Baltimore Jewish Home - 7-21-22

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VISIT US ON THE WEB! WWW.THEBJH.COM Vol. 8 Issue #15 | July 21 - August 3, 2022 |

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Transforming Tragedy to Life

12

Baltimore Women Join Together For Inspiration

Over 5,000 Issues Printed

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38

Baltimore Community’s Technology Triumphs

Over 10,000 Readers

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‫ ו׳ אב‬- ‫כ״ב תמוז‬

Land of Milk, Honey, and Natural Gas


JULY 21, 2022

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This summer, many of our neighbors are suffering from

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INFLATION for their basic needs.


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Let’s Not Add to the Statistics!

JULY 21, 2022

There are an average of 38 deaths per year, in the US, due to a child being left in a hot car. This means every 9 days a child dies due to this dangerous mistake that anyone, even the best parent, can make. Children overheat four times faster than adults so even at only 72° outside, the temperature in a car can rise more than 20° in less than 10 minutes! 11 children have already died this summer because of being left in hot cars and that

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Forgot Something?

Reminders! #LookBeforeYouLock

Be Extra Alert

Get in the habit of always checking the backseat every time you get out of your car. Use a visual cue as a reminder. Keep a stuffed animal in your child’s car seat. Once you place your child in the seat, move the stuffed animal to the front passenger seat to remind you that your child is in the back. Place your child’s diaper bag in the front passenger seat. Leave your cellphone, purse, wallet, or briefcase near your child’s car seat.

Place a reminder sticker near the inside of your home’s front door and at your office desk (e.g., “Don’t Forget Baby!”)

!

Never Assume

Always take responsibility to remove the child from the car. Don’t expect that your spouse, or older child, has remembered to take the child out of his or her car seat.

Hang a small reminder tag on your dashboard mirror (e.g., “Don’t Forget Baby!”)

National Safety Council: injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/motor-vehicle-safety-issues/hotcars/ Kids and Car Safety: kidsandcars.org/how-kids-get-hurt/heat-stroke/

Request that your child’s babysitter/childcare center call you if you do not arrive when expected. Download a reminder app or purchase a car seat reminder device but don’t rely on them alone and remember to still Look Before You Lock!

PREPARING OUR COMMUNITY TODAY FOR A SAFE AND SECURE TOMORROW™ The Chesed Fund Limited is dedicated in memory of Mordechai & Rebecca Kapiloff, ‫ע׳׳ה‬. Dr. Bernard Kapiloff, ‫ע׳׳ה‬, and Rabbi Norman & Louise Gerstenfeld, ‫ע׳׳ה‬. Project Ezra of Greater Baltimore, Inc. is dedicated in memory of M. Leo Storch, and Hannah Storch, ‫ע׳׳ה‬.

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Place the car seat in the middle of the backseat rather than behind the driver’s seat so it’s easier to see and remember your child.

When there are changes to your daily routine, work schedule, or if it is not the “usual” parent or caretaker who is driving with your child, it is critical to always remain mindful of the child being in the car.


THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JULY 21, 2022

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Contents COMMUNITY

Around the Community Community Calendar

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JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Zvi Teichman

32

PEOPLE 613 Seconds

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FEATURE Land of Milk, Honey, and Natural Gas How Israel’s Natural Gas Supply is Shaping the World

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HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold

54

Notable Quotes

56

Kids Coloring Contest

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LIFESTYLES Technology Triumphs

38

Mental Health

45

Mind Your Business

46

Dirshu

48

Israel Today

50

Health and Fitness

52

Your Money

60

Dating Dialogue

62

Life Coach

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Dear Readers, In our backyard we have four raised planting beds where an overflowing garden is now thriving. This is a culmination of weeks of prep and hard work. It began with building the boxes, schlepping the soil, selecting the plants, and planting them. It continued with watering, weeding, and pruning - with daily devotion and coddling. Now there is an abundance of zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, and eggplants. It’s extremely satisfying to see the “fruits of your labor.” This is not just an individual accomplishment, as my entire family is intricately involved in its maintenance. They’ve learned the life of a farmer by performing all of the daily functions, and derive an equal level of fulfillment! Our neighbors may mock this devotion by saying, “After 8 weeks, $200 in supplies, and daily watering, you get to enjoy $10 worth of vegetables.” Funny and very true! However, they don’t appreciate the process. It’s a process that’s symbolic and inspirational in many ways. When it comes to raising our kids, success is seen only after a relentless progression of daily devotion. A good parent,

National

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That’s Odd

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For ad submissions please email ads@baltimorejewishhome.com

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I have a renewed sense of admiration of those in our community who on a daily basis navigate their own personal processes that allow them to be successful. I realize that regardless if you’re a Rav, a Rebbi, doctor, politician, or just a simple hard-working American, it took a tremendous amount of blood, sweat, and tears to get to where you are and to maintain your stature. And for those who don’t feel this level of achievement, I challenge you to take on even a small endeavor. I hope it’ll plant a seed for future growth! Aaron Menachem

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

CONTACT INFORMATION Moshe Meir Rubin

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Similarly, this undertaking gives you the confidence to embrace other more challenging projects. Whether it’s a project that revolves around Torah learning, business, self improvement, or home improvement, it teaches us that there is satisfaction to be garnered by taking on an ambitious task, working at it, maintaining it, and cultivating it. They’ll most certainly be pitfalls, but the achievement of working through it, will easily trump the adversity.

SEND YOUR NEWS TO BJH!

NEWS Israel

like a devoted gardener, appreciates the journey as much as the result.

PUBLISHER

editor@baltimorejewishhome.com

Berish Edelman

AMF Creative

Yitzy Halpern

Aaron Menachem

LAYOUT

MANAGING EDITOR

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IMPORTANT NUMBERS Police & Fire 911

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The Baltimore Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. All opinions expressed by the journalists, contributors and/or advertisers printed and/or quoted herein are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, Internet or another medium. The Baltimore Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The BJH contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.


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Around the Community

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JULY 21, 2022

Unity Torah continues the Legacy of Efraim Gordon Transforming Tragedy to Life

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n Sunday, July 10, a perfectly sunny and breezy summer day, approximately one thousand members from the diverse Baltimore Jewish community gathered together in a compelling display of unity and celebration. Swaying to the rhythm of the cheerful music, watching their children happily sucking on cold popsicles, representatives from every facet of the Jewish community rejoiced in the siyum Sefer Torah in memory of Efraim Gordon HY”D. “You could truly feel the genuine joy in the air,” said Rabbi Dovid Reyder, cousin of Gordon. “The feeling of celebration, the feeling of a new chapter that has come upon us, the overwhelming feeling of Efraim’s spiritual presence were almost tangible.” As Efraim’s family watched via live hookup, attendees waited on line to participate in the completion of the Torah scroll by personally inscribing a letter on parchment. Meanwhile, the other attendees greeted friends, partook of refreshments, and enjoyed the music and the beautiful weather. The event was gorgeously arranged by Lilac Lemon Events by Dassi and Ahuva. The crowd was addressed by rabbis from the community and government dignitaries, expertly emceed by Rabbi Larry Ziffer. They shared words of inspiration, comfort, and renewed hope. Deputy Secretary of State Boranda shared his thoughts and presented a meaningful proclamation to Efraim’s family from Governor Ho-

gan. “The entire event underlined our determination to draw healing from horror; to turn tragedy to opportunity,” says Reb Leib Reyder, uncle of the victim. “There were markers of this transformation throughout the event. The moment when the Torah was completed and the crown was placed on its head. The moment when the joyous music struck up and we clutched the newly completed Torah tight. The moment when the other Sifrei Torah came out to greet Efraim’s Torah. The moment when the Sefer Torah was passed from hand to hand, so each person could hold it for a moment. Each of these moments marked a progression of happiness and rejoicing, turning our pain to peace.” The procession began on Fords Lane, the very spot where the tragedy occured. Accompanied by the police and shomrim, the entire assembly accompanied the Torah on a joyous march down the specially closed streets of Fords Lane and Park Heights Avenue, to Bnei Jacob Shaarei Zion. Rabbi Dovid Heber held the new Torah as other members of the community came out to greet it with Torahs in their arms. As they entered the double doors of the hall, a fivepiece band burst into joyous song. Rabbis Hopfer, Marwick, and Kaplan were honored with the leading of the hakafos. While they chanted the verses of “Ata Hareisa,” the Torah was passed from one embrace to another as the jubilant dancing continued for over an hour and a half, accompanied

by the remarkable voices of Yehuda Bergman and Sholom Rosebloom. “It felt like a wedding!” said young Chana, who kept a careful grasp on her balloon bracelet she had just received from the on-site balloon artist. With a substantial buffet, live band, endless singing and dancing, and a photography booth, her sentiment is readily understood. “It was a tremendous kiddush Hashem, as everyone saw the beauty of this event,” remarked Sara Marshall, cousin of Efraim. “Even the socializing showed unity and purpose as our great community came together.” Rabbis and dignitaries in attendance included: Rabbi Hopfer, President of the vaad Harobim of Baltimore and Rov of Shearith Israel Congregation. Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of the Maryland Region and Rov of the Shul at the Lubavitch center in Baltimore Md. Rabbi Elchonon Lisbon, Chabad Park Heights Rabbi Dovid Heber, Khal Ahavas Yisroel Tzemach Tzedek Rabbi Binyamin Marwick, Congregation Shomrei Emunah Rabbi Nesanel Kostelitz, Machzikei Torah Congregation Stropkov Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Goldberger, Tiferes Yisroel – Beis Dovid Rabbi Daniel Rose, Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Rabbi Jonathan Aryeh Seidemann, Kehilath B’nai Torah Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, Agudath is-

rael of Maryland Rabbi Nochum Katzenelenbogen, Chabad of Owings Mills Rabbi Yisrael Motzen, Ner tamid - greenspring valley synagogue Rabbi Shmuel Gurary, Rabbi of Chabad Israeli center in Baltimore Rabbi Nisson Dov Miller, Star K Rabbi Moshe Slavaticki, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Baltimore Rabbi Nochum Levin, Young Anash Congregation Rabbi Nochum Bukiet, Mashpa Yeshivas Lubavitch Baltimore Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum, Rabbi of the Jewish Uniform association of Maryland Rabbi Chanina Szendro, Yeshivas toras chaim Baltimore Congressman Kweisi Mfume, Deputy Secretary of the State of Maryland, Luis E. Boranda Councilman Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer - District 5 Delegate Sammy Rosenberg Delegate Jon Cardin If you would like the Zechus to take part of this Torah, you may do so at Charidy.com/efraim. The family would like to personally thank the community for coming out and standing up for the safety and integrity of our city, as well as the generous sponsors and supporters that made the event a possibility. Photo credits: Avi Dear


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Around the Community

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JULY 21, 2022

Yeshivas Toras Simcha Welcomes Rabbi Hillel Mandel as Interim Menahel

Y

eshivas Toras Simcha is excited to announce that we have secured an outstanding menahel to guide us through the next school year - Rabbi Hillel Mandel the famed educational consultant and trainer of teachers, who has agreed to join the school as the interim menahel for 2022-2023 school year. Rabbi Hillel Mandel has served as a rebbe in yeshiva day schools for over a decade and received the first National Torah Umesorah “Teacher Of The Year” award. He subsequently founded and served as menahel of Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan for fifteen years and also founded and headed a Montessori Cheder in Passaic for several years. He graduated from the Chofetz Chaim Rabbinical Seminary, and maintained a close relationship with the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Henoch Lebowitz ZT”L. He also has a Masters

degree in elementary education from Adelphi University, and has served as an adjunct professor at Azrielli Graduate School. Rabbi Mandel has lectured extensively throughout the U.S.A. and abroad on educational and parenting topics. He is the author of a “Curriculum on Yeshiva Day Schools” that was published by Torah Umesorah and is used widely by many day schools in the USA and abroad. He is founder and has been Dean of “Torah Educators Institute”, a summer teacher-training program in Jerusalem for three decades. He serves on the faculty of Mercaz teacher-training program in New York and has been the principal teacher in the Aish Dos teacher-training program in Lakewood N.J. since its inception in 1998. Additionally, when Torah Umesorah came to Baltimore for a Shabbos of Chizuk, Rabbi Mandel was one of the featured pre-

senters. Rabbi Mandel now brings this extensive experience in starting and developing schools and his warm simchadik approach to Baltimore, where he will confidently recruit and mentor the YTS staff and help bring the school to the next level, while helping identify and train a permanent menahel. Rabbi Mandel is now recruiting a secular studies principal, preschool director, two afternoon teachers and a few teacher’s aides for the 2022-2023 school year, to supplement the existing staff, the vast majority of whom are

existing YTS rabbeyim and teachers. For more information about these positions, please reach out to resumes@ yeshivasts.org. Last Sunday, Rabbi Mandel addressed the parent body, speaking on the topic of “Raising a Positive Child in a Negative World.” He discussed how to help a child develop with a strong self esteem. This discussion was met with great positivity and excitement from the parents and staff. This decision to bring Rabbi Mandel on board for the year has the overwhelming support of the Vaad Hachinuch, the search committee and the board. We are confident that, with Hashem’s help, Rabbi Mandel will maintain the unique warm and simchadick approach of our Yeshiva that focuses on the development of the whole child — supporting his educational, emotional and spiritual growth in a nurturing Torah environment.

Masmidei Layla of Baltimore at the Agudah of Park Heights is the Place to Be!

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M

asmidei Layla of Baltimore at the Agudah of Park Heights has over 150 boys participating in this program. The Beis Medrash is packed and the atmosphere is electric. During the summer months of July and August, the program runs Sunday to Thursday. Each session is 45 minutes of partnered learning with Chavrusas and fathers. There are many incentives for those that attend the program. There is a special MLB Weekly raffle for boys who learn and chazer 50 Mishnayos a week or learn 2 blatt Gemara. In addition, boys can earn a grand raffle ticket for learning 250 Mishnayus or 12 blatt Gemara that they learn or review at the program during these sessions. These grand raffle prizes include a new set of Vilna Shas, a set of Mishnayos Zecher Chanoch, and a set of Artscroll Mikros Gedolos. There are also nightly raffles for all attendees. After the learning time, the boys are treated to refreshments, including ice cream, ices, cholent, poppers, or doughnuts! Rabbi Zvi Schwartz, founder of the program says, ”MLB has broken barriers in so many ways. The summer

at the Agudah is now a great opportunity for boys to learn in a structured and exciting setting. We look forward to the tens of thousands of Mishnayus, hundreds of blatt learned and the hundreds of happy and content faces that are full of the sweetness of Torah.”


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Around the Community

JCSL by “Shimz Cars” Completes Another Successful Season JULY 21, 2022

The Architects displayed the “team depth” for which they’re developed league recognition, with the bottom of the order stringing together multiple clutch hits, helping to ignite a 6-run inning. Following the 4th, DAA never looked back as punched their ticket to their first Championship game.

close. With LG having runners at 1st and 3rd and no outs, LG hit a grounder to the pitcher, Jason, but with a throw to first baseman Ken Major to get the runner out and then a strong throw home from Ken to catcher Mayer Goldsmith, DAA got a much needed, and very unconventional, 1-3-2 double play!

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T

he Jewish Community Softball League by Shimz Cars wrapped up their fourth season on Sunday, July 10th in auspicious fashion with a dramatic battle between teams “Levin and Gann” and “Donny Ankri Architects,” in the “Camp Shoresh” Championship game. Continue below to read about the excitement from the entire “Camp Shoresh” postseason: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Camp Shoresh” Championship:

With strong defensive plays becoming contagious, LG had another opportunity to pad the lead. With runners on 1st and 2nd, LG hit a blooper to short left field, but with complete disregard for his body, DAA’s shortstop Donny Ankri, sprinted out towards left field and dove backwards making a sensational over-the-shoulder diving catch, barely avoiding a collision with his outfielder, to keep the runner at 2nd.

Camp Shoresh Playoffs:

Levin & Gann Stutman Chiropractic

13 7

This playoff game pitted the number 1 seed (Stutman Chiropractic) against the number 4 seed (Levin & Gann). With the Chiropractors closing out their regular season in dominant fashion, most analysts expected an easy win for the Spinal Adjusters. But the law firm of Levin & Gann had different plans. Thanks to some superb defense (notably by LF Rafi “The Spiderman” Strum who made a Sports Center-esque catch in the outfield), timely hitting by the whole lineup, and solid pitching from captain Yaakov “The Hound Dog” Rappaport, Levin & Gann cruised to victory and entered the JCSL championship for their 3rd time in the 4-year history of the league.

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Donny Ankri Architects 13 Believe and Achieve Sports 6 Both Donny Ankri Architects and Believe and Achieve Sports eagerly anticipated this game, with each team excited for the possibility of earning their first birth to a JCSL championship game. Believe and Achieve Sports, led by experienced captain Meir Parry, struck first with 2 runs in the 1st inning. The Architects answered back with 3 runs in the 2nd to capture the lead. But Believe and Achieve would keep fighting as they scored 2 runs in the 4th to tie the game at 4-4. But it was in the bottom of the 4th where

Donny Ankri Architects Levin & Gann

10 9

On a beautiful summer day, with the stands filled with fans, eager to watch the much-anticipated “Camp Shoresh” Championship game, Donny Ankri Architects (DAA) took on Levin & Gann (LG). LG got off to a strong start scoring, 5 runs in the top of the 1st but DAA answered with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st, thanks to a hard-hit double by, gold glove outfielder, Josh Zaslow. Following the fireworks both pitchers, Yaakov and Jason Man, (both winners on the season) trol of the game, holding scoreless for the next

in the 1st, Rappaport Cy Young took conboth teams 3 innings.

DAA tacked on a run in the bottom of the 5th thanks to a clutch 2-out double by their captain, Donny Ankri, who scored the speedy Hillel Stutman from first. In the top of the 6th, LG’s bats woke up and erupted for 4 runs to take a 9-4 lead. As DAA got up to bat in the bottom of the 6th down 5 runs, the DAA fans, donning their yellow/black jerseys were getting nervous. With LG’s allstar pitcher, Rappaport, on the mound, a comeback seemed improbable. But DAA chipped away scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th with hits by Mann and Rami Lavi, to trim the deficit to 9-6. DAA then added another 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th with hits by Donny Ankri and Moishe Abramson to narrow the score to 9-8. Down a run late in the game, DAA had to keep LG scoreless to keep the game

Now going into the bottom of the 8th, with LG having a 9-8 lead, DAA had to find a way to score on a very experienced LG team. DAA’s fans were flipping their caps inside out in hopes of a late-inning rally. One fan in particular, DAA’s Shmuel Artman, unfortunately had to miss the playoffs due to a sports injury. Shmuel was cheering on his team and started an unprecedented 4 round crowd wave! DAA heeded the call and started the inning strong getting hits from Lavi and Gedalia Gelb to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Thanks to more clutch hitting, DAA got a single to tie the game by Moshe Wealcatch, and then Adam Ben-Zev hit a deep towering sacrifice fly to take the 10-9 lead. It was now the top of the 9th, with the game on the line and it was LG’s turn. LG quickly got a runner one 2nd base and with one out, DAA made the tough decision to intentionally walk one of their best hitters, Rafi Strum. LG’s next hitter hit a hard line-drive which was caught by 2nd baseman, Lavi. Two outs. LG’s next power hitter approached the plate. The stadium went silent. Tension was in the air. The pitch came in and was CRUSHED to deep center. DAA’s center fielder, Moishe Abramson, raced over and, with ice in his veins, kept his focus to catch the last out sending Donny Ankri Architects to their first ever Championship victory in 5 seasons!


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JULY 21, 2022

Baltimore Women Join Together For Inspiration

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n Wednesday evening, June 22nd, the women of Baltimore joined over 75,000 others from around the country and across the globe to participate in the Nekadesh “Live Higher” event. TAG Baltimore organized a live hookup at Shomrei Emunah, and women and girls of all ages packed into the room to be a part of this historic evening. As Shomrei’s social hall began to fill, more chairs were added until every inch of the large space was utilized. The energy was palpable as we witnessed an experience of epic proportions. The program was beautifully planned, and varied between inspirational speakers, such as Rabbi Yosef (Joey) Haber and Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman, to heartfelt songs and videos sharing a message of hope and clarity, to Rav Yitzchak Kolodetsky, Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s son in law, being mekabel ‫עול מלכות שמים‬. Multiple women from the crowd shared their own struggles and triumphs with technology and the evening culminated with an inspiring choir and kumzitz, sharing a tefilla for siyata d’shmaya in this vital mission. Many sentiments shared that evening stood out, opening our eyes to the need to make lasting changes in our personal technology use. The Gedolim called the asifa to beg the women of Klal Yisroel to take the reins in the fight against the greatest nisayon of our generation.

Rabbi Haber raised several important points. He explained that so many of us were fooled into the addictive nature of technology use and he also pointed out that cutting back on technology is incredibly difficult, “but since when did difficult stop us?” He quipped, “It was difficult to keep Shabbos as the Jews moved to America after the war and struggled to keep their jobs! It was also difficult for mothers to feed their children in the ghettos in Europe! It was quite difficult as well for Jews during the expulsion in Spain and so on!” Rabbi Haber challenged the women of the crowd with doing what was difficult today and limiting our technology use, our generation’s personal battle. Rabbi Wachsman described the sad reality of zombie-like mothers going through the motions of caring for their children, while their eyes are glued to their smartphones. He explained how every change has a tremendous impact on each person’s life. Charging us with the task of making lasting change, Rabbi Wachsman brought many stories and inspirational thoughts to help catapult transformation in our lives. Rebbetzin Tarshish made a strong point of our personal expectations of change with an ingenious demonstration. She asked everyone to reach up as high as they could with their right arm. We, in Baltimore, followed her instruction as well, and lifted our arms towards the ceiling. She then asked us to reach even further and we each

By Rebbetzin Sara

smiled as we realized that we could stretch beyond what we thought originally. Rebbetzin Tarshish tasked the crowd to make a change in technology use that night, perhaps, even in regards to something that we did not think we could at the beginning of the evening. Despite the late hour, the Shomrei social hall remained full, and the women sang along with the sweet choir and kumzitz. Arms around each other’s shoulders, swaying in unison, the women and girls at the Baltimore gathering felt an incredibly uplifting connection. A warmth and hopefulness ran through the room, bonding together to make significant changes in our lives. Not wanting to let the inspiration slip through their fingers, some women handed each other their smartphones at the close of the asifa, to set passcodes for themselves to help limit their use and some others immediately deleted addictive apps, such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook. There were even a number of women who committed to exchange their smartphones for flip phones altogether. It was truly impossible to leave the event without some impact. A revolution of strength and meaningful change is flooding through Baltimore and the greater frum world. The influx of bracha and growth that resulted from the changes in each family are inestimable. Stories of personal miracles and far-reaching effects continue to crop up and spread inspiration.

To share personal triumphs and yeshuos in the battle with technology, to get involved, or to share ideas for further chizuk and strategies in our community, please email TechTriumphs@ tagbaltimore.org or call 410-449-1824 and choose option 5. Sharing a personal victory or a resulting yeshua can inspire many others and will be kept 100% anonymous upon request. To hear the speeches of the asifa, call: 302-446-3464. TAG Baltimore is available to help with all of your technology needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out to them at 410-449-1824 or email help@ tagbaltimore.org.

Ohr Chadash Acdemy Announces Rabbi Chaim Gourdji as Elementary School Assistant Principal For Judaic Studies

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e are delighted to announce that Rabbi Chaim Gourdji (G-ohrjee) has joined OCA as the Elementary School Assistant Principal for Judaic Studies! Rabbi Gourdji has more than 20 years of Elementary and Middle School teaching and leadership experience, most recently at the Torah Day School in Seattle, Washington. An innovative educator who believes deeply in the role of differentiating instruc-

tion and integrating technology to help every student achieve success, Rabbi Gourdji will oversee the Elementary Judaics curriculum and instruction at OCA and he will be partnering with Mrs. Elisheva Levitt in teacher professional development and student discipline. In addition, he will be teaching a class in the Middle School. Rabbi Gourdji is a graduate of Stony Brook University and Ohr Somayach. He is currently working on his Master’s in Curriculum at Yeshiva

University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Education. Rabbi Gourdji is married to Devorah Leah Gourdji, an early childhood teacher whom we are excited will be joining the ECC faculty. They have three sons living in the NY/ NJ area and a daughter who will be heading to seminary this Fall. Please join us in welcoming Rabbi and Mrs. Gourdji to Baltimore and OCA!


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Around the Community

Baltimore Community-Wide Siyum On Yevamos at BJSZ Displays Kavod HaTorah, Achdus & Kiddush Shem Shamayim; A Catalyst For Continued Growth In Torah For Our Entire Community Photo Credits: Creative1080

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his past Sunday, July 10, 2022, the Baltimore community came together to celebrate a historic kiddush hashem. As the climax of a Scholar in Residence weekend in Baltimore with Rabbi Moshe Elefant, nearly 200 members of the community, graced by the presence of many local rabbanim, came together on Sunday morning to celebrate the Daf Yomi’s siyum on Maseches Yevamos. This special siyum, which took place at Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation, was hosted in conjunction with All Daf, the Orthodox Union’s platform for Daf Yomi. In attendance were many people celebrating their own completion of Yevamos, as well as many others -- men, women and children -- who came to support and take part in this simchas hatorah. The program opened with Rabbi Daniel Rose, Rav of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion, thanking the many rabbanim and community members who took time on their busy Sunday morning to attend, as well as all those who had sponsored the event. Rabbi Rose highlighted the special ruach of the Baltimore community, which is always ready to come together as one kehilla to celebrate Torah, achdus and to inspire each other to greater accomplishment. Rabbi Binyomin Marwick, Rav of

Congregation Shomrei Emunah, then shared divrei bracha, commenting how inspiring it was to see so many in attendance and celebrating a siyum, especially on a long and challenging masehcta like Yevamos. Rabbi Markwick shared a comment of Rav Yaakov Mecklenberg, the author of Haksav V’Hakabbalah, who writes that the term yibum -- the main topic of this masechta – relates to the word bamah, a raised platform. He explains that yibum ensures that a widow with no children, who would otherwise despair for her future, is raised up and supported by those around her. This is why Maseches Yevamos also contains several important discussions about the importance of bein adam lachaveiro, in that it stands for the importance of seeing the needs of those around us. In that light, Rabbi Marwick shared how appropriate it is to celebrate a siyum on Maseches Yevamos with the entire community, a testament to the shalom of the Torah that is part and parcel of the Baltimore community. The gathered crowd then heard inspiring words from Rabbi Pinchos Gross, the Rav of Derech Chaim and the presenter of Parparaos Hadaf on the All Daf platform. Among the thoughts he shared was a comment on the last sentence of Maseches Yevamos: talmidei chachamim marbim shalom ba’olam, Torah scholars in-

crease peace in the world. How, he asked, can we honestly say that talmidei chachamim increase peace when an essential feature of Shas is the halachic disputes among tamidei chachamim? Rabbi Gross explained that when there is machlokes in other areas of life, the only way to achieve shalom is for both sides to compromise and relent on some aspect of their position. Torah, however, works differently. When people argue about something in the Torah – whether it is Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel or two chavrusos – they can both maintain their positions and still achieve shalom. After these inspiring words, Dr. Tommy Azman recited the siyum and hadran for Maseches Yevomas on behalf of the community and Mr. Ofer Lurman recited the kaddish. This was followed by joyous dancing to celebrate the community’s Torah accomplishment. The sight of many rabbanim and community members dancing hand in hand was an inspiring display of unity, simcha and kavod hatorah. Following the dancing, Rabbi Moshe Schwed, the director of the All Daf Learning Initiative, thanked all those who help support the All Daf initiative and siyumim and shared what a wonderful zechus it is for those participating. As the climax to the morning, Rab-

bi Moshe Elefant, the guest of honor, rose to share some inspiring words. Rabbi Elefant began by relating a moving story about his grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who had spent many months hiding out in the forest where she was unable to light Shabbos candles. Following the war, she took upon herself to light a candle every Erev Shabbos for each week she had missed lighting candles during the war. Rabbi Elefant shared his vivid memories of the tears that flowed down his grandmother’s face each week as she lit all those candles and davened for her children and her future generations. Every tefilah, he emphasized, accomplishes something, and the successes of today’s generation are the results of the tears and tefilos of those who came before us. The participants in this memorable event were treated to a hot, delicious breakfast prepared by Chef Dan. Creative 1080 was responsible for photography for the event, Kol Rom Media took video of the inspiring divrei torah and Noach Lurman regaled the attendees with his first-class music. All told, it was a beautiful morning of kavod hatorah, achdus and kiddush shem shamayim, and it will certainly be a catalyst for continued growth in Torah for our entire community.


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Morah Tziri - Ner Tamid Montessori that when I grew up, I was going to be like her. The love I have for teaching has grown over the years, and I’m enthusiastic about inspiring more teachers to feel the same way through my new role.

2. What made you decide to go into teaching and now directing a school? Back in high school, I worked for a camp director who was an incredible role model; a power-house rebbetzin and a Kindergarten teacher. I knew

4. What is your vision for the Montessori school? I would love to infuse Montessori with a cohesive warmth and trademark love of Judaism and life. These features are already there and my goal is to build on the decades of the school’s success. Our goal is for the students to come out well-rounded in education, confident to take on years of further learning, and each achieving tailor-made goals. 5. Are there any spots for students at the school for the upcoming

6. Rumor has it that you have a closet full of costumes. Is that true? Tell us more. Adult costumes or childrens costumes? I like to dress up to make learning more exciting for the children. Until the day my kids get embarrassed, that is. In terms of the kids, I am really a costume junkie. I specifically scout out costumes which remind me of events from the Tanach. I learned from a very special mentor how to make the weekly Parsha come alive with “Parsha Drama,” a true Kindergarten highlight. I have a ton of props and educational toys to reinforce learning, which I use for dramatic play and block centers. These kinds of centers rotate through the seasons and themes of learning. 7. What’s one piece of advice you can share with parents of preschool-aged children? There is no one approach to teaching and raising children. We, as parents and educators, have a lot to learn from THEM. Explore their interests and create outlets for their talents. A challenging child is not a bad child; they are just screaming for your atten-

tion and love. 8. Can you share your greatest source of pride as a teacher? Honestly, as cliche as it sounds, watching the children grow up, as their character develops (and they get more mature than me!), is something I can’t put words to. I had a mailbox in my classroom for students from prior years to communicate with me, and for so many children, this got them through the day as they struggled in other areas of schoolwork and life. 9. What would it be like working for you as a teacher? As the school year has not yet begun, I can only hope that it will be fun, experiential, eye-opening, and fulfilling. To be a superstar teacher in today’s day and age is an unbelievable responsibility and privilege. I know that teachers can never get enough appreciation and encouragement, but I will do my best! If you are giving, warm, and have a knack for kids, please apply to join our outstanding team of teachers! Email us today at montessori@nertamid.net. Thank you for this interview! And may Hashem give us all the koach to raise many generations of Jewish children in our community and beyond.

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1. Tell us about yourself Hi, my name is Tziri (pronounced almost like Siri). To all my students and their families, though, I’m Morah Tziri. I grew up in Monsey, NY and moved to Baltimore after Meir and I got married in 2013. We have 4 adorable children ka”h. I taught Kindergarten for 10 years, and every alumnus of my class has since become an extension of my family.

3. Can you describe your educational approach? My approach to learning for all ages is EXPERIENTIAL. Children learn best when they are PART of the learning process (and so do adults!). Children need to feel like they are a valuable asset to the class and school is their home for the (many) hours they are there. Music and movement throughout the day and outlets for creativity and imagination are essential for so many preschoolers.

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The Week In News

Stabbing in Jerusalem

A man in his 40s was moderately injured in a suspected stabbing attack on a bus near the Ramot Junction in Jerusalem on Tuesday afternoon. The suspected terrorist, a Palestinian from the West Bank who had entered Israel with a permit, was shot

by a civilian and is in moderate condition. He had stabbed the man with a screwdriver while riding on the bus. The terrorist and the passengers got off the bus and Ynet journalist Meshi Ben Ami, who was passing by at the time, shot the terrorist. Shaare Zedek Medical Center stated that the victim was at the hospital in moderate condition with multiple stab wounds to his upper body. He is not in a life-threatening condition. Ben Ami told KAN news that the suspected terrorist came towards him after injuring the person on the bus. “I didn’t hesitate and I shot him once and he fell on the ground,” said Ben Ami. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem called the stabbing “a natural response to the occupation’s crimes against our Islamic and Christian sanctities in the city of Jerusalem. “This act of resistance confirms once again the failure of all attempts to stop the escalation of the act of resistance in the occupied West Bank and the city of Jerusalem,” added Qassem.

Officer Killing in Ramming Incident

The widow of deceased Master Sergeant Barak Meshulam on Sunday slammed Public Security Minister Omer Barlev (Labor) for Israel’s toostrict open fire rules. Meshulam was killed Sunday in a ramming attack perpetrated by a 17-year-old Palestinian Authority Arab terrorist, who slammed into him and killed him at a roadblock in central Israel. The terrorist, a resident of the Palestinian Authority city of Ramallah,

appeared in court on Sunday afternoon for an extension of his arrest. His attorney insisted that despite his actions, he did not intend to harm anyone and Meshulam’s death was accidental. The terrorist was reportedly driving a car he had stolen from the Tel Aviv area and was fleeing the police when he rammed Meshulam at a checkpoint near Ra’anana. Following the ramming, he is reported to have exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. Meshulam, 29, was married and a father of two children. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Kfar Saba, his hometown, in a funeral attended by hundreds of people, including Barlev and Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai. Speaking at the funeral, Meshulam’s wife, Ariella, said, “Love of my life for 11 years. It is important you know that I am not angry. I keep telling them what an amazing father you are. I promise to be strong for them. “You are a hero. It is hard for me to believe that I won’t see your face. I will


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The Week In News love you forever.” Meshulam’s mother, Zuki, said that her son was “the light of our lives, our foundation stone, the thread that connected us all.” She added that it “is not natural for a parent to bury their child” and described the ramming as “premeditated murder.” Barlev said, “Tonight, Barak met a murderer, a dangerous criminal. The punishment needs to be suitable.” At that point, Ariella interrupted Barlev, saying, “You don’t give them [police officers] permission to shoot, you aren’t protecting them. They are like [sitting] ducks.” Following the ramming, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai clarified that police officers may open fire on “anyone who endangers the lives of officers while attempting to break through a checkpoint.”

Top EU Diplomat Delaying Because of Politics

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell delayed a key meeting between the EU and Israel over the alleged killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, a senior European official said. The Association Council is a meeting which is intended to take place annually between Israel and the EU, to cover issues of mutual concern. The last meeting was in 2012. At a May 16 meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, the 27 foreign ministers agreed on a draft of a joint statement for the Association Council with Israel. According to the official, “That was a miracle.” But to get the text on the agenda of the European Council “depends on Josep Borrell,” the official said. Borrell had been reluctant to advance the meeting but caved due to pressure from EU member states –

until Abu Aqleh’s death. Abu Aqleh was killed by a stray bullet in May while covering a shootout between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian Authority terrorists in Jenin. Around the same time, but unconnected to her death, Israel’s Defense Ministry approved after a long while plans for 4,427 new Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria. The official explained, “There were two things that were unacceptable in terms of diplomacy — the killing of the journalist, and the announcement of 4,000 new settlements.” “Borrell told us, can you imagine I am going to put on the agenda a meeting of cooperation with the images on TV? Come on.”

Forces to be Removed from Red Sea Islands

U.S. President Joe Biden last week announced two agreements with Saudi Arabia widely considered to be significant steps towards normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Speaking to reporters following a three-hour meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his trip to the Kingdom, Biden said that the multinational forces on the Red Sea islands of Sanafir and Tiran would be removed and that Saudi airspace would be opened for all Israeli flights. Saudi Arabia controlled both Sanafir and Tiran until 1950, when the country handed the islands to Egypt to avoid Israel taking them over. In 1967, Israel captured the islands during the Six Day War. But in 1982, Israel returned the islands to Egypt as part of its withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula. In 2017, Egypt and Saudi Arabia agreed that the islands be returned to Saudi Arabia, but due to the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty signed in 1979, the handover required Israeli approval as well. Israel provided


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this approval, so long as there was an agreement to allow U.S.-led multinational observers to continue their oversight of the islands, so as to ensure freedom of navigation for Israeli vessels. Under the new agreement, the observers will be removed from Tiran by the end of this year, and the area will be developed for tourism and other peaceful matters. “We’ve concluded a historic deal to transform a flashpoint at the heart of the Middle East wars into an area of peace. International peacekeepers, including U.S. troops will leave Tiran Island in the Red Sea where they’ve been for over 40 years since the Camp David Accords,” Biden said. “Now as a result of this breakthrough, this island will be open to tourism and economic development while retaining all necessary security arrangements and the present freedom of navigation of all parties, including Israel.”

Biden: “Won’t Walk Away” from Middle East

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U.S. President Joe Biden last Sat-

urday spoke at a summit of Arab leaders, promising that the United States “will not walk away” from the Middle East. The remarks were made shortly before Biden left Saudi Arabia for Washington, concluding his trip to the Middle East. Earlier that day, Biden met individually with the leaders of Iraq, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. “The United States is going to remain an active, engaged partner in the Middle East,” Biden asserted. “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran. We will seek to build on this moment with active, principled, American leadership.” He added, “Today, I’m proud to be able to say that the eras of land wars in the region, wars that involved huge numbers of American forces, is not underway.” The U.S., he said, “will build political, economic, and security connections between U.S. partners wherever possible, while respecting each country’s sovereignty and independent choices. Integration, interconnection — these are the underlying themes of our meeting today.” Biden did not mention Israel specifically, though he had said that strengthening Israel’s ties with its Arab neighbors would be a central goal of his trip to Saudi Arabia. The American president emphasized to his counterparts that “the future will be won by the countries that unleash the full potential of their populations” and that this includes allowing people to “question and criticize leaders without fear of reprisal.”

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The Week In News Saudi Arabia Opens Airspace

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said last Saturday that his country’s decision to open its airspace to all civilian flights has “nothing to do with diplomatic ties with Israel” and is “not in any way a precursor to any further steps” toward normalization with the Jewish state. In a press conference, Prince Faisal said, “No, this has nothing to do with diplomatic ties with Israel. The issue of overflights is a decision we took…in the interest [of] providing connectivi-

ty between countries in the world, and we hope that it will make some travelers’ lives easier. It’s not in any way a precursor to any further steps.” In a speech the previous day, U.S. President Joe Biden had called the Saudi decision “a big deal, not only symbolically but substantively.” He added, “This is the first tangible step on the path of what I hope will eventually be a broader normalization of relations” between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir told CNN on Saturday, “We have said that Saudi Arabia supports the Arab Peace Initiative. In fact, we offered it. We have made it clear that peace comes at the end of this process, not at the beginning of it.” Israel’s interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid also praised the decision as the “the first official step in normalization with Saudi Arabia.” “I thank the Saudi leadership for the opening of Saudi airspace. This is only the first step,” Lapid said.

Bystander Kills Mass Murderer

A mass murderer was killed by an armed bystander in an Indiana mall over the weekend. Elisjsha Dicken, 22, killed Jonathan Sapirman, 20, after Sapirman killed three people and wounded two

others in the suburb of Greenwood. Police were quick to praise Dicken’s quick actions. “Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen,” police Chief Jim Ison said Monday, repeatedly calling Dicken a “good Samaritan” and his response “heroic.” It isn’t common for mass shootings to be stopped in such fashion. From 2000 to 2021, fewer than 3% of 433 active attacks in the U.S. ended with a civilian firing back, according to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University. Instead, it was far more common for police or bystanders to subdue the attacker or for police to kill the person, according to the center’s national data. In a quarter of the shootings, the attacker stopped by leaving the area. Since July 1, Indiana has allowed anyone 18 or older to carry a handgun in public, though private property owners can prohibit firearms. The Greenwood mall has a ban on weapons, according to its conduct code.


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The Week In News Biden Tackles Wrongful Detentions With numerous Americans around the globe in mind, this week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to identify and impose sanctions on foreign officials involved in wrongful detentions and abductions of American citizens. The order also seeks new strategies to prevent future episodes of Americans becoming ensnared while abroad and to improve communications with detainees’ families, working to ensure they receive “consistent and accurate information.” The U.S. will warn Americans that they’re at risk of being wrongfully detained by authorities if they travel to six countries, including China and Russia. The Biden administration is under increasing public pressure to secure the release of Americans wrongfully

held by foreign countries, including Brittney Griner, the basketball star detained in Russia since February after police accused her of illegally trying to import hash oil into the country in vape cartridges. The Secretary of State will identify officials in foreign governments who are involved, directly or indirectly, in wrongful detentions so that agencies can impose consequences, including financial sanctions. Such sanctions could also be imposed on non-state actors, including terrorist organizations. The State Department is also creating a new travel warning – a “D” indicator that means a country has a risk of wrongful detention by the government. A “K” indicator, added in 2019, signals the danger of kidnapping by criminals or terrorist groups. In addition to China and Russia, Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, and Burma will garner that “D” risk indicator. “The United States government must redouble its efforts at home and with partners abroad to deter these practices and to secure the release of those held as hostages or wrongful-

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ly detained,” Biden said in the order, which also instructs the Treasury secretary to submit reports to Congress. In addition to Griner, other U.S. citizens being held overseas include Austin Tice, a freelance journalist kidnapped in Syria while on assignment in 2012, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan who was convicted of spying by a Russian court in 2020. Whelan’s family has said they believe Russia is using him as a bargaining chip to gain U.S. concessions.

Presbyterian Church: Israel is Apartheid State

The Presbyterian Church USA vot-

ed in its annual meeting to declare Israel an apartheid state. At their annual meeting, Commissioners of 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted 266 to 116 that the actions of the Israeli government against the socalled “people of Palestine” met the legal definition of apartheid. According to a letter by Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, stated clerk of the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church, “In 2018, Israel passed a nation-state law, which declares the distinction between Jews and non-Jews fundamental and legitimate, and permits institutional discrimination in land management and development, housing, citizenship, language and culture. This decision among many other practices have confirmed that the policies and practices of Israel constitute apartheid.” In reality, the Nationality Law does not permit discrimination and actually protects minorities’ rights and status, especially those of the Arab minority. Nelson’s letter added that the Presbyterian Church, which has over 1.7

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28 ‫בס״ד‬

An Income Found, A Marriage Saved Life has this way of “happening” that makes it seem as if everything takes place of its own accord. If we don’t stop and pay attention to the fact that every detail is distinctly decided and recorded from Above, we can sometimes forget… She was a classic “shvigger” – getting involved in her married children’s lives. But she meant well and she acted well. “I must share the open miracle we witnessed,” she said. “For a while, my son-in-law was struggling to bring parnassah to his growing family. He tried. He really did, exerting himself to the next level. Yet, despite all his efforts and attempts, he was not able to find a suitable job. No matter how many companies received his resume, he couldn’t even get himself an interview. “Time was passing, and the lack of income was taking its toll. My daughter found the situation difficult to swallow. She reached a point of desperation and her entire happiness was affected. Soon, her respect for her husband began to waver, and the entire basis of their home was tottering. “You cannot imagine the pain of parents watching their kids’ lives crumble… Even the best support I could give my daughter couldn’t help the situation. That’s when a lightbulb turned on in my brain. There was something I could do! I quickly called Tehillim Kollel and gave in their names.

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“It was a Thursday, and as I gave my credit card details, I begged Hashem for quick results. Shockingly, the very next Monday, a company my son-in-law had sent his resume to months before called him down for an interview. Several days later, he was already working at his new position.”

million members, recognizes Israel’s legitimacy as a state but opposes its continuing “occupation” of “Palestine,” which it claims is “illegitimate, illegal under international law, and an enduring threat to peace in the region.” It claimed that the Presbyterian church remains “committed” to fighting anti-Semitism, emphasizing, “At the same time, we are convinced that there is a fundamental difference between antisemitism and the right to critique the policies of Israel deemed illegal under international law.” Responding to the vote, the Jewish Federations of North American (JFNA) said, “Jewish Federations are not surprised by the latest antisemitic action taken by Presbyterian Church USA PC (USA) in its vote to adopt a resolution calling Israel an apartheid state. There was a time when their words mattered. That time is long gone.” It added, “This resolution does nothing to further peace or foster a better future for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, Palestinians or Israelis. Its only intention is to demonize the Jews and Israel with the offensive and false allegation of apartheid.” Rabbi Noam E. Marans, director for interreligious and intergroup relations for the American Jewish Committee, told The Washington Post that the Presbyterian Church’s new position is a “tragedy.” He added, “Presbyterians and Jews in the pews need and want each other in order to address the issues that are most challenging in America today. This prevents that from happening.”

What Went Wrong in Uvalde

The gunman who shot 19 children and two teachers in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, carried out the shooting in two adjoining classrooms, the surveillance video showed. The video, 82 minutes long, shows police officers at the Robb Elementary School massed in a hallway for more than an hour before they entered a classroom and killed the gunman. But before that, within minutes of the shooter entering the school, the police officers approached the classroom doorway – and then made a hasty retreat after the gunman opened fire. Some of the police officers were armed with rifles and ballistic shields. The video does not explain why the officers waited so long to confront the gunman or who was responsible for the delay. Most of the shooting was done between when the gunman entered the classrooms and when the officers approached. Now, people are demanding answers, wanting to know why police officers waited over an hour to take down the murderer. Bill Francis, a former FBI agent, told CNN that the police had “an amaz-

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THE MISHNAH BERURAH

JULY 21, 2022

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ing response time. What happens next is where things kind of go awry.” According to the footage, at least three officers, two carrying rifles, immediately moved towards the classroom door, crouching for cover. But instead of forcing their way into the classroom, they stayed outside until additional gunfire was heard. “They’re right there. They’re receiving gunfire. At that point you just have to win the fight. You have to get in that room, and you have to eliminate the threat and that’s established doctrine,” Francis noted. With their delay, the police officers “forfeit the chance for kids that are wounded, bleeding inside there, perhaps to be saved and more kids to be shot at that point. To me, that’s the biggest failure right there.” Francis added, “The officers do turn their back to the door and they run down the hallway, and the shooter, if he wanted to, easily could have opened that door and killed all those officers. They simply turn and run away from the gunfire. It’s just unfortunate because at that point they lose all momentum.” Ruben Ruiz, one of the officers who responded to the scene, is the now-widower of teacher Eva Mireles, who was one of the teachers killed in the shooting. Footage shows Ruiz looking at his phone in the hallway – his wife was saying she was dying, as he stood in the hallway holding his gun. Ruiz was eventually removed from the building, after trying to intervene, State Rep. Joe Moody, one of three House Investigative Committee members looking into the law enforcement response, explained. “He attempted to engage but was removed from the building and disarmed,” Moody said. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said the officer in charge was the school district’s police chief, Pedro “Pete” Arredondo. According to DPS, Arredondo misclassified the siege as a barricade situation, which – unlike an active shooter report – calls for a more measured response. Arredondo, who said he did not consider himself incident commander and did not instruct officers to refrain from forcing their way into the classrooms, has resigned his seat on the Uvalde City Council.

Nap Boxes Need to snooze on the job? Some offices in Japan are installing “nap boxes” for employees who need to catch some zzz’s. The nap boxes are pretty unconventional-looking. They resemble a sleek, tall cabinet. Inside, workers need to stand for their nap, but there are places to support workers’ heads, knees and backsides so that they will not fall over. Offices in Japan are known for overworking their workers. These sleep stations are designed for white collar employees who are known for logging excruciatingly long hours. Itoki communications director Saeko Kawashima is confident it offers a healthier solution for those wanting to take a quick nap during the day. “In Japan, there are a lot of people who will lock themselves up in the bathroom for a while which I don’t think is healthy,” they told Bloomberg News. “It’s better to sleep in a comfortable location.” Sleepiness on the job in Japan is so widespread that the country has the phrase “inemuri,” which refers to those who sleep during the day in order to get through a long commute or full workday. Japan has some of the longest working hours in the world. One in four companies require employees to work more than 80 hours of overtime each month, which is often unpaid, according to a 2016 government study. “I think a lot of Japanese people tend to work continuously with no breaks,” Kawashima said. “We are hoping that companies can use this as a more flexible approach to resting.” Nothing sounds flexible about forcing workers to sleep standing up in a box.


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Torah Thought

Liven Up!

disappearing population. Why did some tribes fare better than others? Among the members of the tribe of Menasahe, there were yet alive two illustrious sons of Menashe who were born yet in Egypt — Yair and Machir.

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

A

fascinating observation is made that when one compares the census taken at the beginning of the book of ‘Numbers’ — Bamidbar, at the onset of their forty-year sojourn, contrasting it with the count taken in our portion, at the near end of their long journey, there is a noticeable discrepancy. Whereas some tribes diminished their ranks and others remained the same, two of the tribes increased more significantly than the rest.

The tribes of Menashe and Asher swelled in number over that period by more than 20,000 and nearly 12,000 respectively. Rav Avraham Shain, in his marvelous Sefer, Birchas Ish, suggests a remarkable idea for this divergence. During the tumultuous years between these two censuses, many of the people had sinned during the various trials they faced. It is reasonable to assume that due to these sins people died, and that would contribute to the

When issues arose, the populace inevitably turned to these seasoned ‘travelers’ of life, seeking their counsel and guidance. Certainly, Yair and Machir having absorbed the lessons of life directly from such inspired ‘sources’, as their father and grandfather, they were able to guide the members of their tribe wisely, steering them away from the pitfalls that others stumbled over. Additionally, Menashe — their father, remained in the metropolis of Egypt assisting his father Yosef, in contrast to Ephraim, who sequestered himself in the ghetto of Goshen, tending to his grandfather Yaakov. It was in this more challenging environment

amongst the cultural forces prevalent in Egypt, that Menashe developed the requisite skills to ward off temptation and challenge, educating his children — Yair and Machir by example. They successfully emulated those strengths and values years later in their own trials of life, instilling the legacy of their father in his descendants. No wonder this tribe flourished rather than floundering. But what was the secret weapon among the tribe of Asher that attributed to their growth? Although the census taken was purposed to relist the numbers of adult males over twenty, who would merit to inherit the land, nevertheless in enumerating the names of the sons who headed the families of the tribe of Asher, it arbitrarily mentions ‘the name of Serach, the daughter of Asher.’ (‫)במדבר כו מו‬ Why is she mentioned? Wasn’t the male progeny the sole recipient of an


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Torah Thought inheritance in the land? Rashi enlightens us by simply stating: ‫לפי שהיתה קיימת בחיים מנאה כאן‬ — Because she was still alive, she is mentioned here. Serach was Yaakov’s only surviving granddaughter, and this was worthy of mention. But why is this relevant and important? Rav Yissachar Berish Eichenstein from Ziditchov and the Rav of Veretzky, in his masterful work, Malbush L’Shabbos V’Yom Tov, questions the language of Rashi,‫ קיימת בחיים‬as seemingly redundant, since ‫קיימת‬ translates as ‘surviving’, and ‫בחיים‬ also means ‘alive’, two terms emphasizing Serach was still around. Why the repetition?

He answers that there are people who merely ‘exist’ but are not ‘alive’. Serach lived her life with vibrancy, an enthused existence fueled by an utter awareness of the Divine Presence that inspired every moment of life. She ‘lived’ with verve. The Targum Yehonoson on this verse records the tradition that Serach was from a select few individuals who entered Gan Eden ‘alive’ for eternity. This privilege was in reward for her famously informing Yaakov of Yosef’s being alive. Though her uncles feared Yaakov might die from the shock of the news, they had confidence that their talented niece would serenade her grandfather in song, subtly inserting the message of Yosef’s existence into the lyrics she sang. In merit of her deed Yaakov blessed her with long life, prophecy and to ascend, after living nearly seven hundred years until

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the days of King David, alive into Gan Eden. I would like to think that it was not just her clever technique in gradually informing Yaakov that did the trick. I imagine she was an individual who wherever she went radiated an aura of joyful gratitude to simply being alive. Even in the face of sorrow she exuded appreciation for the privilege of being accompanied every moment of her life by the Divine Presence, in the spirit of the holy words of the Rav of Veretzky. It was in that uplifted atmosphere that Yaakov was able to process the exciting news without having heart failure. One who lives holding on to G-d’s guiding hand at every moment, can cross any road that may come in one’s way. The great Sephardic sage Rav Pinchos Zvichi suggests it was Serach’s grandmother Leah who bequeathed her this wonderful legacy. After Leah merited the birth of a fourth son, Yehuda, she expressed, “This time let me gratefully praise Hashem!” The next words in the verse report that she stopped giving birth. Why was she suddenly no longer granted children? He suggests that precisely because she only thanked G-d after her fourth child, neglecting to express thanks for every single one born prior, Leah revealed that she did not realize that one must be grateful for every blessing that comes one’s way — the small miracles, not just the large ones. Leah recognized she was being taken to task and immediately began a process of tikkun — correction. She generously offered Zilpah, her maidservant, to mother more tribes through Yaakov, subsequently adding two more sons. One was called Gad, extolling how, ‫‘ — בא גד‬good luck’ has come her way, and the second Asher, expressing how, ‫‘ — אשרוני‬fortunate’ she felt! This newfound awareness of the constant and exciting privilege of G-d’s involvement in every detail of our lives, was inculcated through Asher, finding its enthused expression in his daughter Serach. (‫ פנחס‬,‫)פז רב‬

No wonder this tribe of Asher grew in number, never wavering in their faith, never succumbing to weakness, for a tribe inspired by the exuberant and spirited Serach would always maintain a level of gratefulness to G-d that would never let them lapse into dejection and sin. We are living in trying times. So much sadness surrounds us. During these Three Weeks, the Bein HaMetzarim — Between the Straits, are days devoted to diminishing personal happiness and to dwell on the tragic state of Galus we are still suffering from and living in. But the holy Magid of Koznitz teaches us otherwise. True, we must depict in our minds how the Holy Shechinah is, as it were, homeless, without a roof over His head, in agony over the plight of His children that he so desires for their return. But, he says, our role is not to wallow in grief but rather to ‘cheer the King up’. Imagine, he says, a mortal king when times are good, he needs not the minstrels to play their music to lift his spirits. But when times are down, precisely then, those talented musicians will come to display their skill in singing songs to brighten his day. Similarly, it is incumbent upon us, to strip ourselves from personal sadness, to gladden the heart of our King by singing expressions of our allegiance, declaring loudly, “You have been our King from ancient days, now and forever, all is naught in comparison to You, the day will come when the saviors will go up to Zion, when all will come to serve You, placing upon Your head a crown of royalty!” (‫עבודת‬ ‫)ישראל מסעי‬ It is with the joyous observance of His Torah and with the heartfelt prayers we express, that is the mission of these days. Our enthused happiness in His service will merit bringing the redemption speedily in our days! You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ohelmoshebaltimore.com


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The Baltimore Community’s Technology Triumphs

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By Rebbetzin Sara Gross

S

ince the Nekadesh women’s event there has been a revolution of change in the world. Our hearts were touched, and our minds were made up. We would make the necessary changes to be in control of our technology use, and not have it control us. Everyone on his or her level can make the powerful choice to take control and limit their use. Whether that means canceling Instagram or a Netflix account, adding a time filter to restrict usage at certain times, or switching completely to a flip phone, all change impacts our lives, our families, and our community. Baltimore is inspired. The stories of triumph over the magnetic pull of technology are rolling in. Waves of powerful change have swept through the homes of our community, and hints of clarity have shown themselves on all sides, in the form of “nods from Above” in small and big ways in our

daily lives. On the pages of Baltimore Jewish Home, we will share information about technology as well as the triumphs and real stories of chizuk contributed by men, women, and children of our community and beyond. We hope to inspire and share the successes of a stronger community who chooses control over the greatest nisayon of our generation. May we inspire each other to take the steps to make lasting changes in our technology use. May we see a tremendous influx of bracha in our homes and city through our personal efforts. And may we see nachas from our children resulting from our strength in limiting ourselves and making a lasting impression on the next generation of Klal Yisroel. As told to Tech Triumphs: I was struggling with control over my smartphone use for many years. It

was taking over my life and hindering my productivity. After much introspection and effort, I was ready to take the plunge and get rid of my smartphone to gain control of my choices and my time. I purchased a flip phone that has a touch screen option which makes texting simpler and slowly transitioned into using it as my main cell phone. With my choice, I finally found relief from the unending suction known as my smartphone, and gained the control of my life I was craving. My daughter had been dating for some time and Baruch Hashem, a shidduch, suggested that was the right one. They got engaged, and I was so thankful. Out of curiosity, I peeked back at the date of my flip phone order. It was two days

before the chosson gave a “yes” to my daughter. I feel that Hashem saw my efforts and rewarded me immediately. To share a technology triumph or story of chizuk, please email TechTriumphs@tagbaltimore.org or call 410449-1824 and choose option 5. This is a service of TAG Baltimore. TAG Baltimore is an organization that provides technology awareness, education, and support. They can be reached at 410-449-1824 or help@tagbaltimore.org


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N’shei Summer Lecture Series N’shei Agudath Israel of Baltimore is proud to present our annual Summer Lecture Series for Women. This year our theme is “Striving for Greatness.” Rabbi Yehoshua Shapiro, Associate Principal of Bais Yaakov High School, kicked off our series speaking about “Reading the Handwriting on the Wall in the 21st Century.” The following week, Rabbi Boruch Leff, Rebbi and author, focused on “Praying with Purpose.” This was followed by a talk by Rebbetzin Nechama Karlinsky, Menaheles of Kitov Seminary, on “Is Chesed an Option or an Obligation?” We will have timely lectures by Rabbi Shimon Hirsch, Menahel of Torah Institute of Baltimore, on “Preparation for Chodesh Av” on Tuesday, July 26 at 8:00 p.m., and by Rabbi Tzvi Mordechai Feldheim, Menahel of Mesivta Kesser Torah, on “Time of Sadness, Time of Greatness” on Tuesday, August 2 at 8:00 p.m. These two shiurim will both take place at Bnos Yisroel, 6300 Park Heights Avenue. They will also be available via Zoom and phone. The next three shiurim will only be available via Zoom and phone. Mrs. Chaya Kruk, popular lecturer and teach-

er, will speak about the “Tools of Vatranus: How We Gain by Letting Go” on Tuesday, August 9 at 8:00 p.m., followed by Rabbi Shlomo Slatkin, Certified Imago Relationship Therapist, who will speak on Tuesday, August 17 at 8:00 p.m. on the topic of “Transforming Your Relationships in Elul.” Rabbi Simcha Cook, Menahel of Mechinas Yeshiva Ner Yisroel, will then speak on “Between Av and Elul” on Wednesday, August 24 at 8:00 p.m. Dr. Jonathan Lasson, Maggid Shiur, psychotherapist, author, and college professor, will speak on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. on “Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li: Reconnecting with Hashem in Elul.” This shiur will take place at 3209 Fallstaff Road, rear building. It will also be available via Zoom and phone. Concluding our series, Rabbi Sholom Tendler, Kashrus Administrator, Vaad Hakashrus of Baltimore, will speak on Wednesday, September 7 at 8:00 p.m. via Zoom and phone on “The Latest News in the Kashrus World.” On Monday, September 12 at 8:30 p.m., Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Rav of Agudath Israel of Baltimore, will pres-

ent his Annual Teshuva Shiur at Agudath Israel of Baltimore, 6200 Park Heights Avenue. It will also be accessible via Zoom and phone. In addition, Rabbi Moshe Heinemann gives his bi-weekly Monday night Halacha shiur to women on the important topic of Hilchos Shabbos at the Agudah of Park Heights (balcony) at 9:00 p.m. on alternate Monday evenings. This shiur is also available via Zoom and phone. For information on accessing these lectures and recordings, please email nsheibaltimore@gmail.com or call or text Mrs. Chavi Barenbaum at 410-9353010. ADA accommodations are available upon request. N’shei Agudath Israel of Baltimore is part of an international organization of women dedicated to achdus, community service, education, and charity. Our members include women from different shuls, schools, and organizations. N’shei provides the women in our community with quality programs to enhance their homes and families. N’shei organizes halacha and hashkafa shiurim, including our annual Teshuva and Pesach shiurim given by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, shlita. Also, every year, N’shei officially

welcomes women who are new to the community at our Welcome Newcomers Night. All shiurim are free of charge, but sponsorship opportunities are available. You can sponsor a shiur or you can sponsor an ad. Please call or text Mrs. Chavi Barenbaum or email nsheibaltimore@gmail.com for more information. To bring quality programs to the women of our community, N’shei incurs expenses that must be covered. In order to be able to continue our efforts on behalf of the women in our community, we would greatly appreciate N’shei dues and donations. Dues are still only $20 and can be sent to Mrs. Sandy Cohen at 6314 Cross Country Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21215. Dues will also be collected at live shiurim and online. Please email nsheibaltimore@gmail.com for our donation link. We are also looking for volunteers to help with our programming. We especially need help with publicity, phone calls, errands, and computer graphics. We look forward to having you join our lectures and events.

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Land of Milk, Honey, and Natural Gas How Israel’s Natural Gas Supply is Shaping the World By SHaMMaI SISkIND

“L

et me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses,” the legendary Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir once quipped during a speech at a state dinner. “He took us 40 years through the desert to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil.” Indeed, among the many remarkable things about Israel, one of the more peculiar aspects is its marked lack of black gold. In the fifty years since Meir made her half-joking comment, many have pointed out that Israel’s oil-less territory was a blessing in disguise. Not having easily accessible, desirable exports in abundance is perhaps the single biggest driving factor that forced the country to become the innovation miracle that it is now. Today, when people think about brilliant, era-defining creativity, they’re not thinking about Saudi Arabia and its 260 billion barrels of proven oil reserves – they’re thinking about a small sliver of land off the Mediterranean coast. Yet still, the lack of naturally occurring fossil fuels has been a real challenge for Israeli society throughout its short history. From a purely economic point of view, energy costs have always been exorbitantly high in Israel compared to other countries. Currently, a gallon of gasoline in the country costs over nine dollars. The lowest the price has been in the past ten years was in late 2020, when the average was hovering around $5.25. Similarly, when coming at it from a national security perspective, Israel has always been in a precarious situation regarding energy: The nations that possessed the lion’s share of the world’s proven oil reserves also happened to be Israel’s sworn enemies. Many still remember the global gas shortages of the 1970s, triggered when Arab nations banned the sale of petrol to countries that supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War. It is precisely events like the OPEC embargo that highlight just how much fossil fuels are inextricably bound to geopolitics – but more on that later. For years, Israel has had to make peace with its energy dependency. But that is beginning to change. Moshe Rabbeinu may have brought us to the one land in the Middle East without fossil fuels. But as it turns out, there were surprises lurking miles below Israel’s ocean surface.

Two Decades of Israel Gas Exploration The energy revolution currently taking place in Israel did not pop up overnight. The story goes back over twenty years when, in 1999, Israel’s Oil Commissioner granted BG Group (a British petrol firm since bought out by a Dutch competitor) preliminary exploratory permits for deep-sea block exploration. Oceanographic scans of areas off of Israel’s coast, specifically one region some 80 miles west of Haifa, showed geological formations strongly indicative of natural gas pockets. The initial explorations dragged on for years, and the permit granted to BG expired in 2003. Still, the private stakeholders in the venture were adamant. The evidence of gas fields in the area was too strong to simply abandon the project. They convinced the Israeli authorities to extend the permit. Two years passed. Nothing. By April 2005, BG had announced that it was abandoning its stake. But the following year, Texas-based exploration company Noble Energy joined the project as operator. The involvement of Noble seemed to breathe

new life into the whole enterprise, and in 2006, the state license was extended to December 31, 2008. In November 2008, less than two months before their deadline, Noble and its Israeli partners began drilling after some seismic studies were able to pinpoint a formation where there was “a 35% chance” the location contained gas. Why go ahead setting up a drill rig with a two-thirds chance of failure? Well, those same studies further indicated that if there was gas, the median estimate for the producible quantity was over 100 billion cubic meters (BCM). The risk was high, but the potential return was enormous. Finally, in late 2008, drilling was conducted to a depth of 4,900 meters. The operation cost $92 million. But it was the one that finally bore fruit. On January 17, 2009, Noble and its partners officially announced it had tapped the Tamar natural gas field. Estimated reserves: 284 BCM. The discovery of Tamar was certainly welcome news in Israel at the time and generated quite a bit of fanfare. But it would hardly compare to the next finding that would come soon after.


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The new Leviathan field (the best title ever devised for a giant underwater anything) contained a whopping 630 BCM of natural gas. To take one area, Israel can begin shifting to Natural Gas Vehicles, or NGVs, that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). While this may be considered a fringe option in some other places on Earth (NGVs in the U.S., for example, account for only 0.06 percent of all cars), if Israel has the appropriate fuel on hand, it could present a viable alternative. At the governmental level, the natural gas industry is already proving a windfall for state revenue. According to current estimates, export proceeds alone will produce annual taxation of $2.5 billion. But even beyond the immediate gains for Israel, the mega gas fields off the coast of Haifa could have massive repercussions at the international level. In fact, many of these effects have already begun to emerge. The Money and Politics of Energy a lot has taken place in the world since the first liters

in a recent interview, the choice to make the country dependent on Russian energy was a “grievous mistake.” Now Germany, along with the rest of Europe, is caught between a rock and a hard place: Russia is the West’s new Bad Guy and has to be opposed at all costs, yet the very stability of Europe is completely reliant on Russia. Against this backdrop of global upheaval, all the while, Israel’s gas exploration and development continued to grow. In early January 2020, the EastMed Pipeline accord was signed in Athens by the leaders of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. The dictates of the deal was to create a pipeline that would funnel Israel’s natural gas through Greece and into Europe via Italy and other offshore mediums. The deal was largely put on hold when Covid broke out and further impeded when the Biden administration decided the environmental costs of the project were too high. However, last month the so-called East

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Effects at Home and Abroad With the gradual coming online of these gas resources, there have been important benefits for Israel at the local level. Even with the relatively small amount being consumed by the country, the economic advantages of local

fossil fuels are being felt. As Europe and much of the world are experiencing skyrocketing energy costs, Israelis have barely felt an impact. Down the road, there will be other major benefits. Underwater natural gas fields are industry-creating discoveries. The Leviathan Project, as it’s come to be known, is desperately trying to fill recruitment slots from rig workers to computer technicians. There is no doubt the project will continue to create jobs at a significant scale. There’s also the opportunity to potentially shift much of the country’s energy consumption from petrol to natural gas and thereby slash the cost of living.

JULY 21, 2022

From Discovery to Extraction The average citizen reading about these findings couldn’t be blamed for getting excited. After all, this was huge – in every sense of the word. After discovering Tamar, Noble reported it was the largest field they had ever discovered, a statement they issued a second time after discovering Leviathan. Just the amount of gas in the Leviathan reservoir was enough to make Israel completely energy independent for decades. But as no one knew better than the policymakers and the private companies involved, finding gas wasn’t the same as getting it to the surface and into the electrical grid. Following the Tamar discovery, Energy Minister Uzi Landau said in a statement that Israel needed to act “levelheaded and responsibly,” which was a thinly veiled warning that the long-term benefits of the discovery were far from guaranteed. Put simply, just because there were massive amounts of gas sitting in its territory didn’t guarantee it was possible to extract it. Similar concerns were voiced following the Leviathan discovery by Gideon Tadmor, the chief executive of Delek Energy and avner Oil Exploration, partners in the venture with Noble. Tadmor voiced fears that government taxes and regulations could make the project prohibitively expensive. “The gas may stay in the ground because we will not succeed in obtaining from banks around the world the tens of billions of shekels for developing the reservoir,” he said in an interview. After the initial stages of assessing extractability – a process that itself took several years – the date of bringing Leviathan to production was estimated at 2017. That year came and went. Still no gas. about five years of political quagmire and legal disputes, which included everything from environmental concerns to conflicting promises to foreign developers, stalled the much-needed gas from coming online. But even the storm of Middle Eastern bureaucracy eventually comes to an end. Finally, in 2019, Israel began to consume some of its gas bounty. Today, the Israeli grid consumes just over 10 BCM per year from the field.

of natural gas came pouring through from Leviathan some three years ago. A global pandemic left the public and private sectors distracted for the better part of two years. A chaotic administration change in the U.S. brought an about-face to much of Washington’s policy positions (especially on energy-related matters), and for the first time in eighty years, a real war has broken out in Europe in which one of the belligerents happens to be the third largest oil producer in the world. The conflict has triggered a profound energy crisis in Europe, one which Russia is using as leverage against its Western foes. While different countries on the continent are feeling Putin’s energy squeeze differently, the crisis as a whole is exemplified by the situation in Germany. Germany is tied to Russia’s oil more than most. The foundation of the country’s economy is heavy industry, and German factories are huge consumers of fossil fuels. In late June, after Russia reduced supplies by 60 percent, Berlin triggered the second stage of its national gas emergency plan which puts the nation just one step away from gas rationing. In Germany today, there is a widespread recognition of the folly of their energy policies in recent years. The move away from nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima incident in 2011, and an increasing emphasis on renewables, has made Berlin more and more reliant on Russian fuel over the past decade. As Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck said

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The partners were convinced Tamar was far from the only jackpot. and so, they continued searching. Less than a year after the successful drill at Tamar, Noble announced yet another gas discovery less than 50 kilometers west of the first find. The enormity of the new field was simply shocking. The new Leviathan field (the best title ever devised for a giant underwater anything) contained a whopping 630 BCM of natural gas.


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JULY 21, 2022

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Med Pipeline deal got a second chance at life, albeit in a slightly different form. In mid-June, Israel, Egypt and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding in Cairo on a major pipeline co-op. The project will see Israel export its natural gas to Egypt, which already possesses facilities to liquify it, and from there to the EU. Simultaneous to the Cairo meeting, Turkish and Israeli officials began negotiations on a similar project to funnel gas through Turkish territory. Turkey is already a major regional energy hub, bringing gas to Europe from azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia. With Europe less than excited to consume Russian fuel these days, Turkey is anxious to find another energy supplier it can act as middleman for. This makes the prospect of a lucrative natural gas deal extremely attractive to Ankara. Now, with relations with Jerusalem thawing in recent months, the political climate is perfect to pursue such a collaboration. At the same time as the diplomats wheel and deal, Israel’s gas resources are also growing. Two additional gas fields discovered a few years after Leviathan was tapped are now finally coming online. Extraction from the two fields, dubbed karish and Tanin respectively, is set to begin in the coming months. While the quantities of karish and Tanin are small compared to the fields discovered twelve years ago – containing altogether a

extraordinary speed, we will have two LNG ports. We didn’t have any of them at the beginning of this year, and we will have two floating [offshore] LNG ports on the German coast by the end of the year.” While Israel’s energy quantities cannot compete with Russia’s, what they are sufficient for is providing a medium-term alternative to Putin as well as an important supplement to Europe’s energy strategy for years to come.

Israel, Egypt, and the EU signing a natural gas deal

“mere” 100 BCM – the availability of additional resources has enabled Israel to pursue more export projects. Israel in the Middle The fact that these deals constitute a purposely designed alternative to Russian fuel is hardly a secret. Earlier this month, the German Foreign Ministry stated it was shifting much of its resources to the intake of natural gas. “Germany is importing LNG (liquid natural gas), as much as we can,” said Germanies ambassador to Canada Sabine Sparwasser. “We are building, and again at

T

his story is by no means over. There is still a war waging in Europe, one that can escalate at the drop of a hat. Turkish, EU, and Israeli diplomats are still hammering out important details of pipeline deals that will take time to implement even once their finalized. But in the meantime, one thing to consider is the extraordinary flow of events that occurred over so many years that produced the fortuitous situation Israel finds itself in today: From the discovery of gas fields of unprecedented size and scope over a decade ago, to a modern-day Europe desperate to transition to an energy alternative, and a Middle East that is more and more willing to collaborate with a country they once considered a mortal enemy.

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Mental Health Corner By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

ily. A person who follows the guidance and direction of the Torah, will reach an even higher level and view his self as encompassing the entire Jewish nation… Thus, his sense of self allows him to feel love towards all Jews and to the entire world. This is what Hillel meant when he said (Avos Ch. 1), “If I am not for myself, who will be? But when I am for myself, then who am I?” This means that although a person’s focus is on himself, one must also understand that if his sense of self does not expand beyond himself, then his sense of self is worthless. Rabbi Shimon Shkop is teaching us that if we have a healthy sense of

self we will be able to expand ourselves to encompass other people. Thus, although we all need to have self-love and self-compassion, when it is healthy the result will not be narcissism, but rather empathy and care for others. As the Torah famously instructs us, “Love your friend like yourself!” 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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extremely superficial as their focus is only on their own needs of grandiosity. It is tragic that this can extend even to their relationships with their own children. Children of a narcissistic parent are raised to believe that their worthiness is based on how much they improve their parent’s reputation and that to maintain their value they need to serve the needs of their parents even at the peril of their own emotional health. The place where self-compassion and narcissism display their greatest contrast is regarding empathy. Broadly speaking, empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions and feelings. When we have self-compassion, we are not absorbed in ourselves and we can focus on connecting with others through empathy. When someone is suffering from narcissism, their obsession with themselves prevents them from seeing the world through another person’s perspective. Incredibly, one of the great Torah luminaries of the pre-World War II generation wrote an essay on the importance of having a healthy sense of self. Rabbi Shimon Shkop Zt”l, known fondly in the Yeshiva world as “Reb Shimon”, was a giant of Torah who authored the Sha’arei Yosher, which delves into the depths of Lomdus in many areas of Shas. In his introduction, he discusses the concept of self. Here is a free translation of an excerpt: Hashem implanted in each person a powerful sense of self-love… At first glance, it would seem that selflove and love of others are contradictory. However, it is incumbent upon us to understand the principle that unifies these two emotions… A ruffian views his entire self as being limited to his physical body. Those on a higher level understand that their self is comprised of both a body and a soul. On an even higher level, are those who expand their sense of self to include their fam-

JULY 21, 2022

Narcissism in psychology describes someone who is selfish, has a strong sense of entitlement, lacks empathy, and has a need for admiration. If it is severe enough and impairs daily functioning, it may qualify for a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. Narcissists can be difficult to comprehend since on the one hand they seem to have a very high regard of themselves, but on the other hand are so unsure of themselves that they have a need to be constantly admired and praised by others. The key to understanding narcissism lies in the basic human need of having a healthy sense of self. We are all self-centered, and as we grow and develop, we start to form opinions and attitudes about ourselves. The healthiest self-attitude one can have is self-compassion. Self-compassion is the notion that even if we have shortcomings or inadequacies we are still people of value who are entitled to kindness, care, and warmth. For example, healthy parents do not think of their children in a negative light if they are not the smartest or most successful. Similarly, when you have self-compassion you do not view yourself negatively just because you are not as wealthy or smart as your friend. With self-compassion, you can strive to excel in life according to your ability and still not be busy comparing yourself to other people or care about what people are saying about you. Narcissism is the polar opposite of self-compassion. Their lack of self-compassion and self-acceptance drives them to be extremely afraid of not being worthy and valuable. As a result, their lives tend to revolve around building themselves up in the eyes of other people and convincing themselves of how great they are. They can be a nightmare to live with, as any perceived insult that threatens their self-esteem can drive them into a rage. Their relationships tend to be

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JULY 21, 2022

Mind Y

ur Business

Ron Krudo and Joshua Orlinsky

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By Yitzchok Saftlas

Ron Krudo

T

Josh Orlinsky

his column features business insights from a recent “Mind Your Business with Yitzchok Saftlas” radio show. The weekly “Mind Your Business” show – broadcasting since 2015 – features interviews with Fortune 500 executives, business leaders and marketing gurus. Prominent guests include: John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi; Dick Schulze, founder and Chairman Emeritus of Best Buy; and Beth Comstock, former Vice Chair of GE; among over

400+ senior-level executives and business celebrities. Yitzchok Saftlas, president of Bottom Line Marketing Group, hosts the weekly “Mind Your Business” show, which airs at 10pm every Sunday night on 710 WOR and throughout America on the iHeartRadio Network.

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O

n a recent 77WABC “Mind Your Business” broadcast, Yitzchok Saftlas (YS) spoke with guests Ron Krudo (RK), president and managing partner at Equiturn Business Solutions, and Joshua Orlinsky (JO), CEO and managing partner at Equiturn Business Solutions. *

*

*

YS: Tell me a little bit about establishing Equiturn Business Solutions. You are partners running this big company. There’s got to be a backstory. RK: Josh and I went on a road trip together to Los Angeles, and on that trip, we talked about what Josh was doing, what I was doing, and what I was hoping to do in my future. We realized that there was

an opportunity to help more people, if we just restructured the consulting space and gave it a little bit of our perspective, the way that we would want to address it – focusing on the individuals and the companies that we really care about in that small to middle market. So, we really brought that idea together and collaborated. It came from each of us jumping ship from very successful, great opportunities in the work that we were doing, but we decided to take a risk and went all in. JO:Before this, I was up in DC, doing mergers and acquisition advisory work. And ultimately, it was always about the dollar – at least in my setting in my company, where I was. It was always about making money, and it kind of felt to me like the actual business owner was kind

of left in the secondary position. I figured that there had to be a way within a business model that you can obviously make money, but you can also help the person. That should be what our work is supposed to be in general: to take businesses that maybe have something special but have some bumps in the road and really push them forward.

YS: So, let’s just kind of scope this out. A company comes to you and then you take them from here to there, from X to Y. What does that look like? JO:So, we do two different types. We do work with startups, but not like a startup that’s like, “I want to start a gas station in the middle of Miami.” It’s a startup with a proprietary idea or tech-

nology, because everything we do is based around growth management consulting. We also work with what’s called small middle market businesses. We try not to do anything less than $5 million in revenue. We will work with businesses that are above a million, with very specific parameters. But we try to go no less than $5 million, all the way up to about $100 million in revenue per year. RK: We’ve worked with individuals that are sole businessowners that are getting their concept off the ground, or they’ve already been established and they’re independent. And we’ve seen way more opportunity when there’s a team behind them but not the full infrastructure. What we’ve noticed is that you may have 1-5 other employees operating the business, but you’re an individual dealing


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YS: Let’s get to the core of what Equiturn turn is known for: growth management consulting. Perhaps you can unpack that. JO:There’s many different types of consulting. There’s HR consulting, financial consulting, etc. We focus strictly on

YS: How do you develop that trust factor where they’re really open to your ideas? RK: I think what made us unique when we started was that we didn’t just give you a strategy and hand it to you. Strategies are free in our book – I can

“Take the time to be calculated, but take the risks because that’s where you gain reward.”

growing businesses. We take what they’re doing, and we find the positives and weed out the negatives from it. Ultimately, we develop customized strategies for individual businesses, and then we execute with them alongside those strategies. I think that that’s a lot of what makes us different as a business in the consulting field. We sit with the businessowner, understand what they’re doing and how they’re doing it intimately, then we develop a strategy for however long; two years, three years, five years. RK: When we take that meeting, they tend to be so against the wall, because they’re working their business every single day. When you’re intricately looking at all the operations and all the finances every day, it gets hard to implement or see that growth strategy. A lot of people ask, “Why would I hire an outside firm when I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I’m doing just fine?” Well, it’s for that outside perspective. You bring in someone to look from that outside perspective and analyze the things you look at every day. For example, we had a partner of ours, a trophy company, who’ve been doing a great job for many years. But there was one thing they missed. They missed that digital transformation. They didn’t end

give you all the ideas under the sun – but execution is key. And what I’ve seen with all of our partners is they truly value the amount of hands-on work that we do with them. We’re all about giving you the strategy, then executing it. We’ll take a financial performance and turn it into accounting. We’ll take a go-to-market strategy and turn it into digital marketing. The minute they see us, we’re helping them with inventory, calling their staff, taking team meetings, showing up when no one else would show up. Because we don’t care about the billable hour; we care about the impact and the success of their business. And I’ve seen that firsthand really be the success for us. I mean, some of our partners are like family members that came to my son’s bris.

YS: What specific advice can you give that an executive or entrepreneur should be thinking about as they move on with their day-to-day work. JO: Try to take a step back, breathe, try to see what you’re doing from a little bit of a bird’s eye view at some points. Don’t always be deep into the grind, because you and your business are gonna get lost in there. Eventually, you’re just going to keep doing the same thing over

and over, as opposed to just taking a step back and realizing, “What am I doing? What can I improve on? What can I capitalize on?” From the finance side, I feel like there are businessowners that are financially-minded and those that are just not financially-minded. In my experience, sometimes, the numbers get lost. It’s more about the sale or getting that next big win, but you kind of forget about what the numbers are telling you. Because those financial statements are not there for tax reasons. They are there for you to look at them as much as you possibly can to make better investment decisions. I don’t mean investing in the stock market. I mean investing in yourself, in your business, your success. I really think that gets lost sometimes. RK: In life, you have to take risks, including in business. You have to embrace the others, whether it’s on your team or outside people you bring in. At the end of the day, it is a calculated process that you need to follow. And why I say that is, your team is going to probably be coming to you with ideas, but you’re gonna be scared to listen or you’re gonna push them off to the side. You’re not going to believe that they have the ability or expertise to do what you do every day. It’s the same thing with consultants. You are sometimes nervous to say that they can bring value to the table, because they’re not there every day. But they really can, and you need to be open and embrace that. You took a huge risk when you started your business, and you need to continue to take risks. That’s what business is about. Now, take the time to be calculated, but take the risks because that’s where you gain reward.

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YS: You guys have very different backgrounds and skill sets. Can you share some of the strategies that you felt were successful when partnering up to establish Equiturn? RK: We talk to businessowners almost every day that partner with someone, and unfortunately it doesn’t work out. Three to five years down the line, something happens. We’ve been doing this for a number of years now, and I think what helped us get to where we are today is the fact that while we were friends, we weren’t the best of friends. We knew that we had a business in mind and that’s what brought us together. Also, there was a lot of trust. We both left six-figure jobs, our wives had babies, we had houses that were buying, there was a lot of going on

up creating that online presence that’s so important now. So, we identified that, and we’ve worked with them to build that digital transformation. They have a live website now, bringing in almost $3040,000 a month through their online presence. And now we’re looking at other things. We’re looking at the efficiencies with the manufacturing, how they’re tracking their financials. Things that are so important to their business but weren’t seen because they were in it every day.

JULY 21, 2022

YS: What’s the length of time that you come in? Is it for a quarter? A year? RK: It’s pretty long actually. We see ourselves as being a part of the team. And so, when we go in, it’s not like your typical consultant where you’re hiring them, and everybody knows and sees them as a consultant. We come in as a part of the family and a part of the team. A lot of the times they don’t see a future without us being involved. And that’s when we start looking at other opportunities to work together. But we are long-term. Now, we do have projects where people come to us and say things like, “Listen, I just want to reach this benchmark of acquiring a business.” Those projects we’ll take on, but the real success we’ve seen are with people like an “AJ,” who we’ve worked with for a number of years. He started with us with a for-profit entity, but we homed in on his passion for nonprofit. We helped him really establish that and now his whole company is different, but it’s what he always wanted. And we’re so involved that we go to board meetings on a regular basis.

in our lives. And we decided to jump ship and trust the other person. I think what made it comforting, for me, at least, was the fact that he did bring another side I couldn’t offer. He was a yin to a yang. And that’s something a lot of people make the mistake of. You may be in line with the person you’re looking to start a business with. But if you bring similar attributes to the business, you will end up butting heads. You will end up addressing things the same way.

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with all the different hats that come with actually owning and operating that business. And that’s where we find our best opportunity, because they tend to know growth is needed. They want growth, but have so much on their shoulders, they can’t do it on their own. And so, we decided: how can we build a unique consulting agency that’s focused on growth but takes that weight off their shoulders? Josh can step in as a CFO and accounting specialist with his finance team, and I can come in with operations and marketing with my specialists.


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48

HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, Shlita, and Other Senior Gedolei Hador to Address Mass Event for Bachurim from Across Eretz Yisrael By Chaim Gold

“I wish I would have had such a kinnus when I was a bachur transitioning from yeshiva ketana to yeshiva gedolah,” Rabbi Avigdor Bernstein, one of the senior members of Hanhalas Dirshu, said wistfully. Rabbi Bernstein was referring to the absolutely unique event in Eretz Yisrael, the Dirshu Seder Hachana event, where thousands of bachurim who are graduating yeshiva ketana (equivalent graduating twelfth grade in America) and going on to yeshiva gedolah (beis medrash) come together at the very end of their last zeman in yeshiva ketana to hear words of guidance from the Gedolei Hador, Mashgichim on how to properly prepare for the transition. Dirshu has been providing the bachurim of Eretz Yisrael with this unique event for approximately a decade, but this year’s event, to be held on Wednesday, 28 Tammuz, will be even more special. First and foremost, the senior Gadol Hador, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, will personally come to address the bachurim. This is one of the very rare times since Covid 19, that Rav Gershon will personally participate in such a major event. As is well known in the yeshiva world, Rav Gershon Edelstein has been a prime address for chinuch issues relating to yeshiva bachurim for some seventy years! Having been a maggid shiur in Ponovezh since the 1950’s, he is known for his deep understanding of bachurim of all ages as well as for his sometime, innovative approach to chinuch. This year, senior Roshei Yeshiva will be attending, including HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka; and HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron. Another new and exciting development at this year’s event that will be

HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman addressing a past Dirshu Seder Hachana

held at the Heichalei Malchus Halls in Bnei Brak, will be the video addresses given by senior American Roshei Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Kamenetzky, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Philadelphia, and HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mesivta of Lakewood. Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi of Dirshu is also slated to address the event. Smoothing the Transition Why, at the behest of Rav Gershon Edelstein, is this year’s program even more special with the participation of so many Gedolim? Perhaps it is because Klal Yisrael is truly at a crossroads. The younger generation, our precious bachurim, are facing unprecedented nisyonos. The yetzer hara has been taking all the weapons out of his arsenal in an attempt to poison our youth and rob them of their enthusiasm for ruchniyus, their kedushah and taharah. This gathering, where senior Roshei Yeshiva will address the bachurim and where roundtable discussions about many issues facing our bachurim will be held with senior mashgichim and mechanchim, promises to be a truly unique event. In the past, this special event for bachurim was addressed by such luminaries as HaGaon HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, zt”l, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zt”l and, ybl”ch, HaGaon HaRav Gershon

Partial view of the bochurim attending a past Dirshu Seder Hachana

Edelstein, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen. Understanding the Differences The transition from yeshiva ketana, a very regimented system, to yeshiva gedolah which offers much more independent learning, is truly significant and can literally mean the difference between a life time of success in learning or challilah the opposite. The marked difference between yeshiva gedolah and yeshiva ketana can confront a bachur with many nisyonos, many spiritual hurdles that he must overcome. There is much more independence, much less structure, longer sedarim and a greater stress on self-motivation in a yeshiva gedolah. If bachurim are not careful and are unprepared for such an environment, they can find themselves regressing in their learning and avodas Hashem. It is therefore imperative that every bachur seek guidance from his rebbeim about how to properly utilize his time to the utmost. For example, when a bachur comes to yeshiva gedolah for the first time, he will encounter a different structure of learning which requires much more preparation. In yeshiva ketana, everything is explained. The shiur is explained and presented to the bachurim on a silver platter. Anytime a bachur doesn’t understand, he can go over to his maggid shiur and ask.

He can easily obtain help. In yeshiva gedolah, however, things are different. A bachur is expected to prepare the Gemara on his own, so that he can understand the shiur. To properly learn a Gemara with Rashi and Tosafos is not simple. What does one do? The Unique She’ilos and Teshuvos Session Another important component of the kinnus will be the shailos and teshuvos roundtable sessions. Bachurim from all over Eretz Yisrael have already sent in hundreds of questions that they would love to hear addressed by the panel. Dirshu’s hanhala will be picking choice questions from all that were sent in. This year, the panel will consist of Rav Bunim Schreiber, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva Nesiv Daas, and Rav Chaim Peretz Berman, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivas Ponovezh. The moderator will be Rav Binyomin Birenzweig. Dirshu’s Rabbi Shlomo Rozenstein remarked, “It is a profound zechus to be able to hear hadracha from Rav Gershon Edelstein, from the she’arei knesses hagedolah, a remnant of that exalted generation of giants that shaped the yeshiva world in Eretz Yisrael. It is such an opportunity for bnei yeshiva more than eighty years his junior, to chap arein, to glean and gain from the wisdom of the ziknei hador!”


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50

Israel Today

Upside Down in the Holy Land By Mrs. Barbara Deutsch

O

nly in Israel. We have been here a week, and the days are beginning to blend into each other. It always begins with a long walk, a fun lazy breakfast, and an afternoon at the mostly deserted pool. Hard as I try, I cannot seem to slow down the clock and hang onto every moment. It’s nighttime, 9:30 p.m., and for a second night in a row there is some kind of free concert blasting heavy metal music across Rechavia. Today in the elevator, my husband overheard a tired young couple complaining about how the noise kept their kids awake for hours. I can’t say that it was easy for us to fall asleep either. In Israel, the days are upside down. On my way to a weekly Torah class that I enjoy with my daughter, I decided to get a cup of good coffee for both of us from a corner stand. This place is a tiny hole in a building next to a bus stop; it sells nothing but coffee. I was shocked when it was still closed at 9:00 in the morning. When do people drink coffee? The streets of Yerushalayim are very quiet in the early morning. Walking anywhere, there are schoolchildren waiting for their buses – yes, school is still in session for the boys – and a handful of dog walkers and pedestrians. At night, the town explodes with late night diners, people coming home from work, shoppers, and those looking for an adventure. The other day, while walking along Keren Kayemet, I watched as an enclosed golf cart drove on the sidewalk; not in the street. Upon closer inspection, I saw a bewigged little woman at the wheel. I immediately recognized her as a former high school classmate; that’s more than 55 years ago. I called out her name, Aviva; she responded without an ounce of recognition.

She clearly had no idea who I was. I am not going to say that I look the same as I did then – who does? She does; I realized that she looked like an old lady as a teen, and now that she is one, she looks the same now. Upon reflection, she must think I’m nuts. We have lifelong friends living in Israel who made aliyah over 18 years ago. When the last of their three kids married and moved to Israel, they sold their house and joined them. We hold them close and never miss an opportunity to meet them for a catch-up dinner when we are here. Usually, it would be with another couple whose kids have also made aliyah. The three couples call the meal our

er apartment with no fridge; their story always won. We agreed to meet out front; Bob and I waited in front of our hotel for 15 minutes before wondering where this usually very punctual couple was. Worried, I checked my phone. Sure enough, they were waiting out front, too; outside the restaurant. We were both waiting in front. As they have a car and have always picked us up for our adventures, we assumed they were driving to get us. It seems that the restaurant we chose is

The three couples call the meal our “whine and dine.”

“whine and dine.” We would sit for hours sharing crazy stories about our shared experiences about our kids’ adventures raising our grandchildren in Israel. Our kids do not follow the parenting protocols that they had experienced growing up in America. No matter the crazy story, this couple’s ever-expanding family, one daughter expecting her 11th and a 7 th great-grandchild on the way, they won for the best one. Their stories were stories about the mistakes of wearing khaki pants to a siddur mesibah, playing Hatikva on the car radio when with their grandchildren, or moving a big family from a new and spacious place to a small-

very close to their apartment and we had no idea where it was, so they simply walked over. We hopped into a cab and enjoyed our usual great time. When I showed a draft of this to my friend she commented, “The really funny part is, that one might think you’re exaggerating in order to make it more interesting, but those of us living in Israel know that you’re not. The fact that they stopped the music at 11 is surprising, since there are times that they play all night long. You were lucky.” “I might add that Osher Ad, the big supermarket, first opens at 10, and your granddaughter’s store – she is 17 and

works in a children’s clothing store after school and sometimes instead of school – stays open till 10:00 pm.” Upside down. Before Covid, a group of us would go to the gym at 5:00 a.m.; Jan, Nicole, Autumn and Debby. We would walk miles to nowhere on the treadmill while sharing our trials and tribulations. Yesterday, my dear friend Nicole lost her beloved mother, BDE; may she rest in peace. This morning, I was greeted by the wonderful news of a granddaughter born to Debby’s son and daughter-in-law, mazal tov. Autumn’s son and his new wife moved to Israel for a trial year. He is meeting us to pick up a package we brought from his mother. Jan’s daughter and her new husband are here for the last leg of their honeymoon. Jan will be in New York to make sure that everything will be taken care of for Nicole. Even though I’m much older than my former gym cohort, we are there for each other. I have no sisters, but I do have sister friends. Hashem is always there to right the upside down. The band stopped playing at 11:08 p.m.; only in Israel. Shabbat shalom and stay safe. Barbara Deutsch is currently the associate principal at HANC 609 and a longtime reflective educator, parent, grandparent, and new great-grandparent. Even after all these years, she still loves what she does and looks forward to working with kids every single day. She is vacationing in Israel for the summer.


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And we’ve been told it’s a pretty awesome one.

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We look at brandS from a different point of view.

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JULY 21, 2022

Health & F tness

Fishing For Benefits By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

F

ish is a very important part of a healthy diet. Aside from its protein content, fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have a host of health benefits. Research has shown that eating fish once or twice a week may reduce the risk of depression, stroke, heart attacks, and Alzheimer’s. Fish is less popular in the United States than one would think. Nearly half of Americans either don’t eat fish or only eat it occasionally. Contrary to popular belief, not all fish is “fishy.” There are so many different types of fish and many creative ways to cook them. Exploring the health benefits of fish will hopefully encourage you to try to incorporate 1-2 fish dinners a week.

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Health Benefits 1. Good source of vitamin D: Fish is one of the best sources of vitamin D, a vitamin almost half of Americans are lacking. Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption, which protects bone health. It also is involved in the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep rhymes. During the winter months, when we aren’t getting much sunlight, consuming more fish could be very beneficial. 2. Boosts the metabolism: A study showed that adults who took 3g of fish oil each day for 12 weeks showed an increased metabolic rate by 5.3%. 3. Beneficial for eye health: Omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to improve vision and eye health. It has been shown to improve dry eye as well. 4. Weight maintenance: Fish is one of the healthiest foods you can add to your diet. It has many nutrients that can benefit the body in different ways. Fish is a great addition when trying to maintain weight because it is a complete protein, is low in calories, and it helps stabilize blood sugar. These are all important aspects of weight maintenance.

5. Lowers the risk of heart disease: Fish is a heart-healthy food because of its Omega-3 fatty acid content. Omega-3s reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and help protect the heart by lowering the buildup of plaque in your arteries. They also reduce triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood that, if too high, contribute to arteriosclerosis, the thickening or

recovery after exercise. Consuming fish after exercise can help increase muscle mass because of its protein content and help your muscles recover after an intense workout. 8. Lowers the risk of certain cancers: Research has shown that people who consumed a lot of fish had a lower risk of developing digestive cancers.

life cycle. Small exposure to mercury is not a big issue but too much can lead to mercury poisoning. Mercury poisoning is dangerous for the brain, spinal cord, and central nervous system. Its side effects include memory loss, muscle weakness, and headaches. There is currently no cure for mercury poisoning, so the best way to treat it is to stop consuming mercury-containing fish. High-mercury fish includes tuna, mackerel, and sea bass. Limiting these fish to no more than once or twice a week is ideal. It is best to opt for low-mercury fish like flounder, trout, salmon, anchovies, tilapia, and herring. The most vulnerable population for mercury consumption is pregnant women. Studies have shown that mercury can be toxic to a fetus’s brain development. Similarly, breastfeeding women can pass mercury through their breast milk to their babies and can affect the infant’s brain development and nervous system after birth. Therefore, the FDA recommends that pregnant women or those trying to become pregnant avoid fish that is high in mercury. Consulting with your medical practitioner is the best way to ensure your mercury levels are normal, whichever stage of life you are in.

Different Types of Kosher Fish

Consuming fish after exercise can help increase muscle mass.

hardening of the arteries of the heart. 6. Can help improve sleep: Research has shown that eating fish improves sleep because of its high concentration of vitamin D. 7. Helps with recovery and muscle regeneration: The vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish play a significant role in muscle regeneration and

9. Good source of calcium and iron: Fish is filled with calcium and iron. These micronutrients are essential for the body’s growth and development. While there aren’t many foods that offer the health benefits that fish does, the one downside of eating fish is mercury consumption. Mercury is a toxic metal that accumulates in fish throughout its

1. Anchovies: a 3oz serving of anchovies contains 111 calories, 17g protein, and 4g fat. 2. Carp: A 3oz serving of carp is 108 calories, 15g protein, and 5g fat. 3. Cod: A 3oz serving of cod is 146 calories, 13g protein, and 7g fat. 4. Mahi-mahi: A 3oz serving of mahi-mahi is 72 calories, 15g protein, and 0.6g fat. 5. Flounder: A 3oz serving of flounder is 113 calories, 18g protein, and 3g fat. 6. Fluke: A 3oz serving of fluke is 79 calories, 15g protein, and 1g fat. 7. Halibut: A 3oz serving of halibut


53 erel is 174 calories, 15g protein, and 11g fat. 10. Red snapper: A 3oz serving of red snapper is 109 calories, 22g protein, and 1g fat.

Best Herb Salmon Recipe Marinade • • • • • • • • •

¼ white onion, diced 1 clove garlic 1 bunch basil 1 bunch parsley 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp Dijon mustard ¼ cup olive oil Salt Pepper

1. Blend the onion, basil, parsley, garlic lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper until fully combined. Then, add in the olive oil and blend until smooth (about 15 seconds). 2. Marinate the salmon fillets for at least 30 minutes. 3. Pan-fry the salmon skin-side down until both sides are browned. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until slightly firm. 4. Enjoy with a side of pan-fried or grilled vegetables for a protein and vegetable-packed dinner.

Ways to Cook Fish 1. Grilling: Grilling fish is a quick and easy way to cook fish and avoid it becoming dry. 2. Poaching: Poaching is a method of cooking that involves cooking fish in a liquid at a low temperature. This will ensure the fish is tender and soft. 3. Pan-frying: This is another quick way to cook fish without having to use a

lot of oil. This method of cooking is best for white fish. 4. Baking: Baking fish helps preserve its nutrients, such as vitamin D, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. 5. Broiling: Broiling fish is a great way to cook fish in just a few minutes and ensure it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If you aren’t a fish-lover and want to get the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, there are a few things you can add to your diet. Walnuts, flax seeds, and some vegetable oils are packed with omega-3 fatty acids. There are so many different varieties of kosher fish that could be found in most grocery stores. Each type of fish has a different number of calories, protein, and fat. The incorporation of fish into your diet can be highly beneficial because of its lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D content.

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

JULY 21, 2022

Preparation

11. Sablefish: A 3oz serving of sablefish is 166 calories, 11g protein, and 13g fat. 12. Salmon: A 3oz filet of salmon contains 124 calories, 18g protein, and 5g fat. 13. Sardines: A 3oz serving of sardines is 177 calories, 21g protein, and 9g fat. 14. Seabass: A 3oz serving of sea bass is 82 calories, 15g protein, and 2g fat. 15. Seabream: A 3oz serving of seabream is 115 calories, 20g protein, and 3g fat. 16. Trout: A 3oz serving of trout is 117 calories, 17g protein, and 4g fat. 17. Tuna: A 3oz serving of tuna is 100 calories, 22g protein, and 1g fat. 18. Yellowtail: A 3oz serving of yellowtail contains 124 calories, 19g protein, and 4g fat.

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contains 94 calories, 17g protein, and 2g fat. 8. Herring: A 3oz serving of herring is 166 calories, 14g protein, and 12g fat. 9. Mackerel: A 3oz serving of mack-

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Centerfold

What a Name!

Riddle Me This

All but one of the following individuals play or played in the MLB. Can you spot the odd man out?

Five people (Ben, David, Sarah, Mimi and Shaya) are participating in a baseball game with some other people. Each plays a different position (first base, pitcher, shortstop, catcher, right field) and gets a different number of hits (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5). From the clues given below, can you figure out who did what?

Urban Shocker Boof Bonser Chief Bender

Clues: 1) Ben, the furthest from home base, had exactly twice as many hits as the pitcher. 2) The shortstop was tired after getting her fifth hit. 3) Shaya had more hits than all the other infielders except for Sarah. 4) David wears a mask.

Pickles Dilhoeffer Rollie Fingers

Mimi is the pitcher and she got 2 hits.

Razor Shines

Sarah is the shortstop and she got 5 hits.

Stolmy Pimentel

So, now you know everything:

Jair Jurrjens

Ben is the right fielder and he got 4 hits.

Justin De Fratus

David is the catcher and he got 1 hit.

Coco Crisp

base, which leaves Mimi as the pitcher.

Al Alburquerque Will Rhymes

From clue 4, we know that David is the catcher.

Phil Cokes

Since we already know that Shaya had 3 hits and the pitcher had 2,

Chorye Spoone

Shaya cannot be the pitcher. The only position left for him is first

Chone Figgin

means that Sarah is the shortstop (see clue 2).

Brandon Beachy James Smith

and that she got 5 hits.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia

From clue 3, we know that Shaya had 3 hits and Isabel had 5. This From clue 2, we know that the shortstop is a woman (Mimi or Sarah) he got 4 hits and the pitcher got 2 hits. Answer: From clue 1, we know that Ben is the right fielder and that

Answer: James Smith

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Shaya is the first baseman and he got 3 hits.

Tim Spooneybarger

Home run!

Wonderful Monds


55

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Baseball Card Trivia 1. Paul Jones of Idaho holds the Guinness World Record for largest baseball card collection. How many cards does he have? a. 92,000 b. 700,000 c. 3,000,000 d. 12,000,000

3. What is the first company to ever sell baseball cards? a. Fleer b. Peck and Snyder c. Donruss d. Topps

6. What is the error on Hank Aaron’s 1957 Topps card? a. He is shown batting lefthanded even though he batted right-handed. b. It spells his name as “Hank Aron” c. The back of the card has pitcher stats for a still unknown player d. It states “rookie card” but he was a rookie in 1952

Answers: 1-C

5. What was the error on the 1985 Topps Gary Pettis rookie card? a. The name printed on the card

2-C. The reason it is the most expensive card is because of a licensing dispute. Card companies must pay players in order to use their images on cards. In 1909, the American Tobacco Company sent $10 to each player that they made a card of and began production of the cards. However, Wagner returned the $10 and denied them the right to use his image. It is commonly believed that he objected to his image being associated with a company that sold cigarettes. Before his objection, though, approx-

3-B. Peck and Snyder was a New York city sporting goods company that began selling baseball cards in 1868. 4-A 5-D 6-A. This was a result of a flipped photo negative. (Have no clue what that means? Ask your dad… He’d love to take you on a trip down memory lane to the “good ol’ days” when pictures had more value because “we knew we only had 24 shots.”) Scorecard: 5-6 correct: You are as rare as a 1909-192 T206 Honus Wagner card! 3-4 correct: You are not tops but not bad. 0-2 correct: You are as valuable as an A-Rod rookie Topps card!

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4. Why doesn’t Topps have an Alex Rodriguez rookie card? a. A-Rod refused to enter a licensing agreement with Topps when he was a rookie b. What? A-Rod was never a rookie c. Topps did not make any cards the year A-Rod was a rookie d. There is a Topps A-Rod rookie card, average value is $900

imately 50 cards were produced and sold.

JULY 21, 2022

2. Which card sold for $6.6 million, making it the most expensive baseball card ever sold? a. Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps b. Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey c. Honus Wagner 1909-1912 T206 d. Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor Autograph

is “Pettis Gary” b. He was on the Athletics, but the card has the Cubs logo c. His face is partially covered by the Topps logo d. The picture was actually of his younger brother Lynn


56

NotableQuotes Quotes Notable

JULY 21, 2022

“SayWhat?!” What?!” “Say

It’s probably the hardest thing for us as parents,

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It’syou probably the hardest thing usMy as wife parents, know, with myself and my for wife. you know, my wife.state My south, wife grew up inwith ruralmyself Brazil, and the furthest grew up in rural Brazil, furthest state south, Rio Grande do Sul, verythe small kind of farming town, very do simple in aof–farming I would Rio Grande Sul, girl. veryI grew smallup kind say –very middle classgirl. family in California. dad town, simple I grew up in a –My I would worked his [tail] off for our family. My mom say – middle class family in California. My dad stayed his at home, took us kids. saw my worked [tail] off forcare our of family. MyI mom mom work every day to make food for us atmy stayed at home, took care of us kids. I saw night and, you know, wash our clothes and know mom work every day to make food for us at they supported us by coming to all our games night and, you know, wash our clothes and know and you know, it was amazing… [Now] we have they supported us by coming to all our games people that clean for us. We have people that and you know, washave amazing… weus have make our food.it We people [Now] that drive to people that clean for us. We have people that the airport. If we need that, you know, we get make food. have people that drive off aour plane andWe there’s people waiting there us forto the weushered need that, youit’sknow, we get usairport. and we Ifget in. And just, that’s my offkids’ a plane and there’s people waiting there for reality, which is the hard part to say, “Guys, notget the ushered way reality is, you usthis andiswe in.really And it’s just,know?” that’s my – Tom Brady, in a recentis podcast talking part about his kids’ reality, which the hard to primary say, “Guys, challenge as a parent Maybe I have a New York nose— I’m not smelling the filth. The number one this is not the way reality really is, you know?” thing I smell right now is pot – like everybody is smoking a joint now, you Maybe Iknow? have a New York nose— I’m not smelling the filth. The number one

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RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

thing I smell right now is pot – like everybody is smoking a joint now, you know? RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

- NYC Mayor Eric Adams talking about the filthy smell in New York City

– Tom a recent talking about his primary AndBrady, whatincan we podcast do about that? I think we can challenge as a parent

try to create experiences that are more along the lines of what most kids go through, even though And what can we do about that? I think we can they’ll still have experiences that a lot of kids try to create experiences that are more along the never do have.

Interest Free Loans for:

level, these Used Car Purchase Medical Expenses lines of what most kids go through, even though - Ibid. governments across the country and leaders, mayors and governors, city they’ll still have experiences that a lot kids Small BusinessofLoans Simcha Expenses councils have abdicated their responsibility in fighting crime and addressing never do ahave. There’s lot of things I’m still learning as a I must say, in my view at the local, state and federal level, these mental health. Home Repair - Ibid. parent… You just hope Temporary you can showCrisis them governments across the country mayors governors, city - Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in aand video leaders, posted on Twitter, after and the company announced the enough things to realize that when they are closure of 16 stores in Democrat-ran states, due to safety concerns and much more. Education Expenses councils have abdicated their responsibility in fighting crime and addressing There’s lot ofthat things I’m still learning a dad doing athings are selected for momas and mental health. to makeYou ourjust liveshope moreyou convenient, that that is a Starbucks is a window into America... We are facing things in which the parent… can show them - Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a video posted on Twitter, after the company announced the treat. stores were not built for... We’re listening to our people and closing stores, enough things to realize that when they are closure of 16 stores in Democrat-ran states, due to safety concerns – Ibid. and this is just the beginning. There are gonna be many more. doing things that are selected for mom and dad - NYC Mayor Eric Adams talking about the filthylocal, smell in New and York City I must say, in my view at the state federal

Giving you a

HAND UP,

– Ibid., at an internal company meeting

HEBREW FREE LOAN ASSOCIATION OF BALTIMORE

to make our lives more convenient, that that is a Starbucks is a window into America... We are facing things in which the treat. stores were not built for... We’re listening to our people and closing stores, – Ibid. and this is just the beginning. There are gonna be many more. HELPING THE BALTIMORE JEWISH COMMUNITY – Ibid., at an internal company meeting FOR MORE THAN 120 YEARS.

not a hand out.

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58

Respect and human dignity are values that I was raised on and which I will raise my children on in the future. I ask all those who claimed that I have no respect to take back their words and apologize — not to me — but to my parents. - Singer Yuval Dayan, in a Facebook post after she was criticized for not shaking Pres. Biden’s hand after performing for him

I made sure to notify everyone in the president’s office that I am shomeret negiah. G-d forbid, I did not mean to offend. - Ibid.

The president was so appreciative of what you did, on behalf of the Israeli people, and the American president as well as for you being true to your religious values. - U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides responding in a video to people who criticized Dayan

No deal is better than a bad deal. And if this president signs any sort of deal, I’ll make you a promise: the next president will shred it on her first day in office. - Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who is a possible 2024 GOP presidential candidate, during a speech about the Biden administration’s abysmal foreign policy

As somebody who has helped plan coups d’état – not here, but other places – it takes a lot of work. And that’s not what he did. It was just stumbling around from one idea to another.

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- John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security advisor before the two had a falling out, talking about the events of January 6 on CNN

Well, I think there are a lot of snowflakes out there that don’t understand what you need to do to protect the United States. - Ibid., on Newsmax responding to an outcry over his admission that he help to plan coups in the past

Meanwhile, I read that Dr. Fauci said that he plans to retire by the end of President Biden’s term. And then everyone turned to Biden, like, “Is there anything you’d like to announce too?” - Jimmy Fallon

Of course, once he’s gone, Fauci will be replaced by a new, slightly weaker variant. - Jimmy Fallon


A Healing Laugh

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B A LT I M O R E

B A LT I M O R E

HOW TO MAKE A MOM ANGRY

JULY 21, 2022

The fact that Head and Shoulders has not made a bodywash called Knees and Toes, really others me,

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Using Humor to Cope with Stress

Engagements Yehuda Terebelo (Philadelphia) & Miriam Smith (Baltimore)

Chaim Hurwitz & Shoshana Lowenthal (Baltimore) Yoni Samuels (Baltimore) & Tobi Levin (Baltimore) Dovi Salzberg (Far Rockaway) & Leora Goodman (Baltimore) Nachshon Fertel (Baltimore) & Chasida Lurie (Dallas)

Want to see your simcha here? Email mazeltov@baltimorejewishhome.com or text 443-675-6507 to submit your simcha!

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Daniel Bromberg (Chicago) & Ilana Paskoff (Baltimore)


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JULY 21, 2022

Your

Money

Excuses, Excuses

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By Allan Rolnick, CPA

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A

recent poll from the Pew Research Center finds that 54% of Americans think violent crime is one of our country’s biggest problems. You would think the last thing we need is more of it. Yet millions are obsessed with true crime stories, whether we find them on cable TV, streaming video, or podcasts. If a podcast isn’t about murder, is it even a podcast? Documentaries about Elizabeth Holmes, “Inventing Anna” Sorokin, and the “Tinder Swindler” prove that oldschool cons attract fans, too. Unfortunately for us, there aren’t a lot of true crime tax favorites. But New Yorker author Patrick Radden Keefe has just released a collection of stories (Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks) where one of the bad guys throws the tax man under the bus to deflect some hard questions about his scam. In 1985, a German wine dealer named Hardy Rodenstock came across a collection of bottles he claimed had been bricked up behind a wall in an old building in Paris. The bottles were labeled “Lafitte,” dated 1787, and marked with the initials “Th.J.” Thomas Jefferson, who had served as our second Ambassador to France, had spent the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars in today’s currency building a

collection of French wine. Naturally, Rodenstock offered the wine as Jefferson’s. Christie’s auctioned one bottle for a record-setting $157,000. Three years later, Bill Koch – brother of the political activists Charles and David – spent $311,486 for four more. Years later, Koch decided to track down the provenance of the bottles. (Uh oh. True

made in the eighteenth century. Koch’s investigators discovered that “Hardy Rodenstock” was actually Meinhard Goerke. Oh, and Rodenstock’s former landlord found a collection of empty bottles and stack of blank wine labels in his apartment. Vintage wines have gotten expensive enough that counterfeits are common. But Rodenstock maintained his innocence,

Oh, and Rodenstock’s former landlord found a collection of empty bottles and stack of blank wine labels in his apartment.

crime fans know where this is heading.) Jefferson kept meticulous accounts of everything he spent. But archivists at Monticello found no record he had ever bought any 1787 vintages. They also pointed out that Jefferson wrote his initials as “Th:J.,” rather than “Th.J.” Carbon-dating one bottle (yes, that’s a thing) suggested it contained a mix of wines, with nearly half dating after 1962. Engraving experts concluded that the initials were too uniform to have been

despite refusing to reveal where the stash actually came from. If Christie’s said the bottles were legit, that was good enough. If the engraved initials were modern, it was because the finder had re-engraved them because the originals were illegible. Blah, blah, blah. But Rodenstock saved his best excuse for the lack of any paper trail connecting him to the seller who found the bottles behind that Paris wall. “If you pay in cash,

then people don’t have to declare the sale for tax purposes,” he told an interviewer. “Two hundred thousand dollars in cash can sometimes be better than a million-dollar check.” There you have it. France’s Ministry of Economy and Finance didn’t make him do it . . . but they gave him a skirt to hide behind. In 2005, Koch sued Christie’s for promoting the wine as genuine. Sadly, fraud claims age like milk, not wine, and the court ruled Koch had waited too long to pop the cork on his case. A year later, he sued Rodenstock and won a default judgment. But there was no way to enforce the judgment on the German, who died without having paid. The lesson here isn’t new, but it always bears reinforcing. Just be aware, as you make your way through our scam-filled world (Bernie Madoff! Enron!), that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. And when someone uses the tax man as an excuse for not backing up their claims, watch out! Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.


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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

Hi, my daughter is 21 years old. She’s been in shidduchim for over a year now. Over the past year, we’ve contacted over fifty shadchanim (I’m literally not exaggerating), and none on those shadchanim responded or even tried to make an effort to set her up. All they did was ask for her

resume and picture and afterwards there was no response whatsoever. My daughter is a very gifted and refined young lady; she’s beautiful, she’s highly educated, and her middos are simply remarkable. I don’t understand why those shadchanim are not setting her up or responding

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to any of her calls or texts. Am I just contacting the wrong shadchanim? I’m really frustrated and not sure what to do at this point. I would greatly appreciate your input on this matter. Thank you!

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


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The Panel

The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

D

ear Concerned Mother, The lack of responsiveness on the part of the shadchanim you have contacted says nothing about your daughter’s qualities. Shadchanim are overwhelmed by the number of people who reach out to them. Once one makes a shidduch, one is deluged, as I know from my personal experience. How much more so, the number of names and resumes that flow to veteran shadchanim. That’s also why they usually don’t even ask to meet the girl. At the same time, if an idea comes to mind when the resume is reviewed (if it is indeed reviewed), it is acted on right away and the suggestion is put forth. Most regular shadchanim don’t go back to perusing their piles (or digital files) of resumes, I am told. That’s why the properly constructed data bases used by some community dating groups makes sense. Those groups do cross-check, update their information, and review. I know because some of them have contacted me after seeing my name as a reference on a resume. General shadchanim are dealing with boxes for the most part; they don’t have the time to deal with people beyond general niches. And that’s hard for someone who doesn’t fit into their boxes or isn’t well connected socially. In other words, lack of familiar names, communities, and references on a resume will not motivate a shadchan to make some suggestions if s/he is overwhelmed. So what’s a mother to do for her daughter? Reach out to people who have met your daughter or who are willing to meet your daughter, whether they are shadchanim or not. Update your fellow congregants, broader family members, and people in your social and professional circles as to what type of boy she is looking for. Follow up immediately by sending the resume. Then send friendly Rosh Chodesh greetings and use them

to remind the receiver that you welcome suggestions for dates. Make sure your community’s shidduch circles and shidduch organizations have met her and have her resume. People in your community will be familiar with people listed on the resume-neighbors, rabbis, principals, friends, fellow congregants, etc. You can also aim to develop an agent in some communities/cities outside your geographic area who can meet your daughter by Zoom or in person when they come back east. There are more creative ideas around these days, but you have to be sure your daughter is comfortable. Network, network, network with responsible adults and don’t feel discouraged. Daven, do your hishtadlus, and feel confident that the right one will present himself at the right time. Harbeh shluchim lamakom; Hashem has many messengers to do His work.

she can network. Try not to reach out for help from your shadchanim during extremely busy “seasons” – such as Pesach, beginning of a summer, etc. Although these are times most eligible guys are home with their families, so are shadchanim. Rather than reminding shadchanim to keep you in mind at those times, send a flower bouquet, chocolate platter, or gift card with a thank you note for keeping her in mind. This accomplishes two things. It expresses appreciation for the shadchan you have already met, as well as serves a reminder to the shadchan to keep said single in mind. Remember Hashem is the ultimate Shadchan, don’t wait by the phone. Be proactive and live your life with simcha and do your hishtadlus networking. This way, you create many funnels your shidduch may eventually come from.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

Y

our daughter sounds like a stellar young lady. I am so sorry you are dealing with this predicament. I cannot answer to these particular unresponsive shadchanim; however, I can help advise you on ways your daughter can attain a more meaningful level of attention. From a single’s perspective, a shadchan should be looked at as a volunteer job recruiter. Anyone can find another person a job, not just official recruiters. Don’t wait around for only official shadchanim. Akin to a person searching for a job, your daughter must place herself in communities and internships she will get noticed. To transfer this idea to shidduchim, think: Is your daughter passionate about chessed? Have her volunteer for organizations. Have her get close with families in communities which she aligns. Send her on trips to different states to stay with friends so

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At best, it’s like throwing darts while blindfolded and wondering why you’re not hitting the bullseye.

The Single Tzipora Grodko

I

t’s extremely confusing when we feel like we can’t control an outcome and


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The facts may not make sense but that can never interfere with G-d’s plan.

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler lease don’t be insulted, but… Albert Einstein is reputed to have remarked, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” Nothing screams, “BROKEN SYSTEM” like the frustration that you’re experiencing right now. Why so many folks are so dependent upon this insane, antiquated, and infuriating shadchan system is beyond my understanding. There’s so much more we could be doing for our singles. For example, in individuals’ homes we should be inviting groups of singles for Shabbos meals; in our shuls, we should be hosting events, like the recent singles weekend at the Young Israel of Woodmere. In any event, you are an exasperated mother in need of immediate,

Pulling It All Together

There are no algorithms or instructions that lead to a predictable outcome. Zoom meeting or a phone call is an option. *Prepare your daughter as if she were going for a job interview. She needs to know how to articulately express what her strengths are, what is special about her, and what is important to her in the young men she would like to meet. *Have your daughter dress nicely for the meeting. She doesn’t have to be “made-up,” but she needs to look presentable, like she would for a job interview. *It is a good strategy to express hakaras hatov to the shadchan after the meeting. Follow up with a heartfelt thank you card or nicely written email, and, perhaps, a small gift certificate or Shabbos flowers/chocolates. It is important to acknowledge that the shadchan has taken the time to get to know, and help, your daughter. These seemingly small gestures might go a long way. Good luck!

JULY 21, 2022

P

practical advice, so here goes: First, try online databases such as YUConnects, Adopt a Shadchan, and SawYouAtSinai. These are great sites for Orthodox singles to network. Each of those systems cater to a slightly different religious clientele, so choose which one is the best fit. Second, your daughter should be an active, visible presence in shul, school, professional, work-related, or gemilat chessed meetings and events. And, ask friends, relatives, teachers, Rebbetzins, gym-partners, and co-workers if they could recommend suitable dating prospects. Third, if you do wish to utilize the existing shadchan system, you might be going about this the wrong way. Sending multiple resumes and photos is not the way to have someone get to know your daughter; at best, it’s like throwing darts while blindfolded and wondering why you’re not hitting the bullseye. Here is a better plan: *Find out from friends which shadchanim have the reputation of being kind, successful, and accessible and who have access to the type of boys in in your daughter’s hashkafic range. *Have your daughter call or text those shadchanim and ask them if it would be possible to meet them in person. If the shadchan does not have time or lives too far away for a personal meeting, ask if a

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are forced to face the daunting unknown. I don’t know why these shadchanim did not respond and feel extremely sad for you if you only received radio silence back. That is insulting, disheartening, and rude. For any shadchanim reading this column, it takes less than 10 seconds to type out an encouraging text stating, “I hope to be the shaliach for your beautiful daughter” (especially if you don’t “have time” to offer helpful feedback or referrals). It’s important to know that regardless of what you invest, G-d has a plan as to the how and when your daughter will get married. Yes, there’s a concept of hishtadlus that’s specific to each person and many people may offer multiple “methods” of how you can simply (even though it isn’t) “get your daughter married.” However, there are no algorithms or instructions that lead to a predictable outcome. We are told, “Betach b’Hashem, chesed yisovivenu,” that when we trust in G-d, we will be surrounded by goodness. In my experience, I have found that the more my friends (and their moms) exercise emunah and bitachon, the happier they are and the more peace of mind they feel.

The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

hank you for your email. I can’t imagine your frustration upon facing these dead ends. It’s hard to comprehend that not one of fif-

ty shadchanim has responded. Perhaps it is time to contact

If your daughter is open to suggestion, she can join Saw You at Sinai or YU Connects and attend singles events. I hope this situation turns around and that she finds her bashert soon! Sincerely, Jennifer

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

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T

other shadchanim or explore other avenues for your daughter to meet guys. Maybe her resume can use a little pizazz. I recommend sending the resume to a dating coach for review. Have you tried contacting the shadchanim yourself?


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Life C ach

The Costs at Costco Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

W

hat’s the most productive walk you ever took? What’s your answer? I’m thinking Costco! Why, you might ask? OK. Here’s my thoughts. See what you think. Lots of rewarding walking. That’s definitely productive for health and maybe even for your weight manage-

ment. Although, one could argue with the sizes of the food items they offer, one could gain it right back the minute you arrive at home. Or even the second! Then there’s the productivity of getting lots of things purchased at a reasonable price, which is so gratifying. At the same time, I’m wondering if one might not find themselves overbuy-

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ing just a tad at times?! There’s one unarguable way that one is always productive at Costco – definitely, getting some weightlifting in. A workout right there! It seems nothing is less than 50 pounds. OK, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But there’s certainly never a single light package of anything there. Unless somehow one smuggles it in from Shop Rite?!

may wind up getting way more than you can actually use in a lifetime – or at least before the expiration date. So, is it the most productive walk you’ll ever take? Well, that’s up to you. If you know your limits, control your urges, and do more searching than shopping…you can probably make it a win-win on many levels. So, good luck to us all. It definitely is

Which may even mean you may be saving and overspending at the same time!

You also can find a large assortment of so many different items you need at a really good price! Then again, you really can find a lot of things you don’t need, at a really good price. Which may even mean you may be saving and overspending at the same time! How productive is that walk?! And many food items you do need are at an appealing price, yet, at the same time, some things are also so large that unless you have a family of 12 you

a challenge not getting lured in. And if you can achieve that while staying controlled, that’s another way you can learn to make it a very productive walk!

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.


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Yael B.

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MORE SUBMISSIONS

Anna P. 7

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Miri, 8

Rivka Rosenbaum, 5

Tehilla Rosenbaum, 5

Temimah Becker, 10

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Aliza Wecker, 4

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Aviva Chana, 8

Ayala Addi, 9

Chaya Barth, 7

Chayala Horan, 9

Chumi Kleiner

Dahlia Pomerantz, 10

Dovi Romanoff, 11

Golda Kaufman, 12

Hadasah Preiser, 11

Jojo Dollman, 6

Leah Kaufman, 10

Leba Skurnik, 9

Myer Kaufman, 8

Naama Addi, 4

Nosson Tzvi Sonnenblick, 8

Pearly Kiewe, 6

Rachel Sonnenblick, 4

Suri Goldfinger, 10

Tuvia Glaser, 10

Yaakov Chervony, 7

Yael Price, 7

Yehuda Guttenberg, 8

Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!


71

Azi Loewenthal, 5

Benzy S. 5

Esther Gittel Shafranovich, 9 Feivel Mandelcorn, 10

Bracha Preiser, 9

Chaim Lipa Chernitzky, 8

Gabby Goldstein, 8

Gila Barth, 9

Manny Sonnenblick, 9

Yirmi Glaser, 6

Mirel Salazar, 10

Miri Friedman, 6

Reuvi B, 12

Shana Preiser, 5

Shira Berry, 4

Shlomo Wecker, 9

Sorala Cook, 5

Yehudis Bulka, 13

Yehudis Edelman, 6

Yehudis Preiser, 13

Yitzy Bulka, 5

Yosef Guttenberg, 8

Note: Not all submission have been published. Keep sending in your artwork for another chance to be featured!

WWW.THEBJH.COM

Lifshe Kaufman, 5

JULY 21, 2022

Dovid Cohen, 10

Bechhofer Kids

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

SUBMISSIONS


BRANDING WEBSITES GRAPHIC DESIGN CAMPAIGNS 600 Reisterstown Road | Suite 502 | Pikesville, Maryland 21208 410.775.5440 | www.amfcreative.com | hello@amfcreative.com

See pg pg 45

Postmaster: Please deliver by Friday July 22


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