January 3, 2013 by The Jewish Home

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Around the Community The Agudath Israel Convention: 100 Years Since the Founding of the Agudas Yisroel Movement

THEJEWISHHOME A PUBLICATION OF THE FIVE TOWNS & QUEENS COMMUNITY January 3 - January 9, 2013 | Distributed

Weekly In The Five Towns, Queens & Brooklyn

Nochi Krohn Chocolate and Music: A Recipe for Happiness Page 66

Page 38

Jewish Fellowships Hosts Annual Winter Break Fellowship Page 51

Father-Daughter Learning at Shalhevet Page 60

Thinking Out of the Box at Gan Chamesh

Page 43

MAY Seniors Receive High Honors at YU Page 60

Pesach / Travel Section

The Emancipation Proclamation 150 Years Since Lincoln’s Message of Hope Page 75

Starting on Page 100

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Contents >>Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 >>Community Readers’ Poll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Community Happenings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

>> News Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Odd-but-True Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

>> Israel Israel News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 My Israel Home: Pros and Cons of Buying “On Paper”. . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

>> People Nochi Krohn—Chocolate and Music: A Recipe for Happiness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 The Emancipation Proclamation: 150 Years Since Lincoln’s Message of Hope. . . . . . 75 The World That Was: The Story of Lola Lieber . . . 94

>>Parsha The Shmuz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

>> Jewish Thought Chosson Schmooze, by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Ask the Rabbi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

>>Parenting

Dear Readers, Every year, there are many things that I’d like to accomplish. And yet, it seems as if those things easily get pushed off—for next month, until the weather is warmer, until the kids are older—and then a whole year goes by without any of my dreams being fulfilled. Rosh Hashana is the perfect time to work on spiritual goals and aim for a closer connection with Hashem. But I feel that January 1st is the opportune time for me to focus on other goals—my more “worldly” goals. This year, I am looking forward to doing more exercise (anything that I end up doing will be a great accomplishment since I haven’t visited the gym in months!), eating healthier (time to bring out the quinoa), and saving more for the future (here’s to looking forward to retirement). I am like most Americans. It almost seems as if I have these same thoughts at the start of every year and then, as months go by, I end up the year with broken dreams. But this year is going to be different (no joke!). There are proven methods to help people accomplish their goals and keep their New Year’s resolutions. Take a look at Susan Schwamm’s guide in this week’s issue. She almost guarantees success if one follows these steps. I am now looking forward to 2013, as I know that I will end the year healthier, more fit and more financially secure. On a more humorous note, check out this week’s Centerfold for the Centerfold Commissioner’s New Year’s resolutions. He is looking forward to quite a productive 2013. January 1st marked the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. My husband loves to read about history and he is now in the midst of a lengthy book about our revered President, Abraham Lincoln. Not only was Lincoln a visionary and a wonderful politician, but he was able to keep the country together at a time when the ties connecting the North and South were so tenuous. He was not afraid to stand up for his ideals and to correct injustices that were prevalent in society at that time. The Krohn brothers are well-known in our community. The family probably works in the two most fun industries— the chocolate and the music business. Both chocolate and music are loved by all and make people happy. I was lucky to have them play by my wedding, and their enthusiasm for their music added to the spirited simcha on that night. My son is a huge fan of their music and their tunes have accompanied us on many family trips. Malky Lowinger was able to sit down with one of the Krohn brothers, Nochi, to speak with him about their passion for song and sweets. Aside from being interesting, it will surely provide insight about how to bring out our children’s latent talents. As always, we love to hear from you, our readers. Please feel free to reach out to me at editor@fivetownsjewishhome. com. Have a great week! Shoshana

Social Smarts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Yitzy Halpern

The Best Toys for Your Tots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

>>Health

Publisher

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Classifieds

Do Not Panic – If Your Child Has the Flu, by David Elazar Simai, MD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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, January 4 Parshas Shemos — Candle Lighting: 4:24 Shabbos Ends: 5:27 Rabbeinu Tam: 5:54

Travel: Indiana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

>> Lifestyles New Year’s Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Congratulations, You’ve Joined the Brigade!, by Rivki Rosenwald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shabbos Z’manim

Recipes: The Aussie Gourmet: Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Editorial Assistant

>> Food & Leisure

Room for Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Shoshana Soroka

Nate Davis

classifieds@fivetowns jewishhome.com 443-929-4003

Great Expectations, by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD. . . . 83

Yosef Feinerman

managing editor

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Weekly Weather sun. Jan. 6

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Ask the Attorney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

>> Humor Centerfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

>> Art From My Private Art Collection: Art Inspiration for the Year 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

High

>> Political Crossfire

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Notable Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

>> Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

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.

To the Editor, Of late we have read full page ads signed by scores of Roshei HaYeshivas acknowledging the statistical disparity of the number of girls seeking boys to marry. The problem is too many girls in the market because the boys do not start dating until around 23 while girls send out resumes while barely back a few months from post high school education. Ergo the Letter’s recommendation: let the boys start dating younger. An equally logical solution for this arithmetical conundrum would be to discourage the girls from dating at such a ridiculously young age. Alas, we won’t because o f fear. The blame for this unpleasant situation we parents now face is of our own doing or in the words of the comic strip Pogo: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Most of us laymen parents readily recognize the answer and viscerally do not agree with the Letter’s espoused recommendation. Why should our sons, many who only acquire the skills to seriously learn with a geshmack around the age of 20 be encouraged to father children and support wives when they have not

learned more than few gemarras and small portions of Halacha. As a father of three sons ( 2 in kollel and one in Bais Medrash) I see how they became accomplished learners in the early 20’s. They could not have acquired those skills with familial responsibilities thrust on them too soon. Of the girls, we foist on them such weighty burdens: they are to make money while their husbands learn, run a house and take care of children, all without even a bachelors’ degree let alone a masters’ – and they marry with no savings to boot. Why don’t we give our daughters time to mature, figure out what they really want out of a husband and their lives? We too often see that young marriages lead to young divorces. Let them grow up! Why not make a rule of no dating for girls under 21? That could alleviate much of the mess we have created as effectively as that endorsed in the aforementioned Letter. Abba S. Novak Lawrence, NY Dear Editor, I want to share with our community a disturbing fact regarding therapy

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the Editor in our neighborhood. In addition to the fact that many qualified therapists choose to service other neighborhoods as the therapists in our schools earn less per hour than in Boro Park and Williamsburg, our district instituted a new policy this year that further reduces the compensation for our dedicated therapists. Children between ages 3-5 must be serviced through an agency as of this September. As a therapist who is happy to travel far and work under ad agency who is guiding me through the beginning of my career, I value the work of an agency. However, this rule is unnecessary and damaging. We have therapists who have been working in our schools for years. We do not need an agency to recruit therapists for us, and the therapists do not need the agency to find them cases in a school with which they have a positive working relationship for over ten years. The only possible outcome is to cause these same therapists to leave our schools, leaving us with low quality therapists. As a parent of a child, as a taxpayer, and yes, as a therapist who would want to, in five or ten years, provide skilled services to my own community, closer to my home, I

find this policy disturbing. Let us work as a unit, and let our districts know that we want to be part of the choice as to where our tax dollars are being spent. Is it to an agency so the owners can become wealthy—or is it to our neighbors, our school, and our children? Call your district and call the Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder at 718-9459550 or at goldfeder@assembly.state. ny.us. Sincerely, A Parent of a Child Who Receives Services Dear Editor, Kudos to you on a wonderful, insightful “year in review” feature. What an informative and fun read! Larry Kleiner West Hempstead, NY

Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home.

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The Week Global The Republic of “Banistan”

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is home to 180 million people and is the sixth most populous country in the world. Years ago, it was considered a democratic haven for India’s minority Muslim population. Now, the country is dangerously religious. The state has

found ways to ban almost anything that it sees as a threat to itself or to Islam. Some have even begun to refer to the country as “Banistan.” Babar Sattar, a Harvard-educated lawyer, is one of “Zia’s Children” — the generation that grew up during the 1970s and 1980s when the culture of forbiddance took root through ironclad legislation passed by the country’s Islamist dictator of the time, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. He explained the pervasive culture found in Pakistan. “The proclivity to ban is the continuing manifestation of expanding religion-driven morality at the expense of personal liberty. We don’t even recognize that there exists a need not to allow collective outrage or shame to pillage individual rights.” Over the years, much has been banned and we take you on a journey through items that may seem mundane but have been considered offensive in this Muslim country. Alcohol has been banned since the 1970’s; a true Muslim does not drink. Booze, though, is still available for the well-connected and the rich. Blackber-

In News ry services have been banned since May of 2010 when hundreds of websites were banned for blasphemous content that appeared on social network sites. Youtube has been banned, although its competitor Vimeo is not listed under the ban. Cellphones have been banned as well, although this was done more as a safety measure; officials wished to prevent handsets being used to detonate suicide bombs. In the same vein, coats and shawls were at one point banned to help officials detect suicide bombers. Some foods have been banned as well. Pork products, which Muslims do not eat, are prohibited. Products such as Pepsi, which are seen as being “Jewish,” are banned as well. Hair has become a subject of conflict. At one point, rock bands with long hair were banned. In the 2000s, the Taliban would bomb and fine barber shops for shaving men. India and Pakistan have been longtime foes and all things “Indian”—including news channels, newspapers, and media—are banned. India has a reciprocal ban in its country as well. Marriages are placed under control as well. Only one entrée is allowed at a wedding feast now—the country was once home to elaborate and extravagant weddings. Certain parties are not allowed in one’s home including “Marriages Ceremony” and “Dance Party.” Thankfully, you can still celebrate your birthday at home. Birthday parties are not listed under the ban. Some movies have been banned including The Da Vinci Code and Zero Dark Thirty which tells the tale of the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound. Just recently, the Taliban banned vaccinations against polio. Even though Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world to still have this fatal disease, the Taliban has claimed that the inoculations are a cover for U.S. espionage. I guess Mayor Bloomberg’s ban on soda seems trivial compared to what some are faced across the globe.

Russia Declares Beer to be Alcohol Beer is no longer a food. Yes, you heard right. Russia has declared that starting in 2013, beer is now considered an alcohol and not a food. This means that it can only be served in licensed outlets—not in street kiosks or bus stations. For years, Russians have been able to buy their beer almost anywhere stores sold food. Now, regula-

tions will make it harder to find a place to purchase the beer and they won’t be able to purchase it from shops between 11pm and 8am. Beer commercials will be prohibited as well. This measure is the government’s effort at reducing alcohol abuse in Russia, where one in five male deaths is linked to booze. Former President Dmitri Medvedev has called the Russian lifestyle a “national calamity.” “We are used to smoking, drinking, eating a poor diet and doing little sport and then falling ill, and expect to be operated on or take pills to get better,” Nikolai Gerasimenko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament’s health committee, has said. “That’s got to stop.” Some have said that the new regulation can promote even unhealthier habits. “It will be tougher if you want to buy a beer on the way home from work, or pop down from your apartment,” Isaac Sheps, chairman of the Union of Russian Brewers, said. “So you have to stock at home. And stocking beer is more problematic than stocking vodka. It’s bulky, it’s big and there’s no room for it in small homes. It’s much easier to buy two bottles of vodka and manage for your instant need for alcohol. So it’s quite ironic that this attempt to improve health and lower alcoholism could have the opposite effect and cause people to drink more harmful spirits,” Sheps said. Vodka is the drink of choice in Russia. The beverage accounts for almost 50 percent of the alcohol sales; beer only accounts for 32 percent of alcohol purchases. L’chaim!

Bush 41 Alive and Kicking Because of the last-minute, hectic pace of the newspaper industry, there are times when newspapers make mistakes. Some are trivial, some are significant, and some are humorous. But last week, Germany’s respected news weekly Der Spiegel mistakenly published an obituary that made readers pause. An unfinished obituary of former

U.S. President George H. W. Bush appeared on its website for a few minutes before eagle-eyed readers caught the error. The former president has been hospitalized recently and was moved from intensive care to a regular hospital room when his condition improved. The 88-year-old is still alive and hopefully will be around for a few more years.

The 75-year-old said he fears that the next generation of inventors is being lost, with young people often unable to make anything with their hands. Mr. Baylis feels, “Children have got to be taught hands-on, and not to become mobile phone or computer dependent. They should use computers as and when, but there are so many people playing with their computers nowadays that spend all their time sitting there with a stomach.” He says that internet searches are less beneficial than we think. “They are dependent on Google searches. A lot of kids will become fairly brain-dead if they become so dependent on the Internet, because they will not be able to do things the old-fashioned way,” he states. How do you play with Lego again?

“I’m Older!” “NO! I AM!” The paper does not hold the former leader of the free world in high regard. The magazine’s New York correspondent called Bush a “colorless politician” whose image only improved when compared to his son’s presidency years later. It’s true that Bush Sr. did not win reelection, but he was a war hero whose plane was hit over shark-infested waters during World War II and was miraculously saved by a lifeguard submarine. He was the Ambassador to the United Nations, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, the Envoy to China, the Director of the Central Intelligence, and the Vice President for eight years before winning the presidency in 1988. Always someone who loves to be on the move, Bush 41 famously skydived on his 80th and 85th birthdays.

Inventor Worries about “Google Generation”

One of Britain’s leading inventors has warned that a “Google generation” that relies on the Internet for everything is in danger of becoming “brain-dead.” Trevor Baylis, who invented the windup radio, said children are losing creativity and practical skills because they spend too much time in front of screens.

China and Japan are constantly struggling over territory, politics and economic dominance – but now it appears the two Asian giants could have found another topic to fight about. Earlier this month, a Japanese man was officially declared the world’s oldest living person at 115, but China is fielding an alternative candidate for the title. This week, an official news agency reported claims that a Chinese woman named Luo Meizhen is 127-years-old, which would make her the record-holder by a large margin. Ms. Luo lives in Guangxi region’s Bama County, an area famous for the longevity of its residents. Her ID card claims she was born in 1885, but she does not have a birth certificate to prove this. She lives with her son, whom she says she gave birth to when she was 61. If Ms. Luo is truly 127, that would make her the oldest person ever to have lived, beating Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122. It is unclear how aggressively China intends to pursue the centenarian’s re-

In News cord claim, but it has the potential to become another bone of contention between the country and its rival power. Even if Ms. Luo does not manage to wrest the title from Mr. Kimura, interest in her home county will undoubtedly continue as it draws thousands of visitors seeking to discover the secret behind the long lives of its 74 residents aged more than 100.

Statue of Hitler in Warsaw Ghetto A statue of Adolph Hitler kneeling in prayer was erected in a courtyard in the former Warsaw Ghetto. This is an audacious act as in this very spot hundreds of thousands of Jews were forced by Nazis to live in inhumane conditions during the Holocaust. Obviously, many are extremely angered by the statue’s placement and find it disgustingly offensive. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish Advocacy group, described the decision to place the statue in the former ghetto as “a

senseless provocation which insults the memory of the Nazi’s Jewish victims.” Organizers make a pathetic argument claiming that the statue is intended to be thought-provoking. The exhibition’s catalogue says art “can force us to face the evil of the world.” The statue was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan in 2001 and is titled, “HIM.” It has attracted thousands of viewers since it was installed in Warsaw in November. The statue depicts a schoolboy kneeling in prayer. The head is made to indiscreetly resemble Hitler’s. Before being installed in Poland, the statue was shown in galleries, usually at the end of a long hallway with its back to viewers. Viewers were only able to recognize Hitler’s face when they were in close proximity to the sculpture. Reportedly, Poland’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Michael Schudrich, was consulted about the installation, and said he believes it has educational value. Rather than support Hitler, Schudrich felt it shows that evil even lurks in the shape of a “sweet praying child.” I find it to be repulsive.

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Sweaters Raise $123K for Myanmar’s Opposition Party

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Myanmar’s cash-strapped opposition party is tapping into the prestige of its leader. Two sweaters hand-knit by Aung San Suu Kyi have been auctioned for $123,000. A green-and-white sweater with a floral design sold at a Friday night auction to an anonymous bidder for 63 million kyat, or $74,120.On Thursday, a multicolored V-neck raised another $49,000. Both sweaters were knitted by Suu Kyi at least 25 years ago when she was living in England and raising her two children. “She made them when she was busy working, studying and taking care of her children,” close aide Ko Ni said. “She wants to send the message that people should not stay idle but be diligent.” Suu Kyi has not publicly reacted to the success of her party’s two-day fundraiser, but sources say she was delighted with the results. “Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is satisfied with the auction and the donations received,” Ko Ni said. “She needs a lot of cash to carry out projects for the welfare of the people.” Daw is a term of respect in Myanmar. The auction was part of a fundraising event organized by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party to raise money for education of poor children and health projects in Myanmar, an impoverished Southeast Asian nation also known as Burma. Suu Kyi, a 67-year-old former political prisoner and winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has become Myanmar’s biggest celebrity as the country transitions from a half-century of military rule. The proud new owner of the $49,000 red, green and blue V-neck said, “It is priceless because the sweater was made my ‘Amay’ herself,” said Daw Nan Mauk Lao Sai, chairwoman of Shwe FM radio station. “I bought the sweater because I value the warmth and security

Pictures are worth a thousand words…and words can’t begin to depict the hilariousness of this situation. Citizens of Ibi, Spain, annually celebrate the Els Enfarinats festival with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers. The fight takes place between two groups: a group of married men called “Els Enfarinats” which take the control of the village for one day, pronouncing ridiculous laws and fining the citizens that infringe them, and a group called “La Oposicio” which tries to restore order. At the end of the day, the money collected from the fines is donated to charitable causes in the village. The town of Ibi recovered the 200-year-old tradition in 1981 and has been celebrating since. Family game night has gone to a whole new level…

U. S. Closes Embassy in Central African Republic The State Department has decided to shut the embassy in the Central African Republic. The ambassador and his diplomatic team were ordered to leave the country. The decision is due to the escalation of rebel violence. Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale, a Pentagon spokesman, said that at the State Department’s request, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had directed U.S. Africa Command to evacuate U.S. citizens and designated foreign nationals from the U.S. Embassy in Bangui “to safe havens in the region.” About 40 people were evacuated on an U.S. Air Force plane bound for Kenya. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the U.S. Embassy had temporarily suspended operations, but not diplomatic relations with the

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The Week country. “This decision is solely due to concerns about the security of our personnel and has no relation to our continuing and long-standing diplomatic relations” with the Central African Republic, Ventrell said in a statement. The State Department also warned U.S. citizens against traveling to the Central African Republic, saying it could not “provide protection or routine consular services to U.S. citizens.” The departure of Ambassador Laurence Wohlers and his staff comes as the president of the Central African Republic on Thursday urgently called on France and other foreign powers to help his government fend off rebels who are quickly seizing territory and approaching the capital city, but French officials declined to offer any more military assistance. There are about 200 French soldiers already in the region, providing technical support and helping to train the local army. Rebels have seized at least 10 towns across the sparsely populated north, and residents in the capital of 600,000 people fear insurgents could attack at any time.

Mothers Beaten After Giving Birth for Not Paying Bills

In News The mothers owed $60 and $160 each. Allegedly, guards with sticks beat the mothers who tried to leave without paying their bills, one of the women said. Omondi says one solution to the problem would be a national health insurance program.

Russian Plane Splits into Three Pieces The director of the Pumwani Maternity Hospital, located in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, openly acknowledges that he detains mothers who are unable to pay their medical bills. Lazarus Omondi claims it’s the only way he can keep his medical center running. A New York-based human rights group filed a lawsuit this month in the hopes of forcing Pumwani to stop the practice. Two mothers who live in a mudwall and tin-roof slum near the maternity hospital said Pumwani wouldn’t let them leave after delivering their babies.

A Russian airliner split into three pieces after it slid off the runway and crashed onto a highway outside Moscow on December 29. At least four of the 12 crew onboard were killed and another four were hospitalized. There were no passengers on the aircraft.

The chunks of aircraft were smoking on the icy road. Media footage showed the Tupolev 204 jet, broken into pieces, with smoke billowing from the tail end and the cockpit broken clean off the front. Rubble from the crash was scattered across the highway and the plane’s wings were torn from the fuselage. “We saw how the plane skidded off the runway ... The nose, where business class is, broke off and a man fell out,” said a witness, who gave his name as Alexei. “We helped him get into a minibus to take him to the hospital.” The mid-range Tu-204 was operated by the Russian airline Red Wings and was traveling from the Czech Republic. The Russian-built Tu-204, which is comparable in size to a Boeing 757 or Airbus A321, is a Soviet-era design that was produced in the mid-1990s but is no longer being made. There have been no major accidents previously reported with Tu-204s. Russian investigators said preliminary findings pointed to pilot error as the cause of the crash. Russia and other former Soviet republics had some of the world’s worst air-traffic safety records last year, with

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raeli officials claim that the goal of easing restrictions is to ensure the longevity of the cease-fire. Experts feel that the discussions will breed open communication with the new Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi who is believed to be crucial in order to preserve the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.

a total accident rate almost three times the world average, the International Air Transport Association said.

Israel Muslim Brotherhood Invites Jews Back to Egypt

Essam al-Erian, the deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, called on Egyptian Jews to leave Israel to the Palestinians and return to their own homeland. The message is one of a mixed attitude towards Jews. On the one hand, Erian welcomes Jews to live in his country. On the other, Jews in Israel are still viewed as illegal occupiers and there is a prevailing feeling of antiSemitism found in Egypt. “Their presence in Palestine contributes to the Zionist occupation of Arab lands, and every Egyptian has the right to live in his country — nobody can deny that,” Erian said during an interview on a privately operated television station on Thursday. “Egyptian Jews should refuse to live under a brutal, bloody and racist occupation stained with war crimes against humanity,” Erian said.

Palestinian Survey Shows True Feelings For all the talk of an alleged Israeli-perpetrated “holocaust” against the Arabs of the region, a recent survey demonstrated that the vast majority of Palestinians know full well that Israelis don’t want to kill them. The survey was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research among a sampling of Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews.

In News

Israeli respondents were asked what they believed the long-term goals of the Palestinians to be. Forty-two percent said they believe the Palestinians, or at least those groups that hold power, want to ultimately conquer all of the Land of Israel and destroy the Jewish population. Conversely, Palestinian respondents were not given an option that included Israel killing all local Arabs. Instead, the worst option Palestinian respondents could choose was that Israel wants to annex the so-called West Bank and either expel or deny political rights to its Arab population. That discrepancy was curious to Israeli media analyst Dr. Aaron Lerner, who wrote to the PCPSR for an explanation. Waleed Ladadweh, a researcher at the PCPSR, responded that after years of asking both sides about “their perceptions of the other party’s ambitions,” the survey group had been able to more tightly focus the questions and ignore irrelevant options. In other words, according to the PCPSR, there simply aren’t enough Palestinian Arabs who truly believe Israel wants to annihilate them to bother including such an option in its surveys.

Israel Allows Goods Into Gaza Israel is definitely the nice guy in this conflict…. On Sunday, Israel allowed 20 truckloads carrying building materials into Gaza for use by the private sector. This permit was granted as part of the ceasefire deal agreed upon in November. Israeli officials said that construction materials would now be allowed in on a daily basis via the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza. The easing of restrictions on imports is a result of continuing talks in Cairo meant to anchor the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. In return for Israel being more lax about the importation of goods, Egypt is supposed to help prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. Is-

Terrorists Get Big Visitor in Jail The evil man who orchestrated the 2002 suicide bombing of a Pesach Seder at a hotel in Netanya that killed 35 people got a visit in prison on Thursday, December 27 from Ibrahm Sarsur. Sarsur is the Chairman of one of Israel’s largest Arab political parties, United Arab List. Abbas Al-Sayyid is serving 35 life sentences at the Hadarim Detention Center. Sarsur told Israeli media that he met with the terrorist to discuss Palestinian national unity and to observe prison conditions following a hunger strike

earlier in the month by Al-Sayyid. This isn’t the first time Al-Sayyid went on hunger strikes to get attention. In March, he went on strike to protest his treatment by Israeli prison staff. Earlier this month, he said his objective for a hunger strike was to show solidarity for two prisoners released in last year’s Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal, who were then rearrested (for valid reasons). Sarsur also visited another murderer, Kareem Younis. Younis is serving a life sentence for his participation in the 1981 murder of Israeli Corporal Avraham Bromberg. Wonder what Sarsur’s true agenda is…

Infant Almost Killed By Palestinian Stone-Thrower An Israeli Jewish infant was nearly killed on Sunday morning when a Palestinian youth hurled a large stone through the windshield of the car in which the baby was traveling. The Continued on page 22

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The Week baby’s father reported the incident, saying that the whole family was in the car driving through Samaria when the attack occurred. The stone smashed through the front windshield and landed just inches from the child. “I do not even want to think what would happen if the rock had hit the baby,” the distressed father said. Two other young children were also in the car. Israeli soldiers stationed nearby initially closed the road and launched a manhunt for the perpetrator, but were forced by Israeli police to abandon the search. They often complain of misbehavior by a police department that is unsympathetic to the dangers they face while living in an area claimed by the Palestinian Arabs. In other words, the police hierarchy leans to the left, and is generally “anti-settler.” Perhaps even more frustrating is the complete lack of mainstream media coverage of such attacks, which have been happening with much greater frequency of late. Unless someone is killed or badly injured, roadside stone-throw-

ing attacks against Jewish motorists are ignored.

National New York is the Place to Be!

This year, New York City attracted 52 million tourists—a record all-time high and a 2.1 percent increase over 2011. These tourists didn’t just come

In News with their cameras; they spent $36.9 billion and created an estimated $55.3 billion in economic impact. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a set a goal of 55 million visitors and $70 billion in economic impact by 2015, in an effort to promote the New York economy without relying on Wall Street, and he is very close to reaching that goal. Since 2006, the mayor has been hard at work, creating 18 marketing offices around the world to promote tourism to the Big Apple. “The tourism industry is thriving, creating thousands of jobs for New Yorkers at all rungs of the economic ladder,” Bloomberg announced. “We are well on our way to achieving our new goal.” This year, 17 new hotels opened their doors and even so, the hotel occupancy in the city averaged a whopping 87 percent, the highest in the nation. There are now 91,500 hotels in the city. I guess everybody wants a bite of the Big Apple.

Want to Live Long? Get Angry!

All of us experience anger from time to time and each person has their own way of coping with these strong feelings. Some people hold it in while others fiercely let it out. Medical research is suggesting that the healthier option may be to let it all out. Researchers Marcus Mund and Kristin Mitte at the University of Jena in Germany claim that the latest findings may explain why the hotheaded Continued on page 26

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The Week Italians and Spanish live almost two years longer than the cool English who “keep calm and carry on.” Research indicates that’s self-restraint and withholding negative emotions could affect a person’s physical and mental well-being. After analyzing more than 6,000 patients, Mund and Mitte found that people who internalized their anxiety suffered from an elevated pulse. Researchers say that over time, a raised pulse can result in high blood pressure and increase a person’s risk of developing a wide range of conditions like heart disease, cancer, kidney damage, and other ailments. The new study, published in the journal Health Psychologies, reveals that a group of so-called “repressors” are particularly at risk. “These people are distinguished by the way that they attempt to conceal outward signs of fear, and also by their defensive behavior,” Mund said. “They avoid risks and always seek a high level of control over themselves and their surroundings,” he explained. “For instance, when exposed to a stressful task they exhibit a higher heart rate and pulse ratio than non-re-

pressors and show other objective signs of stress and anxiety.” However there is a medical upside to being a “repressor.” Researchers found that while “repressors” are at risk for developing certain illnesses, they have faster rates of recovering from a range of conditions because they are more disciplined and more motivated to adapt their lifestyles. Where’s my punching bag?

Chicago Had More Homicides Than New York in 2012 “The number of murders this year will be lower than any time in recorded [New York] city history,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced. The number of homicides in the city this year fell to 414, which is the fewest murders since it started keeping such statistics in 1963. While Bloomberg celebrated the good news, a couple of hundred miles

In News east in Chicago, police were forced to log the 500th homicide of the year 2012. In total, Chicago had 532 murders in the year of 2012. Bank robberies nearly doubled from 2011 to 2012.

There were more homicides this year in Chicago than in New York, a city with three times the population. That means Chicagoans were proportionally 3.7 times more likely to be homicide victims than New Yorkers were in 2012. “We’ve obviously seen, as a city, our shootings and our homicides going in a different direction,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said this month at a graduation ceremony for police recruits, vow-

ing, “We will not rest” until that trend is reversed. Meanwhile, in New York, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that his force is focusing on prevention to decrease the New York homicide rate. Overall New York saw a decrease in homicides by 19.6 percent while Chicago had 15.6 percent more. There are two factors that may have contributed to the change. New York’s police budget held steady in fiscal 2012, at about $4.6 billion. By contrast, Chicago cut $67 million from the $1.3 billion police budget, a 5 percent reduction. The other factor is commitment. New York City is resolutely focused on getting illegal guns off the street. Recently, Commissioner Kelly stressed that point, saying his officers had taken 8,000 weapons “out of the hands of people we stop, 800 of them illegal handguns.” “We’re preventing crimes before someone is killed and before someone else has to go to prison for murder or other serious crimes,” he said. Bloomberg made a similar point,

singling out what he called the city’s renewed commitment to Operation Impact, a 2003 state initiative that pairs new police recruits with veteran officers in specific high-crime areas. The city’s participation “reflects our commitment to doing everything possible to stop gun violence,” he said. Bloomberg referred to Manhattan as “the safest big city in America.”

Survivor of Sandy Hook Shooting Sues for $100M

The state Board of Education, Department of Education, and State Education Commissioner failed to protect the child “from foreseeable harm,” including failing to provide a safe school setting, the filing said. It also said the parties failed to review and carefully scrutinize annual strategic school profile reports from the local school district and Sandy Hook Elementary as well as “other submissions with respect to student safety and emergency response planning and protocol.” It says the parties also failed to require the school and local Board of Education to formulate and implement an effective student safety emergency response plan. The attorney said he hasn’t gotten a reply from the state yet.

Circus Gets More Than Peanuts From Activists

New Haven attorney Irving Pinsky is suing the State of Connecticut for $100 million on behalf of a 6-year-old Newtown school shooting survivor who witnessed the violence in Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14. The innocent child heard horrifying screams over the school’s intercom system. Pinky says the potential claim is not about money but about improving school security. “It’s about living in a world that’s safe,” Pinsky said. “The answer is about protecting the kids.” Pinsky asked to sue the state, which has immunity against most lawsuits unless it gives a party permission to go forward with a claim. Connecticut’s Claims Commissioner couldn’t be reached for comment. Pinsky’s client, whom he refers to as “Jill Doe” in order to protect the minor’s privacy, sustained “emotional and psychological trauma and injury” on December 14 after gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and callously killed 20 children and six adults. The child heard “conversations, gunfire and screaming” over Sandy Hook’s intercom after someone in the office apparently switched on the system, according to the claim. Pinsky did not specify whether his client actually saw anyone die.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be paid $9.3 million by an animal rights group. The circus filed a lawsuit after courts discovered that activists bribed a former circus employee, Tom Rider, to give misinformation claiming that the circus abused elephants. The group accused the circus of violating the federal Endangered Species Act by allegedly chaining the elephants for extended periods of time and allowing trainers to use sharp tools called bullhooks. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals refused to admit any wrongdoing in settling the lawsuit. The New York-based animal rights group was one of several involved in a lawsuit filed in 2000 against the circus’ owner, Feld Entertainment Inc., claiming elephants were abused. Courts later found that the animal rights activists had paid a former Ringling barn helper involved in the lawsuit at least $190,000, making him “essentially a paid plaintiff” who lacked credibility. The Vienna, Virgina-based circus company sued the animal rights groups and Rider in 2007, accusing them of conspiring to harm the company’s business and other illegal acts. The lawsuit claims the groups were working together with the goal of permanently banning Asian elephants from circuses. The chairman of Feld Entertainment, Kenneth Feld, said in a statement that the settlement was a vindication for the company and its employees.

In News War Hero General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, 78, Dies H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., the retired general credited with leading U.S.allied forces to a victory in the first Gulf War, died at age 78.

During his youth, Schwarzkopf’s father, Major General Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, pushed his son towards

army life. “The day I was born, my father said, ‘That boy is going to West Point.’ And that’s the only thing I heard my entire life,” Schwarzkopf recalled in his later years. He spent most of his childhood in Tehran, while his father served in the army. After attending a Swiss boarding school, the young man enrolled in West Point before heading to Vietnam for the first time in 1966. In a book he wrote, he recalled how he would allow his emotions to show. “I prided myself on being unflappable even in the most chaotic of circumstances. That guise lasted until Vietnam, where I realized that I was dealing with human lives and if one were lost, it could never be replaced. I quickly learned that there was nothing wrong with being emotional.” And indeed, many called him “Stormin’ Norman” for his quick temper and emotional temperament. In 1983, the general led troops during the invasion of Grenada. But most famously, General Schwarzkopf oversaw the buildup of 700,000 coalition troops after Iraq invaded Kuwait

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The Week in 1990. He won the nation’s heart when he swiftly and quickly ended the battle with minimal loss of life. He was frank and straightforward when it came to strategy. “We need to destroy, not attack, not damage , not surround. I want to destroy the [Iraqi] Republican Guard,” he said during the battle. He would refer to military tactics using boxing terminology, describing the 100hour battle that destroyed Iraqi forces as a “left hook” aimed at Saddam Hussein. And his humor was witty. He once told reporters, “As far as Saddam Hussein being a great military strategist, he is

neither a strategist, nor is he schooled in the operational arts, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general, nor is he a soldier. Other than that, he’s a great military man. I want you to know that.” It’s interesting to note that for a man whose career was war, his distaste for bloodshed was real. In an interview with Larry King, Schwarzkopf emphasized this point. “I hate war. Absolutely, I hate war,” he said. “Good generalship is a realization that ... you’ve got to try and figure out how to accomplish your mission with a minimum loss of human life.”

Eclipse

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

In News The general took the responsibility of leadership seriously. He recognized that his troops were not just soldiers— they were sons and brothers who had families who loved them. “The mothers and fathers of America will give you their sons and daughters … with the confidence in you that you will not needlessly waste their lives — and you dare not. That’s the burden the mantle of leadership places upon you.” After Operation Desert Storm, some criticized the decision to leave Saddam Hussein in power. But Schwarzkopf felt that the mission accomplished its goal: to prevent the dictator from taking over the Arabian Peninsula. In his autobiography, “It Doesn’t Take A Hero,” Schwarzkopf outlined the reasons that coalition forces didn’t press on to the Iraqi capital during the first Gulf War. “Had the United States and the United Kingdom gone on alone to capture Baghdad, under the provisions of the Geneva and Hague conventions we would have been considered occupying powers and therefore would have been responsible for all the costs of maintaining or restoring government, education and other services for the people of Iraq.” He also wrote that had “we taken all of Iraq, we would have been like a dinosaur in the tar pit – we would still be there, and we, not the United Nations, would be bearing the costs of that occupation.” And indeed, the critics of the current conflict in Afghanistan have seen how quickly the United States can become embroiled in a long and lengthy fight. After the war, he was greeted by a nation grateful for his service. He was featured on nearly every magazine wearing his famous army fatigues and was given a standing ovation in Congress. Some wanted him to run for office, but

the hero demurred. He was asked to run for Senator and later recalled, “I got off the airplane and they came after me to, you know, run for senator in Florida, and I told them, ‘No, I’m not a politician. I’d make a lousy politician.’” His roommate once said, “He saw himself as Alexander the Great, and we didn’t laugh when he said it.” Like the war hero who lived 2,300 years before him, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf left a legacy of greatness.

Apple CEO Receives “Only” $4.2M 2012 was sweet for Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. He was paid $4.2 million for the latest fiscal year, a modest sum compared with last year, when the company’s board set him up with stock now worth $510 million for taking the reins in 2011. Cook’s pay for fiscal 2012, which ended in September, consisted of $1.4 million in salary, a bonus of $2.8 million, and $17,000 in company contributions to his 401(k) account and life insurance premiums, according to a filing.

Apple Inc.’s board saw no need to give Cook additional shares in 2012 after the sign-on grant of 1 million shares in 2011. Half of those shares vest in 2016 and the other half in 2021. A lot could happen to the value of the shares before Cook can cash them out, but the sign-on grant made him —at least on paper— the highest-paid U.S. CEO in 2011. Cook had been acting CEO for a while before the death of company cofounder Steve Jobs in October of 2011.

East Coast Port Strike Averted A major roadblock in the negotiations between the International Long-

shoremen’s Association and port employers has been overcome, averting a crippling strike that threatened to shut down 15 ports along the East and Gulf Coasts. A strike could have caused a major delays in businesses as products could have been held up in ports for weeks or even months.

The largest point of contention between the port workers’ union and the Maritime Alliance that represents port operators was the container royalty payment. This payment represents the amount of money port workers receive based on the size of the containers coming into port. The two reached an agreement regarding the royalty payment one day before an existing contract was set to expire and port workers in major U.S. ports, including The New York-New Jersey port, the second largest in the U.S., threatened to walk off the job. The two also agreed to extend the existing contract through Jan. 28, 2013 in an effort to tie up the remaining loose ends in the negotiations. George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which had been serving as mediator throughout the talks, said he was extremely pleased with the agreement, though he gave no further details, as the negotiations remain ongoing. The National Retail Federation, which oversees hundreds on U.S. retailers and led a coalition of trade groups calling for an end to the negotiations, said it cautiously welcomed the news. “We continue to urge both parties to remain at the negotiating table until a long-term contract agreement is finalized,” NRF CEO Matthew Shay said. While the contract extension – and not an agreement regarding a brand new contract – does not completely relax the uncertainty among retailers, it is nevertheless a better result than had the massive strike ensued and port activity slowed to a halt, he said. The last time a strike of similar size occurred in the East and Gulf Coast, the U.S. economy lost some $1 billion a day, according to reports. There has not been a strike in those ports in 35 years.

Blood Clot Found in Hillary Clinton’s Head Earlier this month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made headlines when she fainted and suffered a concussion after contracting a virus overseas. But this past week, Clinton remained hospitalized for a blood clot that was found in her head. Doctors have said she has no brain damage and is expected to recover completely. She is being treated with blood thinners to help shrink the clot. Potentially, a clot in the brain can be fatal and can result in a stroke. But doctors are saying that the secretary is responding well to treatment. The 65-year-old has logged almost a million miles in travel—visiting 112 countries while in office. She is the most traveled Secretary of State and planned on stepping down in 2013 to be replaced by John Kerry. Many have speculated that she is a strong candidate for president on the Democratic ticket in 2016.

Federal Employees Get Paid More

In News According to a senior Republican congressional aide who has reviewed the executive order and consulted with the Congressional Budget Office, Obama’s pay raise will cost $11 billion. “The CBO told us that the President’s pay raise for federal workers will cost $11 billion over ten years,” says the aide. That’s what I call going over a fiscal cliff….

That’s Odd From Fish to Fame In a world where technology can make fame happen instantly, you never know what may just become the next viral sensation. It seems that the newest pop culture sensation is a fishmonger from London. Muhammad Shahid Nazir is a Pakistani man who sells fish in a London market. Instead of calling out to customers

about his wares, the businessman would sing them a ditty about his cheap product. “Come on ladies, come on ladies, one pound fish! Have a, have a look, one pound fish! Very, very good, one pound fish! Very, very cheap, one pound fish!” Obviously, it’s not the lyrics that made Nazir an internet star. The tune that he sings these words to is a simple ditty that drills into listeners’ heads. The song is catchy, even to the point that it can become annoying—it pops into your head and just never leaves. Nazir became famous when listeners took videos of him singing his song and put it online. Over 7 million people viewed the video of him singing. “One Pound Fish changed my whole life,” Nazir said. “I am so happy now.” Warner Music even offered him a deal to produce a music video using his song. This is a nice journey for someone who grew up in Pakistan and moved to Britain just nine months ago. He said his passion was always music and now wants to pursue a career in music. Clearly, the man is on a wave of fame.

Perfect Poses creating perfect memories

children~upsherins~newborns~outdoors~family portraits Holding high office in this country just got a little bit better. President Barack Obama issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees, in effect giving some federal workers a raise. One federal worker now to receive a pay increase is Vice President Joe Biden. According to disclosure forms, Biden made a cool $225,521 last year. After the pay increase, he’ll now make $231,900 per year. Members of Congress, from the House and Senate, also will receive a little bump, as their annual salary will go from $174,000 to $174,900. Leadership in Congress, including the Speaker of the House, will likewise get an increase.

Rivki Horowitz~347.668.8805 PerfectPoses@Gmail.com www.PerfectPosesbyRivki.blogspot.com

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

The Week

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The Week Tunnel Baby

mother are doing well. Hope their drive home was less eventful…

The Birth of the White Lion

Nassim Mohammed Elkarhat, a 6-pound, 9-oz. baby boy, will have an amazing story to tell his classmates when he gets older. You see, this little baby was so excited to be born that he just couldn’t wait for his parents to get to the hospital. On the morning of December 26th, Abdel Elkarhat and Soukaina Nekhlaoui gave birth to their little miracle in the Holland Tunnel! “I was driving from home to Brooklyn to make it to the hospital and inside the Holland Tunnel my wife just started screaming, ‘The baby is coming out. The baby is coming out,’” Elkarhat said. “I was panicked. I didn’t know what to do. Should I stop and call 911 or just keep driving and moving?” Elkarha’s mother-in-law and 16-month-old daughter were in the car at the time and he decided to keep driving. At the end of the tunnel, he stopped the car and dashed to the Port Authority’s security booth where he screamed for help. The on-duty Port Authority officer immediately called for back-up, and within minutes, George McCann, a senior tunnel and bridge agent, and his partner, Jean Bernard, arrived to help. “The man was frantic,” McCann, a 34-year Port Authority veteran, said of Elkarhat. “He was running around the car yelling and we were trying to calm him down. I assigned Norm Williams [the security booth agent] to just handle the father.” McCann’s first made sure the baby was breathing properly and then attempted to administer oxygen and use a suction device to clear out the baby’s nose and mouth. “Most of the time I deal with tragedies, like 9-11 and shootings and bus crashes,” he said. “This was such a beautiful thing, to see a baby being born and the mother and baby doing well. It’s a great thing that transpired for me.” Everyone was reunited at New York Downtown Hospital, and both baby and

In a nice (and cuddly) surprise last week, the Yalta Zoo in Ukraine celebrated the rare birth of three white lion cubs. Captivity births among white South African lions are rare, and multiple cub births even more so. According to the zoo, the cubs are being bottle-fed inside the zoo because of the extreme cold snap in the country. There are only about 500 white lions left worldwide. Nearly all of them live in captivity. The majestic animal has been driven to the brink of extinction by poaching. Reintroduction efforts are underway, and two prides now exist in a private sanctuary in the Timbavati Bushveld region, the zoo said. The Yalta Zoo is the only privatelyowned zoo in Ukraine. There are over 120 animal species in the zoo, including Ukraine’s only white tiger.

Ukrainian Woman Rises From The Dead—Twice

In some more unusual news out of the Ukraine, a grandmother has been brought back from the dead two times – and has even survived spending three

In News days in a morgue. The 61-year-old Russian woman has been declared dead twice by doctors, but each time has come back to life and once was minutes away from being subjected to an autopsy. Hardy Lyudmila Steblitskaya spent 3 days in a cold morgue, while her family mourned the retired cook. The mother’s eerie habit of returning to life has not only left her family torn between grief and hope that she may come back to life, but has perplexed doctors too. She has scared doctors, friends and family once in November last year and in October this year. The initial confusion began last year, when Lyudmila was taken to Tomsk Regional Clinical Hospital and spent days in hospital because she felt unwell. When her 29-year-old daughter Anastasia called on a Friday evening to ask about her mother’s condition, she was informed by doctors that her mother had died. The devastated woman began planning her mother’s funeral and breaking the bad news to friends and family. She spent 60,000 rubles buying flowers, a casket, arranging for a grave to be dug, and buying food for the mourners who planned to attend the funeral on the Monday morning. On Monday, she went to the hospital to collect her mother’s body – only to be told to wait, as doctors had not performed an autopsy. She later reported that a startled doctor then approached her and said that her mother was not dead, but was in her bed breathing and alive. A disbelieving Anastasia went into the room to find her mother calling her name, and screamed, dropping her bag. Her mother cannot remember what happened, only that she was in hospital on the Friday and then woke up in a morgue on Monday. Mostly, she is just grateful to be alive and be able to see her friends and family. Chief doctor of Tomsk Regional Clinical Hospital, Maksim Zayukov, released a statement saying, “As of now I cannot explain why this mistake happened. This sad procedure has always worked in our hospital like clockwork: the intensive care doctor always registers the moment of death. Proper checks are always conducted. This all happens before the family are informed about the death.” A hospital spokeswoman said that “the checks were carried out and she was dead – or so it seemed.” I guess it’s not just cats that have nine lives!

Spicy Dish Burns Hole In Man’s Stomach Doctors in China were left dumbfounded when they discovered a hole in a man’s stomach wall after he ate a notoriously spicy bowl of soup. The 26-year-old unnamed male had consumed a mala soup, meaning “numbing hot,” a traditional Chinese dish. After choosing the spiciest version of the dish from the menu, the man soon experienced a piercing pain in his stomach. The unlucky customer soon found himself vomiting blood before being rushed to a local hospital in Wuhan. Despite having no medical history of ulcers or other gastrointestinal disorders, doctors concluded that the spicy soup had burned a hole through his stomach wall. The traditional Chinese dish is prepared using Sichuan pepper, a local spice, and chili pepper. The combination is known to cause a numbing sensation when consumed. Most restaurants serving the dish offer it with varying degrees of spiciness. According to local reports, many Chinese restaurants have begun to replace the natural, more expensive ingredients in hot pot dishes for cheaper, synthetic additives that replicate the spiciness. Excuse me, waiter, can you please refill my water glass?

Free Parking for Insult

A South Florida woman was shocked to find an insult written on her ticket after she picked up her car from the valet. “I was mortified,” Sharyn Peoples said. “In handwriting it said ‘play, red dress, and fat’ on it.” Peoples was at Mizner Park in Boca Raton to act in a play earlier this month. She was wearing a red dress. But she said writing the word “fat” on her valet ticket crosses the line. Peoples was so upset, she reached out to LAZ Parking of Florida. “It’s only words and it’s from some kid, and that’s one of the

things the guy said to me on the phone. He said, ‘You know, we employ 18- and 20-year-old kids.’ I said, ‘Sir, they’re legally adults.’” After their conversation on the phone, Peoples received an e-mail from Dan Silva of LAZ Parking of South Florida that started out with, “Please accept our sincerest apologies.” Part of it also said that moving forward “physical appearance will not be written on tickets” and that “this type of situation will never occur again.” In the e-mail written to Peoples, Silva also offered her free valet parking for the next year and a gift card to a restaurant at Mizner Park. Now she can be insulted for free…

$12 Flights from New York to Boston For the end of the busy traveling season, Cape Air and a regional airport in New Hampshire were promoting flights to Boston and New York for $12. In attempt to qualify for federal grant money by flying out at least 10,000 passengers this year, the airport and Cape Air, its only airline, are offering year-end travelers the last-minute steal of a deal – $12 each way. “We’re basically sold out,” said Trish Lorino, director of marketing and public relations for Cape Air. “That’s the highest number of enplanements for Lebanon Airport in quite a long time.” The promotion, introduced in the last week of the year, is an attempt to reach 10,000 enplanements – a term to describe people flying out of an airport – for Lebanon Airport, a small, regional airport in the upper valley of New Hampshire. Once the airport hits the 10,000 mark, the FAA will give $1 million in grant money to help fund projects for the community airport. “The typical projects would be safety, runway and taxiway projects, and equipment purchases,” said Rick Dyment, manager of Lebanon Airport. “We would be able to improve the city’s airport with these funds.” Wonder if JFK needs some improvements…

Man Returns Stolen Car—23 Years Later In 1989, a brand new Chevrolet Corvette was stolen from a dealership in San Diego. Over two decades later, the thief came clean. He recently re-

ported his crime to the police but not because of a guilty conscience. Apparently, storing the car simply got too expensive. The stolen car had been in storage for 23 years and appears to have almost never been driven. When the police recovered the car from the storage facility, they reported that it had just 67 miles on the odometer, flat tires, and “it still had that new-car smell on the inside.” The man did not face charges since he cooperated with police, but the theft did not work to his financial advantage: for over more than two decades he spent $70,000 to store the red convertible, the L.A. Times reported. According to the account San Diego Police Department auto theft detective Andrew Spear gave, a lawyer representing the thief called the police to say his client had stopped paying the storage fees, and that a stolen car would be found when the unit was opened. Spear says the lawyer told him the thief was a recent Irish immigrant who was leveraged into stealing and hiding the Corvette. In 1983, monthly rent for the storage unit was $50; it has since climbed to $300, which is why the thief said he stopped paying. Storage facility records revealed the $70,000 figure. Once the car was recovered, it was given to the insurance company that had reimbursed the dealership for the lost vehicle in 1989. The company put air in the tires, recharged the batteries, cleaned off thick layers of dust, and sold it. The buyer then sold it to Corky Rice, a Sherman Oaks car dealer, who sold it on eBay for $39,741, just slightly above the 1989 price.

Shark Tank Bursts in Mall On a busy shopping day, a 33-ton shark tank suddenly exploded in a crowded Shanghai pedestrian shopping mall. The gigantic 23-foot-by-10-foot shark aquarium at the Oriental Shopping Center shattered without warning. The force of the explosion was so strong it tore down cosmetic stands inside the shopping center on the other side of aquarium. The December 19 explosion left 15 bystanders injured and three sharks dead. Eight of those injured were believed to be customers while the other seven were all mall staff.

In News Calendar Arrives 63 Years Late

There is still no official explanation as to why the shark tank exploded. The popular shark tank was only two years old but it has been speculated that a sudden cold snap that day in Shanghai may have contributed to the thick aquarium glass shattering. Chen Yongping, an official with the shopping center management, told the Shanghai Daily that after this accident they “will not build an aquarium again in the future.” Some people say that shopping can be dangerous. I always thought that they were referring to the high balances on my credit cards…

A northeastern Pennsylvania newspaper has just received a calendar to help bring in the new year — except the year is 1950. A mail carrier delivered it 63 years late without explanation on Friday. The large tube contained a 1950 Pennsylvania Railroad calendar addressed to James Flanagan, former general manager of The Scranton Times. The calendar includes a holiday greeting from a railroad executive dated December 1949. Flanagan died that month. A U.S. Postal Service spokesman says lost mail is sometimes found when a machine is dismantled or office space is renovated. Times-Tribune publisher Bobby Lynett says he’ll see if the Steamtown National Historic Site railroad museum is interested in the calendar. If not, he’ll display it in the newspaper’s offices. This is a classic story of how time just got lost in the mail.

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The Week

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TALMIDEI CHACHOMIM

Forty-Fourth Annual Dinner

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Guests of Honor

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RABBI AVROHOM KLEINKAUFMAN IN RECOGNITION OF HALF A CENTURY OF HARBOTZAS TORAH UPON HIS RETIREMENT

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at the Yeshiva Campus 802 HICKSVILLE ROAD FAR ROCKAWAY, NEW YORK 11691 For Dinner & Journal Information Please Contact Our Office T: 718.327.7600 F: 718.327.1430 E: yfr1@verizon.net W: www.yofr.org YAAKOV & ILANA MELOHN CAMPUS IN MEMORY OF REB YOSEF MELOHN Z’’L

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Yeshiva Ohr Hatzafon Inaugural Dinner Nestled in the hills of Yerushalayim, Yeshiva Ohr Hatzafon is a haven for American post-high school bochurim who are looking for a unique learning experience and personal growth. Adjacent to the American-friendly Ramot Eshkol neighborhood, Yeshiva Ohr Hatzafon is located in Givat Hamivtar, in a nice, quiet neighborhood. Now in its fifth year, the yeshiva is located in a villa that accommodates bochurim between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, while yungerleit sometimes attend (during the first years of marriage) the small Kollel which is part of the yeshiva. Operating as one big family, the yeshiva, dormitories, dining area, and bais medrash are all located in the same villa. The Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Dovid Blumberg, has created a warm, inviting bais medrash in which there is time and opportunity to ask questions—as many as necessary—for each bochur to not only understand what he is learning, but why he is learning as well. The excite-

ment of learning for its own sake is reinforced as the true benefits of learning Torah open new spiritual horizons for each student. The yeshiva prides itself on nurturing sophisticated character development and a sensitivity toward others that’s hard to match. The rebbeim bring their students into their hearts and homes, guiding them in all aspects of their lives. The students’ healthy futures as talmidei chochomim, husbands, and simply good people are being shaped through the yeshiva’s intensely personal and thorough approach to learning. Ohr Hatzafon will be having its inaugural dinner this year at K’hal Nachlas Yitzchak – 141-39 73rd Avenue, Flushing, NY on Sunday, January 6 at 7:00PM. The yeshiva is honoring Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo and Dina Silber as the Guests of Honor. Shlomo is a close friend of the Rosh Yeshiva and his support has been important to the growth and continued success of the yeshiva. Mr. and Mrs. Matis and Esther Apel

from Lakewood, NJ are being honored as the Parents of the Year. Their son Shmuel has thrived in the yeshiva for the past three years, where he has developed into a real leader and mentor

for the younger boys. For more information or to place an ad or make reservations for the dinner please call 516-295-5700 x.10 or visit ohrhatzafon.com.

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The Road from Katowice to East Brunswick Agudath Israel Centennial Banquet Links Glorious Past To Thriving Present There was electricity in the air on Motzoei Shabbos parshas Vayechi at the East Brunswick Hilton in New Jersey. There is always an atmosphere of excitement in the moments before an Agudath Israel of America national convention plenary session. But the feeling was palpably more intense this time around, at the organization’s 90th convention – which meant that it was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Agudas Yisroel movement in the Silecian town of Katowice in 1912, a truly historic milestone. The world has changed in astounding ways since the movement was established by gedolei hador of that era, including the Chofetz Chaim, the Imrei Emes, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzenski and the Czortkover Rebbe, among many others. And yet, despite all the changes, the challenges facing Torah Jewry today as compared to those that existed 100 years

ago differ primarily in their detail, not in their essence. In 1912, the problems included the host of alien ideologies that were polluting the clear waters of the Jewish mesorah, and the resultant loss of precious Jewish souls to the blandishments of an “enlightened” world. Those ideologies have largely been relegated to the dustbin of history. But others have rushed in to take their place. And even today, with the community of Torah Jews growing year by year, there are still young people who, for an assortment of reasons, have yet to find their rightful places in the Torah-observant world. The establishment of Agudas Yisroel 100 years ago eventually yielded resettlement efforts in the wakes of each of the two World Wars and, more happily, yeshivos and girls schools that today number in the hundreds and provide Jewish education to hundreds of thousands

photo credits Aron Akselrod and Hillel Engel

Mr Benzion Fishof addressing to the crowd

of Jewish children and young adults. Not to mention the phenomenal growth of the Daf Yomi program – 90,000 people celebrated the Siyum HaShas at MetLife Stadium this past summer, as did many tens of thousands around the world. The Orthodox press established in the years after Katowice now thrives. And so a centennial celebration – or, better, expression of hakoras hatov – was certainly in order. And the convention banquet Melave Malka was its setting. Restoring Klal Yisroel’s Neshama The banquet chairman, the venerated and beloved Reb Yechiel Benzion Fishoff, opened the evening with reminiscences of pre-war Europe and the vital role that Agudas Yisroel played in strengthening Yiddishkeit and keeping foreign influences at bay. “With all of the secular philosophies – socialism, Communism, the haskalah movement, Zionism – that were taking Yidden in Europe away from frumkeit at that time,” Mr. Fishoff stated, “Agudas Yisroel literally gave the neshama back to Klal Yisroel.” Mr. Fishoff, who was introduced by the well-known Agudath Israel askan Shlomo Werdiger, emphasized the initial role the American Agudah played in helping she’aris ha’pleitah refugees rebuild their lives in the United States. “The Agudah offices at 5 Beekman Street immediately became a ‘port of refuge’ for the numerous Jewish survivors of World War II,” Mr. Fishoff emphasized, “who flocked to the United

States seeking spiritual revival.” Demonstrating the amazing expansion of Agudath Israel over the decades, Mr. Fishoff pointed out that the organization grew from just one office in New York to an active national movement with a current roster of offices in 26 states. “Agudath Israel can be compared to Avrohom Avinu,” he said, “about whom the posuk says ‘bah bayamim’ – he came with his days, which means he gained new strength and vigor in his advanced age.” Nobody Knows, But Hashem Knows The evening’s first major address was delivered by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Levin, Rosh HaYeshiva Telshe Chicago, and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, who likewise recounted his personal experiences as a young person with Agudath Israel. The Rosh HaYeshiva spoke passionately about how his mentor – Rav Elya Meir Bloch zt”l, the Telsher Rosh HaYeshiva – “drafted” him to run a new Zeirei Agudath Israel group when Rabbi Levin was a yeshiva bachur in Cleveland. “Rav Bloch instructed me to keep on working for Agudath Israel until he would tell me to stop,” Rabbi Levin revealed. “He never told me to stop, so I’m still doing that holy work.” Recalling how Reb Elimelech Gavriel (Mike) Tress would regularly interact with Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the Menahel of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, on behalf of other Yidden, Rabbi Levin quoted the late Agudah leader’s widow as commenting that nobody truly knows the great deeds Mike Tress did for so

many individual Jews. “But Hashem knows,” the Telshe Rosh Yeshiva thundered. “He records all the wonderful actions – of Mike Tress, and of such great Agudath Israel leaders as Rav Itche Meir Levin, Moreinu Rav Yaakov Rosenheim, and Rabbi Moshe Sherer – who took a relatively small group and transformed it into the most effective Orthodox organization in the world.” Mentioning two hardworking Agudah leaders who were recently niftar – Rabbis Chaskel Besser and Boruch Borchardt – Rabbi Levin called on a new generation to carry on the great legacy of these historic figures.

in building the movement. Rabbi Alter then quoted the posuk from Parshas Vayechi wherein Yaakov Avinu told his sons to gather around him so that he could reveal to them the future time of the end of galus. Playing on the words of the posuk, Rav Alter said, “If you gather together [for Torah purposes], it will bring closer the ketz [“end” of the exile]; the kuf of the word ketz, which equals 100, represents Agudath Israel’s 100 years since its founding in Katowice, and the tzadik of ketz equals 90, which represents Agudath Israel’s 90 years in the United States.”

The Challenge in the Pocket The next address was delivered by another member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Chacham Yosef Harari Raful, Rosh HaYeshiva, Ateret Torah. Rabbi Raful also focused on youth, on the need to ensure that the generations to come remain securely in the fold of the com-

The Message of the Gedolei Yisroel After a break for service of the main course of the Melave Malka, Convention Chairman Rabbi Menachem Lubinsky informed the audience – which, in addition to those in the ballroom, included audiences in over 20 cities watching via satellite video in locations across North America – that many leading Torah sages considered Agudath Israel to be of utmost importance to the spiritual wellbeing of Klal Yisroel. “The Chofetz Chaim constantly exhorted people to join the organization,” he said. “The Imrei Emes specially traveled to help establish it, Rav Aharon Kotler immediately began to build it anew after the Holocaust, and Rav Boruch Ber Liebowitz stated that it is halachically prohibited to be against this holy organization. “Agudath Israel,” Rabbi Lubinsky dramatically concluded, “now more than ever!” The next 20 minutes featured the premier showing of a video produced specially for the occasion by filmmaker Aryeh Gelbard, entitled “The Heritage of Kattowice.” The video combined archival footage, rare documents and photos, to trace the arc of Agudath Israel’s history and outline its myriad accomplishments. Images of Mr. Mike Tress and Rabbi Moshe Sherer flashed on the large screens, accompanied by the dramatic sounds of their voices rallying Jews from all over to display their fidelity to gedolei Yisroel and the organization that carries out the sages’ dictates. Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rosh HaYeshiva, Beth Medrash Govoha (Lakewood), and a member the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, noted the significance of the year being not only the 100th since Agudas Yisroel’s founding but the fiftieth yahrtzeit year of “der zaide,” Rav Aharon Kotler, zt”l, who was the major force in the establishment of an unyielding and principled Torah community in post-war America. Commenting that the hashkafos of

Getzel Segal and Mordechai Ben David Werdyger

munity. He decried the terrible challenge to spirituality that today “lies in the pocket” and exhorted his listeners to apply themselves as “soldiers, following Gedolim,” as they head into the future. Focusing on Agudath Israel’s efforts over the decades in the Holy Land, Rabbi Raful said, “It historically fought to uphold chinuch, Shabbat, kashrut – What would we have today in Eretz Yisroel without Agudat Yisrael?” The Rosh HaYeshiva exhorted his listeners, “Everybody should think carefully about the problems we currently face, and ask themselves, ‘What can I do to help?’” A special guest from Eretz Yisroel – Rabbi Doniel Alter, Rosh Kollel, Kollel Ari Shebi’chaburah, Yerushalayim, and son of the late Gerrer Rebbe the Pnei Menachem – then ascended the podium. He began beginning by delivering a “birchas tzaddik” to the convention from the Gerer Rebbe shlita. He recounted how earlier Gerer Rebbes valued Agudath Israel and played such a central role

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the average Jew are naturally not as refined as those of the gedolim, the Rosh HaYeshiva said, “At times we may have such thoughts as, ‘perhaps we do not need so many full-time lomdei Torah’ – but our gedolim have their own awareness that supersedes ours.” Rabbi Kotler followed up his point by recounting how his zeide, Rav Aharon, spoke daily with Rabbi Sherer for 11 years to counsel him on directing the organization effectively and appropriately. “Agudath Israel of America is still

Nathan Lewin, Esq.

following in Rabbi Sherer’s footsteps,” the Lakewood Rosh HaYeshiva insisted. “Every move its leaders make is discussed beforehand with the gedolei Torah.” Protecting Jewish Rights Nathan Lewin, Esq., a renowned attorney who has been the key figure in recurring legal rights and protection for Torah Jewry in the United States, spoke of his “zechus avos” as a grandson of the Reisher Rov, Rav Aharon Levin, a major force in the formative years of Agudas Yisroel; and also a son of Dr. Issac Lewin, who served as Moreinu Rav Yaakov Rosenheim’s right hand man and Agudas Yisroel World Organization’s representative to the United Nations. The distinguished attorney traced his own battles to protect the rights of Sabbath observers in the workplace to the efforts of his zeide, the Reisher Rov, who called for European governments to recognize and protect the needs of Shomrei Shabbos, and corresponded with the Chofetz Chaim on that issue. Declaring, “You have to continue to fight for religious Jewish rights,” Mr. Lewin concluded by reminding his listeners about the tragic Rubashkin case. In a clever play on words, the attorney invoked the zachor v’shamor regarding Shabbos in the Aseres HaDibros, and exhorted the audience, “Zachor, remember, ShaMoR, Shin Mem Resh – Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin.”

Sealed with the Truth The final speaker of the evening was Rabbi Aharon Dovid Dunner, Dayan, Hisachdus HaKehillos, London, who, despite the late hour delivered the wondrous blend of humor and spiritual depth for which he is rightly renowned. He recalled his own personal experiences in the early 1950’s as a boy at an Agudas Yisroel summer camp in England, and how his parents and in-laws had been involved in the work of Agudas Yisroel both before the second World War and subsequently. Dayan Dunner addressed the vital importance of emes as a high ideal, gilding that theme with illustrative and instructive accounts of gedolim of previous generations. He pointed to leading rabbinical figures in the Agudah movement, including the Chofetz Chaim and the Imrei Emes, who based their entire lives on speaking and behaving in accordance with absolute truth. “Agudas Yisroel was founded on the truth – on emes,” he intoned. In keeping with that concept, Rabbi Dunner concluded the evening by urging Torah-loyal Jews to maintain their religious integrity at all

Chaskel Bennett, Phil Goldfeder and Leon Goldenberg

times as a means of ensuring that governments would respect our beliefs and our heartfelt desire to maintain total mitzvah observance. After benching, as the large crowd moved into the corridor outside the ballroom, surely more than a few people were struck by the contrast between the venue of a meeting a century ago in a small Silesian town and the opulence of a hotel that was chosen because of its large capacity. And they must also have been struck by the fact that, while the superficialities of then and now may be radically different, both eras’ essence – the commitment to addressing all of Klal Yisroel’s challenges through the Torah and the guidance of Torah leaders – remains precisely the same.

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Yoni Bleichbard, Hebron’s Chief Security Officer, Visits Midreshet Shalhevet By Zahava Schwartz, 12th grade On Friday, December 21st, the Shalhevet students had the opportunity to hear Chief Security Officer of Hebron, Yoni Bleichbard, discuss the different aspects of his position. The event was spearheaded by Shalhevet’s NCSY JUMP team, Shalhevet Flame, as part of their effort to maintain the connection they established with Hebron during the 2011-2012 academic year. Yoni has become their main contact in Hebron, keeping the Midreshet Shalhevet updated on life in the area and the particular

needs of the Hebron community. In his talk Yoni explained that, as Chief Security Officer of Hebron, he coordinates the IDF’s defense of the area. Yoni is responsible for Hebron’s civilian emergency response teams as well as Hebron’s medical team. After explaining the details of his position, the Shalhevet students watched two videos on daily life in Hebron. While the Jewish community in Hebron is warm and welcoming, living there is not always quiet and pleasant. Since 2000, the local Palestin-

ians have targeted Jewish civilians. The Shalhevet girls learned of a deep connection Yoni shares with the school: Yoni was personally involved in the March 2001 Hebron shooting which lead to the death of the infant, Shalhevet Pass, after whom Midreshet Shalhevet was named. The Shalhevet Flame originally sought their relationship with the Hebron community because of their connection to this event. They were surprised to learn that Yoni was at the scene of the incident and had spent much time trying to re-

vive Shalhevet. Yoni explained that the response of the Jewish community to death of Shalhevet Pass showed us that “we’re strong. We have complications, but we’re strong.” And to the Shalhevet students, this idea resonates, especially in light of the Jewish response to the recent months’ tragedies. United, the Shalhevet JUMP girls reminded the school at the conclusion of the event, they have the strength to help each other in the face of adversity.

Agudath Israel Focuses on Young Leadership By Judith Dinowitz Agudath Israel demonstrated that it is deepening its focus on mentoring young leaders by sponsoring two major programs: the first annual Lefkowitz Young Leadership Dinner and a special programming track for young leaders at its National Convention. The first annual Lefkowitz Young Leadership Dinner took place on Monday, December 24th, at the organization’s offices in New York City. A group of young leaders from the tri-state area gathered to network and review the accomplishments of the Lefkowitz Young Leadership Initiative in the past 18 months, to meet Rabbi Shai Markowitz, the initiative’s newly appointed director, and to brainstorm future plans. The gathering was an evening of camaraderie and chizuk for those involved and a celebration of their successes. Highlights of the dinner included a presentation by Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Agudath Israel’s executive vice president, an inspiring speech by Rabbi Markowitz on his own history of activism and the privilege of working for the Klal, and an introduction to two young leaders, Nechemiah Hoch and Yoily Edelstein, who spoke movingly about their role in Agudath Israel activities. Their impressive accomplishments include hosting a Community Breakfast for elected officials, coordinating a Tuition Symposium, and raising over $120,000 in a fundraiser for Hurricane Sandy victims. Dinner attendees were treated to presentations by Rabbi Yehiel M. Kalish, National Director of Government Affairs for Agudath Israel of America, and Chaskel Bennett, member of Agudath

Israel’s Board of Trustees. Rabbi Kalish stressed that the heart of the Agudah lies not only in its numerous acts of chessed and advocacy but in the ideal of the unity of the Orthodox Jewish world under the guidance of Gedolei Yisroel and Daas Torah. Mr. Bennett, a well-known community activist, enthused about his own involvement in Agudath Israel and said that each person in the room has the potential to make a tremendous difference for the Jewish community. Rabbi Shimon Lefkowitz, son of Rabbi Yisroel Lefkowitz, z”l, for whom the Initiative is named, noted the excitement and energy in the room. He said that he was thrilled that the effort was off to such a successful start. The dinner ended with an open microphone for people to share their thoughts on the issues facing the Klal today and possible solutions. On the heels of this success, the National Convention’s special programming track included presentations on issues important to the younger generation, such as Yeshiva Tuition, Chinuch, building a good marriage and a stable home, and the role of the young leader in Agudath Israel. At the sessions they were privileged to hear from Gedolei Yisroel such as Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh HaYeshiva, Yeshiva of Philadelphia and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. Other presenters included Rabbi Zev Cohen, Rav Khal Yeshurun in Chicago, Rabbi Kalish and several regional directors, along with Elly Kleinman, member of the board of Trustees of Agudath Israel and chairman of the 12th Siyum Hashas of Daf Yomi.

Mr. Hoch, one of the speakers at the dinner, attended the convention for the first time and was impressed by the Young Leadership programming. “The programming educated us on the principles of Agudath Israel and the ways in which we can get involved.” He noted that the session on School Choice, titled “Why Your Tuition Will Never Go Down and How That is Good for You, Your Family and Klal Yisroel,” went beyond imparting facts, to giving firm guidance on Agudath Israel’s view of the issue and the ways in which young leaders can be involved. Mr. Hoch said that one of the highlights of the programming was the opportunity to talk faceto-face with Gedolei Yisroel, such as the question and answer session on chinuch with Rabbi Kamenetsky. “It would be difficult to have that opportunity outside of Agudath Israel.” Mr. Uri Schlachter, another convention attendee who enjoyed the Young Leadership track, said, “I thought the Agudah did a very good job in presenting a program for young ba’alei batim that dealt with issues specifically directed towards our families. It was wonderful to be able to spend the weekend,

including Shabbos, with other, younger families from different neighborhoods around the tri-state area and see that many issues that we face are issues that are in place across various communities. After spending the weekend, we feel confident that we can work through the Agudah to try to solve and deal with some of these issues.” Rabbi Moshe Bender, Associate Dean of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, attended both the dinner and the convention. He said, “It was wonderful spending Shabbos with the Agudah leaders and askanim. You get a real feel for what the Agudah is all about. There’s a lot to gain from and there’s a lot to do, and I’m honored to be part of this special organization that was started by Gedolim so many years ago.” Reflecting on the success of these programs, Rabbi Markowitz said he hopes those who were at these events will be inspired and motivated. “The work that these young leaders do is a fitting tribute to Rabbi Yisroel Lefkowitz, z”l, who could not stand by idly while others were in need.” Rabbi Shimon Lefkowitz agreed that the Agudah’s Young Leadership Initiative reflects his father’s call to action. “When my father saw a need, he didn’t just talk about it. He stood there on the front lines, galvanizing others. And when no one else would act, he stepped in himself. That’s the type of young leader Agudath Israel needs.”

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Hurting Hearts, Helping Hands Addressing the Theme “Our Brothers’ Keepers” at the Agudah Convention

The calendar date for the 90th National Convention of Agudath Israel of America had changed, said Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, the organization’s executive vice president. But so, he continued, had the theme – and for the same reason. The yearly gathering of Jews from the tri-state area and beyond to hear words of chochmah, chizuk and mussar from gedolei doreinu and to bask in the light of their presence usually takes place at the end of November. This year, however, explained Rabbi Zwiebel, who chaired the convention’s opening plenary session on Thursday night, the weekend event was taking place a full month later. The original idea had been to use the centennial to reflect on the unprecedented convergence of 90,000 Jews this past summer at MetLife Stadium to celebrate the Siyum Hashas and demographic studies that showed the growth of the Orthodox community; “Kikochvei Hashomayim Larov” was, accordingly, to be the theme. But it was felt in November, in the destruction-wake of superstorm Sandy and with rockets raining down on Jews in Israel, that a relaxed and happy gathering of friends and neighbors like an Agudah convention was somehow not appropriate. And so the much anticipated annual event was postponed – and its theme was changed, with current events in mind, to: “Shomrei Acheinu Anachnu: Our responsibility to one another in times of challenge.” The two themes, though, he continued, the originally planned one and the eventual one, were in fact related. The blessing of our community’s growth and strength and the responsibility of each of us for the other go hand in hand. There is much to do to meet the challenges of growth, and caring for one another is the key to doing so effectively. “We are responsible for one another,” he told the large crowd, “not just in times of crisis” but even in “normal times.” The Agudah leader then touched upon some of the challenges facing the community, from the need to strengthen kiruv rechokim, to the mandate to protect our children from both physical and spiritual harm, to unemployment, to shidduchim; to domestic problems. Assessing and addressing the problems before us, he said, “is why we’re here.”

Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, the Noviminsker Rebbe, addressed the crowd first. Rabbi Uren Reich, Rosh HaYeshiva, Woodlake Village, then took the podium. He stressed how when disasters strike, whether it be a storm or the histalkus of Gedolim, we must not succumb to the natural human temptation to just brush off the event and move on; we must be agitated and take it deeply to heart. A resident of Far Rockaway himself, the next speaker, Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva, Darchei Torah, knew well of what he spoke when he saluted all – and there were, blessedly, many – “who stepped up to help” after the recent storm devastated that locale and many others along the coast. Rabbi Bender expressed particular gratitude to Agudath Israel, which sent Rabbi Yehiel Kalish to assist in raising funds and directing recovery efforts after the storm, and bemoaned the fact that some wax cynical about the need for an Agudah. “Agudath Israel was the address,” he said, for those who found themselves suddenly in need of assistance. “The Gedolim of the past,” he explained, those who established Agudas Yisroel,“knew that there needed to be an address for Jews to turn to.” Rabbi Bender spoke to the importance of true chesed, of how every Jew must be deeply empathetic of his fellow Jew. He quoted Rav Yaakov Galinsky as recalling how he had had the opportunity at the beginning of the Second World War to meet with Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky, zt”l. Expecting that the godol would engage him in Torah study, he instead was peppered with questions about his personal welfare, culminating with an examination of his shoes, which Rav Chaim Ozer said were in need of repair, and with a demand that the then-bochur consider the godol’s home his own. The speaker then recounted other

examples of such heartfelt concern, like when, in 1970, Rav YItzchok Hutner, zt”l, was released by terrorists who had hijacked the plane he was on, and a large number of talmidim of different yeshivas went to the airport in New York to greet the Rosh HaYeshiva on his return. Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, was present and instructed a band that had been assembled to play joyful music when Rav Hutner would appear to not do so. Because there were still Jews being held captive by the terrorists, he explained, and while kovod haTorah mandated a gathering of hakoras hatov to greet Rav Hutner, to celebrate joyfully when other Jews were still in dire straits would constitute a lack of sharing their pain. We too, exhorted Rabbi Bender, cannot allow ourselves joy over our blessings, or even rest, when we know that there are Jews suffering, whether be-

cause they were displaced or financially affected by a storm or whether they are children still waiting, as so many are, to be placed in yeshivos. The evening’s final speaker was a venerated elder from Eretz Yisroel: Rabbi Yitzchok Scheiner, Rosh HaYeshiva, Kaminetz, Yerushalayim. Rabbi Scheiner began with words of hakaras hatov to Rabbi Bender’s grandfather, Rav Avrohom Bender, for having guided him from public high school in Pittsburgh to a path that led to his becoming a Rosh Yeshiva. Rabbi Scheiner concluded with a bracha to all who had converged on the hotel ballroom to participate in the opening plenary session of the convention, that they merit, through their decisions and actions, having only “ripple effects” of good, of kedusha, on all of Klal Yisroel.

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HANC Learns About the Thirteen Colonies Students in Fifth Grade at HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead are learning about the original thirteen colonies. While studying the varying traditions and cultures of the different colonies, the students learned that each of the colonies brought their own traditional foods with them to the New World. The students learned that the Middle Atlantic colonies were the called the “breadbasket” of the colonies because they grew and milled wheat and that many of the German settlers who settled in Pennsylvania brought pretzels (and mustard) to the colonies. The students also learned about some of the sweet culinary delights of the Southern colonies. In honor of the colonies, the stu-

dents made pretzels and pecan (and nutfree chocolate chip) pie. The pies and pretzels were a delicious way to learn about American history!

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Community The Flatbush Basketball League Week 5 Recap

In the Elementary Division: Lazer Marble- 39, ITP- 26: ITP’s one game winning streak comes to an end as JoJo Valenski and Ezriel Shain combined for 28 points. Avrumi Guttman pops in 16 for ITP in the loss. Quality Carpet holds off Perfect Collision 35-34: In the game of the week—Ezi Fischman & Moshe Frank’s combined 30 points barely hold off Perfect and Yosef Kapetas (13 points). The win puts Perfect at 4-1 The Jewish Press rolls to its first win 46-44 over Art World: Dovid Stern shines with 20. Coby Katz’s 35 didn’t cut it. Someone tell Coby it’s a Team Sport. Pizza Nosh -66, Jewish Connection -58: Shmuel Mandelbaum had 24 and teammate Gideon Valenski had 28 to lead the Nosh squad. Yaakov Ibrigimov’s 33 and Dovid Reiser’s 21 fell short. Pizza Nosh is now a perfect 5-0. In The High School Division: The Visual Image ruins Repairs on

Building Bridges at MAY What has now become an annual event at Ateres Yaakov, the Student Government-sponsored Bridge Building Competition was, once again, a huge success this year. In a test of their architectural and engineering knowhow, participating students were challenged to build a bridge made from only 100 Popsicle sticks and Elmer’s glue. Whichever bridge was able to hold the most weight was declared the winner. This year, reigning champion, senior (and yearbook Editor-in-Chief) Zvi Allman, successfully defended his title, by building an impressively sturdy bridge that supported an unbelievable 191 lbs! Keep in mind, this bridge was made of only Popsicle sticks and glue! “I have to give a little bit of the credit to my uncle Zevi,” commented Zvi. “He definitely helped me conceptualize my building plan. It’s a competition I’ve

been involved in since ninth grade and was really excited to win again, for the second year in a row. I’m a little disappointed that my new design couldn’t match the 241lbs my bridge supported last year.” Rabbi Yossi Bennett, the Assistant

Menahel/Assistant Principal, noted that the recurring contest really is an appropriate competition for the Mesivta, which recently adopted the new Gruss/CIJE Engineering curriculum, and stresses excellence in science and mathematics.

Wheels’ quest for two in a row 47-39: Dovie Safirstein and Arele Birnbaum had 23 each to lead their teams. Batampte Pickles outscores China Glatt 45-37: The win is two in a row for the Pickle team. Yehoshua Aberbach led Batampte with 11, Elly Sochaczewsky and Avrumi Frischman had 13 each for China. In the game for first place, Plaza Auto Leasing beat Aura Electric 42-38: Mendy Bruckenstein led all scorers with 20. Aura had three players in double figures. PAL now stands alone atop the leader board at a perfect 4-0. Ave. M Bagels pounded on Nosh Express as Simcha Wrotzlovsky and Dovid Boym combine for 45. Moshe Basch had 12 in the loss. This game brings M Bagels from last to fourth. Pizza World-45, The Jewish Home34: Tuvia Friedman was again on the mark hitting everything for Pizza World as he led with 20 points yet again. Eli Klein had 15 in the loss. Pizza World is now tied for second with Aura Electric at 3-1.

Thinking Out of the Box at Gan Chamesh In this day and age of electronic games, computers, and an overabundance of every kind of toy, Chabad’s Gan Chamesh Preschool embarked on a unique and creative learning opportunity. Toys in the classrooms were replaced by boxes of every shape and size for the duration of “Box Week.” They took inspiration from the award-winning book “Not a Box” by Antoinette

Portis and “The Happiness Box” by Bracha Goetz, and they let the children’s imagination soar as they turned the boxes into anything from a train, spaceship, garage, castle, puppet theatre, to just supersized blocks for building massive towers. Even empty food boxes filled the shelves in the dramatic play areas and children cooked up delicious imaginary meals using “ingredients” from the boxes at hand. From experience, we have all seen when children are more excited about the box than the actual toy that comes inside it and they will play with the box for hours. As educators, the staff at Gan Chamesh wanted to give their students the endless opportunities to create different

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CHAZAQ Event with Rabbi Label Lam On Sunday night, December 23rd, world-renowned lecturer Rabbi Label Lam was in Forest Hills, Queens. The lecture was presented by CHAZAQ and dealt with “How to become a Leader.” The event took place at the Beth Gavriel Community Center. For more info about upcoming CHAZAQ events, call 718-285-9132, email info@Chazaq. org, or visit www.CHAZAQ.org

Bnot Yaakov of Great Neck’s Reading Treasuries Program scenarios revolving around the boxes and to think like architects and engineers. Children were able to problem-solve together as discussion sprouted about how to build certain things or agreements had to be reached when the same box was being used as a cave or as a boat. Teachers reported that it was amazing to see the transformations in the dynamics of the class as certain quieter children took on more leading roles and the teamwork that was involved in the box play was very different than while using conventional toys. Teachers and children both said that one week is not enough and classes have decided to continue with their box exploration. Children are naturally creative, and this unit tapped into their inventive side

and they could not have been happier. Children and boxes – what a great combination!

Bnot Yaakov of Great Neck proudly spearheaded a reading initiative program entitled Reading Treasuries. The program began early in the year as a simple “Read-to-me” reading program geared towards younger children reading with parents. Students were given blank “treasury notes” on which to write the names of books parents read to them. Classes that reached goals of 100 notes were treated to Treasury Notes Parties on Erev Shabbat! Teachers kept records of their class’s progress by hanging charts on their doors with the many “treasury notes” their students handed in. Well, in the past month, our Reading Treasury Program progressed to the next level of actual Book Report Treasuries where students are expected to fill out “report sheets” on books they read for themselves! Teachers in all grades, including first grade, are encouraging students to both read their own books and

“write them up” in some format. Students are given various “report formats” to choose from ranging from some that are more drawing-oriented to others that are more writing-oriented. Teachers, parents, and students themselves can choose and experiment with different formats and difficulty levels. The twotiered goal for all students is the same: for students to both read and reflect on their reading. Facilitating children to both value reading and consider their reading through writing is fundamental to later academic success.

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

SAVE $250 Register by

January 15th

Amazing Arts & Crafts Projects and Specialty Workshops Full Indoor and Outdoor Sports Program Hot Delicious Lunch and Snacks Served Daily Unique Drama Program with Productions

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Davening Program & Daily Shiurim

Door to Door Transportation on Air Conditioned Buses with Supervision Experienced and Devoted Staff with a Close Adult/Child Ratio Amazing Weekly Trips including Overnight & Late Night Trips on Air Conditioned Buses Daily Swimming & Instructional Swim with our Experienced and Certified Lifeguards.

STAFF APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE. CALL TO SET UP AN INTERVIEW

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THE CAMP YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

Around the Community March of 1945 – Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island This past Asara B’Teves, the Junior High School boys of the Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island were absolutely captivated as Mr. Yisroel Katz, a Holocaust survivor, described how he experienced profound instances of compassion as he and his fellow Yidden fought to endure the unimaginable horrors of Nazi brutality. Spellbound, the boys listened as Mr. Katz described how when he was not so much older than they are now, he was forced to run on a notorious Death March. With no strength left, he collapsed and implored his two close friends to leave him to die. Refusing to abandon their friend and determined to survive together, the two young men pulled their companion to his feet and dragged him along, thereby saving his life. This haunting and amazing story conveyed how the Nazi’s strategic efforts to alienate one Jew from another and psychologically encourage an “every man for himself” stance amongst the prisoners failed while the sense of rachamim that is indicative of the Jewish people prevailed. Mr. Katz explained to the boys, “Despite the fact that the Nazis ym”sh tried to turn us into animals, there was a sense of brotherhood and achdus that was displayed when friends helped each other during the hardest of times.” It is especially meaningful that Mr. Katz shared his story with the YKLI talmidim because he considers the beautiful sight of children learning in yeshivas today as a consolation. “Our children are our future and we should never underestimate what they can accomplish.” Mr. Katz further inspired the boys by sharing his firm belief that noth-

ing can stop an individual who is strong and courageous and determined to survive. Mr. Katz passionately explained that one must also always have hope in Hashem, and he stated that the very fact that Jews are here today is testament the Jews’ adherence to these maxims. Mr. Katz expressed his gratitude for this country in which Jews can practice and learn Torah freely and he urged the talmidim to maintain their close connection to their values and community. “I have seen people who thought that the outside world was better, but they eventually had tremendous regret,” Mr. Katz shared, keenly aware of how the Jews’ commitment to one another was central to their collective as well as their individual survival. It was an amazing privilege for the YKLI talmidim, Rabbeim and administrators to hear this first-hand, gripping account from Mr. Katz who described the horrific events of the Holocaust as well as the miraculous post-war reunion with his brothers including Dr. Moshe Katz whose presence at the event made it even more moving and memorable for all of the transfixed listeners.

47 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

vdhdj vru,v sucfk vhsnuku

The Siyum Hagodol of Mesivta Chaim Shlomo Motzei Shabbos, January 5 ‘hjha hukv hfsrn ’r ic v”g hcm ihnhbc b”gk Binyomin ben Reb Motty Klein a”ung

Special Guest for Shabbos

Rabbi Yissocher Frand t”yhka

Rabbi Frand will speak Shabbos Afternoon at 3:15pm Mincha 4:00pm

150 Bachurim will be ohhxn. Most of these Talmidim will have taken a written bechina of 120 ,ukta on the entire t,fxn/ The entire community is invited to participate in this spectacular event.

Come and Shep Nachas!

UNTIL 8:00

Program

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7:15-8:15 ohrujcvn ohaushju vru, hrcs

t”yhka rsbc sus crv ,hcc

8:15

'v aushe MARCH

8:45

arsnv ,hcc ouhx

from Rav Dovid Bender’s house, 328 B.17th St. to the Mesivta with ,urnd and torches

Special Guest Speaker

Harav Osher Kalmanowitz t”yhka Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Mir, Brooklyn

9:30-11:30

vfkn vukn ,sugx

ohsuehru ohbudhb in the Waterview

QUEENS OPEN HOUSE

Come to the reunion & get an

additional

$100 OFF!

Your application will be stamped and you have until Jan 31st to register

R. GROSSMAN 917.310.9481

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

door prizes!

pizza &

A DIVISION OF YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH OF FAR ROCKAWAY

SUNDAY January 13th 4-5:30pm

new video! Never seen before

entertainment Ages: pre-1A & up

Ahavas Yisroel 147-02 73rd Ave. KGH

admission

bring a friend!

fee!

www.simchadaycamp.com

Ph: 718. 868.2300 ext.233

10 Anniversar Dinner

T U E S D AY , F E B R U A R Y 5 T H

S A N D S AT AT L A N T I C B E A C H

d”ga, yca v”f

1395 BEECH STREET • ATLANTIC BEACH, NEW YORK

Rece tion 7:30 m

Y O U A R E C O R D I A L LY I N V I T E D

Pro ram 8:15 m

HONORING

Rabbi & Rebbetzin Yitzchok Knobel Guests of Honor

Mr. & Mrs. Steven Stein Young Leadership Award

Rabbi & Mrs. Yitzy Haber Avodas Hakodesh Award

Dedication of the

Pincus Peterseil Beis Hamussar

Rav Yitzchok Knobel

Rav Moshe Zev Katzenstein

ROSH KOLLEL

ROSH YESHIVA

Yehuda Biber & Reuben Levine

Gary Greenberg & Yehuda Klinkowitz

DINNER CHAIRMEN

JOURNAL CHAIRMEN

YESHIVA GEDOLAH OF THE FIVE TOWNS | P.O. Box 396, Woodmere, NY 11598 Tel: (516) 295-8900 | Fax: (516) 750-9069 | Email: dinner@ygft.org | www.ygft.org/dinner

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

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HANC Keeps Their Teeth Healthy Nursery Aleph students in Morah Allison and Morah Jennifer’s class at HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Early Childhood Center in

West Hempstead welcomed a special guest who taught them all about keeping their teeth healthy.

The students were really excited to welcome dentist Dr. Yitzy Ritter, aka Harry’s Abba, to teach them all about why it is important to brush your teeth well and to visit your dentist regularly. Dr. Ritter brought in some dental tools to show the students, so that they wouldn’t be scared the next time they go to the dentist. Dr. Ritter also brought in new toothbrushes and toothpaste for all the students. The students learned a lot and can’t wait to use their new toothbrushes! A big “thank you” to Dr. Ritter!

NEWS

Community Margaret Tietz Brings Chanukah Joy to Neighborhood Seniors

The staff at Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was quite busy this past Chanukah as they reached out to community residents, actively engaging them in a host of holiday celebrations. From the Young Israel Senior Leagues to the Self-Help Russian Community – Margaret Tietz was an integral part of all the festivities. Margaret Tietz was happy open its doors to host a fabulous, fun-filled gala for the Young Israel of Queens Valley replete with delicious food and rousing entertainment. In addition, events for the JASA Senior Center, the Young Israel of Forest Hills, and the Self-Help Community – in coordination with Rabbi Eli Blokh of Rego Park —were sponsored by Margaret Tietz. And at Margaret Tietz itself, each night of Chanukah brought with it a renewed sense of excitement and warmth as residents, loves ones, and staff commemorated the miracles with a ceremonious Menorah lighting and joyous celebration. A special treat was a delightful musical performance by the youngsters from Etz Chaim Yeshiva. On the fifth

day, residents and their families enjoyed a lavish party featuring delectable holiday foods and Chanukah-themed activities. Special thanks to Aaron Deitsch of Chofetz Chaim who provided the lively Chanukah music. Margaret Tietz is a beloved community presence – providing the Queens environs with state-of-the-art rehab and long-term care in a beautiful, luxurious setting.

NEWS

Community

Jewish Fellowships Hosts Annual Winter Break Fellowship

Bais Yaakov of Midwood Open House Showcases Warm, Up-and-Coming School by Judith Dinowitz

This past week, Jewish Fellowships was very excited to host their seventh annual winter-break fellowship for university students from University of Central Florida and Florida International University. The students were given a truly once in a lifetime experience. Led

by Rabbi Finman, the participants spent the week studying at Yeshiva Sh’or Yo-

shuv, where they learned about the fundamentals of Judaism. There neshomos were alive, inspired and uplifted from the deep connection they formed during their stay in the Far Rockaway/Five Towns community. The Staff at Jewish Fellowships would like to thank the community for hosting JFI participants for Shabbos meals and chavrusas learning sessions. We would also like to thank Sh’or Yoshuv for hosting the kiruv fellowship. As a direct result of the Fellowship, four university students committed to return to study in Yeshiva!

Three have already enrolled in Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv and one has committed to return for two months this summer! To host a Shabbos meal or volunteer for chavrusas learning with university fellowship participants, please contact Rabbi Elisha Finman at 718.614.7649 or at eli@JewishFellowships.org.

Bais Yaakov of Midwood is hosting an open house on Wednesday, January 9th at 8:00 pm. All parents are invited to visit the school, located at 1192 East 31st Street, and meet the school’s experienced and warm preschool moros. Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff of Agudas Bais Binyomin and Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld of Torah Umesorah will be speaking as well. The school, a “home away from home,” emphasizes middos tovos and independent learning skills. The rich Hebrew and English curriculum is enhanced with time for science, art, music and gym. The school’s Shira Club hosts occasional performances with all grades participating, even the preschool. The school’s Chanukah Chagigah on December 11th attracted a packed room, full of parents, grandparents and friends, who enjoyed a Shira Club performance, followed by Chanukah workshops in their children’s classrooms. Mrs. Chaya Fried, Menaheles, said, “Our goal here at Bais Yaakov of Midwood is to bring the love and excitement of Yiddishkeit and learning to every child, and to produce well-rounded, confident and successful mothers of tomorrow.” In the 2013-14 school year, Bais Yaakov of Midwood will have nursery through 4th grade. The school’s motto is “She’s your daughter…Together, we’re building her future.”

JV Wins 1st Place in College Bowl Tournament This past Thursday, the Rambam Mesivta Junior Varsity College Bowl Team won 1st place and the Varsity College Bowl Team won 3rd place at Rambam Mesivta’s 3rd Annual College Bowl Tournament Challenge. Junior Zechariah Hartman was named MVP, and team captain Jake Plaut was awarded an All-Star trophy. The tournament consisted of three rounds of play where teams had between 13 and 15 minutes to answer over 150 questions per round. The tourna-

ment, created three years ago by Assistant Principal Mr. Hillel Goldman, and with the support of the official Yeshiva College Bowl League, is now the biggest single-day College Bowl event of the year with eight schools from all over the tri-State area and over 175 students competing. “While we were pleased that we won the JV tournament,” Mr. Goldman expressed, “we were even more pleased about the way the boys made this happen. The team, to a man, helped orga-

nize the tournament, set up the playing area and cleaned up afterward. It is very rewarding to know that the talmidim want to help and that they are learning the types of leadership skills that will help them run a Shul, school, or corporation, in the future.” Rambam wants to express its thanks to the other coaches who helped during the event and a big congratulations to the Varsity winners, DRS, who just beat out Runner-up TABC and JV Runnerup HAFTR.

Bais Yaakov of Midwood Shira Club performs at the 2012 Chanukah Chagigah

51 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

Around the Community Nachi Sonnenblick delivers West Hempstead’s generous contribution to Achiezer’s post-Sandy Community Assistance Fund on behalf of Young Israel, Anshei Shalom, Eitz Chaim, and Chabad. Shalom Jaroslawicz, Achiezer’s Project Coordinator shown receiving the contribution

Achiezer hosted a meeting for community Rabbonim on December 19 to keep everyone up to date on the distribution of Sandy recovery funds administered through the Community Assistance Fund (CAF). After Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender presented some statistics from the “front lines,” Rabbi Dovid Greenblatt outlined CAF’s fundraising efforts, distribution system, and multi-phased vision for recovery. The group then participated in a lively roundtable discussion which proposed solutions to several critical points, including suggestions for effective interaction with contractors and insurance companies. Although it is clear that comprehensive recovery efforts will still be a very long haul, Achiezer’s focus is to make the process as smooth as possible, enabling everyone to work together for the common good.

NEWS

Community

Arranging The Bouquet Reflections of the Peninim of Far Rockaway/Five Towns Inaugural Event By: Yael Renov If there is one creation which symbolizes feminine beauty, it is the rose. Upon entering The Peninim of Far Rockaway/Five Towns Inaugural Event this past Sunday night in the Renov home, I felt compelled to compare what I saw to a beautiful bed of roses. Each and every woman in that room was, in her own right, reminiscent of a majestic rose, ready to become a part of the beautiful bouquet Peninim seeks to create. It was truly awe-inspiring to see how women, of all different types and backgrounds, were running, even arriving early, to be a part of the Peninim Tznius Revolution as well as leaving on a spiritual “high.” I can only imagine the nachas ruach that the attendees, and those intending to come, gave the Rebono Shel Olam that night. Peninim, for those not yet familiar, provides venues in which different groups of 10-15 women get together twice a month for an hour to discuss various topics in tznius: be it in the area of speech, clothing or actions. These discussions are centered around a two minute audio clip, a 2-3 page synopsis of that week’s topic, and some thoughts to ponder. As explained previously (in the Dec. 20th article titled “Peninim Inspired”), the intention of these gettogethers is to create a relaxed, growth oriented and non-threatening environment for the group members to discuss their views and for each woman to contemplate what area of tznius she would like to develop in herself. It is interesting to note that similar to the estimated number of species of roses across the globe, there were an estimated 250 women in attendance at the event, thus affirming the truth that we are each unique and precious as we are a part of the bigger whole. By attending, the women not only represented a fraction of the gamut of Klal Yisrael, but also highlighted the intrinsic spiritual value of enhancing our tznius and the feminine quality inherent in preserving it. There was an ambiance of warmth, togetherness, and optimism towards becoming more in harmony with Hashem’s will. The room radiated beauty and grandeur and the chizuk of such a showing was visible on every face in the crowd. The atmosphere which defined the

evening was both elegant and regal. The tables were draped with shades of velvety green tablecloths with pearls and diamonds befitting of royalty. Its décor of deep purples and beautiful fresh flowers depicted the feminine nature of beauty and the candelabras as well as the sparkling candlelight which was refracted off of the mirrors set the tone for a night of exquisite splendor. Estie Florans’s article, “INSIDE OUTBeauty Redefined,” which was featured in Binah magazine as well as the scrolls of Peninim Pearls of Dignity, which enumerated the generous sponsorships, were both prominently displayed on the tables. The night had many highlights. Rabbi Dovid Weinberger shlita, Morah D’Asra of Shaaray Tefilah and Rabbinical Advisor of Peninim of the Far Rockaway/Five Towns, started off the night with heartfelt divrei bracha and expounded upon the topic of tznius from the man’s perspective. His response to the overwhelming turnout of the event was not only touching but encouraging as well. It is not every day that a Rav, who is privy to so much is moved beyond words as he looks upon his community members. Seeing what we had accomplished by uniting for the purpose of tznius brought him to shed tears of jubilation. Upon reflection, Rabbi Weinberger compared the women who have already committed to Peninim and those who will iyH be joining Peninim to members of an army which is battling for kedusha verses tumah in our community and beyond. “Just as it was the yichidim who brought about the nes of Chanukah, so too in this case will it be the individuals who will make all the difference and be zoche to tremendous bracha.” Mrs. Hadassah Zelman, who is the primary reason that Peninim has taken root in our community and a major pulse behind the event, spoke next. Her overview of tznius as well as a depiction of the general goings-on of a Peninim meeting gave the attendees a sense of what to expect from this new approach to enhancing tznius. Mrs. Zelman also highlighted the powerful feedback she received from some of the ongoing Peninim groups in the Far Rockaway/Five Towns and described what it means to

be a part of a Peninim group. She enumerated the wide range of Peninim groups’ meeting times and locations in our community and encouraged women to join this world-wide movement. It is with a full heart that we thank Mrs. Zelman for all she has done in spearheading this revolution. Charlene Aminoff, the founder of Gali’s Couture Wigs in Great Neck, was the guest speaker and her story left everyone teary-eyed and amazed. Through her account, Charlene described Hashem’s tremendous chessed throughout her daughter, Gali’s ordeal and how her tznius sensitivities have evolved through the epiphany she had when faced with near-tragedy. Her depiction of how she capitalized on the opportunity to grow in tznius awareness as well as how she enables others to do the same through her at-cost line of wigs, is very down-to-earth and inspiring. Charlene has even mentioned that she herself would like to begin a group in Great Neck and Peninim wishes her tremendous hatzlacha in that and in all of her endeavors. As anyone who plants knows, there are many details involved in the planting process. It is the nature of women to use their profound understanding (bina yeseira) to plant and encourage the growth of both themselves and those around them. Be it through “softening the soil” in preparation for new growth, separating out the unnecessary elements which may impede the process, or carefully planting the little seedlings and watering them on a constant basis, women know that it is only slow and consistent care and attention which breeds long-lasting results. Such is the truth of Torah growth as well. Through a steady process of opening herself up to new perspectives, removing preconceived notions regarding tznius and the careful planting of new ideas, each woman is enabling herself to flourish in a way that is real and everlasting. It is in this way that we can infuse ourselves and possibly others with the tools to become full grown, magnificent roses. Peninim’s goal is to become the vessel for such growth. Though the rose may grow around the world, each type of rose can only grow in the environment that is suited

for it. In a similar vein, each of the women in attendance, as well as the many more women throughout our community, are encouraged to find or form a Peninim group which fits her unique needs and makes her feel comfortable to grow at her own pace and in her own style. It is in this way that we hope to cultivate long-lasting, sustained growth. Though the world is unfortunately full of thorns of sheker (falsehood), through our aspirations and enthusiasm in the area of enhanced tznius, may we become the “Rose among the thorns,” by modeling what true, Torah beauty is. In this way, as proposed in Shir Hashirim, may we become even more beloved in Hashem’s eyes. This past Sunday night, the Women of the Far Rockaway/Five Towns Community began planting a new garden of roses. Under the guidance of Rabbi Weinberger shlita and through the framework of Peninim, may we be zoche to continue to enhance that garden by giving each and every rose the opportunity to flourish and grow to its full potential. Nothing could be more beautiful. It is with tremendous hakaras hatov that Peninim acknowledges all those who gave of their time and efforts to make this evening such an outstanding success. May Hashem reward you with tremendous bracha. Finally, I would like to mention that it has been a true zechus to help coordinate and host this Peninim Inaugural Event. Each detail of the preparation in which I merited to partake was an honor for me as I knew I was contributing to the betterment of our community. Upon seeing the remarkable presence in my parents’ home, I felt compelled to sing Eishes Chayil and Elokai Neshama as a tribute to the Nishei Chayil sitting before me who yearn to maximize each new opportunity for growth. You are each truly more precious than pearls. May Hashem reward you for striving to come closer to Him in a practical way, one step at a time. All of the speeches can be heard on TorahAnytime.com To start forming or joining a Peninim group, please call 718-327-4386.

53 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov

Journal Ad Deadline is December 3 1, 2012

Ruth & Hyman Simon High School

th Annual Dinner

2013 Honorees

Dr. & Dr. Steven Kadish Guests of Honor

Mr. & Mrs. David Ambalo Parents of the Year

Dr. & Mrs. Benjy Weiss

Mr. Sanford Pesner Educator of the Year

Kehilla Award

Gruss Life Monument Funds Education Excellence Award

Monday Evening, January 7, 2013

Dinner Chairman

Location: White Shul

Journal Chairmen

(Congregation Kneseth Israel)

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Shiu Reichman

Dr. Yossie Jeret Ari Friedman Dinner Committee Dr. Neil Adler Moshe Auerbach Elie Furst Shlomo Goldman Benjy Goldstein Dr. Meyer Halpern Meir Krengel Dr. Lawrence Lehman Rabbi Sam Rudansky Avi Shaulson Shulie Wollman

Rabbeim for Life. Education for Life. Torah for Life. 131 Washington Ave. Lawrence, New York 11559 | Phone: 516.374.6465 | Fax: 516.374.1834 | E-mail: dinner@ateresyaakov.com

55 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

Current production is YOSHON. For more information, please see The Guide to Chodosh, section 8.1

SALE DATES JANUARY 6 - 11, 2013

DEPENDABLE HIGH GLUTEN FLOUR

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99¢

5 LB

3.49

APPLE & EVE SESAME STREET JUICE BOXES

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8 PACK - 33.8 OZ

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15 OZ

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ALL VARIETIES 4 OZ

FAT-FREE OR WHOLE WHEAT ONLY 1.92 OZ

99¢

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7 69¢

ALL FLAVORS 5 OZ

2.99

S LENDER’S BAGELS ASSORTED 12 OZ

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TNUVA NON-DAIRY TOPPING 17 OZ

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.....................

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T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

GOLDEN FLOW CALIFORNIA BLEND 32 OZ

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We reserve the right to limit quantities. No rain checks. Not responsible for typographical errors.

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

SALE DATES JANUARY 6 - 11, 2013

SALES FOR CEDARHURST STORE ONLY

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

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59 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

T h e J e w i s h H o m e n j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

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Father-Daughter Learning at Shalhevet Shalhevet’s Father-Daughter learning event was a great success! Tuesday, December 25th, over fifty fathers and their daughters gathered in the Ballroom for a scrumptious lunch of pizza, salad, fruit, and pastries, and a delightfully inspiring afternoon. Rabbi Eliach began the program by discussing the idea that although Chanukah has already passed, there is much to be learned about the significance the holiday plays in our modern times. The next hour was spent analyzing and exploring source packets. Rabbi Eliach then tied all the pieces into a beautiful message about the beauty of Chanukah and concluded with a heartfelt thanks to our modern day Macabaiim, the Israel Defense Forces. Many thanks to Rabbi Eliach and the Shalhevet faculty who made this special event possible! A special thank you to our

sponsors for this program: Zena & Martin Cohen, parents of Tehila Cohen, grade 10, in memory of Harry Aeder-Naftali Hertz ben R’ Zev Halevi; Anita Aeder-Anna bas Moshe; Irving Cohen-Yisroel ben Boruch Dovid haCohen; Malka and Shimon Waronker, parents of Shoshana Waronker, grade 10, in memory of Yakov ben Shimon; Volva ben Avrohom; Stacy and Robbie Zeitz, parents of Kayla Zeitz, grade 12, in memory of Ruth and Harold Weiss; Evelyn and Emmanuel Kahn; Rose and Jack Weiselman; Esther and Moshe Nachman Zeitz; Chani and Shalom Gold-Zargari, parents of Dalia, grade 9, in memory of Taliya Dalia bat Malka; Golda Baila bat Chana; Shlomo ben Taliya Dalia. Opportunities to sponsor Rosh Chodesh programs are available. Please contact Eliza at the Shalhevet office.

NEWS

Community MAY Seniors Receive High Honors at YU

Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, Menahel; Gavriel Sturm; Moshe Losev; Rabbi Sam Rudansky, General Studies Principal; Rabbi Yossi Bennett, Assistant Menahel/Assistant Principal.

It is not uncommon for MAY seniors to receive all sorts of scholarships and high honors at both post high school yeshivos and universities. But this year, MAY takes particular pride that the two seniors who applied both received early decision acceptance to the Schottenstein Honors Program at Yeshiva University and together received scholarships totaling approximately $250,000. Gavriel Sturm and Moshe Losev, both of whom will be heading to Eretz Yisroel to devote at least one year of full-time study in yeshiva before embarking on their college careers, have been enthu-

siastically accepted to this prestigious program. Rabbi Sam Rudansky, General Studies Principal, commented, “These boys are just two of our outstanding students who have chosen Yeshiva University for their post high school education. We are happy that we were able to provide for them the requisite education, resources and guidance to accomplish this feat. We are very proud of them and we are confident that they will continue to excel both as B’nei Torah, as well as in their chosen fields of study.”

Yeshiva of Central Queens Students Support Sandy Hook Elementary School This past week, the seventh grade students at Yeshiva of Central Queens created “wishes” to send to the surviving students, faculty and families of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Led by their science teacher, Ms. Picciano, the students used paper plates and an assortment of craft supplies to create beautiful and heartfelt messages. This country-wide initiative, led by the National Parent Teacher Association, hopes to have the Sandy Hook students and faculty welcomed back to school by a wonderland of decorations and wishes from all over the country. This project offered the YCQ students the ability to empathize with the Sandy Hook students and translate their feelings into meaningful actions.

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Community

YKLI – Thinking “Outside” the Book From the time boys enter the nursery class at Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island, they are immersed in a thinking curriculum, building their knowledge base through hands-on learning activities. When the Yeshiva Ketana Elementary School Division, under the guid-

ance of Mrs. Larissa Steele, Director of General Studies, decided to review and adopt the Envision Common Core 2012 Curriculum for both math and reading, the choice was made because these programs would continue a tradition of investigative learning. Because the program is challenging by design and stresses thinking skills, it was the natural choice for the next phase of the YKLI educational program. As students learn and work through sequential and increasingly complex math concepts, the program has them examine and analyze problems with an increased focus on thinking and word problems. No matter the grade, whether first or sixth, this program stresses highly-tuned understandings of numeration in addition, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions and all math concepts. All students, no matter their level, are involved and learning. While there is only one correct answer to a problem, there are multiple approaches that students may utilize to reach the accurate solution. This is at the heart of YKLI’s new Common Core Math Curriculum, but so is math fluency, that is, having math facts easily accessible, as well as knowing when to apply them correctly and confidently. Since beginning the program, students are making amazing progress, not just covering the material, but thinking and talking math. When Mrs. Steele heard that the building next door was going to be de-

molished, she immediately recognized the possibilities and mobilized the budding mathematicians in the two third grades to participate in an enriched math activity. Both Mrs. Batsheva Kelemer and Mrs. Dorie Shoshana, third grade teachers, were enthusiastic when dis-

cussing and planning this Project-Based learning experience. Students had two different learning tasks. Half of this dynamic problem-solving investigation was to figure out the size of the land. Working with a partner, the third graders went outside and used their yardsticks to measure the length and width of the property and the house located on it. Though they had directions and

guidelines, as typical of what happens when students are encouraged to actively think and participate, some boys went a step beyond: they were assigned to measure in yards, but many of the groups decided to convert yards into feet on their own. When asked about it, they looked with surprise and replied simply, “Mrs. Steele explained there are 3 feet in a yard, so of course we knew how to change it into feet. It was easy.” One group decided to do some extra computations. They explained they were going to subtract the area of the house from the area of the total land. Many groups discussed and planned more investigations while they measured. Following up in the classroom, students calculated the perimeter and then the area of the lot and calculated the area of the land minus the building. The other half of their task was to inventory (using with words or drawings) the objects that will have to be removed from the property to make way for future additional YKLI play spaces. In the event students wanted to draw the buildings or devise a map, Mrs. Larissa Steele gave the third grades brief

classes on using lines to draw figures and change one’s perspective. Groups of students tried to sketch the different things in the yard. Follow up activities include students planning and defending their mapping (now in inches) of their preferred division of the “new” space and interviewing the project engineer to learn what math principles will be used in the actual demolition. Mrs. Steele explained, “This type of learning is important for students because it allows them to think, plan, explain their ideas, and learn from each other. These thinking activities allow for each student, in his own way, to be involved and to be successful. This makes learning exciting and productive.”

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Chanukah Visit of Viznitz Rebbe, Shlita, to Five Towns Community

The sixth night of Chanukah was a special one for the Five Towns and Far Rockaway communities, as they were treated to a visit from the renowned Viznitzer Rebbe, shlita, of Eretz Yisrael. This was the first visit paid to the community by the Rebbe since he assumed his position as successor to his father, Harav Moshe Yehoshua Hager,

zt”l. Hundreds of community members, who are well familiar with the Rebbe, thronged to greet him and take part in the epic public Menorah lighting. The crowd gathered close to the Rebbe as he recited fervent Brachos and kindled the Menorah, and was visibly moved as the Rebbe sang Haneiros Halalu, Maoz Tzur, and Viznitz Niggunim with deep emotion. The Rebbe doled out the customary Chanukah gelt and personally greeted those in attendance, who also enjoyed traditional Chanukah treats such as doughnuts. Many seized the opportunity to deliver kvitlach to the Rebbe and seek his brachah and advice. The evening was an uplifting one to the attendees, who basked in the Rebbe’s presence and in the spirited singing, dancing and tefillah that marks Chanukah in Viznitz. The Rebbe’s visit was particularly timely, as it provided a much needed dose of Chizuk and comfort on the

heels of Hurricane Sandy, which devastated many areas of the community. The Viznitz Rebbe, shlita, is renowned throughout the world as a pillar of Torah and Chassidus and continues the legacy of his revered father, zt”l. He

has visited the Five Towns community on many past occasions and is well familiar with many of its members. The community at large was delighted and honored by his first visit as Rebbe on the auspicious occasion of Chanukah.

Queens Community Welcomes Har Torah and Yachad Shabbaton On Shabbat Parshat VaYigash, the 8th graders at Yeshiva Har Torah joined together with members of Yachad from around the tri-state area for an uplifting and exciting Shabbat together. The Shabbaton took place in Holliswood, Queens, and both the communities of Holliswood and Jamaica Estates opened their doors to all the many YHT students and Yachad members participating in the annual Shabbaton. Joining together with the Young Israel of Holliswood, the Shabbaton began with heartfelt Tefilah, followed by a Seudat Shabbat in the Shul’s ballroom. It was a wonderful opportunity for the 8th graders to join with the Yachad members, singing Zemirot, laughing and dancing arm in arm together. On Shabbat morning,

the Holliswood community joined the Shabbaton for a Kiddush, followed by another uplifting and inspiring lunch, at which YHT and Yachad participants shared Divrei Torah and sang Zemirot. The Shabbat concluded with a community-wide Seudah Shlishit, where once again the Holliswood community had a chance to join in the achdut and energy of this unique Shabbaton. Motzaei Shabbat, the Shabbaton concluded with the YHT 8th graders and Yachad members having a blast playing Coke and Pepsi while enjoying a pizza Melava Malka. The 8th graders look forward to their annual YHT/Yachad Shabbaton each year, and it truly was a special, inspiring and transformational weekend.

Malka Marmer: Stellar Talent at Shalhevet If you met Malka Marmer in the school halls, you might not imagine that she figure skates before hundreds of people. Malka is an enthusiastic G.O. treasurer, a frequent writer for the Shalhevet newsletter, and a passionate Zionist – all while maintaining a straight A average in a full load of Honors and AP classes. She is full of energy and always

busy. Yet she is quiet about her prestigious talent. Malka has been figure skating since she was ten years old. Now, she learns from top-notch coaches. One of Malka’s instructors placed sixth in the Olympics, and the other coached the Israeli Olympic team. Despite her busy school life, Malka makes time to practice three

times per week. Her hard work has paid off: she has competed in both test track and free skate contests all over the East Coast (from Cape Cod to the Hershey Park Sports Complex) and hopes to continue participating in competitions in years to come. In addition, Malka is currently training to become a certified ice skating coach.

Malka says that figure skating gives her “time to think.” When she skates, she feels “free and graceful.” Malka is grateful to her parents for supporting her and her talent. And she is thrilled to be surrounded by such encouraging teachers and enthusiastic peers at Shalhevet.

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Community

Bais Yaakov of Queens First Graders Integrate Curiosity, Active Listening and Learning! A few years ago, the first grade staff, a team of professionals that has worked together for more than ten years, overheard a discussion of a group of first graders theorizing where puddles go after it rained. The first grade teachers’ active listening jumpstarted the creation of a new unit of study incorporating the students’ natural curiosity. The team collaborated and added the water cycle to their curriculum. The teachers continually add to the unit, as students ask different questions enhancing the depth of the study. Always in tune with their students, it is the students’ curiosity that drives the curriculum, and the teachers guide the students to discover answers to their questions and satisfy their curiosity. To begin, the first graders work as junior scientists and love the hands-on activities in their junior science lab. Each girl is able to observe and test the information acquired through the books read in class. They begin their unit by reading The Magic School Bus—Wet All Over. They make lists of the new vocabulary words they learn from the book including: condensation, water vapor, precipitation, accumulation, and evaporation. Mrs. Cohen, one of

the first grade teachers, said, “They no longer think about water as only something to drink, wash with or have fun in swim.” The scientists know all matter on earth comes in three states: liquid, solid and gas. When one student curiously asked the question, “Can matter change?” the teacher’s response was, “Let’s find out!” Since learning is a continuum, the team met again to address the addition of this aspect of study for the little scientists. Cups of water were frozen overnight. Each class had a cup of water marked in the window to watch for evaporation. They also boiled water to witness the matter change from liquid to a gas. Students were able to make lists of all the things they learned about water. Their lists included many clever observations including: the most common form of water is liquid; water changes shape to whatever container it is put into; and solidified water, ice, maintains the shape of its container as long as it is frozen. The water cycle was demonstrated examining a “rain puddle” as a bowl of water. With no sun shining in the room, teachers substituted a kettle for the sun and heated the bowl of water. Through

observation, the students began to understand evaporation. Their learning continued with what happens when the water falls back to earth and it accumulates to form puddles, creeks, rivers and oceans. The water cycle unit will be remembered as the junior scientists wear their water cycle bracelets. Each girl received string and pony beads in differ-

ent colors representing the stages of the water cycle: dark blue for water, yellow for sun, clear for water vapor, light blue for rain, and brown or black for earth. Admiring these bracelets brings back the enthusiastic conversation about the water cycle and the fantastic time they had being junior scientists!

Ani Maamin: SKA’s Production ’12 I believe! The playbill of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls’ Production expressed this year’s Production theme so beautifully. In these trying times, in light of recent events, we need Emunah. There is no way to explain why so much devastation happened during Hurricane San-

dy or why so many lives were cut short

at Sandy Hook Elementary. The only place we can turn with our emotions is Hashem. On motzei Shabbos, December 29th, Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening, December 30th, SKA’s Production cast and crew channeled all their efforts to make this year’s annual production one of the most memorable ones ever! Under the leadership of Mrs. Terri Wagner, SKA’s “First Lady of SKA Theatre,” over 200 students participated in this year’s Production, “Ani Maamin,” – I believe! The school auditorium was filled with moms, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, teachers, friends, alumnae, and eighth grade applicants who watched this amazing display of

talent! As Mrs. Helen Spirn, SKA’s Head of School, observes, “Production is an amazing opportunity for our girls and focuses on developing and displaying the talents that Hashem has blessed them with. From choir and dance to

drama, comedy and Sign Language, each student is able to build her sense of self esteem while enjoying the experience of working with a group and getting close to girls in all grades.” We look forward to Production 2013!

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Save Date

Y e s h i v a

K e t a n a

o f

L o n g

I s l a n d

t he

Annual Dinner

Motzei Shabbos, February 16, 2013 • d ” g a , r s t ‘ z 7:30pm Ye s h i va K e ta n a C a m p u s 321 Doughty Blvd • Inwood, NY

Honoring Honorary Chairmen

charles harary eric stern

Dinner Chairmen motti lazar

Mayer & Fraidy Maltz p a r e n t s

o f

t h e

y e a r

Howard & Beth Kafka h a k o r a s

h a t o v

a w a r d

moshe majeski

Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg

Journal Chairmen

S p e a k e r P r o Te m p o r

shlomo katz

yehuda samter

l e g i s l at i v e c o m m u n i t y s e r v i c e awa r d

Dinner Committee howard balter david bugayer aryeh gibber mendy haas shalom huberfeld avi krasnow steve landau avrum pultman avrumi rosenberg dani rosenthal binyamin schwartz ushi shafran yaakov spinner david vegh

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Cover Story by Malky Lowinger

Nochi Krohn Chocolate and Music: A Recipe for Happiness

t’s kind of hard not to like a guy like Nochi Krohn. After all, he represents the two things that we all love the most – chocolate and music. So liking Nochi is really a no brainer. What’s more intriguing is getting to know him. Nochi grew up on Meadow Lane in Monsey, as one of four brothers. “Shimshi, Yosaif, and I are very close in age,” he says. “My youngest brother Avrohom Yitzchok was born ten years later.” His parents have always been, and still are, very supportive of their sons’ endeavors. They are a tight knit family, sharing their musical prowess as well as their business initiatives and they have become significantly successful in both of these areas. While partnering with siblings may sound like a recipe for disaster to some, it works well for the Krohn brothers who clearly respect each other’s initiatives, expertise, and judgments. Nochi attended Breuer’s High School and Rabbi Rodinski’s Yeshiva in Monsey, and then Yeshiva Tiferes Yerushalayim in Bayit Vegan. He always enjoyed learning, but he says he couldn’t find a Yeshiva he was totally comfortable in. All that changed when he began to attend Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv. It was here in Far Rockaway that Nochi found a makom Torah that he could call home.

“The environment in this Yeshiva,” says Nochi, “is warm and welcoming. You could learn here with a chavrusa who is 18-years-old and another chavrusa who is 65. An esteemed talmid chochom could easily be learning directly across the room from someone who is just now becoming frum. At Sh’or Yoshuv, it makes absolutely no difference who you are. It’s a very growing atmosphere. You want to be a Yid and come and learn? Then you are welcome here.” Nochi remembers his first day in Yeshiva as a bochur just back from Eretz Yisroel. “After davening,” he says, “everybody was dancing. That sort of set the tone for the entire day. Whenever there’s an opportunity to celebrate, that’s what they do. It’s an environment that fosters a very positive atmosphere.” He also says that the Rebbeim are especially warm and welcoming, and that the influence of Rav Shlomo Freifeld, zt’l, is still very much apparent, even after all these years. “The underlying theme at Shor Yoshuv,” he says, “is to be as emesdik as you can. It’s really a unique atmosphere.” The Krohn brothers feel such a strong connection with the yeshiva that they come back every year and are the highlight of the annual Purim mesibah. Into the wee hours of the morning on Shushan Purim, hundreds gather to dance and sing in the Purim spirit…in the

Krohn spirit. “For me, the highlight of Purim, perhaps even the most spiritual part of my Purim, is just being at the Shor Yoshuv Purim mesibah, dancing, and letting the music carry me away,” says Far Rockaway resident Noam Schwartz. Chocolate Connoisseur Nochi and his brothers are entrepreneurs in the true sense of the word. They have a keen business sense and a flair for recognizing an emerging trend. So when they met a gentleman named Bruce, who had opened a store in Monsey selling fine gourmet chocolates, they were intrigued. They knew that there are many among us who have a weakness for chocolate, and would come daily to feed their craving for superior sweets. Gourmet chocolates are very delicate, and offering them for sale is not a simple matter. “Bruce was producing top-quality chocolates on the level of eighty dollars a pound,” says Nochi. “The ingredients are so sensitive, that even a change in weather patterns can affect the chocolate. It‘s a real challenge.” Nochi’s brother Shimshi befriended Bruce and learned that he would be interested in opening more stores in other areas. But where? It was Nochi who had the brainstorm, you might call it an epiphany, while

Yoshie Fruchter, Nochi, Avner & Yosaif Krohn

driving down Central Avenue one day. “I suddenly realized,” he says, “that a high-end chocolate store would do very well in this area.” Thus did they open Le Chocolat at 556 Central Avenue in Cedarhurst. The timing wasn’t perfect, that’s for sure. The store opened just as the economy sagged, and gourmet chocolates were the last thing on people’s minds. Nevertheless, the brothers persevered, and the store did well during the holiday gift-giving season, when gourmet gift baskets are considered a hot item. Since then, it has emerged as a popular attraction on the avenue, offering such innovative fare as pumpkin spice caramel lattes, world famous waffles and ice cream, Belgian hot chocolate, and fifteen flavors of brewed coffee. A year later, the brothers made the decision to open a store upstate which turned out to be a tremendous success. The Woodbourne division of Le Chocolat is upscale and cozy at the same time. And while it opened purely as a chocolate and ice cream parlor, it also eventually became a dessert café specializing in gourmet coffees. That store continues to experience outstanding hatzlacha and it has become quite fashionable to stop in for a late night coffee or an early morning cappuccino in the Woodbourne store during the summer—so much so, that lines form in front of the store regularly on Motzei Shabbos. What’s the secret to the Krohns’ success? Siyata dishmaya, of course. Or, as Nochi would say, “It’s all bashert.” But there’s another element to their impressive track record. They are creative and resourceful, as well as very determined. The Krohns are flexible and adaptable, but they are also perfectionists when developing a new product. “Every product is worked on for months and months,” says Nochi. “We are continuously tweaking our goods, constantly reevaluating in order to get just the right balance.” The business is a family affair at the Krohn homestead, and even Nochi’s parents are actively involved. The brothers are grateful for their input and expertise. “They’re really amazing,” Nochi points out. “They are smart and dedicated. From the business end, they are very savvy.” Far Rockaway Life Nochi married his lovely and talented wife Penina in 2008. At the time, Penina had been teaching dance in Flatbush and in Lakewood, and Nochi was travel-

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Cover Story

The Krohn brothers at Le Chocolat

ing back and forth to his own music studio in Monsey on a regular basis. Clearly there was a need to find a common ground to call home, especially after their first baby Ahuva was born. Thus did they settle in Far Rockaway, where Nochi moved his studio. (The Krohns and their daughters Ahuva and Shoshana Basya have since moved to Monsey.) Nochi raves about the Far Rockaway community, its refreshing diversity, and its warm and vibrant atmosphere. Nevertheless, he says that the affordability of apartments in the area is an issue that definitely needs to be addressed. “A lot of people are not staying here,” he points out, “simply because they can’t afford it. So the dynamics are changing somewhat.” Efforts have been made by the Yeshiva community to purchase and develop housing for Rebbeim and Kollel members but space and availability continues to be an issue. “It simply boils down to a matter of supply and demand,” he says. Playing Music Around the Globe When the Krohn brothers were young, they formed an amateur family band. Nochi played the keyboard, Shimshi played the drums, and Yosaif served as composer, singer, and all-around musician. Apparently, their formidable musical talent was just beginning to emerge and would continue to blossom. “I played at our first wedding when I was just in the eighth grade,” Nochi remembers. You might say that it was uphill all the way ever since. Anyone who’s involved in the music industry knows that it’s a risky business, especially these days. But Nochi is not worried. He says that the style of music he offers is more personal, less mainstream. “I am coming from a different angle,” he explains. “I’m not producing an album to get rich. My goal is to affect people’s lives for the good.” The Nochi Krohn Orchestra has had some awesome musical experiences. “One advantage of playing music,” Nochi points out, “is that you get to travel to so many different communities and to make a difference. We’ve been to Alaska several times. Those trips are unforgettable.” Getting to Anchorage, it seems, is no simple matter. The trip itself is a nine and a half hour ordeal, which includes a stopover in Washington State. Still, Nochi says it is well worth it. “There’s a Chabad in Anchorage run by Rabbi Greenberg, and the situation there is

amazing.” The community is not large, but it’s vibrant. The Green family that lives in Anchorage owns a fur company and sponsors an annual Auction which Nochi says “is the biggest cultural event in Alaska besides the Red Cross.” The Krohn Brothers Orchestra has had the zechus of being invited as the musical entertainment for that event. About 600 people attend the auction, most of whom are not even Jewish. The evening is invariably a tremendous success, and the Krohns have been invited back over and over again. “To be part of that experience,” says Nochi, “to see all four corners of the globe represented here in the most random of places, is an unbelievable experience.” The band has also played at other unusual venues, including a chasunah that was held in Charleston, South Carolina. To fully appreciate the occasion, Nochi points out that this was the first Jewish wedding in the area in five years! “It was amazing,” he says, “to see how the whole community joined forces for this. Here in New York we are Boruch Hashem so accustomed to Jewish simchas that we don’t think twice about them. The system is in place. The caterer, florist, musician, and photographer play their respective parts and the simcha pretty much runs itself. Over there, it’s a whole different experience. Their shmorg consists of cake and soda and everyone helps out with the catering. But the genuine simcha is beyond anything we experience at most affairs in our area. The excitement is on a whole different level.” Experiences like these are what make Nochi feel especially blessed to be gifted with musical talent. He has had the opportunity to enhance many simchas in far-flung locations and has found himself greatly enriched by the experience. “I have to make a living,” he points out. “But ultimately it’s a big bracha to be working in a field that inspires and elevates others in a very big way.” Talented musician, high-end chocolate maven, devoted brother, focused on spiritual growth, and willing to share his talents and expertise with others – all these elements reflect the essence of Nochi Krohn. It seems clear that he and his brothers are emerging as a powerful force in the business arena as well as in the music industry. And while nobody knows what the future will bring, chances are good that we’ll be hearing a lot from these talented and ambitious brothers in the years to come.

Thank you to our Partners In Chesed for supporting the

Our sincere gratitude to Dov Snow and his lovely wife, Amy, for extending themselves so that the Café could be enjoyed and appreciated by the entire community. Hakaros HaTov to the wonderful volunteers for their tireless dedication to making the event a reality & special recognition to Yosef Salzbank & Barbara & Michael Salzbank. Many thanks to the talented entertainers: Lipa Schmeltzer and Eitan Katz, as well as the talented Keyboardists, Magicians and Face Painters. We acknowledge the generosity and support of Mr. Steven Kaufman of Basser Kaufman, Inc. Your kindness restored light to the Far Rockaway/Five Towns community.

Thank you all for the gift of giving! Delicious Dishes

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Bnos Malka Creates Memories From Generation to Generation You may call them Savta or Opa or maybe Grandma, but whatever name they go by, Bnos Malka’s first intergenerational day was a huge success! Throngs of aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as venerated grandparents participated. Our 3rd and 4th graders and their various relatives and family friends had a wonderful time on Tuesday at this program designed to bring the generations closer. After spending so much time learning about Hachnosas Orchim and Kibud Av V’aym, our Talmidos were eager to show their Hakaros Hatov by welcoming their special guests who play such an important role in their lives. The day began with warm word of welcome from Rabbi Weichselbaum, the Menahel, as well as greetings by Director of Student Affairs, Rabbi Simcha Loiterman. Rabbi

Weichselbaum stressed the important role that Yeshivas play in providing a safeguard against the enticements of Olam Hazeh. Everyone then proceeded downstairs to the gym where the students were eagerly waiting. Together, the students and their relatives participated in five different stations, each one designed to enable our students to learn from and about the older generation. Each family posed at a professional photography station to capture the love and excitement of the day. At the family tree station, the girls constructed, with their relatives’ help, an adorable tri-generational family tree to gain a deeper understanding of their lineage.

Other workshops included a “you and me t- shirt” station with each pair working together to create something they

both would wear, and an interview station allowing the girls to learn about what school was like when their relatives attended and what their favorite subjects were. This helped foster a love of learning while helping the girls realize that learning never ends! The final and most delicious station was a brownie decorating station and this helped teach the lesson that school can be not only fun and interesting but sweet too. All activities were carefully prepared, ensuring that everyone had a great time and that the bond grew between the participants. So much fun was had by all that several grandparents lamented the fact that when they were growing up their schools did not offer such innovative programs. We are thankful that so many family members were able to join us to see how excited the girls are about learning in Bnos Malka, to witness our hands on, warm and unique approach to education and to share in the nachas of our children. This was a day enjoyed by all and we hope it enhanced the lives of our greater Bnos Malka family while creating memories we know our students will remember fondly for years to come.

NEWS

Community BJX Hosts New Talmud Class for Beginners

High winds, torrential rain, and even snow, last Wednesday evening, didn’t stop fifty graduate students and young professionals from coming to the Brooklyn Jewish Xperience (BJX) weekly Hashkafah shiur and dinner. It was incredible that participants from all over Brooklyn and the Greater Metropolitan area braved the storm to be part of the program. It seems to border on the miraculous. What drew these unaffiliated and formerly-affiliated Jews to attend a Torah class despite the inclement weather? Is it the promise of a stipend? Perhaps it is the allure of a free trip? It’s neither. BJX doesn’t offer

cess of the evening is the presence of dedicated mentors whose sincerity and Ahavas Yisroel are so readily apparent. One such mentor is Mr. Moshe (Mark) Caller, the indefatigable lay leader of BJX. In Mr. Caller, the students witness a businessman with myriad obligations who takes time from an ever-hectic schedule to spend time with them, bond with them, and provide counsel and advice. They see how deeply attentive he is to their needs and how he is always available to respond to their calls. This makes an indelible impression. Many students come to spend time with Mr. Caller and other remarkable BJX men-

any such incentives. It is possible that it is the delectable dinner buffet that is so devotedly and generously prepared by our magnanimous host families that motivates the students. A key attraction for the students is also the warmth, energy and spirit that exude from Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer, internationally renowned lecturer and Rav of BJX, and the BJX mentors and hosts. Brooklyn Jewish Xperience students know their Rabbi as someone who is eminently personable. Many BJX students never had exposure to a Rabbi. Their perception of a Rabbi was some intimidating with a long beard, someone out of touch with reality or someone they had a negative experience with in Hebrew school. Rabbi Fingerer breaks all these stereotypes. He is a Generation Y Rabbi— ever contemporary, tolerant, accepting, and warm. The highlight of the evening is Rabbi Fingerer’s brilliant shiur. With his trademark dynamism, depth and humor, Rabbi Fingerer weaves together words of Chazal and scientific sources to educate the students about the importance of incorporating Torah into their lives. Another component to the suc-

tors. This week, in addition to all their other programs, BJX began a beginners’ Talmud class. The students meet with a prominent Gemara teacher on Monday and Wednesday evenings for a plunge into the sea of Talmud. They are taught the methodology of Gemara learning. Several more students also signed up for the BJX one-on-one learning program. This past week’s program was graciously hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Manny Glatt. Manny’s business partner, Mr. Izzy Hersh, a BJX mentor, introduced Manny to the BJX organization. Izzy and Manny spoke to the students about the challenges of running an international eyewear company and about their intense commitment to Yiddishkeit. They inspired the students with their accounts of their unswerving devotion to Shabbos Kodesh and how they make a beautiful Shabbos environment no matter where their business brings them. To learn more about BJX or to become a sponsor, please call (646) 3971544 or go online to www.thinkandcare.org.

71 Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

daven, R’ Aharon Schechter, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas R’ Chaim Berlin, shooed them away and said, “He needs to daven for himself.” Now I was in a quandary. How could I reconcile my understanding of the Chazal of davening for another,

in 2012 dollars.) He had the ability to make their night, their week, or maybe even more, by acknowledging what they were doing and making THEM the star of the show. Sometimes you see grooms who like to take the spotlight at their weddings. Those are the chasan-

He had the ability to make their night, their week, or maybe even more, by acknowledging what they were doing and making THEM the star of the show.

when the Rosh Yeshiva seemed to contradict it? Before I answer, I’d like to tell you about another schmooze I used to give chasanim. This was one I used to give even before I was married. So what kind of advice could I possibly give? I used to give what I called a “Good Choson” Schmooze based on my experiences as a guest at my friends’ weddings. I would tell the groom that at his

im. The ones who put others in the spotlight are the “GOOD Chasanim.” Now back to the davening issue. When your life is great, and you don’t need anything, yet you are empathetic enough to daven for others who aren’t as fortunate as you, that’s a wonderful thing. However, a better thing would be to know that you have your own needs, and despite that, put them aside and daven for others because you are

wedding, he would be the star of the show. People would be ignoring their insecurities and going out of their comfort zones to entertain him by dancing before him, perhaps doing some juggling or other stunts, and this was a great opportunity for him. I told him that by focusing on the dancer, and showing his pleasure and appreciation for that specific act, he would make that person feel like a million dollars. (Roughly $8.279 trillion

putting them first. That’s when Hashem puts YOU first, and answers you in kind. When my friend told me to daven for myself, or when the Rosh Yeshiva told my neighbor that he had things to daven for, that was the basic level. Know that you have needs, and pray for them. Then you can worry about others. However, a greater level, and one that would come in so handy in mar-

riage, would be to first recognize that, of course, you have your own needs, but then put them aside and think of others who may need things more than you do, or may not be in the mindset to daven for or help themselves. We often see people in business fight over money, families fight over inheritances, or people at shul fighting for the aliya or honor they think they deserve. After all, they have needs! In fact, the Torah even tells us, “Efes ki lo yihiyeh b’cha evyon, Take care that there shall not be a pauper amongst you,” (Devarim 15:5) and the Mishna tells us that one’s own lost object comes first to be returned before that of someone else. (Bava Metzia 33a) Clearly, I am supposed to worry about my own needs before anyone else, and that Choson should be advised to think of himself! Do you know what else the Gemara says? R’ Yehuda, in the name of Rav, the very same person who tells us that this posuk advises us to look out for Numero Uno, says that one who is adamant and meticulous about doing this will ultimately become a pauper. It would be better for him to go beyond the letter of the law and think of someone else, not saying, “I come first!” than stand on his principle and cast off the yoke of kindness and charity. If he does not do so, he himself will need charity and become dependent on others. So, when you have a need, daven to Hashem, for He is the One who gives us everything we have. It’s not the client, or the gabbai, or the deceased relative who are the sources of our good fortune. Rather, our good fortune comes from thinking of others and putting them first. That’s good advice for anyone, even if you’re not a “Choson.”

Jonathan Gewirtz is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in publications around the world. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. For more information, or to sign up for his weekly Dvar Torah in English, e-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com. © 2012 by Jonathan Gewirtz. All rights reserved.

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he prevailing custom for millennia has been that a young man, before he gets married, speaks with a Rabbi, teacher, or confidante and receives a “Choson schmooze,” literally, a “Groom’s Talk.” Often, it will include advice on how to deal with some of the most intimate and delicate situations of marriage (e.g. what to do when the soup needs salt, or your wife asks, “Does this make me look fat?”). The idea is that since the fellow is beginning a new chapter in his life, in which he has little to no experience on which to fall back, a more experienced person should share some knowledge to help him along. One Friday morning, I noticed my friend’s son at shul and I was tempted to go over and offer him some helpful advice. The next day was his aufruf and he was getting married that week. I thought about what I might say. I remembered a piece of advice someone had given me just before my wedding. He told me, “When you’re standing there under the chupa, don’t daven for other people. People will give you names and requests, but you have a lifetime of things you will need that you should use that time to ask for: good health, shalom bayis, parnassa, good children, shidduchim for those children, and so on. You have a tremendous power of Tefilla at that moment, so use it for yourself and your family.” I, myself, had repeated this to people before, and I felt I was doing them a favor. Clearly, one needs to think about the fact that he has needs and he has to take care of himself before he can take care of another. As the Torah tells us “chayecha kodmin,” your life comes first. But as I mulled this over in my head, it didn’t sound right. Chazal tell us, “One who prays for his friend, and he himself has that need, will be answered first.” Wouldn’t it make sense, then, for the choson to specifically daven for others to have shalom bayis, parnasa, good children, and more? Then he would be answered first! Hashem knows what he needs and would give it to him. I decided that in retrospect this advice didn’t really make sense. That would be the end of the article, if I had not mentioned my thoughts to a neighbor, who told me that at his wedding, when people came to give him names of people for whom he should

Choson Schmooze

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The Observant Jew

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Ask the Rabbi Yehoshua Levy

Great Expectations

WE E E T N A R A GU RE 30% MO THAN ANYONE ELSE!

Dear Rabbi, obligation to honor and respect your parMy wife is expecting and her due ents is a corollary of the fact that they date is in a few weeks. My mom asked gave you the gift of life. You are indebtme to call her when we go to the hospital ed to show gratitude for that even when so that she can be there for the delivery. it’s difficult and requires devotion and My wife (who generally gets along with commitment. What you don’t have to my mother) is adamant that my mother give to your parents is the gift itself that not be there. She has no problem with they gave you. If acquiescing to their Mom visiting later when she is in a room. demands requires you to compromise Mom is insulted, but on developing your my wife will be furiindividuality and ous if I listen to my independence, you You are indebted mom and will never are not required to forgive me. Am I do so. Not because to show gratitude obligated to honor your debt to them for that even when my mother at the is limited, rather expense of my wife? because the greatit’s difficult and est display gratitude requires devotion The Rabbi is to show that you Responds: appreciate the value and commitment. I can’t say you and significance of are the first one to the gift they have feel trapped begiven you—your tween the two women you love: your life. To hinder your own development wife and your mother. It is an unfortu- is to fail to appreciate the value of your nate reality that mother-in-law/daughter- potential, whether your parents realize it in-law relationships can often become or not (but you should try to explain it to strained. Although the Torah states, them that way). “Henceforth man shall leave his father Most women would feel uncomand mother and fortable with their cling to his wife and mother-in-law (or become one flesh,” any family besides (Gen. 2:24) it does their husband for not mean that once that matter) is presyou get married you ent when giving should or are even birth. You are not allowed to forget required to strain about your parents. your relationship The Talmud with your wife (Kedushin) conover an unreasoncludes that one must able request from honor his father and your mom. You are mother and provide for their needs, but required to use tact, communicate reif his parents have the resources, he is spectfully, and try your best to reason not obligated to spend his own money. with your mom or at least respect her In his commentary to the Jewish Code of emotions and try to validate her feelings Law (Y.D. 240:25), the Rema rules that while protecting your relationship with if a man wishes to marry a certain wom- your wife. an against his parents’ wishes, he isn’t B’Sha’ah Tovah, required to heed to them. His source Yehoshua Levy is from an earlier authority (Maharik) who argues that if you aren’t required to spend your own money, you certainly Please note, the information written above aren’t required to forfeit the woman you is not meant as a rabbinic ruling. If you feel is the right one for you. (This may have any questions, please consult your not apply if it will cause great humilia- rabbinic authority for clarification. Yehoshua Levy, a teacher of Torah, is a tion to the parents.) It’s clear that there is a limit to how writer and lecturer who dares to think outmuch one must give up for the sake of side the box to bring his thought-provoking honoring one’s parents. The obligation, insights and facts to his readers. He welcomes however, is a lifelong duty and often your comments and can be reached at edirequires great self-sacrifice. Your moral tor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

R’ Ben Tzion Shafier

Parshas Shemos

One Nation, Indivisible

hen Moshe came of age, he went out to visit his brothers — to share in their suffering. What he saw caused him great anguish. The oppression, subjugation, and cruelty were present wherever he looked. The next day, Moshe again “went out to his brothers,” this time he witnessed two Jews engaged in mortal combat. One was standing over the other in an attempt to kill him. Moshe called out, “Wicked one, why are you hitting your friend?!” This put an end to the bloodshed. However, Moshe’s intervention wasn’t appreciated. Quite the opposite, their response was, “Who appointed you to be a judge over us? Are you going to kill us as you killed the Mitzri yesterday?” The Medrash tells us this was actually a threat. The day before Moshe killed a Mitzri guard, who was mercilessly whipping an innocent Jew. The two Jews who were fighting had seen this, and they now warned Moshe that they were going to report him to the authorities for rebelling against the king—which they did. When Pharaoh heard that the heir apparent had openly challenged the law of the land and defended a Jew against his master, he brought Moshe to trial for tyranny. In the end, Moshe had to flee Mitzraim at the risk of his life. Interestingly, when Moshe first heard their threat his response was, “Now the matter is known.” Rashi explains that for many years, Moshe had a question: “Why is it that of all the seventy nations, the Jews are singled out for oppression?” Once he saw that there were talebearers amongst the Jews, he understood why this nation was so fated.

3 Questions This Rashi is very difficult to understand for a number of reasons. 1. Moshe witnessed two people threatening to report him. Two individuals don’t define a nation. 2. Didn’t all the other nations speak Loshon Harah as well? 3. Even if it were true that entire Jewish

want to drill a hole in my room, that is my choice. I have paid for this cabin and I have the prerogative to do whatever I want here. Leave me alone.” The Chofetz Chaim compares this situation to the Jewish people. He explains that our nation is one unit – irrevocably tied together in a common fate.

If a member of the Chosen People speaks badly about another, that bodes serious consequences. We are held to a higher standard. People were gossipers, what is so egregious about this sin that an entire nation should suffer cruel, brutal subjugation? The answer to this can best be understood with a moshol.

What happens to one affects another. The state of each individual impacts the whole. There is no such concept as one person doing what he wants in the privacy of his home and not affecting the Klal. But more than this, we are one body. Where the tail goes, the head can’t be far behind. When Moshe saw the levels that the tail had sunk to, he knew that the body of the nation couldn’t be that high. This single action shed light onto the madregah of the people. The Chofetz Chaim explains that the antidote to Loshon Harah is “loving my neighbor.” If I, in fact, viewed him as connected to me, I would never speak negatively about him. It would be like bad-mouthing myself. This seems to be the answer to this Rashi. The Jewish nation is one. If such an incident of vicious slander could occur, it reflected on the state of nation. If the people had been on a higher level,

this could not have transpired. It meant that the nation as a whole was lacking in a key ingredient – a sense of common destiny, a sense of brotherhood, the sense that I am one with my fellow Jew. And that is why the nation deserved to be punished. More is Expected from the Chosen Nation If the people involved were the French, the Germans, or the ancient Greeks, this wouldn’t have been an issue. They are a people by circumstance, born of common lineage and brought up in a common land, but there ends the connection. The Jewish people are different. As children of Avrohom, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, we share a common heritage and destiny. We are bound together for eternity. We are one. For that reason, when Moshe witnessed this act of cruel gossip mongering, he took it as a sign of the health of the nation. If the bottom has sunk this low, the head can’t be that much higher. He then understood why it is that the Jews deserved such treatment. If any other nation degrades one another, there isn’t much fault found with them. If a member of the Chosen People speaks badly about another, that bodes serious consequences. We are held to a higher standard. This concept is a powerful lesson to us about the unity of the Jewish people, our common destiny, and the power of each individual to impact the whole.

Making a Hole in My Cabin Imagine a man boards a transatlantic ocean liner carrying an electric saw. Late at night, one of the ship’s personnel hears a distinct rattling noise coming from the man’s cabin. The crew member knocks on the door – no answer. The noise continues. He knocks again. Still no response. Fearing danger, he kicks in the door, only to see the passenger standing poised against the ship’s hull, electric saw in hand, OFECK, HEINZE & WEINSTEIN attempting to cut through Attorneys at Law the skin of the ship. The crew member screams out, Joseph N. Weinstein, Esq., CPA, LLM “Stop it! What are you doing?”  Commercial & Residential Real Estate Closings  Trusts & Estate Planning The passenger calmly responds, “Sir, do you see  Landlord/Tenant Disputes  Wills & Probate this boarding pass in my  Lease & Other Commercial Agreements  Tax Controversy hand? Do you see that it  Commercial Litigation  Business Succession Planning states that I have the right  Tax Exempt Organizations to a private cabin? Why are you disturbing me? 72-35 112th Street, PR #7 85 Main Street, Suite 204 Here I am, in the privacy Forest Hills, NY 11375 Hackensack, NJ 07601 of my own compartment, (917) 929-9890 (201) 488-9900 doing what I want. If I

j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

And he said, “Who placed you as a judge and ruler above us. Will you say to kill us as you killed the Egyptian.” And Moshe feared, and he said, “Now the matter is known.” Shemos 2:14

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The Shmuz

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My Israel Home

Considering Buying an Apartment in Israel?

Top 10 Things to Know

Gedaliah Borvick

Plus: a peek at Bustan Baka, a magnificent new Jerusalem project

Workshops focusing on the basics of buying an apartment in Israel Sunday evening, January 6th at 8:00 pm

Young Israel of Holliswood - 86-25 Francis Lewis Blvd., Holliswood

Tuesday evening, January 8th at 8:00 pm The Alters - 2 Alonzo Road, Lawrence

Wednesday evening, January 9th at 8:15 pm The Rubins - 80 Willow Road, Woodmere

Sunday morning, January 13th at 10:00 am

Cong. Eitz Chayim - 660 Dogwood Ave., West Hempstead

Gedaliah Borvick

Columnist for The Five Towns’ Jewish Home; Founder of “My Israel Home,” a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy homes in Israel.

Eliezer Goldberg

Principal at Gold Real Estate, a leading Jerusalem real estate agency, and Principal at Heter - Jerusalem’s foremost zoning/permit company. RSVP: Preferred but not required gborvick@gmail.com US: 646.461.1380 | IL: 054.623.0099

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Pros and Cons of Buying “On Paper”

n issue that resonates with many of my clients is the pros and cons of buying an apartment in Israel “on paper” – which means buying a not-yet-built apartment – versus buying an existing apartment. Let’s divide this discussion into two segments. Buying a New Unit vs. Buying on Paper If one would choose between buying an apartment in a newly constructed building and buying on paper, one would initially prefer the newly constructed unit for a number of reasons: (1) The guesswork is taken out of the equation, as you can see the apartment for yourself, and (2) when buying an existing unit, there is no waiting period, as you immediately receive the keys to the apartment, as opposed to waiting up to three years when you buy an apartment on paper. Upon further reflection, however, many buyers often elect to buy on paper for the following reasons: (1) You can customize and design the unit to fit your particular needs and tastes. (2) You have many more options – such as choosing what floor to live on and what direction you want your apartment to face. (3) In fact, the best units in every project are always sold on paper, as the first buyers select the choicest units. By the time a project is completed, the remaining unsold units tend to have some warts – a less than optimal layout, inferior views, etc. (4) Most important: in a new project, you can receive a significant price discount – sometimes as much as 20% or more – as opposed to purchasing the newly completed apartment which will command a full market price. Let me mention an important law which protects people who buy apartments on paper: Your investment is protected by a full bank guarantee. It is an insurance policy guaranteeing the completion of your apartment should the developer go bankrupt. Buying a “Second Hand” Unit vs. Buying on Paper One can point to a number of positives and negatives of buying an older

unit – sometimes called a “second hand” unit – compared to buying on paper. First, the positives: (1) Older buildings tend to have larger rooms. The flip side, however, is that older apartments usually have fewer rooms. (2) Older buildings are likely to be well located, as they were built when Jerusalem was smaller and less spread out. In comparison, new construction projects are usually located farther away from the center of town, as few vacant plots of land in the middle of Jerusalem are available for new development. Some of the negatives associated with buying an older second-hand apartment are: (1) Apartments constructed before 1992 do not have a “mamad,” or a safe room made of reinforced concrete, which protects the residents from physical shock and chemical gases. (2) In addition, many older buildings have no elevator or only one elevator, which can only be converted into a Shabbat elevator if a majority of the tenants agree to this change. In new buildings, however, the law requires two elevators, one of which must be a Shabbat elevator. (3) Furthermore, new buildings have various health-related systems that weren’t incorporated into older buildings, including pollution control systems, fire escapes, and carbon dioxide ventilation for parking garages. (4) Finally, older apartments are vulnerable to the defects of neighboring apartments. For example, even if one’s apartment has been completely gut renovated, a leak stemming from an upper floor unit will obviously cause damage to your apartment. This issue is understandably not common in new projects, as all of the units are in pristine condition. What type of apartment should you purchase? It all depends on your timing, your budget, and your location requirements. Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home, a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy homes in Israel. Gedaliah will be in the US in early January, running workshops regarding a new development in Baka Jerusalem. For details, contact Gedaliah at gborvick@gmail.com.

Avi Heiligman

The Emancipation Proclamation

150 Years Since Lincoln’s Message of Hope

j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

ne of the powers of the conflict. It wasn’t until the Southern lamation excluded those states. Also Texas was excluded from the ProcPresident of the United States is states seceded the Union did both sides excluded from executive decree were lamation, news of the decree did not that he is the reach parts ungear up for a long the four border commander of all til June 1865, and very bloody states: Delathe armed forces. after General struggle. The ware, MaryAs such, he is Robert E. Lee background issue land, Kentucky able to make to had surrenwas slavery; the and Missouri, make executive dered, the war South didn’t want all of which decisions based on was over, and to have the Presi- had not left these powers, and slavery was dent telling them the Union. President Abraham completely that they couldn’t Even though Lincoln used this abolished. have them, so they Tennessee had reasoning to issue Another left and formed a seceded, the the Emancipation clause in the new country, the slaves there, Nearly one in ten soldiers in the Union army were Proclamation, proclamation Confederate States as well as the African-American effective 150 years was the draftof America un- ones in Texas ago on January 1, der President Jef- and some counties in the other nine ing of African-Americans into the 1863. ferson Davis. The states of the Confederacy, were delib- armed forces. Altogether, approximateThe first paraly 200,000 African-Americans served Civil War was the erately left out of the proclamation. graph of the final bloodiest conflict A common misconception about in the Union’s military, with 18,000 of draft reads: “And, on American soil the edict is that the Proclamation didn’t them serving in the navy. Nearly one in by virtue of the and both sides actually free anyone because the slaves ten soldiers in the Union were Africanpower and for the had much to fight that would have been freed were in American. General Ulysses S. Grant purpose aforesaid, about. the South and they weren’t under Lin- attributed a large portion of his success The Proclamation--A message of hope and freedom for many I do order and deNot only was coln’s jurisdiction because the states during the siege of Vicksburg, Missisclare that all perAbraham Lincoln a had seceded from the Union. In truth, sippi, to the freed slaves in his army. sons held as slaves within said desigEven though the Emancipation nated states and parts of states are, and Proclamation had only small impact henceforward shall be, free; and that immediately, it set the stage for the rest It wasn’t until the Southern states the executive government of the United of the war and gave the slaves hope. States, including the military and naAfter the war ended in 1865, the 13th seceded the Union did both sides gear up val authorities thereof, will recognize Amendment was passed, freeing all and maintain the freedom of said perslaves. Fifteen years later, the 14th and for a long and very bloody struggle. 15th Amendments gave African-Amersons. And I hereby enjoin upon the icans citizenship and the right to vote. people so declared to be free to abstain With the Emancipation Proclamation from all violence, unless in necessary self-defense; and I recommend to them popular President, he was also a savvy the slaves that were in the Confeder- given in middle of a bloody war, it that, in all cases when allowed, they politician and lawyer. He didn’t want ate states but in territory that had been gave the North a new reason to fight— labor faithfully to issue a proc- taken over by Union troops were freed to free the slaves—and it gave the forfor reasonable lamation free- immediately due to the Proclamation. mer and the still-enslaved blacks justiwages.” ing the slaves This amounted to about 20,000 slaves. fied reason to hope for a new future. To the avuntil the Union The news erage person army had won that they studying the a significant were free Avi Heiligman Civil War, the victory, and it as soon as is a weekly main cause of was the suc- Union troops contributor the war was cess at Antie- c o n t r o l l e d to The Jewover the istam in Septem- their area did ish Home. sue of slavery. ber 1862 that not reach all He welcomes Since the creset the stage to of the slaves’ your comation of the free the slaves. ears immediPresident Lincoln visiting General George McClellan at Antietam ments and country, there The Proc- ately. Slave suggestions had been argulamation did owners were Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation 150 years ago .for future ments for and against slavery and yet not include the whole United States at irate and c o l u m n s both the Northern “free” states and the the time. Congress had already passed many did not and can be reached at avi Southern “slave” states lived in tan- laws freeing the remaining slaves in share the news with them until troops dem without the issue causing a bloody the Northern states so Lincoln’s proc- forced their salvation. Even though heiligman@gmail.com.

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Lifestyles

Susan Schwamm

New Year’s Resolutions:

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Why They Come and Go and How to Keep Them This Year for many of us, january 1st symbolizes a fresh slate, a time to start anew. and of course, it is time for many of us to take out that tattered sheet of paper from a year ago to see what was accomplished over the past year. Interestingly, it seems that although many of us are confident in what we can accomplish over a year’s time, only few of us actually succeed. richard Wiseman, an author and psychologist, found that 52% of resolution-makers were confident that they would achieve their goals; only 12% actually succeeded. but this year, you too can become part of the lucky 12% who actually aim for the stars and reach them. the trick is to set attainable goals and make a determined effort to reach your aspirations. here are some steps to help you actually stick to the diet in 2013:

Be Specific. you may want to lose 50 pounds this year, but it won’t help to write that on your “things to do in 2013” list. instead, write small, specific resolutions along with a definitive outcome. “I want to be healthy in 2013 and resolve to lose 45 pounds by dieting, exercising and going to a nutritionist” or “i want to put an extra $15k in my savings account this year and resolve to stop buying my daily java at starbucks and set aside $250 a week” are more specific goals along with tangible steps to achieve them.

2. 3. Popular New Year’s Resolutions for 2013 sPend more tIme WIth famIly and friends • eat healthier Get fit • lose weiGht • drink less alcohol • Quit smokinG • find a better job • Get a better education • Get out of debt • save more money • manaGe stress • reduce, reuse, recycle • take a trip • enjoy life more • learn somethinG new • volunteer • Get orGanized

Dream the Dream. once you know what you’re aiming for, it helps to actually visualize what you will be accomplishing—saving the money or losing the weight. Create a mantra for yourself. you can say to yourself, “I am saving $250 so I can have an extra $15k at year’s end and buy myself the motorcycle i’ve been dreaming of.” every time you say this to yourself, it will reinforce your dream and highlight the enthusiasm that you felt for it on new year’s day.

Put Pen to Paper. i happen to be a “list person.” I love writing lists and crossing things off. It helps me organize my thoughts and helps me achieve my goals. Writing a list with step-by-step instructions on how to achieve your resolutions is vital if you’re looking for results. If you set a big goal, it can seem overwhelming and ultimately frustrating when things don’t happen as quickly as you’d like them to happen. make sure to plan and work on accomplishing one small thing at a time. this way, you’ll stay on track, feel good about what you achieved, and have a plan on how to reach your ultimate goal. you know what bob always says—it’s all about the baby steps!

Give Yourself the Time. every one of us has busy schedules. every day is packed with work, family life and commitments. but if you really want to accomplish what you set out to do, you must give yourself the time to do just that. set aside blocks of time during the week or day that are dedicated to achieving your goals. If you want to get more organized, give yourself a half hour on monday and thursday nights to go over what has to get done. If you want to learn spanish this year, make sure to set aside 15 minutes every day to review vocabulary in

addition to listening to language tapes. your resolutions won’t just get done on their own. just like you need to set aside time to do your “regular” chores, you have to set aside time to get these dreams accomplished as well.

You Can Do It! thoughts of self-doubt will sabotage your enthusiasm for setting and achieving your goals. don’t let your thoughts run away without you—when you aren’t excited to go to the gym on a cold, rainy february morning, don’t think, “I’ll never lose the weight anyway.” instead, think that you may miss the gym today but you can still exercise more tomorrow—and make sure that you do! It’s ok to be fearful or worry about not being able to accomplish what you set out to do. but don’t let negative thoughts cloud your mind and manipulate your goals.

Strength in Numbers. having someone work with you towards your goals is encouraging. your partner can hold you accountable, provide encouragement, and offer help and advice. Perhaps you’d like to work on your resolutions with a friend who has similar goals. or perhaps a professional, such as a trainer, life coach, nutritionist or business manager, can help you move along throughout the year. Whoever it is, make sure that they are supportive and positive people—those traits are most important if they will be helping you in this endeavor.

7. 8.

Calm Down. there are 365 days in the year 2013. that’s a lot of days to accomplish what you set out to do. so no matter what slip-ups you may encounter, there will be time to get back up again and start anew. don’t get stressed or overwhelmed. spend time every day reconnecting with yourself. going for a walk, saying tehillim, doing breathing exercises or going to a yoga class are all ways to help you stay calm and focused in 2013. Reward Yourself—You Deserve It! small victories are a great motivation to keep working towards your goal. so when you accomplish one or more of your “baby steps,” make sure to reward yourself for your achievement. get a massage, buy yourself a perfume, eat a small chocolate and make sure to celebrate the small successes!

T h e J e w i s h h o m e n m ay 2 4 , 2012

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Nosson & Chana Basha Gold GU E S TS OF HONOR

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Founded by Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld zt”l

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Honoring

Don’t play the odds with your child’s future Keeping a child with learning disabilities in a mainstream class, when he or she needs the support of a professional special education program, greatly increases the risks of failure and isolation with the potential for at-risk behavior in the later grades. Since 1992, CAHAL has helped hundreds of children in the Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Queens and greater Nassau County overcome their learning disabilities. CAHAL has a proven success rate of helping children rejoin mainstream classes and reach their full potential, while avoiding the shame and stigma of being singled out. CAHAL’s success in the classroom adds up to a brighter future for our children! To discuss placement of a child with learning disabilities contact CAHAL today at 516-295-3666 or visit us online at WWW.CAHAL.ORG.

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Health & Fitness

David Elazar Simai, M.D.

Do Not Panic – If Your Child Has the Flu

n the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I would like to share some information with you in order to avoid those nervous, anxious moments when dealing with your children. Ask any therapist on the street, and they will tell you that even pre- Hurricane Sandy, anxiety is prevalent in our days. We live in a worried, tense society, and we are constantly bombarded with sad news and warnings. Frequent health advisories, weather advisories, breaking news and the most valuable anti-terror tactics and terror alerts. It is a miracle that we can stay sane given the daily dose of bad news that we hear. Our schools have started to guide us regarding how to help explain the current events to our kids. Listening to the news has become a real threat to our own well-being. I must say that this is felt daily at my office. The psychological aspect of healing has become the main challenge in practicing medicine today. Therefore, I decided to take some time and over the next few weeks discuss current common illnesses that I see at my office and how to confidently and calmly approach them. As many of you already know, it has been a very hard flu season thus far. We have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of confirmed flu cases, most of them involving the H3N2 which is the new strain of the flu virus. This is probably the reason behind the recent outbreak. Whenever a new strain of flu emerges, more people are prone to catching it. The good news is that thus far, most immunized families seem to have been

protected from the circulating flu. In my practice, approximately 95% of the confirmed flu cases were in children who were not immunized. The flu counts for roughly 47,000 mortalities in the U.S. each year, but most of them are patients that were at high risk for complications. You may wonder who the high risk patients are, so here is a quick list: • Patients above 65 years old. • Patients with history of heart disease, lung disease (including asthma) or strokes. • Pregnant women. • Cancer patients. • Obese patients. • Children below the age of 5. • Diabetics. • Patients with kidney or liver diseases. How to Treat the Flu? 1. Medicine. If your child was diagnosed with the flu, within 48 hours of their first symptom, Tamiflu therapy may be started. The medicine is given twice daily for 5 days to treat the sick child and can be given once daily for 10 days to prevent the family members from developing the illness. 2. Hydration. So far, the only hospitalization from the flu at my office in this season came today, when I sent a pregnant mother from my office to the ER after she had clearly been dehydrated. Children are extremely prone to dehydration. Their small bodies do not hold large reserves of fluids and the high fevers that accompany the flu, coupled by nausea and/or diarrhea can easy strip a young child dry. Therefore, if

your child has a high fever, do just give her Motrin and keep her in bed. Sit next to her and let her sip a sweet chamomile tea or an electrolyte drink slowly. 3. Secondary Complications. Pneumonia: the flu normally causes a mild cough, but some patients, especially those who are asthmatics or in their first year of life, may develop full blown respiratory distress. Therefore, there are two important cues I want all parents to pay attention to: a. If your infant struggles to drink his bottle – seek immediate medical attention, they are likely having respiratory distress and need immediate help. b. If you here your child grunt or moan – seek immediate medical attention. c. If your child’s temperature is above 105 degrees – seek immediate attention. d. If your child does not appear extremely ill, but has a wet, mucousy cough for more than 3 days – call for an appointment with your physician. e. If your child’s fever disappeared after having the flu and then returned again after 1-2 days, have him checked again. Thus far, we have seen a few confirmed flu patients that developed a walking pneumonia, with common bacteria known as mycoplasma pneumonia. The parent called me because their children seemed better after a few days of having the flu and fever, but their cough became persistent and even worsened. With G-d’s help, they were all treated at home with oral antibiotics and fully recovered. 4. Isolate. I know that many of you are working parents, but in order to avoid spreading the flu, and in order to protect your child from contracting a second illness before they are fully recovered from the flu: a. Keep your child home until they have no fever for 24 hours. b. Keep them away from elderly

grandparents for the same period. c. Wash your kids’ hands and face with soap and water when they come home from school to protect them as well as their younger siblings. If they have sensitive skin, use a sanitizer on their hands and moisturize their faces after washing with soap. d. Teach your kids to wash or sanitize their hands before eating and to minimize touching their eyes, noses and mouths with their fingers excessively – do not obsess with this please. In closing, even though the flu season is upon us, it may still be worthwhile to immunize your children. The flu vaccine is safe and effective and is readily available at most offices in the neighborhood. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the Flu shots to all patients, from 6 months to 18 years old. Wishing you a healthy winter season, David Elazar Simai, M.D.

Dr. David Simai is a Board Certified Pediatrician from the Five Towns. He is a full time attending in his own private practice since 2007 in Cedarhurst, New York. In addition, he is an Attending Physician at LIJCohen Children’s Hospital, North-Shore Manhasset University Hospital and South Nassau Communities Hospital. He can be contacted for consultation at 516 374-2228 or via email at davidsimai@yahoo.com. NOTE: name, gender, geographical area and other identifying information where deliberately altered in this article in order to protect the patient’s privacy. This article is not intended to help diagnose or treat any specific disease. Always consult your personal physician before diagnosing or treating yourself or your child for any of the above mentioned illnesses.

Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

TJH Staff

Great Expectations would be too big a step for a person who has never apologized. The rule is to keep your expectations for change low so there is some likelihood of success. So what could Penina expect that is within the realm of possibility? Perhaps she can get Kalman to: • see that he did hurt Chemie’s feelings • recognize when he is becoming emotional before he says anything The same is true for what we expect of ourselves. If we expect too much, we will likely disappoint ourselves. What would be reasonable for Penina to expect of herself in regards to her interactions with her husband? She could learn to:

ally mean? How in the world can we say that a hurricane that destroyed hundreds of homes and wrecked hundreds of lives is good? T h e problem is that we think of the translation as, “Also this is good.” We often make the mistake of overlooking that lamed. We must consider that the translation really is, “Also this is for the good,” which I think means that Hashem gave us a difficult situation and He is telling us: “Now, go make something good out of it.” That makes so much sense to me. In this way we could truly see everything as for the good – because everything is what we make of it. If we see life in this light, then what, exactly, should we expect of G-d? The

Hashem gave us a difficult situation and He is telling us: “Now, go make something good out of it.” In this way we could truly see everything as for the good – because everything is what we make of it.

• take some deep breaths when she starts to feel frustrated • continue to ask questions to understand her husband better • cut back on her recommendations to Kalman as his response is bound to disappoint her What about our expectations of our G-d? When circumstances are bitter, do we blame Him? Do we ask, “Why?” It’s normal to do that but not very conducive to a good relationship with Him. It’s not that we should expect less of G-d, but rather that we should understand that whatever He gives us is meant for goodness. I’ve thought about this point a lot lately given that my personal circumstances have been difficult lately. What does “gam zu le tova” re-

answer seems clear: We expect His constant goodness and His love of us. Beyond that, everything is what we make of it, or, in other words, how we turn those expectations on ourselves. Our expectations of ourselves should always be: • I hope and pray I can make something good of whatever is given to me. I will certainly try. So how high should our expectations be in order to not disappoint ourselves and give up on ourselves, on others, and on Hashem? How low should our expectations be if we don’t want to lose motivation completely? Where do we set the bar? Here is my fun answer: Trial and error.

See, if we move that bar all the time, we will find the sweet spot, whether it is for others or for ourselves. In fact, everyone’s sweet spot is different and, just to make life interesting, it changes for the same person over time and circumstance. It may be, for instance, that over time, Penina will be able to raise her expectations of Kalman. If it turns out that he starts to become reflective and Penina sees that he is making changes more rapidly than she expected (with her lowered expectations), then she can raise them. You can see how this trial and error approach produces a consistent win-win. You always have the bar low enough to begin with so as to assure success. Then, if the person – or yourself – exceeds expectations, it makes sense to raise the bar, and you produce even more success. If the low bar does not produce success, it could be that the fun and the challenge were missing. Or something else could be wrong. If, for example, Kalman resented Penina because she was always angry at him, then nothing might work until she apologizes from the heart. The beauty of this trial and error process is that by starting out low, when success is nearly guaranteed, the lack of success is great information; it means you have to search, ask, and figure out what else is wrong. It means that you can eliminate too-high expectations as the cause of the problem. As we get going in this new calendar year, just remember: don’t overdo your expectations and keep playing around with where you set that bar. May it be a fun process; it should be. Remember, the other dictum that goes with gam zu le tova is “ivdu es Hashem b’simcha.” The whole process should be fun. Now that’s a “should” that is perfectly okay. 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.

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long with resolutions in a new calendar year come expectations: what we expect of ourselves, what we expect of others, maybe even what we expect of G-d. And those can – ironically – undo all of our good intentions. Here’s what I mean. Remember Penina and Kalman from last week? Kalman thinks he can voice his opinion in the strongest possible terms, even to the degree that he insults others. He also doesn’t think he has to apologize because he should voice those very opinions; they need to be said. His wife, Penina, has tried to get him to understand the damage he does that way, but he was stubbornly clinging to his position when we peeked in on their lives. Penina has some very specific expectations of her husband. There are all the “shoulds”: He should be more sensitive to others; he should not argue; he should see other people’s positions; and so forth. Unfortunately, that is not the husband she got. And, what’s more, if she were only to let go of these expectations, she actually has a chance to help her husband to become the person she wants him to become. You see, people stiffen their positions when they feel backed up against a wall. They leave no room for compromise when others convey their expectations – and they don’t meet them. When Penina told her husband last week, “I know in my heart that you are a good person,” she conveyed helpful expectations. If he is already a good person, then acting good should not be too hard for him. Statements like this soften others’ positions. However, when she said, “I get that you think his feelings shouldn’t be hurt since you didn’t mean to call him a murderer but you did actually say those exact words,” she was expecting more than Kalman could deliver. It makes sense to only ask people to do maybe just a little more than they already can do; too much more, and you will get resistance. She was expecting him to admit his language was too strong; in short, she was expecting him to transform himself completely in one fell swoop. Asking Kalman to apologize, too,

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DrDeb

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You Gotta be

Kidding!

Riddle

Submitted by Naftali Reiss Jimbo comes running home from school one day. “Daddy, Daddy,” he yells, “we was counting today in school and I was the only one that was able to count all the way until 10. Want to see? 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.” The proud dad lifts his head from under the tractor’s engine and says, “Jimbo, I’m proud of ya’ son.” Jimbo says, “Dad, it’s because growin’ up on this farm made me smart, right?” “Yes, sure son,” says the proud dad. The next day Jimbo comes running home again, “Daddy, Daddy, we was doing the alphabet in school today and I was the only one that knew the whole thing, from A to Z!” “That’s my boy!” says the proud dad. “Daddy,” says Jimbo, “it’s because growin’ up on this farm made me smart.” The next day Jimbo comes running home again, “Daddy, Daddy, we measured everyone in my class today and I am the tallest by 2 inches.” “That’s because we are big and strong on this farm, right?” “No,” says the dad. “It’s because you are 24-years-old, Jimbo.”

Baruch, Chaim, Dovid, and Eli, who are acrobats, use different kinds of equipment (flying rings, horizontal bars, parallel bars, trampoline). Match them up using the clues below: 1) The boy who uses the trampoline is younger than Baruch and the person who uses the horizontal bars. 2) Eli is younger than Chaim and the person who uses the flying rings.

• To spend more time texting, especially when I am with other people. So for example, when I am with friends in the restaurant and waiting for my food, I won’t waste my time by talking with them. I will instead spend my time valuably by sending out texts and catching up with...friends.

• To not worry so much. (But, wait, how will I do that? What if I really have something to worry about?)

• To spend less than $11,948 for coffee at Starbucks this year.

• To postpone making any New Year’s Resolutions until Memorial Day Weekend. (Let’s see, does it make sense to talk about going on a diet, stopping to spend money and stopping all bad habits when it is 12 degrees and dark outside or when it is 78 degrees and balmy? When are you in a better mood?)

• To no longer waste my time reliving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future. • To be more imaginative.(I will stop having mundane thoughts like what it must feel like to eat a sprinkled ice cream cone in space). • To not work on this year’s resolutions until I complete last year’s. (I haven’t started working on them yet, so this may take a while.) • To ......stop.......doing.......things......so......slowly. • To make sure you make no mistakes this year. • When someone tells me a joke that I already know, I will not wait until he delivers the punch-line and chuckle. I will hold my hand up and say, “Stop, I know the joke. Let’s save us both the time. Please... Thank you... Sorry for the outburst... Whatever... OK... I will leave now... That was bad.” • To make sure my cholesterol remains at dangerously high levels. (Last year, I resolved to bring my cholesterol down and that didn’t work, so let’s try it this way.)

Submitted by Reuven Chaim Knobler

Answer on next page

• To buy clothing that actually fits me, rather than clothing that I think will fit me in 2 weeks because I am going to lose weight. • To be better at three things: I will make sure to spel korrektlee and do better at math. • To become better at sharing credit with other people. (If you don’t think this resolution is funny, don’t blame me. It was sent in by a reader.) • To stop playing reverse psychology with myself. (Yeah, right, I bet I won’t be able to accomplish that one.) • Not to blame others when I do something wrong. (Although I never really do anything wrong and when you think I did something wrong it is just your skewed interpretation of events.)

3. Which Amendment of the Constitution made slavery illegal? a. Second b. Fourth c. Tenth d. Thirteenth 4. Approximately how many black people served in the Union army during the Civil War? a. None, they were not allowed to serve b. 50,000 c. 100,000 d. 200,000 5. How many words was Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? a. 269 b. 864 c. 1,305 d. 2,045

Wisdom Key: 4-5 correct: You are indeed a history buff. 2-3 correct: You have your own Civil War in your head... “Pay attention in history class,” ... “Don’t pay attention”.... “Listen”... “Space out”... 0-1 Correct: Let me guess, you probably thought the Emancipation Proclamation is the twelfth level of Call of Duty or something like that.

“Now there are more overweight people in America than averageweight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year’s resolution.” - Jay Leno “May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!” - Joey Adams “Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.” - Oscar Wilde “He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; he who makes one is a fool.” - F.M. Knowles

Got funny? Let the Commissioner decide.

Send your stuff to centerfold@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Answer to riddle: Baruch - Flying Rings; Chaim - Trampoline; Dovid - Horizontal Bars; Eli - Parallel Bars

2. What did the Emancipation Proclamation say? a. That All Confederate States should be boycotted. b. That all slaves within the States rebelling against the union should be freed. c. That all slaves anywhere in the U.S should be freed. d. That all slaves who want to be freed may purchase their freedom.

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1. Which President issued the Emancipation Proclamation? a. Ulysses S. Grant b. James Buchanan c. Abraham Lincoln d. George Washington

whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate – we cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under G-d, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

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Test your knowledge of this historical Presidential Order and the circumstances surrounding it, 150 years after its issuance on January 1, 1863.

Answer: 1. C 2. B- It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the slave-holding states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware. 3. D- The 13th Amendment, which came into effect on December 18, 1965, was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments adopted after the American Civil War. It outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. 4. D- Blacks were originally not allowed to serve as combat troops. But that changed throughout the course of the Civil War. Robert Smalls, while still a slave, won fame by defecting from the Confederacy, and bringing a Confederate transport ship which he was piloting to battle. He later met with Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War, to argue for including blacks in combat units. This led to the formation of the first combat unit for black soldiers, the 1st South Carolina Volunteers. Regiments for black soldiers were eventually referred to as United States Colored Troops. 5. A- 269 words. Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 19, 1963, Gettysburg, PA: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing

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Notable

Quotes

Compiled by Nate Davis

“Say What?” “As the nation teeters at the edge of fiscal chaos, observers are reaching the conclusion that the American system of government is broken. But almost no one blames the culprit: our insistence on obedience to the Constitution, with all its archaic, idiosyncratic and downright evil provisions.”

“It is somewhat like taking your child hostage and saying to somebody else, ‘I’m going to shoot my child unless you do what I want done.’ You don’t want to shoot your child.”

- Opening paragraph of NYT Op-ed by Georgetown Law School professor, Louis Michael Seidman, titled, “Let’s Give Up on the Constitution”

Excerpts from President Obama’s December 31 remarks at the White House about a possible fiscal cliff agreement, with hours left to the deadline: I have to say that ever since I took office, throughout the campaign, and over the last couple of months, my preference would have been to solve all these problems in the context of a larger agreement, a bigger deal, a grand bargain, whatever you want to call it, that solves our deficit problems in a balanced and responsible way, that doesn’t just deal with the taxes, but deals with the spending in a balanced way so that we can put all this behind us and just focus on growing our economy.

“There won’t be a thing called Israel anymore; only Palestine, and it’ll contain Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze, and all of the people who lived there to begin with. Anyone who wants to stay will stay as a Palestinian citizen.” - Essam al-Erian, the deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party and advisor to Egyptian President Morsi, discussing what he predicts to be Israel’s status in 10 years “The sector of defense industry should develop in larger numbers sophisticated military hardware of our own style that can contribute to implementing the Party’s military strategy. Only when it builds up its military might in every way can it develop into a thriving country and defend the security and happiness of its people.” - North Korean “leader” Kim Jong Un in a New Year’s Day address “Many of the confrontations occur because of [coalition] ignorance of, or lack of empathy for, Muslim and/or Afghan cultural norms, resulting in a violent reaction from the [Afghan security force] member.” - From the new Army handbook for US troops in Afghanistan “Come together.” - What Starbucks employees are writing by hand on every cup of coffee served in Washington, D.C. “We just made your day very exciting.” - What a Southwest Airlines pilot radioed to the control tower as the plane veered off a taxiway at MacArthur Airport in Long Island last week “I am funnier than people think. I am.” - President Obama in an interview with Barbara Walters, discussing his private life

- House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., criticizing Republicans’ position on the fiscal cliff negotiations

But with this Congress, that was obviously a little too much to hope for at this time. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) The agreement being worked on right now would further reduce the deficit by asking the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans to pay higher taxes for the first time in two decades...Keep in mind that just last month, Republicans in Congress said they would never agree to raise tax rates on the wealthiest Americans. Obviously, the agreement that’s currently discussed would raise those rates, and raise them permanently. Now... (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) Now, if Republicans think that I will finish the job of deficit reduction through spending cuts alone – and you hear that sometimes coming from them, that sort of after today we’re just going to try to shove only spending cuts down, you know, well – shove spending – shove spending cuts at us... (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) ... that will hurt seniors, or hurt students, or hurt middle- class families without asking also equivalent sacrifice from millionaires or companies with a lot of lobbyists, etc. If they think that’s going to be the formula for how we solve this thing, then they’ve another thing coming. That’s not how it’s going to work. We’ve got to do this in a balanced and responsible way. And if we’re serious about deficit reduction and debt reduc-

tion, then it’s going to have to be a matter of shared sacrifice. At least as long as I’m President. And I’m going to be President for the next four years, I hope. So... (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) “I found it astonishing. Here [President Obama] is coming out to speak to the nation at a crucial moment – in very delicate negotiations and he comes out there with incredible arrogance. He ridicules the Congress, he spikes the football on the Republicans. He rubs in the fact that they were resisting a raise in rates and he made them do it. And of course, as always, he places himself hovering benignly at an Olympian level above the fray, where the children are playing in the sandbox and he’s asking that everybody be reasonable as if he just arrived in Washington on a tourist visa. ” - Charles Krauthammer “All newsrooms prepare obituaries for selected figures. The fact that the one for Bush Senior went live was a technical mistake. Sorry!” - Germany newspaper, Der Spiegel, after mistakenly publishing an obituary on Sunday for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who is recovering in the hospital “Is there not an appreciation for the Jewish holidays? The X-mas holiday? Kwanzaa? All the other things that families come together around? Bonding rituals important to the strength of our society? Do we not care about that? Well, the American people do. And they want to shop for it.” - House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on the house floor, complaining about having to stay in Washington to deal with fiscal matters “The beginning of a new year is often a time to look forward and look back. The way the future looks, I prefer to look back – and depend on my advanced age to spare me from having to deal with too much of the future.” - Thomas Sowell, in an Investor’s Business Daily article, bemoaning the state of his Republican party “There was just some sloppiness, not intentional.” - President Obama on Meet the Press, explaining what went wrong in Benghazi

Devorah Gerber Schmeltz

The Best Toys for Your Tots

Top 5 Toys for Babies

1. Gymini Activity Mat (Tiny Love) The activity mat has colorful and fun colors and toys which baby can view while on her tummy or back. On her back, she can reach and pull (excellent practice in eye-hand coordination!) various attached toys, some of which even vibrate. You can easily move the toys attached by a ring to numerous holes along the arches. On her tummy, baby can look into the safety mirror, press a squeaky toy on the mat and pull on various materials specifically designed for baby to explore. 2. Star Ring Stacker by Fisher Price I love this ring stack toy. It has lights and sound which makes it ultra-exciting. Additionally, unlike other ring stackers, the diameter of the rings are equal in size, so there is no need to fret or for baby to become frustrated to put them on in a particular order. 3. Cheerio Play Book (Little Simon Publishing) T h e Cheerio Play Book works so many fine motor and cognitive skills. This book will keep any baby entertained. Indented circles on each page are available to place Cheerios. Additionally, each page

gives an instruction on where to place the Cheerios. The instructions work on teaching your baby knowledge, such as color and shapes (e.g. “place the Cheerios on the red squares”). 4. Sensation Station Suction Toy (Sassy) A perfect toy to keep your child occupied in his highchair or booster seat while at the table. Sassy doesn’t disappoint with its choice of vibrant and contrasting colors in their design. Your child will have fun while working on her fine motor skills such as finger isolation and eye-hand coordination.

5. Nesting Cups A true classic children’s toy. Nesting cups are terrific tools which teach visual perceptual skills. Your baby will problem-solve on how to insert the cups correctly and be thrilled when successful. While hiding objects in the cups and discovering them, baby will have fun learning the concept of object permanence. There are many nesting cups on the market. Look out for ones that have small holes on the bottom; this way your nesting cup can also serve as a bath or water toy, and you can get two toys in one! Happy Playing! 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.

Rifka Schonfeld

Obsessing Over OCD Q: How do I know if I have OCD? A: Every one of us knows what it feels like to be anxious or apprehensive: the night before a big test, going out, or when preparing for Yom Kippur. So, how do you distinguish that normal anxiety from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? The World Health Organization estimates that around 2.5% of the world’s population is affected by OCD, an anxiety disorder, which ranges from children to senior citizens. Evidence is strong that OCD tends to run in families. Of course, having a genetic tendency for OCD does not mean people will develop OCD, but it means there is a stronger chance they might. Dr. Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph of the Emours Center for Children’s Health Media states that people “with OCD become preoccupied with whether something could be harmful, dangerous, wrong, or dirty — or with thoughts about bad stuff that might happen. With OCD, upsetting or scary thoughts or images, called obsessions, pop into a person’s mind and are hard to shake.” Whereas with regular anxious thoughts, a person can be distracted or suppress the worrisome thoughts, with OCD, the rise in anxiety is so strong that he person feels that he or she must perform the task or dwell on the thought over and over again, to the point where it interferes with everyday life. Patrick McGrath, Ph.D., author of The OCD Answer Book, adds, “OCD is a mental disorder that affects the deepest parts of a person’s brain. It is not something to be wished away or punished into submission.” Here are different areas where obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors may be concentrated: Washing and cleaning: People who consistently wash and clean may have a fear of getting contaminated or spreading contamination. To offset this, someone with OCD might engage in excessive showering and washing in order to kill germs. Often, this can lead to extremely dry skin that cracks and bleeds. Hoarding: People may resist throwing out objects because they believe the item might have a use in the future. At times, this can mean saving meaningless scraps of paper or souvenir baseball caps from years ago. Checking: Before going to sleep, people with OCD will frequently check and recheck the locks on doors and

window. Prior to leaving the house, they will ensure that the stove is off, sometimes returning to confirm several times. Diagnosis If someone you know shows signs of OCD, talk to a health care professional. In screening for OCD, most doctors use a tool called a structured clinical interview to determine if the person has symptoms consistent with OCD. Structured clinical interviews contain standardized questions to ensure that each patient is interviewed in the same way. Treatment Once diagnosed, the most successful treatment helps people change their thoughts and feelings by first changing behavior. Often, it involves exposing people to their fears in order for them to recognize that no disastrous outcomes will occur, thus eventually decreasing their anxiety. Over time, the affected person gains confidence that he or she can fight OCD. They learn that giving into Obsessive Compulsive Disorder does not make the worries go away. An important note, though, is that this method of treatment should be provided by a professional and not simply attempted at home. The good news is that with increased awareness, OCD is treatable and surmountable. The first step is recognizing the fear – then you can learn how to fight it. An acclaimed educator and education consultant, Mrs. Rifka Schonfeld has served the Jewish community for close to thirty years. She founded and directs the widely acclaimed educational program, SOS, servicing all grade levels in secular as well as Hebrew studies. A kriah and reading specialist, she has given dynamic workshops and has set up reading labs in many schools. In addition, she offers evaluations G.E.D. preparation,, social skills training and shidduch coaching, focusing on building self-esteem and selfawareness. She can be reached at 718-3825437 or at rifkaschonfeld@verizon.net.

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s the year 2012 comes to a close and we welcome in the year 2013, I wanted to share my top five toys for baby. I consider them classics. They are the type of toys you can hand down from one child to the next. These toys work on and facilitate your baby’s development. I am sure he or she will enjoy these toys while both learning and growing.

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In the Kitchen Naomi Nachman

n our recent trip to Israel we spent the day with Rabbi Alan Haber, who clude some fabulous food experience, and this did not disapis a director at my daughter’s seminary in Israel (MMY). (For more point. Rabbi Haber took us to a goat cheese farm in the Gush information about Rabbi Haber or to hear a shiur, visit www.mevaseret. Etzion area called Sde-Bar. We had lunch in an outdoor patio with breathtaking org/mmy.) views of Midbar Yehuda. We were served hot Rabbi Haber took us and another family to and fresh rolls as well as salads and a variety of the Gush Etzion area and showed us several cheese platters. All the cheeses were produced historical sights and battles of our forefathers, on the farm. The farm was initially established including battle sites of the Chashmonaim and as a youth rehabilitation center for boys who Greeks. We also took a tour of Herodium, the would have been lost without the guidance of palace-fortress built by King Herod. It had a the rehab center. The boys learned how to raise breathtaking view, overlooking the Judean and take care of the animals then also learned Desert, and the mountains of Moab to the east, a trade of making dairy products. Eventually and the Judean Hills to the west. This was King the farm started to produce its own food and established a restaurant. For more information Herod’s summerhouse and eventually became a rebel base for the Jews. about the farm, you can visit www.sde-bar. Of course, any tour that I go on must incom. Sage flavored camembert cheese from Sde-Bar

Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette My family loves goat cheese. We use it in omelets, sandwiches, salads and dips. This is our favorite way of having it, in this delicious salad. NOTE: Double or triple the dressing and it can be used on any other salad you like too. Cheese Mixture Ingredients ½ cup flour 1 egg, beaten ¾ cup plain panko crumbs 1 tablespoon sesame seeds ½ tablespoon black sesame seeds 1 10.5-ounce log plain goat cheese (I buy mine at Costco) ½ cup canola oil Directions Set up three dishes on the counter: Fill the first with flour, the second with the egg, and the third with the panko crombs and the sesame seeds. Slice the goat cheese into at least 10-15 slices and form each slice into disc about the size of a quater. Coat each disc in flour, then in egg, then in the panko crumb mixture. Once they’re all coated, set them aside while your pan heats up. Place a sautee pan over medium heat and bring ½ cup oil to 360° using an oil thermometer. Once the oil is hot, place the coated discs of goat cheese into the

pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 1 minute. Drain on paper and cool. Set aside and prepare dressing. Dressing Ingredients 1 tablespoon shallots, finely minced 3 tablespoon raspberry preserves 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup olive oil Salt and ground black pepper Directions Place shallots in a food processor and mince finely. Then add preserves and vinegar. In a steady stream while the machine is running, add the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can do this by hand with a whisk but you get a smoother consistency in a food processor. Salad Ingredients 3 cups mixed greens ½ red onion slices, optional ½ cup honey glazed pecans, halved Directions Place the salad greens on a large platter, scatter red onions and pecans over the top. Add the cheese rings around them and drizzle with dressing.

Naomi Nachman moved from Australia approximately 20 years ago and, in 2004, started “The Aussie Gourmet” to cater weekly and Shabbat/Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities. Naomi is also sought after to teach cooking classes throughout the NY/NJ Metropolitan area (from Scarsdale to Boro Park, Manhattan to Teaneck, the Hamptons and Connecticut… and of course, The Five Towns). She has also taught classes in Florida, Australia and Israel. Naomi is a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, a cooking CD and a variety of newspaper articles. Naomi currently lives in Woodmere, NY with her husband and 4 daughters.

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Lola's Story

Lola Lieber Schwartz

A World After This

A Memoir of Loss and Redemption Lola Lieber Schwartz is a world-renowned artist whose paintings have been exhibited in art galleries throughout the United States and are part of the Yad Vashem archives in Jerusalem. Most importantly, Lola is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to many. She has myriad friends and sees life in all its vibrancy and vitality. But life was not always easy. Lola was only sixteen-yearsold when Hitler ym”sh invaded Poland, and Lola was forced into hiding and spent years on the run with her husband, Mechel. Through six years of trying times, near PART TWO: First Chapter of My Adult Life * * * Chapter 3 Krakow and a Man Named Mechel

rom Munkach to Krynica to Krakow, I traveled within the space of weeks not months. Although the miles were not many, the atmosphere in Krakow was totally different. I felt like an explorer discovering a new continent of alien smells, ideas, customs, and norms. Events around me were spinning so rapidly I couldn’t keep track of everything. I was living a mystery and didn’t yet have enough clues to figure out how it would turn out. Within a short time of my arrival, strangely enough, an enormous segment of my adult life had been decided. Obviously, I was not aware of this. I was naïve and did not suspect how fast I would become an adult. Until I stood directly in front of that crucial life’s bridge, I had no notion of how ill-prepared I was to cross it. On my arrival from Krynica I tru

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ly saw the city with open eyes. Even though I had often visited my family, I found virtually everything about Krakow overwhelming. Where exactly was I? Krakow was a large city of about 250,000. Its Jewish population of more than 60,000 was several times greater than that of all Munkach. I was not only out of the enclosing embrace of my grandparents and their sheltered lives, but was now living in a major urban European city of cultural diversity and complexity. My father’s family was firmly woven into the tapestry of life in Krakow. Here our Jewish life was circumscribed by a specific Chassidic sect, markedly different from the one I had known in Munkach. I felt like an outsider, even though I was living with my family. I would have to adjust – socially, religiously, and emotionally. The first major change came almost immediately. A large wedding was about to take place in our extended family. Toby Berger, my first cousin, was about to marry Itche Pflancer. Her mother was my Aunt Ruzhe. She owned a successful corset shop on Krakowska Street, one of the best shopping boulevards in Krakow. My aunt and cousin ran the store and employed young girls to do

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

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

starvation and brutality, Lola and her husband held onto their faith and values. It was Mechel’s words of encouragement, “There will be a world after this,” that helped them cling to the hope that there will be a life of light and joy waiting for them at the end. This is the story of Lola’s life—from her grandparents’ “enchanted garden” to meeting Eichmann ym”sh to making the Pesach seder for the Bobover Rebbe during the war—her words will take you back to a different world. the intricate sewing and handwork. In was an optimist and a determined man. the sophisticated cities of Europe in the Some might have called him opinion1930s, elegant ladies did not buy inti- ated, but that would miss his essential mate garments that had been mass-man- nature. He was extremely persuasive, ufactured in factories. Instead, these yet managed to be humorous and light garments were individually custom- at the same time. There is no question, made and fitted, created from the finest however, that he had the aura of a man materials available. As cousin Toby’s accustomed to having things go his way. wedding date He wanted to approached, walk me home my Aunt Rufrom the store zhe desperately when I finished needed somework, which one to watch startled me and the shop, mind really upset Fathe cash registher. Although ter, inventory Mechel was the merchancompletely redise, and assist spectful and the clients, and modest, my faMechel, his mother, two sisters and cousins I was very flatther would not vacationing in Krynica, Poland in the mid-1930’s tered when they permit this. For asked me to take Mechel to walk over. I felt quite the grown-up young with me in public, unescorted by anlady because they invested such obvi- other family member, was totally inapous trust and confidence in me. Excited propriate. Mechel was eight years older by the prospect of a wider world to ex- than I. At that time in our lives, he was perience, I excitedly said yes. I became a man and I was still a girl. a working girl while still in school. My parents were concerned for anAs I said, the most significant event other reason as well. Traditionally, the of my life happened without my realiz- older sister in a family should be the ing its importance. At Toby’s marriage first to have a courtship, engagement, I met my future husband, Mechel Li- and marriage. If Mechel were an aceber, who was a guest. He noticed me ceptable choice as a husband for one of at the wedding and took a fancy to me. my father’s daughters, it should have He was interested in finding out who I been for Goldie, not me. It may seem was and he rather easily traced me to odd today, but this was common among the shop. Mechel was born in 1915 in Jewish families in those days. Father Karlsbad, the son of Hershel and Ma- was traditional. The notion of “love tel Lieber. Our family connection was at first sight” was too far-fetched for that we shared an aunt and uncle, which him to contemplate. Father had made made us cousins. At that time, he was a miscalculation about the comparative a traveling insurance salesman who strength of wills, however. Mechel was made a decent income. The minute he not going to go away easily, or at all. saw me, he said later, he made up his My father misjudged the loyalty and mind that I would be his bride. He did commitment Mechel already felt tonot know how very young I was. For ward me and the fact that Mechel had him, it was, as it is sometimes is, “love already made his plans. at first sight.” “At least allow me to visit her at How can I describe Mechel? He home,” Mechel argued politely.

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and a bit vain, as most young and pretty much stricter approach to observance girls are. I did not see Mechel as the than my own. idealized husband of my fantasy life, In the months and years ahead and I was sometimes uncomfortable in- Mechel would teach me many things, troducing him to friends and relatives. and ultimately, I would also teach him. Fortunately, it did not take long for me Neither of us knew then the degree to to abandon such superficial feelings which our partnership and marriage as I evolved into would be tested. a person of more Hashem must have depth. I could soon had a role in our see for myself what meeting each other his qualities were. because it was as a Mechel had won me team that we would over. The moment face up to the forces he smiled at me, or of total and powerat anyone, glaciers ful evil under the melted. Nazis. In Yiddish, Mechel would the word bashert be described today translates roughly as a lovable man. as “fated” or “preHe had a unique ordained.” I think charisma, a generMechel and I were osity of spirit, and a blessed as being wondrous way with bashert (destined language and confor one another). Mechel’s grandparents, versation. And he It was a gift from Yechiel Mechel and Miriam Lieber could do something Heaven that would that was very difficult in our world: He provide us with a special strength to go balanced and combined our Yiddishkeit forward without giving up or losing our (our Jewish way of life) with a touch of faith. worldliness I did not see in any of the Continued next week other younger men. This impressed me. What I would learn later is that his rela- Lola wrote this book with the help of Alida tively modern attire actually masked a Brill.

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Even my strict and respected the Lieber cautious father could family. So with considernot resist Mechel’s reaable speed, it was agreed soning. He wanted Fathat Mechel could visit ther’s permission to us almost every single visit in order to get to day. I was not yet sixknow me and the rest teen and not socially soof our family. Mechel phisticated. I was even was exhibiting the same younger emotionally personality traits that than my actual years. I would characterize his enjoyed Mechel’s attenbehavior throughout tion but did not interpret life. When Mechel was correctly the meaning of Mechel’s father, certain about the corthe visits and my father’s Hershel Lieber—Krakow rectness of his opinion, permission. I did not rehe could not be deterred. alize by accepting these Although Mechel was charming and overtures of friendship, I had started had a most compelling manner, he was down the path to the chuppah (marriage not a smooth talker or a false charmer. canopy) and to life as a wife – Mechel’s It was something else entirely. I believe wife. Mechel had an innate charm, which I had my own dreams about what came from the sincerity of his heart and the perfect husband would look like, spirit. Father could not deny Mechel’s what he would sound like and what he deep devotion to our people and faith. would do. Like most other young girls This alone helped make him a serious in the world, my dreams began with candidate as a son-in-law. So Father re- “tall and handsome.” Mechel was tall lented, or at least he gave in – to some and he was slim, but he wasn’t a truly degree. handsome man. However, his eyes had For a short period of time I think a deep, intense sparkle that caught me Father tried not to like Mechel, but that off guard and pleased me from the very was an impossible task. There was also beginning. As I said, Mechel Lieber another important element in the deci- was a hard man to resist. Father was sion about being hospitable to Mechel. still not thrilled, but he stopped trying In our community everyone knew and to push Mechel away. I was a pretty girl

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From My Private Art Collection

Room for Design

Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg

Naftali Landau

Art Inspiration for the Year 2013

ith the New at that time, which were Year comes a later used as a basis for chance for a inventions by others. feeling of revival. During His personal style inthe Renaissance period, cluded the use of many a feeling of revival took curved lines. Many of place. People began these lines were mimto discover new ideas icked from nature. He and explored many once wrote, “The painter fascinating things. There must be universal and was a feeling of rebirth. must neglect no aspect Leonardo da Vinci of nature. For the same got his name from his reason, he must be a scihometown. He was entist, must understand Self Portrait of among the famous artists the inner nature of what Leonardo da Vinci of the Renaissance perihe paints, almost as if he od. The genius left Vinci had created it himself.” to apprentice by the artist Leonardo da Vinci and sculpture known as loved to explore, and Verrocchio. He studied each and every new under him and eventualcanvas became an adly became a better artist venture and a chance than Verrocchio himself. for a new and fresh opThis was mainly because portunity. He did not of the fact that he put a remain stagnant but he tremendous amount of continually searched for detail into each of his a new understanding of sketches. the world around him. The blank canvas beThese extensive studies came his connection to helped him develop into aspiring new ideas that the amazing artist that he were extremely creative. His creative was known to be. mind convinced him to research the January 2013 is here and as we look various ideas needed in order to create back at the year 2012, of course, we a perfect replica drawing of the subject. should reflect and do an evaluation, but In order to draw in a scientific way, he we also must focus on our own new bestudied anatomy and perspective. He ginnings. Going forward we will then even used his creativity to design ar- obtain the ability to look towards a new chitecture. Portraits done by him were revival of our individual talents and masterpieces. abilities. Take out a new, clean canvas The creation of the Mona Lisa was and experiment. There is always room one of his great accomplishments. This for growth and improvement with a beautiful portrait portrays a young fresh start. The creative juices in all woman looking at you; her eyes seem of us will be nurtured and continue to to follow you around the room. It took grow. As we certainly learn from da him approximately six years to com- Vinci’s style, in the viewing of his faplete it. He was known for the multitude mous artworks at museums and from art of sketches that he would do in order books, we can understand how the New to produce a finished product of great Year and a new canvas offer unique opsuccess. He would take a blank canvas portunities for the budding artist. and sketch many ideas that popped into his head. Eventually, an idea of artistic Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg is a profesgenius quality would surface and then sional art educator, artist and designer. take front stage. He is considered an Among her known artwork is a floral sculpextremely talented and famous master ture presented to Tipper Gore, Blair House, Washington, D.C. Presently she is the Diartist. His drawings were done with ex- rector of Operations at Shulamith School for treme detail. These sketches were on a Girls. Please feel free to email nherzberg@ variety of subjects, such as a flying ma- optonline.net with questions and suggeschine and sketches of unusual objects tions for future columns.

Kitchen and Bath Trends for 2013

n celebration of the New Year, I want to look ahead at some current trends in kitchens and baths that I see coming on strong for 2013 and beyond. There have been a lot of innovative products this past year. Every year we keep on coming out with new and exciting ways to improve our kitchens and baths, and I believe this year will not be different. Below are some top choices of what we will start to see in upcoming trends in this coming year. The first trend that I see being a huge player in 2013 is going to be L.E.D. lighting. Cooler than halogen, 20x longer lasting than incandescent, L.E.D. lighting is available to use almost anywhere in your kitchen and bath designs. You can install them inside cabinets, under cabinets, inside cove moldings, and along glass shelving – you name it – L.E.D. lighting is so small and versatile. This is the way to go for accent lighting but can also be used for your primary lighting. As more and more manufacturers continue to expand their L.E.D. products, we will continue to see pricing drop and color rendering improve. Another trend we already started to see and will continue to see is white cabinetry both in kitchens and baths. White cabinetry is always fresh, clean and versatile; today’s homeowners and designers love white for its ability to be both quiet and sophisticated, yet be the perfect backdrop for a splash of bright color, such as orange or red. White cabinetry is also a great choice because of the ability to use in a large array of different style rooms. White can be used in rooms ranging from the very modern to ultra-traditional, and because of that, we will see more and more of white cabinetry in project in

this coming year. A big trend we will see coming in this year is the change in how we are designing our baths and showers. For years, the air tubs and jetted tubs have reigned as the standard, natural choice for bathing, but today manufacturers offer the bather many gorgeous deep soaking tub options – beautifully styled as art, freestanding and deep relaxing. These tubs are designed to be the fo-

cal point of your bathroom design and while the tub may be getting simpler, today’s showers are becoming more extreme. 10”, 12”, even 18” rain heads combined with 4 to 8 body sprays are becoming the norm for today’s busy homeowner who can only afford a few minutes of pampering. In summary, as we have seen in the previous years, the kitchen and bath industry is set to blow away the expectations of the consumers as we see more and more innovative and fresh products in this coming year like the ones we just mentioned. Just a reminder: I am offering 20% off on all orders to anyone unfortunately affected by the storm. Naftali Landau is owner and chief designer of Exclusive Cabinetry and Design and has been designing kitchens for the past 12 years. For questions or ideas for future articles, he can be reached at 917-468-7693 or at naftalilandau@gmail.com

Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

All participants want to see the bride and groom and the antics performed in front of them. The oxygen supply quickly runs low in the square footage that had scarcely been sustaining the men. People seem ready to pass out, but a sudden retreat begins. All eyes are focused upwards and a shared fear of the possibility of being flattened by a human cannonball sets in. The bride and groom have been launched skyward on unsteady platforms. They are being held aloft by an unbalanced assortment of recruits with no real plan for their survival. The bride grabs onto anything she can for dear life, while the groom seems to extend a white flag of surrender more commonly known as the dinner napkin. The band finally builds to a crescendo and all survivors scurry thankfully to their appointed tables. Later on… As the second round of dancing is signaled, many opt to remain at their table eating. They are more willing to take their chances with high cholesterol than braving the dance floor again. At least cholesterol has Lipitor as a potential antidote that can help mitigate the damage. The dance floor is just too dangerous a place to spend the rest of the evening. Next time maybe it would be smarter to come in battle fatigues rather than tuxes and gowns. Or take my advice, come as gorgeous as you like, but sit out the first round of dancing. Then confidently join the second round. By then the young girls have come off their perch and are sporting their sneakers, even the women have slipped into flats, and the crowd has thinned out significantly. Because, at that point, only the committed are willing to rejoin the battle field. So, next time the band strikes up and you run bravely out onto the dance floor, don’t think of yourself as a mere guest, think of yourself as a true hero.

Final Tax Thoughts for 2012

013 is almost here, and it looks like that old Grinch is leaving a “fiscal cliff” under everyone’s tree. Here are a few final thoughts to help usher in the New Year: “There’s no line on the tax return that asks, ‘What are you not telling us?’” Robert Goulder (tax attorney) “The rich, indeed, are different from the rest of us; they have shiftier tax lawyers.” - Jim McTeague (columnist, Barron’s) “Dear Tax Commissioner: Three years ago I cheated on my taxes. Since then I have been unable to sleep at night. Enclosed is $5,000. If I still can’t sleep, I’ll send you the rest.” - Anonymous “If you are truly serious about preparing your child for the future, don’t teach him to subtract – teach him to deduct.” - Fran Lebowitz “The ancient Egyptians built elaborate fortresses and tunnels and even posted guards at tombs to stop grave robbers. In today’s America, we call that estate planning.” - Rep. William

R. Archer (former Chair, House Ways and Means Committee) “[A] tax lawyer is a person who is good with numbers but does not have enough personality to be an accountant.” James D. Gordon III (BYU Law School) “Make sure you pay your taxes; otherwise you can get in a lot of trouble.” - Richard M. Nixon “Just because you have a briefcase full of cash doesn’t mean you’re out to cheat the government.” - Pete Rose “From a tax-point of view, you’re better off raising horses or cattle than children.” - Former U.S. Rep. Patricia Schroeder We wish we could tell you exactly what’s going to happen with the fiscal cliff and taxes next year. But we can promise we’ll be here to help you make the best of it, in 2013 and beyond. Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@ aol.com.

j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

eople w h o think going to war is one of the most dangerous situations they can ever find themselves in, have never been in the w o m e n ’ s dance circle at a Jewish wedding. If you are lucky, you will immediately be knocked off balance and dragged around a few revolutions before regaining consciousness and running for safety back to the security of your assigned table. If you are unlucky, you will be last in the circle for a while—only to suddenly have your foot confused with the dance floor and permanently impaled with a six inch Stuart Weitzman heel. This physical insult is only one of the many confrontations you may be forced to endure throughout the evening. Trust me, the night is young! You are a warrior lost in the throes of battle. And I do mean “lost.” One moment there are multiple circles of familiar faces surrounding you, the next—no one over the age of 20 is anywhere in sight. The circles have redistributed and reconvened without your awareness. You are faced with the challenge of finding where you belong. Are you there as a guest of the bride’s mother, the groom’s mother, or the beloved and cherished step-mother who has come with her own supporters? Each one has formed their own camp. Can you safely join a circle in which you are not an actual guest, or will you be eyed as an unwelcome invader? Correctly identifying your circle is truly a victory. Just as the circles begin to take definition and all participants have finally arrived, thankfully, at their stations, a major invasion gets underway. A barrage of energetic men comes barreling across the dance floor with no regard for the carefully mapped out terrain. They whisk away the female captive—the “bride”—and all circles dissolve in seconds. Everyone begins a mass charge for the men’s dance floor.

Allan J. Rolnick CPA

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Ask the Attorney Shlomo Steiman, Esq

Forming a Non-for-Profit Entity I formed a non-profit corporation for my charity several years ago but have never filed anything with the IRS. Now someone wants to make a significant contribution but wants to know that I am a recognized 501(c) (3) charity so he can get a deduction. What can I do? The Attorney Responds: In order for donors to be able to deduct the charitable contributions they make on their individual tax returns, their contributions must be made to officially exempt organizations. These organizations are listed in IRS Publication 78, and can be found online by checking the IRS website. Before going into the specifics of your dilemma, let me first lay out the basics of forming a not-for-profit entity, gaining approval for solicitation, and obtaining recognition as a 501(c) (3) entity by the IRS. Following that, I will discuss what can be done when things are not initially arranged in the ideal manner. Although there are various types of not-for-profit corporations in New York State (NYS) and various types of tax-exempt entities, I will limit my discussion to that most common in this context, a Type B New York State not-for-profit corporation desiring to be recognized as a 501(c)(3) entity. I will also not delve into the operations of the entity. The process begins when at least three individuals join together as initial directors in forming a not-for profitcorporation for a charitable, educational, religious, scientific, literary, cultural

or cruelty prevention (to children or animals) non-business purpose. A certificate of incorporation is drafted and filed with New York’s Department of State. Like a regular for profit corporation, this entity will be prohibited from using a name already used by another entity or that may be misleading. Once formed, the initial directors will get together (whether physically, by phone, or in writing) and adopt bylaws detailing the corporation’s rules of operation, choose directors and officers, and preferably adopt other best practices such as a Conflict of Interest Policy. Although the directors have leeway in what they adopt, they must not forget the broader objective of obtaining 501(c) (3) recognition, and include in the by-laws, provisions that may also ease the obtaining of IRS approval. If the corporation intends to solicit a significant amount of money or hire a professional fundraiser, it will also be required to register with the NYS Attorney General’s Charities Bureau. Finally, the corporation will need to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. Following all these activities, the corporation will file Form 1023 with the IRS to be recognized as a 501(c) (3) entity. This application is very de-

tailed and complex, and when submitted together with the documentation listed in the preceding paragraph could easily be over forty pages. It includes requests for descriptions of the corporation’s activities, names of directors and their backgrounds, amounts paid to significant contractors, questions regarding corporate policies, and detailed financial data, including (projected) revenues and expenses for the current year and three preceding years or two succeeding years. Form 1023 should ideally be submitted during the initial year of formation, since doing so will preclude any potential issues that may arise concerning whether annual reporting requirements have been met. Nevertheless, this timeframe cannot always be achieved and submissions made within 27 months of formation (and in extenuating circumstances, 36 months) will still qualify for retroactive recognition of 501(c) (3) status going back to the date of corporate formation. What that means is that following approval, all donations made since the corporation was formed will have been made retroactively to a recognized exempt entity. In New York State, the corporation will also apply for an exemption from corporate franchise tax. If Form 1023 is not generally submitted within 27 months, then even if approved, the 501(c)(3) status may only begin from the date of approval. In practical terms, this may preclude donations made prior to obtaining IRS approval from being deductible on individual returns. Furthermore, since the corporation is not recognized as a 501(c)(3), it may theoretically be subject to taxation on the amount that revenues exceeded expenses for all years. It would have to straighten out its tax situation, filing the appropriate returns and paying any taxes that may be due prior to being recognized as a 501(c)(3). Now turning to the specifics of your question, for someone to be able to de-

duct their contribution to your not-forprofit corporation, you would have to obtain 501(c)(3) recognition. If over 27 months passed since you formed the corporation, it may be possible to obtain retroactive approval, but it is certainly not a sure thing. You would have to file all requisite tax returns, and pay any tax required before obtaining approval. If you are unable to retroactively obtain recognition as a 501(c)(3), then donors would not be able to deduct contributions made prior to obtaining recognition. As you see, the matter can be quite complex. That is why the entire formation and exemption recognition process is often handled by a tax attorney from the start. I would be happy to discuss your matter further to see how I can help. This article is published for informational purposes only. It is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

Shlomo Steiman, a former Justice Department Auditor, is a Queens attorney with an office in Manhattan. His practice focuses on tax and non-profit organizations. He can be reached by phone at 917-838-5923 or by email at ssteiman@steimanlaw.com CNG Networking Group is an Orthodox Jewish networking group which meets in Queens and Long Island. The attorney sub-group of CNG has 8 members with various specialties: Trusts & Estates, Real Estate, Matrimonial, Criminal, Personal Injury, Trademarks/Copyright, Tax, Nonprofits, Litigation. We welcome questions from readers on a wide range of legal matters. Please submit your legal questions to SchechterLaw@gmail.com. While we do not provide specific legal advice, we hope to present readers with a greater understanding of the issues presented and potential means of resolving difficulties. No column is a substitute for competent legal advice. Please consult with the attorney of your choice concerning specific legal questions you may have.

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Alan Berger Director & Host Robyn Hartman Program Manager Benny Amar Religious Service Coordinator For early reservation discount or more information, please contact Alan Berger at: 1-877-PESACH4 (1-877-737-2244) OR 516-734-0840 info@passovergg.com www.passovergrandgetaways.com

Consequently, guests are kindly requested to be careful that Matzo should not come in contact with liquids. Furthermore, being that Egg Matzo is not permissible on Pesach (except for the infirm on the advice Dear Guest: of a Rav), guests shall please be extra careful during the “Shabbos Erev Pesach” keep away Egg Matzoprogram. –as much as possible- from As you know, ourmeals Pesachtoprogram is a the “Non-Gebrokts” the Pesach dishes and utensils. Consequently, guests are kindly requested to be careful that Matzo

GOURMET CUISINE

• Entire Hotel Exclusive to Gateways

KAJ Hashgocha

• Atrium lobby

Thank you

• Private Seder Rooms

KAJ Hashgocha

MARCH 25 - APRIL 2, 2013 HILTON HOTEL, STAMFORD, CT

U R’ Mordechai Becher

R’ Jonathan Rietti

R’ Mordechai Suchard

R’ Yonason Shippel

SHIDDUCHIM FEATURING GATEWAYS SHADCHANIM

The Shidduch Division of Gateways • R’ Yisrael ‘Freddy’ Friedman • Mrs. Lori Newman • Mrs. Fayge Rudman • Mrs. Tammy Schwebel

for more info and reservations

ENTERTAINMENT

• Health and fitness center • Walking paths • Tennis Courts • Aerobics, Simcha dancing & Zumba

• 24 hour tea room • Shmurah Matzah

DAY CAMP

• 100% non-gebrokts

Avraham Fried, Benny Friedman & Dovid Gabay

• Pirchei & Bnos style • Carnival day camp • Experienced • Children and teen professional day programming camp directors & • Masmidim program counselors • Babysitting service • Under Directorship of R’ Avi & Tziri • Trips to major Frank attractions

800-722-3191 • 845-352-0393 office@gatewaysonline.org www.gatewayspesach.org

• Vast selections of wines • Cholov Yisroel & Chasidish Shechita

WO R L D R E N OW N E D G AT E WAY S S P E A K E R S

R’ Dovid & Debbie Greenblatt

• New Indoor Pool & Jacuzzi

• Lavish buffets and kiddushim

R’ YY Rubinstein Director of Education, Ohr Naava

• Two game rooms • Wi-Fi throughout • Complimentary parking

R’ Dr. Akiva Tatz JLE, London

• Shabbos Key Locks & Elevators

• 45 miles from Brooklyn and 5 Towns

Find us on Facebook

GatewaysOrg

GatewaysInc

j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

G STAYINRE ENTI ! V YOM TO

WORLD RENOWNED GUEST SPEAKERS

R’Avraham Friedman Mr. Charlie Harary, Esq. Noted Presenter Rosh HaYeshiva Skokie

• Luxurious suites

105 The Jewish Home n

PESACH 5773

should not come in contact with liquids. Furthermore, being that Egg Matzo is not permissible on Pesach (except for the infirm on the advice of a Rav), guests shall please be extra careful during the “Shabbos Erev Thank you away the Egg Matzo –as much as possible- from Pesach” meals to keep the Pesach dishes and utensils.

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Leisure & Travel

From Sea to Shining Sea : Indiana

he name Indiana means “Land of the Indians” or “Indian Land” and indeed it was home to many Native Americans and indigenous peoples prior the becoming a territory of the United States. The land is rich in culture and heritage, and Hoosiers (residents of Indiana) are friendly and warm.

children learn about different occupations from earlier days. Abe Lincoln and Johnny Appleseed himself visit the fair and children can take pictures with figures from the past. And music lovers will love the gathering of the bands—where bagpipes and whimsical tunes fill the air.

Things You Won’t Want to Miss Johnny Appleseed Festival If you’re in Fort Wayne in September, make sure to visit the Johnny Appleseed Festival held annually here. The spirit of John Chapman, better known as “Johnny Appleseed,” comes alive at this free, festive fall event. The American legend became famous for planting apple trees throughout the United States in the 19th century. The festival offers visitors myriad things to do. There’s a Farmer’s Market and fun food throughout. A blacksmith and spinning wheel help

Turkey Run State Park A trip to Turkey Run State Park takes one back in time. A walk along one of the ravines gives visitors the opportunity to walk along sandstone gorges that were made hundreds of years ago. There are hiking trails, camp sites, and places to go horseback riding and canoeing. Visitors connect to nature here—the flora and fauna are varied and rich. Deer tracks, beaver-chewed trees and woodpecker excavations are just nature’s way of showing visitors its mark. Heritage Trail This 90-mile drive is perfect for all seasons and was named one of the America’s most scenic drives. In the fall, sample slices of succulent pie and crisp ap-

ples; in the spring, feel the warm breeze as bees buzz by; in the winter, delight in the crisp, cold snowflakes whirling from the sky as you watch skaters glide by; and in the summer, enjoy county fairs and the hooves of the horses as they gallop by. Quilt Gardens Located along the Heritage Trail, this is a feast for the eyes. The event takes place from summer through fall and more than a million vibrant blooms are used. 18 supersized gardens and 18 hand painted murals— each with a distinctive quilt pattern—pop with rich color. There are seven communities that host the event and each one brings character to the gardens and quilts it hosts. Amish Acres Indiana is fortunate to have many Amish communities call the state their home. Amish Acres puts visitors in the center of an Amish farm. Here one can see how they work and live. When visiting Amish country, drive carefully and watch out for horse and buggies!

WINTER RETREAT

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RECHARGE YOUR SPIRITUAL BATTERIES!

In the enchanting city of

Prague

JANUARY 913, 2013

Join Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller

World-renowned author, lecturer, and Hamodia columnist

and Mrs. Debbie Greenblatt Noted Lecturer and Relationship Counselor

RIVETING shiurim and an unforgettable shabbos! TOUR Prague's ancient Jewish community, and the famous Theresienstadt camp DAVEN at the kevarim of the Maharal and Kli Yakar ENJOY Prague's magniicent sites, relaxing with friends, and our delicious gourmet cuisine!

CONTACT US TO FIND OUT MORE! NESIVOS / JEWISH LEGACY TOURS In the US: 718-407-4447 • In Israel: 972-54-528-1991 • Fax: 972-2-652-6646 info@nesivos.com • www.nesivos.com

Winter Break 2013

Tu B'Shvat Eve Trips ...wiTh EvE harow

wEd January 23/12 Shvat

rEplanTEd

in ThE

wESTErn nEgEv

Yesodot-Netzer Hazani; the indomitable Anita Tucker, winner of Moskowitz Prize for Zionism. Netiv Ha'asara; a Gush Katif farmer's new hothouse and a northern Gaza view. Cafe Cafe in Sderot for a mehadrin dairy lunch. The Black Arrow Memorial, symbol of the region's 'battle heritage'. The 5th century synagogue mosaic at Hurvat Maon. South to Yamit's Steel Memorial Tower alongside Holot Halutza's Gush Katif replants; the farms, homes and people of Nave and Bnai Netzarim. Tomatoes in the sand—again; inspiration and personal sacrifice in the air—still.

ThurS January 24/13 Shvat

ThE Shomron iS

grEEn again

Tapuach; where 4 legged defenders of the Land are bred and trained. Itamar; to Zimmerman's organic farm for jams and cheeses in Gav HaHar. Yitzhar; HaCohen's Flour Mill and a luscious lunch at Savta Chana's warm home. Tel Aufer; the Ofra of Gideon the Judge? Shilo; Meshek Achiya, because olive oil is only part of the story. Ending our day with Amichai Luria at his award winning Shilo Winery.

Enrich your Tu B'Shvat Seder - and your Spirit.

Now, more than ever, it’s time to join us.

We leave from the Liberty Bell Parking lot Jan 23: promptly at 8:15am, return approximately 7pm. Jan 24: promptly at 8:30am, return approximately 6pm. Cost per day including lunch: $65/adult $55/student in Israel or child under 12. For reservatIons & Further InFormatIon vIsIt

www.oneisraelfund.org/daytrips or send email to daytrips@oneisraelfund.org Israel: Zahava englard 052.484.6034 In US: ruthie Kohn 516.239.9202 x10

ItInerary subject to change as determIned by securIty and weather consIderatIons

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t h e Fa m i ly d i v i s i o n o F o h r s o m aya c h , m o n s e y , n y

“Taking Our Families From Strength To Strength”

Chizuk & Inspiration at

the

luxurious

b e i t s h v i d l e r r e t r e at c e n t e r monsey, ny

Three fantastic “Getaways” to choose from...

Positive Parenting in Challenging Times FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 - SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2013

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8 - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2013 FRIDAY, MARCH 1 - SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2013

Rabbi Avraham Braun

additional presenters include :

Rabbi Doniel Frank

Rabbi J Rietti

mrs. chani juravel rabbi label lam mrs. chaya reich

• W orld cl ass presenters • F ive star caterers & G ourmet cuisine • s uperb kiddies and childcare proGram • W arm Family environment • m otzei s habbas e ntertainment and c hildren ' s c arnival

Enrollment limited to 25 families

Rabbi Naftali Reich

Rabbi YY Rubinstein

mrs. rivky reich rabbi benzion shaFier mrs. shira sWiatycki

Cost

$449 per couple

$120 per child (1+ yrs)

all taxes and gratuities included

F or a brochure and / or to apply , please contact m rs . s hoshana k irshner , Program Coordinator

845-216-3970 or email: sk@os.edu

j a n u a ry 3 , 2013

join us For an unForGettable Weekend oF

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110

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SALE DATES: 1/3/13 – 1/16/13

EXTRA LARGE

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$1.29

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$4.29 $1.99

TUV TAAM SUPREME OR LEMON GARLIC CHUMMUS

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Plum Tomato - $0.99/lb Baby Carrots 16 oz - $0.99 #113 Sunkist Oranges - 5/$1.00 Hass Avocado - 3/$2.00 Extra Fancy Eggplant - $0.59/lb Chunk Pineapple or Cantelope Large container - $2.99 each

15 PK

4 OZ

$11.99

$.39

SMACKIN GOOD POTATO KNISHES 12 PK

UNGERS

UNGERS PLAIN BREAD CRUMBS 25 OZ

PRO PACK SANDWICH BAGS 300 CT

J&J

32 OZ

12 OZ

NATURES OWN APPLE JUICE 64 OZ

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$.99

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BARLEY 16 OZ

$.69

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FRENCH FRIES

PLASTIC SOUP BOWLS

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2 /$5

GOLDEN FLOW BROCCOLI FLORETS 32 OZ

UNCLE MOISHE

$4.49

Whole Chicken – $2.29/lb All Natural Flanken – $7.49/lb Boneless Flanken – $6.99/lb Family Pack Rib Steak – $9.99/lb Turkey Stew Dark Meat – $4.99/lb

HEALTHY BITES 6 PK

$1.39

Heimeshe Kishka – $2.99/lb Meal Mart Turkey Roll – $6.99/lb Pastrami Potato Kugel – $3.99/lb Stuﬀed Capons – $6.99/lb Red Skin Potato Salad – $3.49/lb Shlishkis – $4.99/lb

111 T h e J e w i s h H o m e n J a n u a ry 3 , 2013

CRAZY OVER THE 2013 HONDA CR-V! 2013 Honda CR-V

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