Baltimore Jewish Home - 8-28-14 by Moshe Rubin

Around the Community

BaltimoreJewishHome THE

‫ טז׳ אלול‬- ‫ב’ אלול‬

End of Summer BBQ and Bash at Ner Tamid PAGE 9

Large Crowd Attends Mitzvah Motivators “Turn 48 into 50” End-of-Summer Event PAGE 6

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

AUGUST 28, 2014

ANNUAL BENEFIT RECEP TION

The Baltimore friends of

RECEPTION COMMITTEE

YESHIVAS MIR YERUSHALAYIM

Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Berlin

invite you to participate in the

Mr. and Mrs. Allan J. Gibber

ANNUAL BENEFIT RECEP TION

that will take place ‫ אי״ה‬on

Dr. and Mrs. Michael J. Elman Mr. and Mrs. Jan Loeb Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Schabes Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Spero Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo A. Spetner Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Wolasky Mr. and Mrs. Meyer Wolman

Monday evening, ‫ – כ׳ אלול תשע״ד‬September 15th, 2014 at 8:00 PM At the home of

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Wolasky 6713 Westbrook Road Baltimore, MD 21215

‫הגאונ הרב אליעזר יהודה פינקל שליט״א‬ ‫ראש הישיבה‬

will be making a special trip from Eretz Yisroel to grace us with his presence, and share a special message for the upcoming ‫ימימ נוראימ‬.

‫הגאונ הרב נחמנ לבוביצ שליט״א‬ ‫ראש ישיבה‬

will join us as well to meet and greet the community.

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ALUMNI COMMITTEE Mr. and Mrs. Alex Berlin Rabbi and Mrs. Ephraim Blumenkrantz Mr. and Mrs. Yosef Greenfield Mr. and Mrs. Naftali Langer Mr. and Mrs. Ahron Lebovits Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Loeb Mr. and Mrs. Dovid Meir Loeb Mr. and Mrs. Dov Ocken Mr. and Mrs. Yitzie Pretter Rabbi and Mrs. Avraham Y. Rappaport Mr. and Mrs. Mendel Rosen Mr. and Mrs. David Schabes Mr. and Mrs. Yehuda Spero

AUGUST 28, 2014

‫תנו כבוד לתורה‬

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

BALTIMORE

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

AUGUST 28, 2014

CONTENTS COMMUNITY Around the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

JEWISH THOUGHT

Dear Readers, This week was a “no man’s land” week for many parents. The week between camp and school forces us to make our own schedules for our children. Is the schedule of the day going to be getting ice cream, having snacks, and then a trip to the park, or

Shoftim: Altars & Aspirations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

park, ice cream, and then snacks? It’s hard to balance the kids’ summer freedom with

Parshas Shoftim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

their need for structure. Some kids can keep themselves busy with their friends, but

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

EDUCATION

if not, it can be really tiring for the parents to keep them occupied. The start of the new school year is exciting. I always looked forward to a fresh beginning, with my newly sharpened No. 2 pencils and the blank, pristine pages of my notebooks. It was exciting to meet my new teachers as they stood in front of the classroom on the first day, and it was always nice to see my school friends after a

Forgotten Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

summer spent with a completely different group of friends. Every year brought

Childhood Obesity: An American Epidemic . . . . . 51

something different–more tests or fewer reports, more history or less math. I still

COVER STORY Common Core Crazy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Back to School; Back to Routine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

LIFESTYLES In the Kitchen: Edible Pearler Beads. . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

remember so many of my teachers fondly and can recall some of their lessons even today. It’s amazing how you can remember what your teacher said or did so many years later. Teachers can have such a powerful impact on their students. It is fair to say, “With great power comes great responsibility.” We have included a nice article about going back to school. It’s not easy to say goodbye to the summer and hello to school for many reasons, but on the other hand it’s exciting to start the school year.

In the Kitchen: Back to School Dinners. . . . . . . . . . 42

I want to thank all of our readers who have reached out to me lately by phone

Brown Bag-It the Right Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

or e-mail just to let me know how much they enjoy the paper. So much work is put

My Israel Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

into every issue that we publish. Knowing that our work is being appreciated is a

NEWS Global News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 National News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

wonderful feeling. We plan on implementing some different columns over the next few issues, and we are more than happy to respond to the feedback of our readers. Keep your eyes open for some new and exciting articles; I think everyone will enjoy them. As always, keep on reaching out to me at Editor@baltimorejewishhome.com

ISRAEL

Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Have a great new (school) year,

Yaakov

The Baltimore Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Baltimore Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The BJH contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME AUGUST 28, 2014

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

AUGUST 28, 2014

Around the

Community

Large Crowd Attends Mitzvah Motivators “Turn 48 into 50” End-of-Summer Event BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

On August 19th, Mitzvah Motivators celebrated yet another exciting end-of-summer program. The highlight of this year’s extravaganza was completing, comprehending and memorizing the entire Pirkei Avos 6:6, containing the 48 Ways to Acquire

Torah Wisdom, in the zechus of the memory of Shaya Gross, z’l. All those boys and girls who handled this enormous task received O’Fishel Mitzvah Motivator certificates signed by Mitzvah Mo, himself.

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AUGUST 28, 2014

Around the

Community

Chaverim Volunteer Appreciation BBQ 2014 BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn

A wonderful time was had by all on August 18th at the Chaverim Volunteer Appreciation BBQ 2014. Meadowood Regional Park was the perfect venue for the event, as Chaverim members and dispatchers gathered together to enjoy dinner and family time on the park’s beautiful playgrounds and trails. This event was made possible through the generosity of the event sponsors: Knish Shop, Shlomos meat market, O’Fishel Catererers and Zack Mainstain, Nationwide Insurance Their partnership truly made this event the huge success that it was and represented the Hakaras Hatov the community has towards the dedicated volunteers. The Chaverim team feels fortunate to be part of such a large, vibrant community and to be of assistance as needs arise. Each Chaverim member also feels deeply indebted to founder David Bagan for his tireless efforts on behalf of the organization.

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Community

End of Summer BBQ and Bash at Ner Tamid The weather was good, the chili (contest) was hot, and everyone had a wonderful time. A great day for face painting, too!

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Around the

AUGUST 28, 2014

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

AUGUST 28, 2014

Around the

Community

Ohr Chadash Academy Welcomes Mrs. Randi Orshan as Director of Teaching and Learning Ohr Chadash Academy welcomes Mrs. Randi Orshan in a newly created position, Director of Teaching and Learning. Mrs. Orshan has a wealth of experience in this area. In her capacity as Director of Teaching and Learning, Mrs. Orshan will refine and manage curriculum implementation with ongoing feedback from the faculty, design professional development and work closely with the faculty to support them as they utilize best practices in education such as differentiated instruction and blended learning. She will also work with the teachers to integrate the Judaic and general studies curricula in the classrooms, an

educational technique truly unique to Ohr Chadash as a day school in Baltimore. Mrs. Orshan dreamed about being a teacher ever since she was 2 years old. After graduating from West Chester University with a BA in Education, that dream became a reality. Mrs. Orshan taught her first class on Oahu, Hawaii. She not only enjoyed teaching fourth grade in sunny Hawaii, but also writing curriculum on the beaches while enjoying delicious pineapples! She partnered up with DOLE to create nutrition units for various grades. She then moved back to Pennsylvania where she taught and

wrote curriculum at Torah Academy for five years. Mrs. Orshan moved to Baltimore and started teaching at Talmudical Academy, where she taught for the past three years. She became a mentor teacher for incoming and existing teachers, using her strengths and areas of expertise in differentiated instruction, center work, enrichment, and classroom modifications to guide them. Mrs. Orshan has participated in many professional development programs. In addition to her knowledge and expertise, Mrs. Orshan has a passion for making education fun and

creative. In previous schools, she volunteered to coordinate schoolwide events, tzedakah drives, and extra-curricular activities. Her events were so well-planned that they often attracted media attention. Mrs. Orshan lives in the Pikesville area with her husband and three children and they are excited to be part of the OCA family both in her professional role as well as new parents in the school.

Online Speech Therapy An Exciting and Time-Efficient Method of Service Delivery The Problem Your son is not speaking in complete sentences like his peers. Your daughter is having difficulty getting her words out, and you wonder if this is a stutter. Your preschooler gets frustrated because people don’t understand what he is saying. Family members have suggested that you take your child to a speech therapist. But to fit those regular sessions into your busy schedule is proving to be more than you can handle. py!

method of service delivery since 2005 by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Global Teletherapy uses a video

The Solution- Telethera-

Until now, there were no easy answers. But the advent of Teletherapy (also known as Telepractice) has changed all that. Now providing your child with excellent speech therapy has never been easier or more convenient. Teletherapy allows your child’s speech therapist to integrate cutting edge computer technology with traditional methods to provide your child with a unique therapeutic experience. Telepractice has been an approved

platform that provides a crystal clear image and is HIPAA compliant to ensure the client’s privacy. Rest assured that your child will be receiving excellent speech-language intervention delivered in the comfort of your own home. How does it work?

The speech therapist delivers therapy from a remote site through videoconferencing utilizing a platform similar to Skype or Facetime. Global Teletherapy’s internet platform satisfies HIPAA requirements to ensure confidentiality. All that you need is a computer with high speed internet and a web camera (often built-in to computer). Am I sacrificing quality for the sake of convenience? As teletherapy is a relatively new method of service delivery, you may wonder how it compares to the traditional on-site session. Numerous studies (that may be supplied upon request) have shown the effectiveness of teletherapy. In fact, findings suggest that online services are as effective as on-site services for many speech-language disorders. Some studies even indicate that students may progress quicker when receiving services via teletherapy. Could teletherapy actually be better?

Teletherapy has proven to be an extremely effective mode of delivery because it is both engaging and motivating. What’s more, the internet provides an ever-expanding array of games that can be integrated into the session to match the unique needs of any particular child, thus enhancing success. Teletherapy is more than just looking at the therapist through a screen. Global Teletherapy offers games, modules, and exercises in a fun and stimulating fashion. Imagine playing a computer game and receiving therapy at the same time! Interested? Seeing is believing which is why we are offering free trials on this new method of service delivery. Please contact Rina Goode M.S. CCC-SLP for a free consultation to determine if Speech Teletherapy is for your child. Email info@globalteletherapy.com, visit www.globalteletherapy.com or call (443) 835-2730. AS A GROUND BREAKING OFFER, WE ARE OFFERING UP TO 4 FREE SESSIONS FOR YOUR CHILD.* *subject to eligibility

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME AUGUST 28, 2014

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

AUGUST 28, 2014

Around the

Community

Rabbi Neuberger Would Be Very Proud Rabbi Eliyahu Hakakian, Director of Ner Israel’s Iranian Program, recently spoke with The Jewish Home about Ner Israel’s efforts for Iranian students, of which he, himself, is a product. I first came to Baltimore in 1984 to join a brother who lives here. When I entered the Yeshiva, I began to appreciate the far-reaching effect that Yeshiva education can have on one’s life and to comprehend its benefits. I came to the United States at age 17. At that point, due to the selfless efforts and teachings of my first Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchok Baalness, who was the Rav and leading educator in Shiraz, my Judaic background was above average for Persian Jews of my age, yet far below that of the yeshiva. In our school in Shiraz, we followed the government curriculum and this allowed only about 6- 8 hours a week for religious studies. I had learned Chumash with Rashi,

some halacha and a little Mishna. When I entered the yeshiva, I spent one day in the preparatory class of Rabbi Nosson Friedman, then I moved to the regular ninth grade shiur of Rabbi Simcha Cook and a few months later to the 11th grade shiur of Rabbi Tzvi Dov Slanger. By Chanukah, I was promoted to the first year Bais Medrash shiur. In each of the classes, I was in way over my head, but I persevered and made it. Rabbi Herman N. Neuberger initiated the Iranian Program with one goal in mind but it worked out differently. Originally, Ner Israel was going to train a cadre of Persian boys who would go back to lead their communities. Instead, then came the Iranian Revolution and not only did the boys stay, but they prepared the way for waves of others fleeing Iran. There were essentially three waves. The first group came in 1979 and was met by Rabbi David Zargari, who helped them adjust. When he left

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for Los Angeles, his place was taken by Rabbi Daniel Shaliasaboo, who later went to Great Neck; I came in the second wave in 1984. By the time the third wave came in 1996, I was asked to lead the program. I would estimate that over the years, at least

Rabbi Herman N. Neuberger zt’l initiated the Iranian Program

a thousand Persian students have passed through Ner Israel, some staying longer and others only for a shorter time. Rabbi Neuberger foresaw that these young men would not only be the rabbis and teachers but many would be lay leaders of the transplanted Iranian community. We are now getting second generation students also, who have grown up in the United States. Rabbi Neuberger insisted that we not only be mainstreamed into the Yeshiva but that we maintain our Persian customs and practices. He even used to join us sometimes at our Sephardic Minyan on Shabbat. Over the years, I was involved in various projects to help our students. We created a summer program for the boys and set up a system to help them with their physical needs up to

and beyond wedding expenses. Rabbi Neuberger supported me in these efforts and was personally involved helping us in our lives. He was a father to all of the Iranian students. At present, Ner Israel has about 40 Persian students and another 20 married men in the Kollel. This Kollel continues to produce rabbinic and lay leaders for our communities. Our Persian alumni include learned rabbis who are leaders and educators in Persian communities both here and in Israel, as well as doctors, lawyers, and businessmen who continue to be involved in Torah learning. I am married to the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Mr. Gershon Gershon, from Kazmiriez-Dolny, Poland, who learned in Baranovitch under Rav Elchonon Wasserman. Her mother is the daughter of late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Miller, prominent members of the Baltimore community. As time has moved on, and we have been blessed to be joined by our parents and families from Iran, Baltimore has developed an Iranian Jewish community with a number of synagogues. Recently, some of my talmidim in their 30’s, who are professionals, asked me to be involved and lead a new minyan. I proudly juggle my campus responsibilities with being in town to help strengthen the young married members of our community as they build their lives. Rabbi Neuberger has a lot to be proud of. He was the visionary who opened his heart and welcomed us into the yeshiva and the yeshiva’s way of life. Today his dream lives on and we are proud to be a part of that legacy. Our challenge is to reach out to the members of the Iranian Jewish community who, in the course of becoming Americanized, are encountering for the first time intermarriage and assimilation. We need leaders who can help us preserve our heritage. That is our mission.

13 410.484.5850 | 508 Reisterstown Road

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

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THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

AUGUST 28, 2014

We are Overwhelmed with Gratitude...

Top 3 Fundraisers | Men’s Race 1st Place: Shua Bier Team Maya Powered by Ohel Moshe (Rabbi Teichman’s Shul) 2nd Place: Yisrael Schwartz The Franks 3rd Place: (Tie) Kalman Finkelstein Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim Ben Zuckerman The Franks

To Over 1,200 Runners Who Came Out to Show Support!

By coming and showing your support & raising the muchneeded funds for members of our community diagnosed with a serious medical diagnosis, YOU let JCN families know they are not alone! No words can thank you enough!

Top 3 Fundraisers | Women’s Race

To Our 60 Team Captains!

Daniella Bergman Team Run for Ronit Rochelle Rubin Team Rubin Rochel Ziman Run for Bonnie

1st Place: 2nd Place: 3rd Place:

Your enthusiasm & efforts changed the lives of hundreds of families! Thank you!

To Over 100 Volunteers!

We apologize but there are just too many REMARKABLE men & women to list! Thank you!

Top Fundraising Team | Men’s Race

To Our Packet-Pick up Day Volunteers!

The Franks

You guys are AMAZING! YOUR efforts ensured that “RUN”ners had everything they needed for Race Day! Thank you!

Beauty by

Team Captain: Yedidyah Charner

Adina AdinaB.

Top Fundraising Team | Women’s Race Beauty by

To Our Registration Day Volunteers!

Adina

You guys are FANTASTIC! Because of YOU, Beauty Race Day “RAN” so smoothly! Thank you!by

Run for Ronit Team Captain: Daniella Bergman

To Our Race Day Volunteers!

WINNERS OF WOMEN’S 5K

Thank you for your help with: event set-up & clean-up, manning the water stations, being course markers, for helping Beauty cheerleaders who with the food court, and for being amazing by made everyone smile as they crossed the FINISH LINE!

1st Place: 2nd Place: 3rd Place:

Adina

Thank You to Our Amazing Corporate Sponsors ... We Could Not Have Done it Without You!

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Jill Green Aleeza Oshry Nancy Pretter

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Sinai Hospital Northwest Hospital Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabiliatation Center

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WINNERS OF MEN’S 5K

1st Place: Josh Rosemore 2nd Place: Walker Stump-Coale 3rd Place: Yakov Preiserowicz

Inclusive Preschool and Pediatric Therapy Clinic www.JEWELSschool.org

15 THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

Thank you! Thank you!

To All Those who Partnered with the Jewish Caring Network 5K Care Run. Your generosity helps enhance the lives of families diagnosed with life-threatening, lifelong, or serious illness. Your kindness and compassion is so GREATLY APPRECIATED!

You truly “Touched Lives and Made a Difference!”

Rabbi Shmuel Silber

Tova Nachman

Vicki Reches

Rabbi Yisroel Roll

Jackie Nachman

Rabbi Yonah Ribiat

Shira Ocken

Hatzalah of Baltimore

Mordi Reches

Adam Edelman

Moshe Reches

Geoff Girnun

Sholom Reches

Naama Girnun

Danny Weissmann

Eli Goldenberg

Darrell Zaslow

Ephraim Goldenberg

Barook Goldsmith Photography

Women’s Race Director

Aryeh Gross

Men’s Race Chair

Michael Reches Men’s Race Chair Shua Bier Yedidyah Charner Doni Froehlich Dovie Gibber Chaim Glazer Mark Goldenberg Yanky Statman Peretz Wertenteil

Shevy Ashman Miryam Baer

Shelly Cohen Phran Edelman Shira Friedman Goldie Gross Chavie Klein Liz Lefkowitz Toby Lipsitz Aleeza Oshry Miriam Gittel Rosenblatt Andrea Schulman Sherri Zaslow

AUGUST 28, 2014

Thank you to our Amazing Race Committees:

A Special Thank You to:

Jon Kaplan Nechama Luxenberg Shmuel Luxenberg Dina Nachman

Esky Cook Photography

Lev Bar-av National Photo Miller’s MinuteMan Press Shlomo Rotberg Creative1080 Yisrael Jerome Bethea Ltd. Studios A Special THANK YOU to the AMAZING Students of Bnos Yisroel for Packing Over 1,200 Race Bags! You Are FANTASTIC!

Leiba Gornbein Heart & Soul Photography

Jewish Caring Network Touching Lives...Making a Difference 122 Slade Avenue, Suite 100A | Pikesville, Maryland 21208

410-602-6075 www.jewishcaringnetwork.org

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Dirshu’s Bachurim Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Program Takes Camps by Storm by Chaim Gold

gious. Veteran mechanchim and rabbeim in camps, admit that they had not anticipated the tremendous success and colossal impact that being part of a Dirshu program would have on the young, impressionable bachurim. Rav Hofstedter’s Visit Indeed, a glimpse into the deep hakoras hatov that both the leadership of the camps and the bachurim have to Rav Dovid, was seen last week when Rav Dovid visited both Camp Agudah and Camp Toras Chaim Tashbar. It was inspiring to watch many bachurim in both camps, taking the ini-

cha daily Mishna Berurah program is now in the middle of Chelek Vav that delves into the halachos of Yom Tov. The inception of the summer coincided with the program schedule of learning hilchos Rosh Hashanah. Over the course of the summer, Rosh Hashanah was completed, followed by the halachos of Yom Kippur and most recently the program embarked on the halachos of Sukkos. The hanhala of Dirshu felt that a steady seder in such relevant, imminent halachos would be a tremendous to’eles for young bachurim aged 14-17. Dirshu’s

learning that day’s daf, I am surrounded by 13, 14 and 15 year old bachurim asking, kvetching over every word in the Mishna Berurah. Throughout the day, I have been fielding questions on the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha material learned!” Rabbi Schmelczer continued, “Recently, we went on a trip. While watching the boys board the bus, I noticed how the participants in the program invariably brought their Mishna Berurahs along! They are chazering for the test en route to an outing. I had to pinch myself and ask, ‘Is this camp?’” Rabbi Feuer’s and Rabbi Schmelczer’s enthusiasm for Dirshu’s newest program, the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Camp Program is conta-

tiative to go over and thank him for so enriching their ruchniyus throughout the summer. At Camp Toras Chaim over 170 bachurim from the mesivta division gathered in the Bais Medrash where Rav Hofstedter imparted words of chizuk. He said, “The same Kol, that was heard at Har Sinai exists today, we just have to open our ears. If we want to do the ratzon Hashem and know what he wants, the Torah is readily available for all of us!” The Appeal That Engendered Success! What is behind the success of this year’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Summer Camp Program? According to Dirshu US Director, Rabbi Ahron Gobioff, “The Daf HaYomi B’Hala-

trademark accountability that enables chazarah and requires testing, seemed the ideal undertaking for a camp limud that could add structure and immeasurably enrich the upcoming Yom Tov for the bachurim, increasing their yedios in halacha and fluency in the sefer Mishna Berurah. “The program began this year with five camps: Camp Agudah, Camp Toras Chaim-Tashbar, Camp Degel HaTorah, Camp Rayim Mesivta and Camp Rayim Junior Staff. “The response,” explains Rabbi Gobioff, “has been nothing short of amazing.” An Enriching Experience Dirshu published a special booklet with all of the required learning

material and distributed it to the hundreds of bachurim in the program. In addition, Dirshu gives the bachurim weekly chazarah questions with multiple choice answers to assist in their chazarah. The bachurim have enthusiastically taken to the fairly demanding program despite the requisite commitment to learn approximately one page of Mishna Berurah daily, five days a week, with the other two days set aside for chazarah. Rabbi Feuer explains, “The younger bachurim are given a daily shiur by very talented, engaging maggidei shiur, while the older bachurim learn themselves as chavrusas. It has become a ruchniyusdige status symbol in camp to be part of Dirshu. Dirshu boys are committed to their learning, every day, regardless of what is going on in camp. Their commitment is visible for all to see. The bachurim actually feel very good about the fact that they are part of a worldwide organization that facilitates Torah learning. It is truly wonderful to see how even at difficult times such as Shabbos morning after a quick kiddush and before the seudah, the bachurim flock to learn. The sight of these bachurim coming together following a full day trip after 11:00 PM for the shiur - together with some hot kugel - shows that no matter how tired, they know that just as Dirshu never stops, neither can they!” The Three Prong Benefits of Participation Rabbi Schmelczer, who oversees the Dirshu program in Camp Toras Chaim-Tashbar led by Rabbi Alexander Dembitzer, relates, “I can’t tell you how much and in how many ways the bachurim have been enriched by the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program in

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“It’s a revolution!” exclaimed Rabbi Eliezer Feuer, a Learning Director and Rebbi at Camp Agudah. “When I see young bachurim asking the rebbi a shailah on hilchos Yom Kippur in the middle of a major trip, I realize how effective and powerful being part of Dirshu is for these young talmidim.” Rabbi Menachem Schmelczer, Learning Director and Rebbi at Camp Toras Chaim Tashbar, relates, “I can’t believe the impact Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Program for Bachurim is making on these kids. After we finish

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our camp. In our camp we have three different shiurim, one for bachurim entering 9th grade, the second for those entering 10th and another for those entering into 11th.” “Firstly the bachurim are getting yedios that they would not get oth-

day poskim in the Biurim U’musafim, part of the Dirshu Mishna Berurah, brings the Yom Tov into the realm of l’maaseh in a particularly engaging fashion. As a mechanech, I see another important aspect of this program. The fact that they are learning a con-

and understanding Lashon Kodesh. I can’t even describe how this important skill will help them when they return to yeshiva after the summer. “In addition, they are gaining a tremendous amount of general yedios from the program. Some examples

erwise. They really are learning the complex halachos of the Yomim Tovim without skipping, without shortcuts, but rather in a systematic way. That itself gives them a deep sense of accomplishment. The yedios from present

siderable amount of Mishna Berurah every day and chazering has really improved their skills in learning classical seforim in Lashon Kodesh. They have become very accustomed to the style of the Mishna Berurah and to learning

are: How does the concept of rov-majority work? What is the concept of ein mevatlin issur l’chatchila - you can’t nullify a prohibition l’chatchila? Amazingly, all of the participants took the test and the overwhelming

majority scored more than 80 points! The Follow-Up: A Sukkos Bein Hazemanim Program! In light of the tremendous success of Dirshu’s camp program, Dirshu will be sponsoring a special program for bachurim this coming Sukkos bein hazemanim. The program will feature the learning of hilchos yeshivas (sitting in a) Sukkah. Shiurim with prominent maggidei shiur will be held in the larger communities. The program will run for three weeks, beginning the day following Yom Kippur until the end of bein hazemanim. The exciting program with incentives will be tailor-made for bachurim who, even more than wanting to learn the halachos of Sukkah, want to know them! “If the accomplishments of the summer program is any indication, the new Sukkos bein hazemanim Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Program for Bachurim promises to be a smashing success!” Bachurim wishing to join should contact Dirshu at 1-888-5Dirshu

HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, Shlita, Addresses Dirshu Gathering for Bachurim Entering Yeshiva Gedolah

More than 1500 Bachurim Also Addressed by HaGaonim HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Shlita, and HaRav Uri Weissblum, Shlita by Chaim Gold

It was one of those evenings that is not forgotten. It was an evening when more than 1,500 bachurim set to enter Yeshiva Gedolah received guidance from leading Gedolei Yisrael in what may well be a prime contributor to their success in the coming years. The Sixth Annual Dirshu Kinnus for bachurim going to Yeshiva Gedolah, featured a massive crowd representing communities from across Eretz Yisrael sitting at the edge of their seats listening to comprehensive guidance from HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita, senior Rosh Yeshiva at the Ponovezh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka, and HaGaon HaRav Uri Weissblum, shlita, Mashgiach of Yeshiva Nachlas Haleveyim and a talmid muvhak of the famed Mashgiach, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo

Wolbe, zt”l. The asifa on the Sunday before Tisha B’Av offered advice from the gedolim on how to properly transition from Yeshiva Ketanah to Yeshiva Gedolah and on how to maximize the Yeshiva Gedolah years. The Importance of Preparing for a New Reality Rav Edelstein, the nonagenarian Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh who has taught and guided many thousands of bachurim in his over 60 years as a maggid shiur and Rosh Yeshiva, addressed the bachurim with the ne’eimus, the sweetness of a grandfather who has lived through the varied experiences of life and is giving guidance to his grandchild. He said, “One of the most difficult aspects of the transition between Yeshiva Ketanah (high school age) and Yeshiva Gedolah (beis medrash, post-high school age) is the

fact that in a sense a bachur is on his own in Yeshiva Gedolah. Whereas in Yeshiva Ketanah there are rebbeim and mashgichim accompanying you every step of the way, the more mature Yeshiva Gedolah bachur is expected to achieve much more on his own. To compound this new reality, the new bachur is thrown into a much larger yeshiva with very few familiar faces. He is therefore facing a new situation, on both the academic and social

HaGaon HaRav Uri Weissblum

fronts. It is a difficult transition, especially if one is not ready for it. That is why it is so important to understand the new reality, thereby empowering the bachur to be prepared and not become depressed when things initially seem difficult.” Yeshiva Gedolah, The Foundation for a Life of Torah Indeed, Harav Yehoshua Aluf, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Mishkenos Haraim, who chaired the evening, echoed this idea. He explained that in keeping with Dirshu’s mission as a great facilitator of Torah learning in our generation, Dirshu invested considerable effort to arrange such an evening of guidance for young bachurim beginning this new stage of life so that they can maximize these most crucial years. For these crucial years are the years when a bachur is transformed

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HaRav Hirsch greeting HaRav Edelstein, HaRav Weissblum (center)

HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein addressing the Dirshu Bochurim Kinnus

“If he utilizes them well and learns at a high level he will continue that ascent during his kollel years. If he does not, then his kollel years will reflect that as well… “It is in these years that he must accept upon himself to fully and totally immerse in Torah learning and to develop real, authentic yiras shamayim. He must also make up his mind to wholly dedicate himself to cultivating good middos, to be humble, to listen to a sevara that his friend conveys instead of immediately rejecting it… Humility is the key to all other middos tovos.” The Nuts and Bolts of Success The speakers did not suffice with general guidelines. Rather, in many instances they gave very specific advice that could spell the difference between success and failure. Rav Gershon Edelstein, in his comprehensive address, gave a tre-

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from a young man with great hope into a young talmid chacham ready to build a new Torah home in Klal Yisrael. Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka, emotionally told the bachurim that as they enter this new era in their lives, they must understand that now is the time to invest every fiber of their being into their learning. “The primary success of any kollel yungerman stems from his years in Yeshiva Gedolah,” Rav Hirsch said.

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Standing room only crowd at the Dirshu Bochurim Kinnus, Sunday evening, Erev Tisha B’Av

mendous amount of practical guidance, illustrating the nuts and bolts of how to succeed in Yeshiva Gedolah. “The foundation of success in Yeshiva Gedolah,” Rav Gershon explained, “is truly understanding the shiurim, understanding what was said in the shiur and how it fits in with the Gemara. Towards that goal it is critical that a bachur prepare the Gemara with the meforshim on the sugya that the shiur will cover, before he goes into shiur. Learning the Gemara once is not enough! One must learn it once and the next day learn it again. If he comes in doubly prepared, he has a far better chance of understanding the shiur. In addition, after the shiur one must review the shiur at least once on the day that it has been given and preferably even a second time on that same day. In this way, a bachur will understand both the shiur and the Gemara upon which it is based.” Rav Gershon cautioned, “Many bachurim feel the need to be mechadesh their own chiddushim but now is not the time to say one’s own chiddushim. In Yeshiva Gedolah a bachur must try to understand the chiddushim of the maggid shiur. If one does that well, there will be plenty of time later in life to be mechadesh and the chiddushim will be much better…” Bein Adam L’Chaveiro and How it Affects One’s Bein Adam L’Makom

Looking at the bachurim with deep love, Rav Gershon went on to say how equally important bein adam l’chaveiro is in yeshiva. A person who cares about his fellow bachur, a person who shows real kavod and deference to the maggid shiur and Rosh Yeshiva, will be successful in yeshiva. Yes, it is sometimes appealing to make a snide remark or good joke, but if it is at the expense of another it is a tremendous aveirah and can severely affect one’s shteiging. It is important to have friends, to have with whom to talk. It raises a person’s morale. At the same time, however, one should act in a noble manner, listening to what the other has to say, not making light of the sevarah or words of one’s fellow talmid. The Many Differences Rav Uri Weissblum, Mashgiach of Yeshiva Nachlas Haleveyim, also spoke about many of the new things that a bachur confronts in Yeshiva Gedolah. The schedule is different, the way halacha is learned is different and of course the fact that in Yeshiva Gedolah one sleeps in the dormitory is a huge difference that demands mental preparation. Acclimating to a dorm and cultivating the personal discipline to go to sleep on time and get up on time is new and requires thought and effort. This new, uncharted territory becomes much easier to navigate when a bachur enters Yeshiva

Gedolah aware of what he will face, Rav Weisblum stressed. The primary point stressed by all of the luminaries was that the more a person is prepared for the new reality the more successful he will be. “Bein Hazemanim is not Hefker Time!” As the gathering was held right before bein hazemanim, Rav Gershon Edelstein took a few minutes to address how bein hazemanim should be spent. Certainly, it is important that every bachur rest, have more time for himself to gather strength for the coming zman. That being said, Rav Gershon reminded, bein hazemanim is not hefker time. Every bachur should make a schedule and stick to it. Part of that schedule is davening every day at the same time in the same place. Another part should be scheduling a set time to learn either with or without a chavrusah in the same place every day. One can learn easier limudim, or Gemara with Rashi. The main thing is that even “time off” should not be hefker. Dirshu’s annual gathering for bachurim entering Yeshiva Gedolos was a huge success. One look at the smiling faces of the bachurim exiting the gathering made it clear how glad they were to have heard practical guidance from the Gedolei Hador on what may be the most important period of growth in their lives.

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The Week Global Iran Refuses Inspection at Air Force Base

November 24. IAEA director Yukiya Amano, who visited Tehran earlier this month, said in June that access to Parchin was essential for the watchdog group to be able to certify Iran’s nuclear program as peaceful. The base lies at the center of allegations of past Iranian research into sophisticated explosives that can be used to detonate a nuclear warhead. In his June report, Amano said satellite photographs suggested there had been fresh activity at the base this year.

N. Korea Disses Kerry

Iran is once again not granting access to its nuclear research facilities. The country’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehgan said this week that UN inspectors will not be given clearance to inspect a military base outside of Tehran. The base has been of interest since 2005, when the U.N. was last granted access. This is especially poor timing to lock out inspectors, as the a deadline for Iran to give its response to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over allegations of a military aspect to its nuclear research is only a few days away. Suspiciously, Dehgan told reporters, “The agency carried out several visits to Parchin [before 2005], took samples and found nothing untoward. There is therefore no reason for new access to Parchin as nothing new has come up since the last inspections.” Dehgan also admitted that his country refuses to give the agency information on its scientists in the defense industry. IAEA inspectors have been given access to a string of declared nuclear sites as part of an interim nuclear deal reached with the major powers last November. Access to Parchin was not agreed under the terms of that accord but the IAEA has been seeking to visit the base as part of its mission to answer all concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, past and present. Addressing the allegations, long denied by Tehran, would be an important element in the comprehensive deal on Iran’s nuclear program that world powers are seeking to reach by

In News mertime drills that North Korea has demanded be scrapped. The U.S. and South Korea say the drills are defensive in nature. The North Korean spokesman also criticized Kerry’s comments on North Korea’s human rights record and weapons programs. “His behavior fully revealed once again the U.S. inveterate nature as a hypocrite who has deceived and mocked mankind with all sorts of gimmicks,” the spokesman said in a statement. Tension on the Korean Peninsula remains high, as North Korea has conducted an unusually large number of missile and artillery test firings this year.

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North Korea sure has an interesting foreign policy these days. Most of the country’s descriptions of foreign leaders have been insulting and degrading. In its latest personal attack on a prominent official from a rival country, on Wednesday, North Korea called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a wolf with a “hideous lantern jaw.” This newest insult comes after calling South Korean President Park Geun-hye insulting names and calling President Barack Obama a monkey. Wednesday’s slur against Kerry appeared only in a Korean-language dispatch, suggesting it was meant to rally anti-U.S. sentiment and burnish the leadership’s image domestically at a time when Washington and Seoul are conducting annual military drills that Pyongyang calls an invasion rehearsal. An unidentified policy department spokesman at the North Korean defense commission, led by leader Kim Jong Un, described Kerry as a “wolf donning the mask of sheep.” The spokesman criticized Kerry for recently saying Washington wants to see peace on the Korean Peninsula, even though the U.S. and South Korea then went ahead with their sum-

Looking to move? Where in the world are the most livable cities? Well, there’s a lot to determine what makes a city “livable,” including stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment. Based on a recent study, it turns out that you may have to move out of the States if you’re looking for great “living.” Not one of America’s cities fell into the top ten. On the other hand, you may want to look for houses Down Under—four of the most livable cities are located in Australia.

The top ten most “livable” cities in the world are: 10. Auckland, New Zealand 9. Perth, Australia 8. Helsinki, Finland 7. Sydney, Australia 5. Calgary, Canada (tie) 5. Adelaide, Australia (tie) 4. Toronto, Canada 3. Vancouver, Canada 2. Vienna, Austria 1. Melbourne, Australia

American Journalist Released after 2 Years in Captivity

Much to the surprise and joy of his friends and family, an American journalist who was kidnapped and held hostage for nearly two years by an al Qaeda-linked group in Syria was released this week. The freed American is 45-year-old Peter Theo Curtis of Massachusetts, who wrote under the penname Theo Padnos. Curtis was captured in Syria in 2012. Secretary of State John Kerry said Curtis was held by Jabhat al-Nusra, an al Qaeda-linked militant group fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. His freedom was facilitated by the energy-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, which is a leading supporter of the Syrian rebels fighting to oust President Bashar Assad and has been involved in mediating past hostage releases. Curtis was not believed to be among the hostages held by the Islamic State group that executed journalist James Foley. The Islamic State was formally disavowed by al Qaeda earlier this year after being deemed too brutal. Curtis’ relatives said they were not aware of the specific terms of his release but said Qatari representatives assured them that they negotiated Curtis’ release without a ransom payment. President Barack Obama, who was wrapping up a vacation in Massachusetts, was briefed on Curtis’ release. “The president shares in the joy and relief that we all feel now that Theo is out of Syria and safe,” said White House spokesman Eric Schultz. “But we continue to hold in our thoughts and prayers the Americans who remain in captivity in Syria, and we will continue to use all of the tools at our disposal to see that the remain-

ing American hostages are freed.”

Ivory Coast Shuts Its Borders

At Least 500 Britons Fighting for ISIS After the murderer of American journalist James Foley in the ISIS video was discovered to be a native Brit,

British Muslims and politicians have expressed shock, horror, and disbelief that the incident involves a Briton. This highlights a rising concern about the number of Islamist militants from Britain joining conflicts overseas and then returning home radicalized. Authorities are working tirelessly to capture the man who has been dubbed “Jihadi John”; there is speculation that he belonged to a group nicknamed the “Beatles” who guarded

hostages in Raqqa, the Islamic State stronghold in eastern Syria. Britain’s Home Secretary Theresa May said she was preparing new laws to block Islamist militants at home and to prevent them from going abroad to fight, adding that Britain faces a long struggle against a “deadly extremist ideology.” “We will be engaged in this struggle for many years, probably decades. We must give ourselves all the legal

AUGUST 28, 2014

In a desperate attempt to prevent the world’s deadliest outbreak of Ebola from crossing its borders, Ivory Coast has shut land borders with neighboring Guinea and Liberia. The government said its decision was based on the rapid spread of the virus in their territory, in Western Africa. Ivory Coast is one of West Africa’s largest economies. “Faced with new outbreak sites and the reactivation of old sites...the Ivorian government decides to close its land borders with sister republics Guinea and Liberia,” said a statement read on state-owned television late on Friday. Because of the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has enacted restrictions on travel to and from the countries where Ebola has appeared, which include Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Last week, the Philippines commanded their 115 troops to return home from peacekeeping operations in Liberia due to the outbreak. According to Moses Massaquoi, the head of Ebola case management at Liberia’s health ministry, 65 cases including 25 confirmed patients have now been reported there. Ebola has killed 1,427 people out of 2,615 known cases identified since the West Africa outbreak was first identified in Guinea in March.

Britain said it plans to now put tougher plans into place to combat British Islamist militants.

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The Week powers we need to prevail,” May wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper. According to May, at least 500 British citizens have travelled to fight in Syria and Iraq, where ISIS has seized large swathes of territory. Some of the fighters are as young as 16.

Israel College Programs Closed During Conflict Seven U.S. colleges and universities have suspended their foreign study programs in Israel. The war in Gaza has been the reason provided by all these institutions for shutting the programs down, even though they are not located near the immediate battle regions.

Israel had begun its ground assault on Gaza. What changed everything was the Federal Aviation Administration’s July 22 temporary ban on U.S. airlines landing in Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv after a rocket exploded nearby. “With an airport closed for more than 24 hours, we don’t want students stuck,” said Lisa Sapolis, director of Trinity’s Office of Study Away. During the temporary ban, the airport still remained open and flights from non-American airlines still continued. Jonathan Sarna, president of the Association for Jewish Studies, thinks the universities may have overreacted, seeing as Israel defended itself nicely against Hamas rockets with its Iron Dome defense system. “There are huge gaps between perceptions of safety and reality,” said Sarna, also a professor at Brandeis University near Boston, which did not suspend its summer program in Israel.

Hamas Admits to Murdering Teens Hamas has admitted that its members killed Naftali Freankel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach hy”d in July. Last week, Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal acknowledged Hamas committed the murders, but claimed the leadership of the organization was not made aware of the details of the abduction plan in advance.

Yehuda Lukacs, director of the Center for Global Education at George Mason University in Virginia, argued, “On the one hand, we want to introduce students to the dimensions of conflict. But this was too much because their safety and security were challenged.” In addition to George Mason University, Claremont McKenna College in California, UMass Amherst, the University of Iowa, UMass Amherst, New York University, Trinity College in Hartford, Michigan State and Penn State have also suspended their Israel programs. The schools’ officials in Israel have told reporters that they were not concerned about the war even after

Mashaal made no excuses for the heinous act perpetuated by members of his group. ”We were not aware of this action taken by this group of Hamas members in advance,” he said. “But we understand people are frustrated under the occupation and the oppression, and they take all kinds of action.” He added, “We learned about these confessions from the Israeli in-

In News vestigation … Hamas political leadership was not aware of all these details. We learned about it later on.” The terrorist leader continued, “Our view is that soldiers and settlers on the West Bank are aggressors, and they are illegally living in this occupied and stolen land. And the right to resist is the right of Palestinians,” he said, implying that the three teens were legitimate targets because their school was located in the West Bank. In the same breath, Mashaal claimed that Hamas differs from Syria and Iraq’s Islamic State (IS) — which he called a “religious, violent group” that is a “totally different phenomenon” from Hamas — in that it does not target civilians, aiming its rockets “most of the time” at military targets and IDF bases. Even so, Mashaal admitted that Hamas has a “problem” directing its strikes at military targets only. “We do not have sophisticated weapons. We do not have the weapons available to our enemy … so aiming is difficult … We promise that if we get more precise weapons, we will only target military targets,” he said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been quick to point out the similarities between the tactics and objectives of the two organizations, recently stating, “Hamas is like ISIS, ISIS is like Hamas.” Israel launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8 to stop indiscriminate rocket fire by Gaza terror groups on Israeli cities and to destroy a network of tunnels that infiltrated into Israel, which have been used in deadly terror attacks. More than 2,000 people have been killed in Gaza since last month. Israel says 750-1,000 of the dead are Hamas and other gunmen. Hamas is blamed for all civilian fatalities, since Hamas set up its rocket-launchers and tunnel openings in Gaza neighborhoods and uses Gazans as “human shields,” preferring to have its citizens killed to help garner sympathy from the media. Israel has lost 64 soldiers and four civilians in the fighting. Hamas has fired over 3,500 rockets at Israel, including some 600 from close to schools, mosques and other civilian facilities, the Israeli army says.

4-Year-Old Daniel Tregerman Killed by Rocket Fire

Daniel Tregerman, who was only four-years-old, was the first Israeli child to be killed since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge. Daniel was struck by mortar fired from Gaza in his kibbutz in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council on Friday. The Tregermans had left their home in the south due to constant rocket fire from Gaza. But they had returned to their home just a few days before the attack, partly on the promise of security officials who announced that residents in the south would be safe. On Friday, the whole family was home when the mortar attack occurred. The parents had been making plans about leaving the kibbutz later in the day as the children were playing nearby. But then, the siren sounded, and the Gila and Doron leapt into action, grabbing their two youngest children to the safety of the shelter. Daniel was still outside, and the mortar critically wounded him. Gila, Daniel’s mother, spoke at the levaya and poignantly related, “Daniel, my sweetheart, I cannot believe I am here now, saying goodbye. We were the happiest family in the world, and I just cannot come to grips with it. We wanted to say thanks, you taught us how to love and you gave us some much joy.” The mother cried, “I find solace in the fact that you were a loved and happy child until your last minute. We wanted to protect you but even the code red siren failed to save you. You would always run first and call your little brother [to the shelter] and then in a second, it ended.” “We don’t want to say goodbye.

and brother and sister who lost their sibling, their son. They lost you, Daniel, the most precious of things in the world.” “We are with you in deep mourning,” said Alon Shuster, head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council at the funeral. “Here in this painful place, we are waiting for another day, a day where children can play in their yard and bomb shelters can be just another room. So many children made it to the bomb shelter and Daniel didn’t make it; we will do all that we can so that life will go on.”

Iran Claims it Downed Israeli Drone On Monday, Iranian state TV showed a crash scene that it says is the site of a wrecked Israeli drone that the country shot down near an Iranian nuclear site. The photo prompts ques-

tions about how a plane with limited range could have penetrated so deeply and whether it is indeed what Tehran says it is.

The brief video showed what the channel described as parts of the battleship-gray drone scattered in an unidentified desert area. The channel identified the unmanned vehicle as a Hermes 450, a known Israeli model. There were no visible Israeli markings on the aircraft in the footage and Israel

has not commented on the matter. The claim comes as Iran negotiates with world powers over its contested nuclear program and Iranian hard-liners press moderate President Hassan Rouhani to demand more concessions before limiting the country’s atomic capabilities. The West suspects Iran’s nuclear program is geared toward building a nuclear weapon. Iran denies the charge, saying its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes only, such as power generation and medical research. Israel has been outspoken on the matter and has not ruled out taking unilateral military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guard’s airspace division, said, “The operational range of the drone indicates it did not start its flight in Israel but departed from a country in the region,” he said. He added cryptically: “We have some clues.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham condemned

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You are the love of my life, the perfect child, every parent’s dream: Smart, sensitive, ahead of his age group and beautiful, so beautiful,” the distraught mother sobbed. President Reuven Rivlin also attended the ceremony, and said, “We dreaded the moment more than anything. We saw preschools suffer hits and abandon bikes and we knew the terrorists have no regard for the blood of their children would not spare our own. He was too young to cross the street by himself because it was dangerous, but old enough to know what the Code Red siren means because that too is dangerous; he was stilling learning the alphabet but knew the difference between a shelter and mortar, between an interception and a hit, between birds chirping and the rockets shrieking.” Rivlin continued, “I think of a flower growing here, with its stem being cut. Cut by an evil hand, cutting a life and smile that will never be seen again. I think of a mother and father,

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The Week the drone’s presence as a violation of Iranian territorial integrity and said “pursuing the case in legal and international bodies is our right,” the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Hajizadeh said the drone’s range was about 800 kilometers (500 miles) and that it had two front and side cameras capable of providing high-resolution panoramic imaging. Interestingly, the manufacturer of the Hermes 450, Israel-based Elbit Systems, lists its base range as only 300 kilometers (200 miles). It would be hard for Israel to send this drone into Iran. Israel is about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away from Iran’s westernmost boundary and Natanz is about 600 kilometers (370 miles) inland from the closest border point in Iran. Other countries also operate Hermes 450 drones, including Britain, the United States and Azerbaijan, Iran’s neighbor to the north.

In News with plentiful crops and wildflowers that provide the nectar that bees turn into honey. But unfortunately, the recent lack of rain has ravaged plants, forcing farmers to cut back crop production resulting in fewer places for honeybees to forage. This is the third year of drought in California which has affected many industries and consumers. Since the historic drought began, California’s honey crop has fallen sharply from 27.5 million pounds in 2010 to 10.9 million pounds last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Our honey crop is severely impacted by the drought, and it does impact our bottom line as a business,” said Gene Brandi, a beekeeper in Los Banos, a farming town in California’s Central Valley. More than 80 percent of the state is under “extreme” or “exceptional” drought, according to the U.S. Drought

National Where’s the Honey?

Honey-lovers are all abuzz about a recent drought in California that is affecting the supply of their sweet condiment. California is usually one of the country’s largest honey producers,

Insight

Monitor. Governor Jerry Brown has declared a drought emergency, and residents now face fines of up to $500 a day for wasting water. Amelia Barad-Humphries, who owns a restaurant and floral business in Napa Valley, said she’s concerned about the drought’s impact on bees and honey supplies. She said she eats a teaspoon of local honey every day to keep her allergies in check and she relies on bees to pollinate her backyard garden. “We need honeybees for everything,” she said. “People should be paying attention.” In recent years, bee populations worldwide have been decimated by pesticides, parasites and colony collapse disorder, a mysterious phenomenon in which worker bees suddenly disappear. The worldwide shortage of honey has caused honey prices to surge to an all-time high. Over the past eight years, the average retail price for honey has increased 65% from $3.83

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MA Residents Open their Wallets Real Wide

high-spending states, residents paid an average of $44,824 on their mortgages in 2012. By contrast, residents in the 10 lowest-spending states paid just over $16,000 for housing. Perhaps less obvious is the relationship between people’s spending habits and their level of education. Six of the states that spent the least also had the lowest percentage of residents with at least a bachelor’s degree. Among the states that spent the most, seven had the highest educational attainment rates in the country. After Massachusetts, residents in Connecticut, North Dakota, and New Jersey spent most freely in the nation. New York came in number five on the list of biggest spenders, with $42,043 of spending per capita. Residents of Arkansas, Nevada, Alabama and Hawaii all spent the most frugally in the nation after those living in Mississippi.

Is ISIS Too Close to Home?

AUGUST 28, 2014

We know that Americans like to spend—on food, clothing, the newest gadgets and the latest cars. But where in the U.S. are those who empty their wallets the fastest? Recently, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) conducted a study to

determine which states in the U.S. are home to the biggest spenders. Turns out that we’re all over the map. If you live in Mississippi, you like to hold onto your cash. Residents of Mississippi spend an average of $27,406 per capita—the lowest in the country. But if your address is in Massachusetts, your husband is right— you do spend too much. Massachusetts reported the highest expenditure, at $47,308 per capita in 2012. As might be expected, income is a huge factor in spending power. With the exception of Hawaii and Utah, median household incomes in all of the lowest-spending states were well below the national median of $51,371. Households in the highest-spending states were all among the highest incomes. Another obvious factor in spending is housing expenses, including rent or mortgage payments. In the

In News

Amid fresh airstrikes against the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and injured countless others, the United States has been trying to leave no stone unturned in searching

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The Week for local sympathizers of the extremist group. Federal and New Police York Department officials have estimated that at least 100 Americans could be fighting with the Sunni extremists who have seized territory in northern and western Iraq. In April, a Colorado woman and convert to Islam was arrested before she could travel to Syria to marry a fighter she had met online. More recently, a Texas man who was arrested trying to board a flight to Turkey pleaded guilty to terror charges alleging he wanted to join the group. In a Pentagon news conference, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey called the Islamic State an “immediate threat,” in part because of the number of Europeans and other foreigners who have traveled to the region to join the group. “And those folks can go home at some point,” he said. An FBI and Homeland Security Department intelligence bulletin issued on Friday said there were no credible or specific threats from the Islamic State against the U.S. homeland. However, it cautioned, “violent extremists who support [the group] have demonstrated the capability to attempt attacks on U.S. targets overseas with little-to-no warning.” NYPD counterterrorism officials, long wary of another al Qaeda strike since the September 11 attacks, have increasingly turned their attention to the Islamic State threat and efforts to recruit supporters through social media. The group used hash tags like #BewareAmerica and #CalamityWillBefallUS to make threats against the United States, NYPD analyst Rebecca Weiner said at a recent briefing for private security officials. “What we’ve seen in these hashtag campaigns is a lot of pictures of U.S. cities, including New York,” she said.

Docs: School Should Start Later Here’s some news for you, kids. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement recommending that middle and high

schools delay the start of classes until after 8:30 a.m. About 40 percent of high schools in the country start earlier than 8 a.m., a phenomenon that has negative effects on teens’ safety, well-being and education, according to Dr. Judith Owens, the director of sleep medicine at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. The report notes that most adolescents are severely sleep-deprived, with 87 percent of high school students getting less than the recommended 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night.

“We really feel that this is such a compelling health problem that it really is in the best interest of students for schools to take this step,” said Owens, the report’s lead author. “We’re hoping the more we educate school districts and various stakeholders, the more schools will actually implement this on a practical basis.” Research shows that sleep deprivation negatively affects students’ grades. A 2012 study found that middle school students who started class an hour later than usual saw their standardized test scores increase over 2 percentile points in math on average. “The score changes are comparable to other differences we might see: The effects of starting school one hour later are similar to the increasing grades we see when kids’ parents have more education,” researcher Finley Edwards said in 2012. “When you delay school start times, all these factors improve: less self-reported depression, fewer driving accidents, better grades, better test scores, better attendance,” Owens said. Despite the recommendations, it’s highly improbable that schools will be making the switch. Later start times means later dismissals, and no one wants younger children out later in the

In News day, when it’s dark in the winter season. Perhaps the doctors should have recommended less homework—that’s something kids can cheer about!

Lack of Lotion Causes Commotion

Even though the summer is nearly over, this article is an important one. A new report shows that the number of U.S. teenagers using sunscreen has dropped nearly 12 percent in the last decade. During that same time period, the number of teens using indoor tanning beds barely decreased. Both indoor tanning and failure to use sunscreen increase the risk of skin cancers, including deadly melanomas, the researchers noted. “Unfortunately, we found a decrease in the overall percentage of teens who reported wearing sunscreen, from 67.7 percent in 2001 to 56.1 percent in 2011,” said lead researcher Corey Basch, an associate professor in the department of public health at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. “Using sun-protective behaviors like applying sunscreen and avoiding intentional exposure to tanning devices will be key [to lowering cancer risk],” she added. Dr. Jeanine Daly, a dermatologist at North Shore-LIJ, said she was surprised at the drop in sunscreen use despite all the warnings about UV exposure leading to skin cancer. “It’s still in vogue to have that suntanned color,” she pointed out. Daly thinks that the message that sun exposure can lead to skin cancer is still not getting through, especially to young girls. “No matter how hard we’ve been trying to get that message out, we need to keep at it and work harder,” she said. “The bottom line is that skin cancer is largely preventable.”

The best sunscreens are those that protect against both UVA and UVB rays. “Both are involved in skin cancer,” Daly said. An effective sunscreen should contain a physical sunscreen such as zinc or titanium dioxide and a chemical sunscreen. “The best sunscreen is one that contains zinc, because it covers both UVA and UVB rays,” Daly said. “The most important thing to remember about sunscreen is that it doesn’t last very long,” she added. Sunscreen needs to be applied every two hours. In addition, it takes a lot of sunscreen to be fully protected, Daly explained. “The average tube of sunscreen is usually only four to six ounces – that should last maybe a day at the beach, but for a lot of people it lasts the entire season. We are just not using enough,” she said.

Americans Ebola Survivors Go Home

After nearly three weeks of treatment, the two American aid workers who were infected with the deadly Ebola virus in Africa have been discharged from an Atlanta hospital. Their release poses no public health risk, Dr. Bruce Ribner of Emory University Hospital stressed. Dr. Kent Brantly, 33, and Nancy Writebol, 59, show no evidence of Ebola, and generally patients do not relapse and are not contagious once they’ve recovered, said Ribner, director of the hospital’s infectious disease unit. At a news conference, Brantly, who held hands with his wife, said, “Today is a miraculous day.” Nancy Writebol, 59, was also released, said in statement that that she was free of the virus but in a weakened condition and was recuperating at an undisclosed location. Both were infected while working at a missionary clinic outside Liberia’s

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The Week capital. Brantly said he and his family first got word of the outbreak in March and “began preparing for the worst.” He said the hospital where he was working got its first Ebola patient in June, and then the number of patients increased steadily. Health workers took precautions, Brantly said, but on July 23, “I woke up feeling under the weather, and then my life took an unexpected turn as I was diagnosed with Ebola virus disease.” He had taken his wife and children to the airport three days earlier. Meanwhile, he said, he got sicker and weaker by the day. Brantly was flown out of Liberia on August 2, and Writebol followed August 5. At the news conference, Brantly choked up several times while thanking his aid group, North Carolina-based Samaritan’s Purse, and the Emory medical team. He and his wife hugged the medical staff and joked with them. Several blinked back tears, then cheered and applauded as the couple made their way from the room. Brantly said he and his family would be going away as he continues to recover. Brantly and Nancy Writebol received an experimental treatment called Zmapp, but it’s not known whether the drug helped or whether they improved on their own, as has happened to others who have survived the disease. The treatment is so novel that it hasn’t been tested on people. “Frankly, we do not know whether it helped them, whether it made no difference or whether it theoretically delayed their recovery,” Dr. Ribner said of the drug. The limited supply of the treatment also was used in a Spanish missionary priest who died and in three Liberian health care workers, who are said to be improving. Ebola is spread only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of sick people experiencing symptoms. In a statement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized that Brantly and Writebol no longer have the virus in their blood and therefore pose no health risk.

In News

Man Wrongly Convicted Wins $10M

Airlines May Say No to Nuts

The justice system is run by humans, leaving room for error. Unfortunately, there are thousands of criminals running free and there are many innocent people sitting in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. At the young age of 21, Jabbar Collins was accused of murdering Abraham Pollack, an Orthodox rabbi who had been collecting rent at a Brooklyn building. He was sent to prison in March 1995 for the February 1994 murder after witnesses claim they saw Collins fleeing the scene. While in prison, Collins studied law, and learned that one of the witnesses retracted his testimony before the trial, but his defense lawyer was never notified. Police authorities noted that the witness said he signed under duress to avoid being charged in another case. Collins also discovered other inconsistencies, so he appealed his case. In 2010, he was exonerated at the age of 38. Just last week, Collins “settled his lawsuit against the City of New York for $10 million,” his attorney, Joel Rubin, said in a statement. Previously, Collins had settled an unjust conviction lawsuit with the state of New York for $3 million. Both the city and the state agreed to a settlement to avoid a trial. US District Judge Dora Irizarry vacated his conviction due to pervasive misconduct by the office of District Attorney Charles Hynes, which she termed “shameful.” Since leaving prison, Collins has worked as a paralegal at his lawyer’s office, “but now has plans to take a lengthy leave of absence and then to enter the ministry,” Rubin’s statement said. “He plans to continue his work in wrongful conviction cases.”

About 15 million Americans have some sort of food allergy, and somewhere between 150 and 200 individuals die each year in the U.S. specifically from an allergic reactions to nuts. Victims have just a few minutes to get medical attention before a reaction can become fatal. If an individual develops an allergic reaction at 30,000 feet in the air, it can be life-threatening. Recently, two young girls had severe anaphylactic reactions to nuts mid-air in two separate incidents, sparking a debate on banning nuts on all flights. While many airlines no longer serve peanuts, they do allow passengers to eat nuts inflight. But they are willing to make special arrangements for passengers with allergies, if possible. Still, “there are no federal guidelines for airlines” when it comes to accommodating the safety of passengers with nut allergies, says Lianne Mandelbaum, the mother of a child with a nut allergy and founder of the website, NoNutTraveler.com. Therefore, each airline has the liberty to enforce their own policies. Mandelbaum is working to get federal guidelines in place. “We are asking for the ability to pre-board and wipe down the seat,” explains Mandelbaum. “We also want it to be standard that once they are informed of the allergy, the crew will create a buffer zone three rows in front and three rows behind the allergic person where they will not serve any nut products and ask customers seated in those rows to refrain from consuming any that they have brought onboard.” Mandelbaum says her goal is not

to ban nuts altogether from planes— an impossible tasks since you cannot prevent all passengers from bringing nuts onboard—she simply wants fair and sensitive policies in place across all commercial airlines. She began her mission after a traumatic experience with her 9-year-old son last summer. “We were waiting in the airport to fly home from vacation on United, so I asked to pre-board so I could wipe down my son’s seat, and I asked them to make an announcement about his allergy,” says Mandelbaum. She says her requests are usually respected and met with people eager to help out but instead the airline manager said — in front of her young child — “If you think he’s going to die, don’t get on the plane.” Rahsaan Johnson, a spokesperson for United Airlines, denies that the incident took place, “Flight attendants, whose primary role is customer safety, are happy to mention to customers that there is a fellow traveler onboard with a peanut allergy. Because no airline can guarantee that an aircraft will be free of particular allergens, we urge any customer with a severe allergy to discuss options and alternatives with a medical professional.” Flight attendants are forbidden from using the epinephrine (Epipen) without a doctor onboard. Mandelbaum’s suggestion to parents of children with allergies: “Make an informed decision before you purchase that plane ticket. Forewarned is forearmed.”

Al Qaeda Lists Las Vegas as Prime Target

The intention of terrorists is to evoke terror. In a chilling new revelation, Metro police have confirmed that al Qaeda leaders are encouraging lone

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The Week jihadists to target Las Vegas for terror attacks. The information is based on a recent publication, Palestine, which names the city as a top spot to strike. “It’s just a suggestive rhetoric to those who subscribe to violent jihadists ideologies,” said Lt. Nichole Splinter with the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Unit, in an effort to calm readers. He said it’s not uncommon for these types of publications to suggest names of target cities. “It does not, however, interpret there is any planning or operational phases that have been identified,” Splinter pointed out. “We have thousands of trained personnel in our community and staff on the Strip that remain vigilant,” Splinter added. Doron Benbenisty, the owner of Counter Terrorism Training School, said, “The population [of Las Vegas] is very dense. The Strip is the lifeline of the city, they know. What’s the purpose of terrorists, besides killing people? It’s disrupting our way of life.”

“Preparing, being proactive, that’s the key role that needs to be played to prevent that,” Benbenisty said. If you find yourself in the City of Lights, make sure to say something if you see something suspicious.

Earthquake Shakes Napa Valley

Early Sunday morning, at 3:20am, many Northern Californians got a huge jolt—literally.

In News A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area causing lots of damage, igniting fires, knocking down tens of thousands of people’s power lines, and critically injuring six. This is the largest earthquake in the region in the last 25 years. The earthquake hit about 6 miles from the city of Napa. Water mains were ruptured as well as gas lines, which seriously injured two adults and one child. The quake was felt widely throughout the region. People reported feeling it more than 200 miles south of Napa and as far east as the Nevada border .The depth of the earthquake was just less than 7 miles, and numerous small aftershocks have occurred, the USGS said. “A quake of that size in a populated area is of course widely felt throughout that region,” said Randy Baldwin, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado. One witness described screaming

out for her two children in the darkness as her home shook violently. She spoke to media in flip-flops that showed off her bloodied feet, saying, “It was shaking and I was crawling on my hands and knees in the dark, looking for them.” At an afternoon press conference, officials at Napa’s Queen of the Valley hospital said that 120 individuals had been treated, with six patients injured critically. Pacific Gas and Electric spokesman J.D. Guidi said close to 30,000 lost power right after the quake hit. Crews were working to make repairs, but it was unclear when electricity would be restored. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for southern Napa County, directing state agencies to respond with equipment and personnel. Napa Fire Department Operations Chief John Callanan said the city has exhausted its own resources trying to extinguish six fires, some

ists have claimed to have carried out that stunt. Seems like the Brooklyn Bridge is on everyone’s bucket list.

That’s Odd Fashion’s Newest Accessory: the Facekini

Another Brooklyn Bridge Climber

On Sunday, a New York City man decided to see New York from a different stance. He climbed to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, snapped photos with his iPhone, and then made his way down when police demanded he descend the New York landmark. Yaroslav Kolchin, 24, faces charges including criminal trespass and reckless endangerment for the afternoon stunt that occurred as the iconic bridge linking Brooklyn and Manhattan was packed with tourists. He ascended a support beam connected to the tower on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, which stands about 276 feet (84 meters) above water, the New York City Police Department said. The incident prompted a response from police teams on the ground as well as from the harbor and aviation unit. The suspect reached the top of the tower where he walked back and forth and “took photos with his iPhone,” police said. Sunday’s climb comes weeks after another high-profile stunt on the bridge, when someone swapped out two American flags with white flags on top of the bridge. Two German art-

Paying it Forward 378 Times

Want to be part of the hottest trend in beachwear? Try on the new facekini. Believe it or not, Chinese beachgoers are donning this nylon head mask that protects the face from the harmful rays of the sun. Only the eyes, nose and mouth are visible from beneath the full-face mask. The facekini is just one of the many sun-protecting trends born in the East, where “beauty-seekers are more likely to center their [summer beauty routines] around lightening and brightening,” as explained in the CR Fashion Book editorial, preserving a porcelain skin tone. “A tan does not signify a chic trip to Capri, but it could mean hours of hard labor spent out in the harsh sun” where overexposed skin bears wrinkles and sunspots. Even in America, women have become more concerned about possible skin cancers and melanoma due to overexposure to the sun. 80 percent of skin aging is a result of UV rays. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has seen a 200 percent increase in cases since 1973. Despite the risk to the sun’s rays, most Americans are shunning the facekini and instead layering sunscreen and donning sunhats to prevent sun exposure. I, for one, will keep applying that SPF 50—and keep my facekini in the back of my drawer— until it’s time for Purim.

event, 1,468 customers “paid it forward” during a run that lasted more than four days. I’ll pay it forward but just make sure you don’t order the most expensive drink on the menu.

Steve Jobs in Every Mac

Want free coffee? Well, you can have it, if you pay for your friend’s coffee instead. At approximately 7am on Wednesday of last week, a woman in her mid60’s ordered an iced coffee from a Starbucks drive-thru in St. Petersburg, Fl. She was the start of a trend that kept giving almost 400 times when she offered to pay for the caramel macchiato ordered by the person behind her in line. For the next 11 hours, 378 customers followed suit, “paying it forward” for the people behind them. “It was a pleasant surprise,” Melissa Garrand told Bay News 9. “Everybody likes their coffee paid for. So, it was nice.” When customers pulled up to the window to pick up their orders, they were surprise to hear that their drinks were already paid for and asked if they would return the favor. 378 consecutive customers did, shattering the store’s previous record of 141. According to the Times, the chain was broken shortly after 6 p.m., when “customer No. 379 — a woman in a white Jeep Commander — pulled into the drive-through and ordered a regular coffee.” When she was asked if she wanted to participate, she declined, “saying she just wanted to pay for her $2.25 drink and not someone else’s.” What a stick in the mud. According to the barista, “It appeared the woman didn’t understand the concept of paying it forward.” While impressive, the Florida store’s pay-it-forward streak is nothing compared to the one that started last year at the Starbucks on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, Connecticut, on December 24. In that “giving”

AUGUST 28, 2014

in places with broken water mains; transporting injured residents; searching homes for anyone who might be trapped; and answering calls about gas leaks and downed power lines. The last time the region was struck with such a strong earthquake was in 1989 when a 6.9 Loma Prieta quake struck the area on October 17 during a World Series game between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. During that disaster, the Bay Bridge roadway collapsed, killing more than 60 people.

In News

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The Week

Steve Jobs may have died 3 years ago, but his words live on in every Mac every made. It turns out that there’s a small piece of the late Apple co-founder in every Mac computer. Many have said that Jobs’ most influential and amazing speech was the commencement speech he gave in 2005 at Stanford University — and as it turns out, you just need to turn on your computer to read his powerful words. If you simply press Command + Shift + G while in Finder to open the Go To Folder box, and then paste the following path: /Applications/ Pages.app/Contents/Resources/. In this folder you’ll see a file called Apple.txt. Open it and you’ll see Jobs’ speech. “I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories” is how the speech commenced. He ended off with the words: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Thank you all very much.”

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The Week Most Atrocious Autos in America

For those heading to Pebble Beach’s Car Week, they may be surprised to see some of the worst cars in America just down the road. The Concours d’LeMons has been billed as “an ugly oil stain on Pebble Beach Car Week,” and it provides a necessary antidote to the wealth and pomposity elsewhere, featuring cars that no one wants but their owners — and even their owners don’t want them that much. Walking around LeMons is fun— well, as much fun as you can have staring at really bad cars. Want to see an Edsel station wagon? A 1973 Acoma Mini Comtesse? This is the place to be to see the worse the car industry has to offer. “It’s always good to have a car in the family that nobody else is willing to drive,” declared Monterey resident Arthur Simons as he sat next to his 1982 Volvo station wagon, orange, yellow, green and blue with a full human skeleton in the passenger seat. “I bought this one about 13 years ago for $900 at Curly’s Barbecue Stand in Seaside, and it’s the second-fastest car I’ve ever owned. The only one that was faster was an Oldsmobile with a 455 four-barrel. It got seven miles per gallon and only sat two. This one gets 25 miles per gallon, it has an after-market racing suspension, a regular, 4-cylinder Volvo engine with a turbo-charger, and it flies. I’ve been blowing away BMWs ever since I got it.” Simons says the car has an exhaust leak somewhere, which prompts complaints from anyone who sits in the back seat on the way up Carmel Hill. He painted the car in a montage of colors—from brown, to green, to red. Surely a show for the most atrocious cars will feature people who relate to those automobiles. Men with

food in their beards and women wearing old sandals and relics of the past almost gravitate to the show that highlights the junkers of American cars. Even celebrities like comedian Jay Leno, a car enthusiast, have visited the show to marvel at the old, but beloved autos of America.

In News Obama Found Relaxing

Most Expensive House in the World

Think Manhattan prices are expensive? Think again. Sun Hung Kai Properties is offering a super-deluxe house on The Peak for HK$175,735 per square foot. If it fetches that amount, it will be the world’s most expensive home in terms of price per square foot. The house is one of 12 that was listed—the priciest is going for HK$819.1 million. For that kind of money, there’s a lot that the future owner will enjoy. The house has a saleable area of 4,661 sq ft, a 4,478 sq ft garden, a private pool, a 273 sq ft terrace, a 813 sq ft rooftop and 917 sq ft of car parking space. It also comes with a 220 sq ft air-conditioning plant room. That is not far short of the HK$880 million billionaire Cecil Chao Szetung was asking for his headquarters office building, the 32-storey Cheuk Nang Plaza at 250 Hennessy Road in Wan Chai, when he put it up for sale earlier this week. The most expensive home in the city is House 10 at Skyhigh on Pollock’s Path, which measures 5,989 sq ft and fetched HK$800 million, or HK$133,578 per saleable square foot, in June 2011. The second-priciest home is a 5,145 sq ft house at 3 Gough Hill Road, which was sold in February of this year for HK$650 million, or HK$126,336 per sq ft.

For a years, Barack Obama has been hanging out on Tiffany Bruce’s porch. He’s chilling—with his legs crossed and arm draped over the back of the bench. The Bear Creek, Pennsylvania, resident bought this statue of the president for just $1,249 and he’s been gracing her porch—and her neighborhood—until a few days ago, when the commander-in-chief decided to take a walk. “I peeked my head out the door and Obama’s gone and I kind of went into a panic. I couldn’t breathe, and I had to go to the hospital,” Tiffany related. Thankfully, it seems that those who stole the president took him to another location where they thought he’d have a bit more fun. The occupant of the White House was found at the Francis E. Walter Dam—with a six-pack of Twisted Tea and some cigarettes. When she heard that her Obama was safe and sound—and maybe even more relaxed—Tiffany admitted she was relieved. But she also said that this act of vandalism has scrapped any thoughts she had about buying another political bigwig. “I was going to get a Hillary too, but I don’t want to do it now,” she relates. Wonder what Hillary does to relax—buy a new pantsuit?

Haute Hot Dog Generally, a hot dog with the works at a ballgame may run you a few bucks, but if you’re downing a hot dog from the food truck Tokyo Dog in Seattle, you’ll have to shell out lots of cash.

The 12-inch smoked cheese bratwurst is topped with butter-teriyaki grilled onions, maitake mushrooms, wagyu beef, foie gras, shaved black truffles, caviar and Japanese mayo on a brioche bun. Yum! What does this fancy frank cost the inspired eater? A whopping $169. “It’s savory. It has fabulous flavors. It’s an amazing hot dog,” Tokyo Dog co-owner Eugene Woo praises. “Our buyers loved it. They think it’s the best hot dog they’ve ever had.” It better be—at that price it’s the world’s priciest hot dog. Alan Chang of California was the first person of five to officially buy the hot dog. At $169, that’s a grand total of $1,014 that Woo said went entirely to the Red Cross. Future buyers of the hot dog can get in on the good cause as long as they provide two weeks’ notice to the food truck. You mean people in Seattle don’t eat this every day?! “The previous [Guinness World] record was $145.49 – sold by a hot dog manager in California – and we thought it would be fun to break that record and bring it home,” Woo said. “It’s also for fundraising. We gave away every single penny to the Red Cross.” Fast food is quickly becoming fancy. This hot dog joins the ranks of other foods that hold titles in their own categories, like the world’s most expensive pizza in London at Maze restaurant, which, at $178, is a thincrust, wood fire-baked pizza topped with onion puree, white truffle paste, fontina cheese, baby mozzarella, pancetta, cep mushrooms, wild mizuna lettuce and rare Italian white truffle shavings. That pizza may hold Guinness’ official title, but it doesn’t mean it’s actually the world’s most expensive. (It can take around a year for a restaurant to apply and receive the title from Guinness.) Steveston Pizza in Canada tops their pricey pie – at $720 plus tax – with lobster, smoked black Alaskan Cod, smoked British Columbia steelhead salmon, creme fraiche, Russian caviar and white truffle carpaccio. “I think records are meant to be broken. For us, it’s the experience [of] going through and getting this Guinness World Record award,” Woo said. “Eventually, someone is going to break it again.”

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Edible Pearler Beads

By Esther Ottensoser

Directions: • Cut rainbow Twizzlers into ¼ inch pieces. • Draw an outline for your picture on a piece of parchment paper. • Fill your picture with cut up Twizzlers. • Place a piece of parchment paper on top. • Use a hot iron to fuse the pieces together. • Allow to cool and then enjoy!

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Now that camp is over, there’s extra time spent at home, and with too much time and too little to do, there may be lots of “I’m so bored!” heard throughout the house. Here’s something to entertain kids of all ages—and to make it even more fun, they can eat their artwork afterwards! This is a new twist to that good old pearler bead activity! You can now design and create your own edible craft. All you need is a package of rainbow Twizzlers, an iron, and some parchment paper, and you’re on your way to some “sweet” fun. From simple to sophisticated, all ages will enjoy creating, making, and then eating this colorful craft.

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In the Kitchen

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34 78 94 feeling at the end of a loooong year of test prep and adjustment to a new Common Core-compliant curriculum? What are principals saying behind closed office doors? What are therapists saying about their littlest clients? We set out to get the answers to those hard questions. And we got answers—including some eyebrowraising insight to the billionaires behind this business and the people becoming billionaires off of it. But first a bit of background about the Common Core.

COMMON CORE CRAZY

Is this Education’s Cure or Just Plain Chaos? BY BRENDY J. SIEV

t’s back to school time, time to get back in the classroom and back to the books. But before our kids refocus and recalibrate from a summer of R&R to a school year of those classic three Rs, let’s review our children’s curriculum. The Common Core, that new country-wide curriculum that has kids learning in a

whole new way, has been met with a lot of feedback and pushback from parents throughout the country. The new curriculum and “standards” that all kids should know comes coupled with a cadre of difficult tests meant to assess whether students have actually learned the material or not. So before another year of new textbooks, let’s take a look at this curriculum, see if it has merits, and who’s actually profiting from this all. UNCOMMON COMMON CORE Right, left, and center: they’re angry. K, 8, and 12: they’re anxious. Novice, Experienced, and Veteran: they’re frustrated. It’s that Common Core. Last April, 1.2 million New York students took their first Common Core-compliant tests, exams assessing what kids know after a year of the new and improved math and reading program. How did the students do? Are our scores any

higher? Are American students ready to compete in that tough global market? Nope. The United States did not score any better this year on the international math and science exam. Americans didn’t even score as well as Asians on a creative thinking exam! And, while New York claims students did better than they did last year (when 70 percent failed), the state simply lowered the passing grade so that more kids passed. And that’s just about the test. How are kids doing in general? How are teachers

THE COMMON CORE: WHAT IT IS AND WHO DREAMED IT UP Years ago, after decades of low test scores, the Bush administration passed the No Child Left Behind Act. This law aims for all students to excel and read well by the end of high school. The method of assessing that all children are on the bus? Testing. First graders, from their first week in school, “bubble in” answers to their homework. It’s not enough to figure out that “2 apples and 3 apples make 5 apples.” Now, a chunk of their homework asks them to select “a,” “b,” “c,” or “d.” So it’s not about 1 + 1 =2; it’s all about No. 2. Pencils. DID ALL THIS TESTING HELP? The problem with testing was that kids were still learning different material in different states. Because education is really under state control, initially, under No Child Left Behind, each state still taught the same curriculum and created its own tests to show the students knew that curriculum. The states made up the tests and the states were allowed to set their own passing grades. That meant that if too many kids in a particular state scored, say, a 40 percent on the state reading test, the state government just changed the passing grade to 40 percent. Eventually, though, local governments were stuck with a new problem. Johnny couldn’t really read. Johnny wasn’t ready for college. Forty percent of college students needed remedial help when they joined the ivory tower. Make that 80 percent in a state like Kentucky. So the Kentucky education commissioner, Gene Wilhoit, recognized he had a big problem on his hands. He teamed up with David Coleman, who currently runs the College Board. (Yes, the College Board makes the SAT.) The two scheduled a high level meeting with Bill and Melinda Gates and convinced the Gateses that the future of America is with a Common Core, a basic group of standards and skills that every school in every state teaches. This, they believed, would ensure that Americans would score as high as other students globally on math and reading. How could Bill and Melinda help? In general, as much as Americans seem to score relatively poorly on international tests, the truth is that states’ scores vary widely. Massachusetts, for one, scores on par with Germany, while Florida falls close to Czechoslovakia. Because education is statecontrolled, the Gateses could use their clout and their money to bypass federal involvement. Bill and Me-

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not include, but for the … expectations placed in the wrong spot…And when students show failure, so will their teachers, and ultimately, everyone loses – in a big way. I’m not just a parent living these, but also a teacher.” Jane W., a Westchester 7th grade English teacher, tried to implement the new skills into her curriculum. But she and her students felt deflated and “demoralized” by the test. Jane claims that “this year, I incorporated numerous informational texts to link to the novels my class was reading. Many of these in-

cluded New York Times articles of high interest levels for my 7th graders. It was gratifying to help students to deconstruct the articles…so that they could interact directly with well-crafted writing. It was exciting to see students work to make sense of difficult vocabulary and to share their interpretations in lively discussions. …Wow. Was I ever asking the wrong questions! The ELA exam wiped my students and me out… During the three days of testing, my students struggled to finish textbook informational texts that didn’t resemble any authentic newspaper or magazine articles we had studied earlier in class.”

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EAVESDROPPING IN THE TEACHERS’ ROOM Two-thirds of New York teachers said that they were not asked about implementing the Core or what they thought about it. Seven out of ten say the transition just isn’t working.

When students show failure, so will their teachers, and ultimately, everyone loses – in a big way.

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COMMON CORE COMPLIANT CURRICULUM: THE NEW GOMATH! TEXTBOOK AND THE LITTLEST LEARNERS It’s September 2013. The students are still humming “Dip the apple in the honey,” and the teacher is

Teachers, not particularly confident or comfortable with the methods, do not feel the full support of administrators. Most feel powerless as they watch children struggling with concepts that any new or veteran teacher can tell you are developmentally wrong and confusing. One frustrated teacher and parent writes, “But the standards are not appropriate, particularly in the younger grades, so why torture children expecting them to do things that 1) detract from how they should develop (i.e. play-based) and 2) will label them as inadequate because they assume children can do things like articulate abstract concepts while living in a concrete period of development?” Not only are the standards inappropriate developmentally, but the teacher continues to predict, “These standards will be tragic, not only for what they do

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linda would create national education standards. Why not level the playing field by saying all American kids need to learn the same skills? Bill and Melinda listened. Since that meeting, Bill Gates has given more than $200 million to create the standards and persuade the states, teachers, politicians, and even the US Chamber of Commerce to adopt the standards in their state’s school system. Two years into this, the Obama administration bolstered the movement. Encouraged by former Gates’ staffers now working in the White House, Obama offered stimulus money to those states that took on the standards. So within two years of this meeting, 45 states and D.C. as well as the Catholic school system took on Bill Gates’s Common Core. What did the philanthropist’s team come up with? The Common Core involves more than 1,300 math and English standards that all Americans should master between kindergarten and high school. They sound perfectly reasonable at first glance: learn different ways to solve problems, explain your answers, and use evidence to back up the arguments in essays. The problem is who developed the Core. Believe it or not, most of the 27 people on the Common Core committee are not educators. A close look at the standards finds that the standards for kindergarten, first, and second grades are just not developmentally right for kids that age. And now, under this new system, all education materials in the classroom must be Common Corecompliant. That means that textbook companies are making a fortune—to the tune of billions of tax dollars—creating new materials that haven’t even been proven to work and have not even been tested in the classroom. Take a closer look.

starting them on basic addition from the new GoMath! Common Core-compliant textbook. Sounds good. Sounds right. Except adding is different now. Students need to learn “math terms.” This means that students spend hours identifying “addends” and “sums.” It’s not just 1 and 1 is 2. It’s addend and addend equals sum. By October, first graders are doing “math situations” (“word problems” are so 2010) involving basic algebra. They need to read the problem and solve it. The real-life problem: most of the first graders are still working on sounding out “cat-bat-hat.” The kids can’t really read the math problems. So the teachers read them to the students. Here’s a sample situation the students hear and need to solve: 7 birds are flying in the sky. Some more join them. Now there are 10. How many birds joined them? I know—you just reread the problem to solve it. But the kids can’t read it—so they can’t reread it. And they just heard the word “some”—or was it “sum”? And now, in their heads, they have to visualize and figure out 7 + X = 10. Really. By October, the first graders are still working on addition. In order to comply with the Common Core mandate to learn different ways to approach math problems, they learn that 3 + 4, or 4 + 5, or 7 + 8 are really not about plain old adding or counting. These basic “math sentences” are about “doubles plus one” or “doubles minus one.” The children are told to recognize 3 + 4 as 3 + 3 (which the students have presumably memorized as 6) + 1. Practically, most students are thoroughly confused and stressed out. Their parents can barely help them with their homework. One Brooklyn boys’ yeshiva sent home instruction sheets last year so parents can help their children with this new addition. The instructions—er, instrucciones—were written in Spanish. ¿Qué? An official letter went out to the parents within the month, asking for parents to bear with the administration as everyone learns the new math together. Apparently, we’re all confused.

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And teachers couldn’t even use test results to help them plan for this year: they only received them this month. SO, DOES IT WORK? With all this, the question becomes: does it work? Perhaps this is one of those beginnings that’s simply hard. The answer, unfortunately, is a resounding no. One yeshiva teacher reports—off the record, of course—that half of her classes consistently fail the math tests. Next year, word around the Keurig is that teachers will quietly have to reteach so much basic information. In fact, former Harvard professor and education expert Tom Loveless says that the Common Core is “built on a shaky theory.” High standards have never been connected with high scores or learning. In other words, there is no correlation between quality standards and higher achievement. Loveless claims,

“Everyone who developed standards in the past has had a theory that standards will raise achievement, and that’s not happened.” Some consider it a wasted year. Diane Ravitch, former undersecretary of education and education historian, talks about how this generation of students, introduced to developmentally inappropriate math, hates it. Children’s closest allies and advocates, their parents, cannot even help them. The Common Core is not even being continually revised to reflect learnings about its failure! In popular culture, comedian Stephen Colbert lampooned the Core on his late night show, saying, “Common Core testing is preparing students for what they’ll face as adults — pointless stress and confusion.” He continued with an actual question from a Common Core math textbook: “Jack used the number line below to solve 427 – 316. Find his error. Then write a letter to Jack telling him what he did right, and what he should do to fix his mistake. “That’s a great question teaching two important workplace skills: math and passive-aggressive note writing,” the comedian opined. POINTLESS STRESS AND CONFUSION At Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Taylor

Thompson voiced a problem that therapists and psychologists face as well. Children are being referred to the clinic for testing for learning disabilities and for behavior issues. But this year, psychological test data will not be fully valid. Students don’t truly understand math, so their low math scores may not represent a disability (a discrepancy between achievement and ability) but will represent a lack of knowledge and poor teaching. Their math anxiety and classroom stress create behavior issues. While schools are quick

It’s not about 1 + 1 =2; it’s all about No. 2.

to label inattention as ADHD, “inattention can be a symptom of 20 different causes, including anxiety.” As comedian Louis CK, whose daughters attend a New York City public school, tweeted in April, “My kids used to love math. Now it makes them cry. Thanks standardized testing and Common Core!” It’s not simply about failing the end-of-the year test. It’s about feeling like a failure and the demoralization of our littlest children. And it gets worse. Louis CK joked that if the students don’t do well “they [will] burn the school down,” and his words

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A SAMPLE STANDARD FOR FIRST GRADE Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13). A SAMPLE QUESTION FOR FIRST GRADE Roberto ate 10 crackers. Carrie ate 5 crackers. How many more crackers did Roberto eat than Carrie? a. 10 + 5 =15 b. 15 – 5 = 10 c. 10 – 5 =5 d. 5 + 5 = 10 HOW TO ADD IN FIRST GRADE 62 + 26 = 88 now 60 + 2 + 20 + 6 = 80 + 8 = 88

ltimately, who really is winning with the new Common Core? Based on last year’s scores, our children are more confused than ever. A curriculum that was constructed by those who aren’t even educators has made them more anxious, making them—and their parents—dread math. And schools, many of which are struggling financially, are forced to reeducate their teachers and provide new textbooks and materials for the new curriculum. So who really is succeeding? Well, it may just be a bunch of billionaires who will end up making more money off of our children’s backs. As of July, three states – Indiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina – voted to repeal the standards that were initially adopted by 44 states and the District of Columbia. Other states have pending legislation to repeal the standards, and still others are debating delaying them or changing the implementation. In New York, the fight against Common Core was highlighted when Westchester County executive Rob Astorino, who is challenging Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo in November’s election, created the “Stop the Common Core” party, which he will be running under in the upcoming election. Clearly, parents and educators are frustrated with the new system. But how frustrated do they have to be to have the country revamp the curriculum for our TJH children’s benefit? 

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A NATION DIVIDED: WIDENING THE CLASS DIVIDE Despite all the age-inappropriate math stress for young students, the Common Core still doesn’t prepare students for middle-school algebra and students are not prepared for calculus. Today, more than 15 percent of high school students take calculus in high school. But if schools follow a Common Core curriculum, students will not be prepared for that rigor and vigor of college math, and American students will actually fall behind. The Common Core actually says that it hopes to instill “college and career readiness” in every American student. At this point, because of this college focus, many students opt not to graduate. Almost a quarter of American students don’t finish high school. In Nevada, 42 percent of students never graduate. To ensure that the entirety of our country is college ready, we have divided the nation even more. With

LEFT, RIGHT, AND CENTER Colbert, Louis CK, and Diane Ravitch are liberals. Many liberals question Gates’s involvement and motives. They have dubbed the Common Core “market-based education reform” and a June 26 protest was held outside of the Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle. As former George H.W. Bush Assistant Education Secretary Checker Finn likes to say, “Conservatives hate anything with the word ‘national’ in it, and liberals hate anything with the word ‘test.’” It seems that both sides of the aisle are balking at the new standards. Some Red States are returning federal bonus money and tossing the Core. Blue states are considering that as well. So, who are the people behind the Common Core? The Common Core has its own website, but the site lists no phone number, no postal address, no board of directors or public office. It’s even difficult to find a list of those who created the Core. Of the 27 people who did, few are educators, and some are tied to industry. Gates claims that “these are not political things. These are where people are trying to apply expertise to say, ‘Is this a way of making education better?’” But Rabbi Eli Kutoff, former principal of Yeshiva Elementary School, commented on his basic issue with the Common Core. The issue is not with the concept, per se. He agrees on this with Diane Ravitch: if this was a field-tested, educator-driven, revised and refined common curriculum, then it would have merit. But the issue, Rabbi Kutoff says, is with the “commercialization of education.” The federal, state, and local governments now need to shell out tremendous amounts of money to fund the new tests and the new Common Core-aligned curricula. Here’s what that means in dollars and cents: In order to create the tests, the federal government funded two multistate consortia, PARCC and Smartd er Balanced, for a total of $350 million. The tests must be administered on computers in order to adapt to the student’s apparent strengths and weaknesses and enable answers beyond multiple choice. However, some schools don’t have the necessary bandwidth for all students to log onto the Internet at the same time. Others don’t have the nec-

essary computers. Schools need to pay steeply for these upgrades. In 2012, $20 billion was spent on instructional materials for kids in K – 12, money pocketed in large part by the textbook company, Pearson. Now, 68 percent of school districts plan to purchase new Common Core-aligned materials. That’s billions more. The transition to Common Core coincides with the ongoing transition to digital educational materials like apps and e-books. The textbook companies aren’t the only ones lining up to create materials. Big technology firms like Apple and Amplify are competing for school district investments in tablets for classroom use. Teachers also need professional development to prepare them to teach the standards. Students need extra tutoring and test prep to help them learn and pass the new, harder tests. (Parents already spend an estimated $11 billion on tutoring, test prep and counseling services.) And how does Bill Gates ultimately benefit? This February, Microsoft announced that it will join with Pearson to load Common Core materials and tests onto the Microsoft Surface, an iPad competitor.

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are not so far from the truth. These tests lead to firings—of teachers and principals—and to school closings. They deplete funding from poor public schools that often educate the most economically stressed and learning challenged students. The funding goes to charter schools that are often moneymakers (one charter school network is owned by Vice President Joe Biden’s brother, Patrick) for corporate enterprises. Eventually, the scores will impact student promotion.

the Common Core, those numbers will probably just get worse. But most government education leaders don’t really see that. They spin it as “College and career skills are the same,” as Ken Wagner, New York State’s associate commissioner of education for curriculum, assessment and educational technology, told the New York Times. Really? Does y=mx+b help a bus driver or chef succeed?

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Massachusetts’ students score on par with Germany, while Florida’s fall close to Czechoslovakia.

Forgotten Heroes

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Avi Heiligman

A PHOTO OF THE PAST

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20th Century Photographers

hotography in the 20th cenSeveral armies during WWI had tury greatly improved from photography units. Ernest Brooks its early days. The quality of worked for the British and before the the pictures were much better, it was war had the opportunity to photovery easy to cargraph the king ry a camera (no on a tiger huntmore portable ing trip to Africa. studio wagons!) Before and after and color phothe war he was tos made phoan official photographs more tographer for the easily accessible crown, although to the common he was dismissed man. For war in 1925. Brooks photographers, was appointed an this meant that official photograthey could take pher when Winaction photos ston Churchill, of combat and then a lieutenant show the people colonel, started a at home what war photography unit. was really like He was the only on the battlefield. photographer at Photograph taken in Israel by Robert Capa WWII ushered the Battle of the in a whole new Somme and conera of battlefield photography as ev- tinued taking pictures through the rest ery battlefield was extensively pho- of war. Brooks was on-hand for the tographed. Some of the world’s most Italian campaign and was awarded famous pictures came from the war the French Croix De Guerre for his and changed the way average people work. The pictures that he took were thought about fighting for freedom. “real,” which means that they weren’t

The Falling Soldier. Taken by Capa in Spain, the photo was later proven staged

staged, and showed the true face of battle. Pictures of injured soldiers or men in a trench showed the men and women back home what fighting in war really was about. Many of his subjects didn’t know he was taking pictures of them as he was allowed to wander around the battlefield. Silhouette photos were his signature, and his 4,400 photos of the war represented a full 10% of all British pictures for WWI. Many of Brooks’ pictures are now on display in the Imperial War Museum and most have been digitalized. However, Bob Smethurst and some of the treasures he rescued from the trash that isn’t always the case with many of the pictures taken by lesser known pho- sequent exam and became a photogratographers. British dustman (in Ameri- pher on ships. After a year in the army, ca known as a janitor) Bob Smethhurst he joined the Associated Press as a put together an incredible collection photographer and was sent to the Paof pictures he gathered from the trash cific following the marines on the path over a period of 36 years. These 5,000 to Japan. The marines invaded a straWWI photos probably were discard- tegic island that the air corps wanted ed after the veterans past away and for an advance airbase to bomb Japan. the family didn’t realize the value of Iwo Jima was invaded on February 19, them, both monetarily and historically. 1945, and Rosenthal was in the first Smethhurst has collected medals and wave of marines to land. other memorabilia from the trash and The island was dominated by 550is digitalizing many of these pictures foot Mount Surabachi and the peak and artifacts for public viewing. was taken on February 23. A few phoTwo American Jewish photogra- tojournalists also climbed to the peak phers from WWII have photos that and were there in time to witness the stood the test of time and have become marines raising the flag. 40 men from icons in American photojournalism. Easy Company from the 2nd Battalion, Joe Rosenthal had poor eyesight and 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division therefore was rejected from the army. made the dangerous trek up the slopes Somehow, he managed to pass a sub- along with a flag that was to be placed

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This author wrote an article just on Capa in a past issue. Please email avi5 heiligman@gmail.com for the article. 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.

AUGUST 28, 2014

Photography has advanced greatly since its invention in the 1830s. Today, real time images are broadcast to commanders as they assess the best way to handle situations. The pictures that get sent back home are the ones forming opinions in civilian minds and can change the public view of a war. War photographers have a tough job, especially as unarmed civilians going into battle, and they perform it well.

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Famous photo by Jewish photographer Robert Capa of troops struggling to get on the beach on D-Day

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there if they took the mountain. Tag- landed on Normandy on D-Day, June ging along with the patrol was Staff 6, 1944. Out of the 106 pictures that he Sergeant Louis Lowery of Leather- took, only eleven survived a darkroom neck Magazine. He took a picture of disaster. Some of these became wellthe event which shows several men known as they showed troops strugaround an already raised flag. gling to come ashore. After the war, There were two problems with Capa traveled to the Soviet Union with the flag. One, it was too small to be famous author John Steinbeck and seen from the beach and Secretary of produced an account of their expedithe Navy James Forrestal decided that tion called “A Russian Journey” with he wanted it as a personal souvenir. Steinbeck writing and Capa’s pictures There was to be another patrol going illustrating the points. Capa also travup the mountain the next day with a eled to Israel after its founding in 1948 larger flag with Joe Rosenthal and two and the photos taken there still exist. other photographers joining the expe- He was killed when he stepped on a dition. The gomine in Vieting was rough nam while with and the group French troops considered goduring the First ing back down. Indochina War. However, they The most met Lowery famous Russian who told them picture of WWII that the view was taken by was amazing Yevgeny Khalfor pictures, so dei. It depicts a they continued. soldier raising a As they reached Soviet flag over the top, five mathe Reichstag in rines and one Berlin on May navy corpsman 2, 1945. This were about to picture has a lot raise the flag on of symbolism a captured Japato it as the Red nese water pipe. Army considFirst Iwo Jima flag raising Rosenthal alered it the home most missed the for Fascism. shot and had to take the picture with- The raising of the flag brought victory out using the viewfinder. Bill Genaust, in the Russians’ eyes and as this picone of the other photographers in the ture was sent back to the motherland, group, stood next to Rosenthal taking the civilians knew that the war was a video of the historic event. It was a over. one in a million shot, and it was immeBeing a photographer on the frontdiately sent to AP headquarters where lines is dangerous business. Marine the editor exclaimed, “Here’s one for Corporal William Perkins served as all time!” Within eighteen hours of be- a combat photographer with the 1st ing taken, the picture was being distributed. It was awarded the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. In the 1950s, a bronze statue was created from the image in the photo and now stands as the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. An iconic photo called “The Falling Soldier” was taken during the Spanish Civil War in September 1936. The photographer was another Jewish world traveler named Robert Capa. The photo depicts a Republican soldier after he was hit and about The famous photo of raising the flag over Iwo Jima to slump to the ground. Later, it was discovered that it was probably a staged photo but it brought the Marine Division in Vietnam. He was message home to civilians about how killed when he jumped on an incoming brutal war can be. Even though he was grenade to save the lives of his fellow Hungarian by birth, Capa was allowed marines. Perkins was awarded the only to join American troops into Europe as Medal of Honor given to a photograa photographer for Life magazine. He pher.

In the Classroom

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Susan Schwamm

he first day of school heralds excitement for most students (and parents) return-

ing to the classroom after a long and wonderful summer.

True,

some of us still feel that summer has just begun, but as we flip the calendar to September, the reality of the ebbing of a carefree season hits us. No longer can we leisurely get up at 9am and eat breakfast barefoot on the porch. As our children enter the shining hallways of their schools next week, it’s up to us, their parents, to help them make the entry to a new school year as seamless as possible. We can all empathize with the desire to hit the snooze button one more time on the alarm clock and the urge to play just a few more rounds of basketball after a long day at school. So what can we do to help our children start off their school year on the right foot?

THE FIRST STEP: PREP

The key to a good start is preparation. It’s important to ease children back into a school year routine gradually. During the summer, when the days are long and the obligations are almost nil, our kids tend to stay out later and hit the sack at a later time than during the school year. For a week or two before school starts, start inching their bedtime up earlier. Keep in mind that children between 5- and 12-years-old need 10 to 11 hours of sleep. Eventually, a few days before school starts, they should be going to sleep and waking up at the time that they would during the school year. But preparation shouldn’t end there. Even when they do wake up at the regular schoolyear time, help children with their morning routine so when the bus comes on the first day, they won’t be left heading out to school hungry. Make a list of things that need to be done every morning—get dressed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, grab lunch—and do a practice run the day or two before school starts. Take a walk with them to the bus stop to remind them how long it takes to get there. Write down what time they need to be out of the house and show them where the clock is. Keep that list on the fridge and have your child check things off as they go about their morning routine. This will keep them grounded and help them pace themselves in the morning. There’s nothing worse than sending off your little ones that first day harried and without the proper sustenance that they really need for the long day at school. Throughout the school year, it helps to spend a few extra minutes in the evening to help ease the morning rush. Have your children place their homework in their knapsacks right after they do them. Knapsacks should be placed in their proper spots, preferably near the front door. As parents, think about what you can do to help with the morning dash for the bus. Any notes or signatures that your children need for school should be placed in their knapsacks before you go to sleep. Lay out their clothes—including their shoes—the night before. Prepare their snacks, drinks and lunches (along with a note saying “I love you”) and put them in the fridge in a spot that won’t go unnoticed. You can even set the table for breakfast—bowls, spoons, cups, and cereals can all be put out in the evening.

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After running around the whole summer, it’s hard to sit down and do loads of homework every day. Help your child by giving them a routine during the summer season. The week or two before school, have them sit with you and do puzzles, read or play quiet games. Giving them quiet time will help them get used to the learning process they’ll be exposed to in school. Designate a homework spot in the house. Children need a consistent place where they can do their work and study uninterrupted. This may be in their room, or for younger children, it may be in a place where you can sit with your child in case he or she may need you for encouragement or to ask questions. It’s important that there’s limited distractions in this area. Have sharpened pencils, erasers, paper, books and other items that they may need for homework in their homework area. Make a designated spot for important papers or references they may need to look up. Remind children to put their homework and papers back into their backpacks immediately after completing their assignments.

THE FIRST WEEK

Even with all the preparations prior to the first day of school, it’s always a challenge to get back into routine the first week back. Try to clear your schedule to make sure you’re there for your children— physically and emotionally. If you can, try to be home for your child that first week as they step off the bus. Encourage them to talk about their teachers, their new classmates, and their new subjects. Freeze a few easy dinners to keep you available for a chat after school. Some children are more talkative than others, but if they know you’re available and encouraging of their new situation, they will talk about it with more enthusiasm. Greeting your child after school with a special snack, a warm smile, and a bright “welcome home!” will help them ease back into school and start the year on the TJH right foot. 

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HOMEWORK HABITS

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Even before school starts, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out each child’s schedules. Make sure to use one master calendar to help centralize everyone’s schedules. It may take time, but once everyone’s days off, after-school activities and obligations are penciled in, it makes things simpler. If you’re using a paper calendar, write each person’s schedules in a different color—don’t forget mom!—to organize things even more. This system also works well when shopping for school supplies. Every child comes home with a list of all the supplies they need for the year and combined it can be overwhelming—15 glue sticks, anyone? Before shopping, right down everything that you need for all your children. Keep a separate list at home of each child’s needs separately. This way, when you shop, you have one master list that you can use when perusing the aisles. Make sure to scan the circulars before heading out the door. During this season, stores have great sales on school supplies, and it’s worth it in the long haul to head to one for notebooks for 17¢ and paper for less than a dollar in another. Between Staples, OfficeMax, CVS, Target, Walmart, Amazing Savings and other local stores, you’ll end up capitalizing on great deals. Being a smart shopper is not just about school supplies. August is the second-biggest sales month for clothing retailers—they’re begging you to buy their items! But before pressing the “buy it” button online, take a few minutes to go through each child’s drawers for what they may need this upcoming year. Have them try on their pants and skirts. Perhaps they can still wear a few things in the fall. Empty drawers and closets of outgrown or worn-out clothing so you can start with a fresh slate.

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ORGANIZE

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In the Kitchen Naomi Nachman

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FULL PAGE TEMPLATE

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.25” Bleed Area- To avoid a white border you must extend your image /background color to

5.375” wide x 8.375” high Final Trim AreaThe book will be cut on this line to

5”wide x 8” high Safe AreaKeep all important design elements in this box.

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Back to School

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Brown Bag-It the Right Way! BY SUSAN SCHWAMM The school day is long and our children spend a lot of time in their classrooms, learning and listening to their teachers. Lunchtime is a great time for them to relax and an opportunity for mom to fill their bellies with something healthy and nutritious. Here are some delicious and fun ideas of foods to send with your child for school lunch this year. Remember to include a note that says “I love you!”

Bento Boxes

Snacks

I remember that lunch in school wasn’t complete without a light snack after the main. Choose healthy snacks when packing a lunch so your child can make wiser food choices. • Pita chips • Applesauce • Air-popped popcorn • Rice cakes • 90 calorie snack bags • Whole wheat crackers • String cheese • Cut up grapes • Colorful pepper strips • Apple slices • Banana

The idea of a bento box originated in Japan where it traditionally includes rice, meat or fish, and a pickled vegetable. This concept is great for school lunches. Choose a theme or an idea and serve it in a closed, boxed container with different compartments. • “Israeli”: pita, olives, hummus, carrot sticks, tomatoes, tabbouleh salad, falafel balls • Wrap of egg salad, grape tomatoes, red grapes, cheese slices • Cut up turkey with salad, carrot sticks with dip, crackers • Yogurt “parfait”: yogurt, granola, raisins, cut up fruit • Pizza Party: cut up pizza or mini pizza bagels, string cheese, broccoli spears • Cottage cheese, cut up fruit, corn thins, cucumber slices

Pasta

I love serving pasta to my children for lunch. It’s so easy to make the night before and stays fresh all day. • Spaghetti and ketchup • Pasta salad • Rotini with store-bought pesto

Sandwiches

The sandwich is the perfect lunch. It’s easy to make and slides into a knapsack with the flick of wrist. Be creative—cut the sandwich into fourths or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. • Bagels with cream cheese • Cream cheese and tomato on white bread • Avocado, tomato, and light mayo on whole wheat bread • Turkey, lettuce, and mustard on rye bread • Hamburger, ketchup, and tomato in a hamburger bun • Tuna, lettuce, and tomato in a spinach wrap

“Kabobs”

Kids love fun foods. Something on a skewer is way more fun to eat! Make sure to include a dip of ketchup or dressing. • Rolled up cold cuts and pickles • Chunks of cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers and string cheese • Chunks of fruit: pineapple, peaches, strawberries • Squares of cheese and cut up grapes and pears

A Parsha Thought Rabbi Shmuel Silber

What is this matzeyva monument? Rashi explains that it is an altar made from one stone as opposed to the mizbeyach altar, which is made of multiple, individual stones. But why would God “despise” it? After all, one need only look in Genesis to find many examples of great, righteous people building matzeyvos to serve God. What changed to make the matzeyva so terribly distasteful in the eyes of God that the Torah must warn us so strongly against its use? Rashi explains that the matzeyva had become central to Canaanite idolatrous practice. Thus, although it was “beloved” by God when the Patriarchs used it, it is now abhorrent in the eyes of the Creator. Still, the Torah could have simply stated “don’t build a matzeyva” (much in the same way it says, “Don’t plant an asheyra tree” - a type of tree used for idolatrous worship). But to say that God despises something that was a staple in the religious service of the forefathers seems extreme. At the base of Mount Sinai, the very spot of

Devarim 16:22

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Shemos 24:4 Bereishis 28:18

approach to the service of God. However, at this juncture Moshe declares to the Jewish People that this is no longer an acceptable approach. After forty years of spiritual maturation in the desert, God expects us to spiritually diversify, becoming “proficient” in many areas of life by acquiring many different character traits and abilities. One has to strive to become a chessed, gevurah and emes Jew. We have to become people who engage in meaningful prayer and help the poor. We must be people who are able to sacrifice of ourselves and yet always give to others. We must be people who can stand for truth while being able to interact with others who many not share our beliefs. The single-stoned matzeyva was acceptable and even desirable for the forefathers but it is off

God endowed each of us with such beautiful and awesome abilities and talents – it is our Divine obligation to discover and utilize them. I have no right to tell God that I can only be proficient in one particular area or can only accomplish certain things while other achievements are simply beyond my reach. The single stone, single approach matzeyva gives man a license to be “one thing.” Asher sanay - “I hate when you convince yourselves that you can’t be more.” Hashem hates the matzeyva because it has come to represent excellence and commitment in one area, whereas God asks us to be mitzuyanim, to excel in all we do. Our life mission is to accumulate stones. These stones represent all of the different character traits, middos

limits to us. From us, God demands a mizbeyach avanim, a multi-stone, multi-faceted altar.4

and abilities we must possess in order to be successful people. We must learn to spiritually diversify and strive for proficiency and piety in all areas of Judaic life. We begin this process one ‘stone’ at a time, taking (small) steps towards building a beautiful, and meaningful altar of Divine service and connection.

But God does not stop there. Asher sanay - the one thing that God despises more than anything is when we sell ourselves short. The greatest affront to God is when we convince ourselves that we cannot be more.

Devarim 27:5

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In the beginning of the Parsha, Moshe warns the people against adopting the idolatrous practices of the Canaanite nations. Among the multiple prohibitions, Moshe states: "‫"ולא תקים לך מצבה אשר שנא ה' אלוקיך‬ “And you shall not set up for yourself a monument, which the Lord your God despises.1”

incredible Divine revelation, the Torah tells us that Moshe built twelve matzeyva monuments for the twelve tribes of Israel.2 On the future site of the Beis HaMikdash we learn that our forefather Yaakov set up a matzeyva monument from the stone that he had placed at his head.3 Avraham and Yitzchak built matzeyva altars wherever they travelled. How can it be that the very thing that was beloved to God in previous generations had suddenly become despised? Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook ZT’L, in his work titled Midbar Shur (Shoftim), explains that each of the forefathers represented and embodied a particular character trait (middah). Avraham represented chessed, kindness, Yitzchak gevura, strength, and Yaakov stood for emes, truth. Each Patriarch used his middah in the service of God. If you were to approach Avraham and ask how to come close to God, his answer would be, do good for others and you will achieve this desired closeness. Chessed is the key for connection. Yitzchak would advocate for gevurah – have the strength to sacrifice and one will forge a meaningful and lasting relationship with the Almighty. Yaakov would advise that the path to God requires unequivocal commitment to emes; truth must serve as man’s compass in finding God. The forefathers were unique in that they each had a singular approach to forging a relationship with God. This was necessary for they were creating our national foundation and in order for a foundation to be immovable, it must rest on solid pillars. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov had to create these solid pillars of chessed, gevurah, and emes. These could only be established through their singular dedication to these particular traits. Therefore they each used a single-stone matzeyva representing their singular

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Shoftim: Altars & Aspirations

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Notable

Quotes

Compiled by Nate Davis

“Say What?” It’s so much [garbage] it’s incredible. We’re going to let the liberals of the world run this world…This is so stupid it’s appalling, and I hope that owner keeps fighting for it and never changes it, because the Redskins are part of an American football history, and it should never be anything but the Washington Redskins. That’s the way it is. - Former Bears head coach Mike Ditka on the recent push for the Redskins to change their name because it is offensive to Native Americans

Yankee Stadium says it will start adding metal detectors as a way to beef up security. And then they went back to selling beer and baseball bats to New Yorkers. – Jimmy Fallon Summer is nearly over and it’s back-to-school time. If you can, send your kids to college so they get a degree and at least then they will know what kind of work they’re out of. – David Letterman

The NFL wants singing groups to pay the league to perform at halftime of the Super Bowl. Isn’t that crazy? … I remember last year at the Super Bowl, a group barely played — oh, that was the Broncos. – David Letterman Analysts say that President Obama has been ignoring Hillary Clinton’s advice for years —which is why we’ve yet to see him in a pantsuit. – Conan O’Brien

Yesterday the Clippers’ new owner, former Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer, promised fans that the team will win an NBA championship. He says he has a great strategy for rebuilding the team — Control-Alt-Delete. – Jimmy Fallon

You can now buy booze at Starbucks...A couple of hours ago I was in Starbucks. I had a vodkacchino. – David Letterman

As I sit here constantly hearing and watching you execute innocent men, women and children in the Middle East, I chuckle. Why do I chuckle, you may ask? Well, let me explain something to you, you cowardice fools who think you are so tough behind all your propaganda videos. You are scaring a population that doesn’t know how to fight, you’re bullying the weak….Keep in mind, what did Saddam’s troops do when we came rolling into town? They surrendered, twice… So all your empty threats of coming to America and raising your flag over the White House amuse me more than any of you sick, sadistic [thugs] could ever imagine or comprehend…If my memory serves me correctly, I’m pretty sure we plowed through Fallujah in 4 days. Better yet, it took us about a month to control your entire country. At this point, with 13+ years of war under our belts, how long do you think it would take us to do it all over again? I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on that one….Remember we are armed to the teeth in the US and I can promise you this: the Geneva Conventions will not apply to you. You attack us and there will be no mercy. We will bring the righteous hand of G-d down upon you and crush you. – Portion of an open letter to ISIS by a U.S. military veteran

Whole Foods has started selling rabbit meat. They’re killing them humanely. They’re using only rabbits that died of shock after seeing the prices at Whole Foods. – Conan O’Brien

A man in Massachusetts was arrested this week for breaking into a family’s house after a night of drinking and passing out in their living room. Or as most people in Boston call that, “Uncle Mike’s here.” - Jimmy Fallon

The man who created the first Internet pop-up ad now says he’s sorry. The man also says that a 15-minute call to Geico could save you 15 percent on car insurance. - Conan O’Brien Today is a miraculous day. G-d saved my life. A direct answer to thousands and thousands of prayers. - Dr. Kent Brantly, who contracted Ebola while on a mission in Africa, upon recovering from the illness and being discharged from the hospital

I will say that generally I think that sports and leisure activities are a good way for release and clearing of the mind for a lot of us. - White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz responding to questions about President Obama’s decision to go golfing a mere six minutes after he delivered a speech reacting to the news of ISIL terrorists beheading American journalist James Foley

Yesterday Egypt’s foreign ministry called on the United States to show respect for the rights of protesters in Ferguson, Missouri. Yeah, Egypt said that. Man, talk about living in glass pyramids. - Jimmy Fallon

Hillary Clinton is returning to Iowa next month for the first time since her failed presidential run in 2008. Hillary denies just being there for politics. She said, “I love Iowa for their . . . OK, I’m running for president.” – Jimmy Fallon

“Meet the Press” has fired host David Gregory and hired another guy, Chuck Todd, to host. To me, if your name is Chuck Todd, it might as well be David Gregory. Todd Chuck, Gregory David, it makes no difference. They’re all interchangeable. – David Letterman

Off the coast of Russia, a 200-yearold bottle of booze was found in a shipwreck and it is still drinkable. Isn’t that amazing? Of course in Russia everything is still drinkable — antifreeze, you name it.

Disney’s stock just reached a new high this week of $90.37 a share. That’s when you know tickets to Disney World are too expensive — when it’s actually cheaper to own part of the company. – Jimmy Fallon

- Conan O’Brien

No. Never did that. Nah, you’re wrong about that. Bruce has never asked me to do that. I saw Bruce about a week and a half ago. And he had every opportunity to tell me not to. He didn’t and he never has….I know him and you’re wrong. I understand you’re now expressing your politics. You’re now expressing your politics and your objection, and that’s fine. Don’t put it in Mr. Springsteen’s mouth. Put it in yours. Don’t put it in Bruce’s mouth. I know Bruce. I’ve spoken to Bruce. And you’re wrong. Speak your mind. Be angry or not. It doesn’t matter to me…Hey guys, when I leave, just so we can have this lady be a little calmer, let’s play Bon Jovi on the way out - Governor Christie in response

One problem that I’ve had today is keeping my Wongs straight. - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid while speaking to the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce My comments were in extremely poor taste, and I apologize. Sometimes I say the wrong thing. - Ibid., after the comments drew criticism

I did it for fun. - A Russian tourist explaining to police, upon being apprehended, why he climbed the Brooklyn Bridge Let me help you out Mr. President. This is how you send a message to cockroaches like these. Here’s what you should have done at that press conference: Step up to the podium, take the microphone, clear your throat and say something like this: “Hey ISIS, you just brought a knife to a drone fight.” Drop the mic and then go golf. Message sent. My guess, message received. - Fox News host Eric Bolling

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon apparently sent the National Guard to Ferguson without letting the White House know first. When he heard he was left out of such an important decision, Obama said, “[Wow!] I’ve been Bidened!” - Jimmy Fallon In response to criticism of its treatment of killer whales, SeaWorld said it will build them a larger habitat. When asked for comment, a killer whale said, “Hey, you know what’s a larger habitat? The ocean!” - Conan O’Brien

A new study found that it costs $245,000 to raise a child until age 18. Or about $600 if you just give them an iPad. – Jimmy Fallon

28, 2014

We used to pillory George Bush for going to his ranch and we were wrong. The demands and pressures of the presidency are relentless, and we ought to want our presidents to get small breaks to relax, even in — and maybe especially in — the midst of crisis. I guarantee you, that wherever he goes, the president is accompanied by the memory of Jim Foley and every American who has died on his watch. You can’t escape it. - David Axelrod

I thought I heard that Bruce [Springsteen] asked that none of his music was played at your events because he didn’t believe in your politics. - A question posed to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at a town hall meeting

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The Golf Address: FORE! Score? And seven trillion rounds ago, our forecaddies brought forth on this continent a new playground, conceived by Robert Trent Jones, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal when it comes to spending as much time on the links as possible — even when it seems totally inappropriate, like moments after making a solemn statement condemning the grisly murder of a 40-year-old American journalist beheaded by ISIL. – Maureen Dowd, The New York Times

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My Israel Home

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83 Gedaliah Borvick

Inspiration from the Fallen Soldiers

ver the past few weeks, Jews neral. His grandfathers, parents and throughout the world have siblings spoke beautifully and elojoined together in a tremendous quently about Yuval’s sterling attridisplay of solidaributes: how he was ty to support Israel a wonderful son, during Operation loving brother and Protective Edge. selfless friend. Then The outpouring of his girlfriend spoke, love and appreciaand shared that just tion to our soldiers the previous week has been inspirthey had made a siing, and the acts yum upon completof chesed that this ing Sefer Mesillat unity has spawned Yesharim (The Path have been nothing of the Just), a classhort of astoundsic book of ethics ing. (mussar) written One of the by Rabbi Moshe many areas where Chaim Luzzatto Jews have shown which focuses on appreciation has character perfecYuval Heiman hy'd lived a life been in the extion. It dawned on along the 'Path of the Just' tremely well-atme – and probatended funerals for bly many others – our fallen soldiers. Many of these sto- during the funeral that Yuval was an ries have already become legendary: extraordinary person who spent his the almost 20,000 people who attend- brief life traveling along the “Path of ed the Haifa funeral for lone soldier the Just.” Sean Carmeli, and the funeral for lone Two days later, I attended the fusoldier Jordan Bensemhoun, where neral of lone soldier Max Steinberg. only 6,000 people attended because Max had a limited Jewish background and visited Israel for the first time in 2012 on a Birthright trip. Max obviously had Jewish pride and a strong moral compass, but this trip awakened within him a heightened appreciation of his heritage and the importance of having a Jewish homeland. Max fell in love with Israel and decided to enlist in the army’s Golani Brigade the following year. Max cherished the legMax Steinberg lived life for others endary singer Bob Marley and often quoted him. One the government asked people to stay insightful quote mentioned repeatedaway due to safety concerns owing to ly at the funeral was, “Live for yourthe Ashkelon cemetery’s proximity to self, and you will live in vain. Live for enemy fire. others, and you will live again.” That I attended two uplifting funerals quote appeared to be Max’s raison which had many similarities and many d’etre: he was a magnificent son and differences. brother and a caring and compassionYuval Heiman of Efrat was killed ate friend. To paraphrase Bob Marley, in the early days of the conflict and Max lived for others and, making the thousands of people attended his fu- ultimate sacrifice for his people, died

for others. My wise mother-in-law often tells me after attending a meaningful funeral that it was a “beautiful funeral.” By learning about the deceased’s activities and priorities, she was inspired to rededicate herself to personal growth. The funerals of Yuval and Max were “beautiful funerals,” as we learned stories of two idealistic men who died way too young but left their indelible mark on many people. By allowing ourselves to be inspired and uplifted by these extraordinary heroes, Yuval and Max will indeed both “live again.”

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome. com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

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Torah Thought Rabbi Berel Wein

Parshas Shoftim

aw and order are the hallmarks of a functioning democratic society. The concept that one can receive fair redress for damages and hurts through an equitable system of established justice is central to the concept of a free society that provides individual rights to its citizens. However, dictatorships also provide law and order for those and the unlettered, the well-connected who live under their rule – a little too and the unknown, all are to be equal much law and order. And therein lay before the eyes of judges and the the eternal contest between an ordered law. The Torah defines true justice as and properly functioning society and being the pursuit of righteousness and an individual’s inherent freedoms and fairness by just and righteous means. rights. No unjust means can be condoned even There is a great deal of space in the pursuit of apparently just and and latitude between anarchy and righteous causes. dictatorial rule. The Torah speaks to The Torah abhors corruption and all this issue but allows for a great deal of of its forms and methods. The premise human and national of the Torah is choice in the matter. that corruption is The general tenor a natural state of of Jewish tradition being for humans. TRUE AND ABSOLUTE is to be wary of We are all somehow big and powerful corrupted by our JUSTICE MAY government. Pirkei past experiences BE UNATTAINABLE Avot teaches us and our preset not to be known to worldviews. It is IN THIS WORLD. government and interesting to note that the nature of that, for example, government is to the results of many demand, albeit cases and issues apparently lovingly, much from the brought before the United States individual when it is for its own benefit Supreme Court are almost always but to be unavailable to help the predictable because of the previous individual when one is hard pressed strongly held views of the individual and in need of outside help. justices. They are certainly not corrupt Yet Pirkei Avot also stresses the in the criminal sense of the word, but in necessity for government and the the world of the Torah they are certainly requirement to pray for its success and not freed from the taint of corruption. welfare, for otherwise society would be The Torah demands an open mind, a unlivable. As in all matters of human listening ear, flexibility of thought and existence, the Torah here demands an understanding of human nature and from us a good sense of proportion, of the ways of the world from those wisdom and sophistication in dealing who would serve as judges of other with government and society. The humans. Torah does not deal with us in absolute These qualities are not found in specific terms but rather establishes abundance but they are to be searched general parameters of righteous judicial for and treasured and respected in systems and equitable standards of law Jewish life and law. True and absolute enforcement. justice may be unattainable in this The Torah is clear in its world. But the concept itself of true condemnation of corruption and bias, justice must always be present in all especially in judicial and legal matters. matters of Jewish law and society. The poor and the wealthy, the scholar Shabbat shalom.

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76 T H E J E W I S H H O M E n A U G U S T 2 8 , 2014

Aliza Beer, MS, RD

Childhood Obesity: An American Epidemic

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Health & Fitness

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hildhood obesity in this country has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Currently, 17% of American kids ages 2 – 19 are obese. One out of three kids are overweight. An obese teenager has over 70% great-

er risk of becoming an obese adult. These statistics are alarming to say the least. In the past few years, I have seen an increase of overweight children ages 9 – 19 in my practice. They are wonderful, bright, creative kids who have fallen prey to the American w

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high-fat, high-salt, fast food diet. The good news is that we have the ability to control or alter these trends. Success is realistic and attainable, but only with strong family support. The family as a whole must be willing to make some sacrifices and changes that will improve the health of all members of the family—both skinny and overweight. The following are some healthy habits every family could benefit from: 1. Dine Together: Children who eat dinner together with their parents at least five times a week tend to weigh less and have healthier habits. 2. Plate your Children’s Food: Growing up my mother never served dinner family style. She always plated our food—even the salad—and it never occurred to us to ask for seconds! Plate everyone’s food so the overweight child will not feel different. 3. Portion Control when Eating Out: Most restaurant portions are more than one person needs at one meal. Have your children share a meal. Avoid pastas, but encourage fish, chicken, or lean meat, with veggies on the side instead of fries. 4. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: If you don’t have access to it, you cannot eat it. Minimize the junk food in the house, and “hide” the junk you deem necessary. Never display candies, cookies, nuts, etc., in bowls or canisters on the counter. 5. Healthy Snacks: The bulk of

the snacks you send to school with your kids should consist of fruits and veggies. Pretzels, popcorn, or cereal can be used as the lone “junky” snack. 6. Create a Healthy School: Pressure your children’s schools to ban snack vending machines and high sugar drinks. Get involved and help revamp the hot lunch menus to include fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 7. Get Enough Sleep: The more you sleep, the less you will eat. Research has linked less sleep to an increase in weight in both children and adults worldwide. A tired child is also less physically active, therefore burning fewer calories. Children who don’t get enough sleep have higher levels of cortisol, which evidence shows stimulates appetite. 10 hours of sleep a night are recommended for kids ages 4 - pre-teen, and 8 hours for teens. In today’s times, obesity is a major concern and can lead to a host of medical issues and illnesses. It creates many unnecessary health risks that could be minimized if people ate right. Obese children and adults have a much higher risk of heart disease, the number one killer in America. Diabetes is another example of a disease both prevalent and preventable, to some extent. Don’t view this eating plan as a “diet,” but as a change in your lifestyle. If you follow a healthy eating plan and positively alter your lifestyle, you will achieve success.

Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a Master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz Show. Aliza’s new line of prepared, healthy meals-to-go are available at Gourmet Glatt. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com.

60 78 T H ET JHEE W S HI SHHO MH EO MnE AnUM G UAYS T2 24 8, ,2012 2014 J EI W

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Riddle!

Miriam, her sister, her daughter, and her son are playing volleyball. Miriam’s sister is directly across the net from her son. Miriam’s daughter is diagonally across the net from the best player’s sibling. The best player and the worst player are on the same side of the net. Who is the worst player? Answer on next page

You Gotta be

Kidding!

A ferry is sinking and Yankel and his wife Yentl find themselves in the same life raft. Unfortunately, this life raft has been damaged during the panic to throw it overboard, and it is also sinking very slowly. And to make matters worse, the water around them is ice cold; there are sharks all around them; they have no food or drink; nor is there any kind of weapon or emergency flare on board. After a few minutes of silence, Yankel turns to his wife and says, “I suppose we shouldn’t be too ungrateful, Yentl. Things could have been much worse.” “What on earth do you mean, things could have been much worse?” replies Yentl. “Are you meshuggah or something? How could it be any worse?” “Well,” replies Yankel, “we could have bought return tickets!”

Stuck in Camp Mode?

If you exhibit four or more of the following signs, you are stuck in camp mode and are having a hard time integrating yourself back into society at large.

•

You bring your own jar of pickles to the Shabbos table.

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When your father brings out the ices, you attack him

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When your father says it’s time to bench, you jump up on the chair (that your mother just reupholstered).

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Right when you wake up in the morning you immediately run to see if the day’s activities are posted on the fridge.

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When you want a cup of ice, you tell your mother that you think you sprained your finger.

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You sleep with a flyswatter.

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When your mother tells you to make your bed, you ask, “Why? Is tomorrow visiting day?”

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You eat 3 hot pretzels for supper (which is the only meal of the day).

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When it’s raining outside, you take soap and shampoo and shower outdoors (because you are so funny).

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You take Laffy Taffys from the family’s nosh cabinet and store them under your bed.

•

When your mother asks you why you insist on wearing a blue shirt every day, you respond, “Blue rocks, red stinks!”

•

When you see someone replacing the garbage bag, you say, “Hey, I didn’t know those things are replaceable!”

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2. Which state has the most earthquakes? a. Alaska b. California c. Nevada d. New Jersey 3. Are there earthquakes on the moon? a. Yes b. No 4. What is a “fault line”? a. When you tell your wife you were delayed because of traffic but you were really delayed because you stopped into Delicious Dishes for chulent b. It is the place where two tectonic plates meet 5. How often is there an earthquake somewhere in the world? a. At least once a month b. At least once a day c. At least once a year d. Approximately every 30 seconds 6. What has come to be known as the “earthquake series”? a. A series of four earthquakes that took place in California between 1890 and 1917 b. The sequence of tremors being followed by an actual earthquake, which is followed by a tsunami c. The 1989 World Series between the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants, during which the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred before Game 3 began, causing a 10-day disruption in play d. A series done by Discovery, which included never before footage from 10 thousand feet underground

Answers 1. B-A typical earthquake lasts under 60 seconds. 2. A-Alaska has the most earthquakes of any states in the US. It has a magnitude 7 quake almost every year. 3. A-Well, obviously there are no earthquakes but there are at least four different kinds of moonquakes: (1) deep moonquakes about 700 km below the surface, probably caused by tides; (2) vibrations from the impact of meteorites; (3) thermal quakes caused by the expansion of the frigid crust when first illuminated by the morning sun after two weeks of deep-freeze lunar night; and (4) shallow moonquakes only 20 or 30 kilometers below the surface. 4. B 5. D-It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year. 100,000 of those can be felt, and 100 of them cause damage. 6. C Richter Scale 4-6 correct: You took this earthquake too seriously or you are from the West Coast. So, you either need to get a life or “duuuude, really cuuz you’re from like Cali, huh?” 2-3 correct: Not bad, but your intelligence isn’t shifting any tectonic plates. 0-1 correct: Your intelligence level is a perfect 0 on the Richter scale.

GO FUNNT Y?

Answer to riddle: The worst player is Miriam’s sister. Draw a diagram, putting Miriam’s sister and son directly across the net from each other. It doesn’t matter whether they’re on the left or the right side of the diagram. Now, try putting Miriam’s daughter on the same side as the sister. The daughter will be diagonally across from the son (the best player’s sibling), meaning that the best player is the daughter. Since the daughter (the best player) is on the same side as the sister, the sister must be the worst player. If you put Miriam’s daughter next to the son then Miriam will be the best player, but the sister will still be the worst.

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1. How long does a typical earthquake last? a. Less than 30 seconds b. Less than 60 seconds c. 2 ½ minutes d. As long as it takes you to sit down in your chair

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Earthquake Trivia

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