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JUNE 4, 2020
Respond to the COVID-19 Technology Challenge!
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Donate Now at www.tagbaltimore.org/HelpTAG HELP TAG HELP MORE PEOPLE! 125 Slade Avenue, Pikesville, MD 21208 | 410-449-1824 www.tagbaltimore.org | help@tagbaltimore.org
RUBY LASKER DESIGNS
RUBY LASKER DESIGNS
RUBY LASKER DESIGNS
Please help us raise the funds to scale up our resources and manpower.
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TAG Baltimore has been working double and triple the normal hours, at great financial cost, to help keep more families safe than ever before, but there is still a backlog of people who need help! Families can’t afford to wait to filter the devices they need to use now. It is too dangerous. They need TAG and they need TAG now!
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TAG is a valuable distance learning resource.
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CONTENTS COMMUNITY Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
JUNE 4, 2020
Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Zvi Teichman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
PEOPLE 613 Seconds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 A Healing Laugh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
LIFESTYLES From Student to Teacher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Health and Fitness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Forgotten Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Political Crossfire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Dating Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Hollywood Ending. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Mental Health Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 In The Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Gluten Free Recipe Column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Dear Readers, I hope we never go back to normal. To the normal activity of taking things for granted: under-appreciating the basic items and people in our lives, the joy of meeting a friend in the street, the thrill of davening with a minyan or learning in person with a chavrusa. The pleasure of attending a meeting discussing how to help the community. The delight in attending a chasunah. I hope we’re shell-shocked out of complacency and obliviousness. I hope we’re able to enjoy—and genuinely give thanks to Hashem for—such simplicities as breathing or being able to walk. I hope that, contrary to what the media would have us believe, the world we return to will be a more refined one, one in which people have more patience and are more kind. In Nevuas Yechezkel, the navi speaks of a time when the heart of stone will be replaced with a heart of flesh. Perhaps this is a preparation. The image of a self-made man who feels he’s in full control and responsible for all his success isn’t so convincing anymore. We now feel in our gut that there’s a Master to this world Who runs everything, can change everything in a blink, and with a simple mistake in one country can bring the population of the entire world to its knees. Let us not miss this opportunity to become a much better people than we were before. Let’s let go of grudges, even the ones that started when we were 100% right! Let us embrace and respect even those who we think are entirely mistaken in their views. We can disagree with their opinions, yet never make it personal. Let us hope this is the final challenge we needed before the time when there will be no anguish or pain. No jealousy or war. For the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the ocean covers the ocean bed. Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos, Shalom
Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
NEWS B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 National. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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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A milestone for Baltimore – Mostly peaceful protests! By: Staff Reporter
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
JUNE 4, 2020
BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn
A
lthough protests escalated a bit late Monday night, the youth-led march that went through the city in memory of George Floyd earlier in the day was mostly peaceful. Around 10:30 p.m., Baltimore County police officers near City Hall who were trying to arrest a homicide suspect were met by demonstrators, SkyTeam 11 reported. City police arrived and pulled the officers and the suspect away and formed a police line at Baltimore and South streets. Objects including rocks and water bottles were being thrown in the area, SkyTeam 11 reported. Police moved the demonstrators back to allow Maryland National Guard trucks carrying reserve officers to pass. At the same time, fireworks were set off in the area and a group of people were seen on SkyTeam 11 video
appearing to be fighting with one another. Police said six people were arrested during the protests Monday night into Tuesday morning. Earlier, people started showing up around 3 p.m. for a march that started outside the convention center. Before the march, a group of people protested peacefully on Pratt Street near the convention center shouting, “I can’t breathe.” The group, which numbered in the hundreds at the beginning and grew to the thousands, marched from the convention center through downtown streets to City Hall before moving on around 6 p.m. to the northbound Jones Falls Expressway, which police closed off to traffic. The leaders of the protest eventually exited the JFX at Chase Street. Part of the group headed back to City Hall, while others marched on the eastern fringe of downtown. The demonstration has remained peaceful. Streets were closed Monday morn-
ing around City Hall and some city offices closed early. A block over on Baltimore Street, businesses have boarded up windows as a precaution after there were scattered reports of vandalism of buildings after a protest Saturday night. Baltimore has not experienced the violence and destruction that has been seen in other cities, and authorities want to keep it that way. About 40 cities have imposed curfews. A spokesman for Baltimore’s mayor said curfews are on the table, but not imminent. Baltimore Mayor Jack Young released the following statement Monday evening: “Baltimore’s streets have been filled today with thousands of
peaceful protesters, who are collectively expressing their First Amendment right. “Today’s major protest is youthled, and I am proud of Baltimore’s young people for continuing to be a positive national example of Democracy in action. “My administration is working closely with Gov. Hogan’s office and will remain in close contact with the State as peaceful protests continue in Baltimore. The state has provided law enforcement support to the city, as needed. And, members of the Maryland National Guard have been close partners with a number of humanitarian missions in Baltimore related to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Contrary to remarks earlier tonight from President Trump, our city does not expect to see an influx of active duty military personnel. “Again, thank you to the thousands of peaceful protesters, who have taken to our streets in pursuit of social justice.”
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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
JUNE 4, 2020
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Around the Community
JUNE 4, 2020
Maryland Has Conducted More Than 357,000 COVID-19 Tests, Sees 117% Increase in Testing in May By: BJLife Newsroom BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
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overnor Larry Hogan announced that after a series of COVID-19 testing expansions, the state saw a 117% increase in testing in the month of May, and has now conducted 357,545 tests statewide. State officials continue to encourage Marylanders to get tested for COVID-19, with nearly 100 major sites now available across the state. COVID-19 Testing Volume More Than Doubled in May. Maryland conducted 228,305 COVID-19 tests in May, more than double its output in the month of April, with an overall total of 357,545 tests now conducted statewide. The state achieved its short-term goal of 10,000 tests per day before June 1. Positivity Rate Continues to Decline, Now at 10.8% Statewide. With Maryland’s expanded testing, the state’s positivity rate has dropped by nearly 60% from its peak on April 17, and now stands at 10.8%, the lowest it has been since late March. Positivity Rate Continues to Decline in Key Jurisdictions. As of today, the positivity rate in Baltimore City is at 10.2%, Anne Arundel County is at 10.0%, Baltimore County is at 9.8%, Howard County is at 9.5%, and Frederick County is at 8.5%—all below the state average. The positivity rate in Prince George’s County has dropped by more than 61%, from a high of 41.96% to a current rate of 16.1%. Montgomery County has dropped by nearly 60%, from a high of 32.64% to a current rate of 13.1% More Than 5 Percent of Marylanders Tested. As of today, 5.1% of Marylanders have been tested for COVID-19, and more than 5 percent
of residents in each of the four jurisdictions with the most confirmed cases have been tested: Prince George’s County: 5.9% Baltimore City: 5.8% Baltimore County: 5.7% Montgomery County: 5.3% Nearly 100 Major Testing Sites Open, Marylanders Encouraged to Get Tested. With expanded capacity and supplies available, Marylanders do not need to exhibit symptoms or suspect exposure to COVID-19 in order to get tested. The state continues to expand locations for Marylanders to get tested, with nearly 100 major sites now available across the state. Visit coronavirus.maryland.gov to find a location that is most convenient for you. Long-Term Testing Strategy. Since April 29, when Governor Hogan announced a long-term testing strategy for the state, Maryland has launched a series of COVID-19 testing expansions, including universal testing for nursing home residents and staff, broadening criteria to include those who are asymptomatic, opening no-cost, no-appointment testing at sites throughout the state, new agreements with CVS and Walmart to conduct testing on-site, authorizing the state’s nearly 1,200 pharmacies to order and administer tests, and directly allocating test kits to local jurisdictions.
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Yeshivat Mekor Chaim - Virtual Learning Success!
B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
JUNE 4, 2020
By: Yeshivat Mekor Chaim
Y
eshivat Mekor Chaim (YMC) opened its doors in September 2019 with an inaugural 9th grade class. With an emphasis on academic excellence in both Torah Studies and General Studies and focus on the whole child using project-based learning empowered by excellent educators, students jumped straight into their high school experience adjusting to a new schedule, new routine and new classmates. The first year of any new school will undoubtedly involve unexpected challenges and unanticipated roadblocks to be navigated. Certainly, what no new school could ever account or plan for is a world-wide pandemic closing the school doors in March for the rest of the academic year. After a single day off for teacher training the YMC students logged on to their schoolissued chromebooks on Tuesday, March 17 to begin their virtual school experience. And, the most remarkable thing happened - the learning continued seamlessly and easily and within a day the full schedule of classes was expertly implemented. According to Chavi Abramson, YMC parent, “From the first day of Zoom
school, it was clear that the YMC was well prepared to continue the high quality content that we have become accustomed to. We can not be more impressed with this transition and how quickly and efficiently the teachers and students have adapted.” Rabbi Elie Tuchman, Head of School, shares “this has been a pretty smooth transition because our thrust has always been to give our students responsibility and to guide them to take responsibility for their own learning. We have been working on this all year and the virtual learning environment gave our students the opportunity to implement these newly found skills, perhaps earlier than we anticipated that they would need to.” At YMC, the students’ own work is the primary focus and the teacher lecture is secondary - which is an approach dramatically different than many traditional frontal-style educational models. Both General and Judaic Studies classes have always incorporated a number of modalities - group work, chavrusa time, Alt School cards, online paced learning and differentiated groups, to name a few. These methodologies taught the students to be self-motivated with a path laid out in front of them. Before COVID-19 forced schools in Maryland to close, the YMC leadership took a proactive approach to
Mazel Tov to Baltimore Police Officer Kalman Finkelstein Selected as Northern District Officer of the Month for May 2020
melding its virtual learning implementation plan. Consulting with colleagues around the country whose states were among the first to enter lockdown enabled YMC to blend best-practices of online learning with the already successful student-driven curriculum and create a strong online program. The YMC day begins with optional Zoom davening and continues until 3:30 or 4 pm (depending on the day) with a school day that combines formal classes, teacher office hours for consultation and assistance, optional classes, and work-on-your-own time. Zoom classes mirror regular classes with instruction, projects, group-work utilizing Zoom breakout rooms and regular assessments. Outside of class time, YMC staff avail themselves to the students if they need help or clarification on anything learned in class. During office hours teachers are in Zoom rooms with waiting rooms so that students can pop in and out and work one-on-one with a teacher. Physical Education with Coach Chaim Katz has continued as well as the popular Advisory program with small groups meeting regularly with a dedicated teacher to discuss any number of topics. Students also began a Passion Project when they began virtual school. This open-ended project required students to choose any subject of their liking that they found interesting, research it, and produce a final project sharing their research. Communication with parents and students has been vital during this time period. Parents have google docs with their child’s class attendance and grades that can be accessed in real-time. Each evening parents and
students receive an email with a link to the next day’s schedule, classwork/ homework and any upcoming assignments that are due. Bi-weekly curriculum updates have continued so that parents continue to receive a summary of lessons and subject matters covered during that time period. Teenagers are social beings and while Zoom does facilitate virtual interpersonal connections in classes, small groups and breakout rooms it is simply not the same as learning together. Students and staff miss the social interaction deeply. To this end, YMC has worked hard to maintain a sense of community even from-a-distance. Apart from regular check-ins during school hours teachers often check-in with students after hours to make sure they are feeling comfortable with the material learned and also that they are feeling well emotionally. For virtually all of the YMC students, the virtual school experience has been positive beyond their expectations. Some students are even performing better academically in the virtual environment. The YMC administration is planning to incorporate the the aspects of the virtual school environment that enabled students to thrive back into the classroom setting when we return to school. “During this period of home isolation, the boys have learned a great deal about themselves as learners and about what they are truly capable of” says Rabbi Tuchman. “We look forward to watching the boys utilize their newly discovered strengths to enhance their own learning as well as that of their friends once we are back together in person and reconnected fully as a community.”
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Parashah Poin ters
Moshe teaches the laws of nedarim the rest of the (promises) to the nesi’im of Jewish people. each shevet and Hashem tells then to all Moshe to go to war against Midian. Moshe tells the Jews to raise an army of 12,000 Moshe sends soldiers, 1,000 Pinchas with soldiers from the soldiers, and each shevet. to the battle. gives him the Aron, Tzitz, and The Jews trumpets to take win the war! They kill all the Bilaam, who was men of Midian in Midian during and their five the war. kings. They also The soldiers kill take the wealth and animals of Moshe, Elazar, Midian and burn and the nesi’im down their cities. of all the shevatim Midian. Moshe is upset that meet the army some of the evil when they return of them had caused Midianite women from Jews to sin and were allowed Midianites should die (see end of to live. Many Parashas Balak). be killed. Moshe said these Moshe warns evil the soldiers who are tamei meis become tahor not to enter the using the ashes Mishkan area of the Parah Adumah. Elazar teaches unless they the Jews how to kasher they had captured (make kosher) the metal pots, from Midian. He also tells them pans, dishes, using them. and cups to put these items into a mikveh The Jews before captured many animals and to the Jewish people. Moshe soldiers, and says that half the other half of the booty should Midianites will should go to be servants. go the rest of the Jews. The surviving The Jewish commanders are thankful to their gratitude, Hashem that the commander not one of their s give an extra soldiers died. The shevatim gift of gold for To show of Gad and Reuven the Mishkan. come to Moshe and cattle, and with a request. the lands of Sichon They have a lot and Og are good shevatim tell of sheep Moshe they want for raising sheep to settle there, and cattle. These Moshe is upset. and not go into two He tells them: Eretz Yisrael. “Your brothers will discourage are going to fight the Jews from and you will stay going to Eretz The shevatim behind? This Yisrael. Why are answer that they you doing this?” certainly will cross Eretz Yisrael the Yarden River. together with the other shevatim. They will fight divided. But they to conquer They will stay will leave their with them until flocks and families want to settle the land is down. on this side of the Yarden, where Moshe tells they them that if they agree to go with together with the rest of the them, then they Jews to Eretz can have the Yehoshua about Yisrael and fight lands of Sichon the agreement. and Og. Moshe He commands want, if they keep tells Elazar and them to give Gad to their agreement and Reuven the Gad and Reuven and fight in the lands they wars to conquer build cities. Two Eretz Yisrael. of Menashe’s of the Yarden families conquer for them to live more land on in. the east side
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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
JUNE 4, 2020
Now More Than Ever: Help TAG Baltimore Respond to the Covid-19 Technology Challenge! By: Yeshivat Mekor Chaim
O
ver the past three months, TAG Baltimore has received more than 600 calls, emails, texts, and service requests. We have helped many hundreds of families from Baltimore and others from Boston, Virginia, Florida, and Eretz Yisroel as well. We have worked with schools in Baltimore and other locations to give guidance on distance learning. The Coronavirus situation has demonstrated that digital devices can solve some of the most difficult situations and create unimaginable challenges. We have learned that technology can bring rebbaim to children when a classroom is not available. Imagine what this will mean for the future of children who are hospitalized or homebound! We now have a tried and sort-of-tested system to allow them to participate. Parents have been able to watch amazing rebbaim and teachers create new and exciting curriculum out of thin air for a medium that was almost unheard of in schools until it became the only option.
Along with the good, however, we recognize that the proliferation of devices in the home can have adverse effects as well. New forms of entertainment with little growth potential can be devastating to children, especially when parents, who are struggling to juggle homeschooling and work, are under intense pressure to rely on these devices to keep their children busy so the parents can continue their jobs to make a living. At TAG, the questions we receive are no longer, “Should I get my teenager a device?” They are, “My teenager needs a device for school and social interaction. How can I set it up so they will gain from it and not risk all that I have been moser nefesh to teach them?” Parents recognize they are stuck between a rock and a hard place, but they don’t even know what to ask. They know devices come with challenges, but they don’t know the nature of the challenges. Our ongoing experience as well as our relationship with Rabbonim and schools gives us the
unique ability to blend technology and education into a discussion that allows parents to understand the questions they need to ask. We often end a discussion with the parents thanking us profusely for clarifying the issues and asking for time to discuss the matter between themselves, their Rav, and their child’s teachers before reaching out to us again with a final decision. This is our goal. We don’t make decisions for parents. We could never do that. You know your children better than anyone. We are here to give you the tools you need to make the
best decision. The past three months have underscored the critical role TAG plays in the community. We have helped more families than ever before but we have not been able to help all of the over 600 families who have requested help. We don’t have sufficient resources or manpower. Increased resources and funding will enable TAG to properly and fully meet this vital need. We want to recruit more volunteers to help more people, become mobile, create programs at schools and shuls and so much more. This is an amazing opportunity for the community to help us raise the funds needed to scale TAG up so we can truly help everyone. Families can’t afford to wait to filter the devices they need to use now. It is too dangerous. They need TAG and they need TAG now! Help give everyone the chance to create the appropriate environment in their homes. We need your help to scale up our resources and manpower. Donate Now at www.tagbaltimore.org/HelpTAG . Help TAG Help More People!
4 More Years! All Indicators Point To Impressive Schleifer Win! By: BJLife/Nate Willner BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn
W
hile not all ballots have been counted yet, initial results are a strong indicator that the 5th District will have 4 more years of the strong and decisive leadership of Councilman Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer. As of last night, Councilman Schleifer was leading his challenger with close to 67% of the vote. Baltimore City Board of Elections officials continue to count ballots from in-person voting centers for those who could not vote by mail, in addition to
the mailed-in ballots that arrived on primary election day. The board said, “in-person voter turnout Tuesday was 6,236”. Several in-person voting locations had to stay open late into the night, past the 8 p.m. closing time. Many voters who came to the Northwest High School polling location waited in excess of two hours to cast their vote. On behalf of a grateful community we want to congratulate Councilman Schleifer on waging a formidable campaign and for his dedication to the 5th District. BJL will continue to update elections results as information becomes available.
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What do you love most about the Baltimore Jewish community? I love the people, the camaraderie, the shuls, my neighborhood and how everyone is there to help each other. There are so many organizations that help Baltimoreans. In which local organizations are you involved? Bikur Cholim and the Jewish Caring Network.
How did you get into that business? I wanted to own my own business. My sister-in-law in L.A. started a testing center there and I brought it to Baltimore. What makes CTC unique? It’s really a great opportunity for students, particularly because the coursework and the testing - allow them the flexibility to work while simultaneously earning their degree. From the time the students sign up for CTC until they graduate, I am in
constant contact with them, providing a lot of advising and encouragement - but they have to be self-motivated. Perhaps, what makes CTC most unique is the fact that it is not an online program; it does not require use of the internet and you do not need to attend classes. All tests are administered at the center. Tell us about your successes. I have had students go on to different college programs to become successful lawyers, mental health professionals, special educators, architects, and sonographers, among other lucrative professions. There are so many opportunities out there once they earn their bachelor’s degree. My students feel so accomplished and they kid me
that I get more excited about their accomplishments than they do. Is CTC open during COVID-19? Yes, I accommodate one student at a time, outdoors, adhering to social distance requirements. In fact, those people not presently working may find that they now have the time to earn their degree. What advice would you like to give our 10,000+ readers? This program is for students of any age. I had a family come to CTC. The mother wanted to become a teacher and her son and daughter were aspiring lawyers. It is never too late to earn your degree and follow your dream of a career opportunity!
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Tell us about yourself? I was raised in Baltimore and attended Bais Yaakov of Baltimore. My husband, Mordechai, and I have six sons. I have been in education for 30 years. My teaching experience includes: second grade English, third grade Judaics and working in the Bais Yaakov Learning Center. I currently teach a Chinuch class to 12th graders in Bais Yaakov High School. This is an elective for girls who are interested in becoming teachers.
What do you do for a living? In 2015, I started Baltimore Community Testing Center (CTC). I create customized program plans for individuals who want to earn a bachelor’s degree so they can meet the requirements of a regionally accredited college. I personally work with my students, one-on-one. Some of them come to me with yeshiva/ seminary credits or credits from previously attended colleges; some have no credits at all. After researching their credentials, I provide the necessary coursework materials for this independentstudy program that will earn them the credits they need to fulfill their degree requirements.
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The Week In News
Uproar Over Slaying of Autistic Arab
Defense Minister and Kahol Lavan party head Benny Gantz expressed regret over the death of Iyad Al-Halak, an autistic Arab-Israeli with special needs who was shot and killed by police on Saturday. Speaking at the weekly government meeting on Sunday, Gantz said that he was “sorry” to hear about the
mistaken shooting. While pledging that the incident would be probed, Gantz called on the country’s Arab community to have faith in the police and judicial establishment. “We are sorry about the incident in which Iyad Halak was shot to death, and we share the family’s grief,” Gantz said. “I am sure this matter will be investigated quickly and conclusions will be reached.” Al-Halak, 32, had been on his way to a center for adults with special needs when he aroused the suspicions of two policemen patrolling Jerusalem Old City. Thinking that he was holding a gun, they called for him to stop and identify himself. Rather than stopping, however, Al-Hayak began to run away from the officers, setting off a dramatic pursuit. After cornering him in a small hallway, the officers shot more than seven bullets at him, killing him. A preliminary investigation found that one of the officers had ordered his partner to cease fire but was not heard above the din. The accidental killing sparked
anger in the Arab-Israeli sector, with protests breaking out throughout the country on Sunday. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party blasted the “war crime” and called to prosecute Prime Minister Netanyahu over the “execution of a young disabled man.” At Al-Halak’s funeral on Sunday, thousands of Arab youth clashed with police while chanting virulently anti-Israel slogans. Carrying his body, which was wrapped in a Palestinian flag, mourners shouted, “Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, Mohammad’s army has begun to return” and “to the street, revolutionaries!”. The two officers involved in the incident have been suspended and will not return to duty until the probe’s findings are presented to senior police brass. While expressing his sorrow over the mistaken shooting, Public Security Minister Amir Ohana implored the public not to jump to conclusions before the investigation into the incident was completed. “Police officers are required to
make fateful decisions in seconds in an area that has been inundated with terror attacks, and in which there is a constant danger to their lives,” tweeted Ohana.
Israel Tried to Save Sudanese Diplomat
Israel sent a plane with medical staff and equipment to Sudan, in an attempt to save the life of a Sudanese diplomat diagnosed with coronavirus, the country’s Channel 13 reported on Wednesday. In addition to the medical staff
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The Week In News and equipment, the Israeli team included a senior official involved in the secret Israel-Sudan relationship. The team had hoped to bring Najwa Gadaheldam, the diplomat who coordinated the clandestine relations between Jerusalem and Khartoum, to Israel for treatment. However, Gadaheldam’s condition deteriorated quickly, and she passed away only a few days after contracting COVID-19 and just 24 hours after the Israeli team’s arrival. Israel and Sudan are officially at war, and the trip was intended to remain a secret. However, the aircraft was flagged on flight-tracking websites due to its unusual flight route. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told his ministers that he had spoken via telephone with Sundanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, wishing him a happy Eid al-Fitr. According to Channel 13, it is likely that Gadaheldam’s condition was discussed during the phone call. In February, Netanyahu met with al-Burhan in Uganda. Following that meeting, Israeli flights received permission to use Sudanese airspace.
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Corona Law Controversy Activists, politicians, and journalists are up in arms over a proposed law that would dramatically expand the powers afforded to police. Known as the “Corona Law,” the legislation is being promoted by the Justice Ministry and intends to replace current emergency regulations that must be renewed every three months. Government officials say that a new law replacing current regulations first passed during the British Mandate-era is essential to battling a possible second wave of COVID-19.
If passed, the law would constitute the most dramatic rollback of
civil liberties since Israel’s founding in 1948. The legislation includes allowing police to enter private homes without a warrant, permits the government to pass laws instead of the Knesset, and would be overseen only by the prime minister. One proposed draft of the legislation also includes forbidden demonstrations against the government and suspending due process. Officials would be able to forbid citizens from allowing certain people into their homes, ban traveling to certain parts of the country, and prohibit people from leaving their homes. While existing regulations must be renewed after 90 days, the Corona Law would remain in effect for 10 months. The far-reaching powers the law affords law enforcement has resulted in an uproar, with fears that the government is trampling on its citizens’ civil liberties. In opinion columns, radio interviews, and on social media, an increasing number of people have called on elected representatives not to approve the legislation in the Knesset. “This law allows serious civil rights violations, without a proper process, because the regulations do not pass first through the legislature,” noted Dr. Amir Fox, a researcher at the Israeli Democracy Institute. Moshe Feiglin, a former Likud MK known for his strong libertarian bent, wrote that the measures would allow any police officer to break into private homes at their leisure. “The road to losing our freedom is a slippery slope,” tweeted Feiglin. “We will become exactly like China – the time to fight this is now.” Amid the rising criticism, Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn attempted to assure the citizenry that he would prevent any legislation from passing that threaten civil liberties. “Passing the Corona Law is necessary but individual rights will continue to be important to us even in the event of an emergency,” said Nissenkorn. “Together with the members of the Ministry of Justice and my partners in the government, I am working to ensure that state powers during an emergency are timely and subject to parliamentary scrutiny,” added Nissenkorn. “The right to protest will not be denied.”
MDA Sets up Testing Stations in Congo Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s branch of the International Red Cross, has helped central Africa’s Congo to set up “drive thru” coronavirus testing stations.
vid Adom, along with the methods we are developing, are among the most advanced in the world.” “In light of the fight against coronavirus, we have gained extensive experience in obtaining thousands of samples a day, most efficiently and safely, and now we are happy to share knowledge with other medical entities around the world, for the sake of saving human lives.”
Iran Attempted to Attack Water Supply
Congo’s Honorary Consul in Israel, Dan Gertler, contacted Magen David Adom, seeking advice and assistance in establishing the facilities as part of the country’s fight to contain coronavirus. MDA accepted the request, providing the Congo with assistance and building dedicated software for managing the “drive thru” facilities in the Congo. In addition, MDA members prepared a training program incorporating both videos and written procedures for authorities. This program has been passed on to the medical professionals operating the Congo facilities. “During the long period in which we operated the many ‘drive thru’ sampling facilities, the technology we used proved itself, along with the effective and safe practices that enabled the safety of the individual suspected of being infected, and the testing teams,” MDA Chief of Information Officer Ido Rosenblat said. “From the moment they contacted us, we were ready to help...set up the ‘drive thru’ sampling facilities in Congo, and to share our knowledge.” Congo Minister of Health Dr. Eteni Longondo and Director-General Sylvain Yuma Ramazani visited the “Drive and Test” facilities, which opened at the end of May, expressing their gratitude to MDA for their cooperation on the project According to MDA Director General Eli Bin, “The medical capabilities and technologies of Magen Da-
A new report says that the Iranian hackers responsible for the attack on Israeli water infrastructure in April were attempting to raise the amount of chlorine to life-threatening levels. Quoting Israeli and U.S. officials, the UK’s Financial Times said that the attack sought to sicken and kill thousands of Israelis at the height of the country’s fight against the coronavirus. Even if the attack failed to poison the water supply, the attack “could have triggered fail-safes that would have left tens of thousands of civilians and farms parched in the middle of an Israel heatwave, as the pumping station shut down when the excess chemical was detected.” According to the report, Iran sent malware around the world via servers based in the U.S. and Europe in order to conceal its origins. The virus then attacked Israel’s four main water plants on April 23 and attempted to fool the computers into increasing the chlorine levels. The attack is seen as extremely complex, with Iran managing to get hold of the schematics of Israel’s water infrastructure by accessing government tenders that detailed the various computers used to control the water pumps. “It was more sophisticated than they [Israel] initially thought,” an unnamed official told the Financial Times. “It was close to successful, and it’s not ful-
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The Week In News ly clear why it didn’t succeed.” Israeli officials warned that the attack “crossed a red line” as it was the first time that Tehran has ever tried attacking the country’s civilian infrastructure. While Israel and Iran are said to constantly battle each other in cyberspace, the Islamic Republic has always kept the attacks aimed at military targets. Israel reportedly launched a retaliatory attack on May 9 that crippled Iran’s biggest port at Bander Abbas. Hacking into the computer system regulating loading times for ships at the Shahid Rajaee port, the cyberattack resulted in massive traffic jams in Iran that lasted for a full week. The decision to respond by targeting Iran’s largest port was the idea of former Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, who wanted to demonstrate Israel’s considerable capabilities to deter Tehran in the future. “It was small, very small — like a knock on the door,” one official told the Financial Times. “Think of it [as] a gentle reminder. ‘We know where you live.’”
B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
Skirmish on Lebanese Border
Israeli soldiers and a pair of tanks squared off against armed Lebanese troops on Tuesday while operating along the border between the countries. The Israeli forces crossed the security fence near Kibbutz Misgav Am but remained on the Israeli side of the so-called Blue Line, an unofficial but internationally recognized border. The security fence along the border is, in many areas, located some distance into Israeli territory. This appeared to be the first time that Israeli tanks crossed the fence since the 2006 Second Lebanon War. According to Channel 12 news, this was meant to serve as a show of control over the Israeli enclave on the
other side of the barrier. In response to the crossing, a number of Lebanese troops armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers arrived at the scene, standing several meters from the tanks. Peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also came to the area to act as mediators and prevent violence. Lebanon’s official National News Agency said the Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers were mobilized after “Israeli enemy infantry troops, backed by two Merkava tanks… crossed the technical fence” near the Lebanese village of Adaisseh. No shots were fired, and no injuries were reported. In April, Israel Defense Forces troops and Lebanese army soldiers also faced off in the same area, with photos from that irregular incident showing the two sides raising weapons at each other and UN personnel standing in between. There has been a recent uptick in smuggling and infiltration attempts along the Israeli-Lebanese security fence, which the IDF believes is the result of the Hezbollah terror group either intentionally turning a blind eye to the area, allowing crime to flourish, or losing its control over the border. Israel has fought two wars in Lebanon, one in 1982 against Palestinian terrorists and one in 2006 against the Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as numerous operations against terror groups in the country.
Haredi Parties Are the True Winners
The new Israeli government, sworn in on May 17, has the largest-ever cabinet – so large that it was necessary to make across-the-board budget cuts in order to fund the new offices.
While Israelis on the left and right debate which bloc truly won the elections, one group seems to have come out on top: the haredi Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties. These parties control the Housing and Interior ministries, allowing them to help the haredi public and ease their housing crisis. The Religious Affairs Ministry, under control of the Shas party, will be able to ensure that no changes are made to the status quo of how religion is defined and handled in Israel. Five of the seven deputy ministers to have been appointed so far are from the haredi parties, which tend to prefer deputy minister posts, as per their rabbis’ instructions. The committees held by the parties are also influential: UTJ’s Moshe Gafni still heads the Finance Committee, ultimately in charge of writing up budget law, and Shas’ Yaakov Margi now chairs the Economy Committee, giving him influence over any and all economic reforms. The all-important Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee – one of the Knesset’s most powerful committees – is for the first time in the hands of UTJ. In addition, UTJ’s coalition agreement stipulates that “the status quo on religion and state issues shall be preserved, as was accepted in Israel for decades. The government will act to respect the Sabbath and holidays of Israel, which preserved us as a people. If any change threatens the status quo, the prime minister and the ‘Likud bloc’ shall act together and through mutual commitment to remove the harm in order to preserve the status quo.” In other words, changing the Draft Law to force young haredi men to join the IDF is now a no-go. The haredi parties may not agree with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on everything, but they remained loyal to him throughout three rounds of elections, mostly due to fear of being left without political power were Benny Gantz – now Alternate Prime Minister – to rise to power. The periods in which the haredi parties were not part of the government are remembered as bad for the haredi public – something which the parties and voters themselves prefer to avoid.
Trump Cuts Ties with WHO
On Friday, President Trump announced that he is “terminating” the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO). This decision came just 11 days after he threatened to permanently revoke U.S. funding in a letter he had addressed to the WHO leadership. The U.S. leader cited its failure to enact reforms in the face of concerns over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its pro-China bias as reasons for severing the relationship. “Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs,” Trump told reporters at a Rose Garden event. Trump also announced a number of measures aimed primarily at China in response to its conduct on a number of fronts including trade, the coronavirus, and its recent crackdown on Hong Kong. “The world is now suffering as a result of the misfeasance of the Chinese government,” Trump said. Trump announced last month that the U.S. would freeze funding to the WHO, and threatened to make the freeze permanent if the organization did not enact “major substantive reforms.” The U.S. had been the top contributor to the agency to the tune of approximately $450 million a year. China, meanwhile, pays approximately $50 million a year – although Beijing had recently announced a $2 billion injection of funds. The U.S. has raised concerns about WHO officials’ praise of Chinese “transparency,” its ignoring of warn-
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The Week In News
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ings about the virus from Taiwan, and its repetition of Chinese claims that COVID-19 could not be spread from person-to-person. He noted that he had received opposition from WHO officials regarding his decision to place a travel ban on China in the initial days of the crisis. “Chinese officials ignored their reporting obligations to the World Health Organization and pressured the World Health Organization to mislead the world when the virus was first discovered by Chinese authorities,” he said. “Countless lives have been taken and profound economic hardship has been inflicted across the globe.” Targeting the Chinese directly, Trump said he will issue a proclamation to secure university research and to “suspend the entry of certain foreign nationals from China who we have identified as a potential security risk.” Trump also accused China of “smothering” freedom in Hong Kong with its newly enacted national security law that would stifle opposition and criminalize anti-government movements such as the pro-democracy demonstrations seen in the territory in recent years. The State Department this week reported to Congress that Hong Kong is no longer autonomous after a number of moves by Beijing to shut down the freedoms that were agreed to as part of the 1997 handover of the territory by the British. Trump said the move by Beijing was a “plain violation” of its treaty obligations: “China has replaced its promised formula of ‘one country two systems’ with ‘one country one system.’” The president also announced that the U.S. will be eliminating policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special treatment “from our extradition treaty to our export controls on dual use technologies and more with few exceptions.” Trump added that the State Department’s travel advisory for Hong Kong would be revised to reflect the increased danger of surveillance and punishment by the Chinese. Additionally, the U.S. is revoking Hong Kong’s preferential treatment as a separate customs and travel territory, and taking steps to sanction officials involved in eroding Hong Kong’s autonomy.
SpaceX Blasts Off
SpaceX’s new spacecraft, the Falcon 9 rocket, was designed to fly cargo and supplies to the International Space Station, but it also has a window, symbolizing the reason Elon Musk started the company in the first place. Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, with the goal of enabling human spaceflight and, eventually, bringing people to Mars. The company’s rockets have broken into the Pentagon’s market, which until now had been dominated by Lockheed Martin and Boeing. However, until last week, the company had never flown a human being to space. On Saturday, at 3:22p.m. local time, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched from Florida, carrying NASA’s Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on their journey to the International Space Station at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour. But though NASA oversaw the program, the one in charge of the rocket is SpaceX, making the company the first private company to launch humans into orbit. “I’m really overcome with emotion, and it’s really hard to talk,” Musk said in a news conference after the launch. “We have not yet docked, and of course we need to bring them back safely. So it’s a lot of work to do. But it’s just incredible.” Though he had been nervous before the launch’s initial takeoff date on Wednesday, by Saturday, when the launch was cleared for flight, he was calm. “I didn’t feel nervous. I felt like it was going to work,” Musk asserted. A mere 19 hours after the launch, the capsule caught up with the International Space Station early Sunday and glided in for a problem-free docking, bringing Hurley and Behnken to the outpost. The historic mission marks a ma-
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The Week In News jor milestone in NASA’s push to end the agency’s sole reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft for carrying astronauts to and from the lab complex, the first piloted launch to orbit by a privately owned and operated spacecraft since the dawn of the space age. The flight aims to test the Dragon spacecraft and how it functions with humans on board. SpaceX aims to fly another mission to the Space Station by August 30, but officials have said that date will likely change. After that, SpaceX aims to fly people to the moon, and eventually to Mars.
U.S. Jewish Centers Targeted
Kitchen, and Syd’s Pharmacy and Kosher Vitamins. In Virginia, demonstrators hurled bricks through the glass door of Beth Ahava in Richmond. Cities across the United States have become battlegrounds ever since riots broke out early last week to protest the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Starting in Minneapolis, the violence soon mushroomed to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York, Detroit, and Philadelphia. As the violence refused to die down, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would define the radical left-wing group “Antifa” as a terror group. The classification would give law enforcement more tools to battle the anarchist-led organization, which is said to have taken a significant role in the mayhem.
G7 Summit Postponed
A slew of kosher stores, Jewish centers, and synagogues became victims of the week-long violent riots that exploded across the United States. In Los Angeles, rioters defaced a number of synagogues with anti-Semitic graffiti, including scrawling pro-Palestinian slogans on Congregation Beth Israel in Fairfax. The city’s oldest synagogue had been empty at the time of the attack. The graffiti was condemned by U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism Elan S. Carr, who tweeted that “this graffiti is yet more evidence that anti-#Zionism is #Antisemitism.” Vandals also defaced the nearby Baba Sale Congregation with a fusillade of bricks and painted anti-Israel slogans on its back door. Other synagogues that fell victim to the rampaging mob included Congregation Kehilas Yaakov, also known as the Rabbi Gershon Bess Shul, and Tiferes Tzvi (Rabbi Ganzweig Shul) In addition, a host of kosher stores serving LA’s Jewish community were torched, including the Ariel Glatt Kosher Market, Mensch Bakery and
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the G7 Summit, scheduled to be held in the United States, has been postponed. The announcement on Saturday by President Donald Trump came after it became clear that it would be almost impossible to convene the world leaders in the United States by the end of the June. Trump added that he would also like to include other countries in the summit. “I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the world. It’s a very outdated group of countries,” he said. He named Russia, South Korea, Australia, and India as potential invitees to this year’s gathering. For now, the summit is pushed off until September. The G7 Summit consists of world leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Years ago, the summit also included Russia.
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The Week In News
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to crack down on social media censorship, promising to pursue legislation on the matter in addition to the order itself. The order reclassifies social media companies as publishers, removing their previous designation of platforms. The move leaves social media giants Facebook and Twitter vulnerable to legal action from victims hurt by material published on the aforementioned websites. Previously, social media behemoths had been defined as platforms under a 1996 law that shielded them from such legal action. In the signing ceremony at the Oval Office, Trump pledged to “defend free speech from one of the gravest dangers it has faced in American history.” “A small handful of social media monopolies controls a vast portion of all public and private communications in the United States,” added Trump. “They’ve had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter, virtually any form of communication between private citizens and large public audiences.”
Biden Says He’ll Calm Nation Former Vice President and presidential hopeful Joe Biden criticized President Trump’s response to the violence ripping through the country and said that he would be able to console a
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Attending the signing was Attorney-General William Barr, who promised that the Justice Department will seek to sue social media companies who flout the order. The order closely followed an incident in which Twitter added warning links to two of Trump’s tweets, which led to a page describing his claims as “unsubstantiated.” On their fact-checking page linked in the tweets, Twitter wrote that “Trump falsely claimed that mail-in ballots would lead to ‘a Rigged Election.’ However, fact-checkers say there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud.” The page cited reports from CNN, the Washington Post, and other news outlets. Trump, for his part, accused Twitter of “interfering” in the 2020 presidential election and trying to “censor” his tweets. “If that happens, we no longer have our freedom. I will never let it happen!” he tweeted. Kate Ruane, Senior Legislative Counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union, responded: “Much as he might wish otherwise, Donald Trump is not the president of Twitter. This order, if issued, would be a blatant and unconstitutional threat to punish social media companies that displease the president.”
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nation so ravaged by chaos. “When peaceful protesters dispersed in order for a president – a president – from the doorstep of the people’s house, the White House, using tear gas and flash grenades, in order to stage a photo op – a photo op – at one of the most historic churches in the country, or at least Washington, D.C., we can be forgiven for believing that the president is more interested in power than in principle,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said, referring to the clearing of protesters from a street in D.C. so President Trump could stand in front of a church with a Bible.
Biden added that Trump appears “more interested in serving the passions of his base than the needs of the people in his care.” Biden’s remarks, which also touched on police behavior and historical inequities against minority communities, came after days of peaceful protesting marked with nightly violence which have scarred Philadelphia, where he delivered the speech, as well as cities across the nation. During the roughly twenty-minute address, Biden quoted or echoed civil rights leaders from earlier generations, including Rosa Parks and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He also called on Congress to act now to reform policing laws, including a bill introduced by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to outlaw choke holds. President Trump’s campaign responded swiftly to the speech, suggesting that Biden is supportive of the destruction of property that has accompanied protests. “He has obviously made the crass political calculation that unrest in America is a benefit to his candidacy,” said Katrina Pierson, a Trump campaign senior advisor. Biden launched his speech by quoting George Floyd, “I can’t breathe.” Floyd was killed in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck. His death has sparked protests and riots throughout the nation.
“George Floyd’s last words. But they didn’t die with him. They’re still being heard. Echoing across this nation,” Biden said. “They speak to a nation where too often just the color of your skin puts your life at risk. They speak to a nation where more than 100,000 people have lost their lives to a virus and 40 million have filed for unemployment – but the disproportionate number of those deaths and job losses is concentrated in the black and brown communities.” He added, “Our country is crying out for leadership. Leadership that can unite us leadership that brings us together.” Taking aim at President Trump, Biden vowed, “But I promise you this. I won’t traffic in fear and division. I won’t fan the flames of hate. I’ll seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country – not use them for political gain.” Up until Tuesday, Biden had largely avoided calling for specific reforms to deal with the repetitive use of force by police departments, most notably against non-white communities. His criminal justice reform plan, released last summer, lacks many of the proposals that were part of the 2016 Democratic Party platform, including training officers to avoid the use of force, required use of body cameras, and federal investigations of all police-involved shootings. This week, Biden said that every police department needs to undergo a comprehensive review of its hiring practices, training programs and de-escalation tactics – and that the federal government should give cities and states “the tools and the resources they need to implement reforms.” “Bad cops should be dealt with severely and swiftly,” he said. “We all need to take a hard look at the culture that allows for the senseless tragedies to keep happening. And we need to learn from the cities and the precincts that are getting it right.”
Trump Signs Mandated Holocaust Education U.S. President Donald Trump
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The Week In News signed the Never Again Education Act into law on Thursday that aims to further memorialize the Holocaust. Sponsored by New York Democratic Congresswomen Carolyn Maloney, the bill sailed through Congress with 302 co-sponsors and was passed in January by a near-unanimous margin of 393-5. The legislation then passed unanimously in the Senate in early May. The Act provides $2 million to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and requires it to create educational materials to increase Holocaust awareness among teachers across the U.S. The $2 million will be provided annually to the museum’s Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund by the U.S. Treasury, between 2020 and 2024. In addition, an online database with educational materials for teaching middle and high school students will be created to aid teachers in addressing the issue. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will help create the database. The bill is a “first step in centralizing a good quality and authentic curriculum to teach the Holocaust to future generations,” said Senator Jacky Rosen.
years now. This is just amazing. I am over the moon.” The ticket turned out to be worth a total $341,507.65. The man and his wife had just recently retired so the win was more than fortuitous. “We will probably look at buying the home we’ve always dreamt of living in,” he said. “That would be incredible. And when things start to go back to normal, I think there will definitely be a holiday or two.” You know what they say: better late than never.
Chief Hiking Officer Love hiking? Enjoy a cold one or two? This is the perfect job for you. A Virginia brewery recently announced that it is seeking a “chief hiking officer.” The lucky person obtaining this position will be paid $20,000 to spend five to seven months hiking the Appalachian Trail and drinking beer. The Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co., based in Lexington, said it is accepting applications from people who “love hiking and beer” to take on the unique job.
40 Years a Charm
For almost 40 years an Australian man has been playing the lotto with the same sets of numbers. This year, his consistency bore fruit and he won a lottery jackpot of more than $300,000. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for many years,” the winner said. “I think I’ve been marking my entries with those numbers for almost 40
The winning applicant will be granted the “Chief Hiking Officer” title and will be flown out to trail head in 2021 for a 2,200-mile hike. The hiker, who would tackle the trail between May and September 2021, would be outfitted with equipment by the brewery and treated to “some big ol’ beer parties along the way.” Hope they watch out for bears along with the trail.
Lost & Found
A set of dog tags had been buried in a yard for more than 60 years before being reunited with its owner. Recently, Wyatt Macy, a 15-yearold from Montana, said he noticed something shiny sparkling in his yard. Upon inspection, he unearthed a pair of dog tags. Wyatt and his mother, Becky Macy, enlisted the help of the American Legion Post to find the owner of the items. Turns out the Jack Bennetts, now 84 years old, had been the owner of the tags and sergeant stripes. “And he’s still alive,” Becky said. “I mean, that was so cool when he was like, ‘I found him in Billings, we found him the White Pages.’ No way! That is so cool.” It turns out that Bennetts had lived in the Macy home after he finished his 1953-1957 tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. He said he doesn’t know how his dog tags and sergeant’s stripes ended up in the ground, but he suspects his nieces and nephews might have gotten ahold of them more than 60 years ago. Wyatt and his mom mailed Bennetts his long-lost items, which showed up at his home on Saturday. “It’s a pleasant surprise,” Bennetts said. “And I was very happy to get them. I never thought I’d ever see them again. That’s for sure.”
Buried Treasure
Officials in a Norwegian county say that they have found a 1,000-yearold Viking ship. The ship had been buried on the same island as other ships that had been discovered a few months ago. The More and Romsdal County Council said the eight-oared vessel measuring just under 40 feet long was found buried on the island of Edoya, less than 500 feet from where a Viking ship from the same time period was found buried in late 2019. The ship was located via georadar survey, officials said. The survey also identified two houses and five burial mounds. Bjorn Ringstad, county conservator for More and Romsdal, said the burying of Viking boats was part of a funeral tradition for the wealthiest members of a community. How oar-iginal.
Flight of Fancy
Last week, another record was made in aviation when the world’s largest all-electric aircraft took off from a Washington state airstrip for its first flight, staying in the air for 28 minutes. The eCaravan plane, a modified Cessna Caravan 208B, was created by a collaboration between engine company magniX and aerospace firm AeroTEC. It took its first flight Thursday in an event that was livestreamed on Facebook. The companies boast that electric planes are more environmentally friendly and are cheaper than fossil-fueled planes. A smaller plane with a magniX electric engine took its first 15-minute flight in December 2019. The Energizer bunny must be working overtime.
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Torah Thought
A View from the Mountaintop By Rabbi Zvi Teichman
We apologize for inadvertently omitting the correct article for the Shavuos edition. We are reprinting it this week. It’s message is eternal. Several midrashim depict how when G-d sought an appropriate mountain upon which to give the Torah, two mountains, Mounts Tavor and Carmel, vied for that opportunity claiming they were naturally suited to the task. G-d responds that they were blemished with arrogance and thus unworthy of that role. Instead, G-d selected Mount Sinai, a low and humble mountain, to serve as the focal point for G-d’s revelation. Despite their tainted status these two mountains were each rewarded in playing a vital function in two historical events.
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It was from the vantage point of Mount Tavor that the Jewish armies waged battle against the powerful general Sisera and his troops, handily defeating them. On Mount Carmel the great prophet, Eliyahu HaNavi, challenged the worshippers of Baal. On that very mountain a fire miraculously descended from heaven consuming the sacrifice of Eliyahu, resulting in the nation crying out, “G-d is the Lord” and dispatching with the followers of Baal. If these mountains were indeed flawed why were they honored so remarkably? Although we commonly assume the Torah was given atop Mount Sinai alone, a fascinating Midrash indicates otherwise. Evidently a piece of Mount Moriah, the very place upon which Yitz-
chok was bound, was separated ‘like Challah from a dough’ and transplanted to Mount Sinai. Why was it necessary to add this extra piece to the mountaintop? How are we to understand the feuding mountains and their desire to be the platform for the giving of the Torah? In a touching letter penned by the beloved Mashgiach, Rav Shlomo Wolbe, he reveals the key to understanding this mystery. Rav Wolbe recorded his innermost feelings one particular night after having just returned from praying at the Kosel HaMaaravi. He writes: The last time I prayed at the Kosel I pondered how I am standing at the ‘highest point in the entire world’. Just as when one stands atop a high mountain and surveys the scenery surrounding him, all the houses seem so small, all the structures look so insignificant, similarly does one who stands near the holiest place on earth discover how everything suddenly diminishes in importance. The manmade buildings, businesses, and all the enterprises man invests so much energy in, shrink from importance. Man stands at the spiritual peak of the universe and gains an accurate perception of what true greatness is and what is truly puny and lowly. A new world is revealed before his very eyes, an elevated world, one filled with sanctity, purity, and service to the Almighty. This is the ‘real’ world that sustains, which is above all else. It is worthy to travel to this point from the edges of the planet to stand in this holy place. )(אגרות וכתבים ח"ב שכה
Each of these mountains represent an outlook that assists us in gaining a more accurate perception of the non-reality we are often blinded by. The perception of our nationhood, a people carrying the legacy of the Patriarchs and possessing the G-d granted right to our homeland, helps us view ourselves not merely as a powerful conquering nation, but rather more correctly as bearers of a special privilege and responsibility. The awareness of our moral supremacy is instilled by the knowledge of the truth we received from G-d himself and fueled by the hand of providence that is apparent in every twist and turn of our glorious history. Yet this consciousness is dangerous as often the claim to privilege and truth is corrupted into a sense of self-righteousness that often develops into distorted expressions of personal power and right. G-d respected the notion but feared its consequence. He therefore validated their noble sentiments by permitting Mount Tavor to infuse national pride at the episode with Sisera and promoting Mount Carmel as the stage for a magnificent display of moral rectitude and pure faith. But they would play second fiddle to Mount Sinai. It is the humble realization of each one’s personal mission and special connection to G-d that is the sole notion that can assure one will never succumb to delusions of personal greatness, for one who truly stands in His presence can never attribute success to oneself. The yardstick to measure whether one is approaching that level of acuity in his relationship with G-d, is by evaluating how much one is personally willing to sacrifice one’s personal interests for that relationship. This legacy of Avraham’s willingness to slaughter his son and Yitzchok’s initiative to request to have himself bound, in an unconditional loving devotion to G-d that we aspire to emulate.
That is then the essence of the Sinai/Moriah merger: genuine humility enthused by selfless allegiance. When we sense our self-worth in the awareness of G-d’s love, belief and trust in us, we no longer need the veneration of others, nor are we compelled to promote ourselves, simply in order to feel worthy. The myriad of pursuits we seek in order to define ourselves become insignificant. We begin to view from upon high, the world as a place of opportunity to emulate G-d’s attributes and become closer to Him, rather than perceiving it as a playground for self-gratification. The Torah reports how the entire nation responded, י ְַחדָ ו, in unison, נעשה, “We shall do!” The Ibn Ezra points out that the word יחדוdoesn’t mean, יחד- together, rather יחיד- singular. Some suggest that their unified response was so in sync without any overlap that it sounded as a singular voice. What significance is there in this choir perfect response? Would their united reply have been deficient were there a merging of voices over a few seconds? I would like to suggest that the Torah is teaching us that when one senses one’s uniqueness from within oneself and the personal relationship each one of us is fortunate to possess with the Almighty, only then can one humble oneself before others and truly tolerate, appreciate, and love another, attaining an exquisite and genuine achdus, unity. On Shavuos we reposition ourselves once again upon Mount Sinai striving to get a more accurate picture of those miniscule distractions of a false world that attempts to confound us and portray itself as worthy. May we never be deluded, and may we regale in the joy evident in loving eyes of our Father and never resort to pettiness in asserting our place. May we climb that mountain and remain there every moment of our lives.
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his is a story about two American Jews, each raised in traditional Conservative homes, with a fragmented grasp of Torah. Together, they created not just a Torah-observant family, but also a one-of-akind post-high school seminary in Israel for girls from public school backgrounds.
R
abbi Yaakov Lynn had an unusual introduction to Shabbat observance. Growing up in what he called “the classic Conservative family” in East Brunswick, NJ, he had a solid Jewish identity that included Hebrew school, a bar mitzvah, and membership in United Synagogue Youth (USY), a Conservative youth movement. But it did not include Shabbat. At 16, he attended a USY Shabbaton and met Shomer Shabbat people for the first time. “I knew there was such a thing as Shabbat,” he recalled, but he never imagined knowing anyone who kept it. Meeting public school kids who kept Shabbat was eye-opening. “I was very challenged by that,” he said. “I had this thought going through my mind that never really went away, which was that I always believed in
Judaism. I didn’t know anything very much about Judaism, just what I learned in my Conservative Hebrew school, but I believed in Judaism. I believed in G-d. I believed that Judaism was true. “And now I saw that there was a thing called ‘keeping Shabbat’ and people did it, people who to go to public schools do it. So, if I believe it’s true, and I say I have a strong Jewish identity, and I see that it’s possible, then why don’t I do it?” At 16, Yaakov responded to his theological challenge in a surprising way. “I actually decided that I was going to try. I remember thinking that it sounded like such an awful thing to keep Shabbat. I went to the Conservative synagogue on a Saturday; I’m sure I drove there. And I remember reading things in Mussaf about how great Shabbos is and I was thinking,
apparently it’s supposed to be beautiful.” There was just one tiny detail to be worked out. “I didn’t know any rabbis,” he said. “I didn’t know any religious people I would feel comfortable talking to about it. So, I didn’t tell anybody. I smuggled into my room one of those Hebrew-English Chumashim they have at Conservative temples and a pink bat mitzvah yarmulke, and I hid them in the drawer. “And I would, on Saturday or Friday night – I don’t remember which – I would go into my room. I’d lock the door and open the drawer. I’d take out the yarmulke and the Chumash. I don’t know if I knew what parsha it was. I don’t know what I would read, but I would read from the Chumash.” Rabbi Lynn described this early experimentation as inconsistent. Sometimes he would drive to the syn-
“Mom. Dad. There’s something I have to tell you: I’ve been keeping Shabbat.”
‘I don’t understand. This sounds like an awful thing. How could it be so good?’ “I remember the moment – standing in this Conservative temple, I decided then that I’m going to try it, now that I know it’s possible and
agogue. Sometimes he would stop and buy something on the way home. He was trying to figure out Shabbat all on his own. “I had no idea how to keep Shabbat,” he explained. “I didn’t know about Shabbat meals. I went back and
for t h. I would watch TV if my parents had the TV on, but I kept saying ‘no’ whenever my family wanted to do something. “So my parents were getting concerned about me. I was locking myself in my room every Saturday, and I worked on Sundays in a drugstore, and so they didn’t see me on Sunday. They kept pushing me. ‘You want to do this today? You want to do that?’ And I’d just say no, and go back to my room. And then, finally, one day they confronted me.” Feeling backed into a corner, 16-year-old Yaakov took a deep breath and confessed, “’Mom. Dad. There’s something I have to tell you: I’ve been keeping Shabbat.’ “And I really thought they were going to keel over. They actually weren’t so shocked. And they felt bad that I felt embarrassed about it. But they definitely thought it was a phase.” That was the beginning of his teshuva journey. Today, Rabbi Yaakov Lynn is the founding dean and director of Meorot, a unique Jerusalem seminary designed especially for public school graduates.
A Path to Teshuva Although she never locked herself in her bedroom in attempt to keep Shabbat, Penina Lynn’s teshuva story runs along similar lines. Raised in Columbia, MD, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., she also attended public school. Penina, who serves as the Director of Students at Meorot, described herself as having a “very typical traditional Jewish background. Hebrew
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Baltimore. That’s when their paths converged.
Heading to the Holy Land
23 Girls on Day 1 As Yaakov’s experience, both in learning and teaching, deepened, it was Penina who urged him to focus on teaching ba’alot teshuva. She felt that her husband had the perfect personality for teaching young women, a task not every rabbi is suited for.
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Yaakov, recognized early on for being a gifted teacher, knew he wanted to work in Jewish education. After Penina finished graduate school, Yaakov resigned from Hillel and the couple, newly married, came to Israel for a year. The plan was for Yaakov to go to yeshiva, now that he understood more clearly what that involved, and then to return to New York so he could study for semicha. One year led to another, and, in the end, the couple never left Israel. “We came for a year, and it’s been a very long year,” Penina joked. The administrators at his yeshiva recognized Yaakov’s gift as an educator and tapped him for various teaching and kiruv-related opportunities, which he took on, in addition to learning full-time. In the interim, Penina was caring for the first of their six children and found herself with a lot of time on her hands. Initially, she was in a bit of a limbo because the Lynns were still planning on returning to the U.S. She enrolled in an ulpan to improve her conversational Hebrew and then accepted a position as an online matchmaker with a Jewish dating site. Eventually, she was promoted to the Director of Matchmaker Support, overseeing 250 volunteer matchmakers and five paid matchmakers. This position, which she held for several years, allowed her to work while being with her growing family in the afternoons.
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school every Sunday. I was bat mitzvahed. My parents insisted that I be in a Jewish youth group if I wanted to be able to date whoever I wanted when I was in high school.” Her childhood was filled with “really positive Jewish experiences.” She explained, “Through my college years, I became more religious. I knew this was where my life was going, and I just had to get there,” she noted. For Yaakov, Chabad at Binghamton University and his junior year abroad, spent at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, helped solidify his path. A key player was Jeff Seidel, the legendary kiruv personality, who introduced Yaakov to Shabbat in many different home environments. In Israel, Yaakov began learning Torah, wearing tzitzit and davening with tefillin. When he returned to America for his senior year of college, he was unable to sustain that level of observance. Ironically, though he turned down a full-time job in his field and returned to Israel to learn in yeshiva after college, “I actually hated it,” he commented laughingly. He tried five different yeshivot before giving up. “I wasn’t ready to sit and learn Gemara,” he explained. “My mind wasn’t sharp enough. And they didn’t really have beginner tracks back then.” By November, he was back in America. A few temporary positions, a fellowship with the Jewish Campus Service Corps and then Yaakov became the Hillel director at Goucher College in Baltimore, making him, at age 23, the youngest full-time Hillel director ever. After finishing college in Boston, Penina pursued a masters in social work at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. After a somewhat traumatic first day at her first field placement, she was reassigned to Hillel of Greater
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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
Meorot students and staff at the closing banquet
uring the coronavirus crisis, Meorot was one of a tiny number of seminaries in Israel that stayed open. “On March 17, I was sitting in my office as new Ministry of Health restrictions were being announced, rumors were swirling about closing borders, and word was coming in that other seminaries were closing,” Rabbi Lynn explained. “For the first time, I thought, despite our efforts to stay open, it was ‘game over’; we’d have to close as well. Just then, one of our teachers came into my office.” That teacher reported that the students were afraid that Meorot was also going to close. “They don’t want to leave,” she shared. “I gathered the students and explained to them that if we stayed open, we would not be able to have any in-person classes, maybe for the rest of the year,” Rabbi Lynn recalled. “I told them I didn’t even know if they’d get to see my wife and me in person again for months, that they might be trapped in their dorms, and that if the borders closed, they might not even be able to go home for many months. “I told them we would not kick them out, and that we’d take care of them and keep teaching them Torah as long as we could. “They wanted to stay. “There were students who wanted to spend a kosher Pesach in Israel and to keep learning Torah. How could I not keep the seminary open? That’s why Meorot exists,” Rabbi Lynn asserted. Dr. Eliana Aaron, a U.S. board-certified nurse practitioner and Israeli nurse, guided the Lynns on Meorot’s healthcare policy. “We took a very stringent approach when it came to the guidelines. For over two weeks, we did not let any student or madricha leave the apartment. “Other than me, all their classes were on Zoom. As I told their parents, they were in the safest place in the world. We provided all their meals (even during Pesach) and even allowed them to add their own requests to our weekly makolet order, which was delivered to their door.” Looking back, Rabbi Lynn commented, “It was a huge achrayus and I did a lot of davening, but I knew the whole time that this was our opportunity to show Hashem why we do this. If Meorot really exists because we believe that it is our obligation to provide public school girls with the opportunity to live a life of Torah in a way they would not otherwise have had, then of course we needed to provide them this opportunity at the time they needed it most! “As I said in my speech at the closing banquet, those two months were the most meaningful of my life. While the rest of the world was trapped at home trying to find ways to stay productive, these girls who wanted to stay and learn gave me the opportunity to wake up each morning with a sense of purpose, knowing there were 18 young women who needed someone to take care of their physical and spiritual needs that day – and feeling a sense of gratitude that Hashem chose me for that role.”
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Penina asserted that it takes someone who’s been there “to really understand the drive of women raised in secular culture.” Yaakov interjected that 80% of the students he worked with as the Hillel director at Goucher College had been women. As the years progressed, Yaakov developed a gratifying schedule of learning Torah in the mornings and teaching in six different programs, five of which were for women, in the
afternoons. And Penina had transitioned into the world of teletherapy, working as a behavioral therapist for an online charter school in Ohio. Life for the Lynn family was very good. Noting that there was no seminary in America for ba’alot teshuva, the couple planned to return to America and establish one. For various reasons, despite early support for the idea, it didn’t come to fruition. “At the same time I was thinking
about that seminary in America,” Rabbi Lynn said, “there were rabbis who decided that there was a need for a seminary for public school girls, post-high school, in Israel. For whatever reason, the rabbis that were going to start it ended up backing out before it started.” Since girls had already been recruited for the year, and Yaakov was already teaching there, the nascent school, operating under the name Meorot, started as a sister program to a more established seminary. That quickly proved to be an unworkable model. “It was not working. It needed to be its own seminary, and I was watching it die. I wasn’t so invested. One day I came home and I said to my wife, ‘Meorot is dying. Somebody needs to take this program over and turn it into its own seminary, with its own place, and its own teachers and its own staff and its own madrichot (student mentors). I should probably offer to do it. But I’m not going to.’” Man plans, and G-d laughs. A month later, Yaakov was offered the chance to run Meorot. The couple decided to take it on together. “For me, it was almost a bigger investment,” Penina stated, “because I had to close my private practice that I was doing during the day and I had to leave my job working as a behavioral therapist for the charter school in Ohio. I really was changing my life over to make this happen.” This was December of 2017, and the couple hit the ground running. Yaakov booked a flight to NCSY’s Yarchei Kallah, a five-day retreat for public school students who come to learn Torah during their winter break.
“I knew nothing,” he recalled. “I didn’t know where it was going to be. I didn’t know who our teachers were. I didn’t know what our schedule was. I made it all up on the fly. “I was still learning in the mornings. I was still teaching in six places. I would come home at 10:00 at night, turn on my computer and start my full-time job of building a seminary, yesh m’ayin.” Somehow, with a huge amount of work and Hashem’s blessing, on August 26, 2018, “there were 23 girls here. I can show you a picture from that day. It was it was incredibly inspiring,” he said. “There was a stand-alone seminary for 23 public school graduates. It was the first time that ever happened. There had never been a seminary exclusively geared towards public school graduates,” Yaakov noted with pride.
From Aleph to Taf There are a few things that distinguish Meorot students from every other seminary student in Israel. First, according to Penina, “I always tell these girls that you are the only seminary in the world where every single student here is here because you chose to be here. Nobody’s here because it’s what everybody in their 12th grade class is doing. Nobody’s here because that’s what their older sister did or because that’s what their parents say they should do. “They’re all here because they want to be here, and therefore they’re incredibly motivated. And it’s very unique. All of our teachers teach in lots of seminaries and they all say this is their favorite place to teach because these girls are wide-eyed and want to learn. We have no attendance prob-
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In the classroom, the girls are taught skills such as how to reference a certain perek and pasuk in Hebrew. “We can’t assume anything,” he asserted. “Last year, we had a student who completely misunderstood a shiur, because she didn’t know that King David and David HaMelech were the same person. The teacher used them interchangeably and she thought she was talking about two different people.” He cautions, though, that people shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking Meorot students are stupid.
Over the remainder of her high school years, Belilty became very involved with NCSY, taking advantage of many of their programs. With each new program she attended, she grew more connected to Torah and to Israel. By the time she met Rabbi Yaakov Lynn of Meorot, she was ready for something more intensive. “This is my first experience with really organized Jewish learning,” she shared. “It’s made me see Judaism as something that’s woven into my life. This environment is what made it
R
abbi Yaakov and Mrs. Penina Lynn took their own teshuva journeys and the skills, education and opportunities that Hashem gave them and created a brand-new path in kiruv. “We really would like to be the address for public school girls who want to come and learn Torah in Israel for a year,” Rabbi Lynn concluded.
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“Last year, we had a student who completely misunderstood a shiur, because she didn’t know that King David and David HaMelech were the same person.”
sustainable for me, because they are teaching me everything that I need to know in terms that I can understand it and keep with me. “Being in Moerot has made me see Judaism as something that’s my own, and that it can be mine forever. And it gave me the tools to continue to develop it, even after I leave. I love it here!” she enthused.
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“They’re very intelligent. They’re just missing information,” he elaborated. Katherine Belilty is a current student at Meorot. She was accepted to Princeton University and deferred for a year to pursue a deeper understanding of her Jewish identity. Earlier in her teen years, Belilty entertained the thought that “maybe I’m going to be Christian because my diehard Baptist friends all connect to their religion and I don’t connect to mine.” She had no way to enter the depth of Torah study. “I thought that Torah was just the Chumash. I thought it was just stories.” Then an NCSY advisor introduced her to The Secret Life of God by Rabbi David Aaron.
This year’s class at Meorot
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lem at the 9:15 class.” On the other hand, because there is no communal or family pressure to study in Israel for a year, in some cases, the parents are not at all supportive and won’t pay even a portion of their daughter’s tuition at Meorot, so there is a need to do extensive fundraising. Most students are recruited through Jewish youth groups like NCSY and Batya Girls, which has branches in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Illinois and Maryland. “This is not for beginner girls who know nothing. Some of them don’t know the Alef-Beis, but they know they want to learn about Judaism,” Rabbi Lynn explained.
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Rabbi Yaakov and Penina Lynn Photo credit Rabbi Peretz Rubel
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Health & F tness
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
JUNE 4, 2020
Summer Camp 2020 By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP
“D
r. Lightman, will there be camp this summer?” This question rolls off every parent’s tongue nowadays, together with a look of longing that rivals that for a rebuilt Jerusalem replete with the Beis HaMikdash functioning at full capacity. I sure hope that summer camp happens. This important tool for lifelong growth could possibly happen this summer if we are creative.
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Why is summer camp important? Many of us have experienced loads of family time the last almost three months. It’s great. It’s fabulous. It’s beautiful. And, honestly speaking, we need a break. Our children need a change, and, please G-d, camp will provide that change. For generations of children, summer means unlimited free time to play, explore and make memories that can last for a lifetime. It’s about learning to swim, play tennis, doing arts-andcrafts that can lead to hobbies, Jewish learning – and so much more. In other words, camp allows for a deep dive into new skills and reviewing in a nonthreatening atmosphere. The benefits can have a ripple effect that can help learning throughout the year. Under the guidance of skilled instructors and talented artists and separated from the competitive environment called school, children can discover and develop new skills that may well prove beneficial into adulthood. As long as the camp provides a positive and nurturing environment, children can figure out who they are, manage their daily chores, and discover new skills that can shape their identity. Once a person tastes success, he will want more success. The only failure in camp is missing the opportunity to try new things.
In addition to the “skills” stimulation and exploration, camp can provide physical activity that is typically lacking for our children during the school year. It entails unplugging from technology: our children, due to Covid-19 circumstances much larger than them and us, have practically overdosed on technology the last several months. Children who are disconnected from their smartphones, tablets and computers can focus on their creative talents, engage with other children and explore the outdoors. Summer camp offers a structured opportunity for children to grow. This venue for growth allows children to become independent and self-confident by gaining proficiency and prowess while socializing and making new friends. Regarding the social component, many children are labelled during the school year – “studious,” “rambunctious,” to cite but a few examples. Once labelled, it is hard for the school and the child and his peers to move past that label. The camp set-
ting should be a nonjudgmental one (as should school, for that matter). Because children in camp can make new friends, thereby moving beyond the same group of peers (which tends to reinforce the labelling), they are given the opportunity to break out of the categorizations, spread their wings and fly. Camp allows kids to get out and into an environment filled with people who see what is in front of them, rather than what they have been trained to see through years of false reinforcement. Not enough can be said about the benefits of removing a person from a familiar environment (which has become hum-drum for so many), which means getting them out of their comfort zones and expanding their boundaries. They take risks with their new skills without the looming fear of failure and repercussions. Camp then reinforces independence and empowerment. Nothing brings out and tests children’s independence than giving them time away from Mommy and Abba.
Without our ubiquitous presence, children can learn to bring tasks to completion. They can begin to understand the thought that goes into a good decision and then learn more about themselves in the process. They can learn from other adults and from peers. When children are away from home, they tend to grow in appreciating their Imma and Daddy, belongings, and homemade chicken for Shabbos. Warning: the appreciation is not permanent. At best, it’s ephemeral. But it is there, and it will grow over time. As a result, this amalgam called camp builds resilience. New (or renewed) friendships, confidence, independence, and sense of belonging only enhance a child’s development. It helps them to grow from a kid into a strong, competent adult.
So how can we make camp happen this summer? Unbelievably, overnight camp might be simpler to bring into reality
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41 you didn’t bring me home at the end of Visiting Day” letters we received. Visiting Day does not benefit kids nor does it help parents. Visiting Day helps the local eateries (and they work hard for parnassa). If camps open, perhaps they can order lunch or dinner from the local eateries as a treat for what would otherwise be the dreaded Visiting Day. Step 3 has to do with programming. In my opinion, camps should go “back-to-basics.” The basics include food and shelter together with physical activity and loads of teamwork. Based on the ages of bunks, camps
learning practical and relevant. Academic studies have demonstrated that most children learn something better when it is relevant to them. I am picturing the math that would be done by junior high school girls together with the camp’s hanhala to determine how much food items to order in order to feed the camp. I am not a complete ogre. Bring in one night per trip one of the wellknown singers/entertainers with their entourage. Just keep them separate from campers. Nearly forty years ago, I met the
late Rabbi Ronnie Greenwald, a”h, when he had traveled to South Africa on business. He invited me to the United States to be a camp doctor in Camp Sternberg. I came but was unable to work as I did not have American malpractice insurance. Under his tutelage, Camp Sternberg, which then was a federation owned and operated camp, was open to girls of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The tuition was within financial reach of most families, thereby creating a blend of girls from different backgrounds. Camp Sternberg personified “barebones.” The bunk houses were what we’d call “dumps.” Toilets flushed yet barely. Showers had running water but not much more. Every morning (other than Shabbos), girls woke up, exercised old-fashioned calisthenics, davened, and only then did they eat breakfast because they had “earned” it. Sternberg food was basic, wholesome and not fancy. I cannot imagine they were offered too many choices at meals. The day’s program was filled with Jewish learning, art programming, and lots of physical activity. Rain boots or galoshes were put on, and off the girls went hiking through rivers and G-d knows what else, learning
Dr. Hylton I. Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd.com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.
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should empower kids. One week, put a bunk in charge of food inventory, while another inventories crafts supplies, while another is in charge of peeling vegetables, while another takes on learning an art project or two and then teaching it to other bunks. Get outdoors. Hike. Explore nature. Put on the rain boots and get out there to see the beautiful world that our L-rd has created for our children and all others to learn, explore and enjoy. Make beds. Clean bunk houses (in addition to doing so on Erev Shabbos). Get in the kitchen and learn how to cook and bake. Of course, everything should be age appropriate. Summer camp this year might be used to help stem the “Coronavirus slide.” Readers have heard about “summer learning loss,” a time when achievement in areas like reading and math decline over the summer months. The declines tend to be steeper for math than for reading and the extent (proportionally) of loss increases in the upper grades. Educators are concerned about Coronavirus slide combined with summer learning loss this year. Studies show that the summer slide can result in 2-3 months of learning, while other studies show declines of no more than one month. Camps could make some of this
Making day camp happen does not appear to be as “easily” attainable, although as I pen these lines there are rumblings that Governor Cuomo might allow the opening of day camps for June 29. This would be fabulous. Kids need camp, and their parents need kids in camp even more. I implore that, if day camps open, there are plans to assure children’s health. We know that we can take every precaution, and things can still happen. I am not prepared at this time to tell people to live “as usual” (meaning pre-Covid), and let the chips fall where they may. That responsibility is too huge. Yet I also realize a properly planned and well-run camp that has health policies that are clearly stated and carried out consistently is better than kids and parents be program-less the entire summer. Beyond the summer is the school year. I sincerely hope we can return to some sense of normalcy on that front. Allow me to take this opportunity to emphasize that, by no means, are we done with Covid. As a community, we need to begin preparing now for the flu season and, G-d forbid, a Covid resurge. As always, daven.
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Difficult times – and no one will argue that we are in difficult times – create opportunities.
about nature and the wonders of the outdoors. Other than hikes, there were few trips off grounds. Evenings and Shabbos were filled with singing and dancing and plays put on for the girls by the girls. And there was no canteen! In other words, no junk food! It is no wonder why, in the words of a Sternberg alumna who thrived during her years there, she left home “chubby” and, between the physical activity and healthful eating (with the Shabbos cake as a treat), she returned home slimmed down, happy as could be, her creative juices flowing and brimming over. Difficult times – and no one will argue that we are in difficult times – create opportunities. Summer 2020 could be our opportunity to shift our society onto a more wholesome, healthy plan.
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than day camp. Why? Because overnight camp can be a self-contained happening. With tremendous planning, the camp can be sequestered from everyone but staff and campers. Possibly all staff and campers should have a Covid nose swab test well as an antibodies test prior to arriving in camp. Although no one knows what having or not having antibodies means (or does not mean), at least a baseline has been established. Overseas staff must arrive two weeks in advance and quarantine. In addition, both staff and campers must have health forms with physical exams dated within the last 12 months together with vaccines. The flu vaccine must be required. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urge people to have flu vaccines through June 30, 2020. It is one of the first lines of defense during this pandemic. When campers board buses for camp, temperatures must be taken. Temperatures should be taken again upon arriving in camp. Once on camp grounds, no staff or campers can go off grounds and re-enter. This means finding roles for the swimming staff during the Nine Days. Medical staff would have to stay put. Of course, camps must have bona fide plans to handle Covid, should it rear its ugly head in camp. One more thing – no nosh packages. This is step 1. Step 2: no Visiting Day. Period. Visiting Day = germ potential. Let’s wipe out the potential proactively by not having Visiting Day. I’ve never understood the concept of Visiting Day. When I was a doctor at Camps Bnos and Agudah, it was one of the worse days of the summer. Parents schlepped from wherever and kids were miserable, nagging for trips off grounds to shop for what they already had. How about parents chartering buses to bring their kids home Visiting Day? Doesn’t that defeat trying to foster independence and resilience in our children? The goodbyes at the end of Visiting Day – the drama. The tears. It was (almost) like how Tisha B’Av should be. As a father, I experienced those dreadful goodbyes in several camps. My wife and I still chuckle about the “To the worse parents in the world because
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JUNE 4, 2020
TJH
Centerfold
Want to Think About That Again? “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” -Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” -Western Union internal memo, 1876
“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” -David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s
“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” -A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp)
“Who wants to hear actors talk?”
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-H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927, rejecting the idea of sound in film
“A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.” -Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies
“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” -Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962
“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” -Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895
“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” -Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
You gotta be
kidding
Two beggars are sitting outside the Tivoli Fountain in Rome. One beggar has a sign around his neck which reads, “Please help your fellow Christian with some change.” The other beggar has a big Star of David prominently displayed around his neck. As people walk by, they proudly and generously give to the beggar with the sign, while snarling at the beggar with the Star of David sitting near him. After a while, a priest walks by and sees the two beggars sitting there. The priest turns to them and says, “Dearest beggar, this is a Catholic city and they are not too fond of Jews around here. No one will give you money as long as you have that Star of David around your neck.” The beggar with the Star of David turns to the other and says, “Chaim, look who’s trying to tell the Cohen brothers about marketing!”
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1. What was historic about the July 2011 Atlantis shuttle mission? a. The astronauts requested iced coffees from Le Chocolat. The iced coffees were sent up in a refrigerated capsule, which docked at the International Space Station. b. It was the first mission of Atlantis c. It was the first time an issue of TJH was taken to space. d. It was the final mission of NASA’s space shuttle program.
B D- After 30 years of space shuttle missions, NASA’s space shuttle program had been shut down.
1)
6) 5)
D
Sarah needed to go to the store to buy some ingredients to cook with. She started writing them down: Butter Milk Eggs Baking Soda Cashews Oranges Vinegar Lemon Juice What was Sarah making (you don’t need to be a world-class chef to figure it out)? Answer: A shopping list
0-2 correct: You must have inhaled some of Atlantis’ fumes.
2)
3-4 correct: You’re a little spaced out.
B
4-6 correct: You are either a rocket scientist or a real nerd
3)
Switchboard Key
4)
6. An astronaut has to be able to remain calm in tough situations which require quick thinking. Which astronaut is famous for being so strangely calm that he actually fell asleep on the launch pad waiting to launch? a. Neil Armstrong b. Gordon Copper c. John Glenn d. TJH Centerfold Commissioner
Riddle me this? B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
5. How many missions is each shuttle expected to fly? a. 25 b. 50 c. 67 d. 100
B- Gordon “Gordo” Cooper flew on Mercury 9, the last and longest Mercury flight, as well as Gemini 5. He was the last astronaut to fly solo. During his Mercury flight, his blood pressure dropped astonishingly down to 101/65.
4. Which of these names was never used for a space shuttle? a. Atlantic b. The TJH Shuttle c. Discovered d. Challenged
A, B, C, D- Although some of the wellknown shuttles were Atlantis, Discovery, and the Challenger. (Learn how to read my friend.)
3. Space agencies around the globe try to create launch sites as close the equator as economically possible. Which of the below choices is NOT a valid reason for this? a. Rotational velocity of the earth is faster at the equator, allowing for a faster initial orbital slingshot. b. It is easier to keep the rocket fuel cooler in equatorial climates. c. Equatorial launches offer more orbital inclination possibilities. d. Many equatorial locations have nearby bodies of water to launch over for safety reasons.
Answers
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2. The maiden launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-41D was originally delayed over a month in order to replace a malfunctioning main engine. When finally back on the launch pad, the launch was delayed another six minutes and 50 seconds for what reason? a. One of the astronauts had to use the bathroom. b. A private aircraft had flown into the shuttle’s airspace. c. The new engine wasn’t working properly. d. There was a passing storm.
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Space Shuttle Trivia
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Forgotten Her es
JUNE 4, 2020
The Blue Angels Flying the Skies
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By Avi Heiligman
T
he American military has many assets in its arsenal that could be used in many different ways depending on the situation. Not only could they be used to strike at enemies, the military has aided allies in humanitarian, training, economical, and in many other capacities. The coronavirus pandemic saw the use of hospital ships, military doctors and other medical personnel in action across the country. Even domestically, the American military has responded to natural disasters and terrorism on the homefront among times. Recently, many Americans saw the air demonstration squadrons from both the air force and navy. Both teams have a storied history, as they have been wowing audiences for over seven decades. Air demonstrations go back to the early days of aviation. In fact, over 100 years ago, many Americans saw flying circuses before they ever flew in an airplane. Many World War II pilots got their “itch” for flying from seeing these air demonstrations. Over the years, air forces worldwide have developed air display teams, and even a few private organizations have gotten in on the act. In the U.S. it was the Navy’s Blue Angels that first took to the skies as an air demonstration team. After World War II, the navy wanted to keep the public interested in naval aviation and not see a drop-off as they had after World War I. With thousands of planes that were manufactured during the war that were now destined for the scrap heap, it wasn’t too difficult for Lt. Commander Roy “Butch” Voris, a World War II fighter ace, to procure several Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat fighters and outfit them for air shows. They were first introduced as the Blue Angels in July 1946. In addition to the Hellcats, they
also employed a T-6 painted to look like a Japanese Zero fighter and flown to simulate aerial combat. A year later, the Blue Angels were flying the Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat.
the sides as they fly within 18 inches from wingtip to canopy. This maneuver, along with the diamond loop and the diamond barrel roll, are still performed today with the F/A 18 Hornets.
In a regular year, 11 million spectators will come out to see them
Under flight leader Lt. Commander Bob Clark, the team first performed their iconic Diamond Formation. In this four-plane formation, one plane is in front, one in back and two on
In 1949, the Blue Angles switched to the Grumman F9F- Panther. They moved to NAS Whiting Field in Florida after they had previously moved from Jacksonville to Corpus Christi,
Texas. It was there that they adopted their crest, added a sixth pilot to their shows, and acquired a Douglas R4D6 Skytrain for logistics. By the start of the 1950s, the squadron became famous as they performed nationwide. However, they were disbanded to fight in the Korean War. All of the pilots flew with VF-191 and were stationed on the carrier USS Princeton (CV-37). In March 1951, Fight Leader John Magda was killed while leading a strike against communist troops. The Blue Angels were reactivated in October 1951 and reported to Corpus Christi, Texas, under Lt. Commander Voris. The 1950s saw the Blue Angels add a sixth plane and progressed from the F9F-2 Panther to the F9F-8 Cougar and then to the F-11 Tiger. The Tiger was their first supersonic jet, and the team added a lot more aerial stunts to their shows. From the 1960s and onwards, the Blue Angels perfected their performances as they transitioned to the F-4 Phantom to the A-4 Skyhawk, and in 1986, they started flying the F/A-18 Hornet. Next year, they will have upgraded to the F/A18E Super Hornet when they celebrate their 75th anniversary. No discussion of the Blue Angels will be complete without mentioning their support aircraft, especially their Lockheed Martin C-130, nicknamed “Fat Albert.” In use since 1970, Fat Albert traditionally starts off the show with a few passes that amaze crowds since a C-130 isn’t the sleekest of planes. It is mainly used for logistics and to carry crew and spare parts for the F/A-18 Hornets. It has an all-Marine crew of seven personnel. The current plane was just brought into use this year. In 2019, there were a total of eighteen Marines on the Fat Albert
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was killed while fighting in the Korean War, and three other pilots were killed during the Vietnam War. Captain Harley Hall probably survived his Phantom crashing in South Vietnam
and was presumed killed by the communist forces while a prisoner of war. On the bright side, many have had illustrious careers after leaving the Blue Angels. Many stayed in the
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navy and achieved high ranks, like four-star Admiral Patrick Walsh who served as commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Commander Chuck Brady was with the team from 1988-1990 and then went on to join NASA as an astronaut. He flew with the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1996. Being a Blue Angel pilot takes years of training and only the best are selected to perform before cheering crowds all over the U.S. and the world. In a regular year, 11 million spectators will come out to see them, although many of their demonstrations this year were canceled due to the pandemic. The Blue Angels have had 267 demonstration pilots go through their ranks continuing the tradition of showcasing to the public the teamwork and professionalism of the U.S. Navy.
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Airlines (a term coined by the Blue Angels). Over the years, the Blue Angels have developed formations and aerial feats that fascinated both casual and diehard fans that come out in droves to them perform. The Delta Formation is when five planes form a “V� with the sixth plane right behind the leader. This is used a few times in the show as they roll and then break out into six different directions, usually leaving a smoke trail behind. Their speeds will vary depending on the maneuver, and they can go as fast as 700 MPH and as slow as 120 MPH while performing. The fastest is the Sneak Pass, and they will come within 50 feet of the ground. Many of maneuvers like the double farvel, a diamond formation with two planes upside down, are impressive when written about but are absolutely astounding when seen in person. Accidents do happen to the Blue Angels. Twenty pilots and one crewmember have died while performing or training for shows. Many pilots have fought in battle and have been casualties of war. Commander Magda
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.
A HEALING LAUGH
USING HUMOR TO COPE WITH STRESS
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Notable Quotes
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“Say What?!”
If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care.
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-Congressman Elliot Engel overheard on a hot mike asking Bronx President Ruben Diaz to allow him to speak at a news conference about the shooting of George Floyd and the ensuing unrest
For a while after the pandemic began, Zoom seemed new and fun. We rearranged our lighting to our best advantage and made sure our cameras weren’t shooting directly up our noses. We put up funny background screens, even on work calls. “Hey Rob, is that a brontosaurus in your swimming pool?” we cackled stupidly. It was during this period that endless jokes were made about not wearing pants. Burn that [stuff] down. Burn it all down.
-Nicholas Goldberg, Jewish World Review, in an article titled “Zoom was fun at first. But it wouldn’t be 2020 if we didn’t figure out a way to ruin it”
-ESPN reporter Chris Palmer tweeting a photo of a building burning in LA during a riot
They just attacked our sister community down the street. It’s a gated community, and they tried to climb the gates. They had to beat them back. They destroyed a Starbucks and are now in front of my building. Get these animals [expletive] out of my neighborhood. Go back to where you live.
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– ESPN reporter Chris Palmer tweeting several hours later, when the rioters came into his neighborhood
I’m really quite overcome with emotion on this day. It’s kind of hard to talk, frankly. I’ve spent 18 years working toward this goal, so it’s hard to believe that it’s happened. - SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, after the launch of astronauts in a Falcon 9 rocket, made by his company, to the International Space Station
I don’t want to rush everything. – Jack Rico, age 13, who just graduated college in California with his fourth college degree
In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable. - Comedian Jimmy Fallon apologizing on Twitter after a video surfaced this week of him wearing blackface while playing fellow comedian Chris Rock in a Saturday Night Live sketch twenty years ago
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- Wikipedia’s co-founder Larry Sanger writing about how the site now has a leftist bias
Knowing it wouldn’t make a difference, he jokingly asked if being married to me might move him up in the queue. Obviously, with the motorized boating prohibition in our early days of COVID-19, he thought it might get a laugh. It didn’t. - Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer talking to the press after a video surfaced of her husband trying to get a marina to put his boat in the water, despite the state prohibiting that due to corona and showing him arguing that the marina better do it because “my wife is the governor”
- Name of a coffee company that was accidentally banned in Canada when they implemented an assault weapons ban several weeks ago
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Black Rifle Coffee Company
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Wikipedia is badly biased. The original policy long since forgotten, it no longer has an effective neutrality policy. It now touts controversial opinions on politics, religion, and science.
Why is the media no longer concerned, and often almost gleeful, about all the mass gatherings that would have been so deadly due to COVID 19 just a few days ago? - Tweet by Donald Trump Jr.
I guess these people magically aren’t “killing their grandmas” by going outside anymore?!? - Ibid.
- David Harsanyi, National Review
I was very confused because I hadn’t ordered anything from Well.ca in a while. -Elliot Berinstein, of Toronto, after a package from Well.ca was delivered last week – eight years after he ordered a product from there
The longer and weirder a word is, the easier it is to spell. Take, for example, the state fish of Hawaii, the humuhumunukunukuāpuaa. That’s an easy word to spell; it’s just long. -Dr. Jacques Bailly, the official pronouncer of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, on CNN
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Perhaps the most nonsensical talking point offered by Antifa apologists was to claim that the group couldn’t possibly be nefarious or violent because its members are anti-fascists — it says so right there in the name!... As the prominent anti-fascist Joe Stalin supposedly said, “Everybody has a right to be stupid, but some people abuse the privilege.”
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Political Crossfire
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SpaceX’s Success Is One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Capitalism By Marc A. Thiessen
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t was one small step for man, one giant leap for capitalism. Only three countries have ever launched human beings into orbit. This past weekend, SpaceX became the first private company ever to do so, when it sent its Crew Dragon capsule into space aboard its Falcon 9 rocket and docked with the International Space Station. This was accomplished by a company Elon Musk started in 2002 in a California strip mall warehouse with just a dozen employees and a mariachi band. At a time when our nation is debating the merits of socialism, SpaceX has given us an incredible testament to the power of American free enterprise. While the left is advocating unprecedented government intervention in almost every sector of the U.S. economy, from health care to energy, today Americans are celebrating the successful privatization of space travel. If you want to see the difference between what government and private enterprise can do, consider: it took a private company to give us the first space vehicle with touch-screen controls instead of antiquated knobs and buttons. It took a private company to give us a capsule that can fly entirely autonomously from launch to landing – including docking – without any participation by its human crew. It also took a private company to invent a reusable rocket that can not only take off but land as well. When the Apollo 11 crew reached the moon on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong declared “the Eagle has land-
ed.” On Saturday, SpaceX was able to declare that the Falcon had landed when its rocket settled down on a
of 95%. And while the space shuttle cost $27.4 billion to develop, the Crew Dragon was designed and built
It took a private company to give us the first space vehicle with touch-screen controls instead of antiquated knobs and buttons barge in the Atlantic Ocean – ready to be used again. That last development will save the taxpayers incredible amounts of money. The cost to NASA for launching a man into space on the space shuttle orbiter was $170 million per seat, compared with just $60 million to $67 million on the Dragon capsule. The cost for the space shuttle to send a kilogram of cargo into space was $54,500; with the Falcon rocket, the cost is just $2,720 – a decrease
for just $1.7 billion – making it the lowest-cost spacecraft developed in six decades. SpaceX did it in six years – far faster than the time it took to develop the space shuttle. The private sector does it better, cheaper, faster and more efficiently than government. Why? Competition. Today, SpaceX has to compete with a constellation of private companies – including legacy aerospace firms such as Orbital ATK and United Launch Alliance and innovative start-ups
such as Blue Origin (which is designing a Mars lander and whose owner, Jeff Bezos, also owns The Washington Post) and Virgin Orbit (which is developing rockets than can launch satellites into space from the underside of a 747, avoiding the kinds of weather that delayed the Dragon launch). In the race to put the first privately launched man into orbit, upstart SpaceX had to beat aerospace behemoth Boeing and its Starliner capsule to the punch. It did so – for more than $1 billion less than its competitor. That spirit of competition and innovation will revolutionize space travel in the years ahead. Indeed, Musk has his sights set far beyond Earth orbit. Already, SpaceX is working on a much larger version of the Falcon 9 reusable rocket called Super Heavy that will carry a deep-space capsule named Starship capable of carrying up to 100 people to the moon and eventually to Mars. Musk’s goal – the reason he founded SpaceX – is to colonize Mars and make humanity a multiplanetary species. He has set a goal of founding a million-person city on Mars by 2050 complete with iron foundries and pizza joints. Can it be done? Who knows. But this much is certain: private-sector innovation is opening the door to a new era of space exploration. Wouldn’t it be ironic if, just as capitalism is allowing us to explore the farthest reaches of our solar system, Americans decided to embrace socialism back here on Earth? (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group
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Dating Dialogue THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME JUNE 4, 2020
What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
I’m scared if I don’t pursue the opportunity with the one I am more interested in first I will lose my chance with him. On the other hand, it may not be smart now because we can’t meet in person anyways. I would love to hear what the panel thinks. Thanks, Sara
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.
In last week’s issue, the Single’s answer was attributed to Michelle Mond instead of Rena Friedman. We regret the error.
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I’ve been on a Zoom speed dating group that has been going amazingly. Everyone is around the same age range/hashkafa, and it gives us an opportunity to meet a few people and decide who would be good for each other after a series of Zoom speed dating. It’s been a recurring group, and we have spoken both as a group and individually two times. So far, I’m very interested in two guys I’ve met through the group, and I can’t choose who to proceed with. I know, I know. I should be counting my blessings. The problem is the one I am more interested in lives far away, and would be less likely to meet up in person with social distancing. The one I’m a little bit interested in, but as of now see less potential in, lives closer, so meeting could work.
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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. ara, it’s smart of you to join this form of dating now. While in-person dating is very limited, you are continuing your efforts to meet men. I applaud your efforts to keep moving on and trying. However, do not overthink things. If within a compatible forum you encountered someone who seems to be a good potential dating partner, go for it or him. It is the healthy thing to do. Although the current restrictions on meeting people are limiting dating, you should go for someone who interests you and seems to have the personality and values you appreciate. Part of dealing with the current life is the narrowing of choices for day-to-day life. If you need to purchase something, you buy from the safest place. Your entertainment and socialization choices are restricted for now and perhaps the next few months. However, choices for big things matter, especially life partners. Dating remotely gives you the opportunity to showcase your personality and be creative about it. It gives your wit, humor, and style a new way to shine. Focus on the opportunity to engage with someone who is interesting to you and see where it goes. And enjoy it! Don’t worry and figure so much! And if it is indeed your style to calculate, weigh, and measure, do some deep thinking about it. Understand yourself better and grow with the challenge. You will be smarter and in a better place to make choices because of it.
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The Shadchan Michelle Mond very time I get a question these days, I have to pinch myself due to the reality we are living through.
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Every age group has their own unique challenges, and singles are no exception. I am hopeful, however, that we are at the tail end of strict quarantine. (Hey, I can be optimistic, right?). At the time I am writing this, things are progressing positively in regard to places opening up. Minyanim are being conducted in some states around the U.S. under strict guidelines. Some date places such as pottery painting and parks are open with proper social distancing. Baruch Hashem things are looking up! Your date with Boy Number Two (BNT), the one you are less interested in, will likely be pointless if you go out with him now. Human nature is to gravitate towards that which might be better. In this case, you will continuously be thinking about Boy Number One (BNO), wondering if that would have been the better choice. This will not be fair to BNT and will waste your time, as well as your chances with him if he is your true bashert. I know many stories of women who pushed off going out with someone because there were things that were not ideal at the time. Eventually, after dating many others, the previously suggested guy was given a chance, and things worked out. In almost all of these stories the woman relates that she would not have gotten to engagement without the lessons she learned while dating the others. If your gut is telling you to say yes to BNO, it is the right decision for now. Go for it, you will figure it out. Who knows? By the time this is printed maybe you’ll be able to travel to meet each other. Hatzlacha and hope to hear good news soon!
yourself and for striving to do what is right. When it comes to counting our blessings, even the biggest of blessings can come with their fair share of stressors and challenges. It is always important to recognize both sides of the equation. Lastly, shkoyach for going to these events and putting yourself out there. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call the guy who lives nearby Moshe and the guy who lives farther away Dovid. Also, let’s make the assumption that both Dovid and Moshe are interested and willing to go out with you, too. As I write this, I wonder what I would do in this situation. I try to imagine the emotions and thoughts that would go on in my head. If we were to perform a cost benefit analysis, saying no to Dovid now, which
Even the biggest of blessings can come with their fair share of stressors and challenges.
is painful and almost feels wrong in the short term, is saving you from immense amounts of pain later on. From a tachlis-oriented perspective, it is clear what to do and I have outlined that below. But not everything in life
Repair and/or replace: Hot Water Tanks • Sump Pumps • Faucets • Toilets • Garbage Disposals • Instant Hots • Dish Washers • Dryers • Washing Machines • Light Fixtures • Switches • Dimmers • Outside Lighting • Fans • Timers • and more...
The Single Licensed • Bonded • Insured
Rena Friedman ara, I appreciate your sensitivity towards each of these guys and
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410-929-2802 Saadya Cohen, Owner
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can be boiled down to the logistics. From an emotional standpoint, it is extremely difficult to say no to a guy you are interested in. It does not feel right because it goes against nature. The emotional and mental runaround of shidduchim causes all of us to think and rethink our moves as if we are playing an intense game of chess. In some way there is something Romeo and Juliet-esque intertwined within all of this where you want to date but the circumstance just doesn’t allow for it. As we all have learned over the last few months, sometimes life is just not fair. Hashem runs the world and it’s our avodah, especially during a time like this, to accept, adapt, and learn to roll with the punches. If there is no way to meet Dovid in person, both of you should agree that there is mutual interest and under these conditions it would be better to wait. Each of you should date other people and meet in person if you’re both available in the future. Spending months Zooming with no in-person meeting in sight is signing both
of you up to hurt yourselves and the relationship. A real relationship cannot progress over Zoom with proper vulnerabilities, relationship building, and chemistry. The reality is you do not actually know the guy sitting in “front” of you. You only know a small fraction of him and allow your imagination to conjure up the rest. Remember, the right guy at the wrong time is still wrong. If you are even a little interested in Moshe, then definitely give it a shot. Go on another Zoom date and then meet in person. Moshe is around the corner, and there is no harm in giving it a chance, granted you are in the proper mental state that giving that idea a shot will not hurt you. P.S: I would love to hear more about this event, and what made it so successful. Please feel free to reach out to me at renafriedman1@gmail. com.
Pulling It All Together The Navidaters
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Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
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ear Sara, This may be my shortest response in the history of “What Have a question for the panel? They’re here to help you with your dating conundrums. Email your questions for the panelists to Jen at thenavidaters@gmail.com.
Wou ld You Do If...” I begin with the caveat that you must do what you see fit. No one can tell you what to do and ultimately the decision is yours. In my opinion, follow your heart. Go with your gut. Trust your instinct. You are excited by the guy who lives further away. I think you owe it to yourself to work through the difficulties and challenges that dating will present to you during
The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler ld anecdote: Everyone in the shul and in the neighborhood knew that Margie was a horrible, hateful, miserable human being. One day, she went to her rabbi and asked, “Rabbi, you are a holy man, and I need your advice. Morris and Seymour both proposed marriage to me, but I can’t decide which proposal to accept. With your Ruach Hakodesh, can you please predict, who will be the lucky one?” The rabbi considered the question carefully, and answered gravely, “Morris will be the lucky one. You are going to marry Seymour.” Sarah – I’m just kidding. Don’t be insulted! No one can recommend the proper course of action for you. But following your gut instinct is always advisable. If you take the easy way out and date the local candidate, you will always wonder if you should have chosen the more
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COVID19. For now, you can speak on the phone and Zoom date. It may blossom into more and you will figure out a way to meet if it is meant to be. If it doesn’t blossom into more, you will sleep soundly knowing that you followed your instinct. I can’t tell you how many young women I have worked with in the dating parsha who, for one reason or another, did not trust their guts. We always work on strengthening the ability and permission (which is often taken away by well-meaning people) to trust themselves - even if the person taking it away is themselves. Hashem gives us instincts, and for all different reasons we choose to ignore them.
Following your gut instinct is always advisable.
difficult path. You are already pursuing innovative pathways with Zoom speed dating. Why not go for it and try long distance dating with the young man that seems more attractive to you? If it doesn’t work out, you can always see if the local fellow is still available. And, as an added bonus, the two young men, living far apart, will probably never get a chance to compare dating notes with each other.
I am sensing how deep your desire is to make a reasonable decision. But in this area, instinct and feelings trump reason. Go with your gut and be proud. Sincerely, Jennifer
Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516-224-7779, ext. 2. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.
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es and Ari Blau are living out their dreams – not the dreams they had when they were kids, nor the dreams manufactured by Hollywood. An actress and a writer respectively, Nes and Ari were two rising stars who found each other and together found Torah. Just on the cusp of success, they walked away from their burgeoning careers and the goals that they had chased for many years. 1 Jew in Cape May
friends, Ben and Izzy, along. “That Shabbos was life-changing for me – everything about it. I davened in Beth Medrash Govoha Yeshiva. I didn’t know what that was but for the first time I saw people really praying.” His only prior experience with communal prayer was attending a Conservative synagogue in Margate. Ari was also struck by the sense of community when he saw people greeting each other on the streets. “Everything about it was so amazing that I started going back time and time again to Lakewood for Shabbos, as a 12-year-old boy. I started wearing a kippah out of school and put on tzitzit.” Though they kept a kosher home, Ari’s family would eat at non-kosher restaurants. Ari began keeping fully kosher, and his mom would accom-
modate him with kosher food on paper plates. Ari wanted to continue his Torah studies at yeshiva high school with Ben and Izzy in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Ari’s parents had divorced when he was around nine, and his father had eventually left the family completely. It was a really difficult period, and Ari decided it was best if he didn’t leave home; he reasoned that he could go to public school and still keep up with Ben and Izzy and learn with them by phone. Ari started off strong as he entered high school with a kippah and tzitzit, the only Jew in a school of 1,500 students. There were no other Jewish families in Cape May; it was largely a “summer” community with racism pervasive amongst the yearround families. It wasn’t long before Ari became the subject of anti-Se-
mitic bullying – from having pennies thrown at him to swastikas being drawn on his locker. Ari found protection and camaraderie among the few black students at school. He also began to rely on comedy as a defense mechanism, responding to derogatory comments with clever retorts. Yet it soon became too much for him to handle. He eventually removed his kippah and tzitzit, and dropped his attempts to keep kosher and observe Shabbos. “I even stopped talking to Ben and Izzy on the phone… You get a new group of friends and you’re into different things,” he recalls. “I thought that phase of my life was over.” Ari’s affinity for comedy led him to follow the work of Jewish comedians like Adam Sandler. He attended film school at New York University
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Ari Blau grew up in a Conservative Jewish household in Cape May, New Jersey. He attended Jewish day school near Atlantic City where his mom taught third grade. It was there that he learned to read Hebrew and received the fundamentals of Judaism, skills that would prove invaluable later on in life. As his bar mitzvah approached, Ari began questioning the meaning behind “becoming a man” in Judaism. He wasn’t satisfied with the simple answers he received such as “just be a good person”; at that young age he already understood that “good” was subjective. Several of the teachers at his school came from the Lakewood Jewish community, and one of the rabbis invited Ari to spend a Shabbos in Lakewood to learn more. Ari accepted and brought his best
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Ari with his friends in high school
and began performing at open mic sessions in local comedy clubs. He landed an internship at the Daily Show hosted by Jon Stewart. Stewart suggested Ari create YouTube videos to showcase his talents, and Ari went on to establish a huge online presence. Other advice that Stewart shared was that “the only way to succeed is to not have a plan-B.” This fueled Ari to pursue his goals of succeeding in the entertainment industry full-on, and he soon made the move to LA. A friend at The Late Late Show with James Corden got Ari a part-time job as a gofer. Ari spent the next few years honing his skills and hoping to work his way up the ladder. In 2015, Ari went on Birthright, the heritage trip that provides an introduction to Israel for those who have never been to the Holy Land. There was very little focus on Judaism, and it was only on the last day that they were given a chance to visit the Western Wall. Ari’s fond memories and emotions were stirred when he reached the Kotel.
Nes’s Miracle Vanessa Elgrichi grew up in Los Angeles in a traditional Sephardic home. They observed basic rituals of Shabbos and acknowledged the major Jewish holidays but weren’t versed in the rules or the meaning behind their customs. She grew up with a solid belief in G-d, but wasn’t connected in her everyday life. Her Israeli-born mother had named her Nes, “miracle” in Hebrew, since she was born around Chanukah and was considered a miracle as her mother was told she couldn’t have children. Nes’s parents dreamed of her be-
Ari on the Late Late Show with James Corden
coming an actress and began driving her to auditions when she was eight years old. She soon became obsessed with stardom herself. By age 11, Nes had appeared in successful TV series such as The X-Files and Everybody Loves Raymond. When Nes was 13, her family relocated to Las Vegas, and her career was put on pause. Undeterred, Nes got her driver’s license at 15 and began driving to LA for auditions several times a
for a few months – he dreamed of being an actor but was instead stuck living a lie. During this time, Nes had joined a Birthright trip to Israel, and she, too, had a moving experience at the Kotel. She returned to LA longing to explore her new feelings but had nobody to turn to. At her agent’s suggestion, Nes tried her hand at stand-up comedy, and she crossed paths with Ari at an open mic session. The two hit it off
“Those 20 minutes we spent were more meaningful than anything I ever did in Hollywood”
week throughout high school. Oftentimes she made the 4-plus-hours trip for a brief few minute audition before driving the same long way back home. Nes’s parents both struggled with health issues, and her desire for stardom was further intensified by the belief that her success could help them as well. Nes attended film school at University of Las Vegas while still booking roles in Vegas and LA before making the difficult decision to leave her parents and younger sister to live in LA. She took the cliché waitressing job and attended acting school. There, Nes learned some of the harsh lessons of the entertainment industry. One of her classmates was crying and explaining that he had been on a “reality” dating show and was contractually obligated to be married to his costar
and began dating.
Heading to the Holy Land After returning from Israel, Ari couldn’t stop thinking about his trip. He connected with the Los Angeles Jewish Experience and began celebrating Shabbos once again. He eventually started learning with Rabbi Eden Markowitz, who invited Nes for her first Shabbos meal. Both Nes and Ari learned that LAJ was running a trip to Israel that upcoming summer led by Rabbi Alex Landa and his wife and offering Torah based content. The two had their hesitations about joining the trip. “I really wanted to go but couldn’t imagine getting off work,” says Ari. “Then James Corden announced that he’d booked a role in a movie and our show would be on hiatus for the sum-
A yarmulke with a message from Above
mer – and that those were the exact dates of the trip to Israel.” Nes was encouraged to join the trip, but she and Ari had only been dating a couple of months, which was a very short time in their secular world. Eventually, they both decided to make the trip. It proved to be an experience that changed the trajectories of their lives. Nes and Ari were overwhelmed by their visit to Israel, the countless inspirational moments, and all of the emotions that they experienced. They knew they wanted to become Torah observant but had no idea how they would possibly combine Judaism and Hollywood, since they had each experienced enough to know the worlds were not in alignment. “We had this amazing experience and we’re in Mamilla sitting on the stairs and we are in tears,” recalls Nes. “We don’t understand how we just learned all of this emes and we feel so connected – how are we going to go back to America and do our jobs?” As a comedy writer, Ari was painfully aware of the inappropriate material that was the norm in Hollywood. Then there were additional apprehensions. Throughout his career he would observe celebrities, even those with a comedic or happy persona, seem miserable and even rude at times. “The more time I spent around celebrities, the less I wanted to be one,” Ari shares. “Celebrities aren’t the people that you see on the screen. A lot of them are unhappy and lost. They’re famous and rich, but they’re not happy. It’s an overwhelming majority of them.” Throughout her years in the in-
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they were hoping for. “We walked to the bus and saw a man wearing a kippah that said, ‘Don’t worry, be Jewish.’” Suddenly, it all made sense. “We understood that if we move forward with that attitude, everything will work out.” They made the decision to keep Shabbos once they got off the plane.
Shabbos in Hollywood Rabbi Landa had advised them that they’d likely be faced with tests, and the challenges indeed came immediately. As Nes returned to LA, she received the big break she’d been waiting for. One of Hollywood’s biggest and most connected agents reached out to her looking to represent her. With her newfound commitment to Yiddishkeit, Nes understood she would now encounter new hurdles. Nes bravely told him, “I keep the Sabbath, and I can’t work from Friday night through Saturday night, and he said, ‘OK, that’s fine.’” Soon enough, the High Holidays approached, and Nes realized she never knew how many days of yom tov there were. She told her agent she needed the month of October off, which meant missing out on auditioning for all TV for the next season. She thought he’d fire her but he optimistically said, “OK. We’ll get ‘em next year.” Nes was elated. “I was like, I’m going to be the first frum actress in Hollywood. I felt like this is all connecting – thank you Hashem.” As Nes began to envision being a fully Orthodox Jew in Hollywood, she
still had many concerns. She began to feel more and more uncomfortable and would skip certain auditions. She told her agent she would no longer touch those of the opposite gender and he understood, as he had a Christian client who said the same. He eventually told her, “You realize this is no longer a career anymore for you. This is a hobby.” Nes contemplated ending her Hollywood career altogether, but this had been her entire life. As she prayed for clarity, an email came from her agent informing her that he no longer wanted to represent her. Nes immediately felt relieved. “There was a little part of me inside that was crushed, but I knew I was making the right decision,” she says. She and Ari got engaged a week later. She also began fully using her Hebrew name.
Wishing Corden Clarity Meanwhile, when Ari returned back to work from Israel, he received a promotion to producing and made it to the writer’s room. He worked with the monologue team and was one of the producers for the first 25 episodes of Corden’s famed “Carpool Karaoke” segment. The popularity of Corden’s show shot up meteorically and became an Emmy award-winning phenomenon. Ari still had to write inappropriate jokes, and to joke about celebrities he’d also have to read all about them and speak with them, and then go home to his wife and his Torah life. “They don’t blend,” he acknowledges, “Torah and Hollywood are
complete opposites. “I made the decision I was going to leave.” Ari met with Corden to tell him his plans. He explained that he was getting married and planned to spend the next year living in Jerusalem, taking some time to work on himself. “James paused, looked me in the eye and said, ‘Ari, I’m so jealous of you.’” Corden admitted that, though he “has it all,” he had no time with his wife and kids and often wondered if he was doing the most meaningful thing with his own life. Stunned, Ari wished Corden clarity and left. As his time in showbusiness wound down, Ari’s Hollywood story came full circle. Adam Sandler, Ari’s early role model of success, came on the show. Though Ari’s enthusiasm for Hollywood had waned, meeting Sandler in person seemed special nonetheless. As Ari chatted excitedly with Sandler, instead of seeing the happy-go-lucky energetic comedian that Ari idolized, Sandler seemed sad and drained as he wearily rattled off his upcoming projects. Ari’s decision to leave the Hollywood life was solidified.
An Emotional Journey Nes and Ari went on another trip through LAJ, this time to Poland and the Auschwitz concentration camp. One of the most startling experiences came for Ari as the group of 30 people worked together to salvage shards of Jewish bones from a field in the concentration camp of Chelmno. He thought of the 150 people on staff at The Late Late Show and the millions
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dustry, Nes too grew more aware of the dark side of Hollywood, though she managed to stay above it as much as possible. She was struck by both the constant objectification and the fakeness in LA. Actors and actresses sign up to “do or die,” explains Nes, often doing inappropriate or humiliating things without any guarantees for the opportunities. She is grateful that she never did anything regrettable, but knows she definitely lost out on opportunities. “I’m lucky I had a good head on my shoulders thanks to my parents – thank G-d I never did anything [inappropriate], I always got out,” she says. “I always felt like there was something more and that my work was more valuable than using yourself to get it.” She adds, “Actors who are celebrities are real people, but they’re being told what to do. They can’t make their own decisions – they’re contracted to do certain things and they’re addicted to the fame and everything being scripted. It comes to the point where they don’t have a choice. They get told who to date, what to eat, what to wear. They don’t have meaning because they don’t have control or say over their own lives.” Nes remembers thinking, “It’s not just not kosher; it’s not real – it’s a total lie. How are you going to write jokes for the show that are inappropriate? How can we make this work into our lives? These are our dreams from when we were young. We had no answer at that point.” Nes and Ari continued to contemplate how they would manage it all when they saw the encouraging sign
Ari and Nes at the Kotel
JUNE 4, 2020
Ari at the Kotel on his Birthright trip
of dollars spent to produce a TV show, and all of the efforts made simply for the sake of entertainment. “I knew once again that it was the right decision to leave Hollywood behind. Those 20 minutes we spent were more meaningful than anything I ever did in Hollywood,” he says. The trip to Auschwitz hit Nes hard and brought her observance to another level. She saw a room filled with piles of hair taken from Jewish women in the infamous concentration camp. “It was very emotional, very depressing,” Nes says. “I couldn’t stop crying when I saw it. They knew this was special to us, so they took it from us.” Three months later, after her wedding, Nes made the decision to cover her hair.
A Life of Substance Ari spent a year in Israel learning at Machon Shlomo in Har Nof, with Nes at Neve Yerushalayim. The Blaus returned to the States and had baby girl. They worked for Tomchei Shabbos LA and other Jewish nonprofits, but ultimately made the decision to return to Israel, where they reside today. Ari is currently learning for a second year at Machon Shlomo, while Nes learns at She’arim. The Blaus have started speaking and sharing their story and recently completed a speaking tour with Aish UK. They’ve visited schools and camps in Jewish communities around the world and hope to inspire others with the message that you can achieve anything in this world – as long as living a Jewish life is your top priority. Nes’s parents have accepted her new lifestyle proudly. Her father even took on new observances and began putting on tefillin every day. Ari’s family was accepting as well. Asked what advice he has for those on the path to observance about how to relate to their families, Ari shares, “It’s a fine balance; just try to look at it from their perspective. Any family that has a child or anyone in their family that becomes religious when they’re not, they just want what’s best, but they don’t know that that is what’s best. They really do have the person’s best interest in mind, if you
could just look at it from their perspective. The basis of it comes from a loving place.” The Blaus recognize that the Hollywood lifestyle is intriguing to many. “It’s a shock to people when they
and found out about a fancy steak that they never knew about it – they would never say they ‘gave up’ TV dinners for steak. It was a blessing. Becoming religious saved our lives from what would have happened had we stayed in Hollywood.” Nes also realizes how she spent her whole life playing characters, but was never able to be herself. “Leaving Hollywood, aside from all the fakeness and everything else, I realized how unique each individual is and how important it is to just be yourself and live in your own shoes.”
was important in my life before, and being off social media has probably helped me connect even better. It was consuming my time.” Ari assures, “We do need laughter, and I still try to incorporate it into my
“If you really want to live a real meaningful life, with true happiness and get the most out of life, you’re so lucky because the answers are all there in the Torah.”
hear the truth that celebrities are not happy,” he says. “And if you really want to live a real meaningful life, with true happiness and get the most out of life, you’re so lucky because the answers are all there in the Torah. It’s way more prestigious to be giving back to Klal Yisrael and doing a job that has real meaning to it.” Ari cautions people to be aware of what they watch and not to get caught up by how relationships or families are portrayed on the screen. “Hollywood spends millions of dollars to make what you’re watching feel real,” he shares. “They do a great job of convincing people. Even if it says in the beginning ‘based on a true story,’ it’s based on a true story that was then fabricated by Hollywood because they need to make it juicy! The relationships you see on TV or in the movies are not real.” Even for those who avoid TV and pop culture in general, the genre of the fairytale romance, complete with heartbreak and resolution, is long engrained in our collective psyche and manufactured by writers and producers. So-called reality TV shows are scripted as well – from the bickering to the marriages. “A façade,” explains Ari. “It’s complete olam ha’sheker.” Ari had spent years creating his YouTube videos and promoting his comedy career on social media. “One day I just deleted it all, and it was the best thing I ever did. I have not disconnected from anyone who
N
es and Ari are today living their lives far away from the world they once knew and building a future very different than the one they had imagined. Though they’ve had their share of Hollywood moments and a few fond memories, leaving Hollywood for the opportunity to live an authentic Jewish life is their ultimate Hollywood ending.
daily life.” Often asked if they miss their old lives, the answer is clear. “Not at all. Not one bit,” says Ari. “Like someone who loves TV dinners
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Mental Health Corner
Death Euphemisms
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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
JUNE 4, 2020
By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman
We are all familiar with death euphemisms. We tend to use “nicer” terms when talking about death in order to avoid being a bearer of bad tidings or due to our own lack of comfort with our mortality. We might use expressions such as “passed away”, “is with Hashem”, “is in a better place”, “is not going to wake up”, etc. This practice has its source in Chazal and is an ancient tradition both in the Hebrew language (“niftar”) and in Yiddish (“is avek”). There is nothing inappropriate with this practice when all parties involved fully understand what death
is and what the euphemism really means. However, when a child hears a death euphemism, he might not fully understand its full meaning which can greatly affect the child’s ability to process the death of a loved one. A child needs to understand that sleeping and death are two unrelated phenomena. As adults, we understand that during sleep our bodies continue to function and that after death the body ceases to function. A child might not fully grasp the difference. When using terminology that avoids focusing on the permanency of death, the child might not realize that their loved
one is not going to wake up. Additionally, any confusion between sleeping and dying can potentially cause the child to fear going to sleep at night. Even children who understand the nature of death might have a difficult time when hearing euphemisms. Children have incredible imaginations, and when trying to cope with the death of a loved one a child might use his imagination to convince himself that the person is not really dead. This takes away from the child the ability to experience bereavement which can potentially lead to unresolved grief which is a risk factor for anxiety and
depression. When you tell them, “Last night, Zaidy died,” you are giving them permission to face the reality of death and grieve in a healthier manner. Until the world experiences Techias Hameisim, death is final. We yearn for those days, but until their arrival we need to guide our children into acceptance of the present reality. 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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In The K
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tchen
Black Bean Salad Ingredients
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 pe , eled, and chopped 1 large avoc ado pit ted
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, ional sa lt, if necessary, and season with addit o ad oc av the in r sti Gently before ser ving.
Beet Feta Salad B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
Ingredients 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 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 ssi ng over the beet salad until beets are coated and mi x. Top with feta befor e ser ving.
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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.
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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
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Fresh Quinoa Sala d
Crunchy Rainbow Salad Ingredients
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 2 tablespoons sesame oil
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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Salad 8 oz linguini, cooked peppers 2 cups thinly sliced sweet s 1 ½ cups shredded car rot 2 cups shredded cabbage o ¼ cup minced fresh cilantr ½ cup sliced sca llions
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Creamy Parve Strawberry Ice Cream
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A perfect refreshing dessert for the summer what you will need:
preparation:
16 oz. defrosted Rich Whip 1 box of instant vanilla pudding (2.75 ounces) 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, mashed in food processor ¼ cup sugar 2 eggs
1. Beat Rich Whip until thick. 2. Slowly add each of the other ingredients until well-blended. 3. Freeze. Enjoy! Makes about 2 quarts of ice cream.
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Your
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Money
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When Does 1918 + 1968 = 2020?
JUNE 4, 2020
By Allan Rolnick, CPA
I
them go with first-choice X Æ A-12. (It seems they don’t allow numerals). But her offer to sell her soul raises so many tax questions we don’t even know where to start.
soul? Surely, they’ll want to depreciate their investment. But how long do you depreciate something like a soul with no useful life? Would that make it non-depreciable like land? (Don’t
You can’t be faulted for thinking the two smartest men in the universe right now are the Space-X astronauts who literally left the planet.
For starters, what exactly is a soul, and how should that sale be taxed? It’s certainly not a tangible asset like a business, real estate, or a Picasso. Tax professionals are mainly looking for guidance from Section 197, which governs self-created intangibles like goodwill. Her soul might also resemble intellectual property, like patents, trademarks, and logos. Sadly, for Grimes, she can’t have any basis in the asset, which means she’ll owe tax on her entire $10 million. How will Grimes’ buyer treat her
get caught up in the technicalities here. We’re just riffing.) Grimes may be the first celebrity to offer her soul for sale, especially at such a high price. But soul-selling has a long, distinguished history. In Christopher Marlowe’s tragic play Doctor Faustus, the title character strikes a deal (in blood, no less) with the devil: 24 years of life to command a demon as his servant and use magic, in exchange for his soul at the end. That transaction, of course, is covered by Section 83, which governs property transferred
in connection with services. Tax treatment changes again if you gamble your soul. In Charlie Daniels classic barn-burner, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” the devil tells Johnny: “I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul, ‘cause I think I’m better than you.” Hell breaks loose in Georgia and Johnny wins, or it wouldn’t be much of a song. Gambling wins are taxable, of course. But odds are poor that the devil issued a W-2G, which is required for bets that pay $600 if the winnings are more than 300 times the original wager. And we can assume the unsophisticated Johnny neglected to report his win on his own return. Here’s hoping Grimes is getting smart tax-planning advice before she sells. You should do the same any time you sell a business, real estate, or any other big-ticket item. You don’t want to turn 2020 from the biggest payday of your life into the biggest tax bill of your life. (Did we mention the murder hornets?)
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
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n China, it’s a curse to say “may you live in interesting times.” If that’s so, 2020 is surely cursed. It all started with coronavirus in January or thereabouts. April brought the murder hornets to Washington State. (They might still be only in Washington, but they’re murder hornets.) And last week brought news that yet another unarmed African-American man died in police custody, sparking unrest across the country. You can’t be faulted for thinking the two smartest men in the universe right now are the Space-X astronauts who literally left the planet on Saturday afternoon. With all of that grim fare getting grimmer, it’s good to know there’s some lighter news to put a smile on our faces. Last week, we saw one we knew we had to cover: a singer selling a piece of her soul for the bargain price of $10 million (or best offer) as part of a sale of her artwork at a gallery in Los Angeles. Claire Elise Boucher — better known as Grimes — isn’t afraid to march to the beat of a different drummer. She and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk just changed the spelling of their newborn baby boy’s name to X Æ A-Xii (pronounced “Ex-Eye Eye,” of course) because the state of California churlishly wouldn’t let
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