Baltimore Jewish Home - 5-20-21 by Moshe Rubin

The Chesed Fund Limited & Project Ezra of Greater Baltimore, Inc. Present

‫מי מרים‬

Miriam

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 20, 2021

In memory of Rebbitzen Miriam Lowenbraun, vwwg

BACK FOR OUR FIFTH SEASON!

Cold Water on a Hot Shabbos! Beginning Shabbos, May 21st (Parshas Naso), and continuing through the summer months, hosts throughout the area will be distributing cold water bottles to pedestrians when temperatures reach 85º or higher. Mei Miriam was established in loving memory of Rebbitzen Miriam Lowenbraun, ‫ע׳׳ה‬. Rebbitzen Lowenbraun, ‫ע׳׳ה‬, a devoted wife and mother, was an inspirational woman who dedicated herself to the needs of others In her vital role as the Regional Director of NCSY’s Atlantic Seaboard, she was a confidante, and best friend to many. She cared deeply for everyone she met, and offered a listening ear and a loving heart to anyone who needed it. Following in the footsteps of her father, HaRav Shlomo Twerski, the Hornisteipler Rav, ‫זצ׳׳ל‬, she opened her home and hosted thousands of students over the years providing them with warm and unforgettable Shabbos experiences. The passing of Rebbitzen Lowenbraun has left Baltimore and the world with a significant void. We hope that in her honor Mei Miriam will continue her legacy of chesed and hachnosas orchim. On a sad note, we mourn the loss of Rabbi Yitzchok “Itchie” Lowenbraun, ‫ע׳׳ה‬, husband of Rebbitzen Lowenbraun, ‫ע׳׳ה‬, who was niftar on April 29th, 2021. Rabbi Lowenbraun was an iconic figure in kiruv throughout the world and will be sorely missed.

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Hosts Needed!

We are seeking hosts on main thoroughfares in the following areas: Willowglen (Pimlico to Greenspring Ave.), Chelwood Road, Green Meadow Parkway,

Seven Mile Lane (Smith Ave. to Park Heights), Park Heights Ave. (Glen Ave. to Slade Ave.)

To volunteer as a host or to become a sponsor, contact Frank Storch: 410-340-1000 or info@chesedfund.com

Sponsored by the Storch Families. Special thanks to all of our wonderful hosts! &

The Chesed Fund Limited is dedicated in memory of Mordechai & Rebecca Kapiloff, ‫ע״ה‬, Dr. Bernard Kapiloff, ‫ע״ה‬, and Rabbi Norman & Louise Gerstenfeld, ‫ע״ה‬. Project Ezra of Greater Baltimore, Inc. is dedicated in memory of M. Leo and Hannah Storch, ‫ע״ה‬.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

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MAY 20, 2021

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

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 20, 2021

Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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

PEOPLE 613 Seconds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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

LIFESTYLES Under the Chuppah at Last. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Dating Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Mental Health Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Political Crossfire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Gluten Free Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Life Coach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

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

Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Global. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

The Baltimore Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. All opinions expressed by the journalists, contributors and/or advertisers printed and/or quoted herein are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME, their

Dear Readers, Post Shavuos articles typically refer to the greatness of our eternal Torah and its Mitzvos. They might also speak of the grand, world-changing giving of the Torah on Har Sinai and the preparations the Yidden undertook. However, let’s focus on the uniqueness of the Yid down here in the physical world. The Gemara in Maseches Shabbos recounts a back and forth between the malachim and Moshe Rabbeinu atop the mountain. They had challenged Hashem’s giving of the Torah to mortals, saying “give your splendor to the heavens.” The physical world is no place for the Torah to be given. Moshe Rabbeinu answered: Let’s see what it says in the Torah. It speaks of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Keeping Shabbos. Honoring parents. Not being jealous etc. Were you in Mitzrayim? Do you work six days a week? Do you have parents? Do you have envy or an evil inclination? At first glance it seems that Moshe’s answer is a technical one. Being that you don’t work 6 days a week you can’t rest. You don’t have parents, therefore you cannot honor them, and so on. Indeed, in substance it seems that the malachim were right. The Torah is spiritual and holy and should therefore be given to angels. The more spiritual the better.

There’s a Medrash tana d’vei Eliyahu that asks “which came first, the Yidden or the Torah? What does it say in the Torah, tzav es bnei yisrael, daber el bnei yisrael. Must be Yidden came first and the Torah is there for them.” The Yid, in this world, with all our challenges, beginning with the fight with our Yetzer Hara, is the center of everything. This world, the spiritual worlds, the angels and even the Torah, is here so that a Yid will be alive and do a Mitzvah in this world. The Torah was given to us not despite our being human, but because of it. G-d had a desire that He be known and eventually revealed in the lowest possible world - so here we are. We shouldn’t feel like we want to escape, that would be the easy way. We need to find ways to infuse our physical lives with our Neshama. Davening, learning, being kind and the rest of the Mitzvos literally brings G-dliness into our lives. We have the greatest opportunity, angels would give everything, to be able to choose that which our Creator wants us to. We are at the end of our long journey and hope our Father in heaven takes us all home very soon, bringing peace to the Holy Land and indeed the entire world. Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos, Shalom

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

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Around the Community

By: Staff Reporter BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 20, 2021

Gas Prices Spike In MD After Pipeline Shutdown Spikes in gas prices were reported in Maryland and other areas after a cyberattack prompted a major gas pipeline shutdown. Colonial Pipeline, which runs from New York to Texas and delivers 45 percent of fuel to the East Coast,

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shut down its main pipeline over the weekend as a precaution after the ransomware attack. It has since been reactivated. Prices at the pump in Maryland have increased 10 cents in the past week, according to the Automobile Association of America. Maryland’s gas price average was $2.94 Wednesday, an increase of eight cents since Friday and 10 cents week over week. “While the pipeline shutdown is not the only factor pushing gas prices

higher, it is definitely impacting gas prices on the East Coast,” said Ragina C. Ali, spokesperson for at AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Gas prices typically trend higher at this time of year, with the increase in demand heading into the Memorial Day holiday weekend and the busy summer driving season,” Ali said. Marylanders are paying $1.07 more per gallon than last year for gas and 18 cents more per gallon than they were last month, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. The national average for gas prices reached $3 per gallon Wednesday, the highest since October 2014. Although the Colonial Pipeline restarted Wednesday night, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan reported: “It will take some time for normal operations to resume.”

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 20, 2021

Two OCA students qualify for Chidon HaTanach National finals

hr Chadash Academy (OCA) is proud to share that Meira Lopin (7th Grade) and Alina Rosen (7th Grade) recently participated in the national finals of the Chidon HaTanach. The Chidon HaTanach (National Bible Contest) is sponsored by the Jewish Agency, and is offered to students in grades 6-11. Under the guidance of Rabbi Mordechai Abrahams, a small group of dedicated OCA middle school students worked hard to compete in the national Chidon HaTanach competition. They studied independently, and met once a week from October to March to discuss the content and an-

Stories Behind the Symbol: STAR-K’s Kosher Conversation Podcast By: Margie Pensak

hr Chadash Academy (OCA) is proud to share Property has patience that Meira Lopin (7th Grade) and Alina Rosen (7th Grade) recently participated in the national finals of the Chidon HaTanach. The Chidon HaTanach (National Bible Contest) is sponsored by the Jewish Agency, and is offered to students in grades 6-11. Have you ever wondered if your medicine really needs to be kosher?

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swer quiz questions. In total, the OCA Chidon HaTanach group learned over 60 chapters from Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim. Students took 3 tests over this period, to determine who would be invited to the national finals in May. OCA was thrilled to learn that for the third consecutive year two of its students qualified for the national finals. On Sunday May 2 Meira and Alina joined approximately 200 students from around the country to participate in the national finals over Zoom. OCA wishes a big Yasher Koach to all its dedicated Chidon HaTanch students and looks forward to offering this opportunity to its students next year.

Or, what it takes to set up a kosher restaurant? Wonder no more about these and other questions you may have about the world of Kosher thanks to STAR-K Kosher Certification’s new podcast series, The Kosher Conversation! The Kosher Conversation is the brainchild of STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Chananya Jacobson. “People have come over to me and said things like, ‘I wish I could spend a day as a fly on the wall at STAR-K’”, shares Rabbi Jacobson. “People are very interested in having first-hand

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Rethinking Mental Health – Making Out of Network Psychotherapy with your Preferred Therapist Affordable The daughter had successfully completed cancer treatments a few months prior and was struggling with anxiety and behavioral challenges, while her mother was struggling with her own anxiety and how to best support her daughter. I negotiated with their insurance plan, Aetna PPO, to cover each therapist’s fees up to a flat copay so that insurance now reimburses $300 per session for one therapist, and $250 per

session for the second therapist, saving the family over $2,000 per month. The savings for the family are significant. Prior to the case being negotiated the family was not receiving an insurance reimbursement because the plan’s out of network deductible had not been met. If you are currently in therapy, or are thinking about starting to work with an outof-network therapist, we welcome the oppor-

tunity to help you make therapy affordable. Alanna Apfel is the founder and patient advocate at AA Insurance Advocacy, which helps therapy patients, individuals, couples, and children, save thousands of dollars annually on their out of network mental health therapy bills. Clients of AA Insurance Advocacy have collected anywhere from $5,000 to $45,000 a year in reimbursements, depending on the cost and frequency of therapy. For additional information, please contact aainsuranceadvocate@gmail.com or 323-510-6405.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME MAY 20, 2021 B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M

Covid-19 has brought with it an unprecedented need for emotional support, whether it be from family or friends, or a mental health professional, therapist or psychiatrist. Dealing with emotional difficulties and mental illnesses like depression or anxiety, or coping with the challenges of daily life and relationships, the impact of trauma, medical illness or loss, can be a long and difficult journey. Sadly, mental health struggles have the power to suck the joy out of day-to-day life, to hinder our ability to be fully present in each moment, and to prevent us from connecting with our friends, spouses and children in a meaningful way. For many, seeing a quality, out of network therapist to work through mental health challenges feels like a luxury that is unaffordable. Adding on an extra expense for therapy for yourself, your spouse or your children may seem untenable. If your preferred therapist does not take your health insurance, we can help you negotiate with your insurance plan to cover your therapy costs with your preferred, out of network therapist. As insurance advocates, we help psychotherapy patients, individuals, couples and children, negotiate with their insurance plan to collect reimbursements from their health insurance ranging from $150-$400 per session. “The quality of your life is where you live emotionally.” -- Tony Robbins. Our quality of life is not governed by our material wealth, but by our emotional state. At AA Insurance Advocacy it is our passion to enhance the quality of your life by helping you afford therapy with a qualified and experienced therapist for as long as you need, without depleting your cash flow or savings. As your advocate, we negotiate with your insurance plan to cover your mental health therapy costs with your preferred, out of network therapist. For psychotherapy patients (individuals, couples and children) whose preferred therapist is out of network, the savings are significant. Although many plans cover out-of-network therapy, it is generally at a very low rate, typically $50-70 per session, and is a benefit that is only accessible for a few months of the year once the deductible has been met. In the months that we have been advocating our clients have received anywhere from $5,000 to $45,000+ a year in reimbursements, depending on the cost and frequency of therapy, with reimbursements ranging from $150-$350 per session. As an example, I recently negotiated a case for a mother and her 10-year-old daughter who were each seeing their own out-of-network therapists.

Around the Community

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 20, 2021

Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok’s (TI) Chemdas Program

eshivas Kochav Yitzchok’s (TI) Chemdas program was founded l’ilui nishmas Rav Elazar Isbee, zt’l, and runs under the direction of Rabbi Mendel Reischer, a S’gan Menahel. The program’s format is that the talmidim review mishnayos and earn points for each perek completed towards a grand trip and sefarim. The Chemdas 5780 trip was delayed until October 2020 due to COVID-19, but it was worth waiting for as the boys had a fabulous time! We began our Chemdas day with breakfast and divrei bracha before settling in for the long and fun bus ride to Knoebel’s amusement park. The learning, singing, and games on the bus were a preview of the fun to follow! The boys had a blast at the park and returned later that evening with stories from their trip and smiles all around. Their enthusiasm for this program did not subside, transitioning to the Chemdas 5781 program with the annual Bring Your Own Mishnayos

A talmid learning over the phone with his chavrusa who is in quarantine

(BYOM) event. BYOM is a beautiful Kiddush Hashem, where our boys, grades 3-8, learn mishnayos together, b’chavrusa, to initiate the Chemdas learning season. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, this year’s BYOM took place outdoors. The beautiful weather and tremendous geshmak in learning were something special to behold. Brothers, friends, and rebbeim learned mishnayos together and

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enjoyed a special treat as well. We were amazed to see a talmid learning b’chavrusa on the phone with his friend who was at home due to a quarantine – wow! The BYOM took place on November 27, 2020, and to date, the talmidim of the cheder have collectively learned 11,131 perakim – what an incredible accomplishment! The boys eagerly look forward to the upcoming Chemdas trip to Saha-

ra Sam’s Water Park on June 8th. We are so proud of them for learning and enjoy the nachas of their excitement to review the mishnayos and remember it for years to come.

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Where did you grow up? I was born in Chicago. Our family moved to Baltimore when I was 6, when my father got his first job as a physician at Johns Hopkins and have been here ever since! What do you love most about living in Baltimore?

What local organizations have you been involved with? I have been involved with the Shidduch Center of Baltimore for the past seven years, since its inception. How did you become a shadchan? Becoming a shadchan is not something I had planned. But being a single out of town girl in shidduchim taught me a lot about what was sorely needed in the shidduch system, mainly regular everyday people looking out for others. Dependence on one or two overloaded shadchanim was ineffective, so shortly after getting married, I sought to fill the void. It started with setting up friends, then creating a network of women who all contributed by adding one guy they knew well. We shared the document among all the women who contributed. A few shidduchim were made through my network and as time

went on, I joined project NASI ,who had started an incentive program for everyday people who set up singles. From there, Shidduch Center was created. Tell us about Edelweiss? I’d love to! Edelweiss is a large Kosher Vacation Rental we started in Baltimore, MD. It is a spacious, beautiful property in the woods, perfect for vacations, getaways, reunions, and hosting family together for simchas. As a family we have always been vacation rental patrons, preferring a home rental with a kitchen, living areas, etc. For years we’ve felt there was need for a kosher rental in Baltimore, but when Covid hit it became a necessity for families to have a large place to share when coming to town for simchas. Additionally, vacationing close to home became an opportunity sorely needed for many. With my husband Yehuda, who spearheaded the effort, we worked on creating this vision and it shortly became a reality, thanks to all of our incredible guests thus far. When you rent Edelweiss you get the entire property to yourself. Venturing over a bridge and through the woods (literally!) you would never know you were still in Baltimore, aside from the fact that you can get all your favorite kosher food delivered. When you rent Edelweiss you have everything you could possibly need for a relaxing kosher getaway experience. Our ameneties include: a fully kosher kitchen with two separate areas for milchig and fleishig. Edelweiss

provides everything from tea lights to shabbos lamps, cholent pots to electric hot plates, havdalah set, kiddush cup, seforim,and so much more. Edelweiss is a minute up the road from Ateres Elka simcha Hall making it a perfect place to host your out of town guests. When you embark upon the property, we aim for it to be quite the experience, personalizing it for your specific group. Edelweiss is decked out with a huge gourmet kosher kitchen, stocked coffee bar, S’mores and Snack packages, large dining room, large game room, pool table, theater, game lounge, large furnished lit up deck, BBQ, Fire Pit, architectural fish pond with waterfalls, large bedrooms complete with cozy linen, soft towels, a jacuzzi and more, all overlooking the woods and pond. Don’t take our word for it, check out our google reviews or even better, book a stay yourself! Email us at EdelweissKosherRental@Gmail.com or Call/Whatsapp at 443.540.4337. Looking forward to hearing from you! Anything else you’d like to share with our 10,000+ cover to cover readers? I just want to take the opportunity to show appreciation to our entire community for coming so far in such a difficult year amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. You are all amazing and so so appreciated, and deserve a gold medal. May we only share in simchos and closeness as a community!

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Tell us about yourself? First and foremost, I’m a wife & mommy. My family is everything to me, b’H. My husband Yehuda, (the musician doctor) is the organized side to my brain and without him I would be lost. As a kid, I wanted to be a journalist, but when I took the career test in Bais Yaakov it came back stating I would most likely be a flight attendant. That definitely didn’t happen (See kids, these tests mean nothing!). I went to Sharfman’s seminary for two amazing years. I still love journalism, and enjoy writing for many frum publications, including this one!

Cicadas.... and, without sounding cliche, the people. We are so lucky to be part of such an ehrlich and nice town. I also love how united we are as a community. When there is a need for something it seems as though our entire community comes together to make it happen. We are a super “with it” out of town community with all of the luxuries of a big city, with a small town feel. Every time I convince single guys to date Baltimore girls, they are blown away by our close knit Baltimore community the warmth it exudes.

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Yehuda Guetta, Hy”d

Thousands thronged the funeral of Yehuda Guetta last Thursday after he succumbed to his wound three days after being shot in a terror attack. A 19-year-old student at the Itamar Yeshiva in Samaria, Guetta was one of three Israelis shot during a drive-by shooting attack at the nearby Tapuach Junction earlier in the week. He was rushed to Jerusalem’s Shaare Tzedek Medical Center but passed away a day later. The funeral procession began at Yehuda’s home in Jerusalem’s Kiryat Moshe neighborhood, where an estimated 2,000 people escorted him to his final resting place at the Har Hamenuchot cemetery. Participating in Yehuda’s final sendoff was a slew of dignitaries, including MKs Itamar Ben-Gvir and Orit Strock from the Religious Zionism party, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Rafi Peretz. Addressing the crowd was Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef and Jonathan Pollard, who recently emigrated to Israel after serving out a 30 year sentence for spying on the United States. “I’m a simple Jew, and I never expected to come home after 30 years and be faced with this kind of tragedy,” Pollard said. “I hoped and prayed that my own sacrifice would prevent this kind of tragedy. The evil that took Yehuda has a power that is incredible. It doesn’t cease, it doesn’t stop, it shows no pity, it shows no remorse. But we do. And that’s why we come here, to say ‘shalom’ to Yehuda.” “Yehuda in the last few days, we worried as you fought for your life,

we prayed from the depths of our hearts that you would overcome your wounds, and across the entire country we begged for your recovery, but this morning, to our great sorrow, these prayers have turned to a eulogy,” said Lion, a distant relative of Yehuda. “Our hearts are broken – but our spirits are strong,” added Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan. Yehuda had passed away on Thursday only hours before IDF special forces nabbed his killer, 44-yearold Muntasir Shalabi from Silwad. A father of seven and a successful local businessman, Shalabi reportedly did not attempt to flee and admitted his culpability in the attack on the spot.

2 Killed by Hamas Rockets

Two women were killed and dozens were injured, including two seriously, when Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip fired massive barrages of rockets at southern Israel throughout Tuesday, drawing deadly retaliatory airstrikes from the Israel Defense Forces. The deaths marked the first fatalities in Israel in the round of fighting with Gaza terrorist groups that began Monday evening, which has seen hundreds of rockets fired at Israeli territory. The Hamas terror group claimed that at one stage on Tuesday it fired 137 rockets in around five minutes in an apparent attempt to overwhelm the Iron Dome missile defense system. In a subsequent barrage on the southern coastal city of Ashkelon, less than an hour later, two women were killed by rockets in apparently separate hits. A technical issue with an Iron Dome battery during the massive rocket barrage toward the coastal city prevented some rockets from being intercepted and may have been responsible for the casualties and deaths. Eventually, the malfunction was re-

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to understand what is happening here in the city.” In the early hours of Tuesday, a missile hit a residential building in Ashkelon, wounding six Israelis, four of them members of the same family: parents in their 40s, an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old. The father was seriously hurt with a head wound, and the others sustained light injuries from shrapnel. The assaults continued Tuesday after a night of almost constant rocket fire on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip and as the IDF conducted strikes on more than 100 targets in the coastal enclave, as part of what it has called “Operation Guardian of the Walls,” the military said. The previous day saw a major outbreak of violence from Gaza, including rare rocket fire on Jerusalem, where Palestinians have been clashing with police for days. In response to the ongoing rocket rockets, IDF fighter jets, aircraft and tanks struck at least 130 targets in the Gaza Strip, most of them associated

with Hamas, but also some linked to other terror groups in the enclave, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups reported that several high-ranking commanders were killed in Israeli raids, including three top PIJ leaders in a drone strike on a building in the upscale Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. One of those killed was the brother of another top PIJ commander, Baha Abu al-Ata, who was killed in an Israeli strike in November 2019, kicking off a major round of fighting in the Strip. Islamic Jihad vowed revenge for the death of the three commanders in its armed wing, saying the response will be “harsh.” Additionally, the IDF said it killed the head of Islamic Jihad’s special rocket unit, in an operation carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet. Sameh Abed al-Mamluk was killed along with several other senior rocket officials. According to the IDF, the military’s

targets also included the home of a top Hamas commander, Hamas’s intelligence headquarters in southern Gaza, two attack tunnels that approached the border with Israel, rocket production and storage sites, observation posts, military installations, and launchpads. The Hamas Health Ministry said 28 Gazans were killed, including nine minors, and 125 wounded in the ongoing escalation with Israel. Fifteen Gazans sustained serious injuries, according to Hamas Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra. Israel said more than half were Hamas terrorists. IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman said a number of those killed in Gaza, including at least three children, were hit by errant rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists, not by Israeli airstrikes. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the IDF would continue striking Hamas and other terrorists in the Strip until “long-term and complete quiet” is restored.

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paired. Channel 12 reported that a deadly rocket attack directly struck a home where an elderly woman and her caregiver, who did not manage to get to a public shelter in time, lived. One of the women was killed. With a number of buildings in the city suffering direct hits over the course of the day, and concerns over the number of residential buildings without bomb shelters, the Israel Defense Forces instructed residents to remain in reinforced areas. The restriction was later lifted – followed, minutes later, by additional rocket alert sirens on the city. Ashkelon Mayor Tomer Glam said some 25 percent of residents don’t have access to a protected area when rockets are fired at the city. “It is impossible when normal life becomes a state of emergency within minutes,” he told Army Radio. “There are houses from the 1960s where there is no basic protection – it is time for treasury officials and decision-makers

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Israel has fought three large operations against Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip since 2008, most recently in 2014 with a 51-day war known as Operation Protective Edge.

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The Hezbollah terrorist organization was reportedly spooked by the massive IDF drill that began on Sunday, believing that the maneuvers are cover for a surprise attack on Lebanon. Hezbollah increased its readiness on Saturday, deploying additional fighters from its elite Radwan units on the Israeli-Lebanon border. Additional preparations were observed in the city of Quneitra on the Golan Heights as the terror group raised its alertness to levels not seen since the Second Lebanon War. According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Nasrah, Hezbollah “recruited the necessary manpower” to “effectively respond to any Israel attack on Lebanese soil. The terror group reportedly believes that the mammoth IDF drill is designed to disguise preparations for all-out war, including calling up reservists and sending large amounts of troops to the Lebanese border. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel against “hasty measures,” vowing in his weekly speech last Friday that “we in Lebanon will be ready from Sunday morning, the day the exercise begins.” Nasrallah threatened that Israel would pay for “any mistake,” saying that “we will be prepared to respond to the aggression and we will not tolerate any violation in Lebanese territory.” Named “Chariots of Fire,” the IDF exercise that kicked off this past Sunday is the largest in Israeli history.

Training the military to fight on three simultaneous fronts, the drill involves all four IDF commands, over 100,000 troops, and 25,000 reservists. The exercise will go on for the entire month of May and will replicate wartime conditions. As part of the drill, the Israeli Air Force and the Paratroopers Brigade will fly to Cyprus to practice landing behind enemy lines. Hundreds of fighter jets and helicopters will take to the skies while three armored divisions will participate in a live-fire exercise in the Golan Heights and Negev Desert. The maneuver is the IDF’s first large drill since last year’s COVID-19 outbreak, when the military cut back on training as it was preoccupied with fighting the pandemic. “The structure of the exercise, which is being put together now, will include a scenario of a multi-front campaign in both the north and the south, in accordance with up-to-date and worst-case scenarios,” the military said in a statement.

Did Israel Help the U.S. Track Soleimani?

A new report alleges that Israel played a key role in helping U.S. intelligence locate Iranian General Qassem Soleimani ahead of his 2020 assassination. The commander of Iran’s notorious Quds Force, Soleimani was tasked with arming and funding Tehran’s proxy militias including Hezbollah, the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen. He was killed in a U.S. airstrike in January 2020 after landing in Baghdad’s airport. Now, a new expose says that Israel played a key role in the drone strike. According to the report, Israeli intelligence provided the numbers to three different smartphones used by Soleimani, allowing the U.S. to pinpoint his

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The Week In News location. Israel’s assistance is said to be crucial for the operation’s success, as the U.S. would have had a significantly more difficult time tracking down the general had it been unable to hack his cellphones. “In Tel Aviv, U.S. Joint Special Operations Command liaisons worked with their Israeli counterparts to help track Soleimani’s cellphone patterns. The Israelis, who had access to Soleimani’s numbers, passed them off to the Americans, who traced Soleimani and his current phone to Baghdad,” wrote the report. In the past, “Israeli intelligence at one point tipped off the CIA about a courier for Soleimani who would travel outside Iran to pick up clean phones for the Quds Force leader and his inner circle, recalled a former intelligence official,” noted the expose. “The CIA got wind that the courier would visit a specific market in a Gulf country to procure these devices and sprang into action. The agency executed a complex supply chain compromise, installing spyware on a set of phones that were seeded into the marketplace used by Soleimani’s courier.” “The gambit worked, said the former official, and the courier purchased at least one bugged phone that was then used by someone who was often in the same room as Soleimani,” continued the report, which quoted over a dozen officials intimately involved in the assassination. “But because Soleimani and other Iranian leadership would often rotate their devices, and employ other measures to avoid being surveilled, successes of this sort were fleeting, said former officials,” stated the report. The expose also reported that at least seven Kurdish agents were on the ground at Baghdad airport, where they impersonated police officers in order to positively ID the Iranian general. Also present were U.S. special forces snipers, who fired on a vehicle in order to cause it to slow down and provide an easier target for the drones loitering overhead. Israel has long been rumored to have played a part in the assassination, with previous reports crediting Israeli Air Force intelligence for keeping tabs on Soleimani during his frequent trips to Syria. In late April, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blamed the Jewish

State for “directing” the U.S. to assassinate Soleimani. “The martyrdom of General Soleimani was directed by the Zionists, even though [former President Donald] Trump was the commander and killer,” Rouhani told a cabinet meeting.

U.S.: Cancel Flag March Senior US officials pressed Israel to limit or change completely the annual Yom Yerushalayim “Flag March,” warning that the event was liable to exacerbate tensions between Jews and Arabs. The Flag March occurs every year to mark the day in which Israel freed the Old City from Jordanian hands in 1967. Beginning at Damascus Gate, the event sees tens of thousands of people dance down to the Western Wall.

On Sunday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called his counterpart Israeli Meir Ben-Shabbat to convey the Biden administration’s concerns about the event. Calling the march “provocative,” Sullivan pressed Ben-Shabbat for Israel to change the route or even cancel it altogether. Ben-Shabbat refused to commit to altering the route but promised that Israel would take the Biden Administration’s concerns into account. The phone call followed an earlier request from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem that was rebuffed. “Sullivan highlighted recent engagements by senior U.S. officials with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials and key regional stakeholders to press for steps to ensure calm, deescalate tensions, and denounce violence,” read a White House summary of the phone call. “Mr. Sullivan also reiterated the United States’ serious concerns about the potential evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. They

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The Week In News agreed that the launching of rocket attacks and incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel is unacceptable and must be condemned.” Police had been on high alert ahead of the Flag March amid fears that it could be the spark that would ignite a Third Intifada. Recent weeks have seen escalating violence in Jerusalem, with Arab residents attacking Jews at will along with extremist right-wing protest marches. On Saturday, tens of thousands of Muslims barricaded themselves in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, hurling stones and firecrackers at police. Authorities responded by deploying riot control measures, setting off pitched battles that ended with 17 police officers and 150 Arabs wounded. Video footage on social media showed an Arab mob waving Hamas flags on the Temple Mount while chanting, “Bomb Tel Aviv” and “In spirit and in blood, we will redeem al-Aqsa.” The skirmishes triggered dozens of protest rallies in Arab cities all across

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Israel in which residents demonstrated their support for Hamas and the Al Aqsa rioters.

IDF Responds to Hamas Rockets

The IDF pounded the Gaza Strip throughout Monday evening in what was the biggest escalation between the two sides since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge. The IDF said in a statement that it had struck 140 targets as of Tuesday morning, killing 25 terrorists and destroying Hamas weapons warehous-

es and terror tunnels. Other targets included “the home of a top Hamas commander, Hamas’s intelligence headquarters, two attack tunnels that approached the security barrier, and rocket production and storage sites.” Despite the barrage, Hamas rocket fire continued throughout the evening, with at least 200 missiles pummeling Ashkelon alone since Monday afternoon. Three Israelis were wounded when a rocket hit their Ashkelon apartment building, one of them seriously. Another 100 Hamas rockets hit Ashdod, while Sderot and dozens of Gaza-envelope agricultural communities were pounded with relentless mortar fire. Dozens of cities canceled school on Tuesday due to fears of additional rocket fire, including Rishon LeTzion, Be’er Sheva, Rehovot, Ness Ziona, and Ramat Gan. Train service was suspended in large parts of the country, and roads alongside the Gaza border were closed to motorists. The escalation began on Monday, Jerusalem Day, after Hamas military

commander Mohammed Deif gave Israel until 6 PM to withdraw all of its forces from Temple Mount that were countering Arab rioters. After Israel failed to meet the ultimatum, Hamas launched a barrage of missiles towards Jerusalem, paralyzing the capital and sending residents fleeing towards the bomb shelters. Israel responded by bombing what the military called “high value targets,” including the homes of top Hamas commanders and hidden weapons warehouses. On Tuesday afternoon, the IDF began deploying artillery units to the Gaza border and called up 5,000 reservists, signaling that the military was preparing for a wider conflict. “This is for the continuation of operations as part of Operation Guardian of the Walls and reinforcements for defending the home front,” said Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, invoking the operation’s official name. “We have an intense day ahead of us,” added IDF Spokesperson Haggai Zilberman. “We have a goal, and we will not stop until we’ve reached it.”

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The Week In News Sheikh Jarrah Hearing Postponed Israel’s Supreme Court postponed a scheduled hearing regarding the fate of Arab squatters on Jewish-owned property in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. The hearing was slated to occur on Monday and would have likely seen the justices order the forced removal of the squatters. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit requested that it be delayed until after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to refrain from inflaming the issue until tensions die down.

The hearing will now occur on an unspecified date within the next four weeks. “In all the circumstances and in light of the attorney general’s request, the regular hearing for tomorrow, May 10, 2021 (is) canceled,” said the court in a statement. The court case would have been the final hearing in a long-running legal battle between Arab squatters and the property’s Jewish owners. Originally purchased by a wealthy Jerusalemite family over a century ago, the homes fell into Arab hands following the Jordanian capture of Jerusalem. After Jerusalem was reunited in 1967, the Jewish owners sued for the restitution of their property. A decade-long court battle ended with a compromise allowing the Arab families to remain in the apartments on condition that they paid monthly rent. Yet the Arab families refused to pay, triggering a legal battle to evict them that lasted more than 30 years. The final decision allowing the eviction would have come on Jerusalem Day this past Monday, something police warned would trigger a new round of violence. The Sheikh Jarrah legal battle has

become a cause célèbre amongst Israeli Arabs, with thousands of rioters hurling rocks and firebombs at police officers on a nightly basis.

25 Killed in Rio Drug Raid

At least 25 people were killed after a police raid in a Rio de Janeiro slum deteriorated into a massive shootout. The raid occurred on Thursday evening in Jacarezinho, a notorious slum run by competing drug cartels. Brazilian police had arrived in force after receiving a tip that a local crime boss had been seen in the area. But upon arriving, officers were greeted by a hail of bullets from criminal gunmen. Trapped, the officers called for backup, triggering a firefight that lasted for hours. Video footage from the slum showed AK-47-wielding criminals jumping from rooftop to rooftop as they attempted to evade the pursuing officers. According to police, 24 of those killed were criminals killed by Federal Special Forces. Police Chief Ronaldo Oliveira confirmed that the casualty rate was “the largest number of deaths in a police operation in Rio.” The raid included more than 200 officers and was supposed to be the culmination of a secret investigation lasting months. The gang is said to be responsible for drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, and weapons manufacturing. Police said that the raid resulted in the seizure of 20 firearms and “an abundant quantity of drugs.” Photos released of the evidence seized during the operation showed at least five M4 assault rifles and over 200 pounds of

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The Week In News cocaine. “We went to that community to guarantee the rights of that population that lives under the dictatorship of drug trafficking,” said Felipe Curi, a spokesman for the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most poverty stricken and crime-plagued cities in Brazil, racking up 3,000 murders in 2020. 22% of its 17 million residents live in Favelas, or low-income makeshift shanty towns that are hotbeds of organized crime.

An Acquired Accent It was top of mornin’ to a woman from Down Under after she had surgery two weeks ago. Australian Angie Yen is originally from Taiwan but has lived in Brisbane, Australia, since she was eight and speaks with an Aussie accent. But two weeks ago, Yen woke up sounding Irish, despite having never even been to Ireland. Yen first started speaking with an Irish accent 10 days after she had surgery to remove her tonsils. She went to the hospital the same day but as she wasn’t showing any other signs of illness, Yen was sent home and told to rest. Still looking for answers, Yen said she will be doing an MRI and a blood test soon and is looking for a neurologist who can help her. In a video she uploaded on TikTok, Yen said, “I woke up with an Irish accent and I’ve never been to Ireland before…. “At this stage, I don’t think it’s go-

ing to get better, because this morning I woke up with an Aussie accent and I was so happy. I called one of my best friends and told her that I have my accent back but during that phone call in the space of about five to 10 minutes, my accent was deteriorating, and it was changing from an Aussie accent to an Irish one.” TikTok viewers say she sounds like a mix between Canadian, American, Australian, Jamaican, and British, but the Irish accent seems to be the strongest. Yen said that she has never been to Ireland. Foreign accent syndrome most commonly occurs following a head injury, stroke, or some other type of damage to the brain, according to Healthline. The condition is extremely rare, with only around 100 people diagnosed with foreign accent syndrome since the first known case came to light in 1907.

behind a small glass window. Granted, many patrons turn their noses up at the thought of a slice on the go in the pizza capital of the world. Still, for those who tasted the cheesy delicacy, the pizza didn’t pass muster.

It’s Nonuplets!

It was on June 11, 1889 when Raffaele Esposito created the world’s first pizza in honor of the queen consort, Margherita of Savoy. Esposito used tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves to represent the colors of the Italian flag. Surely, true Italians wouldn’t dare grab a slice on the go.

It Pays to Sleep Pie on the Fly Italy is known for delicious pizza, and when you visit the country, you can literally grab a slice on every corner. Recently, Rome debuted its first pizza vending machine. The “Mr. Go Pizza” machine offers four types of pizzas, ranging from 4.5 to 6 euros. The machine kneads the dough and tops the pizzas with customers’ desired toppings. While waiting for their pie, patrons can watch the pizza cook

benefits, but we are keen to put this to the test, and we need your help!” After napping, snoozers will have to answer questions about their experience. My only question is if we can continue this experiment for the rest of the year.

If you love your ZZZs, you can be earning real $$$. Mattress review company Eachnight is paying five people $1,500 each to take naps every day for 30 days. These “nap reviewers” will take part in experiments to test out theories on naps – how long a good nap should be, how helpful naps are, and the effects naps have on productivity and memory. “We wanted to test a few theories behind the pros and cons of napping to provide our community with some valuable insight,” Eachnight said in its job posting. “We know that in general different length naps have different

Sometimes miscounting can lead to really interesting results. A 25-year-old woman in Mali recently was told she was pregnant with seven children. Halima Cisse, from Timbuktu, Mali, was treated with kid gloves when her fellow country-people found out. The president of Mali, Bah N’Daw, sent Cisse to North Africa to give birth under specialists’ care. Finally, last week, Cisse gave birth – to nine babies. It seems that someone missed a few babies when they counted. Now, Cisse is the proud mother of five girls and four boys. Nonuplets are exceedingly rare, with only three incidents recorded since 1971, including Cisse’s pregnancy. We hope she bought stock in Pampers.

Peak Performance For those of you who never scaled Mount Everest, Kami Rita makes it seem easy. The Sherpa guide conquered the tallest mountain in the world last Friday for the 25th time, breaking his own

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The Week In News record for the most ascents of Everest. Rita had reached the peak with 11 other Sherpa guides. The group is the first to reach the summit this year and were fixing the ropes on the icy route so that hundreds of other climbers can scale the peak later this month. Everest was closed to climbing last year on both its southern side, which is in Nepal, and its northern side, which is in China, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nepal has issued climbing permits this year to 408 foreign climbers despite a surging COVID-19 outbreak. Rita, 51, first scaled Everest in 1994 and has been making the trip nearly every year since then. He is one of many Sherpa guides whose expertise and skills are vital to the safety and success of the hundreds of climbers who head to Nepal each year seeking to stand on top of the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) mountain. To say that Rita is not afraid of heights is an understatement. Aside from the twenty-five times he’s stood on top of the tallest mountain in the world, Rita has scaled several other peaks that are among the world’s high-

est, including K-2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse. We’re going to say that he’s highly successful.

A Bloody Visit Those looking to check out Dracula’s castle may find themselves getting punctured on their way out. In an effort to get the country vaccinated, Romania has installed doctors and nurses in Bran Castle, a 14th century towering home that was supposedly the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Those looking to visit the tourist spot can get their COVID-19 vaccines while wandering around the vast rooms. Doctors and nurses wear special fang stickers as they offer the jabs to visitors. Need a shot? Anyone can turn up without an appointment every weekend in May. They also get free entry to the castle’s exhibit of 52 medieval torture instruments. “The idea…was to show how people got jabbed 500-600 years ago in

Europe,” the castle’s marketing director, Alexandru Priscu, explained. Fernando Orozco, a 37-year-old who is working remotely in Romania, came for his shot over the weekend. “I was already planning to come to the castle, and I just thought it was the two-for-one special,” he said. Well, I guess it depends on your definition of “special.”

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when it comes to bridges in the country. There are a few record-breaking glass bridges – touted as tourist attractions – in China. A new 526-meter- long structure in Qingyuan, Guangdong, holds the Guinness World Record for longest glass-bottom bridge. If you think these bridges are truly safe, well, then I have a bridge to sell you.

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Celebrating Our Past, Present and Future On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) celebrated its annual gala virtually, allowing rabbis from the globe-spanning RIETS alumni community to join in celebration of their yeshiva. Highlights of the evening included a special tribute to Rabbi Hyman Arbesfeld, z’’l, a RIETS musmakh and benefactor, on the one-year anniversary of his passing. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University, and Rabbi Menachem Penner, Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS, both spoke about the lasting impact Rabbi Arbesfeld had on the yeshiva. The tribute was capped by the naming of Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz as the Abraham Arbesfeld Chair of the Director of the Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Semikha Program, donated by Rabbi Arbesfeld and his wife Ann before his passing, in memory of his father. Rabbi Arbesfeld, who earned his semicha [rabbinic ordi-

nation] from RIETS in 1956, and Ann, have been generous supporters of the rabbinical school and Yeshiva University for decades. He joined the RIETS Board of Trustees in 1982 and became its vice chairman in 2007. “Our Torah connects us to our Masora, while charting a course for our future. This is the character of the Torah at RIETS, that is both deeply rooted and forward focused, ready to confront the world’s challenges, and discover new opportunities to fill the entire world. Our Roshei Yeshiva, rabbis and educators are building the religious, intellectual, and spiritual scaffolding that shapes the global Jewish community” said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman Rabbi Penner explained how meaningful Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz’s installation was to Rabbi Arbesfeld, recalling, “Rabbi Arbesfeld did not want to hear of establishing a chair for anyone else. He saw in Rabbi Lebowitz a

leader for the next generation of rabbis who would emerge from RIETS.” “The RIETS dinner was a beautiful tribute to Rabbi Hy Arbesfeld, a person whose love for, and dedication to, our yeshiva, was second to none. I feel so fortunate to be the first occupant of the chair dedicated to Rabbi Arbesfeld’s father, Abraham Arbesfeld” said Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz During the gala, a video was shown, featuring RIETS rabbis from across the United States who, as leaders in their own communities, turned to the yeshiva and its Roshei Yeshiva for guidance during the pandemic. The well-received video demonstrated the yeshiva’s significance to the global community during a time of great need. Attendees joining the virtual gala were given the opportunity to view one of several conversations with generations of RIETS rabbis. Participants included:

• Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, Rabbi emeritus of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun and Rabbi Joshua Lookstein, Head of School at Westchester Day, (father and son) • Rabbi Yosef Blau, Mashgiach Ruchani of YU and Rabbi Binyamin Blau, Rav of the Green Road Synagogue and Fuchs Mizrachi’s Rosh Yeshiva(father and son) • Rabbi Elazar Muskin Young Israel of Century City Rabbi David Block Associate Head of School at Shalhevet High School and Rabbi Daniel Goldberg, Associate Rabbi at Congregation Ahavath Torah (fatherin-law and sons-in-law) • Rabbi Perry Tirschwell, Head of School at South Peninsula Hebrew Day School Rabbi Gershon Albert, Senior Rabbi at Beth Jacob Congregation, Rabbi Moshe Abrams, Teacher at Kohelet Yeshiva and Rabbi Yisroel Frankel (father-in-law and sons-inlaw) The event concluded with a small portion of a Yiddish shiur [lecture] translated into English by Rabbi Soloveitchik, of whom Rabbi Arbesfeld was a student, that featured a message perfectly fitting the gala’s theme of celebrating the Yeshiva’s historic past, present and future.

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Grab for the Crown By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

In an odd structuring of the weekly reading, tradition has it that we record at the end of last week’s reading of Bamidar, the responsibilities that were placed upon the shoulders of the family of Kehas in the transporting of the Mishkan. Levi had three sons, Gershon, Kehas and Merari. Each of them was entrusted with a different task during the relocation of the Mishkan during their travels. The family of Kehas was charged with carrying the various sacred vessels used during the services within it. Gershon’s family was tasked with the removal of the curtains, coverings and screen that enveloped the Mishkan, and their accessories. Lastly, Merari and his children were to bear the heavy load of the planks, bars, pillars, and sockets, their pegs and ropes, that comprised the solid structure of the Mishkan. The division of labor incumbent on the families of Gershon and Merari, are first mentioned in this week’s reading of Naso. Why the gap? More intriguing is the fact that Gershon was the firstborn. Wouldn’t it have been appropriate to confer the most esteemed role of bearing the most sacred vessels upon the firstborn child rather than Kehas? The Midrash asserts that since among these vessels was the Aron, the Holy Ark, that not only contained within it the Two Tablets, but also was rimmed with a ‘golden crown’ representing the elevated stature of the Crown of Torah that rises above all others, it is listed first despite the fact it was entrusted to the second son,

Kehas, and not the firstborn, Gershon. Most often Bamidbar is read prior to Shavuos with Naso following it. We seek to place this crown on its proper pedestal in singling it out as our ultimate goal, differentiating it from the other important, but less significant roles. But what quality did Kehas possess that he surpassed his noble older brother in being granted this honored role? The renowned disciple of the Kotzker Rebbe, the Avnei Nezer, popularly known as the Sochotchover, teaches that each one of these sons and their respective personalities reflect on the three categories of people and their relationship with Torah.)‫(שם משמואל נשא‬ There are those people who are so focused and mindful of their goals and relationship to G-d and Torah that they are impervious to the forces that seek to weaken their resolve. The root of the name ‫ קהת‬is ‫קהה‬, to hinder and stunt, indicating his unswerving devotion to Torah who ‘weakens the teeth’ of the evil inclination in its efforts to deter him. ‫ גרשון‬is sourced in the word ‫גרש‬, to drive away, relating to those who can’t easily deflect the influence of negativity but who struggle mightily and overcome its nefarious intentions. Finally there are those who are embittered, ‫מררי‬, as in ‫מרור‬, bitter herbs, who can’t always ward off the confused thoughts that penetrate their mind but are nevertheless troubled in that reality and are revolted by that infiltration, who slowly but surely purge those impurities from their souls.

Kehas was one who evidently had attained the ‘Crown of Torah’, as the Rambam so poignantly describes the character of one who is worthy of wearing it — a person whose heart inspires him... to become crowned with the crown of Torah, who will never divert his attention to other matters..., remaining vigilant in his guard and able to deter dross. He was thus chosen and singled out for his superlative accomplishment, over his brother Gershon. Yet Gershon and Merari remain heroes to those who must fight for their position, as well as to those who fall but still get up never submitting to defeat. Each one of us are dealt the circumstances unique to our soul’s mission and no one may ever claim absolute supremacy of accomplishment over anyone else. I recently came across a remarkable story that extols of the greatness of those challenged from among each of these groups. Shimon Breitkopf, a popular chareidi journalist in Israel relates a story he experienced firsthand in the days between Pesach and Shavuos. Unfortunately, his mother is battling cancer and he frequently visits her in the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Near the oncology unit there is a large outdoor patio where many of those enduring the challenge of their illnesses, whether patients or their relatives, seek a moment of calm amidst the storm of emotions. While taking a breather, Shimon suddenly hears someone bark out at him, “Hey parasite, how come you have so much time on your hands?” Taken aback he sees a patient hooked up to a chemo pole taking a long drag on his cigarette, sneering at him. Not interested in antagonizing him, Shimon quickly changes the topic and inquires sincerely about his health. The curmudgeon softens bemoaning his relatives who are lax in visiting him and the difficulty of conquering this disease

alone. Shimon shared some of the small miracles his mother was experiencing, encouraging him to pray and never give up. Shimon introduces himself and discovers his name is Yoav. Shimon shares that he lives in Jerusalem and expresses his joy in being so privileged. Yoav becomes pensive, sitting silent for a few moments, and then blurts out, “By the way might you know which one of the forty-eight ways this day in the Omer corresponds to?” Aware of the notion that each day of the forty nine days in the counting of the Omer should be devoted to one of the forty eight ways the Torah is acquired as enumerated in Pirkei Avos, reviewing them all on the forty ninth day in preparation for receiving the Torah, he sheepishly admits he doesn’t know. Yoav exclaims, “Obviously you are not a ‘king’, but I once met a true king, who embodied them all.” Tears began to flow as Yoav began his tale. In 1967 Yoav was in the division under the general command of Motta Gur. Most of the soldiers came from totally secular backgrounds. There was one observant kid, Achiam, who hailed from a religious kibbutz. In the weeks and days prior to the Six-Day War tension was building. The fear of war and the deaths and losses that were predicted was distressing. The officers sought out distractions in the form of entertainment to quell their nerves. One day, Achiam approaches Yoav, who was the commanding officer of this platoon, requesting if he could give a small shiur each night to enlighten the soldiers about the upcoming holiday of Shavuos. Yoav knowing the enmity towards religion he and the soldiers harbored, figured that it would be another distracting game for them in taunting the poor guy, and readily agreed. Yoav went on to describe Achiam’s opening remarks where he said it would be impossible to start teaching Torah here but at the least perhaps that can connect to the forty eight ways which are generally humanitarian principles such as loving one’s fellow man, minimizing indulgences, establishing peace and many other universal ideas. Despite the derision Achiam remained unperturbed beginning with the first way hoping to climb all forty-eight

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34 steps and obtain the ‘Crown of Torah’. The soldiers would jokingly draw a crown on Achiam’s helmet derisively coronating him as ‘King’. Each night despite the heckling, Achiam remained unfazed and picked up from the evening before, eventually drawing about five steady customers. After the continuing onslaught of mockery Yoav describes how he confronted Achiam questioning the wisdom in becoming the local circus each night. Yoav then recalls to Shimon the exact words Achiam responded. “Yoav, we are about to enter a big war. Who knows what will be? So why are we so brave to risk our lives? The answer is because this land is ours. But who said its ours? The Torah! So, it all starts from there. So even if you don’t keep the mitzvot, but you are a Jew. But why are you a Jew? Because to Torah said so! Every Jew needs a connection, let us at least start with ‘loving justice’, ‘distancing ourselves from false honor’, or at the very least ‘establishing peace’. I’m not afraid about becoming

the laughingstock because I know they aren’t really laughing about me they just fear the truth and that maybe they might be enlightened to change. In the end my friend, the message will penetrate, the message will sink in.” Yoav goes on to retell how at that moment everything changed. He realized how much wisdom, love, sincerity, and genuine concern Achiam possessed and that he was truly a king among men. He realized how deeply he truly cherished Achiam. He decided on the spot that from that night and on everyone would attend and that he would assure the proper decorum. But it was not to be for the next morning the war broke out. The battles were fierce, and they were part of the greater number of troops who helped reconquer Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. He recalled how they heard over the radio the now famous tear-filled cry of Motta Gur, Har HaBayit b’yadeinu, the

Temple Mount is in our hands. The emotions were great, but they were at a loss of what to do. They all instinctively turned to the ‘king’ amongst them watching him cleanse his hands from his canteen and recite on their behalf, with great emotion, the blessing of Shehechiyanu, with Achiam then exclaiming how two thousand years ago we were expelled and we are now privileged to stand on the spot where our ancestors cried out to for generations to return, realizing that remarkable dream. In the excitement they became detached from the war only to be brutally awakened to the Jordanian snipers’ bullets that found its target in Achiam. They prayed and begged of the medics to restore his life. They kept him alive and Yoav escorted him to the hospital while he underwent a grueling six-hour surgery. Afterward Achiam regained momentary consciousness turning his eyes longingly to Yoav, and in his last breaths, requesting of him to finish his mission in achieving the

‘Crown’. To this day Yoav, despite not being observant, has committed to memory the forty-eight ways. Yoav (ben Shoshana) wondered out loud whether he will survive his illness but asked Shimon to publicize the story so that others will be inspired to climb this magnificent ladder or at the very least connect in some small way to Torah. Whether you are a descendant of the noble Kehas — in the image of Achiam, or of the mighty Gershon — and those soldiers who defied their cohorts in attending his class, or simply a hero like Yoav — a disciple of Merari, whose pained frustration speaks volumes of the inner greatness he possesses, it is time we rise up that ladder and grab for the crown! You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ohelmoshebaltimore.com

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Under the Chuppah at Last

By Rafi Sackville

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

Rav

Meir Sayag radiates warmth and peacefulness. In his role as chief rabbi of Ma’alot, he approaches halachic predicaments with a hearty dose of pragmatism. One Wednesday evening, after his weekly parsha shiur, he requested a minyan of men to meet him in his office at 9 p.m. where, he informed us, he would officiate a chuppah. As I walked into the rabbi’s office, I heard what sounded like a cacophony of schoolgirl laughter coming from the conference room. The rav was in serious discussion with an elderly couple. Eli, who runs the office, sidled up to me and nodded in their direction. “They’re getting married,” he whispered. “Again!” The “young couple” was Avraham and Zumrot Avramov. Married once in Azerbaijan in 1980, the country of their birth, they were ready to renew their vows to each other, here in Ma’alot where they have lived for over twenty years. The rav gathered the pages before him. He was ready. He invited those gathered into the conference room. Avraham turned pale when he looked up to see the small army of unfamiliar faces. We gathered around the chuppah.

The rav picked up a bottle of grape juice from the table and began the ceremony. Under the chuppah, the Avramovs looked even more unsettled. It was as if they’d been caught under searchlights in the middle of noman’s land. I felt sorry for them. That is, until I glanced across at their daughters in the corner. Ranging in age from their mid-20s to late 30s, they were still laughing among themselves watching their parents under the chuppah. After the ceremony, Leah, the Avramov’s second daughter, told us that their sister Sharona couldn’t make the chuppah, which was ironical because they were there only because of her. “She walked into a beit din in Jerusalem during the initial days of Covid-19 and had been ﬂatly refused a wedding license,” Leah said. Wanting to learn more about their parents’ journey, I dropped in to see the newlyweds a week later. Along with their daughters Leah and Tamar, they welcomed us with fruit juice and cookies. Unlike their angst at the chuppah, Avraham and Zumrot were cheerful, expressive, and relaxed. Zumrot was born in the mountain region of Quba, Azerbaijan, home to

one of the largest concentrations of Jews in the region. At the time of her birth in 1956, Quba had a population of over 4,000 Jews. The oldest remains of a Jewish presence there dates back to the 7th century. The name Zumrot, or emerald in English, is Turkish in origin, which is the predominant language in that part of Azerbaijan and the surrounding area. After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Russian was also adopted as the language, more out of necessity than desire. The Avramovs speak Turkish at home. Their daughters understand the language, but don’t speak it. The traditional Jewish way of life in Azerbaijan was severely hindered after the Revolution. The imposition of Sovietization culminated in the restriction of cultural activities for minorities. Jewish customs that had been carried out for centuries in Lashon HaKodesh could only be continued clandestinely, if at all. With Soviet eyes and ears everywhere, this was not easy. It was under such a political backdrop that Jewish weddings became precariously dangerous to hold. Despite these restrictions, the Jews of Quba remained a well-organized community. One of the inﬂuences of the Russian Revolution

(possibly in reaction to it) was the creation of different Zionist groups. Beginning in the 1920s, these groups were vital in promoting Aliyah to Israel. Although Communism slowed down the number of Jews emigrating to Israel, there was a renewal of movement almost half a century later during the 1970s. It was not uncommon for immigrants making Aliyah from behind the Iron Curtain to do so not by choice, but for lack of it. No one would stop and ask an Azerbaijani or an immigrant from Chernobyl in Ukraine why he or she left the country of their birth; the answer is generally understood. Zumrot’s eyes glaze over as she describes her childhood. Her memories are intense and filled with longing. After 30 years in Israel, she maintains a close affinity to her birthplace. Despite the large Jewish population of her youth, there was no Jewish school in Quba, so she and the other Jewish children attended Muslim schools. Home life, however, was full of traditional Jewish life and customs. She describes in detail how family and neighbors would gather before Shabbatot and chagim when the local shochet would slaughter enough

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livestock for the occasion. Over the years, she has returned to visit Quba. Zumrot is one of twelve brothers and sisters who today are spread throughout the world from Akko, to Moscow, to Ocean Parkway in New York. Avraham was a city boy whose attachment to his Jewish roots were as established as his wife’s. He was born in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan. He has four brothers and a sister. Like Zumrot, he maintains a quiet nostalgia for the years of his youth. He recalls the smells of the baked pitot his family would make in outdoor ovens. “It was good enough to last a week,” he recalls. Avraham attended a Communist-run school studying alongside Christians, Armenians, Muslims, Ukrainians, and Tartars. “It was a really great life for anyone born between 1955 to 1960,” he says. “Education was free. In fact, if you had the predilection for higher learning, the Russians were happy to send you to university to learn a profession. There was always work. There was no anti-Semitism.” Like many young men, Avraham was conscripted into the Russian army. He considers himself lucky having served his military service without incident or anti-Semitism. He tells stories of his younger brother who was bullied and discriminated against. Even today, Avraham sees the detrimental eﬀects the army had on his brother. Avraham and Zumrot were married when they were twenty-six. Their youngest daughter, Tamar, who is twenty-six herself, is beginning to feel the pressure to marry. She jokingly quips that, according to family tradition, she will soon be considered an old maid. The photo of Avraham and Zumrot’s wedding in 1980 shows a simple, civil Soviet-style ceremony. This was

the same ceremony every citizen experienced; bring family and friends and line up in front of a magistrate. Were it not for the Soviets, Avraham and Zumrot would certainly have been married under a chuppah. Such was the life of minorities at the height of the Cold War. People were justifiably fearful of disobeying the authorities. Getting married civilly had become part of the social fabric. I know parents of some of my students who were married civilly in Soviet states for the same reason. A rabbi and colleague of mine, who is licensed to officiate weddings, was approached by one of our students at one time, who asked him to officiate

Avraham and Zumrot Avramov’s wedding in Baku, Azerbaijan, August 1980

almost a decade of peaceful marriage. During that time, their eldest two daughters, Eden and Leah, were born. The peace, however, didn’t last. The Nagorno-Karabakh War erupted in 1988, disrupting the lives of the citizens of Southwestern Azerbaijan. The conﬂict between the majority Armenians, backed by Arme-

“It would be nice to return to Azerbaijan for a honeymoon. I still miss it.” his parents’ second wedding according to halacha. Avraham and Zumrot met on a shidduch at the same time one of her brothers moved to Israel in 1979. Zumrot’s parents must have had a premonition of diﬃcult times ahead because they sent her youngest brother to Israel at the tender age of sixteen. Shidduchim were arranged whether one was religious or not. Avraham and Zumrot dated less than a dozen times before getting engaged on the eighth day of Pesach in 1980. This is an Azerbaijani tradition, which dates back centuries; families would gather on the last day of chag to announce engagements. Zumrot and Avraham enjoyed

nia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, became a protracted war that would not end until the middle of 1994. The disintegration of the Soviet Union unfolded during the war. Had the war and the Soviet collapse not have occurred, it is feasible that the Avramovs would have stayed in Azerbaijan. Maybe the life of Jews in the region would have continued as it had for centuries. Although the war didn’t encroach on their lives in Baku, the eﬀects and ramiﬁcations were palpable to Avraham and Zumrot. Listening to Avraham describe the peaceful years before the war and the fall of Communism sounds seemingly contradictory to Western ears. The irony is that the fall of Commu-

nism was the final straw for families like the Avramovs. Employment opportunities dwindled as the economy began to nosedive. Once plentiful with working opportunities, the job market shrank drastically. Avraham doesn’t pass judgement. He is practical and matter-of-fact when describing life at the beginning of the 1990s. “Without Communism there was neither societal connection, nor foundation,” he explains. “I couldn’t find work in a newly created democracy.” For the Jews living around Baku and the mountainous regions like Quba, there was an alternative. Rather than remain exposed to the dangers around them, many chose to move to Israel. That’s why Aliyah was so logical. Says Avraham, “If we had stayed in Azerbaijan another five years, we would have died either because of the war or an inability to make a living.” President Gorbachev mitigated any difficulties of Jews wanting to make Aliyah by opening the doors to emigration. For the Abramovs, the choice was simple. There were some setbacks. Avraham is well-educated, but at the time, his accreditation was not recognized in Israel. Many professionals like him were forced to work at jobs many rungs lower than their expertise. When he was asked if this had been a disappointment to him, Avraham answers, “At least there was work.”

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Their two daughters, Sharona and Tamar, were born soon after the Avramovs made Aliyah. When Tamar was ﬁnishing the army, she became interested in Yiddishkeit and began attending shiurim. She convinced her older sister Sharona to tag along. Somewhere along that journey, Tamar lost interest in religious life. Sharona, however, went from strength to strength. It wasn’t long before she moved to Jerusalem and enrolled in a midrasha. She began courting a young man. Their courtship led to their engagement. They planned to get married in Jerusalem. Sharona and her ﬁancé paid a

visit to the offices of the Jerusalem Rabbinate. She asked them what documentation she would need to get married. They told her that copies of her two married sisters’ ketubot would suffice. A date was set for the wedding. Everything seemed in order. Then the pandemic erupted across the globe. By the time of the first lockdown last April, Sharona had collected her documentation and was ready to return to the Rabbanut. The Rabbanut, however, had closed. Without their official permission, Sharona would have to put off her wedding, something she and her fiancé were not prepared to do.

Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan, circa early 1900s

Someone suggested she try the Badatz Beit Din, which had remained open for emergencies. The Badatz Beit Din was less than amenable when Sharona presented them with her documents. Their set of standards are more stringent than the Rabbanut. Yes, her sisters’ documents were in order. Yes, there was no question about her being Jewish, but no, they weren’t enough to satisfy the Beit Din. They requested Sharona’s parents’ ketubah. Without it, there would be no wedding. Sharona returned to Ma’alot perplexed. That’s when she sought the advice of Rav Sayag. Without commenting on the differing positions of the two batei din, Rav Sayag told Sharona that if her parents didn’t disagree to being married again, he’d be delighted to officiate at the chuppah. This was not the first chuppah I had attended since the outbreak of Covid-19. I was at another around the corner from where we live. It was held in the garden of my friend Uri. After the chuppah, I asked him how he compared this wedding to those of his other children. He was disheartened that his daughters living in France and America hadn’t been able to attend, although they were able to Zoom the wedding, which had brought some solace to the family. I asked if there had been an upside to having so small an affair. Uri was quick to note how intimate and

beautiful it was. There had been no grandiose pre-chuppah buﬀet and no multiple dishes to choose from, just homecooked food and recorded music instead of a six-piece band. And his wedding hall deposit had be returned. Watching the chuppah unfold before us in Rav Sayag’s conference room found me thinking about my conversation with Uri. I made a note to myself to mention it to Avraham. He laughed when I told him that his second wedding’s total cost couldn’t have come to more than 60 shekels. All I had seen were a box of cookies, a bottle of grape juice, and a glass. Avraham laughed again. “60 shekels! Let me show you something,” he said getting up from the couch. He walked to his dining room table and picked up a piece of paper. “Have a look at that,” he said, and handed me a receipt from the local rabbinate for the sum of near 700 shekels ($200). “I was happy to pay it, but believe me when I say it cost more than a box of cookies.” The suggestion of a honeymoon humored Zumrot more than Avraham. She pondered the idea for a minute before breaking into a smile. “It would be nice to return to Azerbaijan for a honeymoon. I still miss it.”

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

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MAY 20, 2021

END OF SESSION

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

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2021 Newsletter

Dear Friends & Neighbors, I am extremely proud to inform you that the Maryland General Assembly’s 442nd session is now over and was an extremely unique yet productive session for all Marylanders. Notwithstanding the COVID-19 related limitations during this legislative session, my colleagues and I worked harder than ever to ensure Marylanders are provided for and well-represented during these crucial and difficult times. I write this end-of-session newsletter proudly, as I am confident that my hard work this session will help all my constituents in so many ways.

www.dalyaattar.com @Delegate Dalya Attar

Dalya.Attar@house.state.md.us @dalyaattar41 Dalya Attar

@delegate_dalya_attar End of Session Newsletter 2020

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Pandemic Relief and Recovery SB 496 – Recovery for the Economy, Livelihoods, Industries, Entrepreneurs, and Families (RELIEF) Act

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Maryland becomes the highest state in the nation for its earned income tax credit, which puts cash in the pockets of low-income Maryland taxpayers.

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Maryland also raises its earned income tax credit for individuals with no children from nearly $100 to $530.

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Unemployment insurance payments will be exempt from the State income tax, keeping over $225.0 million in the pockets of unemployed Marylanders. Marylanders who qualified for the earned income tax credit in 2019 will be provided with stimulus payments of up to $500, putting over $175.0 million immediately in the hands low–income individuals and families.

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Allows small businesses to keep sales tax collections of up to $9,000 over three months.

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Helps up to 100,000 small businesses & nonprofits to defer paying unemployment insurance taxes until the first three months of 2022 to help cash flow (they employ ¼ of MD workforce).

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Forgives MD taxes on COVID loans and grants.

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Minority and Small Business Loans (MSBDFA): Converts up to $50,000 in Equity Participation Program loans to grants.

HB1372 – Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – Revisions After a year of distance learning due to COVID-19 school closures, a growing number of students are falling further behind. This legislation revises the Blueprint in response to the current state of education and gives students a path forward. The Blueprint 2.0 bill includes needed fixes to education funding that were exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and: •

Provides more support to address learning loss;

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Expands behavioral and mental health resources;

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Closes the digital divide with more access to broadband and devices; and,

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Requires better reporting and data tracking for more accountability.

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

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

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MAY 20, 2021

What a relief! Many Marylanders continue to suffer financial hardships as a result of COVID-19. This session we took a historic step with the bipartisan passage of the Recovery for the Economy, Livelihoods, Industries, Entrepreneurs, and Families Act, AKA the RELIEF Act, which provides over $1.5 billion in pandemic relief. The RELIEF Act will infuse the State’s economy with $509 million in spending and provide over $1 billion in tax relief and credits.

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Unemployment Insurance Reform Package One of the most important parts of my job is constituent services. Since the pandemic, I have had more requests for assistance from constituents than ever before. Many of these requests stemmed from the unemployment insurance system. I am extremely proud to have helped so many constituents obtain their benefits, and I am extremely satisfied with all the time and effort we put in this session to ensure my constituents are no longer put in such a difficult situation. The pandemic has shown us that Maryland’s unemployment system was unprepared for a statewide emergency and needs to be reformed. The Unemployment Insurance Reform Package will get relief to Marylanders who need it most, when they need it the most.

Over 4000 Marylanders reported that they were unable to get assistance because the State has been using an outdated, broken system that needs short and long-term fixes. Immediate and structural fixes that will help streamline the process and make the UI system more efficient include: •

Modernizing the UI system to ensure that Marylanders can get the money they deserve;

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Creating more accountability; and

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Improving customer service;

Planning for the next emergency.

HB 907/SB 817 - Unemployment Insurance - Study on System Reforms House Bill 907 requires the Department of Labor and the Department of Legislative Services to study unemployment insurance reforms and report its findings to the General Assembly.

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HB 908/SB 816 - Unemployment Insurance - Employer Contributions and Reimbursement Payments House Bill 908 requires the Department of Labor to implement flexible payment plans for employers to pay their unemployment taxes. Allowing employers to pay their unemployment taxes incrementally over time instead of paying one lump sum will help more businesses as they recover from the pandemic.

HB 1002 - Unemployment - Insurance Revisions and Special Enrollment Period for Health Benefits House Bill 1002 makes improvements to the unemployment insurance process by expanding language and disability access, establishing greater customer service standards, providing more accountability within the appeals process, and requiring more information about any over-payments that occur. The bill helps unemployed Marylanders make sure that they continue to have health insurance.

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

47 HB 1138 - Unemployment Insurance – Maryland Department of Labor– Accountability & Oversight

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House Bill 1138 requires the Department of Labor to have a disaster plan in place whenever a drastic increase in unemployment claims occurs.

HB 1139/ SB 819 - Unemployment Insurance – Weekly Benefit Amount – Income Disregard This bill raises the amount of weekly income an unemployment insurance claimant can earn from $50 to $200 throughout the duration of an emergency. This will allow more people receiving UI benefits to seek part-time work and supplement their UI benefits.

MAY 20, 2021

HB 1143/ SB 771 - Unemployment Insurance - Work Sharing (Work Share Expansion Act of 2021) This bill adjusts the amount of time an employer can temporarily reduce an employee’s work hours under the existing work share program - making State law consistent with federal law. This bill will allow more Maryland employers retain employees and help more employees get back to work following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Protecting Businesses During this Pandemic

I therefore sponsored House Bill 508, COVID-19 Claim – Civil Immunity – which support businesses and organizations during this pandemic in Maryland. This bill is limited to COVID-19 claims that occurred between March 5, 2020 and 180 days after the Governor’s Executive Order is expired or rescinded. This bill states that a person who, in the exercise of good faith, acts in compliance with all federal, state and local statutes, rules, regulations, executive orders and agency orders related to COVID-19 is immune from civil liability for a COVID-19 claim, unless the person’s actions amount to gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing. This bill was unfortunately not voted on in committee. With any luck, our businesses will not end up needing this protection. However, if they do, I look forward to continuing my efforts in providing a lifeline to Maryland organizations that in good faith endeavored to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

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Businesses have been hit very hard during this pandemic. Many small businesses have had to either permanently close or go to extreme lengths to keep their businesses from having to close their doors forever. And now, after all this, many businesses face the prospect of having to defend lawsuits filed as a result of this pandemic.

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Pimlico and Sports Betting Maryland has been at a competitive disadvantage with other East Coast states who offer sports betting options. Last year at the ballot box, voters overwhelmingly supported a constitutional amendment to allow sports betting in Maryland. House Bill 940 makes Maryland the 21st state in the nation to legalize sports betting, increases funding for education and maximizes the opportunity for minority businesses to participate in Maryland’s newly established gaming industry.

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This session I was assigned by the Speaker of the House of Delegates to serve on the Racing & Gaming subcommittee. We spent a significant amount of time ensuring the passage of this bill in a way that is best for all Marylanders.

As Delegate of the district that represents Pimlico, my priority is to make certain that Pimlico is on the same playing field as all the other racing facilities. I spent countless hours on the record and off the record advocating amongst my colleagues to ensure Pimlico is properly addressed in this bill. As written, the bill only allowed sports wagering at Pimlico during live racing days. After much advocacy, I was successful in ensuring sports wagering is allowed at Pimlico 365 days a year, which will not only increase revenue, but it will lead to additional investment and redevelopment at Pimlico.

Pimlico is more than just horse racing. It is a place that offers significant potential for our community. Since my first session in Annapolis, I have made the redevelopment of the Pimlico Race Course one of my top priorities. Our neighborhood deserves to live up to its potential. This redevelopment will not only ensure a safer neighborhood by not leaving this large area vacant, it will provide our community with significant revenue, and the multi-use development will serve as a place where our district's families can bring their children.

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

HB 1 – Funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

While the State has increased operating and capital funding to the HBCUs over the past decade, additional investment is needed to increase the availability of new and distinct programming to attract more students to HBCUs resolving a decade-long federal court case. I therefore supported House Bill 1 which provides $577M to resolve the program duplication issues in Maryland’s four HBCUs and level the playing field for all students – regardless of background, or race, or college they attend.

Senate Bill 433 clarifies the State’s formula to ensure that funding to community colleges in the state are calculated equitably and are fully funded in the same way as fouryear institutions. The bill also provides $7 million to the School of Medicine for doctors in specialty areas to support better healthcare delivery at University of Maryland Capital Region Hospital and University of Maryland rural hospitals.

State Tuition Assistance - BOOST Funding

We are unfortunately living during times that we have seen a significant increase in hate crimes. My committee worked on and passed House Bill 418 out of the House of Delegates, which requires each county board of education to adopt a policy prohibiting the use or display of a symbol of hate on school grounds or in any program, service, school building or activity funded in whole or in part by State funds. This bill did not pass the Senate; however, I look forward to working on this bill again next session in the hopes of it passing both chambers and becoming law.

MAY 20, 2021

SB 433 - Institutions of Higher Education State Funding - Revision

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Fighting Hate Crimes & Security Grants

School Funding

As a result of the increase in hate crimes, we must ensure those at the highest risk of being targeted are protected. I am therefore pleased to inform you that my efforts to obtain appropriate funding was successful, and nearly 9 million dollars was provided in grant funding to those at-risk, which includes houses of worship.

Budget

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

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

Money that the State spends comes from our pockets. Schooling should not be one-size-fits-all. Every child is It is therefore a priority of mine to ensure we pass unique, and the amount of money a parent makes should a balanced budget that helps all Marylanders and not determine what school the child attends. does not waste our money. Fortunately, after much The child’s abilities and uniqueness should work this session, we passed a balanced budget that be the factors determining his school. We ensures this is so. must therefore be certain we are supporting all children in ensuring they obtain a proper HB 588 and HB 589 – FY22 State Budget education tailored to their needs. After facing a billion-dollar deficit due to the COVID-19 pandemic last The Broadening Options and Opportunities year, we passed the FY22 budget that eliminates the structural deficit for Students Today program is a scholarship for the next two years, restores the Rainy-Day Fund, and leaves a cash program that helps low-income students pay for balance to account for unforeseen impacts from COVID. The budget non-public school education. After spending a fully funds healthcare and education funding while putting $1.5 billion significant amount of time advocating for this into construction projects to get people back to work. program, I am pleased that 10 million dollars was allocated in this year’s budget, which represents HB 590 – Capital Budget a 3 million dollar increase. In addition to this The Capital Budget leverages nearly $2B in state capital spending – funding, an increase of 9.5 million dollars was prioritizing education, recreation, and support for localities. In addition allocated for the non-public schools’ textbook to the $2.2B dedicated to school construction, the budget provides an and technology program. extra $320M to build schools, modernize classrooms and provide the Ohr Chadash Academy ($350,000) necessary equipment so schools can safely re-open. State and local parks will receive $130M to maintain the parks and playgrounds around the The funds will be used to build indoor state after record use. The budget also approves a record 275 bond and outdoor spaces for gym, recess, and initiative requests totaling over $75M to stimulate local investments. extracurricular activities to provide students with structures and equipment to have healthy outlets and physical activities.

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Body Cameras As an Assistant State’s Attorney in Baltimore City who has watched countless hours of body camera footage, I can attest first-hand to the importance of body cameras. I therefore am extremely proud to inform you that we passed extensive legislation supporting body cameras. For the first time ever, all local and state law enforcement officers will be required to wear body cameras by the year 2025.

CRIME Every single day I read about another incident of violent crime in our communities. It is disheartening and frightening. We all have the right to feel safe. We all should feel safe. And, most importantly, we all should be safe. When I am not in session, I work as a prosecutor in Baltimore City, where I fight to keep us safe and for justice. While I am in session, this continues to be a priority of mine.

Gun Straw Purchases - Penalty

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

We have an enormous number of illegal handguns on our streets. A gun straw purchase is when a person legally purchases a gun and then sells it to an individual who is either a minor or is prohibited from possessing a handgun due to prior criminal convictions. Straw purchases are causing many illegal guns to flood our streets.

Protect Act

I therefore sponsored House Bill 669 - Firearms Straw Purchases Penalty. This bill changes the classification of the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony – no longer treating straw purchases in the same category as crimes like trespassing. The maximum penalty remains 10 years’ incarceration. This alteration will deter individuals who are law-abiding citizens on paper and keep purchasing handguns as law-abiding citizens, when really, they are the ones causing a lot of violence in our streets. Additionally, this alteration will allow law enforcement agencies to be able to indict these cases and use more resources on charging and prosecuting these cases.

One thing I continuously say is that there is not just one solution to reducing crime. As a prosecutor who has incarcerated many people, I believe more must be done. Therefore, last session I sponsored the PROTECT Act Public Resources Organizing to End Crime Together last session. This bill is established to maximize the use of State, local, and community resources to combat neighborhood decline in Baltimore City and throughout the State, support comprehensive strategies to reduce crime and fear in those communities, and ensure that Baltimore City Police Department sworn officers are utilized in direct public safety roles. This bill also allows State law enforcement agencies to have concurrent jurisdiction over I-83 and I-295.

This bill was unfortunately not brought to a vote in committee; however, I will continue my efforts next session in reducing violence.

The Governor vetoed this bill, and I am extremely proud to announce that we voted to override the Governor’s veto this session and therefore the PROTECT Act will be law!

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

51 Victims of Juvenile Crime

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Time and time again I hear from victims of violent crime committed by juveniles. These victims are kept in the dark and cannot get information about their case. We must no longer allow victims of violent crime, who are already suffering so much from being victimized, to be treated poorly and kept in the dark. I therefore sponsored House Bill 672 – Juvenile Offense Database. This bill creates a database that provides a general description of any action, judicial or otherwise, taken in relation to a juvenile alleged to have committed an offense. This bill was unfortunately not brought to a vote and will not move this session. I look forward to continuing to fight for our victims of violent crime, rehabilitation for juveniles and transparency in the juvenile justice system.

SB 202 – Correctional Services - Parole - Life Imprisonment

Fairness in Taxing HB 1246 -Vehicle Excise Tax Leased Vehicles - Alteration

I therefore sponsored House Bill 1246 – Alteration to the Leased Vehicles Excise Tax. This bill alters the vehicle excise tax imposed on a leased vehicle by specifying the tax imposed is equal to the 6% of the capitalized cost reduction and each monthly payment. This bill is about fairness, affordability, safety, and the environment. When a

person leases a vehicle, it is a brand-new vehicle, and they make monthly payments. This gives many people who may not be able to afford to purchase a brand-new car, the ability to drive a safe car. This bill as written has a significant fiscal impact, and therefore, because of my filing this bill, during the interim we will have a workgroup working with the Maryland Department of Transportation on analyzing this tax and determining ways to phase it out to ensure fairness in taxing Marylanders. I look forward to continuing this effort during the interim and re-filing this bill next session to ensure its passage.

HB 158 - Property Tax – Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit – Calculation and Refunds During this session, I had the opportunity to be the floor leader on this bill. This bill compensates homeowners who received the homeowner's property tax credit but did not receive as much as they should have because of a miscalculation by SDAT. We must ensure calculations are computed correctly and homeowners receive the money that is rightfully theirs. This bill fortunately passed both chambers and will become law. Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

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The current law in Maryland for leasing a vehicle is you pay a 6% tax on the total purchase price of the vehicle. In other states, like New York for example, you pay taxes on the price that you are actually paying to lease the vehicle. Say I go to the store to buy a pair of shoes that cost $80. The shoes are now on sale for $54. I purchase the shoes and pay $54 for the shoes plus 6% tax on the $54. I am obviously not charged 6% of $80. So why are we in Maryland being charged 6% on the price of the vehicle, which is not the amount we are paying to lease the vehicle?

As a prosecutor, I can honestly say one of my worst fears is the possibility of an innocent person ever being convicted. No amount of money is sufficient to repay someone for the freedom they lost. However, since we cannot rewind time, we must at the very least ensure we are timely and sufficiently compensating innocent individuals who were erroneously convicted. I therefore supported House Bill 742 which provides appropriate compensation through the Board of Public Works for individuals who are erroneously convicted, sentenced, and jailed. There needs to be a consistent process in place to provide restitution and adequate resources so those who have been exonerated can have a better quality of life when they re-enter society.

MAY 20, 2021

Decisions about parole should never be political. I therefore supported Senate Bill 202 which takes the Governor out of parole decisions for those who are sentenced to life in prison after 20 years. Maryland will now join most states who follow this model. This bill ensures the parole process is independent and fair.

HB 742 - The Walter Lomax Act

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Delegate Attar’s College Scholarship The deadline to apply for my 2021-2022 college scholarship has passed, but be sure to visit my website, www.dalyaattar.com, in January of 2022 for information to apply for the 2022-2023 school year. As someone who worked full time during college and law school and is still left with a significant amount of student loans, I understand how difficult paying for schooling can be, and I want to be sure to help in any way possible. For those of you who applied for 2021, scholarship awards will be made in the coming months.

Opioid epidemic Although we are still living through the Covid pandemic, we cannot forget that the opioid epidemic persists. Our loved ones continue to lose their lives because of this. As I continue my work bringing awareness and assistance to those who suffer from this disease, I took some time during session to help disburse Narcan within the communities. This effort continues and if you would like Narcan, please visit my website to request it.

Thank you for entrusting me to represent you, and I look forward to a successful interim continuing to work hard on behalf of all my constituents. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time. My email is dalya.attar@house.state.md.us. Thank you,

By Authority of: Dalya Attar for Baltimore, Sara Goldfeiz, Treas.

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2020

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Good Snoozers Q Q Q

They call it the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it. - George Carlin I’m trying to read a book on how to relax, but I keep falling asleep. - Jim Loy

I think sleeping was my problem in school. If school had started at four in the afternoon, I’d be a college graduate today. - George Foreman

Everyone should have kids. They are the greatest joy in the world. But they are also terrorists. You’ll realize this as soon as they are born and they start using sleep deprivation to break you. -Ray Romano

I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know? - Ernest Hemingway

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Centerfold

Q Q

The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more.– Wilson Mizener Why is the inability to sleep called insomnia and not resisting a rest? - Unknown

Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong. -George Carlin

Q Q

There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it. - Mindy Kaling I’ve stayed up all night trying to remember if I have amnesia or insomnia. – Unknown

Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. – JoJo Jensen

Terri Guillemets

A day without a nap is like a cupcake without frosting. -

Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. - William Charles Dement

I hate when my foot falls asleep during the day because I know it will be up all night. - Steven

Wright

You Gotta be Kidding Me! A man walks to the police station wishing to speak with the burglar who had broken into his house the night before. “You’ll get your chance in court,” says the police officer guarding the burglar. “No, no, no!” says the man. “I want to know how he got into the house without waking my wife. I’ve been trying to do that for years!”

the Jewish Home | OctOber 29, 2015

1. Who was the first flower breeder in the United States? a. George Washington b. John Flowersmith c. Alexander Graham Bell d. René Barbier

3. What is the national flower of the U.S.? a. Daisy b. Tulip c. Rose d. Violet 4. Which flower shares its name with a musical instrument? a. Drumflower b. Flute petals c. Viola d. Harp flower

Wisdom Key: 4-5 correct: A scent of genius…flower power! 2-3 correct: You are a carnation…eh, nothing special! 0-1 correct: Were you knocked in the head during tulip mania?

Riddle me This? When do we have kri’as haTorah five days in a row, other than on Pesach, Chanukah, and Sukkos? Answer below

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5. What is tulip mania? a. It’s a WWE wrestling match that takes place in a large city’s botanical gardens at the end of every summer. b. It’s a disease in which a person is compelled to plant tulips in every free space of their garden. c. It is a tulip competition that takes place in England. The person who harvests the nicest tulips gets to plant the garden at Buckingham Palace. d. It was a craze that took place in the Netherland’s in the 1630s when tulips were seen as a status symbol, causing them to become more valuable than gold. The market eventually collapsed and tulips became nearly worthless, leaving tulip speculators in financial ruin.

MAY 20, 2021

2. How many flowers are there approximately in Dubai’s Miracle Garden, a 72,000-square-foot attraction that opened in 2013? a. 4 million b. 17 million c. 24 million d. 45 million

Answers: 1. A- Not only was he the first U.S. president, but George Washington was also the first American rose breeder. He had hundreds of bushes at his home and believed his ability to care for roses came from pruning cherry trees as a child. 2. D 3. C-On November 20, 1986, then-President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation certifying the rose as the national flower of the U.S. in a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden. 4. C 5. D

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Flower Trivia

Answer to Riddle: When Rosh Hashana falls out on Thursday and Friday. The third day is the regular Shabbos leining, the fourth day is Sunday, which is Tzom Gedaliah, and the fifth day is Monday, on which we always lein.

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes

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MAY 20, 2021

“Say What?!”

Yes, I have joined the likes of Princess Diana, John Belushi, and Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter in leaving while still at the top of my game as an iconic superhero who seemed almost too good to be true.

Just imagine how many hours of couples therapy you can afford when you’re among the world’s richest people. Or the shared sense of purpose you could forge while raising three children and running a $50 billion charitable foundation with your spouse. Then imagine that it’s not enough to keep you together. Yes, money is one of the main things couples fight about. But having so much of it that you can give billions away doesn’t eliminate the questions that every couple faces: Do we still want similar things in life? Can we still create that life together? Or would it be better if we forged ahead on our own? This is one of the reasons we regular folks are fascinated when billionaires split. It’s comforting to know that relationships are difficult no matter who we are. - Lisa Bonos, Washington Post, writing about Bill and Melinda Gates’ divorce

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– From an obituary for Thomas Lee Flanigan, age 48, which he wrote before his passing

I will admit that I originally got married for the husband jokes and had kids for the dad jokes. It did not disappoint. The jokes I mean, but Amy and the kids were pretty good too. Going to school events, dance competitions, and eight zillion hockey practices at the crack of dawn really makes a man’s life worthwhile. I also saw some other delightful things in my time here – Hawaiian volcanoes, Egyptian pyramids, and even the advent of air fryers. I will say, it was magical, all of it. – Ibid.

Due to the unknown and cosmic nature of my next mission, this will be our last communication. It will self-destruct in five minutes. My whereabouts are now top secret, but let’s just say I have made some new friends by the names of Elvis and Kenny. – Ibid.

Like you said, no one can be woke enough .- Comedian Dave Chappelle on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast

The United States must speak out strongly against the violence by government-allied Israeli extremists in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and make clear that the evictions of Palestinian families must not go forward. - Tweet by Israel-hater Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

It’s a new virus. Nobody knows whether it was born in a laboratory or because a human ate some animal they shouldn’t have. But the military knows all about chemical, biological, and radiological warfare. Could we be fighting a new war? I wonder. Which country’s GDP has grown the most? - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro insinuating that China purposely started the coronavirus pandemic

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

MAY 20, 2021

— Jimmy Fallon

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[Medina Spirit who won the Kentucky Derby tested positive for elevated levels of Betamethasone.] Yeah, his racing days may be over, but on the bright side, he just joined the Russian gymnastics team.

— Jimmy Fallon, referring to Facebook banning former President Donald Trump

So, if you want to see crazy conspiracy theories, you’ll have to settle for any other person on Facebook.

You know, they came in. Biden does everything in the name of Trump reversals. So what does he do? He turns around and funds the Palestinians corrupt organization again. Hamas now wants to test Biden because they don’t think that he’s going to do anything severe. They go and start shooting rockets into Jerusalem. And what does Biden do? He calls for restraint when what he should be doing is having Israel’s back.

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-Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on Fox News

I can’t imagine in any scenario if a terrorist organization were shooting rockets into Washington, D.C., that we would be OK with our friends and allies calling for restraint. This is where Biden should be calling out the Palestinians. The only reason this is happening is because Hamas is shooting rockets and Biden needs to put a stop to it. He can do it by pulling money. He can do it by calling for action, and he can stop this right now. – Ibid.

Israeli airstrikes killing civilians in Gaza is an act of terrorism. Palestinians deserve protection. Unlike Israel, missile defense programs, such as Iron Dome, don’t exist to protect Palestinian civilians. It’s unconscionable to not condemn these attacks on the week of Eid. - Ilhan Omar, member of the House of Representatives (D-Minn.)

Why is a Member of Congress acting as the press secretary for Hamas? Does Biden agree? - Tweet by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

The murderer was the manifestation of the oldest hatred, more lethal than the deadliest disease known to man — Jew-hatred. Cold-blooded anti-Semitism. It’s the foundational belief of our so-called peace partners up the road in Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority, our avowed enemies in Gaza, and many of the woke bureaucrats and officials that staff the current Biden administration. - Jonathan Pollard, talking about the recent murder of 19-year-old Yehuda Guetta, while addressing Yeshivas Mercaz HaRav on Yom Yerushalayim

Whether you murder a Jew directly…or whether you pin his arms behind his back like the identity Democrats of the same Biden administration — the death of the Jew is the same. - Ibid.

I think Tucker is running for president. And I think that’s what he’s going to do. And I think he’s going to try to demonize and destroy anyone who might stand up against him. And that’s all that this is. - Frank Luntz, a longtime GOP pollster, responding to criticism by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson

This is our Land, G-d gave it to us, and if you don’t like it, that’s OK. We set the rules. You may have heard that the U.S. wants to set up a PA embassy in Jerusalem. We can’t allow this. If the Americans want to set up a Palestinian embassy in Washington, good luck. That’s their business. But not here. Not in Israel. Not in Jerusalem. – Ibid.

MORE QUOTES

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

59 It’s got to be somewhere in the $80,000 to $90,000 range, if not higher.

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- NYC mayoral candidate Ray McGuire, a former Citibank executive, when asked during a New York Times editorial board interview what he thought the median price of a home in Brooklyn is. (The correct answer is $900,000)

In Brooklyn, huh? I don’t for sure. I would guess it is around $100,000. - NYC mayoral candidate Shaun Donovan, who ran the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2014, when asked the same question by the New York Times editorial board

- Rep. Cori Bush (D-Miss) being politically correct during a speech in Congress, thus reducing mothers to “birthing people”

That is not something we recommend. - White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitting in a podcast with CNN Senior Political Commentator David Axelrod that the White House communications team prefers that President Biden not answer impromptu questions

I would – let’s be real. - Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady when asked whether he would give up a few Super Bowl rings to have won the Super Bowl against Eli Manning and Giants in 2007, when his team went 16-0 during the season

MAY 20, 2021

Every day, Black birthing people and our babies die because our doctors don’t believe our pain.

Never - Eli Manning, in response

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. I am 24 years old and starting to date. The reason I started “late” is because I spent my post-sem years in recovery for an eating disorder that took up my entire life literally and

figuratively. I can honestly say I am in a very healthy good place right now, and excited, and ready for marriage. I want to put myself out there but here is my dilemma: Recovery from my ED is a huge part of my life, and I can’t imagine starting a relationship

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

without talking about it to the guys I meet. From what I have been told though, in order to get good guys to go out with me, I should keep the ED quiet and only discuss it on a 3rd or 4th date. I really do not want to hide something that has impacted me in such a huge way. In a way, I want to put something about it on my shidduch resume just so I do not get hurt by someone for it. This way, they will just read it and reject it if they are not interested. What do you think? Lauren*

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

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MAY 20, 2021

L A K E W O O D • W I L L I A M S B U R G • B O R O PA R K • M O N S E Y • M O N R O E • M O N T R E A L

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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The Panel

The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

auren, I truly respect your openness and your appreciation of the effort you have put into your recovery. You sound proud, and you should be! You dug deep within yourself and dealt with vulnerability and personal issues in a sustained effort to get to the healthy place where you are now. I am assuming that you have discussed your readiness for dating with your therapy team. It is true that the general advice given to people who have struggled is to share this early on in a dating relationship. The third or fourth date is popular among mentors and coaches. It is felt that that is when you have gotten to know each other a little but are not yet deep into it. Nonetheless, this is a very personal decision. I hear that you feel that this is a key part of who you are now and you want to bring it up earlier. That makes sense since you want the young men you date to get to know you, and you are ready to share early on. I would encourage you to take this on a case-by-case basis. See how the dating goes and what feels comfortable and safe for you. Not every boy can handle this very early on. Why make this a policy? Dating is about exploring one another. It’s personal and differs from experience to experience. Making a firm rule now may not be best for you. Putting the information on a shidduch resume is another story. It is broadcasting your private information to the community. What will that accomplish for you? Unfortunately, people attach labels of all kinds, and there is a lot of stigma in the shidduch scene and beyond. You may want to explore this further with your therapy team. You

mention the possibility of being hurt. Talk about that. It will help you decide how and when to share this information with a young man. You are almost there. Hatzlacha.

cial and worked-through self, and tell your story a couple chapters in. Hatzlacha!

The Single The Shadchan Michelle Mond

hank you so much for writing in! Your journey has undoubtedly been an emotional road but I would like to take a practical approach to your letter. While many people go through challenges that shape who they are, no one would encourage those challenges to be spelled out on a shidduch resume. The reason for this is, while your challenges have certainly molded you into the person you are today, these challenges do not define you. A resume’s purpose is to state facts; a date’s purpose is to find out about your journey and essence. Lauren, your letter shows how scared you are of rejection, and I don’t blame you. Rejection is not fun, but it surely is a big part of growing up and life in general. You do not have to spell out your life story on a first date. Would a book be considered for publication if the entire story was summarized on the front page? The same is with you and your story. Give someone time to get to know you before you go into your past struggles and journey. Not everybody deserves to know your story; it will take someone special who appreciates you to be zocheh to hear all about such an intimate and private thing. I am in no way endorsing hiding anything – if references are asked about your history, they should be open and honest. From your standpoint, however, show up as your spe-

Rivka Weinberg

ow, Lauren, kol hakavod! I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult your journey must have been, and I want you to know that I am truly proud of you. There are two points which I would like to touch upon. The first is the idea of rejection, and the second is your resume. Dating is an extremely vulnerable activity. We step out of our comfort zones and put ourselves out there with the hopes of being accepted. At times, it’s a scary and overwhelming process. To avoid the pain of rejection, many times, as humans, we point out what we believe makes us different before others have the opportunity to do it first. However, in shidduchim, it’s crucial to know that when a person says no to another individual, he or she is not taking a shot at the character or personality of the other person. The goal of shidduchim is to find the person with whom you believe you can build a healthy and enduring relationship. With that said, if a person says no to a shidduch, it’s because there is a belief that the healthy and enduring relationship cannot be built. You deserve to be with someone who is excited to be with you and looks forward to building that awesome relationship together. So, step 1 is to realize it’s not a personal attack on who you are and your life experiences, rather it’s simply not a good match. Second, always remember that everyone has their own “stuff.” Our life experiences shape who we are and play an integral role in how we

We step out of our comfort zones and put ourselves out there with the hopes of being accepted.

present ourselves. Throughout the process of building a relationship, we walk into vulnerable waters and reveal the events that contributed to our growth as individuals. While your eating disorder and recovery journey play a large role in who you are today, you are not your eating disorder. Your journey has allowed you to uncover various strengths and overcome challenges, giving you specific life perspectives. I think it’s important for you to go on dates and channel those strengths and skills you have developed to show the guy who you are today. What currently remains with you now are the lessons you learned from the experience, not the experience itself. With that said, I recommend each person ask a shayla regarding their specific information and at what point it should be shared. I am not a rav and I don’t know the details of your situation, so I cannot tell you exactly what that point is, but I don’t think it needs to be written on your resume. You should display those powerful lessons and ideas through your personality and general conversation on the date. Finally, I wholeheartedly disagree with whoever told you that in order for you to “get good guys” you must keep your eating disorder quiet. The guy you will marry will appreci-

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

ongratulations to you on your recovery. It takes a tremendous amount of strength, intelligence, and persistence to overcome such a serious challenge. You are right to be proud of your accomplishment and wear it as a personal badge of honor. You cannot pretend that it never happened. When to tell potential boy-

any young men who simply could not accept your history. Why go through the aggravation of dating a few times, only to be rejected when he learns of your ED? I don’t really know if that is, or is not, a good idea. But, consider this: In parallel fashion, let’s think about a young man who might be the very best, most wonderful, potential match for you. But, is it possible that you, yourself, would refuse to even go on a first date, if you knew, ahead of time, that he is in recovery from alcohol addiction, or that he used to smoke three packs of cigarettes a day, or that he was once expelled from high school? Fourth, you need to ask yourself, what would be the purpose of discussing your ED on a very first date? Is it because you want his help with your recovery? Or, do you simply want him to be aware of your history? If you want his help and support, it’s unreasonable to expect it when he hardly knows you at all; if you simply want to inform him of your ED, what

Our life experiences shape who we are and play an integral role in how we present ourselves.

MAY 20, 2021

The Zaidy

friends about your Eating Disorder (ED) history is an excellent question. Here are my thoughts: First, is your ED recovery really the most important, defining aspect of your character? Remember that you are a multi-faceted individual with many positive traits and abilities. Before disclosing your ED history, you might wish to first see if you and the young man share certain goals, aspirations, and interests. Second, let’s assume that a potential date would feel perfectly comfortable going on a first date with you, despite your disclosing your ED history on your resume. The problem here is that young men are often advised by mothers, friends, or shadchans who may have a much more shallow understanding of what you went through. He may not ever get to go on that first date with you because the folks he respects might advise him, “No.” Third, it’s easy to understand how you would wish to pre-screen

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ate and value every part of you. He will understand that the experiences you went through made you into who you are today. Someone who is not willing to hear your story or cannot handle the complexity of it is not your husband. Hashem has already hand selected your zivug, so don’t worry about not “getting the good guys.” Your great guy will come at the right time, with Hashem’s help.

would be the point if, after one or two dates, you discover that you have nothing in common and will never see each other again anyway? Finally, your question, or your dilemma, does not have a simple, definitive answer. You have to do what makes you comfortable. My own opinion is that you should discuss your history only after you think that the young man is willing to learn about eating disorders and how to support your recovery.

Pulling It All Together The Navidaters

hide, lie, omit or sugarcoat the beautiful Lauren that you are! I actually know that you are phenomenal and have been through hardships most people will never comprehend. You are a WARRIOR! You have slayed dragons and came out victorious! You are growth-oriented and filled with purpose and appreciation for life. There is no handbook for this, Lauren. But there is your intuition. When you start dating, you will quickly learn that some men you go out with you will feel absolutely no connection with. If that is the case, I don’t know that you will want to share any part of yourself. When you meet someone who you feel good with (remember the feelings above) and you believe he is

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because of it? Does he support Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists you emotionally? Does he cherish you? Is he your best f r i e n d? C a n y ou t e l l him anything and Not ear Lauren, everything? I hope so! one for games or rules Thank you so much for writing This is how you deserve to feel in about an exact date to reinto our panel! Firstly, please let me your relationship. He should not veal something, I completecongratulate you on your recovery. make you feel on edge, uneasy, ly validate your desire and It ta kes herculean emot iona l needing to justify or explain, etc. I need to share this fundamental, strength to live with an eating disunderstand that you want guys to defining part of yourself with a poorder and equally as great, if not know about your recovery. It’s not tential life partner. I want you to even more, to go through recovery. even your recovery. It’s who you are. visualize your life partner. Close Wow! Wow! Wow! I’m also so glad I really, deeply understand this. your eyes and imagine how you will that you wrote in so that anyone who The thing is, in my opinion, not feel around him. Does he make you battles an eating disorder knows that everyone will be worthy of you and feel safe, confident, secure? Does he they are not alone and that there is your story. I don’t want you to bevalue you as a person? Does he know help and always, always, always... lieve for one second that you have to everything about you and love you hope.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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worthy of learning about you, then go for it! Anyone who would reject you because of your history with an eating disorder and amazing recovery is not for you. It’s really just that simple. G-d willing, you’re going to meet an incredible man who has been on his own journey and who will support you and love you and be your biggest cheerleader. So many rules have been created that I really think it’s driven people nuts. The idea that our mental health struggles or our personal challenges are shameful is so sad. Can we finally admit that we all have

something? This is the human experience. All this pretending to be perfect and “storyless” and hiding teaches people that we are bad, wrong and disgusting. The shame so many of us carry because of the inherent message of the rules! “You aren’t worthy of love with your story.” Teryrible! Untrue! The truth is that we are beautiful, layered, multi-faceted neshamas created b’tzelem Elokim... stories, issues, mental health struggles and that weird relative no one wants to talk about, and all.... The truth also is that this pretend world of perfection is so deeply inculcated

into the fabric of shidduchim, I’m not quite sure what it would take to stop. So, people keep playing the game to stay in the game. I understand. It is the people who go around hurting others, with zero selfawareness, who have what to feel ashamed about. And those are usually the people who never do! A person such as yourself, who has faced an inner battle and surthrived (I learned that word from my friend and colleague, Dr. Jennifer Wolkin) should be lauded and celebrated! You didn’t just survive. You are thriving! SURTHRIVED.

I am using this column as my soapbox. Never, ever, ever, ever feel ashamed of who you are! If someone is telling you to feel ashamed, do not believe it! When we enter a relationship carrying shame and holding secrets and not revealing, it typically does not bode well. Our partners have a right to our honest truth as well. If conversation gets “real,” on dates 1 or 2 and you’re feeling like this is a good guy worthy of story, I say, go with your gut! Sincerely, Jennifer

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

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Mental Health Corner

Bearing a Grudge and Forgiveness By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

Forgiveness is difficult to discuss when one has been a victim of an egregious offense, especially if the other party is someone who had been a close friend or family member. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to compile some of the benefits of forgiveness from both a religious and health perspective. This allows us to be more informed when we have to deal with the ultimate question of, “To forgive or not to forgive”. As a disclaimer, we must clarify

for ourselves what is not included in forgiveness. • Forgiveness does not include rewriting history. If someone was a victim of abuse, there is no reason to convince yourself that what happened was okay. • Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Forgiveness is an internal process where you do not walk around with angry feelings about that person. Reconciliation is an interpersonal process where one rebuilds a relationship

with that person. • Maintaining boundaries with toxic individuals has nothing to do with forgiveness. The same way we protect ourselves from the wind on a bitterly cold day although we bear no grudge against the wind, we also sometimes need to protect ourselves from certain individuals. Chazal in many places discuss the value of forgiveness. Here are a few citations. “Whoever forgoes his reckonings with others for injustices done to him, the heavenly court in turn forgoes punishment for all his sins.” – Rosh Hashana 17b “Rabbi Necḥunya ben HaKaneh was once asked by his disciples: In the merit of which virtue were you blessed with longevity? He said to them: In all my days… my fellow’s curse never went with me to bed. (If someone hurt me, I forgave him before I went to sleep.) This is similar to the story with Mar Zutra. When he would go to bed at night, he would first say: I forgive anyone who has aggravated me.” – Megillah 28a “One should be easily appeased and slow to anger; and when a sinner requests forgiveness, he should forgive him wholeheartedly and willfully. Even if one hurt him exceedingly he should not be vengeful and grudge-bearing, for such is the path of the Jewish people.” – Rambam, Teshuva, Chap. 2 “He should blot the grudge out of his heart completely, for as long as he bears the matter and remembers it he might be tempted to take vengeance... This is the proper ethical idea that makes possible the stability of organized society and the relationships between people upon this earth.” – Ram-

bam, Deos, Chap. 7 There are also health benefits from forgiveness. When one bears a grudge, there inevitably is a certain amount of anger and stress that lingers in the psyche. This raises the level of cortisol in your system. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands as part of the fight-or-flight system. Raised cortisol levels are very important for brief periods of time when one needs to deal with a threat or a danger. However, when the raised level becomes chronic the results can be devastating to one’s mental and physical health. The possible health risks include depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, a compromised immune system, and weight gain. When you forgive, there is a release of all of the internal emotion and stress, which allows you to live your life without the cortisol-inducing stress of bearing a grudge. From the fact that our Sages speak so highly of forgiveness, it clearly is not an easy task. However, the rewards of forgiveness are immediate as it affords us inner peace. As the adage says, “Holding a grudge is letting someone live rent-free in your head.” If you find it difficult to reach a place of forgiveness, a professional can help you process your feelings and achieve the inner freedom that forgiveness offers. This is a service of Relief Resources. Relief is an organization that provides mental health referrals, education, and support to the frum community. Rabbi Yisrael Slansky is director of the Baltimore branch of Relief. He can be contacted at 410-448-8356 or at yslansky@reliefhelp.org

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

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The Wizards of Armageddon May Be Back

Russia is tweaking the nightmare scenarios, too. President Vladimir Putin boasted in his April 21 address to the federal assembly that Russia now has a new Avangard hypersonic ICBM, a Tsirkon hypersonic anti-ship missile and a Poseidon nuclear torpedo capable of devastating coastal cities. All these weapons have very short delivery times to defeat U.S. missile defenses. They, too, would destabilize the balance of terror. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is deliberating how to replace its 50-year-old

answer, King told journalists after the visit. Some other analysts argue that the United States should instead emulate the Chinese with a mobile ICBM system of our own, though it’s doubtful any state would welcome this nuclear caravan now any more than when it was first proposed in the 1980s. The Biden administration’s main interest in nuclear weapons so far has been limiting them. After just six days in office, Biden agreed to extend for another five years the New START treaty with Russia, which limits each

In a crisis, China would have hundreds of hard-to-detect trucks roaming its highways, some carrying nukes and some not.

Minuteman missiles technology, one leg of the “triad” of U.S. strategic forces. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees strategic forces, told me he came away from a visit to a missile silo in North Dakota last weekend wondering, “How would you feel if your survival depended on a car you bought in 1970?” The Pentagon’s tentative answer is a new silo-based missile known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. “I would say I’m convinced but not fully convinced” that this new ICBM is the

country’s warheads. But the treaty doesn’t cover China, and that’s the problem. Beijing doesn’t want to talk about curbing its nuclear forces until it reaches parity with the United States and Russia. “The Chinese are modernizing their nuclear deterrent, and ours is aging. That’s the big story,” argues David Finkelstein in an interview. He directs China and Indo-Paciﬁc security studies at CNA, an independent research institute in Arlington. Why is China moving so quickly to jettison its old doctrine of a “lim-

ited deterrent” and double its nuclear forces? U.S. analysts aren’t sure, but some judge that the Chinese may want to make any U.S. eﬀort to defend Taiwan militarily exceptionally costly. Beijing wants a low-cost walkover in Taipei, not a bloody assault. “The last thing on China’s mind is a D-Day style invasion” of Taiwan, contends Christopher Johnson in an interview. He’s a former top CIA China analyst who’s now the chief executive of China Strategies Group, a political risk consulting ﬁrm. He notes that China has halved its number of short-range missiles opposite Taiwan but boosted deployments of missiles for striking U.S. bases in Guam and Japan. China’s accelerating nuclear program vexes American analysts. During the Cold War, the United States and Russia developed a language for thinking about nuclear weapons and deterrence. Leaders of both countries understood the horrors of nuclear war and sought predictability and stability in nuclear policy. China lacks such a vocabulary for thinking about the unthinkable. Russia and America have some severe problems these days, but they know how to talk about arms control. Even as the Biden administration thinks about building a new generation of doomsday weapons, it needs to sit down and begin a conversation with China about strategic forces that’s becoming more urgent every day. (c) 2021, Washington Post Writers Group

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uclear weapons are probably the last thing the Biden administration wants to worry about right now. But given aggressive Chinese and Russian eﬀorts to build new systems, and America’s aging strategic force, the wizards of Armageddon may be back. Chinese and Russian advances were highlighted in last month’s annual “Threat Assessment” by the U.S. intelligence community. It said China was planning to double its arsenal of nuclear weapons over the next decade in “the most rapid expansion…in its history.” And it warned that Russia remains America’s closest strategic rival as it “expands and modernizes its nuclear weapons capabilities.” Unpack this bland language and you see some genuinely scary new threats. China is deploying a truckbased mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, called the Dongfeng-41, that could strike targets in the United States. China also has an intermediate-range mobile missile, the Dongfeng-26, that’s “capable of rapidly swapping conventional and nuclear warheads,” according to Austin Long, a Pentagon strategic planner, in a recent article in War on the Rocks. What this means for U.S. commanders is that in a crisis, China would have hundreds of hard-to-detect trucks roaming its highways, some carrying nukes and some not – and if the missiles were ﬁred, the United States probably wouldn’t know which were which. That, as the Cold War strategists used to say, would be “destabilizing.”

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By David Ignatius

Gluten Free Recipe Column by Mrs. Elaine Bodenheimer

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For questions or comments about Gluten Free Baking please email GlutenFree@BaltimoreJewishHome.com

creamy cheesecake

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What You Will Need: Crust: 2 cups gluten-free cookie crumbs 5 Tbl. melted butter or margarine 4 Tbl. sugar Cake: 2 ¼ pkg. of cream cheese (8 oz. each) 4 ½ Tbl. potato starch 1 cup + 2 Tbl. sugar 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 ½ tsp. vanilla 3 cups milk 3 eggs- separated

Preparation 1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Spray bottom and side of 9 inch spring-form pan. Cut parchment paper to fit into bottom. In a small bowl, mix crumbs, margarine, and sugar together and pat mixture into pan, going up the sides about 1 inch. Bake 12 minutes. Cool. 3. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Set aside. Put all the other ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. If the ingredients are too much for one batch, do it in 2 batches, and transfer to large mixing bowl. By hand, add beaten whites to cheese mixture and mix until incorporated. 4. Place the entire mixture into cooled pie crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. When baked, carefully run sharp knife around perimeter of cake. Cool in oven for 25 minutes with the door slightly ajar. (This prevents the cake from cracking.) When cold, top with gluten-free cherry pie filling. For a non-dairy version, substitute Tofutti cream cheese and rice milk for regular cream cheese and milk. Enjoy!

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

What Time Is It Anyway? Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

emember a thing called a clock? I like them. They help me know the time. And remain organized. I’ve heard that if one is of German descent, this concept is not necessarily speaking to them. Somehow, a clock serves no purpose for them because time awareness is genetically wired into their being. I’m guessing clocks might actually even be set by their inner gauge. My old friend, who said he was

a Yekkie, said he had no need for a watch. In fact, he was naturally always a half hour early. I, on the other hand, always keep my watch 10 minutes ahead, just to make sure I’m on time. And my dad does something even more extreme: he keeps his watch an hour and 10 minutes ahead. And then just about makes it to where he needs to be on time. So how is it that people manage so well without clocks these days?

Clocks seem to be less and less prevalent. And watches are almost obsolete. The new generation, it seems, resorts to their phones for everything – time included! I’m lucky if I can even locate my phone half the time. I certainly wouldn’t want to let it be responsible for getting me places on time. My watch is integral to me knowing the time. And when I’m home, I’m always checking the clocks. I practically use the oven more for the time than for cooking!

G-d exists above time, but we don’t. Therefore, we still need some way of knowing. I guess our choices are: Memorize the positions of the sun and the moon. Hangout with a friend of German heritage. Install some clocks around our houses. Or, to make it easy, get yourself a watch. For those who don’t know what that is – it’s a band on your arm that reports the time. So WATCH out, things may be

I practically use the oven more for the time than for cooking! Our vinyl swingsets are selling out! Don’t miss out on the best selection of the season.

The other day, the cable company upgraded my cable box. My new one has no clock on it. I just realized that I used to stare at it 20 times a day. I clearly used it more to inform me of the hour than for watching any show without even realizing it. Tick-tock use to be identified with the sound of a timepiece. Today, it more likely brings to mind a popular video sharing social network. And what exactly happens on Shabbos? If people aren’t using their cellphones on, how do they know what time it is? I mean, I know it’s the day of rest, but without knowing the time, does time actually stand still?

ever-changing, but sometimes there are benefits to some of our tried and true devices. Whoops! I gotta go now. I have a client arriving at 4:30. My dad says it’s 5:40. Which I confirm on my watch as 4:40. Which I can verify on my phone, as soon as I find it. Oh yes, here it is. Yup! It’s 4:30. TIME to go....

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

Money

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

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Unintended Consequences

MAY 20, 2021

tion has vanished. (You thought it still works like Schoolhouse Rock? Awww, bless your heart.) Tinkering with the tax code is a grubby, partisan exercise in raw political power. Senate Republicans passed the 2017 tax act with hand-written edits in the margins, language we can only assume started out scrawled on the

istration has proposed hiking the capital gains rate on incomes over $1 million to 39.6%. That proposal drew fire faster than the first guy off the boat at Omaha Beach, and we’ll probably wind up around 25% there, too. Writing tax law is a collision of pain and pleasure, between the

Writing tax law is a collision of pain and pleasure.

back of cocktail napkins. (“Hearings? We don’t need no stinkin’ hearings!”) Few of the Senators voting on the $1.4 trillion bill had even seen the 479-page text before voting. Now the circus is back in town. The White House has proposed raising the corporate rate back up to 28%, halfway between where it stood in 2017 and where it stands now. But rank-and-file Democrats, who seem happier closing loopholes than raising rates, look more inclined to settle on 25%. The admin-

bite of increases in one place and the sweet relief of cuts in another. Should estate taxes go back up? Will “coastal elites” get their unlimited state tax deductions back again? Come to think of it, the whole process might not be that different from deciding how much actual “meat” to stuff into those sausage casings, along with the “filler” and other icky stuff. Whatever recipe they pick, lawmakers should consider how their plans might go wrong. In 1993, President Clinton thought it was unfair

that corporate CEOs were making 60 times more than rank-and-file workers. So he added Code Section 162(m), which limits deductions for executive pay to “just” $1 million — except performance-based rewards like stock options and grants. Compensation committees laughed and restructured pay packages to meet the new rules. The result? For 2020, the average CEO took home over 300 times as much as the average employee. We may not know until December what the tax system is going to look like in January. But our job won’t change no matter where it goes: map a course for your finances to avoid any new red lights where you have to stop and pay, and take advantage of green lights where you can go without paying. Either way, you’ll be way ahead of the people who settle for just recording their history under the new rules!

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

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russian Minister Otto von Bismarck once said that laws are like sausages: it’s better not to see them being made. Frankly, that comparison is unfair to sausage makers. When was the last time a kitchen full of lawmakers cooked up something as tasty as a delicate Bavarian weisswürst, or as satisfying as a classic Wisconsin brat, or as fun as a cheddarwurst? But now the new administration has rolled out a grab-bag of tax changes as part of its American Jobs Plan (i.e., infrastructure week) and American Families Plan, and sausage makers are rolling up their sleeves. Changing the tax code used to be the sort of Serious Business you’d see in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The landmark Tax Reform Act of 1986 was a heroic rewrite of the entire code following five days of sober hearings. A bipartisan coalition of legislative heavyweights like New York’s Jack Kemp and New Jersey’s Bill Bradley led the charge, battling a sea of lobbyists swamping “Gucci Gulch.” The final text passed with majorities in both parties. (OK, a few years later, Dan Rostenkowski, the Ways & Means Chair who finally closed the deal, wound up in jail. But nobody’s perfect.) Today that sort of coopera-

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