Baltimore Jewish Home - 7-7-22

VISIT US ON THE WEB! WWW.THEBJH.COM Vol. 8 Issue #14 | July 7 - July 20, 2022 |

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Shoresh’s First Music Festival

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OU’s Teach MD Hosts Inaugural Baltimore Meeting

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Julia Blum Song of Her Soul

t c e l E e R

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‫ כ״א תמוז תשפ״ב‬- ‫ח׳‬

Parenting Pearls: Getting Ready for Camp

VOTE EARLY:

July 7-14

DELEGATE, DISTRICT 41

Early voting will be held for 8 DAYS beginning

JULY 7th - JULY 14th 7 am - 8 pm at the Public Safety Training Center, 3500 W Northern Pkwy ELECTION DAY:

July 19

By Authority of: Dalya Attar for Baltimore, Sara Goldfeiz, Treasurer

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

RUBY LASKER DESIGNS

ALEX

VOTE EARLY!

ISAAC “YITZY”

FRIEDMAN

SCHLEIFER

BASSHEVA "SHEVY"

TZVI

FRIEDMAN

SKAIST

SANDY

TZVI

ROSENBLUTH

TOPPER

State Central Committee 41 District st

Over 5,000 Issues Printed

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Over 10,000 Readers

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By authority of: Vote Schleifer, Hillel Soclof, Treasurer

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JULY 7, 2022

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VOTE ALEX FRIEDMAN Alex Friedman is there for our community.

Fighting for us for over 20 years.

He answers the phone when you call at 3am.

Alex Friedman - a man with integrity value.

A man who does not play politics.

When the government says no, Alex Friedman says yes.

He calls, they listen.

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Please vote for Alex Friedman The Alex we all love, the Friedman name we all trust.

Vote for Alex Friedman In the State Central Committee!

Early Voting July 7-14 Election Day July 19

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When crime hit our streets, Alex Friedman hit crime back arranging for hundreds of officers to protect us

JULY 7, 2022

VOTE ALEX FRIEDMAN When Covid hit, Alex Friedman went door to door delivering hot meals to the elderly who were feeling so alone and scared.

When Covid hit, Alex Friedman delivered over 28,000 bottles of sanitizers to healthcare workers and residents of our district.

When restaurants were on the brink, Alex Friedman made sure to help keep them open by personally eating thereand encouraging others as well.

Our community has grown and grown, and one name comes to mind, Alex Friedman.

Please vote for Alex Friedman The Alex we all love, the Friedman name we all trust.

Paid for by Baltimore citizens who care

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When people are in need of assistance through food programs, rental assistance programs, and medical programs, Alex Friedman works to maximize the benefits for them.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

JULY 7, 2022

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Dear Readers,

Contents COMMUNITY Around the Community Community Calendar

6 40

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Zvi Teichman

36

PEOPLE 613 Seconds

15

Spotlight

17

FEATURE Julia Blum - Song of Her Soul

46

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold

58

Notable Quotes

60

Kids Coloring Contest

76

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LIFESTYLES Self Mastery Academy

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Mind Your Business

54

Mental Health

56

Dating Dialogue

66

Parenting Pearls

70

World Builders

73

Your Money

74

Covid has wreaked havoc on most people's lives to varying degrees. While some have benefited financially, many more have endured inconvenience, illness, and even tragedy. Masks and social distancing are almost forgotten, and the political tension surrounding Covid has thankfully dissipated. However, there was one Covid benefit that endured in Baltimore longer than almost every other city. Food Boxes.

We all remember the early days of Covid when we were locked down. Some of the most exciting times of that strenuous time period was waiting in line at Bnos Yisroel for some hastily packaged lunch/dinner. Those packages quickly graduated to well-boxed packages that throngs of cars lined up for through the streets around Liberty Jewish Center. Shortly thereafter, TA began their Sunday packages where similar lines of vehicles snaked from Old Court, down Scotts Level, and onto Milford Mill.

Finally, TI jumped into the fray and began offering their packages in the 7 Mile Market parking lot. It seemed as if everyone within the community would line up to partake in a massive coordination of hundreds of cars and thousands of food packages.

This was a massive service to the entire community as families received the benefit of

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That’s Odd

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443-990-1941 | www.thebjh.com

How much is milk again?

Aaron Menachem

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

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Some of us declared they’d never go, others set rules for one box a week (the best one only), while others would religiously figure out ways to maximize the benefit of all three pick-ups.

Nevertheless the community benefited from the program(s). Significant money was saved and excitement was had. So thanks so much to the schools, administrators, store owners and managers, caterers, food suppliers, elected officials, workers, and everyone who provided this service to the Baltimore Jewish community.

It may have been a tough crowd at times, but it’s certainly an appreciative crowd!

SEND YOUR NEWS TO BJH!

NEWS Israel

not having to buy milk and other staples for the better part of two full years! Recipients stocked their fridges with 20 variations of pizza, pizzettes, pizza bagels, pizza rolls, mini pizzas, etc. A week didn’t go by where at least one of the 3 box distributors didn’t include cholent supplies. If there was chicken or meat it was as if you hit the jackpot! The Reisman, Stern, Shwartz, Lieber, and Green families have become a part of your family. Freezers are now stocked with lifetime supplies of hot dogs, frozen fish, chicken nuggets, and 5-10 items you’ve yet to identify.

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IMPORTANT NUMBERS Police & Fire 911

Hatzalah 410-358-0000

Shomrim 410-358-9999 NWCP 410-664-6927

Chaverim 410-486-9000 Misaskim 443-265-2300

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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JULY 7, 2022

Shoresh’s First Music Festival Proves to be Epic and Spectacular!

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abbi David Finkelstein, Executive Director of Shoresh, had a longtime dream of hosting a “Kosher Woodstock.” It finally came to fruition on Sunday, July 3, after months of planning and with the help of the Camp Shoresh staff, volunteers, and co-chairs Shani Kohen and Yona Openden.

Shoresh held its first-ever Jewish Roots Music Festival on its beautiful 107-acre campus in Adamstown, MD. The fundraising event drew a crowd of over 1,000 children, teens and adults from near and far who enjoyed a day of Jewish music and family fun activities. The proceeds went towards

the camp scholarship fund and while the event has passed, donations are still being accepted. Shoresh has families from a diverse set of Jewish backgrounds, many of whom had not been exposed to Jewish and Hebrew music previously.

The sunny afternoon started out with a dance activity led by Tzippy Levin of Simcha Steps, face painting, moon bounces, balloon twisting, a petting zoo, pony rides, hayrides, basketball with star Sean Mosley, and more.

The world-famous musical lineup performed on multiple stages throughout the day and featured Simply Tsfat, Yoni Rock, Pinny Schachter, Moshav

Band, Lenny Solomon of Shlock Rock, Joey Newcomb of #thankyouHashem fame, and Avraham Rosenblum & Ruby Harris of Diaspora Yeshiva Band. The musicians all came back on stage to sing together for a grand finale as a background to a spectacular fireworks show.

One family, who drove 4 hours from New Jersey since they couldn’t resist seeing the all-star lineup, said afterward, “the music was of course fantastic as expected, but we were impressed by so much more. From the moment we set foot on the Shoresh campus, we could feel the love and care of the environment. There were

countless staff members with smiling faces eager to help us out in any way we needed. Everything felt smooth, safe, and professional. Above all, it was inspiring to be part of such a diverse group of yidden enjoying a positive and wholesome experience together. The unity on and off the stage was so uplifting. Klal Yisroel needs more events like this to bring us all together!”

We hope this is just the first of many such musical and cultural events that bring together the local and notso-local Jewish community!

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JULY 7, 2022

Rabbonim and School Leaders Meet with Candidates in Key Races Ahead of Early Voting By: Isaac Draiman BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

W

ith primary election fever in the air and with early voting poised to begin in one week, the Vaad HaRabbonim (Rabbinical Council) of Baltimore held a meeting this week to meet and interact with candidates from a couple of key races.

The forum, coordinated by Agudah Maryland, took place at Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation and included Orthodox synagogue rabbis and a number of Jewish day school representatives.

With a host of candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Maryland’s gubernatorial race, the top five candidates in most polls were invited to participate and present their vision for Maryland. Three of the five attended: Peter Franchot, Doug Gansler, and Tom Perez; while John King and Wes Moore did not.

As a result of the recent U.S. Cen-

sus, a robust redistricting effort took place earlier this year on both the congressional and local legislative level.

The Baltimore Jewish community had been contained in the 3rd congressional district for the last several decades. However, as a result of the recent redistricting, the community finds itself divided and completely out

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of the 3rd district. For the next decade the Baltimore City portion of our community will be in the 7th congressional district and the Baltimore County portion will be in the 2nd. In an effort to acquaint the rabbonim with our new U.S. Representatives, the two incumbents Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (2nd district) and Rep. Kweisi Mfume (7th district) were also invited to the meeting. While Rep. Ruppersberger had committee meetings on Capitol Hill and did not attend, Rep. Mfume was able to rework his schedule to join in the meeting.

On the local level, redistricting took the 11th legislative district (covering the entire County portion of the community outside of Scotts Hill) and split it in two, designating Owings Mills as 11A and Pikesville as 11B. The split granted two delegate seats to 11B and one to 11A. The three incumbent 11th district delegates, Lisa Belcastro, Jon Cardin, and Dana Stein are all Pikesville residents, and thus the three of them are vying for the two seats in the new 11B district. All three were in attendance at the meeting.

Despite the pressure of a campaign season in its final stretch, all seven of the candidates made attending this forum a priority. Each candidate was welcomed by Rav Yaakov Hopfer, the president of the Vaad HaRabbonim, and then introduced by Rabbi Ariel Sadwin of Agudah Maryland. They each had roughly 15-20 minutes to present their vision and to take a few questions from the crowd.

The issues discussed covered a wide range of topics. The gubernatorial candidates discussed their eco-

nomic visions for Maryland, their perspectives on state funding for the community schools, their support for the continued state partnership with Israel, bolstering crime fighting/prevention, and their views on other issues near and dear to the community.

Rep. Mfume shared stories of his long relationship with the Jewish community, dating back to his youth growing up in Baltimore with Jewish neighbors. Among other position he shared, he expressed his strong and principled support for Israel, his vocal distaste for those who falsely label Israel an “apartheid state”, and his concerns with his party’s approach to dealing with the Iran deal.

Finally, the three delegates discussed their past efforts to help the Orthodox community, and their plans going forward should they win reelection. Two particular issues discussed were their desire to further bolster support for nonpublic education, and exploring legislative solutions to bring more school transportation options to the community.

While the conversations with each candidate were fairly intense, the candidates were able to grasp and appreciate the community’s priorities and concerns. Rabbi Sadwin commented, “we are pleased to have been able to meet with the candidates of these key races at this time, to enable the rabbonim and school leaders to hear the issues discussed directly from each candidate. We are hopeful that the candidates who strive to be the most effective on the matters of our greatest need and concern are the ones who emerge victorious.”

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JULY 7, 2022

Baltimore Community Celebrates its Winners Once Again!

O

n Sunday, July 19th, The Chesed Fund & Project Ezra, recognized and awarded 20 outstanding individuals who have gone above and beyond in service and/or safety for our community. The sponsors of the ceremony, Bruce and Lois Kauffman noted that we have such a unique and special community. Bruce said, “Our community is filled with dedicated and selfless people who deserve the recognition not only for themselves but for their families who support them. Additionally, their children learn the important lesson of doing for others without the expectation of a reward.”

The Rabbinical Award, which is dedicated in memory of Rabbi Simcha Shafran, a”h, was awarded to Rabbi Shlomo Porter. He was recognized for his lifetime of tireless devotion and guidance to our community as well as his exceptional kiruv efforts. His son,

Rabbi Yisroel Porter accepted it on his behalf.

The Good Neighbor Award, dedicated in memory of Paul Naden, a”h, was awarded to Pinny Hexter. His rapid response in contacting 911 when seeing a fire in a residential building in our neighborhood saved countless lives. Other well-deserved awards went to two Bais Yaakov seniors, Shayna Rothstein and Rachel Yasni who have shown exceptional leadership skills. They both were involved with the Bikur Cholim Vaccine Clinic since its inception and coordinated a Matnas Chaim Gift of Life Senior Swab at their school to help enlist classmates in a bone marrow donor registry.

Delegate Sandy Rosenberg came to honor his Constituent Director, Jackie Greenfield, who was being recognized for all her efforts on the community’s behalf. Delegate Rosenberg shared how he was happy to be there not only

for Jackie but for everyone else who was being honored as well. He noted, “We all benefit when we all help each other and how essential helping others is to being a part of the community.”

Linda Burstyn was honored for her efforts at Weinberg Village where she has worked tirelessly for over 500 residents, especially during the pandemic when she arranged for approximately 1000 on-site vaccinations. Stacy Bendet and Ari Schwartz of Market Maven were recognized for their tremendous efforts in ensuring infants had a supply of baby formula during this unprecedented shortage crisis. Julia Bailey was recognized for being a devoted Chaverim dispatcher, providing free notary services, as well as for being a role model to children in Bancroft Village. Rabbi Dovid Davis was honored for his efforts in keeping our shuls secure. Whether he arranges for armed and trained guards for shuls or personally patrols shuls in our neigh-

borhood, our community is lucky to have him.

Frank Storch, founder of the Chesed Fund and Project Ezra stated, “Usually, every year, there are a handful of people we award who don’t even allow us to mention their names so without naming them we want you to know you are appreciated too. It was another wonderful Community Safety and Service Award Ceremony, and we look forward to doing this again next year.

If you know of someone you think may deserve this honor, feel free to submit that information to us now for next year’s award! Send in your contact information, the nominee’s contact information, and the reason you think they deserve an award to info@ chesedfund.com.

Photo Creds: Simcha Focus

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JULY 7, 2022

OU’s Teach MD Hosts Inaugural Baltimore Meeting

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offee, French pastries and Jewish political advocacy were on the menu at Croustille Café last week.

Nearly 40 community members gathered on Wednesday morning to chart a future of bold activism, in pursuit of increased state support for day schools and yeshivas in Maryland.

Yanky Statman, Ari Gross, Jerry Wolasky and Yehuda Neuberger hosted the parlor meeting to introduce the Orthodox Union’s Teach MD project.

The OU operates day school advocacy offices in states across the country and will be ramping up the operation in Maryland, working in tandem with the successful Jewish advocacy groups who steward many crucial state programs and policies. As explained and as demonstrated by Teach Coalition’s successes in other states, more activists and more efforts allow for

even greater returns.

After Yanky Statman welcomed the group, Rabbi Hauer, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union shared words of chizuk as the community charges forward, working together across communities and organizations to do our part for the safety and sustainability of all our Torah institutions. Maury Litwack, OU Managing Director of Public Affairs and founder of Teach Coalition explained advocacy accomplishments in other Teach Coalition states. Jaws dropped with surprise and with envy of tuition-paying families in states like Florida and Pennsylvania, where tax credit programs provide scholarships for over 50% of students. He explained what needs to happen in a state like Maryland: that more community members need to learn about education issues, build meaningful relationships with

their legislators, vote in every single election, and truly make their voices heard to demand adoption of transformative education funding policies.

Sam Melamed of Silver Spring announced a commitment to work with his community to do their part, and Ari Gross closed the event with a strong and urgent request for community participation if we want to see change for our families and schools.

Attendees left energized. Not only caffeinated…but eager to dive in to

do the work of investing in the OU’s Teach MD effort and becoming active in advocacy, to support day schools and yeshivas. In fact, the event was so well received that a second meeting is being scheduled for later this summer. If you are interested in attending the next meeting or to otherwise learn more and get involved, contact info@ teachcoalition.org or visit www.teachcoalition.org.

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David Bagan, Founder and President of Chaverim of Baltimore

Tell us a little bit about yourself: I grew up in Baltimore and went to TA. I spent some time afterwards in yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael and came back to New York to learn at Sha’ar Yashuv. My wife is from Long Island, NY, and we have four wonderful children. We love living in Baltimore, it’s tight-knit, has grown so much and still has that small town feel.

What does Chaverim assist with?

We have a wide variety of services that include emergency calls for children locked in a vehicle or home, unlocking car doors for keys locked inside, home lock-outs, pulling out stuck cars, jump starts, flat tires, gas refills, shiva minyanim, emergency generators and a/c window units and heaters during power outages. Our response time for standard calls is 5-20 minutes and for emergency calls is 1-5 minutes. Whenever there is a need, don’t hesitate to call us, we make sure to have the right equipment on hand to be there for you.

Are there any particular stories that you’d like to share?

One thing that has stood out to me

Why is Chaverim running a campaign?

Since the organization’s inception, we have not had a community-wide fundraiser and have relied on small donations. We need to upgrade our equipment to serve the community better. This campaign will help us meet the needs of the community and will enable us to update our communication devices and our equipment. In addition, it will help us replace our service truck which is crucial in vehicle recovery and pull-outs of cars stuck in mud, snow/ice, ditches and hillsides.

Our service truck also helps with traffic and lane control to keep our units safe while assisting people on the side of busy roads and highways. Lastly,

How and when did Chaverim get started in Baltimore?

It was during my time in New York when I first saw Chaverim in action and the chessed they do. After moving back to Baltimore, a few friends and I were discussing ways to give back and get involved with the community. We were inspired by the idea of Chaverim and decided to join together and start Chaverim of Baltimore. Initiating the effort to set up the organization, I raised some money to purchase basic

this campaign will assist with everyday expenses to run the organization in a smooth manner to be able to help our ever-growing community.

How does one get involved with Chaverim?

We are always growing and looking for more members to join so that we can better handle the volume of calls and respond with more efficiency. It’s a great opportunity to give back to our wonderful community!

The most ideal way is to use the contact form on our website – www.chaverimofbaltimore.org.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Chaverim of Baltimore has helped our community with over an astonishing 60,000 calls since we started. We operate 24/7 and are always there for you which is highlighted by our motto of “friends you can count on”. It’s important to remember to call Chaverim quickly, which is especially critical if a child is locked in a vehicle, every second counts and we are just a phone call away.

Be on the lookout for our upcoming campaign! Your generous contribution will further enable us to expand our services and help the community.

Chaverim of Baltimore Hotline: 410-486-9000

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How has Chaverim grown over the last 15 years?

What started as three friends trying to make a difference, has grown into an entire operation. We currently have 50 volunteers, 35 responders and 15 dispatchers. The members of Chaverim are all incredibly selfless and put tremendous time and effort into helping our community. Baruch Hashem, as the community has grown, the organization has grown with it. Due to the growth, we need to constantly add additional members, equipment, and expand the services we offer.

time and time again, is the incredible Hashgacha Pratis we see. We receive calls at all times of day, and night, in many different places, and often have a responder right around the corner.

Once, we had a flat tire call on the highway and dispatched multiple units to provide assistance. That call was the result of large metal debris strewn on the road and it ‘happened’ to be that there were multiple other vehicles nearby that also had flat tires due to the debris. They had no other way of obtaining quick help and we were able to do so which resulted in an amazing Kiddush Hashem. It’s so evident that Hashem runs the show and enables us to be at the right place at the right time.

equipment. In February 2007 we officially launched and had 15 calls on our first day. It has been busy ever since!

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The Week In News

Corrosion Caused Deadly Helicopter Crash

Rare corrosion in a motor component was the cause of an otherwise mechanically sound helicopter falling

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into the sea earlier this year, the IDF said on Sunday following an investigation.

Two pilots, Lt. Col. Erez Sachyani and Maj. Chen Fogel, were killed when the AS565 Panther helicopter, known as an “Atalef,” crashed on January 3 into the Mediterranean Sea. A third officer on board, Cpt. Ron Birman, managed to jump out and was rescued with relatively minor injuries.

The investigation showed that the corrosion was located on a part well within the motor which is not part of the routine checks recommended by the manufacturer.

The IDF added that the malfunction was the first of its kind and not known to either the manufacturer or the IAF. It also said that the corrosion was likely due to the craft’s constant proximity to the sea and noted that the “rinsing process” which aims to prevent corrosion was “not optimal.”

In a statement, the IDF said, “This is due to a problem with the manufacturer’s design. Following this, the helicopter manufacturer will release

safety information regarding the aluminum components in the engine.

“We emphasize that the crew was competent, skilled, and faced a sequence of challenging malfunctions … in complex flight conditions in the dark of night over the sea.”

Greece Frees Israeli

A Greek court freed an Israeli man from jail on Tuesday after he was held for 14 days on what Israel claims is a mistaken Interpol warrant. Still, despite his freedom, the court ordered Dudi Ashkenazi to remain on Rhodes Island until a final decision is made on the matter.

Ashkenazi, 52, was vacationing in Greece when he was arrested two weeks ago on an Interpol warrant for a dual Israeli-Azerbaijani citizen also named Dudi Ashkenazi, who allegedly trafficked drugs between Peru and Russia in 2012. He was held on the Greek island of Kos until the court hearing that granted his partial release.

A salary slip from the same month Ashkenazi was said to have committed the crimes showed the innocent Ashkenazi was in Israel working as a driver for the Dan bus company. Regarding another incident, Ashkenazi was celebrating his child’s bar mitzvah at the same time that a crime was being committed.

Yair Lapid, at the time Israel’s foreign minister and since last week the prime minister, spoke with Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias last Wednesday and requested Ashkenazi’s immediate release.

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Poland Envoy to Come to Israel Poland will send its ambassador-designate to present his letter of

credence in the coming days, Polish leader Andrzej Duda told President Isaac Herzog on Monday, in the strongest indication yet that the two countries are moving beyond a bitter yearlong diplomatic spat.

Poland and Israel have been in a spat since last year. This initiative seems to be an indication that the two countries may be warming towards each other once again.

In July 2021, Poland’s legislature passed a law effectively cutting off any future restitution to the heirs of property seized by the Nazis during the Holocaust. In response to the legislation, signed into law by Duda, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called it “antisemitic and immoral.”

The following month, Israel recalled its envoy to Warsaw. Lapid advised Poland’s ambassador to Israel to remain on vacation in his homeland, and instructed Israel’s new ambassador to Poland, Ya’acov Livne, to remain in Israel.

Slowly, things are returning to normal. In February, Livne went back to Warsaw. Two Polish lawmakers visited the Knesset in June, the first to do so since 2017.

According to the president’s office, in this week’s phone call, “Both presidents expressed their hope that any future issues between Poland and Israel will be solved through sincere and open dialogue and in a spirit of mutual respect.”

Poland is part of the four-member Visegrad Group, a bastion of support for Israel within the European Union.

The Poland-Israel group in Poland’s parliament is the largest such caucus in the legislature, with 127 out of 460 deputies in the group.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving the two countries back together, Polish MP Marek Rutka noted last month.

Still, disagreements remain. Last month, Israel canceled educational trips to Poland for thousands of high school students this summer, charging the Polish government is trying to control the Holocaust studies curriculum taught to Israeli children.

The Polish government wants formal rules to regulate the terms under which Israeli schoolchildren conduct Holocaust study visits to the country, including the presence of armed Israeli guards.

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME JULY 7, 2022

Dalya Attar I have been working as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Baltimore City with a focus on prosecuting illegal guns and narcotics for 8 years. I am also a Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly representing District 41 and just completed my first 4 years in office.

What are some of your political accomplishments?

In my four years as a delegate, I have been able to bring over a million dollars of support to our community,

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself: After I won my election four years ago, I received a call from a national publication advising me that based on the research they have conducted, they have determined that I am the highest elected frum female in the United States’ history.

Anything else you want to tell us?

I am running for my re-election to the Maryland House of Delegates and the election is this July. In order for me to continue working for my constituents and helping so many, I need everyone to go out and vote so I can win this election.

Early voting will be held for 8 days, from Thursday, July 7, 2022 through Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 7am until 8pm at the Public Safety Training Center, 3500 W Northern Parkway.

Please go out and vote for me and ensure all your family and friends do so, as well.

I want to thank the community for the outpouring of support I have received these last four years. As I said earlier, I have only been successful and able to help so many as a result of the support I have received and continue to receive from this community.

So I want to repeat myself again and say, THANK YOU.

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Tell us about yourself: My name is Dalya Attar. I am a mother of two children, an 8-year-old son Aaron and a 10-year-old daughter Ilana. I attended Bais Yaakov of Baltimore from nursery through high school. I knew from when I was in middle school that I wanted to be an attorney with a focus on criminal justice. After high school, I attended the University of Baltimore and obtained my undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. I then attended the University of Maryland School of Law and obtained my Juris Doctor degree.

When did your political career begin?

While working as a prosecutor, I was approached by leadership in our community asking if I’d be interested in running for office. After discussing with family and friends and receiving Rabbinical guidance, I made the decision to run for office in the 2018 election. I was elected to the House of Delegates in November of 2018 for the first time thanks to the support of our community. That election was the beginning of my political career.

including $300,000 to help rebuild Ahavas Chaim, $350,000 to enhance Ohr Chadash Academy, and $75,000 for the Myerberg Senior Center. In addition to this direct funding, I was also successful in ensuring BOOST funding remains in the budget, while so many in the legislature fought against continuing the BOOST program.

I have also been successful in passing key legislation to fight crime and make life more affordable for all my constituents. In addition to the work I’ve been doing while in session, I have also been able to help so many constituents with issues from unemployment, to MVA assistance, passport assistance, providing college scholarships and so many other concerns.

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The Week In News IDF Shoot Down Three Hezbollah Drones An IAF fighter jet and an Israeli Navy missile ship on Saturday intercepted three hostile UAVs from Lebanon which approached the airspace over Israel’s economic waters.

The UAVs were identified by detection systems and monitored by ground control units throughout their flight.

The UAVs were identified at an early stage and intercepted at the optimal operational point, the IDF said.

An initial inquiry suggests that the UAVs did not pose an imminent threat. The UAVs were intercepted over the Mediterranean Sea. The detection and alert systems functioned as required, embodying the concept of multi-layered air defense in the best possible manner in unison with the professional activities of the soldiers at sea and in the air who carried out the defensive mission with

great success.

The UAVs belong to the Hezbollah terrorist organization and flew from Lebanese territory in the direction of the “Karish” gas platform. They were intercepted at a safe distance from the platform.

One UAV was intercepted by an F-16 “Barak” fighter jet which was dispatched to the scene from the 109th Squadron in Ramat David. The two other UAVs were intercepted by the INS “Eilat” missile ship using “Barak” interceptors.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) said, “The State of Israel is prepared to defend its infrastructure against any threat. The Hezbollah terrorist organization is preventing the state of Lebanon from reaching an agreement regarding maritime borders, which are critical to the economy and prosperity of the Lebanese nation. This is despite the willingness of the State of Israel to move forward in the negotiations and to reach a solution on the issue. The State of Israel will continue to defend its assets; we are obligated and will preserve our right to operate and re-

spond to any threat.”

IDF spokesman Ran Kochav noted that Hezbollah suffered a “significant operational defeat” with the downing of three UAVs it dispatched from Lebanon.

Speaking on Radio 103FM, Kochav said, “Hezbollah sustained a significant operational setback when it attempted this operation that did not succeed. It appears that the drones were not armed.”

He added that the threat did not justify moving the rig to a possibly safer position.

“These are Israeli territorial waters, and Hezbollah is trying to harm our sovereignty in all kinds of ways.

But they have suffered a significant setback here,” he said.

Iran Arrests IRGC General for Spying for Israel A senior general for the Iranian

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Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) was secretly arrested earlier this month on suspicion of spying for Israel.

The report cited officials with close ties to the IRGC, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to them, the arrest of Brig.-Gen. Ali Nasiri, a senior commander in the IRGC Protection of Information Unit, marked a growing level of distrust among the country’s senior leadership partly attributed to Israel’s alleged recent operations in the country.

Nasiri’s arrest follows the arrests of a few dozen security officials in-

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volved in Iran’s missile program.

Those officials were arrested around two months ago for allegedly leaking classified information to Israel.

Several weeks ago, two Iranian scientists died due to poison in their food. Iran has blamed Israel for their deaths.

U.S. Examines and Returns Bullet The United States on Monday released the results of the ballistic examination of the bullet which killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh.

Abu Aqleh was killed in a shootout between IDF soldiers and armed Palestinian Authority terrorists in May. On Saturday evening, Kan News reported that the Palestinian Authority (PA) agreed to a forensic investigation by the U.S. of the bullet that they claim killed Abu Aqleh.

The news outlet quoted a statement by the Palestinian Authority’s general prosecutor to Al Jazeera: “We will not give the bullet that killed Shireen Abu Aqleh to Israel at all. Due to our belief that the occupying forces fired the bullet, we have agreed that the Americans examine it. We received several guarantees from the American coordinators that the bullet will not be passed to Israel.”

In a Monday statement, the State Department said, “After an extremely detailed forensic analysis, independent, third-party examiners, as part of a process overseen by the U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC), could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the origin of the bullet that killed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh.”

It added, “Ballistic experts determined the bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion.”

The State Department said that it was most likely that Abu Aqleh was accidentally shot by an Israeli soldier, but it could not say for certain.

“In addition to the forensic and ballistic analysis, the USSC was granted full access to both Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian Authority (PA) investigations over the

last several weeks,” the State Department said. “By summarizing both investigations, the USSC concluded that gunfire from IDF positions was likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Aqleh. The USSC found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against factions of Palestinian Islamic Jihad on May 11, 2022, in Jenin, which followed a series of terrorist attacks in Israel.

“The United States appreciates and continues to encourage cooperation between Israel and the PA in this important case. We will remain engaged with Israel and the PA on next steps and urge accountability. We again offer our deepest condolences to the Abu Aqleh family.”

Also on Monday, the IDF released a statement saying, “Since March 2022, 19 people have been killed in multiple terrorist attacks in Israel. In response to this deadly wave of terror, the IDF and Israeli security forces have been carrying out counterterrorism activities in Judea and Samaria with the aim of thwarting potential terror attacks, stopping terrorist activity and protecting Israeli civilians.

“On May 11, 2022, IDF soldiers conducted counterterrorism activity in the area of Jenin. During the IDF’s operational activity, Palestinian gunmen fired heavily and indiscriminately, including directly toward IDF soldiers. In addition, explosives were hurled and hit IDF vehicles and nearly hit soldiers. Near the conclusion of the IDF’s counterterrorism activities in the area, the journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was hit.

“Ever since this tragic incident, the IDF has been examining and reviewing the circumstances of Ms. Abu Aqleh’s death. The Chief of the General Staff ordered a special task force composed of experts in different fields, among other things, to reconstruct and model the circumstances of the incident as accurately as possible.

“The IDF investigation concluded that the source of the fire that led to the death of Ms. Abu Aqleh could not be determined based on the available information. The IDF investigation conclusively determined that no IDF soldier deliberately fired at Ms. Abu Aqleh.”

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Chris Van Hollen

Representative in Congress - District 2

Dutch Ruppersberger

Representative in Congress - District 7

Kweisi Mfume

Comptroller

Brooke Lierman

MD State Senate

Jill P. Carter

House of Delegates

Dalya Attar

City Sheriff

Sam Cogen

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Lenora A. Dawson

State Central Committee

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The Week In News

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Israel Not Limiting Refugees

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“In recent weeks, thanks to this system, more Ukrainians are leaving the country than arriving,” she said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has ruled, practicing extraordinary judicial activism, that this system will be halted if it isn’t discussed in the Knesset.

“It is clear that we can’t allow the unlimited entry of foreign citizens, while we don’t know whether and when they are going to exit,” she said.

The Tomer Warsha law firm, which had filed the petition to the Supreme Court, responded to its decision, saying: “We are very satisfied that the High Court accepted our claims and ruled that the Interior Minister acted against the provisions of the law. We are happy that Ukrainian citizens, who are still in the war, can find quiet in Israel alongside their family and friends.”

It added, “It is important to make clear that from now on there is no more Shaked framework, there is no limit of only 5,000 people, there is no need to fill in an online form.”

Ben & Jerry’s Fallout

The fallout from an attempt by ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s to boycott parts of Israel will have an effect on other corporations eyeing the similar measures, investor Michael Ashner predicted.

Ashner is a longtime corporate activist who bought a stake in parent company Unilever after the boycott announcement and led a group opposed to move. According to him, other conglomerates should take heed of the repercussions suffered by the UK multinational since Ben & Jerry’s announced a boycott of the “occupied

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday praised Israel’s Supreme Court for knocking down a government decision capping the number of Ukrainian refugees allowed into the country.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court said that Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked (Yamina) cannot restrict the number of non-Jewish refugees entering Israel to just 5,000.

In a tweet, Zelensky said, “The rule of law and respect for human rights is exactly what distinguishes a true, developed democracy!”

He added, “I commend the decision of the Supreme Court of the State of Israel, which obliges the government of [Israel] to abolish any additional restrictions on the entry of citizens of [Ukraine].”

Israel has already taken in thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainians currently do not need to receive a visa prior to entering the country.

In addition, Israel is currently housing 20,000 Ukrainian refugees who were in Israel prior to the war’s outbreak either illegally or on tourist visas. These Ukrainians were permitted to remain in Israel despite their lack of visas, due to the war in their homeland.

Responding to the Supreme Court ruling, Shaked said that her policy was “proven to be a success,” as it enabled relatives of Israelis to arrive and work, while “preventing an unprecedented flooding [of refugees].”

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The Week In News Palestinian territories” last year.

Fallout from the boycott was swift and included multiple U.S. states, as well as a consumer boycott of Ben & Jerry’s products not produced in Israel. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission also launched an investigation into Unilever’s response to the boycott.

The boycott was a decision by Ben & Jerry’s, independent of Unilever.

If the boycott had gone into effect at the end of this year, Israeli licensee Avi Zinger would have lost the plant.

However, Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s Israel last week announced a deal under which Zinger would receive the independence to continue operating in Israel, essentially cancelling the boycott.

Ashner told the Times of Israel, “Other multinational companies will think twice before they engage in BDS activities in the future. That’s the lesson from this.”

He added, “If multinational companies could start cutting off Israel because of BDS, that was as dangerous to the existence of Israel as Iran.

It’s a very bad, slippery slope,” he add-

ed. “The first and loudest to do it was Unilever and somebody had to confront Unilever, not just because what Unilever was doing was wrong, but to send a message to all the other multinationals that this is not a good idea.”

Ashner had formed an organization called the Coalition to Hold Unilever Accountable with a number of law firms, lobbying groups and scholars. In addition, he and his partners also pushed the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Unilever, claiming the company did not properly disclose to investors the risks stemming from the boycott.

“It wasn’t over ice cream,” Ashner explained. “What if Nestle decided to cut Israel off? What if Nike, all these other companies? What would that do to Israel’s standing in the world? What would it do to it economically?”

Regarding Unilever, Ashner said, “I think they’re going to have to modify their business model. Shareholders want profitable companies that are non-controversial. They’re not here to buy into investing controversy like this.”

“I think Unilever believed that

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it was just going to go away, and it would be able to deal with Avi [Zinger] in a quiet matter, and it did not go away. He dug his heels in and stayed the course all the way through and I think, in his own way, he’s heroic for what he did.”

Meanwhile, Ben & Jerry’s said it did not agree with the decision to sell to Zinger and that it will no longer profit from ice cream sales in Israel.

Hot Dog! Well, he did it again.

Competitive eater Joey Chestnut once again won the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, making it his 15th win as he devoured a stomach-popping 63 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes on Monday in Coney Island.

Chestnut has won the long-running Independence Day contest sev-

en consecutive times and 15 of the last 16 years.

He put away 15-and-a-half more hot dogs than his closest competitor, Geoffrey Esper, but came up well short of his own personal record of 76 set last year.

Truthfully, Chestnut should have been on the DL list, as he was plowing through hot dogs with his right foot in a cast. According to Joey, though, he was feeling OK (I guess it’s all relative) despite the injury.

In the women’s contest, Miki Sudo won her eighth championship, slamming 40 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Sudo has now won eight of the last nine women’s titles after missing last year’s competition while pregnant.

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The Week In News According to Nathan’s, legend has it that the first contest of its kind was held July 4, 1916, as four immigrants competed to show how patriotic they were.

Pass the ketchup – I mean, the mustard – please.

Mensa Member at 2

It’s official. Isla McNabb is pretty smart. In fact, she’s smarter than 99 percent of people in the world.

Isla is 2½ years old. A few months ago, her parents noticed that someone was putting toy letters spelling the words of objects around the house.

Turns out, it was Isla.

The spelling shenanigans sparked

their curiosity and they had Isla’s IQ tested in May. Her results proved that she had scored in the top 1 percent of the population, qualifying her for membership in Mensa, an organization of people who score in the top 2 percent on IQ tests.

That makes her the youngest Mensa member in the country, American Mensa spokesperson Charles Brown noted.

When Isla turned 2, in November, her parents bought her a tablet for her birthday and showed their daughter how to sound out certain letters of the alphabet. Then, Isla took off and began spelling and sounding out words.

“Everything we threw at her, it just seemed like she picked it up right away,” Jason, Isla’s dad, said. “It was incredible.”

Now she is able to read.

She is also able to count – and can even count backward. She can do simple math, and even has learned had to write.

Although she’s intelligent, Isla is also a normal toddler. She likes “Bluey,” an Australian cartoon about a

blue heeler cattle dog, and “Blippi,” a children’s show on YouTube. Last month, she started going to preschool and has become obsessed with making friends and with her teacher, Miss Abigail. She also enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles and playing outside.

“Normal kid stuff,” her mother said, adding that Isla is, of course, a fan of reading and the library.

One drawback of Isla’s intelligence is her lack of sleep. Many children who are highly intelligent tend to sleep less.

It’s tough on the McNabbs to have to wake up at 4a.m. for their toddler – even if she can read the cereal box they place in front of her.

Walking the World Tom Turcich is now the tenth person on record to walk the world.

Yes, on March 21, 2022, Turcich, from New Jersey, finished his journey around the globe. His dog, Savannah, had accompanied him. Savannah is

now the first dog to ever complete the feat.

It took the duo seven years. During that time, they walked 29,826 miles.

“It was very surreal,” Turcich said when he got back home. “I had imagined what the ending would be like for a long time. And when it happened, there were people lining the streets and walking with me.

“The primary emotion was just relief. This had dominated my life for 15 years, and to finally be able to kind of put it behind me was amazing.”

The inspiration for the trip stemmed from a sad loss in 2006, when his long-time friend Ann Marie died in a jet ski accident at the age of 17.

Turcich, who has been compared to Forrest Gump, the character Tom Hanks played in the 1994 movie, decided he needed travel and adventure in his life and began looking into all the different ways he could After reading about Steven Newman, listed by Guinness World Records as the first person to walk around the world, and walking adven-

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The Week In News turer Karl Bushby, who has been circumnavigating the globe on foot since 1998, Turcich became set on taking on this challenge himself.

“It [walking] seemed like the best way to understand the world and be forced into new places,” he says. “I didn’t just want to go to Paris and Machu Picchu, I really wanted to understand the world and see how people were living day to day.”

Almost nine years after he first came up with the idea, Turcich took the first step of his walk around the world. He set off on April 2, 2015, just before his 26th birthday, pushing a baby stroller containing hiking gear, a sleeping bag, a laptop, a DSLR camera and a plastic crate, which he used to store his food.

He devised his route with two major factors in mind: he wanted to “hit every continent and travel with as little bureaucratic trouble” as possible.

Turcich’s journey was not just a walk in the park. At one point, he fell ill with a bacterial infection. He was also held up at knifepoint while in Panama. But Turcich was also invited

to local weddings in Turkey and Uzbekistan.

Turcich walked from New Jersey to Panama. He found his four-legged friend in an animal shelter in Austin, Texas.

Once they reached Panama, the pair flew over the Darien Gap, a treacherous stretch of jungle between Panama and Colombia. They walked from Bogota, Colombia to Montevideo, Uruguay, where they took a boat to Antarctica.

Turcich walked across Spain, France and Portugal and eventually crossed over to North Africa. Then they walked through Italy and the other countries nearby.

After Greece, they headed to Turkey, where Turcich became the first private citizen to be permitted to cross the Bosphorus Bridge on foot.

During their world walk, the pair walked across six continents and 38 countries together, spending most nights camping.

Guinness World Records sets the requirements for a circumnavigation on foot as traveling 18,000 miles

(around 30,000 kilometers,) and crossing four continents – a goal surpassed by Turcich.

On an average day, he and Savannah walked between 18 to 24 miles (around 29 to 38 kilometers).

“Seven years is a long time,” he says. “Once the end was in sight, I just couldn’t wait to be back. I was just ready to be hanging out with my friends and family again, and not be packing up my tent every single morning.”

Hey, Turcich, we can’t judge a man until we’ve walked a mile – or 29,000 miles – in his shoes.

Flying High Bette Nash is not slowing down.

The 86-year-old has been working as a flight attendant for the past 65 years. Recently, she was named the world’s longest-serving flight attendant by Guinness World Records.

Nash started working as a flight attendant in 1957 for Eastern Airlines and continues to this day at American

Airlines without any lapse in employment, according to Guinness.

She has spent most of her career working on the New York-Boston-Washington shuttle because it allows her to return home at night to care for her son, who has disabilities.

Guinness said Nash is also the oldest currently serving flight attendant in the world.

Recalling what the job was like years ago, Nash told WJLA-TV, “You had to be a certain height, you had to be a certain weight. It used to be horrible. You put on a few pounds, and you had to keep weighing yourself, and then if you stayed that way, they would take you off the payroll,” she said.

That’s something that just wouldn’t fly today.

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A Torah Movement Reaches a New Milestone Thousands Around The World Celebrate Oraysa Siyum on Maseches Eruvin Thousands of men and their families recently gathered in numerous locations around the world to celebrate a momentous siyum on one of the most complex and challenging Masechtos in Shas.

These scores of dedicated men are the participants in the Oraysa Amud V’chazara program, which has taken the Torah world by storm since its initiation just two-and-a-half years ago and has created a movement that is changing the landscape of limud haTorah in communities everywhere.

The Oraysa Amud V’chazara program’s innovative format and schedule calls for lomdim to study one Amud a day, 5 days a week, in a thorough manner, simultaneously undertaking a chazarah program of what they are learning so that they are “koneh” the material. Each day, the previous day’s Amud is reviewed, and a new one learned for the first time. Friday and Shabbos are dedicated to reviewing the 2-and-a-half blatt learnt over the week, furthering one’s kinyan on the Amud. Thus, each Amud is reviewed at least three times – with a 4th chazarah completed when reviewing for the optional monthly bechinah. Through this program, participants complete 120 blatt a year, learning them well and reviewing each Daf numerous times.

Oraysa has now completed three Masechtos: Brachos, Shabbos and Eruvin. The completion of each Masechta was marked with a festive siyum, with each celebration getting larger than the previous one.

Over time, the program has become more and more popular. With the start of each new Masechta, more and more men have joined and new chaburos have been formed in communities worldwide. Today, wherever one finds a frum community, he will certainly find Oraysa chaburos. In Lakewood alone, there are over fifty Oraysa chaburos, with new chaburos forming regularly. Similar chaburos now flourish in cities like Baltimore, Chicago, L.A., Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Toronto, Atlanta, Cleveland, Five Towns, and many more, as well as many in Brooklyn, Passaic and Mon-

sey, and additional branches throughout Eretz Yisroel, the United Kingdom and other international locations.

The completion of Maseches Eruvin was a true milestone. As Rav Uren Reich shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Zachariah, said at the Lakewood siyum, learning Eruvin and gaining a clear understanding of all the complex sugyos was once reserved for only the greatest scholars. Today, with the help of Oraysa, thousands of men are celebrating that very achievement!

The largest of the siyumim was held in Lake Terrace Hall in Lakewood, where, in addition to thousands of Lakewooders in attendance, people traveled from communities far and wide to be a part of this momentous event, with some driving for hours to attend and some even flying in. In addition, five large siyumim were held in communities around Eretz Yisroel - in Yerushalaim, Telzstone, Rechasim, Beit Shemesh, and Rechovot – with the participation of leading Gedolei Yisroel and Roshei Yeshiva. One large siyum was held in the U.K. and many local siyumim were held in communities around the world.

In his stirring drasha in Lakewood, Rav Reich explained that Oraysa has created a system that combines the best of two worlds – the commitment to a daily limud that provides a person with a sense of hischayvus to his learning, as well as a level of learning that appeals to both the ba’al habayis who wants gain a clarity in his learning and the yeshiva men who spend hours to complete the sugyah in all of its depth and thoroughness.

He stated, “Oraysa has broken new barriers in teaching the world how much everybody can be koneh and how much everyone can be zocheh to learn and understand…Oraysa has taught us that it is possible to learn all of Eruvin, with a kevius and with a clarity. They have proven that it is possible to stick to a daily schedule and still thoroughly understand such a difficult Masechta.

They have raised the bar for everyone.

Ashrei chelkachem!”

At the well-attended U.K. siyum, the joyful siyum was followed with

warm divrei bracha from Hagaon Rav Avrohom Gurwicz shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Gateshead, who said that the community was privileged to be home to so many men who have devoted themselves to learning on such a high level and with such dedication. Renowned speaker and Magid Shiur, Rav Shimon Kaplan of Manchester, then delivered a powerful drasha, in which he declared that he had been so inspired by conversations he had recently had with some of the Lomdei Oraysa who were proudly about to finish Maseches Eruvin that he decided to join Oraysa himself for the start of Maseches Pesachim.

The impact of the siyum was immediately felt. Many men have joined chaburos to become Lomdei Oraysa for Maseches Eruvin and new cha-

buros have been formed in new locations. Many others have signed up for the voluntary tests and are learning with diligence in preparation. It is certain that the siyumim on Maseches Pesachim will be even more vibrant and massive and the effects of the explosion of limud haTorah brought about through Oraysa will continue to reverberate and be amplified throughout the Torah world as the lomdim make their way through the rest of Shas!

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The Spiritual Purpose of Clothing

By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

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efore Adam sinned, he required no clothing (Bereishis 2:25). His physical body radiated light, loyally expressing his angelic soul. Once Adam sinned, however, his physical body lost this spiritual level, no longer fully expressing the ohr (light) of his inner soul. The pasuk describes how Adam and Chavah suddenly realized their nakedness and became embarrassed, desiring to cover their bodies with clothing (Ibid. 3:7). What is the meaning behind their embarrassment, and why was clothing the ideal remedy?

One becomes embarrassed when the way they are perceived externally is not a true reflection of who they are or at least how they believe they should be perceived. This is the spiritual concept of bushah (shame). When there is a breakdown between the inner self and its outer expression, the inner self feels ashamed that it is being misrepresented, seen on the outside as something that it is not. For example, if someone tells everyone that you cheated on a test, when you did not, you would feel

embarrassed, as you are being seen as something other than you really are.

And even if you did cheat, you would still be embarrassed, because you know deep down inside that you are better than how you acted and how people now perceive you.

We wear clothes because our bodies, in their current lowly form, are a source of embarrassment. We are souls, holy angelic beings, and yet we appear in the world as physical beings with bodies only marginally different from animals.

For those who understand who and what they truly are, it is embarrassing to be seen as anything less than an absolutely spiritual and transcendent being. This is the ultimate breakdown between the inner and outer self.

The natural response to shame is the desire to hide. For example, if someone is embarrassed in public, their immediate wish is to dig a hole and hide until everyone leaves. If that doesn’t work, they might run away to a quiet room and cry alone. When we are seen as something we are not, or something we don’t

want to be, we feel a need to escape the scene. When Adam and Chava realized their nakedness, their first instinct was to grab fig leaves and hide their bodies (Bereishis 3:7). Hashem then made them garments of ohr (skin), clothing them with dignity (Ibid. v. 21).

However, there are two purposes of clothing. The first is to hide the embarrassment of our nakedness, but the second is to reveal our true selves — to express our dignity as tzelem Elokim.

We use the very means of our failure and embarrassment as the solution to our problem. By eating from the Eitz Ha’daas, our bodies no longer reflect our spiritual selves, and we require clothing, but we use that very clothing to elevate ourselves and reflect who we truly are. This is why Kohanim are required to wear such beautiful clothing; clothing allows our physical bodies to reflect the dignity and greatness of our true selves.

Hashem covered Adam and Chava with ohr (clothing), so that they could uplift it and once again reveal their true ohr (light).

The Potential of Clothing Like all things in this world, clothing has tremendous potential when used correctly. However, it can also be corrupted and misused. When used properly, clothing mitigates the shame of our physical bodies and helps us express our higher, dignified selves in the world. When misused, clothing can hide our spiritual core, portraying ourselves as completely physical beings.

The conflicting uses of clothing are expressed in the Hebrew word for clothing, “beged.” This word is made up of the letters beis, gimmel, and dalet, the three letters that immediately follow the letter aleph. Aleph represents the spiritual root, the soul. If used correctly, our “beged” can loyally express our soul, our inner self, into the world. But the letters of “beged” also spell “boged,” which means traitor and treachery, because our clothing can instead be used to betray our true inner selves. A traitor is one thing on the inside but pretends to be something else on the outside — he adopts a fake exterior, a fake outer garment, that does not

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reflect his true inner identity. When our clothing hides who we truly are, expressing nothing more than our physical surface — our clothing and bodies — our inner self is betrayed.

Another word for clothing is levush, which can also be read as “lo bosh” (not embarrassed). Clothing has the potential to eliminate our embarrassment, but only when used correctly. When the focus of clothing becomes the clothing themselves, failing to reveal our true inner selves, the clothing does nothing to prevent our existential embarrassment.

Me’il is yet another Hebrew word for garment, referring to an outer coat. Yet, the word that shares this same root, “me’ilah,” refers to the prohibition of stealing or benefitting from kodshim, that which was designated as holy for the Beis Hamikdash.

The prohibition of me’ilah is taking that which is kadosh, that which is elevated and belongs to Hashem, and lowering it to a state of chol (mundane). Just as it is a problem to misuse hekdesh (consecrated items), lowering it from its state of kedushah to a state of chol, it is problematic to misuse a garment, failing to reveal anything higher.

Tzinius One of the most misunderstood ideas

in Judaism is the concept of tzinius especially in regard to women. Many think that tzinius means to hide, that the ideal is not to be seen. However, there is an infinitely deeper approach to tzinius.

In this age, beauty has been corrupted. The term “beauty” generally refers to outer beauty, a surface beauty that distracts from and hides the inner self.

Physical beauty is neither good nor bad;

true self — one’s inner essence — into the world.

The focus must always be on the inner beauty as the ikar. The purpose of tzinius is not to hide you but to reveal you! The true you. Tzinius shifts the focus from the external trappings to the actual self, the neshama, which lies beneath the surface and illuminates the physical vessel. True beauty requires a

and actions all reflect a higher purpose, a higher source, a higher reality. This is the beauty of a Torah life; this is the power of oneness.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the author of the bestselling book, “The Journey to Your Ultimate Self,” which serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is an educator and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. He is also the founder and CEO of

Our inner world, thoughts, ideas, choices, beliefs, middos, and emotions are the deepest and most genuine parts of our “self.”

Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah.

After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a

it is merely a vessel with the potential to be used for good or bad. While our physical body is immensely valuable, our true self is our neshama — our soul, our inner mind, our highest consciousness.

Our inner world, thoughts, ideas, choices, beliefs, middos, and emotions are the deepest and most genuine parts of our “self.” True beauty is when the physical serves as a vessel that expresses one’s

beautiful root and core, and the physical must then be used to project that inner beauty outwards.

True Beauty Beauty is much deeper than a description of how a person looks; it’s a way of life. A beautiful life is a life of oneness where we synthesize all the aspects of who we are; where our thoughts, words,

master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago.

To invite Rabbi Reichman to speak in your community or to enjoy more of his deep and inspiring content, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

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Torah Thought

Not a Time for Humility

By Rabbi Zvi Teichman

A

n attempt is made

by Moshe to take a shortcut on the Children of Israel’s journey to the promised land through the territory of Edom.

In what appears to be a heartfelt appeal, Moshe sends a three-pronged message to the King of Edom.

Firstly, he asserts their familial connection as ‘brothers’. The two nations, Israel and Edom, being the respective descendants of those famous fraternal twins, Yaakov and Esav. Strangely though rather than using the name most familiar to Esav — Yaakov, Moshe refers to Yaakov by his other name, Yisroel.

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Moshe then notes the travail the Jewish nation has endured in their recent history in Egypt, where evil was foisted upon them and their ‘forefathers’. Rashi points out, that although the patriarchs didn’t experience slavery, as

they were already deceased, nevertheless they suffered in their ‘graves’, the pain of their children.

Finally, he makes note of the power of this nation’s ‘voice’, having cried out to the Almighty for help in their distress, with G-d coming to rescue them from Egypt. This ‘voice’ echoing the famous words of Yitzchok, ‘the voice is the voice of Yaakov’, that intimated the efficacy of his prayers.

Rashi elucidates that Moshe was noting how although at an earlier time there was some debate as to whom the heir apparent to the legacy of the patriarchs would be, it was no longer a question. The reality of the descendants of Yaakov, having exclusively fulfilled the condition of, ‘sojourning in a land not of their own, being enslaved and afflicted’, which was the stipulation, as outlined in the Covenant of the Parts, upon

whom the legacy of Avraham would be borne, with its promise of the Holy Land and its associated blessings, it is absolutely clear that Esav and his progeny have opted out and it is the rightful due of the Children of Israel.

In that light, Moshe makes a brotherly request that Edom provide some ‘small assistance’ by permitting the entire nation to cut through their country in a more direct and quicker route, to the promised land.

Edom adamantly refuses.

Did Moshe really expect them to concede? Would pointing out their failure to live up to the requirements to be worthy of Avraham’s legacy be a compelling reason for them to agree? As readily evident in their reaction when they state, ‘You shall not pass through me — lest I come against you with the sword’, defensively expressing their ‘proud’ affiliation with Yitzchok’s prophecy, ‘by the sword you shall live’, they were quite sensitive to Yaakov’s claim of spiritual supremacy.

Additionally, the prophet indicates that only in the messianic era would the final accounting with Esav take place, and certainly not at this juncture.

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The Shem M’Shmuel claims that Moshe knew that Edom/Esav represents the Sitra Achara, the ‘other side’ negative influences in the world, that would infiltrate into our very souls throughout the long exile ahead, challenging us by thwarting us from our spiritual accomplishments. Moshe had hoped that by presenting ourselves genuinely in our pristine state of moral stature and elevation it might impinge ever so slightly on their power, diminishing its future influence.

Although it was not destined and we must still face the full thrust of their negativity, we may though reveal what it is exactly that we need to implement in order to resist their pull and survive intact.

In contrast to Yaakov’s initial encounter with Esav, after escaping the clutches of Lavan, the attitude displayed here is starkly different.

In Yaakov’s earlier faceoff he cowered fearing defeat, whereas Moshe defiantly presents the nation’s strengths.

Yaakov feared that he was ‘diminished’, soiled by sin, and unworthy of G-d delivering him from Esav’s hands.

Here,

Moshe

exclaims

how we have so admirably endured through our suffering, deserving of an association with the victorious name ‫לארשי‬, Israel, which Yaakov received after conquering the Angel of Esav, emphasizing our having ‘mastered’ our greatness.

Moshe sought to correct the flawed attitude by teaching that when facing an enemy there is no room for humility.

The Midrash states the Yaakov was afraid that the merit of Esav’s superlative honor for his father would stand in Esav’s stead, especially since he felt insecure in the fact that for twenty-two years, he himself had been absent from his father’s home and lacking in that opportunity.

It wasn’t simply his having missed out on the mitzvah that worried him. It was the lack of consciousness that distance creates of the magnificent legacy he was a part of, that might lead him to lapse in his devotion to the mission. Does not our recent history bear this out in the tales of many who emigrated to new and modern worlds, leaving their parents behind, who slowly eroded in their loyalties to a world they were so committed to formerly?

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The Entire Sefer Tehillim

‫בס"ד‬

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As thousands stream to the kever of the Ohr Hachaim on his yahrtzeit, make sure your tefillos are there too.

Join the many who have seen their yeshuah, from health to parnassah to shidduchim and beyond, in the zechus of the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh.

Perhaps it was with this truth in mind that Moshe spoke of the nation’s constant awareness of the pain of their ancestors’ anguish that ‘abided’ in all their experiences, which is what prodded them to remain faithful to the forefather’s noble goals.

Moshe taught that only if we maintain our focus on the highest ambitions, realizing how our ancestors still live our joy and suffer our pain, can we remain steadfast and inspired.

Yaakov repeatedly bows submissively before Esav, calling him ‘my master’ eight times. We are told that due to this belittling of himself the Edomites would establish and assert their standing through eight kings before the first Jewish king would be enthroned.

Moshe fearlessly and without apology asserts the supremacy of the ‘voice’ — the confident assertion of our unparalleled relationship with the Almighty, that fuels our unbending pride in that role.

Despite being denied this display of might before the physical Edom/ Esav, we must still deal with their powerful forces. We must utilize these strategies in facing the spiritual Edom/ Esav we confront daily.

– ‫ר''ח אל‬

DAYS

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We must remember, who we are; who our ‘living’ ancestors are; and the unshakable connection we each have with G-d.

Too often we succumb incorrectly thinking we are unworthy of the battle. We lack courage because we forget what stock we come from. We retreat because we think G-d is not listening.

We must never bow our heads apologetically before the ‘outside’ world.

We must only humble ourselves before G-d and our fellow Jew. We reach out with sincerity and warmth to all of humanity. But we may never lower our head in submission to their values, lest we forget the greatness we come from.

My dear friend, Rabbi Velvel Belin-

sky, shared a beautiful anecdote about the Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose yahrtzeit was just this past Shabbos.

The Rebbe would often walk from his home to his headquarters at 770, taking a route that passed by a grocery store owned by Jewish man, a holocaust survivor, and a florist shop next door, owned by a gentile woman. Each time the Rebbe would pass by he caught the eye of the grocer and respectfully bowed his head in greeting. The Rebbe also acknowledged the florist by walking a slight step closer and engaging in a brief and cordial greeting. For years this exact routine repeated itself. One day the Jewish grocer became upset. He realized that while the Rebbe always bowed his head towards him, he always engaged in a brief exchange of words with the lady at the florist shop.

One day he mustered the courage to ‘bemoan’ his plight before the Rebbe, approaching the Rebbe humbly and asking why he, his fellow yid, got just a nod while the non-Jew got to speak daily with him.

The Rebbe smiled and gazed his sparkling blue eyes warmly at his friend and shared with him wise guidance his dear mother imparted to him.

One must never bow before anyone other than G-d and one’s brother, one’s fellow yid.

Little did the grocer realize that in the slight bow of the Rebbe’s head was a profound gesture of love, appreciation, and acknowledgment of his personal greatness that deserved the Rebbe’s humble reverence.

The exchange with the florist was a display of the Rebbe’s great humanity, sensitivity and respect for every human being. But, the reaction to the material world beyond must be couched in a protective layer of an Ohr HaMakif, a surrounding light, that stems from an unbowed and enthused sense of the greatness inherent within each one of us.

You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ohelmoshebaltimore.com

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Educating Women for Life: The WITS Pledge

Coming back from seminary in Eretz Yisroel can be a daunting time in a young woman’s life. Many find themselves asking, “What’s next?

What job path should I take? How can I keep my ruchniyus strong while entering the ‘outside’ world?” These are questions that WITS can help young women answer.

Formerly known as “Maalot Baltimore”, the Women’s Institute of Torah Seminary & College (WITS), provides young frum women with an opportunity to pursue a college degree in an environment that fosters growth in Yiddishkeit and Torah learning. WITS is a premier institution, providing an intellectual foundation in core subjects as well as pre-professional coursework, preparing students for graduate school and entering the workforce. For students returning from seminary, WITS is the perfect bridge between seminary and life in the professional world, offering students the hashkafa and academic tools for success.

“That is exactly what we received in our year at WITS,” said student Ahuva Weg, “WITS is a stepping-stone from the sheltered school years to the big wide world. We weren’t just thrown

into a new stage. We were provided with a strong foundation to improve our chances for success.”

In addition to appreciating the positive, frum environment and excellent limudei kodesh courses, students express an overwhelming feeling of hakaras hatov for the quality of the general studies education they received.

WITS provides rigorous secular studies courses designed to promote growth in knowledge, critical thinking and professional skills. Offering a broad spectrum of majors, minors and coursework that fulfill prerequisite requirements for graduate school, students have no shortage of educational opportunities.

“WITS has been a perfect conclusion to my years of a structured Jewish

education,” said student Raizy Wolf, “WITS has given me the opportunity to jump start my schooling and received a bachelor’s degree in an efficient way while still receiving all the knowledge and information I will need.”

WITS also offers rich extracurricular programming that enhances the student experience. WITS offers yemei iyun focused on yomim tovim and on women in the workplace, as well as professional development programming like Career Day, resume writing and interview skills workshops. From social programming like get togethers, paint nights, to just spending time in the student lounge, student life at WITS is vibrant and engaging.

At the heart of the courses and all

the learning is the WITS faculty and staff. The Jewish Studies faculty at WITS is comprised of Baltimore’s finest and most respected Rabbonim and Mechanchos. The faculty is accessible to every student, providing opportunities for students to connect and gain guidance in hashkafa and halacha guidance. WITS is excited to announce that Mrs. Jaclyn Sova and Mrs. Bracha Frohlich will be joining the WITS faculty this fall. The General Studies faculty includes outstanding educators who are experts in their fields, bringing real-world experience to the classroom.

“The faculty’s love of Torah is reflected in the enthusiasm in which they teach,” said student Temima Goldman, “Each teacher is there for every student with an energy and commitment that you can really feel.”

As the 2021-2022 year comes to an end, WITS is delighted to share some of the new and exciting things happening around campus!

New Degrees & Programs WITS has been approved to offer three new bachelor’s degrees – BA in Psychology, BA in Jewish Culture and Professional Studies, and BS in Com-

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will host both a Physics and a Biology/Chemistry Lab. WITS is grateful to all of the donors who have helped

JULY 7, 2022

science lab currently under construction. The lab is due to be completed this August, Be’ezras Hashem, and

make this dream a reality, as well as to Mr. Gil Horowitz, who spearheaded the lab construction project.

Career Mentorship Program This past semester, WITS launched the first cohort of a Career Mentorship Program, connecting students and alumnae in ways that help prepare students for career success. The program is designed to provide students with opportunities to network with professionals, enhance career readiness skills, and gain insight into their field of interest. The first cohort consisted of 12 students and 11 alumnae.

For more information about WITS, or to see if it is the right fit for you or someone you know, please visit the WITS website, www.wits.edu, or contact Mrs. Shira Heideman, Director of Admissions and Student Services, at sheideman@wits.edu or 410-3583144 x13.

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munication Sciences and Disorders.

In addition, WITS has partnered with Stevenson University to offer two incredible opportunities – a Premed program that can be completed in as little as 2.5 years, and a BS in Biomedical Engineering. These new programs are in response to student interest and increased STEM education in frum girls’ high schools. More and more frum women are entering STEM careers and WITS is glad to be able to provide the opportunity for women to pursue those studies in a frum-friendly environment. Learn more about these degrees and all the areas of study offered at WITS at wits.edu/areas-of-study.

State-of-Art Science Lab For students in the health sciences, the ability to take all lab classes on the WITS campus is about to become a reality.

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JULY 7, 2022

Julia Blum

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Song of Her Soul

By Tammy mark

I

n the low-lit room, mothers and daughters gathered with anticipation, gazing at the stage as the spotlight hit just perfectly. Julia Blum would soon share her music, her story, and her words of inspiration in a performance that would resonate with women of all ages.

Julia is a singer, songwriter, actress and musician who studied at Harvard and Yale. She is also a baalat teshuva who discovered her path to observant Judaism on a visit to Israel, during a short but powerful and fateful trip that rerouted her career and her life.

In a recent presentation interwoven with music and song, Blum wittily tells her story with tears in her eyes at Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, New York, sharing the journey of her

idyllic childhood in Los Angeles to her present-day reemergence on the Jewish music scene. She explains how her talent and enthusiasm for performing arts were apparent at an early age and how she trained with the best in the field, at the best schools, flourishing at Ivy League schools, earning top grades, and learning and performing alongside equally talented peers and envisioning her life’s trajectory to be set.

Raised in a culturally Jewish home, Blum always felt strongly Jewish in her heart but didn’t have much knowledge about Judaism itself. She had philosophical questions like: “What does it mean to be Jewish?” and “What happens after you die?” She was determined to one day learn more. After graduating cum laude

with distinction from Yale in 1988, Blum decided to take some time to travel, making big plans to see Greece, Italy, France, and Israel. When she later wanted to cut the trip short, her parents encouraged her to get to Israel before returning home; she made it there and decided to stay a few weeks.

It was a Friday at the Western Wall where Blum encountered Jeff Seidel, a kiruv facilitator known for gathering young tourists to join families for traditional Shabbos meals. He invited Blum for Friday night dinner, and she took the opportunity.

It was a big group of strangers in a small apartment, and the hosts were a warm and welcoming family with lots of young children. To Blum, the experience felt like a quaint, old-world scene out of Fiddler on the Roof – that is, until she

discovered that her hostess had attended Yale, too. To her amazement, the dinner conversation centered on the very same questions about Judaism and life Blum had pondered on her own.

Blum was intrigued and eager to learn more about Judaism. She was recommended to go to Neve Yerushalayim to study, and she remained there for 2½ months.

Blum was awestruck by how brilliant, humble, and thoughtful her teachers were. The experience was a complete game-changer for her, vastly different than her experience at Yale or anywhere else.

Blum recalls her time at Yale with favor, a time when that was the only world she knew. She focused on music composition and studied theater and film.

“I loved being at Yale,” she says. “I

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felt like I was consistently surrounded by really bright, engaging, creative people. It was like a brain playground and a place that trained me to think critically.

“I didn’t know better, so I thought Yale was the totality of inspiration. I met multiple people there who didn’t seem to have a moral compass and just behaved as though being brilliant was enough and was all that there was. They really just valued the intellect. They didn’t know how to synthesize being a good person with being a smart person. Only after being at Neve did I see what it was to use your brain in synthesis with your heart and to use those two in the service of something bigger than yourself.”

She notes, “If there’s no moral compass, then if you’re the professor, you’re the decider.”

Blum recalls a particular ethics professor who was not known as a good person. “He could teach ethics because it was just a subject; it was a brain exercise, and nobody really cared – and that’s antithetical to a Torah life. I didn’t realize it at the time.”

At Neve, Blum thought about how she had felt like just one replaceable person at Yale but felt like a whole unique world at her yeshiva. She soon realized that she wanted to do something big and important – something more significant than being on a TV show that everyone would inevitably forget.

Blum had to figure out how to bring this new world home. Keeping Shabbos would mean skipping auditions and theater; she loved to move and accomplish, but she loved the holy day of rest. Kosher seemed manageable…. She thought about tzinius and how she would navigate the path of modesty. Blum knew it would be hard, and she realized how much of her life was about her appearance: not only how she looked but also how people told her she looked.

As an actress, Blum was expected to be super skinny and absolutely expected to be pretty – but would then find herself up for role of the “not pretty” friend. She recalls the times young actresses would have to parade around in bathing suits during auditions, only to be faced with rejection just moments after. In the entertainment world, she was just a body, an appearance.

At Neve, she

was taught a different mindset – she knew she was not just a body but a soul.

When Blum returned home to LA, she had a tough transition. Every step along the way was a decision to be made.

“I didn’t know how to lead a Torah observant life,” she says. “I had had the inspiration from Neve but not all the nuts and bolts and the logistics. I didn’t know how to keep kosher; I didn’t know what to do for Shabbos. I was making things up and I was making it harder for myself. I didn’t know where to buy clothes…

I didn’t know what to do.”

Blum is the oldest of four girls, and

houses, so I would bring my parents flowers every Shabbos, instead of me being there. It was very amicable,” she recalls.

“The only part that was hard for my parents, other than seeing me go through a rough emotional transition because change is always hard, was I had told them that I wasn’t going to be doing music anymore,” Blum adds.

Blum had been set up for success in her field and was deeply passionate about it. She had taken piano and ballet lessons from an early age. She began acting and singing professionally at age 12, appearing in commercials and studying under

“When you’re an outsider and you choose an observant life, you are a powerful spokesperson.”

fortunately, her family was always closeknit and supportive.

“One of the many incredible things about my family is that they value family to such a degree that, the ethos of the family is that when somebody in the family is doing something, you support it. That’s just what you do. So as soon as I said I was going to be religiously observant, one sister decided to do a report for college on Orthodox women, my siblings would call and wish me Shabbat shalom, and my parents made a special area in the kitchen for me and for my stuff and nobody was supposed to touch it…”

Though undeniably grateful for her parents’ support, Blum needed more experience.

“Eventually, I realized that I needed to be going to people’s

a noted voice coach. She was a regular fixture in her Beverly Hills High School productions and was cast in the Yale graduate school performances, despite being an undergraduate student.

“I didn’t see how I was going to integrate being observant and singing,” she says. “At that time, the landscape that you see now with female singers didn’t exist. When I started singing songs that I wrote, it was a little more on the unusual side. So before that, when I looked around at what it meant to be observant and be a singer, there weren’t really many outlets or

opportunities. I just assumed that it meant that it was going to be my test to see how much I wanted to live an observant life – if I could give up this aspect of myself that was so precious and that had been a part of me for so long.”

Teaching music lessons didn’t feel meaningful enough.

“That was not going to be a career aspiration after studying music at Yale and Harvard,” Blum says. “I wasn’t going to say that’s where I’m going to be channeling my passion and my training. So I just assumed it meant that I couldn’t do it anymore and that was very painful for my parents. They were never excited about the acting part – because they saw how destructive it was for young people – but the music part, which had been so important to me growing up and to my family as a very musical family, they really believed it was a gift that was meant to be used.”

She notes, “I didn’t have a career anymore. I didn’t have a life path anymore. I was struggling. I wasn’t going to give up, but I was really struggling. It took me time to find the frum community.”

Blum’s contacts at Neve helped her find people to connect with in the States, and eventually, after about six months at home, Blum traveled to New York City to learn at the Jewish Renaissance Center under Rebbetzin Leah Kohn. It was there that Blum first met Rav Moshe Weinberger and was inspired by his teachings. She became close to him and to Rabbi Binyomin Cherney and their families, spending many Shabbosim with them in the Jewish community of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns.

At first, they didn’t know about her professional background and were helping guide her in her newly

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observant life.

When Blum opened up to her teachers at JRC about her background, she found everyone to be very supportive. She was encouraged to share her talents, to speak and sing at schools, to tell her story and share her music. Rav Weinberger and Rabbi Cherney were teaching at Ezra Academy in Queens at the time and brought Blum there. Once word got out about her professional training, and the fact that she was a young woman recently out of college, many people in the frum community realized she could be a resource to help inspire other young people.

“One of the things I hadn’t anticipated was, when you’re an outsider and you choose an observant life, you are a powerful spokesperson,” she expresses. “People recognize that you have a powerful voice because the things that a frum girl may be secretly thinking of or dreaming of that seem so exciting are some things that I’ve seen. I know the very ugly underbelly of that world that people don’t think about or realize or experience. So if I can let them know how beautiful their life is by showing them how hard I have to work – to not even get to where they are, but I’m still going to try to work hard to get somewhere – it has the potential to encourage people to be grateful for what they have.”

By 1990, Blum had released her first album, Stand Tall. Her second album, Songs of the Heart, came in 1998, and through those years Blum toured throughout the United States, Canada and overseas, performing for female audiences at Jewish schools and camps.

Blum credits those who supported her during those early days at a time when there was not much on the female artist landscape. Several people in the Orthodox community, notably educators Mrs. Esther Wein and Mrs. Chumie Meisels, felt compelled to give people access to her story and songs and had her performing

at Jewish schools, camps and for a myriad of organizations over a 10-year period.

“I would take the red-eye flight, get off the plane and be doing three concerts a day sometimes for 10 days straight – aside from Shabbos – at schools and organizations, for hundreds to thousands of people,” Blum reveals.

She recalls huge concert events at Brooklyn College with other prominent Jewish female performers. The landscape was growing, and her career was flourishing, yet Blum put it all on pause

for the time before social media and before the vast range of Jewish music available today, when people would purchase the full CDs, helping enable her songs to be passed to the next generation.

“I’m surprised when anyone knows any of my songs,” admits Blum nonetheless.

“I do believe, across the board in the world of creativity, that the more vulnerable and genuine a person is in a song or whatever it is that they’re writing, the more it connects to people,” she says.

“And that can transcend generations – that isn’t limited to age or geography or what someone’s background is, because

“I have been taught that if

you receive a gift, then you’re obligated to use it.”

when it became too challenging to leave home and leave her young, growing family back in California.

Now, as her youngest child is 17, Blum is excited to resume her singing career. Rav Weinberger had been encouraging Blum to perform again, and Rebbetzin Myrna Weinberger invited her to perform at Aish Kodesh for the recent mother-daughter night out.

The women and girls in attendance that evening hung on Blum’s every word as if totally new, yet most were familiar with her songs. The youngest audience members sat mesmerized at her performance.

Blum is grateful to realize the songs she writes have staying power. She is grateful

everyone struggles. When a person really talks about the inner pain and journey of her struggle, people can feel what that is, because they know what that is. If someone is in second grade and struggles to make friends, that’s no less painful than anything that I’m going through. So as long as I can remain purely sincere and genuine, then I’m hoping that the songs will still be able to resonate with people.”

While many performers will admit to having a level of nervousness on stage, Blum relates to a different experience.

“I’m not nervous,” she states. “What I do feel is tremendous pressure any time I sing because people are spending time and money and energy, and they have a vision in mind of what they want the people listening to gain. There’s a reason why

people bring me to perform. I always ask, ‘What are you hoping people are going to gain?’ and then I have to just daven my heart out that Hashem will enable me to do that. It just has to be a miracle from Shamayim that everything works out.”

Things do go wrong at times, technologically or otherwise, but Blum explains that, as a trained professional, one has to manage when something goes wrong.

Being trained in so many disciplines very rigorously taught her how to make each performance appear to go smoothly and to make it feel comfortable to the audience, even if it isn’t; similar to athletes who train intensely and yet make it look easy. Acting classes trained her to be able to tell her story in a very genuine way each time she tells it.

As Blum inspires so many others, she takes inspiration from those around her.

“So many people inspire me – people who are devoted to the Jewish people, people who see a need and try to fill that need. From from teachers to rabbeim, I’m pretty consistently impressed by the Jewish people!”

Asked where she finds inspiration in the Torah, Blum says, “I suppose, for every baalas teshuva, the story of Avraham Avinu resonates deeply; discovering that Hashem exists. I, myself, hadn’t really thought about it before. It wasn’t a part of my thinking and that idea of something so obvious not being a part of my life, and suddenly realizing that it’s there and that it always had been there – that Hashem had been there the whole time, and the joy and responsibility of that discovery, and seeing how Avraham Avinu worked incessantly to share that discovery with people.” She clarifies, “In terms of the greatness of who Avraham was, I don’t relate to that aspect – my

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Julia, when she was younger

life is obviously much smaller and not impactful in that way – but in my little, micro, tiny, small world, I’m inspired by him and all of our Avos and Imahos.”

Blum’s children presently range from 17-30 – all with different personalities, but many are musical.

“I didn’t have any preconception of what my children were going to be like and felt like my job was just to guide them into being their own person.” She shares, “I spend a tremendous amount of time davening to help figure out my role as a parent – whoever this person is and whatever their journey is supposed to be – how can I help, what am I supposed to do and how can I continue to grow so that I can be the best suited to help them on their journey?

“I’m really constantly working on myself,” she adds. “I have so far to go, so many areas in which I need to improve.

Certainly being a wife and mother is my greatest challenge and opportunity to grow, and I’m extremely grateful that I get to do that.”

Blum is also grateful that her husband is very supportive of her work.

During her childrearing years, Blum found herself tutoring and teaching. Her mother is a teacher, and Blum’s strong academic background helped teaching come naturally to her – and she covered a range of topics everything from hashkafa to music to math. Blum was often asked by students about her time in Hollywood. She was initially taken aback that yeshiva girls w h o

Julia, in Israel

had the access to Jewish wisdom that she didn’t have wanted this information on celebrities and other “small information” when they had access to Hashem and His Torah. She understands that curiosity and yet makes it a point to not discuss any “famous” friends.

Blum’s songs are based on her life’s experiences, and the messages are woven into the lyrics and melodies, with various instruments that become part of the story as well. They are rich and theatrical, in English with occasional Hebrew verses, including selections from Tehillim. She tries to convey uplifting messages on universal themes, hoping to especially reach the younger generation.

Blum’s “Princess Song” was written for her students to understand that they are daughters of Hashem. “Diamond” speaks about how everyone has struggles, and, like diamonds in the rough, they have infinite value. “Longing for the Longing” talks about wanting to be your best self, even when you feel disconnected from G-d. “Dream Big Dreams” is a song inspired by a lecture

by Rabbi Yissocher Frand. Blum offers her advice for creative children through her song “Dancing in her Room.”

Blum believes that young people who have the

talent and inclination to create or perform should be encouraged on their individual path in the right way.

“I understand that it could be a challenge because people with creative tendencies often are also sensitive, and they might be sensitive to criticism or rejection. It’s a gift, it’s a genuine gift.

I have been taught that if you receive a gift, then you’re obligated to use it. You don’t necessarily need to use it publicly, but you’re obligated to use it in some way.”

“I would encourage those who love creative people to encourage them – if you’re the parent or sibling or friend or teacher, like so many people did for me, like my parents did for me. There’s a reason I started to study music when I was three – my parents said that when I was little it was obvious that I was so musical…but I believe it was more of a reflection of the encouragement and the space given to me,” Blum says. “So I think it is important for people around the creative person and the person themselves to be able to create outlets, take lessons, create opportunities.”

She adds, “When you were brought into this world, Hashem gave you certain tools, and that creativity is one of those tools, so you have to find a way to use it – you have to. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be where you earn your livelihood, but if that’s a part of you, then I don’t see how a person can function without utilizing or channeling it in some way. It could be just for themselves, that they play piano just for themselves and that’s their enjoyment or it could be that they play for tens of thousands of people.

“The most important thing for me is that the people listening will gain something; I have a responsibility to try to deliver that experience, so that is pressure. I have a very strong drive to be of service for Klal Yisrael; it’s almost an overwhelming drive. Thank G-d, I have people guiding me as to how can I best utilize that desire and whatever else I’ve been given and channel it properly to be able to do something of minimal use for Klal Yisrael.”

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JULY 7, 2022

Mind Y

ur Business

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Marc Bodner & Lee Brower: Gratitude and Motion

By Yitzchok Saftlas

T

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 Marc Bodner (MB), CEO of L&R Distributors, and Lee Brower, founder of Empowered Wealth. This discussion immediately followed L&R’s Ignite event, which brought together 1,100 employees to celebrate the company’s core values.

*

*

*

Yitzchok Saftlas: We’re recording from Monroe, New Jersey, where we just celebrated the L&R Way. Let’s take a step back and talk about the importance for a company to understand that, even from a finance level, investing in your team is so critical. Why is

that so important?

Lee Brower: You know, we talk about corporate culture but it isn’t really blue jeans Friday, is it? I think so many people confuse it with “how can we please our employees? How can we make them more happy?” I subscribe to Clayton Christiansen, who was a professor at Harvard, who said, “Great companies, that have great culture, know how to make great decisions and repeat them.” So, if you can create a culture within your company that’s principle based, they’re going to be better decision makers. And when you’re a better decision maker, guess what? The culture is better.

That sense of feeling, that sense of pride, that sense of meaningfulness that comes from being a good choice maker and being trusted in making those choic-

es makes all the difference in the world.

Marc Bodner: I’ve always said that culture is not software that gets installed.

It has to evolve. It has to take on a life.

You need to gather the stories of certain behaviors and share those stories so that people can learn from them. I don’t want people to think, “Okay, great. Let’s go work on this for three months, put a bunch of principles on a paper, and throw a party and then we’ll just keep on doing what we’ve always done.” So, we start with gratitude, because if there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the years is that it really begins with gratitude, doing something for someone else with no expectation of anything in return. What does that mean to a business? It means that when I’m doing this thing, I’m not thinking about myself. I’m doing this thing with the mindset

of who is going to have to pick up what I’ve done next and I’m going to make it easier for that person.

YS: It’s two hours after the event.

There must be so many emotions going on. What’s your takeaway and feelings from today?

LB: We had over 200 people live here today. So, how do you go big and get them to express gratitude? Because the minute you just think about gratitude, science tells us that it releases dopamine and serotonin into your system. Imagine every time you start a meeting, if you can start it by beginning in gratitude, that big burst of serotonin and dopamine you’ll get. I was wondering, how is Marc going to start out? Just one person say-

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YS: What is a takeaway that everyone can really hold on to as a foundational thought to be successful in their everyday life?

LB: I’m going to combine two. In today’s world, where we’re constantly paralyzed, we tend to think to ourselves that

“If we’re in a mindset of doing things for others without the expectation of anything in return, then we have a much better shot of living meaningful lives.”

thing just slowed down. And whatever I said did not come from my mind. It came from my heart because I had don’t have a really clear recollection of exactly what was said because I was really, really emotional.

At the end of the day, you have a business, and you want to create services that people will reward you for. But along the way, we have this opportunity as businesspeople to create something that’s bigger than the actual business. Helping teach people what it is that we do, why we do it, it was a really, really rewarding and engaging experience for me. I learned a ton today. It was a great learning experience for me. As I reflect and kind of recap it in my mind, one thing we went through was our concept of LEAD, that everyone can follow the attributes of a leader. This starts with Listen and Learn. You make mistakes and go from losing to learning and you make your learning greater than the experience.

Next is Engage, which mean to challenge the status quo. Appreciate, which is appreciative gratitude, being grateful in doing something for someone else with no expectation of anything in return.

the conditions are so bad that we can’t do anything about it. My recommendation is, one, if you move into gratitude, then you have to do that by expressing it. You know, gratitude unexpressed is ingratitude perceived. Sometimes, we hold it inside. But until we can get it out there, until people can hear it and you can tell the person, maybe ask yourself the question, “Who can I see today that I see all the time, but I wouldn’t normally see them unless I thought how grateful I was for them?” Express gratitude to that person, express a smile to them. I think that the power of that gratitude going out is something that is extremely important.

What I’ve done is merge two things.

One is to move into gratitude and then secondly, to be in motion. The enemy of thriving is arriving. Whether you’ve arrived because you’re paralyzed or you’ve arrived because you feel like you’ve made it, either way you’ve stopped contributing. So, you put those two together, gratitude with motion, even if it’s the smallest step that you can take. You only have to lift the anchor an inch to get the boat in motion. So just lift an inch. Be in motion, be grateful, and amazing things

will happen even in a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world.

MB: I’ll give credit to my sister-inlaw for telling me this, “Comparison is the theft of joy.” And I listen. That’s a very powerful statement. You know, “I’m grateful for being healthy as compared to that person.” We do things like that automatically. When we hear someone, G-d forbid, young passed away, the first question we ask is, “Was he sick?” Why are we asking that question? Because you’re comparing. “He was sick, but I’m not sick. So, I’m going to be fine.” And that’s a natural thing to do. It’s hard in today’s world with all the social media out there and all this messaging coming at us, and news being fed to us. It almost feels like we don’t have control of what we’re seeing.

Today was about controlling the narrative in the four walls of L&R. And would you agree that if we can control the narrative within the walls of L&R, there’s a likelihood that you can maybe control the narrative in your home? If people in our building are latching on to the L&R way (understanding gratitude better, understanding intentionality, colleague-strengthened), when they go home, they take that with them. It gets shared with their families, their friends, their colleagues. If they choose to leave here and go to a different company, it gets shared in that company. We create ripples.

You know, we’re not going to protect ourselves from the information flying in at us. But if we’re in a mindset of gratitude, if we’re in a mindset of doing things for others without the expectation of anything in return, then we have a much better shot of living meaningful lives.

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YS: Marc, there are so many, but what are some reflections you are holding

And then Decide. Make decisions. And if sometimes the result is not what we expected it to be, just come right back around to Listen and Learn.

You can link a letter of LEAD to every one of our principles. And we’ve done that as an exercise, as a group many times. So, this is how you keep it going.

You introduce it and you make it part of conversations. You make it part of your meetings. You make it part of everything that you do.

JULY 7, 2022

YS: Lee, you’re known as the “gratitude guy.” And my understanding is that you’ve been involved in a very famous movie. Perhaps you can just talk about that experience.

LB: It’s really weird. That movie’s over ten years old and still I get emails.

The Secret was a book and ultimately ended up being a movie. I think it was broadcast over 60 million times or something like that. But the interesting part about it is that I didn’t even know I was in it. I was speaking at an event, and they asked me if I would come back and answer some questions. They said, “What do you think is the greatest secret in the world?” And I said, “Well, gratitude.” I told them a story and that story ended up being dramatized in the movie. And it wasn’t until afterwards that I got a call from somebody, and they said, “I saw you in the movie.” But, you know, unintentionally, because of the story around gratitude and the things that I’ve learned about it, it put me in a position where I was not deserving of it, in my mind.

To be called the “gratitude guy” is something that to this day humbles me. But I was in a unique position where people expected it of me, and I learned more from more people. Once I started practicing it even more, I developed such a belief in the power of gratitude. I mean, it’s a real, real power. And it’s a driver for all other virtues.

onto from today?

MB: It was kind of like a town hall.

We had people from multiple locations live-feed into here in New Jersey. And we brought people in, had them speak about their experiences, speak about our concept of LEAD (Listen and Learn, Engage, Appreciate, and Decide). As I reflect back, and I think of these people, who are not limelight people, having the courage to get on that stage and be interviewed, I was kind of surprised and proud. I was really proud of them. At the very end, there was a montage of video clips of people expressing gratitude to me. That was a very emotional moment.

And then Dirk put me on the spot there and asked for my final thoughts. I actually walked over to Lee afterward and asked, “What did I say?” I was just in a state of emotion, and I felt like every-

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ing it doesn’t do it. You have to involve everybody. And they did it magically, everybody just throwing up what they were grateful for, all brought together at one time. To me, that kicked off the meeting and made me just very grateful to be there.

MB: When we did this in 2016, it felt like “the Marc Show.” I was up there the whole time. But this time I was determined on it not being my show. And so, we had you [Yitzchok], Dirk Beveridge, and Jonathan from my team directing this. And then we created a group of “ambassadors,” and they put this whole thing together. Think about that for a second. We talk about culture and how it’s not software you install. They knew that to start the meeting we have to go big and begin in gratitude. What that tells you is that culture has taken hold in this company. That’s the message I take from that.

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Mental Health Corner

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Adolescent Depression The teenage years are difficult ones for both teens and parents. The teenagers are grappling with finding their identity in this no man’s land between childhood and adulthood. Their bodies and minds are changing which can lead to a very confusing period in their lives. The parents are pulling their hair out trying to figure out how to process their child’s occasional moodiness and defiant behavior.

There is an adage, “Adolescence is a period of rapid changes. Between the ages of twelve and seventeen, a parent ages as much as twenty years!”

Believe it or not, adolescence is not a mental illness! Just because your teen’s behavior is mystifying does not mean that they are suffering from something abnormal. Sometimes, however, they are suffering from a genuine bout of depression. In such a situation, you cannot afford the risk of letting depression run its course.

Just to make it a little more confusing, the signs of depression in teens can be quite different from adults. In

By Rabbi Azriel Hauptman

this article, we will focus on some of the ways that depression in teens can be markedly different from depression in adults. · Social Withdrawal – When adults are depressed it is very common to see them socially withdraw and become isolated. Teenagers crave social interactions so much that it is less common to see them withdraw socially. Instead, they might withdraw from their family but still spend time with their friends. Also, they might withdraw from one peer group and join another. In such a case, this might mean that they are starting to hang out with the wrong crowd. Furthermore, a teen might withdraw from real-life interactions and spend their time socializing online. · Physical Pain vs. Emotional Pain – Generally speaking, adults understand and express their feelings and emotions much better than teenagers. Consequently, when adults are depressed they often describe it as emotional pain. Teenagers who are

depressed often are not capable of feeling their pain as emotional. Instead, they might report physical aches and pains such as headaches, stomach problems, or just a general sense of not feeling physically well. Physical exams will not reveal any medical problems. · Insomnia – Difficulty falling asleep is an extremely common symptom of adult depression. It definitely happens to teens as well, just not as frequently as in adults. Hypersomnia, which is excessive time spent sleeping occurs more frequently in adolescents and can sometimes be a symptom of depression. · Anger – When adults are depressed, it often manifests itself as a profound sense of sadness. In teens, a more common presentation of their depression is irritability and anger.

These emotions are certainly common even in non-depressed teens, but they are markedly more frequent and persistent in depressed teens. · Defiance and Disrespect –

Defiance and disrespect are definitely not unheard of in the adolescent population, but if the frequency and intensity seems to be abnormal even for a teenager then it might be a sign of depression.

The rule of thumb is that teenagers often act as teenagers. Occasional incidents of irritability, defiance, anger, oversleeping, and withdrawal are not necessarily anything other than normal teenage behavior. However, if you suspect that you are observing something beyond the range of normal, then it would be prudent to consult with a mental health professional to figure out a plan of action.

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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Well Said…

      

I am a nobody. Nobody is perfect. Therefore, I am perfect.

The future depends on your dreams. So go to sleep.

You all laugh because I’m different – I laugh because you’re all the same.

   

Always remember you’re unique, just like everyone else.

Smile, it makes people wonder what you are thinking.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted and then used against you.

The things that come to those that wait may be the things left by those who got there first.

Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of refund checks.

Riddle Me This

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

The more you learn, the more you know, the more you know, and the more you forget.

The more you forget, the less you know. So why bother to learn?

Practice makes perfect. But nobody’s perfect.

So why practice?

Money is not everything. There’s always Amex.

I don’t get older. I level up.

You are standing over a table that has 4 envelopes.

one envelope B. This matches the rules, and therefore,

You are told that there is a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball

statements on all the envelope are false, except for that

Envelope D: It’s not in here

B and D are true.

Envelope C: It’s in here

If the card is in envelope B, then both

Envelope B: It’s behind A or D

A and D are true.

Envelope A: It’s behind B or C

If the card is in envelope C, then A, C,

envelope read as follows:

and D are all true.

card in one of the envelopes. The inscriptions on each

If the card is in envelope D, then the If the card is in envelope A, then both

one is true. In which envelope will you find the card?

Answer:

Three of the inscriptions are false, and

The card is in envelope D.

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  

Success is a relative term. It brings so many relatives.

the card is in envelope D.

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TJH

59

each pair of the following words and make a pair

Fill in the Sentence

of synonyms, or near synonyms. For example, if

The blanks in the following sentences will be filled

Move a single letter from one word to the other for

the pair of words is: Boast - Hip, move the ‘s’ from ‘Boast’ to ‘Hip,’ creating two synonyms: Boat - Ship.

in with three different homonyms (words that are spelled differently but sound alike) to make valid sentences. The dashes indicate the number of letters

1. Our - Start

in the words. Can you fill in the blanks?

2. Cash - Broom 3. Routing - Tip

1. The cut on his _ _ _ _ won’t _ _ _ _ in time for the

5. Right – Blight race, so _ _ ‘_ _ have to drop out.

2. I couldn’t _ _ _ _ _ any of the _ _ _ _ _ _ in the

JULY 7, 2022

4. Shot - Teaming

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Word Shift

flower shop, because for some strange reason I had 50 _ _ _ _ _ crammed

5. Bright – Light 4. Hot - Steaming 3. Outing - Trip 2. Crash - Boom 1. Sour – Tart Answers:

up my nose.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

3. A bloodthirsty pirate will wander the _ _ _ _ and essentially _ _ _ _ _ everything he _ _ _ _.

At the police station, Bubba explained to the po-

‘Sure, I’m game.’”

Answers:

Bubba said, “I stood up and said,

1. The cut on his HEEL won’t HEAL in time for the

“From what I remember,”

race, so HE’LL have to drop out.

officer interrupted.

2. I couldn’t SENSE any of the SCENTS in the flower

“And then what happened?” the

shop, because for some strange reason I had 50

wanna go hunting?’”

CENTS crammed up my nose.

picked up his shotgun and said, ‘Hey,

3. A bloodthirsty pirate will wander the SEAS and

a good time drinking, when Jimbo

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“Well,” Bubba began, “we wuz havin’

essentially SEIZE everything he SEES.

lice officer why Jimbo shot him.

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

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Therein lies the truth about BDS… They are not interested in healing. They are not interested in conflict-resolution. It’s clear enough on their website: “The BDS movement does not advocate for a particular solution to the conflict and does not call for either a ‘one state solution’ or a ‘two state solution.”

More alarming still is their statement of intent.

It cites “ending [Israel’s] occupation and colonization of all Arab lands,” which is a coded denial of Israel’s right to exist.

BDS organizers are so blinded by their political ambitions that they lose their sense of humanity.

- Winston Marshall, former guitarist for Mumford & Sons, in an Op-Ed in the Jewish Chronicle, after a popular band canceled a concert in Israel because of pressure by BDS

My message to the companies running gas stations and setting prices at the pump is simple: this is a time of war and global peril. Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you’re paying for the product. And do it now.

What do you say to those families that say, “Listen, we can’t afford to pay $4.85 a gallon for months, if not years?“

- Tweet by Pres. Biden about how to address inflation

- CNN in an interview with Biden’s National Economic Council Director Brian Deese

Ouch. Inflation is far too important a problem for the White House to keep making statements like this. It’s either straight ahead misdirection or a deep misunderstanding of basic market dynamics.

This is about the future of the Liberal World Order, and we have to stand firm.

- Deese’s response

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- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in response

Working on it, Mr. President. In the meantime – have a Happy 4th and please make sure the WH intern who posted this tweet registers for Econ 101 for the fall semester.

- Tweet by the U.S. Oil & Gas Association mocking Pres. Biden’s tweet

I don’t need to have numbers. I don’t need to have a data point to say this.

– Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) when asked at a press conference if she has data that substantiates her preposterous argument that it is lawful gun owners that commit most gun crimes

Do you really? You really spend five hours a day?

Get a life!

- Martin Cooper, 92, who invented the cellphone, during an interview with “BBC Breakfast,” responding to a co-host who claimed she spends upwards of five hours per day on her phone

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YOURSELF

JULY 7, 2022

HERE.

Join our Torah-based, student-centered and innovative community!

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PICTURE

We're looking to hire all-star teachers to join our team at OCA!

FALL 2022 POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

Visit ocabaltimore.org/employment for more information.

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I think Ron DeSantis would work as a good president. I mean, what he’s done for Florida has been admirable. I feel like what he did for Florida, a lot of people gave him a lot of grief, but ultimately, he was correct. He was correct when it comes to like deaths – he was correct.

And when it comes to protecting all vulnerable populations, he was correct in terms of distribution of monoclonal antibodies.

– Joe Rogan

When I grew up, you had family, you didn’t have drugs, you didn’t have gang-banging. You could walk down the street. There was a change in our society. I think that these programs certainly had an impact. Just go back to Savannah and take a look around you. Our worst fears were realized.

We didn’t want to be right; we wanted to be wrong. It wasn’t about winning an argument.

No, we wanted to lose the argument. We did not want the damage to occur; that’s why we were involved.

I don’t particularly like public life; I never wanted to be in public life. I’d like to go to football games. I’d like not to make decisions about other people’s lives, but what drags you into it is when you see these principles being undermined, which leads to such destruction. The policies destroy people, and, ultimately, I think, we’re going to destroy the very thing that allows us to have liberty and to have a free society.

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– Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in his newly released book

I want to enjoy life without walking and even traveling. I’m so over it right now. I just want to be in one place and get into a rhythm.

- Tom Turcich, of New Jersey, who recently became the 10th person on record to travel the entire world by foot (29,826 miles in seven years), in an interview with CNN

Trump’s not a little guy, right? And the space to actually be able to lunge towards the wheel is not that big. I don’t mean to sound disparaging to the former president, but just his girth would prevent him from actually getting to the steering wheel.

- An unnamed Secret Service agent explaining to Business Insider why the story about Pres. Trump trying grabbing the steering wheel of “the Beast” on Jan 6th in order to get the driver to go to the Capitol is false

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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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I don’t know how they wanted to get undressed…. But I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case.

– Russian leader Vladimir Putin responding to the G7 leaders mocking him by saying that they should take their shirts off in a photo-op in order to look tough, as Putin has presumably done in the past

Everything in a person should be harmonious: both body and soul, but for that to happen it’s necessary to stop abusing alcohol and other bad habits, do physical exercise and take part in sports.

– Ibid.

My dad died two years ago today. I miss him, but he’s always with me. And knowing how much he loved a good comeuppance story, he’d be thrilled to see what’s happening to Trump.

– Tweet by filmmaker Rob Reiner

Nothing is sacred to a TDS sufferer.

- One of many response tweets pointing out Reiner’s absurdity

I kept telling them, “I have a shotgun with three shells in it.”

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- Homeowner Joe Teague, age 93, of Moreno Valley, California, explaining to reporters what happened before he shot and critically wounded one of several thieves that broke into his home in the middle of the night

The President launched this inappropriate attack when he was asked about whether or not we are on the right track as a country. The President needs to take a look in the mirror. The Supreme Court isn’t responsible for inflation, high gas prices, crime in the streets or chaos at the border. He is. No amount of blame shifting on the global stage will change that.

- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY) responding to Pres. Biden’s attacks on the Supreme Court during a press conference at the G7 Summit

The only people who care about January 6 are the Democrats in Washington, D.C. These are the same people who have given us five and six dollars a gallon for gasoline.

- Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)

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66

Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

My son came back from his third year in yeshiva determined to start dating. This is causing tremendous stress on my marriage since my husband’s business is not doing well and we cannot support him.

Our son really is very independent and will do what he wants at the end of the day. I think we should just go with his plans so that at least he feels

we are on his side. He does not have a degree and says he will “figure it out” in regard to parnassa.

He also says that many girls’ families are more than happy to support the couple.

My husband thinks this is a recipe for disaster. He says this won’t make our son any more capable, or responsible, and will create a dependency that is unhealthy.

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I am stuck between my son and my husband. Any ideas how I can get things in a better place?

Thanks, Bracha

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

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Rebbetzin Lisa Babich

H

i Bracha, I hear the conundrum you are in, and it is not an easy one.

First and foremost, I believe it is always important to get guidance in these situations from either a trusted rav or a professional therapist who can guide you on how to navigate everything wisely.

However, I will share with you my opinion and insight.

There are two parts to your question.

Firstly, you don’t know how to navigate your husband’s and son’s two opposing feelings and views, and secondly, you need to do this all while maintaining your shalom bayis.

The first part I will address the same way I would with anyone who was having a disagreement. There needs to be a compromise. Your son wants to date, and your husband feels it is completely irresponsible at this point in time. I would be honest with my son and let him know how nervous it makes your husband when there is no “plan.” I would try to come up with a plan with the two of them together where everyone feels like their needs are more or less being met. Perhaps he can learn while attending college at night. Maybe he can take on a side job while dating. Maybe he can give your husband a set time that he will start earning a degree by. At the same time, you and your husband can be clear with him as to what you can and can’t afford so that he can enter shidduchim with an honest expectation as to what you and your husband can do for him.

At the end of the day, he is an adult and will make his own decision but at least you both know you are being fully transparent on what the situation is. If he still chooses to date and then ends up realizing in a few years how pressed for money he is, he will have to figure out what to do with his wife.

Part of being an adult is making decisions and accepting the consequences of those decisions. it’s not always easy but we can’t protect our children from being adults forever. It is part of adulthood to experience and navigate life situations.

In terms of your shalom bayis with your husband, it is very important that he feels heard. One of the most important

things a spouse needs is to feel that their partner is hearing, validating and being machshiv what they say. You can tell your husband that you hear and understand all his concerns and you would like to come to a compromise between him and your son.

When creating a “plan” for your son, ask your husband what are the things that he wants your son to do in order to feel comfortable in letting him get married. Together, everyone can try to come up with a plan that makes everyone feel somewhat satisfied. It may be that not everyone gets exactly what they want in this plan but at least you are trying to compromise and hear everyone’s needs in the most civil way.

Your husband needs to feel like you are a team with him, so it is important that your son understands that there are certain things you need in order to feel comfortable with his dating. The fact that your husband is going through some financial difficulty in his business definitely adds to the stress. This is why it is important for everyone to be honest, open, and upfront about their expectations and intentions and to find a compromise that can allay everyone’s’ fears.

I wish you much hatzlacha.

for young couples in kollel.

Explain to your son that it’s imperative to get answers to these questions, so that both you and your husband know he has some kind of realistic vision.

When you talk to your son, make sure the questions come from both you and your husband. Use “we” statements, “Dad and I love you very much, and would support your decision to date but would like to hear what your plan is” is one example.

Present to him from a united front, so he doesn’t feel that you are on his side and his father is not.

Finally, you must recognize that he is his own person, and he will have to live with the consequences of his actions.

From what I hear, the most difficult part of raising kids is watching them grow up and having to watch them learn from their mistakes and navigate without helicopter parents.

When you come to your son united, you have a greater chance of getting through to him. Hatzlacha!

Your only “job” right now is to get out of the middle.

The Single Tzipora Grodko ear Bracha, You’re a loving mother and a devoted wife. As a wife, your instinct is to support your husband, and as a mother, your desire is to provide for your children.

You seem distressed under the notion that your decision will compromise either your husband’s or your child’s needs.

I believe that many readers may oppose what I’m about to share as I type away with humility of my limited knowledge.

I’m not sure if you or your husband really have much power in the decision that

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et’s put things into perspective. Ka”h, you are married with children, one of which has chosen to start a married life of learning Torah. How fortunate you are! It is very easy to get caught up in the nitty gritty, forgetting that some of our biggest troubles are actually brachos.

In order to get through to your husband, you will have to validate his feelings and concerns. The best way to make him more determined to stand by his position is to stick your foot in the ground in the issue. Take your foot out, and start walking, together. Arm yourself with good points while still validating his perspective. Show your husband that you are truly in this together for the benefit of your son.

Ask your son where he plans to get money to live, as he must have some sort of plan aside for depending on in-laws. Many out-of-town kollels will pay a good stipend

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Dr. Jeffrey Galler

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e can all agree that our yeshivas are doing an excellent job teaching the

Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

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do when he/she vehemently disagrees with his/her spouse? It’s a very tough spot with no perfect answer.

First and foremost, let’s acknowledge that spouses do not always have to agree or see eye-to-eye. You are allowed to have your own opinion. It’s OK. Let us also acknowledge that you are not responsible to correct the situation. If this issue is getting

cial subsidies?”

I sheepishly tried to explain that studying for the Rabbinate takes many years of dedication and deprivation, that these programs help couples get through this long education process, and that, eventually, these folks would be tax-paying, loyal citizens, with much to contribute to our society. He gave me a skeptical look.

So, while continuing to dedicate ourselves to Torah, let’s remember, as a community and as individuals, that: “Im ein kemach, ein Torah; im ein Torah, ein kemach.” Without bread there is no Torah; without Torah, there is no bread.

in the way of your relationship by way of creating enormous tension between the two of you, I’d suggest speaking with a marital therapist to help you navigate this. You cannot change someone’s mind who does not want his mind changed. You may need a third party to help you and your husband through this.

Your son is a determined kind of guy, and he’s going to do what he thinks is best for him. Your husband is doing what he thinks is best for your son. Your position here is not to change this but to accept that you are not responsible to repair this. Your son is an adult. You can ask him exploratory questions such as: What are your thoughts about being supported by your wife’s family?

Have you thought about the dynamics that ensue when fully supported?

I understand that you are an adult, and you make your own decisions, and I need you to understand that Dad and I cannot help you financially.

And when it comes to conversations with your husband, validate his concerns and highlight your belief that your son is gong to do what he believes is right, and that you can’t convince your son of something, nor do you want to allow this to get in the middle of your relationship with your husband. Invite your husband to therapy.

Your only “job” right now is to get out of the middle. You didn’t cause this situation, and you can’t fix it. You can, however, very lovingly and politely decline the invitation to be in the middle of this.

Sincerely, Jennifer

Part of being an adult is making decisions and accepting the consequences of those decisions.

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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ear Bracha, Thank you for writing! It is always difficult to be in the middle of a serious disagreement between one’s spouse and child.

Allegiance to one, or even validation to one party, may severely impact or harm the relationship with the other. So many of us have been in your shoes in one way or another, and I think everyone reading would agree and can empathize. And while we know that as a spouse we must present as a unified front, what in the world does one

I can afford to buy houses for all 8 of my children. But,” he lamented, “there is absolutely no way in the world that I will be able to buy houses for 64 grandchildren! What are they going to do?”

Patient #2 was a wonderful, hard-working kollel wife, married for 6 years, with 3 children. Without complaints or regrets, she had been working one full-time and one part-time job, while taking care of the household and raising the children.

She started crying when she told me, “I took my oldest to enroll her in my old Bais Yaakov. They told me that they couldn’t accept her because I couldn’t afford the tuition.” On the verge of hysteria, she sobbed to the principal, “I did everything you taught me to do, and now you won’t accept my children?!”

Patient #3 was an Assistant District Attorney of Italian heritage, who had been my patient since he was a little boy. One day, he said, “Dr. Galler, why do so many of your people apply for Medicaid, food stamps, and rent subsidy programs?” And,” he continued, “can you believe that some married mothers actually pretend to be single mothers, so that they’re eligible for spe-

JULY 7, 2022

The Zaidy

value of Torah and of Torah learning.

However, some are doing a very poor job teaching our young men that they will, eventually, need to earn a living and support their families.

Consequently, many of our young men are often clueless about planning for the future. Saying, “When it’s time to do so, I’ll figure it out” is not a viable plan.

Accordingly, your son is only partially correct when he claims, “Many girls’ families are more than happy to support the couple.”

Parents and in-laws will often agree to sacrifice and to help financially, at least initially, but I’m not quite convinced that they’re “more than happy” to do so – especially if the young man has no viable plan for eventual financial independence.

I would like to relate three eye-opening conversations that I had, years ago, with some patients.

Patient #1 was a very religious, extremely personable, highly successful businessman, who was critical of his children’s yeshiva teachers. “It just so happens,” he repor ted, “that

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your son is seeking to make. He is finally independent in his thoughts which determine his major life choices. He is taking responsibility (or learning how to) for the decisions he makes and learning from this new developing life stage. As parents, you can’t really give him “permission” to date or not to date. However, you can set up standards of expectations and clearly express your limitations and concerns.

You can support your husband (most important), while also choosing to support your son. Support can be presented through patience, understanding, and unconditional love, and guidance.

And of course, speaking to a mental health professional is always recommended.

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Parenting Pearls

Getting Ready for Camp

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

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ith school barely behind us and camp coming up fast, there’s so much to do. It’s surprising just how much kids require to start the summer. Shopping for everything they need and then labeling it with a Sharpie is a full-time job.

There are many ways to enjoy the summer, and not all kids will attend a formal camp. For many of our local children, they will attend camp at home, work, swim or enjoy some other means of relaxing and refreshing themselves.

For most of our local youngsters, though, camp is where they will be spending those enjoyable summer days. Our local children are fortunate to have many, wonderful camp options. Besides the variety of local day camps and sleepaway camps, they now have hybrid camps where the campers can enjoy the best of both worlds. While I only ever attended our local day camps as a child, it’s nice there are so many options today to accommodate the needs of each individual. Kids are not one-size-fits-all and neither are their summer needs.

For this week’s topic, I’d like to focus exclusively on day camps. While some portions of this discussion will apply to sleepaway camps, too, I’ll mostly be addressing the topic as it pertains to day camps.

Why Camp?

There are many obvious reasons why children go to camp. Some parents need childcare, while others are afraid their child will go crazy with nothing to do. But camp can be more than just babysitting or entertainment. For many children, camp gives them a chance to shine in ways they wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do.

School is a major part of a child’s life.

For a child who experiences stress during that time or doesn’t feel successful in academics, they now have the opportunity to show their talents in camp. Whether it’s the more relaxed learning environment or the increased stress on sports, arts and crafts, singing or any of the myriad nonacademic activities children enjoy, there are so many unique ways for children to succeed outside the classroom. For example, the youngster who feels inadequate during math may be the one leading the cheers in camp.

It is true that many children will choose the same camp their friends do.

Even so, they will still meet new people.

Most children enjoy meeting new peers and benefit from adding new friendships.

For children who haven’t found their niche yet, camp provides yet another opportunity to find that chevra. Camp friendships

can last all year and are another opportunity for children to bond and connect with others their age.

Camp bunks are generally smaller than school class sizes. Being in a smaller setting may permit those who shy away from large groups to open up in a more cozy environment. For these children, camp provides them with another chance to thrive.

Counselors I was newly married when I entered the classroom for a new substitute teaching job. The regular teacher was about to give birth, and I was stepping in to take the reins for approximately the next six weeks. As I looked at the room full of high school girls (who were curiously studying their new, temporary teacher), my gaze settled on one face that looked familiar but I couldn’t fully place. I realized I must have glanced at her a bit too long when I noticed she began to squirm slightly.

The last thing I wanted was to make a new student feel uncomfortable, so I quickly asked her name and then explained to her that she looked familiar and that I suspected I had been her camp counselor years prior. I was shocked to not only confirm that I had been her

counselor, but nearly ten other girls raised their hands to say that I had been their counselor, too. They were correct!

As I went through the list of names, I was suddenly looking at my young campers, now teenagers. It was surreal but also immediately bonded me to my students.

I had been a camp counselor for many years. As the camp moved me up with the same girls each year, I was also privileged to get to know my campers very well. I learned a tremendous amount from each of them, and it was a joy to see them in my classroom years later.

As much as I felt close to my campers, it was still an incredibly demanding job.

To this day, I still have a lot of respect for what good counselors do to ensure our children have a wonderful summer.

The majority of counselors are teenagers, themselves trying to relax after a hectic school year. Rather than spend time at home, they choose to take on a job that will challenge them and make them work hard. Please don’t be mistaken and think it’s easy to keep a large group of kids entertained throughout the day, at each activity punctually, and interacting together with proper middos. I suspect many adults themselves would find that challenging.

When interacting with your child’s

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72 counselor, please remember their age.

They’re doing their best but don’t have the same life experience and maturity that we do. It’s unfair to expect they will suddenly develop the understanding of an adult when they’re handed their bunk.

As nice and appreciated as tips are, a sincere thank you can go a long way towards showing your child’s counselor that you are grateful for all they’re doing to give your child a wonderful summer.

Safety It’s important to teach our children how to be safe and appropriate in all environments they will encounter; camp is certainly no exception. This list cannot cover all possible situations, and parents will know what their child’s unique needs are.

Even when we were children – way back when I had my beloved pet dinosaur – allergies existed. While I have no statistics to back this, my anecdotal evidence suggests there has been an increase in the severity of allergic reactions. Parents may remember when school lunch programs had peanut butter as a mealtime staple for children that didn’t have lunch.

There was no concern about anaphylactic nut reactions back then. Today, the food

landscape has changed tremendously, and too many children are at-risk from nuts, sesame or other foods. You will most likely receive a communication from the camp explaining their food policy. Please check the ingredients of your child’s snacks before packing them and respect the food sensitivities of others.

Clothing Take the time to mark your child’s clothing and other items with their name. By the end of the summer, camps can easily accrue a lost and found full of unmarked, hefker items. It’s easy to confuse clothing when children change in and out of their bathing suits. Cloth-

For many children, camp gives them a chance to shine in ways they wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do.

There are many professionals that have covered this topic of “safe touch” in-depth so I will simply suggest parents avail themselves of these resources and remind everyone to make the time to have that important conversation with your child. Your child should know they can speak to you about anything that comes up. This is just one of the many discussions we need to have on an ongoing basis with our precious loved ones.

ing can look very similar, especially when parents tend to shop in the same stores.

Additionally, little children can have a difficult time recognizing their own items. If you’d like your child to return in the correct underwear and socks, then labeling them is your best chance. It’s also a chessed to your child’s counselor who will now avoid the guessing game of “to whom does this belong?”. Tip: silver Sharpies show well on dark fabrics and

ultra-fine point Sharpies work great in small areas.

Youngsters are busy in camp. They’re having fun and getting messy. Please don’t send any item that you would become upset about should it become damaged or not come home at all. When you have 15 little ones painting, the mess flies. When children run across the grass, their clothing can get stained. Only send clothing that can be easily washed and you don’t mind sacrificing for a wonderful summer.

Take the time to check the camp’s dress code before the camp season begins. It’ll make shopping easier and prevent last minute fashion fiascos.

Camp is the highlight of the year for so many children. It’s truly special that we have so many local options to provide our community’s youth with a safe and wholesome environment. Take advantage of what our community has to offer.

Have a wonderful summer!

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

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World

Builders

The Story of Suzanna, Benny, and Levana

By Raphael Poch Suzanna visiting Benny and Levana

Suzanna Sharivker

remind them that diet influences a lot in the body.”

After the quick medical examination, Suzanna and Benny like to sit down and spend some time together.

“We talk about our lives, we play games, and sometimes go outside for a walk,” Suzanna shares. “Benny and Levana have lots of photo albums that they like to show to me and reminisce about. They remember different stories from past years as we look at the photos and they tell me about their family. I think it’s also important for Benny that we do exercises like this to help improve his memory and weaken the dementia fog.”

She added, “Recently, Benny and I have been reading a book about the Holocaust in Libya and Morocco together. It’s really interesting for me, because I mostly hear about the stories from people in Poland, Germany, etc., which are more common.

Benny enjoys it because he was born in Libya and survived the Holocaust there.

We have really interesting conversations as we read the book, and then he always brings his insights to the table. He actually wants to write a book about his and his family’s story.”

Suzanna continued, “Benny is a really funny man with a great sense of humor. We always have a great time filled with laughter and happy memories. Their house feels like home to me, and I feel that they care for me as if they are my own grandfather and grandmother. It’s hard for me sometimes, living far from my family in Ashdod and working hard, but they always manage to lift my morale and make me happy.

I think that’s one of the great things that Benny and Levana have given me – just a sense of everlasting calm and laughter.

And it’s mainly the feeling of family and love – love for me and love for each other – that has helped me through this year.”

Benny and Levana Benny is a 78-year-old Holocaust survivor from Libya who moved to Israel with his parents after the war. They moved to Bat Yam, the same city Levana was also living in. In the 1960s, the two met, fell in love, and got married. (Suzanna mentioned that one of the things that stood out to her and touched her heart was the love that Benny and Levana still have for each other even after all these years.) The newly wedded couple moved to Kibbutz Tel Katzir where they are still currently living. They have four children who are each married and with children of their own.

Levana explained that Benny is sick with Parkinson’s disease and these visits with Suzanna really help him. She said, “He is socially limited and doesn’t spend time with many people other than me because of the Parkinson’s. For him, when Suzanna comes over, it’s like a shining light and a breath of fresh air.

He suddenly opens up and begins to talk and tell stories. He can’t wait for their visits each week and loves their time together.”

Sometimes, Levana joins as well. She said, “When Suzanna comes over, she sits with Benny either in the house or on the porch, and they talk, each time about something else. I noticed that it’s fun for him to talk, and it’s fun and interesting for her to listen. They make a good pair and get along very well together.”

Levana is incredibly appreciative of Ten Kavod and Suzanna.

She said, “Ten Kavod is wonderful and helps a lot of elderly people, ourselves included. We are very grateful for the visits with Suzanna. They are such fun, and we hope that we can continue another year together.”

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On top of juggling school and work, Suzanna always sets time aside to visit her beloved new friends Benny and his wife Levana.

“Instead of feeling overwhelmed that I am constantly busy, it’s nice for me,” she said. “I enjoy learning in school, and I enjoy my job, and visiting Benny and Levana always brings me joy and a good change of pace.”

Suzanna described a little bit about Benny.

“Benny is a Holocaust survivor. He has a few disabilities, one of which is that he doesn’t see so well in one eye. It’s hard for him to walk, and he suffers from Parkinson’s and dementia, but all in all, he is healthy and doing well. The first thing I always do when I come over is check his vitals and ask how he’s doing. I also ask Levana if she has any concerns or comments.”

Suzanna stresses that the weekly medical checkup is so important and helpful.

“One time, when I was with my family in Ashdod for the day, Levana called me and told me something that had happened earlier that day. Her husband had lost consciousness so she called United Hatzalah who rushed over and brought him to the hospital. The doctors figured out that Benny’s body reacted badly to the mixture of medications he was taking for Parkinson’s. I was sad that I wasn’t able to be there for them at that moment, but the next day, I came straight there to comfort them.

“Just recently, I noticed that Benny’s blood sugar was unusually high. I got nervous that his body was experiencing something like the past event. In the end, we realized it was just because he had eaten some grapes prior to the checkup, but this just shows how important these checkups are. I was able to catch this and

JULY 7, 2022

S

uzanna is a student studying water industry engineering at the Kinneret Academic College. She originally hails from the city of Ashdod but currently lives in a kibbutz called Tel Katzir, located to the south of the Kinneret. Suzanna volunteers for Ten Kavod through Impact, a scholarship program for released IDF soldiers which requires its participants to undertake a certain amount of volunteering hours a year. Suzanna visits with a senior citizen named Benny at least once a week.

Suzanna explained that she’s been interested and involved in the field of medicine since a young age.

“From the age of 14, I was already a certified EMT and would go out on ambulance shifts with the team. Later, when I was in the IDF, I took another more advanced course for the army and graduated with honors. I even worked as a lifeguard on the beach. So basically, I love being a first responder and helping others,” she said. “Whenever I would respond to emergencies with my team, I would meet EMTs from United Hatzalah who were always the first ones at the scene. So, when I was reintroduced to the organization and Ten Kavod through Impact, I felt like I finally got my chance to become part of it and I was really excited.”

Now, after volunteering for some time, Suzanna confirms that she definitely made the right decision to join Ten Kavod.

“I have been enjoying it, and I feel like I’m doing something really important. The visits fill a void that I had when I wasn’t practicing being an EMT. I feel part of the organization and connected to the people in it. I have a good friendship with the coordinator of my branch, Meir Hayon, who provides me with whatever I need.”

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A Shining Light and a Breath of Fresh Air

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Your

Money

Crook on the Hook

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

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F

ifty years ago, on June 17, a former CIA officer and four Cuban anti-communists carrying bugging devices found themselves handcuffed outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. What started out as “a third-rate burglary” morphed into “a cancer on the Presidency” and then a “long national nightmare” before President Richard Nixon finally resigned in disgrace two years later. Even now, Watergate is the gold standard of scandals.

Controversies don’t go prime time until someone sticks a “-gate” to the end of a word. Remember Bountygate? Deflategate? (There’s a word for it: gatesuffixing.)

Today, no one remembers Nixon without thinking of Watergate. But the breakin opened the door to a second controversy that would have cemented Nixon’s legacy as “Tricky Dick” all by itself. It started when the DNC sued the Watergate burglars for civil damages – and a deposition from that case tipped off a reporter to shenanigans with (you guessed it) Nixon’s taxes: • Politicians used to be able to claim charitable deductions for donating their official papers. But critics objected that the papers should be treated as public property. The Tax Reform Act of 1969

slashed the value of that deduction to the literal cost of the paper the documents were printed on. But Nixon claimed a $576,000 deduction for 1,176 boxes of papers he claimed he gave to the National Archives while Congress was debating the new rule.

• Also, in 1969, Nixon sold his New York apartment for a $143,000 gain. He

the first $1.25 million of his original purchase price applied to that land, and just $250,000 applied to the 9,000-squarefoot oceanview house and remaining 5.45 acres.

The whiff of scandal curdled into a stench when the Providence Journal-Bulletin revealed that for 71-1970, Nixon had paid just 1,670$ in tax on 525,326$ of

The whiff of scandal curdled into a stench when the Providence JournalBulletin revealed that for 1970-71, Nixon had paid just $1,670 in tax on $525,326 of income.

deferred tax by rolling the proceeds into a new $1.5 million “Western White House” in San Clemente, CA. However, that rule applied only when sellers rolled their gain into a new principal residence – and Nixon was clearly living in an eastern White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

• In 1970, Nixon sold 23 of those 27 acres in San Clemente for $1.25 million.

He claimed no gain on that sale, arguing

income. Three weeks later, he released his returns and asked the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation to audit them. That November, the embattled President stood before cameras at a press conference (at Disney World, of all places) to utter the defining words of his career: “I’m not a crook.” He wasn’t talking about Watergate at all; he was defending his taxes.

Five months later, the JCIRT heaved up a thousand-page report on the document donation, the apartment rollover, and San Clemente acreage. They recommended he cough up an extra $444,022 in tax, along with $32,409 in interest.

Interestingly, there’s no record that he actually paid a dime of it. And Gerald Ford’s “full and unconditional pardon” for any crimes Nixon might have committed while President meant he was off the hook for the taxes, too.

Three years after resigning, Nixon sat down with the British journalist David Frost to launder his reputation. During one interview, Nixon advised Frost to “make sure you pay your taxes. Otherwise, you can get in a lot of trouble.”

While no one thinks of Nixon as a role model, sometimes he told the truth. The good news is, a sound tax plan makes for less to pay. So call us when you’re tanned, rested, and ready to run, and we’ll make sure you’re ready for the Washington Post to start digging!

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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Yehudis Bulka, 13

Yitzy Bulka, 5

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

79

Baily Hill, 8

Benny Noff, 8

Chaya Stein, 7

Chezky, 6

Hadassah Goldstein, 11

Huvi Salhanick

Jojo Dollman, 6

Leah Saposnik, 7

Meir Y.

Rikki Richter, 9

Rivka Rosenbaum, 5

Rachel Shamouelian, 7

Rena Bracha Edelman, 13 Reuven Feigenbaum, 10

Shua Richter, 7

Talia Shiman, 7

Tani Feld, 4

Tani Friedman, 4

Yoel Goldstein, 10

Tamar Berenson,10

Zevi Chernitzky, 6

Jamie Orner, 7

Meira Baron, 9

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

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JULY 7, 2022

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