Volume 5 Issue 06

Sheepshead Bay • Brighton Beach • Marine Park • Manhattan Beach • Coney Island • Flatlands • Gerritsen Beach • Mill Basin • Bergen Beach

Highlighting the Best Neighborhoods in Brooklyn

Vol. 5, No. 6, December 12 - 26, 2008

PEOPLE SURVEY WINNER! Page 8

Hungry in Brooklyn ‘More people than ever’ at Bay area food pantries

Pages 3, 7

-Busting a Giant myth -Project not held in high ‘Esteem’ -Spark on a Park Bench -Can you use an extra $1,400?

-The Bay Currents Crossword -Ha’Ohr -- Happy Hanukkah!

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David J. Glenn

Member of the New York Press Association David J. Glenn Publisher Suzanne H. Glenn Editor Rachel Berger Art Director Patrick Hickey Jr. Sports Editor

Writers I. Friedin Gisele Strauch Kerry Donelli Jacqueline Donelli Amadeo Constanzo

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Page 2

Publisher’s Notebook Award recipient, beware!

I offer this installment of Publisher’s Notebook as a public service to the many business-owners in the Bay area.

We at Bay Currents recently received an exciting e-mail: I am pleased to announce that Bay Currents has been selected for the 2008 Best of Brooklyn Award ... by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

In recognition of your achievement, a 2008 Best of Brooklyn Award plaque has been designed for display at your place of business. You may arrange to have your award sent directly to Bay Currents by following the simple steps on the 2008 Best of Brooklyn Award order form.

The USLBA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country.

Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Sincerely, Ashley Carter Selection Committee Chair U.S. Local Business Association Sounds like quite an honor, doesn’t it?

Well, I purposely left out here the “category” that Bay Currents won in – the “Blacklisted category”! You’d have to be color-blind to miss that red flag. I guess in their zeal to churn out as many of these congratulatory e-mails as possible in as many made-up categories as they could, they slipped up in the e-mail they sent to us.

My concern is that other businesses in our area have received this kind of e-mail from the “U.S. Local Business Association” without the slip-up, and may get sucked into paying $79.94 for an 8” x 10” plaque, or $99.94 for a 10.5” x 13” plaque, plus shipping (they don’t even tell you the pricing until you fill out billing and shipping information – I filled in the address of the Manhattan office of the New York State Attorney General, which can investigate companies doing business in the state).

December 12 - 26, 2008

It would be easy to get lured into this.

The plaque as depicted in the e-mail is impressive, and who doesn’t like getting an award?

The award, of course, is meaningless.

This “U.S. Local Business Association” doesn’t even list so much as a phone number in the e-mail it sends out or on its web site, nor any address except that it’s in Washington.

A few minutes of research on the Internet showed that its actual address is 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 742 – a half-mile from the White House (maybe they’ll offer Barack Obama a plaque?). Writers on several blogs describe the offer as a “vanity award” scam; one suggested that if you really want such a plaque, you can go to your local trophy store, get one made with any congratulatory statement you want, and pay a lot less.

Of course, if you conduct an honest business and really care about your customers and the community, you don’t need any plaques or certificates to tell you.

Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net

Falling economy raises need at ‘Chesed’ store

By David J. Glenn Bay Currents Publisher By all medical accounts, Raphael should have been dead three years ago.

But the 46-year-old trucking-company owner, who suffers from an extremely rare,

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and deadly, form of skin cancer, is not only alive, but is doing with his life what would be surprising for anyone half his age and 100 percent healthier.

He is founder and manager of the kosher B’nai Raphael Chesed food pantry at 2917 Avenue K off Nostrand Avenue, a lifeline

for an increasing number of people in Flatbush and the rest of the Bay area. “I’m convinced this is what is keeping me alive,” said Raphael, who wanted neither his last name nor his picture used, lest anyone think he was being self-aggrandizing.

Why, then, does the pantry carry his

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name? Actually, it doesn’t – it is named for Rabbi Raphael Guy, who in 1989 came to Brooklyn to help many return to Orthodox Judaism through outreach and “chesed” (acts of kindness).

Of course, Raphael’s reluctance to accept praise hasn’t kept it away from him. “Raffie has made a big difference for me,” said a 35-year-old single mother filling her cart with her weekly supply of canned vegetables, potatoes, apples, and other staples for herself and her three children. “Without this store, things would be a lot harder than they already are, especially now.”

“It’s really a big help,” another mother – of nine – said as her 10-year-old daughter helped her load up on cereal, peanut butter, macaroons, and a little bit of chocolate.

She is somewhat better off than most of the individuals and families who line up outside the store every day except, of course, Saturday – her husband has a stable job with the city. But she doesn’t work, and they must pay tuition for all nine kids to go to yeshiva.

Couldn’t they simply go to public school?

“That’s just not an option,” she said.

She likely would not qualify for food stamps or other such assistance because of her husband’s salary, but Raphael doesn’t screen people that way. “They just fill out a short questionnaire for the records, but that’s it,” he said. “Who am I to judge? If someone who doesn’t need it, comes in and takes food, that’s his sin. But if I deny someone who, it turns out, really needed it, then it’s my sin.”

“No one is ever turned away,” confirmed Barbara Reinfeld, a newly hired speech teacher at Lincoln High School who volunteers regularly at the Chesed. She often prepares emergency food baskets of vegetables, bread, high-protein items like sardines or canned tuna, and other necessities for people who, right here in Brooklyn, in the 21st Century, are on the cusp of starving.

As a promotion for a Thanksgiving hunger drive happened to be broadcast on a radio in the back tuned to an FM music station, Raphael told Bay Currents that he collects the food – including perishables stored in an array of large refrigerators – from some 60 organizations, including City Harvest and local supermarkets. He will only distribute kosher food to those who come to the door; he redistributes the non-kosher food to churches and to food pantries catering to non-Jews.

He purposely calls the Chesed a food store, rather than “soup kitchen” or “food pantry,” even placing a sign at the exit, “CHECKOUT.” About 80 percent of the funding for the Chesed’s operating costs – including a staff of eight paid workers -- comes from his own pocket, he said Why does he do it? “I’ve been involved in chesed activities ever since I was 17,” he said. “It’s part of my religion.”

Barbara Reinfeld, a teacher at Lincoln High School, regularly volunteers at the Chesed food store.

December 12 - 26, 2008

call Raphael at 917-861-7282 or just drop by.

Page 3

Coney residents still simmering over Project Esteem

By Patrick Hickey Jr. Bay Currents writer Eloise Alexander had been trying to buy the vacant lot at 3114 Mermaid Ave, which sits right next to her home at 3116 Mermaid Ave., for more than seven years.

But every time she called the developers, Astella Development Corp., she was told that they had no idea who owned the land.

Alexander wasn’t happy that the land was sold a few months ago to DR. Oleg Gutnik, but her frustration subdued when she was led to believe the vacant lot would be turned into a medical facility.

The lot is now due to be the site of Project Esteem -- a medical facility, yes, but one that will offer counseling and assistance to those with dependency on drugs or alcohol. .

“I was shocked,” Alexander told Bay Currents. “When they were building, I helped them. They used my roof to help clean up the site. I helped them out because I thought it was going to be a medical office. No one could imagine how angry I am right now about this.”

“We really tried to work with her,” Judy Orlando, Astella Development’s executive director, told Bay Currents. “We wrote to the city and did everything we could. When we eventually found out who the owner was, we couldn’t get in contact with them. That lot has got to be one of the most convoluted pieces of property I’ve ever seen. ” The Automated City Register Information System indicates the property has been owned by no fewer than four separate entities since 2003.

Many in the community are angry – especially since Project Esteem, unlike similar facilities already in abundance in Coney Island, will be a for-profit operation, as shown in Gutnik’s proposal to the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

“This is not good at all,” said Elisa Streeter, a mother of three. “This is right in front of a community center and there are schools to the right and left, and there are parks all around. It’s not good at all.”

Additionally, African-American, Hispanic and Asian residents who dominate in Coney Island say it would be only logical to instead locate the facility in Brighton Beach, since Project Esteem is planned to cater primarily to the Russian and Eastern European immigrant community.

“From where I sit, I don’t know what the benefits of this will be on the community,” said Aida Leone, who runs the non-profit Amethyst Women’s Project, a center that while catering to women primarily, works with men and the entire community in the on-going battle with HIV and chemical dependency and is just a few blocks away from the proposed site of Project Esteem.

“We service the entire community free of charge. Their targeted population isn’t really visible here. As a matter of fact, most of the Europeans here are elderly and aren’t in need of the services they offer.”

“I’m looking for justice,” said Alexander. “I’m a Christian and I love everyone. But it tells you something that they want to build this here, when it belongs somewhere else.

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Financial Currents Could you use an extra $600 to $1,400?

By Joseph S. Reisman Tax accountant If you are writing a check for college expenses, there’s a tax break that will allow you to deduct up to $5,000 on an individual, or $10,000 on a joint, New York State tax return for college tuition, room and board, books, and more! It’s the ‘Section 529’ College Savings Plan.

If you are currently using the plan, congratulations! Most of your friends are not. It’s easy to use: Open the plan at www.NYSaves.com.

Deposit the funds.

Withdraw the funds for college expenses as soon as the funds clear!

The state gives you a deduction for using the college savings plan. That’s it.

No problem.

Bonus: The earnings on the plan are tax-free, so whatever interest is earned while you money is in the plan, you pay no federal or state income tax when withdrawn for college.

Grandparents can help send their grandchildren to the schools of their dreams.

The investment in a 529 plan is tax-free, so your money goes further.

You’re not hurting their eligibility for financial aid.

Your exposure to estate taxes can be reduced by a significant amount.

You can re-direct the funds to a different grandchild, or other family member, if the named grandchild doesn’t need it for college.

You can take the money back for yourself at any time and for any purpose (subject to tax and 10 percent penalty on the earnings portion).

Unlike a trust, you won’t be generating a lot of legal or accounting bills.

A 529 plan is not only for the teenager.

You can use it yourself, or for your spouse.

Take a few minutes. Write down your questions, and call me!

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I KNOW HOW TO WIN FOR YOU! Call me personally any time for immediate help with:

As a new administration arrives in Washington, be sure not to miss the next issue of Bay Currents, when we offer a special report on anticipation of how Barack Obama’s presidency will affect us here in the Bay area

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! To continue to be the independent and effective community newspaper we are, we need to hear from you. We want to know your concerns, opinions, suggestions, praises, and criticism.

Write to us at: letters@baycurrents.net or LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Bay Currents 2966 Avenue U, Suite 108 Brooklyn, NY 11229

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Page 5

Senior Currents What stands out at your local senior center We have received so many responses to our coverage of neighborhood senior centers, that we offer here the particular characteristics of each center.

Jay/ Harama Senior Center, 2600 Ocean Ave. 718- 891- 6307 Risa Erps, director Evelyn Eisenberg, program coordinator What stands out The center features trips, parties for a variety of occasions, game room, computer instruction, topical discussion groups, health screenings, flea market, breakfast program, lunch program, takehome meals, and other programs and events. Above all, is the courtesy shown by the staff and volunteers to make anyone feel welcome. And the blending of cultures is impressive – the center attracts Jewish, Italian, Russian, Asian, and other seniors.

A special Holocaust Club meets every last Thursday of the month.

Senior League of Flatbush, Midwood Branch 1625 Ocean Ave. 718- 253-0508 Lenore Freidman, executive director Robin Di Lullo, site director What stands out This center is known as the “Ball Room Dancing Capital of Senior Centers”! The center also proudly offers a “Bagel & Cream Cheese Meet.”

The National Council of Jewish Women Senior Center 1001 Quentin Road 718- 376 8169 Rosie Marie Degerro, program director What stands out This is the only area Senior Center to have its own building; it is not a rented facility. The center -- which as far as we know is the largest in Brooklyn -- is housed on five floors, with a different activity on each floor, including drama and choral programs, card games, and much more.

Senior League of Flatbush 550 Ocean Parkway 718- 438- 7771 Lenore Freidman, executive director This center is known for its English as a Second Language program, PRIDE services for the earing-impaired, programs and events in Russian culture, and cooperation with the Meals-on-Wheels program.

Here are some suggestions to keep warm and healthy this coldweather season: 1. Dress in layers, and stay dry.

2. Make sure your head, hands, feet, ears, and neck are covered.

3. Drink hot liquids (keep on hand plenty of chicken soup!)

4. Regularly visit the doctor for exams, and get the flu shots and other vaccines available at your doctor’s office, many elected officials’ offices, and at senior centers.

5. Do not go out if you feel run down.

6. Eat and sleep enough.

7. Keep medication up to date.

8. Go to Senior Centers to keep warm.

9. Make sure your heating systems are serviced the right way, and used safely, and properly. (Never keep your oven or stove on to provide heat – this can cause fires and carbon monoxide leaks) 10 Check on your neighbors and friends, help one another shop.

11. Do not go out if you are sick, or in

inclement weather if you can avoid it.

12. Don’t be hesitant to seek help from friends, neighbors, and family if you need it.

13. Avoid isolating yourself, by going to senior centers, libraries, museums, or any favorite spot.

Almost 40% of Seniors Will Fall This Year.

Will Your Loved One be Protected?

Shorefront Y Senior Center 3300 Coney Island Ave. What stands out The Y center caters to the unique needs of the large Russian community in the Brighton Beach area.

Young Israel of Bedford Bay 2114 Brown Street (off Avenue U) Myrna Newman, director What stands out The senior center at this synagogue and Jewish center is known for its smaller size and quiet setting while offering standard services.

JASA Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay Senior Citizens Center 60 West End Avenue 718- 646- 1118 This center has the familiar services of a senior center, while its location in Manhattan Beach makes it a pleasant experience. And since it is a few blocks away from Kingsborough Community College, seniors at this center can conveniently take advantage of KCC’s My Turn free college courses.

Page 6

Stay Warm

Medical alert

Kings Bay Y Senior Center 3495 Nostrand Avenue 718- 648- 7703 What stands out In addition to a standard senior center, the Y offers a separate Day Respite Program for clients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Young Israel Midwood Senior Services 1694 Ocean Ave. 718- 253- 7800 Sarah Klein, director Etta Feigenbaum, program coordinator What stands out Impressive are the center’s transportation, lunches catered by Chap a Nosh Plus, a comprehensive English as a Second Language program, painting, exercise, Oneg Shabbat, health screenings, trips, parties, social services help, and the dedication of kind-hearted staff and volunteers.

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Reaching Out’ more

A food pantry on New Utrecht Avenue run by Reaching Out Community Services has many more moths to feed of late.

The pantry used to serve mainly seniors on limited incomes, Reaching Out director Tom Neve told a recent meeting of Community Board 10, but “now, there are a lot of people in their 40s and 50s who lost their jobs and are kind of embarrassed.

There are more people now than ever.”

It’s certainly not the only food pantry to have more people at the door – see our cover story, Page 3.

Ed Dep’t gets an ‘F’

The city Department of Education may not want to bring home the report card given by Councilman Lewis Fidler.

The Democrat has given the DOE an “F.” “We’re calling them into the principal’s office” for a Dec. 16 hearing before the city council, Fidler said.

Fidler and many parents in school District 22, which encompasses Marine Park, Manhattan Beach, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Gerritsen Beach, and portions of Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, and Flatbush, are upset that about half as many children

have started in gifted programs this school year as last year. Fidler called the decrease unacceptable.

A DOE spokesman said in a statement that the number of gifted classes offered in any particular year “depends on available space. We can’t force gifted programs into schools that don’t have the space to accommodate them.”

60th Community Council 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 Precinct stationhouse, 2951 West 8th Street, 718-946-3328

Marine Park Civic Association 8 p.m. Dec. 16 P.S. 207 4011 Fillmore Avenue 718-336-7343

Madison-Marine Civic Association 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 Kings Highway Reform Church Quentin Road and east 27th Street, 718-934-8214

Meetings

BAY CURRENTS ADVERTORIAL

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We live in an age when every day brings new advances in technology. A hundred years ago, most of today’s commonly used medications, treatments, diagnostic tests and even operations were unknown.

Electronics, television, computers, the Internet, microwaves, atomic energy, space travel and so many more of the things we now take for granted had yet to be invented. We are witness to the most amazing explosion of technology ever experienced, and can only guess at what the future may hold.

Would that the world’s political and religious leaders -- whose true responsibility to the billions of people they collectively lead is to act with wisdom and justice – allow the world to be in peace. Humanity faces so many natural disasters, disease and pestilence, we shouldn’t also have to face the most ominous enemy of all -- other humans, convinced in their that they know better than anyone else how the world should be run and what every other person should hold true. Intolerance to diversity of thought is the primary obstacle to scientific advance, as well as the greatest enemy of humankind.

Science progresses to the stars, but too many of us psychologically are still living in caves, fearing what terrible havoc some strange tribe may bring. The result is that in all the millennia years of recorded history, there have been only 125 years of peace when no nation lifted sword against another.

This is indeed a sorry record. But it is not the way things have to be. As technology advances, the problems that have afflicted the peoples of the world for so long can be solved, one by one. When there is enough food, clothing, shelter, good health and hope for the future, there is no longer need for fear, terror, and war. The explosion of technology, coupled with the emergence of democracies around the globe, has given new life to the expectation that the goal of peace can actually be achieved in our lifetime.

Life expectancy has lengthened as a result of improvements in health care. A baby born in 1900 in the United States had a life expectancy of only 47. Today, that life expectancy has risen to 80.

The human genome project, a magnificent body of research, is starting to yield answers to previously insoluble problems in medicine, including the unraveling of the mystery of cancer and other malignant diseases. Microwave thermotherapy, has been successfully used for years for the non-surgical, in-office treatment of benign prostate enlargement.

There is continual development of new methods, techniques and materials for treating disease.

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CLARIFICATION

BAY CURRENTS PHOTO / Arthur Melnick

David Rapaport of Sheepshead Bay holds a copy of his favorite paper and the enormous (at least in feet) check he won for sending in the Bay Currents People Survey, presented to him by Publisher David Glenn. You, too, can win cash or prizes -- just fill out and send in the People Survey below!

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In last issue’s story on the HONK after-school boxing program to help keep teens out of trouble, it should have been emphasized that while HONK charges $120 a month to kids who can afford it, no one is turned away for inability to pay.

Additionally, the teen boxer pictured in the story was misidentified. He was actually Samuel Dee, 15, who was trying out the equipment as a guest of his brother Aaron, a regular HONK participant.

PEOPLE SURVEY

Bay Currents People Survey 1) About how many times a month do you read Bay Currents?

2) Where do you usually pick it up?

Send the completed survey to; Bay Currents People Survey 2966 Avenue U, Suite 108 Brooklyn, NY 11229

3) Did you ever find a time when it was not there?

4) What do you enjoy the most about Bay Currents?

5) Is there anything about the paper you would like to change? How?

or e-mail it to: countme@baycurrents.net

6) Have you ever submitted articles to a newspaper or a journal?

7) Would you be interested in getting coupons for businesses in your neighborhood?

Would you prefer them in print, online, or both?

8) If we created a daily e-mail that included events and news items in your area, as well as sections of the paper that might interest you, would you regularly look at that e-mail?

9) Which topics could we write about that could help you make important decisions in your life?

Page 8

December 12 - 26, 2008

Any questions?

Call 347-492-4432

Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net

What are your priorities?

By I. Freidin Bay Currents columnist Within fairly recent memory, New York was the most progressive city in the world, with the needs of its people considered top priority. If not always very efficiently executed, and often with underlying corruption, at least the motive was to serve the public.

In Mayor Bloomberg’s New York however, the clock has been turned back to erase much of the social progress of the 20th century, echoing policies of George W. Bush and his cronies in Washington.

At least in D.C., we have hope with the election of Barack Obama. Here, our mayor has subverted the will of the people to allow him to purchase another four years in office; four more years to inflict further damage to our neighborhoods, to our middle class and to those most in need; feeding the rich at the expense of the public; Robin Hood in reverse!

Rather than listen to the platitudes meted out by Bloomberg and his allies in the major media, observe the facts for yourself. While the economic turndown has hit everyone hard, cuts to vital services in our city have been extremely harsh. With crime up during hard times, major cuts will compromise the effectiveness of our police protection.

Fire protection also feels the knife.

Bloomberg’s “education on a budget” program suffers even further, as we see so many who can afford it deserting the public school system to obtain a complete education for their children elsewhere.

Cuts to senior programs are simply cruel. And our infrastructure continues to crumble, especially in lower-income neighborhoods.

During such hard times, you would think there would be some compassion for those being hit the hardest; those losing jobs, losing all or part of their pensions and retirement funds. But while every

other agency is taking a tremendous hit, enforcement agents are being hired to prey on those who can least afford. Since the budget crises of the 1970s, when fines were placed into the general fund, enforcement has become more severe and fines have risen well above those befitting minor infractions, creating hardship for a large portion of our citizenry. Each mayor has used this more and more to cover their budgets, but Bloomberg has taken it to a new level, with the number of parking tickets issued, according to a report, rising 42% since he took office. Toll and fare hikes are another favorite way of adding to the city’s coffers -- regressive taxes, hitting those who can least afford it.

With such an austerity program, you’d think that the mayor’s projects, many of them invasive to our neighborhoods and small business as is, would be curtailed.

Think again, as we, the taxpayers, are subsidizing stadiums and other entertainment venues to which we will not be able to afford entry. To compound the outrage, the city is trading off income from the stadiums for luxury boxes.

Additionally, a recent report has $200 million of our money set aside to purchase Thor Equity’s real estate in Coney Island while more money has been earmarked for part of the mayor’s project there. How many more millions are projected for projects and land grabs while the public is denied vital services?

In a modern society citizens are assessed taxes based on income and ability to pay. Education for children, protection from fire and crime, preservation and updating of infrastructure, services for seniors and other vital services and amenities essential for the public are thus afforded. In a civilized society, the needs of the general public (the many) should take precedence over those of the financial elite (the few). What kind of society is being created here in New York?

Bloomberg vs. the public loomberg’s Priorities B Overdevelopment that destroys or infringes on residents and small businesses New stadiums and other entertainment venues at taxpayer expense with the cost of admission too high for the average taxpayer Raising money through exorbitant fines for minor infractions Hiring of more agents to write summonses for the above fines Raising fares and tolls Neglect of infrastructure Everything for the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class Cuts in vital services: police, fire, education, sanitation, etc.

Cuts in education Cuts in senior services Raising additional revenue by regressive taxation of the middle class and poor

Public’s Priorities Education Police Fire General Safety Infrastructure updates and improvements Fair system of taxation Fair prices for taxpayer subsidized facilities Improved quality of life Justice

What are your priorities?

Write and let us know

E-mail: ifreidin@baycurrents.net Postal mail: I. Freidin, Bay Currents 2966 Avenue U Suite 108 Brooklyn, NY 11229

The views of our columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or managers of Bay Currents

To advertise call 347.492.4432

The city’s Black Friday gift You arrive home late after a day of celebration with family and friends, tired and stuffed from the feast of the day. Finding a place to park the car is near impossible.

Finally, a space! The next day you’re off, so not to worry; you can go into your home feeling relaxed and peaceful, take off your clothes and drift into a restful slumber.

The next day, you go to your car to find that orange envelope on your windshield. Yes, Black Friday, so called because it’s the day that retailers hope to turn their ledgers to black, when the profits start coming in from holiday shoppers. For many car owners however,

that is the day the city cleans up at your expense. Rather than be compassionate and cancel alternate side parking the day after Thanksgiving when many are off from work, it is the day the greatest number of parking summons are issued -- another New York tradition.

Many people will simply shrug and figure that they broke the law, got caught and they’ll pay up. Think about the real motive of handing out these summonses and the severity of the punishment for these relatively minor infractions.

Isn’t it time for New Yorkers to speak up?

What do you think?

Affordable health care?

The other day, I found in my mail box a letter from HIP, my health care provider, for which I self-pay. I was shocked to find an increase of 25 percent over the already incredibly high monthly premium. Isn’t it a coincidence that just as a new, more people-friendly administration takes office in Washington promising to curb health costs, the providers find the need to come up with an exorbitant increase? One last grab before the gravy train runs out!

Write to let us know your health care problems and concerns and how you are treated by your provider.

OCD

People with do it over and over !

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Typical OCD obsessions revolve around:

Typical compulsions revolve around: •Washing and cleaning

•Repeated doubts •Having things orderly and symmetrical •Aggressive or horrific impulses •Sexual images

•Checking •Demanding reassurances •Arranging and making items appear orderly

Are you wondering what new research is being done for the treatment of OCD? You may be interested to know that Brooklyn Medical Institute is conducting a research study of an investigational medication for the treatment of OCD. If you are between18-60 years old currently diagnosed with OCD, you may ? qualify for this study.

Qualified Participants will receive at no cost: Study Medication Study Related: Physical Examinations Psychiatric evaluation Laboratory tests Compensation will be paid for time and travel

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December 12 - 26, 2008

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Tech Currents New G1 phone worth a good look

By Harri Kwok Special to Bay Currents Just released, T-Mobile’s G1 smart-phone is something to get your hands on. At its core is Android, Google’s new open-source operating system, which is currently being used on major mobile devices, notably those released by HTC. One of the selling points of the OS is the special attention paid to personalization. This latest addition to T-Mobile’s line of smart-phones sports a concealed keyboard, a 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat-touch-sensitive screen, built-in GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus, a lithium-ion battery, and a microSD slot for expanded memory.

On the bottom portion of the G1 there are five buttons as well as a track ball for ease of navigation.

There are your standard Call End Call buttons, a Home button which will bring you back to the main screen, the Back button to return to the previous page, a Menu button to display the options for the application that you are currently running, and the track ball which can be “clicked” for one-handed navigation. There is also a contact importer for a SIM card in order to transfer over existing contacts.

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Sports Currents Busting a Giant myth

By Patrick Hickey Jr. Bay Currents Sports Editor Seven years ago, Joshua Prager had just landed his dream job writing human-interest stories for the Wall Street Journal. Six weeks later, the Yankees and Mets both found themselves in the World Series. Feeling the need to find out something about the Subway Series of old for the Journal that no one else knew about, Prager single-handedly uncovered the truth behind one of greatest moments in baseball history.

The Giants stole signs in the famous playoff series with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951, and were doing so for almost four months beforehand.

Growing up a baseball buff with a picture of the ’55 Dodgers in his room and a photograph of Lou Gehrig over his bed, Prager realized the magnitude of this fact.

“At the time, baseball was the undisputed king of sports, there was nothing even close,” he said. “New York was the greatest city in the world, and was home to the greatest sport in the country, making this the biggest moment in baseball history at the time. It was also the first nationally televised sporting event; it meant something to everyone.”

Taking four months to uncover the truth, Prager eventually had enough information to turn his article into a tell-all book. Released in October 2006, “The Echoing Green: The Untold Story of Ralph Branca, Bobby Thomson and the Shot Heard Round the World,” tells the behind-thescenes story of how the Giants cheated.

The story of how Prager got hold of the information is quite interesting as well.

“I wanted to see if there was anything new I could write about an old Subway Series that hadn’t been written about,” Prager said. “So I called a guy named Barry Halper, a famous baseball memorabilia collector, and I asked him if there was anything interesting in the Subway Series of the past that he could tell me that not many people knew about.”

Figuring that he would find something juicy from his source, Prager kept the conversation rolling, but never thought he’d hear what he did.

“After he mentioned about a billion names and things, he mentioned the rumor that the Giants stole signs [in the 1951 playoff game against the Dodgers],” Prager said. “I asked him if it was true and he said ‘No way.’ I asked why not, and he told me that Ralph Branca had told him and he thought that Branca, the pitcher who lost the game, had something to gain by telling him this and that it was baseball’s greatest

moment. It would have been proven by now.

“To me, that represented a huge challenge and I needed to find out.”

Embarking on a four-month journey that took him all over the country, Prager did extensive research on the Giants and eventually got a list of players and their contact information from the Sporting News archive.

“During that time, I literally spoke to everyone who was on the Giants, even the ones who had the proverbial cup of coffee,” he said. “From Francis ‘Red’ Hardy and Spider Jorgensen to Willie Mays and Bobby Thomson.

That’s how I got to know this team and got enough information to write the book.”

However, it wasn’t until he talked to a particular player that he felt he was on his way to cracking the case.

“Finally, I got to the team’s captain and shortstop Alvin Dark,” Prager said. “He got very angry and kept repeating that he knew nothing. After he hung up on me, I was convinced he knew something about it and there was something more there.”

“There was a lot of pressure, because I knew that with all of this time, I had to deliver. I was working on this for a while, but I never let it really bother me,” he said.

“Everyone has his or her own strengths as a reporter. My great weaknesses are covering a beat, trying to cover something that everyone else is covering and dealing with competition. What I’m better at is writing long humaninterest stories.”

Prager finally got what he had set out to get.

First, he learned that in mid-July 1951, Giants third-base coach Herman Franks was moved into the manager’s office over center field, which was to the right and above of the Polo Grounds bullpen. Replaced by Giants manager Leo Durocher, Franks was assigned to look out Durocher’s window over centerfield and steal signs from the opposing catcher. Using infielder Hank Schenz’s telescope, Franks would steal the sign and press a button, once for a fastball and twice for an off-speed pitch. That button, which was installed by Polo Grounds electrician Abe Chadwick, was connected to a buzzer that was next to the bullpen phone in

Joshua Prager

center field. Once the buzzer rang, bullpen catcher Sal Yvars would then either cross his legs or throw a ball in the air, signaling the pitch to the hitter, who was looking in that direction anyway.

While this may seem like a long and complicated process, Prager insists that by Oct. 3, 1951, the Giants had been practicing it for almost four months and could pull it off in

a few seconds.

“Little by little I got little clues as to what was going on,” he said. “So as the days, weeks and months rolled by, I knew what I was doing. Once I found out it was true, I knew I could take my time.”

Prager doesn’t know for sure if it contributed to the Giants pennant win, but believes that it played a huge part in the players’ lives.

“While the effect of the cheating is debatable, the effect of keeping the secret of the cheating is undeniable,” he said. “After my book came out, both Thomson and Branca were on several radio and TV shows and Thomson said he felt like he had just got out of prison. For me to play a small role in that is very thrilling.”

Rather than force people to come to conclusions and possibly tarnish this phenomenal moment in baseball history, Prager said it’s best for baseball buffs to look at the facts and then decide how they feel.

“A lot of people wanted me to tell them how to feel about it,” said Prager. “I can’t do that. All I can do is tell you that this moment is slightly different from the way most people see it. All I can tell you is what really happened.”

Now recognized for his part in this great debate, Prager’s relentless efforts at reporting this story have changed the way the world looks at what is arguably the most memorable moment in baseball history.

“For me to contribute a part to this moment and discussion is very rewarding for me,” he said. “It goes to prove that if you work hard and keep peeling back the layers, you can find something special.”

‘We’re expected to win here’

By Patrick Hickey Jr. Bay Currents sports editor In case there was ever a doubt, the Cyclones have proven that minor league baseball can thrive in Brooklyn.

The question now is, can a minor league hockey team likewise make it here?

Chris Firriolo, coach of the new Aces at the Aviator Sports Complex at Floyd Bennett Field, is confident the team not only can do well here, but also can help turn out a few hockey stars.

“We are going to be a breeding ground for players to develop and move on,” said Firriolo, who has coached several prospects and draft picks in the Chicago Blackhawks system who have gone on to spend time in the National Hockey League. “At the end of the day, everyone wants to win, and being in a market like Brooklyn, teams are expected to win here. We understand that, Page 12

but we realize that next year, people aren’t going to ask who won the {Eastern Professional Hockey League] title. They’re going to ask how many guys did we develop or who got called up. I think ultimately, that’s our number one mission.”

Firriolo sees a group of energetic and feisty players ready to catch a lot of people by surprise this season.

“At this level, most coaches have to adapt their philosophies to the player personnel they have, because they don’t have the luxuries the other leagues have,” he said. “I think I got pretty lucky this year, because I think these guys are going to be able to play my style of hockey. My style has always been a highpuck pursuit game, which is built on a lot of speed and puck movement. I like to open up the ice, but I make sure we always take care of things in our zone as well. I really think we can be really aggressive and we can really play that brand of hockey. ”

December 12 - 26, 2008

We at Bay Currents wish all our readers and advertisers a warm holiday season and a very Happy New Year!

Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net

Bay Crossword

By Yitzchak Relkin

Yitzchak Relkin is a web developer and crossword puzzle editor living in Brooklyn. To contact Yitzchak about a web site or customized crossword puzzles (for birthdays, anniversaries), email: crossword@relkin.com.

Precious Metals Across

1. George or Jeb 5. Frizzy do 9. Off kilter 14. Early Peruvian 15. Determination 16. Sunshine state city 17. Emblem of Great Britain 18. “Is not,” incorrect English 19. Free swim call, in camp 20. Prospector 23. Power of 1 across 24. Cut off 25. Genetic material 26. Apple variety 28. Dermatologist’s concern, possibly 29. Helixes 33. Flight student’s test 36. Start of a countdown 38. Surround 39. Sits down tiredly 41. “Not my error” notation 43. Kind of ray 44. Runs off 46. Daffodil dwelling 48. Sandwich options 49. Like some receptions 51. Prod

Answers on page 15

53. One of a kind 54. Formerly 55. Measly amount 58. Laundry 61. The essentials 64. Throbs 66. Pub brews 67. First name in dictionaries 68. Oddity 69. Vacation getaway spot 70. Trick 71. A Roosevelt 72. Tax write-off 73. Recipe direction

Down

1. 6-down seepage 2. Matrimony 3. Chew out 4. Round of applause 5. Opposed to 6. Navy warships 7. Call 8. Minks’ cousins 9. Dr.’s org.

10. Fork, knife and spoon 11. Cabbage kin 12. Radiate

13. Sot 21. Like some humor 22. Hangman’s need 27. Chinese dynasty 28. Venomous viper 30. Military force 31. Unbelievable, as an excuse 32. Relaxing retreats 33. On ____ (without a contract) 34. Earthen pot 35. Booty 37. Stop quickly 40. Blood fluids 42. Advises 45. Slav 47. Long locks 50. Mess up, as plans 52. Pick up 55. Talent finder 56. Giraffe relative 57. He’ll put you in your place 58. Float gently 59. Cornfield measure 60. Dropped 62. Too 63. “No ifs, ___ or buts!”

65. It’s over your head

Thursday Night, December 18th from 7:30 – 9:45 pm. At The 41st Dems Club – 2952 Ave. R, Bklyn NYC Councilman Lewis A. Fidler, The 41st Assembly District

Democrats Club Bryan A. Lee ,

Club Exec. Dir. & Toy Drive Founder

The 8th Annual Holiday Toy Drive by the “Community First Chapter of Toys for Tots.” Toy Collection & Tally Party Joined Again by Our Special Friends Members of the U.S. Marine Corps “Mr. Met” of the New York Mets Business Sponsors A Good Plumber, Inc All Car Rent A Car Berkshire Financial Group BFVI.us aka: BFVisualImaging.net Century 21 Classic Realty DAD Enterprise Multi Services Daniels Financial Services, Inc. Echo Drugs Edel Family Management Ego Boost Salon Eleanor Schain, Ltd. Fabrikant Real Estate Five Boro Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Forest City Ratner Companies Gold Standard Graphics, Inc. J & A Toys Kristal Auto Mall Corp.

Little Creations Lykon Services Group Madison Florists Marine Park Hardware Marty’s Pharmacy MetLife Financial Services: Josie Nover, LUTCF Mill Bergen Pool Center N.E. Bug – Pest Control Needles & Knots

New Age Embroidery Party City of Nostrand Avenue PEN Enterprises Inc. Pinto Novelty Co. Red’s Remsen Car Service Rikeya Travel Agency Ruth’s Place for Antiques Sortprice.com Statewide Medical & Surgical Supplies Superstring Interlink Wireless Broadband Tracey Real Estate Foods & Restaurant Sponsors Ambiance Restaurant Cappuccino on the Bay Earth Tonez Café: Park Slope’s Gourmet Vegetarian Café Eden Caterers Gourmet Grill Meisner’s Kosher Prepared Foods Michael’s Restaurant & Caterers Mill Basin Bagel Café Mill Basin Shuk My Favorite Bagel New York Steak House Pronto Pizza SUBWAY at East New York Teena’s Cake Fair Three Star Restaurant Tops Wine and Spirits Merchants Sports Professional Sponsors New York Mets

Health Professional Sponsors Aqua Health Co. Benkel, MD: Pediatrics & Adolescent Med. Bonafide Opticians Brookdale Univ. Hospital & Med. Center: Govt. Relations Dept.

Cullen Consulting: Health Ed. & Intervention Family Dentistry: Dr. Warshaw/Dr. Rosenwein H.M. Psychological Services Noah’s Ark Veterinary Practice Dr. Reddy, St. Jude Medical Center Saltzman, DDS FAGD – Dentistry Legal Sponsors Borchert, Genovesi, LaSpina & Landicino, P.C. Law Offices of Jeffrey Miller Law Offices of Michael J. Mondschein Law Offices of Alex S. Rosenblum Law Offices of Eli Yeger Silverman Sclar Shin & Byrne, P.L.L.C. Elected Official & Dignitary Sponsors Congressman Jerrold Nadler Congressman Edolphus Towns Congressman Anthony Weiner NYC Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes Assembly Member Vito Lopez Assembly Member Alan Maisel

To advertise call 347.492.4432

Assembly Member Helene Weinstein Former Assembly Member Frank Seddio State Senator Marty Golden State Senator Carl Kruger State Senator John Sampson Council Member Dan Garodnick Council Member Michael Nelson Council Member Domenic Recchia Council Member Kendall Stewart District Leader Bernard Catcher District Leader Alan Fleischman District Leader Mike Geller District Leader Jacob Gold District Leader Lori Knippel District Leader Bill Saunders District Leader Roberta Sherman District Leader Pearl Siegelman Reginald Daniels, Governor of District 20-K1 for Lions Clubs International Community Media Sponsors Bay Currents Brooklyn View Canarsie Courier Courier-Life Publications Russian Television Network of America Community Organization Sponsors 61st Police Precinct Community Council 63rd Police Precinct Community Council 69th Police Precinct Community Council AncientOrderofHibernians,BailenanGaelDivision Avenue L Merchants Association

Be Proud Organization Bergen Beach Civic Association Bergen Beach Youth Organization Brooklyn Arts Council Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club Brooklyn Housing & Family Services Butch Moran: FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation photographer Canarsie Bridges Canarsie Historical Society Chabad of Georgetown Circuit Productions, Inc. Community Board 15 Community Board 18 Ed Eisenberg – Community Activist FDNY EMS Battalion 43 Flatbush Park Jewish Center Youth League Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol Flatlands Civic Association Flatlands Volunteer Ambulance Corp.

Fraser Civic Association Friends United Block Association Friends United Youth Center Futurama Civic Association Georgetown Civic Association Gerritsen Beach Cares Gerritsen Beach Property Owners Association Glendale East Flatbush Civic Association Hebrew Educational Society Informed Voices Civic Association Italian American Civil Rights League Jewish Children’s Museum Jewish Community Council of Canarsie

December 12 - 26, 2008

Kings Bay YM-YWHA Kings Bay Youth Organization Kings County South Civic Association KnightsofColumbus,Rev.MatthewsCouncil#5989 Knights of Pythias, Smith-Sherman Lodge #780 Marine Park Civic Association Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty Mill Basin Civic Association Mill Basin Mariners Youth Organization Mill Island Civic Association Millennium Development My Time Inc. National Conference of Synagogue Youth National Society for Hebrew Day Schools Nelrak Home Health Care & Child Development New Way Circus Center/Russian American Kids Circus NYC High Schools Intramural All-Star Football Game Nottingham Civic Association PS 236 Parents Association Russian-American Voter s Education League Sebago Canoe Club Sephardic Community Federation Sesame Flyers International Sheepshead Bay-Plumb Beach Civic Association Solid Rock Baptist Church South Canarsie Civic Association Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club United Canarsie South Civic Association Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum Yeled V’Yalda Early Childhood Center

Subway sandwiches & kosher food!

Bring a new, unwrapped toy, or a few!

Or you may send a check for us to purchase toys, made payable to “Community First Toy Drive” and postmarked no later than Dec. 15th to: Community First Toy Drive – 41st A.D. Dems Club c/o Bryan Lee, Executive Director 585 Mayfair Drive South Brooklyn, NY 11234 For any other questions, please call Bryan at (917) 846-1944.

With your help, we collected 3,771 toys last year once again, more than any other chapter in all of NYC. That means there’ll be more kids than ever counting on us this year! $10 or $15 out of your gift buying budget this Holiday Season can’t change the whole world.

But it can mean the whole world to just one child.

Page 13

Coming up Hanukkah at the Y

The Kings Bay YM-YWHA holds its annual Hanukkah Celebration on Sunday, Dec. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Y, 3495 Nostrand Avenue between Avenues U and V. The day will be filled with festivities for all ages, including the Hanukkah Extravaganza for children of all ages and a party for 250 Holocaust survivors.

The celebration features activities and entertainment for the entire family -carnival rides, games, arts & crafts, prizes, latkes, gifts and menorahs, delicious food, music, and as well as a mini open house for the Y’s myriad of programs.

The party for Holocaust survivors begins at 12:30 in the auditorium, with music and dance performances.

For more information, contact Alina Plotkina at 718-648-7703 x224, email: aplotkina@kingsbayy.org.

A toy gets you in

All you need for admission is a new, unwrapped toy at the Celebrity Caroling & Toy Drive, Sunday, Dec. 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Auditorium, Jerome Avenue and East 19th Street in Sheepshead Bay. Free parking is available in the schoolyard on Avenue Z.

Vivaldi, Handel

The 13th annual “Music from Good Shepherd” free concert series concludes on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m., with performances of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and

GRANT WRITERS NEEDED

Handel’s “Messiah.” Soloists, a full choir and orchestra will perform. Good Shepherd Church is on Avenue S and Brown Street in Marine Park.

For more information call 718-998-2800.

SCORE!

The Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College welcomes Australia’s Expressions Dance Company, performing the New York City premiere of their multimedia dance theater piece, Score!, on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m.

This performance is the second of four international dance performances of Brooklyn Center ’s World of Dance series.

The multimedia dance-theater piece takes its inspiration from Mikhail Fokine’s ballet Petrushka and reality television.

A fairground puppeteer is transformed into a slick, Ryan Seacrest-esque TV host with his dancing puppets, now contestants in a glitzy reality TV competition. The ultimate prize is a partner for life, the ballerina. Maggi Sietsma’s choreography is enhanced by live footage, video projections, and spoken word to create a unique world that is both uproariously funny and devastatingly tragic.

The performance will be followed by a discussion with Artistic Director Maggi Sietsma and members of the company.

Tickets are $25 Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org • Box Office: 718 951-4500, • Tuesday – Saturday, 1 - 6 p.m.

Groups of 15 or more: 718-951-4600, ext. 22

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Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net

Twice the Advice

By Jacqueline Donelli and Kerry Donelli

Jacqueline says:

Dear Always in Debt, What bothers me here is actually none of my business (but that’s never stopped me before). The way you see yourself is what bothers me. “Always in debt,” “can’t afford”-- these are images you have imbedded in your perception of yourself.

But as for your dilemma: If you can not afford it and will miss work and be more in debt, then you just can’t go and your friend has to deal with it. Understand, however, that there will be consequences to this choice. I am not even referring to her being mad at you, because that is her issue.

But as we get older and look back on life, we often regret more of what we didn’t do, than what we did.

Kerry says:

I’m a 36-year old singer bartending in Manhattan. I’ve been a bartender close to 20 years now, and I hate it now just as much as I did on my very first shift. So while I’m excited because my CD is finished and I am now finally close to sealing a record deal, the fact is, I no longer need to be doing this horrible line of work. Prior to this I needed my days off for singing auditions, but I am now free to work normal hours like in the real world.

The problem is, I am absolutely terrified to work in a “real” job. I have no experience in anything but the food and beverage industry. My friends say I should take a temp job, but I am horrible on computers. Whenever I search for work I feel panicked because either nothing feels right or I feel under qualified. Twins, what do I do? ----- Jack of no trades, master of one

Kerry says:

Dear Master of more, You’ve spent the last 20 years bartending as a way for you to pursue a singing career and you’re right on the cusp of breaking in. Should this record deal tragically fall through, will you need your days off to push it to other music producers? I would hate to think you are now giving up when it appears you are on your last leg of finally succeeding.

I think you should give yourself another six months to see it through. You’ve gone this long, so what’s another six months? But if you can still push your CD and get a day job, that’s another issue. In this case I would say, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” People will remain in the same miserable situation because they are familiar with it.

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Dear Always, I agree with Jackie, but with one difference: I think you should look into all your options as to how to make this work versus throwing in the towel right at the onset. For example, can you take a train or bus? Did you research all the cheaper airlines? (There are many airlines with great deals...it may require a layover but it would be well worth it.) Also, can your friend put you up in a friend’s apartment

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That is a sad way to live your life. I can promise you this -- if you take the plunge in another field, you will amaze yourself how capable you really are, and your confidence will skyrocket.

Jacqueline says:

Dear Jack, We have two issues here: Should you get another job?

And, you are afraid to do it.

First, I completely disagree with my sis. I would not give it another six months. Make yourself happy now. I’m a firm believer that success follows happiness. It’s likely why you have not been successful yet. I guarantee that the moment you quit the miserable job, the record deal will be sealed.

I understand this is scary. You’ve always been a bartender, and perhaps you feel you don’t have the skills to be anywhere else in the workforce. It’s kind of like a dog in the shed that was never allowed to come out and now the door is wide open. The dog will be afraid to come out even if a better life awaits it. I suggest you apply for every job that sparks your interest. There are so many jobs in the music industry alone for which you would be qualified, including teaching.

Start looking now. Be open. Be brave. And just do it. The only regret you will have is that you didn’t do this sooner.

Have a problem?

Maybe Kerry and Jacqueline can help.

Contact them by writing to: Mail: TWICE THE ADVICE Bay Currents 2966 Avenue U Suite 108 Brooklyn, NY 11229 E-mail: advice@baycurrents.net

Answers to the Bay Crossword from page 13

I was invited to a good friend’s wedding. She had moved to Baltimore for a new job and has been gone for over a year and a half. (We used to live in Florida together). In that time she met “Fred,” and they are getting married. My friend and I were once pretty close, but I haven’t seen her since she moved.

Okay, so here is the dilemma: I make my living off tips and I cannot afford to take off from work and fly down. Furthermore, I am in serious debt and would just be putting more debt on my card. When I told her this, she was mad at me. She says I’ve never gone to see her yet (she’s right, but I just can’t afford it). She is begging me to go. She’s upset and angry with me at the moment. What should I do? --- Always in debt in Florida

for the night? Can you get a ride to and from the airport?

And, would she be okay with the fact that your presence at the wedding would be her wedding gift (a savings of at least $100)? Lastly, can you pick up shifts on your days off to compensate for your lost time and to help reimburse you for the wedding expenses?

After all this, if you still feel you cannot afford it, then don’t go. You can only do what you can do.

Bay crossword

Dear Twins,

December 12 - 26, 2008

Page 15

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Page 17

Spark On A Park Bench

By Chaim Drizin The car was magnificent.

As we stood back to admire our handiwork amid the gently swirling snowflakes, I had to admit that it was the finest Menorah Car that I had ever seen.

The ‘78 Bonneville, with the huge wooden Menorah on its roof would definitely make people sit up and take notice – and that was our goal.

We planned to visit shopping malls and old age homes – anywhere that we could spread the joy and message of the festival of Hanukkah.

Seven or eight of us were crammed into the small vehicle; the trunk was filled with tin menorahs and colored candles which we hoped to distribute. As the tech-savvy kids discussed the intricacies of the apparatus that powered the f lickering lights of our electronic menorah (was it an alternator?), I tuned out and stared out at the blackness of the winter night outside.

We presently arrived at our destination for the evening, a huge residential complex in Brooklyn, near our yeshivah.

In the 1970s the Russian floodgates had opened, and Trump Village at the border of Coney Island and Brighton Beach was the destination of choice for thousands of newly arrived immigrants. Often elderly, these feisty Jews had survived decades of Communist rule with their Jewish identity intact; yet, they knew very little about the particulars of the Torah and its commandments, and we

were hoping to kindle a spark or two.

On Ocean Parkway, I saw an elderly man of about 75 years of age, seated on a bench facing a concrete chesstable. He just sat there and watched the cars go by on that frigid night.

I wished him a happy Hanukkah. “Would you like to light the menorah?” I asked him, hoping that he would help me accomplish my personal goal to inspire 10 people that night.

“Please go away.” he replied in Yiddish. “I am not interested.”

I tried to change his mind. I cajoled. I explained the powerful story of Hanukkah. Perhaps I even pleaded a bit,

The oil of Hanukkah

By Louise Fiszer The twinkling candles in the menorah shed a lovely light on the elegantly set table. Children’s faces are a study in joyful anticipation of nightly, small gifts. Aromas from the kitchen predict an especially appealing meal. This year, the first night of Hanukkah falls on Dec. 21.

It’s a time for family and friends to gather around the table to commemorate the rededication of the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by the GreekSyrians in 165 BCE. Eating foods that are cooked in oil, such as the much beloved potato latke, is very much a part of the celebration – representing the small measure of oil left after the desecration to light the Temple’s Eternal Flame.

Mushroom Barley Soup 2 tablespoons oil 1 onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 3/4 pound mushrooms, chopped 2 ounces dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water until soft

Miraculously the oil lasted for eight full days.

I’ve centered this menu around potato latkes, the culinary symbol of Hanukkah, and have tried to balance it with dishes that use little or no oil. This relieves one of some guilt in taking an extra plateful of the delicious latkes!

Begin with a hearty bowl of Mushroom Barley Soup -- perfect for a chilly evening.

Accompany the crispy latkes with a colorfully seasonal and healthy Spinach and Tangerine Salad. Let guests help themselves to toppings of tart applesauce or sour cream for the latkes. Finish with an ethereal, low-fat almond ginger torte for the adults and Hanukkah cookie cut outs (dreidels, menorahs) for the kids. and drained 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed 1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) 6 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons chopped dill

Page 18

yet he was pretty firm in his decision. “No thank you. Now please have a good night.”

Not quite ready to give up, I took the little tin menorah, placed it on the concrete chess-table, inserted four colorful candles in the little slots that always seem as they were designed for candles much slimmer than mine, lit them, turned to the old man and said: “Here is the menorah. If you want, it is yours – if you don’t want it, then it is not.”

The man said nothing and I walked away.

We continued our rounds of the massive housing complex, and thank Gd, we were extremely successful that night.

It was getting late and it was time to go home.

My mind kept on going back to the old Russian Jew sitting outside on that lonely park bench.

“Let’s drive past the place where we saw the old man.” I was curious. What had he done with the menorah? Did he throw it away, or had he just left it, a lonely menorah in a forlorn spot?

There are images that stick with you. Events that transpire that leave an indelible imprint on the psyche, that even thirty years later one can see them clearly.

This was one of them.

The old man was still sitting on the bench. His eyes were filling up with tears, as one large tear coursed down his left cheek.

The candles were burning low, and he was staring at them. Staring and crying.

Flame meets flame. A soul ignites.

I don’t know where he is now, or even his name.

But I know that I was privy to something powerful that night.

salt and pepper Heat oil in a large pot. Cook onion, celery, and both mushrooms about eight minutes, or until very soft. Stir in barley and cook one minute. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in parsley and dill. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

Potato Latkes makes about 16 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled 1 medium onion, chopped 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 to 1 cup vegetable oil for frying Grate potatoes and place in strainer or colander.

Squeeze out as much moisture from potatoes as you can. In large bowl, combine potatoes with remaining ingredients, except for oil. Heat about 1/4 cup oil in large frying pan until very hot. Drop two to three tablespoons potato mixture into pan for each latke.

Use back of spoon to flatten mixture so that each latke is about three-inches in diameter. Fry over medium high heat about four to five minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in oven.

Continue, using more oil if necessary for each batch.

Serve hot with an apple-pear sauce.

Ginger Torte Serves 12 3 cups finely chopped almonds 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt December 12 - 26, 2008

10 eggs, separated 1/2 cup fresh orange juice grated zest of 1 large orange 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger powdered sugar for garnish Preheat oven to 350F. Oil or spray a 10 inch tube pan. Combine nuts with 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour, ground ginger and salt. Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar until thick and pale, about eight minutes. Stir in the orange juice, zest and candied ginger. Fold nut mixture into yolk mixture with a spatula. In a large bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Fold whites into yolk batter and pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan, then invert onto serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar.

Spinach and Tangerine Salad Serves 8 to 10 8 cups young spinach, torn into bite sized pieces 1 bunch green onions, sliced 4 seedless tangerines, peeled and separated into sections 1 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup olive oil 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar salt and pepper In large bowl combine spinach, onions, tangerines and cranberries. Whisk together oil and vinegar and toss with salad just before serving. Salt and pepper to taste.

Louise Fiszer is a freelance food writer and the coauthor, with Jeannette Ferrary, of several books, including Jewish Holiday Feasts (The Artful Kitchen Collection), A Good Day for Soup and A Good Day for Salad.

From sallys-place.com Visit us at: www.BayCurrents.net

They Were Selfless

By Corinne Marlen The author offers her own tribute to Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, and his wife, Rivkah, 28, who were murdered late last month by terrorists who rampaged through Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India’s largest city.

The first time I went to Chabad House in Mumbai, Rivki and Gabi were not in Mumbai. There were two people running the place for them.

I remember someone saying, “You should see what it’s like when Rivki and Gabi are here.”

I went back to Chabad Mumbai only recently. My Mum had come to visit me, and before she left, she said, “Go tomorrow for Friday night dinner at Chabad.”

I was alone again, and I thought why not. I walked in the door and Rivki came out of the kitchen and gave me the biggest smile and welcomed me in. Then, in walked Gabi with Moshe in his arms and they started greeting everyone “Shabbat Shalom,” he said as he helped the toddler shake everyone’s hands.

I had two weeks until my sister would arrive, and I was thinking of going somewhere else instead of staying in Mumbai. That didn’t happen. I ended up spending all my

days in Chabad, reading and using the Internet, and enjoying the most delicious food. I went to the market with Rivki on quite a few occasions.

We took Moshe to the park. We spent hours talking.

I was expecting to remain friends with her for a long time. I’m not religious, but she didn’t judge me. It felt like home.

One Friday evening a young Israeli and his friend came to the Chabad House. Once Gabi started to talk about religion, they got up and left during dinner (probably not realizing there was more food on the way). This made me quite angry -- I thought it was disrespectful. After a few days I plucked up the courage to say something to Rivki. She said, “This is their home, they can do whatever they like, as long as they do no harm to Moshe or break the Sabbath rules while here.”

I usually feel awkward with religious Jewish men, but I felt at ease talking to Gabi. I had a study session with him; he knew exactly which book – among the many shelves of them he had -- contained the answer to my question.

The young rabbi and his wife always made time for whoever walked through the door.

Rivki told me a lot about her family, and I know she loved them very much.

I have had quite a few friends die and I asked Rivki why G-d would allow such tragedies to occur. She told me, “When you have faith, you believe that G-d puts challenges in front of you, and tests your faith. Sometimes you may not understand why things happen -- sometimes it takes years to figure out what you learned from the situation.”

I’m not religious but I am a believer and this situation will not make me lose faith in G-d, although right now, I really do not understand.

Rivki was a new friend and I was looking forward to having her in my life. I’m in total shock. The Mumbai House was one of the only places I’ve felt at home since leaving home.

There are no words that can express my sorrow. They were an asset to the Jewish community, leading by example and showing people like me how beautiful Judaism can be. They were my new friends and I am going to miss all the conversations that will never take place.

I am just very grateful to have spent as much time as I did with them.

Rivki and Gabi were very special people. Their families should be proud of what they achieved in such a short time.

Toddler cries for his parents Two-year-old Moshe cried “Abba” and “Ima” (“Father,” “Mother”), wondering why they have not been responding to his pleas.

Moshe was brought to the memorial ceremony in Mumbai, in the presence of the Israelis who flew to there to take part in rescue efforts as well as members of the local Jewish community.

Officials also removed a Torah scroll from the Chabad House, reporting it was bullet-ridden but intact.

Shimon Rosenberg, Rivka’s father, said it was imperative that the Chabad House resume operation in the community as soon as possible. “”G-d willing, one day Moishele will return to run the operation,” he said.

Rosenberg and his wife Frieda said they plan to raise Moshe in Israel with the help of his nanny Sandra Samuel, who saved his life by escaping from the besieged Chabad House with the toddler in her arms.

They hope that one day he will continue the word that his parents began.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

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December 12 - 26, 2008

Page 19

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