Baltimore Jewish Home - 5-12-16 by Moshe Rubin

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What Season will it be for Seasons? PAGE 24

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 12, 2016

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Inspiring Words

MAY 12, 2016

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CONTENTS

COMMUNITY

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 12, 2016

Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

JEWISH THOUGHT Take a Healthy Bite Out of Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Rabbi Berel Wein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

COVER STORY Is Cash a Relic of the Past?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 “Off the Derech” vs. “At Risk”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

LIFESTYLES 613 Seconds with Jeff Cohen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Health & Fitness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Rocky’s Rant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Dating Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 A Taste of Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Political Crossfire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Cooking for the King. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

NEWS Global News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 National News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Our poll last week brought some interesting results. The question posed asked respondents if they ate pizza on Motzei Pesach. This is not an earthshattering question, but sometimes it’s good to step aside from election talk for just a few minutes. When I was younger, we would all be helping to pack away the Pesach dishes and then would come the inevitable question: “So, who’s going out for the pizza?” Certainly, no one was interested in waiting on the long lines when it was already so late, but of course there was always one who was willing to take one for the team (and be excused from post-Pesach duty). Now that I’m older, pizza doesn’t seem to be such a necessity after yom tov. I was wondering about that. Could it be because now I’m more interested in getting my floors washed and my laundry done? Or maybe I just ate a little too much matzah over the past few days. Or perhaps it’s the food that’s available over Pesach that’s almost too good to be chometz-free. It’s not just macaroons anymore (although I do admit to buying them – and liking them!). What surprised me about the poll was that although I wasn’t consuming slice after gooey slice after Pesach, I always assumed I was among the select few. The rest of the world, I thought, was clamoring for cheesy goodness. But our readers are telling me that’s not the case: there are many others who have the self-control to wait a day or two before heading to the

pizza shop. In life there are many times that we feel that we are the only ones who have things a certain way and that we are different from the rest of the world. Take, for example, mornings in an average household. I bet that most of us think that our homes are the only ones on the block where one child is still in bed ten minutes before the bus is set to arrive, another child refuses to wear tights on a day when it’s snowing outside, and still another one doesn’t like the lunch that you prepared for them earlier that day. But don’t think that yours is the only harried household. Recently, in honor of Mother’s Day, there was a news article highlighting the 26 tasks a mother has to do in the mornings. These include the obvious – such as getting the kids dressed, feeding them breakfast, and preparing lunches – to the more unusual – remembering that today is Dr. Seuss Day and that they have to wear red and white stripes. 26 tasks in the span of less than an hour is not easy to master. Everyone has their way of conquering their responsibilities. But don’t think that everyone else is June Cleaver while you’re fumbling through your morning. As long as we send our children off to school with wishes for a good day, we have accomplished way more than the classic 26 tasks on our morning to-do list. And it isn’t even 9am! Wishing you a wonderful week, Yaakov

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

That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

The Baltimore Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Baltimore Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The BJH contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

ANNIVERSARY

“The world is ArtScroll’s classroom”

NEW!

In this final installment in her bestselling Kosher by Design cookbook series, Susie Fishbein presents fresh new recipes culled from her 15-year culinary journey. You will find delicious recipes learned from the great chefs she encountered in Italy, France, Mexico, Israel, and across North America.

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author of Fatal Judgment

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READILY AVAILABLE INGREDIENTS

Comprehensive cross-referenced

INDEX

MAY 12, 2016

Final Judgment is an action-packed, gripping legal thriller that takes us into the world of politics, finance, and the justice system. At the same time it is also a novel of repentance and redemption, carrying within it the luminous truth that no matter how far a Jew strays, he can find his way back.

It is Susie’s superlative conclusion to the cookbooks that elevated kosher cooking to world-class taste and presentation. 115 fresh NEW recipes

a novel of suspense by

Yisroel Mayer Merkin

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

He’s a killer on Death Row. He’s mean. He’s dangerous. And he just happens to be a Jew who needs to be saved.

SUSIE FISHBEIN DOES IT AGAIN!!

Last year’s bestselling Hebrew Haggadah — now available in English! The story of Isidore Dayan, and the growth of a vibrant community in America NEW!

The Finishing Touch for Your Perfect Seder Compiled by Rabbi Shalom Meir Wallach

4Piskei halachah and chiddushim from Reb Moshe’s own writings 4Rav Moshe’s Divrei Torah culled from dozens of sources

by Devora Gliksman

The orphan caught in an unusual custody battle that only a bet din can resolve. The prosperous businessman lending money to others so that they can open a business that will compete with his own.

In this biography-that-reads-like-anovel, you will meet – and be inspired and amazed by — Nouri, the quiet, unassuming and friendly man who became a legend in his community. Exclusive bonus section: Gripping, firsthand accounts (including journal entries written on the plane itself!) of the 1970 TWA hijacking that stunned the Jewish world, as they prayed and awaited the return of dozens of hostages — including Rav and Rebbetzin Hutner, Rav Yonoson and Rebbetzin David, and Nouris’s two daughters, three grandchildren, and his son-in-law Hacham Yosef Harrari-Raful.

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The Schottenstein Edition Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi; Yad Avraham Mishnah Series; Schottenstein Edition Mishnah Elucidated; Ryzman Edition Hebrew Mishnah; Kleinman Edition Kitzur Shulchan Aruch; Kleinman Edition Daily Dose of Torah. This Shabbos, Adar II 9: Daf Yomi Bavli – Kiddushin 8 / Daf Yomi Yerushalmi – Yoma 27 / Mishnah Yomi – Uktzin 2:3-4 / Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Yomi – 71:5-72:4

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4Hanhagos of the gadol hador at the Seder 4Featuring many uplifting stories of Reb Moshe The Reb Moshe Haggadah, this year’s “must-have” Haggadah, beautifully captures the many facets of the gaon and posek hador.

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MAY 12, 2016

Around the

Community

Baltimore Bnos Yisroel’s Yehudis Berkowitz Takes 2nd Prize in Kleinman Holocaust Education Center Annual Student Visual Arts and Literacy Contest BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

Baltimore’s Bnos Yisroel’s Yehudis Berkowitz Takes 2nd Prize in Kleinman Holocaust Education Center Annual Student Visual Arts and Literacy Contest Submissions Double for Kleinman Holocaust Education Center Annual Student Visual Arts and Literacy Contest, Winners Selected – 866 Students in Grades 7 to 12 from 68 schools nationwide responded to firsthand accounts of the Holocaust – Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore Student has Winning Entry. The Kleinman Holocaust Education Center (KHEC) has announced the winners of the Visual Arts and Literary Contest, with this year’s contest drawing more than twice as many submissions from when it was launched last year. The winning submissions came from schools in California, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. For the contest, students in grades 7 to 12 were given excerpts from Holocaust diaries that chronicle firsthand accounts of faith, strength, and courage. Students were asked to produce creative writing or artwork that reflected their emotional interpretation of what they read. KHEC designed the contest to preserve the memory of the diarists and inspire readers to develop inner strength to meet life’s challenges. “The overwhelming response we had to this year’s contest is yet another indication of the tremendous need that exists for the resources KHEC makes available,” said Mr. Elly Kleinman, Founder and President of the Kleinman Holocaust Education Center. “Our mission is to provide all people with a better and deeper understanding of the perspectives and experiences of observant Jews during the Holocaust, and this contest gives students invaluable artifacts from that period of time to do just that.” The winners for 7th and 8th grade are: first place, Cheli Schochet, Providence Hebrew Day School; second place Pessy Perlstein, Bais Yaakov of Boro Park; and third place, Albert Co-

hen, Yeshiva Shaare Torah Boys Elementary School. The winners for 9th and 10th grade are: first place, Michal Herman, Bruriah High School for Girls; second place, Yehudis Berkowitz, Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore; and third place, Eduardo Garza, St. Augustine High School. The winners for 11th and 12th grade are: first place, Lillian Liebman, Torah High School of San Diego; second place, Tzivie Lefkowitz, Bais Yaakov of Spring Valley; and third place, Chaim Weinman, Yeshivas Novominsk. The contest’s grand prize for each grade level is $250. Second place winners receive $100, and third place winners receive $50. One hundred and fourteen teachers from schools across the country chose to incorporate the contest into their curricula. Mrs. Libby Spero, Assistant Principal in the High School at Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore, found out about the contest through a mailer sent by the KHEC. She spoke about it with the school’s 9th grade English teacher, Dr. S. Cotter, who determined that it would fit well with the curriculum. Mrs. Spero shared her thoughts on the students’ experience: “Aside from just sharpening their writing skills, I think it was definitely a very moving experience just reading the diaries and getting a little bit in touch with what people dealt with, what people went through, and how different their lives were compared to ours. The diaries helped students see Emunah (faith) in its purest form, that Hashem (Gd) does not abandon us - that it is our faith that sustains us in trying times.” Yehudis Berkowitz, a 9th grade student at Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore, won second place in the 9th and 10th grade division. She wrote a letter in response to Dr. Hillel Seidman’s Warsaw Ghetto diary. This year’s contest included excerpts from three different Holocaust diaries, and the writings students read were grade-level specific. After students reflected upon the text, they

By: KHEC

could choose to write a letter to the diarist sharing their connections, observations, and questions; or create a promotional poster about the diary excerpt. The contest is part of educational programming at the KHEC, a New York-based museum and education center. Programming includes school visits and summer camps, and teachers are provided with a wealth of educational materials to incorporate KHEC’s resources into their curricula. “The hands-on experience students get from engaging in this kind of activity is invaluable, as it enriches their education and understanding of people who lived during the Holocaust,” said Mrs. Julie Golding, Director of Education for KHEC. “And we’ve had a steep rise in the number of teachers who have scheduled class visits to KHEC so their students can see the diaries in person.” Students in grades 7 and 8 read the diary of Rywka Lipszyc (pronounced Rivka Lipschitz), who was a 14-year old Jewish girl, orphaned and living in the Lodz ghetto in Poland. The diary spans from October 1943 to April 1944. Rywka was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in August 1944, and a Red Army doctor reportedly discovered pages from the diary outside the Auschwitz crematorium during liberation in 1945. The diary remained in the doctor’s possession for more than a half-century, until after her death, when her granddaughter brought it to be published in San Francisco. Students in grades 9 and 10 read the diary of Hillel Seidman, an archivist of the Warsaw kehilla (community), who was a researcher and author. His diary spans from July 1942 to April 1943, and provides a firsthand account of the Warsaw Ghetto’s last days. The diary was seized by the Gestapo, then rescued and hidden in a cellar where it was finally unearthed at the end of the war. Students in grades 11 and 12 read the diary of Chaim Yitzchok Wolgelernter, a Torah scholar, businessman, and young father of two children. It

was written while he was in hiding from 1942 to 1944, and crafted as a memoir, with chapter titles and a table of contents. The author was killed just months before liberation, and the diary remained untouched in a drawer, unpublished until more than seventy years later. The KHEC museum will be opening its primary permanent location at 1561 50th Street, Brooklyn, New York, in 2017. The KHEC is the premier Holocaust institution in the world dedicated to telling the Orthodox Jewish story of the Holocaust. It has the largest collection of artifacts and documents from the observant world, which will be made available for scholarly research and public access. “We have already acquired a voluminous amount of artifacts and documents, and are continually working to build our collection so more initiatives such as this student contest can be made possible,” said Rabbi Sholom Friedmann, Director of the Kleinman Holocaust Education Center. The contest is sponsored by Meridian Capital Group, LLC, and additional sponsors include The Jewish Press, Israel Bookshop Publications, and The ArtScroll Library. About the Kleinman Holocaust Education Center The Kleinman Holocaust Education Center (KHEC) has its primary facility in Brooklyn, New York, with future annexes in Lakewood, New Jersey, and Jerusalem, as well as other exhibitions that are currently under development in a number of European countries. The KHEC is a museum dedicated to documenting the micro-histories of observant Jewish victims, and the role of faith, within the broader context of the annihilation of European Jewry. The KHEC fulfills its mission in service to the general public and students, through extensive educational programs, the permanent exhibition and archival collections

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MAY 12, 2016

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Worldwide Siyumim in America, England, France and Holland held by Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Additional Siyum locations include: Eretz Yisrael and South Africa By Chaim Gold

“Tonight’s siyum is special. It is a historic event,” said HaGaon HaRav Yeruchim Olshin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood. “Although we celebrate many siyumim, baruch Hashem a siyum by so many thousands upon thousands of Yidden on a chelek of Mishnah Berurah, having learned one daf after another on a daily basis is truly remarkable!” The Rosh Yeshiva then made a candid admission that deeply inspired the crowd of well over a thousand people. “I myself have enjoyed tremendous chizuk since joining the daily limud of Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha!” The Rosh Yeshiva’s heartfelt address was said at the National Siyum on Chelek Aleph of Mishnah Berurah in Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program held at the Ohel Rivka Hall in Passaic, NJ. The siyum attracted a large local crowd along with contingents from Brooklyn, Lakewood and even locales as far as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Scranton and Philadelphia. The National Siyum in Passaic was one of many worldwide siyumim celebrating the completion of Chelek Aleph including numerous siyumim in Eretz Yisrael, the most prominent of which was attended by the venerated senior Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, shlita; the United Kingdom siyum held in Gateshead, England; siyumim in Paris, France, and Amsterdam, Holland. A Personal Guarantee At the outset of his remarks, Rav Frand paid deference to Dirshu’s Nasi, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, commenting that the title Nasi is “Somewhat of a misnomer. The more appropriate appellation would be ‘revolutionary’, because he has made a revolution in Klal Yisrael. He is truly the revolutionary Torah personality of our generation!” Rav Frand pointed out that “although a siyum is made to celebrate past accomplishments, this siyum is as much about the future as it is about the past. It is not only about the tremendous feat of completing Chelek

Aleph of Mishnah Berurah but it is also about looking forward to what we can accomplish in the future. When making a siyum one is declaring that he has tasted the sweetness of Torah and is enthused to go further. This is the essence of a siyum, to inspire us

“Achdus,” he thundered, “is the antidote to this aveirah. Dirshu brings together all of Klal Yisrael through Torah learning! It is a tremendous zechus for our kehillah to have a chelek in this siyum!” Rav Shmuel Choeuka, Rav of

Festive dancing at the Dirshu Siyum

to do more. Rav Yeruchim Olshin, Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood, cited the Mishnah Berurah that “Although every word of limud haTorah is pivotal there is special importance to learning practical halacha that one can implement into daily life. Therefore, today’s Yom Tov is really a special Yom Tov that calls for a celebration of all of Klal Yisrael. It is a Yom Tov that not only celebrates increased Torah learning but also increased Torah learning of practical halacha!” In his powerful, prescient remarks at the siyum, Rav Dovid Hofstedter remarked about the tremendous zechus it had been to visit HaGaon HaRav Meir Stern, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Passaic Yeshiva, a yeshiva which has served as a springboard for the remarkable spiritual growth of Passaic as an ihr v’eim b’Yisrael! Rav Dovid hailed the profound achdus in Klal Yisrael that Daf HaYomi B’Halacha facilitates as Yidden spanning the entire spectrum of Torah observant Jewry join daily to learn the same daf of Mishnah Berurah. Rav Yonnason Sacks, shlita, Rav of the Agudas Yisrael of Passaic, represented the Rabbanim of Passaic. In his powerful address, he spoke about the greatness of the period between Pesach and Shavuos which the Ramban compares to a Chol Hamoed. Simultaneously, it is a period marred by mourning the passing of the talmidei Rabbi Akiva.

HaRav Yissocher Frand Keynote Speaker at the Dirshu Passaic Siyum

Congregation Ohel Simcha of Deal, was honored with making the siyum. Massive Citywide Siyum in Gateshead, England One of the most invigorating siyumim on Chelek Aleph was held in Gateshead, England. Over 600 people led by virtually every one of Gateshead’s Rabbanim packed the largest communal hall to celebrate the siyum. Powerful drashos were delivered by HaGaon HaRav Shraga Feivel Zimmerman, shlita, Rav of Gateshead, HaGaon HaRav Pesach Eliyahu Falk, renowned posek and mechaber sefarim, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi Dirshu and the special guest speaker, Rav Aharon Lopiansky, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. Rav Falk related a vort in the name of Rav Yitzchok Hutner that, “The word modeh can mean both recognition and thanks. A person must first recognize the magnitude of the favor done for him. Only then can he properly give thanks for it. Indeed, the reason the entire congregation says Modim D’Rabbanan during chazaras hashatz is because when it comes to expressing thanks one can’t be yotzeh with someone else. One must express it himself! Similarly,” exclaimed Rav Falk, “we have come out en masse because we recognize Dirshu and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha’s pivotal role in

facilitating limud haTorah and yedias halacha.” Amsterdam and Paris Daf HaYomi B’Halacha has also become very popular in Amsterdam, Holland. Rav Dovid Hofstedter and other senior members of Dirshu’s hanhala visited the kehillah injecting it with profound chizuk. They met with Rav Segal, who gives three Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiurim daily in three different locales. The hanhala of Dirshu was amazed by the diversity of the attendees. Another deeply inspiring moment was the visit to the local frum school. The 6th, 7th and 8th grades are all learning Daf HaYomi B’Halacha in class as their halachic limud. Providentially, the hanhala of Dirshu arrived during the halacha period and had the privilege of seeing the talmidim learning and absorbing the daily limud. There was also a stimulating siyum in Paris, held at Rav Frankfurter’s shul. Drashos were given by Rav Mordechai Rottenberg and Rav Toledano. Chizuk from Members of American Nesius In honor of the completion of Chelek Aleph, Rav Hofstedter met with members of the American Nesius of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha to hear divrei chizuk. He met with the Skulener Rebbe, shlita, HaGaon HaRav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, shlita and HaGaon HaRav Yeruchim Olshin, shlita. The Skulener Rebbe blessed Rav Hofstedter that he should merit to bring all of his plans to increase Torah, to fruition. “The world is full of darkness but you are bringing light into the world,” the Rebbe said emotionally. As Daf HaYomi B’Halacha embarks on Chelek Beis, thousands upon thousands are embarking on transformation, as Rav Frand exclaimed, “When you learn the halachos of brachos and the other myriad halachos in Chelek Beis I can guarantee you will never be the same!”

Yesodei HaTorah of Baltimore presents…

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch

Chumash with Rashi

Tues., 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Thurs., 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Starting May 24th

Starting May 26th

The “Kitzur” is written in a clear style with simple Hebrew allowing one to gain reading fluency while learning practical, everyday Halachah.*

The most basic learning skill is the ability to read, translate and understand the Chumash according to Rashi’s essential commentary.*

Rabbi Aryeh Goetz

For more information and to register: Call Rabbi Tzvi Goode at 443-660-7008, or email yesodeihatorah@gmail.com

*Each class is split in two: the first half is for instruction; for the second half each student will be matched with a chavrusa-mentor to practice his reading.

If you are able to mentor please contact us. OPEN YOURSELF TO THE WORLD OF TORAH LEARNING Full schedule of classes at: www.yesodeihatorah.org.

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Classes held at Etz Chaim Center, 3702 Fords Lane, Baltimore, MD 21215

Rabbi Yair Friedman

MAY 12, 2016

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Two Fundamental Skills-Building Classes

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I Can Rise: A Message To Those Who Look Normal The Chai Lifeline Mid-Atlantic Region would like you to meet Moishe. An inspiring and incredibly insightful teenager, Moishe wrote this fantastic poem as a reflection of the reality of his life. A legend in the Chai Lifeline universes and a veteran of Camp Smcha Special, Moishe is one of the many awe-some children who attend Chai Lifeline’s internationally acclaimed program each summer. I Can Rise I try so hard to rise from the dust. Because I know that rising above is a must. But it’s so hard to fight all my wars. It’s so hard to finally soar. When people dub me “the kid in the chair” And the title just sticks. Every day, everywhere. Is it because of my unclear voice? It’s not my fault! It’s not my choice! I really don’t want to live my life With this horrible title cutting me like a knife. I really can’t stand when I ‘win’ every game! You think you should let me ‘win’ while you take the blame??? I don’t need your A plusses for the work I didn’t do. I want to be treated exactly like you! Now here is the bombshell. Here is the shock. I love the way I am. It totally rocks. I mean, you’re definitely right.

There ARE bumps in the road. But I have something to share. It’s a secret code For rising above every day of your life. And finding your chances to soar to new heights. My secret involves just looking around. And finding a way for your growth to resound. It’s just realizing that those around you are wrong. When they say there’s no meaning or truth to your life’s song Of determination, will, and happiness And feeling a need to fill the world’s emptiness. I realized that were it not for you, My inner light would never have been able to shine through. Because you claimed I couldn’t hold on for too long, I vowed to keep my grip and stay strong. So, now I can soar. I can reach for the skies. Now I can tell my peers... “I Can Rise.” Hello. I hope you have read my poem and that you were inspired by it. This poem tells the story of my life. It tells the message that I want to spread to the world. Before Walt Disney became fa-

mous, he worked for a local newspaper, creating comics. He was fired from his job with the excuse that he was lacking a good imagination and that his comics were unoriginal. Walt Disney grew up to be the leading figure in cartooning and animation. Walt Disney believed in himself. Michael Jordan was kicked out of his high school’s basketball team as a teen. They claimed that he had no skill for the sport. After being kicked out, Michael walked home and locked himself in his room for five hours which he spent crying on his bed. When he walked out of that room, he was a different person. He was a man. He was a man who realized that noone could tell him what his dreams were and how to fulfill them. He was someone who knew that, when someone told him that he was a failure and that he wouldn’t be able to succeed in life, they were wrong. He knew that he could succeed. He knew that all he had to do was believe in himself. We now know Michael Jordan as one of the best basketball players out there. There was a time when I had big dreams about my future. I dreamt of being this kind of celebrity or that kind. I dreamt of making a difference. But I was never treated normally. People only saw me for my exterior. My wheelchair and my breathing machine blinded them. They could not see the real me. They could not see that I was just like everyone else. They didn’t believe in me. They didn’t see that I was

friendly, charismatic, and funny. I was normal. I was in seventh grade when I fell into depression. I believed them. I believed that I was nothing but my exterior. I no longer believed that I would be an asset to the world. I believed that my life was just an existence and nothing more than that. But then I opened my eyes. To this day, I continue to thank God for that morning when I woke up and realized that the world was wrong. They were wrong! I could succeed in life. I could grow up to lead the most successful life anyone has ever led. It didn’t matter what people said. Noone can tell me that I am a failure and that I will never be able to succeed in life. They are wrong. I am a fighter. I am the best person I can be. I can rise above all the pain and use it to build myself into a stronger person. I can do anything. I vowed that, from that moment on, I would try as hard as I could to spread this message. I would make it my business to show the world how much one can achieve when he believes in himself. I would commit myself to telling the world never to let others tell you that you are a failure and nothing but an existence. Anyone can succeed. I am actually grateful for all of my experiences because that is why I am where am now. Thank you for reading this. - Moishy Eisner

History In The Making - A First For Baltimore Have you ever wondered how a Sefer Torah is made? What about Tefillin? Have you ever had the opportunity to write with ink and quill on real parchment? Well, Sunday, May 22nd marks a first for Baltimore. In anticipation of the Hachnasas Sefer Torah in September in honor of Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer’s 30 years in Baltimore, the Jewish community is invited to an interactive experience for the entire family - - The Not Just A STa”M Event! This original event will feature unique experiences for all ages. Aside

from the food, carnival games, prizes, and petting zoo, there will also be lots of things to do and learn. Participants will be able to write with ink and quill on real parchment that they can take home with them, they can learn how Tefillin is made, and make a wooden Mezuzah. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to view leather in different stages as it is prepared for a Sefer Torah. At this event, a chupah for the Hachnasas Sefer Torah in September, will be created. This very same chupah will later be donated to The Kever Ra-

chel Hachnasas Kallah Fund in Israel for orphans, and those in need. Coming all the way from New York will be two puppet shows presented by A Small Wonder Jewish Puppet Theater. Show times are at 1:00 and 4:00. Arts and crafts projects will be on hand as well. From Torah flags with balloons for the younger crowd, to Torah sequin art for ages seven and older. Yes, even adults can participate in the arts and crafts projects! The festivities start at 12:00 pm and will run until 6:00 pm, at Bnos Yisroel

- 6300 Park Heights Avenue. Admission is $5 per person, $15 per family, and children under 2 are FREE! The Not Just A STa”M Event will not be an annual affair. Sunday, May 22nd will be the one and only day to enjoy this truly memorable experience, one of which the city of Baltimore has never seen. This event is sponsored by the Hachnasa Sefer Torah Committee in honor of Rav Hopfer, shlita. For more information, please call 410-466-2095.

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MAY 12, 2016

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Torah Thought Take a Healthy Bite Out of Life Rabbi Zvi Teichman

At the end of the last week’s Torah portion it detailed the physical intimate relationships we are prohibited from engaging in, prefacing it with the exhortation not to follow in these practices which were prevalent in the land of Egypt where we had formerly dwelled there. (VaYikra 18 3) In stark contrast, this week’s reading begins with the noble directive encouraging us, Kedoshim T’hiyu (ibid 19 2), You shall be holy! We find ourselves in a very similar predicament our ancestors found themselves in during this time period, post-Pesach and pre-Shavuos. Having just been snatched from the clutches of the decadence of Egypt, they find themselves on a fifty day trek, propelling them on a trajectory to the heights of Kedushah, sanctity, in becoming worthy to encounter the Divine Presence and receive His precious Torah. What is the secret formula that can transform a nation living among depravity to a life of enthused holiness in such a short time? The Midrash (Psikta Zutrasa) interprets the injunction, You shall be holy! , as commanding us to, Kadesh Atzmecha B’Muttar Lach, sanctify yourself in that which is permitted to you. This is generally understood to be encouraging us to refrain from indulging in pleasures or activities which are otherwise technically permitted but nevertheless detrimental if overdone. It may relate to gluttonous eating, self-indulgence or simply excessive talk, that although not strictly governed by halacha should be avoided. Often this self-restraint serves as a barrier, that if implemented will prevent us from crossing the lines of the law. It may also be a tool that make us less dependent on material needs allowing us to focus on our spiritual goals. The Holy Shelah however teaches us that there is something much more fundamental going on here. (Asara Maamoros Maamar Shevii) Each one of us finds ourselves challenged in our ability to carry out

the details of halacha we are expected to follow, by the different circumstances of our lives. The type of upbringing and environment we grew up with, the external cultural influences that are prevalent in the regions we live in, and the varied inherent character traits each of us are born with, each affect us very differently. What may be a basic necessity for one person might be a luxury for someone else. The Torah gave a baseline of observance we must each adhere to without exception. The Torah, however, realized that each one of us is capable of much more, but it would be impossible to write an individual Torah suited to each individual. It therefore placed upon us the responsibility of making that determination. Beyond the standard expectation, each one of us must figure out and extend the general directives of the Torah, applying it to entail even those areas not explicitly outlined. The guideline in how to exactly determine this is intimated in the instruction, Kadesh Atzmecha B’Muttar Lach, which translates literally into: sanctify yourself in that which is permitted to you, with the word, ‘B’Muttar’, meaning ‘which is permitted’. The Hebrew word Muttar, which means permitted, possess the same letters and root as the Hebrew word Mossar, meaning extra, superfluous or unnecessary. The Shelah instructs us to express the word as, B’Mossar, ‘which is unnecessary’, i.e. sanctify yourself in those areas that are ‘unnecessary’. The moment one discovers what ‘it’ is that one can live without, whatever item or need ‘it’ may be, is the moment one realizes what the Torah is actually prohibiting one from partaking from in accordance to one’s own unique circumstance and needs. When one indulges for example in food which is unneeded, one is eating ‘prohibited’ food. The underlying principle in this concept is the notion that every breath we take, every action we initiate, ev-

ery word we utter, is inspired by the unique ‘Torah’ we each received from the Giver of the Torah. A benevolent G-d doesn’t begrudge our ‘needs’ but desires for us a life that will be infused with healthy choices that resonate with purpose and meaning. We often feel constricted by the many details of halacha that govern even the manner in which we tie our shoes. Yet, when one realizes that the myriad of acts we must inevitably engage in during the course of a day, are imbued with significance, one can begin to live inspired and happy, free from the drudgery of mindless tasks. The device we can employ to pull ourselves out of the pit of instinct and uncontrollable urges is by living with a sense of heightened consciousness in everything we do, sloughing off the shackles of habit and impulse. The imperative to ‘be holy’ starts with a step by step process of discovering the mindlessness of so many of our activities and exchanging them for actions suffused with value and purpose. The Wicked Son asks, what is this service to you? The word to you, is often interpreted by the Talmud to emphasize, for all your personal needs. Perhaps this confused son is expressing his frustration over the notion that every detail of our daily life is governed by halacha. He feels constrained and imprisoned by the oppressive Code of Law that tells him even which leg to place in his pants first. He is deemed in the Hagaddah a Kofer B’Ikkar, a denier of a core belief. What tenet of faith is he actually rejecting? We believe that Torah min HaShamayim, Torah is from Heaven. This not only affirms the divine origin of Torah but more so the notion that the Torah speaks to each one of us directly and personally at any given moment. G-d speaks to us, through his Torah, with understanding, acceptance and love He prods us to develop into the

only creature free to choose and release oneself from the constraint of reflex and habit. This son is thus properly described as having ‘removed himself from the general mission’; because he denies the personal and significant relationship we each have with a G-d who fondly guides each one according to one’s ability. The father must assert, ‘because of this G-d acted for me!’ educating the child by displaying the joy of living each moment with import and inspiration. The blunting of his Sheinav, teeth, that we mention here, reflects on the teeth which can serve one of two purposes. The word Shein, in its literal sense alludes to the concept of shinui, change. A tooth is called a Shein since we utilize it to grind the material of this world making it digestible and satisfying to one’s own tastes. This serves as a metaphor for the partaking of all the takings of this world and transforming them to our needs. But one can also use those same incisors and flash them outwardly in a bright and radiant smile of purposeful happiness. The proverbial ‘white teeth’ G-d endowed us with that enables us to illuminate and brighten a world that is darkened by selfish indulgence. We can affect change by infusing each detail of our life with consciousness and purpose, distilling necessity from wasteful indulgence and giving meaning to everything we do. In these days of Sefiras HaOmer when we transition from the chains of bondage to the freedom and joy of a life of Torah and mitzvos, we must initiate a process of evaluating what we truly need, ridding ourselves from being enslaved to purposelessness and distraction. We must take a healthy bite out of life by sinking our teeth into each morsel, infusing it with the spirit of Torah.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 12, 2016

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Mrs. Reva Gold is nearing the end of a half century as a secretary at TA and has had a career and a life that has brought her more happiness and fulfillment than many of the richest and most famous people in the world.

Talmudical Academy of Baltimore Positions Available

Immediate Opening:

Receptionist/Administrative Assistant Email resume to slewis@talmudicalacademy.org

For the 2016-2017 School Year:

Preschool Morah - Rare Opportunity Email resume to brosen@talmudicalacademy.org

Elementary General Studies Teachers Email resume to elemoffice@talmudicalacademy.org

Elem. Special Ed. Teachers & Asst. Email resume to rdanziger@talmudicalacademy.org

Talmudical Academy invites qualified teachers with a college degree and experience to be a part of our stimulating, warm, and engaging educational environment.

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“How can I help you?” is Mrs. Gold’s modus operandi, and her greatest joy is in the act of giving to others. You will have much satisfaction if you see your role as a giver, rather than a taker. Dress For Success – Mrs. Gold comes to work every day dressed as if she is meeting the President, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Always look neat, put together, and welldressed. Not only will you be taken more seriously by those around you, but you will be more confident in your own abilities as well. The Little Stuff Matters – Nothing pleases Mrs. Gold more than giving Band-Aids or pretzels to a student who needs them, or taking care of any other small detail that may make their day a little better. Paying attention to the small details are often as important – or sometimes even more so – than the bigger things in life. Attitude Counts – You will always find Mrs. Gold upbeat, even when there are things not to be so happy about. Attitude affects your day, your effectiveness, and rubs off on those around you. Keep it positive. A negative attitude usually doesn’t fix the problem anyway. Arrive Early – Mrs. Gold is at her desk by 6:30 AM, ready to take on the day. Getting an early start is an effec-

tive way to get things done before the daily distractions kick in. Always With A Smile – You will always catch Mrs. Gold with a smile on her face. Hashem gave you a smile for a reason. Use it. Often. Humility Is The Greatest Tool – The most respected and listened to people around, are often the most humble. Although Mrs. Gold has been the glue that has held so many things together for almost 50 years, she never sees herself as having done anything grand or spectacular. As a leader and influencer, humility is your greatest tool for success. Mrs. Gold, you have taught us so much during your 50 years of service at Talmudical Academy. It is a privilege to be able to pay tribute to you at TA’s 99th Anniversary Banquet on June 5th.

MAY 12, 2016

She is at her desk bright and early every morning. She waits eagerly for “her boys” to arrive at TA, so that she can spring into action, and be the notso-behind-the-scenes secretary who has helped keep the Yeshiva together for so many years. Mrs. Reva Gold is nearing the end of a half century as a secretary at Talmudical Academy. She has watched thousands of talmidim come and go, and has been lucky enough to play a role in so many of their lives. She has had a career and a life that has brought her more happiness and fulfillment than many of the richest and most famous people in the world. She is beloved by TA alumni far and wide, and it is no wonder why. As I have watched her over the last few years, I have observed many things that I believe are the secrets to her happiness and her life’s success story. Are you looking to improve your relationships at home or at work? Are you looking to become more successful in your career? Are you striving each day to become a better person? Do you go through your day wanting to feel more fulfilled? Here are 10 little nuggets from Mrs. Gold that are sure to help us all be better, more successful people. Have Passion – Mrs. Gold has a passion for life, for her job, and for helping those around her. In life and at your job, you will have much greater success if you have – and show – your passion for it. Not only will you grow, but you will inspire those around you as well Love What You Do – It’s almost all she talks about. Mrs. Gold LOVES her job. It’s hard to come to work each day, and even harder to perform well, if you don’t love what you do. Do what you love, and love what you do. Keep it Simple – There is nothing fancy, nothing complicated. Just a simple commitment to getting the job done, one task at a time. Life doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Take one step at a time, focusing on the task at hand. Give More Than You Take –

BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Mrs. Gold of TA

By: Rabbi Yaacov Cohen, Executive Director at TA

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MAY 12, 2016

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Jeff Cohen game comes to a stop as people realize you’re about to do something great. To what do you attribute your amazing success? Is it natural-born ability or is it that you work so hard at the game? Jeff: It must be family genes

1. When did you move to Baltimore? 1978

Before we get started, a long time reader, first time writer Chaim Spero would like to submit the first question for this weeks 613 interviewee Jeff Cohen: Chaim: Everyone raves about your amazing athletic ability on the Baseball field. Whether it’s hitting or Fielding they say that the

2. How has Baltimore change since then? I have personally seen Baltimore grow and flourish, from the numbers and neighborhoods, to schools, Shuls, and Restaurants. 3. Which schools did you go to? TA, Ner Yisrael, Univ of Baltimore 4. Where do you Daven? Kol Torah, R’ Berger’s Shul

6. How do you cope with tax seasons that coincide with Pesach? It is not easy, but my wife makes it easier at home and just staying ahead of things with clients. Also, making sure that they know what my availability will be. Once in a while (like this year) Pesach falls after 4/15 and I can really feel “free.” 7. What is the name of your firm and where are you located? Katz|Cohen, Pikesville in the old firehouse. 8. What advice would you give to those thinking of becoming an accountant? I would say to do your due diligence. As with any career there are

upsides and downsides and knowledge is always the key. There are also many different types of accountants so while I practice in public accounting, there is also the private sector which means working for a company. Besides taxes there is also auditing. Understanding the different aspects would help someone decide which path they want to take. 9. What does the average day look like for Jeff Cohen? There really is no average day. The biggest misconception is that accountants sit and look at numbers all day. I am on the phone with clients discussing various issues quite often, I attend many meetings whether for business or marketing purposes, I work on all types of tax returns, deal with staff in the office, etc. One constant is definitely coffee! Jeff Cohen can be reached by emailing him at jeff@katzcohen.com or calling him at 410-480-4900

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Now back to our previously scheduled interview:

5. What led to your decision to become a CPA? My parents and deciding it would be a great way to make a living. I also enjoy helping people and assisting businesses grow and prosper.

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Pizza and Politics

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MAY 12, 2016

BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn Every year on Motzaei Pesach,Tov Pizza is the first destination for many families who can’t wait for that first slice of delicious Chametz Pizza after Yom Tov. Last night was no different. Well, it was slightly different. Tov’s patient customers –the line was extremely long – had the opportunity to be thanked by Baltimore City’s Democratic Mayoral Nominee Senator Catherine Pugh and 5th District Baltimore City Councilman-nominee Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer both of whom took time out of their hectic schedules to come to the restaurant and thank the many members of Baltimore’s Jewish community who supported them in their recent victories.

Getting The Right Start for Financial Health Mesila of Baltimore can Help… for FREE! By Mesila Staff

Mesila of Baltimore has launched a FREE financial awareness program. The workshop offers attendees information about both the theory and practice of financial management.

families have made significant detrimental decisions early on and/or have poor financial habits. Such families’ financial situations cannot be easily reversed through the counseling process. Mesila is refocusing on education to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place. The prevention strategy will still use family counseling as a mode of support, but the hope is that providing education and building awareness early on will ameliorate the severity of financial challenges faced by growing families.

A Prevention Strategy

Content of the Workshops

Mesila is refocusing its efforts towards a prevention strategy, that is, to educate young people and families to become financially literate and well-functioning so that financial challenges can be anticipated and managed, instead of having them sneak up and overwhelm families.

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Mesila’s mission is to educate and support financial literacy in the community. In order to manage financially, individuals and families need to be financially literate and to make choices that produce a financially balanced life.

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

Financial Workshop

Historically, Mesila of Baltimore primarily provided counseling services to families to support their financial health. In many cases, families turned to Mesila only after their financial situations became challenging or even crushing. While Mesila counseling is able to assist many families, some

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“The Importance of Financial Knowledge and Management” will be presented by Josh Hurewitz. He will list and explain Mesila’s key guidelines for financial health. “How to Talk about Money without Arguing” by Mayer Solomon, LCSW-C, a family and couples therapist. He will explain why money is hard to discuss as well as the differences between the content and the emotions of a discussion. He will also provide some ideas for healthy communication regarding money manage-

Good versus Bad debt

ment. •

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Attendees will walk through the nuts-and-bolts process of capturing their current budget with Josh Hurewitz, a Mesila counselor. He will explain that the budget forms that people complete prior to coming to the second session is the first step of the counseling process, where people start to gain an awareness of their current budget situation. In addition, couples/individuals will have the opportunity to sit down with a Mesila counselor to privately discuss some family-specific issues and to better understand how to establish their own personalized budget.

Mesila’s goal is to have the workshops start the process of financial awareness, and in some cases introduce the notion of financial counseling. Among the topics discussed either in public or in individual sessions are: •

Communication is hard, especially about money

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Credit cards: rules-of-thumb for

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Using cash versus using a debit card

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The difference between being able to pay for X versus being able to afford X

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The gap between a balanced budget and available cash

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The mechanics of establishing a budget and using it as a valuable tool going forward

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Financial effects of moving from apartment dweller to homeowner

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Tracking money: tools and mindsets

Please sign up for our next FREE twopart Mesila Workshop which will be held on May 15, 2016 and May 22, 2016 at 7:30pm, Mercaz Torah U’Tfillah at 6500 Baythorne Road. To register or to get more information contact: Nisa Felps at 410.800.2390 or email mesilabaltimoreclass@gmail.com. Free babysitting available during the workshop. Reservations for babysitting is required.

[Add More Great Info Here!]

A FREE TWO PART SEMINAR

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PRESENTS:

ND 22

A FREE two-part Mesila seminar to help you acquire the skills to manage a financially balanced life.

MAY 15TH: PART I Practical Guidelines for Financial Stability – by Josh Hurewitz

MAY 22ND: PART II Nuts and Bolts Budgeting Workshop – Lead by Josh Hurewitz Participants complete a budget form and then practical stepby-step of budgeting is discussed. Mesila counselors will be available to have individualized, confidential discussions at the end of the session.

-Seminar Participant

LOCATION: Mercaz Torah U’Tfillah 6500 Baythorne Road Baltimore, MD 21209 Time: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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Around the

Community

Rav Yitzchok Sternhell’s 36th Yahrtzeit The 28th of Nissan marked the 36th yahrzteit of Hagon Harav Yitzchok Sternhell, the founder of Shearis Hapleita (which, after his petirah, was renamed Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok / Torah Institute of Baltimore). In honor of the yahrtzeit, Rabbi Boruch Brull, Executive Director of Ahavas Yisrael, shared divrei zikoron with the Cheder’s Middle School talmidim on Rosh Chodesh as they enjoyed their special breakfast. Rabbi Brull began by impressing upon the talmidim the selfless devotion with which Rav Sternhell established the Cheder over 60 years ago, in the wake of the Holocaust. Rav Sternhell, himself a Holocaust survivor, was a tremendous gadol baTorah, but never felt that it was below

his dignity to go door to door raising funds for the Cheder. The Cheder was of utmost importance to him, and he would do anything to make sure that the Torah education of tinnokos shel beis rabban was properly funded. The tireless dedication of this indefatigable talmid chacham inspired many baalei batim to roll up their own sleeves and get involved in building the Cheder. One recollection that stands out in Rabbi Brull’s memory is that of a small room in in Rav Sternhell’s apartment, which was located above his shul. The simple apartment was short on living space, but there was one room that was literally covered in sefarim, from floor to ceiling. Despite the sea of sefarim, Rav Sternhell knew where each

one could be found. What’s more, they were all completely worn out! It was clear to any guest that Rav Stern-

hell was completely immersed in Torah and that Torah learning was what defined his life. Rabbi Brull stressed to the talmidim that their precious Cheder was founded through Rav Sternhell’s blood, sweat and tears. It is only because of his mesiras nefesh that Baltimore merited a Cheder that was built with the same aspirations for kedusha and tahara that were the hallmark of the pre-war chadarim of Europe. As the current talmidim enjoy topnotch chinuch in a beautiful building located on a spacious campus, we cannot forget the heroic efforts of Rav Sternhell, and the unbelievable siyata d’shmaya to which he was zoche in making this all possible. Yehi Zichro Boruch.

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J-Internship The highly successful J-Internships Program, which provides outstanding summer jobs for top college students from around the country coupled with Torah learning and and a broad Torah-true Jewish experience, is returning to Baltimore in June. The program, directed by Rabbi Zvi Schwartz, has been working to recruit students from top universities, including Berkeley, Cornell, Florida, Arizona, Boston University and Penn State, and to place them into exciting internships on Capitol Hill, Hopkins Medical, government science agencies, real estate companies and financial firms. But, more than the job and great practical experience gained, each participating student is engaged throughout the week learning oneon-one with a chavrusa, lectures from Torah and Jewish community leaders, and various social events designed to

introduce the young men to the community and to see the warmth and vibrancy of Jewish families. The 5 Shabbatons that J-Internships has planned in the Falstaff, Ranchleigh, Upper Park Heights and Beazer neighborhoods, promise to be a highlight of the Program, as Students work hard during the week and look forward to an inspiring Shabbos hosted by families, with animated Kabalas Shabbos, Oneg, Seudas Shlishis, Ha-

vdalah and Melva Malka. For many students it’s their first complete Shabbos experience. Testament to the impact that the J-Internship Program has comes from a student from last year’s inaugural program, who landed a full-time real estate position with a religious employer and commented, “This program is exactly what I was looking for. It gave me the tools to expand my knowledge of Judaism and Jewish

learning and provided an internship opportunity that helped me gain experience and further my career”.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 12, 2016

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Around the Celebrating School Choice and Quality Educators in Harrisburg

Community OCA Celebrates Earth Day

BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg was the site for the 15th annual celebration for the EITC - Education Improvement Tax Credit - program. Hundreds of nonpublic school students and teachers joined with government and education officials to celebrate the 15 years of scholarship tax credits helping countless families and schools, and to advocate for the continued expansion of the program to help even more families secure the most suitable education for their children. Coinciding with the EITC event was the annual PA CAPE (Pennsylvania state chapter of the Council for American Private Education) teach-

R-L, Rabbi Ariel Sadwin; PA State Senator Scott Wagner; Mrs. Shari Dym and Mrs. Rachel Zilbering, administrators at the Silver Academy of Harrisburg, PA

er awards luncheon. A distinguished group of educators and school administrators from nonpublic schools across the Commonwealth were chosen by a panel of judges and presented with awards for their dedication to ensuring the success of their students.

On Monday, the entire student body at Ohr Chadash Academy celebrated Earth Day. Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, where events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year. The students participated in 5 hands-on activities, including: making and throwing seed bombs, making a beanie baby necklace where the bean germinates from body heat, gardening in OCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden plots, making bio plastic, and playing a composting/recy-

cling game where the students learned about what items get composted, recycled or thrown in the trash. The weather was beautiful, which just added to the exciting day. The OCA staff and students have been working hard to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into their daily lives and classes throughout the year so it was extra special to further learn about and celebrate Earth Day. Additionally, Pearlstone Farm has chosen Ohr Chadash Academy as the Green School of the Year and the school will be accepting an award at Pearlstoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual meeting on May 4th.

What Season will it be for Seasons? BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

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Update: We are very sorry to delay the opening and thank you all for the continued interest. We are still working on bringing you an outstanding store. Although we still do not have an exact opening date, we have used the time to find some very talented people who know how to make some great food and bake some tasty pastries. Have a Great Shabbos and Shabbat Shalom.

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A New Era For Baltimore April 26, 2016 was no ordinary day in the 5th Council District of Baltimore City. While for some of the District it was the 4th day of Pesach, for others it was Election Day in Maryland for all the City’s residents. There were several very serious decisions to be made by the voters. From picking the primary’s candidates for US Senator to Mayor, the voters of Baltimore City were exercising their civic duty at the polls. One political race however, grabbed the imagination of the voters in Northwest Baltimore. Could a young, energetic, community activist take on the establishment? What were the chances of prevailing over a candidate that had the endorsement of unions and seasoned politicians? To the untrained eye probably a long shot at best. Besides the high energy campaign that became a movement, there was

one moment in the entire campaign that brought home the fact that the candidacy of Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer was not just another routine event. As the sun shone on the campaign workers supporting their candidates in front of Cross Country Elementa-

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ry School, campaigning was anything but routine. Children and young adults where chanting in loud exuberant voices Yitzy ‘s campaign mantra “we can do better”! A young boy had taken one of the Schleifer campaign posters and taped it to the handlebars of his bicycle. While another stood on the corner with a small bull horn chanting, “Vote for Schleifer”. Kids that usually wouldn’t even know what the City Council is, were spending a vacation day campaigning! At that moment it became clear that Yitzy Schleifer was no ordinary candidate! Turns out that the assembled kids wearing orange campaign shirts were on to something, something big. By the end of the day the rest of the City found out what these kids knew all along, that Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer would prevail over the field of the 6 other candidates by a solid 12% of the votes. For the first time since 1955 a member of the Orthodox Jewish Community would be the Democratic candidate in the general election for the 5th District City Council Seat. With no republican challenger in the general election, Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer is poised to replace Rochelle “Rikki” Spector, the longest serving elected official in the State’s history. Most people have no recollection of a City Council without Ms. Spector let alone with a member of the Orthodox Jewish Community. What the voters in the District saw was what Yitzy’ s friends and family have known for years. Yitzy is a can

do person, who puts the needs of others above his own and doesn’t take no for an answer. If one option doesn’t work, he will try another. He has uncanny ability to connect with people and build bridges where others have failed. The 5th District is diverse and while the Jewish community came out in strong support of their candidate, Yitzy had support of varying degree in all of the neighborhoods that he will now get the chance to represent. The primary winner commented, “As a homeowner, husband and a parent raising a family in the District, I saw the City at a crossroads, I have always wanted to serve my community and have been steadfast in my drive to be a member of the Baltimore City Council. It is the best way to be able to serve the District, and give back to the City I love.” Born at Sinai Hospital and bred in the District, Yitzy grew up watching his father serve the community as President of the Fallstaff Neighborhood Association. He became accustomed to volunteerism and community involvement, it was in his DNA. Yitzy exuberantly stated, “I am excited and honored to be part of the new wave of City Council members, dedicated to making Baltimore what it should be. A place families can thrive and feel safe. I want the rest of the world to see the Baltimore I see, a city with talent, potential, culture, tradition and energy. The best is yet to come, I can’t wait to fight for my constituents. There are so many opportunities available for our District. I look forward to taking advantage of those opportunities and making them available for all of the District’s constituents. From where I stand, the future is bright and looking brighter every day!” He closed his remarks by stating, “I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported my campaign and put their faith in my vision for Baltimore. I especially want to thank my opponents in the race and I thoroughly enjoyed the robust discourse over the issues. Now that the election is over, I look forward to working with all segments of the District. Now is the time for unity and progress.”

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 12, 2016

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 12, 2016

The Week The Week In News

U.S. and Venezuela Clash

The United States is being accused by Venezuela’s foreign minister of trying to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez has alleged that the U.S. used the secretary of the Organization of American States to try to engineer Venezuela’s suspension from the multinational organization. Rodriguez claims that the OAS’s discussion of whether or not to invoke its Democratic Charter against Venezuela was part of a campaign against Maduro, orchestrated by the United States and Venezuela’s opposition. “This is part of the ongoing and relentless aggression by the United States against Venezuela,” Rodriguez said at a special meeting. Rodriguez requested the meeting as the ambassadors of OAS’s member states began discussions on whether to suspend Venezuela over the treatment of its opposition. The

In News attack continued a drawn out feud that began last year when the Venezuelan government was accused of stifling political dissent, manipulating the media and blocking opposition leaders from running for office. For years, Venezuela has exercised disproportionate influence on the OAS, largely because many members receive subsidized oil under Venezuela’s Petrocaribe program. Maduro, a former foreign minister, has threatened that nations that oppose him could “go dry.” But as oil prices plummeted, the Petrocaribe program weakened. Maduro appears now to be trying to exercise what influence he has left to counter the effort. Allies quickly came to the Venezuelan government’s defense. Diego Pary, the Bolivian ambassador, encouraged Venezuela to continue its fight against imperialist powers. The Nicaraguan ambassador, Denis Mon-

cada, warned the OAS not to overstep its role of cooperation. “We see no moral standing for the intervention of any states,” Moncada said. Michael Fitzpatrick, interim permanent representative for the United States, said the U.S. government had grown increasingly concerned about Venezuela’s growing shortages of basic goods such as food and medicine and the limited space the government has allowed for opposition voices.

London Elects First Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan delivered a message to all Londoners upon being elected as mayor. He vowed to serve people

Renovations Additions New Construction

The Week

Canada Battles Extreme Forest Fire

As a violent forest fire rages through Canada, officials are preparing for the possibility of it spreading further and doubling in size. A mass evacuation of work camps north of Alberta’s main oil sands city of Fort McMurray were underway on Saturday. Thousands of residents were misplaced; later they were escorted by convoy past their properties and saw the devastation. Thankfully no deaths or injuries have been reported. Officials are highly concerned that the blaze could hit major oil sand mines and the neighboring province of Saskatchewan. Chad Morrison of Alberta Wildfire said the massive blaze in the province covered more than 156,000 hectares (385,476 acres) and could be 200,000 to 300,000 hectares (741,300 acres) because of high temperatures, dry conditions and high winds. That’s bigger than the five boroughs of New York City combined. Morrison predicts that they will be battling the fire in the region for months. “In no way is this fire under control,” Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said. Notley said about 12,000 evacuees have been airlifted from oil sands

68 Years Strong

The State of Israel is home to 8,522,000 people, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. Consid-

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

About 4,000 Cubans will be transported to Mexico in the next several months after Panama signed a deal to transfer the group of U.S.bound Cubans that have been stuck on its territory since March. “Panama will transfer some 3,800 Cubans to Mexico after an agreement with that country,” a Panamanian official announced. Daily flights carrying 154 Cubans began departing from Panama City’s international airport on Monday. The Cubans are responsible to pay the cost of the flight themselves. All flights are directed to Juarez, Mexico, a northern city close to the U.S. border. Panama is not the only Central American country that has blocked Cubans from entering; Costa Rica and Nicaragua have also closed their borders to Cubans. Earlier this year, Costa Rica arranged for thousands of Cuban immigrants to return to El Salvador and Mexico. In March, Panama sent back 1,300 Cubans to Juarez and at the time promised they would not repeat the same operation again. Since then, though, thousands of more potential immigrants arrived causing Panama to go back on its word. In the past, Panama’s foreign minister, Isabel De Saint Malo, called Costa Rica and Nicaragua’s position “contradictory.” Yet here she stands ordering the same operation. Malo

mine airfields over the past two days and about 7,000 have been evacuated in police escorted highway convoys. Oil sands mines are resistant to fires because they are cleared and have no vegetation, said Morrison. He said the sites also have very good industrial fire departments, and that the fire wasn’t expected to reach the oil sands mines north of Suncor. The fire and subsequent evacuation will be a blow to the already suffering economy due to the decrease in the price of oil. The Alberta oil sands have the third-largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Its employees mostly reside in Fort McMurray where some neighborhoods have been destroyed. More than 80,000 people have left Fort McMurray and 1,600 homes and buildings were torched. Gas has been turned off, the power grid is damaged and water is not drinkable. Officials said there is no estimated date yet as to when residents can return to the city, but the Alberta government has begun preliminary planning. Morrison said the best case scenario would be for colder temperatures and rainfall, which could prevent the fire from growing. On Monday, drizzle and favorable winds helped firefighters contain some of the fire.

MAY 12, 2016

“I’m determined to lead the most transparent, engaged and accessible administration London has ever seen,” said Khan, the son of Pakistani-born immigrants who became a civil rights lawyer and London’s first Muslim member of Parliament. Many leaders around the world reacted positively to Khan’s victory. In Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto, leader of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party and son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and rival opposition leader Imran Khan tweeted congratulations to Khan. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was looking forward to working with his “fellow affordable-housing advocate” while Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted that Khan’s “humanity [and] progressivism will benefit Londoners.” On Sunday, in his first official act in office, Khan attended a local Yom HaShoah event where thousands from the London community came together to commemorate the six million who lost their lives in the Holocaust.

Cubans Encounter Many Closed Doors

said her country now believes it has also become necessary for it to close off access to Cubans “to discourage the flow of migrants.” Most of the immigrants are en route to the U.S., although it is a risky journey since they are often denied entry to the U.S. if discovered.

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of all faiths, implying that his personal faith, Islam, would not get in the way of any of his decisions as the leader of one of Europe’s most influential cities. Khan celebrated his landslide election victory on Saturday in a ceremony at an Anglican cathedral accompanied by Christian and Jewish leaders. The new mayor was welcomed with a standing ovation as he pledged to be an approachable official for his city of 8.2 million. There are about one million residents in London who identify as Muslim.

In News

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 12, 2016

The Week In News ering that the nation only had 806,000 citizens when it was established in 1948, we’ve come a long way. In fact, according to estimates, there will be approximately 11.3 million Israelis by 2035. There are 6,377,000 Jews living in Israel (consisting of 74.8 percent of the population), 1,771,000 Arabs (20.8 percent), and 374,000 who describe themselves as other (non-Arab Christians, members of other religions, who make up 4.4 percent of the population). 75 percent of the Jews living in Israel were born in Israel, compared to only 35 percent when the state was established 68 years ago. Approximately 43 percent of Jews worldwide live in Israel. Back in 1948, only Tel Aviv-Jaffa had more than 100,000 residents. Today, there are 13 cities with more than 100,000 people, eight of them with over 200,000 residents: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv–Jaffa, Haifa, Rishon Lezion, Petah Tikva, Ashdod, Netanya, and Be’er Sheva.

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

Survey: More Americans Sympathetic to Palestinian Cause According to a new survey, sympathy for Palestinians among Americans is growing. The Pew Research Center also found that Democrats are more than four times as likely as Republicans to say they sympathize more with the Palestinians than with Israel. Sympathy for the Palestinians is up most sharply among the youngest American adults, growing threefold over the last decade. Twenty-seven percent of millennials say they are more sympathetic to the Palestinians than Israel; in 2006 the figure was 9 percent. Those favoring Israel has held steady at about 43 percent. The survey also shows one of the widest-ever gaps between the two main political parties when it comes

to the Middle East. While self-identified Democrats are more likely to favor Israel over the Palestinians (43 percent to 29 percent), they are far less sympathetic toward Israel than either Republicans or Independents. Among self-identified Republicans, 75 percent say they sympathize more with Israel compared to 7 percent sympathizing more for the Palestinians. Among Independents, the sympathies are 52 percent with Israel and 19 percent with the Palestinians.

More than 4,000 American adults were asked a range of questions about how they view the United States’ role in the world. Overall, 54 percent say they sympathize more with Israel and 19 percent sympathize more with the Palestinians, with 13 percent saying they sympathize with neither side and 3 percent with both. Compared to a similar survey conducted in July 2014, sympathy for Israel held steady while sympathy for the Palestinians jumped by one-third, to 19 percent today from 14 percent in the earlier survey. Supporters of Hillary Clinton are more likely to favor Israel over the Palestinians (47 percent to 27 percent), while backers of Sen. Bernie Sanders are more likely to favor the Palestinians (39 percent to 33 percent for Israel). On the Republican side, conservative Republicans favor Israel somewhat more than moderate and liberal Republicans do (79 percent vs. 65 percent). The survey shows older Americans overwhelmingly favoring Israel over the Palestinians by a 4-to-1 margin, and Gen-Xers sympathize with Israel by roughly a 3-to-1 margin. On other issues in the survey, 57 percent of respondents say they want America to deal with its own problems and let other countries sort out their problems on their own, while 37

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The Week percent say America should help other countries. Respondents identified ISIS as the top global threat facing America, followed by cyberattacks from other countries, the rapid spread of infectious diseases and refugees from the Middle East.

Is This Child’s Play? Child psychologists can tell you that a lot can be learned from watching children play: you can see their beliefs, their fears, and what’s important to them. In footage of a festival in Khan Younis that surfaced last week, Gazan children practiced acts of terror against Israelis and Jews in an annual play.

soldier via a terror tunnel. After this, the children simulate throwing rocks at praying haredi Jews, and confronting Israeli policemen with the phrase, “The young people of Jerusalem are staging a knife revolution!” Don’t you wonder what these children will grow up to be? In the play, a girl dressed as a veiled Palestinian woman pushes an Israeli “policeman” in defiance while weapons are trained on her, children throw stones at “policemen,” and young boys dressed in military fatigues emerge from a “tunnel” to take an “Israeli soldier” prisoner. A girl recites a poem in which she calls upon children to “die as a martyr, and blow up the enemies.” Later, little Gazan boys are seen simulating the abduction of an Israeli

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In News

Hamas Captive Spills Tunnel Secrets A recently apprehended member of Hamas has provided the Shin Bet with a lot of information on the Gaza-based terror group’s tunnel activities.

After being arrested in April while crossing the border fence into Israel armed with two knives, Mahmoud Atawnah, 29, disclosed during interrogation that he intended to kill the first Israeli — soldier or civilian — he encountered. As a member of Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Atawnah provided the Shin Bet with information on tunnel routes in northern Gaza,

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the group’s use of private homes and institutions to hide tunnel entries and transfer weapons, and details about the materials Hamas uses in excavations. Atawneh described the sophisticated network of tunnels which includes break rooms, showers and dining tables, and divulged a number of names of Hamas members who fought alongside him in the northern branch of the eastern brigade in Hamas’s armed wing. News of the arrest came hours after the Israeli military announced it found a second tunnel in as many months emerging from southern Gaza into Israeli territory. The tunnel, which is slated to be destroyed in the coming days, is 28 meters deep and was located just a few kilometers from where another tunnel was located and destroyed last month, the army said. Following the 50-day conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in summer 2014, Israel invested an estimated NIS 1 billion (approximately $250 million) in developing a detection system to locate such tunnels. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the initial discovery that Israel’s tunnel detection system was the first of its kind in the world, calling the find a “world breakthrough.” The army reportedly used such a system to discover the tunnel, though IDF officials stressed that technology was not the only aspect of the discovery operation, which also included extensive intelligence gathering and boots on the ground.

Borge Brende. Brende had promised during a debate in Norwegian parliament last week to put pressure on Abbas to stop using EU funds to pay the salaries. “In the meeting, I emphasized that this support program in which financial payments are increased the [longer] the prisoners serve time [in prison], is unacceptable and should be abolished,” Brende stated. “I emphasized that with the political and economic challenges that Palestinians now face, it is in their own best interest to abolish this program.” Abbas responded by “repeating assurances that Norwegian funds are not going to finance the program,” implying that the salary program is still up and operational. It was recently discovered that the PA has been scamming the world out of billions of donation dollars. In 2014, the PA claimed that it would not pay jailed terrorists their salaries and instead the payment would be made by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the body behind the PA that had its terror status removed in the 1994 Oslo Accords when the PA was created. Many groups warned that the PA’s announcement was a “ploy” meant to keep the aid pumping in. But nevertheless, the U.S. and EU member states took the PA at its word and kept forking over donations.

Abbas Admits to Paying Terrorists

In 2015, after it closed its Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs, the PA suddenly transferred more than double the amount it had moved over to the PLO in previous years, jumping from 294 million shekels in 2014 to 775 million shekels in 2015. The extra 481 million shekels in the 2015 transfer was nearly identical to the 442 million shekel budget previously allocated to the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs before it was closed. That extra funding

Mahmoud Abbas has now admitted that the Palestinian Authority (PA) still pays salaries to terrorists, despite multiple past public assurances it had stopped doing so. Abbas slipped about his organization supporting terrorists while meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister

The Week Ash, health division director at Maccabee Health Services and a professor at Ariel University, pointed out. “But as far as why survivors live longer on average, we have no explanation.”

A new study of Holocaust survivors living in Israel shows that their lifespan is 5 years longer than native-born Israelis. The long life is despite higher rates of high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, and other maladies among survivors. “The study shows that on average Holocaust survivors suffer more from chronic diseases than native-born Israelis, although the gap is not particularly large,” Professor Nachman

Over the past 70 years, multiple studies have examined trauma, de-

were overweight or obese, compared to 10,172 of the native-born Israelis. Kidney disease was also an area where survivors needed more treatment; 18,323 survivors suffered from renal failure, compared to 11,931 native-born Israelis. Despite the higher incidence of disease, survivors lived longer than native-born Israelis – 79.5 years, vs. 75.4 years. Speculating on the reason for this, Ash said that it was possible that their formative experiences had “toughened” survivors’ bodies and will to live. “We have no explanation for this phenomenon, but one could imagine that we are talking about individuals who, because they were able to survive in the wake of terrible suffering, are able to continue surviving when hit by disease,” he surmised.

MAY 12, 2016

Holocaust Survivors Living Longer Than Counterparts

pression, and other mental conditions that are known to plague Holocaust survivors. This study was meant to further look at “whether or not survivors suffered from more disease than non-survivors, based on their health records.” To do that, researchers examined the health records of 80,000 individuals (living and dead) born between 1919 and 1945. Half the study’s subjects were born in Palestine, and the others were born and lived in Europe, immigrating to Israel only after the Holocaust. The study took into account each patient’s complete medical history, regardless of when they contracted a disease or began suffering from a chronic condition. In almost all categories examined, the survivor group suffered more than the native-born Israelis. The most significant difference between the two groups involved those suffering from high blood pressure. Weight was a bigger problem for survivors; 13,143

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matched the amount of money the PLO would need to pay terrorist prisoners – indicating the source of the salaries is still the PA funds propped up by Western aid.

In News

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Don’t Call Him a Convict!

We’re told that we must respect people’s feelings – even if they are murderers and thieves. Last week, the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs announced it won’t be using the terms “felon” and “convict” when officials refer to individuals convicted of crimes, opting instead for less “disparaging labels,” Assistant Attorney General Karol Mason said. So how should we refer to them? The Office of Justice Programs said they plan to substitute terminology such as “person who committed a crime” and “individual who was incarcerated” in speeches and other communications as part of an effort to remove barriers that officials say hinder progress of those who re-enter society after completing their prison sentences. “I have come to believe that we have a responsibility to reduce not only the physical but also the psychological barriers to reintegration,” Mason wrote in a guest post for The Washington Post. “The labels we affix to those who have served time can drain their sense of self-worth and perpetuate a cycle of crime, the very thing reentry programs are designed to prevent.” The announcement follows a series of initiatives introduced as part of the Justice Department’s first National Reentry Week, through which law enforcement officials hope to reduce recidivism by changing features of the criminal justice system. A criminal record can prevent

people from obtaining employment, housing, higher education or credit, the Justice Department noted. “These often-crippling barriers can contribute to a cycle of incarceration that makes it difficult for even the most well-intentioned individuals to stay on the right path and stay out of the criminal justice system,” states the department’s Roadmap to Reentry Plan, which lays out steps the department plans to take to reduce recidivism. The new directive only applies within the Office of Justice Programs and not across the entire Justice Department. This is not the first time lawmakers have tiptoed around convicts’ feelings. In 2013 Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed an executive order that required city employees to use the term “returning citizen” when referring to a person who has been released from jail or prison. Over the course of National Reentry Week, the Obama administration announced a series of initiatives meant to support ex-offenders in the transition from prison. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch last week reached out to state governors to encourage them to allow prisoners to exchange prison identification cards for state-issued IDs once their sentences are completed. President Obama announced plans to prohibit federal agencies from asking applicants for government jobs about any criminal history until the final phase in the hiring process. Perhaps these offenders should have thought about these consequences before they began their life of crime.

Air Rage Hits the Skies First class passengers definitely get the star treatment on flights and they surely pay for it. Are you one to glance at them with envy as they recline in their wide leather recliners as you board the plane? Or

In News do you roll your eyes at the foolishness of spending triple the price to reach the same destination?

According to a new study, the class division on airplanes can have a real and occasionally dangerous effect on passengers in both sections of a plane. Researchers report that the mere existence of a first class cabin on an aircraft is associated with a high increase in the probability of an air rage incident in economy class, meaning that most of us are probably looking at first class passengers with resentment and a tinge of jealousy. The study, published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is based on data collected by an unnamed large international airline over several years and many thousands of flights. “These companies have a lot of fear about releasing this type of data to the public,” said lead study author Katherine DeCelles, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto. “People like to bash airlines whenever they can.” Air rage is actually pretty uncommon in general, but researchers found that on planes where economy class passengers pass through the luxurious first class area on their way to their designated area, the rate of air rage incidents is more than seven times higher than if there were no first class seats at all. Thankfully, air rage is not a trend. “The very definition of the air rage phenomenon is that it has to endanger the safety of the flight,” DeCelles said. “It has to be pretty extreme to warrant documentation.” On average, these air rage incidents occur in economy class just 1.58 times per 1,000 flights. DeCelles said incidents often involve an intoxicated passenger refusing to sit down, or a passenger who has just been told to turn off her phone

making a verbal threat to an in-flight worker. For first class, the number drops to just 0.14 per 1,000 flights. Although these incidents are less common than suspected, there are certain patterns. Other factors that impacted the commonality of incidents were how much legroom there was on the plane, how wide the seats were, and even how long a plane had been delayed. In other words, being uncomfortable can lead to a temper tantrum. The authors report that the presence of first class was associated with greater odds of air rage similar to the effect of a nine-hour, 29-minute flight delay, and when economy passengers boarded the plane from the front, rather than the middle, and had to eyeball the first class luxury they were missing, the chances of air rage was similar to the effect of a 15-hour flight delay. Even so, there may be other factors involved. “We don’t have a measure of how much alcohol people were drinking, that might have a bigger effect,” DeCelles pointed out. “Also, we would assume that the hotter the flight is, the more aggressive people will be, but we did not have temperature data.” So what should airlines be doing to help keep things calm? Closing the curtains between the two cabins may be an easy and simple step. “One time I was in economy and they were baking chocolate chip cookies for the first class passengers only,” DeCelles said. “The smell came back and that was hard. Just anything they can do operationally to reduce that type of feeling would be helpful.” Enjoy your complimentary water. I’ll be sipping my champagne…

Melting Down and Out: Trafficking Money Getting drugs into the United States is very difficult. Almost as hard,

The Week

bought in Los Angeles.

Paper or Plastic? It’s Going to Cost You As if kosher groceries aren’t ex-

pensive enough, a new bill has been passed that will incur an additional five cents charge for each plastic or paper bag you consume in New York City. The intention is to save trees and curb the use of petroleum products that can linger in landfills for centuries. In New York City, the Sanitation Department estimated that it collects about 10 billion disposable plastic bags each year.

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It has recently been revealed how U.S.-based members of imprisoned Mexican kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s Sinaloa cartel smuggled their money out of the country. According to court records, the cartel bought gold, had it melted down and sold, and then used fake invoices to transfer that money back to Mexico. Allegations in a federal court case in Chicago describe a scheme in which Sinaloa cartel members would have couriers retrieve drug proceeds, and then use that money to buy gold bars and other scrap pieces of the precious metal at Chicago-area jewelry stores. The suspects allegedly had hundreds of boxes of the metal shipped by FedEx to a Florida company between 2011 and 2014 — $98 million worth in total. Gold, once melted, is hard to track, and companies that deal with it don’t face the same regulations that banks do. The Florida company would keep 1% commission and forward the rest of the money to companies in Mexico. The suspected traffickers in Chicago would use forged invoices to make it seem like a Mexico-based company had sold the gold to the Florida company, which in turn justified sending the money from the gold sales back to Mexico. U.S. authorities became suspicious after noticing a spike in the amount of gold moving through Miami, where Lou Bock, a retired U.S. Homeland Security agent, pointed out that practically no jewelry is made. Americans spent more than $100 billion on drugs in 2010, and while much of that money stays in the U.S., law enforcement efforts — including increased anti-money laundering initiatives — make it hard for traffickers

to move their cash across U.S. borders. In addition to melting down gold and reselling it in the U.S., drug traffickers have also been known to buy precious metals and smuggle them, or the cash itself, out of the country in bulk — the same way they bring drugs in. Cartel operatives also rely on more mundane goods for laundering, like the bulk resale in Mexico of clothes

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though, is getting profits from selling drugs out of the U.S. Just ask El Chapo.

In News

The Week

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MAY 12, 2016

The City Council voted 28 to 20 on Thursday to require certain retailers to collect a fee on each carryout bag, paper or plastic, with some exceptions. Under the new legislation, restaurants and street vendors will not be forced to charge for the plastic bags they provide to customers. Other exemptions include: plastic bags used for produce, small paper medicine bags at pharmacies, bags used at state-regulated liquor stores, and bags used by soup kitchens. Those buying groceries with food stamps are also exempt from paying the fee. This new law, backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, comes after two years of discussion and at least one other attempt by the city’s elected officials to charge a fee or tax on disposable bags. Similar legislation is already active in other states like California and Washington, D.C. In other cities where similar fees have been introduced, there has been a dramatic decline in the use of plastic bags. De Blasio said during a recent radio interview that people “must stop using plastic bags, for the good of our environment. I think it’ll change the behavior quickly and not hit people’s pocketbooks in any meaningful way.” “The fee is irritating, which is precisely why it works,” said Councilman Brad Lander, a Brooklyn Democrat and, with Councilwoman Margaret Chin, a Manhattan Democrat, a main sponsor of the legislation. “We don’t want to pay it so we’ll bring bags instead. So the fact that it’s irritating irritates a lot of people.” There was much opposition to this bill – many protesting that the cost of living in NYC is already outrageously high. They expressed concerns that this is yet another deterrent for young people to settle in NYC. Additionally, many argued that the use of non-dis-

posable grocery bags is not a reality of the New York City lifestyle, with many spontaneously running errands on their way home from a busy work day. The bill will take effect in October of this year. You have until then to come up with another solution to dispose of your children’s dirty diapers.

Were We Duped into the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Many Americans are still fuming over the Iran nuclear deal that the Obama administration struck with the Iranian regime. There’s about to be some fuel added to that fire. A senior official in the Obama administration acknowledged that facts may have been embellished in order to present the public with a more moderate view of the Iranian regime to gain their support for the agreement. The revelation came in a profile of Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes writ-

ten by New York Times reporter David Samuels and published on Thursday. In the same article, former CIA head Leon Panetta wondered whether President Obama had been prepared to use military force to stop the development of an Iranian bomb; he doubts the same resolve exists today. In one particular example of how the public was manipulated, Samuels explained that Americans were told

In News that talks with Iran began in 2013, after the election of the seemingly more moderate Hassan Rouhani. But in fact negotiations were well underway in 2012. The main points of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action had been finalized prior to 2013 under the previous harsher Iranian presidency. It wasn’t until July 2015 that Iran and world powers officially signed the JCPOA, in which Tehran agreed to dismantle weapons producing elements of its nuclear program in return for the lifting of severe economic sanctions. Many conservatives and other world powers, including Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ferociously opposed the deal, which they felt was not strong enough in eliminating Iran’s ability to attain nuclear weapons. Rhodes described round-table discussions in which reconciliation with adversaries outplayed appeasing existing allies. “We can do things that challenge the conventional thinking that, you know, ‘AIPAC doesn’t like this,’ or ‘the Israeli government doesn’t like this,’ or ‘the Gulf countries don’t like it,’” Rhodes explained. “It’s the possibility of improved relations with adversaries. It’s nonproliferation.” Samuels, the author of the article, described the time period of the Iran deal as “largely manufactured for the purpose for selling the deal,” based on Rhodes’ testimony. “Even where the particulars of that story are true, the implications that readers and viewers are encouraged to take away from those particulars are often misleading or false,” he continued. The final proposal for an interim agreement that became the basis for JCPOA was completed in March 2013, three months before the “moderate” Rouhani took office as president. Obama, though, showed the altered version to the world, including when saying, in a July 14, 2015 speech, “Today, after two years of negotiations, the United States, together with our international partners, has

achieved something that decades of animosity has not.”

CIA Suspects Agent was Poisoned

There is a lot of speculation surrounding the abrupt mid-2011 departure of the CIA’s top man in Pakistan. Two months after Osama bin Laden was killed, Mark Kelton left due to “health concerns and his strained relationship with Islamabad.” U.S. officials have since revealed that the station chief was doubled over in pain when he left due to undiagnosed severe stomach problems. Multiple trips out of the country for treatment proved futile. The cause of his ailment was so mysterious, officials said, that both he and the agency began to suspect that he had been poisoned. While there is no solid proof, the CIA believes that Kelton’s sudden illness was somehow orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency, known as the ISI. In 2011, the United States’ relationship with Pakistan was extremely turbulent. The wary alliance was close to collapse when U.S. Navy SEALs descended on the al-Qaeda leader’s compound in Abbottabad. Even if the poisoning suspicion is groundless, the idea that the CIA and its station chief considered ISI capable of such an act suggests that the breakdown in trust was even worse than widely assumed. U.S. officials acknowledged that the CIA never saw proof that the 59-year-old Kelton was poisoned or confronted Pakistan with that charge. CIA spokesman Dean Boyd said that privacy considerations “limit what we can say about any individual cases…

The Week In News

James Bradley was blessed with an interesting father and he cashed in on it. He wrote a book about his father’s role as a Navy corpsman. In his bestselling book, Flags of Our Fathers, he highlighted his father’s involvement in the raising of the American flag over Iwo Jima.

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The Battle of Iwo Jima was a famous battle in which the U.S. Marines landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Flags of Our Fathers, first published in 2000, was on bestseller lists for nearly a year. It was later made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. But in an interview last Tuesday, Bradley admits he no longer believes his father was in the iconic photograph. Last week the Marine Corps announced

MAY 12, 2016

Who’s Really in that Iconic Photo?

that it had opened an inquiry into whether some of the six men thought to be in the image had been misidentified. Bradley said that although he maintains that his father, John Bradley, had participated in raising a flag on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945, he had not participated in a second flag-raising the same day, which is the moment depicted in the famous photograph. Bradley explained that his father had probably thought that the first flag-raising was the one that was captured in the photograph. Sadly all of the men identified in the photograph are deceased. Three of the men died fighting the Japanese on Iwo Jima; John Bradley died in 1994. Mr. Bradley said his initial suspicion that his father was not in the photograph came after studying evidence that was published in a 2014 story in The Omaha World-Herald. He said he had waited a year to examine the evidence in the newspaper article because he was working on a new book in Vietnam and then became ill. He did not come forward with his belief that his father was not in the photograph, he said, because there was little interest from the news media and the Marines. “It wasn’t top of mind,” Mr. Bradley related. “It wasn’t a priority… Now there’s interest in this and I’m talking about it. I didn’t have the energy to carry the water all by myself.” “Here is the true story behind the six flag raisers and the immortal photograph that came to symbolize the power and courage of America during World War II,” reads a summary on the back of a paperback edition of the book. “In Flags of Our Fathers, the son of one of the flag raisers captures the glory, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six ordinary boys who came together at a crucial moment in one of history’s bloodiest battles — and lifted the heart and spirit of a nation at war.” The photo was captured by Joe Rosenthal, a photographer for The Associated Press, on February 23, 1945. It was used for headlines throughout the nation and quickly became a symbol of patriotism and controversy. President Harry S. Truman used it to sell bonds

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but we have uncovered no evidence that Pakistani authorities poisoned a U.S. official serving in Pakistan.” Even so, current and former U.S. intelligence officials said that ISI has been linked to numerous plots against journalists, diplomats and other perceived adversaries and that the spy agency’s animosity toward Kelton was intense. Officials said the ISI chief at the time, Ahmed Shuja Pasha, routinely refused to speak with Kelton or even utter his name, referring to the dour CIA station chief as “the cadaver.”

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MAY 12, 2016

The Week to fund the war. Many questioned whether or not the photo had been staged. The iconic photo, though, was the inspiration for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, a statue in which six 32-foot-tall figures are depicted in the positions captured by Mr. Rosenthal. “Rosenthal’s photo captured a single moment in the 36-day battle during which more than 6,500 U.S. servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and it is representative of the more than 70,000 U.S. Marines, sailors, soldiers and Coast Guardsmen that took part in the battle,” said Maj. Clark Carpenter, a spokesman for the Marines. “We are humbled by the service and sacrifice of all who fought on Iwo Jima.”

In News governor’s office announced on social media that he and first lady Ann LePage “are very excited to welcome their newest addition to the family.”

Veto Goes Woof Republican Governor Paul LePage is known in Maine as the state’s all-time veto champion. And he’s proud of his moniker. Recently, the GOP governor named his new dog Veto. The Jack Russell terrier mix is new to the family; the LePage’s previous pup, Baxter, passed on in March. After adopting the new dog, the

The pet’s name might raise a few eyebrows, though. According to his spokesman, LePage chose the name Veto because his pet “is the mascot of good public policy, defender of the Maine people and protector of hardworking taxpayers from bad legislation.” Apparently, LePage sees himself as a legislator wearing a red cape. For now, the LePages are trying to train their new pup and may not appreciate if Veto vetoes their dog bed and opts instead for their antique chair. But hey, like owner, like pet, right?

Another You Feeling guilty that you can’t tend to your mom’s every need

The Week spring day, but for Franco, it’s even more wonderful. You see, the seventy-year-old is finally able to see after losing her sight 20 years ago.

been restricting blood flow to the part of the brain that controls vision.

bored throughout his four year tenure. Perhaps it was the dollar signs that kept him quiet. Hey, if they’re looking for a replacement, I’m available – and I’ll even take a slight pay cut.

The Bore Out

Mary Ann Franco opened up her eyes this morning and smiled at the sun peeking through her window. This sight is beautiful on a

After four years of being bored, Frederic Desnard finally quit. But instead of saying good riddance – or however they say it in French – the 44-year-old turned around and sued his former employer. It turns out that making $400,000 a year just wasn’t satisfying. According to Desnard, he was required to carry out tasks that were “too menial.” Subsequently, he was left feeling “depressed, destroyed and ashamed” and felt forced to resign. This case is the first ever legal claim in France for what its media has coined the term “bore out,” possibly the opposite of what we call “burn out.” According to Desnard, swiftly after he was hired as a manager at Interparfums – a perfume company in Paris – he found himself stripped of his responsibilities until he was left feeling like he “didn’t exist.” He told France’s BFM television: “I left for work each day with a desperate, sinking feeling. “Then when I arrived I would often break down in tears,” he continued. “But no one noticed because no one really cared whether I was there or not. I was left depressed and ashamed of being paid for doing nothing.” A lawyer for the firm pointed out that Desnard never mentioned being

Every dog has its day in this bar. A French beer company opened up a pop-up bar in London last week that was staffed entirely by dogs. Kronenbourg 1664’s Bar D’Alsace-tian was open just one day – May 6 – and featured Alsatian, also known as German Shepherds, serving the company’s beer to customers. The dogs wore small wooden barrels around their necks. When customers opened the barrels, they were able to pull out a cold one. “We’re absolutely delighted to be opening the doors on the world’s first bar staffed by dogs,” Kronenbourg 1664 brand director Ifeoma Dozie exulted. “It provides customers with a truly unique experience and is the ideal way for us to bring the ‘Alsace-tians’ to Kronenbourg fans.” The bark-tenders served the beer from custom lightweight barrels for free during two hour sessions. Bread and cheese were offered as well. Fancy a hair of the dog? Well, perhaps that’s a loaded question.

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Oh Say Can You See?

Franco gradually became blind after injuring her spine in a car accident in 1993. “I was fully blind – all I could see was blackness,” she told The Independent. Recently, Franco suffered a fall in her living room in her home in Florida. “My foot caught on a tile, and it flipped me. I hit my head in the back, and hit it on something else, maybe the fireplace,” she said. What may have seemed like a tragedy turned out to be her salvation. After the fall, which took place in August 2015, Franco was incapacitated and had to wear a neck brace until an operation a few weeks ago. Recovering from four hours of surgery in the hospital, Franco awakened from anesthesia and was amazed – she could see again! “I looked towards the foot of my bed and said, ‘Hey, lady in purple, get me something for pain.’ I was in so much pain, I wasn’t nice – and I’m always nice,” she said. “My niece said: ‘What did you say?’ and I realized I could see. They gave me more medication, and the next morning I could see all the trees, and white houses below from my small window on my side in hospital. “I was the happiest woman in the whole world. It was wonderful. Everyone came in and said: ‘You’re the miracle lady.’” So how had this miracle occurred? Doctors are stumped but they are thinking that an artery that was “unkinked” during surgery could have

MAY 12, 2016

A recent Groupon deal offered purchasers the opportunity to ship to their mother a 3-D printed replica of themselves. A son or daughter who doesn’t talk back? That’s priceless. Groupon, though, thinks that it’s something that money can buy. The price tag? A mere $30,000. Think about all the things your mom can do with a plastic, life-sized replica of you. She can drive in the carpool lane as she chats on the phone – no little pitchers listening in. She can jump out for the drycleaners as you sit in the “No Standing” zone. And she can urge you to clean your plate as she serves you “your favorite,” kasha varnishkes. So how does the process work? Buyers need to fly to Auburn, Alabama, to be scanned by Swigro, the 3-D printing lab in charge of constructing the model. Once scanned, it takes a few more weeks to post-process, construct and ship the human-sized model to your mother’s house. Won’t she be surprised when your alternate stops by? I’m sure she’ll be speechless – and so will you.

The Barktenders

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now that you’re in college or yeshiva overseas? Fret not. A new invention will give your mother nachas as she kisses your cheek.

In News

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MAY 12, 2016

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

TJH ?

Riddle me

that

this?

Centerfold !

You gotta be

kidding

A boy buys a fishing pole

Little Johnny stands alone on the baseball field at

that is 6 feet and 3 inches

home plate, throwing the ball up and taking swings at it.

long. As he goes to get on

But each time, the ball plops to the ground right in front

the bus, the driver stops

of him. Undaunted, the little fellow picks up the ball and

him. The driver tells him

tosses it in the air. Again, he takes a mighty swing, and

he can’t take anything lon-

ger than 6 feet onto the bus. The boy goes back into town, purchases one more thing, and the driver allows the boy on the bus. The boy did not break or even bend his fishing rod. What did the boy buy, and what did he do with it?

again the baseball thuds to the ground. A man watching this sad exhibition speaks up. “Not having much luck, are you, little man?” “What do you mean?” Johnny asks. “Well, I’ve been watching you for 15 minutes, and you haven’t hit one ball.” “Shows how good I am!” the boy snaps back with a wide grin. “I’m a pitcher!”

See answer on next page

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

So You Think You Can Hit a Knuckleball?

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

2. Who was the only player to hit a Major League home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week? a. Deion Sanders b. Bo Jackson c. Cliff Aberson d. Jim Thorpe

4. In 1998 two players “miraculously” broke Roger Maris’s long-standing and highly coveted record of 61 home runs. Who were they? a. Ken Griffey Jr. ( Mariners) and Alex Rodriguez (Rangers)

5. Only one decade did not have a 50 home run hitter since 1920 for the rest of the century. Which decade was it? a. 1960s b. 1980s c. 1940s d. 1930s 6. In 1993, for only the second time in Major League history, a player drove in 12 runs in a single game. Who was the player who did it in 1993? a. Juan Gonzalez (Rangers) b. Mark Whiten (Cardinals) c. Barry Bonds (Giants) d. Mike Schmidt (Phillies) 7. What position did the first National Leaguer to hit two grand slams in one game play? a. First baseman b. Second baseman c. Third Baseman d. Shortstop e. Left fielder f. Center fielder g. Right Fielder h. Catcher i. Pitcher

Answers 1. BOn May 4, 2007, Mets player Julio Franco became the oldest player ever to hit a home run at 48 years and 254 days old. 2. A 3. C 4. C 5. B 6. B- The first time was in 1925, when St. Louis Cardinal “Sunny Jim” Bottomley hit 2 homers, a double, and 3 singles, driving in 12 runs. Mark Whitten did it in 1996 by hitting 1 Grand Slam (1st inning); 2 three-run homers (6th and 7th innings); and a two-run homer (9th). 7. I- In 1966 Atlanta Braves’ pitcher Tony Cloninger drove in 9 runs in a 17-3 complete game victory over the Giants at Candlestick. Scorecard 6-7 correct: It is high, it is far…it’s a Bartolo Colon! 3-5 correct: If you played in the steroid era, you’d have done better. 0-2 correct: It took Bartolo until he was almost 43 years old to get his first home run. Never give up… One day you just might get one or two questions right in the TJH trivia.

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

3. The first player to ever hit 50 home runs in a season did it in 1920 by smashing 54, beating the old record of 29. Who was he? a. George Sisler b. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson c. Babe Ruth d. Cy Williams

b. Mark McGwire (Cardinals) and Barry Bonds (Giants) c. Mark McGwire (Cardinals) and Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs) d. Cecil Fielder (Tigers) and Jose Canseco (Oakland A’s)

MAY 12, 2016

1. Baseball history was made last Sunday night when Mets righthander Bartolo Colon became the oldest player ever — at 42 years, 349 days — to hit his first Major League home run. Who is the oldest Major League player ever to hit a home run? a. Nolan Ryan b. Julio Franco c. Pete Rose d. Omar Vizquel

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Home Run Trivia

Answer to riddle: He bought a 6 foot box and put the fishing rod in it diagonally.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes

MAY 12, 2016

“Say What?!”

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A report came out last week that members of ISIS are trying to fake doctor’s notes to get themselves out of front line duty. Imagine a member of ISIS calling in like, “Hey guys, I have actually got a bit of a cough and don’t think I can go to the suicide bombing today.” - James Corden

It’s weird to think that this organization, which is so dangerous, has employees who are just like, “Oh, Mondays.” – Ibid

There is a new trend in U.K. corporate policy where employees are being given paid time off so that they can acclimate a new pet to their home. They’re calling it “pawternity” leave… Paid time off for pets should not be a thing. Here is how that discussion should go: “Excuse me, boss, I want to get a new dog, but I will need a week off to bond with the animal.” And your boss goes, “Oh, OK, cool. You’re fired.”

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- James Corden

You don’t need a pet to get time off, you could also just move to Venezuela where the president announced today that they are moving to a two-day workweek. And this news is incredible because not only does a two-day workweek sound amazing, I now know one thing about Venezuela. A two-day workweek really does sound great because it makes for the perfect amount of office small talk. Like, day one: “How was your weekend?” Day two: “Any big plans for the weekend?” - Ibid.

Justice Ginsburg, I’m very, very, very sorry. - Noel Francisco, Esq. after accidentally referring to Justice Ginsburg as Justice O’Conner, who retired from the Supreme Court a decade ago

Donald Trump observed Cinco de Mayo. He posted this on Facebook, “Happy Cinco de Mayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!” There you go. All is forgiven. He even built a little wall around the Mexican salad so it doesn’t get on his American desk. - Jimmy Kimmel

We have less than 100 days to go until the summer Olympics. It’s less than 100 days until people at home in sweatpants eating potato chips are like, “I could do that.” - Jimmy Fallon

MORE QUOTES

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I sent myself down a downward spiral… Honestly, I felt like at one point I didn’t want to see another day. I felt like it should be over. – Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps talking about his battle with depression, in an interview on the Today Show

A company will make a life-size 3D printed model of yourself that you can send to your mom for $30,000. It’s a great way of telling your mom I’d rather spend $30,000 than visit you in person.

I apologize. Forgiveness is one of the greatest qualities that human beings have – is the quality of a compassionate leader. You have to be humble. You have to be compassionate. You have to love thy neighbor… I invite him to come to Mexico and to see what Mexico is all about. - Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, in a Breitbart News interview, apologizing for cursing out Trump several months ago

After speaking out against Donald Trump’s plan to build a border wall, former Mexican President Vicente Fox has invited Trump to Mexico as a peace offering. Fox was like, “When you land, just look for my driver, El Chapo.”

The way in which most Americans have heard the story of the Iran deal presented — that the Obama administration began seriously engaging with Iranian officials in 2013 in order to take advantage of a new political reality in Iran, which came about because of elections that brought moderates to power in that country — was largely manufactured for the purpose for selling the deal. - From a New York Times profile about Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, who boasted to the Times that he led the charge to spin the Iran deal in order to manipulate the public

We created an echo chamber. They were saying things that validated what we had given them to say. – Ben Rhodes explaining to the New York Times how he got naïve journalists to propagate the White House’s spin about the Iran deal

Can you state categorically that no senior official in this administration has ever lied publicly about any aspect of the Iran nuclear deal? - Kevin Corke, of Fox News, to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, in light of the claims made by Rhodes

- Ibid.

No. - Earnest’s response

I mean, it would be nice if the FBI moved it along. - Bernie Sanders’ wife, Jane, discussing the Hillary email investigation, in an interview on the Fox Business Network

That’s a pet peeve of mine. People who have been successful and don’t realize they’ve been lucky. That G-d may have blessed them; it wasn’t nothing you did. So don’t have an attitude. – President Obama addressing graduates at Howard University

Everybody is getting into the spirit for Mother’s Day, even Donald Trump, who tweeted: “Happy Mother’s Day! The best tuna casserole is made at Trump Tower Grill. I love mothers.” -Jimmy Fallon

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- Jimmy Fallon

Then Trump invited Vicente Fox to Trump Tower Grill to see what real Mexican food tastes like.

MAY 12, 2016

– Jimmy Fallon

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 12, 2016

46 Donald Trump is implying that Ted Cruz’s father had something to do with the Kennedy assassination. Even worse, Ted Cruz’s father had something to do with Ted Cruz.

A federal regulation is now requiring that airports serving over 10,000 passengers per year have an area in every terminal where pets can go to the bathroom. Or as it’s called in LaGuardia, all of LaGuardia. – Jimmy Fallon

– Conan O’Brien

Just before Cruz exited the race, Donald Trump implied that Ted Cruz’s dad may have been involved in the Kennedy assassination. This is very unlike Trump. Usually, he thoroughly investigates a story before repeating it to millions of people.

The backs of the United States government turned on them, while a health care crisis grows, a humanitarian crisis grows, the Zika crisis grows. By the way, brothers and sisters, do you think by any chance it could be because they’re people of color? - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio criticizing the U.S. for not bailing out Puerto Rico in a speech at Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in Harlem

– James Corden

Today in Indiana, Ted Cruz called Donald Trump “a pathological liar,” “a narcissist,” “utterly immoral,” and “a serial philanderer.” Then Cruz turned to Trump and said, “Teach me, Master!”

I may have underestimated the tone of how I was telling the jokes. - Comedian and Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore after his speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner fell flat

– Conan O’Brien

MORE QUOTES

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

I know people aren’t sure right now what a President Trump will be like. But things will be fine. I’m not running for president to make things unstable for the country.

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

— Donald Trump

Donald Trump said his vice presidential pick might be one of his presidential rivals. When asked which one, Trump said, “I haven’t decided yet if it’s the liar, the loser, or the fat pig.” – Conan O’Brien

This new policy statement replaces unnecessarily disparaging labels with terms like “person who committed a crime” and “individual who was incarcerated.” – From a Justice Department announcement that they will no longer use words like “felon” or “convict”

Trump had a big win. Indiana is a basketball state. He’s worried that if he spent too much time there, people might try to grab his orange head and try to dribble it. – Jimmy Kimmel

Health & F tness

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Acid Reflux Causes and Cures By Aliza Beer MS, RD

MAY 12, 2016

• Being pregnant • Taking certain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, specific muscle relaxers, or blood pressure medications What are the symptoms of acid reflux? • Heartburn: This is the most common symptom and is a burning pain or discomfort that may move from your stomach to your abdomen or chest, and even up to your throat. • Bloating • Bloody or black stools, or bloody vomiting • Dysphagia: A narrowing of the esophagus which creates the sensation of food being stuck in the throat • Hiccups that don’t let up • Nausea • Weight loss for no apparent reason • Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat In many cases, symptoms may be relieved by changing habits, diet, and lifestyle. The following steps may help reduce reflux: Don’t eat within three hours of bedtime. This allows your stomach to empty and acid production to de-

crease. Don’t lie down right after eating at any time of the day. Elevate the head of your bed 6 inches. Gravity helps prevent reflux. 1. Don’t eat large meals. Eating a lot of food at one time increases the amount of acid needed to digest it. Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. 2. Foods to avoid: Fatty or greasy foods, chocolate, coffee and tea (caffeinated and decaffeinated), mints or mint flavored food, spicy foods, citrus, tomatoes and tomato-based foods, onions, or garlic. These foods decrease the competence of the sphincter. 3. Avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol increases the likelihood that acid from your stomach will back up. 4. Stop smoking. Smoking weakens the sphincter and increases reflux. 5. Lose excess weight. Overweight and obese people are much more likely to have reflux than people of healthy weight. 6. Maintain good posture. This

helps food and acid pass through the stomach instead of backing up into the esophagus. 7. Have a little honey. Many people take honey to help relieve their heartburn symptoms. Unrefined, organic honey is very soothing for the esophagus and may help reduce burning pain. Honey helps adjust the body’s PH, neutralizing stomach acids. Try eating a teaspoon of raw honey before each meal and before bed. In most cases, making these lifestyle changes will result in a decrease or possible elimination of symptoms. Some cases, however, do require over the counter or prescription medication, or a more aggressive approach. As with any other medical/health issue, please speak with your doctor about symptoms and treatment options.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com.

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

eartburn, also known as gastric acid reflux disease, can result from several different scenarios. As we age, the muscle that separates the lower esophagus and the stomach, known as the sphincter, begins to relax, causing food and stomach acid to return to the esophagus. One common cause of acid reflux disease is a stomach abnormality called a hiatal hernia. This occurs when the sphincter and the upper part of the stomach move above the diaphragm, a muscle that separates your stomach from your chest. Normally, the diaphragm helps keep the acid in our stomach, but if you have a hiatal hernia, acid can move up into the esophagus and cause symptoms of acid reflux disease. These are other common risk factors for acid reflux disease: • Eating large meals or lying down right after a meal • Being overweight or obese • Eating a heavy meal and lying on your back or bending over at the waist • Snacking close to bedtime • Smoking

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MAY 12, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Rocky’s

Rant

The Search for Intelligent Life on Earth By Rocky Zweig

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MAY 12, 2016

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

The following is translated from the original vlorak, except for several words which are not. Captain Mzrikbot: Mother ship to Quog, Mother ship to Quog, come in please, Quog. Quog: Yes, I’m here, Captain Mzrikbot, sir. CM: Well, Quog, our time here is just about done. Have you come to any conclusions? Quog: Yes. Their produce is delicious! They have this thing called a banana? It’s just amaz… CM: No, dummy, I don’t care about their food! Do you have anything to report about your mission? Quog: My mission…my mission… Could you remind me? CM (exasperated): QUOG! You were supposed to determine if there’s intelligent life down there on Earth! Quog: Oh yeah. Right. CM: And? Quog: It’s complicated. CM: Complicated? How can it be complicated? Isn’t it a yes or no question? Quog: No. CM: No? Quog: No. CM: Explain, please.

Quog: There is intelligent life here, but not all over. There are pockets here and there, but mostly they’re pretty stupid. CM: Where did you land again? Quog: Right where we set the coordinates. A place called Washington, D.C. It was supposed to be where all the smart people were.

thing, but I was told he was too busy. CM: Did you use your disguise? Quog: Of course. I looked exactly like…wait…it’s here in my notes somewhere…okay, here it is…I used the “Al Sharpton” disguise, which was supposed to work without a hitch. CM: And you still couldn’t get in? What did they say he was busy doing?

Quog, have you been jordling the bailukost again?

CM: And? Quog: (giggles) CM: What’s that supposed to mean? Quog: It means there are some smart ones here, but the place is also full of crazy people and greedy people and just plain stupid people. CM: Isn’t that where their leader lives? Quog: Yes. CM: So did you at least go to see him? Quog: I tried but they wouldn’t let me in. They apologized and every-

Quog: The way they explained it, he was out on a field somewhere hitting a little white orb with a stick and trying to make it go into a hole. He was doing that over and over and over again. CM: And he’s their leader? Quog: Apparently many people think it’s better when he’s out hitting the orb. Things tend to run smoother somehow. CM: Weird. Okay, so tell me more about the discrepancies in their intellect. Quog: Well, they invent all kinds

of cool stuff, really high-tech, even by our standards. CM: Like what? Quog: Like brux nems. CM: They have brux nems? Quog: Yup. CM: Okay, I’m impressed. Quog: I mean you can’t fold them or insert them in your quantum clavicle, but you can carry on a conversation by talking into the mouth part and listening with the ear part, and they even have a rudimentary texting system. The truth is, they’re pretty neat little machines. CM: So what’s the problem? Quog: The brux nem unit is not the problem. The user is the problem. Here’s a conversation that was being texted between two young Earthlings that I picked up on my translinking lexifier: Seth: Yo. Brian: Bro. Seth: Waddup? Brian: Same ol, dude, u? Seth: Chillin. Brian: Yeah. Seth: Yo, got any beer? Brian: Nah. U? Seth: Dude, I keep gettin carded. Brian: Bummer.

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Seth: Right. Well, later, man.

Rocky Zweig has been writing since he was sixteen and was the Editor-in-Chief of the late and decidedly unlamented Modieinu, the mimeographed (remember mimeographs?) newspaper of the Tenth Avenue Pirchei of Boro Park, where he wrote everything from stories to news articles to hashkafa articles to... yes (now it can be told!)...letters to the editor. Rocky was sixteen a very long time ago. He is the proud father of three marginally neurotic children. He has been married three — count ‘em — three times and has finally determined that he’s probably not very good at matrimonial bliss. He lives in his Fortress of Solitude in Flatbush with a small menagerie: Clarice, a European Starling; Rabbi Horatio LeZard, a Bearded Dragon; an aquarium filled with Lake Malawi African Cichlids; and a ten gallon tank that functions as a Home for Unwanted Goldfish, or H.U.G., collected over the years by his grandkids and great nieces and nephews at myriad street fairs and carnivals (rather than face the unpleasant task of flushing these unfortunate piscine creatures when they are eventually, inevitably ignored by their own obnoxious progeny, the parents simply call Uncle Rocky who then feeds them and cares for them until their ultimate natural demise three or four or even ten years down the pike). So apparently Rocky seems to get along better with animals than with his fellow homo sapiens. Or sapienses. Or whatever. Rocky’s column will be appearing every other week in The Jewish Home. Rocky can be reached at anidaati@aol. com.

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

CM: Wait. What’s a Communist? Quog: Oh, only someone who believes in a system that doesn’t work that it took this place forty-five years to defeat. CM: Sheesh. So you said there are pockets of intelligence. What did you mean by that? Quog: I was just getting to that. Luckily, there’s this one group of people called Juice. CM: Juice? Quog: Yes, Juice. I don’t understand why either. CM: Doesn’t that translate as… Quog: Yrentzoo, yes. It means Yrenztoo. CM: So why are they named after… Quog: Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe because they’re always on the move, you know, liquid. I have no idea. CM: So tell me about the Juice. Quog: Well, there aren’t a lot of them, but they’re all over the place. There are large concentrations of them in New York and a place called… um…called Israel. And wherever they are, things tend to be better. They’re very smart, they study all the time, and they worship their Flahrnak with genuine sincerity. They have closeknit families and communities, and they invent stuff; most of the technological innovations Earth has made has been because of this tiny group of folks. They’re a humble, unassuming, happy people. CM: Wow! I’ll bet all the other Earthlings really love them and look up to them.

MAY 12, 2016

CM: Why in the name of Flahrnak would anyone want to harm someone else? Don’t they have morals? Ethics? Values? And never mind all that; don’t they have laws? Quog: Yes. But there are some really bad people down here. Some will kill you if you don’t believe what they believe. CM: But that’s insane! Quog: That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! And here’s something about their judgement: they’re in the process of electing a new leader. CM: What’s wrong with the old one? Quog: How much time do you have? CM: Well, I… Quog: Never mind. They’re electing a new one because the old one’s time is up. CM: So, I guess they’ve gathered their best and their brightest, huh? Quog: (giggles) CM: Would you stop with the giggling already? What’s so funny? Quog: Well, one would think that they would pick the best of the best, right? Well, I gotta tell you, if this pathetic bunch is the best they could come up with, I don’t know how much longer they’re gonna last. CM: Why, who did they come up with? Quog: Okay. One is an egomaniacal, narcissistic lunatic; one is a conniving, lying thief who’s never accomplished anything in her life; one is a Communist who’s so old he’s got maybe four or five synapses still firing in his…

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CM: Wait. What language is that? Quog: Like this. English. CM: But it’s mwembosio. Quog: In English that’s called gibberish. CM: But why? Quog: See, that’s what I mean. They seem to be capable of great things, but they waste their time and their minds on nonsense. They tend to walk around doing nothing. They go to ridiculous jobs, drive ridiculous vehicles, a lot of them don’t get along with their wives or kids, and spend their spare time watching a stupid video box instead of going outside and taking advantage of this stunningly beautiful planet. Earth is gorgeous, Captain, and not only do they not appreciate it, they foul it, pollute it, and take it completely for granted. It’s disgusting! CM: So what else do you have to report? Quog: Well, they come in different colors. CM: Get out! Quog: Yup. CM: That is so cool! Quog: Actually, it’s not cool at all. CM: Why not? Wouldn’t it be great if we weren’t all the same ugly shade of gray? Quog: Yeah, I’ve been trying to figure that out since I got here, but the different colors usually don’t get along. CM: But that’s ridiculous. Quog: See? That’s what I mean about questionable brainpower. CM: Boy are they dumb! Anything else? Quog: Um…lemme see; Oh yeah, I almost forgot. They kill each other. Kind of a lot. CM: Quog, have you been jordling the bailukost again? Quog: Sir, I keep telling you I don’t do that anymore. I went to meetings and everything! CM: Yeah, but this stuff is so hard to believe. Quog: Right? CM: What do you mean they kill each other? You mean like…permanently? On purpose? Quog: It’s always permanent down here, and it’s usually on purpose.

Quog: Um…no. Not even a little. CM: But you said… Quog: Yeah, I know. I don’t get it, either, but a lot of people hate them. Maybe they’re just jealous. Not long ago a guy tried to wipe them out completely and killed six million of them. CM: Quog? Quog: Captain? CM: Get back in your pod and get back up here pronto. Who knows? Maybe that delicious produce is tainted. Maybe it’s in the drinking water. You’re gonna have to be disinfected and debriefed as soon as you get back and… Quog: Captain? CM: Yes, Quog? Quog: I wear boxers. CM: GET UP HERE NOW!

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MAY 12, 2016

MAY 12, 2016 | The Jewish Home

Torah Thought

Parshas Kedoshim By Rabbi Berel Wein

he demands that the Torah imposes upon us with the large array of commandments that appear in this week’s Torah reading are major and taxing. Nevertheless we have a rule that the Torah never demands the impossible from human beings or of human behavior. As such, I feel that the true challenge implicit in the commandment to be a holy and dedicated person – the idea that is present in the opening words of this week’s Torah reading – is the fact that the

path that leads us to this holy and dedicated state of being are mundane in their nature. We would understand and perhaps even appreciate if the commandments were of an extraordinary measure of self-denial, asceticism or enforced isolation from human society. That is the picture that many of us have of a holy person, someone alone atop a mountain involved in a permanent state of meditation and purification. We are not accustomed to think

of holy people as being the people that we come in contact with on a daily basis in our life experience. We assigned the role of holiness and dedication to G-d to great Torah

Rabbi Elijah, who spent nearly every moment of his waking hours in the study of Torah, seemed to have little room for improvement in his spiritual life.

“Why don’t you go out and stand with the fishmonger in the marketplace of Vilna, in the real world of human interaction, of buying and selling, of temptation and honesty, and let us then see if you would truly be the Gaon of Vilna.”

scholars and other spiritual leaders. We do not think of the storekeeper, the bus driver or any of our service personnel as being obligated to be especially holy. But even a cursory review of this week’s Torah reading will show us that the nature of most of the commandments described concern themselves with everyday life and with regular and ordinary events. Holiness is viewed as not being an exalted state of being out of the reach of the average Jew but rather as a natural and necessary by-product of living a life of Torah observance. There is a legend concerning the great Maggid of Dubno, Rabbi Yaakov Kranz, and his relationship to Rabbi Elijah, the Gaon of Vilna. Rabbi Elijah invited the famed Maggid to visit him and to point out to him how he could improve himself in the service of his Creator.

However, the Maggid said to his host as follows: “You sit here in your study, surrounded by your books, immersed in Torah knowledge and therefore you are the great Gaon of Vilna. But, why don’t you go out and stand with the fishmonger in the marketplace of Vilna, in the real world of human interaction, of buying and selling, of temptation and honesty, and let us then see if you would truly be the Gaon of Vilna.” The legend then tells us that the great Rabbi Elijah wept when he heard this challenge of the Maggid. Holiness was to be found not only in the study room but it had to exist in the fish market as well. We are all bidden to be holy and to sanctify all aspects of our behavior and life and be worthy, at all times, of serving G-d in the proper manner. Shabbat shalom.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

Dear Navidaters,

MAY 12, 2016

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

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What Would You Do If…

Recently my aunt called me up and said that she wanted to set me up with a young woman whose family lives next door to her. My aunt has known this family for a long time and had only the nicest things to say about all of them. Specifically, she spoke to me about their oldest daughter named Rena and felt that the two of us had a lot in common and encouraged me to call her.

So I called Rena and asked her out for a date on a Sunday afternoon. When I went to pick her up, her father answered the door and later on Rena explained that her mother had to run out, but that when we returned from the date, she would love for me to meet her then. OK, a little unusual but I figured that if the date went well, I’d stop in again. If not, I’d make an excuse and move on.

So here’s the problem and my question. I found myself drawn to Rena’s younger sister Judy! Though I found Rena pleasant enough and easy to be around, Judy seemed to have something special about her that I felt very drawn to. The two sisters are 14 months apart in age and are both appropriately aged for me. After meeting Judy, I don’t want to go out with Rena again. But I would absolutely love to go out with Judy. What should I do? Something about this scenario feels strange to me and yet I only had one date with Rena. Should I act on my feelings and ask my aunt to speak to Judy or her parents or do I just move on altogether?

The feedback from our readers has been remarkable. In order to facilitate further discussion, you can now continue the conversation anonymously on our website. Every Sunday, we will upload the weekend’s most recent edition of What Would You Do If to the dating forum at thenavidaters.com. Join The Navidaters and your fellow TJH readers in a comprehensive dialogue with regard to dating, relationships and marriage. The forum will be moderated daily for everyone’s comfort and safety. See you there! Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise offer resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, but to 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.

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We went to Central Park and walked around a lot and had a pleasant time. By the time we got back to her house, we were both tired and thirsty and the offer to stop in, meet her mother and have a drink sounded good. They are a very friendly, laid back family. I wound up sitting around the den with the entire family for a while. It was Rena, her parents, her younger sister Judy, and younger brother. We all schmoozed and had a nice, comfortable time.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 12, 2016

The Panel

The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

t’s not a matter of feelings at this point. I believe it’s a matter of ethics. You committed to go out with Rena. Go out another two times and give her a fair chance. If that doesn’t go anywhere, see if your aunt suggests Judy. If not, bring it up directly. It will be her job to finesse this at their end. Your aunt may suggest waiting a little before she suggests it if none of Rena’s family members suggest it themselves. It would be more comfortable for everyone if the shadchan doesn’t immediately suggest it. Short term you need to give Rena and yourself a chance before jumping to dating Judy. Without you telling us what about Judy attracts you and

what you are looking for in a mate, I think that your approach to dating seems rather casual and superficial.

Rena gets married, perhaps Judy has a “darker” past or a less than pleasant temperament. In any event, only a heart-to-heart with Auntie will clear the air.

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A.

he answer to your heartfelt dilemma is clear: speak to your aunt. You have to believe that your aunt, neighbor to both Rena and Judy, set you up with Rena after careful, well-meaning consideration. She was spot-on about the lovely family (“only the nicest things to say”). She may be privy to other information. Perhaps Judy is dating someone else, perhaps the family has put a hold on Judy’s dating life until

The Dating Mentor Rochel Chafetz Educator/Mentor

es, I can see how this can feel like a dilemma to you. But I happen to know of some couples who are now married and in all three of these cases, the husband first went out with the sister of the woman they eventually got married to. But that’s not even the point. You have to ask yourself what it was that you liked in the younger sister. Was

This is what I refer to as a “crystal ball” situation. You are stopped in your tracks because you can’t predict the future.

it real or just some sort of infatuation? Also, you have to ask yourself if you would have continued to date the older sister had you not met the younger one. Either way, I think you need to step back, date other girls and then see if Judy is still on your mind. If she is – then you should call up your aunt and in a mature way explain to her that you’d like to go out with Judy.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Single Irit Moshe

irst of all, I wouldn’t call this situation “creepy,” but rather

sticky. This is where a shadchan can come in handy to help you maneuver through this delicate situation and help you be victorious in getting a chance to date Judy, depending on how Rena feels about you and the situation. Remember, you don’t want to hurt Rena, nor do you want to create any strife between the two sisters. I suggest you have your aunt inquire with Rena about the date and make sure you prepare

Do you often find yourself having FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)?

er or not she was available and willing to date you, since she is “age appropriate.” By having your aunt do the asking, it will seem as though it was her idea and not yours.

Pulling It All Together

MAY 12, 2016

her with your answers based on her responses. In other words, if Rena liked you and wants to go with you again, your aunt needs to be prepared to tell her that you didn’t really feel that you both were shayich for each other. At which point I encourage you to go out with a different girl from an entirely different family. However, if Rena also felt that you weren’t shayich for her, then have your aunt ask how she felt about her sister going out with you and w he t h -

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Remember, everything is bashert. And this too may wind up being a bashert situation. Let’s see where it takes you.

The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

analogy for simplicity’s sake), you then tried the “shirt” on for size and it was “nice enough” but on your way out of the dressing room, you eyed a spectacular shirt! The color, the fit, the fabric…you now need this shirt. The shirt you’re holding in your hand can’t compare. The panel gives some conflicting but all sound advice. I think that is because there is no one right answer in your situation. Sorry, but this isn’t a black and white situation. I think this one comes down to how you handle situations in your life in general. Are you a straight shooter, handling matters head on? In this situation, that would mean heading on over to your aunt who set you up and telling her about your interest in Judy. Or, do you find yourself waiting for the dust to settle, allowing yourself time to process and marinate, or maybe even ruminate? That would mean perhaps dating Rena a few more times to see if there’s something there, backing off altogether from both sisters, or not getting back to your aunt in a

being more serious than having a lighthearted, go with the flow nature. As a therapist, I really cannot tell you what to do. I do encourage you to think about what is holding you back, what you are afraid of, and really taking a good look at it… and ultimately being comfortable living with your decision. Good luck! Sincerely, Jennifer

Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed, clinical psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up an appointment, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. Jennifer is starting a Marriage Support Initiative for Women; an 8 week support group for married women to celebrate the positive aspects of their marriages and delve into the more private corners of marriage. Difficulties in a marriage can feel isolating. Come find support and make friends. For more information, reach her at the above phone number.

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his could go so many ways. Watch: “Two sisters, guy comes between them. The sisters never speak again.” Or, “Isn’t life funny? I went out with this guy once, he ended up having a thing for my sister, and they got married and lived happily ever after. I’m so happy for them.” This is what I refer to as a “crystal ball” situation. You are stopped in your tracks because you can’t predict the future. If you were given the guarantee that both Judy and Rena, and maybe even their family, would approve of your desire to date Judy and reject Rena, how would that impact your decision? Let’s start with a good reframing here. I don’t think the situation is necessarily “creepy” as much as it is “uncomfortable.” You’re not married to Rena, you’re not engaged, you’re not even really dating. You went out on one date. If dating could be seen as shopping, engagement waiting on line to pay, and marriage buying the item (yes, I know this process is not as simple as making a purchase…it’s just an

timely fashion. Question: has this type of situation happened to you before? Do you often find yourself having FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)? When you have dated in the past, do you find your mind wandering on to the next girl? “Maybe there’s someone better out there. Prettier, smarter, fitter, more exciting, etc.?” If not, erase what you have just read…but if this feels like I am getting warm, then I really encourage you to speak with a professional about your “FOMO” because it is something that can be addressed and potentially resolved. P.S. It usually has something to do with a discomfort with the reality of being emotionally intimate and vulnerable with someone else. Though some may disagree with me, it is my opinion that if after one date you have some sort of power to come between the sisters, then that says more about a flaw in their relationship than anything else. If the family rejects you because of this, then that says something about their dynamic; their perception and adherence to societal norms, their

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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MAY 12, 2016

Is Cash a Relic of the Past? The Pros and Cons of a Cashless Society By Nachum Soroka

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uick, who is Satoshi Nakamoto? If you can’t answer that question, you may be living under a technological rock. But then again, that question has been something that has not failed to stump the world’s biggest eggheads and investigative sleuths for the past seven-plus years and counting. Nakamoto, the pseudonym for the anonymous creator of Bitcoin, has been able to keep his or her identity unknown despite the fact that he or she is responsible for the creation of nearly a billion dollars of currency and had been the subject of countless articles and documentaries. This month, an Australian computer programmer, Craig Wright, was the most recent individual to have his claim of being the real Satoshi blown apart by the millions of Bit-

coin enthusiasts worldwide. The mystery of Nakamoto has taken on a search-forthe-Titanic-like intensity in recent years. Publications from the geeky (Wired) to the financially oriented (The Economist) have been continuously following the Bitcoin story, posing topics like, “Who is most likely Satoshi?” But, aside from being another nerdy tech project that should excite the same types who frequent Star Trek conventions, why should Bitcoin attract so much attention from the mainstream? The answer may not lie in the Bitcoin currency per se; it may have to do with the technology that made Bitcoin unique (the “Blockchain”). And it most definitely has to do with the fact that Bitcoin has shown the world that a cashless economy, which runs com-

pletely on digital currency, is not something one can only read about in the sci-fi section of the local library, but is readily attainable and functional right here and now. In fact, there are certain European countries that have completely switched over to being cashless. First, the Blockchain technology. If you think about it, digital currency is something that should have been around for a while already. We live in a time when print media is obsolete (except for the gem you are holding now), CD players are relics of the boring nineties, and even supposed advanced forms of payment like credit cards have had their plastic ancestors replaced by smartphone apps. In a few years, we may all be driven around town in self-driving cars, have

our groceries delivered by drone, and celebrate Pesach on the moon, but for some reason, the five dollar bill in one’s wallet looks awfully similar to one from the era of the Model T. (Only then, Henry Ford paid his workers five dollars a day; today a Ford factory worker can make over $200 per day.) So what has taken Silicon Valley so long to create the iDollar? While technology may create more efficient paths to do things than the old school way in most cases, in some instances, such as currency, it leads to larger problems, such as the risk of counterfeiting. A talented hacker can duplicate most digital files and there’s no guaranteeing that once he pays someone with a digital dollar stored on his home computer he doesn’t keep that dollar’s digital code and

use it again. In order for a digital currency to become trustworthy and accepted by the public it must be absolutely “duplicate proof.” Enter the Blockchain, or a running ledger of every Bitcoin transaction for every single Bitcoin in currency. The Blockchain serves as a kind of verification system that the Bitcoin one claims to be in possession of is really still his and hasn’t been passed on to someone else last week. The ledger is open to the Bitcoin community at large to see and every time a Bitcoin transaction is completed, it must be verified by complex algorithms computed by other members of the Bitcoin network to guarantee the transaction’s authenticity. On a basic level, the Blockchain may be analogous to the property deed recording system used in soci-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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people, uncontrolled by and unhinged from any sort of government), but on a lesser level, certain countries are moving to an economy that requires little use of actual cold, hard cash, albeit still based on the country’s sovereign currency. Already over fifty percent of

majority of consumers no longer pay with cash, then it would be highly uneconomical for stores to carry cash registers. Businesses would also quickly embrace a payment regime which would eliminate the possibility of employee theft and the nuisance of handling and

benefits through government-issued debit cards and not having to cash full checks monthly. Paradoxically, many proponents of a cashless society laud the magic circle created by keeping cash out of the hands of the poor. True, they concede, the peo-

The Blockchain may be analogous to the property deed recording system used in society for thousands of years. There really is nothing new under the sun.

transporting paper money. Indeed, some European countries, such as Denmark and Scandinavia, no longer require their retailers to accept cash as forms of payment. While such rules may inadvertently discriminate against the poorer members of society – many of whom do not have actual bank accounts at all and rely on old fashioned paper currency –societies are moving towards bringing the lesser privileged into the fray. The U.S. recently revamped its welfare program to give members the option of receiving their

ple who stand to lose most by having little or no function for cash are the poor and under-banked, but less cash in poorer neighborhoods also would mean less burglaries and violence, which in turn would make less cash available for petty criminals to purchase drugs or gang members to buy guns. Critics of a broad societal move to a digital economy, particularly one that is sanctioned by the government, fear that people would lose the benefit of cash’s smaller transactional footprint. If all transactions

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transactions in the U.S. are completed using credit and debit cards and internet sales are expected to make up 60% of U.S. retail activity this year. Apps like Apple and Android Pay make going wallet-less a breeze for consumers. Peer-topeer payment apps which combine social media and e-commerce such as Venmo continue to gain popularity, particularly with teens and millennials. It seems that it is only a matter of time that the use of cash will fall by the wayside, even if it is not done deliberately. If the great

were to occur through digital means, then there is no way to ensure that the government won’t be watching us every time we purchase a gallon of milk or a latte macchiato. While that may be still be true today whenever one uses a credit or debit card, one still has the option of using cash for payment when all else fails. There have already been documented cases of people being denied medical care and other essential services when their electronic payment processing vendors denied them access to their accounts because they were marked as “high risk” by government agencies. Should it be up to an FDIC template to decide whether one can have access to his or her money at any time? The first paper bills appeared during the Tang Dynasty in China 1400 years ago. It took a few hundred years for the trend to catch on there and another five hundred years to spread throughout Europe. American Express was formed in the 1850s, and the first actual charge card was introduced in the 1940s. Currency has been around since the early days of history and has evolved slowly ever since. Is a new revolution around the corner?

MAY 12, 2016

ety for thousands of years. There really is nothing new under the sun. So much for the wonky stuff, but the invention of the Blockchain concept by Bitcoin’s creator has everyone from Palo Alto to Wall Street rushing to seize the idea and create the Next Big Thing. Nine of the world’s biggest banks, including Goldman Sachs and Barclays, have joined together to utilize the Blockchain concept to recreate the way (actual) money is sent all over the world. Blockchain may replace actual stock exchanges like the Nasdaq of NYSE. Or, like the previously mentioned analogy, it may be used as a global property ownership recording system. No longer would one need to pay hefty title recording fees when purchasing a home. The friendly nerds who enjoy writing Blockchain will do it for free. Put simply, Blockchain technology stands to replace anything in society that currently requires a third-party intermediary. Blockchain is as big as it is disruptive. Bitcoin may bear the promise of being the currency of the future for the tech, libertarian crowd (after all it is a currency created by the people, for the

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A Taste of Home

MAY 5, 2016 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 12, 2016

Now that Pesach is over and you’ve had your fair share of potatoes at every meal, here are some inspiring dishes to enhance your menu. By Susie Fishbein

Korean Short Coconut LimeRibs Pargiyot Skewers

Yields 8-10 servings I have done numerous shows in the Los Yields 6 servings Angeles area; each time I work there I reserve some time to explore a favorite Thai flavors comeand together beautifully for spot, The Grove the Original Farmers this stunning appetizer. It is fine at in room Market attached to it, established 1934. temperature, so it would make a great It’s a really fun culinary experience. Shabbos lunch starter or buffet item. there, Since While I was chatting with a vendor the is dark meat, doesout notLA’s dry hechicken recommended that I it check out the way some white in meat dishes Koreatown, the largest the cutlet country. Talk do when held over. about a sensory adventure! Since nothing there was kosher, I could hardly wait to call my chef friends for advice on making ribs. These hit the spot. Mix, dump, and cook. A simple recipe for a simply divine Asianinspired dish. Remember to grab some napkins! Ingredients 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (pargiyot) 1 cup coconut milk, stirred well 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger Zest of ½ lime Juice of 1 lime ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

12 cremini mushroom caps 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, cut into ¼-inch dice 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, cut into ¼-inch dice 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped Juice of ½ lime 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

an hour. Cut each chicken thigh cup widthwise. ketchup Ingredients in¼half Thread Preparation Fresh scallion, chopped, for 5 In pounds (5 strips) breast folded a 1-quart container, a mushroom cap, garnish flanken, not trimmed, cut chicken piece, second mushusing an immersion blender, into 2-3 sections combine thebone coconut milk, room cap, and second folded 3 tablespoons brown Preparation chicken piece onto a skewer. soy sauce, honey,dark garlic, ginsugar the through ribs into the skewer the a ger, lime zest, lime juice, and PressPlace 2 tablespoons red chili large (2-gallon) heavy-duty stem end of the mushrooms red pepper flakes. This can sauce sambal Ziploc bag. Sprinkle with through the top to avoid alsogarlic be done in aor blender. oelek; I like Hung Foy brown sugar. In a medium splitting them. Transfer mixture to a brand bowl, together chili garHeatstir 2 tablespoons canoZiploc bag. Add the chicken ¾ cup soy sauce lic sauce, soy sauce, water, la oil in a grill pan until very and mushroom caps. Mar¼ cup water ginger, powder, and hot but notgarlic smoking. Lay the inate in the refrigerator for 10 very thin slices ginger, sesame oil. Pour into the not peeled, chopped, to bag. Rub it into all surfaces make 2 tablespoons of the ribs. Marinate ribs in 2 teaspoons garlic powder the refrigerator for 2 hours 1 tablespoon sesame oil or overnight, the longer the

skewers into the grill pan so they all fit. Sear for 5-6 minbetter. utes per side, trying not to the until ovenit’sto movePreheat them around 350°F. time to flip them to the secPlace the ribs, meat-side ond side. down, in a casserole dish Meanwhile, in a medithat fits them snugly in um bowl, combine avocado, a single layer. Pour the marmango, and black beans. inade over the ribs. Cover Stir in the cilantro and basil. with foil; bake 2½ hours. Drizzle with lime juice, olUncover the ribs. Careive oil, and salt. Spread onto fully pour off the 1½chicken cups of platter; arrange the pan juices; mix with skewers over the mixture. the ketchup. Turn the ribs meatside up. Pour and brush the mixture over the ribs. Transfer to serving platter; garnish with scallions.

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Stadium Salad

Yields 6 servings

MAY 12, 2016

Over the years, I have been invited to give shows in almost all of the 50 states. Every time I took a flight to a place that had a Major League stadium, I would make a pit stop to the stadium to buy a souvenir hat and to take a picture of myself in front of the stadium. I would quickly email the picture to my baseballloving young son, Eli, so he would know where I was. In honor of those memories, I came up with this salad, a salute to the baseball experience. Pretzels, hot dogs, peanuts … and caps off to my friend Linda Gruenbaum for the yummy dressing.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons yellow mustard 1 clove crushed garlic, can use frozen

Preparation Place the pretzel twists into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal “S” blade. Process until they resemble breadcrumbs. Transfer to shallow bowl or container. In a second shallow bowl or container, combine the spicy brown mustard with the barbecue sauce. Coat the chicken cubes in the mustard mixture, then bread in the pretzel crumbs. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet. Add the hot dog slices; sauté until golden brown, caramelized, and slightly puffed. Use

tongs to flip slices to caramelize both sides. Remove to a bowl; do not wipe out the pan. Add 2 more tablespoons canola oil to the pan. Add the coated chicken cubes; sauté until golden brown on all sides and chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes total. You may need a little more oil if preparing the chicken in batches. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: In a 1-pint container, whisk or shake together the ½ cup canola oil, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, yellow mustard, and garlic until smooth and emulsified. Place the lettuce into a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and cucumbers. Top with the pretzel-crusted chicken, hot dogs, and peanuts. Add dressing to taste. Garnish with broken pretzel crisps.

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Salad 3 large handfuls mini pretzel twists 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard 1 tablespoon favorite barbecue sauce 2 large chicken cutlets, cut into 1-inch cubes ¼ cup canola oil, divided 3 hot dogs, cut into ¼-inch thick slices 3 ounces lettuce of choice Handful cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped ½ English hothouse cucumber, seeded, cut into ¼-inch dice ½ cup honey roasted peanuts 1 cup pretzel crisps, broken Dressing ½ cup canola oil ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons white vinegar

MAY 12, 2016 | The Jewish Home

MAY 12, 2016

“Off the Derech” vs. “At Risk”

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Rabbi Yonason Martin

“O

ff the Derech” and “At Risk” are terms that are oftentimes used interchangeably in the Jewish community. This is understandable given the centrality of religion in our lives; however, this confusion causes us as parents and educators to make mistakes with serious implications when we focus on the wrong issues. Sometimes our efforts can actually exacerbate the problems when we are trying to fix them. This is why it is critical to understand the difference between the two concepts and how to address them. What is the difference between “Off the Derech” and “Children at Risk”? “Off the Derech” refers specifically to the lack of religious observance. The cutoff point between children who are considered “On the Derech” and those considered “Off the Derech” is somewhat unclear but the critical point is that the child is not living in accordance with his or her Jewish family’s and community’s values. “At risk,” on the other hand, is not a religious issue and can be applied even to children who are completely secular. The definition of children at risk that is used widely today in Israel is a significant and enduring problem in one or more of seven categories, all of which render a child “at risk” of not being successful: 1) Physical health and development; 2) Family

dynamics; 3) Learning and skills acquisition; 4) Emotional health and wellbeing; 5) Social integration; 6) Protection against harm by others; 7) Protection against self-destructive behaviors. Children who are at risk also tend to struggle with religious issues but the core issue is not their religious observance but the other underlying issues. We all know it is important to educate and teach our children Judaism from a place of love but sometimes it can be very challenging to understand the critical difference between the religious issues and the emotional, social, education and psychological issues that our children face. I have seen parents who are dealing with a suicidal, depressed child but the issue that most troubles the parents is whether he put on tefillin that day. In cases like those, the “at risk” issues will sabotage the efforts to help with the religious issues. In addition, religious education can only be effective when the child experiences it as coming from real love for him or her. The Gemara in Shabbos (Daf 88) states that the reason the Jewish nation was able to accept the Torah before evaluating what it said is that we knew and felt that Hashem cared for us and protected us while taking us out from Mitzrayim. When the child is suffering acutely in school or struggling desperately socially and the child feels that our main con-

cern is his religious observance then the child sees our religious concerns as being for our own reasons and not out of love for him or her. Sometimes the child is in too much distress to be able to accept the religious education in any meaningful way. It is critical that we invest our resources in identifying and getting the help our children need in all the different areas and to ensure proper professional care when necessary. If we do not do this, then many times our efforts will just make the problem worse. The Rambam in Shmoneh Perakim writes that we can learn refuas hanefesh or the healing of the soul from refuas haguf the healing of the body. The importance of an accurate diagnosis is readily understood when we look at physical health. Our body has many systems, among them, the digestive system, the nervous system, the respiratory system and the immune system. These systems work independently and together to ensure effective functioning. When a system fails, it will affect the functioning of other systems but it is critical to understand what the source of the failure is. If a person is having trouble focusing on their tasks, it may be an attention disorder, or it might be an emotional regulation problem, or it might be simply lack of adequate sleep. In order to address the problem we need to know what is caus-

ing the problem and what to focus on. Sometimes more than one system fails at a time but we can only address one of those issues because the body is not strong to work on more than one system at once. There are a few additional points it is worth making within the religious focus. First, without an active working relationship with a child there is very little that we can do. We love our children and they love us but that does not mean that we are engaged in an active loving relationship. Sometimes there is a wall between us and our children which makes communication fraught with tension and there is a lack of flowing warmth in our interactions with them. In that case, we must first realize that this wall is not necessarily anyone’s fault. It is not helpful to feel guilt that this wall exists. This guilt often can make the wall firmer and more difficult to overcome. We must do our best to cultivate the relationship. We must accept what help we can find for ourselves in this process, and in the interim, allow ourselves to involve other people who can become significant in the life of the child and who will engage with the child in a way that helps him or her deal with whatever issues they are having. In addition we must recognize that what the Torah most often demands of us is that we focus on our

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or to Shabbos in a way that is palpable to the child will have an effect on him or her. In addition, the more he or she can be encouraged to develop their own moral compass and find within them their own sense of meaning and service to Hashem and being of benefit to other people, the more he or she will be on the track of what the Chovos Halevavos considers a valid service of Hashem. (This paragraph relates specifically to what is helpful for the child who

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MAY 12, 2016

Our commitment and positive connection to Judaism will overflow to our children when our relationship with them is strong.

struggles and does not address the issue of what types of behaviors we allow in our own homes and how those behaviors affect other children in the house. That is an important issue and needs proper guidance on an individual basis.) The most important thing we must recognize is that the narrow focus of the “Off the Derech” model is often not helpful and makes it exceedingly difficult to help our children. We must have a broader focus and take seriously other issues and factors in our children’s struggles besides the religious aspects. We have seen so many times that when parents and educators are able to successfully address and resolve the underlying issues that children face, then parents will have the joy of seeing their children find their own unique and secure derech within Judaism. May we all have tremendous nachas from our children.

Rabbi Yonason Martin is the director of Hakshiva, an organization that is saving the lives of American teenagers living in Israel through its unique and innovative programs.

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Our commitment and positive connection to Judaism will overflow to our children when our relationship with them is strong. The Rabbeinu Bachaya in his discussion on Avodas Hashaem (Chovos Halevavos, third section) illuminates the concept of a distinction between two separate systems of serving Hashem. Rabbeinu Bachaya describes that there are two sources for the service of Hashem: the Torah and the person’s own inner desire to serve Hashem. The first one includes the laws and rules of the Shulchan Aruch, the boundaries of the Jewish religion; the second is the person’s own personal choices to serve Hashem in the ways that he or she feels is meaningful. Rabbeinu Bachaya describes the importance of each one of these systems, and the benefits that each one has over the other. When we wish to cultivate in our youth a deeper connection to Judaism, especially those who have already stepped out of the bounds of halacha for whatever reason, whether from temptation, rebellion or feeling it as irrelevant, we must show them first by example our own deep personal connection to the Jewish way of serving Hashem. Our own deep connection to tefilla

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own ruchniyos or spirituality and our friend’s gashmiyus or physical and emotional well-being. Unfortunately we often switch this around and worry about everybody else’s ruchniyos and only on our own gashmiyus. This is true with regards to children: if we ensure their gashmiyus is taken care of within reason and we ensure that we are ourselves are doing well in the ruchniyos department then this will help our children be joyfully spiritual.

The Jewish Home | MAY 12, 2016

Your

125

Money

MAY 12, 2016

Born to Run

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

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

ots of states get a bad rap. California is too flaky. New Yorkers are too unfriendly. North Dakota is too cold. (Wait a minute … you mean we’ve got two Dakotas?) But there’s one state that may get the worst rap of all, and that’s New Jersey. Too many Americans hear the name and think of clogged freeways, bumbling second-rate mobsters, knuckleheads at the shore, or the one miserable night they spent at the Newark Airport Radisson. Now New Jersey may be headed for a fiscal crisis — and it’s all one man’s fault. Is it blustering Governor Chris Christie, whose approval ratings are hovering somewhere between “Zika virus” and “psoriasis”? Is it freshman Senator Cory Booker, stirring up controversy in Washington? Is it native son and local favorite Bruce Springsteen, threatening to write songs about neighboring Delaware? No, no, and no. New Jersey’s budget is threatened by one modest-looking man that most Garden Staters have never heard of. His name is David Tepper. He manages a hedge fund called Appaloosa Partners. And his great offense is moving himself, his business, and his tax dollars to one

of those sunny tax havens we all love to point fingers at. The Garden State is famed for its high taxes. The top personal rate is 8.97% and kicks in on incomes over $500,000. According to the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services,

garten teachers combined? Tepper is one of those guys. In fact, he’s been the fattest cat of them all, three times in the last five years. Just how much are we talking? Try $4 billion in 2009, $2.2 billion in 2012, and $3.5 billion in 2013. All

Sure, the weather’s nice. But the tax climate is even nicer — 0 degrees of tax on personal income and 0% chance of estate tax!

returns with incomes over $1 million account for about a third of all individual collections. And those individual collections, in turn, account for 40% of the state’s revenue. Follow the math and that means the government in Trenton depends on its one-percenters — especially the Wall Streeters — for nearly one dollar out of every eight it spends. But David Tepper is no ordinary Wall Street fat cat. Remember when Hillary Clinton grumbled that the top 25 hedge fund managers make more than all of America’s kinder-

told, he’s raked in a jaw-dropping $15 billion over the last decade. And at nearly 9%, the state income tax on that haul crosses the billion dollar line. That’s enough to pay for a municipal airport, a suburban highway spur, or a modest little hydroelectric dam. Now New Jersey sees all those glorious glittering tax dollars about to vanish. Tepper, who turns 59 in September, is doing what plenty of other Jersey guys his age do when they get tired of winter — he’s flying south for good. And which sunny is-

land tax haven did he pick? Miami Beach, of course! (You mean you didn’t realize Florida is a bona fide tax haven?) Sure, the weather’s nice. But the tax climate is even nicer — 0 degrees of tax on personal income and 0% chance of estate tax! New Jersey isn’t the only state to worry about its 0.0001%-ers flying the coop. Last year, the Connecticut Department of Revenue Service announced that they were “keeping an eye” on their top 100 taxpayers, including more hedge funders like Steve Cohen, who paid roughly $150 million in state income tax all by himself in 2014. How would you feel if you thought the tax man was stalking you like a jealous ex? It would probably creep you out. So make sure you have a plan to keep as much as you legally can, no matter where you earn it. Keep it straight, unless you want your picture on the tax collector’s wall!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | MAY 12, 2016

109

Political Crossfire

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

The Earthquake and the Aftermath By Charles Krauthammer

tent, indeed most radical, anti-government conservative of the bunch, Ted Cruz. Cruz’s entire career has consisted of promoting teaparty constitutionalism in revolt against party leaders who had joined “the Washington cartel.” Yet when Cruz got to his one-onone with Trump at the Indiana OK Corral, Republicans chose Trump and his nonconservative, idiosyncratic populism. Which makes Indiana a truly historic inflection point. It marks the most radical transformation of the political philosophy of a major political party in our lifetime. The Democrats continue their trajectory of ever-expansive liberalism from the New Deal through the Great Society through Obama and Clinton today. While the GOP, the nation’s conservative party, its ideology refined and crystallized by Ronald Reagan, has just gone populist. It’s an ideological earthquake. How radical a reorientation? Said Trump last week: “Folks, I’m a conservative. But at this point, who cares?” Who cares? Wasn’t caring about conservatism the very essence of the talk radio, tea party, grass-roots revolt against the so-called establishment? They cheered Cruz when he led the govern-

ment shutdown in the name of conservative principles. Yet when the race came down to Cruz and Trump, these opinion-shaping conservatives who once doted on Cruz affected a studied Trump-leaning neutrality. Trump won. True, the charismatically challenged Cruz was up against a prepackaged celebrity, an already famous showman.

conservative or otherwise. He lauds his own “flexibility,” his freedom from political or philosophical consistency. And he elevates unpredictability to a foreign policy doctrine. The ideological realignment is stark. On major issues – such as the central question of retaining America’s global pre-eminence as leader of

How radical a reorientation? Said Trump last week: “Folks, I’m a conservative. But at this point, who cares?”

True, Trump appealed to the economic anxiety of a squeezed middle class and the status anxiety of a formerly dominant white working class. But the prevailing conservative narrative – of antiestablishment fury – was different and is now exposed as a convenient fable. If Trump is a great big middle finger aimed at a Republican establishment that has abandoned its principles, isn’t it curious that the party has chosen a man without any? Trump doesn’t even pretend to have any,

the free world, sustainer of Western alliances and protector of the post-World War II order – the GOP candidate stands decidedly to the left of the Democrat. And who knows on what else. On entitlements? On health care? On taxes? We will soon find out. But as Trump himself says of being a conservative – at this point, who cares? As of Tuesday night, certainly not the GOP.

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

candidate? A man who until yesterday was himself a liberal. Who donated money to those very same Democrats to whom the GOP establishment is said to have caved, including Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton. Trump has expressed sympathy for a singlepayer system of socialized medicine, far to the left of Obamacare. Trump lists health care as one of the federal government’s three main responsibilities (after national security); Republicans adamantly oppose federal intervention in health care. He also lists education, which Republicans believe should instead be left to the states. As for Planned Parenthood, the very same conservatives who railed against the Republican establishment for failing to defund it now rally around a candidate who sings the praises of its good works (save for the provision of abortion). More fundamentally, Trump has no affinity whatsoever for the central thrust of modern conservatism – a return to less and smaller government. If the establishment has insufficiently resisted Obama’s Big Government policies, the beneficiary should logically have been the most consis-

MAY 12, 2016

hat lies behind Donald Trump’s nomination victory? Received wisdom among conservatives is that he, the outsider, sensed, marshaled and came to represent a massive revolt of the Republican rank and file against the “establishment.” This is the narrative: GOP political leaders made promises of all kinds and received in return, during President Obama’s years, major electoral victories that gave them the House, the Senate, 12 new governorships and 30 state houses. Yet they didn’t deliver. Exit polls consistently showed that a majority of GOP primary voters (60 percent in some states) feel “betrayed” by their leaders. Not just let down or disappointed. Betrayed. By RINOs who, corrupted by donors and lobbyists, sold out. Did they repeal Obamacare? No. Did they defund Planned Parenthood? No. Did they stop President Obama’s tax-and-spend hyperliberalism? No. Whether from incompetence or venality, they let Obama walk all over them. But then comes the paradox. If insufficient resistance to Obama’s liberalism created this sense of betrayal, why in a field of 17 did Republican voters choose the least conservative

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

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 12, 2016

Recipes

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Cooking for the King by Renee Chernin

TheKosherChannel.com

MAY 12, 2016

Chicken Kabobs

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small oven proof pan mix together paprika, cumin. thyme, red pepper flakes. Toast spices in preheated oven 1-2 minutes until fragrant. 2. Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a large knife, mash together the garlic cloves and salt until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl or

3. Cut chicken into 1 1/2” cubes. Place in a large sealable plastic bag or storage container with a tight fitting lid. Pour marinade over all. Cover, shake to coat well and refrigerate several hours to overnight. 4. Spray cold grill grates with nonstick cooking spray and preheat medium high. Using metal skewers or bamboo ones which have been soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, skewer chicken. Discard marinade. Grill 3 minutes per side or until firm to touch. Alternatively, broil skewered chicken in a pan placed on the second shelf of the oven for 3 minutes per side or until firm and well-browned. Makes: 6 to 8 servings ~ Must make ahead Active time: 30 minutes ~ Marinate 4 to 24 hours

Balsamic Marinade and Grilled Mixed Vegetables

Marinating vegetables prior to grilling kept them moist as they quickly cook over the flame. These vegetables will stay fresh for up to a week in their sauce. The vinegar acts as a preservative as well as adding a delicious, deep flavor. Tomato & Balsamic Marinade: 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar juice of 2 lemons, 3 tablespoons 1 can (14.5) ounce diced tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, peeled 3 tablespoons fresh or frozen thyme, 3 teaspoons dried 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 cup vegetable oil 5 pounds assorted vegetables: peeled sweet potatoes, sliced in 1/4” thick rounds carrots, in thick, 3” pieces, portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced yellow squash and zucchini, halved and sliced lengthwise eggplant, in 1/2 “thick rounds sweet onions, quartered

fennel, quartered bell peppers, quartered, seeds removed 1. In the work bowl of a food processor, puree all marinade ingredients except the oil. While the motor is running, add vegetable oil in a thin stream and continue blending until mixture is emulsified. 2. Place vegetables and 2 cups of the marinade in a large plastic container. Toss to coat vegetables well. Refrigerate several hours to overnight. 3. Spray a clean, cold grill with cooking spray. Grill vegetables over high heat, turning once so that there are grill marks on each side. Sweet potatoes and carrots may require continued cooking in a 350°F oven until tender. Serve room temperature drizzled with remaining marinade and garnished with fresh thyme sprigs. Alternatively, you may broil the vegetables on the top rack of the oven. Cooking times vary due to the different densities, so watch carefully. Makes: 15-20 servings ~ Can make ahead Active time: 30 minutes ~ Cooking time: 20 minutes

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

A taste of Israel in your own backyard. 6 boneless chicken breast halves, tenders separated 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground thyme 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ~less, if you just want heat, not fire 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/3 cup olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1/2 lemon 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried parsley

measuring cup and mix with toasted spices, black pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley.

the community is invited to attend the

Rabbi

44 44

ANNUAL

MEMORIAL LECTURE

His rich life experience, profound wit, and infectious love for the Jewish People are enjoyable to all those who hear him speak. Rabbi Lam writes a weekly Dvar Torah for Torah.org with 15,000 subscribers and his entertaining lectures are amongst the most viewed at Torahanytime.com.

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The Hidden World in Which We Live staimandesign.com

Rabbi Label Lam (M.Ed.), Principal of Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion in Forest Hills Queens, is a veteran of the Jewish day school movement. He is a former full-time lecturer for Arachim Seminars and has been inspiring businessmen, college students, and prisoners for Ohr Somayach International and Hamayan Institute for almost three decades. He is the co-founder of Foundations for Jewish Learning with outreach projects in the United States and abroad.

Sunday, May 15th • 8:15 pm

Bais Yaakov High School for Girls. • M. Leo Storch Auditorium • 6300 Smith Ave. 7:15 pm: Mincha 7:30 pm: Weekly M. Leo Storch Memorial Lecture by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Faculty, Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Rav, Agudath Israel of Baltimore 8:15 pm: 44th Annual M. Leo Storch Memorial Lecture by Rabbi Label Lam A sign language interpreter will be available upon request with one week notice.

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ANNUAL

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Label th Lam

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