Bayis Magazine - Issue 4 by Bayis

History of... The Esrog | Shabbos Halacha: Toys on Shabbos

Issue 4

7 Tishrei 5777

October 9, 2016

SERIAL

Finding Chava

E FEATUR ACK B G N I D HOL ON A LOOK TING R I H S D E R

Chag Sameach

Recipes in the

Kitchen

Recip

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d Pho

S u Starctceos rs

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve m succah ade your welco ing an m d beau tiful to enjoy over Yom How Tov. abou t starting th e mea ls the same way? Th starte rs are ese no super delicio t only us, bu they are t accom the perfec t panim ent to yo ur be autifu surrou l ndings .

Absolutely FREE

Teaching 101

Parenting

tos B

Humor

y Ren

a Tuch

insky

Table of Contents

Kids Krafts

“

Go-to starters

”

In The Kitchen

4 Inspiration

Growth

6 Parenting

Whose Side are You on?

10 Teaching 101

Students with Learning Disabilities

12 History of...

The Esrog

Hydrate! Part 2

14 | Bayis

Fasting is Healthy

30 Serial

Finding Chava: Chapter 4

36 Shabbos Halacha

26 Tips for Healthy Living

28 Eye on Health

Toys on Shabbos

38 Humor How to Build a Succah

Holding Back

s o r P e h t t a g k n o i t o r L i l h s a c d i t e i r R C f o A ns o C and

Welcome Editor-in-Chief Rabbi Noach Tuchinsky Managing Editor Rena Tuchinsky Executive Editor Sarah Glanz Proofreader Esther Rosenbaum Estee Tannenbaum Creative Director Brachi Rosenes Contributing Writers Chaya Steinman, Shira Katz, Hadassah Glanz, Rabbi Zechariah Steinman, Rabbi Dr. Yoseif (Jeffrey) Glanz, Yaakov Grossman, Dr. David Tuchinsky Advertising Manager Adam Tuchinsky advertise@bayismagazine.com Bayis Magazine – www.bayismagazine.com Editor@bayismagazine.com Contactus@bayismagazine.com We Look forward to hearing from you! To subscribe via email: subscriptions@bayismagazine.com Bayis Magazine. Published by Bayis Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to edit all articles for clarity, space and editorial sensitivities. Bayis Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of the articles or advertisements in the publication, nor for the contents of the books that are referred to or excerpted herein.

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Inspiration

Rabbi Noach Tuchinsky

Growth rowth. This one word, idea, aspiration, is the entire foundation on which Succos

is built. Unsurprisingly, all the mitzvos of Succos revolve around things which grow from the ground. Schach must be made from something that grows from the ground, and all four species (lulav, esrog, hadas, and aravah) obviously grow from the ground as well. So we see that the common denominator for all the mitzvos of Succos is growth! This common denominator is the perfect one with which to begin our avodah for the new year, to help us face the challenge of becoming the person we promised ourselves and Hashem we would try to become. But how does one grow? With the mitzvos of Succos Hashem is teaching us the perfect model for growth: The esrog teaches us to take the fruits of our labor from the year before, and bring them

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into the new year. We must not forget the trials and tribulations, triumphs and victories that we had last year. They are the foundation for this year’s growth. The lulav, which comes from the palm tree, grows pointing straight up. So too, our growth should be pointed towards Hashem, and not down towards us. We are not growing to gain honor, we are growing to become better Jews for Hashem. We must strive to do everything for the sake of Heaven. The hadas is seen as a chain; all three leaves need to be connected to the next three leaves forming what chazal describe as a chain. We, as the Jewish nation, are all linked to our ancestors. We cannot grow or do anything that does not follow in their path. We must make sure we remain connected to the three-thousand-year-old chain that links us to matan Torah. This is especially pertinent as our modern culture is full of liberal love filled ideals that seem to fit with our own emotions. But these ideas need to be looked at through the lens of a Torah perspective! The aravah grows only with an ample supply of water.

Chazal understand that water is a euphuism for Torah. In order to grow properly we need to be surrounded by Torah. Whether that means listening to a shiur once a week, picking up a sefer and delving in ourselves, or encouraging your husbands to learn, we need to surround ourselves with the wellsprings of Torah. Finally, there is the succah. Chazal explain that one of the main reasons we dwell in this “temporary hut” is to show our bitachon in Hashem. The flimsy building of a succah does not really protect us from the outside world. The time we spend in the succah is supposed to bring us to the realization that only Hashem can protect us. We see from the succah that the real way to grow is through sheer emunah (belief and loyalty) and bitachon (trust) in Hashem. When we base all our actions on the realization that Hashem is The One in charge, and we trust His decisions with a full heart, we are finally able to grow and fulfill our potential. May we all merit to learn from the mitzvos of succos and have a year of growth.

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Parenting

Whose Side are You on?

ina Hirsch, an 8-year-old girl, was sit ting on the couch reading when suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. She went to open it and saw her friend’s mother, Mrs. Katz. She was fuming. “You!” Mrs. Katz shouted. “You ruined my daughter’s backpack on the school trip! You owe me fifty dollars and I want the money by tomorrow! How dare you do such a thing?” Dina just stood there, shaking in the face of the onslaught. Her mother, hearing the noise, came to the door and asked what was going on. Mrs. Katz continued her tirade. “Your daughter ruined my daughter’s backpack. She owes me fifty dollars. What kind of girl does that?!” Mrs. Hirsch was at a loss

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for words. “Dina, is that true?” she asked. Dina shook her head and looked at the floor. “What a chutzpah!” Mrs. Katz yelled. “Now you’re lying about it? I’m gonna — “ “Mrs. Katz,” Mrs. Hirsch interrupted. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she definitely didn’t want to know what Mrs. Katz would do. “Let me deal with her and get back to you, ok?” Mrs. Katz protested, but Dina’s mother stood her ground, assuring her that if her accusation was correct, the damage would be paid for. The door closed and Dina ran to her room. Mrs. Hirsch gave her some time alone before going in to her. She found her lying on her bed, upset. “Dina,” she said gently. “Don’t worry. I won’t be upset at you. And you won’t have to pay, I will. But please tell me the truth. Did you ruin your friend’s knapsack?” Dina shook

her head angrily. She refused to say a word, no matter how hard her mother tried to get her to talk. After some time Mrs. Hirsch gave up and left. Unsure of the right way to deal with the situation, she racked her brain for an idea and then remembered that she could call her parenting teacher for advice. The teacher listened as Mrs. Hirsch related the scenario from beginning to end. “I’m impressed that you didn’t get angry with your daughter,” the teacher began. Mrs. Hirsch felt good — at least she had done something right! “However,” the teacher continued, “there is something wrong here. A child is no match for a grown-up. Allowing another adult to verbally attack your child, even if she has a legitimate complaint, makes your child feel that not only are you not there to protect her, but that

My 9-year-old son makes such a fuss when he has to take medicine. I have to fight with him over each dose and force him to take it. Sometimes this takes half an hour or more! Is there any way to get him to take medicine without a battle?

Hadassah Glanz

Do you ever find yourself in a position where you have to do something extremely distasteful to you? How would you want someone you love to act towards you? I think I can safely assume that you, like most people, would like and expect empathy, validation of your feelings, acknowledgement of the difficulty you face, and a pat on the back for doing something so hard for you. Consider, also, why you are so insistent that your son take his medicine. Is it another chore that he has to do? Is it your homework from the doctor? No! It’s because you love him. You are on the same team. It’s not a fight; it’s a challenge you have to overcome by working together. So how about this: before you give him the medicine next time, sit down on the couch with him. Put your arm around him and tell him that you love him so much. He is so precious to you and you don’t want him to go through any pain. You know how hard it is to take the medicine and how much he hates it. You can take turns listing all the things he’d rather do, like taking out the garbage, cleaning his room and so on. Or you can describe how you wish there was a vaccine for every illness man is susceptible to so he wouldn’t ever have to take medicine… Have fun, the sillier ideas you come up with, the better! Then get back to being serious. Tell him again how much you love him and that you wouldn’t want him to wind up in the hospital because he didn’t take his medicine. You can ask him if it would make it easier for him to get a small treat, some extra time with you, perhaps a rare privilege, or some such. This is not a bribe nor a reward but just an aid, something to ease the difficulty. Finally, praise him and thank him for taking it even though it’s so hard for him. May you and your family enjoy the best of health always.

you are teaming up with the other adult against her. So even if you try to talk to her gently, she still doesn’t feel that you are on her side. I would say that if something like this ever happens again, as soon as you can, you should tell the other adult firmly: ‘I’m sorry, but if you have a complaint about one of my children, you must come only to me. I will deal with

whatever it is and take it very seriously, but under no circumstances can you take it up with my child.’ Mrs. Hirsch thanked the teacher, hung up, and went to prepare supper. A few minutes later Dina came in to the kitchen, took a yogurt, and started eating at the kitchen table. Mrs. Hirsch turned to her daughter and said softly, “You

know, Dina, it pained me so much that that lady yelled at you like that.” Dina looked up in wonder. A big smile broke out on her face. She came over and gave her mother a huge, tight hug. Dina, who was usually a pretty difficult kid, behaved like an angel for the next three weeks. Eventually, of course, she did go back to being a regular kid, but something had changed. She cooperated and listened to her mother on a much steadier basis than before. The whole relationship changed just by Mrs. Hirsch experiencing a paradigm shift; she learned that a parent should be on her child’s side no matter what. This doesn’t mean that there’s no discipline. But it does mean that discipline is given for the good of the child, from a feeling of love for the child, without antagonism or seeming like the child’s enemy, G-d forbid. Hadassah Glanz trained under Rabbi Brezak, a worldrenowned expert in parenting and author of the book "Chinuch in Turbulent Times". Most stories told were heard from Rabbi Brezak.

Want to get your question answered? Send us your parenting question to parenting@bayismagazine.com Bayis |

KIDSKRAFTS

Rabbi Dr. Yoseif (Jeffrey) Glanz

Rena

chinsk

CD Succah Decorations We all have old CD’s lying around the house; here’s a way to put them into good use. Once complete, these CD decorations will really enhance your succah, and your children will be so proud to show them off!

Here is what you’ll need Jewel stones/stickers Blank or old scratched CDs Glue Paint brushes Clear fishing line

Here’s how

Pour some glue into a bowl and use the paintbrush to paint the glue all over one side of the CD. Stick the jewels all over the CD in any pattern you like. Allow to dry a bit before turning over and doing the same on the other side. Cut a piece of the fishing line and put through the hole of the CD. Tie tightly. Hang up by tying the ends together.

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NOTE Do not put the CDs too close to each other, as they may get tangled by the wind.

Enjoy looking at them as they shine and spin in your succah!

Rabbi Dr. Yoseif (Jeffrey) Glanz

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Teaching 101

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS: BASICS

eachers undoubtedly will encounter students who have varying deg rees of difficulties with learning. Some students will have been officially designated as LD, or Learning Disabled, while others remain undiagnosed. As a classroom teacher, your responsibility is not of course to undertake the diagnosis; that should be left to specialists. Rather, your responsibility is to remain cognizant of potential problems and to develop ways of presenting materials appropriate to the special learning needs of students. You should be aware that students with learning problems may have: 1. Difficulty paying attention 2. Poorly developed study skill strategies for learning 3. Poor motor skills 4. Diffic u lties in ora l language skills

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5. Difficulties in reading, written language, and mathematics 6. Poor time-management and organizational skills 7. Problems with social behavior 8. Difficulty adjusting to change 9. Immature speech patterns and delayed speech development 10. Difficulty sounding out words 11. Difficulty remembering names of familiar things 12. Trouble listening and following directions 13. An inability to tell time or know right from left 14. Poor self-image Any others? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a short quiz about students with disabilities. No fear! Everyone will pass! True or False: __1. The student with learning disabilities has average or above average intelligence. __2. The potential for a child with learning disabilities to succeed is present. __3. Ways to increase learning must be developed for the

individual child. _ _4. Learning disability programs support the mainstream classroom and are not a replacement for the mainstream classroom. __5. Students with learning disabilities need to learn to function in a mainstream classroom setting. __6. Students with learning disabilities almost always need their selfconcept improved. __7. If the problem is not recognized or diagnosed, it will not go away on its own and will cont i nue to i nter fere with learning. __8. The child with learning disabilities can succeed if provided with assistance both in school and at home. Answers: All true What Are Learning Disabilities? The term learning disability is one of the most misunderstood in education today. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to come up with a universally accepted definition of what a learning

By Rabbi Dr. Yoseif (Jeffrey) Glanz

disability is. What we do know is that the child with learning disabilities appears normal physically, is of average or above average intelligence, and is one who fails to learn at the expected rate. It is believed that one out of every 10 school-age children in the United States has a learning disability. A learning disability refers to one or more significant deficits in the learning process. A child with a learning disability most likely will demonstrate a discrepancy between expected and actual achievement in specific subject areas. The school and/or parent may be able to ascertain if a child has a learning disability by observing one or more of these traits: 1. Hyperactivity—The child is unable to sit still and concentrate on one thing for a period of time. 2. Distractibility—The child has a short attention span and cannot concentrate if surrounded with noise. 3. Perception—The child has poor visual and/or auditory skills. 4. Language—The child lacks verbal skills and is unable to put ideas into complete sentences. Once a child is identified as learning disabled, the school

can play a big part in remedying the problem. The school can provide a quality program by attending to the needs of students with learning disabilities. Most, if not all of these students, can function effectively in the mainstreamed, inclusive classroom if teachers are adequately prepared. The goals for the student with learning disabilities are the same as for the mainstreamed student, with one exception: The method of instruction, including the rate of presentation and reinforcement techniques, will vary depending on the student and his or her assessed needs. At times, the teacher may have to form homogeneous groupings in order to provide the child with learning disabilities extra help and support. Still, I am not in favor of segregating these students into “special” classes because of the negative effects on the students’ self-esteem that may result. In my opinion, teachers, can utilize an array of strategies to accommodate the learning needs of all students. Before I close this basic introduction to students with disabilities, allow me to end this column by, perhaps, raising a few eyebrows. Most teachers I know don’t like to teach a heterogeneous class. Most teachers I know teach

to the middle or the average student. But who determines what “average” means?! Students who are academically advanced and students with moderate to severe learning disabilities usually fall by the wayside. Why? It’s not because teachers disregard these children intentionally. Rather, they simply were not prepared to teach students at the extremes. Teachers who were credentialed years ago attended teacher preparation programs that neglected to address the inclusive classroom along with the diverse learning needs of all students. Thankfully, today, many teacher education graduates have been exposed to differentiated instruction. Differentiation is the way to address the learning needs of all students, and it is a crucial component of education which I will address in my next column. Rabbi Dr. Glanz earned his Ed.D. degree in education from Teachers College, Columbia University. He taught for 15 years in elementary and middle school classrooms, served as a school administrator for five years, and has taught at the college/university levels for the past thirty years. Currently, he lives in Eretz Yisroel and serves as the Program Head for Michlalah-Jerusalem College's master’s degree in educational administration. He also teaches online for Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Gradaute School of Jewish Education and Administration. He hopes to stimulate dialogue and welcomes your comments. You can contact him at Teaching@bayismagazine.com For the author's latest book that was just published, see http://www.yourlivewebdemo.com/landingpages/ ENGAGE/index.html

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History of...

THE ESROG (The Citron)

The citron, eitz pri hadar, Citrus medica — or, the esrog, as we know it — has been around for quite a while. The

Talmud even brings an opinion that it was the tree of knowledge that Chava ate from. Can’t get earlier than that!

Contrary to popular belief, the orange and the lemon have not always been around. According to botanists, the four original citrus fruits are the esrog, pomelo, mandarin, and papeda. All of the citrus fruits we have today are hybrids of these four fruits! The lemon is a hybrid of the citron, mandarin, and papeda — with most of the genome coming from the esrog. The orange and grapefruit are closely related to the mandarin orange and the pomelo. The lime, which most think is a lemon hybrid, is actually the offspring of a papeda and esrog.

The esrog tree is a very weak and short-lived tree. Without constant water, support and care it will not survive the 10-15 years it is expected to live. In order to strengthen it and elongate its life, many graft its branch to the lemon tree. This has caused the purity of different esrogim to be questioned, and many Halachic authorities rule that only pure esrogim can be used as one of the four minim.

In Rome the citron was known as the mala Medica or the “Persian (Median) apple”.

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There have been numerous archeological finds with pictures of the esrog on them. The earliest being from Egypt, 3000 years ago. A coin was also found from the Bar Kochba period, with all four minim embossed on it. Interestingly, there was only one hadas and one aravah on the coin, the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, whom Bar Kochba followed.

In Europe the climate caused the Jewish population to face esrog shortages. Only the temperate climate of the Mediterranean Basin was fit for the esrog trees to grow properly. This caused countless hardships to procure the esrog for Succos, to the extent that by some accounts there was one esrog for an entire town. In the 18th century, Jews living in Bohemia were taxed 40,000 florins (which in todays currency is approximately a million dollars!) in order to be able to import esrogim.

In ancient Greece, the esrog was used for its medicinal properties; helping ward off seasickness, intestinal issues and other ailments. In modern times, it is still used in many holistic approaches to treat nausea and vomiting.

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HOLDING

BACK A Critical Look at the Pros and Cons of Redshirting

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man n i e t ya S y Cha

Let’s Go To The Park!

Put on your favorite snood and comfy skirt, grab your double stroller and riding toys, and pack some snacks, drinks, and tissues — we’re heading to the park! Imagine a late summer afternoon. August is winding down and the summer heat seems to be retreating ever so slightly, allowing the occasional breeze to cool the air with a telltale whisper of the approaching fall. The park is busy. Everyone seems to be savoring the last lazy days of summer, letting their kinderlach linger in the park without the hectic constraints of homework and school routines to accelerate the pace of the day. As you settle down on a shaded bench, you overhear the women next to you schmoozing: Navy Snood Wow! Your Duvy is playing so nicely with my Chaim. How old is he? Paisely Pre-Tie He’s four. Yeah, they’re so cute! Look at how nicely they’re climbing. Navy Snood Oh, Chaim is also four! Where are you sending him to cheder? Paisely Pre-Tie We’re strongly leaning towards Ateres Dovid, but— Navy Snood (Interrupting out of sheer excitement, and now speaking much more quickly) Oh, Amazing! That’s where we’re sending Chaim. This is so great! I’m so happy that he’ll have a friend in the class, we don’t really know so many people sending there, but we heard it was such a great cheder. We should definitely arrange a play date before Elul so they can get to know each other better, and— Paisely Pre-Tie Umm…yeah, what I was saying is that we will probably send him there next year, because we decided he needs another year of gan before starting cheder. His birthday is December 30, so he’d be the youngest in the grade if he started this year… Navy Snood (Nodding with understanding, though her bubble has clearly burst) Mmm hmmm… Paisely Pre-Tie …and since he’s small for his age as it is, and he was a late talker, we just don’t want him to be behind, you know? Like, it’s always better to be a bit older and more mature when you start school… I think. Navy Snood I totally understand. My sister-in-law’s brother’s neighbor did the same exact thing. It’s pretty common. Paisely Pre-Tie Yeah, well I think that— Duvy Mommy, can I have a drink, please? •••

What you just witnessed is an instance of the practice known as redshirting. We’ve all heard conversations like these. Everyone knows someone who’s made the increasingly popular decision to hold a child back a year if he is young relative to the other children in the class. While academic redshirting is a common occurrence in many communities, let’s take a step back to understand where the term comes from, and evaluate the pros and cons of delaying kindergarten. Hockey Time! It’s time for a wardrobe change! Grab your coat and some warm gloves — we’re going to a Canadian ice hockey rink! If you’re wondering what ice hockey has to do with a child’s relative age in terms of starting school, look no further than Malcolm Gladwell’s New York Times Best-Selling Book Outliers. In his well-received book, Gladwell seeks to understand what makes certain people excel to a far greater degree than others. As he puts it, “this is a book about outliers, about men and women who do things that are out of the ordinary... And in examining the lives of the remarkable among us – the skilled, the talented, and the driven – I will argue that there is something profoundly wrong with the way we make sense of success.” Gladwell provides a glimpse into the world of Canadian

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hockey to shed some light on the topic. Considered the Canadian national pastime, hockey is taken very seriously north of the border. Many young boys begin playing hockey in youth leagues even before they enter kindergarten, and, as in any true meritocracy, the cream of the crop rises to the top. Those who have honed superior skills through their natural talent and hard work will move their way up through the ranks of hockey leagues. The select few who have earned the distinction of being the best of the best will gain a coveted spot in the highest level of Canadian hockey. “Players are judged on their own performance, not on anyone else’s, and on the basis of their ability, not on some other arbitrary fact. […] Or are they?” When it comes to extremely successful people, we all optimistically assume that the concept of meritocracy takes effect, that a “hero is born in modest circumstances and by virtue of his own grit and talent fights his way to greatness”. Gladwell shatters this myth with a powerful illustration: The tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked its sunlight, the soil around it was deep and rich, no rabbit chewed through its bark as a sapling, and no lumberjack cut it down before it matured. We all know that successful people come from

hardy seeds. But do we know enough about the sunlight that warmed them, the soil in which they put down the roots, and the rabbits and lumberjacks they were lucky enough to avoid? In other words, perhaps if we were to take a wider look at the cultural and environmental circumstances surrounding success, we would realize that there are other factors at play besides personal merit. In the case of ice hockey, Gladwell points to a curious trend: at all levels of Canadian hockey leagues, an overwhelming majority of players are born in the first quarter of the year. In fact, more players are born in January than in any other month of the year. Why? It’s simple. The cut-off for eligibility for age-class hockey is January 1st. “A boy who turns ten on January 2nd, then, could be playing alongside someone who doesn’t turn ten until the end of the year – and at that age, in preadolescence, a twelvemonth gap in age represents an enormous difference in physical maturity.” Since Canada is so hockey– crazed, the process for grooming national-level players begins at the age of nine or ten. With a slight edge in size and maturity, the older players will receive better coaching and therefore be played in more games, gaining more experience and thus giving them an even larger advantage. A few months difference in age can make the difference

between ultimate success or failure. Canadian psychologist Roger Barnsely succinctly describes this cycle: “If you make a decision about who is good and who is not good at an early age […] and if you provide the “talented” with a superior experience, then you’re going to end up giving a huge advantage to that small group of people born closest to the cutoff date.” This gives way to the concept of athletic redshirting. The term comes from an athlete who delayed participation in the University of Nebraska’s football team in order to obtain an advantage, yet still wore the team’s signature red shirt to practice. Yet the reality of the older members of a group achieving greater success is not limited to the hockey rink or football field; we see this advantage at play in the classroom as well, creating the phenomenon known as academic redshirting.

The tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn;

Worth the Wait? When deciding whether or not to postpone kindergarten, one might wonder if the few months really make a difference in the long run. One might assume that whatever disadvantage a younger child faces might eventually disappear with time. However, Malcolm Gladwell posits, “It’s just like hockey. The small initial advantage that the child born in the early part of the year has over the child born at the end of the year persists. It locks children into patterns of achievement and underachievement, encouragement and discouragement, that stretch on and on for years.” This bias is especially pronounced in schools that separate children into tracks based on academic ability for reading and math. Oftentimes, teachers mistake maturity for intellectual ability, and the children who are a few months older end up in the more advanced groups. Similar to the older athletes that receive better training and more experience, the

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Redshirting By the

Numbers The poorest students are three times more likely than the richest to repeat kindergarten Ratio of white kids redshirted to black kids redshirted: 2.5:1 Drop in repeating kindergarten if a child is 1 year older: 13.1% Median annual cost of care in a preschool center: $7,800 Percentage of 6-year-olds starting kindergarten in 1968: 4% Percentage of 6-year-olds starting kindergarten in 2005: 16% (Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, Elder & Lubotsky (2009), Child Care of America 2012 Report, Deming & Dynarski (2009))

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students in the advanced track can be propelled further than their younger counterparts in a self-perpetuating cycle of better teaching, more attention, and higher performance. This type of success is called “accumulative advantage” by sociologists, as a small edge snowballs into a huge difference in long-term achievement. Economists Kelly Bedhard and Elizabeth Dhuey conducted a study among fourth-graders that examined the correlation between standardized test scores and month of birth. The results of this study are telling: the older students scored between four and twelve percent higher; an extremely significant difference. Gladwell explains, “if you take two intellectually equivalent fourth-graders with birthdays at opposite ends of the cutoff date, the older student could score in the eightieth percentile, while the younger child could score in the sixtyeighth percentile. That’s the difference between qualifying for a gifted program and not qualifying. “ Dhuey and Bedhard also analyzed birth month at the college level and found that “students belonging to the relatively youngest group in their class are underrepresented by about 11.6 percent.” These studies that reveal that the age bias persists with time validate all who choose to redshirt their children. According to Dhuey, “It’s ridiculous […] that our

Oftentimes, teachers mistake maturity for intellectual ability, and the children who are a few months older end up in the more advanced groups. arbitrary choice of cutoff dates is causing these long-lasting effects, and no one seems to care about them.” In order to correct this imbalance, Gladwell proposes a unique institutional fix. Since cutoff dates are arbitrary points of separation to begin with, why not then create more grades? He suggests dividing grades into tracks based on birth month so that children are in an environment of peers born in the same quarter, creating a more even playing field. If schools were set up like this, each track would purportedly produce the same rate of successful students without creating an age bias. However, given the complicated administrative task that this solution presents, according to Gladwell’s research, redshirting remains the best option for

those borderline birthdays who would end up disadvantaged in the current system. Don’t Hold Back On the other side of the spectrum there are studies and theories that suggest that redshirting is not only unnecessary; it can actually be detrimental for both the child in question and the entire classroom environment. Because redshirting has become so common, instead of correcting the age disadvantage for a relatively younger student, the entire age range in the classroom has shifted and most classrooms represent a wider age range as a result. Sharon Holbrok, a mother of school-aged children, writes in the New York Times regarding her daughter: “Her kindergarten classroom is likely to have a wider spread of ages and abilities than ever. It may very well include children who are just under 5 years old, who have never been to preschool and can’t sit still, and in the same room, mature 6-yearolds who are fluently reading chapter books and ready for advanced math. The increased teacher burden, and the effects on the collective learning experience, seem readily apparent.” Educational psychologist Lori Day echoes these sentiments: “Teachers will just as quickly tell you that the vicious cycle of kids being older upon entrance, needing more rigorous curriculum, edging out younger Bayis |

students and thus increasing the incidence of redshirting, is not a productive situation. Someone needs to be the youngest, and someone always will be, regardless of the amount of jockeying. The common 18-month age-span in kindergarten classrooms resulting from redshirting also makes it difficult for teachers to manage group behavior and differentiate instruction. The trend of redshirting severely disadvantages those who do not hold back their younger children. At the same time, the oldest children — those who have been held back — are also losing out by being grouped with students well below their maturity and academic level. Thus, instead of solving one problem, redshirting seems to create many more. What’s even more troubling is the socioeconomic disparity that comes along with redshirting, giving the distinct advantage to those with more means. In the realm of public school, delaying free kindergarten education necessitates paying for another year of private pre-school. This creates an imbalance in terms of who is able to afford redshirting, allowing more privileged

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children an even greater edge. Lori Day explains, “This obviously increases the achievement gap between wealthier and poorer school districts, a divide that also often falls along racial lines. “ Another concern with redshirting is that holding a child back a year might mask a special needs issue. In a peer environment of younger students, a developmental delay might not be as apparent. According to Lori Day: “[Redshirting] is often done

"the benefits of being older and mature may not be as important as the benefits of being younger than your classmates.”

disproportionately to children with undiagnosed special needs who at the time were judged to be developmentally behind, but in fact were in need of special education services, not another year to mature. Children with learning disabilities who are redshirted or retained in kindergarten lose any accrued benefit very quickly, and are then simply older children with special needs that still must be addressed.” Additionally, state-funded kindergartens often provide more special needs services than private preschools. Therefore, students starting kindergarten on time could avail themselves of free testing and therapies offered by the school system. In addition to anecdotal evidence, there are many studies that find detrimental long-term effects of redshirting on the students who were held back. A study entitled “Too Young to Leave the Nest: The Effects of School Starting Age,” followed a group of Norwegian students born between 1962 and 1988. In an IQ test given to this group when they

reached 18 years of age, the children who started school later scored lower than those who started school earlier. Similarly, a study conducted by Peter Fredriksson in Sweden found that starting school later led to reduced earnings later on in life. A 2008 Harvard University study showed the same results: Delaying school entry age decreased graduation rates and income. In a New Yorker article entitled “Youngest Kid, Smartest Kid?” Maria Konnikova purports, “As it turns out, the benefits of being older and more mature may not be as important as the benefits of being younger than your classmates.” A study performed at Bocconi University finds, “Contrary to most of the existing evidence for younger pupils, we document that at the undergraduate level, youngest students perform better compared with their oldest peers.” “In the immediate term, being relatively bigger, quicker, smarter, and stronger is a good thing. Repeatedly, the studies have found exactly that—older kindergarten students perform better on tests, receive better teacher evaluations, and do better socially. But then, something happens: after that early boost, their performance takes a nosedive. By the time they get to eighth grade, any disparity

has largely evened out—and, by college, younger students repeatedly outperform older ones in any given year” (Konnikova). Though it seems counterintuitive, the idea that younger children would excel more than their older peers might come down to an attitude of striving and overcoming obstacles. The older, more developed students who succeeded easily in kindergarten and the early grades, never learned to push past their limits. In fact, being the biggest and smartest can be boring and lead to a comfortable stagnation. However, the younger students, in their struggle to keep up, end up cultivating a mindset of dedication, motivation and persistence. Therefore, around eighth grade, when the developmental and maturity differences of those few months dissipate, the students with more grit and determination are the ones who achieve greater success. What’s a Jew to Do? If you’re still with me, you’re probably left with more uncertainty about redshirting than ever before. There are compelling arguments backed by sound research on both sides of the argument. On the one hand, you wouldn’t want to put a child into a school environment of older peers if he’s not emotionally,

physically and developmentally ready. No one wants their child to be behind and disadvantaged in a classroom environment of more mature students. On the other hand, being the oldest, would he be pulled down by his younger peers? Would a learning disability or delay be ignored? Would he miss out on learning valuable life skills and developing grit by being older, smarter and better from the start? Going back to Malcom Gladwell’s book Outliers, as a Jew, I was struck by a line written while discussing the popular view of the “self-made man." Describing the cultural obsession with attributing success with “the efforts of the individual,” Gladwell writes, “In the Bible, Joseph is cast out by his brothers and sold into slavery and then rises to become the pharaoh’s right-hand man on the strength of his own brilliance and insight.” A Torah Jew can’t read a statement like that without being taken aback by such outright falsehood. We know that Yosef attributed all of his success to Hashem (Bereishis 41:16). So too, in all situations we face, the results are in the hands of Hashem! Understanding the research and pros and cons of redshirting are important factors in decision-making, but as always, the outcome will be determined by Hashem.

in the

Recipes and Photos By Rena Tuchinsky

Kitchen

Succos Starters

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made your succah welcoming and beautiful to enjoy over Yom Tov. How about starting the meals the same way? These starters are not only super delicious, but they are the perfect accompaniment to your beautiful surroundings.

FRESH SPRING ROLLS

This starter is both refreshing and beautiful. You may be shocked to find even children devouring them. There is just something about dipping foods and eating with your hands that everyone enjoys! 1 package of rice paper Romaine lettuce Red cabbage, shredded Carrots, julienned Cucumbers, julienned Red and yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE ¼ cup natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey ½ teaspoon powdered ginger 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce 3 tablespoons water Soy Scallion Dipping Sauce: 2½ tablespoons soy sauce ½ tablespoon rice vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions 1. P our 1-2 inches of water into a large wide bowl. Place one sheet of rice paper into the water and let sit, covered in water, rotating if needed, for about 15-30 seconds or until it begins to soften. Do not let it

get too soft or it can break. It will soften more as it sits. 2. Remove the softened rice paper and place in front of you on a flat surface. 3. Place a little of each vegetable in the middle-lower portion of the rice paper. 4. Fold the bottom part of the paper over the vegetables, then roll once. Then fold in both sides and continue rolling. As you go you will get the hang of it and figure out the right proportions for the nicest spring rolls. 5. W hisk together the dipping sauce ingredients and serve on the side of the fresh spring rolls.

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MEXICAN STARTER Beautiful, yet simple to prepare, this starter takes seconds to assemble. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought salsa, but to make it even better, try out our roasted salsa recipe below! TORTILLA CHIPS 1 can corn 1 can black beans Salsa, recipe below Guacamole, recipe below Cilantro, for garnish

Blend again till combined. 3. A dd in the remaining tomatoes and pulse 3-4 times. This will keep some of the salsa chunky. If you prefer a smooth salsa, just blend all together at once. 4. Taste and add more salt if needed. GUACAMOLE 3 ripe avocados ½ teaspoon garlic granules ¾ teaspoon salt ½ tablespoon lime juice 1. Mash all ingredients together.

ROASTED SALSA: 6 tomatoes, quartered 2 cloves garlic 1 small jalapeno, halved, with seeds removed 1 onion, quartered 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt 1 small handful cilantro ¼ teaspoon cumin 1 tablespoon lime juice Additional salt, if needed 1. P lace the tomatoes (skin side up), garlic, jalapeno, and onion in a pan with olive oil and salt. Mix and broil till charred in some places, about 15 minutes. 2. R emove from oven and place everything, except for two of the tomatoes (8 pieces) in a food processor with the S blade. Blend for about 30 seconds then add in the cilantro, cumin and lime juice.

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Tip: Keep the pit in the container with the guacamole to keep it from browning too quickly. TO ASSEMBLE 1. Mix the corn and black beans. 2. I n the center of the plate or bowl, place a large spoonful of the corn and black beans. Top that with a large spoonful of salsa and then top that with a spoon of guacamole. 3. Place a small piece of cilantro on top and scatter tortilla chips all around.

2. A dd in the spices and mix with the meat till fully coated. Then add in the sweet chili sauce, ketchup and water. 3. Allow to boil, then simmer for another minute or two.

MEAT OVER HUMMUS WITH PITA CHIPS In my family this is a go-to starter for Shabbos and Yom Tov. The crispy homemade pita chips with the creamy hummus and flavorful meat topping are always a hit. You can use any store bought hummus, but the recipe below is worth the extra effort. If blended correctly, you will end up with a super creamy and fresh hummus you will choose over store bought any day. MEAT 1 lb ground meat 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon each of cumin, garlic powder and onion powder 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce 3 tablespoons ketchup ½ cup water

EASY CREAMY HUMMUS 2 cans chickpeas, drained, with some liquid reserved ½ cup tahini 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon cumin ¾ garlic powder ¼ cup water, to thin Salt, to taste PITA CHIPS 4 pitas cut into 6 triangles 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil For the Meat: 1. A dd the ground meat to a sauté pan on medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Once it is no longer pink, drain the fat and return to heat.

For the Hummus: 1. In a food processor fitted with the S blade, put in just the chickpeas. Blend, scraping down the sides every so often and adding about half the can of the reserved liquid to help it come together. Keep blending till you no longer see large chunks. This will result in a very smooth hummus. 2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue to blend. 3. If it looks too thick add in a little water, it will firm up a bit in the fridge as well. Taste and add salt if needed. For the Pita Chips: 1. Preheat oven to 400oF (200oC). 2. P lace the cut up pitas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle on the olive oil. Rub the garlic and oil onto the cut up pitas. 3. S pread out evenly and bake for 20-30 minutes or until crispy. You may flip them over in the middle of baking, but it will be fine without doing so. To Assemble: 1. P lace the hummus in the middle of a serving plate, creating a well in the center. Top with the warm ground meat. Serve with pita chips. Bayis |

Tips for

Healthy Living

Hydrate Part 2 In the last issue we discussed making plain olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; water taste better. Did you know that the average person needs to drink over 2 liters of water per day? That may sound impossible, but can be simple to do by implementing these tips

1 2 3 4

Use Something Nice. Pick a bottle or nice cup to keep your water in. Be honest, you are more likely to drink from a pretty bottle as opposed to a generic plastic bottle. So find something you like!

Once empty, refill. Keep the bottle with you wherever you go. Once it is empty, fill it right back up and keep drinking. Every time it is empty, refill. Before and After. Drink a full cup of water before and after (or with) each meal. Like we said, drinking before a meal can help you get fuller faster, making it less likely that you will overeat. Prepare. Every night before bed fill up two large bottles equaling 2-3 liters with water. The next day you can make it your goal to finish them by the end of the day. This tip is great for those who are home most of the day, since dragging around these bottles is not so convenient.

Keep track. For those of you on the go â&#x20AC;&#x201D; take two bottles that hold 4 cups of water each. With a permanent marker, mark where each cup ends and the time of day that you need to finish that amount of water by. You can also use just one bottle and label both sides. When the first 4 cups are done refill and start over. This is great when starting out since it is a smaller amount, but you are still getting in more water than before.

Use a Straw. Drink with a straw! Straws are fun and many people find drinking with one easier.

Count to 10. Start drinking the water and count till 10. This will help you get more in each time you take a drink. Sips of water will not get you anywhere.

With the fast coming up it is even more important than usual to stay hydrated. You may be used to quickly drinking a couple of cups of water just as it is about to start, but this will not make much of a difference as it will flush right through you. These tips are sure to help hydrate you well before. You will likely have an easier fast, and see some health benefits as well. Let us know how it goes!

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Eye on Health

Fasting is Healthy

xtended fasting during the night has been shown to decrease the risk for some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In the first study of its kind, researchers analyzed 11 years of data from non-diabetic cancer patients, with surprising results. The women who fasted less than 13 hours per night showed a 36 percent increase in cancer recurrence compared to those who fasted for 13 or more hours per night. In other words, going at least 13 hours between dinner and breakfast is associated with a lower risk of cancer. Longer fasting results in better sleep and less disease risk. The study showed that each two-hour increase in fasting time made for longer nights of sleep. This is important not only because it helps people feel better, but also because it points to a healthier sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm. An imbalanced circadian rhythm increases cancer risk, along with numerous other chronic diseases. Each two-hour increase in fasting time also reduced blood sugar and systemic inflammation, hence lowering the risk of diabetes and other diseases.

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GOT LOW BLOOD SUGAR OR ADRENAL FATIGUE? Then a bedtime snack may be appropriate. While the new research makes a strong case for extended nighttime fasting, long fasts may be detrimental to those with low blood sugar or adrenal fatigue. In these cases, allowing blood sugar to drop too low through fasting can cause a series of negative hormonal consequences that result in insomnia, mood issues, fatigue, and poor brain function. If you wake up anxious at 3 or 4 a.m., you may be a victim of low blood sugar and need to eat a little protein to fall back asleep. Eating a little bit before bed can also help prevent those all-too-early wakeup calls. As always, be sure to consult with your doctor.

Rabbi Dr. Yoseif (Jeffrey) Glanz

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Chapter 4 Chava explores her house for more evidence, and finds a wedding gown, a black hat, and a bag filled with weird leather boxes and strings. Inside the bag, she also finds a note written by her mother to someone named Yaakov. She tries to ask her mother about it, but they fight instead, leaving Chava with even more questions...

hava wasn’t stupid; she knew she was Jewish, but that’s about all she knew. The only thing her parents had ever told her about being Jewish was that her name was pronounced like the “ch” in Chanuka. But because they had never celebrated Chanuka, the only thing she knew about the holiday was what she had seen in supermarkets around December time, when they sold cards with little menorahs and dreidels on them. She also knew that a holiday called Passover happened in the spring, because they sold cards then too. That’s all she knew. Her parents never talked about much other than work and politics, and neither of them were home enough to even do that very often. They didn’t take many family trips. Her mother was a partner in an international law firm and often made trips overseas for business, and her father owned his own medical practice. The only thing they had ever seemed to care about was getting ahead at work. Talking to their daughter about religion, Chava was sure, was the last thing on their minds. But Chava had a computer, so early Sunday morning,

finding chava By: Shira Katz

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Rabbi Dr. Yoseif Rabbi (Jeffrey) Daniel Glanz Glanz she opened her laptop and began to read. She first did some cursory searches on the internet for things like “Judasim,” and "Religious Jews,” but she found so many hits and so many confusing articles that she wasn’t sure where to turn. Instead, she narrowed her search to online books and put in the

But there had to be answers. There had to be someone, somewhere, who knew something about Jews. same search terms, hoping to find some basic information in an introductory book. She thought maybe she could learn more about what a chuppah was and what it symbolized. It struck her that she had studied the major religions of the world in high school, but that she still knew nothing practical about her own religion. Chava wasn’t surprised; as far

as she knew, there weren’t that many Jewish people where she lived. She thought that maybe there were some other Jewish students in her high school class, but nobody had ever mentioned it. It had never been important to them. Chava found some online books and opened the first one to the table of contents, hoping to see something about marriage, and was instantly overwhelmed by the amount of options. Circumcision. The Sabbath Day. The Festivals. The Laws of Keeping Kosher. Blinking quickly, Chava switched to the section on lifecycles, including marriage, birth, and death, and started reading the introduction to the chapter. She read for several pages, before closing the tab on her computer and rubbing her palms into her eyes. Only some of what she was reading made sense to her. She felt like she was only scraping the tip of a very large iceberg. Her understanding of her heritage was so slight that she didn’t even know how to measure how much she didn’t know. But there had to be answers. There had to be someone, somewhere, who knew something about Jews, even if it wasn’t here in her small town. Chava tapped her fingers on

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her keyboard and then typed in “Orthodox Jewish community.” If she was going to figure out what her parents were hiding, she was going to do it right. The results that came back were mostly Wikipedia articles talking about orthodox communities in America, but one website, she noticed, talked about restaurants that were kosher. After a quick side search on the meaning of the word “kosher”, Chava decided that any town that had a kosher restaurant probably also had religious Jews. She searched for a kosher restaurant near her, and the closest one seemed to be about two and a half hours away. It only took her a minute to decide. ••• In the car, Chava thought about all of the chapters in the books she had found online. She had never known how much there was to being Jewish. Actually, she had never known anything about being Jewish at all. Every time she passed an unfamiliar town sign and started to lose her resolve, she reminded herself that there was a black hat and a wedding gown sitting in her basement, and she needed to get answers. She

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didn’t know exactly how she would answer her questions or what she might discover, but she knew she needed to do it. When she arrived in the town, Chava pulled her car into the closest parallel parking spot and got out, sliding her sunglasses down over her face and locking her car. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the light, she felt awkward. Not only was she two and a half hours away from home, by herself, but apparently she stood out, a lot. She knew she would stand out for asking basic questions, but she never thought she would stand out for wearing pants and short sleeves. As she stood on the curb and looked down the length of the street, she saw dozens of women coming in and out of shops, all wearing long skirts and long sleeves, and some with scarves on their heads. Didn’t they realize it was summertime? Chava didn’t remember reading about this in the book. Why were they all dressed like that? Chava swallowed and reminded herself again of what sat in the basement. She stuffed her keys in her pocket and began to walk down the street. She tried not to feel stupid. She tried not to think

that driving two and a half hours to a town full of strangers because of a picture in her basement was insane. Chava began walking, but she also pulled out her phone and called Evie. “I’m driving to my aunt’s house,” Evie said. “What’s up?” “I’m—” Chava stopped. “I’m just taking a walk,” she said after a moment. She was walking, but down the street in a strange town with strange people. “You okay?” Evie asked. Chava stopped before each storefront to gaze at the strange words written on the windows and look inside the stores. Sheitals. Kosher. Shabbos. Minyan. Some windows were written in Hebrew. Her chest began to fill with anxiety. What if she got lost? Would anyone help her? “Ava?” Chava realized she hadn’t responded. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah I’m here.” “I asked if you were okay,” Evie said. Chava was staring at her reflection in a store window. Beyond her face, silver candelabras and elaborate silver cups and goblets stood on display on glass shelves. She stared through her own reflected eyes at the Hebrew

Rabbi Daniel Glanz

words etched into one of the silver plates. “Did you know my family is Jewish?” Chava asked. There was a pause. “I guess,” Evie said. Chava traced her finger around the outline of the unfamiliar words on the silver plate. A whole store, she thought, just for silver cups? What did they do with silver cups? “Are any of our other friends Jewish?” Chava asked. It seemed suddenly completely crazy to her that there was an entire town dedicated to Jewish things. What did being Jewish mean? Did they really need an entire town for it? Weren’t Jews just like everyone else? If it was such a big thing, why didn’t she know about it before? “I don’t think so,” Evie said. There was another pause. Chava heard the engine of Evie’s car in the background. “Why are you asking?” “I don’t know,” Chava said. “I was just thinking about it.” She pulled herself away from her reflection and the silver store. She walked down the street past two women in headscarves. She shook her head. Why headscarves? “You know?” She said, half to herself. “I’m Jewish.”

“Yeah,” Evie said. “And?” Chava paused in the middle of the sidewalk. I’m Jewish, she thought. And? What did it actually mean to her, that she was Jewish? She was Jewish—and what? She had absolutely no idea. “I don’t know,” Chava whispered. “Okay,” Evie said. She sounded uncertain. “Does this have anything to do with what happened in art class?” Evie said. “No,” Chava said. Evie knew she was lying. They didn’t lie to each other. But Chava’s heart was still beating unevenly at Evie’s question, and the fact that she didn’t have an answer. Not knowing was terrifying. She was on the verge of throwing her entire life into a question about a dress in her basement, and she had no idea why. What was she doing? “I’m at my aunt’s house,” Evie said. Chava blinked. “See you on Tuesday at class?” She said. “Sure.” There was a pause, but Chava was too distracted to notice. “See you then,” Evie said. Chava stuck her phone in her pocket, still standing right in the middle of the sidewalk, people passing her on

either side. I’m Jewish, she thought again. And? She knew it meant something. Didn’t it? Chava shook her head and forced herself to stop thinking about it. It was true that she didn’t know what she was doing, or why. But here she was, in this strange town. And the only thing she could do was keep putting one foot in front of the other. ••• Chava wandered around the town for a few hours, observing streets and storefronts, sitting in a park, and watching people. As the late afternoon began, girls more or less her age started to appear on the streets, in long pleated skirts and collared shirts that all matched. She wondered if they were coming from school, and maybe they got out later than she did? They looked like school uniforms. She wondered what kind of school made you wear pleats and collars. She had never seen anything like it. Young mothers were walking with their children, many with strollers. She didn’t see many men, and wondered about that too. She was just trying to take in as many sights as possible. After spending quite a bit of time in the park, Chava sat up

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Table of Contents from the bench and stretched. It was getting late, and she wanted to find some food. On her way back towards the main part of town, she passed the window of a bakery that exhibited divinelooking pastries that were rolled up with chocolate and had a shiny glaze. She pushed open the door. The smell inside the bakery was incredible. Chava looked around at the middle schoolaged girls in pleated skirts and stockings sitting at a table near the window, eating chocolate pastries. There were two women in headscarves waiting at the register to purchase browned, braided breads. She browsed the shelves with vast trays of chocolate, cinnamon, and sugary desserts. A box of black and white cookies caught her eye. She brought it up to the counter and waited behind the two women. As she listened to them, she realized that not only did they dress like they were from another world, but they also spoke a language that hardly made sense to her. It was hard for her to piece together the conversation. “They’re making sheva brachos by Esther this Shabbos,” the first lady said to her friend. Chava thought

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she had seen the word “Shabbos” written on a store window, but she didn’t know what it meant. “That’s so nice,” the second lady said. “It really was a beautiful chasunah.” “I was only able to make it to the badeken,” the first lady said. “But I’ll stop by the sheva brachos for sure.” Chava wanted to interrupt. She wanted to say, excuse me, but I’m Jewish too! She felt wildly excluded, like these women were purposely making up words she wouldn’t know just to prove to her that she didn’t belong. She had to hold her tongue as they checked out to keep herself from shouting at them. When she finally made it up to the counter and the old lady with a kerchief asked her what she wanted, Chava found herself dumbstruck. Now finally faced with a real-live orthodox Jew, Chava had no idea what to say. In the last five hours she had seen and experienced a way of life she had never imagined, and she felt like she was swimming much too far out at sea. “Um—” The old lady took the cookies from her hand, smiled, and began to ring them up. She was saying something,

but Chava wasn’t listening. She was just watching the lady move. In Chava’s mind, very religious people always seemed like they lived in faraway places with ancient practices, like the Amish in Pennsylvania. But here this lady was, here all these people were, standing before her, and Chava didn’t know how to process any of it. “I’m Jewish,” she finally said. It came out as a whisper. The old lady smiled again and handed her the cookies. “Enjoy,” she said. Chava took the bag and wanted to say more, but the lady was already waiting on the next customer. Chava stepped quickly away, feeling at once more comfortable and more uncomfortable. She didn’t know why those words had come out of her mouth. She didn’t know what to feel anymore. She left the store quickly. As she walked down the street, she was no longer interested in aimlessly wandering the town. She was here for answers. She wasn’t here for chocolates. She wanted to know what this all meant. She wanted to know who she was. She wanted to know who Chava was. to be continued...

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Shabbos Halacha

Toys and Games on Shabbos 4 (Boneh)

With the incredible variety of toys and different ways that they work and are played with, inevitably Shabbos questions arise. We will try to tackle as many of the questions and possible problems that we can. Here are some of the questions that arise: I know there is discussion about whether or not Legos are allowed to be played with on Shabbos. Does that apply to all building toys like Magna Tiles, Clics, etc.? There is a big difference between Clics and Magna Tiles. The question of Boneh only comes into play if the pieces are actually connected together and don’t come apart easily. Therefore, Clics and Legos might be a problem while Magna Tiles and Kapla (wooden building blocks) have no issue whatsoever.

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Okay, so is someone allowed to build with Clics (or Legos) on Shabbos? There are definitely reasons to be lenient about your kids building with these types of toys. R’ Shlomo Zalman, R’ Moshe Feinstein, and others permit these types of building toys where constructing and destructing are the main usage of the toy and whatever was built is so temporary it doesn’t even fall under the category of Boneh. However, there are halachic authorities including R’ Eliyashiv who are stringent.

Rabbi Zecharia Steinman

The Melachah Boneh Boneh, another one of the 39 melachos on Shabbos, can be categorized as follows: Firstly, there is the regular Boneh which is the assembling or building of a structure that is attached to the ground. Any part of the process of making a structure — like the creating of a foundation, the building of a wall, the building of a roof on the walls, etc., are all included in the melacha. This means that not only would putting missing bricks into a wall or fixing a hole in the roof fall under the prohibition of Boneh, but even smoothing out dirt on the ground (which creates a foundation) is forbidden. The second category is called Boneh b’Kaylim, building in regard to objects. Although it is a matter of dispute, the Shulchan Aruch rules that Boneh exists even in regard to objects which are not actual buildings. That means that any creating or fixing of an object can be a problem of Boneh. There are some exceptions, but the rule of thumb is that if pieces are being put together in a way that is strong and will last for a significant amount of time, then there is a problem of Boneh. For example, if the screw fell out of someone’s glasses, they would not be allowed to put it back in. This is because by screwing them together they would be creating the pair of glasses in a secure and lasting way.

If my kid asks me to help him build something with Clics, can I help him? That is a lot harder to allow. The Shmiras Shabbos K’Hilchasa uses the lashon ‫אין למנוע את הילדים‬ ‫מלבנות וכו‬, “you don’t have to stop your kids from building.” This signifies that this heter is not so foolproof, and that there is merit to putting these toys away and not letting your kids play with them on Shabbos. With that said, anyone who relies on R’ Moshe or R’ Shlomo Zalman should rely on them for their kids, but they should not partake in the building themselves. Magna Tiles, on the other hand, have no issue and you can help your kids build with them.

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Yaakov Grossman

How to Build a Succah

love Succos, it’s for sure my favorite holiday (I mean, besides for Purim of course). Everyone is so excited, the aura of atonement from Yom Kippur is still in the air, everyone’s in a great mood… and then I have to build my Succah. First of all, it’s not fair. My body doesn’t know whether to get into manlybuilding-mode or into sensitive-caring-mode. I go out and spend hours basically looking for a really nice fruit and some really beautiful plants, and then I’m expected to put on my tool belt and get to work. By the time I come home from doing my flower shopping, I just want to take

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out the Succah decorations and think about which ones will look nicest where. This is not a conducive emotional state when I’m supposed to be manning power tools and hammers. So, to get myself into the mood, I go buy beer and open up my car hood and check the oil — once dirty and tipsy, I’m a little closer to my desired state of mind. (NOTE: DO NOT HANDLE POWER DRILLS WHILE TIPSY… your Succah will not look nice.) If this is not enough I will probably call a friend and discuss sports. OK, I’m ready. Now, if you think it’s hard for men to ask directions (I’m not sure if men use Waze or not, is that considered asking

someone for directions? They probably do, but most probably decide that they know better than the GPS take a different route, and proceed to get lost for an hour anyways) then you have no idea what it takes to have to ask someone else to build your Succah. First, every man will try building it himself. This does not last very long. Once he realizes he cannot possibly hold two walls and drill them at the same time (for some reason we still try this every year) he will call a friend. I don’t really know how anyone is able to build his own Succah, because basically every man is busy helping his friends build theirs. Once his friend arrives

and they actually get to work you’ll probably be hearing a lot of screaming and the sound of tools falling to the floor from up high. At this point you will come across two types of men. The first will proceed to build the Succah with his friend until the finished product looks something like a teepee, and it’s not clear exactly where the schach is going to go. The second will call in for professional help, but “just to help me touch up a couple of things.” (It should be known that this turns out to be way more expensive then calling the professional in the first place, as now he has to first dismantle all the parts, and then put them together again.) Still, this type of man will remain outside while the handyman is building his Succah, because they are obviously building it “together.” He’ll be pacing around outside

If you think it’s hard for men to ask directions then you have no idea what it takes to have to ask someone else to build your Succah

holding a hammer pretending he needs to fix something. Whichever category your husband falls into, by the time the Succah/teepee is up it’s basically fifteen minutes to Yom Tov, so your husband will run around with a stapler slamming Succah decorations into anywhere and everywhere. (What happened to that feminine spirit?) You probably won’t have

light in the Succah for the first night because there was no time to do the electricity, but if you’re lucky there will at least be four walls. (Although I’d like to point out that a Succah is totally kosher with three walls, so don’t lose it if that’s all you got... and don’t mind the stray cat sitting next to you.) But please listen to my sage advice; tell your husband the Succah is amazing. Failing to do this is the equivalent to you buying a new dress and your husband saying something along the lines of “it cost how much?” So enjoy your semi-sturdy structure, think of the lack of light as adding to the soothing atmosphere, and ignore the huge banana decoration smacking you in the face because your husband hung it from directly above your seat. Chag Sameach!

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