, a place to sleep, security. It’s costing me a lot of money, and I wasn’t planning on it. I was planning on housing people in my own place. But this is what we have to do.

Also, on Sunday, when I tried to get buses to get people out of Kyiv, I couldn’t get any buses. I didn’t understand why. I asked my friend who deals with buses. And he said that no one wants to drive these families. Everyone wants to be with their family or they’re serving in the army. So I thought to myself, everything has its price. What’s the price? I remembered, during World War II, how did they save people? They paid per head. So that’s what I did. I offered the bus guy that I would pay him per head of each person that he brings out.

So that’s what I’m doing. I’ve spent, since then, over $200,000 only on bringing out people. I’m not talking about maintaining them or giving them food or the camps. Just on getting people out of Kyiv, we spent over $200,000.

More than $200,000 spent on getting them out and saving a Jewish person’s life.

And then in Kyiv, there are still people there who refuse to leave. There are around 60 people that aren’t ready to leave yet. Families are sleeping in the basement in the bunker, and they’re eating in the synagogue. We’re giving them food. People are scared to go out and there are no foods in the supermarket, but we stocked up on food, so in the shul there are around 60 people there.

“Women, children, residential, civilian, military – it’s a killing machine. They want to kill us all.”

Why won’t they leave?

Everyone has a different reason. And truthfully, I can’t even understand it. It’s so frightening there, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to stay. I also have an assisted living home

in Kyiv, and that’s a really troubling situation because an assisted living home has elderly people, who are hard to move. You can’t evacuate them so easily. If, G-d forbid, there will be shooting, we’ll have to do it, but for now, that’s not our plan. Plan A is to keep shelter in place for those people.

Why are you confident that the people you transported will be safe in Premishlan, Belz, and Yampil?

At this point, as of now, they are not even looking at the west. Putin, in his famous speeches, the way his warped mind thinks, he always said that the western Ukraine was never part of the Russian Empire. So, we’re hoping that it will be quiet there.

In the meantime, once I get them there, they have a place to eat and sleep, and eventually they move on. These people aren’t staying there forever.

I brought my first group there on Motzei Shabbos.

Ten people from that group left already. One family went to Israel, a few had American visas, and they went to America.

Logistically, once they’re there, how do you feed them and get them beds?

We’re very lucky because the places where I took them are hachnosas orchim places. They’re places usually used by the chassidim near mekomos ha’kedoshim. When I called up the people there, they were so generous. They immediately said, use it for as long as you need for as many people as you need.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Where do you bring them to? To Poland? Hungary?

I don’t do borders. Before this all started, we wanted to be prepared. Last time, in 2014, when the Jews had to run away, we weren’t prepared properly. So this time, I set up a refugee camp that could hold around 300 people outside of Kyiv at a place where we run our summer camp. It’s mostly winterized. We winterized the rest of it for them and prepared it. We bought a generator and put heat in the buildings. This was going to be a place as a refuge for them. But I didn’t realize that the Russians are coming from all sides. And one of the places they’re coming from is Chernobyl. And this campgrounds is close to Chernobyl – around 100 miles. And when they come from Chernobyl to Kyiv, that’s the way they’ll come.

So I had to evacuate the camp on Friday, and we didn’t know where to go. First, we wanted to go to western Ukraine, and then we heard the place wasn’t ready for us because they didn’t have a chance to prepare it. And then we tried to go to Belarus, but the bridges were down.

So I went back to this idea of going to western Ukraine. I ended up setting up three different camps – one in Premishlan, which is western Ukraine but southern of Lvov; another in Belz, which is north of Lvov; and a third one in Yampil, which is further east than that, closer to Kyiv.

When the buses come, we take them to one of three places. There are

Heading to safety

MARCH 10, 2022

Gathering together

How are their spirits?

Now, everyone is running. Just like in World War II, you see it here, too. People running for their lives. That’s what it is. My phone is ringing off the hook – can you help get my sister out, my aunt, my cousin’s uncle. Everyone is trying to get out.

I’ve been in Ukraine for many years. And

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

47

74

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

Before everything went down, did the Jews in Ukraine experience any antisemitism from their non-Jewish neighbors?

For the last 30 years, since the independence, we were living very well with the government and with the people. Antisemitism is not an issue. The president is Jewish. He was elected by 73% of the people.

Rabbi Bleich with President Zelensky in happier times

throughout all those years, I’ve grown to know a lot of people. And through those connections, I have been able to get many people out.

Do you think Putin is going to win this?

I think Putin lost already. He definitely lost.

What is he going to do now? He’s going to go ballistic. In Russia they have a saying that a mouse who is cornered becomes a lion.

He didn’t expect to have this type of fight, and he didn’t expect it to take this long. It’s not going the way he thought it would go. He overestimated his people and his power, and he underestimated the Ukrainian people and army.

We need a lot of tefillos. We need to daven.

The Ukrainian Jewish community is such a beautiful community. I don’t think there’s a chance of it coming back suddenly and being what it was because so many people are leaving and so much has happened. It’s going to be very sad. For people like us – we lived there for 32 years – we sacri-

ficed our lives to build a community and now we’re seeing it destroyed in a manner of days. It’s heartbreaking and very painful.

I wish the world would do something.

What can they do?

They can bomb out – it would take 45 minutes to an hour – the Russian army. Putin has all his soldiers there. He doesn’t have reinforcements. If the world would bomb out all the hardware he has there, he would be forced to go home.

Do you think that would turn the “mouse” into a lion and turn it into World War III? I don’t think anyone is too scared of Putin anymore. And if they are, they should take him out.

To donate and help the Jews of Ukraine, visit https://www.charidy.com/HelpKyiv/RabbiBleich

This interview with Rabbi Bleich was held on Tuesday, March 1. As fighting is intensifying, the situation in Ukraine is fluid, and things are rapidly changing.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Engagements Yoni Sperling (Baltimore) to Devorah Eisenberg (Philadelphia) Yosed Borochov (Cederhurst) to Shaindy Reitberger (Baltimore) Meyer Franken (Lakewood) to Malky Isbee (Baltimore) Mahyer Reischer and Michal Roth (Both Baltimore) Yehuda Dachs (Baltimore) and Chaya Hinda Lebovic (Lawrence) Chaya Sarah Chava Vishevnik (Baltimore) and Yosef Shalom Reynolds (Dallas) Sara Trout to Moshe Altman (Both Baltimore) Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!

MARYLAND CENTER FOR PERIODONTICS & DENTAL IMPLANTS

Listen to Dr. "Mordechai" Leybovich and remember to give a big smile this Purim!

Located conveniently

Accepting most dental insurences

off of I-695

Baltimore's top choice

Our new office combines

Board Certified Periodontist

in dental implants and

modern design,

treating gum disease

advanced technology and classic care

MARCH 10, 2022

Martin Leybovich, DDS, MSD

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Call Us at 410.650.4350

75

Check out this long "megillah" testimonial from one of our patients!

BEFORE

1866A REISTERSTOWN RD, PIKESVILLE,MD 21208

AFTER

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

"Where do I even begin to express my sincerest gratitude and thanks to not only Dr. Leybovich, but his entire team!! Long story short, I walked into their office last year after a terrible accident with 5 missing front teeth. The entire office took me in as I was one of their own and helped me along every step of the way. Dr, Leybovich knew my case was difficult. The time and attention that I have been given and I am still given is indescribable. They make this process effortless on my side and it puts my mind and heart at ease. I 100% trust Dr. Leybovich and know that I am in excellent hands. He is going on this journey with me! I couldn't just give these amazing people a rate of only 5 stars, truth is Dr. Leybovich and his incredible team truly SAVED MY SMILE and for that the stars are unlimited!!" Tori M.

14

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

76

Your

Money

MARCH 10, 2022

No Good Deed

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

T

he ancient Greeks believed that sometimes life calls for sacrifice. In Greek mythology, King Minos of Crete forced the people of Athens to send him seven young men and seven maidens in retribution for the death of his son Androgeos.

They couldn’t have been happy to board the boat, knowing they were destined to become monster chow for the half-human, half-bull Minotaur. But they swallowed their hopes and dreams for the promising futures they had lost, and they did their duty for their fellow citizens.

A thousand years later and halfway across the world, the Aztecs made human sacrifice a core of their religion. Priests would take the victims’ hearts out while they were still alive. (That grisly practice lives on still in American politics. Two years ago, six Democrat presidential candidates gathered on a debate stage to compete for the right to face Donald Trump. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren plunged her bare hand into former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s chest and killed his campaign in less time than it would have taken him to bleed out had this been more than just a colorful metaphor.)

Today, of course, life is considerably cushier. Most Americans consider it a sacrifice to go an hour without their iPhone. And, of course, we grumble when it comes to the civic duty of paying taxes. But sometimes, we volunteer to make sacrifices we don’t have to. What sort of reward do we get for those selfless acts?

billion. The sale cost Musk billions in tax and pushed the stock price down as much as 15%.

Musk’s sale looks like the sort of genuine sacrifice we can all applaud.

But scratch the golden surface, and you’ll see workaday stainless steel.

Back in 2012, Tesla gave Musk the option to buy 22.8 million shares at

That’s right – if you can’t get rich by picking your parents, maybe there’s still time to do it by picking your siblings!

Elon Musk has been the richest man on Earth for most of the last year and a relentless attention hound for as long as anyone can remember. Last year, he polled his 75 million Twitter followers with an unusual question: “Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10% of my Tesla stock. Do you support this?” 57.9% said yes, and Musk cashed in $16.4

$6.74 per share. Now they’re worth $30 billion. Unfortunately, they expire this year – and because he earned them as part of his compensation, exercising them will cost $15 billion in tax. It turns out that Musk unlocked the gain on his stock just to pay the tax he already owed on his previous gains.

At least Uncle Sam is happy, right?

Not so fast! The IRS may be posting

Musk’s picture in their “Man of the Year” frame. But now, the SEC is investigating Musk’s civic sacrifice. It turns out that Elon’s brother, Kimbal, who also sits on Tesla’s board, sold $100 million worth of shares the day before Elon’s poll. (That’s right – if you can’t get rich by picking your parents, maybe there’s still time to do it by picking your siblings!) Here’s the question: did Elon tip-off Kimbal that he would be making an announcement that might affect share prices?

If so, Kimbal’s sale could violate insider-trading laws.

The good news is that you may not have to sacrifice as much as you think to the IRS to achieve your financial goals. We have all sorts of legal, moral, and ethical ways to avoid or offset tax when you sell a stock or any other appreciated asset. Call us before you sell and save your sacrifices for where they can really count!

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.

77

Business Card Board

Check out our Demos!

Reuven Meth 443.272.1325

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

One Man Band

Custom arrangements Custom drum kit

Baltimore Jewish Home’s

www.musicbysegula.com

MARCH 10, 2022

Providing Personal Financial Planning, Tax, and Investment Management Services.

Also providing Financial Literacy Courses for high school/college students, recent graduates, and to businesses and organizations to help improve the financial wellness of your workforce. www.northbrookfinancial.com | 443-738-4034

FULL SERVICE SALON

MS, LCPC, NCC

www.LandaCC.com Avi@LandaCC.com 443-613-6854 1002 Smoke Tree RD Pikesville, MD 21208

Clinical Counseling Services for adolescents/bochurim, adults, couples, and families.

Free Consultations

105 OLD COURT RD., BALTIMORE MD

OFF OF WALKER

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Avi Landa

66

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MARCH 10, 2022

78

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Purim Seudah Crockpot Dinner

By Naomi Nachman

Purim is a super-busy day, especially when

it falls out at the end of a week. On top of the usual hectic Purim activity, we also have to prepare for Shabbos. In order to save some time and reduce stress, why

not throw a brisket and potatoes into

a crockpot together before Megillah reading on Purim

morning? You’ll have a side dish and main course all in one pot simmering all day.

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Ingredients ◦ 3-4 pound second cut brisket ◦ 8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered ◦ 2 onions quartered ◦ Garlic powder ◦ Onion powder ◦ Paprika ◦ Salt ◦ 1 cup red wine ◦ 1 cup ketchup

Preparation 1.

Place all vegetables in the bottom of a large crockpot and season with spices.

2. Season brisket on all sides with spices and place on top of vegetables.

3. Mix wine and ketchup in a bowl and pour over meat and vegetables.

4. Set crockpot to high and cook for 6-7 hours.

5. Remove meat and slice. If it’s very soft, you can just pulled it apart with two forks.

6. Place meat on platter and place potatoes around the meat. If you have an immersion blender, blend the vegetables in the crockpot to make gravy and pour it over the meat.

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

79 410-486-4191 • 410-486-4196 www.wandlkoshermeats.com

t e r u i c e r P a l h a c t t m erS i r !

Pu

Special! Purim SalamiS $3.99

W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Mini · Small · Medium · large

MARCH 10, 2022

laSt chance to Order your

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

orders@wandlkoshermeats.com

Hours: Sunday 8am-2pm Monday-Thursday 8am-6pm Friday 8am-2pm

Buying or Selling a Home?

Experience Matters!

BARRY NABOZNY BROKER/REALTOR 410-977-7600

See pg pg 10

Postmaster: Please deliver by Friday March 11

410.581.1000

6 Church Lane, Baltimore, MD 21208

See our available homes inside

$$ Purim Deals $$ Available through Tuesday, March 15, 2022 while supplies last!

Hundreds of Wines & Spirits In Stock in our New Store

NOW NEXT DOOR SAFEWAY AT GREENSPRING

Let's Celebrate Pack Vera Wang, Jeunesse Belle Rouge, Bartenura Asti, Bartenura Magenta - WAS $84.96, NOW $74.99

HUGE VARIETY OF MINIS: Smirnoff Minis 3 for $3

410.602.2224

WWW.ACCENTSLIQUOR.COM

Lion & Dove Set WAS $79.99, NOW $71.99

Clase Azul $165.99 While Supplies Last

LARGE INVENTORY OF MIXES FOR

Herzog Lineage 6-Pack Cab-Sav, Pinot Noir, Rose, Chardonnay, Choreograph, Malbec - WAS $101.94, NOW $89.99

Whiskey Lovers Pack $109.99

COCKTAILS

Herzog Generation IX - Very Rare -WAS $249.99, NOW $179.99 while supplies last

AND SPECIALTY

Buss Balls $3.25 ea

HUGE VARIETY OF MINI BOTTLES AND CANS

Bartenura Cans 4-Pack $13.99

1 Milagro Reposada, 1, Espanita Blanco and 1 Don Julio 1942 Anejo... Usually $199.97 NOW $179.99

DRINKS