Baltimore Jewish Home 5-15-14 by Moshe Rubin

Around the Community

BaltimoreJewishHome THE

‫ כט׳ אייר‬- ‫טו׳ אייר‬

may. 15

may. 29 . vol

1, #7

Over 600 Attend 13th Annual Shoresh BBQ PAGE 12

Outstanding Youth Award Ceremony Presented by Project Ezra/The Chesed Fund PAGE 10

Northrop Grumman Visits YKY/TI PAGE 6

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MAY 15, 2014

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MAY 15, 2014

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MAY 15, 2014

CONTENTS COMMUNITY Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

JEWISH THOUGHT The Shmuz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Rabbi’s Musings and Amusings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Observant Jew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

EDUCATION Forgotten Heroes - Leon Frankel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 No Perfect Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

COVER STORY Because You Are Jewish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Power of Lag Ba’omer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

LIFESTYLES In the Kitchen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Dear Readers, When I read Yaakov Wasilewicz’s story this week, I was reminded about the story of Rabbi Akiva. When we were young and learned about Rabbi Akiva and his dedication to Torah, we learned how he didn’t even know the aleph beis at his advanced age and how he had to be taught together with the schoolchildren. It’s hard to imagine that there are Jews in the world today who also don’t know the aleph beis, both literally and figuratively (the aleph beis of Yiddishkeit), and yearn to learn more. Yaakov writes that when he came to America at the age of 15, he was sent to the second grade to learn the very basics of Judaism. Squeezed into those small desks, he gradually drank in the lessons that were imparted, and now is learning in Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv, where the words of Torah are so familiar to him. Yaakov’s story really touches home, as he learned in TA for high school in the same class as many boys from the neighborhood. What an amazing journey to have taken! And the most unbelievable thing is the fact that there are others like him in Poland who may not even know they are Jewish and are still searching for their heritage. It takes a world of courage to admit that there is something that you don’t know, and it takes even more courage to start from the very basics at an older age. Yaakov has that extra courage. He possesses a yearning, a drive to grow and to learn. He possesses strength of conviction and of his ideals. Now he has a sense of belonging and enjoyment as he has come to learn about his heritage and is part of a community he can call his own. There is a nice article about Lag B’Omer with some pictures that will take you back to Meron, if you have ever had the opportunity to be at that amazing site. As always, we love to hear from our readers. Feel free to reach out to me at editor@ Baltimorejewishhome.com.

Health and Fitness - Are You Really Hungry?. . . . . 43

Have a great weekend and an enjoyable Lag B’Omer!

NEWS Global News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 National News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Yaakov

That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ISRAEL

Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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.

ROSENBLUTH

Safety. Stability. Leadership. To vote for your community member

Ronald Keith Rosenbluth 1

BE REGISTERED BY JUNE 3RD Registration is easy! Pick up form from Tov Pizza and return filled out form directly to Ronnie. It only takes a few minutes!

REGISTERED DEMOCRAT You can switch your affiliation from republican or independent to democrat for this election and still vote your wish in general elections.

BALTIMORE CITY RESIDENT

Election day: June 24th

By authority of Friends of Ronald Rosenbluth Rafi Wassner, Treasurer

MAY 15, 2014

DELIVERS

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

RE-ELECT FOR DEMOCRATIC STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE 41ST DISTRICT

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Northrop Grumman Visits YKY/TI By Rabbi Daniel Skurnik, Director of Development

Mr. Bill Saks and Mr. Adean Zapinsky of Northrop Grumman, a leading global security company that is at the forefront of technology and innovation, visited Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok/Torah Institute of Baltimore to teach the 7th graders about engineering. One of the topics discussed was the engineering that goes into building a bridge. The engaging presentation explained how math and science are incorporated when constructing these structures. Following the presentation there was a class bridge-building experiment. Mr. Saks commented how the students were very interested to learn

about engineering and really enjoyed participating in the experiment. YKY/TI is very grateful to Northrop Grumman and to Mr. Saks

and Mr. Zapinsky for their presentation. YKY/TI is proud to offer hands-on enrichment presentations that enhance

our students’ General Studies curriculum and teach the application of science and math.

Harav Avrohom Schorr Speaks at Yad L’Achim Parlor Meeting On Wednesday night, May 7th, 8 Iyar, Yad L’Achim held a parlor meeting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mendel Rosen. Approximately 100 people attended the event, which featured a drasha from HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Schorr Shlit”a, a world-renowned speaker. Rav Schorr spoke about the importance of learning anavah and bittul (humility and self-effacement)

during the weeks leading up to Kabbolas HaTorah. He cited a gematria that “yetzias mitztrayim” is equivalent to “na’aseh v’nishma,” which highlights the fact that true freedom is when we accept the Torah with the realization that we must strive to be ovdei HaShem with humility, without following our personal desires or being tainted by ulterior motives.

BALTIMORE

7 THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

SHABB OS OF CHIZUK

BALTIMORE FRIENDS OF YESHIVAS MIR YERUSHALAYIM INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO JOIN FOR A

‫שבת פרשת במדבר‬ May 23-24, 2014

Hagaon Harav Nachman Levovitz Shlita

Harav Hagaon Nissan Kaplan Shlita ita

Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim

R”M Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim

Friday Night Khal Ahavas Yisroel Tzemach Tzedek Rabbi Dovid Heber 6811 Park Heights Avenue ‫ מנחה וקבלת שבת‬7:00pm

Friday Night Kehilath Bnei Torah Rabbi Yonason Seidemann 6301 Green Meadow Parkway ‫ מנחה וקבלת שבת‬7:00pm

Shabbos Morning Agudath Israel Park Heights Rabbi Moshe Heinemann 6200 Park Heights Avenue ‫ שחרית‬8:30am

Shabbos Morning Congregation Shomrei Emunah Rabbi Binyomin Marwick 6221 Greenspring Avenue ‫ שחרית‬8:15am

Mincha & Shalosh Seudos Congregation Ohel Moshe Rabbi Tzvi Teichman 2808 Smith Ave ‫ מנחה‬8:00pm

Musaf Congregation Shaarei Zion Rabbi Moshe Hauer 6602 Park Heights Avenue ‫ מו�פ‬10:00am

Please join us for our

ANNUAL BENEFIT RECEPTION with the presence of

Hagaon Harav Nachman Levovitz Shlita Rosh Yeshiva Guest Speaker Rabbi Yechiel Spero Talmid Hayeshiva, noted author and lecturer

Shabbos Afternoon Congregation Kol Torah Rabbi Yosef Berger 2929 Fallstaff Road Shiur for women: 4:30pm Shiur for men: 6:30pm Mincha & Shalosh Seudos Mercaz Torah Utefillah Rabbi Yissocher Eichenstein 6500 Baythorne - (Corner of Willow Glen) ‫ מנחה‬8:00pm

Monday Morning . May 26, 2014 . 9:30am . 5901 Key Avenue

MR. AND MRS. MOSHE SPERO

Alumni Committee MR.

AND M RS . A LEX B ER LIN R ABBI AND M RS . E PH RAIM B LUM EN KRAN T Z M R . AND M RS . Y OS E F G R EEN FI ELD M R . AND M RS . N A F TA LI L ANGER M R . AND M RS . A H RON L EBOVI TS M R . AND M RS . A ARON L O EB M R . AND M RS . D OVID M EIR L O EB M R . AND M RS . D OV O CK EN M R . AND M RS . Y I T ZI E P R E T T ER R ABBI AND M RS . A VRAHAM Y. R APPAPORT M R . AND M RS . M END EL R OS EN M R . AND M RS . D AVID S CHAB ES M R . AND M RS . Y EHUDA S PERO

Reception Committee M R . AND M RS . C HAIM B ER LIN D R . AND M RS . M I CHA EL J. E LMAN M R . AND M RS . A LLAN J. G IBB ER M R . AND M RS . J AN L O EB M R . AND M RS . S T UART S CHAB ES M R . AND M RS . M OSH E S PERO M R . AND M RS . S H LOMO A. S PE T N ER M R . AND M RS . J ERRY L. W O LASKY M R . AND M RS . M EYER W O LMAN

YESHIVAS MIR YERUSHALAYIM

5227 New Utrecht Avenue . Brooklyn, New York 11219 P: 718.972.0500 . F: 718.851.1999 . E: info@themir.org

MAY 15, 2014

SHABBOS OF CHIZUK

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MAY 15, 2014

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Cardin Leadership Teens Meet with Senators on Lobbying Mission The members of this year’s Cardin Jewish Scholars Program took part in an exclusive mission to Washington this past Tuesday where they

had the opportunity to visit the Israeli Embassy, lobby Senators and Congressmen on a variety of issues, and spend an hour with Senator Ben Car-

din. The teens ended their day with a sense of how to be an effective Jewish leader and how even as teens, they are just a few short steps away from hav-

ing a voice and making a real political impact.

Houseblick.com Comes to Baltimore! After enjoying success in various communities, HouseBlick.com is now expanding to Baltimore neighborhoods and beyond. Launched mid-February of 2014, HouseBlick. com is a virtual classified website that is revolutionizing the housing search for Jews all over the U.S. and Israel. It provides an opportunity for buyers and renters to actually view real estate properties, saving time for brokers who previously used the traditional newspaper classifieds. Some wonder whether there is a need for this service, as every community has numerous realty teams to guide potential buyers and renters through their neighborhood’s offerings. HouseBlick.com, however, is a much better alternative to the old

way of house searching. HouseBlick. com’s goal is to create a condensed real estate website comprised of list-

ings from agents in all areas, which aims to suit everyone’s specific needs. Real estate agents typically spend thousands on marketing. Now, their listings will garner the attention they need, as HouseBlick.com has a concentrated audience of visitors specifically searching for a sale, rental, or commercial listing.

HouseBlick.com already has an impressive list of available properties in cities across the U.S.A. including Brooklyn, Miami, Monsey, the Five Towns, as well as having a large Israel category. The site is flourishing, and it receives interest from communities worldwide as more and more realtors are learning about this innovative site. There is no limit to how many communities can join, no limit to how many properties can be listed, and no limit to the potential success this can bring for realtors and buyers alike. “There has been immense positive feedback,” says Mr. Shia Neuman of HouseBlick.com. “Many agents have expressed delight over the fabulous results and are excited to finally

have a cost-effective way to advertise and gain buyers on this targeted site. Houseblick.com has created a vast marketing campaign in loads of newspapers and online websites, presenting itself to the Jewish populace. Your sale or rental will be seen by thousands who have been introduced to the revolutionary idea.” HouseBlick.com offers a commercial tab as well, complete with investment opportunities and the like. The site was created for the common user who desires easy navigation, appreciates the virtual factor, and wants his search to be hassle-free. If you are looking to buy, sell, or rent, think HouseBlick.com.

Mrs. Aliza Mann Chosen to Receive the Novice Teacher Award On Tuesday, May 13th, the Center for Jewish Education (CJE) held their annual Educator Awards ceremony, where they recognized hundreds of teachers that were nominated by the Baltimore community, including 8 from Ohr Chadash Academy. Those

nominations were categorized into 13 awards and OCA is proud to announce that Mrs. Aliza Mann (4th and 5th grade general studies teacher) was chosen to receive the Novice Teacher Award. This award recognizes an educator, who has less than 5 years

teaching experience, who demonstrates dedication to children, mastery over content knowledge, control of the classroom environment and commitment to professional growth. This is Mrs. Mann’s first year teaching at Ohr Chadash after she

moved to Baltimore from Florida, where she attended Touro South in the heart of Miami Beach. Mrs. Mann’s degree is in General and Special Education K-6.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 15, 2014

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MAY 15, 2014

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Bikur Cholim Brunch a Fabulous Success By Sara Gross

This past Sunday, May 11th, Bikur Cholim of Baltimore hosted their annual Gaining Through Giving III Women’s Brunch in the Moses Montefiore Anshe Emuna Hebrew Congregation. The room was filled to capacity with over 350 women of all ages from all parts of the community. As it was Mother’s Day, Bikur Cholim appropriately honored mother/daughter/ daughter-in-law teams who volunteer in all areas of Bikur Cholim. Chaired by Mrs. Sarah Ottensoser and Mrs. Leah Klein, and assisted by numerous talented volunteers, the event was extremely elegant and meaningful. The room was tastefully decorated with pastel floral arrangements and decorations, and a delicious dairy brunch was served. Mrs. Sara Scheller presented magnificent flower arrangements, sharing techniques and tips with her audience. Decorated table displays edged the room, demonstrating various creative and beautiful ways to set and dress up one’s Shavuos table. Delectable desserts for Yom Tov were auctioned off, much to the delight of the crowd. Everyone who attended the event was treated to a

feast for the eye and palette. Mrs. Laure Gutman, MC, warmly welcomed the crowd and introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Moshay Cooper, who inspired the audience by relating how much Bikur Cholim did for her and her family in a time of need. She stressed how every detail that was attended to by Bikur Cholim felt like a boost of comfort from the entire community. From frozen meals for her family to use at their convenience, and offers to take her grandchildren out in the afternoons, to the Kosher Pantry at Sinai Hospital, Dr. Cooper felt an overwhelming closeness and care from Klal Yisroel. Her words warmed our hearts and gave us all a feeling of achdus and inspiration to get involved in this worthy organization. Mrs. Bonnie Pollak, coordinator of Bikur Cholim, then spoke about the many opportunities for men and women of all ages to get involved in myriad areas. She enumerated many ways that each person can do what they enjoy doing while helping people in need. Some of the opportunities include helping with children, learn-

ing b’chavrusah with an older man or young boy, and playing music for the sick. Men and women regularly visit nearby hospitals, cook for families in need, run errands, and drive people to medical appointments. The volunteer opportunities are constantly available, and anyone can get involved at any time by calling Bikur Cholim or looking at their website. Baltimore is truly blessed to have

such a strong and well-organized Bikur Cholim organization in our midst. Extremely efficient and sensitive, Bikur Cholim strives to fill every need a sick person and his or her family may have. We long for the day that all the sick will be healed and the need for such a capable organization will not

be necessary, but until that day, we recognize and appreciate all that the hundreds of volunteers of Bikur Cholim of Baltimore do for our community. Bikur Cholim: 410-999-3700 or www.baltimorebikurcholim.org

Outstanding Youth Award Ceremony Presented by Project Ezra/The Chesed Fund On Sunday, May 4th, Project Ezra/The Chesed Fund presented the inaugural Philip Kaufman and Lilian Zwagil Outstanding Youth Award for Exceptional Service ceremony. At the

ceremony, the Chesed Fund presented plaques to this year’s seven winners. Every month The Chesed Fund chooses one winner who receives a class pizza party from Tov Pizza or

Ben Yehuda Pizza, a candy platter from Simcha Sweets or The Candy Man, and flowers from Primak Flowers. At the end of each year there will be a ceremony for all the winners. This year’s winners did all sorts of extraordinary things. Chanya Rabinowitz used CPR to save someone’s life. Shira Malka Meister arranged summer programming for high school girls. Chaya Bracha Goldman helped save her family during a fire. The other winners were Matthew David Rogers, Moshe Chaikin, and Haddasi Miller. The Chesed Fund also present-

ed framed certificates to 16 children who go every week to visit disabled women who benefit from their company. The Chesed Fund hopes that by publicly recognizing the outstanding things young people do, it will encourage other young people to do the same. Submissions can be sent to chesedfund@gmail.com

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MAY 15, 2014

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Over 600 Attend 13th Annual Shoresh BBQ Adamstown, Maryland is a sleepy town in southern Frederick County. It is named for Adam Kohlenberg, the first town merchant who owned much of present-day Adamstown. It lies between Sugarloaf and Catoctin Mountain on Carrollton Manor, a 17,000-acre estate originally owned by Charles Carroll of Carrollton. It has a population of approximately 3,000. We are guessing that Mr. Kohlenberg never envisioned his little hometown becoming a place that is filled with Jewish people. It is now home to Camp Shoresh, a 107-acre campus that is packed with Jewish kids for seven weeks every summer. Camp Shoresh has turned Adamstown into a thriving Jewish community, which was never more evident than on May 4th when Shoresh hosted their 13th Annual BBQ Banquet. Over 600 people joined for this amazing day of fun and to celebrate Shoresh’s 35th anniversary. Kenny and Marla Friedman and Yaakov and Esther Spatz were the event co-chairs, and Board CoChair John Davison was in charge of corporate gifts. They all did a fabulous job. It was the most successful fundraising event in Shoresh’s history! Thank you to all of the friends and supporters whom raised

much-needed funds for the Camp Shoresh Scholarship Fund. Through its awesome events, Shoresh always puts the ”fun” back in fundraiser. As guests drove into the campsite, they were welcomed by Darth Vader, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker. “May the 4th be with you!” There were wonderful outdoor activities for kids of all ages. Pony rides, hay rides, face painters, a game room, crafts, balloon twisters, archery, a cute petting zoo, zip line, rock climbing wall, and new zap line were just some of the highlights for the kids. The Oriole Bird and the Ravens’ mascot, Poe, entertained the kids with their antics while Maryland superstar Dez Wells and Ravens’ players Brandon Williams, Aaron Mellette, and DeAngelo Tyson played basketball and football with the kids. Shoresh always brings Raven players to their fundraisers, and the kids really enjoy interacting with real NFL players. Shoresh did more than just “entertain” the adults. They brought HaRav HaGaon Rabbi Yissocher Frand to give a shiur to the BBQ participants. This was Rabbi Frand’s first trip to Shoresh and it was quite memorable. Rabbi David Finkelstein, the director of Shoresh, and Rabbi Asher Stein,

the field director, were talmidim of Rabbi Frand, and felt a tremendous sense of pride to have their Rebbe address the crowd. Rabbi Frand was very complimentary of all the good work that Shoresh is accomplishing and said he has “tremendous pleasure when his students, who are like his children, are accomplishing such wonderful things on behalf of Klal Yisroel.” Rabbi Frand commented that “Shoresh is bringing thousands of children back to their Jewish roots by an infusion of Torah study and teaching them Jewish values.” The dinner was quite a feast thanks to Shoresh’s chef Gershon Topas and his crew, which included food mavens Mosi (of the Knish Shop), Jon Kaplan, and Alf of O’Fishel. Everyone enjoyed their steaks, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and salads while watching a fun video about Shoresh and the important work that it accomplishes. Bill Fox, one of the honorees and a world-class auctioneer, (he is in the Auctioneer Hall of Fame) led a successful live auction, and the Chinese auction kept everyone excited to see if they would be a big winner of one of Shoresh’s fabulous gift packages. Shoresh honored some wonderful individuals whom have worked

very hard, providing generous support and dedicated service, including Michael Klein (Shoresh Lifetime Achievement Award), Bill Fox (Pillar of Judaism Award), Elisheva Frenkel (Service Award), and Alan and Peggy Lazerow (Young Leadership Award). The only question asked by the attendees at the end was, “When is next year’s Shoresh BBQ Banquet?” (FYI–it’s May 3rd, 2015…May the 3rd be with you???? Hmm…Doesn’t sound quite right!)

The Week Americans Thwart Al Qaeda Kidnapping in Yemen

In News Ashkenazi food.

the tragedy stands there today.

Putin’s Line of Cars In 2006, the restaurant was replaced with a clothing store called Jo Goldenberg. A sign commemorating

We already know that Vladimir Putin does not do things modestly. He spends over 50 billion dollars on the Olympic Games and invades countries on a whim. His push to strength-

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Global

Rue de Rosiers in Le Marais in Paris, Chez Jo Goldenberg, died at age 91. His restaurant was the site of an infamous terrorist attack in 1982 in which terrorists lobbed a grenade and opened up machine guns on the diners, killing six and wounding 22 before fleeing. They were never found, but they are believed to have been Palestinian. The restaurant was a well-known eatery in the Jewish quarter even before World War II and served classic

MAY 15, 2014

An attempted kidnapping by al Qaeda militants in Yemen on April 24 went awry when two American security personnel fended off the terrorists while the Americans were in the middle of getting haircuts. The Americans, a CIA officer and a lieutenant colonel with the elite Joint Special Operations Command, were inside an Indian-owned barbershop on the popular commercial thoroughfare, Heda Street in Sanaa, when an SUV pulled up and armed militants burst out, yelling, “Police! Police!” The Americans quickly grabbed their weapons, killed the attackers and then jumped into their vehicle and drove off. They later met with Yemeni officials and cooperated with their investigation. The al Qaeda group that has been terrorizing Westerners in Yemen recently goes by the name Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and is considered by the US to be the most dangerous in the world. Last week, the US Embassy there had to close temporarily because of attacks on Westerners. A day before, gunmen opened fire on three French security guards at the European Union mission in Sanaa, killing one and wounding another.

Jo Goldenberg of Famous Paris Eatery Dies Jo Goldenberg, the owner of the famous, eponymous restaurant on

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MAY 15, 2014

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The Week en Russia’s standing in the world has become something of a legend. Last week, for example, he banned cursing in all Russian movies, books, and concerts. For the past couple of years, Putin has personally overseen another effort at building a symbol of Russian strength: a new series of Russian-engineered limousines for himself and other potentates that would project the same kind of power that President Barack Obama’s Cadillac does. Known as “Project Cortege,” the plan involves several Russian automakers and, according to reports in Russia last week, engineering input from Porsche. Putin’s managers have laid out plans for a whole series of vehicles — limousines, vans, and SUVs — built in Russia from a Russian-engineered chassis. While the first prototypes won’t be built until later this year, and the first vehicles are not expected on the road until 2016, Russian officials showed off mockups a few weeks ago, complete with massive Russian seals on the doors and steering wheels.

Obama’s Cadillac is actually a rebodied Chevrolet Kodiak medium-duty truck retrofitted with armor panels and other protection by General Motors under the Secret Service’s directives. Cadillac has provided the presidential limo since 1993. Currently, Putin and his entourage rely on stretched Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans for official transportation. While Russia has several truck makers and smaller car manufacturers who partner with Western firms, Project Cortege requires a new level of engineering resources — enough so that the Putin government is estimated to have dedicated somewhere between $150 million and $400 million to develop the new vehicle line. By 2016, Putin will only have two years left to his term as Russian president to enjoy riding the new vehicles,

although history suggests he’ll find a way to keep rolling in power well beyond that deadline.

Polish Immigrant is World’s Oldest Man

The world’s oldest man is now Alexander Imich, a 111-year-old Holocaust survivor living on New York City’s Upper West Side. According to the Gerontology Research Group of Torrance, California, Imich claimed the title of oldest man after the previous recipient died on April 24 at 111 years and 357 days old. Imich was born in Poland on February 4, 1903. He can remember the first car in his hometown and calls the airplane the greatest invention of his lifetime. He fought in the Polish-Soviet War, escaped the Holocaust, and immigrated to the United States in 1951. Imich holds a doctorate in chemistry from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow but later become a scholar of the supernatural. At the age of 92, Imich published a book on the paranormal. Imich told the New York Times he attributes his longevity to good genes, athletics, and a sparse diet. Though he used to smoke, he gave it up long ago and never drinks alcohol. When asked by the Times what it’s like to be the oldest man on Earth, Imich replied, “Not like it’s the Nobel Prize.” Though Imich may be the oldest man in the world, he is far from the oldest person. Sixty-six women throughout the world are older than him; his female counterpart, Misao Okawa of Japan, is 116.

In News P&G Recalls Offensive “Nazi” Soap Procter & Gamble wants to be clear: they do not support any neo-Nazism. The household product giant has apologized for “any false connotations” after stirring anger in Germany for unintentionally placing a neo-Nazi code on promotional packages for its Ariel laundry detergent. Social media sites were abuzz as outraged shoppers posted pictures online of Ariel powder boxes featuring a white soccer jersey with a large number “88.” The number is sensitive because far-right extremists in Germany often use it as a code to skirt a ban on the use of Nazi slogans in public. Since “H’’ is the eighth letter of the alphabet, “88” represents the phrase “Heil Hitler.” Similarly, “18” is used to stand for “A.H.” or Adolf Hitler. Procter & Gamble acknowledged Friday that the number was “unintentionally ambiguous.” “We very much regret if there are any false associations and distance ourselves clearly from any far-right ideology,” company spokeswoman Gabi Hassig said in a statement. The number “88” was intended to show number of loads of laundry per package. Haessig said the company has stopped shipping the offending powder as well as a liquid detergent that was being promoted as “Ariel 18.”

in the Sunday Times of London shows that London has the most billionaires living there of any other city in the world and that Britain has the highest amount of billionaires per capita than any other country. London is home to 72 billionaires, way more than Moscow’s 48 and New York’s 43. Indian-born brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja are the wealthiest Londoners with 11.9 billion pounds (roughly $20 billion) to their names. They own the Hinduja Group, which has interests in oil, banking, the automotive industry, property and the media. Alisher Usmanov, a Jewish Russian billionaire fell from his perch on last year’s list to number two; troubles in the Russian stock market have affected his net worth.

This comes as the Trussel Trust, a British food bank, revealed that the number of people that had approached them for emergency food had risen 163 percent to just over 913,000 people last year. According to the Trust, these numbers are greatly under-exaggerated, as they do not include people who sought assistance elsewhere or are too ashamed to beg. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times…

Remembering Life When Hitler was His Neighbor London: Home to the World’s Billionaires London is packing on the pounds these days. A new survey published

Edgar Feuchtwanger is the nephew of Lion Feuchtwanger, who was one of the most popular Jewish German authors of the early 20th century and a fierce critic of Hitler. Now Edgar, 89, has published his own book, When Hitler Was Our Neighbor, which describes growing up in

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The Week the early 1930s as Hitler’s neighbor as the German leader rose to power. “We were aware of the threat probably even in 1932,” Feuchtwanger recalls. “But of course we didn’t realize how radical that threat was, how lethal it would get. My father had got that quite wrong.” He even remembers bumping into the Fuhrer as a boy. “It so happened that just at the moment when we were in front of his door, he came out. He was in a nearly white mackintosh,” Feuchtwanger told AFP. “We were in his way. He looked at me and there were a few casual bystanders in the street – it was about half past eight in the morning and they of course shouted, ‘Heil Hitler!’ He just lifted his hat a little bit, as any democratic politician would do – he didn’t give the [straight-armed Nazi] salute – and then he got into his car.”

But as time went on, it became clear that his family could not stay in Munich. “After about 1935-36, you couldn’t any longer walk past his front door. You were kept to the opposite side of the road but you could see these cars parked there so I knew he was there even before I left the house.” When Edgar was fourteen, he was sent to live with family in England. His parents joined him shortly thereafter. There he was bullied by classmates who called him “Fish-finger” and “Volkswagen.” He ultimately graduated from Cambridge and became a professor in history in Southampton. Feutchwanger’s memoir has drawn much attention. Munich-based national daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung says it reads like a “spooky fairy tale – more Franz Kafka than the Brothers Grimm.” He is looking for a publisher to translate it to English.

Alcohol Kills One Person Every Ten Seconds According to the World Health Organization, alcohol is the cause of one out of twenty deaths globally every year. It kills 3.3 million people worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis and violence combined, and even more alarming is that alcohol consumption is one the rise. “This actually translates into one death every 10 seconds,” Shekhar Saxena, who heads the WHO’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse department, said.

Unfortunately, more people in countries where alcohol consumption has traditionally been low, like China and India, are also increasingly taking up the habit as their wealth increases, it said. “More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption,” Oleg Chestnov of the WHO’s Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health unit said in a statement launching a massive report on global alcohol consumption and its impact on public health. Drinking is linked to more than 200 health conditions, including liver cirrhosis and some cancers. Alcohol abuse also makes people more susceptible to infectious diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and pneumonia, the report found. Most deaths attributed to alcohol are caused by associated cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Alcohol-related accidents, such as car crashes, were the second-highest killer, accounting for around 17.1 percent of all alcohol-related deaths. Binge drinking is especially damaging to health, approximately16 percent of the world’s drinkers abuse alcohol to excess. Alcohol abuse is not limited by

In News wealth or lack thereof. While people in the world’s wealthiest nations, in Europe and the Americas especially, are boozier than people in poorer countries, rising wealth in emerging economies is also driving up alcohol consumption. Drinking in populous China and India is rising particularly fast as people earn more money, the WHO said, warning that the average annual intake in China was likely to swell by 1.5 litres of pure alcohol by 2025. Still, Eastern Europe and Russia are home to the world’s biggest drinkers. Russian men who drink consumed an average of 32 liters of pure alcohol a year, according to 2010 statistics, followed by other Western countries including Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia and South Africa. On average, every person above the age of 15 worldwide drinks 6.2 liters of pure alcohol in a year, according to the report. But there are many who don’t fall prey to the dangerous drink. Nearly half of all adults worldwide have never touched alcohol, and nearly 62 percent say they have not touched a drink in the past year. Abstinence, especially among women, is most common in low-income countries, while religious belief and social norms mean many Muslim countries are virtually alcohol-free.

Swiss Museum Names Sole Heir of Expansive Artwork Collection

The Kunstmuseum Bern, a museum in Switzerland, announced on Wednesday that it has been named the “unrestricted and unfettered sole heir” of a German art collector. Cornelius Gurlitt, who died at the age of 81, was the owner of about 1,280 ma-

jor artworks. In February 2012, authorities found the trove of treasured artworks while investigating Gurlitt for possible tax evasion. His collection instigated anger last year under suspicion that it had been looted by the Nazis, for whom Gurlitt’s father worked. The art collection, which is under investigation, includes work by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Marc Chagall. The Bavarian Justice Ministry said ib Tuesday that a deal struck with Gurlitt before his death would be binding on all possible heirs. The museum located in Switzerland’s capital city, Bern, said it was “surprised and delighted” at the appointment. It said that the news “came like a bolt from the blue.” There is no history between the two. Cornelius Gurlitt’s lawyer, Christoph Edel, revealed the good news to the museum board. “At the same time, we do not wish to conceal the fact that this magnificent bequest brings with it a considerable burden of responsibility and a wealth of questions of the most difficult and sensitive kind, and questions in particular of a legal and ethical nature,” the statement read. Gurlitt was known as a recluse and hoarder who didn’t often venture out of his Munich apartment. Prosecutors say that Gurlitt’s father was ordered by Hitler to acquire and sell the “degenerate art” in order to help finance Nazi activities. The collection is worth an estimated $1.4 billion.

Rebels Demolish Hotel in Syria The Carlton Hotel was once a luxurious, historic hotel. In recent years, it became a government army base in the northern city of Aleppo in Syria. Rebels recently set off a huge explosion from under the complex, leveling the building and causing multiple casualties, though the death toll is not currently known. The attack was a powerful statement by rebels. It seems they were trying to show that they can still deliver destructive blows while enduring significant defeats elsewhere. On Thursday, rebels finalized their

The Week

Israel Royal Romanians Visit the Holy Land

Last week, Israel hosted Romania’s Princess Margarita and her husband, Prince Radu. The visit culminated at Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum with a touching meeting between the princess and ten Holocaust survivors who, as children, were saved from the Nazis by her grandmother, Queen Mother Elena. It was Princess Margarita’s first

Israeli Teens Win Physics Award The high school students from the Ilan Ramon Youth Physics Center in Beer Sheva should feel pretty good about themselves this week. Once again, they were able to win a prize in an annual international competition known as the “First Step to Nobel Prize in Physics.” The award is widely considered the world’s most prestigious science prize for high school students. This year, ten of the best research projects were submitted to the prestigious US-based competition, and last week, the students’ research projects were presented to the wider Israeli public for the first time. From 2007-2014, the Ramon Center has made Israel the world leader in prizes for physics research conducted by high school students. The center has won a total of 45 prizes during that period, leaving countries like South Korea, the US, and Russia far behind. The Ramon Center operates in conjunction with physics teachers

from across southern Israel to identify the most gifted students. The students write their research work with the guidance of experts from Ben-Gurion University.

Fake Interpreter Hired by Israeli Start-Up

Sefi Shaked of Livelens, a startup video-sharing app based out of Tel Aviv, has made an interesting hire for his new advertising campaign. “We needed something surprising,” Shaked told reporters. “We wanted to choose a presenter who is the worst presenter for a live app possible; you know, the person who did the worst mess up on live TV — ever.” Livelens chose the disgraced sign language interpreter from Nelson Mandela’s funeral to make what is now a viral advertising video. Thamsanqa Jantjie made headlines last December after he was ousted as a fraud for making meaningless gestures while working onstage as a sign language interpreter during famed civil rights leader Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, which was broadcast live internationally. During the service, he stood next to US President Barack Obama and other world leaders and dignitaries. After the service, Jantjie revealed that he was schizophrenic and claimed that he was having hallucinations during the service. He checked himself into a psychiatric hospital. Reports later revealed that Jantjie has faced numerous criminal charges in the past for murder and kidnapping, among other things. In the Livelens video, Jantjie apologizes for the incident and also makes fun of himself by appearing as his own phony interpreter. According to a voiceover, as he apologizes, he is also signing, “Me famous celebrity. Now I do campaign for money.” The ad was shot in Johannesburg

in February, according to Shaked, and Jantjie was only able to leave the hospital after he claimed he had a wedding to go to and somebody posed as a relative to escort him. Once a fraud, always a fraud.

Visa Crisis for Israelis

MAY 15, 2014

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which maintains a network of activists on the ground, said at least 14 soldiers were killed in the blast. The Islamic Front, Syria’s biggest rebel alliance, took responsibility for the attack and claimed to have killed 50 soldiers in the attack. Neither claim has been confirmed.

visit to Israel. At age 62, she is the oldest of King Michael’s five daughters. Although she is his declared successor, full parliamentary approval is lacking. Her visit to Yad Vashem was marked by a special ceremony along the “Avenue of the Righteous,” an exhibit honoring those gentiles who, at great risk to themselves, went out of their way to protect Jews from the horrors of the Holocaust. Queen Mother Elena was officially honored as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations” back in 1993. Both Prince Radu and Princess Margarita said a visit to Israel was one of their dreams. Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin said he was glad they finally made it. “I explained to the prince and princess the importance of their support in European institutions,” Elkin told reporters following a meeting with the royals. “These days, we need all the help we can get … [and] there is no doubt that we need to further promote strong relations with Romania.”

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withdrawal from Homs in a negotiated evacuation that surrenders Syria’s third-largest city to full government control.

The Israel-US relationship has seen some tension over the past few months. The most recent chapter in the saga deals with reports that American intelligence officials have linked the US visa crisis to Israeli espionage. US officials reportedly said in closed a conversation that “Israel crosses the line for espionage in the United States.” Some intelligence officials are firmly against relieving the Israelis, according to recent reports. Officials claimed that Israel “is the only country which takes advantage of the security cooperation with the US to spy on it.” The statements, if true, touch a delicate nerve in US-Israel relations: the recent “visa crisis.” Some have said that the belief in intelligence circles that Israeli spying on the US may be the cause behind the recent slowdown in approvals for Israelis for US visas. Last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced an internal review into claims that hundreds of young Israelis were being barred from entering the US for political reasons. An initial investigation found that the rejection rate of visa applications for young Israelis ages 21-26 has doubled from 16 percent in 2009 to 32 percent in 2014. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro stated that the trend will turn around. “The department will take immediate steps to increase the number of young Israelis that can travel to the US according to our immigration laws,” Shapiro wrote in a Facebook post. “The law dictates that applicants

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The Week must prove that they intend to return to Israel in making the request, and that the visa does not allow recipients to stay beyond the designated time period or to work legally in the US.,” Shapiro said. ”But we are aware of the fact that although two-thirds of young applicants receive visas, some people harbor a misconception that young Israelis are not welcome in the U.S.A.” “Surely, that’s not true,” he continued. “Israel is one of the US.’s closest allies, and we welcome all networking between Israelis and Americans, including visits to the United States.” Israeli officials have yet to respond to the letter, which responds to earlier claims that political motivations were behind the visa rejections. Earlier this year, Israeli security officials also claimed they were being targeted by the US, and that hundreds of defense officials were turned away from making important visits to Washington.

National LA is Country’s Food Fiesta Move over Williamsburg! According to some foodies, New York is losing its title as the epicurean epicenter of the country to its cross-country rival, Los Angeles. Foodie blogger Kenny Porpora has compiled a list of the reasons why: While those of us who work in midtown Manhattan like lunching at Moshe’s falafel truck, the real serious leaders in the current food truck craze park themselves on the streets of LA. In fact, food trucks have been a part of LA culture since the early nineties, long before the fad began. There you can get some world famous Korean tacos and grilled cheese literally a la carte! As for celebrity chefs, we all know that for anything celebrity, LA is king. Wolfgang Puck, the father of all celebrity chefs, started out there well over a decade ago. LA’s Mexican food scene puts New York’s on siesta.

In News of the first to visit the top. “I used to be a stock broker; I went through 9/11 as a broker, and ... it stands alone in the United States to represent freedom for me.”

of tefillin and hundreds of siddurim. Yarmulkas and tallisim also fill up the bin. The MTA boasts an impressive 60 percent return rate, so the next time you can’t find your tallis, give the lost and found a shot.

I Love to Make a Living Lastly, no one can argue with the fact that California produce is better and fresher than anything grown on a Brooklyn rooftop. Don’t worry, New York, no one wants to live in LA anyway. (Yeah, right!)

Washington Monument Reopens For three years, a trip to Washington, DC, was never really complete. The Washington Monument was closed for construction due to a crack after an earthquake in the nation’s capital. But on Monday, the 130-year-old, 555-foot-tall towering obelisk was finally repaired, and crowds flocked to the monument for a chance to ride to the top. The patriotic symbol was built in honor of the nation’s first president between 1848 and 1884 and briefly reigned as the world’s tallest structure until it was eclipsed by the Eiffel Tower. Engineers spent nearly 1,000 days making repairs stone by stone. Now new exhibits have been installed, and the National Park Service is offering extended hours to visitors through the summer. For the hundreds of visitors, the trip to the top of the tallest structure in Washington is brief: It’s a 70-second ride to the top, and a more leisurely two minutes, 45 seconds back down. But the massive monument’s meaning is much more lasting for most Americans. “I just love American history, I love traveling to see American history, and this is it. You can’t get more historic than this,” said Marc Tanner of Boca Raton, Florida, who was one

Ferrell Armstrong, 74, of Kinmundy, Illinois, and his wife, Connie, 70, visited with their son and were determined to be among the first visitors when he promised the family a stop in D.C. after he underwent treatments for cancer — now in remission — in Virginia. A visit for them was emotional. “It’s just immaculate. It’s just great that people that far back thought about building something this great that’s still here,” Ferrell said. “It symbolized to me a great man, George Washington.”

Jewish MTA Lost & Found

A recent inspection of the MTA Lost and Found took inventory of its contents, and the findings are fun: 62 suits, 28,482 cell phones, 26 record players, 71 Walkmans, and 6 television sets were counted. Lost a pair of tefillin or a lulav on the subway? Luckily, there is now a “Jewish section” in the Lost and Found. This section had ten sets

Don’t you just hate those coworkers of yours who seem to love their jobs? A job is supposed to be a means to a paycheck and some health insurance and no more, right? Well, in some towns in the US, all the people there seem to be whistling while they work. Some areas that rank highly on the scale of worker satisfaction may not come as a surprise to anyone. Hey, if I lived in the Silicon Valley and worked for Facebook or Google, I’d also be pretty content with my lot! San Jose has the highest economic confidence level of any other city in the country, and the median salary in the techheavy area is over $90,000. Also, people in the Naples-Marco Island region of Florida are tanned and happy workers. Let me see…beach to the office to the boardwalk to the office? I can live with that. It’s no wonder that workers there report really low stress levels from their jobs! But in Kingsport, TN, the tenth most content city for workers, not only does the population have a low overall education level, the median income is under $38,000. Workers there, however, love the trusting and pleasant work environment (Jack Daniels, anyone?). 65% of employees in Kingsport feel they are treated like a partner to their bosses. What’s the city in the nation with the most satisfied workers? San Luis Obispo, CA. 90% of workers there are content with their jobs and feel

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The Week stimulated by their work experiences. Also, the median income in San Luis Obispo is $60,264, well above the US average of $51,371.

Tilting Over Chicago

Tourists to the Windy City are sure to be blown away by its newest attraction. TILT, a vertigo-inducing glass platform that shifts up to eight people at a time onto a sharp angle off the 94th floor of the John Hancock tower in Chicago, is every bit as adventurous as it sounds. The ride costs just five dollars and is the first of its kind. Patrick Abisseror, CEO of Montparnasse 56 Group, which owns TILT, said, “We had a vision for elevating the experience, and providing memories for guests that will last a lifetime. TILT is yet another example of the innovative and forward-thinking vision of Montparnasse 56 Group.” I’ll stick to a Ken’s pastrami burger, thank you very much.

Internet Addiction Rising Quickly

A new British study has confirmed technology’s grasp over teens. Almost four in ten young people fear they are addicted to the Internet, prompting worries that youngsters are vulnerable to cyber-bullying. Two-thirds of 11- to 17-olds take their tablet, smartphone, or laptop to bed with them. Of those, only a third claim to be doing homework, while

two-thirds use the devices to talk to friends online, play games, and watch films. The research is based on the responses of more than 2,200 young people. One 12-year-old girl in the study said, “The Internet nearly always controls my actions. I have been told that I am addicted to the Internet, and prefer its company rather than being with other people. I feel lost without the Internet.” Sadly, she doesn’t even see a problem in having the Internet as her main friend. Claire Lilley, head of online safety at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), said, “While the Internet can be a great place for children to learn and socialize, it is worrying that so many feel that they are addicted to it. There is a lot of pressure on young people, including from their peers, to be ‘always on,’ and the 24/7 nature of children’s access to the Internet means that issues like online bullying can escalate quickly.” The charity has seen a rapid increase in the number of children contacting ChildLine about online bullying, which leapt from 2,410 in 2011 to 4,507 from 2013. Dr. Barbie Clarke from Family Kids & Youth, the social market-research agency that conducted the research, said, “Many of the young people we spoke to simply did not feel they would be able to manage without [the Internet]. They did not feel able to function if they couldn’t get hold of their friends and look things up on the Internet.” Mark Griffiths, professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University, said, “Studies suggest that between 1 and 3 percent of people may have a genuine Internet addiction. But there will be many more who exhibit habitual behavior that has become problematic. The extent to which it is problematic depends on the impact it is having on your life.”

New Yorkers Learn to Chill Stop stressing for a minute and read this article. In a new survey, New Yorkers were not found to be the most

In News stressed-out Americans.

This week, real estate blog Movoto published its list of the ten most stressed-out cities in the United States. In addition to the Big Apple, nearby Jersey City and Newark also made the list. Movoto measured stress by creating a list of seven criteria it felt best captured the causes of stress for most people. The list includes commuting time, unemployment, cost of living, crime rates, workday hours, population density, and cost of rent. So which cities should you avoid if you want to stop popping Xanax? Stay far away from our nation’s capital, Washington, DC, the top city on the list for stress. New York City followed in second place. Miami, San Francisco, and Jersey City rounded out the top five. Oakland, CA; Chicago; Newark, NJ; Philadelphia; and Los Angeles completed the top ten. Hey, New York, how about some good breathing exercises?

Congratulations Noah!

The Social Security Administration has just announced the top ten most selected names for newborns last year. Surprisingly, “Noah” was the most popular boys’ name, while “Sophia” remained the most popular girls’ name for the third year in a row. Noah comes as a surprise as it only entered the top ten in 2009, though it has climbed up the list every year since then. Another surprise for boys’ names was Liam, which rose to No. 2 in 2013 after entering the top ten the previous year.

“‘Noah’ and ‘Liam’ are both smooth, little names,” Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard, explains. “I call them ‘raindrop names’ — they’re tiny, but they have more than one syllable, and they are totally smooth, with no hard stops or rough edges.” The only surprise with top girls’ names this year, she notes, was that there has been very little movement. In fact, the very same 2013 winners – which include “Emma,” “Olivia” and “Abigail” – made up the top ten in 2012, in just a slightly different order. Here are the top 10 names for boys in 2013: 1. Noah 2. Liam 3. Jacob 4. Mason 5. William 6. Ethan 7. Michael 8. Alexander 9. Jayden 10. Daniel Here are the top 10 names for girls in 2013: 1. Sophia 2. Emma 3. Olivia 4. Isabella 5. Ava 6. Mia 7. Emily 8. Abigail 9. Madison 10. Elizabeth Other news from the Social Security Administration, which has been compiling baby-name rankings since 1880, includes data on the fastest-rising names, which are currently “Daleyza” for girls and “Jayceon” – pronounced “Jason” – for boys. The trend, Wattenberg says, nicely illustrates, as do names such as “Jaxen” and “Jaxson,” the growing phenomenon of parents using creative spellings as a way to stick to popular sounds while also being unique. “Rankings can affect people’s thinking, but doesn’t change their taste,” she says, adding that parents of today are much more interested in finding a name that stands out rather than one that blends in. “Usually everybody wants to be No. 1 at everything — except with baby names.”

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The Week

Insights of the World’s Oldest Vet

does indulge every now and then on his two favorites: cookies and tacos. Overton said he avoids prescription medication and only takes aspirin to thin his blood. He should live many more healthy years.

Americans Not Crazy for Cash Richard Overton, 107, gets up every morning, puts on a clean dress shirt, trousers, tennis shoes, and a black cap with yellow lettering that reads “WWII Veteran.” A man who appreciates hard work, the oldest living World War II veteran spends many hours each week working on his yard, sweeping his driveway, and raking leaves. Overton was born in Bastrop County in 1906. As he approaches his 108th birthday, he still holds a Texas driver’s license and hasn’t lost his sense of humor. “I just keep a-going,” says Overton with a grin. “I don’t stop.” Overton has seen many loved ones and friends pass away, not just at home but overseas as well. Overton served in the U.S. Army and was sent to the West Pacific in 1945. He says his experience in WWII simply wasn’t fun. “I was shot over my head, between my legs, around my ears, and everything, but it wasn’t my day to go,” he muses. Many dignitaries and world leaders, most recently President Obama, have recognized Overton for his service. Overton gave the president a box of his favorite cigars when he met him. Overton is not a fan of all of the attention but appreciates the recognition. When it comes to longevity, he said he doesn’t have any secrets. He keeps everything in moderation, including a few vices such as whisky and cigars. “I’ve been drinking a little bit,” he said, “but I don’t drink much. I’ve smoked cigars ever since I was 18.” Overton doesn’t eat large meals, but

Cash is what? Certainly not king. A new Bankrate survey shows that close to ten percent of Americans don’t carry any cash on their person. 78% of people walk around with less than fifty dollars and 49% with less than twenty. The results either demonstrate a high consumer confidence or a more tech-comfortable population. “If we move to a truly cashless society, it won’t be much of an adjustment for most Americans,” Greg McBride, Bankrate.com’s chief financial analyst, said. “The vast majority of Americans carry $50 or less on a daily basis, which seems to indicate that it’s more out of necessity than a desire to pay with cash.” These people definitely don’t use my dry cleaners.

Fewer Americans Reading A report released by Common Media Sense recently revealed that American children rarely read for pleasure. A meta-analysis of seven surveys and various tests by public and private groups show that overall reading among pre-adolescents and youngsters has vastly declined in the last three decades. The data also discovered that fewer parents read to their children nowadays. The change is being blamed on

In News the technological revolution. Society has reached a major transition point in the history of reading. From children’s earliest ages, “reading” used to mean sitting down with a book and turning pages as a story unfolded. Today, it might mean sitting down with a device that offers multimedia experiences and blurs the line between books and toys. Much of the daily communication of older children is now handled in short bursts of written text, such as text messages, emails, Facebook posts, and tweets. All of this has led to a major disruption in how, what, when, and where children and teens read. Considering that a lot of this is new data, research is evolving in this area.

The proportion of children who are daily readers drops significantly from childhood to the tween and teenage years. One study documents a drop in daily readers from 48 percent of 6- to 8-year-olds down to 24 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds; another shows a drop from 53 percent of 9-year-olds to 19 percent of 17-yearolds. There is a significant gap in reading achievement between white, black, and Hispanic children. There is also a gender gap – girls read for pleasure for an average of ten minutes more per day than boys; this discrepancy remains prominent from childhood through teenage years. Well, I know at least one person who is reading…Keep it up!

Where are the Jobs? The job market is reflective of the economy’s condition. Naturally, when the economy is healthy, more people are working. Where are Amer-

icans finding their paychecks? Well, according to Martin Kohli, chief regional economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), industry growth trends play an important role in job totals. Workers in the nation’s most popular occupations “are employed in industries that have also been expanding,” Kohli said. For example, food service employees are wildly popular, reflecting an expanding food industry, explains Kohli.

Conversely, many of the nation’s least common jobs are in industries that are shrinking, such as in the manufacturing sector. Many of these jobs, Kohli added, “are clearly on the decline because the industries that employ them, and the technologies they use, are on the decline.” For instance, the BLS predicts that the number of animal breeders will decrease by 23 percent between 2012 and 2022, and the amount of fabric menders will fall by 10 percent. The number of radio operators and wood pattern-makers is expected to remain the same. The least common jobs nowadays tend to be higher earning positions. The average geographer earned more than $75,000 annually as of 2013, and the average industrial-organizational psychologist earned nearly $88,000 annually. Those two professions are expected to grow by 29% and 53%, respectively, between 2012 and 2022. Consequently, the most common jobs tend to require little formal education or experience and therefore lower wages. Cashiers, waiters, and food preparation workers earned, on average, less than $25,000 annually, while the average U.S. worker earned more than $46,000 per year. These occupations are usually not unionized, which probably explains the lower wages, said Kohli. The ten most common jobs in America today include: janitors and cleaners (2.1 million jobs); secretar-

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The Week ies and administrative assistants (2.2 million jobs); hand laborers (2.3 million jobs); customer service representatives (2.4 million jobs); waiters and waitresses (2.4 million jobs); nurses (2.7 million jobs); office clerks (2.8 million jobs); food preparation workers (3 million jobs); cashiers (3.3 million jobs) and retail salespersons (4.5 million jobs).

That’s Odd Timing is Everything

We can rent everything from cars to houses to dog walkers. So why not luxury watches? A start-up called Eleven James is offering its subscribers a variety of luxurious timepieces to rent from Rolex, Cartier, Audemars Piguet and the like. Randy Brandoff, the company’s founder, is a former executive of the private, jet-sharing company Netjets. Brandoff says that leasing luxury items is not a novelty for today’s money-smart wealthy class. “The vast majority of our target consumers have leased a car rather than buying it, rented a vacation home or enjoyed other prized possessions without purchasing them,” he claims. So what can you expect from a membership? The “connoisseur” plan will get you watches from the $15,000 to $30,000 range and will allow you to rotate six watches a year. The cost? A mere $9,700. If something a little more on the upscale side suits you, you might like the “virtuoso” option: only $17,250 a year for watches costing close to $50,000.

What’s the motivation to rent and not buy? Says Brandoff, “Most watch lovers follow the same pattern. The first six months after they buy a watch, they love it. The second six months, they don’t love it as much. And by the third six months, it gets put on the pile and replaced by one or numerous others.” The company’s goal is to have 1,000 subscribers and it’s well on its way. After all, who doesn’t love a timeshare for timepieces?

Getting a Leg Up with Lego

In News unique things over the years from people trying to get their foot in the door.” She continued, “She did it in a good way, a very positive way. She got herself noticed.” But don’t think that Lego-building skills can always get you in the door. The main reason Leah was offered a position was that she demonstrated that she had substance at an interview. “She was a very smart, bright, articulate young woman -- and she had some prior experience already,” Quinlan said. Says Bowman, “You’ve got to wow an employer with something that goes beyond your resume. You’ve got to be prepared, when you pick up the phone, to wow them again. You can’t drop the ball. A gimmick only gets you a phone call or ensures your resume winds up in the right pile.” In any case, a “Lego resume” certainly won’t “block” you from a great position.

Your Phone or Your Life? Leah Bowman, a junior at Northwestern University, literally built herself an impressive resume to land a summer internship. While home on spring break, Bowman decided to build her resume out of Lego blocks. “It came to me on a Saturday morning, and by Sunday night I’d designed it – an ad for myself. I assembled it on Monday,” she said. So she made a “mini-me” along with a poster that said: “LEAH. Build the perfect Account Service intern! New for 2014!” Her resume quickly went viral and got her noticed from out of a pile of 1,000 applicants at a Chicago-based ad agency, Energy BBDO, and she was chosen to be one of the company’s sixteen summer interns. According to Kristen Quinlan, an HR manager at the firm, “She created a splash. She definitely got herself noticed from her gimmick. I wanted to talk to her. I’ve gotten a few wacky,

more about the risk to their phones’ data than they cared about risks posed to themselves. And half of the people surveyed said they’d be willing to fork over $500 to get their phones back. Roughly a third would give up $1,000. Alicia diVittorio, Lookout’s Director of Security Communications, said that the study demonstrates that “phones carry highly personal information from banking credentials to corporate email, making them extremely valuable to the owner, as well as thieves. For this reason, smartphone victims are willing to go to extreme lengths to recover their devices including putting themselves in danger and coughing up a great deal of money to keep their phones and the data they carry safe.” Unsurprisingly, the most common way to lose your phone is by leaving it in a public place. Although it makes great headlines, only eleven percent of people whose phones went missing had it stolen from their person, and only five percent had it stolen on public transportation. Restaurants were the most common area where phones got taken, and from noon till five is high time for phone pilfering. So if you’re heading out to lunch on Central Avenue today, leave your phone at home. Besides, people who talk on the phone in a public eatery are really annoying.

Planting her Inheritance In the ‘80’s, the big question was, “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” Nowadays, that question has taken a more meaningful form: “What would you do for your lost phone?” And for many people, the answer is pretty extreme. A new survey by the company Lookout suggests that most people would put themselves at bodily risk to retrieve their phone which often contains highly personal and confidential information. Sixty eight percent of survey respondents cared

Some eccentric millionaires leave their fortunes to their cats. Now, a woman in Pittsburgh has created a

The Week

I know, I know, all you self-righteous tree huggers. Your Prius gets 50 miles per gallon while my 1992 Ford Bronco does about eight. But compared to the car invented by students at the Universite Laval in Quebec, the Prius looks like a jumbo jet. The students’ three-wheeled, tearshaped car is able to get 2,824 miles per gallon. It overcame a number of issues, such as excess friction short circuits, to achieve that number, which means that the car can zoom from New York to Los Angeles on less than a gallon of fuel.

Say No to Nagging

A nagging spouse may be dangerous to your health. A recent study of Danish men and women ages 36 to 52 suggests that a nagging spouse may shorten your life. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen claim nagging may cause an extra three deaths per one hundred people and is linked to heart disease and cancer. Men are more likely to be affected by nagging spouses. Husbands who reported significant demands from their wives were twice as likely to die as compared to 34% of women who felt that way. That may be because men don’t share their issues with their close friends and prefer to bottle it all up inside. Researchers from the study concluded that “men were especially vulnerable to frequent worries/demands from their partner, contradicting earlier findings suggesting that women were more vulnerable.” I’d love to continue, but my wife is calling me.

A Prize for Politeness What’s the best present for a mother? How about well-behaved

children and an award for their best behavior? A Canadian family got a special surprise on Mother’s Day when they received their bill for their celebratory Sunday brunch. At the bottom of the receipt from the Japanese bistro, the store included a discount for “Well Behaved Kids”—$5 off their meal. Daley Welsh, the father of the angelic children, said, “I feel it was just a really nice gesture,” he says, “and it really made my wife’s Mother’s Day special, affirming her hard work as a parent for the last year.”

The owner of the restaurant, Toshi Carino, said, “We welcome the kids and wanted to show some appreciation for kids (of course for parents!) with dining manners.” She adds that Welshes were a “beautiful family” with a baby who was impressively “calm in the crowd.” The eatery has special significance for the Welshes. The restaurant is a small, 35-seat eatery that has no room for strollers and is “not the most kid-friendly place.” Still, Daley and his wife, Alicia, frequented the place for dates before having their daughter, Evie, and they had a hankering on Sunday. Luckily, Evie was having a good day. “Our daughter is like most babies,” Welsh says. “She has her on and off days. We avoid taking her out if she’s fussy.” Thankfully, she was sweet and well-mannered on Sunday.

UPS Delivers a Shidduch Matchmaking is an art…that just about anyone can do. Mazal Tov to Zev Goldin and Chana Simon upon their engagement, and congratulations to the shadchan, UPS worker Terry Spiers. The shidduch started to brew two years ago when Spiers got to know Regina Simon, who worked in an office on his Eastern Parkway route in Crown Heights. In their conversations, Regina would often mention her 21-year-old daughter Chana, who is studying psychology at Touro College. One day, Spiers mentioned that he knew the perfect guy for Chana, Zev Goldin, 25, who lives just a few blocks away. Spiers assured Mrs. Simon that Zev, who works in real estate, comes from a wonderful family. Then he approached the Goldins and attempted to convince them to give the idea a shot.

“Initially, we didn’t take it very seriously,” Goldin recalled. But Terry Spiers was determined and did not give up. Spiers himself helped the families exchange “shidduch resumes,” leading to a first date. Now Goldin admits that he knew that Chana was the one for him early on in the relationship. “The second date, I knew, but I waited a very, very long time to make sure.” “[Spiers] asked a million and a half questions. All he was hoping was that he’d make one shidduch before he retires,” said Goldin. Delivering the perfect spouse… now we know what brown can do for you.

MAY 15, 2014

Zooming Along at 2,824 MPG

Interestingly, the gas-sipping vehicle doesn’t come close to what the school invented last year with a prototype that netted 3,587 mpg. The car was built at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition in Houston, where competing schools vie for the top prize in fuel efficiency. Still doesn’t beat the bike I take to work daily.

In News

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completely new type of heir in her will: her trusty 42-year-old philodendron, a seven foot house plant. Ronna Scoratow, 63, received her beloved plant in 1972 and has watched it grow from just a foot tall. “This is my girl! This plant will definitely outlive me. After I pass don’t want her to go unloved,” she explains. So Scoratow, who has no children and does not feel that her siblings share her ardor for her fauna, told her attorney, James Wood, to place a provision in her will for $5,000 for a friend to care for her plant. “It was interesting. I’ve done provisions for pets but never a plant,” said Wood. Her other plants, however, have yet to get the same treatment. ”I don’t have the same love with them. I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t want to be cold or anything.” Who knows, maybe the rest of them will grow on her before her demise.

Forgotten Heroes

Avi Heiligman

Leon Frankel Flying High

he Israeli Air Force today is a he fought for Israel. Leon Frankel had big and powerful organization sunk a Japanese cruiser during WWII that only the elite pilots can and would have another hair-raising think of joining. experience flying That wasn’t always for Israel. the case. During Born in St. the Israeli War of Paul in 1923, Leon Independence in Frankel was just 1948, the Israelis two years out of practically begged high school when veteran pilots from he joined the navy around the world in 1942. As with to help their bemany youngsters in leaguered brethren the 1940s, he was in their quest for a fascinated by aviaJewish homeland. tion and was elated Most of the when he was acLeon Frankel 101st Squadron was cepted into the nacomprised of Machal volunteers from val aviation program. After graduating, many backgrounds. One of these pilots he was given a Grumman TBF “Avenghad an amazing story to tell even before er” torpedo bomber and assigned to the

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carrier USS Lexington. was even more so considering it was By February 1945, the U.S. was one of the enemy’s biggest threats in closing in on the Japanese home is- the entire Pacific Ocean. Frankel went lands, and B-29 Superfortresses were back to his home state of Minnesota afbombing Tokyo. Marines were about ter the war and was heralded as a war to land on Iwo Jima to provide a base hero. He stayed in the naval reserve as for these attacks with the navy provid- a pilot while opening up a very lucraing air support for the landings. Before tive car business in St. Paul. Then, in the landings, aircraft carriers turned 1947, a phone call came from a strangtheir attention to the Japanese capital er that sent him back to war over 6,000 with the Lexington’s planes making miles away. the navy’s first attack on Tokyo. Their Despite the fact that he wasn’t a mission was to destroy enemy planes Zionist and the impassioned pleas and their support system. Frenkel took from his mother to stay home, Frankel his plane to bomb an aircraft factory joined the Israeli Air Force. He didn’t but the Japanese response was intense want it on his mind that he abandoned anti-aircraft fire. Enemy planes flew to his brethren in a time of need when his meet the flyboys (an affectionate term skills could help turn the tide. Before for navy pilots), and two of Frankel’s going to Israel, Frankel first went to buddies in his formation suffered se- New York and found out that the orvere damage and were “limping” back ganization that recruited him was beto the Lexington. Frenkel’s Avenger ing followed by the FBI. After lying was able to provide adequate cover and about his purposes for going overseas, everyone landed safely. he was given a passport and headed to Two months later, the Japanese Czechoslovakia for training in planes were down to their last few capital ships and had even less fuel to keep them running. In keeping with the tradition of fighting to the death, they sent the massive battleship Yamato, the cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers to destroy the American forces invading the island of Okinawa. It was called Operation Ten-Go but was doomed from the The pilots of the 101 Squadron in August 1948--Ezer Weizman is start. American submaon the top, second from the left. Leon is the third from the right. rines had been tracking the force and soon scout planes joined the party. 400 American that had been kept secret from everyplanes were in the air headed towards one. The plane was a Czech knockoff the Japanese force and among them of the famed German Me-109 called was Leon Frankel in his Avenger tor- Avia S-199. It wasn’t a great plane but pedo bomber. Anti-aircraft fire was it was all the Israelis had to fight the pouring up from the destroyers but Arabs who were flying the best British Frankel and his wing mates pressed aircraft. Many of the pilots, Frankel on the attack. A torpedo from Avenger included, weren’t trained as fighter pistruck the Yahagi and soon the cruiser lots and had to learn the skills of aewas gone. He was credited for sinking rial dog-fighting. Several of the early the ship and was awarded the Navy Israeli Air Force losses were due to inCross for his efforts. experienced fighter pilots. Frankel was The feat of being singled out as the determined not to be on that list. pilot who sank a ship was sweet and Finally, in May 1948, Frankel made

refugees from the death camps. And you know what they did; they got down on their knees and kissed the ground. But at that moment, I knew why I had come to Israel. The Talmud teaches

that if you save one life, it’s the same as if you had saved the entire world. That has always stood with me.”

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

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Frankel (on the right) in 2011

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kel crash landed in a wadi but wasn’t sure if he was in Israel or Jordan. Suffering from minor injuries and armed only with a pistol, he began walking and soon spotted soldiers. They were Israeli and told him that he had just walked through a minefield and were surprised that he was still in one piece. They took him in their truck to an airbase in time to see another S-199 burning. That pilot did not make it out, and after the funeral the next day, Frankel became limp. He had seen enough of war and after 25 missions was sent to the hospital and then back to the States. Frankel went back to St. Paul and continued with his car business but stayed in the naval reserve. While in Israel, he befriended fellow pilot and the future president, Ezer Weizman, and maintained a close relationship with him throughout his life. Frankel looked back on his time with the Israeli Air Force with fond memories. “One day during the war I was in Tel Aviv, and planes were coming in from Europe, transport planes. I went over and the planes were full of

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of the plane. Someone would hand a 70-lb. bomb to the bomb chucker, and, at a signal from the pilot, he would chuck it out of the plane. I’m serious about that.” He also talked about his photo missions: “There was no escort. You’d just fly about eight or ten thousand feet and then turn on the camera. Then fly back and do it again. It was about the scariest thing I’ve ever done. You’re flying over Jordan or Egypt all by yourself.” The S-199 planes that they were flying were primitive examples of flying machines and didn’t even have a working gas gauge. On one mission in September, Frankel saw an Egyptian Spitfire and began to chase it and performed a maneuver that was supposed to have the enemy lined up in his gun-sights. However, since he had very little training as a fighter piThe Japanese cruiser Yahagi sinking under Frankel’s fire lot, the enemy got away from flying photo reconnaissance missions Frankel. He returned to base to refuel and escorting bombers to their targets. and noticed that the plane was leaking Frankel describes a job on the three oil. A mechanic cleared him for takeB-17 Fortress bombers in these terms: off but soon he lost all oil pressure and “They had a position on those bombers had to return to base again. The plane called the bomb chucker. They would began to fill with smoke as he tried in tie a rope to him so he wouldn’t fall out vain to reach the nearest air base. Franit to Israel just in time for a truce. When he landed in a C-54 transport plane, a casket was waiting to be loaded onto the plane for transport back to the U.S. It was Colonel “Mickey” Marcus that Frankel helped with transferring; he was the American commander of the ground forces and was killed by friendly fire right before the truce began. Frankel joined Israel’s first fighter unit, the 101st Fighter Squadron, but for a while there was no action. Soon the truce fell apart and Frankel began

The Shmuz

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Parshas Bechukosai

If You Will Labor in Torah Study “If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them. . .” — VaYikrah 26:2 The Torah lays out two divergent destinies for the Jewish people: “If you will go in the ways of my statues. . . I will give you rainfall in its time, the land will give forth with abundance, the trees of the field will produce fruit…you will eat until you are satisfied. . . There will be peace in land...” However, “if you do not guard my statutes . . . you will suffer diseases and famine. . . you will plant and not harvest. . . your enemies will chase you. . . the skies will turn to iron. . . wild animals will attack . . . [and finally,] an avenging sword will come into the land.” Rashi explains that the pivotal point of these two paths is: If you will labor in Torah. If you will labor in Torah, then you as a nation will find great success. Your enemies will fear you, and you will rise ever higher. If, however, you cease to labor in Torah study, then curses will befall you. In short, our success or failure as a nation hinges upon this one activity. However, as Rashi also points out, this concept of laboring in Torah study is not found in the posuk. The words are,

“If you will go in the ways of my statutes.” Nowhere does it specify what this refers to. Rashi explains that it cannot refer to keeping the mitzvahs because that is specifically mentioned at the end of the posuk. So by process of elimination, he reasons that this must be referring to laboring in Torah study. This Rashi is difficult to understand. There seems to be no indication of the concept in the posuk. Granted, learning Torah is very significant, and we may know from other sources that laboring in Torah study is central to serving Hashem,

MAN HAS TWO COMPETING SIDES TO HIM, EACH ONE CRYING OUT TO FULFILL ITS NEEDS, EACH ONE DEMANDING ITS FILL. but there doesn’t seem to be any indication here that this statement is speaking about laboring in Torah study. How does Rashi know that this statement of “If you will go in the ways of my statutes” refers to laboring in Torah study, as opposed to any other mitzvah? The Inner Workings of the Human The answer to this question stems from understanding the inner nature of man. The Chovos Ha’Levovos (Shaar Avodas Elokim) explains that Hashem created man from two very distinct elements. Part of man is pure intellect and wisdom. This part of the person only wishes to do that which is noble and proper. It desires to be generous and giving. It needs to do that which is good and right. This part deeply hungers to experience Hashem. Chazal call this segment the “nefesh ha’sichili” – the pure soul. However, there is another component of the human personality that is pure instinct and desire. That part of the individual doesn’t care about anything but fulfilling its needs and wants. It is comprised of base appetites and inclinations. This is referred to as the “nefesh ha’bahami” – the animal soul. When Hashem created man, He took these two diverse segments and mixed them together, creating a new synthesis called man. Man has two competing sides to him, each one crying out to fulfill it needs, each one demanding its fill. These two elements are in competition for dominance of the person. Much like a muscle that grows stronger with use and atrophies with disuse, each side is constantly being strengthened or weakened. If a person gives into his animal instincts, those instincts become stronger and more dominant. If a person listens to his spiritual soul, it becomes stronger, gaining primacy over his personality. The human is in constant flux, with one side or the other always growing, always gaining supremacy and control over the person.

Man was put on this planet to grow. By resisting the pull of the animal soul and allowing the pure soul to flourish, man elevates himself and reaches the state of perfection of which he is capable. On the other hand, if he gives in to the cries of the animal soul, he elevates it, allowing it to take control of him. His appetites become stronger and dominate him until they effectively rule over him. He becomes more animal than man. The Torah: The Ultimate Guide for Self-Perfection The Torah, which is the ultimate guide of human perfection, warns us against certain activities that give an unusual advantage to the nefesh ha’bahami. These are the sins as outlined in the Torah. We are cautioned to avoid certain foods, and we are warned against certain activities because they give an unfair edge to the animal soul. However, any activity that a person engages in strengthens one side or the other. When a person eats, sleeps, works, or goes about all of his daily activities, these physical actions strengthen the nefesh ha’bahami. In a sense, there is an unfair lead given to the animal soul. All day long it is in its element, and by being utilized, it is thereby strengthened. 

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To bring balance to the equation, Hashem gave us specific mitzvos to nourish the nefesh ha’sichili. The single greatest nutrient of the neshama is learning Torah. For the neshama, Torah is like rocket fuel. When a person learns Torah, his neshama is strengthened and invigorated. It becomes fortified and then takes the lead in the battle against the nefesh ha’bahami. However, without it, the neshama doesn’t stand a fighting chance because the animal soul is so much more in its element in this world. This seems to be the answer to Rashi. Since this expression, “If you will go in the ways of my statutes” is the pivotal point of the Jewish people’s destiny, it must be referring to that element that is the key to the equation: laboring in Torah study. Therefore, Rashi points this out almost as the translation of the words. There is a great lesson for us in this concept. The Jewish people are never stagnant. We are either going up towards great heights or down to the lowest abyss. The single greatest nourishment for the soul of the individual, and therefore for the soul of the nation, is laboring in Torah study. If we engage in it, support it, and actively pursue it, we will flourish as a people and enjoy unparalleled success. If not… The Shmuz-Marriage Seminar, a 12-part, comprehensive guide to a successful marriage is available FREE of charge at TheShmuz.com. It is also on the Shmuz App available at the App store, or on Google play, or you may listen on Kol Halashon by calling 718-906-6400, then options 1,4, 3.

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an somebody please tell me what Here’s an interesting twist. We the flu shot is for? Because it sure write resumes for our kids. We think doesn’t seem to be to avoid get- long and hard who to include in them. ting the flu! Trust me, we need to rethink that. BeMaybe it’s to give someone some- cause that’s usually not the people who thing to rant about as they’re burning get called at all. Recipients just look up with fever and feeling miserable. for who they know personally in our “How can I have the flu? I just got the neighborhood and call them. So why flu shot! It just can’t be…it must be not just make it easier for them and something I ate?! What in the world include the streets surrounding us indid I eat? Too bad it wasn’t Tamiflu?!” stead. Then they can figure out who Precautions aren’t always perfect. they know near us to call. But they are still the best deterrents It’s not always easy to figure out we’ve got. which measures or preventative meaSome safety precautions make peo- sures make the most sense. Sometimes you prepare for evple crazy. For inery possibility you stance, some people can think of and hate wearing a seatthen the one thing belt in the car. They you never thought kind of think, “Why of is just what hapdo I need a seatbelt? pens! After all, nothing In life in genever happens to eral you just can’t me.” But, let me get always expect it to this straight: would turn out perfectly: they actually like - The one time something to happen?! What’s the big inconvenience? your GPS gets you there in less time They are just sitting in the car…where than ever before, you realize you read the invitation wrong –it’s next are they going anyway? And then, those same people Sunday! Ouch. -The one time he remembers to wouldn’t think not to strap themselves in on an airplane! Like, what are they send you flowers, you’re allergic to going to crash into up there? An overly them. -The one time she offers to pick fluffy cloud?! Oh, here’s one precaution I’m fas- up the bill, the waiter says it’s on the house. cinated that people -The one time he don’t take advanvolunteers to change tage of. They don’t WE’VE GOT TO the diaper, it’s a false want the epiduralarm. al they can have DO OUR BEST -The one time which numbs the TO DO OUR BEST. you remember your pain of childbirth. umbrella , it forgets Trust me, I admire to rain. and commend It doesn’t mean them. But to me, that’s amazing. I want that epidural to we should give up. Nothing is 100%; reduce the pain of delivering children. nothing is foolproof. We’ve got to do In fact, I want the numbing effect to our best to do our best. After that, it’s extend right through till the children not in our hands! But it still needs to be in our heads and hearts to keep trying move out of the house! Oh, here’s a great one. Everyone to do the right thing. So be careful when you can, take hates putting on suntan lotion. It’s such a pain. And after all, how long are they precautions when you can, and then really going to be in the sun for?! Yet try and experience the glitches with a everyone is obsessed later on with an- smile if and whenever you can. ti-aging creams—just loading them on Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship by the dozens. Now guess what the main ingredient is in most anti-aging counselor, and career and life coach. She creams? You got it—suntan lotion! Are can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com we nuts or what?!

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Life Coach

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Cover Story

“BECAUSE YOU ARE JEWISH” A Young Man’s Journey The Story of ato Young from Poland the Man’s JourneyAcademy from Talmudical Poland to the Five Towns of Baltimore by Yaakov Wasilewicz

Me at the grave of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk, Poland

was born in Czestochowa, Poland, in 1988. Since there were no Jewish schools in Poland at that time, my mother sent me to public school. When I was 8 years old I came back home from school and I told my mother what the teacher told us that day: “Mom, tomorrow we can’t eat meat, we are going to church and the priest is going to pour ashes over our heads.” My mother looked at me and said, “Sure, if you don’t want to eat meat tomorrow, I will not give you meat to eat, but you will not go to church.” I asked, “Why not?” She said, “Because you are Jewish.” This is when I found out for the first time that I was Jewish. Since that day I knew that I was Jewish but I didn’t understand what it meant to be a Jew. All my friends from school would go to church and I was the only one who didn’t. When I was asked which church I belonged to, I would have to lie and make up a name. I once told my best friend in school that I was Jewish and the next day I was called by everybody a “dirty Jew.” That taught me to keep my mouth shut and not to tell anyone my secret. For many years, my parents and I would attend a summer and winter Jewish camp in Poland called The Lauder Camp. This camp was a place where all the Jewish families from the whole Poland would come and spend a few weeks

learning about Judaism. The camp was though it was hard for them—that’s for all three generations of Polish Jews: what my mother knew, and that’s what the Holocaust survivors, their children she taught me. and grandchildren. Once I knew I was Since 1974 my mother has been Jewish, it was refreshing to be in a place working for the Social and Cultural Sowhere I didn’t have to hide my true iden- ciety of Jews in Czestochowa. Throughtity—the secret of who I was. There out the years, she worked hard to teach everyone was Jewish and everyone felt those Jews who were left in Czestocomfortable. There, for the first time, I chowa about the Jewish holidays. She learned my favorite song, “Modeh Ani,” organized events, inviting the actors and I would sing it everywhere I went. I from the Jewish theater in Warsaw to would even sing it in my school. come to Czestochowa, hosting famous Aside for camp, I had another source artists, writers, musicians, etc. At this for my Jewish education: my mother. My mother was a child of two Holocaust survivors. It was very hard to keep anything Jewish after the war, but they tried and they did. My mother’s mother lit the Shabbos candles, and my mother’s father made Pesach sedarim. My grandmother would take my mother as a little girl for the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur prayers to the “Congregation,” an old building in Czestochowa that housed the mikvah before the war. My grandfather used to do kapparos at home with my grandmother and my mother and would then bring the chickens to the shochet. Whatever My mother, me, and an older Jewish woman lighting the they did after the war—even Chanukah candles in my mother’s Jewish Center.

33 THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 15, 2014 71 95

hen I was 12 years old my mother started to think that it would be nice if I would have a bar mitzvah. She called Rabbi Michael Schudrich, who is the chief rabbi of Poland today, but who back then was the chief rabbi of Warsaw and Lodz, and she asked him if he could teach me and prepare me for my bar mitzvah. He then asked my mother, “But does he have a bris?” My mother honestly said, “No.” When I was born, there was no mohel living in Poland so I couldn’t have a bris when I was 8 days old. Therefore, I was never circumcised. The rabbi told my mother that I need to have a bris and that he will try to arrange everything. A few days later, we got a phone call that the mohel – Rabbi Fisher, from Monsey, NY—will come to Poland just for me so that I can have a bris, and that we should come to Warsaw where my bris will take place. So that’s what we did. It took us three hours by train to get to Warsaw. After we got to the Jewish quarter and we entered the Nozyk Synagogue, the main synagogue in Warsaw, we were informed by Rabbi Schudrich

that unfortunately Rabbi Fisher was unable to come, because something went wrong with his flight. We turned around and went back to Czestochowa. A few days later, we got another phone call from Rabbi Schudrich. He ensured us that this time Rabbi Fisher would be able to come and that we should come once again to Warsaw. So we did. When we got to the Jewish quarter in Warsaw, we entered the Jewish theater which is not far from the synagogue. We ate something there, and there we met my mother’s friend. She asked us what we were doing in Warsaw so my mother told her the truth. She right away took me aside and tried to convince me not to do it. She said that it’s like cutting off my arm. After she was done, I thanked her but I told her that I was a Jewish boy, and if a Jewish boy has to have a bris—I’m having it! We went to the synagogue. There we met with Rabbi Schudrich and Rabbi Fisher. That day was a day after the yahrtzeit of the famous Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk, Poland. Thousands of chassidim were coming back from Lizensk and going to the airport in Warsaw. Before going to the airport, some of the chassidim decided to visit the synagogue. They came in and they saw that some-

thing was going on there, and one of the chassidim became my sandek. His name was Rabbi Yaakov Yossef Neushloss. Afterwards, we were dancing in a circle and my sandek asked me for my address and my phone number. I gave him my address and my phone number, and my mother and I went back to Czestochowa.

few months later I had a bar mitzvah in a yeshiva in Kishinow, Moldova, where for the first time I learned the Hebrew alphabet, just to be able to read the blessing before and after the reading of the Torah. The rabbis at that yeshiva found out that I love music, so they offered me that if I stay in the yeshiva they will get me a private music teacher, but my mother will have to go back to Poland. I was only 13 years old and I didn’t want to stay by myself in a foreign country, so I went back to Poland

R’ Schudrich (Chief Rabbi of Poland), me, and my mother after the bris

R’ Yonah Bookstein and I singing “Modeh Ani” in the Lauder Camp in Rychwald, Poland

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Jewish Center I learned a lot about Judaism, but still it was not enough for me. I wanted to learn more.

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Pictures L-R: My mother’s parents, Braindl (nee Cwajghaftig) and Yankiel Wasilewicz Me and R’ Yanky Brazil in Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv in 2009 With some of the campers at the JDC Camp in Sarvash, Hungary (I am standing second from the left)

with my mother. Now I had a bris, and a bar mitzvah, but I was still in a public school. After the summer, we were invited by the Jewish Community of Warsaw to come to Warsaw for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. We came and we were staying in the hotel there. After the holidays, I asked Rabbi Schudrich if he could help me come to Warsaw so that I could learn in the Lauder Jewish School there. I told him that in Czestochowa there was not much of a Jewish life. “I’m in a public school, there is no synagogue in Czestochowa, and in Warsaw there is.” He told me that he will see what he can do. A few months later, we got a phone call that R’ Schudrich found us a place to stay, and that we could come to Warsaw if we wanted to. We chose to go. At that time I was 14 and I was in a middle of 8th grade. We moved to Warsaw for a year and a half. In the Lauder school, I learned Jewish history, Jewish culture, and Hebrew language, but not Torah. After school I had a private teacher who taught me how to put on tefillin and he got me a pair of tzitzis. I started to remind myself how to read Hebrew and started to pray, but only on Shabbos. I started to keep Shabbos and kosher as much as I could. Sometime during that year I got a phone call from my sandek, R’ Neushloss, that he was in Poland and that he would like me to join him for a tour and for the yahrtzeit of Rav Elimelech of Li-

zensk. He sent a private driver who came to Warsaw, picked me up, and brought me to where a bus full of chassidim was waiting for me. We went from one cemetery to the next, from one shul to the next one. Eventually, after a whole day of driving, we got to our final destination – Lizensk. There I spent the most amazing Shabbos of my life. The streets of Lizensk were filled with chassidim. This was the second time in my life seeing chassidim. The first one was at my bris. It felt like I was in a different world. At the Shabbos night meal, thousands of chassidim were eating together, singing together, and afterwards, dancing together. When everyone was dancing, the whole floor was shaking! It was an unbelievable experience. Sunday was the yahrtzeit and everyone, including me, was praying at the grave of the holy Rabbi Elimelech. After the yahrtzeit, when we got back to Warsaw, R’ Neushloss asked me if I would want to come to his house for Pesach. I answered, “Sure,” but in my mind I was thinking about how I would be able to pay for the ticket…but I thanked him for everything and said goodbye. Some time before Pesach, I got a phone call from R’ Schudrich that R’ Neushloss sent him a ticket for me to come to his house in Monsey, NY. So I went. I spent a really beautiful Pesach there, and afterwards I decided to visit a rabbi who I knew from the Lauder Camp in Poland, Rabbi Lieber, who would

travel to the camp from America to teach the Polish Jews at the camp about Judaism. [Ed.’s note: Rabbi Leiber is the son of Lola Leiber, the author of Lola’s Story that was featured in these pages.] I told the rabbi that I was in the Lauder Jewish School but I didn’t know where to go after my graduation, since there were no Jewish high schools or yeshivas in Poland. He told me that he would try to look for something for me.

n my last year in the Lauder School, right before the summer, I didn’t know what to do. All my friends were applying to different high schools, and I was waiting for a phone call from Rabbi Lieber. Finally, a month before the summer, I got a phone call that I could come to a yeshiva in America. I got a visa and left Poland at the age of 15. I started learning in the Bobov Yeshiva in Boro Park. I learned there maybe for a month before switching to the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. Since I didn’t know much about Yiddishkeit and I never really studied Torah before, I was placed in a second grade where for the first time in my life I learned Chumash. I remember when for the first time in my life I said a pasuk from the Chumash and all the kids in the class were clapping. That same year I went to the 4th grade and there for the first time I learned mishnayos. Next year I went to the sixth and the eighth grades where for the first time I learned

gemara; a year later I went to the tenth grade and a year after that I went to the twelfth grade and graduated high school in 2008. After graduating from the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, I went to Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv in Lawrence, NY, where I am today. Aside for making lifelong friends and learning a lot of Torah in Sh’or Yoshuv, ironically, I was told that the song “Modeh Ani,” which was and still is my favorite song, was composed by a rebbi who taught in Sh’or Yoshuv for many years, R’ Shmuel Brazil!

iving as a Jew in Poland was not easy. It was like living in the darkness. I tried to put all the puzzles together but I was missing a lot of the pieces. Today, thanks to many great people and of course to Hashem, our G-d, I fully understand what it means to be Jewish. I am forever grateful to my mother for letting me leave Poland to study in a yeshiva, even though I’m her only child, and to all the people that made my dream come true. The first words I utter every morning are for me—as they are for all religious Jews—a constant reminder that our lives are a journey guided by the hand of Hashem and that He brilliantly enlightens our path and guides us along the way. Modeh ani lifanecha. Yaakov welcomes your questions and comments. He can be reached at jakubwasilewicz@tlen.pl.

Pictures L-R: Dancing with the Torah at the Hachnasas Sefer Torah for the Bluzhover Rebbe, upstate N.Y. Rabbi Lieber and me singing Jewish songs in the Lauder Camp in Poland Me and R’ Neushloss in his sukkah

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 15, 2014

MAY 15, 2014

C L a s s I f I E D s

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V I r t u a L

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5/4/14 10:58:43 PM

Rabbi's Musings [& Amusings] Rabbi Dani Staum

Staying in the Game

No pitcher in baseball goes undefeated all season. What’s more, no pitcher in baseball has “his best stuff” every time he takes the mound. Even the greatest pitchers have their off days when their command is weak and they can’t seem to throw the ball how and where they want it to go. Sandy Koufax once quipped that any pitcher should be able to win when he has his best stuff. But a good pitcher can keep his team in the game even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.

Even during a shaky outing a truly great pitcher has enough momentum and confidence to mix his pitches and battle the opposing team. He knows he’s going to give up more hits and runs than he’d like and he knows he’s not going to be all he can be that night. But he doesn’t allow that to overwhelm or deter him. He forges on, one pitch at a time, doing the best he can to give his team a chance. We live in a society that doesn’t like second best. We want perfection and we demand perfection, and we are unsatisfied with anything less. But the bottom line is nothing in life is perfect. Our homes aren’t perfect, our cars aren’t perfect, our spouses aren’t perfect, our spouse’s spouse aren’t perfect (with one notable exception), our vacations aren’t perfect, our schools aren’t perfect, our jobs aren’t perfect, and our children aren’t perfect. Above all, we are not perfect. But

our “all or nothing” mentality seeps in and enervates us. We often have the feeling that if our davening isn’t as passionate as it is on Yom Kippur (which is just about every day), our learning isn’t as perfect as Shavuos night (which is just about every day), and our performance of mitzvos isn’t as enthusiastic and passionate as seder night (which is just about every day) then what’s the use of even trying?! The true Servant of G-d is not one who is always nearly perfect or is always on a spiritual high. Rather it is the person who can “stay in the game” even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. He may have twenty things weighing heavily on his mind, including deadlines at work, mortgage payments due, and a child sick at home with a high fever, and he’s absolutely exhausted. Yet he doesn’t throw in the towel on that morn-

ing’s shacharis. He knows it may not be “his best outing” but he is confident that if he does his best he can “stay in the game” and pull off a win.

Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, is the Rabbi of Kehillat New Hempstead, and Guidance Counselor/Rebbe at Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch & Ashar in Monsey, NY. He is the author of Stam Torah and can be reached at stamtorah@gmail.com. His website is www. stamtorah.info.

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD MORTGAGE LENDER Aaron Hirsch NMLS#176061

600 Reisterstown Rd. • Suite 601 • Baltimore, MD 21208 410-486-0774 • 877-486-0774 aaron.hirsch@supremelending.com • www.directhouseloan.com Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Commissioner of Financial Regulation

MAY 15, 2014

In the final game of the 1965 World Series you could see that Sandy Koufax had almost nothing. You could see that his curve was hanging high in the early innings and, as the game went on, you could see that he pretty much tucked the curve ball away and stuck to the fast ball. And yet you also knew he was going to win. (Article by Ed Linn, Boy’s Life, March 1967)

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Lag B’Omer

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MAY 15, 2014

The Power of Lag B’Omer and THE PERIOD OF MOURNING BETWEEN PESACH AND SHAVUOS IS HALTED ON LAG B’OMER, THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF IYAR. IT IS ON THIS DAY THAT CELEBRATION AND SONG AND DANCE ARE FELT THROUGHOUT OUR NATION. CHILDREN GO ON OUTINGS WITH THEIR BOWS AND ARROWS, BONFIRES ARE LIT, WEDDINGS ARE HELD, AND YOUNG BOYS RECEIVE THEIR FIRST HAIRCUTS. IT IS A DAY OF UNITY WHERE ALL OF THE JEWISH NATION JOINS AS ONE IN CELEBRATION OF RABBI SHIMON BAR YOCHAI AND THE TORAH THAT HE REVEALED.

Rabbi Akiva

During the time of Rabbi Akiva, 24,000 of his students died from a plague during the days of sefira because they did not accord honor to each other. On Lag B’Omer, the plague stopped and Rabbi Akiva gave semicha to five talmidim on that day. One of those

five was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon grew in Torah and became a luminary for the future generation. It’s interesting to note that some say that the celebration on Lag B’Omer is for the five leaders of Klal Yisroel that Rabbi Akiva was able to ordain. If we are celebrating with such simcha for the five that Rabbi Akiva was able to transmit the Torah to, we can understand that sadness that we experience during sefira, for the 24,000 talmidim who were lost.

Torah in a Cave

After criticizing the Romans by stating that they built the bridges, bathhouses and marketplaces for their own benefit, Rabbi Shimon feared for his life, and he and his son, Rabbi Elazar, fled to a cave to hide from the enemy. Miraculously, a carob tree grew near the mouth of the cave and a spring with fresh water gave them the sustenance they would need throughout the twelve years they spent in hiding. All those years, Rabbi Shimon and his son delved into the Torah and learned the mystical secrets of kabbalah. When the Romans lost power, Eliyahu HaNavi came to the mouth of the cave and announced, “Who will notify Bar Yochai that the Caesar has died and the decree is nullified?” Rabbi Shimon and his son then understood that it was time for them to return home. But after learning all day without distractions, it was hard for Rabbi Shimon to acclimate to the world. He saw

people working in the fields and his holy eyes burned up what his saw as mundane. A voice came down from the Heavens: “Have you emerged to destroy my world?” At that point, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar returned to the cave for another year. When they emerged once again, Rabbi Shimon was able to reconcile the mundane with his holy perception. (Rabbi Elazar, though, still burned things with this holy eyes and Rabbi Shimon would follow him to repair all that he burned.) One erev Shabbos, they saw a man hurrying with two myrtle branches in honor of Shabbos—one for zachor and one for shamor—and they were appeased at how to connect the mundane with the spiritual. “See how beloved the mitzvos are to Yisroel,” Rabbi Shimon said to his son.

Yom Simchato

Lag B’Omer is the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Generally, we commemorate the death of a tzaddik with prayer and fasting. But on Rabbi Shimon’s yahrtzeit, we celebrate with song and dance. The Arizal calls Lag B’Omer “yom simchato,” the day of his happiness, because it is on Lag B’Omer that Rabbi Akiva gave semicha to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Some say that it is for this reason that one should visit the kevarim of all the five talmidim of Rabbi Akiva on Lag B’Omer because all five of them received their semicha on that day.

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the Joy of our Celebration Hillulah of Rabbi Shimon

Before Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai left this world, he gathered his students around him and revealed the deep secrets of kabbalah to them. The day of his demise was filled with great light for he taught them the beautiful and mystical secrets of the Torah. Additionally, daylight was extended for Rabbi Shimon until he revealed all that he had been permitted to reveal. As such, bonfires and candles are lit on Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s yahrtzeit, a symbol of the powerful light he left in this world.

Meron

The tradition of visiting Meron on Lag B’Omer goes back for many generations. In fact, the Ari Hakadosh visited Meron on Lag B’Omer and commanded Rabbi Yosef Caro to allow the celebrations of Lag B’Omer to take place. At that time, the rabbanim were concerned that proper decorum was not maintained during the celebrations, and they wanted to forbid Lag B’Omer celebrations in Meron. But the Ari directed them to allow the celebrations; he stated that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was happy with the celebrations of Lag B’Omer in Meron. Indeed, this is a custom that started from the gedolei Yisroel and there is much loftiness in the celebration. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son are buried in Meron. Rabbi Yaakov Hillel shlita writes that

the greater part of a person’s soul comes down to the grave on a person’s yahrtzeit. He explains that the presence found at that time is like a ladder, connected to the world up high. Essentially, when we visit and daven at a tzaddik’s grave on his yahrtzeit, our prayers are lifted up to the heavens by the tzaddik’s soul. It is for this reason that so many come to Meron on Lag B’Omer to daven by Rabbi Shimon’s kever and beg for Hashem’s mercy. Many have felt that miracles have been performed after davening to Hashem in Meron on Lag B’Omer.

Upsherin

Traditionally, many children celebrate their upsherins on Lag B’Omer. The Arizal made the trip to Meron on Lag B’Omer to cut his three-year-old son’s hair. There is much singing and dancing and some throw the hair of the upsherin into the fire. When a child is three, it is their time of maturation from a small baby to a child ready to learn Torah. The upsherin is the third in a series of “cuts”—the first of the umbilical cord when they are born, the second of the bris, and the third of the haircut. A child is now independent and ready to move into society and Torah learning. Many teach their child the aleph bais on the day of their upsherin and give them honey and sweets to lick so they should taste the sweetness of Torah.

Chai Rotel

Some have the tradition of giving chai rotel at the kever of Rabbi Shimon on Lag B’Omer. A rotel is a liquid measure of approximately three liters; eighteen times that amount is the equivalent of about 54 liters. It is believed that if one offers a drink of that amount to those attending the celebrations on Lag B’Omer, the giver will be granted miraculous salvation. Many couples who were childless have had children after giving chai rotel. Indeed, Rav Ovadia MiBartenura and the Shelah HaKadosh have written about this practice.

Bows and Arrows

The bow and arrow symbolize a rainbow, a keshet. In the time of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a rainbow was not seen in the sky. The merit of the holy tzaddik was enough to protect the world from calamity and there was no need for the sign of the rainbow representing Hashem’s promise He made to us after the mabul. Now that Rabbi Shimon is no longer alive, we have reason to fear that if not for Hashem’s promise represented by the rainbow, the sins of the world would cause Hashem to bring another mabul. It is for this reason, some say, that children play with bows and arrows on Lag B’Omer. Photo credits: Kuvien Images

T H E J E W I S H H O M E n M AY 2 4 , 2012

Using the grid below, how many words can you find? Each word must contain the central V and no letter can be used twice, however, the letters do not have to be connected. Proper nouns are not allowed, however, plurals are. There is at least one nine letter word.

A consumer habits data service company, Placed Inc., recently put out a list of America’s most visited stores. Can you figure out the correct order of the top ten stores, from store #1, which has the most visitors, and on? Target

D V

Starbucks

7-Eleven

Taco Bell

McDonalds

Walgreens How many can you find? Genius: 28 words. Excellent: 20 words. Good: 16 words. Average: 12 words. Answer below

You Gotta be

Kidding!

A man died and went to heaven. There, the angels told him, “Before you meet with G-d, we should tell you — we’ve looked over your life, and to be honest you really didn’t do anything particularly good or bad. We’re not really sure what to do with you. Can you tell us anything you did that can help us make a decision?” The newly arrived soul thought for a moment and replied, “Yeah, once I was driving along and came upon a person who was being harassed by a group of thugs. So I pulled over, got out a bat, and went up to the leader of the thugs. He was a big, muscular guy with a ring pierced through his lip. Well, I tore the ring out of his lip, and told him he and his gang had better stop bothering L this guy or they would have Comm et the ission to deal with me!” er dec “Wow that’s impressive,” ide Send your s ads@b the angels replied. “When t u ff to altimo reejewi c e n did this happen?” t r s fivetow nsjewisfold@hhome.com “About three minutes hhome. com ago,” came the reply.

GO FUNNT Y?

Subway Walmart CVS Pharmacy Burger King

Answer below

Riddle! Five percent of all people living in a town have unlisted phone numbers. If you selected 100 names from the phone book, on average, how many of these people would be unlisted? Answer below

Answer to Knitty Griddy: above, adverb, ave, aver, brave, braved, braver, bravo, bravoed, deva, dove, drove, drover, ova, over, overboard, overbroad, overdo, rave, raved, raver, rev, rove, roved, rover, var, verb, voe.

MAY 15, 2014

Well Visited

y d d i r G y t t i Kn

Answers to most frequented stores, in order: 1. Walmart, 2. McDonalds, 3. Subway, 4. Starbucks, 5. Walgreens, 6. Target, 7. CVS Pharmacy, 8. Burger King, 9. Taco Bell, 10. 7 -Eleven

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Answer to riddle: Zero. You are selecting names from a phone book, so they all have listed phone numbers.

Answers below

ACROSS 2. Spirow Agnew 6. Abbottabad 7. Irving Berlin 10. Bonnie And Clyde 11. Walt Whitman 13 Amelia Earhart 14. Golda Meir 15. Barbecue 16. Board of Education Down 1. Harry Truman 3. Sigmund Freud 4. Babe Ruth 5. Christopher Columbus 8. Brooklyn Bridge 9. Lewis And Clark 12. Great Britain

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Across 2. Nixon’s VP forced to resign 6. Home of bin Laden 7. Composed “G-d Bless America” and other famous hits 10. Legendary bank robbers shot to death in police ambush in Louisiana 11. Author of Leaves of Grass 13. The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic 14. Israel’s Prime Minister from 1969 to 1974 15. Great to do, after a long winter 16. Defendant in the famous Supreme Court case brought by Brown, resulting in school desegregation

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Down 1. The 33rd president 3. The unconscious mind is the key to understanding our actions 4. In 1935 this baseball player hits his 714th and last home run 5. Made a great discovery 8. First bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan opens in May 1883 9. The first United States expedition to the Pacific Coast 12. Formed from a union between England and Scotland

T H E J E W I S H H O M E n M AY 2 4 , 2012

Everything May Crossword Puzzle

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In the Kitchen

Some Refreshing Desserts Mom, We Love Summer you Berry Much Strawberry Banana Smoothie Delectable French Crepes Ingredients 1 medium ripe banana, frozen 3 strawberries, frozen ¼ cup low fat vanilla yogurt Ice cubes Cold water Preparation Crush ice cubes in a blender Add a few tablespoons of cold water. Add banana, strawberries and yogurt into the blender. Blend until smooth; add more water for a thinner consistency. If you want a sweeter taste, add a few drops of vanilla extract while blending.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad Ingredients 1 bunch fresh spinach 2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced 1 can mandarin oranges, drained 1 kiwi, sliced 1 avocado, cubed ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted ½ red onion, sliced thinly Dressing 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup oil 1/3 cup vinegar 2 tablespoons poppy seeds ¼ tsp paprika ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp salt Preparation Combine all dressing ingredients and mix well to combine. Refrigerate until using. Toss spinach and fruit in a bowl and then dress right before serving.

Ingredients 2 cups flour 2 cups milk ½ cup water 6 TBS butter, melted 3 eggs 3 TBS sugar ¼ teaspoon salt Preparation Process the flour, milk, water, butter, sugar, eggs and salt in a blender until the mixture is smooth. Add the milk 1/3 cup at a time, until the batter is a liquid consistency. Set batter aside for 20 minutes. Melt a little butter in a crepe pan or large skillet over low-medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of batter to the pan and swirl until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter. Cook for 1 minute, or until the crepe is slightly moist on top and golden underneath. Loosen the edges of the crepe, slide the spatula under it, and then gently flip it upside down into the pan. Cook for 1 minute and transfer the cooked crepe to a plate to keep warm. Crepes can be filled with numerous sweet and savory fillings. For sweet fillings, try Nutella and banana; peanut butter and chocolate sauce; jam; fresh cut fruit; roasted chopped nuts; or ricotta cheese. For a more savory dish, enjoy crepes filled with sautéed vegetables like mushrooms, onions or peppers.

Strawberry Mango Salsa Ingredients ¾ cup strawberries, diced ¾ cup mango, diced 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced 2 TBS diced red onion 2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro leaves 2 TBS honey, to taste Juice 1 lime Preparation Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve immediately with tortilla chips and pita chips.

Health & Fitness Lori Boxer

to accomplish, a mind open to the possibility of change, and the knowledge that some discomfort might occur while you’re changing. There is no change without change. The very act of becoming slim is a change. Do you eat out of habit, not hunger? Identifying habits requires guidance, introspection and patience, but most of all honesty. Once you acknowledge, “Yes, I do that,” you can decide you don’t want to do THAT anymore and begin to do something else instead. You CAN alter automatic, learned responses by creating alternative behaviors that CAN and DO result in permanent change. Perhaps when you are particularly motivated to reach your goal weight for an upcoming wedding, class reunion or birthday celebration, you might not eat something when you normally otherwise would have. But if you only use will power, self-control, good intentions, and inner resolve, you’ll find the weight loss temporary. After the event, you may be a little less motivated or a little more angry, lonely, tired, or bored, and you’ll probably eat only to reinforce your old eating behavior, which is what caused you to gain weight in the first place. There is no good intention, self-control, inner resolve or will power sharp enough to cut through all the layers of your very practiced, ritualized eating habits—habits gone haywire. If you ever had good intention, self-control, will power or inner resolve, you would have used it 5, 10, 20, 30, or 50 pounds ago! Identify your eating patterns. Even the seemingly insignificant ones, such as “it’s only broccoli, some more can’t hurt.” What ritual thinking is in your

subconscious? Are leftovers a problem? Does food preparation end up being one for you and one for the pot? Does someone else serve you your food at home, in the office, in a restaurant? Do you finish everything served to you? If you buy, prepare, serve and accept a little less food, you’ll eat less. Ultimately, you’ll be a little less. If you don’t bring it into the house, you won’t eat it. It is NOT necessary to finish everything on your plate. You MAY leave food over. Food is wasted if you put it into a body that doesn’t need it. If you order less the next time, there will be less to waste. Hunger demands to be fed. An urge passes. Hunger is a physical need (perhaps you haven’t eaten all day). An urge is an emotional craving (you ate a while ago but that doughnut in the window looks tasty). Food does NOT contain a narcotic. Food only has the power you gave it by doing the same thing with it each time you encountered it—many times since childhood, when you might have learned how to cope with stressful situations by using food inappropriately. If, however, you begin to change your overreaction to food by doing something else FIRST, you might end up eating the object of your desire but you’ll most likely not put as much on your plate, you’ll eat a little less, stop a little sooner, and eat it a little less intensely than if you had not attempted to put aside the initial urge at all. For best results, attempt many kinds of change in your life. If, for example, drinking more water doesn’t help to ward off what you think is hunger, perhaps the water and calling a friend is what you need. Or, sometimes the water, calling a friend and going into another room, away from the food, is what you need. You might even try every technique available and a moment is still difficult. It happens. That doesn’t mean you stop trying. It just means your results have not quite accumulated enough to effect a noticeable change. It doesn’t mean nothing is happening. It just might be too subtle for you to notice. Keep doing it anyway. It accumulates. Continue trying, and from each seemingly failed, imperfect human attempt, the old, destructive habit will be eroded bit by bit ... you will be that much closer to success. It takes many steps of new behavior to create new hab-

its as ingrained as those you are trying to change. Start thinking today of things you can do, actions you can take, the next time you’re thinking about eating but know you’re not hungry. The first time you do any of them it might feel awkward and uncomfortable because it is different from what you’ve done in the past. However, no matter how uncomfortable you feel at the beginning of creating a new habit, nothing is as uncomfortable as having to choose what to wear based on how much of your body it will cover or selecting what to wear based on what fits on a particular day rather than what is appropriate for a particular occasion. It is the action of taking an action that gets the result. It almost doesn’t matter which techniques you use to start to re-pattern your habits; what is important is that you take a swift, purposeful, and immediate action The quicker the action, the quicker the moment of anxiety passes, and you find yourself sticking to your program for longer stretches of time. It is becoming comfortable, enjoyable, routine—your new preferred behavior.

Lori Boxer is the Director of Weight No MoreSM Diet Center. In addition to serving the Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey communities for 25 years, they also provide Skinny SkypeSM service to clients nationwide and to Israel, and offer customized Workforce Weight LossSM Programs for businesses. For more information, please call Rosalie Shatzman, Rana Frankel and Linda Franklin in their Cedarhurst office: 516.569.6400.

MAY 15, 2014

ou are NOT hungry most of the time. You are NOT hungry because something smells good, looks good, or tastes good. You are also NOT hungry because there is stress, a deadline, pressure, a personal or business problem, anxiety, tension, it’s morning, afternoon, evening, when alone, with thinner friends, weekdays, weekends, daytime, nighttime, money problems, it’s raining, it’s not, it came with the dinner ... and on and on and on. You are NOT hungry 24 hours a day, though you might think you are. There are many daily food encounters—friends offering food, a maître d’ describing dessert, the smell of popcorn in a movie theater, to name a few. Acknowledging the visual and emotional blitz helps interrupt the knee-jerk reaction that causes you to eat even though you’re NOT hungry. Just knowing you are NOT hungry most of the time is a helpful piece of information. You may even have identified reasons to justify your when you’re NOT hungry. “I got so mad at my kids” or “I locked my keys in the car.” These might SEEM valid enough reasons to make you eat. They are NOT. If you eat when you’re angry, does your anger go away? Bored waiting for AAA to let you into your car? Since when does a yawn became a yen? Tired? When does food become a replacement for sleep? Is the party you went to any better because you came home stuffed, bloated, full of gas, uncomfortable and with lowered self-esteem? Is it worth it? Past behavior has NOT worked. You need a clear vision of what you’re trying

Are You Really Hungry?

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Notable

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Quotes

Compiled by Nate Davis

“Say What?” I do … but I think that’s true for multiple other people that would want to run … I mean, I’ll be 43 this month, but the other thing that perhaps people don’t realize, I’ve served now in public office for the better part of 14 years. - Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) when asked on ABC’s “This Week” if he thinks he’s ready to be president

I could not be there with you on this big day, but being in space I was trying to figure out how to make this speech different than all the other commencement addresses that are given each year. - Astronaut Rick Mastracchio delivering the commencement address for the University Of Connecticut School Of Engineering from space

Listen, my friend, make a fist, like this. Next time the [Jews] come, punch them. Turn their faces into tomatoes. - Advice from a giant “fun-loving” bumblebee character to a little girl on a cartoon show which airs on Palestinian TV

On my third full day as secretary, January 29, I was supposed to have my first one-on-one meeting with President Obama. As I was about to walk into the Oval Office, Stephanie Cutter, a veteran Democratic operative who was handling our communications strategy, told me we would have a ‘pool spray,’ a photo opportunity for the White House press. The President and I would make brief remarks about executive compensation, responding to a report that Wall Street firms had paid their executives big bonuses while piling up record losses in 2008. “Here’s what you’re going to say,” Cutter said. She handed me the text, and I skimmed the outrage I was expected to express. I’m not very convincing as an angry populist, and I thought the artifice would look ridiculous. “I’m not doing this,” I said. Instead, I sat uncomfortably next to the President while he expressed outrage. - From former Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner’s new book, Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises

tpfccdlfdtte pcaccplircdt dklpcfrp?qeiq lhpqlipqeodf gpwafopwprti izxndkiqpkii krirrifcapnc dxkdciqcafmd vkfpcadf. #MissionMonday #NSA #news - Tweet sent out by the NSA last Monday Want to know what it takes to work at NSA? Check back each Monday in May as we explore careers essential to protecting our nation. - What the Tweet really said after it was decoded

Listen, I can’t predict what’s going to happen. I’m going to be 65-years-old in November; I never thought I’d live to be 60, so I’m living on borrowed time. - Chain-smoking Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio), when asked whether he plans on being Speaker of the House for the next two years

Not like it’s the Nobel Prize. - Jewish Holocaust survivor, Alexander Imich (age 111) when asked how it feels to be the oldest man on Earth

There’s a guy on the Upper West Side in New York City who’s now the oldest man in the world. He is 111 years old. How about that? His medical expenses are fully covered by Coolidge Care. - David Letterman

There’s a new trend of people calling “Find My iPhone” to confront thieves who have stolen their iPhone. They use the app “Find My iPhone” to find the thief. And this explains the app called “Find My Stupid Friend Who Went After the Criminal Who Stole My iPhone” way to get murdered. - Conan O’Brien

The fraying of middle-class economic security did not begin during President George W. Bush’s terms, but earlier, in the later years of the Clinton administration. - Vice President Joe Biden, at a fundraiser in South Carolina, in comments that may be a signal of a pending primary battle

Thirty days in the hospital? And when she reappears, she’s wearing glasses that are only for people who have traumatic brain injury? We need to know what’s up with that. - Karl Rove, suggesting that Hillary Clinton may have brain damage since suffering from a fall in 2012

A new report came out that calls Venezuela the most miserable country on earth. After hearing this, Kim Jung Un said, “What do I have to do? What do you want from me?” - Conan O’Brien

With their loss to the Braves yesterday, the Chicago Cubs became the third team in baseball history to lose 10,000 games. The poor Cubs— they can’t even win a losing contest.

- Message appearing on electronic highway signs throughout Boston as part of a new safe driving campaign It’s terrible, and I got my receipt. And I told them I can’t eat that kind of sauce. The marinara sauce is terrible. They made my mom another sandwich without a problem, but they say they won’t make me a sandwich. - 37-year-old Bevalente Hall’s complaint when she called 911 to complain that Subway got her order wrong, leading to her being charged with making an unwarranted 911 call

- Jimmy Fallon

People who did not receive a response to a status update experienced lower levels of belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence than did those who received a response. - A recent study by Taylor & Francis Group about the negative impact of not being popular on Facebook

In a biography, Michael Jordan said that as a kid he saw so much racism that he began to hate, quote, “all white people.” Jordan said he only started to feel compassion for white people after watching them play basketball. - Conan O’Brien

I always knew I’d be more than happy to donate a kidney if I only knew how to go about it. When I saw that on there, I knew that was a sign and I had to do it. - Jacklyn Mellott of Ohio, 56, explaining why she responded to a “Wanted: kidney” ad on Craigslist and donated one of her kidneys to a stranger

Sony has invented a new kind of cassette tape that could store 47 million songs. They estimate that they’ll be ready to demonstrate the new cassette for the public sometime in the year 2267 when it finishes rewinding. - Seth Myers

Women would leave me after I told them that I murdered my previous wives. But I spent 14 years in jail. I have changed. - A disclosure made by a 62-yearold contestant on a dating show in Turkey

The 5 stages of Western Reaction to Foreign Events: 1 Ignorance 2 Wikipedia wisdom 3 Outrage 4 #SolidarityHashtag 5 Tedious self-obsession - Tweet by Sudanese-born writer Nesrine Malik

Did the sponsor consider raisins as a potential official state snack? Perhaps pretzels? … What if the pretzel was dipped in yogurt? … Cheesecake? - Tough questions asked by NY State Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) to Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, (R-Williamsville) who sponsored a bill to make yogurt the official New York State snack, during the one hour debate before the measure passed

I like my guns like Obama likes his voters: Undocumented. - Sign outside of a Texas gun shop

A public servant who accepts bribes is akin to a traitor. This is a man who was on top of the world. He served as prime minister, the most important position, and from there he reached the position of a man convicted of criminal offenses. - Tel Aviv District Court Judge David Rozen, while sentencing former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to six years in prison.

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The Koch Brothers actions against the environment aren’t limited to toxic emissions. Charles and David Koch are waging a war against anything that protects the environment. Now I know that sounds absurd, but it’s true. While the Koch brothers admit to not being experts on the matter, these billionaire oil tycoons are certainly experts at contributing to climate change. That’s what they do very well. They are one of the main causes of this. Not a cause, the main cause. - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in a tirade against the Republican-backing Koch brothers

I am sure that 2014 will go into the annals of our whole country as the year when the nations living here firmly decided to be together with Russia, affirming fidelity to the historical truth and the memory of our ancestors. - Russian President Putin at a military parade in Crimea

Changing Lanes? Use Yah Blinkah.

#BringBackOurGirls - Social media campaign in response to the recent mass kidnapping in Nigeria, which involves celebrities such as Michelle Obama posing with the hashtag

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We needed something surprising. We wanted to choose a presenter who is the worst presenter for a live app possible; you know, the person who did the worst mess up on live TV ever. - A representative of Livelens, an Israeli app company, explaining why they chose the imposter sign language interpreter from Nelson Mandela’s funeral to appear in their ad campaign

Thursday is the deadline for Iran to meet a series of measures to delay its nuclear program. Then Iran said, “Do you mean ‘DEADLINE deadline’ or ‘Sign up for Obamacare deadline?’” - Jimmy Fallon

T h e J e w i s h h o m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012

A guy got a tattoo on his leg of the KFC Double Down sandwich. He wanted to do something he would regret even more than eating a KFC Double Down sandwich. - Conan O’Brien

The Observant Jew

MAY 15, 2014

Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

At the Crossroads

etween Pesach and Shavuos, we are in a state of growth. We study Pirkei Avos, we think about how we can rectify the mistakes of R’ Akiva’s students, and we take the steps to elevate ourselves towards kabolas HaTorah. Well, it would be a good idea, at least. It is said that Pesach and Shavuos are really one long holiday, one leading into the other, and the forty-nine days in between symbolize the rise we needed as a nation to go from deep levels of impurity to holiness. Yes, it is a time for every step, to teach us that one does not jump from the depths to great heights. If he did, it would likely have the effect of a bungee jumper, where he would be at the extent of his greatness for but an instant, before being pulled back to where he was before. So if this is a holiday of building up and every day we’re supposed to do a little more, why don’t we celebrate it at the end, when we’re finished? Why should the time of sefira be considered part of it? If you think about the fact that Klal Yisrael in Egypt was at the forty-ninth level of impurity, then it is

only at Shavuos when we begin to grow in our level of purity. That means that Shavuos should be the beginning of our holiday. The truth is, though, that we don’t wait until we are on that side of the scale. To a Jew, every day is a crossroads. In fact, every minute is a crossroads. We are faced with decisions of what to do or not to do, and it is up to us to decide whether we’re moving in the right direction. R’ Elchanan Wasserman HY”D met a former classmate who had become a successful lawyer. The well-dressed fellow chided, “Elchanan, you had a better head than me. If you had gone

into law you could have been even more successful than I. It’s such a shame you missed that opportunity to enjoy the wonderful life that I lead.” R’ Elchonon calmly responded, “Let

exit isn’t for 50 miles and we are sickened knowing that we are going further from where we want to be and making it that much harder to get there. Sefira teaches us that every day can

SEFIRA TEACHES US THAT EVERY DAY CAN BE A CROSSROADS.

me ask you. If you had to take a train, and at the station you found two options: One train had bare, wooden seats, poor heating, and drafty windows, while the other was luxurious, with plush upholstered seats, cozy heaters, and a dining car that could provide delicious food and drink, which would you take?” “Why,” said the wealthy lawyer, “the second train, of course!” “Ah,” said R’ Elchonon, “In truth, the choice of train depends on where you wish to go.” Each day and each moment in our lives provides us the opportunity to ask, “Am I heading towards Shavuos and Matan Torah, or am I heading back to Egypt?” At those moments, we are at a crossroads. We can still make a turn and get headed the right way. The trip might take a little longer than if we hadn’t detoured, but it’s understandable that when you’re on the road, even on the road of life, things happen. Now, no one in his right mind would plan to do this and say, “I am driving from New York to Florida, for a week’s vacation. Maybe I’ll make a little detour to the Grand Canyon.” Well, unless he was really bad at geography. The reason he wouldn’t do that is because the trip would be over before he could reach his destination and the “side trip” would take up all of his time. Not only that, but there’s no way of knowing if he’d make it to his destination, or even back home again during vacation, because his time might be up before he reached it. However, if he was on a reasonable course and at a certain point he realized that he was heading in the wrong direction, he wouldn’t give up, but would quickly make a U-turn and head the right way. Sometimes, though, the next

be a crossroads. We celebrate the fact that we have the chance to make our U-turn at any point, today if we want, at this very minute, and there are road signs pointing the way for us. On this journey we’ve got GPS, maps, traveler reviews, and many more tools to guide us, but there’s one big advantage that we have over the traveler. We don’t have to wonder when we

will get there, because Shavuos comes to us. We know exactly how much time we have left in this part of the trip and how much time we have to get back on the right track. In fact, we’re counting down the days. Jonathan Gewirtz is a prolific inspirational writer whose work has appeared in publications around the world. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. For more information, or to sign up for or sponsor the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English, e-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com and put Subscribe or Sponsor in the subject. © 2014 by Jonathan Gewirtz. All rights reserved.

T H E J E W I S H H O M E n M AY 1 5 , 2014

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