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THEJEWISHHOME A PUBLICATION OF THE FIVE TOWNS & QUEENS COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 1 - NOVEMBER 7, 2012 | Distributed

kly KIn The Five Towns, Queens & Brooklyn WeeWEE

Elections 2012

Rambam Hosts Romney vs. Obama: The 4th Debate

Page 36

HAFTR Student Organizes Art Exhibit At International Synagogue Page 36

Who Will It Be?

Rabbi Pesach Lerner Visits Jonathan Pollard

Page 43

Richard Altabe on Why Eric Ulrich is the Right One for State Senate

Gearing up for a Dramatic Finish Dewey Defeats Truman: Why Elections are Not Over Until Every Vote is Counted Full Electoral Map If Obama Wins I’m Not Moving to Canada, by Nate Davis Page 48

Hurricane Sandy Shuts Down the Northeast

Page 43

Margaret Tietz Now Completely Kosher!

Page 74

Page 38

ROO RFO I NO G FSIIN D IG N G SGIUD T TIEN RS G

ISLAND ISLAND ROOFING ROOFING & E X &T E EX TR E IR O I O RR SS

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

WE NEED ERIC ULRICH IN THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE AS OUR NEXT REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR, WE CAN COUNT ON ERIC ULRICH TO DELIVER FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITIES OF: FAR ROCKAWAY KEW GARDENS KEW GARDENS HILLS FOREST HILLS REGO PARK BELLE HARBOR

LOWER TAXES PROMOTE SCHOOL CHOICE SUPPORT TRADITIONAL VALUES STRENGTHEN THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY Daniel Allen Richard Altabe Moshe Altusky Zev Bald Rabbi Moshe Bamburger Sholom Becker Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender Ari Benedict Dani Benedict Dr. Edward Bennett Dr. Leslie Bennett Dr. Allen Bennett Dovid Bloom Shlomo Boehm Alan Botwinick Yanky Brach Avi Brum Nigel Collins Ari Elbogen Nussy Elbogen

Evan Genack Yaakov Goldfeder David Greenbaum Dr. Meyer Halberstam Yossi Hayoun Josh Hartman Jack Hartstein Moti Hellman Tuvia Hirsch Joseph Hoch Nechemia Hoch Yitzchok Kaminetzky Joel Kaplan Shmuel Kazarnovsky Aaron Kinderlehrer Mark Kirschner Benjy Kleiner Aron Kopelowitz Zisha Kopelowitz

Motti Krausz Shmuli Kupferstein Yossi Newman Yaakov Paneth Boomie Pinter Shiu Reichman Chaim Rhine Dr. Reuven Rosenkranz Baruch Rothman Nechemia Salzman Michoel Schechter Ronnie Schlanger Asher Schoor Sruly Schwatz Bernie Shafran Eli Shapiro Avi Smith Dr. Ari Walfish Dr. Jack Walfish Dr. Steven Weinstein Jack Weisel In formation

ENDORSED BY: • 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES • THE JEWISH HOME • THE JEWISH VOICE

VOTE for ERIC ULRICH REPUBLICAN for STATE SENATE ELECTION DAY: THIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH REPUBLICAN, CONSERVATIVE, INDEPENDENCE - 15TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT Paid for by Ulrich for Senate. M. Ognibene, Treasurer.

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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Rye T Town Hilton R l Westchester, New York We

Ent Entire Hotel Kosher for Pesach 30 minutes from NYC. Situated on 45 lush acres. Newly renovated spacious and elegant guest rooms & suites, all with luxurious amenities. spa Indoor swimming pool and whirlpool, expanded fitness center & Ind indoor tennis complex. ind PR PRESTIGE CATERERS - ORB GLATT SUPERVISION

Hotel Excelsior VENICE, ITALY

Entire Hotel Kosher for Pesach

This world renowned 5 Star, beachfront resort features beautiful amenities & many exciting activities. Multi million euro renovation currently in progress. The resort boasts a fabulous swimming pool, tennis courts, etc. Complimentary shuttle boat to/from San Marco Square. Gourmet cuisine, religious services, and esteemed scholar-in-residence & orator, Rabbi Adam Mintz of Manhattan, enhance your Pesach experience. SUPERVISION BY RABBI GARELIK OF MILAN

A i Bil re Arizona Biltmore Phoenix, Arizona na

World-class resort on 39 lush acres. 8 swimming pools, ols, 6 whirlpool spas, bicycles, jogging paths, 7 tennis courts, two 18-hole ole ex. championship golf courses. State-of-the-art complex. In cooperation with VIP Passover er TH DANZIGER CATERERS - PHOENIX VAAD HAKASHRUTH

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Entire Hotel Kosher for Pesach Ent AAA 4-Diamond world-class luxury resort. Each room and suite features a private balcony. Five tournament-ready golf courses, 19 tennis courts, and a European Spa. In cooperation with Kosherica CATERING BY RANDY ZABLO & HIS TEAM FROM FOREMOST RAM CATERERS - ORB GLATT SUPERVISION

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

>>Community Community Happenings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Hurricane Sandy Wreaks Havoc on the Northeast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

>> News Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Political . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Odd-but-True Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

>> Israel Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 My Israel Home: Shabbat Elevators . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

>> People A Mother’s Last Wish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Talking with Councilman Dan Halloran. . . . . . . . . . 77

>>Parsha The Shmuz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

>> Jewish Thought The Observant Jew—Be the One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

>>Health Self Esteem, Selfishness and Selflessness, by Dr. Deb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

>> Parenting

7 Dear Readers, As I write this note by candlelight and by the light of my laptop, I am struck by how we are so dependent on electricity. You see, when I was told that we may lose power due to the storm, I thought it would be fun, kind of like an adventure—reading, eating and playing by flashlight. But when the lights went out, I realized just how much the power truly runs our lives. Things we take for granted—fresh milk, clean clothes, hot water, working traffic lights—are all dependent on those little sparks that run through those wires on our streets. Realizing that we may not get the paper to print if we sit at home waiting for LIPA to come, my husband and I packed up the little ones and headed to Brooklyn to spend time with my parents and family. And just when we thought that we made it and were putting the last minute touches on the final stories for this issue, there was a blink and blip and then all the lights went out…once again. The break in electricity seemed to have followed us to New York City. Hurricane Sandy blew into town with much bluster and power. She slammed at the waves and tore down trees, and many lost their lives battling this natural disaster. Homes were wrecked, streets were flooded, debris were tossed about, and worst of all, precious lives were lost. And then she left, leaving behind a mess of destruction and chaos. How many days will it take to get our lives back to normal? The waters and winds were formidable and it left behind a wake of ruin. Stores were boarded up, bridges were still closed, and flooding was rampant. Although most of us are worried about flooding and the lack of electricity in our neighborhoods, next week will be a pivotal event in our lives. Every election is crucial, but this year’s presidential election will directly affect our lives. The issues at stake are fundamental for us as Americans and as Jews. The economy, Israel, unemployment and other issues are foremost on everyone’s minds. It is so important for every one of us to show our leaders that we care about our country and about the issues at hand. I urge every one of you to head to the polls on Tuesday and vote. Voting is a privilege, and it is a right that we earn as American citizens. Let us show our political leaders that we care and that we matter. Let our voices be heard and make sure to pull the lever on November 6th. As always, we look forward to hearing from our readers. Please feel free to reach out to me at editor@ fivetownsjewishhome.com. I hope that all our readers have their power restored and are safely back in their homes in the next few days. The Editor

Social Smarts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Computer Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

>> Food & Leisure Recipes: The Aussie Gourmet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Travel: California. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

>> Lifestyles Your Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Yitzy Halpern Publisher

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Classifieds

classifieds@fivetowns jewishhome.com 443-929-4003

Cellphones and Blah, Blah, Blah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Dewey Defeats Truman: Proof that Elections

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis

Editorial Assistant

>> Art

>> Political Crossfire

ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nechama Wein Copy Editor

Rachel Bergida Berish Edelman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production

Editor

P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857

Friday, November 2 Parshas Vayera — Candle Lighting: 5:32 Shabbos Ends: 6:31 Rabbeinu Tam: 7:01

Centerfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Suggestions For Elementary School Age Boys. . . 79

Shoshana Soroka

Shabbos Z’manim

>> Humor

From My Private Art Collection: Artistic

Yosef Feinerman

managing editor

fri. Nov 2

sat. Nov 3

partly cloudy

Weekly Weather sun. Nov 4

mon. Nov 5

tues. Nov 6

wed. Nov 7

thurs. Nov 8

partly cloudy

few SHowers

partly cloudy

Are Only Won After Every Vote is Counted. . . . . . . 48 Notable Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Gearing Up for a Dramatic Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 If Obama Wins I’m Not Moving to Canada. . . . . . . 58 Chris Christie: The Elephant in the Room of the 2012 Election. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Full Electoral State Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

>> Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

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The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Contents

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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The Week Global No More Women for IKEA

Last year, an estimated 522 million consumers visited the 301 IKEA stores throughout 42 countries worldwide. IKEA is a global company and is the world’s largest furniture retailer. The company publishes its catalog in 27

languages and more than 200 million households receive a free IKEA catalog each year. But apparently, some households weren’t happy with the people shown in the catalog. In its Saudi Arabian version of its catalog, the global company removed images of women. Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country where women are prohibited from traveling or studying without male permission and are expected to avoid driving. In respect for these customs, IKEA chose to remove the females from its brochures. Now the furniture giant is apologizing for that decision, saying it clashes with the values of the company. IKEA Group said in a statement that its values “support the fundamental human rights of all people” and “do not accept any kind of discrimination.” IKEA Saudi Arabia, it said, is run by a franchisee outside the IKEA Group. “As a producer of the catalog, we regret the current situation,” IKEA Group said. “We should have reacted to the exclusion of women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalog since it does not align with the IKEA Group values.” The company continued: “We are

In News now reviewing our routines to safeguard a correct content presentation from a values point of view in the different versions of the IKEA Catalogue worldwide.”

Smartest People on Earth

So you think you’re smart? Think again. Psychologists consider the best way to measure intelligence is by an IQ test. Dr. Jason Betts compiled a list called The World Genius Directory that lists the 16 individuals that have the highest score in the world.

Betts claims his site is the definitive ranking of the smartest people on earth. “Other [IQ] websites had existed, and some still do, but they are based and limited by local constraints, for example, written in Spanish, for Europeans only, only accept their friends’ tests, and so on,” Betts said. The directory “has no preferences nor bias, except test quality.” The average IQ score is 100. Most of the population falls within the 85 to 114 range. Any person with a score over 140 is considered extremely smart and a score over 160 is considered a genius. Ranked at number one in the world is Dr. Evangelos Katsioulis who has an IQ of 198. Kattsioulis is a 36-year-old Greek psychiatrist with degrees in in philosophy, medical research technology and psychopharmacology. Betts, with an IQ of 168, includes himself on the directory in spot number 17. The smartest American holds the number four spot with an IQ of 190. Kenneth Ferrel is a practicing physician in Charlotte, N.C. He is a member Continued on page 14

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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The Week of various elite IQ societies, including the Epimethius Society and the Order of Imhotep.

Former Italian Prime Minister’s Sentence Cut

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was originally sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion. His sentence is now being cut by three years. The court in Milan said the reduction is a result of a 2006 amnesty law, passed by a rival left-wing government aimed at reducing prison overcrowding.

Its decision to cut his sentence by 75 percent was a reminder of how Mr. Berlusconi, despite numerous marathon legal battles and four previous guilty verdicts, has never been to prison. Mr. Berlusconi’s lawyers appealed minutes after the pronouncement of the first conviction, which included a five-year ban on holding public office. Given the shorter sentence and Berlsconi’s track record of running down the legal clock and winning appeals, the 76-year-old politician and mogul is unlikely to actually spend time behind bars in the near future, if at all. The statute of limitations in the case is set to expire sometime next year.

Another Official Executed in North Korea According to reports, a North Korean army minister was punished for drinking and partying during the official mourning period after Kim Jong-il’s death. He was forced to stand on a spot that been zeroed in for a mortar round and “obliterated.”

In News Kim Chol, vice minister of the army, was taken into custody earlier this year as per the orders of Kim Jong-un, who assumed the leadership after the death of his father in December. According to South Korean media, Kim Jong-un demanded that “no trace of him behind, down to his hair.” This execution is just one example of a purge of members of the North Korean military or party who threaten the young regime of Kim Jong-un. So far this year, 14 senior officials have fallen victim to the eradications.

close-knit community of a town. That’s why most people who come here for a short assignment end up staying long term.” Coming in at number four is Canada; New Zealand at number five; Spain at number six; the United States at number seven; followed by Bermuda; then South Africa; and finally Malaysia. I’m looking up flights right now.

World’s Friendliest Countries

Chinese leader Wen Jiaboa is known for his humble roots and compassion for ordinary Chinese folk. Recent reports revealed that his family has been accumulating massive wealth during his time in power.

If you’re looking to visit a country where it’s easy to befriend locals, learn the local language, and integrate into the community and culture, you may want to research The Cayman Islands, Australia and the United Kingdom. HSBC’s Expat Explorer Survey conducted research in order to discover which countries are friendliest in the world. It surveyed 5,339 expatriates in nearly 100 countries between May and July 2012. Respondents rated their host countries on a slew of factors related to economics, raising children and overall experience. Seventy-five percent of expat respondents living in Cayman Islands reported that they were integrating well in the local community; in Australia it was 72 percent and in the U.K. 73 percent.

The Cayman Island is ranked the friendliest country in the world. “There’s no income or payroll tax, summer all-year-round, hardly any crime, and no pollution,” notes happy Scottish expat Steve McIntosh. “Grand Cayman has all the amenities of a city with the

Chinese Leader’s Billions Hushed Up

“A review of corporate and regulatory records indicates that the prime minister’s relatives, some of whom have a knack for aggressive deal-making, including his wife, have controlled assets worth at least $2.7 billion,” read an article in the New York Times last Friday. The Times’ websites in English and Chinese were blocked in China on Friday morning, and searches for the New York Times as well as the names of Wen’s children and wife were blocked on China’s main Twitter-like microblog service. The private lives of Chinese leaders as well as their assets are kept under wraps, with personal details considered state secrets. The Times said it presented its findings to the Chinese government for comment. The Foreign Ministry declined to respond. Members of Wen’s family also declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment, the Times said. When asked about the Times’ story, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists that “relevant press reports are steering China’s image driven by ulterior motives.”

Australia Gearing Up For “Asian Century”

As neighbors, Asia and Australia have developed a wonderful relationship. In acknowledgement of the progress that Asia has made in the last century, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has committed to 25 farreaching goals over the next 13 years to strengthen the ties between the two regions. Some of these measures include offering scholarships to Asian students, new diplomatic posts across the region and requiring that a third of all company directors and senior civil servants have a “deep knowledge” of Asia. Additionally, every school-age child will be able

to learn one of the four “priority” languages of Chinese, Hindi, Japanese and Indonesian. All schools will be partnered with schools in Asia and even television stations will be encouraged to promote more Asian news and programs. “Children in kindergarten now will graduate from high school with a sound working knowledge of Asia,” Ms. Gillard said. Professor Andrew MacIntyre from the Australian National University says the plan is visionary and would help Australia to adjust to a “new phase we are going into.” “The scale of the change and the momentum of the change now is so huge. Australia has to adapt. We need to lift because the pace of change is not slowing down.”

French Trader Fined $7 Billion Jerome Kerviel, a former Societe Generale trader, was convicted of covering up massive losses which earned him a three year prison sentence and an

In News order to pay back an overwhelming $7 billion in damages.

In October 2010, a Paris court convicted him of forgery, breach of trust, and unauthorized computer use. Kerviel sought an acquittal, saying the bank had turned a blind eye to his exorbitant trades in 2007 and 2008 as long as they made money. Later, Kerviel’s attorneys filed an appeal in the Paris appeals court. The appeals court upheld the conviction and the sentence.

Al- Qaeda Leader Encourages Muslims to Kidnap Westerners Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has urged Egyptians to restart their revolution to press for Islamic law and called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners. Zawahiri is an Egyptian doctor and former deputy to Osama Bin Laden. In a video released on jihadist forums and translated by the US monitoring service, Zawahiri lashed out at President Barack Obama, calling him a “professional liar” and demanding he admit defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa. He called the new Egyptian government corrupt and said a battle is being waged in Egypt between a secular minority and Muslims seeking implementation of Shariah law. “The battle isn’t over, but it has started,” Zawahiri said, urging “every sincere person in Egypt” to “wage a popular campaign to incite and preach in order to complete the revolution, Continued on page 18

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

The Week

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

‫שב‬

‫רה‬

‫כינוס עול‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬

dxy iig zyxt zay b"ryz oeyg e"k-c"k NOVEMBER

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9-11,

2012

Join Dirshu for a truly inspirational “Shabbos Kinnus Olam HaTorah” – which will mark the momentous achievements of many thousands who have learned with accountability in an unprecedented way – by Yidden from all segments in Klal Yisrael. The event will be graced by Gedolei Yisrael, Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbonim from across North America and abroad – all gathered for an uplifting maamid of Kiddush Shem Shomayim and Kavod HaTorah.

Gran i`ven O pen Mela d Siyu R va M m SVP rteoqthe publ alka Tel: 88 uired. ic at n o fee 8-5ex t. 115

DIRS HU

17 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

HIGHLIGHTS INTERNATIONAL GUEST:

HaGaon HaRav Berel Povarsky, Shlita 'faept zaiyi , daiyi y`x

Gedolei Yisrael, Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim, shlita, will c"qa grace the Shabbos and/or the w"yven Grand Siyum/Melava Malka. The list includes*:

Shiurim in lomdus, drush and chizuk from Gedolei Yisrael and leading Rabbonim

HaGaon HaRav Chaim Bressler, o`hpxwq ,dyn zia zaiyi ,daiyi y`x HaGaon HaRav Reuven Feinstein, cplii` ohrhq'c daiyi ,daiyi y`x HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Zalman Gipps, `wpitq ,sqei awri zx`tz ,llek y`x HaGaon HaRav Asher Anshel Katz, oriee ,mi`xi zcr ldwc n"xe c"a` HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Yehoshua Katzberg, flra iciqgc zcd iwifgn ldwa u"nec HaGaon HaRav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, deab yxcn zia ,daiyi y`x

Shirium in Halacha from leading Poskim and Dayonim

HaGaon HaRav Moshe Mordechai Lowy, ehpxeh l`xyi zceb` fkxn ,`xz`c `xn HaGaon HaRav Dovid Olewsky, xeb, l`xyi zia zaiyi ,daiyi y`x HaGaon HaRav Yeruchim Olshin, deab yxcn zia ,daiyi y`x HaGaon HaRav Yisroel Reisman, zrce dxez daiyi ,daiyi y`x

Tefillos and zemiros led by R’ Abish Brodt & sons

HaGaon HaRav Fischel Schachter, zrce dxez daiyi ,xeriy cibn HaGaon HaRav Zev Smith, dxez ixeriy oebx`e ,dklda ineid sc ,xeriy cibn HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, ce`eewiilc `zaizn ,flh daiyi y`x HaGaon HaRav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, `xieewq ,sqei awri zeclez ldwc ,u"nec

Roundtable sessions and presentations

HaGaon HaRav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, dyn oexkf dlecb daiyi ,daiyi y`x *list in formation

ycew zay i`ven HIGHLIGHTS

RECEPTION:8:15PM

PROGRAM:8:45PM

dklda ineid sc - 'c wlg a"n meiq / dkld oipw meiq / q"yd meiq Address from:

Address from:

HaGaon HaRav HaGaon HaRav Berel Povarsky Elya Ber Wachtfogel Shlita daiyi y`x 'faept zaiyi

Presentation of the highlights from the Dirshu World Siyumim, featuring:

Shlita daiyi y`x dyn oexkf dlecb daiyi

Admor M’Belz, Shlita HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, Shlita HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Wosner, Shlita and many other Gedolei Yisrael

The w"yven program and Grand Siyum / Melava Malka is open to the public at no fee. RSVP required. TEL: 888-5-DIRSHU ext. 115 • Email: RSVP@DirshuNJ.org

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The Week In News which was aborted. The revolution in Egypt must continue and the Muslim Ummah must offer sacrifices until it achieves what it wants and until it snatches from the corrupt forces…the dignity and honor of Egypt.” Zawahiri said liberating Omar Abdul Rahman, an Egyptian cleric jailed in the United States for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center attack, and inmates at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay was an “obligatory duty for every Muslim.” “I call upon Muslims to capture citizens of the countries that wage wars against Muslims,” he said. “Our captives or Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahamn will not be liberated except through force, for it is the only language that they understand.”

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Indonesia’s anti-terror squad arrested 11 people suspected of planning a range of attacks on domestic and foreign targets including the U.S. Embassy and a site near the Australian Embassy. The suspects were arrested in raids on Friday and Saturday in four provinces, national police spokesman Maj. Gen. Suhardi Alius said. The suspects belonged to a new group called the Harakah Sunni for Indonesian Society, or HASMI. “From evidence found at the scene, we believe that this group was well prepared for serious terror attacks,” Alius said.

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A U.S. State Department spokesperson told NBC News, “We have seen the reports, but cannot comment as this is an ongoing Indonesian security investigation.” Police seized a number of bombs, explosive materials, a bomb-making manual and ammunition, Alius said. They also found a 3-kilogram (6.6-pound) gas cylinder filled with highly explosive material, which had been assembled at a

house in the East Java town of Madiun. Videos and images of attacks on Muslims in various parts of the world were also recovered, he said. Alius said the group planned to target the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and a plaza near the Australian Embassy and the local office of U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan. It also planned to attack the U.S. Consulate in Surabaya and the headquarters of a special police force in Central Java, he said. Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, has been battling terrorists since the 2002 bombings in Bali by militants linked to Jemaah Islamiyah which killed 202 people.

Israel Sudan Sees Israel as a Target

Sudan’s Information Minister, Ahmed Bilal Osman, has warned that his country would take “resolute steps” against Israeli interests following the bombing of an ammunitions factory in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. Osman announced that his country now sees Israeli interests as legitimate targets for attack. He said that Sudan possesses proof that Israel is behind the attack on the Yarmouk weapons factory, and that experts who investigated the location of the blast found evidence that Israeli arms were used to destroy it. “Definitely we are not going to attack Israel there,” he added, “but we have the means, we have the means of how we can reply. They killed our people, these things are not cheap… and we know how to retaliate.” Sudan has filed a complaint to the United Nations following the latest attack. Continued on page 21

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Thousands Attend Rally on Anniversary of Rabin’s Assassination

This year marked the 17th anniversary of Yitzchak Rabin’s death. A crowd of 20,000 attended a rally in Tel Aviv named, “Remembering the murder – fighting for democracy.” Poet Haim Guri opened the event the event in Rabin Square which was

formerly Malkhey Yisrael Square until Rabin was assassinated there in 1995. “Three bullets took the life of the Palmach man, the IDF combat soldier, the IDF chief and the first prime minister to be born in Israel,” Guri said. Turning to the public, he added: “I address you as your grandfather. You are the future of this country. Everything that happens to us in the coming years depends on you.” Musicians Yehudit Ravitz, Shlomo Bar and Efraim Shamir performed at the event, among others. The event was organized by several organizations and youth movements, including Dror Israel and the Working and Studying Youth.

Egypt to Return Body of Israeli Found in Sinai Peninsula An Israeli man’s body was discovered off the Mediterranean coast in the eastern El Arish area of Egypt. Egyptian media initially reported that the man drowned but it was later revealed

In News that he was also shot. According to the al-Masry al-Youm report, the body was fully clothed and that some money and a driver’s license were found in a pocket, raising suspicions that the man had not simply drowned. Egyptian authorities informed Israeli security officials of the incident through the coordination office in the Rafah crossing. Upon discovery, the corpse was transferred to the General Hospital in El Arish. A Foreign Ministry official said the body would be transferred to Israel.

HRC Calls for Boycott of American Companies Doing Business in Israel Supposedly, the United Nations will soon release an international campaign of legal attacks and economic warfare on a group of American companies that do business in Israel, including Hewlett-Packard, Caterpillar Inc., and Motorola Solutions Inc.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

The Week

Richard Falk

The Human Rights Council (HRC), a committee controlled by Islamic countries and is famous for its hostility to Israel, issued the report. The HRC has recently become more significant in the U.S. since President Barack Obama joined it shortly after taking office. The George W. Bush administration refused to participate. Members of the HRC include notorious human rights abusers such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Libya, China, and Cuba. The organization maintains a “Special Rapporteur on the situation BS”D

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

The Week of human rights in the Palestinian territories [sic].” Richard Falk is the current rapporteur, the person appointed to investigate the issue. He is an American college professor who once posted an anti-Semitic cartoon on his personal blog. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, the Anti-Defamation League’s Abraham Foxman blasted the report and the HRC’s special rapporteur: “We believe you should have prevented the Secretariat from being a party to Mr. Falk’s anti-Israel agenda. Mr. Falk’s entire tenure as Special Rapporteur has served to undermine the credibility of the institution of the United Nations.” The report’s objective is to instigate a campaign of boycott, divestment, sanctions, and legal action against a litany of international companies doing business in Israel. In addition to American companies, the U.N. targets include major European firms such as Veolia Environment, Group 4 Security, the Dexia Group, and the Volvo Group. The report warns American employees of targeted companies that they can potentially face legal risks. “Employees of companies can face investigation

and prosecution for human rights violations committed irrespective of where the violation was committed.” The Special Rapporteur “concludes that all companies that operate in or otherwise have dealings with Israeli settlements should be boycotted.” The companies should “be prepared to accept any consequences—reputation, financial, or legal—of continuing operations.” Should the companies continue doing business in Israel, the Human Rights Council “calls on civil society to actively pursue legal and political redress against non-complying business” and “to vigorously pursue initiatives to boycott, divest and sanction the businesses highlighted in this report” and “calls on the international community to consider requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice” to punish the businesses. When the Obama administration joined the Human Rights Council in 2009, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice pledged, “Working from within, we can make the council a more effective forum to promote and protect human rights.”

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In News National Our President, the Athlete

When we think about our presidents and their legacy, we don’t usually speak about them in athletic terms. But a recent, unofficial study has come out

rating our presidents and their athletic ability. The factors that were considered in this list include the president’s strength, physical fitness and how fit he remained while in office, and our commanders in chief were ranked from 5 (lowest) to 25 (highest). Here are some of most athletic presidents, according to the PAS—President Athlete Score: At the number one spot, Gerald Ford received a 25. He used to swim laps every day in the White House pool and won two NCAA titles and even an offer from the Green Bay Packers. Dwight D. Eisenhower came in at the second-to-top spot. This president was a football and baseball player and received numerous medals in the army. President George H. W. Bush, also known as Bush #41, came in at the third-to-top spot. He was the captain of Yale’s baseball team and led them to appearances in the first two College World Series games that were ever played. He is an avid fisherman and play tennis and golf. Oh, and did we forget to mention his love of skydiving? Teddy Roosevelt came in fourth, George Washington came in fifth, JFK came in sixth and Ronald Reagan came

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

The Week tions and was found to be shipping them in bulk. One investigator said he was able to see floating specks, presumably fungus, in vials of the steroids that were about to be shipped. In response to the outrage that many are feeling, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said that he wants to tighten oversight at similar companies and to include surprise inspections as well. “Those whose laboratory practices caused this outbreak should never practice pharmacy or manufacture in Massachusetts again,” Patrick said.

In News

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In an interview, Kelley, 55, reflected that it wasn’t his dream to become one of the largest landowners in the country. “I grew up on a farm and that’s about as good an explanation as there is. Land is something I know. It’s something I have an affinity for. It becomes part of your DNA.” He also insists that it’s a pretty certain commodity to buy. “I grew up on a farm and that’s about as good an explanation as there is. Land is something I know. It’s something I have an affinity for. It becomes part of your DNA.” Most of his land consists of ranches and unlike other investors, he prefers to buy out-of-the-way cattle ranches that seem to be undervalued. Kelley likes to buy adjacent land parcels and generally allows the cattle operations to continue running, leasing the land back to the previous owners. “We don’t try to inject our way of doing things on other folks,” he says. One worker said that Mr. Kelley would visit the ranches with friends and family for hunting and fishing weekends, although he does not hunt. He described Mr. Kelley as a “good old boy from Kentucky,” said that he sometimes wore a kilt (because “they’re comfortable”), and was called ZZ Top at one point when he grew a long red beard. Kelley grew up in Franklin, Kentucky on a tobacco farm and dropped out of Western Kentucky University four times. He never graduated. He now lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife and three daughters in his 8,176 square-foot home on 26 acres. He reflects about life and business: “There’s never been a grand plan. Life takes you a lot of places. Every day you adjust your compass,” he says.

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in seventh. George W. Bush, Woodrow Wilson and Barack Obama came in eighth, ninth and tenth place respectively.

25 Dead in Meningitis Outbreak At least 25 people are dead from an outbreak of meningitis across the country that could have been prevented. Over three hundred people became ill after receiving a steroid mainly for back pain that was manufactured by the pharmacy New England Compounding Center. The federal government is mounting a criminal investigation into the NECC. After initial investigations, the pharmacy was found to be guilty of many infractions, including shipping steroids prior to testing to make sure they are sterile. The facility was also found to have a leaking boiler in a room that was supposed to have been sterile and dirty floor mats. Additionally, the facility only had a state license to ship medications for those with specific prescrip-

Million Acre Landowner Brad Kelley owns lots of land. And that’s no exaggeration. Mr. Kelley is one of the largest private landowners in the country and owns about a million acres, about 1,600 square miles. According to the Land Report 100, which tracks land ownership, the businessman is the fourth-largest private landowner by acres in the United States. To put things into perspective, the state of Rhode Island has a land area of 1,215 square miles.

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It seems like these past four years have been good to President Obama. Apparently, he did not get the memo that the economy isn’t doing very well. According to documents obtained by The Washington Examiner, expenses for White House state dinners under the Obamas have far exceeded White House state dinners under previous administrations. As a matter of fact, back in 2010, a dinner for Mexico’s president nearly cost $1 million. It’s not unusual for a president to woo foreign heads of state and spend lavishly to reward political or financial supporters but the documents obtained by the Examiner point to a recent upsurge on spending during the last four

years. The dinner back in 2010 in honor of Mexican President Felipe Calderon cost $969,793, which was more than $4,700 per attendee. It was held on the South Lawn in a massive tent and guests rode private trolley cars from the White House to the tent. A special chef was flown in from Chicago’s Topolobampo restaurant to prepare the dishes for the event.

A dinner held in honor of the prime minister of India cost nearly a half a million dollars. Dinners for Chinese President Hu Jintao and British Prime Minister David Cameron were on the same level of extravagance. A government official who made the documents available to the paper commented, “It just kind of takes your breath away to see the expenditure of money that has occurred since 2009.” Gary Walters, who ran presidential household operations for 21 years during Democratic and Republican administrations before retiring in 2007, said the costs reflected in the documents were “excessive. They are high.” Recalling events under other administrations, “The highest [cost] event we could remember was $190,000 to $200,000 range, and that was for a very large dinner outside that was probably somewhere in the vicinity of 500 people with two different tents,” Walters said, noting that the event was held under President Clinton.

Kosher Touchdown For those of you who plan on attending this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, you will have the privilege of enjoying glatt kosher hot dogs and other kosher cuisine during the fame. This is the first time that kosher food will be featured at the Super Bowl. Jonathan Katz, the founder of Kosher Sports said he started his company after he was “fed up” for not being able to eat kosher hot dogs at ball games. His com-

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

The Week In News pany now sells kosher food at Baltimore Orioles games, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens game and at the U.S. Open in New York. The largest known event to have kosher food was this summer’s Olympics in London, where almost 3,000 packaged kosher meals were served to athletes, staff and journalists.

Richest of the Rich

For the nosy amongst us, a recent report listing the richest person in each U.S. state has come out. It shows that 41 out of the 50 states are home to billionaires. California and New York are the states with the highest number of mega-millionaires; Alaska, Delaware and North Dakota have the lowest number of millionaires. Here are some of the wealthiest amongst us: in the first spot, Bill Gates of Washington state and Microsoft chairman is worth $64.5 billion. Warren Buffett of Nebraska nabbed the second spot. The chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway is worth $49.6 billion. The next three spots were taken up by Lawrence Ellison of California (worth $41.1 billion), James Walton of Arkansas (worth $33.6 billion), and David Koch of Kansas (worth $32.1 billion). Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York came in at the sixth spot and is worth $24.8 billion.

Political Biden Tell All: He Ain’t that Nice Is there anything we don’t know yet? Evidentially there is. Jeff Connaughton, a Biden Senate staffer, penned “The Payoff” in which he

excoriates his former boss and current vice president and President Obama as kowtowing to Wall Street, much like all politicians do. “It’s time people understand why – and how – Wall Street always wins,” Connaughton writes at the outset of his book. And how does Wall Street win, according to Connaughton? Answer: Big banks control both parties. End of story. But anyone can write a book about Wall Street’s dominance over Washington D.C. Reading this book for that information is like going to a restaurant for pickles and cole slaw. This book is meant for those who want a different perspective of Joe Biden. A perspective that is different than Biden’s self-crafted image of being a “jolly, happy-golucky, grandfatherly figure who joyfully puts his food in his mouth with ease, at times just for entertainment value, and never gets upset about anything, except when discussing how bad Republicans are in which case this unflappable fellow has steam blowing from his ears, and not because of his personal agenda but out of his love for his country and concern that Republicans will hurt old people, who he loves so much.” (If that is a mouthful, blame Biden.) Connaughton describes a tense relationship between Obama and Biden, who he says are “both financially illiterate.” After Biden stated during the 2008 campaign that Obama would be tested soon into his term, an angry Obama lectured Biden, telling him that he didn’t need public tutoring. “I don’t need you acting like you’re my Henry Higgins,’” said Obama. Biden confided to Connaughton that “[Obama] is clearly a guy who could restrict my role to attending state funerals or just put me in a closet for four years.” Biden added: “I’m going to have to earn his trust, but I’m not going to grovel to this guy. My manhood is not negotiable.” Connaughton posits that Biden is far from the nice guy he plays on TV. He recalls the time a young enthusiastic fundraiser got into Biden’s car during his failed presidential run. The young man said to Biden, “Okay, Senator, time to do some fundraising calls.” “Biden looked at him and angrily said, “Get... out of the car.” This may not be the last book about Biden. Supposedly if he and Obama lose this election, Biden plans on writing a book titled: One Hundred and One Ways to Put Your Foot in Your Mouth.

Continued on page 29

27 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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Hurricane Sandy Blows Campaigns Off Course

Obama’s “Daisy” Ad Parents often take the blame for many ills of the world. Now they are taking the blame for destroying the world. And how will they do it? By voting for Mitt Romney. This two-minute ad is featured on the Future Children Project website above the words: “Re-electing President Obama is a momentous decision that will require every single voter. What would the children of the future say if we let them down this November?” The ad is a lame attempt to mimic Lyndon B. Johnson’s famous “Daisy” ad which aired once during the 1964. In that ad, the camera pans in on a little girl standing in a meadow with chirping birds, picking the petals of a daisy flower while counting each petal slowly. When she reaches “nine,” an ominous-sounding male voice is then heard counting down to a missile launch, and as the girl’s eyes turn toward something she sees in the sky, the camera zooms in until her pupil fills the screen, blacking it out. When the countdown reaches zero, the blackness is replaced by the flash and mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. As the firestorm rages, a voiceover from Johnson states, “These are the stakes! To make a world in which all of G-d’s children can live or to go into the dark. We must either love each other or we must die.” The ad then continues, “Vote for President Johnson on November 3. The stakes are too high for you to stay home.” Whereas it is argued that the “Daisy” ad swayed voters towards LBJ, this pro-Obama ad is high on cringe value and low on substance. The ad, created by ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, which created the “Got milk?” campaign, features 28 holloweyed children singing a horrific sounding hymn about the horrible things that will befall this country if Romney wins. Just in case you are part of the “blame your parents first” crowd and feel like humming along with the song, which should be titled “Got a Life?”, here are the lyrics: Imagine an America Where strip mines are fun and free... And sick people just die And oil fills the sea We don’t have to pay for freeways! Our schools are good enough

In News

Give us endless wars On foreign shores And lots of Chinese stuff We’re the children of the future American through and through But something happened to our country And we’re kinda blaming you We haven’t killed all the polar bears But it’s not for lack of trying Big Bird is sacked The Earth is cracked And the atmosphere is frying Congress went home early They did their best we know You can’t cut spending With elections pending Unless it’s welfare dough We’re the children of the future American through and through But something happened to our country And we’re kinda blaming you Find a park that is still open And take a breath of poison air They foreclosed your place To build a weapon in space But you can write off your au pair It’s a little awkward to tell you But you left us holding the bag When we look around The place is all dumbed down And the long term’s kind of a drag We’re the children of the future American through and through But something happened to our country And yeah, we’re blaming you You did your best You failed the test Mom and Dad We’re blaming you! If you are actually able to sing along with the whole song, seek medical attention immediately.

Both President Obama and Mitt Romney played it safe as Hurricane Sandy rolled into the East Coast on Monday and canceled all of their campaign events for Monday and Tuesday. Both campaigns have also stopped fundraising in states which were in the storm’s path and instead suggested that donations be made towards storm rescue and assistance charities. There was certainly a subtle effort on the part of the candidates—who in reality have nothing on their minds other than Nov. 6—to show compassion and give off an impression of being solely concerned with the people who were in the storm’s path. “I am not worried at this point about the effect on the election. I’m worried about the impact on first responders and I’m worried about the impact on our economy and on transportation,” said President Obama in a Monday address at the White House. “The election will

take care of itself next week. Right now our first priority is to make sure that we are saving lives, that our search and rescue teams are in place and that people are going to be able to get food and water,” he added.

Romney’s communications director Gail Gitcho said,“Governor Romney believes this is a time for the nation and its leaders to come together to focus on those Americans who are in harm’s way.” Aides have turned Romney’s campaign bus into a mobile depot for donations of storm supplies. How Sandy will affect the outcome

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The Week In News of the elections is not yet known and— regardless of the outcome—may be debated for years to come. On one hand, most voters have already decided who they will cast their ballot for. On the other hand, in a razor-tight election in which 1 percent of voters may decide the outcome, Hurricane Sandy may play a role in how those people vote. As the President, Obama can spread federal dollars to the affected areas, namely in Virginia which was a hard hit state and also happens to be a crucial swing state. But the downside is that President Obama, who is still a political rock star, lost valuable time on the campaign trail, which in the days before elections is crucial in order to get theoretical supporters to actually take the next step and go vote. Perhaps President Obama will score points for Hurricane Sandy; after all, it is the first disaster that was not caused by his policies.

So, Who did President Obama Vote For?

Elections Project at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. President Obama, who coyly refused to divulge who he voted for, presented his driver’s license before voting and said, “I’ve got my driver’s license here, now ignore the fact that there’s no gray hair in that picture.” An election official responded, “The presidency does something to you.” It took Obama about three or four minutes to go through the ballot, according to a White House pool report, which noted that a poll worker had to help the president finalize his vote, which took a few additional minutes. One funny moment took place when Obama required the assistance of one of the poll workers a few minutes into the process. As the poll worker was assisting the President, his cell phone rang. The embarrassed poll worker picked up his cell phone but quickly hung up. President Obama joked to the man, “Is that your wife because you always take that call no matter what you’re doing.” As to why he needed help while casting his vote—I guess he found it odd that there was a Kenyan guy on the ballot.

Adelson Doubling Down on Romney

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While on the campaign trail last week, President Obama took a detour to the south side of Chicago where he cast his vote for President of the United States. It was the first time that a sitting President voted early, and it highlights the new dimension of early voting in presidential elections. Millions of voters now vote early in the 32 states that allow for early voting. Early voting plays a critical role in the race’s ground game, which focuses on getting supporters to actually cast their vote. Almost 14 million people have already cast ballots nationwide, according to the United States

Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson recently put another $10 million down on Mitt Romney. The money was given to super PAC Restore Our Future, which now has $36 million cash on hand to spend in the frantic last days of the race. This brings the total disclosed amount given by Sheldon Adelson to $61 million this campaign season, which is the record for political donations. The previous disclosed political donation record was held by liberal financier George Soros, who contributed $27.5 million to the Democrats in 2004. Adelson supported Newt Gingrich during the primary season and was slow to embrace Romney. However, after several conversations with him, he has vigorously thrown his support behind him, primarily out of his concern that President Obama’s reelection would be detrimental to Israel. Adelson, who is estimated to be worth $20.5 billion, told The Politico in September that he planned to spend up to $100 million, or “whatever it takes” to defeat Obama. There is speculation that he may have given another $20 million to $30 million to fundraising groups that do not need to report their contributors.

Adelson was not always a kingpin in Republican politics. In 2008, he gave a total of $100,000 to Republican candidates and party funds, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks spending. As one of the largest employers in the crucial swing state of Nevada, Adelson has done more than just make donations. He has sought to convince his approximately 8,500 employees to vote for Romney by distributing voter guides to them. Although the guides don’t overtly endorse Romney, the pamphlets strongly imply that Obama’s policies could cause workers to lose their jobs. “Too much of big government doesn’t just affect our company; it affects our employees, our customers, and our shareholders,” the guide says. “Voting is an important way for you to not only to do your civic duty, but to protect your job.” Now that’s a man who “puts his mouth where his money is.”

Clinton Plays Therapist To Obama Over Romney’s “Jeep Shot”

Romney’s campaign also began running a new ad in Ohio that attacks the Obama administration’s handling of the auto bailout by warning that Chrysler Group LLC plans to build Jeep vehicles in China. “Obama took GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy and sold Chrysler to Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China. Mitt Romney will fight for every American job,” the narrator says. In response, the Obama administration has accused Romney of lying and states that there is no plan to move Jeep production overseas. At a rally in Ohio, Vice President Joe Biden decried, “This guy…pirouettes more than a ballerina. Ladies and gentlemen, have they no shame?…It’s an absolutely, patently false assertion.” He argued that Romney will “say anything, absolutely anything, to win.” But the Romney ad did more than just anger the Obama campaign; it actually hurt Obama’s feelings. According to Bill Clinton, Obama called him and told him, “You know, of all the things Governor Romney has said that probably hurts my feelings the most...You know, I never had any money when I was a kid and the first new car I ever owned when I was 30 years old was a Jeep.’” The only problem with that statement—besides turning to Clinton for emotional support in a time of need—is that it is not true: Obama probably never owned a Jeep. As the Weekly Standard points out, there are numerous stories about different vehicles that Obama has owned in his past. Those vehicles were a Ford Granada, a red Fiat, a Honda Civic, and a Chrysler 300. Now before we accuse Obama of lying, is it possible that Clinton made up the whole statement? Hmm...why would anyone ever accuse Bill Clinton of lying?

That’s Odd In an effort to sway voters in Ohio away from Obama, who is credited with saving jobs in Ohio by implementing the auto bailout, Mitt Romney has begun attacking the handling of the bailout. He argues that the Obama administration handed over Chrysler to the Italians and is now leaving the fate of American workers in the hands of Fiat management. He argued that this may cause jobs to be shipped overseas.

Democrat of the Year? I guess it all depends on what you mean by “Democrat of the Year.” Estelle Carson was recently named the Democrat of the Year by the Jefferson County Democratic Party and now has received another accolade. Just this past Thursday, a jury convicted the 66-year-old of felony identity theft.

In News An advocate of the victim commented, “The jury did right.” People were appalled when they heard of the plan to honor Carson. When the Jefferson County Democratic Party announced its plan to honor her for her activism on behalf of Democratic causes and her efforts to register voters, advocates for the victim contacted the party to express their outrage. Apparently, Carson was already under investigation and already confessed to her part in the theft. But the Party was unconcerned since she was not yet convicted. In an email following the event, Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, wrote, “After much consideration, my decision was that the award being presented by my organization and the alleged financial exploitation need to be compartmentalized, one having no bearing on the other. Thus I decided to present the award to Estelle.” Now that Carson has been convicted, many are requesting that she rescind the honor. She is facing a maximum of nine years in prison for felony charges. I don’t know where exactly she’ll put her trophy in her jail cell.

Free Home Sale A family moving out of their home due to foreclosure felt that they lost everything, until they realized that they really, truly lost everything… Michael Vercher put up an ad on Craiglist advertising that he was offering some free stuff in his home for those who would need it. He posted: “Fairly large, free yard sale. Moving and we want everything to go for free. So come over and take whatever you want and how much you want. Here are a couple of items that will be there: Couch, chairs, lots of household and kitchen items, appliances, a wardrobe, desk, recliner, movies, lots of books, lamps, women’s and teens’ clothing, etc. And also a box of free food with lots of cans. Please take only if you need it. We’re starting at 10 a.m., October 24th, and we’ll finish when everything’s gone.” When he showed up at his home on the 24th, he was shocked to find that people had been inside his home and stripped it bare. All they left were books. Apparently, the people who saw Vercher’s ad thought that he was giving

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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The Week it all away and despite him trying to tell them otherwise, made off with it all. “Everyone was inside the house; they were taking out items,” he said. “There were cars around the block. It was like ants in and out of the house.” One person tried to take Vercher’s grandmother’s sewing machine. Vercher’s mother said, “A lady had her truck loaded with my grandma’s sewing machine. And she wouldn’t give it to me. So I had to call police and they got my grandma’s sewing machine back.” They weren’t too lucky with the other items and are now appealing to the public to return the items, some of which were keepsakes. Well, it certainly appears that no good deed goes unpunished.

She’s Just For the Ladies

shadow), has pink stitching in the seats, steering wheel, and floor mats, and has extra pink on the badge and is spelled with a heart for an apostrophe. The car also sports a special windshield glass that cuts 99 percent of ultraviolet rays and a “plasmacluster” air conditioning system that Honda claims will improve a driver’s skin. This is not the first time an automaker designed a car exclusively for the ladies. In 1955, Chrysler designed the Dodge LaFemme, a car which came in pink and white along with a storage space for a matching purse and rain hat. In 2000, Ford showed off a concept of a Windstar minivan designed with a washer/dryer, microwave and vacuum in the rear hatch. (Where did they fit all that? I can hardly fit my Costco paper towels in my trunk.) Tickled pink ladies? Honda hopes so…

Back From the Dead It seems that carmakers are concerned that women won’t be interested in purchasing a “male” car. Yes, building and designing cars remain a maledominated business and now Honda is trying to change things. The new Honda Fit She’s (yes, spelled with an apostrophe) is designed exclusively for women and is “adult cute.” (What exactly that means, I am not really sure…) It is pink (although it’s also available in brown and white, the colors of eye

Relatives got the shock of their life when Gilberto Araujo walked into his own funeral. It seems that the 41-yearold car washer was misidentified by his brother in the morgue, and his family began to grieve for him and held a funeral in his mother’s home to mourn his death. But just hours before the burial, a friend of Gilberto’s saw him walking down the street and told him that his family was mourning him. “He went to his mother’s home to let everyone know he was very much alive,” the police inspector said. When he showed up at his

In News own wake, “some people fainted and others were so scared they ran away. It was a big shock,” a family friend said. His mother is overjoyed at the turn of events. Marina Santana said, “I am overjoyed. What mother wouldn’t be after being told that her son is dead and then sees him alive?”

Polish Pup The race is on for the world’s smallest dog and it’s quite possible that “polish pup” could be the winner. In March, Beyonce was born and was able to fit into a tablespoon at birth and was just the size of an iPhone at two-weeks-old. In January, Milly was born and only stood three inches tall when she turned three months. Now Meysi from Poland may take the lead. She weighed just 1.58 ounces at birth three months ago and has been capturing hearts ever since. Anna Pohl, Meysi’s owner, said that she didn’t think her tiny pup would make it. “The worst was the first six weeks,” Pohl, who fed Mesyi with a syringe, said. “[I got] zero sleep. I was feeding her day and night, every half hour. Sometimes I ran out of strength, had to call out of work.” Meysi currently weighs 3.25 ounces and is about the size of a nail polish bottle. Veterinarians don’t expect her to grow much more.

When each of these dogs reach the one-year-old mark, they will all be considered for the title of World’s Smallest Dog by the Guinness Book of World Records. The current titleholders are a long-haired, female Chihuahua named Boo Boo from Kentucky who is the smallest living dog in terms of height at 4 inches tall, and Heaven Sent Brandy, a female Chihuahua from Florida who is the smallest living dog for length at 6 inches “from the nose to the tip of the tail.” May the best, I mean, the smallest dog win!

Ring and Owner Unite After Fifty Years After forty years of searching, this ring has finally found its home. Fifty years ago, scuba diver Brad Swain found a class ring at the bottom of a New Hampshire lake. He was in his early twenties and came across the ring while on vacation with his family. “My family used to rent a little place on the shores of Lake Winnipesauke in the summertime. I was swimming in the resort swimming area, and the water wasn’t very deep and I was snorkeling just happened to see this ring,” Swain said. The ring was a class ring from Beverly (Massachusetts) High School with the initials “DRD” inside the gold band. But Swain didn’t know anyone from the school, so “I just kind of stuck it in a drawer,” he said. Forty years ago, Swain contacted the school to try to find the rightful owner. But the school was unable to provide students’ personal information. Prior to the class’s 50th class reunion, Swain reached out the alumni board and they narrowed it down to one person who was now living in Florida. He tried to call her and sent her packages, but all his attempts at contact were unsuccessful. She also did not attend the reunion and Swain was not able to find the mystery owner. But Swain was persistent and asked if the school newspaper would be willing to run a story about the ring. They did and a reader called the newspaper about the ring. Her name was Donna and confessed that she only had the ring for two weeks before losing it in the lake. When Donna got it, she “was so happy,” Swain said. “She was shocked. She thanked me profusely, saying, ‘I can’t believe you spent all this time looking.’ But for me, it was fun. I enjoy the detective work of doing that kind of stuff,” said Swain.

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Local Leaders Gear Up for Hurricane Sandy

An urgent leadership meeting with representatives from Nassau County and New York City took place this Sunday afternoon at Achiezer’s offices in Lawrence in anticipation of the approaching Hurricane Sandy. Attending the meeting were representatives from the following organizations: Hatzolah, Achiezer, RCSP, Office of Phil Goldfeder, Chaverim, OEM of Nassau and NYC.

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Community Boca Raton for Romney By Larry Domnitch

The past week was one for grassroots activism in sunny South Florida. Jewish activists were found among the many Romney supporters who converged upon Boca Raton for the October 22 Presidential Debate at Lynn University. Many of the activists represented the Republican Jewish Coalition. With signs in hand, they stood along the major intersections and waved to the cheers of many supporters who passed. One banner read, “Boca Jews for Romney.” Their message was that Barack Obama and his disastrous policies of appeasement must be replaced by Mitt Romney, a strong supporter of Israel and a staunch opponent of radical Islam. According to pro-Romney participant, Aaron Shapiro of Delray Beach, “The actions of our president against Israel’s interests speak volumes louder than his words of ‘his support’ for Israel. He has been cozy with the Arab world while being cold to Israel, and I will not be silent.”

Some activists also participated in phone banks and attended events such as the Jewish Policy Forum in North Miami Beach the following evening. That event, although not political, focused on the subject of Jews and Conservatism, and drew well over one thousand participants. The featured panelists were notable conservative radio personalities Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, Dennis Prager, and Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight. It was a week for voices to be heard in a very crucial election.

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NEWS

Mercy Medical Center Mincha Minyan With the upcoming change back to Eastern Standard Time, Mercy Medical Center will begin its winter Mincha minyan on Monday, November 5th at 1:00 PM sharp. The minyan will take place in the hospital’s brand new shul on the second floor main corridor just two doors away from the old shul. Last winter, the minyan was able to take place almost the whole winter and there are several new community members and Mercy staff who are interested in joining this year, and patients and

their families have expressed interest as well. Two of the potential community members are mourners who are saying kaddish, and they are especially appreciative of the minyan. To make the minyan as attractive and user-friendly as possible, all those able to attend should make every effort to be there promptly at 1:00 PM so the minyan can start and finish on time. There will be a small “Chanukas Habayis” collation to inaugurate the new shul following the first mincha minyan.

NEWS

Community

Rambam Meets This Week’s #1 NY Times Best Selling Author Snaking through the aisles of bookshelves of the Garden City Barnes and Noble, hundreds of people were eagerly hoping to meet prolific author Nelson DeMille. Situated at the center of this maelstrom of literary delight sat the Rambam Meet The Author Book Club who, in a only a few minutes following the commencement of the event, would be shaking hands and engaging in a discourse with one of the most famous thriller writers of the last few decades. Nelson DeMille is the author of over a dozen novels including The Charm School, Night Fall, and The General’s Daughter which was made into a major motion picture. The Author Signing was on the occasion of the publication of Mr. DeMille’s latest novel, The Panther, which was released last week. He was pleased to announce to the assembled crowd that he had just that minute received a call from his agent that his book “would debut on next week’s New York Times Best Seller List at number one.” He noted that he would be on the top of

the list just edging out Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling and perennial NYT Best Seller resident, Patricia Cornwall. The “Hometown Crowd,” could not have been more pleased with this news as Mr. DeMille is a resident of Long Island as well as a graduate of Hofstra University. “One of the most amazing things about the Rambam Mesivta Meet The Author Book Club,” noted its founder, Assistant Principal Mr. Hillel Goldman, “is that, in addition to bringing literature to life, it offers insight into the writing process.” An audience member asked the author “if you have a writing regimen.” Mr. DeMille’s response was, “It’s been two years since the last book; what do you think?” He went on to explain how he “wasted the first year writing the book” by essentially doing nothing but then wrote seven days a week,

all day and night, over a six month period thanks to his deadline. He also shared with the fans that he researches his books by traveling to their exotic locales. While researching The Charm School, he spent weeks in Soviet Russia and recently spent time in chaotic Yemen while researching The Panther. Following the question and answer session, the Rambam students

each took a picture with the author and had their books and bookmarks (gifts from B&N!) signed. Moshe Blank, a sophomore at Rambam Mesivta, spent a few minutes discussion literature and writing with the bestselling author before taking a picture. The boys were then treated to Starbucks Coffee by Mr. Goldman and went back to the school with a greater appreciation for literature, publishing, and writing. The trip to meet Nelson DeMille was the first Rambam Meet The Author Book Club event of the year and continues in the tradition over the last few years of meeting such literature luminaries as Elie Wiesel, Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Lewis and many more. The next trip is scheduled for November 15th at the 92nd St. Y to meet Pulitzer Prize winning author, Junot Diaz.

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HAFTR Student Organizes Art Exhibit At International Synagogue The International Synagogue at John F. Kennedy International Airport is hosting a special exhibition of the sculpture reliefs of the Ten Commandments by Chaim Gross. The exhibit commemorates the fortieth anniversary of the installation of the sculpture at the synagogue and was organized by Atara Schein, a high school senior at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and

Rockaway in Cedarhurst. “The exhibition is an opportunity to

reintroduce this important sculpture to the public,” said Schein, who designed the exhibit as part of her summer internship at the synagogue. “We hope to increase appreciation for the sculpture and for the role it has played in the history of the International Synagogue since its installation in 1972,” she added. Consisting of ten panels, each measuring 42 by 30 inches, the relief was sculpted by Chaim Gross in bronze with gold overleaf from 1970 to 1972. Chaim Gross was born in 1904 into a Hasidic family in the Austro-Hungarian village of Kolomyia and immigrated to New York in 1921. He began his study of art at the Educational Alliance on the Lower East Side and is best known for his wood carvings, but also created bronze sculptures and lithographs. “To create a major piece of art to serve as the synagogue’s central theme,

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the synagogue’s founders selected the renowned twentieth century artist Chaim Gross. The Holocaust and the State of Israel were both important influences in Gross’s life and art,” said Schein. Jewish subject matter began appearing in Gross’s art after World War II. Two of his siblings and a niece were exterminated by the Nazis, and after the Holocaust, Gross began to express

his Jewish background more directly in his art. Gross’s works can be found in private collections and major museums throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. The largest body of Gross’s sculpture in a public collection is at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.

Rambam Hosts Romney vs. Obama: The 4th Debate

The room was packed. It was standing room only. You could hear a pin drop. American and Israeli flags adorned the bookcases behind the podiums. The candidates strode to the lecterns and prepared to face off in what has been a Rambam tradition since 2000: The Great (Presidential) Debate was about to begin. Rambam Mesivta’s Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, introduced the program by speaking about the responsibility of the Jewish community to participate fully in the democratic process offered by the United States. “We should show hakaras hatov to the great country that we live in and fully participate in the process. But to do so, we must truly be familiar with issues at hand and not make superficial decisions based upon party loyalties.” Mr. Ira J. Schildkraut, Rambam’s AP American history teacher par excellence, served as the moderator. President Barack Obama was represented by Mr. Saul Marcus and Presidential hopeful, Governor Mitt Romney, was represented by Mr. Heshy Walfish. Both surrogate candidates are known for their passion, expertise, and love of politics and contemporary issues. Candidates were asked questions about the economy, Israel, Libya, the

role of government and the standing of the United States in the world. Both candidates presented their positions forcefully, and supported their positions by presenting a roster of facts. Candidates were careful not to interject their own personal opinions and meticulously advocated the actual positions of President Obama and Governor Romney. The candidates clearly disagreed on many issues and in fact, in some cases, a heated exchange took place. The passion for each point of view was obvious. The talmidim were exposed to an in-depth analysis of the issues that confront the American electorate as a whole. They clearly learned a lot. When the debate concluded, the students learned another valuable lesson. Both Mr. Marcus and Mr. Walfish, who are long-standing friends from davening at Rambam’s Shabbos minyan, congratulated each other with warm handshakes and slaps on the back on a job well done. “It is clear that you can vehemently disagree with another person’s political opinion but can and should still treat that very same person with respect, Derech Eretz, and camaraderie,” said Rabbi Friedman. A valuable lesson indeed that is not open to debate!

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Around the Community Margaret Tietz Now Completely Kosher!

More than one hundred community Rabbonim, dignitaries, politicians and friends gathered this past Thursday, October 25 at Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a member of CenterLight Health System, for the Grand Opening Gala and Ribbon Cutting of the facility’s newly expanded and renovated Kosher Kitchen. Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a landmark presence in Queens, is always spearheading new ways to improve its service to the Jewish Community. To ensure an environment that is welcoming to all, the entire facility, including the cafeteria, is now completely kosher. Margaret Tietz has eliminated its non-kosher kitchen and gone all kosher with a new, state-of-theart Kosher Kitchen featuring separate meat and dairy all Cholov Yisroel sections under the supervision of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens. Following a festive ribbon cutting ceremony, speaker after speaker stood up to share their affinity and affection for Margaret Tietz. It was quite remarkable to hear each one mention a loved one, whether it was their father, their mother-in-law or sister, who was at one time attentively cared for at Margaret Tietz. Much thanks was offered to Rabbi Chaim Schwartz of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, who was highly instrumental in expediting approval for this kosher transformation from the NYS Dept. of Health.

Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld, eloquent statesman and Rabbi Emeritus of Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, powerfully lauded Margaret Tietz for its outstanding work and paid special mention to Linda Spiegel, Director of Public Affairs at Margaret Tietz, for building a network of strong relationships throughout the community. His masterful speech encapsulated the sentiment that Margaret Tietz, built in response to the needs of those who suffered so horrifically in WWII, serves as an apt comeback to the Nazi’s attempt to defeat us. He noted the ironic significance of Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center’s name, sharing the fascinating story of the famous Tietz Department Stores in Berlin, comparable to the Macy’s we know. Owned by Hermann Tietz of the prominent pre-war German-Jewish Tietz family, the stores were Aryanized and renamed by the Third Reich in the 1930’s and the family’s shares were seized. Still around today, there is little left to connect the chain to its original Jewish roots. However, the Margaret Tietz facility is doing the Tietz name proud, eternalizing it by embracing and caring for the survivors in our midst. Upon the conclusion of all the speeches, the guests were treated to a mouthwatering buffet of delicious dishes prepared by Margaret Tietz’s Executive Chef Yossi and his staff—all Glatt Kosher, of course!

Kosher Kitchen Jewish Home_Layout 1 10/31/12 12:15 PM Page 1

39 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

MARGARET TIETZ Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is pleased to announce that our facility is now

COMPLETELY KOSHER! Five-star gourmet kosher cuisine under the hashgacha of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens is prepared in our state-of-the-art expanded and newly renovated Kosher Kitchens featuring SEPARATE MEAT and ALL CHOLOV YISROEL DAIRY sections.

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Located in the Jamaica Hills section of Queens, Margaret Tietz is proud to provide the Jewish Community with high quality sub-acute rehabilitation, hospice and long-term care services in a brand new luxurious setting.

164-11 Chapin Parkway, Jamaica Hills, NY 11432 718-298-7800 • www.tietzjewish.com Centrally located near the Queens communities of Kew Gardens Hills, Hillcrest & Jamaica Estates. Only 20 minutes om Brooklyn, Manhattan & the Five Towns.

‫ה‬

‫תור‬

‫נו כבוד ל‬

‫ת‬

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Rabbinical Committee :

FAR F R ROCKAWAY•LAWRENCE ROCKA

Shabbos of Chizuk

Rabbi Yaakov Bender Rabbi Y.M. Blumenkrantz Rabbi Moshe Brown Rabbi Saul Chill Rabbi Eitan Feiner Rabbi Yaakov Feitman Rabbi Eliezer Feuer Rabbi Avrohom Halpern Rabbi Naftali Jaeger Rabbi Yehoshua Kalish Rabbi Yaakov Reisman Rabbi Dovid Weinberger

IMPORTANT RESCHEDULING INFORMATION

Reception Committee : Mr. Nochum Aber Mr. Howard Balter Mr. Ari Bergmann Mr. Yitzchok Bodner Mr. Moshe M. Feuer Mr. Yitzchok Ganger Mr. Yaakov Goldfeder Mr. Shlomo Z. Gutfreund Mr. Matis Nayman Mr. Shloma Nayman

DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY when power will be restored to our Community,

Mr. Yisroel Neuberger Mr. Yussie Ostreicher

the upcoming Mir Yerushalayim Shabbos of Chizuk and fundraising breakfast,

Mr. Mendy Wolff

scheduled for this weekend, HAS BEEN POSTPONED.

Mr. Moshe Wolfson

WE HOPE TO RESCHEDULE in the near future when the Roshei Yeshiva of the Mir will be able to be Mechazek our community in person. We hope that Be’ezras Hashem all those affected by the storm will have a

Mr. Aaron Wolfson

Alumni Committee : Ariel Aber Yaakov Aber Baruch Ber Bender Zvi Y. Bloom Eli M. Bobker

smooth recovery.

Mendy Edelstein Sruly Edelstein

Far Rockaway & Five Towns Friends of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim

Nussy Feiner Akiva Garbacz Yanki Herzka Dov Lebovic Elie Lowy Ephraim Lowy Moshe Majeski Adam Mirzoeff Yosef Nussbaum Ephram Ostreicher Aroni Parnes Eli Rubin Dovid Saﬁer Yaakov Saﬁer Nechemia Salzman Dovid Scharf Asher Schoor Yaacov Spinner Yitzchok Aron Steg

5227 New Utrecht Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11219 P: 718-972-0500 F: 718-851-1999 E: info@themir.org

Yoav M. Taub Moshe Nosson Wolff Daniel Wolfson Dovid Wolfson

GOP Chairman Speaks Out for Candidate Dan Halloran

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Advice from OHEL on How to Stay Calm After The Storm by Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, OHEL Director of Operations

Photo credit: Halloran for Congress Campaign

Ed Cox (2nd from left), GOP Chairman, New York State, spoke in support of the candidacy of Councilman Dan Halloran (2nd from right) for Queens 6th District Congressman at Terrace on the Park. They are flanked by Dr. Joe Frager (at left), Chairman of the Board

of the International Committee for the Land of Israel (ICLI), and Dr. Paul Brody (at right), Vice President, ICLI. Halloran is an outspoken supporter of the citizens and Land of Israel, and was accompanied by Drs. Frager and Brody on a trip to Israel this summer.

3-Day Housing Fair in USA! Purchase your dream home in the Jerusalem area! This week, Chish Nofei Yisrael, Ltd. will sponsor a 3-day housing fair in the USA in three convenient locations in Brooklyn, Monsey and Los Angeles. Chish Nofei Yisrael, the leading Israeli housing and development company to represent the Orthodox community, has gained worldwide repute for its personal, courteous and reliable service. The upcoming fair, which offers homes for sale in some of the most popular new developments in the greater Jerusalem area, follows similar fairs that met with extreme success among the religious community and resulted in the sale of over 50 housing units within three days. Available projects for sale include the exclusive Mishkenot Ha’Uma and Sarei Yisrael – two projects in the center of Jerusalem; Top 80 in Neve Yaakov; Givat Zev and Chish Nofei Yisrael’s flagship project, Ramat Givat Zev – both located 15 minutes away from the center of Jerusalem – the first-ever neighborhood in Israel developed specifically to meet the needs of an American Torah-based community. The majority of homes in Ramat Givat Zev have been purchased by American olim who as-

pire to combine the best of both worlds. The beautiful neighborhood in pastoral Ramat Givat Zev emphasizes spiritual quality coupled with the warmth and friendliness of an English-speaking community and reflects the values, needs and mentality of orthodox olim acclimating to a new life and country. Housing units in the development include private villas, as well as attractively-designed, spacious apartments that allow orthodox families to make the move to Israel without compromising on their standards. Special sales and offers will be available at the 3-day fair! Don’t miss this chance to make your dream come true! The events will take place at the following locations: Sunday, Nov. 4 - Monsey 12:00 Noon - 6:00 PM, L’Chayim Manor Wesley Hills Plaza, 455 RT 306, Monsey, NY. Tuesday, Nov. 6 - Flatbush 12:00 Noon - 6:00 PM, Agudath Israel of Avenue L, 2913 Avenue L, Brooklyn, NY. Sunday, Nov. 11 - Los Angeles 12:00 Noon - 6:00 PM, Kanner Hall, 7269 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

“One who has developed his intellect at the expense of his character can be compared to a tree whose branches are greater than its roots – a wind can come along and blow it away.” (Pirkei Avos 3:22) Some of us were affected terribly. Flooded houses, ruined business, financial losses, and injuries. Others got off “easy” with loss of power. It’s not over. At this time we can truly understand that famous dictum is Pirkei Avos, figuratively AND literally. How we handle ourselves over the next few weeks can serve as inspiration to our family members, friends and fellow citizens for years to come. It is normal to get anxious during such severe weather and its aftermath. What we want to avoid at all costs is not to panic, rage or lose our cool. When a person is in a state of panic or high anxiety, the blood drains away from the frontal lobes of the brain (which is in charge of higher order thinking) and activity focuses on the region of the brain called the amygdala. This part of the brain is emotional and mostly instinctive, and operates with very little forethought. This is good for some emergencies when instinct is more advantageous than calm deliberation, such as during a raging fire when you would rather be rescued by a fireman than a philosopher. You need action and not someone who ponders or contemplates. However, if a person is induced into a state of panic when he really needs to think, he won’t be able to slow down and act rational. His brain is hijacked. You rationalize it as righteous anger – but it often is just anxiety and panic. The person with road rage says to himself, “That other crazy driver deserves to be run off the road!”—and acts like

it. He drives with the mentality that he is in a war zone. But, thank G-d, we are not really in a war zone, and have no right to behave as such. There are no missiles over our heads, at least not for us Jews in the diaspora. Judaism understands the psychology of panic, and in fact not only is panic physically debilitating but it is also spiritually debilitating. The Torah speaks of the Jewish army and how if one soldier panics he could cause the “hearts of his brethren to melt.” Everyone has their threshold where they lose their composure. For some it is when they are in pain, for others it’s when it too cold or too hot, and for others it is when the electricity goes out. Once the horse of panic starts galloping out of the barn, it is almost impossible to get him back in. Parents and heads of households have a responsibility to monitor their emotions and speak with gentleness, love and understanding way before the crisis gets heavy. Check your brain – are your thoughts racing? Is your pulse and breathing rapid? Time to take a few minutes and slow down. Your body can calm your thoughts just as easy as your thoughts can cause your body to tremble. Take slow deep breaths with your eyes closed. Sip a hot tea. Hug your children and reassure them that they will be safe. Listen to music. Talk to whomever you’re with. Panic leads to mistakes and mistakes leads, G-d forbid, to injuries. Listen to others and take their ideas into account. OHEL can help any individual with any questions. Please write to askohel@ ohelfamily.org. May Hashem watch over all of us during this difficult time and may we grow closer from the time we spend together as families.

41 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l: The Ripple Effect of Creating Torah Activists

Anticipation rippled through the crowd as the distinguished elder statesman of Klal Yisroel made his way to the podium. Any speech by Rabbi Moshe Sherer was an oratorical masterpiece, a fusion of ideas and passion, but at this Agudah convention, participants perceived that they were witnessing something unique: Rabbi Sherer was overwhelmed. The man who was always prepared, who was in total control over every situation, seemed overpowered by the sheer force of the crowd’s emotion, a current of love and appreciation running through the room and engulfing him. It was 1995, and the president of Agudath Israel was ill. The indefatigable one seemed tired, the exuberant one weary. In introducing Rabbi Sherer, the chairman had permitted himself to break with the schedule and to ignore Rabbi Sherer’s strict instruction not to praise him; the chairman reminisced and reflected, describing just how fortunate they were, the Agudath Israel community, American Orthodoxy, to have such an inspiring and dynamic leader. It was the deluge of applause that engulfed Rabbi Sherer, long, sustained, enthusiastic—a thunderclap of gratitude, people refusing to sit down, refusing to let the moment go. He stood there, pale and thin, his eyes brilliant as ever and he looked at them, his people, the ones whose every problem and issue had been his, whose concerns and challenges hurt him, whose glories and successes thrilled him, and he began to cry. Tears...reflecting tears that fell many years earlier. And he began to speak of those tears. He remembered a time when the rights and positions of the Orthodox community weren’t taken seriously— when even those within the camp didn’t believe. Agudath Israel enjoyed little support, and it was still saddled by debt from the war years, when the organization had paid out more money than it had in the hope of saving lives. Rabbi Sherer, not yet forty years old, had a growing family and the daunting financial burden of the organization made a productive future seem unlikely. There were so many more options open to the capable young rabbi, and, much as it pained him, he made the decision that it was time to move on. The news spread that young Rabbi

By Yisroel Besser

Rabbi Moshe Sherer addresses the Agudah dinner with Rav Aharon, Rav Yaakov, Rav Moshe and Mike Tress

Sherer was leaving the Agudah, and people shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads; ‘It’s unfortunate, but there is no future for him there,’ they said. They understood. One person didn’t understand, though. Rabbi Sherer received a call from Rebbetzin Schwartzman, who told him her father, Rav Aharon Kotler, wished to see him. He immediately made his way to the apartment; there Rav Aharon’s Rebbetzin accosted Rabbi Sherer, wasting no time. ‘How can you do this to my husband?’ she demanded. ‘How can you do this to klal Yisroel?’ And she burst into tears. Rabbi Sherer stood there, watching this distinguished rebbetzin— daughter and wife of gedolei Yisroel— weep uncontrollably, and he felt his resolve weaken. By the time he walked down the rickety steps from the apartment, he’d decided: as long as there was an Agudath Israel, he would work with all his energy for its success. The rebbetzin’s tears watered the seeds of optimism in his heart; Rabbi Sherer went back to work and changed the world, giving American Orthodoxy the organization that would wave its flag ever higher. Unplanned, the story escaped from Rabbi Sherer’s lips as he stood there on that motzoei Shabbos, moved by the crowd’s reaction.

He concluded the story by raising his arm and smiling. ‘And here I am.’ Hazorim d’dimah, b’rina yiktzoru..... *** Rav Aharon Kotler is recognized as the architect of Torah in the United States; less evident is the rosh yeshiva’s role in fueling askanus and activism, inspiring Rabbi Sherer and so many like him. Yes, he created the American ben Torah, but also the American baalebos. As Rabbi Sherer reflected in a speech. “Imagine hearing shiur, every single day, from the greatest rosh yeshiva in the world, on the very same amud of Gemara; I merited hearing shiur from Rav Aharon, each and every day for thirteen years straight, on the sugya of ‘avodas haklal.’” In recent days, a nation mourned one its most effective and generous philanthropists, Mr. Zev Wolfson. The question was asked again and again; from where the breadth of vision, the magnitude of his dreams? The answer lies in a story. It was just after war in Algeria, and its ancient Jewish community was almost entirely uprooted. The refugees regrouped in France, but the kehilla infrastructure there was insufficient to meet their educational needs. Their only hope seemed to be the local Otzar HaTorah school—which was pitifully

underfunded. Rav Aharon led a group of roshei yeshiva to meet with a secular Jewish activist prominent in the Joint Distribution Committee, whose stated mission was to help beleaguered Jews in wartorn countries. Rav Aharon began by describing the glory and prestige of Sephardic Jewry, how much of the corpus of rabbinic literature is based on the Torah of the Sephardic sages. The gentleman was unimpressed. Finally, he asked, ‘Why do you care about Sephardim so much?” Like a mother hen whose chicks are being targeted, the rosh yeshiva erupted, his facade of calm disappearing as he jumped to his feet. ‘Sephardim, Ashkenzaim we are all brothers, all the Ribbono shel Olam’s children!’ And thus, suggested one of Mr. Wolfson’s many soldiers in the battle for Jewish souls, was Reb Zev inspired to reach every last Jew, to ensure that each of the Ribbono shel Olam’s children receives what’s rightfully his. It was Rav Aharon’s sense of mission towards every single Jew, Rav Aharon’s all-encompassing vision, which saw only neshamos, and no externals, that drove Reb Zev; it was Rav Aharon who had influenced him to do, and so he followed Rav Aharon’s mandate: we are all brothers.

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Eric Ulrich, the Logical Choice for State Senate By: Richard Altabe, Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance Local Jewish voters may feel frustrated in this crucial election year that they do not live in a key swing state like Ohio wherein their vote could swing the election to Republican Mitt Romney. However, Far Rockaway and Kew Garden Hills Jewish voters will play a decisive role in the upcoming NYS Senate District 15 election between Democrat Joe Adabbo and Republican Eric Ulrich this coming November 6th. Coming on the heels of last year’s special election wherein Jewish voters propelled Bob Turner and Phil Goldfeder to stunning electoral victories in a special election, we have the ability to solidify our electoral strength, thereby insuring that our voices will be heard in Albany. Last month the Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance had the opportunity to interview both Joe Adabbo and Eric Ulrich. We outlined our community’s core issues: tax credits for parochial school parents, support for our community Yeshivas, and our support for traditional marriage. While both candidates did their best to demonstrate their support for our issues, it was very clear that Republican Eric Ulrich is the best choice for our community this year for the following reasons: 1. While Senator Adabbo demonstrated his compassion for all families,

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his acceptance of $500,000 in campaign donations from the teachers unions makes it unlikely that he will be able to strongly support private school education. The United Federation of Teachers has been one of our strongest opponents on aid to Yeshivas because of their belief that funds given to aid parochial students come at the expense of public school teachers. Eric Ulrich has pledged to support his party’s position on tax credits and will work tirelessly to ensure that some tax credit bill will pass the state legislature. He also strongly supports increasing CAP and mandated services funding to our Yeshivas. 2. Senator Adabbo as a Catholic had always been a supporter of traditional marriage. However, in 2010, under pressure from Governor Cuomo, he changed his position based on a poll of his constituents. His change of heart resulted in the passage of the same gender marriage bill. We can’t help but to be deeply disappointed in Senator Adabbo’s decision to abandon his core values and beliefs to accommodate the opinions of the small percentage of voters who responded to his poll. Telling us that he would vote differently today because his newly redrawn district is more conservative did not make us feel any better.

Eric Ulrich has been steadfast in his opposition to same gender marriage and his support for strong family values. He is a respected member of his church and believes that strong family and religious values help to stabilize our communities and produce citizens who value their communities. 3. Neither Councilman Ulrich nor Senator Adabbo have represented Far Rockaway in the past, yet Councilman Ulrich has made it his business to bring city funding to local agencies like the JCCRP and the Community Center of the Rockaway Peninsula. His support of our community even when he was not our representative demonstrates that he will be even more helpful once he is elected. 4. Councilman Ulrich organized the cleanup of Bayside Jewish Cemetery in Ozone Park because it pained him to see the desecration of hallowed burial grounds. He brought many diverse groups together for the project and remained involved until the project was completed. His youthful energy (Ulrich is 27 years old) gave us great hope that he would work tirelessly for his constituents. 5. If elected, Eric Ulrich will join the Republican Senate Majority that has been supportive of our communal issues in the past. He is very close with

the majority leader, Dean Skelos and is certain to be granted a significant role in the Senate should he win. As a Democrat in the minority, Senator Adabbo will have far less influence and ability to make sure our needs are met. Polls show that Ulrich and Adabbo are locked in a dead heat. However, all pollsters agree that if the Jewish communities of district 15 unify behind one candidate, that candidate will certainly win the election. As lay leaders who have spent months studying the issues, the Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance is confident that Eric Ulrich can best provide the leadership we need in Albany.

Jonathan Pollard, Our Brother

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Seen leaving the Federal Prison in Butner, NC, after visiting with Jonathan Pollard On the left, Karen Harrington, Republican candidate for Congresswoman, Florida district 23. Ms. Harrington is challenging Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. On the right is Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President, Emeritus and Advisor to NCYI--National Council of Young Israel

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After Successful Succot Chesed Program, YCQ Looks Ahead To November 4 Open House In preparation of the holiday of Succot, the eighth-grade girls from the Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) spread out into the Queens community in order to help those in need of assistance prepare for the holiday. YCQ’s intergenerational Succot program is just one example of the school’s innovative programming and cutting-edge teaching methods. YCQ’s quality Torah and general studies programs will be highlighted during the school’s upcoming interactive Open House, which will take place on Sunday morning, November 4 from 10:00 to 11:30. YCQ is located at 14737 70th Road in Kew Gardens Hills. On Thursday, September 27, the YCQ eighth-grade girls embarked on a day of chesed in conjunction with the Succot holiday. The students went house-to-house and decorated succot for those individuals who were unable to do it themselves. In addition, the students visited Boulevard Alp, which is an assisted living center and nursing home, where the girls worked together to fill the Succot with beautiful decorations for the residents to enjoy. The owners of the succot who benefitted from the students’ acts of kindness were extremely appreciative. “The smiles on the girls’ faces and their eagerness to help beautify our succah will really help enhance our chag,” said one woman. “We are so happy to help bring the Yom Tov spirit to our neighbors,” said YCQ eighth-graders Leah Kesten of

Hillcrest and Jessica Fuzailov of Jamaica Estates. “It was a thrill to walk from house to house to cheer up some of our community elderly citizens,” said YCQ eighthgrader Sharona Fiskus of Jamaica Estates. “It was so nice and felt so good to decorate sukkahs for those who needed our help,” said YCQ eighth-grader Shaindy Greenberg of Hillcrest. “I wouldn’t have thought decorating sukkahs would be this much fun,” said YCQ eighth-grader Elisheva Zahtz of Kew Gardens Hills. “Doing this mitzvah made me realize how important chesed is.” “At YCQ, education is not solely limited to classroom instruction,” said Rabbi Mark Landsman, the Principal of YCQ. “Interactive and intergenerational programs that encourage our students to do acts of kindness for others and to learn from people with vast life experience are invaluable educational tools. We pride ourselves on employing an array of teaching methods intended to impart strong Torah values and a solid ethical and moral base to our students so that they continue to grow academically, socially, and religiously.” Rabbi Landsman noted that he is looking forward to meeting with prospective parents at the school’s Open House on November 4 and sharing with them the quality Torah and general studies academic and religious programs that YCQ offers to its over 900 students and their families.

Rabbi Lazer Brody to Speak in Kew Gardens Hills Don’t miss out! This Tuesday night, November 6th, 2012, CHAZAQ presents world renowned lecturer, R’ Lazer Brody, LIVE in Queens! The lecture will be about: “He Said, She Said: Secrets to Creating Marital Harmony” and will take place at Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, 7011 150th St, Flushing, NY 11367. Doors will open at 8:00PM; the lecture is scheduled for 8:30 PM. Admission is free! All are encouraged to come & bring friends! For more information, call 718-2859132 or email Info@Chazaq.org. The event is in Loving Memory of Fraydelle bat Meir HaLevi

The YCQ Open House will feature guided tours of the yeshiva and a stimulating first-grade lesson for parents, which will include a session on YCQ’s Hebrew immersion program. While the parents are occupied with the programming relating to the adults, their children will enjoy interactive lessons with YCQ’s kindergarten staff. YCQ features smartboard technology in every The eighth-grade students from the Yeshiva of Central Queens classroom, a state-of-the- (YCQ) fanned out into the Queens community and decorated art science lab, two fully Succot for those who were unable to do it themselves. equipped computer labs, and separate classes for boys and existence for over seventy years and girls beginning in fourth-grade. The chart a path that maintains the core valschool also offers an assortment of af- ues Torah and maddah, and promote ter-school programs and clubs, includ- their practice in our daily lives,” said ing Mishmar, chess, band instruction, Rabbi Landsman, “YCQ is always predrama, dance, and much more. Free pared to embark on exciting new vistas transportation to YCQ is available from while, at the same time upholding the Queens, the Five Towns, West Hemp- fundamental principles that were established when the school initially opened stead, and Great Neck. “We are constantly seeking creative in 1941.” ways to take a school that has been in

Due to the inclement weather, the TOVA event scheduled for Thursday, November 1st has been cancelled. We hope to reschedule the event for a later date this month. Thank you for your support! TOVA Mentoring Program

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Yad L’achim Brings Harav Yechiel Abuchatzeira To NY For Inspirational Talks – Rabbi Daniel Asor On The Rescue From The Saudi Prince Harav Yechiel Abuchatzeira shlita is being brought in from Eretz Yisroel by Yad L’Achim for a series of inspirational evenings. After the success of last year’s events in which hundreds of people attended every event, Yad L’Achim is once again hosting the inspiring event on 6 successive nights, beginning on Wednesday, November 7th. Harav Abuchatzeira, scion of the famous Abuchatzeira family whose blessings are sought by Jews around the world, will speak at the events and be available for advice and individual blessings for personal issues. He will be followed by Rabbi Daniel Asor, a former missionary who works with Yad L’Achim rescuing Jewish girls from Arab villages. Rabbi Asor will share the dramatic story of a Jewish man who had converted to Islam to marry a wealthy Arab woman descended from the Saudi royal family and how he was rescued at the last minute to return to his people. “One day I got a call from Harav Shalom Dovber Lifschitz, zt”l, the head of Yad L’Achim, who told me the story of an Israeli family that had moved to New York,” recalls Rabbi Asor. “Their son attended public high school and became close to the daughter of a Saudi tycoon. At her suggestion, the young man went to Mecca to convert to Islam and returned to his family dressed in traditional Islamic garb to bid them farewell.” The man’s brother called Yad L’Achim, leading to the phone call to Rabbi Asor. “I went to the house accompanied by two Yad L’Achim activists for protection and I talked to him about Islam and Judaism for six hours, until late into the night…” Rabbi Asor is the author of The Gates of Rome, which refutes all of the Christian arguments used to convert Jews and which has resulted in many missionaries returning to Judaism. While he has inspired audiences of all ages throughout Eretz Yisrael, this is his first appearance in the United States. Yad L’Achim, established over 60 years ago by Harav Lifschitz, zt”l, fights on behalf of the Jewish people to bring back those who have fallen into the worst possible spiritual straits. These include Jews who have been lured by missionaries into cults and, a recent plague

in Israel, Jewish women who have married Arabs and find themselves trapped with their children in Arab villages. The victims of missionaries and of Arab men are often individuals in great distress, who are willing to follow anyone who offers the semblance of acceptance and security, without considering the dangers involved.

Rabbi Daniel Asor

Yad L’Achim, whose motto is “We don’t give up on even a single Jew,” not only engineers rescues, but helps Jewish women and their children undergo rehabilitation and rejoin the Jewish people. This involves renting a “safe house” for them, and providing them with basic necessities until the mother can find a job. Yad L’Achim also provides social and psychological help and, most impor-

tantly, helps to enroll the children in yeshivos. (Since many of these Jewish children speak only Arabic, Yad L’Achim often hires tutors and mentors to serve as positive, Jewish father figures.) There are follow-up Shabbatons that bring together groups of women who have been rescued from Arab villages, who can share their common experience, and bask in the glow of an inspiring Shabbos at a hotel. Yad L’Achim runs a 24-hour hotline for Jewish women in Arab villages and their families, which responds immediately to the over 1,400 calls it receives annually. Come to the events in your neighborhood and be inspired. The unforgettable programs will take place in Wednesday, November 7th in Queens at Yeshiva Ohel Simcha, 141-41 72nd Avenue, Flushing, NY, 11367; Thursday, November 8th in Staten Island at the Young Israel of Staten Island, 835 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314; Sunday November 10th Congregation Har HaLebanon, 820 Ave S, Brooklyn, NY, 11223; Monday, November 11th Monsey Ateres Charna, 790 North Main Street, New Square, NY, 10977; Tuesday, November 13th Brooklyn, Sasson V’Simcha, 1223 Co-

Rav Yechiel Abuchatzeira shlita

ney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11230; Wednesday, November 14th 5 Towns Congregation Shaaray Tefila, 25 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY, 11559. The evenings are geared for both men and women. Doors will open 7:30 p.m. and the program is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. sharp. For further information regarding the events and Rav Abuchatzeira’s visit, please call 1-866-923-5224 OR visit www.YadLachim.org or e-mail info@ YadLachim.org.

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Dirshu: Kinyan Halacha – Striving for Greatness by: Rabbi Yechiel Spero Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, Av Beis Din of the Eidah HaChareidis, and Rav Azriel Auerbach, shlita, son of Rav Shlomo Zalman, z”tl, and son-in-law of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, z”tl, visited the Dirshu Kinyan Halacha testing location in Yerushalayim. When Rav Auerbach saw the test that was being administered, he said, “They are taking this without sefarim open in front of them?! I don’t know if I could pass this test without having to look things up!” It is difficult to fathom the effort expended to study a large portion of the Shulchan Aruch in depth, and to take 11 exams on the material, over a period of five and a half years. And yet, this is what the heroes of a one-of-a-kind program, titled Kinyan Halacha, have done. Through much yegiah baTorah, hundreds of talmidei chachamim have pushed themselves to become part of the future poskim of Klal Yisrael. Dirshu’s Kinyan Halacha program

is designed to increase the erudition and efforts that we invest in our learning, specifically halacha – in order to gift our generation with more morei hora’ah. Rav Moshe Shaul Klein, shlita, a dayan on the beis din of Rav Shmuel Wosner, shlita, and one of the prestigious dayanim spearheading the Kinyan Halacha program, elaborated on the complexity and difficulty of mastering such a program. The expression of halacha begins from the study of the sugya from the Talmud, which must be learned in great depth, with all the Rishonim. Deriving the psak and halacha le’maaseh is no small accomplishment. For only after one has mastered all of the Gemara, Rishonim, and the works of the Beis Yosef – and the picture of the complete sugya begins to form in front of him – may he begin to approach psakim of the Beis Yosef and Rema. And only now is he able to begin the difficult process of

dimuy milsa le’milsa, the comparison of one matter to the other. After one has learned – truly learned – the sugya in depth, he may begin the process of Kinyan Halacha, acquiring the halacha. This, too, entails much guidance. Rav Klein cites Rav Wosner that one of the most predominant themes of acquiring the law is a result of constant review – a minimum of ten times, though more is preferable. Additionally, for maximum focus, one is encouraged to study one subject matter at a time, while creating other opportunities in middle of one’s day to have an additional bekiyus seder in halacha, such as the learning of the Mishna Berurah. One of the most unique and important aspects of the program is the hadrachah – the practical guidance each participating yungerman receives. Every avreich receives a kuntres outlining all the material being learned in the next six months. The program also provides mareh mekomos (sources) and constant guidance about what to learn and where emphasis should be placed. After this grueling five and a half year cycle of intense in-depth study of the subjects of all of the parts of Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah necessary for semichah (including hilchos Shabbos, eruvin, bassar ve’chalav, taaruvos, and niddah), one is prepared to begin the process of learning how to decide halachic matters. At this point, Dirshu provides intense halacha lectures from some of the great minds of our generation. At the end of the five and a half year program, avreichim who succeed will receive a “Cheileich Le’Oraissa” certificate. Although this certificate is not a semichah, it will certainly attest to the proficiency in halacha that the bearer has achieved. Dirshu will provide those who have completed the program with a file containing their complete set of test results. This is sure to be a significant factor in opening the doors of many batei horaah for those wishing to enter rabbanus. Without a doubt, this Dirshu program affects the way that halacha is learned, and provides blossoming baalei halacha with guidance and direction, so that they will be poised to become the future poskim of Klal Yisrael. Rav Avigdor Berenstein, a senior

member of Dirshu’s hanhalah in Eretz Yisrael, related a fascinating story that transpired at the Yerushalayim testing site. Toward the beginning of the long, comprehensive test, a yungerman approached the proctor with a tense look on his face. He asked, “When does the test end?” When the proctor asked him why he needs to leave, he replied that he had just received an urgent message that he must take his expectant wife to the hospital, as they were imminently awaiting a mazel tov. The proctor shooed him out. Two and a half hours later, the yungerman returned, all smiles. “Mazel tov! I am the father of a new baby girl. Can I have my test back so that I can finish?” That is the power of Dirshu! *** In the United States, too, close to 150 budding poskim gather in locales in Brooklyn, Lakewood, and elsewhere as they take tests on the second machzor (cycle) of Kinyan Halacha. Rabbi Aharon Gobioff, Dirshu’s director of operations in North America, said, “The response to Kinyan Halacha has been simply amazing. All participants point out that the structure, comprehensive aids, and testing, has put them on the path to become morei horaah that will enrich Klal Yisrael.” *** Perhaps Rav Yisroel Gans, a talmid muvhak of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and a prominent moreh horaah in Kiryat Mattesdorf, put it best when he explained the uniqueness of the Kinyan Halacha program. Although all of the Dirshu programs are remarkable, there is something exceptional about the Kinyan Halacha program. “Learning halacha through Dirshu’s Kinyan Halacha program, however, is done in a most comprehensive fashion. Beginning with the sugyos in the Gemara, continuing with the Rishonim, the participants follow the development of the halachic process until the actual halacha le’maaseh, the practical halacha. That is a full-day job and has become the primary limud of each avreich. “And investing a full day in this amazing program is the only way that an avreich can succeed in becoming a future posek of Klal Yisrael!”

NEWS

Community

Preserving the Memory Lion of Judah – A True Story of a Brave Soul at the Levi Yitzchak Library More than 65 years have passed since the defeat of Hitler in April, 1945, bringing the Holocaust to an end and leaving hundreds of thousands of Jews homeless, orphaned, widowed and displaced. They worked hard to try to start their life anew and create meaning and purpose for themselves and their families. As time passes, however, so have many of the survivors who experienced and/or witnessed first-hand the atrocities that Hilter Y”M and the Nazis imposed on the Jews. It is therefore imperative for all of us, the living survivors and the descendants alike, to share the stories and perpetuate the history in order to counter any Holocaust deniers nor allow it to be relegated to a footnote in our history books. Holocaust survivor and local Cedarhurst resident, Mr. Leible (Leo) Zisman is determined to ensure that he shares his experiences with all those who he encounters. His hope is to help the next generation better understand the incomprehensible, and turn their knowledge into action that can help end genocide forever. Working together with director Matt Mindell, the moving, Holocaust documentary “The Lion of Judah” was recently released and shown at the Levi Yitzchak Library. The film follows Mr. Zisman as he travels with a group of 35 young Jews as he retraces the steps of his tragic past. They travel through what remains of

the Warsaw Ghetto, where he was separated from his family to the Stutthof concentration camp then to Auschwitz where Zisman was then sent, and where he survived the war. The group also visits Majdanek and other concentration camps throughout Poland. During the travel footage, Zisman shares anecdotes about having being torn from his family, and offers vivid descriptions of the horrendous living conditions in the camps, and his terrifying stories about his enraged defiance of his brutal guards as well as when he actually challenged them to shoot him. Interspersed with this material is archival footage and photos as well as reaction from the young adults who are travelling with him. Some of them have family members who survived the Holocaust and others are seeking to better understand their identity. They frankly express the pain and despair that’s awakened in them as they learn about the horrors that took place on the ground where they now stand, and come to understand fully what the inmates in the camps had to succumb to. Needless to say, the audience was very moved by the film and it took a few moments for everyone to absorb what they had just seen. Mr. Zisman then spent some time answering questions. His key message was the importance of educating – educating today’s children

on the atrocities that took place and educating those who have lost faith on the importance of preserving their Jewish lineage. As the evening came to a close, Mr. Zisman personally signed copies of his book, I Believe, The Story of One Jewish Life (2011) that was given to all those in attendance. The autobiography

tells the story of his long journey from Kovno, Lithuania, where as a young boy he was uprooted by the Nazis and forced to move to the Warsaw Ghetto. Zisman was then separated from his family and sent to the Stutthof concentration camp in Poland, and from there to Auschwitz where he survived the war.

47 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Around the

LOCAL

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Election 2012

Avi Heiligman

Dewey Defeats Truman

Proof that Elections Are Only Won After Every Vote is Counted

n the history of presidential tory. After the Great Depression ended, elections, there have been many the U.S. went on to fight the largest war “too close to call,” and in the case that the world had ever seen. The most of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore epic, it went devastating weapon used during World on for weeks afterwards. There was War II was the atomic bomb. However, even the election that the entire nation for much of the war, it seemed like its thought would go use would be just one way and in for psychologithe end it was a cal tactics as aides wipeout for the close to the Presiother candidate. dent saw that he That race was was reluctant to an iconic race, unleash its devaspitting Democratic tating power. That candidate and all changed when i n c u m b e n t President RoosPresident Harry evelt died (he had S Truman vs. been sick for much Republican of his life) on April challenger Thomas 12, 1945—less Dewey. The than a month beChicago Tribune fore the surrenincorrectly put der of Germany. “Dewey Defeats One of the major Thomas Dewey, Truman’s opponenet Truman” as their oversights of the banner headline on Manhattan Project, November 3, 1948. The historical gaffe the American program that made the was more than a newspaper getting atomic bomb, was failing to let Vice ahead of themselves and declaring President Truman in on this secret. As a winner before one was officially such, when he took office, he was more announced. than eager to end the war in Pacific Starting in the year 1932 until as quickly as possible and used two 1945, which included four elections, bombs to wipe out the Japanese cities the United States had only one Presi- of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August dent. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. The Japaelected in 1932 over incumbent Her- nese surrendered on August 15, fearing bert Hoover, and helped America pull that Truman would unleash more of out of its greatest financial crisis in his- this demoralizing weapon (the U.S. had

no more in reserve but the Japanese did the upper hand in elections, especially not know that). for President of the U.S., but this was Even though the war had ended, different. Truman was not elected by there were mixed feelings among the public, rather he succeeded a dead Americans and the debate raged about President and so the 1948 election was whether Truman was right or wrong for the first time for the American public using the bomb. This was one of the to show their support, or distaste, for major issues presenting itself during him. Truman’s running mate was Alben the campaign as the threat of a nuclear Barkley from Kentucky. war with the Russians got closer to beThomas Dewey had run for Presicoming reality. dent against Roosevelt in 1944 and had After Roosevelt’s death, Truman narrowly lost the popular vote. Now took over the presidency. For the re- four years later, this well-liked, relamaining three years and nine months tively young Republican had his best of the term, Truman hardly had time to chance to become President. Even the breathe. He created the Truman Doc- polls had declared Dewey the winner trine which gave economic aid to Tur- weeks before the election. Elmo Roper key and Greece as part of a containment of Roper Polls declared, “My whole policy. He was instrumental in helping inclination is to predict the election of the U.S. make a transition to a peace- Thomas E. Dewey by a heavy margin time economy and blocking Stalin’s and devote my time and efforts to other attempts to conquer Europe which he things.” accomplished by instigating the BerPolitical cartoonists joined in the lin airlift. The Truman Administration fun by making pokes directed at Truwas key in helping create the State of man. A favorite was to ridicule the deIsrael for Holocaust survivors. Another cision to add a second floor balcony to strong point in his reelection campaign the White House. People became archiwas that he was fighting for strong tectural enthusiasts overnight, and said changes tothat the balward equal cony was an rights for all eyesore and a citizens. disgrace for Yet there the classic many influGreek style ential people that the White who didn’t House was want him reoriginally deelected and signed. Some were bashing cartoonists him left and suggested right. Newsthat this may papers called cause Truman him the “little to lose the At the polls man,” and the elections. In Chicago Tribune even called him a nin- the end, the Truman Balcony was built, compoop. Much of the public was also didn’t cost him the election, and just against him because he was so unlike last month President Obama said it was the beloved Roosevelt. his favorite spot in the White House. Many bigwigs in the Democratic Going into the polls on Election Party thought famed General Dwight Day, Thomas Dewey held a large lead D. “Ike” Eisenhower would have a bet- over Truman in virtually every poll. ter chance at defeating whomever the Common sense dictated that Truman Republicans chose for their candidate would lose, but there was another facand were disappointed when Ike de- tor that was thought could turn the clined to run. Eisenhower would have election in the Republicans’ favor and his chance later but for Truman, it was that was the effect of a third party now or never. Usually incumbents have continued on page 53

th th

Moreinu HaRav Moreinu HaRav Aharon Kotler Aharon Kotler

Yartzeit Yartzeit Commemoration Commemoration

th 50 50th Yartzeit Yartzeit Azkarah Azkarah Program Program

At Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, New Jersey At Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood, New Jersey Additional Azkarah Events Additional Azkarah (Lakewood Community)Events

(Lakewood Community) ukxf ‘c ouhk rut / Thursday, Nov. 15 ukxf ‘c ouhk rut / Thursday, Nov. 15 Program: vchahv kfhvc iurfz hrcsu rugha yhhmrth Program: vchahv kfhvc iurfz hrcsu rugha yhhmrth Location: Israel Henry Beren Hall Location: Israel Henry Beren Hall 617 Sixth Street 617 Sixth Street Time: 5:45 - 7:45 pm, followed by chrgn Time: 5:45 - 7:45 pm, followed by chrgn rugha yhhmrth by The Rosh HaYeshiva, rugha yhhmrth by The’hrt Rosh HaYeshiva, t”yhka kthfkn ‘r d”vrv‫זקני‬ ubhrun ‫זכרון‬rkyue ‫דברי‬ by ‫אהרן‬ ‫הרב‬ ‫תלמידי‬

M ain Yartzeit PrograM: M ain Yartzeit PrograM: Join in a major mr aexa dtiq` in the presence of

Join in a major aexa dtiq` in theEretz presence of Gedolei Torah mr from America and Yisroel Gedolei Torah from America and Eretz Yisroel

ukxf ukxf ‘s ‘s

/ Sunday, Nov. 18 / Sunday, Nov. 18

t”yhka rkyue the kthfkn ’hrt States ‘r d”vrv ubhrun United iurfz hrcs from by irvt crv hshnk, hbez from the and ‫ישראל‬ ‫ארץ‬ iurfz hrcs by irvt crv hshnk, United States and ktrahhbez .rtfrom the United States and ktrah .rt

,usku, ,arp asue ,ca / Nov. 16-17 ,usku, ,arp asue ,ca / Nov. 16-17

Program: Lakewood Community ka ,ca Program: vrfzt Lakewood Community vrfzt ka ,ca Location: ,ca dbug locations, Location: ,ca dbug locations, guest speakers, and ohrnzn guest speakers, and ohrnzn to be announced to be announced Times: ,ca khk, with specific times for Times: ,ca khk, with specific times for each location to be announced each location to be announced The Lakewood community and honored guests The community guests of allLakewood ages are invited to joinand thehonored hcvutu hmhcrn of all of ages invited tofrom joinaround the hcvutu vru, ourare generation thehmhcrn world, vru, crv of our generation from around the world, irvt hshnk, hbez, vchah hatr and ohkkuf hatr irvtinspirational crv hshnk, ,u,ca hbez, vchah for dbug,hatr vru,and hrcsohkkuf and hatr for vagn inspirational ,u,ca by dbug,,urhnz vru, in hrcs and cr accompanied cr vagn accompanied by ,urhnz in neighborhoods throughout Lakewood. neighborhoods throughout Lakewood. Please note: We will attempt to accommodate Please note:guests We will attempt to accommodate out-of-town who want to participate in the ,ca out-of-town guests who want to participateplease in the ,ca program. If you need accommodations, call program. If youxneed please call 732-367-1060 4275accommodations, or email Eventinfo@bmg.edu. 732-367-1060 x 4275 or email Eventinfo@bmg.edu.

Time: Time:

Location: Location:

12:45 pm: 12:45 pm: 1:00 - 2:45 pm: 1:00 - 2:45 pm: 2:45 - 3:30 pm: 2:45 - 3:30 pm:

,usku, ,arp ,ca htmun ,usku, ,arp ,ca htmun

Program: Program: Location: Location:

irvt crv hshnk, hbez ,up,,avc vrfzt irvt crv hshnk, hbezhatr ,up,,avc ohkkuf hatr • vchah • ktrah vrfzt hkusd ohkkuf hatr • vchah hatr • ktrah hkusd vchahv hshnk, • vrucj hatr • ohrunst vchahv • vrucj• vchahv hatr • ohrunst ktrahhshnk, hpkt ,uccru hrduc ktrah hpkt ,uccru • vchahv hrduc

vfkn vukn and x”av ouhx vfkn vukn and x”av ouhx Israel Henry Beren Dining Hall Israel Henry Beren Dining Hall 617 Sixth Street 617 Sixth Street 8:30 to 11:00 pm 8:30 to 11:00 pm

The entire Lakewood okug and honored guests Theinvited entire Lakewood okuginand honored guests are to participate a special x”av ouhx, are invited to participate a special k”eumz irvt crv ,nab hukhgkin and a vfkn x”av vukn ouhx, k”eumzuplifting irvt crveuzhj ,nab hukhgk vfkn vuknhbez with hrcs by and irvt acrv hshnk, with uplifting euzhj hrcs by irvt crv hshnk, hbez from the United States and ktrah .rt along from ,urhnz, the United ktrah .rt along with vbhdb States and crand vagn. with ,urhnz, vbhdb and cr vagn.

3:30 - 4:00 pm: 3:30 - 4:00 pm:

Seventh St., Corner of Private Way Seventh St., Corner of Private Way Site of former Bais Eliyahu Site of former Bais Eliyahu vjbn vjbn 50th Yartzeit vrfzt Program 50thSpecial YartzeitGuest vrfzt Speakers Program with with Special Guest Speakers ,uh,ut ,ch,f ;ux for vru, rpx ,uh,ut irvt ,ch,f ;ux,nab for vru, rpx k”eumz crv hukhgk k”eumz irvt crv ,nab hukhgk Groundbreaking for Groundbreaking for New arsn ,hc Building New arsn ,hc Building vru, rpx ,xbfv procession vru, rpx ,xbfvby procession accompanied ,urhnz and ohsuehr accompanied by ,urhnz and ohsuehr

Please allow the following driving times to Lakewood on Sunday morning: Please allow following driving times to Lakewood on Sunday morning: Boro Park or the Flatbush: .................................... 1.5 to 2 hours Boro Park or Flatbush: .................................... 1.5toto2.5 2 hours Monsey, Lawrence, Manhattan: .................... 2 hours Monsey, information Lawrence, Manhattan: .................... 2 to 2.5 hours Detailed on directions, travel, and parking will be forthcoming. Detailed information on directions, travel, and parking will be forthcoming.

Live the Legacy – Join Us! Live the Legacy – Join Us!

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

‫בית‬ ‫מדרש‬ ‫גבוה‬ ‫בית‬ ‫מדרש‬ ‫גבוה‬

50 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

‫זה הבנין‬

Remembering Bais Eliyahu “I learned in Bais Eliyahu from the day it opened. I witnessed its growth, hasmada, and its great Kol Torah. There is no doubt in my mind that the entire world stands on the Limud HaTorah learned in this bais medrash.” - Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen ‫שליט”א‬, Rav of Khal Ateres Yeshaya in Lakewood and noted Posek and Mechaber.

n the mid-1980’s, as talmidim flocked to Beth Medrash Govoha in record numbers, the Yeshiva ran out of space. The main bais medrash, completed in 1964, was packed, with talmidim filling every niche and corridor. As a stopgap solution, the Yeshiva bought 16 modular trailers, outfitting them into one large bais medrash. This rapidly became the bais medrash of choice for those who had completed the Yeshivishe Mesechta and were delving into the varied sugyos and miktzoas of Shas and Poskim. The atmosphere in the new bais medrash quickly grew charged with the vitality of their intensive Torah Right: R’ Eliyohu Klein ‫ ע”ה‬with

nephew, George Klein

Bottom: R’ Aharon and Va’ad

Hatzoloh activist, Stephen Klein ‫ע”ה‬

study. This bais medrash was dedicated for R’ Eliyahu Pinchas (Elias) Klein ‫ע”ה‬, the Yeshiva’s devoted Vice President. Like his brothers Martin and Stephen Klein ‫ע”ה‬, Mr. Klein worked yad b’yad with both Moreinu HaRav Aharon and Moreinu HaRav Shneur Kotler, while his wife, Mrs. Alice Klein ‫ע”ה‬, served as president of the Irgun HaNashim. The dedication was an acknowledgement of the Yeshiva’s kesher with them and the related Feigenbaum families, who stood by the Yeshiva since Rav Aharon’s days. It was said that to observe the learning of Bais Eliyahu’s chaburos was to recall the era of the great Baalei Tosfos who brought together the vast scope of Shas in one united merkaz. To walk the length of the bais medrash was to tour the major sugyos of Shas and most intricate sections of Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, Yoreh De’ah, v’chulu - all expounded in

one dynamic setting by advanced talmidei chachomim who were the pride and joy of Klal Yisroel. Bais Eliyahu talmidim went on to become leading poskim and dayanim, rabbonim and mechanchim, steeped in the Yeshiva’s great mesorah of serving the Klal. Originally a temporary structure, wear and tear mandated the replacement of the Bais Eliyahu trailers with a more permanent facility, and replacement plans were made accordingly. In 2010, the Yeshiva’s advanced chaburos moved to Bais Aron on Tenth Street, which together with Bais Shalom, became their new home. Talmidim learning the Yeshivishe Mesechta were relocated from Bais Shalom, moving ultimately to the Carey Street Bais Medrash on the Kleinman Family Campus. It was a bittersweet moment indeed as the walls of the old trailers splintered in the talons of the wrecking claw, but as a member of the hanhala warmly observed, “The incalculable amount of Torah learned in Bais Eliyahu will be the foundation for the new beautiful bais medrash that will rise in its place and serve the Bnei HaYeshiva for many years to come.”

51 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

‫בורא עולם בקנין השלם‬

Seating over 1,000, the new facility will feature an airy contemporary design with extensive, finely-crafted millwork and a majestic Mizrach wall of convex marble. Bookcases wrapping the perimeter will hold upwards of 8,000 seforim.

As the ‫ עולם התורה‬marks the 50th

Yartzeit of our great Torah founder and builder, Moreinu HaRav Aharon Kotler ‫זצוק”ל‬, we are privileged to break ground for a new Merkaz HaTorah at Beth Medrash Govoha:

‫ בית יצחק‬Bais Yitzchok –

‫לע”נ ר’ יצחק בן ר’ מאיר לוין ע”ה‬

‫ בנין הערצקא‬Binyan Herzka –

‫לע”נ ר’ יעקב יצחק ורעיתו מרת אסתר ראשע הערצקא ע”ה‬

A glass-enclosed Library Pavilion will house two major libraries - a Daily Reference and Lending Library accessible to talmidim learning in the building, plus a complete Research Library and Yekar u’Metzios Otsar (rare books collection) for the benefit of talmidei chachomim from all over the world. The new building will also contain multiple chaburah rooms, offices, and other amenities for the needs of talmidim.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Rav Aharon Kotler: The Fire of Torah by Rabbi Yechiel Spero

At a yom hazikaron for Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Shmuel Dovid Warshavshik, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yaakov Yosef, told a story that happened when he was a young student in Baranovich. Rav Aharon came to the yeshivah, accompanied by some of the people of his town, to raise money for his yeshivah in Kletzk. One morning after Shacharis, the Mashgiach, Rav Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky, came over to Shmuel Dovid and asked him, in the name of the Rosh Yeshivah, Rav Elchanan Wasserman, to go with some bachurim to the hotel where Rav Aharon was staying, and to request that he come to the yeshivah to deliver a shiur. The bachurim arrived at Rav Aharon’s room at 8:40 in the morning. The minute they entered, he started to speak to them in learning. Someone brought him a piping hot tea, which sat there while he continued to speak in learning. As time passed, the tea continually turned cold, and the cup was refilled again and again – and the mesmerized boys continued to speak in learning with the Rosh Yeshivah. Rav Aharon’s fiery passion for Torah so consumed them, that although it was already 5:00 p.m., the bachurim hardly realized that they had not even eaten a morsel of food yet. Then they accompanied the Rosh Yeshivah to their yeshivah to daven Minchah. Immediately after davening, the storm began to brew again. But by now, Rav Aharon was not speaking just to the small group that had escorted him to the yeshivah, but a large group of bachurim were swept up in the fire of Torah study. The man who had escorted him to the city in the first place dared to interject and remind Rav Aharon that the purpose of his visit to Baranovich was to raise money – but his words fell on deaf ears. Another fellow tried to offer Rav Aharon something to eat – but he, too, was completely ignored. Rav Aharon’s neshamah was ablaze with the eish haTorah; he could think of nothing else. The animated conversation continued until 9:30 p.m., when they stopped to daven Maariv. Only then did the Rosh Yeshivah walk up to the front of the beis midrash and deliver a

Top: Crowd of talmidim in

Kletzk listen to Rav Aharon’s shiur Middle: Rav Aharon and Rav Hutner ‫זצ”ל‬ Bottom: In forest clearing, with talmidim and porters

shiur. The shiur lasted two and a half hours, after which the young men approached Rav Aharon to discuss the shiur and gain added clarity from the brilliant and intricate pilpul. As they spoke, they escorted Rav Aharon back to his hotel. Even when it was well into the wee hours of the morning, the heated conversation did not abate. Like a lion, Rav Aharon fended off all attacks and protected the words he held to be so sacred. By the time they had finished the discussion, it was 4:45 a.m. The boys had spoken in learning with him for nearly 20 hours straight! In Rav Shmuel Dovid’s epic words, “I was sick for a week, but inspired for a lifetime!” For Rav Aharon, it was never merely learning. Rather, every time he spoke words of Torah, it was as if he was standing at Har Sinai. The thrill, passion, and awe of Sinai reverberated through every part of his being – as his excitement mimicked the kolos u’verakim of maamad Har Sinai, and his kol Torah expressed a clear continuance and connection to the kol shofar of Kabbalas haTorah. Thus, attaching one’s self to Rav Aharon was linking oneself to Sinai. Rav Yitzchak Hutner, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, delivered a memorable hesped, in which he admitted that when he spoke to Rav Aharon, he tried to get him to utter the word “Torah” as much as possible; the depth of emotion that Rav Hutner sensed when Rav Aharon said the word was enough to thrill and inspire him. In fact, his admiration for the Rosh Yeshivah was so great that after Rav Aharon passed away, Rav Hutner visited Lederer’s Hotel, where Rav Aharon would sometimes stay, and asked to be taken to the spot where the Rosh Yeshivah used to sit and learn, and he sat down and learned in that very same place. In a similar vein, Rav Eliyahu Moshe Shisgal, the sonin-law of Rav Moshe Feinstein, asked to be shown the

Talmidim of Kletzk

clearing in the woods where Rav Aharon would learn. He stood there in awe and exclaimed, “Admas kodesh hu – It is holy ground” (Shemos 3:5). In the introduction to Mishnas Rav Aharon on Hilchos Shecheinim, Rav Shneur writes a riveting thought: “We tremble as we recall how, in the middle of hakafos on Simchas Torah, Rav Aharon spoke about limud and kvod haTorah. It says in Devarim (33:2), that the Al-mighty gave us eish Das – the fiery Torah. With tears in his eyes, Rav Aharon proclaimed, ‘If not for the Das given with the essence of Torah, we would never have been able to endure the fire.’” Anchored and protected by the Law, we are able to endure. Rav Shneur continues, “In the Yerushalmi, Maseches Chagigah, it is brought down that as they sat and learned the words of Torah, a fire came down from Heaven and surrounded them… “Whoever merited to see Rav Aharon learning Torah sensed the fire that was preserved within him and in his Torah learning. And because of this fire, his entire personality was refined. His words were spoken with fire; it mattered not if they were meant to arouse others to learn Torah, or to instill in them greater yiras Shamayim. Whether he was standing on guard to protect the preservation of the heritage of Torah in all of its purity, or whether he was crying out against the destruction or deviation of Torah – all of his words stemmed from the sparks of the fire of Matan Torah, which perpetually burned inside of him.” Rav Shneur, in his poetic style, concludes with a poignant image. “The fire of Torah in his bones, and in his essence, kindled a flame inside the hearts of his generation, engulfed the horizon, and lit up the world of Torah Jewry in galus and Eretz Yisrael – and the light keeps intensifying.” And 50 years later, the light of his Torah continues to burn in our hearts.

ready accepted other jobs, and not a single reporter traveling on his campaign train thought that he would win. When the polls closed on the East Coast, the “early returns” showed a

clear lead for Truman. However, radio commentators predicted that Dewey would come from behind with the “late returns” coming from the West Coast. NBC’s H.V. Kaltenborn announced at midnight that there was no way for Truman to win, even though he was leading in the popular vote. Newspapers were typically run by right-winged Republicans and were always showing their support for Dewey. Even before any results were official, the Chicago Daily Tribune printed their

Tuesday late edition with the headline of “DEWY DEFEATS TRUMAN.” They were so confident that the cat was in the bag even though the paper would come out the next morning after all the results had been tallied. The key to Truman’s surprising victory was Ohio, Illinois and California. Tallying a total of 78 electoral votes, Truman won them by less than 1% of the vote in each state. Had Dewey won those states, then he would have won the election even though he lost the popular vote. Strom Thurmond carried four states for a total of 39 electoral votes and if Dewey had even won one of the previously mentioned states, then the Dixiecrats would have succeeded in forcing the vote to go to the House of Representatives. In the end, Truman received 303 votes (a candidate needs 270 otherwise the vote goes to Congress, which has never happened), and Dewey got 189. In both the House of Representatives and Senate, an expected majority for the Republicans turned into a majority for the Democrats. The Tribune was not the only paper chagrined for making such a crazy mistake. The Journal of Commerce had this to say in their November 3 edition:

“Dewey Victory Seen as Mandate to Open New Era of Government-Business Harmony, Public Confidence.” Many copies were recalled and weren’t delivered but still many made their way to some customers. Truman awoke at 4am on the morning of November 3 and was told of his certain victory and about the newspaper. For the second edition of the Tribune, the headline was changed to “DEMOCRATS MAKE SWEEP OF STATE OFFICES.” Two days later, an iconic photo of Truman was taken while he was on a train traveling to Washington. Someone handed him a copy of the Tribune and a photographer snapped a photo of him smiling while holding up the paper. Years later, the editors of the Chicago Tribune were able to laugh at their historical mistake. For the 25th anniversary of the election, they planned to give Truman an plaque immortalizing the incident but Truman died before the gift could be presented. Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions.for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@ gmail.com.

53 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

candidate taking electoral votes away from one of the leaders. The Democratic Party had split ideologies and the State Right’s or Southern Democrats was built upon continuing segregation in the south. Their popular name was the Dixiecrats, and the leader and presidential nominee was South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond. There was even a third Democratic Party called the Progressives and their presidential candidate was Henry Wallace from Iowa. With this three-way-split on the Democratic ticket, most thought none of the candidates would draw enough support to defeat a united Republican Party with a strong candidate. Most people disregarded the latest Gallup poll on Election Day which showed a 17 point lead for Dewey dwindle to just 5 points right before the election. Truman had done some serious campaigning but had it been enough? Most Americans thought “no way” but elections aren’t won through pre-election polls (or exit polls in John Kerry’s case). Election Day was November 2, 1948 and as Truman made his way to his hometown of Independence, Missouri to await the election returns, some among his inner circle had al-

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Notable

Quotes

Compiled by Nate Davis

“Say What?” “I took a hot shower this morning, we have yahrtzeit candles in the room, I have my guitar and my iPod is fully charged.” - a Yeshiva bochur describing his Hurricane Sandy preparations on Monday

“CNN is reporting Chris Christie has already eaten his emergency food supply and is now dipping batteries in marinara sauce.” - a tweet sent out on Monday night

“The hurricane has interrupted the presidential campaign. Both presidential candidates are taking measures to prepare for Hurricane Sandy. President Obama is staying in Washington to coordinate relief efforts. And Mitt Romney is moving his smaller homes into his larger home.”- Conan O’Brien “This storm could mean the biggest power outage since the Yankees in the playoffs.” - David Letterman

“We’re coming down to the 11th hour. We’re facing a violent storm. It’s nothing compared to the storm we’ll face if you don’t make the right decision in this election.” - Bill Clinton at a campaign rally for Obama

“What I pointed out to them is we would love to have him, but we have lots of things to do. I’m not trying to diss him. But I know he had planned a trip to New Jersey, and I said that is fine. It represents the whole region...He has got a lot of things to do, and I was flattered that he

offered to come.” - Mayor Michael Bloomberg on turning down President Obama’s offer to visit New York City to survey Hurricane Sandy damage “I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics, and I could care less about any of that stuff. I have a job to do. I’ve got 2.4 million people out of power. I’ve got devastation on the shore. I’ve got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I [care less] about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.” - Governor Chris Christie

“Doctors say it’s the best time to get the flu shot. This year there is the seal flu. It comes from seals to humans. If you’re inflected with the seal flu, you get the chills and an uncontrollable desire to balance balls on your nose.” - Craig Ferguson

“I want to tell you, it’s good to be in a state that’s going to be represented by Tim Kaine. What a guy! There is a decent honorable man. That man has more integrity in his little finger than most people have in their whole body. I’m a big Tom Kaine fan, a big Tom Kaine fan.” - Joe Biden campaigning in Virginia for Democrat Senate candidate Tim Kaine

“President Obama flew to a rally in Las Vegas last night. However, he did not visit any of the casinos. You know why? When you’re $16 trillion in debt, they don’t let you in.” - Jay Leno

“I’m a loyal Democrat, a passionate Democrat. He’s not as good as he thinks he is. He’s a lefty, and he goes the same way every time.” - NBA Commissioner David Stern, talking about President Obama’s basketball skills

“I will shave off my mustache of 40 years if we lose any of those three states.” - President Obama’s senior campaign adviser David Axelrod on MSNBC guaranteeing that Obama will not lose traditionally blue states which polls show are in a dead-heat

“While he was at a diner this week in Ohio, a man told Joe Biden that he’s a good guy but a bad vice president. Which gets even worse when you hear that was the only thing President Obama said the entire lunch.” - Jimmy Fallon

“Your honor, I respect your office of president. But if this attack on American citizens on American soil happened two thousand miles away from Washington D.C, say in Los Angeles or Seattle, would you have waited seven hours before you sent the first airplane? Remember this, Mr. President, my son and the others die heroes. And it’s better to die the death of a hero than it is to live the life of a coward.” - Charles Woods, the father of murdered Benghazi SEAL Tyrone Woods on Geraldo At Large, Fox News

“We’ve seen in the past situations where power is not restored, in our own region

Quotes

Compiled by Nate Davis

“Say What?” here, for days, for more than a week – for ten days. What happens if we get to Election Day and they don’t have power? Which you need for many of these election booths, for the voting booths, which you need for people to get to the polls. Is there any precedent for doing something such as postponing a national election?” - MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell

Ted Turner on CNN with Pierce Morgan discussing the rise of U.S. soldier suicides overseas: MORGAN: You made the point to me in the break there, more American servicemen have – TURNER: — are dying now from suicide over there than are dying in combat. MORGAN: That’s shocking, isn’t it? TURNER: Well, what – no, I think it’s – I think it’s good, because it’s so clear that we’re programmed and we’re born to love and help each other, not to kill each other, to destroy each other. That’s an aberration. That’s left over from hundreds of years ago. It’s time for to us start acting enlightened.

MSNBC host Chris Matthews and Professor Oppenheimer discussing people who are skeptical about man-made global warming: CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, Professor [Michael] Oppenheimer, back in the 60s, calls such people pigs. Pigs. No, really. They don’t care about the planet, they don’t care about the destruction of war. All they want is what they got, their stuff, and they want more of it. Is that what we’re facing here, just greed? I’m not talking about the guy at the coal mine,

that’s hard work. I’m talking about people who won’t listen to you, won’t listen to science because they want more stuff. OPPENHEIMER: Listen, Chris, I’m not into name calling here. I think – MATTHEWS: Well I am. President Obama on the Jay Leno Show: JAY LENO: What’s this thing with Trump and you? It’s like me and Letterman. I don’t get it. OBAMA: This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya.

“It is the mainstream media, who spent hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of articles on the supposed outing of a CIA agent in the Bush administration, in which she was safely in Washington and never in danger, has an epidemic of incuriosity about the murder of an ambassador.” - Charles Krauthammer

“Well, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is back...It’s President Obama’s new policy for questions about Libya. Don’t ask, don’t tell.” - Jay Leno

From a robo-call in swing states, paid for by the Emergency Committee for Israel: MODERATOR: Welcome to the first debate between Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. President, we’ll start with you. OBAMA: I’ve made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is not interfering with Iran’s affairs. MODERATOR: Mr. President, thank you. Mr. Prime Minister, your response. NETANYAHU: The Jewish state will not allow those who seek our destruction to possess the means to achieve that goal. A nuclear-armed Iran must be stopped. MODERATOR: Mr. President, your rebuttal. OBAMA: Obviously there are some differences between us. ECI: Friends, Americans and Israel cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama. This call was paid for by the Emergency Committee for Israel because your vote will make the difference in this election.

“They are standing in the middle of the road, stopping cars and yelling at voters.” - complaint by a caller to 911 about Gailey Hayes, who is running for Volusia County council in Volusia, Florida, and his mother Donna Hayes harassing potential voters

“Experts say the entire 2012 election could come down to just eight states. The states are: confusion, dismay, depression, apathy, shock, disbelief, despair, and anxiety. Those are the eight states.” - Jay Leno

“A new poll found that 59 percent of Americans would rather eat a burger with President Obama while only 41 percent would eat one with Mitt Romney. While most Americans don’t care who they’re with, as long as they get that burger.” - Jimmy Fallon “A man in Indiana got a tattoo of Mitt Romney’s campaign logo on his face. They describe the man as a staunch Republican

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Notable

56 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Election 2012

Susan Schwamm



ne month ago the only similarity between NASCAR racing and this election would have been that Barack Obama was enjoying a nice long victory lap. He led in every significant national poll and was projected to all but sweep the key swing states. The questions was not whether he would win, but by how large of a margin. Now, with less than one week to Election Day, this race is looking like an actual NASCAR race headed for a dramatic finish. No storm will stop this race. Any minor gaffe or misstep can lead to a crash and burn collision and it seems like each candidate is valiantly trying to avoid such a disaster. The difference between victory and defeat will be by a hair’s breadth. And the nation watches to see who will cross the finish line first.

Game Changer In the lead up to the debates, Mitt Romney’s political obituary was being pre-humously written. The narrative was simple: He is a decent guy who simply doesn’t have the political skill to take on the Obama machine. But that all changed in ninety minutes, when close to 70 million voters watched Mitt Romney demolish President Obama in the first presidential debate. In an instant, Americans started seeing Romney as someone with fresh ideas. He also came across as presidential, whereas President Obama seemed to be exposed as incapable of discussing the issues without an ever-present teleprompter. The contrast was clear. A CNN

snap poll showed that 68% of viewers believed that Romney won the debate. Perhaps the only person to whom that wasn’t clear was President Obama, who actually thought he won the debate in the moments after coming off the stage. His aides, who had immediately gave up on even trying to spin Obama’s performance as a victory, quickly informed him that he lost the debate. Although the conventional belief before the debates was that “debates don’t matter,” the immediate shift in momentum towards Romney turned that presumption on its head. Whereas a Pew Research Center survey showed Obama with an 8 point advantage over Romney in mid-September, a survey taken two days after the first debate showed a total reversal, with Romney having a 4 point advantage over Obama. Romney also wiped out Obama’s 18 point advantage with women voters. Gallup’s seven-day tracking poll showed Obama leading Romney 50% to 45% among registered voters in the three days leading up to the first debate; after the debate they were deadlocked at 47% apiece. The question was: would Romney’s post-debate bounce last. There were two more debates to come and the Obama campaign made it very clear that President Obama’s lackadaisical first debate performance was an aberration. “The American people should expect to see a much more energized President Obama making a passionate case for why he is a

better choice for the middle class,” said Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki. Before the first debate President Obama called the practice sessions “a drag,” and at one point even cut debate prep short to visit the Hoover Dam. He took a different approach before the second debate and spent three days holed up at a Virginia resort with his advisors and debate sparring partner John Kerry, who played the role of Mitt Romney in debate prep. And as promised, the second debate showcased a much feistier President Obama, in a 90 minute all-out political brawl. In the days before the debate, pundits wondered how the candidates would juggle their duel goals of “taking each other to the mat” while seeming to be compassionate and tuned into the 80 undecided voters who were going to be asking the questions in this town hall setting debate. The answer was simple: the candidates both treated the participants with the bare minimum standard of political courtesy (such as repeating the questioner’s name several times while responding to their questions and complimenting them on the thoughtfulness of their questions), but it was clear that they saw the questioners as the props which they were. And it was clear that both contenders on stage had one focus in mind: to beat the political brains out of their opponent. After getting some help from the debate moderator Candy Crowley— who intervened on President Obama’s

behalf while Romney was questioning his Benghazi response—the instant polls showed that Barack Obama bested Mitt Romney, but by a small margin. According to an instant CBS News polls, 37% thought that Obama won the debate, while 30% thought that Romney won the debate. However, Obama’s modest victory in the second debate proved to come with no bounce for the President. “It’s hard to make the case that the polls have moved much toward Mr. Obama since Tuesday night’s debate in New York,” noted New York Times’ Nate Silver, who is a respected political number cruncher in liberal media circles. Heading into the third debate, Obama still had ground to make up, while Romney’s task was to not erase the gains he made in the first debate. The topic of the debate was foreign policy, which presented its advantages and challenges for each candidate. For Obama he would be able to tout the killing of bin Laden. As the President, he would also have the advantage of looking like a leader, something voters heavily consider when weighing who they prefer when it comes to foreign policy. But Obama would also have to answer questions about the Benghazi debacle and the general tumultuous state of affairs in the Middle East. Romney’s challenge would be to look presidential, especially in light of the fact that he has no foreign policy experience. In the end, both candidates generally played it safe, although President Obama had a hard time concealing his contempt

With only four days to go, anyone who thinks they can predict the outcome of the election is projecting their hopes rather than reflecting reality.

for Romney. The post-debate consensus was that the debate was a draw. The sentiment after the debate can be summed up by a headline in the Dallas Morning News: Your Guy Won, Unless You Don’t Have a Guy Yet. Romney Takes the Lead in National Polls With the debates in the rearview mirror and headed into the final stretch of the campaign, the wind seemed to be in Romney’s sails. And there is no doubt that the wind came from his debate performances. According to pollster Scott Rasmussen, 49% of respondents said that overall Romney won the debates, while 40% said that Obama won. Since the debates, Romney has had the lead in every significant national poll. Over the past two weeks, his lead according to the respected Gallup poll has fluctuated between 4 and 7 points. This is a significant indicator that he is likely to win. After all, the candidate that has won the popular vote has ultimately won the election, except for in four instances, the last one being Bush v. Gore in 2000. Electoral College Still Favors Obama Despite Romney’s lead in national polls, the road to the necessary 270 electoral votes seems to have more obstacles for Romney than Obama. According to Real Clear Politics, which aggregates all relevant polls and formulates an average, Obama has 201 electoral votes locked up and Romney has 191. That leaves 146 electoral votes remaining. Those are the votes corresponding to the “swing states.” However, included in the “swing states” is Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes), Wis-

consin (10 electoral votes), and Michigan (16 electoral votes). None of these states have voted Republican since 1988. Out of these three states, the race in Wisconsin appears to be the most competitive, with Obama leading by 2.3%. If you were to assume that these states will vote the way they have for the past 24 years, that gives Obama a total of 247 electoral votes. That would leave 100 electoral votes remaining; Mitt Romney would have to get 79 of those votes in order to win the presidency. He is up in Florida (29 electoral votes), Virginia (13 electoral votes), and North Carolina (15 electoral votes). That gives him a total of 57 electoral votes. Once Romney has those electoral votes (if he doesn’t get them, election eve will be over rather early), he would need 22 out of the remaining 43 votes. The remaining states include Ohio (18 electoral votes), Colorado (9 electoral votes), Iowa (6 electoral votes), Nevada (6 electoral votes) and New Hampshire (4 electoral votes). In order to get to 270 electoral votes, Romney would have to win every one of the remaining states except Ohio or would have to win Ohio and any other of the remaining states. And therefore the common refrain: “As goes Ohio, so goes the nation.” But it is not just in this election that Ohio will play a decisive role, no Republican has ever won the White House without taking Ohio. State of the Race in Ohio According to an aggregate of most polling data, Obama has consistently been ahead in Ohio. This consistent lead is generally attributed to the auto bailout and lower unemployment in Ohio than

in the rest of the nation. Just one month ago, Obama led by 5.5 points there. But the Romney surge has now cut that lead to 2.1 points. Despite Romney’s gains, the fact that he never led the aggregate polls in Ohio indicates that Ohio will likely be an uphill battle. However, despite the Ohio polls, an argument can be made that Romney is in a better position in Ohio than the poll picture shows. According to Josh Jordan of National Review, if Romney wins the popular vote, it is unlikely that he would lose Ohio. He points out that in five of the last six elections, the GOP candidate outperformed his margin of the national vote by an average of 3.1 percentage points in Ohio. Additionally, Jordan points out, the Ohio polls are presuming a Democrats party-ID advantage of 6.3 points (therefore they poll 6.3% more Democrats than Republicans). However, in 2008—when Democrat enthusiasm was at an historical high—Democrats only had a 5 point actual turnout advantage over Republicans. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that Democrat turnout would outpace or even rival the amount of Democrats who turned out in 2008. As such, the Ohio polls may be skewed and in fact, Romney may have a slight lead in Ohio. When considering how Ohio will vote, it should also be noted that in 2010, Republicans defeated Democrats in all major races for statewide office in Ohio, including the governor’s race and the senate race. Early Voting Indications After all the campaigning and political propaganda, it comes down to one thing: turnout. In a tight race, the campaign that has the better ground game has an immense advantage. 32 states allow for early voting and that

has become a crucial part of the elections ground game. According to Gallup polling, Romney currently leads Obama 52% to 45% among voters who say they have already cast their ballots. This is not indicative that Romney will win because most voters still vote on Election Day, but it does indicate that the Romney campaign has not been severely outmatched when it comes to executing their ground game by the Obama campaign, which is highly proficient in their ground game. The Sandy Effect Hurricane Sandy’s effect on the elections will be debated for years, regardless of the outcome. On the one hand, it provided President Obama with an opportunity to act presidential, which is something he desperately needed to do after the debates eroded his presidential image. On the other hand, Obama is a rock star on the campaign trail, and he lost close to four days of crucial campaigning due to the storm. This may negatively affect his “get out the vote” push. Final Countdown With only four days to go, anyone who thinks they can predict the outcome of the election is projecting their hopes rather than reflecting reality. From “Dewey Defeats Truman” to “Bush v. Gore” we are reminded time and time again how close elections can be. On Tuesday night, we will see whether “Obama v. Romney” will become part of the political lexicon for razor-thin elections or whether, as often happens, the polls were wrong.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Election 2012

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Election 2012

Nate Davis

If Obama Wins I Won’t Move To Canada

o, it’s not that Canada is so bad, it’s just that I will not engage in the type of hysterics that liberals engaged in before George W. Bush’s reelection in 2004, when they all declared that they will leave America if Bush was reelected. I distinctly remember watching as filmmaker Michael Moore declared that he is “out of here” and would immediately go to Canada. (Perhaps he went and discovered that there’s an extra charge for sauerkraut on your hot dogs in Canada, but in any case, he unfortunately did not follow through with his promise.) I will not engage in that type of hyperbole: if Obama wins I will not leave America, even though a second Obama term will be detrimental to our economy and to Israel. Let’s start with the economy; the most pressing issue facing our economy is our national debt. Yes, unemployment is chronically high, but high unemployment doesn’t destroy countries, debt does. The national debt is currently $16 trillion and is projected to be $20 trillion at the end of Obama’s second term if he is reelected. Right now, the debt per citizen is $51,548. But that is not the number to worry about– the real number is the debt per taxpayer, which is $141,521. Think of it like this: if you can’t afford to buy a Ferrari, then you can’t afford your share of the federal debt. And Obama has absolutely no plan to deal with this. During his first term he formed the Simpson Bowles Commission to come up with a plan on how to handle the debt crisis. Simpson Bowles did their task and provided the President with a comprehensive plan to deal with the debt. But he did not implement even one of their suggestions. Obama was forced to acknowledge the debt problem over the past several months and has promised to work on it in his second term. However, when campaigning in 2008, he promised to cut the deficit in half; instead he almost doubled it. So what will change in his second term? Now, let’s say Obama does attempt to tackle debt in his second term, how will he do it? Will he cut wasteful spending? Well, he didn’t cut spending during his first term, in fact he increased it. According to an analysis by

the Washington Post (hardly a rightwing media outlet), Obama’s spending “has hit highs not seen since the end of World War II.” Will he do what Bill Clinton did and try to get people off of welfare and back into the workforce? Well, actually during his first term not only did spend-

ing on welfare increase 31% (according to a Congressional Research Service study), with the welfare rolls swelling from 31.9 million people when he took office to 46.4 million people today, but he also gutted the very mechanism which was in place to help people get off welfare. In 1996, Bill Clinton implemented welfare reform. The heart of the reform was the “work requirement,” which required able-bodied adults on welfare to either work or try and find a job. The result was that the welfare rolls decreased by 50%. In a bizarre shift in policy three months ago, the Obama administration all but eradicated the work requirement. This will lead to even more people jumping on the welfare wagon in the future. And who pays the bill for those additional welfare recipients? Me and you. So if you can’t afford chrome wheels on that Ferrari that you can’t afford, you certainly can’t handle bankrolling additional welfare recipients. Obama has also not dealt with chronically high unemployment. Shortly after taking office, he spent nearly $1 trillion on his stimulus package and then ran off to craft his signature debacle, Obamacare, for the next two years. Turns out the stimulus package—which Obama claimed would reignite the economy by funding “shovel-ready” jobs—was a total bust and as Obama has conced-

ed “shovel-ready was not as … uh ... shovel-ready as we expected.” Now, there certainly is a learning curve to the presidency, but not an...uh $1 trillion dollar learning curve. It seems like since the stimulus failure, the extent of Obama’s plan for job growth was to talk about hiring more teachers and building more bridges. (Perhaps to save money the teachers should moonlight as toll collectors at all the new bridges Obama plans on building.) He would have been well advised to actually meet with his jobs council, which he failed to do for six months, until it became a campaign issue. Granted, last month the unemployment rate—“magically”— fell to 7.8%. But before that, it remained above 8 percent for 43 straight months. And that number is the Labor Department’s U-3 rate, which only takes into account people who are looking for employment but can’t find it. A purer economic indicator is the Labor Department’s U-6 rate which calculates the percentage of adult Americans who are unemployed, underemployed, too discouraged to look for work, or “marginally attached” to the labor force. The U-6 rate is 14.7 percent. Aside for chronically high unemployment, since President Obama took office, median income has decreased $4,000 and gasoline prices have increased from $1.84 per gallon when

Obama took office to close to $4 per gallon today. So forget about putting gas in your Ferrari. But out of all of Obama’s economic policies, the one that will pay perpetually negative dividends more than any other is Obamacare. As Supreme Court

Justice Anthony Kennedy stated during the Supreme Court hearings on the issue, “The law [Obamacare] changes the relationship of the federal government to the individual in a very fundamental way.” It also will affect the wallet in a fundamental way. While promoting Obamacare, the President said, “Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase...not any of your taxes.” That is absolutely incorrect. According to the Congressional Budget Office, millions of families will see their taxes go up, including families who earn between $98,400 and $123,000 per year. Original White House estimates said the gross cost of the healthcare act would be $940 billion over a decade, but those figures have since been raised by the Congressional Budget Office to $1.5 trillion. President Obama also “misspoke” when he constantly repeated during the healthcare debate that “If you are happy with your coverage you can keep it.” That may be true if you don’t get your healthcare through your employer, but if you do get your healthcare through your employer, you will be thrown of that plan as soon as the key provisions kick in 2014. Here’s why: businesses will face a $2,000-per-worker penalty for failing to offer coverage. But, as it is, it costs your employer more than $2,000 to pay for your coverage. So if your employer is smart they will opt to pay the $2,000 penalty rather than pay for your coverage. Which begs the question: what other promises made to pass Obamacare are not true? Vote for Obama and you will find out. Turning to Israel: Everyone knows about President Obama’s disdain for Prime Minister Netanyahu and how he seems to be more aligned with people who are sympathetic to the Palestinian’s plight, such as his close friend Rashid Kahlidi and William Aires, noted Palestinian activists. Throughout the course of the campaign, President Obama has had to fend off questions about his relationship with Israel. This probably will not make him more pro-Israel in his second term, when he no longer needs to care about voter perception. If anything, it will be an opportunity for retribution

against Prime Minister Netanyahu, who many on the left believe is trying to influence pro-Israeli voters to vote against the President. But the real concern for Israel if Obama is reelected is what will happen to Israel’s nuclear weapons program. Perhaps the most important sentence uttered by President Obama was shortly after he was sworn in, when he spoke to tens of thousands in Prague’s central square and said: “Today, I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.” It may sound like a noble goal to get rid of nuclear weapons, but the harsh reality is that nuclear weapons serve a purpose:

deterrence. Yes, nuclear weapons in the wrong hands can be catastrophic, but you will never rid the world of those weapons. The weapons that Obama will rid the world of are the ones which are in the right hands. And I believe he will start with Israel. Why will he start with Israel? Because that is the only way for him to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Right now, despite sanctions, Iran is steamrolling ahead with their nuclear program. Everyone knows that diplomatic talks will not yield results and are only a tool being used by the Iranians to delay additional sanctions and a possible military strike.

If Iran obtains nuclear weapons under Obama’s watch, he will go down as the Neville Chamberlain of the 21st century. So he must either stop their program or take the blame of its success off of himself. My fear is that the best way for him to do this is to pin it on Israel. He will do this by creating an equivalency between Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s program. He will then broaden the discussion from being simply about Iran’s nuclear weapons and will make the focus nuclear weapons in the general Middle Eastern region at large. Israel will obviously not agree to get rid of their nuclear weapons, which are integral to their survival. Therefore,

Iran will not agree to stop their nuclear weapons program. President Obama will then be able to cast blame on Israel for Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. Yes, I have other problems with President Obama and his penchant for arrogance, but as the saying goes, “It’s the economy, stupid.” If you are Jewish, the saying is, “It’s the economy and Israel, stupid.” And on both of these topics, Obama’s first term has been a disaster and his second term would be infinitely worse. But I will not behave the way the liberals behaved in 2004. And I proudly declare: If Obama wins reelection, I won’t move to Canada...there are plenty of bridges in America to jump off of.

Nate Davis

Chris Christie: The Elephant in the Room of the 2012 Elections

ew Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who gave the keynote at the Republican Convention this summer, played host to President Obama on Wednesday as the two inspected storm damage, listened to residents and thanked first-responders together. Although the event was officially non-political and highlighted the ability of political opponents to put politics aside and come together in a time of need, with less than one week to the elections, one would have to be naive to think that there is anything on the mind of President Obama other than the election. And there is no greater political goodwill gained by a politician than “putting politics aside” and working with his political opponents. A picture says a thousand words and this photo-op with Chris Christie is better than any campaign summation President Obama could have dreamed of. Aside for touring together, Christie has also been conspicuously outspoken in his praise for Obama’s response to Hurricane Sandy. “I have to give the President great credit,” Christie said on Fox News, “he’s done, as far as I’m concerned, a great job for New Jersey.” “The President has been all over this and he deserves great credit,” Christie said on MSNBC on Tuesday. “I’ve been on the phone with him, like I said, yesterday, personally three times. He gave me his number at the White House, told me to call him if I needed

anything. And he absolutely means it.” Unlike Chris Christie, Michael Bloomberg declined to accept Obama’s invitation to tour storm damage in New York. Although Bloomberg indicated that his decision was based on the logistical difficulties which would accompany a presidential visit, as a practical politician who has purposely not endorsed either presidential candidate, Bloomberg’s decision was likely based on his attempts to avoid the type of political theater displayed in New Jersey. Many wonder why a rising star in

Republican’s chance of taking back the White House. The answer is simple and represents the first tenet of politics: Every politician looks out for themselves

first, second and third. In two years, Chris Christie will face a difficult reelection in New Jersey. Although he is a popular governor, the majority of New Jersey voters are Democrats and his likely opponent will be beloved Newark Mayor Corey Booker. No matter how popular Christie is right now, that election will be the battle for Christie’s political life.

A picture says a thousand words and this photo-op with Chris Christie is better than any campaign summation President Obama could have dreamed of.

the Republican party like Chris Christie, who officially supported Romney, would actually engage in activity which will ultimately hurt Romney’s and the

If he is not reelected, his political star will fizzle and be – if you can imagine – deflated. By hosting Obama six days before the presidential elections, Chris-

tie is highlighting his bipartisanship in such a powerful way that it will not only sway New Jerseyans to vote for him in his own reelection battle, but it may even sway the national Democrat party not to wade too deeply into the race, as they will owe Christie big time. If President Obama wins reelection, he will owe Christie such a debt of gratitude that not only will he not campaign for Corey Booker, he may covertly campaign for Christie, in the same way Christie is covertly campaigning for him now. Now, once Christie wins reelection, he will be gunning for the presidency in 2016. He will have a well-crafted image as a union busting, commonsensical fiscal conservative who says it like it is, while also having the credibility of being above partisan bickering. (He already began crafting that image when as the Keynote speaker at the Republican Convention he didn’t mention the words “Obama” or “Democrats.”) But if Romney wins this election, Christie’s 2016 plans are thwarted. So to assure his own reelection, further his image as a bipartisan politician who is above the fray, and to do his part to make sure Romney doesn’t win the election, Christie hosted Obama for the ultimate “non-political political event” on Wednesday. It’s either that or Obama promised to bring Chrispie Cream donuts.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Election 2012

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Swing State Summary The Road to 270

The path to 270 electoral votes needed to win The White House goes through the ten states in the map below. Most of these states were won by Bush in 2004 and all were won by Obama in 2008. While according to Real Clear Politics (RCP), an aggregate of all relevant polls, Obama leads or is tied in most of these states, according to Rasmussen, the most accurate pollster in 2008 - Romney leads or is tied in 7 out of 10 of them. If Rasmussen is on target again this year the outcome of this election may come as a surprise to many in the main stream media.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Election 2012

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

63 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

Be the One

here’s a question that is asked about sitting on a plane. If you were choosing a seat and there were two options – the window or the aisle—which would you pick? When I was asked, I don’t recall exactly what I said, as for me the answer will usually depend on whether I plan to sleep on the plane or not. If I want to sleep, I prefer the window seat. The answer, though, is thought to be deeper than simply personal preference. If you choose the window, I was told, it means that you don’t want to be bothered. If you need to get up, you don’t mind asking someone else to move. Aisle-pickers, on the other hand, don’t wish to trouble others, and are happy to move if someone else needs them to. I’m not sure I agree with that psychological test, but it brings up a good point. Would we prefer being bothered or bothering another? Are we willing to extend ourselves for others or do we expect them to extend themselves for us so that we don’t have to trouble ourselves? This isn’t a question I expect an answer to because we all know what the right answer SHOULD be. Instead, the question we have to answer to ourselves is what answer we would honestly give. After that, we have to question what the answer says about us and about what we need to work on. I know you think I’m going to start in on returning shopping carts and how when you don’t mind leaving them in a parking space, you’re not thinking about the fact that others will be coming afterwards. But I won’t. Today I have a different example. I often daven at a shul that has an interesting parking lot. The spaces are two deep, meaning you have a row of spaces which is situated behind another row of spaces. When you pull in, you are expected to pull in all the way, so another car can pull in behind you. Sounds a lot like the aisle-window conundrum, doesn’t it? If everyone was coming and going at the same time, it wouldn’t be a challenge. You’d just pull in as you arrive and pull out in the reverse order. Easypeasy. However, when someone has to leave early, or he has come for a shiur but isn’t staying for the Tefila that follows it (e.g. because he davened ear-

lier), you get into problems. If I have to leave, I don’t want someone blocking me, making me have to wait for them to move. Therefore, I have to seek out a spot where someone else has already pulled in so I’m on the outside, much like choosing an aisle seat on the plane. Of course, there is another option. What if instead of pulling all the way in, I just park in the “aisle” space, and leave an empty spot in front of me? That way, I can grab the first space I find, not having to bother myself to look around, and still not have to worry about being blocked. Brilliant! Except for one thing: I haven’t thought about the passenger in the window seat, or worse, the person who can’t get on the plane because of how I situated myself. Unfortunately, often people will park in the outside spot and justify it by saying that they need to leave, and the minyan at that time usually isn’t full. Of course, the converse of that is the people who take the outside spot when someone else is parked at the “window” and then take their time after davening, schmoozing, or better yet, learning or

ing about Lot and his family in S’dom and this one man’s choice struck me as special. As you will recall, Avraham “negotiated” with Hashem that even if there were ten righteous people in S’dom, the city would be saved. In fact, had there been nine people, Hashem would have completed the minyan Himself or by including Elyahu HaNavi. Unf o r t u n a t e l y, there weren’t nine, and the cities were destroyed. If we look at those who deserved to be saved, meaning they weren’t completely evil, we find there were: Lot and his wife, that’s two. Add his two single daughters to make four. He also had two married daughters and their husbands, which

Are we willing to extend ourselves for others or do we expect them to extend themselves for us so that we don’t have to trouble ourselves?

saying Tehillim, getting closer to G-d, while getting further away from human beings. (I don’t think it really works.) One day I saw a fellow come in and pass several spots so he could park on an inside spot. That day, a number of people had also taken outside spots. After davening I was so impressed by his choice of taking the “window” that I walked over and introduced myself. He was a working fellow, someone who made a living using his hands to build or repair things, but yet he was far from a “common laborer.” Rather, this unobtrusive-looking fellow was a special person who thought about other people. For some reason, that morning I had been think-

made eight. Had there been one more, the destruction would not have happened. But there wasn’t, and an ironic Pirkei D’Rabi Eliezer (chap. 25) teaches us how the people of S’dom sealed their own fate. You see, Lot used to have another daughter. She helped a poor man. When the people of S’dom found out, they condemned her to death and killed her. When they did that, they lost the one person who could have completed the necessary nine righteous people and thereby avoided the catastrophe. Often, we have the opportunity to be the one. We can be the one who is careful to think of others; we can be the one who holds his tongue when a great

zinger, piece of gossip, or off-color joke comes to mind. We can be the one who will not look when everyone else is gawking at something they shouldn’t be, or who will excuse himself when everyone else is planning to play a “practical joke” on some poor sap. We

can even be the one who will extend himself so others are not put out, like my friend in the parking lot. We are faced everyday with decisions to make and it’s altogether possible that through those decisions we might be the “one” to make up the number of “not-totally-evil” people necessary to bring Moshiach. The people of S’dom chose to focus on themselves and outlaw helping others and that was their undoing. In their selfishness, they eradicated the “one” that would have saved them all. The question we must ask ourselves is: the next time someone asks you, “Aisle or Window?” – what will YOU answer, and why? You have what it takes to be “the one.” But will you?

EXCITING NEWS! The first book of articles from The Observant Jew is being prepared for publication and there are a number of sponsorship opportunities available. If you are entertained and inspired by these articles, help spread the joy and reap the rewards of inspiring others. For more information, e-mail info@jewishspeechwriter.com and grab this opportunity before it’s gone. © 2012 by Jonathan Gewirtz. All rights reserved.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

The Observant Jew

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

You Gotta be

Kidding!

Riddle

Submitted by Carey Rosenfeld

The Difference Between Republicans and Democrats Mitt Romney and President Obama were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person. Mitt Romney gave the homeless person his business card and told him to call him after the elections for a job. He then took twenty dollars out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person. President Obama was very impressed, and so when they came to another homeless person, he decided to help. He walked over to the homeless person and gave him a card with directions to the nearest welfare office. He then reached into Romney’s pocket and gave the homeless person fifty dollars.

Submitted by Jerry Klauz A poor farmer went to the market to sell some peas and lentils. However, as he had only one sack and didn’t want to mix peas and lentils, he poured in the peas first, tied the sack in the middle, and then filled the top portion of the sack with the lentils. At the market a rich innkeeper happened by with his own sack. He wanted to buy the peas, but he did not want the lentils. Pouring the seed anywhere else but the sacks is considered soiling. Trading sacks is not allowed. The farmer can’t cut a hole in his sack. How would you transfer the peas to the innkeeper’s sack, which he wants to keep, without soiling the produce? Answer on next page

(Match the quote with the person that said it.) 1. This election is about who’s going to be the next President of the United States! 2. People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election. 3. The people who cast the votes don’t decide an election, the people who count the votes do. 4. As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests. 5. If elected I shall be thankful; if not, it will be all the same. 6. I regard voting as the most sacred right of free men and women. 7. If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal. 8. We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate. 9. Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman’s power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country. 10. Republicans have been accused of abandoning the poor. It’s the other way around. They never vote for us.

a) Gore Vidal

f ) Dan Quayle

b) Abraham Lincoln

g) Dan Quayle

c) Emma Goldman

h) Frank McKinney Hubbard

d) Ambrose Bierce

i) Ronald Reagan

e) Otto von Bismarck

j)Joseph Stalin

Key: 1- G 2-E 3-J 4-A 5-B 6-I 7-C 8-H 9-D 10-F

New York Ohio Texas Wisconsin California

38 10 18 55 29

2. The highlighted portion of the United States is commonly referred to as what?

4. Your candidate wants to know how things are looking for him in the southern states. He says that his running mate is available to campaign anywhere down south. Which state would you send the running mate to? a) Georgia b) Louisiana c) Florida d) Mr. President, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think you are best off sending Mr. Biden on a two week vacation to anywhere but a swing state. 5) “As goes ________so goes the nation.” Fill in the blank for this common refrain. a) Ohio b) the Midwest c) Young voters d) Pennsylvania

a) The Bible Belt b) The Rust Belt c) The South d) Republican heartland

ANSWERS 1) New York Ohio Texas Wisconsin California

3. Your candidate calls you into a meeting and asks you which states have proportional allocation of their electoral votes. Which states did you tell him? a) Utah/ Oregon b) Maine/Nebraska c) N. Dakota/S. Dakota d) New Hampshire/Arkansas

29 18 38 10 55

2) A-This area is referred to as the Bible Belt because it represents the most religious demographic area in the country. Voters tend to be highly conservative in these areas. 3) B 4) C-Florida is the only state in the south that is considered a swing state. And, these days it is always close. Remember 2000? (Yes, Mr. Gore I know you remember...and never recovered. The fact that you lost by 236 votes put you over the edge. I hear you are living with polar bears on the melting ice caps.)

5) A 6) The incoming House of Representatives would decide who the President should be. In this election, the incoming House of Representatives will likely be Republican, so Mitt Romney would get the nod. The Senate would choose the vice president. In this election, there is a large possibility that the Senate will be split 50-50. In that case you know who will cast the deciding vote? Yep... Joe Biden. (It all always comes back to Joe B.) Electoral College Key 6 correct: Congrats, your candidate just won!! And within a few months, when he is embroiled in scandal and needs someone to take the blame off of him, you are going to enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling of being “thrown under the bus.”

Got funny?

Let the Commissioner decide. Send your stuff to centerfold@fivetownsjewishhome.com

6) Okay, you are running a national campaign, so I assume you know that whoever gets 256 electoral votes first wins, right? Wrong. It takes 270 genius. Anyways, what happens if each party gets 269 electoral votes? a) There is a coin toss which takes place in the Capitol Rotunda b) For this election only: Joe Biden will give a 2 hour speech in Congress about a topic of his choosing (chances are he will talk about his relationship with “BARACK”), if he doesn’t put his foot in his mouth during the speech then his ticket wins! (Trust me, there won’t be any “Dewey Defeats Truman” moment here). c) The House of Representatives votes on who will be President and the Senate votes on who the vice president will be d) There is a second round election which takes place the following month. (This has never happened yet.) e) The Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority leader and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court vote on which ticket wins.

3-5 correct: You have a right to be in the game, you just aren’t that great. You are like Joe Trippi. Mr. Trippi was the campaign manager for 4 presidential campaigns over the past two decades. But he never won. The closest he came was in 2004 when he ran John Kerry’s campaign. In fact, that race was so close that in the late afternoon on Election Day— when he thought Kerry was going to win—he walked into Kerry’s hotel suite and said to him, “May I be the first to call you Mr. President?” Poor guy jumped the gun and his man lost. 0-2 correct: Mr. Biden, perhaps if you stopped reading the TJH Centerfold and started campaigning a bit we will win this race!! On second thought, why don’t you just continue reading the Centerfold...I will call you when I need you. Answer to riddle: Pour the lentils into the innkeeper’s sack, bind it and turn it inside out. Pour in the peas. Then unbind the sack and pour the lentils back to your sack.

1. Match the state with the amount of electoral votes:

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

In the fast-moving world of elections, if you want to be a campaign manager, you sure better be able to answer the following questions. Test your “campaign manager”-ability.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

The Shmuz

R’ Ben Tzion Shafier

Parshas Vayeirah

An Act that Echoes Though Time “And Avrohom awoke in the morning, hitched his donkey, and took his two lads, and Yitzchak with him. He split wood for the sacrifice and went to the place that Hashem had commanded him to.” (Bereishis 22:3) Avrohom Avinu was commanded with a supreme test, and one of the greatest challenges ever presented to man: “Take your son, your only son, the son that you love…” One has the right to ask, “What was so great about this act?” Even today we witness people who are willing to slaughter themselves – or their children – in the name of their beliefs, and we certainly don’t consider them great! Why is this act considered one of the ultimate accomplishments of man? The answer to this question lies in understanding not so much what Avrohom did, but how he did it. The Father of the Jewish People Avrohom lived to serve Hashem. His every waking moment was devoted to spreading Hashem’s name and bringing others to recognize their Creator. However, he knew that only through a distinct and separate people could the name of Hashem be brought to its glory. His destiny and ultimate aspiration was to be the father of the Jewish nation. Yet for many, many years that dream didn’t come true. Avrohom was 100 years old when he had Yitzchak. He waited month

after month, year after year, begging, beseeching, and imploring Hashem for this son – but to no avail. Finally, in a most miraculous manner, at an age when both he and his wife couldn’t possibly parent a child, the malachim told him the news: “Your greatest

The bond of love and devotion that Avrohom felt towards his “only” son is hard to imagine. The nature of a Tzadik is to be kindly, compassionate, and giving. When a Tzadik connects to an almost equally perfect Tzadik, the bond of love and devotion between

The tears in his eyes were the tears of a father parting with his most beloved son, but there was joy in his heart because of the fantastic opportunity to show Hashem that nothing was more precious to him than serving his Creator.

single ambition, to be the father of the Klal Yisroel, will come true through this child Yitzchak.” Avrohom’s Relationship with His Son From the moment that Yitzchak was born, he was the perfect child. Not only was he nearly identical to Avrohom in look and in nature, from the moment that he came to understanding, he went in the ways of his father. Avrohom had many students, but there was only one who was truly devoted to knowing and understanding the ways of his teacher. That was Yitzchak.

them is extremely powerful. For years, this relationship grew. It wasn’t until Yitzchak was 37 years old, in the prime of his life, that Hashem tested Avrohom. Avrohom wasn’t asked to kill his child; he was asked to bring him as an Olah, to perform all of the details that are done to a sacrifice in the Bais Hamikdash. Many a person has difficulty learning the particulars of bringing a Korbon when it is done to a sheep or a goat, but this wasn’t an animal. This was his son. This refined, caring, loving Tzadik was asked to slaughter and then prepare his most beloved child and talmid as a sacrifice – not to sit by and allow it, not to witness it, but to do it with his own hands. You would imagine that if such a person could actually muster the selfmastery to do this, it would be with a bitter and heavy heart. Yet that isn’t how the Torah describes the events. “And Avrohom got up early in the morning, hitched up his donkey,” and set off on his journey Rashi quotes the Medrash that explains that this was out of character. Avrohom was an extremely wealthy and honored individual. He had hun-

dreds of loyal students and many, many slaves. Hitching up his donkey was not something that he normally did. It was done for him by a servant. Yet this time was different because “love blinds.” Avrohom was so enraptured with this great act, so caught up in the moment, that he got carried away and did something that he never would have done himself. He hitched up his own donkey. The Crescendo With a calm demeanor and joy in his heart, Avrohom set out on a threeday expedition to accomplish this great mitzvah. Along the way, Yitzchak discovered that he was to be the sacrifice. He said to his father, “Please bind me so that I don’t twitch and spoil the sacrifice.” A Korbon must be slaughtered in a particular manner. Any deviation and the sacrifice is invalid. Yitzchak was afraid that he might inadvertently move and spoil the process. Therefore he said, “Please bind me.” (Hence, the term “Akeidas Yitzchak,” the binding of Yitzchak.) Avrohom did just that. He tied Yitzchak’s arms and legs behind him, put him on the Mizbeach, and raised up the knife to kill his son. The Medrash tells us that Avrohom stood over Yitzchak, “With tears in his eyes and great joy in his heart.” The tears in his eyes were the tears of a father parting with his most beloved son, but there was joy in his heart because of the fantastic opportunity to show Hashem that nothing, not even his most beloved son, was more precious to him than serving his Creator. The Act in Perspective And now the question becomes: how is it possible for a man to make the ultimate sacrifice in a manner that seems to transcend every emotional limitation? Akeidas Yitzchak was a singular event that actualized the years and years of extraordinary perfection that represented Avraham Avinu’s life. Because he lived in this world, he felt real love for his child, but even that love was something he harnessed to show his greater love of Hashem – the perfect balance of a man in complete control.

Michael Orbach

A Mother’s Last Wish The Jewish community rallies to help a child fulfill his parent’s last request.

haron Asher’s sickness wove itself through the fabric of the life of her son, Aviv Kleinman. Sharon was diagnosed with cancer when Aviv was in sixth grade. He

his mother’s health was good. But as cemetery in Los Angeles. Hours after donations began pouring in. Within 14 soon as he left, his mother’s condition his mother’s death, Aviv was lost in a hours of the initial email, more than began to deteriorate. maze of phone calls, desperately trying $16,000 had been raised. Solly Hess “While I was here, she never let me to secure the necessary loans to pay for was the one to break the news to Aviv know how bad she was doing,” Aviv the funeral. Some friends called him and also to tell him that he would be said. “I had no idea it was and said they were trying to raise some flying to Israel with him for the funeral. terminal.” In January, he money but he didn’t think much of it. “I was with Aviv when the world came received a shocking phone Maybe, he figured, they’d be able to together,” said Hess. “To see Aviv realize that the family of klal Yisrael was call from a family friend: raise $1,000. he had to come home right Later that day, Solly Hess, the Re- behind him and there for him was one away. Aviv flew home that gional Director of West Coast NCSY, of the most surreal experiences of my day. “She didn’t look at all paid Aviv a visit with an important life.” After returning to Los Angeles for like the mother I had left,” message. “He told me we had enough Aviv said. money,” Aviv said. “I was in shock.” the shiva, Aviv flew back to Israel to Aviv took care of his Two days later, Aviv flew to Israel complete his year in yeshiva. During mother for a week at Cedar with Hess and his mother’s body. “We his mother’s unveiling, Aviv spoke Sinai Hospital in L.A. On were able to bury her in Beit Shemesh about the mitzvah of chesed shel emet. the night of Friday, Febru- in a beautiful cemetery surrounded by “When you bury someone, it’s really a true kindness and that’s what everyone ary 3, she died. trees, hills and mountains.” “One of the last things What happened during that day was really did.” “I came to the realization that, in we talked about was where I a frantic plea for donations inside the Aviv’s YouTube clip of being accepted to YU my whole life, if I ever had any wants would bury her,” Aviv said. Jewish community. Melissa Kramer, or needs, my Mom would do whatev“It’s a conversation that no Jessica Savitz and Jasmine Esulin — er she could for me,” Aviv said. “She quickly became familiar with the harsh child has with their parent at such a who met Aviv on the TJJ Ambassadors always did, till the very end. As soon realities of cancer treatment: endless young age, but it was necessary. She program — sent out emails to their as she passed away that responsibility doctor appointments, chemotherapy went from her to am Yisrael. From the and holistic medicine. Aviv kept his bottom of my heart I thank everyone mother’s sickness a secret. Looking “To see Aviv realize that the family of klal Yisrael at the friendly, outgoing teenager, you who was a part of it.” wouldn’t know that his mother, his Since he returned to Israel after the was behind him and there for him was one of the only parent since his father abandoned shiva, Aviv realized that teenagers his age generally have a problem talking him shortly after birth, was dealing most surreal experiences of my life.” about loss. He set up a support group with a life-threatening illness. for yeshiva and seminary students who When Aviv was 16 he spent his have lost a family member. He credits summer vacation in Israel on the inaugural year of the NCSY Summer Pro- reminded me that for her whole life, friends and posted about Aviv’s situa- the leadership skills he gained from TJJ gram TJJ Ambassadors. He says that she always wanted to live in Israel. tion all over Facebook. Ambassadors in helping him lead the the experience altered him profoundly. At this point, burial in Israel was all group. Fourteen Rabbi Binny “I was a public school student. I went she could hope for. ‘But’, she said, ‘I Freedman students attended and the last meeting. on TJJ Ambassadors and my whole life know that burying someone in Israel is Scott Apfelbaum, Aviv plans on changed,” Aviv explained. “I learned so difficult and expensive, I just don’t the heads of Orayta spending the next what I wanted for my life. I changed know how you’d be able to do it.’” — Aviv’s yeshiva year in yeshiva from a random secular kid to one who During the last week of her life, in Israel — orgaand after that, he wants to go to yeshiva and find mean- Aviv looked into burial options and nized a website to ing in life through Torah and Judaism.” found out that the total cost for a burial accept donations. will attend Yeshiva Aviv became a mini-Jewish-celeb- in Israel was only $1,000 more than a Judah Joseph, NCUniversity. “I have this long search rity after he put up a video on YouTube burial in Los Angeles. “I told her, ‘I SY’s International ahead of me,” Aviv of him receiving his acceptance let- may very well bury you in Israel,’ and Teen President, said. “I’ve got to ter to Yeshiva University. The video she had the biggest smile on her face,” who also met Aviv quickly garnered more than 8,000 hits. he said. make it work. I reon TJJ AmbasAviv and his mother in younger years ally owe it to the When it came time to decide whether After his mother’s death, Aviv had sadors, sent out he should go to Israel for the year af- another pressing problem: how to raise a Facebook message that spread like people who helped me. They’ve given ter he graduated high school, Sharon, the almost $13,000 he needed for the wildfire. NCSY Regions from across me so much hope.” despite her illness, was adamant. “She funeral. The scant money Aviv’s moth- the country started fundraising. Aviv’s This article first appeared in the 2012 Rosh said it was the most important thing for er left him didn’t even cover a small shul, Beth Jacob, solicited donations. Hashanah issue of NCSY’s Ignite magazine. me,” Aviv recalled. Aviv believed that funeral in the most inexpensive Jewish Aviv’s plight struck a chord and

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Inspiration

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

My Israel Home Gedaliah Borvick

WE EE GUARANOTRE 30% M THAN ANYONE ELSE!

Shabbat Elevators

icture this requesting the Shabscenario: bat elevator will you find a be required, howgreat apartment in ever, to pay for Jerusalem that fits the computer chip all of your needs installation and but it is located any additional opon the fourth floor eration expensand the building’s es. Furthermore, elevator does not the elevator cannot have a Shabbat run all day Saturday mode. The real on “Shabbat mode” estate agent says, unless agreed upon “Don’t worry, the by all the tenants. majority of tenants Rather, it may only are religious; they will convert it into operate in Shabbat mode for part of the a Shabbat elevator within a year or day based on the schedule of prayer sertwo.” Should you rely on your agent’s vices. prediction or are those words just The lesson is clear: Before buying an wishful thinking? apartment in a building without a ShabMy partner, Eliezer Goldberg, who in bat elevator, do your due diligence. But addition to being an excellent real estate use common sense! When a buyer apbroker has a company called Heter that proaches neighbors prior to purchasing helps apartment owners secure building the apartment and inquires about making permits, explains the implications of the changes – such as installing the “Shabnewly enacted elevabat computer chip” tor laws: in the elevator – the The law requires existing apartment that in every new owners tend to feel In every new building with at least put off and often rebuilding with two elevators, one spond negatively to elevator must be prethe request. at least two pared with the necA smarter apelevators, one essary mechanism proach is to quietly to convert it into a investigate the perelevator must Shabbat elevator. centage of religious In buildings with apartment owners, be prepared with two elevators that as that information the necessary were constructed prishould indicate the or to 2011, if one or interests of the buildmechanism to more apartment owning’s tenants. In aders request a Shabbat dition, one should convert it into a elevator, the buildresearch how many Shabbat elevator. ing must allow the units are rented out to requesting apartment tenants. Owners who owner to install the lease out their apartcomputer chip in one elevator and oper- ments usually approve adding the Shabate it on “Shabbat mode.” However, the bat chip as this small improvement ofapartment owners who make this request fers them a “win-win” opportunity: first, must pay to convert the lift into a Shab- it significantly increases the apartment’s bat elevator (total cost is about $2,000) rental and resale value as it expands the and for any expenses incurred when op- pool of potential tenants and buyers. Secerating the elevator in “Shabbat mode.” ond, the upgrade doesn’t cost the apart What if a building has only ment owner anything as all expenses are one elevator? In the past, the law re- borne by the tenants should they choose quired a 75% super-majority to approve to utilize the Shabbat elevator. adding a computer chip to transform it into a Shabbat elevator. Recently, former Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home, a real estate agency focused on helpjournalist and current Knesset Member ing people from abroad buy and sell homes Uri Orbach of the religious Zionist party in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market Habayit Hayehudi successfully cam- updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail. paigned to change the law’s threshold com. Please visit his blog at www.myisrael to a simple majority of 50.1%. Those home.com.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

TJH Staff

Self Esteem, Selfishness and Selflessness

kay, here’s a question: Do you put yourself first or others first? Here’s another question: What is the right thing to do regarding the first question? Third question: Who told you that? Where did that message come from? And the final question: Where does self-esteem come in? Does putting yourself first demonstrate self-esteem? How about if you put others first? David walked into the house hungry. He’d had an incredibly difficult day. Things did not go well with the partners in his new business. They didn’t believe his year-end predictions, and they wanted more data than he could give them. He was really annoyed about that, angry actually. He was in a huff as he walked in. “Hi,” Doris said as he came in. No matter how challenging it was, she always tried to be pleasant. But she didn’t get a reciprocal greeting. “Where’s dinner?” was all David said. We don’t need more information than this to say that it appears that David is selfish or self-centered. He seems to put himself first, but more than that, his wife wasn’t on the list at all. Well, I shouldn’t say that. David has learned that in order to get some of the things he wants he must attend to others – to a point. So there might be a time when he gives a gift or a “Hello.” That logic still filters events through “Me” as the operator: If it’s in my interest, then I will cater to others. This approach keeps the behavior in the category of “selfish.” Is there a time when this is right? If a person is only good to others in order to extract a favor and otherwise ignores their needs, I can’t think of a case when it is justified. Maybe you can help me here. David probably got this message growing up, either from parents who spoiled him, thinking that the sun and stars set upon him, or from parents who were too busy with their own lives to pay attention to him. He figured out for himself that the only person who would take care of his needs was him. The presence of others didn’t enter the equation unless it was in terms of how

to meet his needs. This isn’t about blaming David’s parents for his selfishness; rather, it’s simply showing how things happen. Regardless of the origins, David is now responsible for who he is. Now let’s switch to a new scenario. Eti had a cold and needed some things from the drugstore, but she didn’t want to bother her adult children. Her mother, on the other hand, called her to come give her some assistance, and feverish as she was, she ran to help. When she arrived, her mother was annoyed that she was a half-hour later than planned. Her mother needed groceries and of her five middle-aged children, it was Eti she would call upon. Eti arrived wheezing and coughing, and, oblivious to that, her mother said, “I don’t know why you always put me last.

dictum “im ayn ani li mi li” come in? One answer to this is provided by the airlines. In going over safety features before each flight, we are told that if oxygen is needed and we are traveling with minor children, we must provide for ourselves first. Why? The only way we are able to take care of others is if we get the oxygen first. In that way, im ayn ani li mi li becomes pragmatic advice. Eti would probably faint in her attempt to help those with her. In her effort to treat others well, she consistently puts herself last. That’s selflessness. Is it good? We often hear praise of people like this and it is certainly praiseworthy to think of and care for others. But is it right to do it to the exclusion of oneself? Is it right, in effect, to not take the oxygen first?

Self-esteem is the recognition of one’s value in relationship to others. I don’t know why it was so hard for you to get here when you said you would.” Eti didn’t bother to answer because her mother was somewhat hard of hearing and wouldn’t hear her anyway, especially since her voice was just a squeak. She just felt bad and sad. Somehow, it became her fault; she could not do anything right. It seems that Eti does not put herself first and that she was trained to do this by a mother who gave her the message that she should always be first. While it is true that kibbud for a parent is of paramount importance, the laws on it are complex. For example, if kibbud for a parent interferes with shalom bayis, Bereshis teaches that we give precedence to shalom bayis. Ideally, we work out a way to make everyone happy. Uh-oh, what did I just say? When we make “everyone” happy does that include ourselves? Where does Hillel’s

Imagine an Eti who can say with sincerity to her mother that she isn’t able to help her today because she is sick herself but arranges for one of her children or siblings to go over to her mother. Imagine a David who inquires about Doris’s well-being and offers to help her before gently asking about dinner plans. When a person takes care of her or his needs so that he can take care of those he loves, that comes from self-esteem. This is something that both David and Eti lack. One could make the mistake of thinking that David does have self-esteem: after all, he takes care of himself. However, a person who has no place for others in his sphere of operation is selfreferential and that means there is no way for him to measure himself – how well he’s doing – in the real world. All he can ever obtain is a measure of him-

self relative to himself. This is useful in noting skill improvement but it will not help in really knowing where he stands in a world of people. David can acquire self-esteem, paradoxically, by starting to see others as important and accomplished as himself. He must search for qualities in others that he truly admires. Now, he has a real-world standard against which to measure himself. When he works on himself to measure up to that standard, he can justifiably be pleased. That’s self-esteem. Eti can acquire self-esteem by starting to interact with others such that she sees herself as being as important and as accomplished as they are. She must recognize the essence of who she is. That essence of her selfhood is who Hashem created and loves. Just as Hashem values it, so must she. As much as she wants to do for others – which is surely a good thing – it is only true chessed when the love she has for the other person equals the love she has for herself. Otherwise she is nullifying herself and that can’t be the reason for which she was created. Self-esteem is the recognition of one’s value in relationship to others. Others are neither better nor worse. High self-esteem means the most realistic assessment of who one is in terms of value in the world, strong points – and weak point, too. You see, if your evaluation of your weaknesses is realistic, then you can also plan a way to improve them or at least to put them into perspective. Furthermore, a realistic evaluation of our strengths is only realistic when it comes with awareness of weaknesses. Humans generally have both. This balance is what keeps us appropriately humble yet as strong and capable as we need to be to function here on Earth. Dr. Deb Hirschhorn has had over 35 years clinical experience. She has been in numerous publications, both professional and for the public, and has appeared on TV and has been featured on radio. She practices Marriage-Friendly Therapy. She has a local practice in Woodmere, N.Y. See her website, http://drdeb.com, or call her at 646-54-DRDEB.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

DrDeb

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Humor

Chaim Zipper

Cell Phones and Blah, Blah, Blah

ot more than 20 years ago, if you were found talking to yourself, you would be told to see a psychologist. The psychologist would examine you and would conclude that you indeed talk to yourself and would charge you an exorbitant fee for his services. You would tell yourself that you don’t owe anybody money and can’t figure out why “that other guy” is interrupting your conversation with yourself and even has the chutzpah to ask you for money. At this point, a family member would pay the psychologist and follow his/her instructions on what to do next. Nowadays, if you’re found talking to yourself – don’t panic – you’re normal, go on with your life. Why is this so? This is because of the invention of cell phones. Wherever you go, you see people talking on their cell phones. They talk about everything and anything for what seems like an eternity. As soon as your cell phone rings, you must answer it. Forget the voicemail; you need to know why the person is calling this instant. People don’t take their cell phones out of their pockets anymore. They take it out of a holster. Some people talk so loud that you could even hear what the person on the other end is saying. There’s no more peace and quiet – anywhere. Take the bus as an example. You can’t just sit and relax. You have to listen to people babble to their friends, family members, or whoever they didn’t speak to since they last saw them – even if that was just five minutes ago. “Hey! How are you doing?” 

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“Great! How are you?” “Great! How was your walk to the bus? Did it come right away or did you have to wait?” “My walk was good, but I had to wait three minutes till the bus got here.” “So what did you do?” “What could I do? I called my mother and told her that I’ll be a late.” “What did she say?” “She didn’t answer, so I left hear a message and I texted her.” This goes on and on which makes you wish you could just throw her phone out the window. Why can’t these people wait till they get home or at least off the bus? They just saw each other. And even if they didn’t just see each other, maybe there are some people who are not interested in what they did in the last ten minutes. It’s not even something important. They’re not planning an event and need to talk to the caterer. They’re not a doctor and a patient with an emergency is calling them. The phone call could wait, but because they have a cell phone and

then you should answer the phone. If you’re a doctor and a patient is calling you, answer the phone if it can’t wait. “Hello! This is Doctor Goldberg. Who’s this?” “This is Mrs. Schwartz. What are the results of the blood test, please?” “Everything is fine. You’re son passed. Did he study?” “Very funny, Doctor. Please tell me the results.” “Sorry. Bad joke. Anyway, the results are negative.” “Oy vey…negative what?” This call had to be answered because if this mother heard, from listening to it on her voicemail, that the results were negative without the explanation that negative, in this case, means positive, she would probably pass out, and then everybody on the bus would have to use their cell phone to call for help, and boy, would that ruin the peace and

Nowadays, if you’re found talking to yourself – don’t panic – you’re normal, go on with your life. they can talk to the person right now, it becomes like an obligation to answer the ringing cell phone and talk to the person about things that doesn’t make a difference in the world. However, if it is an important call,





  

quiet! There are some people who don’t like holding the cell phone to their ear so they put it on speakerphone. You can clearly hear what both people are saying including all the noise in the background. They’re so annoying that you wish you could throw their cell phone out the window, but this time, while they are still holding the phone. “Hi. How’s the cake coming along?” “(Whirrrrrrr! Sound) It’s going great. I’m making the batter now.” “What! I can’t hear you.” “(Whirrrrrrr! Sound continues). I SAID IT’S GOING GREAT. I’M IN MIDDLE OF THE BATTER NOW.” “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MIDDLE OF THE BATTER? DID IT FALL ON THE FLOOR?” “(Whirrrrrrr! Sound continues) NO! NEVER MIND! I CAN’T HEAR YOU OR MYSELF WITH THE MIX MASTER ON. I’LL TALK TO YOU

LATER!” Who needs to hear about these two people and the cake that one of them is making? How hard is it for this person to wait for her stop and then make the call? It’s not like the person making the cake is going to give us a piece

when it’s done. That person doesn’t even know we exist! All we know is that someone, somewhere, is making a cake. Someone else thinks that it fell on the floor and that we want to have some when it comes out of the oven. So, when texting was introduced, we thought, “Ah! Finally, some peace and quiet.” But that was short lived – thanks to the digital keyboard. If you have a cell phone with a touch screen, the keyboard is digitized. If you keep the sound of the keyboard “on,” then whenever you type on the keyboard, you hear a “clicking” sound. Stand next to someone who is texting – and try not to go insane. All you hear is: “Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click…” Just reading the word “click” so many times can give you a headache. If you would hear it that many times, to get rid of the headache, you would have to take a Tylenol the size of a watermelon (or 500 million milligrams). The cell phone babbling and texting is not going to stop. So here’s my advice: next time you’re in public and your phone rings, don’t answer it, unless it’s an emergency. If you do answer it, and it’s not an emergency, make sure you have enough Tylenol to give out to everyone who can hear you babbling because they are going to need it. I’m sorry I have to go now…my mother’s calling on the other line.

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

JEwish LEadErs

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Hurricane Sandy

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Hurricane Sandy

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

HAFTR HIGH SCHOOL Op e n H ouse

Ms. Naomi Lippman Principal, General Studies

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Sara Lehmann

Talking with Councilman Dan Halloran

ooking for a Turner-like victory as the Republican congressional candidate in the newly redistricted 6th congressional district in Queens, 40-year-old New York City Councilman Dan Halloran is convincing voters he can succeed in this predominantly Democratic region. Endorsed by Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Congressman Peter King and Congressman Bob Turner, Halloran is a lawyer who worked in private practice and as a prosecutor for several district attorneys before becoming elected in 2009 to serve as a member of the New York City Council in the 19th district. Passionate about his views, well informed and knowledgeable, in September 2010, Halloran was named one of City Hall’s “40 under 40” for being a young influential member of New York City politics. This past August Halloran joined the International Committee for the Land of Israel, with Dr. Joseph Frager, Dr. Paul Brody, Zev Brenner and Asher Taub, esq., for a fact finding mission to Israel. There he met with cabinet ministers, Knesset members, including the Knesset deputy speaker and finance minister, and many other dignitaries. He even received a blessing from Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel. Halloran enthusiastically jumped into this congressional race, stating, “I am running for Congress because the President and the Democrats’ policies have failed, and New Yorkers need a new voice.” In a recent interview with this writer, the councilman detailed several of those Democratic policy failures and his own ideas and vision for the future. SL: How did you get your start in politics and what attracted you to it? DH: As an attorney I’ve always been peripherally interested in politics, interested in the policies that drive our legislation. I grew up in a very tightknit Irish Catholic family with roots in the political world. My father was a deputy commissioner in the Koch administration, my great grandfather was a chief of police, and my cousin, Lieu-

tenant Vincent G. Halloran, an FDNY First Responder, died on 9/11. But in 2009, it was one year into the Obama administration, and I became very concerned for the direction our country was heading in. In my neck of the woods, while it’s predominantly Democrats, it’s also predominantly conservative Democrats. These are people who are homeowners, small business owners, or blue collar workers who work hard every day and pay enormous taxes. Democrats in Wa s h i n g t o n have spent us into financial ruin. I became increasingly concerned about our country, in particular our foreign policy decisions that were being made, the distancing from our allies and the cozying up to our enemies. SL: You are a Republican who has been endorsed by the Libertarian party. Though much of fiscal conservative and libertarian philosophy overlap, there’s a sharp difference when it comes to foreign policy. Can you explain your views on both? DH: I’m what’s called a right libertarian or constitutional libertarian. I believe very firmly that our economic policy has to be market driven; that over taxation will be the death of the republic. I believe very strongly in the Constitution itself and staying within the four corners of that document. I think we have expanded the commerce clause to mean almost anything and it’s absurd. That’s the libertarian side of the coin. But as a right libertarian, my perspective on foreign policy is that the world is such a convoluted place right now that what we should do in the ideal

is not practical. We give seven times as much money to Israel’s enemies than we do to Israel. And you can’t wonder why Egypt has an authoritarian Islamic regime when we’re the ones that helped topple a stable, albeit not democratic, regime. Now we see the fallout in Syria, in Yemen. We’ve seen it throughout Libya, as again we toppled somebody who was initially a hard core enemy who became sort of a neutral bystander once we bombed him enough times for him to realize he needed to stay out of our business. Once we’ve destabilized that region we see what the consequences are. We have an ambassador dead, our embassies stormed, not just in one place but throughout the region. And threats continue. SL: Do you agree that the policies of the Obama administration, particularly during the Arab Spring, have increased those threats and what advice can you offer to address them? DH: It wasn’t a spring; it was the beginning of the winter. Obama ushered it in under the feigned promotion of democracy – one man, one vote. And what it’s been is one man, one vote, one time. And after that you will not see democracy; you will see theocracy. There are things we can do about this crisis. America should maintain its military presence vis-à-vis Israel, and we should keep the fleet there to ensure that the trading waters are open for business. Foremost, we need to cut off economic aid to any country that defies our foreign policy perspectives and that should include humanitarian assis-

tance. Look, I understand the notion of fostering amity, but there’s a bottom line. And the bottom line is if you want our help, you have to play on our team. And if you’re not willing to, go your own way. Because what happens is – when you give them humanitarian aid, they’re able to divert the resources they do have to war and violence. You cut off the humanitarian aid and sooner or later their people have to respond and call for change because their government is not going to provide it. If you want to see true democracy spring up, that’s how it’s going to spring up. It’s not going to spring up because we provided grain and bread and water so the government can provide bullets to kill its own citizens. The Coptic Christians are being massacred in Egypt. Syrian forces are killing their own people. And Hamas is a perfect example of how through bad foreign policy we’ve armed the enemy, given them legitimacy, and now given them a stage to act on, an appearance of propriety, an appearance of being legitimate. Yet all we’ve done is undermine Israel’s national security, which in turn undermines ours because it’s the only stable, democratic rule of law government there that’s willing to tow the secular line. The linchpin in all of this is there’s a perception in the world that we no longer stand with our allies and that we will only pay lip service to long standing relationships. SL: Can you describe your trip to Israel this past August and how seeing the facts on the ground affected your perception of it? DH: It makes it more real. But I’ve always been a hawk. In that respect I am a right wing Republican. I’ve always supported settlement, because if the rule of law applies, then whether you’re black or white, Christian or Jew, it shouldn’t matter where you live as long as you lawfully purchase property there. For us or the UN to say unilaterally you may not buy land there because you are a Jew would be the equivalent of me saying, “If you’re Catholic you can’t move into Williamsburg because you’re not an orthodox Jew. Or you’re a black man, you can’t move into

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Focus on People

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Douglastown, it’s all whites.” Really? Would that stand up in some court of law somewhere in the United States? Absolutely not. That would never be tolerated. Yet, when the world community tells Israel the very same thing, somehow it’s OK because it involves Islam. I don’t understand segregation by religion. And the improvements that have occurred because of the Israeli presence in the Middle East are tremendous, whether we are talking about agriculture or infrastructure, water and sewer development. It just shows if you’re willing to work what you can accomplish. We should tear all that down in the name of establishing a state that has never been a state? SL: What is your view regarding the two state solution between Israel and the Palestinians? DH: You can’t have a two state solution when one side doesn’t want the other state. The Palestinians have never acknowledged the existence of Israel. The platform of the PLO has always contained this notion that Israel shouldn’t exist. Well, how do you have a two state solution when one side says the other state doesn’t exist? You can’t. In Northern Ireland President Clinton was even smart enough to realize you have to disarm before you come to the peace table. The reality is that Hamas controls the politics of the PLO, and Hamas is a terrorist organization and is not willing to disarm. As long as we tolerate or countenance that kind of cross policy behavior by a theoretical legitimate party there’s no hope. Look what has happened in Gaza. Not only have they defiled the synagogues there without regard, not only did they destroy the agricultural infrastructure which had been created and the homes that were built, but now it’s basically a barren waste. At what point do we have to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask if we’re being realistic? SL: Netanyahu seems to be taking a realistic stand, recently calling attention to the red lines that the Obama administration does not want to set for taking military action against Iran’s nuclear program. What would your red lines be regarding Israel’s right to defend itself? DH: First of all, I think we’re past the red lines. I don’t believe Iran has any intention whatsoever of honoring international law. That being said, what our country should have done or should be doing is having a complete military embargo of the nation of Iran. No planes in, no planes out. We should have our fleet poised, right there in the Persian area, ready to respond. We

should have cut off all aid and prevented others from providing aid inside of Iran, other than basic medical and food source aid. We’re appeasing a nation that has called for the destruction, the elimination, the eradication of the Jewish people. They’re not saying it euphemistically. They’re saying it as a matter of fact. SL: Can we do that without the Russians and the Chinese? DH: If the Russians and Chinese don’t like it, it’s too bad. Here’s the dilemma we find ourselves in – when Neville Chamberlain went to the Munich conference and came back and said we have peace in our times, that naiveté brought us Adolph Hitler and the massacre of not only six million Jews but millions of other innocent people. That all sprung from an ideology that was anti-Semitic but also xenophobic. And it’s the same xenophobic world view that drives Ayatollah and Ahmadinejad, where they genuinely believe that your failure to embrace Islam is the equivalent of making you an animal and therefore cattle to be herded or killed if necessary. We are so gun shy after the Persian Gulf War I and II and the President knows the fatigue our country is feeling for going to war again. But sometimes there’s a peace that’s only found on the other side of war. Sometimes you have to be willing to do terrible things to prevent even worse things from happening. SL: Do you think this lack of thinking by the Obama administration led to the violence and tragedy that occurred at our embassy in Benghazi? DH: I think there is a time and a place where you have to draw a line in the sand and say, “No, this far and no further,” or what happens is they are emboldened and that’s what happened. This President allowed our ambassador to be killed, our embassy to be sacked and there wasn’t an immediate military response. If I were the President of the United States, the second my embassy, my sovereign territory, was touched, let alone the kind of thing that happened here, there would have been a swift, terrible response because everyone needs to know that if you come after us, we will destroy you. I hate to sound biblical, but it’s sort of we will visit upon you, your children and your children’s children. And that has nothing to do with revenge; it has to do with the status quo, maintaining the ability of the United States. SL: You have said about Jerusalem that it is “clearly the one, single, indivisible capital of the Jewish nation.”

In sharp contrast, the Democrats removed mention of Jerusalem and G-d from the Democratic platform at their convention. Do you think Democratic politicians are initiating this shift to the left or do you think they are taking the lead from their constituents? DH: They are responding to the base now. The Democratic Party has spent so much time culling the unions and trying to build up this labor base and they have so secularized their party, that they have forgotten that most of those union people believe in G-d and the flag and all those things. But they have allowed the leadership, not the politicians per se but I would say the lobbyists behind those politicians, to take control of the ideology of the party. And they are atheists, communists, and socialists, people who genuinely believe you are your own G-d. Because of that, the notion of injecting G-d at all is a distraction. And you couple that with the socialist, communist model of redistribution of wealth, the notion that the government is the best handler of people, you wind up with a situation where this is inevitable. Now you make people dependent on the government. 47% don’t pay any federal income tax. That’s a fact. It’s not Romney being cynical. It’s a fact. SL: Would you agree that Romney’s battle to win the votes of that 47%, the country’s growing population with a higher dependency on government, is your battle too? DH: Absolutely. But the problem with socialism, as Margaret Thatcher so correctly pointed out, is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money. Well, that’s where we are. And how can people like the President talk about the upper class, meaning people making two hundred thousand dollars a year? I’m sorry, if you’re a family of four in New York City paying a mortgage, you are not wealthy at $200,000 a year. First of all, you take out federal, state and local income tax, property tax, water and sewer tax, fifty percent of your income is gone. Assuming you’re paying a reasonable mortgage in this city, you’re taking out $50,000 of your $100,000 for housing. And if you have any sort of sense, if you’re Catholic or Orthodox Jewish, you want to send your kid to a school that you have some degree of say over, which means up to another $20,000 a year in private tuition. SL: What is your view on school vouchers? DH: We should be giving tax credits or supplemental vouchers to any parent who wants to keep their kid in

a school of their choice. Here’s why – because if tomorrow every orthodox yeshiva and every Catholic institution closed, the public school system could not possibly handle the students that would come into the system. So why would we do things that makes it difficult for them to keep the delicate balance we already have? SL: Do you see your own congressional race being played out along racial lines? DH: Unfortunately I do. My opponent is getting the pass because she’s a Chinese female. She‘s been a lousy legislator, she’s passed no bills, she’s been out 77% of the time. By any measure that means she’s an ineffective legislator. And the media just refuses to hold her accountable because of this delusional notion that she will be the first Chinese American legislator from New York. That’s the problem of ethnic and racial politics. You look past the qualifications and the job skill of the individual and you see only their skin color or their ethnicity or their religion. SL: What do you think in your experience as a councilman will make you best suited as a congressman? DH: Well, the hands-on constituent services that I’ve provided in this district, which is by the way the number one constituent services office in the entire city of all fifty one districts. Not bad for a freshman Republican. The reality is that our office listens in response. We hear what’s going on. We know what the pulse of the community is. All too often people in Washington have no sense of what’s really happening in their home community. They live in a divorced reality. It’s my hands-on experience; it’s my real life experiences. It’s also my struggle to get to where I am. Nobody paid for my school. I went to law school, got a half scholarship and took out student loans, which I’m still paying off. I bought my house through the sweat of my equity. That’s the American dream. That’s what you want from a representative. I have no desire to stay in Washington to be a career politician. Career politicians are what’s killing us. We need term limits as a necessary evil, and we need people to be politicians who have real jobs to get back to, who want to go back to their community , who don’t want to become part of the power elite of the Washington, DC beltway. Hopefully that would be something I would bring with me to Washington – that notion of citizen politics.

Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg

Artistic Suggestions for Elementary School Age Boys

oys will be boys. Creativity is not only reserved for girls. There are some young boys who actually enjoy creativity as much as girls and need to express themselves in this arena. How is this possible? 1) Some boys enjoy baking, whether it is cookies, rugelach or just plain cakes. Whatever it is, make sure to include your young sons in the baking process. You will be surprised how helpful they will be. Some camps have baking activities for boys. The boys who have experienced the feeling of success may eventually pursue a career as a baking chef and later become a professional by attending a culinary school and then using it as a means of parnasa later on in life. Whetting their appetite will help them later on in deciding if this is something that they enjoy doing enough, professionally or just at home. 2) There are not many boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; elementary schools that offer art as an official

subject. They receive an introduction to art in their pre-school education. This exposure has already opened up an artistic avenue and adventure for the creative child along with a thirst for more. Do not stifle them. Purchase some basic art supplies to keep at home for Sunday afternoons, vacation days or just to keep them occupied, as you see fit. Let your young boys dabble with these art supplies. They come in non-toxic versions that are safe for children. With these supplies they will be able to draw and paint. This may help them in designing book report covers for school projects. It may also lead up to portrait drawings of gedolim, safrus, and pictures for childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books as well as designing book jackets for se-

forim. They will enjoy this special creative outlet. They may even decide that they enjoy it enough to pursue safrus as a means of parnasa. 3) Many camps offer woodworking in the form of a shop class for boys. This activity is sought after by creative boys. That opportunity inspires them to start thinking of many types of projects that they feel capable of creating. Some of these would include shtenders, leather, hand-painted challah covers, and wooden models of all kinds such as shuls, esrog boxes, mezuzah covers, Torah covers, etc. This interest in Judaica can expand later on in life to an interest in designing silver or Judaica objects for religious use. Silver engraving or designing silver or metal Judaica

are some examples. 4) A great business idea would be the creation of sukkah decorations. The idea of creating a model sukkah has already been introduced by many rebbeim in yeshivot. The boys study Mesechta Sukkah and then create a model that is kosher or posul in order to better understand the concept and the halachot of building a kosher sukkah. Now that I have whetted your appetites, please feel free to share some of your ideas with me. I will then share them with the readers of this column. Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg is a professional art educator, artist and designer. Among her known artwork is a floral sculpture presented to Tipper Gore, Blair House, Washington, D.C. Presently she is the Director of Operations at Shulamith School for Girls. Please feel free to email nherzberg@ optonline.net with questions and suggestions for future columns.

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

From My Private Art Collection

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

In the Kitchen Naomi Nachman

t’s Monday afternoon and, like most of the Northeast, I am sitting home with my entire family watching the news about Hurricane Sandy. They are calling this the Frankenstorm, the mother of all storms. All I can think about is what I can cook without having to go to the supermarket to buy any ingredients. My family loves to eat, so we had a gourmet lunch of items I could find in my freezer and fridge. The main dish was a spaghetti pie which I had in the freezer. It’s a mixture of ricotta cheese, eggs and marinara sauce which I pour over cooked spaghetti and bake it in an oven-to-table dish. It freezes wonderfully and is perfect when you are in need of a quick dinner (or when stuck inside due to a hurricane!). We also had pancakes from a frozen batter, which we also save for emergencies. We added in chocolate chips to create a yummy side dish.

But tonight I have to come up with something exciting for dinner as it has been a very long, slow day being stuck in the house with all my kids (help!). My kids love to help out in the kitchen. Since I always have in my house, as staples, flour, sugar, yeast, marinara sauce and cheese, then why not make our own pizzas and also turn it into an activity? Each child can make their own dough by hand then use a wide variety of toppings, such as peppers, tomatoes, onions, olives, mushrooms, and even pineapple (a favorite in Australia). We also use tomato sauce and a choice of different spices. The recipe below makes one 12-inch pie, which usually comes out to four servings. (I get my pizza pans from The Paper Place at 550 Willow Avenue in Cedarhurst.) I always have these on hand, but if you don’t have these handy, you can use a cookie sheet too.

Hurricane Sandy Pizza Ingredients 2 teaspoon dry yeast 1 tsp. sugar 3/4 c. very warm water (120-130 degrees) 2 cups flour 1 tsp. salt

Directions Preheat oven to 400°. Soak yeast in water and sugar for 5 minutes. Add flour, then add salt and continue to knead for 2-3 minutes until flour is well blended and a dough ball forms. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Roll dough to fit a 12-inch disposable pizza pan. Top pizza with tomato sauce and toppings of your choice. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

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)‫(שם דף מ“ו ע“ב ואילך‬

/ ‫ משפטים‬œ 58

TRANS

Chinuch explains the laws of sirchos pertaining to each type of lobe, beginning lobe): with the uma (caudal

‫טֹור ִפין‬ ְ ‫ּלּו ֵהן ַה ְּמקֹומֹות ֶשׁ ָה ִר ִירין‬

‫ — וְ ֵא‬These are the places render the animal tereifah, where fibrous adhesion s found there ‫ּטֹובים‬ ִ ‫שׁים ַה‬ ‫רּושׁ‬ ִ ‫ינּו ִמ ִּד ְב ֵרי ַהּגְ ָמ ָרא ִעם ַה ֵּפרּו‬ ing to the rules we have ‫ — לְ ִפי ַה ְּכלָ ל ָהעֹולֶ ה ְּביָ ֵד‬accordarrived at from analyzing the words of the Gemara with the finest commen taries:[36] (46b ff.) together

‫רּוכה‬ ָ ‫עֹולָ ם ֶשׁ ָה ֻא ָּמה ְס‬

‫ — ָּכל ָמקֹום ָּב‬If the uma is discovered to have soever within the chest cavity,[37] ‫ — ְט ֵר ָפה‬the animal is tereifah, adhered to any place whatit cannot be permitte ‫ — וְ ֵאינָ ּה נִ ֶתּ ֶרת ִּב ְב ִד ָיקה‬and d through examination and declared kosher,[38] cept in one case. ‫ — זּולָ ִתי ְּב ִענְ יָ ן ֶא ָחד‬ex‫רּוכה לַ ּד ֶֹפן‬ ָ ‫ — ִאם ְס‬The exception is the case where [the the wall of the chest cavity, uma] is adhered to ‫ן‬ ‫ֹפ‬ ֶ ‫ּד‬ ‫ּב‬ ַ ‫ה‬ ‫ּכ‬ ָ ‫מ‬ ַ ‫שׁ‬ ֵ‫י‬ ְ‫ו‬ — and there is an injury ‫יֹוצאת ִמ ְּמקֹום ַה ַּמ ָּכה‬ ֵ ‫ — ֻּכּלָ ּה‬and the entire in that wall, ‫וְ ַה ִּס ְר ָכא‬ sircha (adhesion) stems from the area of the wound,

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NOTES

36. It should be noted that the laws of sirchos are among the most complex subjects in the entire field of halachah, and an enormous body of Rabbinic literature exists regarding them. The notes in the following section are limited to explaining Chinuch’s view, and are far from a complete treatment of the subject matter. Moreover, one must bear in mind that Chinuch’s view is not always the one recognized as the final halachah by Shulchan Aruch and Rama. Hence, what follows should be viewed as an introduction to the subject of sirchos, not as halachically conclusive. © 2012, MPL. Reproduction prohibited. 37. E.g., the trachea, or 47a) refers to each of the another lobe of the lung, five cranial lobes as an ‫אּונָ א‬, una (earlike lobe), and or the fat surroundin to the intermediate lobe g as the heart, or the abdominal wall ‫יתא ְדוַ ְר ָּדא‬ ָ ִ‫ ִעינּונ‬, inunita d’varda (the (see Yoreh Deah 39:7 small roselike lobe) for additional [perhaps because of examples). its reddish color and floral shape]. In the Gemara we do not find any particular 38. As shall be explained in the following note, it is name for the main lobe; sometimes possible to perform an examinatio however, in post-Talmu dic determine that a literature (and in Tikkunei n to sircha is not of the type Zohar §25) each of that the main lower lobes would cause a perforation of is called an ‫אּומא‬ the lung. When the sircha ָ , uma (lit., the uma, mother). is on it is generally assumed to be a problematic sircha, so there is no basis for examination.

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Health & Fitness

Social Smarts

Devorah Gerber Schmeltz

Computer Questions Dear Devorah, My 13 year old does not have the neatest handwriting. She does not receive OT any longer (she has in the past) and at this point, she is not interested in additional therapy. She wants to learn how to type proficiently (she does text with superb speed!) which I think is a good skill to have in one’s pocket as well. Are there any programs you recommend? -Elana, Kew Garden Hills Dear Elana, It’s interesting, back when I was in school many years ago, we actually had a class to teach us typing. It was on those real old-fashioned typewriters! It seems from what I hear from parents this skill is no longer taught in school. The program I recommend is found on the website typingweb.com and best of all, it is free. (They even have a teacher log in, where teachers can track students’ progress.) Typing is an excellent life skill that will serve her well through schooling and later in the workplace. Kudos to you for helping her develop this skill! Dear Devorah, I have a computer-based business, and I basically have to be working on the computer all day. Recently, I’ve noticed that my hands have started to hurt me when working on the computer. Do you have any suggestions for me on how I can prevent the pain? -Sara G. Dear Sara, Here are a couple of tips to help avoid wrist and hand pain often associated with typing. Keep wrists in a neutral position (picture A) while typing and not deviated (picture B). The fingers should rest lightly on the keyboard. While typing, press the keys lightly. Avoid exerting a lot of pressure on each key stroke, it will fatigue your muscles. While typing, your keyboard should be in

front of you. If you find that you need to multi-task while typing (e.g. talking on the phone), make sure those other items are nearby so you don’t find yourself twisting or assuming awkward positions to reach for things. For example, place the phone next the computer and consider using a headset or use the speakerphone option. Keep the mouse adjacent to the computer. You need only to tap lightly to use your mouse. If you see you need to type with more exertion, it’s time to buy a new mouse. If you find that you continue to have pain in your hand and/or wrist you may have carpel tunnel syndrome or another repetitive overuse work related issue. Rest and further evaluation by an occupational therapist will help identify the cause and provide treatment. Hope you are feeling better soon. Devorah (Gerber) Schmeltz, MS OTR/L is a 2003 alumnus of Downstate Medical Center’s OT Program. She is a senior occupational therapist at United Cerebral Palsy’s Brooklyn Children’s Program. Devorah maintains a private practice, Bumble & Tumble Occupational Therapy P.C., in Far Rockaway, NY providing pediatric occupational and physical therapy. Department of Education vouchers/RSAs are gladly accepted. Your questions and comments are welcome. She can be reached at BumbleTumble Therapy@gmail.com or 917-971-5327.

Figure A

Figure B

Rifka Schonfeld

PDD-NOS Disorder Q: My child has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS. What is PDD-NOS? Is it the same thing as autism? A: PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified. Essentially, it is a diagnosis that means “on the autism spectrum, but not falling within any of the specific categories of autism.” Within the DSM IV, a manual that practitioners use to diagnose neurological disorders, there are five disorders that fall under the category of Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD): autism, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and PDDNOS. A child would be diagnosed with PDD-NOS if he has symptoms of Pervasive Developmental Disorders, but not enough of any of the four specific disorders to receive a diagnosis. Thus, your child does have PDD, but he does not have autism, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, or fragile X syndrome. As a result, he received the catch-all diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Many of the disorders that fall into the category of PDD have overlapping symptoms. Below, I have explained some of the symptoms that are particular to each one of the four specified disorders in the DSM IV. Autism: • Late talking (after the age of two) and other developmental delays by 30 months • Chooses to play alone, rather than interact with others • Repetitive movements such as rocking, spinning, or hand-flapping Aspergers syndrome: • Above average verbal capabilities • Obsession with complex topics as patterns or music • Scripted, robotic, or repetitive speech Rett syndrome: • Half or more of children with Rett syndrom have seizures • Normal verbal development until around 12-18 months, then a subsequent loss in the ability to communicate • Slowed growth, especially apparent in head size at six months of age Fragile X: • In males, decreased IQs; in females, variable IQs • Social anxiety when placed in

situations in which they are forced to interact with others • Spoken language often characterized by stuttering and omitted sounds in a sentence Right now, physicians do not agree when exactly a child should be diagnosed with PDD-NOS, autism, or Aspergers syndrome. Because of this, it is possible for the same child to receive different diagnoses from different doctors even as he exhibits exactly the same symptoms. Regardless of the diagnosis, research has shown that children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders have significantly better results when treated from an early age. In fact, studies conducted showed that children who began treatment at the age of two had fewer than half of the symptoms as compared to children who began treatment after the age of eight. Treatments for PDD-NOS vary depending on the range and severity of the symptoms. However, some typical and effective treatments include: • Play therapy: Through play (a child’s natural mode of expression), children learn to cope with emotional issues. In this way, children can manipulate the world on a smaller scale, something that cannot be done on everyday basis. • Sensory integration therapy: Through a gradual introduction of averse stimuli, children become used to situations that might have otherwise made them uncomfortable. (For example, some children with PDD might not tolerate the noise the scissors make during a haircut. A trained specialist would slowly integrate the scissors, the noise, and then the noise near the child’s head in order to make haircuts more bearable). • Social skills training: Coaching in non-verbal communication and everyday interactions can help children gain the essential skills to make friends and pay attention to teacher that do not come naturally because of PDD. This can greatly improve the child’s social experience for the rest of his life. You did a great thing by taking your son to get a diagnosis because it is the first step towards getting treatment that can improve your whole family’s quality of life. With help, children with PDD-NOS can lead full (if complicated) lives.

87 Allan J. Rolnick CPA

Your Money Duh!

oday’s wired world has most of us drowning in information. Twenty-four-hour cable news networks, instantaneous online updates, Facebook, and Twitter are constantly assaulting our senses. Much of what passes for “news” is really just noise— the latest statistical fluctuations in the presidential polls, for example, or the comings and goings of some actor. But every so often, we learn something so surprising that it rocks us to the core and causes us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew. Three professors have just revealed that sort of earth-shattering information in the newest issue of Accounting Review. They analyzed data from 5,000 corporations over 17 years from 1992-2008 to answer an age-old question: “Do IRS Audits Deter Corporate Tax Avoidance?” And here’s their startling conclusion— make sure you’re sitting down to read it: when audit rates go up, so do taxes! We extend research on the determinants of corporate tax avoidance to include the role of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) monitoring. Our evidence from large samples implies that U.S. public firms undertake less aggressive tax positions when tax enforcement is stricter. Reflecting its first-order economic impact on firms, our coefficient estimates imply that raising the probability of an IRS audit from 19 percent (the 25th percentile in our data) to 37 percent (the 75th percentile) increases their cash effective tax rates, on average, by nearly 2 percentage points, which amounts to a 7 percent increase in cash effective tax rates. These results are robust to controlling for firm size and time, which determine our primary proxy for IRS enforcement, in different ways; specifying several alternative dependent and test variables; and confronting potential endogeneity with instrumental variables and panel data estimations, among other techniques. Shocking, isn’t it? (Just FYI, “endogeneity” is a statistical condition that occurs when there’s a correlation between a parameter or variable and an “error term.” It can arise as a result of measurement error, or a few other things that require looking up, including auto-regression with auto-correlated errors, simultaneity, omitted variables, or sample selection errors.) Let’s give the authors a little credit here—they do say it’s not really surprising that more audits equal more taxes. But they say it was hardly obvious before they started their study. What if they found that corporations were just so confident they could outmaneuver the IRS that audit rates didn’t matter?

The professors also argue that shareholders benefit from IRS audits—especially when corporate governance is weak. Co-author Jeffrey Hoopes of the University of Michigan reports that “strict tax enforcement promotes good financial reporting and tends to check managers’ proclivities to divert corporate resources for their personal use under the guise of saving taxes.” They cite Tyco as an example, where top executives minimized taxes by relocating profits to low-tax foreign countries, then diverted millions of dollars for their own personal use. (Remember CEO Dennis Ko-

zlowski who spent $15,000 of shareholder money on an umbrella stand? Yeah, that guy…he’s in jail now.) What does all this mean for you? Well, audit rates for personal returns average just over one percent. That’s a tiny fraction of the 30% or so that the biggest group of companies in the Accounting Review study faced. But we file every return as if we expect it to be audited. Yes, we work and plan to minimize your taxes. But the strategies we use are all court-tested and IRS-approved. That way, you save money and sleep well at night!

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Your Money

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov

Ruth & Hyman Simon High School 131 Washington Ave, Lawrence New York 11559 | Phone: 516.374.6465 | Fax: 516.374.1834

Prepare yourself for College and a career! • ChAllenging honors and advanced placement track • School-wide program to hone each student’s writing skills • sAt PrePArAtion in all grades • Individually tailored College guidAnCe beginning in 10th grade • College ProgrAM for seniors

Save the date for our upcoming Open House on December 2nd 2012 at 1:30

Interviews have begun! Contact the Yeshiva Office for an application and appointment.

Rabbeim for Life. Education for Life. Torah for Life.

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

90 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Leisure & Travel

Susan Schwamm

From Sea to Shining Sea : California

he Golden State’s official song is “I Love You, California,” and for good reason. There is so much to love in this beautiful state. Maybe because there is something here for everyone, so many Americans call California their home. California is the most populous state in the United States; one in every eight Americans lives here. The state is vast and the weather varies from region to region. The north offers skiing for visitors and the south offers wonderful beaches and perfect climes year-round. A visit to California is for everyone, and in order to take it all in, one may have to visit several times to get the true Californian flavor. San Francisco “San Francisco, give me your Golden Gate.” So goes one of my uncle’s favorite songs. It’s true—the Golden Gate Bridge is by far the most recognizable landmark in this city. The grand, rust-colored arches tower over the San Francisco Bay. When the bridge was built in the 1930’s, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. But don’t just take out your camera and snap some photos from your car window—rent a bike or walk across this national landmark. You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the many ferries, boats and freighters enjoying the salty spray of the bay. The city across the bay, called Sausalito, is charming and is a wonderful place to enjoy with the family. Take a walk down the waterfront and when you get tired, grab a Segway and take in this delightful place on two wheels. Speaking of wheels, for those of you who love driving and love some hairpin turns, make sure

to rent a car and visit Lombard Street in San Fran. The street is famous for having eight hairpin turns in just one block. Napa County Wine lovers will delight in a visit to Napa County. Although it is officially one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties, the region deserves a mention of its own. This area produces world-famous wines and a trip here allows visitors to take in the beauty of the grapes and vineyards in the U.S. Spend a lazy day here and sample some of the region’s finest products. San Diego If you’re looking for perfect weather all year long, then you’ve come to right place. No matter when you visit, San Diego offers visitors sunny, warm weather. Perhaps that’s why so many parks call San Diego their home. When visiting here, make sure to take the kids to Legoland, and have them swim with the dolphins at SeaWorld. At Balboa Park, the young and young-atheart will delight in the carousel, mini-railroad and of course, the San Diego Zoo. Coronado Island is just a 15-minute ferry ride from San Diego, and you’ll love renting bikes to check out the grand homes on the island. Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and is the ideal spot to vacation in the summer and winter months. Visitors looking to ski in the winter take advantage of the slopes here during the cold season. In the summer, hundreds flock here for boating on the serene lake. There are wonderful biking paths around the

lake for the beginner and more-seasoned bikers. Many palatial homes call the Lake Tahoe area their home and it’s fun to tour the neighborhood to check out the mansions. Los Angeles The City of Angels is the third-richest city in the world. There is so much here to take in while visiting—entertainment, parks, beaches and tons of shopping! Perhaps the most famous landmark in L.A. is the Hollywood sign and it’s truly a symbol of what the city is about. So many of the attractions here center around the movies, theater and entertainment that develop here. Take some time out to visit the Grove, a wonderful place to shop and buy souvenirs. Beverly Hills, the exclusive neighborhood, is home to many of the richest entertainers in the U.S. and the ritzy Rodeo Drive is located here as well. The Jewish community here is large and boasts many shuls and restaurants. Make sure to take some time out to sample some delicious cuisine. And don’t forget to visit some museums—there is something for everyone here in L.A. The Deserts of California If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation, try visiting the deserts of California. The spas in Desert Hot Springs are unlike another—you can spend days in the swirling waters and under the hot stones. Try hot-air ballooning over Joshua Tree or go bird watching in the Salton Sea. The dunes at Mesquite Flat in the Death Valley are mesmerizing. Visitors can view the crescent, linear or star-shaped dunes while they explore the desert.

91 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov

Ruth & Hyman Simon High School 131 Washington Ave, Lawrence New York 11559 | Phone: 516.374.6465 | Fax: 516.374.1834

Become the Ben Torah you want to be! Molding Bnei Torah in a superior learning environment which is becoming a true Kol Torah for the entire community. Give your son the opportunity to be part of a dynamic yeshiva with challenging Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol academic programs.

Save the date for our upcoming Open House on December 2nd 2012 at 1:30

Interviews have begun!

Contact the Yeshiva Office for an application and appointment.

Rabbeim for Life. Education for Life. Torah for Life.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

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Mesivta Ateres Yaakov

Ruth & Hyman Simon High School

131 Washington Ave, Lawrence New York 11559 | Phone: 516.374.6465 | Fax: 516.374.1834

Pursue your interests and broaden your horizons! Our many Student Life activities include: • Active Student GovernMent and many clubS • Varsity & Intramural SportS and competitions • Mock Trial | torAh bowl | Debate Team | ArIStA • Extensive cheSed program • Torah and other Student publIcAtIonS

Save the date for our upcoming Open House on December 2nd 2012 at 1:30

Interviews have begun! Contact the Yeshiva Office for an application and appointment.

Rabbeim for Life. Education for Life. Torah for Life.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

Classifieds Services CUSTOM SUITS

Expertly tailored hand made custom suits for men Hundreds of fabrics and styles We will come to your home or office day or night Design the suit you've always wanted From $649 Call 516-619-6264 Bubby babysitter available Newborn and up Excellent references - Long hours Centrally located in Far Rockaway TLC 718-327-1932 Lose weight and get back your health Join one of the most well researched weight loss programs Safe and effective Call 347-927-1789 P.S. Looking for weight loss coaches At last now in the Five Towns your own personal floral designer and party decorator. Fresh or silk flowers that look so real you won’t believe your eyes. Available to travel to your home and design something stunning and unique to complement your home and party décor. Call (917) 500-1394 for a personal consultation. Space available in government subsidized day care In Queens/ UPK Program. A frum environment. Hours: Monday- Thursday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Fridays 8:00am-12pm. Breakfast, Lunch and Snack are served daily. Free transportation available. Children must be born in the year 2008 (four year olds). For more information or to apply contact Goldie at 718-846-7300 ext112. Photos 4 your Simcha Professional Photography and Video We love what we do and it shows in our work! We are dedicated to make an everlasting impression! Competitively priced! Check out our website & specials. www.photos4yoursimcha.com or call Yaakov 718-868-1800

Piano Lessons Experienced teacher has slots open for the summer. Learn music theory, play songs by ear and play by notes. Many happy references. Recital at the end of the summer! Email basyagralla@yahoo.com or call 646-573-7137 Want Home cooked food for Shabbos without the Hassle???? Call Alex Idov, personal chef- serving Far Rockaway & Lawrence (678)644-6168 gematria613@aol.com Reasonable rates- Extensive menu options-References available Attention Parents!!! Is your child having a hard time with organization? The school year is here; give your child a head start. For more information, call 718-801-3229 or email judahjdavid@gmail.com

Tutoring Service Available

Experienced math teacher will prepare you for next year on any level you need Shomer Shabbat Call Yossi 516-581-3930

FREE TUTORING/CHAVRUSA with a Rebbe with over 30 years experience. Morning, afternoon, evening hours. Learning in Yesod Yosef Doughty Blvd, Inwood 917-399-5154 Hair Course Learn how to wash and style hair and wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009 3 reasons to use Mileage Doctor 1) You have millions of airline miles and don’t know what to do with them 2) You want millions of airline miles 3) We will even book your mileage tickets and save you the hassle Check out mileagedoctor.weebly.com Tutoring services available Experienced morah at TAG Grades 1-5 (Hebrew and English) For more information please call Mrs. Vilkov 718-337-6141

Tutor 4 You Exp'd, caring Spec. Ed. Teacher (Masters, licensed K-12) Excellent references. Extensive local Yeshiva Experience Mrs. Lieberman 516-569-8074

Eran Photography Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvas, Brisim Family portraits and more Portable studio available Please contact @ 310-766-9105 eranphotography@gmail.com

Experienced Certified Life Coach for Men only Call Chaim 516 924 7694

Yiddish In 10 Lessons All Classes Delivered Via Interactive Tele-conferencing (by phone) Next Class begins on Wednesday August 22 at 8PM For More Information Call Chaim 516-924-7694 conversationalyiddish@gmail.com

Electrician - Chandeliers, Shabbos timers, ceiling fans, AC lines, cameras, intercom work. Call Michael Guberman 917-681-1213 - 24-hour service

"Demonstrating Healthcare with Integrity" Feeling uncomfortable, vulnerable and overwhelmed as to what to do when your loved one comes home from the hospital? We are here for you... SR SENIOR CARE SERVICES, Inc. Give us a call and ask about the services available. 973-592-5601 SRSCS, Inc. will help you solve your Home Health care issues. SRSCS, Inc. is supporter of our clients’ Bill of Rights. 6% OFF GROCERY BILL! A major credit card is offering 6% cash back for groceries all year round with no expiration date. Plus a $150 sign up bonus send a blank email to bonusgelt@gmail.com I will auto-respond with your link Struggling with Shalom Bayis? The Shalom Bayis Hotline 732-523-1112 Caring rabbanim answering your questions for free So far very positive results BS’D! Attention: Schools, Sisterhoods, Party Planners, Etc. Hundreds of beautiful baskets at a fraction of the cost- Up to 90% off! Call 516-374-4646

Real Estate for Sale 3 SHOPPING CENTERS FOR SALE North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama For details and setups .Buyers please contact MELVIN STEINMETZ, Broker mstein100@aol.com Far Rockaway, Brand New 2 fam.

2 BR over 3 BR. Lrg Bsmt. LR/DR C/A, drvway, Walk to the beach. Only $495K. Won't last , buy with as little as 3% down. Call 718-643-7700

Bayswater, New to Market Large ranch, excellent condition, cul-desac, frum block, 4 bedrooms, alarm, large finished basement, 2 zone heat, huge backyard, waterfront view $470K Negotiable/$2,000 Rent Owner- 718-327-7154.

INWOOD/ Apartment for rent

Beautiful 1 Bedroom Apt for rent by owner in Inwood. EIK, Full bath, LR/DR, first floor, private side entrance. Perfect for single or young couple. $1100 all utilities inlcuded. Please contact Avigail @ 718-954-0413 orsilberman.avigail@yahoo.com

Luxury Apartments for Short/Long Term rentals in Miami Newly Renovated, magnificient views. Buildings w shul, shabbos elevator, heated pool, beach & boardwalk access email: miamiluxuryrentals@yahoo.com Inwood Colonial for SALE Remodeled large 4 bd 2 full baths Lv, Fdr Fam Rm,Sun Rm, Huge Bsmt. & yard walking dist to Yeshiva Ketana Only $ 405k E Davenport, Agent 516-513-4099 Moonlight Cottages, Modern Orthodox, beautiful, newly renovated and expanded, furnished, 3BR, 2 full bath large wrap-around porch, 2 pools, separate swimming available, great day camp. Call 718-353-2334

Bayswater- massive 2 family home in a great area, close to all the shuls, beautiful cabinets & granite counter tops, lots of bedrooms, all tiled bathrooms, hardwood flooring all through the house, fireplace, etc., needs tlc, very motivated seller, asking 449k, call Yitzchok 847-691-6397.

Far Rockaway. brand New Construction, 2fam house, Lrg 3BR, 2baths over 6BR, 3baths, Lrg LV/DR, C/A, drvway, huge bsmt. Walk to the beach. Only $765K. Call 718-643-7700

House For Sale in Far Rockaway Fully detached, move in condition, four bedrooms, one and half bathrooms, enclosed yard, eat in kitchen. Asking $575,000. 516-234-8665

TJH TJH CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS Post your Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services, Misc. ads here every Thurs. Weekly classified ads up to 5 lines and/or 25 words 1 Week………………$20 - $10 2 Weeks……….……$35 - $17.50 4 Weeks…………….$60 - $30

Call or Text 443-929-4003 Or email ads to:

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Include valid credit card info

Deadline Monday 5:00pm

Real Estate For Rent Far Rockaway Room for Rent Furnished bedroom with full bathroom available in 2BR apartment. Available immediately . (Heimish) Female only. $500/month including utilities

Contact miri @ 718-327-5153

Belle Harbor Area Beach 118 St. Extra large modern 2 room studio apt. Furnished or unfurnished Short or long term Near Boardwalk, Shuls, Yeshiva, shopping, all transportation. Owner 917 543 0497

95 Hewlett Neck Ocean Front Mansion for Rent 9,000 square feet, fully furnished, with TV and WiFi Sleeps 20, kosher kitchen, inside eruv, walk to all shuls Can rent weekly or monthly, Perfect for any Simcha or vacationers Call 631-484-6781 For rent 2 bedroom apartment Far rockaway near BBY Available NOW Kosher Kitchen New appliances Call 516-225-4558 Real Estate for Rent/Sale Cedarhurst colonial in excellent condition Three Bedrooms 1 Bath - Den, cellar, fenced backyard close walk to synagogues Call 516-569-4628 or 516-547-8930 (cell)

Gemachs Seeking to donate 2 family house in Little Falls, NY to a non-profit organization. Accepting Offers.718-974-9428

INWOOD BAIS MEDRASH for rent INWOOD GYM for rent Complete Beis Medrash ideal for Kollel or small Yeshiva. Fully equiped gym. Both 1 1/2 blocks from LIRR. free parking 917-399-5154

Business Opportunity

Office space available for rent in Lawrence by owner. Shared waiting room with other health related professionals. Utilities covered and internet access available. mymanagement360@yahoo.com

Change your health and wealth Partner with young couple to build viable home based business Can earn $100,000 in first 18 months Excellent training Call 347-333-1789

Cedarhurst Colonial in Excellent condition 3 bedrooms, 1Bath, den, cellar Fenced backyard, close walk to shuls Rent 2250 Sale 300S Call 516-569-4628 Cell 516-547-8930 3 Bedroom Apt. For Rent Far Rockaway Near Kollel and Shuls In a 3 family house on 3rd floor, also basement ideal for office Sunny apt. with 2 porches Available August Call 516-225-4558 1st floor apt on beach 9th $1300 a month includes heat and water perfect for young couple washer & dryer hook up Walking distance to lirr for more info call or text 347-637-8346

Online Trainers Wanted Learn to operate a Mini-Office Outlet from home. Free online training, flexible hours, great income. www.SelectFreedom.net

Can you spare it? Donate it. Clear out a closet and help a needy Heimishe family today. Tax deductible receipts available upon request. Call (866) GIVE2LIVE(448-3254)

Job Available Midyear opening at TAG High School for teacher proficient in global and/or European history. Up to five periods a day available. Relevant degree and experience required. Email resume to mshepard@tagschools.org.

Long Island Yeshiva looking for a full time administrative assistant. Proficient in Microsoft Office 2 years minimum experience required. Email resume penpaperpaperclip@yahoo.com

Firm in 5 Town area seeking

Experienced P-3 Provider, with M.S. in Education and Permanent N.Y. State Teacher Certification- Available to work with students in all grades Mondays through Thursdays- mornings until 11 A.M. and anytime after 5:30 P.M.; and Sundays anytime Please call Tsivia: 516-526-2385

Seeking administrative assistant in the educational office of a growing Five Towns boy's yeshiva. This position requires dynamic organization and administrative skills, strong computer and people skills, and having an educational experience is a plus. Please send resumes to facultyposition2012@gmail.com

Misc.

motivated individual to handle AR/collections and general office work, must be organized, detailed oriented and professional, excellent salary + benefit package and room for growth, please email resume to jobopening36@gmail.com

Res. Hab. Positions Available Work part time with a special needs young adult. Pays $14 an hour No Certification Necessary. Great opportunity to do Chesed and get paid at the same time Call Metropolitan 718-633-3334 ext. 0

Executive Assistant: PT, Exec Assis for Lawrence office, Must have superb organizational & phone skills. Micr.Office experience, ability to sched & acquire appointments with top CEO's. Ability to multi-task a must. Email resume to chayaweinberg@yahoo.com. Leaders in Online Jewish Marketing are hiring Sales Superstars. Do you fit the bill? Send your resume to sales@thejmg.com or call us @ 646-351-1808 x 111 Looking for Shadow/tutor in five towns girls yeshiva high school Please call 347-524-3864

Seeking Job

Lost white gold diamond bracelet/covered watch either at Kennedy Airport or in Boro Park. If found please call 347.578.4165 A piece of jewelry was found on July 19th in Cedarhurst, on the street near LIRR station. If you know who it belongs to, please contact rwilam@gmail.com. We are looking to replace our reserved spot in a 3 year old play group in Far Rockaway. The play group is well established and is a warm, caring and educational environment suitable for boys and girls that turn 3 years old in 2012. The playgroup hours are 9AM1PM Monday â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Thursday and 9AM -12PM on Erev Shabbos. Please contact Yael Gladstone @718-471-2751 for more information. The Yeshiva of Far Rockaway admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other schooladministered programs.

For Sale by Owner Huge 2 Family House In heart of Far Rockaway Completely renovated large 4 bedroom apt. Over very spacious 3 bedroom apt. Oversized property Lots of parking

Lots of children on block Near shuls and schools

Please call 917-929-3241

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n n o v e m b e r 1 , 2012

House for sale in Oceanside by owner Large Americana split with panoramic views of Middlebay Golf Course All new kitchen and bathrooms 4BR 3.5 baths huge den and sunroom 516-536-0079

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