CitySpirit Dec 2011 by City Spirit

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Volume 4 Issue 2 December 2011 | Kislev 5772

west coast

Jewish Living

get get into into the the spirit spirit Editor Tova Klein Contributing Writers Rabbi Gershon Bess Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn Rabbi Effie Goldberg Hershel Lieber Manny Saltiel, Pharm.D Publisher Mati Jacobovits Food Leah Schapira kidSpirit Fraydee Mozes

CitySpirit NEXT issue Advertising Deadline February 21 Publication Date March 8 cityspiritmag@gmail.com www.cityspiritmagazine.com

CITY spirit September 2011

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Dear Readers, Life is amazing! As our world picks up speed, you could miss many important happenings to those closest to you simply because you didn’t have the chance to speak to them in the last couple of days. Good things as well as “bad” things seem to be happening all around us, yet most of us are having difficulty getting through the “bad,” because for some reason the pain of the “bad” lingers longer than the happiness of the “good.” “For everything there is a time…a time for joy, a time to cry…” the lines between the two seem to overlap more and more each day. That is why more than ever we need to build our emunah and bitachon. One way I have found to do that is by opening my home to Yidden who have had little or no experience with yiddishkeit and expose them to the beauty of it. My husband and I have had the good fortune recently to bring into our family a young lady who never imagined that being a Torah Jew means one can accept us for who we are without judging and making them feel uncomfortable simply because they look and act different. By opening myself up to be a total (or at least try to be) example of a Torah Jew, I force myself to do things better and with more conviction. Two things stand out that I have learned; there are so many college/post college kids who are searching so desperately for meaning in their lives and are literally sponges wanting to be accepted and loved and second; just showing acceptance and kindness can turn them around and give them pride in being a true Jew. We all need to bring ourselves and help others to realize and be grateful that there is a G-d who loves us and does only what

is best for us. Hashem makes miracles for all of us every day. Our job is working to recognize and appreciate this and by teaching others about the beauty of the Torah and Hashem’s ways. Artscroll Mesorah Publications is in the forefront of bringing us informative, heartwarming and practical advice for readers of all backgrounds. This issue we provide a sampling from Rabbi Yosef Viener ‘s newly released book – Contemporary Questions in Halachah and Hashkafah (page 25). A great source book for today’s generation. Mechel Lieber, creator of the new comedy series (or webisodes) Verplanck understands the need to make kosher entertainment available. His background in kiruv has encouraged this venture. Read about the Making of Verplanck on page 20. We welcome back Rabbi Effie Goldberg with his inspirational article and reintroduce Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn, who many of you know from his growing up in L.A. Thank you to Rabbi Bess for once again giving us the halachos of lighting the Chanukah menorah. Hershel Lieber takes us down south and Manny Saltiel helps us deal with cholesterol this Chanukah season. New to this issue are a selection ofwonderful recipes from the new book Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking by Leah Schapira. Try them and pick up your own copy at local Judaica stores. Wishing all of our readers a Happy Chankah.

Tova

dec 2011

features 20 Exclusive Interview

Mechel Lieber Creator of the New Comedy Series Verplanck

A Sampling from Rabbi Yosef Viener â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s newly released book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Contemporary Questions in Halachah and Hashkafah published by Mesorah Publications

Cover Art by Daniella Batsheva Goldfrad

community spirit

in this issue

30 Dvar Halachah

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley

Rabbi Gershon Bess

34 Inspiration

Presidential Candidate Michele Bachmann

36 Point of View Rabbi Effie Goldberg

Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch

16 Getting on the Same Level with Children 18

Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn

Maayon Yisroel

38 The Wandering Jew Hershel Lieber 40 Advice from

kid spirit

Over-the-Counter Manny Saltiel, Pharm.D.

44 Puzzles, Contest & More Fraydee Mozes

42 Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking

Leah Schapira

46 West Coast Directory

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Dear Editor: We just returned from a great trip to L.A. and out wonderful children . Whenever we visit I always ask for the latest copy of CitySpirit which I enjoy every time. The last, your 3rd anniversary edition, was more elaborate than ever, and again, I got the feel for the Jewish community in L.A. I cannot say enough about the service your publication provides and how pleasant it feels to handle the colorful copies. The articles are always timely and interesting, including the travel column. So please continue your hard work providing space for advertisers and interesting information for your readers. Many thanks. H.R. Brooklyn, NY Dear Tova, Wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the article that Rabbi Shoff wrote on Koheles. So much so, that I used it to prepare for one of my classes! Thanks for contributing such a valuable magazine to our community. All the best. S. Gross To the Editor: I wanted to express my appreciation for the wonderful publication made available to the Los Angeles comunity. I especially enjoy The Wandering Jew. Keep it coming. B.R.S.

We’d like to hear from you. Email your letters to the editor to: cityspiritmag@gmail.com

CitySpirit Magazine Wishes Our Readers a Happy Chanukah

CITY spirit december 2011

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Congresswoman Shelley Berkley in the running for U.S. Senate Tova Klein

his past Sukkos, I was fortunate to meet Congresswoman Shelley Berkley from Nevada who is currently doing her seventh term in office. We had an informal gathering in Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Treitel’s sukkah. She is a nominee in the upcoming U.S. Senate race and has always shown her loyalty to the core American values and the importance of the U.S. allegience to Israel. She says that Israel and the United States share an unbreakable bond. The strategic alliance between our two nations spans six decades, helping spread the values of democracy and facing down our common enemies. Shelley has been a leader in continuing our nation’s steadfast support for the State of Israel. From working to protect natural growth in east Jerusalem and securing defensible borders for Israel to thwarting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Shelley has always placed the highest priority on the U.S.-Israel relationship. Shelley believes that we must promote peace in the region with the understanding that lasting peace cannot be achieved by imposing an agreement on Israel. It must come through meaningful discussion and consensus between Israel and its neighbors and cannot be realized until the terrorist Hamas network has been dismantled. She did it with Saudi Arabia. This time, Rep. Shelley Berkley doesn’t want another Israel-antagonist, Turkey, to be allowed to buy U.S. military materiel. Berkley is co-sponsoring a resolution to block the proposed sale of $111 million of U.S. attack helicopters to the NATO ally, and to require that the president consult Congress whenever the administration is planning to sell more than $50 million in military equipment to Turkey. In the “Dear Colleague” letter she and Rep. Eliot Engel have been circulating the week of November 9th , Berkley lists several objections to Turkey’s political positions, including its “belligerence against Cyprus” that is “intensifying,” being “late to distance itself from the nightmare in Syria,” “undermining international efforts to impose strong sanctions on Iran,” and continued “refusal to apologize for the Armenian genocide.”But the key complaint Berkley has with Turkey is its increasingly icy relationship with Israel. Turkey’s humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza had already begun to vex Israel before May 2010, when things exploded into a full-fledged diplomatic crisis over an incident on the Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, which was part of an anti-occupation movement’s “Freedom Flotilla” to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Israeli commandos boarded the approaching ships at sea, and in the skirmishes that followed on

board, killed nine Turkish nationals. Israel has not apologized for the incident, claiming it was self-defense. In the months since, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel, expelled the Israeli ambassador to Turkey, and refused Israel’s offer of aid after a devastating earthquake that hit Turkey’s eastern region around Lake Van. “This is the time for the United States to be raising our very serious concerns about Turkey, rather than selling arms to them,” Berkley and Engel wrote. (One point of dispute with Berkley’s complaints: while Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was late to support NATO action on Libya, his harsh criticism of Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown against protesters in Syria began only shortly after Hillary Clinton’s and before Barack Obama joined the fray. Turkey is now harboring most of the Syrian refugees, including military defectors who are helping coordinate the uprisings. One thing noticeably missing from Berkley’s letter: any mention of the Kurdish population of Turkey, currently being subjected to the most humanitarian injustices at the hands of the Turkish government.) If Berkley is this upset about the sale of three attack helicopters, it’s only bound to get worse: Turkey has also requested to purchase Predator and Reaper drones from the United States, and according to reports, the Pentagon isn’t opposed to the idea. Shelley is clearly a woman who understands the psyche of other cultures and cares that the U.S. and Israel should remain safe. She want security at home and in Israel to be top priority as they go hand in hand and to allow the people of our countries to lead normal and thriving lives without the terrorists hovering around us.

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Presidential Candidate Michele Bachmann enjoys Hoshanah Rabbah in Hancock Park Sukkah Tova Klein

CITY spirit december 2011

epublican presidential candidate and Minnesota Representative, Michele Bachmann, visited a sukkah in Hancock Park this past Hoshanah Rabbah. The Republican Jewish Coalition sponsored the luncheon hosted by Saul and Linda Bernstein. The sukkah was filled to capacity. Individuals from different walks of life, yet similar concerns regarding Israel and the future of the” American Dream” during these challenging times, gathered to hear what Representative Bachmann had to say. After being introduced by Mr. Bernstein, Candidate Bachmann wasted no time addressing the interests of not only the attendees, but of most Americans today. She feels 2012 is it, in terms of do or die, when it comes to fixing America on both the economic front and the foreign policy front. She first addressed economic concerns which will be the number one number platform in the presidential race. She created a plan, “American Jobs, Right Now” which would bring back jobs from foreign lands, and vehemently fight to get rid of Obamacare and in her words, “its unconstitutional mandates.” Rep. Bachmann is the chief author of the bill to repeal the Dodd-Frank bill, which destroys credit for businesses and families, and would like to abolish our tax code and replace it with a page out Ronald Reagan’s plan, which would strengthen our economy. There is much work to be done in all these arenas to restore the economy, create jobs at home, achieve deep cuts in government spending, and strengthen the family, but her commitment and deep devotion to bringing America back

to its days of glory is something every American should be longing to see. Ms. Bachmann continued her address with our recent unprecedented attack on our own soil by the “genocidal maniac” of Iran, Ahmadinejad. It was clear that Ms. Bachmann understood the threat Israel lives under. She understands that Iran’s leader clearly wants to destroy Israel from the face of the earth, as he has said many times. This means that their nuclear capability will be intact, and America will be next on their list. Candidate Bachmann plans to keep close the relationship between Israel and the United States. Candidate Bachmann is a supporter of Israel and its freedoms and her first gesture as president would be to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. After answering a few questions, she bid her farewells and rushed off to another engagement. Some people mentioned that they liked what she had said and feels that she meant it. Michele Bachmann is a former federal tax litigation attorney with a post doctoral degree in federal tax law. Representative Bachmann spent her career working in the United States Federal Tax court. She and her husband worked their way up from poor families to become professionals. She and her husband started their own company, and they currently own two medical clinics. Turning a profit is supposed to be a good thing, yet not under Obama. She therefore understands business owners and is ready to fight for them. As a supporter of Israel, she spent time on a kibbutz in Israel and learned from her experience. During the war, her husband’s Swiss family hid Jews from the Nazis.

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CITY spirit december 2011

Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch second successful year

reat things are happening in Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch! Already in its second year, Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch has added another class and now has a 9th and 10th grade. Walking through the building, one can’t help but notice the energy and enthusiasm of the students and staff. Passing by classrooms, the sound of deep debates and intense learning can be clearly heard. During recess students are relaxing, playing basketball, or catching up on homework and seem to be as comfortable as if they were in their own home. How does this enjoyable atmosphere and rigorous learning coexist? What is the secret to Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch’s success? Perhaps the answer may be the Yeshiva’s high teacher-student ratio made up of dedicated and warm Rabbeim and staff. Their nurturing and caring environment enables students to develop close personal relationships among the faculty, student body, and post high school Bet Midrash students. Could the success be a result of the Yeshiva’s extensive extra-curricular activities? Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch organizes school barbecues, hiking trips, and other outings to encourage a sense of camaraderie amongst our students as well as a chance to deepen the bonds they share with their Rabbeim and the Bet Midrash Bochurim. Whatever the secret, clearly one of the hallmarks of Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch is their focus on Mussar and Middot. Each morning before Gemara, students learn important hashkafot that give them insight to view their lives and themselves in a healthy Torah way. They enjoy lively, meaningful, and timely discussions in a warm and open setting. Every Friday one of the Roshei Yeshiva delivers a Mussar Shmuess to the entire yeshiva. These discourses teach students how to analyze the commentaries of the Torah while conveying insights about the motivating factors of personal decision-making and proper ways to serve Hashem. In addition, the Yeshivat Ohr Chancoh works on molding

Bnei Torah who will excel in Torah learning by challenging their students with an uncompromising Torah education that consists of in-depth learning of Gemara B’Iyun, as well as a comprehensive body of knowledge in Gemara Bekiut, enabling students to succeed at the finest Yeshivot of higher learning. Interactive classes engage the students in the learning process. The Yeshiva also offers Chumash, Navi, and Halachah classes providing a well rounded Torah education. The secular department at Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch clearly reflects the educational philosophy that curiosity and a love of knowledge are essential elements in all aspects of learning. The teachers are hand picked by the Yeshiva’s Roshei Yeshiva to ensure that each teacher is dedicated to fostering a love of learning in each of their respective subjects. The secular studies staff is professional and knowledgeable. Their years of expertise is obvious through their innovative methods and techniques of pedagogy and teaching. Visiting Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch makes it plainly obvious how it is the perfect place for a young sincere student to grow and mature in his Torah learning, Mussar, and secular academics. Yeshivat Ohr Chanoch is a proud affiliate of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Queens and part of a worldwide network of successful Yeshivot that pride themselves in focusing on Torah and Middot Tovot. Students are given a strong secular education with a focus on developing lifelong skills. The Yeshiva’s goal is to educate and create well rounded Bnei Torah that have a strong commitment to Torah, Mussar, and serving their community.

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Getting on the Same Level with Children Hadassah Esther Cohen

parent once commented that she knew a preschool was a good one when she saw teachers sitting on the same level as the students verses up higher on a chair. If we are teachers shouldn’t we be giving over our knowledge to these empty vessels before us? No. A child sees the world from a totally different perspective than we do; they come into class full of ideas, thoughts and overflowing imaginations. They are by no means, empty. I use to come into both my classroom and the dance studio with my agenda in hand and there was no deviating from it, but then I found myself becoming burned out quickly. Why? I was missing one crucial factor; relationship. Did I really know who these children were? When I was in college I had a Dance Education professor who once took a long piece of register tape, on one side she wrote “teacher” and on the other, “student”. She then proceeded to stretch it out and formed it into the infinity symbol, showing us that for learning to be continuous there must be

an exchange of knowledge between the two. When relationship exists we learn from each other and this learning can take place in so many different ways. Sometimes its those quiet moments when a two year old wants to show you her new shoes that can spark a conversation which gives you glimpses into who she really is and what she holds dear. The mishnah tells us, “Talmud Torah knegged kulom”, the study of Torah is equal to all other mitzvos, our lifelong learning of Torah is equal to anything we could ever do, and the basis of this is the concept of relationship. Relationship with Hashem, relationship with the Torah and relationships with one another as klal yisroel. Years ago I taught Pre 1A at a yeshiva in Brooklyn, I remember the parsha projects and how they were all pretty much designated to a piece of construction paper and there was always a demo for the students to follow. What did they gain from this assembly line of pre cut materials? This is not what I wanted as a teacher, there was no connection. I wanted

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CITY spirit december 2011

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to sit and talk to the children about the parsha and hear their input on questions like, “I wonder what would happen if….?” Or “What do you think about…?” This is where the value was, not on the weekly piece of designated construction paper. Children were given the opportunity to share experiences, hypothesis and to think on a deeper level about how these “stories” applied to them. I was in the dance studio the other week with a group of six and seven year olds working on our upcoming ballet, The Spirit of Shabbos. I had certain movement phrases in mind that I wanted to set, but then I looked at the students and asked them what Shabbos was like in their house and could they show it to me through movement. What came out of them was organic and full of joy; it surpassed anything I could have choreographed on them. By respecting their voice, we are telling them that they are loved and supported. By giving them this love and support and allowing them to connect to the material through their own creative and individual expression, we give them a deeper foundation of learning that will last. I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with one of my dancers after class; she began telling me how much she loves to sing. Then she sang for me, I was fighting back tears

over this precious girl singing a quiet solo. Then she looked at me and said, “Its your turn now.” I told her that I don’t sing, my voice was not that good, after a while I reluctantly gave in and sang the shortest few lines possible and probably rushed straight through to spare myself embarrassment. When I finished she looked at me and said, “Hashem gave us all different voices, that’s why choirs are so beautiful. You have a wonderful voice – don’t let anybody tell you different. When people get old they just get wax in their ears, so they can’t hear that well.” It’s time we all get the wax out of our ears and get on the same level as children to learn from them. We don’t have to always have the answers, it’s more about the journey to getting the answers than the answers themselves. Becoming vulnerable is a hard place to be, but this is where relationship occurs. -Hadassah Esther Cohen works as a professionally trained ballerina and reggio inspired teacher. She currently works as an atelierista at Gan Malibu and serves as a consultant for preschool programs in Los Angeles. Hadassah serves as artistic director and ballet mistress for A Time for Dance. She is currently working on her upcoming repertory company ballet entitled “The Spirit of Shabbos”. For more information please call (323) 404-0827.

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Dear Friend, As you know, Maayon Yisroel is a Learning Center dedicated to teaching the inner light of Torah to infuse enthusiasm, joy, and vitality into Jewish life. People of all ages and backgrounds have found inspiration by participating in our many unique classes and events. Motivated by our success so far, we are now forging ahead to increase our work exponentially. This past summer, we set a goal of partnering with 501 members who value our work. As of now, we are halfway to reaching that goal. With your help, we hope to reach our goal by Chanukah, the Yom Tov (holiday) of Light. The week before Chanukah, we will be having an exclusive 501 Event where we will be drawing a raffle.

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The Making of Verplanck An Interview with

Mechel Lieber co - c r e at o r o f t h e n e w co m e dy s e r i e s

ver pl anck

Join Mitch, Avi, Feishy and Yechiel Michel Rephoel Menachem (yes, that’s his name) an eclectic group of 21st century pioneers as they embark on their journey to create a new Jewish community. These urban dwellers leave the city behind and move to the boon-docks where they face new challenges with camaraderie, determination and plenty of humor. To view episode 1 and join the fun visit www.nokoshermeat.com b y m at i j a co b o v i t s

CITY spirit december 2011

CitySpirit: I watched your first episode of Verplanck and was totally entertained. I decided then, that I’d like to share this with CitySpirit readers. Thanks so much for taking the time out.

Mechel Lieber: I appreciate the publicity. We are trying to get the word out. CS: What is Verplanck? It has a Jewish ring to it. ML: Verplanck is actually a city in New York with a population of about 500. It serves as the setting for our show.

Verplanck – the show, is set in this small hick town where our four lead characters set out to start a Jewish community. G-d willing – Verplanck will be a continuing series of episodes or, more accurately, webisodes. The show is presented as if it were a documentary but the viewer knows it’s fake. This format is referred to as a mockumentary. The genre can be categorized as a dramedy. It’s a relatively new style, a blend of drama, and comedy. Very different than The Three Stooges or I Love Lucy slapstick.

CS: What age group is it geared to? ML: Teenage and older. The feedback we’ve been getting is very positive from viewers in the high teens to the high 30’s. With older folks, the response has been lukewarm but with time we think the show will grow on the over 40’s crowd as well. My grandmother, who’s one of my life’s greatest inspirations, is kay”h 88 years old and she couldn’t stop laughing. So maybe the 85+ crowd also gets it. CS: How did you get involved – was this a lifelong dream of yours?

ML: Actually, no, I’m involved in kiruv and a while back I played a part in a short skit for Project Inspire – Friday Night at the Hockers. I could not believe how many people approached me afterwards to tell me they had seen the video. It had tens of thousands of hits. I was really surprised at the enthusiastic response. And it hit me – there is almost nothing Jewish to watch. CS: When it comes to music or reading material there’s so much out there. ML: Exactly but video is almost untouched. Listen, there are serious challenges and concerns when it comes to creating video entertainment. Nevertheless, the lack of any form of kosher video entertainment has left an enormous segment of the Jewish population, from ultra orthodox (yes, even

CS: How did you come up with the story line? ML: We wanted to put together a multifaceted group of people that in real life may have little to do with each other. What better way than to build a community? We also needed a story line that’s flexible enough for characters to come and go. We started out with a core group of four main characters. Mitch, who is “leftcenter”, Avi, “right-center”. Then there’s Feishy our chassid and YMRM (short for Yechiel Michel Rephoel Menachem) our yeshivish guy. With time we’ll add more to the mix. Wait and see. CS: Where did you get your actors? Are they experienced? ML: We wanted it to be professional but also authentic. We auditioned professional actors – but they couldn’t relate well to the frum content. They also couldn’t pronounce frum words properly. The sheriff and his wife are profession-

als though. Yoely Stauber who plays Feishy and Mayer Waxman who plays YMRM had done some acting – we were very lucky to get them. Mitch is played by Dovi Grossman, he had no experience, but its something he was interested in doing and he’s very appealing. Then there’s Avi, he is played by my younger brother Shuly, he’s doing it because I told him he has to. He’s awesome both as an actor and a brother. CS: Avi, Mitch and Feishy are very likable. You weren’t that nice to YMRM. He comes off as very serious and intense. ML: It’s only the first episode – it takes time to build a character. Give things a chance to play out. As the narrative progresses you’ll see that our characters won’t be one dimensional. It is comedy, however, so there will be stereotyping for humor. Still we are not making a mockery of any one type. In fact, the overall theme is about bringing together all types of Jews to build a community. What better message of achdus can you find? CS: Who does the filming? ML: Moshe Bree, a videographer by profession. He brings a lot of creativity to the filming – the positioning of the Continued on page 22

CITY spirit december 2011

ultra) to non religious Jews, turning exclusively to non Jewish sources for video entertainment. The results are very detrimental to our nation. Even the “best” things available today from Hollywood don’t meet minimum tzniyus requirements and they definitely promote ideology that is at odds with Torah. The fact is that video is the most powerful medium that exists today. Hollywood knows this and takes full advantage of it. Films have agendas behind them and people are being influenced without being aware of it. Even Disney productions, which is relatively “kosher”, is actually far from it. One movie for example that I watched portrayed some kids as the heroes and their teach-

er as an imbecile. These are not proper ideals, but unfortunately they become acceptable. There is very little out there for a Jewish person to watch that’s entertaining but also has a positive message with Jewish moral guidelines.

Continued from page 21 camera – the angles – each frame sets the scene and captures the moment. CS: How much time goes into to making one episode? Episode 1 was 13 minutes. The actual shooting of this episode took us 12 hours, mostly done in one day. Editing took at least 15 hours. The writing – for now I’m the only writer – its hard to say how much time I actually put in. Whenever I have a thought I’d write it down. All in all I figure 40 hours of work to produce 13 minutes of footage. CS: You had one actress, the sheriff’s wife. Do you plan on bringing more women to the show? Yes. There’s no way the story could continue, be realistic and be in any way relevant without women. After the second

episode it would start falling flat. And to put men with wigs, well that would be just ridiculous. Our target audience is viewers that are accustomed to watching, so to speak,

Hollywood style. Naturally we will be adhering to guidelines that conform to halachah. Not just dress code but also context. For example, an actor and actress portrayed as a married couple would have to be married in real life.

CS: Did you seek any Rabbinical guidelines? ML: Yes. We had input from specific rabbis that understand the challenges this generation is dealing with. Look, someone sitting in yeshiva 24/7 and has minimal outside influence on his life should not take time out to watch this show. It’s not meant for him. But for the overwhelming majority of Jews whose lifestyle doesn’t fit that ideal profile we are giving them a kosher alternative. We are also creating an outlet for people to get involved. There are a lot of talented people in the Jewish world. We’ve been contacted by people who want to join our crew on many different levels. A couple have already joined. I was hoping this would happen – right now I’m wearing many hats, so this is very welcomed.

CITY spirit december 2011

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Naftali Finkel 323-243-6710 www.ShiraOrchestra.com info@ShiraOrchestra.com *Puppy and baby are shown for entertainment purposes only. Shira Orchestra will provide INCREDIBLE MUSIC ONLY. Neither puppy nor baby will be included.

CS: Will this be a money making endeavor? ML: It’s impossible to know, because there is nothing out there to compare it to. But I can say that - I, along with the entire cast, am not in it for the money. Profit will be icing on the cake. Our motivation is to make this entertainment available and on personal levels to utilize our artistic abilities – it’s very therapeutic. As for money, the first goal would be to make the show self sustaining, because right now, aside from my time, expenses are coming out of my pocket. We hope to have sponsors and even commercials, which is something new to the heimishe advertisers. CS: I’m excited to see your next episode. When will it be out? ML: Shooting begins next week. We hope to be out by Chanukah. Those who haven’t seen our premiere show can visit www.nokoshermeat.com.

CS: Why nokoshermeat? As a community, you kind of know you’ve made it when you have kosher meat locally available. Well, Verplanck has no kosher meat….yet! CS: Anything else on the horizon? ML: We have a few ideas. It’s all in the hands of the Lord. Our production company is called 8 Lasoat which means

the time to do. I’m doing – and if its acceptable to Him – the project will see success and it will meet its objectives. If not, I enjoy playing paddle ball too. CS: Thanks so much for your time. Let me know if you ever have a part for a grandmother. I have a lot of practice. ML: Hey, you never know.

CITY spirit december 2011 23

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My son wants to make a snowman on Shabbos; is he allowed to do so? My elevator went into free fall until the emergency brakes kicked in - do I have to “bentch gomel”? What is the best way to prepare for a possible Shabbos birth? Can go to a Torah shiur or a wedding which has precedence? Do we believe in “luck” - and what do we mean when we wish someone “mazal tov”?

Have Questions? No Problem. Rabbi Yosef Viener Has Answers. For an author to write an effective book of halachah, Jewish law, the gift of clarity is indispensable. To set forth hashkafah, the Torah perspective on life, an author must possess the ability to inspire and enlighten. In Contemporary Questions in Halachah and Hashkafah, Rabbi Yosef Viener offers a rare combination of both: clear, easy-tofollow halachic guidance together with hashkafic explanations that illuminate our daily lives. Contemporary Questions in Halachah and Hashkafah offers readers practical, relevant, and unusually readable answers to over a hundred inquiries from all over the world. The range of questions is astonishing, and reflects the variety of experience in our world. Using such questions as a starting point for discussion, the author includes many general guidelines on each topic, as well as penetrating insights into the mitzvah. Here is a wealth of both information and inspiration; thus, a question of whether a teenage boy should wear tzitzis while exercising ends with a poignant discussion of the commandment, drawing upon the experiences of people as diverse as King David and the Vilna Gaon. Extensive footnotes make this work an invaluable resource for scholars, and a detailed index allows the reader to quickly find the answers to questions that come up every day. From dealing with competition in the marketplace to taking allergy medicine on Shabbos; from waking a parent for an important business phone call to the halachos of bar mitzvah: this is a book as rich and varied as our own lives. The following pages offer for a sampling of questions and answers from Contemporary Questions in Halachah and Hashkafah. Visit www.Torahstream.org for Rabbi Viener’s shiurim on family issues, Chumash, Navi, Tefillah and many other topics in halachah and hashkafah.

Shabbos Do’s & dont’s

Getting to the Hospital for a Shabbos Birth

We are preparing for the birth of a baby and there is a possibility that it will happen on Shabbos. I have a question concerning the proper mode of transportation. I was told by a friend that it is better to use a nonobservant taxi or car service operator rather than to use a gentile taxi driver. I was very surprised to hear this and I am wondering if it is, in fact, the halachah. The logic of what you were told runs as follows. If a non-observant Jew is, in any case, regrettably driving his taxi Shabbos, it might be better to use him for a medical emergency so that for the duration of the emergency. The driver will be credited with a mitzvah and not charged with violating the Shabbos. Although this is a fascinating angle, it is far from simple. The Beis HaLevi on Chumash says that a person who must violate the Shabbos b’oness (under absolute duress) is not held liable for this violation only if he would never contemplate violating Shabbos under nonemergency conditions. One who would violate the Shabbos in any event is not protected when he happens to violate it while saving a life. In our example, the taxi driver falls into this latter category. Although we do not generally determine halachah based on a non-halachic Chumash commentary, the Beis HaLevi does have many convincing proofs to support his position. It is also possible that the driver would not have been driving had you not called

him. If he stays at his base, there might be little or no chillul Shabbos taking place. Thus, your call is not necessarily saving him from chillul Shabbos. You are running the risk of causing him to do more driving or writing once he is out for your call. Therefore, despite the allure of saving a Yid from possibly violating Shabbos, it is better to call a gentile car service for the trip to the hospital. This is of course assuming that both taxi drivers will do the job with the same speed and alacrity. If time is critical, Hatzalah should be called or your husband should quickly grab his own car keys. B’shaah tovah u’mutzlachas!

how-to’s: tzitzis, tefillin, and mezuzah Common Mezuzah Questions Answered

When one removes mezuzos to check them, is there an obligation to make a new berachah upon putting them up again? If one is able to check them and put them up again on the same day, no berachah should be recited. If a mezuzah was found to be pasul and was subsequently replaced or repaired (usually, a mezuzah with a true disqualification cannot be repaired), a new berachah is required, even if it is put up the same day. Can I change the type of room that the mezuzah is used for when I move to my new home? My specific question is in regard to moving a mezuzah from the children’s bedroom of my old apartment to a guest bedroom in my new home.

One must make sure that the mezuzah is placed on a door that carries with it the same obligation or greater. Therefore, one should not take a mezuzah from a doorpost that has a definite obligation and place it in an area that has questionable status. It would be objectionable, for instance, to take a mezuzah from a doorpost with a door and place it on a doorframe without a door, since the latter requires a mezuzah only according to some opinions. Moving a mezuzah from one bedroom to another would be no problem if both have proper doors.

maaser, money, & more

Recovering From a Bad Debt Over a year ago I lent a friend $3,000 and he still has not paid me back. Upon investigation, I discovered that he is in serious debt due to financial reversals in his business. I therefore believe that I will not receive my money any time in the near or distant future. May I inform him that I forgive the loan completely and then recoup the money from my maaser account by separating the amount owed and withholding it to pay back the outstanding loan? I understand from your question that the borrower is now halachically eligible to receive tzedakah (an individual who cannot meet payments for regular living expenses and does not have a job or investments that would ensure those payments within a reasonable time frame). If he is not, you certainly may not simply use maaser funds to write off bad loans. If the borrower is now in a position that

he can receive tzedakah, the answer to your question will depend on what was known and decided at the time of the loan. If the borrower was, at the time of the loan, someone eligible to receive maaser money, and it was decided then that the lender would take repayment from his maaser funds in case of default, the borrower would be allowed to use maaser funds to repay outstanding debt. If the default was not anticipated and no such stipulation was made, one should not use maaser money to recover his loss. The only scenario where it would then be permissible to use maaser is if the lender would — even if this man had not owed him the money — have given the borrower this amount of tzedakah from his maaser money. In such a case, the borrower must also be informed that tzedakah is being used for the recovery of money owed, and permission must be granted.

ways and means of tefillah and tehillim Maariv After Midnight

On occasion, I come home very late from a business trip, arriving just in time to catch the last minyan for Maariv at a local shul (1 a.m.). A friend mentioned that it might be prohibited to postpone davening Maariv until after chatzos (halachic midnight) and suggested that I daven without a minyan while I am traveling. Is my friend correct? As we will explain, your friend is half-right. There is a mitzvah d’Oraisa to recite She-

ma sometime during the night. All things being equal, one should try to recite Shema as soon as possible after nightfall, for one should always do mitzvos with alacrity and zeal (zerizim makdimim lemitzvos). As well, one may not begin a meal with bread or get involved in any lengthy project before one has recited Shema. Chazal mandated that one recite Shema before chatzos, when possible, in order to prevent people from failing to fulfill the mitzvah. If a person willfully delays its recitation, he has violated this Rabbinic enactment. However, if one was not able to recite Shema before chatzos, he is still obligated to do so until the morning. If your itinerary will bring you home after chatzos but you will still have a minyan for Maariv when you arrive, the following should be done: You should recite Shema upon nightfall, and then daven Maariv later with a minyan. There is no problem with reciting Shema again with its berachos before Shemoneh Esrei, just as one would do when davening with a minyan before chatzos. It is no different from reciting Shema before Shacharis in a case when one knows that he will be davening Shacharis after zman Krias Shema (but before sof zman tefillah). I would like to commend you on your mesirus nefesh for tefillah b’tzibbur, even at one in the morning. It is important to point out that if the minyan is within an 18-minute round trip from your home – or your route home – it is not merely a commendable practice, but actually a halachic obligation. Although this is clearly the din, not everyone is so punctilious about the all-important mitzvah of davening b’tzibbur. You therefore de-

serve a hearty yasher koach for fulfilling this crucial aspect of tefillah. Your conduct will encourage your friends to do so as well.

Berachos

100 Brachos a Day for Women Is there an actual obligation to recite one hundred berachos each day, or is it a stringency? Are women likewise obligated to recite one hundred berachos a day? The Gemara states that there is an actual obligation to recite one hundred berachos each day (“Chayav adam levarech me’ah berachos bechol yom”). There is a dispute among the Rishonim as to whether this obligation is mi’d’Oraisa (originating in the Torah) or mi’d’Rabbanan (a Rabbinic ordinance), but all agree that it is indeed an obligation. The Shulchan Aruch rules that it is an obligation to recite a minimum of one hundred berachos every day. Most poskim rule that women are not obligated to recite one hundred berachos each day. This is because many of the berachos that constitute the one hundred are berachos that only men are obligated to. Although it is possible for women to achieve the one hundred mark by reciting berachos on various foods, there is no way for them to attain the quota on a fast day. It is therefore obvious that women are not fundamentally included in this obligation. Several poskim obligate women to recite one hundred berachos each day Continued on page 28

Continues from page 27 because it is not a time-bound mitzvah (mitzvas asei shehazeman gerama), which women are exempt from performing. They suggest that women seek opportunities to fulfill the quota of one hundred berachos by reciting various optional berachos during the day. It would seem that even if women are not obligated to fulfill the quota of berachos each day, it is meritorious for them to do so when possible. One should not, however, recite extra berachos when they are not at all necessary. Reciting Hashem’s Name in vain is a serious offense, and one must be well versed in hilchos berachos to be able to determine when and where a berachah should be recited.

Halachos around the year

Learning Torah and Chanukah Get-Togethers Baruch Hashem, I have a very large extended family, as does my wife. Between us, we have yearly invitations to over fifteen Chanukah mesibos! Not only is it logistically impossible to attend every mesibah, but I have found that these family gatherings wreak havoc on my learning throughout Chanukah. Last year I missed every one of my nightly sedarim due to the daily Chanukah activities. I feel it is unfair and hashkafically unbalanced when I receive a negative reaction from our families when I assert that I cannot attend every mesibah due to my learning schedule; yet when my brother-in-law

the attorney says he cannot come because he has important clients to see in the evening, he is immediately forgiven. This is due to the fact that he is making money, whereas “all” I want to do is sit and learn! Is there a mitzvah to attend these mesibos? Do I have an obligation to go, even at the expense of my learning? This question is one that applies to many people, and each situation must be dealt with with an understanding of the circumstances and that remains true to halachah and yet sensitive to issues of family and shalom bayis. Every person should consult his rav or rebbi for guidance, and I would not attempt to offer a “one-answer-fits-all” response. What I would like to do is explore some of the underlying issues. Let’s start by discussing whether there is a mitzvah to make a mesibah or a seudah during the days of Chanukah. The Shulchan Aruch rules that festive meals are not required during Chanukah, because Chazal did not institute a mitzvah of eating and drinking to commemorate the miracles that occurred. In this respect, Chanukah is unlike Purim. Chazal instituted a mitzvah to eat and drink on Purim to celebrate the miracle that we were saved from physical annihilation. The celebration of Chanukah focuses on the fact that Hashem saved us from spiritual annihilation, and therefore we celebrate and commemorate the miracle in a more ruchniusdig (spiritual) way, through l’hodos ul’hallel, expressing our gratitude and lauding Hashem through tefillos, shiros, v’tishbachos — prayer, song, and praises.

The Rema says that there is a mitzvah to have extra meals to commemorate the completion of the Mishkan in the time of Moshe Rabbeinu. (Work on the Mishkan was finished on 25 Kislev, although it was inaugurated in Nissan.) We are also commemorating the rededication of the Beis HaMikdash on 25 Kislev at the time of nes Chanukah. The Rema comments that the minhag is to make the meal a seudas mitzvah by adding songs of praise to Hashem and discussing the great miracle that occurred during this time. The Maharshal states that the Chanukah seudah be replete with a celebration of Torah learning, and advises that one should not cancel his set time to learn for the sake of a Chanukah mesibah. He bemoans the fact that there are those who gather for frivolous activities instead of sanctifying the time with zemiros, tishbachos, and other spiritual pursuits. Even if the mesibah is a seduas mitzvah, one would have to carefully weigh the obligation to learn against his performance of other mitzvos. There is a general rule that one is allowed to interrupt Torah learning only in order to perform mitzvos that cannot be performed by others, such as mitzvos that are incumbent upon each individual to perform (mitzvos sheb’gufo — e.g., tefillin, matzah, succah) or any acts of chessed or community needs that will not be taken care of by others. Not only is the importance of talmud Torah greater than any other single mitzvah, but the sheer quantity of mitzvos that can be fulfilled through learning gives it precedence over any other mitzvah (according to the guidelines set forth above). The Vilna Gaon explains that ev-

ery single word of Torah is an independent mitzvah, and therefore hundreds of mitzvos can be fulfilled in a very brief period. Talmud Torah is therefore chosen over other mitzvos that can be performed in the same time frame, because one can accomplish so many more mitzvos in the same time frame. It is certainly acceptable and commendable to attend and enjoy a Chanukah mesibah. In addition to the mitzvos of Chanukah, there are issues of shalom bayis, chinuch habanim (including the value of showing children the beauty and simchah of Chanukah). These are the factors that a rav or rebbi will balance against the the obligation of talmud Torah. The contrast in their response to you and your brother-in-law the attorney is indeed troubling. It is extremely unfortunate that there are still those in our community who understand a professional’s absence from mesibos or simchos because of his professionial “obligations,” but who are far less accepting when it comes to empathy for lost learning time. Learning with diligence should ideally be placed on the highest pedestal, but, at the very least, it ought to be considered at least as honorable an undertaking as earning money. In general, people bear in mind that Chanukah is a time that is especially propitious for focus and success in Torah learning (this is especially true of Torah Sheb’al Peh, such as Mishnayos and Gemara). The Shelah HaKadosh writes that the holy days of Chanukah are particularly conducive to hasmadah in learning. The Shelah bemoans the fact that many, un-

fortunately, take time from Torah learning and occupy themselves with spiritually empty activities. The Kedushas Levi writes that it is proper for every Jew to focus on diligent Torah learning “because it is during these days that HaKadosh Baruch Hu began to bestow upon us the special light of His Torah.” Chanukah is an auspicious time to focus on the pasuk in Mishlei “Ki ner mitzvah v’Torah ohr.” May Hashem help us all imbue ourselves and others with the light of Torah at the mesibos we do attend, as well as during all the days and nights of Chanukah.

V’Achalta v’Savata u’Veirachta — Eating and Bentching Washing and Wealth

I have seen some people use a large amount of water when they wash for bread. Is there a reason to use more water than is halachically necessary? The Gemara quotes Rav Chisda as saying that washing with a large amount of water is a segulah for prosperity. The same Gemara comments that not washing with enough water to cover the entire hand properly can result in poverty. Some sources indicate that even washing with the exact amount of water needed can result in poverty if more water was readily available. This is because one is taking a chance that the washing will not be done properly. Some authorities state that washing with more water than necessary is only an advantage and segulah if one does

so to assure that the entire hand will be covered without any doubt. Using more water than that is pointless and merely a waste of resources. Others argue that in areas where there is an abundance of water, it is definitely advantageous and a segulah to wash with large amounts of water, even beyond that needed to cover all parts of the hand. As with any chumrah, it should not be carried out at the expense of others. If there is a limited amount of water available, it is preferable that one wash only with what he needs. There is a wellknown story that Rav Yisrael Salanter was asked why he did not use a large amount of water to wash his hands, and he explained that if he did so, the young servant girl would have to work harder to bring additional water. It is important to note that like all segulos, there is no guarantee that the desired blessings will be forthcoming immediately (or at all) for every individual. One’s aveiros can block the fulfillment of a particular berachah or segulah. One must also bear in mind that blessings can take various forms. When the Steipler Gaon, zt”l, was asked why he was not wealthy although he had had the zechus to be a sandak at so many brissos, he replied that he was indeed very wealthy, for he had merited to have a son like Rav Chaim (Kanievsky, shlita). One must likewise perform mitzvos because that is what Hashem has asked of us and not solely to attain wealth and prestige.

 dvar halachah

CITY spirit december 2011

Chanukah Lighting | Rabbi Gershon Bess

Who Must Light? The mitzvah of Chanukah can be fulfilled by the head of the household merely lighting one candle for each night. His lighting will include and free all the members of the family in addition to all permanent residents of the household. However, the mitzvah of Chanukah lighting was legislated with an opportunity to be mehadrin min hamehadrin (to perform the Mitzvah in a most beautiful and above the minimum manner]: to fulfill this, one lights each night the number of candles corresponding to the number of nights of Chanukah, e.g., on the sixth night of Chanukah one should light six candles. According to Sefardic custom, only the head of the household lights the corresponding number of candles. However, the Ashkenazic custom is for each male member of the household to light their own chanukiah with the corresponding number of candles. One’s wife and other female members of the household are included in the lighting of the father of the household. If there is no male head of the household, women are obligated to light. If the husband is away from home, his wife is obligated to light in their home. The husband is not obligated to light his own candles but may do so. However, he must have in mind that he does not want to fulfill the Mitzvah with his wife’s lighting. According to some Poskim, even having in mind is not sufficient to allow him to light with a bracha (since he may automatically have fulfilled his Mitzvah with his wife’s lighting). The Mishna Berurah suggests that he should make sure to light his candles before his wife lights at home, thereby enabling him to recite the Brochos as well. If he is lighting after his wife lit in his home, it is preferred that he hear the Brochos from someone nearby that is lighting, and answer omain and then proceed to light his candles. A guest staying at someone’s house for Chanukah is not himself obligated to light and can join with the head of the household by becoming a partial owner of the oil or candles of his host and fulfill his mitzvah with the lighting of the host. If he is married and his wife is lighting at home, even this is not required. However, since it is customary to fulfill the mitzvah of Chanukah l’mehadrin, the guest should try to light his own

candles with a bracha. If he is married and his wife is lighting at home he should follow one of the suggestions mentioned above. Where Does One Light In Talmudic times the mitzvah of lighting was performed at the door that opens to the street. In this way there would be Pirsumei Nissah [a public display commemorating and advertising the miracle]. In times of danger, when it would be inadvisable to light outside, lighting was done inside one’s home. In Eretz Yisroel today, many perform the mitzvah in its original preferred manner by lighting outside at their front door. The candles are placed on the left side of the door that when one enters the house he will have a mezuzah on his right and the Chanukah candles on his left. If, for some reason, there is no mezuzah, the candles are placed at the right side of the doorway. Outside of Eretz Yisroel, it is still the custom to light inside the house, rather than outside even though, B”H, we live in a medinah shel chesed. Although it is preferred that it be placed on the left side of a commonly traversed doorway, to be “surrounded” by mitzvos, nevertheless, it is preferred to light at a window that can be viewed from the street to accomplish pirsumei nissah from passersby as well. It is preferred that the candles be placed lower than 31 inches [or below 40 inches] since their low position then indicates that they are not being lit for illumination, but rather for a Mitzvah. However, it may not be placed lower that 12 inches from the floor nor higher than 31 feet from the ground. There is a minhog to light candles in Shul. It is lit after Mincha before Maariv and the brachos are recited. The candles are usually relit in the morning for Schacharis but no bracha is recited. On Friday afternoon the candles are lit before Mincha to ensure that they are lit before sunset lest one come to chilul Shabbos. The one who lights in Shul does not fulfill his Mitzvah with that lighting since it is not being done in his home and he must relight at home with the brachos. If he lit in Shul the first night, when the additional bracha of Shehechiyanu is re-

forbidden on chol hamoed, not simple housework or cooking but one should not get involved in extensive cooking.

cited, he would not repeat that bracha at home unless he is making the bracha for others who will not be lighting themselves [e.g. his wife or daughters]. Boys learning in a yeshiva and sleeping in a dormitory should light in their rooms rather than in the dining room. However, they must appoint one of the roommates to stay with the candles while they are burning [danger of fire] or to have in mind to extinguish them after burning for the minimum time. A person living alone, even if there are no other people around that will see his candles must light with a bracha. The same applies to a person who returns home late at night and there is no one awake and he is unable to awaken anyone, lights with a bracha. A person who will not be in a home [or motel] during the entire night cannot light and will have to be yotzeh with the lighting of his wife at home. If there is no one at home to light, according to Rav Moshe Feinstein ZT”L there will be no obligation to light. However, HoRav Elyashiv Shlit”a is of the opinion that he must appoint a person to light in his home. Work that women are nohaig not to work during the first half hour that the candles are burning– means work that is

Place to Light A yeshiva bochur that eats his meals in yeshiva and is there the whole day and just goes home to sleep at night should light in yeshiva. Ownership Person lighting needs to be the owner of candles. Children and guests (using hosts candles) should make a kinyan to be yotzeh. Rabbi Gershon Bess is Rav of Congregation Kehillas Yaakov and serves as the Halachic authority for the Los Angeles Kollel and Yeshiva communities. He gives a slate of highly regarded lectures on Talmud and Halacha and is the Rosh HaVaad of Vaad L’Maan Yahadus which has published Halachic bulletins for many years. He is a graduate of the yeshivos of Philadelphia, Ponovez, Lakewood and the Kollel of Los Angeles and serves on the Bais Din of the Rabbinical Council of California.

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Yeshiva bochur takes his sister to rabbi chaim kanievsky for a bracha “Sholom, Rabbi Smutnic?” “Yes.” “My name is … from Los Angeles. I want an appointment to come with my sister to get a bracha with the Rav.” “Just come at 1:45p.m. to the house.” My sister and I hopped into a cab in Yerushalayim and took the next Egged bus to Bnei Brak. My sister came from Los Angeles to Eretz Yisroel for the wedding of a very close friend. While here, she greatly wanted the opportunity to meet and get brachos from some of the Gedolei Hador. She called me and asked me to spend a day with her in Bnei Brak. After my Rebbe gave me the green light to take the day off and spend it with my sister, we left on our journey. We finally arrived and made our way to the Ledermans

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Shul. Because they were in the middle of davening mincha, we took advantage of the moment and quickly made our way towards the Kanievsky home. After ascending the “L” shaped staircase, we arrived into the waiting area. I remember thinking how great it was that we were the first ones there. Hopefully in less than 10 minutes, we would be face to face with Reb Chaim Kanievsky. When mincha ended people began streaming into the room and before we knew what had happened, we found ourselves in the back corner of the waiting area. People crowded each other to make way for Reb Chaim to enter his home. I wanted to push my way back to my front position but it seemed impossible to move as others, maybe 30, had the same idea. It was difficult to protect my sister in the back corner and then I realized I couldn’t leave this spot as this area was designated for men only. Every few minutes the gabbai motioned to someone who seemed to have an appointment to come in. Many hours passed and it was so hot and stuffy, until almost three hours when the gabbai came out and said that Reb Chaim went to sleep and wouldn’t be seeing any more visitors today. My sister was leaving for America in the next day and this was her only chance to get this special bracha personally. I was very frustrated to say the least, besides being hot and sweaty, that we made the effort to come, that I was determined to be noticed. I called out to the gabbai that I had not only made an appointment, but we were the first to arrive and were pushed back by all the others. So, I strongly asked to at least be allowed to see the Rebbetzin. A miracle happened and he told everyone to let us through. It seemed like krias yam suf as people made way for us. After we entered safely, we made our way to the Rebbetzin. People were cleared and the door was locked behind us as we were left to be alone in the house the most chashuva Rav and Rebbetzin. The Rebbetzin, who sees thousands of people, made us feel as if we were her own grandchildren. Throughout the entire forty five minutes we were with her, she was holding my sister’s hand and wouldn’t let go. She asked us both to say some tehillim while sitting in the Steipler’s chair. She sincerely asked about our specific lives and gave us brachos and kissed my sister several times. She took pictures with us and gave me some of the wine from a siyum that the Rav made on Kol Hatorah Kulo. It was a once in a lifetime experience my sister and I will always cherish.

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 inspiration

Clothing Can Make the Man | Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn

CITY spirit december 2011

he value of aesthetics in Judaism, is part of a broader discussion well beyond the scope of this essay. We all can agree, however, that the Torah does spend some time on the topic of clothing. Perhaps the most famous Biblical article of clothing is Joseph’s multicolor “dream” coat. (I wonder if a close second is Elvis’s white jumpsuit). Joseph’s life seems to hover around the concept of clothing. In the Torah portion Vayeishev, the wife of Potiphar grabs onto the cloak of Joseph as he tries to elude her seduction. Near the end of the same Torah portion we encounter the challenging story of Tamar, as she takes on the guise of a prostitute. Begadim, or the clothes we wear, are a fundamental part of our religion. They have ramifications in so many different areas of Jewish law and ideology. What gives the begadim that we wear the prominent spot they occupy in our canon? Let us take a look at some other examples of clothing in Jewish literature beyond this weeks’ Torah portion. In the Book of Samuel, as Samuel is leaving after chastising King Saul, Saul, in a moment of defiance, pulls the cloak of Samuel and accidentally rips it. Samuel quickly turns to Saul, and utters the chilling statement: ‘Now I know the Kingdom will no longer be yours.’ What is the connection between the ripping of this garment and the kingdom? A interesting subsection of the laws of prayer, is the notion of Hikon. Hikon posits that we are called upon to pray before our Maker in clothing that are prepared and respectful. Sometimes that takes the form of a special jacket, or simply being tucked in and neat. The Sabbath is connected to the concept of clothing. We dress beautifully to resemble the Sabbath King and Queen. Our zemiros (songs) that are traditionally sung at each meal over Sabbath talk about the pleasant looking clothing of the day. When one is in mourning, he or she rips their clothing. When one mourns over Jerusalem, the shirt is also ripped. What is the deeper significance behind the ripping of one’s own garment? The laws of tznius (modest dress), extend above and beyond the clothing we wear, but we cannot hide the fact that the primary face of tznius is manifested in the realm of clothing. Why do Jewish sources spend so much time discussing clothing? The Vilna Gaon left us with a secret as to how to understand many of the more complex concepts in the Torah. He

notes that if we want to truly understand a perplexing subject, to locate the first time that idea is discussed and there will lie the key of understanding. When is the first time we encounter clothing? Right at the beginning, in Genesis, by Adam and Eve. “Vahayu Shneihem Arumim, Hadam Veishto, Vahayi Shenihem Labasar Achas.” “Both of them were naked, man and his wife, and they were of one flesh.” Rashi comments that they were not embarrassed for they didn’t know the way of modest dress, and to distinguish between good and bad. At this point, there was no need for clothing. But then in verse seven, “And both their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked.” Sin, created the knowledge that they were naked. How? Verse five, indicates that they wanted themselves to be gods, the greatest hubris of all, and once they tasted sin, ego laid its trap. Suddenly the innocence that had once made them blind to their bodies, transformed into an awareness that they were in fact naked. At that moment they knew they needed clothing, for they needed something, some symbol to remind them that they are not G-d. The eternal reminder would be the clothing that they would wear forever. Begadim, we see, reflect our awareness and loyalty to G-d. We stand at the eve of Chanukah. Chanukah commemorates the victory of the Hellenist ideology that attempted to make us forget G-d. They wanted to tear away our connection. They wanted the Jews to believe in the deities of the Greeks. Who were these gods? The naked body (see Plato’s Republic p.402). They worshipped their bodies in the gymnasiums. They knew that clothing are a reminder of G-d. Without the clothing they could worship their ego. One of the decrees against the Jewish religion was that they attempted to abolish the observance of the Sabbath. Why? It is a day when we come out in our splendorous clothing. “Lavush Bigdei Chamudos lehadlik ner”, that song refers to the clothing we wear on shabbos, and the lighting candles of Chanukah. On the Sabbath we clothe our tables so to speak, we cover our challah. The Sabbath is a constant reminder through the begadim, that G-d is greater than us. The Greeks tried to take that away. Why the laws of Hikon, dressing with proper respect before praying? Prayer, is da lifnei mi ata omed, know before Whom you are standing. When we pray we must be reminded that we are praying to G-d and not ourselves. Our clothing remind us of that. When one goes through the heart of the Torah section of

Vayikra you are almost inundated by the lengthy discussion pertaining to the clothing of the High Priest. He ritually dips, he changes, he dips again, he changes, on and on. Why? Because on Yom Kippur the High Priest must stand in the Kodesh Hakedoshim, the Holy of Holies, that is the ultimate da lifnei mi ata omed, know before Whom you stand. It is imperative that G-d be on his mind and not himself, hence the clothing. We also now understand the sections pertaining to Joseph. Joseph’s brothers knew they could not destroy him physically. The only way they could hurt him was by talking away the Torah their father had taught him. How would they do that? We have already explained that clothing represents a connection, or a reminder of G-d, so they ripped his coat. It was the very same coat given to Joseph by his father who taught him all his Torah. We also understand why the wife of Potiphar rips Joseph’s clothing as he is leaving. She’s trying to tell him, forget G-d, live a little bit. She’s trying to break his connection with G-d by attacking the clothing. In the very same Torah portion, Tamar dresses like a prostitute. She was about to plant the seeds of the future Messiah, but at the same time she would do it in a way that is very dangerous. The task entailed in paving the way for the Messiah was a great one, and she needed to be reminded at all times that the service she was doing is a noble one. The clothing would remind her. One other woman in the Torah would do the same as Tamar, and that was the wife of Yishai, the mother of the Messiah- David! But why must the Messiah be surrounded by the concept of clothing? The title “king” or “messiah” is a dangerous one. With such power, one is able to stop and look down upon his kingdom and say ‘not bad, I’m pretty impressive.’ The anointed one needs a constant reminder of G-d. He needs to be reminded perpetually of who is above him. And so, it makes perfect sense, that when King Saul rips the cloak of Samuel, he no longer can be king, for a position of such power demands that one realize Who stands above. At the end of the Book of Genesis, Jacob turns to his children and gives them all blessings. Only one child is blessed with clothing. Amazingly enough it is Judah, the father of the future Kings of Israel! The clothing we wear, like almost all seemingly mundane things that we do, brings with it such significance. The trite act of putting on a nice button down shirt can reflect our connection and respect for G-d. Happy Chanukah! Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn is the incoming Dean and Rav of Yeshivat Yavneh. He is presently the Rabbi of West Side Institutional Synagogue, a Manhattan shul which he helped grow by over 70%. Rabbi Einhorn is the Director and Creator of WINGS - a synagogue consulting group for the Orthodox Union.

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 point of view

The Real Kindle | Rabbi Effie Goldberg

don’t know about you, but this time of year, the “Holiday Season”, finds

me humming Xmas tunes and looking for Black Friday deals. I find that no matter how disconnected I am from secular holidays; they follows me

into every corner. Short of shul, there is no place to hide from Xmas lights, trees and songs. Whatever happened to the separation of church and state? I go to many offices of companies owned by Jews who have a Xmas tree in their lobby and carols playing on their surround sound. When did Christmas become a Jewish holiday? And when did it become my holiday?

When we focus on the story of Chanukah we can see how it’s a story that replays itself over and over again throughout history. Tradition versus contemporary society; spirituality

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versus physicality. The Greeks focused on the exterior, the Jews on the interior. The Greeks didn’t want to physically exterminate the Jews, as others have done in current and more recent history. Rather, they hoped to destroy the Jewish nation from the inside, through our souls, and they were making headway until the uprising that took place over Chanukah, until the Maccabbim stepped in. Regardless of the external pressure, Yehuda the Maccabee and his men stood up for what they believed in. Though they fought with all that they had, nevertheless, the Bais Hamikdash, the Holy Temple, was defiled. Though ripped of its purity and completely desecrated G-d did not forsake us. The Jews fought to find the light, and though it wasn’t enough, they brought the menorah back to life for the day. They needed something to enliven their spirits. One day of the menorah shining bright was all they needed to regroup, to feel inspired, to carry on. It wasn’t the “Age of Enlightenment” that brought light to the generation but the light of the menorah that brought us back to the source of everything, to G-d. We are taught of a disagreement between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel two integral rabbis in our history. The question was whether or not we should light the menorah down from 8 days to 1 or up from 1 to 8. We follow Beis Hillel who concluded that we should add another candle each night from 1 to 8. Chanukah is about being inspired and building on. This might shed some light on the Rambam, in Perek Chelek, describing Antignus Ish Socho. In a perfect world we should serve G-d to a point where we expect nothing in return and to serve Him out of love, as our forefather Avraham did. However, continues the Rambam, this is very difficult. It’s

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CITY spirit december 2011

Rabbi Effie Goldberg was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. After attending high school in Baltimore, MD, Effie learned in Yeshivas Bais Yisroel in Jerusalem, where he received a Bachelors in Talmudic Law, in Sha’ar Yashuv in Far Rockaway, NY and then in the Ner Yaakov Kollel in Jerusalem. He was ordained by Rabbi Zalman Nechemya Goldberg (no relation). He has a Bachelors of Science in Management from Touro College and is certified in addiction counseling from the board of Israel Addiction Professionals. He graduated from two outreach training programs: Talmidei Aharon Institute and Ner Le’elef, both located in Jerusalem. Effie is a long time NCSY alumnus, having been involved in numerous regions as a student. He volunteered as an advisor for the Long Island region while in college and was later recruited and trained by Rabbi Steven Burg in 2004 as a Director of Education. He became Regional Director of the West Coast in 2006 and now assumed a new role as Executive Director.

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challenging to have no expectations, no needs or fears. Yet, we are commanded to do it anyway, to try. When a baby takes his first step, he falls down. When he tries again, he falls again. Over and over this happens but where would we all be as adults if we never got back up and tried again? My rebbe eulogizes Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ZT”L, who was a great One day of the meleader of our generation. He definitely had his challenges, norah shining bright yet he loved Torah, and it was was all they needed always in the forefront of his to regroup, to feel mind and he continued on his path all of the days of his life. inspired, to carry on. The Jewish calendar brings about a certain energy to each time of year. We are entering the energy of Chanukah. The Greeks had us looking at the external and it wasn’t that different than society’s focus right now, today. We focus on the body, on social standing, on the type of car a person drives. We see Xmas, a holiday of physical gifts, of overpowering decorations, of vacations and shopping. Now is our time to refocus, to look inside. We need to ignite the spark of the soul and build on it each day, even under the blatant external pressure of outside influences. It is our temple, and we must return it to its state of holiness and purity. One small jar of oil, can light up everyone around you, for as long as you’re willing to keep it alive.

Hershel lieber

The Wandering Jew

THE DEEP SOUTH

ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI & LOUISIANA

flight connection delay, in Mobile, Alaesi and I just returned bama. After picking up our rental car after a week long vacation from we checked into the beautiful Riverthe Southern Gulf States of Alaview Plaza hotel overlooking Mobile bama, Mississippi and Louisiana. We Bay. We grabbed a quick bite and took a had a wonderful time and our memostroll along the downtown ries are so fresh and vivid streets where the buildthat I am writing my arings are relics of a bygone ticle about this very trip. era. Since it was getting People always ask me why dark early, we went to the we pick out of the ordinary museum to see an IMAX locations to spend our vafilm about the Australian cations. My answer is that Outback. The film was fasdespite common misconcinating and the scenery ceptions, there are always was breathtaking. It had many things to see and nothing to do with Mobile, do in the sites we choose. Alabama, but nevertheless In addition the peculiarwas quite entertaining. ity of these places is what Monday – It was drizintrigues us in the first Egret on board zling and we took a miniplace. I am deviating from van tour of the beautiful and stately my regular style and will present our homes dating from the mid 1800’s trip in the form of a diary to highlight through the early part of the 1900’s in the many places and events that we exvarious sections of the city. We were perienced. so impressed, that we came back after Sunday - We arrived after some

Shrimping boat tour on the Gulf of Mexico

lunch on our own, to photograph individual houses. Then we drove 40 minutes to a town called Theodore, where the Bellingrath Gardens and Home is located. If there was anything that we would identify as the finest spectacle of our trip it would have to be Bellingrath. The manicured gardens were ablaze with multi colored chrysanthemums. The Rose Garden has over 75 varieties at any given time. We just could not believe what our eyes were seeing! The Home tour was exceptionally great with exquisite interiors and a large collection of furniture and china. As grandiose as it was, it was a cozy home that we could see ourselves living in. In the early evening we drove to Gulfport, Mississippi where we had a room overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Tuesday – We took a 70 minute Shrimping Boat Tour which was a highly unusual educational experience. Being that it was off season, we had the advantage of a very personalized trip.

Biloxi Lighthouse Stately home in Mobile

The captain hauled in a full net of a variety of fish, crabs and shrimp. He taught us about the various species and we were able to handle the catch until we threw them overboard to be caught by the flock of seagulls and pelicans that accompanied us out of the harbor. Then we took a minibus tour of Biloxi, Mississippi, which was a bit distressing, being that the city never really recovered from the effects of both Hurricanes Camille and Katrina. From there we drove to ‘Beauvoir’ the last home of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy. This was a short tour, but we learned a lot about the Civil War years from a Southern perspective. Late afternoon, we headed to New Orleans. We love small hotels and Bed & Breakfasts. They are quaint and charming and many are quite elegant. We checked into the Queen Ann in the Garden District. After unpacking, we headed to the Casablanca Restaurant where we enBellingrath Gardens

joyed a delicious kosher Moroccan dinner with a truly Middle Eastern décor and atmosphere. Footnote: For breakfast & lunch we took along Melba toast, cheese, canned fish, instant oatmeal (and of course grits in the South), and bought fruits and vegetables. For the first two nights, we brought along vacuum packed deli meats and picked up some canned vegetables. The other nights in New Orleans we had two excellent kosher restaurants where we could enjoy our dinners.

- To be continued next issue

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 advice from over-the-counter

Chanukah? Must be Time to Review “Hilchos Cholesterol” Manny Saltiel, Pharm.D., FASHP, FCCP

“Yankel, Chanukah is coming, and with all the oily food coming our way, maybe you should talk to your doctor about your cholesterol medicine again,” advised Yaakov’s chavrusa. “Remember we discussed it last year, and your doctor agreed to switch you to a less expensive generic medicine, right?” “Taka, Sruli, you’re absolutely right. The pharmacist – Ralph, I think his name was, he was a very helpful young man. Maybe I should go in and talk with him again.” The next day, Sruli walked into Bonus Drugs Pharmacy on 3rd Street and asked to speak to Dr. Ralph the pharmacist. “You asked for me, sir?” he asked. “Why, yes. I don’t know if you remember me, but last year, you called my doctor for me and got him to switch me from a very expensive cholesterol medicine to a very inexpensive generic one, which you told him was just as good. I have such hakaras hatov to you for that. Anyway, I’m here this year to ask you if I need to double my dose since Chanukah is coming.” Dr. Ralph smiled and replied patiently, “Well, we generally don’t double dose medicines to make up for an expected change in diet. I assume that’s why you’re concerned. But let me review your profile for a moment, and we can talk further. Have a seat in that waiting area over there, if you’ve got some time.” Fifteen minutes later, the pharmacist returned to the window. “I’m sorry it took me so long, but I found something quite

interesting in your profile. In addition to simvastatin, the generic brand of Zocor, that you’re taking for your cholesterol, you’re also taking diltiazem for blood pressure control. Now, the dose of simvastatin that you’re taking is 20mg per day. We switched you to that last year, as an alternative for Lipitor 10mg. Well, it seems that my computer system which identifies drug interactions hasn’t been updated, because last June, the FDA warned that due to an interaction with diltiazem, the highest dose of simvastatin that people should take is now only 10mg.” Sruli was troubled. “Oh no, so should I call my doctor and get him to lower my dose? What could happen with this interaction?” “The interaction between simvastatin – as well as Lipitor – can lead to muscle damage, although it is only very rarely serious. Have you had any unexplained muscle aches and pains in the last few months?” “Let me tell you about muscle aches, young man,” Sruli began. “Two months ago, I was helping my shviger take out the garbage. This lady must have the heaviest garbage cans in all of California. And when I finished that, I helped her build two shelves and then put some sfarim on them. The next morning I woke up with the sorest back I ever had. And my arms were throbbing!! So, it’s the interaction, huh? I knew it!” “Now, just wait a minute, sir,” interrupted the pharmacist.

CITY spirit december 2011

CitySpirit Magazine Wishes Our Readers a Happy Chanukah

Watch for our Upcoming Purim Issue Advertising Deadline February 21 Circulation Date March 8

“I said unexplained muscle aches. If muscles hurt after unusually vigorous activity, that’s quite normal, especially for a man in his sixties. At any rate, I called your doctor and brought this potential interaction to his attention. He reviewed your labs and told me that your LDL-cholesterol - that’s your “bad” cholesterol – is fine. And he’s willing to reduce your dose of simvastatin to 10mg. However, your HDL-cholesterol – your “good” cholesterol – is too low now. So he wants to treat that as well.” “Ah,” replied Sruli. “I know all about good cholesterol. My sister, Bayla, has low cholesterol. And she takes this niacin medicine. But it’s not exactly niacin. It’s naya-spin, I think. Any way, she’s been taking it every day – even though she was flushing a lot in the beginning – and it’s 10 years after her ‘change in life, y’know – but she’s better now. Her good cholesterol came up. And she’s feeling terrific, kin ayna harah, poo poo poo.” “Yes, well, when I speaking with your doctor, I mentioned to him that the most recent study that came our on this topic, in the November 15th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that niacin does not reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. So I’m not so sure it’s such a good medicine for you.” “Oy vey! What’s to be with my sister, Bayla?” moaned Sruli. “Well, probably she should discuss it with her own doctor. It may be that since she’s tolerating it so well, it may be best not to change anything. But for you – since you’re not currently taking niacin, it no longer makes sense to start it, given the most recent findings. There are a couple of other options, which I also discussed with your doctor, and I think we came up with a good resolution for you.” “Nu?” “There’s a medicine called fenofibrate. It can be safely used with simvastatin, which you are already taking. So, your doctor agreed to have you start that medicine. In six weeks, he will re-check your HDL, your good cholesterol, to see if the fenofibrate has had the desired effect. And at the same time, we will reduce your dose of simvastatin to 10mg per day. Now, I’m going to write all of this down, but do you understand it all?” “And I can still have a lichtige Chanukah, with latkes and donuts?” “Yes, sir, of course you can. Just take it is easy with all that oil, OK? And have a happy Chanukah!”

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CITY spirit december 2011

Dr. Manny Saltiel received his doctorate in Pharmacy at the University of California in San Francisco, following two years of undergraduate work at UCLA. He completed a residency in Clinical Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Saltiel was employed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for 25 years. For the past

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KidSpirit Holiday Puzzle

by Fraydee Mozes

This time of year we celebrate Chanukah which falls out on the __1__ day during the month of __2__. Each night for __3__ days, we light a candle on the __4__ using the __5__ to light. We commemorate the miracle of Chanukah: A small amount of __6__ was found and it lasted for eight days and nights. We keep the menorah near a __7__ or __8__ to show everyone our celebration of this great miracle. We also eat foods cooked in oil to remind us of the miracle, such as __9__ which are made with potato batter, and __10__ which usually have a hole in the middle or yummy jelly. May we all celebrate the Chanukah miracle together in Yerushalayim next year, IY”H! Answers: 1. 25th , 2. Kislev, 3. Eight, 4. Menorah, 5. Shamash, 6. Oil, 7. Door/Window, 8. Window/Door, 9. Latkes, 10. Donuts

Unscramble 1. SALTEK _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. NDUTO _ _ _ _ _ 3. LOI _ _ _ 4. EARHNMO _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5. BCAAEEM _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6. ECDNSLA _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7. DDRIEEL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Studies show that ads featuring puppies and babies are most effective 8. LGTE _ _ _ _ 9. LHLALE _ _ _ _ _ _ 10. NASTIOHUC _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answers: 1. Latkes, 2. Donut, 3. Oil, 4. Menorah, 5. Macabee, 6. Candles, 7. Dreidel, 8. Gelt, 9. Hallel, 10. Antiochus

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CITY spirit december 2011

Can You Find It

KidSpirit gift certificate to Chabad-Atara

Dr. P. Benjamin Nikravesh

Double Board Certified Diplomate, American Board of Podiatric Surgery, All the images abovePodiatric come from pages &inPrimary this magazine. Find Orthopedics Podiatric Medicine

Congratula tions to SHALVA ENGLAN DER Age 8 Contest Win ner sE P T E M BE R 2011 by Fraydee Mozes

Name _ ____________________________________________

the pages and enter the page numbers in the white boxes. Cut 323-782-8586 out and fill in the form and mail to: CitySpirit NY Office: 1588 E. Address_ ___________________________________________ Naftali Finkel 27th Street, Brooklyn,6404 NY 11229. Wilshire Blvd. Ste. 600, L.A., CA 90048 Phone_ ______________________ Age__________________ First entry with all the correct answers wins. 323-243-6710

www.ShiraOrchestra.com info@ShiraOrchestra.com

letter is missing from this sequence:

GKQSW

Word Power

Brain Teasers

s: 1. N, T;Using nine and 2. 97; lowest getshow dropped. theten. BrainTracker griddigit below, many3. M; these Canare youletters solvewhich these riddles? prime number the Each alphabet: 3, 5, 7, etc. wordspositions can you in find? word2,must contain

the central B and no letter can be used 1. What are the next two letters twice, however, the letters do not have to be in this sequence? ng the BrainTracker grid below, words can you find? Each connected. Proper nounshow are many not allowed, O T T word F F S Smust E_ _ ntain thehowever, central Bplurals and noare. letter can be used twice, however, the letters do not There is at least one nine ve to be connected. There letter word. Proper nouns are not allowed, however,2.plurals Whatare. is the nextisnumber in east oneExcellent: nine letter words. Good: 17 words. Average: 12 24word. words.Excellent: Good: 17 24 words. Average: this sequence? rds. 12 words. 917452 97452 9745 975 ___ 3. Which letter is missing from this sequence: BCEGKQSW Answers: 1. N, T; nine and ten. 2. 97; lowest digit gets dropped. 3. M; these are letters which occupy prime number positions in the alphabet: 2, 3, 5, 7, etc. Answer: airbrush, bar, bars, bash, bias, brash, briar, briars, brush, burr, burrs, bursar, bus, bush, HAIRBRUSH, hub, hubs, rib, ribs, rub, rubs, shrub.

ush, bar, bars, bash, bias, brash, briar, briars, brush, burr, burrs, bursar, bus, bush, ub, hubs, rib, ribs, rub, rubs, shrub.

Sudoku for Kids

iday Puzzle Level: Getting Harder ar we celebrate Chanukah which falls out on the __1__ day during the month of __2__. How to play: Each row (across) must contain the _3__ days, we light a candle on the __4__ using the __5__ to light. We commemorate numbers 1 through 9. Each column (up and down) theWe numbers 1 through 9. Each square hanukah: A small amount of __6__ was found and it lasted for eight days must andcontain nights. box must contain the numbers 1 through 9. rah near a __7__ or __8__ to show everyone our celebration of this great miracle. We

Solution CITY spirit december 2011 45

west coast directory Emergency Fire-Police-Ambulance.................... 911 Hatzalah............................ 800-613-1911

Government & Utilities Passport Information.... 310-575-5700

Hospitals Cedars Sinai Medical Center................ 310-423-5000 8700 Beverly Blvd. Children’s Hospital........ 323-660-2450 4650 Sunset Blvd. UCLA Medical Center.......310-825-9111 10833 Le Conte Avenue

Jewish Life Bikur Cholim Bikur Cholim.........................323-852-1900 LA Ladies Bikur Cholim...... 323-934-2890 ...........................................323-936-1685 Chai LifeLine......................... 310-274-6331 Teen Development Friendship Circle LA... 310-277-FCLA(3252)

CITY spirit JUNE 2011

Mikvahs

Beverly Hills/Pico Robertson Mikvah mei manachem ....... 310-214-4999 2108 Vail Avenue Mikvah Society of LA .........310-550-4511 9548 West Pico Long Beach Mikvah Chaya V’Sarah Leah 562-427-1360 3847 Atlantic Avenue Los Angeles – Fairfax Mikvah Sarah U’Baila......... 323-939-4297 360 N. La Brea Avenue (across from alley) Mikvah Taharat Chaya....... 323-634-0703 303 S. Highland Ave. (by appt. only) North Hollywood Adat Yeshurun Mikvah........ 818-766-4610 12405 Sylvan Street The Teichman Mikvah..........818-760-4567 12800 Chandler Blvd. Palm Springs Mikvah Chaya Mushka.........760-325-3212 425 Avenida Ortega (Palm Springs Chabad) San Diego Mikvah Israel........................619-287-6411 5170 Ladorna

Santa Monica Mikvas Chana (by appt. only). 310-829-1324 Tarzana Abraham Dayan Mikvah.......818-758-3836 18181 Burbank Blvd.(access east side of bldg.)

Shatnez Testing Service Kehillah (Mr. Stolz)............... 323-936-8760 Kehilla Shatnez Lab on Holt (Rabbi & Mrs. Sohayeg )........ 310-657-5789

Synagogues Los Angeles Fairfax/Hancock Park Agudath Israel of LA-Bais Avigdor.................... 323-930-0792 / 323-935-8383 461 N. La Brea Avenue Ahavas Yisroel Synagogue 731 N. La Brea Ave...................323-937-1247 Aish Tamid of Los Angeles....... 323-634-0505 5909 West 3rd St Beth Midrash Od Yossef Hai...... 323 931-0333 142 North La Brea Ave. Congregation Bais Naftoli......... 323-936-4827 221 S. La Brea Avenue Congregation Bais Yehuda.........323-936-7568 360 N. La Brea Avenue Congregation Eitz Chaim/Bais Moshe Yitzchok.. 323-634-0535 • 303 S. Highland Ave. Congregation Levi Yitzchok/ Chabad of Hancock Park...... 323-954-8381 356 N. La Brea Avenue Congregation Shaarei Tefilla...... 323-938-7147 7269 Beverly Blvd. Kehillas Yaakov........................ 323-935-8572 7211 Beverly Blvd. Kehillath Yitzchok..................... 323-932-8694 7709 Beverly Blvd. Kollel Los Angeles.....................323-933-7193 7216 Beverly Blvd. Kollel Yechiel Yehuda................323-939-2041 354 N. La Brea Avenue The Jewish Learning Exchange........................ 323-857-0923 • 512 N. La Brea Avenue Torah Ohr................................. 323-933-3111 7200 Beverly Blvd. Young Israel of Hancock Park....323-931-4030 225 S. La Brea Avenue

Young Israel of Los Angeles...... 323-655-0300 660 North Spaulding Avenue Pico-Robertson/Beverly Hills Adas Torah 1135 S. Beverly Dr..310-552-0460 Aish HaTorah Center.................310-278-8672 9102 W. Pico Blvd.Anshe Emes Synagogue....................310-275-5640 / ......................................... 877-ANSHE-EM 1490 S. Robertson Blvd. Beth Jacob Congregation...........310-278-1911 9030 West Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills B’nai Daivid Judea Congregation 8906 W. Pico Blvd.................... 310-276-7891 Chabad of Bel-Air..................... 310-475-5311 10421 Summer Holly Crl Chabad of Beverly Hills.............. 310-271-9063 409 N. Foothill Rd., Beverly Hills Chabad of Brentwood.............. 310-826-4453 644 S. Bundy Dr. Chabad of Cheviot Hills.............310-558-8770 3185 Motor Avenue, Los Angeles Chabad Israel Center................ 310-271-6193 1520 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles Congregation Magen David...... 310-556-5609 9717 W. Pico Blvd., Beverly Hills Lubavitch of Beverly Hills...........310-282-0444 9017 W. Pico Blvd., Beverly Hills West Coast Torah Center........... 310-271-1180 322 N. Foothill Rd., Beverly Hills Young Israel of Beverly Hills........310-742-3717 8701 W. Pico Blvd. Young Israel of Century City.......310-273-6954 9315 W. Pico Blvd. Calabasas The Calabasas Shul ..................818-725-3118 (at Bay Laurel Elem. School) Calabasas Pkwy. at Paseo Primero Conejo Valley Chabad of Conejo/Agoura Hills 818-991-0991 5998 Conife Street Corona del Mar Chabad of Newport Beach.........949-721-9800 4720 Cortland Dr. Lomita Chabad of Palos Verdes........... 310-544-5544 28041 S. Hawthorne Blvd. Chabad of South Bay................310-326-8234 24412 Narbonne Ave. manhattan beach Chabad of Manhattan Beach.....310-265-3868 2108 Vail Avenue Continued on page 48

to be added to our directory send detailed info to cityspiritmag@gmail.com

west coast directory

1014 Vernon Ave.

Continued from page 46

Westwood Westwood Kehilla..................... 310-441-5288 10537 Santa Monica Blvd.

North Hollywood Adat Yeshurun .............. 818-766-4682 12405 12405 Sylvan Street Em Habanim Cong.................... 818-762-7779 5850 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Shaarey Zedek Cong.................818-763-0560 12800 Chandler Blvd. Ohr Simcha.............................. 818-760-2189 12430 Oxnard NORTHRIDGE Young Israel of Northridge.........818-368-2221 17511 Devonshire Street

Huntington Beach Chabad of West Orange County.714-846-2285 5052 Warner Ave

Santa Monica Chabad of Marina Del Rey......... 310-301-9770 2929 Washington Blvd. Venice Pacific Jewish Center................ 310-392-8749 505 Ocean Front Walk Young Israel of Venice...............310-450-7541

Irvine Beth Jacob of Irvine..................949-786-5230 3900 Michelson Dr. Chabad of Irvine...................... 949-786-5000 5010 Barranca Pkwy Young Israel of Orange County..... 949-300-8899 5319 University Drive (#122)

27655 Niguel Village Dr. Long Beach Cong. Lubavitch of Long Beach........................ 562-426-5480 • 3981 Atlantic Ave. Young Israel of Long Beach....... 562-427-3163 4134 Atlantic Ave. Mission Viejo Chabad of Mission Viejo............ 949-770-1270 24041 Marguerite Pkwy. Palm Springs Chabad of Palm Springs............760-325-0774 425 Avenida Ortega

La Jolla Congregation Adat Yeshurun.... 858-535-0343 8625 La Jolla Scenic Dr. N.

San Diego Beth Jacob of San Diego........... 619-287-9890 4855 College Ave. Chabad of Downtown................ 619-702-8518 472 Third Avenue

Laguna Beach Chabad of Laguna Beach......... 949-499-0770 30804 S. Coast Hwy.

Yorba Linda North County Chabad Center.....714-693-0770 19045 Yorba Linda Blvd.

Laguna Niguel Chabad of Laguna Niguel..........949-831-8475

community & g'mach directory Babies & Children

Baby Equipment Port-a-cribs, pack and plays, car seats, infant bouncers, strollers, bassinettes, booster seats, exer-saucers for short term loan. Miriam Hendeles......................(323) 243-7116

Clothing

Bris Outfits and Bris Pillow Devora Wieder........................ (323) 939-9276 Ruchie Klein........................... (323) 353-2494

Global Kindness Yaelle Cohen....................... (310) 286-0800

Diapers Chumie Unger.........................(323) 932-1094 Penina Frumit Apter.................(310) 557-9726 Dina Kramer............................(818) 985-2493

CITY spirit december 2011

Ezer Layoledes Strollers, play pens, high chairs, cribs, car seats for short or long term loan. Bella Greenfield..................... (323) 934-0178

Rochelle Frankel.....................(323) 896-3335 Children’s Costume G’mach Bubby Goldie’s (L’ilui Nishmas Chana Golda Krausz) Abi Katz ................................ (323) 395-7465 Miriam Montag...................... (323) 646-5988

Kehila Shatnez Testing Joe Stoltz.............................. (323) 936-8760

Counseling and Health

Aleinu / Orthodox Counseling Program 24 hour hotline..................(310) 247-0534

Nursing Pumps Andi Shochet......................... (818) 753-9562 Dassi Weiner......................... (818) 509-7791

Chai Lifeline West Coast Regional Office Non profit Jewish organization dedicated to providing support services to seriously ill children and their families........(310) 274-6331

New born baby care packages Sandy Gordon......................... (310) 838-8591

Etta Israel Serving the special needs children of the Jewish Community............................. (818) 985-3882

Uniforms Exchange &/or purchase of pre-owned uniforms Toras Emes and Bais Yaakov -

Hospital Gowns Tznuis hospital clothing for women Sara Pinter ........................... (323) 931- 1598

Jewish Healthcare Foundation Avraham Moshe Bikur Cholim If you need or would like to donate blood to someone.................................(323) 852-1900 Financial Aid Services Financial Jewish Free Loan Assistance Small interest free loans City . .................................... (323) 761-8830 Valley.................................... (818) 464-3331 Hachnosas Kallah Financial assist. &/or guidance to needy kallahs in planning their wedding........ (323) 938-8074 The Tzedakah Fund Small Interest-Free Loans........(323) 939-0862

Food

Masbia (L’ilui Nishas Chaim Yosef ben Aron Aryeh) Share your simcha – call for info or to arrange pickup of leftover food from your simcha ................... (323) 851-1000, (323) 997-6500 Tomchei Shabbos Provides Shabbos food packages for families in need. Call to request application. ..............................................(323) 851-1000 Continued on page 50

community directory Continued from page 48 Arbis for Shalom Zachor Aviva Maller............................ (323) 931-9420

Legal Services

Bet Tzedek Legal Services Free legal counsel to the eligible needy and Holocaust reparations assistance. .............................................(323) 939-0506 Criminal/Arrest Guidance LA County Sheriff Department. Shirley Freidman (for women).. (323) 568-4703 Howard Winkler (for men)........(323) 939-9236

Furniture, Home, Dishes

2nd Chance Rivky Farber............................(323) 851-1000 Folding Beds Esti Tendler (Evenings only) ......(310)557-3461 Keilim Mikvah Directory Anshe Emes Keilim Mikva 1490 S. Robertson................. (310) 275-5640 Shaaray Zedek Keilim Mikva 12800 Chandler..................... (818) 763-0560 Young Israel Keilim Mikva 225 S. LaBrea Ave................. (323) 931-4030

Mezuzah Gemach Irwin Lowi...............................(323) 932-1025 Tables and Chairs Steven Oscherowitz................. (323) 937-1194

Weddings & Special Occasions

Benchers (L’ilui Nishmas Ahron Ben Yissachar) Mrs. Kest ...............................(323) 937-7060 Chupah candle holders, poles, Kallah chair Mrs. Lebovics . ...................... (323) 933-3377 Clothing for Relatives of Chosson & Kallah For women and children Mrs. Dena Wolmark ............... (323) 934-4151 Penina Fisher.......................... (323) 933-7292 Hachnasas Kallah Gift Gemach Volume DonationsLibby Lehman......................... (323) 935-3791 Individual GiftsLeba Hertz..............................(323) 574-7054 Chuppah/Simcha Cards Tehillim cards for use at the chuppah Rochel Haberman.....................323)899-5390

Bridal Gowns Esther Braun ......................... (323) 933-2817 Ahuva Goldstein......................(323) 938-8660 Gitty Feingold..........................(323) 933-1197 Malka Breitman......................(323) 938-8008 Sarah Frankel......................... (323) 934-7983 Mechitzah Gemach Rivka Berkowitz.......................(818) 331-3884 Simcha Gemach (L’ilui Nishmas Rebbetzin Bella Simcha) 48 Mini challah covers, 2 lg challah covers, 18 kiddush cups w/trays, 50 bentchers..... (323) 931-0306 Esther Mayerfeld -Al Hamichya Cards in lucite stands..............(323) 933-1891 Special Occasion Flowers, Centerpieces & Mirrors Mrs. Niehaus.......................... (323) 938-2406 Michal Pouraty-Yad Simcah..... (310) 525-7336 Tablecloth Gemach Tablecloths available to borrow (call for hours) Rochel Haberman...................(323) 899-5390 Estie Silber............................ (323) 652-6658 Wedding Shtick Bubby’s Shtick-Mona Riss........(818) 761-5077 Rivky Farber............................(323) 744-1608 Nechama Denbo....................... (310) 788-398

Explore The World & Your Heritage Do you have a group of friends or belong to an organization that dreams of travelling to foreign destinations together? Do you yearn to see the world beyond, with an emphasis on your Jewish heritage?

Look no further! Just contact Hershel Lieber

‘The Wandering Jew’ at 718-256-8156

CITY spirit december 2011

HarryL46@optonline.net

I have organized and personally guided groups of friends, school classes, and organization members (Gateways & Aish Hatorah) over the past few years on unusual and inspiring journeys. Recently we visited Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Warsaw, Krakow, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Madrid, Cordova, Seville, Granada, Toledo, Barcelona and Gibraltar. I have travelled throughout Europe extensively and I can package a journey for your group personalized to your interests. Arrangements for air travel, hotels, food and local transportation do not have to be your concern. Let me have the pleasure of showing you the world in the cozy atmosphere of your friends and members.

it’s in your power to n

les

T ou

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make things happen

spring Semester begins january 3oth Registration now in Progress

Los Angeles

1317 N. Crescent Heights Blvd., West Hollywood • 323 822 9700 www.touro.edu/losangeles • email: tourola.admission@touro.edu Touro College Los Angeles is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior College and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges: 985 Atlantic Ave. #100, CA 94501; Tel. 510-748-9001. Touro College is an equal opportunity institution.

Touro College

For more information, please call 323-822-9700 x 85155 or email tourola.admissions@touro.edu