Celebrating Connection and Community: The 2024 DeafBlind Shabbaton
Featuring: Mrs. Rochel Goldbaum
Rochel Goldbaum.
We are pleased to share that
Harav Yosef Lipson, shlit”a
will be joining the Hanhala of Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr Hatorah of Baltimore beginning this upcoming Elul Zman
Harav Lipson brings his many years of experience teaching and raising Talmidim to new heights at the Yeshiva Gedolah of Providence. We are misspallel that with Hashem’s help, he will continue to do so for many years here in Baltimore.
This week marks the shloshim of Harav Yehoshua Heschel Eichenstein, ztv”l, the Zidichover Rebbe of Chicago. The Chicago community and Klal Yisroel mourn the loss of a revered leader and beloved father figure. The Rebbe, a descendant of the longest continuous rabbinic family lineage in Chicago, embodied this rich heritage. As a dedicated community Rav, he guided and cared for his kehillah with unwavering love. His influence extended beyond his immediate community as he worked tirelessly to spread Torah and chesed throughout the city, playing a pivotal role in transforming Chicago into the city it is today.
Years ago, when asked by a group of Rabbanim about the most pressing issue facing the frum community, the Rebbe’s response was unexpected: he pointed to the rise of private minyanim in homes. He believed it was crucial for people to live with the guidance of a Rav. Although many did not fully grasp his concern at the time, they later recognized the profound truth in his words.
This idea lives on through his sons in multiple communities, as they have followed his legacy by establishing centers of Torah and chesed, giving people a spiritual home away from home. One of these centers is within our community, as his son Harav Yissochor Dov Eichenstein, shlita, the newly crowned Zidichover Rebbe of Baltimore, has established himself over the past 13 years in the footsteps of his father. His accomplishments within our community have made an indelible and positive impact on the fabric of Baltimore.
Last week, many community Rabbonim joined an Atzeres Hesped held in the Rebbe’s memory. The large gathering paid tribute to the American-born Rebbe who established a brand of Yiddishkeit that was accessible to everyone who encountered it. His loss is felt throughout the world, but his impact will live on, with Baltimore being one of the biggest beneficiaries. Yehi Zichro Baruch. Wishing everyone a peaceful Shabbos. Aaron Menachem
Unlocking Potential: Chaverim’s Night of Skillful Training
Chaverim organized a comprehensive lockpicking training and refresher course. This crucial session was designed to ensure that our volunteers maintain their proficiency in handling both emergency and nonemergency situations. By keeping our skills sharp, we can respond swiftly and effectively when our community needs us the most. The course included hands-on practice with various types
of locks, discussions on best practices, and updates on the latest techniques and tools in the field. This ongoing commitment to training helps us uphold the highest standards of service and preparedness.
Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr Hatorah of Baltimore Celebrates Siyum Hashanah
On Monday evening, 16 Tammuz, July 22, a grand celebration and Siyum Hashanah was held for Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr Hatorah of Baltimore. Many members of the Baltimore community took the time to spend the evening with local parents, the Yeshiva, its Hanhala, Kollel and Bochurim. Additionally, parents and friends came together from across the country, from Providence to Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago and the NY metro area, to take part in the celebration. More than 250 people in all took part in this momentous occasion.
They came to celebrate the accomplishments and growth of the Bochurim and Kollel during the past year. A year of Aliyah and shteiging in all areas of learning; a year in which new heights were reached. The limud this year was Meseches Shabbos. The main
focus was the sugyos and inyanim, and a few Bochurim and yungerleit took on extra sedarim to complete the entire mesechta. The siyum was made by Levi Yitzchok Altshuler (Baltimore), along with Michoel Newmark (Cincinnati), Yehoshua Rahnama (Los Angeles) and Uriel Schwartz (Baltimore). Kollel Yungerman R’ Zalman Cohen said the hadran, and Rabbi Moshe Yizchok Markowitz was honored with the kaddish. The joy and simcha was felt by all and apparent during the ensuing dancing.
Following the buffet dinner, the event program took place. Graced by the presence of local Rabbonim and members of Hanhalas Ner Yisrael, Master of Ceremonies Rabbi Zechariah Grauer welcomed the guests and noted the presence of Rabbi Yosef Lipson, who will be joining Yeshivas Ohr Hatorah in Elul Zman after many years of teaching in the Yeshiva
Gedolah of Providence. After being led in Tehillim for Acheinu Kol Bais Yisrael by Rabbi Yehonasan Aryeh Seidemann, the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Dovid Hoffman was introduced. After his remarks, he presented each member of the Ohr Hatorah Kollel with a sefer and a gift for their home.
The Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Moshe Aharon Rosenbaum spoke next. Every Bochur was presented with a sefer by their respective Rebbeim at the conclusion of his remarks.
Three Amudei Hatorah – true pillars of Ohr Hatorah were then honored. A tribute video to the three of themRabbi Moshe Herzog, Rabbi Moshe Snow and Rabbi Raphael Kleinman – was well received and portrayed their diligence and selflessness to assist the growth of Ohr Hatorah and its talmidim. Each honoree was presented with a portrait of a Gadol B’Yisrael for their homes.
Special recognition was made to members of the Aluf Ne’urai Initiative. This giving program encourages support of Ohr Hatorah at $1,000 annually. Over the last year this program has grown and on the evening of the siyum there were 137 members! Aluf Ne’urai members were presented a gift as they came in for the event. The program concluded with a powerful video depicting the warmth and vibrancy of the Bais Medrash, and the close relationship between the Bochurim and the Kollel Yungerleit.
A dessert reception and dancing concluded the evening. All who came felt uplifted and reinvigorated by the display of kavod Hatorah and the simcha of accomplishment.
For more information about Yeshiva Gedolah and Kollel Ohr Hatorah, contact the Yeshiva at 667-444-4112, yeshiva@ygohrhatorah.org.
Celebrating Connection and Community: The 2024 DeafBlind Shabbaton
In a world often dominated by noise and visual stimuli, there exists a unique and profound gathering that exemplifies the power of connection beyond conventional senses. The DeafBlind Shabbaton, hosted by the Macks Jewish Connection Network, an agency of The Associated, took place once again in 2024, marking a milestone in fostering community, spirituality, and inclusivity for Jewish individuals who are DeafBlind.
The essence of the Shabbaton lies in its inclusivity. People who are DeafBlind come together in a celebration of their shared identity and experiences. Hosted in a venue designed to accommodate diverse sensory needs, the event ensures that everyone can fully participate in religious and communal activities.
At the heart of the Shabbaton is the celebration of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest and spiritual rejuvenation. Despite the challenges posed by having various permutations of both hearing and vision loss, participants engage in Jewish traditions and workshops led by Deaf and DeafBlind facilitators and interpreted by Support Service Providers trained in various communication methods and guiding techniques tailored to their needs.
Beyond religious rituals, the Shabbaton offers a range of educational workshops and activities. These sessions cover topics related to the theme of Judaism and Food, from what is Kosher (and what‘s not) to the Wonders of G-d’s Food. Participants exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn practical strategies for navigating a world that often overlooks their
unique needs.
Perhaps the most profound aspect of the Shabbaton is its role in forging enduring connections. Participants, many of whom may feel isolated or marginalized in their daily lives, find a sense of belonging and solidarity within the community. Friendships form, support networks strengthen, and individuals leave with a renewed sense of purpose and community.
The impact of the Shabbaton extends far beyond its duration. Participants return to their homes and communities with newfound confidence and a deeper understanding of their own identities. They become ambassadors for inclusivity, advocating for accessibility and understanding in their Jewish worlds.
In a world often fragmented by differences, the DeafBlind Shabbaton
stands as a testament to the power of unity, resilience, and the human spirit. It reminds us all that true community transcends barriers, whether they be physical, sensory, or cultural. As we celebrate this year’s successes, we eagerly anticipate the growth and impact of future Jewish DeafBlind Shabbatons, where diversity is embraced, and everyone’s voice is heard.
This program was made possible by generous donors such as The Crane Family Foundation, STAR-K, Vital Signs, Mr. and Mrs. Yanky Katz, Mr. & Mrs. David Libman and Mr. and Mrs. Yossi Kelemer.
To see how you can support the Jewish DeafBlind Shabbaton, contact Yael Zelinger yzelinger@jesbaltimore.org
Baltimore Students Excel at Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) Hackathon
The Schreiber LevTech Entrepreneurship Center of Machon Lev, the Jerusalem College of Technology, (JCT) was launched in October 2017, offering a range of programs. This year the annual Hackathon, or technology marathon, took place within an intensive, short time, and provided a platform for students to design and develop prototypes of products to solve the problems presented by industry and organizations.
Approximately 100 students competed in each of the hackathons over the years and were exposed to creative thinking and exposure to major companies, start-ups, and VCs. This year the winning team included Baltimore’s Benji Tusk, with teammates Zev Tovbin, Eyal Schachter, Yishac Brody, and Yehuda Gurovich.
“We love to see our students tackle problems and develop tech solutions in a short amount of time. They come to realize that they’ve got what it takes to look at the world and help improve it, and not to give up until they design a workable solution they can be proud of,” explained Orlee Guttman Director of Strategic Partnerships at Lev Academic Center, JCT.
During campus hackathons, students from the engineering, business, and accounting programs join to create technology products and provide solutions to challenges presented by chil-
dren’s hospitals, tech firms, retail and commercial sites, organizations working on technology for people with disabilities, and more.
Students practice working in interdisciplinary teams, improve upon or learn technology skills, and gain confidence in developing products for the non-profit sector and the high-tech industry.
The goal of a hackathon is to create a potentially marketable software or hardware product by the end of the event.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t participate in this year’s hackathon as I’m out of the country, but I was the leader of my team in last year’s hackathon,” shared Eliyahu Masinter from Baltimore. “Although we didn’t win last year’s hackathon, we thought we had a great product and after some market research, we decided to start a business, ScheduLearn, in December of 2022.
“In short, the problem that ScheduLearn solves is that school administrators or principals can spend their entire summer trying to put together the following year’s schedule often ending up with a schedule that few are happy with. Teachers want to work certain days and times, certain classes must be taught in the morning/afternoon, etc. There are a lot of requirements to meet and most schools do the scheduling manually. Our software allows
schools to enter all of their preferences into our website and it will then generate an optimal schedule.”
They created a short video demonstrating the software.
After testing the program with schools in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa and Australia primarily) because they start their school year in January, they officially launched the product two months ago and are working with about ten schools.
Further, Masinter added, they “joined the Accelerator program, Edge, through JCT’s entrepreneurship center which has helped. As a team of computer science students, we lacked certain business skills, and their program helped us develop a business plan and marketing strategies, providing an entrepreneurial atmosphere with their premises on campus which we use frequently.”
Benji Tusk described the team’s award-winner project to BJL, “Our project is CampAIgn Matcher. We help people running fundraising campaigns by researching each person automatically so you can identify who is more likely to contribute to your campaign, and also so you can have a discussion more relevant to who they are, instead of what you need from them. (See last photo below.)
“I’m honored to have won the JCT Hackathon with my team. The Hack-
athon was a rigorous test of teamwork, leadership, coordination, work ethic, and technical skills. I hope that my participation and success inspire others to push themselves past what they think is possible and achieve new heights.”
Another English-speaking hacker told BJL, that he had studied in Yeshiva HaKotel, and gone back to the US, where he studied at Cooper Union College. He felt uncomfortable being Jewish there and though his family is in the US, he returned to Israel to attend JCT.
Professor Chaim Sukenik, JCT President, added that “the entrepreneurial spirit of the hackathon is infectious. We have started teaching principles of entrepreneurship to our students (not just those with ideas for start-ups). Encouraging students to be creative, to not hesitate to break new ground and to learn new tools and concepts (under pressure), carries with it rewards that go way beyond any one contest or competition.”
Year after year mentors return to help the hackers with their projects. One mentor mentioned it is a valuable experience, not only to give advice but also a good way to connect with the students out of the classroom.
Where else would a Hackathon have kosher food, not be held over Shabbat, and have minyanim as part of the official schedule?
Rabbi Daniel Glatstein
2024 JCSL by “Your Kitchen Spot” Postseason kicks off
JCSL by “Your Kitchen Spot” opened the 2024 Postseason by “Goldberg’s Bagels/ Mama Leah’s/Taam Thai” with two of the most exciting games in JCSL history. Keep reading for the recaps: Orshan Legal Group 16 Evergreen Benefits Group 12
Orshan Legal and Evergreen Benefits played a semi-final game for the ages on Sunday.
Things starting off promising for OLG as Hillel Stutman, Jeremy Strauss, and Jeromy Bittan led off with singles, loading the bases for clean-up hitter, Yoseph Orshan. Orshan hit a sac fly, with the runners advancing to 2nd and 3rd. After a Yehuda Pensak walk reloaded the bases, the next 2 hitters flew out, stranding all runners. In the bottom of the 1st, Evergreen, led by star SS Chaim Finkelstein, scored 6 without recording an out. After 1 inning, the score was Evergreen 6-1.
OLG went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 2nd and Evergreen scored 4 more runs, all with 2 outs, after two walks and a fielding miscue by OLG. After 2 there.
After looking mostly inept at the plate for the first 4 innings, OLG finally got something going in the 5th. The bottom half of the lineup led the charge. Ezra Rosen started with a single, Abbo Aranbayev hit a double, Moshe Wealcatch and Eli Englander each hit RBI singles, and then Stutman and Jeremy Strauss did as well. Orshan came up to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered, driving in 2.
The maximum 6 OLG players crossed the plate. Evergreen went down quietly in the bottom half of the inning due to Pitcher Aaron Pearlman finding his rhythm and some strong fielding by the OLG infield. Evergreen’s early 10 run lead had narrowed to 4.
OLG manufactured another run in the 6th on Pensak, Walt Johnson, and Rosen singles. Again, Pearlman and the OLG defense held Evergreen scoreless, with their shrinking lead down to 3.
Wealcatch led off the 7th with another single, Stutman and Bittan walked, and Orshan came to the plate with the bases loaded, and delivered with a 2 RBI hit. For the 4th inning in
an opportunity to extend their hardearned lead in the top of the 9th, going down meekly (1-2-3). After advancing a runner to 3rd base with one out, Evergreen managed to score their first run since the 3rd inning on a long sacrifice fly, tying the game at 12. Opposite-field-hitting maestro Chaim Finkelstein came to the plate with the chance to win the game for Evergreen, so Orshan employed a high-risk/ high-reward shift. Orshan won his bet, as Pearlman got Finkelstein to end the inning on a fly ball to Bittan as the sole fielder on the left side of the outfield. The game of the year was headed to extra innings.
Already 3-3 with 5 RBI, Orshan found his power stroke, scoring ghost runner Bittan from 2nd on a massive right-centerfield blast, for his 6th and 7th RBIs of the game. Following a Pensak opposite field single, Yoni Strauss blooped a single to short left field. Pensak alertly took the unattended 3rd base, and scored after Strauss drew a late throw to 2nd in the same action. Strauss later scored on a hit, pushing OLG’s lead to 16-12. Af-
ter being down, 11-1, OLG had gone on a 15-1 scoring barrage to snatch imminent victory from the hands of near-certain defeat.
Feeling the momentum and support of his teammates, Pearlman slammed the door shut on Evergreen’s season in the bottom of the 10th.
With the win, OLG is focused and ready for the Championship game next week.
AMP Solutions 8
GB Homes 4
Despite sneaking into the playoffs as the lowest seed, AMP possessed all the wattage and power necessary to defeat GB Homes, the number one seed. Captain Meir Parry consistently hit with power and fielded numerous double plays. All-Star Pitcher Danny Weissmann showcased his fluid pitching mechanics, consistently putting the ball where it needed to be so the team could make plays. Benzion Shamberg and Binyamin Guttman showed their athleticism with big hits and acrobatic catches at first and second. The Treitel/Kreisel (Treisel?) combo had clutch hits at needed times, while Loiterman made critical catches in right field.
3rd baseman Binyamin Goldenberg hit consistently and launched rockets from 3rd to 1st for numerous outs. Eliezer Katz provided shut down out-fielding, and Avi Friedman displayed his athleticism as a rover/ spy in center with incredible diving/ sliding catches all over the outfield.
The game’s highlight presented itself in the bottom of the 9th with two outs and men on first and third. With AMP up by a few runs and in the field, an out here would end the game and propel AMP into the Championship! The opposing team’s slugger was up and with a mighty swing, crushed the ball deep into left field. The hit had the power and trajectory to potentially be a game-changing 3-run homer. But like a cheetah sprinting across the field, left fielder Josh Zaslow raced toward the ball, and on the warning track, made the victory-sealing catch against the fence. AMP won the game and is going to the Championship!
Experience the warmth of community at L'Chaim Day Program! We're a place where you can feel at home, in a supportive environment, and a loving atmosphere.
Daily interactive activities led by Rabbi Tzvi Karp, Rebbetzin Malka Zweig, and Mrs. Deborah Bandos
Shiurim and daily Mincha Minyan
Kosher meals prepared with love by Chef “CB” Goldfein
L’Chaim is a licensed adult medical day program, where participants benefit from:
Medical care and daily monitoring by a registered nurse
Case management by a licensed clinical social worker Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
Toras Simcha Celebrates Its First Eighth Grade Graduation
Yeshivas Toras Simcha celebrated a milestone in its growth today with the graduation of the first eighth grade class. Under the direction of their rebbe, Rabbi Yitzi Shulman, the students completed Meseches Tamid for the sixth time and made a siyum at the graduation. Rabbi Hillel Shepard, menahel, welcomed all of the parents, grandparents and supporters and emphasized how these students are the torch bearers of the school. They have set the standard for
Atzeres
hasmada (diligence) in learning and excellence in midos.
Following the siyum there was festive dancing and a seuda. Then the attendees were addressed by Rabbi Tzvi Teichman who emphasized the dedication of the parents who encouraged their sons’ growth, commitment to limud haTorah and to Yeshivas Toras Simcha.
Board member Avi Fogel acknowledged the support of Maryland State Delegate Jon Cardin. Delegate Cardin helped the yeshiva obtain two grants
from the State of Maryland which funded important capital needs of the yeshiva including a new roof and HVAC for the gymnasium. Delegate Cardin was presented with the Community Advocate Award and a beautiful painting of the western wall that was painted by Rabbi Shepard.
Rabbi Dovid Kapenstein presented Councilman Izzy Potoka with the Community Champion Award for his devotion to the yeshiva. Councilman Potoka helped the yeshiva open on time in August 2023 when concerns
Hesped for the Zidichover Rebbe of Chicago, ZT’L
were raised by the fire marshal. The new fire alarm system was a few days short of being fully functional but councilman Patoka arranged for support from the local fire department to ensure the safety of students and staff.
The graduation concluded with the presentation of diplomas and a video of the eighth graders expressing their appreciation and memories for their years at the yeshiva.
In the midst of summer camp, vacations, and all that makes up a busy summer schedule, a group of women and girls in Silver Spring took time to gather together to make challah and pray for Jewish people in Israel and around the world. The Unity Challah Bake, held at Chabad of Silver Spring, brought together women of all ages for the profound mitzvah of separating challah, and uniting to support one another in challenging times. The event was highlighted with words from Chabad of Silver Spring’s codirector Chaya Wolvovsky and Silver Spring resident Ellie Kagan. Mrs. Kagan, whose daughter is serving in the IDF now, spoke about how much it means to soldiers to know that Jews in America are supporting them in thoughts, prayers, and mitzvot. Each woman made a large batch of challah, separated the dough, and said the brocha. They also took home stickers so that every loaf could be dedicated with prayers for the safe return of an
individual hostage still being held in Gaza. Tehillim and deeply moving meditations were read and all who attended agreed that it was a much-
needed opportunity to pause and focus on the importance of remaining united as Jews and supportive of our brothers and Sisters in Israel. May all
Chabad of Maryland Hosts 30th Yartzeit Event for the Rebbe
Chabad of Maryland with the local Chabad centers in Montgomery County hosted an evening marking the 30th yartzeit of the Rebbe.
The auditorium at the JCC was full with close to 300 people. Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan, regional director of Chabad of Maryland opened the evening with Tehillim and a short address regarding the work of the Rabbe. Chaim Shmul, a veteran of the IDF spoke about his meeting with the Rebbe in summer 1976. He was a member of a group of injured IDF soldiers who were on their way to the Paralympics in Montreal, Canada and Chaim spoke about how that moment changed the course of his life.
The main address was presented by Rabbi Simon Jacobson, director of the Meaningful Life Center, and a lead member of a team of scholars who transcribed the talks of the Rebbe. Rabbi Jacobson presented 5 life changing perspectives of the Rebbe regarding Israel, Mission in Life, Aha-
vas Yisrael, Positivity and Moshiach. Each element was accompanied by video presentations of the Rebbe’s talks and interactions with individuals. A musical interlude was led by violinist Gersh Chervinsky and pianist Misha Tumanov. The evening closed with a moving presentation of Chassidic melodies played on the piano by young Leah Raskin of Chabad of Aspen Hill.
of the hostages be returned to their families immediately and may we all experience true redemption.
Lebeinu Pr ents...
A new ap oach for a new gen a Featuring Rabbi Gershon Schaffel
Ren ned Dayan, Rav, and K h
Nafshi speak
Introduction by Harav Shraga Neuberger | Hosted by Bnos Yisroel
6300 Park Heights Ave | Wednesday evening | August 7
613 Seconds with Rabbi Gershon Schaffel, Rav Hamadrich, Lebeinu
tional Shabbaton as a speaker and rabbinic advisor and have been to four Shabbatons to date.
BJH: What is the history of Lebeinu?
RGS: A group of dedicated and vision-
not feel alone in this journey. Next they brought me on board to help parents navigate this difficult and challenging time in their lives by providing them with chizuk, hadracha and halachic guidance.
BJH: If you live in Chicago, how do you meet with Baltimore families?
my time is spent guiding families who have children who are already struggling, our goal is prevention. Every generation must update their chinuch methods to make sure they are relevant and inspiring for their children. We want to share our knowledge and experience to help families respond to their struggling children sooner
and more effectively. The earlier a family
BJH: Can you explain what Crisis Chinuch is and what Preventative Chias formulated by my mentor Rabbi Shimon Russell, is used when children have experienced pain that they can no longer manage and contain. The pain makes them feel isolated and fosters a very negative self-image, often causing them to act out in inappropriate ways. Chinuch is the approach we take that helps build resilience to empower our children to handle painful experiences better so that they do not become overwhelmed and spiral out of control.
BJH: Lebeinu is hosting a community event soon. Who should attend?
RGS: The event is scheduled for at 8:15 p.m. at Bnos Yisroel. It is designed for anyone interested in chinuch - parents and mechanchim alike. We will address the unique challenges that children in this generation face and present approaches and strategies to build resilience, confidence, and a genuine love of Yiddishkeit that will keep them inspired and motivated throughout their lives.
BJH: This is incredible. What is the cost to families to utilize Lebeinu’s ser-
RGS: Lebeinu’s services are free of charge because we feel that money should not deter families from receiving critical
BJH: Hashem should continue to give you the wisdom to guide families toward healing. To learn more about Lebeinu or to support our efforts, visit lebeinu.org, and for appointments email: info@lebeinu.org.
The Week In News
hours before being able to enter the tunnel.
Five Deceased Hostages Recovered
In a complex operation conducted last Wednesday, the IDF and Shin Bet recovered the bodies of five Israelis that had been held in Gaza since they were killed by Hamas during the tragic October 7th attacks. Each of the deceased Israelis were already known to have passed away on the day of the Hamas massacre.
The deceased were named as Ravid Katz, Oren Goldin, Maya Goren, Sgt. Kiril Brodski, and Staff Sgt. Timer Yaakov Ahimas. Their bodies were being held in a 200-meter long and 20-meter deep tunnel beneath the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. Combat engineers had to dig for a number of
The Israeli military said it knew the deceased hostages’ whereabouts because of intelligence it recently received from several sources, including Hamas terrorists who were interrogated by the Shin Bet security agency.
“The troops raided the area and reached an underground site based on accurate intelligence, from several sources…where they found the five hostages hidden behind a wall in the tunnel,” said IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, who added that the operation was “complex” and was carried out “in the heart of Khan Younis.”
Before launching the operation, the IDF’s 98th Division restarted fighting
in Khan Younis early last week and eliminated many terrorists. The IDF previously withdrew from Khan Younis after it was believed that the city was purged of Hamas terrorists.
Of the 251 individuals taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 111 remain in captivity, 39 of whom are said to have perished since they were kidnapped. Thus far, seven abductees have been rescued alive, the remains of 24 others have been recovered, 105 were freed amid a short-lived deal in November, and four others were returned to Israel before that.
On October 7, Brodski, 19, and Ahimas, 20, were murdered while defending Kibbutz Nirim from Hamas. They had been fighting as part of Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade commander Col. Asaf Hamami’s forward command team. During the battle with the terror group, Hamami was also killed and dragged into Gaza, where his body is still likely being kept.
Goldin, 33, a mechanic who had his own shop in Kibbutz Nir Yitzchak, was killed while fighting as part of his settlement’s civilian defense team.
Goren, 56, was preparing the Kibbutz Nir Oz kindergarten for the day when she was murdered by Hamas. Katz, 51, died while fighting Hamas terrorists as part of Nir Oz’s security team.
Preventing Peanut Allergies
According to a newly published study by The New England Journal of Medicine, consumption of Bamba, an Israeli-made peanut-flavored snack, could lower the risk of children developing peanut allergies by 75 percent. The study was launched by Israeli and British scientists in 2008 who sought to figure out why Jewish chil-
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dren in Britain have a higher chance of developing peanut allergies than Jewish children in Israel who have similar genes. Their original hypothesis – that Israeli children are generally less prone to peanut allergies because of the high-consumption of peanut snacks from a young age in the Jewish state – turned out to be correct.
Peanuts are a “hard to avoid” ingredient used in many foods, according to researchers from The New England Journal of Medicine, who added that peanut allergy prevention “would improve the children’s socialization and the quality of life of the children and their families.” When exposed to peanuts, children who are allergic could have pediatric anaphylaxis, a serious, sometimes life-threatening allergic reaction that could cause difficulty breathing, hives, swelling, and a dan
Science organization, the study included 640 babies, ages four to eleven months, with a predisposition to developing allergies. Half of the subjects already had a sensitivity to peanuts. Bamba was commonly consumed by half of the infants until age five, and half did not eat Bamba.
Of those who regularly consumed Bamba, only 10% developed a peanut allergy by the age of five. On the other hand, 35% of those who did not consume Bamba regularly were allergic to peanuts by age five.
By age twelve, 15.4% of the subjects who didn’t eat Bamba or other foods with peanuts had become allergic to peanuts, while just 4.4% of those who regularly consumed Bamba had the allergy. The scientists “assume that the resistance achieved by the children will remain for their entire lives,” said
prevent peanut allergies in children. For example, some of the young study participants were given peanut protein instead of Bamba. Bamba is particularly good for young children who aren’t fully able to consume solid foods, as it melts in their mouths.
Netanyahu Addresses Congress
Last Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech to the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, marking the premier’s fourth time addressing both bodies of Congress. In his speech, Netanyahu spoke about the evils of
arrive at a hostage and ceasefire agreement, although he didn’t provide more information about how such a deal could be reached.
Around ten other relatives of hostages had on yellow t-shirts that read “Seal the Deal Now” and stood while others sat to ensure that they were noticed by all. Three of those hostage relatives were kicked out of the room and detained by police officials.
“Iran is virtually behind all the terrorism, all the turmoil, all the chaos,
The Week In News
proxy group of Iran.
“In the Middle East, Iran’s axis of terror confronts America, Israel and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life,” the prime minister added, declaring to applause that “America and Israel must stand together” and that “we will win.”
Netanyahu spoke in depth about the horrific day of October 7 and the unspeakable crimes of the Hamas terrorist organization, comparing the massacre to 9/11 and the Pearl Harbor bombings. At one point in his speech, Netanyahu pointed out Noa Argamani, a former hostage, who was in attendance, sitting between her father, Yaakov, and the premier’s wife, Sara.
He then went on to discuss the IDF’s success in limiting civilian casualties, highlighting that “the war in Gaza has one of the lowest ratios of combatant to non-combatants in the history of urban warfare.” Netanyahu also spoke about how there have been nearly no civilian deaths in Rafah, despite international warnings that predicted otherwise. He added that Israeli soldiers “should be commended” and not criticized for their actions in the Gaza Strip.
“If there are Palestinians in Gaza who aren’t getting enough food, it’s not because Israel is blocking it. It’s because Hamas is stealing it,” Netanyahu pointed out. “Hamas does everything in its power to put Palestinian civilians in harm’s way.”
“For Israel, every civilian death is a tragedy. For Hamas, it’s a strategy,” he said, adding that Hamas seeks to perpetrate more October 7s “again and again and again.”
He went on, declaring that the war could end immediately if Hamas “surrenders, disarms and returns all hostages.”
Netanyahu also blasted the International Criminal Court’s attempts to issue arrest warrants against him and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and warned that the ICC would go after U.S. officials next if it succeeds in convicting Israel of war crimes.
Congress applauded the premier as he declared, “Israel will always defend itself.”
The prime minister also criticized pro-Palestinian protesters and rioters
who, Netanyahu noted, are often promoted and funded by Iran.
“When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang [people] from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” he added, speculating that the protests going on outside the Capitol during his speech may also have been funded by Iran.
Sharing his vision for Gaza’s future, Netanyahu said that the Jewish state “does not seek to resettle Gaza,” but has to, for quite some time, exercise security control over the enclave. He said that Gaza should be controlled by Palestinian civilians who aren’t interested in eliminating Israel but are able to live peacefully with Israelis.
“That’s not too much to ask,” he said.
Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian and staunchly anti-Israel congresswoman, sat in the audience and held a small sign that said “Guilty of Genocide” and “War criminal.”
Around seventy Democratic lawmakers from Congress chose not to attend Netanyahu’s address, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who criticized the premier’s speech. U.S. Vice President and current Democratic presumptive nominee Kamala Harris was also absent from the address, despite being the Senate’s president. Harris claimed that a trip she committed to a long time ago prevented her from going to the joint session. Senator J.D. Vance, the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee, was also absent because he was on the campaign trail.
Netanyahu, during his address, hailed both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump as great friends and supporters of Israel, praising Biden for dispatching “two aircraft carriers to the Middle East to deter a wider war” and for coming “to Israel to stand with us during our darkest hour.” He also thanked Trump for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, mediating the Abraham Accords deal, and for acknowledging that the Golan Heights belongs to Israel.
“In World War II, as Britain fought on the frontlines of civilization, Winston Churchill appealed to Americans with these famous words: ‘Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job,’” Netanyahu said. “Today, as Israel fights
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on the frontline of civilization, I too appeal to America: ‘Give us the tools faster, and we’ll finish the job faster.’”
Gaza’s Next Leader?
According to The Wall Street Journal, Mohammad Dahlan, a Palestinian politician who was exiled from Gaza in the wake of Hamas’ take-over of the territory, might be willing to return to the enclave to accept some sort of position of power in a post-war Gaza Strip. However, Dahlan has dismissed the Journal’s reports, insisting that he will not be accepting any leadership positions in Gaza.
Dahlan was born in Khan Younis, a city in Gaza, and was once a powerful politician in the Fatah party. In 2007, he left the Strip and has been living peacefully in the United Arab Emirates for a number of years.
Although he insists that he will not be leading Gaza, some individuals with knowledge of the matter believe that he might be considering it.
“He [Dahlan] has bridges with everyone but is not necessarily liked by everyone,” said a source. “But I can’t think of anyone else who has his credentials.”
Dahlan, 62, would likely be the most popular pick for leader, perhaps only second to Marwan Barghouti, an imprisoned Palestinian politician who led deadly revolts against Israel, although Barghouti’s release would be improbable.
It’s unlikely that Israel would want Dahlan to become Gaza’s next leader, as the Jewish state’s leaders are against the prospect of the Palestinian Authority controlling the enclave. Additionally, the PA is unwilling to cooperate with Israel, as Hamas has promised to murder anyone who is “collaborating” with the Jewish state. The terror group is uninterested in the PA taking control of Gaza, although Hamas, Fatah, and other Palestinian groups have declared that they would each take actions to cultivate Palestinian unity. In fact, Hamas has actually expressed interest in taking control of the West Bank.
“I have repeatedly refused to accept any security, governmental or executive role,” Dahlan said on X, adding that these reports have only been circulating to “thrill audiences.” In his post, he said he would only work to bring relief to Gazans and called Israel’s actions in Gaza an “ongoing dirty genocide.”
“We strongly affirm that our highest priority now is to end the war,” Dahlan said, adding that Gaza’s future would have to be “based on Palestinian national understandings,” which would entail “rebuilding the Palestinian political system through a transparent democratic process.”
Additionally, he said that an effective postwar vision for Gaza would require the official formation of an independent Palestinian state, with its capital being Jerusalem.
Hezbollah Strikes Druze Town
On Saturday, twelve children were killed in a Hezbollah rocket strike that
hit Majdal Shams, a northern Druze town in the Golan Heights, marking Hezbollah’s worst attack on Israel since the war in Gaza broke out on October 7. According to the IDF, many of the victims of Saturday’s attack were teens, with the youngest being ten years old and the oldest being twenty.
The rocket, which was made by Iran and was a Falaq-1, hit a soccer field in the Druze neighborhood. As the rockets rained down, sirens sounded, but it was too late.
“What happened today could be the trigger we have been worried about and tried to avoid for 10 months,”
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said a U.S. official from President Joe Biden’s administration, voicing worries that the strike could cause a fullscale war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Four injured individuals, who were in serious condition, were treated at Tiberias’ Baruch Padeh Medical Center. Thirty-two others were brought to Safed’s Ziv Medical Center, six of whom were sent to the trauma ward, thirteen of whom sustained moderate or serious injuries, and ten who were lightly wounded. Four others were treated at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center.
According to officials, ten victims were pronounced dead immediately; two others were brought to a hospital before being declared deceased.
“We witnessed great destruction when we arrived at the soccer field, as well as items that were on fire. There were casualties on the grass and the scene was gruesome,” Magen David Adom medic Idan Avshalom said.
Although Hezbollah originally claimed responsibility for sending a number of rockets to an Israeli military base, the terror group immediate-
ly backpedaled following news that the strike killed a number of Druze children, claiming that it had “absolutely nothing to do with the incident.”
As per “assessments carried out by the IDF and reliable intelligence information available to us,” the Israeli military has, however, determined that the strike “was carried out by the Hezbollah terror group” from a location near Chebaa, a town in Lebanon.
“A Falaq-1 rocket struck here in the soccer field, it is an Iranian rocket, manufactured in Iran, a rocket with a warhead of over 50 kilograms of explosives,” said IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. “The forensic findings at the scene point to this rocket. Falaq-1 is only in use by the Hezbollah terror group, which carried out this attack from Chebaa.”
The strike was ordered by Ali Muhammad Yahya, a top Hezbollah official, according to IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.
“We share in the grief of the families and embrace the Druze community in its difficult time,” said Hagari. “Once again the brutality of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization is exposed.
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This is a very grave incident, and we will act accordingly.”
Following the attack, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with several officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, and Mossad head David Barnea to discuss Israel’s response.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in the United States during the attack and returned to Israel a number of hours early to deal with the incident.
500 Terrorists Killed in Lebanon
Although Israel has been fighting in Gaza, the IDF has been targeting terrorists to the north. Since the start of the Gaza War, more than 500 terror operatives in Lebanon have been eliminated by the IDF, according to the chief of the military’s Northern Command.
“We have already eliminated more than 500 terrorists in Lebanon, most of them from Hezbollah, and we have destroyed thousands of infrastructures,” Maj. Gen. Ori
Gordin told troops of the Golani Brigade in northern Israel.
Hezbollah has listed 337 of its operatives who have been killed by Israel in recent skirmishes. Israeli defense officials estimate that this figure is in fact higher, and Hezbollah is covering up the true number of fatalities among its ranks.
Hezbollah forces have been attacking Israeli communities and military posts on a near daily basis. The terror group says that it is attacking the Jewish state in support of the war in Gaza.
Thousands of people in Israel have been displaced from their homes in northern Israel because of the threat emanating from the north.
Haniyeh Eliminated
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s life came to an abrupt end early Wednesday morning when he was assassinated by a precise strike Want
Shmueli Spero (Baltimore) & Sari Griver (Lakewood)
It was just hours after Haniyeh had attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian. In response to the attack, Pezeshkian said Iran would “defend its territorial integrity, dignity, honor, and pride, and will make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act.”
Haniyeh had come to Iran on Tuesday and had met with Pezeshkian and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before the ceremony.
Iran and Hamas have pointed at Israel as being behind the killing.
It was the second high-profile assassination attributed to Israel in a matter of hours, coming after an airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah’s top military leader, Fuad Shukr. That strike was made in retaliation of a Hezbollah missile that killed 12 children playing soccer in a Druze town in northern Israel.
Israel has yet to comment on the attack in Iran, but it had vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas after the Gaza-based terror group’s devastating October 7 attack on Israel
that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
Hamas said Haniyeh was killed “in a treacherous Zionist strike on his residence in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of Iran’s new president.”
“Hamas declares to the great Palestinian people and the people of the Arab and Islamic nations and all the free people of the world, brother leader Ismail Ismail Haniyeh a martyr,” the statement added.
Haniyeh, normally based in Qatar, has been the face of the Palestinian terror group’s international diplomacy as the war triggered by the attack has raged in the Gaza Strip, where three of his sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike. He is the most senior Hamas official killed since the war started.
One of Haniyeh’s bodyguards was also killed.
In another statement, Hamas quoted Haniyeh as saying that the Palestinian cause had “costs” and “we are ready for these costs: martyrdom for the sake of Palestine, and for the sake of G-d Al-mighty, and for the sake of
the dignity of this nation.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the killing of Haniyeh was a “cowardly act” and urged Palestinians to remain united against Israel.
“President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, deeming it a cowardly act and a serious escalation,” Abbas’s office said in a statement. “He urged our people and their forces to unite, remain patient, and stand firm against the Israeli occupation.”
Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV cited senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk as saying the slaying was “a cowardly act that will not go unpunished.”
The Hamas-linked Shehab news outlet quoted another senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, as saying that Hamas as a movement was strong enough to outlast the deaths of any of its leaders.
“We are waging an open war to liberate Jerusalem and are ready to pay any price,” Abu Zuhri was quoted as saying.
“This assassination by the Israeli occupation of Brother Haniyeh is a grave escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas and the will of our people and achieve fake goals,” he said. “We confirm that this escalation will fail to achieve its objectives.”
“Hamas is a concept and an institution and not persons. Hamas will continue on this path regardless of the sacrifices, and we are confident of victory,” Abu Zuhri said.
In response to the attack on Iranian soil, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council convened to discuss Iran’s strategy on how to strike back.
Iran’s state media cited the Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement, “The martyrdom of Haniyeh in Tehran will strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond between Tehran, Palestine, and the resistance.”
Haniyeh was elected head of the Hamas political bureau in 2017 to succeed Khaled Mashaal. Haniyeh was well-known as he had been the Palestinian prime minister in 2006. Living in exile at the time, he split his time between Turkey and Qatar. He left
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the Gaza Strip in 2019 to live in Qatar. Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 massacre, is the Hamas leader living in Gaza.
In April, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren.
Safe and Sound
Scott Hern had been lost in the wilderness for 14 days. Rescue teams were combing the Kentucky forest for him for days and were about to give up hope. Finally, on the last day of the search mission, the rescuers found a sign of life.
A team of five rescuers heard a
The moment the good news came over the radio was “exhilarating,” Wolfe County Search and Rescue Chief John May said.
“An inexperienced hiker in a wilderness area for 14 days without food or water, nobody really expected to find him alive like we did,” he said. “It’s really just a miracle that he survived.”
The 48-year-old was last seen on July 6. Hern is from Ironton, Ohio, and his family had reported him missing there. But rangers didn’t know where he was, until they found his truck and ran his plates.
“When he ran his license plate, that’s what kind of triggered this whole event because there was a missing persons report filed in Ohio where he was actually missing from,” a forest ranger said.
On July 20, the team spotted footprints and then one of the rescuers heard a faint noise.
he said.
Hern looked at Eric Wolterman, his rescuer, and thanked him before asking for a hug.
“I think it was the best hug of both of our lives,” Wolterman said.
Hern was “extremely dehydrated” and “his feet were in really bad shape” from blisters and bug bites. Hern couldn’t walk when they discovered him.
Now, he’s lost and found.
Soda Explosions
Flying Southwest? Beware of exploding sodas.
At least 20 flight attendants onboard Southwest flights have been injured by exploding soda cans this summer, including one who required stitches. The extreme heat in certain areas are creating problems with the caffeinated beverages at cruising altitudes, causing them to burst midair.
Many of the airports where Southwest has a large presence — such as
Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin, Dallas, Houston and Sacramento — are located in cities that have already broken temperature records this year.
“We’re aware of the issue and have been taking steps to keep onboard beverages cooler, especially in our airports experiencing extreme temperatures,” spokesperson Chris Perry.
Other airlines don’t have this issue, as Southwest does not serve meals during its flights. As such, the beverages are not kept in cooler areas and are susceptible to these issues. The company is now testing out trucks with air-conditioned cargo areas in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
It’s also telling airport teams to use digital thermometers to take the temperature of cans before loading up each plane and to hold back any cans that read above 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Flight attendants are also told not to open any cans that look misshapen or feel hot to the touch.
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Torah Thought Natural Intelligence
By Rabbi Zvi Teichman
Moshe instructs the nation to wage a battle against the Midianites taking vengeance for their having incited the people to immorality which led to a plague that took 24,000 lives.
As they return from their mission, Moshe — in one of the few moments he frothed with anger — takes them to task for having allowed the Midianite women to survive.
He rhetorically demands, “Why have you kept all the women alive?”
He reminds them, “These are exactly the ones who were involved with
the Children of Israel, at Bilaam’s instigation, 'דב לעמ רסמל — causing them to be unfaithful to G-d in the Pe’or incident and bringing a plague on G-d’s community.” )זט-וט אל רבדמב(
Although the females are singled out as a target since they were the ones who seduced the Jewish men to sin, it appears that it was more related to their inciting the men to first worship their idol Pe’or — before agreeing to submit themselves to them — that they are being held accountable.
The wording used here to identify their failure, רסמל — literally, to give
themselves fully over, 'דב לעמ — in ‘embezzling’ G-d, rather than the more common term, אטח — sinning, deserves attention.
Even more unusual is Moshe — knowing full well that the entire Midianite womenfolk were taken captive rather than killed — poses his query pejoratively, rather than just admonishing them directly and to the point.
Many ask why were they being accused of betrayal when they were never commanded by Moshe to specifically to decimate the female seductresses?
The Holy Shelah asks this question and answers: This matter [punishing the women] is something that simple logic dictates, without any need for a directive, since ‘these are exactly the ones who were involved…’.
ליכשמ — Being that ‘seichel’ — common sense — summons us, we are indeed obligated to implement what we comprehend [to be just] on our own!
Our greatest asset is our intellect. The Avudraham teaches that the blessing we say thanking G-d for being the םירוע
— the Giver of sight to the blind, is referring to our instinctive לכש — intellect, we are gifted with. It is evidently, as the Shelah teaches, the yardstick by which we determine the true will of G-d.
The Talmud describes the way the women succeeded in luring the men to worship Pe’or.
Balak, on the advice if Bilaam, made for them enclosures… and he sat prostitutes in them, with an old woman outside and a young woman on the
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inside. And at the time when Jewish people were eating and drinking and were glad and going out to stroll in the marketplace, the old woman would say to a Jew: Aren’t you seeking linen garments? He would enter the enclosure and ask the price, the old woman would quote him a price equal to its value, and the young woman would quote him a price less than its value. That scenario would repeat itself two or three times.
And thereafter she would say to him: You are like a member of our household, sit and choose for yourself the merchandise that you want. And a jug of Ammonite wine was placed near her, and neither Ammonite wine nor gentile wine had been prohibited yet for Jews. She said to him: Is it your wish to drink a cup of wine? Once he drank the wine, his evil inclination burned within him.
He then said to her: Submit to me and engage in intimacy with me. She then removed the idol that she worshipped from her lap and said to him: Worship this. He said to her: Am I not Jewish? I am therefore forbidden from engaging in idol worship. She said to him: And what is your concern? We are asking you to do nothing more than defecate in its presence. But he does not know that its worship is conducted in that manner.
Once he did so, she said to him: Moreover, I will not leave you until you deny the Torah of Moses your teacher. They devoted themselves to the disgrace of defecation and detested the name of G-d.):וק ןירדהנס(
I believe that the grave downfall of the sinners wasn’t as much their succumbing to temptation per se, but rather the moment the seductress beckoned them to toss away ‘common sense’ and engage in the stupid and self-demeaning act of defecating in the presence of the idol, that ‘seichel’ went out the window, permitting in its absence the powerful instincts of man to succumb to temptation with ease.
The verb רסמ implies total submission. Without our built-in GPS — common sense — we become mind-
lessly consumed by the forces around us.
The term לעמ is most often utilized in the context of a sanctified object being unintentionally misappropriated for mundane use and its halachic consequences.
The great sage and linguist, Rav Yaakov Zvi Mecklenberg, claims the root of this verb is לע, literally above, thus לע-מ — from above, alluding to one’s mind being ‘above’ and inattentive to the article — not mindful of that which deserves consciousness.
An adulteress woman is described as one who was השאב לעמ — untrue to her husband. The Maharik famously derives from this usage in this context that even were the husband to have consented to her cavorting with others, or even if she was unaware of the prohibition to be disloyal, the very act cries out ‘treachery’, and she would be prohibited to stay in her marriage. Even when one claims to have been permitted or totally in the dark regarding it being forbidden, common sense determines it is simply not right.
It is thus no wonder Moshe poses the cynical question to the soldiers. He sought to raise their awareness regarding the most vital attribute man possesses — seichel
“How could you have done this?”
Moshe goes on to isolate the critical moment that catalyzed the entire episode of the seduction of the Jewish men.
The instant man misappropriates his ‘seichel’ — engaging in a despicable and nonsensical defecation to an idol, even if he didn’t put his faith in it — is the fatal beginning of descent on the slopes of sin.
That is the gravest sin — no seichel
We are taught by the Holy Arizal that there are three areas where we have made a covenant between man and G-d.
The רועמה תירב — the Covenant over our bodily instincts — shackling our basest desires to His will.
The ןושלה תירב — the Covenant over our tongues — controlling our mouths that represent the torrent of
inner emotions expressed through that instrument.
The ןיעה תירב — the Covenant over our eye’s perceptions — judging the merit of undertaking any action, through the lens of seichel, natural intelligence.
Our emotions and carnal instincts must always be realized on the bedrock of common sense. That is the benchmark for success.
The Midianite women infiltrated into our souls — רסמלcausing us to being given over fully to our impulses, losing our ‘common sense’, and being 'דב לעמ — misappropriating the gift of seichel, remaining vulnerable to the pull of our unleashed emotions and physical urges.
The word ל-ע-מ represents the breakdown of these three forces: ,רועמ ןושל ,ןיע that can only operate properly when ‘seichel’ reigns.
Last week was the yahrtzeit of Faygel Beren a”h, a beautiful and remarkable neshama, daughter of my dear friends Daniel and Rivky Beren. Her mother lovingly shared a touching story about her during the Shiva.
When Faygel was a student in seventh grade, her young and impetuous friends got wind of the news that one of their beloved teachers was expecting. In their excitement and joy for her good fortune — but mixed with a large dose of childish impulsiveness — one of the girls wrote on the blackboard,
‘Our teacher is expecting’! When the teacher arrived and noticed the message on the board, she was taken aback by the breach of privacy and immediately retreated to the principal’s office to compose herself. The principal, hearing of the incident proceeded to the classroom confronting the girls demanding that the one who wrote the message should confess.
This vulnerable moment, laden with a mix of guilt, regret, happiness, and immaturity, was a tinderbox ready to explode. Without some common sense infused into the situation things could turn ugly.
The beloved Faygel, known for her sensitivity, sensibility, and wisdom — despite not having been the culprit — immediately raised her hand to take responsibility.
Everyone knew it couldn’t have been her. But everyone understood her message. These are well-intentioned adolescents deeply happy for their teacher, who in a moment of childish impulsivity made a mistake they all regretted. The principal left, the teacher returned, and through a remarkable dose of common sense, displayed by an inspired student, a moment of stress turned into a joyous expression of purposeful growth. ךורב הרכז יהי
You may reach the author at: Ravzt@ohelmoshebaltimore.com
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6:50 AM Agudath Israel of Baltimore M, TH
Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] M, TH
Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh M, TH
Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion Congregation T, W, F
Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh M, TH
Derech Chaim M-F
Kol Torah M-F
Ohel Moshe S
Ohr Hamizrach [Sefaradi] M, TH
Shomrei Emunah Congregation M, TH
The Shul at the Lubavitch Center M, TH
6:55 AM Beth Abraham T, W, F
Kol Torah M, TH
7:00 AM Aish Kodesh (upstairs Minyan) M-F
Agudath Israel of Baltimore S, T, W, F
Ahavat Shalom [Sefaradi] T, W, F
Arugas HaBosem (Rabbi Taub's) S
Bais Medrash of Ranchleigh T, W, F
Community Kollel Tiferes Moshe Aryeh T, W, F Greenspring Sephardic Synagogue S
Khal Ahavas Yisroel/ Tzemach Tzedek S Kol Torah T, W, F
11:30 PM Agudath Israel of Baltimore (Sunday and Thursday) Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah
Misbehavior in the Classroom Mental Health Corner
Unless you have been living under a rock on Mars, you are aware that one of the biggest challenges in running a classroom is the misbehavior of some of the students. The teacher and the principal will admonish the child and speak to the parents, then the parents will reprimand their child, who will behave for a few days, until the cycle starts again. The glaring question is why can’t we just fix the problem? Find out the reason for the misbehavior, and then deal with it!
If only it were so easy. One of the basic difficulties in reining in misbehavior is that there are numerous potential causes, and some of these factors are not necessarily so easy to repair.
Let us now take a deep dive into the origins of student misconduct by listing many of their root causes.
ADHD: One of the hallmarks of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is restlessness and impulsivity. This will lead to a child acting out with “fun” behavior before thinking about the consequences.
Inferior teaching skills: Not every teacher is a master teacher, and many struggle mightily with classroom management. If your son or daughter is not a little Tzaddik, then they may be swept up with the misbehavior that is often rampant in such classrooms.
Home factors: When life at home is stressful, many students will end up acting out in school. This can be due to illness, abuse, marital discord, etc. Very often the school has no idea that there are challenges at home, which further complicates the situation.
Academically overwhelmed: Many students have academic challenges which make the classroom a very difficult place. One of the defense mechanisms that a child might subconsciously employ is misbehavior. Rather than being outed as “dumb”, they would rather have the label of misbehavior which carried less stigma.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: There are students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which may make it hard for them to know what is considered appropriate behavior in the classroom.
Poor student-teacher relationship: Besides classroom management skills, teachers also need to develop a positive rapport with their students. Some students really need that relationship in order to behave in the classroom. When the “Shidduch” between the teacher and student goes awry, it may lead to misbehavior.
Needs Attention: Some children are not receiving the attention that they need. Per-
haps their parents do not give them enough attention and they are not popular at school. In order to find a niche where they can “shine”, they may turn to mischief in the classroom.
Boredom: Some students are much smarter than their peers, and are extremely bored in the classroom. This may lead to misbehavior as it can be a “fun” way to pass the time.
Lack of respect for the topic: Some students in a Yeshiva setting will misbehave during general studies classes because they do not view these classes as important. This messaging may come from the home, the community, or even the school itself.
Desire for power: As students start going through puberty and begin their adolescence, they start feeling a need for their own independence. This may result in a power struggle between a teacher and a student. To the degree that a student misbehaves against the will of the teacher, the student is asserting their power over the teacher. This may feel intoxicating for a young person who has found their first feelings of independence.
As you can see, there are numerous possible reasons for a child’s misbehavior in the classroom. If all you know is that a child is misbehaving, you basically have no information to work with, since the necessary intervention would be based on the cause or causes, which may be completely unknown. It takes time and effort to get to know the student and to gather information from the parents. With determination, schools, parents, and when necessary other professionals all working together can get a pretty good idea of what the student is struggling with, in order to recommend a specific intervention.
Sometimes, educators may feel angry when dealing with acute misbehavior. Usually, if they would know the root cause of the misbehavior, their anger would vanish. Sometimes, the knowledge of the real reason might just break your heart.
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
OVERVIEW PARSHA
Matos discusses the laws of personal vows, war against Midian, and the request of Reuven and Gad. Masei discusses the 42 journeys of the Jewish people, the borders of the Land, the cities of the Levites and cities of Refuge, as well as Tribal inheritance.
orah TSparks
Parshas Matos/Masei
QUICK VORT
Quotable
Life is not a vacation that we plan, it is a journey that G-d plans and we experience.
Rabbi Ori Strum is the author of Ready. Set. Grow. (Mosaica Press).
His shiurim and other Jewish content can be found on Torah Anytime and Meaningful Minute. He also likes your feedback: rabbistrumo@gmail.com
The Torah recounts the 42 journeys of the Jewish people throughout their time in the desert.
In the paragraph of Shema, we say the words: םב תרבדו - and you shall speak of them The commentaries explain that the word םב - them - is a reference to the Torah; hence you shall speak words of Torah
On some level, perhaps we are also being taught something else that is of great importance to talk about and discuss. The numerical value of םב is 42, perhaps an allusion to the 42 journey's of the Jewish people.
It could be the Torah is teaching us the importance of talking about and discussing our journey
We should talk about the journey of the collective Jewish people as well as our personal journey and life experiences.
Speaking about our journey can help us live with conviction, and can assist in emboldening the lives of our fellow yidden!
PARSHA
Thoughts in
Chassidus
The Nachal Kadumim sees a fascinating remez in the first letters of לארשי
, which spell:
These 4 letters stand for the 4 exiles:
and
Part of the journeying of the Jewish people includes our time we spend in exile
May it be over soon!
Points to
Ponder
Sometimes the tribes of the Jewish people are called “Shevatim” and sometimes they are called “Matos.”
Ironically, both words mean some type of stick or rod.
What is the difference between “Matos” and “Shevatim”? What is the connection between the 12 tribes and sticks?!
Inspiration Everywhere
To Raise a Laugh
Because I’m The Mommy
Every year, I print a camp newsletter one week instead of my usual column, and I feel like I’ve been neglecting a very special kind of camp – Mommy Camp. So here goes:
Wow! Yet another exciting week here at Camp S’dei Home! Between all the games, trips, crafts, laundry, and bugging the kids to spend some time learning, Counselor Mommy didn’t actually get a moment to herself! Yet Mommy still managed to make supper every night and crank out a newsletter for the Shabbos table. And what did Totty do? He went to work?! What did he do at work? I don’t see a newsletter.
Down to a T
On the first day of camp this week, everyone got new T-shirts! Well, new to them Devorah got Moishy’s old shirt, Moishy got Chaim’s old shirt, and so on. In case any totties out there are wondering where their old sleeping T-shirt went.
We Had a Field Day!
Monday was Field Day, and we got to compete in things that Mommy would normally yell at us for, such as walking briskly while balancing a raw egg on a spoon, sticking our feet in a bucket of ice cubes, and a really loud singing competition. There was also a toilet-paper-mummy race until Mommy found out. Then we had a respooling race.
Field Day Field Trips
Also on Monday, we took a surprise field trip to the dentist, where whoever was good the entire time got to win valuable prizes, such as those tiny treasure chests that you keep teeth in! (NOTE: None of the kids actually lost any teeth. They just wanted the chests.) Then we took a field trip to the pet store, which FYI the kids no longer believe is a zoo. And that’s how we ended up with a lizard.
Backyard “Eating”
For lunch on Monday, we had a picnic, because it turns out that eating outside is more fun if you call it a picnic. But Moishy kept collecting the ants in his tooth chest to, quote, “feed the lizard”, Miriam started swinging the
food bag around, and when Mommy got up to deal with that, some birds helped themselves to the egg salad.
It was no picnic.
Disappearing Like Magic!
On Tuesday morning, Counselor Mommy announced that the camp was having a surprise visitor. It was Savta! Who had not been told that she was stepping into the middle of a camp day! The kids kept asking her to do magic tricks and entertain them, and long story short, she did not stick around for supper. You’re welcome.
It Was In Tents
Also on Tuesday, we had an overnight in the backyard! Well, actually, no one was brave enough to do an overnight, because of the possums, so we did an overday instead. We set up tents and had hot cocoa and Mommy told everyone a scary story and put us to bed. No one was able to fall asleep. It could have been the scary story, or it could have been the fact that it was broad daylight. It’s also possible that our hot cocoa has caffeine.
Long Story Short
When we came back inside, we spent hours working on a single massive Cheerios necklace, using an entire spool of thread and a huge box of Cheerios Mommy bought at Costco. We also played, “We Pass the Baby Around,” for a solid half hour, at which point the baby threw up. The person holding her was out.
Teaming Up
Wednesday we had Color War! It all began when Mommy woke up and realized that the Cocoa Club had colored on the walls. In both red and blue marker. So Mommy was upset, and no one would admit who did it, and the kids were chanting, “Color War breakout! Color War breakout!” So that’s what we called it. But there was definitely a lot of yelling, and the kids were wearing clothes colored with their team colors, and then there was a race where the kids ran and Mommy ran after them… In short, everybody had to spend the day scrubbing marker off the walls. Nobody won Color War.
By Mordechai Schmutter
In other Wednesday news, the baby ate the entire Cheerios necklace, including the string.
Wet n’ Wild
On Thursday, the kids had a water bomb fight using wet sponges! In the kitchen! Well, it started in the kitchen, while Mommy was upstairs. It ended in Totty’s home office.
Let’s Go Shopping!
By Thursday, the canteen had run out of food, so we took a special field trip to the supermarket. But first, we had to go to the bank. When we got there, everyone sang, “2! 4! 6! 8! Who do we appreciate? The driver! The driver! Yay… the driver!” Mommy was not amused.
We also played several fun games in the supermarket, such as Food Bingo, Beat the Clock (which turned into shopping-cart races), What Does It Weigh?, and Let’s Ask the People Around Us What They Weigh. On the way home, we played a game called, “Let’s See Who Could Be Quiet in the Car the Longest!” And the winner was Mommy. Congratulations, Mommy! You get to keep the lizard!
Rolling in Dough
On Friday, all the campers helped make challah! And fish, and kugel, and cholent, and potato salad… Later, we played a game in which there were toys all over the living room floor, and whoever could clean up the most would win! As of the writing of this newsletter, the game is still ongoing.
Every Little Bit
As this exciting summer is winding to a close, tips will be appreciated. We’ve enclosed a handy chart of suggested amounts. Note that if your child’s counselor, Morah, JC, and lunch person is all the same staff member, you can combine the totals and put them in one envelope. You’re Welcome!
Mordechai Schmutter is a freelance writer and a humor columnist for Hamodia and other magazines. He has also published eight books and does stand-up comedy. You can contact him at MSchmutter@gmail.com.
Tech Triumphs
Unintentional Insults As heard by Rebbetzin Sara Gross
We were planning a party for my in-laws, and everyone had their own opinions. We formed a texting group to accommodate everyone’s communication, and the messages were flying back and forth. I tried to keep up with the flood of ideas to celebrate their big anniversary, but it wasn’t easy. Finally, I put in my two cents about what I thought would make my in-laws feel special on this momentous occasion. To my horror, one of my sisters-in-law wrote back a scathing text in the group chat, venting her frustration about my idea.
I realized from what she wrote that she was hurt by something I said and misunderstood me to mean she was
being inconsiderate. I felt terrible! Right then, I tried to arrange a Zoom call to plan the event, hoping a face-to-face conversation would avoid conflict. It was definitely easier to have a texting conversation, but it wasn’t worth hurting anyone’s feelings due to unclear connotations.
DID YOU KNOW: When you get a new phone or computer, what do you do with the old one? Some people throw it out since they’re not using it anymore. However, many will put it aside, figuring they might find a use for it later. Unfortunately, those old devices can become an easy way for someone in your home, like a child or teenager, to access the internet
unfiltered.
This could be a smartphone or laptop that was never filtered, or maybe you transferred its filter to your new device and left the old one unprotected. It could even be a basic flip phone that you didn’t realize could connect to the unfiltered internet (just about all basic phones can connect to the inter-
net unless software is installed to block it).
Children are naturally curious and often mischievous, posing a high risk that they will find that old device in a desk or dresser drawer and explore its features. Therefore, it’s crucial to either dispose of the device properly or install software to block internet access.
The good news is that software that will completely block the internet is available for most devices, and it is usually free. The “blockall” is a public service offered by filtering companies, and it’s very worthwhile to take advantage of it for the safety of your children and your home.
Parenting Pearls Quiet Whispers
By Sara Rayvych, MSEd
Iwoke up Erev Shabbos, opened my mouth to say something, and I couldn’t speak. I was only mildly surprised to have lost my voice. I had been sick for a few days with a virus I was sure I had picked up from one of my kids. That child’s last days of being sick came with losing her voice, too.
I have noticed an interesting phenomenon whenever I’ve lost my voice. As my voice gets quieter, the children’s follow. As I could barely speak above a whisper, my children, too, were speak-
ing to me in hushed tones. The children didn’t even realize they were speaking quietly, until another one would say, “Why are you whispering, too?” This happened multiple times throughout the day, and my house was, overall, a little quieter than usual.
This unintended social experiment was a further reminder of the importance of tone of voice within a family. We naturally raise our voice the louder the children do, but that’s not always the best course. Yes, we may have to speak
loudly to be heard in a crowded park, but trying to out-scream a misbehaving child is rarely the best option.
Tone of voice is an important part of communication. We can convey anger, warmth, happiness or longing simply with the tone we use. For example, let’s take the phrase, “What are you doing here?” It could be said with surprise or excitement, and they’ll know we are thrilled to see them. It can also be said with anger or disappointment, and they’ll realize we are sorry they arrived. It’s the same words, but the meaning is worlds apart.
Kids and Tone
While holding a friend’s baby, a woman sternly told her own six-yearold to stop what he was doing. The baby became very upset and began to cry, quickly rushing towards safer arms. She had not yelled, nor had she been addressing the baby, but the little one still felt unsafe.
I’ve been able to appreciate the role of tone of voice since getting married. While many may joke they don’t speak the same language as their in-laws, I truly do not share a common language with my in-law. I’ve been pleasantly surprised how well we can communicate despite this hindrance. It may have taken a while to understand each other, but these methods of communication are unexpectedly effective. Beyond words – which are certainly important – is an entire realm of nonverbal cues. Tone is just one of these, but it’s a major part of communication.
I’m using the simple word “tone” to describe the many different aspects of our voice that are beyond words. This includes pitch, volume, word emphasis and rate of speech. It’s a miracle from Above that we have so many ways to convey meaning – and we often don’t even need to think about it.
Tone plays an even more prominent role with babies, children and anyone who may not fully understand our language. When we don’t have words, we have to use facial expressions, behavior and tone to make sense of the world around us. Babies are especially sensitive to the way we speak and will judge the safety of their environment based on the volume and tone of the adults around them. It’s when we are speaking to the youngest of people that we need to be especially careful with our tone. Children very much care how their parents view them and want to feel loved. As parents, we want our tone to convey warmth and affection. We can make even our everyday, mundane conversation meaningful when we keep our tone warm and friendly. We can also maintain eye contact with our children while they speak with us, showing them how much we value them.
At times, our tone may conflict with our words, causing confusion. We could mean one thing, but the opposite meaning is conveyed. We want our intentions to be clear, and appropriately controlling our voice provides clarity
and accurate meaning to our words.
While it may sound silly, it can be very helpful to practice the way we speak. This can be done in private, or with someone else listening. Mirrors are optional. This gives us the opportunity to get our tone to match our meaning when we’re not under stress or distracted.
Keep It Even
It’s not uncommon for parents to raise their voice over and above that of their screaming child. This is instinctive, but rarely effective. This can quickly escalate, and nobody wins.
When adults yell at kids, it’s often a sign the parent has lost control. The adult feels more out-of-control as they yell, and a vicious cycle begins. I want to stress that adults cannot win under these circumstances. Even if the adult “wins” that battle, they’ve still lost because of the resulting damage to their child and their relationship.
It’s often the calm tone of a parent that can deescalate an emotionally charged child. This will more quickly restore peace and allow the parent to be mechanech their child effectively. Additionally, maintaining an even tone
keeps the parent calmer, too.
To be most effective, our tone should not be aggressive, but emotionally even. We should speak in a normal volume, not raising our voices. We can sound firm, we can sound serious, but we want to appear
Additionally, children know if a parent frequently screams, and they may quickly tune out that adult’s yelling. In contrast, they will respond quickly when they hear a generally calm-speaking adult raise their voice. They under -
in control of ourselves and the situation.
In general, adults should try to not get angry or lose control. I know this is asking a lot, and this is more of a goal than something I expect anyone to magically acquire from reading an article. It takes practice and working on oneself, but knowing how much this can make a difference can be the impetus for change. This isn’t an allor-none, and parents should appreciate the improvement they can make just by remaining calmer longer or in circumstances they couldn’t previously.
stand that if a calm-speaking parent yells, it’s important or an emergency.
Real Life Teachers
We are our child’s main teacher, and they learn to communicate from watching us. We are setting these precious children on the path for their future relationships. It’s we who teach them how to behave and what is appropriate to expect from others.
We certainly want them to learn to develop healthy and positive relation-
ships as they get older and reach adulthood. As they observe how we speak to them, they will learn how to parent. When they see us address our spouse, they will learn how to talk to their own spouse. And, most importantly, from seeing how we talk to our loved ones, they will absorb what they should expect from those around them. What should they expect from their close friends and future spouse: love and respect or yelling and anger?
Modulating our voice is one technique we can use to make every word we say more meaningful and effective. It takes practice and intention, but we can use the nuances of our voice to build a generation that is emotionally healthy and loved.
May Hashem help us to make every word we say bring bracha into the lives of those around us.
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.
Common Cents
By Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST
The Power of Compounding: Reaching Life’s Important Milestones
Whether buying a house, funding a child’s education, or retiring comfortably, financial planning is crucial to achieving many of life’s significant milestones. One of the most powerful tools in your financial arsenal is the concept of compounding. Albert Einstein reportedly called compound interest the “eighth wonder of the world.” But what exactly is compounding, and how can you harness its power to reach your financial goals? Let’s jump right into it with a lesson on compound interest and appreciate its significance in your financial life.
Key Terms and Concepts
1. Compound Interest: Compound interest is the interest on a loan or deposit, calculated based on the initial principal and the accumulated interest from previous periods. This means you earn interest on your interest, leading to exponential growth over time.
2. Principal: The principal is the initial money invested or loaned.
3. Rate of Return: The rate of return is the percentage of profit or loss on an investment over a specified period. For this blog, we’ll use the historical average annual return of the S&P 500, which has been around 10% over the long term, including dividends reinvested.
4. Time Horizon: The time horizon is the time over which an investment is expected to be held before being liquidated.
5. Dividends: Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholders, usually as a distribution of profits. Reinvesting dividends can significantly boost the growth of your investment through compounding.
The Power of Compounding: Examples
To illustrate the power of compounding, we will model two scenarios: investing $20 per week for 18 years and investing $500 per month for 25 years, using the historical average return of the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested. I like these examples because they require discipline and commitment but are reasonably achievable for people committed to spending less than they earn consistently.
Scenario 1: Investing $20 per Week for 18 Years
Let’s start with a modest investment of $20 per week. This scenario is perfect for those just beginning their investment journey or looking to build a small nest egg for future needs. It is also a great strategy for young parents who want to set aside money for their children. A financial leg up from mom and dad in the early years of adulthood can dramatically change the trajectory of their financial lives.
Initial Investment: $0
Weekly Contribution: $20
Time Horizon: 18 years
Annual Rate of Return: 10% (S&P
500 historical average with dividends reinvested)
Total Contributions = $20×52 weeks/year ×18 years = $18,720
After compounding at a 10% rate for 18 years, we find that this account will have a balance of approximately $54,870
This means an investment of $18,720 generates $36,150 of investment earnings!
Scenario 2: Investing $500 per Month for 25 Years
Now, let’s consider an investment of $500 per month. This scenario suits individuals looking to build significant wealth over a longer period for goals such as retirement or financial freedom later in their careers. A monthly contribution of $500/month totals $6,000 annually, well below the current annual limit for traditional and Roth IRA accounts in 2024.
Initial Investment: $0
Monthly Contribution: $500
Time Horizon: 25 years
Annual Rate of Return: 10% (S&P
500 historical average with dividends reinvested)
First, let’s calculate the total contributions over 25 years:
Total Contributions = $500 × 12 months/year × 25 years = $150,000
After compounding at a rate of 10% for 25 years, the account will have a balance of approximately $598,753.
This means an investment of $150,000 over 25 years generates $448,753 of investment earnings!
Conclusion
These examples vividly demonstrate the incredible power of compounding.
By investing regularly over a long period, even modest contributions can grow into substantial sums. The key takeaways from these scenarios are:
1. Long-Term Investing:
The longer your money is invested, the more time it has to grow. Starting early and being consistent with your contributions can significantly impact your financial future.
2. Compounding Over Time: Compounding allows your investments to grow exponentially. Reinvesting dividends and earnings can further accelerate this growth, maximizing your returns.
3. Significant Earnings: In both scenarios, the investment earnings far exceeded the total contributions, highlighting the power of compounding. In the first scenario, earnings were nearly double the contributions; in the second scenario, they were almost three times the contributions.
By understanding and leveraging the power of compounding, you can achieve important financial milestones and secure a brighter financial future. Whether you start with $20 a week or $500 a month, the key is to start investing as early as possible and remain consistent. Over time, the magic of compounding will work in your favor, helping you reach your financial goals and beyond. Investing is a journey, and with the power of compounding, you can turn small, regular contributions into significant wealth over time. So, take the first step today and watch your money grow exponentially.
Practical Steps to Start Investing
1. Determine Your Goals: Identify your financial goals and time horizon. Whether it’s retirement, buying a house, or funding education, having clear goals will guide your investment strategy.
2. Start Small: You don’t need a large sum of money to start investing. Begin with what you can afford and increase your contributions as your financial situation improves.
3. Choose the Right Investments: Consider investing in low-cost index funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the S&P 500. These options provide diversification and have historically delivered strong returns.
4. Reinvest Dividends: Ensure that your dividends are reinvested to take full advantage of compounding.
5. Stay Consistent: Make regular contributions to your investment account, regardless of market conditions. Consistency is key to longterm success.
6. Monitor and Adjust: Periodically review your investment portfolio and make adjustments as needed to stay on track with your goals.
By following these steps and harnessing the power of compounding, you can achieve financial success and confidently reach important life milestones. Start investing today, and let time and compounding work their magic.
Common Cents is now digital on YouTube @CommonCents613
The decision to start saving and investing is yours, but the “how” can be hard. Email commoncents@northbrookfinancial.com to schedule a free financial planning consultation with our team.
Elliot Pepper, CPA, CFP®, MST is Co-Founder of Northbrook Financial, a Financial Planning, Tax, and Investment Management Firm. He has developed and continues to teach a popular Financial Literacy course for high school students.
Is Israel’s Judicial System Stabbing the Country in the Back?
By Bracha Jaco B son
ike many Israelis, Sa’ar Ofir woke up on October 7 in his home in the pastoral village of Elkana to the sound of the air raid siren. Hamas had just unleashed a barrage of more than 5,000 rockets as the opening salvo to its murderous rampage that would leave 1,200 Israelis dead.
Glancing at his cellphone in the bomb shelter, Sa’ar was shocked to see videos of the white Toyota pickup trucks jammed with Hamas gunmen racing through Sderot. Having recently completed his mandatory military service in a special forces unit, Sa’ar knew that something terrible was happening.
Sa’ar didn’t think twice. Putting on a spare uniform left over from his army days and without being asked, Sa’ar sped off towards Gaza “in order to do whatever I could to save people.”
Arriving at the burning Gaza-area communities, Sa’ar was greeted by a hail of bullets and a trail of bodies. Together with two other civilians he met at the scene, Sa’ar fought hundreds of Hamas terrorists in a desperate effort to blunt the invasion.
The chaos reigned supreme; the IDF’s Gaza Division had fallen to Hamas, the air force wasn’t functioning, and it was every man for himself. Nothing stood between the 3,500 Hamas terrorists and the rest of Israel – Sa’ar and first responders like him who headed into the inferno unasked were the first and last line of defense.
Sa’ar and his ad hoc team battled together with YAMAM commandos for almost three days, killing hordes of marauding Hamas gunmen and saving dozens of Israelis trapped in their vehicles and their homes. Immediately afterwards, he joined his IDF reserve unit and spent the next five months seeing heavy combat in places like Gaza City, Jabaliya and Khan Younis.
Yet the shock he felt on October 7 was nothing compared to what he experienced in early July when a team of burly detectives hauled him away in handcuffs. Police suspected that the dumbfounded war hero and his informal team had killed a Hamas commando on October 7 that could have been arrested instead. They were charging
him with first degree murder; all three face decades in prison if convicted.
“It is absolutely despicable that this is how the fighters who saved civilians and members of the security forces are treated,” Sa’ar told Israel’s Yediot Aharonot newspaper. “There were moments during the fighting where I was sure we would all be killed. I didn’t murder anyone – I eliminated terrorists who had already succeeded in killing Israelis. And they want to put me in prison?”
The episode caused a firestorm in Israel. The public outrage isn’t only regarding the shameful treatment of ordinary Israelis who saved lives but over the hostile treatment and attitude the country’s judicial system has demonstrated throughout Operation Iron Swords.
The Office of the Public Attorney treated Sa’ar and his friends like hardened criminals. Police investigators requested at the arraignment that Sa’ar and his friends remain behind bars until trial, something commonly reserved only for violent repeat offenders.
After being forced to drop the murder charge due to the uproar, the State Attorney’s Office refused to release the trio and decided to charge them with weapons offenses instead. The team’s decision to use M4 rifles taken from the bodies of murdered IDF soldiers when their ammunition ran out is now being treated as a crime akin to robbing the armory at a military base.
It didn’t end there. In subsequent interviews, Sa’ar related that prosecutors deleted exculpatory videos on his cellphone that would have cleared him beyond the shadow of a doubt. In press releases, police consistently refer to Sa’ar and his fellow suspects as “Israelis suspected of murdering a Palestinian and stealing weapons” – without mentioning that the “Palestinian” in question was a terrorist belonging to Hamas’ Nukhba commando unit and that the firearms in question were used to halt a massacre.
The controversy is the latest iteration in a series of moves by Israel’s judicial system that has left large swaths of society scratching their heads. The repeated pro-Hamas and anti-IDF decisions by the High Court of Justice and the Office of the State Attorney have people asking whose side they are really on.
The Judicial Revolution and Standing
The role of the judiciary in Israel has long been the subject of contentious debate. At the center of this debate stands the High Court of Justice, a pillar of the Israeli legal system tasked with safeguarding democratic principles and upholding the rule of law.
Yet, in recent years, a significant segment of Israelis has increasingly voiced opposition to the court, citing concerns over what they perceive as judicial overreach –particularly the penchant of justices to force their personal progressive and often post-Zionist beliefs on the public. One of the primary concerns is the court’s willingness to intervene in matters traditionally considered within the purview of the executive or legislative branches.
This includes decisions on military operations, settlement policies, and the status of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. Critics argue that the court’s rulings on the legality of Israeli settlements have undermined government policy and encroached on matters of national security.
Similarly, decisions on issues such as immigration policies and the rights of asylum seekers have drawn ire from those who believe such matters should be left to elected officials. Since Chief Justice Aharon Barak began what is commonly known as the “Judicial Revolution” in 1993, the High Court has shuttered critical news outlets, banned the IDF from undertaking operations crucial to national security, and repeatedly prevented the Knesset from expelling African migrants.
Matters came to a head in 2023, when elections brought into power Israel’s first-ever homogenous rightwing government.
Rankled by what they felt was years of judicial overreach, nationalist parties were determined to seize what was a unique chance to radically revamp Israel’s judiciary.
The attempt failed, however, after a me -
Ofir, in an interview with i24
dia-led campaign tarred the effort as a “coup” aimed at installing an alleged fascist dictatorship that would destroy Israel’s democratic system of government. The resistance was the most divisive in the country’s history and saw hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets, capital flight, and widespread insubordination by IDF units.
While already on life support, the final nail in the coffin was the October 7 massacre. Horrified by the atrocities and the incomprehensible death toll, Israelis across the political spectrum put aside their differences and worked together in order to defeat the Hamas terror machine.
“United We Will Win” read the ubiquitous slogan that was splashed across the country, in advertisements, on the sides of skyscrapers, and on bumper stickers. Highly divisive groups such as Achim L’neshek that led the opposition to the judicial reform by promoting insubordination within the military ran joint volunteering efforts with Bnei Akiva and Im Tirtzu, right-wing NGOs that had described the said reforms as crucial to maintaining Israel’s Jewish identity.
All across the country, people put aside their differences in order to support their country. That is, save for the judicial system. Over the past six months, the High Court of Justice has repeatedly and consistently undermined the IDF and the government’s effort to dismantle Hamas and ensure Israel’s security.
This has been done in a number of ways. The first has been the willingness by the High Court of Justice to hear petitions against the IDF by radical anti-Israel NGOs and even the Palestinian Authority itself.
Its openness to appeals from any petitioner, regardless of standing, has led to rulings that undermine critical governmental decisions aimed at protecting Israeli security and sovereignty.
A bedrock of legal theory is the principle of Standing, or the requirement that a person or party must have a sufficient connection to, and harm from, the issue in dispute to bring a case before a court. Essentially, it ensures that those who seek judicial intervention have a direct and tangible interest in the outcome of the case and that only those directly affected by a legal issue have the opportunity to seek redress in court.
A central plank of Justice Aharon Barak’s “Judicial Revolution” was adopting what is widely considered the world’s most liberal interpretation of Standing. The High Court of Justice allows anyone to petition on any and all issues – even noncitizens and non-Israeli residents.
Take Sdei Teiman, a desert detention facility set up by the IDF after October 7 to hold the thousands of terrorists it had seized during the massacre and the subsequent invasion of Gaza. The large number of detainees overwhelmed Israel’s civilian prison system, necessitating the establishment of a large holding facility for interning and interrogating prisoners.
In May, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel asked the High Court of Justice to shutter the facility. The far-left nonprofit alleged that the conditions violated the human rights of the Nukhba terrorists held at the site and detailed allegations of severe abuse.
Yet rather than dismiss the petition automatically, the High Court held no less than four full days of deliberations – forcing senior IDF officers to abandon their troops on the battlefield and head to Jerusalem in order to argue their case before the court. At the end, the justices ordered
that Israel shutter the facility and banned it from using it for holding terrorists longer than a few days.
The lack of sufficient prison space and the sudden illegality of converting military bases into detention facilities left the IDF in a lurch. Stuck with no good options, Israel began releasing hundreds of terrorists back into Gaza –severely harming its deterrence and lowering its bargaining power vis-a-vis Hamas over a possible prisoner swap.
The absurdity was illustrated in late June when Israel sent home Mohamed Abu Salmiya, the director of Gaza’s infamous Shifa Hospital that was utilized as Hamas’ central headquarters. The High Court’s concern for the wellbeing of proven murderers led to Salmiya gaining his freedom, despite slam-dunk evidence that he played a crucial role in holding Israeli hostages at the medical center after October 7.
The decision to release the terror mastermind and hundreds of others like him was a direct result of the High Court’s ruling and resulted in a wave of criticism from Israelis from across the political spectrum.
“The release of the director of Shifa Hospital is a serious mistake and a moral failure. The place of this man, under whose responsibility our abductees were murdered and held, is in prison,” fumed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir blasted the move as “security negligence” and warned that it would lead to more IDF soldiers dying on the battlefield.
lis have been murdered,” the father of an IDF soldier killed on October 7 told the justices. “You should be representing us. You should be defending Israeli citizens and not terrorists.”
The High Court of Justice even agreed to hear petitions against Israel’s elected government that were filed by the Palestinian Authority – a hostile entity that actively funds and supports terrorism. After a law passed by the Knesset in March allowing victims of Palestinian terrorism and families of those killed in such attacks to pursue compensation from the Palestinian Authority, the PA appealed for redress from Israel’s High Court of Justice.
The petition was accepted by Israel’s highest bench, violating a basic legal principle prohibiting courts from adjudicating appeals brought against its elected government by foreign countries.
Then there was the hearing brought by a bevy of radical anti-Israel nonprofits alleging that the IDF was starving Gazans by not allowing in sufficient amounts of humanitarian aid. Accepting their claims that Israel wasn’t doing enough to alleviate the plight of ordinary Gazans, the High Court of Justice issued temporary directives against the government and demanded that it prove that it is adequately supplying humanitarian assistance to meet its legal obligations to the Palestinian population in the conflict-affected region.
“We’re here to help. This court is at your service,” Justice Yitzhak Amit told the petitioners. His remarks were
“Imagine Winston Churchill being arrested by the Scotland Yard for inciting against German civilians during World War II. This is what we’re dealing with here.”
The High Court’s eagerness to assist Hamas prisoners goes far beyond shuttering the Sdei Teiman detention facility. After Ben-Gvir ordered an end to the sumptuous meals afforded to security detainees, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned the Court alleging that the decision would lead to malnutrition and violated international law.
Justices immediately accepted the petition, setting off days of emergency hearings. During the proceedings, the High Court expressed strong disapproval of the decision to reduce food portions, labeling it as “unacceptable” and closely scrutinized the menu afforded to prisoners.
Throughout the hearings, the jurists repeatedly demonstrated their concern over the plight of convicted murderers. Justice Daphne Barak-Erez questioned why an expert nutritionist wasn’t consulted prior to reducing the food quality within prisons, while Justice Khaled Kabub raised concerns about the disparity between the menus provided to security prisoners and those given to criminal prisoners.
Protesting outside the hearing were hundreds of families of terror victims who were shocked at the extent that their country’s highest court was making itself available for terrorist gunmen.
“We’ve been fighting for years for harsher conditions for terrorists, and meanwhile thousands of Israe -
hotly criticized by Israelis wondering why top jurists seemed to be concerned more with the plight of a hostile population than with the country they live in and that is fighting a difficult war after a brutal massacre.
Protecting the Terrorists
Needless to say, the High Court’s ruling harms the war effort significantly. Not only does it make it difficult for the IDF to use humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip and restrict it from falling into the hands of Hamas, it plays into the hands of Israel’s critics internationally who accuse the Jewish State of committing genocide.
Over and over again, the High Court has run roughshod of every legal norm and common sense in order to intervene into how Israel treats jailed murderers. When the Public Defender’s Office refused to afford Nukhba terrorists with free legal representation, the Court ordered that Israel retain white shoe law firms on their behalf instead, with taxpayers footing the bill.
When taken together with the justices’ progressive beliefs, the High Court’s elimination of the legal principle of Standing has resulted in a chilling and harmful effect on Israel’s government. Concerns of hostile rulings at the hands of High Court justices has had a deterring effect, forcing government entities into self-defeating moves designed to prevent radical left-wing groups from bringing
petitions before the court in the first place.
For example, the IDF’s legal department released a new directive banning the military from targeting Gazans who invaded Israel on October 7 if they were not card-carrying Hamas members. To illustrate, the Bibas family that was seen being led away on October 7 from their Kibbutz Be’eri home to captivity (where they remain today) was captured not by Hamas commando units but by ordinary Gazans.
Under the aforementioned order, these kidnappers enjoy complete and blanket immunity for their actions. IDF Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the army’s top lawyer, followed with another directive prohibiting troops from targeting Hamas police officers, even those armed with heavy weapons.
In addition, the IDF is not allowed to assassinate anyone not belonging to Hamas’ military units. At the height of all-out war and only nine months after the worst massacre in Israel’s history, the terror group’s management, lawyers, support staff and leadership were now suddenly out of bounds.
Affording security to anyone who is not a card-carrying Hamas military operative has a deleterious, perhaps fatal, effect on Israel’s goal of ending the terror group’s reign over Gaza. Such an effort demands destroying not only the organization’s fighting arm but its very ability to function – its managers, bank accounts and propagandists.
Off-the-record remarks by furious military officials blamed the High Court of Justice for the change. “It was
idents for pointing out in a Cabinet meeting that the vast majority of Gazans support Hamas and the October 7 massacre.
Should it proceed, the probe would be the first documented instance in history that a country’s minister is being brought to justice for remarks against an enemy population during war.
“Imagine Winston Churchill being arrested by the Scotland Yard for inciting against German civilians during World War II. This is what we’re dealing with here,” wrote Israeli pundit Gadi Taub.
Aisman’s unprecedented probe reportedly stems from his desire to show the International Court of Justice that Israel is actively holding government officials accountable for controversial statements. It was hotly criticized within the Office of the State Attorney itself and came in the wake of the International Court of Justice’s January ruling mandating Israel to take action against instances of direct and public incitement to genocide.
“The state prosecutor is trying to make an Israeli minister stand trial for ‘incitement’ against citizens of an enemy state that danced on the blood of our soldiers on the streets of Gaza on October 7,” declared Ben-Gvir. “Instead of the Israel Security Agency and state prosecutor carrying out assassinations in Gaza, they are trying to assassinate an Israeli minister.”
The South African-led effort to convict Israel in the International Criminal Court of Justice had been roundly condemned by a near-consensus of Israelis. Aisman’s decision to open a criminal investigation into a currently serving Israeli minister demonstrates that the judicial
Having Israel’s top legal officials join the anti-Israel chorus gave fresh ammunition to the legions of critics accusing the country of crimes against humanity.
only a matter of time before some NGO or another appealed. Should the judges accept their claims, we would be unable to target any terrorist, ever – not only in Gaza but anywhere. This would severely weaken our national security,” said the high-ranking officer.
Jeopardizing Israel’s Security
While responsible for the main thrust of the lawfare crippling Israel’s ability to fight, the High Court of Justice is not alone. Joining it is the State Attorney’s Office, Israel’s main prosecutor, and an entity long known for its radical left-wing agenda.
As detailed in the Sa’ar Ofir saga, district attorneys have been overseeing aggressive prosecutions into Israelis forced to defend themselves against Arab rioters in Judea and Samaria. Matters often extend into the theater of the absurd.
In what many Israelis initially believed was satire, State Prosecutor Amit Aisman has requested permission from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to initiate a criminal investigation into National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The investigation aims to address allegations that Ben-Gvir incited violence against Gaza res-
system is determined to implement the rulings of the heavily biased and anti-Israel Court, even at the risk of harming the war effort.
It’s important to highlight that persecuting a country’s military personnel and government officials due to the dictates of an international court is unprecedented. When the ICC began probing the actions of American troops in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, Congress responded with the American Service-Members’ Protection Act, a law affording the president power to use “all means necessary and appropriate to bring about the release of any U.S. or allied personnel being detained or imprisoned by, on behalf of, or at the request of the International Criminal Court.”
A subsequent ICC investigation in 2020 into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan was met by an economic and legal offensive against the Court by the Trump administration that included sanctions against ICC personnel, freezing assets of top officials, and denying visas to family members.
“For nine months now, the country, its citizens, soldiers, reservists and even the economy have been mobilized to defeat the Hamas terror monster. The only one
that has refused to get ‘under the stretcher’ has been the judicial system, which seems to have forgotten what side they are on,” tweeted Rafi Eitan, a popular right-wing commentator.
The damage is not limited to currently serving officials in Israel’s legal system, as senior ex-jurists have supported the international narrative alleging Israel is guilty of war crimes. Israeli Justice Aharon Barak was appointed by Prime Minister Netanyahu to represent Israel as a judge at the International Court of Justice in the Gaza genocide case.
The appointment came out of the belief that having someone of Barak’s stature would help Israel’s attempt to counter the claims of genocide. It went through despite his controversial role as the godfather of Israel’s Judicial Revolution and his radical left-wing political views.
Yet Barak voted in favor of two anti-Israel measures in the ICC’s lopsided and biased ruling. This included requiring Israel to do everything “within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip” and ordering “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
Voting against the country one represents at the international legal body is rare, if not unprecedented. In doing so, Barak joined a dubious team of judges from countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Somalia.
Following the ruling, former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit went on record as saying that it was “fair” and “justified.” Having Israel’s top legal officials join the anti-Israel chorus gave fresh ammunition to the legions of critics accusing the country of crimes against humanity.
As Israel grapples with the persistent challenges posed by Hamas in Gaza, its judiciary has emerged as a pivotal and divisive player. While tasked with upholding democratic principles and safeguarding rights, the High Court of Justice’s interventions have sparked intense debate over their impact on national security efforts as its rulings often appear to prioritize the welfare of an enemy population of Israel’s national security.
The uncertainty over whose side the judiciary truly supports taps into broader tensions within Israeli society over the outsized role the judicial system plays in Israeli life. A young mother whose husband recently fell in Gaza asked in a viral tweet on X what many Israelis have been thinking privately.
“Are the High Court justices left-wing Israelis or rightwing Palestinians?” she wondered.
“Some of us would like to know.”
Jewish History
Courting the Antisemitic Vote
By Rafael Medoff
We’re accustomed to politicians courting the Black vote or the Jewish vote or the youth vote. But what about the antisemitic vote?
CNN correspondent John King asserted on July 21 that “there could be some risks” for Kamala Harris if she chooses Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running mate because “he’s Jewish.”
In other words, antisemitic voters would not cast their ballots for a Harris-Shapiro ticket. That may be true. The question is whether courting the votes of bigots should be an acceptable political strategy.
There was a time when America’s major political parties were reluctant to nominate a Catholic for president, for fear of alienating anti-Catholic voters. The Democrats shattered that taboo by nominating New York governor Al Smith for president in 1928.
But some prominent Democrats, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, continued to court the votes of other bigots. From loudly denying that he invited African-Americans to a 1929 luncheon to refusing to support anti-lynching legislation in the 1930s, FDR repeatedly sought to show white racists that he deserved their votes. So did Jimmy Carter, when he declared during the 1976 Democratic primaries that he supported the right of whites to safeguard the “ethnic purity” of their neighborhoods against the “intrusion of blacks” and other “alien groups.”
White racists were not the only bigots whose votes FDR courted. He was concerned about the antisemitic vote, too. The issue came up when FDR met privately with U.S. Senator Burton Wheeler (of Montana), one of his close political allies, on August 4, 1939. Wheeler’s confidential memo about the meeting, dictated to his secretary immediately afterwards, preserved the contents of their conversation.
The two discussed possible presidential candidates in the event that FDR decided not to run for re-election the following year. Among the names that came up
were Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Democratic Party chairman James Farley.
A Hull-Farley ticket “could not get elected,” the president claimed. The problem, Roosevelt and Wheeler agreed, was that “the Jewish-Catholic issue would be raised.” That was because Farley was Catholic and, as Wheeler put it, “Mrs. Hull is a Jewess.”
ident. It was not the first time FDR used that slur behind closed doors.
Franklin Roosevelt, like many politicians before and after him, was keenly attuned to the advantages of choosing candidates, or taking positions, that would appeal to particular segments of the voting populace – even if it meant excluding a possible candidate because
It implicitly justifies FDR’s decision to court the antisemitic vote.
FDR corrected him: “Mrs. Hull is about one-quarter Jewish.” (They were both wrong: her father was Jewish.) The president continued: “You and I, Burt, are old English and Dutch stock. We know who our ancestors are. We know there is no Jewish blood in our veins, but a lot of these people do not know whether there is Jewish blood in their veins or not.”
According to Senator Wheeler’s memo, the conversation also included a casual use of the n-word by the pres -
antisemitic voters might disapprove of his wife’s ancestry.
The prevalence of antisemitism in American society in the 1930s sometimes is cited as the reason for Roosevelt’s policy of suppressing Jewish refugee immigration far below the limits allowed by law. Ken Burns made that argument in his Holocaust film a few years ago.
But that excuse ignores the fact that if FDR had just permitted the existing immigration quotas to be filled—without
liberalizing the immigration system itself—many Jewish refugees could have been saved. More than 190,000 quota places from Germany and German-occupied countries were left unused from 1933 to 1945.
The claim that antisemitism in American society tied FDR’s hands on immigration is not merely a misunderstanding of Roosevelt’s policy options; it’s also a way of saying that the president understandably adopted a policy of reducing Jewish immigration in order to avoid alienating anti-Jewish voters. It implicitly justifies FDR’s decision to court the antisemitic vote.
The Democrats’ nomination of Sen. Joseph Lieberman for vice president in 2000 should have put an end to the old policy of courting antisemitic votes. But a new constituency of antisemitic voters has arisen during the past year – the pro-Hamas protesters who have been using “Zionist” as a codeword for Jew, who have been brandishing signs calling for a “Final Solution,” and who have been celebrating the October 7 attacks, celebrations that President Joe Biden recently characterized as antisemitic.
Those voters are the ones whom CNN’s John King evidently had in mind when he warned of the “risk” of nominating a Jew for vice president. That risk is real – but the Democrats should ignore it, because pursuing the votes of antisemites and other racists is wrong. It gives legitimacy to dangerous extremists who should be kept on the margins of society, not treated as a legitimate part of mainstream American political culture. Bigots deserve to be ostracized, not courted.
Dr. Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and author of more than 20 books about Jewish history and the Holocaust. His latest is America and the Holocaust: A Documentary History, published by the Jewish Publication Society & University of Nebraska Press.
TJH Centerfold
Gold Medal Facts
During the 1904 games in St. Louis, American runner Fred Lorz quit the marathon and hitched a ride in a car to the finish line. But the car broke down four miles from the finish line. So, Lorz ran to the finish line and was promptly awarded the gold medal. His shenanigans were quickly discovered, and the gold medal was rescinded.
Four-time gold medal winner Jesse Owens disclosed that the way he trained himself to run so fast was by imagining that the track was red-hot: therefore, he tried to make sure his feet touched the track as little as possible.
Oscar Swahn (1847-1927), a Swedish shooter, won his last medal at the 1920 Olympics at the age of 72, making him the oldest person to win an Olympic medal.
The gold medals awarded for the top prize are actually silver, with gold plating.
Usain Bolt, a six-time Olympic gold medalist who holds the world record for the 100-meter dash, never in his life attempted to run a full mile.
The five Olympic rings represent the five major regions of the world – Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceana, and every national flag in the world includes one of the five colors, which are (from left to right) blue, yellow, black, green, and red.
Cassius Clay (later, Muhammad Ali) won the light heavyweight boxing gold medal at the Rome Olympics of 1960. He later threw it into the Ohio River in disgust after being refused service in a whites-only restaurant on his return to the USA.
USA swimmer Mark Spitz had a mustache in the 1972 Olympics and jokingly told the Russian swimmers that it kept the water away from his mouth. During the next summer Olympics, all of the Russian swimmers had moustaches.
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time with total of 23 medals.
The Beijing Olympics, 2008, began at exactly 8:08:08 PM on 8/8/08 because the number 8 is considered lucky in China.
The record for the longest name for an Olympic champion is by female Thai weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon.
During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the procession of athletes is always led by the Greek team, followed by all the other teams in alphabetical order (in the language of the hosting country), except for the last team which is always the team of the hosting country.
A gymnast walked into a bar… He got a two-point deduction and ruined his chances of a medal.
Olympic Rewards
Every country rewards their Olympic winners differently. Match the reward with the corresponding country.
1. USA
2. Singapore
3. Malaysia
4. Kazakhstan
5. New Zealand
6. Russia
7. Israel
A. $1 million
B. $40,000 annually until the next Olympics
C. $61,000
D. $275,000
E. $37,000
F. An apartment—the higher the medal, the bigger the apartment
G. A foreign car
Answer: 1-E; 2- A; 3- G; 4-F; 5-B; 6-C; 7-D
Riddle Me This
Four surfers competed in the Olympic surfing finals. Each had a different issue before the competition and finished in different positions.
The surfers are: Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Mick Fanning, and Carissa Moore
Each surfer had one of the following issues:
• Broken Board
• Wind Conditions
• Sprained Hand
• Jellyfish Sting
Here are the clues about what happened:
1. Kelly Slater did not have a broken board.
2. Stephanie Gilmore did not finish lower than second.
3. Mick Fanning had a jellyfish sting before the competition.
4. Carissa Moore did not win the gold medal.
5. Stephanie Gilmore had a sprained hand, so she did not need any other adjustments.
6. Carissa Moore narrowly edged out Kelly Slater at the finish line.
What issue did each surfer have? What place did each surfer finish in the competition?
Answer: Kelly Slater: Wind Conditions, 3rd Place; Stephanie Gilmore: Sprained Hand, 2nd Place
Mick
Notable Quotes
“Say What?!”
How can I travel for rest and vacation when we are fighting a battle on all fronts and soldiers are sacrificing their lives? They’re working hard for us, and we’re going on vacation?
- The Belzer Rebbe explaining to his chassidim why this summer he will not take his usual vacation
People who have been lifelong Democrats refuse to accept the clear reality that the Democratic Party is rapidly become openly antisemitic. This trend is accelerating, not slowing down. Knock, knock. Hello, Captain Obvious here!
- X post by Elon Musk
I’d like to ask the vice president, what has she done to question my loyalty to this country? I served in the United States Marine Corps. I went to Iraq for this country… So my question to Kamala Harris is, what [in the world]l have you done to question our loyalty to the United States of America?
- JD Vance responding to Kamala Harris questioning whether he is loyal to the U.S.
Margaret Thatcher didn’t giggle, and according to the polls, many Americans think the vice president is a little bit of a ding-dong.
- Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), in a Fox News interview, responding to those comparing Kamala Harris to Margaret Thatcher
With respect to former President Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that, you know, that hit his ear.
- FBI Director Christopher Wray, during congressional testimony
Donald Trump is clearly using this as part of his campaign. And if he’s lying about whether he was actually shot, that’s something that the American people should know.
- Rep Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), according to CBS News reporter Scott MacFarlane at the hearing
I’ve waited a while to say this but the burden is now on Trump to show he was shot.
- Juliette Kayyem, former Obama undersecretary for Homeland Security, tweeting in response
What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle.
- Official statement by the FBI, the day after Director Wray’s obviously political statement
Skeptics claim that [Biden’s Oval Office] address wasn’t live because the time on his watch didn’t match the time of the speech… White House aides were excited that Joe outlived his watch battery.
– Greg Gutfeld, Fox News
Vice President Harris has earned the nomination from the grassroots up and not the top down.
– House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) gaslighting Americans while endorsing Kamala Harris
Exchange between a reporter and Pres. Biden about his plan to pack the Supreme Court:
Reporter: Speaker Johnson said it’s dead on arrival.
Pres. Biden: That’s what he is!
Reporter: That’s what he is?
Pres. Biden: He is dead on arrival.
Democrats will happily portray Kamala as Scottie Pippen to Joe’s Michael Jordan, when, in fact, they generally appeared less competent than Abbott and Costello.
- David Marcus, Fox News
I thanked G-d for family he gave me. I asked him to take care of my wife and kids. And I asked for forgiveness for everything I’ve done.
- Julio Cervantes Suarez, the only survivor of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, who was able to roll down the window of the truck under water and grab a piece of the bridge and stay afloat until rescued, in an interview with NBC
I have learned so many times, in having to deal with law enforcement, that there usually is not a perception of a threat when it is a young White male.
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) insinuating that the reason the assassination attempt against Trump happened was because the Secret Service would not consider a white male to be a threat
“We gon’ do it agin in twunny twunny fo!” Kamala seems to have developed Sudden Onset Urban Accent. A condition that the last female presidential candidate famously suffered from.
- Tweet by Matt Walsh after Kamala Harris put on a fake Southern accent at a rally in Atlanta
CNN Awarded Pulitzer For Outstanding Achievements In Deleting Old Stories About Kamala Harris
- Babylon Bee headline
She has been exposed to propaganda. She’s been influenced by antisemitic people. Angie has a connection to the UN, and she’s enjoyed speaking out for refugees. But these people are not refugees.
- Actor Jon Voight, talking about his actress daughter who is part of the rabid anti-Israel movement
[Hollywood’s] way off. They have no idea what’s going on. It’s a bubble.
- Ibid.
They might as well hold up signs saying, “Chickens for KFC.”
- Prime Minister Netanyahu during his Congressional address, talking about certain segments of radical pro-Hamas protesters who live a lifestyle that would be punishable by death in Gaza
Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation in the House Chamber today was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.
- Former Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeting moment after Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a masterful speech in a joint session to Congress that Pelosi and many Democrats boycotted
To me, the values of diversity, equality, inclusion are literally — and this is not kidding — the core strengths of America. That’s why I’m proud to have the most diverse administration in history that taps into the full talents of our country. And it starts at the top with the Vice President.
– Pres. Biden at a rally in May referring to Kamala Harris as a DEI hire, something that if said now by the Republicans is met with outrage and condemnation
Everyone’s fretting over an “escalation” in hostilities following the Majdal Shams massacre. “Diplomats [are] scrambling to prevent a surge in fighting,” says the NYT. Too late. The surge in fighting already happened. It happened on Saturday when Israel lost 12 of its children to the rocket fire of radical Islamists. There are widespread “fears of escalation” after Saturday, says Reuters. That it printed these words next to a photo of a row of small white coffins containing the remains of the kids murdered by Hezbollah is extraordinary. There’s your “escalation,” Reuters. It has already occurred.
- Brendon O’Neill in an article titled, “Why is it only ‘escalation’ when Israel retaliates?”
If they do “assassinate President Trump,” which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth. If that does not happen, American Leaders will be considered “gutless” cowards!
- Social media post by Trump after a report was released that Iran wants to assassinate him
Donald Trump is about to find out being the President of the United States is a Black job.
- Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on X
This was a speech for the history books… This was the type of speech that will be replayed for decades to come.
- NBC’s Kristen Welker
Yes, replayed for decades—at medical schools to teach students what dementia looks like!
- Greg Gutfeld
Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.
- Tweet by Jill Biden
So the woman who lied to us about Joe’s health wants us to trust the other woman that lied to us about Joe’s health.
- Greg Gutfeld
Donald Trump is an elderly man, who, for whatever reason, was given nine seconds to take an iconic photo op during an active shooter situation. Weird situation. We’ll figure that out one day.
– Joy Reid, MSNBC
Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…
Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
I am a very private person. I am very close with my friends – we have all been dating for a few years – and we spend a lot of time together. My friends are super open about who they are dating and how it’s progressing. But that’s not my nature. When it comes to really personal things, I’m more of a “closed” person. My friends always make fun of me that I’m like this. They know that’s not my nature to
share every detail of my dating life, which I feel is private.
I am dating someone for a few weeks now and am hoping that it will progress and eventually be the right person for me. My friends know that I’m dating someone, but they don’t know that I feel that this is “the one.” My concern is for my friends. I don’t want to tell them about who I am dating before I get engaged, but I am concerned that they will be hurt if I don’t tell them beforehand. Do I hint that I’m dating someone seriously before I get engaged? I’m hesitant to do that because I don’t want them to try to get more “info” from me because that would make me stressed that I don’t want to share it. I really love my friends and don’t want them to be hurt if they find out that I got engaged without telling them beforehand.
What do you think is the best way to handle this?
Thank you!
Rachel*
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.
The Panel
The Rebbetzin
Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.
Don’t stress about this now. When the two of you are ready to close the deal and commit to one another, discuss this with the young man or young woman.
S/he will be your life partner. S/ he should understand you by then and know that you have kept things private. S/he will appreciate that aspect of your personality and that the relationship was not publicized. S/he will be sensitive to your needs and your desire not to hurt your friends. Use this opportunity to work on a challenge together.
The Shadchan
Michelle Mond
Iam so happy for you that you are dating someone whom you see a future with! In my experience, it is a mistake for singles to share their dating lives with friends. While friends are well-meaning, there are many instances I’ve seen where friends end up sabotaging a relationship.
I was just talking to someone this week about this exact scenario! An amazing young woman approached me to set her up with a guy she had dated two years ago. At the time, she said no to him because two of her friends fed into her insecurities by speaking about his presentation. “Are you sure you want to settle with HIM? Didn’t you always say you wanted taller?” She started feeling self-conscious and couldn’t look at him in the same way. She ended the relationship, and now, years later, she has terrible remorse and he has yet to agree to date her again. This is just one example of the many scenarios I have seen play out.
Especially since you are a more private person and don’t usually disclose personal things, my advice is to stick with what you are comfortable with. When these friends find out you are
engaged, they will be just as happy and excited for you!
I will end with an important disclosure: it is important to have your “people,” whether it is parents or a wise mentor, who are not nagoya b’davar, to help you navigate bumps in the road. Choose your close circle wisely!
The Single
Tzipora Grodko
Iso appreciate your sensitivity, and your friends are lucky to have you. I’m going to share a very important lesson that I live by: just because someone got hurt, doesn’t mean you did something wrong.
If it’s in the best interest of your relationship and wellbeing to keep this PERSONAL part of your life, well… personal, then you don’t need anyone’s permission to do so. If you still feel nervous, you can choose to make a personal, intimate announcement with individual friends before going public. It’s tough, but you need to do what’s best for you, even if other people might not like it.
The Couple –Yona & Temima
Firstly, I think it’s very considerate and sensitive of you to think of your friends.
You shouldn’t feel obligated to tell them everything. Maybe you would consider telling your friends closer to leading up to the engagement – might sound crazy, but maybe even on the way to the engagement.
In this case, if you’re a private person by nature in general, I’m sure they will understand.
The right friend will be happy for you no matter what.
Dating is beautiful, but at the same time, it can take a toll and open up all these different emotions. Having time
for yourself and not having to worry about what others think, updating everyone and hearing all these different opinions, may be what you need. It can be good sometimes to keep things private and take the time to focus on the two of you.
You shouldn’t feel guilty!
Yonah
This is a valid question, and I had similar feelings throughout dating.
Initially, for me, my hesitancy in sharing details and giving updates on my dating life came from the angle to avoid unnecessary stressors to myself. I didn’t want to be asked questions about my dates, even from close friends and family. I didn’t want unsolicited advice or opinions. I just wanted to date, feel how I felt about the girl and not be influenced one way or the other by people whose remarks were based on assumptions or limited knowledge, so I kept
It’s tough, but you need to do what’s best for you, even if other people might not like it.
dating between me and myself. This mentality concerned people close to me; they felt left out of an important stage of my life. Additionally, I later recognized that I was missing out on valuable support from people who genuinely cared about me and had constructive advice to share.
After dating for a few years, I real-
Temima
ized that, like most things, a healthy balance could be achieved. I began sharing some dating experiences with my family and close friends. I was surprised to find that their feedback was usually reassuring to how I already felt, which helped me through my decisions. Equally as important, their concerns and worries about me dissipated.
My advice would be to share thoughtfully. There may be those who are asking simply to “hock,” and you definitely don’t have to get into details with them. Those close to you, who genuinely care about you, will however be thrilled to know that you are doing well in this area of your life. Their excitement will reflect back to you, and I believe you will find that sharing good times and positive feelings with those around you will encourage and elevate your experience as well.
Wishing much hatzlacha!
The Zaidy
Dr. Jeffrey Galler
My internal alarms scream, “Do not share this very personal aspect of your private life with your friends!”
Perhaps maliciously, or perhaps inadvertently, your friends could easily ruin your relationship with your boyfriend. I’ve heard of too many situations where “helpful” friends can sabotage a potentially wonderful relationship.
Sometimes, “friends” might say something like, “I know about this guy. He is definitely not for you. You can do much better.”
Why would a single girl’s friends ruin a nascent romance? Perhaps they genuinely mean well and are trying to be helpful. Perhaps they are jealous. Perhaps they don’t want to lose a single friend to married life.
Pulling It All Together
The Navidaters
Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
Thank you for writing! I can certainly appreciate that you are a private person. I can also appreciate that you are 1,000 percent entitled to your privacy. It seems (and I could be wrong) that you might be having some difficulty putting your needs before the needs of your friends and you are worried more about their feelings, i.e., them being hurt than your own needs and feelings. If I’m wrong about that, scratch this entire response. If this is feeling right, or in the neighborhood of “Yeah, that resonates,” keep reading.
I don’t believe that any of us “owe”
anyone any information. If we feel that being asked questions is an invasion, and that gives rise to anger, or we are just don’t feel comfortable with sharing because we don’t want to let anyone in because we are scared of vulnerability, this is different issue. Keeping things on the down-low is a choice. Just like sharing about dating is a different choice. And we are all entitled to our choices. If your friends are angry at you or hurt with you for your choice, there is nothing you can do about that, nor should you have to
It doesn’t matter what their motivations might be. My instincts are to beware of sharing such personal information prematurely.
But, then, I shared my opinion about this issue with my wife, who besides being my best friend is also my harshest critic. She accused me of thinking like a man and failing to realize that even very introverted, “closed” women share things with their deepest and closest friends. She explained, “Her friends will be an important part of her life, and she shouldn’t risk harming solid friendships with women who have been there for her through thick and thin.”
So, what should you do?
Since your friends already know that you’re dating someone, and since they already know that it’s not your nature to share dating details, you can say something like, “I’m really happy with how things are going, but I want to keep the details private until things are more settled.”
Let your friends know that even though you won’t be revealing details,
I’ve heard of too many situations where “helpful” friends can sabotage a potentially wonderful relationship.
it does not reflect how much you value their friendship. You can say, “My privacy might seem unusual, but please know that I care deeply about our friendship, and I’m excited to share more with you when the time is right.”
do about that.
I can give you some advice to your questions about what to say and how much to reveal, but I think that wouldn’t be touching upon what may be driving this question: how to be comfortable making your needs a priority and not worrying about or feeling responsible for what others think or how they will feel. So, I think the best way to handle it is to ask yourself, “What do I need?” and “What is coming up for me around making myself a priority?” “What comes up for me when I have acted kindly and in my best interest, at the thought of someone being upset with me?”
It’s worth mentioning that it might be worth exploring your need for this privacy with close friends. I’m wondering if you have anyone that you talk to, bounce ideas off of, or confide in when it comes
to your private matters. I’m wondering if privacy feels sacred or if what feels private is what causes you anxiety, shame, worry, guilt or any other uncomfortable emotion. In other words, is the privacy serving you or guarding you?
If you’re ready and/or would like to make a boundary (and remember, boundaries are kind and they are the path that allows others safe entry into our lives) with your friends, because you want to, you could say something like, “You guys know I am a private person when it comes to my dating life. I wanted to let you know that I am dating someone. I cherish our friendships and want to include you in my life, and I also need some privacy around it as that’s my style and way.”
Wishing you all the best!
Warmly, Jennifer
Life C ach
Summer Sundays
By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS
Let’s talk about summer Sundays. They are those special days we look so forward to. We are off , and the weather is so fine! Or is it?!
What you want is that perfect combination of nice weather and no obligatory event stealing your day.
And then, how do you capture the best of the day? Do you stay home and just enjoy the sun, the outdoors, the ease of it all? Or are there people around saying, “I’m bored”?
Or do you want to get out and do stuff? And how easy is it to get out? Do you want to be just with the kids? With
friends? With family?
Do you want to do the beach? The park? Someone’s pool?
And do you even know someone with a pool?!
Maybe the beach would be a great choice. And then, of course, can you control the traffic? The weather? The kids?
Also, will there even be a place to park when you get there? After all, you don’t want looking for parking to be the day’s activity.
Maybe it would be fun to go to an amusement park? This is always a great choice – at least in your mind. Howev-
er, then you get there! The lines are too long, the weather is too hot, and someone is already nauseous from the Tilt a Whirl.
Many people are wise. They right away join a neighborhood pool or beach club or they were smart years ago and chose parents with their own pool, so they are set weekly with their Sunday plans. This certainly reduces a lot of the problems. Just get there and the day is
What we dream of ultimately is good weather, good friends, quality family time, and everyone keeping busy doing
Hanging with the kids, showing you care.
Better yet, having Sunday help there!
Truly, whatever is someone’s “thing,” they want time to do it.
The thing is, there are so few of these Sundays and so much that conspires to steal them. For instance: Rainy or cold weather. Then again, there are the two possible fast days that, depending on the year, can snatch two Sundays away just like that! Of course, we can’t forget about the Sunday given to Visiting Day! And throw in the price of being popular – a wedding or two or three –
This poem may illuminate some of
Jumping the waves, throwing a
Better yet, hanging on the pool
Sitting down, relaxing in a chair, Talking, shmoozing, having fun.
that snatches a final few Sundays right out from under you.
We hold these days so dear. Yet, there are just not that many of them available to us.
Fortunately, this summer, we do have the two extra ones because the fast days are on Tuesdays. So whatever you decide to do with them, enjoy and hope they are custom-made for you!
In The K tchen
Pescado Al Ajillo by Vera Newman
By Naomi Nachman
If you’re looking for the perfect white fish recipe, look no further. This classic Panamanian dish by my dear friend Vera Newman (author of The Marblespoon Cookbook) is so simple, yet so flavorful. Don’t be fooled by the fish simple ingredient list; this recipe is worth a try. You can watch us make this together on Kosher.com
Make sure to serve it with the Hearts of Palm Mango Salad (recipe on next page).
Ingredients
◦ 5–6 white fish fillets, patted dry
◦ 6 tablespoons butter, softened
◦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
◦ 1 tablespoon mustard
◦ 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
◦ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
◦ ¼ teaspoon salt
◦ Lime slices, for serving
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a bowl, combine softened butter, garlic, mustard, parsley, pepper, and salt.
3. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange fish fillets and brush generously with the butter mixture.
4. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve immediately with lime slices.
Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/ New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet. com or at (516) 295-9669.
The salad reminds me of the food, culture, and colors of Panama City, my hometown. I came up with this concept when I saw these cans of hearts of palm “spaghetti” in the grocery store. They weren’t going to be replacing pasta in my book, but I could definitely see myself using this product in a salad. The end result was not only breathtakingly beautiful but also incredibly delicious. Try it and see for yourself!
Ingredients
◦ 2 (14-ounce) cans Gefen hearts of Palm Spaghetti, drained (see note)
◦ 2 mangos, julienned
◦ 3 scallions, thinly sliced
◦ 1/3 red onion, minced
◦ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
◦ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
◦ 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
◦ 1/3 cup lemon juice
◦ 1 cube frozen garlic
◦ ½ teaspoon salt
◦ ½ teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
1. In a glass jar, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper and whisk or shake until combined. taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Alternatively, blend until fully incorporated.
2. Place the hearts of palm “spaghetti” in a mixing bowl. Add mangos, scallions, red onion, and parsley. drizzle with the marinade and gently toss to coat.
Notes: If you are unable to find this specialty item, use regular canned hearts of palm, julienned. I’ve also tested this recipe using fresh hearts of palm and it is divine. refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.
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The Battles of Britain, Stalingrad and the Bulge are just a few of many battles of World War II that were close calls. Additionally, there were smaller battles in the air and on the seas in which service members were fighting for survival and somehow beat the odds. Not all battles ended in victory, though. Then there are stories of individuals who, despite the odds that they were up against, managed to survive. From a bullet or shrapnel barely missing the mark to moving out of the way just in time, these are some of their incredible stories of close calls.
In early December 1941, Jewish soldier Howard Sandler was assigned to the USS Arizona when it was docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On December 6, he was posted to shore duties. The next day, the Japanese attacked the harbor and its installations, and Sandler was hit while on shore. He almost lost his arm as it required immediate surgery to save his limb. Despite his wounds, Sandler survived the attack. Most of the sailors and service members aboard the USS Arizona were killed in the Japanese surprise attack. Sandler had just been on the ship the day before; the shore posting saved his life.
The exact origins of the saying “there are no atheists in foxholes” is debated, but it started sometime during World War II. The military phrase is used to describe someone finding a higher purpose in life while the enemy is attacking on the battlefield. There are many stories of religious articles saving soldiers’ lives.
Forgotten Her es Close Calls
By Avi Heiligman
Isadore Harnoff, Albert Simon and Bernard Erstein were three Jewish servicemen who were saved by carrying a siddur with them on the battlefield.
One of the many bitter battles after the D-Day landings was the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest in Germany. It took place from September to December 1944 and cost the Americans dearly in terms of men killed and wounded. Artillery strikes were particularly deadly as they sent shrapnel into the air and caused devastation when the shells hit trees. Private First Class Isadore Harnoff of Albany, New York, was hit by shrapnel. Pieces of the shell hit his breast pocket and pierced the Jewish Welfare Board calendar he had been carrying cover to cover. According to reports, he had a prayer book behind the calendar where the piece of shrapnel was found. The shrapnel was just inches away from hitting his heart, but the Jewish soldier amazingly survived the incident unscathed.
The air war over Europe and Japanese-held territory lasted for most of the duration of the war. Long-range four-engine bombers in large formation brought devastation to enemy facilities like arms factories, fuel depots and other strategic targets. Axis powers used fighters and anti-aircraft guns to bring a stop to the bombers. Flak cannons would release metal fragments at altitude that could cause major damage to Allied bombers.
Lieutenant Albert Simon from Newark, New Jersey, was the navigator on a
B-17 Flying Fortress with the 359th Bombardment Squadron. On a mission over Germany, flak came through the nose of the bomber and settled right into his abdomen. Despite being rocked from the impact, Simon continued at his post until the plane landed back at base. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the flak fragment went through his flight jacket and heavy clothes. However, his only bodily wound was a skin bruise. The fragment had been stopped by an object just before it reached an artery that could have cost him his life. That object was a siddur.
Medics often put themselves into harm’s way while treating wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Brooklyn native Private First Class Bernard Erstein fought with the American army in North Africa and Sicily. A few weeks after the D-Day landings, he was with the army in St. Lo, France, treating a wounded soldier. A shell burst in the vicinity, and as he tried to stand up, he collapsed. Blood was coming out of his chest area, and he was immediately evacuated. During surgery, doctors removed a two-inch shell fragment along with several pieces of paper. The small pieces of paper came from a siddur that he always carried with him; he was certain that if the siddur hadn’t been there to slow down the fragment, he would have been killed.
There are many other similar stories. Jewish rifleman Louis Rublin from Rockaway Beach, New York, was with the 87 th Infantry Division. On the first day of
combat in France, he discovered that a bullet had gone through the front of his overcoat. A second bullet went through his backpack while he was standing sideways aiming his rifle. Rublin himself came through the day unscathed.
Later that day, Rublin and a buddy became separated from the rest of their unit and managed to capture two German soldiers. He explained what happened next: “All of a sudden, we were being shot at from all directions while we were exposed in a clearing on top of this hill. A second personal miracle took place when the shooting stopped after I waved bandage gauze in the air in desperation. The two of us quickly moved back towards the rear of our lines, with our two prisoners.” They then encountered one of their sergeants lying on the ground with a knee wound. Together with the German prisoners, the four of them carried the sergeant to an area where he would receive medical attention.
Throughout history, servicemen and women have had many close calls while in battle. These Forgotten Heroes stories are just some of the many of those who fought some of the toughest battles in military history and survived in miraculous ways.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
American soldiers fighting in the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest
The USS Arizona burning after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
