Baltimore Jewish Home - 5-26-22

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Vol. 8 Issue #11 | May 26 - June 8, 2022 |

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Lag Ba’omer Around Town

42

Finding the Lost Souls

3RD ANNUAL

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84

Living an Animated & Awesome Life

‫ ט׳ סיון‬- ‫כ״ה אייר‬

Shavuos Recipes: Fresh & Flavorful

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The formula for success is teamwork!

Great News! Many brands of formula are now available at Market Maven and Seven Mile Market.

Critical - Please make sure that any formula you privately donate or receive from others is not on a recall list!

Much appreciation to Market Maven and Seven Mile Market for their efforts on this important initiative.

Special thanks to: Ari Schwartz Yaakov Nelkin W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

Market Maven

Seven Mile Market

Ahavas Yisrael & Bikur Cholim.

We are also grateful to Stacy Bendet for her exceptional efforts coordinating this initiative for our community.

PREPARING OUR COMMUNITY TODAY FOR A SAFE AND SECURE TOMORROW™

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 Storch, and Hannah Storch, ‫ע׳׳ה‬.

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

THE PHILIP KAUFFMAN & ROSALIE ZWAGIL 8 T H

A N N U A L

IN YOUR D N NS SE INATIO M NO NOW !

MAY 26, 2022

Safety & Service

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Honoring Deserving Children, Youth, & Adults

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E C N A H C ST LA SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 1st, 2022

Award Ceremony • Sunday, June 19th, 2022 • 10:30am Suburban Orthodox Congregation Toras Chaim • 7504 Seven Mile Lane

1. Submit your nominations by clicking the link on chesedfund.com or by sending an email to info@chesedfund.com.

2. Include an explanation of why your nominee should be awarded.

3. Provide your full contact information as well as your nominee’s.

Winners will be chosen at the discretion of The Chesed Fund and Project Ezra.

Also dedicated in memory of Paul Naden, ‫ע׳׳ה‬, who was the embodiment of kindness.

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 Baltimore is dedicated in memory of M. Leo and Hannah Storch, ‫ע׳׳ה‬.

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The Chesed Fund & Project Ezra are asking you to nominate children, youth or adults who have gone above and beyond to help ensure the safety and security of our community. Awards will be presented to recognize and honor the winners at a special award ceremony.

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Contents

Dear Readers,

COMMUNITY

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

Around the Community Community Calendar

6 48

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Zvi Teichman

34

PEOPLE 613 Seconds

19

FEATURE

Finding the Lost Souls

Rudy Rochman Connects Jews from the Four Corners of the World

42

Dalya Attar

End of Season 2022 Newsletter

52

Living an Animated & Awesome Life

74

Saul Blinkoff Talks about Mulan, Mitzvos, and His Motivation to Succeed

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold

64

Notable Quotes

66

Kids Coloring Contest

89

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

LIFESTYLES Health & Fitness

38

Israel Today

47

Forgotten Heroes

50

Mental Health

62

Dating Dialogue

70

Teen Talk

82

Parenting Pearls

84

In the Kitchen

87

Life Coach

94

Your Money

95

NEWS

There’s a Medrash tana d’vrei 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. It must be Yidden came first and the Torah is there for them.”

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.

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.

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.

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National

28

That’s Odd

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443-990-1941 | www.thebjh.com

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, and a joyous receiving of the Torah.

Aaron Menachem

SEND YOUR NEWS TO BJH!

Send us your: community events, articles & photos, and mazal tovs to editor@baltimorejewishhome.com to be featured in coming editions!

CONTACT INFORMATION Moshe Meir Rubin PUBLISHER

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For ad submissions please email ads@baltimorejewishhome.com

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.

editor@baltimorejewishhome.com

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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 parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, Internet or another medium. The Baltimore Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The BJH contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

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Around the Community

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MAY 26, 2022

The Magic of TA Grandparents Day Photo credit: Esky Cook

O

n the morning of Friday, May 20th, there was magic in the air at TA, as over 850 grandparents, greatgrandparents, and special friends came to TA for an unforgettable experience.

This was TA’s 5th Grandparents’ Day in recent years, and it proved to be an incredible experience to all those who came.

Upon arriving in the TA parking lot or via shuttle bus from the MTA down the road, the campus was alive with student and volunteer ushers greeting guests, music playing, and welcome banners and signs. After checking in and receiving a “Proud TA Grandparent” pin, a beautiful keepsake gift bag, along with a personalized schedule for the day, grandparents and special friends proceeded to the gym, where they were treated to a vast delectable assortment of breakfast items to choose from.

After spending some time eating, mingling and getting to know each other, it was time for the main event - the opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren. Using their personalized schedules and guided by an army of student ushers, grandparents found their way to their grandchildrens’ classrooms to participate in les-

sons and projects.

In the classrooms, TA’s dedicated and talented Rabbeim, morohs and teachers treated our guests, and our talmidim, to fascinating and interactive presentations on a variety of topics. Our 5th grade grandparents were treated to amazing Gadol Fair presentations by our talmidim, and enjoyed seeing all of their beautiful showboards. Grandparents came away amused, inspired, uplifted, and a little more knowledgeable too!

The final part of the program, the Oneg Shabbos Assembly, took place on TA’s beautiful turf field, with ample cold water bottles distributed by our Middle School student ushers. After being joined by over 500 students, Rabbi Dovid Sass, the Lower School menahel, welcomed everyone and recognized all the members of TA’s administration, staff and faculty that worked so hard to allow Grandparents’ Day to come to fruition. He then introduced Rabbi Yehuda Lefkovitz, TA’s president of TA for over 3 decades to address the assemblage. TA was privileged to have Rabbi Menachem Goldberger lead the crowd in his famous and hartzig ‘lecha dodi’ tune, followed by a beautiful choir by our 5th graders, led by Rabbi Moshe

Dovid Robinson. Rabbi Hillel Hexter kept the boys and grandparents on their feet with exciting raffles and prizes, while Rabbi Yitzchok Dinovitzer on the piano kept the music in the air!

At the conclusion of the program, all guests were presented with a piece of Erev Shabbos potato kugel as they departed. One grandparent commented, “this event was spectacular and we are so blessed to have been able to attend!” TA’s guests left with a feeling of pride in the Yeshiva, promising to join us once again at the next grandparents day in Yerushalayim!

An incredible event like this could not have happened without the hard work & devotion of many individuals.

Thank you to Mrs. Sarala Wertenteil and Mrs. Aliza Samet for creating an amazing breakfast display, together with their group of amazing parent volunteers.

Our TA Administration, Hanhalah, Rebbeim, Morohs, teachers, and office personnel, all worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to Grandparents Day to ensure the most unforgettable TA experience for our grandparents.

Thank you for all of your hard work and everything you do for our yeshiva on a constant basis!

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Around the Community

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

JCSL by “Shimz Cars” reaches mid-point of the 2022 season

W

ith four games completed, the 2022 season of JCSL by Shimz Cars is running smoothly. And with the parity in team strength this season, the Camp Shoresh Title is still up for grabs.

Players continue to show up each week to the well-manicured Fired Up Promotions fields, wearing their snazzy Web Interactive Technologies jerseys. And thanks to the efforts of the “NW Regional Grounds Crew Team” of Ghee and Baba, the fields are fully lined and set with the appropriate Premier Financial equipment each Sunday morning With a double-header played in week 3, many players were initially unsure of what changes to expect. But after consulting the Dr Stanley Markovitz Orthodontics League Rules and Regulations, all players minds were put at ease.

Continue below for some of the excitement from games 2, 3 and 4 of the season: --------------------------------------------

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

Stutman Chiropractic KD Gold & Coin Exchange

16 8

Following a thrilling come back and walk-off win in week 1, Stutman Chiropractic decided to ramp things up in week 2. After giving up an early first inning run, the Chiropractors came back with 4 runs of their own, thanks to a couple of singles and a 3-run, opposite field HR by Shulie Hochman.

Stutman Chiropractic played strong defense behind P Doc Stutman while turning things up on offense. Each player collected at least one hit with 9 getting 2 or more. Levi Ackerman and Yitzchok Sheen each hit bombs to the warning track while Dovid Pensak contributed with an opposite field home run.

Levin and Gann PsychCare

16 15

After sitting out the first week of the season with a first game bye, Levin Gann PA was itching to get back on

the field and to return to their championship form from 2 and 3 years ago.

Trailing 3-0 after the top of the first, LG came back with 3 of their own to tie. However, some costly misplays and lack of timely hitting put LG behind for the next 7 innings. LG headed into the bottom of the 8th down 5, but never down in confidence.

After scoring 4 in the bottom of the 8th and giving up 1 in the top of the 9th, it was showdown time in the bottom of the 9th. Down by 2, Yehuda “Stay Young” Pensak (coming out of retirement from 2 decades ago) led off with a single down the 3rd base line and came into score later in the inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Yaakov “The Spinner” Rappaport walked to force in the tying run. Baruch Glazer then hit a scorching liner to right-center that got down to score AY “Really a SS” Rappaport for the winning run.

AMF Creative 15 Believe and Achieve Sports 8 AMF Creative came out firing from the 1st inning and never looked back.

They were backed by the toughness of Yanky Goldsmith, who survived a violent collision and a previously fractured wrist, (and still managed to hit a 2-run HR) along with a stellar pitching performance. Dan Gutman was unstoppable with his 5-5 performance along with 4 RBIs. Aryeh Wolf went 3-5, also with 4 RBIs; and both Moishy Stal and Binyamin Guttman had 3 hits apiece. AMF Creative controlled Believe and Achieve with lock-

down defense and inspired play in an all-around strong team win.

LBSI Worthy Insurance

18 13

With the drama surrounding the allnight sub-committee deliberations and lack of clarity regarding the very many conflicting weather reports, the media completely neglected to cover what should have been dubbed the Game of the Season with the rematch of the 2021 JCSL championship game.

The Finkelstein Bash brothers of Baltimore along with their very Worthy teammates, were stymied by LBSI future stars Tzvi Perlman, Jesse Meyerowitz and Jake “The Rake” Grayman who went a combined 8 for 12 to hammer home the win. Steller defense

by Moshe Mutterperl and Ari Elman helped solidify the win.

Long time LBSI co-captain and chief advocate Mendy Rauh said after the game, “Sometimes you just need to believe in the young guys and ultimately they will carry the day…”

AMF Creative LBSI

6 2

In the second game of a twin-bill, on a scorching hot day, AMF Creative had to reach deep following a disappointing Game 1 loss. The team didn’t disappoint. AMF rode the shoulders of pitcher Yankie Goldmith, who found his groove and allowed just two runs to a very strong LBSI squad. The offense got started with a 2 RBI single from their senior captain Aaron Friedman. Moishy Stal finished the day 4-4 and Aryeh Wolf went 3-4 with

2-RBI. However, it was the defense that was once again on fire - led by veterans Binyamin Guttman, Binyamin Blackman, and Moishe Treitel.

Levin & Gann PA Worthy Insurance

13 2

After dropping the 1st of the two-bill in uncharacteristic fashion, Levin & Gann made sure to straighten itself for its 2nd of the double header vs Worthy Insurance. It was Levin & Gann who was the “worthier” team in this match up as they won via the mercy rule, 13-2. With great defense, pitching and timely hitting from every player, Levin & Gann improved to 2-1 on the season.

Believe and Achieve Sports KD Gold & Coin Exchange

6 4

In game two of the day’s doubleheader, Believe & Achieve Sports looked to bounce back from an upsetting first game loss. They took an early lead with some fantastic baserunning by speedy Yaakov Furman. After KD tied it up, Binyomin Goldenberg responded for B& A, knocking in a two-run homer. But Goldenberg wasn’t done.

In the top of the 6th, with runners on second and third and two outs, he hit a two-strike change-up passed the shift, giving him 4 RNIs for the day and giving B & A a 2-run lead. Captain Meir Parry came in to close it out and pitched KD into a game-ending double play.

9

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MAY 26, 2022

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

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MAY 26, 2022

OCA

It was a day full of fun in the sun at OCA's annual Lag BaOmer trip! Students in grades K-8 boarded buses to Meadowood Park for outdoor sports, team building activities, a scavenger hunt, and bubble ball! They cooled off with snow cones from Kona Ice truck, and of course, enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch!

The afternoon concluded with bringing everyone together to learn more about Sefirat Haomer and sing together as a school.

They built a cave just like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Students experienced learning inside the cave by playing a matching Aleph Beit game, I Spy to find letters in their Hebrew name, and practicing writing letters on a dry erase board. They also had a blast riding a train, eating rainbow snow cones, catching bubbles, jumping in the moonbounce, and eating a delicious BBQ for lunch.

ECC students stayed on campus and celebrated Lag BaOmer with a variety of outdoor activities including a special cave!

It was an incredible day of celebration and fun for all!

Ohr Yisrael Ohr Yisrael’s Lag BaOmer bonfire & Kumzitz at Apache Circle!!

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

With hot dogs, s’mores, fresh popcorn, face paint, moon bounce, and live music!!

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Culmination of OCA's Torah Project & Hachnasat Sefer Torah JUNE

WEDNESDAY

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PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DANCING OUR TORAH TO THE NEWLY RENOVATED DINOVITZ FAMILY BEIT MIDRASH

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Around the Community

Kehillas Ohr Yisrael Celebrates a Hachnasas Sefer Torah

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

K

ehillas Ohr Yisrael, a vibrant community under dynamic Torah leadership, led by the young & energetic Rabbi Duvi Rubin, welcomed their first new Sefer Torah given by Moshe & Shoshi Meystel, in memory of their grandparents, with heartfelt & joyous singing and dancing. Hundreds of people escorted the Torah down Lightfoot Drive from the Meystel home on Chippewa Drive, passing Cherokee & Navajo Drives. They crossed Greenspring Avenue with Baltimore County Police & Shomrim coordination, towards their newly renovated Shul at 2429 Lightfoot Drive where the dancing continued with even greater excitement! Kehillas Ohr Yisrael has become a beacon of Torah, a close-knit family full of simcha, and the pulse of the Summit Park and Indian Village neighborhoods. To find out more, go to KOYB.org.

Chanukas Habayis: NCSY Joins Yachad Baltimore In New Office For Baltimore Divisions Of OU Programs By: BJLife Staff Reporter Photo credit: Shevi Lowenstein BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

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

A

fter close to 40 years in an apartment-turned-office on Clarks Lane Atlantic Seaboard NCSY joined Yachad Baltimore to move into a new office for the Baltimore divisions of Orthodox Union programs at 307 Reisterstown Road. It took about a year from the beginning stages of deciding to join Rosenbloom Pest Control as tenants of their new location until the opening of the newly renovated Orthodox Union office. This office will serve as the regional office for Atlantic Seaboard NCSY and the home of Yachad Baltimore. Atlantic Seaboard NCSY sees roughly 3,000 Jewish teens from Cherry Hill, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Greater Washington, and Virginia, with 100’s of teens participating in Baltimore’s 4 separate programs, NCSY, JSU, TYA, and BGCubed and 12 Baltimore-based staff members. In other words, with the tremendous help of Hashem, Baltimore NCSY outgrew their original workspace.

For over 35 years Yachad Balti-

more has been providing programs to enhance the lives of Jewish individuals with disabilities and their families.

Yachad, as its name denotes, is built upon the idea of inclusion and currently offers programming 4 nights week, highlighted by new and exciting separate-gendered events.

On Wednesday, May 18th, Atlantic Seaboard NCSY and Yachad Baltimore invited local volunteers, donors, and participants to celebrate the new office and its potential for even more growth in both numbers of participants and impact. The new office was decorated by Space Planning and Interior Design Services by Gali Wealcatch and brought to reality by AEG Contracting, who went above and beyond to create a home for NCSY and Yachad . The office features a large programming space where the event was held.

This space allows Yachad and NCSY to host programming within the office and creates an environment of welcoming for participants, a place to visit with their NCSY and Yachad staff and

advisors. Atlantic Seaboard NCSY and Yachad Baltimore welcome you to stop in and learn about the programming available to the community.

For more information regarding NCSY, please reach out to atsoffice@ncsy.org. For Yachad, please reach out Sima Levine, Baltimore Yachad Director, at levines@ou.org.

17

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MAY 26, 2022

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MAY 26, 2022

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Rabbi Chanina Szendro, Yeshivas Toras Chaim’s Row-A-Thon

This will be your third Annual Row-a-Thon. What exactly is a Row-a-Thon?

It’s a fun way to enjoy the great outdoors while supporting Torah learning in Baltimore! Participants become part of our important mission by donating or raising funds for this campaign. Then, the fun part is coming together, bringing your family, and enjoying a 2-hour kayaking excursion down the scenic Gunpowder River.

Participants have the choice of rowing in single or two-person kayaks. A delicious barbecue awaits them to cap off the day.

How can I participate in this funfilled, exciting event?

It’s easy! You can sign up online at www.row4ytc.com. Build your team, or row as an individual, set your donation goal, and start soliciting sponsors.

On the day of the event, Sunday, June 26th, meet us at the Mariner Point Park in Joppa, MD. Bring your family, bring a friend, and bring a smile for a fun-filled day!

Are there activities for other family members to engage in during the row-a-thon? Mariner Point Park is a beautiful park with hiking trails,

great spots for fishing and ample grassy fields for sports play. There will also be a barbecue and some boating available for the families. LIke in years past, it is sure to be an exciting and enjoyable day for the entire family.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

I would urge your readers to visit and see the amazing learning and growth that is taking place in our yeshiva. If they come during sefira, they will encounter some powerful programs building serious hasmoda in preparation for Kabolas ha’Torah as well as building middos tovos as part of our avoda during sefira. Stop by late Thursday night or Motzei Shabbos and listen to the beautiful Kol Torah!

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Please tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Providence, RI enveloped by a warm, caring, Torah community. I spent much of my formative years here in Baltimore at Ner Yisroel. With the encouragement of Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky shlit”a, I ran a summer program, Kesher Scouting, for twelve years. I always dreamt of running a mesivta that was truly wholesome and focussed on building skills. Around nine years ago I took over Toras Chaim together with our Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Ayson Englander, to make that dream a reality.

Tell us about YTC Toras Chaim is a local Mesivta with over thirty, mostly local, bachurim. Driven by our mantra “Simcha Through Success, Success Through Simcha” Toras Chaim is known for its skill-building and level-based system, simcha, warmth, and whole-talmid focus. We provide shiurim that are level-appropriate for each talmid, and every Rebbi goes above and beyond to ensure the success of each talmid.

There are also some great extracurricular activities for the bachurim such as construction, music production, video production, archery, and more. An extensive motivational rewards program complements and augments all the wonderful growth at YTC.

The Week In News

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Hijacking – 50 Years Ago

Fifty years after Arab terrorists hijacked the Belgian Sabena Airlines flight 571, Israel’s Defense Ministry has published the military’s official logbook from event.

The documents detail the chain of events, exactly as they occurred in real time on May 8-9, 1972, when members of the IDF’s Sayaret Matkal commando unit stormed the plane

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and took down the terrorists.

Shortly after Sabena flight 571 took off from Vienna to Tel Aviv, terrorists Ahmed Awad, Abed al-Aziz Atrash, Theresa Khalsa and Rima Tannous – members of the Black September terrorist group – rushed the cockpit, armed with explosives and pistols.

The logbook details, “A report was received of hijacking ‘Sabena’ and of it landing in Lod, Moshe was ordered to land in Lod.” The plane landed at 5:15 p.m.

The terrorists demanded the release of 315 terrorists in exchange for the plane’s 97 passengers and crew members – and “Operation Isotope” ensued.

The pilot of the flight, Captain Reginald Levy, told the control tower officials, “Take them very seriously. If they do not receive a power unit immediately, they will take off immediately.”

The terrorists in question were imprisoned in Ramle, which is near Lod, and the hijackers insisted that the swap should not take long.

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The Week In News Israeli officials, however, convinced the hijackers that there was an issue with the plane and that mechanics would need to take a look at the aircraft before it could take off.

The hijackers then agreed to both the mechanics and the refueling, but at 10:30p.m., Levy warned, “The hijackers informed me of an explosive device that will explode in one hour.

Everything must be sorted out within 60 minutes.”

He added, “We do not want to fly, but I am pressured to take off.”

Eventually, the hijackers agreed to have the plane fixed in the morning, when a Red Cross representative would be available to facilitate a prisoner swap.

Levy informed the hijackers that Israel had agreed to the swap and that “they promised me they will send food and technicians to repair the plane.” One hijacker, “Captain Rafat,” responded, “Okay, thanks.”

At 4:20p.m., “mechanics” dressed in white overalls boarded the plane.

Bursting through five openings, the commandos shot and killed the two

male hijackers and captured the two female hijackers.

Some of the details of the operation are still censored due to security concerns.

Although this was not the first hijacking by terrorists, it was the first time in which Israeli forces were able to conduct a rescue operation.

Jordan: No Jewish Prayers on Temple Mount

Jordan on Sunday slammed an Israeli court’s ruling that Jewish teenagers who recited the “Shema Yisrael” prayer on the Temple Mount were within their rights to do so.

According to a statement by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, “The decision allows extremists to hold ceremonies at the Al-Aqsa compound.”

It continued, “The ruling is legally null and void according to international law, which does not recognize the authority of the Israeli judicial system on occupied Palestinian territories from 1967, including East Jerusalem.”

The ruling is “a gross violation of international decisions relating to Jerusalem, including resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council, which all clarify that the status quo must be maintained in the holy city,” it added.

Traditionally, Jews have not been allowed to pray on the Temple Mount.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas responded to the court ruling by calling on the U.S. to “intervene urgently to stop the Israeli attacks on our people and their sanc-

tities.”

But Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office noted, “There is no change, nor is any change planned, on the status quo of the Temple Mount. The Magistrate Court’s decision is focused exclusively on the issue of the conduct of the minors brought before it and does not constitute a broader determination regarding freedom of worship on the Temple Mount. With regard to the specific criminal case in question, the government was informed that the state will file an appeal to the District Court.”

The Sunday ruling, handed down

by Judge Zion Saharay, said that bowing down and reciting a prayer were not sufficient cause to curtail freedom of religion, especially in light of Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai’s statements last month that police would ensure freedom of religion for “all residents of the country and the territories,” including on the Temple Mount.

Channel 12 News reported police officials as denying the statement and accusing the judge of twisting

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The Week In News Shabtai’s words. That report quoted an unnamed police official as saying, “When the commissioner speaks about freedom of worship, he does not refer to the Temple Mount, where the status quo determined by government policy and High Court rulings over the years is maintained. This is a case of a distorted interpretation of his remarks.”

Meanwhile, the State Attorney’s office has promised to appeal the ruling.

Meretz MK Won’t Drop Out

Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi on Sunday announced that she would recant her decision to bolt the coalition and would vote with the government.

Her decision to drop out last week

deprived the coalition of its equal footing with the opposition, bringing it down to just 59 MKs out of the Knesset’s 120.

Zoabi’s reversal followed a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and several cabinet ministers and mayors.

In a joint video announcement with Lapid and Nazareth’s Mayor Ali Sallam, Zoabi said, “Because my mission is to serve the local authorities and to bring about accomplishments to address the needs of the Arab community, I will support the coalition.”

She added, “The alternative to this government will be [MK Itamar] BenGvir as police minister, and I want to prevent that alternative.”

Lapid praised her decision, saying, “We have put this disagreement behind us and are returning to government work.”

Still, Bennett government is working on shaky ground, as they are holding onto a very slim majority after Idit Silman of the Yamina party left the coalition last month.

Covering Veterans’ Tuition Costs

New legislation passed this week in the Knesset will help IDF veterans as they pursue their higher degrees.

Now, tuition scholarships for veterans will be covered up to 75% for those who served in the armed forces.

Initially, the coalition sought to cover two-thirds of combat veterans’ tuition, and Likud refused to offer its support — first insisting that it didn’t want to give the coalition a parliamentary victory and then clarifying that it would only do so if the bill was amended to cover 100 percent of former soldiers’ college costs.

In the past, the government has

paid for two-thirds of tuition for veterans.

The decision not to fully fund the scholarships intentionally leaves space for student self-funding, in order to create a sense of obligation for recipients to finish school.

Despite Likud’s reluctance, coalition leaders decided to move forward with the vote on Monday evening, daring the opposition parties to vote against such a popular bill. As the vote neared, though, the 60-MK coalition appeared not to have enough votes to get it through, given reported refusal from the coalition’s Islamist Ra’am faction and MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz) and rebel MK Idit Silman (Yamina) to back the measure.

Moments before the vote was to be held, however, Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that he was prepared to meet Likud halfway so that the bill would cover 75% of combat veterans’ tuition costs.

Opposition chairman Benjamin Netanyahu’s party then convened an emergency meeting during which it agreed to accept the proposal. At the

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The Week In News

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soldiers” who serve without immediate family in Israel, and new immigrants.

Funding was initially provided by private donor organizations, but in order to cut down on conditions imposed upon the grants, the government, led

by Gantz, wanted to fund the scholarships through the Defense Ministry.

To be part of the defense budget, the scholarships needed to be approved by law.

More Jail for Prison Escapees A court on Sunday sentenced six security prisoners, including convicted terrorists, to five more years in prison following their escape last year from the Gilboa Prison in northern Israel.

The six were recaptured following a two-week manhunt.

Five of the terrorists are members of the Islamic Jihad terror group, while the sixth, Zakaria Zubeidi, is a member of Palestinian Authority

Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah.

In addition to the five-year additions to their sentences, the six were handed eight-month suspended sentences and fines of 5,000 NIS each.

Four other prisoners who helped the six escape were handed four years of additional prison and fines of 2,000 NIS each.

The Hamas terror group responded to the sentences by calling them “a continuation of the aggression and violations of the occupation against our heroic prisoners.”

Smuggling Weapons from Iran to Hezbollah The son-in-law of the late Iran

Revolutionary Guards Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani is smuggling weapons to Hezbollah, the IDF says.

According to the report, Sayyed Reza Hashim Safi a-Din, who is married to Soleimani’s daughter, oversees an operation to smuggle weapons from Iran to Hezbollah using civilian flights via Syria.

The IDF warned that the operation endangers civilians at Damascus airport.

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee tweeted, “As part of his role, Hashim Safi a-Din monitors Hezbollah’s activities with the Shiite population, communicates with prominent figures in Lebanon, and oversees media relations.

“His son, Reza Safi al-Din, is married to the daughter of Qassem Soleimani, and visits Iran several times a month, where his wife lives.”

While he is there, al-Din coordinates the smuggling of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah, “using the infrastructure, resources and a network of activists he heads,” Adraee

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conclusion of the sit-down, Netanyahu invited in a group of veterans lobbying for the bill, and they all filmed a video in which the ex-soldiers thanked the Likud for its support.

Shortly before the vote was held, Gantz took to the plenum podium to explain his decision to compromise.

“I decided to put an end to it. My goal is not to harm the Likud,” he said. “My offer is good and serves the entire Israeli society… I am not prepared for politics to harm the IDF.” The broadly popular tuition scholarship program, called “MeMadim LeLimudim,” or “From Uniforms to Studies,” provided a two-thirds tuition scholarship for former combat troops, and other designated soldiers, toward earning an academic degree. An initiative of former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, the scholarships started in 2016 and are intended to make educational opportunities more accessible to soldiers without means.

Among the non-combat soldiers covered by the new law are troops from economically disadvantaged homes, Druze and Arab soldiers, “lone

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The Week In News noted.

This operation, he added, is “endangering civilians” by smuggling via civilian flights to Damascus International Airport in order to “maintain secrecy.”

“The Hezbollah terrorist organization exploits the state of Lebanon and its citizens for terrorism that serve Iranian interests,” Adraee added.

Hamas Terror Plot Foiled

This week, Shin Bet and Israel Police said they had uncovered an active Hamas terror cell in East Jerusalem

that had been planning a series of attacks, including an attack against MK Itamar Ben Gvir.

The five men planned a shooting attack against Ben Gvir and other Israeli targets, as well as kidnappings of Israeli soldiers, and a bombing attack on the Jerusalem light rail using a drone.

The cell was led by Rashid Rashak, “a prominent Hamas operative, a resident of the Old City of Jerusalem,” security officials said. He is also accused of establishing a network of Hamas supporters who led recent clashes on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount last month.

Authorities seized a drone that was intended to be armed and used in an attack on Jerusalem’s light rail.

After committing the attacks, members of the cell were planning to hide out in Hebron or Jenin to avoid detection.

Security officials arrested the five terrorists last month. They were charged with several terror offenses, according to indictments published

on Tuesday. The other three suspects were named as Mohammed Salima, Hamza Abu Naab, and Safian Ajlouni.

Tornado Rips Through Michigan

One person was killed on Friday when a powerful tornado ripped through a northern Michigan town.

Roofs were ripped off buildings, and

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car were overturned by the strong winds.

Additionally, more than 40 people were injured as the twister tore through the town of Gaylord, whose governor declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of the storm.

“It took out an insane amount of buildings and just jeopardized so many lives,” said Jordan Awrey, a Gaylord city council member. “The town is devastated.”

The tornado touched down in a bustling part of the city, home to shops, restaurants and retail stores – some of which were destroyed.

Photos of the damage show streets littered with debris, businesses with roofs and walls torn off, and cars completely flipped over. Roads were also blocked by downed trees and powerlines.

“It is a busy downtown area, and it went right through it,” noted Lt. Jim Gorno of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, describing the aftermath as “catastrophic.”

Michigan averages just 15 torna-

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does per year. Still, Gaylord doesn’t get tornados often.

“It’s northern Michigan, it’s very rare we get a tornado,” said Gabe Awrey, a resident and the council member’s brother.

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The shoes are supposed to look like they’ve been shredded and destroyed.

“It is finished with distressed canvas and rough edges, affecting a preworn look,” the website states.

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The Week In News Take his Big Mac habit, for instance. Gorske, 68, passed a major milestone this week when he celebrated 50 years of eating McDonald’s Big Macs almost every day.

Gorske has held the record for most Big Macs consumed in a lifetime for more than two decades. On Tuesday, he hit the half-century mark of eating the iconic sandwich made of two patties, three buns and special sauce, according to a statement from Guinness World Records.

Gorske was first recognized for the distinction in 1999, when the organization said he had already eaten 15,490 Big Macs. Guinness updated Gorske’s record in August, noting his new official lifetime number reached 32,340 Big Macs.

Months later, Guinness said Gorske has only missed 8 days of chowing down Big Macs in 50 years.

In a video tweeted this week by Guinness, Gorske says he bought his first three Big Macs on May 17, 1972.

His taste buds immediately fell in love, Gorske said.

“I said right there that I’m going to

probably eat these the rest of my life.”

Eating Big Macs daily is not for the faint of heart. Gorske makes sure to keep meticulous records of his habit and collects the cartons and receipts.

He also keeps a running tally on calendars.

For now, Gorske says he averages around two Big Macs a day.

“I’m not a type of person that tries new stuff,” he acknowledged. “When I like something, I stick with it all the time.”

Back in 2011, Gorske was honored for reaching 25,000 Big Macs consumed at his hometown McDonald’s.

The sign beneath the golden arches that day read: “Congrats Don Gorske 25000 Big Macs.”

Gorske, a retired prison guard, said back then, “I plan on eating Big Macs until I die.”

If it doesn’t kill you first.

Beer Diplomacy What better way to show your

support for something than to toast it with a beer?

A small brewery in Finland has launched a NATO-themed beer to mark the Nordic country’s bid to join the Western military alliance.

Olaf Brewing’s OTAN lager features a blue label with a cartoon version of a beer-drinking medieval knight in metal armor emblazoned with NATO’s compass symbol.

The beer’s name is a play on the Finnish expression “Otan olutta,” which means “I’ll have a beer,” and the French abbreviation for NATO, which is “OTAN.” NATO has two official languages, English and French.

CEO Petteri Vanttinen said that the craft brewery’s ad hoc decision

last weekend to start producing the beer was motivated by “worries over the war in Ukraine” and its consequences for Finland.

Finland and Sweden recently submitted an application to join NATO at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

Olaf Brewing said its new beer also honors the eastern Finnish town of Savonlinna, the brewery’s base located a few dozen kilometers from Finland’s border with Russia.

“Our small hometown Savonlinna has always lied in the borderlands between East and West. Many battles have been fought in the town area and at St. Olafs Castle,” the brewery said in a Twitter post.

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia, the longest of any European Union member.

Vanttinen described the new lager as having “a taste of security, with a hint of freedom.”

We’ll drink to that.

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Torah Thought

The Jews of Megilas Rus

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

O

n Shavuos we all entered an eternal covenant with Hashem.

Every single Jew present at Sinai underwent a ‘conversion’, undergoing circumcision, immersion and of course a formal acceptance of all 613 mitzvos.

Throughout history there have been many remarkable individuals from amongst the other nations who have ‘chosen’ to enter this special covenant. It is alleged in the name of the Vilna Gaon that these individuals possess the souls of the many individuals who at the time of the giving of Torah desired to join our ranks but were prevented by their leaders’ resistance to the idea.

Two notable biblical converts were Yisro, the father-in-law of Moshe, and Rus, the Mother of Royalty.

They both took two divergent paths.

After Moshe offers Yisro to join the nation in their trek to the Holy Land, Yisro responds,“ I shall not go; only to my land and my family shall I go.’

In stark contrast, when Naomi tells Rus to return to her ancestral land, Rus retorts, “I shall not go; only to

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my land and my family shall I go.’

How are we to make sense of these opposing views? Was Yisro any less determined in his commitment to Judaism than Rus? Why would Yisro even consider not accompanying his people to the Promised Land?

• A very stunning story made the rounds several years ago in Israel prior to Shavuos, while my wife and I merited to spend Shavuos there, and the waves of its powerful message provoked extraordinarily strong emotions among the entire community.

Famed journalist, Shimon Breitkopf, retold in the Shavuos edition of Hebrew edition of Mishpacha magazine, the following fascinating and moving tale: There was once a son who was born to his parents after several daughters. He was doted on by his sisters and was the apple of his parent’s eyes. Blessed with a warm and loving family he developed into a wonderfully happy child who grew in his self-confidence, achieving great success in his Torah learning and mitzva observance. Having been the brother of musically and artistically talented sisters he too mastered his music and

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artistic skills through their influence.

After his Bar Mitzva he attended Yeshiva Ketana (the Israeli equivalent of High School) where he quickly became a beloved student to his rabbeim after showing great promise in his devotion to learning and his intellectual gifts. His love for art was not lost and in his free moments between sedarim he would do freelance drawings of his peers, rabbeim and inspired surroundings. Though there was absolutely nothing wrong in devoting free time to this talent he kept it secret knowing that in the intense environment of Torah study perhaps others might look unfavorably at his hobby.

After his daily limited involvement in his cherished avocation he would quietly put his art filled notebooks under his clothing in his private closet.

There was however a member of the staff of the Yeshiva who clearly had a disliking towards him. He had heard that this staff member had an errant son who went ‘off the derech’, and perhaps from that reality stemmed his angst, taking out his frustration on him as he represented this parent’s lost hope.

One day this staff member initiated a raid on all the personal effects of the students as it had been rumored that many of the boys possessed inappropriate material for a Yeshiva environment. Indeed, they discovered much contraband amongst the students as well the ‘terrible ’notebooks filled with this promising young man’s beautiful artwork.

Summoning all the boys for a ‘shmuz ’to address the problem in the Yeshiva, rather than focusing on the heretical books that were found hidden and the ‘shmutz ’that was discovered, this staff member chose to harass this one poor boy who had been guilty of ‘wasting ’his time by drawing pictures rather than poring over his holy texts.

He went on to berate him in front of 150 of his peers deriding him for his arrogant attitudes and distraction from learning.

He was devastated. Deeply embarrassed he buried his head upon his shtender nearly collapsing in shame.

After his public lynching was over, he fled home in utter depression, unable to snap out of this unjustified public shaming. As the weeks went by his anger and resentment burgeoned and despite his deep love for his family, at the ripe age of 17, he fled home rejecting all that he had accomplished, seeking refuge among the unconditionally ac-

cepting free spirits who lived near the sea in Tel Aviv. Earning his keep by becoming a street artist he collected enough money to support his self and devoted his remaining hours to playing his guitar at the shore as the cymbal-like crashing waves accompanied his soulful musical expressions of lost hope and longing.

Until one fateful day.

One beautiful spring day, four years after forsaking his previous life, while strumming his guitar waiting for someone to request a personal portrait, he was suddenly approached by what appeared to be a rabbi with longish curly hair carrying a guitar. The only difference between the street artist with his long locks and this ‘rabbi ’was the yarmulke atop the rabbi’s head.

The rabbi called out to him as if they had been old friends, “Hey holy brother, how are you doin’?” Although he had never met him, he felt an immediate kinship. The artist responded by inquiring if he would like a portrait.

The rabbi tells him, “maybe later but now I am more interested in the artist more than his art”. The rabbi asks him for his name and beckons him to share his story.

Having gazed into the eyes of many people as they sat calmly for their portraits, he realizes that the gaze in the eyes of this rabbi is one of the most genuine ones his eyes have ever locked with. For the next few hours, he suddenly finds himself pouring out his soul to the warm and open heart of this special man, retelling the history of the sad events that led to his current station in life.

After concluding his tale, the rabbi sat in deep silence that seemed to last unto eternity. And then he began to speak.

“No one in the world can forgive what was done to you. You should know my friend that your pain reaches mamesh to the Holy Throne itself.

You are a deep soul so you will understand with your whole heart what I am about to share with you. You know we read Megilas Rus on Shavuos. There are many reasons why but let me reveal for you a novel idea.

There are the Jews of Matan Torah, and then there are the Jews of Megilas Rus. Being a Matan Torah Jew is an extremely high level. He learns day and night and is bound to G-d with his whole heart. But with all that dedication he still cannot bring the Moshiach. Moshiach must de-

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36 scend from Rus. It is a whole different type of Torah. Rus taught the Jewish people that only after being rejected can one reach the highest peaks. If one keeps coming back despite being told to leave; after being disgraced and misunderstood, yet remains steadfast to one’s personal convictions, as Rus experienced, only from that strength can Moshiach be born. David was deemed illegitimate from his birth, degraded by his siblings, and never validated for his greatness. It was that beloved descendant of Rus that nevertheless never despaired and eventually rose to his greatness becoming the ‘father ’of the ultimate Moshiach.”

“I have met many scorned souls who unfortunately don’t know how to transform rejection into becoming a Jew of Megilas Rus”, bemoaned the rabbi with a deep and pained sigh.

“I often think of the Moshiach who sits among the gates of Rome waiting to return, never giving up hope despite the myriad of excuses he hears each day telling him to come on the morrow, not today.”

“There are Jews of Matan Torah who are never rejected and aren’t

privileged to get the opportunity of being spurned. But there are the holy Jews like you, who despite the disdain tossed their way, believe with all their heart, love with all their heart, without any ulterior motive for recognition or fame. They don’t perform mitzvos out of fear of what people might say or think about them but operate solely from the absolute conviction of truth that rings so clear in the hearts.”

“I’m talking too much”, the rabbi chuckled, “Jews of Megilas Rus sing from their hearts, let me teach you a niggun, lulei Sorascha shaashuoy az avadti b’anyee, the words composed

by King David expressing his awareness that if not for the preoccupation with Torah he would have perished in affliction, and let our souls soar on high, burst with yearning to become once again Jews of Megilas Rus.” The two ‘hippies ’sang their hearts out in the warm and soothing Mediterranean breeze that wafted off the calming sea. The rabbi excused himself as he was already late to a concert engagement. They embraced before parting, with the rabbi then walking off while wishing the young street art-

ist that he should succeed in planting the seeds for Moshiach’s return by transforming his rejection into a ever more powerful and pure connection to the Almighty.

He pondered the encounter over the next several days and began plotting his return to the embrace of his family and his beloved Torah during the upcoming holiday of Shavuos.

• Yisro taught a vital lesson. We must be careful to be attuned to those that are inspired never to push them beyond their abilities and unique needs. Yisro felt that he would be more effective in spreading the word of G-d and His values amongst his family and in the surroundings that suited his personal needs. One can become a Jew of Matan Torah in any setting if one remains fully committed to the precepts of Torah in every detail and nuance.

Yisro wanted to teach for all of posterity that we must be sensitive to every person’s personal station and give them the space and opportunities they need to grow in their comfort zone.

Rus though wanted us to realize that despite that truth and reality, one

must understand that in overcoming personal rejection lays the seeds of greatness. One who aspires to spiritual greatness must undertake to defy the challenge of isolation and being rebuffed by trudging ahead and living by the deep truths that lay within one’s heart.

The legacy of Rus is that one must continue to aspire for more and always resist that sense of dejection we often feel when facing difficulties that G-d places in our path of life. It is instinctive for us to sense distance when facing difficulty in life’s circumstances.

We must aspire to become Jews of Megilas Rus in seeing those trying moments as marvelous privileges for growth, by defying those feelings, rising to the challenge, thus paving the road for Moshiach’s ultimate return.

We must draw an honest and accurate self-portrait and discover who we truly are. If we do, we may indeed become holy Jews of Megilas Rus. You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ohelmoshebaltimore.com

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Health & F tness

Shavuos MAY 26, 2022

Have Your Cheesecake and Eat It Too?

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By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

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S

havuos is my favorite holiday. The weather is beautiful, and there is no extra stress of turning over the kitchen or building a sukkah. One challenge this year is that Shavuos is practically like a 3-day yom tov, since we have Shabbos and the following Sunday night is the holiday. Another obstacle will be the highly caloric foods typically served on Shavuos. Let’s discuss some strategies to help you navigate through this holiday, without accumulating any significant weight gain.

• Cancel Challah Culture: All of you challah bakers out there know that challah is just like cake, consisting of sugar, eggs, oil, and flour. None of us should be eating cake at every meal for six meals (remember that Shabbos!) in a row.

Change it up with either whole grain sourdough or whole wheat or spelt matzah.

• Spectacular Sides: Consider kugels a thing of the past, and

steer yourself (and family) into the culinary delights of veggies! Experiment with cauliflower as “rice” or “mashed potatoes,” zucchini spiralized into “zoodles, “eggplant “steaks,” spaghetti squash as a faux noodle pudding, burnt broccoli, and grilled Portobello mushrooms.

A salad bar is always a huge hit, and this allows everyone to control the type and quantity of dressing.

For die-hard kugel connoisseurs use non-starchy veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, eggs, and spices.

Avoid baking them in pie or graham crusts; use muffin or cupcake molds instead.

• Go Fishing: Dairy meal options usually include lasagna, mac ‘n’ cheese, penne a la vodka, and eggplant parmesan, etc. They all have one thing in common, and that is that they are incredibly high in calories and saturated fat. For each dairy meal, always include (and eat!) a fish option. Fish is not just a better alternative, but it is

one of the healthiest proteins to consume. The omega-3 fatty acids help prevent just about all diseases including, but not limited to, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and diabetes.

Any fish you prefer is a great option, but salmon is most definitely the king, and there is no need to bread and fry your fish. Use a variety of herbs and spices to make it as flavorful as you like. Another idea is to order a sashimi platter or smoked fish. It will make the meal that much more festive.

• Cheese-It: If you crave the cheese, use low-fat cheeses like part-skim shredded mozzarella to make homemade pizza with no sugar-added marinara sauce on either whole grain bread/wrap or on eggplant steaks or Portobello mushrooms. Make cheese blintzes with Crepini’s Egg Thins and low-fat cottage cheese, and sprinkle on some cinnamon and berries to make it sweeter. If pasta is your preference,

try a high fiber pasta such as Fiber Gourmet and keep the serving size to 100 calorie portions.

• Souper-Filling: Soups make great appetizers, because they fill you up so you are less hungry at the main meal. Make a broth-based soup like chicken soup for the meat meals and a non-carby vegetable soup for the dairy meals, such as zucchini leek soup, cauliflower soup, pepper soup, broccoli soup, onion soup, or cabbage soup.

• Fruit for Dessert: Not every meal needs to end with chocolate lava cake! Fruit is sweet and refreshing and can be a satisfying dessert as well. Change it up and make baked apples, or poached pears, or a compote without sugar.

Another nice idea is grilling fruit, especially pineapple and peaches.

I often recommend making chocolate dipped strawberries with dark chocolate. Pair this with a bit of whip for a deliciously decadent but healthy dessert.

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40 • The Cake to End all Cakes: Cheesecake is one of the most caloric cakes in the galaxy. If you must eat it, mindfully indulge in a few bites early in the day and never at night. Whatever we eat at night just sticks to us; the food we eat earlier in the day can be at least partially burned off.

Another option is to either make or purchase a diet cheesecake, usually made with low-fat cheese and a sugar substitute. Low-fat frozen yogurt is another great dessert swap and is a much lower calorie alternative to cheesecake, but is still refreshing and a sweet treat.

• Walk: I encourage my clients to go for walks every yom tov and Shabbos. The days are long enough to eat, sleep, read, and walk. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise and is good for the heart as well as the head. Aim for a minimum of 20-minute walks each day, weather permitting.

• Be My Guest: When you are

a guest at someone else’s table, it can be challenging to stick to your normal healthy eating plan. Please remember, just because it’s there, does not mean you have to eat it!

There are almost always good options. Choose a lean protein that’s

one plate, then you are taking too much food.

• Water: Everyone should be drinking at least 8 cups of water a day. Studies find that when someone drinks 1-2 cups of water before each meal, they tend to lose weight. The

Steer yourself (and family) into the culinary delights of veggies.

not breaded or fried. Gravitate towards the veggies and salads. Even if the salad seems loaded with stuff and the dressing is suspicious, you are better off with the questionable salad than with potato kugel!

Also, keep your meal to the one plate meal rule. You should be able to fit all of your food onto one plate; if you cannot fit all of your food onto

water acts as an appetite suppressant and helps the stomach prepare itself to receive the food. Very often, people think they are hungry when, in fact, they are really thirsty. So first take a drink and see how you feel before you sit down to that snack/meal.

Shavuos is a time to gain more knowledge of the Torah, not gain

more weight. Minimize the challah, control your portions, make better food choices, and yes, mindfully indulge in some cheesecake. Yom tov is a respite from normal, everyday life, but should include some dietary discipline and low-level physical activity, without abandoning all healthy eating habits. Additionally, if one meal was a disaster, don’t throw in the towel, but make the next meal a spectacular success! Don’t beat yourself up, always get yourself right back on track, and look forward to better and healthier days ahead.

Wishing my readers and clients a wonderful yom tov!

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

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Finding the Lost Souls Rudy Rochman Connects Jews from the Four Corners of the World

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MAY 26, 2022

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By Tammy maRk

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Raise a banner to gather the lost of Israel and gather us together from the four corners of the earth...

- Yishayahu 11:12

R

udy Rochman envisions the Jewish future closer than most.

Rochman, a Jewish and Israel rights activist, is the executive producer of the upcoming We Were Never Lost documentary series, a project dedicated to portraying the stories and struggles of lesser known or disconnected communities of Jews around the world. The first season of the documentary will highlight communities in countries across Africa, each with their own distinctive histories, with the first episode centered on the Igbo Jewish community in Nigeria. Rochman doesn’t consider them “lost” and is determined bring them out of obscurity.

“The Igbo people are a people with a rich history, diversity and a lot of culture and have had very similar experiences that other Jewish communities have had around the world,” explains Rochman.

“They are believed to be descendants of a tribe of Israel, specifically of Gad. There is a large community within the Igbo population that has either preserved elements of their Jewish culture or heritage, or has come back to their Jewish culture or heritage. Some of them

are even now second generation born, where all they know is being Jewish.”

The Storytellers Become the Story

At the age of 28, Rochman has faced formidable challenges on both the physical and intellectual battlefields. An IDF sniper and Ivy League student, he is bold, passionate and confident in his convictions, yet measured, articulate and calm in his demeanor. These attributes serve Rochman well on his mission and have been tested numerous times, especially in July 2021 as he was held captive in a Nigerian prison.

When Rochman and his crew, Director Noam Leibman of Kavana Films and Producer and Emmy-nominated journalist David Benaym, applied for visas to visit Nigeria as filmmakers, they knew there were risks associated with travel in the region. They took necessary precautions and set out, eager to connect with the Igbo Jews and learn about their unique existence. After many years of having promoted Jewish pride, Rochman was mystified by this gap in knowledge and determined to fill in the blanks.

Rochman, Leibman and Benaym spent two days in the Igbo community where they were welcomed with open arms. Video footage

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Igbo praying in Nigeria 

Celebrating with the Torah in Nigeria 

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from the visit depicts passionate and proud Igbo Jews singing Hebrew songs, praying, wrapping tefillin and participating in various Jewish practices. The filmmakers found them to be devout, intelligent and charismatic.

But the good times swiftly came to an end.

“After two days of having some of the most beautiful experiences we’ve ever had, we were taken captive by the Nigerian government,” shares Rochman.

On the morning of July 9, 2021, a dozen or so heavily armed men in black ski masks arrived at their hotel, insisting that Rochman, Leibman and Benaym come with them. They announced that they were from the Department of State Services (DSS) of Nigeria and that the filmmakers were “invited” to a quick meeting and would be returned back to their hotel shortly.

Rochman and his crew complied, leaving their phones and passports behind. It was Friday, and the filmmakers were anticipating spending Shabbat with the Igbo Jewish community.

“Of course, we were coming in with no bad intentions, and we were innocent the entire time, so we didn’t think much of it – we thought we’d just come in for an hour and answers some questions,” recalls Rochman.

Unbeknownst to them, when the Israeli men first arrived in Nigeria, they aroused suspicions, and rumors began to proliferate. Photographs were circulated online along with a fabricated story of the purpose of their visit. They were suspected of being Mossad agents with intention of becoming involved in a political conflict related to the Nigerian-Biafran civil war fought in the region in 1970. The Torah the men had brought as a gift to the community was cited as a show of support for the separatist movement.

The interrogations began; Rochman, Leibman and Benaym were accused of everything from missionary work to espionage. The men

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 Putting on tefillin in Nigeria

cooperated fully with the authorities, reiterating they had come for apolitical reasons and had nothing to hide.

They eventually realized they were being held indefinitely and would not be making it back for Shabbat. Crestfallen and distraught, they scrambled and managed to obtain to the bare minimum, making Kiddush and hamotzi on a grape and some crackers. They spent Friday night on the holding cell floor.

Early the next morning, the three men were rushed into a van with no further information given. After a treacherous nine-hour drive, they were dropped at the DSS headquarters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Told they were not officially being arrested, they were nonetheless physically forced into the next holding cell, a “cage” as Rochman describes it.

“Literally a cage; it was a circular room in which you could maybe take three or four steps in each direction, behind bars.”

Hence, the storytellers became the story; Rochman describes the ordeal like a dismal scene out of movie. For five nights, they had no lights, no air conditioning and no beds. They were sweating and surrounded by filth, bugs and bottles of waste, with bread and crackers to survive. When the morning light would peek through, they could see the desperate last messages of former captives scrawled on the cell walls.

As the grim reality of the situation set in, Rochman’s IDF survival skills kicked in. From calculating how he could possibly grab and unlock a guard’s phone, to working to convince their captors to contact Chabad of Nigeria for kosher food – and praying that Chabad would understand who was requesting it – Rochman was constantly thinking of any which way to survive and alert the outside world to their predicament.

Rochman recalls, “Finally, after five days there, the Israeli Ambassador managed to come with one of the consulates from the American Embassy to see us. This is the first time we made contact. They told us they were doing everything they could to get us out, that they were trying with diplomatic means and that they were in communications with our families – which was a breath of fresh air that people knew where we were, and that at least our families knew.”

Food was arranged to be brought in from Chabad.

“Day six was the first time we had a real meal, and we were finally allowed to shower,” Rochman says. Still, he clarifies that the “shower” actually consisted of filling the prison’s soiled communal all-purpose bucket with cold water to pour over their heads.

Throughout the ordeal, Benaym was left without a vital medication which was back at their hotel; a week without it could prove life-threat-

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  Rudy Rochman in Nigeria

 Rochman, Benaym and Leibman upon their release

“It made me realize that it didn’t matter that I was born in

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France or grew up in Miami…what mattered was that I was a Jew.”

ening. After much delay, Benaym – a French national – was finally released under the custody of French Embassy for medical treatment. He was brought back for continual questioning at the facility where Rochman and Leibman remained.

The men were subsequently transferred to a bigger cell with two additional cellmates – one being a known terrorist from Boko Haram, Nigeria’s deadly militant Islamist group.

Danger now surrounded them from all angles. They remained in horrific conditions in complete fear of the unknown, with no indication of how or when their nightmare would end. Never formally arrested, they were denied access to legal representation while the Nigerian government tried everything to find evidence to against them. Rochman and Leibman miraculously held their own throughout.

Ultimately, salvation came seemingly in the blink of an eye. With U.S., French and Israeli embassies advocating on their behalf, Rochman, Leibman and Benaym were ultimately released after three long weeks. Within the course of a day, they were freed from captivity and returned to Israel by morning.

Rochman recalls how the severe isolation had impacted him, that upon his sudden arrival home the sunlight and every bit of stimulation felt overwhelming.

Not fully apprised of the series of events that transpired, the men credit all involved for their tireless efforts and prayers --- including their families, worldwide supporters and the Chabad of Nigeria. The three are now bonded for life, still fiercely dedicated to the We Were Never Lost project.

“We stayed strong in there. We never gave up. We never thought that we wouldn’t make it out. We stuck together,” says Rochman.

I Am a Jew

Rochman is no stranger to diverse cultures. Born in France, his grandparents hailed from different countries – Morocco and Algeria on one side and Poland and Belgium on the other. All had fled to France to avoid persecution.

Rochman’s family has lived in Israel, Florida and California, and he recalls the times throughout his life he was labeled by various identities depending on the circumstances – “the French kid,” “the Ashkenazi kid,” “the Sephardi kid” or “the American kid.”

“The way I see it, every single Jew has a displaced experience that was forced upon us. Before Morocco and Algeria, we were in Spain or we were in Italy – so it’s not really where were from, it’s the experience that we previously had in the long chapters of experiences that we’ve

had in displacement.”

He notes, “Because I grew up in so many different places, and I kind of rejected being identified by where I was born, or where I grew up, or where I lived or what passport I had, or where my grandparents were born – which were all different answers to the questions I had – I felt that there should be something that is more than just a superficial answer based on where you were born, but an answer really connected to the core of the identity that I was a part of and the collective that I belonged to,” explains Rochman.

Although the awareness was gradual, it was a pivotal moment that made a big impact.

“When I was seven years old,” Rochman shares, “I went through a traumatic anti-Semitic experience where I, my mother and my brother were kicked off a bus for being Jewish. Once that happened, it sort of made everything very clear.

“It made me realize that it didn’t matter that I was born in France or grew up in Miami…what mattered was that I was a Jew, and being a Jew wasn’t just choosing to believe in something – it was being a descendant of an ancient civilization, a family that has a culture, a language, an identity, a spirituality, a national component, a connection to a land and everything else. That kind of what woke me up to asking deeper to questions that allowed me to find answers that I needed in order to grow.”

A Fighter on Campus

Rochman encourages all Jews to proudly identify with Israel as their true homeland, no matter where they were born or live. Rochman certainly does; having lived in Israel as young boy with his parents, he returned back in 2011 when he served in the IDF and made Aliyah officially in 2019.

“When I leave Israel, I feel like I’m holding my breath. I feel like a fish out of water and have to hold my breath, but I can only do it for a certain amount of time. When I come back into Israel, I feel like I can take a deep breath, of finally being at home and in the environment that I belong in. “ Rochman’s resilience was honed in Israel as he served as a sniper in the Paratroopers Brigade, an elite combat unit of the Israel Defense Forces. He continues to serve as a reservist, training one month each year, with active reserves every fourth year.

“It was a very difficult experience,” he says about serving in the army. “Not only physically – which was beyond difficult – but you’re also giving up your freedom and becoming a number – and that’s not easy for any free individual to do.”

He adds, “I think anyone who is going there for the right intentions of helping a greater collective and defending our home and our people, you realize that it’s way more important than the individual rights and benefits that you had. This is a short period where this is what it needs to be – and it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.”

After the IDF, Rochman returned to the States and went on to face a different type of battleground on the college campus. He began his

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 Rudy brings the light of Torah to all corners of the world

praying from photocopies of a siddur.

Rochman recently presented his story to a packed house in Woodmere, New York, and shared a preview of the footage taken in Nigeria.

The audience was captivated by video clips of the Igbo Jews practicing familiar rituals with tremendous fervor and joy – proving Rochman correct in the power of the visual image.

Rochman, Leibman and Benaym traveled to Uganda in January to film the second installment of the series. Rochman made sure to keep this trip more discreet, not releasing any media until their return. The filmmakers engaged with the Abayudaya Jewish community there, visiting their shul and Hebrew school. They also witnessed a traditional Jewish wedding, including essential and familiar elements like the chuppah and the breaking of the glass – even dancing to “Hashem Melech,” the upbeat song by Israeli superstar Gad Elbaz.

Rochman muses, “I always realized that we’re different puzzle pieces all of one image and that rather than trying to put those puzzle pieces together, we’re trying to stack them on top of each other and that was a huge problem with the way I understood Israel. When I visited the communities in Nigeria, it made me realize that there are too many puzzle pieces missing for us to even know how to fit them together.

“In my opinion, we will never be one complete image without bringing in the other pieces of the puzzle which are still missing,” says Rochman.

He views the future through a new lens.

“I had a realization that they need to come back home for us to be who we are; it’s not that we fix our home and then they come back – we can’t fix our home without them back,” he says.

The Symbol of the Sudra

Rochman wears a printed scarf around his neck that can easily be mistaken for a fashion statement or accessory for his adventures. It

When the morning light would peek through, they could see the desperate last messages of former captives scrawled on the cell walls.

W W JbH . OC O M 54 emoH hsiW.T weJ eht |H 510E 2 ,9B 2 re Otc

Rochman often visits several cities across the globe in the course of a week, working to empower others to stand proud in their Jewish heritage. One of Rochman’s primary focuses these days is the furtherance of his We Were Never Lost project.

“When I first found out about the Tribes of Israel in Africa, and that I had never heard about before, it sort of created a shock. I wanted to look more into this and reveal these stories to the world,” he explains.

Eventually, a few social media videos evolved into a documentary series. Rochman doesn’t see himself as a filmmaker, however. He cites the example of the movie Blackfish exposing issues at SeaWorld, which eventually facilitated change in that realm.

“I use the creation of a film as a tool to communicate a message to a generation. What I’m really trying to do is to create social revolutions and move the world forward. With film, you can make or break an industry or an idea, and we’re trying to use film in a positive way to bring light to something that needs to happen.”

As a social media influencer with an interactive and international following, Rochman is using his platforms to share the plights of the Igbos and other communities that he believes must be brought into the consciousness of Jews around the world. He is working to raise both awareness and funds for the We Were Never Lost film project, as well as directing charity drives to supply the Igbo community with much-needed religious articles. Rochman observed the sparsity of religious items amongst the community members, who are at times

MAY 26, 2022

Missing Puzzle Pieces

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studies simultaneously at UCLA and Santa Monica College in California. After a short time, he realized how strong the growing anti-Israel movement was. But what was more concerning to him was how weak he observed the pro-Israel movement to be.

“We were not engaging with the next generation political and intellectual class. We were not leading the conversation, we were not creating coalitions, we were not doing anything. That’s when I realized that we were the problem.”

Rochman did a Google search to see what was considered the most anti-Semitic school in North America and found New York City’s Columbia University listed as number one that year; Rochman headed east.

“I made the decision of transferring there to prove it could be done – and do it in the hardest of places so that no one else could have an excuse but also to create a model of how to be an activist in this generation. Of course, there are a lot of things that I learned along the way that I didn’t come in knowing that definitely gave me a lot of tools and skills for life.

“The reason I chose Columbia was to go to the darkest of places and spread light, as really an example of how others can do it in places that might be a little less dark.”

Rochman faced immediate opposition.

“When we first got there, nobody had ever been exposed to any sort of pro-Israel voice or Jewish opinions or Jewish empowerment, so the reaction was very harsh,” he recalls. “Spitting as us, coming to our table where we were giving out bracelets and rip them up and taking our flag and scolding us and accusing us of all sorts of horrible things, but with time it stared to be part of the norm that we also had our space.”

Rochman absolutely believes change can happen.

“It was a constant war zone. We were constantly being attacked and harassed and put down – whether from professors, the administration, the student groups on campus. It’s not like that anymore at Columbia,” he notes. “The beautiful thing about a campus is that every four years you have a fresh new slate of students… If you start activisms on X year and you do it for 2 years, half the student body has been conditioned or exposed to this new idea of Israel.”

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

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

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 Rochman speaking at an event in the Five Towns

 Receiving the Enlight Unite Humanitarian Award from Gad Elbaz and Producer Victoria Zirkiev

is actually a head covering with a deeper meaning and long history.

“It’s called a sudra,” explains Rochman. “It’s written in the Talmud where it describes different elements of Jewish clothing, from the four cornered garment of tzitit to tefillin and to the sudra. The Jews have been wearing sudra for thousands of years, if you look at any depiction or illustration of the Rambam, Rashi, Rabbi Akiva, Baba Sali – they all have their sudra either as a hood or as a turban around their heads. The way that we eventually got into the kippah is that the Jews in Europe minimized the sudra into a head covering and hid it under a hat.”

This eventually became widespread for the Jews in Muslim countries as well, explains Rochman.

“Personally, I have pictures of my great-great-grandfather with the sudra on his head. I always grew up with these images, so it was very familiar to me, and my family was always very connected to it.”

He adds, “As a part of my work to decolonize and to help our people be the proudest version of themselves and the truest version of themselves, I realized that reviving this part of our ancient clothing can be done in a way that’s very empowering and inspiring and makes people feel like they’re a part of something when they’re wearing it – and not just doing it from a spiritual way, which I also do, but doing so in a way of reuniting Am Yisrael and to connect through something that we could wear every day.”

So passionate about the Jewish people and the many facets of Jewish life, Rochman can nonetheless zero in on what most energizes him.

“Everyone sees different problems in the world, and that’s a response and a reaction to their eyes that’s in tune with their soul – and their soul is telling them that this is a problem,” he relates. “We all have a different purpose. I feel that my purpose is to understand what is hurting Am Yisrael and what is preventing us from moving forward, what does moving forward even look like and where do we need to go – and to apply those answers into practical solutions in order for us to move forward. That’s what I would say I’m most passionate about and what I was able to find my tikkun in.”

He continues, “What keeps me motivated is my nature of being optimistic always – I know we’re going in a better direction. I look at what we have, not only what we don’t. I’m very appreciative of the things we have.

The way I see it is that I actually am constantly feeling the pain of Am Yisrael – the suffering we’ve gone through throughout history, the suffering we’re going through now and the suffering that we’re going to go through if we don’t correct. When you have the power to take

action to correct – you have to. I see that as a responsibility. It’s not a choice. It’s something I must do, and there’s a reason why I’m able to see it and very few people are able to.”

Rochman returns regularly to speak at college campuses and is often asked his best advice for Jewish youth going forward.

“I would say ‘empower, narrate, protect’ – meaning empower yourself to give yourself the tools to be strong in every aspect, narrate the story of Israel in a way that tells our story, and make sure that any movement that exists against Israel is exposed for what it is.”

“Number two is, we all have our own strengths. It’s not the only cause, and everyone has gifts they were given and talents that they have. Everyone has the ability to work on themselves to acquire more talents and apply those talents and gifts to the problems that they see.

Be open and attuned to those problems potentially evolving with time and apply your skills to the problems – in my opinion that’s the best advice I could give to someone.”

While he believes everyone may have their own path in terms of contribution, Rochman maintains that all Jewish people should be concerned with their fellow Jews near and far and sees it clearly as both a national and religious obligation.

“For thousands of years, we’ve been talking about the tribes of Israel that were disconnected. In our prayers every morning we mention it. In the Torah it says that in the times of Moshiach the tribes of Israel will reunite from the four corners of the earth. Historians very clearly document that there was a spilt amongst the tribes and many of them went into displacement. It’s not like it’s not a fact that they exist – it is a fact. Any Jew that prays says every single day that we need to try to bring the tribes of Israel back home – so it’s very strange to me that we’re not putting into practice what we talk about.”

He continues, “I think we’ve turned something that’s supposed to have kavana – a daily reminder, affirmations, and putting positive energy and meditating to remind us of who we are and keep us on track – has turned into just reciting words.” Rochman attributes this detachment to disconnection from the Hebrew language and other factors of displacement.

“In terms of the tribes, they’re a part of Am Yisrael,” he asserts. “If they were to have come home first, and created a strong and healthy community and society, and were choosing to live in the diaspora, and the Jews of today in the diaspora were suffering in Europe and North Africa and the Middle East, we would definitely expect them to come to our help and to recognize us…so it’s important that we work hard to rebuild that connection and help them in the ways that we would have wanted them to help us,” he says.

“It’s important that we realize that we are the last generation who doesn’t know who they are.”

To learn more, visit www.wewereneverlost.com.

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The Pebble in the Pond by rafi Sackville

One of my students naively explained how being a Twitter subscriber to a celebrity gave her a feeling of closeness that, for all intents and purposes, does not exist.

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

WemW W.T H E B J H . C O M oH hsiweJ eht | 5102 ,92 rebOtcO

I mention all of this because of the plethora of incidents occurring among the student population I work with. Incidents of bullying, trolling, and inappropriate messaging have become the norm.

I conducted a survey among my 11th graders by administering a questionnaire that rated their level of interaction on social media. One of the questions asked was: to what degree would you bully someone/anyone?

To the amazement of the class, one student’s rating was borderline criminal. Ironically, he is quietly spoken and popular with everyone. Who would have known or guessed?

I asked him to provide an example of his behavior. He did. I won’t describe what he actually did (it involved comments inappropriate enough to make the color black blush). The reaction by his peers was overwhelmingly negative.

When asked how they’d feel if they knew their “attacker” was this young

man, they said they’d laugh it off as nothing more than a joke – which is not at all surprising, because who would take his actions seriously when they know who he is? Unfortunately, the world in which we live is full of faceless and nameless trolls unknown to their victims.

In other words, if you know someone well, you are less likely to be affected by their online shenanigans than if you don’t. If we apply the pebble in the water parable, we should “water-proof” ourselves against meaningless trolls. Yet we don’t.

My 10th graders have a group WhatsApp account for general messages. One such recent dialogue suddenly turned dark. The subject matter is not important. What is pertinent to this discussion is the fact that once the dialogue became heated, one of my female students voiced a fair, but strong opinion. In reply, a student, someone who had never spoken a word to this girl before, a boy she only knew existed by sight, posted a message telling her to do away with herself.

The girl was stricken. She took his stupidity seriously. She couldn’t come to school the following day; she couldn’t function for a week; she needed psycho-

logical consultation. Despite pointing out to her that her attacker was not worth his weight in salt, she could not be consoled.

She even agreed he was not worth the bother. She said that having her name and the comment flying around cyberspace was what hurt her most.

Her sentiments cannot be dismissed.

This is the cyber-plague individuals across the world have to deal with on a daily basis.

Seven years ago, my wife and I were invited to a television studio to be interviewed about our attempts to secure legal rights for our sons who were all in a special educational framework. Accompanying the interview was an article in the newspaper the following day.

A day after this, I was called by a close friend bemoaning the terrible content in the comment section of the article. Some had labeled us some very unpleasant things. My friend considered this an outrage. I told him not to sweat it as I never read the comments section, and I never took them seriously. “How could I not?” he asked me. I told him all about the pebble in the pond. He was somewhat mollified but not convinced.

In the real world, nothing has changed. The circles closest to the landing pebble in the pond must remain our main focus in life.

Last November, on the 26th anniversary of Rabin’s death, I gave a talk to a class of 12th graders on the pebble parable. They heard me out, but I felt as if the horse had already bolted from the barn.

For them, it doesn’t matter where the pebble lands. Whether the lines are well-defined or blurry makes no difference to them. They should be able to discern the difference.

Shouldn’t we all?

I’m sure you’ll agree.

MAY 26, 2022

t

he morning after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995, I walked into a class of angry 12th graders. I was 38 years of age, and despite having found my feet in my chosen profession, I felt uncertain how to deal with such a crisis.

Yet, there I was, first lesson of the day with a group of kids on the brink of being drafted into the army, the country in crisis, and no one knowing how to react because who does after such a tragedy?

One of the girls suggested we all march to the Knesset and demand reform. Her classmates were in agreement.

Her suggestion was obviously flawed; what influence can budding 18-year-olds have in the world of politics?

What I told my students then is something I learnt from a very wise man, Rabbi Chaim Bar-On, a former neighbor of mine.

He told me that with the world becoming smaller due to inter-connectedness, people had begun to place too much emphasis on areas in their lives in which they had no influence. As a result, their efforts had little effect.

He explained that whereas we should view our influence seriously, we would serve ourselves better where we to concentrate our efforts exclusively where it counts. He likened it to throwing a pebble into a pond. The pebble’s splash creates well-defined circles close to where it lands. These circles are our immediate family and close friends. Emphasize those people in our lives and work hard on those relationships, he told me. The further away from the pebble’s entrance into the water, the less definition and thus the less importance we should place on such relationships. How, he asked me, can we have influence over ill-defined and blurry circles of human interaction?

This is one of the main problems facing the world today: social media has found society placing undue value on distant, faceless relationships. The problem is only getting worse.

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Israel today

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Sunday

Iyar/Sivan

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Iyar 27

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Forgotten Her es MAY 26, 2022

Early Heroes of the IAF

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

by Avi Heiligman

From left - Giddy Lichtman, Modi Alon, and David Ben Gurion

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W WOctOber W.T H EBJH.COM 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home

A

s the Israeli War of Independence began in 1948, the call went out for experienced pilots to fly planes for the newly formed Israeli Air Force (IAF). Some pilots had been flying with the Hagana’s air wing and others had been trained in the Royal Air Force during World War II, but it also included the many volunteers that filled the ranks of the 101st Squadron. It was the first Israel fighter unit, and they scored some incredible victories while flying World War II relics, hand-me-downs and knockoff aircraft.

The IAF’s first mission was on May 29, 1948 to stop Egyptian forces from advancing on Tel Aviv. Four pilots – Lou Lenart, Eddie Cohen, Modi Alon and Ezer Weizman – flew in Avia S-199 fighter planes but experienced problems while attacking the enemy column. Their guns jammed, the bomb bay doors weren’t functioning properly, and Eddie Cohen’s plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Still, the other three pressed on the attack and inflicted minimal damage. However, the damage to the Egyptian Army’s morale was so high, as they thought many more Israeli planes were about to attack. The Egyptian forces dispersed, and Tel Aviv was safe from this ground attack.

The plane that the pilots flew in was the Avia- S-199. It was a Czech knockoff of the Me-109 (Messerschmitt-109, the

Modi Alon, right, with David Ben Gurion

main fighter of the German Air Force of World War II). The irony of the planes was that Me-109 was one of the enemy’s main weapons, and Spitfires and Hurricanes were the best British planes. The Egyptians were equipped with the British planes, while the Israelis were barely able to patch a few S-199 with old Messerschmitt parts. Several crashed in training, and only four planes were serviceable for that first fight.

A few days later, on June 3, Modi Alon scored the first two aerial victories in IAF history. The Egyptians had been bombing Tel Aviv, and up until that point, they had no interference from any Israeli fighter planes. Alon flew in his S-199 and surprised the Egyptians’ C-47 bombers and their two fighter escorts flying in British Spitfires. In front of an astounded Israeli populace that came out to watch this air battle, Alon downed both bombers. The public had been unaware of the Israeli fighters, and Alon became a hero of the local population. Alon scored his third victory against a Spitfire on July 3. In October, he was killed when his Avia crashed due to a malfunction.

Gideon “Giddy” Lichtman was Israel’s second pilot to earn an aerial combat victory. Lichtman had fought for the U.S. during World War II in the Pacific and came to Israel as a Machal pilot. His score came on June 8 against an Egyptian

The 101 Fighter Squadron

Spitfire whose pilot, Jamal Nasser, bailed out and was captured by Israeli ground forces.

Lichtman later said about the aerial dogfight: “I’m trying to keep up with him, flying in close formation. I don’t know the country. We have, at most, 40 minutes of fuel. And instead of circling away from the sun, he’s circling into the sun. I’m at full throttle, and I can’t keep up with him.

I’m at about 12,000 feet, and he’s way ahead of me and way above me …Through the dust and the haze, I see a shadow, and it’s an Egyptian Spit. He sees me. By this time, we’re heading south over the Mediterranean. We got into a wild dogfight.…

I follow him down, shooting after him.

Then I check my fuel gauge, and it’s on empty.”

Many of the pilots that served with the 101 Squadron weren’t Jewish, and this was the case with Canadian Denny Wilson. He was a skilled pilot from Hamilton, Ontario, who had considerable experience during World War II, with two kills during the global conflict. One of the reasons he chose to fly for Israel in 1948 was that he had seen the horrors of Bergen-Belsen during his war experience and knew he could do something to help the fledgling Jewish state.

During the Israeli War of Independence, Wilson flew in newly acquired Spitfires and downed two Egyptian

planes on December 31, 1948. One was downed over a patrol over the Sinai, while the other was on the return flight to base.

Another time he was flying in the Spitfire on a reconnaissance mission and picked up radio communications that an enemy plane was in the vicinity. Although neither plane was carrying ammunition, Wilson caused the Egyptian pilot to panic and bail out, causing the plane to crash.

The pilots that joined the Israeli Air Force came to defend the new nation and help it survive against superior Arab air forces. The planes they had were rudimentary, and oftentimes the ground crews had to hide the planes among orange trees. As the war progressed, the IAF obtained more and better aircraft, which led to a better balance in air superiority. There were several other pilots who scored air-to-air kills in addition to the ones mentioned in this article, and many of them continued to help the IAF after the war to help the air force eventually become the formidable force it is today.

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

FOR HER RE-ELECTION KICK-OFF EVENT

MAY 31

THE ROYAL 7002 Reisterstown Road Baltimore, MD 21215

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MAY 26, 2022

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

D A L YA AT TA R

TUESDAY

J O I N D E L E G AT E

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END OF SESSION

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

2022 Newsletter

Dear Friends & Neighbors, I am proud to inform you that the Maryland General Assembly’s 443rd session has come to a successful close. The session was extremely productive for all Marylanders, and we worked harder than ever to ensure that every citizen is provided for and well represented. I am confident that my hard work this session will benefit my constituents in so many ways, and I proudly share this end-ofsession newsletter with you.

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CRIME IN BALTIMORE

"Violent crime continues to occur every single day in our neighborhoods, and I will not back down or give up."

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

BALTIMORE CITY PROPERTY TAX CREDIT "This tax credit has helped many and has been a great incentive to keep Baltimore City residents in the City."

www.dalyaattar.com @Delegate Dalya Attar 1

Dalya Attar

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

End of Session Newsletter 2022

Dalya Attar

@delegate_dalya_attar End of Session Newsletter 2022

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BUDGET THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

It is my job as your representative to ensure the State is being fiscally responsible while ensuring Marylanders’ needs are met. I am therefore proud to announce the State’s FY 23 Operating Budget passed with a record $2.4B in the Rainy Day Fund for emergencies and provides more than $650M to fund the General Assembly’s legislative priorities like education, support for Marylanders with the greatest need, employee benefits and cost of living increases for state employees.

The budget includes:

MAY 26, 2022

• An increase of nearly $150 million in funding for CRIME PREVENTION AND VICTIM SERVICES

• Over $50 million in help for families to afford CHILDCARE

• Over $100 million in funds to create more AFFORDABLE HOUSING

• $800 million set aside for future BLUEPRINT EDUCATION FUNDING • $10 million for the BOOST SCHOLARSHIP FUND for lowincome students

• $202 million for providers serving VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

• $35 million toward benefits for CASH ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS • $27 million to expand Medicaid DENTAL BENEFITS for adults

• $30 million provided to serve 1,350 youth on the AUTISM WAIVER WAITING LIST W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

• $10 million to launch PAID FAMILY LEAVE

• $7 million for SECURITY GRANTS for entities at risk of hate crimes • $36 million to support ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION efforts

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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MAY 26, 2022

A crucial part of the budget is ensuring there is funding for projects in the 41st District.

My colleagues in the 41st District, Senator Carter, Delegate Bridges, and Delegate Rosenberg, and I strongly advocated for many of the requested projects and I am so proud to announce that we were successful in securing nearly $20 million in funding for our district!

41st District • $5 million to goProjects towardsFunded a NEW LIBRARY in Park Heights

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

In The Budget

• $2.5 million for the AMBASSADOR THEATER • $5 million for the demolition of the PIMLICO RACE COURSE • $5 million for the NORTHWEST POLICE DISTRICT • $125 thousand to OUTWARD BOUND • $300 thousand to AHAVAS CHAIM CENTER • $300 thousand to BEACON HOUSE SQUARE • $400 thousand to COLDSPRING COMMONS •

$100 thousand to LIBERTY VILLAGE PROJECT • $270 thousand for the MELROSE AVENUE BRIDGE $75 thousand for the NORTHWEST PARK RENOVATION

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Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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CRIME THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Violent crime continues to occur every single day in our neighborhoods, and I will not back down or give up. The level of violent crime is unacceptable and terrifying. We all deserve to be safe. As a prosecutor in Baltimore City, I continue to work on your behalf to keep violent offenders off the streets. As your delegate, I spent the entire legislative session fighting for funding and new laws to address crime.

MAY 26, 2022

HB 1018: Public Safety Funding Transparency House Bill 1018 requires the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to create a scorecard of quantifiable safety indicators to ensure that the State’s public safety funding is being used in a manner that makes all Marylanders safer.

Reducing Gun Violence House Bill 211 - Criminal Procedure - Warrantless Arrest Straw Purchase Participant Four people were shot within the last few months - three fatally - in one horrifying incident in Howard Park. My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to their loved ones and the entire community. This is one of many disturbing incidents of gun violence taking place throughout my District and affecting all my constituents.

Unfortunately, people are selling handguns to prohibited individuals, who are then using these guns to perpetrate gun violence. I, therefore, filed House Bill 211, Criminal Procedure - Warrantless Arrest - Straw Purchase Participant, which would allow law enforcement, without having to obtain a warrant, to arrest individuals who conduct straw purchases. I am proud to announce this bill passed the House of Delegates unanimously.

Unfortunately, the bill was not voted on in the Senate. I look forward to continuing advocating for this bill and it to become law in the future.

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HB 425/SB 387: Ghost Gun Ban This legislation bans unregistered, untraceable ‘ghost guns’ and creates a plan for a system to register guns that can be sold in kits of loose parts and do not have a serial number.

The bill requires the Secretary of State Police to maintain a system to register firearms imprinted with serial numbers and prohibits a person from purchasing, receiving, selling, offering to sell, or transferring an “unfinished frame or receiver” or a firearm unless it is registered and imprinted with a serial number.

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

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Confronting Youth Violence & Providing Appropriate Resources for Our Youth House Bill 1276 - Baltimore City Youth Data Hub Establishment Many young people in Baltimore City are receiving government services from multiple government agencies and nonprofits. These organizations collect data to better improve their services, however, they cannot currently share the data that they collect.

This lack of information sharing prevents Baltimore City from equitably meeting the needs of its young people. I, therefore, filed House Bill 1276, Baltimore City Youth Data Hub Establishment, which would enable these agencies to be able to share data and tailor interventions and services appropriately.

This bill specifically establishes the Baltimore City Youth Data Hub to promote the health, safety, security, and wellbeing of youth and to improve equitable access to programs serving youth in the city. It also establishes procedures to safeguard the security and confidentiality of data.

I am proud to announce this bill passed both Chambers and is now law!

House Bill 1142 - Juvenile Offense Database Several years ago, I worked as a prosecutor in the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center. It was an extremely emotional and eye-opening time in my career.

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It became clear to me that we are doing wrong by our children. Day after day I would see children going in and out of the system – like a revolving door. Our children – our future – are coming out of the juvenile system worse than when they went in. We are NOT properly rehabilitating these children and many of them are therefore continuing to commit violent crimes in our neighborhoods.

There is a lack of transparency in the system. How are we to ensure that our children are being rehabilitated if we are being kept in the dark? How are we to ensure that we are doing everything possible to keep our communities safe if we are lacking the important information?

I, therefore, filed House Bill 1142, Juvenile Offense Database, which creates a database that provides a general description of any judicial or other action taken concerning a juvenile alleged to have committed an offense. This bill specifically excludes any identifying information about the juvenile.

We must do right by our children. Transparency is crucial in the process.

This bill did not move out of the House of Delegates, however, I look forward to continuing to work to reduce youth violence.

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Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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Caves Valley is attempting to revitalize the once successful dining scene at the property, based largely around the landscaped courtyard. Throughout the years, restaurants there were important meeting places for business people and members of the community. Today, there is not a single food or beverage establishment remaining at Cross Keys.

With the support of the community, I filed

MAY 26, 2022

As a Baltimore native, I grew up shopping at the Village of Cross Keys. Over time, the property fell into disrepair. The redevelopment of the Village of Cross Keys began in late 2020 after Baltimore-based development firm Caves Valley Partners purchased the property.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

THE VILLAGE OF CROSS KEYS

House Bill 464 which establishes a marketplace liquor license at the Village of Cross Keys.

The unanimous feeling is that this atmosphere would make Cross Keys desirable once again, for local residents, businesses choosing to locate at Cross Keys, and existing and future retailers looking to serve an active commercial area.

I am proud to announce this bill passed both Chambers and is now law!

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Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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The concept proposed through the legislation is that each individual new tenant would still be required to get BLLC approval for its use under the umbrella license, but that patrons could purchase food and alcoholic beverages at any of the new establishments at Cross Keys and enjoy shopping and socializing within the confines of the retail component of the project.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

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EDUCATION Education has always been and continues to be a top priority of mine. Our children are our future – and that is not just a cliché statement; rather, our children are literally our future. We must ensure all children are receiving a proper education from a very young age to ensure they have a productive, healthy, and successful future. I, therefore, worked on legislation and advocated for sufficient funding in the budget for all schools.

HB 734: Maryland Student Investment Act

HB 277/SB 234: Purple Star School Program

House Bill 734 expands access to higher education. It makes college more affordable for Maryland students by increasing funding to the State’s financial aid programs. It also improves the Guaranteed Access Grant so that grant recipients who become ineligible due to an income change will remain eligible for the full award under certain conditions.

I proudly co-sponsored this legislation which establishes the Purple Star Schools Program. This will provide students from military families with better support and stability when they have to change schools. The Purple Star Schools Program is administered by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and recognizes public schools that provide strong services and support for militaryconnected students and their families when students transfer schools as a result of a parent or guardian’s military service.

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State Tuition Assistance BOOST Funding Schooling should not be one-size-fits-all. Every child is unique, and the amount of money a parent makes should not determine what school the child attends. The child’s abilities and uniqueness should be the factors determining their school.

We must therefore be certain we are supporting all children in ensuring they obtain a proper education tailored to their needs.

The Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today program is a scholarship program that helps low-income students pay for non-public school education. After spending a significant amount of time advocating for this program, I am pleased that 10 million dollars were allocated in this year’s budget. In addition to this funding, 13 million dollars was allocated for the non-public schools’ textbook program, aging schools facility grant, and school safety grant.

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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MAKING LIFE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR MARYLANDERS Life keeps getting more and more expensive for Marylanders. I am hearing from many constituents about how difficult it has become for many to afford necessities.

I hear you and I agree with you.

MAY 26, 2022

In an effort to help my constituents, I supported and sponsored several bills that passed both Chambers and are laws that will help make life more affordable for Marylanders.

Gas Tax Holiday House Bill 1486 - Motor Fuel Taxes Tax-Free Period This is a bill whose title says it all. I don’t need to tell you that gas prices are out-of-control. We all know that already. I, therefore, co-sponsored this bill, which eliminated certain motor fuel taxes for 30 days and reduced the overall cost of gas for Marylanders.

Statewide Homestead Property Tax Credits

Property taxes can cause extreme hardship for many.

I, therefore, filed two bills this session to help alleviate the cost for Marylanders, and I am extremely proud that both bills passed in the General Assembly.

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House Bill 203

This bill requires SDAT to retroactively grant the homestead property tax credit for the prior taxable year.

House Bill 204

This bill authorizes SDAT to accept an application for the homeowner’s property tax credit from a homeowner one year after the April 15th deadline under certain circumstances.

Both bills passed both Chambers and were signed into law by the Governor!

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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Family Budget Boosters MAY 26, 2022

It is my job as your delegate to be fiscally responsible while bringing financial relief to my constituents and all Marylanders. I, therefore, co-sponsored several sales tax exemptions, all of which I’m proud to say passed both Chambers.

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Exemptions include: •

diapers, baby bottles, baby bottle nipples, and infant car seats

•

several medical devices

•

oral hygiene products

•

several diabetic care items

Baltimore City Property Tax Credit In 2014 the General Assembly passed the Baltimore City Residential Retention Act, which provides a real property tax credit to Baltimore City residents who received the Homestead Tax Credit for the last five years and relocate to a newly purchased dwelling in Baltimore City.

The tax credit is a fixed amount of $4,000 to be applied to the homeowner’s property tax bill over a five-year period. The bill took effect June 1, 2014, and ends June 30, 2024.

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House Bill 1398 I sponsored this bill which terminates this sunset. This tax credit has helped many and has been a great incentive to keep Baltimore City residents in the City.

This bill passed both Chambers and is now law!

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Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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Delegate Attar’s College Scholarship THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

I have been fortunate to be able to award hundreds of students in my district with college scholarships. 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.

MAY 26, 2022

The deadline for submitting scholarship applications for this year was April 30th. I look forward to dispersing thousands of dollars to my constituents again this year for scholarships.

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,

MY RE-ELECTION FOR THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES IS THIS SUMMER AND I KINDLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT! EARLY VOTING: July 7th to 14th

ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, July 19th W W W.T H E B J H . C O M

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

Dalya Attar

End of Session Newsletter 2022

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Mental Health Corner

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MAY 26, 2022

Misophonia

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

Misophonia, which literally means hatred of sound, is a condition where an individual is extremely sensitive to certain types of sounds. The triggering sounds are commonly related to the mouth (such as eating, lip-smacking, chewing, breathing, etc.), but can also include other sounds such as someone typing on a keyboard. The stress experienced by individuals with misophonia can be acute, and the elicited reactions range from anger to avoidance. It is not uncommon for individuals with misiphonia to leave their jobs if the sounds of their work environment are triggering.

We have all experienced a misophonia reaction at some point during our lives. Imagine if you were trying to fall asleep and the room was extremely quiet except for the seemingly loud sound of a faucet dripping incessantly.

Not only will you possibly have an extremely hard time falling asleep, you also might be tempted to take a hammer and smash the sink! People with misophonia experience these kinds of reactions on a daily basis.

If we break down sounds into three categories, it will help us grasp this disorder more clearly. There are sounds that are universally disturbing, such as a baby crying or someone screaming. There are sounds that are more or less universally neutral, such as the sound of rain. Then there are sounds that can be a little unpleasant at times, such as someone chewing loudly or breathing heavily in a quiet room. Studies have shown that individuals with misophonia seem to have the same reaction as everyone else regarding sounds that are universally disturbing or universally neutral, but can have very powerful reactions in response to sounds that are at times mildly unpleasant for everyone.

Furthermore, the context of the sound can have a significant effect on the reaction. It is common for sounds of complete strangers to be much less triggering than that same exact sound being produced by an immediate family member. There are individuals who feel like they are going to go crazy from something as innocuous as

a family dinner.

This phenomenon makes sense if we conceptualize this disorder as a misfiring of the fight-or-flight system.

When something feels threatening to us, our bodies switch into a fight-orflight mode that leads to a high heartrate, feelings of agitation, and many other symptoms. The brain’s way of determining what is a danger regarding the fight-or-flight reaction is often completely different from what our conscious minds consider a threat. For this reason, people who are very close to us who make disturbing sounds seems more threatening to our subconscious mind than sounds emanating from other people.

There is no specific treatment modality that has been shown to be effective as a stand-alone treatment of misophonia. For this reason, a collection of different strategies is often needed to manage the condition. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown some promise is some reduction of symptoms. This makes sense

in light of the fact that misophonia has a component that is based on our brain’s perception. CBT strategies that focus on anger management and emotional arousal can also be helpful.

Many individuals with misophonia manage their condition with strategies such as white noise and headphones.

With a combination of coping strategies, emotional techniques, and noise management, individuals with misophonia can manage their condition to the degree that they would not need to engage in avoidance strategies, which can be detrimental to one’s social and family life and to one’s employment.

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

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Engagements Binyomin Spivack (Waterbury) & Ariella Blackman (Baltimore) Reuven Chaim Markowitz (Baltimore) & Leah Liebman (Baltimore) Yitzchok Leibovitz (Beitar) & Sorah Eisemann (Baltimore) Yitzchak Goldman (Baltimore) & Shana Aranovitch (Passaic) Chesky Lewin (Teaneck) & Ayelet Friedman (Baltimore) Yehuda Aryeh Wenger (Baltimore) & Miriam Willner (Philadelphia) Meir Shimanovich & Rachel Burk Leiby Yudin & Racheli Gross Gideon Wolf & Molly Himmelrich Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!

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MAY 26, 2022

1. *

TJH

Centerfold

Shootin’ the Breeze To ensure perfect aim, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Murphy’s Law of Combat: Never forget that your weapon was manufactured by the lowest bidder.

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other [guy] die for his.

A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.

Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we’ve been bombing over the years been complaining?

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.

Army food: the spoils of war.

If at first you don’t succeed, call in an airstrike.

Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Kuwait.

Riddle Me This At the beginning of World War I, the uniform of the British soldiers included a brown cloth cap. As the war went on, the British officials became more and more concerned about the growing number of soldiers suffering from head injuries. They decided to replace the

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ries grew even more, although the intensity of the battles was the same before and after the change.

Why did the number of head injuries per battalion increase even though all the soldiers were wearing metal helmets instead of cloth caps?

Answer: The number of head injuries increased because the number of deaths decreased. Before metal helmets, if a soldier was shot in the head by a bullet or a piece of shrapnel, it would penetrate his cloth cap and kill him. This would have been registered as a death, not a wound. After metal helmets were introduced, the bullets caused injuries rather than deaths. Therefore, the number of head injuries increased while the number of deaths decreased.

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cloth cap with a metal helmet. However, to their surprise, the number of soldiers with head inju-

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1. Memorial Day was originally made to memorialize fallen soldiers from which war? a. Revolutionary War b. World War I c. Civil War d. Vietnam War

3. Memorial Day was once called by another name. What was the former name? a. Decoration Day b. Military Remembrance Day c. Remembrance Day d. Freedom Day 4. According to federal guidelines, how should the U.S. flag be

5. Bugle calls are musical signals that announce scheduled and certain non-scheduled events on an Army installation. During the Civil War, a U.S. general thought the bugle call signaling bedtime could use a more melodious tune, so he wrote the notes for a bugle call that is played at military funerals and at Memorial Day celebrations.

Which bugle call is that? a. Taps b. To the Color c. Retreat Call d. Ode to the Lost 6. By law, which of the following are Americans supposed to do on Memorial Day? a. While flying the U.S flag they must comply with the flag flying guidelines (which you may or may not know...no giveaways here) b. If they place too much

sauerkraut on their hotdog, they must first offer the excess kraut to another before discarding it c. Pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor the fallen d. While visiting a military cemetery, they must place a flag on a grave

Answers: 1-C; 2-B; 3-A; 4-D; 5-A; 6-C Wisdom Key: 5-6 Correct: I know what you will be doing on Memorial Day at 3PM— observing the national moment of silence. Remembering those who fought and died so that we can live in freedom is a good thing.

2-4 Correct: Not bad, you can brush up a bit, though. Start with observing the moment of silence at 3PM on Memorial Day. 0-1 Correct: You, too, should observe the 3PM Memorial Day moment of silence, celebrating the lives lost defending your right to know nothing about how we memorialize their ultimate sacrifice.

The cadet replied, “Not me, Sarge… No sir!

As he was walking away, he turned to the cadet and said,

“I promised myself that when I got out of the Army I’d never stand in another line!”

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A drill sergeant had just chewed out one of his cadets.

emoH hsiweJ eht | 5102 ,92 rebOtcO

You Gotta Be Kidding Me! “I guess when I die you’ll come and dance on my grave.”

MAY 26, 2022

2. About two dozen towns across the United States claim they were the first to celebrate Memorial (or Decoration) Day. In 1966, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson by proclamation designated one place as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Which place was that? a. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania b. Waterloo, New York c. Fargo, North Dakota d. Arlington, Virginia

flown on Memorial Day? a. At half-staff all day b. At full-staff c. At half-staff in the afternoon d. At half-staff until noon

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Memorial Day Trivia

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Notable Quotes THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

“Say What?!”

In 2020, America experienced its largest annual increase in homicides ever, assaults are up, mass shootings are up. Voters’ focus is safe streets – not making women swimming safe for men.

- Bill Maher

One of the things I say in response to the media… I will absolutely leave the Court when I do my job as poorly as you do yours.

– Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in a CSPAN interview

Some business news: it’s been a rough couple of months for the economy, and I saw that yesterday was the stock market’s worst day in over two years. Yeah, stocks fell so fast, the oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling at CNBC. — Jimmy Fallon

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This is really the moment when it is decided whether brute force will rule the world.

-President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video address to the World Economic Forum in Davos

Comparing saving 630,000 lives per year with the murder of 3,000 in a day is probably the most asinine and insulting take I’ve ever seen on Twitter, and that’s saying a lot. You should apologize to the families of 9/11 victims for using their loved one’s deaths for propaganda.

– Tweet by political commentator Jennifer Greenberg responding to a Washington Post article on Friday, titled “Roe’s impending reversal is a 9/11 attack on America’s social fabric”

Russian elections are rigged. Political opponents are imprisoned or otherwise eliminated from participating in the electoral process. The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq— I mean, of Ukraine.

- Former President George W. Bush, who led the invasion into Iraq in 2003, in a speech last week

Well, here’s what I can say: nobody on the right accused the man who tried to kill Scalise and shot Republicans at the baseball practice of representing the Democratic Party. We’re better than that. Nobody accused the person who was a Bernie supporter, who attacked Republican congressman at the baseball game, of representing the mainstream of the Democratic Party. I find that headline offensive. This is why I don’t read Rolling Stone.

- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Newsmax responding to a Rolling Stone article titled, “The Buffalo Shooter Isn’t a ‘Lone Wolf.’ He’s a Mainstream Republican”

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We hear a lot from big corporations like Disney when they want a virtue-signal down in Florida about [inappropriate] education to young kids, but not a word from them about the oppression of millions of Afghani women in Afghanistan - Piers Morgan, after interviewing the Taliban spokesman on Sky News

They raised him, educated him, made him capable, made him a pilot, which was expensive.

They see people in their neighborhood playing with their grandchildren and feel like they should also have one.

– The lawyer for Sadhana and Sanjeev Prasad of India, explaining why they are suing their son who does not have children

They said they didn’t marry their son off so that they can live alone.... So they said that in the next year, either give us a grandchild or give us compensation.

- Ibid.

I made my feelings known to the league as soon as I saw the schedule. We have always requested the league take the Jewish High Holy Days into consideration when formulating our schedule.

Not sure why it happened this year.

Imagine I proposed a Housing for All Bill in Congress. Then imagine you, me, and a million of our friends took action and occupied empty houses nationwide. They couldn’t ignore us. No one has ever done anything like this. That’s why it’s going to work.

- Washington Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Parson in a campaign video

– Giants owner John Marra talking about his team being scheduled for a home game this Rosh Hashana

At the end of the day, this was a government failure; it’s not a White House failure.

I’m not a type of person that tries new stuff.

When I like something, I stick with it all the time.

- Don Gorske, 68, of Wisconsin who holds a Guinness World Record for eating the most Big Macs (32,340 over 50 years; he only missed 8 days from his two-a-day schedule)

It is what it is. It’s just a lifestyle he’s chosen.

- Mary Gorske, 68, talking about her husband’s artery-clogging accomplishment

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- MSNBC’s Chuck Todd

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Maybe I would’ve died. But psychologically, they never would’ve broken me.

- Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia on trumped up charges and served three, in his first interview since being released from Russian prison in a prison swap last month

MAY 26, 2022

First, I learned to be a proud Jew, not to hide our Judaism. When I spoke in the Security Council, I put my kippah on my head, and I read from the Bible. My colleagues in Jerusalem and the minister of foreign affairs told me, “Danny, what are you doing? You know it’s the Security Council.” I told them, “Exactly.” First, we speak about of Biblical rights to the land, then we speak about international law and other issues.

When you respect the tradition in the Jewish religion, you get respected.

- Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon in an interview at the Arutz Sheva Jerusalem Conference last week

I wanted him to know what he said was triggering.

- Isaiah Lee, explaining why he jumped on the stage and assaulted a comedian last month

When it comes to the gas prices, we’re going through an incredible transition that is taking place that, G-d willing, when it’s over, we’ll be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels when this is over.

- President Joe Biden, celebrating high gas prices, during a press conference in Japan

You know, when we talk about the children – I know for this group – we all believe that when we talk about the children of the community, they are a children of the community.

– Vice Pres. Kamala Harris at a conference

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- Virginia Morrison, 70, of Florida, talking to local reporters after she shot and killed an intruder who broke into her home

It’s one of the most extreme things I’ve ever seen. It’s so extreme it’s like hanging from the wing of an airplane while everyone is sitting inside.

– Nic Von Rupp, a big-wave surfer, talking about bodysurfers who ride monster waves without a board

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OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home

I didn’t know what he was going to do, but I knew I was going to protect myself. I’m a fighter.

I’m going to defend myself.

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MAY 26, 2022

Dating Dialogue

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LcSW of the Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

My family has a very diverse background. None of us kids are the same religiously but all of us are close, including one of my sisters who has chosen a very unorthodox feministic path. She is in med school and studies Gemara. I am the most run-of-the-mill in my family, and although I am 24, I have only gone out twice. Honestly, I think my family

seems too weird on the outside for me to ever get the kind of guy I want.

I really want to marry into a run-of-the-mill yeshivish family to have the kind of home to go to for yom tov, Shabbos, etc. but how important is that really for me to hold onto when my family is the way we are? At what

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OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home

point should I remove things from my list of must-haves in order to get dates?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

-Tamar*

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 26, 2022

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MAY 26, 2022

The Panel the rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

T

amar, you have valid values. Don’t give up on them just because the frum world likes to fit people into boxes.

It’s easy for shadchanim to make matches for people who fit into the box, so don’t focus your efforts on well-meaning shadchanim who are overburdened and generally specialize in “types.” Hashem has someone for you who will appreciate the diversity of your family.

The fact that your family works is a tribute to understanding, communication and respect for differences. These are strengths, not weaknesses. Celebrate the variety of your family members and call attention to it. You are looking for someone who values and respects this quality, and this is some

thing that is valued by people.

Demonstrate confidence and pride.

You may want to play with a fresh, creative title for your resume: Tamar Klein, Diva of the Diverse Dynasty, or the Bais Yaakov Maidel with Mosaic Mishpacha.

No one will forget a resume or subject line that is eye-catching in style and substance. More than one mother has told me, “All the resumes look the same.

I picked up on the one that was different and looked into it. It piqued my interest and eventually it worked.”

Get yourself some agents who know you in communities where there is diversity. In other words, small- and medium-size out-of-town communities where you can visit friends, spend a Shabbos, and meet people. And build up your confidence in yourself and your values. You will be a stronger, better mate for going through this process, perhaps.

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he first thing you must do is recognize the good in your life.

Do you know how many people with diverse families do not appreciate and/ or respect each other? There are families who could not be more similar who have a hard time getting along. The fact that your family is so different and yet still remains close is a huge deal that must be celebrated.

I’m so sorry for what you are going through. You feel that you are judged unfairly in the shidduch circus. Allow me to put something into perspective: the kind of boys who would turn you down because of a diverse family are not someone you would be happily married to. So why date them?

I often meet girls like Breindy Cohen*.

These are girls who tell me they go out so often and end up feeling down, because after all the dating, all they get is dead ends.

You and Breindy could be in the parsha for the same amount of time; the only difference is your challenges. Her challenge is dating too much, feelings of uncertainty, worries about turning down the wrong one, trying to avoid a jaded mentality. Your challenge in this tekufah is barely dating, which can make one feel lonely, unsettled, and insecure about all the things which might be hindering their shidduchim. Please recognize that everyone has their own unique sets of challenges in shidduchim and know you are not alone.

Official shadchanim are not the only people who can set you up. Practically speaking, make relationships with families in your community. Build relationships with young couples who are your type, travel to different communities, and accept invitations out for meals. Go to Shabbatons and meet people organically. It will make a world of a difference. Not only will you feel less lonely, but networking will enhance future prospects, much more than waiting by the phone ever will.

the Single Tzipora Grodko

D

ear Tamar, People and environments may

cause you to believe that unspoken rules will determine what you deserve and will receive. This is false. The same G-d that personalized the details of your life is the same G-d that will deliver the perfect husband catered towards your needs and desires. In fact, the Torah specifically indicates how important it is for people to recognize that a person’s quality should not be compromised by their background. For example, Tzipora’s father was a priest, and she married the greatest leader of all time – Moshe.

Avraham’s father was an idol worshiper, and he married Sara, who became the mother of the Jewish people.

Continue to hope for the lifestyle you dream for, understanding that G-d has no limits and doesn’t play according to societies rules and expectations. Anytime someone challenges this belief is another opportunity for you to strengthen this muscle, increasing more emunah and bitachon into your life. Is it easy?

Most definitely not. Will it enhance the quality of your life? Absolutely.

Stay hopeful!

the Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

O

ver the past two years that I’ve been writing this column, I’ve become so saddened by the plight of exceptional, wonderful young women, who would clearly make wonderful wives and mothers, who are having trouble getting dates.

I’d like to address your situation specifically, and then, generally, the similar predicament faced by many of our single women today.

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410.961.4199

Michelle Mond

“Perfect” families that seem so ideal are often merely better at hiding their problems.

emoH hsiweJ eht | 5102 ,92 rebOtcO

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Join the

the Shadchan

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seen.

Second, ask friends, relatives, and co-workers for referrals.

Third, periodically call your local shadchanim, and say pleasantly, “I’m calling to remind you, that I’d love to meet and date someone.” Send them a cookie platter every so often, thanking them for keeping you in mind. Remember that you are asking for them to help you, and it’s important for them to think of you often.

After a date, even if it was not successful, send a small gift, thanking the shadchan for her efforts on your behalf.

Fourth, it’s import to project self-confidence and self-reliance. Read books like Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Meet with dating coaches for helpful advice.

Fifth (and I hope that no readers are insulted by this suggestion), invest in

Starting with opening up your dating pool may be the way Mr. Right will be able to swim right up to you.

an attractive wardrobe. Invest in a makeover. Invest in cosmetic dentistry.

Tamar, please remember that you don’t need a lot of dates – just the right one who will not say “No” to you merely because of your sister.

Good luck!

MAY 26, 2022

tive into a positive by showing how your family is lovingly handling the situation.

(In addition, it certainly helps to have a doctor in the family.)

And, cross out almost all of the pre-requisites on your matrimony check list. The only really important stipulation is that your date not be judgmental or close-minded.

Now, generally, the following suggestions are certainly not applicable to all young women, and I am not implying that you, Tamar, are lacking in any way, but I hope that some single women find these suggestions helpful.

First, don’t just sit back and pray for the phone to ring. Go to Shabbos meals with single or married friends. Show up in shul. Be

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Specifically, in your case, you need to get over what you perceive as your negative family background. Virtually every family has some challenges, or some skeletons in their closets. “Perfect” families that seem so ideal are often merely better at hiding their problems.

So, in many respects, these families who seem to be absolutely “perfect” are kind of scarier than families who acknowledge their problems and successfully deal with their issues. I urge you to not shy away from telling shadchanim and references that your sister has taken a different path and that you and your family are proud of the fact that you all, nevertheless, love, accept, and support her.

You can transform a perceived nega-

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ear Tamar, Thank you for writing! I’m so sorry you find yourself in this position.

And I’m so sorry that this phenomenon of exclusion and Darwinian-like mindset prevents so many wonderful people from getting dates.

I’ve read all the panelists’ responses, and I agree with all the suggestions and encourage you to follow through. Getting out there, networking, setting your resume apart, and most of all accepting and embracing your beautiful family are all of paramount importance. Hashem does not guarantee that all families will practice Judaism identically. We know that, above all else, we are supposed to love each other and not judge one another.

Many families struggle with this and re-

ject each other or simply don’t remain close due to religious differences. Your family is a model family in my book, a family that chooses love and acceptance, warmth and open-mindedness over what the neighbors think, a family that any person with good Jewish values and morals would want to join. You need to know this.

A “run of the mill yeshivish family” may not accept someone from your background. You need to be realistic about this, and you may benefit from loosening the grip on your expectations and desires.

Are you rejecting guys from more diverse backgrounds? If you won’t date guys from

grounds may ultimately lead you to your bashert.

What we should never give up from our list of “must haves” is kindness, mentschlechkeit, and someone who has the qualities of an excellent husband.

What really matters is being with someone who will take care of you when you have a cold, who will try to make you laugh when you’re sad, who will hold your hand when you’re sitting on the couch, and who will listen when you had a fight with your best friend and say, “I’m sorry that happened.”

As nice as it is to believe that marrying someone from a certain “kind of family” is the answer, it may be the very thing holding you back. Maybe Hashem has something so much greater in store for you! Starting with opening up your dating pool may be the way Mr. Right can swim right up to you.

All the best!

Sincerely Jennifer

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

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non-yeshivish backgrounds, are you engaging in the same discriminatory behavior as all the families rejecting your resume? The time to remove the yeshivish “must haves” is now. Open things up a bit. Allow more opportunities to enter your life. Remove this blockage (at least it feels like a blockage to me).

Let’s consider the beautiful potential of you marrying someone with a more diverse background who shares your current hashkafa, more or less. Potentially, you stand to benefit from the bond you would have over your common ground; a mutual understanding of your pasts, where you come from and what you want to create together as a couple and one day as a family unit. There would likely be understanding there that you may not share with someone from a strictly yeshivish background.

I am not suggesting you don’t date yeshivish guys, only that opening up your “must haves” to include guys from varying back-

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Living an Animated & Awesome Life Saul Blinkoff Talks about Mulan, Mitzvos, and His Motivation to Succeed

BY TAMMY MARK

S

aul Blinkoff is entertaining even when he’s not officially entertaining. A Hollywood filmmaker, inspirational speaker, husband and father of four, he masterfully uses various voices and songs during his casual conversations and brings an undeniable energy and passion to everything he does.

Blinkoff’s latest project is “Life of Awesome!” a podcast on which he aspires to inspire with new guests and lessons each week, incorporating everything from the Torah to movie clips and music to give over his meaningful messages. For his episode on “The Envy of Others,” for example, he skillfully utilizes both the biblical Cain and Abel and the animated Buzz and Woody to illustrate and deliver his lesson.

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An Artist at Heart Blinkoff grew up on the East Coast, first in Philadelphia until age eight.

His family moved to the Five Towns of Long Island where he attended Lawrence Number Six School and later George W. Hewlett High School.

Blinkoff attend Camp Ramah in Poconos. His father is a retired allergist and his mother, Cantor Lynn Karpo, a retired chazanit. They raised Saul along with his siblings in a “Conservadox” Jewish home.

His parents instilled the initial love of Judaism in their children.

“Jewish values ran very very strong in my home,” Saul shares. “My parents’ love of Yiddishkeit was very in-

spiring to me. My mother lit Shabbat candles on Friday night, and my father said kiddush. Our parents’ love of Israel is very strong. They went to Israel every year for 40 years – except this year – and it was very hard for them not to go.”

As a child, Blinkoff was constantly drawing. When he saw the 1982 movie E.T., everything changed for him as he decided he wanted to become a filmmaker. He didn’t know anyone in the business, or in any creative field – only lawyers and doctors and businessmen.

Blinkoff went to the local library and took out books on director Steven Spielberg.

“I thought, ‘Wow, the director of E.T. is a Jewish guy, and if he could do it, I can do it.’ That really inspired me. I found out that Spielberg would make movies with his friends in the neighborhood, so I got a film camera, and on weekends my older brother Jason and my twin sister Reena and I would make movies with kids in the neighborhood. I was the writer and director – I never starred in them; I was always behind the camera. Kids from the neighborhood still remember those times.” Today, Saul’s brother is a business owner and his sister is a lawyer.

One comment knocked Blinkoff off-course early on. Somebody approached Blinkoff at school and told him that if he wanted to get into Hollywood to be a filmmaker, he’d have to live in LA, and there are strange people out there – and “you don’t want to end up a weirdo, do you?” This com-

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With his mother in London in 2004

Saul, in his younger years, on a trip to Disney

ment caused Blinkoff to give up on his dream instantly.

Today, when Saul lectures, he reminds his audiences how impressionable people are during the teenage years.

“Somebody can say something that can inspire us and uplift us and encourage us,” Saul notes, “and somebody else can say something, and it can detract us from the trajectory that we want to be on.”

Young Blinkoff decided to go back to being an artist. His parents hired an art teacher for him, and he was very grateful for her lessons. While he used to draw cartoon characters, she taught him to draw from life.

“I was terrible at drawing hands – hands are very difficult for artists,” he recalls.

His art instructor instructed him to draw a hand from a different position every night before bed.

“She taught me a great lesson early on in life,” Sauls recalls, “which is, first of all, it’s not comfortable for us to struggle. Whenever we struggle, we usually don’t like to be in that place because it’s out of our comfort zone, it’s not comfortable.

“She taught me a valuable lesson: to embrace our discomfort in order to grow. Otherwise, find out what your weaknesses are and turn them into your strengths.”

“Now it’s my mantra,” says Blinkoff. He even produced a podcast on it: “Turning Weaknesses into Strengths.” One could wonder if he brought this discipline and determination to other things. When asked how he fared as a student, Blinkoff laughs, “Academics were difficult. I loved English the most because it was stories and I make my living as a storyteller – so I was always enamored with stories.”

Saul adds, “I saw another movie

that changed my life. I saw The Little Mermaid, and the timing of what was happening with the Walt Disney Company lined up with my life at that moment.”

Dreaming of Disney It happened to be that after Walt Disney died, Disney had lost their vision and released a couple of movies that were dark and dated. The animation studio was at risk of shutting down. Under the new leadership of CEO Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a decision was made to go forth with the movie The Little Mermaid.

“They put everything into that movie. That movie was so unique be-

Saul during his Disney internship

“After I saw that movie, I had the most valuable thing in my life - clarity.”

Blinkoff recently interviewed the voice of The Little Mermaid, Jodi Benson, who shared her personal journey on his podcast.

“When you get clarity and you’re very focused on a goal then you could build the steps that you need to take,” Saul says. “I knew I wanted to be a Disney animator; I wasn’t just going to be an artist, I wasn’t going to be a film-

“I remember feeling for the first time in my life I didn’t want to just be Jewish; I wanted to live JewisH ”. cause it was the first movie to bring back music and the Broadway musical structure. Bringing Broadway people into Disney was unheard of at that time. The Little Mermaid soundtrack took off, and the movie became a blockbuster hit and saved Disney animation and reinvented it for a new generation,” explains Blinkoff.

“What appealed to me the most when watching that film was not just the music and the color and the visuals – which were so unique at the time – but Glen Keane’s animation of [the mermaid] Ariel. He’s really the most talented Disney animator that ever lived. His drawings of her and the animation of movement… you really felt for her as a character. It really spoke to me, and I was really intrigued.

maker – I wanted to be a filmmaker and artist. That’s what animation was – it combined my two passions: my love of drawing and my love of filmmaking – and put them together. Plus, I found out that Disney had a studio in Florida, and I didn’t have to go to LA. “So there I am, a junior in high school, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. My dream was to become a Disney animator.”

But it wasn’t so simple to follow his dream.

“The problem was that I didn’t know how to do that,” Saul admits, “but I did have the most supportive parents. Today, you want to be an animator, if you want to be an anything, you find out how on the internet – but back then we didn’t have that! My

mom took me on a trip to Disneyworld just to ask them how her son could become a Disney animator.”

Mom and son spent four days in Orlando walking around Disneyworld, approaching all the employees, “cast members,” asking how to become a Disney animator.

“It was incredible,” Saul says of that time.

They were finally directed to the Disney casting building a few minutes away. They reached the beautiful building with the striking doors with doorknobs like those out of Alice in Wonderland opening to an atrium of gold statues of Disney characters.

They quickly discovered that this was only where Disney casts the employees for the parks, but all wasn’t lost. The woman who had greeted them stepped out and returned a minute later with a list of eight art colleges that Disney recruits animators from.

“There it was. That was the recipe,” recalls Blinkoff.

“Quite often, I meet people and, for the ones that are lucky enough to know what they want to do with their lives, I ask them how they are going to achieve it. Often, I get this look of ‘I don’t know.’ If you don’t know how to accomplish something, it won’t happen,” Saul asserts.

“I didn’t have the recipe of how to become a Disney animator until I

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Asher giving Dennis of Hotel Transylvania 2 a voice in the studio

artists that maybe four of them will ever actually work at Disney.

“When he said that, I thought to myself, ‘I wonder who the other 3 are going to be?’” Saul recalls. “You either believe in yourself that you can accomplish something or you don’t – there’s no maybe. If you believe that you can accomplish something, then you can take the steps to achieve it. However small and incremental those steps are, they are bringing you forward towards the goal, towards the desired outcome.”

Blinkoff clearly believed.

“I thought it may not be probable, but it’s possible. “ The speaker told the students that in order to apply to be a Disney animator one must have a portfolio of anatomy from life – no cartoon characters or Mickey Mouse. Blinkoff now felt he had the answer key to his career, and his goal became even more focused.

In his sophomore year, he submitted his portfolio to Disney but received a letter from Disney stating that he did not make it into the internship program. Blinkoff was nonetheless excited to see his name on authentic Disney stationery; he put the letter over his desk and sharpened his skills for another year.

It was known around campus that Blinkoff and best friend Andy were the frontrunners in college as nobody outworked them. Sketchbooks in hand, the two drew everything around them.

Blinkoff recalls a trip to the zoo on a freezing cold Columbus day with 25 other students. He and Andy ventured out to draw the animals; they later find out they were the only ones who left the warmth of the zoo cafeteria. “It

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had that piece of paper. In my head, an equation was forming, ‘Saul plus go to one of these schools will equal dream of becoming a Disney animator.’”

Blinkoff’s devoted mom took him to visit each of these art schools. Saul recalls seeing people dressed as he’d never seen before – purple makeup, piercings, streaked hair, all black clothes.

They visited Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. “I remember the guy touring me around and showing the artwork on the walls, and it was a hundred times better than anything I could ever do. I remember feeling intimidated, but I also felt like, if I’d be the worst one at this school but if I’m surrounded by great artists, I’ll probably get better. So I chose that school, and thank G-d they chose me.”

Freshman year was incredibly difficult. It was one of the hardest schools with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum in addition to the art classes – with a dropout rate close to 25%. Blinkoff was up late every night, typically pulling two all-nighters per week. He studied color, design, anatomy, painting, illustration, sculpture, and more.

He was lucky to make a friend, Andy, that first week – a nice guy and a great artist.

“Just being friends with someone like that made me a better artist. I talk about it a lot with people; who we choose to be friends with actually affects who we become. The values that we want to have ourselves, we need to pick in our friends, because whatever values our friends have are going to rub off on us.”

During the first week, a lead Disney animator came to speak to 750 students. He informed the aspiring

Rudy Ruettiger would later be the first guest on Blinkoff’s podcast.

The next day, Saul called Disney to ask how close he was to getting chosen and found out he missed the internship by three spots – out of a group of 3,800 applicants. He then asked why he got rejected and was told he needed to work on drawing with perspective. He was also told that he was the first to ask that question.

This taught Blinkoff a great practical and profound lesson.

“Only when we ask why do we get the answer key to growing,” he asserts.

“We can be so close to achieving our dream, but we feel like were miles away, and all we have to do is push a little bit more.”

Blinkoff continued drawing nonstop; he was accepted to the internship the following year. The first film he worked on was Pocahontas, where he animated the leaves of the forest.

His mom was so proud.

His life began to accelerate. He was offered a five-year contract and hired to continue work on animating Pocahontas. At the same time, he got invited with another animator to travel the country and promote the film, doing live presentations in shopping malls. It was in a South Florida mall where he was reintroduced to a girl from Hewlett High School, Marion Goldenberg, who would later become his wife and true partner in life.

Then came work on The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Blinkoff was living the dream – complete with his dream job, sports car and a great apartment in Florida.

MAY 26, 2022

Saul with his family

was too cold,” was the surprising response from other students.

“So often in life we have lofty dreams that we talk about, but when it comes to the real work, the real effort and struggle, if it’s painful at all, a lot people tend to throw in the towel and tend to do the least amount of work necessary to give them the perception that they’ve achieved what they want,” Saul notes. “But the real work – it’s few people that wind up doing that.

“Of the most successful people, 99% of the time, all have one thing in common: an incredible amount of tenacity, perseverance, and willingness to fail and work through struggle and pain.”

It was midyear break when Andy called Blinkoff at home to share his good news: Andy got hired for the Disney internship. Blinkoff was excited for his most-deserving pal. He then called the head of Disney internships directly; Saul was informed he did not make the cut. It was bittersweet, to say the least, as Blinkoff headed back to grey, cold Columbus to face his schoolmates and share the news, as his friend went off to “the happiest place on earth.”

“I felt like a loser,” Saul admits.

“Then I came up with a brilliant tool to take that feeling away – I gave up.

I gave up on my dream because reality set in. Andy was an awesome artist and I was just average – why was even I trying? Who did I think I was?”

Once again, thought, Blinkoff found his inspiration at the movies, this time, with Rudy, a film about an improbable football player. Tears streamed down his face as he watched Rudy overcome his limitations and succeed.

“If an unathletic kid could get into Notre Dame, then an untalented artist could get into Disney,” he thought. “I decided then and there to never give up again.”

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Artwork for The Long Night, the animated Holocaust film Saul is working on

Searching for Meaning On a break from work, he visited Israel with his parents on vacation.

Blinkoff stopped off in Bonkers Bagels in Jerusalem and began chatting about sports with a young man from New York who said he was learning in yeshiva.

“I just want to find out how I fit into the Jewish people,” the young man said.

Blinkoff had no idea what he meant. The young man explained that he wanted to learn on his own what Judaism means, not simply by how he was raised. Blinkoff never met the guy again but this brief, chance encounter would later prove to have had as big an influence on him as the blockbuster movies did.

Back at Disney, Blinkoff spend the next three years working on the film Mulan. He enjoyed an incredible sense of accomplishment – still in his twenties, working with his best friends and wearing flip-flops to work. There was a long break before work was to begin on Tarzan, and his “downtime” in Disney entailed riding the rollercoasters and visiting the Disney hotel pools. Blinkoff recalls floating in the lazy river, piña colada in hand, with a feeling of completeness between his dream job, his incredible girlfriend Marion, and knowing he was in “the happiest place on earth.”

Suddenly, a new feeling came over him.

“I remembered the kid I met at the bagel shop three and half years earlier,” Saul recalls. “I get out of the beach club pool. I dry off and I say to my friend, ‘I’m going to Israel to find out how I fit into the Jewish people.’

Meeting with a camper at Camp Morasha

Why did that hit me when I could have gone anywhere in the world?” ponders Blinkoff. “Deep down, I believe every one of us has a gnawing question mark inside us – everyone -- and that question is ‘Who am I?’ We all want to know who we are because, ultimately, if we know who we are, we want to be able to answer the questions ‘What is my life about? What am I living for?’

“While I worked so hard to get into Disney – which was wonderful – I knew it wasn’t everything.”

Blinkoff joined a 10-day trip with the Isralight program, with Rabbi Binny Freedman and Rabbi David Aaron, who currently run Yeshiva Orayta in Israel. Rabbi Freedman walked in, spoke to the group for 15 minutes, and his words impacted Blinkoff immediately.

“That was it,” Saul says. “After those 15 minutes, I was forever changed – the rest of my life, my wife’s life, my children lives, every part of my life, every purpose of my life, my meaning, who I am, my goals -- everything was changed.”

Rabbi Freedman spoke about the mitzvah of mezuzah. The Rav explained that the Shema is inside, and it is put on doorposts as an obligation.

He then told the group that the Torah was written by the Creator of the world, something that Blinkoff never heard in his Conservative Jewish education.

“That was a big statement: the Torah was written by G-d. I never thought about that.”

The group was broken up to study Torah portions, something Saul never experienced.

He relates, “After I delved into the Torah we were learning, I realized

right then and there that the Torah was written by G-d because of the profound wisdom and intricacies of what I was learning – no human could write that. It was incredible. The light switch went off that the Torah is min hashamyim, from heaven.”

Rabbi Aaron told them that the Torah is like a love letter from G-d to humanity. A love letter isn’t information and rather it’s there to connect with intimacy, when you want to have a relationship. Why is this love letter from G-d on your doorway? Rabbi Freedman explained that the mezuzah isn’t a thing, it’s an opportunity; before we go out into the world we pass through a doorway, a place of transition.

“Every mezuzah in the world is only in a transitionary place. It’s there to remind us before we go out into the world to ask, ‘What am I living for?’

It’s an opportunity to clarify the goal and purpose of your life and your day.

Is it to come back from the world and have made more money? Or is my purpose a little bit deeper – to give, to inspire, to nurture, to learn, to grow?

Hopefully when we come back into our homes at the end of the day, we’re a different person.”

Blinkoff admits that even at DreamWorks, there are frustrating days at work, like at any other job.

Now, as he crosses through the threshold of his home, the mezuzah reminds him to check on his wife and children and see what they need, to leave his burden at the door and become a different person.

Blinkoff learned how “Torah” means “instruction” and that the Torah is Torat chaim, directions for life.

After thinking how he had accomplished “his dream,” he realized he wanted more.

“I wanted a life of living my purpose,” he says. “I wanted a life of meaning, and I found out that as a Jew I’d been given the greatest gift of humanity – the instruction manual for living.”

The Isralight rabbis shared a story of a woman who died with her infant son al kiddush Hashem in the Holocaust. Then a quote from Rabbi Noach Weinberg, zt”ll, of Aish Hatorah, “If we don’t know what we’re willing to die for were not living for anything,” really drove the point home for Saul.

“I remember feeling for the first time in my life I didn’t want to just be Jewish; I wanted to live Jewish.”

A Mezuzah for Pooh Blinkoff returned to Disney to work on Tarzan. He subsequently had an opportunity to work at MTV in New York City and was advised to visit the Upper West Side to find an apartment. At this point, Blinkoff was studying the weekly parsha and had stopped going to movies on Friday nights – a huge sacrifice for a movie buff – but was not yet Orthodox. When he learned that a shomer Shabbos guy was looking for roommate, Blinkoff took the leap, made the commitment and fell in love with Shabbos.

Marion was an associate producer at Disney at the time and moved to New York as well. She, too, was on a spiritual journey, having visited Israel and also learning from Blinkoff’s rabbis when they ran a Jewish retreat in Florida. The two started growing together and got married in 2002.

The newlyweds settled down in Beverly Hills, and Saul returned to Disney as a director. His first movie was Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo and, since Blinkoff learned that Disney artists like to hide things in their art, he drew in a mezuzah on Pooh’s house – “Now he’s Winnie the Jew.” He also wrote Hashem in Hebrew hid-

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A mezuzah on Winnie the Pooh’s door

The word Hashem hidden in the grass

take our passion, ambition, gifts, talents, abilities and use them and grow them in a way that will hopefully help us serve humanity, and use them to change the world,” Saul shares. “If we saw the world as ours, we’d take more responsibility for it.”

Today, Blinkoff is a supervising producer at DreamWorks animation, working on a hit new TV show called Madagascar: A Little Wild, which just won a Best New Series award from Kidscreen out of hundreds of shows.

He directed the very popular Doc McStuffins. He has had the opportunity to direct movies and TV shows for Disney, DreamWorks, Amazon, Hulu and Netflix.

Blinkoff credits his family for so much of his success.

“I couldn’t have gotten where I am if it wasn’t for the support and love and nurturing of my parents, that’s for sure. They really provided the foundation for me to believe in myself to dream big. As parents, one of the hardest things we need to do is to really become sensitive to the needs of what our children specifically need,

“Torah is a Lens”

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The imposing Disney casting office, part of Saul’s recipe for success

Blinkoff is very enthusiastic about his “Life of Awesome” podcast.

“I explore wisdom rooted in Torah and share meaningful messages and interviews to inspire hopefully a much bigger audience to reach for a higher more meaningful life,” he explains.

The podcast is available on Apple and other platforms, as well as on his website.

This endeavor came to Blinkoff after traveling the world lecturing to

several thousands and thousands of people in all corners of the world – every demographic, age, and affiliation – and he offers the same message.

He explains, “I want to inspire those I speak to embrace their Jewish identity and to not just wake up and say, ‘I want to be Jewish’ but to figure out how to live Jewish every moment of our lives, because only when we do that, do we have a life that’s meaningful.”

The turning point for Blinkoff that moved him from achieving his own goals to sharing his experiences and insights with others came about 15 years ago, after he reconnected with a friend from Isralight – Rabbi David Luria, a former secular Jew who returned to learn in Israel and came out six years later as a frum rabbi.

Rabbi Luria invited Blinkoff to speak to the kiruv program he had launched at Brown University and tell his story, and Blinkoff shared his story with eight students. Four years later, Blinkoff found himself giving a similar talk to 2,000 people in South Africa.

He now lectures for Chabad houses, outreach organizations, shuls, schools and camps worldwide.

Five years ago, Blinkoff became a trip leader for a program called Momentum, leading non-observant Jewish dads on a weeklong heritage trip to Israel and discussing tools based on Jewish wisdom on how to grow as a father and husband to live a life that’s more meaningful. The program has taken over 10,000 women to Israel inspiring par-

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and my parents were very invested in me and my brother’s and sister’s lives so much so that they did whatever they could to help get us on the road that we needed to be on to be able to work hard and to encourage us to do it for ourselves.

“Of course, my wife – my wife married a dreamer. It’s not easy to marry a dreamer,” Saul admits. “You bring everyone else a long for the ride, and it’s not so simple. She’s been the foundation and my partner in everything in life, and we’re very grateful.”

Blinkoff’s family is a top priority, and his children have gotten to get a glimpse of their dad’s life. At age six, his son Asher was cast as the voice of the main character Dennis in Hotel Transylvania 2.

“It was so cool – he was such a kiddush Hashem,” Saul says with pride.

“When you went to the Sony studios and you saw the wall of all the actors doing the voices, you saw Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez -and our son Asher Blinkoff with his big felt kippah with Hebrew letters saying Asher Chaim on the front!”

Daughters Meira, Lielle and Naomi have all had their turns in voice roles.

While they don’t have plans to pursue careers in show business, they enjoy local Jewish theater groups as a hobby.

MAY 26, 2022

den in the grass in the first minutes of the movie.

“I didn’t just see myself as a filmmaker; I saw myself as a Jewish filmmaker,” he clarifies. “Ultimately, I started putting more Jewish values into the work I did.”

The Blinkoffs became fully shomer Shabbos in LA and moved into the Aish community in Pico-Robertson. They began hosting guests and estimate that over the past 20 years, they’ve hosted thousands and thousands of people for Shabbos.

“Almost every Shabbos before Covid, we were hosting 5-15 students from around the world, from all of the travels and speaking engagements,” Saul says.

At one point, Blinkoff met Rabbi Shalom Denbo, a student of the late Rabbi Weinberg, who taught from the book of the Ramchal, Mesilas Yesharim, Path of the Just. One key phrase changed Blinkoff’s outlook forever: What am I responsible for in this world?

“Whatever we are interested in in life, we have to figure out a way to

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Inspiring a crowd of 2,000 people

ents to change their family, their community, and their world.

Where did he first hone his public speaking skills?

“When I was on that Pocahontas world tour – that’s what gave me the experience of learning how to speak in front of 500 people,” Saul explains.

“I had coaches and directors from Disney who taught me how to do that, and I use those same skills now to share my story and to teach Jewish wisdom to audiences around the world.”

Blinkoff’s energy is palpable, and the source comes from a wisdom seemingly beyond his years.

“There are a bunch of things that motivate me,” he says. “One of them is the idea of death. Steve Jobs had a quote that ‘the greatest gift given to humanity is the awareness that we’re going to die.’ When we realize that life is a blink of an eye, we have to utilize every moment. I don’t want to waste time. There is so much to get done.

Reb Noach Weinberg used to stay up learning and working on his organization, and he’d get a couple of hours of sleep a night, not consecutive, because there’s so much to do. I feel like when we get the clarity of how much there is to accomplish that should energize us and motivate us to keep going.

“Number two,” he says, “is that it’s energizing to have the realization of being alive. The pleasure of being alive is motivating and energizing.

Picture somebody who doesn’t want to get out of bed in the morning, who stays in bed and hits the snooze button over and over again because they don’t have the thrill the wonderment of being alive…”

“Judaism is not a religion; it’s reality. It’s not something I do; it’s something that affects how I see everything.

Torah is a lens – if you look at the world through the lens of Torah, it’s a very different world. If you go through pain in your life, most people think it’s a terrible thing, but through the lens of

Judaism, it’s an opportunity to grow.”

He adds, “I have an episode on my podcast called ‘The Simplest Things.’

If you walk down the street and appreciate the smell of the flowers, the feel of the sun on your face and the breeze and the beauty of trees and the sounds of children playing – how can that not be energizing and motivating?

How could you not want to get out of bed and experience life?”

As we count the weeks of growth during Sefirah period, we can apply many of Blinkoff’s life lessons, both to Shavuot and beyond.

“Shavuos is the giving of the Torah and it’s ‘kabbalah,’ to ‘receive’ the Torah. In order to receive something,

sons to their friends, and they always come home with an experience where they’re teaching their friends these lessons, or creating their own lessons that they’re teaching me about. Every week, when I finish a podcast episode, the kids listen to it. They love listening together. Creating it has been family affair.”

With all of the lighthearted projects Blinkoff gets to work on, one can wonder if he ever sees a darker side of his industry.

“I see it every day,” he admits.

“One of the things that really takes a toll is seeing how much of Hollywood is working hard for things that really don’t matter – statues and accolades

“Deep down, I believe every one of us has a gnawing question mark inside us - everyone -- and that question is ‘Who am I?’” there are two things we must have: we need to have the want for it; you need to crave it. The only way to receive it is to see how much we need it. Torah is the compass that tells us which way to go. But in order to trust the Source of where it comes from – all of us need to remind ourselves every day – we need to wake up and renew that wanting, that craving and have dveikus to Hashem and His Torah and mitzvos.

“As we get ready for Shavuos, may each of us take a moment and realize the need of Torah in our lives, so we can receive it again and ultimately build on the relationship with the Creator of the world – and ultimately our true limitless potential.”

Blinkoff is grateful that his kids appreciate his lessons, and they actually are following on this path.

“They love to teach these same les-

and fame are vapid and meaningless.”

One podcast episode on envy references how actress Bette Davis still held resentment at the end of her life for losing an Oscar award.

“That’s the town that I work in,” Saul points out. “At the same time, there are a few who do hold onto the precious values that I hold onto and see our jobs as storytellers as a responsibility to make an impact on the world and help shape the values of the world.”

He adds, “Working in Hollywood is also a difficult thing because usually there’s one common agenda in Hollywood and often there isn’t room for multiple points of view, and that sometimes is a struggle. “ Saul says, “I wear my kippah at work. They all know I’m an Observant Jew, and I’m also in a top leadership

position at DreamWorks. I work with a great team, and I work very hard to create a culture on my show that is one of respect and one of appreciation. I want everyone on my show to feel respected and appreciated because the culture and the experience of each person on my show is more important to me than the final product. I want to make sure that everyone has a really positive growing experience on the show.”

Blinkoff is currently working on an animated Holocaust movie called The Long Night. He just produced a live action short film for the JEIC organization which focuses on how yeshiva students are overloaded and aims to preserve their relationship with their Creator and Judaism. He is also Chief Creative Officer for a brandnew startup company founded by an orthodox Jew called LuvSeats, an app that helps people purchase upgraded seats during live events. Blinkoff regularly works until 4 AM and through the night on Thursdays to edit his podcasts.

In 2014, Blinkoff was recognized by the Jew in the City organization as an example of an Orthodox Jew at the top of their secular field. Often asked how he balances being an Observant Jew in Hollywood, he answers simply, “How can I not? It’s my Judaism that helps me embrace my identity and inform every decision I make every moment of my life.

“I live in the town where people want that gold statue – and all I want is to get to Shabbos!”

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The Conversation Continues L

ast week, we responded to a painful letter written by a teen who was ridiculed about her weight when she was younger. Over the course of her high school years, she lost a great deal of weight and developed a complex which led to severe restriction of calories in her diet, as well as an extreme exercise regimen. Though we cannot offer a diagnosis, it was noted that the letter writer, Eliana, presented a story that carries many of the hallmarks of an extremely dangerous eating disorder called anorexia nervosa.

Last week’s article was a direct response to Eliana. However, it is really important that parents understand the nature of this disorder. For this week’s article, I will take the opportunity to explain this further. We will discuss: • Causes • Warning signs • How to talk to your teen and be supportive, rather than harmful • Treatment

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by rabbi Doniel Drandoff, LMFt

esearch suggests that while it is often unclear what causes an eating disorder, there can be a number of factors that play into it. In other words, there are some indicators that we can point to and consider.

It seems that genetics are a definite factor. Eating disorders often run in the family.

If a family member suffers with an eating disorder, the likelihood of others developing an eating disorder rises. It is far from a guarantee, chas v’shalom. It simply means that the statistics teach us that parents must be more vigilant and aware of their children’s eating habits if there is a family history of eating disorders.

Another statistical fact is that eating dis-

Teen Talk ,

a new colum n in TJH, is ge ared towards th e teens in our com munity. A nswered b rotating ro ya ster of tea chers, reb clinicians beim, , and peers (!), teens w hearing a ill be nswers to many que stions they had percolatin g in their minds and wishe d they ha d the answ ers for.

orders are far more common among females. Once again, a little more vigilance with one’s daughter(s) is appropriate.

Other causes can be social pressure to be thin, anxiety, perfectionism, and a history of abuse. Included in this is if a child is bullied or teased due to his/her weight.

Once again, I want to reiterate that this list represents a loose idea of potential indicators. The mere fact that your child fits any of these should not be cause for panic.

In fact, as I will explain below, even a clear diagnosis should not result in panic.

When it comes to anorexia warning signs, we can be a little more specific and certain.

There are specific behaviors and attitudes that should indicate to a parent that there may be a serious problem.

I will list some of them in bullet form (in no particular order): • Intense fear of gaining weight • Sticking to a strict and restrictive diet, despite being very thin • Emaciated appearance • Refusal to eat or admit when hungry • Discomfort eating in public, and/or refusal to do so • Extremely self-critical of weight and/ or appearance • Changes in mood – depressed, anxious, irritable…

• Becoming increasingly less social • Compulsive exercise • Regular female biological cycle has become erratic or has altogether stopped While this is not a completely exhaustive list of potential symptoms, it is a

very good start. As a parent, you should be cognizant and aware so that you can pick up on the warning signs if they do emerge. Some or all of these red flags may be present, so it is important to be tuned in to your child’s world. The earlier an eating disorder is discovered, the better the prognosis.

Until now, we have really only been discussing anorexia of the restricting type, but it is important to note that there are other eating disorders to be aware of: anorexia of the binge-eating/purging type (which was briefly mentioned last week), bulimia nervosa, and binge eating are the most common. It is beyond the scope of this article to go into detail of each, however, the approach to how to speak with your kids is more or less the same for all.

I

f you suspect that your son or daughter is suffering with anorexia, the first rule is don’t panic. Generally, people who are in a state of panic are not capable of acting in a way that is thoughtful, careful and extremely empathetic and validating. When it comes to approaching your teen, you will need heavy doses of all of these.

So, step one is to find your inner calm so that you may come to the conversation with your teen in a way that exudes confidence and love. If your teen picks up on your anxiety and frustration it will only further his/her

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Step one is to find your inner calm so that you may come to the conversation with your teen in a way that exudes confidence and love.

T

he road ahead will be extremely challenging. In order for your teen to recover, he/ she will need you more than ever. The right

Rabbi Doniel Drandoff is a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community, as well as Clinical Director of My Extended Family. He works with teens, young adults, families, and couples. You can reach Rabbi Drandoff at Dndrandoff@gmail.com.

emoH hsiweJ eht | 5102 ,92 rebOtcO

to the nearest hospital. But I can’t reiterate enough that this should only be done if you are certain that it can be done safely. If you are worried, then it is better to be safe and call 911.

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If your doctor confirms your fears, then he will be able to guide you through your immediate next steps. Next steps will likely include a psychiatric evaluation (preferably with a psychiatrist with experience and expertise in treating eating disorders), nutritional counseling, and psychotherapy. Of course, ongoing medical care will be very important to assess for and treat any health issues that the eating disorder has caused.

kind of parental support can be the difference when it comes to a successful outcome. You have to be prepared to actively participate in the treatment. This may involve weekly family therapy sessions. It also means being on top of his/her nutrition.

Take the time to educate yourself about anorexia so that you will have greater insight into your teen’s struggle and so that you will know what to expect. Be extremely patient and non-judgmental. As much as possible use positive regard and reinforcement to help your teen continue moving forward. Maintain constant vigilance with regards to the red flags and warning signs discussed above. As much as possible avoid lecturing.

Beyond all of this, your own self-care will be more important than ever before.

Much as the body requires physical fuel to endure, your spirit requires joy and fulfillment to endure. Without it, you are bound to burn out at some point. So spend time learning, take up a hobby, get together with friends, volunteer at a chesed organization, go for a daily walk…do whatever brings you joy and fulfillment.

If you are married, double down on shalom bayis. Make sure that you and your spouse are spending quality time together and connecting deeply. Avoid the common pitfall of blaming each other for how things turned out with your teen.

Most of all, pour your heart out to Avinu Malkeinu, the only real rofei cholim. Iy”H with a lot of hard work and siyata dishmaya you will get through this terrible ordeal and see great nachas from your teen.

MAY 26, 2022

In the event that your teen is not responsive to the treatment prescribed, then a more intensive form of treatment can be necessary.

Common avenues of higher-level treatment include intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) and in-patient treatment. In very severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary.

You will know that your teen requires higher level treatment if he/she is: • Not keeping to the agreed upon treatment recommendations made by the doctor and/or therapist • Sabotaging any potential progress • Experiencing severe depression • Feeling suicidal, or is threatening suicide If you are concerned for your teen’s safety, you should immediately contact your family doctor for guidance. If the situation is seriously acute, then call 911. Alternatively, if it can be done safely, you can take your teen

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own feelings of anxiety. That is definitely not helpful. You must communicate in a way that is calming.

So, what exactly are you communicating?

It starts with empathetic yet brutal honesty.

You must share your observations and concerns. A defensive response, or even outright denial, is extremely likely so be prepared for that and don’t get frustrated. Be very careful not to cast judgments or criticism. This is a lot easier said than done! Just remain calm and reiterate your concerns for his/ her safety. If your teen is adamant, and you are fairly certain that it is denial, then you must make an appointment with your family doctor. At the same time, if he/she actually opens up and your fears are confirmed, then be very liberal with your hugs and kisses and express your unconditional love and support.

Then make an appointment with your family doctor.

At that time, a full physical assessment can be done so that other underlying medical conditions can be ruled out. At the same time, maybe you have overreacted, and your teen is fine. The doctor can help clarify a lot.

Are you a teen with a question?

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

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Parenting Pearls

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Encouraging a Relationship with Hashem

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By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

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will start off by saying I don’t feel adequate to cover this topic, and I was very hesitant to take it on.

Despite these misgivings, I am adding my humble and basic thoughts because I feel the topic is too important to ignore. Truthfully, few of us are capable of doing justice to such a lofty concept but it still needs to be discussed. As we are finishing these final days of Sefiras Ha’omer and we prepare for Matan Torah, it seems like an appropriate time to focus on our relationship with the Giver of the Torah.

We often mention Hashem in our daily interactions with our children.

They learn to daven, make bracho,s and learn Hashem’s Torah. We teach them about mitzvos and appropriate middos.

These are all beautiful and important things for our children to learn.

In my humble opinion, having a personal connection and relationship with Hashem goes further than that and also needs to be directly taught.

When a child gets an ice cream cone, do they realize that Hashem provided them with it? If they need something, will they ask Hashem for help? These are lofty goals and concepts that are hard enough for an adult to understand. Despite these developmental

limitations, children can, on some basic level, begin to associate aspects of their daily life with a Higher Source.

Children, in their own way, can begin to recognize that Hashem has an effect on their daily life and is The One they can turn to whenever they need.

Their understanding may be immature but we can begin to plant those seeds in their mind. In some paradoxical way, children, with their purity and simplicity, can accept and understand some of these concepts that adults find challenging. As adults, we naturally feel a greater level of control over our lives than children do and perhaps this illusion limits our ability to recognize, in a way that children can, that Hashem is in charge of even the more minor aspects of our lives.

Thank Hashem We say brachos but do children who are not fluent in Hebrew internalize that the bracha is acknowledging that Hashem provided them with the item they’re about to eat? Children may benefit from lovingly being told, “Wow, what a treat Hashem gave you!” In the same way, children can be told when they receive a new toy or something special that it’s also from Hashem. As

they thank you for the new toy, they can also verbally thank Hashem for it as well. You’d be surprised how fast kids can pick up on this.

By making a connection between what they are already receiving and the ultimate Source of it, they can begin to appreciate that Hashem has a real and active role in their life. The hope is that by recognizing, in some minor way, the continuous involvement of Hashem, they will slowly begin to feel a connection and appreciation for Hashem in a personal way.

Another benefit is that they can begin to have gratitude towards Hashem for all they receive each day. When you realize that Hashem is giving you everything you enjoy, then it’s natural to feel appreciative. Appreciation is a worthy goal on its own but it can also lead to feeling more connected to the One Who has given them everything.

Tell your children Hashem loves them. It’s true, so why not tell them this? This can also lead to children feeling love towards Hashem. Children will eventually learn that everything that feels both good and bad comes from the same Source. Why not allow them to first understand that Hashem loves them? It’s hard to understand that the

same One Who heals is the one that creates sickness. It’s even harder when you don’t first realize that Hashem loves you and that everything comes from that love. Children have enough trouble accepting that a parent can deny them something, but at least they recognize that the denial comes from someone who loves them. It would be much harder to parent if children couldn’t recognize that we inherently love them. Allow them to also first feel that Hashem loves them before introducing and stressing the concept of Hashem giving challenges.

Ask and Talk to Hashem Children are taught to daven but it’s hard enough for adults to have the proper understanding of the words and concentration when saying them.

We should, of course, teach children the meaning behind the tefillos and encourage them to recognize they’re standing in front of the King of all Kings when they daven. I’m humbly suggesting that in addition to the set tefillos, children should be encouraged to talk to Hashem and ask for what they need, all in their own words. If something is bothering them and they’re stressed, then they should know

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‫בס"ד‬

Are your children on your mind? ‫ש ְי ֵהא ַז ְר ִעי ְו ֶז ַרע ַז ְר ִעי‬ ֶ

‫זרע‬ ‫כּשר‬

‫וּב ֶז ַרע ַז ְר ִעי‬ ְ ‫וּב ַז ְר ִעי‬ ְ ‫ְו ַאל ִי ָמ ֵצא ִבי‬ ‫עוֹלם שׁוּם ְפסוּל ָו ֶש ֶמץ‬ ָ ‫ַעד‬ ( ‫תוך ת פלת הש ל“ה‬ ‫)מ‬

Hashem will hear them and feel their sadness. If they need something, they should feel comfortable asking from the One Who can truly give it. Hashem may say “no” to certain things, like that new pony, but Hashem is listening.

Understanding that Hashem can listen and say “no,” just like a parent does, is also a lesson. Still, they should feel free to ask. Perhaps Hashem will “arrange” for them to ride a pony at a fair or answer their tefillos in some other way.

Children can also be taught to evaluate what is and isn’t something we daven for. When tefillos are real and being directed towards someone that listens and answers them, then they have a greater need to think through what they’re asking for first.

You can model all these behaviors for your children. You can thank Hashem verbally when you are truly appreciative of something. If you’re stressed (and you know parenting can get tense), you can ask Hashem for help. Telling

effective way to encourage a relationship with Hashem. Imagine what goes through a child’s mind when they hear about Hashem punishing them before they even understand that Hashem loves them. Also, children don’t always connect the idea of receiving a punishment as being a result or a direct consequence to their actions. They may, chas v’shalom, think of Hashem as vengeful or angry, as acting without cause. It can be hard to undo those feelings. If you truly feel that it’s necessary to show their actions are wrong, then perhaps saying, “It makes Hashem sad” is a better way to convey that Hashem doesn’t approve without creating negative feelings.

An older child will have a greater understanding of right and wrong, but even teenagers are often very blackand-white thinkers. It can be very easy for them to lose focus and feel like Hashem is out to get them or that they need to be afraid of Hashem. Threaten-

Building a relationship with Hashem is a lifelong process but one that can start from the youngest of ages.

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children to feel something or do something isn’t as effective as showing them how you do it. It may feel awkward at first but it is much more powerful when your children see you demonstrate it rather than simply tell them. Not only will they get a better understanding of what you mean by seeing your example but they’ll take you more seriously. Do as I say and not as I do has never been good parenting.

Don’t Stress Punishment I don’t deny that there is a fundamental concept that Hashem gives reward and punishment based on our behavior. It’s an important point that children do need to be taught at some point. Knowing that our actions matter and have consequences is crucial and a basic lesson for life. That being said, we need to be careful how we approach this topic with children. Telling children that “Hashem will punish you for doing that” may not be the most

ing a child or teen with Divine punishment may not be the best way to convey the seriousness of the matter.

These are simply some basic ideas to help encourage our children to see Hashem as an active and meaningful part of their lives and not something unconnected to them. Building a relationship with Hashem is a lifelong process but one that can start from the youngest of ages. This simple addition to their regular chinuch will hopefully enhance the Torah they learn, the mitzvos they do, and the tefillos they recite.

May we all merit to build a relationship with our Creator. Have a wonderful and meaningful Shavuos!

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

xamo fast

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Black Bean Salad s, rinsed and drained 1 15 oz. can black bean ¼ can corn niblets grape tomatoes 1 cup ha lved cherr y or ll pepper 1 cup chopped red be ion ½ cup chopped red on tro ½ cup chopped cilan Juice of 1 ½ limes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher sa lt er ½ teaspoon chili powd min ¼ teaspoon ground cu , peeled, and chopped 1 large avoc ado pit ted

MAY 26, 2022

Ingredients

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Fresh & Flavorful

87

Preparation

red pepper, onion, beans, corn, tomatoes, ck bla ine mb co , wl bo In a large r to combine. powder, and cumin. Sti ili ch t, sal , oil ve oli cilantro, lime juice, al sa lt, if necessary, d season with addit ion an o ad oc av the in r Gently sti before ser ving.

Beet Feta Salad Ingredients

Dressing ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons lemon jui

ce freshly squeezed

Preparation In a bowl, combine ba by spinach,

sliced cooked beets, roa sted cashews, and dried cranberr ies.

Prepare the dre ssi ng by mi xing the ingredients until com bined.

Pour the salad dre ssing over the beet salad until beets are coated and mi x. Top with feta befor e ser ving.

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Salad 2 beets, cooked and slic ed 4 oz. baby spinach ½ cup cashews, roaste d ¼ cup dried cranberr ies 2 oz. goat cheese

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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Fresh Quinoa Sala d

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MAY 26, 2022

Ingredients Salad 1 English cucumbe r, diced 2 cups cooked quin oa, cooled ½ cup diced red on ion ½ cup cr umbled fet a cheese 1/3 cup roughly- ch opped fresh basil lea ves

Preparation

To prepare the vi naigrette: wh is k al l th e in gr ed ie nt s together until com bi ne d. Set aside.

To make the sa lad : toss the sa la d in gr ed ie nt s to ge th er.

Dress with vinaig rette before serv ing.

Vinaigrette ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons appl e cider vinegar or red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon Ita lia n seasoning, homem ade or store -bough Pinch of sa lt and bl t ack pepper

d la a S w o b in a R y h c n u r C

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

Ingredients Salad 8 oz linguini, cooked peppers 2 cups thinly sliced sweet s 1 ½ cups shredded car rot e 2 cups shredded cabbag o ¼ cup minced fresh cilantr ½ cup sliced sca llions Dressing nut but ter 3 tablespoons creamy pea 2 tablespoons honey ¼ cup soy sauce r 2 tablespoons rice vinega ds 2 tablespoons sesame see oil e 2 tablespoons sesam

Preparation

whisk To prepare the dressing, ts until all the dre ssi ng ing red ien smoot h. Set aside. bine To prepare the salad, com in a large all the salad ingredients dressing bowl. Before ser ving, pour bine. over salad and toss to com

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to The Candy Store

•

ev

y w ee

k

•

er

ers

Tw

Take a picture with your artwork and submit it to

o wi n n

thebjh.com/kids to enter a raffle for a chance to win $10 to The Candy Store!

See your picture in print the following week!

Submissions due Friday, June 3rd

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MAY 26, 2022

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90

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Elisheva Goldstein, 8

Yael Gabay, 11

Mirel Salazar, 10

Nechama, 11

Tali Rabenstein, 10

Yonah Rabenstein, 4

Yosef Schoemann, 10

Hadassah, 4

Dovid, 2

Esther, 6

Naami

Jamie Orner, 7

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91

Gabriel B, 6

Hadassah Goldstein, 11

Leah Saposnik, 7

Shaindy Bulman

Yael B, 11

Yehudis, 6

Yocheved Kaplowitz, 9

Adina Baron, 13

Akiva, 10,

Aviva, 8

Avraham Chaim, 7

Chaya, 9

Ella Frager, 8

Ephraim

Meira Baron, 9

Shalva Baron, 4

Shira Baron, 12

Avigail Masinter, 11

Shalom Ahron Weiner, 10

Chayala, 9

Eliyahu Rayman, 9

Zevi Minkin, 9 Scanned with CamScanner

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Akiva Katz, 10

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EVEN MORE Aaron Dovid, 10

Adina Abrahams D, 3

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Aliza Radzyner, 6

Aryeh, 6

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Chaim Yair, 7

Chana, 9

Chezky, 6

Dahlia, 9

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Esther Gittel, 9

Esti Hill, 10

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Gabby, 8

Naftali Raczkowski, 4

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Reuven, 10

Sara, 8

Yael Price, 6

Yehuda Rubin, 10

Yehudah Masinter, 7

Yehudah Tendler, 10

Yehudis Preiser, 12

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93

Asher Morgenstern, 7

Caroline Orner, 7

Aviva Shoshana Raczkowski

Batsheva Esther, 9

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OCTOBER 29, |2015 | The Jewish MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome

94

Life C ach

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

MAY 26, 2022

Shavuos Made Simple

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

T

here are mountains that exist where we can enjoy an exhilarating ski experience, like Aspen or the Alps.

There are mountains that gain importance because of the faces that are indelibly preserved there, like Mount Rushmore.

There are certainly major peaks which people aspire to reach, such as Kilimanjaro or Mt Fuji.

So the question is: why pick a measly little mountain? One that is out in the middle of a dry, hot desert. A mountain that is hard to find even with Waze. Hard to identify even when looking right at it. And no fun to visit, due to its remote location anyway.

Because it simply is not about the mountain! It’s about the message...

All-knowing G-d gave us his “how to book for life” in that location; there’s got to be a good reason why.

So why a low mountain?

Well, it’s accessible to anyone.

There’s no need to acquire special mountain climbing gear. Young and old, adept and klutzy – we can all get up it.

Why in the desert?

So no one will claim it’s not open to everyone. The Torah is available for everyone.

And why don’t we know which mountain it is? Because it’s not about the mountain; it’s about the gift.

Midbar Sinai, which means the

Ooh

B B

Desert of Sinai, adds up in numeric Hebrew value to the word “shalom.”

It’s a place of peace. The Torah should bring us inner and outer peace.

G-d doesn’t want us going out there looking for the mini mountain.

G-d wants us to bring its experience home with us.

plan for this world. The embodiment of the nuances of what holds the world and us up. Where our charges come from. Where our shocks come from. Where our power comes from.

And where our light comes from.

When we respect and connect with the Torah, we are connecting to

B

Repair P H O Tand/or O G R A P H Y replace: Hot

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By Miriam

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

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CALL OR TEXT MIRIAM JACOBOVITS 347–572–8973 Saadya Cohen, Owner INSTRAGRAM: OOHBABYPHOTOGRAPHY

May your climb be ever upward to your own individual peak.

At Sinai, Hashem came to us. His voice was blaring, and the Jews told Moshe that it was just too awesome to bear. And so, Moshe took over for the rest of the luchos, and Hashem approved.

Hashem was not trying to put fear into us – He wanted to plant a sense of “fair” into our lives.

Fair and balance and pleasantness.

The idea of a mountain means there is climbing to do. The smallness means it’s achievable.

Welcome, to the holiday of Shavuos!

We celebrate the present that we received: the Torah. The architectural

the way that this world is held together and how it operates best – and how we can operate best in this world.

Even when we fall down, in our efforts, the landing we make is on forgiving sand. So, just dust yourself off, and try again. It’s never that far a climb!

Mount your celebration this week.

Plan your ascent.

And may your climb be ever upward to your own individual peak.

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach.

She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.

95

Money

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Your

Injury, Meet Insult

by Allan rolnick, cPA

MAY 26, 2022

6

plat was trading at $80. But for some reason, the Robinhood crowd soured on Microsplat, and the price started to fall.

XYZ’s managers decided to dump their holdings at $60/share.

That’s still a nice gain for the fund.

The managers patted themselves on the back and headed out for a steak dinner on

These sorts of distributions are especially common in choppy or falling markets, when investors spook and dump their fund shares, forcing managers to sell stocks to raise cash to pay redemptions.

Now CNBC reports that three investors have sued Vanguard Group for set-

The managers patted themselves on the back and headed out for a steak dinner on your dime.

your dime. But you lost 25% of your stake (the difference between the $80 that Microsplat was trading at when you bought into the fund and the $60 when managers sold). What’s even worse, at the end of the year, XYZ will report $40 of capital gains for each share, then send you a 1099-DIV reporting your share of that gain. Even though you didn’t profit from it before you invested. Even though you lost money on the trade! Suddenly diving into the pool isn’t so much fun, is it?

ting off just such a stampede. The plaintiffs held shares in Vanguard’s target-date retirement funds, or TDFs. Vanguard offers two classes of TDFs: an institutional class with a $100 million minimum and a retail class with smaller minimums but higher fees. But back in 2020, Vanguard lowered the minimum on the institutional class to just $5 million. That prompted investors who could meet the new minimum to flee the retail class for the lower-fee institutional class. And that, in

turn, forced Vanguard to sell 15% of the retail fund’s holdings to cash them out, unlocking millions of dollars in gains – and triggering millions in taxes. Now those plaintiffs are arguing Vanguard’s decision violated their fiduciary responsibility to their investors.

Separately managed accounts may be one alternative, especially in taxable accounts. SMAs let you hire a manager to assemble a portfolio of individual stocks from the ground up. There are no embedded capital gains like there are in mutual funds. You’ll enjoy more control and transparency over your portfolio than with funds and more flexibility to sell or make charitable gifts of individual securities.

Here’s your bottom line: Taxes don’t just happen. Your investment choices play a big role in your overall tax bill. So call us to help you understand the tax consequences and let us help you make smart choices!

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.

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

OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home

b

ack in the day, investors looking to realize gold-plated dreams on Wall Street spent hours poring through newspapers and magazines to sniff out promising stocks. By the 1980s, though, many investors grew tired of picking their own and turned management over to mutual funds. Peter Lynch became the iconic celebrity manager after first joining the company as an intern (after caddying for Fidelity executives). Today, the Investment Company Institute reports that Americans have $25 trillion socked away in funds, and there are actually more funds than individual stocks listed on the three major stock exchanges.

But mutual funds have an expensive Achilles heel for investors who don’t feel like sharing their gains with Uncle Sam. A recent lawsuit shines a light on just how badly their pooled structure hurts you. It turns out mutual funds are the only investment where you can lose money and wind up still paying taxes!

Let’s say the XYZ Growth Fund bought stock in a buzzy startup called Microsplat in 2016 when it was trading at just $20/share. In 2020, the fund made Money Magazine’s “10 Hot Funds to Buy Right Now” list. You picked up a copy at your dentist’s office, thought XYZ Growth looked good and bought in when Micros-

Buying or Selling a Home?

Experience Matters!

BARRY NABOZNY BROKER/REALTOR 410-977-7600

See pg pg 94

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