Baltimore Jewish Home - 9-11-14 by Moshe Rubin

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Bikur Cholim Bike-A-Thon a Tremendous Success

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‫ א’ תשרי‬- ‫טז׳ אלול‬

PAGE 6

Ohr Chadash Academy Students Return to School PAGE 14

Serengeti Opens its Doors PAGE 12

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sep. 25

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The Baltimore Council of Orthodox Jewish Congregations Proudly Presents

TISHREI ramyulbb t''ysiv yrst

2014/5775

The Annual Teshuva Drasha

Rabbi Yissocher Frand

Thursday, October 2nd • 8:00 pm Congregation Shomrei Emunah 6221 Greenspring Avenue Benefactors:

Special thanks are extended to Mr. & Mrs. Hershel Boehm of Seven Mile Market for their generosity Sponsors:

Seven Mile Market • Sol Levinson & Bros., Inc. Associate Sponsors:

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This ad is dedicated in the memories of Rabbi Joseph Schechter vwwg and Mr. Ted Hamburger vwwg, whose names will forever be linked with this Teshuva drasha

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Be a Part of the Community-Wide

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

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

JEWISH THOUGHT Keep the Excitement Going . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Tall Fences Make Good People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

HUMOR & ENTERTAINMENT Centerfold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

COVER STORY Responding to Tragedy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 200 Years Since the Creation of the Star Spangled Banner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

LIFESTYLES Travel: American Express Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 In the Kitchen: Siman Fish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Dear Readers, It is now 13 years since our innocent view of the world was shattered one peaceful morning. Hard to believe it was so long ago. September 11th, 2001 when terrorists boldly slaughtered thousands of innocent Americans, is a day that will truly be remembered in sorrow. Every person who was alive that day knows of someone who perished in the ashes. They were regular people like you and me who were heading to work under the light blue sky on a warm morning. But at 9:59am and then 10:28am, when the towers collapsed, they were transformed into heroes who gave their all for the country. I remember sitting at home watching the horrors over and over again with disbelief. That was all that was on the news that day-the horrible scenes of crash and the collapse and the aftermath of smoke, ash, and a quite eeriness. I will never forget watching the heavy smoke that was billowing out from about 15 miles away. It seemed otherworldly, yet it was all too real. That morning changed us as a nation forever. We are ever-vigilant, always anxious, and aware that we are the target of evil minds. We have an exclusive interview with a local resident, Avraham Landesman who was there on that day; in addition we have included a fascinating article on Hatzalah members and their experience with 9/11.

In the Kitchen: Start the Day Off Right . . . . . . . . . . 50

Our other cover story is about the Star Spangled Banner, it has been 200 years

Kosherology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

since the Star Spangled Banner, even if you don’t love history it is a pretty cool article. For all of our readers that only enjoy reading local articles, the Battle of Fort McHenry

NEWS

did take place in Baltimore. Ok I guess that’s really stretching it but check out the

Global News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

article either way and let me know what you think.

National News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 That’s Odd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

ISRAEL

Now that school is underway, everyone is getting into the Rosh Hashana mode. Look out for our Rosh Hashana issue hitting stores on September 23, G-D willing. As always we love to hear from our readers.

Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Reach out to me at Editor@baltimorejewishhome.com

Of Happiness and Fish in the Holy Land. . . . . . . . . 52

Wishing you all a wonderful Shabbos, 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.

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Bikur Cholim Bike-A-Thon a Tremendous Success “When you are on the right path doing the right thing, siyata d’Shemaya (help from heaven) kicks in. HaKadosh Baruch Hu smiled down on us with the most gorgeous weather for the Bikur Cholim Bike-a-thon,” declared Aharon Newman, ride marshal and committee member for Biker Cholim. On Sunday, September 7th, Bikur Cholim of Baltimore held its first annual men’s bike-a-thon. 150 cyclists, both novice and professional, joined together on beautiful scenic routes of 42, 25, and 10 miles through the Stevenson neighborhood and rural Baltimore County. Fortified with Clif bars and Gatorade, the cyclists were raring to go, and the excitement in the air was palpable. Chaverim, Hatzalah, and the NWCP were graciously on hand to ensure everyone’s safety and supply logistical help for all. Over 500 family members and friends joined the post-ride festivities, which included face painters and Moshe Rock’s famous balloon creations for the children. Music provided by DJ Eli Donaty and laughter filled the parking lot at Beth Tfiloh as the party continued. Catering by Yaffa prepared a delicious and lavish barbeque. Rabbi Hauer not only joined the cyclists in their ride, but kindly shared divrei Torah during the program. The top fundraisers, Matt Schoenfeld, Reuven Klein, and Mordy Weimer, were awarded medals for their tremendous efforts. The event was chaired by Yaakov Berkowitz, Zevi Daniel, Tzvi Feigenbaum, Yaakov Feinstein, Rochelle Goldberg, Mordechai Gottlieb, Mickey Katz, Aharon Newman, Jeff Schwartz, and Peretz Wertenteil, along with many volunteers who all helped to make the event such a success. The sun truly shined on all, making the event a day of personal and communal fulfillment. Bikur Cholim thanks all our sponsors, volunteers, and cyclists for the tremendous success. Start training now for our 2015 bike-a-thon event!

Photo credits: Esky Cook

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

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Community Around the

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 Photo credits: Tzilah Raczkowski

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

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A New Year at Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok-Torah Institute By Rabbi Daniel Skurnik, Director of Development learn how to read. Third graders will have the enthusiasm of learning out of a Mishnayos for the very first time, while seventh graders will experience the simcha of making their first siyum on a mesachta of Gemara. We are looking forward to another very special year, bez”H. As Rosh Hashana approaches and everyone is davening for a Shana Tova, the mechanchim at YKY/ TI are also davening that all their talmidim have a successful year full of accomplishment, healthy development, and a deepened sense of Ahavas Hashem and Ahavas Yisroel. Chinuch is not just about teaching talmidim; it’s about caring for them and nurturing them to succeed in life. Kesiva V’chasima Tova!

The new school year brings much excitement as parents, school staff, and talmidim look forward to a wonderful year together filled with simcha and achdus. What a beautiful sight it is seeing friends and classmates smiling and laughing with each other, rebbeim warmly greeting past and new talmidim, and preschoolers walking into YKY/TI for the very first time. The energy and great potential that lay within a school year and specifically in each child’s growth and development is awesome and inspiring. The milestones that will be reached this year are also a great source of excitement. Some talmidim will first learn the Alef Bais, while others will receive their first Gemara. Older students will participate in a blended learning math curriculum, while younger ones will

A 9/11 Interview with Avraham Landesman by Yaakov Sonnenblick

Everyone who was alive on 9/11 has a vivid memory of that day, but rather than talk about it from my own perspective, I want to bring you an interview with somebody who was actually in the area at that time. Avraham Landesman, a retired architect from New Jersey now living in Baltimore, agreed to answer some questions about that fateful day. YS: Where were you on the morning of September 11th? AL: On the morning of 9/11, after the first plane hit the World Trade Center, I was on a PATH train between New Jersey and New York City. YS: How did you become aware that something was wrong? AL: After getting out at the train station located beneath the WTC, I took the escalator to the lobby level. The whole lobby of the WTC was on fire. The gas from the airplane went down the elevator shafts to the lobby, thus the whole lobby was on fire. The Port Authority police were yelling, “Get out of the building!”, with some strong words. We did not have to be told twice. We all ran as fast as possible. YS: What did you think was happening? AL: I did not know what was hap-

pening at that time. Everyone was confused and screaming. We were told to run, and we ran.

YS: What were your first thoughts when you realized what had happened? AL: I was told by some people on the street about a plane hitting the WTC and I saw the fire, but I did not believe that could happen in NYC. The police told us to run from the site, and I ran to my office on Beaver Street. YS: What is your most vivid memory of that day? AL: Seeing the second plane hit the second tower will always be a perma-

nent memory in my mind. I also remember a woman’s high-heeled shoe falling from the sky. Luckily it missed me and hit the ground. Had it landed on my head I probably wouldn’t be here today. I also will never forget that when the Towers collapsed later that day the debris was so thick that it turned day into night. I could not leave my office until late afternoon. Everyone in our office was given masks to cover our mouths and noses to minimize breathing the polluted air and especially the asbestos from the building’s fireproofing. YS: How has September 11th changed you? AL: I take the threat from ISIS in Iraq very seriously when they say they will bomb the U.S. Many people do not believe them, but I know that they will try. They just stole 12 airliners from Libya and will try to use them on 9/11. YS: What did you learn about yourself that day? AL: I was able to face the worst imaginable situation and remain calm and find my way out of Lower Manhattan and finally get home. YS: What did you do on September 12th? Did you go back to work? AL: I did not go to work on 9/12

as Lower Manhattan was closed to everyone but emergency personnel. I was very sad and worried about all those people who were killed or hurt by this tragedy. YS: Was your daily routine/business affected by 9/11? AL: My daily routine was very affected. I had a special pass to enter the cordoned off area; however, there was no direct access by subway to the Wall Street area. I was asked to volunteer to go through the debris of the WTC to help find body parts at the WTC site and at the Staten Island landfill where the debris was then taken. I declined the offer. YS: How do you mark the September 11th anniversary? AL: I thank Hashem with sincere prayers that I was not caught up in the collapse of the Twin Towers and that I was able to get out of the vicinity before the second plane hit. YS: What message do you want your children/grandchildren to know about your experience? AL: You can never be sure of tomorrow. We must pray to Hashem for His protection and for our future.

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Rembering an NCSY Mother A mother, a mentor and a teacher, Mrs. Miriam Lowenbraun a”h will be missed By: Rabbi David Felsenthal

When Mrs. Miriam (Twerski) Lowenbraun passed away on June 1, it was as if hundreds of NCSY alumni had lost a second mother. I know I felt that way. Miriam and her husband Rabbi Yitzchok “Itchie” Lowenbraun (my lifelong rebbe and mentor), were the regional directors of Atlantic Seaboard NCSY for 18 years. Though she generally preferred to stay behind the scenes at Shabbatons, when she spoke publicly she did so with tremendous power that never failed to imbue the audience with a deep sense of inspiration. Those who were lucky enough to know her more personally were blessed with a wonderful Jewish role model. For the two weeks before Miriam’s passing, I was unable to reach her or Rabbi Lowenbraun. I usually spoke with them several times a week, and I had been hoping they would surprise me with their attendance at my oldest

feeling Miriam’s presence as I stood under the chuppah with my son Levi. It was as if she was there helping me walk him down the aisle and joyfully dance with his kallah. One of my best friends, former NCSY regional president Sarah Beth Solomont, lives in Israel and married off her eldest daughter at the same time. She had also been close with Miriam and told me she felt Miriam’s presence at her daughter’s wedding as well. We re-

son’s upcoming wedding. On June 1, just one hour before the wedding began, I heard the news that Miriam had passed away. In shock, I phoned Rabbi Lowenbraun, though I have no recollection of the emotional voicemail I left him that he later described to me. What I do vividly remember is

flected, bittersweetly, that this was the only way Miriam could dance at both weddings. Growing up, I visited the Lowenbraun home in Baltimore countless times, and I was usually in the company of more than a dozen other guests. People slept wherever they could find

space in the house and walked miles for meals, just to partake in the warm hospitality. Rabbi Lowenbraun sat at the head of the table and Miriam, his queen, sat at his side. The two joyously argued every point he made in his divrei Torah with deep passion and astute commentary. When Miriam agreed to marry Rabbi Lowenbraun, she made one stipulation: they would have to run an open home just like her father’s in Denver. Miriam’s father, Rabbi B.C. Shloime Twerski, ran a household that was famous for its openness and warm atmosphere. Rabbi Lowenbraun hadn’t fully anticipated what this meant, but he grew to love it and couldn’t imagine it any other way. None of us knew until much later that Miriam was diagnosed with cancer in her leg when she was 17-yearsold. Remarkably, she turned her prognosis of just a few months into 50 beautiful years. She never let her constant pain stop or slow her down from raising a beautiful family, being active in NCSY, performing untold acts of chesed, earning two masters’ degrees and creating alternative forms of education and after-school programming to help teens who weren’t benefiting from the traditional Jewish day school setting. Her achievements, both personal and professional, are testaments

to her will and determination to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life. Before she passed away, Miriam asked Dr. Nosson Westreich, a former NCSYer, to speak at her funeral and to represent all the early NCSYers who were close to the Lowenbrauns. Dr. Westreich discussed how Rabbi Yitzchok and Miriam had become like second parents to all of us. Yosi, the eldest Lowenbraun child, spoke at the levaya and said he once asked his mother how she could love so many children so deeply. At the time, he was expecting his second child. She explained to him that just as Hashem’s love for us, his children, is infinite, Yosi’s love would similarly expand to include his newborn. During my most recent trip to visit Rabbi Lowenbraun weeks after his wife’s passing, I walked into the kitchen expecting to see Miriam there. It was painful to realize that I will never see her again, at least not in this world. But I remain eternally grateful that her legacy of keeping an open home to all of k’lal yisrael lives on in the homes of hundreds of NCSY families — including my own. *Reprinted from NCSY Ignite

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Serengeti Opens its Doors The owners of Accents Grill and Cocoaccinos Café are proud to present Serengeti—an African inspired dining experience. “The need for an upscale kosher restaurant became more and more apparent as the community continued to grow and more young kosher professionals moved into the area,” says Lara Franks, co-owner with husband Larry. “Local business owners kept asking us to create a place where they could be proud to bring clients and associates who do not necessarily keep kosher.” So far Serengeti is proving to fit the bill. Serengeti offers an upscale grill menu featuring an eclectic appetizer menu, entrée salads, steaks with a la carte sauces and sides, chicken, fish and vegetarian options, as well as several delicious home-baked desserts. The Franks have hired Chef Daniel Neuman who did his culinary training in Israel and worked in several New York restaurants and a notable New York catering company before joining the Serengeti team. “Daniel has a tremendous passion for great food. He’s

well-traveled, has experience with a wide range of cuisines, and has a vison that is exactly what we’re looking for,” stated Mrs. Franks. In addition to the food, the service is a vitally important factor. Mr. Phil Rosenfeld heads the front-of-house management team. Phil has spent many years in the service industry working at upscale venues in the D.C. area. Over the past few years, he has managed numerous Accents catered events and is well known for his excellence and attention to every detail of a customer’s experience. Much preparation and consideration went into creating Serengeti. Once a draft menu was created, Mr. Barry Nabozny, a successful local realtor and a close friend of Larry and Lara Franks, put together two focus groups that were a cross-section of the Baltimore Jewish Community. These focus groups attended a tasting of the menu items and provided their feedback. “The insights and suggestions from these two groups of people were invaluable not just in helping to

streamline the menu, but also in how the facility would be run. “We were opening Serengeti to fulfill the community’s needs, so it was vital to us that we shaped this restaurant according to community input as opposed to purely expressing our own vision,” said Chef and co-owner Larry Franks. Mall owners, Mr. Michael Brooks and Mr. Donald Goldman, have been incredibly helpful in creating a venue for Serengeti. In addition, they have remodeled the Atrium seating area for Accents and Cocoaccinos to create a more modern, retro feel. New bathroom facilities for these two establishments are in the process of being planned. “We are so grateful to our loyal customers for hanging in there

during these months of construction, changes, and upgrades. We know that it has been disruptive at times, but the end is in sight!” says Mrs. Franks. The much-anticipated liquor license has finally been procured for both Accents and Serengeti. Very soon beer, wine, and mixed drinks will be served in Serengeti and a special drinks menu will be added for Accents Grill. We hope many people will come and experience Serengeti in the coming weeks. Reservations are recommended by calling (410) 413-6080. Please also be sure to check out our website www.serengetikosher.com for our menu and upcoming specials!

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Ohr Chadash Academy Students Return to School BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn Avraham Avinu had a nevua, a prophecy, in which he was promised that his children would be like the stars of the sky. Ohr Chadash Academy wants the children to feel as if they are â&#x20AC;&#x153;starsâ&#x20AC;? from day 1. Those stars were welcomed back to school

on Wednesday in grand fashion, by their tuxedo-clad principal, Rabbi Moshe Margolese, with a musical accompaniment. The parents and students were greeted by many members of the Board of OCA standing outside, wav-

ing and smiling at each car that pulled up. Leading up to the entrance of the school, students walked on a red carpet under a canopy of colorful balloons and shining stars, bursting with excitement to begin the new school year.

It was a big day for the students, as they reconnected with their old friends, met new friends, and explored their new school building, ready to embark on a new learning experience filled with discovery.

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Yisroel Juskowitz: Fixing The World by Sandy Eller

For some people Tikun Olam, the notion of making the world a better place, is an abstract concept that might enter their thoughts occasionally, but for Yisroel Juskowitz, Tikun Olam is both a way of life and the theme of his second album, appropriately titled Fixing the World. Calling Juskowitz a singer/songwriter/guitarist would be massive injustice because in addition to his musical abilities, Juskowitz is also an artist, a published author, a certified life coach and a motivational speaker. His beautiful handiwork adorns the cover of Fixing the World and his debut album A Narrow Bridge sold out its first two printings. With his newest release, Juskowitz combines his many abilities into one comprehensive work that will simultaneously delight,

entertain and inspire listeners. Fixing the World contains twelve songs, nine of which are composed by Juskowitz. Encompassing positive messages of hope and thematic elements of Jewish prayer and life culled

from Tehillim and other inspiring sources, Fixing the World is a spiritually uplifting experience, enhanced by Juskowitz’s heartfelt vocals which breathe contemporary life into Carlebach-style music. Joining Juskowitz on his second musical odyssey are several well known talents in the Jewish music business including C Lanzbom, Aryeh Kunstler, Noah Solomon, Nochi Krohn, Shlomo Katz, Eitan Katz, Jeremy Brown, Ben Antelis and Jeff Haynes. The song’s themes tackle topics including praise, comfort, unity, Shabbos, inspiration and more. Written introductions and dedications that appear in the beautiful booklet for each song, including one to the soldiers

who fell in Operation Protective Edge, elevate each one to a higher plane by imbuing them with meaning and presence. Particularly outstanding are Kel Adon, a moving heartfelt composition that describes the majesty and splendor of Hashem’s creations and Litaken Olam, words that we typically say several times daily, yet don’t often take to heart. With Fixing the World, Juskowitz has managed to create a treasury of songs that are about more than just listening to random notes - each one is literally a building block, artfully packaged and delivered by Juskowitz, enabling each of us to make the world a better place, each and every day. Fixing the World is being distributed by Aderet Music and is available at www.mostlymusic.com. For more information on Yisroel Juskowitz and Fixing the World go to www. yisroelworld.com.

Greeting the King Prepared - The Am HaNivchar Program In preparation for Rosh Hashana, the young adults of the Persian community have begun a Sunday morning learning program which is in full swing for the month of Elul. Beginning with Selichos (which starts from the beginning of Elul according to Sefaradi custom) and davening at Ohr Hamizrach, the learning group is treated to a hot breakfast sponsored by Milk and Honey Bistro followed by in depth learning. This is a unique opportunity for young professionals to learn Gemara Bi’yun at a deeper level than possible at a daily shiur. A variety of topics are being covered over the month of Elul such as Cholov Yisroel, Kevod Rabo,etc. Understanding the role and the importance of Torah in their lives, these young ba’le batim, among them doctors and dentists with busy schedules, rearranged their Sunday in advance to be able to join the program allowing them to toil in Torah with a deeper scope and understanding

like the days when they were in yeshiva. This program started as a community movement to elevate the breadth and knowledge of Torah among all the members of the community and was

embraced and encouraged by Persian Rabbanim. Dr.Levi Antelove, a Johns Hopkins resident said “It was amazing to hear kol Torah so vibrant among the ba’le batim. I was so happy to put ev-

erything aside and be able to focus and immerse myself in Torah.” The success of the program is evident by the many requests to turn the Elul program into a year round program.

Community

Acheinu’s Remarkable Yeshiva in Givat Zev, A Beacon of Light in the Darkness More than 1500 Bachurim Also Addressed by Acheinu Enrolls 1,500 New Talmidim For Elul by Yosef Sosnow

shiva Bais HaTalmud of Yerushalayim, named the Yeshiva, Yeshiva “Dover (Dov

Ber) Tov” in memory of his illustrious father-in-law. Learning Torah: Opening Minds… and Making Inroads “The main thing,” says Rav Sloschitz, “is that we learn Torah with them. The light of the Torah is the greatest kiruv tool available. We have seen that, more than discussions about lofty hashkafa subjects, the actual Gemara’s discussions about “Arba avos nezikin” purifies their minds and brings them close to Hashem. Just setting up a chavrusa partnership with a yungerman is all they need and they begin to shine, to love Torah and to even want to give up their summer vacation in order to stay in yeshiva!” Unfortunately, the yeshiva’s sojourn in Givat Zev has not been a bed of roses. Rav Meir Weinberger, one of Acheinu’s devoted activists relates, “When the yeshiva opened in a non-religious neighborhood in Givat Zev, some neighbors and others who sought to inflame sectarian discord, tried to do everything possible to close the yeshiva. We did our best to try calming things but it has not been easy. I am confident, however, that the kedushas haTorah that is suffusing this neighborhood simply from the Torah being learned in it, will eventually transform our biggest detractors into our most loyal patrons!” “We Don’t Go Down, We Raise them Up” When asked how avreichim raised in a sheltered environment can find a common language with their charges, he explains, “At the first Acheinu Kiruv Conference, HaGaon HaRav Matisyahu Solomon, shlita, told over a profound thought that really encapsulates Acheinu’s chinuch philosophy. One of the climaxes of the Yamim Noraim davening is the beautiful

piyut beginning, ‘Veye’esayu kol l’avdecha’. The piyut describes the exalted time during yemos haMashiach when all the nations will serve Hashem and recognize His sovereignty over the world. The piyut eloquently describes how the nations will abandon their idols and offer sacrifices to Hashem. It culminates triumphantly, ‘Veyitnu lecha keser melucha—they will give You the crown of sovereignty.’ Those words are immediately preceded by ‘Veyishmu rechokim veyavou—Those from afar will hear and will come.’ Those words contain the foundation of our approach to kiruv rechokim. “The purpose,” said the Mashgiach, “behind rechokim hearing about Hashem is, “Veyavou—they should come to us. Kiruv rechokim means drawing rechokim close to us! Not bringing ourselves down

Acheinu’s own yeshivos, they work with hundreds of yeshivos across Eretz Yisrael finding just the right fit for each of its charges. This Elul, Acheinu enrolled more than 1,500 new talmidim in yeshivos! “It is because of Acheinu’s tremendous devotion to follow up, that we have had such success in not only enrolling boys into yeshivos, but keeping them in yeshivos until they become true bnei Torah,” said Rabbi Shlomo Rozenstein, Acheinu’s Director of Public Affairs. Acheinu’s Placement Division at the Forefront of Kiruv Kerovim That brings us to another vital service that Acheinu has been providing to the general community. Follow up is perhaps the most important word in the Acheinu dictionary. That is why they have a whopping 93% success rate in retaining the young people whom they are mekarev. They place their charges in mainstream yeshivos tailor made to each boy. As a result, Acheinu yungeleit have a comprehensive, intimate knowledge of hundreds of yeshivos throughout the country. This expertise has been remarkably effective as a kiruv

to their level! Kiruv rechokim must be the outgrowth of a feeling emanating from within a ben Torah, a feeling of, ‘My burning love for Hashem and His Torah is so powerful, how can I not try to share it with my fellow Jews?’” Acheinu Enrolls 1,500 New Bachurim into Yeshivos Yeshiva Dover Tov is the latest of Acheinu’s yeshivos, joining its three other yeshivos that cater to talmidim at different levels of the kiruv chain. Another milestone was reached this summer as Acheinu broke all previous yeshiva enrollment records. In addition to

kerovim tool as well. When bachurim are having difficulty, either picking an appropriate yeshiva or getting accepted to a yeshiva, the first number their parents call is Acheinu. With Acheinu’s knowledge of yeshivos and ongoing relationships with Roshei Yeshiva who truly trust them, they have been successful in placing hundreds of bachurim from chareidi homes into yeshivos that suit them. After all, as its name implies, Acheniu’s mission is to care for and be mekarev all of our brothers, and bring them me’afeilah l’or gadol!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

On the outside it looks like a regular house in the town of Givat Zev, located just a couple of miles northwest of Yerushalayim. Upon opening and entering the front door, however, one is struck by the difference; one’s ears are overwhelmed by a thunderous sound, the back and forth of a spirited Torah discussion; young faces aflame with passion, as they debate the fine points of the Gemarah. The sound is reminiscent of the resounding kol Torah heard in the Lakewood, Mir, or Ponovezh Yeshivos, but a quick look inside the nondescript house sitting on the edge of a hill with a gorgeous panoramic view of the hills surrounding Yerushalayim, paints an unexpected picture. It is a room filled with young people wearing shirts of different colors, sporting yarmulkas of different sizes and fabrics, and learning together with chareidi avreichim. They clearly seem to love every minute. Their passion and enthusiasm is almost contagious. “Welcome to Acheinu’s Yeshiva “Dover Tov,” says Rabbi Chaim Goldberg, Acheinu’s Director of Yeshivos. Rabbi Goldberg, continues, “Yes, it sounds like a normal yeshiva scene. If you look behind the outer trappings it seems like the regular kol Torah that you would hear in any yeshiva, the bachurim here seem to be learning like regular yeshiva bachurim. What is most remarkable is that this is the middle of their summer vacation! These are teenagers who, just several months ago, knew nothing about Torah and had posters of the leading soccer players or pop stars adorning the walls around their beds. Now the only thing on their minds is the machlokes between Abaye and Rava on the sugya that they are learning. This is the power of Acheinu’s Yeshiva Dover Tov!” Acheinu’s Yeshiva Dover Tov was opened about a year ago in Givat Zev by its Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Dov Sloschitz, shlita. Harav Sloschitz is a close talmid of the well-known gaon and baal machshava, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shapiro, shlita. Harav Shapiro who understood Rav Sloschitz’s prodigious talents in kiruv rechokim and his love and deeply caring heart for every Jew, saw Rav Sloschitz as the ideal Rosh Yeshiva for a kiruv yeshiva seeking to produce not just baalei teshuva but talmidei chachomim as well. Rav Sloschitz, a son-in-law of the unforgettable Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Dov Ber Schwartzman, zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Ye-

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Around the

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

25 days in August 2014 What works for saying Shema doesn’t work when it comes to the safety of our community.

It’s time for us to open our eyes.

“Jews make up less than three percent of the American population and yet 2/3 of reported hate crimes target the Jewish community.” Elise Jarvis, Associate Director for Law Enforcement Outreach and Communal Security with the ADL. – Washington Jewish Week, August 21, 2014.

Parts of Europe are Already Ripe for Islamic State Attack Says European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor, 8-25-2014, Arutz Sheva “Over the last few weeks we have witnessed tens of thousands of radical Islamists on the streets of Europe calling for Jihad, the slaughter of Jews and the imposition of Sharia law.”

World Zionist Organization Study: July 2014 anti-Semitic incidents are up 383% as compared to July 2013.

Wake Up Calls from Around the World

United States

These reports have been gathered from a wide variety of sources and edited for brevity. We have done our best to be accurate, and apologize for any inadvertent errors which may have occurred in the process.

California In San Diego, glass doors were shattered by rocks at the House of Israel in Balboa Park. abc7chicago.com

8/14/14

The Jerusalem Post

8/15/14

Chicago An anti-Israel rally in downtown Chicago included calls for Israel’s “annihilation” as well as comparisons to Nazis. A flier distributed had a crude caricature of a larger-than-life hook-nosed figure controlling the world from behind the scenes. The caption read: “The Jew: The inciter of war, the prolonger of war.” The wording is from 1943, during the height of the Holocaust JTA

8/13/14

Chicago Jewish residents of Peterson Park were threatened in anti-Semitic leaflets left on their vehicles. The leaflets, threatening violence if Israel doesn’t pull out of Gaza, were tucked in the windshields of cars on the 6300-blocks of Monticello and Lawndale. Matzav.com

8/14/14

Florida Rabbi Joseph Raksin was murdered while walking to shul on Shabbos morning in North Miami Beach, FL. Then, a mourner attending his memorial service in North Miami Beach, had his car defaced with anti-Semitic symbols, including a swastika and Iron Cross. antisemitism.org

8/9-10/14

Illinois The Carbondale Police Department is investigating a report of antisemitic graffiti written on a sidewalk last week, comparing what the Nazis did to the Jews to what Israel is doing in Gaza against the Palestinians. Baltimore Jewish Life

8/14/14

Ohio At an anti-Israel protest in Cleveland, one sign depicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a Hitler mustache and a Nazi flag juxtaposed with an Israeli flag

antisemitism.org

The Times Of Israel

8/09/14

Maryland A Jewish restaurateur received death threats after hanging an Israeli flag outside his restaurant. “Take the flag down you Jew. Jews are scum...we are going to kill all the Jews, including you.” Washington Jewish Week

8/14/14

New York An enormous Palestinian flag was unfurled from the the Manhattan Bridge as protestors marched across the nearby Brooklyn Bridge to protest Israeli attacks. The flag read “Boycott, Divest, Sanction.” ADL.org

8/20/14

New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Brooklyn Borough President and community leaders held a news conference in connection with the recent assaults of Avrohom Wolosow and Rabbi Yosef Raksin, and the increasing threat to the safety of residents in Brooklyn. Raksin, a Brooklyn resident, was murdered while walking to synagogue in Miami on August 9. Avrohom Wolosow, a 24- year old Orthodox Jewish student, was surrounded and attacked by three black teens in Crown Heights on August. The incident was summarily dismissed and no arrest was made. The Yeshiva World News

8/19/14

New York In Boro Park, four orthodox Jewish teenagers were assaulted Friday night. Eight people walked up and assaulted them while screaming anti-Semitic slurs. All four teens suffered injuries. The Yeshiva World News

8/18/14

New York In Brooklyn, a 9 year old Jewish boy on a bicycle was attacked by 4 black teens, and struck on the head. A teenager punched a Jewish adult in the face. Both attacks were preceded or followed by anti-Semitic slurs.

8/14/14

Philadelphia A Jewish student was punched at a pro-Palestinian booth after being subject to anti-Semitic insults at Temple University. Jewish Exponent

8/21/14

Various Cities A number of postal branches in Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey have told customers that they would not accept mail for delivery to Israel due to the conflict in Gaza. Baltimore Jewish Life

8/16/14

Various Cities Pro-Palestinian organizations have announced that they will begin sabotaging the operations of shipping company Zim in the US. A banner reads: “Block the Boat for Gaza”, and they will attempt to prevent the firm’s vessels from docking at ports and unloading their merchandise. ADL.org

8/21/14

Various Cities Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Demonstrators, the largest Jewish anti-Zionist group in the US, entered Jewish institutions to directly confront the leaders of major American Jewish organizations over their support for Operation Protective Edge. At least 25 other protests have taken place outside of buildings affiliated with Israel or Israeli companies. At one of those demonstrations, members of JVP and Jews Say No! made their way into the offices of Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF). Once inside, the demonstrators began to protest and conducted a “die-in.” antisemitism.org

8/11/14

New York Northampton police are investigating the burning of an Israeli flag at a city synagogue.

Washington, DC US delayed arms sales to Israel, halting a planned supply of the Hellfire precision missiles that enables Israel to strike at the rocket launchers set up by Hamas in the heart of Gaza’s residential areas.

antisemitism.org

Jewish Exponent

The Yeshiva World News

8/20/14

8/17/14

8/21/14

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Chicago A protestor held up a sign reading, “Israel you will pay, your annihilation is on its way.” Some demonstrators were teachers wearing red “Chicago Teachers Union” gear. There was an Israeli flag with blood-stained kids’ hand prints calling the Israelis Nazis. Signs equated the Swastika with the Star of David.

Los Angeles A Jewish store owner found a threatening handwritten flier under the door of his business, with swastikas along with the words “wanted” and “warning”.

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25 Days of Anti-Israel & Anti-Semitic Incidents

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

25 Days of Anti-Israel & Anti-Semitic Incidents

Alarming Examples of Hate Australia Six underage males boarded a bus transporting a group of Jewish students aged five to twelve years old, shouting “Heil Hitler” and “Kill the Jews” while threatening to kill them. The phrase “Zionist scum” was spray painted on the outside wall of a Jewish school. ADL.org

8/07/14

Britain British Muslims make up a quarter of the Islamic State’s (ISIS) contingent of European fighters, accounting for around 500 out of the 2,000 European citizens currently fighting among its ranks. Baltimore Jewish Life

8/21/14

Britain George Galloway declared his constituency an “Israeli-free zone”, and will not allow Israeli goods, services, academics, or tourists to come to Bradford. “We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel. And you have to do the same.” Arutz Sheva

8/07/14

France In just one week in France, eight synagogues were attacked. In the Barbes neighborhood of the capital, stone-throwing protestors burned Israeli flags: “Israhell,” read one banner. The Guardian

8/07/14

Germany Dieter Graumann, president of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, “These are the worst times since the Nazi era, on the streets you hear things like ‘the Jews should be gassed’, ‘the Jews should be burned’- we haven’t had that in Germany for decades.” The Guardian

8/7/14

Iraq ISIS warned it has sleeper cells in the West. ISIS beheaded American journalist James Foley on camera. The group has access

to thousands of foreigners with Western passports that can keep below the radar. “They think they can distinguish us these days- they are fools and more than that they don’t know we can play their game in intelligence. They infiltrated us with those who pretend to be Muslims and we have also penetrated them with those who look like them.” Jerusalem Post

8/20/14

Syria Armed groups in Syria have an estimated several hundred portable antiaircraft missiles that could easily be diverted to extremists and used to destroy low-flying commercial planes. The Yeshiva World News

8/19/14

USA According to Governor Rick Perry, ISIS terrorists may already be in the country. “I think there is the obvious great concern that because of the condition of the border, from the standpoint of it not being secure and us not know who is penetrating across, that individuals from ISIS or other terrorist states could be entering the country. And I think it is a very real possibility that they may have already used that entry point.” National Review

8/21/14

USA “They have more territory now, ISIS does. They have more money, they have more equipment. They have more capability. They are the hottest act in the jihadist world. They are getting stronger by the day. I fear that they are going to come back, using American passports or European passports, accept the training and come back and hit us, and the president is doing nothing to defeat or contain ISIS,” said Senator Lindsey Graham Breitbart.com

8/14/14

USA “The terrorist threat facing the US is greater now than it was before 9/11 and the failure to address the jihadist problem as ‘an ecosystem’ is helping it to spread and become more dangerous,” said Mike Rogers of the House Intelligence Committee. “Now you have multiple organizations, all al-Qaeda-minded, trying to accomplish the same thing.” Baltimore Jewish Life

8/18/14

USA - Maryland A Jewish restaurateur received death threats after hanging an Israeli flag outside his restaurant. “Take the flag down you Jew. Jews are scum... we are going to kill all the Jews, including you.” (Note: this item has been repeated in this section due to its local nature). Washington Jewish Week

8/14/14

USA - Washington, DC Approximately 10,000 people took part in a demonstration against Israel in Washington, D.C. on August 2. The demonstration featured several speakers, along with anti-Semitic signs and chants similar to those seen at other recent anti-Israel demonstrations. An Israeli flag was also burned by participants at the rally. ADL.org

8/06/14

USA - Washington, DC Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that ISIS is more than a traditional “terrorist group” and better armed, trained and funded than any recent threat. “This is beyond anything we have seen,” Hagel told reporters. Vos Iz Neias

8/21/14

USA - Washington, DC The ISIS has warned the United States that it plans to attack America and raise “the flag of Allah in the White House.” Matzav.com

8/10/14

Around the Globe Amsterdam A rabbi had his front door stoned. Two Jewish women were attacked after they hung Israeli flags from their balconies. The Guardian

8/10/14

The Jerusalem Post

8/06/14

Australia Pro-Palestinian students stormed a government office, stole an Australian and Israeli flag, and then burned them on the steps of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Melbourne. The Trumpet

8/17/14

Belgium A woman was turned away from a shop with the words: “We don’t currently sell to Jews.” The Guardian

8/19/14

Britain “A striking feature of the rising tide of anti-semitism in Britain is the silence with which the country’s leaders are choosing to respond to a growing climate of hatred and intimidation, directed not only at Jews themselves, but increasingly anything remotely Jewish.” gatestoneinstitute.org

8/20/14

Canada The Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students, representing 300,000 students, unanimously passed a resolution to boycott Israel. Baltimore Jewish Life

8/10/14

Denmark A Jewish school in Copenhagen had its windows smashed and anti-Semitic graffiti spray painted on its walls. Messages scrawled on this 210-year-old-school included “no peace to you Zionist pigs.” Arutz Sheva

8/22/14

France A young black man told a dozen friends loudly, “OK, guys. Let’s go hunt some Jews.” They answered, “Let’s break their heads.” To which the first speaker replied, “Catch them fast, kill them slow.” JTA

8/14/14

Geneva Anti-Israel protestors try to force their way into a Geneva Synagogue. A Muslim woman wearing a veil attempted to enter the Beth Yaakov Great Synagogue waving a Palestinian flag last Saturday. The Yeshiva World News

8/22/14

Germany Molotov cocktails were lobbed into the Bergische synagogue in Wuppertal. An elderly Jewish man was beaten up at a pro-Israel rally in Hamburg. An Orthodox Jewish teenager was punched in the face in Berlin. In some cities, chants at proPalestinian protests compared Israel’s actions to the Holocaust; other slogans included: “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas.” antisemitism.org

8/01/14

8/7/14

Bosnia Fans display a huge swastika flag during a game officiated by an Israeli referee antisemitism.org

antisemitism.org

8/13/14

Hungary A Holocaust memorial of shoes for Jews shot in Danube was vandalized with ‘Freedom to Palestine” written. The town mayor hung in effigy the Israeli Prime Minister and former President, and told the Associated Press that the “Jewish terror state” is trying to obliterate the Palestinians and says he opposes “the efforts of Freemason Jews to rule the world.” Arutz Sheva

8/05/14

Ireland A plaque in honor of former Israeli President Chaim Herzog was removed after the building came under repeated attack by pro-Hamas vandals. The Yeshiva World News

8/17/14

Israel Hamas repeatedly broadcast a video promoting suicide attacks on Israeli civilians. The video shows a terrorist putting on a suicide belt and dressing up as a stereotypical bearded Orthodox Jewish civilian.

Italy A synagogue door was defaced with the words “Judey pigs. We will kill you lot!!” The Guardian

8/13/14

Italy The Jewish owners of dozens of shops and other businesses in Rome arrived to find swastikas and anti-Jewish slogans daubed on shutters and windows. One read, “Jews, your end is near.” Arutz Sheva

8/14/14

Malaysia Police are investigating a Malaysian teenager for sedition, after he “liked” a pro-Israel Facebook post. Sedition can carry a 3-year jail sentence in the Muslim-majority nation. Arutz Sheva

8/14/14

Netherlands An official at the Dutch National Cyber Security Center is suspended after tweeting that the Islamic State is “a preconceived plan of Zionists, in order to make the Islam look bad.” The Guardian

8/14/14

Netherlands The main antisemitism watchdog, Cidi, had more than 70 calls from alarmed Jewish citizens in one week; the average is 3-5. JTA

8/22/14

Rome The city is plastered with posters that say “Do not buy from Jews!” followed by a list of 50 Jewishowned stores to boycott. Arutz Sheva

8/10/14

Scotland An art festival canceled an Israeli show. The actors responded to the discriminatory cancellation by performing a silent version of their hour long play while confronted by around 200 antiIsrael protestors. A shop worker was fired for refusing to remove his Star of David pendant. Arutz Sheva

8/10/14

Israel Hamas warns international airlines to avoid Israel.

South Africa Tony Ehrenreich, Western Cape Secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions posted on Facebook, “The time has come to say very clearly that if a woman or child is killed in Gaza, then the Jewish board of deputies, who are complicit, will feel the wrath of the People of SA with the age old biblical teaching of an eye for an eye. The time has come for the conflict to be waged everywhere the Zionist supporters fund and condone the war killing machine of Israel.” The Jewish Board of Deputies is given until August 7 to stop their Zionist propaganda in Cape Town.

ADL.org

antisemitism.org

Arutz Sheva

8/17/14

Israel IDF reveals that in addition to providing weapons, Iran launched unprecedented cyber attack on Israel during Operation Protective Edge. Haaretz.com

8/20/14

8/4/14

Frank A. Storch • Chesed Fund • Project Ezra 3209 Fallstaff Road • Baltimore, Maryland 21215 Cell: 410-340-1000 • Fax: 410-358-7373 • chesedfund@gmail.com

8/17/14

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Australia The Stropkover Rebbe was the target of anti-Semitic abuse in a shopping mall while visiting Australia. He and his assistant were set upon by up to six pro-Palestinian youths at a major mall near a Jewish suburb in Perth. They surrounded him screaming, ‘You are killing babies in Gaza.”

France A man was chased outside his home while the attacker shouted: “Dirty Jew, this isn’t Gaza, I’m going to kill you and your family.” When he caught the victim, he began hitting him in the face, joined by other attackers.

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25 Days of Anti-Israel & Anti-Semitic Incidents

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The Week Global 73-Year-Old Swims the English Channel

Last week, Otto Thaning broke a record. The 73-year-old became the oldest person to swim the English Channel. This is not the first time Thaning swam the 21-mile waterway between France and England. He also accomplished this feat in 1994 and wanted to show the world what older people are capable of if they keep themselves fit and in shape. The healthy heart surgeon said his biggest concern was the water temperature. “The biggest problem is to maintain one’s core temperature because the water is cold,” he said. “We averaged 18° C (64° F) and that was particularly helpful to me because that is reasonably warm for the Channel. The Channel is usually a bit colder as this time of year.” The previous record for world’s oldest person to swim across the Channel was held by Cyril Baldock, a 70-year-old Australian, who swam the 21-mile the waterway between France and England just last month.

America’s Economy Ranked Third

The American economy is doing a

lot better these days than just a couple of years ago. According to the World Economic Forum’s annual competitiveness rankings, the United States is number three in the world. That’s not as good as the No.1 spot we held back in 2008, but is much better than being No. 7 like we were in 2012. This year, our economy falls only behind Switzerland and Singapore. Completing the top ten are Finland, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The WEF rankings are based on surveys of business leaders, so they’re weighted toward factors that might be more important to businesses than to ordinary people. Still, they tend to reflect important trends that matter to ordinary people. The WEF breaks down its rankings into more than 100 indicators that provide insightful detail on each country’s economic performance. Here’s what America is doing right. Innovation and technology adoption are close to the best in the world. Investor protections are strong. America still attracts and retains top talent from everywhere. U.S. businesses are sophisticated, with highly efficient logistics and distribution. But there are three big problems with the U.S. economy that have been showing up in the WEF rankings for several years: government, healthcare and education. It is very difficult for business leaders to understand political maneuverings such as threatening to default on U.S. debt and shutting down the government. The biggest gripes about Washington involve a convoluted tax system, a thicket of regulations (including state and local rules layered upon those at the federal level), and bureaucratic inefficiency that can make things like permits and licensing nearly impossible. But business leaders seem to think the U.S. government is a bit less terrible than it used to be. An improvement in America’s fiscal standing is the reason the United States rose from fifth in last year’s WEF rankings to third this year. That’s mainly because the U.S. budget deficit has been improving, although the national debt—the aggregation of all budget deficits—has continued to swell and is now around a staggering $18 trillion. Healthcare is a problem because

In News it’s expensive in the United States, and access is far spottier than in nearly every other developed country. The Affordable Care Act that’s now been in effect for nearly a year was supposed to fix that, yet the United States still has a complex system that puts a huge burden on employers. Business leaders rank the United States 49th for health and education, combined. America’s university system ranks No. 3 in the world, but the overall quality of U.S. education, at all levels, ranks 27th. And secondary education, aka high school, ranks 59th. That’s on account of dismal high-school dropout rates and poor student performance on math and science, compared with other countries.

A Young Girl’s Escape from ISIS

A 14-year-old girl has escaped her ISIS captors in Iraq and is now telling her story to the press. Adeba Shaker had been trafficked from her village in the northeast Iraq region of Sinjar to the Syrian border and presented as a “gift” to fighters on the frontlines. She was to be converted to Islam and forcibly married to one of them. After Adeba and her kidnappers arrived at a house in Raabia, Iraq, one of her captors received a phone call. A few moments later, all five men in the apartment picked up their guns and stormed out. Shaker, a 14-year-old girl from the Yazidi ethnic minority, heard trucks leaving the property and then silence. For the first time in 20 days, she and another girl being held with her were alone with no guards, and the door was unlocked. “When [the militants] left us, I panicked; I didn’t know what to do. I saw a bag full of cell phones and I called my brother,” Shaker told

the media. On the phone, her brother Samir told her to go to a nearby house and ask for help and directions to reach the border where fighters from the Kurdistan State Workers Party (PKK) were battling Islamic State militants. He said the PKK would help her reach safety. “This was a gamble as I didn’t know who was a friend and who was an enemy,” she recalled. Shaker and her companion decided to try their luck. They snuck out of the house and knocked on a neighbor’s door. “We explained the situation to them and they showed us the way to the border. We never looked back.” Adeba Shaker is one of the few Yazidis to have escaped the Islamic State militants who have taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria in recent months. Tens of thousands of Yazidis fled their ancient homeland of Sinjar and other villages to escape a dramatic push by the Sunni militants, who regard them as devil worshippers who must embrace the Islamic State’s radical version of Islam or die. In addition to Shaker, militants abducted at least 73 women and children from her village and trafficked them across northern Iraq. Women and girls are auctioned off for as little as $10. Others, like Shaker, were to be married off to militants.

Who was Jack the Ripper?

The identity of Jack the Ripper has stumped police and investigators for years and spawned dozens of short stories, books, and films. Now, over a century later, an amateur has solved one of the greatest murder mysteries

American to Go on Trial in N. Korea A trial date has been set in North Korea for Matthew Miller, one of three

detained Americans by the Communist dictatorship. The short announcement by the North Korean government did not elaborate any further on what charges the U.S. citizen faces. Miller, of Bakersfield, California, will go to trial in North Korea on September 14. The 26-year old was arrested in April for tearing up his visa upon his arrival in the isolated country, state media said at the time. The recent statement did not mention fellow U.S.

citizen Jeffrey Fowle, 56, who was arrested in May after he left a Bible in the bathroom of a club in the town of Chongjin.

U.S. missionary Kenneth Bae has been held by the isolated country since December 2012 and is currently serving a sentence of 15 years hard labor for crimes North Korea said amounted to a plot to overthrow the state. North Korea, which is under heavy UN sanctions related to its nuclear and missile programs, is widely believed to be using the detained U.S. citizens to extract a high-profile visit from Washington, with whom it has no for-

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

of all time. And the way he did it is so elementary. In Whitechapel in East London during the autumn of 1888, Jack the Ripper committed at least five grisly murders. The police had six suspects but were never able to definitively prove who the serial killer was. Now, DNA evidence has shown beyond reasonable doubt which one of six key suspects commonly cited in connection with the Ripper’s reign of terror was the actual killer. A remarkably never-washed shawl found by the body of Catherine Eddowes, one of the Ripper’s victims, has been analyzed and found to contain DNA from her blood as well as DNA from the killer. The landmark discovery was made after businessman Russell Edwards, 48, bought the shawl at auction and enlisted the help of Dr. Jari Louhelainen, a world-renowned expert in analyzing genetic evidence from historical crime scenes. Using cutting-edge techniques, Dr. Louhelainen was able to extract 126-year-old DNA from the material and compare it to DNA from descendants of Eddowes and the suspect, with both proving a perfect match. Now, over a century later, a DNA match has shown that the true identity of Jack the Ripper is Polish immigrant Aaron Kosminski. Kosminski was always one of the top contenders in the search for identity of Jack the Ripper but it has never been proven until now. The revelation puts an end to the fevered speculation over the Ripper’s identity, which has lasted since his murderous rampage in the most impoverished and dangerous streets of London. In the past century, a Jack the Ripper industry has grown, prompting an impressive array of more than 100 suspects, including Queen Victoria’s grandson – Prince Albert Victor, the Duke of Clarence – the post-Impressionist painter Walter Sickert, and the former Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone. Now, his identity is a mystery no more.

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The Week mal diplomatic relations. Earlier this month, international media was granted rare access to the detained Americans, who in separate interviews all called on the United States to secure their early release.

Children of the Holocaust to Receive Compensation Here’s a case of a half-hearted attempt to placate the world and assuage the guilt of the descendants of Hitler’s willing executioners. Unfortunately, nothing can bring back the 6 million who lost their lives in the Holocaust and nothing can compensate for the pain and suffering survivors endured. Now, children of the Holocaust are to receive monetary compensation from the German government for their pain and suffering. The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Ger-

many announced last week that it had secured approximately $250 million from the German government for reparations. Around 75,000 survivors will be paid a one-time lump sum of about $3,280. The money is intended to be restitutions for the physiological pain and suffering that they endured while children during the war.

Anyone born between January 1, 1928 and the end of the war in August 1945, and who was put into a camp or ghetto, went into hiding, or had to live under a false identity for at least six months will be eligible for the pay-

In News ment. Stuart Eizenstat, the conference’s special negotiator for these sessions and the former US ambassador to the EU, sat down with the German politicians to negotiate in late August. “Given the advanced age of survivors, if we were going to do it, it had to be done now,” he said. “We’re losing them at a rate of eight per year.” “No one is saying Germany hasn’t paid very large sums of money, they have. No amount of money can make up for the suffering, but these are the final years. Any acknowledgment has to be done soon.”

French Mom Reunited with Child Kidnapped in Syria

Meriam Rhaiem, 25, is a young French mother who has been living a real life nightmare the past several

months. Her beloved two-year-old daughter, Assia, was snuck out of France by her father and reportedly taken to jihadist centers in Syria. Back in March, Rhaiem appealed to French authorities to recognize her baby as “the youngest French hostage.” Assia’s father failed to bring her home and took her to Turkey instead. Her parents are currently in the divorce process. He called his wife regularly and begged her to come and join them, telling her that he planned to cross into Syria with their daughter to join the Al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda’s official Syrian affiliate. Two weeks ago, the father was arrested in Turkey; he is still being held there, according to a French interior ministry source said. After several months of separation, the mother and daughter were finally reunited on Wednesday. “It’s a moment of great emotion with the arrival of Meriam Rhaiem

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U.S. and South Korea Form Joint Unit

South Korea announced last week that it would create a joint military unit with the United States. The outfit’s main objective would be to target North Korea’s nuclear weapons arsenal if a full-blown conflict ever broke out.

The mechanized unit led by a U.S. major general will be set up in the first half of next year, the South’s defense ministry said, as part of elaborate preparations for any future war between the two Koreas. “It will be the first combined field combat unit to carry out wartime operations,” a defense ministry spokesman said with-

out elaborating on its mission. The ministry said the contingent would have a joint office of U.S. and South Korean staff in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, where the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division guards a strategically important area as a deterrent to an invasion by North Korea. In the event of an all-out conflict, a mechanized South Korean brigade would join forces with the U.S. division, which is armed with helicopters and other advanced weapons, it said. “This would be a symbol of a strengthened military alliance between the allies,” a military official said. Because the Korean conflict ended in an armistice instead of a peace treaty, the two Koreas are still technically at war. Nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the South under a bilateral military accord. If fresh hostilities broke out, the U.S. commander in South Korea would assume control of the South’s 640,000 troops. A transfer of command in a wartime setting was set for 2015, which would allow South Korea control of its own troops, but Seoul wants a postponement citing the increased threat from North Korea’s nuclear and missile development. South Korea and the United States held an annual military drill in August despite condemnation by North Korea which had threatened a “merciless” retaliatory strike. The drill simulated the response to a nuclear attack threat for the first time, according to the South’s defense ministry. The U.S. nuclear umbrella protects South Korea, and in wartime, American soldiers in the South would be reinforced by military contingents from the continental United States and its presence in East Asia.

Israel Netanyahu: Steven Sotloff’s was Seen as Symbol for the West Last week, the world was shaken by the gruesome video released by

ISIS of the murder of reporter Steven Sotloff. Sotloff was a Jew who held dual American-Israeli citizenship. He made Aliyah in 2005. Sotloff kept his faith to himself during his capture but tried to best to follow Jewish practices, including fasting on Yom Kippur. This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the time to send sent his condolences Sotloff’s family and said that the young journalist was killed by members of the extremist group Islamic State because he was seen as a symbol of the West.

Netanyahu spoke about the brutal and graphic murder to an international delegation of SWAT officers who had arrived in Israel for a ceremony honoring Israel’s elite police unit Yamam, before thanking the Israeli officers for their dedication and service. “Steven was killed because he was seen by these murderous terrorists as a symbol of the West, the same culture that extremist Islam wishes to annihilate,” he said. The prime minister added that extremist Islam sees the Jewish state, the United States, and the free world as “partners in liberal democracy, values that it wishes would disappear from the world.” Most of the world now understands, much better than in the past, that “threats to Israel are the same threats” facing other countries, and “those who don’t nip these threats in the bud will find them at the end of the day in their homes,” Netanyahu said. “We are fighting the same war,” the prime minister reiterated.

Surprise: Abbas and Hamas Not Getting Along

Seems like a bit of buyer’s remorse is coming out of the camp of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. This

week, Abbas threatened to dissolve his alliance with Hamas if the Islamic militant group does not give up power in the Gaza Strip. The dispute erupted just over two weeks after the Hamas-Israeli conflict ended in a ceasefire. Abbas is looking to regain a foothold in Gaza, which suffered heavy losses during Operation Protective Edge, and expects to play a leading role in internationally-backed reconstruction efforts. His comments, which also included harsh criticism of Hamas’ conduct in the war, appeared to be part of a brewing power struggle over who will control post-war Gaza. Hamas has controlled Gaza since overrunning Abbas’ forces in 2007. Facing international isolation and a deep financial crisis, the Islamic militant group agreed to the formation of a new unity government with Abbas’ Fatah movement in June, in which it would restore governing power to Abbas in the territory. But making a deal with the devil usually does not turn out as expected. Hamas has yet to yield power — even after the devastating war against Israel, which killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and caused billions of dollars of damage.

“We will not accept having a partnership if their status in Gaza remains this way,” Abbas said. “Unity has terms. This situation does not represent any kind of unity,” Abbas said. “If Hamas does not want one authority, one law, one weapon, we will not accept a partnership with it.” Abbas said that as long as Hamas remains in control of Gaza, “The government of national unity can do nothing on the ground.” The comments set the stage for what are expected to be difficult negotiations with Hamas in the coming days. With his criticism, Abbas appears to be putting pressure on Hamas to make concessions in the talks. Hamas, meanwhile, remains in firm control of Gaza, with a depleted,

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

and her daughter, Assia, after months of waiting,” said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who met them as they arrived at Villacoublay air base outside of Paris. He noted “the trials this young woman has endured, fighting hard for the return of her daughter who was kidnapped in circumstances which aren’t clear” and paid tribute to “a brave mother [who] decided to get her child back.” According to Rhaiem’s lawyer, Gabriel Versini-Bullara, her husband had become radicalized after visiting Mecca, asking her to wear the Islamic veil, criticizing her for working, and banning her from playing music to Assia. According to official estimates, around 800 French residents have travelled to Syria, returned from the conflict-ridden country, or have plans to go there. France unveiled a bill in July aimed at stopping aspiring jihadists from travelling to Syria, a hotbed of radicals and militants. It includes a ban on foreign travel of up to six months for individuals suspected of radicalization and gives authorities the power to temporarily confiscate and invalidate their passports.

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The Week but still significant, arsenal of rockets and thousands of armed fighters. Abbas heaped fierce criticism of the group’s handling of the war, accusing it of making unrealistic demands for a full lifting of Israel’s blockade of Gaza and dragging out ceasefire talks. “With every passing day, more blood was shed,” he said, criticizing the heavy death toll and damage. “Is this the victory they talk about? Regrettably, I can only say the results are tragic,” he said. In the coming weeks, Israel and Hamas are expected to start a new round of indirect, Egyptian-mediated talks for an extended ceasefire. Hamas is demanding a full lifting of an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza, including the reopening of a sea and airport. Israel has said the blockade will remain in effect as long as Hamas controls Gaza. The international community has made clear that all funding and reconstruction efforts be handled through Abbas’ government. Israel and the West want guarantees that Hamas

will divert none of the aid for military use. A conference of donor nations is expected to take place in October.

IS Supporters Found Amongst Israeli Arabs

There is rising concern in Israel that a growing number of Israeli Arabs support the Islamic State and their extremist views. Israeli news outlets have been interviewing Arab religious figures and getting their opinion on the extremist group’s recent assent to power. One Arab cleric, who was recently interviewed, said of the beheading videos that he had seen the images and that “slaughter is one of the methods of executing heretics and killers.” He said that since the state is Islamic, its people should be treated accordingly, adding that he would ”follow the will of G-d and support the group, as long as it continues to follow G-d’s commandments.” The same cleric claims that sup-

In News port for IS will grow as soon as more people recognize the phenomenon as a sovereign country. “Many Muslims are not aware that it is a stable country with a clear policy. It believes in the Quran and in the Prophet Muhammad,” he said. “Unfortunately, the media makes many mistakes in reporting about the Islamic State and publishes false information,” he said. “Therefore, you do not see many people who support it. Those who know the true meaning of the state must support it. I’m not just talking about Muslims, Jews must also understand that they are actually the primary victims of Zionism and they should support the Islamic State and even convert to Islam,” he added.

Israel Hotels among World’s Most Expensive This report is true, and we are not even talking about during Sukkos. For the first half of 2014, before

the start of the Gaza conflict, Israel had the fourth priciest hotels in the world, according to Hotels.com. According to the figures, the average price of a hotel room in Israel in the first six months of 2014 was 5% higher than the average price of a hotel room in Israel in the first half of 2013, while many other countries presented a moderate increase or even a drop in prices. Israel went up to the fourth place on the index from the sixth place in the first half of 2013. The Hotel Price Index (HPI) is a regular report on hotel prices in major destinations across the world, based on bookings made on Hotels. com sites. Prices shown are those actually paid by customers per room per night, including taxes and fees, rather than advertised rates. According to the report, the most expensive country in terms of hotel stays is Monaco with an average of $370 a night and a 21% increase compared to the first half of 2013. Oman came in second ($304 a night), followed by Mauritius ($256)

The Shin Bet has released new intelligence surrounding the abduction and murders of Gil-ad Shaar, Naftali Fraenkel, and Eyal Yifrach hy”d. The Israeli agency is the equivalent of the FBI and has been conducting the investigation since the teens’ disappearance in June. New reports include the transfer of money from Gaza to Hebron to fund the triple murder and the failed escape to Jordan of Hussam Kawasme, who allegedly helped bury the three teens on his land and was indicted in a military court last week. Kawasme, 40, was arrested on July 11. He later admitted to his role in the attack and fingered other family members and acquaintances.

The disappearance of the three boys triggered a massive search operation and crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank, with hundreds of members being arrested. The two men suspected of carrying out the murders, Marwan Kawasme and Amer AbuAyshe, are still at large. “They’ll make their mistake and we’ll get to them, too,” a senior Shin Bet officer confidently stated in a briefing. The officer revealed that the terror

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Israel ranked fourth with an average price of $240 a night, and Switzerland came in sixth ($222). The United States ranked 13th ($191), followed by Norway ($187). Italy came in 18th ($178), France 23rd ($167), Canada 25th ($164), Japan 29th ($157), Germany 36th ($146), Austria 40th ($143) and Ireland 46th ($132).

Details Released About Teen Murder Plot

attack is believed to have been a local initiative rather than a directive from above, and that, according to Hussam Kawasme’s confession, Marwan Kawasme arrived at his house at one in the morning on the night of the attack and said: “We wanted to kidnap one, we kidnapped three. We got tangled up. We killed them.” The two men at the heart of the attack were the brothers Hussam and Mahmoud Kawasme. The latter, who lives in Gaza, was released from a 20-year sentence in an Israeli prison for his role in a 2004 suicide attack in Beersheba and exiled, as part of the Gilad Shalit deal, to the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave. According to the report, at least eight men involved in the kidnapping and murders have been arrested.

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with a 7% drop compared to 2013.

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The Week National Obesity Study Results Are In Warning: reading this article may make you want to skip the French fries the next time you pick up food. Americans are getting fatter. Much fatter. The adult obesity rates increased in six states last year. They fell in zero states. And in twenty states, at least 30 percent of adults are considered obese. These new findings were just released by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and were based on federal government data. From 2011 to 2012, by comparison, the rate of obesity increased in only one state. The 2013 adult obesity

rate exceeds 20 percent in every state, while 42 have rates above 25 percent. For the first time, two states, Mississippi and West Virginia, rose above 35 percent. The year before, 13 states were above 30 percent and 41 had rates of at least 25 percent. Adult obesity rates increased last year in Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Tennessee and Wyoming. These alarming increases are in spite of the many programs that are out there to educate the public about calorie counting and weight watching. First Lady Michelle Obama has especially taken up the cause, although she obviously has not had much success. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, where BMI is calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9. Nationally, rates of obesity remained at about one-third of the adult population, according to The

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In News State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, while just over two-thirds are overweight or worse. There is some good news: at least the rates of childhood obesity have leveled off. In 2012, about one in three 2- to 19-year-olds are overweight or obese, which is comparable to rates over the last decade. Continuing a years-long trend, nine of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity are in the South. The West and Northeast had the healthiest BMIs, with Colorado boasting the lowest adult obesity rate—21.3 percent. Obesity also tracked demographics, with higher rates correlating with poverty, which is associated with lower availability of healthy foods and fewer safe neighborhoods where people can walk and children can play outside for exercise. For instance, more than 75 percent of African-Americans are overweight or obese as compared to 67.2 percent of whites. The socioeconomic pattern affects children, too. In 2012, just over 8 percent of African-American children ages 2 to 19 were severely obese, with a BMI above 40, compared with 3.9 percent of white children. About 38 percent of African-American children live below the poverty line, while 12 percent of white children do. Get out those sneakers, America, and start walking!

Soldier Buried 70 Years Later

fallen soldiers excavated the remains of Army Pfc. Bernard Gavrin, who was from Brooklyn. Last year, the group turned over their findings to the American government for DNA testing, and Garvin was found among them, using a relative’s DNA sample to match. Garvin was 29 when he was reported missing on July 7, 1944, the Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office said. His regiment had been in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands of the western Pacific Ocean and came under heavy attack, suffering many casualties. The soldier was declared dead in July 1945, and his remains were deemed non-recoverable in 1948. His 82-year-old nephew David Rogers, of Delray Beach, Florida, said he was planning to be at the burial on September 12. He said it was “absolutely incredible and unbelievable to all of us” that Gavrin would be laid to rest in “the most honorable place you could be buried in this country.” Rogers, whose mother was Gavrin’s sister, said Gavrin was the youngest of three children and had enlisted in 1940. He said the last time he saw his uncle was when he was 8-years-old and his uncle came to visit. Gavrin’s loss was shattering, Rogers said. When the telegram with the news of his passing came and Gavrin’s mother, Rogers’ grandmother, opened it, “She let out a scream that lives with me to this day,” he said. Finally, this brave soldier will be laid to rest.

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The family of a long lost fallen WWII soldier will finally see him buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery this month. A Japanese nonprofit that searches for

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The Week estimated 2.6 million immigrants are up to? USC researchers in California have released a new report that finds that illegal immigrants compose nearly 10% of California’s workforce and contribute $130 billion annually to its gross domestic product. Here are a bunch of interesting facts that were in the study. Immigrants who are in California illegally make up 38% of the agriculture industry and 14% of the construction industry statewide. Half of the immigrants in the state illegally have been there for at least 10 years. Roughly 58% do not have health insurance, and nearly three in four live in households that include U.S. citizens. USC sociology professor Manuel Pastor, who worked on the report, said it shows how integrated immigrants are into daily life in California. “It’s a population deeply embedded in the labor market, neighborhoods and social fabric of the state,” said Pastor, who is a co-director of USC’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. Advocates for more inclusive immigration policy say the economic contributions of immigrants are another reason they should be allowed to stay. “Every one of California’s immigrants helps shape our state’s eco-

nomic and civic vitality,” said Reshma Shamasunder, Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center.

Princeton Best in the U.S.

In general, attending a good college will lead to more success after graduation. Of course, nothing is guaranteed: a high school dropout can become a millionaire and a Harvard graduate can end up homeless a few years down the line. But for those of us who are looking to get into the best schools in the nation, U.S. News and World Report’s college rankings reveal no surprises. In general, the colleges at the top of the list remain the same, although they may shift spots every year.

In News Schools are ranked on up to 16 measures of academic excellence, including graduation rates, selectivity and freshmen retention, to help families compare schools, narrow their searches and make informed decisions. So what’s the top school in the nation? Princeton University came in at number one and Harvard University slipped in close behind. Yale came in at number three and the rest of the top ten—Columbia University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania and California Institute of Technology—generally remained the same. Dartmouth, which came in at number ten last year, shifted into the eleventh spot. In addition to nearly 50 types of numerical rankings and lists, U.S. News publishes a wealth of data on each school’s online profile page. For the first time this year, this includes each school’s campus safety statistics and three-year federal loan default rates, as published by the U.S. Department of Education. This new information can help prospective freshmen during the college search.

Longest Commute in the Nation

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Think your commute is long? How about 7 hours in the car each day to your dream job? Meet Thurmond Alford, a man from Richmond, Virginia, who is the ultimate family man. “It’s all about family,” said Alford. “If you don’t have family what are you going to do?” But 12 years ago, Alford was offered the perfect job. It paid three times what he was making at the time. There was no question he would be taking it.

And so began one of the longest daily commutes in America. His day starts at 4am. Alford drives 80 miles to a parking lot outside Fredericksburg, Virginia. There he shares a ride with someone else. An hour later, he’s at another parking lot in Arlington and then he take two trains to downtown Washington, D.C., where he is a program manager at the Department of Justice. Alford finally gets to work at 7:30am. After passing through three major cities and traversing 220 miles, Alford can finally start his day. “Every two weeks I was changing oil.” said Alford. “The guy at Jiffy Lube ... He knew my first name. He knew my football team. He says, ‘You’re here every two weeks.’ It’s like I’m getting a haircut with him - he was changing the oil in my car.” “It could be sunny in Richmond and it could be snowing in D.C.,” Alford jokes. It’s like he’s crossing the country on his commute. But he wouldn’t change anything for the world. His family is where his home is at. “I have a support system here. So I have a happy home.”

San Fran Snobbiest of All

Plenty of people make the trip to sightsee at our nation’s capital each year. But all of that publicity and fame seems to have gotten to its inhabitants’ heads. The District of Columbia has been ranked second on the list of “The 10 Snobbiest Cities in America,” according to rankings from Movoto. Only San Francisco prevented Washington from claiming the title of the U.S.’s snobbiest city. And don’t worry, despite what they say about New Yorkers, the Big Apple didn’t even make it to the top ten. “Filled with politicians and some

SEAL Shirt on Display in 9/11 Memorial Museum

Visitors this week to the 9/11 Memorial Museum were emotional when they saw the new display of a shirt worn by a member of SEAL Team Six during the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. The showcase of the brown shirt boasting a black U.S. flag designed for the nighttime mission was “awe-inspiring,” said Roy McDonald, 58, as he held back tears. “Seeing that shirt brought me back to the joy and elation I had that day when it was announced that Bin Laden was killed,” added the hotel worker from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. An anonymous donor gave the shirt to the museum. The donor re-

quested that it be displayed in the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in honor of the entire Navy Special Forces unit that took out Bin Laden during a May 2, 2011 raid on his Abbottadbad, Pakistan, hideout. The shirt will be displayed with other items recovered during the raid that prompted spontaneous celebrations throughout New York City, Washington, D.C. and the rest of the country. It’s a symbol of America’s resilience and strength in the face of evil.

Army: Friendly Fire Incident was Avoidable A military investigation report has been made public revealing that a “miscommunication” was responsible for a “friendly fire” incident in Afghanistan that killed five U.S. soldiers and one Afghan in June. The accident was one of the deadliest same-side attacks in the war, which began almost 13 years ago. While many of the details were blacked out, the report did cite a collective failure by soldiers, commanders and aircrew members to execute the fundamentals of the mission. As a result, the five Americans and one Afghan were mistaken for the enemy and were attacked with two laser-guided bombs from a B-1 bomber. “The key members executing the close air support mission collectively failed to effectively execute the fundamentals, which resulted in poor situational awareness and improper target identification,” the report determined. In response to the report, the Army said it is considering whether any tactics should be changed to minimize chances of repeating mistakes that led to the deaths. It also forwarded the report to the commander of Army Special Operations Command to decide whether any punitive action should be taken. “While this complex combat situation presented a challenging set of circumstances, had the team understood their system’s capabilities, executed standard tactics, techniques and procedures and communicated effectively, this tragic incident was avoidable,” the report concluded.

Detroit’s Expensive Bankruptcy

Filing for bankruptcy is supposed to save money. But not with this price tag. The law firm guiding Detroit through the biggest-ever municipal bankruptcy has charged the city just over $26 million, according to Robert Fishman, a court-appointed fee examiner. The firm’s fees bring the

total price tag for all of Detroit’s professional services in the historic case reported so far by the fee examiner to about $55 million. The Motor City’s state-appointed emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, has said he hopes the final cost will not reach the hundreds of millions of dollars. Jefferson County, Alabama, which was the largest municipal bankruptcy before Detroit filed for protection in July 2013, spent only about $25 million on its two-year case. Fishman’s subsequent quarterly reports will likely show ballooning costs, reflecting work by the city’s lawyers and consultants ahead of a key confirmation hearing and their participation in the hearing, which started on September 2 and is scheduled to last through October 17. Judge Steven Rhodes will use the hearing to determine if the city’s plan to adjust $18 billion of debt is fair and feasible.

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

of the most educated people in the country, it’s no wonder our nation’s capital has become a bit snobby,” Movoto says about D.C. The list used factors such as cost of housing, average household income, number of art galleries, and percent of residents who graduated from college. D.C.’s second-place ranking can be credited mostly to its high number of college graduates, as well as its abundance of cultural activities. “With theaters like Ford’s Theatre and the JFK Center for the Performing Arts, plus countless galleries and museums, D.C. ranked 10th and 12th for its number of performing arts centers and art galleries, respectively,” according to the list. So where do residents turn their noses up at visitors the most in our nation? Atlanta, GA; Madison, WI; Honolulu, HI; Irvine, CA; and Portland, OR, came in at the top ten snootiest on the list. Oakland, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Seattle, WA; Washington, D.C.; and San Francisco, CA, rounded out the top five.

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The Week Drug Drop Off Program Expands

Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that there will soon be more options for safe places to dispose of prescription drugs. Drug addiction and abuse have been on the rise in the U.S. and the new disposal centers are aimed at helping to stem the tide. Holder said in a statement that the new DEA policy would let prescription drugs be dropped off at hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and other authorized drop-off sites. Long-term care facilities will

In News The next prescription drug disposal day will be September 27.

also be able to collect controlled substances turned in by residents. Prescription drug users can mail unused medications to collectors using prepaid packages, the statement said. “I am committed to ending the national epidemic that has already stolen too many lives and torn apart too many families,” Holder said. Sadly, a 2013 survey showed that about 6.5 million Americans 12 and older were non-medical users of prescription drugs. In 2011, more than half of the 41,300 unintentional U.S. drug overdose deaths involved prescription drugs. Opioid pain relievers caused about 17,000 of those deaths. Drop off centers and programs will hopefully halt future drug abuse. During a nationwide take-back event in April, Americans turned in 390 tons of prescription drugs at almost 6,100 sites coordinated by the DEA and police. Additionally, more than 2,100 tons of prescription pills have been turned in over the last four years.

Insight

Best Places for Working Families Nowadays, it is getting harder and harder to find married households in which one of the parents does not work. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 60 percent of “married couple families with children” now include two working parents. So who’s home watching the kids? In that vein, personal finance website NerdWallet partnered with Business Insider magazine to find the best places to live for working parents. In ranking each city, NerdWallet took four factors into account: cost of living in that city, the percentage of households with children, cost of

child care, and quality of available education. In considering cost of living, analysts looked at median household incomes and factors including mortgage and real estate expenses, insurance, and utilities. Childcare costs came from 2013 report from ChildCare Aware of America. Data that compares standardized test scores from public and private schools to state averages was used to determine education quality. So where are the best cities in the nation for working parents to bring up their children? Well, none of the place on this list receives The Jewish Home, but maybe more of our esteemed readers will move there after reading this. 1. Gilbert, Arizona 2. Plano, Texas 3. Chandler, Arizona 4. Freemont, California 5. Irvine, California 6. Garland, Texas 7. El Paso, Texas 8. Lexington, Kentucky

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That’s Odd

Students in Austria are know-italls—at least they were for a minute or two. 144 students taking the entrance exams to University of Salzburg were handed out tests on Tuesday with all the answers filled in. No, it was not an April Fools’ Day prank (do they even have April Fools’ Day there?). The professors mistakenly handed out the completed tests that were meant for grading.

Luckily, the mistake was caught and the students are going to be retested next month. Sounds like the teachers may need to go back to school.

Sick of Chores

says—it’s never too late to correct a wrong. Well, Robert Atherton must agree with this axiom. The Phoenix native was fined 1,000 lire—approximately 70 cents—for illegally parking his Vespa in an Italian village while on vacation in 1964. Now, 50 years later, Atherton has sent a letter of apology—along with $50 to pay the penalty and extra to cover its 50-year inflation—to the mayor of Lerici, a town in northern Italy. He told authorities in the northern region of Liguria that he was “deeply sorry” for having previously failed to cough up the cash. Apparently, Atherton simply forgot about the fine. But now, when stumbled across the ticket, he decided to “make up for his forgetfulness” by sending the note and the extra money. The American’s scrupulousness impressed Mayor Marco Caluri, who said Atherton’s gesture was “exemplary.” “I thank Mr. Atherton on my own behalf and on behalf of the town and I will not forget to write back to him, to thank him personally for his honesty,” he told Il Gazzettino. “It is a really admirable gesture that I hope will serve as an example.” Does he want us all to pay our tickets 50 years later?

Dog Eats 43 Socks

$50 Fine Paid—50 Years Later

Have you ever pretended to be sick to get out of having to take out the garbage or sweep the floor? Well, in South Korea, they’ve taken chore-related maladies to a whole new level. Fake casts have been selling like

You know what your mother

Want to know where all those missing socks went? Well, it seems the dog ate it. Before you start laughing, this really is true. When a 3-year-old Great Dane suffered from a painful stomachache, an astonishing X-ray revealed “a large quantity of foreign material.” With no other way to get the clump of

matter out of the pooch, the dog went under the knife and surgeons pulled out 43 and a half socks one at a time. DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital took a picture of the multihued socks laid out one by one on a table and submitted the dog’s X-ray to an annual vet magazine contest called, “They Ate WHAT?” and ended up winning a $500 third place prize late last month. First place went to an exotic frog that ate 30 ornamental rocks in Texas, requiring surgery. Second place went to a Florida dog that swallowed a shish kabob skewer. All my dog ever eats is my homework.

China’s Tantrum Insurance

In an effort to drum up business in China’s insurance industry, insurers are dreaming up more and more creative ways to get payees to sign up. Scared your child will break something if he throws a tantrum? Take out “naughty child insurance.” Don’t want your team to be knocked out of the World Cup? Afraid you’ll burn your tongue slurping hot and sour soup? There’s an insurance for you. “It’s consumer acquisition, a way to engage new customers,” said Joseph Ngai, who heads the Greater China financial institutions practice at McKinsey in Hong Kong. “It’s primarily marketing.” Some policies are aimed at married couples and others are for families with children. For young children, there’s now insurance for recalled infant milk formula, and for little ones who get out of hand, People’s Insurance Group of China Co Ltd (PICC) offers a policy against “mischievous and destructive” habits. The policy’s tagline reads:

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

These Kids Have all the Answers

hotcakes the few days before the annual Chuseok festival. It seems that South Koreans would give their right (or left) arm not to have to work in preparation for the festivities. “We have been selling this for 10 years now, but sales increased drastically starting last week,” said a sales manager at an online vendor who declined to be identified. Both men and women have been buying the bogus casts. It’s hard to blame the women for wanting to shirk their household duties. During Chuseok, a three-day thanksgiving holiday, women traditionally do most of the work in preparing and cooking elaborate ceremonial dishes while the men of the family chat, drink and watch television. Only 4.9 percent of people say that both men and women share the holiday chores. For everyone else, it’s only the females working. I wonder why men would buy the fake casts; maybe it’s too hard to lift their own drinks? The holiday gender divide is so entrenched that it has spawned the term “daughter-in-law holiday syndrome,” with many young women suffering post-holiday stress and fatigue. Even though many have been buying the casts, they may have a hard time convincing their families that they’re really incapacitated. The media has been highlighting this trend and the fake casts are no longer a secret. In an unrelated story, many bochurim were seen with casts on their arms as they landed in JFK two weeks before Pesach this year. Miraculously, their arms were healed and the casts were taken off the night of the seder.

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

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“Why not let us pay for the child’s fault?” It’s a steal, considering how rambunctious your child is. It costs 44 yuan ($7.16) and provides cover up to 100,000 yuan for 12 months. Chongqing-based Ancheng sells a similar policy in three different versions, with parents of the naughtiest children paying 116 yuan for a 5,000 yuan payout. Wonder when it’s coming to America. During the recent soccer World Cup in Brazil, Ancheng and ZhongAn insurance companies offered policies allowing Chinese customers to pay for protection against over-drinking, being attacked by hooligans and a “Heartbreak” policy for when their favorite team was eliminated. Uptake wasn’t huge, but the policies succeeded in winning plenty of media coverage, although industry regulators were concerned that insurers were skirting too close to the Chinese love of gambling. Other attention-grabbing tactics cover Chinese cultural events. Ancheng has a policy covering any medical costs resulting from burns while eating hotpot, a Chinese tradition involving cooking raw meat and vegetables in a boiling pot of soup placed at the center of the table. And of course, in a country smothered by smog, insurers are hoping to cash in on the weather. Other Ping An and PICC policies – which were quickly shut down by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission – paid out if city smog levels topped a certain level for a specified period, if customers were hospitalized due to smog, or if tourists spent at least two days in a smoggy city. Wonder if I can take out an insurance policy of those Chinese toys I just bought? They seem to keep on breaking…

She Taxis Say No to Guys Ever been waiting for a cab in New York City only to have a man

grab it ahead of you? Well, women, that won’t be happening for you any longer. New York is about to get a new taxi app service—and this one is for women, by women. Serving New York City, suburban Westchester and Long Island, the latest Uber-like taxi app will be available through an Apple application for smartphones as of September 16, with an Android app to follow. It will be called SheTaxis in the suburbs and SheRides in New YorkCity, due to regulations barring the use of “taxi” in the name.

The driver will be riding in style. Women who summon the service will be met by a female driver wearing a hot pink pashmina scarf. The female-only transport was started by those who are leery of climbing into a car with an unknown male. A woman driver will make occupants feel safer, especially at night. New York won’t be the first to put out women-only cabs on the streets. India has its own women-driven fleet of taxis – also called SheTaxi – as does New Zealand. Japan has had women-only train carriages on and off for more than 100 years, while similar female-only public transportation programs exist in Indonesia, India, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan and Iran. Stella Mateo, a mother of two daughters, started the new female-only taxi app. She hope that it will allow more females to enter the taxi and limousine industry, a field that has long been dominated by men. Only 1 percent of New York City’s nearly 52,000 drivers of cruising yellow cabs are women, and only 5 per-

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cent of the city’s nearly 60,000 drivers of for-hire limousines and luxury sedans are female. Now we can say with pride that our cabbie “drives like a girl.”

3,143 Counties and Counting

Looking for a great road trip? Forget about visiting all 50 states. How about visiting all 3,143 counties in the United States? Members of the Extra Milers Club go, well, the extra mile. The 34 people in the club’s 31-year history have all reached 100 percent—meaning they’ve visited every county or equivalent jurisdiction in the United States. Marge Brown was the most recent finisher who completed the arduous quest on her 76th birthday last year. County collecting is a strange hobby, but it’s one that keeps you on the move. Reid Williamson (final jurisdiction: Aleutians East Borough, Alaska) has been interested in counties for more than 50 years. “When I was about 10 years old, my father used an atlas to show me where my uncle was living in Arizona,” the self-described “list keeper” says. “The map was the kind from 1940s that had very vividly marked county lines. When I was 14, my aunt gave me another atlas that I promptly started desecrating by marking the counties that I had been to.” He joined the Extra Milers in 1991 after a chance meeting with one of the co-founders in the parking lot at the Grand Canyon. The two knew of each

other from the License Plate Collectors club, to which they both belonged. Williamson completed his journey at Dutch Harbor in Alaska in 2007. He is now 74 percent of the way through his quest to become the first person to visit all 3,143 counties twice. Itching to join these dedicated members? It’s pretty cheap considering how accomplished these guys and gals are. Membership in the Extra Milers (motto: “Because the shortest distance between two points is no fun!”) costs $12 per person per year or $15 for an entire family for the year. Nearly 50 out of the 290 members attended the recent annual meet-up. The next one is scheduled for July 18, 2015, in Rogers, Arkansas. Attend and you’ll have only 3,142 to go. Some of the U.S. counties are really hard to get to. Take, for instance, Kalawao, Hawaii. The county is on the northern side of Molokai island, and the local population of less than 100 battles Hansen’s disease (leprosy), meaning visitors need a special permit from the county to visit. Visitors take a flight from Honolulu to the Kalaupapa Airport. There’s also a long, steep mule trail from a more central part of the remote island. Nantucket, Massachusetts, is also considered tough to get to for the Extra Milers since there’s no road to get there. Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, is the westernmost point on the Alaskan Peninsula. If you’re looking to head there, it’s best to go in the summer months. Door, Wisconsin, is, according to Williamson, “the tiny thumb of Wisconsin” which “won’t be on your route because it’s a dead end.” It’s only an hour from Green Bay but according to the county’s website, you won’t be bored. There’s so much for the “outdoor enthusiast, art lover, theatre goer, boutique shopper, history buff, adventure seeker or rest and relaxer.” Wow! And Extra Milers also have found that good, ol’ Suffolk, New York, is tough to get to just because of the terrible Long Island traffic—can’t say I don’t agree!

Rabbi Naphtali Hoff

Keep the Excitement Going 8 Ways to Get the Most out of the School Year

hroughout the Jewish world, tens of thousands of children and young adults recently returned to the classroom for another year of schooling. The excitement was palpable. Children and parents were busy purchasing and labeling school supplies, clothing, lunchboxes and other related items. Teachers worked diligently to ready their classrooms, organize materials and foster an engaging, productive learning environment. Administrators toiled throughout the summer to have everything in place for day one, including back-to-school programming for students and professional development for teachers. The first day finally arrived. With great eagerness, children rose early for school, ready to reconnect with friends and meet their new teachers. They excitedly learned new routines, began to understand expectations, and set off on a new journey ripe with opportunity. While some children and adults are able to sustain their enthusiasm well into the year, for many, their initial interest quickly dissipates, sometimes within but a few days. We start to think of school less in terms of growth potential and achievement and more about the daily grind, an endless process of work, discipline, assignments and the like that for too many converts opportunity and passion into burden and indifference (if not outright contempt or despair). What can we do to make this school year the one that fulfills all of its promise? How can we make this year the best one ever? While there is no formula that will work for all of us, there are some strategies that, if followed carefully and consistently, can help our children and ourselves gain the most from the upcoming school year. 1. Adjust your mental paradigm – Too often, we think of tasks and processes as sprints. Our goal is to get off to a quick, strong start and we don’t anticipate having to sustain our effort for all that long. To succeed at school requires a different approach. Children as well as the adults who teach and support them need to take a long term view of things. This may include general persistence and strong study habits. It also refers to a mindset that we are in it for the long haul, with much to do before we can say that we’re finished (at least with this year’s work). 2. Clue them into the goals – Too often, children and parents don’t really know what the year’s goals and objectives are. Most would probably say “to finish __ grade.” As a former teacher, I would submit that

teachers also (particularly newer ones) may enter the year with a nebulous sense of what needs to happen in order for the year to be considered a success. Teachers can help themselves and their charges by offering a list of objectives (“by the end of third grade, you will have learned … and be able to…”) Even if certain individual students are unable to achieve those goals as they are presented (more about that in a bit), they give the class and the year a sense of direction and purpose. 3. Get to know children’s learning styles – Most instruction, particularly in elementary school and higher, tend to be auditory and visual (verbal). This means that teachers rely heavily on their ability to articulate concepts, instructions, etc. and have students learn and process by listening. We do our children a great service by helping them understand how they learn best. They may be kinesthetic learners, who learn better when they can move as they learn. Perhaps they have strong interpersonal intelligence, and need to talk things through in order to achieve clarity. Maybe they are musical, and would be well-served by being able to listen to music or put information to song as a way of deepening their learning. Quizzes are available online that can help determine a child’s learning preferences. 4. Communicate early and often – It is crucial for parents and teachers to develop strong lines of communication. This is true on the high school level,

What can we do to make this school year the one that fulfills all of its promise?

and all the more so in primary grades. Of course, such communication should be two-way and proactive. However, I suggest that parents in particular take the initiative, and not wait for conferences or for things to go sideways. I can personally attest from my experience as a teacher as well as a principal that involved parents are usually great advocates for their children. This is not to say that parents should overdo it. Rather, arrive at an early understanding as to when would be a good time to catch up and endeavor to stay consistent throughout the year, even when things appear to

be going well. This will minimally result in the child receiving more positive feedback and may even allow for the adults to identify an issue and troubleshoot it before it becomes something bigger. 5. Same does not mean equal – To that end, children need to know that different (as in different objectives and treatment) is not unfair. If anything, we create an imbalanced playing field by asking all students, regardless of abilities, supports, etc. to perform the same way. Let students know that personal approaches are designed to meet individual needs and then help him identify and celebrate his successes. 6. Develop a routine – Establishing a proper daily routine can be very healthy. Routines ensure that children and their parents remain focused and organized, and don’t let things get past them. Almost nothing causes greater stress in the morning than a child or two who overslept, can’t find what they need, realizes that they didn’t do an assignment, etc. Moreover, when a child goes to sleep knowing that she is ready for the next day, she is more at peace and more relaxed. The goal is to keep the stress level down while also minimizing the association between school and stress. 7. Tell them the benefits – Take the time to help children see the value in what they are learning. If the material falls within general studies, let them know what they will be able to do with their learning, in terms of employment or as informed citizens. Mitzvos, as well as general hashkafa, also must be presented in the right context. Sure, our children need to know that we learn because that is the way through which to understand and practice d’var Hashem. But they should also be told what they stand to gain, such as reward for the actions, as well as a deep sense of personal fulfillment. This will help motivate them to learn and do more. 8. Daven – We all want for our children to be happy and successful. Certainly none of us want for them to experience a poor year, particularly with all of that money that we pay in tuition. Daven regularly that they should succeed. Of course, the above list represents but a handful of suggestions that can help to ensure a successful year from beginning to end. May all of our tefillos be answered and may we shep much nachas from our children throughout the most amazing and successful year that is now upon us. Rabbi Naphtali Hoff is an executive coach and president of Impactful Coaching and Consulting (ImpactfulCoaching. com). He can be reached at 212.470.6139 or at president@ impactfulcoaching.com.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

T H E TJHE EWJIESW H IHSOHMHE OnM E SnE PMT EAY M B2E4R, 42012 , 2014

A Fulfilled Life

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You Gotta be

Riddle!

Kidding!

! N W O D H C U TO Two football teams played a game which had no field goals or safeties. One team won, even though no man ever entered either end zone. How could that be? Answer on next page

Three fans were talking about the sad state of their football teams. The first fan said, “I blame the manager; if we could sign better players, we’d be a great club.” The second fan said, “I blame the players; if they played better we’d score some touchdowns!” The third fan said, “I blame my parents; if I had been born in a different town, I’d be supporting a decent team!”

Football Words of Wisdom “Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.”- Joe Theismann

“I’ve been big ever since I was little.”- William “Refrigerator” Perry

“A good coach needs a patient wife, a loyal dog and a great quarterback, but not necessarily in that order.” – Bud Grant

“I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first”George Rogers

“I feel like I’m the best, but you’re not going to get me to say that.”- Jerry Rice

“People say I’ll be drafted in the first round, maybe even higher.”-Craig “Ironhead” Heyward

“You guys line up alphabetically by height.”Bill Peterson

“Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?”- Jim Bouton

“Opening games make me nervous; to tell the truth, I’d rather open with our second game.”- John McKay

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3. Which of these teams has never played in a Super Bowl? a. Cincinnati Bengals b. Detroit Lions c. Arizona Cardinals d. Kansas City Chiefs 4. What Jersey number did Jets legend Joe Namath wear? a. 6 b. 12 c. 33 d. 42 5. What Cardinals rookie of 2003 caught a pass in his first 32 games? a. Anquan Boldin b. Larry Fitzgerald c. Bryant Johnson d. Freddie Jones 6. In 1992, the Packers dealt a First Round pick to acquire Brett Favre from what team? a. Rams b. Jets c. Seahawks d. Falcons 7. Which two teams played in the 1981 AFC Championship Game known as the “Freezer Bowl”? a. Pittsburgh-Cleveland b. New England-Miami c. Houston-Green Bay d. Cincinnati-San Diego

9. Who scored the winning touchdown in the Giants 2007 Super Bowl victory? a. Mario Manningham b. David Tyree c. Plaxico Burress d. Steve Smith 10. Which team defeated the New York Jets in the 1999 AFC Championship? a. Titans b. Broncos c. Dolphins d. Patriots Answers: 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. B 5. A 6. D 7. D 8. B 9. C 10. B Scorecard: 8-10 correct: We have the next John Madden here! (Just work on the belly) 4-7 correct: Not bad, but you are no John Madden (even though you may have the belly). 0-3 correct: This concussion thing is really a big deal…It causes you to forget everything you know about football. Let

GO FUNNT Y?

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Answer to riddle: The winning team’s touchdown was scored by a female!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

2. Who is the leading rusher in NFL history? a. Emmitt Smith b. Walter Payton c. LaDainian Tomlinson d. Adrian Peterson

8. Which 49ers quarterback threw a late game-winning touchdown in the 1981 NFC Championship Game known as “The Catch”? a. Steve Young b. Joe Montana c. Jim Plunkett d. Steve DeBerg

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1. What Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback won four Super Bowls? a. Ben Roethlisberger b. Bobby Layne c. Terry Bradshaw d. Terry Hanratty

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Football Trivia

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RESPONDING TO TRAGEDY Hatzalah Members Recall the Harrowing Events of September 11 BY RENA ZINGMOND

Everyone remembers exactly what they are doing at the time tragedy strikes. The eerie slowing of time seems to freeze the moment of mind-numbing confusion in our memories as we struggle to make sense of what our senses perceive. Each person has a unique reaction to the unfathomable collision of the norm with the unearthly, the routine with the unimaginable. All the more so in an event of national catastrophe as were the horrors of September 11, 2001. Chevra Hatzalah, as the largest emergency response

service in the United States comprised solely of volunteers, was one of the first responders on the scene of the calamity. Over the course of those harrowing hours, over 100 Hatzalah EMTs from around the New York area arrived to help treat patients and shuttle them to nearby hospitals. Their efficiency and promise to help any and all in need have earned them great respect from their counterparts in emergency service. Below are the individual accounts of three Hatzalah members as they experienced September 11, thirteen years ago.

“I, ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE, RAN FOR MY LIFE.” Fragin still feels a nagging regret at the impossibility of the situation. “We were not prepared for the magnitude of the situation…for what resembled a warzone.” Who could have been? » » « « On the B train from Flatbush to his workplace at 42nd Street, Dr. Mordechai Soroka got his first glimpses of the Towers on fire from the Manhattan Bridge. He stared along with the gaping passengers through the subway window while rumors circulated that the building in distress was NYU’s Medical Center. Arriving at 42nd Street, the situation had been clarified but the subways were shut down, making it impossible to get back until later in the day. Once back in Brooklyn, Dr. Soroka, a member

» » « « Shamai Goldstein’s detailed account has been published online for the purpose of expressing his hakaras hatov to the One Above and to inspire others to appreciate the gift they receive every day – the gift of life. Goldstein and his team were originally dispatched to the Twin Towers following a report of fire. Not fully understanding the enormity of the situation, they rode in the ambulance to Manhattan in the direction of the Battery Tunnel. From the ambulance windows, the responders could clearly see the upper portion of the Towers engulfed in flames. Exiting the tunnel and turning on to West St., Goldstein beheld the same scene of disaster that Fragin described as a “war zone.” “I saw body parts all over the street,” he recalls. “I saw a part of the airplane, it looked like a[n] engine behind a burned car.” As they neared the site, the Hatzalah team was instructed to park close by; to Goldstein it seemed to be right behind the Towers. They remained parked and awaited directions from the Command Center, which was in the process of being set up in the lobby of the Towers. During the wait, Hatzalah members gathered near the ambulances just watching the massive buildings burn. They began to see people jumping out of windows to their deaths. “It was a sight I don’t think I will ever forget,” mourns Goldstein. “We just started to say Tehillim.” The responders were overwhelmed with a feeling of

9/11 TRIBUTE

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

horrors they had witnessed that day. “We unfortunately reminisced about all the tragic events of the day,” Fragin recalls. Adding to the dissonance of past and current realities was Fragin’s own presence in the Towers only weeks before; he was visiting a former professor, who ultimately also survived. “I myself had actually been in the offices of Cantor Fitzgerald. I remember the top floors very well.” He adds that for families of Hatzalah members, the fear that day was palpable. “There was no communication – no way to call anybody. You had to hope that they knew that everything was OK.” Which, understandably, was not everyone’s first assumption. Although he undoubtedly aided many in need,

of Hatzalah for 35 years, wanted to head back to Manhattan to help those who may be in need. He made his way to the Hatzalah garage where members were loading ambulances in preparation to head to the World Trade Center site. He went as well, stationing himself near the Brooklyn Bridge. Once there, they encountered hundreds of other emergency responders who, like Fragin, were waiting for survivors. After lingering for about an hour, the team decided to drive closer to the actual site and walk, carrying their equipment. Upon approaching, Dr. Soroka asked a nearby fireman, “Where’s the plane? I don’t see any plane!” There was nothing left to see; “everything had been pulverized,” as Dr. Soroka describes it. Exposed steel beams protruded from walls as ash and debris rained down incessantly. Between caring for firemen and other first responders, people were mainly occupied in endeavoring to rinse their eyes from the incredible amounts of soot that was just unbearable. Dr. Soroka eventually returned home at five o’clock in the morning, his clothes a mass of smoke and ash. The following day, Dr. Soroka collected a number of goggles from his eye clinic and brought them over to emergency personnel who were still working at the site. “It was traumatic; it was surreal,” Dr. Soroka recalls. “Walking through the debris, walking through the World Trade Center site, some of it which was still on fire – people were dazed.” The city was permeated with an air of depression and hopelessness.

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tion and clarity as to the nature of the emergency, many people who re-entered the buildings were not so fortunate as to make it out a second time. This man had decided against returning to his office and left, a decision that ultimately saved his life. A couple of years later, Fragin actually met with the man and gave him back his business card. Their conversation led, inevitably, to the mutual

TTHHEE JJEEW E R 1 1 , 2014 WIISSHH HHOOMMEE nn MS EAYP T 2E M 4 ,B2012

Michael Fragin remembers the day dawning clear, blue and beautiful. Travelling from Lawrence to his Philadelphia-based workplace, Fragin was on the Verrazano Bridge when the first plane hit. Though not having witnessed the initial explosion, he could clearly see the belching clouds of smoke contrasting starkly with the powder blue sky. Most people were at a loss as to what had occurred. Fragin, tuning into the transmission on his radio, sized up the situation and quickly turned his car around, heading in the direction of Manhattan. As a member of Hatzalah for 17 years, he perceived that emergency response teams would need all the manpower they could get. Fragin planned to meet up with an ambulance on the Lower East Side but was halted upon finding the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel closed to all traffic following the second plane’s strike. After explaining his intention to the officers stationed there and awaiting their instructions, Fragin was allowed through, though nothing could have prepared him for what lay in store on the other side. With the tunnel’s exit only four or five blocks from the World Trade Center site, emerging from the passage was instant penetration into the heart of the destruction. “It was already chaos down there,” Fragin recalls. Debris was flying everywhere and from where he was parked, Fragin could see people tragically jumping from the buildings in an effort to escape the intense flames. “It was horrific. That’s probably the worst thing you can see and that’s after 17 years of working for Hatzalah.” Fragin had made his way to the Hatzalah command post and began treating the first wave of patients, most of them suffering from injuries resulting from falling wreckage. Once the first tower collapsed, however, the air became filled with thick, black smoke, making it virtually impossible to see or breathe, and Fragin was not equipped with breathing apparatus. Eventually, the smoke cleared enough for Hatzalah responders to aid in evacuating people by boat to New Jersey, including their own team of injured members. “Baruch Hashem I wasn’t injured, so I stayed,” Fragin says. He spent the most part of his day riding around in an ambulance in anticipation of receiving patients as they exited surrounding buildings; unfortunately, his wait was mostly in vain. “Hospitals were set up, we were set up with a triage/trauma station in Foley Square, but there weren’t many survivors of the collapse of the Towers.” Fragin ended his day by returning home at 2:30am. Driving in a car caked with debris and ash, he encountered what he describes as a surreal experience: a highway completely devoid of traffic. “There were no other cars on the road. Nothing.” What he did find, however, led to an unexpected connection. The morning after the attacks, Fragin found a business card caught in his windshield wiper. It turned out it belonged to a man who had an office in the World Trade Center. Fragin called the number. “He survived – it was a pretty amazing story,” says Fragin. “He was one of those people who had started to evacuate who was given the all-clear to return.” Unfortunately, due to the lack of informa-

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helplessness, knowing that there was nothing they could do besides watch them fall. All that separated the team from the burning

9/11 TRIBUTE

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structures was a single building. Suddenly, a loud rumble was heard. “I looked up and saw one of the towers starting to come straight down on itself,” Goldstein recounts. “I, along with everyone else, ran for my life.” About half a block down, they became enveloped by a tremendous cloud of smoke, dust and debris. It became so dark that they couldn’t see an inch in front of them. Goldstein likens it to the makkah of choshech. The thick smoke and residue made it difficult to breathe and his eyes were burning from the mix of pollutants in the air. He began to get short of breath. Goldstein paused in his attempt at escape only to help a fellow Hatzalah member who had tripped while running. In all of the tumult, he probably would have been trampled. At the same time, Goldstein noticed a two-way radio on the floor, and for some reason, he picked it up. He began to realize that their only chance of survival would be to find shelter. He considered hiding under a fire truck, but it was getting hard to breathe. The combination of polluted air and heavy running was making it nearly impossible. Ducking into an alleyway, Goldstein forced himself to stop running and catch his breath. “I sat myself down and thought to myself that this was probably going to be the end.” He was still unable to see a thing. “It was so quiet, there was not a sound. Some big guy tripped on me while I was sitting trying to calm down. He asked if I [was] a person. I told him to hold on to me and together we would survive.” Figuring that there must be a building nearby, Goldstein steeled himself to stay calm and looked for a window to break and climb through. He and the man held onto each other until they felt their way to a wall of a building. They discerned a large window and groped around for a door. The door they found was locked. Searching unsuccessfully for his Hatzalah radio with which to break the window (which had been lost), Goldstein’s hand closed around the radio he found on the street which “happened to be” a Hatzalah radio as well. He began banging on the glass, hoping to shatter it. It wouldn’t yield. Instead, the ra-

dio’s larger size produced a sound loud enough for someone to hear, and they were let inside. The lobby of this building provided welcome accouterments: light and water. They remained there for a short time until the second tower collapsed. “Thank G-d I had picked up the radio, and I was able to communicate to let the other Hatzalah members know which building I was in and that I was alive,” Goldstein relates. He describes the agony of listening to fellow Hatzalah members calling for help on the radio, uncertain of where they were or if they would survive. “One member was yelling and crying that he was trapped and surrounded by fire all around and he didn’t know where he was.” At that point, they decided to leave the building for fear of collapse. Someone handed out dust masks while Goldstein formed a makeshift one out of a wetted shirt, half of which he handed to a fireman there. Everyone ran back out into the chaos, wondering which was safer: exposing themselves to the constant fall of debris or the projected building collapse. Spotting a Hatzalah ambulance, Goldstein

ment to help. There was a fireman who couldn’t see from all the debris in his eyes. A woman from the Chief Medical Examiners had a broken leg. The Chief Medical Examiner suffered from lacerations on his hand. Someone was having an asthma attack. Goldstein tried his best to assist with the wounded with his limited resources. Liberty Park on the New Jersey side was equipped with a huge tent organized to triage the patients coming off the boats. After helping where he could, Goldstein realized his own health required attention, what with the toll the conditions had taken on his body. He was taken to Bayonne Hospital where he was treated by a caring and incredulous staff. They couldn’t believe he and others in his position had survived. “One Jewish doctor walked into the room and looked at me and said, ‘Baruch Hashem!’” Other Hatzalah members had made their way to the hospital were more than happy to see each other alive. Two of them had been on the way into one of the buildings when it collapsed. After undergoing some blood tests and a chest x-ray, Goldstein was discharged around 4:00pm. Grateful to be alive, he headed back to his family in Brooklyn.

“IT WAS TRAUMATIC; IT WAS SURREAL.”

Hatzalah, always careful to do its utmost to protect its constituents, has since redoubled its efforts in promoting member safety. Handing out helmets is one example. Another is the institution of a more effective accountability system for dispatching responders. No one may voluntarily patrol or take his own initiative in responding to a call. Members, identified by their Hatzalah numbers, must be clear on who is accepting the job and where they are located. “The first rule of any emergency responder is to ensure your own safety first,” says Fragin. And, he continues, they focus on what every selfrespecting response organization emphasizes – drills. “We spend a lot of time preparing for things that most likely won’t happen,” he says. As unlikely as such emergencies may seem, the success of each procedure is affected by the degree to which its execution becomes second-nature. As everyone around the world has witnessed, even the most unbelievable scenario can become reality. The tragedy of September 11 is not merely a page in history; its scars remain a rooted shadow hanging over the present. Fragin looks back on the events of that day through subdued eyes. “It’s still a surreal thing; it’s incredibly depressing,” he bemoans. “You can never get over it.” As Goldstein writes in his essay, amidst the indescribable terror and destruction was evidence of Hashem’s unwavering protection. The fact that not one Hatzalah member was killed or seriously injured was an unquestionable miracle. For Goldstein, the ordeal changed his perspective on life. “When I got up this morning and said “Modeh Ani” it had a whole different meaning. Prayer took a lot longer than usual. I wasn’t in a rush to leave synagogue this morning. Life is too TJH short and precious.” 

leapt into it, sharing the crowded space with the members already inside. Everyone’s first priority was oxygen. The number of people and quantity of oxygen necessitated sharing the masks. “We took turns; each wanted the other one to have it, saying, ‘You need it more than I [do].’ Mi k’amcho Yisroel!”

The ambulance had reached the waterfront and was prevented from going further. Boats were commissioned to ferry people off of the island to Liberty Park in New Jersey. Goldstein headed straight for the boats, breathing with difficulty. Women and children ascended first. Informing the authorities of his paramedic training, Goldstein was allowed to board the boat. Again he was enveloped with a feeling of helplessness as he stood among the injured and ailing without any equip-

» » « «

What you need to know about redeeming American Express points for travel By Eli Schreiber Partner and Director of marketing for Peyd

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

For many years, American Express (Amex) has dominated the credit card industry due to their customer service, security features and consumer protection policies. In addition, Amex cards earn Membership Rewards (MR) points, the most used and sought after point programs for frequent flyers due to their redemption flexibility, and the ease with which cardholders could transfer them into a multitude of airline and hotel programs. Recent partnerships by CITI and Chase Bank have cut into Amex’s domination of the point redemption industry. In 2011, Chase announced a new partnership with United Airlines, which allowed Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Bold cardholders to use Ultimate Rewards points for flights offered by United or any other Star Alliance member. And in July, CitiBank announced that Citi Thank You Points would now be transferable into eight airlines and hotel programs. An altogether separate reason why Amex points were so beloved by cardholders was due to their ability to be transferred into spouse’s airline accounts and even into airline accounts not associated with cardholders.

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Travel

Amex’s terms & conditions had always stated that you can only transfer MR points into frequent flyer accounts in your own name. And although cardholders earned these points by virtue of their personal spending, Amex’s terms and conditions state quite clearly: “Points are not your property. You can’t transfer points to any other per-

son or program account.” It looks like American Express has finally started enforcing the rules, and MR points can now only be transferred to frequent flyer accounts with your name on it (or at least your last name). We certainly can’t blame Amer-

ican Express for enforcing the rules they’ve long published, especially since Amex claims that it is no longer allowing this feature as a security measure, to protect points from being transferred into another’s frequent flyer account without permission. There is still a way for Amex users to transfer Rewards points by adding a primary cardholder or an authorized user. So, if you plan to transfer Amex points to someone other than yourself or a family member with the same last name as you, adding an authorized user is the only way you can now do so. With these new changes and the increased competition by other credit card companies, it looks like we may be experiencing the end of the Amex domination era, and the end of a great convenience that’s existed for many years. However, the credit card redemption industry is constantly changing and in a state of perpetual motion. Stay tuned, who knows what the future may bring….

42 SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

A Parsha Thought Tall Fences Make Good People: Preparing for the Yomim Noraim Rabbi Shmuel Silber

THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME

In memory of the 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks.

reflect on our accomplishments and failures of this past year with the hope of laying the foundation for a better, holier and more meaningful year to come. With this in mind, allow me to share with you the following thought. ‫דברים פרק כב פסוק ח‬ ‫כי תבנה בית חדש ועשית מעקה לגגך ולא‬ ‫תשים דמים בביתך כי יפל הנפל ממנו‬:

As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah we find ourselves in a contemplative and introspective state of mind. We

Hitting your target isn’t always this easy.

8. When you build a new house, you shall make a guard rail (fence) for your roof, so that you shall not cause blood [to be spilled] in your house, if the one who falls should fall from it [the roof].

The Torah commands us to safeguard our property by installing a fence along the perimeter of the roof.

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What is the reason for this mitzvah? The simple answer is found in the verse itself, “V’LO TASIM DAMIM B’VEYSECHA, so that you shall not cause blood to be spilled in your house” – in order to prevent bloodshed. The Sforno (Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno, 1475-1550) explains that the Torah is sensitizing us to the safety and well-being of those around us. Not only must I be vigilant in not harming another, I must also make sure that my property does not pose a risk to anyone who may enter. The great Chassidic master, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1810) explains that the purpose of the MAAKEH (fence) is to “build upon” the blessing of the home. A home is more than just a physical domicile; it represents and embodies the material blessings we receive from God. We must be conscious of the fact that our material blessings are not an ends, they are a means for further accomplishment and growth. The blessings (home) we receive create the foundation upon which we can build a beautiful edifice of life accomplishment. The “home” is to be used as a stepping stone to advance higher and become more. When God gives you material blessing, use it as a springboard to accomplish great things. This symbolism is expressed in the building of the MAAKEH which extends “above” the home. Based on Rav Levi Yitzchak’s idea we can develop another approach as well.

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‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף קיח עמוד ב‬ ‫ מימי לא קריתי לאשתי‬:‫אמר רבי יוסי‬ ‫ לאשתי ביתי‬:‫ אלא‬.... ‫ אשתי‬....

Rabbi Yossi stated: In all of my days, I never called my wife, my wife – rather, I called her, my home (Shabbos 118b). Rabbi Yossi is attesting to the fact that a wife is more than just a partner – a wife is the very backbone of the home. It is the wife who sets the tone that creates the fabric of a marriage and family. Perhaps, Rabbi Yossi’s statement can be applied beyond the confines of the

marital home. Building a home is accomplished piece by piece, brick by brick and only after incredible exertion and effort is the structure complete. Any attempted short-cuts can create critical errors that can compromise the structural integrity of the home. The same is true when building one’s self. We build ourselves brick by brick – accomplishment after accomplishment, step by step with the recognition that if we engage in a process of sustained building we will create a beautiful identity and spiritual persona. It is not only a wife, who is a ‘home,’ we must use the physical construction of our material home as a paradigm and blue-print for how to build a successful and meaningful life. I must strive to become a home. Perhaps, in this light we can understand the verse cited above in a different fashion. “KI TIVNEH BAYIS CHADASH, When you will build a new home” – when I engage in the process of building a “new me” – of starting again, of trying to begin a new chapter in my life. Part of completing the structure is the building of a roof (GAG). While the roof is necessary and important – it also signifies the end of construction – it is the boundary – it limits the dimensions of the home. “V”ASISA MAAKEH L’GAGECHA, You shall make a fence for your roof” – don’t limit yourself with the roof – build more – extend the home/self. Even if the roof has been built - build higher – create the MAAKEH. The rooftop fence represents my ability to continue to build and grow despite certain limitations. The Yomim Noraim (High Holidays) offer us an opportunity to begin building a new home. God gives us the gift of a new beginning. The problem that often occurs with life-construction is that we build our ceilings too low. We create self-imposed limitations on our abilities and potential. We miss out on so many beautiful life opportunities because we think they are beyond us. God encourages us to build beyond the roof, to extend ourselves upward. As we begin to expand and in some cases rebuild our life-home let us find the strength to build a little higher.

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In the Kitchen Naomi Nachman

NOTE: This recipe easily doubles, freezes well, and the sauce can also be used to spruce up leftover corned beef or chicken cutlets. Here are some of the meanings for the Simanim: leek (kartei in Aramaic)—y’hi ratzon she-yikhritu soneinu...that our enemies be cut off. fish—y’hi ratzon she-nifre v’narbe kadagim…that we will be fruitful and multiply like fish. Carrot (gezer in Hebrew)—y’hi ratzon she-yikra gezer dineinu…that the decree of our due judgment be torn up. Olive (oil) (Zayit in Hebrew)—Let it be Your will, O’ L-rd our G-d, G-d of our ancestors, that we all live in harmony.

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“Siman” Fish A special fish to bring in the sweet new year

Ingredients 1-2 pounds tilapia, cut in half lengthwise 2 TBS. curry powder ½ cup cornstarch Salt and pepper Olive oil for frying 3 leeks, washed, cleaned and sliced 2 cloves garlic 4 carrots, sliced into rings 1 cup ketchup 1 tsp cinnamon ¾ cup brown sugar Pinch of cinnamon 1 can pineapple chunks in heavy syrup 2 cups water, divided 1 ½ TBS cornstarch Preparation Rinse, then pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Mix the cornstarch and curry together in a small bowl. Dip fish in mixture and shake off excess. Heat oil in a sauté pan and sear the fish on medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes on each side. (It should look a little yellow from curry.) Place fish in a 9x13 oven-to-tableware dish and set aside. In the same pan, add the leeks and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and carrots and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add ketchup, pinch cinnamon, brown sugar, can of pineapple chunks with the liquid, and ½ the water. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and remaining water until cornstarch is dissolved and add to simmering sauce. Bring back to boil until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over the fish in the pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350° covered.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website,www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

any years ago, my mother visited me in New York for the Yamim Noraim and we were busy cooking together in my kitchen. The two of us were testing out new recipes for a fish cooking class that I was scheduled to give for Ossie’s Fish in the Gourmet Glatt supermarket. We came up with an idea for a sauce that used some of the simanim from Rosh Hashana. After extensive testing and tweaking, we finally came up with a great balance, and I introduced the recipe at that class. It was an instant hit. Since then, Siman Fish has been one of my favorites and has been one of the most popular of my recipes.

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Notable

Quotes

Compiled by Nate Davis

“Say What?” Texas Senator Ted Cruz has invited President Obama to play golf on the U.S.-Mexico border. Cruz thought it was a funny way to point out problems the president hasn’t fixed yet. While Obama said, “So are we playing or not?” - Jimmy Fallon

I had a relaxing Labor Day weekend. It was a big weekend at the barbecue grill. I made Italian sausage with peppers and onions. And I ate and I ate. The object of Labor Day is to eat so much that I feel like I’m going into labor. – Jimmy Kimmel

There’s another hacking scandal. Home Depot is now investigating the hack of its customers’ credit card information. They would have targeted Home Depot employees too, but the hackers couldn’t find any. - Jimmy Fallon

Reports say that several of the world’s leading kale farms are running out of seeds after the recent increase in demand for the vegetable. I guess they can’t grow it as fast as we can throw it in the garbage. – Seth Myers It’s kinda hard to believe that 20 seasons has gone by so quickly. You guys have all watched me grow up over the last 20 years. I’ve watched you, too, some of you guys getting old, too… I want to thank you for helping me feel like a kid for the last 20 years. In my opinion, I’ve had the greatest job in the world. I got a chance to be the shortstop of the New York Yankees. - Derek Jeter addressing fans on Derek Jeter Tribute Day I’m one of the fans who got old with him. It’s been humbling to be able to get old with Derek Jeter. When he got started, he was 21 and I was 21. – Humbled Yankees fan Tom Tomae to the New York Post Over the weekend, the White House chef married an MSNBC news anchor. Or as Fox News reported it, “Person who serves the president marries person who serves the president.” - Conan O’Brien

Amazon has announced that its chief financial officer will retire after 12 years on the job. But the moment Amazon’s chief retires, he’ll recommend another CFO that Amazon might also like.

The drug store CVS announced that the corporation is changing itself to CVS Health, and they’re no longer selling cigarettes… It is part of their customer health focus… If CVS really wants to demonstrate a commitment to health and wellness, get rid of the automatic doors. If you can’t push a door open, you are not allowed to buy a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew. - Jimmy Kimmel

- Conan O’Brien The NFL season kicked off officially tonight. It’s that magical time of the year when millions of Americans transition from checking Facebook all day at work to checking their fantasy football lineups all day at work. – Jimmy Kimmel

Love and respect each other. Don’t fight over nonsense. Hug each other every day. Eat dinner together. Live your lives to the fullest. Stay positive and patient. G-d rewards those who are patient. – A portion of a letter written by Steven Sotloff sometime before he was killed by ISIS

Knocked that off the bucket list! - President Obama upon making an unscheduled stop at Stonehenge on his way back from a NATO summit

President Obama will be at a NATO summit, where he will discuss the recent actions of Vladimir Putin, who wasn’t invited. Then Putin said, “Has that ever stopped me before?” - Jimmy Fallon

Climate change is the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges we face. - Hillary Clinton at a Las Vegas Energy Conference A woman in Mexico claims that she turned 127 years old over the weekend. She says she’s still pretty happy, but worried that she’s still single and almost in her 130s. - Jimmy Fallon

- Conan O’Brien

You don’t look at the people who are for [the name]. You look at the people who have been damaged by it… In a domestic violence situation you don’t ask the perpetrator how he’s doing, how he’s feeling, he or she—whoever it is. You ask the victim, “How are you doing? How can I help you? How can I make this a safer place for you?” - The lead plaintiff in the suit to get the Redskins to change their name, on ESPN, comparing those offended by the Redskins name to victims of domestic violence

Yesterday, John Kerry joined five previous secretaries of state at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new diplomacy museum...While the diplomacy museum is just a pile of dirt now, pretty soon it’ll be even LESS interesting. – Jimmy Fallon

Republicans have a video game for the kids. You have an elephant on your video game and it tries to accumulate seats in the Senate. It’s not the first. Remember George W. Bush had a video game back in 2000? Grand Theft Election. – David Letterman

Israel bugged John Kerry’s phone last year while he mediated Middle East peace talks. They listened in on John Kerry’s phone calls. It’s the rare case where the crime is the punishment. – Seth Meyers

I should’ve anticipated the optics. Part of this job is also the theater of it. It’s not something that always comes naturally to me. But it matters. - President Obama on “Meet the Press” responding to criticism of his golf outing six minutes after condemning Jim Foley’s beheading Some presidents might have garnered a bit of sympathy and understanding with claims that the ‘theater’ of the office doesn’t come naturally to them. … But Barack Obama? This is the Obama who as a candidate spoke before 200,000 at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate? … The same candidate who gave his acceptance speech outdoors in Denver surrounded by columns, mocked for their resemblance to ancient Greek temples, which is, ironically enough, where the Greeks performed the new art form of dramatic theater. - Stuart Stevens, The Daily Beast

Los Angeles is considering a new plan to boost the city’s minimum wage to $13.25 an hour. It’s getting huge support across the entire country — of Mexico. – Jimmy Fallon

Happy birthday to Los Angeles. The city was founded on this day in 1781. The land was first discovered by an old prospector who said, “There’s Botox in them, their hills! And kale!” - Craig Ferguson

A glitch in the John Madden NFL game has accidentally created a player who is 1 foot tall. Another glitch accidentally created an NFL player with no criminal record. – Conan O’Brien

Apple is sprucing up the iPhone. Tomorrow you can get the new iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 is a lot like President Obama’s hair. Every year it’s lighter and thinner.

A couple of weeks ago, Peter asked you a question and you said that the president was not referring to ISIS when he dismissed the terrorists in the New Yorker magazine as the “JV squad.” The Washington Post gave you “four Pinocchios” for that. The president yesterday went ahead and doubled down on it and said “I was not referring to ISIL.” Why do you and the president continue to say something that is proven to be false? - Fox News White House Correspondent Ed Henry to White House spokesman Josh Earnest

– David Letterman

We are looking for an insane number of bodies to help, starting on Thursday, 9/4. I know that school also starts on the same day, but just remember that this is the last week of this campaign… I will gladly write an absence letter to excuse you from your academic duties. - Queens State Senate candidate S.J. Jung in an email to local high schoolers, trying to convince them to take off from school on Primary Day to help his campaign

No question about that, in my mind. – Mitt Romney, when asked on Fox News whether he would be a better president than Hillary Clinton Starbucks has a new business plan. Starbucks is planning to open about 100 new upscale coffee shops with more expensive coffee. It’s for customers who feel that the regular Starbucks prices are too reasonable, I guess. - Jimmy Kimmel It’s good to see Starbucks sticking with doing what they do best, which is opening more Starbucks. - Ibid.

11, 2014

Happy Birthday to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who turns 52 years old tomorrow. The star of TLC’s show “Cake Boss” is actually making the cake for Chris Christie’s birthday party. In fact, I hear he’s even making the cake in the shape of Christie’s favorite thing: cake. – Jimmy Fallon

According to a report from the United Nations, the damage from global warming could be irreversible. It’s clear we need to do something. We need to give the Earth the ice bucket challenge. – Jimmy Kimmel

T THE HT he E J JEBALTIMORE W I S H HhOome M EJEWISH nn SmEay P T EHOME R 1 1 ,SEPTEMBER 2014 ewish 2M4 B, E2012

Five geckos sent into space as part of an experiment have all died. On the bright side, they were able to save 15 percent on their car insurance.

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200 YEARS since the Creation

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Star Spangled Banner

SEPTEMBER 14, 1814

By Avi Heiligman The British also wanted Baltimore because they thought that many raiders who were attacking their ships were based out of that port. British Major General Robert Ross first led 5,000 soldiers against roughly 11,000 American defenders who were spread out throughout the city. The Americans were mainly militia troops and were led by Major General Samuel Smith. Smith sent 3,000 men under General John Stricker to meet Ross who landed 14 miles north of Fort McHenry at North Point. This force was to delay the British while the main defenses of the city were being prepared. On September 12, 1814, Ross attacked but suffered heavily in the first part of the battle. General Ross was shot in the chest by an unknown sharpshooter of the 5th Maryland Regiment and died soon afterwards. The British, now under Colonel Arthur Brooke, reorganized and outflanked the defenders, forcing them to fall back. Some American soldiers fired as they retreated and inflicted enough casualties on the British that they held up for the night. This allowed the American troops to retreat, and they bolstered their existing defenses in Baltimore. Brooke was not as experienced as Ross and this showed in the subsequent fighting. The day before the battle, British ships had moved into the harbor and on September 13, they began shelling the defenses. The ships were too far away for shore cannon to reach them.

“…And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in the air. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there…”

Every

American knows the Star Spangled Banner as the national anthem written by a captive, Francis Scott Key, as he was watching from the hold of a British ship. The words were Key’s way of expressing relief over the victory at the Battle of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The song has stood the test of time, and the story behind the song will explain just how this song became famous. It was during the War of 1812, and the British were on the attack. Earlier in the year of 1814, they had marched into Washington, D.C., burned many buildings including the White House, the Capitol and the Library of Congress, and forced most of the government including President James Madison to flee. Now the British were looking to capture Baltimore and sent a huge fleet into its port. The Americans were centered at Fort McHenry and needed to hold onto it to save the city.

The Brits rained down mortars and rockets on the fort, expecting the Americans to surrender in a matter of hours. The British sent in troops even though the fort was still in American hands. The invading troops had not anticipated the strong defensive rings around Baltimore. Many “irregulars” had joined the ranks to defend their city. 12,000 American troops were in the city, and Brooke’s British troops were unable to find a weakness in the line. They fought with so much ferocity that the British were forced to board on their transport ships after minor gains. Even though the frontal assault was called off, the bombardment continued. Nineteen British ships launched a huge bombardment that lasted 25 hours but it did little damage to Fort McHenry, the last in the lines of defense. The fortifications held up and the defenders were wellentrenched waiting for the British assault. After the failure of the daylight attack, the British tried landing 1,200 men in the darkness and fired signal flares. This gave away their position to the Americans who inflicted heavy casualties from the safety of two other forts. The British retreated to their ships in defeat, and on the morning of September 14, the fort was safely in American hands. The British troops rejoined the fleet and soon left the harbor to prepare for one last fight against the U.S. The Battle of New Orleans took place in early 1815 and with the victory, ended the British invasion of America. In all, the British losses were The original document 300 killed, wounded on which the song was written and captured for the

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tionally recognized melody. On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the In 1889, the song was made deep, the official tune of the navy and Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence soon was being played at sportreposes, ing events. In 1931, Congress ofWhat is that which the breeze, o’er the towering story of the ficially made the song the national steep, Battle of Balanthem. By World War II, the As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? timore is not Star Spangled Banner was being Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first complete without the story of played at every baseball game. beam, the Star Spangled Banner. EvOver the years, several fans have In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: ery morning at reveille, a huge added emphasis on certain words Tis the star-spangled banner, Oh! long may it American flag was raised over in the song. The best example of wave Fort McHenry, and on the mornthis is at Baltimore Orioles games, O’er the land of the free and the home of the ing of September 14, an Amerithe word Oh in “Oh say does that brave. can in British hands saw it flystar spangled banner yet wave” ing high. Local seamstress Mary is yelled out by all the fans as Oh And where is that band who so vauntingly swore Pickersgill had sewn the 15 is the shortened nickname for the That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, star and 15 stripe flag with her team. The original flag on display A home and a country, should leave us no more? 13-year-old daughter to be seen The original flag, which is Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ across the harbor. 30-by-42-feet, has been restored and is on display at pollution. A respected and elderly doctor named William the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The No refuge could save the hireling and slave Beanes was arrested by the British for allegedly aid- original document is on display at the Maryland HisFrom the terror of flight, or the gloom of the ing in the arrest of British troops. On September 7, torical Society in Baltimore. The 200th anniversary of grave: before the commencement of the fighting, 35-year-old the Star Spangled Banner is officially on September And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth Francis Scott Key and John Skinner boarded the Brit- 14. The Battle of Baltimore forced the British to rewave, ish flagship with orders from President Madison to retreat and it is fitting that national anthem was written O’er the land of the free and the lease their friend. They met with General Ross and the about the glorifying features of home of the brave. admiral-in-command of the fleet Alexander Cochrane. the flag and the intensity of the After convincing the officers with letters from British battle. Oh thus be it ever, when freemen soldiers stating that Beanes was indeed helping the shall stand soldiers, he was released. However, Key and Skinner Here is our nation’s anthem, Between their loved home and heard the plans for the upcoming battle, and they were The Star Spangled Banner, in its the war’s desolation. to be held until after the fighting ended. entirety: Blest with vict’ry and peace, Key and Skinner were allowed to return to their Oh say can you see by the may the Heav’n rescued land boat but they weren’t allowed close to the shore. As dawn’s early light, Praise the Power that hath made they watch the battle unfurl eight miles way, they What so proudly we hailed at and preserved us a nation! couldn’t tell who was winning. On the morning of the twilight’s last gleamThen conquer we must, when September 14, the smoke began to clear and “at the ing, our cause it is just, dawn’s early light…our flag was still there.” Key put Whose broad stripes and And this be our motto: “In G-d his thoughts down on the back of a letter, and the rest bright stars through the is our trust.” is history. His brother-in-law, who was an officer in perilous fight, And the star-spangled banner in the fort, called it the “Defense of Fort M’Henry.” A O’er the ramparts we triumph shall wave local newspaper, the Baltimore Patriot, picked it up watched, were so gallantly O’er the land of the free and the and soon it spread throughout the country under its streaming? Artist’s rendition of what Key saw on the morning of September 14 that inspired him TJH home of the brave  new name, “The Star Spangled Banner. And the rockets’ red glare, to write the Star Spangled Banner Originally, the song was four stanzas long and set the bombs bursting in air, to a popular tune called the Anacreontic Song. Over a Gave proof through the night that our flag was century later, President Woodrow Wilson enlisted the still there; help of five famous musicians and composers includOh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions.for future coling John Phillip Sousa to pick out the official tune. O’er the land of the free and the home of the umns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com. They standardized the song and put it to the internabrave?

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battle. 28 Americans were killed, 163 wounded and about 50 captured.

Mural of the defense at Fort McHenry

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Fort McHenry as it stands today

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In the Kitchen

t h g i R f f o y a D e Start th Whole Wheat Pancakes

These pancakes are surprisingly moist and delicious!

Homemade Granola

Granola is the perfect complement for so many breakfast foods

Ingredients 1 cup honey or pure maple syrup ½ cup vegetable oil or coconut oil 3 TBS butter ½ tsp. cinnamon, optional Pinch of salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 5 cups oats 4 cups nuts and seeds—sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, chopped pecans, walnuts, pepitas, cashews 1 cup dried fruit—raisins, craisins, dried blueberries, chopped and dried apricots or mango

Ingredients 1 cup whole wheat flour ½ cup quick oats ½ tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 large egg 1 cup milk (skim is OK) 2 TBS brown sugar ¼ cup Greek yogurt 1 tsp. vanilla extract ½ cup cut up bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips or add-in of your choice Preparation Toss the flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk. Whisk in the brown sugar and yogurt until no lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix the batter or your pancakes will be tough and very dense. Add any mix-ins you prefer, but do not overmix the batter. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with cooking spray, oil, or butter. Once hot, drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form on the center or sides, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200°F oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve immediately.

Preparation Preheat oven to 325°. Line two large rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together the rolled grains and/or oats, nuts, and seeds. Do not yet add in the fruit. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, maple syrup, butter, and vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and ingredients are fairly well combined. Add the cinnamon, pinch of salt, and/or vanilla extract if using. Pour the honey/butter/oil mixture over the grain/nut/seed mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread granola on cookie sheets and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola turns golden brown. Let cool, then toss in the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container. Granola tastes delicious over oatmeal, in yogurt, or just as a snack. Continued on page 92

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Son of a Baker: Reflections of the Almost Famous for years now, Atlanta locals still talk about Bernie’s Bakery—we have even run into people who visited the bakery from out-of-town and recognize my father right away as “Bernie the Baker.” That’s where feeling like the son of a celebrity comes in…. A couple of years ago, my father, Bubbie (grandmother), and I were in Miami Beach for a short winter vacation. On Friday afternoon,

Atlanta to attend yeshiva in New York, I encountered many people in my two years there that had some sort of Atlanta connection. Either someone had family in Atlanta, went to college in Atlanta, etc. There were a few people who I had met that when I mentioned Atlanta, they would ask my family name. Upon realizing they did not recognize my surname, I would ask, “Do you know

From an old Atlanta Jewish Times article on the Atlanta Jerusalem 3000 Festival (circa 1996-1997). Pictured: Bernie ‘the Baker’ Idov with his daughter Esther (to his left), son, Alex (bottom left), and hungry festival attendees anticipate cutting into the ‘Bernie the Baker’ Jerusalem 3000 Cake. My grandmother, Charlotte, is sitting in the back.

we were in the over-crowded grocery store on 41st Street buying food for Shabbos when someone came over to my father and said, “Hey!, You’re Bernie the Baker! I used to come to your place on my visits to Atlanta.” But wait, it gets funnier. The following Sunda,y the three of us were walking on the quiet back roads to visit the Holocaust Memorial when out of nowhere we hear someone calling out, “Bernie! Bernie the Baker!” We looked over across the street and saw three people in the parking lot of an apartment complex, one of which somehow noticed and recognized my father from way across the road. It turned out she used to work for the Jewish Federation of Atlanta and used to place many orders at my father’s bakery and was just vacationing in Florida, like we were. On that trip, I really felt like my dad was a celebrity…and I was a celebrity’s son. But it doesn’t stop there. When I left

Bernie the Baker? That’s my dad.” One woman who I met (whose family I later became close with) attended Emory University and became religious in Atlanta. When I told her my father is “Ber-

nie the Baker,” first thing she said was, “Of Course...good challah!” Another person I met in New York used to live in Atlanta and could not for the life of them figure out who I was. When I told him that I’m Bernie the Baker’s son, he got so excited. A friend of mine even attended a Shabbos meal with some former Atlanta residents. I’m not sure how my name came up at the Shabbos table, but he reported back to me that he ate with some people who know my dad and got all excited when they heard my surname, “Idov,” exclaiming, “Bernie the Baker, Bernie the Baker!” I thought that was hilarious. So while I’m not famous, or even almost famous (as I can mention my name and get an “Alex, who?”) it’s nice to know that as the son of Atlanta’s “famous” Bernie the Baker, I guess you can say I’m the almost famous son of the baker.

Alex Idov is a kosher food blogger who runs the award-winning site, “Kosherology,” and a regular contributing food columnist to The Five Towns Jewish Home magazine, LA Jewish Home magazine, and the Atlanta Jewish Times. He is currently studying for his bachelor’s degree in Culinary Sustainability & Hospitality. Visit “Kosherology” at www.exploretheworldofkosher.com and like “Kosherology” on Facebook.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

hile I know my father is not really a world-recognized celebrity, there are many times I would think that he is. My father, otherwise known as “Bernie the Baker,” operated a kosher bakery in Atlanta for a little over twenty years. Unhappy with the baked goods that were served at synagogue functions and kiddushim, my father began baking at our shul (Beth Jacob of Atlanta) in the early 1980s so the community could have better quality baked goods. He eventually broke away from his former career and into the baking business (they say it makes good dough—a baker’s joke!). After outgrowing the shul kitchen, my father relocated his operation into the basement of our home, where he remained for a little under a decade. Running the bakery from the basement was my father’s favorite period of being in the business. People still tell me they reminisce about coming to our house on erev Shabbos and being welcomed by the aroma of the Shabbos meal cooking in our kitchen and of fresh baked challahs as they walked downstairs to pick up their orders of challahs and goodies. While I was too young to remember this time, at times I get a glimpse of what people are talking about when we still bake challahs down there for personal use and the exhaust fan sends the aroma outside of our house, enveloping our property in the aroma of fresh baked challah. The basement bakery had many visitors who were regular customers and travelers who came from New York and Chicago who were told that while in Atlanta they had to come to my father’s bakery and take some stuff back home. We even had the privilege of having HaRav Shlomo Freifeld zt”l in our house, as he, too, came to visit the bakery. My father then moved shop to a storefront location in the Toco Hills Shopping Center (where a tanning place now stands—I tell people that building always has had some sort of oven in it) and remained there until 2000, when he closed the business in order to care for my sister and me after the passing of my mother. While the bakery has been gone

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Alex Idov

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Israel Today

OF HAPPINESS AND FISH IN THE HOLY LAND by Rafi Sackville

sraelis are ranked 11th in overall happiness. This, according to our vice-principal, who heard this from a leading educator, was both startling and difficult to believe, particularly in light of the conversation among the twenty professionals I was sitting with. Around the circle we went, each expressing the difficulties we’d faced during the July/August war and the way we had overcame our sense of helplessness. Some still hadn’t come to grips with the situation and had even considered using their spouse’s foreign citizenships. One woman had stayed indoors almost the entire summer, venturing out only when she absolutely had to. And she lived in Nahariya, a city only caught in occasional fire. Some spoke of their trips to Europe and the hatred for all things Jewish they had experienced there. Another spoke about her 16-yearold son’s recent acceptance to an exclusive pre-military school and how, despite his protestations, she had refused to allow him to register. One woman couldn’t speak at all. She burst into tears when attempting to describe her closeness to a soldier killed in battle. Underlying the gloom there was a sense of optimism that, one sensed, would eventually manifest itself among us. Doesn’t time heal all wounds? But 11th in overall happiness? As based in statistics as the claim was (made the day after the final ceasefire), it seemed difficult to believe. Having heard every possible expert opinion on why we won or didn’t win, why Hamas are weakened or not, or why the prime minister succeeded or didn’t, I was startled by a simple statement of fact by a friend who pointed out the strange asymmetry between the major wars fought here since Independence. We have

gone from a tiny country with limited resources able to defeat in a matter of days the massive Arab coalition formed against us in 1948 and 1967, to the same tiny country with unlimited resources unable to defeat a small terrorist organization in almost two months, hiding behind the coattails of a desperate population. Living in the north made dealing with the war easier than having to be constantly on guard waiting for the next wailing siren heralding incoming bombs. It didn’t necessarily make us immune to anxiety. Two rockets fell close by, but if they were reported, they quickly fell out of the news. During the last Lebanon War, the mayor went out of his way to prevent the media from reporting where rockets had fallen. My family spent the summer packing up our belongings and moving. It took two and a half weeks to paint the new house. I spent most days alone with Keren, she tinkering here and there, me covered in paint. Kol Yisrael constantly played in the background. The news was depressing, although my work relaxed me. My friend, Eliezer Twizzer, had promised to take me fishing off the rocks at Rosh Hanikra, but our plans had to be put on hold after his son and family had come up to Ma’alot from Ashkelon. They’d had enough of the sirens and the constant race to their reinforced room. That didn’t stop Eliezer from giving me a handson lesson in how to set up a fishing rod. I was standing in his small apartment, feeling too timid to open the rod completely. “Open it up,” he said with a wave of his hand. I looked around the small space.

“In your kitchen?” “Go ahead. How are we going to measure the length of filament you need if it’s not open?” When extended, the rod is 5 meters long. It stretched across the kitchen floor into his living room. We measured out a length of line and he taught me how to knot it. Then we moved onto the hooks, and crimping a small lead weight onto the end. We spent an hour together. I consider myself a good student. He made it sound so easy. The gist of his message was simple: just open the fishing rod, apply a bit of bait, throw it in the water, and start filling your bucket with fish. The following morning, Dovi, Laizer and Yonatan got in the car with me for the twenty-five minute drive to Rosh Hanikra. We got there at 9:20. They were soon bemused by how complicated simple things can become. For example, they couldn’t fathom why the lines continually became knotted, or why the triangular hooks kept snagging shorts and fingers, or why the only things caught were rocks or seaweed. They were even more bemused because all these things were happening to me. At one point, Dovi asked me whether I had really been given a fishing lesson. And then he laughed. When we finally managed to get our rods into the water, the fish weren’t biting because they weren’t there. Our predicament was made even stranger when two (obviously) experienced fisherman stood close by and began filling up their buckets with decent-size fish. At 10:45, I called Eliezer. “It’s Rafi.” “Not Rafi. You are Rephael,” he replied. “How are

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Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, lives in Ma’alot in Western Galil. He teaches in the local high school.

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Within moments, I could hear the flapping last gasps of a 7-inch fish. Our two rods were in need of repair, which took time as they were as tangled as a sheep that hasn’t been sheared for a year. By the time we finally cast off, I counted three fish in the bucket. This was going to be easy. I looked at my watch just as I was sprayed by a white wave. It was 10:15. At 11:30, we decided to call it quits. The boys weren’t particularly enamored by my newfound pastime. But our bucket was almost full. There were over twenty fish inside. On the way home, Eliezer couldn’t stop laughing.

Not in derision, but in sympathy. We had switched spots. I had taken his rod. I tried different lengths and depths. There was nothing I had left to chance. He slapped me on the thigh and said, “I had a friend who had no luck, so he went to the supermarket and bought fish home. His wife knew something was wrong when she asked him if the carp he’d caught wasn’t a freshwater fish.” After we’d dropped him off and were unpacking at home, Keren glanced at the four of us and smartly asked how many pieces Eliezer had caught. We told her. “Okay, how many pieces were caught altogether?” The three boys looked at me, giving me the chance to break the news. “Altogether we caught the exact number of fish that Eliezer caught.” “You didn’t catch anything” And she laughed, a deep throaty laugh that came coupled with a twinkle in her eye. She noticed the disappointment on my face. “Going back anytime soon, Rafi?” “Did you know that carp are freshwater fish?” I asked her. “Huh?” So it’s back to work. I’ll have to leave the sea for another time. Maybe I’ll have a little more luck when I venture out again. As I sit writing this I cannot stop thinking about our placement as 11th happiest country in the world. If Israelis were fish, and it was I who was on the rocks fishing for them, they’d be in 1st place.

T H E J E W I S H H O M E n S E P T E M B E R 4 , 2014

you faring down there?” “Are you sure you meant the Mediterranean Ocean?” I asked him. My attempt at humor sailed over his head like a breath of wind. “Yes. Yes,” he assured me seriously. “Hayam Hatichon. (Mediterranean). The fish are always there.” He paused before comforting me by saying that all beginners find it hard. “I can’t come down. I wish I could. As soon as my grandchildren leave, I’ll take you out,” he promised. We made plans for the last day of August, the day before my return to work. His kids had returned to Ashkelon. We pulled up outside his apartment on the dot of 8:30. I knocked on his door a few times before calling him to see where he was. He was taking a grandchild somewhere and promised he’d promptly return; said he was just around the corner. It was a mighty large corner because we waited until 9am. Upon arrival, he offered apologies. Soon we were driving off towards the rocky shallows of Rosh Hanikra. From afar, it’s a beautiful spot. Even from the parking lot the innocent allure of the sea beckons. One’s tryst with nature is quickly dampened upon closer inspection: litter in the form of papers, sunflower seeds, empty bottles and discarded food is scattered across the rocks like confetti at a wedding. If it were candy at shul there’d be children to pick it up. The only hint of authority is a worn sign that threatens fines of up to 750 shekels for leaving refuse in the area. The lure of the catch tantalized me. I was eager to catch something. Anything. Eliezer went down to the water’s edge and threw in a few pieces of pita bread. His line soon followed.

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