SEE AD SPREAD INSIDE
linked for life EZER MIZION
Door to Door Flatbush, Marine Park Edition
CHINESE AUCTION 2017
Bringing you the Buzz! on Savings & Events
There’s a poor child waiting for you to turn his life around
Volume 4, Issue 87 Jan 29th 2017
the
– to replace his shoes, still his hunger, fill his heart with joy. Your Power Auction entry makes him a winner today.
c ti
! 40 Fre izes eG Pr if
! ts
30 Fa nt as
TO HELP!
LAST CHANCE
DEADLINE T HIS TUESDA Y, JANUA
Turn lives around
RY 31 AT 11 P M
Visit the LOUNGE at 4708 13th Ave.
ORDER TODAY!
MESAMCHELEV.ORG 24 HR AUCTION PHONE line
877.895.2313 LOWEST CREDIT CARD PROCESSING RATES IN THE INDUSTRY CALL NOW 855-323-8300
גילי כהן
Pesach
onb ythe Adriatic Sea t h e L e v k o w i t z F a m i ly Avi Dror
Chazzan Tzvi Weiss HARAV MORDECHAI NOIGERSHAL
Under strict supervision of
Rav Eliezer Wolff
Shloime Gertner
Dayan of Amsterdam
Enjoy a dream vacation, at a breathtaking oceanfront hotel combining beauty, luxury and class!
Porec - Croatia - Valamar
10 Days > 13 – 23 Nissan > April 9 – 19, 2017
Breathtaking tourist sites and nature’s wonders near the island
Exciting local attractions for the whole family!
Choice of luxury rooms: Palace / Hotel / Villa
Lavish gourmet meals fit for a king!
21
shlomie mayer: 7185139885 Luxury Vacations & Events by the Levkowitz Family
e - m a i l : n y b u z ze-mail: m a g a zjlifestyle@gmail.com ine@gmail.com
ER THE ECTION OVEN Y FOR N 3 YSTEM
3999
$AVE $100
14CU.
$
39999
$AVE
Starts Now! The
$100
50%STACKABLE $150 OFF 4.3 cu. OFF
15999
$
14CU.
$
39999 30” GE Gas Range Sealed Burners Shabbos Frigidaire 30” Self Clean Mode with “Stainless Broiler Drawer Gas Range Steel Standard Sealed BurnersClean Reg.$599 now After only Rebate Reg. $399.99
99 99$$279 39999
479
$ $150 OFF
STAINLESS STEEL TUB
after rebate
Wirlpool Jet Clean Dishwasher with Steam Sanitize Option Energy Star Oversized Capacity Tall Tub Reg. $499 After Rebate
$24999
4.3 cu. ft. Cabrio® Washer High-Efficiency Top Load Deep Water Wash Cycle Pre Soak Option Reg. $499.99 now after rebate
349 W/CON ED REBATE
CONVECTION
7.5 CU.
WOW!
50% OFF!
339
$39999
33999
4.2 CU.
WOW!
99 $$39999
97999
999
$
3799999 479
$$
Samsung Front Load Washer STEAM WASH with internal water heater, super quiet, super large capacity fit 25 bath towels With matching Front load 7.3 CU Gas Dryer with STEAM DRY option and sensor dry Reg $1899.99 After Rebate ONLY EW BRAND NTS! C U WOW! PROD
LAST CHANCE AT THESE $ PRICES99 AMAZING
G.E. Profile Over the Range SAMSUNG OVER THE 1.7 CU Microwave Fingerprint Resistant Cconvection OvenExterior. RANGE CONVECTION Stainless Steel with fast bakeOVEN MICROWAVE Industry-Exclusive WITH SLIMSteel FRY FOR Stainless Silverware FAT REDUCTION 3 to Basket. Better Built SPEED VENT handle yourSYSTEM dirtiestG.E. 5 BURNER SELFdishes. Full StainlessCLEAN CONVECTION Steel Tub REG.499.99GAS RANGE, with 17,000 BTU power AFTER REBATE NOW ONLY boil burner center oval burner certified Sabbath mode Reg. $699.99
$
50% 50% OFF OFF
HOME •TECH CENTER
SAMSUNG Over The Range Microwave Oven Stainless Steel Reg. $259.99 now
Kitchen Aid Architect Series II, pro scrub dishwasher, full stainless steel TUB, energy star, hard food disposer Reg. $800 After rebate
$
GE 30” STOVE WITH FOUR BURNERS WITH $AVE DROP DOWN $200 BROILER ONLY
349
$
WOW!
99
40% OFF
$1000 AMANA 19Frigidaire cu Refrigerator OFF Whirlpool 17Cu. FrigidaireWhirlpool Stailess Steel 25 CU French Door with25 CU French Door with bottom freezer 26 cu Side by Side Refrigerator Frost Free Freezer with fresh produce preserver, 18.1 CU REFRIGERATOR fresh produce preserver, Energy star, Reg. 599 Now Only Energy star,with contemporary Energy Star withGlass Pure Freezer Water & IceReg. Dispesor $1500 -design After rebate Reg. $1500 - After rebate Reg. $999.99Adjustable now
99 $ 99 999 Energy Star Reg. $999.99 now 99 . Clear Door Bins. Frigidaire Stainless Steel 4-Piece Kitchen $$59999 99 $$499Shelf $899 99 Appliance Package 30 Inch Top-Freezer 99 Bins. 99 699 Full Width$Door799
499
WOW!
Accommodate small to Refrigerator with 18.0 cu. ft. Capacity30 The GAS Range withSUPERSTORE SEALED large size items and free Inch SELF CLEANFLATBUSH BORO PARK SUPERSTORE BURNERS Full Console with 1402 Coney IslandDishwasher Ave / 718-258-1200 1314 - 50th Street / 718-399-4900 up shelf space. 14-Place cu.- Thurs. ft. Over-theSTORE HOURS: SUN.Settings1.6 10:30 - 6 PM, Mon 10 - 7 PM / Fri.10 -1:45 PM STORE HOURS: SUN. 10:30 - 6 PM, Mon - Thurs. 10 - 7 PM / Fri.WHIRPOOL 10 - 1:45 PM STAINLESS STEELCENTER PACKAGE HOME •TECH reg. $499 now Range Microwave Oven with 1,000 Watts After rebate
25 CU. FT. SIDE BY SIDE FRIDGE WITH FILTERED ICE & WATER, WITH 30” 5.8 CU. GAS RANGE WITH CONVECTION OVEN CONTINUOUS GRATES WITH FIVE BURNERS BURNERS. EASY BAKING TECHNOLOGY, ONE TOUCH WOW! SELF CLEANING, TOP OF THE LINE DISHWASHER, JET CLEAN PLUS $1000 DISHWASHER, WITH STEAM SANITIZE OFF OPTION, ENERGY STAR OVER THE 18.1 CU REFRIGERATOR RANGE MICROWAVE 2.0 CUBIC FEET Adjustable Glass Freezer WITH 1000 WATT POWER SENSOR FRIGIDAIRE 20CU FROST Shelf FREE . Clear Door Bins. Frigidaire Stainless Steel 4-Piece Kitchen REHEAT OPTION. REGULAR PRICE Frigidaire Stainless Steel 4-Piece Kitchen Appliance FREEZER REG $699 NOW ONLY PackageRefrigerator 30 Inch Top-Freezer Full Width DoorPackage Bins. 30 Appliance Inch Top-Freezer with 18.0 $3000.00, AFTER REBATE Refrigerator with CLEAN 18.0 cu.GAS ft. Capacity30 Accommodate small cu. ft.toCapacity30 Inch SELF Range with Inch SELF CLEAN Dishwasher GAS Range with with14-Place SEALED SEALED Full Console large size items and freeBURNERS BURNERS Full Console Dishwasher with Settings1.6 cu. ft. Over-the-Range Microwave Oven with up shelf space. 14-Place Settings1.6 cu. ft. Over-thereg. $499 now 1,000 Watts REG.$2499. NOW ONLY
$
99
399
599
$
$
179999
$
99
Range Microwave Oven with 1,000 Watts REG.$2499. NOW ONLY
99 99 1499 $
399
$
149999
REG.$2499. NOW ONLY
149999
$
$1000 OFF
ENTHUSIASM RISES AS POWER AUCTION DEADLINE NEARS
E
nthusiasm is high for Mesamche Lev’s Power Auction 2017, organizers say, as they prepare for the final wave of entries. Two days to the deadline, the automated auction phone line, the website, and Mesamche Lev’s office lines are swamped with orders. Mesamche Lev has arranged for a large number of volunteers to man the phones this week, in response to the unprecedented volume of calls. The auction ends this Tuesday, January 31. “This is such an unusual auction,” says Dina W. of Crown Heights, who placed a $180 order by phone. “I love the double wins, where you can win two prizes in one. I’m really hoping to win $8000 in Showroom on 13. It comes with a great Build a Bear prize. Such fun! And the cash – I mean, there’s so much I can do with $18,000!” Her $180 entry entitled her to a great free gift, a riding toy that doubles as a stroller. Free gifts are awarded to donors who give sixty dollars or more. While the prizes and free gifts are very attractive, Dina is so glad to be supporting Mesamche Lev. “I have relatives who participate in Mesamche Lev’s Yom Tov programs, and I’m so happy to do this for them. I feel like by entering the auction, I’m helping them get shoes and meat for Pesach.” A self-professed procrastinator, Dina admits to almost missing the deadline. “It happens to me all the time. I want to order something, and before I know
By: Frimet Blum it, I miss the date. I didn’t want that to happen now.” She entered with time to spare, a full week before the January 31st deadline. There is still time to order – but it is rapidly slipping away. “Last year, we had people calling just after the phone lines closed. It was too late. They missed it,” said a Mesamche Lev staff member. He urged the entire
community to enter now. “The Power Auction supports all of Mesamche Lev’s programs,” he said. “The community’s support is crucial.” Mesamche Lev’s programs serve some twelve and a half thousand families. They provide Yom Tov provisions, including meat, poultry, matzah, groceries, and more to thousands. Mesamche Lev also assists widows in Eretz Yisroel and the US, and marries off orphans in Eretz Yisroel. One of Mesamche Lev’s more famous programs is the annual shoe distribution, where forty two thousand children from the entire Eretz Yisroel receive new shoes. The distribution has become a part of the pre-Pesach landscape in Yerushalayim. Children from across the
country converge upon the distribution site, and walk out with new shoes and huge smiles. Dina Abramovitz of Yerushalayim described what new shoes mean to her children. “My son’s shoes were ruined in the rain,” she says. “There were cracks in the soles. The water went right in.” With her husband out of a job, and the family living hand to mouth, there is no money for shoes. When Mesamche Lev replaced the water logged, misshaped shoes with a solid up-to-date pair, Dina and her son were ecstatic. “I was thinking, ‘what am I going to do? Where am I going to find money for new shoes now?’” she said. “You think this is a pair of shoes? This is a yeshuah gedolah for me.” All of Mesamche Lev’s programs are a yeshuah gedolah for the twelve and a half thousand families they serve. “The Power Auction plays a major role in our work,” says Rabbi Tzvi Friedman of Mesamche Lev. “We spend a huge amount of money each year. Just the programs for widows, and the orphan weddings, cost a fortune. Then there’s the shoes, the meat, the groceries – we depend on the community’s support.” The Power Auction drawing will take place Tuesday, January 31, at 11:00 pm, in the Mesamche Lev Lounge at 4708 13th Avenue. To enter, call the Power Auction line at 877.677.1313; or visit mesamchelev.org.
the TO EARN! Shop the Free Gifts Power Mall for the ultimate auction giveaway. Spend as little as $60; choose from 40 fantastic free gifts including Judaica, toys, electronics - even a $1000 jewelry gift card!
Visit the LOUNGE at 4708 13th Ave.
ORDER TODAY! MESAMCHELEV.ORG
Ticket Order Deadline:
JANUARY 877.895.2313 31, 2017 24 HR AUCTION PHONE line
SPON S OR A NES
Join multitudes of Jewish women across the globe fulfilling the ancient custom of giving tzedaka to Reb Meyer Baal Haness. During the auspicious moment of candle-lighting, a time of special tefilah and tzedaka, harness the cosmic powers of the legendary Rabbi Meyer Baal Haness by donating to the pushka of Kolel Chibas Yerushalaim.
IT'S THE FESTIVAL OF JOY
HELP US SHARE IT 2 MILLION DOLLARS
WILL BE Candle-lighting is one of the prime highpoints of the DISTRIBUTED Jewish woman in her role as the cornerstone of her home, lighting up and warming up her family. Utilize TOWARDS YOM TOV these exulted moments to multiply the power of your heartfelt prayer in the merit of Rabbi Meyer Baal Haness PREPARATIONS to bring forth yeshuos and success in every area – health, childrearing, finances, and all others.
Change the world – one coin at a time.
לייגט אריין אינעם בייגעלייגטן ענוועלאופ א קוויטל מיט די נעמען פון די פארפאלק
OVER
Strength. Hope. Solace. Comfort. Reassurance. Draw from the wellsprings of faith that has sustained bnos yisroel from generation to generation week by week. The potency of the miracle of Rabbi Meyer Baal Haness lives on in the heart of the yiddisha mama, forever.
Busy mother? Never forget again! Sign up for our Eis Ratzon Erev Shabbos charge system: one phone call and your credit or debit card will be charged in the
Order a free pushka today and receive a complimentary apron.
Call 24 hours at 718-633-7112 *with mention of ad
Change the world – one coin at a time.
BE PART OF IT. DONATE NOW. STIPENDS CHALUKAH 4 chalukas distributed annually
BRIDAL Assisting needy brides & families
EIZER L'YOLDOS MOTHERHOOD Mothers & newborns
LOAN GEMACH Lending money to families
CLOTHING Clothing for men, women & children
DENTAL & MEDICAL Covering dental & medical needs
KOLEL Supporting scholarly students
אלקא דמאיר ענני
SEND TO: KOLEL CHIBAS JERUSALEM RABBI MEYER BAAL HANESS 4802-A 12TH AVE. BROOKLYN, NY 11219 718-633-7112 CALL 24 HOURS TO DONATE: 1.866.PUSHKA.0 1.866.787.4520 ALL CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
6
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
TICKET PACKAGES:
EMraffle.org
❑ $10 (1 ticket) ❑ $18 (2 tickets) ❑ $25 (3 tickets) ❑ $36 (5 tickets) ❑ $60 (10 tickets) ❑ $100 (20 tickets) ❑ $200 (50 tickets) ❑ $360 (100 tickets) ❑ $500 (175 tickets) No purchase necessary
PRIZE #7 Trip to Eretz Yisroel for 2
Grand Prize
solvaidluedGatold
$40,000 PRIZE #2
PRIZE #1
PRIZE #3 Accentuations: $5,000 Gift Card
PRIZE #4 Hazorfim: $4,500 Gift Card
PRIZE #5 Designer Jewelry: $4,000 Gift Card
PRIZE #9 Trip to Switzerland for 2
PRIZE #8 Trip to England for 2
PRIZE #10 Cleaning Help: $4,000 Value
PRIZE #11 Gourmet Mart: $2,000 Gift Card
PRIZE #12 Carmona: $3,00 Value
PRIZE #13 Saks 5th Ave: $2,000 Gift Card
PRIZE #16 Otzar Hachochma
PRIZE #17 Artistic Framing: $1,200 Gift Card
PRIZE #18 Shulamis Laser: $2,000 Value
PRIZE #19 Living Quarters $1,000 Value
PRIZE #20 Visa Gift Card: $2,000 Value
PRIZE #22 Feldmans Necklace
PRIZE #23 Bugaboo
PRIZE #24 Drone
PRIZE #25 Dell Laptop
PRIZE #26 iRobot Roomba
PRIZE #28 Elite: $1,500 Gift Card
PRIZE #29 Mario Badescu Spa: $500 Gift Card
PRIZE #30 Playmags
PRIZE #31 Apple Gift Card $1,000 Value
PRIZE #14 Artscroll Shas
PRIZE #32 American Girl: $500 Gift Card
NEW CAR
$30,000 Value
$10 ON LY
EV ER Y PR IZ E
DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON:
FEBRUARY 22, 2017
linked for life EZER MIZION
CHINESE AUCTION 2017 PRIZE #6 Dream Wig
PRIZE #15 Lshma: ETERNAL Value
PRIZE #21 Linen Package
world’s largest jewish bone marrow registry 841,356 potential donors · 2,350 lifesaving transplants
PURCHASE YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS Today! PRIZE #27 Lingerie Shop
877-EZER MIZION (393-7649)
EMraffle.org 5225 NEW UTRECHT AVE. BROOKLYN, NY 11219 PRIZE #33 Playmobil
by Jeff Jacoby
The World’s Eight Richest Men
They have wealth equal to half the population. It’s a striking statistic but it’s also irrelevant. Oxfam grabbed headlines on Monday with a report claiming that the world’s eight richest men own as much wealth as the world’s poorest 3.7 billion people – half of the planet’s population.
The report was released in Davos, Switzerland, at the start of the World Economic Forum, an annual powwow of high-powered business and political leaders. The executive director of Oxfam International, Winnie Byanyima, seized the occasion to portray the gap between the world’s superrich few and extremely poor many as a moral and social calamity. “It is obscene for so much wealth to be held in the hands of so few when 1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day,” she said. “Inequality is trapping hundreds of millions in poverty; it is fracturing our societies and undermining democracy.” Oxfam’s proposed solutions are the usual leftist nostrums: higher taxes, a “living wage” for employees, more government spending. Headlines notwithstanding, Oxfam’s “new” finding is the same-
10
old, same-old it trots out every year. In 2014, Oxfam reported that the world’s 85 richest people have as much wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest; in 2015, it shaved the number of multibillionaires to 80; in 2016, the number dropped again, to 62. Now Oxfam claims the world’s poorest half is out-owned by just eight men. To be sure, it’s a striking statistic. It’s also irrelevant. The eight superbillionaires singled out by Oxfam are Microsoft founder Bill Gates, investor Warren Buffett, Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Spanish clothing magnate Amancio Ortega, Amazon creator Jeff Bezos, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and Michael Bloomberg, the financial-services entrepreneur and former New York mayor. Besides being unimaginably rich, the eight men have a few things in common that Oxfam doesn’t dwell on. To begin with, all eight men earned their extraordinary wealth. Through ingenuity, talent, and immense effort, they created enterprises that provide hundreds of millions, even billions, of human beings with goods and services that make life better, healthier, safer, and more affordable. Moreover, the Oxfam Eight didn’t grow their fortunes by
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
preventing other people from growing theirs. Their wealth may equal that of half the people on Earth (though Oxfam’s methodology is dubious), but the world’s poor have been climbing out of poverty at the fastest rate in human history. Byanyima rightly bewails the fact that “1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day” – what she omits is that over the past 30 years, the number of people living in such extreme poverty has fallen by nearly 75 percent. Johan Norberg, writing in Spiked Review, provides hard numbers: Worldwide, an average of 138,000 people climb out of extreme poverty every day. Since 1990, the world’s population has grown by more than 2 billion, yet the ranks of those in extreme poverty has shrunk by more than 1.25 billion. It is, in Norberg’s words, “the most important story of our time: Poverty as we know it is disappearing from our planet.” Just as capitalism made it possible for Gates, Zuckerberg, and the others to reach the highest rung on the economic ladder, it is making it possible for billions of men and women to climb up from the lowest
rung. Oxfam’s billionaires are richer than they used to be. So is almost everyone else. Of course, the super-wealthy ought to share their great fortunes. Not because wealth disparities are “obscene,” as Oxfam says. And not because the economy is a zero-sum game, with the rich getting richer only as the poor get poorer. But as a matter of goodness and gratitude – the timeless moral principle that from those to whom much is given, much is required. Oxfam’s megabillionaires agree. They have all given vast amounts to charity, using their wealth to do good for enormous numbers of people in need, in danger, or in pain. Gates has donated more to charitable causes than anyone, ever. Buffett and Zuckerberg have pledged to give away more than half of their wealth to philanthropy, as have scores of other billionaires. Wealth is good, and the more people who can create and earn it, the better. All decent people should worry about what the very poor lack. If you obsess instead about what the very rich have, you’re doing it wrong.
Gates has donated more to charitable causes than anyone, ever. Buffett and Zuckerberg have pledged to give away more than half of their wealth to philanthropy, as have scores of other billionaires.
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
11
EXPERIENCE THE WARMTH OF MACHON L’PARNASA. Separate Men’s & Women’s Divisions
Discover the Machon L’Parnasa Difference. Walk through our doors and receive personalized guidance in a warm, supportive atmosphere. Not sure what program fits your life? Need help figuring out a career goal? We’ll spend time getting to know you as we help you choose from Associate Degree programs in Accounting, Business Management, Human Services, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and Science and more. !
APPLY NOW! LATE REGISTRATION ENDS FEB. 15
NEW! Learn more about our new certificate program in Computer Programming, and how
you can earn a New York State certificate within 11 months.
Let’s plan your future together today.
Call Mrs. Florence Cohen at 718.871.4267 ext. 451 or email florence.cohen@touro.edu
ATTEND CLASS IN THE HEART OF BORO PARK Men’s Division 4425 13th Avenue Brooklyn, NY Women’s Division 1301 45th Street Brooklyn, NY
MACHON L’PARNASA INSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL STUDIES A DIVISION OF TOURO COLLEGE
Where Knowledge and Values Meet Touro is an equal opportunity institution. For Touro’s complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please visit www.touro.edu
"Helping children connect with their peers"
a
Great Day starts with a
This year, give your child the tools to make friends in school!
24-HOUR NURSES NIGHT NURSES • ELDERLY CARE BABY CARE • CERTIFIED • RELIABLE
Boys Age 3-4
Girls Age 3-4
Boys Age 5-6
Girls Age 5-6
Boys Age 7-8
Girls Age 7-8
Boys Age 9-10
Girls Age 9-10
Parents, watch entire session via video hook up!
newmarketingcreative / 732.276.7918
Social Skills Training Groups
GoodNight THE AG E N C Y T HAT
personally NURSING AGENCY K NOWS EV E RY NURSE
GoodNight Nursing
For more information contact:
Nechama Stamm MS, BCBA, LBA 718-338-0252 or email nechama.childconnect@gmail.com
MALKY HAUER 732.644.2894 MICHAL BRULL 732.552.8954
Child Connect is a trademark of Child Connect Licensed Behavior Analyst, PLLC
14
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
In My Honor! I Give You, 15 - 50% Off
With Mention Of AD
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
15
A mass grave, 70 years later.
Back to Ukraine H
by Mordechai I. Twersky
ere in the land of Tevye, the roosters still crow. Cows graze in open fields. But Tevye doesn’t live here anymore. I have set out from Israel to Ukraine to trace my ancestors. My first stop is west of Kiev, in a corner of the czarist-era Pale of Settlement for Jews, where “Fiddler on the Roof ” was set. Here sits an old Jewish cemetery, now a plowed-over field. It bears not a single headstone, just a house-like memorial for the late-19th-century maggid, or preacher, Mordechai of Chernobyl, my paternal ancestor five generations back. I continue on, more than 250 miles, to the outskirts of Khotyn, a 1,000-yearold Bessarabian fortress city beside the Dniester River. I enter another open field to connect with a far darker time. I find a 30-foot-long concrete slab, etched at its head with the names, in Hebrew, of 45 men, women and children. First are my
16
grandfather and uncle: “The holy Rabbi Mordechai Israel Twersky and his son, Aaron.” Following a Jewish tradition, I remove my shoes. This is sacred ground — one of three mass graves in the city, containing in all an estimated 1,900 Jews who perished early in the Holocaust, 70 years ago this summer. “The earth shifted for days,” an old, toothless man tells me in Russian. He is one of Khotyn’s 15 remaining Jews and among the minyan, or quorum for worship, who accompany me. “They couldn’t bury them fast enough.” I had never fully understood what happened here in 1941. Growing up in New York, I heard stories from my father, who survived five labor camps before making it to Ellis Island and becoming a rabbi. Not one to subject his three children to horrors, he focused on how his father had lived. On this visit, I wanted also to learn how my grandfather had died.
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
In the quiet streets of this city, where a Jewish community of 15,000 once thrived, I find no living witnesses. But I carry vivid testimonies written and spoken by Khotyn’s survivors, a guidebook from another era. The history is complicated; it begins with the Soviet occupation in 1940 of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, which the Nazi-Soviet pact allowed Stalin to detach from Romania. The Romanian Army’s withdrawal, and its return a year later with the invading Germans and their mobile S.S. killing units — the notorious Einsatzgruppen — unleashed a systematic Romanian-German campaign of torture, rape and mass murder. Then the Romanians deported some 23,000 Jews from the Khotyn district, which includes the city, to an occupied zone known as Transnistria. Over a three-week period in July and August of 1941, approximately 50,000 Jews were murdered in Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, the historian Avigdor Shachan
I continue on, more than 250 miles, to the outskirts of Khotyn, a 1,000-year-old Bessarabian fortress city beside the Dniester River. wrote in “Burning Ice: The Ghettos of Transnistria.” According to the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania, 280,000 to 380,000 Romanian and Ukrainian Jews died in Transnistria during the war. They were victims not just of Germany, but at least equally of Romania’s anti-Semitic government. Just days before the dictator Ion Antonescu’s henchmen murdered my grandfather, experts on the Holocaust say, his next in command, Mihai Antonescu, advised top officials about the coming deportation of Jews. The ministers, he said, could be “indifferent if history judges us as barbarians ... This is the most opportune moment in our history. If need be, use machine guns.” On Stefan Cel Mare Street, I gaze at my grandfather’s house. A couple sits outside at a table, drinking beer. What was once a synagogue sanctuary is now a grocery store. “Your grandfather prayed from that balcony,” says Genya Cherkes, pointing upward and narrating a history her Jewish family bequeathed to her. “On the Sabbath and holidays,” she says, “people gathered below just to hear him pray.” Ms. Cherkes, now 60, says her
grandparents told her they had hidden my grandfather and his family in their orchard (in a non-Jewish neighborhood) after the Russians evicted the Twerskys from their home, leaving them to fear being deported or shot. I stare at the locals. My thoughts turn to the many collaborators, Romanian and Ukrainian, who assisted the Romanian and German armies in their atrocities. “They entered the homes of Jews with axes in their hands,” Nahum Morgenstern, a survivor, said of the collaborators, in a remembrance on file at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance institution and archive in Jerusalem. “They forced the Jews to undress and took their clothing. Then they decapitated them.” I am taken to a deserted compound about a mile away. It resembles a warehouse, with large glass windows and a high ceiling. A cow grazes outside. “In 1941 this was a girls’ school,” says one of my guides, a man named Ilya, whose mother survived the war. “Here,” he says of the Romanians and Germans, “they gathered all the city’s Jews, then picked out the Jewish leaders. Your grandfather was one of them.” I feel that I know this compound. For years, I imagined it as I read testimonies depicting Jews’ being herded into classrooms, gasping for air, debating whether to rejoin their leaders. “I was pressed up against the second-floor window,” Mr. Shachan himself recalled when I spoke with him. He was 8 at the time. Here, according to testimony at a
war crimes tribunal held in Bucharest in 1945, Jews pleaded for their lives with a Romanian police commander who, in quieter times, had engaged Jews in fluent Yiddish. But he told the assembled Jews that day that he had a new name: “My name is Hitler.” I open my briefcase. I show Ilya an account from the Yad Vashem archives. A Jew, sensing the end was near, asked Rabbi Twersky to make sense of it all. “It will be good,” the rabbi replied, in Yiddish. “One must always have faith.” We trace the path taken by the doomed Jewish leaders — doctors, lawyers and teachers, but also scribes, butchers and pharmacists — along the Dniester River, where hundreds of Khotyn’s Jews were shot. My grandfather was seen breaking from the line. “He jumped into the river to purify himself,” according to testimony from a survivor, Rachela Katz, cited in “On the Roads of Exile: Memories, 1941-1945” by Solomon Shapira. “The soldiers pulled him out and beat him.” We arrive at the spot — a foul-smelling marsh — where, in Ms. Katz’s account, the Jews were forced to dig their own grave. There is an eerie quiet. The grass is high and thick. I recite psalms and a prayer for the dead, Kel Moleh Rachamim (Hashem Full of Compassion). I read from Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Roosters are crowing now, seemingly louder and louder. To these ears it is a piercing, heckling sound — Tevye’s roosters sounding out an impudent “Taps” for a community where real Tevyes once lived. A towering poplar engulfs the grave in its soothing, protective shade. “It is a sign,” one Jew tells me in Russian. “Life can still sprout here.” Time is short. I must travel to Murafa, where my grandmother Batsheva, Rabbi Twersky’s wife, rests. She died there of malnutrition and typhus in a ghetto set up by Romanian authorities in 1942. Before leaving, I ask Ms. Cherkes, who tends Khotyn’s centuries-old Jewish cemetery and the graves of her forebears, how she can still live in a city where the martyrs so far exceed the remaining Jews. “You can’t begin to understand,” she says, annoyed by the question but forcing a smile. “You will never understand.” This op-ed originally appeared in the New York Times.
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
17
ridal resser D R E S S I N G T H E E N T I R E FA M I LY
For total peace of mind on the wedding day at the hall... Gowns need steaming? Hems cause tripping? Stitch a sash, a snap, a rip... Cut some tulle... add a petticoat.
Leave it to Pessy! 33 Years Experience!
Pessy Blum
917.755.8388 pessyblumbridals
18
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
WINTER favorites
Sale Up to
70% off
FENDI PRADA MONCLER MISSONI FERRAGAMO SONIA RYKIEL ST JOHN AND MORE
Tel. 347 404 7737 • 1305 47th St. • Brooklyn, NY STORE HOURS: Sun.-Thur. 11-7 • Fri. 11-2 E-mail: coutureofftherack@gmail.com
Enjoy our ated Newly Redecor ent & Sound Absorb Restaurant
20
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
BACK AGAIN in the beautiful POCONO MOUNTAINS Our 12th exciting year
The Mandel Family Presents
Pesach 2017
-Beautiful Indoor Pool -Indoor Tennis -Exclusive Spa -Horseback Riding -Golf -Archery -Basketball -Fishing -And Much More!
at the
The Inn At Pocono Manor Just 2 hours from NY
RABBI YISROEL ROLL
RABBI YAAKOV YOSEF REINMAN
Activities
RABBI AVI SCHNALL
MICHOEL PRUZANSKY
Check out our website: www.pesachtime.com
~ Rabbi Avi Juravel, Rav
~ Day camp run by Rabbi Shlomo Hyman of Englewood
~ Entire hotel Kosher L’Pesach ~ All baking done on premises
~ Daf Yomi, Shiurim and lectures by noted Rabbonim & speakers
~ Fully Stocked Bais Medrash
~ Amazing teen program
~ Infant day care and babysitting
~ Jugglers, clowns, animal shows, and more for the kids
732.370.7777
Looking forward to greeting you personally.
Chasidishe shechita, Cholov Yisroel, Non Gebrokts, Hand Shmurah Matzo
Your hosts, The Mandel Family
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
21
Jews and the Circus 7 Fascinating Facts by Dr. Yvette Alt Miller
Did you know that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is owned by a Jewish family? Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has announced it will close in May 2017, after 146 years of operation. The owners,
22
Feld Entertainment, a family firm, disclosed that declining ticket sales and high operating costs had made the circus unsustainable, particularly after they phased out the use of elephants because of concerns about animal welfare, in 2016. Many fans were surprised to learn that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been owned by a Jewish family for nearly 50 years, longer than it was ever owned by the Ringling brothers, or by Barnum and Bailey themselves. Bought in 1967 by Irvin Feld, the father of current CEO Kenneth Feld, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been a family affair, with Kenneth’s three daughters, Nicole, Alana and Juliette, serving as executive vice presidents. Jews have a long history in circus
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
extravaganzas. Here are six other little known facts about Jews and the Circus.
Bloody Origins
“Circus” means circle in Latin, and some elements of modern-day circuses can be traced back to the spectacles held in huge, circle-shaped amphitheaters throughout the Roman Empire, such as chariot races, mock battles, and gladiatorial combat. The Circus Maximus, in Rome, held spectacles for over 1,000 years. The Jewish historian Josephus, who was captured after the Jewish revolts against Rome in the 1st Century CE and brought to Rome, wrote in his book The Jewish War that after crushing the Jewish rebellions in Israel, Roman captors sold many Jews into slavery in gladiator schools, forced to fight other men and wild animals to the death. Perhaps the most famous Jew to serve as a gladiator was Shimon ben Lakish (also known as Reish Lakish), who sold himself into servitude as a gladiator, and later turned his life around, becoming an esteemed Jewish scholar instead.
Circus Acts and Stage Names As modern-style circuses became popular in Europe in the 19th century, a number of performers seem to have been Jews, often with unusual acts. The Warsaw Circus, for example, featured an exotic performer known as “Takhra Bey” who entertained crowds by piercing his face and body with needles and hanging weights from them. In real life, “Takhra Bey” was Moyshe Shtern, a local Jewish performer. The use of stage names hid the Jewish identity of his and many other performers. Some European circus stars who were open about their Jewishness included Moyshe Fayershteyn, who would seem to swallow animals, then produce them, amazing the crowds. Zishe (Siegmund)
Breitbart performed in the 1920s in Europe as a circus strongman. Known to his non-Jewish fans as “the strongest man in the world,” he also was affectionately called “Shimshon ha-Gabur” (Samson the Mighty) by his many Yiddish-speaking fans. Two European Jewish families even became circus dynasties. Tightrope walking sisters Pese and Leah Rozentsvayg married other Jewish circus performers: Pese married Jewish clown Itsik Gayler
top in 2008). And since 2016, the director of arguably the world’s most popular circus franchise, the Canadian-based international circus powerhouse Cirque du Soleil, has been Jewish entertainment businessman Mitch Garber.
Escaping Death in the Circus
During the Holocaust, four members of one Jewish circus family survived by being hidden in plain sight. Irene Bento was a trick rider; her husband (who, according to some conflicting accounts, might or might not have been Jewish) worked as a clown. Their two young children lived a travelling circus with them and other circus members, performing throughout Germany with a family circus owned by Alfred Althoff. Kenneth Feld, CEO of Ringling Bros. The scion of a 300-year-old and Barnum & Bailey Circus circus family, Alfred Althoff was determined to conceal the four Jewish members of his circus. “Circus people don’t ask if you and Leah married Yankev Birnboym, and are Christian, Jewish or heathen,” he later acrobat. Together, the two families and explained, when asked how he was able to their circus-performing children appeared resist the pervasive virulent anti-Semitism throughout Europe and the United States. of the war years. Alfred arranged false papers for the Bentos and they kept performing under pseudonyms. As the circus travelled During the golden age of European through Germany, Alfred would try to ask circuses, a number of circuses were founded his contacts for a warning when the local and run by Jewish circus families. In Gestapo was about to come to check the Germany, the Lorch family intermittently identity papers of the circus employees. ran the Circus Gebruder Lorch from He and the Bentos arranged a code: before the late 1800s until 1930, performing each Gestapo visit, Alfred would knock all over southern Germany, Austria and on their trailer door and tell them to “go Switzerland. The German Jewish family fishing”. “You can do a lot in a circus and Blumenfeld owned the Circus Blumenfeld, keep it a secret,” he recalled after the war. The Bentos survived the war and closing in 1928. Several popular circuses continued their careers as circus that were founded by Jews still exist today. performers. Their children eventually Foremost among these is the Moscow joined them in the ring, as well. Alfred Circus, which remains one of the world’s Althoff was honored by the Israeli most prestigious circuses and was founded Government after the war. He passed away in 1880 by the Jewish-German showman peacefully in his sleep at the age of 85 in Albert Solomonsky. In the US, the popular 1998. Big Apple Circus was founded by Paul
Jews Building Circuses
Binder in 1977 (he retired from the big
Circus Family in the Clutches of Mengele The Ovitz family, a Jewish family living in a small village in Romania in the years before World War Two, had an unusual distinction: they were the largest recorded family affected by dwarfism. Their father, Rabbi Shimshon Eizik, and seven (out of a total of ten) children all had the condition, marked by unusually short stature. The family arranged for music and performance lessons for the children; the Ovitz siblings were musically gifted and soon became accomplished performers. The five sisters and two brothers with dwarfism formed a successful circus act, which they dubbed the “Lilliput Troupe.” Their normal-sized siblings and mother helped out with costumes and other activities. Perla, the youngest sister, played a pink guitar, Frieda played the cimbalom, Rozika and Franziska played violins, while Elizabeth played the drums. Their brother Micki played the cello and accordion and brother Avram wrote the group’s scripts and worked as manager of the troupe. For 15 years the Ovitz siblings performed their successful act, even performing before King Carol II in Bucharest. On May 16, 1944, however, the Ovitzes were deported to a concentration camp. After a three-day train journey crammed into a cattle car with scores of other Jews during which many perished, the Ovitz family arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Instead of being murdered on arrival like their relatives and friends, the Ovitz family was a curiosity. SS guards woke Dr. Josef Mengele who welcomed the siblings, relishing the chance to perform medical
experiments on the dwarves. The Ovitzes quickly added a few “family” members to their group, including a neighbor and their handyman, saving these 15 normal sized people’s lives. But for the dwarves, months
18 month old son Shimshon. Mengele made the little boy malnourished to the point where he never cried or talked, and insisted on being called the traumatized toddler’s “Uncle Mengele”. In 1945, the Ovitz family was liberated from Auschwitz. They returned to their village, some of only 50 Jews to return out of 650 who were deported. In 1949, the family moved to Israel where they continued to perform.
Israel’s Medical Clowns In recent years, clowns have been moving out from under the Big Top and into hospitals where they help cheer patients and even can have medically significant, measurable healing effects on patients. Israel is emerging as a world leader in the use of clowns in medical settings. In other countries, clowns typically visit patients after their medical treatment; Israeli researchers are researching “clown therapy” as a researchdriven, standardized branch of medicine. Israel has at least 80 clowns operating in 18 hospitals. These Israeli clowns are also paramedics, and participate in diagnosing and helping to devise treatment and rehabilitation plans, much the same way that art therapists and occupational therapists are part of patients’ medical teams. In 2007, Israel’s University of Haifa became the first undergraduate degree program in the world in medical clowning.
In other countries, clowns typically
visit patients after their medical treatment; of torment was about to begin. Mengele spared their lives but at a gruesome cost, performing experiments on the siblings that left them exhausted, ill and in excruciating pain. Mengele enjoyed spending time with the Ovitz clan, praising Frieda and insisting that she wear makeup which he provided. The sadistic doctor brought toys from children he’d killed for Leah’s
Guaranteed! You Have This Only Once A Year! 1
2
3
They will recite each name slowly and deliberately following the recitation of Parshas Haman, Shnayim Mikra Ve’echad Targum.
At the Tziyun of the Ba'al Hasegulah, the saintly Reb Menachem Mendel of Riminov, where each name will be mentioned with its accompanying request, in detail, after a candle is lit at the Tziyun and Parshas Haman, Shnayim Mikra Ve'echad Targum, is recited
At four holy sites: the Kosel Hama'aravi, the Tziyun of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai, the Tziyun of Rabi Meir Ba'al Hanes and the Tziyun of Rabi Yehudah bar Ilai, which is auspicious for parnassah.
By the Gedolei V’Tzaddikei Hador, shlit"a, who will pray on behalf of contributors to Kupat Ha'ir after reciting Parshas Haman Shnayim Mikra Ve'echad Targum on Tuesday Parshas Beshalach
With a contribution of $150.00 per name. Names may be submitted via our telephone hotline until 10:00 p.m. on Monday, 10 Shevat, 6 February
Via credit card or check by phone 24 hours a day at:
1-888-KUPATHAIR 5
8
7
2 8
WWW.KUPAT.ORG
4
2
קו העפת יר
28
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
32
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
DRESS AS IF YOU'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME
718.BBSHIRT (227.4478) Follow us
5707 NEW UTRECHT AVE.
Ben Barber New York
@BenBarberNY
Mental Illness and Dating by Avital Mintz
I
t’s not easy telling someone you have a mental illness, but your greatest fears may be your ultimate strength. Esti* had been dating someone seriously for several weeks and felt that before continuing, she must let the guy in on her secret. She had to tell him that she suffers from a mental illness. Esti had been diagnosed with anxiety many years ago, but few people knew about
34
it. She regularly engages in psychotherapy and takes daily prescribed medication. She is successful socially, educationally and occupationally, but she is constantly battling her illness, trying to prevent it from flaring up. And she conquers her illness with much perseverance. Now she stood at a bridge and called me for advice. I heard her get choked up as she said, “I really like him and I’m afraid he
won’t want to continue anymore once I tell him. How do I deal with this stress? This is such a huge part of who I am.” Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head. “You know, Hashem gives us lots of struggles and I am genuinely inspired by the way you handle yours with such grace. Yes, you have very difficult days and sometimes weeks. But you put your effort in and persevere. You’re aware of the
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
warning signs and what exacerbates it, and you get the help you need before it is too late. You’ve learned to live with your illness and the challenges it brings. “These experiences have enabled you to help yourself and others in ways nobody else can. It would be much more worrisome for someone to get married when they don’t know how to manage their illness. Your adversity will be an asset to the marriage, not a hindrance. All marriages face struggles and you already have more insight than the typical girl who is dating. Tell it to him like it is and explain how you overcome the obstacles.” I could sense Esti’s despondency starting to lift. She begged me to call the guy she was dating and share my insight with him. I assured her that it was a message that only she could deliver. The rest was in Hashem’s hands. Esti thanked me and I prayed for the best.
Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
Disclosing your Illness
*Names and details have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved.
OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE
Pediatric Dentist Check out our App!
wagshallkiddsapp.com 4 Preventative Dentistry 3 4 Interceptive & Complete Orthodontics 3 4 Digital X-Rays/ Reduced Radiation Of Exposure 3 4 Treatment Of Infants, Toddlers, Tweens & Teens 3 4 Laughing Gas Available 3 4 Sunday & Afterschool Hours 3
rgrossmandesign@gmail.com
Mental illness can add a significant amount of additional stress to the dating process. The thought of revealing a part of you that you try to keep hidden from everyone is daunting, even terrifying. But as frightful as this task is, it must be done. There is no way around it. Marriage is a lifelong commitment with your other half, built on love and accepting someone’s strengths and weaknesses. It is important that your future spouse knows you and your imperfections before getting married. It is unethical to conceal something this crucial. Hopefully, the person who discovers that the person he cares about suffers from mental illness will see this issue in the greater context of his partner’s life. It may be a good idea for him to speak with his partner’s therapist or mentors who have seen her thrive when the illness is creeping up on her and work together to create strategies to cope with stressors that otherwise may strain the relationship. It is important for him to learn to see life through his partner’s eyes and gain a better understanding of where he stands. This way when the going gets tough, they will be able to work together to overcome their challenges. I told Esti that many people have been in her place and that she should take a deep breath, recognize her strengths and like her for who she is. “If he says no, hold your head up high and keep walking. Know that one day someone will see how special you are and not marry you in spite of your illness, but because of the valuable tools and insight it has ingrained in you.” Esti had that difficult conversation with her date and he took some time to think about what she had divulged. Ultimately, after many conversations, he realized how special Esti is and was undaunted by the challenges her illness might bring their way. They got married and are living happily with mutual support and honest conversations. For mental illness support or more information on destigmatizing mental illness in the Jewish community please visit www.RefuatHanefesh.com
2525 Nostrand Ave. Suite 1C Brooklyn, NY 11210 T 718.339.3435 · F 718.339.3751 wagshallkidds@gmail.com We now accept Delta Dental
Invisalign
Jonathan Paley, D.D.S Orthodontist for Children & Adults
Dr. Paley ues the latest imaging and orthodontic technology. These advanced tools and diagnostic systems allow us to create a precise and effective plan to treat every case.
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
35
ALL SWIMWEAR IS 50+ UPF
MODEST SWIMWEAR FOR LADIES AND GIRLS OF ALL SIZES.
0
Say Hi to
r a e w m i w s t s mode at its best!
1323 Ocean Parkway (bet. Ave M &N)
Sun-Thurs 10am-5pm WWW.UNDERCOVERWATERWEAR.COM
877-613-8299
36
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
BEST CHINUCH. BEST PROGRAM. BEST CAMPERS.
Early Bird Special $1300 Ends Friday
BEST CHINUCH. BEST PROGRAM. BEST CAMPERS.
Early Bird Special $1300 Ends Friday
Biz Card- 7p.pdf
1
5/22/2016
li.space.redeďŹ ned@gmail.com
C
M
LI & JULIET
Y
CM
+
MY
CY
CMY
K
718 258 0260
40
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
10:
Care Package to Heaven by Slovie Jungreis-Wolff
How to honor a parent who is no longer alive.
S
unday found me back again, besides my father’s grave. It was my father’s yahrzeit (date of death) and the custom is to return once more to the resting place of your loved one. As we stood, my mother, my sister, and I, an icy rain started to fall. Hard droplets began to pelt us. We did not budge. The words in our prayer books became wet and blurred, but we did not move. It felt as if the heavens were once again crying with us; feeling our painful loss. Can it be that years go by and still the hurt is searing? Beyond the pain, though, is this connection to a man who loved me absolutely for all my life. No matter how
difficult his day, my father never lost his temper with me. I cannot recall his voice raised in sharp anger or in a fit of rage. When I was a little child, I felt as if he always tried to hear my words. He would tenderly call me ‘sheyfalah,’ little dear, and sooth my little hurts. As I grew, there was this beautiful, beaming smile that carried me throughout my teenage years and beyond. When there was nothing left to say, his warm, bright eyes said it all. “Everything will be okay -- you are loved no matter what.” No burden was too heavy, no hour too late, if it meant being there for one of us, his children. Years passed, and then it was his grandchildren who discovered the magic world of a Zaidy’s absolute love.
Our life together brought moments that I still think about and cherish. I want to laugh with him again; share dreams with him again, talk to him again, and have my children hear my father’s wisdom. I wish that my children and grandchildren could hear his soothing bedtime Shema before they go to sleep or treasure the simple moments he’d taught us to savor. They would feed challah to the ducks, color rainbows with scented markers, and giggle at life’s wonders together. I wish that I could once again hold his hand and walk with him to synagogue, prepare a delicious meal for him, or help him with his hat and coat. I would love to have a chance to honor my father even for
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
41
just a moment. When I read the words of grown children who live with anger and resentment because of their parent’s awful mistakes, I miss my father even more. If one has been blessed with a parent’s love and then the parent passes from this earth, is it possible to still maintain the lifelong connection? Of course we are all obligated to respect and honor our parents; it is one of the Ten Commandments. But how can I honor my father if he is not here?
Higher and Higher
I recall a recent shivah visit that I made, to a student of mine who had lost her father. As I sat down, she told me that she had only one question. “I loved my father so much, how can I still honor him now that he is gone?” I explained to her that there are ways that we can not only honor our parents, but even help them, as they now enter the World to Come. Once a soul leaves this world there are no longer any opportunities for the soul to accomplish and do mitzvot. Our Sages teach us that the soul feels pained and remorse with the realization that it is too late to rectify any misdeeds or gain mitzvot and achieve goodness. Facing judgment, the soul cries out, “If only I would have the opportunity to correct my actions!” We who remain in this world can do a great kindness and show honor once again to our parents. (Though I am speaking about a parent; all these concepts apply to any loved one who has departed this world). Each time we do a mitzvah in the merit of the deceased, we help his soul rise higher and higher in the Heavens above. Our mitzvot become our parents’ lifeline as we link our good deeds to their soul and they now benefit from our actions. We can create the ultimate connection. It is as if we’ve sent a care package to Heaven.
What Can I Do?
Our Sages have provided us with specific ways that we can help our loved ones gain merit in our daily lives. We can dedicate our actions for the soul through the following suggestions: • Study Torah or ask a Torah scholar to dedicate his study to your parent’s soul
42
(during the week of shivah, others study Torah since mourners are not allowed to study Torah). • Tzedakah: Give charity or donate a Torah scroll, prayer books, or holy books in the name of your loved one to an organization, synagogue, or school. It is a good idea to have the name of your parent (or relative) inscribed inside the book.
Visiting the grave, giving charity, and studying Torah are all additional ways for us to add to our ‘care package to heaven’. • Acts of Kindness: Whenever you do a chessed, a kind deed, keep in mind that you are doing this mitzvah as a merit for the soul of your parent. This creates a great impact, for just as you have accomplished kindness, the soul of the departed will now benefit from Hashem’s kindness in turn. • Prayer: There is, of course, the holy Kaddish prayer that is said, during the first
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
year (12 months) of mourning and on the yahrzeit. Kaddish proclaims our desire that the name of Hashem be sanctified. When one suffers a loss and is then able to recite the Kaddish, he is publicly accepting Hashem’s decree.This is considered to be one of the most awesome mitzvot -Kiddush Hashem, the sanctification of Hashem’s name. The merit for the soul is real and great. • Embrace a Mitzvah: Choose a mitzvah and ‘put your signature on it’. It can be a mitzvah that your parent loved doing, or one that you would now like to take on. There are hundreds of mitzvoth to consider; such as helping children with special needs, visiting the sick, driving patients to doctor appointments, offering your professional services to those who cannot afford them, cooking and baking for families under stress, Saying blessings before and after you eat, keeping kosher, honoring Shabbat, praying each day, and avoiding gossip and shaming others. • Light a yahrzeit (memorial) candle in honor of your parent’s soul. Four times a year one lights a memorial candle, besides on the yahrzeit (date of passing) date itself. The holidays of Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, allow us the opportunity of Yizkor, remembrance. We light the candle at sundown and the flames burn for (more than) 24 hours. The flame of the candle symbolizes the human soul which is never extinguished. While lighting the candle, think about your loved one and say that “I am lighting this flame in the merit that my loved one’s soul find peace and attain greater heights in the heavens above.” The date of the yahrzeit also gives us added opportunities to help the soul soar higher in heaven because yahrzeit is a day of judgment for the soul. It is a custom to gather together and have a meal, a seudah, where we speak about the fine character of our loved one. We tell personal stories that relay his goodness, kindness, and integrity. Visiting the grave, giving charity, and studying Torah are all additional ways for us to add to our ‘care package to heaven’.
An Invitation Above When we completed our psalms, my
sister opened her bag and took out a folded white paper. This week, my sister’s daughter will be getting married and my sister brought the wedding invitation to the cemetery. She gingerly put it on my father’s resting place and covered the invitation with the small white pebbles that lay over his grave. “Abba, please come to our wedding, and bring all our Zaydahs and Bubbies with you,” she cried. My mother then uttered her own personal invitation to my father, and to my Zaydah and Bubby who rest beside him. She sobbed to the souls in Yiddish, and pleaded for them to join us and grant us all their blessings. My sister placed invitations on their graves and whispered a private prayer. Our tears flowed freely and mixed with the rain that was falling. When there is a wedding below and a new Jewish home is being established, permission is given for the soul to attend the chuppah and rejoice with the bride and groom. It is a custom to invite the souls of your parents and grandparents to the wedding. I recalled how 25 years ago, I was about
to walk under my own chuppah, and my
My father then took my hand and
Recovery & Life Coaching Zesa Gewertzman Recovery and Life Coach recoverylifecoach@gmail.com
Tel: 1-347-731-5650 father turned to me for a moment. “Sheyfelah,” he said, “you are about to walk under the chuppah. You are starting a new life, building your own home. You never have to be afraid. All your holy Zaydies and Bubbies from the heavens above are here with you tonight. You are not walking alone. Never forget this moment.”
together with my mother and all the precious souls from above, we walked down the aisle. I await my niece’s chuppah this week so that once again I have a moment with my precious father and all the holy souls from above.
Empower Your Bochur for Life. REBUILD SELF CONFIDENCE
IS THIS YOUR BOCHUR? Has difficulty paying attention and focusing on Limudim Finds it difficult getting up on time for minyan Gets frustrated with changes in schedule or usual routines Seems lost in Yeshiva (unhappy/not making it) Social difficulties
SET GOALS | PROBLEM SOLVE | ORGANIZE | MONITOR SUCCESS FEELS WONDERFUL. CALL NOW. FOR YOURSELF. FOR YOUR SON. As a Rebbe with over 20 years experience and professionally certified coach, Rabbi Cynamon has guided hundreds of bochurim to success. Through his unique approach with the warmth of a Rebbe and method of coaching, he can empower your son with the necessary skills and tools to be more successful.
בהסכמת הרבנים
RABBI D. CYNAMON TO SET UP A CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION 718.627.0333 rabbicynamon@ thrive4ward.com offices: Lakewood, Borough Park, Williamsburg
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
43
6 WEEK WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE
1820 AVENUE M
STORE HOURS
BETWEEN EAST 18 & EAST 19
oin the new upcoming FREE 6 Week Weight Loss Challenge, a community service, now open for registration with classes
(718) 300-1300
Jstarting in December. If you are looking for a FUN, motivating and supportive way to lose weight, don't miss this opportunity to
join us. The Weight Loss Challenge is a group meeting designed to motivate and challenge anyone looking to lose weight in a fun and supportive environment with weekly interactive meetings that discuss a new weight loss and nutrition topic each week, with accountability and weekly measurements. There will be prizes to celebrate your success and the Weight Loss Challenge includes a money jackpot. The winner or "biggest loser" at the end of the challenge will receive the cash. Our last challenge paid out $500 in cash prizes to the biggest losers, thousands of dollars already given away. The Weight Loss Challenge includes personal coaching. We encourage participants to join with friends and family.
NEW CLASS STARTING NOW!
Date: Mondays & Wednesdays Time: 7:15pm Place: NY Nutrition Center 1648 East 14th Street, Suite 4 Brooklyn, New York 11229 Cost of Registration; $40 (To cover jackpot and materials) Places are limited. Register Now! Call (718) 339-5200
WE SPECIALIZE IN
PACKING AND SHIPPING WORLDWIDE
LARGE VARIETY OF PACKING MATERIALS
New! Ask about our new Boro Park Location
44
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
Use a Street Adress, Not a P.O. Box Never Miss Packages, Mail Them Here Permanent Address, Even If You Move Forward Mail & Packages Business & Personal Manage Mail Online 24/7 www.OutsideTheBoxShipping.com
FOREVER STAMPS AVAILABLE
Special Designs In-Stock PASSPORT PHOTOS IN
60 SEC.
CALL AUTO CLICK TODAY THE CAR KEY EXPERTS CAR KEYS
on the dot design 917.538.4160
REMOTE HEAD KEYS
46
SMART KEYS REMOTES
WE COME TO YOU!
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
Cooking
Tofu with
Gitta Bixenspanner n.d.
Tofu is considered the staff of life in the Asian culture. It is a staple in China and Japan. As a full protein it is a good source of Vitamin C and Calcium. Moderate consumption of tofu complements legume and grain choices in the diet. Tofu can be added to almost any dish. It combines easily with other ingredients in entrees, soups, side dishes and desserts. It is delicious with stir-fry vegetables or in fruit smoothies. There are numerous varieties of tofu in their original state or in fast food prepared mixes that can be consumed in the place of animal protein. Many of these ready patties or meat substitutes are very palatable Tofu is so versatile and can be served in so many 48
ways, that it can definitely add some spark to a vegetarian diet and can add a new dimension and a change from the Western meat based meals. Here are a few tofu recipes, designed for those occasions when you need a change from your usual diet and are ready to explore something a little different. Tofu comes in many varieties. It comes in 1 lb packages of soft, semi soft, firm or extra firm, or in hard blocks, that are either vacuum packed or packaged in water. Once opened, tofu should be left in a container of water, and water should be changed daily. Once opened it should be consumed as soon as possible, even though it will last up to seven days when refrigerated.
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
Chinese soup with tofu floats The Chinese cook their soup very simple. Some vegetables like Napa lettuce, carrots, and celery julienned cooked into a light broth, with spices to taste. Then they cut a hard block of Tofu into small squares and they drop it into their soup. Garnish with fresh scallions, for added taste. Preparation 30 minutes Serves 4
Tofu stir fry Though I may not be the greatest tofu lover, I found Marinate cubes of tofu in ¼ cup tamari sauce and ¼ this recipe is both very tasty and appetizing and great cup honey, for at least ½ hour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok (or frying pan). Insert a fork into the fresh for a taste changer. piece of ginger and smear all over the saucepan for a few seconds until pan is well coated , that will give Ingredients the dish a very subtle taste of ginger.. Discard ginger. ½ block firm tofu, cut into 1x1 squares and patted dry Stir fry marinated tofu for a few minutes in the oil until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set between paper towels 2 Tbs oil aside. Fry onions and garlic in 2 Tbs of oil and then add other vegetables cut julienne style (narrow thin 1 Spanish onion cut in thin strips 1 red pepper strips) and mix well just for a few minutes, Add a little Tamari and spices to taste (garlic powder, rosemary, 1 yellow pepper paprika). Return tofu pieces to the mixture. Stir-fry for 1 stalk celery another few minutes. 1 handful of mung bean sprouts Serve over a bed of wild rice or favorite pasta. Delicious! 2 cloves garlic 1 inch piece of fresh ginger Preparation time 25 minutes ¼ cup honey Serves 4 Directions 50
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
Marinated Tofu kabobs Kabobs add a exotic touch to any meal. They can be broiled or barbequed. With the summer season approaching their colorfulness and nutritious content will impress your guest. Ingredients ½ block firm tofu, cut into 1x1 squares pat dry between paper towels 1 Spanish onion cut in cubes 1Tbs oil 1 red pepper cut into 1x1 squares 1 yellow pepper cut into 1x1 squares 1 stalk celery cut into 1’ pieces 1 can baby corn 1 8 oz package of baby tomatoes 1 8 oz package of mushrooms Teriyaki sauce found in the sauce section of better health food stores. (optional) or ½ and ½ Tamari and honey mixture.
Directions In a Chinese wok stir-fry tofu in a little bit of oil, until all sides are seared and slightly browned. Pierce ingredients through skewers alternating tofu pieces with colorful vegetables. Let the kabobs marinate in a teriyaki sauce for 2 hours Broil it in the oven or on an open grill turning over after a few minutes until required doneness. Serve over a bed of rice, millet or quinoa. Top with your favorite sauce or the Teriyaki sauce that follows. Preparation 20 minutes Serves
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
51
Simple Homemade Teriyaki sauce Great homemade sauce handy to have around as it is useful in many dishes Ingredients ½ cup organic brown sugar 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup lemon juice 2 Tbs fresh grated ginger root 4 cloves freshly pressed garlic Directions Mix all ingredients together and use as stir-fry sauce or to marinade vegetables, or over your favorite pasta.
Sweet Sauce Here is an alternative to bought sauces that are easily made at home with very good results. Ingredients 1cup water ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup ketchup 2 Tbs lemon 2 cloves garlic crushed 4-5 Tbs sesame seeds toasted Directions Cook first 5 ingredients until it boils and reduces a bit about 10 minutes on medium high flame. Remove from flame. Add sesame seeds and mix until well combined.. Pour over the kabobs and rice. This sauce is delicious on other dishes as well, such as chicken, fish or pasta. Preparation time 15 minutes Serves 6 52
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
Chinese Tofu Squares Supreme For the occasional time that you want to eat something really good, try this batter fried tofu. Flavorful and delicious right out of the pan. Ingredients 1 block firm tofu cut in 2x2’ squares (pat dry between 2 paper towels) Marinate tofu pieces in a mixture of ½ cup Tamari and 1/3 cup honey. Next, prepare this batter: ½ cup seltzer (or better yet beer if you have some at home) 1 cup unbleached flour, or white spelt flour 3 Tbs oil 1 flat tsp baking powder ½ tsp sea salt Shake of garlic and basil leaves
1 cup mushrooms Directions In a saucepan, brown onions and garlic in water, with some Tamari Lite soy sauce. Add vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes, until it is al dente (Italian term for not too soft). Mix flour and water and add to the vegetables. It will make a delicious sauce that can be poured over any grain/pasta. Preparation time 1 hour Serves 6
Directions Mix all ingredients with a fork until thick and well blended. Coat the marinated tofu pieces in this mixture and then fry in a little oil until golden brown on both sides. Serve on a bed of your favorite grain like millet, quinoa or rice. Top with sweet sauce from above recipe For an alternate vegetable sauce: Ingredients 1 small onion and 1 clove of garlic chopped 1 red and 1 yellow pepper 2 Tbs unbleached white flour 2 Tbs onion powder soup mix (optional) 2 cups water ½ can baby corn
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
53
Smooth Chocolate Tofu Mousse Tofu can even make delightful desserts, when mixed with fruits or cocoa. Here is a popular chocolate mousse that can easily pass for the real deal. Ingredients 14 ounces soft tofu 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, plus additional for garnish 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder 2 Tbs honey 1/2 tsp finely ground French roast or espresso coffee 1 tsp vanilla sugar/extract Directions 1. Cut the tofu into 1 inch blocks and place
54
between paper towel with a real plate over it to drain. Allow to drain 10-20 minutes and discard liquid. 2. Chop the 3 oz of chocolate into chunks and microwave in a small bowl for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. 3. Place chocolate and tofu in a food processor and immediately blend. Add cocoa powder, honey, coffee powder and vanilla sugar/extract and blend until smooth. Divide between four bowls and use a vegetable peeler to top each serving with chocolate shavings.
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
Smooth Chocolate Tofu Mousse This delicious custard cups are easy to make and make a beautiful dessert for any meal. Impress your guest with this original confection. Use six glass or ceramic 6 - 8 oz ramekins for this recipe for a beautiful presentation. Ingredients: • 1 recipe raw nut crust (recipe for crust below the custard recipe) • 1/2 cup lemon juice (from 2 - 3 fresh lemons) + 1/4 cup water • 1 Tbsp agar powder (thickening agent found in health food store) • 1 box Firm Tofu (12.3oz) • Zest of 1 lemon (fresh is best) optionall • 1/2 cup honey/agave syrup or favorite sweetener Raw Nut Crust Ingredients • 1 cup nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans or brazil nuts are good - combine 2 or 3 kinds) • 8 Medjool dates, pitted • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1 cup shredded coconut Crust Directions: Soak dates in boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes Add nuts, coconut and cinnamon to food processor and process until crumbly
Pit the dates and add to food processor to completely blend with nuts. The mixture may form a sticky ball. It should at least stick together when pressed with your fingers. Divide the crust between the six ramekins, and press firmly into the bottom, using a spatula or your fingers Lemon Custard Directions Zest one lemon into a dish Squeeze lemons and strain to make 1/2 cup lemon juice Heat lemon juice and agar slowly, stirring with a whisk until it thickens (3 - 5 minutes). Set aside. Add the silken tofu, lemon zest, honey /agave syrup to a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed If you don’t have a food processor, mix with an immersion blender or a whisk until smooth Add the lemon and agar mixture to the silken tofu mixture and blend Spoon the lemon tofu custard into the ramekins, on top of the raw crust. Cover and chill for 4 hours minimum. Serve garnished with fresh berries. Enjoy! Total prep & cook time: 30 min 6 Servings
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
55
SALES DIRECTOR FOR MAJOR MAGAZINE
Immediate Opening For Qualified Individual
Good Salary + Great Commission = Great Job!
E-mail resume to: nybuzzmagazine@gmail.com
o t t c e p x E t ’ u n o o Y D f i e ng a h C a See ’t Make One Don
Call now for your FREE intro BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS & WEIGHT CONSULT *$160 VALUE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGES
CORPORATE WELLNESS WELLNESS EVALUATIONS
PERSONALIZED INDIVIDUAL & GROUP COACHING
(718) 339-5200
Doctor Recommended With Proven Results!
1648 E. 14TH STREET, SUITE 4 BROOKLYN, NY 11229 www.nynutritioncenter.com
56
www.NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
NyBuzzMagazine.com I To advertise, call 718-513-9885
57
THE PERFECT G I F T !
& JY
Imperial Wood Flooring
walk on us for a
lifetime
New!
Dustless Sanding
DESIGN INSTALLATION & REFINISHING HARDWOOD FLOORS BORDERS • LAMINATE • VINYL
12 Months Financing Available Servicing the tristate area
718.309.5092
Fully licensed and Insured
www.imperialwoodfloor.com
Est. 2002
info@imperialwoodfloor.com
Commercial and Residential
Free Estimates