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Around the Community
JCNSL by “Tripping Kosher” ends regular season; Enters “Mailman Law, LLC Postseason”
On Sunday evening, September 4th, the JCNSL ended its regular season in dramatic fashion, with every game presenting a playoff implication of some sort. Multitudes of fans ventured out to the beautiful Reisterstown Regional Fields - by Web Interactive Technologies to take in the excitement. And though many were distracted by the unusually dapper and debonair players (thanks to their fashionable team jerseys sponsored by Sushi Sakura), the fans were not let down. When it was over, the standings were as follows:
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The top 4 teams now enter the Postseason (scheduled for Sunday, September 11th) where all teams will vie for a shot at the highly coveted, Mailman Law, LLC trophy.
Read on for some of the highlights from the past few weeks of the season:
Team
Park Heights Roofing Jewish Day Camp Donny Ankri Architects Shimz Cars KD Gold & Coin Exchange Clothier Fired Up Promotions Diamond Medical Laboratories
Coming off its first loss of the season the prior week, PHR was zoned in. PHR started with a bang, plating 5 runs
in the first, capped by a 2-run double by Eli Englander. They didn’t need much more than that as Scott Leder only gave up 5 runs the rest of the game.
Koby Leder was solid on defense and had a multi-hit performance, as did Binyamin Guttman. Game ball went to Rafi Strum who went 4 for 4, including a 2-run blast in the 4th.
Shia Swiatycki and Avi Safren had 3 hits each while Brain Ponczak played stellar defense and reached base two times, as did newcomer Yehuda Leib Katz. Shmuel Beck, the heart and soul of the team, made sure Park Heights Roofing never looked back and helped the team cruise to a 10-5 victory.
Week 4
Won Lost Tied 5 2 0 5 2 0 5 2 0 4 3 0 4 3 0 2 4 1 2 5 0 0 6 1
Week 3 Fired Up Promotions 14 KD Gold & Coin Exchange 11
In an epic battle, the game was tied at six with Fired Up Promotions batting in the top of the sixth. All it took was an error, scoring one run for Fired Up, to then open the floodgates. Fired Up would send 15 hitters to the plate scoring 9 runs to take a commanding 14-6 lead.
KD made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs, but Fired Up clamped down on defense and closed the game out, 14-11.
Fired Up Promotions racked up 22 hits on the day. Navid Raoofian, Kivi Gross, Jeremy Kramer, Yoni Strauss, Shimmy Messing, David Addi, and Benyomin Goldenberg all collected multiple hits for Fired Up. Gross and Raoofian each collected four hits to lead Fired Up Promotions.
Donny Ankri Architects 7 Shimz Cars 5
With major playoff implications on the line, Donny Ankri Architects battled Shimz Cars in a pivotal game. Shimz got on the board first with a run in the opening inning. DAA answered with a run of their own. The bats went cold for both teams with multiple 3 and outs for the next 2 innings, thanks to stellar pitching by Yacov Benzaquen and Howie Friedman. But Shimz then broke the stalemate, scoring 2 runs in the 4th to take a 3-1 lead.
With their season on the line, DAA had to find a way to score runs. Their bats awakened in the 5th as DAA scored 4 runs, aided by a 3-run double to RF by Menachem Rubenstein. Shimz had one last chance in the 7th, down only 2 runs. Shimz got 2 runners in scoring position to put pressure on the DAA defense, but thanks to a solid defensive play by Donny Ankri and a couple big outfield catches, DAA secured the win to move a step closer to a playoff berth.
With the final regular season game about to start, Donny Ankri Architects and KD Gold & Coin Exchange had their eye on the standings. Both teams needed a win to make the playoffs. KD jumped on top first with a huge 4 run 1st inning. But DAA didn’t get flustered as they answered with 4 runs of their own. Each team tacked on one run in the ensuing innings to keep the game tied. In the 3rd inning, DAA blew the game wide open scoring 6 runs thanks to a monster 3-run double by Howie Friedman. DAA never looked back, as they added 2 runs in the 4th and then another 4 runs in the 5th to end the game early by “mercy rule” as they cruised to a 17-5 victory, clinching a spot in the playoffs where they look to defend their championship victory from the prior season.
Park Heights Roofing 10 Fired Up Promotions 5
Being down 7 players and coming into a must-win performance is never easy. But Scott Leder got the Park Heights Roofing team fired up for this one. He led the team with his work from the mound and the rest of the team followed from the plate. Being down 5-2 after 4 innings, it took only a couple of singles to get PHR started. Those initial hits were then followed by a 2-run triple from Koby Leder, who had 4 hits on the evening and a few highlight reel catches in CF.
Binyanim Guttman had multiple hits and RBIs and played really well in the OF while Shia Swiatycki was superb on defense and had two hits.
Shmuel Beck reached base 3 times, showing patience at the plate and Shlomo Rosenstein had multiple hits as well, helping PHR finish the game with a 10-5 victory. The win sealed the first-place seed for PHR, elating team owner Avi Mandel who provided divrei bracha both before and after the game.
Veterans Sefer Torah dedicated in Baltimore in memory of World War II Veteran
Aspecial and unique Hachnosos Sefer Torah Parade and celebration took place in Baltimore, Maryland. The Jewish Uniformed Service Association of Maryland-Chabad (JUSA), under the directorship of Rabbi Chesky and Chani Tenenbaum welcomed the Veterans Torah with a festive parade headed from Blue Stone Park to the headquarters of JUSA. The Torah was dedicated in memory of World War II Veteran Ernie and his wife Beatrice Fass to the JUSA Center by their daughter Regina and her husband Habib Srour and coordinated through the Torah Gemach and Rabbi Bentzion Chanowitz.
Ernie Fass enlisted in the Navy at 18 years old and was deployed on The Destroyer Escort fighting against Japan in WWII. Due to his bravery, he was decorated with a Bronze Star for the Empire Raids and Bombardment of July-August 1945. Together with his wife Beatrice he built a warm and welcoming home, raising 6 children, and hosting guests. In the 1960s he became a patrolman for the NYPD Social Service Dept, working his way up to Lieutenant. Their daughter Regina sought an opportunity to commemorate their special parents. Upon hearing about JUSA and the support that they provide Veterans and men and women in uniform on a regular basis, they were excited to designate the organization as the recipients of this special Torah.
To welcome the Veteran Sefer Torah, many Veterans, whose military careers expand over many decades, joined in the festivities, holding close their new Torah while parading underneath a Chupa through Baltimore County streets. Over 250 people attended as the Torah was celebrated with live music and dancing. The parade was led by the Baltimore County Police Department and two vintage Maryland State Police cars. Once reaching the JUSA Center, a special Salute was awarded to all of the Veterans in attendance, in partnership with
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Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum and his son Yitzy with Baltimore County Police Commander of Pikesville Precinct, Captain Andrea Bylen
Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum dances with the Veteran Torah
Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum salutes the Veterans during the Hachnosos Sefer Torah
the Jewish War Veterans of Maryland. Leading the salute to Veterans were Maryland Secretary of Veterans Affairs, George Owens and Commander of the Jewish War Veterans of Maryland, Erwin Burtnik.
Special Citations were received from the Maryland Secretary of State presented by Deputy Secretary of State Luis Borunda, the Governor’s Citation presented by Maryland Secretary of Veterans Affairs, George Owens and the Baltimore Mayor’s Citation presented by Jewish Liaison Rebecca Mark. For more information about JUSA’s Veteran programs please visit, www.jewishusamd.org.
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Around the Community Rosh Chodesh Elul for Women at Ner Tamid
Over 120 women gathered at Ner Tamid Congregation to celebrate Rosh Chodesh Elul (1 Elul). Sponsored by the Ner Tamid Sisterhood and Robin Karlin, the program included singing Hallel together, led by Mrs. Lisa Aronson Friedman on guitar, breakfast, and a performance by Lisa’s choir, Kol Zimrah Baltimore Women’s Choir. The Ner Tamid Women’s Hallel program was started by Rabbetzin Hindy Motzen before the pandemic, but now the program has returned. It provides an uplifting experience, giving women a musical way to celebrate Rosh Chodesh.
Kol Zimrah was founded in 2019 and gives adult women the opportunity to sing Jewish music together. Much of the choir’s music is Lisa’s original music, set to psalms and other prayers. The choir sang songs with lyrics from Psalm 104 and 117, a Dveykus medley, Katonti by Yonatan Razel, and Brit Olam (original by Lisa and recorded by Ayelet HaShachar, www. ayeletmusic.org). For more information about Kol Zimrah, contact Lisa at kzbchoir@gmail.com. The program ended with a beautiful performance by the world-renown singer, Elena Tal.
A Success Story - From Christianity on Campus to Yeshiva in Yerushalayim
RAJE Maryland Director, Rabbi Gavriel Horan, met Joe Bernstein in UMBC back in 2017. Joe attended an introductory Torah class on campus at the behest of a friend. Rabbi Horan recalls that he was impressed by Joe’s intelligence, good manners, and curly “Jew-fro.” At a subsequent meeting with Rabbi “G,” Joe explained that although he had attended Baltimore’s Kreiger Shechter Jewish Day School most of his life, he had little interest in continuing his Jewish education or engagement on campus. The meeting ended amicably with Joe agreeing to consider coming back to the weekly classes on campus. He never did…
For the next several years, Joe avoided Rabbi Horan’s every attempt to make conversation either with a polite excuse, or by walking the other way. After a Birthright trip to Israel, Joe mentioned in passing that he didn’t find it particularly inspiring and had no interest in going back. Although Rabbi Horan attempted to reach out to Joe every few months, it was never successful. That’s why he was surprised when Joe suddenly texted him out of nowhere in the Fall of 2018 asking for a meeting. “That was one of the first times in my 10 year kiruv career that a student I hardly knew actually requested to meet with me,” he recalled. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
At the meeting, Joe dropped a bombshell: “Rabbi, I’ve found God,” he said.
“This wasn’t the first time a student told me that he found God,” Rabbi Horan recalled. “There were only two explanations – either a hallucinogenic drug experience or Christianity. It was the latter.” Joe confessed to having become affiliated with a Christian club on campus and found it very inspirational. “After all my years in Jewish schools, I never learned that God loves me,” he said. “For the first time in my life I became exposed to spirituality and it filled a void within that I didn’t even know was there.” Despite his attraction to Christianity he had some reservations about the whole Messiah thing and his mother suggested he meet with the Rabbi on campus.
“Before you can decide what you think about Christian spirituality, you first have to learn a little bit about Jewish spirituality,” Rabbi Horan said. Joe agreed to meet with Rabbi Horan a few times a week and they began learning about the basics of Jewish philosophy and mysticism, eventually discussion the core problems with Christianity. After a few sessions Joe had been convinced that he had a lot to learn. “Not only was Judaism a lot more intellectually compelling than Christianity,” he recalled, “but everything I liked about Christianity – and more - was actually originally found in Judaism.”
After a few weeks of learning Joe decided he was done with Christianity and signed up for Rabbi Horan’s trip to Poland with an extension to Israel to learn in Aish for a few weeks. He loved the experience in yeshiva and upon returning to the U.S. began to slowly start taking on mitzvah observance. During COVID, Joe used to walk to Rabbi Horan’s house every single Shabbos afternoon and learn, ask questions, or just schmooze for hours at a time. After graduation Joe landed a great job as a programmer at a big company. After a year on the job, however, he decided that although he was making a very good salary, it was time to quit to go to yeshiva in Machon Shlomo in Israel.
During that time Joe began participating in Etz Chaim’s online J-Care Fellowship where he met a nice girl named Arielle Messafi, also originally from Baltimore. Although his plan was to attend yeshiva in Israel in Elul, he asked Rabbi Horan if he thought it was a good idea to consider dating Arielle. Rabbi Horan replied that it didn’t make much sense since she wasn’t headed to seminary and it would only distract him in yeshiva. “What if she’s the right one?” Joe asked. “If she’s the right one, she will wait for you,” Rabbi Horan replied.
Joe grew immensely in yeshiva and signed up for a second year. Half way through the second year, he found out that Arielle had decided to go to seminary in Israel. They ended up dating and soon got engaged. Joe celebrating his ufruf in Rabbi Eichenstein’s shul and the two were married over the summer in Ateres Elka. They decided to spend shana rishona in Israel and were accepted into a special couple’s scholarship program. This year, Joe will be learning in Shappels and Arielle will be learning in Midreshet Rachel.
Help support Rabbi Horan and RAJE in touching many more Jews just like Joe in the upcoming year. Stay tuned for details about the upcoming Be CouRAJEous campaign, 9/29/22!
By: BJLife Newsroom
BaltimoreJewishLife.com/Jeff Cohn
The 28th annual Tour de Court was played on Sunday, Sept. 4. Tour de Court (TDC) is an annual Pikesville basketball tournament where players are required to ride bicycles to the various outdoor backyard courts.
The champions names are transcribed on the cherished Golden Helmet. Most importantly, TDC has become a major fundraiser in memory of Rachel Minkove, a’h. For many years, the group has raised awareness and funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). It also now supports other local organizations such as The Jewish Caring Network and The Ulman Foundation. You can support the cause by visiting Tourdecourt.org.
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BJH: The Hachnosas Sefer Torah coincides with the 36th anniversary of your arrival in Baltimore. What brought you to Baltimore from Denver?
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Goldberger: Our Rebbe was HaRav Shloime Twerski, ztz’l, of Denver, Colorado. He was the central figure in our lives. He was niftar on Simchas Torah of 5742, 1981. Rabbi Goldberger received smicha in 1984 from HaRav Pinchas Hirczprung, ztz’l. In the spring of 1986, Rabbi Michel Twerski, shlita, of Milwaukee, had notified us of a group he was involved with in Baltimore, who were looking to begin a shul. Rabbi Michel Twerski thought we might be the right Rabbi and Rebbetzin for them. We came to Baltimore in June of 1986 for an interview/ Shabbaton. BH, it went well for us. In Elul of 1986, we came here and started our shul, Tiferes Yisroel, with twelve dedicated families.
BJH: What was your context like in Denver, what did you find to be different in Baltimore, and how have you bridged the two?
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Goldberger: Our context in Denver, prior to our Rebbe’s petira, was full participation in his home and shul, which was absolutely unique. We were nurtured in an environment of love, acceptance, and compassion, and a compelling charge to challenge any preconceived notion we had as Jews. Striving for Torah-based truth was a proactive endeavor, and one that demanded energy and focus. We were stunned and stilled at losing all of that in 1981. We endeavored to incorporate these ideals and goals in building our kehilla here in Baltimore. We found Baltimore receptive and our shul flourished, BH.
BJH: Looking back on 36 years of shul leadership, what have been some of the biggest surprises? Challenges? Gifts?
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Goldberger: The biggest surprise is that 36 years have passed since our arrival! Being given the opportunity to begin from scratch, there were many challenges. Nothing was in place. No infrastructure. At the same time, it allowed us to be creative and to be ourselves in developing a derech of growth and joyful commitment to Hashem and Torah through community, and to provide a place where one would feel comfortable in earnestly pursuing the personal relevance of Torah life.
BJH: Aside from leading Tiferes Yisroel, you both teach, and are and have been involved with numerous community organizations, including WITS, WIT, Shoresh, Bais Yaakov, T.A., CHANA, the Associated, and the Chevra Kadisha. What have been some of the biggest rewards you’ve seen from your engagement with the community?
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Goldberger: It is extremely meaningful to feel like you have made a difference in somebody’s life. Drawing on the wisdom of Torah allows one, b’ezras Hashem, to apply its timeless lessons throughout the vast expanse of human life-cycle experiences. This is the unifying theme for us in all these venues.
BJH: Do you have a favorite posuk in the Torah? What and why?
Rabbi Goldberger: “Alo Na’aleh v’yarashnu osah, ki yachol nuchal la” “We shall surely rise up and take it as our heritage for we are able and capable of doing this” (Parshas Shalach, Bamidbar 13;30: Calev’s response to the other ten spies.)
My bar mitzvah parsha, Sh’lach. I appreciate this posuk because it describes the positive attitude of a Jew as he strives to conquer the challenges of the horizon ahead, b’ezras Hashem.
Rebbetzin Goldberger: “Bil’adi” “It is not due to me” (Parshas Mikeitz, Bereishis 41, 16).
I experience this as the ultimate response of humility, when Yosef HaTzadik’s immediate response to being asked to interpret the emperor’s dreams was to deny any personal ability, and define all salvation as the work of Hashem alone.
BJH: What does it mean to you for the shul you established to be welcoming this Sefer Torah?
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Goldberger: Our lives have been built through Torah, b’ezras Hashem, and our commitment and pursuit to hold onto it as best as we can at every turn. There is no accomplishment we have achieved and seen flourish, if there are any, without its being rooted in Torah, to the best of our ability. There’s no way to celebrate any success or any endurance without Torah. It is the true source of our celebration.
BJH: Any final words?
Rabbi Goldberger: My father, Rabbi Daniel Goldberger, z”l, who was a rabbi in Denver, would often say, “Chazak v’ematz, be strong and of good courage”. Please join us at our Hachnosas Sefer Torah celebration, September 18, beginning at 1:30 at our home, so we can come together and strengthen each other.
